Black Angel

Starring:Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre, Broderick Crawford, Constance Dowling, Wallace Ford, Hobart Cavanaugh, Freddie Steele, John Phillips, Ben Bard, Junius Matthews, Marion Martin, Archie Twitchell, Maurice St. Clair, Vilova, Robert Williams, Georg Kreisler, Steve Olsen, Ralph Brooks, Clark Kuney
Director: Roy William Neill
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Monsters, Inc. (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Wish there were a sequel!
WOW!! What a great movie.. This movie should live on FOREVER!!!
Power-ful Kiddie Entertainment
Pixar Created A Classic!
Great movie

Monsters, Inc. (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Jack Angel , Bob Bergen , Samuel Lord Black , Rodger Bumpass , and Steve Buscemi
Director: Peter Docter , David Silverman , and Unkrich, Lee
Manufacturer: Disney/Pixar
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JKDR
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Amazon.com

The folks at Pixar can do no wrong with Monsters, Inc., the studio's fourth feature film, which stretches the computer animation format in terms of both technical complexity and emotional impact. The giant, blue-furred James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (wonderfully voiced by John Goodman) is a scare-monster extraordinaire in the hidden world of Monstropolis, where the scaring of kids is an imperative in order to keep the entire city running. Beyond the competition to be the best at the business, Sullivan and his assistant, the one-eyed Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), discover what happens when the real world interacts with theirs in the form of a 2-year-old baby girl dubbed "Boo," who accidentally sneaks into the monster world with Sulley one night. Director Pete Doctor and codirectors David Silverman and Lee Unkrich follow the Pixar (Toy Story) blueprint with an imaginative scenario, fun characters, and ace comic timing. By the last heart-tugging shot, kids may never look at monsters the same, nor artists at what computer animation can do in the hands of magicians. --Doug Thomas

Description

From the Academy Award(R)-winning creators of TOY STORY comes the computer-animated film that captured the hearts of fans and critics everywhere. MONSTERS, INC., is "visually dazzling, action-packed, and hilarious" (Boston Herald), featuring groundbreaking animation, imaginative storytelling, and unforgettable voice talent. John Goodman stars as the lovable James P. Sullivan (Sulley) and Billy Crystal as his wisecracking best friend, Mike Wazowski. Top scarer Sulley and his enthusiastic Scare Assistant Mike work at Monsters, Inc., the largest scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. The main power source of the monster world is the collected screams of human children. Monsters believe children are dangerous and toxic, however, and they are scared silly when a little girl wanders into their world. Sulley and Mike do their best to return the girl home, but they face monstrous intrigue and some hilarious misadventures along the way. MONSTERS, INC., is "supremely clever -- fun for kids and adults alike" (CBS-TV). Treat yourself to the most entertaining movie of the year with all-new exclusive bonus features and animation for monster laughs and monster fun.

Customer Reviews:

Wish there were a sequel!.......2007-06-28

It was that good! Unfortunately they didn't leave a door open for a sequel. Great story about the Monsters all little kids fear in their bed at night, and their interaction with those kids. It gives you the persepective from the other side of your closet door where the Monsters live. The characters are very lovable. Great, great comedy sequences, you will be laughing out loud! Unique story line. "Loving" out-come. Enjoy!

WOW!! What a great movie.. This movie should live on FOREVER!!!.......2007-06-22

This movie was great and it was really enjoyable and funny. I have had this movie since it came out as I went to see it in the movie theater. This would be my favorite movie of all time. Sulley(James P. Sullivan) and Mike Wazowski (the main characters of this movie) are my favorite characters in this movie and are my two favorite characters in any movie. Randall Boggs would be my third favorite character in the movie because he makes me LAUGH!! But he gets destroyed into a trailor during my favorite part of the movie which is when Mike and Sulley are hanging or flying on doors to try to get Boo home. Boo is my least favorite character in this movie because she CRIES a lot during the movie and just not my favorite. Celia, who Mike is in love with isn't all that great too. But I think Roz is great. She makes me laugh when she tells Mike that he didn't turn in his paperwork. and Mr. Waternoose would be my 5th and last most favorite character in this movie till he gets arrested by the CDA. Also, the part where Mike and Sulley go to Himalayas is great because they're in a BLIZZARD!! The worst part of the movie is when Sulley and Mike take Boo home that's when I feel to cry. But overall, this is a really great movie which I wish I could give this 10 stars. Please get this movie but Shrek s$cked!!!
Best film of the year.

Power-ful Kiddie Entertainment.......2007-06-21

Some of the best stories for children have presented their worst fears only to have the menace brought down to size. "Jack and the Beanstalk" works that way perfectly. 'Monsters, Inc.' helps to tuck the kiddies in and give them the giggles, too. Taking near day-glow colors, the Monsters in this fluid Pixar picture are hideously cute. They live in a "green" world where the renewable resource of children's fright powers the Monster community. Looking like the sorts in (Lucas Films, Ltd. is credited here) a 'Star Wars' bar scene, the film's focus is on the power company where the employees go through magic doors, their portals to children's bedrooms where the fright factor generates their power plant.

Heading the troops is big blue "Sully" (John Goodman) a good natured monster, proud of his ability to be the equivalent of "Employee of the Month". Keeping track of his generating power, he is out to set a plant record. His green, one-eyed sidekick, Mike Wazowski, (Billy Crystal) has a Martian appearance, but his voice couldn't scare a mouse. He is smitten by one-eyed purple princess, Shroopsy with hydra hair (snake braids). They all face their competition with rascally Randall, (perfectly villainous, Steve Buscemi) the salamander-like monster with invisible capabilities. Pivotal to the plot is Mr. Waternoose, (James Coburn) a tycoon who resembles a tarantula in a three-piece suit. In the causality is 'Silkwood'-like contamination if any child or remnant remains in the Monster world. (In other words: Just like parents often say about insects or some animals: "They're more afraid of [children], than [they] are of them.") Sully and James come across "Boo" whom they find in their best interests to return to the dark realm of her own bedroom.

Formidable to the fore, 'Monsters,..." takes a premise that could have been a dumb non-starter, and provides supporting plot structures with enough heft to turn the adventure on. With Pixar animation, the movement is flowing enough to take the technological edge off the look, and Andrew Stanton and Daniel Gerson's screenplay keep the dialogue fresh and funny. Director Pete Docter gives the movie proper assembly. 'Monsters, Inc.' is therapeutically good for children's dreamscapes as well as their funny bones. (Highly recommended to rent and to own.)

Pixar Created A Classic!.......2007-06-14

Monsters Inc is a great piece that your family will love! Loveable monsters are brought to life and make you laugh a lot! Laughter is more powerful than screams you know. A loveable classic for any collection!

Great movie.......2007-06-13

Hey it's Mike,
Wow!! What a great movie this is. This is by far my favorite movie due to the presence of Mike and Sulley. There is not a lot of great movies out there, but this one is one of the very best!! Sulley, Mike, Randall, Roz, and Waternoose are all great characters and 3 of them are really funny! Boo and Celia are my two least favorite characters in the film. The best part of this movie is the Flying on Doors part where Randall gets destroyed.
The end is the saddest part of the movie when Sulley and Mike take Boo home.

Well this movie is the best as I wish that I can give this much more than 5 stars like a million stars. Please buy.

Average customer rating:

More Like 3.5 But It Could Have Been Better
great movie!!!!!!
Cuba did his thang and hers.
Outstanding !
Pretty good, but I can understand not liking it. 3 1/2 stars.

Shadowboxer
Starring: Helen Mirren , Cuba Gooding Jr. , Stephen Dorff , Vanessa Ferlito , and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director: Lee Daniels
Manufacturer: Code Black Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HRMAUY
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

Shadowboxer is an emotionally-charged, full-throttle thriller, which delves deep into the harsh underworld of organized crime and uncovers the complex lives of trained assassins, Mikey (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Rose (Helen Mirren). But when a brutal crime boss wants his wife dead, Rose decides against killing the pregnant woman. Instead, the three begin a harrowing life on the run. Driven by fierce love, Rose and Mikey protect their adopted family from present danger - looking to redeem their tragic past.

Customer Reviews:

More Like 3.5 But It Could Have Been Better.......2007-06-15

When I heard of Shadowboxer I thought definitely a movie for me. I love movies about hitmen and the stories of their lives. The movie is about two contract killers Mikey (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Rose (Helen Mirren). Mikey is Roses stepson but they are now in another type of relationship, a closer one. They are contracted to take out the wife of a crazy mob boss named Clayton (Stephen Dorff). When they arrive to do the job they find that the woman is with child and start to have complications. For some reason Rose would like to keep the woman and her unborn child and protect her. When Clayton finds this out he immediately starts a hunt for the three but not before they start a new family life.

This is not the first Lee Daniels film I've heard of but definitely the first I've seen. Now lee is good but I do think he tends to overdue it in his movies with excessive weirdness or something like that. He starts the movie out with an interesting scene to get you into the movie and then throw something crazy in there that I can't really explain. To me it takes away from the movie and it just seems like he puts it in there just to put it in there. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. This movie could have been so much better had he focused on exposing Cuba Gooding Jr.'s feelings a little more. He was completely hollow for a great portion of the film and it took a lot away from his character and his performance. If he gave Gooding a little more to work with I think this could've been one of his best films to date.

The rest of the cast was off and a little out of touch with these characters. Mo'Nique was cool but Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Dr. Don seemed fake especially the relationship between the two. Stephen Dorff was definitely off and too crazy. The guys script had to be nothing but cussing. I watch plenty of movies with cussing and I don't care but when you say 4 cusses to 1 normal word in every sentence it's just too much. The story was ok and the picture was great plus I love the ending a lot. It leaves room for a sequel but who knows if there will be one. Not everyone will like Shadowboxer but some will. It's an ok movie and I think Daniels will have better movies to come but I hope he learns from his mistakes cause he can do way better than this.

great movie!!!!!!.......2007-03-09

This was a great movie. I have watched it 2 times. It will keep you guessing and wow Cuba.......

Cuba did his thang and hers........2007-02-13

The movie was pretty good. Had alot of twist and turns. Great acting and crazy story line. You'll enjoy it.

Outstanding !.......2007-02-04

What a refreshingly different, entertaining movie! We loved it.
Cuba Gooding, Jr. just shines and is fabulous. He has such presence as the disturbed assassin. He really carries off the whole film. Mirren, Dorrf, & the woman who plays the wife of the mobster were terrific also. I admired the unpredictability of the plot. The screenplay was well done. Highly recommended if you want to watch a movie that casts its own mold. Original, extremely well-acted.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is one of the most under-appreciated & under-utilized actors of our time. His screen presence is very strong. I'd love to see him in more movies. Gooding's versatile, and good-looking without being smarmy or smirky. I have just become a big fan after watching him in this movie.

Pretty good, but I can understand not liking it. 3 1/2 stars........2007-01-22

It's described as a relatively mainstream hitman movie, but it turns out to have bizarre subplots. Definitely the movie to see if you're into Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s butt. I think if it was advertised more honestly, it would have attracted viewers who were into the weird combination of sex and violence, and it would have better ratings. The direction is good, the script is good, the story completely unbelievable, even the gangsters are not believable, but the two leads are excellent, and it's fun, if bizarre to watch.

Average customer rating:

Only difference is the case

Beetlejuice
Starring: Jack Angel , Alec Baldwin , Simmy Bow , Dick Cavett , and Tony Cox
Director: Tim Burton
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000P0J074
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Description

a couple of nice homebody ghosts, trying to rid their house of afamily of trendsetting human beings, is hell-bent on making theirhome unlivable -- even for the dead.

Customer Reviews:

Only difference is the case.......2007-05-10

This is not a new edition of the movie, the only difference is the case is a standard DVD case instead of the cardboard snap kind.

Average customer rating:

yes, a great film
Unappreciated Film Noir With A Difference
"The richest guy in America presents the coolest guy in America"
A face only a stepmother could hate (recommended)
A great film noir classic

Angel Face
Starring: Robert Mitchum , Jean Simmons , Mona Freeman , Herbert Marshall , and Leon Ames
Director: Otto Preminger
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
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Fallen Angel (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B000JLTREK
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Amazon.com

Robert Mitchum was already a dab hand at film noir when he stepped into the delicious trap of Angel Face, Otto Preminger's 1952 addition to the genre. Here Mitchum plays an amazingly seducible guy who falls under the spell of spoiled rich girl Jean Simmons; a former race-car driver, he'd like to open his own sports-car garage, and her money would come in awfully handy. But she's got a few quirks to work out first, including her hostility for her stepmother, who doesn't stand a chance against this poker-faced vixen. True to its title, the film has an absolutely deadpan approach to this material, as Preminger's calm style recalls more the clinical courtroom proceedings of Anatomy of a Murder than the perverse lushness of Laura. Mitchum's in absolutely top form, and Jean Simmons has just right amount of intensity behind her porcelain beauty. The supporting cast is led by Herbert Marshall, as Simmons' father, a writer who's been sponging off his wife for years, and Leon Ames does a skillful turn as a crafty lawyer. The ending is as pre-ordained as can be, and the film moves toward its sinister conclusion without turning its head to explore other options. But that's why we love film noir. --Robert Horton

Description

Otto Preminger, who showed how to mix a beautiful woman with murder in the landmark Laura, directs this tale of a passion gone haywire. Frank's a regular guy with a steady girl and a dream of owning his own garage when he crosses paths with Diane. She wants him. Or does she want a fall guy to blame when Diane's stepmother plunges off a high cliff and leaves her fortune to Diane? Alibis, betrayals, courtroom thrills and the fire of a woman too dangerous to trust and too alluring to resist make Angel Face a film-noir classic.

Customer Reviews:

yes, a great film.......2007-05-16

After reading the comments by those here, I placed the film in my "Wish List" here on Amazon. Last night on Turner Classic Movies they showed this movie. It was really wonderful. I enjoyed the whole cast and I agree that Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons were perfect in these roles. While her deadly deed plays out, she sits there emotionless with cold eyes and porcelain beauty. It was somewhat chilly. Simmons usually played the sweet wife or love roles in movies. I loved seeing her in a completely different role. I definitely recommend this movie. And what a surprise ending! OMG!

Unappreciated Film Noir With A Difference.......2007-04-09

Angel Face was directed in 1952 by: Otto Preminger (Laura, 1944; Anatomy Of A Murder, 1959). Otto Preminger's `Laura' is now rightly regarded as one of great film noir masterpieces, however he made some less appreciated noirs like Fallen Angel (1945); Whirlpool (1949); Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950) and this film Angel Face. Upon it's release critics and public alike had seen perhaps far too many of this type of film hence the negative reviews. However I feel that this film is deserving of some rehabilitation. The theme is a familiar one of the Femme Fatale attempting to get some chump to assist in a murder. Angel Face is slightly different in that the Femme Fatale's (performed by Jean Simmons (Great Expectations, 1946; Hamlet, 1948; The Black Narcissus, 1947)) motivation is not the standard killing for money but for love. This makes it similar to the Ellen Berent character played by Gene Tierney in `Leave Her To Heaven' (1946, John M. Stahl). Generally in noir's guys kill for the girl and girls for the money. Robert Mitchum (Out Of The Past, 1947; Crossfire, 1947; Night Of The Hunter, 1955) gives a wonderful performance of a guy who is not so stupid as to get suck into her trap. He also has some great dialogue that one wish's they could always have at hand to deliver in those situations. Along with Humphrey Bogart and Burt Lancaster, Mitchum has to rank as one of the great noir actors. Cinematography was by Harry Stradling (A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951; Johnny Guitar, 1954; A Face In The Crowd, 1957)

This DVD comes with a wonderful audio commentary by Eddie Muller and is well worth a listen. In 1964 Jean-Luc Godard placed this film at no. 8 in his list of the greatest American films of the sound era. That alone should be good enough reason to investigate this film. It also has one of the great endings.

"The richest guy in America presents the coolest guy in America".......2007-04-03

The title of this piece is a paraphrase of an observation offered by the man on the commentary track. This is an RKO picture, a Howard Hughes production--there are details about that statement that make the commentary track well worth hearing. It stars Robert Mitchum. I had never quite formulated that particular thought, but having heard it, I immediately realized it was perfectly true: Robert Mitchum WAS the coolest guy in America.

He was so cool that on screen he could act like a perfect chump from first frame to last and still seem cool. He was so cool that in an America where Lucy and Ricky could not share a bed, he could get busted for possession of marijuana, take all the heat and all the publicity without whimper or complaint, then go right on being as big a movie star as ever, and still the coolest guy in sight.

The previous Amazon reviews have been impressively sound in describing this picture. I have nothing to add beyond endorsing their high ratings. This is an unpretentious little noirish film. It boasts a fine cast from Jean Simmons in an uncharacteristic role, to Herbert Marshall in a characteristic one, to Kenneth Tobey and Mona Freeman in fine supporting performances. Otto Preminger was a wonderfully skilled (if wholly obnoxious) director. This movie works, satisfying in ways that some more famous films do not.

This DVD of "Angel Face" offers a good film, a good print and not much in the way of bells and whistles beyond a useful (for once) commentary. You won't go wrong with it.

Five appropriately cool stars.

A face only a stepmother could hate (recommended).......2007-02-25

Ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) who aspires to own a high-performance car garage meets beautiful antisocial femme fatale Diane Tremayne (Jean Simons) in the house of questionable suicide-attempt victim Catherine Tremayne (Barbara O'Neil). Diane's relentless pursuit of Frank leads to spellbinding danger for anyone coming between her and her obsessive emotional attachments.

Mitchum is great in every film I've seen. In ANGEL FACE he plays the level-headed voice of reason battling an emotional vortex of compulsive admiration. Baring a strong resemblance to Audrey Hepburn, Jene Simmons has a slight stature and attractive girl-next-door appearance. This made me quite unprepared for the diabolical plotting and tormented conscience she so artfully portrayed. She crys; she lies; she is cold, calculated, and dangerous. With so many facets of her personality, you don't know what to expect when coming face to face with her. I first saw Simmons in ELMER GANTRY (1960) as a Bible thumping revivalist. Based on the title, her 1952 role is perhaps an appropriate prelude to that later role. You will think twice before trusting another beauty after ANGEL FACE -- highly recommended!

Movie quote: "You don't hate me, really. You couldn't hate anybody that loves you as much as I do."

A great film noir classic.......2007-02-13

An excellent film. Very little known until now but, I would say, is one of the best films in its genre. Simmons is a perfect femme fatale here. It is also a film full of misogynist quips: "The only bad thing about America is that women get spoiled"; or "...even a woman can do it". Yeah, it's gonna be a lot of fun for your feminist friends.

It's a fine movie to watch, easy to follow plot, no complications, it's fast. goes to the point and it's a thriller; in only 90 minutes approx; it goes in a blink of an eye. I wish they made all like this one.

The end is one of a kind, don't miss it.

Average customer rating:

Another Jewel in Pedro Almodóvar's Crown!
This film is fill with peculiar humor taped with his own trademark.
My favorite Almodovar movie
Highly surreal black comedy
Classic Almodovar

What Have I Done to Deserve This?
Starring: Ángel de Andrés López , José Manuel Bello , Beni , Diego Caretti , and Verónica Forqué
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00009XN3O
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Amazon.com

Pedro Almodóvar scored his first international hit with What Have I Done to Deserve This?, cementing his reputation as Spain's bad-boy director of darkly comedic melodramas. Many of the themes that dominate Almodóvar's later films are evident here, especially his sympathetic affection for downtrodden women like Gloria (Carmen Maura), an exhausted housewife who's addicted to No-Dōz tablets and spends 18-hour days cleaning apartments and tending (just barely) to her teenage sons (one deals drugs, the other offers sex to local perverts), neglectful husband, and looney-tunes mother-in-law--all of whom have a particular knack for getting on her nerves. Toss in a prostitute neighbor, an accidental murder, and a pet lizard named "Money," and you've got the makings of a soap opera by way of Luis Buñuel and John Waters, served up with Almodóvar's distinctive blend of compassionate humanity and kinky outrageousness. --Jeff Shannon

Description

5.1 subtitle control

Customer Reviews:

Another Jewel in Pedro Almodóvar's Crown!.......2006-09-15

Though the films by one of our geniuses of filmmaking in our times, Pedro Almodóvar, is making films now that are polished to perfection - Volver (2006), La Mala educación (2004), Hable con ella (2002), and Todo sobre mi madre (1999) - his early films such as this one '¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!!' in retrospect contained all the identifying marks that would establish him as not only one of the bad boys of cinema, but also one of the sensitive cinematic psychologists. And everything he touches gleams.

In this 1984 story of a wildly dysfunctional family co-habiting in Madrid, the star is Gloria (Carmen Maura), a No-Doz addicted maid living in a tiny flat with her taxi driver/forger husband who perseverates on an aging German chanteuse for whom he once worked, two sons - one a hustler and the other a drug peddler - and a wacko mother-in-law who treats food like contraband, selling what she chooses to the family members. The turning point in this raucously fragile but funny family is the chance to make money: the father is coerced into forging Hitler's memoirs with a little help from his German chanteuse's influence,
Gloria bargains with a dentist for her hustler son's possession, ad infinitum!

But leave it to Almodóvar to pull it all off with just the right amount of madness and mayhem, and a jolly dollop of psychology about family interaction and women thrown in for good measure. The cast is a delight (including Almodóvar regulars Cecilia Roth and Verónica Forqué!) and the movie is so fast paced that it feels like a carnival ride - which is very much the way this marvelous director sees his early work. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, September 06

This film is fill with peculiar humor taped with his own trademark........2006-04-15

By far not my best Almodovar film, but it is a winner as is! The more films I get to see from this one-of-a-kind (as all pioneers!) director, the more I love his work.

In this 4th film of his, he starts out with his usual absurd, peculiar humor and his trademark hilarious characters. If you have seen any of these other films of his: 'Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls on the Heap', 'Labyrinth of passion', 'Kika', 'Matador', 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' plus more, you know what to expect. Almodovar humor is unique and it's here. The big difference in this one is that from a point and on, Almodovar fits in a sad tone, slowing the pace down and converting the film to a drama half-way - despite the fact he does not leave out some humor element - in this very special Almodovar way. Carmen Maura makes here one of the most impressive roles of her career, she's very strong and credible like Gloria, the neighboring place; the supporting characters are all brilliant. I liked a lot Veronica Forque, Chus Lampreave and Kiti Manver. The movie has also some moments that can be surrealistic experiences that make the story incredibly real.

I suppose this should do also for people who didn't like half of Almodovar films (the more offensive ones), maybe because things are more serious in this or maybe because one can distinguish the director's point more easily than in other, more hilariously absurd, almost surreal ones.

My favorite Almodovar movie.......2005-07-07

Along with "Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown" this is my favorite from Almodovar. Almodovar's cinema is colorfull, symbollic, hilarious, absurd, and at times very brilliant. "What Have I done to deserve this" is a film which strikes me as being remarkably well organized and its meaning is grasped only after the entire film is digested.
Almodovar's style as a director falls somewhere between Sirk, Fassbinder, and Bunuel - a great combination of sound, image, lighting, color - mis en scene. I caution the viewer of this film not to take the subject matter of this film lightly - this is the work of a blossoming genius.

Highly surreal black comedy.......2005-04-24

This movie can and will make you laugh. Picture the highly disfunctional family living in Madrid in the mid-eighties: the overworked mom who is addicted to amphetamines; a chauvinistic cab-driving dad, who is infatuated with a love of his younger years, and beats his wife; a crazy grandma with a pet lizard, who is obsessed with going back to the town where she came from; the drug-dealing 14 year-old son who makes more money than both his parents combined; and the youngest son who gives sexual favors to men of age. Take them, add the wackiest neighbors (a chatty prostitute who has the most unexpected customers; and a childbeating single-mother with a daughter with special powers), and you are bound to be shocked left and right, unless you are able to see beyond the obvious. Almodovar's making a statement (or an over-statement at that), about how urban life is bound to deteriorate family life as the bread providers struggle to make ends meet.

With a more humorous approach to moviemaking than in his recent movies, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" is a black comedy that can stand well on its own. However, the one problem I have with it is that, in spite of the clear point he's trying to make, too many plot lines are started, many of which are not fully developed. You wonder why such or such scene had to be in the movie, if the character didn't end up being taken anywhere. Either this is the case or this version edited out some important moments in the stories of the different characters, but toward the end, you have an inevitable feel that you missed something in the movie, even if you "get it". Also, I have a problem with some of the elements presented (spoiler ahead), namely the highly surreal way in which the mom gives away her son to his dentist, a man in his thirties who is a clear sexual predator with an obsession for children.

This is why I give it 3 stars. It is far from his best movies, such as "Talk To Her", "All About My Mother", "Bad Education" and "Live Flesh".

Classic Almodovar.......2004-02-20

This Almodovar classic from the early 80's is an excellent dark comedy. Great characters such as the next door prostitute, the little redhead girl with telekinetic powers, the cheap grandma, the impotent policeman, the gay dentist, the two writers, and so on make for an interesting watch. Many classic lines are found in this one, like the newlywed who gets her face burnt from her husband spilling coffee on her "I'll never forget that cup of coffee" and "I'm diabetic? oh, I always forget at dinner time?"
This film is not really driven by plot, but rather by the characters' lives. Like all Almodovar movies, it is a piece of art, a meditation and a comical look at life, sexual orientation, coincidence, destiny and love.

Average customer rating:

It's not a movie, it's not a documental, it's in the middle, what makes it strange
Denise Richards Strikes out
Boring. slow
A Tedious Affair
Eh...

The Life (Unrated Edition)
Starring: Daryl Hannah , Denise Richards , Joaquim de Almeida , María Jiménez , and Pierre Woodman
Director: María Lidón
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B0006H31N0
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Description

A graduate student (Denise Richards) in need of money is coaxed by her prostitute neighbor (Daryl Hannah) to enter the world's oldest profession. Based on a best selling novel, their story is interwoven with stunning interviews with working prostitutes, from the highest paid call girls to the truck stop hookers. Often touching, sometimes shocking and always entertaining, this film will impact your view of the people who serve society's most basic urges.

Customer Reviews:

It's not a movie, it's not a documental, it's in the middle, what makes it strange.......2007-05-25

Honestly I would give it about three and a half stars. I got the movie thinking about a drama, the plot according to what I had seen sounded interesting. Well, I was waiting for a drama movie, mostly fiction, and it is about two thirds documentary and a third of drama, and usually it has to be a really great person who puts two so different things on a same movie and it ends up being great... and this is not the case.

For the documentary part: Realistic interviews, variety of topic, very shallow on each topic though. Superficially informative.

As for the drama attempt: The idea of the plot is interesting, the execution of it is poor, but well, complex plots are not easy to get in 30 minutes, that is actually more of what this director gives to the plot itself. Besides, the dramatic scenes are pathetically SLOW.

Great soundtrack. I would like to have those songs, but most of them I had never heard them before, and I don't know the names or so, and Amazon doesn't have it either.

Denise Richards Strikes out.......2007-02-10

A bad movie. Not even if Denise had been nude, it still would have been bad.

Boring. slow.......2007-01-15

I bought basically, because I love Denisee Richards and Daryl Hanna, plus I like also Valerie Tasso, besides I am a fan of Pierre Woodman, they all appear on the film, among some well know adult stars like Dora Venter, Rita Faltoyano. But really the film is not good at all, it is slow, the elements don't match. It is sometimes hard to follow. It is really not worth buying it.

A Tedious Affair.......2006-10-09

Persons looking for gratuitous titillation from bombshells Denise Richards or Daryl Hannah will be disappointed. Those looking for a story line will similarly be disappointed. In fact, anyone seeking any entertainment at all will not find much of worth in here. All is not lost, though. Persons looking for short interviews from people in the sex industry might find something of interest.

Ostensibly, this is the story of two women. Denise Richards plays a doctoral student who trying to get through school. Daryl Hannah plays an older woman in her apartment building with no visible means of support. When Richards has a hard time making her rent payments, she asks Hannah how she pays the bills. Her answer is simple. She's a hooker and she offers to help Richards into the business. She does with mixed results. That's virtually the entire story line but I would be surprised if it is even a quarter of the film.

Most of the film is taken up with short interviews of people in the sex business. Some are truck stop hookers; some are high priced call girls. Some are pimps and madams. Some are customers. Few of them speak English and the interviews are subtitled. There seems to be some unity of theme with the interviews. Similar questions are asked of various people within the same segment. These segments have nothing to do with the story line. They are merely interspersed throughout.

Its all kind of sad. One gets the impression that a truly fascinating documentary could have been made. One also suspects that a really fine movie could have been made. This is neither.

Eh..........2006-09-09

Calling "The Life" a movie would be inaccurate. It's not there to be enjoyed or to entertain; And it's more like a documentary with a pointless storyline involving Denise Richards and Daryl Hannah. The only reason I rented this movie was because Richards and Hannah were on the cover and it has a tagline that says "What's your pleasure?" Well, Richards and Hannah is a good start. I rented it and only when I got home did I realize that it's got a pitiful storyline interwoven with interviews. The movie is a little over 70 minutes. This is a rough estimate, but about 55 minutes is interviews...The storyline is barely there, the filmmakers have thrown the two actresses on the cover to get people to do exactly what I did. Grab the movie. They would've been better off editing out all of Richards and Hannah's stuff, because basically it's about A graduate student (Richards) who's neighbor is a prostitute (Hannah). Her grant is running out and she needs to make money, so she (kinda) takes up the world's oldest profession. There is almost no character development and you feel nothing for any of these characters. The interviews (which claim that the people aren't actors, but their dialogue sounds very scripted) don't really do what the filmmakers want. They don't leave you mortified and haunted, they basically tell you what you were already aware of and they don't speak that graphically. It's the final scene, where each prostitute reveals where they see themselves in a few years. It's a sad to see that some of these people have dug themselves so deep into this profession that they're not even sure how to dig themselves out. If you want to see a pseudo-documentary on prostitution, then you mihgt like this. If that doesn't strike your fancy, don't bother.

GRADE: B

Average customer rating:

This is the Best Movie ever.
There is a time that is right for each and everything
Robert Bresson 's homage!
Necessary
A major dissapointment

Faraway, So Close!
Starring: Otto Sander , Bruno Ganz , Nastassja Kinski , Martin Olbertz , and Aline Krajewski
Director: Wim Wenders
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Wings of Desire
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ASIN: B00004W4UC
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Customer Reviews:

This is the Best Movie ever........2007-06-04

I loved this Movie! U cant get better than this Ladies and gentelman. Peace. HB

There is a time that is right for each and everything.......2006-04-19

In searching for the transcendent, and for a spiritual explanation of its material certainties and flaws, there are people who choose to believe in angels, those unmaterial beings that watch over mortals perennially, shedding light and preventing souls from falling into darkness. It is certainly a great story line, and one that touches many, but "Faraway so close" distants itself from the mere and plain interest of the obvious subject and dares to explore way deeper in the uncertain terrains of beliefs, sentiments, destiny versus will, friendship and the very essence of good and evil. It ends up being a beautiful and moving screen poem. I just love this movie and treasure it at home as one of my favorites..

This is the long awaited sequel to a previous movie by Wim Wenders under the title "Wings of Desire". In the first movie, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) an angelic being, falls in love with Marion (Solveig Dommartin) a mortal woman. Due to the strength of his feelings, Damiel chooses to make the transition to mortality and ends up forming a mortal family. The movie comes across as a beautiful love story.

In "Faraway so close" a somewhat darker side of the same process is told. Cassiel (Otto Sanders) another angel, and friend of Damiel, makes the same transition to mortality but essentially, to prevent destiny from fulfilling itself. That is, for the wrong reasons although for a good end (saving a little girl's life). Mortality ends up being a painful and shocking process for Cassiel no matter how desperately Damiel and his family try to help. In the end, there is some sort of agreement that the time for Cassiel to come down to this earth was not right. And perhaps neither were the reasons. However, destiny shows up again, and time comes for Cassiel to leave its mortal self and set things right again. The momentum is symbolized by Emit Flesti (Willem Defoe). Spell it backwards and the name will read "Time itself".

Certainly a thought-provoking kind of movie, with a great script in German, English, French and Italian and an impressive photography and marvelous direction. Beautiful and well constructed characters abound such as Raphaela (a companion angel for Cassiel, played by Nastassja Kinski), Tony Baker (Horst Bucholz), Heinz Rahrmann (Konrad), Philip Winter (Rudiger Vogeler), Camilla Pontabry (who plays Doria, Damiel and Marion's daughter) and of course the already beloved characters of Damiel, Cassiel and Marion.

Cameo appearances by Lou Reed, Mikhail Gorbachov and Peter Falk are included, all playing themselves. And the post-Berlin wall setting, together with the contradictions and conflicts still present in current German society are worth every penny. It is certainly not a mainstream sort of movie, yet in my opinion it delivers a strong message to everyone with a touch of spirituality and wanders about life, death, love, fate, will, good, evil and the essentials of our presence in this earth.

Robert Bresson 's homage!.......2006-01-14

Wenders retakes the characters of Wings of desire with a visible purpose: to recreate a memorable metaphoric story around the fall of the ominous Berlin 's Wall, as well as existential considerations These angels are true messengers capable to help the men, far beyond to remain so close but just so far. He permeates the story with a very smart approach around the ethical behavior through this harp reflection in the film: "The people thinks have conquered the world, but the true is the world has conquered the people." This concept is the core of the work because recalls us in last instance the role of the artist in the world: Not pretend to change the world, but the world don' t change him."

As a matter of fact Wenders underlines a formidable concept: The consume of excessive images, a typical feature of the actual world, makes the love to be in danger, because brings with it the forgetfulness about "to know to look." Besides, the cynical attitude of the store boss who decide exchange porno videos for old weapons of the missed East Germany is simply prodigious. But the film is ambitious because there are besides, important allusions respect the solitude, the existential void, the redemption 's loss and the time' s fugacity.

This is a film that deserves from you your most careful attention, abnegate dedication and total commitment. It' s a formidable work with countless issues which deal about the human condition in those times.

Necessary.......2005-09-05

It's the kind of story I think we need to know this days. I've read an analysis about it, years ago, which can resume very well what is behind this master piece, but you'll need to see "Wings of Desire" too if you are really aimed to undestand. So, taking both films in account, they are about good reasons for an angel to become human beings: love by a special person or a irrestible necessity to protect the good feellings humans are still capable to heve.

A major dissapointment.......2005-01-19

I liked Wings of Desire so much that I rented and watched this sequel. Frankly it was major dissapointment to me. It seems Wenders tries to have a "real plot" and some "action" in the movie. But the story is incoherent and laughable at some points.

Average customer rating:

A Real Noir Gem
Excellent noir touches
"That's What You Get When You Set Love So High. . . . ."
Loads of fun
A Forties Noir Programmer, And Not Bad At All

Black Angel (Universal Noir Collection)
Starring: Dan Duryea , June Vincent , Peter Lorre , Broderick Crawford , and Constance Dowling
Director: Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00023P4G0
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Customer Reviews:

A Real Noir Gem.......2007-02-01

The period immediately following World War Two produced a treasure trove of great film noir efforts. Many of these passed quickly from the scene at the time without making the kind of splash they deserved, enhanced by the fact that so many films were being made as Americans flocked to theaters and spent their money freely in the glittery economic period that followed a tumultuous conflict.

Roy Neill, who directed some of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, turned in a gem of a film with the 1946 noir mystery "Black Angel." Stunning blonde June Vincent demonstrates in this film how wrong Hollywood was not to give her more starring assignments.

When Vincent's husband is arrested for a crime he insists he did not commit, the death of blackmailer-singer Constance Dowling, June turns detective in an effort to prove her husband's innocence before he faces an impending execution at San Quentin Prison's gas chamber.

The basic plot is very much like that of another great noir film of the forties, "Phantom Lady", when secretary Ella Raines seeks to prove that her boss and the man she loves, Allen Curtis, is innocent of the murder charge that leaves him awaiting execution at New York's Sing Sing Prison.

The similarity is not surprising in that each film was adapted from a Cornell Woolrich novel, as was also Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window." Roy Chanslor turned in a screenplay containing the admirable story twists and turns that result in great mystery.

When Vincent, in her detective endeavor, seeks help from deceased Dowling's former husband, her former pianist and songwriter, played by Dan Duryea, the plot takes all kinds of interesting plot turns that keep viewers guessing until the film's final scene.

Duryea suspects that nightclub boss Peter Lorre, who was involved with Dowling, might be the guilty party. As a means of obtaining an opportunity for Vincent to gain evidence to use against Lorre, Duryea breaks Vincent in as a singer and gets a job for both of them at Lorre's club.

One moment the onus of suspicion points toward Lorre, and the next in a different direction that astounds Vincent. Meanwhile dogged police investigator Broderick Crawford, a few years from his Oscar winning appearance in "All The King's Men," continues to search and ask questions.

The suspense never lets up and thankfully "The Black Angel" in this new age of film noir appreciation is getting the credit that it so rightfully deserved.

Excellent noir touches.......2006-06-19

Right from the opening sequence we know we're in real deal noir territory: it's night in a large city, the busy street, two men waiting ominously in a car, the ambulance racing by with the siren blasting, the classy camera work as it goes from the street up the side of an apartment building and in through a window high up off the street - all classic noir touches. The murder mystery turns out to be pretty routine and involves a nightclub singer (June Vincent) who tries to clear her husband of a murder rap he didn't commit (though he was having an affair with the dead woman, which makes it a little difficult to understand her desire to set him free; perhaps she thinks the gas chamber is too severe a punishment for unfaithfulness - but this is a film noir, don't forget, where such evil thoughts are typical). The real murderer is finally tracked down using a brooch and a hospital ward confession to get to the truth. Nothing spectacular occurs in all of that, but the noir touches are obvious and well done. Fans of the genre will enjoy this picture.

"That's What You Get When You Set Love So High. . . . .".......2006-05-09

"Black Angel" is an unjustly forgotten film noir based on Cornell Woolrich's novel. Dan Duryea, tagged in the preview as "he's no angel again!", adds yet another complex, dark portrayal to his gallery of ambiguous bad guys as Martin Blair, the estranged husband of murder victim Mavis Marlowe (Constance Dowling). Mavis is a devious singer who is blackmailing her married lover, Kirk Bennett (John Phillips). Her immaculately decorated apartment, haunting song "Heartbreak" playing in the background, her sheer black gown highlighting what a bad dame she is. Her blackmailer is shrewd, unscrupulous and will stop at nothing to get her way; Dowling's career never fully took off, most likely because of her unconventional screen presence and her independent mind (coincidentally, her sister, Doris Dowling, also appeared in a similar role in another noir of the same year, playing Alan Ladd's unfaithful lush wife in "The Blue Dahlia"). Since Mavis has made so many enemies for herself, it's not surprising that she ends up murdered. As he had the most apparent reason of anyone to want her dead, Bennett is arrested, charged and convicted (on rather circumstantial evidence) and sentenced to death. His loyal wife, Catherine (June Vincent, another under-appreciated talent), vows to clear her husband and enlists the help of Blair, who had passed out drunk after he last saw Mavis, and the pair team up to investigate nightclub owner Marko (Peter Lorre, exceptional performance), posing as a singing act. However, as with many film noirs, there are many red herrings, and things are not what they appear to be. The ending is a surprise and the killer's identity will keep you guessing to the film's conclusion.

I don't know why this movie is barely remembered. There should have been records of the haunting vocal music. June Vincent, the only surviving cast member, retired from show business relatively early, and it's a shame that she did not progress to more roles like this in A pictures.

The DVD looks very good, although it shows faint signs of wear (which is to be expected for a film of its age), and the only extra included is the original theatrical trailer. Any fans of film noir should enjoy this one.

Loads of fun.......2006-04-07

This cult classic (which is what lesser-known noir films get to be called) offers a juicy setup in its opening scenes, revealing just enough to the audience to show that the man who will take the fall for the murder of a shallow beauty was not the person whodunnit. The film picks up his wife (played by the excellent June Vincent) trying to dig up new evidence to save her husband from execution. At this point in Hollywood history, black and white cinematography had reached its most expressive; the film's evocation of the posh rich and seedy poor is equally creepy. The film this reminded me of the most is PHANTOM LADY (1944, Robert Siodmak), especially in its detailed portrayal of reconstructing a hidden crime. Dan Duryea gives a bravura "lost weekend" performance, possibly influenced by Ray Milland's in the 1945 Billy Wilder Oscar winner. As he did in THE MALTESE FALCON, Peter Lorre plays a homosexual with a sadistic streak (he strikes a match across the back of his put-upon strong-arm man). However, everyone in the film seems a bit twisted; a janitor even forces Duryea to pay a quarter to get out of his room after a bender. The script is bold enough to butt heads with the Production Code, which didn't permit the central relationship between Vincent and Duryea to develop. The film proves that director Roy William Neill was capable of more than Holmes and Watson programmers.

A Forties Noir Programmer, And Not Bad At All.......2005-12-11

This low-budget programmer has much to recommend it, especially in the first half of the movie. A beautiful, high-maintenance blackmailer, Mavis Marlowe (Constance Dowling) is strangled and one of her lovers, a married man she'd been bleeding, is accused of the murder. He's convicted and sentenced to the gas chamber. His wife, Catherine Bennett (June Vincent), believes he is innocent and is determined to find the real murderer in the few days she has left before his execution. Joining her in the search is the victim's husband, Martin Blair (Dan Duryea), a songwriter Mavis cast off without a second thought and who still is obsessed by her.

As the hours tick away, the two have only one lead, Marko (Peter Lorre), the owner of a high-society supper club on the Sunset Strip. Marko had been seen entering Mavis' apartment building near the time of her murder. With only a couple of days left, they manage to break into the safe Marko has in his office, but are caught by Marko and his strong-arm muscle. Desperate, they...well, see the movie. All I can tell you is that the last third of the film moves into dark territory and there is a twist ending which doesn't leave you smiling.

What I like about the movie is what makes it what it is, a programmer. It has a nice, noir look, the director keeps the action going, most of the actors are not exceptional but, with Lorre and Duryea, you know what you're getting and they both deliver professional and interesting performances. I wouldn't consider this the high light of anyone's collection, but it's a solid example of studio competence from the Forties.

The movie was based on a story, Black Angel, by Cornell Woolrich. Using his real name or with his pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley, Woolrich created memorable pulp fiction noirs that are still excellent to read. Many were made into movies. If you like well-written noir mysteries, try some of these: The Bride Wore Black, Phantom Lady, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, I Married a Dead Man, Black Alibi and, of course, Black Angel.

This DVD has no extras, but for the most part is in clean, good shape.

Average customer rating:

Muy Bueno
Very provocative!
"In this country, honesty gets you nowhere."
Very Funny Political Satire
This Movie Made Me Laugh Loudly

Herod's Law (La Ley de Herodes)
Starring: Damián Alcázar , Pedro Armendáriz Jr. , Delia Casanova , Juan Carlos Colombo , and Alex Cox
Director: Luis Estrada
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000TPA56
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Description

Mexico, 1949. The fable of a janitor turned mayor on a little town lost in the Mexican desert, who gradually realizes how far his new acquainted power and corruption can get him. After the corrupt former mayor is killed by the peasants, poor janitor Juan Vargas is appointed new mayor of a desert town in central Mexico. Although he tries to bring the motto of the ruling party to town (modernity, peace and progress) he realizes soon that there's nothing to do against corruption?except to become corrupt. Step by step, helped by his pistol, Juan Vargas becomes the law and the worst major in the town's history.

Customer Reviews:

Muy Bueno.......2006-10-21

Excellent movie, not only accurate of Mexico's political culture but not far from the US's either. Funny dark satire, you won't regret buying this one.

Very provocative!.......2006-02-03

This film lends a surprisingly accurate (albeit quite satiric) perspective on the state of Mexico's political culture.

"In this country, honesty gets you nowhere.".......2005-03-19

After the third mayor of the dirt-poor town, San Pedro de los Saguaros is murdered, officials of the PRI party look for an idiot to take over the role. They chose Juan Vargas (Damian Alcazar), and send him off to the town to take control. Vargas and his wife, Gloria (Leticia Huijara) are appalled by the town. The town is basically a collection of dilapidated shacks with a population of about 100 people--mostly Indians. Even the school is stripped bare after repeated looting by various government officials. San Pedro has its own brothel run by the gloriously vulgar Dona Lupe. The town's doctor swears that all the evil in the town comes from the brothel, and that it's the mayor's duty to close it down. Vargas quickly learns that the town operates with bribes--even the corrupt priest demands one peso per sin in the confessional box. Urged on by his wife, Vargas returns to his superior, Lopez and asks for money for the town. Lopez hands him a gun and a heavy law book, and tells him that he's in charge ...

Using Herod's Law as his guide, Vargas proceeds to develop into a petty despot. An expurgated version of Herod's Law is "Do it to them before they do it to you." This handy-dandy motto then becomes the tool by which Vargas deals with the town.

"Herod's Law" is a political satire. The story begins in 1948 and the film satirizes the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) that ruled Mexico from more than 70 years until it was replaced in 2000 by the Partido Accion Nacional. There's a sole American, Sam, in the story who becomes an advisor of sorts after a crafty car repair. Does the American engineer represent America's symbolic role for Mexico? That you must decide for yourself after watching the film. Note the role of Sam, the American is played by Alex Cox (director of "Sid and Nancy" and "Repo Man"). The film illustrates the utter corruption of an individual, and as I watched the film I thought of the quote from Lord Acton, "absolute power corrupts absolutely". "Herod's Law" was originally supressed by the ruling PRI government of Mexico, and it's a great tale of one man's corruption, but at the same time it's a blistering critique of 70 years of PRI rule. "Herod's Law" is in Spanish with English subtitles--displacedhuman

Very Funny Political Satire .......2004-12-06

This very funny movie satirizes the PRI party of Mexico, political corruption, and human nature. After the townspeople of a tiny, isolated, extremely poor Mexican town rise up against their corrupt mayor, the ruling party names a minor political functionary, selected for his stupidity, to preside over (and avoid trouble in) the town pending the selection of candidates for the next election. What ensues in illustration of the maxim that power corrupts is both hilarious and appalling. With amazing location shots that take you to the poorest regions of Mexico, where residents may not even speak Spanish, memorable characters (including an American), and a wonderful mambo orchestra score, this movie is definitely recommended.

This Movie Made Me Laugh Loudly.......2004-08-14

I am very pleased to see La Ley de Herodes with subtitulos. I have wanted to share it with friends who live here near the border [San Diego] but don't speak Spanish well enough to get some of the humor. This is a great piece of political satire. I am sorry it didn't have broader distribution in the US. It is really a remarkable movie, not often does one see film that is this viscious about the powers that be come out of Mexico. It is a part of the rebirth of Mexican cinema that is so enjoyable.

Average customer rating:

No Thought Required-- **1/2 stars
Lots of Laughs, Lots of Fun
Even Lawrence couldn't save this movie and he's a comedian
That's why you shouldn't drink your own urine.
Horrible script, Martin is wasted

Black Knight
Starring: Martin Lawrence , Marsha Thomason , Tom Wilkinson , Vincent Regan , and Daryl Mitchell
Director: Gil Junger
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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Rebound

ASIN: B0006GVJDU
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Amazon.com

In Black Knight, Martin Lawrence plays an amusement park employee who is magically transported back to medieval times and helps return a queen to her rightful throne (while learning some valuable lessons along the way). Despite the script's lack of logic and originality, Lawrence is an engaging performer, with a loose-limbed amiability that makes him most enjoyable company, even if he's not necessarily a better actor than most comedians. If Lawrence ever does a movie with a decent script, he might really have something; as it is we'll have to settle right now for the cheesy yet funny sight of Lawrence teaching a medieval band to play some Sly and Family Stone. --Bret Fetzer

Description

When a Medieval World theme park worker (Lawrence) is magically transported back to 14th century England, he must do battle with an evil king, deadly assassins - and really bad plumbing!

Customer Reviews:

No Thought Required-- **1/2 stars.......2006-07-12

Leave your thinking cap off and you'll enjoy this movie. Pure amusement. Martin Lawrence plays an assertive theme park worker with no pride or dedication toward his job, lots of self-respect but little to share in favor of others. With the advertising of a competitive park opening close by in the future, he advises the park owner who also happens to be his mentor, to divest herself of the park and retire. Annoyed, she sends him to clean the moat and he's on his way while telling his coworkers to file their job applications at the new theme park to beat the rush. Dredging the moat, he spies a gold medallion on a heavy gold chain sparkling through the debris-strewn water. He sticks his hand in to retrieve it and gets sucked into the filthy water and time travels back to the 14th century.

So begins Lawrence's journey into medieval England. Foisting himself off as the messenger from Normandy bringing news of the arrival of the Duke to wed the virgin daughter of the mean, usurping King Leo, he falls for one of the chambermaids (Marsha Thomason), who happens to be leading the rebellion against the king to reinstall the ousted queen. The supporting cast makes this movie -- from the drunken, fallen knight, Sir Knolte (Tom Wilkinson) to Princess Regina (Jeannette Wegger), King Leo's not so virginal daughter.

Some critics have poopahed Lawrence's acting abilities, but when I watch him interviewed in person and then watch his movies, I can only draw the conclusion that his acting abilities are top notch. One would almost think that the offscreen Lawrence is his major acting role, compared to the ones he portrays. Offscreen he appears intellectual, quiet mannered, almost shy. Who can say that about his performances on screen? While Black Knight won't win any awards, it's still very entertaining and to repeat, the supporting cast is terrific.

Lots of Laughs, Lots of Fun.......2006-06-04

This is basically a Variation of a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court, done as only Martin Lawrence can do it.
The Story speaks for itself, and needs little coverage.
The extras are great, and they show just how good people surround themselves with great support people, and so look even better. The commentary by the director is good, clear and very explanatory; I also wish that Martin Lawrence had talked about more than just the two scenes he spoke about.
Very nice to see the Paula Abdul bit, since she is always soooo gorgeous !!!!
The out-takes are VERY funny, and the deleted scenes are scenes that are soooo not needed, that one wonders why there would be any question about their deletion, but Martin is very good in the Nightclub scene.
Lots of DVD for a nice price.

Even Lawrence couldn't save this movie and he's a comedian.......2005-01-08

I was afraid of this movie. I was truly frightened out of my boots. You know why? Because of the premise. Imagine the premise of a modern day man in medieval times. How would that work? I already fear the possibility of a corny incident and I was not let down. You know how the main character got into medieval times? Through a magical necklace. Wow, huh?

Yup, people, that is the beginning of the movie. The movie stars Martin Lawrence as a man named Jamal. He works at this place called "Medieval World" and they are about to receive competition in the form of "CastleWorld". Jamal doesn't really care and believes the boss should just cash out, but his boss doesn't feel the same. She is disappointed, but Jamal doesn't care. Later on, as he is cleaning, he saw a strange necklace in the moat and as he tried to get it, it sucked him in. That begins our magical adventure and it is quite possibly the corniest modern day beginning ever. That can fly with the Wizard of Oz because it is a classic and it was made long ago, but that plot doesn't fly today. As a matter of fact, I may have disgraced the name of "The Wizard of Oz" by mentioning it in the same sentence as Black Knight.

Anyway, after being sucked in, our hero finds himself in medieval times. The movie wasted no time in teaching me that medieval citizens of England spoke modern English quite well by showing Jamal speaking with a citizen perfectly. The guy also ends up dying, but he then wakes up a moment later, and keep in mind that Jamal just finished making a whole scene about the guy not breathing. Later on, he travels around and finally arrives in a village. There, he sees as castle and believes it is the new amusement park, "CastleWorld". Jamal is quite perceptive, isn't he? If I had landed in a place where there is no city or road around, but only a bunch of people dressed in rags, I would guess it is an amusement park too. So after arriving at the castle and informing the guards that he is from Florence and Normandie (which they mistake for Normandy), he is let in. Thus Jamal's adventure begins and we will be introduced to medieval times at the highest possible accuracy, such as how politically correct people were in those times.

Seriously, though, this movie simply has way too many flaws, even for a Martin Lawrence movie. I am watching this after Lawrence's other movie "Nothing To Lose" and I am finding that this movie is actually worse than the other.