Nicholas and Alexandra

Starring:Michael Jayston, Janet Suzman, Roderic Noble, Ania Marson, Lynne Frederick, Candace Glendenning, Fiona Fullerton, Harry Andrews, Irene Worth, Tom Baker, Jack Hawkins, Timothy West, Katherine Schofield, Jean-Claude Drouot, John Hallam, Guy Rolfe, John Wood, Laurence Olivier, Eric Porter, Michael Redgrave
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Magnum Opus
the best driffus movie of al times
WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST MOVE
Amazing!
Great acting ~ great gift idea!

Mr. Holland's Opus
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss , Glenne Headly , Jay Thomas , Olympia Dukakis , and William H. Macy
Director: Stephen Herek
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Hollywood Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305428352
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Amazon.com

An earnest and at times overblown story of a music teacher's impact on those around him, Mr. Holland's Opus is at times a genuinely touching drama in the vein of It's a Wonderful Life. Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) plays an aspiring composer and musician who takes a job teaching music at a local high school to save money while he composes his music. But when his wife (Glenne Headley) becomes pregnant, Glenn Holland must put aside his dreams and address the everyday realities of his life, from the melancholy and sometimes tragic fates of his students to the discovery that the son he cherishes is deaf. Building to a highly emotional climax in which the teacher sees the impact he's had on the world around him, Mr. Holland's Opus is a showcase for a fine Oscar-nominated performance by Dreyfuss and an engaging, heartwarming story. --Robert Lane

Description

Acclaimed star Richard Dreyfuss gives the performance of a lifetime (1995 Academy Award(R)-nominee, Best Actor -- MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS) in this uplifting hit cheered by audiences everywhere! Glenn Holland (Dreyfuss) is a passionate musician who dreams of composing one truly memorable piece of music. But reality intrudes when he reluctantly accepts a "day job" as a high school music teacher to support his family. In time, however, Mr. Holland realizes that his real passion is teaching, and his legacy is the generations of young people he inspires. Also featuring Glenne Headly (BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS) and Olympia Dukakis (MAFIA!) -- you're sure to find this electrifying motion picture both entertaining ... and unforgettable!

Customer Reviews:

Magnum Opus.......2007-06-12

Without becoming breezy or overly sentimental, 'Mr. Holland's Opus' shows us the dilemma of many teachers. How does one juggle all of the piles of responsibility one is given, and how does one rise above the fray to achieve greatness? With many hurdles to overcome, Glenn Holland (in an extraordinary performance by Richard Dreyfuss) comes to Portland's Kennedy High School with the aspiration of employment filler with enough free time to compose his own music. Naive about the demands for extra-curriculars and student tutoring, Glenn, nevertheless, must reinvent the wheel and learn to accomodate his students by taking risks to win their love for music. Locking heads with the vice principal (played with perfect starchy officiousness by William Macy), he nearly loses his job and composure. At home his loving, understanding wife will stand by him, but plausibly loses patience when their own beloved son (who was born deaf) gets the shaft on some quality mentor time. Feeling his pain, we also are absorbed in the lives of key students (in fine early performances by Terrence Howard and [Forrest] Whitaker to name a couple). He gets reprieves with the football coach (Jay Thomas) who offers friendship and a spirited rivalry. With a rising starlet at his school and the soundtrack of their lives evolving to John Lennon, the poignancy of a man who has painted himself into a corner comes to roost.

'Mr. Holland's Opus' is as realistic as it is an emotional dead ringer. Admittedly, I prejudged this movie on the notion that it would be facile, cloying, or overly sentimental. Nothing could be further from the truth.

the best driffus movie of al times.......2007-05-23

This movie was smash hit and got Drifus the oscar nomie for best actor. This movie was a smash hit back in 1996 making 83 milion in the United Statee and 103 million world wide. For those of you that loved Forest Gummp you will love this movie. This movie will always be the best Drifuss movie ever made of all time. If one teacher could effect that many kids. Then image what the natios of the world could do in real life. They could come together and put aside their petty differecnes and embrace there fellow man and women. I just have one thing to say God bless you Richard Drifus we need more people like you in these year of war aginst the middle east. Mr. Halland oppus show's the courage and purity that lies in the most seemingly difante of souls. That one man can change the lives of millions of people around him. If we can join together and work with each other instead of destroying and put each other down we can change the world and make it a place of peace for all nations. Christian, Jews, Araibs, Muyslins, Mormons, Japanse Athist everything inbetween from Hindu to Vodo. Together we can face overcome odds that would seem impossible to others. As the old song goes I quote"United we stand divide we fall". I recommend this movie for all ages. There is some mild language but that makes the movie even more phonimal and uplifting. This movie will be an utimate classic for decades to come. Mr Holland's Opus is a real tear jerk you will be laughing and crying at the same time. This movie will make you want enjoy life or in the words of Richard Driffus"Play the sunset!"

WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST MOVE.......2007-05-08

NOW I COULD EASYLY SAY THIS WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GRATEST MOVE EVER MADE IN THE WORLD THAT IS SO FOR SHORE

Amazing!.......2007-04-02

Mr. Holland's Opus is such a truly amazing movie! Its one of those movies that you first tune in to for the music, and then realize that it is an inspiring movie. The story of Glenn Holland, a fictional music teacher, who is ousted from his position after 30 years, is extremely touching. At first you don't want to like this man, who thought that he could write a symphony while teaching high school music, but you grow to love him as you see him interact with his students throughout the years. If you like Music of the Heart check out Mr. Holland's Opus.

Great acting ~ great gift idea!.......2007-03-28

If you love music, and who doesn't.. you will love this movie. The acting is wonderful ~ Richard Dreyfus gives a great performance, and it really makes you appreciate the joy of music itself. Fast shipping, great gift idea.

Average customer rating:

These Were Real People, People
Nicholas and Alexandra
Delightful spectacle, disappointing drama
Movie from R. Massey's book
We are the History.

Nicholas and Alexandra
Starring: Michael Jayston , Janet Suzman , Roderic Noble , Ania Marson , and Lynne Frederick
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Russia - Land of the Tsars
Catherine the Great
Nicholas and Alexandra
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The Romanovs: the Final Chapter

ASIN: 0767827775
Release Date: 1999-07-27

Customer Reviews:

These Were Real People, People.......2007-01-19

I waited over 30 years to see this film, and now that I have -- I'm glad I waited that long. Its glaring defects might not have been so obvious to me 30 years ago.

Nicholas, Alexandra, their daughters, their son, the people surrounding them -- not only are they not fictional, but thanks to the era in which they lived, they were photographed, we know what they actually looked like. So who on earth did the casting?! It was impossible to tell one Grand Duchess from another, and as for Alexandra -- in the first few scenes, I had trouble distinguishing the actress from someone in drag. Janet Suzman was the worst casting flub of all, unless you count the stilted manner in which Michael Jayston delivered his lines. What a stiff and boring character he makes Nicholas to be. Yet there are photos extant of Nicholas smiling as he played with his children. Nicholas was also portrayed as obsessed with holding on to his power as Tsar. But in the Robert Massie book after which the movie was purportedly modeled, it was very clear that Nicholas was acutely aware of his responsibilities to the Russian people, as well as to his family, and above all his son, the future Tsar. There was nothing exceptional about his behavior; most of Europe at the time was ruled by kings and queens, and to all of them, the thought of losing their thrones was simply unthinkable.

Yet this film falls into the trap most of us do, of judging history not on the basis of its own terms, but with our usual spectacularly accurate 20/20 hindsight. Having been fed Soviet propaganda for 75 years, we have it entrenched in our minds that Nicholas was an extremely poor ruler. That's the stunning success of the Massie book, that someone who had absolutely no connection to Russians, and no connection to royalty save for the one coincidence of both their sons having hemophilia, was able to overcome the general (and erroneous) "knowledge" of his time and write the kind of sympathetic biography of this family that was long lacking. The movie, on the other hand, makes Nicholas look petty, and Alexandra slightly over the edge.

One petty anachronism was the scene that showed the royal family praying just prior to Nicholas's sending off his troops into World War I. It was badly researched, to the point of ludicrousness. The Tsars of Russia were all Orthodox Christians. Orthodox Christianity has its own very distinctive music; in fact, Russian Orthodox chant is very different from Greek Orthodox chant. So what kind of background music did the director choose? Gregorian, of course! Can we at least *strive* for a little authenticity?!

Apparently not. Massie wrote in considerable detail about the attitude of the Romanovs towards their captors, how their guards had to be changed every three or so months because they kept winning over the Bolsheviks: "You aren't anything like what we thought," was the most frequently quoted comment on the subject. The movie showed nothing of that. Well -- in the end, it was this exact trait of graciousness and consideration towards their captors that ended up getting the Romanov family canonized in the Russian Orthodox Church. That movement was well underway by 1971; I wonder, if the directors and producers had done a little more thorough research, if the film would have been a tad more sympathetic to these five people caught between two worlds and two cultures.

All in all, purchasing the movie was a waste of money. Maybe the Bolsheviks over at the University's Russian Department will appreciate my donating it -- that way, others can get to see it without wasting their money.

Nicholas and Alexandra.......2007-01-04

Very good film of a historical tragedy that could have been prevented and well acted and the period very authentically presented.

Delightful spectacle, disappointing drama.......2006-11-18

Robert Massie's _Nicholas and Alexandra_ (1968), the book on which this film is based, enjoyed great popular success but suffers from one major flaw. Massie's own son is hemophiliac, and his view of Alexandra, really the pivotal figure in this saga, was inevitably shaped by firsthand experience of his wife's emotional turmoil as the mother responsible for her son's illness. Massie thus regarded Alexandra with great sympathy and his account heavily favors her. Until the late 1990s most writings about the Romanovs followed Massie: Alexandra's emotional excesses were excused as those of a distraught mother who could not escape her guilt and grief.

With the collapse of the Soviet regime in 1989, previously unknown Russian archival materials became available to historians and a drastically revised picture of Alexandra appeared. Letters and diaries from Russian political figures, members of the imperial court, and the Romanov family prove that she was deeply disliked and mistrusted by most people around her. She was cripplingly shy by nature (as the film amply shows), but unduly confident in her limited abilities as a political observer. Her health suffered as a result of worry over Alexei's health, but she used her illness to control those around her, particularly her children. She was demanding and emotionally distant from her daughters, and her obsessive watchfulness over Alexei kept him, like his sisters, isolated from other children and incapable of developing the social skills appropriate to their ages. Letters between Nicholas and Alexandra reveal her hectoring attitude toward him, which historians now attribute to her early experience of dominant women, especially her grandmother Queen Victoria. Alexandra lacked Victoria's sound political sense and intelligence, but considered herself cast in the same mold.

Against these sharply revised pictures of Nicholas and Alexandra, the portraits offered in this film seem quaint and outdated. The film is a brilliant visual spectacle, delighting the eye with sumptuous interiors, rich costumes and spectacular jewelry. But its picture of late Tsarist Russian society is skewed by the omission of any reference to the flourishing middle-class urban culture that produced the works of Petr Tchaikovsky and Maxim Gorky. We see the luxury in which the nobility lived, and the abject poverty of the workers; but while Massie's book gives full attention to Russian culture in Nicholas II's reign, the film omits it entirely.

Dramatically speaking, the film is turgid and confusing. Goldman was a gifted screenwriter, his abilities demonstrated in "The Lion in Winter" (based on his own play), but "Nicholas and Alexandra" achieves the level of "Lion" in only 2 scenes. After Alexei has run his sled downstairs and into a closed door, Goldman sensitively extends the conversation between Nicholas and his son into a dialogue between the deposed and disgraced Tsar and his lost empire, Russia itself. A second scene is noted below. But the rest of the film is not up to these levels.

We never have a worthwhile understanding of the relationship between Tsar and Empress. We see them endlessly pledging undying love for each other, or sniping about Rasputin or the way Nicholas ought to run the empire, but little of substance arises from these usually tedious conversations. We learn more about their relationship from the conversation Nicholas has not with his wife, but with his mother shortly before his abdication ("You can't say no to your wife!"). The film deals more satisfactorily with Alexandra's relationship with Rasputin, as most easily seen in their first meeting at the dowager empress's birthday party; here we can really understand how Rasputin played so deftly on Alexandra's fears.

Goldman has a casual attitude to historical chronology, which he seems to alter for dramatic effect even though the record is dramatic enough in itself. I suspect he put Alexei's near-fatal illness at Spala just before the outbreak of WWI in 1914 (the Spala episode was really in 1912)to juxtapose the boy's recovery, and Rasputin's consequent vindication, with the war during which Alexandra obediently appointed inept ministers whom Rasputin recommended, men in whose hands the Tsar's government collapsed in 1917. But if this was Goldman's intention, he didn't make it at all clear to viewers.

Other than Nicholas, Alexandra, Rasputin and the dowager empress, few figures in this drama are fully fleshed out. Even Laurence Olivier's role seems intended only to do what is expected of him, to enunciate some opposition to Tsarist autocracy. For all Olivier's immense gifts and the humanity with which he invests Witte, the character is basically static. The children, even Alexei, are cardboard cutouts, with the girls doing hardly anything more than we would expect high-spirited but isolated young women to do.

The exception is the scene Goldman invented showing Tatiana exposing herself to a young guardsman. It is shocking, but no more so than the proof historians have recently found that during a snap visit to the Ipatiev house in Ekaterinburg on June 27, 1918, officials discovered Grand Duchess Marie in a compromising "situation" with a guardsman named Ivan Sokhodokov. Goldman could not have known of this event; documents recording it were not available until after 1989. But that he invented the scene involving Tatiana's exposure shows that he had a sense of the frustration the young women felt as they endured imprisonment and faced death. Though his scene involves the wrong Grand Duchess, Goldman's dramatic sensibilities here were indeed on track.

Exactly what "situation" Marie was found in is not described in detail in any document, but the discovery proved that security at the Ipatiev house was unreliable. This realization combined with the approach of the White Army to Ekaterinburg led directly to the local Soviet's decision to execute the family 3 weeks later.

Movie from R. Massey's book.......2006-11-04

The movie is Robert Massey's book come to life. Wonderful movie.

We are the History........2006-05-28

It's a story,it's the past that we can't hold back.We must not be so dupe of what had happened.I watched it,I know it and I don't want to ask questions where the answers are there.We know the answers.Somehow rather,the movie is to me,very well done.It's enjoyable to me though there are few afflict scenes.It can happen to me,to you and to anybody.It's a story of the past that has shaped the World.I have also that documentary regarding Romanov.It's just that,when I learnt in school,at fourteen years old,I can't imagine how the Emperor and his Emperesse would look like.

Average customer rating:

truth story
Ends Abruptly - But Still Worthwhile
And the bolchevik propaganda continues
Impartial look at the Russian history
A riveting documentary

Russia - Land of the Tsars
Starring: Edward Herrmann , Michelle Maryk , Ronnie Farer , Henry Strozier , and Steve Ahern
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Nicholas and Alexandra
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Biography - Peter the Great: The Tyrant Reformer

ASIN: B000096FU4
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Product Description

Its forests stretch from Europe to the Pacific. Its winters have vanquished the mightiest armies ever mustered. Its people have borne the excesses of some of history's most notorious rulers.

Russia: Land Of The Tsars illuminates the imperial past of the world's largest nation. At the heart of this epic tale are the figures whose names have become legend: Ivan the Terrible, who expanded the empire at the rate of 50 miles -and innumerable lives - a day; Peter the Great, whose sweeping reforms westernized the nation; and Catherine The Great, whose rule was marked by conquest, change and controversy.

Filmed on location throughout Russia, enriched by exclusive visits to important sites and museums, and filled with commentary from renowned scholars, this is a kaleidoscopic, captivating portrait of a land that has endured centuries of despair and rebellion, innovation and conflict.

System Requirements:
Running Time: 200 Min., Color
Copyright 2003 A&E Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

truth story.......2007-01-06

I just came back from Russia would like to learn more. It is very good reference film.

Ends Abruptly - But Still Worthwhile.......2006-12-07

This 2 DVD set from the History Channel with the soothing voice of Edward Herrmann narrating tells the story of Russia starting in the 1500s and how this collection of varied peoples became a nation.

This tortured land and its citizens have suffered everything including invasions, revolutions, plagues, wars, and persecutions, yet Russian history remains a highly compelling tale.

While full of interesting information about each Tsar (including where the name came from), the documentary suffers from an overuse of the same re-enactment footage over and over.

But my biggest complaint is that it is too focused on the Tsars and ends abruptly with the death of the last Tsar Nicholas in 1918. There is nothing about the tumult in most of the 20th century. I was hoping for more of a complete Russian history.

Still it is a better than average historical documentary and the Tsars are very interesting ranging from the holy to the horrific.

And the bolchevik propaganda continues.......2006-08-11

This documentary is filled with bocheviks lies to reinforce the mantras against the imperial Russia. It was a religion war to destroy christianity and culture and to rob the russians. This is still going on. Those thoughts are wrong. Wake up!

Impartial look at the Russian history.......2006-06-06

I am Russian and I can testify that most of the documentaries about Russia made in the West either spill hatred and venom or just scream ignorance to the point that you wonder where those Western historians get their facts from. You don't even know if you should get upset or laugh at those Russian history "specialists". This particular film is impartial and fair. It is deep enough for a good introduction, given that you simply cannot fit long and eventful Russian history into a couple of hours program. The film touches on some of the most important moments of the Russian history that formed Russian soul, culture and mentality. Without knowing these events and facts it is impossible to understand the way Russians live and think. In Russia there is such a strong link between the past and the present that knowing history you can understand what is happening there now and often predict what will happen in Russia tomorrow or in 10 years. Apart from the technical issues, I would definitely recommend this program to those who want to know what Russia is really about.

A riveting documentary.......2006-05-11

I am not a fan of Russian culture or history, but when I saw this program on the History Channel, my fingers never picked up the remote control. I never channel-surfed once. There was more drama, intrigue, action, and violence in this documentary about REAL PEOPLE than in any soap opera drama. It reminded me that nothing imagined on TV or in the movies can compare with real people and events in history.

Average customer rating:

This was so awful, it made Ishtar look like Oscar material.
Eye For An Eye
Eye For An Eye
Poor man's truth serum: caffeine and sugar.
Only for Kiefer

Eye For An Eye
Starring: Sally Field , Ed Harris , Olivia Burnette , Alexandra Kyle , and Kiefer Sutherland
Director: John Schlesinger
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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Not Without My Daughter
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Eye of the Killer
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ASIN: B00005Y1UV
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Amazon.com

Sally Field stars in this well-crafted revenge thriller. Eye for an Eye follows Karen McCann (Field) after her teenage daughter is raped and murdered. At first, she sinks into depression and paranoia; but, when the killer (Kiefer Sutherland) is caught, then released on a technicality, she becomes obsessed and begins to track him in his neighborhood. Her single-mindedness begins to distance her from her husband (Ed Harris). Finally, when the killer threatens her younger daughter, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Eye for an Eye is not exactly a balanced examination of justice and revenge--Sutherland's killer is a relentless monster--but it does approach the conflict from many points of view, articulated by a superb supporting cast, including Joe Mantegna, Beverly D'Angelo, Charlayne Woodard, Philip Baker Hall, Keith David, and Donal Logue. It's directed with professional skill by John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

This was so awful, it made Ishtar look like Oscar material........2007-05-03

I mean honestly, it amazes me that I live and breath the same air as these reviewers who give movies like these four and five stars, and then boost it up with their elaborate metaphors and cinematic wonderment of how the art form of this movie was so ravishing in its appeal to audiences who will find the on screen chemistry between Sally Field and Keifer electrifying....................HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

There is no use candy coating anything movie goers. Simply stated, this movie is so awful, when my friends and I, around 5 of us, all very much into cinema, and the art of, and the making of, got about 45 minutes into it, we all looked at each other as if we were watching a first years at NYU's project. (and even those are noteworthy!)

Horrendous. Appalling. Should not even made it to DVD. Here's metal more attractive.

Eye For An Eye.......2007-03-15

Loved this movie. Sally Field was great, and so was Kiefer Sutherland. Lots os suspence.

Eye For An Eye.......2007-01-13

Sally Field delivers a powerfully dramatic performance. Very nice ending too! You'll love to hate Kiefer Sutherland in this movie.

Poor man's truth serum: caffeine and sugar. .......2006-09-11

There is a pattern in Hollywood when it comes to drama/revenge films such as Eye for an Eye. It is an extremely simple pattern that is regenerated time and time again because audiences like to not be surprised. They are prepared for the bad guy to die at the end, whilst the victim or top-billed actor/actress comes out as the hero at the end. It is meant to give us a sense of security and comfort, but for this critic it is getting old. Eye for an Eye is a perfect example of film that falls deep within that tired genre of film. From the opening credits of this film, you could count the steps that each actor was going to make all the way to the very end. The pauses could be guessed, the lines could have been written the night before, and the acting was nothing short of mediocrity at its best. It was guaranteed that the actors would be overly dramatic, the violins would always shrill around Kiefer, and there would be horrendously underdeveloped plotlines that would lead nowhere. This is your typical revenge film with no excitement, no frills, nothing that would make it stand out from the rest. The late director John Schlesinger played it safe with one of his final films, which will promise to bore and completely not satisfy you to the bitter end.

Where did Eye for an Eye go wrong? I don't think I need to count all the ways for you, but some of the bigger issues that I had with this feature was the complete unknown of the characters. I have major issues with stories that escape realism to allow the main character to seem more dramatic. What was Sally Field's job? I know that is a small detail, but it better highlights my complaint that our central family (the McCanns) were not as developed as I would have liked to have seen. I had no clue her daughter had a stutter until two seconds before her death, yet it seemed to be a bigger key element as the film progressed. Ed Harris literally walked through his character, proving that Field's husband could have been played by a plastic bag and still seen the same level of emotion. The only character worth watching, and was developed briefly, was Kiefer. He was 100% evil in this film and it kept this film geek worth watching until the very end. Yet, we didn't even know that much about him either (which upset me). Schlesinger obviously knew the story that he was about to tell with Eye for an Eye very well, the actors I believe even knew the story and they probably didn't even need to read the script, and the story played it safe from the beginning, but it wasn't what I wanted to see. I expected film like this to come out during the 80s, not in 1996. It was pathetic to see name actors like Ed Harris, Sally Field, Phillip Baker Hall, Keith David, and Kiefer Sutherland walk through this film like it was a fly in the pan. Nothing stood out in this film, nothing made me want to rewatch the brutality of it, and nothing made me feel excited about these actors. This was a literal "nothing" film. It lent nothing to the cinematic world except (and I stress this a bit) another peg in a very tired genre known as the "Revenge Thriller".

After watching this film I said to my wife that I thought Sally Field was completely overdramatic throughout the course of it, overplaying the small parts and completely exploding the bigger elements, which made me think of a High School drama production. It was amateur at best, but she said that is why directors use Sally, because she is known for being overly dramatic. This is a pure example of a good thing gone badly. Sally saw success with it once, but as she continues it only creates bad cinema. There were times during Sally's bigger speeches that I found myself laughing. I couldn't help myself, but her focus on certain words and cliché reaction to others just seemed cardboard instead of lifelike. The same could be said for Ed Harris who obviously has discovered that he doesn't have to play the outlaying father any further in films. He was completely wasted in this film. Was there any emotion with him? I didn't see any. Then there was the pitiful contribution by Hall and David that begin with intrigue, but were dropped faster than a big ole sack of potatoes. Also, did Mantegna take a class on how to be a one-dimensional cliché? Urg, his portrayal of the police office was a disgrace to those that genuinely play one-dimensional police officers. Again, the only actor worth watching was Kiefer because he not only spoke with evil, but demonstrated that he was capable of anything vile. It was his sole performance that made this film decent to watch to the end.

If I have to talk about the story I think I am just going to go mad myself. Field over dramatized the entire film, thus creating uncertainty amongst the viewer. Did Kiefer get a bad image because he was bad or because Field wanted to see him as evil? That could have been a great avenue for this film to travel, but alas, ole safe Schlesinger didn't take us down that darker path. I needed more to develop what Hall and David were doing at the support groups, but it seemed like that story was dropped rather quickly as the ending needed to be wrapped up gently in a comfort blanket for viewers. This was yet another dark avenue that was not explored. I felt as if I saw these dark avenues with the director and the cast, yet we chose to stay on the lighted path. That, coupled with the poor acting, just created a film that didn't catch my attention and fully contributed nothing to the cinematic world.

Overall, in case it wasn't obvious, this wasn't a good movie at all. In fact, I could go through the rest of my life without thinking of this movie again. I thought only horror movies had the stated Scream rules and somehow could stick to the same tired pattern over and over again, but with Eye for an Eye it became obvious that it the "Revenge Thrill" fell into that same pattern. The only trouble is that horror films actually have fun with that repetitive structure, this film did not. Sally Field was horrible and should really consider a strong independent film to bring her back to the spotlight, while everyone else was forgettable. The only fun part was watching Jack Bauer play the epitome of evil. Watch this film for Kiefer, but nothing else. Skip it!

Grade: * out of *****

Only for Kiefer.......2006-09-07

This is a surprisingly poor movie. Although it has some well-known actors, and a notable director, the material was just presented badly and predictably - like a lousy late night TV-movie with profanity inserted to liven it up.

The movie makes a simplified joke of the legal system and its sterotypical failings (though legitimate in many cases). It also glosses over the grieving process of the family, ignores the normal safety warnings to the remaining child, overdoes Kiefer Sutherland's character flaws (which are considerable nevertheless), and generally oversimplifies everything into a neat package to which you already know the ending because of the spoiler title.

In one particularly-bad scene, after taking martial arts classes and other measures to prepare herself mentally and physically, Sally's character simply stares open-mouthed and dumbfounded at Keifer's character when they meet on the street and he talks to her.

I don't know what I missed that the 4- and 5-star reviewers like so much. I only see wide-spread mediocrity.

I would only recommend this for fans of Keifer. "Ssssssorry", Sally, not your best role or movie. Ditto Ed Harris, whose other movies I generally like.

Average customer rating:

one of a kind
Worth your time
Fabulous!
New Age to the core!
Cheesy chick flick

Now and Forever
Starring: Mia Kirshner , Adam Beach , Gordon Tootoosis , Theresa Russell , and Gabriel Olds
Director: Bob Clark (III)
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AQ69LS
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Description

From the moment they meet, despite their clashing cultures, Native American John Myron (Adam Beach) and Angela Wilson (Mia Kirshner) form an unbreakable bond. One fateful night, John rescues Angela from a wicked act of betrayal. Faced with its aftermath, Angela flees town, unaware that she has set in motion a chain of events that will alter the course of both their futures in this life& and the next. A timeless tale of love combined with all the power and mystery of "The Sixth Sense", Now & Forever defies reason and re-defines the boundaries of the human heart and soul.

Customer Reviews:

one of a kind.......2007-05-14

I was thrilled and surprized at the ending. I never guessed the ending. Wow what great mystery and love story all in one.

Worth your time.......2007-04-10

This was an excellent movie and kept my interest from beginning to end. That is after I had seen it on TV, which is why I knew I had to have it for my collection. The characters were real and the story line enthralling. Mia and Adam both turned in outstanding performances in their roles. Everyone may not appreciate the twist, but I certainly did, and so have my friends who have viewed it.

Fabulous!.......2007-04-05

I feel in love with this movie the first time that I saw it. I loved it from beginning to end. There is spirituality, mystery, and OMG LOVE, great plot/story line, and most of all Native American culture. I loved this so much that I recommended this to all of my family and friends.

New Age to the core!.......2007-03-06

The story line is good (although extremely slow at times), but definitely has a new age message to promote. From Angela's soliloguy in her school play that she is in everything and everything is in her to her conversation with John's father who tells her John learned about the Catholic religion because "Jesus was a good teacher and I felt like he could learn something from Him". He also goes on to say that although John learned about Catholicism, he practiced his own religion. I've watched and enjoyed other movies that are about similar subjects (Somewhere in Time; Two Lives of Jennie Logan; Hallmark's The Love Letter), but this was a blatant affront to Christianity by bringing Jesus into it at all. Jesus was not just a good teacher and the line was completely unnecessary in the movie unless they were trying to promote their new age religion.

The R rating is also well deserved - there are two episodes of explicit teenage sex and crude discussions about it later on. So, buyers, beware - there's an agenda in this movie.

Cheesy chick flick.......2007-03-06

I like the acting and the two characters do have chemistry but there just is not much plot or character development.
SPOILER

When you go from Mia's character leaving town to becoming a star, the transition is so fast that it just is not believable.
And quite frankly, the movie is dull and is a waste of Adam Beach.
Mia, while I do think she can act to an extent, seems to be typecaste now. (If you've seen her on the L word- another self destructive character)
Overall, a decent sob movie but a waste of good actors and could have been done better.

Average customer rating:

A Complete Disgrace
Worthless, worthless, worthless.
Good movie, bad DVD!

The Shipment
Starring: Matthew Modine , Elizabeth Berkley , Nicholas Turturro , Robert Loggia , and Joseph Cortese
Director: Alex Wright
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Criminals | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Random Encounter
Hard Cash
Acceptable Risk
True Blood
Barb Wire

ASIN: B00009WVT0
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Customer Reviews:

A Complete Disgrace.......2005-02-04

The Shipment was one of the most unfunny comedies that just did'nt seem to work out at all.Only the beginning was a bit funny with Steve Bacic in it,But if you want real action and real comedy,better get use to The Medallion instead of this garbage.

Worthless, worthless, worthless........2004-12-01

I felt compelled to comment after I saw the positive review here. This can in no way be considered good, funny or even mildly amusing. Most of the "name" actors look embarrased with the notable exception of Modine, who gives his all in a pointless performance. I have no idea how any of the actors were persuaded to join this sinking ship, but it's painful to watch and I wouldn't waste my time or money on this dud.

Good movie, bad DVD!.......2003-04-22

This is a great film. It is very funny, but the dvd has really no features at all (trailer, scene selections). they could've made this dvd great. All the actors are great in the movie (especially Elizabeth Berkley!). So, buy the movie...but do not expect to get a great dvd. That is why Igave this 4 stars, because of the dvd.

Average customer rating:

Not the worst Vampire movie, but Different
could have been better
hocky
Impressive and Unique Twist on the Dracula Story
Very Well Done

Vlad
Starring: Brad Dourif , Francesco Quinn , Billy Zane , Paul Popowich , and Kam Heskin
Director: Michael D. Sellers
Manufacturer: Xenon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Love Story To Die For
Dracula 3 - Legacy
Vampires - Out for Blood (Widescreen Edition)
Dracula's Curse
Dracula II: Ascension

ASIN: B000AM4PK4
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Description

Four foreign exchange students retrace a journey taken by Vlad the Impaler, the infamous Transylvania prince known as Dracula, through the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. They carry with them a powerful amulet- rumored to have been stolen from Vlad's tomb- that allows them to transcend time and witness the 15th century barbarism that molded a young orphan into one of the most feared despots in medieval Europe. At their heels is the monster himself, determined to seize the amulet and resume his reign of terror. The film stars Billy Zane (Titanic), Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, "Deadwood"), Paul Popowich ("Dark Angel"), and Kam Heskin (Catch Me If You Can).

Customer Reviews:

Not the worst Vampire movie, but Different.......2006-07-29

This was a very interesting movie about Vlad Dracula, not especially about vampires. It tried to tell a bit of history about Vlad and his origin and rise to power, and it wasn't just a cheaply made movie to show off a bunch of women getting naked and getting their necks bitten. It's actually about 4 exchange student "chosen" to come to Romania to study the history of the country by traveling to the Carpatian mountains to research the home Territory of Vlad the Impailer. But, one of them has a secret, an necklace that was worn by Vlad himself, taken off of him in his grave. Now, the movie gets strange because it is not based around getting the necklace back, but about getting this midevil English girl that has been brought through time just before Vlad was going to Kill her (or marry her, not really sure). She was warped through time by the power of the amulet. After she comes back, so Follows Vlad because she reminds him of his dead wife. The rest of the movie is the students trying to get this necklace back to the tomb so VLad will rest in peace.
I could explain more, but Its difficult. I found myself at many points wonder, why doesn't Vlad just take the dang english girl and leave, he wanders into the castle right by her (followed her scent) and attacks all the friend, and yet doesn't just walk up, take the girl and leave?. Or, if he's mad about the Necklace, why doesn't he just take it from the guy? I am not sure. Finally, as one of the other astute reviewer notes, at the end scene, One of the female student who is controlled by Vlad, attacks the friend attempting to put the necklace in the stream and back on the stone, then turns her attention to english girl who jumps on her back. Finally, this Vlad controlled student gets the upper hand on the English chick, and calmly stand by in awe as the first friend completes the task of replaceing the necklace. Why doesn't she snap the english gals neck and stop the gal with the necklace, or why doesn't vlad turn and stop her? Instead he is just merely swinging his sword attempting to kill the friend without the amulet? Just really confusing. The movie was entertaining enough, but could have been so much more. It just Kinda flaked out at the end. Again, at times i think they did throw in some nudity scenes just to capture male viewership. Their was a dream scene in the bathtub, could have been done in bed or any other time just as well, but eh, that's what B movies do. Also, they had to throw in a steaming animalistic love scene, again, B movie nescessity? So, worth seeing, just try and ignore the few script errors, and it really could have been a big film if it had been funded better.

could have been better.......2006-03-22

The only really interesting thing about this movie were the flashbacks. If they had focused on that, instead of trekking through the woods, it would have been a much better movie. ANd I must have missed the point of this as I watched alot of the movie in fastforward, but what was Vlads purpose in taking and having sex with the one modern day blonde, and then going after the past blonde? Or is this another of those movies where sex and nudity has to be thrown in just because? I was really disapointed in what I thought would be an interesting movie rental.

hocky.......2005-12-05

The transylvania accents sound really phoney; so much so it was almost laughable. The whole story and variations of the theme of the dracula fiction was also absurb. The main theme is some stupid amulet. I just didn't like the movie. The story is too far absurb, and I didn't like the fusion between the old world and the new-all through the amulet "breaking the wall of time" It was like mixing two separate themes which totally clashed.

Impressive and Unique Twist on the Dracula Story.......2005-12-01

I was pleasantly surprised with this film... definitely not your average vampire yarn. Let's face it,... all horror movies are are a little hoaky, but you ignore it to get the thrill! This one starts off with a flashback to the time of Vlad the Impaler, with a narration by John Rhys Davies (Classy). You get a little history lesson on the real Vlad Tepes Dracula. You see him as victim of deceit, betrayal, and violence. You begin to understand how he would like some revenge... Bigtime! This puts a human face on the old Dracula story. The photography (filmed in Romania) is First Class, and the Musical score... even better. This has the look and feel of a very expensive, big studio production, although as an indy it probably had a short budget. Shows you what you can do when you have real talent. The chicks are hot too! One, a sharp Romanian actress,... the other, a blonde bombshell (Cam Heskin) from "Catch me if you can". They both did a great job in this film... and their roles were not just T&A fluff. The real stand-out, tho, was Francesco Quinn (Anthony Quinn's son)... He did a fantastic job in the role of Vlad. He was artistic and chilling at the same time. Look for big things from this guy. Billy Zane.... (could have played the Vlad role) has a rather incidental part to play. He's convincing in the role, but gets done in quickly. The plot pivots around an ancient amulet or necklace which belonged to Vlad, and was buried with him.. One of the Characters has the Amulet, and wants to return it to Vlad's tomb (it was stolen by the germans during the war). But guess what?... As the amulet is brought closer to Vlad's castle, Vlad returns from the past, and unlives again! The rest of the movie is a contest between some graduate students and a vampire. He wants to stay in the present, and they want to send him back. By the way,... there's also some pretty hot sex scenes along the way. I won't give away the ending, but will just say see the movie. I did, and I was glad I did.

Very Well Done.......2005-11-03

I'm impressed, although I'm not a huge "Horror" fan this movie was well done and I'm sure it's fair to totally judge it ad "Horror". Nice mix of the real character (Vlad) and present day. Love the Romanian locations. Not your typical "Vampire" flick at all!! Francesco Quinn reminds me of young a Anthony (his dad). Nice mix of History and fiction. Vlad the impaler rides again.

Average customer rating:

Super Jerry Lewis movie
A jolly bad show
A Very Disappointing Jerry Lewis Film
Jerry Lewis the great in a mature responsible (?) role
A Low point for Jerry....

Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River
Starring: Nike Arrighi , John Barrard , Michael Bates , Pippa Benedict , and John Bluthal
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Which Way to the Front
At War With the Army
The Delicate Delinquent
My Friend Irma/My Friend Irma Goes West
The Family Jewels

ASIN: B00009MEKK
Release Date: 2003-07-08

Amazon.com

The opening sequence of Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River has a bowler-hatted Jerry Lewis mischievously striding (in his oddly graceful, loose-hipped way) along the streets of London. The spontaneous business he creates is, alas, the last bit of freshness in the movie, which quickly reverts to a painfully labored plot. Jerry is in Swinging London (wrap your mind around that), an entrepreneur who spends the entire film trying to make up to his estranged British wife for turning her family estate into a Chinese restaurant-discotheque. The story also involves Arab oil barons, Portuguese automobiles, and a philandering dentist. Lewis didn't direct himself in this one, which accounts for the off pacing and total lack of good visual gags. It was 1968, and his rapid decline from creative excellence (see The Ladies Man and The Nutty Professor) and box-office potency was already into its skid. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Super Jerry Lewis movie.......2006-06-22

I absolutely loved this movie.If you enjoy Jerry Lewis antics at their best then you'll love this movie.He was superb as a bumbling husband that does everything to impress his wife and make a fast buck.It was great!

A jolly bad show.......2005-11-19

With all the good Jerry Lewis comedies awaiting DVD release (and, yes, there are good ones), who greenlighted this loser? Hey, Columbia, why did you ignore the very funny THE BIG MOUTH and release this turkey instead? I don't get it (and in terms of a DVD purchase, I didn't). Even Jerry disowns this staggeringly unfunny farce about a wacky American loose in England, whose get-rich-quick schemes get him involved with a host of unsavory characters. No matter what side of the Atlantic you're on, this is a jolly bad show. I love Jerry, but this is the pits.

A Very Disappointing Jerry Lewis Film.......2005-05-30

In 1967, Jerry Lewis starred in what arguably may be his worst film ever: a little gem entitled "Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River". Directed by Jerry Paris (1925-1986) and based upon a novel of the same name by author Max Wilk, the film begins in London where Jerry Lewis plays an American entrepreneur named George Lester. He marries Pamela (Jacqueline Pearce) and whisks her away to various exotic locations for several years while trying to build a business of his own with the supposed financial assistance from a crooked British businessman named H. William Homer (Terry-Thomas, 1911-1990). Tired of living away from London, Pamela leaves George, who also returns to London. Without money and wanting to give Pamela a more permanent home, George comes up with an unusual business idea: he turns Pamela's inherited home into a Chinese restaurant/discothèque. Seeing what he's done to her house, Pamela threatens to have George thrown in jail and moves into a hotel. She then begins to have an affair with a wealthy British oilman named Dudley Heath (Nicholas Parsons), who has the plans for a revolutionary new oil drill. Thrown into this unusual story is a male flight attendant/auto-mechanic named Fred Davies (Bernard Cribbins) whom George had talked into selling Portuguese-made sports cars that nobody wants. Also thrown into the story is the leader of a British girl scouts troop named Lucille Beatty (Patricia Routledge, who may be best known for her title role as Hyacinth Bucket in the British TV sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances" that ran between 1990-1995).

Aside from a few funny scenes, such as Fred serving people on board the cheap airlines that he works for and scenes involving Lucille, the film staggers along and fails to sufficiently engage the audience or be truly funny. Overall, I cannot rate this film with a rating higher than 2 out of 5 stars and cannot recommend it. Had the film had better direction, it may have been far more entertaining and successful. Unfortunately, it was neither.

Jerry Lewis the great in a mature responsible (?) role.......2003-07-10

Jerry Lewis the great in a mature responsible (?) role or is it? Don't know what it is but this movie pulled it off very charmingly to become a classic hidden gem in comedy movies.
It was a pleasure to watch English actor Terry-Thomas, Patricia Routledge,(Keeping Up Appearances), one actor from Fawlty Towers and mature responsible (?) Jerry Lewis- always cooking up his next gig..
Hilarious comedy recommended for late night viewing so you don't miss out very intricate plot..:)

A Low point for Jerry...........2003-07-08

Don't Raise the Bridge....is one of the worst Jerry Lewis movies. It's 'plot' is plotless and the situation style comedy doesn't work for Jerry here.

Being released in 1968, this film appears to be Jerrys attempt to be more contemporary and click with theatre goers changing tastes in the late 60s. He was not really involved with the production as he was with the majority of his films. He has stated himself that he did this film for verteran TV director/actor Jerry Paris because it was financially appealing. The results are very uninspired.

This is not to say that Jerry can't be contemporary and he is a joy in a film like Three on a Couch, however this one is as much of a misfire as Way Way Out, Hook Line and Sinker, and Which Way to the Front?.....Hey, they can't ALL be good.

Customer Reviews:

Now why had I never heard of this before? .......2006-05-15

This is such a fun movie! I loved it. The actors play it straight, real low-key (except for the Very Angry Brother) and smart. It's so well put together! Loads of grit and such a nicely done ending. So many movies just can't cut it to the end, they turn sour; but this one has a satisfying finish as well as a strong start. I'm so glad I got it.
I just can't understand why I never heard anything about it before I hunted up stuff Vince Ventresca was in. (Ok, so I've started watching movies with specific actors in them, which I swore I'd never do. Sue me. He's good.)

Oh, plot? um, Doctor gets chucked in jail for a few, gets out and doesn't want to go back to LA. Ends up in the little town of the title, Purgatory Flats. Gets caught up in the wake of a shooting... Thing is, you completely understand everyone in the movie, why they do what they do, all the bad decisions they make. It's all the sort of stuff that people do every day, how the little things just slide you right into disaster.

There's a little cheeze (chase scene anyone) - but everyone likes a little cheese, and they don't overdo it.

NEXT STOP IS HELL.......2004-11-27

PURGATORY FLATS enters the "Body Heat" territory in this well-crafted, keenly directed femme fatale story. Vincent Ventresca plays Dr. Thomas Reed, a man whose life was cruelly changed when his wife is killed in a car accident in which he was driving drunk. He is sentenced to five years in prison and upon his release he refuses the help of his brother (Jason Brooks), and hitchhikes to a small town called Purgatory Flats. There he meets the seductively sexy Sunny (Alexandra Holden). She is married to a no-good drug addict named Owen who is wounded seriously in a drug deal gone bad. Dr. Tom comes on to the scene and tries to help save Owen. However, Owen's uncle Dean (Gregg Henry) doesn't want two time offender Owen to be put in jail, so he forces Tom to go with him to their house to nurse Owen back to health. There we meet Owen's older brother, Randy (Brian Austin Green), who is AWOL and a brutal redneck himself.
From here, Tom becomes more and more involved and ensuing mayhem, murder and deception run rampant.
A clever script and top notch performances make this sleeper a keeper. Ventresca is excellent as Tom, showing his guilt over the death of his wife, his ineffective attempt at celibacy, and his desperation in his situation. Holden sizzles as the young Mata Hari, combining a teen innocence with an older woman's cunning. Green (Knots Landing) is perfect as redneck Randy, and Gregg Henry gives a solid performance as the treacherous uncle.
PURGATORY FLATS moves along in a quiet ominous mood, and it's plot twist may be predictable, but it still has a punch.

Good Solid Flick.......2004-02-28

After spending five years in prison, Dr. Thomas Reed, played by the incomparable Vincent Ventresca, exiles himself to Purgatory Flats and winds up tending bar. He soon meets the luscious, angel-faced Sunny (Alexandra Holden). "You are wicked." he tells her. "You have no idea." she replies as she sips her Slo Comfortable Screw and languidly drags on her cig. Reed finds himself entwined in the violent troubles of her family and the femme fatale story unfolds set against the desolation and desperation of the oil-drained western town.

Customer Reviews:

Scotland as it never is but should be........2006-07-10

Both these series are superb. Hamish MacBeth is Brigadoon on dope, everything is almost real but just a bit off kilter. Robert Carlyle is excellent as the non achiever constable, content to loll about in a backwoods village with Heiland coos wandering doon the street, smoking questionable tobacco and dealing with a realistic if skewed bunch of villagers, from the randy grocer to the inept lobster entrepreneurs to the police house custodian who sees visions - they are all terrific. Monarch is a little more reality based but only a little, Richard Briers as Hector the retiring laird is superb and the rest of the cast create an ensemble that is just delightful. The scenery, the kilts, the stories all just nostalgic magic. Pour yersel a wee dram, sit doon and just enjoy.

DVD:

DVD

Gammera the Invincible

DVD: Silver Screen Series

Dragon Lord