The Rage

Starring:Vic Hall, Tanner Reeves, Clint Benedict, Marc Saber, Rob Cryston
Studio: Dimension
Product Type: DVD

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Duel (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Dennis Weaver , Eddie Firestone , Gene Dynarski , Tim Herbert , and Charles Seel
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Sugarland Express
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ASIN: B000063UR5
Release Date: 2004-08-17

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This is the TV movie that put Steven Spielberg on the map, shortly before he made The Sugarland Express. Working from a script by Richard Matheson, the film stars Dennis Weaver as a mild-mannered traveling salesman who unintentionally angers the driver of a semi truck. Suddenly, the truck is not only riding his tail but trying to run him off the road. No matter what he does (pulling over, stopping at a diner, calling the cops), he can't get rid of it. Spielberg makes the wise decision of never showing the driver, even as he cranks the voltage on the film's suspense elements. As a result, the truck itself takes on an air of satanic menace--even a personality of sorts--as it seems to hunt its human prey. Spielberg made a lot out of a little, suggesting just how skilled a storyteller he would become. --Marshall Fine

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The Apostle
Starring: Todd Allen , Brother Paul Bagget , Lenore Banks , John Beasley , and Mary Lynette Braxton
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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Tender Mercies
Leap of Faith
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Convicts
The Trip to Bountiful

ASIN: B00007ELF1
Release Date: 2002-11-05

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Written, directed, and personally financed by Robert Duvall, The Apostle was the culmination of a 14-year effort on the part of its creator, who also stars as the dynamic, God-fearing Texas preacher Euliss "Sonny" Dewey. Vibrantly authentic with its use of real gospel preachers and extras carefully selected from parishes of the deep South, the film treats its complicated characters with the kind of compassion and moral complexity mainstream Hollywood wouldn't dare muster. This is especially true in the case of Sonny, who responds to his wife's infidelity with a crime of passion that sends him on a new and uncharted quest for redemption. Under the assumed identity of "The Apostle E.F.," he settles in a tiny Louisiana town to revive an old church, where he undergoes a transformation of spirit and purpose that enlivens his community. But will the law catch up to him? Does he deserve to be punished? Fueled by Duvall's powerhouse performance, The Apostle refuses to praise or condemn its fascinating central character, leaving the proper degree of forgiveness up to the viewer. Further graced with superb performances by Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Bob Thornton, the film is clearly Duvall's labor of love. The Collector's Edition DVD features a full-length commentary by Duvall and The Journey of the Apostle, a documentary featurette about the making of the film. --Jeff Shannon

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Next Friday (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Ice Cube , Tamala Jones , Justin Pierce , Mike Epps , and Don 'D.C.' Curry
Director: Steve Carr (III)
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: 0780631234
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Ice Cube wrote and stars as Craig in this sequel to Friday, which he also wrote. His nemesis from that film, neighborhood bully Debo (Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.), has just escaped from county jail and is out to get revenge. To protect Craig, Craig's father (John Witherspoon) sends his son to stay with his Uncle Elroy (Don "DC" Curry), who won the lottery and bought a house in Rancho Cucamonga. Craig expects the suburbs to be dull, but no sooner has he arrived than conflicts arise: The neighbors are hostile hoods, his cousin's girlfriend is out for blood and child support, and the house is about to be seized because of unpaid taxes. It's up to Craig and his cousin Day-Day (Mike Epps) to solve these problems before the day is over. It's a rambling, loose movie, but a genuinely entertaining one. Ice Cube doesn't write punch lines--though funny lines abound. He writes richly comic characters that speak in virtual arias of bragging, complaining, and scamming. Sure, some of the characters are stereotypes and many of the jokes are about drugs and scatology--but that's been the basis of humor since Plautus and Molière. The rhythmic energy of Ice Cube's dialogue and the easy charisma of his performance make Next Friday thoroughly enjoyable. --Bret Fetzer

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Spotty But Bridges is Great
Wild Bill
Bridges shines, but plot fizzles
Myth vs "history": MYTH wins!
A Psychedelic Look At 'Wild Bill'

Wild Bill
Starring: Jeff Bridges , Ellen Barkin , John Hurt , Diane Lane , and Keith Carradine
Director: Walter Hill
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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Geronimo - An American Legend

ASIN: B000056H2G
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Amazon.com

Audiences overlooked this film, one of the better westerns in several years, featuring yet another terrific performance by Jeff Bridges, America's most underrated movie actor. As James Butler Hickock, he captures the sense of a man at the end of his career, one of the first media superstars who discovers that his legend is more burden than blessing. As he heads toward his final hand of poker in Deadwood, South Dakota, he flashes back to his younger days and the events that built his reputation, even as he copes with encroaching blindness caused by syphilis. Walter Hill blends action and elegy, utilizing a screenplay based both on Pete Dexter's novel Deadwood and on Thomas Babe's play Fathers and Sons. Wild Bill features strong supporting performances by John Hurt (as a Hickock sidekick) and Ellen Barkin (as the tough, lusty Calamity Jane)--but the centerpiece is the sad, manly performance by Bridges, who more than measures up to the part. --Marshall Fine

Description

He was a legend in his own time...and for all time. Jeff Bridges portrays Wild Bill Hickok, the hard-drinking, quick-shooting gunslinger who lived on the edge. Hickok's amazing story is told with a stunning visual style and lightning-fast pace, illuminating one of the most exciting heroes of the American West. Wild Bill is "an action-packed masterpiece" (Paul Wunder, WBAI Radio). In the town of Deadwood, South Dakota, Wild Bill must face his most lethal enemy. A mysterious stranger (David Arquette) has arrived announcing that he will not leave until Hickok is dead. Wild Bill finds comfort in the arms of sexy Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin), but he is haunted by the memory of the one woman he truly loveda longing that could ultimately bring about his downfall. As Hickok andhis opponent near their explosive confrontation, the stage is set for a powerful climax unsurpassedin high drama and edge-of-your-seat excitement.

Customer Reviews:

Spotty But Bridges is Great.......2007-02-08

I have to agree with many of the other reviewers who feel that the movie is "spotty" - but Bridges is great..!

I've read quite abit about Hickok and the movie seems relatively accurate with respect to many of the historical incidents that pre-dated Hickok's arrival in Deadwood. In fact, it's the flashbacks that I enjoyed the most - the gunfight in the main square / street - with Dave Tutt / the accidental killing of his own deputy in Abilene / the "fight" with the soldiers in the saloon/ the gunfight with the McCandles crew and a few others.

I honestly don't know if Hickok really felt murderous when somebody mistreated his hat, but it was a nice touch.

And Jeff Bridges was great in the role. He talked the part and certainly looked the part (kudos to the wardrobe person who "dressed" Hickok - he/ she certainly did his homework - the clothes and hat were perfect..!). And the pearl handled 1851 Navy Colt revolvers tucked into a red sash around the waist was exactly Hickok's setup.

I think the movie captured the absolute fearlessness of Hickok. From everything I've read, the man had ice water running through his veins. His incredible prowess and marksmanship with his pistols - coupled with his complete indifference to the bullets whizzing by him during the gunfights contributed significantly to his legend. He was one of those guys who was truly a legend in his own time.

The movie dragged for me in the middle. The amount of time devoted to jack McCall - the twirp who shot and killed him - just seemed to drag on forever. Jack's inability to decide whether or not to shoot Hickok throughout the movie just seemed to be be stretched out to the point where I felt like grabbing a gun - entering the tv - and putting a windown in Jack McCall's skull.

Three stars might be a bit on the low side but 4 is probably too much - 3 1/2 is what this film is worth.

But if you love westerns as much as me, it's worth watching if only for Jeff Bridge's performance.

Wild Bill.......2007-01-09

It was somewhat of a letdown. I expected a more true to history potryal.

Bridges shines, but plot fizzles.......2006-11-01

The opening scene of 'Wild Bill' is standard. A flashback movie based with an emotional back story; which makes up the majority of the movie. This western truly stands out as different which becomes its major advantage and flaw.

Jeff Bridges plays the main role of James Butler Hickock (a.k.a. Wild Bill) and HE is what makes this movie entertaining. Bridges uses all his tools to show the hindrances of a lost, but determined man. His body language is brilliant, as is his line delivery, but that can't save a flimsy plot which is also horrible inaccurate.

Ellen Barkin does a great job playing Calamity Jane and the rest of the support cast also show their mettle; excluding a horrible performance by David Arquette; who can't work with a skilled actor like Bridges.

All in all, 'Wild Bill' is a different western, but relies too heavily on the lead role with a story that seemed to be written backstage at a 'Doors' concert.

Myth vs "history": MYTH wins!.......2006-05-07

WILD BILL is great...vastly under rated--like Walter Hill's other masterpiece-manque,Jesse James/Cole Younger gang LONG RIDERS
--film. Like few(MagnificentSeven;Tombstone;& The Wild Bunch)westerns(in my estimate Clint Eastwood's are over rated and most parodies)WILD BILL captures the essence of a tough,rare, independent man surrounded by ordinary men who need heroes TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES. The story provides"minor"aside that Hickock fought for the Union;and when later faces a black man who's joined a group of punk thug assassins hired to ambush him pleads his bleeding at ANTIETAM for Emancipation Proclamation, the best the bro can "blow" is a PC "that was mighty white of you!" Highsider Jesse J.and Al(Twana Brawley)Sharpton couldn't have said it better.

Ellen Barkin is fine as Wild Woman Calamity Jane. Ace English thespian John Hurt provides ironic counter as educated narrator who understands need for heroes. Music by Brian Wilson's collaborator Van Dyke Parks accents psychedelic opium-flight
sequences that function as initiation rituals. ACES & EIGHTS Jack McCall,played by David Arquette reeks freaky Freudianism but the final DEADWOOD scene--Hollyweird to the max--cannot tarnish a spectacular American Odyssey that paints in blood,grime and red-eye whiskey one of the West's Heroes with 1000 Faces. Myth wins!

A Psychedelic Look At 'Wild Bill'.......2006-05-03

If there was ever a psychedelic western movie, this has to be it. It's so bizarre, at least compared to most westerns, that it was tough to know where to start in describing this bizarre film.

I just found it great fun, an entertaining film that's always a kick to view, and what more you can ask? Being someone who is very much into visuals, great cinematography and unique approaches to camera-work, this film provided all of that and more, such as an interesting story with whacked-out characters.

I love narration and John Hurt's description of the goings-on here was just great to hear. He played "Charlie," an Englishman with a gentleman's vocabulary that was in stark contrast to the hardened outlaws, led by 'Wild Bill' Hickok himself, played by Jeff Bridges. Ellen Barkin plays "Calamity Jane," and few women of the 1980s and '90s played foul-mouthed, hard-but-sexy women as convincingly as Barkin.

In addition to Hurt, Bridges and Barkin, other fun characters included "California Joe," Hickok's gravel-voiced friend who doesn't say much but when he does, you hear some some of the longest sentences ever uttered. Daid Arquette plays a very strange villain, the man who became famous for shooting Wild Bill. He acts strange and talks as if he has a mouthful of marbles. James Remar, another mean-looking tough guy, is a hired killer. Christina Applegate, Bruce Dern, Margoe Gortner, Keith Carradine and assorted other characters all add to this strange tale, strange in its telling and even stranger in its visual style.

Some of the film is in flashback, which is seen in startling black-and-white and mainly features Diane Lane, who is flat-out gorgeous and maybe the most intriguing person in the film. One of the flashbacks has the film deliberately overexposed with wild dream-like images.

No western "purist" admits to liking this but I love the genre and I put this near the top of my list of favorite westerns. So, sue me!

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Silent Rage
Starring: Chuck Norris , Ron Silver , Steven Keats , Toni Kalem , and William Finley
Director: Michael Miller
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005QVZ0
Release Date: 2001-12-04

Rage Against The Machine - Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium

Average customer rating:

Clearance to Run the Interference
get mexico city instead
RATM - okay but not great
Amazing
At least its not Audioslave.

Rage Against The Machine - Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Rage Against the Machine
The Battle of Mexico City
Audioslave: Live in Cuba (with Bonus CD)
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Renegades

ASIN: B0000WVV7O
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Customer Reviews:

Clearance to Run the Interference.......2007-03-26

In some of my other music DVD reviews, I take the tact of applying a set of standards to a release and establishing how the DVD in question measures up. Let me say in advance that when I take this tact, it usually means that I was disappointed in the release, but this would be only slightly true with Rage Against The Machine's Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.

A memo should go out to all bands and music DVD producers that says at minimum: "1) Music DVD's should be produced to the highest standards. 2) The musical performances within should represent the talent that made the studio recorded CDs sell. 3) Theatrics are very cool too, as long as you can pull them off without deterioration in the quality of the music."

Let's break it down then for Rage's Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium:

1 - "Music DVD's should be produced to the highest standards." - The picture quality in Rage's Live at the GOA is fair at best. I think this is due to a combo of two things: Old technology was used to film the performance, and there is a deliberate use of a technique that makes the picture a bit grainy. This grainy effect is hardly noticeable on a standard def TV, but it's very noticeable on a high def plasma TV. Seemingly, the band and the director chose to deliver what they felt was some kind of "atmospheric production" versus giving the viewer a front row seat to the performance. Hence, the relatively poor picture takes a bit away from the DVD.

On the other hand, the visual doesn't jump all over the place every 2 seconds as is true with way too many music DVDs (for some reason the notion all too often is that changing the visual projects the energy of a song...and that's a stupid notion). The camera shots in Rage's Live at the GOA mostly give you a nice long look at each performer at the right time; if you were actually at the show, you'd probably be looking at the performer that the camera is on. This made for a viewing experience that enhanced the illusion of having a front row seat to the show.

The sound is great in Dolby 5.1. You get your choice between Stereo and Dolby 5.1. Dolby 5.1 is far superior even when listening on a stereo system. My home theater Surround system in 5.1 made it feel like I was at the show. When I tried stereo on my portable DVD player the bass was mixed way too high and the sound was distorted; this was instantly remedied by switching to 5.1.

2 - "The musical performances within should represent the talent that made the studio recorded CDs sell." - The guys prior to hitting the stage must have huddled and committed to each other to go out and play the music true to the studio versions of the songs. All of the tracks on Rage's Live at the GOA are performed precisely. Absolutely amazing.

Tom Morello is incredible. Morello is ranked in the top half of Rolling Stone magazine's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". And particularly his solo in Bulls on Parade is often noted by Guitar World and other music magazines; it was awesome to see him precisely pull off live the magic sounds he makes with a guitar that you might think he could only make in the studio.

The band gives you all of the songs that you'd really want to hear:

1. Bulls On Parade
2. Bombtrack
3. Calm Like A Bomb
4. Bullet In The Head
5. Sleep Now In The Fire
6. War Within A Breath
7. I'm Housin'
8. Killing In The Name
9. Born Of A Broken Man
10. No Shelter
11. Guerrilla Radio
12. How I Could Just Kill A Man (w/guest Cypress Hill)
13. Kick Out The Jams
14. Testify
15. Freedom

Bonus material includes:

"People of the Sun" and "Know Your Enemy"
The 2000 Democratic National Convention performance, featuring:
"Bulls On Parade"
"Testify"
"Guerrilla Radio"
"Sleep Now In The Fire"
"Freedom"
"Killing In The Name"
And video clips for "How I Could Just Kill a Man" and "Bombtrack"

The Grand Olympic Auditorium main performance is fabulous. The bonus material, especially the performance at the 2000 DNC, is interesting to watch and much more politically oriented than performance oriented.

3 - "Theatrics are very cool too, as long as you can pull them off without deterioration in the quality of the music." - There are no over-the-top theatrics...which is great. The guys just play the music, and as I said earlier, they perform the songs to perfection. There is a clear air on the stage that "this is our last show together". These guys all click and tonight they are clicking on all cylinders.

Zack de la Rocha's (and the band's) political message is highly visible (and audible) throughout. During the show Rage and de la Rocha voice their extremist support for revolutionary socialism that includes a sweeping condemnation of the police and corporations. Um...yikes! I can't say that I'm a fan of Rage's message, but their music rocks! And the show recorded on Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium also rocks.

All in all...Live at the GOA is a shouldn't-miss DVD if you like or ever liked Rage Against the Machine. But so much for this recording being their last performance; a 2007 reunion has been announced. Perhaps we'll get an upgraded high def performance DVD to rally 'round the family with.

get mexico city instead.......2007-03-25

this concert dvd blows compared to mexico city.

(1) you can tell the party is over / they don't have their usual energy

(2) bass is mixed too high

(3) Know Your Enemy not on here

enough said.

RATM - okay but not great.......2007-02-13

My 15 year old was somewhat disappointed about this DVD. Somehow she expected it to be more "dynamic" and to give more a feel of being there at the concert (a tall order for sure). Since the DVD didn't do this, she's giving it an average rating.

Amazing.......2006-07-09

I like Audioslave, but have listened to little of Rage Against the Machine. I checked out their first CD, but I wasn't used to the way Zack De La Rocha's vocals sounded and I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics. A couple weeks ago I heard the song "Bulls on Parade" for the first time and decided to check out their concert DVD. For 75 minutes they play the Grand Olympic Auditorium and they f**king rock. These guys are great live. But it is a great amount of talent; Zack De La Rocha has very political views and lyrics, and raps them to a rock background. He's got a great stage presence and clearly knows how to put on a show. Tom Morello is an amazing guitarist, he does stuff with his guitar that some of the best guitar players ever can't. Tim Commerford is a killer bassist, he cranks out some really great basslines. And Brad Wilk's drumming is fairly simple stuff actually, but he makes it work. The only songs I had heard (out of the ones they were performing)
were Bulls on Parade, Bombtrack, and How I Could Just Kill a Man, but I found that I liked every song they did. This is a great concert DVD (although the camera work jumps around a little to quickly at times), even if you just kind of like RATM, you should check this out.
SET LIST:
1. Bulls on Parade
2. Bombtrack
3. Calm Like a Bomb
4. Bullet in the Head
5. Sleep Now in the Fire
6. War Within a Breath
7. I'm Housin'
8. Killing in the Name
9. Born of a Broken Man
10. No Shelter
11. Guerilla Radio
12. How I Could Just Kill a Man (Feat. Cyprus Hill)
13. Kick Out the Jams
14. Testify
15. Freedom
GRADE: A

At least its not Audioslave........2006-01-12

Rage Against the Machine, even in their worst moments, was still a very explosive band. This show is fair, but if you've seen them live in 1993 or 94', you'll won't like this much. Zach's voice is too worn out, Tom's guitaring isn't heavy enough, and Tim's bass lines are too loud.

The song selection is only from the "hits" on their three albums, you won't get to hear underrated classics such as "Settle for Nothing, "Fistful of Steel," "Take the Power Back," and "Township Rebellion." Plus, Tom's creativity on stage is gone, the solos in his songs sound the same as if you were listening to the albums, but back in the day he did alot of crazy s*** when he had to solo. For example, in "Killing in the Name," in the middle of the first chorus of "Some of those who work forces...," Tom would make a shrieking noise like in "Freedom," and his solo for the song sounded really different and f***ed up compared to the studio recording. At least there's a video of "Bombtrack" and after seeing the performance, it doesn't hurt as much that they broke up, but Audioslave is far far far far worse, so this is lightyears better than "Live in Cuba" from Audios***.

If you want to hear that perticular version of "Killing in the Name" I was talking about, get their self-titled DVD and watch that live video clip. Hell, get that DVD because its so great.

If you want a live Rage' DVD thats way better, hunt on eBay for a bootleg DVD called "Live in Philly 1993," which is basically them performing at a nightclub and they only played classic Rage' tracks. The video and sound quality is a little bad, but the band's show was AMAZING.

Let boring people watch boring stuff.

Average customer rating:

Watch, Listen, Learn, and Think
The proper way to make a documentary....
Stellar History.
Insightful and penetrating
A true Mount Everest in the Cinema' s story!

The Sorrow and the Pity
Starring: Georges Bidault , Maurice Chevalier , R. Du Jonchay , Anthony Eden , and Marcel Fouche-Degliame
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Night and Fog - Criterion Collection
Eye of Vichy
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Auschwitz - Inside the Nazi State

ASIN: B00005AFSL
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Amazon.com essential video

Often hailed as one of the greatest documentaries of all time, The Sorrow and the Pity is still astonishing long after its original release in Paris. The lengthy film (anyone who has heard it prominently referred to in Woody Allen's Annie Hall knows it's four hours long) tells the story of France under Nazi occupation by weaving together a number of interviews as well as newsreel clips and propaganda films shot by the Nazis. Director Marcel Ophüls skillfully utilizes interviews with people who often contradict each other, so the story of France not only occupied but divided against itself emerges fully. Filmed in the late 1960s, when bitter memories still resonated, the interviews conducted by Ophüls have great depth and are often amazing. Ordinary Frenchmen who found themselves performing heroic acts for the Resistance recall the dangers they faced while those who collaborated with the Nazis make excuses. A former Nazi officer interviewed at a wedding party in Germany pompously puts a benign face on what occurred where he was stationed; interviews with French residents utterly refute his sanitized version of the past. Beyond the interviews, the arresting archival footage chosen by Ophüls is remarkable, such as an unsettling clip of a stand-up comedian performing before a laughing audience whose collar insignias identify them as members of the fanatical Nazi SS. The Sorrow and the Pity lives up to its reputation as being a magnificent documentary. --Robert J. McNamara

Description

A chronicle of a French city under the occupation. Director Marcel Ophuls combined interviews and archival film footage to explore the reality of the French occupation in one small industrial city, Clermont-Ferrand. He spoke with resistance fighters, collaborators, spies, farmers, government officials, writers, artists and veterans. The result is a shattering portrait of how ordinary people actually conducted themselves under extraordinary circumstances. By turns gripping, horrifying, and inspiring, Academy Award nominee "The Sorrow and the Pity" is a triumph of humanist filmmaking and a testament to the power of cinema. Before "Shoah," "Schindler's List," "The Long Way Home" and "The Last Days," there was "The Sorrow and the Pity."

Customer Reviews:

Watch, Listen, Learn, and Think.......2007-03-22

Like many other Americans, I had a skewed view of French participation in WWII. I mean, the prevailing wisdom is that they fought (badly) a short time, surrendered ignominiously, and then wanted a huge chunk of the glory and German territory to occupy after the English and the Americans saved them from the Nazis. But after watching The Sorrow and The Pity, I came away with a different view.
On the eve of WWII, France was a country beset by weak political leadership and growing tensions between left and right. The Socialist government of Leon Blum was widely reviled and after its collapse the country drifted from one domestic crisis to another as war clouds gathered ominously to the east. On paper, France was well-prepared for war with the numerically fewer and militarily less advanced German army. The German high command did not think the war would be easy and many doubted that France could be beaten. But it was. As it turned out, German ideology, discipline, and training trumped French overconfidence and disunity.
The Sorrow and the Pity shows the tragedy of defeat and the disarray into which France fell in its aftermath. WWI hero Petain took command in the part of France the Germans did not occupy and made Vichy its capital. He made many errors, but in retrospect you have to say he tried to keep the Germans at bay as much as possible. Think how the war may have turned out had the Germans occupied the country entirely!
In a series of interviews interspersed with period film footage we see the occupation through the eyes of both the occupier and the occupied. We hear stories of bravery and cowardice, tragedy and triumph, loyalty and treachery. Deep thinkers might be left musing about what might have happened in their own countries under similar circumstances. Importantly, we get two views of Laval and Petain instead of just the usual dismissal of them both as traitors.
The Sorrow and the Pity should give all of us pause. Watch, listen, learn and think about what your own reactions might be if your country were occupied. Would you use occupation as a cover to settle personal vendettas? Would you keep your head down and try to go about your business unobtrusively? Would you passively resist? Or would you actively work for liberation? We all might imagine ourselves as doing the most heroic thing, but what would we really do? And would you rationalize whatever it was you ended up doing after it was all over? Millions of Germans and Frenchmen did!
I really recommend that anyone interested in obtaining a well-rounded view of WWII and the French role in it take the 4 hours+ and see The Sorrow and the Pity. Not only does the viewer learn a lot about that aspect of the war, but also about human nature. This is truly a gripping story from start to finish.

The proper way to make a documentary...........2006-05-09

This is the way a great documentary is supposed to be made. This film came at a time when documentaries were few and far between, it remains riveting for every minute of its 251 minute length. It succeeds by telling a coherent story as well as an enthralling one. Most documentaries these days throw everything at you (in a hasty, sloppy manner), and load up their films with endless "talking head" shots. Then when they're criticised for it, they come up with the usual adage "it's up to the viewer to decide.". While the ultimate judge is the viewer, this is not a reason for a "cut and paste" approach to the film. This approach removes the narrative flow from many recent documentaries. This film tells its story so well and brilliantly, like a grand novel, and illuminates you on the Vichy government, and how it was really like to live and how complicated it is to live under an occupation. There are some historians here and there, but the film deals mainly with those who lived and fought the Nazis, those with the most at stake. That's one of the reasons the film is so riveting. It comes across as human, something many documetaries miss entirely. It's a great film. Its length means nothing, because you're never bored. A must...

Stellar History........2006-03-18

Never in my life have I seen a film dedicated to the subject of Vichy France. I had long read about it but knew very little about the official pronouncements of the collaborationist government. I assumed that The Sorrow and the Pity was strictly a documentary about the French resistance, but was pleasantly surprised by its depth. It describes the Vichy of Petain and Laval quite thoroughly. You may recognize some of Ophuls' interviewees from The World at War (such as Edward Spears), but the stand out individual here was the fellow who volunteered for the SS. I assume he served in the Charlemagne outfit. Frankly, I was surprised he was alive and actually showing his face. His point that the slaughter of 1,600 French sailors by the English was a motivating force for him to join the Germans was something I would have never considered. It seems inconceivable back then for the French to have even hesitated siding with anybody other than England--given the competition--but it is clear that Anglophobia was rampant after "the rout" of May 1940. The most sensational thing about this film is the footage of the collaborationists. It seems as if modern history has made great attempts to cover up just how much the citizenry backed Petain (at first) and looked sympathetically to the Nazis. The speeches, the newsreels, and the photos are incredibly valuable and terribly interesting- especially if you're a history buff. I'd rank this one right up there with Hotel Terminus.

Insightful and penetrating.......2006-02-27

Let me say immediately that this movie requires some upfront investment: patience, attention, and sympathy. It's not easy to sit for four hours and view "news" that's sixty years old. But once you get past the initial impediments, what you get is a clear window into events that are themselves clear windows into human motivations and their consequences. Ophuls examines one city, and examines how collaborators and resistance fighters played lethal chess. He interviews and probes. What emerges after the four hours is a weird sensation that you were actually present at the interviews--you WERE the camera--and that's the highest praise anyone can give to a documentary.
Incidentally, one bonus of watching this is that you get vivid context for many other French movies that take place during this dramatic period of history, e.g., "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and "Le Dernier Metro."

A true Mount Everest in the Cinema' s story!.......2005-09-12

Far beyond of all the praised comments and countless acknowledgments around the world, "The sorrow and the pity" still remains as one of the most striking testimonials of a recent past. The co production talks by itself:(French- Swiss-West German). Necessarily lengthy documentary directed by Marcel Ophlus about anti-Semitism and the Nazi occupation during the Vichy regime in the WW2 It's worthy to recall the French TV did not run the film for some time, because in the own words of a credited officer spokesman "The population was not yet mature enough to accept the idea that during the WW2 most of Frenchmen did not fight in the resistance." Nevertheless, we should realize that it was not a mere coincidence the claasic film of Rene clement "La bataille du Rail" awarded the First Cannes Film Festival in 1946, that mirrored the emblematic and even titanic facts (perhaps minor episodes for some people) of those railroad men, who by all their means caused many troubles to Nazi forces along France. They visibly did not fight against the virus of religious and racial bigotry ss the genial filmmaker makes incisively clear by interviewing dozens of people who lived those dark days of Hitlerism, whether powerful or not.

Filmed in glorious Black & White the running time of 265 min, to be true, it is not perceived due the impressive and absorbing script

A towering and supreme film.

Average customer rating:

Robin Givins is a star!
Fun Entertainment, not for Kids
A Rage in Harlem
I enjoyed it

Rage in Harlem
Starring: Forest Whitaker , Gregory Hines , Robin Givens , Zakes Mokae , and Danny Glover
Director: Bill Duke
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008L3TG
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Description

Sultry Robin Givens (HEAD OF STATE) heats up the screen with Forest Whitaker (PHONE BOOTH), Gregory Hines (ONCE IN THE LIFE), and Danny Glover (THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS) in this cool, sexy thriller about a gangster's girlfriend and the trouble she stirs for the fellas in her life! When Imabelle (Givens) hits Harlem with a trunkload of stolen gold, she's on the run and looking for a place to hide. So when shy and naive Jackson (Whitaker) appears, Imabelle thinks she's met the perfect patsy ... but she forgets to protect her heart! As the chase again takes off and the intrigue mounts, you'll find that unexpected twists are all the rage in this stylish thriller!

Customer Reviews:

Robin Givins is a star!.......2005-08-14

I was in college when this came out and Robin's character taught me everything I needed about being sultry.

She is a bad ass bitch in the movie, in the vein of a Pam Grier character. The setting is Harlem, where only the feisty, the sly, and those with panache survive. Robin's portrayal of Immabel as slow-slurring, smooth as butter, carefree but calculating seductress is deftly-done.

She carries the movie well and it's hard to take your eyes off her. This is crucial, because if Immabel wasn't captivating the movie would fall flat. All the drama hinges on the girl and the gold.

There is some annoying, raunchy comedy from some satellite undertakers in the movie. But that's to entertain the droll.

Mostly, this movie is a bodacious gangster caper made lovable by the Harlem bravado and attitude turned in by actors Givens, Badja Djola, Danny Glover, Gregory Hines, et al.

Badja, as Robin's boyfriend, plays a tough as nails, no-mercy crime boss and is purely riveting in his hard-core masculine portrayal. He will make you quake.

Glover gives his best performance ever because we rarely get to see him play a bad ass and he was goood at it! The tension between him and Badja .. and Givens was palpable.

Whitaker was OK too.

The directing by Bill Duke is outstanding. The style and atmosphere he creates in the movie is perfect. He is responsible for making sure Robin comes off as the siren she is because the camera angles shoot her as a goddess.

Lastly, I'm a huge Robin Givens fan. She was on her way to becoming a topshelf star when Rage in Harlem came out and then was trailed by Boomerang a year later. (She gives another kick ass performance in that).

Why Halle blew up and Robin didn't is perplexing. In everything I've seen Robin in, including Brewster's Place, she's been outstanding. What a beautiful, intelligent, confident chocolate specimen! She was blackballed for no good reason and we definitely need to see her more.

Fun Entertainment, not for Kids.......2005-06-14

This is a nice period film in the "Cotton comes to Harlem" style. It's a kind of 50's gangster action comedy, with a southern twist. The film has high quality production values, and Danny Glover, Robin Givens, Forrest Whitaker, and Gregory Hines all turn in great performances. As an added bonus,when you see Robin Givens in that Red Dress (They had to sew it on her for the movie), you'll finally understand Mike Tysons' infatuation with her. So for some good entertainment rent this film. P.S. Watch out for the line "Pop goes the Weasel."

A Rage in Harlem.......2004-12-16

ALL I HAVE 2 SAY IS THAT IT IS ALL ABOUT ROBIN GIVENS! SHE IS TRUELY FINE! FROM HEAD 2 HER SEXY TOES!IN REAL LIFE SHE IS A STRONG PROUD LADY!U GO GIRL!WOMEN RULE!I WISH HOLLYWOOD WOULD GIVE HER MORE FILM ROLES! 2 ME SHE IS WHAT WOMEN SHOULD STAND 4!U ARE CLASS MS.GIVENS!IF HOLLYWOOD WON'T GIVE U THE ROLES, GO 4 INDEPENDENT MOVIES. WE JUST WANT 2 SEE U MORE. ALSO I WISH SHE HAS A WEBSITE 4 HER FANS?

I enjoyed it.......2000-02-08

A very good movie. Robin Givens is a beauty! Mike, you should have kept her...

Average customer rating:

The Dentist
Starring: Joanne Baron , Corbin Bernsen , Earl Boen , Ken Foree , and Molly Hagan
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 630512003X
Release Date: 1998-10-21

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The Battle of Mexico City
Starring: Rage Against the Machine
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against The Machine - Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Live & Rare
Renegades
Audioslave: Live in Cuba (with Bonus CD)

ASIN: B000055XTG
Release Date: 2001-02-20

DVD: