Thirteen

Starring:Holly Hunter, Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, Jeremy Sisto, Brady Corbet, Deborah Kara Unger, Kip Pardue, Sarah Clarke, D.W. Moffett, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Jenicka Carey, Ulysses Estrada, Sarah Cartwright, Jasmine Di Angelo, Tessa Ludwick, CeCe Tsou, Jamison Yang, Frank Merino, Cynthia Ettinger, Charles Duckworth
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

When released in December 2000, Thirteen Days was pummeled for taking liberties with the facts of the Cuban missile crisis and smothering its compelling drama with phony Boston accents by its primary stars. More tolerant critics hailed it as one of the year's best films, and that's the opinion to believe for anyone who enjoys taut, intelligent political thrillers. For those too young to relate directly to the timeless urgency of the crisis that played out over 13 days in October 1962, Thirteen Days joins the classic TV treatment The Missiles of October (1973) as an intense and thought-provoking study of leadership under pressure.

The film (and costar-coproducer Kevin Costner) drew criticism for fictionally enhancing the White House role of presidential aide Kenneth O'Donnell, but while Costner's Boston accent may be grating, his fine performance as O'Donnell offers expert witness to the crisis, its nerve-wracking escalation, and the efforts of John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) and Robert F. Kennedy (Steven Culp) to negotiate a peaceful settlement with Russia. While Soviet missiles approach operational status in Cuba, director Roger Donaldson (who directed Costner in No Way Out) cuts to exciting U.S. Navy flights over the missile site, ramping up the tension that history itself provided. Donaldson's occasional use of black and white is self-consciously distracting, and he's further guilty of allowing a shrillness (along with repetitive, ominous shots of nuclear explosions) to invade the urgency of David Self's screenplay. Still, as Hollywood history lessons go, Thirteen Days is riveting stuff. You may find yourself wondering what might happen if reality presented a repeat scenario under less intelligent leadership. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Kevin Costner stars in this inside look at how the Kennedy Administration responded to the discovery of offensive Soviet weapons in Cuba, and the pressurized tug-of-war that ensued between the US and the USSR during the thirteen days of the missile crisi

Customer Reviews:

Thirteen Days.......2007-06-27

A great movie that relives the times of slow communication and hard headed politicians and the result that such a combination can bring.

Thirteen Days.......2007-06-11

Brings back memories. I was in SAC at the time and we were really close to going to nuclear war. After my first shift I went home and nailed G.I. blankets over the windows. I figured if the Russians were as accurate as WE thought there might be a lot of lying glass. If they were as good as THEY said they were I knew it wouldn't matter.

I could easily visualize the events in the movie happening as they were portrayed.

This really tells how close to nuclear war we came .......2007-05-31

I thought that this was a very well made film that tells how close to nuclear war we came. I knew that this was kind of a scary time in the history of our country but i wasnt aware of how scary it was intil i saw this.This Was a well made film and the acting was quite good.Rather you are Republican or Democrate you need to see this film.

A decent film which could have been even better.......2007-05-24

A film that takes place during what has become known as "the Cuban Missile Crisis", an event which is not only a harrowing chapter for the United States, but potentially for human civilization as well. This important historical period is a interesting and fascinating subject, centered around then-President John F. Kennedy's handling of the extremely tense situation whereby the Soviet Union was shipping and basing medium-range missiles capable of reaching the continental United States from the proxy regime of Cuba.

Although this is excellent subject matter for a movie, unfortunately it is just a backdrop for the film THIRTEEN DAYS, which focuses on Kenny O'Connell (Kevin Costner), a friend and political advisor to JFK. In spite of the gravity of the Crisis, the film spends too much time centered around someone not deserving of being the subject of the film. O'Connell's character is not as interesting as the events unfolding around him, and not really compelling enough to warrant the attention, which would have been better spent on JFK and the confrontation and the Soviet perspective. Further, Costner's attempt at a genuine Yankee (Massachusetts) accent is obvious and labored and ultimately unconvincing. The whole thing comes off as a hint of a vanity project for Costner.

Among the film's strengths includes Bruce Greenwood doing arguably the best portrayal of JFK to date depicted on film or TV. The actor (Steven Culp) playing Bobby Kennedy was also a good pick and did a fine job in his limited role, and Dylan Baker gave an interesting performance as SecDef Robert McNamara.

The best parts of the film were the two marvelous aerial scenes: the first featuring the 2-ship formation of RF-8 aircraft doing their high-speed, low-level recon of the Cuban missile sites; the second featuring the dramatization of Maj. Rudolph Anderson's fateful mission. This was a compelling and tense sequence which completely draws the viewer in, even though the heartbreaking outcome was already known ahead of time.

All in all, it was a decent film which could have been better if it concentrated on where the more compelling interest, characters, and actions were.

Suspenseful.......2007-05-16

Great movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As history is recounted of this intense and highly-pressurized situation of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the viewer is entertained and educated.

Authentic in costume and dialect, this movie brings you back to the time when John F. Kennedy was in office, and one of the most important decisions he and his advisors made and took action on during his presidency. Kevin Costner is good in his role as the lead actor but a supporting character to JFK himself.

Average customer rating:

Tragic, heartbreaking and strong, a film that dares to be heard and deserves to be applauded...
Must seen if you like messed up movies
Amazing and True
Awful....
Reminds me my thirteen!

Thirteen
Starring: Holly Hunter , Evan Rachel Wood , Nikki Reed , Jeremy Sisto , and Brady Corbet
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00013RC2K
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Amazon.com

A gut-wrenching portrait of adolescence, Thirteen is made all the more powerful because it was co-written by a genuine teenage girl, Nikki Reed, who also co-stars in the movie. Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood), a serious good student, finds herself needing to express her anger and resentment at her fractured family life. To rebel, she pursues a friendship with the reckless, alluring Evie (Reed), who seems to have all the cocksure freedom that Tracy desires. What follows is both harrowing and compelling: Tracy becomes enmeshed in a relationship with Evie that empowers Tracy and drags her deeper into the misery she wants to escape--and terrifies her mother (Holly Hunter), who struggles desperately to hold on to her daughter's love. Thirteen makes every step on this path utterly convincing, due to the vivid script, energized direction, and astonishingly alive performances from Hunter, Reed, and especially Wood. Jolting, sad, and mesmerizing. --Bret Fetzer

Description

"Brace yourself" (Rolling Stone) for a raw, revealing insight into urban adolescence that's so intense and realistic, "it's possible to turn away (Interview Magazine). Anxiously trying to fit into the peer-pressure cooker environment of junior high, thirteen-year-old Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) goes to shocking lengths in order to befriend Evie (co-writer Nikki Reed), the most popular girl in school. Now the two are inseparable - and incorrigible - leaving Tracy's desperate mom (Academy Award winner Holly Hunter) powerless to rescue her from a whirlwind of drugs, sex and crime.

Customer Reviews:

Tragic, heartbreaking and strong, a film that dares to be heard and deserves to be applauded... .......2007-07-02

The first time I watched `thirteen' I was stunned at how brutally honest a film it was. It's so easy for Hollywood to sugar-coat reality to make it accessible but here that is far from the case. In it's honesty though it never crosses the line in becoming so overtly dramatic and edgy that it comes across forced and in other words Hollywoodized. `thirteen' stays true and relatable and effortlessly absorbing. While watching the film I found my heart invested in the story, in the characters and in their eventuality. I really cared for everyone involved in different ways and for different reasons. The cast, I should immediately point out, is so brilliant here that they really help keep this film true to form and each actress adds layers of honesty to her performance.

Evan Rachel Wood blew me away with her performance as Tracy Freeman. Tracy is your average thirteen year old girl. She's awkward around boys, teased at school, distant from the popular girls, estranged from her parents, longing to be accepted by her peers as well as her father. Her whole life seems a waste. Her mother Melanie is a recovering alcoholic who damages her family with her choice of male companions but who is genuinely trying to make things good again for her children. Tracy's father is never around to lend a hand in the matter and can't seem to find the time in his schedule to give his daughter the attention she needs. In order to vent her frustration and find some control Tracy resorts to smoking and cutting.

Tracy them meets Evie Zamora, the popular girl in school. She's overly sexual, malicious and dangerous and these qualities immediately draw Tracy in. She begins to conform to Evie's standards and a shift begins to take place in Tracy's attitude and her actions. Melanie, the maternal instinct kicking in, spots this change early on but is unable to take evasive action. Evie's family life is tragic as well. Her parents are no where to be seen and her cousin who acts as her guardian is so uninvolved and lenient with Evie that her behavior, as drastic and outlandish as it is, is welcomed, even encouraged. Melanie sees this and feels almost guilted into accepting this girl, a girl who gets no real love and attention elsewhere. While Tracy distances herself further from her mother, Evie uses this opportunity to attach herself, reaching out to that motherly concern, love and guidance she's lacked all her life.

The film spirals down to a breathtaking ending that resolves much and brings to the fore true intentions. It's beautifully scripted by director Catherine Hardwicke and co-star Nikki Reed, who plays Evie. Reed is tragic as Evie, really captures the essence of this girl lost in the shuffle and her breakdown in the end of this film is beautifully captured in all its raw reality. Her character finally emerges in truth and honesty before everyone's eyes and as her exposure is made clear the sheer brilliance of her performance is made manifest as well. Holly Hunter well deserved her Oscar nomination. Her portrayal of Melanie is sincere and heartbreaking. But no one here deserves more praise than Evan Rachel Wood who devours her role and delivers such tempered and controlled emotions, delivering believability and honesty in each brilliantly calculated move. Watching her character transform in each scene is effortless and captivating.

`thirteen' may be hard to stomach sometimes, especially if you're a parent, and even more so if you are a parent of a young daughter. As much as it may remain difficult I feel it's also very important that you force yourself through it. It exposes quite well the dangers surrounding young girls today, from the desires and pressures to conform to your peers and the enticing effects of drugs, alcohol and sex, vices that are becoming more and more accessible to kids of younger and younger ages. Directed with equal measures grit and concern, `thirteen' is a landmark film that sheds a much needed light on the dangers of adolescence and is one of the more moving and socially important films of the past decade. By far the greatest film of 2003.

Must seen if you like messed up movies.......2007-04-15

I definitly reccomend this as a buy, because its the scary truth. Awesome flick, great acting.
xoxo

Amazing and True.......2007-04-13

I have an old friend that went through this exact same situation(s). This movie was amazing, true, and eye-opening. This is what happens in real life and it is all real...there is nothing fake about it. This is the best realistic movie about teenage girls that I have ever seen in my life! Nothing else compares to this. The cinematography is amazing; the movie is done very, very well. I can't say how much this movie hit home or otherwise - it is just great and it is truely my favorite movie ever!

10 out of 5 stars for Thirteen!

Awful...........2007-03-09

I do not understand how anyone could rate this trite piece of garbage 5 stars. The story was predictable, and the script was boring and forced. The movie had some scenes with shock value, but I didn't watch it to see fourteen year old girls getting undressed, and forcing themselves upon people. I was hoping it would be along the lines of kids, but nowhere near the intensity of that movie. The characters in this movie are two dimensional, which makes the movie even more unbeleivable. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I expected a LOT better from the other reviews I read.

Reminds me my thirteen!.......2007-03-07

I loved it. Every bit of it. Great cast! It brings back memories and I understood it right away. There were so many things about the way the kids were that reminded me of being at that awkward age. What a great movie!

Average customer rating:

wow
Definitely non horror-genre
Kill the French
not scary? so?
13 reasons to turn it off...

Thirteen Ghosts
Starring: Tony Shalhoub , Embeth Davidtz , Matthew Lillard , Shannon Elizabeth , and Alec Roberts
Director: Steve Beck
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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House on Haunted Hill
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ASIN: B00005UQ9W
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Amazon.com

Cool sets, gory make-up, and frantic energy are given high priority in this glossy remake of William Castle's 1960 haunted-house chiller. The original boasted its "Illusion-O" ghost-viewing gimmick, so this remake's producers--as they did with 1999's The House on Haunted Hill--up the ante on Castle's showmanship by spilling ample amounts of blood, guts, and ghoulish glory. The plot's essentially the same: An impoverished family inherits a luxurious haunted mansion, only this time it's an elaborate, maze-like mechanism of glass, gears, and Latin incantations--"designed by the devil and powered by the dead"--with a cellar full of tormented, undead souls. As the family (including Tony Shalhoub and American Pie's Shannon Elizabeth) enlists the aid of a psychic (Scream alumnus Matthew Lillard) and a ghostbusting paranormal (Embeth Davidtz), this updated 13 Ghosts grows loud and ludicrous, trading shocks for yuks and nuance for nonsense. It's fun, to a point, after which it's just exhausting. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A family inherits an elegant steel-and-glass mansion from a deceased relative. The catch is that along with the house comes a slew of ghosts that can be seen only through special goggles.

Customer Reviews:

wow.......2007-06-01

One word: INFURIATING.

The decision to show the ghosts in spastic, shakily-filmed snatches could have been a good one if it were done differently, but as it stands it's just obnoxious, jerky and in some cases hilariously stupid looking. (I'm looking at you, Jackal. Hold still! His tic makes more sense once you've watched the ghost profiles, but that doesn't make it look any less silly.) Some of the ghosts barely get any screen time--I resorted to backtracking and pausing several times just to get a good look at them. "Shuttle... PAUSE! Shuttle... PAUSE!" becomes second nature within the first 15 minutes. It's a shame, as the ghost designs are quite well done, especially Linda Blai--err, I mean Jackal. (I kid, I really dig that design.)

I admit, the movie starts out with promise. A distinctive comic-book feel, like ideas siphoned from Ghostbusters and poured into a much darker, sexier shell. Within the first few minutes you're treated to nice camera work and visuals, cool machinery, a really scary-looking ghost and several deaths. There is plenty of beautiful cinematography throughout. Certainly not a complete disappointment.

However, this film's runtime is something like 91 minutes. Everything either happens entirely too fast or is not explained enough to follow well, and by the time I was actually interested in what was going on beyond pausing repeatedly to examine the ghosts, roughly an hour had already elapsed. It's difficult to explain the phenomenon, but it's definitely not good.

I fully recommend the ghost profiles in the extras, though. I'd say those are better than the actual movie.

Three stars for the FX budget and the extremely graphic and clever vivisection of the lawyer near the start of the film. (This bit is good enough that I felt a smile creeping onto my face as it happened but was powerless to stop myself.) Also you get to see Matthew Lillard get bashed in the face, which is worth a full star on its own. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Definitely non horror-genre .......2007-01-28

No, no, no - this movie is not scary, just horrific and this film does the cast no favours, the cast are good actors, they honestly are, they just had a completely unbelievable script.

It is not scary in the slightest, the ghosts are totally drab, (i've seen scarier budgies) and the story, though a good idea, is played out terribly.
no offense to anyone who likes this film, but i would not recommend this movie at all.

Kill the French.......2006-12-12

Never has there been a better campaign erected against the wearing of sunglasses indoors. Which is a good thing because you can hurt yourself, but like they say, looking cool ain't easy (however, I digress). Like some sadistic Jenga mansion, "Thirteen Ghosts" kept me biting my nails while sitting on the edge of my seat exuding a stench of cold copper sweat. Tightly scripted, brilliantly cast, boldly choreographed, this could be the film that finally solidifies CGI as an essential vitamin of the cinema -- along with sex, violence and pratfalls, of course. If nothing else, it at least tops any of that neo-New French Fusion Wave drivel or whatever you call it like "Amelie" or "Everything is Illuminated." Blecckkkk!

not scary? so?.......2006-10-18

"Thir13en Ghosts" is the second movie made by Dark Castle Entertainment, who brought us the equally chilling "House On Haunted Hill" remake in 1999. This film is a remake of William Castle's 3-D ghost house romp. This movie opens with some real-life "ghost hunters" hunting ghosts in a wrecking yard, the ghost is very violent, lots of people die. We are then introduced into the Kriticos family, which consists of a father, his daughter and son, and their live-in nanny. Living in a cramped little apartment, they are happy when they inherit their uncle Arthur's glass-walled mansion after his death. Little do they know, Arthur was a ghost hunter, and the basement of the house contains sealed rooms that hold twelve assorted ghosts. When the family goes to see the house one evening, they meet a kooky electrician (who is actually a previous ghost hunter who worked for Arthur). And after entering the house, it seals shut, and begins to shift, hallways disappearing and changing, etc. Turns out this glass-walled "house" is a ghost machine, and as the night progresses, the ghosts below are released from their containment.

This is one of those movies that is really flashy, jumpy, and loud. It uses these qualities as scare tactics, and they actually work in this film. The ghosts in the movie were scary as hell, each of them have a bit of a backstory and a name. The ghosts that freaked me out in particular were The Pilgrimess, The Angry Princess, and The Jackal. All of them were scary in their own ways, but out of them all, those ones stood out to me. The setting for the film was great, and the whole house set was magnificent - all the walls made of glass, glass floors, etc. It looked awesome. The special effects were great, especially the makeup used on the unique ghosts, and it had plenty of startling action sequences. The acting was decent, good enough in the context of the movie. And the realtor's death was probably the best in the whole film, very original and gruesome. I liked how they incorporated the "glasses" theme into this movie. In the original 1960 version, you had to wear actual 3-D glasses to see the ghosts. In this movie, the characters must wear special glasses to see them.

Overall, "Thir13en Ghosts" is a good horror movie. It's not necessarily scary, but it's startling on many occasions and the ghosts in the movie were really creepy and unique, I've never seen ones quite like this in a horror film. Don't expect a suspenseful mystery thriller, but if you like supernatural horror movies that are jumpy and flashy, you'll enjoy this. 7/10.

13 reasons to turn it off..........2006-08-04

13 - Monk should stick to Monk
12 - The ghosts aren't scary
11 - Matthew Lillard is annoying
10 - The very first scene says it all (stupid)
9 - There are no real jump scenes
8 - The script is lame
7 - Shannon Elizabeth keeps her top on
6 - The cool house isn't really all that cool
5 - The acting is atrocious
4 - Did I mention that Lillard is annoying?
3 - And so is that little kid
2 - The premise is retarded
1 - You'll regret it if you don't!

Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Peter Ustinov (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner)

Average customer rating:

Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Peter Ustinov (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner)
Three-In-One
Well, after David Suchet...
Wonderful!!!
The one and only Poroit

Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Peter Ustinov (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner)
Starring: Agatha Christie Collection
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Helen Hayes (A Caribbean Mystery / Murder Is Easy / Murder with Mirrors)
Agatha Christie Mysteries (Death on the Nile / Evil Under the Sun / The Mirror Crack'd)
Evil Under the Sun
Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
Death on the Nile

ASIN: B000GB5M1A
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

Before the suave David Suchet, there was the imposing, twinkly Peter Ustinov as Agatha Christie's unflappable Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Ustinov's Poirot, who appeared in several TV films of Christie's works in the mid-'80s, is not as metrosexual as Suchet's. He plays Poirot as world-weary and ever-so-slightly rumpled--despite the jaunty upturned trademark mustache. Thirteen for Dinner features Poirot trying to solve the murder of one Lord Edgeware, investigating, among others, the lovely mystery woman played by a witchy Faye Dunaway. (And in a fun bit of foreshadowing, Suchet appears here in the role of Poirot's sidekick Japp.) Dead Man's Folly finds Poirot and an old friend, a mystery writer played by Jean Stapleton, at a "murder hunt" party at which the dead body really does turn up dead. Murder in Three Acts finds Poirot far afield in sunny Acapulco, at a glorious villa belonging to a suave actor played by Tony Curtis. A random death-by-martini at a posh party opens the door to the possibility of murder--handy that Poirot is there to help the local constables. The supporting cast features top '80s TV actors like Emma Samms as the actor's arm candy, and Diana Muldaur (the wicked Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law. The production values are also topnotch--with gorgeous location shots in Mexico adding both romance but also unnerving isolation to the proceedings. As Ustinov's Poirot says after the dreadful event, "Logic tells me it's not murder--but instinct keeps tapping me on the shoulder." --A.T. Hurley

Description

You're in good company with Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov), Agatha Christie's impeccable Belgian sleuth who's always at his best at chic soirees where the hospitality is warm...and the corpses are cold. Match wits with the master in this full-course banquet of mystery involving a country-house game of murder turned real (Dead Man's Folly), a move star turned amateur detective (Murder in Three Acts), and a dinner part turned deadly (Thirteen at Dinner). Bon appetit!

Customer Reviews:

Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Peter Ustinov (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner).......2007-05-17

These are good videos because the actors carry off good performances and the Agatha Christie stories have great plots. Peter Ustinov is one of the best Peirots! I think I misspelled the name. I can say it, however.

Three-In-One.......2007-03-11

I love Peter Ustinov, and he plays a good Poirot. These three made for TV movies are not quite as good as "Death on the Nile" or "Evil Under the Sun" (they are a bit more lighthearted), but they will keep you guessing if you don't already know "who done it". They do have some good performances from great actors and actresses (Tony Curtis, Faye Dunaway), and it is fun to see David Suchet playing Inspector Japp.

Well, after David Suchet..........2007-03-09

As I said, David Suchet has really established himself in the role of Hercule Poirot, just like Jeremy Brett with Sherlock Holmes.

By the way, did you know that David Suchet, last year and this year, is filming the very last four remaining episodes of the long-lasting series?

Oh yes, mon ami... Including "Murder on the Orient Express", which will probably be filmed last, due to its complexity.

Once that accomplished, Poirot will retire for good, unless...

Now let's come to this mini-collection.

Three TV Movies of the master sleuth. Naturally not as lavishly produced as Albert Finney's "Murder on the Orient Express" or Peter Ustinov's "Death on the Nile" and again "Evil Under the Sun", but still palatable for this format.

Only disappointing fact is that there was a fourth TV Movie made in the meantime, by a long gone Production Company known as Golan-Globus, also known as The Cannon Group and now separately available on an MGM/UA DVD.
Originally intended to become a theatrical release, that one, in 1988, never made it there and therefore was distributed for Television Release.

This movie was "Appointment with Death" co-starring Lauren Bacall.

I gave it 3 stars because iit is a memento of the body of work by an otherwise talented actor, as Peter Ustinov was.
Alas though, there and then, it was apparent that they were about to attempt a sort of TV series a la Suchet's Poirot, but failed miserably, by setting it in modern times, rather than, as per the cited movies, setting it in its own described period.

Also the trilogy lacks actors that can stand up to Ustinov (only exception made for Jean Stapleton (All in the Family) in "Dead Man's Folly", Faye Dunaway (Chinatown, Bonnie & Clyde etc.) in "Thirteen at Dinner"and in a reversal of roles, the would be next in line, David Suchet himself as Inspector Japp in the same movie.
Nor is it helpful to have Tony Curtis as a psychopath in "Murder in Three Acts". a role he tries to play honestly, but which falls short from being a ridiculous and shameful swan song for such a great actor.

All the rest of the cast is pitiful to say the least.

Jonathan Cecil as Hastings is laughable, and not in a good sense, compared to that incarnated by Hugh Fraser.

All in all this box is really just reserved "in memoriam" to Sir Peter Ustinov and NOT for its cinematic values, but just to fill your collection with what could have been a nice set, if the producers had had more faith in the stories and in the characters as they appeared in Agatha Christie's books.

But for those of you, who really wish to penetrate the world of the Great Sleuth, please forget this.

It is not even worth a comparison to the David Suchet series.

I hear that David Suchet will be filming "Dead Man's Folly" in October of this year (2007) and "Three Act Tragedy" (equivalent to "Murder in Three Acts") in the following month.

My suggestion, if you are a patient and savvy person, wait until the early months of 2008 and buy the David Suchet DVD, last of the line, or if you don't already own it, buy the complete boxed series, which also includes all the TV Movies.

It is well worth your money, far more than this little "nothing".

So sorry Sir Peter Ustinov, but this is no "Spartacus", nor is it "Quo Vadis?"

Wonderful!!!.......2007-02-07

It is so great to see the old standards come to market. They just don't make good movies like this anymore. Pure acting and not so much background stuff and not all action. Real 5 star stuff.

The one and only Poroit.......2007-01-05

Peter Ustinov is Hercule Poroit, without question. In this three dic set, as well as in all other Poroit movies he has played in, Ustinov is the witty, funny French, I mean Belgian detective that he has always been. Overall, the three movies do not quite compare with Death on the Nile, or Evil under the sun(mostly because of the fact that these three were filmed in the 80s), but it is definately a set of movies any mystery fan would want on their shelves. I just wish he made more.

Agatha Christie Classic Mystery Collection

Average customer rating:

Not worth it
A Wonderful Collection
AC CLASSIC MYSTERY COLLECTION
Almost All of the Remaining Christie Movies
Mystery Heaven

Agatha Christie Classic Mystery Collection
Starring: Helen Hayes , and Peter Ustinov
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 2
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection
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Murder, She Wrote - The Complete Fifth Season

ASIN: B000GB5M1U
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

The grande dame of teacake murder mysteries, Agatha Christie, has kept generations of readers--and viewers--in her thrall, and this magnificent boxed set is a must for any Christie fan, rabid or casual. The collection includes eight films made for British TV in the '80s, most starring the first lady of the American theater, Helen Hayes, as Miss Marple, and the inimitable Peter Ustinov as Poirot. It would be hard to imagine more acting talent packed into compact TV mysteries.

The three Hayes tales (also available as a separate set) are Murder Is Easy costarring Bill Bixby, a still-radiant Olivia de Havilland, and a young Jonathan Pryce; A Caribbean Mystery, with Barnard Hughes and Swoosie Kurtz; and the grande-dame-duet Murder with Mirrors, with Hayes playing opposite her onetime real-life nemesis, Bette Davis. Mirrors alone is worth the price of the set, as Hayes is in fine form, completely un-vain and sweetly droll. As she heads toward a country manor to visit her "dear friend" Carrie Louise, played by Bette Davis. Davis, in one of her last film performances, plays a woman who may--or may not--be being slowly poisoned to death, but regardless is frail and slightly incoherent. Davis looks quite frail herself, and her line delivery seems a bit uncertain--perhaps extremely effective Method acting, or perhaps she was indeed as frail as she looks; either way, film fans won't want to miss this.

In the three Ustinov films (also available as a separate set), Thirteen for Dinner features Ustinov's Poirot trying to solve the murder of one Lord Edgeware, investigating, among others, the lovely mystery woman played by a witchy Faye Dunaway. (And in a fun bit of foreshadowing, David Suchet, who would go on to play a formidable, more metrosexual Poirot himself, appears here in the role of Poirot's sidekick Japp.) Dead Man's Folly finds Poirot and an old friend, a mystery writer played by Jean Stapleton, at a "murder hunt" party at which the dead body really does turn up dead. Murder in Three Acts finds Poirot far afield in sunny Acapulco, at a glorious villa belonging to a suave actor played by Tony Curtis. A random death-by-martini at a posh party opens the door to the possibility of murder--handy that Poirot is there to help the local constables. The supporting cast features top '80s TV actors like Emma Samms as the actor's arm candy, and Diana Muldaur (the wicked Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law). The production values are also topnotch--with gorgeous location shots in Mexico adding romance but also unnerving isolation to the proceedings.

The two non-Marple and -Poirot films (and thus not included on those individual DVD sets) are Sparkling Cyanide, starring Anthony Andrews and Harry Morgan as officers investigating serial poisonings, and The Man in the Brown Suit, a zippy yarn of international intrigue, with Stephanie Zimbalist as a tourist in Cairo caught in a nightmare of stolen diamonds and death. Supporting roles by Rue McClanahan, Tony Randall, and Edward Woodward add texture to the mysterious proceedings. Never has murder most foul been so deliciously entertaining. --A.T. Hurley

Description

Who slipped poison into the cocktail of kindly old Rev. Babbington?... Why is a mysterious brown-suited stranger trailing a young woman through exotic lands?...What is the secret behind the malevolent deeds at palatial Stonygates? Discover the answers and much more in this star-packed collection of murder most foul, mystery most fun. All eight movies are on DVD for the first time. And all are from novels by the mistress of mystery, Agatha Christie. It'd be a crime to miss them!

Customer Reviews:

Not worth it.......2007-06-27

Sorry, but the more recent Agatha Christie's in the past 10 years are good, these were corny and badly scripted, but good casting. However, not worth watching, as I turned it off as we just couldn't agonize through it all. I'll probably give them away to someone less discriminating. I'm a prude!

A Wonderful Collection.......2007-06-12

The serious lover of mystery will find this a good way to spend several hours with your favorite mystery writer. Ustinov is not my first choice for Poirot, but he has style. And Helen Hayes is delightful. And the collection is well within the price range of the most frugal.

AC CLASSIC MYSTERY COLLECTION.......2007-03-08

This collection is a must have for a true AC Fan. All the usual suspects we try to catch on TV but end up mising them, due to their TX times, are here. Some are far better than others - hence the rating I have given the collection. It would have been nice to have a few extras on the DVD's, but you cant have everything. Hours of sheer magic and suspence.

Almost All of the Remaining Christie Movies.......2007-01-04

With Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot and Helen Hayes as Miss Marple, these are delightful little mysteries with the supporting cast of stars that makes them worth viewing. With stars of the magnitude of Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Faye Dunaway and Tony Curtis, plus an array of TV favorites such as Jean Stapleton, Tony Randall, Bill Bixby and Jameson Parker, Agatha Christie fans shouldn't miss this DVD set. The only problem with the eight-set is that An Appointment with Death wasn't included, one of the better Christie films with Peter Ustinov and Lauren Bacall. Alas, we can but wait impatiently for the straggler to be released on DVD as a single.

Mystery Heaven.......2006-11-11

What a treat to have some of the worlds favorites sleuths such as Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, and Colonel Race all in one collection of eight mysteries. And Agatha Christie doesn't disappoint with exciting mysteries such as Murder in Three Acts, The Man in the Brown Suit, Murder is Easy, and Thirteen to Dinner. It's a pleasure just spending time with some of the great actors that have given so much pleasure to so many over the years such as Helen Hayes, Peter Ustinov, Olivia de Havilland, Tony Curtis, Jean Stapleton, Bill Bixby, Tony Randall and so many more.

Dark Castle Horror Collection (House of Wax 2005 / Gothika / Ghost Ship / Thirteen Ghosts / House on Haunted Hill 1999)

Average customer rating:

Dark and dismal

Dark Castle Horror Collection (House of Wax 2005 / Gothika / Ghost Ship / Thirteen Ghosts / House on Haunted Hill 1999)
Starring: Elisha Cuthbert , Chad Michael Murray , Brian Van Holt , Paris Hilton , and Jared Padalecki
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra , Mathieu Kassovitz , and Steve Beck
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000K4X5P8
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Description

Horror. Suspense. Thrills. From the company launched by Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler HOUSE OF WAX First the whacks, then the wax. Road-tripping collegians step into a backwater town's eerie tourist trap. Chad Michael Murray, Jared Padalecki and Paris Hilton. GOTHIKA A Dark Castle original! At Woodward Penitentiary for Women, someone - or something - is very twisted. And very deadly. Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz and Robert Downey Jr. GHOST SHIP Salvagers trained for anything imaginable face the unimaginable - an adrift cruise ship hexed by a seafaring collector of souls. Julianna Margulies, Gabriel Byrne and Isaiah Washington. THIRTEEN GHOSTS Is their dream home a living nightmare? A family moves into a spectacular home they inherited... but there may be no way out. Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz and Matthew Lillard. HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL One night in the house, one million bucks, no questions asked. The offer is easy to accept. Just try to survive long enough to collect! Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen and Taye Diggs.

Customer Reviews:

Dark and dismal.......2006-11-12

t would be hard to find a collection of horror movies that is as completely worthless as the "Dark Castle Horror Collection." Every movie here is an atrocious compost heap of "boo" scares and verbal drivel, until the best thing you can do is switch on some Vincent Price movies. The best thing here is an impaled Paris Hilton.

Six nubile twentysomethings are en route to a basebell game when (surprise surprise) they break down. To make matters worse, their car is sabotaged by a mysterious figure in the woods. So a few manage to get into town... only to find that some sort of dementoid is running the "House of Wax," and they are going to be the next attraction.

"Gothika" is one of those blots on Halle Berry's resume: She plays a criminal psychologist at a women's prison, and to make things a bit more convenient, she's married to her boss. But her world takes a horrifying turn when she has a car accident, and wakes to find herself an inmate at the prison -- accused of murdering her hubby. And she's seeing ghosts to boot.

"Ghost Ship" makes trouble for a salvage crew, when they find an Italian ocean liner that has been wandering the seas since the 1960s. Something horrifying (and very bloody) happened there when the liner vanished, and when the salvage crew claims the boat, they are slowly picked off by supernatural forces. From the liner, of course.

"Thirteen Ghosts" haunt Cyrus Kriticos's house, which has been left to his grieving nephew Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) and his family. Of course, they decide to head inside -- only to discover that the tormented souls are very real. And worse, they're trapped in a house that is a "machine" to open the very gates of hell. Saw that coming.

"House on Haunted Hill" cinematically rapes the original cult classic. An oddball millionaire (Geoffrey Rush) invites several people to an old lunatic asylum, which is said to be haunted -- if they make it through the night, they will each receive a million dollars. But then the ghosts of the asylum start rising and killing the people there -- assuming that they don't kill each other first.

Horror movies are struggling at the moment, since moviemakers don't have the slightest idea how to creep people out. And so we end up with dreck like these miserable gorefests -- pile on the blood, guts and cheesy cliches, and hope that people actually care enough to watch to the end. It's hard to imagine that anyone would.

"Gothika" ends up being one of the few with an actual plot, albeit a ridiculous one. The other movies are just variations of the typical "locked in a haunted house" storyline, with the requisite mutilated bodies and CGI ghosts. None of them have much atmosphere at all, and the goofy-looking ghosts may inspire laughter instead of fear.

There are a few decent actors in these messes, such as Berry, Robert Downey Jr., and the ever-lovable Shalhoub. Unfortunately, most of the actors are forgettable and bland, and are only called on to shriek out incredibly silly lines ("The house doesn't care what's fair, who lives or dies. Know why? Cause it's a f**king HOUSE!"). "House of Wax" also has the dubious honor of having socialite Paris Hilton in it, though admittedly her death scene is kind of fun.

Poorly-written, badly-acted, and aimed straight down to the bottom, the "Dark Castle Horror Collection" is a perfect example of what NOT to watch on a spooky, stormy night.

Average customer rating:

Welcome to the neighborhood
A Strange And Twisted Tale Of Revenge!
Somewhat uneven horror movie
Another Rule: Do Not Compare Your Movie To Fight Club
Not your typical psycho movie.

The Neighbor No. Thirteen
Starring: Shido Nakamura , Shun Oguri , Hirofumi Arai , Yumi Yoshimura , and Tomoya Ishii
Director: Yasuo Inoue
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Death Trance
Ichi the Killer (Unrated Edition)
Pray
The Heirloom
Kamikaze Girls

ASIN: B000CEV3Q4
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Description

Lead by the sadistic Akai, young Juzo suffered from all kinds of abuses from his classmates. Years later, Juzo is hired at a company where Akai is employed, lives in an apartment right below his and the abuses are repeated once again. Number 13, Juzo's terrifying alter ego, soon appears to put an end to the culprits and everyone else that crosses his path.

Customer Reviews:

Welcome to the neighborhood.......2007-06-06

"The Neighbor No. Thirteen" ("Rinjin 13-go") is a film absolutely packed with talent. Shido Nakamura, who plays the title character of No. Thirteen, is an acclaimed Kabuki actor who made his stage debut at age nine. He made his transition to film work, and has appeared in great films such as "Ping Pong" and "Letters from Iwo Jima". Yumi Yoshimura, who plays Nozomi Akai, is probably best known as one half of the pop duo "Puffy Amiyumi", and a cartoon character on Cartoon Network's "Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi". And if the name Takashi Miike, playing the role of the angry neighbor Kaneda, doesn't ring any bells then you need to look a little deeper into the genre of Japanese horror.

But a lot of famous names doesn't always make a great flick, especially when among them are a pop princess and an avant-garde film director, and the plot of the movie is being adapted from a comic book. In this case, however, it works. All the pieces click together, and the result is an innovative and entertaining film. Not bad at all for first-time director Yasuo Inoue.

The story is very topical to modern Japan, taking on the subject of school yard bullying. More than one young child has murdered another in revenge for intolerable abuse, and even more have commited suicide rather than face another day as a constant target. "The Neighbor No. Thirteen" imagines a scenario where this revenge is repressed, and allowed to fester across the years, until it boils up to the surface taking on a life of its own.

Like most Japanese horror films, the pacing is slower and the story more subtle than a typical revenge flick. Of course, there is blood and plenty of it, but it isn't a case of trying to kill each victim in a new and more cruel way, or an attempt to shock and disgust the audience with gore. There is more psychology than psycho-killer.

A Strange And Twisted Tale Of Revenge!.......2006-12-18

"The Neighbor No. Thirteen," is a strange thriller that might not appeal to many tastes, however, I liked the film. The story centers on the character Murasaki Juzo (Oguri Shun). When Murasaki was a young elementary student he was constantly picked on by fellow classmates, and one in particular named Akai Juzo. In one of Akai's moments of bullying he even has his friends hold Murasaki down while he forces Murasaki to eat excrement. However, the most horrific bullying that Murasaki encounters is when Akai's friends hold him down one day while Akai pours acid onto his face.

Flashforward into the adulthood of Murasaki: and Murasaki's life has been permanently changed due to the trauma of his childhood experiences. One day, while working at his construction job, he noticies that new neighbors have moved into his building. And thus begins a spine-chilling thriller. At his construction job, Murasaki encounters his childhood nemesis. Akai has not matured into an adult, but is still the bully that Murasaki remembers as a young boy. When Akai locks Murasaki in the outdoor comode he is using, Murasaki crashes it open sending Akai to the ground. Only there is a change in Murasaki. Murasaki has a different appearance, and the alter-ego of Murasaki has emeged. After years of repressed and built up rage, the face the viewer sees is that of a blind and scar-faced man.

Akai continues to harass Murasaki, however, Akai does not know that Murasaki lives in the same building as he does. Akai neither knows that Murasaki knows his wife and child, nor does he know that the rage inside of Murasaki is about to explode. The viewer is unaware if what they are watching are the psychotic delusions of Murasaki, or if these are real events that Murasaki is going through. Especially how he is depicted physically. But it is the emotional trauma of Murasaki that has allowed his alter ego to finally take hold of him and now controls him. I will not spoil the film for you, however, it does have a strange twist. Especially concerning the acid spilled on his face. Recommended. Rent it first.

Somewhat uneven horror movie.......2006-11-20

It you're a huge fan of Japanese horror movies you will probably appreciate this flick. If not the move is a mixed bag. There are some compelling and suspenseful scenes throughout. The director does a good job forcing the viewer to try and figure out if they are watching something real or the main character's psychotic fantasies. Some slow pacing here and there will probably limit the audience who will truly appreciate this film.

Of note to Puffy fan's is Yumi Yoshimura appearance as the wife of the bully. She does a respectable job playing the role of wife and mother.

If this is your genera of movie it's worth a watch.

Another Rule: Do Not Compare Your Movie To Fight Club.......2006-04-19

The violence was okay, seemed more like a bad Anime movie.Doesnt hold a candle to Fight Club, no real similarities other than the story point listed on the box.

Not your typical psycho movie........2006-04-09

Taking a ichi the killeresque/fight club kind of story, mixed with a fantastic array of long takes and shots, this director who is used to doing music videos and commercials makes a fantastic debut into this kind of industry.

The start of the movie which is a mix of scenes shoots us into a very realistic movie. The characters are very easy to attach to and although a bit cartoony in the beggining begins to engage us into its loop.

Based on a manga by Santa Inuoe who is known for his Tokyo Tribes manga currently done by Tokyo pop, this was an adaption made from a manga done back in 1993. The style of art wasn't pleasing to my visual pallete but the movie itself was very good to its form.

The DVD is awesome, my 2 disk edition came with a Tshirt saying "Caution: May contain homicidal murderer" with the movies mascot on a white triangle. It includes some amusing previews but has a large making of, from manga to screen, and a bunch of MYV promotional things. I was a bit upset by the lack of deleted scenes (they involved Kaneda AKA takashi miike) but the quality of the other extras plus image gallery balanced it out.

The dubbing was also quite good, although not as good as the original cast in its original language, was not bad to the casual dubbed watcher.

I bought it because of the shirt, and was very happy at after watching the movie. You'll laugh a few times at the dark humor and be emersed in the suspense the movie has to offer.

Enjoy it! I know I did.

Average customer rating:

15 Minutes/Frequency/Thirteen Days by Robert De Niro, Edward Burns

15 Minutes/Frequency/Thirteen Days
Starring: Robert De Niro , Edward Burns , Kelsey Grammer , Avery Brooks , and Melina Kanakaredes
Director: John Herzfeld , Roger Donaldson , and Gregory Hoblit
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HT38DU
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Customer Reviews:

15 Minutes/Frequency/Thirteen Days by Robert De Niro, Edward Burns .......2007-01-23

Three great movies. One low price. Great viewing at a good price. You will not regret this purchase.

Rites of Passage 3 Pack (Garden State / Stealing Beauty / Thirteen)

Average customer rating:

Rites of Passage 3 Pack (Garden State / Stealing Beauty / Thirteen)
Starring: Fox 3pak
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Blue Planet - Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Widescreen Edition)
Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000ICM5KI
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Description

Includes the following titles:

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

CBS Evening News (April 30, 2004)

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Stargate Kommando SG-1 Folge 16: Sha'Res Rückkehr/Insekten d