The Love Bug (Special Edition)

Starring:Dean Jones, Michele Lee, David Tomlinson, Buddy Hackett, Joe Flynn, Benson Fong, Andy Granatelli, Joe E. Ross, Iris Adrian, Ned Glass, Robert Foulk, Gil Lamb, Barry Kelley, Nicole Jaffe, Wally Boag, Russ Caldwell, Max Balchowsky, Peter Renaday, Brian Fong, Alan Fordney
Director: Robert Stevenson
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This savvy Disney hit from 1969 made a star of a Volkswagen precisely when the car was becoming more popular than ever. Dean Jones and Michele Lee head the cast in a story about a VW bug with a mind of its own. Disney point man Robert Stevenson, director of The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, and lots of other Disney live-action hits, makes the slapstick work perfectly and keeps the laughs coming. Buddy Hackett is very funny in a supporting role. --Tom Keogh
Description
For the first time ever you can enjoy this timeless classic in a Special Edition DVD. Fully restored to look and sound as it was originally intended, it also features hours of exclusive bonus materials your entire family will enjoy again and again. He's the star who provides the most laughs per gallon. He's Herbie, the lovable car with a mind of his own. Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett join Herbie in this revved-up comedy classic. Jones plays down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas, who reluctantly teams up with the little machine. Douglas thinks his sudden winning streak is due to his skill, not Herbie's. He finally realizes the car's worth when a sneaky rival plots to steal Herbie for himself. But it's Herbie who'll steal your heart in this wildly fun roller-coaster ride of a movie you'll never forget!
Average customer rating:
- Kids AND Husband Love it!!!!
- Awesome Collection - must have for any VW freak!
- Terrific movie
- THE FIRST IS THE BEST ALL IN GOOD FUN
- My kids love Herbie!
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Herbie the Love Bug Collection (The Love Bug/Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo/Herbie Goes Bananas/Herbie Rides Again)
Starring: Dean Jones , Michele Lee , David Tomlinson , Buddy Hackett , and Joe Flynn
Director: Robert Stevenson , and Vincent McEveety
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:
- Herbie - Fully Loaded
- The Apple Dumpling Gang (Special Edition)
- The Absent-Minded Professor (Widescreen Edition)
- The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
- The Shaggy Dog (Wild & Woolly Edition)
ASIN: B0001XAPVK
Release Date: 2004-06-01 |
Amazon.com
This savvy Disney hit from 1969 made a star of a Volkswagen precisely when the car was becoming more popular than ever. Dean Jones and Michele Lee head the cast in a story about a VW bug with a mind of its own. Disney point man Robert Stevenson, director of The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, and lots of other Disney live-action hits, makes the slapstick work perfectly and keeps the laughs coming. Buddy Hackett is very funny in a supporting role.
The first sequel, Herbie Rides Again (1974), is similar enough to the first film's charm and raucous comedy that it works on its own. Neither Dean Jones nor Michelle Lee are back, but a nice cast of familiar pros (including Disney vet Ken Berry) keeps things moving along slickly. The story finds Herbie helping Helen Hayes--yes, the First Lady of the American Theater--keep out of the clutches of Keenan Wynn's villain.
Dean Jones came back to the fold for this third lap around the block, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), which finds him racing in the famed city while thieves plant a stolen diamond in Herbie's gas tank. The plot is forced and conventional, but the cast is the thing: the excitable Don Knotts (The Apple Dumpling Gang) and the tormentable Roy Kinnear (Mr. Salt from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) are good men to have in a potboiler such as this.
The fourth movie, Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), is a wooden story about Herbie's funny adventures heading toward a race in Brazil. Charles Martin Smith and Steven W. Burns try hard to bring some life into this project, but it just doesn't happen. There is one good laugh in the whole thing, in a scene where Herbie becomes a matador. Otherwise, even the picturesque, south-of-the-border stuff doesn't help. Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman star. --Tom Keogh
Description
Herbie Goes Bananas - English/Spanish DVD- Set in exotic locations in Central America, the internationally renowned Herbie, everyone's favorite "love bug," demonstrates his special brand of "car-isma" and high-octane humor in this action-packed, stunt-filled comedy outing. The fun begins when Herbie sets sail for Rio de Janeiro's Grande Premio racing competition with his two new owners. En route, they get sidetracked by a smuggling syndicate, pestered by a pint-sized pickpocket, and bullied by a raging bull. Laughter shifts into high gear in this zany Disney comedy! Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo - DVD- Herbie, the VW with heart, adds some international flair to his lovable personality! Upon entering a Paris-to-Monte Carlo road race, Herbie falls hood over wheels in love when he encounters a sleek, sporty, light blue Lancia. Also vying for Herbie's attention is a gang of jewel thieves, who've ingeniously hidden a stolen gem in Herbie's gas tank! Thus begins a madcap chase across the French countryside that only The Love Bug could create! Herbie Rides Again - DVD- Herbie is back in gear -- revved up and ready for more madcap comedy adventure in this sidesplitting sequel to Disney's popular smash hit, THE LOVE BUG! This time Herbie's leading lady is award-winning actress Helen Hayes, superb in the very first screen comedy of her illustrious career. Aided by co-stars Ken Berry and Stefanie Powers, she's out to save her beloved Victorian firehouse home from the wrecking ball of greedy real estate tycoon Keenan Wynn, Disney's most lovable villain. It's up to Herbie and his bug battalion to "come through in the clutch"! Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a really great time! The Love Bug - DVD Special Edition- For the first time ever you can enjoy this timeless classic in a Special Edition DVD. Fully restored to look and sound as it was originally intended, it also features hours of exclusive bonus materials your entire family will enjoy again and again. He's the star who provides the most laughs per gallon. He's Herbie, the lovable car with a mind of his own. Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett join Herbie in this revved-up comedy classic. Jones plays down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas, who reluctantly teams up with the little machine. Douglas thinks his sudden winning streak is due to his skill, not Herbie's. He finally realizes the car's worth when a sneaky rival plots to steal Herbie for himself. But it's Herbie who'll steal your heart in this wildly fun roller-coaster ride of a movie you'll never forget!
Customer Reviews:
Kids AND Husband Love it!!!!.......2007-07-03
We bought this as a combined birthday present for our kids...they just love Herbie! These movies have already given hours of laughter through our home!!! Great FAMILY movies! Not too many of those out there today!
Awesome Collection - must have for any VW freak!.......2007-05-25
Love the original and Monte Carlo!
Much peace.
BRING OUT TROOPS HOME NOW!!
Terrific movie.......2007-03-26
This movie is much better than the re-makes with that insufferable Lindsey Lohan. The oldies are still the best!
THE FIRST IS THE BEST ALL IN GOOD FUN.......2007-03-25
The Love Bug is a very entertaining Disney Comedy and the 2 disc special edition which is included in this box set is excellent. The other three sequels are not as good, but still good family entertainment. If you find the box set at a fair prce,buy it.The Transfers aren't bad,but they could be better.
My kids love Herbie!.......2007-03-08
Nothing better than watching movies from my childhood with my children. They love Herbie!
Average customer rating:
- This car has a heart
- "Without a real car, I'm only half a man."
- 53 Is a Lovable Little Car
- One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions
- Herbie's back
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The Love Bug (Special Edition)
Starring: Dean Jones , Michele Lee , David Tomlinson , Buddy Hackett , and Joe Flynn
Director: Robert Stevenson
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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Similar Items:
- Herbie Rides Again
- The Absent-Minded Professor (Widescreen Edition)
- Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
- That Darn Cat!
- Herbie Goes Bananas
ASIN: B000096IAH
Release Date: 2003-05-20 |
Amazon.com
This savvy Disney hit from 1969 made a star of a Volkswagen precisely when the car was becoming more popular than ever. Dean Jones and Michele Lee head the cast in a story about a VW bug with a mind of its own. Disney point man Robert Stevenson, director of The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, and lots of other Disney live-action hits, makes the slapstick work perfectly and keeps the laughs coming. Buddy Hackett is very funny in a supporting role. --Tom Keogh
Description
For the first time ever you can enjoy this timeless classic in a Special Edition DVD. Fully restored to look and sound as it was originally intended, it also features hours of exclusive bonus materials your entire family will enjoy again and again. He's the star who provides the most laughs per gallon. He's Herbie, the lovable car with a mind of his own. Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett join Herbie in this revved-up comedy classic. Jones plays down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas, who reluctantly teams up with the little machine. Douglas thinks his sudden winning streak is due to his skill, not Herbie's. He finally realizes the car's worth when a sneaky rival plots to steal Herbie for himself. But it's Herbie who'll steal your heart in this wildly fun roller-coaster ride of a movie you'll never forget!
Customer Reviews:
This car has a heart.......2007-05-28
This loveable little car doesn't look like the cars today. The movie is
like The Scavenger Hunt non stop laughter!!!!
A must for the whole family!
"Without a real car, I'm only half a man.".......2007-03-19
Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is an aging race car driver who hasn't had much luck in recent years. He keeps wrecking cars and loosing sponsors. Walking by the show room of a specialized dealership, he notices the beautiful secretary, Carole Bennett (Michele Lee) hanging a sign and decides to go inside and flirt a little. Their conversation is interrupted at first by Ms. Bennett's boss, Mr. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) and then by a little Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan. Mr. Thorndyke verbally abuses the little car, but Jim sticks up for it. Unbeknownst to everyone, the little car has a head and heart of its own and follows Jim home. His partner and mechanic, Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) immediately falls in love with the car and names him Herbie (in real life the screenwriters took the name Herbie from one of Hackett's comedy routines so it was right that he bestowed the name Herbie upon the car). Jim soon discovers that Herbie isn't like a typically car and eventually enters some races with Herbie and starts winning again. Things start looking up, but Jim's pride and vanity get in the way and threaten to ruin everything, including his racing career and his budding romance with Carole.
I never saw THE LOVE BUG when it was first released in theatres. I wasn't even born, yet. I do know that at an early age in an era before cable and VCRs my brother and I happened to see the Herbie movies and fell in love with the cute little car. THE LOVE BUG was made at a very interesting time, both at Walt Disney and the world at large. Originally released in 1969, the film became the highest grossing movie of that year. Walt himself had died just a few years before and there were many at the time who questioned whether the studio would be able to survive intact. THE LOVE BUG was one of those films that seemed to show the world that even though the founder and creator was dead, his dream would go on. The film represents everything good that Walt Disney tried to portray in all of his movies. For example, that the best things in life don't necessarily come in the biggest and brightest packages, that even though life is difficult you shouldn't give up hope, and that love is a very powerful force of good. It's not hard to see why people flocked to the movie. Just a year before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated and Chicago erupted in a riot at the Democratic National Convention. People were tired of seeing dark and dreary things. Went they went to the movies they didn't just want to escape. They wanted to be told stories that filled them light, hope, and love.
In the post-modern era we have inherited and are continuing to build, pictures like THE LOVE BUG can be overlooked and thrown to the side for being too innocent. As a whole, we've become much more jaded and cynical and that's not really a good thing.
I like THE LOVE BUG because of those things and I wish filmmakers would make more pictures like it now and again. The world's a dark enough place already. It'd be nice to watch a light-hearted family comedy now and again that wasn't just escapist fare, but reminded us of the best things in life.
Film-buffs should see THE LOVE BUG for a variety of reasons. Besides being the #1 grossing film of 1969 the film is notable for its contribution to the film industry in special effects. THE LOVE BUG was created in an era were there was no such thing as CGI. All of the special effects in THE LOVE BUG were done the old fashioned way and it is amazing how well done they are. These effects might seem old and outdated by a child raised by computer-graphics, but in the era that the film was released the special effects are extraordinary.
THE LOVE BUG Special Edition is a great DVD to own, especially if you are fans of the film. There are two discs all total. On the first disc, in addition to the usual commentary (in this case with Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, and Buddy Hackett), there is a short Disney cartoon entitled "Susie--the Little Blue Coupe". This cartoon is a delight to watch and was in the inspiration for the characters in the Pixar film CARS.
The second disc is loaded with special features. There are several featurettes including "That Lovable Bug", "The Many Lives of Herbie", "Herbie Mania", and "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie". "That Lovable Bug" is my favorite of these featurettes. It's basically a documentary about the making of THE LOVE BUG, including interviews with Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett. "The Many Lives of Herbie" is a run-through of how Herbie changed throughout the various films he has been a part (excluded is HERBIE FULLY LOADED which was released after this DVD was made). "Herbie Mania" is basically a long interview with a couple of guys who own their own Herbie recreations, one that is complete with oil spills and doors that open automatically. "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie" is more or less a combination of information included in other special features that ends by showing where the first trick Herbie now resides. A couple other extras I enjoyed were a "Behind the Scenes" promo that had been culled together from archived footage and "Love Bug Day at Disneyland" which is archived footage of the Love Bug Day that was held at Disneyland in 1969; it must have been incredibly difficult to choose a winning entry from all the cars that were there that day. I also enjoyed "The Man Who Gave Herbie His Voice" which is a documentary tribute to Jimmy McDonald, the sound effect supervisor on THE LOVE BUG and countless other Disney films and shorts. Other extras include the 1969 Disney Studio Album, production gallery, deleted scenes that were never shot, the theatrical trailer, radio spots, two sound studio exercises, production stills, a comic book, biographies of the film's main actors and director, publicity documents, and an excerpt from the screenplay.
53 Is a Lovable Little Car.......2007-02-13
1968 was a great year for Dean Jones. He starred in "Blackbeard's Ghost," followed that up with "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit," and finished with a movie where he really shined, "The Love Bug." Perhaps no one told Mr. Jones that the real star of this movie was a Volkswagen Beetle.
Jim Douglas (Jones) is a race car driver. Unfortunately, he is a washed up race car driver who has a hard time recognizing that he is washed up. Jim's life changes when he wanders into a car showroom that caters to foreign luxury cars, just after seeing a pair of beautiful legs belonging to Carole Bennett (Michele Lee, who has been a fixture on television for decades, including a regular role on "Knott's Landing").
Jim wanders around the showroom looking at cars that he is unable to afford when a Beetle nuzzles his leg. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson, perhaps best known as Mr. Banks in "Mary Poppins" and Mr. Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks") is anxious to get rid of the little car and makes Jim a deal he is unable to refuse.
At first, it seems as though the little car is just one more in a series of disasters in Jim's life. However, Jim's friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett, "The Music Man," "The Little Mermaid" and "The Little Mermaid II") quickly recognizes there is something special about the little car. Jim begins winning races with the little car, which Tennessee names after a relative. Unfortunately for Jim, some of the races he wins are against Peter Thorndyke, who decides he wants the car back.
The climax of the movie is a race through the mountains and deserts of the West as Herbie the Love Bug races his heart out trying to save Jim and himself.
Disney specializes in movies about lovable characters, and Disney hit gold with "The Love Bug." Disney's special effects team gave Herbie a lot of character. Herbie is like an intelligent and lovable dog with wheels and enough horsepower to pop wheelies. The choices of Buddy Hackett and of Michele Lee were brilliant because they were so natural in their roles. Even Dean Jones was a good pick for this movie.
The comedy in this movie ranges from subtle humor to outrageous slapstick. Most of the comedy works. This family movie is one of those rare movies that every member of the family will find amusing.
This edition of "The Love Bug" is the best edition available. The movie has been restored and is in wide screen. One of the extras is an audio commentary that includes the late Buddy Hackett. This DVD also has a second disk that includes a cornucopia of information about the lovable little car. This DVD is a requirement for fans of this movie.
Enjoy!
One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions.......2007-02-10
I am so glad the Disney studios took the time to diversify their resume apart from animation, cute cuddly creatures, and musicals. They were honestly on a roll there almost more so with Haley Mills and Annette Funiciello at the helm. Dean Jones was another Disney favorite, aside from his Ugly Dachsund days, with this comedy classic that struck gold for the Disney Studios. This movie moves like it was made from the concrete that helps move the lively volkswagon. (Thank God, it didn't talk). It didn't have to, the bug had absolute body language like one's most favorite pet. The storyline does not waste a moment, and begins to the very end, or should I say, the finishing line. Everything in this movie works, and the suttle scenes where the confused love bug takes a quick jolt by bouncing off of things, or gets drunk from being fed irish coffee, is not just added comedy, but is an actual part of the story. Good work for the Disney clan of movie inventors, and great to see these products available on DVD. The next generations have plenty to look forward to from Disney!
Herbie's back.......2007-01-12
My kids loved the new Herbie movie, so I thought we'd try some classic Herbie. They love this movie, even though the special effects are not quite what they're used to these days :-)
Average customer rating:
- Forget the Book!
- A Sizeable Disappointment
- Suprisingly Good
- "Here's rule number one - you better not squirt."
- Unusual, Dark Comedy
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Skipped Parts
Starring: Drew Barrymore , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Mischa Barton , Bug Hall , and Brad Renfro
Director: Tamra Davis
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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Similar Items:
- Tart
- Lawn Dogs
- Happy Campers (Ws Sub)
- Doppelganger
- Far From Home
ASIN: B00005BCP5
Release Date: 2001-06-26 |
Amazon.com
A gentle, oddly idealistic script and assured performances by a strong ensemble cast make this coming-of-age tale a standout. Skipped Parts is the story of Sam, a young would-be writer, and his free-spirited mother. Shipped off to the wilds of Wyoming by his embarrassed politician-grandfather, Sam (Bug Hall) and his mother Lydia (Jennifer Jason Leigh, clearly enjoying herself) get down to the business of getting to know and shocking the locals. Sam meets kindred spirit Maurey (Mischa Barton), and the two, though only 14, begin to experiment with sex--the "skipped parts" of the novels they've been reading. Hall and Barton give astonishingly good performances for such young actors--Barton in particular shows a poise that bodes well for her continued career. The script isn't perfect, but it is earnest and affectionate toward its characters, and that goes a long way. Watch for Drew Barrymore, who joins in the fun for a few quietly silly moments as Sam's dream girl. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
Forget the Book!.......2005-10-25
Why do people insist on comparing movies with books? Do they compare music with paintings? Sculpture with poetry? Of course not. And movies should not be compared with books, either. They are two different mediums, with entirely different modes of personal interaction. The act of reading a book is completely different from that of watching a movie. So the minute you read a review that compares a book with a movie, run! Any such comparision is irrelevant, even if a movie is based on a book (or vice versa).
That said, this is a startling and surprising movie. It is well-acted, and tells a compelling story. It is easy to follow, the plot moves along well, and the characters are interesting enough to make you care about them.
So don't worry if you read the book or not, the movie stands on it's own as a worthy film.
A Sizeable Disappointment.......2005-09-16
Like most people who made the effort to see this movie, I read Tim Sandlin's book and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Unfortunately for this movie, Sandlin is a far better novelist than screenwriter.
The film is disjointed, awkward, and hard to follow. It quickly hops from one important moment of the book to another, allowing almost no time to understand the characters and their motivations or appreciate the bizarre circumstances of the story.
The casting isn't bad-- a prepubescent Mischa Barton was a fine choice (a hysterical one for fans of the O.C.), and Jennifer Jason Leigh is also respectable, although she doesn't fit her character's physical description-- but that doesn't nearly make up for the film's jumpy direction and half-baked plot.
In sum, this is a dissatisfying and substandard film. Undoubtedly, the subject matter is better suited for a novel, and Sandlin's humor and talents are better utilized there.
Read his books. Avoid this movie.
Suprisingly Good.......2005-02-21
I saw this movie on the Women's channel Oxygen, which of course deletes certain parts concerning sex or anything like that. I thought it was "good", not "great", but not "bad". Mischa Barton and Bug Hall...what an interesting combination eh? I would buy it, it was good, I would watch it if it were a rainy day though.
"Here's rule number one - you better not squirt.".......2004-06-07
"Skipped Parts" takes place in 1963. It is narrated by Sam (Bug Hall), a seventh-grader, and aspiring writer. He doesn't know who his father is because his mother, Lydia (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a promiscuous lush. Sam's Grandfather sends them away, with his financial support, so he won't be embarrassed by her when he runs for Governor of South Carolina.
They end up in Wyoming, where Sam meets Maurey (Mischa Barton) during a school baseball game. They argue about Mark Twain in class. Shortly after, Maurey and her mom (Peggy Lipton) do a neighborly visit - the Welcome Wagon. Lydia is embarrassingly rude to them. Later, Sam tells his mom he thinks he's in love with Maurey cuz he can't stand her. Sam gets teased and hassled by girls in school, and also by Maurey's boyfriend, Dothan (Brad Renfro). On November 22, 1963, Kennedy is shot. Maurey is very upset and cries, and Sam consoles her. Dothan makes some racist remarks, and Maurey and Sam go to her house. In another fantasy, Sam kisses Maurey's mom. He has a resulting nocturnal emission and shows his mom. Later, Sam tells Maurey about it at the soda shop, and she talks to a waitress about sex. Maurey later shows up to "make sex" with Sam as a learning experience. They try but fail in a funny scene. Later, Lydia gives them a sex talk and advice. Maurey inevitably gets pregnant, and after some initial reluctance, Sam seems happy as a father.
The movie is well-acted by all. There is quite a bit of humor, too. The movie is R-Rated for language, which includes frank sexual talk, and sexual content. However, the sex scenes involving Sam and Maurey are tame and mostly set up by the dialog, which is quite funny. This is probably Mischa's best movie after "Lawn Dogs". Drew Barrymore has a small part in Sam's fantasies.
The movie only skims the book, which has more sex-related and bodypart-related dialog.
The DVD has a good commentary by director Tamra Davis, and a trailer.
Unusual, Dark Comedy.......2004-05-04
Picked this DVD up at the library, believe it or not. Sounded interesting. Had NOT read the book, so we were able to take it at face value.
My husband and I found ourselves laughing and getting into the lives of these quirky characters, even though they had very little for us to identify with. Jennifer Jason Leigh was very good, as were Mischa Barton and Bug Hall.
The best part of this movie was the scenic views of Wyoming countryside. Okay, I read that it was actually filmed in Canada. But they did do a good job of presenting the natural side of their area.
Overall, this was a good movie, although not in my Top 20 favorites. Worth watching, especially if you can check it out for free from the library.
By the way, I know nothing about this, but apparently there is another movie (a prequel, at that) with the same characters from the trilogy by Tim Sandlin: it is called Floating Away. Not sure if I would see that one or not...
Average customer rating:
- This car has a heart
- "Without a real car, I'm only half a man."
- 53 Is a Lovable Little Car
- One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions
- Herbie's back
|
The Love Bug [Region 2]
Starring: Dean Jones , Michele Lee , David Tomlinson , Buddy Hackett , and Joe Flynn
Director: Robert Stevenson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
German
| By Original Language
| Art House & International
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Similar Items:
- Herbie Rides Again
- The Absent-Minded Professor (Widescreen Edition)
- Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
- That Darn Cat!
- Herbie Goes Bananas
ASIN: B00005AXKB |
Amazon.com
This savvy Disney hit from 1969 made a star of a Volkswagen precisely when the car was becoming more popular than ever. Dean Jones and Michele Lee head the cast in a story about a VW bug with a mind of its own. Disney point man Robert Stevenson, director of The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, and lots of other Disney live-action hits, makes the slapstick work perfectly and keeps the laughs coming. Buddy Hackett is very funny in a supporting role. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
This car has a heart.......2007-05-28
This loveable little car doesn't look like the cars today. The movie is
like The Scavenger Hunt non stop laughter!!!!
A must for the whole family!
"Without a real car, I'm only half a man.".......2007-03-19
Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is an aging race car driver who hasn't had much luck in recent years. He keeps wrecking cars and loosing sponsors. Walking by the show room of a specialized dealership, he notices the beautiful secretary, Carole Bennett (Michele Lee) hanging a sign and decides to go inside and flirt a little. Their conversation is interrupted at first by Ms. Bennett's boss, Mr. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) and then by a little Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan. Mr. Thorndyke verbally abuses the little car, but Jim sticks up for it. Unbeknownst to everyone, the little car has a head and heart of its own and follows Jim home. His partner and mechanic, Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) immediately falls in love with the car and names him Herbie (in real life the screenwriters took the name Herbie from one of Hackett's comedy routines so it was right that he bestowed the name Herbie upon the car). Jim soon discovers that Herbie isn't like a typically car and eventually enters some races with Herbie and starts winning again. Things start looking up, but Jim's pride and vanity get in the way and threaten to ruin everything, including his racing career and his budding romance with Carole.
I never saw THE LOVE BUG when it was first released in theatres. I wasn't even born, yet. I do know that at an early age in an era before cable and VCRs my brother and I happened to see the Herbie movies and fell in love with the cute little car. THE LOVE BUG was made at a very interesting time, both at Walt Disney and the world at large. Originally released in 1969, the film became the highest grossing movie of that year. Walt himself had died just a few years before and there were many at the time who questioned whether the studio would be able to survive intact. THE LOVE BUG was one of those films that seemed to show the world that even though the founder and creator was dead, his dream would go on. The film represents everything good that Walt Disney tried to portray in all of his movies. For example, that the best things in life don't necessarily come in the biggest and brightest packages, that even though life is difficult you shouldn't give up hope, and that love is a very powerful force of good. It's not hard to see why people flocked to the movie. Just a year before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated and Chicago erupted in a riot at the Democratic National Convention. People were tired of seeing dark and dreary things. Went they went to the movies they didn't just want to escape. They wanted to be told stories that filled them light, hope, and love.
In the post-modern era we have inherited and are continuing to build, pictures like THE LOVE BUG can be overlooked and thrown to the side for being too innocent. As a whole, we've become much more jaded and cynical and that's not really a good thing.
I like THE LOVE BUG because of those things and I wish filmmakers would make more pictures like it now and again. The world's a dark enough place already. It'd be nice to watch a light-hearted family comedy now and again that wasn't just escapist fare, but reminded us of the best things in life.
Film-buffs should see THE LOVE BUG for a variety of reasons. Besides being the #1 grossing film of 1969 the film is notable for its contribution to the film industry in special effects. THE LOVE BUG was created in an era were there was no such thing as CGI. All of the special effects in THE LOVE BUG were done the old fashioned way and it is amazing how well done they are. These effects might seem old and outdated by a child raised by computer-graphics, but in the era that the film was released the special effects are extraordinary.
THE LOVE BUG Special Edition is a great DVD to own, especially if you are fans of the film. There are two discs all total. On the first disc, in addition to the usual commentary (in this case with Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, and Buddy Hackett), there is a short Disney cartoon entitled "Susie--the Little Blue Coupe". This cartoon is a delight to watch and was in the inspiration for the characters in the Pixar film CARS.
The second disc is loaded with special features. There are several featurettes including "That Lovable Bug", "The Many Lives of Herbie", "Herbie Mania", and "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie". "That Lovable Bug" is my favorite of these featurettes. It's basically a documentary about the making of THE LOVE BUG, including interviews with Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett. "The Many Lives of Herbie" is a run-through of how Herbie changed throughout the various films he has been a part (excluded is HERBIE FULLY LOADED which was released after this DVD was made). "Herbie Mania" is basically a long interview with a couple of guys who own their own Herbie recreations, one that is complete with oil spills and doors that open automatically. "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie" is more or less a combination of information included in other special features that ends by showing where the first trick Herbie now resides. A couple other extras I enjoyed were a "Behind the Scenes" promo that had been culled together from archived footage and "Love Bug Day at Disneyland" which is archived footage of the Love Bug Day that was held at Disneyland in 1969; it must have been incredibly difficult to choose a winning entry from all the cars that were there that day. I also enjoyed "The Man Who Gave Herbie His Voice" which is a documentary tribute to Jimmy McDonald, the sound effect supervisor on THE LOVE BUG and countless other Disney films and shorts. Other extras include the 1969 Disney Studio Album, production gallery, deleted scenes that were never shot, the theatrical trailer, radio spots, two sound studio exercises, production stills, a comic book, biographies of the film's main actors and director, publicity documents, and an excerpt from the screenplay.
53 Is a Lovable Little Car.......2007-02-13
1968 was a great year for Dean Jones. He starred in "Blackbeard's Ghost," followed that up with "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit," and finished with a movie where he really shined, "The Love Bug." Perhaps no one told Mr. Jones that the real star of this movie was a Volkswagen Beetle.
Jim Douglas (Jones) is a race car driver. Unfortunately, he is a washed up race car driver who has a hard time recognizing that he is washed up. Jim's life changes when he wanders into a car showroom that caters to foreign luxury cars, just after seeing a pair of beautiful legs belonging to Carole Bennett (Michele Lee, who has been a fixture on television for decades, including a regular role on "Knott's Landing").
Jim wanders around the showroom looking at cars that he is unable to afford when a Beetle nuzzles his leg. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson, perhaps best known as Mr. Banks in "Mary Poppins" and Mr. Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks") is anxious to get rid of the little car and makes Jim a deal he is unable to refuse.
At first, it seems as though the little car is just one more in a series of disasters in Jim's life. However, Jim's friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett, "The Music Man," "The Little Mermaid" and "The Little Mermaid II") quickly recognizes there is something special about the little car. Jim begins winning races with the little car, which Tennessee names after a relative. Unfortunately for Jim, some of the races he wins are against Peter Thorndyke, who decides he wants the car back.
The climax of the movie is a race through the mountains and deserts of the West as Herbie the Love Bug races his heart out trying to save Jim and himself.
Disney specializes in movies about lovable characters, and Disney hit gold with "The Love Bug." Disney's special effects team gave Herbie a lot of character. Herbie is like an intelligent and lovable dog with wheels and enough horsepower to pop wheelies. The choices of Buddy Hackett and of Michele Lee were brilliant because they were so natural in their roles. Even Dean Jones was a good pick for this movie.
The comedy in this movie ranges from subtle humor to outrageous slapstick. Most of the comedy works. This family movie is one of those rare movies that every member of the family will find amusing.
This edition of "The Love Bug" is the best edition available. The movie has been restored and is in wide screen. One of the extras is an audio commentary that includes the late Buddy Hackett. This DVD also has a second disk that includes a cornucopia of information about the lovable little car. This DVD is a requirement for fans of this movie.
Enjoy!
One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions.......2007-02-10
I am so glad the Disney studios took the time to diversify their resume apart from animation, cute cuddly creatures, and musicals. They were honestly on a roll there almost more so with Haley Mills and Annette Funiciello at the helm. Dean Jones was another Disney favorite, aside from his Ugly Dachsund days, with this comedy classic that struck gold for the Disney Studios. This movie moves like it was made from the concrete that helps move the lively volkswagon. (Thank God, it didn't talk). It didn't have to, the bug had absolute body language like one's most favorite pet. The storyline does not waste a moment, and begins to the very end, or should I say, the finishing line. Everything in this movie works, and the suttle scenes where the confused love bug takes a quick jolt by bouncing off of things, or gets drunk from being fed irish coffee, is not just added comedy, but is an actual part of the story. Good work for the Disney clan of movie inventors, and great to see these products available on DVD. The next generations have plenty to look forward to from Disney!
Herbie's back.......2007-01-12
My kids loved the new Herbie movie, so I thought we'd try some classic Herbie. They love this movie, even though the special effects are not quite what they're used to these days :-)
Average customer rating:
- This car has a heart
- "Without a real car, I'm only half a man."
- 53 Is a Lovable Little Car
- One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions
- Herbie's back
|
The Love Bug [Region 2]
Starring: Dean Jones , Michele Lee , David Tomlinson , Buddy Hackett , and Joe Flynn
Director: Robert Stevenson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Adrian, Iris
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| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Flynn, Joe
| ( F )
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Fong, Benson
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Hackett, Buddy
| ( H )
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Jones, Dean
| ( J )
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Lee, Michele
| ( L )
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Ross, Joe E
| ( R )
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| DVD
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Tomlinson, David
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Similar Items:
- Herbie Rides Again
- The Absent-Minded Professor (Widescreen Edition)
- Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
- That Darn Cat!
- Herbie Goes Bananas
ASIN: B00004RYOA |
Amazon.com
This savvy Disney hit from 1969 made a star of a Volkswagen precisely when the car was becoming more popular than ever. Dean Jones and Michele Lee head the cast in a story about a VW bug with a mind of its own. Disney point man Robert Stevenson, director of The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, and lots of other Disney live-action hits, makes the slapstick work perfectly and keeps the laughs coming. Buddy Hackett is very funny in a supporting role. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
This car has a heart.......2007-05-28
This loveable little car doesn't look like the cars today. The movie is
like The Scavenger Hunt non stop laughter!!!!
A must for the whole family!
"Without a real car, I'm only half a man.".......2007-03-19
Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is an aging race car driver who hasn't had much luck in recent years. He keeps wrecking cars and loosing sponsors. Walking by the show room of a specialized dealership, he notices the beautiful secretary, Carole Bennett (Michele Lee) hanging a sign and decides to go inside and flirt a little. Their conversation is interrupted at first by Ms. Bennett's boss, Mr. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) and then by a little Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan. Mr. Thorndyke verbally abuses the little car, but Jim sticks up for it. Unbeknownst to everyone, the little car has a head and heart of its own and follows Jim home. His partner and mechanic, Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) immediately falls in love with the car and names him Herbie (in real life the screenwriters took the name Herbie from one of Hackett's comedy routines so it was right that he bestowed the name Herbie upon the car). Jim soon discovers that Herbie isn't like a typically car and eventually enters some races with Herbie and starts winning again. Things start looking up, but Jim's pride and vanity get in the way and threaten to ruin everything, including his racing career and his budding romance with Carole.
I never saw THE LOVE BUG when it was first released in theatres. I wasn't even born, yet. I do know that at an early age in an era before cable and VCRs my brother and I happened to see the Herbie movies and fell in love with the cute little car. THE LOVE BUG was made at a very interesting time, both at Walt Disney and the world at large. Originally released in 1969, the film became the highest grossing movie of that year. Walt himself had died just a few years before and there were many at the time who questioned whether the studio would be able to survive intact. THE LOVE BUG was one of those films that seemed to show the world that even though the founder and creator was dead, his dream would go on. The film represents everything good that Walt Disney tried to portray in all of his movies. For example, that the best things in life don't necessarily come in the biggest and brightest packages, that even though life is difficult you shouldn't give up hope, and that love is a very powerful force of good. It's not hard to see why people flocked to the movie. Just a year before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated and Chicago erupted in a riot at the Democratic National Convention. People were tired of seeing dark and dreary things. Went they went to the movies they didn't just want to escape. They wanted to be told stories that filled them light, hope, and love.
In the post-modern era we have inherited and are continuing to build, pictures like THE LOVE BUG can be overlooked and thrown to the side for being too innocent. As a whole, we've become much more jaded and cynical and that's not really a good thing.
I like THE LOVE BUG because of those things and I wish filmmakers would make more pictures like it now and again. The world's a dark enough place already. It'd be nice to watch a light-hearted family comedy now and again that wasn't just escapist fare, but reminded us of the best things in life.
Film-buffs should see THE LOVE BUG for a variety of reasons. Besides being the #1 grossing film of 1969 the film is notable for its contribution to the film industry in special effects. THE LOVE BUG was created in an era were there was no such thing as CGI. All of the special effects in THE LOVE BUG were done the old fashioned way and it is amazing how well done they are. These effects might seem old and outdated by a child raised by computer-graphics, but in the era that the film was released the special effects are extraordinary.
THE LOVE BUG Special Edition is a great DVD to own, especially if you are fans of the film. There are two discs all total. On the first disc, in addition to the usual commentary (in this case with Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, and Buddy Hackett), there is a short Disney cartoon entitled "Susie--the Little Blue Coupe". This cartoon is a delight to watch and was in the inspiration for the characters in the Pixar film CARS.
The second disc is loaded with special features. There are several featurettes including "That Lovable Bug", "The Many Lives of Herbie", "Herbie Mania", and "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie". "That Lovable Bug" is my favorite of these featurettes. It's basically a documentary about the making of THE LOVE BUG, including interviews with Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett. "The Many Lives of Herbie" is a run-through of how Herbie changed throughout the various films he has been a part (excluded is HERBIE FULLY LOADED which was released after this DVD was made). "Herbie Mania" is basically a long interview with a couple of guys who own their own Herbie recreations, one that is complete with oil spills and doors that open automatically. "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie" is more or less a combination of information included in other special features that ends by showing where the first trick Herbie now resides. A couple other extras I enjoyed were a "Behind the Scenes" promo that had been culled together from archived footage and "Love Bug Day at Disneyland" which is archived footage of the Love Bug Day that was held at Disneyland in 1969; it must have been incredibly difficult to choose a winning entry from all the cars that were there that day. I also enjoyed "The Man Who Gave Herbie His Voice" which is a documentary tribute to Jimmy McDonald, the sound effect supervisor on THE LOVE BUG and countless other Disney films and shorts. Other extras include the 1969 Disney Studio Album, production gallery, deleted scenes that were never shot, the theatrical trailer, radio spots, two sound studio exercises, production stills, a comic book, biographies of the film's main actors and director, publicity documents, and an excerpt from the screenplay.
53 Is a Lovable Little Car.......2007-02-13
1968 was a great year for Dean Jones. He starred in "Blackbeard's Ghost," followed that up with "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit," and finished with a movie where he really shined, "The Love Bug." Perhaps no one told Mr. Jones that the real star of this movie was a Volkswagen Beetle.
Jim Douglas (Jones) is a race car driver. Unfortunately, he is a washed up race car driver who has a hard time recognizing that he is washed up. Jim's life changes when he wanders into a car showroom that caters to foreign luxury cars, just after seeing a pair of beautiful legs belonging to Carole Bennett (Michele Lee, who has been a fixture on television for decades, including a regular role on "Knott's Landing").
Jim wanders around the showroom looking at cars that he is unable to afford when a Beetle nuzzles his leg. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson, perhaps best known as Mr. Banks in "Mary Poppins" and Mr. Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks") is anxious to get rid of the little car and makes Jim a deal he is unable to refuse.
At first, it seems as though the little car is just one more in a series of disasters in Jim's life. However, Jim's friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett, "The Music Man," "The Little Mermaid" and "The Little Mermaid II") quickly recognizes there is something special about the little car. Jim begins winning races with the little car, which Tennessee names after a relative. Unfortunately for Jim, some of the races he wins are against Peter Thorndyke, who decides he wants the car back.
The climax of the movie is a race through the mountains and deserts of the West as Herbie the Love Bug races his heart out trying to save Jim and himself.
Disney specializes in movies about lovable characters, and Disney hit gold with "The Love Bug." Disney's special effects team gave Herbie a lot of character. Herbie is like an intelligent and lovable dog with wheels and enough horsepower to pop wheelies. The choices of Buddy Hackett and of Michele Lee were brilliant because they were so natural in their roles. Even Dean Jones was a good pick for this movie.
The comedy in this movie ranges from subtle humor to outrageous slapstick. Most of the comedy works. This family movie is one of those rare movies that every member of the family will find amusing.
This edition of "The Love Bug" is the best edition available. The movie has been restored and is in wide screen. One of the extras is an audio commentary that includes the late Buddy Hackett. This DVD also has a second disk that includes a cornucopia of information about the lovable little car. This DVD is a requirement for fans of this movie.
Enjoy!
One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions.......2007-02-10
I am so glad the Disney studios took the time to diversify their resume apart from animation, cute cuddly creatures, and musicals. They were honestly on a roll there almost more so with Haley Mills and Annette Funiciello at the helm. Dean Jones was another Disney favorite, aside from his Ugly Dachsund days, with this comedy classic that struck gold for the Disney Studios. This movie moves like it was made from the concrete that helps move the lively volkswagon. (Thank God, it didn't talk). It didn't have to, the bug had absolute body language like one's most favorite pet. The storyline does not waste a moment, and begins to the very end, or should I say, the finishing line. Everything in this movie works, and the suttle scenes where the confused love bug takes a quick jolt by bouncing off of things, or gets drunk from being fed irish coffee, is not just added comedy, but is an actual part of the story. Good work for the Disney clan of movie inventors, and great to see these products available on DVD. The next generations have plenty to look forward to from Disney!
Herbie's back.......2007-01-12
My kids loved the new Herbie movie, so I thought we'd try some classic Herbie. They love this movie, even though the special effects are not quite what they're used to these days :-)
Average customer rating:
- This car has a heart
- "Without a real car, I'm only half a man."
- 53 Is a Lovable Little Car
- One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions
- Herbie's back
|
The Love Bug [Region 2]
Starring: Dean Jones , Michele Lee , David Tomlinson , Buddy Hackett , and Joe Flynn
Director: Robert Stevenson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Adrian, Iris
| ( A )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Flynn, Joe
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Fong, Benson
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hackett, Buddy
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Jones, Dean
| ( J )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Lee, Michele
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Ross, Joe E
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Tomlinson, David
| ( T )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Stevenson, Robert
| ( S )
| Directors
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| DVD
| Video
( L )
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| Features
| DVD
| Video
Family Films
| Kids & Family
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Herbie Rides Again
- The Absent-Minded Professor (Widescreen Edition)
- Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
- That Darn Cat!
- Herbie Goes Bananas
ASIN: B00004CYJ0 |
Amazon.com
This savvy Disney hit from 1969 made a star of a Volkswagen precisely when the car was becoming more popular than ever. Dean Jones and Michele Lee head the cast in a story about a VW bug with a mind of its own. Disney point man Robert Stevenson, director of The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, and lots of other Disney live-action hits, makes the slapstick work perfectly and keeps the laughs coming. Buddy Hackett is very funny in a supporting role. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
This car has a heart.......2007-05-28
This loveable little car doesn't look like the cars today. The movie is
like The Scavenger Hunt non stop laughter!!!!
A must for the whole family!
"Without a real car, I'm only half a man.".......2007-03-19
Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is an aging race car driver who hasn't had much luck in recent years. He keeps wrecking cars and loosing sponsors. Walking by the show room of a specialized dealership, he notices the beautiful secretary, Carole Bennett (Michele Lee) hanging a sign and decides to go inside and flirt a little. Their conversation is interrupted at first by Ms. Bennett's boss, Mr. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) and then by a little Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan. Mr. Thorndyke verbally abuses the little car, but Jim sticks up for it. Unbeknownst to everyone, the little car has a head and heart of its own and follows Jim home. His partner and mechanic, Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) immediately falls in love with the car and names him Herbie (in real life the screenwriters took the name Herbie from one of Hackett's comedy routines so it was right that he bestowed the name Herbie upon the car). Jim soon discovers that Herbie isn't like a typically car and eventually enters some races with Herbie and starts winning again. Things start looking up, but Jim's pride and vanity get in the way and threaten to ruin everything, including his racing career and his budding romance with Carole.
I never saw THE LOVE BUG when it was first released in theatres. I wasn't even born, yet. I do know that at an early age in an era before cable and VCRs my brother and I happened to see the Herbie movies and fell in love with the cute little car. THE LOVE BUG was made at a very interesting time, both at Walt Disney and the world at large. Originally released in 1969, the film became the highest grossing movie of that year. Walt himself had died just a few years before and there were many at the time who questioned whether the studio would be able to survive intact. THE LOVE BUG was one of those films that seemed to show the world that even though the founder and creator was dead, his dream would go on. The film represents everything good that Walt Disney tried to portray in all of his movies. For example, that the best things in life don't necessarily come in the biggest and brightest packages, that even though life is difficult you shouldn't give up hope, and that love is a very powerful force of good. It's not hard to see why people flocked to the movie. Just a year before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated and Chicago erupted in a riot at the Democratic National Convention. People were tired of seeing dark and dreary things. Went they went to the movies they didn't just want to escape. They wanted to be told stories that filled them light, hope, and love.
In the post-modern era we have inherited and are continuing to build, pictures like THE LOVE BUG can be overlooked and thrown to the side for being too innocent. As a whole, we've become much more jaded and cynical and that's not really a good thing.
I like THE LOVE BUG because of those things and I wish filmmakers would make more pictures like it now and again. The world's a dark enough place already. It'd be nice to watch a light-hearted family comedy now and again that wasn't just escapist fare, but reminded us of the best things in life.
Film-buffs should see THE LOVE BUG for a variety of reasons. Besides being the #1 grossing film of 1969 the film is notable for its contribution to the film industry in special effects. THE LOVE BUG was created in an era were there was no such thing as CGI. All of the special effects in THE LOVE BUG were done the old fashioned way and it is amazing how well done they are. These effects might seem old and outdated by a child raised by computer-graphics, but in the era that the film was released the special effects are extraordinary.
THE LOVE BUG Special Edition is a great DVD to own, especially if you are fans of the film. There are two discs all total. On the first disc, in addition to the usual commentary (in this case with Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, and Buddy Hackett), there is a short Disney cartoon entitled "Susie--the Little Blue Coupe". This cartoon is a delight to watch and was in the inspiration for the characters in the Pixar film CARS.
The second disc is loaded with special features. There are several featurettes including "That Lovable Bug", "The Many Lives of Herbie", "Herbie Mania", and "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie". "That Lovable Bug" is my favorite of these featurettes. It's basically a documentary about the making of THE LOVE BUG, including interviews with Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett. "The Many Lives of Herbie" is a run-through of how Herbie changed throughout the various films he has been a part (excluded is HERBIE FULLY LOADED which was released after this DVD was made). "Herbie Mania" is basically a long interview with a couple of guys who own their own Herbie recreations, one that is complete with oil spills and doors that open automatically. "Lost Treasures: Searching For Herbie" is more or less a combination of information included in other special features that ends by showing where the first trick Herbie now resides. A couple other extras I enjoyed were a "Behind the Scenes" promo that had been culled together from archived footage and "Love Bug Day at Disneyland" which is archived footage of the Love Bug Day that was held at Disneyland in 1969; it must have been incredibly difficult to choose a winning entry from all the cars that were there that day. I also enjoyed "The Man Who Gave Herbie His Voice" which is a documentary tribute to Jimmy McDonald, the sound effect supervisor on THE LOVE BUG and countless other Disney films and shorts. Other extras include the 1969 Disney Studio Album, production gallery, deleted scenes that were never shot, the theatrical trailer, radio spots, two sound studio exercises, production stills, a comic book, biographies of the film's main actors and director, publicity documents, and an excerpt from the screenplay.
53 Is a Lovable Little Car.......2007-02-13
1968 was a great year for Dean Jones. He starred in "Blackbeard's Ghost," followed that up with "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit," and finished with a movie where he really shined, "The Love Bug." Perhaps no one told Mr. Jones that the real star of this movie was a Volkswagen Beetle.
Jim Douglas (Jones) is a race car driver. Unfortunately, he is a washed up race car driver who has a hard time recognizing that he is washed up. Jim's life changes when he wanders into a car showroom that caters to foreign luxury cars, just after seeing a pair of beautiful legs belonging to Carole Bennett (Michele Lee, who has been a fixture on television for decades, including a regular role on "Knott's Landing").
Jim wanders around the showroom looking at cars that he is unable to afford when a Beetle nuzzles his leg. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson, perhaps best known as Mr. Banks in "Mary Poppins" and Mr. Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks") is anxious to get rid of the little car and makes Jim a deal he is unable to refuse.
At first, it seems as though the little car is just one more in a series of disasters in Jim's life. However, Jim's friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett, "The Music Man," "The Little Mermaid" and "The Little Mermaid II") quickly recognizes there is something special about the little car. Jim begins winning races with the little car, which Tennessee names after a relative. Unfortunately for Jim, some of the races he wins are against Peter Thorndyke, who decides he wants the car back.
The climax of the movie is a race through the mountains and deserts of the West as Herbie the Love Bug races his heart out trying to save Jim and himself.
Disney specializes in movies about lovable characters, and Disney hit gold with "The Love Bug." Disney's special effects team gave Herbie a lot of character. Herbie is like an intelligent and lovable dog with wheels and enough horsepower to pop wheelies. The choices of Buddy Hackett and of Michele Lee were brilliant because they were so natural in their roles. Even Dean Jones was a good pick for this movie.
The comedy in this movie ranges from subtle humor to outrageous slapstick. Most of the comedy works. This family movie is one of those rare movies that every member of the family will find amusing.
This edition of "The Love Bug" is the best edition available. The movie has been restored and is in wide screen. One of the extras is an audio commentary that includes the late Buddy Hackett. This DVD also has a second disk that includes a cornucopia of information about the lovable little car. This DVD is a requirement for fans of this movie.
Enjoy!
One of Disney's absolute best non-musical live actions.......2007-02-10
I am so glad the Disney studios took the time to diversify their resume apart from animation, cute cuddly creatures, and musicals. They were honestly on a roll there almost more so with Haley Mills and Annette Funiciello at the helm. Dean Jones was another Disney favorite, aside from his Ugly Dachsund days, with this comedy classic that struck gold for the Disney Studios. This movie moves like it was made from the concrete that helps move the lively volkswagon. (Thank God, it didn't talk). It didn't have to, the bug had absolute body language like one's most favorite pet. The storyline does not waste a moment, and begins to the very end, or should I say, the finishing line. Everything in this movie works, and the suttle scenes where the confused love bug takes a quick jolt by bouncing off of things, or gets drunk from being fed irish coffee, is not just added comedy, but is an actual part of the story. Good work for the Disney clan of movie inventors, and great to see these products available on DVD. The next generations have plenty to look forward to from Disney!
Herbie's back.......2007-01-12
My kids loved the new Herbie movie, so I thought we'd try some classic Herbie. They love this movie, even though the special effects are not quite what they're used to these days :-)
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The Love Bug [Region 2]
Starring: Dean Jones , Michele Lee , David Tomlinson , Buddy Hackett , and Joe Flynn
Director: Robert Stevenson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Adrian, Iris
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Flynn, Joe
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Fong, Benson
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Hackett, Buddy
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Jones, Dean
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Lee, Michele
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Ross, Joe E
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Tomlinson, David
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Stevenson, Robert
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Family Films
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ASIN: B00004VYQV |
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