Ecstasy (Extase)

Starring:Hedy Lamarr, Aribert Mog, Zvonimir Rogoz, Leopold Kramer, Emil Jerman, Bedrich VrbskÃ½, Jirina StepnickovÃ¡, AntonÃn KubovÃ½, Jirina SteimarovÃ¡, Ladislav BohÃ¡c, Pierre Nay, Eduard SlÃ©gl, AndrÃ© Nox, Karel Macha-Kuca, Comedian Harmonists, Jan SvitÃ¡k
Director: Gustav MachatÃ½
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Carol Reed (The Third Man) directed this 1965 portrait of the relationship between Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) and Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison), who commissioned the artist to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Based on a novel by Irving Stone, the script plods along, juggling the dynamics between the two men along with a somewhat perfunctory love story and distracting battle sequences. Reed seems more attuned to the nuances and great pains of the artistic process, as seen in sequences of Michelangelo working. But the overall focus of the film is unfortunately fuzzy. --Tom Keogh

Description

Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison portray two of the Renaissance's most colorful figures in this historical drama based on Irving Stone's best-seller set in the early 16th century. When Pope Julius ll (Harrison) commissions Michelangelo (Heston) to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the artist initially refuses. Virtually forced to do the job by Julius, he later destroys his own work and flees to Rome. Eventually resumed, the project becomes a battle of wills fueled by artistic and temperamental differences that form the core of this movie. Nominated for an Oscar® Cinematography and named one of the year's best films by the National Board of Review.

Customer Reviews:

Historical Art.......2007-05-26

The complicated relationship between the pope and the artist is fascinating to watch. It is well done as the dialog between the two personalities span the complete range of emotions... humor was used sparingly, but very effectively. I also enjoyed watching Rex Harrison's (pope)communicate his unspoken desire to share his pride in the artwork on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel with his church members. The photography during and after the ceiling was finished was very good and added to the viewing pleasure.

WOW.......2007-05-12

I loved this movie it shows beautiful art work along with a history lesson and the actors at at there very best in this movie. If you love art history like I do get this movie.

Man for all Seasons.......2007-05-10

This was my first encounter of buying on-line. It proved to be a costly lesson, that you don't buy DVD from out side your own country As I have 4 DVD that i Can't play.
Br Robert Cottam

Clash of Wills.......2007-05-06

Without a doubt, Michael Angelo was the most profoud artist of his day
and our days too. It is simply amazing how an artist of his ilk is able
to function in such a structured society. The Pope, Julius II, aptly played by Rex Harrison, really portrayed the feeling of his era.The portrail by Charleton Heston of the artist really showed how, even a
recognized artist, was treated.

pretty pictures, just turn off the audio.......2007-03-30

charlton heston is a heterosexual michelangelo, and rex harrison is a warrior pope in this verrrry loooong telling of the spiritual struggle between the artist and the patron responsible for the creation of the sistine chapel. nice to look at, but an hour-long documentary on the discovery channel would be easier to take.

Average customer rating:

Super Funny.
The official start to your evening
Reach for the lasers...
Amazon's Brett Fetzer Is A JERK-OFF!!!
PURE EXTACY.......PARTY ON!!

Human Traffic
Starring: Jo Brand , Richard Coyle , Dean Davies , Danny Dyer , and Bradley Freegard
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004Z4WS
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Amazon.com

Human Traffic wants to be a Trainspotting for the rave set, and so it has thick British accents, hip snotty attitudes, slick visuals, a propulsive electronic soundtrack, and unfortunately some very weak writing and drab characters. A band of friends, with the cute names of Jip, Koop, Nina, Lulu, and Moff, are sex-obsessed clubgoers having some sort of premature midlife crisis. Jip and Lulu are best friends, only their friendship is about to be threatened by sexual tension. Koop gets ravingly jealous about his girlfriend, Nina. Moff masturbates a lot and has a repressive dad. Jip's mother is a prostitute. Koop's father is a paranoid schizophrenic. What little plot there is revolves around whether or not they'll get into a particularly hip club. Critics usually complain that movies are too much like music videos, but Human Traffic could stand to be more of one. All the best moments are when the tepid dialogue stops and the driving beats and quickly edited images take over. A brief break dancing sequence is a moment of genuine dazzle. The actors aren't completely without charm, but the movie is just trying too hard to achieve the effervescent buzz it seeks. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Here's the hip, adrenaline-pumped comedy about one wild weekend in the lives of five young friends ... and how their latest raved-up adventure just might change their outlook before the next weekend arrives! For Jip, Lulu, Koop, Nina, and Moff, workdays are merely the dreary downtime between frenetic 48-hour binges of clubbing, pubbing, and partying without rules or limits! But when these friends spend a wild weekend in search of some meaning and real connections, they'll see things in ways they've never imagined! Fast, funny, and excitingly original -- discover for yourself this widely acclaimed hit!

Customer Reviews:

Super Funny........2007-01-03

It is a great to see life of young adults from Cardiff, Wales who love clubing.....and how they spend their entire week planing their weekend. It's a crazy bizarre club life you will experience in this movie.
Good buy.

The official start to your evening.......2006-03-30

All I have to say is that this film used to be a seminal part of the build up to my nights on the town. Re-discovered it again recently and still love it! It isnt a complex film but you feel part of the build up, part of the craziness and the slow comedown at the end. It even takes the odd pot shot at the drug culture that makes up the core of this film. The whole soundtrack is fantastic and seems to pick up on the moods so well. Finally it manages to pull out all those great and pointless thoughts and conversations you have on a night out that make that always seem spot on! A film that for better or worse will always have pride of place in my collection.

Reach for the lasers..........2006-03-23

Great movie.. Fabulous soundtrack.. Highly recommend the movie to everybody. SOundtrack featuring classic dance hits like "energy 52" and "Come together"...
Get the dvd and the soundtrack from amazon.com! real great and prompt service too..

Amazon's Brett Fetzer Is A JERK-OFF!!!.......2006-01-17

Brett Fetzer needs to get a clue, you don't understand something, generally you shouldn't be doing reviews for it. Amazon's review is so off the mark you have to wonder if he actually watched the film. "Human Traffic" is so on the mark you'd have to be an idiot not to enjoy it. "HT" and "Trainspotting" have absolutely nothing in common, and in no way should they be compared. Just because they're both European films doesn't mean they're trying to be the same movie. That's like saying "Saving Private Ryan" wasn't funny compared to "Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot" becasue they're both American movies(Although "SOMMWS" was lame to begin with). Check out this movie, even if you're not familiar wtih the culture you should laugh your buns off. Also if you like this movie check out the directors new movie "It's All Gone Pete Tong" just as god of a movie, not as scary as "28 Days Later" though, cause that was british too.

PURE EXTACY.......PARTY ON!!.......2006-01-12

This movie is one of a kind its hilarous has great music and any ravers or people that have taken extacy or clubbers can relate to this movie its a fun ride of a movie i'd give it nothing less than 5 stars

Divine Horsemen:The Living Gods of Haiti: A Film by Maya Deren

Average customer rating:

Divine Horsemen:The Living Gods of Haiti: A Film by Maya Deren
Director: Maya Deren
Manufacturer: Microcinema
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Maya Deren: Experimental Films
The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky (Fando y Lis / El Topo / The Holy Mountain)
La Jetee/Sans Soleil (Criterion Collection)
The Films of James Broughton
Katharine Hepburn Collection (Morning Glory / Undercurrent / Sylvia Scarlett / Without Love / Dragon Seed / The Corn Is Green [1979])

ASIN: B000PFUAA0
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Product Description

A journey into the fascinating world of the Voudoun religion of Haiti filmed by Maya Deren during 1947-1951, and edited posthumously by Teji and Cherel Ito. The viewer attends the rituals of Rada, Petro and Congo cults, whose devotees commune with the cosmic powers through invocations - ritual offerings, song and dance. The Voudoun pantheon of deities, or Ioa are introduced as living gods, actually taking possession of their devotees. Also featured are the Rara and Mardi Gras celebrations. Although best known as a pioneer of independent experimental cinema, Maya Deren was also a Voundoun initiate, and hence able to take her camera and recorder where few have gone before or since. The soundtrack conveys the stirring, invocatory power of the ritual drumming and singing. Maya went first to Haiti as an artist, thining to make a film in which Haitian dance should be a leading theme. But the manifestation of rapture that first fascinated and then seized her transported her beyond the bounds of any art she had ever known. She was open to the messages of that speechless deep, which is, indeed, the wellspring of the mysteries.

Average customer rating:

Dances of Ecstacy - an inspiring and sensational DVD!
Contemporary practical mysticism for normal people.
Set your spirit Dancing!

Dances of Ecstasy
Starring: Michelle Mahrer , Nicole Ma , and Gabrielle Roth
Manufacturer: BBC / Opus Arte
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000DG048
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Description

"Dances of Ecstasy" is a 2 DVD set that explores how different people around the world connect with the transcendental forces through rhythm and dance. The first DVD is a sensory journey through rhythm, dance and music. Viewers visit Namibia, Korea, Nigeria, New York, Brazil, Turkey, Morocco, USA and Australia on a trance journey. The disc also features four illuminating documentaries about various rituals portrayed in the film and a commentary by the producers. There is also a closer look at a whirling dervishes festival. DVD 2 is a workout for the soul that invites viewers to join in and participate themselves with a complete "Power Wave" workout by New York urban shaman Gabrielle Roth, or dance on their own to the included tracks of global dance grooves - with psychedelic visuals by D-Fuse. This second DVD also features two "hidden" bonus videos by One Giant Leap and James Asher.

Customer Reviews:

Dances of Ecstacy - an inspiring and sensational DVD!.......2007-03-06

This DVD is a work of art, filled with the beauty and power of music and dance, reminding us all that the potential for wonder and serenity lies in the total emergence of one's self in the moment of passion, and what a metamorphosis lies patiently in store for those willing to surrender to the joy of dance and music!

Contemporary practical mysticism for normal people........2006-05-04

The dynamics of the film follows the usual dynamics of most altered state rituals. The compilation of respective stages of trance-dance rituals from different cultures forms an united experience on its own. Well chosen music and (a bit naive) computer visuals do the smooth merging. But to stay interested the whole almost an hour of the film it is preferrable to be a type of person who can enjoy Discovery Channel and National Geographic. (Btw, an abridged version of the film is freely floating over the Net). More warnings: this is not an action film and not a romantic story, it is absolutely not the thing for a funny Saturday evening with beer, coca-cola and popcorn. Some scenes move near the limits of our cultural taboos - if you cannot stand the sight of people losing self-control, then better look for something else.

For people interested not only in enjoying the experience but also in understanding it, 5 original rituals are included in unmixed form on DVD 1. My favourites are San of the Kalahari and Yoruba - they seem to be very authentic and taken seriously. If I were an anthropologist... /big dreams dismissed/. Anytime, you can use the DVD as a catalyst to get different educated opinions on the theme.

DVD 2 consists of a nice new-age half-an-hour ecstatic dance workshop by Gabrielle Roth (worth trying, of course) and 14 trancy music videos by Crystal Silenz etc. These tracks are usable, but a bit soft and smooth for me. It is better to make your own compilation with your own favorites in right order and tempo for you, if you are determined to have a look from inside. Kalo taxidi! ;)

Set your spirit Dancing!.......2003-11-22

This DVD is awasome in that is totally takes the viewer on a real journey into the EXPERIENCE of Trance Dancing. As a dancer myself and a teacher of ecstatic dance, I can't reccomend this DVD highly enough. By the end of the film all you want to do is get up and go wild dancing the night away in your living room. I have shared this DVD with friends and created whole magical full-on dance nights around it as there is not only the movie which is SUCH an invitataion to BOOGIE!!! But then there are all these COOL dance track to follow and a whole workout with Gabrielle Roth.
I feel this DVD is a uniqe item , one of it's kind as it lures you aurally as well as visually to strip away all inhibition, turn down the lights, pump up the music and unveil your ecstatic passionate dancer!

Average customer rating:

So so, more freakshow than spiritual journey
the best kumb mela film.. so far
Very Poor
what a beautiful ride...
Carnival of curiosities

Short Cut To Nirvana
Starring: Jasper Johal , Justin Davis (XI) , Swanji Kirshamutri , Pilot Baba , and Yog Mata
Director: Maurizio Benazzo , and Nick Day (II)
Manufacturer: Zeitgeist Films
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ASIN: B000ARG2R8
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

You could call it a meeting or even a festival, but such words are entirely insufficient to describe the concept of Kumbh Mela. In Short Cut to Nirvana, Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day take a loose, non-judgmental look at a gathering that has been taking place for over two millennia. As many as 70 million attended when they shot the film in 2001 (whittled down to 85 minutes from 3,500 hours of footage). The celebration takes place every 12 years, between the holy Indian rivers of the Ganges and the Yamuna. Even Mark Twain once made the trip. The documentary opens with his recollection of an 1895 Kumbh Mela: "Pilgrims plodded for months to get here, worn, poor, and hungry, but sustained by unwavering faith." Then there's His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, who has attended twice, the first time in the 1960s. He came to learn about other religions and to promote harmony between them. He makes it clear that he isn't there to convert anyone, but rather to learn. The film's unofficial guide is Swami Krishnanand, a Hindu monk, who translates the messages of various yogis, sadhus, and other spiritual figures. He is joined by a couple of open-minded Westerners, Dyan Summers and Justin Davis, who share their thoughts about the experience with the filmmakers. Short Cut to Nirvana is a lively, impressionistic introduction to a monumental event. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

This enthralling documentary treks to the heart of the largest gathering of humanity on Earth: the Kumbh Mela. The huge festival has been held in India every 12 years for over two millennia, but is little known in the West—until now. The film spectacularly captures the sheer spiritual bliss, eternal wisdom and candid joy that envelop both the festival's pilgrims and world-renowned gurus in attendance. SHORTCUT TO NIRVANA also features a special appearance by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Customer Reviews:

So so, more freakshow than spiritual journey.......2007-05-29

I wasn't too impressed with this film. It was hyped up quite a bit when it came out, but I don't think it delivered. It seemed to be, basically, a small bunch of wide-eyed naive Westerners being led around by a young swami of dubious character. He showed them all the crazy far-out gurus and swamis and guys who stretch out their genitals, etc. I think that had the filmmakers known their subject matter a little better the film would have been much better. Instead we are experiencing a proxy version of these young astonished, but ultimately ignorant, foreigners' quasi-religious carnival ride. It also seemed to wander around in it's subject matter. By the end I was just glad to be able to move on to watch something else. Also, why did someone tag this film with "Bhutan"?

the best kumb mela film.. so far.......2007-01-11

I have been to 2 Kumbh Melas including the one when the film was made. While the film is not 100 % great is is the best representation of the Mela I have seen so far, it gives you the feeling of what goes on at the Mela... the confusion, the croweds etc.. thanks for making this film!!

Very Poor.......2006-10-16

This was a very poor document. I had met the swami that takes you all over, and spent some time with him. He is a complete fake with a huge ego problem.

This documentary is an embaresment to Hinduism and the Kuhmba Mela. They only showed one true saint in this documentary and that was Ammachi.

There were far more true saints there that could have been shown.
There were true Guru's there. True renunciantes and holy men.

Instead, they showed ego driven teachers, false prophets, and naked men begging for attention by stretching and pulling things with their penises.

How enlightening can that be?

what a beautiful ride..........2006-09-05

...no this little documentary is not going to lay bare the complexities of Hinduism, just give you a little taste of its sights and sounds and maybe some of its essential spirit. India, like Hinduism, is a riot of colors, smells, masses of humanity with all their noise, idiosyncrasies, trash, sparkle, excrement, smiles, neuroses, et. al.---and that's what you get 90 minutes of.

There are a small handful of Western characters that the camera keeps cutting back to, in order for us to see what they are experiencing while there, which adds a nice extra layer to the documentary format. One of them is an American of Indian descent who sort of bridges the cultural gap somewhat, along with an Indian swami who speaks excellent English and is quaintly smitten by the pixie-ish blonde from New York.

Then there's a Japanese woman who is virtually entombed for 9 days underground where she practices "samadhi" (profound meditative concentration) and then pulled back up again. A yogi who wraps his wanger around a stick and has people stand on the stick...youch, painful just to watch even though the homey's smiling the whole time! The Dalai Lama makes an appearance to plead for religious harmony and other soft-sell subjects, interesting nonetheless.

So despite the documentary format, there's plenty here to maintain viewer interest throughout.

One of the nice "special features" of the DVD is a section called "Discourses" which has in-depth interviews/lectures with a couple of spiritual leaders...allowing for a little more insight into Eastern philosophy than just watching the movie by itself.

Highly, highly recommended and worth owning.

Carnival of curiosities.......2006-06-27

I have to say I don't feel any closer to nirvana after watching this film. The filmmakers treated the Kumbh Mela like a carnival filled with curiosities, rather than viewing it as a spiritual event. I suppose it is hard to capture the deeper spiritual nuances of this circus-like atmosphere but I don't think they had a very fitting host in Swami Krishnanand, who seemed mostly interested in his self-fulfillment and aggrandizement. As one of the women gurus pointed out, only about 20% of those 70 million purportedly gathered at Prayag (although I think that number includes all four sites) are after spiritual fulfillment, the rest are just along for the ride.

Average customer rating:

A Pleasant Surprise
Shocking but Nothing to Rave About
One star for film quality
Four and a half stars!
A novelty every collector should have

Ecstasy (Extase)
Starring: Hedy Lamarr , Aribert Mog , Zvonimir Rogoz , Leopold Kramer , and Emil Jerman
Director: Gustav Machatý
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00006673P
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Amazon.com

It is one of the notorious titles in all cinema history, but--sigh--it looks rather quaint today. In the mid-1930s, Ecstasy was a great conversation piece, for its scandalous acknowledgment of sexual passion in women and its revelation of the naked form of actress Hedy Kiesler, who would become the Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr. Henry Miller even wrote an excited essay about it, sure proof that something libidinous was loose. Czech director Gustav Machatý constructs the movie as an almost wordless shadow play of symbols and signs, mostly sexual (there are many close-ups of heavy-breathing horses and nude statues, cut together for maximum erotic impact). As precious as some of these things seem now, it's still amazing to consider Machatý's nerve in depicting one of the first orgasms to hit the movies. And then there's Hedy, whose expressive eyes matter more than her brief skinny-dip. She's an unmistakable future star. --Robert Horton

Description

Hedy Lamarr (Samson and Delilah) stars as Eva, a young woman who marries an older man and is rejected on their wedding night. Frustrated, she runs away and meets a younger man who responds to her unfulfilled yearnings. Called "the most whispered about picture in the world" at its release, "Ecstasy" shocked moviegoers with its erotic depiction of sex, particularly scenes of a young Lamarr swimming naked and its images of this unknown beauty at the height of passion. The European film propelled Lamarr into Hollywood stardom and became an internationally-known classic hailed for its sophisticated approach to sexuality, maintaining a special place in movie history.

Customer Reviews:

A Pleasant Surprise.......2006-07-01

I purchased this flick because it has a notorious reputation, and my reaction was, "Yeah, Right. How wild could a 1932 movie be?" Admittedly, Heddy Lamarr is shown swimming and running through a forest in the nude, and there is a love scene where she reportedly has the first orgasm ever filmed, but these scenes really contribute to a sense of naturalness to the film that I didn't find nasty or lewd....just artful. The use of visual symbols throughout the film is rich, clever,and quite accessable to a modern mind, unlike other films approaching it's time. I'm not a great scholar of films from the 30's, but I was reminded of clips I had seen of Leni Riefenstal's film, "Olympia." There is little dialog, which is in German, although the film is subtitled, but that really removes what would otherwise distract one from enjoying the visual wealth of this film. The soundtrack is well in synchronized with the film in both timing and mood. Altogether and interesting addition to any collection.

Shocking but Nothing to Rave About.......2005-06-08

This film is famous because of the nudity and blatant sexuality it entails. Not only does it show a naked woman running after her horse that has escaped, it is a long scene, and one that has a close-up from the chest up. This would be incredibly shocking for a film of the 1950s, let alone a film from the 1930s. Secondly, when the woman goes to her lover, the scene does not stop when the two kiss. In fact, it closes in on the woman's face as she thrives in ecstasy, suggesting an orgasm.

Hedy Lamarr is certainly beautiful and it is interesting to see her in this film because her look is dramatically different than that in her American films. Her transformation is akin to Joan Crawford's from the 1920s to the 1930s.

The film quality of Ecstacy is horrible, although not as bad as some. The print is covered in artifacts but the quality of the lighting still shines through. The silences are deafening, truly. They drown out the music score in the background and what little dialogue there is.

As an American watching this movie as a foreign film and as a fan of silent films, I was pleasantly surprised that most of the movie has no dialogue. I was not distracted by subtitles (often difficult to read in bad prints) throughout the film, much to it's merit.

The part of this movie that kills the film is the ending. When the woman could easily stay with her new lover, her guilt forces her to leave him. Then, the man is shown at work seemingly happy and either dreaming about his lover and their baby or living it. Whether or not this really happened or not is unclear because the emotions in the scene do not transition well. Sadly, it is the end of the film so it is not cleared up for the viewer.

One star for film quality.......2005-03-19

I was amazed by some of the camerawork in this film, enjoyed the inclusion of nudity and sensuality, and was awed by the forceful (propaganda?) images of manual laborers towards the end. The story is simple, but involving. If the film quality were good, I would give this film four or five stars. But I must warn you that while quite a few films this old have survived the ravages of time, or have been restored in one way or another, this film is in absolutely dreadful condition. The soundtrack hisses and rattles (deranging the music, since there is practically no dialogue), and the celluoid is thoroughly scratched, not to mention split asunder by occasional "thunderbolts." Perhaps it would have been too expensive to attempt a complete restoration of this particular film, but for the high price of the DVD, you'd expect some attempt to correct at least some of the damage. (Note: Anyone wishing to buy this strictly for the nude scenes will be largely disappointed because the nudity is mostly distant, and the film quality leaves most of the details to the viewer's imagination.) "Extase" definitely merits restoration, if it is feasible. As it is, the film quality so distracts from the viewing experience that it's painful to watch.

Four and a half stars!.......2003-12-05

This movie, starring a young Hedy Lamarr is proof of how sexual old films could be without showing much!
Ecstasy is basically the story of a young girl who marries an old guy (though they don't really explain why she did in the first place). He isn't at all interested in her on their wedding night...he isn't really interested in her at all! The simple prettiness of Hedy makes her seem like a girl you yourself would know and it makes it that much easier to feel all the emotions she is feeling. I was a little confused as to why there were silent parts (without even the use of dialogue boxes) and also talking parts. I personally liked the silent scenes. Hedy was a wonderful actress and her face alone could tell the entire story.
Anyways, after she requests a divorce from her husband, she lives with her father and while out alone one day, she decides to go swimming in the nude (this scene was blown way out of proportion; yes, she was naked, but I thought it was done very tastefully and you really don't see much). I won't give away all that happens, but by the end of that scene she meets a very VERY handsome land surveyor, who is everything she's searching for. After this initial meeting she later goes to his home and this results in the first on-screen orgasm, which was done simply showing Hedy's face, and it became, in my opinion, the hottest love scene ever!
Overall, this movie was excellent, though it should probably be seen more than once to see every little erotic message the director put in there. I would have given it five stars, but I didn't care for the ending. But please don't let that keep you from seeing this film! It is still wonderful!

A novelty every collector should have.......2000-02-16

This film has so many versions that it's hard to say which one you will get. The original is quite spicy with several nude scenes of Hedy Geisler (Hedy Lamar). The sound track is primitive with just a little dialog or, depending on which cut, no dialog. This film was made just into the sound era in Chechoslovakia. As a collectors' item, it is a must for classic film buffs, not for its quality or filmaking technique but for its impact on movie censorship in the US. The theme here is adultry. Hedy plays a young new wife to an older cold fish. Fustrated on her wedding night, she embarks on various endeavors clearly motivated by sexual fustration. The nude swim after a horseback ride is what all the hoopla was about. The horse runs away carrying our girl's clothes. From this point on, various versions carry various degrees of Hedy depending on which cut you get. I have 2, one purchased commercially in 1975 and another obtained later from a private collector. The second has much more nudity than the first. While hiding in the woods, Hedy meets a young surveyor and a liason blossoms. You'll have to buy the film to find out what happens. I would buy this film, especially if you haven't seen it. Although tame by modern standards, it had 'em gasping in 1933.

Average customer rating:

Another Jekyll and Hyde plot ruined!!
Jekyll and Hyde go to med school!

Jekyll + Hyde
Starring: Zachary Bennett , Maria Del Mar , Bree Turner , Jeff Roop , and Bryan Fisher
Director: Nick Stillwell
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000HOJR58
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

What if we lose control of who we are? In this terrifying, contemporary new version of Robert Louis Stevenson's renowned tale of good and evil, two medical students, Jay and Mary, take their desire to be different to a frightening new level. They begin experimenting with a strange drug similar to ecstasy, and their personalities quickly start to unravel in ways they can't control. Even though tragedy unexpectedly strikes, Jay keeps altering the drug, unaware of how it is taking over every aspect of his life and the essence of who he is. His terrifying descent is chronicled in bizarre video diaries that ultimately reveal to everyone the maddening game they dared to play.

Customer Reviews:

Another Jekyll and Hyde plot ruined!!.......2007-01-20

OK I saw a preview of this movie on a DVD and I thought, SEX, DRUGS, and MURDER !! Well ALLRIGHT!! BUT NO ! This movie is a PG 13 movie trying to pull off a R rating. There is drugs, a lot of super brainiac med students getting wasted on drugs only they can get of course. Our medical future is not looking too good according to this movie ! There is sex, two good and wild sex scenes and a lame sex scene which was supposed to be a climax, that just sucked bad, the actress even kept her top on, what type of sell was that. NEVER USE ACTRESSES WITH THAT NO NUDITY CLAUSE, PLEASE!! The murder, well you have to use your imagination the acts were never really shown, they were more like pyschotic blackouts and flashes, one minute they're standing the next minute they're bloody and crying. This is a medicore suspense thriller, with mid 20 something teen actors. That night vision stuff in the end of the movie didn't help either. It should have been more graphic and of course more nudity, jekyll and hyde is a great plot. A doctor with a split personality, that knows exactly how to kill you and dispose of the evidence. Just another bad adaptation.

Jekyll and Hyde go to med school!.......2006-11-06

Yeah, that's right, I'm the first one to review the movie! HAH! Anywho. The movie's not bad. It's not great either. The movie is a modern interpretation of the Stevenson novel. It takes place with a bunch of med students (Dr. Jekyll is known as "J"). Jekyll tries to alter personalities by manfucturing a drug derived from extacy. The side effects result in Hyde, Jekyll's alternate personality. There's no impressive transformation, which is a let down, but oh well. Hyde is simply a crazy, drug taking, sexually hungry, violent part of Jekyll. You sometimes even get confused about which personality is present. A notable little piece of info that I found amusing was the use of characters' names from the novel in the movie.

Obviously, the movie wasn't released in theaters, but it's not bad, despite that reason. There's no need for briliant special effects, and the work is good. It doesn't look like a cheap amatuer movie like a lot of straight to DVD movies do. It is well acted and the few effects it does contain are well done.

If you are a fan of the original novel or of the numerous adaptations that it spawned, this is one to check out. And maybe, if you're a fan of Requiem For a Dream (though I'm not), you might enjoy this film. Otherwise, there's not much there for ya.

The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner/How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck/La Soufriere)

Average customer rating:

Ski Fliers, Cows and Volcano's
Herzog the Great Traveler of both natural and human landscapes.
La Soufriere makes it worth your while
excellent
A masterpiece, a near masterpiece, and a fun flick

The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner/How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck/La Soufriere)
Starring: Great Ecstasy , How Much Wood , and La Soufriere
Manufacturer: New Yorker Films Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000B5XOZW
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

This DVD compilation of short films by Werner Herzog offers ample proof that Herzog's documentaries are as fascinating as his feature films. Thirty years before the mainstream success of Grizzly Man, the prolific German filmmaker was creating some of his finest films, and The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner (1975) was Herzog's first film after the strenuous production of Aguirre: The Wrath of God. A skier since childhood, Herzog had a lifelong fascination with ski-jumpers (or as they're called here, ski-flyers), and his amazement shines through in this hypnotic study of Swiss ski-jumping champion Walter Steiner, an introverted wood-carver whose ski-jumping skill was so extraordinary that he effortlessly broke all of the sport's records. Using ultra-slow-motion footage of Steiner and other ski-jumpers in flight, then landing gracefully or crashing to the ground in spectacular accidents, Herzog plays host and narrator to poetic images of beauty and danger. Herzog's uncanny faith in Steiner as an emerging champion proved amazingly prescient, and a dreamy guitar score by the German group Popol Vuh (led by longtime Herzog collaborator Florian Fricke) adds just the right touch of otherworldly magic to Steiner's breathtaking defiance of gravity.

How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck (1977) presents Herzog as a cultural observer, exploring "the poetry of capitalism" at the 1976 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in New Holland, Pennsylvania. As Amish locals look on with equal fascination, Herzog's perspective as a foreign visitor adds a sense of wonder to the competition, in which masters of high-speed auctioneering face off in an actual livestock auction, their lightning-fast speech patterns refined after years of diligent training. On a decidedly more dangerous note, Herzog is in his "mad genius" mode in La Soufrière (1977), in which he and his gifted cameramen Ed Lachman and Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein travel to Guadeloupe, "waiting for an inevitable catastrophe" as the island's titular volcano threatens to erupt. Seizing a unique opportunity, Herzog explores a completely evacuated town, "as spooky as a science fiction locale," with starving animals roaming the streets and stores hastily cleared of their inventories. Despite looming clouds of sulfur and volcanic plumes of steam, the eruption never occurs. "We were playing the lottery," explains Herzog in the DVD's booklet of interview excerpts, and it's precisely that sense of daring adventure, and insatiable curiosity, that makes these films so timelessly engaging. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Ski Fliers, Cows and Volcano's.......2006-12-27

This DVD presents three Werner Herzog short films from the 1970's. The first and most impressive is "The Great Ecstasy of the Woodcarver Steiner", which is a fascinating and breathtaking look at the exploits of a ski flier. This is part sports documentary (with Herzog as the commentator and fan) and part voyage of discovery as Herzog takes us into the imagination and motivations of the otherwise down to earth Steiner. Steiner is a classic Herzog character, a marginalised loner who lives in a strange fantasy world which consists of wooden carvings and soaring into the clouds, that he is an actual real living man gives the film a strange fictional lucidity. The second film "How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck" is a curiously stagnant affair and was shot whilst Herzog was in the US working on "Stroszek", Herzog labours his critique of capitalism to the point at which boredom sets in, which is quite an achievement for a film which lasts about 30 minutes. Although he makes some impressive comments about what he terms the language of late capitalism, the repetition makes the film look almost structuralist. The final short work is "La Soufriere" and is a wonderful little piece which shows Herzog's recklessness at its best as he films an active Volcano about to explode, that it doesn't explode is something of a shame (though Herzog would have perished), but even Herzog's commentary has a sense of disappointment. The shots of empty and deserted streets are genuinely eerie. Overall this is an interesting package, little thought has gone into the selection, just a random process, but just to have access to these rare works is good enough.

Herzog the Great Traveler of both natural and human landscapes........2006-11-18

I've always been a great admirer of Herzog's oeuvre. Traveling is one of my main pursuits in life, and whenever I see a Herzog movie or documentary, I feel as if I am embarking on a journey. Walter Steiner, the subject of the first documentary is a ski flyer. Herzog attempts to unearth what it is that makes this athelete a phenom in his field. We get a glimpse into both the subject's fascination with the dynamics of explosive energy (in his sculptures) and the source of childhood grief in the form of a pet bird losing it's feathers and the ability of flight. The slow motion photography is beautifully filmed here, and the texture and lighting of some television-screen sequences previsualizes Godfrey Reggio's work by ten to thirty years.

The second documentary is a brief look at Amish life as the setting for a contest for the best auctioneer. Their staccato mind-numbingly fast auction talk makes a re-appearance in Herzog's film Stroszek. One feels desensitize after a few minutes of being inundated with verbiage. In Stroszeck, the jarring rhythm works better to produce a sense of alienation. I look at Woodchuck as an initial fact-gathering footage for Stroszeck.

The third film is about a post-evacuated town where a volcano's imminent eruption is predicted. Herzog interviews homeless men who have chosen to stay behind. The landscapes of both mother nature and the human interior are discovered on film, a trademark of Herzog's style. Again, admirers of Ron Fricke and Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi (and Chronos) will see the godfather of them all at work here.

Herzog is a true treasure of contemporary culture and an articulation of the adventurous human spirit.

La Soufriere makes it worth your while.......2006-08-30

Great Ecstasy: This is not the most visually poetic of the three documentaries (La Soufriere is by far the most visually poetic) but it is an interesting character study of the enigmatic superstar of ski flying, Walter Steiner. Steiner is the best at what he does, in fact he's so good that he often sails so far down the slope that he lands dangerously near the bottom of the hill (and crashes very near the bottom at least once). Visually this just looks like your typical winter olympic footage c. 1974. Herzog does make liberal use of slow motion and an evocative Popul Vu soundtrack but this is not the majesterial cinematography that we are used to seeing in Herzog's features nor in his other documentaries like White Diamond and Little Dieter Needs to Fly. So visually this is just so so, the real point of interest here is in Steiner himself (not in the only slightly exalting footage of those ski jumps). Like many athletes who have reached the top of their game Steiner seems to exist in a zone all his own (and near the end of the documentary we hear a Steiner poem that makes it seem as though he would like to venture even farther away from humanity than he already has) . We hear him discuss his woodworking and he explains how he perceives in the wood before him energies that want or need to be released from the matter that confines them (and it seems that Steiner is really talking about his own relation to matter here and his need to be released from it). If you perceive a barely veiled deathwish here this is only corrobarated by a story about a pet crow that the young Steiner cared for and had to ultimatley shoot when the other crows turned on it. This dark loner's tone introduced into the documentary sits uneasily with the ecstatic images of flight though it does explain why he may be so good at what he does. Despite those dark tones that Herzog seems interested in exploring Steiner does not seem like a person who broods over what he says or does or has much self-awareness at all and this is maybe the key to Steiner's charm. This documentary will exert an especially strong appeal to lovers of sport's eccentric loners but ultimately the documentary really is too slight, the character sketch not complete enough.

How Much Wood: I grew up in the country in Ohio in the mid seventies so I related to the country folk culture here but ultimately the Amish were much more interesting to look at than the auctioneers. There was very little poetry in this documentary and really very little to keep your attention. My own interest was merely nostalgic. I didn't detect any particular anti- capitalist sentiments here or anything in the way of social comment. It seemed more like a celebration of folk culture.

La Soufriere: This is the real gem of the bunch. Even though the volcano never erupts the evacuation of this island allows Herzog to film an abandoned town and there is plenty of poetry in Herzog's tour. His camera must have been mounted on the top of a car or truck but we feel like we are gliding through this ghost town on wings. It doesn't sound like much but this documentary has a visual power the other two don't. Its as if the waiting for the volcano to explode is a symbol for mans uncertain fate and though this documentary is the quietest of the three it also seems to, paradoxically, say the most. Herzog has a way of filming nature and using just the right music to accompany his images. When he does this its like he is practicing an art form (part nature photography, part mystic quest) that only he has mastered.

Great Ecstasy has a quirky sporty youthful charm (albeit with a few dark notes sounding to explain the need for ecstatic release); How Much Wood has a mid-seventies country folk charm; but La Soufriere has that near-mystic visual intensity and grandeur ( accented by the immanent tragedy which makes every building and every mountain scape seem like its holding its breath) that is Herzog's trademark.

Herzog is a great traveler-adventurer (a kind of throwback to those eccentric nineteenth-century travelers). He can also, at times, be a kind of over-the-top showman (in features and in his documentaries) but here everything is subdued and the images are allowed to speak for themselves.

excellent.......2006-01-16

prompt & in good condition

A masterpiece, a near masterpiece, and a fun flick.......2005-11-18

"Great Ecstasy" is one of Herzog's greatest works--every frame of this little masterpiece shimmers with brilliance. The Popol Vuh soundtrack perfectly compliments slow-motion footage of ski-flyers plunging and crashing to the earth in ways that seem almost balletic. Walter Steiner himself is such a complex figure--articulate, sensitive, self-depreciating, haunted. It's remarkable how his fear of his own inhuman talents forms a part of his own courage. Herzog's own gangly presence comes off as almost comic, the way he looms ponderously on the edges of many scenes. In forty-five minutes, this gem perfectly encapsulates what makes Werner Herzog such a unique and necessary presence in cinema. "La Soufriere" is one of Herzog's more notorious projects, and it is quite brilliant. One could argue that it's a trifle slim and underbaked--it just doesn't feel complete in the way of "Great Ecstasy", and the use of archive photographs in the middle section seems a bit "conventional" by Herzog's standards. But it is a powerful film, and the scenes with some of the inhabitants of this "doomed" island are deeply moving. "How Much Wood" is the least of these three--it's a lot of fun, but a bit overlong and repetitive and lacking a strong central figure such as a Walter Steiner. But an interesting exploration into an overlooked sub-culture nevertheless. All in all, this package rounds up one of the greatest short documentaries ever made, along with two very worthy items in Herzog's catalog.

Average customer rating:

Big Bust Ecstasy
Starring: Alyssa Alps
Director: Napali
Manufacturer: Napali Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009941PM
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Product Description

The legendary Miss Alyssa Alps returns to the Napali scene in a titillating tease that makes men drool! Pert Penny Lynn radiates her sexuality in her Napali debut, and super busty Shar shows us her definition of BIG. Add in new footage of great Sana Fay and a pool frolic with Angelica and the harem is almost complete. The fabulous Plenty Up Top shows us why she is everyone s favorite, and throw in footage of Plenty s feud with bosom buddy Alyssa and the stage is set for Big Bust Ecstasy!

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Solo Male Ecstasy:Guide to Self Pleas
Starring: Anthony Zaffuto
Manufacturer: Pacific Media Entert
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Solo Sex:Extended Pleasure for Men
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ASIN: B0001I56KU
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Product Description

Solo Male Ecstasy is a breakthrough experience featuring an insightful exploration of men s bodies and a comprehensive demonstration of male self-pleasuring techniques. Through the practice of male genital massage men can learn to achieve greater ejaculatory control, prolong their erections and experience stronger orgasms. With this program a man can discover the extraordinary difference between mere ejaculation and a fully satisfying climax. Experience the arousal of your entire body as you learn to explore the nuances of your sexual potency. Learn to achieve incredible orgasms where the attainment of explosive personal pleasure is your only goal. A man s curiosity about self-pleasuring is as natural as the basic sex urge itself. Improving the quality of a man s sexual climax is one of the most important experiences of his lifetime. Any man can learn to dramatically expand his sexual satisfaction and become a master of the fine art of self-pleasure with this enlightening instructional guide.

Customer Reviews:

Men.......2007-06-26

It has taught me a few more things! And I thought I was the best!

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