A Merry War

Starring:Richard E. Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Wadham, Jim Carter, Harriet Walter, Lesley Vickerage, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Liz Smith, John Clegg, Bill Wallis, Lill Roughley, Dorothea Alexander, Peter Stockbridge, Grant Parsons, Malcolm Sinclair, Derek Smee, Ben Miles, Richard Dixon, Eve Ferret, Roger Morlidge
Director: Robert Bierman
Studio: DVD International
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

CLASSIC MOVIES
Hilarious movie.
A Movie for All.
Operation Petticoat
Judy

Operation Petticoat
Starring: Cary Grant , Tony Curtis , Joan O'Brien , Dina Merrill , and Gene Evans
Director: Blake Edwards
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005N90X
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

Blake Edwards's delightful 1959 comedy stars Cary Grant as a World War II submarine captain whose preference for a by-the-book command reluctantly yields to certain realities. Chief among those is that Grant's first officer (Tony Curtis, who impersonated Grant that same year in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot), a shameless hustler, is better than the navy at delivering whatever supplies the ship and crew need to keep going. But when Curtis sneaks a handful of Philippine refugees and several gorgeous nurses onto the all-male sub, the skipper not only has to cool down his crew but deal with an unexpected feminine influence on ship protocol. The film is a great deal of fun, sprinkled with the director's trademark sight gags (including one of Edwards's best, involving a torpedo and jeep), and graced with his unmistakable lilt. Grant is in great form, his comic brilliance almost impossibly effortless. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

CLASSIC MOVIES.......2007-06-24

A FINE MOVIE IN THE STYLE OF THE GREAT ARTISTS, NOW SADLY GONE TO BE
REPLACED BY UNWHOLESOME FILTH.

Hilarious movie........2007-05-30

Ranks right up there with "Father Goose" as one of Cary Grant's funniest movies. Great family fun.

A Movie for All........2007-05-14

This is one of my favorite oldie's. I had pretty much worn my VHS out and needed another one, so the DVD had to be the new choice. Always loved Gary Grant. It's a good clean movie and very enjoyable. The type of movie I can let the grandchildren watch with no worries. I don't like most of the movies that are made today, so I still stick the good older ones. There are sooooo many laughs in this movie and yes, most of the time I watch it by myself. If you are havin or had a bad day, this movie will lift you spirit. Buy it, you wont be sorry.

Operation Petticoat.......2007-05-14

I love this movie. I like most of Cary Grant's movies. This movie is very funny and entertaining. Why can't the film industry make good movies like this anymore?

Judy.......2007-04-10

Tony Randall and Cary Grant are excellent in this flick !! This is one of my favorite movies, even if it is an "oldie". I have seen it 20 times and still laugh.

Average customer rating:

Perfect.
Thief & pirate, but a hero all the same
Swashbuckling entertainment at its finest!
A Wonderful Nostalgic Afternoon at the Movies!
Flynn's first and best remembered swashbuckler

Captain Blood
Starring: Errol Flynn , Olivia de Havilland , Lionel Atwill , Basil Rathbone , and Ross Alexander
Director: Michael Curtiz , Joseph Henabery , and Lloyd French
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005JMR7
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Amazon.com essential video

The swashbuckler had been around long before Errol Flynn drew a cutlass, but the Tasmanian-born bit player reinvigorated the genre with his mix of dashing good looks, haughty insolence, and alluring confidence. Adapted from the novel by Rafael Sabatini (who also penned The Sea Hawk), this rousing adventure chronicles the travails of Peter Blood (Flynn), a righteous doctor unjustly sold into slavery for treating the wounds of rebels, a kind of British Dr. Mudd. Sent to a Jamaican plantation where he toils under the brutal whip of Lionel Atwill and seethes with passion for his fair niece (the astonishingly beautiful Olivia de Havilland), he escapes from bondage with his fellow prisoners and becomes the gentleman rogue pirate of the Caribbean. Director Michael Curtiz builds from one set piece to another, including a nimble beachside sword fight with pirate nemesis Basil Rathbone and climaxing with a grand sea battle that belies the film's modest budget. Flynn's bravado and charisma are apparent from his entrance, but once he leaps into action he takes command of the picture, overcoming his still-green dramatic skills with sheer personality. Captain Blood made stars of Flynn and de Havilland and catapulted Curtiz to the top ranks of Warner directors. The three reunited for some of the studio's best-loved adventures: The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Dodge City. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Perfect........2007-06-20

Charming, fun, romantic, perfectly-paced, thoughtful, well-written, beautifully shot, smart...I could go on forever. This movie is a masterpiece. To know that Michael Curtiz went from this to The Adventures of Robin Hood, and from that to Casablanca is no surprise. If you have even a fleeting interest in high adventure along the lines of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' or 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl', then buy this classic immediately.

Thief & pirate, but a hero all the same.......2007-05-31

With pirates all the rage once more, what better time to return to one of the classic films of the genre -- and what a delight! Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland are a physically stunning couple, true stars in the making, and their genuine affection for one another shows in their scenes together. Basil Rathbone turns in a wonderfully over-the-top performance of leering, moustache-twirling villainy, while Lionel Atwill is smoothly & appropriately hateful as de Havilland's poisonous uncle.

There's a surprisingly small amount of full-scale action, as the film's true strength is in its depiction of the characters' emotions -- not that it drags by any means! But we get to see what drives Peter Blood & what sort of man he is. Just look at his reaction to Jeremy Pitt's flogging -- outrage, anger, a burning hunger for justice. That's what so many of Flynn's best films were about, and it's shown quite effectively here. If some of the dialogue & acting creaks just a bit, then that simply adds to the charm of the film. This is how they used to be made, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Thoroughly rewatchable entertainment, most highly recommended!

Swashbuckling entertainment at its finest!.......2007-05-29

Captain Blood is one of those films I always undervalue, which at least means that each time I see it I'm pleasantly surprised by how much better it is than I remembered. Despite the lack of action until the spectacular finale, it has a good plot and some great visuals, as you'd expect from Michael Curtiz, but a big part of the fun is watching Errol Flynn become a star before your eyes: it's easy to guess which scenes were shot during the first couple of weeks when he was still a little awkward, but the confidence, charm and vigour he brings to the part easily overshadows his few missteps, and he and Olivia De Havilland are one of those rare perfect onscreen couples. Basil Rathbone's Fronch axe-scent is so out-ray-juss that even he can't keep a straight face (he literally has to turn away from the camera at one point as he gets a fit of giggles). His swordfight with Flynn is the only real disappointment, a surprisingly flat number even if we didn't have Robin Hood to compare it with. Wonderfully entertaining on every level.

As well as being the uncut version of the film, Warners' DVD comes with an excellent array of extras too - a documentary on the making of the film, a 1937 radio adaptation, trailer and selected short subjects recreating the whole 1935 moviegoing experience.

A Wonderful Nostalgic Afternoon at the Movies!.......2007-04-22

A marvelous swash-buckler of a movie, the DVD is set up to simulate a typical afternoon at the movies, with all the proper assortment of short subjects including Coming Attractions, Newsreel, Musical interlude and Cartoon. Just like it used to be. I was too young to have seen the original on first release, but probably did see it later on. All the talk about ship models and tight budgets you can forget. The test is on the screen and it triumphantly succeeds.

Flynn's first and best remembered swashbuckler.......2007-02-25

This was the film which launched Errol Flynn's stardom. There are many comprehensive reviews but here are a few general comments:

- Flynn was not the first choice for the role of Peter Blood and Jack Warner, head of the studio, took a major risk in handing him the role. Some of the early footage was scrapped and reshot as Flynn's confidence grew.
- The swashbuckler film had been out of favour since the silent era of Douglas Fairbanks, but the success of "Treasure Island" and "The Count of Monte Christo" in 1934 urged Warner Brothers to offer their entry into the genre.
- The DVD quality is good but not perfect. The film is grainy in spots and sometimes there is a noticeable mark on the print.
- Olivia de Havilland was only 19 at the time and she is very talented as well as exquisite looking.
- Basil Rathbone's part is very small and he must have the worst French accent on film. This was not his finest hour, in spite of the climactic sword fight. The image of him lying on the rocks as the water runs over him when he is stabbed is gruesome.
- Lionel Atwell is a superb villian. You really hiss when he is on screen. The ending of the film with his fate unknown is clever.
- The film's restricted budget is sometimes evident with obvious studio backdrops and spartan sets but the fight scenes are very well done with interpolated footage from other films. The ship models are clever and the climactic collision is riveting.

The DVD contains a good documentary about the film and the original trailer. As part of the Errol Flynn Signature Collection, the DVD is good value.

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

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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:

The General
An Excellent Introduction to Buster Keaton
Not bad.
A great Intro to Keaton
Silent film classic

The General
Starring: Richard Allen , Glen Cavender , Mike Donlin , Jim Farley , and Ronald Gilstrap
Director: Bruckman, Clyde
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305609969
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com essential video

Buster Keaton's career reached its creative apex with this rousing comic adventure. Not merely one of the finest silent films, this remains one of the great film comedies of all time. The Great Stone Face stars as Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray, a man with only two loves: the sweet Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and his trustworthy engine, the eponymous General. When Fort Sumner is fired upon he's one of the first to enlist, but when the war office rejects him (he's too valuable as a trained engineer) his sweetie rejects him as a coward. Johnny has the opportunity to prove his bravery when Yankee spies steal his engine and inadvertently kidnap Annabelle, and Johnny pursues with all the resources at his disposal: handcar, bicycle, and finally railroad engine. Keaton's love/hate relationship with technology and machinery shines as he becomes one with his beloved locomotive and wrestles with a finicky cannon that threatens to blow his engine off the tracks; with tremendous dexterity, he nails the humor with inimitably deadpan takes. Spunky Marion Mack makes a perfect partner for Keaton, not merely a foil but a gifted comedienne in her own right. Other Keaton films contain more laughs and inspired comic stunts, but none combines romance, adventure, and comedy into a solid story as seamlessly as this silent masterpiece. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Consistently ranked among the best films ever made, Keaton's "The General" (1926, 75 min., stereo) is so brilliantly conceived and executed that it continues to inspire awe and laughter with every viewing. Rejected by the Confederate Army as unfit and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle Lee (Marian Mack), young Johnnie Gray (Keaton) sets out to single-handedly win the war with his cherished locomotive. Also includes "The Playhouse" (1921, 23 min., mono), a technical tour-de-force in which Keaton plays every member of a stage company, the entire audience and an undisciplined chimp to boot! "Cops" (1922, 18 min., mono) is the quintessential chase film, with Buster tumbling into a series of marvelous mishaps while fleeing hundreds of uniformed policemen. Digitally mastered from archival prints, with original musical scores.

Customer Reviews:

The General.......2007-06-20

Widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, Keaton's "The General" finds the stone-faced physical comedian at the very height of his creative powers. Wrestling with a cannon or attempting to mount a moving train, Keaton's comic timing and expressive body language rival Chaplin's, and puts to shame the funnymen of today. Mack is terrific in her own right, playing off Keaton's impassive, foolhardy bravado with sprightly charm. The nuttiest stunts and chase sequences will leave your jaw on the floor, if you can ever stop laughing.

An Excellent Introduction to Buster Keaton.......2007-05-18

Buster Keaton has been given a new lease on popularity, especially after the past decade of Jackie Chan movies (film critics have often compared the two, although I think there is too much difference), and The General is his most well-known movie.

There are better Buster Keaton movies. Saying that, of course, is like saying you like one Marx Brothers movie better than another; if you like one you like them all, and if you don't -- well, this quality is shared by Buster Keaton, which makes The General an excellent starting point, because if you don't like this movie you just don't like Buster Keaton. If you do, you should also consider Sherlock, Jr., Steamboat Bill, Jr., and many others.

Not bad........2007-04-13

The General (Buster Keaton, 1927)

Ah, Johnnie Gray, Southern lad out to save the South from the rampaging Union marauders. The General is, almost universally considered one of the best movies ever made. Since I saw it, I've been reading a lot of reviews to see what it is about the film that everyone's so fond of, and the one thing that comes up every time is its amazing historical accuracy. (Oddly, no review I read until David Malcolm's mentioned that The General is based on actual events. Leave it to the British to expose a fact the Americans never thought to mention about an American movie based on an American war.) To me, this is the equivalent of rating a novel based on the research the author did before writing it; it obviously gives the book (or movie) a much stronger base on which to rest, but if the movie (or book) itself doesn't justify the research, who cares?

I'm still torn on whether it does. Yes, Keaton did all his own stunts. So does Jackie Chan, and I don't see anyone (well, one or two renegades) calling The Legend of Drunken Master (or, more disturbingly, Rush Hour 2) one of the best movies ever made. And, yeah, the gags are an integral part of the film, and that is impressive, and certainly sets The General apart from most of the black-and-white comedy I find so very boring (The Three Stooges, the Little Rascals, the Keystone Kops, etc. etc. ad nauseam). There really is a story here, and it's a pretty good one. There are characters, though they're not terribly well-drawn (I believe it was Malcolm who also referred to The General as a parody of Birth of a Nation, which could explain that, but still). There are some great effects, and they were done the hard way back then-- if you want to show a train plunging off an exploded bridge into a rive,r then you took a train and an exploding bridge...

All of this is good stuff, but there still seemed to be something missing from The General that distinguishes truly great film. I'm not sure what, especially since I just heaped endless amounts of praise on The Man with a Movie Camera a month or so ago, and that lacks plot and characters entirely. I don't think it's the comedy angle, because I do like really well-done comedy; three of the movies in my all-time top twenty are comedies. Perhaps I just haven't seen it enough times for it to grow on me. But for now, I consider it a good film, but not one of the true greats. *** ½

A great Intro to Keaton.......2007-03-01

I do agree that "The General" should have been on the top 100 list. Buster Keaton is the icon of the successful comedy writer/director/actors in the 1920's. It just so happens that "The General" is a history lesson as well, and scholars at the time felt that this movie was about as authentic looking as a Matthew Brady photograph of the Civil War. It contains the most expensive stunt done up to that time-the locomotive plunging into the river (not a model). The movie was a labor of love from Keaton and crew and deserves to find a place in movie history long after other silents of the era have disintegrated. After viewing this movie, go on to "Our Relations" and the other fine(and perhaps funnier) movies that Keaton made, and discover the two-reelers, especially "Cops". But this one is special. It is right out of your history book.

Silent film classic.......2007-01-02

That "The General" was considered a comedy is befuddling to me. Although silent film comic Buster Keaton wrote, produced, directed and starred, it plays as more of an adventure film.

Georgia based locomotive engineer Johnny Gray played by Keaton is rejected from enlisting in the Confederacy at the outbreak of the Civil War. Being too useful as an engineer, his being spurned is mistakenly viewed as cowardice by love of his life Annabell Lee played by Marion Mack.

Some time later his prized engine known as the "General" is stolen by Union spies with Annabelle Lee aboard. Keaton using another locomotive gives chase and winds up behind enemy lines. Concealing himself he overhears plans for a Union attack. He proceeds to rescue his girl and the General and head back south in a harrowing chase closely followed by Union soldiers to warn Confederate troops.

Filmed in the forests of Oregon, Keaton does a great job in recreating conflicts and battlefields of the Civil War. Keaton before the advent of stuntmen performed a slew of dangerous stunts jumping from place to place on a moving locomotive. The spectacular trainwreck caused by Keaton's sabotage of a railway bridge was one of the most expensive scenes ever filmed to that point.

Average customer rating:

Silent trains
Perhaps greatest silent film comedy
A great introduction to silent films but be aware of this version's flaws
Buster Keaton's "The General!"
Avoid this General

The General
Starring: Richard Allen , Glen Cavender , Mike Donlin , Jim Farley , and Ronald Gilstrap
Director: Bruckman, Clyde
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Slapstick | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Civil War | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00008G8WX
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Customer Reviews:

Silent trains.......2007-05-07

Buster Keaton, what can you say about this actor except he is fantastic in this silent movie. A great family show with lots of laugh's.

Perhaps greatest silent film comedy.......2006-10-21

I never thought I'd need to write a review of Buster Keaton's masterpiece, The General. Only a couple of Amazon reviewers mark it less than five stars. Every critic in the USA and Europe considers it one of Hollywood's classic comedies, perhaps the best film made by the one comedian whose reputation equals Chaplin's. Folks, don't miss this film. It is a brilliantly conceived and directed comedy filled with suspense and starring the most American and modern of silent comedy stars. At the same time that it generates a combination of belly laughs and thrills, some historians rank it as them most realistic Hollywood representation of the USA Civil War and its battles.

A great introduction to silent films but be aware of this version's flaws.......2006-04-23

After reading the other two reviews of this version of Buster Keaton's classic film, The General, I felt compelled to give a somewhat suitable defense for Alpha Video's DVD. First of all, I want to make it clear that I do not deny many of the claims in the previous reviews. This is an unrestored version of the film and, thus, its quality is very poor (darkness around the edges of the screen, etc., resulting from the wear and tear of the original 35mm print)and the soundtrack is not the film's original score (to played by the organist in silent film theaters) but rather something thrown together by the production company. However, with that said, I believe the cheap price more than makes up for these flaws, making this a great film to buy if you want to get a taste of silent films without making a big financial committment (paying several times more for a restored version). Thus, as long as you are aware of this version's flaws (as I was before I bought it), you won't be dissapointed.

If you are, indeed, looking for an inexpensive introduction to silent films, I recommend buying this straight from Alpha Video's website. I purchased the Silent Classics boxset (featuring The General and three other films) from their site and paid only about four or five dollars per film. As an aspiring film buff unable to afford dishing out twenty to twenty five dollars for newly restored versions of these classics, this boxset was the perfect choice. (And, there is something quaint about watching the unrestored versions).

In regards to the film itself, I don't think many reviewers will deny that The General remains a great comedy despite its age.

Buster Keaton's "The General!".......2004-09-15

This 1926 comedy classic, directed by Buster Keaton, has some very funny moments throughout. However, I was turned off by the film because of the choice of music for this DVD release. Seeing Keaton's character pushing items out of the back of a train to distract the Yankees chasing them set to "The Blue Danube?" "Pomp and Circumstance" at the beginning makes you feel like your going to watch a graduation comedy instead of a comedy set during the Civil War. I'm told that other DVD releases have different music to accompany the film. I highly recommend checking those versions out, instead of this DVD.
Movie Grade/DVD Grade: C-

Avoid this General.......2003-10-13

There are other versions of "The General" available on DVD and any would be preferable to this one. It's picture quality is muddy and the score is simply a washover of everything from "Pomp and Circumstance" to Borodin to Bizet, none of it selected with the slightest appropriateness to what is going on on the screen. True, you can watch it without the sound, but why? Even at this low price, to be avoided.

Average customer rating:

A top-notch fairy tale!
Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!
One of the Greates Movies Of all Time
Great Family Movie
Awesome Parody On Fairy Tales. Cute, Funny & Romantic With All The Classic Fairy-Tale Elements We Love. "As You Wish."

The Princess Bride
Starring: Andre the Giant , Betsy Brantley , Anne Dyson , Cary Elwes , and Peter Falk
Director: Rob Reiner
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Princess Bride: S Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Willow (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00003CXC3
Release Date: 2000-07-18

Amazon.com essential video

Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story.

And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity...

The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

A top-notch fairy tale!.......2007-07-03

I first saw this movie well over a decade ago. I thought it was OK, but could only remember a few snippets of it. A friend of mine @ work often talked about it and raved about what a fun movie it was. So, finally, I picked it up and gave it another look.

What I found was that my friend was right: it IS a fun movie. These days, it is also very nostalgic as well (as most 1980s movies are for me). I have a greater appreciation of the love story as well. Now that I'm pushing 40, I have a fuller understanding of just how elusive the "fairy tale ending" really is.

The cast is superb, featuring Cary Elwes as the dashing hero. He has the look and the physical grace to easily pull off the shy young farmhand who transforms into a confident, debonair swashbuckler. Robin Wright Penn is a natural to play the princess; beautiful, a wee bit on the high-maintenance side but with a heart-of-gold beneath it all.

The DVD also includes a bit part by Billy Crystal. Although you'd never recognize him, all of his fans will instantly know him due to his distinctive high-pitched voice and the way he moves. We also get to see the late-great Andre the Giant. Although I've never been into pro wrestling, I'm well-aware of how beloved he was while he was alive. He was a gentle giant, and this film brings out his warm personality.

This is a family-friendly fairy tale. There is mild violence, but it is more cartoon-like than anything else. There is a scene of torture, but it is so absurd as to not cause any children nightmares. If fairy-tale movies represent a genre that you enjoy, then this one is a must-have! Also, people who like this flick are also sure to enjoy SERENDIPITY with Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack. Let the fairy tales begin! Serendipity

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die! .......2007-07-01

I saw "Princess Bride" in the theatres nearly 20 years ago and lines like that still stick with me. This film version of William Goldman's wonderful novel is one of the best fantasy films around and is a great stock film for families and fantasy lovers as well. We've viewed our copy at least once every 2-3 years since the film came out and doubt we'll really ever tire of it.

One of the Greates Movies Of all Time.......2007-06-28

The Princess Bride became one of my favorite movies when a friend showed it to me at his home.I use this movie as a feel better remedy after a bad day or just to feel good.I love the wry humour as well as the sheer sarcasm that drips from every castle rampart.I recommend this to anyone needing a break from reality.Carey Elwes is Gorgous as Is Robin Wright in her first movie role.Billy Crystal and Carol Kane as Miracle Max and Valerie are brilliant as is the quiet gentleness of the late Andre the Giant as Fessizk and How could I Forget Mady Patinkin as Indigo Montoya "You Killed My father.Prepare to DIE!"

Great Family Movie.......2007-06-27

This is a timeless classic! My husband introduced me to it and now I watch it when he's away. This is great family fun and a really cute movie!

Awesome Parody On Fairy Tales. Cute, Funny & Romantic With All The Classic Fairy-Tale Elements We Love. "As You Wish." .......2007-06-23

In only his 3rd time behind the camera, director Rob Reiner brings Academy Award winning screenwriter William Goldman's "The Princess Bride" to the silver screen, with Goldman himself writing the script. With excellent performances by Cary Elwes, Mandy Pantinkin, Wallace Shawn, Andre The Giant (In pace requiscat), Chris Sarandon and Christopher Guest, special appearances by Peter Falk, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Fred Savage Peter Cook and Mel Smith and starring Robin Wright as The Princess Bride, this classic fairy tale never disappoints for all of its 98 minutes (it never feels that long; then again, I was so busy enjoying the movie that I didn't notice the length of the film). I haven't viewed the special features yet, but they promise to be as good as the movie itself.
I recommend this movie to every female out there. You will love it and have your significant others saying "As you wish" to your every word.

The film could pass for a Disney movie, as MGM rarely produces anything this clean in this day and age (virtually no swearing, sex or nudity). A movie the entire family (and especially young couples) can enjoy together.

If I were to remake this film (theoretically speaking, of course), I would take out the bits where the Grandson interrupts the Grandfather every time Buttercup and Westley kiss. Those bits are some of the best.

The film is crammed with memorable lines, from Westley's signature saying
"As you wish" to Inigo's "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die." Watch the movie and, I promise you, you will love it.

Rated PG for comic violence.

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All civilizations based on absolute subservience are dead
Outstanding film, a classic
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983, Nagisa Oshima)

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Starring: David Bowie , Tom Conti , Ryuichi Sakamoto , Takeshi Kitano , and Jack Thompson
Director: Nagisa Oshima
Manufacturer: C Logic
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00008G68R
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Customer Reviews:

All civilizations based on absolute subservience are dead.......2007-04-14

This film was kind of cult when it came out. Because of David Bowie of course, but also because of the side of the Second World War it showed. In this case, the Japanese refused to apply Geneva conventions and forced onto their prisoners the code of conduct of the Samourai. The result is of course a great level of suffering, total disregard of death and dying, treating a hara-kiri execution as an honor, an honorable spectacle that any soldier should consider as a privilege to be able to watch ... For these Japanese soldiers it is a sign of a total lack of courage to accept to be the prisoners of those who defeated you. The only honorable course of action should be dying, and killing themselves in the last run. When Jack Celliers is captured, tried and sentenced to come to this prisoners' camp, he is bound to explode the whole situation because the commander of the camp, Captain Yonoi, thinks he is different and might be of the Samourai vein. In fact Celliers is a typical British officer: never yields, never accepts the unlawful rule of the enemy, resists and disturbs as long as he is alive in their hands. Yonoi decides a two day fast for everyone, prisoners included, Celliers will provide the prisoners with flowers for food. He will thus lead Yonoi to absolute mental breakdown and the final straw that will break the camel's back will be the double brotherly kiss Celliers will give him in front of everyone when condemned to die or nearly. Celliers revealed thus Yonoi was attracted, fascinated, hence in love even if only as a soldier with Celliers. So Celliers will die buried neck deep in sand and Yonoi will come and get a lock of his hair before he is dead. This lock will be brought in a locket and deposited in a shrine in Japan by Mr Lawrence, the interface between Yonoi and the prisoners, after the war and after Yonoi was executed. The film reveals thus the head-on and headlong confrontation of two military civilizations: the Samourais were obviously condemned by history, but also by life and war. They could not survive this clash. David Bowie is superb in his role and Sakamoto is just as perfect. Cult it is, but also somewhere sickening. How could such an old civilization as Japan come to such an end? We will forgive the film for the obvious fakeness of all violent acts.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

Outstanding film, a classic.......2006-02-20

This film explains the difference between Western thinking and Eastern thinking. The Japanese felt contempt for anyone who surrendered, against the Japanese teaching. The Japanese seemed brutal, but that was the in their experience and training. Near the end of the film the Japanese sergeant was confused about the capital punishment he was to receive. He only did as he was told. Much of the film is about the resistance and respect between the Bowie character and the Japanese commandant. It is the most unusual war film I have seen, now I will get it on DVD. It's an outstanding film.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983, Nagisa Oshima).......2005-07-14

A highly unusual war movie with as many detractors as fans, this English-language feature directed by Nagisa Oshima (In the Realm of the Senses) stars David Bowie as a silent, ethereal POW in a Japanese camp. Protesting--via his own enigmatic rebellion--the camp's brutal conditions and treatment of prisoners, Bowie's character earns the respect of the camp commandant (Ryuichi Sakamoto). While the two seem locked in an unspoken, spiritual understanding, another prisoner (Tom Conti) engages in a more conventional resistance against a monstrous sergeant (Takeshi). The film has a way of evoking as many questions as certainties, and it is not always easy to understand the internal logic of the characters' actions. But that's generally true of Oshima's movies, in which the power of certain relationships is almost hallucinatory in self-referential intensity. The cast is outstanding, and Bowie is particularly fascinating in his alien way.

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My favorite!
Branagh Does Another Fine Shakespeare!
Cute movie for a rainy day
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado about this film.

Much Ado About Nothing
Starring: Chris Barnes , Kate Beckinsale , Brian Blessed , Richard Briers , and Richard Clifford
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0767802594
Release Date: 1998-01-20

Amazon.com

Kenneth Branagh's 1993 production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a vigorous and imaginative work, cheerful and accessible for everyone. Largely the story of Benedick (Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson)--adversaries who come to believe each is trying to woo the other--the film veers from arched wit to ironic romps, and the two leads don't mind looking a little silly at times. But the plot is also layered with darker matters that concern the ease with which men and women fall into mutual distrust. Branagh has rounded up a mixed cast of stage vets and Hollywood stars, among the latter Denzel Washington and Michael Keaton, the latter playing a rather seedy, Beetlejuice-like version of Dogberry, king of malapropisms. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, Dolby sound, optional Spanish and French soundtracks or subtitles.--Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

My favorite!.......2007-07-03

This is my favorite play by Shakespeare, and partially it is because this movie makes it easier to understand. Great actors, great movie!

Branagh Does Another Fine Shakespeare!.......2007-06-14

1993's "Much Ado About Nothing" is Kenneth Branagh's superb film rendering of Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy. Veteran Shakespeare actors Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Brian Blessed are joined by veteran Hollywood actors Denzel Washington and Michael Keaton. The movie features the then-young actors Keanu Reeves, Robert Sean Leondard, and Kate Beckinsale.

The movie is set at a sun-drenched and sumptious villa in Tuscany, where all have assembled for the pending wedding of Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Hero (Kate Beckinsale). To the pass the time before the wedding, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington) sets up a romantic trap for the confirmed bachelor Benedick (Branagh) and his arch nemesis Beatrice (Thompson), who delight in their verbal tormenting of each other. Don Pedro allows the two to believe that each is intent on wooing the other. This deception is the heart of the movie, as through some delightful dialogue and hilarious scenes, Beatrice and Benedick arrive at a new appreciation of each other.

The romantic mood is almost spoiled by Don Juan (Keanu Reeves), who seeks to undermine the relationship of Claudio and Hero by suggesting that Hero has been unfaithful. Reeves looks uncomfortable with the material and his wooden performance as the villian shows it. Fortunately, the local sheriff (Michael Keaton), a bumbling, manic barrage of malapropisms, uncovers Don Juan's plot and saves the day.

This overlooked movie is highly recommended to fans of Shakespeare and Kenneth Branagh's film adaptations of them.

Cute movie for a rainy day.......2007-06-02

This flick is a very lively interpretation of Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. (For those of you who aren't familiar, take Romeo and Juliet + Taming of the Shrew, and you have Much Ado About Nothing). Performances are brilliant (if you're a fan of Robert Sean Leonard, you won't be disappointed), and the setting is absolutely gorgeous. I recommend it for a rainy day.

Much Ado About Nothing.......2007-05-12

I do not usually like Shakespeare, but this movie is very enjoyable.
The actors and actresses are top notch.
It does prove that Shakespeare can be enjoyed and understood.

Much Ado about this film........2007-05-08

This is a wonderful adaptation of Shakespeare's play.
The transition from stage to film is accomplished
with incredible energy. Everyone that is in this
film really seems to enjoy what they are doing.
The settings, costumes, music, and cinematography
are all beautiful. If you are sceptical about some
of the cast members, try to withhold your judgment
until you have seen this film. You will be pleasantly
surprised. Even if you are not a fan of Shakespeare,
this film is a delight to watch.

Average customer rating:

Willie Smith - Willie the Lion
Starring: Willie "The Lion" Smith
Manufacturer: SHANACHIE
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Lion Roars: His Greatest 1934-44
Harlem Renaissance / Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole
Luckey & the Lion: Harlem Piano
The Original James P. Johnson 1942-1945
Louis Armstrong - Live in '59 (Jazz Icons)

ASIN: B00028G7CU
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Description

Willie the Lion brings to life one of the most brilliant and contradictory men of jazz. One of the creators of a new stomping piano style known as "Harlem Stride," Willie "The Lion" Smith was a true American original - a captivating showman, a decorated war hero, a cantor in a Harlem synagogue, a teacher of young musicians like Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and a composer of over a hundred songs including some of the most exquisite tunes in the jazz repertoire.

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Elusive Film Dilutes the Stroheim Touch
A Tale of Old Vienna
Von Stroheim Goes for a Spin
Half Stroheim, strange film
Take A Ride On This MERRY- GO -ROUND.

Merry-Go-Round
Starring: Norman Kerry , Mary Philbin , Dale Fuller , Maude George , and Cesare Gravina
Director: Erich von Stroheim , and Rupert Julian
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008H2GZ
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Amazon.com

Erich von Stroheim's credit doesn't appear on Merry-Go-Round, though he wrote the story--about a caddish Count (Norman Kerry) in Old Vienna falling in love with a virginal commoner (Mary Philbin)--and began directing the film. "Von"'s obsessive, budget-busting methods had already tried producer Irving Thalberg's patience, and after a few weeks' shooting, Stroheim became the first director in history to be fired from a picture. Some of his footage survives, including an eerie suicide leap from a bridge and the Count's introduction in his absurdly grandiose bedchamber, but Rupert Julian, the undistinguished replacement director, shot the majority of the film. It shows. Stroheim's attempts to place his story within a textured portrait of Austrian society were scrapped, as was a final, deus ex machina suicide. Still, certain grotesque details and perverse twists could only have come from Stroheim's script--e.g., the devoted friendship of a hunchback and an orangutan. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

In Vienna circa World War I, decadent Count Franz Maximillian von Hohenegg (Norman Kerry), posing as a necktie salesman, falls in love with innocent Agnes (Mary Philbin), an organ grinder in the city's pleasure zone. An edgy assortment of characters including Franz's cigar-puffing mother, a sadistic brute and rapist, a sensitive hunchback and his trained gorilla, and royalty and circus freaks populate this lavishly-produced and fascinating cinematic classic. Though his name appears nowhere on the final product, legendary director Eric von Stroheim (Greed) penned the story and script, oversaw the sets and costumes, selected the cast, and directed at least one-quarter of the film before being fired by production head Irving Thalberg and replaced by director Rupert Julian (The Phantom of the Opera).

Customer Reviews:

Elusive Film Dilutes the Stroheim Touch.......2003-07-17

I'd say the previous reviews covered the various aspects of MERRY-GO-ROUND quite well, but I think there's a few comments worth making on Erich von Stroheim himself that explain why his being fired from this film wasn't as terrible as it sounds. I have tried to read about everything there is on "Von" and especially enlightening are accounts written by people who actually worked on his films. No doubt he was a genius but he's usually depicted as a martyr for his art, crucified by the mercenary Hollywood bosses. The fact is that Hollywood is the only place in the world that could afford Stroheim and virtually every studio gave him a chance to direct. Despite the many years that he lived, worked, and was lionized in Europe during his later life, nobody ever entrusted him with directing a film there.

I'm no psychoanalyst, but something seems to have happened to him when he began directing a film. Read Gloria Swanson's account in her autobiography where she discusses the film, Queen Kelly. Von was perfectly reasonable until filming began, then he lost it. Perhaps Louis B. Mayer, of all people, summed it up best when he said in his later years that had Stroheim been just ten percent more reasonable, they would still be making films together. Everybody knew he was a genius, but even geniuses have to be a little reasonable. Personally, I could never understand why he insisted on making films much too long for commercial release. He understood the limitations very well but Hollywood always gets the blame!

MERRY-GO-ROUND was an attempt to separate Von Stroheim the director and actor from Von Stroheim the writer and producer. Not surprisingly, the results are mixed and film seems like imitation Stroheim. After he left Universal, he managed to direct films for all the major studios (MGM, Paramount, United Artists, Fox) except Warners, and even they discussed a possible film with him. In 1930, Universal hired him back, the first time he worked there since MERRY-GO-ROUND, to make a talkie remake of his first directing film, BLIND HUSBANDS. Again, he seemed reasonable until filming began. Universal fired him when he refused to use a stock recording of church bells but wanted a special crew to record bells as they sound when heard across a lake! Can you really blame the studio?

Viewed most charitably, Stroheim was a genuine film artist born out his time. Today he would be in his element directing controversial mini-series for HBO.

A Tale of Old Vienna.......2003-04-22

Merry-Go-Round begins in pre First World War Vienna. It is the story of Count Hohenegg (Norman Kerry) who, while pretending to be a necktie salesman, falls in love with a barrel organ grinder Agnes (Mary Philbin). However, he fails to tell her that the Emperor has commanded that he marry a Countess he does not love. It is immediately apparent from even the briefest of outlines of the story that this film bears the imprint of Erich von Stroheim. He wrote the story and began directing the film until he was replaced by Rupert Julian. It may well have been a better film if Stroheim had been allowed to continue, then again it may never have been finished. What can be said is that the troubled production of Merry-Go-Round is evident in the finished product. It is fascinating film with many good scenes, but it is no masterpiece.

Mary Philbin does well in the role of Agnes, particularly in one scene where she is menaced by her brutal boss. Norman Kerry is less effective. The role he plays requires him to be both sympathetic and something of a cad, but his performance lacks any sense of danger. He is far too nice to be a seducer. Von Stroheim would go on to play a similar character in The Wedding March and his performance in that film has just the right mix of dissolute charm and attractiveness. No one has been able to play the debauched aristocratic scoundrel like Von Stroheim. His acting is missed in Merry-Go-Round just as much as his direction.

Merry-Go-Round has good production values with convincing sets and fine costumes. The film is often quite beautiful to look at. According to notes on the DVD, the film we see is derived from two 16mm prints. The resulting print is quite pleasing to look at. It includes the original colour tints and has exquisite picture titles. At times there is quite a lot of print damage and the image is sometimes rather soft and lacking in sharp focus. But for the most part the print looks pretty good. It seems complete and has none of the breaks in continuity which mar some silent film prints. The scratches which appear, from time to time, are never really distracting. The music, which accompanies the film, is derived from the original cue sheet. It follows the action and the mood of the film well. Merry-Go-Round may not be a great film, but it is entertaining and well worth seeing.

Von Stroheim Goes for a Spin.......2003-04-17

Film historians generally-and in my opinion, rightly-consider Erich von Stroheim to have been among the greatest directors in movie history. But none of Stroheim's major works, starting with Foolish Wives, survives today in the form he intended. Of his mutilated masterpieces, The Wedding March probably comes closest to realizing his intentions. The picture was edited by another "von," Josef von Sternberg, who probably understood as well as any outsider could have what its creator had set out to do, and who gave the movie a compulsively vibrant intensity, as if Maurice Ravel's La Valse had been transferred to celluloid. But Stroheim never forgave him this act of lese majesty.
Merry-Go-Round was commenced after Stroheim had finished Foolish Wives at Universal, but Irving Thalberg, appalled by the director's contempt for budgets and refusal to knuckle under to the studio's demands, fired him and handed over the picture to the hack Rupert Julian, who got sole credit for the direction. Nevertheless, at least the first half of the movie shows the influence of Stroheim. Thalberg may have wanted to show Stroheim who was boss, but he by no means had a low opinion of the latter's abilities and would hardly have scrapped the footage that had already been shot out of spite (but see the note below).
Anyone familiar with The Wedding March will have no difficulty in recognizing in Merry-Go-Round a preliminary sketch for the later film. In Vienna just before the outbreak of World War I, an aristocratic but impoverished roué, Franz Maxmillian von Hohenegg (Norman Kerry) meets a poor girl, Agnes Urban (Mary Philbin) who works at a concession in the Prater. The girl herself is being hotly pursued by the brutal Schani (George Siegmann), owner of the concession, but is also the object of affection of the pathetic hunchback Bartholomew Gruber (George Hackathorne), whose pet orangutan eventually metes out Schani's just deserts.
Kerry and Philbin were stars of the period probably best remembered for playing opposite Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera. They give adequate performances, although they pale in comparison to the trio of von Stroheim himself, Zasu Pitts, and Fay Wray in The Wedding March. Cognoscenti will also be able to easily spot such Stroheim regulars as Dale Fuller, who plays Schani's wife, and Cesare Gravina as the father of Agnes, performers whom Stroheim cast in similar roles in The Wedding March. Nor would they be likely to overlook the appearance of a truly legendary name among the technical credits: that of the great cinematographer William Daniels, the co-photographer of Merry-Go-Round, who went on to shoot Greed and The Merry Widow.
Von Stroheim's early works like Foolish Wives and this film were lurid melodramas that hovered between Griffith at his most sensationalistic and what might have resulted had someone let loose R. Crumb amid the ruins of the Hapsburg empire. Merry-Go-Round is emphatically not "Vienna, City of My Dreams"! But Stroheim was not interested in stripping bare the vices of the upper class just for whatever malicious pleasure it might have afforded him. Owing to repression, the vice which avows itself frankly in the lower classes takes on more extravagant, more refined, more perverse-and thus more aesthetically interesting-forms in the upper reaches of society. Here, but far more impressively in The Wedding March and Queen Kelly, Stroheim observes the antics of such etiolated specimens of a once powerful aristocracy with the rapt fascination of a zoologist studying the death throes of a species facing imminent extinction.
It may come as a surprise to younger movie buffs to find out that Stroheim was esteemed in his heyday as a "realist." Certainly from a present day perspective Stroheim's great films come across as the product of a highly idiosyncratic imagination-and seem about as realistic as a gargoyle on a Gothic cathedral. Yet starting with his next production, Greed, Stroheim's pictures not only became more technically audacious-especially in his use of tightly intercut close-ups-but also moved away from caricature into far more probing analyses of human behavior. While only a minor part of the von Stroheim corpus, Merry-Go-Round supplies a link between the earlier and later works, making it indispensable viewing for anyone who wants to study the surviving evidence of this astonishing director's career.
It is always worth keeping in mind that Stroheim had worked under D.W. Griffith, and evidently absorbed Griffith's visionary approach to film art-not to mention his preference for shooting movies on an epic scale. But von Stroheim's unremitting gaze exchanged Griffith's heliotropic apocalypses-Intolerance fittingly bears the subtitle "A Sun Play of the Ages"-for cosmic dramas of entropy. However, Stroheim was no cynic. His fascination with depravity sprang from a sense of outrage at the injustice of the universe and a desire to peel back the excrescence of centuries of civilized hypocrisy in order to show the truth of the human condition as he saw it. Stroheim's preferred terrain was Central Europe in its last throes of decadence, but when he cast his eye on the New World in Greed and Hello, Sister, it didn't look any more promising, just cruder.
David Shepherd has been responsible for a number of valuable restorations of important older films on DVD. Combining-and digitally remastering-two 16mm prints, he has done an impressive job with Merry-Go-Round. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for this outstanding DVD. This version preserves the original tinting and also boasts a stereo musical track based upon the score for the silent film.
New note: The excellent Kino Video DVD of Queen Kelly contains the sequences from Merry-Go-Round thought to have been shot by Stroheim as well as supplementary materials relating to the production of the film.

Half Stroheim, strange film.......2003-04-16

We will never know what would have become of this film if Erich von Stroheim hadn't been fired half-way through and been replaced by the merely competent Rupert Julian. The script is pure Stroheim and a complete rip-off of "The Wedding March." A rich Viennese (What else? This is Stroheim) prince is engaged to a royal woman but falls for a poor organ grinder in the local amusement park. An assortment of carnival types (including a hunchback whose hunchback is so small I could never see it - hardly the physical deformity that one might be self-conscious about) populate the film, along with Stroheim's usual repertory company that includes Dale Fuller, Cesar Gravina, etc. The whole film comes across as second rate, but undeniable, Stroheim. It isn't fully developed script-wise nor visually. Some scenes fall flat and do not work well. The huge amusement park is impressive with a real merry go round. The print here is merely okay to good. Scatches are apparent throughout. There are no DVD extras - none. Still, I am thankful to have this film released on DVD. Video copies are hard to find and in much worse condition than this copy. Should you get it? Stroheim fans need to see this. Silent movie fans MAY want to add this to library if they are collecting all the extant features out there - but only after they spend their money on the many other indispensable films out there. This is far from a great film. It IS one more piece in the Stroheim library.

Take A Ride On This MERRY- GO -ROUND........2003-04-16

Until now MERRY-GO-ROUND has been one of those silent films more talked about than seen. This was the movie that producer Irving Thalberg fired Erich von Stroheim from halfway through the shooting. Director Rupert Julian (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) replaced him and got sole credit. Thalberg would leave Universal after this and go to MGM where he would later cut von Stroheim's most famous film GREED to a little over 2 hours thereby eliminating two-thirds of the movie. Viewing this film 80 years after the fact, MERRY-GO-ROUND has much to recommend it. Erich von Stroheim's hand is still very much in evidence from the opulent settings of the Austrian aristocracy to the use of two members of his stock company, Dale Fuller and Cesare Gravina. The real revelation here is Mary Philbin best known for PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Here she demonstrates greater acting ability then in any other of her surviving films. She does tend to go a little over the top near the end of the film which is no doubt the fault of director Julian who according to Lon Chaney encouraged his performers to overact in PHANTOM. Norman Kerry, a dependable leading man from the silent era, gives his usual fine performance but the acting honors go to veteran villian George Siegmann (BIRTH OF A NATION) and especially George Hackathorne as the hunchback Bartholemew. The story of an Austrian nobleman who falls in love with a woman outside his social class would be remade by von Stroheim in 1928 as THE WEDDING MARCH. This DVD transfer comes from two surviving 16mm prints which feature the original color tints and the elaborately illustrated t