Fighting for Love (Ws Sub)

Starring:Juanita Cheng (II), Sammi Cheng, Ping Ha, Sammy Leung, Fung Li, King Man Ip, Niki Chow, Joe Lee (IV), Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Director: Joe Ma
Studio: Tai Seng
Product Type: DVD

WR: Mysteries of the Organism (Criterion Collection)

Average customer rating:

Of course it's a distortion
A Total Distortion of Reich's Work
Organism or orgasm?
Bulat Okudzhava

WR: Mysteries of the Organism (Criterion Collection)
Starring: Milena Dravic , Ivica Vidovic , Jagoda Kaloper , Tuli Kupferberg , and Zoran Radmilovic
Director: Dusan Makavejev
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

All | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

Sweet Movie (Criterion Collection)
If... (Criterion Collection)
La Jetee/Sans Soleil (Criterion Collection)
Sansho the Bailiff - Criterion Collection
The Two of Us (Criterion Collection)

ASIN: B000OPPAEC
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Description

What does the energy harnessed through orgasm have to do with the state of Communist Yugoslavia circa 1971? Only counterculture filmmaker extraordinaire Duan Makavejev has the answers (or the questions). His surreal documentary-fiction collision WR: Mysteries of the Organism begins as an investigation of the life and work of controversial psychologist and philosopher Wilhelm Reich and then explodes into a free-form narrative of a beautiful young Slavic girl's sexual liberation. Banned upon its release in the director's homeland, the art-house smash WR is both whimsical and bold in its blending of politics and sexuality.

Customer Reviews:

Of course it's a distortion.......2005-01-09

It's the heart-breaking narrative of Reich's persecution interwoven with moments that highlight the absurdity of sex that make this work so powerful. I saw it first in 1980 in the UK and that screening still reverberates.

Nothing against Mr. DeMeo, who's posted a comment complaining that the film is not historically accurate. I used to subscribe to DeMeo's mailing list and found him a bit humorless. I think the whole *point* of this is that it's a work of art, not a documentarian's take on Reich's work.

Say what you will about Makaveyev's work as a whole, this one is a winner.

A Total Distortion of Reich's Work.......2004-02-02

This video was undertaken by Dusan Makavajev, who according to a 1971 film review article in the Journal of Orgonomy, obtained original footage of Reich from the Reich Museum, and interviews with various individuals who knew Reich and who had followed up on his research, by posturing as a "friend of Reich". He then proceeded to mix that original footage with pornographic images designed to plunge a knife into the heart of everything Reich argued about, and stood for. Only a few of Reich's genuine friends had the forethought to grant permissions based upon their approval of the final film - and they promptly refused such permission. It caused an uproar among those who knew and understood Reich, but Makavajev got his footage and danced away a laughing man. This film has done more damage to Reich's name and legacy than any single item one might point to, by distorting Reich's excellent and important biophysical work on the "Function of the Orgasm" (see book of this title) into a malignant advocacy of "free sex for all". Reich would puke forever if he saw how his life's work was so badly twisted. "F--- Freely" announces one of the heroes of this film, in a plot about an ice-skater who seduces, but then murders and decapitates one of the "revolutionary proletariat" female characters. A weak "plot" indeed, interspliced with porno images from the plaster-casters, the first male erection to appear on a US film, masturbation images, and people group-fornicating to cartoon music -- Makavajev's apparent idea of the "sexual revolution" -- all under a smiling wall portrait of Reich. "Freedom Peddling" is what comes to mind, and I can say with confidence that there is nothing of accuracy or authenticity about Reich in this film, aside from the interviews and short seconds of film from Reich's original archives, which were obtained by fraudulent means. Reich's work informs us, that the pornographic character is a sexually-frustrated character, no less than the sex-negative moralist of the organized church, and that they are in fact mirror images of each other, flip sides of the same coin. "Brothels are built from bricks of religion" as the poet William Blake once said -- and Reich's clinical work put substance to this idea. And so when this film was shown at my university years ago, the theatre was flooded with all the frustrated fraternity boys, come to hoot and ogle at the images of naked people. They learned nothing. Neither will anyone viewing this film, except perhaps how deceptive some Hollywood-types can be, even if they come from Yugoslavia.

Organism or orgasm?.......2002-07-22

I saw "WR: Mystery of the Organism " in my youth, say age 20, at a film festival one evening almost 30 years ago. I do remember it having a strange effect on me and having stirred my original interest, delving into the work of (WR), Dr. Wilhelm Reich, the alleged mad scientist who died in prison for what he believed in.

I have read maybe 12 to 15 different books on the subject of "Orgone Energy" and the good doctor over time. Some of WR's own works, which are psycho-sociological and way scientific at times, are a little hard to grasp. Mostly I've read the hip psuedo-scientific biographies and post-WR studies of which there were once several books available.

Some were especially written by the followers and practitioners of his life energy and psycho-sexual liberation work. Though I remember the movie using just the more titillating portions of his theories as part of a spoof and sexual comedy, I still felt like there was a sense of truth and amazement implied in the use of them in the story. (Unlike the "Orgasmatron scene", a take off and exaggeration of his orgone accumulators, in Woody Allen's futuristic farce "Sleeper".)

I think there may be a documentary about the making of the movie "WR": out there as well? I am suprised it or a revised production about Dr. Reich has not showed up on PBS or the Discovery Channel by now.

Anyway, I was glad to find that the VHS tape of the movie is available and am looking forward to seeing it again.

Bulat Okudzhava.......2001-02-01

Reykjavik, Iceland Film Festival, September, 2000.

I was not sure what to expect from this. I am a longtime fan and student of all things Yugoslavian. I had seen Makavejev's comparatively commercial film A Night of Love prior to screening two of his more obscure films, Sweet Movie, which is nothing less than visually frightening and decidedly disturbing, and this, Mysteries of an Organism. With more disturbing visual imagery and borrowings from surreal fantasy, the second half of the film is more like a "film" in that it tells a story of a Yugoslav woman, who, like all women portrayed in the film, is very sexually liberated, and claims that this is so because all women have been justly liberated by the revolution and socialism in Yugoslavia. When she meets a visiting Russian figure skater, she realizes that the Soviet ideals of socialism are limiting and lead only to repression of the self. She tries to teach him that love and socialism are not at odds with each other, but are indeed intertwined. When they finally make love, he ends up killing her because his passions and love have been so repressed. The first half of the film, which is a bit excessive and strange, is more documentary in style, but it does illustrate the points that are made more eloquently in the second half of the film by probing the life of a man (whose name i cannot recall) who was demonised by the US government.

Amazon.com

Although it was unfortunately ignored during its brief theatrical release, this sumptuously seductive production is that rarest of cinematic breeds, the (barely) respectable guilty pleasure. Combining historical fact with hysterical anachronisms of language and mannerism, it's been tailored for maximum contemporary appeal but maintains a lush, romantic feel for its factual 16th-century tale of Venetian love, lust, and political repression. Catherine McCormack (Mel Gibson's ill-fated bride in Braveheart) delivers a star-making performance as the "dangerous beauty" who becomes a skillful courtesan to pursue her forbidden love for a dashing Venetian senator (Rufus Sewell). It's all rather silly in a high-toned fashion, and the film turns dour when the church intervenes with a Scarlet Letter-like papal inquest. But the movie's joyously ribald vitality is utterly irresistible, and the casting of McCormack with Jaqueline Bisset (as her mother and courtesan mentor) is a stroke of pure genius. Merchant-Ivory would've made a smarter film from this material, but it probably wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected.......2007-06-12

I orginally watched this movie on my computer through netflix and decided I loved the movie so much I needed to purchase it, which I did through Amazon. It took me several weeks to actually watch the movie as I would constantly browse by the movie, read what it was about and then move on. Finally I decided to watch the movie and was pleasantly surprised. What I watched was not what I expected to see. The movie not only caught my attention from the beginning but kept it through the end. I experienced several emotions while watching it and would recommend it to anyone and in fact have recommended it to several people already. This is the type of movie that even if you don't understand everything that is said, as there are several parts in which they speak slightly like Shakespear, you still understand the meaning/emotions which are being portrayed. Catherine McCormack definately out did herself in this movie.

Terrific.......2007-06-08

Don't let the title and DVD cover fool you into thinking it's a fluff film. It's a much better film than what's implied. Good acting and absorbing story.

Excellent.......2007-05-13

I can't be more happy than I am with Amazon services. I have both Dangerous Beauty DVD and a watch Seiko SNA 061 in excellent condition (and very cheap).
:)

One of the best movies you've never heard of..........2007-04-25

I admit it... I had never even heard of this movie. Or, if I had, the title would have put me off. I would have thought by looking at the DVD cover and title that it would be some cheesy modern day "girl seduces boy" film.

Instead, it is a powerful tribute to a powerful and influencial woman, Veronica Franco. Living during the 16th century in Venice, Veronica chose to become an intellectual courtesan - and ultimately an author. Her story is inspirational! See this movie... you will enjoy it. I also highly recommend the soundtrack.

Great movie!.......2007-03-20

I love this movie! It is very intelligent... Informs you about women's options in the era... Empowering... Thought provoking... Sexy... Love it!

Average customer rating:

Best Lil Whorehouse In Texas
doesnt work
A Surprise from my past..
Classic Dolly & Burt
Entertaining.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Starring: Burt Reynolds , Dolly Parton , Dom DeLuise , Charles Durning , and Jim Nabors
Director: Colin Higgins
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Rhinestone
9 to 5 - Sexist, Egotistical, Lying Hypocritical Bigot Edition - Widescreen
Straight Talk
Coal Miner's Daughter - 25th Anniversary Edition

ASIN: B0000714BR
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Amazon.com

This is an energetic, but ultimately mediocre adaptation of the play, directed on Broadway by Tommy Tune. Burt Reynolds is the town sheriff and a regular patron of a local bordello. He wages a public battle to keep it open after it is targeted as the devil's den by a television minister. Charles Durning was nominated for a Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and there are some lively song and dance numbers featuring Dolly Parton as the madame of the Chicken Ranch. However, this becomes bogged down in too many serious moments for it to be more than a lightweight musical comedy. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Best Lil Whorehouse In Texas.......2007-06-12

Loved the movie..brought back some great memories from watching it from way back..lol. I even bought it for a friend as a gift.

doesnt work.......2007-05-30

i bought this tried to send it back as doesnt work but they would not accept

A Surprise from my past.........2007-05-14

I ordered this for my wife, but I knew of it as a kid. I was surprised how entertaining it ended up being. Burt and Dolly really have a chemistry, and for a real church-going country girl, she seems to have an open mind for taking such a risque role. Moments that harken to "true" women's rights, the safety of a whorehouse opposed to the street walker/pimp scenario, even a quip on how un Christian most Christians are. (When Burt is asked why more people are not forgiving like God is, he replies,"Well, I guess most people aren't very God-like." So damned true. I dig this film.

Classic Dolly & Burt.......2007-05-08

Very good adaptation of a musical, and Dolly & Burt are great. Don't think I have ever heard Burt sing before (is it dubbed?).

Entertaining........2007-05-07

This is a fun movie to watch. I saw it many years ago and liked it so much that i have now bought it. Stars Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. It's a comedy movie about a little whore house known as the chicken ranch. Not a movie that you would let young children watch but over 15 would be fine. I just loved it.

Average customer rating:

Review of "Yellow Submarine" by a crew member.
Don't give it a superficial viewing
Out of print????
good job by the voice actors who played the beatles
Words Misheard from Mrs. Malaprop

Yellow Submarine
Starring: George Dunning (II) , John Clive , Paul McCartney , Geoffrey Hughes , and Ringo Starr
Director: George Harrison
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Animated | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

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

A Hard Day's Night
The Beatles - Help!
The Point
The Beatles - Help
Yellow Submarine (Songtrack)

ASIN: B00000JRUQ
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Amazon.com essential video

This restored, animated valentine to the Beatles offers viewers the rare chance to see a work that's been substantially improved by its technical facelift, not just supersized with extra footage. Recognizing that its song-studded soundtrack alone makes Yellow Submarine a video annuity, United Artists has lavished a frame-by-frame refurbishment of the original feature, while replacing its original monaural audio tracks with a meticulously reconstructed stereo mix that actually refines legendary original album versions.

What emerges is a vivid time capsule of the late '60s and a minor milestone in animation. The music represents the quartet's zenith--Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The story line, cobbled together by producer Al Brodax and a committee of writers, is a broad, feather-light allegory set in idyllic Pepperland, where the gentle citizens are threatened by the nasty, music-hating Blue Meanies and their surreal arsenal of henchmen, with the Beatles enlisted to thwart the bad guys. Visually, designer Heinz Edelmann mixes the biomorphic squiggles, day-glo palette, and Beardsley-esque portraits of Peter Max with rotoscoped still photographs and film; Edelmann's animated collages also nod to Andy Warhol and Magritte in properly psychedelic fashion, which works wonderfully with such terrific songs.

High orthodox Beatlemaniacs can still grouse that the animated Fab Four are (literally) flat archetypes, but that's missing the sheer bloom of the music or the giddy, campy fun of the visuals. Making sense of the story is second to submerging blissfully in the sights and sounds of this video treat. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Review of "Yellow Submarine" by a crew member........2007-06-16

As one of the animators who worked on the Beatles' animated epic, YELLOW SUBMARINE, I am delighted by the almost universal praise heaped on this recent DVD release of the renovated and digitally remastered version of the movie.
It is immensely satisfying to know that a whole new generation has come to discover the delights of this 1960's flower power masterpiece, and with the legendary "Hey Bulldog" sequence - deleted from all but the original British prints - reinstated in all its bizarre glory, Beatles fans can at last experience the full version of this psychedelic animated odyssey as it was originally meant to be seen.
I know I am totally biased in giving the film a 5-star rating, but I would say that the twelve months I spent working on it (during 1967-1968) was, without a doubt, the single most exciting period in my almost 50-year career in the animation business. It was made even more memorable by the fact that, during production, I became engaged to Diana, my wife of nearly 40 years, who worked on the "LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS" sequence.
The struggle to produce anything resembling a final script while production surged inexorably on past the writers towards an impossible deadline, the creative arguments, the personality clashes, the budgetary nightmares, the physical kidnapping of the film - with the whole thing being propelled by the sheer exhilaration of knowing that we were all taking part in an astonishing revolution in animated films - all made for a heady and never-to-be-repeated experience. For a detailed look behind the scenes during the making of the film, read Dr. Bob Hieronimus' "INSIDE THE YELLOW SUBMARINE" and Al Brodax's "UP PERISCOPE YELLOW".
While the authors differ on some points, both books are packed with detail and anecdotes, and the debate about who said what and who did what on YELLOW SUBMARINE seems set to continue for quite some time. But there is one undeniable fact in all of this - if producer Al Brodax hadn't stuck his neck out and taken a chance on producing an animated feature all those years ago, the phenomenon that was the YELLOW SUBMARINE would never have set sail on its fantastic voyage. For that we all owe him a vote of thanks.

Don't give it a superficial viewing.......2007-04-03

With the passage of time it's easy to forget the Beatles were once cutting edge and loved to tweak the nose of authority figures everywhere and the gentle tone of "Yellow Submarine" compared to today's animated features only emphasizes that point. At the time of "Yellow Submarine" the Beatles were at the height of their success, and while they undoubtedly wanted to send a message to authoritarian figures everywhere they didn't want to do that in a ham-fisted manner. Considering the counter-cultural wave that was about to follow, "Yellow Submarine" seems almost quaint by comparison and it moves at a considerably slower pace than modern day cineastes or casual viewers may care for.

"Yellow Submarine" depicts the conflict between the Blue Meanies (representing authoritarianism, be it Fascism, Communism, or whatever) and the peaceful residents of Pepperland. The Blue Meanies employ a means of weaponry to freeze the residents of Pepperland, leaving a sole resident to seek help via the Yellow Submarine. The set up of action, in particular, unfolds particularly slowly, giving time for the character of each Beatle to slowly be explained amid scenes of rather Peter Max inspired psychedelia. The overall effect isn't exactly trippy unless you're actually tripping I suppose. Several memorable Beatles songs are included throughout the film and at points it's almost like a precursor to music videos, but rather than enhancing the film they're more of a distraction, especially "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds."

Ultimately the Beatles arrive to save the day and the movie itself is a satire on the foolishness and limitations of authoritarianism in all its manifest forms, as well as the benefits of freedom. Some of the newer songs are a bit weak, especially "All Together Now" with its especially incongruous line about "chop the tree" which is hardly an eco-friendly lyric. Having seen it as a kid I doubtlessly enjoyed it, yet 30+ years on I could scarcely remember any details. Having seen it again I could scarcely be bothered to see it again anytime soon. I honestly couldn't recommend this except for die-hard Beatles fans, fans of animation or pyschedelia, or those looking for satirical films. "Yellow Submarine" is sadly more of a time capsule of a different time and place, when all you needed was love. It's a bit sad we've moved so far beyond that, but the message of fighting tyranny, despotism, and authoritarianism is all too appropriate today.

Out of print????.......2007-02-19

Just rented a copy of this because it's out of print! I can't believe it. These are THE BEATLES, not some jive time band. I'm not a musical marketing guy so I don't know exactly what your sales goals are to keep something like this in print, but it seems like after all of the care they put into giving this scrumptious sound, you might want to keep it in print.

Anyways...

This is good but not great stuff for me. I'm more of a Black Music fan than a Beatlemaniac. This is the first Beatles flick that I've seen. After initially resisting the Beatles due to their Motown imitator origins, I've followed the Ray Charles' of the world and taken to their superior songwriting. I've been watching a bunch of performance videos as of late and I decided to watch Yellow Submarine to see the Fab Four brought into animation interpretation light.

I dig the music. "All Together Now" is fun Paul stuff. I like the Sgt. Peppers stuff that's on the video. There are a couple of filler tracks, but on the whole the music is outstanding and I can see how Funkateers like George Clinton gain inspiration from works like Yellow Submarine. It's a short jump from Beatles vs. Meanies to Dr. Funkenstine vs. Sir Nose Devoid of Funk.

The plot for this takes on more metaphysical meat than it's willing to thoroughly digest. When they have John's character pontificate on Einstein and the Sea of Holes, I'm wishing that I saw The Phantom Tollbooth with Beatles songs for the soundtrack rather than a hodgepodge of writers trying to do justice to the trippy visions of the Revolver and Sgt. Peppers albums. I can see how the out there visions of this music would lead the Beatles to go back to basics with the upcoming White Album.

Man, I can't see how they let stuff like this go out of print, though. Maybe there's some sneaky packaging thing going on that I don't know about. Like not selling the CD any more solo and making Yellow Submarine a DVD/CD combo only for Beatles completists. Hmmmmmmm.

4 stars

--SD

good job by the voice actors who played the beatles.......2006-12-30

I'm Not sure if anyone has pointed this out BUT the voice's for paul and company is not their own , these were in fact voice actors and they did a very good job too . This was also confirmed by paul proir to the movies release

Words Misheard from Mrs. Malaprop.......2006-12-08

Jeremy Boo saying "...ad hoc, ad loc and *crypto quo*/so little time, so much to know." It is NOT "...crypto quo..." for those of you who missed your Latin lessons. It is "quid pro quo" which means "The concept of getting something of value in return for giving something of value." In any case Dr. Boo is quoting Latin cliches to sound more erudite and smarter than he is.

And Mrs. Malaprop..."A malapropism is an incorrect usage of a word by substituting a similar-sounding word with different meaning, usually with comic effect." Such as that famous line not by Jimi Hnedrix, "Excuse me while I kiss this guy" instead of the real lyrics "Excuse me while I kiss the sky."

Other than that, Yellow Submarine is one of those true classics that should not be missed.

my $1.98

Average customer rating:

We enjoyed this movie, but...
Has Some Amusement Value
Excellent Video
The English Crown and greedy commerce
Not just a movie

Allegheny Uprising
Starring: Claire Trevor , John Wayne , George Sanders , Brian Donlevy , and Wilfrid Lawson
Director: William A. Seiter
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

1930s | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

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

Tycoon
Trouble Along the Way
Big Jim McLain
Unconquered (Universal Cinema Classics)
Reunion in France

ASIN: B000O599LW
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Allegheny Uprising is an engaging blend of historical fiction, boisterous backwoods comedy, and pretty much nonstop rowdydow that qualifies as one of John Wayne's more offbeat vehicles. Made half a year after his stellar breakout in Stagecoach, the picture re-teams Wayne with Claire Trevor as a frontier tomboy who supplies feisty love interest. A decade and a half before the Revolutionary War, a community in south-central Pennsylvania (apparently Chambersburg) stages a principled rebellion against King George III's forces that's more social protest than full-fledged revolt. Wayne plays a thoughtful fellow named Jim Smith who, with his "men of the Conococheague," demonstrates to the Crown that it's bad faith to lend military protection to unscrupulous traders (cue Brian Donlevy) clandestinely peddling firearms and English-made weaponry to the Indians.

Now, there just aren't that many "Westerns" set in Pennsylvania, so Allegheny Uprising gets points for freshness. It also falls into a limbo between A and B movies, coming in at a trim 80 minutes but boasting larger action set-pieces (shot on location in credibly Pennsylvanian pockets of California) than was customary for RKO, a studio that tended toward in-house miniatures; Nicholas Musuraca, a future Val Lewton and film noir mainstay, proves himself a master of sunlit cinematography as well. Director William A. Seiter (with a string of Shirley Temple movies behind him) never finds a satisfying overall rhythm, and there are odd scraps of unrealized intentions in producer P.J. Wolfson's script (e.g., the sudden murder of a captured Indian raider at knifepoint, whereupon Smith ruefully observes, "We teach 'em everything, don't we?"). The most interesting element of the film is George Sanders' performance as an intransigent Brit officer who causes much of the strife with the Colonials, yet discloses unexpected vulnerability in private moments. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

We enjoyed this movie, but..........2006-11-03

We enjoyed our copy of Allegheny Uprising that was recently purchased on Amazon. We are history buffs, so picking up a few more facts about about US history pleased us. However, the Claire Trevor character was totally un-necessary! We wondered what movie she was acting in because her part didn't fit in at all. Here were these colonial characters talking and then Trevor starts talking a la 1930s movie style. Great for 1939, but not for the 1700s! Kinda reminds one of the bouffant hairdos on the 1960s tv shows like "The Big Valley"! Anyway, if you want something with a plot and is interesting, buy it. Especially if you want to just relax and not worry about something distasteful popping up on the screen -- it won't. Just phase out the Trevor character!

Has Some Amusement Value.......2006-05-27

John Wayne had been making low budget movies for almost 15 years when he starred with Claire Trevor in the William Seiter directed "Allegheny Uprising". He must have felt his career was going backwards as the production values here are second rate even by the marginal standards of his earlier films. Cast before the release of "Stagecoach", he and Trevor were given a more central role in "Allegheny Uprising" as it is not an ensemble piece like "Stagecoach".

The new popularity of the two B-Movie actors required P. J. Wolfson to alter his adaptation of Neil Swanson's novel "The First Rebel". In place of his straight historical fiction action-adventure tale (based on the Smith's Rebellion and Fort Loudoun in southern Pennsylvania) Wolfson was forced to add a romance and pad Trevor's role. Unfortunately adapting a novel to the screen is difficult enough without having to insert a character utterly irrelevant to a story already too expansive for easy adaptation. Contemporary viewers will find the forced insertion of Trevor into most of the scenes rather puzzling, at least in part because she has little going for herself as an actress or a screen presence. The younger John Wayne was much better when paired with talented leading ladies like Ella Raines and Cecilia Parker.

Set in Pennsylvania's Conococheague Valley in 1759, Wayne plays title character James Smith who returns to the valley with a friend called The Professor (John Frank Hamilton). They find the local British commander (George Sanders) a martinet and a local civilian (Brian Donley) trading contraband goods (whiskey and weapons) with the Indians, in league with some corrupt soldiers.

Trevor plays Janie MacDougall, a loud tomboy who loves Smith and manages to insert herself into his affairs at every turn.

1939 was not a good time for a movie which portrayed our soon to be allies (insert the British here) as stupid and corrupt. And southern California was not a good location for shooting a film about colonial America. There are far too many shots of grassy, almost treeless, California valleys to maintain the necessary geographical illusion. Also jarring is the contemporary dialogue which leaves you expecting Mickey Rooney and Lewis Stone to pull up outside the fort in the family sedan.

When not painful, the inattention to period detail is unintentionally amusing. My favorite scene involves the British soldiers laughing at the idea of the settlers taking over the fort. It will remind you of the "Robin Huck" episode of "Huckleberry Hound" where he exhorts his merry men to "yuk it up a bit" and they respond by going "yuk, yuk, yuk".

All in all, a weak example of the B-movie product.

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

Excellent Video.......2005-09-12

I'm a big John Wayne fan. This video to me was one of the best. I'd highly recommend this to anyone. Clair Trevor is spectacular in her performance. Brian Donlevy is also at his best also. A must for classic video fans.

The English Crown and greedy commerce.......2003-10-19

John Wayne, a very young John Wayne, is animating (giving some life to) the situation exposed in the film : the unacceptable duplicity of the English, and particularly English soldiers and English businessmen in the territory of New York before the Independence of the USA. The businessmen want to make a profit from both the settlers and the Indians by selling both camps anything, even arms. The soldiers want to establish their own peace that is founded on the integration of Indians in their own scheme which is to control the territory more than govern the people : if they have to encourage the Indians in their skirmishes and wars to control the settlers, they will do it. If they have to encourage the settlers in their anti-indian attitudes and posses they will do it. The best situation from their military point of view is to encourage both camps into constant war because then they may appear as the intermediary or go-between, the peace maker or at least the peace keeper between the two camps, and the English Crown may find its interest in both camps. That is true if you do not take into account the wider perspective that the settlers represent and independence is already in their minds.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Not just a movie.......2001-10-31

Not only is this film good entertainment it is based on historical fact. The Place Fort Loudoun does exist in South Central PA and Smiths rebellion actually did take place. Hollywood did take liberties as usual with certain things presented in the film but most of it is very sound. The events portrayed did not take place in the short time that Hollywood led you to believe in this film, but all did take place....

Average customer rating:

Three-and-a-half stars for this very fine John Wayne WWII pic, 50th anniversary at that.
wayne shines in this grim war thriller made during the war
Great Chemistry
Navy Heritage - US Navy Seabees
Susan and the Duke.

The Fighting Seabees
Starring: John Wayne , Susan Hayward , Dennis O'Keefe , William Frawley , and Leonid Kinskey
Director: Edward Ludwig
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

1940s | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

Flying Tigers
Sands of Iwo Jima
Operation Pacific
Flying Leathernecks
Back to Bataan

ASIN: 0782011284
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Description

All-American hero John Wayne takes a crew of construction workers and turns them into one of WWII's toughest fighting forces in this action-packed war classic. But first he has to convince the army brass to let his civilians bear arms, and then he's got to whip them into combat shape. Now Wayne is fighting for his life on a different battlefield when he's brought up on court-martial charges for leading his troops in an all-out assault against the Japanese. It's Wayne at his best, playing the kind of rough-and-tumble man of honor that made him a legend and Hollywood's biggest star. An entertaining combination of strong supporting performances by Daniel O'Keefe and ravishing, about-to-be superstar Susan Hayward.

Customer Reviews:

Three-and-a-half stars for this very fine John Wayne WWII pic, 50th anniversary at that........2006-06-15

John Wayne plays Wedge Donovan (a
character name he would use 19 yrs.,
later in 1963's Donovan's Reef), a
construction Engineering magnate who
ends up selling the US Navy on arming
civilian personnel in hot LZs! He does
get killed in here (like in 'The Cow-
boys' - **.5)but his movie was way bet-
ter! Enough referrences to'japs', 'mon-
kies', et, al and other racial epithe-
ts to turn off the 'politically stupid'
types. Well, that was the terms used at
the times. [to cross referrence, see J.
Garner's fine 'Grand Prix' movie to see
how attitudes changed by 1966!]

wayne shines in this grim war thriller made during the war.......2006-06-06

john wayne and susan hayward star in this great war movie about the seabees,the construction branch of the navy that was set up as world war II started. wayne is the leader of a construction gang sent to build airstrips and other things for the army and navy in the pacific as war starts out. not being soldiers they can't carry guns and must take cover when shooting starts(useing guns would get them shot as spies). well wayne doesn't like to hide so he pushes the navy to arm and train his men so they can build and fight when needed! this is of of his best early war movies and it even has a shocking twist at the end!! a must for wayne fans.

Great Chemistry.......2005-11-20

There is great chemistry between Susan Hayward and John Wayne! Even though he plays someone tough, you can feel the romance growing between John and Susan. Great piece of work!

Navy Heritage - US Navy Seabees.......2004-07-16

This movie has become a part of lore among the men and women of the finest combat contstruction organizations of the US military. It is a nice Hollywood adaptation of the creation of the US Navy Seabees. And who can forget the best character in the movie -- Natasha! It's not often that you see JW's character make the ultimate sacrifice. I watch this and see the beginning of some traditions and attitudes still in practice today. "With Compassion for Others, We Build - We Fight, for Peace with Freedom," from the Seabee Museum. Remember their montra: Seabee Can-Do.

Susan and the Duke........2003-07-03

This is probably only a 2 star movie, but I rounded up because susan Hayward was my fav actress of that era, and JW was my fav actor period.

Average customer rating:

Birdman of Alcatraz
oh if i had the wings of a canary over these prison walls i would fly ...
Etched in my mind
Birdman of Alcatraz
"Take a Bite Out of the Stars for Me"

Birdman of Alcatraz
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Karl Malden , Thelma Ritter , Neville Brand , and Betty Field
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Escape From Alcatraz
Elmer Gantry
The Defiant Ones
The Train
Seven Days in May

ASIN: B000056HED
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Amazon.com essential video

John Frankenheimer scored his first success with this, his third theatrical feature and his second collaboration with producer-star Burt Lancaster (they would make five films together all told). Lancaster delivers an angry, brooding performance as real-life criminal Robert Stroud, a violent killer who, while in solitary confinement, became an internationally recognized authority on birds and their diseases. Based on the book by Thomas E. Gaddis, Frankenheimer creates a portrait of a withdrawn, antisocial prisoner who discovers his own potential after reluctantly rescuing a wounded sparrow from a storm and nursing it back to health. Lancaster's quiet portrayal comes from his eyes and restrained body language, earning him his second Oscar nomination. Costars Telly Savalas (as the talkative "neighbor" from the cell next door) and Thelma Ritter (as his controlling mother) were also nominated, but Frankenheimer's sensitive direction draws equally fine performances from Neville Brand, playing against type as the prison guard who slowly befriends Stroud, and Karl Malden as the tough warden whose ideas of confinement and punishment prompted Stroud to follow-up his studies of birds with a treatise on prison reform. This somber, subdued tale offers no truly happy ending, but it does present a powerful portrait of one man's efforts to earn back his dignity and respect in the worst of conditions. --Sean Axmaker

Description

How does bitter convict Robert Stroud cope with a lifetime of solitary confinement? The answer, in a sense, comes from abovein the form of a feeble sparrow he finds in the isolation yard. Stroud brings this newfound companion to his cell, nurses it to health and, from that point on, there's no turning back. Despite having only a third-grade education, and no hope of parole, Stroud becomes a renowned ornithologistand achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind prison walls than many in the outside world will ever know. The "finest prison picture ever made" (Variety), this inspirational and compelling classic stars Burt Lancaster in an OscarÂ(r)-nominated* performance as Stroudthe convict who, in his power to heal birds, finds the power to heal himself. *1962: Actor

Customer Reviews:

Birdman of Alcatraz.......2007-06-27

Based on the book by Tom Gaddis, who first told Stroud's remarkable story to the world, this involving tale of a caustic, antisocial man whose prison cell becomes a veritable bird sanctuary is beautifully directed by Frankenheimer. Lancaster's brooding, restrained performance steers clear of gushing sentiment, earning him an Oscar nod. Malden is excellent, too, as the peeved warden who makes it his duty to "punish" Stroud--and who gets his chance when the birdman gets transferred to "the Rock." Oscar nominees Thelma Ritter (as Harvey's mom) and Telly Savalas (as fellow inmate Feto Gomez) raise the film a notch with colorful supporting work. This "Birdman" flies high.

oh if i had the wings of a canary over these prison walls i would fly ..........2007-03-30

poor burt lancaster had just won an oscar 2 years before, and he was running up against gregory peck, peter o'toole, marcello mastroianni, and jack lemmon (robert preston in "music man" wasnt even nominated!) so truth be told he really had no chance of winning in this marvelous semi-accurate biopic of murderer-turned-ornithologist robert stroud. while the movie takes considerable liberties with the facts (stroud was much more an SOB than the sympathetic character lancaster portrays) it is on its own terms an eloquent argument for fairness -- even for those barely meriting same. strong supporting performances from karl malden, thelma ritter, and the still-hairy-headed telly savalas. good picture.

Etched in my mind.......2007-02-04

This is one of those movies that I first saw as a boy in the '60's and would watch every chance I got, which was 2-3 times. It's on PBS tonight so I'm excited to see it again.

Birdman of Alcatraz.......2007-01-10

I purchased the DVD for my brother, as a Christmas present. It has been many years since I have seen it, but remember that it was a very good movie. My brother whom I bought the DVD for, raves about the movie.

"Take a Bite Out of the Stars for Me".......2006-08-27

This classic B&W film, one of nearly 80 flicks made by the ever-versatile Lancaster (1913-94), bears the sober and important distinction of NOT being true-to-life, to the real Robert "Birdman" Stroud, who was a vicious and dangerous man who deserved to die in prison. Nevermind. It's an inspirational story that shows the potential for a human being to evolve and maintain his integrity under dreadful circumstances.

Since 1962 when the film was made, our prison system hasn't changed one iota. Rehabilitation is a matter of luck, not public policy, with recidivism rates climbing. Viewed as a social document of the sixties, it parallels the terrible Attica riots, and shows the corruptibility of everyone, a microcosm of life. Stroud's place as a genius in the avian world is the most exciting facet of the movie. He enters prison as a defiant young killer with no manners or humility who develops himself through his self-taught absorption into the biology of the caged bird. Through his love of birds, he comes to love himself and fellow man, and in his characteristically flat tones speaks to one of the birds he sets free, "Take a bite out of the stars for me."

Because of his truly homicidal nature, Robert Stroud himself could never be set free, but was allowed later in life to roam among the meadows of a locked facility until his death. Superb love angle with his wife, whom he insisted on setting free, and the contrast against his own jealous mother, whose motives he finally began to understand. Remember, this is a deep movie about self-understanding.

Also filled with other meaningful characterizations - and hello there, Telly Savalas & Karl Malden, nice to see you both again!

For Love or Country - The Arturo Sandoval Story

Average customer rating:

for the love of country
Terrific movie
Emotional journey
worth it for the hotties!
Fidel Castro has got to go!

For Love or Country - The Arturo Sandoval Story
Starring: Andy Garcia , Mía Maestro , Gloria Estefan , David Paymer , and Charles S. Dutton
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Made-for-TV Movies | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Television | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | 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

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

The Lost City
Modigliani
Trumpet Evolution
The Lost City
The Best of Arturo Sandoval

ASIN: B00005ALS5
Release Date: 2001-04-17

Amazon.com

For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story chronicles the life of a man torn between his home and his devotion to his music. In a Golden Globe-nominated performance, Andy Garcia portrays the gregarious, passionate, and obstinate Arturo Sandoval, the Grammy-winning Cuban trumpet player.

This HBO film shows how Sandoval's life in revolutionary Cuba is affected--beginning in the early 1970s--by his zeal for his music and by the limits placed on him by his homeland. Representing his torn loyalties are Dizzy Gillespie (the enigmatic jazz musician played by Charles S. Dutton) and Sandoval's wife, Marianela (played by the beautiful Mia Maestro). Gillespie embodies the freedom to follow one's dream, while Marianela represents family loyalty and the ideals of the Castro revolution. Yet, the same regime his wife embraces forces Arturo to play government-imposed music instead of the jazz that he loves. Sandoval travels the world, and while the Cuban government profits from his success, he is exposed to a freedom that eventually draws him to the difficult and life-changing decision he and his family feel compelled to make.

Against a backdrop of beautiful scenery and exceptional music, For Love or Country provides a harsh depiction of revolutionary Cuba, its outmoded lifestyle, and the restrictions placed on its people. --Mindy Ruehmann

Customer Reviews:

for the love of country.......2007-04-12

This is a very touching true story played beautifully by Andy Garcia.
If you are cuban, you will have a special interest in this film.

Terrific movie.......2007-01-18

This movie reveals a poignant love story as developed under the repressive regime of Fidel Castro. The music and development of characters provides excellent entertainment as well as education
into the worlds of music and Communist politics. Andy Garcia is
not only a talented actor but an excellent trumpet player as well.

Emotional journey.......2005-10-30

Since I have been unable to locate an address in which to write Mr. Garcia to explain how this film touched me, I thought this might be the next best thing. As a "natural born" citizen of the United States, I often feel overwhelming guilt for the suffering of the people who live in countries ruled by dictatorships and tyranny, while I enjoy innumerable freedoms here. Mr. Garcia has brought us a film that inspires hope, courage of conviction, and raises our awareness of the suffering still going on in his birthplace without bringing the stinging guilt that such a movie usually instills in me. I cried, then paced my apartment, then searched the Web for hours trying to find a way to contact Mr. Garcia to tell him that his message is received and appreciated.
The story is so amazing, it is almost difficult to believe that Mr. Sandavol not only lived it, but managed to see his whole family emigrate to the U.S. Thank you, HBO and Mr. Garcia, for telling a story that deserved to be told.

worth it for the hotties!.......2005-05-22

This movie deals with the fascinating subject of Cuba-US relations. Like Navratilova (sp?) and Baryshnikov (sp again?), Sandoval is a star from a Communist country who defected to the US. But more importantly, this film has the following hot actors of color in it: Charles Dutton, Stephen Bauer, Miguel Sandoval, and Andy Garcia.

Fidel Castro has got to go!.......2005-01-28

This HBO film depicts one of the world's great trumpet players and his inner and outer struggle for freedom from Castro's tyranny. His talent allows Arturo Sandoval to travel the world, but his wife and family are back in Cuba. His wife is a government employee who at first believes in the revolution until her eyes are opened to the reality behind the facade. The final straw is when Castro kills a hero of the revolution because he feels his monolithic power is threatened.

In 1990 Sandoval defects at the US embassy in Greece, but is stopped by bureaucracy until his friend Dizzy Gillespie calls the Vice President....yes, that's right, Dan Quayle the dunce. Well the only good thing Quayle ever does is speeding Sandoval through the bureaucracy. The irony here is that any Cuban who can get to the US by raft is granted US citizenship, but Sandoval is thoroughly grilled.

The film has some great jazz and Afro-Cuban music and Andy Garcia is believable and entertaining as the lead. When Castro goes, and it will be soon I hope, hopefully Cuba will have a true democratic revolution.

Average customer rating:

For a movie about sex, it sure is boring.
Hmm
Kinsey
fascinating research by a very strange guy
Kinsey - great entertainment!

Kinsey
Starring: Liam Neeson , Laura Linney , Chris O'Donnell , Peter Sarsgaard , and Timothy Hutton
Director: Bill Condon
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Sideways (Widescreen Edition)
American Experience: Kinsey
The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition)
Capote
The Aviator (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0007PALGG
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Product Description

Liam Neeson stars as Alfred Kinsey, a man driven by scientific passion and personal demons to investigate the elusive mystery of human sexuality. Laura Linney garnered a Best Actress Oscar® nomination for her compelling performance as Kinsey s free-thinking wife. This provocative drama dares to lift the veil of shame from a society in which sex was hidden, knowledge was dangerous and talking about it was the ultimate taboo.

Bonus Features:
Full-length Feature - Widescreen.
Searchlight Sizzle trailer
Inside Look: Kingdom of Heaven (2:39)
Commentary with writer/director Bill Condon

System Requirements:

Running Time 118 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

One of the best films of 2004, Kinsey pays tribute to the flawed but honorable man who revolutionized our understanding of human sexuality. As played by Liam Neeson in writer-director Bill Condon's excellent film biography, Indiana University researcher Alfred Kinsey was so consumed by statistical measurements of human sexual activity that he almost completely overlooked the substantial role of emotions and their effect on human behavior. This made him an ideal researcher and science celebrity who revealed that sexual behaviors previously considered deviant and even harmful (homosexuality, oral sex, etc.) are in fact common and essentially normal in the realm of human experience, but whose obsession with scientific method frequently placed him at odds with his understanding wife (superbly played by Laura Linney) and research assistants. In presenting Kinsey as a driven social misfit, Condon's film gives Neeson one of his finest roles while revealing the depth of Kinsey's own humanity, and the incalculable benefit his research had on our collective sexual enlightenment. With humor, charm, and intelligence, Kinsey shines a light where darkness once prevailed. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

For a movie about sex, it sure is boring........2007-03-14

This movie was long, drawn out and slow. If you want to know about the personal life of Alfred Kinsey, just read an article about him on an online encyclopedia.
The worst part of the movie was the horrible makeup job done to make Liam Neeson look like he was in his 20's. In fact, it was pretty disturbing.

Hmm.......2007-02-20

I'm not sure what I think. I definitely agree that much of our sexual hangups and perhaps darker eccentricities are the direct result of puritanical repression. Seeing so many of the clichés pulled together in one place made me wonder how any of us in the west (or anywhere?) manage a healthy sexual expression. It also indicates how much of repression and poorly expressed desires are widely cultural and not the result of personal accounts of sexual abuse. But it raised some really uncomfortable questions, even for the most open-minded, and presented some really painful moments just about anyone who's ever had sex can relate to. All-in-all, the film was well done.

Kinsey.......2007-02-12

Ok, so I bought this movie because I saw an HBO special on the making of Kinsey. When I actually got to see the movie I was hideously surprised. I saw this with a group of my college friends. Oh man. This movie is definitely not for the family. Extremely graphic. EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. Rating for this movie should be NC-17, not R. That's how graphic. There are certain scenes that are controversial, if you've seen this movie I'm sure you know what scenes. Watch this movie away from children. Good for adult viewing. Overall movie was funny and interesting. Not For Children.

fascinating research by a very strange guy.......2007-01-25

In 1938 Alfred Kinsey, a young Harvard-trained zoologist whose speciality was the gall wasp, took over a course on "marriage" at Indiana University and, based upon his relentless curiosity and unapologetically scientific treatment of the subject, turned the class into something akin to sexology. He subsequently published Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), based upon 18,000 sexual histories he and his staff collected. For the first time ever, sex was scientifically-situated. This biographical dramatization reminded me of Ray, in the sense of an overwhelming human force who grappled with a perennial subject and in the process shaped American culture. The main message of the film, if it has one, seems to be that repression and taboo melt in the light of frankness and tolerance of difference, no matter how quirky: "We are the recorders and reporters of facts--not the judges of the behaviors we describe," insisted Kinsey. But the film is careful to show in some deeply painful moments like pedophilia, sex encouraged among staff members, Kinsey's bi-sexual experimentation, and broken marriages that human sexuality is far more, and more complex, than the mere scientific documentation of its parts. Fidelity, intimacy, integrity and love define sexuality as much as our habits. Kinsey died in 1956 at the age of 62, although the Kinsey Institute continues today.

Kinsey - great entertainment!.......2006-11-08

Last year, I skipped the movie about pioneer sex researcher, Alfred Kinsey, because I thought that I already knew everything about him and that it might be dry. Was I ever wrong! The dialogue in the movie was crisp and unexpectedly funny and the acting was stellar. (What else could be expected from Liam Neeson, Chris O'Donnel and Laura Linney?)

The movie traced the puritanical and oppressive upbringing that poor Kinsey endured as a boy who was born in 1894 and raised by a fire and brimstone, preacher father. Those were the days when no one talked about [...] and it was widely thought to cause blindness or insanity; oral sex was feared in the event that it resulted in infertility; and no one knew a [..] from a clavicle!

Kinsey was one of the first to break down those barriers in the 1920s and 1930s. He started classes at university for young couples who were about to get married in order to give them proper sex education, rather than the abstinence message that they had been receiving in their hygiene class.

He interviewed 18,000 people and wrote books about his findings, for which he was widely criticized because what he found was that there was a large disconnect between what people said was "moral" sexual behavior, and what they actually practiced behind closed doors. Moreover, he stated that "37 percent of U.S. men (and 13 percent of women) had had at least one homosexual experience, while 62 percent of women (and 92 percent of men) masturbated. Premarital sex was common. Half of married
men and a quarter of married women had cheated on their spouses." [Source -- National Geographic News]

In addition, Kinsey concluded that the majority of people were bisexual. This was during an era when adultery, homosexuality and oral sex were illegal in many states!

Kinsey had two great failings: firstly, as a zoologist, he could never understand that the human mammal with different from other animals. Humans had feelings that were intricately tied to their sexuality.
Animals did not. Secondly, Kinsey's research methodology was questioned by many sources as being skewed and lacking objectivity. He interviewed most of his people face-to-face and then transcribed his findings. At least one quarter of his subjects were prison inmates, 5% were male prostitutes and they were all volunteers. A good research design should have a randomized study, preferably double blind so that the researcher and his assistants did not directly interpret data from subjects in order to avoid potential bias on their parts.

The movie clearly discussed Kinsey's first failing but was not explicit enough about the second one regarding research methodology.

Having said that, Alfred Kinsey was an amazing man and this is an awesome movie. Great entertainment and it made me feel that despite our cultural ambivalence about sex, we definitely have come a long way, baby.

Sigrid Mac

Average customer rating:

dvd review
THE HARDY DUKE
John Wayne meets Oliver Hardy
The Duke and Ollie Make a Splendid Team
Pleasant, but nothing special

The Fighting Kentuckian
Starring: John Wayne , Vera Ralston , Philip Dorn , Oliver Hardy , and Marie Windsor
Director: George Waggner
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

1940s | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

Westerns | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | 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

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

Dark Command
The Fighting Seabees
Wake of the Red Witch
Dakota
In Old California

ASIN: B00005B204
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Amazon.com

Here's something you don't see every day. Then again, would you want to? Several years before the 1950s' Davy Crockett craze, John Wayne donned a coonskin cap to play a militiaman in early-19th-century Alabama. He and his fellow Kentuckians are just passing through--"marching 600 miles," as they merrily sing (and sing, and sing), because riverboat magnate John Howard has refused to haul them. Howard and all-purpose scoundrel Grant Withers are scheming to dispossess a community of French émigrés--veterans of Napoleon's Grand Army who've come seeking life, liberty, etc. in the New World. Howard's also out to marry Vera Ralston, the French general's daughter. Naturally, Wayne's just the lad to gum up both plans.

Wayne himself produced The Fighting Kentuckian, but far from repeating the success of his maiden effort, Angel and the Badman, this is one of the feeblest films in his long career. Writer-director George Waggner never gets a handle on what a pre-Western should look and move like. Consequently, the cast does a lot of standing around looking silly in period costume, waiting--mostly in vain--for the script to establish their connection to one another and something resembling a plot. There is a glossier look to the proceedings than most Republic pictures achieved, thanks to Lee Garmes's pearly cinematography, but this is scant consolation. So is the almost creepy presence of Oliver Hardy, sans Laurel, doing Ollie-shtick as Wayne's jolly sidekick. No, he doesn't say, "This is another fine mess you've got me into!" But he should. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

dvd review.......2007-05-13

Great dvd. One of John Waynes best. Received in super condition and with fast delivery.

THE HARDY DUKE.......2007-05-05

Produced by John Wayne, written and directed by George Waggner, THE FIGHTING KENTUCKIAN was a real surprise for me. In fact, the film has a poor reputation among movie buffs. But I personally didn't mind the Czech accent of Vera Ralston who was supposed to play the French born daughter of a Napoleon army's general. I even enjoyed very much the scenes she had with John Wayne and the sensualness she put into Fleurette De Marchand character.

I also honestly admit that the comic situations of THE FIGHTING KENTUCKIAN, all generated by Oliver Hardy, are not always top notch, specially when the gags seem to have suddenly popped up from a silent movie. But I don't disavow the pleasure I had to admire the seduction scenes played by Vera Ralston that alone justify a rental of the film.

A DVD zone John Wayne's reserved shelf.

John Wayne meets Oliver Hardy.......2006-02-17

For the first and only time, John Wayne appeared in a film with Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy fame, in the 1949 Republic production "The Fighting Kentuckian." Laurel and Hardy had actually made their final American film, "The Bullfighters," and were "at liberty." By this time the comic team was frequently touring Europe and making live stage appearances, where they presented some new comic routines that were, unfortunately, never filmed. They would eventually make one more film, in France: "Utopia," also known as "Atoll K."

John Wayne had a long-term contract with Republic pictures and, despite Wayne's increasing creative freedom, studio boss Herbert Yates insisted that Wayne use Vera Hruba Ralston in this historical comedy/drama. Ralston had been a Czech ice skater who had fled her homeland when the Nazis came to power; she was beautiful and charming, as the film shows, and Yates fell in love with her, eventually marrying her. Yates also insisted in putting Ralston in several of John Wayne's films at Republic. Unfortunately, Ralston had a heavy accent. This wasn't such a problem in this film because she was playing a member of the French aristocracy who was living with her countrymen in the southern United States in the early nineteenth century. They had fled France following the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.

The film has many of the classic elements of John Wayne's action films and is generally delightful. There are some memorable battle sequences and Wayne's heroic efforts to help the relocated French in dealing with treacherous enemies. But the real bonus of this film is watching the great Oliver Hardy, who works so well as John Wayne's sidekick.

Loyal fans of both John Wayne and Oliver Hardy have often enjoyed this film and those who haven't seen it will want to see the rare teaming of Wayne and Hardy in a very enjoyable film.

The Duke and Ollie Make a Splendid Team.......2004-12-11

The inspired pairing of John Wayne and comedian Oliver Hardy, along with some memorable action sequences, elevate "The Fighting Kentuckian" (1949) to a higher level than most Republic Westerns. Wayne and Hardy work wonderfully together -- it's markedly different from the Laurel and Hardy chemistry, but just as special. The only dead spot is a wooden and miscast Vera Hruba Ralston as Wayne's leading lady. Otherwise, "The Fighting Kentuckian" is solid Republic craftsmanship.

Pleasant, but nothing special.......2003-08-05

A Kentucky soldier (John Wayne) falls for a French general's daughter (Vera Ralston) and gets mixed up in a battle between unscrupulous river tra