Fandango

Starring:Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards, Chuck Bush, Brian Cesak, Marvin J. McIntyre, Suzy Amis, Glenne Headly, Pepe Serna, Elizabeth Daily, Robyn Rose, Stanley Grover, Jane A. Johnston, Don Brunner, Michael Conn, Michael Maxwell Katz, Dana Halsted, Karl A. Wickman, Michael M. Vendrell, Bill Warren (IV)
Director: Kevin Reynolds
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

An unknown Kevin Costner is magnetic in this entertaining road picture that bypassed most theaters when it was released in 1985. On the eve of their college graduation in 1972, five students go off for one last road trip together to righteously celebrate the privilege of youth. Kevin Reynolds expanded his grad-school film to make this one, which he also directed, and it caught the eye of Steven Spielberg, who made Fandango one of his first projects at the newly formed Amblin. Costner's charisma is undeniable in his first lead performance as Gardner Barnes, the free bird of the group. Barnes applauds buddy Kenneth's (Sam Robards) decision to cancel his wedding and now is talking him into dodging the draft. But lost love drives Gardner, too, and we see dreams of an abandoned beauty (Suzy Amis). Others in the car include stick-in-the-mud Judd Nelson (in his best performance), who is gung ho for fulfilling his duty in Vietnam, and the soft giant Dorman (Chuck Bush). Reynolds's aggressive camera style and great use of music (Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)" and Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" bookend the picture) make this film zing along. Reynolds and Costner went on to film (and fight off-screen) two more pictures, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Waterworld, but they were never better together than in this first film. Being hungry Hollywood unknowns does have certain advantages. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

LIttle films can be masterpieces.......2007-06-11

I first saw this film in 1984. For many years I looked for other films by this director not realizing this was his debut. I must say his other films, when I found them do not live up to this special one. If he had made no other, Fandango, should go down in the annals of unsung masterpices. It never fails to please, suprise, and never, never has it disappointed me in viewing it multiple times. Many emotions are wrapped up in this film, including its time and place. Its wonderful use of music, the hyperreal texas landscapes and its beautiful cinematography all point to a labor of love. So all the best films are labors of love. Funny, touching, poignant and assured, this film should be savored.

Movie Night Regular.......2007-02-22

Fandango is a timeless movie for the boomers and younger. We had it on VHS and have watched it many times with friends and family. We purchased it in DVD format and it is ready to be introduced to a new fan base at Movie Night.
Jean (S.A., Tx.)

High-Spirited Costner Prevails Over Free-Wheeling Road Comedy with Serious Undertones.......2007-02-20

Kevin Costner always comes off best onscreen when he plays the bad boy who refuses to grow up, an archetype he played to acclaim in his star-making performance in Lawrence Kasdan's "Silverado" (1985), as well as his supporting turn in Mike Binder's "The Upside of Anger" in 2005. That's why his high-spirited charisma provides the chief pleasure in this forgotten 1985 coming-of-age road comedy. Granted, he is discernibly too old for the role of a rowdy University of Texas graduate who leads his four buddies, known together as the Groovers, on a no-holds-barred road trip across the expanses of West Texas before each goes their separate ways. However, the unwieldy combination of juvenile hi-jinks and dramatic undertones somehow manages to work, although I doubt if the testosterone-fueled antics will please everyone.

Director/screenwriter Kevin Reynolds expanded a USC student film into an infectious study of beer-guzzling boys on the cusp of manhood in 1971 as the Vietnam War rages on half a world away. Costner is the smooth-talking slacker Gardner, while Judd Nelson is the uptight Phil more than ready to serve overseas and Sam Robards is the confused Kenneth who has regretfully decided to dump his fiancée Debbie when he is about to be drafted. Of course, complicating matters is the fact that Gardner has not gotten over his previous relationship with Debbie. All three young actors are quite good within the predictable confines of their roles. The story really amounts to their various misadventures, often amusing, especially the chaotic parachuting sequence, but all underlined by the irrefutable fact that this is their last hurrah as carefree carousers. There's a good use of period music in the background, though the best are the instrumental tracks from Pat Matheny which underline the emotional finality of the climax. The 2005 DVD only contains the original theatrical trailer as an extra.

Great Cult Classic!!!!.......2006-11-07

I have always LOVED this movie and I'm so excited to finally have it in my collection. The soundtrack is awesome. One of the best coming of age films ever.

One last Fandango!.......2006-08-13

Everytime I hear the word "fandango" this movie comes to mind. While its not my norm of entertainment I just cant forget the unforgetable Skydive scene, being a 15 year veteran with more then 1,000 jumps myself I find that one scene going over and over in my head just as it fueled my every trip to the drop zone when I was going through training in 1990! It is FUNNY!! (and very simular to a piolet we once had at Lake Elsinor - the funnest DZ west of the Mississippi!).
While I don't remember much about the rest of the movie that one scene just stuck in my mind, and I saw it a few years before my own desicion to take up jumping, its just that memorable and that well done! Even funnier then Wesley Snipes 'first jump' in the movie "Drop Zone" (another well done movie and well worth mentioning!)
FANDANGO!!
Blue Skies everyone, see this flick!

Average customer rating:

CINEMA........CINEMAAAAAAAAA
Where would we be without criterion...?
Violence is big business. Might as well cash in.
Hilarious dark comedy
Media doesn't simply reflect who we are, it tells us. It is the mirror but so are we.

Man Bites Dog - Criterion Collection
Starring: Rémy Belvaux , André Bonzel , Jean-Marc Chenut , Olivier Cotica , and Rachel Deman
Director: Rémy Belvaux , André Bonzel , and Benoît Poelvoorde
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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I Stand Alone
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Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer (20th Anniversary)

ASIN: B00006FMCS
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

This Belgian satire (in French with English subtitles) is dark, dark, dark--but also right on the money in its sly sendup of the media's fascination with violence and its complicity therein. This mock documentary has a trio of filmmakers shooting a cinéma vérité feature about a garrulous serial killer who lets the film crew follow him around as he selects victims and then dispatches them. But at what point does filmmaking become participation? These hapless documentarians soon find out as their subject eventually pulls them into his world, including a gun battle with a rival film crew and their own criminal star. Gruesomely hilarious, with a deadpan wit that's hard to resist. --Marshall Fine

Description

Documentary filmmakers André and Rémy have found an ideal subject in Ben. He is witty, sophisticated, intelligent, well liked-and a serial killer. As André and Rémy document Ben's routines, they become increasingly entwined in his vicious program, sacrificing their objectivity and their morality. Controversial winner of the International Critics' Prize at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Man Bites Dog stunned audiences worldwide with its unflinching imagery and biting satire of media violence.

Customer Reviews:

CINEMA........CINEMAAAAAAAAA.......2007-06-19

this is one kickass movie.not many people heard of it and frown when told it has subtitles.yes,sometimes subtitles can be a distraction (reading and watching movie can be a hassle) but thats not the case here.

plot~ben is a contract/serial killer who is documenting his escapades on film (he also serves as editor).we follow him and his crew as he goes about killing.while this isnt a wall to wall bloodfest,it is very graphic and takes no prisoners (women,children,the elderly,civil servants all get abused here) !!!

inbetween killings,we see ben as a classy guy (he loves classical music and is saddened by the architecture of a neighborhood)with a loving family.he also explains his technique and favorite ways killing/disposing of people.things go awry when a rival killer is waging a war with him.said rival begins taking out those who mean the most to him.while this is truly graphic and not for everyone,its also very comical (a run in with another film crew,his birthday party).

helpful hint~if you ca,grab the criterion/NC-17 version.

this year (2007),a movie called 'Behind The Mask;The Rise Of Leslie Vernon' has been compared to this.it received good reviews but had a very limited run.

Where would we be without criterion...?.......2007-05-20

I used to own this film, from which I purchased from my country, before the criterion edition...it was poorly packaged, cut various scenes and had a horrible transfer and zero special features. Then after ordering from Amazon, crossing the ocean to my front door I can proudly show of the film to my jealous friends in the 'Criterion' form. The story I don't need to explain because you've read it a million times, all I care about is the overall presentation.
First off might I say that I love the way that Criterion gives an essay as a standard feature,in my country thats a choir for any DVD. The films Menu is very clever, a photo collection of bens murders.
The transfer of this film is fantastic, people complain 'it's too grainy, the subtitles are difficult to read' If you saw the transfer on my countries DVD (4x3 for starters and green subtitles).....you will worship this films transfer. I would also make note that my countries DVD had censorship issues, scenes were cut which ruins plot development and characters, thankfully Criterion do not believe in censorship releasing it in its UNCUT form.
The special features are pretty average,but I am happy that they included them. Theres a great exclusive interview, and a hilarious early project by the film crew from 1989... plus more!
So in conlusion this is the best version to purchase for this film, its fantastic and I doubt you will find a dvd company that does a better job...Thank you Criterion.

Violence is big business. Might as well cash in........2007-05-07

It's good to have lofty aspirations, some dreams that exceed the common expectations. But you've gotta have a well-crafted plan and the grit to follow through. A stern determination to make your ideas a success. It all comes down to finding the right cash cow and milking it for all it's worth.
This is the story of a couple of documentary filmmakers who have found their golden ticket--Ben, the charismatic serial killer. They follow him all around, capturing all of his exploits on tape.
The camera follows Ben's bloody trail, where his harsh murders are presented in stark contrast to his witty jokes and amicable personality. There are several instances you'll find yourself laughing just moments before the most heinous crime is committed. But there is one extremely controversial scene that will stifle all joyful amusement and leave you completely stunned. I am still softly whispering "whoa, did that really happen"?
The filmmakers comment on the special features that this is not a movie about violence, it's about moviemaking. I don't buy it. Any technical aspects involved in the process gets lost in the blood and chaos. You're not fooling anybody guys. This is a great violent film though.

Hilarious dark comedy.......2007-03-27

This is what reality television may look like in the future at the appalling rate its going. Think of a Belgian "Natural Born Killers" with a film crew in tow. The story follows Benoit and the film crew making a documentary of his exploits, which include robbery, rape, murder and hiding of bodies with hilarious dialogue (at one point, the main character tells us the proper ratio of basalt rocks to add to different body types to make them sink when disposed of in a river, unbelievably funny). The film maker achieves an "off the cuff" feel with each scene to make the film feel like gorilla film making. Black and white is used well to evoke a gritty mood.

The film is gory at times and is not for squeamish. Through out the film are repeated scenes of murder. That aside, it's a great movie of dark humor and senseless violence that can be viewed with eyes open and brain off or on and still be enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Media doesn't simply reflect who we are, it tells us. It is the mirror but so are we........2007-01-18

"Black comedy" is one of the more overused expressions in media criticism, so much so that the description ceases having meaning. Dr. Strangelove is a dark comedy but so, apparently, is The Whole Nine Yards. Where Kubrick's masterpiece uses ironic humor to illuminate the absurdity of life in the shadow mutual assured destruction, shallow films like The Whole Nine Yards do the very opposite - laughing at wanton death and murder, giving us permission to guiltlessly wallow in our own pernicious whimsies like pigs in mud. At best, this look-at-how-naughty-I-am-style filmmaking is cheap, cowardly exhibitionism; at worst, base social irresponsibility.

Man Bites Dog is a black comedy. Before "mockumentaries" became the genre of preference for uncreative types with credit cards who want to tell people they made a movie, there was this little Belgian gem. Subversive in all the right ways, Man follows a camera crew and their subject Benoit, a psychopathic serial killer with a weakness for enlightened conversation, topics ranging from poetry to existential philosophy. Ultimately, the camera crew graduates from documenting Benoit's crimes to participating in them side-by-side.

In this world created by filmmaker Remy Belvaux, murder is not something that is particularly funny. Deaths are shown in unusually graphic detail, book-ended by humorous monologues by a killer and daring us to laugh. Man is particularly prescient and insightful in the manner it reveals the symbiotic relationship between and media and violence/those who commit it. Glamorizing violence is violence in and of itself, even when we couch it in laissez-faire pretensions. The camera crew does not seek to understand evil but indulge in it (by proxy and otherwise) without culpability.

It's the less obvious ways in which they perform as accessories that are perhaps the most interesting. At multiple points in the film, Belvaux (appearing as a version of himself) complains about running out of financing for his picture; the subject Benoit offers to put up the money himself. He wants, even needs an audience for his crimes - the media happily obliges (a point later cemented in a hilarious shoot out with an assassin, his own tv crew documenting his every move). Like a tree crashing in a vacant wood, one is left to wonder how many of these killings would occur if no one were there to film them. No one acts less normal than when a camera is pointed their way; charming, homicidal Benoit is no exception (for further examples, see practically every reality series participant in television history - The Real World couldn't be further from the truth). Media doesn't simply reflect who we are - it tells us. It is the mirror but so are we.

Interesting footnote: The film's original French language title is C'est arrive pres de chez vous, roughly translated as "It happened in your neighborhood."

Fascist from Mars (Fascisti su Marte) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Italy ]

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Fascist from Mars (Fascisti su Marte) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Italy ]
Director: Corrado Guzzanti , and Igor Skofic
Manufacturer: Fandango
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
ASIN: B000PS86GM

Product Description

Italy released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Subtitles), Italian (Subtitles), SYNOPSIS: Imagines a 1939 expedition to Mars intent on turning the Red Planet to Fascist Black. Led by Mussolini acolyte Barbagli, the group overcomes the Martian atmosphere and battles rocks they've determined are enemies. SPECIAL FEATURES: 2-DVD Set, Behind the scenes, Deleted Scenes, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Trailer(s),

He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (E morì con un felafel in mano) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Italy ]

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He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (E morì con un felafel in mano) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Italy ]
Director: Richard Lowenstein
Manufacturer: Fandango
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HKEUL8

Product Description

Italy released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Subtitles), Italian (Subtitles), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: Danny (Noah Taylor) is a young man seemingly used to chaos, but he soon discovers that the fates are more than capable of dishing out more than he can handle in this offbeat Australian comedy. By his own count, thirtyish Danny has found himself sharing living quarters with one or more friends more than four dozen times in the past; one might imagine this would make him immune to roommate problems, but that soon proves not to be the case. While sharing a house in Brisbane with a handful of sloppy guys -- and one woman, Sam (Emily Hamilton), who ought to know better -- Danny finds himself obsessing over his most recent relationship, which crashed and burned six months before. The arrival of Anya (Romane Bohringer) picks up Danny's spirits, until he discovers she's dating Sam; this sets off his impulsive instincts, and too much spending (and too much damage to his rented house) forces Danny to high-tail it to Melbourne. Sam soon follows, smarting from a break-up with Anya, and she ends up sharing a flat with Danny. Danny's money management skills have not improved a bit, and he is soon on the run to Sydney, where he and Sam find themselves crashing with Nina (Sophie Lee), an actress with an eating disorder, and her gay friend Dirk (Francis McMahon). Just as Danny and Sam seem to be getting settled, Anya arrives, looking to reconcile with Sam; things get complicated for Danny, and he ends up moving in with Flip (Brett Stewart), an old friend with a severe drug problem. He Died With A Felafel In His Hand was adapted from the popular novel by Australian author John Birmingham. SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailer(s), Music Video, Interactive Menu, Cast/Crew Interview(s),

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The OrganWise Guys: Fiber Fandango
Starring: Lee Bryan; Nita Laca; Annie Peterle; Kevin Sario; Spencer Stephens; Vince Tortorici; Scott Warren; Lucky Yates
Director: Steve Fahey
Manufacturer: The OrganWise Guys, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000S6BMW6
Release Date: 2005-05-01