The Big O (Vol. 1)

Starring:Mitsuru Miyamoto, Steven Jay Blum, Akiko Yajima, Lia Sargent, Motomu Kiyokawa, Ethan Murray, Alan Oppenheimer, FrÃ©dÃ©ric Cerdal, TesshÃ´ Genda, Peter Lurie, Eric Peter, Emi Shinohara, Wendee Lee, Katsunosuke Hori, Michael McConnohie, UnshÃ´ Ishizuka, Michael Forest, HÃ´chÃ» Ã”tsuka, Robert Axelrod, Bob Buchholz
Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
Studio: Bandai
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The art deco-influenced backgrounds and simplified character designs give this series a look that's closer to Warner Bros.' Batman than to anime series like Gundam Wing. The Big O begins with a premise similar to A Wind Called Amnesia: the inhabitants of Paradigm City somehow lost their memories 40 years ago. Since then, they've struggled to survive in the half-ruined metropolis. Dashing Roger Smith, who looks a bit like Pierce Bronson, is officially a negotiator who handles difficult situations, but he's really a covert superhero. Like Batman, he's fabulously wealthy, and his car and wristwatch are loaded with deadly gadgets. But when the going gets tough, Smith summons the Big O, his giant "Megadeus" mecha to slug it out with other robots. His butler, Norman, and Dorothy, an automaton girl, assist him in these endeavors. At times the cool palette, saxophone music, and suave-but-tough-guy dialogue suggest the filmmakers are trying to capture the noir tone of Cowboy Bebop. But the rather superficial Smith lacks Spike Spiegel's underplayed intensity, and director Kazuyoshi Katayama can't match Shinichiro Watanabe's visual panache. The Big O will appeal primarily to kids who are fans of the Batman and Superman television series. The Cartoon Network started playing the series in 2001 in an edited format. This edition (featuring the first four episodes) is rated 13 and up for minor profanity, occasional suggestive humor, and mild violence. --Charles Solomon
Description
A mysterious occurrence, known only as "The Event," has caused the residents of Paradigm City to lose their memories. Paradigm City has since recovered - but under police rule, its citizens are forever questioning what happened to them so long ago. Does Roger Smith, a self-styled "Negotiator," along with his crime-fighting robot, the Big O have what it takes to unravel this mystery? Sworn to protect Paradigm City, his allies, and himself - What connection does Roger and the Big O have with the city's past...

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Offering an abundance of vintage Hollywood entertainment, the five films included in The Lucille Ball Film Collection cover a broad spectrum of Lucy's movie career, from one of her most prominent early roles to her final big-screen appearance. Long before she became an icon of TV sitcoms, Lucy had moved from New York to Hollywood in 1933, appearing in a variety of mostly uncredited showgirl roles in over 40 films before getting her first big break in the 1937 classic Stage Door (not included in this set). Lucy's star quickly began to rise, and by the time she played sassy nightclub singer "Tiger Lily White" in 1940's Dance, Girl, Dance, she was holding her own with such famous costars as Maureen O'Hara and Ralph Bellamy. Noteworthy as an early feminist comedy directed by Dorothy Arzner (one of the only women to break into the male-dominated profession of Hollywood directors), it's a fun and fascinating film that helped to establish Lucy's persona as a fiery, independent entertainer. That image was pushed to extremes in The Big Street (1942), an oddly enjoyable comedy/melodrama in which Lucy and Henry Fonda are cast against type--she as a selfish, unlikable nightclub diva, and he as the doting busboy who devotes himself to her when she's badly injured by her villainous boss. A year later, Lucy starred with Red Skelton and Gene Kelly in Du Barry Was a Lady, a lavish and still-delightful MGM musical comedy that was Lucy's first film in color--and the first to feature the blazing red hair (recommended by legendary Hollywood stylist Sydney Guilaroff) that became one of Lucy's most beloved and readily identifiable features.

By the time Lucy played a middle-aged playwright in Critic's Choice (1963), she'd become one of TV's most beloved and successful comediennes, and her film career was clearly winding down. Critic's Choice was a fitting follow-up to 1960's The Facts of Life, reuniting Lucy with four-time costar Bob Hope in an upscale comedy/drama that was noteworthy for its progressive depiction of divorced and remarried sophisticates in New York City. A decade later, Lucy chose the ill-fated Mame (1974) for what would prove to be her final big-screen appearance. Despite brutal reviews that focused on Lucy being too old for the title role (originated on Broadway by Angela Lansbury), Mame has survived its bad reputation to become one of Hollywood's most popular high-camp misfires, with Lucy's eccentric and lavishly costumed character gaining a loyal following (especially in the gay community) as a colorful inspiration for female impersonators. In some ways it's a fitting end to Lucy's big-screen career; she always gave maximum effort against considerable odds, and The Lucille Ball Film Collection is a testament to Lucy's show-biz tenacity. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Each of the DVDs in The Lucille Ball Film Collection is accompanied by bonus features culled from the extensive Warner Bros. archives. As with many of WB's DVD boxed sets, these bonus features consist of featurettes and cartoons that are chronologically matched (in most cases) to the feature presentations, offering a home-video approximation of what it was like to attend these films in their original theatrical context. (See reviews of each individual title for specific bonus-feature details.) For the long-awaited DVD release of Mame, Warner Bros. technicians attempted to create a new stereo soundtrack mix, but this ultimately proved technically impossible due to the variable quality of the original recording elements, so the film is presented with the mono soundtrack of its original theatrical release. As always with WB releases, picture and sound quality is uniformly superb, especially in preserving the brilliant Technicolor of Du Barry Was a Lady. Of particular value among the bonus features, the DVD of Critic's Choice breaks from strict chronology with "Calling All Tars," a 1936 Vitaphone short featuring one of Bob Hope's earliest screen appearances, and the Oscar-nominated cartoon "Now Hear This" (1962), directed in abstract-art style by legendary Warner Bros. animator Chuck Jones. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Big Street: Haughty nightclub singer Gloria Lyons (Lucille Ball) doesn't have time for the little people, including Little Pinks (Henry Fonda), the busboy who adores her. Then Gloria is paralyzed when a mobster knocks her down the stairs, and those little people are the only ones who help her. Critic's Choice: Tossing inspired throwaway lines right and left, Hope is a New York critic who loves writing pointed reviews that close insufferably lousy plays. But there's a new play in town â€" by his redheaded wife (Ball). Dance Girl Dance: Bubbles (Lucille Ball) loves to dance. But she also likes to eat. Her friend Judy (Maureen O'Hara) may choose to suffer for her art, but not Bubbles. She swap hers ballet shoes for a G-string...and turns patrons' fantasies into dollars as burlesque sensation Tiger Lily White. Dubarry Was a Lady: Hapless nightclub hat check boy Red Skelton loves glamorous chanteuse Lucille Ball. Handsome hoofer Gene Kelly loves her too. But Lucy only loves money. Then Red mistakenly gulps down a Mickey Finn, dreams he's in 18th-century France and before you can powder your wig, a throng of suitors fall in love with Lucy! Mame: Lucille Ball brings star sparkle to the title role, a high-living grande dame who's outlandishly eccentric and, when suddenly faced with raising an orphaned nephew, fiercely loving. Veterans of the New York stage original join her: Beatrice Arthur as best friend Vera, Jane Connell as prim governess Agnes, choreographer Onna White and director Gene Saks.

Customer Reviews:

Great movie salute to Lucille Ball.......2007-06-29

This is a pretty good collection honoring Lucille Ball's motion picture work in various decades of her long career. She looks beautiful in "Dubarry...". The movie is dated but, she looks so glam. The film was made mostly just to promote MGM's Technicolor process of color filming. By the time "Critic's Choice" was made, Miss Ball was just past 50 years old. Heavy makeup and careful camera lensing makes her look about 15 years younger than she actually was. Ironically, the woman playing her mother in the film was about the same age as Lucy. "Mame" should have starred Angela Lansbury. But, Ball wanted to follow up her 1968 hit, "Yours, Mine and Ours" with a major film project. So, she secured rights to "Mame". Aside from her singing, the film is OK. She looks great thanks to her makeup team and Vaseline closeups. Nice campy moments. Glam clothes! "Big Street" is her best film of all that starred her.

Famous Lucy Films Finally on DVD.......2007-06-28

This is the best of the best films they can release in one set for Lucille Ball. I just got the set yesterday, (June 27) and stayed up all night to watch all of the films.

The Big Street - This stars - Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Barton MacLane, Eugene Pallette, Agnes Moorehead, Sam Levine, Ray Collins, and Ozzie Nelson.

Critic's Choice - This stars - Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Maxwell, Rip Torn, Jessie Royce Landis, John Dehner, and Jim Backus.

Dance, Girl, Dance - This stars - Maureen O'Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, Virginia Field, Ralph Bellamy, Mary Carlisle, Katherine Alexander, Edward Brophy, Walter Abel, Harold Huber, Maria Ouspenska, and Harry E. Edington.

DuBarry Was a Lady - This stars - Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, Virginia O'Brien, Zero Mostel, and Tommy Dorsey

Mame - This stars - Lucille Ball, Beatrice Arthur, Bruce Davison, Joyce Van Patten, Kirby Furlong, Robert Preston.

This is all of the stars of the 5 films. I was going to tell about the movies, but if you are purchasing this item, or are looking to see how the movies are according to other people on this site, I am not going to ruin your suprise. I will let you watch the films yourself, and all you are getting from me is - I LOVE THESE MOVIES.

Four Great Films & One Misfire.......2007-06-20

This set is worth owning just for Mame, in which Lucille Ball BECOMES Auntie Mame. DuBarry Was A Lady, Dance Girl Dance (with a young Maureen O'Hara) and The Big Street are all fan favorites. While Lucy looks stunning in Critic's Choice, it is the least enjoyable film in the set (and the only "stinker" out of four films she made with her preferred screen-partner, Bob Hope).

Pre-Order for 6-19-2007 // GREAT new film collection!!!.......2007-05-14

This is a GREAT collection to own and a must have for any Lucy fan! With this collection you will receive 5 movies starring Lucille Ball's most popular film adaption. You will be amazed to see the true acting ability of Lucy here.

Some of the films here are somewhat of a opposite to Lucille Ball's role on "I Love Lucy" but some are very similar to "I Love Lucy" in my opinion. Take "The Big Street" for instance, High class Gloria (Lucille Ball) was a bit cruel and mean to a poor man named pinks who falls head over heels in love with her and will do anything to please her at the end she begins to fall for him too. A must see dramatic film!!

You will see Lucille Ball like you have never seen her before and these movies are not boring at all but they are really good interesting movies that you will not lose interest in. I am somewhat shy of old films and find them boring but I can watch anything with Lucille Ball and you will love these films!

"Lucille Ball Film Collection" includes:

"The Big Street" - Ex-chanteuse Gloria is vain, cruel, crippled - and busboy Pinks can't help but love her. Ball and Henry Fonda power Damon Runyon's tale of Broadway denizens living on life's margins.

"Critic's Choice" - That's no playwright, that's my wife. Poison-penned Broadway critic Bob Hope loves wife Lucille Ball...but hates the play she writes. Based on the play by "Deathtrap's" Ira Levin.

Dance, Girl, Dance" - Art doesn't pay the bills. So aspiring ballerina Ball makes her way as a burlesque star in this powerful study of being a woman in a man's world. With Maureen O'Hara.

"Dubarry Was A Lady" - Their friendship is a perfect musical-comedy blendship! Ball goes from NYC torch singer to the dream girl of Red Skelton's wacky, 18th-century-France reverie. Gene Kelly joins the fun!

"Mame" - She'll coax the blues right out of your heart. Madcap Auntie Mame (Ball) is suddenly her nephew's guardian. Robert Preston and Beatrice Arthur co-star in a sparkling adaptation of the Broadway hit.

Highly recommended!!!

Average customer rating:

Two Perspectives
He is blind
pacino!
A TRUE AL PACINO FAN
Simply Amazing

Scent of a Woman
Starring: Al Pacino , Chris O'Donnell , James Rebhorn , Gabrielle Anwar , and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Director: Martin Brest
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0783226845
Release Date: 1998-04-29

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Hoo-hah! After seven Oscar nominations for his outstanding work in films such as The Godfather, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon, it's ironic that Al Pacino finally won the Oscar for his grandstanding lead performance in this 1992 crowd pleaser. As the blind, blunt, and ultimately benevolent retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, Pacino is both hammy and compelling, simultaneously subtle and grandly over-the-top when defending his new assistant and prep school student Charlie (Chris O'Donnell) at a disciplinary hearing. While the subplot involving Charlie's prep-school crisis plays like a sequel to Dead Poets Society, Pacino's adventurous escapades in New York City provide comic relief, rich character development, and a memorable supporting role for Gabrielle Anwar as the young woman who accepts the colonel's invitation to dance the tango. Scent of a Woman is a remake of the 1972 Italian film Profumo di donna. In addition to Pacino's award, the picture garnered Oscar nominations for director Martin Brest and for screenwriter Bo Goldman. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Two Perspectives.......2007-06-19

There are basically two ways to see this film. The sentimental fan of classic Hollywood sees it as an inspiring, uplifting story with a feelgood ending. The fan of realism and originality sees it as a predictable and formulaic cliche. The sentimental fan of classic Hollywood sees Al Pacino's performance as colorful, facinating, and larger than life. The fan of realism and originality sees Pacino's performance as over the top and lacking in any subtlety. The fan of classic Hollywood sees Pacino's closing speech and the ending of the film as inspiring and heartwarming. The fan of realism and originality sees the speech as a lame moralization and the ending as well as Pacino's character transformation to be a phony and unrealistic sellout to popular sensiblity.

If you are looking for the familiar crowd-pleasing kind of entertainment that Hollywood has always been trusted to provide, you will definitely find it here. But if you are a fan of artistic cinema you will wonder how Al Pacino could win an oscar for a role like this in a film like this and somehow not win for Godfather II. In fact, you will probably wonder what Pacino, as a dedicated method actor with such a great vision for playing complex and interestingly subtle characters, was thinking when he played this role.

He is blind.......2007-06-11

Yet Frank drives fancy cars and dances with pretty ladies. And this is true.
Al Pacino, Chris O'donnell

pacino!.......2007-06-10

this movie is a classic, pacino's performance is wonderful and there is a young phillip seymour hoffman

i truly enjoy this movie, though it can be a bit long so it isnt a frequent favorite of mine

A TRUE AL PACINO FAN.......2007-05-14

ANYONE THAT LIKES AL PACINO, WILL LOVE THIS . IT IS GREAT. WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE.

Simply Amazing.......2007-05-08

Scent of a Woman is one of my all time favorite movies. DiNero is amazing in this movie and truely deserved the awards he got for this role. Watching this alone or with a lady - this movie surely won't dissapoint.

Average customer rating:

worth seeing again
Don't understand any of the hype
future dystopia
Brazil is NOW!
The War on Terror

Brazil
Starring: Jim Broadbent , Ray Cooper (II) , Robert De Niro , John Flanagan , and Kim Greist
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: 0783225903
Release Date: 1998-03-31

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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 branding poor Sam 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. Although the DVD (at a fraction of the price) doesn't include that set's many extras, it's still a bargain. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

worth seeing again.......2007-04-05

Brazil isn't eveyone's cup of tea To me it is sort of a cross between the Beatles song "A Day in The Life" and a less serious version of "1984". When looking at the negetive reviews (one star?) try and keep in mind that the words "less serious" can be a fun thing if you have a little less stick up the.....well... Anyway if you like satire and the surreal you will probably find this enjoyable.

Don't understand any of the hype.......2007-03-30

I just made it through 45 minutes of this "classic" and had to stop. This is a frenetic, loud, short-attention-span mess. True science fiction ("Day the Earth Stood Still", "Silent Running," "The Fly") appeals to the inellect. I'm at 45 minutes and it has failed to engage my thinking on any level. It's just entertainment, pure and simple, and pretty unpleasant entertainment at that, aimed at a pretty simple-minded audience, I have to say. The set-ups, like the oh-so-sweet Christmas scene at the beginning are just out of place in this film. The arrest of Buttle was so ridiculously overdone that I thought I was watching a cartoon version of "The Terminator." The set-ups seem extremely heavy handed, as is the constant reminders of hte "Tuttle-Buttle" mixup. The use of the classic songs in this film "As Time Goes By" and "Brazil," is just a travesty. The goal seems to be to ruin the value of these songs rather than add anything meaningful to the film. Besides, there are more guns in the first 45 minutes of this film than in most Westerns. What's that all about? Was the NRA a major funder for this studio? You know when a film starts with an explosion that it's going to be pretty bad, unless it's James Bond, which this isn't!

future dystopia.......2007-03-25

Excellent film. It explores the inefficiencies of bureaucracy and paints a bleak picture of a police state, which seems ever more realistic. The acting is fantastic and the ideas presented in this movie are second to none. If you like this movie, also check out A Scanner Darkly and Logan's Run.

Brazil is NOW!.......2007-03-21

One of my all time favorite movies, chaos in it's finest hour of pure insanity. Has a mind of its own but can never be controlled just like the breathing air ducts. Throw in the kitchen sink and a man named Tuttle.

The War on Terror.......2006-12-17

Brazil presaged the War on Terror 20 years before it happened. Watching it now brings on a terrible feeling that the future will always look like this with an omnipresent government controlling its people. In the restuarant scene (where the people keep on eating even though the place has been subjected to a terrorist attack) is Baghdad today and perhaps your town tommorrow.
It's the real 1984 - watch it and learn.

Average customer rating:

MY FAVORITE JOHN WAYNE FILM
Perhaps the Ultimate Western.
GREAT JOHN WAYNE CLASSIC!
Early Duke Classic
Exciting, highly enjoyable, and beautiful!

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Starring: John Wayne , Joanne Dru , John Agar , Ben Johnson , and Harry Carey Jr.
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
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ASIN: B000O599NK
Release Date: 2007-05-22

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The second installment of John Ford's famous cavalry trilogy (which also includes Fort Apache and Rio Grande), this meditative Western continues the director's fascination with history's obliteration of the past. It features one of John Wayne's more sensitive performances as Capt. Nathan Brittles, a stern yet sentimental war horse who has difficulty preparing for his impending military retirement. All things considered, he refuses to leave before fulfilling his obligation to the local Indian tribe. It's a film about honor and duty as well as loneliness and mortality. And Oscar-winner Winton C. Hoch beautifully photographs it in Remington-like Technicolor tones (you've never seen such stunning cloud-covered skies). The combination of melancholy and farce (Victor McLaglen makes a perfect court jester) evokes comparisons to Shakespeare. Best of all, the scene in which Wayne fights back tears when receiving a gold watch from his troops is unforgettably bittersweet. If you view the whole trilogy, it actually makes sense to save this for last. --Bill Desowitz

Description

A masterpiece of mood and heroics, this second film in director John Ford's renowned cavalry trilogy (Fort Apache and Rio Grande are the others) features one of John Wayne's most moving performances as a cavalry officer in his final week of service on the frontier. Under makeup aging him some 20 years, he inhabits the role of a wily veteran who knows the sting of war and vows to make his last mission one of peace. The ritual of outpost life, the sweep of battle, the advance of the patrol beneath ominous skies: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, an Academy Award winner* for its color cinematography, paints a memorable portrait of the honor, duty and courage in the finest tradition of the cavalry. And of Ford filmmaking.

Customer Reviews:

MY FAVORITE JOHN WAYNE FILM.......2007-07-04

Although Red River, The Searchers, and possibly True Grit and The Shootist might arguably contain better acting performances from the Duke, this film is my favorite. Everything works in this film, and works well. John Ford loved the U.S. Cavalry, as can be clearly seen in the trilogy, and also in the Civil War film, The Horse Soldiers. While I love all the aforementioned films, this one is the one where everything worked perfectly. The contrast of Wayne's seasoned Capt. Brittles with the two younger officers, the lonely life Brittles lives with no wife or family vs. the younger men competing for the hand of lovely Joanne Dru, the comedy relief provided by the incomparable Victor McLaglen, the savvy wisdom of(former confederate captain) Sgt. Tyree, nothing is missing. This was John Ford's stock company at it's best, with perhaps only The Searchers to compare. The passing years only make me love this film more. everyone was at the absolute top of their game for She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. See it soon!!!

Perhaps the Ultimate Western........2007-04-17

John Wayne lives this part. A battle hardened veteran of the war between the states, a career officer - Captain Nathan Brittles - finds himself on the Western Frontier nearing the end of his career. A man for whom the military is not just a way of life, it is life. And, in a remarkably sensitive fashion for the time, the "hostiles" are shown to be a civilized and intelligent people who have been pushed time and time again by the western expansion of this nation and are simply fighting to survive. It would have of course been easy just to shoot another movie reflecting an Indian uprising with calvary charges and heroic gestures. Thank goodness we're spared that. Instead, we have a deeply well orchestrated movie developing many different characters and plot lines. While he is Army through and through, Captain Brittles still poignantly takes time to water the desert flowers on his wife's grave and to talk to her gently until that day comes that he joins her. And, Sgt Tyree, the irrepressible scout that is almost an extension of Captain Brittles, has another life too that we learn about, in a touching and well done scene not often witnessed in today's pyrotechnic oriented films. Is this the best western I've ever seen? Maybe, maybe not, but the Searchers (who can forget that shadowy ending shot with John Wayne framing the door?) is close (not to mention the sleeper The Tin Star with Henry Fonda) and so are Fort Apache, My Darling Clementine (Henry Fonda again), and Gunfight at the OK Corral (Kirk Douglas) - some of which have been mentioned by other reviewers as well. I would give this movie more than 5 stars if I could, and you cannot go wrong viewing it.

GREAT JOHN WAYNE CLASSIC!.......2007-03-11

Without any doubt - this is my favorite John Wayne classic movie.
All actors are playing wonderful and the movie was shot on a great
place - Monument Valley/Arizona.

Just perfect for every Western fan.

Thank you John Wayne!

Early Duke Classic.......2007-01-19

See another side of John Wayne. This movie stands with The Shootist as one of Wayne's more layered roles. *****

Exciting, highly enjoyable, and beautiful!.......2006-11-08

'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' remains for many viewers their favorite Ford film, and it is certainly the most striking visually... Winton C. Hoch won an Oscar for his Technicolor photography...

The compositions and photography around Ford's new stamping ground of Monument valley are great to look at as always... The Monument Valley goes from bright sunlight to hail and sleet...

There is a melancholy mixed together in those incredible vistas, with a certain sense of dreamlike contemplation... A backdrop so complex but so significant as the human characters...

Ford has superbly achieved a huge and composite demonstration of all the legends of the frontier cavalryman... Never have the legendary troops been through the silent 'Indian country' and across the magnificent Western plains so brilliant, vivid, exciting and romantic...

Ford has surely done better himself, unquestionably with 'My Darling Clementine,' and 'The Searchers,' yet one has to admit the undisputed merits of 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.' Even the usual criticism launched against it-that it is a Western influenced by feeling rather by reason--can be dismissed at the start... Certainly Ford can be sentimental but only when the springs of honest feeling run dry and lose their inspiration, and this never really happens in 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.'

The story is that of an older cavalry officer (John Wayne) who is six days from retirement at Fort Stark when he's sent out, in a last mission, to escort the Major's wife (Mildred Natwick) and her niece, an attractive single lady (Joanne Dru) out of the danger area... Wayne tries to fulfill his military role protecting his female charges against the uprising of the Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche and Apaches...

Wayne possibly more than any other Western star has re-created and heightened the mythology of the West-one has only to watch again his absolute and ideal image in 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,' or his avenging Ethan in 'The Searchers,' to be reminded of how irresistible the Duke has been on the cinema screen...

'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' is above all a sentimental movie, with irresistible scenes, full of Ford's best touches:

- The cavalry engaged in its everyday work... Wayne simply can't picture himself in a world far from the army...

- The comic interaction between Wayne and Victor McLaglen, two hardcore professional officers...

- The bravery of Sgt. Tyree (Ben Johnson), chased by hostile Indians, who must finish his mission by reporting to the captain what he saw...

- The rivalry of two young cavalry lieutenants (John Agar and Harry Carey Jr.) in love with the same woman, each competing to have her wear a yellow ribbon as a token of his love...

- The 'beloved brute,' the tough-soft cavalry sergeant sharing his saddle with a little orphan rescued from a devastated stage station...

- Ford celebrating McLaglen's lachrymose in self-indulgent fisticuffs in an epic saloon fight...

- The last inspection of the C. troops almost bringing tears to Wayne's and the audience's eyes, as he reads the inscription that means so much to him...

- Wayne riding into the war camp of the Indians to stop a war...

- The U. S. cavalry at full gallop descending upon the encampment, firing wildly and stampeding hundred of Indian ponies...

- The evocative use of music, notably the gay and spirited theme song of the yellow ribbon, played countless times...

'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon ' is an exciting story with strong characters and sentiment, highly enjoyable, and beautiful...

Average customer rating:

A great musical
Wonderful Movie
Hello...Dolly fans!
Dolly Reigns supreme
Hello Dolly

Hello, Dolly!
Starring: Joyce Ames , Louis Armstrong , Richard Collier , Michael Crawford , and Fritz Feld
Director: Gene Kelly
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B00005JL1P
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Product Description

One of Barbra Streisand's most beloved performances is that of the indomitable Dolly Levi in this hugely popular musical that received a Best Picture Academy Award nomination in 1969.

It's turn-of-the-century Yonkers, New York, where an ambitious young widow with a penchant for matchmaking (Streisand), has an idea for the perfect match-tight-fisted, local merchant Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) and-herself! As she tries to win his heart, we're treated to one of the most musically entertaining, hilariously underhanded plots in film history. Directed by Gene Kelly, this Oscar winner for Best Sound, Music, Score and Art Direction/Set Decoration is among the world's most cherished films.

System Requirements:

Running Time 148 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

They just don't make musicals like this any more. There are some who would be grateful for that--the plot is but a flimsy excuse to string together song and dance numbers. Some of us, however, love big, splashy, overdone musical scenes, of which there are many. Glittering stage numbers showcase a commanding Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levy, a New York matchmaker who can find a mate for anyone. Anyone but herself, that is. Determined to marry wealthy Walter Matthau, she lures him out of Yonkers and sets about wooing him.

Don't worry about the lack of a solid story or Gene Kelly's pedestrian direction. Watch instead for the musical numbers and the lavish costumes. Listen to Jerry Herman's score, and dance around the living room when a sequined Streisand arrives in a club as Louis Armstrong strikes up the title tune for her benefit. (Just pull the shades first.) Based on Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! won Academy Awards for best sound, art direction, and musical score. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

A great musical.......2007-05-21

Although Streisand was a little too young to play the lead she made a note worthy lead. But it was the songs and choreogragphy that made this an excellent movie.

Wonderful Movie.......2007-05-08

I had watched this movie many times on TCM in letterbox. I even recorded it. Amazon offered it at half price so I jump on it. The bonus features are well worth it. This Movie is real. Not a bunch of CGI crap. Appreciate it for what it is. A marvel and masterpiece.

Hello...Dolly fans!.......2007-04-01

"Hey Mr. Armstine...here I am" and i loved this movie. Its got everything a musical should have, and more with barbra in it. Its a recommend for anyone with a song in there hearts.

Dolly Reigns supreme.......2007-03-10

There has been much talk over the years about Streisand being too young for the role. Who cares? This is a Hollywood classic proving some movies will remain popular forever. Fantastixc production numbers, costuming and art direction. Put on your Sunday clothes and check out Dolly. It is a great film. Barbra at her musical best.

Hello Dolly.......2007-03-09

I love Barbra Streisand. She didn't disapoint me with this movie. She is great. I really enjoy this movie and am happy to add it to my DVD library. Highly reccomend.

Average customer rating:

All that Italian food just made me hungry
Chef John at foodwishes.com says:
a delicious film (on many levels).....
For Foodies Everywhere
Love is not enough

Big Night
Starring: Caroline Aaron , Marc Anthony , Peter Appel , Andre Belgrader , and Larry Block
Director: Campbell Scott
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0767802535
Release Date: 1998-04-07

Amazon.com

Critics tripped all over their big feet to praise Big Night, and in doing so performed a grave disservice to this fine little film. They fooled audiences into believing it was a "super movie" instead of a home movie buoyed by friends and family. Consequently, many viewers were disappointed. Big Night is an intimate look at the immigrant struggle to attain the American Dream, set in New Jersey in the 1950s. Its disproportionate success gave co-directors Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, who also star in the picture, the green light to follow up with a smug, unsuccessful second venture called The Imposters. Tucci wrote Big Night with his cousin Joseph Tropiano, and they based the story on the experience of growing up in a large, proud Italian family. The brothers in Big Night--chef Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and businessman Secondo (Tucci)--have come to New Jersey to open a bistro named The Paradise that serves the finest in traditional, authentic Italian cuisine. Their every move is foiled by rival restaurant Pascal's, which serves mile-high servings of spaghetti and meatballs and flasks of bad Chianti at exorbitant prices. Primo is disgusted by the fact that Americans want cheap pasta instead of risotto, so Secondo hatches a plan to boost business: rumor has it bandleader Louis Prima is travelling through and will dine at The Paradise that very night. Secondo gambles to bring the finest dinner ever cooked--at the risk of losing his shirt and being reduced to exile to the old country with his tail between his legs. Big Night is a film that will easily invite comparisons to other "food" fare like Babette's Feast and Eat Drink Man Woman but, though Tucci insists his story is "about the struggle between art and commerce and the risk of staying true to yourself," the media refused to let it stay a small, comparative work. The movie, and the buzz around it, became a parable for the essence of the film itself: art vs. commerce. --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews:

All that Italian food just made me hungry.......2007-06-07

Recommended by my good friend Dee, I thought I give this one a try. The pace of this film is like that of a wonderful meal, considered, not rushed, and with attention to detail. Hard-edged business people often use salty language and such is the case here, by both Pascal and Secondo. Pascal is cavalier because he feels in charge of the world and Secondo is trying to figure out how not to be crushed by the weight of it. In Pascal's restaurant, people are having a wonderful time eating what clearly mediocre food is served with great fan fair. At The Paradise, the work in the spotless kitchen is done with the best ingredients and where only a perfect plate is allowed to be taken to the dining room. As is the custom, it is presented with an understated elegance.

During this film Stanley Tucci, plays Secondo, who manages to have a fling with both Isabella Rossellini and Minnie Driver. (This is the movie where it is proved that she is nine foot tall and all the stuff in "Good Will Hunting" about how she can dunk) Tony Shaloub plays Stanley Tucci's brother, as Primo, who is less talented on the woman front but is, in compensation, the superior chef. Both of them have a mixed relationship with Ian Holm who I feel lets the side down rather by doing too much of the acting stuff with a forced "eyetalian" accent. Two points here, firstly, all the male leads also crop up in supporting roles in A Life Less Ordinary and take the opportunity to show off their talents in these bigger roles. Secondly, if a fine actor like Ian Holm is the only disappointment in a movie that is quite a distinction. As the Big Night approaches, we share the preparation and presentation of multiple courses of delicious dishes, where any one could be on the cover of Gourmet magazine. Having a good time and good food is special.

In addition to this, the script and the direction is good - the movie is a miracle of brevity considering that, on repeated viewing, one can see that it is shot on a budget that wouldn't buy two lemon polenta cakes at The River Cafe. "Big Night" is one of the three cool indie movies that came out of America in 1997. Miss it and you probrably deserve to eat at McDonalds for the rest of your life.

Also recommended "Eat Drink, Man Woman," "Like Water for Chocolate," and "Babette's Feast."

Chef John at foodwishes.com says:.......2007-06-03

When a chef recommends a restaurant you know that it's a good place to eat, and when a chef recommends a food film... Chef John over at Foodwishes.com has this to say about the movie:

"I've probably watched it over 30 times. I consider it the best restaurant movie ever made, and no movie that I've seen before or since has captured the experience of the food business so brilliantly as this one. The film is the story of two Italian brothers who own a restaurant called "Paradise". Primo (played by Tony Shalhoub), is an intense, passionate chef who can't cope with his customers' expectations of "real" (Americanized) Italian food. The other brother, Secondo (played by Stanley Tucci), is the restaurant manager, who is in a constant battle with his brother over the balance between making money, and staying true to their culinary roots.

This is a great movie, even if you are not a "foodie," as its very funny, sweet, sad, and has an amazing sound track of music from that period. Also, any movie with Isabella Rossellini is worth seeing, and try and see if you can identify the busboy who later (in real life) goes on to have quite a successful music career. Anyone thinking of going to culinary school and/or starting a restaurant, should be made to watch this movie first. It gives such a perfect study of the agony and ecstasy of the restaurant experience."

a delicious film (on many levels)............2007-05-27

BIG NIGHT is a great film and an equally great story, that really appeals to the senses. For starters, we see great Italian food shots, during the "big night" (for which the film derives its title). I am not much of an Italian food aficianado, but it makes me want to be! Everything from the colorful appetizers, to the main course-what I would describe as a pasta cake, loaded with sausage, cheese and other filling ingredients, just fill your senses and you can just smell the basil, cheese and tomato sauce. Secondly, the writing and what the actors do with that writing (thanks to great direction by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, as well as a great cast) is just beautiful.

The plot is modelled on the hopes and dreams of many immigrants, arriving on the shores of 1950s United States, searching for a better life, determined to achieve something bigger and better than what they could ever have accomplished, back home (there is a poignance to this theme, especially at this time, where that dream is more and more fleeting, as we are all being pulled into a state of paranoia and disdain, particularly toward foreigners). Two brothers, Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Segundo (Stanley Tucci) own and operate a failing Italian restaurant. Though, Primo is an amazing and dedicated chef, Segundo is the more wily and crafty younger brother, determined to cut a deal and make them successful. When they get wind of an opportunity to bring in famous swing singer Louis Prima, to their restaurant, for one very big night, how can they pass up on this opportunity? This could either make or break their reputation, as well as their bank account.

BIG NIGHT is beautifully crafted, and another great actor (who we know better as a well-respected and very talented salsa star) featured here is Marc Anthony, in an understated role as their young, quiet and slightly bumbling waiter, at the restaurant. The women featured in this film are gorgeous, too. Minnie Driver is stunningly beautiful, as Phyllis, Segundo's American girlfriend, and Isabella Rossellini plays the "other woman." I don't want to divulge any more plot details. I will say that this is a film that you really can't compare to other "food movies," though many have anyway. It's really a very intelligent character study about the immigrant experience, with food as a very colorful (and flavorful) backdrop.

For Foodies Everywhere.......2007-05-19

This is an outstanding piece of film making which is as satisfying as a good meal. A first course which tests and teases the tastebuds; a satisfying main course made up of rich performances and wonderful surprises; and the final dish which is breath-takingly beautiful and poignant.

Love is not enough.......2007-04-09

"Big Night" is another sad movie for the entrepreneur, though not as sad as "Tucker". After all, more restaurants fail than industrial companies, and very frequently because they start with a dream of cooking outstanding food and little more to the plan. This movie is about more than a bad business plan. It's really about the building of community through a shared meal.

Italian brothers, significantly named Primo (Tony Shaloob, not Italian, but dark and hairy) and Secundo (writer/director and actual Italian-American Stanley Tucci) are chefs and owners of an Italian restaurant during the 1950s in the US. Primo, the artistic one of the duo, concocts exquisite and authentic Italian food. Secundo, who is also manager of the restaurant, stands outside his empty restaurant and watches the throngs standing in line for spaghetti and meatballs at the Italian place across the street. Facing foreclosure, the brothers make an all-or-nothing gamble to host famous Italian-American crooner Louis Primo and his band, hoping that a good recommendation from him will bring more discerning diners. They also impulsively invite everyone who has crossed their path during their stay in America: the cute flower shop girl Primo has been making eyes at, the Cadillac salesman who takes Secundo for a test drive, their best customer who is a Bohemian painter, and more.

It's easy to forget how foreign Italians seemed a generation or two ago, and how their less familiar foods were viewed with suspicion.

This is an affectionate and only slightly ironic portrayal of two men who predate any ability to talk about their feelings. It's a worshipful depiction of Italian cuisine and elevates food and cooking to the level of worship.

I recommend this film for anyone who is thinking about starting a restaurant. Also just a good movie that's about more than food.

Average customer rating:

Exciting, fun movie
Easy...
easy movie
A must see
Excellent Movie

The Big Easy
Starring: Dennis Quaid , Ellen Barkin , Ned Beatty , John Goodman , and Lisa Jane Persky
Director: Jim McBride
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305262268
Release Date: 1999-02-02

Amazon.com

An atmospheric and sexy crime caper, this stars Dennis Quaid as a New Orleans police detective. He's a smooth talker who butts heads with the new assistant district attorney, Ellen Barkin. She's rigid and plays by the rules; he is mildly corrupt. They soon find themselves romantically entwined, and a bit chagrined.

Director Jim McBride (Great Balls of Fire) was in top form with this 1987 sizzler. You may not remember the particulars of the plot, which concerns supposed gang killings and police corruption, because it is the romance that has staying power. Blame this on Quaid and Barkin, who send off enough sparks to light up Bourbon Street. They are not only sexy together, but endearing, which makes you want to like them as much as they like each other. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Exciting, fun movie.......2007-05-13

Loved this movie. The music, actors and story was great. It was fun and exciting to watch. Wish it didn't have to end. Truly enjoyed watching Dennis Quaid in action. LOVED this movie.

Easy..........2007-02-20

Very good movie for its time. Shows some insight to life in New Orleans.
Very Interesting.

easy movie.......2007-02-17

While not a classic or a great movie, you will enjoy this one. The casting is good and Quaid and Barkin make a believable couple and the plot works for them. And although there are many cop movies this one pops out due to the good atmosphere and the couple's chemistry.

A must see.......2006-10-30

You have to see this movie if you like Dennis Quaid. I do have to say that being from New Orleans the way he talk is a little too much, but I can't help but love Dennis in this movie.

Excellent Movie.......2006-08-31

I have always loved this movie, and was thrilled to find it on DVD at such a reasonable price.

Average customer rating:

daughter loves it!
Blue's fun DVD for the kids
Blue's Clues
One of the best kid's movies
Jackson Loves Blues Big Musical!!!!

Blue's Clues - Blue's Big Musical Movie
Starring: Traci Paige Johnson , Nick Balaban , Jenna Marie Castle , Kelly Nigh , and Cody Ross Pitts
Director: Todd Kessler
Manufacturer: Nickelodeon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004WI5C
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Amazon.com essential video

Blue bounds into her first feature-length film ready to sing. She gets sidetracked along the way, of course, but that's part of the brilliant Blue's Clues formula. Each half-hour TV show presents engaging, easy-to-grasp mini-mysteries that are within toddlers' reach. This time Blue; her huge-eyed, slightly loopy human companion, Steve; and their cadre of talking-object friends are scurrying around, preparing for a backyard music show that day. Everybody picks a number to perform; Blue's is a duet with Tickety Tock, but the clock contracts laryngitis. Who will be Blue's new partner? A game of Blue's Clues reveals the hardly reluctant replacement. The standard discovery of three clues followed by the usual wind-down song would add up to a colossal disappointment in a feature film, so substantial rounding-out is provided. Steve stumbles onto a keyboard inhabited by a note called G-Clef (the unmistakable voice of Ray Charles), who gives a tour of how to make a song. First you pick the notes, then you work on rhythm, then comes tempo, and, last but not least, "you've got to give it soul." This movie's themes include perseverance (Tickety Tock can't sing but finds a way to contribute anyway) and self-empowerment. Blue's Big Musical Movie is a feast for little eyes and ears; the sets are so colorful they hurt grown-up eyes, and the songs--especially the one that gets the Charles treatment--are all sing-along-with-me winners. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

daughter loves it!.......2007-03-07

my daughter LOVES this video - she sings along with it and quotes it!

Blue's fun DVD for the kids.......2007-01-11

It's another cute DVD. My daughter enjoys this one as well. My review is based on her reaction to the DVDs. It keeps her entertained.

Blue's Clues.......2007-01-10

Fantastic! My 14 month old and my 4 year old love it- it's educational, musical, and more than an hour long! Perfect for getting ready for work in the morning.

One of the best kid's movies.......2007-01-06

I had previously bought this movie on VHS, my oldest son wore it out because he watched it so much. I bought another VHS and within a few years and another child later, I finally bought the DVD. They know the songs by heart (and so do I by now) and it keeps them entertained for a while. It's a really cute movie with lots of songs and you still get to look for Blue's Clues.

Jackson Loves Blues Big Musical!!!!.......2007-01-02

My 2 yr old son Jackson loves all things Blue & music. He has 4 Blue's Clues DVD's and LOVES this one because of all the music. I gave it to him for Christmas and we have watched it serveral times already. He dances around and plays his drum with the characters and music. I will be adding more to his collection soon. And for all the parents that want their children to watch something wholesome and educational pick up any of Blue's DVD's you wont be sorry.

Outfoxed - Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism

Average customer rating:

Everyone should be required to see this
Shining light on a cesspool
On Republican Brain washing of the United States
This Blatant Propaganda Hit Piece Has No Relation To FOX, But Does Smell of A Chicken Coup
Outfoxed

Outfoxed - Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
Starring: Cal Thomas , Jon Stewart , Steve Doocy , Christiane Amanpour , and Peter Jennings
Director: Robert Greenwald
Manufacturer: The Disinformation Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002HDXTQ
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Amazon.com

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism uses the inflammatory tactics of the Fox News Channel to demonstrate the conservative bias that's handed down by Fox's owner, media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The documentary gathers interviews from media watchdogs and former Fox employees (including a former anchor, Jon Du Pre, who describes his flailing efforts to create a celebration for Reagan's birthday when the one he was sent to cover never materialized), but their overwhelming condemnation of Fox's skewed news practices isn't half as effective as footage taken directly from Fox itself--an appalling montage of pundit Bill O'Reilly telling guests to shut up; repeated efforts to paint Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry as weak and waffling, while President Bush is captured in respectful, reverent images; and management memos dictating language, subject matter, and point of view. Outfoxed is unlikely to persuade Fox News fans to change their views, but it may spur outraged liberals to take action. --Bret Fetzer

Description

"Fair and balanced"??? How about anything BUT?!?! For the first time ever, this documentary reveals the secrets of Former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a "right-wing" point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said "There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed."

"Outfoxed" examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know.

"Outfoxed" first examines media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the Australian company, News Corp., tracing how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) helped Murdoch break the rules to establish a fourth network in the United States. The film explores Murdoch's burgeoning kingdom and the impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person.

Media experts, including Jeff Cohen (FAIR), Bob McChesney and Chellie Pingree, provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society.

The team behind "Outfoxed" created a system to monitor Fox News 24 hours a day for months to discover exactly how its shows worked. A team of volunteers around the country scrutinized every hour of Fox News programming, noting examples of bias in its coverage. The result is an intense examination of Fox News and the lie inherent in its favorite motto: "Fair and Balanced."

Customer Reviews:

Everyone should be required to see this.......2007-06-20

There is no hype here. Just facts and interviews regarding a very profitable propoganda machine that many people are aware of- but nobody thinks they can do anything about. Please watch this movie!

Shining light on a cesspool.......2007-06-19

I found this film to be illuminating. I was, of course, already aware that Fox is nothing but a pez dispenser for GOP talking points, but I still learned quite a lot, especially about Rupert Murdock. What a guy. Most of the negative reviews here are utterly without substance, and not even worthy of response, except to say that yes; the film has a bias. It never pretends otherwise. Show me a documentary that doesn't have a bias. Highly recommended.

On Republican Brain washing of the United States.......2007-06-02

This DVD Documentary exposes Fox News as a journalistic fraud media forum for extreme right political propaganda.

Some speakers appearing to speak in the documentary on Fox News propaganda tactics include the following people:
Bob Mc Chesney Founder of Free Press and author of "The Problem of The Media."
Jeff Cohen, Former NSNBC/FOX NEWS Contributor
David Brock, President/CEO of Media Matters for America
Gene Kimmelman, Sr. Director of Public Policy and Advocacy Consumer Union.
Frank O'Donnell, Former Fox News Producer Washington DC.
Diana Winthrop, Former Fox News Producer
David Burnett, Former Fox News Reporter Washington DC.
Peter Hart, Media Analyst for Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting.
Larry Johnson, Former CIA Analyst/Fox News Contributor.
Clara Frank, Former Fox News Producer.
Richard Clarke, Former National Security Advisor
Walter Cronkite, a former TV news anchor man trusted and well respected across America in the 1960s and 70s makes a couple of appearances and statements on the journalistic integrity of Fox News.

Rupert Murdoch bought WTTG Channel 5, small, successful local News Channel in Washington DC in 1985, which later became Fox News. The news crew were left alone for some time as they produced quality news broad casts. But, eventually the Fox News station management began to dictate a one sided political perspective, scripted political messages and opinions to be broadcasted by the news crew. Political messages began to appear in odd polling, odd graphics banners on the TV screen.
Blatent censorship by cutting off guest speakers voicing a point of view Fox News station management opposed became regular practice. The most rude censor is Bill O'Reilly. He is shown again and again telling guests to shut up in emotional outbursts with an extreme lack of objectivity or tolerance to other perspectives. Overall, the current Fox News crew displays a lack of ability or willingness to listen to other opinions which conveys a serious lack of understanding and respect. If they don't cut a guest speaker off, they very likely to talk on top of the guest to drown out the sound of anything he or she has to say.

An audible tone which had been previously used to seize the viewer's attention to an important piece of breaking news known as the Fox News Alert began to be used to grab the viewer's attention to an attitude and oppinion and tabloid issues about to be broadcasted.

A phrase, "Some people say" which is used in journalism to protect anonymous sources began to be used by Fox as a scripted pretext to broad cast a political opinion.

Fox News broadcasts relentless attacks on political dissent and political opponents of the extreme right republicans and uses fear to manipulate emotions of the viewer and public opinion.

It's pointed out that the real fraud is Fox News claims to be fair and balanced because it is nothing even sort of fair nor balanced. Those who appear on Fox News having extreme right opinions are always shown in numbers significantly outnumbering their opponents. Easy questions are asked of republicans with respectful tone of voice while others are presented with more difficult questions in harsher tones.

Bill O'Reilly lies, distorts facts and subjects guests to hostility to put them off balance. Bill O'Reilly is shown overtly threatening the livelihood of celebrities who makes public statements with which he does not agree.

Iraq was being portrayed as a happy, safe place by Fox News during a time of increasing danger due to a rise in rebellion and political violence in Iraq.

As an example of a lack of journalistic objectivity, a Fox News reporter interviewing George W Bush is shown telling Bush about how The reporter's wife was campaigning for him during the elections prior to the interview.

The documentary says that George W Bush's cousin, John Ellis was working as an election analyst for Fox News in the 2000 elections when he interrupted its election coverage to announce that George W Bush was the winner of the election while voting was still in progress to create a false perception of premature election victory for Bush.

Rupert Murdoch is a paradoxical man. He enjoys the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression in the U.S. He buys what amounts to be an empire of media. Once he has the media in his grip, he dictates brain washing political propaganda to the public. If freedoms of speech, press and expression are dear to Americans, this man and other extreme right wing media people need to recognized as threats to these freedoms because they claim to be news or entertainment and they are neither. They are
extreme right political propaganda machines of the type America used to recognise as non free mediums in other totalitarian countries. These media are responsible for the new rants of hatred by Americans for other Americans who do not share their political ideology.

Here are some other sources on simular subjects:

The Republican Noise Machine : Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy

Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth

What Liberal Media?: The Truth About Bias and the News

Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative

Lapdogs: How the Press Rolled Over for Bush by Eric Boehlert

Uncovered - The Whole Truth About the Iraq War by Robert Greenwald

State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration by James Risen

State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III by Bob Woodward

This Blatant Propaganda Hit Piece Has No Relation To FOX, But Does Smell of A Chicken Coup .......2007-05-23

There is nothing out of character in this absurd diatribe that does not reflect the ideology of the liberal political action group MoveOn[...] the original distributors of this DVD.

Even Howard Kurtz, a vociferous critic of FOX, commented that Greenwald's propaganda flick, posing as a documentary, made allegations against FOX that relied on "orders, or attitudes, of an unnamed "'they.'" Kurtz chastises Greenwald for not even providing the illusion of fairness or balance himself. "Not only did he avoid contacting FOX, and indulge in some misleading editing, but the film also features a parade of the network's liberal detractors," noted Kurtz.

Had Greenwald actually been interested in making a documentary, he might have bothered to check his facts, and in doing so, would have discovered that some of the "sources" for this "documentary" never worked for FOX News Channel. Those employees he did eventually bamboozle into appearing in his amateur Leni Riefenstahl propaganda flick represent fewer than ten out of 2,000 FOX employees spanning an eight year period.

I wonder what sort of reply Greenwald would get from ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The LA Times, asking for them to submit 100 percent of their editorial directions and internal memos? But then again, why would Greenwald be interested in exposing liberal media when their ideology mirrors his own.

Compared to the viewing audience of network TV news, FOX Channel barely registers at all. While it does trounce the other cable channels in ratings, it is a head scratch why Greenwald targeted a relatively tiny market share channel while ignoring the shameless propagandizing and biased news reporting that is de rigueur for network TV. Of course if you understand that Greenwald is a left wing ideologue, posing as a documentarian, in the mold of Michael Moore, it really isn't mysterious at all.

Outfoxed.......2007-05-21

Finally! An expose on what the news watching cognoscenti have known for years - Fox is neither fair nor balanced. Fox would not receive the overwhelmingly deserved criticism heaped upon it, if it would simply fess up to being the propaganda arm of right wing causes everywhere. This documentary shows the pressure Fox put upon both producers and reporters alike to intentionally slant the news to the right in-spite of contrary facts...Must see!

Average customer rating:

Bitter Sweet
Rent it first.
Grossly unpleasant
Interesting, disturbed and honest
Pleasantly Surprised

Party Monster
Starring: Seth Green , Macaulay Culkin , Diana Scarwid , Chloë Sevigny , and Marilyn Manson
Director: Fenton Bailey , and Randy Barbato
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Party Monster - The Shockumentary
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ASIN: B00014K5TQ
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Amazon.com

Party Monster is a curiosity: a fictional version of events already covered in documentary form (see Party Monster: The Shockumentary) by this film's co-directors, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, best known for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Party Monster, theatrically released in 2003, also signals the return of Macaulay Culkin to films after a long absence. Culkin plays 1980s club kid-turned-killer Michael Alig, a small-town boy who arrives in New York in search of reinvention on the Ecstasy-fueled party scene. Alig ascends from rube to ringmaster, organizing Fabulous happenings and anointing, in Warhol-like fashion, various transvestites and studly naifs the era's new superstars. Seth Green plays Alig's arch but more reticent co-conspirator and roommate, James St. James. Green is more grounded in character than Culkin, though neither actor is convincing as a deluded drag queen. Despite interesting material, the directors never reveal what makes Alig a compelling figure in Manhattan's social history. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Bitter Sweet.......2007-05-15

Okay, I'm going to sound contradicting here, but hear me out... This has to be, by far, the WORST acting I have ever seen in my whole thirty-six years of being, HOWEVER, it contains comedic genius from Marilyn Manson, charm, wit and strange intrigue of Macaulay Culkin, as well as a fantastic soundtrack that is worth putting-up with the bad acting, all in itself. I happen to be a big fan of the "Club Kids", including Michael Alig, James St. James and DJ Keoki, so it helps to know this is based on their whirlwind lives (although I honestly wasn't aware of that until I watched the additional features) (doh!)... Most definitely a cult classic!

Rent it first........2007-04-16

It's worth seeing this movie if you like Seth Green. He's just adorable in it. It's an interesting movie that might be stuck in your head for a while after watching. Mostly you might be saying "Why did I watch that?". If you like watching different movies then go for this one. I wouldn't recommend buying it though.

Grossly unpleasant.......2007-03-02

To see Macaulay Culkin in a tight little shirt and short tight shorts is just revolting. This was just not for me. I've like Seth Green in every other role I've seen him in, but this was too much. Seemed like a well done movie overall, but I couldn't watch more than about 1/3 of it.

Interesting, disturbed and honest.......2006-12-19

These were the type of emotions that I had felt watching this movie. I have never was privilaged to view so much drug use in my life, but I was not a club kid. I was facinated to see the life of a club kid protrayed in such an honest way if this is the life it is. I felt very sorry for the people that were involved with each other and thier tattered, addicted lives. I am giving this movie 4 stars for the honesty and the acting of the actors in a way that it was believable.

Pleasantly Surprised.......2006-11-14

If you expect to watch a plot driven movie,this is not for you. This film uses a murder to draw you into the time of the Club Kids, a time when it only mattered if you were seen.

I sat down to watch this out of boredom. I am not a fan of Macaulay Culkin and did not think I would last the entire film. Instead, after writing this review, I will be watching Party Monster again.

This film is almost as much about the time as it is about the people. Michael Alig and James St. James happened to be the people who took us to the late 80s, early 90's pre-Giuliani New York night club scene in this film. My exposure to the Club Kids prior to viewing this film was limited. I had managed to see them on Joan Rivers and thought what they were doing was a cool idea, just living to be seen, in a sense. The young men and women were existing for the next party, the next person to give them attention and the next high (both natural and chemically induced).

This movie transports you