The Good Girl

Starring:Jennifer Aniston, Deborah Rush, Mike White, John Carroll Lynch, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zooey Deschanel, John C. Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson, Jacquie Barnbrook, Annie O'Donnell, John Doe, Roxanne Hart, Jon Shere, Alice Amter, Jean Rhodes (II), Aimee Garcia, Lalo Guerrero, Michael Hyatt (II), Ken Rudulph, Enzo (IV)
Director: Miguel Arteta
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Actress Kasi Lemmons made an auspicious debut as a writer and director with this delicately handled, wrenchingly emotional drama, hailed by critic Roger Ebert as one of the best films of 1997. Eve's Bayou begins with ominous narration: "The summer I killed my father, I was 10 years old." From that point the story moves backward in time and memory to Louisiana in 1962, when a young girl named Eve (Jurnee Smollett) witnesses a shocking act on the part of her womanizing father (Samuel L. Jackson). But what really happened? And can Eve be certain about what she saw when there is more than one interpretation of the facts? Less a mystery than a study of deeply rooted emotions rising to the surface to affect an entire family, the film has the quality of classic Southern literature, with layers of memory unfolding to reveal a carefully guarded truth. Barely seen during its theatrical release, this lushly photographed film deserves to be rediscovered on digital video disc. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

EVES BAYOU.......2007-05-21

This is a wonderful story set in beautiful New Orleans, that showcases young Jurnee Smollett and a host of other seasoned actors . The story is at times funny and heartbreaking tale about a young girl who discovers her father is just a man with faults and vices like any other man. Played by Sam Jackson Her Dr. father is having multiple affairs with his female patients. After her older sister accuses him of molesting her, The youngest daughter seeks help from the local voodoo practitioner(PLayed by the wonderful Diahnne Carroll) to get revenge for what she believes is the ultimate betrayal. There is also an aunt who is clarivoyant who seems to be doomed to lose her husbands in violent ways. I wont tell any more of the story except to say that once you have seen it you will watch it over and over again its a classic .

Under-recognized.......2007-02-28

Most quality films these days are the ones that fly under the "Hollywood Radar." And "Eve's Bayou" is one of them. Wonderful ensemble cast, beautiful setting and a troubling and intriguing storyline makes this one of the best I have seen in the past decade. Debbie Morgan's performance was outstanding and Jurnee Smollet had great depth for someone so young as she was at that time. All in all, a great film.

More Dis-unity.......2007-02-16

Another tired story about the Blackman as the horrible villian and the Blackwoman as the innocent victim...And we wonder why our community has so many problems..Maybe it's because of attitudes that are based on fantasy like this film and some other films..."Color Purple" , "For Colored Girls...." etc. We need to stop the finger pointing a realize that liberation can only occur if we "work together"...That means Blackmen and Blackwomen...

Love this movie!.......2007-01-12

Eve's Bayou is one of my all time favorite movies. The entire cast is excellent! This is a must see.

"I need to be a hero.".......2006-05-22

As this wonderful movie opens, we enter the world of Eve's Bayou, the Louisiana home of ten-year old Eve (Jurnee Smollett) and her charming, philandering father Louis (Samuel L. Jackson), her glamorous and superstitious mother, her psychic aunt (Debbi Turner), and her big sister who idolizes Daddy as much as Eve does. The narrator's opening line concerns a murder, and we wait for this terrible event to occur.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. It drew me in and held me spellbound, with it's believable story and likeable characters. We really get to know and care about Eve's family and all their secrets. The actors are uniformly excellent, especially the young star, Jurnee Smollett. The director succeeds by constantly reminding us of the picturesque bayou setting and its unique community. As the story got closer and closer to the inevitable tragedy, I was almost holding my breath. It's an intense story about real, multi-layered people. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Jennifer is very good!
Uneven, but good
This is why they make movies.
Fair movie
very very good

The Good Girl
Starring: Jennifer Aniston , Deborah Rush , Mike White , John Carroll Lynch , and Jake Gyllenhaal
Director: Miguel Arteta
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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She's the One

ASIN: B0000797IO
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Amazon.com

Jennifer Aniston gives a career-changing performance in The Good Girl, a movie that questions whether goodness is a virtue or a trap. Justine (Aniston), weary of her dead-end retail job and her childless marriage to Phil (John C. Reilly), diverts herself with a new coworker named Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), who feels as ill-treated by his life as Justine does with hers. The empathy between them leads, all too quickly, to an affair--which just as quickly turns into an obsession that threatens to destroy Justine's marriage. But this is only the beginning; Phil's buddy Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson), the store security guard (Mike White), and a handful of other characters all have a part to play in the unraveling of Justine's life. The script and performances of The Good Girl are subtle but vivid, and the movie's emotional impact will linger long after the movie is over. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Jennifer Aniston turns in "a fantastic performance" (Us Weekly) in this quirky comedy about first encounters and second chances. Thirty-year-old Justine Last (Aniston) longs for a life more fulfilling than the one she leads with her boring husband (John C. Reilly) and dead-end job a the Retail Rodeo. But when a passionate young co-worker (Jake Gyllenhaal) catches her eye and steals her heart, Justine's good-girl existences takes a turn for the worse- with unexpected and comical results.

Customer Reviews:

Jennifer is very good!.......2007-05-24

I had obviously been on another planet and had never seen Friends so this was the first time I ever saw Jennifer Aniston act and she blew me away. This dark comedy has a very believeable plot and a wonderful supporting cast-Tim Blake Nelson, John C. Reilly and Jake Gyllenhaal. Anniston is Justine, an ordinary working class woman trapped in a dead end marriage to a stoner house painter husband played wonderfully by Reilly. Nelson is his workmate Buddy [ASIN:B0000714E7 Cherish]]who is very convincing as a pretty sleazy character. Justine has a mundane job at a discount department stor where she unwisely becomes romantically involved with co-worker Gyllehaal's character Holden, a distrubed young man who calls himself after the protagonist of Catcher in the Rye which he reads obsessively. The film's director even has a bit part as an evangelical security guard.

Bless her heart, Justine has made some pretty poor choices here and is put upon by everyone in the story. Her character is so good and so appealing that you root for her even when she is screwing up. Really interesting ending that I didn't see coming at all.

Uneven, but good.......2007-03-26

Justine (Jennifer Aniston) is not satisfied with her life because she chose to marry and settle down at a young age instead of going to college and seeing the world. At thirty, she becomes restless and yearns for excitement, romance and whatever else she is missing that life has to offer. Enter Tom (Jake Gyllenhaal): a twenty-two year-old boy who patterns his life after books he has read, such as "Catcher in the Rye." Enamored of what dreams Tom might be able to fulfill, Justine falls for the ostensibly worldly Tom, who calls himself Holden (after Holden Caulfield). Life becomes complicated after this. Aniston was a good choice for the role of Justine because it is imperative the audience feel sympathy toward her plight as a frustrated housewife, and people love her because of her role on "Friends." As her husband, John C. Reilly is, as usual, outstanding. His films are always worth seeking and this one is no exception. In supporting roles, Tim Blake Nelson and Zooey Deschanel provide several moments of hilarity. As Bubba, Mr. Nelson's demeanor and expressionless face belie the mischief brewing within his scheming mind. As Cheryl, Miss Deschanel has a bad attitude and the impudence that declares she could take her job or leave it. It is the light-hearted and comic tone of the film that prevents it from being better than it is. Although I really enjoy the film, it falls shy of poignancy in scenes where it is required. It could have been great, but is merely very good as it is. The DVD has some deleted scenes, commentary from cast and crew, and includes both the full-screen and widescreen versions, which earn the DVD an extra half-star.

This is why they make movies........2007-01-20

Every once in a while, a movie comes out that is very subtle, yet very direct. A movie that is both depressive, yet laugh-out-loud funny. These movies leave you playing with your thoughts, looking at life from a different point of view. "The Good Girl" is one of those movies.
Jennifer Aniston made a complete U-turn by making this movie, because it is incredibly different then her signature character, Rachel in "Friends". In "Friends", she is quirky and goofy, but here, she is confused, depressed and, simply, amazing. Her portrayal of Justine Last, a woman who is mentally brought down by life and obligations, is sincere and Oscar-worthy. Aniston makes sure Justine is someone the audience can relate to, as she copes with the themes of solitude, love, infidelity and honesty.
Justine works in a ridiculous store, where every day is the same and nothing is ever interesting. Her husband paints houses, is stoned all the time and doesn't give much thought to whatever happens behind Justine's façade. Things change when she meets the new clerk, Tom a.k.a. Holden, who is a "Catcher in the Rye"-obsessed existentialist. Partially because of his mysterious appearance, partially because of his age (he is ten years younger then she is) and mostly because he seems like he understands her, Justine falls for him and they start a relationship that is impossible to get out of. This provides a crucial decision Justine faces - is life about expectations and obligations, or is it about that little dose of craziness that is needed in order to stay sane.
What makes this movie a believable drama instead of a pointless downer, are the characters. John C. Reilly plays Justine's husband, and it seems like it is the role he shines in (remember "Chicago", or the very similar "The Hours"?), whereas Jake Gyllenhaal nails Holden, his feelings and conflicts he faces. However, the show is stolen by Jennifer Aniston, who makes a statement with this movie, that she is a great actress. Her timing (both comedic and dramatic) is flawless, her walk, posture and accent believable and in character. She makes this movie worth-buying and watching at least once a year, when one feels shallow or monotone. "The Good Girl" works on many levels, and the catharsis it provides is the reason why they make movies in the first place.

Fair movie.......2007-01-04

Not worth buying, rent before you buy. Not a Jennifer Aniston quality film.

very very good.......2006-12-25

The movie is far better than one might expect. Aniston and especially Gyllenhaal give super performances. Aniston is perfect as a dissatisfied wife, bright but not wise, who takes advantage of a confused teenager to get the sex and attention that is lacking in her marriage. When she finds out that he is immature (to say the least) and emotionally unstable, she decides to dump him. Given the choice between sacrificing herself for a disturbed kid who is hopelessly in love with her, and destroying him she chooses to destroy him (literally since her abandonment causes his suicide). It is hardly a comedy but rather unsettlingly dark and human and tragic. Gyllenhaal has a brilliant moment when he is in the car beside her cracking up emotionally. A bravura performance for him.

Average customer rating:

His Girl Friday
He looks like that film actor
A classic screwball comedy
Breathless take on old-style Chicago news hounds with Grant, Russell and Bellamy
His Girl Friday dvd

His Girl Friday
Starring: Cary Grant , Rosalind Russell , Ralph Bellamy , Gene Lockhart , and Porter Hall
Director: Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006RCLG
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Amazon.com essential video

The Front Page, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's classic 1928 newspaper play, has had three official film versions and contributed structural DNA to half the movies ever made about professional camaraderie and fierce love-hate friendships. Lewis Milestone's 1931 movie is well respected (Billy Wilder's 1974 version isn't), but this is one case where the remake towers brilliantined head and blocked shoulders above the original.

Howard Hawks had the inspired notion of making Hildy Johnson--the ace newsman whom demonic editor Walter Burns is trying to keep from quitting and getting married--a she instead of a he. What's more, she's not only Walter's star reporter but also his ex-wife. When Hildy (Rosalind Russell) comes to tell Walter (Cary Grant) she's leaving the newspaper business, he bamboozles her into carrying out one last assignment--a death-row interview with a little nebbish (John Qualen) convicted of killing a policeman. It sounds like a snap, but before you can say screwball comedy, the press room of the Criminal Courts Building has become ground zero for all the lunacy a jailbreak, a shooting, an impromptu suicide, a corrupt city administration, and the most Machiavellian "hero" in the American cinema can supply.

His Girl Friday is one of the, oh, five greatest dialogue comedies ever made; Hawks had his cast play it at breakneck speed, and audiences hyperventilate trying to finish with one laugh so they can do justice to the four that have accumulated in the meantime. Russell, not Hawks's first choice to play Hildy, is triumphant in the part, holding her own as "one of the guys" and creating an enduring feminist icon. Grant is a force of nature, giving a performance of such concentrated frenzy and diamond brilliance that you owe it to yourself to devote at least one viewing of the movie to watching him alone. But then you have to go back (lucky you) and watch it again for the sake of the press-room gang--Roscoe Karns, Porter Hall, Cliff Edwards, Regis Toomey, Frank Jenks, and others--the kind of ensemble work that gets character actors onto Parnassus. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

His Girl Friday.......2007-06-22

The legendary Howard Hawks directs what may be the fastest film comedy ever. A re-make of "The Front Page", this version's inspired plot twist is that Hildy is a female reporter, formerly wed to loveable scoundrel Burns. The conceit works, as underneath Walter and Hildy's scathing, rapid-fire repartee we sense a strong (though somewhat twisted) animal attraction. Both Grant and Russell are in top form, and all we have to do is keep up with them. A rip-roaring good time, start to finish

He looks like that film actor.......2007-06-14

Right in the middle of one of the most successful three years anybody has ever had, Howard Hawks gave us his new and improved reworking of Ben Hecht's comedic play, The Front Page. He changed the title to His Girl Friday. It was sandwiched in between Only Angels Have Wings in 1939 and Sergeant York in 1941. This amazing string of five classics began with Bringing Up Baby in 1938 and wound up with my personal favorite, Ball of Fire in 1941. WOW, what a run!

Bringing Up Baby and Only Angels Have Wings both starred the irresistible Cary Grant. He was probably the inspiration for Hawks' reworking. Grant owned the role of Walter Burns. It was a role that allowed him to ham to his heart's content. Burns is the freewheeling owner/editor of a big city newspaper that's at odds with its local government.

Originally, the plot revolved around Burns trying to keep his star reporter, Hildebrand "Hildy" Johnson, from quitting his job to get married. Hawks made a brilliant revision turning Hildebrand into Hildegaard and made her Burns' ex. When she shows up at the paper Walter conceitedly thinks she's there to get her job back but she's actually there to tell him that she's going to live in Albany with her soon to be husband, the nebbish insurance agent Bruce Baldwin beautifully self-parodied by Ralph Bellamy. Walter, unwilling to see his ex and star reporter walk out on him, works the kind of magic only he can work. This results in one of the top ten American comedies of all time and one that can truly be called madcap.

Hildy is realized in a frenetic performance by not the first nor second or even third choice, Rosalind Russell. Russell was borrowed from MGM after Jean Arthur turned the role down and for whatever reason Irene Dunne and Claudette Colbert also didn't work out. One could only guess their ultimate choice would have been Kate Hepburn but RKO would probably never lend her out to play the part. The stars must have been aligned. Because she was their last choice, Russell played the part with a huge chip on her shoulder, which was just what the role needed. She was so miffed she even felt the script gave Grant the lion's share of good lines and injected her own prewritten adlibs to offset. This did not endear her to Grant and the two never worked together again but once again it worked toward the betterment of the film as this two giant talents rivaled to "one up each other" in scene after scene.

Here is where Hawks developed his trademark style of layering dialog, making actors start their line before the other actors had finished their line. This wasn't the first time it was done but in His Girl Friday it was brought to the level of fine art. It was not only practiced by the stars but also perfectly played by the innumerable character actors. The core of pressroom actors did this so well they will always be thought of not as actors but reporters. The pacing is blindingly fast and rarely ever achieved again. The celebrated scene in Broadcast News pales by comparison.

If you've haven't seen this American treasure, I envy you. I wish I could see for the first time again but I can attest to its ability to make you laugh even after twenty viewings.

A classic screwball comedy.......2007-04-19

This movie reminds us what movies used to be: fun.

Carey Grant is handsome and debonair (and all that stuff that drove women crazy) and downright evil sometimes in this movie. He is not above twisting arms (men or women's) to get what he wants and needs, but he does it with such charm that most people just follow him. This is a lesson in alpha-male behavior 101. I won't reveal the storyline or any spoilers (I am sure someone has already done that), but instead I ill say that the movie reeks of another era, which wasn't that long ago chronologically. The witty banter and seemingly endless conflict between the main characters drives the movie forward like a roller coaster that threatens to come off of the tracks at any moment.

This is Howard Hawks' brilliance. The director, the actors, even the lighting all work together seamlessly to create this film. The truest beauty of this film I believe was not the way that Hawks was able to entertain men and women equally in this truly romantic comedy (as compared to the trash that passes for "romantic crap (oops! I mean 'comedy')" today. It was the way this and other films laid down archetypes to aspire to. Cary Grant wasn't just a good looking guy with money - he was a good looking guy with money and a demonic bent and a razor-sharp tongue that he coated with just enough charm to make the poison work all the better. He had an iron will and was Hell bent on getting his way, and not looking like the bad guy in the process. His counterpart, "Hildy Johnson" was his intellectual equal and very sexy, and independent as well. Not the type of woman you would ever get tired of - or bored with.

With characters like this on screen, it became all to easy to imagine that people like that existed somewhere, and that you might get lucky enough to snag one. The characters in this film were not as flat and 2-dimensional as many of the films today, and that is why it stands up so well even though it is shot in black and white, and the actors are long deceased. This is truly a night's worth of great entertainment and a movie *worth* owning, not just viewing.

Breathless take on old-style Chicago news hounds with Grant, Russell and Bellamy.......2007-02-16

This is the 95th review to appear here at Amazon on this movie. As always, it has proved enlightening to read the preceding writers had to say. Most of them loved the film, as was wholly predictable. A goodly number issued dire warnings about the appalling quality of one issue or another, so there is very much a buyer beware factor involved here. A handful didn't care for the film at all, almost always because thedialogueissofasttheycan'tkeepupwithit. That ... is ... a ... real ... shame, especially in this era of the fidgety edit, the sound bite and the five-second commercial.

Many, altogether too many, praised director Howard Hawks to the skies for his brilliant story, his brilliant dialogue, his brilliant re-visioning, his brilliant this, his brilliant that. Now that requires a comment or two.

In the Roaring Twenties, Chicago was the most raffish newspaper town in the world. Reporters who had seen it all--many, many times--covered Prohibition-era beer wars, gangsters several times bigger than life, crooked politicians, lurid scandals of every conceivable stripe, Red scares, repeated labor strife, mesmerizing mouthpieces who reduced juries to tears in order to save thrill killers from their justly deserved dates with public executioners, and any other mad things that turned up by land, sea or air. The pop culture of the day was fascinated by it all and two contemporary plays survive into our time to remind us of those hard-charging times: "Chicago" and "The Front Page." "Chicago," of course, was a hit play, that became a hit movie (and advanced the career of Ginger Rogers), that became a hit Broadway musical, that became a hit retro-movie musical.

"The Front Page" was an even bigger hit on stage in its first go-around. It was written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur who had served time in the news bullpen at the Chicago City Hall and had finally escaped to write for other venues that were no more respectable but paid a whole lot more money. Their subject was Hildy Johnson, a reporter on his last day in the bullpen before escaping into the real world and his boss Walter Burns, an amalgamation of every editor who'd ever run a beady eye over Hecht and MacArthur's deathless prose. I should point out that Hildy Johnson in the play is a man. The reason for that is ... well, because there actually was a Hildy (short for Hilding) Johnson who happened to be a bullpen reporter at the Chicago City Hall. Whatever inclination (if such a thing ever entered their minds at all) that Hecht and MacArthur had to make Hildy Johnson a woman would have promptly fallen by the wayside because the two authors were aware that the real Hildy Johnson would be in the theater on opening night to observe the antics of the fictional Hildy on stage. By all accounts, the real Hildy was a large and formidable Swede, not at all someone H&Mac wished to annoy.

In very short order, the play was faithfully transferred to the movie screen with Pat O'Brien as Hildy and dapper Adolph Menjou as Walter Burns. That film is largely forgotten today, but is well worth watching. It was the first major film of the talkie era in which the old fluid movement of the silent film camera was re-attained. Menjou and O'Brien are both terrific.

More than a decade later, a geologic era of Hollywood time, Howard Hawks set himself to the task of making a remake. He hired Charles Lederer, yet another raffish writer, to make a 1940-ish screenplay out of the 1928 play. He, or Lederer, or both simultaneously succumbed to the psycho-magnetic pull of that name, Hildy. They subjected Johnson to a gender transformation ... which changed the relationship between Burns and Johnson from Mephistopheles and Faust to lovers-separated ... which allowed for the importation of a new character as the temporary impediment to the course of true love ... which yielded a magnificent screenplay that maintained all the cynical energy of the original, but in the context of a romantic comedy.

In the apportioning of credit, so far, I would put writer Lederer far ahead of director Hawks. Hawks racks up points for casting Cary Grant in the unaccustomed role of an authority figure, for casting Roz Russell who was perfectly capable of going toe-to-toe with Grant and always giving as good as she got, and for tossing in the wonderful, but still under-appreciated Ralph Bellamy as hilarious ballast to keep everything on course.

Hawks did one more thing. He rehearsed each scene in long takes, again and again, until the rapid, overlapping rhythm of the words was ingrained in the performers. Then, and only then, did he shoot it.

This film is a masterpiece for its screenplay, for its performers down to the smallest parts (a perfect, Big Studio-era repertory company of players), for Hawks' masterful direction. Sheesh, what more could you want? Of course it's worth five stars!

His Girl Friday dvd.......2007-01-19

Delivery of the item was prompt as promised and the quality of the DVD was as indicated. Completely satisfied with the transaction.

Average customer rating:

Great, Thoughtful Western
"Murray...Egan...Remick ~ These Thousand Hills (1959)"
Great Classic West 50's Don Murray Western!!!

These Thousand Hills
Starring: Don Murray , Richard Egan , Lee Remick , Patricia Owens , and Stuart Whitman
Director: Richard Fleischer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EHSVWI
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Description

?Aided by an excellent cast? (Variety), this rousing big-scale Western is ?packed with action, bronco busting, brawling, gunning and hard riding? (Cue) and will ?satisfy even the most hard-bitten Western fan!? (Motion Picture Herald)!

Deep within the lawless Oregon Territories of the late 1800?s, a dirt-poor young cowpoke with dreams of wealth and respect arrives in town, hoping to make a name for himself and finally rise above his penniless origins. But when he falls for the sexy, streetwise hostess of the local dance hall (Oscar® nominee* Lee Remick, Days Of Wine And Roses) and runs afoul of the wealthy and dangerous town bully, he realizes that his quest for upward mobility has unleashed a fateful chain of events that could destroy everything he holds dear!

Customer Reviews:

Great, Thoughtful Western.......2006-10-06

These Thousand Hills is a well-made, well-acted Western that also has a great message about being true to yourself and not losing sight of what is important in life.

Don Murray stars as a young, but strong-willed cowboy who settles in Oregon in the late 1800's. Along with a fellow cowboy, played by Stuart Whitman, they attempt to make enough money to buy their own ranch. After a brush with misfortune, Murray is nursed back to health by a bordello girl played by Lee Remick. Remick's character also spends lots of time with the town's rich bully, played with gusto by Richard Egan.

After he recovers, Murray borrows enough money from Remick to buy his ranch. He then becomes a leading citizen, is befriended by the town banker, and marries the banker's daughter, completely forgetting about Remick and all she has done to help him. He also shuns Whitman when Whitman tells him of his impending marriage to the town madam.

But events overtake Murray, just as he is running for the Senate, sending him toward tragic consequences for all involved.

This movie is forthright and powerful in its exchange of ideas, and proves that Westerns can be about a lot more than just horse chases and gunfights, although it has enough action to round out the story.

It is great that this film has been released on DVD. It is worth the time for Western and non-Western lovers alike.

"Murray...Egan...Remick ~ These Thousand Hills (1959)".......2006-08-14

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment present "THESE THOUSAND HILLS" (1959) (96 mins Color), under director Richard Fleischer, produced by David Weisbart, novel by A.B. Guthrie Jr., screenplay by Alfred Hayes, musical direction by Leigh Harline, songs by Harry Warren and Ned Washington . . . . .cast includes Don Murray (Lat Evans), Richard Egan (Jehu), Lee Remick (Callie), Patricia Owens( Joyce), Stuart Whitman (Tom Ping), Albert Dekker (Conrad), Harold J. Stone( Ram Butler), Royal Dano (Carmichael), Jean Willes (Jen), Douglas Fowley (Whitney), Fuzzy Knight (Sally, the Cook). . . . . .our story takes place deep within the Oregon Territories during the late 1800s' as our leading man Don Murray is down on his luck and borrows money from Lee Remick who is his dance hall girlfriend...his quest for political gains and wealth are clouded when he meets the banker's daughter Patricia Owens...meanwhile his best friend Stuart Whitman has rustled some steers and is lynched without so much as a word from Murray who is a member of the posse...the land baron Richard Egan is real nasty in this oater, he's out to hurt Remick and Murray must make a decision whether or not to help her, thus the moral question arises with only one answer...this has all the makings of what we all love, great western storytelling with blends of film noir...gotta love it!

Specal footnote, actor Don Murray (born Donald Patrick Murray on July 31, 1929, in Hollywood, California) is an American actor...before breaking into television and movies, he attended East Rockaway High School in Long Island, New York..."Bus Stop" (1956) provided Murray with a strong role as a naive, yet forceful, cowboy romancing a singer (Marilyn Monroe), for his efforts, the actor earned an Oscar nod as Best Supporting Actor...his two subsequent features, "The Bachelor Party" and "A Hatful of Rain" (1957) both provided meaty roles, but later efforts failed to capitalize on his early promise...Murray moved into producing and screenwriting with "The Hoodlum Priest" (1961), a true story about a clergyman in St. Louis who worked with criminals, in which he also starred...his 1970 directing debut, "The Cross and the Switchblade", was an earnest but uneven feature. A second feature, "Damien" (1977), a biopic of the priest who worked with lepers in Hawaii, has never been released theatrically...in the 80s saw Murray in mostly paternal roles (e.g., "Endless Love" 1981; "Peggy Sue Got Married" 1986)....Murray had a long and varied career in TV and films, but is best known for his role as Sid Fairgate in "Knots Landing" from 1979 to 1981...Murray was the first husband of the late actress Hope Lange. They had two children

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Don Murray (aka: Donald Patrick Murray)
Birth Date: 7/31/1929 - Hollywood, California
Died: Still Living
2. Lee Remick (aka: Lee Ann Remick)
Birth Date: 12/13/1935 - Quincy, Mass.
Died: 7/02/1991 - Los Angeles, California
3. Richard Egan
Birth Date: 7/29/1921 - San Francisco, California
Died: 7/20/1987 - Los Angeles, California
4. Richard Fleischer (Director)
Birth Date: 12/08/1916 - Brooklyn, New York
Died: 3/25/2006 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California

Want to thank 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for releasing "These Thousand Hills" (1959), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or 20th Century Fox Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available, stay tuned once again for top notch wonderful character actors of the cinema brought back so many wonderful memories of the times when film makers cared about you who purchased a ticket and came back for more...just the way we like 'em.

Total Time: 96 mins on DVD ~ 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment #2233906 ~ (5/23/2006)

Great Classic West 50's Don Murray Western!!!.......2006-06-15

This is a great classic western that's finally on DVD.It's a must see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Average customer rating:

Not at all what I was expecting!!
My favorite Christmas movie
Pure Magic!
A Wonderful Christmas Tradition
love the theme!

The Nutcracker Prince
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland , Megan Follows , Mike MacDonald , Peter O'Toole , and Phyllis Diller
Director: Paul Schibli
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Nutcracker
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Peter and the Wolf

ASIN: B0002VEP08
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Amaaon.com

This animated version of the Christmas classic is more about combat than dancing, which will make it appealing to boys leery of a female protagonist. When Clara (voiced by Megan Follows) is delighted with his gift of a nutcracker on Christmas Eve, toy maker Drosselmeier is inspired. He tells the tale of how his nephew rescued a princess and was promised her hand when the evil Mouse King turned him into the nutcracker, making him a prince only among dolls. That night, Clara has fitful dreams about the battles between the Nutcracker Prince (Kiefer Sutherland), backed by his legion of toy soldiers (including a commander voiced by Peter O'Toole), and the enormous mouse and his minions. When the prince is finally victorious, he invites her to come to his doll kingdom. A dream-conjured Drosselmeier obligingly shrinks her and she climbs through her dollhouse castle door into a world of flying swans, sugarplums, and ballerinas. This 68-minute movie based on E.T.A. Hoffman's book The Nutcracker and the Mouse King will interest ages 2 through about 10. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Customer Reviews:

Not at all what I was expecting!!.......2006-12-22

I purchased this DVD based on all the positive reviews, however after viewing it, I was extremely disappointed.

I watched this movie with my two-year old son and my four-year old daughter. The movie starts out simple enough w/Clara and Fritz heading home to the party. However, the storyline vears off from the original ballet version when Drosselmyer begins to explain to Clara how his nephew became the Nutcracker. It takes the viewer into a mini-subplot about a king (who is rather rude) and his Queen (whom I assume is supposed to resemble Mother Ginger?). I found this part of the storyline to be annoying and unnecessary. My daughter (who has seen the ballet version of the Nutcracker) kept looking at me confused wondering who these characters were (since they are not part of the ballet version).

Then my two-year old basically jumped into my lap when the Queen Rat's son (very ugly and mean looking) came back to life after it appeared to be dead. I am fully aware of the battle between the mice and the soldiers and expected a certain amount of violence. However, when the camera zooms in closely on what appears to be a dead rat and then the rat jumps up and roars w/it's ugly face, I don't find that appropriate for small children. Talk about causing nightmares!

My daughter was also very disappointed that there was no Land of Sweets (this movie has Land of Dolls) and that the "best part" was missing (performances by foreign countries -- China, Arabia, Russia, etc.).

This movie was a huge disappointment!!!! Not recommended if you're looking for the ballet storyline.

My favorite Christmas movie.......2006-12-07

I had been looking for this movie for years. I used to watch this every year on HBO and couldn't remember the name of it. When I searched for the nutcracker I thought I would never find it but here it is. This is a great version of the nutcracker. I would recommend it as a family holiday tradition movie.

Pure Magic!.......2006-11-28

A film which has surpassed the test of time is the only way I can describe 'The Nutcracker Prince.' A true Christmas classic with stunning animation, a wonderful story and beautiful music and songs. It's also appealing to both genders and people of many ages. It features action for the boys and romance for the girls with everything else in between. The tale of how the Nutcracker 'came to look the way he does' is filled with humour but like the whole film leaves you with a feeling of compassion for the poor nutcracker and as it turns out poor Clara. The film has a perfect balance of both sentimental moments of sadness matched with moments of absolute joy and an ending that will please all.

Moments to watch out for include:
Clara's dance and song with the Nutcracker (my favourite scene in the film), the scene where Marie (the typical teen doll) struts her stuff and sends a mouse catapulting through the air, Marie's entrance into The Land Of The Dolls, Clara and the Nutcracker's ballet dance in The Land Of The Dolls and Clara's final emotional battle against the Mouse King (that's right the girl even gets to fight on her own behalf for once).

Overall the film has many wonderful morals for children of all ages. From lessons of courage and self-sacrifice to accepting ones self and accepting the changes that come with growing up, 'The Nutcracker Prince' is a masterpiece that deserves to be nurtured and appreciated; watched time and time again.

A Wonderful Christmas Tradition.......2006-10-21

I found this movie, the VHS version, when I was in high school...and I still love to watch it every Christmas! It is such a sweet movie, and I love the music. I never knew the words to "The Nutcracker Suite", until this movie.

This movie is entertaining for ALL ages, and it will fast become a wonderful Christmas tradition once you see it. I'm SO glad that they finally have it out on DVD!! Can't wait to get mine!

love the theme!.......2005-12-13

My kids enjoyed this movie - a cartoon.
I enjoyed the music - especially the Theme from the Nutcracker Prince, "Always Come Back To You."
Does ANYONE know where I can find the soundrack, or just that song?
Thanks

Average customer rating:

"Man in the Saddle (1951) ... Randolph Scott ... Columbia Pictures Classic Westerns"
All action colorful Randolph Scott western from 1951
Man in the Saddle 1951
It's a Randolph Scott film........
Better Randy Scott Western

Man in the Saddle
Starring: Randolph Scott , Joan Leslie , Ellen Drew , Alexander Knox , and Richard Rober
Director: André De Toth
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A1OG0E
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

Though well short of the classics he would go on to make with Budd Boetticher (Seven Men from Now, The Tall T, et al.), Man in the Saddle is measurably superior to most of Randolph Scott's other '50s Westerns. The script has enough characters, criss-crossed revenge subplots, and tortuous romances for a miniseries; yet somehow, within a B-movie running time, director André De Toth manages to give all of them enough attention so that the movie makes sense, even threatens to get really interesting. He also finds distinctive ways to stage standard set pieces like, say, a saloon shootout. And there's a cumulatively amazing fistfight that starts in a mountain cabin, totally uses up that set, then spills downhill through snowfield and waterfall. Randy's character is a more complicated fellow than usual, and the Scots-Canadian actor Alexander Knox, best known for his Oscar®-nominated turn as Woodrow Wilson, makes a creepily compelling range baron. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

In MAN IN THE SADDLE we see Randolph Scott in an archetypal role as Owen Merritt, a man of few words, unerring aim and unbreakable principles, who swallows his pride when the woman he loves marries for wealth. But when her wildly jealous husband vows to ruin Merritt's ranch, Merritt strikes back. A satisfying combination of action, romance, and breathtaking high-desert scenery, MAN IN THE SADDLE also features Tennessee Ernie Ford in a rare movie appearance.

Customer Reviews:

"Man in the Saddle (1951) ... Randolph Scott ... Columbia Pictures Classic Westerns".......2007-04-08

Columbia Pictures presents "MAN IN THE SADDLE" (1951) (87 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Starring Randolph Scott, Joan Leslie, Ellen Drew, Alexander Knox & John Russell. --- Directed by André De Toth and released in December 2, 1951, our story line and film, A rancher is forced to stand by as his girl friend is lured away by a wealthy neighboring rancher. When the neighbor is killed, Scott is accused of the murder, and must clear himself. After a blood-spattered fistfight with a gunslinger and several gun battles, Scott consoles himself with schoolteacher Ellen Drew. Based on a novel by Ernest Haycox, Man in the Saddle was the first of the lucrative collaborations between star Randolph Scott and producer Harry Joe Brown --- some of the stand outs of the film: seeing "Tennessee" Ernie Ford without a mustache singing "Man in the Saddle"; Alfonso Bedoya's too brief scenes as a cook; the color photography of the high country, and the fight scene there with John Russell --- Randy Scott's a 'peaceable man' in the tradition of Wild Bill Elliott, but don't provoke him you'll soon see the other side of the coin --- It becomes an open war after Richard Rober kills brothers Camerone Mitchell and Richard Crane who work for Scott, then everything breaks loose.

Under André De Toth (Director), Harry Joe Brown (Producer), Kenneth Gamet (Screenwriter), Ernest Haycox (Book Author), Charles Lawton (Cinematographer), George Duning (Composer (Music Score), Charles Nelson (Editor), George Brooks (Art Director) - - - - the cast includes Randolph Scott (Owen Merritt), Joan Leslie (Laure Bidwell), Ellen Drew (Nan Melotte), Alexander Knox (Will Isham), Richard Rober (Fay Dutcher), John Russell (Hugh Clagg), Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Bourke Prine), Alfonso Bedoya (Cultus Charley), Clem Bevans (Pay Lankershim), Cameron Mitchell (George Virk), Richard Crane (Juke Virk), Frank Sully (Lee Repp), George Lloyd (Tom Croker), Frank S. Hagney (Ned Bale), Don Beddoe (Love Bidwell), Grant Withers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, James Kirkwood (Sheriff Medary) - - - - Randy Scott had a quiet gentleman nature about him which is not seen in the films of today ... Randy took his job and his responsibility to his audience very seriously ,,, would not settle for anything less than his best ... same was true in his personal life.

SPECIAL FEATURES BIOS:
1. Randolph Scott (aka: George Randolph Scott)
Date of birth: 23 January 1898 - Orange County, Virginia
Date of death: 2 March 1987 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

Special footnote, George Randolph Scott better known as Randolph Scott, was an American film actor whose career spanned the sound era from the late 1920s to the early 1960s ... his popularity grew in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in such films as "Gung Ho"! (1943) and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938); but he was especially famous for his numerous Westerns including "Virginia City" (1940) with Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart, "Western Union" (1941) with Robert Young and "Ride the High Country" (1962) with Joel McCrea (a coin was flipped to see whether Scott or McCrea would receive top billing, and Scott won despite having a slightly smaller role) ... his long fistfight with John Wayne in "The Spoilers" (1942) was frequently cited by critics and the press as the most thrilling ever filmed; they were fighting over Marlene Dietrich ... another smash hit film together that same year called "Pittsburgh" (1942) once again with Dietrich, Scott and Wayne --- Daniel Webster defines "Legend", as being a notable person, or the stories told about that person exploits --- well by the time Randolph Scott made his best films he had long established himself as a legend in the film industry --- they say practice makes perfect, if that is true by 1958 at 60 years of age he was the master with these oaters from the 50s ... "The Cariboo Trail" (1950), "The Nevadan" (1950), "Colt .45" (1950), "Santa Fe" (1951), "Sugarfoot" (1951), "Fort Worth" (1951), "Man in the Saddle" (1951), "Carson City" (1952), "The Man Behind the Gun" (1952), "Hangman's Knot" (1952), "Thunder over the Plains" (1953), "The Stranger Wore a Gun" (1953), "Ten Wanted Men" (1954), "Riding Shotgun" (1954), "The Bounty Hunter" (1954), "Rage at Dawn" (1955), "Tall Man Riding" (1955), "A Lawless Street" (1955), "Seven Men from Now" (1956), "Seventh Cavalry" (1956), "Decision at Sundown: (1957), "Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend" (1957), "The Tall T" (1957), "Buchanan Rides Alone" (1958), "Ride Lonesome" (1959), "Westbound" (1959), "Comanche Station" (1960) --- Scott's age seemed to matter little, they only came to see another Randolph Scott film and always got their money's worth --- Scott's films were good and getting better becoming classics --- so if you wonder "What Ever Happened To Randolph Scott", just rent or purchase one of his films and you'll see he's never left us.

2. Joan Leslie
Date of Birth: 26 January 1925 - Detroit, Michigan
Date of death: Still Living

3. Ellen Drew (aka: Esther Loretta Ray)
Date of Birth: 23 November 1915 - Kansas City, Missouri
Date of Death: 3 December 2003 - Palm Desert, California

4. John Russell
Date of Birth: 3 January 1921 - Los Angeles, California
Date of Death: 19 January 1991 - Los Angeles, California

5. Alfonso Bedoya
Date of Birth: 16 April 1904 - Vicam, Sonora, Mexico
Date of Death: 15 December 1957 - Mexico City, Mexico.

6 André De Toth (aka: Sâsvari Farkasfawi Tóthfalusi Toth Endre Antai Mihály) (Director)
Date of Birth: 15 May 1912 - Makó, Csongrád, Hungary, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]
Date of Death: 27 October 2002 - Burbank, California

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- 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 where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 87 min on DVD ~ Sony Home Video ~ (8/06/1996)

All action colorful Randolph Scott western from 1951.......2007-01-04

MAN IN THE SADDLE was the first of six westerns that Hungarian director Andre de Toth made with veteran western star Randolph Scott. No quite up to Scott's later collaboration with Bud Boetticher, which commenced in 1956 with the marvellous SEVEN MEN FROM NOW. Nevertheless, MAN IN THE SADDLE is a very worthy contribution to the genre. This film also marked the first teaming of producer Harry Joe Brown, with Randolph Scott as associate producer and was known as a SCOTT-BROWN PRODUCTION.

The story was from a novel of the same name by Ernest Haycox. Owen Merritt (Scott) had lost his sweetheart Laurie (Joan Leslie) to local cattle baron Will Isham (Alexander Knox) Isham tries to buy out all the local ranchers by fair means or foul. Merritt resists being drawn into a fight for Laurie or over Isham's land grabbing venture fearing that it will be taken for sour grapes. Plenty of action on the way to the final showdown with Scott assisted by his ranch hands and close-neighbour Nan Melotte (Ellen Drew). The film is memorable for its wonderful night-time photography and a marvellous extended fight in a mountain shack between Merritt and Hugh Clagg (John Russell), which really did "bring the house down". Tennessee Ernie Ford makes a brief appearance and sings the title song. High quality transfer to DVD

Man in the Saddle 1951.......2006-04-11

In MAN IN THE SADDLE we see Randolph Scott (1898-1987) in a archetypal role as Owen Merritt , a man of few words , inerring aim and unbreakable principes , who swallow his pride when the woman he loves marries for wealth . But when her wildly jealous husband vows to ruin Merritts Ranch , Merritt strikes back . A Satisfying combination of action , Romance and breathtaking high-desert scenery , MAN IN THE SADDLE also featured Tennesse Ernie Ford (1919-1991) in a rare movie appearance . Great plot and wonderful outdore scenery and Randolph Scott..what more do you need ! . High Qualty digital transfer . Recommended

It's a Randolph Scott film...............2005-10-14

...what more do you need? Scott does what he does best in this above average western made with high production values and a touch of angst. Good classic supporting cast and good locations as well as excellent direction make this oater stand alone and stand out in Scott's film's from the 50's.Good,clear DVD issue make this a must.

Better Randy Scott Western.......2005-08-14

MAN IN THE SADDLE (1951) is a very fine little Western, directed by the underrated director Andre De Toth, with a fine screenplay written by Kenneth Gamet. Despite the formulaic story line, the film never drags or dawdles. Randy Scott illustrates, once again, all the fine acting characteristics that made him one of the top ranking "Western" actors of all time. Alexander Knox, an interesting choice for the villain, adds much to the story. Other members of the cast, including Alfonso Bedoya and John Russell, round out this solid oater, well worth investigating. Finally, the title song is sung by none other than "Tennessee Ernie Ford," and remains in the memory long after the movie's images are gone....

Average customer rating:

where's the SEX !?!
Unrated version.....

Beach Babes 2 - Cave Girl Island
Starring: Sara Bellomo , and Rodrigo Botero
Director: Ellen Cabot
Manufacturer: FULL MOON
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000228SHS
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Customer Reviews:

where's the SEX !?!.......2006-09-22

They cut the sex scenes out and used (repetitively) the same scenes of the girls dancing , clothed, to fill the spots where the sex scenes would be. What the hell? Why can they show movies like this on cable unedited but when they re-release it... they screw it up with cheesy editing. THAT IS THE ONLY REASON FOR BUYING THIS MOVIE AND IT'S NOT THERE IN THIS VERSION... DO NOT BUY.

Unrated version............2005-11-17

It's ok because finally they release the dvd after all these years...............but it's the unrated version! Many of the best scenes were cut so you miss a lot.........(Ex: Banana scene, you know what i'm talking about). I'm dissapointed for this

Average customer rating:

Missing Something
I Wish I had Courage Like You!
I've got mixed feelings about this one
Who Says The Good Guy Has To Be A Guy?
well

The Next Karate Kid
Starring: Pat Morita , Hilary Swank , Michael Ironside , Constance Towers , and Chris Conrad (II)
Director: Christopher Cain
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Karate Kid Part III
The Karate Kid Part II
The Karate Kid (Special Edition)
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Crocodile Dundee II

ASIN: B00005LK96
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Amazon.com

A vast improvement over its immediate predecessor, The Karate Kid III, this appealingly understated 1994 drama features a compelling performance by Hilary Swank, who would later win a Best Actress Oscar ^® for her work in Boys Don't Cry. Swank plays 17-year-old Julie Pierce, the recently orphaned and troubled granddaughter of an old war buddy of Miyagi Yakuga (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, the lone holdover from the previous Karate Kid films). Harassed at school by adolescent boys under the sway of an evil coach (Michael Ironside), Julie reluctantly finds refuge in the calm teachings of Mr. Miyagi. While the film's violence is as contrived and silly as that of the other KK features, the script provides exotic compensations via a subplot set in a peaceful Buddhist monastery. Still, it's Morita's crafty professionalism and Swank's emotional authenticity that makes this film more watchable than anyone might have expected. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Missing Something.......2005-12-21

This movie was alright but it is seriously lacking something. I watched it when it came out on VHS and I kept on waiting for Daniel to show up or hell be mentioned but in this movie it was as though he never exsisted and isn't Daniel supposed to be living with his mentor in CA? So if this is the case and his mentor sent the grandmother to CA to his house shouldn't he have warned her about Daniel being there at least? They could have mentioned what happend to Daniel but in this movie they totally scratch him out and this movie is lacking because of it. Another thing is this movie doesn't touch the other three in any way shape or form. Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio had an on screen chemistry that you just couldn't denye was there and it made the movies all that much better but Pat and Hilary don't have that same chemisty that made Pat and Ralph such a great acting team and it shows in the movie. Also the other Karate Kid movies each have a theme to them especially the second one and this one leaves you with no theme what so ever except bullies always get what they deserve in the end which is a tad over done by this installment and the fight scene at the end is a little over done as I think they were aiming for the same affect they had in the Karate Kid II but they missed it by a long shot. Over all this movie is pretty good. Has some good moments but it should not have been a stand a lone movie all on its own in my opinion as it could have been much better then.

I Wish I had Courage Like You!.......2005-11-04

Can anyone who has seen The Next Karate Kid please explain to me the nature of the film's villains? The look like a professional security force, they act like a WWF tag-team, they tromp around school like they've got full diplomatic immunity...they even have a drill sergeant. In high school. I just don't get it.

Anyway, these guys don't like young Julie Pierce, so they terrorize her repeatedly - and they even come dangerously close to what we, nowadays, would call "rape." All Julie wants is to be left alone with her beloved crippled hawk (Kes?), godammit! Julie's well-intentioned grandmother is at the end of her granny-rope, so she enlists the aid of old family friend Mr. Miyagi. Given that this is now the fourth time we've met Mr. Miyagi, and we've never once seen him interact with a teenage girl, the viewer is left to wonder if this arrangement is such a grand idea. But wouldn't you know it? The brusque and bouncy Julie slowly warms up to the adorable Mr. Miyagi, and yadda yadda, etc.

To quote one of the wise sages who comment at the IMDb, The Next Karate Kid is "the pits." Hilary Swank must cringe whenever she sees the flick pop up on cable; indeed, she's the one thing that makes The Next Karate Kid worth seeing. Not because she gives a particularly excellent performance (although she's better than the material deserves), but because this is such a GOOFY movie. For no good reason the flick takes a 20-minute detour into a freakin' monastery, for cryin' out loud! Plus this is a film in which Mr. Miyagi goes shopping for a PROM DRESS! Gee, anyone think we're just blatantly pandering to the "other" demographic at this point? Then just wait till the Hi - larious scene in which Mr. Miyagi walks in on Julie while she's changing...and he almost sees her boobies! Never thought I'd say it but...where's Daniel-san these days? Surely he could still be in need of some wise advice.

Anyway, Julie gets a date, grows some confidence, and kicks the ass of head bully #1. Also there's Michael Ironside as an evil high school sergeant who is apparently invisible to cops. Miyagi helps kick his butt at the end.

I've got mixed feelings about this one.......2005-09-17

The Next Karate Kid (1994.) The fourth film in the Karate Kid series.

INTRODUCTION:
The Karate Kid was one of the greatest motion pictures of the eighties, no questions asked. The sequels to the film, while good, certainly lacked something in comparison to the original. There were three films in the series in the eighties. And then, in a rather odd and unexpected twist of fate, a fourth installment in the series came out of nowhere in the middle of then nineties. For the new installment, Ralph Macchio would not be returning. However, Pat Morita would be. How does this often forgotten film in the series go? To find out, keep reading.

OVERVIEW:
It's been several years since the classic Karate Kid films. Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) has taken a trip to Boston to meet with some Japanese-American war veterans, and while there stays with the widow of one of his deceased war buddies. He invites her to go and spend some time at his California house, and in the meantime stays in Boston with her granddaughter (Hilary Swank.) When this girl gets suspended from school, Miyagi begins teaching her karate, as a way of helping her deal with her problems. To make things worse, a new friend of hers at school is getting tormented by other guys from school led by a ruthless ex-military type (Michael Ironside.) The young heroine returns to school following her suspension, changed dramatically following Miyagi's teachings.

REVIEW:
I have very mixed feelings about this film. First of all, the good. The acting in this film is very good. Pat Morita's portrayal of Miyagi is excellent, as it always is. Hilary Swank does a good job in her role, and Michael Ironside is fantastic as Kreese's replacement in the series. Bill Conti once again does the orchestration for the film, and I shouldn't have to tell you he did it well again. But, of course, there are a ton of negatives too. This installment in the series wasn't necessary. By this time the series was getting a bit played out, and this really did nothing to revive or build on the series. And needless to say, without Ralph Macchio the series really loses something. Miyagi is the only character this film has that the old ones did. And as a whole, the plot seems rehashed. I personally think this movie would have been better without the Karate Kid name attached. The film also features considerably less action than its predecessors - It's obvious the creators were going for a more family-oriented movie this time around, and as such, it isn't as violent as other entries in this series. Final verdict? This is a good movie. Not great, not horrible - just an average movie. It's worth watching, but don't be expecting a masterpiece on the same level as the original film.

DVD:
The DVD release of this film is pretty lame. Filmographies, trailers, and some DVD-ROM stuff (which requires a computer) are the ONLY extras you get. Take my advice and get the Karate Kid Collection box set instead - it's a better value than buying the movies separately.

OVERALL:
Overall, I think I have made my feelings clear. They're mixed when it comes to this movie. For everywhere this movie succeeds, it fails somewhere else. What we have here is a totally average product. It's worth watching at least once, but if you're looking for classic Karate Kid action, you're not gonna find it here.

Who Says The Good Guy Has To Be A Guy?.......2005-08-28

My kids were very happy to find this one at Wal-Mart for $5.50 and so was I. I LOVED this one, mainly because of the girl factor. A young Hilary Swank makes a great karate kid!

well.......2005-06-23

just saw this movie two hours ago and it was not the best ive ever seen. john what were you thinking when you didn't direct this one. anyway the start was fun but the middle was a letdown.

Average customer rating:

The good, the bad and the indifferent
Good Message, Poor Movie
True Grit With A Few Gripes
What might have been...or not.
"Everybody Hustles."

Hustle
Starring: Burt Reynolds , Catherine Deneuve , Ben Johnson , Paul Winfield , and Eileen Brennan
Director: Robert Aldrich
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0008KLVC8
Release Date: 2005-06-21

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Among the films that made the '70s an "American Renaissance" decade, Hustle merits a place of honor. As vigorous as the groundbreaking work of such Young Turk contemporaries as Scorsese, Spielberg, and Coppola, its distinction lies in being a throwback to the '50s glory days of its director, Robert Aldrich, when he was making corrosive, Establishment-baiting classics like Attack! and Kiss Me Deadly. The same sardonic spirit, bracing socio-political anger, and bold, hard-edged moviemaking inform this look into the soul of Los Angeles by way of a murder investigation that may not, in fact, have a murder at its core.

Steve Shagan wrote the script, and like his 1973 Save the Tiger, this movie's central character is a burnt-out case with a nostalgia for lost values: an LAPD detective (Burt Reynolds) whose spiritual/ethical touchstones are film-noir Bogart and soft-focus French movies of the '60s. He should have a girlfriend played by Catherine Deneuve--and he does, a Deneuve whose first signs of aging on screen are an evocative element of the film. Her character is a high-class courtesan whose clients include a prominent attorney (Eddie Albert); he also appears to have had some connection with a 20-year-old hooker/druggie whose corpse just washed up on a California beach. Throw in Ben Johnson as the dead girl's seething war-veteran dad, Eileen Brennan as his wife, Paul Winfield and Ernest Borgnine as Reynolds's fellow cops, and you've got one potent ensemble. Reynolds isn't equal to the task of selling some of Shagan's most florid rhetoric (probably no actor would be), but he makes an honorable stab at it. And as an urbane power-broker who can contemplate an assassination while finishing his Cobb salad, the late Eddie Albert is chilling, just chilling. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Everybody "hustles"-especially in Los Angeles where suicides, strip joints, shootouts, porno movies, the mob and murder combine into a collage. Caught in this web of modern reality is an old fashioned detective (Reynolds). A moralist who still sees the difference between right and wrong, he can hardly reconcile himself to the ugliness of his job. By day he investigates a young girl's suicide, while at night he relaxes with a high-priced Paris call girl (Deneuve).

Customer Reviews:

The good, the bad and the indifferent.......2007-03-12

At times it's hard to know quite what to make of Hustle. There's certainly a good film in there, but there's also a bad one as well and Robert Aldrich doesn't make the two into something entirely cohesive. Joseph Biroc's photography is somewhat schizophrenic too. The police station interiors and night shots look great with a classic neo-noir look to them with their deep blacks, but some of the daytime work looks like painfully artificial TV movie stuff. Some of the editing is awkward and some of the writing so on the nose it's like someone decided to film `My First Cop Movie' while the references to Moby Dick (the film, not the book) come over as Symbolism 101, but then it delivers something good enough for you to want to file away and use yourself at a later date.

Where it scores is in its portrait of a job and a place where you can all too easily lose all sense of yourself, a side of Los Angeles the film captures remarkably well (there's a reason so many Angelinos move to different States or even countries). Burt Reynolds' cop is so desensitized to his job that he obliviously talks to the morgue staff about football scores while escorting a father to see his daughter's dead body, behavior no-one finds shocking in a place where people only count if they're `somebody.' In many ways the most impressive thing about it is its determination to avoid becoming a murder mystery: no-one, least of all Reynolds, has any interest in investigating a murder, and neither does the film. Instead it's more interested in the emotional fallout from the death and how it affects (or rather fails to affect) those around the death. It all ends in violence, naturally, albeit with the caveat that you end up paying for the sins you didn't commit rather than the ones you you did.

Good Message, Poor Movie.......2006-02-17

I like these types of movies, and saw the DVD on sale for $9, so I gave it a look. With Burt Reynolds and Catherine Deneuve being movie legends I figured what did I have to lose. Unfortunately, the movie really misses the mark and is not very good, except for the message. Slow and predictable, it reminds me of a bad Frank Sinatra's movie.

Robert Aldrich, who did a masterful job on "The Longest Yard - 1974" was the director, and he and Burt were the film's producer. The film really needed a good producer and it might have been better. However, it was great to see Deneuve in a U.S. film and the DVD quality is very good.

True Grit With A Few Gripes.......2005-08-02

Hustle recalls forlorn '70s films like Save The Tiger and Scarecrow which dealt with downbeat material in a mature, realistic manner. Which isn't to say that Hustle is a study in realistic police work. The script is contrived with stereotypical characters (The Cynical Cop, Hooker With A Heart Of Gold, etc), but the lead performances and a bleak world view make this one a cut above the usual detective drama.

What might have been...or not........2005-06-22

Those born in the Reagan years may not realize that for a brief shining moment in the late 1970s, Burt Reynolds was the most popular movie star on the planet. Just prior to that, in 1975, he made this movie, and gives a creditable, serious and even moving performance.

If he had not grown the mustache and played up the good old boy shtick and annoying high pitched laugh, he may not have been Numero Uno for those couple of years, but he might have been taken more seriously and made better movies.

Perhaps not. This is the man who was first choice to play the Jack Nicholson part in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT and opted to do STROKER ACE instead.

In any event, this is a good example of gritty, bleak 1970s movie making, when mainstream Hollywood flicks could be dark and even have an unhappy ending. In 1976 ROCKY came along and changed all that.

A little dated, and a less than crisp DVD transfer, but worth checking out.

"Everybody Hustles.".......2002-07-26

One of the last 5 films by director Robert Aldrich (Kiss Me Deadly, Apache, The Dirty Dozen) and starring pre-moustache/Bandit Burt Reynolds (who also starred in Aldrich's previous film, "The Longest Yard") as Phil Gaines, a L.A. cop who would rather be living in the 1930s when life was cleaner. Ironically, he is in love with a prostitute (Catherine Deneuve). They have dreams of going away and starting a new life together, but never make it. The other side of the story concerns Gaines' case of Gloria, a teenage girl found dead on the beach and the Father refuses to believe that she committed suicide. His reckless investigation and obsession with revenge on his daughter's "killer" ends in the murder of an important, yet crooked and slimy attorney, Leo Sellers (Eddie Albert). Also co-starring is Ernest Borgnine as Santori, Gaines' boss, but he doesent quite seem on the "up & up". "Hustle" is not that bad, although it's also not spectacular. It is a pessimistic film, like a modern film noir, that in the hands of any other director or actors would probably not have had much significance. Many elements, especially the vulgar language and the drugs/porno theme (common in the 1970s) are what help this to get lost within the slew of 70s exploitation films. I would probably not have seen it if it were not for taking a film course where the focus was on the films of Robert Aldrich. As of yet, the film is not available on DVD and you're lucky if you can even rent the VHS, let alone own it. Still worth a look for fans of Aldrich, Reynolds (before "the bandit") and 70s cop or exploitation film.

Trivia:
*Look for Robert Englund (Freddy Kreuger) who shoots Burt Reynolds during the store robbery.
*Look for Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke) as Peggy, a porn actress and former roommate of Gloria

Joan of Arc - Child of War, Soldier of God
Average customer rating:

Secularized story just doesn't cut it - skip this one

Documentary of Joan of Arc

The Warrior and Saint

Joan of Arc: Peasant Girl, Child of War, Soldier of God

Joan of Arc - Child of War, Soldier of God

Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
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Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses

ASIN: B000EU1OXI
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Description

Joan Of Arc: Child Of War, Soldier Of God An illiterate peasant girl, Jeanne d'Arc emerged at 17 from an obscure corner of war-torn France, rallied a demoralized army and changed the course of history. Inspired by "her voices," she stunned the English invaders, brought about the coronation of the Dauphin and dazzled even her persecutors with her wit and grace. Now go beyond the image of this legendary heroine and discover a fascinating young woman struggling to achieve her own vision in a brutal and dangerous world. Running Time: Approx. 60 Minutes Color/NTSC/Stereo 05-51626

Customer Reviews:

Secularized story just doesn't cut it - skip this one.......2007-05-16

As a St. Jeanne d'Arc devotee, I was please to see a new dvd with positive reviews; one even claiming this was the best movie on St. Joan out there. WRONG!!!! I rated this documentary with two stars instead of one because it does cover many actual events in her life. Unfortunately, it does so from an entirely secular and skeptical point of view. No credit is given to God or the Faith; only to Jeanne herself and how her personal beliefs motivated her. Not THE Truth, but her own personal beliefs. It is quick to point out the miraculous nature of many events in her life, but portrays them as extraordinary human events, with certainly no credit to anything divine. Yeah right. Like a 16 year old peasant girl in male-ruled Europe just happened to get on a horse and lead her country to victory after victory. Nope, nothing special there! Anyway, another disturbing aspect of the documentary is several of the "experts" exhibit their own biases and beliefs when they interpret Joan's own words for themselves. For example, they claimed that Joan's visions were not actually Saints; she simply said they were later on during her trial to avoid persecution. Poppycock!

So skip this biased film. It isn't worth the money, and it certainly is not worthy of the Saint herself.

Documentary of Joan of Arc.......2007-03-08

Interesting documentary of Joan's life. It is very much like the Movie by LeeLee Sobieski. For those interested in the subject, it is a comfortable viewing and infor