Mystery Men
Starring:Hank Azaria, Ernie Lee Banks, Claire Forlani, Janeane Garofalo, Eddie Izzard, Ricky Jay, Greg Kinnear, Artie Lange, Louise Lasser, Jenifer Lewis, William H. Macy, Kel Mitchell, Lena Olin, Pras, Paul Reubens, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Stiller, Wes Studi, Tom Waits
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Ever wonder if there was a class system in the world of superheroes? After all the big names like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc., who were the supporting players? The folks assigned to the less-than-stellar gigs of saving only a small part of the world? According to this intermittently successful send-up of comic book heroism, there are indeed masked heroes who struggle and toil for their moment in the super sun. Based on the Dark Horse comic book series, Mystery Men follows the travails of three B-list avengers--Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), the Shoveler (William H. Macy), and the Blue Raja (Hank Azaria)--as they fight to make themselves known to the citizens of Champion City, quite difficult to do when the flashy Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear, never better) takes all the cool gigs and has product endorsements up the ying-yang. According to them, it's all a matter of timing--never mind that Mr. Furious never rises above a snit, or that the Blue Raja wears green. Their big break comes when Captain Amazing is abducted by the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), and it's up to this motley crew to save Champion City.
Blessed with a wondrously gifted comic cast and full of droll details, Mystery Men struggles in fits and spurts towards its climax. Transcendently witty in parts, it's also woefully sophomoric in others. Literally, this is the kind of movie in which someone gets off a brilliant line and then sits on a fork. Still, when this movie is rolling, it's gleefully on target, thanks primarily to the mordantly cocky Stiller and Janeane Garofalo as a latecomer to the superhero gang; her secret weapon is a bowling ball in which her dead father's head is encased. The comic chemistry between these two is fierce, and when you add the dryly funny Macy and the endearing Azaria (who finally gets a chance to let loose with his comic gifts), it's a hilarious joyride. Too bad that the gas tank is only half-full; this stunning cast deserves a first-rate vehicle. With Tom Waits as a weapons expert, Claire Forlani as the requisite babe, and Paul Reubens as the Spleen, the world's most flatulent superhero. --Mark Englehart
Average customer rating:
- Overrated
- I hated this movie
- A Classic
- Self-important
- Moving story and great HD
|
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi , Michelle Hussain , Rob Curling , Jon Chevalier , and Rita Davies
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
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- The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)
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- The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B000N6TX1I
Release Date: 2007-03-27 |
Amazon.com
Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical 1993 novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility. As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humor to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Overrated .......2007-07-03
Interesting film but wildly overrated by the critics. Confusing and ambiguous story line trips up a pretty good cast and produces a mediocre science fiction film. I am afraid that all this film really foreshadows is more bad movies to come. This film does not, by any stretch of the imagination, compare to Sci-Fi classics like Blade Runner. Save your money and watch it on cable.
I hated this movie.......2007-07-03
Bleak, weak story line..everyone is always running. very confusing and depressing and I thought it made NO sense even though I understood what was trying to be said. The ending was a joke. Don't waste your money or time! I didn't even want to give it one star! One of the worse movies I ever saw!
A Classic.......2007-07-03
I really enjoyed this movie and the sci fi element was great.
A defintie keeper to the collection.
Self-important.......2007-07-02
It's a political thriller filled with horrifying implications about our future, implications we'd really rather not face. It's timely, it's hard-hitting, and all that. So naturally I was curious and wanted to see this film that wise critics told me was foretelling our possible fate. And so I rented Black Sunday recently.
And 30 years later, the film doesn't show its age very well. It's very rooted in the 70s. It is filled with more "movie moments" than genuine truths, though those moments are well-disguised.
And that about sums up Children of Men, too. It's trying so hard to be Important. It's obviously a protest against the current war on terror and all the infighting it has generated. But it's based on a red herring--or a gimmick, to put it less charitably--and it's about as subtle as a boulder falling off a thousand foot cliff.
Folks, the issue we'll be facing in the near future won't be wars stemming from underpopulation (why terrorists are at war on this is never really explained), it will be on *over*population. More specifically, overpopulation with dwindling natural resources, and electorates everywhere who have done nothing past lip service because they're busy stuffing their pockets with donations from those who control the existing natural resources. *That's* a topic I'd like to see a grim movie like this tackle. But it just might make theater-goers a little uncomfortable as they climb into their Hemi pickups and SUVs afterwards.
So instead we get this self-important movie that either the NY or LA Times (I forget which) says frightens us because we know, deep down, this could be our future. I'd say it's watchable and enjoyable because deep down we know this isn't our future. Is there really an infertility epidemic going on that I'm unaware of? There are grave problems threatening us today, and not one of them is in this film. There's not much in this film, really. It's a cleverly-disguised action thriller, Mad Max meets Brazil (both better movies, btw).
In addition to the red herring of infertility (which is never explained, by the way...Nor do we have any reason to believe the child at the end will survive any better than anyone else, especially since she's a preemie, so the whole ending felt pointless to me), there's the infighting. Here the message is obvious, driven home by power tools, and in case you're out getting popcorn during this bit the director constantly has huge overbearing signs in all the locations with messages like "Report Suspicious Activity." Yes, I know there are really such signs nowadays. Yes, I get the indictment of what's going with British and American governments currently. Anyone who hasn't been lobotomized gets it. But after beating us up with it, the filmmakers don't develop it, doesn't make a point past the obvious one. By contrast, look at the odyssey the central character in Brazil undergoes, and how it affects both him and the people he loves and looks out for.
What stymied me after watching Children of Men was that such a one-dimensional movie impressed all the high-brow critics. Then I went back and reread the 1970s reviews for Black Sunday and understood. So often films that seem so foretelling look naive a couple decades later. It's hard to predict the weight of your warning when you are so close to it--and this film is very emotionally-close to its subject. I make the prediction right here and now that this film will play very different on our consciousness 30 years from now, as environmental warnings from the 70s about an impending ice age do today.
And this wasn't particularly groundbreaking filmmaking either. We have a standard stock of characters here: the reluctant hero who rediscovers his idealism after a great personal loss, the old flame who reunites him with his past ways (and geeze, Julianne Moore has one of the most heavy-handed, literally un-believable entrances in screen history here), the sacrificing fatherly figure (did anyone not know how that part was going to end?), the shining young woman who represents Hope, and so on.
Children of Men is the latest in a line of Syrianna/Constant Gardener/Traffic-type films, with sprawling plots, timely messages, a documentary look, lots of violence, a backdrop of decaying society, large cast of characters, etc. Except the other films had valid conceits. That's the difference.
The disc looks great, however, and there's plenty of bangy-boomy sound to give your subwoofers a workout. There are several small featurettes about the making of the film, including a nifty pieces demonstrating worldlessly how they created the CGI baby. No trailer, oddly. But after you, not believing my review, rent this anyway, go see Brazil, a far deeper film that has turned out to be eerily accurate about how things are shaping up (terrorist wars that drag on and bankrupt governments, governments that are pennywise and pound foolish, drone workers whose only escape is disembodied fantasy, trying to achieve immortality through plastic surgery, wrapped presents that are destroyed at checkpoints, consumerism run rampant and in the guise of patriotism or religious fervor). That's the difference between a pseudo-intellectual movie and a film that really makes you think.
Moving story and great HD.......2007-06-28
Children of Men stands out as one of the better movies recently released on HD DVD for two reasons: the film itself tells an engaging story and the HD presentation is one of the best so far released.
Firstly, the story. The film starts out with a bang and uses this to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat as the story unfolds. Children of Men tells a dark tale of a future which has a dead end due to the sudden infertility of the human race and the subsequent xenophobia on a large scale. It is one of the most emotionally engaging dramas that I have seen in a very long time.
Then there is the HD presentation. This is without a doubt, one of the best HD transfers that I have seen to date. The cinematography, palette and sound all contribute to this experience. If you are just getting into HD this should be high on your first purchase list.
Average customer rating:
- Overrated
- I hated this movie
- A Classic
- Self-important
- Moving story and great HD
|
Children of Men (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD)
Starring: Clive Owen , Julianne Moore , and Michael Caine
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:
- The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)
- The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
- The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B000N6TX22
Release Date: 2007-03-27 |
Amazon.com
Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical 1993 novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility. As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humor to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Overrated .......2007-07-03
Interesting film but wildly overrated by the critics. Confusing and ambiguous story line trips up a pretty good cast and produces a mediocre science fiction film. I am afraid that all this film really foreshadows is more bad movies to come. This film does not, by any stretch of the imagination, compare to Sci-Fi classics like Blade Runner. Save your money and watch it on cable.
I hated this movie.......2007-07-03
Bleak, weak story line..everyone is always running. very confusing and depressing and I thought it made NO sense even though I understood what was trying to be said. The ending was a joke. Don't waste your money or time! I didn't even want to give it one star! One of the worse movies I ever saw!
A Classic.......2007-07-03
I really enjoyed this movie and the sci fi element was great.
A defintie keeper to the collection.
Self-important.......2007-07-02
It's a political thriller filled with horrifying implications about our future, implications we'd really rather not face. It's timely, it's hard-hitting, and all that. So naturally I was curious and wanted to see this film that wise critics told me was foretelling our possible fate. And so I rented Black Sunday recently.
And 30 years later, the film doesn't show its age very well. It's very rooted in the 70s. It is filled with more "movie moments" than genuine truths, though those moments are well-disguised.
And that about sums up Children of Men, too. It's trying so hard to be Important. It's obviously a protest against the current war on terror and all the infighting it has generated. But it's based on a red herring--or a gimmick, to put it less charitably--and it's about as subtle as a boulder falling off a thousand foot cliff.
Folks, the issue we'll be facing in the near future won't be wars stemming from underpopulation (why terrorists are at war on this is never really explained), it will be on *over*population. More specifically, overpopulation with dwindling natural resources, and electorates everywhere who have done nothing past lip service because they're busy stuffing their pockets with donations from those who control the existing natural resources. *That's* a topic I'd like to see a grim movie like this tackle. But it just might make theater-goers a little uncomfortable as they climb into their Hemi pickups and SUVs afterwards.
So instead we get this self-important movie that either the NY or LA Times (I forget which) says frightens us because we know, deep down, this could be our future. I'd say it's watchable and enjoyable because deep down we know this isn't our future. Is there really an infertility epidemic going on that I'm unaware of? There are grave problems threatening us today, and not one of them is in this film. There's not much in this film, really. It's a cleverly-disguised action thriller, Mad Max meets Brazil (both better movies, btw).
In addition to the red herring of infertility (which is never explained, by the way...Nor do we have any reason to believe the child at the end will survive any better than anyone else, especially since she's a preemie, so the whole ending felt pointless to me), there's the infighting. Here the message is obvious, driven home by power tools, and in case you're out getting popcorn during this bit the director constantly has huge overbearing signs in all the locations with messages like "Report Suspicious Activity." Yes, I know there are really such signs nowadays. Yes, I get the indictment of what's going with British and American governments currently. Anyone who hasn't been lobotomized gets it. But after beating us up with it, the filmmakers don't develop it, doesn't make a point past the obvious one. By contrast, look at the odyssey the central character in Brazil undergoes, and how it affects both him and the people he loves and looks out for.
What stymied me after watching Children of Men was that such a one-dimensional movie impressed all the high-brow critics. Then I went back and reread the 1970s reviews for Black Sunday and understood. So often films that seem so foretelling look naive a couple decades later. It's hard to predict the weight of your warning when you are so close to it--and this film is very emotionally-close to its subject. I make the prediction right here and now that this film will play very different on our consciousness 30 years from now, as environmental warnings from the 70s about an impending ice age do today.
And this wasn't particularly groundbreaking filmmaking either. We have a standard stock of characters here: the reluctant hero who rediscovers his idealism after a great personal loss, the old flame who reunites him with his past ways (and geeze, Julianne Moore has one of the most heavy-handed, literally un-believable entrances in screen history here), the sacrificing fatherly figure (did anyone not know how that part was going to end?), the shining young woman who represents Hope, and so on.
Children of Men is the latest in a line of Syrianna/Constant Gardener/Traffic-type films, with sprawling plots, timely messages, a documentary look, lots of violence, a backdrop of decaying society, large cast of characters, etc. Except the other films had valid conceits. That's the difference.
The disc looks great, however, and there's plenty of bangy-boomy sound to give your subwoofers a workout. There are several small featurettes about the making of the film, including a nifty pieces demonstrating worldlessly how they created the CGI baby. No trailer, oddly. But after you, not believing my review, rent this anyway, go see Brazil, a far deeper film that has turned out to be eerily accurate about how things are shaping up (terrorist wars that drag on and bankrupt governments, governments that are pennywise and pound foolish, drone workers whose only escape is disembodied fantasy, trying to achieve immortality through plastic surgery, wrapped presents that are destroyed at checkpoints, consumerism run rampant and in the guise of patriotism or religious fervor). That's the difference between a pseudo-intellectual movie and a film that really makes you think.
Moving story and great HD.......2007-06-28
Children of Men stands out as one of the better movies recently released on HD DVD for two reasons: the film itself tells an engaging story and the HD presentation is one of the best so far released.
Firstly, the story. The film starts out with a bang and uses this to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat as the story unfolds. Children of Men tells a dark tale of a future which has a dead end due to the sudden infertility of the human race and the subsequent xenophobia on a large scale. It is one of the most emotionally engaging dramas that I have seen in a very long time.
Then there is the HD presentation. This is without a doubt, one of the best HD transfers that I have seen to date. The cinematography, palette and sound all contribute to this experience. If you are just getting into HD this should be high on your first purchase list.
![Mystery Men [HD DVD]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Oh7Lp6XAL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
|
Mystery Men [HD DVD]
Starring: Hank Azaria , Ricky Jay , Louise Lasser , William H. Macy , and Lena Olin
Director: Kinka Usher
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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- Sneakers [HD DVD]
ASIN: B000OHZL1M
Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Description
The hippest cast in history has united to become the funniest superhero team ever. Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush and Paul Reubens join forces in this wild, funny and thoroughly original misadventure. When Captain Amazing, Champion City's legendary superhero, falls into the hands of the evil madman Casanova Frankenstein and his disco-dancing henchmen, there's suddenly a chance for the aspiring superheroes to show what they can do. They're the Mystery Men… a ragtag team of superhero wannabes featuring: Mr. Furious, whose power comes from his boundless rage; The Shoveler, a father who shovels "better than anyone"; The Blue Raja, a fork-flinging mama's boy; The Bowler, who fights crime with the help of her father's skull; The Spleen, whose power is pure flatulence; Invisible Boy, who's only invisible when no one's watching and The Sphinx, a cliche-spewing philosopher. With its outrageous adventure, incredible cast and hip alternative humor, Mystery Men is so irresistibly funny and appealing, seeing it just once will never be enough.
Average customer rating:
- Overrated
- I hated this movie
- A Classic
- Self-important
- Moving story and great HD
|
Children of Men (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi , Michelle Hussain , Rob Curling , Jon Chevalier , and Rita Davies
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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- The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)
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- Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
- The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B000N6TX1S
Release Date: 2007-03-27 |
Amazon.com
Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical 1993 novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility. As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humor to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Overrated .......2007-07-03
Interesting film but wildly overrated by the critics. Confusing and ambiguous story line trips up a pretty good cast and produces a mediocre science fiction film. I am afraid that all this film really foreshadows is more bad movies to come. This film does not, by any stretch of the imagination, compare to Sci-Fi classics like Blade Runner. Save your money and watch it on cable.
I hated this movie.......2007-07-03
Bleak, weak story line..everyone is always running. very confusing and depressing and I thought it made NO sense even though I understood what was trying to be said. The ending was a joke. Don't waste your money or time! I didn't even want to give it one star! One of the worse movies I ever saw!
A Classic.......2007-07-03
I really enjoyed this movie and the sci fi element was great.
A defintie keeper to the collection.
Self-important.......2007-07-02
It's a political thriller filled with horrifying implications about our future, implications we'd really rather not face. It's timely, it's hard-hitting, and all that. So naturally I was curious and wanted to see this film that wise critics told me was foretelling our possible fate. And so I rented Black Sunday recently.
And 30 years later, the film doesn't show its age very well. It's very rooted in the 70s. It is filled with more "movie moments" than genuine truths, though those moments are well-disguised.
And that about sums up Children of Men, too. It's trying so hard to be Important. It's obviously a protest against the current war on terror and all the infighting it has generated. But it's based on a red herring--or a gimmick, to put it less charitably--and it's about as subtle as a boulder falling off a thousand foot cliff.
Folks, the issue we'll be facing in the near future won't be wars stemming from underpopulation (why terrorists are at war on this is never really explained), it will be on *over*population. More specifically, overpopulation with dwindling natural resources, and electorates everywhere who have done nothing past lip service because they're busy stuffing their pockets with donations from those who control the existing natural resources. *That's* a topic I'd like to see a grim movie like this tackle. But it just might make theater-goers a little uncomfortable as they climb into their Hemi pickups and SUVs afterwards.
So instead we get this self-important movie that either the NY or LA Times (I forget which) says frightens us because we know, deep down, this could be our future. I'd say it's watchable and enjoyable because deep down we know this isn't our future. Is there really an infertility epidemic going on that I'm unaware of? There are grave problems threatening us today, and not one of them is in this film. There's not much in this film, really. It's a cleverly-disguised action thriller, Mad Max meets Brazil (both better movies, btw).
In addition to the red herring of infertility (which is never explained, by the way...Nor do we have any reason to believe the child at the end will survive any better than anyone else, especially since she's a preemie, so the whole ending felt pointless to me), there's the infighting. Here the message is obvious, driven home by power tools, and in case you're out getting popcorn during this bit the director constantly has huge overbearing signs in all the locations with messages like "Report Suspicious Activity." Yes, I know there are really such signs nowadays. Yes, I get the indictment of what's going with British and American governments currently. Anyone who hasn't been lobotomized gets it. But after beating us up with it, the filmmakers don't develop it, doesn't make a point past the obvious one. By contrast, look at the odyssey the central character in Brazil undergoes, and how it affects both him and the people he loves and looks out for.
What stymied me after watching Children of Men was that such a one-dimensional movie impressed all the high-brow critics. Then I went back and reread the 1970s reviews for Black Sunday and understood. So often films that seem so foretelling look naive a couple decades later. It's hard to predict the weight of your warning when you are so close to it--and this film is very emotionally-close to its subject. I make the prediction right here and now that this film will play very different on our consciousness 30 years from now, as environmental warnings from the 70s about an impending ice age do today.
And this wasn't particularly groundbreaking filmmaking either. We have a standard stock of characters here: the reluctant hero who rediscovers his idealism after a great personal loss, the old flame who reunites him with his past ways (and geeze, Julianne Moore has one of the most heavy-handed, literally un-believable entrances in screen history here), the sacrificing fatherly figure (did anyone not know how that part was going to end?), the shining young woman who represents Hope, and so on.
Children of Men is the latest in a line of Syrianna/Constant Gardener/Traffic-type films, with sprawling plots, timely messages, a documentary look, lots of violence, a backdrop of decaying society, large cast of characters, etc. Except the other films had valid conceits. That's the difference.
The disc looks great, however, and there's plenty of bangy-boomy sound to give your subwoofers a workout. There are several small featurettes about the making of the film, including a nifty pieces demonstrating worldlessly how they created the CGI baby. No trailer, oddly. But after you, not believing my review, rent this anyway, go see Brazil, a far deeper film that has turned out to be eerily accurate about how things are shaping up (terrorist wars that drag on and bankrupt governments, governments that are pennywise and pound foolish, drone workers whose only escape is disembodied fantasy, trying to achieve immortality through plastic surgery, wrapped presents that are destroyed at checkpoints, consumerism run rampant and in the guise of patriotism or religious fervor). That's the difference between a pseudo-intellectual movie and a film that really makes you think.
Moving story and great HD.......2007-06-28
Children of Men stands out as one of the better movies recently released on HD DVD for two reasons: the film itself tells an engaging story and the HD presentation is one of the best so far released.
Firstly, the story. The film starts out with a bang and uses this to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat as the story unfolds. Children of Men tells a dark tale of a future which has a dead end due to the sudden infertility of the human race and the subsequent xenophobia on a large scale. It is one of the most emotionally engaging dramas that I have seen in a very long time.
Then there is the HD presentation. This is without a doubt, one of the best HD transfers that I have seen to date. The cinematography, palette and sound all contribute to this experience. If you are just getting into HD this should be high on your first purchase list.
Average customer rating:
- Everything great about bad superhero movies
- Disco Boys
- it grows on you..
- Wonderful, Campy Movie!
- My Kind Of Super-Heroes!
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Mystery Men
Starring: Hank Azaria , Ernie Lee Banks , Claire Forlani , Janeane Garofalo , and Eddie Izzard
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B000035Z38
Release Date: 2000-01-11 |
Amazon.com
Ever wonder if there was a class system in the world of superheroes? After all the big names like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc., who were the supporting players? The folks assigned to the less-than-stellar gigs of saving only a small part of the world? According to this intermittently successful send-up of comic book heroism, there are indeed masked heroes who struggle and toil for their moment in the super sun. Based on the Dark Horse comic book series, Mystery Men follows the travails of three B-list avengers--Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), the Shoveler (William H. Macy), and the Blue Raja (Hank Azaria)--as they fight to make themselves known to the citizens of Champion City, quite difficult to do when the flashy Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear, never better) takes all the cool gigs and has product endorsements up the ying-yang. According to them, it's all a matter of timing--never mind that Mr. Furious never rises above a snit, or that the Blue Raja wears green. Their big break comes when Captain Amazing is abducted by the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), and it's up to this motley crew to save Champion City.
Blessed with a wondrously gifted comic cast and full of droll details, Mystery Men struggles in fits and spurts towards its climax. Transcendently witty in parts, it's also woefully sophomoric in others. Literally, this is the kind of movie in which someone gets off a brilliant line and then sits on a fork. Still, when this movie is rolling, it's gleefully on target, thanks primarily to the mordantly cocky Stiller and Janeane Garofalo as a latecomer to the superhero gang; her secret weapon is a bowling ball in which her dead father's head is encased. The comic chemistry between these two is fierce, and when you add the dryly funny Macy and the endearing Azaria (who finally gets a chance to let loose with his comic gifts), it's a hilarious joyride. Too bad that the gas tank is only half-full; this stunning cast deserves a first-rate vehicle. With Tom Waits as a weapons expert, Claire Forlani as the requisite babe, and Paul Reubens as the Spleen, the world's most flatulent superhero. --Mark Englehart
Customer Reviews:
Everything great about bad superhero movies.......2007-03-22
This movie characterizes just how bad the superhero movie industry was at one time and turns it into GinGOLD! Ben Stiller steals the show and does his serious ridiculous routine so well! Paul Ruben takes a little away from the movie but not enough to take away from dynamic performances of this group!
Disco Boys.......2007-03-09
Dude, it's all about the Disco Boys. Having Claire Forlani is a plus as well. They are the "real deal" heroes that don't get to play in the big leagues like Batman and Superman, but they still are heroic and get the job done. Even though they make fun of the superhero genre, at least they did it with pinache.
it grows on you.........2007-01-05
The first time I saw this I didn't particularly like it. But, much like Galaxy Quest, after a couple more viewings I began to see things I'd missed and now it's high on my list of favorites. It would be higher but I really don't like Ben Stiller.
Wonderful, Campy Movie!.......2006-11-03
Mystery Men is one of my favorite movies! As an avid player of "Champions," a role-playing game based on comic book heroes, this movie is a blast! Bumbling wannabe heroes come through with panache - what's more fun than that? Campy villians, odd super powers, and goofy non-lethal weapons!! This movie has it all!
My Kind Of Super-Heroes!.......2006-10-31
"Mystery Men" by all accounts is a failure at comedy to most everyone I know. And yet, every time I watch this film [a telling sign you like a film] I still find it hilarious. Now, to be honest I did not like the film when I first watched it. However, on second and subsequent viewings I found myself in stitches and realized I rushed to judgment on the film. These are my kind of superheroes! Faults and all. The film will not appeal to many viewers, but it appeals to me. I am the only one, so far as I know, who happens to like this film in my family. Therefore, caution must be taken when I view it. Curtains drawn, doors locked, and absolute quiet. No, it's not that bad, however, my wife tells me she will hide it if I attempt to watch it in her presence again. Can't help it--I like it.
As I have written before, comedy is a personal thing. People [friends and relatives] can rant and rave about all the funny films out there in filmland that they find funny. Most of which I find turgid. Therefore, I can understand how some people are turned off by this film. Comedy is a personal thing. Some of us like certain things we think are funny, others are totally different. And that is what makes comedy so unique. Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller) was pretty darn funny in this film. I especially really liked his interaction with The Sphinx (Wes Studi), whom he refers to as Mr. Conundrum. There were so many things in the film I missed the first time around, that I am glad I viewed it again.
And the rest of the eccentric characters in the film complimented this super-hero cast. However, the role portrayed by (Greg Kinnear) as Captain Amazing was really funny. The way he pokes fun of the others in a facetious way was hysterically funny. And he later pays the price too! And then finally there is Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush). What a name! His portrayal as the devious-minded criminal who matches wits with Captain Amazing was funny as hell. But it is the rest of the cast which makes this film enjoyable too. From The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo) The Spleen (Paul Reubens) The Shoveller (William H. Macy) and The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria), the entire film was a delight. Recommended. For required tastes only!
Average customer rating:
- Sometimes it takes a lot more than two
- Diamond In The Rough
- A subtle movie with lots of sparkle
- Good Movie - OK DVD
- A sleeper to sleep to
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Diamond Men (Sub)
Starring: Robert Forster , Donnie Wahlberg , Bess Armstrong , Jasmine Guy , and George Coe
Director: Dan Cohen (III)
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B00007L4KL
Release Date: 2003-02-11 |
Description
Eddie is an aging traveling diamond salesman working the back roads of Pennsylvania. He's developed longstanding relationships with his clients and prides himself in his knowledge of the trade. After a heart attack, management deems him too high a risk to be carrying the expensive collection of diamonds. His last assignment is to train a rookie salesman, Bobby, whose cocky sales tactics promise to estrange Eddie's long-standing clientele. Needless to say, the relationship between the two men gets off to a rocky start but eventually, the two find that each has something valuable to offer the other.
Customer Reviews:
Sometimes it takes a lot more than two.......2005-12-09
"Beware, I am the jewel and around me there is lead, pallid, ignominious lead!"
A friend of mine reminded me of this movie recently via e-mail, so I stuck in an old copy and gave it another viewing. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much I decided to write a review to remind myself how much I enjoyed it in case I ever forgot again. I think it was Oscar Wilde, or Mel, the cook on Alice, who said something like only a shallow person doesn't judge a book by its cover. I don't think that's true with film, because like so many others, if I'd judged this movie by its cover art I would've never taken the time to watch it, since on the surface it appears to be another generic heist movie. I'm glad I bothered, though. Sure, it is a standard story, but what saves this low-budget film are the strong performances from leads Robert Forster and Donnie Wahlberg, as well as interesting supporting characters, including brothel workers played by Bess Armstrong and Jasmine Guy. Bess Armstrong teaches Wahlburg's rookie salesman character many important lessons that help him keep his job, mainly how to communicate with those different from you, that you get what you give, and the more honest you are with yourself the easier it is to sniff out other people's lies. Whether or not she's able to follow her own lessons isn't clear, and maybe it isn't important, since Wahlberg and his partner wind up better people in the end. Director Dan M. Cohen is a gifted director who knows how to inject humanity into a variety of stock characters. If you're someone who has a nose for films like "One False Move" or the films of Victor Nunez, you'll probably enjoy "Diamond Men."
Diamond In The Rough.......2005-04-13
Love them or hate them, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, followed by Richard Roeper, exposed the American public to films that may never have been seen otherwise. Through their television show, they exposed films that were having difficulty getting distributed. Recently, Ebert and Roeper favorably reviewed a film called "Diamond Men", a small independent film starring Robert Forster and Donnie Wahlberg. The film has just been released in LA. The theater for the Sunday matinee screening I attended was about ¾ full, remarkable for a film that is independent and received almost no publicity.
Eddie Miller (Robert Forster) is a traveling salesman. He drives through the small towns of Pennsylvania, selling his companies line of diamond jewelry. And he does a remarkably good job at it. After one visit, he has a heart attack, putting him on the sidelines as he recovers. Returning to work, raring to go, he learns that he can longer sell on the road. No insurance company will cover him and when he is carrying over $1 million in samples in his trunk, that becomes a serious problem. The company offers him an alternative: Train the new guy who will take over your route. Then maybe they will find something for him to do. He reluctantly agrees and soon meets his new partner, Bobby Walker (Donnie Wahlberg). Bobby is young and brash and they initially don't get along very well.
"Diamond Men" is a very small, independent film. Robert Forster served as one of the Executive Producers and saw the film as a showcase for his acting ability. He was correct. Forster is the best thing about the film, an actor seemingly revered by other actors, his recent roles have been created to showcase his abilities. Forster has a natural, laid back quality in his characters that seems to be at odds with his age and physical size. It is this contradiction that makes these same characters so interesting. Also, Eddie is a man of a lot of experience and wisdom, a role that seems custom fit for Forster. Forster avoids showy theatrics and makes Eddie seem human. A serious man, when he finds out that he is about to lose his job, he takes the sensible approach, and accepts the temporary assignment his company offers. He goes about the business in a very workman-like way and soon finds himself reluctantly accepting the new guy under his wing. The relationship between the two men is the basis for the film and creates an engaging look at their lives.
Donnie Wahlberg is less successful, but also good. Bobby, younger, brasher, more excited, is completely the opposite of Eddie. Wahlberg doesn't have the range of Forster and this becomes evident when his character whines and pleads with Eddie, rather than talk. At times, this behavior seems a good match for the character, but at other times it seems very showy and theatrical and draws the viewer out of the film.
As the characters criss-cross the state of Pennsylvania, Eddie reluctantly becomes Bobby's friend and actually appears to like him. Naturally, the salesman come into contact with other people along the way. The film is always more successful when Eddie is interacting with people of his maturity. When Eddie eventually meets Katie (Bess Armstrong), the film seems to be moving along the right track. Armstrong's character is the emotional and mature equivalent of Eddie and they make an interesting and engaging couple. When they meet, the film seems to know where it should go and how it should get there. Earlier, when Eddie meets a young prostitute, the scene is funny but also seems more at home in a television sitcom.
"Diamond Men" is a very low budget film. It is the type of film in which every interior scene is shot with the curtains closed, to control the light. But, in a way, this only makes the film better and more pleasing. Once you look past the fact that everyone has their curtains closed in the middle of the day, you start looking at the story, the relationships, the characters. Overall, they are all excellent and much more engaging than in a major Hollywood production in which twenty times the money was spent.
My biggest complaint about the film would lie in the ending. It is completely predictable, rushed and feels almost tacked on. The ending would've benefit greatly from a little more time or discussion focused on the eventual outcome.
Go see "Diamond Men" and you will be pleasantly surprised.
A subtle movie with lots of sparkle.......2004-12-29
I saw this film on Independent Film Channel so I can't comment on the DVD aspects. But the story is great. As another review mentioned, this is a character study and you won't see any elves or CGI. Just some characters that are working together in a push-pull relationship and then together. Robert Forrester is an under-rated actor. He can take dialogue and drive it straight home. It would be a good movie for someone starting their first job. Listening and observing is just a important as the knowledge you think you have.
Good Movie - OK DVD.......2004-09-02
I enjoyed this movie and I would recommend it. Forrester carries this movie, if you liked him in Jackie Brown, then you will like him in this.
On the downside, I was not entirely happy with the DVD. The Anamorphic disc is a bit misleading, as you actually see more on the 4:3 setting of your DVD Player. If you have a 16:9 TV as I do, it ends up clipping off the top and bottom of the picture, including some of the captions (aka "Week 1" etc). In some scenes you can tell the tops of peoples heads are being clipped.
Even worse, the commentary, which I enjoyed, refers in some scenes to what you see in the "widescreen print" of the film but even at 16:9 setting, you do not see these things on this DVD.
If they ever make a new transfer of this movie from the widescreen print, I would increase my rating of that DVD to 4 stars.
I find it suprising that with two prints of the film, they would choose the lower aspect ratio one to make to DVD, and then worse than that, they then chose to master the DVD in 4:3 with letterbox and then have use the anamorphic feature to clip the 4:3 letterbox version to a 16:9 view. This is exactly backwords. Let the DVD player add the extra black letterbox for the 4:3 folks and give full fidelity to people with 16:9 TVs. Happily, not many movies are transfered this way.
A sleeper to sleep to.......2004-05-22
I coudn't finish this film, and I didn't think it was interesting at all. Honestly, the acting seemed forced, and there wasn't any sort of play between Robert Forster and Donnie Wahlberg, which seemed to be the main focus of this film. Just a seriously calmed down older guy and a cliché young guy who wants to have sex with every girl he meets. Most of what happened in this movie felt unnatural to me, and never surreal enough for that fact not to matter. At least take the time to learn what to expect if you plan on watching this, because it sure didn't grab me at all.
Average customer rating:
- Bringing Up Baby
- brilliant
- Actually better than what you might expect
- Silly, But Quite Fun
- I fell in love with Roland Giraud... (mild spoilers)
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Three Men and a Cradle
Starring: Roland Giraud , Michel Boujenah , André Dussollier , Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu , and Dominique Lavanant
Director: Coline Serreau
Manufacturer: Homevision
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ASIN: B0009WFFWC
Release Date: 2005-08-09 |
Amazon.com
When a baby girl appears on the doorstep of a Parisian apartment belonging to a trio of hedonistic bachelors, baby care is thrust upon them with hilarious and, ultimately, heartwarming results in this 1985 French comedy (with English subtitles) by writer/director Coline Serreau. Pierre, Michel, and Jacques are pleasure-seeking professionals with the singular goal to seduce women in their spare time. When Jacques leaves on a three-week vacation, a mix-up ensues and roommates Pierre and Michel (Roland Giraud and Michel Boujenah, respectively) discover that the "package" Jacques has enlisted them to watch in his absence is a cooing infant in a pink bassinette. With no prior experience and unable to contact Jacques (André Dussollier) to whom the baby was "addressed," they dive into the frenzied fracas of diapers and feeding schedules. Adding insult to insanity, they must fend off drug dealers—and police--interested in another "package." The simple storyline leaves plenty of room for shenanigans—formulaic perhaps, but still irresistible. Rather than a morality play on the recklessness of child abandonment, farcical comedy prevails. Over time, the men are smitten with little Marie who gives them plenty of adorable moments until they can't live without her. The obvious appeal of the story inspired the American remake two years later, though the French version is more compelling, nuanced, and touching. Parents should take note of the PG-13 rating for excessive profanity and sexual content. (Ages 12 and older) --Lynn Gibson
Description
Three clueless and hedonistic bachelors are forced to trade dames for diapers when an infant is left on their doorstep. Winner of the César Award for Best Film and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, writer-director Coline Serreau's irresistible, sweet-natured farce was one of the most popular French comedies of the 1980s, and inspired the blockbuster American remake.
Customer Reviews:
Bringing Up Baby.......2005-09-21
Shrewd advice: Always seek out the original when America decides to remake a foreign film in its own image. The Hollywood moneymaker "Three Men and a Baby" and its unmentionable sequel are, well, laughable alongside the superior French comedy "Three Men and a Cradle" now out on DVD. Men's bonding with children isn't new to cinema ("Kramer versus Kramer"), but treating child abandonment as farce was when this film opened in 1985. It became a big European hit, won France's best film Cesar Award, and got nominated for a Hollywood Oscar. Absolutely delightful describes it best.
Three bachelors in an upscale apartment continue to pursue women and their jobs, deflecting police snoopers and drug dealers, all the while caring for a baby girl left on their doorstep. That's the set-up, which the American remake never got beyond. The movie is really about how gender switching, including diaper-changing and bottle feeding, permits the inner man to express his true self. All of the actors have a sweet sense of ensemble, yet each man bonds with the baby in his own way. If you have to ask how this perfectly charming comedy will end, you have never been a parent.
brilliant.......2005-04-26
this is the original film and much less schmaltzy and cute than the truly awful American remake (3 men and a baby). Don't watch the bad remake, watch this. 3 batchelors, keen on women and wine are left with a baby. Yes the men grow to love Marie, but only in time, and only really when they release a package of drugs is the real parcel to be collected. love is not instant (as in the US remake). subtle too. I saw this subtitled years ago in a cinema in NZ and have loved it since.
Actually better than what you might expect.......2005-03-12
Three young independent bachelors live together in Paris. One day, a woman, known to all three men, leaves a baby on their doorstep. She wants them to care for it while she goes to America. It's a total disaster for them at first, as expected, and just as predictably they soon grow fond of the little tike, learn responsibility, and become less selfish. When the mother returns and they have to give the baby up, they are despondent and their lives suddenly have a big hole in it. Sounds like it should be a big mess, but actually it's very well done and, best of all, believable. [This is the French version which inspired the American remake two years later.]
Silly, But Quite Fun.......2001-04-27
This 1985 French comedy is best known as the source material for the Disney hit Three Men and a Baby, but is quite entertaining in its own right. Pierre, Michel and Jacques, three self-centered ladies' men who share a spectacular Paris apartment, are thrown for a loop when an ex-girlfriend abandons infant Marie--"the fruit of our passion"--on their doorstep. (This is apparently a temporary measure, designed to teach Jacques, the baby's actual father, a lesson.) As you can probably predict, the complaints and bumbling new-dad hijinks are many, and they grow highly attached to Marie...just in time for the mother to arrive to take her back. Or will she?
This is hardly a perfect movie--there's a subplot involving drug smugglers and mistaken identity that's particularly clunky and out of place--but it's silly and warmhearted fun for anyone who doesn't mind a movie with a (very cute) baby as the center of the action. No slapstick, just a domestic comedy with a sharply Gallic sense of humor and some surprisingly gentle moments. The actor who plays Michel, and whose character seems to love Marie the most, is particularly good. Recommended.
I fell in love with Roland Giraud... (mild spoilers).......2001-04-25
I saw this movie before the mediocre American remake, THREE MEN AND A BABY, came out, and I'm so glad I did. There's really no comparison.
The premise -- three confirmed bachelors taking care of a tiny baby -- seems contrived at first, but the three principle actors, Roland Giraud, Boujenah and Dussollier, deftly handle their characters with humor, intelligence and sympathy. There are some very funny scenes, not so much with the expected gee-I'm-a-man-handling-a-little-baby kind of slapstick but rather the three men arguing with each other and their friends.
Best of all, the sweet scenes are never overly-sentimental or trite but instead are gentle and moving. Roland Giraud is absolutely brilliant. MILD SPOILER: The scene in which Giraud comes home to find the apartment ransacked has him running frantically throughout looking for the baby. When he finally finds her, safe and sound, his absolute relief and joy flood from the screen. I fell in love with him at that moment.
You'll most likely find this in the foreign film section of your local video store, as I did many years ago, and if you're like me, you'll wind up ordering it. However, lucky you will only pay a pittance compared to the $89.95 I shelled out way back when. Yes, I wanted it that much.
Average customer rating:
- The Best!
- There's no better version of the Sherlock Holmes stories
- Vintage Homes
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Vol. 1: (A Scandal in Bohemia/ The Dancing Men/ The Naval Treaty/ The Solitary Cyclist)
- Technical problems with two copies of this DVD
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Vol. 1: (A Scandal in Bohemia/ The Dancing Men/ The Naval Treaty/ The Solitary Cyclist)
Starring: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
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Similar Items:
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Vol. 2: The Crooked Man/ The Speckled Band
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 5 (The Resident Patient / The Red-Headed League / The Final Problem)
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Volume 3 (The Blue Carbuncle/The Copper Beeches)
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 4 (The Greek Interpreter / The Norwood Builder)
- The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 4 - The Devil's Foot / Silver Blaze / The Bruce Partington Plans
ASIN: 0788602047
Release Date: 2000-10-03 |
Amazon.com
"A Scandal in Bohemia"
The very first Sherlock Holmes short story (following the detective's introduction in the novels A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four) was also the first Granada Television production in the long-running Holmes series featuring Jeremy Brett's definitive performance as the famous sleuth. No deerstalker cap, cape, curved meerschaum pipe, or Basil Rathbone mannerisms for this Holmes: Brett's portrayal went straight to the heart of the character Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created, with all the manic-depressive, coldly clinical, drug-dependent, and unnervingly focused brilliance intact. Just as on-the-money is David Burke's Dr. John Watson, who is hardly the loyal puppy of widespread assumption but rather a dedicated ally and determined chronicler of the publicity-wary Holmes. "A Scandal in Bohemia," ironically, is one of the few instances of Holmes being bested by an equally intelligent adversary--an actress by the name of Irene Adler (Gayle Hunnicutt), who has threatened to reveal damaging evidence of her own affair with the king of Bohemia (Wolf Kahler), a ridiculous pseudonym invented by Watson to protect the real royal personage in trouble. It's Holmes to the rescue, going undercover in disguise to take away the blackmailer's trump, though it's he whose head will ultimately be turned by the extraordinary Irene. The cast is wonderful (meet Rosalie Williams as Baker Street housekeeper Mrs. Hudson), and the drama is great fun. (For a contemporary movie reinvention of this story, check out the 1998 feature Zero Effect, starring Bill Pullman as a whacked-out variation on Holmes, Ben Stiller as his long-suffering Watson, and Kim Dickens as an updated Irene.) --Tom Keogh
"The Dancing Men"
What is the meaning of the stick figures that appear scrawled one day on the exterior wall of a Northfolk manor? Why do they so terribly upset the American wife (Betsy Brantley) of the gentleman (Tenniel Evans) who lives there? The case proves one of the most tantalizing for Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) and his ally and chronicler, Dr. Watson (David Burke). Then it proves among the gravest of Holmes's career when murder enters the picture and the distraught woman is charged with the crime. This is one of those stories from the Holmes canon that practically invites an adaptation; Sherlockians will enjoy seeing the oddly disturbing "dancing men" on screen, while newcomers to Holmes will find the tale particularly compelling. As always, Brett remains the definitive Holmes. --Tom Keogh
"The Naval Treaty"
An old schoolmate of Dr. Watson's, Percy Phelps (David Gwillim), has asked the longtime friend of Sherlock Holmes to intercede on his behalf with the famous detective. Phelps, a member of the Foreign Office, has stolen a copy of a naval treaty with serious international consequences, but the document has been missing for two months. His nerves shattered from worry, Phelps is under the care of his fiancée (Alison Skilbeck), but so far the treaty has not surfaced. Holmes (Jeremy Brett), aided by Watson (David Burke), agrees to take the case, which is handsomely adapted in this episode from the Granada Television series. As usual, Brett is the most fascinating, most complex, and truest of the many Holmes portrayals in film and TV history, Burke is solid as the good doctor, and Rosalie Williams is delightful in her fleeting appearance as the Baker Street housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson. --Tom Keogh
"The Solitary Cyclist"
Sherlock Holmes (the incomparable Jeremy Brett) is unhappily interrupted during a major investigation by the appearance at Baker Street of a young, regal-looking woman named Violet Smith (Barbara Wilshere). Frightened for her safety, Smith tells the busy sleuth and his friend Dr. Watson (David Burke) of her recent life since being left penniless. Employed as a music teacher in the Charlington home of one Bob Carruthers (John Castle)--a man who, along with a quite dangerous and "hideous" fellow named Woodley (Michael Siberry)--knew her late father in South Africa, Smith has lately been harassed by Woodley and followed on bicycle by a mysterious, bearded fellow. Watson is dispatched to look into the matter, but the mystery only deepens and darkens even after the Master finally arrives. One of the strongest episodes in the long-running Holmes series from Granada Television, "The Solitary Cyclist" never lets up its taut suspense. Brett and Burke are magnificent, as always, but even the most loyal fans are taken aback by the rare sight of Holmes throwing punches, as he does in a boxing duel with the beastly Woodley. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
The Best!.......2007-04-13
In one of my classes at college, our professor made us watch a Sherlock Holmes episode the first day. As a rule, I prefer to read stories as opposed to watching them on TV because usually the TV versions are not as good as the books from which they are derived. However, after watching Jeremy Brett's portrayal of the legendary slueth, I was well satisfied with the excellent job of both the actors and the producers in bringing these extrordinary tales to life. I have since watched every episode, and I can say with confidence that Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes is the best I have ever seen.
There's no better version of the Sherlock Holmes stories.......2007-03-24
I've loved these since I first saw them on television decades ago- Brett delivers, without a doubt, the truest, and most accurate picture of Holmes at Conan Doyle wrote him. Brett's Holmes is detached from humanity- uninterested in other peopel, except insofar as they can provide him with an intellectual challaneg. For him, the case is the thing; if he solves a mystery, he considers himself to have succeeded- even if the client happens to die along the way.
The people and places depicted in this series may not be terribly true to history, but they are very true to Conan Doyle's depiction of the age, and thus very satisfying to any serious Holmsian. The rigid societal roles, the predictable behavior, the overdone stereotypes- this is the world of Sherlock Holmes, where all can be induced from a few clues, where invalids take to divans and fan themselves, and where the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime. If you're Holmes fan- and you must be, to have read this far- you'll absolultley love this series.
Vintage Homes.......2006-11-04
A Scandal in Bohemia is my favorite Holmes story. I bought this to get it but found the other three stories just as well done. The people that write the scripts for this series all do a formindable job and the casting as is usual for English TV is excellent. Would that American TV would learn to cast as well. But most of the actors and actresses on American TV never learned their craft. You're lucky if one of two members of a cast are real pros while in England even the small roles are well done.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Vol. 1: (A Scandal in Bohemia/ The Dancing Men/ The Naval Treaty/ The Solitary Cyclist) .......2006-07-07
HI,
This version of the DVD has helped me to recollect the memories of the old days when I used to view Holmes series in my home TV duiring my childhood. Good and fresh memory.
But I expected a better quality DVD. This one tht have reached me sometimes stops for a fraction of a second and it srarts automatically. I expected a flawless and superior quality. Although I am returning it back but Amazon should take care of this in future.
Thanks,
Sanjib
Technical problems with two copies of this DVD.......2005-11-01
This DVD appears to be encrypted or mastered in a slightly unusual way. My DVD player could not play it, nor could any of the normal DVD players on my computers play it. This was true of two copies of this DVD that I bought.
Eventually I discovered that VLC (VideoLan Client) on the Mac could play it and we did get to see it in the end. The episodes are good, but I agree with most of the other reviewers in saying that the quality of the DVD is far below what is expected. There are sound problems on "The Naval Treaty" and a piece of dirt appeared to get caught in the projector's film gate at one stage during one of the episodes!
Average customer rating:
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Point of Fear
Manufacturer: Customflix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
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ASIN: B000P2A67K
Release Date: 2007-04-05 |
amazon.com
When Melissa, Parker, Mark, and Karen decide to take a summer vacation to the small town of Pleasant Point, they find that the town has much to offer... including a string of brutal murders. When Melissa is kidnapped by a crazed psychologist who thinks she is his late wife who has come back to him, her three friends must team up with the local police, find Melissa, bring down the killer, and escape before they are pushed past the point of fear. Special Features Include: DVD commentary (2 tracks) Deleted Scenes Extended Scenes Original Trailer Scene Selection Blooper Reel 2.35:1 Widescreen
Average customer rating:
- T-Men
- The prototype for the undercover agent film
- Breaking the Bonds
- Fantastic Noir Cinema
- EXCELLENT PAIRING OF DIRECTOR MANN AND ACTOR O'KEEFE
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T-Men
Starring: Dennis O'Keefe , Mary Meade , Alfred Ryder , Wallace Ford , and June Lockhart
Director: Anthony Mann
Manufacturer: Vci Video
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Similar Items:
- Gangsters Guns & Floozies Crime Collection: Raw Deal
- He Walked By Night
- Where the Sidewalk Ends (Fox Film Noir)
- The Big Combo
- Kiss of Death (Fox Film Noir)
ASIN: B00005Y70T
Release Date: 2002-04-30 |
Amazon.com
Anthony Mann was a poverty-row director with ambition when he transformed this story of undercover Treasury agents (based on a collection of true cases) into a moody, alienated drama about two lawmen living a shadowed life in the underworld where a blown cover means death. Square-jawed Dennis O'Keefe, a former leading man turned beefy B movie tough guy, and Alfred Ryder star as the titular T-men who take over a counterfeiting investigation when their predecessor is killed, posing as street thugs to infiltrate their way into the gang and living the dangerous life of the gangster to the hilt. The documentary-style realism, with its authoritative narrator, location shooting, and stock-shot interludes of shuffling papers and laboratory testing, is given a nightmarish dimension with stark sets lit in claustrophobic shadows, creating an abstract, eerie emptiness. Penned by John C. Higgins (who wrote Mann's previous film, Railroaded!), and shot by the brilliant cinematographer John Alton, T-Men is raw in comparison to the smoother, more handsome studio noirs such as The Maltese Falcon and Out of the Past. Saddled with often awkward dialogue and hackneyed narration, this low-budget gem derives its power from the brutal violence (often offscreen but no less unsettling for it) and spare style, and the desperation in the hard faces of the unglamorous actors. Mann, Alton, Higgins, and star O'Keefe reteamed for the moody Raw Deal the next year. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews:
T-Men.......2007-06-25
Filmed in pseudo-documentary fashion, this nail-biting underworld drama was a box-office smash in 1947 for fledgling director Anthony Mann, who immediately signed to MGM with now-legendary cinematographer John Alton. Exploring the grey area between sanctioned undercover work and out-of-control criminal behavior, "T-Men" plunges deep into the shadowy world of the thug's life, with a serpentine plot and gritty, lock-jawed performances from the B-movie cast. Aside from its rough-hewn realism, Mann's film is a triumph of stylish production design and Alton's brilliant chiaroscuro visuals. Capped by a steam-bath murder that will snatch your breath away, "T-Men" is a crackling tale of claustrophobic tension.
The prototype for the undercover agent film.......2007-02-22
Nietzsche wrote "he who fights monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster." The exploration of this idea is often the underlying theme of undercover agent films like "Donnie Brasco," "Deep Cover" and even to some degree, "The Departed." All of these films are indebted to Anthony Mann's almost forgotten noir classic, "T-Men" - a film that represents one of the first instances where the story focuses on men who sacrifice their souls (and in one case a life) as they descend into the criminal underworld to serve the law. The title is the street name for treasury agents, who are here assigned to infiltrate a counterfeiting ring. As they adopt the identities of criminals they make compromises of increasing magnitude to protect their covers and in the process become less distinguishable from the people they are trying to apprehend. The film expresses this process visually by showing them stepping in and out of shadows, literally, to echo what's happening morally, following a genre convention that still manages to look fresh because of John Alton's stunning cinematography. Aside from the hokey documentary-style narration, the film feels incredibly modern.
"T-Men" is an essential film of the film noir genre worthy of wider recognition. Like many other films of the genre, only the budget was at a B level.
Breaking the Bonds.......2006-11-21
The movie starts off as one of those popular police procedure films that glorified law enforcement, especially during the law and order 1950's. However, there's an artistic sensibility underlying this effort that effectively undercuts the documentary conventions. Because about 20 minutes into the photography, the tone becomes steadily darker as the undercover agents plunge deeper into the angular shadows of the L.A. underworld. Unknowingly, they have descended into the claustrophobic twilight of noir, where anything can happen. A cop can even be mudered while his partner stands idly by, thereby breaking all the rules of the time, but affirming our sense that reality is a lot darker than the popular conventions made it out to be.
There are so many imaginative touches that the feeling of a film within a film emerges, one that's striving to burst the bonds of Hollywood's Production Code. The film-makers do their best to keep the climax consistent with the overall mood, but Code demands ultimately prevail such that the viewer may be left unconvinced by the round-up happy ending. It's this friction between convention and artistry, between the predictable and the unpredictable, that finally splits the film into conflicting, even warring, perspectives. Anyone wishing a glimpse of the contrast between the two, and how Hollywood subordinated art to ideology, should catch up with this 90 minute melodrama.
Fantastic Noir Cinema.......2006-03-28
This is just a plain terrific crime noir film. It's loaded with atmosphere, gritty dialogue, and an interesting story. Dennis O'Keefe (an actor who I'm ashamed to say I'd never heard of before this) is great as an undercover Treasury agent doing his best to ferret out a gang of counterfeiters.
Dark and moody with genuine suspense and plenty of guts. It's even got an introduction by one of the real life Treasury agents that took down Al Capone. Worth seeing if you're a noir fan. Or crime buff. Or just interested in watching an old film that has aged remarkably well.
Oh, just see it, you mugs.
EXCELLENT PAIRING OF DIRECTOR MANN AND ACTOR O'KEEFE.......2006-03-25
Not all Film Noir is sinister, negative, or about gangsters. Some of it is about detectives and undercover cops, and is very heroic. What I like best about it are the low-key lighting effects and extreme camera angles, the grittiness and heightened drama and action, as well as the effects designed to create a mood of mystery, like fog. How could you not create a great suspense thriller in a setting like that?
For this genre, one of the finest directors was Anthony Mann, and one of the most interesting actors was Dennis O'Keefe. Their pairing in T-MEN and RAW DEAL delivers two of the best examples of Film Noir, though not nearly as well known as films like The Big Sleep and Double Indemnity. Mann was a top-notch director who went on to direct Jimmy Stewart in such westerns as Winchester '73, Bend of the River, The Far Country, and The Man From Laramie; as well as sand and sandal epics, like El Cid and Fall of the Roman Empire.
O'Keefe was a top-notch actor who did a decade of extra work at the beginning of the sound era, before he was discovered and recommended as a leading man by Clark Gable. After that he starred in a variety of comedies and dramas in the 40's and 50's. He also worked for the fledgling medium of television, making guest appearances on such shows as Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, and Lux Video Theatre; as well as starring in his own TV show in 1959. He's a very likable actor, even when he plays a convict.
In T-MEN, O'Keefe and a fellow treasury detective go undercover and risk their lives to break up a counterfeiting ring. In RAW DEAL, O'Keefe plays a wrongly convicted felon who escapes from prison looking for revenge, kidnaps his lawyer's secretary who has been visiting him in prison, and is ultimately redeemed by her from his course of self-destruction. There is actually a double-redemption in RAW DEAL that gives it a nice twist.
About the cinematography: John Alton gives a visual look to these two films that can only be described as powerful. In RAW DEAL, the scene on the boat with the clock in the background will never be forgotten by anyone who has seen it. The scenes in the steam baths in T-MEN, and the fight scene in the backroom of the beachside shop in RAW DEAL are also memorable.
Waitsel Smith
DVD:
- Return to Me
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- Amadeus
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DVD List
DVD
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Edison - The Invention of the Movies (1891-1918)
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DVD: Night of the Warrior
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