Marco

Starring:Yuka Kamebuchi, Tetsu Nakamura, Masumi Okada, Ikio Sawamura, Jack Weston, Cie Cie Win, AimÃ©e Eccles, Zero Mostel, Mafumi Sakamoto, Desi Arnaz Jr., Osamu Ohkawa, Van Christie, Romeo Muller, Fred Sadoff
Director: Seymour Robbie
Studio: Vci Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Awesome Movie
Too much "Gotcha"
Are You Watching Closely?
My favorite Magic-themed movie
Double Trouble

The Prestige
Starring: Hugh Jackman , Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Piper Perabo , and Rebecca Hall
Director: Christopher Nolan
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000LC55F2
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

The Prestige attempts a hat trick by combining a ridiculously good-looking cast, a highly regarded new director, and more than one sleight of hand. Does it pull it off? Sort of. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival magicians who were once friends before an on-stage tragedy drove a wedge between them. While Bale's Alfred Borden is a more skilled illusionist, Jackman's Rufus Angier is the better showman; much of the film's interesting first half is their attempts to sabotage--and simultaneously, top--each other's tricks. Even with the help of a prop inventor (Michael Caine) and a comely assistant (Scarlett Johansson), Angier can't match Borden's ultimate illusion: The Transporting Man. Angier's obsession with learning Borden's trick leads him to an encounter with an eccentric inventor (David Bowie) in a second half that gets bogged down in plot loops and theatrics. Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with his Batman Begins star Bale, demonstrates the same dark touch that hued that film, but some plot elements--without giving anything away--seem out of place with the rest of the movie. It's better to sit back and let the sometimes-clunky turns steer themselves than try to draw back the black curtain. That said, The Prestige still manages to entertain long after the magician has left the stage--a feat in itself. --Ellen A. Kim

Description

Award-winning actors Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson star in THE PRESTIGE, the twisting, turning story that, like all great magic tricks, stays with you. Two young, passionate magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman), a charismatic showman, and Alfred Borden (Bale), a gifted illusionist, are friends and partners until one fateful night when their biggest trick goes terribly wrong. Now the bitterest of enemies, they will stop at nothing to learn each other's secrets. As their rivalry escalates into a total obsession full of deceit and sabotage, they risk everything to become the greatest magician of all time. But nothing is as it seems, so watch closely. And be prepared to watch it again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Movie.......2007-07-03

I thoroughly love watching The Prestige. Once in a while a great movie will come along that I can watch over and over and be entertained continuously. This is one of those films. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are great as the main characters and the plot is just wonderful. I imagine the book is just as great and I think that the film makers did a really nice job with the material. It's innovative, deceiving, thought provoking and overall excellently put together. Enjoy.

Too much "Gotcha".......2007-06-30

This is a movie about revenge. Robert Angier and Alfred Borden are two magicians who work together. When one of them loses a loved one during a performance, the other pursues a lifetime of vengeance. Back and forth it goes, with the only suspense being who is going to get the last word (or revenge) and destroy the other. This unrelenting process takes up most of the movie and is really overdone in my estimation. The movie is dark, (both the theme and the cinematography) and is pretty despresssing. My husband and I both enjoyed "The Illusionsist" much more that this movie.

Are You Watching Closely?.......2007-06-29

Wow! A review of this movie! That's not an easy thing. And the confused beginning and drawn out silences make it difficult to separate past from present from future and determine where you are in the story. But, after Christian Bale is responsible for the death of Hugh Jackman's wife, Piper Perado, the hatred between Jackman and Bale ratchets upward to obsession, with each magician exposing the tricks of the other. Both have found the ultimate trick, the transported man, involving exact doubles. It isn't clear how Bale found his duplicate, nor is it obvious until afterwards that his own personal tragedy, the suicide of his wife, Rebecca Hall, is the result of his double. But the extent of Jackman's obsession is shown by his rejection of his beautiful assistant, Scarlett Johansson, and his funding the research of Nicoli Tesla, a very real and very eccentric scientist of the period played by a stoic David Bowie. And when Jackman uses a duplicate to lure Bale into being accused of murder, and obtains custody of Bale's daughter...well, I've already said too much and the final plot twist should be left as a surprise.

My favorite Magic-themed movie.......2007-06-27

I saw this in the theatre, and found myself discussing it with my fellow movie goers all the way home (30 minutes). The next day I still was figuring out, in my own head, how the pieces all fit together in this movie. Christopher Nolan has directed my two favorite movies, Memento and The Prestige.

Sadly, when I received this on DVD, I was eager to watch it again. But this time through, I found myself asking why I didn't catch all the clues pointing to the end when I watched it the first time. The reason? Mr. Nolan knows how to give you all of the info without giving you the key to figuring it out.

If you like magic, "thinking movies", movies with a twist, and paradoxes, you will love this movie.

Even David Bowie was great as the part of Nicole Tesla.

Double Trouble.......2007-06-26

I don't know why my expectations for The Prestige were set for an average movie. Must've been something that I read. In contradiction to whatever it was that set my expectations low, I will set yours relatively high.

Oh...wait....That's exactly how I started my review for The Illusionist The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition) earlier this year. But the intro does indeed work with The Prestige too.

My low expectations were because The Prestige and The Illusionist were released right around the same time, and I therefore at the time had a case of Magician-Movie-Overload. Regardless, I'm glad I opted to spend the time with both, because both were thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

A lot of the tricks in The Illusionist are movie magic...in fact most are movie magic and could only be done as so. But the tricks in The Prestige are much more feasibly tricks that could actually be pulled of by a turn of the century magician (with the exception of the machine that was being built by The Prestige's mad scientist David Bowie).

Don't expect to go into The Prestige and be truly amazed by wizardry. The Prestige is more the story of rival magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale), and which one can deliver the ultimate trick before the rival interferes. But--make no mistake--the tricks are a very fun part of the movie, as are the diabolical ways in which each rival gets in the way of the other.

Christopher Nolan directs. The Prestige is not quite the action-packed, super-hero adventure that Nolan's last outing was ( Batman Begins (Two-Disc Special Edition) ), but The Prestige delivers its monies worth.

My recommendation is to see for yourself.

Average customer rating:

if you loved the first this was beter
Good not so clean fun!
Fun Fluff on the Outside, Some Solid Statements on the Inside
Entertaining fun farce, kind of a gay "Friends"
Tasty Dessert

Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
Starring: Jim Verraros , Rebekah Kochan , Brett Chukerman , Emily Brooke Hands , and Marco Dapper
Director: Phillip J. Bartell
Manufacturer: Ariztical
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000KN7BLI
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Product Description

How far would you go to get the person of your dreams? In the first Eating Out, Kyle (Jim Verraros) convinced his straight roommate to pretend to be gay in order to get the girl. Now, with the help of Gwen (Emily Brooke Hands) and Tiffani (Rebekah Kochan), Kyle pretends to be heterosexual in order to land Troy (Marco Dapper), the new guy (and nude model) who's turning the heads of both men and women. He soon finds himself joining the campus ex-gay support group and nabbing a girlfriend (Tiffany)! Kyle's ex-boyfriend Marc (Brett Chukerman) is horrified at the plan and decides to pursue the confused Troy with his own tactic -- being his "out" gay self. Who will win Troy first? In the boy eat boy, boy eat girl, bisexual mystique of Eating Out 2, the stakes are raised, sexual boundaries are obliterated, and the answer is never what you might expect!

Customer Reviews:

if you loved the first this was beter.......2007-06-27

if you like cheesey comedy you love this one because it is loaded with sex and horney driven people. It was a laugh a minet and one of the male leads is well lets just put it this way puts alot of men to same:).

Good not so clean fun!.......2007-06-14

First, let's get this out of the way, this isn't an Oscar-contending, high brow, expensive piece of cinematic art...but this is a great movie that will do a great job of making you feel good. Although it may be considered low brow entertainment, I think the film is a competent commentary on contemporary expressions of love and attraction--why do you have to be gay or straight or carry any label, just love who you love!!

All in all, I think the characters are superbly portrayed, and the acting and directing (in my untrained eye) are all quite well done. If you want to see a great movie that doesn't mind poking fun at everyone with any kind of sexuality, check this one out!

Fun Fluff on the Outside, Some Solid Statements on the Inside.......2007-06-07

'Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds' is a sequel that is not really a sequel - unless the common thread of social attitudes and gender dilemmas as an ongoing tale is the source. A low budget, well scripted, tightly directed (Phillip J. Bartell) little film about gay relationships, attraction blunders, and pretending to be something we aren't (mixed representations that Shakespeare used a lot!) result in a light and ultimately charming little movie.

Kyle (Jim Verraros) loves Marc (Brett Chukerman) but tires of Marc's obsession with one-night stands and the relationship is 'over'. Pining Kyle is supported by his two loony girl friends Tiffani (Rebekah Kochan) and Gwen (Emily Brooke Hands), each with gender attraction problems of her own. In an art class taught by flamboyant pseudo-straight Neil (Michael Serrato) the three meet the new nude model Troy (superstud Marco Dapper) and together they hatch a plan to repair Kyle's old damage: Troy for all his demeanor is a bisexual who wants to be straight.... maybe and supplies the key to a game of deceit. The manner in which Kyle fakes a relationship with Tiffani in order to convince Troy to join him in a 'change-over program' (read, get close to him...) leads to a series of hilarious 'go straight' classes and confrontation with parents who play both sides of the 'support our sons' game and leads to a perky ending that just happens to make some comments on perceptions of people, with reality winning.

The cast is young (with the exception of Mink Stole and Sarah Lilly, both of whom offer solid professional backgrounds to their roles) and attractive and seems to be having a great time pulling off this light farce. There is plenty of spectacular eye candy (Marco Dapper, Brett Chukerman, Nicholas James, Adrian Quinonez, James Michael Bobby, etc) and the women's roles are kept light and genuine. A great movie it is not, but a fun diversion it most assuredly is. Grady Harp, June 07

Entertaining fun farce, kind of a gay "Friends".......2007-05-31

Kyle recently broke up with his boyfriend Mark, and is whining about it to his best friends/fag hags, Tiffani and Gwen, when he gets a pleasant surprise in their college art class: a jaw-droppingly gorgeous nude male model named Troy. Troy is also a student at the college, and admits he has had some same-sex experiences, but feels they were wrong and that he needs to find a "best buddy" who can help him go straight. Kyle pretends to be a "reformed" homosexual himself, in order to get close to Troy, and accompanies him to a meeting of the school's "ex-gay" support group. Meanwhile, Mark sees Kyle with Troy and gets jealous, and tries to get close to Troy himself. In the end, everyone bands together to expose (literally) the hypocritical leader of the ex-gay group.

"Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds" (2006) is the supposed sequel to 2004's original "Eating Out" film, and has characters and actors (with the exception of Ryan "Desperate Housewives" Carnes, who was replaced by Brett Chuckerman in the role of Mark), although it is actually a stand-alone story that doesn't require familiarity with the first film. The actors (especially former "America Idol" contender Jim Verranos as Kyle) seem to be more comfortable in their roles this time around, newcomer Marco Dapper (as Troy) shows significant acting ability, and there are more funny scenes than cringe-inducing ones this time around. The film is also improved by the casting of Mink Stole as Kyle's mom, Adrian Quinonez (from Here!TV's "Dante;s Cove") as one of the (not-so)ex-gays, and Michael Serrato (from Logo's "Big Gay Sketch Show") as a flamboyant art teacher. Besides the hypocrisy of many in the ex-gay movement, the story also tries to teach lessons on parental acceptance and trust in a relationship, but it really doesn't register on that level. DVD includes "making of" featurette and director commentary.
Don't expect great filmmaking; it's obviously a low-budget farce, and works well on that level. Based strictly on the story and direction, I'd give it only three stars, but it gets an extra star for being great fun and providing some dazzling eye candy!

Tasty Dessert.......2007-05-13

"EATING OUT 2: SLOPPY SECONDS"

Tasty Dessert

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"Eating Out" was a big hit at festivals and among viewers and when something is well received and enjoyable, it is only logical to use the idea and do a sequel. Even though this movie is called "Eating Out 2" is not really a sequel but a movie unto itself. And it is a good one.
Ask yourself how far you would go to find and get the man of your dreams. Kyle (Jim Verraros of "American Idol" fame) is gay and asks his roommate to pretend to be gay to get the girl of his ideals. With the help of two friends, Gwen and Tiffani, Kyle pretends to be straight so that he can land the new guy n town, Troy, a nude model (who has what he needs to be a successful nude model). Kyle suddenly finds himself becoming a member of an ex-gay group on his college campus and finding a girlfriend there. Meanwhile, Kyle's ex-boyfriend is aghast at the plan and he decides that he will go after Troy himself by being openly gay. The plot concerns itself with who will win Troy and live happily after.
This is a fun movie but does not reach the level that the original "Eating Out" did. "Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds" falls into the category of farce with lots of slapstick humor and it is very, very funny, Not as slick as the first "Eating Out" the sequel stands on its own and I loved it. When I say this one did reach the level of the first, I meant that it was not as professional but overall I liked this one much more. There is lots of clever dialogue and hysterical moments and pokes fun at "gay society" today. It has a good laugh at the expense of mocking the stereotypes of the gay lifestyle and thereby allows you to look inside of yourself after you have finished laughing yourself into a catatonic state during the actual movie.
The casting is as close to prefection that you find in a low budget film. The actors are fun to watch and they seemed to be enjoying themselves during the filming. The guys are HOT and great eye candy.
This movie des not pretend to be anymore than a good time. Nothing is serious and the fact that t may cause some introspection does not mean it has a message. If, indeed, it does have a message, it is "Enjoy". Overall this is a movie to enjoy--you don't have to think, you can just sit back and laugh. One of the highlights is Mink Stole playing Kyle's mother. Her comments are wonderful and it was good to see her again back on screen. In her final scene, she manages to walk away with the movie in her back pocket. But she is not the only good thing about the film. If you want to see a movie that is just pure enjoyment, this is the one for you.

Average customer rating:

Cinematic ideal
A Magnificent Film on the French Resistance in World War II
A moving, tragic portrayal of the French Resistance.
A grim, austere masterpiece of the French resistance during World War II, by Jean-Pierre Melville
The best movie you've never heard of.

Army of Shadows - Criterion Collection
Starring: Lino Ventura , Paul Meurisse , Jean-Pierre Cassel , Simone Signoret , and Claude Mann
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NOK0HG
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Description

JEAN-PIERRE MELVILLE'S MASTERPIECE ABOUT THE FRENCH RESISTANCE WENT UNRELEASED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS, BEFORE ITS TRIUMPHANT THEATRICAL DEBUT IN 2006. ATMOSPHERIC AND GRIPPING, ARMY OF SHADOWS IS MELVILLE'S MOST PERSONAL FILM, FEATURING LINO VENTURA, PAUL MEURISSE, JEAN-PIERRE CASSEL, AND THE INCOMPARABLE SIMONE SIGNORET AS INTREPID UNDERGROUND FIGHTERS WHO MUST GRAPPLE WITH THEIR OWN BRAND OF HONOR IN THEIR FIGHT AGAINST EVIL.

Customer Reviews:

Cinematic ideal.......2007-06-16

Now why would you want to see L'ARMÉE DES OMBRES (or ARMY OF SHADOWS, or ARMY IN THE SHADOWS)?

Do you appreciate beautiful visuals? Jean-Pierre Melville possessed a truly cinematic eye. His characters are part of a setting but they don't get lost in it (unless he wants them lost, for effect). And here he worked with his cinematographer, Pierre Lhomme, to produce a blue-tinged world too exquisitely lit to be grim and ugly. This is a visual masterpiece of mood.

How about an honest story of the French Resistance? Not too romantic, nor too cynical? Melville was in the Resistance. So was the writer of the novel that this is based on. Here, Resistance fighters are presented as brave, and frightened. As self-sacrificing, yet pragmatic. As diverse, and single-minded. As successful, or frustrated. As doomed. As hopeful.

Do you like depth of character? This is not an action film. Very little violence is shown. This is a story of the lives between the violence where most of the time is spent. Where suspense dogs each Resistance member's footsteps. Where secrecy, even from family, is the way of life.

Do you like something thoughful? The effect of this film's quiet, deliberate pacing is intellectual - not just emotional. I didn't lose myself entirely in the fatalism of the Resistance fighters' circumstances. There was a sane, comforting person befriending me. And his name was Jean-Pierre Melville.

This was the first Melville film that I had seen. It was like the splash of cold water. Why had this filmmaker been overlooked? Here was a Frenchman who constantly wore a cowboy hat, Ray Ban sunglasses, drove an American convertible and soaked in American films - and he got nothing beyond art house exposure in return.

Here was a man who blended his beloved American influences with his own sensibilities, creating an extraordinary style all his own. Melville may be as close to my ideal cinematic auteur as I'll ever find. And, I only now discovered him.

A Magnificent Film on the French Resistance in World War II.......2007-06-12

"Army of Shadows" is a powerful presentation of the heroism of some members of the French Resistance during World War II. Their heroism in the face of Nazi torture is extraordinary. I can do no better than to quote from Amy Taubin's essay in the book that comes with the Criterion DVD's (Taubin is a contributing editor for Film Comment and Sight and Sound and also writes frequently for Art Forum): "The hideous mess in Iraq, the sense that we are enmeshed in a situation in the Middle East where all options are bad, may partly account for the embrace in 2006 of Melville's depiction of the tragedy within even the supposedly 'good' war. In their pessimism about the inevitability of war and its cost in individual lives, Clint Eastwood's admirable and moving World War II films "Letters from Iwo Jima" and "Flags of Our Fathers," ... have something in common with "Army of Shadows." All three films show that in the worst of circumstances, human beings can act with courage and honor, but that there is a larger tragedy in the fact that war is a realm in which such heroism comes into being. Perhaps Roger Ebert's review best accounts for the contemporary power of this emissary from 1969:'Rarely has a film shown so truly that place in the heart where hope lies with fatalism.'

A moving, tragic portrayal of the French Resistance........2007-06-03

With its release on DVD, Jean-Pierre Melville's "Army of Shadows" finally is available to the wide audience it always deserved. First released into a France under the sway of radical intellectuals, "Army of Shadows" was denounced as Gaullist propaganda and flopped at the box office. A U.S. release was never even considered until 2006, when a version restored under the direction of cinematographer Pierre Lhomme received a limited release here. Set between late October 1942 and late February 1943, "Army of Shadows" exists in a grim world of drab buildings, barren fields, and rain, all the better to depict the bleak prospects of the French Resistance in their fight against the Nazi invaders. Resistance fighters live in such danger that they dare not reveal their membership in that shadow army, even to close relatives; even the brothers Luc (Paul Meurisse) and Jean-Francois (Jean-Pierre Cassel) never learn of each other's courageous sacrifices for the cause of freedom. The life of the film's hero, Philippe Gerbier (Lino Ventura), demonstrates in microcosm the perils Resistance fighters face; in the space of four months, he escapes from two German prisons (including one escape, literally, from a firing squad); parachutes from a British airplane during aerial bombardment; and is forced to kill two traitors to the Resistance. The action of "Army of Shadows" is episodic, all the better to emphasize the uncertainty and constant terror under which all Resistance fighters lived. While not particularly gory, the film pulls no punches about the brutality of the Nazis. In two separate instances, Resistance fighters are brought to Gestapo headquarters and tied to chairs. One jump cut later, both fighters are slumped in those chairs, their faces beaten into hamburger, their sightless eyes bulging from their sockets. The unrelieved tragedy of "Army of Shadows" pays grim but just tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom, not least in the excellence of the performances. Watch out particularly for the great Simone Signoret as Mathilde, the most tragic of the Resistance fighters. Equal in courage, resourcefulness and daring to any of the other fighters, Mathilde nevertheless is unable to separate her life as a Resistance fighter from her life as a wife and mother, and therefore becomes an inevitable hostage to fate.

A grim, austere masterpiece of the French resistance during World War II, by Jean-Pierre Melville.......2007-06-01

"...but I'm going to die and I'm not afraid. It's impossible not to be afraid of dying. But I'm too stubborn, too much of an animal to believe it. If I don't believe it to the very last moment, the last split second, I'll never die." This is Philippe Gerbier speaking. The time is between October, 1942 and February, 1943. He's the leader of a resistance cell in German-occupied France. He was an engineer. Now he is a hard man of skeptical intelligence. He kills a German guard with a knife to the throat so quickly and so unexpectedly it's nerve rattling. In Jean-Pierre Melville's austere, somber Army of Shadows, we follow what happens to Gerbier (Lino Ventura) and a handful of others, primarily Luc Jardie (Paul Meurisse), a weak-seeming intellectual who turns out to be the head of resistance in France; Jean François Jardie (Jean-Pierre Cassel), Luc Jardie's younger brother; and the remarkable Mathilde (Simone Signoret), resourceful with icy nerves, a woman, Gerbier tells us, who is "strong-willed, methodical and patient. She knows both how to command and how to carry out orders." For four months we watch them operating in a claustrophobic environment of matter-of-fact violence, the realities of betrayal, hiding and planning, a life without humor and only cautious trust, and above all else, the goal of killing Germans. That also means the need to kill informers, no matter how young or how respected. They will all probably die.

The movie is really a series of incidents that happen during these four months and how this group must respond: a prison camp and an escape, a shave from a barber who might be a Petainist, the killing of a young informer in an empty house when three of the resistance, including Gerbier, discover they cannot use a gun, there is no knife and finally they decide to use a towel to strangle the man. All the while, gagged and tied, the informer can hear them discuss the problem. This will be the first time any of the three have ever killed a man, and they do it. There's Mathilde's nerve in smuggling a radio through a German cordon, and her attempt to rescue a Resistance comrade from a prison where he has been tortured. There's the death of one of the four, carried out by three. Briefly, at the very end, we read of what happened to the members of this group...a cyanide pill, a beheading, tortured to death, survived. The ending is logical and incredibly sad.

One of the most effective aspects of this movie is how it concentrates on this small group of people. There are no explosions, gun fights, beatings and torture scenes, no gore, no bravado. In fact, there are comparatively few Germans. What there is is the unremitting pressure of discovery, of making a mistake, of tension, of never being able to relax. All the main characters were based on members of the French resistance. The actors are excellent. Lino Ventura dominates his scenes. Signoret is incredible.

This is tragedy, not melodrama, says Amy Taubin, author of an article which appears in the Criterion booklet. When that last note on the screen is finished, we feel exhausted. We have to remind ourselves that the right side won. Otherwise, I, at least, would feel not just respect for these men and women, but also deeply pessimistic. We've gotten to know them. Not to like them; they are too grim and dedicated for that, but to understand them to a degree. We know that if they had never existed there would have been others in their place. But I came to understand that I probably would never have had the fatalism, the nerves or the courage to undertake what they did.

Army of Shadows was shot in color, but the effect has been so deliberately muted that the movie looks as chilly and overcast as the time period. The Criterion edition has an excellent DVD transfer, a commentary by film historian Ginette Vincendeau, a booklet in the DVD case and a second disc filled with extras.

The best movie you've never heard of........2007-05-31

A year ago, while the whole world saw such films as "Mission: Impossible III", "The Da Vinci Code", "Poseidon" among others, This movie "Army of Shadows" was finally released in the United States last year. I know this because then, I'd never heard of "Army of Shadows" until recently. I viewed this movie on DVD from the Criterion Collection last week and this was a great movie. I was shocked to learn that Jean-Pierre Cassel who was in the movie is Vincent Cassel's father. I didn't know that. Why was this movie remained unreleased for 37 years in the U.S. until last year I'll never know. My guess it was a political thing. This was a great film from France from 1969 which why this was the best movie you've never heard of.

Average customer rating:

My all-time favorite western!
The Best Spagetti Western To Date
BEST of the spaghetti Westerns
Formidable, operatic western
Poetic and Truly Original

Once Upon a Time in the West
Starring: Henry Fonda , Claudia Cardinale , Jason Robards , Charles Bronson , and Gabriele Ferzetti
Director: Sergio Leone
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000AUHPG
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Amazon.com essential video

The so-called spaghetti Western achieved its apotheosis in Sergio Leone's magnificently mythic (and utterly outlandish) Once upon a Time in the West. After a series of international hits starring Clint Eastwood (from A Fistful of Dollars to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly), Leone outdid himself with this spectacular, larger-than-life, horse-operatic epic about how the West was won. (And make no mistake: this is the wide, wide West, folks--so the widescreen/letterboxed version is strongly recommended.) The unholy trinity of Italian cinema--Leone, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Dario Argento--concocted the story about a woman (Claudia Cardinale) hanging onto her land in hopes that the transcontinental railroad would reach her before a steely-eyed, black-hearted killer (Fonda) does. (The film's advertising slogan was: "There were three men in her life. One to take her ... one to love her ... and one to kill her.") Meanwhile, Leone shoots his stars' faces as if they were expansive Western landscapes, and their towering bodies as if they were looming rock formations in John Ford's Monument Valley. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

My all-time favorite western!.......2007-06-20

I never really cared for westerns until I saw this movie. I became hooked on spaghetti westerns, and in my opinion, this is the best of them all! The storyline is certainly different, and the ending is somewhat of a surprise. The main characters really stand out: Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale, and Henry Fonda. The music is haunting, and that was what really hooked me.

The Best Spagetti Western To Date.......2007-06-12

Once Upon a Time in the West From start to finish,is by far the best spagetti western ever made to date. It Stars Henry Fonda as a ruthless outlaw. Along with a pose' he murders and destroys his way through every town he and his gang enters.He shows his victims no mercy, not a drop of sympathy is in his bones. He'll make your blood run cold. Henry Fonda is at his acting best! You have never seen him like this! He encounters a mysterious traveler who plays a mysterious melody on a Harmonica. The traveler seems to be looking for him. Why? Here's where the real edge of your seat action really happens. Finally time to reveal what everything means. Right down to the mysterious song played on the harmonica by the traveler througout most of the movie.
Since this film was made other westerns that followed, used Itlalian director Sergi Leone's touch, i.e. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly etc.)

BEST of the spaghetti Westerns.......2007-06-08

Sergio Leone made his indelible mark with the three Clint Eastwood films, but this is his best work, even though Clint is absent. Not to worry. "Once Upon A Time" features a wonderful all-star cast. Avoiding the overdone goodguys vs bad guys cliche, Leone casts perpetual goodguy Henry Fonda as one of the sleaziest amoral villains you'll ever see. And Fonda doesn't disappoint in the role. The so-called goodguys are actually not so good, but they're played brilliantly by Jason Robards and Charles Bronson. Claudia Cardinale is striking as the libertine. Even the opening scene focuses on Jack Elam and Woody Strode - two of the best character actors to appear in any Western.

The plot meanders through a number of twists and subplots, requiring the viewer to follow all of the action between gunfights. Leone challenges the conventional concepts of loyalty, friendship, and alliances. Highly recommended.

Formidable, operatic western.......2007-05-30

"Once Upon a Time in the West" is director Sergio Leone's formidable and unique vision of the old west as grand opera. In Leone's work, as in opera, subtlety is replaced by exaggeration, i.e., the villians in his creation are all over-the-top, almost cartoonishly evil while the ingenue/heroine is both pretty and boring to the extreme. The movie's musical score, as in opera, is as important or even more important than dialogue in conveying the story. In fact, words are rarely uttered in this western tale.

I'm not always comfortable with Leone's antagonists and protagonists because the audience never really gets to know or understand them. They are presented more as abstractions of good and evil than they are as fully developed, three-dimensional human beings.

And Ennio Morricone's idiosyncratic score, while elaborate and memorable, sometimes seemed too languid or pretty to suit the violent action in a western. But perhaps Morricone was aiming for irony.

Overall, "Once Upon a Time in the West" is an unusual and gorgeous- looking western very much worth a glance or two.

Poetic and Truly Original.......2007-03-30

"Once Upon a Time in the West" is one of the best films in the Western genre and also the most fun to watch due to its look and style. The movie is directed by Sergio Leone. I'm familiar with Leone's work, but have never seen any of his films. "Once Upon a Time in the West" bares the unmistakable signature of a genius though and I look forward to watching many more Leone films in the future. The film has one of the greatest opening scenes I've ever seen; lasting 13 minutes, the film opens at a train station where three men anxiously await the arrival of the train. They're waiting for someone. After Leone slowly builds the tension (and I don't know about a director that could do it better), the train arrives and a man (Charles Bronson) gets off of it, playing a harmonica. He's supposed to be meeting with a man named Frank, but we learn that Frank is attending to some other business. Soon, the three men there to meet the man are dead; And because of Frank (Henry Fonda, in one of his strongest performances), a family of 4 is dead. Then the young lady set to marry the father of the family, who is actually already married to him, arrives and is shocked to find everyone dead. The police think they know who did it already and are quick to point the finger at Cheyenne (Jason Robards), after all...He left his "signature" there. I don't want to say much more about the plot (and there is much more; The film is 2 hours and 45 minutes)...When you look at all the westerns in the history of cinema (mind you, I haven't seen another Leone film) and say which one you think is "the most well-made," this film has to pop up.
It's not the most entertaining western film (there are long stretches with no dialogue), but it is certainly one of the most suspenseful, colorful (not just in the literal sense), and most compelling of the genre. The performances, especially those of Fonda, Robards, and Bronson are superb. It's also clear while watching the movie how influential it has been on other filmmakers. You can even see more than echoes of this film in "Kill Bill Vo.2." Explaining just how unique a film like this is in writing is difficult, but I recommend that any true fan of cinema see this movie. Any true fan of western movies has probably already seen this movie, but I mean a true LOVER of cinema needs to see this. It's one of the few western movies I can think of off the top of my head that can deservedly be labeled a masterpiece.

GRADE: B+

Average customer rating:

tasty, romantic and incomparable.....
Hands Down, The BEST Romantic Movie Ever!
Like Water for Chocolate
Silly, but lovable.
A Sensual, Spellbinding, Love Story--Truly Magical!

Like Water for Chocolate
Starring: Marco Leonardi , Lumi Cavazos , Regina Torné , Mario Iván Martínez , and Ada Carrasco
Director: Alfonso Arau
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
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Eat Drink Man Woman
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Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series)

ASIN: 6305428476
Release Date: 2000-03-14

Amazon.com essential video

Expect to be very hungry (and perhaps amorous) after watching this contemporary classic in the small genre of food movies that includes Babette's Feast and Big Night. Director Alfonso Arau (A Walk in the Clouds), adapting a novel by his former wife, Laura Esquivel, tells the story of a young woman (Lumi Cavazos) who learns to suppress her passions under the eye of a stern mother, but channels them into her cooking. The result is a steady stream of cuisine so delicious as to be an almost erotic experience for those lucky enough to have a bite. The film's quotient of magic realism feels a little stock, but the story line is good and Arau's affinity for the sensuality of food (and of nature) is sublime. You might want to rush off to a good Mexican restaurant afterward, but that's a good thing. --Tom Keogh

Description

Based on the best-selling book -- now experience for yourself the erotic tale of forbidden love that seduced both critics and audiences nationwide! Tita and Pedro are passionately in love. But their love is forbidden by an ancient family tradition. To be near Tita, Pedro marries her sister. And Tita, as the family cook, expresses her passion for Pedro through preparing delectable dishes. Now, in Tita's kitchen, ordinary spices become a recipe for passion. Her creations bring on tears of longing, heated desire, or chronic pain -- while Tita and Pedro wait for the moment to fulfill their most hidden pleasures!

Customer Reviews:

tasty, romantic and incomparable............2007-06-13

If you are looking for a great introduction to magical realism and food, in cinema, COMO AGUA PARA EL CHOCOLATE (LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE), directed by Alfonso Arau, is the film to see. For those of you unfamiliar with magical realism, this is probably the most straightforward way to explain it. It is an artistic genre in which magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting. CHOCOLATE is rich in this fine art of storytelling, prevalently seen in Latin American literature. This splendid adaptation of the novel of the same name, by Laura Esquivel, is beautiful.

Tita (Lumi Cavazos) is the youngest daughter of Elena (Regina Torné), a heartless Mexican woman, who, by tradition, must stay with her mother and take care of her. This tradition is upheld even when Lumi remains in love with Pedro (Marco Leonardi), who wants her for his wife, but is turned away by Mama Elena, and marries her older sister, Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi) to be close to her. This is just the beginning of Tita's deeply rooted connection between her emotions and the food she prepares. Everything from a wedding cake, to a dinner, becomes a reflection of Tita's state. It also is her way of connecting with Pedro, to show him her love.
What's more, those who consume the food absorb Tita's mood and react accordingly. One example is in the wedding cake she prepares of Rosaura and Pedro. Tita cries tears of anguish into that batter and everyone who eats it wants to die and gets really ill.

I feel that food and mood are very interconnected. I have made a habit not to cook when I am angry. Something always goes wrong when I am unhappy. I will burn the meal, it will come out too salty or I will almost have an accident with the knife. Yes, I have had kitchen accidents. This film confirms that for me. This film is a very sexy, beautifully acted and sensuous journey for the senses. Tasty!

Hands Down, The BEST Romantic Movie Ever!.......2007-06-09

Like Water For Chocolate is an amazing film that I very, VERY highly recommend. I've always loved foreign films and this one is by far the best. For those who prefer hearing it in english, this dvd offers the english language track, which helps you enjoy the film even more.

Basically, this is the story of Tita, the youngest girl of 3, who is bound by tradition to never marry so that she can care for her heartless mother until she dies. Tita falls in love with Pedro, who then requests her hand in marriage. But because of the tradition, the mother decides Pedro can not have Tita as his wife, and promptly offers her eldest daughter! That is terrible enough, but then when Pedro accepts the offer, it is even more troubling. His idea is to marry the sister so that he may be close to Tita (a difficult task considering the mother watches them like a hawk).

Over the period of many years, Tita uses her cooking to express herself and her love for and with Pedro and it affects her family in many interesting ways that make this an excellent film. It is not for children, so please do not share it with those under age 12.

Like Water for Chocolate.......2007-05-31

Wonderful movie. I purchased this movie many years ago in VHS format. My recent purchase of this movie in DVD format is because I am updating my movie library of my favorites from VHS format to DVD format.

Silly, but lovable........2007-04-10

I don't often enjoy indulging in sentimentality, but this was a good one. It was silly but lovable. I wished it would have ended a little differently, but that just shows I cared, huh? It got me.

A Sensual, Spellbinding, Love Story--Truly Magical!.......2007-02-01

If you are, have been, or ever wish to be in love, then you NEED to see this movie. It's a familiar formula...Love that cannot be permitted for unjust reasons--and being unjust, the rules must be flouted. There is a storybook quality, a natural, beautiful kind of magic permeates this truly great movie. It's hypnotic, visually appetizing, funny, beautiful and erotic...and they're not shy about nudity, which is a sweet plus.

Average customer rating:

Touching, awe inspiring
End of the Spear Film Review
Not Made By Christians?
Love this movie
A GREAT MOVIE

End of the Spear
Starring: Louie Leonardo , Chad Allen , Jack Guzman , Christina Souza (II) , and Chase Ellison
Director: Jim Hanon
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000EXDS4I
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Description

"End of the Spear" is the remarkable journey of a savage Amazon tribesman who becomes family to the son of a North American man he kills. Mincayani (Louie Leonardo) is a Waodani warrior who leads the raid that kills Steve Saint's father and four other missionaries. Through a suspenseful series of events Steve Saint (Chase Ellison) is able to visit Mincayani's tribe. Steve tries to learn which warriors killed his father, but has to leave with his question unanswered. Steve returns to the Waodani as an adult (Chad Allen). Together Mincayani and Steve confront the true meaning of the life and death of Steve's father, and the other men who were killed.

Customer Reviews:

Touching, awe inspiring.......2007-07-02

I was simply touched by this film even after seeing it twice. Regardless of any religious beliefs you may or may not have, the lesson taught in this film is that love, forgiveness, and asking for forgiveness (repenting) will keep you from a wasted life of hatered and bitterness. Harboring those two things will eat you alive from the inside out.

End of the Spear Film Review.......2007-06-14

FoxFaith's "End of the Spear" was on my list of must-sees immediately after the DVD release. I was very pleased with what I saw. Great casting and stunning locations made this film seem very real. The story is a compelling and suspenseful one. All of the scenes are extremely well-written and choreographed. It's a little drawn out for about the last 17 minutes of the film, but this is not a major setback considering the quality of the motion picture itself. Above all else, everything even the names are historically accurate, down to every meticulous detail. A must see for EVERYONE!

Not Made By Christians?.......2007-06-08

This story of Christian missionaries who died at the hands of the very men they intended to introduce to the love of God is a powerful story, and when friends enthusiastically recommended the DVD to me, I decided to buy it.

It proved to be something of a disappointment, as it became clear from the start that the film was not made by Christians. I kept looking for signs of the heartfelt devotion of the missionaries to the God they so passionately loved as to be willing to die for Him, but in the scenes of their daily lives, they seemed to be very ordinary people. Sadly, the missionaries were made to appear simply as curious adventurers who went out to a jungle to see what they might do to help some natives.

This movie seems aimed at the secular public in general. It will not serve to inspire the many Christians who, like me, might buy the film to derive some inspiration.

Love this movie.......2007-05-23

This is one of my favorite movies. Such a wonderful story of God's love and forgiveness.

A GREAT MOVIE.......2007-05-23

What else can I say? It's a great movie all around. A very unusual and true story and many great testimonies of faith and love from beginning to end.

Cinema Paradiso (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)

Average customer rating:

My fault, but still frustrated
a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!
A Love letter to Cinema
"The endings justify the means, (all of them)"
Cinema PERFECT

Cinema Paradiso (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)
Starring: Antonella Attili , Enzo Cannavale , Isa Danieli , Leo Gullotta , and Marco Leonardi
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000I0RNV6
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Amazon.com essential video

Giuseppe Tornatore's beautiful 1988 film about a little boy's love affair with the movies deservedly won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film and a Special Jury Prize at Cannes. Philippe Noiret plays a grizzled old projectionist who takes pride in his presentation of screen dreams for a town still recovering from World War II. When a child (Jacques Perrin) demonstrates fascination not only for movies but also for the process of showing them to an audience, a lifelong friendship is struck. This isn't just one of those films for people who are already in love with the cinema. But if you are one of those folks, the emotional resonance between the action in Tornatore's world and the images on Noiret's screen will seem all the greater--and the finale all the more powerful. --Tom Keogh

Amazon.com

Cinema Paradiso's complex, interwoven tales of wartime Italy, a boy's coming of age, and the history of cinema can be viewed in their entirety on the Director's Cut included in this Deluxe Edition. Director Giuseppe Tornatore's additional 50 minutes of footage provides closure for the saga's detailing Alfredo's death, and Salvatore Di Vita's lost relationship with his teenage love, Elena. Most of the 50 minutes serves as a continuation of the story, rather than as previously deleted scenes. The original, already celebrated Cinema Paradiso follows Toto (Jacques Perrin), a Sicilian boy who persuades the town projectionist, Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), to teach him how to show films. Spanning nearly 50 years, the film craftily draws parallels between Toto's life and those lives he sees on screen. As Toto matures into Salvatore, a successful Italian filmmaker, the Cinema Paradiso ages as well. Salvatore's return home for Alfredo's funeral is also a goodbye to his Paradiso, demolished to become a parking lot. The film's heightened sense of nostalgia subtly mirrors our humanistic love of movies, making it a tribute to cinema as an artistic genre. The Director's Cut can be fulfilling if one felt unsatisfied by the more ambiguous ending of the theatrical release, but it also feels slightly overwrought. Two documentaries in this package feature fans and critics praising Cinema Paradiso, proving its endurance as a classic. However, as Salvatore discovers over the course of the film, there is no need to improve a masterpiece. --Trinie Dalton

Description

A famous film director returns home to a Sicilian village for the first time after almost 30 years. He reminisces about his childhood at the Cinema Paradiso here Alfredo, the projectionist, first brought about his love of films. He is also reminded of his lost teenage love, Elena, ho he had to leave before he left for Rome. Cinema Paradiso is one of the most beloved Foreign films of all time! Winner of the 1990 Oscar for Best Foreign Film!

Customer Reviews:

My fault, but still frustrated.......2007-05-29

In searching for this title, almost all of them were sub-titled in English. I selected, purchased, only to find out that is was all in Italian. So, it's basically useless for me. Ended up renting it from a video store.

a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!.......2007-05-16

CINEMA PARADISO is one of the most well-loved and talked about Italian films, made in the last twenty years. I generally hear people speak of CINEMA PARADISO and IL POSTINO in the same breath. I was completely enamored of IL POSTINO (THE POSTMAN), so I really thought that I would be equally infatuated with this film. Unfortunately, the combination of melodrama and sleepy direction didn't sustain my attention. Though, I was completely in love with Marco Leonardi, who plays the more mature version of the protagonist, Salvatore. Leonardi is also well-known for his role as Pedro Muzquiz, in LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, the love interest of perpetual cook, Tita (Lumi Cavazos).

In CINEMA PARADISO, Salvatore (Leonardi), a well-established filmmaker recounts his formative years as a young boy at the knees of Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), a film projectionist who introduced him to films, and ultimately helped shape the course of his life. Also, Salvatore has great love for Elena (Agnese Nano), that is ultimately ill-fated.

Yes, this sounds great. Yes, I am the only who doesn't think so. It's just my opinion. Honestly, I think you should see it for yourself and decide, but I wouldn't buy a copy today, as readily as I would IL POSTINO and numerous other Italian films that deal with coming of age and romance--one example that comes to mind is Fellini's great AMARCORD. You be the judge, though.

A Love letter to Cinema.......2007-05-14

Cinema Paradiso is what I would call it "the perfect picture of all times" for anyone how loves movies, this one is definitely a masterpiece. Tornatore's best achievement. This is a movie about a movie-lover, a story of Toto who fall in love with the magical world of movies, a world that he was introduced to by his friend Alfredo, it is also a about cinema and how it is dying due to the change of time and the aggressiveness of TV. This is a love letter to movies and what it represents in our life... a masterpiece by all means; if you love movies then you must see this one either in the Director's cut or in its original version.

"The endings justify the means, (all of them)".......2007-05-14

I loved this movie. It is well done dispite the typical Italian artistic whimsical touches. The characters are all bigger than life, (whimsical at times), but loveable. The story line is very good and reveals the life style changes in this Sicilian town as prosperity overtakes poverty after WWII. It is a "Must see" movie. It is the story of rags to riches set in post war Sicily.
My only problem is that I have seen three, (Count them), different endings to this movie. The endings are all quit good, but disturbing because I liked them all and had to see the three versions to understand what really happened, or could have to the hero. Incidentally, I have not viewed the "Directers Cut" yet; I have no idea how it will end.

Phillip A. Purpura

Cinema PERFECT.......2007-05-13

I believe this is one of the most perfect films ever made. While appearing to be a simple "coming of age" story it reaches into the depths of human relationships; Mother and child, child and Mentor, Friends, Lovers, Priest and Parish, Idividuals to their community. All of these within the context of Movies, our fears and fantasies made visual. It is a story of courage and of cowardice, of monumental love and devastating loss, Enormous acts and emotions all contained in a small and somewhat insignificant village. This is the story of a community and how it shaped the life of one boy - and sent him out into the world. It is also a love story. And a director's gift of love to his audience [note* I urge you NOT to buy the director's cut of this film it is awful, the theatrical is perfection.] The last moments of the film are soo touching that I found myself, like toto, laughing and crying at the same time. This film enriched my life, if by reminding me of all the wonderful people I have known and the times we spent together. A Classic film - don't miss it.

Average customer rating:

Beethoven's Immortal Beloved
While it says nothing about the real life of Beethoven, the movie is a pleasant romance
Es müß sein.
Enchanting
Super Seller

Immortal Beloved
Starring: Michael Culkin , Luigi Diberti , Rory Edwards , Hannes Flaschberger , and Christopher Fulford
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B00000K3TN
Release Date: 1999-10-05

Amazon.com

This sumptuous and moving 1994 film written and directed by Bernard Rose (Candyman) investigates the artistic and romantic passions of one of the greatest composers of all time. Featuring a superb performance by Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy) as Ludwig van Beethoven, Immortal Beloved is full of uncommonly vivid, rich imagery as it charts the tumultuous life of the deaf child prodigy and his rise to the height of musical achievement. Along the way, he attempts to play mentor to his nephew, attend to his many passionate romances--the most stable one was with a countess (Isabella Rossellini)--and fight bouts of depression and madness that ruled his life and his art. The film is framed around a "Rosebud"-type letter found after the composer's death that makes up the crux of the story. Jeroen Krabbé (The Fugitive), playing Beethoven's lifelong friend, attempts to discover who Beethoven's muse really was, becoming as driven as his friend in discovering the unlikely identity of the composer's "immortal beloved." Through this we gain an insight into the nature of obsession, romance, and the heights and sacrifices of artistic achievement. The film exhibits some extraordinary sound design, and the finale features a magical encapsulation of Beethoven's life and loves set to his "Ode to Joy." As an exciting and passionate journey, Immortal Beloved is its own masterpiece. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Beethoven's Immortal Beloved.......2007-06-15

This take on Beethoven's love life may elicit giggles or outrage from scholars of this composer, but it made for a great movie! The characterization of Beethoven himself seemed rather extreme at times, but it made a valid point. I especially enjoyed the almost constant background music from the composer's great works, and the portrayal of life in general during this time was very vivid.

While it says nothing about the real life of Beethoven, the movie is a pleasant romance.......2007-06-05

While I admire Gary Oldman's acting abilities and some of his achievements in this film, the film itself has so many flaws that it is hard to forgive. It is vital to note right from the start that the story of this film has almost nothing to do with the life of the actual Ludwig van Beethoven. Oh, you could point to this or that biographical detail and claim that such an event occurred, but the movie wrenches everything so far out of context in the service of a fictitious romance that even the truths become false.

Since this movie is a romance, I think it would have been better if they had made up a name for the name Adrian Leverkuehn for Arnold Schoenberg in Doctor Faustus. Even this wasn't enough because in later editions Mann had to put in a disclaimer that Schoenberg had actually invented the twelve tone compositional technique and that Leverkuehn is fictional. We get no such disclaimers in this film and the violence done the actual Beethoven is far greater. I suppose if they had made up the name of a composer then they couldn't have used the true star of this film, the excerpts of Beethoven's music forming the soundtrack. The recording of this soundtrack was a pretty good seller back in 1994.

The funeral scene is pretty good. It was a mob and an even bigger event than shown in the film. I also like the way Beethoven's deafness was shown at times. However, in the periods shown in the film, his deafness was not as complete as it was later. His social awkwardness was not as deranged as it is shown in the film. Since we lack any sense of the social order of Beethoven's time, I suppose the filmmakers felt that the character had to be shocking for our time, hence the storming man in need of medication sadly unavailable in his time. No, Beethoven was shocking because he simply claimed priority for himself through his art.

But the whole premise of the film is foolish. There is a letter to an "Immortal Beloved" whose identity has been sought out since Beethoven's time, but Maynard Solomon made a very good case for Antonie Brentano back in 1972. And this woman isn't even in this film! The only reason people debate this issue is because people tend to like unsolved mysteries and romances. However, there are facts that point to Brentano and away from every other proposed candidate. And even the phrase "Immortal Beloved" might not be anything more than a clumsy man trying to say something romantic rather than something summing up his life's love.

While the scene is totally made up, I did find the scene of Oldman leaning close to the piano to play the "Moonlight Sontata" a nice effect. The scene of Beethoven stumbling through the "Emperor Concerto" never happened. Beethoven's hearing was bad enough that he knew better than to play in public by 1811. The first performer of the work was Friedrich Schneider, a local church organist in Leipzig. The Vienna premier in February 1812 was Carl Czerny, a Beethoven pupil and later a great piano teacher as well as performer.

Anyway, if you enjoy the film, fine. Just don't mistake ANYTHING in it as pertaining to the life of the real Beethoven. Especially NOT the identity the movie supposes for the "Immortal Beloved". Suspect every detail in the film because even events which have some connection to history are completely out of context. Oh, and there are a couple scenes of gratuitous partial nudity to make it seem more romantic, I guess. Just enjoy the movie as a romance and don't suppose you have learned anything about Beethoven and you will be OK. If it inspires you to go read about the actual life of Beethoven and his music, all the better.

Es müß sein........2007-05-29

One longs for a movie that treats a great artist's life as something other than the ravings of a madman.

While the wait carries on, however, IMMORTAL BELOVED is delicious entertainment. The mysterious woman of Ludwig von Beethoven's scrawled final testament turns out to be his sister-in-law, the widow of a brother killed by consumption, and--in the end--the mother of the nephew Beethoven snatched from her. The boy himself was an unfortunate soul who in the end turns out to have been flesh of Ludwig's flesh.

If this sounds a bit like supermarket tabloid stuff, well, the difference lies in that Ludwig von Beethoven was no momentary celebrity whose life will flare out after its requisite fifteen minutes of fame. On the contrary, Beethoven was one of the West's and indeed humanity's great artistic geniuses. A conspiracy tale wraps so much more satisfyingly around a life like his. This is especially so when the story is accompanied by the man's own music, played with ominous solemnity the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir George Solti's baton.

I somehow missed this film when it was released in 1994. Other things were going on. A Memorial Day weekend spent with the DVD is a pleasure that more than requites the wait. Jeroen Krabbé's performance as Friend-of-Ludwig Anton Schindler deserves at least the merit that Gary Oldman as Beethoven and Isabella Rosselini earned for their arguably lesser performances.

Krabbé becomes the film's dramatic center as he vollies between historical personages in an attempt to piece together the contours of Beethoven's loves. His stolid weightiness makes him perfect for such an anchoring role.

The filming (Chekoslovakia) is gorgeous and there is, always, the music.

IMMORTAL BELOVED turns Beethoven's life and death into a tragedy. Although the historicity that makes this artistic decision plausible is debatable, it is arguable that only a man well acquainted with the tragic could have written such enduring, powerful, seductive music.

Vielleicht, dann, es mußte sein.

Enchanting.......2007-05-25

I won't waste your tim with a long or droll review. I will simply say the New York Times is pretentious and overrated. Though it has been a couple years since I saw this movie, I rented it time and again and continued to enjoy it every single time. I am now buying for my husband, who enjoyed it even more so. Though I'm sure it was a dramatic view of the composer's life, it was positively wonderful. It wasn't just simply entertaining, it was enchanting.

Super Seller.......2007-05-14

Great quality and wonderful DVD - fast shipping and super seller = great transaction!

Average customer rating:

A worthy edition to the Bible series / faithful adaptation to the Bible
Another Good One
Love the Bible Collection
One of the best
very good but still I want a better price

The Bible Collection
Starring: Nathaniel Parker , Jonathan Pryce , Leonard Nimoy , Sheryl Lee , and Ben Daniels
Director: Robert Markowitz , Joseph Sargent , and Peter Hall
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

The Bible Series Box Set
The Apocalypse
The Story of Ruth
Paul the Apostle
Peter & Paul DVD

ASIN: B000BI0WKY
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Product Description

Includes:

Abraham

David

Jacob

Joseph

Moses

Samson And Delilah

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

A worthy edition to the Bible series / faithful adaptation to the Bible.......2007-06-20

This movie is a faithful adaptation from the biblical account of David and it gives a positive portrait of him.

A. The acting

Nathaniel Parker does a commendable job of portraying David as a reverent yet flawed servant of God. There is an interesting contrast in the earlier David versus the latter David. The earlier David was very focussed on God and was very assertive and focussed. The latter David, while dependent upon God, was hesitant about his actions, prone to failures and needed constant encouragement.

Sheryl Lee was very believable (and beautiful) as Bathsheba -- as this movie portrays her, she is David's favorite wife and constant source of encouragement in his latter years. She is constantly at David's side (during the 2nd half of the movie).

Jonathan Pryce played the role of Saul as a tragic man who was rejected by God and who could not escape his doom. Saul's tragic end at the hand of the Philistines (along with his sons) was very heartbreaking to watch.

Leonard Nimoy does a great job of portraying the godly prophet Samuel. Franco Nero is very believable as the loyal prophet Nathan.

The actor who played Joab looked way too old to be David's nephew. He did a great job but he looked like David's uncle. Joab is portrayed in a much more positive light in this film than in the biblical account, which describes him as a power hungry and ruthless man.

B. The account of David

This film is the most complete account of David captured on film. This film is the only one on David that shows David's rescue of his wife Abigail from the Amalekites, Absalom's hatred toward David and his conspiracy toward David / the rise and fall of Absalom, Amnon's rape of Tamar, and God's covenant promise to David regarding his kingdom and his future descendants who will build the temple.

One word of caution for family viewers: there are some scenes in this movie that might be too intense for younger viewers: a lot of people get stabbed in the battle scenes, several people commit suicide (Saul, Ahithophel), and the witch at Endor is pretty scary looking as she conjures up the spirit "Samuel".

C. What could have been improved

a) The close relationship between Jonathan and David could have been better depicted. In this film, David's friendship with Jonathan seems more detached. In the Bible, David describes his friendship with Jonathan as surpassing that of the love of women.

b) The fight between David and Goliath could have been better portrayed. Goliath was a towering giant -- the Goliath in this movie was just a tad taller than David (and bears somewhat of a resemblance to Sylvester Stallone). Also, Goliath met David with his armor bearer -- this movie had Goliath meet David alone. This movie shows Goliath throwing a rough stone at David, which David then uses to strike Goliath with his sling. In the biblical account, David carefully chooses 5 smooth stones to bring with him to the battle.

The fight between David and Goliath was a bit cheesy in the acting. However, to its credit, this movie shows David telling Goliath that he came to Goliath not with spear and sword but in the name of the Lord of Hosts. David tells Goliath he will strike him down so the whole world will know there is a God in Israel. I enjoyed that part.

c) The Absalom character sometimes seemed more like a buffoon than a real threat to David.

Conclusion:

In spite of this, I thought this movie was a very good adaptation of the biblical description of David. It made me want to read the biblical account all over again. It is a very worthy edition to the Bible series collection, and it is one of the better movies on King David on film. It is much more accurate than the dreadful "King David" with Richard Gere.

Another Good One.......2007-05-15

The story of King David is a natural for cinematic production and there have been many attempts. This is another of the good ones which is to be expected since TNT's Bible collection has set a high standard.

This account takes a long view, from the time when David was a shepherd boy all the way through the pinnacle of power. Like the scriptural story itself, David is portrayed as a good, but not perfect man. The warts are in there as well. David does some things that are not too admirable.

A big part of this production is David's friendship with Jonathan, the son of the prior king. In his relations with Saul, Jonathan and even his faithless wife, David keeps the faith.

It is a good but not perfect story that is well done.

Love the Bible Collection.......2007-05-12

I purchase this set for my brother,He once mentioned how he would like to have the bible in movie format, so he could understand them better. He is a visual Person as well as I am so i decided to buy this set. Hoping they would be close to Biblical Scriptures. and he loved them and on weekends i see his friends coming over to watch the movies. The stories make it easier to understand the bible because now there is a picture to go along with.

One of the best.......2007-05-12

This is definitely one of the best Bible story collections ever done, with excellent acting and drama, full of life and not bland or plain, like many Bible story movies have been. Awesome job.

very good but still I want a better price.......2007-05-08

I'm very satisfied and I would recomend these set of movies to anyone who wants to know more about the bible's stories.
I thank for the quick service and fast shippped. Still I want a better price if you can.
God bless you all

Average customer rating:

Outstanding Movie
EXCELLENT PRODUCTION DESIGN AND ACTING RECREATE PERIOD AND MAN
The Great Protestant
Historically inaccurate, bowdlerized, romanticized, dull
Fascinating period in history.

Luther
Starring: Joseph Fiennes , Alfred Molina , Jonathan Firth , Claire Cox , and Peter Ustinov
Director: Eric Till
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Gospel of John
Beyond the Gates of Splendor
End of the Spear
Bonhoeffer
The Passion of the Christ (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0002C9D9U
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Amazon.com

Like The Passion of the Christ, Luther is the story of a spiritual leader, German monk Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes), in opposition to the religious orthodoxy of the time (in his case, the 1500s). His goal--to bring God to the people and to take money, fear, and shame out of the equation--made him a reformer to some, a heretic to others. Released around the same time as Mel Gibson's blockbuster, it failed to attract the same degree of attention--or controversy. Granted, it's a different film, but not radically so. Directed by Eric Till (Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace), Luther isn't always easy to follow or as emotionally involving as it could be. That said, it's a fascinating story and Fiennes receives solid support from Alfred Molina (Frida), Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire), and the late Sir Peter Ustinov (Spartacus), in his final film role, as Frederick the Wise. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) stars as Martin Luther, the brilliant man of God whose defiant actions changed the world, in this epic, ravishingly beautiful (The New York Times)film that traces Luther's extraordinary and exhilarating quest for the people's liberation. Regional princes and the powerful Church wield a fast, firm and merciless grip on 16th-century Germany. But when Martin Luther issues a shocking challenge to their authority, the people declare him their new leaderand hero. Even when threatened with violent death, Luther refuses to back down, sparkinga bloody revolution that shakes the entire continent to its core.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Movie.......2007-06-11

This movie about one of the greatest men in the history of Christianity will bring tears to your eyes as you go through the journey of a monk made a hero of and for the faith in Jesus Christ. For the most part and for the limited knowledge I have on Martin Luther, this movie seems to be right on when it comes its historical accuracy. I am planning to watch it again and again.

EXCELLENT PRODUCTION DESIGN AND ACTING RECREATE PERIOD AND MAN.......2007-06-02

Eric Till (Bonhoeffer: Agent Of Grace) does a good job directing this bio pic of Martin Luther from a script by Camille Thomasson and Bart Gavigan. It is solid filmmaking with no sensational effects. It is acting - period. The time and place are Germany at the beginning of the 16th century, when the Catholic Church was selling indulgences like they were candy. It is also the eve of the Protestant Reformation, a period when it was dangerous to speak one's own mind. But Martin Luther had no problem with that, so his character is enthralling.

Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare In Love, Enemy At The Gates) does a fine job playing Luther, as do Jonathan Firth (Victoria And Albert) as Girolamo Aleander, Alfred Molina (Spiderman 2, Frida) as Johann Tetzel, Claire Cox (Eragon) as Katharina von Bora, Peter Ustinov (Jesus Of Nazareth, Topkapi, Billy Budd, Spartacus, Quo Vadis) as Frederick the Wise and Bruno Ganz (Wings Of Desire) as Johann von Saupitz. The production design is strong, with superb cinematography, costumes and sets. It's feel for the period is uncanny.

Of course, the story centers around Luther's nailing his 95 Theses to the doors of the Wittenberg Church in 1517. Unfortunately, that scene is so underplayed, you could almost miss realizing what's happening. When Luther goes to nailing, nothing is said to indicate that these are the 95 Theses or that that is the Wittenberg Church. Yet, that is the event upon which the entire movie, Martin Luther's life, and the Protestant Reformation hang.

The second most important event is when Luther is standing before the Diet of Worms and is