Under the Sun (Under Solen)

Starring:Rolf LassgÃ¥rd, Helena BergstrÃ¶m, Johan Widerberg, Gunilla RÃ¶Ã¶r, Jonas Falk, Linda Ulvaeus, BergljÃ³t ArnadÃ³ttir, Per Sandberg, Rikard Wolff
Director: Colin Nutley
Studio: New Yorker Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Though she made her first movie at the age of 13, Diane Lane has only blossomed into a true star in her 30s, and Under the Tuscan Sun marks her full flowering. After a brutal divorce, Frances (Lane, Unfaithful, A Walk on the Moon) is persuaded by her friend Patti (Sandra Oh) to take a tour of Italy--where, on a whim that she hopes will rescue her from her desperate unhappiness, she buys a rundown villa and sets out to renovate it. Along the way, she gets advice from a former Fellini actress, meets a scrumptious Italian lover, and helps support Patti after her own relationship derails. The conclusion of Under the Tuscan Sun holds no surprises, but the deft turns and observations along the way are delightful. Lane carries the film effortlessly but surely, exuding both heartbreak and re-awakening passion. --Bret Fetzer

Description

From the studio that brought you SWEET HOME ALABAMA comes the extraordinary romantic comedy starring Academy Award(R) nominee Diane Lane (2002 Best Actress, UNFAITHFUL). Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN follows San Francisco writer Frances Mayes (Lane) to Italy as a good friend offers her a special gift -- 10 days in Tuscany. Once there, she is captivated by its beauty and warmth, and impulsively buys an aging, but very charming, villa. Fully embracing new friends and local color, she finds herself immersed in a life-changing adventure filled with enough unexpected surprises, laughter, friendship, and romance to restore her new home -- and her belief in second chances.

Customer Reviews:

An intelligent chick flick?.......2007-06-20

I got this DVD because it is my best friend's favorite movie. It was good & worth watching- funny & intelligent. Only four stars because I'm not crazy about chick flicks, and the movie keeps bouncing back and forth from drama to comedy- leaving me a little confused at times.

Very good movie.......2007-06-17

We enjoyed "Under The Tuscan Sun" so much we decided to add the DVD to our home collection.

Romantic Adaptation.......2007-05-17

Under The Tuscan Sun is a funny, sweet, and poignant romance. Every part is nicely translated from the book to the movie, but the romance is added. That is annoying at first. I love the many irresistible pockets of pleasure in this movie. Have fun with it, but don't expect the older, not single, cooking and cleaning lady of the book! Diane Lane is lovely.

Love this movie!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-16

I saw this movie on TV recently. I loved it so much that I am going to buy it!! Great Chick Flick....

beautiful story.......2007-05-15

I've watched this movie many times and plan to someday visit Tuscany. It's a romantic womans movie that makes my old heart yearn for adventure in Italy.

Average customer rating:

Visually arresting from start to finish...great performances...
Touching and sad movie
Love it!!
Very good film.
I've watched it three times now.

Empire of the Sun
Starring: Hiro Arai , Christian Bale , J.G. Ballard , Ray Charleson , and Peter Copley
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Empire of the Sun

ASIN: B00003CX9U
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Amazon.com essential video

Roundly dismissed as one of Steven Spielberg's least successful efforts, this very underrated film poignantly follows the World War II adventures of young Jim (a brilliant Christian Bale), caught in the throes of the fall of China. What if you once had everything and lost it all in an afternoon? What if you were only 12? Bale's transformation, from pampered British ruling-class child to an imprisoned, desperate, nearly feral boy, is nothing short of stunning. Also stunning are exceptional sets, cinematography, and music (the last courtesy of John Williams) that enhance author J.G. Ballard's and screenwriter Tom Stoppard's depiction of another, less familiar casualty of war.

In a time when competitors were releasing "comedic," derivative coming-of-age films, Empire of the Sun stands out as an epic in the classic David Lean sense--despite confusion or perceived competition with the equally excellent The Last Emperor (also released in 1987, and also a coming-of-age in a similar setting). It is also a remarkable testament to, yes, the human spirit. And despite its disappointing box-office returns, Empire of the Sun helped to further establish Spielberg as more than a commercial director and set the standard, tone, and look for future efforts Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. --N.F. Mendoza

Description

Steven Spielberg's epic about a youngster's harrowing and remarkable experiences in World War II-era China after the Japanese invasion. Best Picture,Director/ National Board of Review.

Customer Reviews:

Visually arresting from start to finish...great performances..........2007-06-08

EMPIRE OF THE SUN is a gem of movie-making. Visually arresting from start to finish, given a sumptuous musical score by John Williams and some of the finest cinematography ever seen, it is hard to understand why the film is not as highly acclaimed as it ought to be...nor is it fitting that it was nominated for six Academy Awards but received none.

It's a sweeping epic but depends on capturing your interest by giving the main burden to the young Christian Bale who certainly has one of the great child roles of a lifetime as Jim--and becomes the character so completely that his final reunion with his parents brings tears to the eyes. By that time, the viewer has been through so much with him, watching as he grows from spoiled rich kid to a wily boy who must fend for himself among the wolf-pack of prisoners interred by the Japanese.

Basically, it's the real life story of one boy's survival during the outbreak of World War II when he is separated from his British parents during the evacuation of Shanghai. It is a spectacularly staged evacuation scene that is topped throughout by other scenes of visual splendor and poignant moments that stay in the memory long after the film is over. The boy's fascination with the beauty of planes and the horrors of war are well documented--as is his strange fascination with the Japanese and his doomed friendship with a Japanese boy.

The film falls squarely on the shoulders of Christian Bale, so much so that the supporting players are never fully fleshed characters. However, all of them within a limited range--including John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson and Nigel Havers--do magnificent jobs. Steven Spielberg's direction cannot be faulted. He has given us a closeup glimpse of war and its effect on people that can only be rivaled by his later masterwork, SCHINDLER'S LIST.

Technically, the film is a brilliant achievement in all of its World War II details. And Christian Bale certainly deserved an Oscar for what has to be one of the strongest performances ever given by a child actor, with never a false step, every nuance just perfect.

Touching and sad movie.......2007-05-24

This movie reflects on war and its effects on a little boy. It is very entertaining yet very sad. I definitely recommend this movie to everyone who would like to know some of war's ugly sides. A great buy!

Love it!!.......2007-05-14

I have been looking for this film all over, and when I found out that Amazon had it I was really excited. I love this classic film and now I have the chance to watch it when ever I want. Thank you sooooo much.

Very good film........2007-05-13

People of all ages can enjoy this film about coming of age in a time of war. It has beautiful imagery and uses its soundtrack very effectively. Beautiful work from a younger Spielberg.

I've watched it three times now........2007-05-13

The acting and the directing transform this story into an unforgetable movie. Stephan Spielberg's scenes are great!

Average customer rating:

excellent!
My Favorite Of The Hercule Poirot Films
Christie's Evil Under the Sun
Evil Under the Sun
Evil Under the Sun a true delight!

Evil Under the Sun
Starring: Peter Ustinov , Jane Birkin , Colin Blakely , Nicholas Clay , and James Mason
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000059LGF
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Amazon.com

Mostly for Poirot completists and admirers of then-trendy, all-star ensemble casts from the 1970s and early '80s, Evil Under the Sun finds Peter Ustinov in his second outing as Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective (three years after 1978's Death on the Nile). As the title promises, the action this time takes place on an Adriatic island (though Christie fans will surely balk at the switch from the novel's setting on the English coast), where a famous stage star (Diana Rigg) is murdered, and the list of likely suspects is unusually high. The parade of legendary performers--Roddy McDowall, James Mason, Sylvia Miles, Maggie Smith, Jane Birkin--plus Ustinov's energetic performance keep things hopping. But Anthony Shaffer's lazy screenplay and director Guy Hamilton's superficial approach nudge everything (action, characters, tone) toward campy, near-parody, with bitchy sniping, tacky costumes, and an obligatory soundtrack of Cole Porter tunes. It's only in the last lap that the film transcends such obviousness and finds its way back to the glories of detective fiction. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

excellent!.......2007-04-07

THE COLOR BALANCE,SATURATION AND CLARITY WERE ALL EXCELLENT. THE SOUND WAS PERFECT! THE COLE PORTER MUSIC SHOULD MAKE COLE PORTER FANS VERY HAPPY!

My Favorite Of The Hercule Poirot Films.......2007-01-31

I enjoyed all the Agatha Christie adaptations, but this is my favorite. Great acting, which is the norm. I like Ustinov's portrayal of Poirot, and no place more so than in this film. And of course, you want to know who the murderer is, right? Would you believe the killer in this movie is Taylor Hicks? No? I wouldn't either, but you have to watch for yourself to know who it is!

Christie's Evil Under the Sun.......2007-01-12

Peter Ustinov is far from the Christie description of Hercule Poirot, but Mr. Ustinov makes him more endearing. A good script, faithful to the original story, great actors in supporting roles and great photography of sea, sand and an island make this film a real winner. I actually prefer this version to the David Suchet one, even though Suchet looks more like Ms. Christie's Poirot. A must for all Christie fans!

Evil Under the Sun.......2007-01-10

One of my favorite Agatha Christie movie adaptations. It has an outstanding cast and wonderful soundtrack exclusively of Cole Porter songs. I recommend adding it to your collection.

Evil Under the Sun a true delight!.......2007-01-04

This film is one I have watched multiple times. It is a sheer delight. The setting is beautiful, the photography superb, the cast magnificent, and how can you top the music of Cole Porter. This blend of cast (especially Peter Ustinov as Poirot), music and scenery is unbeatable. I highly recommend "Evil" as a viewing of great enjoyment.

Under the Tuscan Sun (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

An intelligent chick flick?
Very good movie
Romantic Adaptation
Love this movie!!!!!!!!!
beautiful story

Under the Tuscan Sun (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Diane Lane , Sandra Oh , Lindsay Duncan , Raoul Bova , and Vincent Riotta
Director: Audrey Wells
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
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ASIN: B0000VD038
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

An intelligent chick flick?.......2007-06-20

Very good movie.......2007-06-17

We enjoyed "Under The Tuscan Sun" so much we decided to add the DVD to our home collection.

Romantic Adaptation.......2007-05-17

Love this movie!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-16

I saw this movie on TV recently. I loved it so much that I am going to buy it!! Great Chick Flick....

beautiful story.......2007-05-15

I've watched this movie many times and plan to someday visit Tuscany. It's a romantic womans movie that makes my old heart yearn for adventure in Italy.

Agatha Christie Mysteries (Death on the Nile / Evil Under the Sun / The Mirror Crack'd)

Average customer rating:

Timeless classics
Agatha Christie
Great movies
As good as excellent and better than brilliant.
Nice set, worth the price

Agatha Christie Mysteries (Death on the Nile / Evil Under the Sun / The Mirror Crack'd)
Starring: Peter Ustinov , Jane Birkin , Lois Chiles , Bette Davis , and Mia Farrow
Director: John Guillermin , and Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
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And Then There Were None

ASIN: B00008DDWU
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Amazon.com

Death on the Nile
Following Albert Finney's quirky and compelling performance as Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in 1974's Murder on the Orient Express, Peter Ustinov capably took over the role in this 1978 adaptation of Christie's river-bound whodunit. While on a pleasure cruise along the Nile with a taciturn companion (David Niven), Poirot slips into action following the murder of a much-despised heiress (Lois Chiles). There's no shortage of suspects... until, that is, they also start dying off, obfuscating the investigation by suggesting that several killers may be at work. With a disciplined screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, the film is solid enough and is graced immeasurably by a glittery cast including Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, Olivia Hussey, Jack Warden, and Angela Lansbury. Directed with customary efficiency by John Guillermin (King Kong, The Towering Inferno). --Tom Keogh

Evil Under the Sun
Mostly for Poirot completists and admirers of then-trendy, all-star ensemble casts from the 1970s and early '80s, Evil Under the Sun finds Peter Ustinov in his second outing as Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective (three years after 1978's Death on the Nile). As the title promises, the action this time takes place on an Adriatic island (though Christie fans will surely balk at the switch from the novel's setting on the English coast), where a famous stage star (Diana Rigg) is murdered, and the list of likely suspects is unusually high. The parade of legendary performers--Roddy McDowall, James Mason, Sylvia Miles, Maggie Smith, Jane Birkin--plus Ustinov's energetic performance keep things hopping. But Anthony Shaffer's lazy screenplay and director Guy Hamilton's superficial approach nudge everything (action, characters, tone) toward campy, near-parody, with bitchy sniping, tacky costumes, and an obligatory soundtrack of Cole Porter tunes. It's only in the last lap that the film transcends such obviousness and finds its way back to the glories of detective fiction. --Tom Keogh

The Mirror Crack'd
Angela Lansbury does the honors as Agatha Christie's determined sleuth, Miss Marple, in this adaptation of Christie's novel. A washed-up movie star (Elizabeth Taylor) is attempting to make a comeback but is driven to distraction by a mysterious event from her past. Also problematic for Taylor's struggling actress is a series of murders occurring with clockwork regularity in the quiet, 1950s English village where a film is being produced--killings that are all somehow connected to her. Despite the British backdrop, most of the suspects, including Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis, are American in this 1980 feature directed by Guy Hamilton (Evil Under the Sun). (At least Miss Marple's nephew, the redoubtable Inspector Craddock, is played by Edward Fox.) The bad news: this is a curiously flat, monotonous film, with a mystery hook that, sad to say, is among Christie's more familiar and predictable. Hamilton doesn't demand much of his largely ornamental cast, and they don't volunteer much to fill the void. Still, fans of Miss Marple and Christie, especially those with a burning hunger to see every film or television program based on the books, will want to check it out. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Timeless classics.......2007-05-13

I was so delighted to find these wonderful Agatha Christie mysteries out on DVD finally I've seen them all a few times but the stories are still intriguing. It's also a delight to see many of the old stars in their glory days and some of today's stars in their beginning roles. I love a movie that can be watched over and over again and not lose its freshness. These movies definitely fit that category.

Agatha Christie.......2007-05-07

Being a big fan of Agatha Christie and Peter Ustinov, i was not disappointed in the movie versions. Well worth the price to see them.

Great movies.......2007-05-07

I have looked at every place that rents movies for these titles. I love Death on teh Nile and Evil Under the Sun. But, I could never find them. Now I can watch them as much as I want. I have to laugh at the how Death on the Nile, changes the geography of Egypt. To think that you could be in Luxor in the morning and Abu Simbel before sunset can only be movie magic. But, I loved it anyway.

As good as excellent and better than brilliant........2006-05-05

This only concerns "Death on the Nile".
This blockbusting film adapted from Agatha Christie's novel is the very archetype and acme of her detective stories, at least those using the services of the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot from Brussels. She builds up a closed set of people who are all concerned by the murder that is committed in a closed environment. They all have some personal interest to commit this crime, hence a motive, and none of them have an alibi, at least a real alibi. They can all have done it and Poirot is going to use his Belgian brain to sort out the facts and bring out the truth, as a reconstruction that is intended to trap or trick the culprit. And it works. That's how the mystery is resolved. One shady corner can be found though: the cobra in Poirot's bathroom will remain unexplained. It must have been overlooked at some moment in the making of the film because Agatha Christie would never do such a mistake.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne

Nice set, worth the price.......2004-04-24

I really loved all the Agatha Christie movies from the late 70's and early 80's. Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun are top notch. Both DVDs are worth the price alone for this set. Each DVD comes with extras, which is sort of amazing considering the age of these movies. In Death and Evil, they have brief interviews with most cast members about how they view their character, the hallmarks of each character, and whether they actually like the character. These are on-set interviews. There is a mini documentary about how the steamer from Death was found, and how it was recreated in the studio and how they dealt with moonlight scenes and the river look. It was great. There was a whole discussion about how the island was selected for Evil. There are a few interviews with Peter Ustinov as well. No deleted scenes or alternative endings, but great extras otherwise. Each comes with a theatrical trailer as well.

Death on the Nile is one I can watch over and over. It boast a great cast, a great script, and good action. It is very funny also. Evil Under the Sun is almost as good, it is funnier but there's not as much action, only one corpse. Both have lovely scenery and are truly good mysteries. I love Ustinov as the Belgian sleuth.

The Mirror Crack'd is the relative dud in this series. It was made around the same time as the others by the same people, so I see why it's included here, and it was also an all-star cast, but the story is rather dull and plodding. Little action, some decent humor, but it's not something you'd care to watch more than once or twice. It is more interesting to watch just to see a middle aged Elizabeth Taylor act with a slightly pre-AIDS Rock Hudson with a still young-looking Kim Novak. Neither Taylor nor Hudson gives a particularly memorable performance in this one, it does seem that at times Taylor and Hudson appear to be reading lines and showing no emotion or interest in their performances. They are that dull in this. A nice turn for Novak however, she plays the brazen hussie to the hilt and has some really funny lines, particularly with Taylor. But the story itself holds little interest and becomes tedious many times during the movie. Many have criticized Landsbury as Miss Marple. I thought she was fine, but doesn't have the zing of Ustinov.

Amazon.com

The Hemingway Classics Collection includes five classic films adapted from some of Hemingway's most celebrated pieces. Two of the five films, Under My Skin and Adventures of a Young Man (starring Paul Newman, who garnered a Golden Globe nomination for the role), are exclusively available in this collection. The box set includes bonus materials including commentaries, theatrical trailers, restoration comparisons and 'making of' featurettes.

Customer Reviews:

a wonderful collection.......2007-05-15

I love this collection. It brings me back to Hemingway who I read while growing up in the Fifties and Sixties. The restorations of the Scope movies are outstanding and the extras are informative. The cinematography and music of Adventures of a Young Man are very moving. This film brought me back to my youth. I highly recommend.

why do Fox do this.......2007-03-26

I have already purchased Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Sun Also Rises. I would really like to add Adventures of a Young Man to my Fox CinemaScope collection but why do they (Fox) force me to pay $44 for the lot. Come on Fox Classics why not release these as singles. Same with Soldier of Fortune and The Tall Men. I wonder if the studios read these messages but if they did they would find out what people want. I am collecting the entire 20th Century Fox CinemaScope collection from 1953 to 1967 and its nice to have them in single discs so they can be placed one year after the other. Waiting for all those other classics to be released like King of the Khyber Rifles, The Rains of Ranchipur, Woman's World, The Cobweb, The Adventures of Hajji Baba and many more. Come on Fox Classics bring 'em on.

Average customer rating:

Cinematographic coup ...
One of the most beautiful movies ever!
I wish that there were more stars to give!
it was like a summer day
A compassionate feel-good love story

Under the Sun (Under Solen)
Starring: Rolf Lassgård , Helena Bergström , Johan Widerberg , Gunilla Röör , and Jonas Falk
Director: Colin Nutley
Manufacturer: New Yorker Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Kristin Lavransdatter

ASIN: B000127YXI
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Amazon.com

A perfectly lovely excursion to the Swedish countryside, as love sprouts in an unlikely place. It's 1956, and a 40-year-old bachelor farmer (played by the hefty and likable Rolf Lassgard) places an ad for a housekeeper. The woman that shows up on his doorstep is a city-wise knockout--which pleases the farmer no end, but sets off warning bells for his skeptical buddy. Director Colin Nutley (reuniting with his radiant House of Angels star, Helena Bergstrom) doesn't stint on the lush visual treatment of a golden rural oasis in summer, but the movie isn't just eye candy. Its careful, respectful approach to a gently-growing romance is like the patience of a farmer who knows that a good crop takes time to nurture. Added bonus: the music from Irish musician Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains, another unexpected choice in a movie that simply feels really good. --Robert Horton

Description

From the Director of House of Angels and Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, Under the Sun is a sensuous, lush and lyrical film, set in 1956 in the sun-drenched summer countryside of Sweden. Sweet but lonesome Olof (Rolf Lassgård) lives by himself on his family's farm after the death of his mother. Unable to read or write and therefore forced to take people on trust, Olof must depend upon his womanizing younger friend Erik (Johan Widerberg) to help him with the farmwork. Erik, once a sailor and now a part-time gravedigger, shamelessly uses Olof's money for bets at the racetrack. One day, out of the blue, Olof places an advertisement in the local paper: "Lonely farmer, 39, own car. Seeks young lady housekeeper. Photograph appreciated." It's not long before the ad attracts a surprising candidate: Ellen (Helena Bergström), a beautiful, 34-year-old, well-heeled city woman. As the summer progresses, Ellen effectively takes over both the house and Olof's heart. Erik, also taken by Ellen, is determined to destroy her blossoming romance with Olof by unearthing the secret past he's convinced she's hiding.

Customer Reviews:

Cinematographic coup ..........2007-03-04

Olof is a ~40 year old pastoral farmer who leads a life full of solitude in a sun drenched Swedish village. One fine day, he publishes an advertisement in the local daily seeking a housekeeper (young woman specifically) to help him with the upkeep of his farmhouse. Interestingly, he requests for a picture also.
Olof has a smart alec friend in the form of Erik who doubles up as a gravedigger & horse better. He feeds on Olof's ignorance, under the guider of a good friend; he borrows money that he uses for betting and making a quick buck.
Ellen, a city woman who is presumably running away from some personal problems responds to Olof's classified advertisement and decides to stay at his farm. This marks the beginning of a happy chapter for Olof and a jealous chapter for Erik. Predictably, Olof falls for Ellen, who reciprocates his love back (much to the chagrin of Erik). The story meanders along and in the very end Olof & Ellen are united and Erik is sent packing.

The story by itself does not make the cut. This movie must be watched for the stunning cinematography and Olof `s(Rolf Lassgård) acting. The long panoramic shots of the lush green Swedish countryside, the close-ups, the real-life dialogs and the wonderful acting make this movie a wonderful movie experience.

One of the most beautiful movies ever!.......2006-03-22

During the middle nineteen fifties, during the cold war, Sweden was the scenario of airborne drills and military testing, the plane flies carrying weapons, emulating the birds, the real ones, and the wooden man made in the cage...and in The Little Farm (Bates book's that inspired this movie), one man is looking for a miracle, a woman to love. And what a great way to put that, wars are left behind by love stories, because is love what really matters...there is nothing new under solen. Rolf Lassard, face goes alike his horse both are noble, truth, good willed...a man eager to love, a man who believes in friendship. A simple man who can read the heart over no words. Helena Bergstrom is outstanding: pragmatic, but genuine, looking for a life in the farm, where a day of handwork has the reward of a kiss and the beauty of the passion between two people in love. The summer in the Scandinavian interior, the metaphor of the spider Webb, the clock that unwinds at 9:00 PM, the dog that respects the privacy of his master...Seeing Olof taking the horses to drink in Vanderlake...A remarkable work of Colin Nutley, the movie is almost a tranquilizer that conveys meditation, reflex ion and love. And of course...the music! It is almost a crime that there is no soundtrack, cause if you add Paddy Molloney, Gabriel Fauré Requiem opus 48, The Weeping Willows (It's so hard to always loose), Bill Whelan Celtic Heartbeat, and the Scandinavian folk...my goodness, you are in presence of a masterpiece. The sequence of "read the letter for me..." is one of the most romantic scenes ever in a movie. This is a movie, if you have had enough of FX and violence, and if you are looking for Arts and The missing romanticism of Roy Orbisson, the voice of Magnus Carlsson, The Chieftains and The Pastoral Scandinavian, this movie is for you!

I wish that there were more stars to give!.......2006-01-08

Quite simply, I am nuts about this film. I don't usually see films more than once, but I have seen this one four times, and still counting. It never disappoints. The film is eloquent without being snotty, and it is filled with emotions that are sweet without being cloying.
"Under The Sun" is perfect. I wish that all of Colin Nutley's films could be made available in the US. I would buy every one.

it was like a summer day.......2005-11-02

a tender story with strong charectors and the tradegy and beauty of love , a must see.

A compassionate feel-good love story .......2005-10-04

This wonderful 1998 Swedish story is about love and friendship, captures compassion and is laced with humor. It takes place in the 50's. One important fact about this movie was that the casting of characters was superb, and that is what makes a good movie, the characters.

Swedish film director Colin Nutley's Under the Sun is based on a short story of English author H.E. Bates, The Little Farm. Bates wrote numerous novels and short stories mostly based in English.

Shy and illiterate Olaf, 40ish, lives alone on the farm since his mother died. Lonely, he puts an ad in the newspaper for a housekeeper. The requirement in the ad is that the housekeeper be young and he must see a picture. A beautiful woman, Ellen, answers the ad.

Meanwhile, Olaf has a friend Erik, who is sly, cunning, womanizer, and takes advantage of Olaf financially. Erik is always up to no good and sometimes works on the farm.

That Ellen falls for Olaf is no surprise, as we learn Olaf is tender, a virgin, and had a dear heart for his mother. And it's up to Ellen to make the first moves.

Ellen soon learns of the wrongdoings by Erik and warns him. Erik is threatened that his place in Olaf's life is jeopardized and he tries to ruin the relationship Ellen has with Olaf by exposing her past.

This movie has beautiful cinematography. The coloring is unique. This is a feel-good love story.....MzRizz

Average customer rating:

Ready For A Great Murder Mystery?
Capturing the Spirit of Agatha Christie
THANK GOD HE'S BACK!!!!!!
Dreadful
VERY ENJOYABLE

Poirot - Evil Under the Sun
Starring: David Suchet , Philip Jackson (II) , Michael Higgs (II) , Louise Delamere , and Hugh Fraser
Director: Brian Farnham
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Poirot - Murder in Mesopotamia
Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Lord Edgware Dies
Poirot - Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection
Agatha Christie's Poirot - The New Mysteries Collection

ASIN: B000068QOB
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Amazon.com

Murder at a health resort makes for a very special kind of fun in the sun in this classic Agatha Christie mystery. Evil Under the Sun finds Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) and the ever-ready Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) at an island resort for the betterment of the great detective's constitution. Poirot's own health is soon the last thing on his mind as he becomes convinced that murder is afoot. Lucky for us, he's right. A glamorous actress, a brooding priest, and an assortment of helpful busybodies mix in one of Christie's most famous plots. As is usual in the A&E Poirot series, loving attention to period detail, a careful respect for the original novel, and a gentle wink at the quaintness of it all are apparent. Suchet is, as always, a masterful Poirot, full of infuriating quirks and playful genius, and Fraser handles the difficult job of playing the bland-but-not-too-bland Hastings with aplomb. Special DVD features include an index of all the Hercule Poirot stories, as well as biographies of Agatha Christie and David Suchet. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

Ready For A Great Murder Mystery?.......2007-03-28

The beautiful scenery and movie sets in this story would make Dame Agatha Christie herself proud, I believe. Along with an all-star cast, the plot in this mystery holds the viewer's attention...

Capturing the Spirit of Agatha Christie.......2006-01-30

This is a great episode that casts you under its spell from the get-go. Contrary to what has been said by some earlier reviewers, the Suchet "Poirot" series really catches the character as it exists in the book. I recommend reading the original Poirot novels by Christie, you'll double your pleasure.
A superb supporting cast, rich visual textures and a real whodunnit. Bravo!

THANK GOD HE'S BACK!!!!!!.......2003-03-31

Whew.......I was beginning to wonder if we'd end up living in a world without any more of Suchet's Poirot!! As much reverence and respect as I have for all the older big screen Poirots, I must say that I just simply adore Suchet's characterization of him. When I read the books, Suchet is whom I picture.
Well, you know the plot already.........watching this almost seems like a completely different story than the earlier Ustinov film...............but I love it all the same! It's truer to the book, more serious, and sure to entertain even the hardest-to-please Poirot fans!

Dreadful.......2003-02-04

I have to say that I have never found David Suchet's prissy Poirot (that voice! Ye Gods!) to my extreme liking. I have also not liked how most of the stories seem to all take place in 1935 or 1936. Nevertheless I have found the series enjoyable despite its continuity flaws. However...

These latest films (Roger Ackroyd, Lord Edgware and Mesopotamia) have been seriously bad. The acting is often very stiff and the direction very poor. The actors mostly have no charisma at all and walk through their roles without any commitment to them. The actress playing Arlene in this obviously did little if any reading of the book. The same is true of the leading lady in Murder in Mesopotamia. I doubt the producers even care if the actors in these adaptations suit the roles.

This adaptation is SO very far removed in too many bad ways from the book (Poirot at a HEALTH CLINIC???). Stick to the Ustinov film. It too veers from the novel, but in a most pleasant manner - AND the acting is flawless.

Despite what fans say, Albert Finney caught Poirot far better than any other actor thus far. Let's hope Suchet retires from this role and someone else redoes the ENTIRE Poirot canon with due respect to the novels.

VERY ENJOYABLE.......2002-11-26

Honestly I haven't found a Poirot movie with David Suchet in it that I don't just love. This is one of the longer movies and I very much enjoyed it.

Average customer rating:

A celluloid nightmare
A MOVIE
I really cannot decide about this film.
This Story Must Be Told
SICK!!!

Men Behind The Sun
Starring: Zhe Quan , Gang Wang , Andrew Yu , Runsheng Wang , and Dai Yao Wu
Director: Tun Fei Mou
Manufacturer: Cav Distribution
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Rape of Nanking (Nightmare in Nanking): China & Japan at War. Japanese Atrocities in Asia
Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre
Cannibal Holocaust
The Untold Story
Aftermath/Genesis

ASIN: B0000AQS1H
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Customer Reviews:

A celluloid nightmare.......2007-05-20

When discussing World War II, you'll hear a lot about German atrocities committed throughout Europe. You'll even hear about the Soviet Union taking upwards of 20 million casualties in that fight. What you won't hear much about, unfortunately, concerns the carnage inflicted upon China by the Japanese Imperial Army. Even to this day, Japan refuses to take full responsibility for the injuries wreaked upon their neighbors during that conflict. Once in awhile you might stumble over an article in the paper involving the Japanese government's activities in Korea. China is another matter altogether. Silence seems to reign about what happened on Mainland China between 1931 and the end of the war. Remember the North Korean nuclear test a few months back? Remember how the Japanese started talking about building their own nuclear arsenal as a counterbalance in the region? China went nuts when they heard that talk. If you don't understand the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s and the genocidal campaigns that occurred shortly thereafter, you won't understand why the communist regime threw a hissy fit about Japanese nukes. Welcome to the film "Men Behind the Sun," a movie that explains a lot about modern Asia's attitudes toward the Japanese.

When Japan conquered Manchuria in 1931, the created a puppet state called Manchukuo the following year. They used this area as a source for raw materials to fuel their war machine, and also as a staging ground for invading the rest of China. What followed was a nightmare for everyone involved. Arguably the worst atrocities centered on a place called Unit 731, a Japanese research facility that used mostly Chinese men and women (other nationalities died there too) as test subjects in order to develop various biological and chemical weapons. The scientists at the research facility often performed vivisections, without anesthesia, on prisoners of war and pregnant women. They messed around with amputation, sometimes to learn the effects of massive blood loss and sometimes to see what would happen if gangrene went unchecked. Other tests included using flamethrowers on innocent civilians and studying the killing and maiming capabilities of grenades. Worse, the laboratory dove head first into learning all they could about employing diseases as a weapon. They used ceramic containers filled with anthrax and cholera infected fleas as bombs in civilian areas, killing hundreds of thousands of Chinese men, women and children. Unit 731 developed this program by first testing it on inmates at the facility.

I could go on and on about the atrocities committed by these monsters. You can read about them on dozens of Internet sites devoted to Imperial Army war crimes. You can also watch T.F. Mou's "Men Behind the Sun". I went into great detail about what went on in Unit 731 above because we see many of these events unfold in nightmarish detail in the film. We see the Japanese scientists' penchant for vivisection taken to nauseating extremes in a scene involving a small child. We see the monsters put a guy in a high-pressure chamber so they can find out what happens when they turn the dial up as high as it will go. Experiments conducted to find out what occurs when a human being's limbs are frozen and then suddenly thawed leave the viewer with a horrific vision that will stay with you long after the film ends. A central theme of the movie revolves around the base commander figuring out how to spread fleas riddled with diseases via ceramic containers. Then there's the racist tone of the film. The Japanese Army's most powerful weapon was racism. By dehumanizing the Chinese, it was easier for the personnel in this facility to perform the experiments.

"Men Behind the Sun" is a grim, grim movie. I called it an exploitation film above, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of that label. The atrocities depicted in the movie hew so closely to what actually occurred in Unit 731, as documented by numerous investigations conducted after the war, that to call Mou's vision an "exploitation" flick does a grave disservice to the victims of the Japanese Army. The director himself doesn't think "Men Behind the Sun" is an exploitation movie; he makes his true feelings abundantly clear in an interview included as an extra on the disc. His motivation for the film is to educate viewers about the atrocities committed during the invasion of China. Well, this motion picture certainly does that in spades. A few subplots in the film, including one showing a contingent of recently recruited Japanese soldiers playing ball with a Chinese boy, probably serves as an effort by the director to inject a bit of humanity into the proceedings. That the boy in question ends up on an operating table in the movie's most grotesque sequence only underscores what the movie tries to teach the viewer, mainly the destruction of real people under the heel of the Japanese invaders.

The DVD version of "Men Behind the Sun" isn't the best in technical terms. The picture quality lacks sharpness, and the audio is only adequate. I'm not sure I'd want to see a pristine version of this film, and you'll likely agree if you ever sit down with it. Even the paucity of extras (the aforementioned text interview and a trailer for the film) isn't worth complaining about. You're watching this film because you either want an education about what went on in China during the war or because you want to see sickening scenes of gore. If it's the latter, you're missing the point--although you'll see gore that, in a couple of scenes, apparently involved the use of real cadavers. Yeah, it's that bad. I really suggest you read up on Japanese atrocities in Asia before watching the film. If you remember what you're seeing, for the most part, actually happened, I think you'll come away from the movie with a different attitude about what constitutes exploitation filmmaking.

A MOVIE.......2007-03-09

WELL THIS ONE I GOT FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND THEY DO LOVE THE MOVIE I DON'T KNOW TO MUCH ABOUT IT. BUT SHE LOVES IT

I really cannot decide about this film........2007-03-09

On one hand, the film depicts a truly foul evil committed by the Imperial Japanese Empire that should and must be told. On the other hand, the director tortured animals on screen(rats and cats) and purchased a corpse for an onscreen autopsy---seemingly learning nothing from his subject. He also apparently believes the Communist lie that the United Nation used biological warfare during the Korean War. The film is also wildly graphic and violent in a way that teeters terribly close to pornography. So on one hand, he depicts a great evil------while embracing evil of another stripe. Unfortunate that victims of Unit 751 cannot have their story told in a film with a more certain integrity......but this is all we have at the moment.

This Story Must Be Told.......2007-01-20

Much is written about the Holocaust. Many movies have been made, memorials erected, and in Washington we have a Holocaust Museum. We often overlook Japan's atrocities in Asia--equal to anything the Nazis ever did. This movie is based upon real historical events. It shows very graphically some of the things that occurred at Unit 731 in Japanese-held Manchuria. Not for the faint of heart, it tells a gruesome story that must be told, and never forgotten.

SICK!!!.......2006-09-01

i HAD TO see this movie, its pretty grimmy, i loved it.
i just orderd it last night from amazon and i hope i get it based on what the guy under me said, but maybe he just complains alot. i cant wait for it to come. thares alot of rumors about this movie sutch as the little boy gets disected while hes passed out and they take out his heart... this is supose to be REAL it sure looked it. this movie is NOT FOR EVERYONE!! its VERY nasty, great movie for when u want to go over somebodies house for the first time, put this movie in and get a great first impression!!!!

Average customer rating:

One of the greatest WWII films that is rarely seen
An important film
Nothing like Men Behind the Sun
Yuck!
How not to make a movie

Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre
Director: Tun Fei Mou
Manufacturer: Unearthed
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Men Behind The Sun
Rape of Nanking (Nightmare in Nanking): China & Japan at War. Japanese Atrocities in Asia
The Untold Story
I Stand Alone
The Comfort Women: Japan's Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War

ASIN: B0002YCV4M
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Description

Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre is an uncompromising portrayal of the war crimes perpetrated by the Japanese Imperial Army upon the Chinese military and civilian population of Nanking during the occupation of the city. Hailed by critics as one of the most disturbing films ever released, Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre is unflinching in it's depiction of the barbaric cruelty with which the occupying army raped, pillaged and terrorized the defeated populace.

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest WWII films that is rarely seen.......2007-05-15

I had never heard of the Nanking Massacre before. It doesn't concern the United States, so it isn't really surprising. Filmmaker T.F. Mou (who is sometimes referred to as T.F. Mous) is probably best known as the director of the infamous Men Behind the Sun. It's a cult-exploitation legend--a film that portrays Japanese war atrocities committed in World War II with gruesome FX, real cadavers, and the onscreen killing of a live cat. Love it or hate it (and I've never been entirely sure where I fall in that spectrum), there's no denying MBtS was a powerful piece of filmmaking--it's just that the naysayers felt Mou maybe went a bit too far with the exploitation elements. Of course, if one faults Mou for this, you have to fault everyone who made a Nazi exploitation film as well--and there was a whole subgenre of those.

Mou (who's never been a prolific filmmaker) returned to the fertile ground of Japanese war crimes in 1995 with his film Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre--arguably the most powerful World War II film that most audiences will never see. Based on the real life events at Nanking--wherein Japanese occupying forces slaughtered at least 300,000 Chinese citizens--Black Sun is a harrowing tale of the genocidal jihad the Japanese waged against the Chinese people. Unfortunately, when one thinks of WWII, they invariably think of the Nazis and the Jews--but as Mou's film demonstrates, the Japanese were no less cruel, no less barbaric, and no less efficient at killing large numbers of their enemies than their Nazi counterparts. What is truly disturbing is that many of the Japanese war criminals got off lightly since they allowed the U.S. access to their "research" conducted on innocent civilians.

With a combination of stunningly real film making, some real photos and some accounts from survivors, filmmaker T. F. Mou makes one of the truly disturbing films of his or any generation. While this will appeal to history buffs, beware. The gore, while subdued compared to real life (I can only imagine) is still incredibly hard to watch. The film is in stunning black and white and there is something about it that makes the killings far more realistic and thus offensive to the average viewer. Scenes like soldiers cutting off the heads of Chinese peasants just to see how sharp their swords are. And yet for every moment where the film could derail into pure atrocity (which could be justified--as Mou points out, the Japanese did far worse than what's shown in the film), there are at least three others where it redeems itself. The film is never an easy ride, but it doesn't exist solely to wallow in exploitation elements, either. Total disregard for life on multiple levels.

While not a pleasant film by any stretch of the imagination, Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre is something people should see. Everyone knows about the Nazis and the Holocaust, but few realize just how brutal the Japanese were during the war or how much the Chinese people suffered at their hands. Thankfully, with filmmakers like T.F. Mou around, this sad chapter in history will never be truly forgotten.

An important film.......2005-08-20

T.F. Mou, the director of "Black Sun: Nanking Massacre," is the same chap who lensed the stomach churning tour de force "Men Behind the Sun" back in the late 1980s. The two films are connected in that they both deal with the atrocities visited upon the residents of China by Japanese military occupation in the 1930s and 1940s. If you're familiar at all with the history of World War II, you likely know that the holocaust wasn't the only genocide going on in the world at that time. The Japanese were masters of atrocity, in many ways far worse than the Germans, and it's unfortunate most of their crimes have gone underreported in the post-war years. Much of the meager attention to these brutalities today focuses on Laboratory 731 (covered in Mou's first film), a place where the Japanese military carried out all sorts of heinous biological and chemical experiments on helpless human subjects. "Black Sun: Nanking Massacre" goes back further, to the horrific year 1937, when Japanese soldiers occupied the Chinese city of Nanking. Over the course of several months, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians perished in the worst ways imaginable at the hands of these heartless occupiers.

Individual characters aren't important in "Black Sun" except as vehicles through which we bear witness to the mass murders unfolding on the streets of the city. Mou's camera does zoom in on one particular Chinese family, one of the many with the misfortune to remain behind in the city as the Chinese Army fled, and members of this clan serve as our eyes and ears to what follows. It should go without saying that what happens is not pretty. We've got Japanese soldiers driving bayonets into hapless civilians. We've got soldiers machine gunning innocent civilians. We've got contests going on in the Japanese Army to see who can decapitate the most civilians with their samurai swords. We also see Chinese women rounded up to serve as "entertainment" for the rowdy occupiers. Men, women, children, and the elderly--all receive the same punishments at the hands of the human monsters roaming about the city. As time goes by, the streets and alleys of the city fill up with mountains of corpses. And still the killing continues. As Japanese generals debate various philosophies about what's going on in the city, soldiers burn thousands of bodies on the riverbanks in order to make room for even more bodies. Mou mixes in real photos of the massacre to give the film a documentary feel.

"Black Sun: Nanking Massacre" is NOT your traditional horror/exploitation film, although I think some viewers could definitely interpret the massacres depicted in the movie that way. I can understand how some viewers would think Mou's simply trying to make a quick buck off of human misery, but several scenes in the movie hint at something far more profound here. A pure exploitation film wouldn't waste time trying to convey the philosophy behind the killings and carnage. Mou wants us to understand, if it's possible to understand, why this behavior occurred. The Japanese officers in charge of coordinating the occupation and subjugation of the city seem divided on the best techniques to employ. Some caution against wide scale killing, not because they are squeamish about mass murder but because they believe such methods will unite the entire country against them and thus make occupation more difficult. Most, however, are virulent racists who believe that the Chinese are "sub-humans" and should be exterminated. From what we see in the movie, and from what we know thanks to film footage taken at the time by westerners in the city, we know what philosophy won the day.

As someone who has seen both "Men Behind the Sun" and "Black Sun: Nanking Massacre," I can aver with some certainty that the former film is far worse in terms of icky special effects and killings shot in unrelenting closeup (Except for one scene in "Black Sun" involving a pregnant woman and a Japanese bayonet. It's extremely tough to watch this scene, yet most of the film concerns mass killing.). Both movies work,