B.A.P.S.

Starring:Halle Berry, Martin Landau, Ian Richardson, Natalie Desselle, Troy Beyer, Luigi Amodeo, Jonathan Fried, Pierre Edwards, Anthony Johnson, Bernie Mac, Darrel Heath, Vince Cooke, Faizon Love, Rudy Ray Moore, Darrow Igus, Debra Wilson, Robin Van Sharner, Jessica Page, Alex Thomas, Eric Poppick
Director: Robert Townsend
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
What was director Robert Townsend thinking? His movies, such as The Five Heartbeats and The Hollywood Shuffle, are sweet, enjoyable little pictures. But this "comedy" about two flashy Georgia women hoping to find money and men in Los Angeles is stereotypical, unfunny, embarrassing, and boring. Halle Berry and newcomer Natalie Desselle are trapped in pitiful roles playing against the distinguished but miscast Martin Landau and a wasted Ian Richardson. B.A.P.S., by the way, stands for black American princesses. There are better urban comedies out there, the badly named Booty Call for one. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Description
Can two clueless Georgia homegirls with big hearts -- and even bigger hair -- find happiness, fame and thrills in the swank hills of Beverly? Anything is possible when you are B.A.P.'s

In the Year of the Pig
Average customer rating:

Just another Propaganda flick.

Comparisons between Then and Now

fine anthology of filmed vignettes

"The arrogance of power."

Most interesting, a must have!

In the Year of the Pig
Starring: Daniel Berrigan , Joseph Buttinger , William R. Corson , Philippe Devillers , and David Halberstam
Director: Emile de Antonio
Manufacturer: Homevision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
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Vietnam War | Military & War | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000A88ES2
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Amazon.com

Both sober and sobering, producer-director Emile de Antonio's In the Year of the Pig is a powerful and, no doubt for many, controversial documentary about the Vietnam War. But although the 1968 film ultimately focuses on the United States' participation in that ill-fated venture, de Antonio provides a considerably broader historical perspective; indeed, a good portion of its 103 minutes traces the 20th Century history of Southeast Asia, including French colonialism and the rise to power of Ho Chi Minh (described by one U.S. Senator as "the George Washington of his country") as the Communist leader of North Vietnam. Combining extensive file footage with de Antonio's own interviews with a variety of political and military talking heads, In the Year of the Pig goes on to deliver a clear indictment of U.S. policy and tactics in Vietnam, beginning with America's purely "technical" role in 1954 ("We are sending planes, but no pilots," says one general) and continuing through its support of the corrupt Diem regime in the mid-'60s, President Lyndon Johnson's steady escalation of U.S. military involvement, and the growing opposition to the war effort here at home. Yet while De Antonio's doesn't hide his anti-war point of view, this will never be mistaken for a Michael Moore documentary; there's little in the way of sensationalism or humor, and rather than confront his targets in person and onscreen, a la Moore, de Antonio simply gives them enough rope with which to hang themselves. Still, the DVD release of In the Year of the Pig in 2005 makes it hard to ignore the parallels between Vietnam and Iraq. In fact, when one of the interviewees suggests that "maybe what we've been doing in Vietnam all along is an exercise in… the arrogance of power," some might wonder if things have changed at all in the last forty years. --Sam Graham

Description

Produced at the height of the Vietnam War, Emile de Antonio's Oscar®-nominated 1968 documentary chronicles the war's historical roots. With palpable outrage, De Antonio (Point of Order, Underground) assembles period interviews with journalists, politicians, and key military personnel and international newsreel and archival footage to create a scathing chronicle of America' escalating involvement in this divisive conflict. The savage and horrific images speak for themselves in perhaps the most controversial film of de Antonio's career, and the film he cites as his personal favorite.

Customer Reviews:

Just another Propaganda flick........2007-06-28

For those who like to see some combat footage, this video has that. If you want a realistic appraisal of what actually happened in Vietnam...keep looking, the guy that produced this turkey is obviously of the opinion that Vietnam was all Americas fault and tries very hard, but fails to put forth the idea that the U.S. lost the war in Vietnam from a military standpoint. Those who lived through it know better.

No, we didn't occupy and hold Vietnam, but then that was never the stated goal of the war, the biggest failure in Vietnam on the part of the U.S. Military was the failure to make the South Viet military comprehend the fact that we weren't staying forever, if there was any massive failure on the part of the U.S. it was Johnson's hard headed idea that we could win a limited war. Had the U.S. thrown in all of it's power we would have won the war, but this would have meant giving the Vietnamese the choice of capitulation or annihilation, and Johnson wasn't ready to make that decision.

Comparisons between Then and Now.......2007-01-11

This film is very interesting in how it depicts the story of the Vietnam War. To see the politicians of the that time make the same sorts of arguments that today's politicos make, in regards to the justification of the Iraq war, is stunning. It is like the same reasoning and purposes that they say we now need to be in the Middle East, they all said about Southeast Asia. Just insert the word Terrorism for Communism as we do it all over again. "As the War Machine keeps turning..." I am glad I purchased this film.

fine anthology of filmed vignettes.......2006-10-11

Who would ever have thought Senator Thruston Morton could be so interesting? Yet De Antonio got some great material from him. Tonkin Gulf "No"-votes, Senators Ernest Greuning and Wayne Morse, also make wise appearances. Like LBJ, all three Senators left the government after the 1968 elections.

This film is really about film-making, more than it is a History of the Vietnam War. It ends before Tet and the Paris peace talks, more or less around the time of the South Vietnamese national elections of 1967. It has compelling shots of Buddhist immolation, but overall it's addressed to the Hearts and Minds of late 60's Americans.

This is not a history for your kids: too much is missing. That being said, In the Year of the Pig is a fine documentary. Emile de Antonio works forward from his material to present a viewpoint, instead of using cinema to work backwards from some deeply-held prejudice, a la Michael Moore. A good example would be the filmed address by General LeMay: how easy it would be to turn him into General Jack D. Ripper instead of presenting his argument in an almost, I-don't-know, reasonable way.

The Home Vision Entertainment edition comes with a great essay by Douglas Kellner explaining de Antonio's cinemagraphic methods.

"The arrogance of power.".......2006-08-26

"In the Year of the Pig" is best described as a collection of images and anecdotes about the Vietnam War rather than a comprehensive documentary of the conflict. So in that sense, it's best to come to the film with a little background. You won't come away from the film with a detailed idea of which American president sent in how many troops in any given year--although salient points covering the escalation of the war and America's increased involvement are covered. Also the collapse of the Vietnam War, and the sensational evacuation of American troops are not covered--it's still the 60s when the film ends (before the Tet Offensive), and the final scene is of wounded American soldiers limping off the battlefield. Nonetheless, "In the Year of the Pig" is a substantial, shocking documentary and its images accurately mirror a time of insanity.

The film explains the French involvement in Vietnam and covers America's initial and escalating involvement. There's coverage here of various American politicians expressing the idea that communism must be halted in North Vietnam or civilization as we know it will end. It's somewhat archaic to see these politicians with their ideas long since proved wrong ranting and raving about the communist threat in S.E.Asia, but the insanity is captured here on film--along with the American sense of urgency and imminent threat.

Some of the footage is extremely graphic--the self-immolation of a Buddhist priest, for example, an execution, an elderly Vietnamese woman crawling through burning rubble, and a suspected Viet Cong prisoner being kicked repeatedly in the stomach while the voice over assures the American public that all prisoners are being treated humanely. There's also footage of American troops torching rice paddies, as well as several American politicians lying about the Gulf of Tonkin incident. There are also clips of MacNamara, a young Green Beret who deserted, various journalists, State Department officials, LBJ, and even naughty Nixon (who used to hold the title of America's most despicable president).

The footage here of the planes dropping massive numbers of bombs of Vietnam is sickening. Call me crazy, but there's something fundamentally wrong with middle-aged affluent males sending rosy-cheeked boys off to slaughter the impoverished residents of a largely agricultural 3rd world nation. In one scene, soldiers are "pumped up" with a morale speech prior to a battle, and they're told that this is the battle they've all been waiting for. One interview is with a soldier who rousts villagers from their homes. When asked by a reporter how these villagers will survive now that their homes and their crops are destroyed, the officer replies with an irony that escapes him: "you'd be surprised how they can take care of themselves with a minimum of resources."

The film's collection of diverse images and interviews serves the viewer with a bitter, tragic taste of an ugly, unnecessary war. DVD extras include: audio commentary with director Emile de Antonio, an interview with de Antonio, and liner notes by scholar, Douglas Kellner. After watching the film and understanding the war's tragic consequences, one cannot help but ask the question--is this the best we can do after thousands of years of civilization?--displacedhuman

Most interesting, a must have!.......2005-09-29

I was really surprised when I saw this documentary because I was expecting a newer film about Vietnam but I was very pleased with this purchase! I had to watch it twice just to take it all in. This is BY FAR one of the best, if not the best, documentaries concerning Vietnam that I have ever seen! It comes from a time when there was far less spin (euphemism for lies) in the media than there is today. This documentary will definitely take you back to the roots of that conflict and the pictures and film are incredible.

This video covers the history of that struggle from the end of WW 2, with Ho Chi Minh's first Hanoi press conference in 1945, until 1968 right before the Tet Offensive. What I liked most about it was that there were several original interviews from politicians from both sides of the Vietnam camp and it also had a lot of original war footage from both the French and VietCong spanning the fifties. They even talk about who and why that monk burned himself, which made international news and had incredible political consequences world-wide. The video was in fact made by a leftist, but any intelligent person knows to ignore the messenger and pay attention to the message. After all, it shouldn't be left vs. right but right vs. wrong in my book. I'll get off my soapbox here and get back to the review...

There was so much information covered in this film, much that I never knew and have since then read up on things covered like some of the older treaties, that the US re-nigged on for example in the fifties, and even touched on some Asian philosophy with interviews given by people who had lived there for years. You will definitely get a better understanding of what was in the minds of the Vietnamese people.

I also loved all the original footage of the US policy makers at the time which will definitely give you insight as to why we were really there. What struck me the most was how what the politicians said back then mirrors almost exactly what they are saying today concerning Iraq. Any student of contemporary politics will recognize that right away but I have to admit, I was not expecting to see that because I put Vietnam and Iraq in different perspectives but when you see what they say on the floors of Congress in the fifties and sixties, it will send chills through your spine!

This was by far the most interesting documentary I have seen in a long time and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in knowing the complicated dynamics of the Vietnam War. You can really sense the truth in this video which is quite rare nowadays. There is a lot of information contained here that even the most ardent student may not have seen before. The only aspect of the film that I did not like was some of the music that they played between segments but then again, it is from the sixties. You will not regret this purchase.

Average customer rating:

B.A.P.S
Great Movie
a pleasant suprise
Halle gets 5 stars from me
FUNNY !!!!!!!

B.A.P.S.
Starring: Halle Berry , Martin Landau , Ian Richardson , Natalie Desselle , and Troy Beyer
Director: Robert Townsend
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Screwball Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000TWMTS
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Amazon.com

What was director Robert Townsend thinking? His movies, such as The Five Heartbeats and The Hollywood Shuffle, are sweet, enjoyable little pictures. But this "comedy" about two flashy Georgia women hoping to find money and men in Los Angeles is stereotypical, unfunny, embarrassing, and boring. Halle Berry and newcomer Natalie Desselle are trapped in pitiful roles playing against the distinguished but miscast Martin Landau and a wasted Ian Richardson. B.A.P.S., by the way, stands for black American princesses. There are better urban comedies out there, the badly named Booty Call for one. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

Can two clueless Georgia homegirls with big hearts -- and even bigger hair -- find happiness, fame and thrills in the swank hills of Beverly? Anything is possible when you are B.A.P.'s

Customer Reviews:

B.A.P.S.......2005-10-23

by Tiffamy Merritt.

In the movie B.A.P.S Nisi and Mickey move to L.A. to become dancers. After the audition, Isaac, a fake producer, offered them 50,000 dollars to be dancers. Instead, Nisi and Mickey scam a dying millionaire, Mr. Blakemore.

B.A.P.S is filled with comedy and mischief. An example of comedy would be when Mickey and Nisi were on the airplane talking and Mickey's hair hit the old man next to her eye. An example of mischief would be when Antonio tried to rob Mr. Blakemore while he was in bed asleep.

B.A.P.S brings you to your feet begging for an encore.

Great Movie.......2005-08-19

All i have to say is this movie is one of a kind..lol..its great!!!

a pleasant suprise.......2005-04-23

I was very suprised when I saw this film on cable some years ago. The storyline is not that predictable and there are plenty of laughs. I remember seeing Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel skewering this film particularly Halle Berry for portraying black women in a "negative manner". I had to disagree with their review totally. Check it out.

Halle gets 5 stars from me.......2004-10-18

The script was kinda lacking but there are some very funny and endearing moments. Halle looks so good in this movie it makes the weak parts look great.

FUNNY !!!!!!!.......2004-09-22

THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE IT IS HILARIOUS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT HALLE EVEN PLAYED THIS ROLE. THIS MOVIE IS SO FUNNY IT HAD A GOOD ENDING. I LIKED WHEN THEY HAD FIRST WENT TO THE HOUSE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT OLD MANI LIKED THE BATHROOM ADVENTURE. THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE. LIKED THE PART WHEN THEY WERE CALLING THEIR BOYFRIENDS NAME SUPERFLY AND SUPERFLEA. ABOVE ALL, THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE IT IS VERY HUMOROUS. I LIKED THE PART WHEN THEY WERE AT THE CLUB DANCING ALSO. I ALSO COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WHEN I SAW HALLE WITH A GOLD TOOTH IN HER MOUTH THAT WAS TO DIE FOR.

Average customer rating:

big question mark
Messterpiece
Camp classic on dvd with extras
Confusing But Fun Camp Classic
High Camp is A Bomb

Myra Breckinridge
Starring: Jim Backus , Roger C. Carmel , John Carradine , Andy Devine , and Farrah Fawcett
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00018D3YQ
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Amazon.com

We can safely call it one of the most notorious films in Hollywood history: Myra Breckenridge, the wild, tasteless, legendary disaster. Sprung from a novel by Gore Vidal, Myra tells the tender tale of a man (damply played by film critic Rex Reed) who has a sex-change operation and goes to Hollywood as a woman--played by Raquel Welch. Mae West creaked out of retirement to play a man-hungry agent (one of her meals is young Tom Selleck), and John Huston is an aging cowboy star, Myra's nemesis. To say the movie endorses the destruction of sex roles in modern society would be giving the rampant incoherence too much credit. Old film clips, plus footage (all too apt!) of atomic bomb tests are spliced into the action, to puerile effect. Almost everybody involved with the film disowned it, especially a horrified Vidal. Is there a cult for this movie? They can have it. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

big question mark.......2007-05-28

I have no idea of what the story is about. The main reason that I purchased the title was for Raquel Welch but this is a bomb of a picture

Messterpiece.......2007-05-22

Almost unconditionally perfect!

Raquel Welch, sci-fi pinup extraordinaire, is well-placed in the title role ("and don't you ever forget it, you -"; her 'dance' sequence (in the hottest imaginable white dress) under the credits alone is worth full admission. West, cadaverously regal, is also a boon, croaking out prehistoric ditties and generally having fun with lines like, "Everyone's poppin' pills and smokin' grass!" No doubt, mama. The only real hangup with this flick is the poisonous presence of Rex Reed, whose inability to 'act' (even remotely campily) didn't prevent him from imposing upon the script his personal stamp of homophobia (thus, the core of Gore Vidal's disenchantment). In the main, the narrative follows the book reasonably well; the oft-criticized retro film clips, btw, are appropriate given the popcult snobbery of Myra (a major subtext).

There's a few lags here & there (such as the unappetizing food scene), but, hey, we're talkin' Raquel and Mae in a TS romp!

Heaven on earth (almost)!

Camp classic on dvd with extras.......2007-03-06

Wow what to make of this? I'm still unsure - its high camp and actually very funny.

Based on the novel by Gore Vidal about a man who has or wants a sex change operation and becomes a woman. A very beautiful woman (Raquel Welch). The film also features Mae West, John Huston, and early appearances by a very young Farrah Fawcett and Tom Selleck.

The most controversial scene at the time was the 'rape' of Roger Herron by Myra (Raquel) with a strap on - interspersed with scenes from early B+W movies. These clips appear throughout the movie and are creatively handled.

The DVD comes with two versions the 'theatrical release' and 'directors cut' which are hardly different at all and commentaries by Raquel (self depracating and funny) and Director Mike Sarne.

Fits under the category of "BAD MOVIES WE LOVE"

Confusing But Fun Camp Classic.......2006-10-28

Gore Vidal's hilariously funny satiric novel was more or less transferred to the silver screen with a good deal of the story intact, but thanks to the hopeless mess made of the screenplay by the director, Michael Sarne, none of it makes a great deal of sense. Still, the film has lots going for it. I believe it was unmercifully and unfairly savaged by the critics as much for its revolutionary queer message as for its failures as a narrative. Myra is not only a transsexual (Myra was filmed only a few years after the world's first sex-change operations made headlines) but her self-proclaimed mission is to "realign the sexes" by turning macho heterosexual boys into homosexuals - her way of saving the world from over-population. No wonder the critics ran from the theatres, covering their crotches as they fled! Myra is shrewd, witty, beautiful, talented, intelligent AND she is a woman who used to be a man - in short, she was everything that queer / transgender people were NOT supposed to be in 1970. I happen to think that Raquel Welch gave the comic performance of her (early) career in this movie. Sarne had the presence of mind to insert old film clips as a running commentary on the plot (signifying Myra's obsession with classic films) and that portion of his vision was sheer genius. The film clips work just fine, providing many of the laughs. Each time a perfectly innocent film clip was used as a commentary to the high jinks in this movie, it usually yielded an extremely funny but admittedly tasteless moment. For instance, then President Richard Nixon reportedly had the studio delete a clip showing Shirley Temple milking a goat and getting sprayed in the face with milk. What's so bad about that? Well, it's inserted in a scene where Myron is having a masturbatory fantasy that Myra is performing fellatio on him (in the movie, Myron frequently substitutes for or has conversations with Myra - to remind us that they are the same person). But so what? The tasteless sexual jokes are half the fun, and they are generally a little classier than say, Pink Flamingos.

Gore Vidal reportedly sued to have his name removed from the credits, but a good deal of his dialogue and lots of his satire is still intact. Despite all the bad things you can say about this picture, I felt that the spirit of Vidal's book runs through every frame. Farrah Fawcett is young enough to be practically unrecognizable, and the young manly hunk who plays Rusty (what ever happened to Roger Herren, anyway?) is dreamy enough to justify sitting through this curiosity. Myra / Myron is such a queer revolutionary that the film seems way before its time, and in some ways, still does. A 77 year-old Mae West had lost none of her famous timing, but the director reportedly cut about 20 minutes of her scenes. I recall reading a rumor at the time that Sarne was incensed when he overheard a studio boss's remark that Fox was banking on Mae West's name to bring in the audience, and who the hell ever heard of Michael Sarne anyway? I vividly recall a television reviewer remarking that Mae West had the only really funny lines in the picture, and that it was worth seeing for her appearance alone (she reportedly wrote her own portion of the screenplay). Her quip to the cowboy after he answers her question, "How tall are you without your horse?" is not only the funniest moment in the whole film, it's classic Mae at her best. The reported feud between Mae West and Raquel Welch made interesting items in the gossip columns of 1970, with Welch accusing West of making her own mini-movie within a movie (which is exactly what she did) and Mae retorting, "Rachel? She's a sweet thing - she has a scene or two in my picture, I believe". Mae got top billing, despite Raquel playing the lead character, which couldn't have made Raquel very happy, I'm sure.

Some of the cameos are funny in themselves just for their casting -Myron's surgeon is played by John Carradine, who counsels Myron, "Are you sure you wouldn't like circumcision? It'd be cheaper..." and Mae West's first conquest in the picture is a practically pubescent Tom Selleck. She plays an actor's agent - for men only - who auditions all of her clients on the four-poster bed in her office. Mae and Tom trade a few very funny lines - she dismisses him from her office / boudoir with the comment, "You've impressed me immensely - I'll keep you in mind as a summer replacement. NEXT!" I was a 16 year-old gay man when this movie opened, and I not only appreciated her conquest, I envied her attitude.

And Rex Reed, a leading film critic of the sixties and seventies, proved (as Myron) that no matter what kind of critic you are, it doesn't mean you can act. As far as I know, he never did another picture, unless you count his one line, two-second cameo in Superman: The Movie, eight years later. Myra Breckinridge is pure camp - wait until you see Raquel decked out as Marlene Dietrich, or Mae West singing Otis Redding's HARD TO HANDLE, flanked by a chorus line of handsome African American studs in tuxedos. Why is a talent agent singing in a nightclub? Who cares - trust me, it's pure camp. John Huston as Uncle Buck is absolutely perfect casting, and if you bother to spend a few hours reading the novel before you screen the film, the movie will make much more sense and be far more enjoyable. The scene where Myra rapes Rusty in the infirmary was, in the novel, one of the most erotic passages I have ever read in a non-pornographic novel. I loved this movie when it came out - despite its shortcomings - and I love it all the more on DVD.

High Camp is A Bomb.......2006-10-04

My experience with watching this film was that Mae West, who I have always adored, and wished I could have met, looked SO much healthier and vital in this film than in her final movie Sextette! It was just mean spirited that the powers that be in movies exploited one of the greatest stars of all time, who clearly was not up to making that film, when she stood near the tan body builders she looked pale as a ghost. People could have done the right thing and not released that awful film, but human beings have incredibly capacity for greed. Anyway back to the Myra movie, and Mae truly looked excellent in this one. She had tons of energy, and her comic timing was as perfect as her films from decades ago. Unfortunately the film although very ultra high camp is such a waste of Mae, and the other stars. This movie even had the great John Houston, and he too had some incredibly embarrassing lines to say. It was fun to see the young and incredibly squeaky clean Farrah Fawcett, and also a very very young Tom Selleck,who camped it up with Mae West. If you are a Mae West fan and you are looking for a movie where she makes grand entrances, and she definitely still had that star power, rent or buy this film, and you will forgive the stupidity of the majority of the film. Raquel Welch has some wonderful outfits in here, but I'm sure today she would prefer to forget this celluloid mistake. There are definitely some memorable Mae West lines in here. There will never be another one like her, she was amazing!!!! I guess this movie in its time was quite shocking, but today it is very tame, and one wonders what West wanted with this stupid movie. I almost completely forgot that this is based on the book by Gore Vidal, who too must have put his head in the sand when this appeared in the theatres, or at least retreat to his villa in Italy.

Average customer rating:

Look Back in Anger
That's Acting
interesting but overrated
Important to see
Gary Raymond

Look Back in Anger
Starring: Richard Burton , Claire Bloom , Mary Ure , Edith Evans , and Gary Raymond
Director: Tony Richardson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005PJ6W
Release Date: 2001-12-11

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Richard Burton was riding high in grandiose roles in Hollywood and on Broadway when he returned to Britain to portray trumpet-playing social dropout Jimmy Porter in Tony Richardson's adaptation of John Osborne's groundbreaking 1956 play. Burton's Jimmy works in a public market "sweet stall" where he rubs shoulders with the working class with a condescending air, while he takes out his contempt of bourgeois complacency at home on his spiritually whipped wife (a numb-looking Mary Ure) and her best friend (Claire Bloom). Burton is too old for the part of the self-loathing college grad, but his performance simmers with frustration and misdirected rage that masks the sad, vulnerable underside to his misanthropic swipes. The film became the opening volley in Britain's "New Cinema," a new wave of young directors, working-class themes, and social-realist style. --Sean Axmaker

Description

OscarÂ(r) nominee* Richard Burton delivers a passionate performance, and Mary Ure, ClaireBloom, Gary Raymond and Edith Evans give exciting stand-out portrayals (Los Angeles Times)in this powerful and engrossing motion picture (Cue) that bristles with brilliant dialogue (The Hollywood Reporter) and raw human emotion. Rage! His eyes blaze with it and his bodyseethes with it. Jimmy Porter is a man consumed by anger, and every moment he spends in the rank, suffocating squalor of the English factory town that entraps him, propels him closer and closer towards self-annihilation. But Jimmy's savage cruelty is not limited to himself. He also hurts the ones he lovesagain and again. And this time, he's about to commit an act so brutal, so destructive, that his wife Alison, her best friend Helena, and even Jimmy himself may not be able to survive! *Actor: The Robe (1953), Becket (1964), The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965), Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf (1966), Anne Of The Thousand Days (1969), Equus (1977); Supporting Actor: My Cousin Rachel (1952)

Customer Reviews:

Look Back in Anger.......2007-06-26

Based on John Osborne's excoriating play, Tony Richardson's "Look Back in Anger" burst onto the screen in 1958 with piercing dialogue reflecting the stultifying state of the British lower classes. Richard Burton (in his prime) is electric as Jimmy, imbuing the malcontent with his own dark, scathing intensity. And Richardson evokes the Britain of cold-water flats and endless drizzle with a grim authenticity. Look for veteran stage actress Dame Edith Evans playing Mrs. Tanner, Jimmy's surrogate mother, and the only woman he trusts.

That's Acting.......2007-05-09

There are great performances by many great actors. but Burton's portrayal of Jimmy Porter is in a class by itself----even with a stellar supporting cast Burton is impossible to catch and even the audience needs to hang on to keep up with the pace. One of the most memorable screen performances in the history of cinema.

interesting but overrated.......2006-11-05

This is interesting as a period piece. The interest is not, however, in the somewhat untypical and sometimes unbelievable personalities portrayed, as in the streets, the houses, the clothes and some of the attitudes depicted. For example the class warfare, racial attitudes, and the fact that both Porter's wife and her actress friend, for all their sense of superiority towards Porter and the lower orders, (Porter acts similarly, with his own reverse snobbery) both easily and unquestioningly assume the fifties' feminine roles of ironing and folding clothes, and making meals. The children's games and demeanor are also typical of the times portrayed.

Both Porter and his wife are somewhat typical of their social class, although Porter is far more poetic in his verbal expression than anyone I ever knew back then, and far more emotional. He is domineering, controlling, and egotistical; he has a chip on his shoulder. His wife is unemotional, cold, snobbish, and unfeeling. It is no surprise that they don't get on.

He is too self-centred and doesn't enquire as to his wife's thoughts and feelings; he is too busy describing his own state. He does see that his wife lacks any strong feelings of her own, is merely unthinkingly conventional, and is too easily swayed by others,especially her folks and her friend. She is unhappy and unloved by him, but is all too ready to run away from the situation, and have her unborn child aborted (she doesn't abort because the doctor indirectly warns her not to). She is unwilling even to go with her husband to see his dying "ma" although he tells her he needs her to.

Porter is, like most of us I suspect, too willing to see his own imagined virtues and the weaknesses of others. This is good for the ego but very bad for human relations.

In the end they each realize their own faults. He sees that he is actually "slightly satanic" for example, and overcritical, and she sees that she is too vulnerable, dependent, and emotionally undeveloped. It takes a tragic event to bring them together. Things work out quite well in the end; they seem to each learn something valuable but much of the dialogue is stinted and unconvincing. All actors and actresses do a good job with the material provided.

Important to see.......2006-09-01

Despite strong acting on the part of all, I didn't think that the film adaptation was entirely successful, due to the script and direction. It remains a filmed play. Burton being always so angry doesn't ring true. But the film remains something important to see - and see again. In comparison with the majority of films coming out today, the films of the '60s had something to say and the acting and writing in general were superior.

Gary Raymond.......2006-07-25

The standout for me was this underrated handsome Brit who later wound up on "Rat Patrol" as Sgt. Moffitt. He plays Porter's pal who bears the anger and trumpet outbursts.
Nice period piece. Always good to watch Claire Bloom,, too.

Introducing: Darrel Petties and Strength in Praise

Average customer rating:

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

Introducing: Darrel Petties and Strength in Praise
Starring: Darrel Petties & S.I.P.
Manufacturer: EMI Gospel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Overflow
Mighty Long Way
Victory Live!
Count It All Joy
Live in New Orleans

ASIN: B000BRBAS8
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Customer Reviews:

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!.......2006-04-12

A friend of mine from Memphis brought the DVD to me and I was expecting to see something with ALOT of SOUTHERN flair..but what I saw was a WELL PUT TOGETHER DVD! I wished that there were MORE songs on the DVD!!!!! It was a different set up as it relates to the presentation. It was not just a choir standing on stage singing songs...it was definitely HIGH ENERGY! You couldn't hear any overdubs (if there were any??). The music was clear...runs were clean! You could tell that the choir was enjoying themselves...it seemed like EVERYONE was on point on the night of this recording. GET THE ALBUM!!! It's worth it! Darrel Petties is a blessing to the industry..and I can't wait for the NEXT DVD/CD!!!!

Average customer rating:

Great come back

Indra: The Tiger
Starring: Chiranjeevi , Sonali Bendre , Aarti Agarwal , Prakash Raj , and Allu Ramalingaiah
Director: Gopal B.
Manufacturer: Eros Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Customer Reviews:

Great come back.......2006-03-30

I watched this movie several times and I still love to watch this movie as this is one of my all time favorites. This movie contains all the masala which Indians love to watch in a movie.

Average customer rating:

Don't worry, RadSafe® will protect you
Some good footage - but nothing extraordinary
Certainly Not Worth $350 Dollars!!!
the truth
Radio Bikini

Radio Bikini
Starring: Kilon Bauno , John Smitherman , W.H.P. Blandy , Vyacheslav Molotov , and Albert Einstein
Director: Robert Stone (IV)
Manufacturer: New Video Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Politics | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Atomic Cafe
America's Atomic Bomb Tests - The Collection
The Day After Trinity
Nuclear Rescue 911 - Broken Arrows & Incidents
Atomic Journeys - Welcome to Ground Zero

ASIN: B0000TPAMO
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Description

Nominated for an Academy Award(r) as well as the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Radio Bikini is a sensational, eye-opening film that gets to the bottom of one of the most terrifying tragedies of the nuclear age. Hailed by The Los Angeles Times as "an outstanding achievement on all levels," this classic documentary serves as a chilling reminder of what happens when man's quest for power surpasses his ability to control its devastating effects. In the tradition of THE ATOMIC CAFE, RADIO BIKINI transports us back to The Cold War, a terrifying time when the threat of nuclear war was part of daily life. Told in a hauntingly perceptive tone, this critically-acclaimed film is one of the most powerful and insightful films ever made on the overwhelming destructiveness of nuclear power. By using extraordinary and rarely seen archival footage, much of which was once kept classified by the U.S. government, director Robert Stone brings to light the largely untold story of Bikini Atoll. A peaceful and tropical island located in the Pacific, it was the unwitting sight of a series of high-profile atomic bomb tests conducted by the US in 1946. With startling eyewitness accounts by a naval serviceman and the chief of the native Bikinians, the film reveals the stark reality of these tests-thought to be harmless, they instead left Bikini Island uninhabitable for over 40 years and exposed thousands of sailors to heavy doses of radiation. The film's virtually surreal footage of sailors fishing in contaminated waters, mushroom clouds filling the skies, and top level government officials professing the safety of the tests leaves us in utter shock and disbelief-how could something so horrific gone untold for so long?

Customer Reviews:

Don't worry, RadSafe® will protect you.......2007-06-27

Excellently done, small wonder it's so sought after. Contains footage I've never seen elsewhere of sailors drenched head to toe in fallout from the second Crossroads shot, after the spray plume drifts into their ship. Hours later, when radiation monitors finally show up, they are pegging Geiger counters with their clothing and fingernails. Ghastly descriptions and photos of the wierd medical issues suffered by these veterens.

Some good footage - but nothing extraordinary.......2007-05-24

What caught my attention mostly was American pursuit to test more advanced weaponry at a time and place where the local population had little choice but to move away to create a test-bed. Also, horrifying to a degree were the after-effects of the tests on some American soldiers' bodies.

Certainly Not Worth $350 Dollars!!!.......2007-05-11

With my obsession of all that is nuclear, I knew I had to see this rare film. However, after seeing the price of this movie, I knew I had to attain it by more devious means. I would not suggest to anyone to buy this movie for $350.00. I'm sure other movies exists with just as much information, Trinity and Beyond, was the best nuclear bomb testing movie I've seen yet, and it contains the most interesting scenes from the Bikini islands anyway.

This movie was probably excellent in it day. Much of the atomic bomb detonations and video were deemed classified at that time, so it was rare and exceptional to see such documentation on the actual projects they conducted in the islands. However, the film itself and the narration isn't that great, the video is of course old, but appears in much better quality in other newer films such as Trinity and Beyond the Bomb movie.

There aren't many interesting scenes in the movie. One short odd scene shows Albert Einstein, hunched over in a seemingly tormented slouch voicing one word in support of nuclear exploration. Some of the soldiers talk about their experience there, but there is a lack of emotion and impact in them. The best part of the movie is the man with the huge arm and how calmly and not flustered he talks about his deterioration over the decades after being present at the atomic bomb tests. My interpretation is that he as others forgave the ignorance of the military and medical personnel at the time and just saw him and his many deceased fellowmen as a bump in the road of the nuclear arms race.

the truth.......2006-01-16

an entirely new (and truthful) perspective on our government...

Radio Bikini.......2005-08-23

Director Stone vividly recounts a tragic chapter in our history too often overlooked, mingling color footage of the Bikini project with newsreel interviews. The result is as unsettling as any nuclear doomsday movie, where the United States is like a little boy playing with live ammunition. Scary but true.

Average customer rating:

Shadows of the Orient
Starring: Sidney Blackmer , Matty Fain , Eddie Fetherstone , Kit Guard , and James B. Leong
Director: Burt P. Lynwood
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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Mandarin Mystery
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ASIN: B0009HLCZ6
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Average customer rating:

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Oklahoma Cyclone (1930)"
Good Bob Steele western
What can you say ?

Oklahoma Cyclone (B&W)
Starring: Bob Steele , Rita Rey , Al St. John , Charles King (II) , and Slim Whitaker
Director: John P. McCarthy (II)
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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Border Phantom
Rough Riders Triple Feature 2 (B&W)
Rough Riders Triple Feature 3 (B&W)
Ghost Patrol

ASIN: B00007G1T3
Release Date: 2002-11-19

Customer Reviews:

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Oklahoma Cyclone (1930)".......2006-03-08

VCI Entertainment and Tiffany Pictures present "Oklahoma Cyclone" (1930) (Dolby
digitally remastered)...relive those thrilling days from the early '30s and '40s
when Bob Steele took us down the dusty trails and the plains to exciting
adventures....some of the best B-Westerns ever to grace the Saturday Matinee
Screen...just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye
with excitement...don't miss any of the Bob Steele features loaded with action that will leave
you wanting more of his B-Western adventures

Under director John P. McCarthy, producer Trem Carr, story by J.P. McCarthy...the cast include Bob Steele (Jimmy Henderson aka Jim Smith), Rita Rey (Carmelita Carlos), Al St. John (Slim), Charles King (McKim, aka Black Diablo), Slim Whitaker (Henchman Rawhide), Cliff Lyons (Henchman),N.E. Hendrix (Henchman Shorty),Hector Sarno (Don Pablo Carlos), Fred Burns (Sheriff Henderson, Jimmy's father). . . . . our story opens with Bob Steele singing for the senorita, does the ranch foreman Charles King share her musical taste...Steele has one friend among the ranch hands Al St. John, who once again proves he's up to his old tricks in the early westerns...the heroine Rita Rey has eyes for Steele, but King has eyes for Rita and there is where our story goes into action...this the second of eight B-Westerns for producer Trem Carr and we're in for some hard riding and gunsmoke...is there plans to rob a bank, kidnap the sheriff and keep Steele in the thick of the plot on the Tiffany Studio lot. . . . . . B-Western footnote, actor Al St. John, silent film comic who appeared in dozens of Mack Sennett's early Keystone comedies and would eventually create and star in his own vehicles for other studios. With the advent of sound, he became a character actor in westerns and later the bewhiskered sidekick, also known as Fuzzy Q. Jones in some popular series Fred Scott (Spectrum Pictures/1937-38), Bob Steele/Billy the Kid (PRC Pictures/1940-41), Don "Red" Barry (Republic Pictures/1940-42), Lone Rider wth George Houston (PRC Pictures/1941-42), Lone Rider with Robert Livingston (PRC Pictures/1942-43), Buster Crabbe/Billy the Kid (PRC Pictures/1941-43), Buster Crabbe/Billy Carson (PRC Pictures/1943-46), Lash LaRue (PRC Pictures/1947-52)... St. John retired from film making in the early '50s, passed away in 1963 from a heart attack while working with the Tommy Scott Wild West show. . . . . .. . . . .second footnote, actor Charles King was among the top five "Best of the Badmen" (according to a new book by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland)...King was a big man, but as agile as a cat during his fight scenes with Johnny Mack Brown, Buster Crabbe, Tex Ritter, The Rough Riders and Bob Steele...King appeared in 400 films and 350 were in sound including many cliffhangers...he was the heavy we loved to hate........ meanwhile another great B-Western for Bob Steele under the Tiffany Pictures banner, proves to be one of his most exciting performances.

Special footnote, actor Bob Steele was the son of director Robert N. Bradbury and the age of 14 he and his twin brother Bill Bradbury made a series of comedy shorts "Adventures of Bob and Bill" (1920), directed by their father...along came his first starring western "The Mojave Kid" (1927), released by Film Booking Office of America (FBO) and directed by his father, he changed his name to Bob Steele...making low budget B-Westerns for independent studios such as Republic, Supreme, Monogram and PRC which included nearly 200 feature films, serials and TV appearances...was in his twilight years at the age 59 when he got the part of the cantankerous "Trooper Duffy", in the western comedy series "F Troop" (1965), who at the drop of a hat would give his rendition of fighting "shoulder to shoulder with Davy Crockett at the Alamo"...Steele retired from the screen in 1973...his long career, spanning more than 50 years came to an end in 1988 when he passed away.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Bob Steele (Robert Adrian Bradbury)
Birth Date: 1/23/1907 - Pendleton, Oregon
Died: 12/21/1988 - Burbank, CA.
2. Al "Fuzzy" St. John (aka: Alfred St. John)
Birth Date: 9/10/1893 - Santa Ana, CA
Died: 1/21/1963 - Lyons, Georgia
3. Charles King
Birth Date: 2/21/1895 - Hillsboro, Texas
Died: 5/07/1957 - Hollywood, California (cirrhosis of liver)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features with Bob Steele:

BOB STEELE WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:
1. Vol. 1 - Tombstone Terror/Lightnin' Crandall (VCI #7212) (DVD)
2. Vol. 2 - The Brand of Hate/Trusted Outlaw (VCI #7252) (DVD)
3. Vol. 3 - The Arizona Gunfighter/Last of the Warrens (VCI #7261) (DVD)
4. Vol. 4 - Gun Lords of Stirrup Basin'/The Feud Maker (VCI #7275) (DVD)

Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above Bob Steele titles
if they are not available as of yet...you can order
and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Oklahoma Cyclone" (1930), the
digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more
high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and
B-Westerns...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there
are plenty of copies available on DVD and VHS, stay tuned once again for top
notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just
the way we like 'em

Total Time: 66 min on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Entertainment #1624 ~ (11/19/1997)

Good Bob Steele western.......2003-07-26

The Alpha Video release looks like it was mastered from an old 16mm filmprint. Possible a dupe copy from another print. Don't let the slight amount of scratches or the graininess of the picture bother you (nor the slight loss of highs in the sound) as this is a terrific B western.

What can you say ?.......2001-12-21

You know I love B westerns they were the best and 60 minutes is long enough to tell a good story. If it hadn't been for the fact that there were so many great cowboys of the 30's and 40's,Bob Steele probably would be hailed today as the best of em all.But the fact is they were all great. And wow! could ole Bob fight. Pop some buttered popcorn,dim the lights, and become a kid again.

Average customer rating:

Street Credit: King of the Bluegrass
Starring: Stook; J Gill; Lavish Records; Kid White; Lil Daddy-O; hurricane; Bukshot; Big Dre; KD; Mac D; Lar B; Quick Trigga; Wildstyle Ent; B Simm; T Razor; J Nutty; Streetwise; Sin One; L.I.P.S.; Smurda; Young Bell; Infinite Faction; Native; Ms. P; Dirty Money
Director: Anthony L. Johnson
Manufacturer: Qiwi Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Music Video & Concerts | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Music Video & Concerts | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000FQJ6TU
Release Date: 2006-05-05

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