Blue Moon

Starring:Ben Gazzara, Rita Moreno, Alanna Ubach, Brian Vincent, Burt Young, Vincent Pastore, Heather Matarazzo, Mario Macaluso, Victor Argo, David Thornton, Lillo Brancato, Shawn Elliott, Joe D'Onofrio, Zach Braff, Lisa Altomare, Rocco Sisto, Anthony Damica, Sara Moon, Chris Orbach, Maggie Wagner
Director: John A. Gallagher
Studio: Fox Lorber
Product Type: DVD

Description

Disk 1: MY BLUE HEAVEN Disk 2: THE DOLLY SISTERS Disk 3: MOON OVER MIAMI Disk 4: DOWN ARGENTINE WAY

Customer Reviews:

OH THOSE LEGS.......2007-05-09

FIVE TOP MOVIES OF BETTY GRABLE. THE RESTERATION IS TOPS. COLOR IS GREAT. I HAVE AN HD TV AND THE VIEWING OF THE MOVIES COULD NOT BE BETTER. THE SOUND WAS TOP QUALITY ALSO. THE ONLY THING I REGRET IS I WANT MORE.

Betty at her best.......2007-05-05

Oh boy, when Betty was firing she was certainly something. When? In every one of her movies, that's when! Here we see her at her sassy, talented best from the breakthrough ingenue in "Down Argentine Way" to the more mature role in "My Blue Heaven". And though this is the weakest of the four movies in this collection, just watch how she handles the dressing room scene where she walks in and finds Dan pashing Mitzi. Instead of exploding, she is the epitome of cool. She was cool in 1950 when nobody had coined the word. The scene was well written,true, but she delivered it with great panache. An underrated actress. Just watch the facial expressions in every number - she's alive. It's a pity her movie career wasn't extended and revitalised by the part of Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls". I even fantasize that she should have played "Sweet Sue" in "Some Like It Hot" - Joan Shawlee even LOOKED like a beefed-up Betty. Has this occurred to anyone else? But to get back to the collection - great value. A trip back to the carefree movie days when everyone looked fabulous, burst into song at the drop of a cliche, and had a happy ending. More, please.

Grable grabs you!!.......2007-04-07

This collection of Betty Grable movies is terrific. The quality of all was great. The colorful and musical plots are worth seeing. Grable's performances cover the period from her first smash hit as a star in "Down Argentine Way" to "My Blue Heaven" made much later in her career and was interesting to watch. She really grew from the sweet and talented young lady to a sophisticated leading lady. In all cases, when she is on teh screen, you can't take your eyes off of her.
I hope Volume 2 & 3 come out pretty soon.

Moon Over Miami - been waiting for it!.......2007-03-05

"Moon over Miami" is one of my favorite old musicals and I have been waiting for it on DVD! I bought it as soon as I saw this 4-volume unit, and I've watched it and loved it (nothing Charlotte Greenwood and her dancing)! The songs are cute, and even though Bob and Don don't hit the handsome meter like John Payne does, they are pleasant! The dancing is good, and Betty's dresses are really pretty!

The other movies are good too. I like the horse one, "Down Argentine Way." The "Dolly Sisters" is not as great, but John Payne, woo-hoo!

I like Betty Grable movies, and still want to get a DVD of "Springtime in the Rockies" and the one where she is a steno girl and sings at a nighclub in DC during the war (has a couple of fiances). Give me all these rather than some of today's movies any day!

best of betty!.......2007-01-16

I loved this box set and hope there are more coming!! "The Dolly Sisters"
is one of Grables' best movies, and it is a lavish,beautiful movie, well
done!
Hoping to find out soon that "golden girl" with Mitzi Gaynor is going to
be another new release soon!

Average customer rating:

Unintentionally Funny
Still Very Relevant
Dated, but still engaging
Joe's America
OK I guess...

Joe
Starring: Peter Boyle , Dennis Patrick , Audrey Caire , Susan Sarandon , and K Callan
Director: John G. Avildsen
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005V9HL
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Description

Hardhats and hippies clash in 1960s New York City in this gritty drama exploring the rocky edge of that era's generation gap. With Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Susan Sarandon in her screen debutand starring Peter Boyle in a "stunningly effective" (Variety) performance, Joe is a "powerful" (The Wall Street Journal), "immensely sophisticated piece of film-making" (Los AngelesTimes) about an era in turmoil. Joe Curran (Boyle) is a loudmouthed factory worker with a bigot's mean streak. Bill Compton (Dennis Patrick) is a wealthy executive who, in an uncharacteristic fit of rage, has just murdered the drug-addicted boyfriend of his daughter (Sarandon). When the two men meet in a bar, an unholy alliance is formed. And after Bill's daughter runs away, they search for her in the psychedelic underworld they despise'setting in motion a shocking and humiliating string of events that leads to a brutal and chilling final scene. *1995: Actress, Dead Man Walking

Customer Reviews:

Unintentionally Funny.......2006-04-06

I would like to preface this review by saying I do not think that the issues that the movie deals with that culminated in the Kent State tragedy are what I am finding humorous. Also some of the actors/actresses in the movie have played better roles (e.g. Peter Boyle's "Wizard" character in Taxi Driver, though a minor role is more believable than the "Joe" character). I don't know what side the movie is on, all of the characters are stereotypes, generated by either the left or right wing. I guess the "Joe" character did inspire Archie Bunker but who cares? Joe is just as stereotypical as Archie Bunker but more pathetic and totally unsympathetic. However, on the other side the hippies appear to exist only to get high and get laid. This is exactly what middle America thought of the counterculture. Though some of the scenes are disturbing there are some that are unintentionally hilarious. The scene where the Dennis Patrick character and his wife are having Chinese food with "Joe" and his wife could have some comedic value if it were not so heavy handed. When he and Joe try to track down his daughter, they decide "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" participate in a hippie orgy and can't get into the sex and are unable to get high from the pot. The ending, though serious (I won't reveal it) comes out of nowhere and is totally unbelievable. If the director John Avildson had just played this movie for laughs as an exploitation flick, then it might have worked but I guess with Altamount and Charles Manson and all that on people's minds they weren't ready to mine humor out of the cultural wars yet. For a real and grittier take on the same topic, see Taxi Driver or though not quite as good, Hardcore.

Still Very Relevant.......2005-06-30

Caution-possible spoilers ahead..... Just watched 'Joe' for the second time. The first time was 30+ years ago on an Air Force Base. I was reminded of that by the Air Force overcoat with Tech. Sgt. stripes wore by the boyfriend/dealer; we airmen had quite a laugh the first time that appeared on the screen because that is a 'lifer' rank. Over the years I have carried several other images from the film. Foremost was the absolutely beautiful and vulnerable daughter of the executive. As someone else commented, you could not take you eyes off her. I did not realize until now that this was a 20-year old Susan Sarandon in her first movie. What a loss that she did not do more movies when she looked like that. I also recall the irony of having a counterculture hero like Peter Boyle playing the title role of a right-wing gun nut. Not unlike George C. Scott playing generals in Dr. Strangelove and Patton. And of course the shocking ending made a lasting impression.

30+ years ago it was the most talked about movie that ever played on the base. We thought it was a great film then and I have been reluctant to see it again because I was afraid that it would be as disappointingly dated as Easy Rider. But watching it today I was amazed at how well the film has held up. It is a very strong script with few holes although you have to wonder about the boyfriend immediately getting out of the bathtub when Sarandon gets in with him.

Searching for an explanation of why this film is still so entertaining I have to think it has something to do with the perfect physical casting. Boyle was physically believable as Joe (as others have pointed out his portrayal would inspire the Archie Bunker character a few 'years later). Did Ted Knight model his 'Caddyshack' character-Judge Smails after the Dennis Patrick's advertising executive in 'Joe'? They look alike and sound alike. Patrick was totally believable as the wrapped-too-tight upper middle class executive. And Sarandon's doe-eyed innocent with the Raggety Ann doll still evokes a protective response from all male viewers-perfect casting.

The nude and drug scenes actually hold up (they were very provocative for their day) and are as explicit as anything to be found in 'Thirteen'. About the only thing that dates this film is that the violence is not realistic or graphic. 'Joe' was about the same time as 'The Wild Bunch', and the tone of movie violence had a just begun to change.

Another reason this film holds up is that events in the past couple of years have brought back the relevancy of the theme and context of this film. In the film both types of 'conservatives' are portrayed as full of fear and hate toward the unconventional ways of the counterculture; and filled with envy at their free and hedonistic lifestyle. The counterculture is portrayed as mocking the straight culture; and although paranoid toward conservatives (legitimately so given that this was just a couple months after Kent State) they cannot resist flaunting their lifestyle in an attempt to antagonize. The political landscape is not all that different 30+ years later. I'm not sure conservatives envy young people and liberals as much as 1970, but they fear and hate them more.

An excellent film that surprisingly is as relevant now as it was in the early 1970's.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Dated, but still engaging.......2003-03-27

This movie introduced the world to two new stars. One, Peter Boyle, became a star instantly, and still remains one today. We also get the debut of Susan Sarandon, who star really wouldn't shine until, well, how about "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"? She certainly shone for me there! However, she was a small if important figure in this movie, and it's Boyle who carries it.

What's strange about the film is that the "star" and title character does not get introduced until over thirty minutes into the film, before he virtually takes it over. We are first introduced to Sarandon and her hippy-dippy drug dealing boy friend. They are leading relatively aimless lives, and the boyfriend is as scummy as a drug dealer gets, in that he rips off his customers. When Sarandon overdoses, we are introduced to her parents, we see the first of two foil situations in this movie.

There are two tugs-of-war going on in this movie. There is the generation gap here, as the hippy kids can't figure out why the parents would want to work the way they do to get the life they lead. Yes, the parents are stereotypes of people who's joy in life consists of their evening cocktail, but the alternative presented by the kids here is not that appealing either.

Then there is the tug-of-war between white collar and blue collar. Sarandon's parents are relatively wealthy, and after the father has his "conflict" with the boyfriend, he drowns his sorrows in a bar. Enter Boyle, who has been raving about everything wrong with current society in a manner that must have inspired Archie Bunker. When white-collar tells Joe the blue-collar that he wailed on a hippie, he becomes Joe's hero.

A little too much though, as Joe starts involving himself in a life he can only imagine. We see scenes between the two, and then with their wives involved, that show much uncomfortable ness as they realize (well, all but Joe seem to realize) that they live in different worlds. But they also find that their bond (hating hippies) is strong enough that they even begin to admire each other.

The film takes no real sides in all four areas. All have their points, and all have their faults. The youth understandably don't want to turn into their parents, but don't seem to offer a decent alternative. The older people are too set in their ways, but they earned their livelihoods, and this is how they choose their later years. The white-collars are a bit spoiled, but they seem to have education on their side. The blue-collars have a lot of prejudices based on ignorance, but in a way are the salt of the earth. The strength of this picture is that this is all presented while telling an unusual male-bonding story.

Joe's America.......2002-06-04

Peter Boyle's performance and the theme song, "Hey Joe" are almost worth another star on their own. The film 'Joe' is the ultimate late 60's early 70's time capsule. Dennis Patrick is a white collar executive whose daughter is hooked on junk. When he confronts her dealer live-in lover a violent clash ensues leaving the pusher dead. The nervous father retreats to a neighborhood tavern where he inadvertantly confesses to Joe, a lunch-pail toting opinionated bigot sitting on the next barstool and who probably voted for George Wallace in the last election. Joe begins something of a blackmail relationship with Partick - but for friendship rather than money. Their uneasy realtionship develops into an alliance of one generation vs. another as they go in search of Patrick's daughter, and here is where the movie slips a star. The film gets bogged down a bit and looses its way somewhat as the older duo thread their way through the hippie underground. The concluding scene goes from powerful to rather ham-handed in its final frame. Still well worth seeing.

OK I guess..........2002-05-02

The main point of interest of this movie for me, is that it is the oldest movie I have seen that freely uses the word F##K. I guess that before 1970 nobody used to swear. Oh, and I really hated the ending. Glad to see Susan Sarandon kicked on though, although we had to wait 20 more years until we got to see "Thelma and Louise". I'd say to prospective "Joe" watchers, see it, but don't knock yourself out.

Average customer rating:

Busty Garr
My dad the actor
full moon in blue water
Under-rated gem
An overlooked treasure.

Full Moon in Blue Water
Starring: Gene Hackman , Teri Garr , Burgess Meredith , Elias Koteas , and Kevin Cooney
Director: Peter Masterson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00005V9HZ
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Description

Gene Hackman, Teri Garr and Burgess Meredith star in this "beautifully performed ensemble piece" (The Hollywood Reporter) about the complicated relationships of three lonely people whose lives center around a rundown roadhouse in the Lone Star State. Welcome to the Blue Water Grill, a Gulf Coast eatery that's slowly sinking into bankruptcy. Widower-owner Floyd (Gene Hackman) spends his days watching home movies of his wife, refusing to accept her death and drifting further away from reality. But having to cope with her cantankerous, wheelchair-bound father (Burgess Meredith) makes escaping reality nearly impossible! Enter Louise (Teri Garr), an opinionated free spirit who sets her sights on saving the dinerÂ...and Floyd! It's not every man who gets a second chance at love and lifeÂ...but it's not every woman who's as determined as Louise!

Customer Reviews:

Busty Garr.......2006-05-18

Lately I've been on a Gene Hackman 1980's kick. Hoosiers, many folks think is the best portrayal of a sports coach, maybe the best sports film ever made. Twice in a Lifetime is a middle-aged love story of betrayal in a blue-collar family and it ranks up there as the best of Hackman's work. Then there is a less successful film, Full Moon in Blue Water.

No one in the movies in the last thirty years portrays the middle-age everyman, the tough, and hard working, Joe, like Hackman. He's certainly not a romantic idol, but he is manly enough to woe Ann Margaret in Once in a Lifetime and Teri Garr in Water. In addition, Garr is very good as a faded honky-tonk town girl with widower, Hackman in her sights. The trouble, Hack is still in love with his missing spouse. He spends most of his days watching old home movies of the lost wife while his saloon business goes to pieces. Also, he must deal with a stroke victim, the father-in-law, Burgesss Meredith, the quintessential old coot.

Somehow the viewer will not believe that a capable character like Hack would let a business go to sleazy Real Estate snakes without a bar brawl. The idea that Hack would moon about the ex for a year while busty Garr is all over him; well, it doesn't add up.

My dad the actor.......2003-09-17

My dad was in this movie. He an a friend fishing at the time this movie was filmed and the producers asked if he wanted to be in the movie. They used my dad, his truck (an old toyota pickup) and his friend in a background scene. I think my dad and his friend were cut out but the truck still remains. It will be nice to finally see the movie after hearing about it. It was previously titled "Blue Moon Over Troubled Water" so we could not find the film. This will make a nice Christmas present for my dad.

full moon in blue water.......2002-06-14

I thought the movie was excellent. I had a close association with Gene Hackmans character, he plays a very believable role as an ex merchant marine trying to deal with life after the dissappearance of his wife. The combination of Hackman, Garr, and Burgess Merideth was very appealing.There is a real feeling for the characters as the movie evolves. The man who does the odd jobs around the restaurant is very funny. Two thumbs up.

Under-rated gem.......2002-06-13

I was glad to see this finally come out in DVD. It's an artful, subtle little meditation on life that somehow manages to keep you laughing. Masterson's directing is pretty understated here, Hackman gives a very good performance, and the script has true meat and depth. Highly recommended.

An overlooked treasure........2002-06-12

Full Moon In Blue Water, which was totally overlooked when it was released in 1988, was obviously a film before its time. The acting by the four stars (Hackman, Meredith, Garr and, especially, Koteas) is wonderful. The script, while keeping an overall comic tone, deals with subjects far deeper. The story is a marvelous one - a tale of displaced people who come together to form an eccentric, but loving family. Very highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

Worst movie I've seen this month, and that's saying something.
WACKY post 70's Canadian Sci Fi film!
Get Down With Jack Palance
Brilliantly, hilariously bad!
Trapezoidal

The Shape of Things to Come
Starring: Jack Palance , Carol Lynley , Barry Morse , John Ireland , and Nicholas Campbell
Director: George McCowan
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
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ASIN: B000096IAF
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Amazon.com

H.G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come is so deliriously bad that it begs inclusion in any collection of 1970s kitsch. It's a disco-flavored variant of TV's Buck Rogers in the 25th Century--just another no-budget rider on the coattails of Star Wars. Only a fool would perceive even a slight connection to Wells's classic novel, to which this misleadingly titled cheese-fest is ostensibly a sequel. Their careers in sorry decline, Jack Palance, Carol Lynley, Barry Morse (late of TV's Space: 1999), and John Ireland look embarrassed as they wrestle with a wearisome post-apocalyptic plot that pitches Morse, a pair of Ken-and-Barbie heroes, and their quirky robot (of course) against megalomaniac emperor Palance, who controls a drug needed for survival of moon-based colonists. Prior to directing this laughable mess, George McCowan had helmed episodes of several prominent TV action series of the '70s, but here he devolves into moribund hackwork. This is a ham sandwich sans bread, from a time when stale sci-fi was spreading like mold on George Lucas's leftovers. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Worst movie I've seen this month, and that's saying something........2007-06-26

The Shape of Things to Come (George McCowan, 1979)

I'm not terribly sure how many variations on the word "bad" I can use in one review, but this review will, most likely, see them all. The Shape of Things to Come is a movie so heart-wrenchingly, eye-bleedingly, mind-shatteringly awful that it demands my best effort. It's the only pleasure I'm going to get out of having sacrificed that ninety minutes of my life.

So, the setup: there's been a nuclear war on Earth, and most of the surviving humans are holed up on the moon, in New Washington. The humans are treating the Earth, and the survivors left on it, with a mineral that can only be harvested from one planet. As the movie opens, a ship from that planet is on its way to the moon, refuses to be stopped, and crashes into the big dome that covers the moon base. Obviously, something's wrong up on that planet, and we find out what pretty quickly: the evil Omus (Jack Palance) has ousted everyone from the planet's control center and taken over with his army of (really quite stupid) robots. The erstwhile governor of the planet, Nikki (Carol Lynley), and her band of survivors are trying to find a way to get back and and overthrow Omus. Meanwhile, a small band of folks from New Washington, led by Dr. Caball (Barry Morse), head out to the planet to see what they can accomplish, as well.

It's H. G. Wells, so you know the script won't be horrible, but it's not an adaptation that really shines in any way. This is not helped by the terrible, terrible acting. But this pales beside the (very) special effects, which take the definition of "anachronism" to a whole new level. It was pretty cool to see those Honeywell green-screens and children's-toy keypads, though; one wonders whether payment for product placement actually existed as far back as the seventies. The costumes are dreadful; when Nicholas Campbell grunts "get this robe off him!" at one point in the movie, you almost wonder whether he was expressing (entirely understandable) deep-seated resentment at the costume department. A flock of kids on Earth during one brief scene that never goes anywhere have shockingly cheap dye jobs. Etc.

And, well, I'm back to the script, because there are at least two instances (there may have been more; I'm sure I blocked some out) where major pieces of foreshadowing occurred that just disappeared, never to be seen again. The trip to Earth is one; Sparks the Robot's erratic behavior about halfway through the movie is the other. Great setup (with, of course, the requisite bad acting). No follow-through. Disappointing. But then, that's an excellent word to sum this movie up--disappointing in every respect. I only watched it because it came as part of a set with Contamination (reviewed here a few weeks ago); that Contamination was by far the better of the two movies may, in fact, be the choicest epithet I can hurl at this puddle of pond scum. It may be fun to watch if you're painfully, deliriously drunk. Otherwise, avoid at all costs. (zero)

WACKY post 70's Canadian Sci Fi film!.......2005-03-17

I remembered reading about this film in an old Starlog and of course, the film never appeared in my area! I was assured it was "ghastly" and "hilariously bad". When it came to DVD I had to buy it just to see how true that was and indeed...it is. From it's disco music opening theme which wants to take off Star Wars and Space:1999's 2nd season music...the film overall comes off like a cross between the second seasons of Space:1999 and Buck Rogers!!! In fact, early on Sylvia Anderson(late of Gerry Anderson) went to Canada to be involved as a producer of some sort and she wound up signing her name off it. Every gal has those "feathered" disco haircuts and the clothing is right off the Roller Boogie racks. All that's missing are the roller skates. The special effects are pretty bad, mostly "in camera" work similiar to Space:1999 however not pulled off with the class or craftmanship that was done with. Badly photographed and everything is always "up close" revealing the true miniature nature of the models. The overall production design is pretty cheesy too, with robots that look awkward and they appear that way despite the fact apparently most of the film's budget went into them!!
The moon city is obviously some (then, late 70's) futuristic office building or company headquarters in Canada where we see clouds, trees etc outside the windows but this is explained that they've re-created an earth enviroment in a dome. The same corridor is used again and again and again for "running" shots.
Hard to believe the talent involved(Barry Morse,Jack Palance and Carol Lynley) that got involved in this film. Great in anyone's "bad" film collection!

Get Down With Jack Palance.......2004-12-24

The onscreen written intro tells us that this film is taking place in the "Tomorrow after Tomorrow". So apparently in the next two days we'll have experienced the "Robot Wars" and have had to relocate to the moon coz Earth is too damn polluted and radioactive. The people of the moon colony come under attack by Jack Palance and his army of trashcan robots who do his dirty work. Palance hangs out on Delta 3, but he wants control of the moon as well. The wimpy moon people don't wanna take action, but 3 badazz renegades and a reprogrammed Palancebot aren't about to just roll over. So, before you can slap on your Skin Bracer, they're off to turn the tables on Jack Palance. First a quick pitstop on Earth for repairs. Meanwhile on Delta 3, about 7 people have formed a resistance against Palance's dictatorship. When they're not being fried to a frizzly frazzle by the Palancebots, they hide from these innovative, high-tech death machines by merely crouching in the grass about 2 feet away as the killers merrily march by. If these robots are the biggest threat the moon colony is facing, what's the panic all about? Palancebots are also easily dispatched by a good rap on the head with what ever is handy. Our heroes finally make it to Delta 3 after a brief detour through some wacky black hole-type thing. I don't know what the hell that scene is about, but guessing from the facial expressions it was either very painful or felt very good. Once on Delta 3, they team up with the shrinking resistance and have to face Jack Palance's Deadly Disco Dance-O-Rama! Hope they didn't forget their lucky deck coz Palance isn't gonna go down easy. Check out the shot where the crumbling ceiling bonks Jack Palance on the head! Was that intentional? Do our heroes save the day? Do you really give a @$#&? Well, all I can say is if you like bad(and I really mean BAD) sci-fi flicks, this is a must see. I don't know why, but I've always found the worst sci-fi to be 100 times more entertaining than the "good" sci-fi. And how can you not love the theme music? Can you get this song on cd anywhere? Makes a great double bill with Tango, Cash, Cash and Tango.

Brilliantly, hilariously bad!.......2004-10-06

Up until I saw "The Shape of Things to Come," I thought Joe D'Amato's hysterically atrocious "Troll 2" was the best "so bad it's good" film out there. Well, I still believe that, but this movie comes in a close second. I suspect if you watched both films as a double feature, your head would explode under the endless assault of numerous scenes loaded with bad dialogue, ridiculous overemoting, and impenetrable plot points murkier than a cup of black coffee. This is a film so mind meltingly horrible, so offensive to every cinematic sensibility, that only lovers of bad movies who have fortified themselves beforehand should venture into this challenging territory. And even then I am not sure you will emerge unscathed on the other side. "Hey," I'm hearing people say, "How could a film starring Jack Palance and Barry Morse--set in a future where radiation from a series of robot wars wiped out the planet earth--be so bad?" That's a good question, grasshoppers. A very good question that I asked myself before setting out on this mission. The answer, the particulars of which lie ahead, sums up as follows: It's bad because the filmmakers took their effort seriously. It's also great because the filmmakers took their effort seriously. Read on.

I have no doubt, from the detailed plot set up and seriousness of every actor involved, that "The Shape of Things to Come" was meant to be a film that would rival Lucas's "Star Wars" in the science fiction genre. Heck, the film supposedly is based on a story by H.G. Wells, a fact the title boasts about. Thank goodness Wells never saw this nightmare; he might have stopped writing. As far as I could tell, the plot goes something like this: a series of robot wars went nuclear, thus rendering the planet inhabitable. In an effort to survive this disaster, people set up a base on the moon called New Washington and began exploring the universe. The only way to restore earth is to use a drug called RadicQ2, which stymies the insidious effects of radiation. Unfortunately, the only place this substance exists is on a planet called Delta Three, where the humans set up a base manned by Governor Niki (Carol Lynley) and what looks like a staff of six. Problems emerge when Omus (Jack Palance) takes over Delta Three and attempts to force New Washington to name him Emperor of the Universe. We learn all about this after Omus sends a cargo ship helmed by a robot crashing into the moon. Luckily, the base's shield protects humanity, but now the authorities must decide how to deal with Omus.

Here's where Doctor John Caball (Barry Morse), his son Jason (Nicholas Campbell), and Kim (Eddie Benton) come into the picture. Not content to cave into Omus's demands, these three sneak away to Delta Three on Caball's supersecret craft called Starstreak. They plan to unseat Omus and restore production of RadicQ2 if they survive the perilous trek through the solar system. Along the way, the trio land on earth and run into a bunch of kids who look like rejects from "The Village of the Damned," undergo serious technical difficulties with the ship, and travel through a cheesy intergalactic storm that looks like psychedelic vomit. The film occasionally switches to the action on Delta Three as Niki and her loyal followers attempt to thwart Omus's infernal schemes. The poor governor--not only is her name 'Niki,' but she and her compatriots must also fight off an army of robots that look like modified Hoover vacuum cleaners and move about as fast as a snail with a limp. You can probably figure out how the movie ends, but that's not important. It's how much cheese we have to swallow on the way there. At least the musical score is cool.

Where do I start? How about the histrionic performances? Ultimately, the hammy acting was what I enjoyed most about this picture. The actress who played Governor Niki is so breathtakingly wooden that I kept expecting someone to learn over and check for vital signs. And Palance! Oh dear, wonderful Palance! He throws away all pretense of subtly in his truly memorable turn as the evil emperor wannabe. At the moment of his greatest defeat, Palance screams something in a tone so incredibly, hilariously over the top that I had to watch the scene three times to absorb it. But even Palance can't top the antics of Barry Morse. Omus possesses a machine that sends out dangerous pulses of energy, a machine that will incapacitate an individual, and he uses it on Morse's character in another hilarious scene. Morse hops around and shakes in such a way that I wondered if the machine was really that dangerous or if Caball just had to go potty. The machine itself resembles a spinning disco ball, and Omus wore a helmet that looked like a fish tank to protect him from these dangerous pulses. I haven't laughed this hard in ages! "The Shape of Things to Come" is really one laugh after another even though everyone plays it so straight that you just know they thought they were making something special. And they did, but not in the way they intended.

It's amazing this clunker found its way to DVD, let alone with a French language trailer, television spots, and stills as extras. I think I can safely say that this is a film that begs for a commentary track from the principals. I'd pay good money just to hear what Palance had to say about this travesty. If you're a fan of trash cinema, you can't do much better than "The Shape of Things to Come." This picture is a hilarious cult classic, a picture worthy of respect if for no other reason than that it illustrates how important "so good it's bad" films can be.

Trapezoidal.......2004-06-20

Jack Palance plays an insane villain who takes over a mining colony on a planet with a population of about 12 (who spend most of the film hiding from Jack in a cave). He uses his newfound power as head (and now sole) miner to crash his only interstellar ship, manned by a robot, into the headquarters of the galactic government on earth (actually, Ontario Place), thus causing so much damage that it takes the government all of 10 minutes to make repairs. Jack then demands that he be made supreme dictator on the strength of this demonstration, and apparently also because of his ability to cast cool spinning holograms of himself. The earth government is too afraid to counterattack Palance (who no longer has the means to even leave his planet), so it looks like he'll get his wish, except that several heroic types hijack an unfinished battleship in order to launch a counterattack. Once on Jack's planet, they must defeat about 20 slow, clumsy robots that look like mini-fridges with legs and which can be taken out if you hit them once over the head with a staff. Luckily for Jack, all the good guys are absolutely incompetent morons (although not as incompetent as the good miners who stand still long enough so the robots can electrocute them in battle). Oh yeah, there's one robot who turns good and gains the ability to teleport for no apparent reason and which, for comic relief purposes, falls in love with the lead female (which means it must consider itself to be either a male or a lesbian). Some poor mutant children (they look like Edgar Winter) show up to pull at your heartstrings, and there's production design straight out of Space: 1999 and Battlestar Galactica which could give you a bad case of disco fever.

Customer Reviews:

Warning - product description is incorrect........2006-07-30

This is an ok movie, but the DVD is not letterbox 1.85:1 as described, it is fullscreen 1.33:1, so don't buy this if you require widescreen. I submitted a product description correction to Amazon some time ago, but it has not been posted. Why do I think the product description is incorrect? I ordered a used copy from an Amazon seller and obtained a refund when it turned out to be fullscreen. Then I ordered a new copy from Amazon. Same problem. Both copies had package graphics identical to the Amazon product image.

A sexy B-thriller.......2003-03-16

Soleil Moon Frye (who's famous for both her young age "Punky Brewster" role and the breast reduction surgery when she grows up), stars in this movie as government agent Kyle Rivers who while trying to nail the mysterious Lana Hawking (played by Sean Young) got trapped in a devious plot instead. All in all, the story line doesn't have much to deliver, but the girls are beautiful, the cinematography is okay, and it's always fun to see a petite cutie Soleil Moon Frye (5'01) face-to-face with a slender and sexy Sean Young (5'10). So if you're settled to spend some popcorn time with a B-thriller, there's nothing to complain about, except that the DVD only offers chapter selections and a theatrical trailer, no language options or special features as advertised.

soleil all grown up.......2002-01-16

This is a provactive thriller which has a detective kyle(soleil moon frye) undercover,trying to get info on sean youngs character.It is a confused film,but has soleil moon frye in a adult role in which her acting is good and has her in scenes in which she looks vulnerable and beautiful. The films worth to buy if your a Soleil Moon Frye,if your not ,its still worth watching.

Average customer rating:

If you were an imaginative child...

Once in a Blue Moon
Starring: Julie Bond , Joe Maffei , Michael MacDonald , Nicole Robert , and Cheryl Wilson
Director: Philip Spink
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

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ASIN: B0000TWNBA
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Customer Reviews:

If you were an imaginative child..........2005-03-01

...you will really enjoy this movie. There is magic in this movie, and I mean the kind that moves you, not the kind that pulls rabbits from a hat. The performances are all wondefully rendered. Philip Spink has a propensity to cross the line of tolerable absurdity at times (the kid whose family owns the junkyard for example) but all in all, this film is great lesson in imagination.

The only bad thing is that the quality of the DVD is really bad. I taped this movie off of Starz! a couple years ago and the quality is actually better. The extras were nice (Spink and cast commenting on the movie). It seems to have been mastered from VHS and not from the original masters.

Still, this digital format is better than none.

Average customer rating:

Unintentionally Funny
Still Very Relevant
Dated, but still engaging
Joe's America
OK I guess...

Joe
Starring: Peter Boyle , Dennis Patrick , Audrey Caire , Susan Sarandon , and K Callan
Director: John G. Avildsen
Manufacturer: Westlake
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Midnight Cowboy
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Prime Cut

ASIN: B000066TGR
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Customer Reviews:

Unintentionally Funny.......2006-04-06

Still Very Relevant.......2005-06-30

Dated, but still engaging.......2003-03-27

Joe's America.......2002-06-04

OK I guess..........2002-05-02

Roy Rogers, Vol. 1: Roll On Texas Moon/King of the Cowboys/The Days of Jesse James

Average customer rating:

SADDLE UP SADDLE PALS!!!
Good Old Fashioned Western

Roy Rogers, Vol. 1: Roll On Texas Moon/King of the Cowboys/The Days of Jesse James
Starring: Roy Rogers , George 'Gabby' Hayes , Don 'Red' Barry , Pauline Moore , and Harry Woods
Director: Joseph Kane , and William Witney
Manufacturer: ROAN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Hands Across the Border / Billy the Kid Returns
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Bells of Coronado

ASIN: 6305436347
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Description

Days of Jesse James--Roy Rogers tinkers with history to "prove" that Jesse James did not commit the infamous robbery of the Northfield, Minnnesota Bank. 1939 - USA - 63 min. - B&W

King of the Cowboys--a special investigator (played by Roy), goes on the trail of Nazi saboteurs. Jam-packed with action and songs, King of the Cowboys is one of the best of the consistently high-quality Roy Rogers vehicles of the 1940s. 1943 - USA - 53 min. - B&W

Roll on Texas Moon--A deadly feud between cattle ranchers and sheepherders. Working on behalf of the cattlemen, Rogers tries to avoid an all-out range war, finding time to champion the cause of gorgeous sheep rancher Jill Delaney (Dale Evans). USA - 68 min. - B&W

Customer Reviews:

SADDLE UP SADDLE PALS!!!.......2007-05-25

This is most likely the best Roy Rogers dvd on the market today. 3 restored movies from ROAN GROUP ARCHIVAL ENTERTAINMENT ( on one disc ) and they're all winners!
DAYS OF JESSE JAMES (1939) directed by Joe Kane has Roy & Gabby siding with Jesse played by Don "Red" Barry.
ROLL ON TEXAS MOON (1946) directed by William Whitney is one of my personal favorites as Roy tries to clear up a scrap between the sheepmen and cattlemen. I like when Gabby ( a cattleman ) is always being followed by Dale's pet lamb. He yells, " ...quit follerin' me ya walkin' lamb chop! "...This is the uncut theatrical version.
KING OF THE COWBOYS (1943) also directed by Joe Kane is the big WINNER here. Combining several source prints this version runs longer than it's original theatrical version & also includes alternate scenes as a bonus.
All 3 films LOOK GREAT & it's a real treat to watch them presented as such.
Another great bonus is a Trucolor short of Roy welcoming Roy Rogers Riders Club members to this weeks movie at the local theater.
All in all this dvd is A MUST for all Roy Rogers Fans!!!
As Gabby would say," That's the ticket by crackie!".
BUY THIS.

Good Old Fashioned Western.......2000-09-02

A great trio of films with the BEST cowboy EVER. Being a Brit who grew up going to Saturday morning pictures,its great to be able to see some of his films in SUPERB clarity and pretty good sound. A nice touch was the Roy Rogers Club short which is also the great thing about DVD, you get a lot for your money. All in all, a great deal and good films. Please keep them coming!

Average customer rating:

A good heart in need of some oomph
Once in a Blue Moon
A Really Sweet Movie
Blue Moon

Blue Moon
Starring: Ben Gazzara , Rita Moreno , Alanna Ubach , Brian Vincent , and Burt Young
Director: John A. Gallagher
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Thumbsucker
The Lake House (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00005RFHG
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Description

A magical story about an older couple (Ben Gazzara and Rita Moreno) who try to rekindle their love one night in the Catskills.

Customer Reviews:

A good heart in need of some oomph.......2004-11-02

This is a pleasant little low-budget film about a just-retired man and his lovely wife (Ben Gazzara and Rita Moreno) who just don't know what to do with themselves now that the gentleman's successful career in the garment industry has come to an end. As his inactivity-induced depression drags their relationship down into an ugly bickering mire, they (she) decide(s) that they need a trip to their cabin in the Catskills. While there she secretly wishes that they could "remember what we meant to each other," certainly a fond thought for those of us who have been married for many years.

But true to what he calls "the magic of the mountains," the wish actually comes true when a pair of young visitors turns up late that first night at their cabin.....and it turns out these are their younger selves, transported via some kind of wish-fulfillment time warp, and the four talk out their problems with the relationship that one couple is about to embark upon and that the other couple is struggling due to a major life change.

Really, the story in general is a winner, and if the above description appeals to you, then the film is worth watching once for that. Lovely y