Cooley High

Starring:Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis, Corin Rogers, Maurice Leon Havis, Joseph Carter Wilson, Sherman Smith, Norman Gibson, Maurice Marshall, Steven Williams, Jackie Taylor (IV), Christine Jones, Lynn Caridine, Mary Larkins, Cherene Snow, Alicia Williams, Lily Schine, Muxai Richardson, Juanita McConnell
Director: Michael Schultz
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Cooley High has frequently been compared to American Graffiti, and for good reason. Like that classic, Cooley High has a loose, multicharacter structure, autobiographical origins, and the rich texture of its time. Set in Chicago in 1964, the movie follows aspiring writer Preach (Glynn Turman) and local basketball star Cochise (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, who went on to star in Welcome Back, Kotter) as they wander their neighborhood, drifting in and out of their classes at Cooley Vocational High School. The two friends pull pranks, crash parties, commit petty crimes, and generally try to enjoy their lives in an impoverished urban environment. Preach falls in love with a smart girl named Brenda (Cynthia Davis), whom he wins over by reciting poetry--leading to one of the silliest and sweetest love scenes you'll ever see. When Preach and Cochise go on a joy ride with a pair of young hoods, they end up arrested. Their history teacher, Mr. Mason (a superb Garrett Morris), gets them off, but the hoods think the boys sold them out and come seeking revenge. Cooley High depicts the rough life of African Americans in the 1960s with honesty and humor, offering no easy solutions or pat lessons. It's a roughly made movie, but Turman and Jacobs are both excellent, and there's an attention to reality that makes it engaging, refreshing, and ultimately moving. The soundtrack is a great compilation of 1960s soul, including the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, and Smokey Robinson. An unjustly neglected film that deserves rediscovery. --Bret Fetzer
Average customer rating:
- Cleopatra DVD Version
- A Spectacle that Time has Favored.
- Absolutely Fantastic
- Cleopatra not Shakespeare
- A Gutted Queen Still Shimmers
|
Cleopatra
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor , Richard Burton , Rex Harrison , Pamela Brown , and George Cole
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz , Rouben Mamoulian , and Darryl F. Zanuck
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ASIN: B000BZISSU
Release Date: 2006-02-07 |
Amazon.com essential video
This 1963 extravaganza, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, is certainly an epic historical drama with all the elements: elaborate sets, intricate costuming, name actors, a factual basis, and an overlong script (just over four hours). But the acting is well performed and the backdrops are lush, making this a film worth seeing. Elizabeth Taylor is Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen who seduces Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) in a political move to hold onto her empire. When Caesar is killed in the Roman Senate, Cleopatra looks to Marc Antony (Richard Burton) for his support, practically enslaving him with her wiles. Taylor is dramatic in her role, at times overly serious, but stunning nonetheless as the woman described as "well versed in the natural sciences and mathematics. She speaks seven languages proficiently. Were she not a woman one would consider her to be an intellectual." While the film does seem to drag at moments, it deserves the four Oscars it won for cinematography, art direction-set direction, costumes, and special effects. Don't confuse this Cleopatra with the 1934 version directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Claudette Colbert. --Jenny Brown
Description
Richard Burton, Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor star in one of the greatest screen spectacles ever made - the story of the Queen of the Nile and her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The film is distinguished by superb performances from Burton and Harrison (nominated for an Oscar), but at its center is Elizabeth Taylor in one of the most glamorous roles of her career. Astounding in scope and grandeur, the picture won Oscars for cinematography, sets and special effects. It's famous moments include moviedom's most flamboyant entrance - Cleopatra's dazzling arrival in Rome. Bolstered by a talented supporting cast and utterly stunning backdrops, here is a truly epic portrayal of the woman who conquered two of Rome's greatest soldiers, affected the course of history, and became synonymous with beguiling beauty - Cleopatra.
Customer Reviews:
Cleopatra DVD Version.......2007-06-12
I would really LOVE a full-screen version of this DVD. In fact I would really prefer all my DVD movies in full-screen. I won't be buying anymore wide-screen versions in future, because even though I own a wide-screen TV, full-screen versions look a whole lot better on it as far as I'm concerned.
A couple of movies I own come with double-sided discs, with a wide-screen version on one side and a full-screen version on the other. 'Forbidden Planet' and 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof' are two titles that come to mind which are sold this way.
Surely this is the way to go!
A Spectacle that Time has Favored........2007-06-10
I can remember as a 19 year old in the early 1960's all of the media frenzy involving the making of this film and it's two principle players: Taylor and Burton. They were household words and having one of their countless affairs, off and on again. If my memory serves me, lovely Liz was still married to Eddie Fisher (in name only) and nearly died during the filming of "Cleopatra." No film since "Gone With the Wind" drew more public attention and the expectations were just too high when finally released. The critical reviews were mostly negative, dwelling more on the troubled making of the film, rather that the film itself. This surely affected the public at the box office, and it was far from a smash hit.
But this film is a legend and a real "gem" that time has favored over the years. It is well-crafted by the great Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and takes it's place with the great epics of movie history like: "Ben Hur, "Spartacus," and "Quo Vadis." This is one of Mankiewicz"s better films, his second effort at a Roman theme since filming Brando in "Julius Ceasar" in 1953. Our fascination with Roman history continues to this day with the brilliant HBO series: "Rome."
Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz is one of those greats of movie history, both as a director and screenwriter. A collection of his films is essential to any real film collection. I got hooked on Mankiewicz after seeing "A Letter to Three Wives" for the first time. His films are a proud part of my film collection, and "Clepatra" is one of my favorites.
Absolutely Fantastic.......2007-05-12
I have enjoyed this movie for many years and still do. In my opinion I believe that Elizabeth Taylor is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and wonderful actress. It is a great movie and I have watched it many times and will again.
Cleopatra not Shakespeare.......2007-05-07
The film is a true spectacle. More beautiful than beautifully acted, in my opinion. Elizabeth Taylor gives a modern day twist to the character of Cleopatra, with her sly winks and smiles, she seems to be more down to earth and blatatantly flirty than one would expect a monarch to be. The sets are fantastic, also the acting of the two male leads. I had hoped that this film would follow the Shakespeare play, Antony and Cleopatra, but it is nothing like the play.
A Gutted Queen Still Shimmers.......2007-04-23
CLEOPATRA was originally planned as a 2 part separate release. The 1st part was to be "Caesar & Cleopatra" and the second "Anthony & Cleaopatra." Each was to run appx. 4 hrs. The problems on the set (and off) are well known. Elizabeth Taylor only agreed to do the role for a then staggering one million $$$. That was just the beginning of a financial nightmare for the studio. The film was drastically cut to fit into a single release. It's reported that Taylor ran out of the first screening in tears, denouncing the film, claiming that the most pivotal scenes that delineated the depth of Cleopatra's character had been deleted. What was left was a superficial interpretation of a formidable woman & leader. At times Taylor's Cleopatra comes off more as a petulant sex kitten than the last great Pharoh of Egypt. Richard Burton's tendency for ham acting & bloated appearance didn't help.
So why see the film?
Well, there's Elizabeth Taylor's famous beauty--and it dazzles in this movie. Her make-up and hairstyles set new trends in the fashion industry. Edith Head's costume design is absolutely goregeous. Alex North's fantastic soundtrack is one of the very best. The set design is oddly abstract at times, but it works. The "spectacle" scenes are great. Cleopatra's entrance into Rome is a real jaw-droper, a delicious display of creative opulence, replete with half-naked native girls dancing to wild African music, multicolored incense smoke scattered into the spectators by exotic medicine men, whirling dervishes and a pyramid containing doves released in front of the assembled Roman Senators & their rather annoyed & envious wives (it's very funny.) This way beyond ostentatious display of art & power concludes with Taylor seated on a gold throne atop a gigantic golden sphinx (we're talking the equivalent of 3-5 stories tall), wearing a gown of pure gold feathers, with a solid gold crown three feet high stately adorning Taylor's coal black curls. (Claudette Colbert, eat your heart out!)
Unfortunately the spectacle ends with Cleopatra's golden barge sailing into a harbor in such splendor that the superstitious townfolk think it is Aphrodite herself come to meet Bacchus in the form of Marc Anthony. This scene was originally meant the be the beginning of the next sequel, but as it stands it is stangely brief and seems almost out of synch. This last half of the now truncated film fizzles out & is downright boring compared to the first half.
All this being said, if you've never seen the movie--you've got to. It represents the end of the spectacle film era--it's just too darn expensive. CLEOPATRA also represents a real event in 1960's culture.
Cleopatra SOUNDTRACK
Suddenly, Last Summer
The VIPs
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Deluxe Edition)
Tennessee Williams Film Collection (A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone)
The Elizabeth Taylor Signature Collection (National Velvet / Father of the Bride / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof / Butterfield 8)
Average customer rating:
- Chicago's Finest
- BACK IN THE DAY
- A great high school film full of soul!!!
- `Cooley High' is true-to-life film with a whole lot of heart.
- Cooley High
|
Cooley High
Starring: Glynn Turman , Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs , Garrett Morris , Cynthia Davis , and Corin Rogers
Director: Michael Schultz
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B000035P59
Release Date: 2000-01-18 |
Amazon.com
Cooley High has frequently been compared to American Graffiti, and for good reason. Like that classic, Cooley High has a loose, multicharacter structure, autobiographical origins, and the rich texture of its time. Set in Chicago in 1964, the movie follows aspiring writer Preach (Glynn Turman) and local basketball star Cochise (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, who went on to star in Welcome Back, Kotter) as they wander their neighborhood, drifting in and out of their classes at Cooley Vocational High School. The two friends pull pranks, crash parties, commit petty crimes, and generally try to enjoy their lives in an impoverished urban environment. Preach falls in love with a smart girl named Brenda (Cynthia Davis), whom he wins over by reciting poetry--leading to one of the silliest and sweetest love scenes you'll ever see. When Preach and Cochise go on a joy ride with a pair of young hoods, they end up arrested. Their history teacher, Mr. Mason (a superb Garrett Morris), gets them off, but the hoods think the boys sold them out and come seeking revenge. Cooley High depicts the rough life of African Americans in the 1960s with honesty and humor, offering no easy solutions or pat lessons. It's a roughly made movie, but Turman and Jacobs are both excellent, and there's an attention to reality that makes it engaging, refreshing, and ultimately moving. The soundtrack is a great compilation of 1960s soul, including the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, and Smokey Robinson. An unjustly neglected film that deserves rediscovery. --Bret Fetzer
Description
Often called 'the black American Graffiti'but with "far more vitality and more variety" (The New York Times), Cooley High takes a nostalgic, poignantand hilariously funny look at black teen life in 1960's Chicago. It's 1964. JFK has just been assassinated. Martha & The Vandellas, Little Stevie Wonder and The Four Tops rule the airwaves. And two high school students discover themselvesand the taste of freedomfor the first time. Preach (Glynn Turman), aserious-minded writer, and his best friend Cochise (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a basketball hero headed for college, are best friends at Cooley High. Together they cut classes to go to the zoo, crash parties, put the hustle on some hustlers and dream about getting out of their impoverished, rough neighborhood. But when an innocent joy ride makes them the targets of two vengeful hoods, their alreadyuncertain futures seem even further out of reach. Featuring a "well-handled mix of comedy and dramawith a soundtrack of Motown gold" (Blockbuster Entertainment Guide) and a "universal appeal"(Los Angeles Times), Cooley High is "the best American comedy so far this year" (Village Voice)!
Customer Reviews:
Chicago's Finest.......2007-06-20
This is truly one of the great ones. Cooley High is about teens (classmates)coming of age on the north side of Chicago, and how easily things can go wrong in a young person's life. Cooley High School is still standing today, but it was renamed "Lincoln Park High School" (For you Chicago people). The characters in the movie are very colorful and the story is true to life for growing up in Chicago during the 60's. The music is without a doubt one of the best soundtracks of the 60's era. The television series "What's Happening" was based on this movie.
BACK IN THE DAY.......2007-06-08
EVERY TIME I SEE THIS MOVIE, I ENJOY MYSELF!!!
I LAUGH & CRY WITH EACH ONE OF THEM... I FEEL LIKE I'M RIGHT THERE WITH THEM.
A great high school film full of soul!!!.......2006-11-25
Cooley High is one of the greatest high school films in movie history. People who have seen this movie would consider it a "black American Graffitti". That may be true, but this film's running time is shorter than American Graffitti. The cast members are excellent, especially Cynthia Davis, who played Brenda. I first saw this movie on TV years ago when I was a child. Little did I know how much I would enjoy it and love it. I recorded it on VHS back when I was in high school on the TBS channel in 1995 (in edited form; a scene was left out, and the swearing was replaced by silence gaps), but recorded it two years later on its own tape from the Encore channel in 1997 (the theatrical release). Great to see. On the DVD, the picture quality and audio quality are great, even though the sound is in mono and not in stereo (I don't mind mono sound; it's not bad). However, it's in fullscreen instead of widescreen (which is a bummer). There are no extras on this DVD, which is also kind of a letdown for fans of this movie. There's no theatrical trailer, no audio commentary, no "behind-the-scenes" documentary, or interviews with the cast and crew from the film. All you get in the DVD is the movie in fullscreen, a 4 page trivia booklet (which is 2 pages--how odd), and scene selection. But, that does not mean that this movie is not worth buying and watching. In my opinion, this DVD will do just fine, until, hopefully, the manufacturers re-release the movie in widescreen, and add the extras that are lacking from this current issue. You should also get the soundtrack album on CD as well. That is one of the best things about this movie--it has a lot of popular Motown songs in it. Get this movie and the soundtrack CD; you won't be disappointed.
`Cooley High' is true-to-life film with a whole lot of heart........2006-10-09
You'll go back to a time when school violence was a fist fight and have great fondness for your best friends in school. The closeness and brotherhood of Preach and Cochise is astounding and Glynn Turman and Laurence Hilton Jacobs are amazing in their roles. It depicts the exact experiences of that time period. It is also funny and of course extremely sad at the end. I know it is a true story but I don't know of whose life.
At the surface this 32 year old film is a snappy ensemble comedy masquerading as a period piece (set in the early 60's, complete with a flawless Motown soundtrack). But there's so much more to this film. The cast of unknowns (at the time) is excellent, and it is notable as an all-black-cast film that doesn't fall into any Blaxploitation clichés - at times `Cooley High' almost feels like an updated, urban neo-realist film, with lots of edgy humor added in. The tight budget of this film does show, but the constraints actually serve the film pretty well - there's a grit and honesty of emotion here that lends the film an immediacy lacking in most similar-minded films like Schultz' later `Car Wash', which was more popular, but largely senseless. This film also marked the screen debut of Robert Townsend who only had two lines through out the entire story.
`Cooly High' is a feel good movie with an edge of angst and pain and realism--misconceptions, losing friends, and the decision in what to do in life. This might be one of the sleepers of the 70s - celebrated at the time, not many film lovers know about this one. If you do choose to watch "Cooley High", you will see that many films have duplicated various elements from it in order to strengthen their own. The biggest example of this is of course "Boyz N The Hood".
Cooley High.......2006-08-29
Jive Talking...Dream Chasers...Teenage Antics...Naive Romantics..."It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday." Get it and you will not be sorry...what classic movies are made of.
Average customer rating:
- Cleopatra DVD Version
- A Spectacle that Time has Favored.
- Absolutely Fantastic
- Cleopatra not Shakespeare
- A Gutted Queen Still Shimmers
|
Cleopatra (Five Star Collection)
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor , Richard Burton , Rex Harrison , Pamela Brown , and George Cole
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz , Rouben Mamoulian , and Darryl F. Zanuck
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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- The Robe
- Demetrius and the Gladiators
- The Agony and the Ecstasy
ASIN: B000059HAQ
Release Date: 2001-04-03 |
Amazon.com essential video
This 1963 extravaganza, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, is certainly an epic historical drama with all the elements: elaborate sets, intricate costuming, name actors, a factual basis, and an overlong script (just over four hours). But the acting is well performed and the backdrops are lush, making this a film worth seeing. Elizabeth Taylor is Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen who seduces Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) in a political move to hold onto her empire. When Caesar is killed in the Roman Senate, Cleopatra looks to Marc Antony (Richard Burton) for his support, practically enslaving him with her wiles. Taylor is dramatic in her role, at times overly serious, but stunning nonetheless as the woman described as "well versed in the natural sciences and mathematics. She speaks seven languages proficiently. Were she not a woman one would consider her to be an intellectual." While the film does seem to drag at moments, it deserves the four Oscars it won for cinematography, art direction-set direction, costumes, and special effects. Don't confuse this Cleopatra with the 1934 version directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Claudette Colbert. --Jenny Brown
Customer Reviews:
Cleopatra DVD Version.......2007-06-12
I would really LOVE a full-screen version of this DVD. In fact I would really prefer all my DVD movies in full-screen. I won't be buying anymore wide-screen versions in future, because even though I own a wide-screen TV, full-screen versions look a whole lot better on it as far as I'm concerned.
A couple of movies I own come with double-sided discs, with a wide-screen version on one side and a full-screen version on the other. 'Forbidden Planet' and 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof' are two titles that come to mind which are sold this way.
Surely this is the way to go!
A Spectacle that Time has Favored........2007-06-10
I can remember as a 19 year old in the early 1960's all of the media frenzy involving the making of this film and it's two principle players: Taylor and Burton. They were household words and having one of their countless affairs, off and on again. If my memory serves me, lovely Liz was still married to Eddie Fisher (in name only) and nearly died during the filming of "Cleopatra." No film since "Gone With the Wind" drew more public attention and the expectations were just too high when finally released. The critical reviews were mostly negative, dwelling more on the troubled making of the film, rather that the film itself. This surely affected the public at the box office, and it was far from a smash hit.
But this film is a legend and a real "gem" that time has favored over the years. It is well-crafted by the great Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and takes it's place with the great epics of movie history like: "Ben Hur, "Spartacus," and "Quo Vadis." This is one of Mankiewicz"s better films, his second effort at a Roman theme since filming Brando in "Julius Ceasar" in 1953. Our fascination with Roman history continues to this day with the brilliant HBO series: "Rome."
Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz is one of those greats of movie history, both as a director and screenwriter. A collection of his films is essential to any real film collection. I got hooked on Mankiewicz after seeing "A Letter to Three Wives" for the first time. His films are a proud part of my film collection, and "Clepatra" is one of my favorites.
Absolutely Fantastic.......2007-05-12
I have enjoyed this movie for many years and still do. In my opinion I believe that Elizabeth Taylor is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and wonderful actress. It is a great movie and I have watched it many times and will again.
Cleopatra not Shakespeare.......2007-05-07
The film is a true spectacle. More beautiful than beautifully acted, in my opinion. Elizabeth Taylor gives a modern day twist to the character of Cleopatra, with her sly winks and smiles, she seems to be more down to earth and blatatantly flirty than one would expect a monarch to be. The sets are fantastic, also the acting of the two male leads. I had hoped that this film would follow the Shakespeare play, Antony and Cleopatra, but it is nothing like the play.
A Gutted Queen Still Shimmers.......2007-04-23
CLEOPATRA was originally planned as a 2 part separate release. The 1st part was to be "Caesar & Cleopatra" and the second "Anthony & Cleaopatra." Each was to run appx. 4 hrs. The problems on the set (and off) are well known. Elizabeth Taylor only agreed to do the role for a then staggering one million $$$. That was just the beginning of a financial nightmare for the studio. The film was drastically cut to fit into a single release. It's reported that Taylor ran out of the first screening in tears, denouncing the film, claiming that the most pivotal scenes that delineated the depth of Cleopatra's character had been deleted. What was left was a superficial interpretation of a formidable woman & leader. At times Taylor's Cleopatra comes off more as a petulant sex kitten than the last great Pharoh of Egypt. Richard Burton's tendency for ham acting & bloated appearance didn't help.
So why see the film?
Well, there's Elizabeth Taylor's famous beauty--and it dazzles in this movie. Her make-up and hairstyles set new trends in the fashion industry. Edith Head's costume design is absolutely goregeous. Alex North's fantastic soundtrack is one of the very best. The set design is oddly abstract at times, but it works. The "spectacle" scenes are great. Cleopatra's entrance into Rome is a real jaw-droper, a delicious display of creative opulence, replete with half-naked native girls dancing to wild African music, multicolored incense smoke scattered into the spectators by exotic medicine men, whirling dervishes and a pyramid containing doves released in front of the assembled Roman Senators & their rather annoyed & envious wives (it's very funny.) This way beyond ostentatious display of art & power concludes with Taylor seated on a gold throne atop a gigantic golden sphinx (we're talking the equivalent of 3-5 stories tall), wearing a gown of pure gold feathers, with a solid gold crown three feet high stately adorning Taylor's coal black curls. (Claudette Colbert, eat your heart out!)
Unfortunately the spectacle ends with Cleopatra's golden barge sailing into a harbor in such splendor that the superstitious townfolk think it is Aphrodite herself come to meet Bacchus in the form of Marc Anthony. This scene was originally meant the be the beginning of the next sequel, but as it stands it is stangely brief and seems almost out of synch. This last half of the now truncated film fizzles out & is downright boring compared to the first half.
All this being said, if you've never seen the movie--you've got to. It represents the end of the spectacle film era--it's just too darn expensive. CLEOPATRA also represents a real event in 1960's culture.
Cleopatra SOUNDTRACK
Suddenly, Last Summer
The VIPs
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Deluxe Edition)
Tennessee Williams Film Collection (A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone)
The Elizabeth Taylor Signature Collection (National Velvet / Father of the Bride / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof / Butterfield 8)
Average customer rating:
- Quirky Film Worth Checking Out
- A Childhood Dream Come True
- Escape Artist - Almost Gets Away!
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The Escape Artist
Starring: Harry Anderson , Desi Arnaz , George Brengel , Harry Caesar , and Helen Page Camp
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Action & Adventure
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Detectives
| Mystery & Suspense
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Amateur Sleuths
| By Theme
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General
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Anderson, Harry
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Arnaz, Desi
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Clennon, David
| ( C )
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Coogan, Jackie
| ( C )
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Dell, Gabriel
| ( D )
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Garr, Teri
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Hackett, Joan
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Hall, Huntz
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Julia, Raul
| ( J )
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O'Neal, Griffin
| ( O )
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Ryan, John P
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Walsh, M Emmet
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Deschanel, Caleb
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( E )
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Similar Items:
- Boys of Lost Island
- You Are Not Alone
- Western Lights: In the Wake of Christopher Columbus
- Put the Camera on Me
- King of Thieves
ASIN: B000ANVPWE
Release Date: 2005-10-25 |
Product Description
He can get away with anything
that's why they call him The Escape Artist. Griffin O'Neal - the son of Ryan O'Neal and the brother of Tatum - makes his film debut as Danny Masters, the teenage son of the late Harry Masters. Harry was known as "the greatest escape artist, second only to Houdini," and Danny plans to achieve similar fame by attempting to follow in his father's footsteps. After leaving home to join his uncle (Gabriel Dell) and aunt (Joan Hackett) in their magic act, Danny finds himself in a world of trouble when he nonchalantly picks the pocket of Stu Quinones (Raul Julia), the wild, troublesome son of the town's corrupt mayor (Desi Arnaz). While attempting to extract himself from his harrowing predicament, Danny gradually discovers the previously unknown circumstances surrounding his father's death, the extent of the legacy he left behind - as well as the delicate, oftentimes fragile bond between fathers and sons.
Customer Reviews:
Quirky Film Worth Checking Out.......2005-11-11
Francis Ford Coppola formed Zoetrope studios with the intent of offering offbeat fare that otherwise would not have received financing by the major studios. This was an eminently noble goal but ultimately it was films like this that did not find an audience or widespread distribution that bankrupted Coppola. This should not be an impediment to any adventurous viewer in checking this film out. Though highly imaginative in part the film's central premise is somewhat slight involving a young magician (Griffin O'Neal) who picks the pocket of the ne'er-do-well son(Raul Julia) of a town's corrupt mayor(Desi Arnaz). What elevates the film is terrific performances by the actors not the least young O'Neal. O'Neal in the title role is magnetic and projects a worldliness that betrays his youth. I can't recall O'Neal in any subsequent films but I do recall his involvement a few years later in a tragic boating accident that took the life of Coppola's son. Julia is terrific as well in a part that a lesser actor would have overplayed. Interesting supporting roles include Jackie Coogan("The Addams Family") as a magic shop owner and Gabriel Dell(the Dead End Kids as O'Neal's uncle. Teri Garr, however, is criminally wasted in the role of Julia's girlfriend.
A Childhood Dream Come True.......2005-05-24
One of the first films I saw as a child and I loved it - a true masterpiece. I only ever saw it once and I made a lifelong promise to myself to see it again. Now I hear it may soon go to DVD and the suspense of such a prospect is almost too much to bear! It's a fantastic film, a real treat and a classic well worth adding to any DVD collection.
Escape Artist - Almost Gets Away!.......2004-01-24
The Escape Artist has several things going for it. Teen actor (at the time time in question) Griffin O'Neil gives an excellent performance as the "escape artist", a teenage magician skilled in such nice things as magic tricks and not-so-nice things as lock picking, burgulary, safe cracking, and pickpocketing. Movie legends Desi Arnaz and Raul Julia also have starring roles. Unfortunately, the plot sputters to a standstill midway through the movie and winds up going no place fast.
It is based on the book of the same name and follows the plot of the book very closely which leads to its fatal flaw - not enough time being spent on the screenplay adaptation. The secret in creating a movie from a book is realizing that the audience will be seeing a movie, and knowing which parts of the book to include and which ones not to. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter movies and Silence of the Lambs are excellent examples of proper book to movie adaptation.
The Escape Artist, regretfully, is not.
Average customer rating:
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The Best of Soul Cinema DVD Collection (Coffy / Cooley High / Foxy Brown / Hell up in Harlem / I'm Gonna Get You Sucka)
Starring: Soul Cinema Collection
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Action & Adventure
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
( B )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
All MGM Titles
| MGM Home Entertainment
| Studio Specials
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Cleopatra Jones
- Superfly
- The Mack (New Line Platinum Series)
- Black Caesar
- Sheba, Baby
ASIN: B0000VD0MY
Release Date: 2004-01-20 |
Description
Disc 1: COFFEY Disc 2: COOLEY HIGH Disc 3: FOXY BROWN Disc 4: I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA Disc 5: HELL UP IN HARLEM
Average customer rating:
- Your kids will probably be bored
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Ultimate Summer Break DVD Giftset
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Comedy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Teen
| Comedy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
National Lampoon
| Series & Sequels
| Comedy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
All MGM Titles
| MGM Home Entertainment
| Studio Specials
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Comedy
| Boxed Sets
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| Boxed Sets
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- The Good, the Bad & the Beautiful Pack 2 (Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete Second Season / Melrose Place - The Complete Second Season)
ASIN: B000NQQ0B4
Release Date: 2007-05-08 |
Amazon.com
This giftset includes 10 hilarious summer-break films including: National Lampoon: Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj (Unrated), National Lampoon: Class Reunion, National Lampoon: Dorm Daze, National Lampoon: Gold Diggers (Unrated), National Lampoon: Going the Distance, National Lampoon: Movie Madness, Cooley High, UHF, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.
Customer Reviews:
Your kids will probably be bored.......2007-03-17
I realize that this batch of films is aimed at older teenagers and college kids, not adults over the age of 25. However, you can probably do much better picking out films your kids will watch than this collection. That's not to say that there aren't some great yet silly films in the batch, because there are. Next I describe each film in descending order of quality.
UHF (1989) - This is a great film starring Weird Al Yankovic as a directionless young man whose uncle gives him a rundown TV station to manage. His unconventional programming turns things around for himself and the station.
Cooley High (1975) - This is a great film for all ages, and was the basis for the sitcom "What's Happening", although it only faintly resembles it. It is set in south-side Chicago in the mid 60's, and concerns a group of high school friends that have numerous comic encounters, but there is also some tragedy involved in the plot.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) - The first one was very funny and fresh, and Keanu Reeves will always be Ted as far as I'm concerned, even if he winds up doing Shakespeare at some point. The plot concerns two slackers who are about to fail history that are given some help from a time traveller from the future. The only problem is that it is so steeped in 80's pop culture that your kids may not get half the jokes.
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) - The second one is still funny, it just seems to try harder and not get quite the same comic effect as the first.
The rest of the movies are under the National Lampoon label.
Dorm Daze (2003) - One of National Lampoon's better college farce movies, with the plot set up by a series of silly misunderstandings. The closest thing you're going to get to "Animal House" 25 years after the fact.
Going the Distance (2004) - A Canadian version of Roadtrip. This movie was better than I expected, with a lot of good interaction between the main characters, but still not that great even for a teen farce.
Class Reunion (1982) - This movie had all the ingredients to be funny, but it just bored me, even in 1982. Top that off with all of the 80's and even 70's pop culture references, and I don't think it would do much for today's kids.
The last three movies are just awful - "Movie Madness", "Gold Diggers", and "Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj". I won't even bother to describe them. When I say they're bad, I'm saying they are boring and completely unfunny. If you force your kids to sit through these three films as part of their summer break, they'll be looking forward to going back to school.
The end result is you have three good to excellent films that are all older movies, four mediocre to OK films, and three horrible movies. I think you can do much better at entertaining your older teenagers/college kids than this collection.
Average customer rating:
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Cleopatra
Starring: Francesca Annis , Gregoire Aslan , Martin Benson , Herbert Berghof , and Marina Berti
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Annis, Francesca
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Benson, Martin
| ( B )
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Berghof, Herbert
| ( B )
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Brown, Pamela
| ( B )
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Cole, George
| ( C )
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Cronyn, Hume
| ( C )
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Currie, Finlay
| ( C )
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Danova, Cesare
| ( D )
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Forster, Peter
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Gwynn, Michael
| ( G )
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Harrison, Rex
| ( H )
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Hordern, Michael
| ( H )
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Mankiewicz, Joseph L
| ( M )
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All Fox Titles
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DVDs Under $14.99
| Today's Deals in DVD
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| DVD
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ASIN: B00007GZQK
Release Date: 2001-04-03 |
DVD:
- Home Alone 2 - Lost in New York
- Love at First Bite
- Bad Boy Bubby
- Guantanamera
- For Richer or Poorer
- Other People's Money
- Living in Oblivion (Ws)
- A Mighty Wind / Best in Show
- Pillow Talk
- The Householder - The Merchant Ivory Collection
DVD List
DVD
DVD
Haack:King of Techno
Mommy & Me: Splish Splash
Dragon's Claws [2001]
DVD: Santa Vol 2
Moon Trek - Silver Edition