The Assault

Starring:Stacie Randall, Matt McCoy, Melissa Brasselle, Sandahl Bergman, Leo Rossi (II), Leslie Ryan, Lydie Denier, Rick Dean, Wanda Acuna, Paige Carter, Arthur Roberts (II), Carrie Dobro, Peter Spellos, JosÃ© Ignacio Ãlvarez, VÃctor Quintero, Philip Tan, David Ian Taylor, Johnny Williams, Tony March, Abdul Schmabdul
Director: Jim Wynorski
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

The sunny streets of Brooklyn, just after World War II. A young would-be writer named Stingo (Peter MacNicol) shares a boarding house with beautiful Polish immigrant Sophie (Meryl Streep) and her tempestuous lover, Nathan (Kevin Kline); their friendship changes his life. This adaptation of the bestselling novel by William Styron is faithful to the point of being reverential, which is not always the right way to make a film come to life. But director Alan J. Pakula (All the President's Men) provides a steady, intelligent path into the harrowing story of Sophie, whose flashback memories of the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp form the backbone of the movie. Streep's exceptional performance--flawless Polish accent and all--won her an Oscar, and effectively raised the standard for American actresses of her generation. No less impressive is Kevin Kline, in his movie debut, capturing the mercurial moods of the dangerously attractive Nathan. The two worlds of Sophie's Choice, nostalgic Brooklyn and monstrous Europe, are beautifully captured by the gifted cinematographer Néstor Almendros, whose work was Oscar-nominated but didn't win. It should have. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Great central performance, but not a great film.......2007-06-30

I was drawn to watch this film because it has recently been nominated into the American Film Institute's Top 100 U.S. films. Bearing in mind the effusive reviews for the film already posted on Amazon.Com, I will probably get slated for only giving this film 3/5. Oh well.
The main good thing about this film is primarily Meryl Streep's amazing performance as the title character. Her performance is simply perfect. The emotional resonance of her performance is fantastic, her Polish accent is flawless, she even speaks Polish and German convincingly in the flashback scenes. It ranks alongside Falconetti's performance in Drayer's "Passion Of Joan Of Arc" as one of the greatest in cinema.
However, one performance does not a great film make. What else is great about this film? Keven Kline overcooks his role as Sophie's crazed lover: all charm and wild eyes, charisma turned on at will as if it comes from a tap. Peter MacNichol struggles to bring life to what is basically a dull character: he does his best with what is given to him in the role of the wide-eyed Southern boy.
Nestor Almendros's photography was fantastic in Mallick's "Days Of Heaven". In "Sophie's Choice" he approximates the former film's Autumnal sunlit ambience when the characters (occasionally) move outside: otherwise the camerawork is dull and uninvolving. The washed-out look of the Concentration Camp sequences is well done: approximating the muted colours in many Nazi films, it certainly works in its grimy, unappealing way.
Perhaps the key problem with the film is that it key moment of dramatic tension, the moment that gives the film its title and is the underlying cause of Sophie's toments is held back to the end of the film. Moreover, it is the kind of dramatic moment, having happened in the past, which offers no hope of salvation for either Sophie or the audience. It is sadly reduced to "just one of those" things which happens to people. The dramatic crux of the film is therefore fatally undermined.
The film is not that bad. It's just not an AFI Top 100 film. As a performance, Streep's is top-notch. It is just the film is too long, unfocused and finally unrewarding as either entertainment or dramatic lesson.

Flawless performance by Streep........2007-05-07

I watched Sophie's Choice for the first time last night, and despite having watched numerous Holocaust movies, this one truly touched me. Meryl Streep truly shines as the tragic Sophie, who lives with harrowing memories of her wartime experiences, whilst dealing with the complications of a tumultuous relationship with her live-in mad lover, played convincingly by Kevin Kline. Also of noteworthy performance is McNichol as Stingo, the aspiring writer who also narrates the story...his infatuation and later love for Sophie is true, even after realising Sophie's dark past. The most painful scenes were the flashbacks to Sophie's retelling of her wartime experiences. The "choice" that is the movie's title is rendered in an amazingly heartbreaking performance by Streep, one of cinema's most gut-wrenching scenes ever, and something I will never forget. Truly memorable!

Streep's best performance.......2007-03-07

there is always that one performance in a actors career thats defined as there best and for the great Meryl Streep, her role as Holocaust survivor Sophie brilliantly conveys a person of heartbreak, riddled with guilt, and just so volnerable. pulling of a flawless polish accent, Streep plays Sophie, a polish immagrent who is haunted by her horrible past in WWII during the Holocaust and her stay at a concentration camp. Kevin Kline plays her temptatious lover Nathan and Peter MacNicol is Stingo, the man who Sophie and Nathan befriend. as Stingo becomes more involved in there life, he learns of Sophie's past and the horrible decision she had to make. Kline and MacNicole both provide excellent buffers as to not be outshined by Meryl Streep. the other great thing about this film is the cinamatography, it shifts very nicley from the comforts of Broklyn to the horrors of Europe. there are many great Holocaust films but Sophie's choice is definently at the top three along with Schindler's List and The Pianist. if you want to see a truley powerful film that will leave you heartbroken at the end then Sophie's Choice is the film

Life as an ordeal of traumas.......2007-03-06

Sophie's Choice is a very powerful story of a woman whose strength did not desert her in imaginably some of the most traumatic moments in a person's life. Whether it was her abysmal life in German concentration camps or her Brooklyn existence with her schizophrenic boyfriend, Sophie did not have much to fall back up on with the exception of her inner core - a core that was so solid that it did not falter, did not waver, did not even flinch as she lost everything that a human heart deems precious. In the end she appears calm and poised even after having lost what every one holds dearest to heart - life.

In her Academy winning performance, Meryl Streep is peerless. Arguably it is one of the most powerful and yet sublime performances ever - an incredibly realistic portrayal of a character whose numerous shades of existence are impossibly difficult to depict. Streep delivers what easily can contend for an Academy among Academy winners. Other actors, the direction, the script and the milieu are all flawless but this movie belongs to Streep who stands head and shoulders above the rest in a performance bound to leave an indelible impact on the audience.

THE BEST ACTRESS...EVER!!.......2007-02-01

Meryl Streep is sensational. No words can do justice to describe how amazing her performance is.

I Spit On Your Grave (Millennium Edition)

Average customer rating:

It didnt suprise me
Classic Nastie!
NOT AS BAD AS WHAT EVERYONE SAYS !!!!!
Horrible
one of the best

I Spit On Your Grave (Millennium Edition)
Starring: Camille Keaton , Eron Tabor , Richard Pace , Anthony Nichols , and Gunter Kleemann
Director: Meir Zarchi
Manufacturer: ELITE ENTERTAINMENT
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002CHIJW
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Customer Reviews:

It didnt suprise me.......2007-06-19

I was afraid to watch this one for a long time considering what i heard of it. The plot is simple, some writer lady goes to the country and ends up being raped and assaulted by 4 ignorant backwoods types then one when one of them dosent go through with the job of 'taking care of her' she comes back for revenge. It was sick, yes, It was you can say brutal in a way, but i can see something like this happening. I mean it didnt shock me considering ive actually met people like this that were maybe a couple inches away from doin something like that. Theres 2 types of people, normal good people and people that are a couple inches away from doing something sick like this. A bunch of guys gettin together, real ignorant types and then pullin something like this, yea, i can see it. The stupidity of one of them made me sick. He was like just doing whatever he was told. Then came 'the revenge'. Plain and simple, not much else. I cant say i could see someone really 'enjoying' watching this but i cant say it was so bad i wouldnt tell you not to see it. I dont think a normal person would have much interest in this one. People who love horror? maybe. Its a hit or miss.

Classic Nastie!.......2007-05-02

"Spit" is one of my all time favourite little "nasties".
It's sick alright and still very disturbing, even though it was made way back in 1978. Ok, it's low, low budget, but that's why it works.
The film's lack of music throughout makes it all the more off putting.
Camille Keaton, as the victim, is an absolute trouper.
Rodney, is Gold.

This Millennium Edition of "Spit" is something my brother and I used to joke about. Ever since we first caught "Spit" at the Drive In on it's original release, the idea of a special edition of "Spit" was something we only ever dreamt of one day owning.
To have it like this, THX Certified Transfer, Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1, looking and sounding like it was made yesterday, with extras laid on, you've got to be kidding.
And that cover ain't half bad either....hey?

Warning:Definately not for the kiddies.

NOT AS BAD AS WHAT EVERYONE SAYS !!!!!.......2007-03-30

I bought this movie because I was intrigued by it. The cinematography is incredible. Visually, it is stunning. The rape scenes ARE savage, but I was touched by the emotional devastation the actress was able to convey. As a woman I was rooting for the heroine and I must admit I was a little disappointed in the ease with which she dispatched three of her assailants. Her revenge on Matthew was "OK" but I would have liked to have seen a little blood and gore. When I first saw the bathtub scene between the heroine and Johnny I was a little nauseated by all the blood but I couldn't help but laugh at the way she dispatched him. I watched the movie again and I thought it would have been even more visually effective if after the slice and dice she would have raised her hand from out of the bath water holding a semblance of bloody genitalia in her hand. But this movie was made in a decade that never would have allowed that. The heroine's numb composure throughout the revenge sequences is fully understandable (that is, if you're a woman). Kudos to Ms. Keaton for a very persuasive acting job.

Horrible.......2007-03-14

Maybe the WORST movie ever made, or at least the worst that I have seen. Don't waste you're money or time.

one of the best.......2007-02-26

This movie is great. Artistic in a sick way. Sort of has a feminist flavor too it, but in a cool way. Definently a morality message underneath. also, Theres a classic scene that will traumatize any man who watches this film.

Average customer rating:

Zulu
A small pocket of History
Early chapter in the Anglo-Zulu War
Fantastic Film
Zulu Review

Zulu
Starring: Stanley Baker , Jack Hawkins , Ulla Jacobsson , James Booth , and Michael Caine
Director: Cy Endfield
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008PC13
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Amazon.com essential video

"Sentries have come in from the hill, sir.... They report Zulus to the southeast. Thousands of them." One of the best pure action movies ever made, this rousing adventure recounts the true story of a small 18th-century regiment of British troops (including a very blue-blooded turn by a young Michael Caine) endlessly besieged by an seemingly unceasing number of fierce attackers. Although the basic premise has since been executed with more technical skill and panache (most notably by Aliens and Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans), it's unlikely that anything will ever top the utter spectacle and, above all, sheer unbelievable size of the combat scenes that almost wholly comprise the last half of this film. A gloriously exhilarating essential for anyone looking to get lost in the heat of cinematic battle, topped off with a healthy dose of gallows humor. Not to be missed. Richard Burton voiced the stirring narration. Zulu was followed by a slightly dry but still recommended prequel, Zulu Dawn. --Andrew Wright

Description

A towering cinematic achievement. An astonishing true story. And "a battle film in the grand tradition of Four Feathers and Gunga Din" (Time)! Filmed against the exotic locales of Africa and starring Stanley Baker (The Guns of Navarone), Jack Hawkins (Lawrence of Arabia) and Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Michael Caine (in his first major motion picture role), Zulu is a thrilling account of one of history's fiercest battles! As a terrifying war chant echoes across the majestic African plains, 4000 Zulu tribesmen rise up from the tall grassthat hides them. Furiously beating their swords against their shields, the warriors descend upon a small garrison of English soldiers. "Usuto! Usuto! (Kill! Kill!)," they cry as they launch into a battle with the vastly outnumbered English militia who must manifest incredible skill and incomparable bravery just to survive. *1999: Supporting Actor, The Cider House Rules; 1986: Supporting Actor, Hannah and Her Sisters

Customer Reviews:

Zulu.......2007-07-02

Endfield's breathless depiction of a rag-tag English force battling an implacable enemy remains one of our very best war films. Baker (who co-produced) was never better, and got his mystified Zulu extras to cooperate only after showing them an old Gene Autry Western, which helped them understand the nature of acting. In one of his final appearances, Jack Hawkins registers as a fanatical priest, and you can almost see the word "star" emblazoned on Caine's forehead. Like the heroes it portrays, the stellar "Zulu" richly earns a chestful of medals.

A small pocket of History.......2007-06-13

One of the great action/adventure films of all time, Zulu has the advantage of being inspired by an actual incident in British Colonial history. Credit Stanley Baker and an exceptionally fine cast for bringing this almost unbelievable,even if true, story to vibrant life.

Early chapter in the Anglo-Zulu War.......2007-05-13

"Zulu" stars Stanley Baker and a very young Michael Caine as British officers charged with defending a missionary station at Rorke's Drift in a British held colony in Africa on January 22-23 1879. Basically this is a siege movie on par with "Rio Bravo" with African Zulu tribes and British provincial army standing in for the American Calvary and Indians. Stanley Baker's Lieutenant John Chard is the movies focal point, and he is highly intelligent and brave as he assumes command of the fort. Caine plays Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, Chard's junior by a few months. At first Bromhead is arrogant and shallow, and I thought he would be as much an impediment as the Zulus. But as the film progressed he quickly became compliant, brave and as dedicated to the defense as a British soldier is supposed to. Usually in a movie like this in the time "Zulu" was made (that is 1964), the Zulus would have been portrayed as evil, blood thirsty barbarians; not so here. Although the reason for the Anglo-Zulu War is not stated (which didn't make since to me because as a modern American I am not familiar with the history), the warrior-tribesmen are shown as brave and good tough fighters though not excessively ruthless or cruel (though I do not mean to take away from their threat; they are a worthy enemy to the crown). I really enjoyed this solid, very fast paced adventure movie. I think "Zulu" is a good companion piece to David Lean's "The Bridge Over River Kwai".

Fantastic Film.......2007-05-11

I've watched this film so many times, and the fact that it is based on a true story makes it more than inspiring. Whatever ones personal opinion regarding war and conflict, 140 men stood against 4000, and like it or not that took guts. Raw courage.

There are a few things about the real event that aren't portrayed in the film correctly. For instance, it was not a Welsh Regiment at that time, but an English one as the 24th Regiment of Foot in 1879 was the 2nd Warwickshires, not becoming the South Wales Borderers until nearly two years after the Anglo-Zulu war ended. Only approximately 11% of the men at Rorkes Drift were Welsh. The cavalry didn't abandon the men at Rorkes Drift, but had initially fanned out to intercept any Zulu's but then were sent back when it was realised they were hopelessly outnumbered and their presence gave no tactical advantage.
There was no 'Men of Harlech', there was no warrior salute but that was added in to the film at the request of the Zulu chief whilst the film was in progress.
Last, but by no means least, the character of Hook in real life was not the ne'er do well portrayed in the film but was actually quite a decent character, as was the Church minister Otto Witt who had initially stayed to assist the men and kept watch for the Zulus from a nearby hill, but then had to leave, as he was concerned for his wifes safety and went to be at her side, taking a wounded officer with him as well. Reading the mens personal accounts of the battle is quite revealing, and those accounts are freely available on the Internet now.

Even so, it is still a superb film.

Zulu Review.......2007-04-03

Great movie if you are a history buff and are interested in stories of the British Empire

Average customer rating:

~Bully~
When you give up and murder your tormentor, how should you be punished?
Frightening and Real
Educational, but not entertaining.
pretty good film

Bully
Starring: Ed Amatrudo , Judy Clayton , Irene B. Colletti , Elizabeth Dimon , and Leo Fitzpatrick
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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Kids
Another Day In Paradise
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ASIN: B00005U14H
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Description

Acclaimed director Larry Clark delivers his most powerful film since KIDS. Marty (Brad Renfro) is a tormented surfer who relies on his longtime pal Bobby (Nick Stahl) for rides to the beach and South Florida bars despite vicious abuse. But when Bobby turns his unwanted attention to Marty's new girlfriend Lisa (Rachel Miner) and her best friend Ally (Bijou Phillips), Lisa decides Bobby's reign of terror must end. Assembling a crew of alienated suburban teens, she forms a deadly plan to get Bobby out of the way once and for all, turning friends into enemies and casual acquaintances into co-defendants in a murder that rocked America to its core.

Customer Reviews:

~Bully~.......2007-05-10

The first time i saw this was on HBO. I knew i had to show it some friends of mine. Its a true story about what some kids do to a Bully. This Dvd is very good.

When you give up and murder your tormentor, how should you be punished?.......2007-04-24

Bully is based on a true high school crime which took place in Cooper City, Florida. Boyhood friends Marty Puccio (Brad Renfro) and Bobby Kent (Nick Stahl) traveled in the same circles of casual drug use and loose women with a group of friends who rarely attended high school classes. Bobby bullied Marty their entire lives, raped both Marty and their girl friends, and pulled aggressive stunts such as capturing a local drifter and forcing him to perform homosexual acts on camera. Director Larry Clark presents a gripping portrait of bullying and submission, and of how hard it is to stand up to the bully when he's been in power for a good sixteen or more years.

With the high school sexual acts and drug use, this film will inevitably be compared to Clark's earlier work, Kids. Bully, however, is based on a true crime with copious court records, confessions, witness statements, and a non-fiction book about the subjects. Any reviewer who attacks the plausibility of the film needs to look no further than Martin Puccio, vs. State of Florida, Appellee. No. 86,242; November 20, 1997. Clark takes the facts of the case and presents a movie which illustrates the fear and loathing of someone who submits to a bully, and makes the viewer understand how hard it is to stand up and change the status quo.

Bully is told from the point of view of the teens involved in the group murder of Marty's tormentor. The question of ultimate responsibility for the crime is answered only in the court sentences, not by the filmmaker. This is a great discussion piece--does bullying invite crimes of self-defense? Was Lisa Connelly the ringleader or did Marty grow a backbone? Was Marty manipulated by yet another bully, Lisa, when he went along with her plan? Did an atmosphere of money, drugs, and plenty of free time create the perfect storm for a mob-mentality murder? How much do absent parents play into a tragedy of this proportion?

Larry Clark has no simple Hollywood answer to any of these questions. Therein lies the beauty of this film.

Frightening and Real.......2007-04-23

"Bully"

Frightening and Real

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

While not a horror film, "Bully" is one of the scariest movies I have seen and the reason that it evokes such fear is that it is a true story. Larry Clark directed this movie that is about teenagers that have absolutely nothing going for them. They have sex all of the time, they drink to excess, they smoke pot and drop acid and their lives are reckless and meaningless.
I am sure that many who see this movie are outraged and that seems to me to be warranted. To see kids behave like this is certainly not the norm. Marty (Brad Renfro) is the central character and he is involved in a sado-masochistic relationship with his "best friend", Bobby (Nick Stahl). Then there is Lisa (Rachel Miner), Marty's pregnant girlfriend. Marty is an average surfer bum and high school drop-out and Bobby constantly picks on him and rides him all the time. Lisa soon tires of Bobby's abuse to Marty and she tells Marty that he should kill Bobby. They go and see a hit man (Leo Fitzpatrick) and ask him to help put an end to Bobby and from that point on the kids start out upon a new path--one of lies, deceit, boasts, and guilt-ridden feelings about the deed they are about to perform. In the end, the teenagers get their just rewards but the cinematic buildup is highly intense.
The movie is accurate and true to life. Based on an incident that took place in Florida in 1993, it is an authentic retelling of what went on. The cast is sheer perfection. When the kids agree that Bobby has to die, the movie reaches its heights. Bobby was a bully and a rapist and an all around loathsome character. He seems to be somewhat of a closet homosexual as reflected by his obsession with gay porn. He drags Marty to a gay bar and forces him to dance onstage. His violent way of dealing with his own gayness is probably how he chose to deal with his repressed desires. He is a psychotic sociopath who has extended the limits of being tough. But his homosexuality is not the reason he is to be killed. There is no clear reason to why he must die. The actions against him are not motivated by revenge but by jealousy. He is due to go to college and to take over his father's business.
The movie utilizes a great deal of potent imagery as the film explores the youth of today during dark and troubling times. It hurts to watch kids behaving the way they do here and we hope they get what they deserve.
The movie will weigh on your mind mainly because it really happened. It is bleak and dark and extremely depressing. It is meant to shock and shock it does.

Educational, but not entertaining........2007-04-17

I have heard about Bully for a long time, and finally decided to watch it. It's a well-acted, well-directed, and powerful movie.

Bobby Kent's behavior goes beyond that of a bully- he's a borderline sadist/sociopath. He constantly verbally and physically (and possibly sexually) abuses his best friend, Marty Puccio. In addition, he is beginning to develop a taste for rape, and calls whatever girls he's with demeaning names. When Bobby rapes Marty's new girlfriend Lisa and her best friend Ali, Marty and Lisa decide to kill him. They take Ali and four other friends and lure Bobby to the swamp, and stab him. They try to keep it a secret, but the psychological consequences of killing someone are more than they bargained for, and most of them tell someone. Eventually, someone makes an anonymous phone call, and all 7 of them are arrested and convicted.

Bully is educational, but hardly entertaining. To elaborate, it shows what happens when kids have no direction in their lives, and no sense of right and wrong. Neither Marty nor any of the other main characters appear to have any kind of goal and direction in life. Marty especially didn't seem to have any kind of standards about how to act towards others (he physically abuses Lisa at one point) or how he expected others to act towards him, which makes dealing with bullying more difficult. All he knew is that Bobby made his life miserable. They didn't even try to bring charges against Bobbby, or deal with him in any kind of legal way. Bobby is a vile individual, but he doesn't die because of his sins, but because his killers live in a moral vacuum. In addition, Bully shows the tragic results of apathetic parenting. For example, towards the beginning of the movie, Bobby punches Marty in the face several times after he runs his car on the curb. Marty then asks his parents if they can move, and his father tells him, "we can't all quit our jobs just because our son is having problems." His parents show no interest in calling Bobby's parents, the police, or helping Marty with the problems at all.

Be warned though, there's not one scene that is not disturbing in one way or another- be the scene about the bullying, nudity, rape, or psychological/emotional distress- this is a movie only for strong-stomached viewers, and hence is not entertaining. Watch at your own risk.

pretty good film.......2007-03-15

i like the actors in this movie..they portrayed the real people very well i thought..the movie could have been better overall..however it was still worth watching

Mommie Dearest (Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

the Big Kahuna of camp classics
Big Fun
Lost opportunity
Mommie Dearest DVD
Mommy Who?

Mommie Dearest (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Faye Dunaway , Diana Scarwid , Steve Forrest , Howard Da Silva , and Mara Hobel
Director: Frank Perry
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ERVJK4
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Amazon.com

The movie that made "No wire hangers!" a household phrase, Mommie Dearest is the very model of a modern "camp classic," so crazily outlandish that it's fascinating. Based on the scathing and scandalous tell-all bestseller by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of histrionic Hollywood movie queen Joan Crawford, Mommie Dearest was billed in advance as a serious dramatic motion-picture biography. But it turned out to be something much, much weirder--a genuine Hollywood oddity that serves up a bizarre mixture of melodramatic trash and outrageous tragi-comedy. Joan Crawford won an Oscar for playing the role of the self-sacrificing mother, the woman who would do anything for her daughter, in Mildred Pierce. As depicted by Faye Dunaway (playing the hell out of the role as if she's determined to win another Oscar of her own, damn it!), her role as offscreen parent puts her in a league with big-time scary screen mommies such as Mrs. Bates in Psycho, and Angela Lansbury's über-mom in The Manchurian Candidate. Dunaway's Crawford torments and terrorizes her adopted children in myriad ways--making them give away their own birthday gifts and rousting them from their beds for frantic after-midnight bathroom-scrubbing attacks. And when, after the death of her Pepsico chairman husband, Crawford tells the board of directors, "Don't f--- with me, fellas!" one is very much inclined to heed her warning. --Jim Emerson

Product Description

Outrageous and controversial, this is the story of legendary movie star Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway) as she struggles for her career and battles the inner demons of her private life. This torment was manifested in her relationships with her adopted children, Christina (Diana Scarwid) and Christopher (Xander Berkeley). The public Crawford was a strong-willed, glamorous object of admiration, but Mommie Dearest reveals the private Crawford, the woman desperate to be a mother, adopting her children when she was single and trying to survive in a devastating industry that swallows careers thoughtlessly. The rage, the debilitating strain, and the terrifying descent into alcoholism and child abuse are graphically - and unforgettably - depicted in this film, based upon Christina Crawford's best-selling book.

Customer Reviews:

the Big Kahuna of camp classics.......2007-06-26

Joan Crawford, with her impossibly-arched eyebrows and gargantuan shoulderpads, was a camp icon long before MOMMIE DEAREST even went before the cameras. Thanks to Faye Dunaway's performance in the film, Joan Crawford rose to the position of camp's High Priestess, and fans wouldn't have it any other way.

Joan Crawford's adopted daughter Christina began writing the book "Mommie Dearest" shortly before Joan's death and allowed her to read the drafts. It was for this reason alone that Crawford completely cut Christina out of the will (though Christina manages to leave out this important fact in her many interviews and personal appearances). The poison-filled tome did manage to destroy the reputation which Joan had carefully guarded and maintained throughout her professional life; but in recent years her films have gradually found their audience once again and Crawford is now looked upon as one of the leading lights of the classic cinema, as she should be.

MOMMIE DEAREST recounts the early life of Christina Crawford, growing up as the daughter of the reigning Queen of Hollywood. There is little doubt that Joan Crawford was a very demanding and strong woman, an alcoholic with deep-seated psychological phobias. But this does not make her an abuser.

In the film version of MOMMIE DEAREST, Faye Dunaway gives a very eerie recreation of Joan Crawford (which spans from 1939's "Ice Follies of 1939" to her final days). Much has been made of the infamous "NO WIRE HANGERS...EVEEEEER!!!" scene, and Dunaway has that rare ability to capture much of Crawford's agonies. Equally-strong is Mara Hobel, who gives a deeply affecting performance as the younger Christina. Diana Scarwid is memorable as the older Christina.

But it must be noted that so many incidents in the film were glossed-over in favour of Hollywood fantasy. No one will really know what excactly happened in the private relationship of Joan and Christina, but reading between the lines (and being quite aware that much of the book was written with sheer hatred and blinding anger), it becomes very clear that Christina was a little brat who did everything she could to push her mother's buttons.

MOMMIE DEAREST remains to this day a feast for the lovers of camp; from Faye Dunaway's one-line zingers, the outrageous clothes of Irene Sharaff, to the mealy-mouthed Christina played by Diana Scarwid. This deserves it's place on the shelf next to "Valley of the Dolls" and "Trog".

(Single-sided, dual-layer disc)

Big Fun.......2007-06-11

What else is there to say about this movie? I bought this version for the John Waters commentary. I'm glad I did, however Waters' commentary is not as funny as I'd have guessed; it is informative and well-reasoned though. That's good, but those aren't qualities I would have necessarily expected from John Waters.

Lost opportunity.......2007-05-31

Christina Crawford's much discussed (and often challenged) biography of her famous mother was a story that might have made a magnificent, terrifically affecting film version. Sadly, this sumptuous production is a misfire, despite a valiant effort by Faye Dunaway in a performance that has moments of brilliance, and more moments of camp. Fans of the grotesque have lionized the movie and exaggerated its value over the years, but if that kind of thing is your bag, go see Lipsyncha live onstage and get the real thing. There's practically no sympathy for the little girl in this version of the story: for some reason, she comes off as a whining, demanding, and precocious adversary instead of the victim she probably was. Diana Scarwid, a fine actress, practically sleepwalks through her scenes as the teenaged Christina, and the movie has no momentum or drive. The photography is wonderful and the opening credit sequence promises a delirious and evocative journey through old Hollywood. But after an intriguing start, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fizzles. To those who worship this for its unintentional comedy, what can I say? You deserve better. Rent "Trog" instead.

Mommie Dearest DVD.......2007-05-28

Great movie, I am glad to have it in my collection. It is one of my favorites.

Mommy Who?.......2007-05-23

This move will always be a classic in our family. With Joan Crawford's demands and strict parenting I can see why her adopted daughter would want to let the world know her story. From the time Joan made Christina eat raw (or rare as Joan claimed) steak for days, to the whole wire hanger scene and the cutting of Christina's hair for imitating her mother is all unfortunate but a little humorous. Children always imitate people whom they admire or are a big influence in their lives. Joan did not have to react to such extremes. And the axe scene. Can't forget that wild night. "Christina, bring me the axe". Lol... However they did share a better relationship as they got older. Don't forget when Christina lived on her own and Joan would stop by to pay a visit or when Joan played Christina's part in a popular soap opera show (although Joan was much too old for that role). My main question is where was Christopher during all of these situations? The movie didn't show much of him. I know this movie was about Christina's relationship with her mother, but they could have put him in more scenes, especially as an adult. How was Christina's and Christopher's relationship? I'm not sure if some of the movie was exaggerated or not, but I do know it was unacceptable that Joan didn't leave a penny or any possesions in her will for her children. That's just down right dirty and spiteful even if Christina tested her a bit as a child. That's what children do and they get disciplined appropriately, not with cruel and unual punishment or abuse. But I'm not too sure if the whole story is all biographical. Futhermore, Faye Dunaway played that role phenomenally and was truely convincing. This is a movie that will never be forgotten and will always remain a collectors item.

Average customer rating:

A HAIR RAISING SHOCKER
What A Twisted Tale Of Life-Long Deception!
Great entertainment
If you haven't seen the movie before........
HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Starring: Bette Davis , Olivia de Havilland , Joseph Cotten , Agnes Moorehead , and Cecil Kellaway
Director: Robert Aldrich
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B0009NZ2MO
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Amazon.com

Poor Charlotte Hollis. She's been shunned by the community for decades, ever since the fateful night in 1927 when her lover was hacked apart with an axe. Her antebellum southern mansion is slated for the bulldozer, as it stands in the way of highway construction. Charlotte's only hope lies in her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), coming down from up north to help settle things. Miriam, however, has other designs. Together with her boyfriend Drew (Joseph Cotten), she embarks on a scheme to systematically drive Charlotte out of her mind (not a great leap) and get her mitts on the family fortune. From there, things only get more complicated. Charlotte puts the "gothic" in southern gothic, as a great showcase for completely bizarre, overwrought, and out-of-control performances from all involved. Agnes Moorehead plays Charlotte's loyal, disheveled housekeeper to the hilt, with an odd inflection that calls to mind Amos and Andy more than southern gentility. As the drunken, conniving Dr. Drew, Cotten's accent is indeterminate at times, and seems to come and go. As great as the supporting players are, though, the crown goes to Bette Davis as the shrieking Charlotte, a portrait of isolation and decay stuck in a world of tragic delusions inside her crumbling mansion. De Havilland is a close second as the scheming Miriam; the scene where she slaps the holy snot out of a hysterical Charlotte is itself worth the price of admission. Mary Astor (in her last role) and Cecil Kellaway (as a kindly Lloyd's of London adjuster) put in the only performances with any restraint, acting as counterweights for the rest of the cast. Besides, you'll never get another chance to see Joseph Cotten playing the harpsichord and singing, or caked in mud and lily pads! With Robert Aldrich's claustrophobic direction, Charlotte is as Southern as a field of kudzu, and as subdued as a train wreck. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

This is the tale of a wealthy southern spinster Charlotte Hollis (Bette Davis) who lives with her eccentric maid (Agnes Moorehead) in a decaying southern mansion, shunned by the townsfolk after the mysterious axe-murder of her late lover. When her jealous cousin (Olivia de Havilland) and her cousin's wily husband (Cotton) arrive for a visit, the two conspire to drive Charlotte insane and have her commited so the two can sell off her estate and pocket the proceeds.

Customer Reviews:

A HAIR RAISING SHOCKER.......2007-06-09

THIS SUPERB FILM STARS BETTE DAVIS AS CHARLOTTE HOLLIS WHO HAS BEEN CLOSETED IN HER MANSION SINCE THE GRISLY MURDER OF HER MARRIED LOVER MANY YEARS EARLIER. FINE SUPPORT COMES FROM OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND AS HER COUSIN MIRIAM AND JOSEPH COTTEN AS DOCTOR DREW BAYLESS. THIS THRILLER WILL HAVE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT AND SPECIAL MENTION MUST BE MADE OF CHARLOTTE'S LOYAL SERVANT OSCAR NOMINEE AGNES MOOREHEAD - I DON'T THINK EVEN THIS FINE ACTRESS HAS DONE ANYTHING BETTER. FINE REMASTERING FROM THE 1964 PRINT ADDS TO ONE'S PLEASURE SO DON'T MISS THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT.

What A Twisted Tale Of Life-Long Deception!.......2007-05-26

Davis and DeHavilland are truly at their best in this shocking thriller, set in the bayou country of Louisiana. The setting, the family dynamics, and the un-expected twists and turns in the story will keep your attention riveted to the screen. I enthusiastically recommend this movie to all lovers of Hollywood classics...

Great entertainment.......2007-02-12

The story behind the conception of "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" is well documented, so the question is: without being another Bette Davis/Joan Crawford battlefest, does it match up to the runaway success of "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane"? My opinion is that it ranks as a good movie, but falls into the shadow of it's predecessor.

The plot follows Davis as Charlotte, an eccentric recluse who has been shunned by the townsfolk ever since her married lover was found brutally murdered at a party when she was a young girl. Branded as the killer, Charlotte has grown into a bitter and lonely old woman, who is finally forced to come out of her isolation when the county wants to knock down her house to build a new road. The main part of the film begins as Charlotte's cousin Miriam arrives in an attempt to talk some sense into her, and all the skeletons of the past come to light again.

The film is built around it's two central stars, Bette Davis and Olivia de Haviland (who plays Miriam). The two could scarcely be more different. Davis plays Charlotte as wide-eyed, shrill and in a constant state of nervous terror, while de Havilland delivers a performance of sleek velvety calm. The film hinges on the relationship between these two women, and out of the two of them, it is Miriam rather then Charlotte who suggests a character with much more going on beneath the surface, thanks to de Havilland's glacial cool. Davis is brittle and exhausting nearly all the time, and although she was one of the greatest Hollywood stars of her time, some more subtelty would have greatly enhanced the character of Charlotte in places. However, for the most part she is terrific, in fact her performance gets better and better as the film progresses, culminating in a very moving conclusion. De Havilland also does a great job, speaking in silky soft tones for the most part, but capable of erupting into surprisingly venomous anger as more of her true character comes to light. As is usual with a well known film like this, the twists and surprise revelations are already well known, but what impressed me was the the way the various strands were worked into the film, and how effectively some of the twists were then later built up into new twists! It must have been very effective for first time audiences in 1964, and for anyone who has not seen it even today.

The film looks great. Beautifully shot in black and white, it makes great use of selective lighting and deep shadows, more often than not inside the grand but rotting mansion that Charlotte lives in. There are also some great lines in the script, most often spoken by Davis, which make the proceedings border on high camp some of the time, but for the most part it is a quality product. What detracts from the enjoyment are some very lazy post dubbing in several places (where you can see that the actors are either mouthing something different or not speaking at all!), and the opening prologue set at a party supposedly in 1927, which has no attempt at period detail at all as most of the party goers are dressed in contemporary 1960's oufits (one girl even has a beehive hairdo!). This lack of care by director Robert Aldrich is more in line with one of William Castle's schlocky (but enthusiastic) efforts, rather than a major studio production like "Charlotte" was supposed to be.

I haven't really got that many bones to pick though, as the film delivers solid entertainment for most of it's 2hour running time. It IS a little long, but the constantly unravelling plot together with the performances from it's stars (not forgetting to mention the hilarious turn by Agnes Moorhead as the tousled maid) keep you hooked all the way through. Although some of the early parts are a bit of a screech-fest, it definitely improves as reaches the end, in fact Davis' performance in the last half hour becomes quite touching (barring her cross-eyed freak out on the stairs), and the ending scene especially shows that the film has a real heart.

If you haven't seen the movie before...............2007-01-18

......don't watch the film with the commentary feature
activated. The long-winded, overexcited announcer gives
away the plot details within minutes of the opening credits.

Otherwise, this film is a wonderful, nostalgic presentation
of the B-movie style, black and white thrillers of the
late 50's/early 60's. Bette Davis, fresh off her success
of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane," returns in a film
adaption of another Henry Farrell story. She reprises the role
of a mentally disturbed dame (in this case, done Southern style)
and she takes it way over the top, but still within the threshold
of high cinema. Fellow Academy Award winner, Olivia de Havilland
(replacing Joan Crawford, who was originally slated for "Miriam")
gives a good performance as the goodhearted relative with dark
ulterior motives.

This is a great movie. The theatrical trailers are laughable at how they present this film as the most suspenseful, horrifying film ever.
Well,given the time period, who knows? In any case, this is an enjoyable
exercise in suspense with Bette Davis at the helm, which always
translates into worthwhile cinema. Along with Davis and De Haviland, Agnes Moorhead
gives a remarkably delightful
performance as the feisty housekeeper,
receiving a well-deserved Academy Award nomination.

Highly Recommendable.

TURN OFF THE COMMENTARY FEATURE UNTIL YOU'VE HAD THE CHANCE
TO SEE THE MOVIE FROM START TO FINISH!!!!!!! If not, the
entire suspense element will be ruined.

HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE.......2007-01-13

It was just as I remembered it. I had a good time watching it with my daughter.She can't believe what we use to think was scary.
Laura

Average customer rating:

Harrison and Annette...
EXCELLENT LITTLE KNOWN FILM ONE OF FORDS BEST!
Very good message
Harrison Ford fans will love this movie.
Much better than its reputation, if you have a heart...

Regarding Henry
Starring: Harrison Ford , Michael Haley , Annette Bening , Stanley Swerdlow , and Julie Follansbhee
Director: Mike Nichols
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B0000A2ZNP
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Amazon.com

Get shot in the head and become a better person. This 1991 Mike Nichols (Wolf) film stars Harrison Ford as a big-shot cold-hearted lawyer who gets a bullet in his brain during a holdup. The film de-emphasizes the traumas of recovery to focus on the title character's personality change after the fact. The canny Ford gets to work from his full, familiar palette of arrogance to boyishness, and even builds Henry from top to bottom after the wounded fellow awakens with no memory. But this is a slow and unremarkable film from Nichols, its sentimentality eclipsing all else, most of all profound insight. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Harrison and Annette..........2007-06-16

...shine in this movie! If you don't love it, there is something wrong with you! Highly recommended!

EXCELLENT LITTLE KNOWN FILM ONE OF FORDS BEST!.......2007-04-08

This a really good film that has not received it's due. Ford plays a very successful work-aholic lawyer that gets dealt a pretty bad hand.....at least so it would seem at first. This is not to be missed!

Very good message.......2007-03-14

A realistic and heart warming story of a couple and their daughter who go through a difficult trial. Coming out knowing the true value of love and life as it should be.

Harrison Ford fans will love this movie........2007-01-12

A wonderful story line and a rare opportunity to see Harrison Ford in a completely different character than usual. Great acting by all, a story about life the way it really is, and a happy ending!

Much better than its reputation, if you have a heart..........2006-10-04

I recall most critics trashing this film 15 years ago when it was new. I heard an especially vicious critique on NPR, of all places. Then I saw it, and liked it very much. Of course it is sentimental and manipulative, but all films are manipulative. I liked Harrison's work, and I even liked Annette Bening, which does not always happen for me. Most of us wonder whether, if we suffered a serious brain injury or a spinal cord break, if we would survive, and cope. This film shows one fictional guy facing that crisis, and becoming a better man for having lost some of his mental toughness and job skills. Those who sneer at this touching film perhaps have already lost the humane sense that Harrison Ford's character acquires through suffering.

Average customer rating:

Horrible!!!
Prince of Tides
I Laugh at the New Yorker's Review of this Film
Excellent Nolte
streisand...love her

The Prince of Tides
Starring: Nancy Moore Atchison , George Carlin , Maggie Collier , Blythe Danner , and Tiffany Jean Davis
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Prince of Tides

ASIN: B00005OLYF
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Amazon.com essential video

Barbra Streisand's best film as a director is helped enormously by one of Nick Nolte's finest performances. Nolte plays a football coach who is estranged from his wife (Blythe Danner) and who enters into an affair with the psychiatrist (Streisand) of his suicidal sister (Melinda Dillon). Streisand is acceptable in her star turn, but behind the camera she paces the story very well and provides lots of room for Nolte to inhabit his burdened but likable character. George Carlin is a bit token as a gay New Yorker, although Jason Gould (Streisand's son) is good as a struggling teen in desperate need of a father figure. The whole film is worth watching just to see a great moment near the end where Nolte stands on a street, a bit slump-shouldered and wearing a look of sad resolve. It's great acting at its most minimal. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Horrible!!!.......2007-06-01

This is a savage ruination of a wonderful book. I don't know why Pat Conroy let Babs ruin his masterpiece...but ruin it she did.

Read the novel. Skip this mess.

Prince of Tides.......2007-05-07

I didn't notice this was the video. I have not received it yet but the book was absolutely the best I have ever read.

I Laugh at the New Yorker's Review of this Film .......2007-05-04

I had to laugh at the review the New Yorker gave to this film and to everyone and everything that seemed to be involved in the making of it. They came off like a spurned lover that was left for a much prettier woman, or someone who was stood up for the prom two years in a row. Talk about bitter. I think their review has more to do with the New Yorker's anger about Pat Conroy's statements made by his character, Tom Wingo, concerning New York and the New Yorker being less than desirable.

Tom Wingo makes them look a bit foolish and I believe that is why the New Yorker has given the writing of this movie such a bad review. They even go so far as to bash the music. The music in this film was lovely, it went beautifully with the amazing South Carolina cinematography. The New Yorker does try to say that the movie would have been fine if it weren't for the writer, Pat Conroy and his book. But, the book is far superior to the movie in so many ways. The movie is amazing, but as with many movies there is not enough time to include everything.

Pat Conroy sings a song of southern healing, of love and regret, like no other author I have ever read, and he does it all with humor. He is not a metropolitan man. He is a great southern writer, and that is what the New Yorker hates so much about Pat Conroy. But, Mr. Conroy is more than just a great southern writer, he is a great writer from the south, and that is what the New Yorker hates most about Pat Conroy.

Do not pass by this great film, The Prince of Tides, and do not, whatever you may do with your life before you die, do not pass by your life without first reading The Prince of Tides by Mr. Pat Conroy. It will make your life a better one if you allow it to, and not every book is capable of that.

Excellent Nolte.......2007-01-30

Not too bad for the most part, though the ending is pretty unconvincing. The cynical, distant Nick Nolte goes to NYC after his twin sister (played by Melinda Dillon) there tries to commit suicide. He begins seeing her psychiatrist (Barbra Streisand) and through flashbacks we learn about the demons of his family's past - all of which he's learned to suppress his whole life. Conveniently Nolte's wife (Blythe Danner) takes up with another man while Nolte is falling in love with Streisand; at the end he returns to his wife though he still loves Streisand. Nolte is excellent in his role, and as is often the case when he's on screen, his persona dominates every scene he's in; Streisand is fairly bland in comparison. The movie begins to show its weaknesses after Nolte and Streisand fall in love: where the movie should be exploring their love and "obligations" in a hard, meaningful way, it only goes soft and paisley romantic. Why Nolte goes back to his wife, why she even wants him back, is hardly touched on; instead we get the throwaway lines, "You love her more," says Streisand; "No," replies Nolte, "just longer." Not a whole lot of substance there.

streisand...love her.......2007-01-16

Because i love Barbra Streisand, she can do no wrong, great movie. seen it 6 times and will watch it again

Average customer rating:

Great love story- Tragic ending
Length Of Film?
'Revenge' surpassed by the flavor of desire and love...
Appeals to the senses
Great movie - terrible DVD...

Revenge (Unrated Director's Cut)
Starring: Kevin Costner , Anthony Quinn , Madeleine Stowe , Miguel Ferrer , and Tomas Milian
Director: Tony Scott
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NHG7BQ
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Amazon.com

This often grisly, arguably racist movie stars Kevin Costner as a U.S. Navy pilot who is the improbable friend of a powerful, vaguely criminal Mexican millionaire (Anthony Quinn). While visiting the latter on his estate, Costner's character has an affair with his host's gorgeous young wife (Madeline Stowe), for which he is almost beaten to death and the wife mutilated and turned into a junkie prostitute (nice, eh?). The hero seeks retaliation, and you may want the same against director Tony Scott, who makes the navy sequences look like beefcake excerpts from his earlier hit film, Top Gun. However, if you can stand the garishness, then perhaps the extreme violence won't be too bothersome, either. But expect a rough time either way. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Revenge (click for larger image)

More Revenge on Amazon.com

More from director Tony Scott
Get Your Revenge
The Films of Kevin Costner

Product Description

Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe (12 Monkeys, The Last of the Mohicans) ignite the screen in this deeply erotic and suspenseful thriller from the director of Top Gun and Crimson Tide. Costner stars as Michael J. Cochran, a former fighter pilot who finds himself irresistibly drawn to the beautiful wife of an old friend. Anthony Quinn (Lawrence of Arabia), in a powerful performance, co-stars as the husband who reacts with uncontrollablerage to the double betrayal. His brutal attack on the adulterous lovers sets into motion a terrifying cycle of retribution that cannot be stopped, making Revenge an instant classic.

Customer Reviews:

Great love story- Tragic ending.......2007-06-22

The passion between Costner and Stowe in this movie is too real.You feel for Costner's great love for this women in the sad ending to this great, highly underrated film. Give this film a look, you won't forget it.

Length Of Film?.......2007-04-19

Just one question.......why is this original release listed at 124 minutes and the new Director's Cut at 100 minutes?

'Revenge' surpassed by the flavor of desire and love..........2007-01-12

'Revenge' has a recently retired fighter pilot (Kevin Costner) who goes to the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta, to enjoy the hospitality of an old friend he saves once his life on a hunting trip...

The possessive longtime friend has a wonderful-but-unhappy wife... Mireya (Madeleine Stowe) is an exotic young brunette, with great magnetism, who truly blew Costner's mind... Mireya embarks on a passionate affair, that naturally drives her husband 'Tibby' (Anthony Quinn) out of his mind...

Sexual tension is an integral part of Tony Scott's character's conflict... It rises off like heat emanating from the sand when the two lovers head in a jeep toward a nearby cute cabin... Costner and Stowe are attracted to one another, and naturally, the more they fight the attraction, the more they are thrown together...

Stowe's body comes alive at that brief caress, quickening her pulse, making her breath catch in anticipation... She experiences the heat in the slow slide of Costner's fingers, a passionate demand she couldn't help but respond to...

The plot is really predictable, and there's real high tension in the first part, but multiple stabbings, shootings, and beatings in the second, as the husband enters a storm of insane fury against the lovers...

'Revenge' is certainly a realm of brutality and pain, of love gone wrong and vengeance gone mad...

Appeals to the senses.......2006-08-11

This film had the potential to be so much better, but despite its rough edges it makes for compulsive viewing. You'll find yourself going through a wide array of emotions, lust, guilt, rage and sympathy. The cast is awesome. The story compelling.

Great movie - terrible DVD..........2006-07-18

This DVD is confusingly listed on every website I have checked as "Widescreen/Pan & Scan," and "2.35:1" and so on. This is not correct. The movie is presented ONLY in full frame format, and the picture quality is SO BAD that it appears to have been transferred from an old VHS tape by some shady characters on the Black Market.

What really shocks me, though, is that none of the 38 reviews here on Amazon.com mention the incorrect aspect ratio listing or the terrible image quality.

Unfortunately this movie does not appear to have been released in any other Region - all other countries I've checked just sell the US import - so this terrible version is the only one around. It's too bad, really, because I remember seeing this film years ago on TV in all its WS glory and it was absolutely magnificent. If anyone knows where to get a better copy please post it here.

5 stars for the film, none at all for the DVD.

It's hard to believe that any studio would take a film with such great cinematography that was filmed on high quality film stock and put out a DVD release which almost looks as though it was camcordered in a theatre. Please, please, please put out a proper studio release from the original master print so that we can see this film the way it originally looked in the cinema.

Average customer rating:

DVD
A movie worth watching
Enchanting
Bitter Sweet
good but sad

Radio Flyer
Starring: Lorraine Bracco , John Heard , Adam Baldwin , Elijah Wood , and Joseph Mazzello
Director: David M. Evans , and Richard Donner
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0002TSZI8
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Description

A moving story about two young brothers whose childhood world of monsters and secret potions is turned upside down when a very real monster—a volatile stepfather—enters their lives. Inspired by a local legend, they attempt to build a working airplane to make their escape. Told in flashback by Tom Hanks (2-time Academy Award® Winner 1995 Forrest Gump, 1994 Philadelphia). Starring: Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Lorraine Braco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi in TV's "The Sopranos," Oscar® Nominee, 1991 Goodfellas, 3-time Emmy® Award Nominee "The Sopranos"), Directed by Richard Donner (Goonies, Lethal Weapon, Conspiracy Theory).

Customer Reviews:

DVD.......2007-01-15

This item was a gift so I did not view the video but assume it was fine. The dvd became loose inside the box so I had a little concern of scratching but it did not appear scratched when it was opened. I think all went well.

A movie worth watching.......2006-04-22

A very good drama, Radio Flyer, brings to the screen the story of two young boys whose father abandons them at a young age leaving their mother alone in providing and caring for them.
Things take a turn for the worse when a "stepfather" enters the family...
I have to admit that I did not know what to expect from the film, but as it turns out it was a really good movie that keeps you glued to your seat in anticipation of what comes next!
It is a film about human relations, hope and second chances, but most importantly about trust, love, and inner strength.
Elijah Woods, Joseph Mazzello, Tom Hanks, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least. All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is something else)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few tears. The film does a great job of describing people's every day lives and the problems they face.
In short, Radio Flyer is a movie definitely worth watching, as it will surely provide for an evening's entertainment!

Enchanting.......2006-03-16

I liked absolutely everything about this movie. There is a certain magic to it. The plot is not so merry, rather sad, but things like that sadly do happen in reality.

The film is about one single mum's straggles after her husband leaves her, and she has to raise two sons alone. Then she meets a man she falls in love with, but sadly, she never knows how bad he treats her sons, especially the youngest one, who gets beaten from time to time. But the children keep it secret from mum because they want her to be happy. How beautiful is it? However, after a while they find a way of escape for the youngest brother to avoid leading this unbearable living.

This film contains powerful messages to the people. The strongest one is about how important it is to keep an eye on your children and never let them suffer, because they can never tell you until it is too late... And that you can actually loose them.

This film is a deeply touching one, you get to see one of the yearly works by Elijah Wood, which is stunning. Both children play very good, Elijah delivers very mature acting which turns the film into a masterpiece. Certainly worth wathcing and buying! And I was afraid to see some hard scenes, but there were non, so don't worry, you won't have to hide your face if you like me can't stand violent scenes.

Bitter Sweet.......2006-03-05

Talk about a late comer. Obviously, I just saw the film, made years ago, and highly doubt many will read this. I am still compelled to write this though - I've been disturbed since I saw the film. All the reviews were helpful to some degree, as I crave different view points. One thing that was never mentioned and I thought of at the end of the film is that the abusive father beat and finally killed Bobby. The imagination of Mikey placed Bobby in a fictional "better place", flying away in the mystical Radio Flyer, and later living an adventurous full life. Other tidbits: I don't believe a father would tell his sons (at that age) the truth if it was death at the hands of abuse or suicide; Mikey, now an adult reliving his horrible childhood, would of liked it to have really ended that way; Bobby was too young to survive alone in life - even IF the successful flight of the Radio Flyer was to be believed; a mother, as loving as this one was portrayed, would, without a doubt notice either bruises, or a change in her son's personality - something. Finally, I could not swallow that a mother, even one as dependent on a man as this one was, could EVER take the man back after a child you love is beaten half to death! Ok. I'm done. Guess it's hard to make a movie with such sensitive subject matter. I loved and hated the film, hence the title "Bitter Sweet." P.S. I do believe there were 2 boys, Hanks is portrayed quite sane. And I love animals. I was so glad he (Hanks) also pretended that Shane survived his beating....and my lord, the acting was incredible.

good but sad.......2006-01-18

does anyone know if there is a book based on this movie?? I'd like to know. However, the movie is kind of sad and makes you cry. The younger boy is so brave and it makes ya kind of wonder where he ended up going, and if there should be a sequel to the movie?? Well, I gave it 5 stars but I agree with the other opinions of the reviewers that I wouldn't let children (young) watch thismovie because there is violence in it. I enjoyed it, though.

DVD:

DVD List

DVD

DVD

Jim Henson's The Storyteller - Greek Myths

Peter Green: Splinter Group in Concert

I Spy Box Set #1 [7 Discs] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Zebrahead

Rebecca