Brother

Starring:Tatyana Ali, Lombardo Boyar, Tony Colitti, Omar Epps, Wanda-Lee Evans, Ryo Ishibashi, Rino Katase, Masaya Kato, Kuroudo Maki, Ren Murakami, Naomasa Musaka, Joy Nakagawa, Kouen Okumura, Ren Osugi, Makoto Otake, James Shigeta, Susumu Terajima, Tetsuya Watari, Royale Watkins
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Paul Newman and his Butch Cassidy director, George Roy Hill, made a very original comedy in this 1977 story of an over-the-hill player/coach (Newman) for a lousy hockey team who gets results when he teaches his players to get dirty. One of the most hilariously profane movies ever to come out of Hollywood, this is the kind of film that makes its own rules as it goes along. Newman is very good, and while Hill goes for the gusto in terms of capturing the violence of this world, his instinct for comedy has never been sharper. Great support from Strother Martin, Paul Dooley, and the rest. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Slap Shot.......2007-07-04

This wildly profane film is consistently funny, and often side-splitting. And Newman's Reggie adds an element of poignancy; he's a perennial rogue with plenty of charm, but hardly a responsible adult, evidenced by his failed marriage to Francine (Jennifer Warren), for whom he still carries a torch. Veteran character actor Strother Martin makes the perfect weasel as smarmy team manager Joe McGrath, and Andrew Duncan is memorable as a radio announcer with the worst toupee on the planet.

Hockey Hilarity.......2007-05-07

Crude in parts, but hilarious bush league hockey! Many "laugh out loud" sceens sure to amuse fans of "ole time hockey." The Hanson brothers add great Canadian humor.

Slap Shot DVD Movie 1977.......2007-01-22

Awesome movie. Best hockey movie of all time. Paul Newman is awesome. Classic characters in the movie. A must see.

A true classic.......2007-01-20

Has to be one of the top 5 sports movies of all times!

very satisfied with this dvd.......2007-01-11

The dvd arrived promptly and is in excellent condition. I was completely satisfied. I was not able to find it in local stores.

Average customer rating:

Phantasm is a classic !
Interesting but not scary
you play a good game, boy...
phantastic philm!
David Lynch Forever

Phantasm
Starring: David Arntzen , Michael Baldwin , Reggie Bannister , Bill Cone , and Lynn Eastman
Director: Don Coscarelli
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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Phantasm III
Phantasm 4: Oblivion
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Hellraiser

ASIN: B000MV8ABS
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Amazon.com

Jody is the kind of guy that every 1970s teen looked up to. He's in his early 20s, has a cool car, splendid '70s hair, leather jacket, plays guitar and (naturally) snags all the girls. His little brother, Mike, in particular, admires him and emulates him at every turn. Things start to go astray, however, when the two brothers and their friend Reggie attend a funeral for a friend. Mike notices a tall man working at the funeral home; in the course of his snooping, he sees the tall man put a loaded coffin into the back of a hearse as easily as if it was a shoebox. Jody doesn't believe his little brother's stories, though, until he brings home the tall man's severed finger, still wriggling in what appears to be French's mustard. From there, the film picks up a terrific momentum that doesn't let up until the sequel-ripe twist ending.

Phantasm was one of the first horror movies to break the unspoken rule that victims were supposed to scream, fall down, and cower until they were killed. Instead, Mike and Jody are resourceful and smart, aggressively pursuing the evil inside the funeral home with a shotgun and Colt pistol. Furthermore, the script has a great deal of character development, especially in the relationship between the two brothers. The film even has a surprisingly glossy look, despite its low-budget origins, and little outright gore (except for the infamous steel spheres that drill into victims' heads). This drive-in favorite was a big success at the time of its release, and spawned three sequels. Little wonder; it includes an inventive story, likable characters, a runaway pace, and, of course, evil dwarves cloaked in Army blankets. The end result is one of the better horror films of the late 1970s. Hot-rod fans take note: Jody drives a Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda, the pinnacle of 1960s muscle cars, rounding out his status as a Cool Guy. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

The Original Classic From The Director Of THE BEASTMASTER and BUBBA HO-TEP Michael Baldwin and Bill Thornbury star in the shocker that started it all, in which two brothers discover that their local mortuary hides a legion of hooded killer dwarf creatures, a flying drill-ball, and the demonic mortician known as The Tall Man (an iconic performance by Angus Scrimm) who enslaves the souls of the damned. More than 25 years later, it remains unlike any fright film you've ever seen. Reggie Bannister co-stars in the heart-stopping classic from writer/director Don Coscarelli that launched the most uniquely chilling series in horror history and is still hailed as one of the scariest movies of all time. Experience PHANTASM again, now featuring frightening extras never before seen in America! Features:Widescreen Presentation TV Spots Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Don Coscarelli and Stars Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm and Bill Thronbury Deleted Scences, Also on DVD PHANTASM Trailer, PHANTASM III Trailer PHANTASM: Behind-the-Scences, PHANTASM: Actors Having a Ball Phantasmagoria, 1979 PHANTASM Interview, 1988 Fangoria TV Commerical

Customer Reviews:

Phantasm is a classic !.......2007-07-04

Phantasm is a classic! I loved this film. I wish they could add the footage from Phantasm 4 with all those deleted/left out scenes and put it back in the first!! That would be awesome!

Interesting but not scary.......2007-06-19

Plot: A kid on a bike, his brother and a funeral home. Then a tall man whos turnin people into some kind of demons or slaves. It had somewhat of an atmosphere to it but this wasnt that great. I mean it was boring, long, and the ending made no sense at all. Low budget dosent have to mean bad but this one was close to it. It kept me watchin till the end hoping something good would happen but it ultimately disapointed. They 'overdid' the music. I was watchin the scenes and it was that continuous loud score playing over and over. I guess it was for the 70s but far from the best horror movie.

you play a good game, boy..........2007-06-01

Oh, the fond memories of watching an old, worn-out, crackling VHS tape of dubious origin, in a dark garage-turned-creepy-livingroom, on an aging TV. This remains one of the scariest and coolest horror films I've ever seen, despite some issues with effects.

One of my major horror movie gripes has to do with the color and consistency of blood--I know that's a relatively minor quibble to some, but to me it's an important aspect. The blood in this movie is too red and has the opaque appearance of latex paint. The yellow fluid that the Tall Man bleeds also has this quality. My circle has always referred to it as "banana pudding". But, this is one of the few films wherein the blood thing doesn't take me out of the moment at all.

The first sentinel sphere death scene is dramatic, and the Tall Man is nothing short of iconic. Sound and silence are used to great effect, and the score is awesome. The film also captures a unique period in history, the strange transition from the '70s to the '80s, which adds to the bizarre atmosphere. Goofy hairstyles, characteristic over-the-top slasher effects and a dash of self-effacing camp. Fun!

I'm glad to see this released on DVD, finally, and with lots of great extras. What a treat! It's a shame it took so long. The last time I saw this film, I was about 13, and was afraid that, like so many other half-forgotten old favorites, it wouldn't stand up to the test of time. Well, glad to say I was proven wrong. So horribly wrong.

Phantasm is just a cool, fun, undeniably creepy film that captures a unique snapshot of a particular era in the history of horror movies, and certainly deserves a place on anybody's shelf. Cock your quad-barrel shotgun and bust out the banana pudding, it's time to break some balls.

phantastic philm!.......2007-05-14

OK so now that I've annoyed you with really bad phonetic jokes....for the brave few willing to get past that obvious mark of bad taste....phantasm is a truly unique addition to any horror fans library. i remember first seeing the film many years ago and the starkness and eerie quite of the mausoleum is something that has always stayed with me. the flying orbs are a great vehicle for terror. If you are new to Don Coscarelli's movies I hope this will encourage you to check out the sequels to Phantasm and of course the mighty Bubba-Hotep! (Long live the king!) The movie has a great balance of drama and good old 70's cheese (not over the top in my opinion....just enough to make you sit back and smile). After all when was the last time an aging ice cream vendor with pattern baldness was a hero!!? All kidding aside though, as a pretty avid horror movie junkie, and a fan that looks for really good horror films that continue to stand the test of time....this is one of them!

David Lynch Forever.......2007-05-13

This book is a mixture of interviews and an overview of Mr. Lynch's career. I'll be the first to admit that he's not the best at interviews. He gives none of the magic of hios movies away. Which I for one think is a good thing.
Out of all the books on the subject, this is the best.

Average customer rating:

Why all the negative reviews?
Kind of Gray
Gray Matters is Great!
Pretty weak
Lost Opportunity for a great romantic comedy

Gray Matters
Starring: Heather Graham , Thomas Cavanagh , Bridget Moynahan , Molly Shannon , and Alan Cumming
Director: Sue Kramer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Puccini for Beginners
Loving Annabelle
Catch & Release
Because I Said So (Widescreen Edition)
Music and Lyrics (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000O76ZO4
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Amazon.com

Gray Matters has one of the most adorable casts of any movie in recent years--the combined sweetness of Heather Graham (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), Bridget Moynahan (Lord of War), Molly Shannon (Year of the Dog), Thomas Cavanagh (Ed), Alan Cumming (X-Men 2), and Sissy Spacek (Carrie, In the Bedroom) narrowly avoids being diabetes-inducing. Gray (Graham) and her brother Sam (Cavanagh) have been best friends forever--so close that they find it hard to date. Gray pushes Sam into asking out Charlie (Moynahan), but when Sam and Charlie hit it off so well they spontaneously decide to get married, Gray finds herself unexpectedly dismayed... but not as dismayed as she is when, on a girls' night out before the ceremony, she and Charlie share a drunken kiss that sets Gray's body tingling. Gray Matters juggles a lot of emotional issues; the sibling interconnectedness problem doesn't flow smoothly into the coming-out story of the movie's second half. But sprinkled throughout are charming scenes and wonderfully deft moments that make the story's clumsy missteps all the more baffling. There's no question that Graham is a star who just can't seem to find the right vehicle; Gray Matters won't be her breakthrough, but it's further evidence of her significant appeal. --Bret Fetzer

Description

In this hilarious romantic comedy, Gray (Heather Graham) helps her brother (Tom Cavanaugh) find the love of his life. But the night before her brother's wedding, Gray's world is turned upside-down when she discovers that she has feelings for his fiancé (Bridget Moynahan)! With the help of a sarcastic co-worker (Molly Shannon), a sympathetic cab driver (Alan Cumming), and her therapist (Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek), Gray is forced to figure out who she really is.

Customer Reviews:

Why all the negative reviews?.......2007-07-02

I had heard a lot of bad things about this movie when it first came out but decided to watch it anyway because of the cast as well as the cute storyline. I wasn't expecting much but I was surprised that I actually ended up really liking it!

So what's to like about this movie? First, the cast contains a lot of eye candy. Some actors/actresses you may recognize are Alan Cummings, Molly Shannon, Bridget Moynahan, Heather Graham, and the wonderful Rachel Shelley. Second, the storyline is really cute. Basically, a woman (Gray) and her brother (Sam) agree to find the perfect partner for each other. Gray finds a woman named Charlie for her brother and Charlie and Sam hit it off right away. Within a few days, the couple is in Las Vegas to get married. When Charlie and Gray kiss the night before the couple's wedding, sparks fly and Gray realizes that she might be gay. I was actually really happy with the way it ended. I personally think that it shed some light on gay relationships and it shows that you truly can't prevent who you fall in love with.

And what's not to like? This movie certainly isn't Oscar-worthy. It's a typical romantic comedy. Don't expect this movie to be earth-shattering. Also, without giving too much away, I'll say that some parts progressed rather quickly and I felt a couple of scenes should have gone into more depth. But as I said above, it's not Oscar-worthy (and I'm sure the writers didn't intend for it to be) so I was ok with this one flaw as the movie was still entertaining.

Forget what you've heard about this movie. Check it out for yourself. Like me, you may be surprised and really enjoy it.

Kind of Gray.......2007-06-29

"Gray Matters"

Kind of Gray

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

I had heard so much hype about "Gray Matters" that I could not wait to see it and it seems now that the hype was totally unjustified. The cast is good and Heather Graham as Gray creates a character that I felt for and really liked. Tom Cavanagh, as Gray's brother, Sam, has charm and is quite funny. Charlie, played by Bridget Moyahan, the object of both Gray's and Sam's affection is good and Alan Cummings is great as Gray's cab driver friend. The other cast member, Sissy Spacek and Molly Shannon are also good but the film is lacking something. I liked the film and I am having a difficult time pinpointing where it went wrong. I think it is probably the idea that there are some gay people who do not realize that they are gay until later on. I mean, I know that some embrace homosexuality late but it doesn't seem to work here.
It is hard to accept that when Gray kissed Charlie that she suddenly realized that she was gay. It seems to be grasping at straws to build a plot. Does someone suddenly realize he is gay or is it a process? What was it that lets Gray know she was suddenly gay? Now the kiss was great and hot but it was not enough.
The film does grab the audience and fills it with hope. The script also deals with social issues such as media, image and sexuality as well as identity--issues that are not dealt with completely in mainstream movies. It does not preach and has an important message (but it is somewhat boring as it meanders from situation to situation). As good of an actress that Heather Graham is, she is not convincing as a lesbian.
What really hurts the movie from reaching a level of greatness is that most of the events are unbelievable. Unless you are Britney Spears you do not rush to Las Vegas to get married after knowing someone for only six days. But there are moments that are genuinely funny and there are moments that are thought provoking.

Gray Matters is Great!.......2007-06-28

Great is all I can say. I have been so bored with every romantic comedy that has come out in the past five years. Finally a movie with heart, soul and originality. The cast is superb, the writing is fantastic and it's a great postcard of New York City. I laughed and I even shed a tear or two! This should have been the comedy of the year. I highly reccomend it. Molly Shannon is also hilarious--some of her funniest acting yet.

Pretty weak.......2007-06-24

Unimaginative plotting yields protracted bridges of tedium riveted together with predictability. Sissy Spacek's therapist, Alan Cumming's sympathetic cab driver, and some truly beautiful New York ambient backdrops were just barely enough to get me through to the end.

This would have been way more cogent in a pre Ellen Degeneres era - but come on that was so last Century!

Lost Opportunity for a great romantic comedy.......2007-06-24

Just got done watching the movie and I must say, as a romantic comedy buff this movie had me shouting at it for all the missed opportunities to make the story great. At first hearing that Heather Grahams character was "coming out of the closet" I imagined that it was going to be written as some hilarious temporary crisis over the changing circumstance with her and her brothers extremely close relationship.

Nope, they took the comedy from that, and instead turned it into some very, very overdue realization that she actually was gay, this is not obvious until the last few minutes of the movie.

But not in a clever storyline.

She meets a very nice and funny scottish guy who is crazy about her, and the movie spends all this time developing his character to make the viewer support him. They might have thought that this was a brilliant diversion but the effort is doomed to a disappointing end that made us wonder why they even included the nice scottish guy and then through him out of the movie like dirty bath water while hoping that we will cheer for the main character jumping for overly ecstatic joy just for having an unconvincing and lackluster 1 minute conversation with a lesbian at an unwelcoming gay-bar. Forget about the nice scottish guy that always tries to cheer her up and will go so far as to dress up like a woman to keep her company. I personally believe a better ending would have been to continue the uncomfortable lesbian-bar moment with a follow up scene at an apartment where she realizes she's not into it and then runs to the scottish guy so both brother and sister ends up with great people. Its not that I'm homophobic, its just the story as it was told didn't add up.

Average customer rating:

Amazing movie!
something old, something new
O Brother Where Art Thou
One of my favorites
Worthwhile music, movie falls flat.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Starring: Michael Badalucco , George Clooney , Frank Collison , Charles Durning , and Wayne Duvall
Director: Joel Coen
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CXRM
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com

Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer team behind art-house hits such as The Big Lebowski and Fargo and masters of quirky and ultra-stylish genre subversion, would dare nick the plot line of Homer's Odyssey for a comic picaresque saga about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi. Our wandering hero in this case is one Ulysses Everett McGill, a slick-tongued wise guy with a thing about hair pomade (George Clooney, blithely sending up his own dapper image) who talks his chain-gang buddies (Coen-movie regular John Turturro and newcomer Tim Blake Nelson) into lighting out after some buried loot he claims to know of. En route they come up against a prophetic blind man on a railroad truck, a burly, one-eyed baddie (the ever-magnificent John Goodman), a trio of sexy singing ladies, a blues guitarist who's sold his soul to the devil, a brace of crooked politicos on the stump, a manic-depressive bank robber, and--well, you get the idea. Into this, their most relaxed film yet, the Coens have tossed a beguiling ragbag of inconsequential situations, a wealth of looping, left-field dialogue, and a whole stash of gags both verbal and visual. O Brother (the title's lifted from Preston Sturges's classic 1941 comedy Sullivan's Travels) is furthermore graced with glowing, burnished photography from Roger Deakins and a masterly soundtrack from T-Bone Burnett that pays loving homage to American '30s folk styles--blues, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, and more. And just to prove that the brothers haven't lost their knack for bad-taste humor, we get a Ku Klux Klan rally choreographed like a cross between a Nuremberg rally and a Busby Berkeley musical. --Philip Kemp

Description

Disenchanted with the daily drudge of crushing rocks on a prison farm in Mississippi, the dapper, silver-tongued Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney, THE PERFECT STORM) busts loose. Except he's still shackled to his own chain-mates from the chain gang -- bad-tempered Pete (John Turturro, SUMMER OF SAM), and sweet, dimwitted Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson, HAMLET). With nothing to lose and buried loot to regain -- before it's lost forever in a flood -- the three embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this hilarious offbeat road picture. Populated with strange characters, including a blind prophet, sexy sirens, and a one-eyed Bible salesman (John Goodman, COYOTE UGLY), it's an odyssey filled with chases, close calls, near misses, and betrayal that will leave you laughing at every outrageous and surprising twist and turn.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing movie!.......2007-07-03

This is a classy release of an all-time-favorite classic. George Clooney played Batman, and here he's doing a hillbilly chicken dance in a fake beard. Great writing, great acting, great music. What's not to love? We wore out our VHS copy!

something old, something new.......2007-06-30

Comedies don't get much better than this.

Clooney, Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson are relentlessly hilarious in this loosely Homeric epic of escape from a chain gang in America's early twentieth-century South. You can love this movie without knowing Homer, of course, though it's based on that bard's Oddysey.

That's the common touch of both Homer and his erstwhile partners-in-crime, producers Ethan and Joel Coen.

Filming this flick must have been more fun than a body should have. From the blind oracle on the railroad pump-car warning about the 'Ob-stackles of life' to the 'Sigh-REENS' that appear to have 'loved (Pete) up ... and then turned him into a horny toad' to the delicious stares and triumphant penultimate scene where the Soggy Bottom Boys regale a political rally with their irresistable hit 'Man of Constant Sorrows', O BROTHER never falters.

It's a film for watching over and over again, preferably introducing somebody who hasn't seen it each time you do.

Ne'er doubt! Buy O BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU and hold onto it for dear life.

O Brother Where Art Thou.......2007-05-17

O Brother Where Art Thou

Title: O Brother Where Art Thou
Director: Joel Coen
Release Date: 2000

Based on the epic by Homer, this movie takes place at the end of the Great Depression area of 1935. Three men named Everet (George Clooney), Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson), and Pete (John Turino), escape on a chain gang in southern Mississippi. When they escape, they meet a man that is blind from polyps that is similar to Homer. The man tells the three men that they must travel to seek the desire that they want. Everet thinks that the old man was making nonsense, but Delmar and Pete think that the old man was telling the truth in their future. The men do a lot of things in this movie such as getting saved, making a record, helping a thief in a bank robbery, and confronting the KKK. (Klu Klux Klan) This movie is rated PG- 13 so the adults might not want to let their kids want to watch the movie. They also have a great soundtrack that won a Grammy for soundtrack of the year. The movie has funny jokes that make you crack up laughing. George Clooney gives one of his best roles of his career. John Goodman guest stars in the movie as a con man that steals the men's money. The people who like funny country movies, this might be the movie for you. It won't be long until this movie will become apart of your DVD collection.

One of my favorites.......2007-04-10

I've given this movie more repeat views than maybe any other movie ever, for two reasons. Firstly, there is the incredible soundtrack--I was not a bluegrass fan until I fell in love with this movie, and the songs were good enough to win me over. Secondly, the dialogue is hilarious. Every time I watch it, I catch a little bit I may have missed before. Coens at their best. Made me rethink my opinion of George Clooney, as well.

Worthwhile music, movie falls flat........2007-04-07

I think it's odd that the movie announces at the beginning that it's based on Homer's Odyssey, as the storyline barely follows in the theme of The Odyssey at all. The music is awesome and I reccomend the soundtrack, but honestly the movie didn't do it for me. Weak plot, annoying characters, lame ending. I just wasn't impressed at all.

Average customer rating:

Compulsory For Anbody Thinking of Using
Pacino Can't Save a Tired Script
Al Pacino's first starring role, a stunning debut.
The Boredom in Needle Park
Pacino and Wynn

The Panic in Needle Park
Starring: Al Pacino , Kitty Winn , Alan Vint , Richard Bright , and Kiel Martin
Director: Jerry Schatzberg
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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Author! Author!
Straight Time
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ASIN: B000A9QK6E
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Customer Reviews:

Compulsory For Anbody Thinking of Using.......2007-06-27

I was a little taken aback by the film's "PG" rating. Drug use is treated frankly, there's some strong language and fleeting nudity. But then I thought why shouldn't young people of a certain age see this film. They are the most vulnerable in being ensnared into the drug culture and maybe they should heed the film's cautionary message. I also found the timing of this film's release, 1971, interesting because it comes at a time when the drug culture was in full bloom and we were only a few years removed from "Easy Rider". The selling point is, of course, Al Pacino who is nothing short of amazing as the small-time thief who goes from pecking to full-blown addiction. I thought this was more Kitty Winn's picture, though. Her character could be anybody's daughter who for reason's unknown takes up a serious drug habit. The film is essentially a love story between Pacino and Winn's characters. I couldn't decide whether the love between the two brought a little light to their dismal straits or that they were enabling each other into a worse addiction. For obvious reasons the film's message is timeless because, unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. Pacino and director Jerry Schatzberg would later collaborate on another seventies gem, "Scarecrow", that is well worth checking out.

Pacino Can't Save a Tired Script.......2007-06-26

I can't help but compare this film to Drugstore Cowboy, another drama detailing the life of heroin users. The comparison does not favor Panic. While Drugstore Cowboy feels like a story written by someone who really knows what it's like to be a junkie (it was), this tale feels like it was written by an intellectual who had never touched smack but thought it would be cool to write a story about strung-out people. The whole thing feels affected, stale, acted out. You can't help but love Al Pacino, overacting in an endearing way in the earliest days of his career. And Kitty Winn, the actress who plays Pacino's partner in crime here, is cute and charming in a Margot Kidder/Karen Allen kind of way. But actors' charms aside, the film is bland and sterile. Skip this and go watch Drugstore Cowboy, which will make you feel like you are really inside the world of a group of heroin users.

Al Pacino's first starring role, a stunning debut........2007-04-08

Thirty-six years (1971) after it came out it is finally being released on DVD. This stark and grim film was heavily criticized by critics mostly because of its brutal and honest drug content. Filmed on location in New York City, THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK, marked the real beginning of what was to become the amazing career of one of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen the legendary Al Pacino. Great movie that I am happy is finally making its way to video. The movie had been released in Europe for some time but never in the United States that is until now. I will definitely be purchasing this underrated movie classic that for years has become among die-hard Pacino fans one of his most sought after movies ever. To the studio that finally thought about releasing this movie after so many years of waiting I thank you kindly.

The Boredom in Needle Park.......2007-02-12

This film drags along at snails pace, without any discernible plot. Although occasionally one is hinted at, it never seems to unfold. The "highlights" are a couple of extended, graphic heroin injection scenes, and otherwise two hours of muddy, low register mumbling of street jive and drug talk. After an hour it became a struggle just to sit through, but I forced myself to keep watching, convinced it was all leading to 'something'. Unfortunately it wasn't, and nothing happens.

Pacino himself is not remotely convincing as a down and out addict, and he doesn't fit in at all with the junkie crew. The lone saving grace is Pacino's creepy brother Hank (played by Richard Bright), who convincingly portrays a career burgular. His scenes and character draw you in, but unfortunately he vanishes midway, and we're back to dragged out scenes of Pacino and his girl slumped in bedrooms, high and staring vacantly into space.

Maybe this film will be of some interest to the Pacino-completist, but my personal advice would be to steer clear. And this is coming from both a Pacino fan, and a fan of 70s American cinema. Otherwise if you still want to proceed, a shot of heroin may be necessary before viewing.

Pacino and Wynn.......2007-02-05

A true (*****) star movie is one that: 1.) Makes you think 2.) Makes you cry 3.) Makes you shudder 4.) then think again.
Ordinary People, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Goodfellas, Shawshank Redemption, and "I Want To Live", are five star movies.
This IS a five star movie.
The writing is rough, the characters are flawed, camera angles are off, yet this film is gripping to the core. I first saw this film on AMC when AMC was a pay channel. My first impression was,... how can a film end this way?
On second viewing,... what a masterpiece.
Pacino is at his (RAW) best. Wynn,... how can anyone act in this manner if they truly aren't like this in true life?
Moving and thought provoking.
(*****)

Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)

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Great movie
A very good movie
Very bloody movie
63rd anniversary
Outstanding Movie

Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)
Starring: Tom Hanks , Tom Sizemore , Edward Burns , Barry Pepper , and Adam Goldberg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Band of Brothers
Black Hawk Down
Braveheart
Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)
We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00001ZWUS
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Amazon.com essential video

When Steven Spielberg was an adolescent, his first home movie was a backyard war film. When he toured Europe with Duel in his 20s, he saw old men crumble in front of headstones at Omaha Beach. That image became the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, his film of a mission following the D-day invasion that many have called the most realistic--and maybe the best--war film ever. With 1998 production standards, Spielberg has been able to create a stunning, unparalleled view of war as hell. We are at Omaha Beach as troops are slaughtered by Germans yet overcome the almost insurmountable odds.

A stalwart Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, a soldier's soldier, who takes a small band of troops behind enemy lines to retrieve a private whose three brothers have recently been killed in action. It's a public relations move for the Army, but it has historical precedent dating back to the Civil War. Some critics of the film have labeled the central characters stereotypes. If that is so, this movie gives stereotypes a good name: Tom Sizemore as the deft sergeant, Edward Burns as the hotheaded Private Reiben, Barry Pepper as the religious sniper, Adam Goldberg as the lone Jew, Vin Diesel as the oversize Private Caparzo, Giovanni Ribisi as the soulful medic, and Jeremy Davies, who as a meek corporal gives the film its most memorable performance.

The movie is as heavy and realistic as Spielberg's Oscar-winning Schindler's List, but it's more kinetic. Spielberg and his ace technicians (the film won five Oscars: editing (Michael Kahn), cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), sound, sound effects, and directing) deliver battle sequences that wash over the eyes and hit the gut. The violence is extreme but never gratuitous. The final battle, a dizzying display of gusto, empathy, and chaos, leads to a profound repose. Saving Private Ryan touches us deeper than Schindler because it succinctly links the past with how we should feel today. It's the film Spielberg was destined to make. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2007-06-27

Great WWII movie. the best that depicts what the invasion of Normandy was really like for the United States.

A very good movie.......2007-06-18

This movie show you went really went on in WWII.

Very bloody movie.......2007-06-09

This is a very bloody movie and thats why i like it!

63rd anniversary.......2007-06-07

It's the 63rd anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy today so in honor of the fact, I watched this movie! Although I have seen it countless times and can speak every line from memory, this movie never ceases to amaze me. The only problem that I have is that the landing on Omaha beach, despite having some of the best special effects, still isn't accurate in terms of the gore (not that that matters anyway). You see, I watched this film with my mom's uncle who is a surviving veteran of the same opening scene on Omaha beach. He saw everything shown in the film 63 years ago and said that it does a great justice to the men who fought and died, but Spielberg got it all wrong. He was touched by the movie but told me that if I could only imagine it infinitely worse, the blood, gore, and death on a larger and more horrifying scale; I would barely be able to grasp what he had to go through. Nevertheless, I love this film.

Outstanding Movie.......2007-05-18

This movie starts with the D-Day landings and that ~20 minute scene reminds you that war is not a "splendid" idea...it's a horrific reality. Once that tone is set, the movie eases off a bit and lets you become enveloped in the concept of several people risking/sacrificing their lives for someone they've never met. That concept is very well developed throughout the movie. -- In addition, the CD includes an interview with Tom Hanks where he says (roughly), it's easy to get a picture of what it was like to be there...but there's no way a guy like me can ever know what it FEELS like to be there. -- As a diabetic who cannot serve in uniform, that accurate statement alone made the purchase worthwhile. -- I encourage people to watch this movie in order to remember what we can do when the chips are down.

The Godfather, Part II (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Hardening of the Idealist
Wonderful sequel to the Godfather
Great sequel
A Good Follow up
Quality

The Godfather, Part II (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Al Pacino , Robert Duvall , Diane Keaton , Robert De Niro , and John Cazale
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Godfather (Widescreen Edition)
The Godfather, Part III (Widescreen Edition)
GoodFellas (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Chinatown
Scarface (Platinum Edition)

ASIN: B0007Y08MY
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Amazon.com essential video

Francis Ford Coppola took some of the deep background from the life of Mafia chief Vito Corleone--the patriarch of Mario Puzo's bestselling novel The Godfather--and built around it a stunning sequel to his Oscar-winning, 1972 hit film. Robert De Niro plays Vito as a young Sicilian immigrant in turn-of-the-century New York City's Little Italy. Coppola weaves in and out of the story of Vito's transformation into a powerful crime figure, contrasting that evolution against efforts by son Michael Corleone to spread the family's business into pre-Castro Cuba. As memorable as the first film is, The Godfather II is an amazingly intricate, symmetrical tragedy that touches upon several chapters of 20th-century history and makes a strong case that our destinies are written long before we're born. This was De Niro's first introduction to a lot of filmgoers, and he makes an enormous impression. But even with him and a number of truly brilliant actors (including maestro Lee Strasberg), this is ultimately Pacino's film and a masterful performance. --Tom Keogh

Description

This brilliant companion piece to the original film continues the saga of two generations of successive power within the Corleone family. Coppola tells two stories in Part II: the roots and rise of a young Don Vito, played with uncanny ability by Robert De Niro, and the ascension of Michael (Pacino) as the new Don.

Customer Reviews:

The Hardening of the Idealist.......2007-04-01

Most critics and the Motion Picture Academy agree. Godfather 2 is a worthy sequel to the blockbuster movie, The Godfather.

If you think that the Godfather saga is only about Organized Crime, you are wrong. It is about Family dynamics in a Sicillian family who's business just happens to be Organized Crime.

Michael is the quintessential Idealist. Whereas his father was a pragmatist bound in honor, and his brothers were respectivly a loose cannon and a milquetoast, Michaels idealism turned out to be his downfall. Whereas a pragmatist can be flexible, an idealist always insists that he is right all the time, and he runs his life in such a manner. When your life involves the Underworld, all your ideals will morph you into a pillar of granite. This is what Godfather 2 is all about.

In it we see two stories running paralell tracks. The first story is of Don Vito choosing to be a strongarm to protect his Family, his friends and his honor. Then we see Michael trying to do the same thing, but his ideals get in the way and he chooses to abandon them. He drive his friends and family away from himself by his sheer heartlessness and ruthlessness. In the end of Godfather 2, he has no honor, for he kills everyone in his way. Even his own brother, Fredo! We see in the end him sitting alone on a bench with an icy stare. But after all, he believes that all his actions were not only neccesary, but RIGHT!!! Michael tells Tom Hagen: "I dont feel that I have to kill everybody! Only my enemies." Yet to Michael, in the end, all those who do not agree with him are enemies!

To see Michael deal with his sins and attempt to buy his redemption, you must purchase Godfather 3 from Amazon.com!

Wonderful sequel to the Godfather.......2007-03-30

This is as fantastic a movie as the first part. The Metamorphosis of Michael Corleone which started in the first part reaches its completion in this sequel. He is so besotted with power that he does not want any one opposing him be it his wife, brother, or anyone. This movie shows us how life can change a "War-hero" to a power-drunk godfather.

Great sequel.......2007-03-12

Even better than the original - because it probes deeper into the personalities, especially of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and his obsession with family and loyalty and snubbing out his enemies. He is quiet, educated, and coldly calculating. The movie traces his dealings in the 1950s-60s, set mainly in Nevada. Interspersed with these developments is the story of the rise of his father Don Vito Corleone in Little Italy in NYC in the 1920s, with Robert De Niro doing a brilliant job in that role. Both stories are excellently told. Despite my never quite understanding America's obsession with the mafia and its ilk, it's not hard to conclude that this is a major movie achievement.

A Good Follow up.......2007-03-10

a good movie that explains the first one a little more

Quality .......2007-02-26

I'd read that Godfather II was a worthy sequel, so I was desperately hoping that this would be true - and, oh, how it was! Although the movie was only filmed two years after the Godfather, about 7 years have gone by in the timeline of the story. The Corleone family, under the guidance of their new leader Michael, have moved to Las Vegas to make money from gambling. At the same time, the film also steps back into the past to show how Vito Corleone, Michael's deceased father and former Don, came to America and made his fortune.

As with the first film, the performances are incredible. The standout actors are Al Pacino as Michael and Robert De Niro as the young Vito Corleone. Both radiate power and dynamism the entire time they are on screen. De Niro looks regal (as befits the older man played by Marlon Brando in the first movie) whilst Pacino smoulders, somehow looking much more mature than the Michael from the first film, with his eyes practically burning holes in the TV screen. Some of the most moving shots were when Michael's face faded into Vito's, seeming to represent how the two characters were inextricably linked through time.

To watch the continuing transformation to Michael's character is both heartbreaking and fascinating. At the start of the film we see how the Corleone family are falling apart - Connie has become wild and cold-hearted to punish Michael for her husband's murder, Fredo is as hopeless (although well-meaning) as ever and Kay has pretty much stopped hoping Michael will ever turn into the 'good' man she hoped he would. Michael is also about to make some important business decisions, which cause tension and rivalry with other businessmen who don't want him to succeed. This all creates a power keg of anger, violence and emotion that explodes across the next few hours with shattering consequences. I thought it was a masterstroke to intertwine the present day happenings with the old story of Vito growing up. The history of the family explains and enlightens so much.

There are too many great performances by secondary characters to mention. Robert Duvall is sensational in his reprisal of the role of Tom Hagen. Diane Keaton completely nails the part of Kay - even when she reveals something completely shocking to Michael it is believable and her gaunt face seems to show all that has gone before.

The ending is completely satisfying, if indescribably tragic. I was torn between hating Michael (particularly after he ordered a murder in the last minutes of the film that completely shocked me and showed how he has changed irredeemably) and yet I wanted to sob for him and for the loss of what his life might have been. The final few minutes bring the stories of Michael and Vito together and leave you feeling like you've been punched in the stomach.

Overall, the Godfather II is just as iconic as the Godfather. It's great to watch a sequel that continues the story so well and is faithful to the characters. I have never seen a pair of films that so hauntingly and movingly trace the destruction of one man's soul and conscience.

Average customer rating:

Major Letdown
Brother Protects Brother!
The Sacketts
The Sacketts DVD
Western Movies

Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts
Starring: Sam Elliott , Tom Selleck , Jeff Osterhage , Glenn Ford , and Ben Johnson
Director: Robert Totten
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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Last Stand at Saber River
The Shadow Riders: Collector's Edition
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ASIN: B000EOTUSK
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Amazon.com

Louis L'Amour's easy voice with its gentle rhythm sets the tone and pace of the film in a spoken introduction to this loping, rambling three-hour-plus TV-movie adaptation of his novels The Daybreakers and Sackett. Sam Elliot stars as the elder Sackett, a nomad hunting and trapping in the mountains who happens upon an ancient treasure. Tom Selleck and Jeff Osterhage are his younger siblings, forced to leave home to avoid a Hatfield and McCoy situation. As the Sackett brothers wind their way across the Midwest prairies and mountains we join them on cattle drives and gold hunts, in gunfights and fistfights, and in a climactic showdown as they find their place in the world. This 1979 film rambles and meanders like a lazy river winding through a beautiful landscape of peaks and plains and forests, punctuated by the occasional gunfight and enlivened by a story that celebrates both the open range and the taming of the towns. Elliot looks almost young but flashes his savage eyes behind a thick black beard, while Selleck's easygoing manner is backed up with a stony-faced determination. The excellent cast includes a veritable who's who of Western character actors: Glenn Ford, Ben Johnson, Gilbert Roland, Gene Evans, Jack Elam, Slim Pickens, L.Q. Jones, Mercedes McCambridge, and Pat Buttram. Followed in 1982 by The Shadow Riders, which reunited the three stars and even a few members of the supporting cast in a tale of three different brothers. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Louis L'Amour's epic Western saga of brothers who blazed a name across the untamed post-Civil War New Mexico frontier.

Customer Reviews:

Major Letdown.......2007-06-16

This was not the complete series. Editing left a major hole in the story line. I would strongly suggest getting the full length version.

Brother Protects Brother!.......2007-05-30

This movie is so great because you would think that these men are really brothers! It has a family oriented theme. Each brother goes their separate way to do what they want. But through the trials of life they end up back together each one protecting the other. It shows that family is very important!

The Sacketts.......2007-05-07

Good Western with good actors and enjoyable storyline. If you like Westerns then this is one to have in your library!

The Sacketts DVD.......2007-03-09

I read all 16 of the Louie LaMour Sackett books. I am not a western reader. My brother-inlaw got me started and couldn't get enough so decided to see the DVD which the action is slower than the books, but, was very close to the story. They had Mr. LaMour speak about the movie. He was there during the making of the movie and wanted it to be like it was during that time period. Please read his series of Sacketts before viewing the DVD. aLSO, READ HIS BIOGRAPHY. He was a very speacial man. He died shortly after finishing the biography.

Western Movies.......2007-03-09

Probably the best portrayal of Louis L'Amour's Sackett series. Although more than one book was used, it all ties together. Casting was excellent. I would highly recommend this DVD for all L'Amour and/or Sackett fans.

Average customer rating:

Your Brother's Not Always Right...
I love this movie!!!
Tombstone is tops
Tombstone review
Phenomenal

Tombstone
Starring: Kurt Russell , Val Kilmer , Sam Elliott , Bill Paxton , and Powers Boothe
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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Wyatt Earp (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Unforgiven
Open Range
Silverado (2 Disc Superbit Gift Set)
Young Guns (Special Edition)

ASIN: 6304711905
Release Date: 1997-12-02

Amazon.com

This Western has become a modest cult favorite since its release in 1993, when the film was met with mixed reviews but the performances of Kurt Russell (as Wyatt Earp) and especially Val Kilmer, for his memorably eccentric performance as the dying gunslinger Doc Holliday, garnered high praise. The movie opens with Wyatt Earp trying to put his violent past behind him, living happily in Tombstone with his brothers and the woman (Dana Delany) who puts his soul at ease. But a murderous gang called the Cowboys has burst on the scene, and Earp can't keep his gun belt off any longer. The plot sounds routine, and in many ways it is, but Western buffs won't mind a bit thanks to a fine cast and some well-handled action on the part of Rambo director George P. Cosmatos, who has yet to make a better film than this. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A sizzling, star-studded cast brings to life the legendary battle to deliver justice to TOMBSTONE! Kurt Russell (MIRACLE, VANILLA SKY) turns in a gripping performance as U.S. Marshall Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer (THE MISSING, BATMAN FOREVER) ignites the screen as the outrageous Doc Holliday. Together, they team up to bring law to the lawless in a notorious showdown with the ruthless outlaws at the O.K. Corral! The all-star ensemble also includes Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Jason Priestley, Michael Biehn, and long-time Hollywood favorite Charlton Heston. Get ready for an explosive, action-packed adventure the Wild West would never forget!

Customer Reviews:

Your Brother's Not Always Right..........2007-06-30

But he's always your brother and that's the central theme of Tombstone. I was trying to think of a way I could be a little more detached about his movie than I feel like being, but there's no point in trying to do so. The fact is that this is a wonderful film with a wonderful story line and wonderful acting. Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday sucks out all the oxygen in every scene he's in (and even a few where he's off camera). He is devoted to his best friend Wyatt Earp for many reasons but chiefly because he's one of the only friends that he has. Admittedly, this is only a semi-historically accurate portrait of Holliday but the sacrifices he makes for the Earp brothers are touching and admirable. In my mind, the gambler/dentist is the perfect embodiment of loyalty and honor. These are very politically incorrect virtues so we must be thankful that some element of pop culture decided to enshrine them somewhere. Independent of its symbolic and emotional resonance, Tombstone is just a plain old good time. Whatever you want to call it--an action pic, a western or a drama--it's superb and fantastic cinema.

I love this movie!!!.......2007-06-13

Tombstone is one of my favorite movies!!! I thought it was about time I bought the DVD.

Tombstone is tops.......2007-06-11

This movie is very close to the actual circumstances of the OK Corral. Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot (who is so perfect in westerns it makes you wonder if he was time shifted from 1880!!), and Bill Paxton are great! Then you see some of the actors from classic western movies and TV back as older men. Another one that we have memorized the lines to and still have to watch it each time it is on the satellite!! If you've never seen it....buy it, pop some popcorn, pour some butter on it and turn on the home theater!!

Tombstone review.......2007-06-08

Excellent movie. Hard to beat if you are a true western fan. Amazon service is great!

Phenomenal.......2007-06-05

This movie is absolutely awesome. Sure, that sounds like a young awe struck boy in its description of the film, but that is what it reduced me to. Some of the best one-liners of all-time, and a great chemistry between the always solid Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. Kilmer is at his best as the Consumption addled (read TB) Doc Holliday. This is a novie that I have never heard a bad thing about, even though the discussions almost always involve guys. Really a fun and well-made film. One of the few movies that I can watch time and time again. A 5 star classic. Enjoy!!!

Average customer rating:

Painfully searing and thought provoking
Wow... Just Wow
Makes you think!
garbage
XXXX...

American History X
Starring: Edward Norton , Edward Furlong , Beverly D'Angelo , Avery Brooks , and Jennifer Lien
Director: Tony Kaye
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Fight Club (Collector's Edition Steelbook)
Blow (Infinifilm Edition)
Requiem for a Dream (Edited Version)
American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)
Primal Fear

ASIN: 6305313687
Release Date: 1999-04-06

Product Description

Edward Norton's Academy Award nominated role as a White Supremist who sees the error of his ways while jailed for murder. Unfortunately, he leaves prison to find his brother (Edward Furlong) heading down the same path.

Amazon.com

Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in American History X nearly convinces you that there is a shred of logic in the tenets of white supremacy. If that statement doesn't horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his character's eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive--at least on the surface. Looking lean and mean with a swastika tattoo and a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard (Norton) has inherited racism from his father, and that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron (Stacy Keach), a grown-up thug playing tyrant and teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation.

The film's basic message--that hate is learned and can be unlearned--is expressed through Derek's kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned (or, in Danny's mind, martyred) for the killing of two black men. Lacking Derek's gift of rebel rhetoric, Danny is easily swayed into the violent, hateful lifestyle that Derek disowns during his thoughtful time in prison. Once released, Derek struggles to save his brother from a violent fate, and American History X partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkward sentiment, and predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye (who would later protest against Norton's creative intervention during post-production) manages to juggle these qualities--and a compelling clash of visual styles--to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye and Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Painfully searing and thought provoking.......2007-06-27

I really can't remember a more emotionally charged movie. American X will make you feel angry, frightened, uncomfortable, shocked, sad, and hopefully introspective. It plunges deep into the heart of racism and ultimately exposes the ignorance that fuels it.

Edward Norton is scary. He received an oscar nomination as he became fully immersed in this role as Derek, an angry white supremist.

One of the scenes I found most profound was a glimpse of his upbringing. He is having a conversation with his father, explaining his admiration and respect for his school teacher, who happens to be a black man with two Phds. His dad drops subtle little hints and discriminatory remarks to discredit the man, and his son takes it to heart.

That's really the point of this whole movie, that nobody is born with hatred. Sadly, sometimes it is learned.

This movie is filled with intense moments where the rage and racism are much more blatant. Derek's hatred for all minorities keeps growing, even though he doesn't bother to get to know any of them. Until he goes to prison, and his work partner shows him the error of his ways.

Although this plot development is predictable and Derek's complete change of heart unfortunately seemed a little forced, this still is an exceptional movie. There are so many human frailties exposed and subjective topics examined. It is an obvious message film with high aspirations.

What king of response it triggers depends on you.

Wow... Just Wow.......2007-06-22

A good friend of mine suggested this film, and I really didnt know what to expect going in, but after this film was over, I sat in stunned silence. I knew that racism was horrible, but I found through this film that it does not come without a terrible price..the loss of love, friends, family...and the realization that everything that you believed to be true isnt always the way things are. Edward Norton's performance takes the viewer through this journey, and its not a pretty one. He goes from an bright young man, to a vengeful bigot, to a remorseful excon with a brothers life in jeopardy, and you feel as though you are looking in on someones life in the course of 2 hrs. All of the acting in this film is first rate, and the ending wasnt quite as predictable as others might have you believe...it is quite shocking, as is much of the film. It causes quite a debate on the way people view others whos skin color is not the same. As Dr. King said, judge me not on the color of my skin, but on the content of my character. I live with racism, because I am a black man living in America...it exists, but if we educate ourselves like the main character in AHX, it wont stay around for much longer.

Makes you think!.......2007-06-10

I was skeptical when I first heard about this movie, as I was originally mis-informed as to what it was really about! I am definetly glad I finally sat down and watched this film.

After seeing this film, it has quickly become one of my favorite films that I have ever seen. As others have said, Edward Norton plays his role so well, you may actually find yourself partly agreeing with what he says. The message of the film is very well done, and the ending is one of the most shocking I have seen.

Excellent acting, directing, and story-telling. This is a film to own, and a film that has become a classic within the world of movie-making!

garbage.......2007-05-23

A waste of a fine performance by Norton. The film is an idealistic mess. Trite and melodramatic. I like the ending, because it completely skewers audience expectations, but beyond that, the film feels as if it has been patched together at the last minute. Segments don't entirely match, and most of the acting is uneven. The story is straight out of a tv movie.
If you are one of those typical film students who wears a trenchcoat, has a goatee and won't shut up about Clerks and Fight Club, this will probably be your favorite movie.

XXXX..........2007-04-03

The fear of foreign races or people, and it evolving into an actual phobia, an intense and irrational dread, in other terms, racism, has been around since primitive man began forming tribes, millions of years ago. American History X examines racism in the context of present day neo-Nazism, and similar to the German Nazis of the 30's and 40's all foreigners are blamed for everything wrong with the State. The solution to unemployment, a high cost of living, rocketing welfare and rising crime is to jettison all immigrants, foreigners, from the country so that the original people, the white's in America or the Aryan race in 30's Germany can flourish as they are truly destined to do. This notion is one of the foundational tenets of fascism, and added to this, violence and war is the only method to achieve a `pure' flourishing State.

American History X is a strong film presenting the arguments for the Right and the Left where, for the most part, the propositions on both sides have valid points, however, it is impossible to argue a subject as complex as immigration, rising crime and the cost of living by blaming these situations on a particular race of people. In fact, the argument is absurd because there are always exceptions, and as this important film points out with force and powerful emotion, racism is about hate, fear and personal anger, projected on a generality because it is convenient, a scapegoat for a lack of control and responsibility.

Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) is an intelligent young man but somewhere along the line began to hate Black American's, Asian American's et al, and under the tutelage of an older and influential White Supremist, (Stacy Keach), becomes the leader of a `skinhead' gang in Venice Beach, trashing foreign owned grocery stores to finally be jailed for the brutal murder of two teenaged Black Americans because they attempted to steal his car. Derek is strong, passionate, and terribly angry and now, a cold blooded killer and his younger brother, Danny, (Edward Furlong) idolises him.

Edward Furlong as Danny was perfect casting as he has a sensitive and forlorn, lost gaze, almost innocent because he loves his brother so much, and when his brother is released from prison with a different point of view, at first goes a little crazy, but will go along because he worships and loves him. Of course this ma