Gridlock & Room Upstairs

Starring:Gridlock, Room Upstairs
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A fairly decent collection
Don't drink with this one.....3 1/2 * really
An Absolutely Terrific Film: Nightmarish And Surreal!
One Of The Greatest Movies Ever
Ehm...what the hell?!

Brazil - Criterion Collection

Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Black Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 0780022181
Release Date: 1999-07-13

Amazon.com essential video

If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly identifying an innocent citizen, one Mr. Buttle, as suspected terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro). When Sam becomes enmeshed in unraveling this bureaucratic glitch, he himself winds up labeled as a miscreant.

The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing it. This DVD version of Brazil is the special director's cut that first appeared in Criterion's comprehensive (and expensive) six-disc laser package in 1996. --Jim Emerson

Description

Pitting the imagination of a common man against the oppressive storm troopers of the Ministry of Information, this bitter parable for the Information Age is more relevant than ever. Gathering footage from both the European and American versions, Terry Gilliam has assembled the ultimate 142-minute director's cut of his most celebrated film, then annotated it with a shot-by-shot commentary on an alternate audio channel.

Customer Reviews:

A fairly decent collection.......2007-04-09

I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend's birthday/Christmas (they're pretty close together, so I can't recall which). He's a huge Gilliam fan, and he loved it so much, he actually told other people what I had got him (which he doesn't often do). He seemed to really like this particular collection; the only issue he had with it is that it included a DVD of the Hollywood "Love Conquers All" version of the movie, which he esteemed good enough to be used as a coaster.

Don't drink with this one.....3 1/2 * really.......2007-03-01

Alright, I watched this in great great great anticipation. So I decided to have a couple before and while I watched it. Big mistake. Drinking wasn't smart because I couldn't keep my eyes open after awhile. This is not your typical slap-stick humor type movie. It's a very intellectual flick that a lot of people may not like or even get. And that's ok. I can see why this movie wouldn't click with people because it barely clicked with me and I think I have good movie smarts. The disappointing part was how terms like "important film" or "best film of the 80's" was used. I expected to see one heck of a movie. And it was in some ways, but very slow in others to the point where you don't have a clue what's going on.

It is very very original and you can appreciate it if you like "Time Bandits" and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". In that sense I can see how it is good and how it ties in with the movies mentioned above. "The Dream Trilogy" as it's called. On the plus side. DeNiro's character was perfect and Pryce played the perfect Sam Lowry. Another thing is a lot of people can really relate to the Bureaucratic "b.s." we have to put up within our jobs a lot of times. It also has several really funny/quirky characters in this one.

Also on the upside, they say to watch this one only once is a mistake because it gets better with each viewing, which I need to try. If I do, then I'll revise this whole review. Hopefully for the better.

An Absolutely Terrific Film: Nightmarish And Surreal!.......2006-11-12

After reading many of the reviews of "Brazil" here on amazon, I decided to take out the film and give it another viewing. As I know from my own experiences, that many films I once liked no longer appeal to me. Maybe it's my age? Therefore, I decided to have another look at the film. Maybe time had lessened the film's greatness to me? No, "Brazil" is still as great as when I first viewed the film. I have noticed that there is to be another release of the film, due to the poor quality of the original DVD. Those who have the original CRITERION will know what I am writing about. One of my major gripes with the original Criterion release have been given full vent by other reviewers, and with good reason. I could not believe the transfer of the DVD, especially at the cost!

I will purchase the newer DVD, that CRITERION has recently released, as this film is too great not to be issued in anamorphic. Moreover, for the price I orignially bought the DVD for, I was astonished at the so-called globs [for want of a better term] that were in the film. This film has been discussed here at length on Amazon, however, for those of you who did not purchase the earlier DVD, good for you, as I have it and it is not what one would expect from CRITERION. As for the film itself, it has stood the test of time for me at least, and I find it just as great as I did when I first viewed it many years ago. The film is for acquired tastes, and may not appeal to all audiences, but it appeals to me. Highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]

One Of The Greatest Movies Ever.......2006-10-17

Terry Gilliam is my favorite director and here he is at his best. At first the movie just seems like a dark comedy but as you watch later on you realize the absolute genius and how close this is to reality. Even if you don't really understand Brazil(and I don't quite understand it either) you can still admire the amazing art in the film and just some of the amazing visuals.

Ehm...what the hell?!.......2006-10-08

This is the sort of movie where if you go "nah, didn't really like it" people will just say that you didn't get it as if you're some sort of moron, who's incapable of comprehending a movie with a more complex plot than Star Wars. The movie does have a couple of upsides (that's why I gave it 2 instead of 1 star) namely Michael Palin and the stunning visuals. The rest is dismal at best. The movie is way too long and I felt no connection to the characters whatsoever. I also don't think that Gilliam is some sort of visionary for creating this movie...does the # "1984" ring a bell? Now that was a visionary book while this is a halfhearted attempt to copy it (along with some personal additions here and there).

And don't be fooled by people telling you that it's a black comedy either. There are some midly amusing scenes in it, most of them involving Michael Palin in one way or another, but even those don't deserve much more than a casual smile.

Average customer rating:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction
Must watch
A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!
Gridlock'd (DVD)
Tupac's best acting performance

Gridlock'd
Starring: Richmond Arquette , Charles Fleischer , Howard Hesseman , Lucy Liu , and Billie Neal
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00007ELEN
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Amazon.com

British actor Tim Roth and the rapper Tupac Shakur are an unexpectedly charismatic and refreshing duo in this off-beat buddy movie. Closer than two brothers, these junkie musicians vow to kick their habits after a soul-shattering New Year's Eve. Gridlock'd is fueled by characterization, of which there is plenty, as the two play off one another with such finesse you would never know Shakur had been a relative novice to the acting profession. Off-beat humor lightens a bleak reality as these outcasts run smack against a brutal bureaucracy. Except for a tired subplot meant to jazz up the action, director Vondie Curtis-Hall employs an inventive approach in this sadly ignored theatrical release. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction.......2007-03-09

This movie gets 5 stars from me from the very realistic depiction of drug addiction and the performance of Tupac and Tim Roth. These two using buddies portray very real life issues and troubles of todays drug addicts. After rushing their musician partner to the hospital from a drug overdose they jump from problem to problem all the while trying to get help in kicking their habit. This movie has an excellent mixture of misery and humor that creates laughter and the hard face of realty at the same time. If you or anyone you've ever known has or ever had a drug problem you'll relate.

Must watch.......2007-01-19

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. For a movie with very few action scenes, it keeps your interest the whole time. I think this movie really shows the unbelievable talent that Tupac Shakur had. Tim Roth and Tupac have an on screen chemistry that is rarely seen in movies lately. This is a must watch.

A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!.......2006-11-04

This is a great film. Tupac Shakur and Tim Roth are excellent in this dark-comedy about two drug addicts who find that attempting to quit their drug habit [heroin] is easier said than done. And it's not that they don't try. Spoon (Tupac Shakur) gives a stellar performance as a junkie, who is also a musician. When his girlfriend has an accidental overdose, he decides the time has come to get clean. Along with his friend Stretch (Tim Roth), also a junkie, they both set out to get clean at one of their local clinics. However, bureaucracy stands in the way: They both learn a hard lesson in the jungle of red tape, which seems to be more of a hindrance than help.

When they both attempt to get help from their social service agencies, they find themselves stuck in a quagmire of red tape and delays. They must have a social security card [3 weeks to wait for]. They must have written documents that entitle them to recieve their treatment [3 to 6 weeks], etc. This goes on and on. No matter how hard they try to get treatment, from the Medical specialists who treat heroin addiction, to the social service agencies, whose help they need to get the assistance, they are both met with hostile bureaucrats and numbing red tape. Not only do they find that they cannot just walk in and get treatment, they must go to the agencies which will identify them as addicts. The problem is, every agency shuffles them to another agency. And some of the social service agencies are not in the locations listed in their help guides. Guides given to them by the social service agencies.

However, this is only part of their problems. Their long time drug dealer has been murdered. And they know who the killer is. Moreover, the killers know who they are. Further, the police have them down as suspects in this drug dealers murder. Therefore, they have the police hot on their backs [with descriptions of what they look like] Drug dealers out to kill them, and more importantly, they cannot get into a drug program until they have all the necessary paperwork from the state social service agencies. All they wanted to do was get off drugs, however, they find that the wall of red tape is more than they can handle. Will they get into a drug program? Will they be nabbed by the police? Or will the drug runners get them first? I leave this to the viewer to watch. The film is highly recommended. Both Tim Roth and the late Tupac Shakur compliment each other tremendously in the film. Highly recommended!

Gridlock'd (DVD).......2006-03-17

Before his untimely death, rapper-actor Tupac Shakur left behind a number of completed films in the can. The first to see the light of day is Gridlock'd, the energetic and enjoyable screenwriting and directing debut of actor Vondie Curtis-Hall (Broken Arrow, TV's Chicago Hope and Cop Rock).

After his girlfriend Cookie (Thandie Newton) falls into a drug-induced coma, heroin junkie Spoon (Shakur) decides to lay off the dope, forcing his comrade-in-blow Stretch (Tim Roth) to join him in detox. This simple decision sets off an exhausting chain of events where Stretch and Spoon run around town dealing with bureaucrats of varying rigidity and flee from a drug kingpin (Curtis-Hall) and the police, who suspect the two when a fellow drug fiend and his girlfriend are murdered.

Sounds like pretty heavy stuff, and sometimes it is. But like the big heroin-themed Trainspotting, the film is often quite funny, deftly walking the thin line between the harrowing and the hilarious. And the humor does not come out of nowhere and feel out of place; like life itself, comedy sometimes spring forth naturally from tragedy, with some inherent dark humor being found in what can be seen as the most serious of moments. But this is not to say that Curtis-Hall glosses over heroin addiction. Spoon and especially Stretch are seen for what they are--loser junkies--living in a dirty, cluttered apartment and getting into messes they could easily have avoided, often getting out through sheer luck alone (which results in some overly contrived moments). Curtis-Hall does add some interesting visual flair to the proceedings, using flashy editing and whatnot.

But even with Curtis-Hall's able efforts behind the camera, Gridlock'd could not have possibly worked without a convincing, charismatic lead duo, and Shakur and Roth fit the bill perfectly. Roth has the showier role, playing pathetic, dirty, and just plain wacky Stretch, and he pulls it off as well as one expects (even though his natural British accent sometimes slips into his on-screen New York accent). Shakur's more sensible Spoon is the straight man, but he is far from upstaged, holding his own with his confident, commanding presence; he truly had a bright future in film. Roth and Shakur's rapport is so natural, so effortless that you have no problem believing that they are longtime friends. It's too bad that a reteaming of the two is out of the question.

The pileup of films currently released amounts to one big traffic jam at movie houses, but the entertaining Gridlock'd should have had no problem clearing a path to box office success.

Rest in peace Tupac Shakur.

Tupac's best acting performance.......2005-11-28

I have seen most of the films that Tupac acted in and I think this is easily his best performance, anyone who thinks he can't act should definetely watch this. In fact it is credit to both Tupac and Tim Roth that I have given this film 4 stars as very little actually happens in the film, it is basically just a day in the life of two drug addicts, trying to kick the habit.

After their band member and shared lover has an overdose at the start of the film, the two main charaters run around town trying to get enrolled on a detox program. Everywhere they go though they are prevented from doing so by various problems and they are given the run around all over town. Meanwhile they unwittingly end up as the main suspects in a drug related murder, and they are also chased by drug dealers whose stash they unknowingly took. By the end of the film the plot is cleverly linked together, and the film is at times very funny.

I would urge people to watch this film to see great performances by both Tim Roth and Tupac, and though there is little action in the film, their performances and a clever script make this an enjoyable film.

Average customer rating:

Gridlock"ed" on Kathy Ireland!!

Gridlock
Starring: Tony de Santis , Jordan Derwin , Miguel Fernandes , David Hasselhoff , and Kathy Ireland
Director: Sandor Stern
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000CDL5C
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Customer Reviews:

Gridlock"ed" on Kathy Ireland!!.......2007-01-12

So-so tv movie with a over acting, mis-casted David Hasselhoff, but worth it to see a good looking Kathy Ireland. For sure a collector's item since she didn't do too many movies!!

Average customer rating:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction
Must watch
A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!
Gridlock'd (DVD)
Tupac's best acting performance

Gridlock'd
Starring: Richmond Arquette , Charles Fleischer , Howard Hesseman , Lucy Liu , and Billie Neal
Manufacturer: Polygram USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 6304707541
Release Date: 1997-12-09

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Customer Reviews:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction.......2007-03-09

Must watch.......2007-01-19

A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!.......2006-11-04

Gridlock'd (DVD).......2006-03-17

Tupac's best acting performance.......2005-11-28

Average customer rating:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction
Must watch
A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!
Gridlock'd (DVD)
Tupac's best acting performance

Gridlock'd [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0001E5T8I

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Customer Reviews:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction.......2007-03-09

Must watch.......2007-01-19

A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!.......2006-11-04

Gridlock'd (DVD).......2006-03-17

Tupac's best acting performance.......2005-11-28

4 Feature Films (Whacked! / Four Play / Gridlock / Room Upstairs)

Average customer rating:

4 Feature Films (Whacked! / Four Play / Gridlock / Room Upstairs)
Starring: Whacked , Four Play , Gridlock , and Room Upstairs
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0009DVBMY
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Average customer rating:

Gridlock & Room Upstairs
Starring: Gridlock , and Room Upstairs
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0009A6K8W
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Average customer rating:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction
Must watch
A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!
Gridlock'd (DVD)
Tupac's best acting performance

Gridlock'd [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Customer Reviews:

Realistic Depiction of Drug Addiction.......2007-03-09

Must watch.......2007-01-19

A Very Overlooked Dark Comedy!.......2006-11-04

Gridlock'd (DVD).......2006-03-17

Tupac's best acting performance.......2005-11-28

Average customer rating:

Armed Response/Against the Law/Gridlock
Starring: Whacked , Gridlock , Armed Response , and Against the Law
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0009KA808
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Average customer rating:

Gridlock/Whacked!
Starring: David Hasselhoff
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0009KA7Z4
Release Date: 2005-06-07

DVD:

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