Life of Brian

Starring:Terence Bayler, Peter Brett, John Case, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Carol Cleveland, Kenneth Colley, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Neil Innes, Sue Jones-Davies, Chris Langham, Andrew MacLachlan, Bernard McKenna, Charles McKeown, Spike Milligan, Michael Palin, Gwen Taylor, John Young
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
"Blessed are the cheesemakers," a wise man once said. Or maybe not. But the point is Monty Python's Life of Brian is a religious satire that does not target specific religions or religious leaders (like, say, Jesus of Nazareth). Instead, it pokes fun at the mindless and fanatical among their followers--it's an attack on religious zealotry and hypocrisy--things that that fellow from Nazareth didn't particularly care for either. Nevertheless, at the time of its release in 1979, those who hadn't seen it considered it to be quite "controversial."

Amazon.com essential video

When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, some critics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we realize there's reason to believe the banker's crime was justifiable. We also realize that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Shawshank brilliance.......2007-07-04

If you've not seen this movie, you're long overdue. It's a wonderful movie with moving performances by terrific actors. There are lots of good extras on this Special Edition.

The Shawshank Redemption.......2007-06-08

Order was received sooner than expected ... in excellent condition. Was very pleased.

Great Movie.......2007-05-28

I bought this movie because I read the book Differnt Seasons (by Stephen King) that has this story in it. The book was great and so was the movie. The plot is the same but the story is a little differnt in the movie. This is one of the few movies as good as the book. My only complaint is that the movie would mot play on Windows Media Player on my computer, instead I had to install InterActual Player. I personaly did not see the point of that.

Hope.......2007-05-23

As Tim Robbins' character writes in this movie "Hope is a good thing...", and this movie gives us hope that intelligent movies might still be made in Hollywood.

Great move.......2007-05-16

Hd to get it in DVD I had vcr put there out dated. This is one move we can watch over and over thank you

Average customer rating:

Amazing movie!
something old, something new
O Brother Where Art Thou
One of my favorites
Worthwhile music, movie falls flat.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Starring: Michael Badalucco , George Clooney , Frank Collison , Charles Durning , and Wayne Duvall
Director: Joel Coen
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CXRM
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com

Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer team behind art-house hits such as The Big Lebowski and Fargo and masters of quirky and ultra-stylish genre subversion, would dare nick the plot line of Homer's Odyssey for a comic picaresque saga about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi. Our wandering hero in this case is one Ulysses Everett McGill, a slick-tongued wise guy with a thing about hair pomade (George Clooney, blithely sending up his own dapper image) who talks his chain-gang buddies (Coen-movie regular John Turturro and newcomer Tim Blake Nelson) into lighting out after some buried loot he claims to know of. En route they come up against a prophetic blind man on a railroad truck, a burly, one-eyed baddie (the ever-magnificent John Goodman), a trio of sexy singing ladies, a blues guitarist who's sold his soul to the devil, a brace of crooked politicos on the stump, a manic-depressive bank robber, and--well, you get the idea. Into this, their most relaxed film yet, the Coens have tossed a beguiling ragbag of inconsequential situations, a wealth of looping, left-field dialogue, and a whole stash of gags both verbal and visual. O Brother (the title's lifted from Preston Sturges's classic 1941 comedy Sullivan's Travels) is furthermore graced with glowing, burnished photography from Roger Deakins and a masterly soundtrack from T-Bone Burnett that pays loving homage to American '30s folk styles--blues, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, and more. And just to prove that the brothers haven't lost their knack for bad-taste humor, we get a Ku Klux Klan rally choreographed like a cross between a Nuremberg rally and a Busby Berkeley musical. --Philip Kemp

Description

Disenchanted with the daily drudge of crushing rocks on a prison farm in Mississippi, the dapper, silver-tongued Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney, THE PERFECT STORM) busts loose. Except he's still shackled to his own chain-mates from the chain gang -- bad-tempered Pete (John Turturro, SUMMER OF SAM), and sweet, dimwitted Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson, HAMLET). With nothing to lose and buried loot to regain -- before it's lost forever in a flood -- the three embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this hilarious offbeat road picture. Populated with strange characters, including a blind prophet, sexy sirens, and a one-eyed Bible salesman (John Goodman, COYOTE UGLY), it's an odyssey filled with chases, close calls, near misses, and betrayal that will leave you laughing at every outrageous and surprising twist and turn.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing movie!.......2007-07-03

This is a classy release of an all-time-favorite classic. George Clooney played Batman, and here he's doing a hillbilly chicken dance in a fake beard. Great writing, great acting, great music. What's not to love? We wore out our VHS copy!

something old, something new.......2007-06-30

Comedies don't get much better than this.

Clooney, Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson are relentlessly hilarious in this loosely Homeric epic of escape from a chain gang in America's early twentieth-century South. You can love this movie without knowing Homer, of course, though it's based on that bard's Oddysey.

That's the common touch of both Homer and his erstwhile partners-in-crime, producers Ethan and Joel Coen.

Filming this flick must have been more fun than a body should have. From the blind oracle on the railroad pump-car warning about the 'Ob-stackles of life' to the 'Sigh-REENS' that appear to have 'loved (Pete) up ... and then turned him into a horny toad' to the delicious stares and triumphant penultimate scene where the Soggy Bottom Boys regale a political rally with their irresistable hit 'Man of Constant Sorrows', O BROTHER never falters.

It's a film for watching over and over again, preferably introducing somebody who hasn't seen it each time you do.

Ne'er doubt! Buy O BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU and hold onto it for dear life.

O Brother Where Art Thou.......2007-05-17

O Brother Where Art Thou

Title: O Brother Where Art Thou
Director: Joel Coen
Release Date: 2000

Based on the epic by Homer, this movie takes place at the end of the Great Depression area of 1935. Three men named Everet (George Clooney), Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson), and Pete (John Turino), escape on a chain gang in southern Mississippi. When they escape, they meet a man that is blind from polyps that is similar to Homer. The man tells the three men that they must travel to seek the desire that they want. Everet thinks that the old man was making nonsense, but Delmar and Pete think that the old man was telling the truth in their future. The men do a lot of things in this movie such as getting saved, making a record, helping a thief in a bank robbery, and confronting the KKK. (Klu Klux Klan) This movie is rated PG- 13 so the adults might not want to let their kids want to watch the movie. They also have a great soundtrack that won a Grammy for soundtrack of the year. The movie has funny jokes that make you crack up laughing. George Clooney gives one of his best roles of his career. John Goodman guest stars in the movie as a con man that steals the men's money. The people who like funny country movies, this might be the movie for you. It won't be long until this movie will become apart of your DVD collection.

One of my favorites.......2007-04-10

I've given this movie more repeat views than maybe any other movie ever, for two reasons. Firstly, there is the incredible soundtrack--I was not a bluegrass fan until I fell in love with this movie, and the songs were good enough to win me over. Secondly, the dialogue is hilarious. Every time I watch it, I catch a little bit I may have missed before. Coens at their best. Made me rethink my opinion of George Clooney, as well.

Worthwhile music, movie falls flat........2007-04-07

I think it's odd that the movie announces at the beginning that it's based on Homer's Odyssey, as the storyline barely follows in the theme of The Odyssey at all. The music is awesome and I reccomend the soundtrack, but honestly the movie didn't do it for me. Weak plot, annoying characters, lame ending. I just wasn't impressed at all.

Average customer rating:

Torture!
ITS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
Very Original Opening Credits
This is GREAT!
It's actually hard to describe why this movie was so funny...

Napoleon Dynamite
Starring: Jon Heder , Efren Ramirez , Jon Gries , Aaron Ruell , and Diedrich Bader
Director: Jared Hess
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JNBQ
Release Date: 2004-12-21

Amazon.com

As deadpan comedies go, Napoleon Dynamite stands in a class all its own. Played by John Heder, the title character is (in the words of critic Roger Ebert) "the kind of nerd other nerds avoid," a mouth-breathing dweeb with a mangy nest of orange hair, and ungainly features that suggest a perpetual state of half-conscious depression. He lives in Preston, Idaho (former home of 24-year-old director Jared Hess) with his thrill-seeking grandma and 32-year-old brother, and his days at high school consist mostly of being abused or ignored by indifferent classmates. Napoleon's sad-sack story doesn't offer the scathing, impassioned humor of Welcome to the Dollhouse because Hess (who cowrote the nearly plotless screenplay with his wife, Jerusha) doesn't have an angst-ridden axe to grind. Instead, the comedy (which exists in a tacky universe of worn-out rural suburbia) is so low-key that some will find it difficult to laugh, while others (i.e., those who feel superior to Napoleon) will have plenty of fun at Napoleon's expense. The result is a curiously uneven film, hilarious at times, but hampered by its own sense of affectionate mockery. An audience favorite at the Sundance film festival, Napoleon Dynamite may not be entirely lovable, but it's definitely unique. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Napoleon Dynamite is a new kind of hero, complete with a tight red 'fro, sweet moon boots, and skills that can't be topped. Napoleon spends his days drawing mythical beasts, duking it out with his brother, Kip, and avoiding his scheming Uncle Rico. When t

Customer Reviews:

Torture!.......2007-06-24

This movie was absolute torture! There is no plot. The characters need to be killed and put out of their misery. We only suffered through 45 minutes before we turned it off. Don't waste your money.

ITS GOOD FOR THE SOUL.......2007-06-18

FIRST TIME I SAW IT I WAS IN BAD ANXIETY.I HAVE GAD.IT TOOK MY MIND OFF MY ANXIETY AND STRESS,ITS SO CUTE AND SWEET.URE NOT SURE WHAT YR IT IS.LOL
I ORDERED IT.I WATCH IT WEEKLY.ITS GOOD TO WATCH WHEN URE STRESSED.I SEE IT IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT.ITS JUST ABOUT A HIGHSCHOOL OF NERDS BUT THEY HAVE FEELINGS AND ARE SWEET.
IM SO GLAD I HAVE IT

Very Original Opening Credits.......2007-06-12

I just don't get it. I guess I'm just an oldfardt. The only time I laughed during this film was when Napolean was trying to jump the make-shift ramp with his bike. I do give 1 star for the very original opening credit sequence.

This is GREAT!.......2007-06-09

We love this movie & to get it here at such a great savings too! We received it in perfect condtion & the movie is wonderfully funny. We like the extra bonus features also!

It's actually hard to describe why this movie was so funny..........2007-05-06

When someone gushes about a movie being the funniest thing they've ever seen, it usually kills it for me. Fortunately, I had no expectations at all for this movie, and ended up thinking it was hilarious.

I don't know where to start...Napoleon's brother is SUCH a dweeb you'll want to smack him yourself---yet I'm laughing even now thinking about him. There are all these subtle continuity errors and era-inappropriate artifacts that are so obvious they had to be intentional, and even those still make me laugh.

But the real reason the movie is funny is because most of the characters are so incredibly pathetic they'll remind you, sometimes quite painfully, of real people. Some parts almost make you cringe that way.

If you're looking for something a little different, and if you can sit down to watch this without any particular expectations, you might accidentally get a huge kick out of it. I did. (Make sure you watch the part after the credits; a lot of people miss that.)

The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus

Average customer rating:

NICE TO SEE THIS ON DVD! STONES FANS HAVE DREAMED OF SEEING THIS FOR YEARS!
Rock and Roll Circus a wonderful memory of Brian Jones.
Keith Moon in his prime
Great.. and greater!
Rock and Roll Circus

The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus
Starring: Mick Jagger , Keith Richards (II) , Charlie Watts , Brian Jones , and Roger Daltrey
Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Manufacturer: Abkco Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000621484
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Amazon.com

Unavailable at all for nearly three decades, then issued in a VHS edition in 1996, the Rolling Stones' legendary Rock and Roll Circus finally gets the full treatment with this DVD release documenting the 1968 event. The Stones were reportedly unhappy with their performance (hence the long delay), and it isn't their finest moment; performing "Jumping Jack Flash" and a variety of songs from their then-new Beggars Banquet album, Keith Richards is game, but Jagger's preening (especially on "Sympathy for the Devil") is over the top, and guitarist Brian Jones looks dissolute and well on his way to his death the following year. A certain weirdness permeates some of the other musical acts as well: Jethro Tull lip-syncs unconvincingly, Taj Mahal and band were obliged to perform before the circus set was completed and the audience had arrived, and John Lennon's outing with impromptu supergroup the Dirty Mac (with Richards, Eric Clapton, and drummer Mitch Mitchell) is hampered by Yoko Ono's caterwauling, although their version of the Beatles' "Yer Blues" is cool. Still, the Who are brilliant, Marianne Faithfull is beautiful, the various circus acts are fun, and the crowd clearly loves it.

The DVD comes with some fascinating bonus features, including three extra songs by Mahal, some lovely classical piano by Julius Katchen, and a "quad split-screen" version of "Yer Blues." Best of all are a new interview with the Who's Pete Townshend and the various commentary tracks added for the DVD--especially those by Tull's Ian Anderson, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and Stones Jagger, Richards, and Bill Wyman (who dryly attributes Jagger's reluctance to issue the show to his dissatisfaction with his own performance, not the band's). Flaws notwithstanding, this is a treat. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

NICE TO SEE THIS ON DVD! STONES FANS HAVE DREAMED OF SEEING THIS FOR YEARS!.......2007-06-29

Like most Stones fans, I had read about this canceled show for years. I had constructed and imagined the concert in my head many times for three decades. The DVD treatment is excellent and there are some nice extras. The DVD has extra songs that the VHS release didn't have. It is great to have it, but it didn't quite live up to my vision I had conjured in my mind all these years. It is still a great addition to any fans collection.

Rock and Roll Circus a wonderful memory of Brian Jones........2007-06-12

Move over Mick, the Rolling Stones Band was Brian Jones group in the beginning. Just like when you and Keith Richards, got rid of Mick Taylor. Far to good a guitarist for the likes of Keith Richards.
Yes, we all know what happened to Brian. Yep friends just watch there friends go down the tubes without doing anything.
Gosh does this mean that we'll see you guys still marketing yourself when your in your 70's? I hope not.
I'd rather remember you, Wyman, Keith, Charlie because he cared about Brian more than you ever could.
All of the other performers were fabulous !!!! Keith Moon before his demise. Pete in his youthful heyday ! Awesome stuff.
Wolfhouddennis from Lincoln Hills, California

Keith Moon in his prime.......2007-06-11

There is nothing more exciting than seeing Keith Moon on film, whether In "Kids are Alright" or here, where the Who steal the show from the Stones and Lennon and others with an incredible performance that captures all four of them at their peak. But particularly Moon, the greatest rock drummer of all, when he was still a beautiful maniac before his sad (and short) dissipation.

Also noteworthy for me on this video is Taj Mahal's performance. Taj had 2 albums out at this time, 1968, and was still in his 20s but sang like a Delta octagenarian. His first 2 Columbia albums are classic blues rock, and feature, like the performance here, Jesse Ed Davis on lead guitar. Jesse Ed was a native American blues-rocker who had great chops and died way too young. Also, in the spirit of this London hippie party happening, Brian Jones sits in on drums for Taj Mahal's number.

John Lennon's performance of "Yer Blues" is also phenomenal, featuring Clapton and Keith Richards on guitars and Mitch Mitchell on drums. Yoko also does a number (no comment.)

The Stones are just fine, but apparently they felt so overshadowed by some of the other performers, and it WAS their gig, that they released this on audio only until just recently. Thank you, boys, the world needed this video if only for the KEITH MOON RUSH!!!!

Great.. and greater!.......2007-06-01

All these years, I wanted to listen to it. Now I own it! The Stones were absolutely fabulous. It is so great (and sad) to see Brian Jones in his last year. If I'd only known Dirty Mac was a group composed of Lennon (Beatles), Clapton (Cream), Keith Richards (Stones) and Mitch Mitchell (Hendrix Experience) - from the top 4 groups of the time. The only disappointment was that the inspirational 'Yer Blues' was followed by 'Yer Bitch'.

Rock and Roll Circus.......2007-05-30

If you are a fan of the Stones and Beatles, you should have this. Great performances by the Stones in Particular.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Movie
Robert Redford fans.
Redford's Career
Great movie
THE LAST CASTLE

The Last Castle
Starring: Paul Calderon , Jeremy Child , James Gandolfini , Delroy Lindo , and Frank Military
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
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Rules of Engagement
Basic
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Spy Game (Widescreen Edition)
Men of Honor

ASIN: B00005JKNV
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Amazon.com

The Last Castle rides high on a wave of American patriotism, respectful of military service and protocol, and primed to ignite anyone's passion for justice against corrupted ideals. This intense prison drama begins when a court-martialed three-star general (Robert Redford) is sentenced to military prison for defying a presidential command. The prison's warden (James Gandolfini) is a jealous martinet who's never seen combat, and when the jailed general seizes command of the prison to protest the warden's abuse of power, The Last Castle erupts toward a classic showdown between integrity and cowardice. Former critic and West Point graduate Rod Lurie (The Contender) directs this intimate battle with manipulative skill, appealing more to emotions than intelligence, but his stellar cast keeps the action on track, and a potent script returns flag-waving to its rightful place of honor. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Movie.......2007-06-22

Robert Redford and James Gandolfini are excellent in this movie. It is probably not really believable, but great fun to watch. A 3-star general goes to prison and ultimately organizes the prisoners to justifiably take over the prison. Well written and well worth the watch.

Robert Redford fans........2007-05-07

This is a great movie but not recommended for children under age 15. A great performance by Robert Redford. This movie is about a prison. Well worth getting and watching. a real eye-opener to life in prison, not just the prisoners but the prison staff also.

Redford's Career.......2007-02-24

I liked this movies but I do think Robert Redford Needs to retire. He just looks old to be playing the age he played in this movie. Or they could have made him look older.

Great movie.......2007-01-11

This movie was sent quickly and in great shape. I am very satisfied with the product and would order form this distributor in the future.

THE LAST CASTLE.......2006-12-04

ALL IN ALL THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD MOVIE, I HAVE IT ON 'VHS' WISH I HAD THE DVD INSTEAD. GO BUY IT YOU ALL, YOU'LL NOT BE SORRY, THAT IS IF YOU LIKE THE MOVIE,.

Top Gun (Widescreen Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Top Gun
No review needed
Top Gun Fun
best opening 3 minutes of a movie ever...and then just good fun
THE BEST MOVIE CRAZY TOM EVER MADE

Top Gun (Widescreen Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Tom Cruise , Kelly McGillis , Val Kilmer , Anthony Edwards , and Tom Skerritt
Director: Tony Scott
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B0002WZTOI
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Amazon.com essential video

Jingoism, beefcake, military hardware, and a Giorgio Moroder rock score reign supreme over taste and logic in this Tony Scott film about a maverick trainee pilot (Tom Cruise) who can't follow the rules at a Navy aviation training facility. The dogfight sequences between American and Soviet jets at the end are absolutely mechanical, though audiences loved it at the time. The love story between Cruise's character and that of Kelly McGillis is like flipping through pages of advertising in a glossy magazine. This designer action movie from 1986 would be all the more appalling were it not for the canny casting of good actors in dumb parts. Standouts include Anthony Edwards--who makes a nice impression as Cruise's average-Joe pal--and the relatively unknown Meg Ryan in a small but memorable appearance. --Tom Keogh

Description

In TOP GUN, Tom Cruise stars as Maverick, a talented training pilot in an elite U.S. school for fighter pilots. When he stumbles upon some MiG's over the Persian Gulf, and his wingman panics, Maverick cleverly talks him through the situation to safety. Consequently, he is moved up in rank and sent to the Top Gun Naval Flying School. There he has several conflicts with other students while trying to live up to his deceased father's reputation. Unable to cope with the death of his best friend, and fellow pilot, Goose, Maverick contemplates dropping out, but follows through with his dream and ultimately becomes one of the "best of the best."

Customer Reviews:

Top Gun.......2007-06-27

A classic!!! Everyone should own a copy of this movie in their home entertainment collections.

No review needed.......2007-06-27

Look at the other 200+ reviews. They say it all; Top Gun was a masterpiece and you should own it!

Top Gun Fun.......2007-06-15

With my new home theater sound system it sounds like your sitting at the end of the aircraft carrier when they take off! Awesome.

best opening 3 minutes of a movie ever...and then just good fun.......2007-05-26

this is a movie to leave feeling good, patriotic if you're an American, proud if you simply like the feeling of understanding a small portion of what it means to defend good.

Its irrational, illogical, and sometimes silly.

But it is exceptionally well shot, the characters although thinly developed are great to look at, the music is perfect for this venue, and as stated in the title, the first 3 or so minutes on the deck of the "Big E" (this was shot on the carrier Enterprise) are some of the best ever, matching emotion, cinematography, music, and story in a way that simply makes you want to watch the rest of it no matter what.

Get a soda or a beer, some popcorn, and prepare to smile. Or maybe even cheer.

THE BEST MOVIE CRAZY TOM EVER MADE.......2007-04-30

THIS IS A FANTASTIC MOVE IF YOU ENJOY ADVENTURE AND GREAT SPECIAL EFFECTS
REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS , WHEN GOOD OLD TOM WAS NORMAL????
BEFORE ALL THE MONEY HE MADE WENT TO HIS HEAD??? AND BEFORE HE STARTED JUMPING ON OPRAHS COACH??? OH FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS BEFORE TOM FLIPPED OUT............SIGH..........

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

One of the seminal teen films of the 80's
Remember the Time...
CLASSIC TEEN COMEDY! THE BEST OF IT'S KIND
The Ultimate High School Movie For ANY Generation
Party On Dude!

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)
Starring: Sean Penn , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Judge Reinhold , Robert Romanus , and Brian Backer
Director: Amy Heckerling
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00029RTCG
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Amazon.com essential video

Before he became an overrated filmmaker, Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) was a reporter for Rolling Stone who was so youthful looking that he could go undercover for a year at a California high school and write a book about it. He wrote the script for this film, based on that book, and it launched the careers of several young actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, and, above all, Sean Penn. The story line is episodic, dealing with the lives of iconic teen types: one of the school's cool kids, a nerd, a teen queen, and, most enjoyably, the class stoner (Penn), who finds himself at odds with a strict history teacher (a wonderfully spiky Ray Walston). This is not a great movie but very entertaining and, for a certain age group, a seminal movie experience. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

One of the seminal teen films of the 80's.......2007-04-13

With teen romps like American Pie and so on and so forth, there are a handful of films to which they owe themselves to. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of them, and is notable for the fact alone that it helped launch the careers of many future stars and even Oscar winners. The story follows a group of various teen types; most notably being Jennifer Jason Leigh as a shy, would-be vixen and Sean Penn as the class stoner. Watching the film nowadays sees that it really hasn't aged all that well, but it's still enjoyable thanks mainly to Cameron Crowe's scathing screenplay and Clueless director Amy Heckerling's (in her directorial debut) energetic direction. Also featuring Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, and Brian Backer in larger roles, but be on the lookout for small roles and brief appearances from Nicolas Cage, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, and Anthony Edwards as well.

Remember the Time..........2007-04-07

Finally the high school classic falls under my judgmental eyes. This film, like "The Outsiders," is known mainly for its incredible casting, creating a collection of actors who would go on to win Oscars (Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker) and box office glory (Nicolas Cage and Jennifer Jason Leigh). More a mosaic of high school as opposed to a plot driven production the heart of the story is Stacy (Leigh) who is on a quest for sexual enlightenment and a little bit of romance. Of course it doesn't go well at all and that is the fun of this film. We also get to hang with her sexual guru/clueless know-it-all Linda (a very good Phoebe Cates), party animal Jeff (Penn), her brother and case study in what goes around comes around Brad (Judge Reinhold), and crazed football dude who has a nice car Charles (Whitaker). Stacy bounces from one lover to the next, getting lucky and extremely unlucky at the same time. First she gets decherrified by a significantly older guy in a dugout (like you haven't). Then she moves on to the nice guy who is too sweet to seal the deal. And then to the town shyster who finishes in three seconds flat and leaves her with a bun in the oven. The script by Cameron Crowe is knowing and jaded. Since I am out of high school I see all this as one big joke, a snapshot of a lot of people caring about crap that doesn't even matter. All you're doing with those years is working in fast food, pretending to learn something, and having play relationships with people you couldn't care less about. It is all a joke and it is being played on anybody stupid enough to take it seriously. That is not to say that I think these characters are stupid, they aren't, but they are young and naive and a product of their environment. Jeff does seem to be the only one who sees through the ruse. Not that he is taking a stand against the charade; he just wants to eat his pizza in class and doesn't see the harm in doing so.

This film, like most of Heckerling's work, is breezy and a ball. You don't learn anything but you also don't lose any brain cells in the process either. Also, despite the fact that the main themes are sex, drugs and abortion it maintains that 80's cheesy, wholesome charm. It is about people taking things seriously that should not be taken seriously. It was refreshing to see Sean Penn play a role that wasn't so gosh darn heavy, he plays Jeff and his stoner ways up to the hills and I appreciated it. These kids may represent wasted youth, but youth is only idealized because it is wasted. No respectable adult would get busy in a dugout, and that is the beauty of being young. In a few years these kids will have real problems, but for now their foibles can be laughed at by those of us, at the advanced age of 25, can laugh with an understanding smile. No, this wasn't my high school experience but I can still grasp what they are going through. This film is no masterpiece but is deserves the staying power it has generated. I had fun being nostalgic and thinking back to the good ole days when flipping burgers equated into being a success in life. ***1/2

CLASSIC TEEN COMEDY! THE BEST OF IT'S KIND.......2007-04-06

A classic teen comedy! A very well written film with a great cast. If you haven't seen this one yet, it's long over due!

The Ultimate High School Movie For ANY Generation.......2007-04-02

Before American Pie, before Mean Girls, heck--even before Heathers (or any other teen high school romp movie (except maybe Porky's). This is the penultimate movie that after 25 years (!) is still as fresh as what's in Spicoli's bong! If you've never seen this movie...get on the bus (or get in the van).

Party On Dude!.......2007-03-13

May I say Fast Times at Ridgemont High is an important film? Here we observe American 1980's teenagers in their habitat as they actually are in a Hollywood way I mean. If you don't believe me: check out Shirley Temple in some of her 1940's bobby soxer teenage roles. America had changed in the post-modern world. Party on Sean Penn, dude!

Amy Heckerling has a way with teen actors as we discovered again, later with Clueless. They are innocent and way too mature at the same time. Judge Reinhold is making payments on his boss Buick, working the fast food, and dreaming about greener pastures as his girl is getting same same. Sean Penn battles the strictest teacher at Ridgemont, Our Favorite Martian, Ray Walston. You're a dick dude!

But special mention goes out to an 18 year-old playing a 15 year-old, Jennifer Jason Leigh. She's in a hurry to taste forbidden fruit, first with a slick 26 year-old and then with Robert Romanus, the loud mouth school weasel. In between all the action she falls for a complete nerd, Brian Backer. Full frontal: no problem, but in a teen film in the R rated 1982, that was shocking. You won't see that on the TV version. Oh, Jennifer, you were so like every young thing I ever unzipped. There should be an award just for teen vixen.

Average customer rating:

A Fantastic Movie.
Get the popcorn and enjoy.
About Twin Towers
One Great Action Movie
Great movie--Lousy DVD transfer

The Long Kiss Goodnight
Starring: Geena Davis , Samuel L. Jackson , Yvonne Zima , Craig Bierko , and Tom Amandes
Director: Renny Harlin
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: 0780618548
Release Date: 1997-04-30

Amazon.com essential video

Geena Davis and her former husband, director Renny Harlin, attempted to pick up the pieces after the debacle of their box-office disaster, Cutthroat Island. What they came up with was this repulsive ode to American film noir, based on a script by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) about an amnesiac schoolteacher (Davis) who searches for her true identity and finds she is actually a secret agent immersed in a deadly plot to topple the government. Mechanistic in its violence, obnoxious in its attitude, the film makes Davis, a once-promising actress, nothing more than a special effect. She tosses one to sadists in the audience by allowing her character to be beaten, punched unconscious, and tortured. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, plus Dolby surround sound, theatrical trailer, cast information, optional French-language soundtrack and optional Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

A Fantastic Movie........2007-06-16

This film is really one of the best action films Ive ever seen. It is truly fun to watch, even if you watch it over and over again. I was most surprised by Geena Davis. Her performance is actually very good as an action star. Her action and her acting were both done extremely well. Then theres Samuel L. Jackson. God, hes cool in this film. He has so many lines that are largely funny and not corny. Him and Geena have a good chemistry on screen that really makes the movie work. The action is pretty much non stop. Those action scenes are shot very nicely and they look awesome. This movie most certainly isnt meant to be taken seriously and is meant to have fun watching. It succeeds in doing so. Its a great little action film that will keep you entertained even if you watch it a dozen of times.

Get the popcorn and enjoy........2007-06-12

I heard that this movie tanked at the US box office and i'm not sure why because its far better than many of the "blockbusters".
I lived in Singapore and it just ran and ran there in a couple of theaters.

Renny Harlin was married to Gena Davis at the time and it all seemed a bit incestuous and it followed the record breaking disaster that was "Cutthroat Island" so I guess nobody in the "biz" wanted to go near it.

This however is a good movie. It flows well the actions scenes are great and Samuel Jackson is wonderful. I'd never heard of him but Craig Bierko makes a great villain and I cant see why he hasnt done more. Yes there are plot holes but no more than the average Tarantino movie.

I would rather sit through a rerun of of this than have to watch Spiderman 3 ever again.

About Twin Towers.......2007-04-22

I saw this movie and it held my attention from the beginning, as well. But, I was very surprised about the statement made about blowing up the Twin Towers and blaming it on the Muslims.
Does anyone remember that? It was near the middle of the movie. Interesting, because the movie was made during the mid-90's and the Towers were actually blown up and it was blamed on Muslims.

One Great Action Movie.......2007-02-11

This movie is over the top, smartly written, and perfectly made. It is Renny Harlin's masterpiece, and my favorite Samuel Jackson movie. The screenplay by Shane Black is complex and full of smart, funny dialog. The pairing of Davis and Jackson is very enjoyable, and the action scenes are some of the best ever in action movie history. Unrealistic? Yes. One of those movies you can watch over and over and never get sick of it? To me, yes. Harlin is a brilliant director when given the decent material he needs to work with; This is one of his most shining moments. Great ensemble cast, cinematography, and sounds really great loud. Love the scene w/Jackson on Larry King. That is some funny stuff. A must for every action movie fan.

Great movie--Lousy DVD transfer.......2007-01-18

I really like this movie. Geena Davis has never been cuter, and Samuel L. Jackson has never been seedier. I really enjoyed this movie in the theater and later on tape.

Then I bought the DVD. And it stinks. It is the worst DVD transfer I've ever seen. Every chapter transition pixellates during the transition. It hurts my eyes to watch it. I finally took the DVD out after 15 or 20 minutes. I've never seen a DVD do this, except for poorly-burned copies of old, scratched-up DVDs. The only redeeming factor is that I only paid $3 for it from another retailer when purchased at the same time as SOAP.

I've never seen a DVD do this. Stay away from this cheaply-made DVD.

Average customer rating:

Great movie; unusually prescient commentary
extended scenes already in the origial cut
One of my favorite movies
GREAT MOVIE!!!!
Donnie rules! Three thumbs up.

Donnie Brasco (Special Edition)
Starring: Al Pacino , Johnny Depp , Michael Madsen , Bruno Kirby , and James Russo
Director: Mike Newell
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B00004XPPB
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Amazon.com

Based on a memoir by former undercover cop Joe Pistone (whose daring and unprecedented infiltration of the New York Mob scene earned him a place in the federal witness protection program), Donnie Brasco is like a de- romanticized, de-mythologized version of The Godfather. It offers an uncommonly detailed, privileged glimpse inside the world of organized crime from the perspective of the little guys at the bottom of Mafia hierarchy rather than from the kingpins at the top. Donnie Brasco is not only one of the great modern-day gangster movies to put in the company of The Godfather films andGoodFellas, but it is also one of the great undercover police movies--arguably surpassing Serpico and Prince of the City in richness of character, detail, and moral complexity. Donnie (Johnny Depp, a splendid actor) is practically adopted by Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a gregarious, low-level "made" man who grows to love his young protégé like a son. (Pacino really sinks into this guy's skin and polyester slacks, and creates his freshest, most fully realized character since his 1970s heyday.) As Donnie acclimates himself to Lefty's world, he distances himself from his wife (a terrific Anne Heche) and family for their own protection. Almost imperceptibly his sense of identity slips away from him. Questioning his own confused loyalties, unable to trust anybody else because he himself is an imposter, Donnie loses his way in a murky and treacherous no-man's land. The film is directed by Mike Newell, who also headed up Four Weddings and a Funeral and the gritty, true crime melodrama Dance with a Stranger. --Jim Emerson

Stills from Donnie Brasco (click for larger image)

Beyond Donnie Brasco on Amazon.com

DVDs starring Al Pacino
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Customer Reviews:

Great movie; unusually prescient commentary.......2007-06-19

It is hard to believe the best organized crime movie set in the U.S. would be directed by a British director, but that is exactly what you find here. Donnie Brasco eschews the melodrama of lots of mafia films and creates a personal, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social film all in one--and to top it off it's aesthetically brilliant, and Al Pacino reaches somewhere (not sure where) and creates the most on target portrayal he or just about any actor has done on film. I say this as an actor--and serious actors can tell when an actor 'gets it' or not. It's not clear whether Mike Newell helped him, but Newell provides a min-course in film directing through his commentary--it's the best commentary I've ever heard--and demonstrates, despite what critics don't like to admit (or perhaps don't want to know)that an articulate artist can explicate a work of art better than a critic who is not an artist. This is not an anti-critic rant; just an observation I've made from reading both sides of the equation.

extended scenes already in the origial cut.......2007-06-18

5 stars for better picture quality. Very clean picture quality. Great sound mix.
3 stars for the new cut. Prefer the original cut.
2 stars since the deleted scences are already in the original cut
1 star... No new features. Missing commentary.

One of my favorite movies.......2007-06-17

This is an all around outstanding film. The script is great, the acting is great. The scenery and costumes all feel very real. It's a violent subject (and not one I normally like for a movie) but the film makes you feel for the characters, especially Donnie Brasco/Joe Pistone. And, even though he's the bad guy and I know he got what he deserved, I couldn't help but feel something for Lefty Guns, too.

The film interested me so much that I bought both the book that it was based on and Joe Pistone's follow up book, "Unfinished Business." I highly recommend both of them. Joe Pistone is a true American hero.

GREAT MOVIE!!!!.......2007-06-13

LOVED THIS FILM.IT IS TRULY A MASTERPEICE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE.

Donnie rules! Three thumbs up........2007-05-17

It's a good freakin' film, fuhgedaboudit! If you love Goodfellas, you'll really like Donnie Brasco.

Average customer rating:

Yes, yes, yes...
A victory for Peter Sellers
brillant writing
A Masterpiece
Sweet Satire

Being There
Starring: Ruth Attaway , Richard Basehart , Fran Brill , Alfredine P. Brown , and Oteil Burbridge
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000056WRD
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Product Description

Peter Sellers triumphs in his Award-winning role as an illiterate gardener hilariously catapulted into the fast lane of political power. Shirley McLaine and Academy Award(R) winner Melvyn Douglas co-star. Year: 1979 Director: Hal Ashby Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Thanks to an extraordinary, delicately balanced performance by Peter Sellers, Being There received mixed reviews during its theatrical release in 1979, but has since become a celebrated comedy with a loyal following. It's one of the most unusual black comedies ever made, simply because it stretches a simple premise over 130 minutes of straight-faced, strangely compelling commentary on politics, media, and celebrity in media-savvy America. Adapted by Jerzy Kozinsky from his own novel, the movie's about a simple-minded, middle-aged gardener who, after a lifetime of seclusion and safety in a Washington, D.C. townhouse, gets his first exposure to reality beyond the walls of his sheltered existence. His only reference to the world is through his childlike addiction to television, and when a chance encounter brings him into the inner fold of a dying billionaire (Melvyn Douglas), he suddenly finds himself the toast of Washington's political elite. His simple phrases about gardening are misinterpreted as anything from economic predictions to sage political advice, and under the sharp direction of Hal Ashby, Sellers has the audacity to take this comedic conceit to its logical extreme. Being There is not for all tastes--especially not for those who don't appreciate comedic subtlety. But as a showcase for the daring genius of Peter Sellers, this is a classic movie in a category all its own. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Yes, yes, yes..........2007-07-04

I can't believe it but somehow this movie got right by me, and today, 07/04/07 I finally caught the dvd.

A masterpiece, and Sellers at his finest. I wept, I smiled, and I loved...I expect that's what they all had in mind.

The dvd has its choppy, clinky moments but one can overlook them...

A victory for Peter Sellers.......2007-06-20

After learning the Biography of Peter Sellers, I think I understand why he wanted to do this odd ball comedy, that sort of mocked his real life, or how he felt about it. While it was meant to be part of the subtle humor in the end, that Chauncy Gardener (really Chance) was being consider as a presidential candidate, that humor rather became a bad joke which maybe helps explain how a young Bush could get into office.

I loved Sellers as the fumbling chief inspector, who was a genius playing a fool mistaken for a genius, where our commander in chief would be.... Well, I was glad Amazon had this movie. It's meaning is somewhat deeper I think, if you also know more of Sellers' biography, or so that's my take on it, and why I gladly bought it.

brillant writing.......2007-06-15

BRILLIANT writing and food for thought in this crazy mixed up world of ours. Refreshing, fun, hilarious and thought provoking. A must have.

A Masterpiece.......2007-06-13

Jerzy Kozinski's brilliant novel is brought to life in a nearly flawless adaptation. Peter Sellers' finest moment as an actor comes about by his playing a completely blank slate, a man who makes no decisions himself, but rather floats along the river of life, periodically spewing quotes and catchphrases he's gleamed from television, all the while being mistaken for a messianic genius by all who encounter him.

One could argue about what the true meaning of the film is. Is Chance someone to look up to? A sort of idiot-savant guru?
Or is he merely a comic foil used to bring to light the foolishness associated with "cults of personality"? A disgusting byproduct of a media-saturated culture?

Either way, the film is a treasure.

Sweet Satire.......2007-06-07

Peter Sellers stars as Chance, a learning disabled man who is evicted by lawyers from his landlord's estate after his benefactor dies. Simple, yet dignified, his only recourse is to leave with nothing but his umbrella and a suitcase with his sparest belongings. He comes across tough neighborhoods asking people for food and a place to stay with a garden until he has a minor accident where a limousine backs up into his leg. Passenger Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine) is so taken in by him, she offers to bring him to a hospital. Seeming so innocent, she takes him instead to their estate where her husband tycoon, Ben (Melvyn Douglas) is bedridden with a blood disease often associated with children. Knowing nothing much more than what he sees on television and his own gardening skills, Chance (renamed Chauncey Gardener by his own conversational mishaps) talks about seasons and gardening growth until he meets the President of the United States (Jack Warden) who visits Ben seeking his economic advice. Once able to impress the President, everyone (including a television audience) thinks they're hearing profound financial advice from an inside man. In the meantime, Eve becomes infatuated with someone whom she only half knows to rejuvenate her life from her older, sick husband; while the rest of the world tries to figure out the identity of this new, stellar personality.

`Being There' is so sweet it takes off any of the cynical edge of the satire. Hardly plausible, the actors and script do well enough to suspend our disbelief, nevertheless. The movie is quirky and innovative for its time. Afterall, when the world waits to hear each work (literally) uttered from Chance's mouth, we know that they had first dibs before 'Forrest Gump'. Shirley MacLaine and Peter Sellers show a diversity in their acting range that is genuine and refreshing.

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