Big Night

Starring:Caroline Aaron, Marc Anthony, Peter Appel, Andre Belgrader, Larry Block, Tina Bruno, Pasquale Cajano, Gene Canfield, Minnie Driver, Ian Holm, Allison Janney, Peter McRobbie, Jack O'Connell (II), Isabella Rossellini, Liev Schreiber, Campbell Scott, Tony Shalhoub, Karen Shallo, Christine Tucci
Director: Campbell Scott
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Critics tripped all over their big feet to praise Big Night, and in doing so performed a grave disservice to this fine little film. They fooled audiences into believing it was a "super movie" instead of a home movie buoyed by friends and family. Consequently, many viewers were disappointed. Big Night is an intimate look at the immigrant struggle to attain the American Dream, set in New Jersey in the 1950s. Its disproportionate success gave co-directors Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, who also star in the picture, the green light to follow up with a smug, unsuccessful second venture called The Imposters. Tucci wrote Big Night with his cousin Joseph Tropiano, and they based the story on the experience of growing up in a large, proud Italian family. The brothers in Big Night--chef Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and businessman Secondo (Tucci)--have come to New Jersey to open a bistro named The Paradise that serves the finest in traditional, authentic Italian cuisine. Their every move is foiled by rival restaurant Pascal's, which serves mile-high servings of spaghetti and meatballs and flasks of bad Chianti at exorbitant prices. Primo is disgusted by the fact that Americans want cheap pasta instead of risotto, so Secondo hatches a plan to boost business: rumor has it bandleader Louis Prima is travelling through and will dine at The Paradise that very night. Secondo gambles to bring the finest dinner ever cooked--at the risk of losing his shirt and being reduced to exile to the old country with his tail between his legs. Big Night is a film that will easily invite comparisons to other "food" fare like Babette's Feast and Eat Drink Man Woman but, though Tucci insists his story is "about the struggle between art and commerce and the risk of staying true to yourself," the media refused to let it stay a small, comparative work. The movie, and the buzz around it, became a parable for the essence of the film itself: art vs. commerce. --Paula Nechak

Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
Average customer rating:

10 lesser-known but excellent Film Noirs make it to DVD

Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
Starring: Van Heflin , Robert Ryan , Janet Leigh , Mary Astor , and Phyllis Thaxter
Director: Fred Zinnemann , John Sturges , and André De Toth
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Peters, Ralph | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ryan, Robert | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Thaxter, Phyllis | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wright, Will | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000PKG7DE
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Description

Ex-World War II pilot Frank Enley (Van Heflin) is a respected contractor and family man. Then his troubled, gimp-legged bombardier (Robert Ryan) shows up with a gun and a score to settle. Perhaps neither man is what he seems to be as director Fred Zinnemann (The Day of the Jackal) guides a searing Act of Violence, "the first postwar noir to take a challenging look at the ethics of men in combat" (Eddie Muller, Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir). Murder lives on Mystery Street. John Sturges (The Great Escape) directs a revealing-for-the-era procedural about a Boston cop (Ricardo Montalban) solving a whodunit with the help of a Harvard forsensic expert (Bruce Bennett). Welcome to CSI Noir.

Customer Reviews:

10 lesser-known but excellent Film Noirs make it to DVD.......2007-04-25

This collection is the DVD debut for all ten of these films, and I don't even know if any of them are available on VHS. I've only seen them thanks to Turner Classic Movies playing them at odd hours, along with other cable channels presenting them over the years. They are excellent but not well remembered film noirs. I would rate them all between 4 and 5 stars. I thought I would list their descriptions, stars, and special features below, not in any particular order:

Crime Wave: (1954) Starring Sterling Hayden and Gene Nelson. An ex-con is trying to go straight, but circumstances force him into crime one more time. Gene Nelson plays a hard-nosed cop. Note a young Charles Bronson playing a minor role.
Commentary by James Ellroy and Eddie Muller
Crime Wave: The City is Dark
Theatrical trailer

Decoy: (1946) Starring Gene Gillie and Edward Norris. Sci-Fi meets Film Noir in this story of a woman who will stop at nothing to retrieve 400K stolen in a robbery. Gillie would make Barbara Stanwyck proud as she chews up man after man in her quest.
Commentary by Stanley Rubin and Glenn Erickson
Decoy: A Map to Nowhere
Theatrical trailer

Illegal: (1955) Starring Edward G. Robinson and Nina Foch. Robinson plays a D.A. whose upwardly mobile career faces a train wreck when a man he convicted is executed and then found to be innocent. After he hits bottom he resurrects his legal career, this time as a criminal attorney. The plot can be hard to follow, but Robinson's performance is great.
Commentary by Nina Foch and Patricia King Hanson
Illegal: Marked for Life
Behind the Cameras: Edward G. Robinson
Theatrical trailer

The Big Steal: (1949) Starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. The lead duo from "Out of the Past" trade wisecracks and insults in a cross-country chase over a suitcase full of stolen money. For once, Mitchum is actually not the bad guy. Almost too much fun to be considered Film Noir.
Commentary by Richard B. Jewell
The Big Steal: Look Behind You

They Live By Night: (1948) Starring Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger. The story of an escaped convict trying to live a normal life with the help of his girlfriend. Granger plays the convict who isn't entirely bad, but not entirely reformed either.
Commentary by Farley Granger and Eddie Muller
They Live By Night: The Twisted Road
Theatrical trailer

Side Street: (1950) Starring Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger. Granger plays a struggling husband trying to make ends meet when he spots some cash lying around in an office one day. He takes the money, but finds out it is much more than he thought. When he tries to return the money, he gets caught up in a murder mystery. Hitchcock-like in its twists and turns.
Commentary by Richard Schickel
Side Street: Where Temptation Lurks
Theatrical trailer

Where Danger Lives: (1950) Starring Robert Mitchum and Faith Domergue. The plot is somewhat unbelievable, even for Film Noir, but Mitchum gives a strong performance that makes it worthwhile. Mitchum plays a doctor who becomes taken with a patient. Due to a concussion, his judgement becomes clouded and he believes he has murdered the patient's husband. He and the woman go on the run, have some strange adventures, and then Mitchum realizes what kind of illness his new girlfriend was being treated for in the first place.
Commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini
Where Danger Lives: White Rose for Julie
Theatrical Trailer

Tension: (1950) Starring Richard Basehart and Audrey Trotter. Basehart plays a mild-mannered man whose salary and disposition are not enough for his wife. She leaves him for a tough and wealthy man. Why Basehart would want her back is anyone's guess, but he does and plans to murder his wife's new boyfriend. The tough guy is murdered, but not by Basehart's character.
Commentary by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward with Audrey Trotter
Tension: Who's Guilty Now?
Theatrical Trailer

Act of Violence: (1948) Starring Van Heflin and Robert Ryan. Van Heflin plays a family man trying to adapt to life after the war and internment in a prison camp. Enter Robert Ryan, who plays a man with Terminator-like determination in his quest to murder Heflin's character for something that happened during their joint stay in the German prison camp.
Commentary by Dr. Drew Casper
Act of Violence: Dealing With the Devil
Theatrical Trailer

Mystery Street: (1950) Starring Ricardo Montalban and Sally Forrest. Montalban plays a detective who, working with a forensics expert, tries to solve a murder case and exonerate the lone circumstantial suspect. One of the first films I know of to use science to help solve a murder decades before DNA made this aspect of crime solving so interesting and important.
Commentary by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward
Mystery Street: Murder at Harvard
Theatrical Trailer

Average customer rating:

All that Italian food just made me hungry
Chef John at foodwishes.com says:
a delicious film (on many levels).....
For Foodies Everywhere
Love is not enough

Big Night
Starring: Caroline Aaron , Marc Anthony , Peter Appel , Andre Belgrader , and Larry Block
Director: Campbell Scott
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0767802535
Release Date: 1998-04-07

Amazon.com

Critics tripped all over their big feet to praise Big Night, and in doing so performed a grave disservice to this fine little film. They fooled audiences into believing it was a "super movie" instead of a home movie buoyed by friends and family. Consequently, many viewers were disappointed. Big Night is an intimate look at the immigrant struggle to attain the American Dream, set in New Jersey in the 1950s. Its disproportionate success gave co-directors Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, who also star in the picture, the green light to follow up with a smug, unsuccessful second venture called The Imposters. Tucci wrote Big Night with his cousin Joseph Tropiano, and they based the story on the experience of growing up in a large, proud Italian family. The brothers in Big Night--chef Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and businessman Secondo (Tucci)--have come to New Jersey to open a bistro named The Paradise that serves the finest in traditional, authentic Italian cuisine. Their every move is foiled by rival restaurant Pascal's, which serves mile-high servings of spaghetti and meatballs and flasks of bad Chianti at exorbitant prices. Primo is disgusted by the fact that Americans want cheap pasta instead of risotto, so Secondo hatches a plan to boost business: rumor has it bandleader Louis Prima is travelling through and will dine at The Paradise that very night. Secondo gambles to bring the finest dinner ever cooked--at the risk of losing his shirt and being reduced to exile to the old country with his tail between his legs. Big Night is a film that will easily invite comparisons to other "food" fare like Babette's Feast and Eat Drink Man Woman but, though Tucci insists his story is "about the struggle between art and commerce and the risk of staying true to yourself," the media refused to let it stay a small, comparative work. The movie, and the buzz around it, became a parable for the essence of the film itself: art vs. commerce. --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews:

All that Italian food just made me hungry.......2007-06-07

Recommended by my good friend Dee, I thought I give this one a try. The pace of this film is like that of a wonderful meal, considered, not rushed, and with attention to detail. Hard-edged business people often use salty language and such is the case here, by both Pascal and Secondo. Pascal is cavalier because he feels in charge of the world and Secondo is trying to figure out how not to be crushed by the weight of it. In Pascal's restaurant, people are having a wonderful time eating what clearly mediocre food is served with great fan fair. At The Paradise, the work in the spotless kitchen is done with the best ingredients and where only a perfect plate is allowed to be taken to the dining room. As is the custom, it is presented with an understated elegance.

During this film Stanley Tucci, plays Secondo, who manages to have a fling with both Isabella Rossellini and Minnie Driver. (This is the movie where it is proved that she is nine foot tall and all the stuff in "Good Will Hunting" about how she can dunk) Tony Shaloub plays Stanley Tucci's brother, as Primo, who is less talented on the woman front but is, in compensation, the superior chef. Both of them have a mixed relationship with Ian Holm who I feel lets the side down rather by doing too much of the acting stuff with a forced "eyetalian" accent. Two points here, firstly, all the male leads also crop up in supporting roles in A Life Less Ordinary and take the opportunity to show off their talents in these bigger roles. Secondly, if a fine actor like Ian Holm is the only disappointment in a movie that is quite a distinction. As the Big Night approaches, we share the preparation and presentation of multiple courses of delicious dishes, where any one could be on the cover of Gourmet magazine. Having a good time and good food is special.

In addition to this, the script and the direction is good - the movie is a miracle of brevity considering that, on repeated viewing, one can see that it is shot on a budget that wouldn't buy two lemon polenta cakes at The River Cafe. "Big Night" is one of the three cool indie movies that came out of America in 1997. Miss it and you probrably deserve to eat at McDonalds for the rest of your life.

Also recommended "Eat Drink, Man Woman," "Like Water for Chocolate," and "Babette's Feast."

Chef John at foodwishes.com says:.......2007-06-03

When a chef recommends a restaurant you know that it's a good place to eat, and when a chef recommends a food film... Chef John over at Foodwishes.com has this to say about the movie:

"I've probably watched it over 30 times. I consider it the best restaurant movie ever made, and no movie that I've seen before or since has captured the experience of the food business so brilliantly as this one. The film is the story of two Italian brothers who own a restaurant called "Paradise". Primo (played by Tony Shalhoub), is an intense, passionate chef who can't cope with his customers' expectations of "real" (Americanized) Italian food. The other brother, Secondo (played by Stanley Tucci), is the restaurant manager, who is in a constant battle with his brother over the balance between making money, and staying true to their culinary roots.

This is a great movie, even if you are not a "foodie," as its very funny, sweet, sad, and has an amazing sound track of music from that period. Also, any movie with Isabella Rossellini is worth seeing, and try and see if you can identify the busboy who later (in real life) goes on to have quite a successful music career. Anyone thinking of going to culinary school and/or starting a restaurant, should be made to watch this movie first. It gives such a perfect study of the agony and ecstasy of the restaurant experience."

a delicious film (on many levels)............2007-05-27

BIG NIGHT is a great film and an equally great story, that really appeals to the senses. For starters, we see great Italian food shots, during the "big night" (for which the film derives its title). I am not much of an Italian food aficianado, but it makes me want to be! Everything from the colorful appetizers, to the main course-what I would describe as a pasta cake, loaded with sausage, cheese and other filling ingredients, just fill your senses and you can just smell the basil, cheese and tomato sauce. Secondly, the writing and what the actors do with that writing (thanks to great direction by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, as well as a great cast) is just beautiful.

The plot is modelled on the hopes and dreams of many immigrants, arriving on the shores of 1950s United States, searching for a better life, determined to achieve something bigger and better than what they could ever have accomplished, back home (there is a poignance to this theme, especially at this time, where that dream is more and more fleeting, as we are all being pulled into a state of paranoia and disdain, particularly toward foreigners). Two brothers, Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Segundo (Stanley Tucci) own and operate a failing Italian restaurant. Though, Primo is an amazing and dedicated chef, Segundo is the more wily and crafty younger brother, determined to cut a deal and make them successful. When they get wind of an opportunity to bring in famous swing singer Louis Prima, to their restaurant, for one very big night, how can they pass up on this opportunity? This could either make or break their reputation, as well as their bank account.

BIG NIGHT is beautifully crafted, and another great actor (who we know better as a well-respected and very talented salsa star) featured here is Marc Anthony, in an understated role as their young, quiet and slightly bumbling waiter, at the restaurant. The women featured in this film are gorgeous, too. Minnie Driver is stunningly beautiful, as Phyllis, Segundo's American girlfriend, and Isabella Rossellini plays the "other woman." I don't want to divulge any more plot details. I will say that this is a film that you really can't compare to other "food movies," though many have anyway. It's really a very intelligent character study about the immigrant experience, with food as a very colorful (and flavorful) backdrop.

For Foodies Everywhere.......2007-05-19

This is an outstanding piece of film making which is as satisfying as a good meal. A first course which tests and teases the tastebuds; a satisfying main course made up of rich performances and wonderful surprises; and the final dish which is breath-takingly beautiful and poignant.

Love is not enough.......2007-04-09

"Big Night" is another sad movie for the entrepreneur, though not as sad as "Tucker". After all, more restaurants fail than industrial companies, and very frequently because they start with a dream of cooking outstanding food and little more to the plan. This movie is about more than a bad business plan. It's really about the building of community through a shared meal.

Italian brothers, significantly named Primo (Tony Shaloob, not Italian, but dark and hairy) and Secundo (writer/director and actual Italian-American Stanley Tucci) are chefs and owners of an Italian restaurant during the 1950s in the US. Primo, the artistic one of the duo, concocts exquisite and authentic Italian food. Secundo, who is also manager of the restaurant, stands outside his empty restaurant and watches the throngs standing in line for spaghetti and meatballs at the Italian place across the street. Facing foreclosure, the brothers make an all-or-nothing gamble to host famous Italian-American crooner Louis Primo and his band, hoping that a good recommendation from him will bring more discerning diners. They also impulsively invite everyone who has crossed their path during their stay in America: the cute flower shop girl Primo has been making eyes at, the Cadillac salesman who takes Secundo for a test drive, their best customer who is a Bohemian painter, and more.

It's easy to forget how foreign Italians seemed a generation or two ago, and how their less familiar foods were viewed with suspicion.

This is an affectionate and only slightly ironic portrayal of two men who predate any ability to talk about their feelings. It's a worshipful depiction of Italian cuisine and elevates food and cooking to the level of worship.

I recommend this film for anyone who is thinking about starting a restaurant. Also just a good movie that's about more than food.

The Marx Brothers Collection (A Night at The Opera/A Day at The Races/A Night in Casablanca/Room Service/At the Circus/Go West/The Big Store)

Average customer rating:

An honest to goodness classic comedy!!!!!!
Classics
still laughing
The Marvelous Marx Brothers Collection!
Got what I wanted

The Marx Brothers Collection (A Night at The Opera/A Day at The Races/A Night in Casablanca/Room Service/At the Circus/Go West/The Big Store)
Starring: Groucho Marx , Chico Marx , Harpo Marx , Lucille Ball , and Ann Miller
Director: William A. Seiter , Archie Mayo , and Charles Reisner
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

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Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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The Best of Abbott & Costello, Vol. 1 (Buck Privates / Hold That Ghost / In the Navy / Keep 'Em Flying / One Night in the Tropics / Pardon My Sarong / Ride 'Em Cowboy / Who Done It?)
The Best of Abbott & Costello, Vol. 3 (Abbott & Costello Go to Mars / Abbott & Costello in the Foreign Legion / Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein / Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man / Abbott & Costello Meet the Killer / Comin' Round the Mountain / Lost in Alaska / Mexican Hayride)
The Best of Abbott & Costello, Vol. 2 (Hit the Ice / In Society / Here Come the Co-Eds / The Naughty Nineties / Little Giant / The Time of Their Lives / Buck Privates Come Home / The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap)

ASIN: B0001HAIP4
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Amazon.com essential video

When it comes to long-awaited treats like The Marx Brothers Collection, you can never get too much of a good thing. These seven comedies can't compare to the sheer lunacy of the five classics (The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and Duck Soup) that the Marx Bros. made for Paramount between 1929 and 1933 (available in The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection), but when uber-producer Irving Thalberg signed Groucho, Harpo, and Chico to an MGM contract in 1935 (by which time sibling costar Zeppo had become the team's off-screen manager), he knew just how to cure their box-office blues. As a result, A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races were critical and commercial hits, lavishly produced according to the "Tiffany" studio's golden-age formula of glamorous set pieces and musical numbers combined with sensible plots that smoothly integrated snappy, well-written Marxian antics. Opera is the jewel of this set, with timeless scenes (the Stateroom, the Groucho-Chico contract negotiation, etc.) that rank among the greatest bits of silver-screen comedy... not to mention Groucho's flirtatious insults at Margaret Dumont's upper-crust expense.

A Day at the Races deserves near-equal acclaim ("Get-a your tootsie-fruitsie ice cream!"), but Thalberg's death in 1937 dealt a devastating blow, and the Marxes suffered from studio indifference, resulting in a succession of comedies that are timelessly enjoyable even as they fall prey to diminishing returns. By the time they made Go West and The Big Store, the Marxes were out of their element, and a few of the musical interludes indulge racial stereotypes that were common in the studio era. Despite this, these movies remain fresh and frantic, and Warner Bros. (holder of the RKO and MGM libraries) has done a marvelous job of packaging The Marx Brothers Collection to nostalgically approximate the filmgoing experience of the 1930s and '40s, with vintage shorts (Our Gang, Robert Benchley comedies, MGM cartoons, etc.) from the time of each feature's original release. Archival materials are slim but worthwhile (especially Groucho's 1961 interview with TV talk-show host Hy Gardner), and while Glenn Mitchell's commentary on Races is sparse and superficial, Leonard Maltin brings his usual superfan's enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge to bear on a full-length Opera commentary track. The new documentaries are somewhat redundant, but essential viewing for Marx Bros. neophytes. With all seven films presented in pristine condition, this is definitely a Marx Brothers Collection worth having. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This set includes seven of only thirteen Marx Brothers films ever made! Collection includes: "A Night at the Opera" (1935) - The Marx Brothers turn Mrs. Claypool's opera into chaos in their efforts to help two young hopefuls get a break. It contains the famous scene where Groucho, Chico and Harpo cram a ship's stateroom with wall-to-wall people, gags, one-liners, musical riffs and two hard-boiled eggs. "A Day at the Races" (1937) - Groucho stars as Hugo Z. Hackenbush, a horse veterinarian dispensing horse pills and quips with equal glee. Chico selling racing tips, Harpo destroying a piano to turn it into a harp and favorite foil actress Margaret Dumont make this thoroughbred comedy wall-to-wall hilarity. "A Night in Casablanca" (1946) - This parody of the Bogart/Bergman 1943 classic features the Nazis vs. the "nutsies" as the Marx Brothers foil Axis criminals when they find stolen jewels and paintings Nazis have hidden in a hotel. "Room Service"/"At the Circus" - These two films are combined on one disc to provide double doses of laughter. In "Room Service" (1938), Lucille Ball and Ann Miller provide comic co-star support while the Marx Brothers play producers trying to keep their show above water and a hotel room over their head. In "At the Circus" (1939) Groucho stars as professional shyster lawyer J. Cheever Loophole in the middle of big-top bedlam as the boys try to save the circus and look to Margaret Dumont for the money to do so. Groucho sings one of his famous songs, "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." "Go West"/"The Big Store" - Another Marx Brothers twin bill makes this a hilarious comedy "two-fer." In the first, the Marxmen "Go West" (1940) to the land of outlaws and Indians where the fun never stops and where they outwit a land grabber. In "The Big Store" (1941), Groucho plays Attorney Wolf J. Flywheel who with sidekick Wacky (Harpo) and bodyguard Ravelli (Chico) are investigating the shady dealings of a crooked department store owner. Bonus extras include commentary by Leonard Maltin.

Customer Reviews:

An honest to goodness classic comedy!!!!!!.......2007-06-14

If you want a good clean entertainment and a good laugh, and a classic fun, then the Marx Brothers are for you.

Classics.......2007-05-24

By today's standards, these films are fairly slow-paced in places. Even some of the jokes seem lame in contrast to today's vulgarity. But if you've never seen the Marx Bros at the top of their game, you've gotta see this collection. Fast forward through the occasional sappy romantic bits if you must. Savor the interaction between Harpo and Chico and Groucho. I promise you'll laugh.

still laughing.......2007-05-13

The best of the Marx Brothers comes alive into our living room . I laughed when I was a kid , and now when my Grandchildren come over , they want to watch the Marx Brothers, and I still laugh at their satire . It's as funny now as it was back in my younger years . I'm glad my Grandchildren love them , and I hope their Grandchildren love the Marx Brothers also . It's hard to find good clean entertainment now days , and these movies are classics . I recommend the Marx Brothers for anyone who needs a laugh , and an afternoon for good entertainment .
Dan F. Meacham

The Marvelous Marx Brothers Collection!.......2007-03-31

This collection showcases some of the Marx Brothers' biggest film hits. Kitty Carlisle (who was a guest on television's "What's My Line?" in the 1960s) does her own operatic singing in "A Night at the Opera." She is interviewed, with Dom DeLuise and others, in a DVD featurette included in this collection, and talks about that wild, wonderful association with the Brothers. An interview with Groucho Marx reveals the true story of what happened in producer Irving Thalberg's office when he made the mistake of keeping the brothers waiting too long for scheduled meetings! These movies are classics and give today's "movies" more than a run for their money! Well worth ordering, viewing, and treasuring forever.

Got what I wanted.......2007-03-21

I ordered a boxed DVD set and accidently wrote the wrong building number to my address. The process for getting my merchandise could have been better, but Amazon worked with me to insure that I would get my item and keep the discount that I was given for buy several other items. All in all, I am very happy with my purchase.

Average customer rating:

Plenty of fun, but ...
Good, pre-"Chrysler Theater" Bob Hope!
What a fun movie!
Typical Bob Hope, but very funny
Casanovas Big Night 1954

Casanova's Big Night
Starring: Bob Hope , Joan Fontaine , Audrey Dalton , Basil Rathbone , and Hugh Marlowe
Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Slapstick | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0009W5J6E
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

Bob "Orson Welles" Hope is at the top of his game in this 1954 Technicolor laugh-fest co-starring Joan Fontaine and Basil Rathbone. Hope plays Pippo Popolino, Casanova's tailor, who finds himself standing in for the great lover after the real Casanova (played by Vincent Price) leaves town to avoid paying his debts. Enlisted by an overzealous mother-in-law to test the true love of her daughter-in-law-to-be, Hope must capture the prized petticoat and help avert a civil war to boot. Years before he wore out his welcome in countless TV specials, Hope is a marvel here, perfecting his neurotic and vain coward persona while enganging in some pretty inspired slapstick. It's easy to forget that in 1954 this was pretty edgy stuff. It's no wonder a young Woody Allen idolized him. --Kristian St. Clair

Description

Set in 18th century Italy, CASANOVA'S BIG NIGHT tells the story of a tailor, played by Bob Hope, who impersonates the swashbuckling lover Casanova in order to win the affection of an attractive widow.

Customer Reviews:

Plenty of fun, but ..........2007-04-28

This movie is LOTS of fun. The pace is great, the lines are delivered well (and some of them are very funny and others are subtlely risque), the gags are wonderful (I love it when Hope dances with the Doge). There's also a wonderful motif having fun with Hope's role - the use of cloth, especially whenever Hope is around, shows up over and over. When Francesca is fighting with the sword, Hope waves a red cape.

My only objection is the ending. There is no ending. Actually, the movie gives two options with respect to Hope's fate - but we never find anything out about Dona Elena, or the creditors back in Parma, or even learn what happened to the real Casanova. Perhaps this is more realistic - I mean, in a romp like this, does the ending really matter? - and yet it does.

For those who wonder, the "real" Casanova was played by Vincent Price (you may recognize the voice but there are a lot of clothes and make up) but he was not credited, as this was the era of McCarthyism.

Good, pre-"Chrysler Theater" Bob Hope!.......2007-02-21

This was a movie Bob did while he was still hungry, using his reliable wise-cracking coward character as Pipo Popolino, a tailor's assistant in 18th century Venice. Enamored of a baker played by Joan Fontaine, Pipo masquerades as the legendary Casanova to steal a kiss, when it turns out that Casanova is being pursued by creditors and has skipped Venice completely to escape them. To appease the creditors, everybody Casanova owes money to, Fontaine included, force Pipo to continue his masquerade as the storied rake to get enough money to pay the creditors through marriage. What follows is a crazy quilt of dumb luck and one liners as Pipo actually manages to win a few sword fights and woo a duchess in the bargain.

This is primo, late-period Bob Hope, with an uncredited Vincent Price playing Casanova, Basil Rathbone playing his relunctant valet, Hugh Marlowe doing his usual Mephistophelian thing as the Doge of Venice amd Audrey Dalton looking just like Linda Darnell in her part as the new object of Pipo-Casanova's affections.

The reception scenes where Pipo challenges a rival for the duchess' affections are sidesplitting, especially when he and Fontaine both have to cross-dress to get in there to begin with. The usual anachronistic Hope oneliners are spewed like apple pits all through the movie and Hope once again proves why Paramount held onto him for something like 25 years! Also why Universal paid Paramount to market some of his movies with a double studio imprint...

The man was a legend!! "Farfle, farfle...pipick!"

What a fun movie!.......2007-02-12

I loved this movie! Just so much fun. Swashbuckling goodness in a comedy is always a good thing. It was fun to watch Joan Fontaine with a sword. Sets & costumes were excellent, the acting was very good. Loved Bob's humor, always do. I also recommend these other Bob Hope movies:

The Princess & The Pirate
Monsieur Beaucaire
The Road to Rio

Typical Bob Hope, but very funny.......2006-11-18

This was never going to win any Oscars as a high minded production or awards for historical accuracy. But if you like Bob Hope style comedy it's certainly good for a laugh. Don't expect it to be too naughty - most of the humour is either innocent or indirect even by 1950's standards.

I was reminded of this old Bob Hope farce when I watched the version of "Casanova" which came out in 2005 with Heath Ledger and Jeremy Irons.

If you enjoyed the modern version you will almost certainly enjoy the surprisingly similar comedy which Bob Hope and his team had put together more than fifty years previously.

Both stories are set in Venice, and both are based around the same basic joke. This is that Casanova's mere reputation as a great lover is enough to have every woman in Venice throw herself at him, including those who appear to be extremely respectable and virtuous, with precisely one exception - the woman he wants.

Bob Hope plays Pippo Popolino, Casanova's tailor, who is tricked into impersonating the infamous rake (Vincent Price) who is hiding from his creditors. When Pippo Popolino as Casanova arrives in Venice in a gondola, strumming a mandolin as if it were a guitar and singing a love song, it immediately results in hundreds of beautiful women in elegant costume jumping into the canal to try to swim out to his boat.

The fake Casanova has been hired by a rich and elderly dowager to test the fidelity of her son's fiance by seeing whether he can seduce her. An indication of the humour in the film is the dowager's acerbic aside to her son as they leave the meeting,

"To think that I met him - fifty years too late !"

Her son replies in horror "Mother!"

But the son's fiance is the only woman in the story who could meet Casanova and not fall into his arms the instant he expresses an interest. Of course, having accepted the job because he needs the money, at this moment the girl becomes interesting to him in her own right ...

Also shares with the later film some brilliant period costumes, though they don't look as magificent with the cinematic technology of 1954, and an action packed fighting escape from the scaffold after "Casanova" is sentenced to death.

This ridiculous romp was never intended to be taken seriously and has no pretensions to be more than a light-hearted series of jokes. But if you enjoyed either other Bob Hope films, or the 2005 film, or both, this is quite likely to amuse you.

Casanovas Big Night 1954.......2006-04-19

Its bedlam in the boudoir when Bob Hope (1903-2003) sets his comedic sights on 18-th century Italy . Hope plays Pippo Popolino , a lowly tailor who is suddenly drafted to tempororarily impersonate the great and passionate lover Casanova (an unbilled Vincent Prince 1911-1993) .Pippo thinks he has the masquerade all sewn up -totally unaware that , due to the real Casanovas shaky financial situation , he is now locked into the role by the Romancers scheming , greedy creditors ! . Along the way , our great lover manages to woo some lovely ladies ( Joan Fontaine 1917 - ) and Audrey Dalton (1934- ) -when hes not dodging spontaneous swordsplay or bumling his way through the finer points of royal etiquette . Basil Rathbone (1892-1967) Hugh Marlowe (1911-1982) , Arnold Moss (1910-1989) and John Carradine (1906-1988) are among the stellar cast in this lavishly costumed comedy romp . Laughts guarantee ! Superb transfer in H-D Quality

Average customer rating:

Little Effect
Awful...."Ricky Peaches"
interesting film
Big Ain't Bad...especially in the case of this film.

Big Ain't Bad
Starring: Phyllis Stickney , Tico Wells , Reginald Ballard , Jade Janise Dixon , and Mike Ngaujah
Director: Ray Culpepper
Manufacturer: Big Ain't Bad Prod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Love Chronicles
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ASIN: B0006SSPHG
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Description

Big Ain't Bad is a romantic comedy that redefines the measure of love. Ric (Sean Blakemore) and Natalie (Jenise Dixon) are a happy young couple headed towards marriage after a brief courtship. When Natalie makes an early return home from a business trip and finds her trusted mate in the company of last night's entertainment, the relationship abruptly ends leaving them to travel separate roads to self-discovery. Amidst a series of romantic twists and comedic turns, Big Ain't Bad challenges us to study the superficial elements against which we measure love and value.

Customer Reviews:

Little Effect.......2007-01-19

The movie could not have been that good because I don't even remember it.

Awful...."Ricky Peaches".......2007-01-09

This movie was terrible from a bad script to bad acting. The only bright light was Tico Wells. i am glad that I rented this movie instead of buying it.

interesting film.......2006-01-14

this film deals with relationships&the many things that go down.alot of familiar faces that have done films over the years make there pressence felt here.it's a cool indy film&has a good story line that keeps you interested.pretty cool film.

Big Ain't Bad...especially in the case of this film........2005-05-27

This is a really good independent film that illustrates how people deal with the day to day challenges of all types of relationships. It takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster as it shows each character's perspective (without taking sides) and offers a valuable moral lesson in the end to its viewers. If you liked the movie "Brothers" I think you'll enjoy this film also.

Foxworthy's Big Night Out - The Complete Series

Average customer rating:

Foxworthy's Big Night Out - The Complete Series
Starring: Suzie Pollard , and Karla Droege
Manufacturer: MTV
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000MGBSGW
Release Date: 2007-04-17

Product Description

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy heads out on a new adventure with a whole new cast of friends and special guests in the signature CMT sketch comedy series, Foxworthy's Big Night Out. Each week, a different country artist joins Foxworthy for the ultimate in country comedy and live musical performance. Country stars Kenny Rogers, Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, Sara Evans, Pat Green, Jack Ingram, Montgomery Gentry, Joe Nichols, Blake Shelton, the Warren Brothers, Hank Williams Jr. and the Wreckers all test their comedy chops by appearing in sketches with Foxworthy and his amazing cast of improv actors. Mixing the traditional TV monologue with sketches, redneck words of the day, audience participation and some of the best musical performances the world of country music has to offer, Foxworthy's Big Night Out is a half hour of hilarity the whole family can enjoy together.

Average customer rating:

Big Night With Darren Hayes
Starring: Darren Hayes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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ASIN: B000KRMSJE
Release Date: 2006-12-12

Average customer rating:

Dance the Night Away
Starring: Pasadena Roof Orchestra
Manufacturer: Mvd Visual
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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

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Home in Pasadena: Very Best of Pasadena Roof Orchestra
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ASIN: B000A0GPAO
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Description

With a classic repertoire drawn from the swinging 1920's and the lively 1930's, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra have provided unparalleled and energetic stage shows to admirers around the world for over three decades. As US critic Scott Yanow wrote, "The PRO presents a fun concert with the emphasis on superior hot dance tunes of the era....The authentic sound of the band, the superior repertoire and some inspired humour make this a delightful show".

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Intelligent and Humorous

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Special Edition)
Starring: Gia Carides , Michael Constantine , John Corbett , Christina Eleusiniotis , and Joey Fatone
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Domestic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000BNXD4Q
Release Date: 2007-12-31

Description

(Romantic Comedy) Toula Portokalos is a devoted daughter in a big, crazy Greek family. Working at her father's restaurant, she hides behind a mop of mousy brown hair and thick glasses, keeping her family close and the world at a distance. But one day, she finds herself pouring coffee for a man so strikingly good-looking, that he inspires her to change her life -- and the way she sees the world -- forever.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Other:The Making of Rags to Riches CD bonus disc with contemporary wedding songs

Customer Reviews:

Intelligent and Humorous.......2006-04-09

It seems like it's harder and harder for the film industry to come up with something original. In many cases you can point to a film and list multiple movies in the same genre, and often the current movie is either a direct remake or a thinly veiled remake. Not so with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Nia Vardalos plays Toula Portokalos, a rather frumpy Greek-American. Her family is somewhat stereotypical. However, the stereotype, while extreme, is within the realm of truth. Having been involved deeply with people from other countries, I have observed that quite often they see everything in terms of their own nation. What Gus Portokalos has on his garage door is hilarious, as one example.

Toula is 30 years old, and single; a near death sentence in her Greek family where woman are expected to marry young, feed everyone, and make more Greek babies (according to Toula). While working as a "seating hostess" in her father's restaurant, she meets Ian Miller, played by John Corbett. The sparks begin to fly almost immediately. After several creative scenes, Ian and Toula finally date, and quickly grow to love each other.

Toula's family is a riot. Because her family is very large, and very close, her extended family includes dozens of members. The two characters that stood out in my mind are Michael Constantine as Gus Portokalos, and Andrea Martin (of the long-defunct SCTV) as Aunt Voula. You may recognize other actors, but virtually every scene with Aunt Voula was funny, and Gus Portokalos as the supposed head of the family was easily manipulated by the real heads of the family, the women, making many of his scenes very funny.

This movie is not the slapstick buffoonery we see in other contemporary comedies such as those by Eddie Murphy. Here the humor is the contrast between the too pure-white, upper middle class, and small family of Ian Miller and the richly patriotic, ethnically cohesive, and large family of Toula Portokalos. Toula's huge and relatively bizarre family overwhelms the Millers. For example, the Portokalos hold an outdoor barbecue on their front lawn with hundreds of people. "Whatever would the neighbors think" would be the typical reaction of many people in many middle class neighborhoods. The Portokalos interpret (or try) everything the Millers do by their own standard. Both families are clueless regarding the other and our objective view of both families give us the opportunity to find the humor in how little each knows about the other.

Ian finds Toula to be interesting. Similarly, Toula finds something about Ian interesting. Each feels that the other offers something different. That differences are multiple, in terms of lifestyle, personality and expectations. The viewer should not expect Toula to become Cinderella. She does not and can not, and Ian is not looking for Cinderella. In fact, Ian may be looking for non-Cinderella. Regardless, she is Ian's princess, and that's what truly counts.

I particularly enjoyed the ending of the movie. There is a point as the movie nears the end where we realize that while the differences between the families and the lifestyles are large, ultimately both families have common interests. For me that key moment pulled the whole movie together, explaining that the point of the movie, after highlighting the differences between the characters and their families, was that we all pretty much want and like the same or similar things. Because I was personally touched by this moment, I'll let the viewers see for themselves what that moment might be, which may be different for them.

This movie is not a wildly hilarious slapstick comedy. Instead, its humor is unabashedly ethnic-based. However, its stereotypes are not generally derogatory, any more so than those of say, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" with Chevy Chase. But this movie will make you smile, and the touching moments will make you feel good. An intelligent movie that relies on simple story-telling, this movie deserved the accolades it received, and earns a 5-star rating.

Average customer rating:

NOT MUCH TO ROAR ABOUT

Night Creature
Starring: Nancy Kwan , Donald Pleasence , Jennifer Rhodes , Ross Hagen , and Lesly Fine
Director: Lee Madden
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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Boggy Creek 2 - and the Legend Continues...
The Legend Of Boggy Creek

ASIN: B0009ML1MU
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Description

Synopsis: A big-game hunter brings a killer leopard to his private island and turns it loose so he can hunt it down. However, unexpected visitors arrive at the island and interrupt his hunt. Meanwhile, the leopard begins to hunt the inhabitants of the island.

Customer Reviews:

NOT MUCH TO ROAR ABOUT.......2006-01-14

NIGHT CREATURE is one of those trademark late 70s movies that moves so slow it becomes uncomfortable waiting for something to happen. And even when it does, it is so poorly filmed and edited, you don't really see much of what's going on. Add the wearisome storyline of a great hunter who loves hunting more than his two daughters, bring them together on a deserted island with a deadly black leopard and talk the audience to death. That's basically all NIGHT CREATURE accomplishes. Donald Pleasance is ludicrously inept as Axel McGregor, who brings the captured leopard to his island to kill it; and Nancy Kwan fares little better as one of his daughters. Dull and tedious, little to recommend.

DVD:

DVD

Postcards From The Edge [1990]

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Cutting It - Complete Series 2