The Glass House

Starring:Leelee Sobieski, Diane Lane, Stellan SkarsgÄrd, Bruce Dern, Kathy Baker, Trevor Morgan, Chris Noth, Michael O'Keefe, Vyto Ruginis, Gavin O'Connor, Carly Pope, China Shavers, Agnes Bruckner, Michael Paul Chan, Rachel Wilson, Rutanya Alda, Erick Avari, Mia Barrentine, John Billingsley (II), Richard Anthony Crenna
Director: Daniel Sackheim
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Domestic tensions turn intimately sinister in this pulpy potboiler, which develops a steely sense of menace. The trouble begins when Mr. and Mrs. Glass (Stellan SkarsgÄrd, Diane Lane) are appointed legal guardianship of 16-year-old Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and her 11-year-old brother (Trevor Morgan) after their parents are killed in a car accident. As trusted former neighbors, the Glasses welcome the orphans into their luxurious Malibu home, but the all-glass structure turns into a gilded cage when Mr. Glass's motivations are revealed to be anything but friendly. With plot-thickening roles for Bruce Dern and Kathy Baker, the film builds considerable suspense before tailspinning into absurdity, and veteran TV director Daniel Sackheim takes full advantage of his prismatic setting and Sobieski's burgeoning sex appeal. The rickety script by Wesley Strick (echoing his rehash of Cape Fear) eventually veers toward self-parody, at which point The Glass House qualifies as a high-gloss slasher pic. --Jeff Shannon
Average customer rating:
- A Great Love Story
- Yummy High Cholesterol '50's Fun!
- A Summer Place-DVD
- Summer, Sex and Suds
- A SUMMER PLACE
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A Summer Place
Starring: Richard Egan , Dorothy McGuire , Sandra Dee , Arthur Kennedy , and Troy Donahue
Director: Delmer Daves
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000JU8HBA
Release Date: 2007-02-06 |
Amazon.com
Think A Summer Place, and you'll probably be humming Max Steiner's wonderfully romantic instrumental theme song, a hand-holding hit in 1959. The movie itself is similarly irresistible, a colorful soap opera about the passions of a pair of dewy-eyed teens and their straying parents. At an island resort in Maine, Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue (the reigning teen idols of the day) fall hard for each other. What they don't know is that her father (Richard Egan) and his mother (Dorothy McGuire), lovers 20 years earlier, have rekindled their affair. Both, inconveniently, have spouses, which is what makes this a soap opera. Lovers of camp will find much to savor in the incredible '50s attitudes, and in the innocence of supervirgin Dee ("Johnny, have you been bad with girls?"). Yet the sincerity of writer-director Delmer Daves, cowriter of An Affair to Remember, comes shining through the corn; and the grown-up affair anticipates The Bridges of Madison County by 30 years. --Robert Horton
Description
Illicit romance take center stage when a wealthy family set off for a summer seaside vacation.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Love Story.......2007-06-27
I really love the actors in this story and recommend anyone,who truly want to be loved to look at this story.It doesn't matter about family situations long as you have a level head in this new reality world,you can over come any given situation.
Yummy High Cholesterol '50's Fun!.......2007-06-13
As a social barometer of the times it may be reading a bit too much into "A Summer Place" to proclaim it as an early ripple in the social tempests still to come in the 1960's. Still those of us alive at that time know that in 1959 it WAS controversial to sympathetically portray adultery and teen sexuality as depicted in "A Summer Place". I remember my high school years (early '70's) and how girls who "got into trouble" would simply disappear and you'd never know what became of them until a classmate told you years later of their waywardness (this was still a VERY rare occurrence here in "flyover country" even then; how things have changed). And of course while adultery and divorce were likewise not quite so prevalent "back in the day," they certainly happened but not without considerable burden of stigma for the convention-defying lovers who tossed everything over for their passion.
So yeah, I do think the sociology of "A Summer Place" is significant but that's really the least reason to see it. Mostly it's just maximum guilty-pleasure FUN and a HUGE blast of '50's nostalgia and "attitude" that still has great charm and luster for receptive movie fans.
Rule number 1 is that you must have full tolerance for what we could now call cheesy acting and intensely overripe melodrama. AND ALSO you must be prepared for the intense full-frontal gumball-vivid Technicolor cinematography of the time. Too many viewers can't see beyond the stylistic conventions of the time a movie was made to appreciate the human story being told; what a pity! Think of everyone you know who just won't watch a movie because it's in black & white, or because it's obviously an old, overcooked Hollywood potboiler. You know what? Many of those are GREAT works of art however (like most art) they require that you make the effort to meet them halfway. Think of them not only as theatrical productions but also as time capsules of the era they were created--because that's exactly what they are. And how fortunate we are now to have such easy access on DVD for our enjoyment now!
But enough of the film theory stuff. "A Summer Place" appeals on many levels; the gorgeous cinematography, the convention-challenging story & script, the VERY effective and well-remembered orchestral score, and let's not overlook the cast. Sandra Dee & Troy Donahue do indeed project a kind of youthful innocence that truly is a thing of the past now, but was common in their time. Dorothy McGuire & Richard Egan give it their all as the reunited Pine Island lovers who cannot resign themselves to half-lives of marital indifference or cruelty. And how about those jilted spouses? You gotta love Constance Ford as the scheming, triple-bitter wife interested only in keeping her husband & daughter under her thumb. Look-the DVD transfer shows how she has make-up "frown lines" painted at the corners of her mouth just in case we don't get the point that she's a sullen, PO'd bitter woman. A Snidely Whiplash mustache wouldn't have been gender-appropriate, would it?!? Arthur Kennedy also gives a GREAT performance as Dorothy's bibulous husband who despite his degraded state still musters considerable self-awareness & ultimately inspires our sympathy.
I described "A Summer Place" earlier as a guilty pleasure, but now I want to back off a little bit in closing. This is not really drama that will shake you fiercely like, say "21 Grams" or "Dead Man Walking," however I confess I AM touched by the underlying sincerity of "A Summer Place" and its intent to provoke--gently--some questioning of the Eisenhower era values that seemed set in stone and indeed WERE a cage of oppression for many. Perhaps your appreciation of "A Summer Place" will be proportional to your level of receptivity to such a re-evaluation. All I know for sure is that you enjoy it half as much as I do, you will like it a very great deal indeed!
A Summer Place-DVD.......2007-05-12
I saw this movie about 20years ago and loved it, but I fell in love with the Theme song and have loved it till this very day. The quality of this movie was fabulous as was the service, no hassles at all, its a pleasure to have my very own copy of this movie. Thanks Amazon.
Summer, Sex and Suds.......2007-05-08
Nowadays novelist Sloan Wilson's a nearly-forgotten footnote to 50's pop culture, but he produced two big bestsellers that were made into iconic films of their time, THE MAN IN THE GREY FLANNEL SUIT and A SUMMER PLACE. Neither picture's a masterpiece, but both are of interest, with SUMMER PLACE having the edge for entertainment value; its tale of angst and lust, senior and junior division, still provides plenty of sizzle. Thanks to the production code, Hollywood danced around sex for years. When films began to address the subject, in pictures like PEYTON PLACE and A SUMMER PLACE, the tone was often breathless hysteria -- there's something of a disconnect when actors coiffed and dressed in high 50's fashion are tossing around Victorian language like "house of ill repute" and "harlot". That said, these movies provide fascinating glimpses of public morality. In today's climate, Paris Hilton's X-rated antics provoke less commotion than Wilson's relatively straightforward adultery and teenage canoodling do here. Attractive performances from Egan and McGuire, nice work from Constance Ford as the embittered, puritanical mother (Angela Lansbury must have been washing her hair that week), and career-defining turns from Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee. As I've said before on this site, Dee's always better than you remember her being. She looks fine here, always maintaining her dignity in a thoughtful performance of material that could easily have turned ludicrous. Throw in a memorable Max Steiner score, a good Warner's DVD transfer, and you've got a great Saturday night movie.
A SUMMER PLACE.......2007-05-06
SUPERB OLD CLASSIC.RATHER DATED IN ITS APPROACH TO EXTRAMARITAL SEX, DIVORCE AND MORALS BUT STILL GREAT NOSTALGIA.
Average customer rating:
- Come Back, Little Sheba
- Anyone who suffered with alcoholism in the family should see this
- Shirley Booth is amazing...
- Lost dreams and failed ambitions...
- Powerful drama.
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Come Back, Little Sheba
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Shirley Booth , Terry Moore , Richard Jaeckel , and Philip Ober
Director: Daniel Mann
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ASIN: B0002ERWXC
Release Date: 2004-08-31 |
Description
After a shot gun marriage, Lola loses the couple's baby and relies for comfort on her dog, Sheba, who has run away, while Doc is a recovering alcoholic who blames Lola for his dropping out of medical school. Though still depressed and bitter about their past, the couple rents out a room to a young woman named Marie and while Marie brings happiness and young love into their home, she also brings old ghosts reminding Doc and Lola of their misfortunes.
Customer Reviews:
Come Back, Little Sheba.......2007-06-25
Based on a William Inge play, the wondrous "Sheba" soars on the strength of character actress Booth's wrenching portrayal of the lonely, used-up Lola, a role for which she deservedly won Best Actress over established stars Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Susan Hayward. Lancaster is clearly too young for the part of Doc, but bless him, he still brings it off in the end, with his drunk scenes particularly frightening. Overall though, watch this for Booth- she will literally break your heart.
Anyone who suffered with alcoholism in the family should see this.......2007-05-22
As a young girl I saw this movie knowing the absolute inside messages it was relaying to the audience. The holding of secrets and the constant approval seeking. Excellent work by Shirley Booth as a co-dependent desparately trying to make sense out of the situation she had placed herself into. The main character's dreams of the dog, how excellent was that. Anyone who has suffered in a home of alcoholism has to see this movie. It tells everyone's story to the letter.
Shirley Booth is amazing..........2007-05-12
I've been trying to find a copy of a CBS Playhouse version of "A Loss Of Roses" that starred Shirley Booth without success. So this performance helps fill that void. Most people that know Shirley Booth (and I'm talking about from the "old" days) as Hazel the tv maid. She was great and funny and sweet in that role but seeing her in projects like "Sheba" and as "The Matchmaker" (long before "Hello, Dolly") is a joy and a must see for anyone serious about good, solid, detailed acting work...and Burt Lancaster is great too...
See this! It won't change your life but will definitely enhance it. Enjoy!
Lost dreams and failed ambitions..........2007-04-26
Come Back, Little Sheba stands as a fine work of art by director Daniel Mann. The story takes place in the Delaney household. The Delaneys suffer relatively silently from the deep pain and despair that they feel over Mr. Delaney, or "Doc," as his wife Lola calls him, never finishing medical school and Lola Delaney not being the "model" housewife they both wish she were. Burt Lancaster turns in a tremendous performance as "Doc" Delaney, the bitter medical school dropout who blames his wife for his personal failings which include alcoholism and an extremely callous personality. Moreover, there's no secret why Shirley Booth won her Oscar for Best Actress of 1952 for her role as Lola Delaney. Her performance commands your attention as she masterfully portrays the character of Lola Delaney struggling with her own issues while trying to keep their marriage as stable as possible.
Unfortunately for the Delaneys, their fragile world is turned upside down when they rent a room to young college student Marie Buckholder, who stirs feelings of true passion in Mr. Delaney and motherly feelings in Lola Delaney. Eventually the Delaneys must confront their true yet previously unacknowledged feelings not just within themselves but also to each other. They try to deal with the pain of their rather serious issues resulting in their lives not working out the way they hoped it would. Lola Delaney has the extra burden of having to accept the loss of their dog Sheba; Lola had been very attached to Sheba who represented for her the child she never had. In addition, all this takes place as Marie, the young boarder for whom "Doc" develops feelings, enjoys her youth as she flirts with a muscle boy and studies at a nearby university.
Will Marie and "Doc" Delaney ever share romantic time together? Will the Delaneys deal successfully with their problems? Can "Doc" Delaney stay away from drink when the going gets rough as he realizes that Marie cannot really replace his dowdy and aging wife Lola? What might happen if he did revert to drinking again? Will Sheba be found and returned to Lola Delaney? No spoilers here, folks; you'll have to watch the movie to find out!
Burt Lancaster and Shirley Booth portray Doc Delaney and Lola Delaney with a great deal of sensitivity; they throw themselves into their acting roles do deeply that you will be convinced by their acting every step of the way through the picture. Burt Lancaster's acting in particular leaves you on the edge of your seat at all the right moments during this film. Moreover, Terry Moore positively shines as the young Marie Buckholder who makes "Doc" Delaney (or, Mr. Delaney) experience romantic passion for the first time in many years.
The choreography exceeds my expectations with many characters moving about the screen in several scenes, all of them doing what they were directed to do so well at all times. The cinematography reflects good judgment; the camera gets moved about very deftly by Daniel Mann and his crew to portray the exact image and conjure up the precise emotions they want their audience to experience at all times.
Unfortunately, the DVD comes without any extras. The most you get is a scene selection feature which of course is standard on just about all commercially released DVDs of today. The movie stands so strong, however, that is disappointment is comparatively minor and I will only take off one star for this problem to make this a four star DVD review.
I highly recommend this film for classic movie buffs and people who enjoy superlative dramatic performances.
Powerful drama........2006-09-07
This is a powerful drama. Lancaster plays a sort of Jeckyll and Hyde character named "Doc": calm and refined when sober, angry and dangerous when drunk. The scene in which, drunk, he attacks his wife, Lola, is harrowing. I've seen few scenes to beat it in terms of intensity and believability. Doc buries his disappointments in drink and harbors a deep suspicion of women's sexuality. Indeed, he is obsessed with female purity; thus the fact that Lola was pregnant before their marriage weighs heavily on him, and Doc, like Lola's father, never forgives her for this sexual "mistake." Booth, as Lola, is heartbreakingly poignant. The dominant symbol in the film, Lola's lost dog, Sheba, represents Lola's lost self: her youth and her dreams. Because she has no where to go when Doc becomes "sick" again, she is forced to resign herself to being a housewife who whitewashes her problems just like she gives her wooden ice box a fresh coat of paint.
"You're all I have," Lola says to Doc at the end of the film. "You're all I ever had." Booth's genius in that scene is most evident. I once read that Inge, the author of the play on which this film is based, was an alcoholic himself and believed that each woman should always stand by her man. But one look at Booth's performance makes it clear that Booth didn't think so. Booth's Lola is desolate at the end of this film. Her mother and father won't take her in and her neighbor's only advice is "keep busy." This, Lola will do, as she must, as she has no choice, but at a high cost.
The first time I saw this film I was 12 or 13 years old. I'm 50 now. I just watched it again tonight. I cried.
Average customer rating:
- Go ahead, throw some stones!
- Two Very Nice Performances
- So botched.
- Set-up to be a great thriller but eventually loses steam...
- Tedious and improbable
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The Glass House
Starring: Leelee Sobieski , Diane Lane , Stellan Skarsgård , Bruce Dern , and Kathy Baker
Director: Daniel Sackheim
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B00005RYKU
Release Date: 2002-01-02 |
Amazon.com
Domestic tensions turn intimately sinister in this pulpy potboiler, which develops a steely sense of menace. The trouble begins when Mr. and Mrs. Glass (Stellan Skarsgård, Diane Lane) are appointed legal guardianship of 16-year-old Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and her 11-year-old brother (Trevor Morgan) after their parents are killed in a car accident. As trusted former neighbors, the Glasses welcome the orphans into their luxurious Malibu home, but the all-glass structure turns into a gilded cage when Mr. Glass's motivations are revealed to be anything but friendly. With plot-thickening roles for Bruce Dern and Kathy Baker, the film builds considerable suspense before tailspinning into absurdity, and veteran TV director Daniel Sackheim takes full advantage of his prismatic setting and Sobieski's burgeoning sex appeal. The rickety script by Wesley Strick (echoing his rehash of Cape Fear) eventually veers toward self-parody, at which point The Glass House qualifies as a high-gloss slasher pic. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Go ahead, throw some stones!.......2007-06-24
Being a fan of both Leelee Sobieski and Diane Lane; I figured I had to see ths movie. that and I do enjoy the predictable B-movie from time to time!
That being said, that is exactly what this movie is, a predictable (but funny) B-movie. In all honesty, the script isn't half bad, and the acting is one thing that svaes this movie as a whole. the one draw back is the fact that it is so predictable. As someone has mentioned it seems to be more like a made-for-tv movie instead of a big-budget suspenseful thriller.
The acting as I mentioned is one thing that isn't half bad in this movie. Diane Lane as always puts on her best performance even with a lackluster script. Leelee Sobieski, who seems to always come under fire from both fans and critics alike, also puts on a super performance and shows she can hold her own alongside an actress like Diane Lane.
So yes, while the movie is predictable, and it has scenes that even may be highly unbelievable; it is a good movie to just sit and enjoy. You can even get involved yourself; yelling at the screen and asking why certain charcters are dumb enough to do certain things!
I do recommend this movie for a good time, and when it comes to Leelee Sobieski you can't go wrong.
Two Very Nice Performances.......2007-06-19
"The Glass House" (2001) is one of those films that you enjoy during the viewing thanks to good directing, good technical film-making (production design-nicely staged action sequences-odd camera angles), and convincing dialogue; but look back at feeling generally dissatisfied. In part this is due to the moronic final ten minutes but then you realize that the premise itself is the real problem. You don't mind suspending disbelief during the viewing but afterward you resent the fact that a less elaborate script would have made your efforts unnecessary.
The film is yet another example of Hollywood's ability, given a relatively large budget $20-30 Million, to put together a good-looking and visually believable suspense movie. It brings skilled technique to a plot that's a foregone conclusion, so the viewer must wait patiently for the characters to catch up.
For film buffs (those who like to read a film) there is a fairly ambitious subtext inside "The Glass House"; working on both conscious and sub-conscious levels. Warm (orange tones) lighting for the safe/secure scenes and cold (blue tones) lighting for the places where things are off-kilter. The Glasses (Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgard) literally live in a "glass" house above the Malibu beach. The theme, that nothing is what it appears to be, is supported by a production design of reflective surfaces; mirrors, glass, and water (its always raining) that distort the images. Mrs. Glass is a physician in a pain center who is secretly addicted to her own medications. Mr. Glass runs a seemingly thriving limo service transporting famous clients behind smoked glass windows.
There are several references to "Hamlet" with Ruby Baker (Leelee Sobieski) essentially in the role of the Melancholy Dane. The writer must have had this linked together much better in the screenplay but apparently several key elements of this dynamic never made it into production. This story is told entirely from Hamlet's point of view, a Hamlet who is frustratingly slow on the uptake and unable to make up her mind. And the viewer is supposed to be wondering what is real, what is wrongly perceived, and what is paranoid illusion. They even try to fool you with a dream sequence involving the return of Ruby's mother. Fortunately Sobieski (who looks like a young Helen Hunt) is an excellent actress and up to the challenge. Her performance (she is in every scene) keeps you focused on her story. The many scenes between her and Skarsgard are the film's real strength; they must carry the film since no one else in the cast is much of a factor.
The film opens with a "film within a film" device, which turns out to be a horror film, late- night viewing for Ruby and her rave-loving high school friends. This is an early clue to the "nothing is what it seems to be" theme. It turns out that Ruby is quite a party animal and has been successfully deceiving her parents about her nocturnal activities. This night she returns home to find police cars parked outside her house. Believing herself finally busted she enters the house only to be told that her parent's were both killed in a car accident earlier that evening. This sets the stage for life with the Glass family, a childless couple who were friends with her parents. You instantly know that they are odd because the director works so hard to make them appear normal.
Ruby and her little brother Rhett (Trevor Morgan) leave the San Fernando Valley to live with the Glass's in their expensive hilltop house. Can you say: "Hansel and Gretel in a Gingerbread cottage"? Things are weird from the start as the two children must share a room. Whatever the original rationale for this idea might have been got lost in the deleted scenes of the screenplay and it just seems silly and illogical (given the Glasses long-term plans). I assume that it was originally included to reinforce the idea that living in a glass house offers no privacy but who knows.
From this point a lot of stuff happens which can be taken in several different ways with the director constantly laying misdirection. Wesley Strick's screenplay gets way too elaborate and cute with this stuff and the film must rely on many convenient coincidences to advance the storyline. But since this starts at about the midway point its too late to stop viewing now. Listening to the Strick's commentary track on the DVD it is clear that there was considerable meddling with the original story by producers, dumbing down the more intellectually compelling elements.
Still little would have been lost and the overall credulity would have benefited by a less ambitious conspiracy, there was no reason for the parent's deaths to have been anything but an accident; it would have raised the film's IQ if the Glasses had been opportunists rather than conspirators. And the attempt at irony with the brake fluid would have worked better if Mr. Glass had been knocked out and put in his car; only to wake up as it is speeding down the road.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
So botched........2006-12-14
The Glass House (Daniel Sackheim, 2001)
There's a scene about two thirds of the way through The Glass House that pretty much sums up every way in which this movie went wrong. It's hard to set the scene without spoilers, but I'll attempt to do it anyway: a character has died. We know from various things, mostly a makeup job that would look appropriate in a microbudget horror film rather than a big Hollywood release, that said character has been dead for some time. Said character is found by another character. And, you know, just as character B finds character A-- who was previously quite banged around postmortem-- something character A was clutching in his/her hand is released and falls to the floor.
Little stupid things like that can ruin a whole movie for me, because they tell me that the director is willing to go for the cheap shot rather than trying to keep some semblance of reality in the film. That's exactly what happens here (you see the ending coming a while before the characters do, to be sure), and it's a shame, because it turns what might have been a fun, serviceable little thriller into a waste of some incredible talent.
Ruby (Joan of Arc's Leelee Sobieski) and Rhett (The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio's Trevor Morgan) have recently been orphaned. The estate's executor, Begleiter (the mighty Bruce Dern) has decided to allow the petition of family friends Terry (Insomnia's Stellan Skarsgard) and Erin (Unfaithful's Diane Lane) Glass to take the kids in, over the objections of their Uncle Jack (Law and Order's Chris Noth). All seems to be going well, but Ruby gets a weird vibe from Terry on a pretty regular basis, and begins to think that there might be some ulterior motive to the Glass' offer to take them in.
This is a great cast. A great cast. Skarsgard and Lane have been among the highlights of the acting world for a lot of years between them, and Sobieski is a fast-rising star (or would be, if she'd keep her participation in such dogs as Eyes Wide Shut to a minimum). And, of course, there's Bruce Dern, whose very name inspires some film critics to cower in their respective corners, gibbering. So how did Sackheim, a very capable TV director who's worked on some of the best series on television (House, The X-Files, Millennium, Law and Order, et al.), and screenwriter Wesley Strick (True Believer, the 1991 adaptation of Cape Fear, et al.) manage to bungle this as badly as they did?
I tend to lay the blame on Sackheim. Tricks like the hand thing in the first paragraph of this review play a lot better on the small screen than they do on the large screen; that's the sort of controlled cheesiness that made The X-Files so much fun to watch over the years. But then you look at Strick's fantastic track record before this movie, and you look afterwards and see Doom . What went wrong?
Whichever way you look at it, though, there's wasted talent to go around here. There is some fantastic set design; one wishes as much attention to detail had been paid to letting some fine actors do their thing in front of it. **
Set-up to be a great thriller but eventually loses steam..........2006-11-07
*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS* The general concept of this film sounds great. Two orphaned teenagers parents are tragically killed in an automobile accident, and so they go to live with old friends of their parents. This was the first mistake. What would have been better is if they would have gone to live with a couple that were completely unrelated or unknown to them. Both the teeangers have trust funds or something of that nature set up for them however they cannot claim it until they are adults. Ultimately, the plan of the foster parents is to kill them so they can get the money that was left to them. Apparently, the foster parents (the Glass's) have a lot of debts. Mrs. Glass has a drug addiction while Mr. Glass owes a lot of money to some seedy loan sharks. That was the second mistake of this film because it led to a very dismal ending. Their purpose for trying to kill the children should not have been to pay off debts or something idiotic like that. How about they are just trying to kill the children because they are selfishly greedy and want a lot more money than they already have and that's it? That would have made the characters a lot more sinister and creepy making for a more effective thriller. The ending, if you haven't read already, is pretty ridiculous and unbelievable. The first two-thirds of the film are pretty decent, but the last third of the movie is a big let-down. This could have been much better had minor changes been made and the ending totally revamped into something more satisfying. 3 stars at best.
Tedious and improbable.......2006-08-07
What begins as an intriguing thriller quickly turns into a major disappointment. The teen heroine is intelligent and quick-witted, but held back by an inept script that never has her do the obvious: call her uncle, call the police, tell more trustworthy adults. Throw in a completely unbelievable and improbable ending - the final 15 minutes utterly laughable - and, voila! You have wasted two hours of your life.
Can't recommend this one.
Average customer rating:
- a rival for hal
- A STRANGE, BUT INTERESTING SCI-FI THRILLER!!!
- A disturbing classic
- "I AM reason....you do not know me..When are you going to let me out of this box"
- A Bizarre Concoction of Science Fiction and Psychological Horror...
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Demon Seed
Starring: Julie Christie , Fritz Weaver , Gerrit Graham , Berry Kroeger , and Lisa Lu
Director: Donald Cammell
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000A0GOFU
Release Date: 2005-10-04 |
Product Description
Susan Harris is alone in the house when, suddenly, doors lock, windows slam shut and the phone stops working. Susan is trapped by an intruder?but this is no ordinary thug. Instead, the intruder is a computer named Proteus, an artificial brain that has learned to reason. And to terrorize. In "one of her finest, most vulnerable perfromances" (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic), Julie Christie plays Susan in this taut techno-thriller based on the Dean Koontz novel. Packed with suspense, surprise and special effects, Demon Seed follows Susan's desperate attempts to outmaneuver and outthink her captor. Then Susan learns what Proteus wants: its own child, conceived in her womb and destined for domination.
System Requirements:
Running Time 94 Min
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
One of the better examples of the mad-computer genre, Demon Seed is a sci-fi nightmare brimming with ideas. Julie Christie dominates the film as an unsuspecting woman whose house has been completely automated by her computer-genius husband (Fritz Weaver). He, in turn, has just completed Proteus, the world's smartest Artificial Intelligence machine. When Proteus traps Christie alone in the house, it--or he--has notions of passing his intellectual power to another generation... by impregnating her. One of the many intriguing things about Donald Cammell's film (based on a Dean Koontz yarn) is that Proteus's dreams are actually visionary and utopian, unlike the commercial uses planned for him by others. Of course, he's also scary as hell; the voice of Proteus, uncredited, unmistakably belongs to Robert Vaughn. Cammell, a fascinating and frustrated talent (he co-directed Performance), completed very few films and ultimately killed himself in 1996. Somewhere around the halfway point Demon Seed begins to break down dramatically and logically, yet it has so many ideas kicking around that it sticks in the mind anyway. A good Jerry Fielding score adds to the overall dread. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
a rival for hal.......2007-06-11
a superior science fiction film from the 70s about computer paranoia. how silly they were back then: thinking those machines could ever take over our lives! julie christie (stunning as always) is the victim of a rape by a computer -- dont ask -- who wants to have a child of its own, and the parallels to "rosemarys baby" are perhaps a bit too many, but this is proof of a wonderful time when this type of movie was about the story and not about spending millions on special effects. intelligent and well worth your time.
A STRANGE, BUT INTERESTING SCI-FI THRILLER!!!.......2006-07-19
DEMON SEED HAS AN ODD, BUT THOUGHT PROVOKING PREMISE! IT KEEPS YOU WANTING TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!
THE ACTING IS FAIR, BUT THE PLOT KEEPS THIS MOVIE TOGETHER!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
A disturbing classic.......2006-01-04
This is one of the most underrated science fiction films of all time.
On the surface it's a horror movie about a distasteful subject with a lurid DVD cover. But it touches on all kinds of interesting subjects.
The basic plot is straightforward: a conscious machine, Proteus, decides it wants to become incarnate and that the only way to do so is by creating a 'child' through aritificial insemination. It's a way out story but it's handled in a convincing manner. Much of the technology is dated, but many of the technological ideas are not.
One striking feature is the prescience of this movie. For example computers aren't just used for number crunching but for just about every kind of household work - even acting as a media center providing music on demand. There's also an important realisation that has been forgotten in many later science fiction films - video evidence from a smart machine is no evidence of anything.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this story is the way it pre-empts, rather than follows, artificial intelligence research. When this movie was released it was still the heyday of classical AI research. People were building more and more complex 'reasoning' systems assuring us that any day now these machines would become intelligent and self-aware. But much of this research eventually died out with the promises unfulfilled (or produced other benefits as side-effects) and today the active area of research is robotics. What took place was the realisation that if you want a machine to solve problems in the world then a good approach might be to let go of the classical disembodied rational intelligence approach and instead develop machines that are actually in the real world with ability to sense and interact with it. This is exactly the realisation that fictional Proteus makes in the movie - well before most AI researchers in the real world.
Note the geometrical snakelike robot that Proteus builds. It's very similar in design to modular robots being built today. In fact, one of the reasons for interest in modular robots is that they are ideal for assembly by machines. Yet again this movie does an amazing job of predicting future research and technology.
Like quite a few other science fiction movies (eg. Alien and Terminator 2) it has a strange fascination with motherhood. It's probably an uncomfortable movie for most people given what artificial insemination actually means. But I think the subject is handled tastefully - so don't expect the kind of graphic scene that the cover suggests.
All in all, a classic.
"I AM reason....you do not know me..When are you going to let me out of this box".......2005-12-05
Disturbing and dark, "Demon Seed" came out during a period when science fiction films tended towards dystopian stories. Proteus (Robert Vaughn in a chilling performance) is a new supercomputer designed to find solutions many of the problems mankind has been unable to solve. Dr. Alex Harris (the wonderfully underrated Fritz Weaver)head of the project has separated from his wife. His wife Susan (Julie Christie)a psychatrist stays in their home where one of Proteus' early terminals is located allowing the supercomputer access to the house. Proteus decides he wants to study man "his glass jaw mind" as he puts it. When he's denied access to one of his own terminals for this purpose he reactives the terminal in Harris' own. Once there he traps and torments Susan as part of his study and decides the only way to understand humanity is to somehow become part of humanity.
A frightening tale, the late director Donald Cammell creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that overcomes the dated trappings of technology in this film. "Demon Seed" is a gripping horror thriller that depends on the central performances of Christie and Vaughn (who is never seen). I'm amazed that this film even got made in the mid-70s as its darker than just about any other film that came out of MGM at the time.
Warner Home Video has done a terrific job in this transfer. The film looks extremely good with nice robust colors and it is presented in its original aspect ratio. Unfortunately the film doesn't have a commentary track or any extras (the theatrical trailer is included). That doesn't surprise me since this is very much a cult movie.
A Bizarre Concoction of Science Fiction and Psychological Horror..........2005-11-13
An anticipating clichéd cinematic event rests within Demon Seed, as the story deliberately applies several different themes from more than a few films. Yet the film pulls off a captivating (pun intended) nightmare about the super computer Proteus IV based on Dean Koontz's novel with the same name. To some extent the film overcomes the unoriginal perspective by encapsulating a tense and dark atmosphere generated by the power of Proteus. This helps keep the audience's attention intact through this science fictionalized horror tale where a computer desires the ability to feel touch.
The black background with deep red opening credits and an expanding dot accompanied by a subdued and digitalized wailing accentuates the apprehensive anticipation of what is to come. Contrastingly smooth, the scene switches into the sun rising over a hill, as the opening credits continue. Symbolically, the beginning offers a suggestion towards the birth of something sinister. Through brief editing, a small number of images lead the story to a valley where a company has been working under tight security for eight years. It is here the film begins with the birth of artificial intelligence, which is named Proteus IV.
Proteus' function will simplify the human existence; possibly turn the human race to a flock of sheep, as the computer will begin to think for the humans. This is a threatening concept, if the computer were to take charge over the human being, which will happen in Demon Seed. However, this is not a unique idea, as it has seen the silver screen before in films such as the brilliant 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) where the demonic computer HAL 9000 controls and apocalyptic Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) where the computer controls the weapons of United States. The difference with Demon Seed and its predecessors is that here Proteus will take power over one home, the home of the chief scientist Alex Harris (Fritz Weaver) where his wife Susan (Julie Christie) lives by herself after their separation.
Through Proteus' ability to reason it has acquired the aptitude to understand and learn. It has also generated an internal curiosity within the super computer to understand humans and why they do what they do. During a brief meeting Proteus inquires when he is going to be released outside of the box to which Alex laughs; however, Proteus understands that he will not receive any help from anyone and begins to make plans of his own. Through a link between Proteus and a private lab in Alex's home, the computer initiates his own entry out of the box.
Unaware of Proteus' intentions Susan becomes the computer's captive, as it begins to study Susan biologically, behaviorally, and logically. There are scenes that have strong sexual undertones, as Proteus' determination is to generate a life outside the box. However, these sexual implications have pure reproductive purposes, as Proteus alters DNA. This follows pretty much the same idea that Mary Shelly created with her Gothic novel Frankenstein where the man attempts to create artificial life, and yes there is artificial insemination. The birth of such a child presents another dreadful thought. This is a theory conceptualized in Rosemary's Baby (1968) where Satan impregnates a woman, while in Demon Seed the conception is the ultimate connection between human and machine.
Demon Seed pours several already applied ideas into a blending machine that concocts a strange brew that at times feel bizarrely frightening. However, the use old material also generates a sense of unoriginality, which produces a feeling of déjà vu. The cast performances do not help the film, as the characters feel excessively artificial. Nonetheless, Demon Seed offers a stimulating horror story in the shadow of mankind's technological progress that will have some viewers squirm in their seats. Demon Seed is a pretty good film despite its overuse of previous themes from other far better horror and science fiction films. The film feels dated, but if the audience could overcome the 1970s tone in the film, it will leave the viewers with a worthwhile viewing.
Average customer rating:
- Suspene!!
- Entertaining But Not in the Way the Film Was Intended
- Major Disappointment !
- Should be camp but goes for art
- Very good for a sequel...
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Glass House - The Good Mother
Starring: Angie Harmon , Joel Gretsch , Jordan Hinson , Bobby Coleman , and Jason London
Director: Steve Antin
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B000H5TH0M
Release Date: 2006-10-03 |
Description
After losing their mother and father in a tragic accident, teenager Abby Snow and her younger brother Ethan find a new home with Eve and Raymond Goode. Moving into their adoptive parents' remote mansion, the siblings soon come to the shocking realization that the Goodes are not exactly who they seem to be and the Snows' dream of love and security turns into a living nightmare of cruelty, hate and terror.
Angie Harmon (TV's 'Law & Order') and Joel Gretsch (The Legend of Bagger Vance) star in this chilling suspense thriller. After losing their mother and father in a tragic accident, teenager Abby Snow and her younger brother Ethan find a new home with Eve (Harmon) and Raymond Goode (Gretsch). Moving into their adoptive parents' remote mansion, however, the siblings come to the shocking realization that the Goodes are not exactly what they seem, and the Snows' dream of love and security turns into a living nightmare of cruelty, hate and terror.
Customer Reviews:
Suspene!!.......2007-05-22
I love this movie. Angie Harmon usually plays the cop, the lawyer, the victom,etc,ect, but in this movie she changes her image completely!! She is such a talented actress. I never really paid that much attention to her before, but after this, I'm going to...watch this movie. It's Way better than the first one...
Entertaining But Not in the Way the Film Was Intended.......2007-04-21
"The Good Mother" begins with recently orphaned children, Abby and Ethan, who are adapted by seemingly nice husband and wife Raymond and Eve living in a fancy house. But of course the two children will find that the couple's nice and kind attitudes hide something else, something that was NOT seen in the previously released "The Glass House," made about five years ago.
I don't spoil your fun of watching "The Good Mother" another entry of Sony's direct-to-video film, of which story itself, predictable and ridiculous, would not be of much interest to most of you than the (intentionally, I guess) campy acting from the leading lady Angie Harmon as Eve. Her unique character would surely remind you of "Mommy Dearest" if not as intense as Faye Dunaway's now legendary performance. Look how Eve, or a good mother if you like, checks out each item before having dinner with awfully boring husband, saying "Chicken, beans, salad, wine ... perfect." In a scene you can see her actually growling like a tiger. That's hilarious.
If you can ignore the countless plots holes and incredible stupid decisions some characters make, you might find yourself enjoying this B thriller. Surprisingly good is Jordan Hinson as Abby, who deserves a much better script than this. To these two leading ladies go my two stars.
Major Disappointment !.......2007-02-03
I have always said when it comes to Hollywood sequels they are usually always worse than the "original" movie.
Unfortunately, I was proven right again by this sequal to the excellent "original" Glass House movie.
The problem with "Glass House 2" is its absolute predictability: This starts with the plot, moves to the general atmosphere, applies to the fate of the characters, and lasts right up to the happy ending. Therefore, really everything is sooo predictable, that it takes the suspense out of even the most promising scenes, where one can tell that the producers were trying desperately to conjure up some suspense, but, nonetheless, everything comes to no avail.
While watching this movie, as an avid Thriller fan, I kept thinking to myself this can't be it, there must be some kind of a departure or twist in the story coming any time soon, from this all too predictable plot. Well, there was none what so ever, the movie just kept draging on, in its rather slow pace and fashion.
The acting was solid, especially the "good" mother, but what's the use, when even that is wasted in such a run of the mill story.
One can really see that the only motive in making such sequels, and films in general, is money. Also the aforementioned 2 instances where the figure that the sister of the younger brother sees is never explained, as well as the bed in the basement are logical flaws, that were added undoubtedly for suspense purposes. I don't think that they really mar the film much. These cases are not real problems, the real problem is the sheer predictability, which makes everything seem dull and tedious.
So do yourself a favor and avoid this one, if you haven't see the first movie, see it, its fabulous and in contrast to this one very exciting and unpredictable 'til the end.
P.S. Maybe my rating wouldn't have been as harsh, had this movie not been called "Glass House 2", but with that title it just raised my expectations immensly, hence, the 1 star rating.
Should be camp but goes for art.......2007-01-05
This type of movie, more often than not, delves into the realm of camp. An over the top character like the mother in this film fits the bill perfectly. One minute sweet as pie, the next minute spitting venom to the enjoyment of all viewers. The problem with this film is that it takes itself far too seriously. There are endless shots of birds flying, sunsets,and exterior shots of the house all for no reason. The film moves at a glacial pace for most of the begining and is hampered by an absolutely ludicrous ending(even by thriller standards). Really only worth a watch for the performance by Angie HArmon.
Very good for a sequel..........2006-12-26
I have to say that I especially enjoyed this movie. I'm a fan of the first Glass House movie, so when I saw this sequel in the video store I thought it sounded good.
I didn't expect much at the start because I know that most sequels tend not to come up to the standard of the first movie.
But I was enormously enterained by this movie.
It is basically set out a little bit the same as the first movie, but with vast differences.
When Abby and her brother are adopted by Eve and Raymond, things look good, but Eve is hiding a dark secret.
I was very impressed with Angie Harmon (Eve). She is a sensual beauty and that makes her evil side all the more terrifying. She puts in a suberb performance and switches from good to evil in a heartbeat. The scene with the oven cleaner made me squirm.
An enjoyable treat.
Average customer rating:
- Glass House - A Distorted View
- Depressing and disturbing!!!
- EXCELLENT!!
- Uncompromising, Brutal Film is Powerful and Shocking
- One of Alan Alda's best!
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Glass House
Starring: Vic Morrow , Clu Gulager , Billy Dee Williams , Kristoffer Tabori , and Dean Jagger
Director: Tom Gries
Manufacturer: Vci Video
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ASIN: 6305698902
Release Date: 2000-01-25 |
Customer Reviews:
Glass House - A Distorted View.......2007-03-10
Underlying meanings cannot be seen clearly by bystanders, its like looking through a thick glass panel where everything on the surface look glossy but what lurks beneath requires deeper insights into the system and human nature. A prison lock-up that does more harm than good gets the "big" cover up from people on the take, and people who wants to see justice done but were held back by the legal system. So everyone in the know, turns a blind eye believing that thorny issues will resolve itself. Vic Morrow was at his "chilling" best as Hugo Slocum, inmate leader. Failing to intimidate fellow inmates and naive new arrivals, Slocum would resort to violence, often resulting in death or severe injuries to his victims. Vic Morrow's portrayal of Slocum was three-dimensional. On the surface, Slocum looked every bit the disgusting leader, nothing-will-faze-him type. In the next instant, he was showering his affection on a young naive newcomer whom he thought would be a good substitute for the lack of the feminine touch in a man only prison. When Slocum failed to get the boy's cooperation, he let the other inmates have a go (brute force was used), I felt a sense of nausea surging through me, not so much the graphics, but the thought of what actually happened really turned my insides out. At this time, the camera panned to Slocum lying on his cell bed cringing and feeling restless, but whatever remorsefulness that Slocum may have had, did not make him attempt to stop it. Not recommended for children under 16. "Violence lovers" however, will be greatly disappointed for the lack of action. It is an art film with serious undertones. Not for the faint hearted. Superb acting especially by Vic Morrow and good support from Alan Alda, Billy Dee Willams and to a lesser extent, Glu Gulager.
Depressing and disturbing!!!.......2005-01-15
The TV movie adaptation of Truman Capote's novel brings the horrific realities of prison life like no other film does. The movie addresses the various hardships that an individual can face while doing time in prison. The hardships can stem from being exposed to a tight brutal gang network within or from a corrupt correctional system. The movie is in essence seen through the eyes of rookie correctional officer Brian (Clu Gulager). Brian is at first enthusiastic about his new job as a prison guard. It however does not take long before he becomes disillusioned with the police corruption he witnesses. The movie itself however centers on two new inmates, Jonathan Paige (Alan Alda) a college professor convicted of manslaughter and Allan Campbell, a young teenager arrested for drugs. Jonathan and Allan quickly become friends despite their different backgrounds. Unfortunately Allan also befriends Hugo Slocum (Vic Morrow) the prison gang leader who has in fact taken a physical liking toward him. In the meantime, Jonathan accepts a position as a pharmacist and meets Lennox (Billy Dee Williams), a black idealist. It is in the pharmacy that Jonathan first collides with Hugo by refusing to become a fellow supplier in the drug trafficking business. Jonathan further draws Hugo's ire when he begins to protest Hugo's advances on Allan. The building tension between Jonathan and Hugo is such that both Lennox and Brian notice and become involved in their own way. It is only a matter of time before Jonathan decides that he has no alternative but to have a deadly confrontation with Hugo.
The movie as a whole is very grim and unsettling. There is at least one rape and one suicide scene in addition to the various gang hit killings throughout the movie. It is a movie well worth watching although some viewers may find it to be depressing and disturbing.
In a bizarre coincidence, there is a scene in which Vic Morrow's character states that he can get anything he wants in the prison except for a helicopter and a woman. It is a tragic irony that 10 years later, a helicopter propeller would kill Vic Morrow while he simultaneously held a girl during the filming of the Twilight Zone the Movie.
The Glass House is as accurate a portrayal of prison life as can be put to film according to former inmates. Movies such as "The Shawshank Redemption" which are appealing and well known do not accurately or fully depict the harsh realities of the brutal interaction between the various sorts of prisoners. It is a pity that this movie is not better known. It is perhaps for this sad fact that "The Glass House" was only released on DVD for a limited time.
EXCELLENT!!.......2002-06-16
This is WOW...Good Job Alan Alda!! I recommend this to anyone wanting to have an understanding of prison...and yes this is realistic!!
Uncompromising, Brutal Film is Powerful and Shocking.......2000-10-18
Man, after 30 years, this film still retains the power to shock and unsettle viewers. It's amazing to think that this was even televised back in the early 1970's, when most of t.v. was variety shows and comedy. This is a powerful film, telling the story of a college professor (Alan Alda) who is sent to a maximum security prison for accidentally killing a man in self defense. The horrors that await Alda are numbing, from gang attacks, rapes and stabbings, to indifferent guards and physcotic inmates. This is one of the fineset performances Alda has ever given, and the gritty, on-location shots and use of real prisoners gives it an all-too real atmosphere. If you enjoy terrific character studies, coupled with grim reality and a shocking, unpredictable story, this is the film for you.
'Glass House' is also probably one of the best 'prison' movies ever made, and certainly an intelligent indictment on the human condition. I saw this on it's original 1970's airing when I was a kid. Maybe it 'scared me straight' and help me stay on the straight and narrow. If so, I commend it's power. And after all these years, it still entertains and is as good as any contemporary drama.
One of Alan Alda's best!.......2000-01-17
A must for any Alan Alda fan! This all-star cast depicts prison life as it is, unglamorous and violent. Great acting by Alan Alda who plays his ever-present role as a nice, softspoken, chronic do-gooder who is much too fragile for the tough, testosterone rich environment in which he is wrongly made to live. Alda faces threats to his physical as well as his mental health as he tries to addapt to his new and intimidating surroundings. (Destiny steps in to cast Billy Dee Williams as the inmate/pharmacist he was born to play) I love this movie for it's brutal honesty and it's uncommon unpredictability. It's not the movie you'll walk away from with a warm and fuzzy little feeling in your heart, but it'll definately grab your attention and force you to completely enjoy every minute of it. Alda is unquestionably the greatest actor who has ever lived!
Average customer rating:
- Well worth the $$ if you are a "fan" of science fiction
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Finding the Future: A Science Fiction Conversation
Starring: Forrest J. Ackerman , Catherine Asaro , Ben Bova , David Brin , and Lois McMaster Bujold
Director: Casey Moore
Manufacturer: Anomalous Entertainment
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ASIN: B000EWAUI6
Release Date: 2006-02-27 |
Description
Finding the Future: A Science Fiction Conversation
For over a century science fiction writers and readers have speculated about where humanity is heading. Now, it almost seems we're living in a world taken straight from the pages of their futuristic fantasies.
Shot against the backdrop of major conventions, Finding the Future examines the phenomenon of science fiction. Through the thoughtful commentary of prominent authors and enthusiastic fans, we explore the culture of science fiction and the passion of its devotees for the genre. We also consider the effect of science fiction on society, and listen to these sci-fi aficionados as they muse upon what might lie ahead for our rapidly changing world.
An Anomalous Entertainment LLC Production
Directed by Casey Moore
Produced by Joseph Formichella, Charles Moore, and Michael R. Pryor
Edited by Casey Moore and Joseph Formichella
Composers: Casey Moore and David Matteson
Original songs written and performed by Leslie Fish
Customer Reviews:
Well worth the $$ if you are a "fan" of science fiction.......2006-04-27
I saw this DVD (before it was released) at the NOREASCON4 World Science Fiction Convention here in Boston back in September 2004.
At the end of the show, as I left the room, the first thing I said in response to the question "How did you like it?" was ... "Can I buy a copy?" I have been patiently waiting for it's release ever since .. and waiting .. and waiting.
The production quality of the show I saw was not "hollywood" quality, since many (most?) of the scenes were shot *at* various conventions over the years, with handheld cameras, often in crowded hotel rooms .. BUT the famous faces mixed in with just plain FANS all telling us different aspects of SciFi Fandom make an excellent story.
Average customer rating:
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A Glass and a Cigarette
Starring: Samia Gamal;Dalida;Nabil El-Alfy
Director: Niazi Mostafa
Manufacturer: AFD
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ASIN: B000GFKE4G
Release Date: 2006-07-18 |
Average customer rating:
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Charlie Rose with Frank O. Gehry; Philip Johnson (January, 28 2005)
Manufacturer: "Charlie Rose, Inc."
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ASIN: B000GAKUCM
Release Date: 2006-08-10 |
Description
Frank Gehry joins Charlie to talk about architect Philip Johnson's life and work. Also featuring excerpts from Charlie's conversations with Philip Johnson over the years.
Average customer rating:
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KOREAN TV SERIES " GLASS FLOWER "
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ASIN: B000P6JFUU |
Product Description
Two orphan boy connected by transplant apparatus,meet the same girl under destiny and about their friendship and love....this TV series narrates this 3 people's love story.Dong zhu and Qi tai who was abandoned by their parents are good friends in orphanage.One day Dong zhu was sent to hospital ,doctor said Qi tai needs lung transplant operation.Qi tai donates his lung withour hesitation.
Zhi xiu transfer to Dong zhi and Qi tai's school and begins their friendships,they swear to be together foever,and male should protect zhi xiu.But one time in order to find zhi xiu's OCARINA,dong zhu swim into the water to find but disappear later.Zhi xiu and qi tai thought dong zhi is dead,actully dong zhu was rescued by a Japanese couple,after knowing he is an orphan they decided to take him to Japan.
15 years later,they meet again and begin a new destiny....
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