Fake

Starring:Fake
Studio: Anime Works
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Young Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd) is happy as a clam, and why not? She's got a loving, successful husband (Bruce Greenwood), an adorable son, and an island home to die for. One morning, after a romantic sailing expedition with her husband, Libby finds herself covered in blood. Her husband's missing, the boat resembles a murder scene, and there's a knife on the deck. One might stop right there and call for help; Libby, however, takes matters--or, more specifically, the knife--into her own hands, and the moment she does, there's the Coast Guard. Faster than you can say frame-up, Libby's been charged with murder and jailed, with her young son stripped from her custody. It's all cut-and-dried, except for one thing: Libby's husband isn't dead, and she's about to track him down. And thanks to the Fifth Amendment's double jeopardy rule, she can't be charged twice for his murder.

Double Jeopardy has a singularly seductive revenge premise and, in Judd, one of the most seductive leading ladies to grace the silver screen in recent years. So then why does this thriller feel like it came from the bottom of the Lifetime television movie barrel? Instead of taking a gritty, hard-boiled approach, the film plays up all of Libby's mushy emotions--tellingly, the director here is Bruce Beresford, whose best film, Driving Miss Daisy, is as far from thriller territory as you can get. No matter how stoically or deviously Judd plays her, Libby comes across as a soccer mom with a slight taste for blood. Only in a few scenes, specifically when she tracks her wily husband to his new identity in New Orleans, does Judd get to strut her stuff, stealing an evening gown and crashing his charity auction. Most of the time, though, this thriller offers only a smattering of suspense. Well, at least like Libby, the filmmakers can't be condemned twice for the same crime. With Tommy Lee Jones duplicating his Fugitive role, as Libby's conscientious parole officer. --Mark Englehart

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2007-06-30

Ashley Judd is beyond beautiful. Tommy Lee Jones is one of my favorites. The story is creative and original. Great movie.

A Grain of Salt Review.......2007-05-22

If Ashley Judd is in the movie, I AM GOING to see it. Period. It could be a four-hour documentary on elephant bathing and I'm going to watch it if Ashley Judd makes an appearance. I say that only so that people considering my review can better understand where I'm coming from in my admittedly biased review of this movie.

HOWEVER....

I did truly love the plot of this movie. It could have starred Grover from Sesame Street and Jeff Phat from the Wiggles and I would have enjoyed it pretty much the same. (well okay maybe not, but still... the actors merely ADDED to a plot that was truly amazing.)

The plot can be summed up best with one of Ashley's more famous lines. "I can shoot you in the middle of Mardi Gras and they can't touch me..."

She'd already been convicted of a murder that had never even taken place. The guy faked his own death! And in the end, he learns a very valuable lesson... Karma is a witch... and so is Ashley Judd Scorned!

It's a fun, vicarious thrill ride, not an art film.......2007-05-21

Critics can trot out all the evidence they like: Gaping plot holes, legal inaccuracies, cliched improbabilities, etc. It doesn't matter. 'Double Jeopardy' was a surprise box-office hit in 1999 because it was exciting, had two immensely likable powerhouse leads, and one intensely despicable villain. Ashley Judd's passionate unstoppability in pursuit of Bruce Greenwood's bottomless evil kept viewers riveted till the last frame. They couldn't wait to see him get his payback. And that coffin scene was extremely intense in a darkened theater. It was the talk of the season!

Don't rent this. Buy it. You'll thank me later.

Double Jeopardy.......2007-05-07

This is third time I have watched this movie, I absolutely like the premise. LEE

One for the library.......2007-04-12

Two awesome stars, Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd. This was a really good movie and one that is in my library.

Average customer rating:

The power of music and presence
Glitter and Glam
jonathan ryhs meyer...ewan mcgregor...wow
Brian Slade: Man is least himself when he talks in his own person... Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth.,
I'd like to thank...

Velvet Goldmine
Starring: Ewan McGregor , Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Christian Bale , Toni Collette , and Eddie Izzard
Director: Todd Haynes
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Gay & Lesbian | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

Velvet Goldmine: A film by Todd Haynes: Music From The Original Motion Picture
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (New Line Platinum Series)
The Pillow Book
Young Adam
Trainspotting - Director's Cut (Collector's Edition)

ASIN: 0788815741
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com

Todd Haynes, ever unpredictable, follows up his experimental trilogy Poison and his restrained Safe with this flamboyant study in glam rock through the kaleidoscopic lens of Citizen Kane. Christian Bale plays Arthur Stuart, a reporter sent to investigate the legend of rock legend and bisexual pop icon Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as a not-so-thinly veiled David Bowie), who disappeared a decade ago after staging his own mock assassination. But Arthur is flooded with memories of his own adolescence as he interviews Slade's friends and business associates, peeling back the layer of makeup and spangles that was the model of rebellion for a generation of middle-class British kids and discovering a hollow center. Ewan McGregor almost steals the film as the punk pioneer Curt Wild (equal parts Iggy Pop and Kurt Cobain), the genuine article to Slade's calculated, coifed image of glitter stardom. Haynes's film lacks nothing in capturing the flamboyance and spectacle of the era with flashy filmmaking and kitschy costumes, and if the plot seems lost in the preening and visual fireworks, perhaps that's the point: behind the façades and manufactured fronts is nothing but glitter, energy, and a beat. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Starring Ewan McGregor (MOULIN ROUGE, TRAINSPOTTING) and Jonathan Rhys Meyers (THE GOVERNESS, MICHAEL COLLINS) -- executive producer Michael Stipe of R.E.M. presents this electrifying journey through rock 'n' roll's most outrageous era! It's been 10 years since glam-rock superstar Brian Slade (Meyers) faked his own death and vanished from the spotlight. Now, it's the job of an investigative reporter, Arthur Stuart, to locate this living legend and uncover the truth behind his disappearance! Through the course of Stuart's investigation, you're taken for a wild, all-access guided tour back into a vibrant music scene ... for an uncompromising look at the flamboyance and excesses of its larger-than-life stars! Acclaimed by critics, VELVET GOLDMINE also earned an Award of Merit at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival!

Customer Reviews:

The power of music and presence.......2007-05-29

I really liked this movie for the reason being that what the power of music and a musician can bring. If the musician is dressing a certain way, so is the public. If it is "ok" for the musician to be gay or bi, it is for the public too. What ever is in "style" the public relates. I know that some of you are probably thinking that this is a dream world that I am writing about, but look at society today. Let's take the red ribbon that the gay community started for AIDS awareness. What other ribbons came from it? ie, yellow, pink and others. What was once taboo is now mainstream. I also want to add that the main characters of this movie should be commended for their acting skills and "believability" in any character that they play. They both have tremendous acting skills and beautiful bodies. I recommend this movie to anyone that likes the "glam rock" era.

Glitter and Glam.......2007-05-26

"Velvet Goldmine"

Glitter and Glam

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"Velvet Goldmine" is impressive in the way it includes Oscar Wilde, his philosophies about art and his fascination with music. Even though Wilde is not a character in the film his presence is felt throughout. He is referenced throughout.
Curt is both a composite of Iggy Pop and Wilde--he is an artist as he creates music and Brian Slade is Dorian Gray. He throws his entire persona out there and into his music and traps himself into his own being. Because he has trapped himself, he leaves no room for growth. When he is pseudo-shot, he is arranging his own future. His sham death liberates him and secures him a place in history. He was controversial and bared all in his work and this is what deprived him of longevity. His popularity undoubtedly would have paled and he eventually would be forgotten. If he had changed, everything about him would have changed and he would be regarded as having sold out. By inaugurating his death, he guarantees himself an eternity.
This is not just a film--it is an experience. "Velvet Goldmine" has a sense of erotic innocence and therefore becomes a triumphant motion picture. It explores the effect of glam and the way it influenced the world view toward homosexuality.
There were two instances of a vivid evocation of gay life. The first is when the narrator is watching Slade on TV and he announces that he is a homosexual. The narrator fantasizes about pointing to the TV in front of his parents and saying "That's me". The second comes when the narrator buys his first Brian Slade album and a magazine with an article about Slade. He uses them as material to masturbate over.
The glam rockers changed the world when they brought to the world images that had been unthinkable images at that time. By doing so they eased life for gay men--they created a language that made it easier to explain ourselves to others. Their music can hardly be separated from the gay aspects of it.
The movie is stunning to watch and the imagery stays long after the movie is over. Sure, it is a surreal view of glam rock but so what? It is entertainment. It may be over the top and campy and excessive but it works beautifully.

jonathan ryhs meyer...ewan mcgregor...wow.......2007-04-14

this movie was really good. I was pleasantly pleased when I bought this movie on a whim and was given great results.
The two leading male characters did a great job. Not to mention Christian Bale as well. It was all based on his memories and the memories of jonathan ryhs meyer's character wife telling of the story. I cant remember names...im so bad at that. I watched it awhile ago...sorry!!
its a really good movie...you should check it out. rent before to be safe, in case its not your style of movie.
i loved it.
c. caton

Brian Slade: Man is least himself when he talks in his own person... Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth., .......2007-04-11

The year is 1984 and it's been 10 years since glam-rock superstar Brian Slade (Meyers) faked his own death and vanished from the spotlight. Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale), an investigative reporter, interviews the friends and business associates of the ex-pop icon trying to find out what lays behind the glitter make-up, flamboyance, outrage, and the intoxicating freedom of the sexual revolution. While uncovering the truth about disappearing star, Arthur will come to terms with his own past.

This movie is brilliant, wild (e), beautiful, exotic, as the rock movement it depicts and in its best moments (which are plenty) it has achieved the result that the praised to the high heaven "Moulin Rouge!" could only dream about. VG is lurid, is dreamlike, is surreal and it recreates perfectly the decadent world of 1970 Glam Rock with its androgynous male rock stars who looked like the strange and exotic flowers of faraway worlds, with its nostalgia and obsession, glitter and psychedelic colors, the world where Oscar Wilde whose name has been mentioned more than once would've felt at home.

The film's visual palette is incredible, the costumes are jaw-dropping, the music and singing simply mesmerize. Ewan McGregor's acting and courage (Curt Wild, the punk-rock pioneer who looked in the movie very much like another Curt) was among the most memorable along with a relative newcomer Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Brian Slade and incredible Toni Collette as Brian's American wife Mandy. While certainly not everyone's cup of tea due to many scenes with homosexuality, drugs, and full frontal nudity, the movie deserves to be seen for the successful recreation of the world of glam and glitter rock, "elegant crowds... amid sumptuous ornamentation".

I'd like to thank..........2007-03-12

This film owes a lot to Roger Daltry and the Who, Jim Morrison and the Doors, Ken Russell, and even Orson Welles. There is nothing original about this -- derivitive is too much of a compliment. Yes, three of the four leads do a fine job -- I exempt Bale -- Toni Collette is fine as always, but otherwise -- don't waste your time.

Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet / Corella · Ferri - Kenneth MacMillan (Teatro alla Scala 2000)

Average customer rating:

Splendid!
i never get tired of it
Angel Corella and Alessandra Ferri shine as the star-crossed lovers!
Corella and Ferri...A great couple!!
Ferri and Corella shine in Prokofiev's ballet... but

Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet / Corella · Ferri - Kenneth MacMillan (Teatro alla Scala 2000)
Starring: Alessandra Ferri , and Angel Corella
Manufacturer: Euroarts
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake / American Ballet Theatre, Murphy, Corella
American Ballet Theatre Now - Variety and Virtuosity (Dance in America)
Tchaikovsky - The Sleeping Beauty / Aurelie Dupont, Manuel Legris, Vincent Cordier, Nathalie Quernet, Laurent Queval, Paris Opera Ballet
Minkus - La Bayadere / Guerin, Hilaire, Platel, Paris Ballet
The Kirov Celebrates Nijinsky / Sheherazade, La Spectre de la Rose, The Polovtsian Dances, The Firebird

ASIN: B0000TWMNY
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Description

The revival of the classically choreographed version of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet by senior choreographer Kenneth MacMillan enjoyed a phenomenal success at La Scala in January 2000; it was the first time that Alessandra Ferri and Angel Corella, the acclaimed stars of the American Ballet Theatre, had danced together on stage. Hailed by the Italian press as the "new star couple," they both brought to their roles the youthfulness and innocence reflected in Prokofiev's music: Juliet, the young, inexperienced adolescent girl who puts all her faith in her feelings of love and undergoes the heights of passion as well as the depths of despair, and Romeo, the carefree young man certain of his feelings as a lover, ready to turn the established order on its head as a result, and knowing no bounds in his love for Juliet. The intensive role-play of the two protagonists turns the lovers' tragic end into a disaster we experience with them, transcending the conventions of the story's familiar close.

Customer Reviews:

Splendid!.......2007-05-07

I have watched this ballet at least a dozen times. Corella and Ferri are spectacular of course. The music is mesmerizing. Ferri does seem to have lost a little of her edge since her pairing with Eagle years ago, but she is still wonderful and the best Juliet that I've ever seen. Who can say anything bad about Corella? He did seem to struggle a little with one part where he lifted her over his shoulders, but still, GREAT. Anyone wanting to see a truly great version of Romeo and Juliet should have this in their collection.

i never get tired of it.......2006-04-16

As a musician and serious fan of all things Prokofiev, I was familiar with the music long before the dancing. To see the MacMillan choreography, with the la Scala company, and Corella and Ferri, AND this glorious music makes for an artistic event beyond compare! The acting is wonderful. Corella and Ferri will rip your heart out, aided by the score, of course. The swordplay is thrilling and sooooo fast. The balcony and bedroom scenes are almost unbearably lovely--and will make you remember your youth. And the death scene: well, see if you don't feel a howl rising up from within your ribcage just like Juliet when she discovers Romeo's body. Every. time. you. watch. it. You can't ask more of art than that!

Angel Corella and Alessandra Ferri shine as the star-crossed lovers! .......2006-03-14

WOW! This DVD of La Scala's Romeo and Juliet (2000) is worth every cent. I cannot stop watching it. Though several of the lesser characters are without interest, that does not take away from me the sheer joy I receive when watching Angel Corella and Alessandra Ferri... was there ever a better casting than this? I think not! Angel Corella, one of the best dancers the world has ever seen, plays his Romeo with just the right amount of boyish naïvety and innocence... after all, Romeo is a dreamer. And Ms. Ferri never fails to impress me, her stunning line and beautiful feet are just amazing. But what makes this R & J work for me is the high level of Ferri and Corella's acting abilities, which really come through at this performance.

Corella and Ferri...A great couple!!.......2005-08-01

Hi..
This is an amazing ballet which includes great romantism and love, great emotion, great dance, great coreography and great music!

Ferri is a gifted ballerina...Her fragile appearance makes her the greatest juliet! With her strong techinuque, this fragile appearance seems more realistic. Her way of telling things with her body language is extremely enthusiastic and reliable.. The first dance with Paris(Act 1-15) shows her innocent happiness and excitement. Julliet is not experienced and Ferri shows that clearly. Then in the 3rd Act there is hopelessness, anxiety, again an "innocent" hate,and a desperate dance. This is the same dance but with totaly different emotions. The way Ferri acts especially in these two dances is amazing!

And Corella!! First of all he is an amazing dancer with amazing acting ability.. There is this immature, childish side of Romeo which makes us see Angel Corella's ability to act..His way of holding Rosaline is innocent but passionate..The way he holds Julliet is as if he knew her, like she will never leave him and he trusts her with his deepest honesty and love! And he loves and respects her for the familiar feeling that burns his heart. Angel with his great technique, has both sides of Romeo's personality: innocence versus passion.

There are 4 parts of the ballet that SHOULD be watched. The first is the bedroom scene. They have this passionate connection between them. The love scene(22) is the perfection itself. The first combination makes me feel like there is the sun rising and their love is blessed with God's light!

The 2nd is the bedroom scene. Ferri does an arabesque then Corella pulls her and then she turns and hugs him with hope/hopelesness,passion/innocence,trust/fear..She asks God "why" with her hands and the desperate look on her face while both of their faces are brightened up...

The 3rd one is the one at Friar Laurence's. It is all about music and love...

And the 4th scene is the death of Juliet(51/52)...Corella performs exceptionally in these episodes...After the great scenes of love, hate, selfishness, and jealousy, this is the greatest end!

The coreography is based on music,innocence and emotions.. I watched it as a ballet and as a movie.. If more details are wanted Nureyev's coreography should be watched as well.

Lastly.. The music is just great! With the libretto, it is the perfection itself. The sarcastic tone of the music gives the clues to the end..And its importance lies in the irony during the most important parts of the ballet while the music is laughing and crying at the same time...

Every ballet lover should watch it!

(Note: Nureyev's coreography is just great with its details and extremely passionate scenes.. Manuel Legris(!) and Monique Loudieres's ballet is worth watching!)

Ferri and Corella shine in Prokofiev's ballet... but.......2005-01-04

This DVD features Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet performed at the La Scala in 2000. It has all the ingredients to make a superbly entertaining video with Alessandra Ferri and Angel Corella starring as the principal dancers. It also has great scenery, fine costumes and better than average filming and editing.

However, to me, it has one glaring drawback, that being the music (not the way the music was played for this performance but rather the composition itself)...let me explain

To have great ballet, I associate thoughts of outstanding dancing and beautiful music that go together; things that compliment one another, things that seem to be made for and could simply not exist without the other. Such is not the case here (with the exception of the two pas de deux mentioned below).

To be honest, I'm not sure this music is meant for ballet. It's got a symphonic quality that is heavy and ponderous; it's just not "pretty"! For instance, in Act I there is a lot of festive activities going on featuring the corps de ballet: they are happy and smiling but its hard to understand why, with the decidedly cheerless music that they must dance to. Even the audience seemed to feel restrained during this entire presentation: their applause consistently subdued and short.

On the plus side there is Ferri and Corella!

Ferri seems to have blossomed into one of the better actress/ballerinas of our time; her facial expressions and body language compliment her gifted dancing abilities. She and Corella carry this performance from beginning to end; they have two outstanding Pas de deux during this ballet, that being the "Balcony Scene" at the end of Act I and then the "Bedroom Scene" starting Act III. Other than these two magnificent dances, Sir Kenneth Macmillan (the choreographer) has done about as much as possible to "fill in " the rest of music with a ballet performance. Even under ideal circumstances it must be an arduous task to try to choreograph dance to music that, dare I say, is a challenge to become enthusiast about; one can only compliment him in completing this difficult endeavour.

All in all, a 5 star presentation in all things but the music. If not for Ferri and Corella I probably would have given this disc a 1 or 2 star rating; in fact, if not for Ferri and Corella I'd have regretted buying this DVD at all. However, that being said, the two Pas de Deux ARE worth the price of this disc and the menu allows you the option to go directly to these scenes should you wish.

Average customer rating:

"f" is for fun, fast,and frolicsome
One of Orson's great final film creations - a miracle of editing
Classic Welles, A Real Gem...
I'm not an expert, but this movie sucks
watching this must have been karmic penance for badly boring someone in a past life

F for Fake - Criterion Collection
Starring: William Alland , Jean-Pierre Aumont , Peter Bogdanovich , Joseph Cotten , and Gary Graver
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

International | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

All | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

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

The Complete Mr. Arkadin (aka Confidential Report) - Criterion Collection
The Lady from Shanghai
Burden of Dreams - Criterion Collection
L'Eclisse - Criterion Collection
Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

ASIN: B0007M2234
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Amazon.com

To call Orson Welles's F For Fake a documentary would be somewhat deceitful, but deceit itself is very much the subject of this curious film essay. Welles ruminates on the nature of artistic fakery through two examples, that of infamous art forger Elmyr de Hory and the writer Clifford Irving, whose bogus autobiography of Howard Hughes set off a minor media flurry in the 1970s. Postmodernist that he is, Wells then proceeds to narrate and edit the film in such a perversely frenetic way as to blur the lines between what is real and what is deception, making for an often confusing but engaging work of art in itself. We even see the footage we've been watching as it's being spliced together in Welles's editing room. The specter of Welles's often maligned later career hangs over the proceedings like a challenge--is he going to actually complete this strange movie about chicanery, or will it become one of the many unfinished experiments of his twilight years? Happily, Welles concludes the proceedings with a delightful sequence about Picasso, lust, and what constitutes real art. F For Fake is a fine example of a master filmmaker who had at least a couple tricks left up his sleeve. --Ryan Boudinot

Description

Trickery. Deceit. Magic. In Orson Welles' free-form documentary, the legendary filmmaker (and self-described charlatan) gleefully engages the central preoccupation of his career-the tenuous line between truth and illusion, art and lies. Beginning with portraits of world-renowned art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally devious biographer, Clifford Irving, Welles goes on a dizzying cinematic journey that simultaneously exposes and revels in fakery and fakers of all stripes-not the least of which is Welles himself. Charming and poignant, F for Fake is an inspired prank and a searching examination of the essential duplicity of cinema. Criterion's two-disc DVD edition also features an introduction by Peter Bogdanovich, audio commentary by director of photography Gary Graver, an hour long documentary on Welles' unfinished projects, a documentary on the life and works of de Hory, and the theatrical trailer.

Customer Reviews:

"f" is for fun, fast,and frolicsome.......2007-07-02

Should I be ashaned to admit I watched a pirated version of this film? Those who have seen the film will understand the meaning of that confession. The copy was a damned good one--but was it a forgery?

This film works because, like all good art, it provokes questions.

For instance, Why is an original masterpiece of static art, say, a Vermeer, worth millions, while an identical copy, exact in every detail, is hardly worth sneeze-dust? Doesn't the viewer have the same subjective experience looking at the same content?? While on the other hand, why is a copy of a dynamic art form, say, a movie in DVD format, just as valuable as the original print of the movie? There is no stigma attached to the COPY of a movie---is there?

Another great effect of this film is that it challenges you to stroll through any prestigious mainstream art gallery with this worm gnawing the art-processors of your cortex:
"any one of these masterpieces may be a fake, but we don't know which one..." Well, how does this rusty thought-nail scratch your pereceptions of each painting? of the gallery? of art in general????

In addition to the many questions it raises,the film is great because it is just so much fun--especially watching Orson Welles do his greatest parody of Orson Welles. In the movie The Third Man, when Harry Lime jaunts around the corner towards the ferris wheel, there is a knowing gleam in his eye, as though he's going to have one off at the expense of Joseph Cotten, AND at the expense of the viewer. Welles has that gleam in his eye all through this movie--and I don't know about the rest of you, but when Orson Welles is having fun, I'm having fun.

If it is true, as is said in this film, that no one could produce a forgery of Picasso's work nearly as well as Picasso could, then it is also true of Welles that no one could parody his over-the-top guffy self-seriousness like he did, with a twinkle in his eye. And the parody becomes recursive as the film progresses, all those Wellesian images of Welles multiplying just like they did in the house of mirrors in Lady from Shanghai.

One last thought about forgery: the Argentine writer Borges wrote a story called "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quijote." In this story, a French author named Pierre Menard writes (n.b.:he does NOT copy)Don Quijote in the nineteenth century---it is word for word identical with Cervantes'Don Quijote written in the early 1500's. But BECAUSE it was written in a different time, by a different person under very different circumstances, it is NOT the same book--in fact, it was much more difficult for Menard to write Don Quijote in the 19th century than it was for Cervantes in the 16th...but was it a forgery???

One of Orson's great final film creations - a miracle of editing.......2007-06-10

Life is short and everyone knows that Orson Welles was a genius - flawed or otherwise - so let me say that F FOR FAKE is a great and very wise film about . . . film. It's a Mobius strip - it keeps turning back on itself so that its primary subject takes turns with secondary and tertiary characters and ultimately mirrors the film's own creator. It's a film about how the truth of art is often conveyed through lies, and vice versa.

Let me also say that the overheated editing from a variety of disparate elements and different film stocks preceded Oliver Stone's own brain-fever techniques in films like JFK, NATURAL BORN KILLERS, and NIXON by nearly twenty years. Just imagine what Welles would have produced if the circumstances of his project financing had not been so dire.

As ever, Criterion has produced a marvelous version of this "only" color film from Orson Welles (another reason to see this movie - every other Welles film was in black and white).

Buy this DVD, along with Criterion's recent release of MR. ARKADIN (complete with the original novel on which Welles based the film). Great stuff . . .

Classic Welles, A Real Gem..........2007-05-12

This film is perhaps my absolute favorite by Orson Welles as he co starred and edited this rather complex movie/documentary on forgers and the craft of forging. Set in far flung 70's hot spots such as Ibiza, Las Vegas, and Nassau, this film is carefully edited in such a way as to provide a fast paced, entertaining look into the seamy underside of the art and publishing worlds in the late 60's and early 70's. Welles even had the stones to include his mistress Oja Kodar as his co-star in his own piece of trickery as displayed in this fast paced masterpiece. This is a great film for anyone who watched Richard Gere in "The Hoax" and who would desire to know the real story of Clifford Irving. A great film by a master of the art!

I'm not an expert, but this movie sucks.......2006-11-19

Seriously, I am an expert, and this movie sucks. But, imagine for a moment--yes, stop and withdraw from your metaphysical prejudices--a movie whose premise is truly profound, strikingly engaging, and culturally challenging--that art is only such relative to those individuals, those `experts', whose tastes, likes and dislikes, decide it so. Given that aesthetic claims are empirically nonsensical--a matter of pure subjective opinion--why is it that some art is valued at all while some not at all? Besides this interesting question, which is put forth explicitly, without the pretentious riddles of terrible poetry, and in about 60 seconds, the rest of the movie is obnoxious editing and narration. Avoid at all costs.

watching this must have been karmic penance for badly boring someone in a past life.......2006-11-19

Whether lounging in a field of mustard flowers, waxing drunk in an affected "traveler's accent" on the, ahem, realness of reality, or mumbling about Chartres Cathedral and the fallibility of man, "who must, in the end, die," Orson Welles slurs his way through this pathetic attempt to embody his "Grand Old Boy" superego like that drunken brother in law, tolerated, but only for your sister's sake. Every five minutes I expected apneatic snoring to interrupt his incessant, rambling narration. I can only conclude that these disturbances were removed in post-production. Too bad -- like drunk uncle Zane passing out in the middle of explaining the whole, damn 9-11 conspiracy, these somnolent interruptions would have provided a blessed intermission during which to run to the other side of the house and hope to god he sleeps it off.

Average customer rating:

I'D RATHER LOSE MY MARBLES THAN BE A BROKEN PENCIL
Totaly Underestimated !!!!!!!!!!
Niven is good, movie drags.
4 1/2 star Movie but a 1 Star DVD!
DVD = "Deposit" Very Defective

No Deposit, No Return
Starring: David Niven , Darren McGavin , Don Knotts , Herschel Bernardi , and Barbara Feldon
Director: Norman Tokar
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

Hot Lead & Cold Feet
The Apple Dumpling Gang (Special Edition)
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
Don Knotts 4 Movie Reluctant Hero Pack (The Ghost And Mr. Chicken / The Reluctant Astronaut / The Shakiest Gun In The West / The Love God?)
How To Frame a Figg

ASIN: B0001I55QA
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Amazon.com

Tracy and Jay Osborne's mother is shipping the unwilling children off to their grandfather's house for Easter vacation while she attends to business in Hong Kong. The children plot a trip to visit their mother and, with the help of Jay's pet skunk, evade their grandfather and airport security to escape in a taxicab with two safe-cracking vandals. The foursome proceeds to stage a kidnapping--although just who kidnapped whom is up for debate. Grandfather refuses to pay the ransom, the police get involved, and hilarity reigns as the desperate group attempts to collect the ransom money. The talents of Barbara Feldon, David Niven, Darren McGavin, and Don Knotts rejuvenate this fairly unremarkable plot. Slapstick comedy, perilous excursions, and fast-paced chase scenes abound in this wholesome 1976 Disney production. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Description

There's magic in the memories as great Disney moments are captured right here for you and your family to enjoy. Oscar(R)-winning actor David Niven (Best Actor, SEPARATE TABLES, 1958) stars as a millionaire with two bored grandchildren who fake their own kidnapping, holding themselves for ransom! In cahoots with the kids is a pair of down-on-their-luck safecrackers (Darren McGavin and Don Knotts). It doesn't take long for the two young pranksters to discover just how impractical a practical joke can be. The mayhem escalates into an all-out cops-and-robbers chase filled with every bit as much hilarity as excitement.

Customer Reviews:

I'D RATHER LOSE MY MARBLES THAN BE A BROKEN PENCIL.......2007-03-12

Fabulous movie! This is a timeless classic that kids today will enjoy just as much as their parents did when they were younger. Don Knotts and Darrin McGavin are PERFECT together! It's a great way to spend an evening with the entire family.
The only downside is this film isn't available in widescreen format other than that it's outta sight man!

Totaly Underestimated !!!!!!!!!!.......2006-03-31

I think this movie gets far to little credit. The skunk and car chase are the funnies parts of the movie. Kids will probably like this movie better than adults because they like jokes that an adult would label as "overly funny." Please, watch the movie yourself before you judge it based on the reviews.

Niven is good, movie drags........2005-11-18

MOVIE: No Deposit, No Return is a 1976 Disney movie I looked forward to seeing as a kid after viewing the theatrical trailer. I distinctly remember it showing scenes of the police chase and two police cruisers sideswiping each other. But the movie was ultimately a forgotten by me, probably for good reason. (This theatrical trailer is NOT included on the DVD despite what the packaging says. The DVD includes a TV spot for NDNR from "The Wonderful World of Disney".)

To remember I watched it recently, but was again let down. The movie begins reasonably, but really slows down during two extended scenes. The first is with a ground burrowing skunk (a pet!) climbing to top of a multi-story building chased by kid owner Jay (Brad Savage from The Apple Dumpling Gang) and kidnapper wannabe Bert (Don Knotts). The second is the previously mentioned police chase where little by little and fender by fender the deficient detectives destroy their police car. And the ending of the film, while sweet, doesn't seem to help it out of its rut.

Kim Richards, of Witch Mountain fame, plays the smartest character in the movie, Tracy. She's sister to Jay, both who are sent to their grandfather J. W. Osborne for Easter (?!?) vacation. She plots and schemes, in ways many children would love to do, to avoid him and actually spend the time with their working mother in Hong Kong. This is typical Disney, where children are smarter than the adults and have crazy adventures. The kids ditch grandfather's butler at the airport when they arrive and jump into a waiting taxi. At least they think they do. Grandfather Osborne, played with dignity by David Niven, sees this and follows them to see what's up.

But while the precious pair have been running through the terminal, down-on-their-luck crooks Bert and Duke (Darren McGavin) have bungled an airport safecracking heist. Fleeing, they also leap into the same taxi as the kids, deciding to make a quick exit together. After pleading to stay for the night at the crooks' garage hideout, the kids discover that their new "friends" are in deep with loan shark Big Joe Adamo (Vic Tayback). Tracy then concocts the fake kidnapping by Bert and Duke to pay off Big Joe and buy plane tickets for Jay and her to see Mom in Hong Kong. Thus, the main movie plot is revealed and the ultimately explains its comedic title seeing as how Osborne doesn't feel obligated to pay the ransom, knowing the children's location.

Granted, Tracy could have just asked her grandfather for the money, but the movie makes it clear that they don't like each other enough for her to even ask.

While Jay chases his pet skunk as Duster wanders off again and again, Big Joe keeps applying pressure, and Osborne contentedly rationalizes non-payment, the ransom amount keeps dropping. It's at this point that the film loses it steam, when it should have kept building to the climax. The actors all do a fine job. The plot is amusing and interesting, although highly improbable. However the film loses focus by the overlong antics of Knotts and the skunk on the building's flagpole are followed by Knotts bumbling around on construction girders.

Meanwhile detectives (Herschel Bernardi and Charles Martin Smith) are trying to track down the supposed kidnappers, after Tracy puts the police on the case! This eventually leads to their big drawn out scene of police car brutality, brutal piece by brutal piece. The previews were funnier, probably because they were shorter. In another development, Mom (Barbara Feldon) had arrived at the ransom drop-off point and has jumped into Bert and Duke's convertible. Strangely enough, but not really ironically, she gets lectured on childcare by the kidnappers as they zoom about the docks in the great car chase.

But the movie isn't over yet; Jay and Tracy go to Grandfather's mansion where they accidentally become trapped in his safe. Learning that the kids have gone there, everyone else, except Grandfather Osborne, go there. Then it becomes Bert and Duke's big moment to redeem themselves in front of Mom and police by cracking open the safe. This scene is a little long.

Afterward, everybody is happy and getting along. Formerly dignified J. W. Osborne has now learned how to become a grandpa, even taking a tumble in a fountain. It makes a nice postlude, but it sure happened in a hurry. The story did not really explain this change, but assumes that the preceding traumatic events would change him. How else would it end up in a Disney movie?

DVD: Bad. Not widescreen, so no sale for me. Theatrical trailer is a lie. Bad transfer. Nothing special.

4 1/2 star Movie but a 1 Star DVD!.......2004-09-08

I like Kim Richards, she is really very pretty and is a a very good actress and I wish I had hair like hers!

No Deposit No Returns is a good movie and I've been waiting for so long for it to come to DVD but now that it has come to DVD I'm mad that the transfer is stinky and it is only fullframe and not widescreen.

Does Disney hate widescreen or something?

FYI: Kim Richards in real life is the aunt of Paris and Nicky Hilton. Their mother Kathy is Kim's sister.

DVD = "Deposit" Very Defective.......2004-07-15

Buyers, beware! The recently released DVD of "No Deposit, No Return" is defective, at least here on the East coast. I exchanged three discs from two different stores of a major media retailer (initials BB) and all three copies had the same glitches in the same scenes. Obviously a manufacturing error. Hopefully an official recall from Disney is forthcoming. Also, I noticed that on some Deposit discs the voice-over varies for the so-called "trailer" (actually just a :30 promo for the film's broadcast airing on The Wonderful World of Disney). On my first disc, the voice was that of the original announcer from the 1970s (very nostalgic). On all subsequent discs, however, the voice was that of the contemporary announcer one hears on all current Disney video promos (not so nostalgic). At least the "Hot Lead and Cold Feet" theatrical trailer included on that disc is the real deal (includes even an accompanying Mr. Toad cartoon). But getting back to "No Deposit", be prepared for glitches when you purchase or rent your disc. I plan to hang on to my Ebay-purchased VHS until enough time has passed that another DVD printing has occurred. Seeing as how neither format is letterboxed or of any admirable picture quality, bailing on the DVD really is no sacrifice. Hey, if you can live with glitches, pay this review no mind. Everyone else: Hang on to that receipt!

Average customer rating:

The fine art of murder
Very good choice. Very good buy
Great movie but DVD had technical problems
Watch it, you'll like it...
First Rate

Purple Noon
Starring: Alain Delon , Maurice Ronet , Marie Laforêt , Erno Crisa , and Frank Latimore
Director: René Clément
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

Le Samourai - Criterion Collection
Un Flic
Mr. Klein
Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle) - Criterion Collection
Ripley's Game

ASIN: B00005JKSO

Amazon.com essential video

A member of the middle generation of French filmmakers between Renoir and the New Wave, René Clément was a strong visual stylist who tried on different subjects and genres: documentaries, semidocumentaries, wartime dramas, comedies. In Purple Noon he showed a strong facility for feverish film noir, and the results are quite memorable. Based on Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, the film stars Alain Delon as the notoriously amoral Ripley (a character also played, albeit quite differently, by Dennis Hopper in Wim Wenders's The American Friend). Envious of a playboy pal (Maurice Ronet) having a luxurious time on the Mediterranean, Ripley decides to murder the man and assume his identity. The subsequent suspense concerns the dirty deed done and the aftermath of complicated cover-ups, and in the best Hitchcockian sense you can never quite tell whose side you're on as Ripley's efforts at survival are followed in meticulous detail. Mesmerizing to watch, saturated in light and color, and topped by Delon at his most icy, Purple Noon is a terrific discovery for enthusiasts of film noir and the French cinema. --Tom Keogh

Description

Filled with suspense, PURPLE NOON is the critically acclaimed thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat! A handsome, wealthy bachelor has a sexy girlfriend and all the finest things money can buy. His envious friend, on the other hand, has nothing but his charm, good looks ... and a wickedly sinister plot to take over the rich man's life! Tensions mount as this deadly game unfolds and the murderer struggles to stay one step ahead of the police -- and the ever-growing suspicions of the dead man's friends! Prepare yourself for PURPLE NOON, a shocking story of betrayal, murder, and stolen identity in a world where nothing is as it seems!

Customer Reviews:

The fine art of murder.......2006-07-30

Patricia Highsmith's THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY might be the finest American suspense thriller ever written. A clever young man from a disadvantaged background is sent abroad by an industrialist to bring home the latter's spoiled and vicious son; befriending the young rotter in Italy, the antihero becomes enamored of his decadent lifestyle and kills him so he can assume his identity. The novel is not only suspenseful but it forms a brilliant disquisition on the nature of identity at mid-century, and its relationship to texts, reputation, and capital. Two very intelligent films have been made from it that capture different parts of it successfully: the latest is Anthony Minghella's 1999 big-budget Hollywood thriller starring Matt Damon, but the first was this beautifully photographed French version directed by Rene Clement starring Alain Delon as Ripley.

Clement's version succeeds best in its evocation of the lovely rarefied atmosphere of the tourist Italy of the American jetset: the cinematography has a crystalline postcard beauty that makes Rome and the Italian coast seem supernatually beautiful. It also has a much better Ripley in Delon than Minghella had in Damon: Delon is much less hesitant and much more desperate and amoral, and he also has the requisite handsomeness (and facial resemblance to the rich wastrel he murders and replaces) that Damon lacks. As the gorgeous, cruel Dickie Greenleaf (here called Phillipe), Maurice Ronet is absolutely first-rate, toying with Ripley in the mistaken belief that he holds all the cards in their friendship. Less successful as Phillipe's emotionally abused girlfriend Marge is Marie Leforet, who doesn't seem to react to Phillipe at all as an American girl would ever conceiveably do. The film is great at conveying an aura of homoerotic decadence, but it loses quite a bit by beginning the story in medias res: by not showing us the circumstances from which Ripley came, we have little sense at what is at stake in his masquerade. But this is this fine adaptation's only major shortcoming.

Very good choice. Very good buy.......2006-06-30

I am pleased with this movie. I got it at the right time the seller told me. Good price too.

Great movie but DVD had technical problems.......2005-03-27

This movie had some strange problems at the menu level and at the end of the playback. Sometimes there was a dark screen at the beginning, also it was not possible to start the movie using some of the menu links. At the very end playback became jumpy. All those problems are probably an effect of faulty manufacturing, surface of this DVD doesn't look perfect.

Watch it, you'll like it..........2004-12-09

This is one out of just two movies (the other being Trainspotting) that liked so much I wanted to read the book (once I found it it was a book). Usually I love the book and hate the movie with a passion. While I must admit that this movie doesn't exactly follow the book step by step, it does stick to the story (unlike Minghella's version). Even with it's differences, I still loved the film.

The cinematography (sp?) is beautiful, the film is suspensful and compelling, and the casting is all you could ever want. Maurice Ronet makes for a wonderful Dickie Greenleaf. He's detached, self-centred, and cruel. He seems to be playing some sort of game with Marge's emotions rather than actually loving her. Ronet's Dickie is just like in the book, an arse. Although Clement's Marge is more independent and more beautiful than she seems to be in Patricia Highsmith's novel, she's still Marge. I think I actually like her better in the movie, Marie Laforet makes her more sympathetic. As for Alain Delon, not only is he gorgeous, but he plays Tom marvelously. He really makes you root for a killer.

I showed this movie to a friend of mine who's never watched foriegn film. She told me that the film always kept her guessing and she couldn't take her eyes off the screen because she was so engrossed in the story. She also said that Delon's portrayal of Tom really makes your opinion of the character change througout the film. She's currently reading the book. Not only that; after Purple Noon, I showed her Der Krieger Und Die Kaiserin and now I've got her hooked on foriegn film (;

To put it very simply, you must see this film!
See my review for Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley for a comparison of the two movies (and to read how bad Minghella's version is).

First Rate.......2004-09-11

I saw this film, about ten years ago and mainly because I had read a review stating that Martin Scorsese had hailed this film as a masterpiece.I wasn't disappointed.The pace the locales and Alain Delon's great acting make this film a cut above the rest.
In defense to The Talented Mr. Ripley, seeing that other reviewers have sort of panned it in comparison to this film, I found The Talented Mr. Ripley equally great.As a matter of fact when I first saw Purple Noon I kept thinking That Ripley had to have some sexual attraction to Greenleaf although the film does not show it.Then I saw TTMR and read some information on the actual book and I was like "I knew it!"
Basically both films are about the same thing, wanting to be something you're not. As Matt Damon said in TTMR "I would rather be a fake somebody than a real nobody" sad but to the point.

Average customer rating:

A Bit Messy But Weird and creepy Enough To Earn A Spot In My Collection!

The Clown Murders
Starring: John Candy , Lawrence Z. Dane , Susan Keller , Cec Linder , and Gary Reineke
Director: Martyn Burke
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Deadtime Stories: Tales of Death
Who Can Kill a Child?
Drive in Double Feature - Search and Destroy / The Glove
Video Violence 1 & 2
Drive Thru

ASIN: B000O785ZQ
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Description

Four friends don clown costumes and kidnap one of their old girlfriends in what's supposed to be an innocent Halloween prank. Tensions flare quickly, but old jealousy and resentment turn to suspicion and terror when the group realizes that a clown among them has a real ax to grind - and wants them dead! Is a murdering red-nosed stranger stalking the hapless kidnappers, or is one of their own is determined to make sure this is one prank that will make them die laughing? Part psychological thriller, part edge-of-your-seat horror, The Clown Murders features John Candy (Stripes, Spaceballs and Planes, Trains & Automobiles) in an unforgettable role that's not to be missed!

Customer Reviews:

A Bit Messy But Weird and creepy Enough To Earn A Spot In My Collection! .......2007-06-24

"The Clown Murders"(1976) featuring an early performance from a young and un-funny John Candy is one of those foggy oddball but some-what creepy films that only the 1970's could cough up. The film seems like it doesn't quite know what it wants to do with itself yet still manages to have a eerie feel to it that seems to consistantly grow throughout. The climax, even though pretty tame held up to todays standards(though all over the place as well) still makes you feel somewhat dirty & abused...like being forced to witness something that you shouldn't have.
In the end a film like this may not be for everyone but for those of you who (like myself) really have a sweet tooth for those obscure lost 70's weirdy flicks "The Clown Murders" is pretty much a keeper.

Average customer rating:

Good but not the best
Sherlock Holmes - The House of Fear
A favorite.
Frighteningly Good Mystery
Sherlock Holmes, as written by Agatha Christie

Sherlock Holmes - The House of Fear
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Nigel Bruce , Aubrey Mather , Dennis Hoey , and Paul Cavanagh
Director: Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Sherlock Holmes - The Scarlet Claw
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
Sherlock Holmes in Pearl of Death
Sherlock Holmes in The Spider Woman
Sherlock Holmes: The Voice of Terror

ASIN: B0000APVC3
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Amazon.com

Here is another strong entry (beautifully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive) from the peak of Basil Rathbone's prolific, seven-year run as a definitive Sherlock Holmes for the big screen. The House of Fear (1945), adapted from "The Five Orange Pips," is a chamber mystery concerning successive murders of the members of an elite club, the Good Comrades. On film, the tale seems a bit ludicrous, but its conclusion is among the most startling in the Rathbone films. There's also a fair amount of comedy between Watson (Nigel Bruce) and Inspector Lestrade's (Dennis Hoey) bumbling ways. --Tom Keogh

Description

The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag and studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. The Good Comrades are a collection of varied gentleman who crave one thing - solitude. They reside at Drearcliff House, ancestral home of their eldest member. All seems serene and convivial until one by one the members begin to perish in the most grisly of manners. Foul play is suspected by the Good Comrades' insurance agent, who turns to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson for guidance. When Holmes is told that the deaths are preceded by a message in the form of orange pips sealed in an envelope, delivered to the next victim at dinner, and that the Good Comrades' insurance policies are all to be paid to the surviving member, the famed detective is convinced that there is murder afoot. Holmes and Watson are off to Scotland to try and solve the mystery.

Customer Reviews:

Good but not the best.......2007-06-15

This is one of the better Rathbone and Bruce Sherlock Holmes films. A group of gentleman start receiving envelopes with orange pips in them. After each receives the envelope they then die mysteriously. It keeps you guessing right to the very end, as a number of characters appear to be likely suspects. Watson is his usual funny self and Lestrade appears to take the credit at the end and of course Rathbone as Holmes is superb.

So from a purely entertainment point of view this is first class. However, all the Rathbone/Bruce films are now available in a wonderful remastered boxed set and this is probably a better buy.

Sherlock Holmes - The House of Fear.......2006-02-22

Basil is at his finest! A wonderful movie to curl up on the sofa with hot tea and popcorn and just escape the real world!

A favorite........2005-12-05

This is one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes films. It features a gloomy old Scottish castle, a puzzling series of murders, a long list of suspects, and lots of thunder and lightning. It also has Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. What more could you ask for-a perfect movie to watch on a dark and stormy night!

Frighteningly Good Mystery.......2005-03-24

Movie: ***** _____ DVD Quality: ****1/2 _____ DVD Extras: N/A

A moody, atmospheric entry in the classic Rathbone-Bruce Sherlock Holmes series, featuring a corking good mystery with an intriguing "whodunit?" angle. In an old and lavish Scottish mansion, the seven bachelor members of a private club are being brutally maimed and murdered one by one; interestingly, each victim receives an envelope containing orange seeds just before his turn to die. What can it mean? It's up to Holmes and Dr. Watson, with the fumbling assistance of Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade, to unravel the complicated plot. Rathbone and Bruce are in typically fine form as the master sleuth and his faithful foil, and the supporting cast includes wonderfully deft work by Aubrey Mather and Paul Cavanagh as two of the endangered gents. On the distaff side, Sally Shepherd turns in an intriguing performance as a dour housekeeper; and veteran leading actress turned character player Doris Lloyd, always a welcome presence in any film, has a meaty unbilled supporting role as the proprietess of a local tavern. In addition to a fine plot and stellar performances, "The House of Fear" also benefits from outstanding art direction and set decorations, all of which are beautifully captured by Virgil Miller's noirish cinematography.

The MPI video release features a generally excellent video and audio transfer from a 35mm print digitally restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. A couple of early scenes appear overly grainy, but the rest of the transfer is sharp and clear with pleasing contrast (and especially nice graytones in a couple of key outdoor sequences). The soundtrack is remarkably crisp and clean throughout. Overall, highly recommended, and an absolute must-see for Holmes completists.

Sherlock Holmes, as written by Agatha Christie.......2005-02-23

...At least, that's certainly how it feels! This, the tenth Holmes/Watson film to feature Rathbone and Bruce, and the eighth by Universal, takes more than a page from the grand dame of mystery. Although ostensibly credited as being based on the Conan Doyle Holmes tale "The Five Orange Pips," the film owes a far greater debt to Christie's "Ten Little Indians" (aka "And Then There Were None"). In fact, it's basically little more than the Christie story retold with a Conan Doyle plot device at its core - and, strangely enough, the ultimate solution seems to have been lifted from a different, equally famous Christie novel! It's a bit odd to watch, a little like experiencing an alternate universe Sherlock Holmes, because this so clearly the territory of a detective more like Christie's own Hercule Poirot - but that doesn't stop it being entertaining.

Yes, the Universal series has started to dip a little bit in quality again (after a string of three excellent entries), but only just. Rathbone and Bruce still keep it fun, as always, and it's one of the very rare films in the series to qualify as a whodunnit murder mystery. Yet you can make a pretty good stab at the solution well before the end, and the curious element to the murders (which, of course, only Holmes notices) is blindingly obvious. At least it all makes a sort of skewed sense.

Unfortunately, we're trapped in yet another pseudo-Gothic situation, in an ancestral home sans any modern luxuries but a sour-faced housekeeper. Delightful, or at least it would be if it hadn't been done several times already. Even more unfortunate is the fact that Nigel Bruce's Watson is called upon to be still more of a dunderhead than usual, and Dennis Hoey's Inspector Lestrade is there to make even Watson look bright.

I am, perhaps, being a little over-critical; don't get me wrong, I certainly enjoyed the movie, and I think it's a good entry in the series. If you just want to see one or two films from the series, however, this is not the title for you. It works best seen in the overall context of the fourteen Rathbone and Bruce films; in other words, it's a film for the fans.

On the point of the odd plot alone, I wouldn't recommend this one to the casual viewer. Sadly, however, this is also the worst-looking of the films yet (having seen the previous nine, including the two Fox entries). I'm sure the UCLA Archive did what it could, but it's clear they didn't have all of the original 35mm elements at their disposal. Several shots are a little soft and grainy, most especially obvious in dissolve transitions, and that sometimes extends as far as whole scenes. The film simply lacks the sharp, crisp look of most of the others ("The Scarlet Claw" has a few problems too), hence my rating of only three stars - with better picture quality, it would certainly have garnered four.

If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, or you want to see all of the famous series, you'll definitely want to at least give "The House of Fear" a rent. If you're purchasing, I seriously recommend MPI's "Sherlock Holmes Collection: Volume Two," where you'll also get the three previous, better entries. If you're new to Sherlockiana, though, or even just the Rathbone incarnation, try some of the others first: "The Hound of the Baskervilles," "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "The Spider Woman," and "The Pearl of Death" are my top choices.

Average customer rating:

A Wild Ride!
Joanne is SOOO hawt
Flattered Again
Trippy!
Dahl's thriller starts off strong

Kill Me Again
Starring: Pat Mulligan , Nick Dimitri , Michael Madsen , Joanne Whalley , and Robert Schuch
Director: John Dahl
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Neo-Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

The Last Seduction
Red Rock West
Trouble Bound
Blind Horizon
Spartan

ASIN: B00004ZBVM
Release Date: 2000-12-19

Amazon.com

John Dahl, the director behind Red Rock West and The Last Seduction, is the director and cowriter of Kill Me Again, and it shows. Dahl's love of modern noir, ruthless women, Western landscapes, and double-crosses shines through. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer plays Fay, a spitfire who has somehow gotten herself mixed up with a psychotic thug (Michael Madsen, of course) named Vince. Fay runs off with a whole lot of Vince's stolen money and hires loser private eye Jack Andrews (Val Kilmer) to help her fake her own death. To say any more would spoil a terrific, intricate plot that keeps heating up as interested parties close in on Jack, Fay, and the money. The then-married Kilmer and Whalley-Kilmer clearly have a great time playing off each other, and Madsen adds another brilliantly played lunatic to his oeuvre. Enjoy it, and don't trust anybody. --Ali Davis

Description

Val Kilmer (Batman Forever), Joanne Whalley-Kilmer (Scandal) and Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs) star in this sexy, ingenious crime thriller that sizzles with dangerous eroticismand nerve-shattering suspense. Drenched with intense, forbidden passion, it's a "lust-filled film noir with a twist" (Los Angeles Times) that'll hold you in its grip until the final startling revelation. Jack Andrews (Kilmer) is a down-on-his-luck private detective who receives themost unusual offer of his career: a beautiful and mysterious woman, Fay Forrester (Whalley-Kilmer),wants to hire him to fake her murder. But as he falls under her seductive spell, he finds himself thrust into a murky world of treachery, greed and murder. Soon Jack must face his own darkest instincts in a final life-or-death confrontation in which he and Fay can trust no oneespecially not eachother.

Customer Reviews:

A Wild Ride!.......2007-01-11

One of Val Kilmer's most underrated pictures, this is an exciting movie that I thoroughly enjoyed...Good plot, good acting. If however, coarse language offends you, beware.

Joanne is SOOO hawt.......2006-07-16

This movie is one of my favorite Joanne Whalley films. I own nine of them and I think shes a fine example of an actress that can still be very talented without necessarily being that well known.

I love the whole 80's feel of this movie...(yes I realize thats when it was filmed) but I just love the whole plot behind it. I have to admit when I first saw it I was thrown for a loop.....Jack Andrews gets away with murder the money and all while Fay and Vince..well, doesn't quite work out for them.

Joanne Whalley is a great combination of sexy and cute. I love her eyes and her facial expressions. Shes also very good with disguising her accent (Manchester, England) and she sounds like a very believable american.

I was able to find this movie quite easily at FYE music/movie store. Its great. Get it.

Flattered Again.......2006-05-03

John Dahl's done well to return to film noir at the tail of the excessive 80's. This is also one of Jo Ann Whalley's finest offerings, sexy and dangerous with killer eyes. Val Kilmer plays into her wiles with certain wariness. Between the desert landscape and Michael Madsen on the chase, your options are limited. At the outset danger lurks;like a million noir openings the dangerous woman shows up. From then on, there is much suspense and betrayals.The surprise ending continues to linger long after the penetrating dark eyes of Whalley burn. Scary, unpredictable turns and twists, and then escape? This is no recycling of 40's potboilers alone. These are desperate contemporary characters finely painted in noir paint.

Trippy!.......2005-06-26

What a sexy woman Joanne Whalley is. I can see why Kilmer grabbed her & married her. In this movie she's the antecedent of the Linda Fiorentino character in Last Seduction, another wondrously sexy wench. John Dahl has a unique & powerful knack for choosing strong actresses & bringing out the universal vixen in them.

The plot's nothing terribly original but it plays its familiar theme with some nice changes & variations. It has that classic quality that the best "noir" films had: it moves right along & keeps you in the center of the action.

One thing I find curious is that no one (to my knowledge) has ever linked the Michael Madsen throat-cutting scene in this film with the Michael Madsen ear-cutting scene in Reservoir Dogs. Give credit where it's due!

Dahl's thriller starts off strong.......2005-03-06

There's no other master of the modern film noir thriller than John Dahl. "Kill Me Again" has all the classic elements of the genre and Dahl's stylistic, sharp direction with strong performances from the cast. Although it starts off strong it does lose a bit of momentum towards the last third of the movie as the lovers go on the run. Private eye Jack Andrews (Val Kilmer)has fallen into a world of booze and loan sharks after the accidently death of his wife. He has three days to pay back a pair of loan sharks before they break his body to match his broken spirit. With no clients and little in the way of prospects it appears that Jack is doomed.

That's when Fay (Joanne Whalley-Kilmer)walks through the door. Her ex-con boyfriend is out to get her because she made off with the money they stole. She's looking for a way out and she and Jack may be each other's salvation. She offers Jack $10,000 to help her fake her death so that her psycho boyfriend Vince (Michael Madsen)won't hunt her down and kill her. Jack does his job all too well. When Fay really disappears after her "faked" murder he becomes a suspect. Jack desperately searches for her in hopes getting his money and getting away with "murder".

I'd definitely recommend getting this title before it disappears (it's not exactly in the top 10 much less the top 1000 popular titles)but have to caution viewers not to expect much in the way of extras. A well made film noir that will keep you interested with all its twists and turns, this isn't Dahl's best film nor is it MGM's best DVD. Presented pretty much bare bones in full screen(like Dahl's classic "The Last Seduction"), the film looks solid but is definite need of an overall and re-release on DVD. We do get the original theatrical trailer as the only extra but the fact that it isn't presented in widescreen (or at least in both full and widescreen like "Red Rock West")is a crime.

Here's hoping that this one of the titles MGM/UA revamps for re-release soon. It certainly deserves a commentary track by Dahl (maybe even Kilmer will pipe in). It also deserves at the very least a featurette for fans of the film. This isn't a bad DVD (although it could look better); it just deserved a whole lot more than this bare bone presentation.

Average customer rating:

Baby Snatcher
Starring: Rober Bearde , David Duchovny , Penny Fuller , Gretchen Grant , and Veronica Hamel
Director: Joyce Chopra
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video