Counter Attack

Starring:Counter Attack
Studio: Videoasia
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Very pleased
A dissappointment!
Good solid Sam Fuller Movie
A tale of the Korean War
Korean War Shoot-em-up !

Fixed Bayonets
Starring: Richard Basehart , Gene Evans , Michael O'Shea , Richard Hylton , and Craig Hill
Director: Samuel Fuller
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000MGBLIC
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

Not your typical star-studded or star-spangled war film, cult-fave director Samuel Fuller's Fixed Bayonets is a viscerally thrilling Korean War drama of one platoon's trial, and one corporal's baptism, under fire. Morale is high but the ammo is low for an American division hunkered down in the mountains of Korea. Certain massacre awaits if they retreat. To give "15,000 men a break," 48 "of our toughest combat men" are selected to stay behind and trick the "commies" into thinking the entire division is in place while the others escape safely across a river. Fixed Bayonets is raw and brutal in the best Fuller tradition. The backgrounds are obvious fakes, and the platoon members sport the usual war movie nicknames like Whitey, Rock, Jonesy, and "Mr. Belvedere" (he's the resident know-it-all). But all else has the authentic ring of reportage, as in a powerful scene when the men cluster together to rub their feet to ward off frostbite. Richard Basehart stars as Denno, who can "take an order, but can't give one" until his three superiors are knocked off one by one, leaving him in command. This rueful exchange--"They told me this was going to be a police action." "Why didn't they send the cops?"--is as close as Fuller gets to geopolitics. For war-movie buffs, he does deliver pounding and tense action sequences. In one harrowing scene, a medic must navigate a minefield to try and rescue a wounded sergeant and retrieve the only map to the field.. But he is resolutely unsentimental and more interested in the ravaged, human face of war. These are faces you will not soon forget (one of them, reportedly, belongs to James Dean, but this film is so gripping, one is hard-pressed to make the effort to try to spot him). --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Very pleased.......2007-06-27

We received our item in a very short time and were pleased with our purchase.

A dissappointment!.......2007-06-15

Frankly I'm quite dissapointed in this film. It's in black and white, which actually is no problem for me since I enjoy classic war films. The dissappointmnet is that the whole movie seems to be shot in a studio!!! and a very small studio! Really dissapointed. Also nothing really special about the story.

Good solid Sam Fuller Movie.......2007-06-14

A solid Sam Fuller directed movie with outstanding performances by Gene Evans and Richard Basehart. Classic Fuller with more dialogue than 'action'. Similar to his other Korean War movie "Steel Helmet" including the use of WWII Infantry packs in Korea which had been replaced by then. Overall, a good movie for a Saturday afternoon. Fuller was a veteran WWII Infantryman who showed us the grimness of the front-line soldier's world. It would make a great DVD set with "Steel Helmet". Throw in "Big Red One" and you would have the key Sam Fuller war movies.

A tale of the Korean War.......2007-03-14

This is a taut war movie from Samuel Fuller. A platoon is cut off from the rest of the outfit and has to try to work itself back. Richard Basehart plays the corporal who ends up in charge as men get killed off one by one. Look for James Dean as one of the soldiers.

Korean War Shoot-em-up !.......2007-01-17

Richard Basehart stars as a Corporal who does not like the responsibilities of command. When the Chinese invade the Division must pull back across the river and set up new defence positions. A stay behind platoon is left on the opposite bank of the river to hold a critical pass. One by one the platoon's leaders are killed and it is up to Basehart to save the day. Excellent Korean War drama/action movie. On par with "Pork Chop Hill" and "One Minute To Zero". Also stars Gene Evans as the Sergeant and Skip Homier as a soldier. Highly recommend!

Cross of Iron (Widescreen Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Peckinpah's antiwar classic - hasn't aged well
Much better than the fullscreen version
NOT ONE OF HIS BEST BUT STILL WORTH A VIEW
Cross of Iron
A Violent Story Situated in the Stumbling Eastern Front.

Cross of Iron (Widescreen Special Edition)
Starring: James Coburn , Maximilian Schell , James Mason , David Warner , and Klaus Löwitsch
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Manufacturer: Henstooth Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E5N63Y
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Description

Widescreen Special Edition DVD Features include:
Audio Commentary by film scholar Stephen Prince, author of Savage Cinema: Sam Peckinpah and the Rise of Ultraviolent Movies
Original Theatrical Trailer
Photo Gallery of German Lobby Cards
Language Options: English, French
New Widescreen 16:9 Anamorphic Transfer

Customer Reviews:

Peckinpah's antiwar classic - hasn't aged well.......2007-04-04

Sam Peckinpah's attempt to make a graphic, violent antiwar film has not aged well. This is a story of a German recon platoon in the south of Russia in 1943 after the debacle at Stalingrad. The platoon is lead by Cpl (later Sgt) Steiner, played by James Coburn (probably one of the best roles in his illustrious career). After an opening action scene in which Steiner and his men eliminated a Soviet mortar battery, Steiner meets his new company commander, Capt Stransky (played by Maximillian Schell). Stransky is a Prussian aristocrat who requested transfer to the Russian front so that he can earn the Iron Cross, but doesn't really want to risk his neck to earn it. Steiner is the grizzled veteran who has received every award available, is sick of the war and the leadership, but continues to fight nonetheless. In the mid-70s this film may have been considered cutting edge, but I think that to modern audiences, the violence and action seems will seem highly stylized. As a war film, it carries little of the emotional impact of more recent films. The slow motion camera shots really give this film a dated feel. Some of the other reviewers state that this film is made from the `German perspective'. This is not really true in my opinion, I think a better characterization would be to state that it is `not unsympathetic' to the Germans. Steiner and his men are portrayed as soldiers simply doing their duty in a war they don't believe in. This latter point is one of the strengths of the film, the German soldiers are not portrayed as mindless Nazis, but with more sympathy and complexity. A second strength of this film is that it doesn't descend into simplistic rantings about Nazi racial policy in Russia, Nazi war crimes, etc. This would have banished the film to cliched oblivion in my view. There are some great shots of WWII era hardware (like T-34/85), even if everything is not entirely historically accurate. This is a decent (anti)war film, but will, I believe, seem tame and not particularly meaningful to modern viewers.

Much better than the fullscreen version.......2007-03-18

"Cross of Iron" has always been one of my favorite movies. It was the first Peckinpah movie I ever saw, I was fifteen, and it forever convinced me of the futility of war. So a couple of years ago I bought the Hentooths's fullscreen version of this movie and I was absolutely apalled by the poor quality of the image and soundtrack: the DVD is so bad that you might not even finish watching the movie. Still, this being one of my favorite movies, I decided to run the risk of buying this widescreen special edition when it recently came out, since it promised to be better, and it was. Not great, I should say, but better. So if you're convinced, as I am, that this is the best war (or anti-war) movie ever made, I recommend you buy this DVD despite its technical limitations. If you have never seen this movie, you should see it a couple of times before making your mind of what you think of it. This is because, like all of Peckinpah's movies, it is full of subtleties that you will not get on just one run (I've seen this movie seven times and still find new new things in it), including a brilliant subplot on male camaraderie and (overt and repressed) homosexuality. But this is also the one Pekinpah movie where ultra-violence is handled mastefully: the first time you watch this movie, you will be in shock before long and unable to follow the nuances of the plot. So sleep it off for a couple of days and watch the movie again. In my opinion, in this movie you will also find the best performances ever by both James Coburn and Maximilian Schell.

NOT ONE OF HIS BEST BUT STILL WORTH A VIEW.......2007-03-09

The rest of the reviews on this movie sum it up - you have a director who was spinning downward into addiction while attempting to make an epic war movie. Most likely it is only through the sheer talent of the director, the people around him, and the actors in the movie that this movie is watchable.
You have some strange choices in where the story goes and how it gets there - it lurches from the examination of homosexuality in the military, the horrors of war and the mental health of the survivors of war, into guys on patrol / trying to get home story. The action scenes, as with almost any Peckinpah movie, are exciting and horrifying. A "Ballet of Violence" as John Woo would say. The acting and dialogue is all over the place- but Coburn and Schell love to chew the scenary and do it soooo well. You get Coburn with guns in a war and slow motion Peckinpah violence with an anti-war message to boot = not a bad way to spend a few hours = 3 1/2 stars

Cross of Iron.......2007-01-13

Cross of Iron although it starts out with great action and plot, becomes a bit odd after James Coburn's character suffers shell shock. It has its moments, but over all it seems to be lacking something. It is worth watching, but I was somewhat disappointed after reading its rave reviews.

A Violent Story Situated in the Stumbling Eastern Front. .......2007-01-09

Director Sam Peckinpah was known for creating very violent scenarios, blood filled and corpse filled films.
Well then WWII Eastern Front is an ideal backdrop to suit his abilities.
With "Cross of Iron" (1977) he delivered his, arguably, second best movie. Being "Straw Dogs" (1971) his Number One.
He constructs a very solid & dynamic war movie, even if the budget put at his disposition wasn't ample enough to fully support this kind of product.

The story is as follows. The German army was already in full retreat. Soldiers, NCOs and officers were deranged beyond recover. Each individual cope the situation with whatever resource is at his disposition: liquor, daydreaming, madness, fanaticism, cynicism, unrestrained violence or a combination of them all.
Out of the blue a Prussian officer arrives to the battalion headquarters, at his own request, in search of winning the Iron Cross. But he is not willing to display the necessary skill & heroism to achieve this. He searches a shameful shortcut and tries to force a true hero to backup his phony statement.
A clash of wills with dreadful results is launched.

Around this anecdote, Peckinpah builds a strong parable about the futility of war in terms of suffering and misery.
Play acting is very good. James Coburn impersonates Steiner the hardboiled & rebellious NCO delivering one of his best performances, at par or better than his appearances in "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) and "The Great Escape" (1963).
Maximilian Schell as the arrogant Hauptmann Stransky, David Warner as disenchanted Hauptmann Kiesel and James Mason as Oberst Brandt compose correctly their characters.
Special mention must be done for play acting of the rest of the squad members: Klaus Lowitsch, Fred Stillkrauth and Michael Nowka amongst other.

Original music by Ernest Gold, the unforgettable author "Exodus" (1960) score, delivers an energetic musical background to the film.

This is an outstanding war film, that no real fan should let it pass by unwatched!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Average customer rating:

Shameless Quest for an Iron Cross.
Interesting, but a lousy soundtrack and a strange ending
Cross of Iron
What price glory?
Great War Movie

Cross of Iron (Full Screen)
Starring: James Coburn , Maximilian Schell , James Mason , David Warner , and Klaus Löwitsch
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Manufacturer: Henstooth Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003M5FX
Release Date: 2000-02-01

Amazon.com essential video

Sam Peckinpah weighs in on World War II--and from the German point of view. The result is as bleak, if not quite as bloody, as one expects, in part because the 1977 film was cut to ribbons by nervous studio executives. The assorted excerpts that remain don't constitute an exhilarating or even an especially thrilling battle epic. The war is grinding to a close, and veterans like James Coburn's Steiner are grimly aware that it's a lost cause. The battlefield is a death trap of sucking mud and barbed wire, and the German generals (viz., the martinet played by James Mason) seem to pose a bigger threat to the life and limbs of Steiner's men than the inexorable enemy. Not even Peckinpah's famous sensuous exuberance when shooting violence is much in evidence; the picture is a depressive, claustrophobically overcast experience. The bloody high (or low) point isn't a shooting; it's a wince-inducing de-penis-tration during oral sex. For a fun time with the men in (Nazi) uniform, try Das Boot instead. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

Shameless Quest for an Iron Cross. .......2007-06-04

Director Sam Peckinpah was known for creating very violent scenarios, blood filled and corpse filled films.
Well then WWII Eastern Front is an ideal backdrop to suit his abilities!
With "Cross of Iron" (1977) he delivered his, arguably, second best movie. Being "Straw Dogs" (1971) his Number One.
He constructs a very solid & dynamic war movie, even if the budget put at his disposition wasn't ample enough to fully support this kind of product.

The story is as follows. The German army was already in full retreat. Soldiers, NCOs and officers were deranged beyond recover. Each individual cope the situation with whatever resource is at his disposition: liquor, daydreaming, madness, fanaticism, cynicism, unrestrained violence or a combination of them all.
Out of the blue a Prussian officer arrives to the battalion headquarters, at his own request, in search of winning the Iron Cross. But he is not willing to display the necessary skill & heroism to achieve this. He searches a shameful shortcut and tries to force a true heroic "war dog" to backup his phony statement.
A clash of wills with dreadful results is launched.

Around this anecdote, Peckinpah builds a strong parable about the futility of war in terms of suffering and misery.
Play acting is very good. James Coburn impersonates Steiner the hardboiled & rebellious NCO delivering one of his best performances, at par or better than his appearances in "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) and "The Great Escape" (1963).
Maximilian Schell as the arrogant Hauptmann Stransky, David Warner as disenchanted Hauptmann Kiesel and James Mason as Oberst Brandt compose correctly their characters.
Special mention must be done for play acting of the rest of the squad members: Klaus Lowitsch, Fred Stillkrauth and Michael Nowka amongst other.

Original music by Ernest Gold, the unforgettable author "Exodus" (1960) score, delivers an energetic musical background to the film.

This is an outstanding war film, that no real fan should let it pass by unwatched!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Interesting, but a lousy soundtrack and a strange ending.......2007-03-20

This is one of the strangest war movies I've ever seen. Peckinpaugh was famous for depicting violence in slow motion, with much blood and realism, and he does that here, in spades. Strangely, as has been commented elsewhere, this is the only war movie he made. It's an odd choice: Willi Heinrich's depressing World War II novel about German soldiers on the Eastern Front wasn't exactly a bestseller in the States. There's also the issue of whether American audiences would even know what that part of the war was about, or how hopeless the situation the characters are in is...the setting of the movie is the Taman peninsula, just to the east of the Crimean peninsula, and Crimea was about to fall, also. The soldiers in the movie are probably all doomed, trapped regardless of what they do.

The supporting characters in the movie are all portrayed by Germans, but the main actors are an international cast. Coburn of course was American, Mason and Warner English, and Schell is the lone German among the principal players. The equipment and uniforms look entirely appropriate and authentic. There's a particularly chilling scene where the German soldiers have to fight off a Soviet attack and the Soviets are led by several tanks, which are clearly T-34s.

No one's ever been able to explain the ending to me coherently. I'm not going to give it away here, but trust me, it's very very strange, and seems anti-climactic. There's an interesting side-note to this: a friend of mine, many years ago, went to the premiere or to a sneak preview in Hollywood, and he swears that the ending was different. Perhaps they had debates about how anti-war they wanted the movie to be, and couldn't agree, or even tested it with different endings before deciding on this one.

Nonetheless, I am glad I own the movie. I can't say I enjoyed watching it exactly (it's very bloody) but it was interesting to watch. Peckinpaugh has this strange habit of cutting between several different sequences, jumping from one point of view to another and then back after a second or two, and it's very interesting, if a bit unsettling until you get used to it. I do agree with the one reviewer though: the soundtrack is more than a little annoying: especially the opening title sequence (which is used for the ending too) has a musical number that's particularly annoying. All in all a good movie though.

Cross of Iron.......2007-03-16

I had orginally seen this movie years ago and always wanted to add it to my video collection. Viewing this movie again reminded me just how tragic, futile, senseless and dehumanizing war can be. James Coburn plays a powerful and very convincing lead in this movie as a German noncommissioned officer in the already lost cause for Germany on the Eastern Front during World War II. James Mason plays an excellent role as the seasoned and philosophical senior officer who is also caught up in the futility of Germany's strategic situation, while Maximilian Schell plays the role of an arrogant Prussian aristocrat whose nefarious ambition for the undeserving glory of an Iron Cross is naked and disgusting to the point of selfishly disregarding the lives of his own men in his command. The visual effects of the battle scenes are almost surreal at times, with soldiers being blow apart in slow motion, as Sam Peckinpah works his magic. This is a movie for anyone who believes that war is glorious and accomplishes anything worth while or for those who already know that war is futile, needs to watch.

What price glory?.......2006-11-22

James Coburn and Maximilian Schell star as two German soldiers from diversely contrasting backgrounds in Sam Peckinpah's brutally graphic WWII drama "Cross of Iron". Filmed in Yugoslavia, the movie depicts the 1943 Nazi retreat from the Soviet Taman peninsula during Hitler's disastrous strategic blunder, the invasion of Russia.

Coburn playing corporal and later sergeant Steiner is a disillusioned war weary veteran, highly respected by his reconnaissance platoon. Schell is a newly transfered captain who is both inexperienced and cowardly. He comes from a wealthy, aristocratic Prussian family for whom he must attain his rite of passage, the iron cross for valor. During a skirmish in which Coburn was wounded and Schell's brave underling lieutenant Meyer was killed, Schell unjustly tries to take credit for the manuever which would bestow the prized iron cross on him. Schell needs corroboration from Coburn to attain the honor. When he refuses, he is forced to explain to their superior officer colonel Brandt played by James Mason.

The fierce fighting goes on and Coburn and his platoon get stuck behind enemy lines and fail to be notified of a general retreat by the actions of Schell. Hoping to get them killed, Schell is shocked when he learns that Coburn and his platoon are attempting to work their way back across enemy lines. He orders junior officer lieutenant Triebig played by Roger Fritz to shoot Coburn and his men to preserve the secret of his devious machinations to win the undeserved medal.

Peckinpah's penchant for gory portrayals of violence is never more apparent than in "Cross of Iron". He also accurately displays the divergent mindset of the German people to the policies of Nazism in his two main characters. Also appearing in a rare English speaking role is the sensuous flame haired German actress Senta Berger, who plays a nurse and Coburn love interest as he recuperates from his wounds.

Great War Movie.......2006-11-05

This is a great war movie. Great battle scenes. Very realistic all around. The ending is a little bizarre but a great movie anyway. It takes place on the Eastern Front after Stalingrad. I saw it on VHS so I can't speak for the quality of this DVD.

Average customer rating:

The real deal
Biased -- but not fraudulent, unlike another temperature related title
Blatant propaganda
A clear picture of the anti-Bush radicals
All around bad movie

Celsius 41.11
Director: Citizens United
Manufacturer: Bcd Music Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00066VTBW
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Customer Reviews:

The real deal.......2006-04-04

The only opposition to this movie will be name-calling and blustering from leftists. but thats what they do anyway so you should be used to it by now. one important note- this is not an entertainment-based movie. whereas farenheit 911 was nothing more than a theatrical pile of lies and completely out of context clips, this is a rational, factual breakdown. here's an example of farenheit's problems. they show bush on the morning of 911 in a classroom, and show a secret service agent coming in and telling him the nation's under attack, and how he does nothing for like seven minutes. so what? you don't know what was said. in fact, id bet pretty much anything it was something along the lines of "Mr. President, i need you to remain here and try to appear as if nothing's wrong while we get information." seven minutes would seem about right for a conversation between that agent and another of that magnitude. celsius provides actual fact. it goes behin the liberal lies and gives you evidence that can not be disputed by anyone in their right mind, no pun intended. It gives a complete background of different subjects ranging from how it was GORE who tried to steal Florida to Bush's policies, and in-depth look at al-Qaeda, and an overview of John Kerry's history of switching sides on issues when it is politically convenient. liberals will hate it because it deposes some of the lies they cling to religiously. this should be required viewing in every classroom in america. hey, they're cramming our kid's heads with liberal propaganda, why not add in just a touch of conservative fact?

Biased -- but not fraudulent, unlike another temperature related title.......2006-04-02

I've been seeing more than my average intake of documentaries lately - and basically - they're all biased. The director always has a reason he/she made the video and they'll ALWAYs cut the tape to support their view.

But some are more honest than others.

So, I enjoyed this film. I support Mr. Bush and while I know mistakes have been made, I believe that in any endeavor that isn't a paint-by-number exercise, mistakes are inevitable. The important thing is to try to achieve the important goals- and in my opinion, he has. And he may yet succeed.

I'm going to buy this film (I had rented it to view it, but I want to support the film maker.)

If the rumors are true, and Kerry and/or Edwards are going to try again in 2008 - well, it will be nice to have their flip flopping on important issues such as the Iraq War and the Patriot Act -- not to mention Mr. Kerry's despicable slandering of our armed forces and his brothers-in-arms, in Viet Nam - on record and easily accessible.

Blatant propaganda.......2006-03-03

You can tell when someone is at least attempting to offer an honest point of view; in the case of Celsius 41.11, Knoblock distorts the facts and hide some information. To excuse President Bush's inaction after his reception of the Presidential Briefing, you hear, from a talking head, that Dr. Condelezza Rice "made it clear that the Presidential briefing offered only historical info" when we know that most of the document has been heavily censored and classified.

To explain why certain American citizens despite Bush and link him to Nazism and facism, another talking head explains that, in time of war, fear and paranoia do that... However, which is coming first: the fact that Bush is inciting fear, or the war...?

A clear picture of the anti-Bush radicals.......2006-01-06

This movie makes a good case against the anti-Bush crowd, showing background on the principal reasons for their "anybody but Bush" belief system and debunking each charge with comments from several notable commentators-- including Michael Medved, Charles Krauthammer, Fred Barnes, former Sen. Fred Thompson, Victoria Toensing and others.

It also features clips of Sen. John Kerry, Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Sen. Hillary Clinton and others to present the filmakers case.

The film is well done, but I do not recommend it for the shallow among us, not enough flash to keep them interested. However a thoughful viewer will find plenty of substance here.

All around bad movie.......2005-08-05

I had a friend who praised this movie for debunking F/911, which it does fairly well but id have to say that this was the most boring 2 hours a person could live through, they could have put it together a little better then just some Q & A. If anyone were to see this movie wanting to know the truth behind Fahrenheit 9/11, I can asure you that 45 min in to it you simply wont care anymore. I suggest you watch ferhenhype 911 it's a much better movie

Average customer rating:

Carries on the Tradition in Grand Style
Sharpe saves the day (again...and not for the last time...).
From Rifles to Swords
Enjoyable, but not outstanding
Lots of spy intrigue in one of the best of the Sharpe series

Sharpe's Sword
Starring: Sean Bean , Daragh O'Malley , John Tams , Jason Salkey , and Emily Mortimer
Director: Tom Clegg
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000055WAO
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Customer Reviews:

Carries on the Tradition in Grand Style.......2007-04-20

I saw my first movie, "Sharpe's Gold" on A&E and became hooked. I am currently on my quest to collect the entire series on DVD, with the Complete Collection being out of my price range, the smaller collections work out just fine! This second "mini-collection" carries on the standards of excellence set by the first movies. Of course, I wish the budgets had been higher for the film, but the directors and producers do quite well with what they have.

The charm of the Sharpe's films isn't necessarily spectacle, though there is room in the very subject matter for that, but character and personality. The actors are all superb. In all the Sharpe's movies (and I've seen most of them) I can't recall one performance that wasn't spot-on. The actors are superb, the friendship and bond between Sharpe and his "Chosen Men" is touching, amusing, and entertaining. You like these people and despise those whom they despise. Great job!

I can't help but wonder if there had been a higher budget, the acting and character development might have taken a back seat to pyrotechnics and spectacle. Not every spectacular film can rise to the level of "Lord of the Rings."

It is also refreshing to see Sean Bean, whose made a career out of playing criminals and sleazeballs, play a good guy - and do a great job of it.

Sharpe saves the day (again...and not for the last time...)........2006-10-05

Just a quick note to emplore you to WATCH the series BEFORE YOU READ the books!!! In this fashion you will get to enjoy them both much more.
For understandable reasons (time and financial constraints), the "Sharpe" film series had to do away with most of the marvelous battle scenes that Bernard Cornwell was so excellent at bringing to life in his "Sharpe" novels. However, the characters and plots were still rich enough to sustain a fantastic screen adventure on a budget. Mr Sean Bean, the actour who plays the title character, had a lot to do with. His on screen charisma was enough to downplay some questionable moves by the writer/directour/producer. For example, I could not understand why the lovely and tragic sub-plot of the marriage of officer Sharpe and Teresa, the fiery Spanish partisan from an impoverished noble family, was abandoned in favour of stories such as the absurd "nun romance" plot in "Sharpe's Sword". This decission aside, there was enough "good stuff" left to make this film linger in my thoughts for many days after the first viewing. And that is the final test of a film well done. Enjoy!
(four stars out of five for the silly "nun" business)

From Rifles to Swords.......2006-08-03

Richard Sharpe finds himself in the unusual position of a swordfight to the death in this episode of the Sharpe series. Sean Bean plays the character with his usual aplomb, and peripheral characters such as Hogan return. Like all the Sharpe movies, this one is watchable and entertaining, and the plot of Napoleon attempting to capture Wellington's spy, El Mirador, adds to the suspense.

Enjoyable, but not outstanding.......2005-03-30

I tried this movie because I think Sean Bean is terribly, stunningly attractive and a intensely convincing actor. He gives a great portrayal of a self-confident, manly British major, and his great Yorkshire accent is, for once, allowed to lilt unmolested. However, the drawbacks are not due to his performance, but to the movie itself.

I have only glanced into the books, but Bernard Cornwell seems to be involved more in plotlines than anything else - a lot of swordplay, a lot of romance, and, in the movie, at least, a lot of gore. The gore bothered me more than the other problems, because for the most part the battle sequences were mild and not in the least high-tech, and yet when there is a wound to be stitched or an arm to be slashed, they are unbalancedly heavy on the blood.

Then there is the whole subplot of the novice and her relationship with Sharpe to consider. (Some reviewers have reffered to this female character as a nun; she is NOT: she is a novice, A.K.A. nun-in-training.) The story is one to please many teenage girls, I am sure, but for those of us who don't like faux sentimentality it is annoying to have her tagging along everywhere. Besides, no novice rethinking going back to the Church (and receiving Holy Communion...no mention of confession, somehow!) would be slipping into a sick man's bed to keep him warm. Not that the general portrayal of the Church is negative; the novice's throwing away her crucifix and then, after Sharpe's recovery, taking it back, was a nice little touch. The priest is a memorable character as well. Some of the humor seemed a bit off, but it was made for British audiences and I'm just a stupid American, so what do I know. :D

Ingoring the iniquities and enjoying the improbability of it all, it was a fun movie. Wouldn't watch it if it weren't for Bean, though.

Lots of spy intrigue in one of the best of the Sharpe series.......2004-09-16

In "Sharpe's Sword," it is still 1813 on the Franco-Spanish frontier and the French army is now in full retreat from Spain. But Napoleon is planning a surprise counter-attack and to make it work he has to flush out and capture Napoleon's master spy, El Mirador. Of course, Major Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) is in the middle of the intrigue, although for a large part of the story he is sidelined by a severe wound. There is a battle sequence at the end of this one, as the British take another French fort, but this one is much more of a character drama, where all of the subplots pretty much come together in the end.

Major Munro (Hugh Ross) knows the identity of El Mirador, but he is not about to tell Sharpe. Napoleon has dispatched Colonel Leroux (Patrick Fierry) to find and kill El Mirador, but he is captured by the British. Pretending to be a mere captain Leroux is given his parole, and none of his superior officers will listen to Sharpe who sees through the pretense and tries to avoid the inevitable tragedy that will result from this stupid mistake. Sharpe also comes across a frightened lass (Emily Mortimer), who will not speak, and evidence of a code book that suggests there is a traitor among the English.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Harper (Daragh O'Malley) and Ramona (Diana Perez) are having fighting because he is not sure about bringing a Spanish woman and an illegitimate baby back to Ireland when the war is over. Sharpe and everybody else thinks the two should get married, but Patrick does not see the sense of it. Then we find out that Sir Henry Simmerson (Michael Cochrane), the oaf who was Sharpe's commanding officer in "Sharpe's Eagle" and who once lost one of the King's flags, is back to cause more trouble as he takes an interest in the lass.

"Sharpe's Sword" offers two of the more interesting supporting characters and better performances in the series to date. John Kavanagh is Father Curtis, an Irish priest whose church provides sanctuary to soldiers who have been tortured beyond endurance. He is a particularly strong figure with surprising depth who plays a key role in several of the plotlines. Then there is James Purefoy as Lord Jack Spears, who has already lost one arm to the war and who strikes up a friendship with Sharpe (it has been a while since he has had such a thing with a fellow officer). Two of the best moments in this eighth story in the Sharpe series belong to these two characters.

In the past I have complained because Sharpe usually does not get to be the one who delivers the death blow in these movies adapted from Bernard Cornwell's novels about the Napoleonic War, but he does get to do one in "Sharpe's Sword" and the one that he does not do is handled really well so that I did not mind. Yes, the battle sequence leaves something to be desired, but that is a constant in the series given its limited production values and director Tom Clegg handles this one better than most, taking advantage of the sight of those nice lines of British troops in their red coats marching across the field under fire (and there are lots of beefeater hats this time around).

This is one of the best of the Sharpe's series, its rating warranted by the strong characters, the intricate storyline, and the multiple payoffs in the last act. Sharpe gets to do not one, but two sword duels, so that he has some nice action moments to go along with the strong dramatic moments between the characters. Sharpe is not as dominant in this one as he is in some of the others, but maybe that is why it works so well. All of the other members of the cast are involved in making this a superior outing.

Sukeban Deka: Counter Attack from the Kazama Sisters

Average customer rating:

Rebel, Rebel and the Law of Diminishing Returns

Sukeban Deka: Counter Attack from the Kazama Sisters
Starring: Yui Asaka , Yuka Ônishi , Yuma Nakamura , Kosuke Toyohara , and Masaki Kyomoto
Director: Hideo Tanaka
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Sukeban Deka - The Movie
Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion: Beast Stable
Eko Eko Azarak - The Movie (Complete Collection)
Scorpion - Female Prisoner 701: Grudge Song
Zeiram

ASIN: B000CSTKEW
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Description

The High school secret detective, Saki Asamia is back and battling more baddies in this 1988 sequel! Saki through with here detective duties happily goes back to school as a student, unfortunately her detective wit gets the best of her as she uncovers the plot of an independent terrorist trading camp the HELL CASTLE to recruit boys from her high school.

Customer Reviews:

Rebel, Rebel and the Law of Diminishing Returns.......2006-06-05

Like its predecessor "Sukeban Deka: The Movie" of which it's the sequel of sorts, this DVD is a fun, campy adventure movie that is enjoyable to watch if you determine beforehand not to take it too seriously. (Cinema snobs beware, this is not the next Kurosawa). Again, the movie is based on a successful Japanese TV series in mid-1980's Japan (itself based on a manga of the early 1970's by Wada Shinji), in which tough, delinquent (and yet heart-warmingly delinquent in a pleasant way somehow) high school girls work as secret agents investigating crimes for some high-level branch of the police (hence the title: "sukeban"="juvenile delinquent girl" and "deka"="detective"). In the TV series, there were three Sukeban Deka agents (after one retired, another took her place when a new threat to Japan/the world showed up), each of which used a distinctive yo-yo weapon in addition to good old punches and kicks. The main character in this movie is Sukeban Deka #3, Kazama Yui (played by Asaka Yui), who is rejoined by her sisters Kazama Yuka (Onishi Yuka) and Kazama Yuma (Nakamura Yuma)--yes, in all three cases the character's first name is the same as the actress who plays her.

The basic premise of "Sukeban Deka 2" is largely recycled from the first movie, with a radically right-wing organization using a legitimate cover in order to train a teenage army to overthrow the current Japanese government. This time it's the enemy within, though--the police branch in charge of the Sukeban Deka project having expanded on the concept and created a taskforce of yoyo-toting teenagers to enforce law and order among the youth of Tokyo. The overseer of this taskforce of course turns out to be the bad guy, who is in fact grooming the kids for much bigger things. Kazama Yui is at first a member of this taskforce, but then gets disenchanted with their ruthlessness and opts out; then she finds out about their evil schemes, rejoins her sisters, and teams up with a rag-tag band of misfits and social drop-outs to stop them.

The movie has a number of good points. Asaka Yui is a cute young lady who, as a reviewer for the first movie (where she has a supporting role) says, "brings a youthful spunk and charm to her character"--I totally agree, and she continues to do so here. In general too she's the best of the three Sukeban Dekas when it comes to fight scenes and action, and she's somewhat more convincing in this regard. And her chief nemesis in this movie is the group leader of the youth taskforce, a tough girl with a mean yo-yo of her own, so the doppelganger effect is kind of neat.

That said, this sequel seems a little weaker overall. Once again the moviemakers assume you've watched the TV series* and so don't do much to establish the characters' personalities and back stories, but this is not so much a fault of the movie as an effect of its eccentric distribution in the U.S. Other problems are just intrinsic to the film, though. The plot is loose and meandering and doesn't hold together well--I'm not expecting a masterpiece storyline here, but the developments should at least be kept on track in something like a streamlined manner. Then too, Yui's two sisters are largely superfluous, with roles largely equivalent to fifth wheels; they leave most of the actual "counter-attack" to Yui, and it seems like they're in the movie just because they were in the TV series and so are expected to show up here too. Finally, and most importantly (for me, anyway), this movie totally--and I mean totally--lacks the incredibly interesting elements based on Esoteric Buddhism, Shugendo (a type of mountaineering blend of Buddhism, Shinto, and Taoism) and folk ninja stuff that made the TV series with Yui so cool and enchanting. All of that's been secularized away in the movie, and it seems rather flat and bland as a result.

All that aside, though, the movie is still very enjoyable. If you like fun, campy adventure stories where strong, heroic girls beat up the bad guys and save the day, I highly recommend this movie even with all its little faults.

Note: The movie is unrated, but there's nothing in the movie that wouldn't be Rated PG here in the States. Just good, clean fun here, folks.

*For anyone interested, if you have a region 2 DVD player and can comprehend spoken Japanese reasonably well, the entire Sukeban Deka TV series is available at amazon.co.jp. There are five DVD sets for each of the three Sukeban Deka incarnations, making for fifteen in all (most of which are double sets).

Average customer rating:

Old-fashion moral dilemma, from long before steroid age.
"You don't like talk, Johnny, you like action."
Nicely Done
Great Film Noir Basketball Classic Movie!!

The Basketball Fix
Starring: John Ireland , Marshall Thompson , Vanessa Brown , William Bishop , and Hazel Brooks
Director: Felix E. Feist
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00015HX8G
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Customer Reviews:

Old-fashion moral dilemma, from long before steroid age........2005-09-28

The Basketball Fix is a simple story about college baskeball player Johnny Long, played by Marshall Thompson (Daktari, Bad Bascomd, First Man Into Space, Flight of the Lost Balloon, etc.), who starts out with a good enough old-fashioned work ethic, but falls into bad company (William Bishop). He resists the temptation to take bribes to lose points in his games until he runs into financial trouble trying impress his girlfriend (Vanessa Brown) with jewelry and so forth. He decides to take a bribe for just one game, as long as he doesn't have to throw the game entirely, but once in, he's forced to keep playing ball with the mob. John Ireland (Wake Up And Dream, A Walk In The Sun, The Fast and The Furious) is a sports columnist who helped Johnny get his start, and narrates the movie.

While watching, it occurred to me that in these unfortunate days of professional athletes regularly cheating by steroids, no one would take Johnny's dilemma seriously, and most people will probably find this story naive or trite. However, it's reasonably well made and interesting for a B-movie, and perhaps one of the only films on the subject. I got the DVD for $1, and I think it was more than worth it (I would have paid $2 or $3). Comparing it to other films of the time, I can give it 3 stars, but if you're the type who doesn't like black and white movies just because they aren't in color, or finds such moral dilemmas boringly out of date, you probably won't care for The Basketball Fix.

"You don't like talk, Johnny, you like action.".......2005-05-16

Johnny Long (Marshall Thompson) is a young basketball player with dreams of becoming a rich star so he can support his girlfriend Pat (Vanessa Brown) that he wants to marry. He's discovered by a sportswriter, Pete Ferreday (John Ireland), who wants to help him get the money he wants legally without going to mobsters like Mike Taft (William Bishop) for help. But over time Johnny realizes that he needs the money that Mike has been offering him, so he starts working for him in a points-shaving scheme that'll earn Mike and his mob a lot of money. But, as you could guess, everything falls apart and Johnny must pay for his unwise choices.

I am totally puzzled by the previous five-star ratings of this awful 1951 movie which is falsely marketed as film noir. With the ever-increasing popularity of film noir, it seems like any old movie from the 1940's and 1950's can be marketed as noir by dvd companies. Trust me, this movie is about as noirish as "Gone With the Wind"! Anyone buying this because they're expecting a film noir will be entirely disappointed. In fact, most people who buy this for any reason will be VERY disappointed! And as if the movie weren't dreadful enough, the dvd quality is awful, especially the sound.

This movie was supposedly a bold look at the college basketball point-shaving scandals of the 1950's, but it is boring and unintentionally hilarious. For example, the idea of Marshall Thompson playing a teenager was ludicrous and unbelievable, and the cast was almost entirely either emotionless or totally over-the-top, as Vanessa Brown was. Even John Ireland, who was usually great, seemed very bored with his role. Bottom line, a flashback and a handful of gangsters doesn't make this a film noir, and I'd say avoid this flop like the plague.

Nicely Done.......2005-04-28

Here I am 50 years after the release of this film writing a positive review of it. The storyline is relatively complex for this era. It shows how a player gradually got caught up in something he never planned. His motives might even have been considered somewhat admirable as he had the interest of his girlfriend and little brother in mind in deciding, reluctantly, to get involved.

The subtle nature of temptation is conveyed in that he is not called upon to lose any games, merely play poorly enough for them to be close. Marshall Thompson plays the lead role of Johnny Long. Sports journalist Pete Ferreday is played by John Ireland. The screenplay is written in such a way that the characters nuances come through. Felix Feist did a nice noir-ish type film. It all comes together in a way to hold your attention to the end.

Great Film Noir Basketball Classic Movie!!.......2005-03-15

This is a great film noir basketball classic movie about a basketball star getting involved with the mob and point shaving and a sportswriter trying to get him on the right track.It's a must see!!!

Average customer rating:

Good, but too short!

Survival Under Atomic Attack

Manufacturer: DVD Industries, LLC
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

Bomb shelters, geiger counters, evacuation drills
Learn how Americans prepared for nuclear war.
Civil Defense in the 1950s, preparedness & alert.
Enjoy this fascinating DVD in your living room.
Great for home schoolers or in the classroom use.

ASIN: B000COF3K6

Product Description

'Survival Under Atomic Attack' - Nuclear preparedness and civil defense in the atomic age - Educational Documentary History Film - Available NOW on DVD. Step back in time and watch as the civil defense administration instructs the citizenry on how to prepare for and what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. Follow along as families build bomb shelters and conduct timed drills in preparation for what was previously considered unfathomable. Uncut and unedited - 'Survival Under Atomic Attack' is an official United States Civil Defense film produced in cooperation with the Federal Civil Defense Administration in 1951. This disc is an important part of world history. Great for home-schoolers! Arrange a viewing for students and use this film as a tool to begin a discussion regarding the technology and the time period. Preserve this wonderful and historical film in your own private DVD library. 'Survival Under Atomic Attack' has been painstakingly transferred to DVD in effort to bring it to you in the best quality presentation possible.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but too short!.......2006-12-03

I purchased this DVD without looking to see how long it was. It is only ten minutes long. It is, however, a real classic from the cold war era. I've looked at it dozens of times and can't help but remember, with nostalgia, the good ol' 50's. I would recommend this for anyone interested in the culture of the 50's, but not for a person that really wants up-to-date infor on atomic attack!

Jubei Chan 2: Counter Attack - V.1 Resurrection

Average customer rating:

Jubei Chan 2: Counter Attack - V.1 Resurrection

Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Maburaho, Vol. 4: Ghost of a Chance

ASIN: 6303171966
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Description

Jiyu Nanohana is a teenage girl who unwillingly inherits the name and the skills of Yagyu Jubei, a legendary Japanese swordsman who lived in Japan over 300 years ago. When she puts on the so-called "lovely eye patch", she turns into mighty Jubei-chan, drawing her sword to fend off assassins who want to defeat the legendary Yagyu Jubei more than anything else.

Robotech - The Masters - Volumes 7 - 10 (4 Pack)

Average customer rating:

Robotech - The Masters - Volumes 7 - 10 (4 Pack)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

- Volume 7: A New Threat - 150 Min - Volume 8: Revelations - 150 Min - Volume 9: Counter Attack - 150 Min - Volume 10: The Final Solution - 150 Min

DVD:

DVD List

DVD

DVD

Sugarfoot 1 Episode & Us Marshal 1 Ep

Daughter of Death

Night of the Shooting Stars (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: The James Bond Collection Volume 2

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