The Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection

Starring:Martin, Lewis
Studio: PASSPORT VIDEO
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Surely even the French, with their legendary love of all things Jerry Lewis, will be sated by the Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection: Vol. 2, a three-disc package containing five comedy-musicals released on DVD for the first time. It would be a supreme stretch to call any of the five films in question (You're Never Too Young, Artists and Models, Living It Up, Pardners, and Hollywood or Bust) a classic, but then, anyone looking for challenging storylines and deep characterizations probably wouldn't be here in the first place. What the films offer instead are various breezy diversions, in the form of Martin, the suave, smooth talking cad and crooner; a parade of lovely young women (Dorothy Malone, Anita Ekberg, Janet Leigh, and Shirley MacLaine among them); some terrific musical numbers that are the highlights of their respective films; and, of course, the antics of Lewis, whose capacity for slapshtick and mugging is apparently inexhaustible. By this time (the mid-1950s), the two had already fit comfortably into their respective personae, with Lewis as the naïve, ingenuous rube and Martin right there to take advantage of him. In Artists and Models, Martin's aspiring painter cops ideas from the frenzied dreams of his comics-obsessed roommate (Lewis, natch) and creates a hit comic of his own, a simple story that's derailed by an absurd and unnecessary subplot involving the U.S. government and some enemy agents. Living It Up, adapted from an earlier musical called Nothing Sacred, finds Lewis cajoled by Martin, his doctor (talk about a stretch!), into pretending that he's suffering from radiation poisoning so they can both enjoy a lavish trip to New York courtesy of a newspaper trying to boost circulation by playing up the "dying" man's plight. Hollywood or Bust, a combination road picture and gentle spoof of the movie biz, casts Martin as a gambler and con man accompanying film fanatic Lewis on a trip to Tinseltown, while Pardners is a Wild West romp ("Jerry Lewis as a gunslinger" about sums it up) and You're Never Too Young puts Lewis totally in his element as he impersonates a 12-year-old boy in order to escape bad guy Raymond Burr. The plots are thin, at best, and the songs are hardly Oscar caliber. Still, the two stars have an undeniable chemistry, and the musical set pieces are highly entertaining, most notably a sort of pas de duh (sic) between Lewis and MacLaine in Artists and Models and an eye-popping, show-stopping dance number in Living It Up. In the end, it all basically comes down to one's capacity to endure Lewis' manic mannerisms (it's worth noting that by Hollywood or Bust, the pair's last collaboration, he's pretty thoroughly upstaged by a Great Dane). If even this cornucopia isn't sufficient, perhaps a move to France is in order. The set contains no bonus material. --Sam Graham

Product Description

LIVING IT UP: The 1954 Martin-and-Lewis romp Living It Up is an amusing remake of the 1937 comedy classic Nothing Sacred. More specifically, it is the film version of the Broadway musical Hazel Flagg, which was based on Nothing Sacred. The heroine of the original undergoes a sex change to become feckless Homer Flagg (Jerry Lewis), who is led to believe that he's dying of radiation poisoning. Manhattan newspaperwoman Wally Cook (Janet Leigh), hoping to improve circulation of her paper, convinces her boss, Oliver Stone (Fred Clark), to fete Homer as a hero with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Big Apple. Meanwhile, Homer learns from local doctor Steve (Dean Martin) that he isn't dying at all. But Steve talks Homer into taking advantage of the celebrity treatment bestowed on him by Wally, and a good time is had by all — until medical specialist Dr. Egelhofer (Sig Rumann) insists upon examining Homer. Highlights include a hilarious bit at Yankee Stadium, and an energetic jitterbug number featuring Jerry Lewis and Sheree North. The handful of songs retained from Hazel Flagg include "Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York."
YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNG: You're Never Too Young is a slapstick-with-songs remake of the 1944 Ray Milland/Ginger Rogers vehicle The Major and the Minor. Dean Martin plays the Milland part, while Ginger's shoes are filled by...Jerry Lewis? Lewis plays an apprentice barber who inadvertently crosses a homicidal jewel thief (Raymond Burr), and equally inadvertently hightails it out of town with the crook's jewels in his possession. Desperate to escape the crook's clutches, and lacking the necessary funds for a train ticket, Lewis disguises himself as a 12-year-old boy so he can travel half fare. He latches onto Dean, a music teacher heading for an all-girls school. After innumerable routines sparked by Lewis's adolescent disguise, the jewel thief catches up with him, leading to a rollicking climactic speedboat chase. Dean Martin has plenty of opportunities to serenade leading lady Diana Lynn (who'd played a supporting role in The Major and the Minor), while Jerry Lewis is in peak form doing his usual "waah-waah-waah" schtick. The original Billy Wilder/Charles Brackett script for The Major and the Minor was reshaped into You're Never Too Young by future bestselling novelist Sidney Sheldon.
ARTISTS AND MODELS: Bearing very little relation to the 1937 Paramount musical of the same name, Artists and Models is a lavish, girl-filled vehicle for the popular team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Martin plays Rick Todd, a comic-book artist who is under fire from his publisher (Eddie Mayehoff), who complains that Rick's work isn't gory enough. Lewis plays Eugene Fullstack, Rick's roommate, who while asleep dreams up elaborate comic-book plots and garishly costumed superheroes. Eugene's nightmares help Rick become a success; meanwhile, our two heroes romance their luscious neighbors, artist Dorothy Malone and rambunctious model Shirley MacLaine (who during one song wrestles Eugene to the floor and sits on his chest!) Eugene's overworked imagination somehow attracts the attention of a group of Russian spies, who attempt to abduct Eugene during the annual Artists and Models Ball. Director Frank Tashlin uses Artists and Models as an excuse for some of the wildest sight-gags seen in a mid-1950s film. At one point, the director contrives to stuff a gag in Shirley MacLaine's mouth. Tashlin also exhibits his ongoing fascination with female breasts and legs by giving ample screen time to the natural attributes of co-stars Anita Ekberg and Zsa Zsa Gabor. One of the best of the Martin/Lewis efforts, Artists and Models suffers only from being about 20 minutes too long.
PARDNERS: This Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis romp is liberally based on the 1936 Bing Crosby film Rhythm on the Range. Set around 1910, the film stars Lewis as the pampered son of female tycoon Agnes Moorehead. Yearning to return to the Wild West where his father was a famed peacekeeper, Lewis purchases a prize bull, destined for the ranch inherited by rodeo star Dean Martin. It so happens that Martin and Lewis' late fathers were "pardners", so Martin takes it upon himself to protect Lewis from the various and sundry tough hombres in the region. Through a series of bizarre plot convolutions, Lewis gains a reputation as a rootin' tootin' gunslinger, and in his hubris he decides to round up a gang of outlaws headed by Jeff Morrow. As a result, he nearly gets himself blown to smitherines, but Martin shows up in the nick of time to rescue Lewis and help him capture the bad guys. Lori Nelson and Jackie Loughery supply the film's peripheral romantic angle. Pardners ends with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis turning to the camera and promising that they'll keep on making pictures for their faithful fans; ironically, the team was breaking up even while the cameras were turning.
HOLLYWOOD OR BUST: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made their last joint film appearance in the girl-filled musical Hollywood or Bust. The thinnish plot finds inveterate film fan Jerry making a cross-country journey to Tinseltown for the purpose of meeting his favorite screen star, the buxom Anita Ekberg (the film's title, need it be added, has a double meaning). Dean goes along for the ride, hoping to expand his bankroll during a Las Vegas stopover. The boys are joined by a third traveller, an enormous Great Dane named Mr. Bascomb; along the way, the trio becomes a quartet when pretty Pat Crowley hitches a ride. The finale takes place in Hollywood, naturally, as Jerry wreaks havoc at a film studio which looks suspiciously like Paramount. All reports indicate that Hollywood and Bust was an unhappy shoot, with Jerry Lewis behaving so obstreperously that director Frank Tashlin ordered him off the set and told him to go home until he learned to behave himself; to this day, Lewis cannot bring himself to watch the film. Happily, the animosity between the two stars never comes across on screen, and as a result Hollywood or Bust is a most enjoyable diversion.

Customer Reviews:

Thanks Paramount for this collection!.......2007-07-04

If you are a fan of the comedy of Martin and Lewis then you should be proud to own this collection of their best movies! It comes at a right price that is affordable for everyone. My favorite is Living It Up! Hopefully we will see Three Ring Circus and Money From Home soon! First rate fun!

The Madcap Millieu.......2007-06-28

It was considered rather odd when C.S. Lewis, in the already oddly titled, but very readable book, An Experiment in Criticism, suggested not that there were different kinds of books, but different kinds of readers. As regards Jerry Lewis films, I'd suggest that there are different sorts of viewers. Briefly that means one sort like his films and another sort don't. I count myself firmly in the former camp, considering him one of the all time great comic talents. Having said that, however, these films are nevertheless very much of their era.

For one thing, they take that era entirely for granted in a way that other comic films don't. Laurel and Hardy's last film, Utopia, although in black and white, seems yet far more universal than these Lewis/ Martin films. Why? A few reasons come to mind. The easiest thing for Hollywood to write about is Hollywood. In that sense, Hollywood or Bust is the strangest film in this set. Strange because it takes the adventurers so long to get there. Thus it fails both as a road trip picture and the standard "making it in Hollywood" faire. That said, there are many great comic moments, which brings up the next point.

These films were obviously meant to showcase the duo's immense talents. In that sense, they are never acting in a movie as much as the movie is unrolling around them. This sort of star power is virtually unknown today, but in the 'fifties, it could easily cross into various media: movies, TV variety shows (adapted from radio), Las Vegas stand up. The Colgate Comedy Hour, using a format adapted from radio, embroiled the dashing duo in surprisingly long and involved comic sketches. As was the case with The Carol Burnett Show, this comedy could also include pathos and be very moving.

The five films in this set, unlike the first volume, are all in color and all but "Living It Up" are in widescreen format. They date from 1954- 1956, often considered the best years of television, and a unique time in the history of the movies. In general, color didn't make things more realistic, but lighter in tone. Movies didn't have to be good, they just had to have big stars, and be big, splashy productions. For that reason top billing on these films is given to "VistaVision," Paramount's patented theatrical technique.

The only other thing that mattered was the director. For that reason it's often former cartoon director Frank Tashlin. Jerry easily pulls off gags likely first done by Bugs Bunny, but he's almost alone among live stars in that regard. The worst example is in Tashlin's The Glass Bottom Boat, where Doris Day is thrown pell mell into a futuristic kitchen gone wild, as has been done in countless cartoons, and makes it a thoroughly forgettable scene. Likewise, Paul Linde seems to get his drag scene in that film from a Bugs/ Daffy 'toon. Compare this film, with so many random slapstick schticks that Doris can't help be out of her element, with Move Over Darling, where she's entirely in it. Then again, the Norman Taurog directed Pardners in this set comes off extremely well because underlying the extemporaneous antics of Martin and Lewis is an strong story line enabling them to play off of any and all Hollywood wild-west stereotypes.

Arguably, one ought not probe too closely into films meant merely for fun, but watching these films now simply shows how much movies have changed. The main reason is that while these films were meant for the big screen and a Saturday afternoon laugh fest, escapist faire if you will, but packed to give the most bang for the buck, later movies, while launched in theaters, find most of their life on TV. For this reason, the fantasy element in films like Artists and Models seems merely unnerving, breaking what little there is of dramatic tension in the romance scenes. To a degree this is one with Shakespeare, who never let the audience forget, with a wink, that "the play's the thing" and for whom marriage was the sign of a happy ending. My main discovery in this visually dazzling and many- sided film was how well Shirley MacLaine could dance.

Film buffs will have endless comments on these films, and the eight films in volume one make it almost too full to review. That said, the packaging is somewhat puzzling, in that the films are presented in both volumes without extras or commentary. Why isn't there an insert booklet giving some background? At any rate, most of the Lewis and Martin/ Lewis films are at last on DVD, and for one kind of audience (including this reviewer), that's more than enough reason to rejoice.

Two Masterpieces on Here, Unbeatable price.......2007-06-18

HOLLYWOOD OR BUST and (especially) ARTISTS AND MODELS are two of the greatest films of the 1950s. The director of both, Frank Tashlin, was the Hitchcock of lowbrow social satire. Both are at times visually and compositionally amazing.

The other three films are reasonable (at least LIVING IT UP), but Norman Taurog was pretty much a director-for-hire.

The tension between the two stars, for me at least, only makes these films more interesting, as it embodies the dissolution of post-classical Hollywood myth-making.

great transfer quality! very good value/package!.......2007-06-09

Hi Folks
these films look fabulous!! Many of them are VISTAVISION which was the absolute highest grade quality/size negative format from the 50's era.
I'm not going to deduct stars for what Isn't in this set...that's lame...this is 5 very well presented movies with many many laughs..some great songs and loads of fun...for a bit over $20? Geeez , how can you resist?
I can't explain Martin & Lewis to you ...if you don't know their work..start with volume 1 then this one..and don't avoid the Legendary Jerry set as its wonderful as well. Kids out there? Think Adam Sandler invented that character of his? watch Jerry...
and Dean is still the big brother we all wished we had..cool as heck and very protective of his idiot friend.

Paramount did a great job with this set.......2007-06-07

Martin & Lewis shine in this beautifully put together set of these fun and glossy movies. It's a treat, especially considering that 4 out of the 5 movies are produced in the great widescreen format of VistaVision - so the visual clarity is especially acute, plus all 5 movies are in color which is made fine use of, particularly in the whimsical 'Artists and Models'. The design of the DVD box - which opens up like a triptych - is excellent and includes reproductions of the 5 original movie posters plus a fine montage of stills from the movies. So enjoy 5 entertaining movies with the cool and suave Dean Martin and the manic brilliance of Jerry Lewis.

Average customer rating:

Cool Hand Luke
Yet Another Newman Masterpiece!
A must see
One of the best movies ever
Great Movie!!

Cool Hand Luke
Starring: Paul Newman , George Kennedy , J.D. Cannon , Lou Antonio , and Robert Drivas
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0790731509
Release Date: 1997-06-25

Amazon.com

Paul Newman gives one of the defining performances of his career, and cemented his place as a beautiful-rebel screen icon playing the stubbornly tough and independent title character in Cool Hand Luke. And before he became familiar as a sidekick in 1970s disaster movies (Earthquake and the Airport movies), George Kennedy won an Oscar for playing Dragline, the brutal chain-gang boss who tries to beat loner Luke's cool out of him. It's a classic rebel-against-the-repressive-institution story in the line of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest or The Shawshank Redemption. Certain moments have become classics--particularly the hardboiled egg-eating contest, and the immortal line (drooled by Strother Martin, as a sadistic redneck prison officer), "What we have here is a failure to communicate." And don't forget, Luke is also the source of the oft-quoted driving ditty, "I don't care if it rains or freezes, long as I have my plastic Jesus, right here on the dashboard of my car..." He is cool, all right. The digital video disc is in anamorphic widescreen and digital stereo. --Jim Emerson

Description

A defiant chain-gang prisoner suffers a "failure to communicate" in this searing drama. Paul Newman Shines in the title role, George Kennedy as his sidekick won an Oscar(R). Year: 1967 Director: Stuart Rosenberg Starring: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J.D. Cannon

DVD Features:
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Cool Hand Luke.......2007-06-27

"Luke" is a work that transformed Newman from movie star to anti-authoritarian folk hero. Clearly the actor was attracted to the dispossessed, in life and in film. His Luke is two things at once: a loser whose drunkenness lands him on a chain gang, but also a tough individualist equipped with personal courage and a defiant spirit. Top-notch support comes from Martin as Luke's wormy nemesis, and Kennedy, who won an Oscar for his turn as Luke's loyal pal, Dragline.

Yet Another Newman Masterpiece!.......2007-06-23

If you haven't seen this film yet, by all means, go out and rent it today! Hell, you might as well purchase it, because it is definitely worth every penny and I promise you won't regret it. It is a true classic and a movie you will want to see over and over again. God knows I must have viewed this one at least a dozen times now. The acting, directing, writing, score, etc... is top notch. Am I the only person out there who constantly poses this question - WHY DONT THEY MAKE FILMS LIKE THIS ANYMORE? Then again, there has never been, nor will there ever be, an actor quite like Paul Newman. And if ever there was a role in which Newman was born to play, this was it! Seriously folks, could you even imagine another actor playing the part of Luke? It's definitely one of his finest performances ever. The man has charm oozing out of every pore in his body.

Along with the outstanding, understated work of Mr. Newman, this film also contains several wonderful performances by a fine supporting cast - George Kennedy (Best Supporting Actor Winner as Dragline), Strother Martin, Robert Donner, Morgan Woodward, Wayne Rogers, Ralph Waite, Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper and Jo Van Fleet as Luke's mother Arletta. By the way, the scene in which Luke confronts his dying mother Arletta is one of my favorites of all-time. It redefines the word POIGNANT and I can almost guaranty it will melt your heart.

There are so many famous lines and scenes in this movie that make this film completely unforgettable. I have yet to meet one person (male or female) that didn't thoroughly enjoy this film from begining to end. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, you are in for a treat. I still remember the first time I saw this film and how much I enjoyed it. In fact, the very next day I went to the video store (sorry Amazon, you weren't around yet) and immediately purchased it. Trust me folks, this is one EXCEPTIONAL film.

Finally, I think we sometimes forget just how many classic films Paul Newman has been in - "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof", "The Hustler", "Hud", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "The Sting", "Abscence of Malice", "The Verdict", "The Color of Money", "Nobody's Fool", etc... etc... etc... The man is a living legend and one hell of a good human being to boot! At 82 years old, he just announced his retirement from acting. I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I for one feel like I am losing an old, dear friend.

A must see.......2007-05-15

This is by far one of the greatest movies of all times. Paul Newman is amazing, the ultimate rebel. Who else would cut the heads off parking meters because "Small town, not much to do in the evenin."

One of the best movies ever.......2007-05-13

This is a must see and must own movie. Any movie lover has to have this movie in their collection. The shipping was fast and I am totally satisfied with my purchase. BUY THIS MOVIE!!!

Great Movie!!.......2007-05-13

Great Movie, A Must See. Cool hand Luke Is awesome. This was my First Time seeing this movie, and Loved every minute of it.

Five Stars

Average customer rating:

When will we get the widescreen version????
Heroes, laughs and drama, without the need to think
Laugh it up with "Down Periscope"
Welcome Aboard
Funniest Navy movie ever made!

Down Periscope
Starring: Kelsey Grammer , Lauren Holly , Rob Schneider , Harry Dean Stanton , and Bruce Dern
Director: David S. Ward
Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00013RC70
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com

Kelsey Grammer stars as the captain of a rust-bucket submarine who is fighting for his career by proving his skills in a contest against far more sophisticated ships. Rob Schneider provides comic support as an uptight ensign, and Lauren Holly plays an officer who has to fight her own will-they-accept-me-because-I'm-a-woman anxieties. The film didn't do well at the box office, but it is actually pretty funny, Grammer is enjoyable, and the above-the-water/below-the-water action sequences are as good as any in most submarine films. --Tom Keogh

Description

Kelsey Grammer sails from TV's "Frasier" to the big screen in this screwball comedy co-starring Lauren Holly and Rip Torn. Veteran skipper John Dodge (Grammer) will never be a textbook officer, but he's a brilliant seaman who's always wanted to command a nuclear submarine. Unfortunately, Admiral Graham (Bruce Dern) would rather sink the fleet than give Dodge his own boat. So Dodge is given the helm of a diesel-powered WW2 sub crewed by a collection of maladjusted, mistake-prone misfits. Then he's tagged "the enemy" in a crucial war game, and ordered to take on the U.S. Navy's best. Batten down the hatches for unstoppable hilarity that takes 200 years of naval tradition¿and throws it all overboard!

Customer Reviews:

When will we get the widescreen version????.......2007-06-12

It is definitely NOT widescreen. The trailer is 2.35:1 widescreen. The movie is as said 1.33:1 with the tops and bottoms cut off to make it 1.85:1. TERRIBLE. It is the same thing they did to the Kung Fu TV show First season. When will they put it out in Panavision 2.35:1????????

The movie is one of my favorites but watching the DVD is like watching the VHS tape. Pan and Scan. When will these studios learn to put out their movies in Origal Aspect Ratio??? Most people have widescreen TVs now. Let's get with it.

Heroes, laughs and drama, without the need to think.......2007-06-01

While this movie is no Caddyshack or Police Academy, it can hit the spot when you are looking for a movie you can enjoy, without being asked to think.

Laugh it up with "Down Periscope".......2007-05-19

What a terrific movie! All the characters are very believable, and what a bunch of characters they are. Too bad some of them don't appear in more movies. Lots of talent there! One expects stellar performances from the likes of Kelsey Grammer, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern, William H. Macy, and Rip Torn, and they deliver. But the lesser-known actors do an outstanding job as well. (Some great-looking guys are in this flick! I could watch Brad Tatum flex his muscles all day -- Jonathan Penner and Duane Martin are very easy on the eyes, too.) The humor is there all the time, in varying degrees, from dry and subtle to out-and-out slapstick, and it all works. There's not a player in this movie who doesn't bring great skill and great "business" to his or her part. As a confirmed landlubber, I have no idea if the "underwater" scenes are real or not, but they work for me. The plot has some neat twists and turns, and you'll find yourself laughing hysterically, sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering how they'll get themselves out of one fix after another, and constantly rooting for the unconventional crew of the ancient USS Stingray. From the piss-ant Exec Officer who gets to walk the plank, to the super-slob cigar-chomping king of the mess hall, to the electrician whose brain has absorbed a little too much voltage, to the sonarman who talks to whales, you'll come to love every crew member. Don't miss this movie!

Welcome Aboard.......2007-05-14

If you love Kelsey Grammer as Fraiser, you'll fall all over again with him as a Captain. Who doesn't love a man in a uniform;) Down Periscope is funny, charming and over all a great movie to sit back and enjoy. The mis-fit crew is All-Star and makes the movie 10 times better. Love it!!

Funniest Navy movie ever made!.......2007-05-11

I was in the Navy for 20 years and met many an officer similar to that of the XO, played by Rob Schneider (love him!). Unfortunately, none of them ever met the same fate that Rob Schneider met (did I mention I love him?!), but many did meet other fates that eventually weeded them out of the Navy.

I also met many an officer similar to the Skipper, played by the ever-so-lovable Kelsey Grammer (love him, too!) and I loved every one of them. They made my time in the Navy worthwhile.

This was, without a doubt, the funniest Navy movie I have ever seen. I have seen it several times and laugh just as hard as the first time. Can't wait to see it on DVD. Anybody who does not laugh at this movie needs some serious laughing therapy.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Addition to the X-Files History
love it
Love the X Files!
Entertaining enough, but too many open ends for the casual fan
dwan

The X-Files - Fight the Future
Starring: David Duchovny , Gillian Anderson , John Neville , William B. Davis , and Martin Landau
Director: Rob Bowman
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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The X-Files - The Complete Sixth Season (Slim Set)
The X-Files - The Complete Fifth Season (Slim Set)
The X-Files - The Complete Fourth Season (Slim Set)
The X-Files - The Complete Third Season (Slim Set)
The X-Files - The Complete Ninth Season (Slim Set)

ASIN: B00005221O
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Amazon.com

The definitive American television series of the '90s comes to the big screen with an anticlimactic whimper. And how could it be otherwise? Why should material so perfectly realized in one medium necessarily translate well into another? The series is crisply and thoughtfully executed in just about every detail, but the heart of its appeal lies in the elegant handling of complicated and evolving ongoing story lines, which is not something movies are especially good at. The big-screen drive for closure cramps the creative style, though it may also help nonfans get a grip on the proceedings. We do get some invigorating thrills and chills, however, and a more satisfying sense of the scale of an all-enveloping human-alien conspiracy than ever before, but there's no more plot development here than in an average two-part season-ending. FBI black sheep Mulder and Scully have been temporarily transferred from the X-Files project to an anti-terrorist unit to investigate an Oklahoma City-style bombing. They uncover a new wrinkle in the Syndicate/Cancer Man conspiracy--basically an attempt to help one bunch of (benign?) aliens fight off another bunch who want to colonize Earth. A spectacular, ice-bound finale thrillingly staged by series-veteran director Rob Bowman offers Mulder (but not a conveniently unconscious Scully) his first clear look at a You Know What, which in some quarters qualifies as an epochal event. Martin Landau offers the agents some crucial clues, and several familiar TV faces (including the Lone Gunmen and Mitch Pileggi's indispensable Assistant Director Skinner) turn up briefly to wink knowingly at faithful fans. --David Chute

Description

Thirty-seven thousand years ago, a deadly secret was buried in a cave in Texas. Now the secret has been unleashed. And it's discovery may mean the end of all humanity.

"The plague to end all plagues"

When a terrorist bomb destroys a building in Dallas, Texas, FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy surpassing anything they've ever encountered. With the dubious assistance of a paranoid doctor (Academy Award -winner Martin Landau). Mulder and Scully risk their careers and their lives to hunt down a deadly virus which may be extraterrestrial in origin - and could destroy all life on earth. Their pursuit of truth pits them against the mysterious Syndicate, powerful men who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets safe, leading the agents from the cave in Texas, to the halls of the FBI, and finally to a secret installation in Antarctica which holds the greatest secret of all.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Addition to the X-Files History.......2007-06-30

The short and sweet version of this review: If you've watched X-Files and you've never seen this movie, you must! It has a great deal of extended information about various storylines from the television series. In and of itself, it is a great Sci-Fi movie and even if you aren't interested in the show itself, the movie is still a whole movie and can be enjoyed without any previous knowledge about Mulder and Scully!

love it .......2007-06-30

If you like the series then you will like the movie. Mulder is so cute! anyways there is a great Mulder/Scully scene and the movie was done after season 5 i believe and was the right time for the movie. i saw it a long time ago in theaters with my dad. i thought of it the other day and bought it through amazon....its still a classic series. if you are a fan of x-files you must own the movie. even if you didn't watch the series i think you would still like this movie. its a great sci-fi watch! mainly b/c its possible and makes you think..what if? you will never look at bees the same again.

Love the X Files!.......2007-06-12

I loved the weekly episodes of the X Files, so I wasn't disappointed with the movie. This 1998 film version of the Science Fiction series focuses on Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they try to determine why a bomb was used to cover up the true reasons the bodies of three firemen and a young boy were found in the wreckage, but they died earlier and in a different location! Dana and Fox soon find themselves tracing a deadly virus with extraterrestrial origins. When Scully is infected with the virus, Mulder races to find her after getting his hands on the antidote.

Entertaining enough, but too many open ends for the casual fan.......2007-05-25

Despite being a big sci-Fi fan, I never got into the X-Files as a kid.
Like most non-fans, I just didn't have the patience for it. The show would hint at a lot, but it seemed very little would actually happen, and instead each show would just tease us a little more.

The reason I decided to watch the movie was because I thought that the movie would probably be designed for a wider audience, have a self-contained story, and lots more excitement and special effects than the TV show.

Well, kind of. There were more explosions and the special effects were a bit more snazzy. And it was very easy to jump right into it and pick up the story without much knowledge of the TV show. But, in typical X-files fashion, it teased a lot more than it delivered, and the ending was very unsatisfying.

To be fair, I realize this was intentional on the film maker's part. And in the director's commentary, the director repeatedly bragged about leaving things vague in order to make them scarier to the imagination. But, is it just me, or does anyone else think the X-files were never all that scary to begin with?

dwan.......2007-05-15

Great movie. My son is collecting all X-file series and movies and he totally loved this movie. received the movie the very next day just as guaranteed

Desert Hearts (Two-Disc Vintage Collection)

Average customer rating:

desert hearts
Terrific Bonus Features!
The Bonus Disc - Info
coming out
Great Classic

Desert Hearts (Two-Disc Vintage Collection)
Starring: Andra Akers , Dean Butler , Patricia Charbonneau , Denise Crosby , and Katie La Bourdette
Director: Donna Deitch
Manufacturer: Wolfe Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OVLC0W
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com essential video

When college professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno in 1959 to get a quickie divorce, the last thing on her mind is romance. A prim intellectual, crippled by a sterile marriage ("We're a professional couple") and hiding behind her education, she moves into a ranch belonging to Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) and tries to keep to herself. But Parker's beautiful, sassy tomboy of a stepdaughter proves to be quite a distraction, and a love affair slowly blossoms. Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) refuses to be bound by convention or by expectations of how a nice girl should behave, and her devil-may-care attitude both attracts and terrifies the nervous professor.

Shaver is terrific as Vivian, and the slow thawing of her character is beautifully paced--you can feel the tension break when she finally lets down her guard. Another strong performance comes from Audra Lindley as Frances. She's a tough old bird with a drinking problem, but Lindley keeps the character from descending into stereotype, and she gives full rein to the tragic side of this lonely woman, especially as she struggles with her reaction to the developing relationship between Cay and Vivian.

There are scenes in Desert Hearts that would be painfully clichéd if they appeared in a heterosexual romance, and even here they only just escape that fate--relying a little too much on significant glances and lines that just don't sound like real conversation. Nevertheless, first-time director Deitch breathes new life into a standard straight-arrow-meets-free-spirit plot, and steadfastly refuses to turn this love story into an "issues movie." Add to that a strong feel for the period and a soundtrack filled with the likes of Patsy Cline and Gene Vincent, and the result is a warm, well-acted film that packs a real emotional punch. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews:

desert hearts.......2007-07-03

This is one of the best lesbian movies of the time. It never grows old.

Terrific Bonus Features!.......2007-06-07

I loved the interviews with the lead actresses that come with this new release! The fact that Donna Deitch decided to conduct the interviews herself makes them so much fun to watch. Shaver and Charboneau are both very candid and there's lots of giggling throughout both interviews.

Helen Shaver is an absolute dreamboat and in my ideal world, an interview with her would be included on every dvd that I bought. When she starting speaking about her own nipple, I had to pause the dvd and get a drink of water.

Buy this new release! If you're like me, you'll fall in love all over again.

The Bonus Disc - Info .......2007-06-06

Most people purchasing this item have seen the film. Desert Hearts is a contemporary classic and ahead of it's time when first released. It's a standard now in most every gay-girls DVD collection. This newly released two-disc edition includes some bonus materials.

I'll review the bonus disc as there are plenty of well written reviews of the actual film.

1. The "never before seen footage" of the famous love scene. This is the first bonus item on the extra disc. It is NOT a re-cut extended scene. This is the raw footage from, argueably, the most famous lesbian love scene ever. We are not necessarily given more content, but simply the same content from different angles, over multiple takes.

2. Commentary by director Donna Deitch. Fun and informative.

3. Interviews with the two main stars by director Deitch. To me, this feature is worth the price of this collection. Donna Deitch interviews both Patricia Charbonneau ( Cay ) and Helen Shaver ( Vivian ). These are one-on-one sessions which recall memories of filming and, more importantly, the impact the film had on both actresses. These interview sessions were done in March 2007. The only thing that might have made them more interesting would have been if the actresses had actually been reunited for the interviews. They are each interviewed, separately, by Deitch. While both actresses are fun to watch, it is Helen Shaver and her insights that are the most rewarding.

4. The Theatrical Trailer - This is actually interesting because, while the film hold up strongly, the trailer comes across as rather dated.

All in all, I'd recommend this set. It's a wonderful film, and the bonus disc will add a nice dimension to viewing it again.

coming out.......2007-05-24

i first saw this movie 14yrs ago on bravo.. i knew i felt different about women then men. this movie opened my heart because i had the same feeling as the professor.. within a few days i finally told someone i thought i was a lesbian.... finally i had my identity!!!! this movie will always be close to my heart

Great Classic.......2007-05-23

A truly enjoyable movie once you get past some of the corny lines and scenes. Both women are just beautiful for their time and I loved the transformation of Helen's character because I could relate personally. I would of liked if they would of ended the movie without leaving us guessing where the relationship was going but at least it left us still hopeful!

Average customer rating:

I really liked it, even more so in HD
Swordfish
Swordfish
Miss Direction Stan
Not worth the price of the breasts

Swordfish
Starring: Carmen Argenziano , Halle Berry , Scott Burkholder , Don Cheadle , and Dean Duval
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CY0V
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Swordfish is a superficial movie, so let's address the superficial facts: Halle Berry was well paid to bare her breasts in this gratuitous cyber-action thriller, and while Berry's many fans will enjoy a cheap drool at the actress's expense, her brief topless scene doesn't justify this insipid parade of glossy violence from the director of 2000's Gone in 60 Seconds. Add yet another notch in John Travolta's bad-movie belt, and you've got Hollywood bankruptcy in full blossom. Go ahead, marvel at director Dominic Sena's biggest money shot--a 360-degree pan as a robbery hostage is blown to bits by a bomb that pelts a surrounding SWAT squad with deadly ball bearings.

The plot, as if it matters: Travolta's a slick, self-appointed antiterrorist who recruits a top-flight computer hacker (Hugh Jackman) to transfer a $9.5 billion government slush fund into a cluster of secret accounts. Berry's the curvaceous bait who lures Jackman into the scheme; Don Cheadle's an FBI agent hot on their tails; and an obligatory subplot turns Jackman's daughter (Camryn Grimes) into an innocent bargaining chip. By the time a hostage transport bus is airlifted in the film's not-so-thrilling climax, Swordfish will hold your passive attention or put you to sleep--it all depends on your tolerance for Sena's brand of derivative bloodlust. It's pornography of a sort, and efficiently mechanical, but you can bet good money that Berry and her costars didn't cash their paychecks proudly. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

I really liked it, even more so in HD.......2007-06-14

I thought this was a great movie anyway, in HD it's even better.

Swordfish.......2007-06-08

Another great job by John Travolta and Hugh Jackman, both are great in this movie... John play such a bad boy so good...

Swordfish.......2007-06-02

Travolta is absolutely insane in this movie. He acts like a psychopath. He is crazy. The other actors aren't fit enough to hold Mr. Travolta's coat. He outperforms them all!! Pure evil genius!!

Miss Direction Stan.......2007-03-29

This movie is great. For one, there is no clear cut good or bad guy. To be honest I believe the reason I like this movie is because I identify with some of the thoughts portrayed by John Travolta's character. With terrorism on everyones mind, Swordfish gives an aggressive response to would be terrorists and those who wish to do harm to America and our interests. To often we trade security for sheer diplomacy, this film shows another way. The acting is great, and panning special effects are stunning. Computers, Robbery, Corrupt Politicians, Fast Cars, Explosives, Big Guns, and ... Halle Berry

Not worth the price of the breasts.......2007-03-09

Well given performances by Don Cheadle, John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, and Halle Berry, breasts notwithstanding (the woman does have undeniable sex appeal, and it's in full swing in this flick). The story does have a flaw when Travolta's character interacts with a certain governmental agent - it just doesn't work for me as a motive. Travolta's greed would have been a much better plot line. Jackman gives a fun performance as a dancing (!) hacker who wants to get his daughter back from, for all you Soprano fans, a very drunken and drugged out Drea. I love the music - Paul Oakenfold, who perfectly catches the action and the drama as it unfolds into the magic of misdirection.

Jurassic Park (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Somewhere in this movie there is the potential for a masterpiece that never quite materializes
Overrated...And It's Aged Over the Years
You'll believe dinosaurs walked the Earth.
365 Million Reasons to Watch
Awesome Movie!

Jurassic Park (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
Starring: Sam Neill , Laura Dern , Jeff Goldblum , Richard Attenborough , and Bob Peck
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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