King Of Hearts

Starring:Jacques Balutin, Alan Bates, Jackie Blanchot, Robert Blome, Pierre Brasseur, Jean-Claude Brialy, GeneviÃ¨ve Bujold, Pier Paolo Capponi, Adolfo Celi, FranÃ§oise Christophe, Madeleine Clervanne, Marc Dudicourt, Julien Guiomar, Georges GuÃ©ret, Palau, Micheline Presle, Daniel PrÃ©vost, Michel Serrault, Sylvain
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This film was a touchstone of the late 1960s, when it was seen as an antiwar allegory for a world in which madness seemed to reign. Of course, that would probably be true whenever this movie was shown, wouldn't it? Directed by Philippe de Broca and set during World War I, King of Hearts stars Alan Bates as a Scottish soldier separated from his unit in France. He wanders into a small French village that has been abandoned by its residents in the face of oncoming combat. Instead, the town is populated by the residents of a nearby insane asylum, whose keepers have fled--a fact that escapes the innocent soldier, who assumes these are the regular folks. A film that celebrates the innocence and wisdom of the insane, even as it questions who the real madmen are. --Marshall Fine

Description

One of the most popular foreign films of all time, playing continuously in some theatres for over five years, King of Hearts is a "bright, lilting, whimsical, lyrical" (Cue) comedy thatcleverly satirizes the absurdity of war with a "message [that is] meaningful and entertaining" (Boxoffice). Bumbling Scottish Private Plumpick (Alan Bates) is sent to a village in the beautiful French countryside during World War I on a suicide mission to detonate explosives set bythe retreating German army. The village, soon to be blown sky-high, has been abandoned by its inhabitantsand replaced with escapees from the local insane asylum. Now, with the mentally challenged running the town, Plumpick is crowned King! But his new title brings him his first horrible decision: to carry out his deadly mission or join the ranks of the blissfully ignorant who know nothing about war. King of Hearts is subtle, visually striking and, in short, the "ultimate display of madness" (Life)!

Customer Reviews:

Improved Version.......2007-06-29

I used to own this on laserdisc, but this DVD version is far superior. The LD version was full screen and this one is wide screen. There are restored scenes, and the print is considerably sharper. The colors also seem brighter. I won't mention the content, but for those who love this film...Highly recommended!

The King has returned.......2007-06-13

This is possibly one of the greatest films ever made! Its impact is just as profound today as it was when I first saw it decades ago. The performances and atmosphere are as timeless as war and comedy. It makes its social comentary through humor and flight of fancy. If you haven't seen this film, do so!

King of Hearts.......2007-02-20

Delighted to have what has until now been my favorite film. I have worn out the video making all my friends watch it!
Now I have the DVD and am out looking for new friends....

"We Have Decided To Be Happy, And There Is No Stopping Us".......2006-11-24

"We have decided to be happy, and there is no stopping us." So says Bishop Daisy.

When Alan Bates tells an impossibly young Genevieve Bujold, (divine sylph in yellow ballerina finery), that they have only three minutes to live, her response is, "That's great! Such a long time."

King Of Hearts has a whimsical way of tossing cherished assumptions into a cocked hat that succeeds brilliantly. This treasure has only gotten better with time; it delights the eye, the ear, the mind, the funny bone, and the heart.

One could easily enjoy KOH with the sound off, no small French village has ever looked more picturesque, or been populated by more visually appealing citizens. Fellini admirers will find the surrealistic parades familiar; they dance on the surface of reality like bubbles in the sun. Director Philippe de Broca created these film paintings without irony; their fragile magic is simply superimposed on top of the dumb, grim, WWI setting.

Factoring in the superb Georges Delerue score gives you a long succession of movie moments that are poignant at least, and sometimes truly haunting in their beauty. Alan Bates carries the film with a seemingly effortless performance; he makes the familiar look ludicrous and the bizarre seem totally reasonable. On many levels this is a very silly movie that never could work without such a reasoned, level performance.

KOH has really been damaged by over-analysis. It is an enchanting, light-hearted comedy that casts a very particular spell. It is not a daring, bare-knuckled indictment of war, (although it would be hard to miss its anti-war position). It is also not a manifesto proclaiming the wisdom inherent in mental illness. This said, KOH does invite viewers to ask - Who is more crazy, people who shoot each other or people who dress up and play pretend?

In the real world, mental illness isn't adorable. There aren't costumes and parades. There is only pain. In the real world, war is not always moronic and pointless; there is also nobility and valor. But that's the real world; KOH is a movie, an exquisite movie.

'King of Hearts' is King in My Heart.......2006-08-22

I have been going to the movies for a long, long time...starting in the late 1930's. 'King of Hearts' is very near the top of my list of favorites and I was delighted to be able to obtain my very own copy. The premise asks the question, 'Who is Really Crazy? The gentle souls confined to an insane asylum or the warmongers on the battlefield?' Though the actions of the actors is comedic and amusing, this can hardly be defined as a comedy. It causes one to think a great deal about a very serious subject.

TCM Archives - The Lon Chaney Collection (The Ace of Hearts / Laugh, Clown, Laugh / The Unknown)

Average customer rating:

Great value set for the enthusiast
When Will We See The Second Chaney Collection?
When was Lon NOT great?
Truly Great Acting
BUY IT !!!!

TCM Archives - The Lon Chaney Collection (The Ace of Hearts / Laugh, Clown, Laugh / The Unknown)
Starring: Lon Chaney , Leatrice Joy , John Bowers , Hardee Kirkland , and Raymond Hatton
Director: Wallace Worsley , Herbert Brenon , and Tod Browning
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000B1O9L
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Description

Long before teams of technicians used computers to bring monsters and superheroes to the screen, one man equipped with little more than a makeup kit and a remarkable acting talent dazzled moviegoers with his ability to transform himself into all manner of men, monsters and outcasts. That man was Lon Chaney. This 2-Disc Chaney celebration includes three of his major works. The Ace of Hearts, - a tale of murderous intrigue, Laugh, Clown, Laugh - Chaney as a love-smitten circus clown, and The Unknown - where Chaney is a armless knife thrower. These are in their most complete surviving versions. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, Turner Classic Movies' compelling documentary Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces explores Chaney's diverse career and very private personal life. They are a few of this genius's thousand faces - faces that continue to amaze and entertain

Customer Reviews:

Great value set for the enthusiast.......2007-06-12

TCM have produced a great set of rare Lon Chaney silent films which will appeal to the Chaney fan and anyone interested in the history of the American film. The set consists of 3 films which were "lost" for many years, so it is great they are now available to view.

Michael Blake is the author of 3 books on Chaney and provides detailed commentaries on each film. Blake has clearly devoted his life to Chaney's legacy and his commentaries go way beyond what is seen on the screen. Accordingly, they are very interesting but possibly jaundiced about the films' appeal 80 years later.

The earliest film, from 1921, is "Ace of Hearts" a static and melodramatic story of a vigilante group who draw cards to select who will commit murder. The print is fairly poor and the film suffers from a snail pace and overacting.

The second film is "The Unknown", released in 1927. The film, we are told, is possibly the best of the partnership of the director Tod Browning with Chaney. The story is bizarre, the powerful story of a circus performer who cuts off his arms to win the girl. Joan Crawford, in a very early role, plays the object of Chaney's love. The film follows the common theme of unrequited love which appeared in many of Chaney's films. As well as observing Chaney's art, the film has excellent photography and Crawford is very different to the pretentious star she became, suggesting more talent than she subsequently showed. She also displays a rawness which is probably much closer to who she was before she became THE Joan Crawford.

The final film is "Laugh Clown Laugh", apparantly Chaney's own favourite of all his films. Once again, the film's theme is unrequited love with Chaney as a clown who makes the public laugh while he is heartbroken inside. This time, the object of his affection is the virginal and teenage Loretta Young and she displays the purity of emotion which was in all of her best performances pre 1935 long before the artificial later Loretta.

There is also a reconstruction of an early version of the vampyr legend, 'London after Midnight". This is a highly desired lost film but on the evidence of a few interviewees who saw the original film, the script and the stills, it looks like it might have been extremely melodramatic. While the reconstruction has been done lovingly, the result is static and rather boring, which is to be expected, I suppose.

Both "Laugh Clown Laugh" and "The Unknown" are missing scenes but what remains preserves Chaney at the height of his powers. They demonstrate that, in fact, his reputation as a horror star is misleading. He was a character actor who changed his appearance to suit the role in the same way as Charles Laughton and Paul Muni did much later. His talent for pathos is outstanding.

Possibly the best features of the DVD set are the marvellous documentary about Chaney and the short films about the competitions which TCM ran to locate new scores for the films. The DVD set is excellent value.

When Will We See The Second Chaney Collection?.......2007-02-11

I bought this set right away in October 2003. It has been over three years since this set was released. It includes great performances by Lon Chaney Sr. WHEN are we going to get a second collection? I personally would love to see "The Unholy Three," both the 1925 silent version and the 1930 talkie version released as part of a second collection, and also "West of Zanzibar," and maybe "The Road To Mandalay." This great performer deserves another release of his best and I for one will show up for my DVD collection the day it is released!

When was Lon NOT great?.......2006-09-25

Contained in this wonderful collection are the films 'The Ace of Hearts' (1921), 'The Unknown' (1927), and 'Laugh, Clown, Laugh' (1928), together with an awesome documentary about Lon's life and career (with ample film clips), a 40-minute stills and intertitle recreation of 'London After Midnight' (1927), audio commentaries by Michael Blake, Lon Chaney's definitive biographer, photo galleries, introductions to the films by TCM host Robert Osbourne, and a featurette on the composers who have won TCM's now-annual Young Film Composers contest. Two of those silents that were selected to have new scores written for them by the winners were 'The Ace of Hearts' and 'Laugh, Clown, Laugh.'

'The Ace of Hearts' was the first of Lon's films I ever saw, and even though it's not really the height of greatness, it did make me into a big fan. The origins and purpose of this secret society which Lon belongs to are never really explained (we just have a vague idea of their purpose), and the plot was also a bit of a mystery. However, as curious and under-par though this film might be, Lon totally steals the show. He just *looked* like an actor, and lived up to all of the great things I'd heard about what a wonderful actor he was. I was really impressed by his body language and facial expressions, and how he just inspired such sympathy in the audience, wanting him to be the one to get the girl (the beautiful Leatrice Joy) and to have a happy ending.

'The Unknown' is bizarre, to say the least. It was directed by Tod Browning, his favorite director, who did a lot of macabre disturbing unconventional pictures like this. It also seems as though there's some footage missing from this one, at only about 50 minutes long, added to the fact that it was only available in murky 9.5 mm black market copies until 1968, when it was discovered, along with some other films, in France, in cans labeled "l'inconnu" (i.e., "unknown"). What remains is really good, however. Alonzo is a supposedly armless knife thrower in love with his beautiful assistant Nanon (Joan Crawford), who is afraid and distrustful of men with arms. We're never really told just why she's so afraid of a man who could put his arms around her, but one suspects that she was raped or abused in the past. However, as we come to find out, Alonzo does have his arms, only he's hiding them so that Nanon will love and trust him. He's also hiding them because he has double thumbs, and the police are looking for him for some crimes he's committed, knowing only that it was a man with the same condition. Things take a turn for the worst when Nanon sees him from the back strangling her father (though luckily she doesn't see his face), and the life-altering decision Alonzo makes is not only incredibly disturbing, unthinkable, and creepy, but also leaves the door open for the handsome strong man in their travelling circus, Malabar (Norman Kerry), to move in on Nanon, who has always pushed away his romantic overtures. When Alonzo comes back to the circus after taking care of his bizarre business, things get even creepier. Once again Lon makes you feel sympathy for this strange character, someone you'd ordinarily feel repulsed and horrified by.

'Laugh, Clown, Laugh' is a truly touching and heartbreaking film, and came out in the last really great year for silents, by which time the artform had truly reached its peak and been beautifully perfected. It is rather disturbing how Lon's character, Tito the clown, develops romantic feelings for Simonetta (Loretta Young) when she becomes a young woman, even though he and his partner Simon have been raising her as practically their own daughter since they found her abandoned when she was just a toddler, but you get the feeling that deep down he realises how wrong and foolish these feelings are, not only because she's like a daughter to him, but also because he's an older man, and doesn't have anything to promise her the way her much younger and more handsome suitor Count Luigi (Nils Asther) does. A famous story about the filming of this movie is that the director, Herbert Brenon, was often quite rude and mean to Loretta Young, who was just a teenager at the time and barely starting her career. However, he was always civil to her whenever Lon was around, and after he picked up on this, he was with her constantly, even when they were shooting scenes he didn't appear in, guiding, directing, and mentoring her, and protecting her from the abusive director.

The stills recreation of 'London After Midnight' is alright, but doesn't really deliver a big punch due to the lack of actual film footage that might speed the story along better or make it seem more compelling and interesting. If only there had been even some surviving footage to pad out the stills with, as in the recreations of 'The Young Rajah' and the four-hour version of 'Greed.' This film has long been among the holy grail of missing silents, ever since the last known surviving print was destroyed by a vault fire at MGM in 1967. However, people who saw it in its original run and even as "recently" as the Fifties or Sixties have usually been quoted as saying that it wasn't all that great, and that the people so desperate to find it would probably feel the same way if they had had a chance to see it. Perhaps this is a classic case of something being elevated to high status due to the reputations of Chaney and Browning and the fact that it's lost and no longer able to be judged on its true merits. As sad as it is that an overwhelming amount of silents were lost, both within their own lifetimes and in the ensuing decades, not all lost films were great works of art that modern-day people would be really impressed by and enamoured of. Just like with modern-day movies, most silents too were just fun lightweight date movies or something for a rainy day, not epic timeless classic masterpieces or movies that are so good you want to watch them over and over again.

Overall, this is a great collection. Lon was great in every film he was in, even lacklustre efforts. His mere presence could elevate something that would have appeared only ordinary or even bad had some other actor been in it. His growing up with Deaf-mute parents played a big part in how he was so skilled at pantomimic acting, in making the viewer feel sympathy and empathy with characters whom they ordinarily would have walked on by or spat on in disgust or fear, and the stories about how he had keen empathy in real life for people who were different are also legendary. This small sampling of films is compelling proof of just why he was one of the 20th century's greatest male film actors.

Truly Great Acting.......2005-03-25

Let me just go on record of saying that the closest equivalent to Lon Chaney that we have working today is Robert DeNiro. Think about it - Chaney went to extraordinary lengths to achieve authenticity (60 pound hump on his back to play Quasimodo, wires to pull his face back in the Phantom's death's-head grin, DeNiro gains weight for Raging Bull, etc), Chaney had a tough, strong, solid physical presence that lends his every appearance a weight and reality that most other actors lack, he often played the darker side of human nature but did so with sensivity, realism, and pathos, and Chaney was a hard working professional, a non-nonsense person who was dedicated to his craft. I've associated Chaneyt and DeNiro in my head for a long time now and have never read or heard that comparrison, so I figured I would hereby make a public positing of that comparrison. By the way, these films are great, essential silent movies that any true film buff MUST see.

BUY IT !!!!.......2005-03-18

Are you wondering if this disk is worth $40? So was I. This collection is GREAT. You get two disks. There are three actual movies, one biography and one very special treat. Thios makes a total of five features for a mere $40. The lost film London After Midnight was a high-grossing popular film of the silent era. There are no known copies of the actual film itslef. BUT this collection contains a reconstruction of the film made from still photos. It's a slideshow with occasional title cards. All in all, if you like Lon Chaney, get this set. All of the films are clean, and very very very clear.

Average customer rating:

Da Blues
Killer DVD
Great show
THE BEST BLUES DVD AVAILABLE11111111111111111111
Smokin' Texas Blues!!

My Hearts in Texas
Starring: Smokin Joe Kubek , and Bnois King
Manufacturer: Blind Pig
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000F6ZPKY
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Amazon.com

Anyone with enough cheek to call himself "Smokin' Joe" better have the goods to back it up; and if your last name is King, you shore 'nuf better be able to play the blues. The good news is that Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King acquit themselves nicely in this concert, recorded on New Year's Eve, 2005 in a Ft. Worth club. Both Texas bluesmen are fine guitarists. Kubek's sound is fast and fiery, with a hard, stinging tone somewhat akin to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, while King's playing is a jazzier, more melodic and idiosyncratic (and thus a little more interesting to listen to); while Kubek takes the lion's share of the soloing, the contrast in styles works best when they trade licks on two extended jams, "Crazy World" and "Where I Want to Be." King handles all the singing, recalling Albert King, while the rhythm section (Paul Jenkins on bass and drummer Ralph Powers) is solid and workmanlike. So what's not to like? Nothing, really--but there's nothing much to love, either. The eleven original tunes, all of them good but none of them exceptional, are drawn from standard genres (rockin' shuffle, slow ballad, minor key lament), but let's face it: in the absence of outstanding showmanship on anyone's part, we're really here for the guitar playing, and an hour or so of that should prove to be plenty. Extras include interviews with Kubek and King and an all-acoustic bonus track. --Sam Graham

Description

This blazing New Year's Eve performance at the legendary J&J Blues Bar in Forth Worth, Texas is this veteran duo's first DVD. Holiday cheer and roadhouse ambiance make for a uniquely satisfying taste of Joe and Bnois trademark Texas blues. The companion CD (BPCD 5102) has a slightly different program than the DVD.

Tracks:
1. Burnin' To The Ground
2. I Saw It Coming
3. Crazy World
4. My Heart's In Texas
5. Tell Me Why
6. Better be Getting It On.
7. Where I Want To Be
8. She's Too Busy
9. I Need More
10. Make It Right
11. Healthy Mama

Customer Reviews:

Da Blues.......2006-12-11

This is a FANTASTIC DVD. No complaints at all. EVERY cut is great. A must for blues lovers. 5 STARS FOR SURE

Killer DVD.......2006-09-19

I saw these guys a couple of weeks ago at the Durham Blues Fest. They kicked arse and stole the show. Awesome......

Great show.......2006-08-05

I have seen this band twice live and this DVD is a nice way to relive those memories. The music is great and the film makes it fill like your right there. I would have liked to seen more shots of the crowd and the bar but overall I loved it!!

THE BEST BLUES DVD AVAILABLE11111111111111111111.......2006-05-16

I'VE REVIEWED ALOT OF BLUES DVD'S IN RECENT TIMES , BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE AS GOOD AS THIS!!!! SMOKIN JOE AND THE BOYS ARE A 10 STAR IN MY HUMBLE OPINION. THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE IS THAT IT WASN'T 2 HOURS LONG OR MORE. PLEASE DO ANOTHER DVD, SMOKIN JOE................

Smokin' Texas Blues!!.......2006-05-02

I was there for this performance at J&J's, and can't wait to finally see an A+ professionally-produced DVD of this awesome band!

If you can't get to a town where they're playing, you can finally see what you've been hearing on the CD's. As a band, they're tight, and they were in great form on 12/31/05. Joe makes his Stratocasters sing with seemingly no effort at all. Bnois King counterpoints beautifully with his jazzy style and raspy-velvet vocals. And there is no rhythm section in blues more solid than Paul Jenkins on bass, and Ralph Power on drums.

If you have had the pleasure of seeing SJK live, now is your opportunity to show your friends, and to enjoy again and again!

Average customer rating:

Very sweet natured family film.

Huck & The King of Hearts
Starring: Chauncey Leopardi , Graham Greene (II) , Dee Wallace (II) , Joe Piscopo , and Gretchen Becker
Director: Michael Keusch
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002DRDKA
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Customer Reviews:

Very sweet natured family film........1999-01-06

A loosely updated version of the classic Huckleberry Finn. A young boy flees abusive stepfather and goes in search of the adventurous grandfather that he's never met. Along the way he meets "Injun" Joe, a small time con. They team up and head for Vegas, while trying to stay ahead of the gangster who wants to kill Joe.

Average customer rating:

King of Hearts
Starring: King of Hearts
Manufacturer: YORK HOME VIDEO
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000AP04DI
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Product Description

It is a story of two people who have given up love but find each other despite themselves through a twisted turn of hilarious events. Engaged couple, Jada and Caleb try to hook up platonic friends Exavia and Drew. Exavia and Drew confide each other about failed loves and nightmarish dates. All the while, Jada and Caleb (who each have no idea what the other is doing) set the friends up on blind dates with each other...on the same night, but at different places.

DVD:

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