The Runaway

Starring:Dean Cain, Pat Hingle, Debbi Morgan, Kathryn Erbe, Cliff De Young, Roxanne Hart, Cody Newton, Duane McLaughlin, Maya Angelou, Robinne Lee, Kamali Minter, Afemo Omilami, Michael Harding (III), Robin O'Dell, Brett Rice, Graham Timbes, Leland L. Jones, Steve Coulter, Johnell Gainey, Nicole Williams (III)
Director: Arthur Allan Seidelman
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Inspiring True Story
glad I bought it
Good and Simple
Amazing True Story That Is A Bit Too Simplistic In Its Character Development
A difficult, but inspiring film

Rabbit-Proof Fence
Starring: Jason Clarke , David Gulpilil , Ken Radley , Kenneth Branagh , and Garry McDonald
Director: Phillip Noyce
Manufacturer: Miramax Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Rabbit-Proof Fence: The True Story of One of the Greatest Escapes of All Time
The Dish
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ASIN: B00005JLD4
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Amazon.com

Based on a true story, Rabbit-Proof Fence moves with dignified grace from its joyful opening scenes to a conclusion that's moving beyond words. The title refers to a 1,500-mile fence separating outback desert from the farmlands of Western Australia. It is here, in 1931, that three aboriginal girls are separated from their mothers and transported to a distant training school, where they are prepared for assimilation into white society by a racist government policy. Gracie, Daisy, and Molly belong to Australia's "stolen generations," and this riveting film (based on the book by Molly's daughter, Doris Pilkington Garimara) follows their escape and tenacious journey homeward, while a stubborn policy enforcer (Kenneth Branagh) demands their recapture. Director Phillip Noyce chronicles their ordeal with gentle compassion, guiding his untrained, aboriginal child actors with a keen eye for meaningful expressions. Their performances evoke powerful emotions (subtly enhanced by Peter Gabriel's excellent score), illuminating a shameful chapter of Australian history while conveying our universal need for a true and proper home. --Jeff Shannon

Description

RABBIT-PROOF Fence -- featuring the Golden Globe-nominated score by Peter Gabriel -- is a powerful true story of hope and survival and has been met with international acclaim! At a time when it was Australian government policy to train aboriginal children as domestic workers and integrate them into white society, young Molly Craig decides to lead her little sister and cousin in a daring escape from their internment camp. Molly and the girls, part of what would become known as Australia's "Stolen Generations," must then elude the authorities on a dangerous 1,500-mile adventure along the rabbit-proof fence that bisects the continent and will lead them home. As shown by this outstanding motion picture, their universally touching plight and unparalleled courage are a beautiful testament to the undying strength of the human spirit!

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring True Story.......2007-06-05

Between 1905 and 1971 the Australian government had enacted a policy of forcibly removed all half-caste Aboriginal children to special training schools. The grown daughter of Molly wrote a book about her mother's experiences and this movie is an adaptation of that true story.

In 1931, Molly and her younger cousins, Gracie and Daisy, were three half-caste children from Western Australia who were taken from their parents under government edict and sent to an institution, were taught to forget their families, their culture, and re-invent themselves as members of "white" Australian society. The three girls begin an epic journey back to Western Australia, traveling 1,500 miles on foot with no food or water, and navigating by following the fence that has been build across the nation to stem an over-population of rabbits.

Though the movie shows that the government's officer in charge had essentially good intentions. That these actions brought about by this policy were misguided and ultimately very destructive to Australia's Aborigine people and to the nation's moral fabric. This story of hope and survival will give you faith in the undying strength of the human spirit. Well worth watching.

glad I bought it.......2007-05-15

After reading the book I wanted to see if the essence of the story would be uphelt in the movie and I wasn't disappointed. In fact I felt it helped me understand the enormity of what these girls accomplished!

Good and Simple.......2007-04-26

Can't add much to what Chris Luallen said about a good morality story with simplistic characters. I loved the movie nonetheless because of the journey these 3 young girls make across 1500 miles, much of which is desert. I do wish like Chris, that they had gone into more depth of their characters. Not to mention some depth into any of the characters. Not even the school master, the tracker, the people that help them along their sojourn, or any other character with any time on screen. We never feel we really know any of them. Still a great story about how between 1905 and 1970 the Austrailian government took half cast children and made orphans of them. I recommend it as a rental, but you may find it doesn't have much replayability because of the lack of character development.

Amazing True Story That Is A Bit Too Simplistic In Its Character Development.......2007-04-13

This movie tells the story of three aborginal children who were kidnapped from their mother and taken to a faraway school in order to be indoctrinated into white Australian culture. This was the policy of the Australian government towards "half-caste" children, meaning those born with one parent who was white and one who was aborginal. In some ways it was similar to how the United States built schools intended to assimilate American Indians into mainstream white society.

The rest of the movie depicts how the three kids escape and then, with tremendous bravery and determination, make a 1,500 mile journey on foot to home. It's an extraordinary story that covers an important aspect of Australian history that remains unknown to many people. So, on that level, I enjoyed the movie.

But what keeps it from reaching the highest level of cinema is that the movie is basically a simplistic "morality tale" with very little nuance or subtly. Of course, the three girls are inherently heroic. But I would have preferred that the rest of the cast were portrayed with greater depth and a wider diversity of perspectives. Instead almost all the white Australians are depicted as simplistic villans, with a few bad "sell-out" aborigines thrown in for good measure.

History teaches us that the interaction of cultures involves a complex dynamic with a wide diversity of personalities and both sides generally attempting to do what is in their own self-interest. This holds true even when one side is clearly more powerful and therefore able to generally dominate and victimize the other, as was the case between whites and aborigines in Australia.

I still consider this a movie worth seeing. But I do wish the movie had a bit more depth to it, particularly in terms of character development.

A difficult, but inspiring film.......2007-03-25

I recently watched this film again when we showed it to a group of fifth and sixth graders who will be visiting Australia this summer. The actions and attitudes expressed by the Australians in the film mirror those by some in the U.S. toward our American Indian tribes. The removal of half-caste aboriginal children from their families only ceased in 1970.

The acting by the children is unforced and excellent. Kenneth Branagh takes on and succeeds in a difficult role.

Average customer rating:

Love These Two Actors!
So so movie
Runaway Bride's Review from Journalist Student
A classic "chick flick" that even a guy could enjoy
dvd purchase

Runaway Bride
Starring: Marvin Braverman , Joan Cusack , Paul Dooley , Hector Elizondo , and Richard Gere
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003IPFP
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Amazon.com

It took nearly a decade to find a mutually agreeable screenplay, but the stars and director of Pretty Woman finally reunited to make Runaway Bride, wisely avoiding any attempt to recapture the 1990 film's elusive magic. The result is a perfectly pleasant romantic comedy that would've fared better critically (despite boffo box office) if it hadn't been overshadowed by its blockbuster predecessor. It's certainly a more credible film than Pretty Woman, trading a far-fetched fairy tale (hooker hooks up with tycoon? bah!) for a more amiably conventional plot about big-city reporter Ike Graham (Richard Gere) who falls for a small-town handywoman Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) with a nasty habit of fleeing from the altar in a recurring state of premarital panic.

Both characters are instantly likable, and the smooth dialogue by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott only occasionally panders to sitcom cuteness. And despite his routine sacrifice of subtle craft for commercial appeal, director Garry Marshall knows when to trust his stars and material, lending this movie a casual charm (aided by a terrific supporting cast) that never feels forced or artificial. The whole thing's utterly predictable, riding on the suspenseless question of whether Maggie will dump her sports-nut fiancé (Christopher Meloni) and tie the knot with Ike. It's a foregone conclusion after the usual games of romantic cat and mouse, but the chemistry between Roberts and Gere is undeniable, and with a decade's worth of additional stardom between them, they shine as brightly as ever. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Love These Two Actors!.......2007-04-09

Runaway Bride is one of my all-time favorite movies. I loved Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, and I love them even more in this movie. Their chemistry is magical. And it's a true testament to their talent to play opposite one another again but as totally different characters and manage to pull it off!

So so movie.......2007-04-06

Just not that great a movie. Pretty Woman has much better acting and better story.

But if you really want to see these two actors again, its not a BAD movie.

Good music.

Runaway Bride's Review from Journalist Student.......2007-02-22

I watched the movie, Runaway Bride. The movie is a picture starring Richard Gere (Ike Graham). He is a newspaper columnist. He is kind of a last minute man. One day when he is sweating out a column idea an hour before deadline, he hears about a woman who has turned tail in seven fizzled weddings. He wrote about it. Journalist must write column through exact witness. However he wrote it without enough investigation, so lazy Ike Graham took a few wrong facts and span out a nasty rant in his column. In this situation, we confront journalist ethical matters.
I think Ike Graham has some ethical problems as journalist. First, is that journalist has to report article exactly. All articles have to be based on exact facts and collected data from thorough enough investigation. However, Ike Graham didn't do that. He said that, "I'm kind of a last minute man. Ideas don't flow until an hour or two before deadline." He wrote the column about the runaway bride through story he heard in downtown bar by chance. He wrote that, "She has already disemboweled six in a row by leaving them at the altar." However, actually Maggie Carpenter ran away three times at the altar. According to the code of ethics, journalist must test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error.
Secondly, all articles have to be written without gender bias. However, Ike Graham has a biased view about woman. Several times, he has been accused of using this column to direct bitter diatribes at the opposite sex. He suggested in his article that Maggie was a "man-eater." He wrote that "To be fair, the man-eater isn't exactly new. In Ancient Greece, this fearsome female was known as Erinys, the devouring death goddess. In India, she is Kali, who like to devour her boyfriend Shiva's entrails while her yoni devour his." Ike Graham is statement were also slanderous. According to the code of ethics, journalists must avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
Lastly, journalists should not interfere in others private concerns. However, Ike Graham wrote, "And her ritual feast continues as she prepares to make out of the fiancé. So all bets are on and we hope that this boomerang bride isn't honeymooning with Las Vegas odd makers because many predict that this girl is out of there before the race." According to the code of ethics, journalists must recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention.
Finally, in my opinion, the duty of the journalist is to further those end by seeking truth, and by providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. However, Ike Graham didn't do that. He should have written a factual article using the code of ethics as a guide.

A classic "chick flick" that even a guy could enjoy.......2007-01-19

Great movie and I have watched it many times. Great casting, acting, story line, and soundtrack. Definitely a feel-good movie to be watched with your girl-friend/wife. The first time saw it I knew it was an instant classic.

dvd purchase.......2007-01-15

I received this item in a timely manner and it is in very good condition.

Average customer rating:

John Cusak, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz nice combo!
Top pedigree, middling result.
Things that make you go huumm!
Highly Recommend
Jurors Are Not King Solomon

Runaway Jury (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: John Cusack , Gene Hackman , Dustin Hoffman , Rachel Weisz , and Bruce Davison
Director: Gary Fleder
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00014NEZI
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Amazon.com

Based on the bestseller by John Grisham, Runaway Jury is a slick thriller that's exciting enough to overcome the gaps in its plot. The ultimate target has been changed: Grisham's legal assault on the tobacco industry was switched to the hot-button issue of gun control (no doubt to avoid comparison to The Insider) in a riveting exposé of jury-tampering. Gene Hackman plays the ultra-cynical, utterly unscrupulous pawn of the gun-makers, using an expert staff and advanced electronics to hand-pick a New Orleans jury that will return a favorable verdict; Dustin Hoffman (making his first screen appearance with real-life former roommate Hackman) defends the grieving widow of a gun-shooting victim with idealistic zeal, while maverick juror John Cusack and accomplice Rachel Weisz play both ends against the middle in a personal quest to hold gun-makers accountable. It's riveting stuff, even when it's obvious that Grisham and director Gary Fleder have glossed over any details that would unravel the plot's intricate design. --Jeff Shannon

Description

From master storyteller John Grisham and the director of Don't Say A Word comes a taut suspense-thriller that "grabs hold of you and never lets go" (Philadelphia Metro). In their first film together, screen legends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman face off in this electrifying nail-biter about a ruthless jury consultant who'll do anything to win. With lives and millions of dollars at stake, the fixer plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a jury member (John Cusack) and a mysterious woman (Rachel Weisz) who offer to "deliver" the verdict to the highest bidder. Packed with danger, intrigue and pulse-pounding twists and turns, Runaway Jury rules!

Customer Reviews:

John Cusak, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz nice combo!.......2007-07-01

This movie is not your usual cop and trial movie. There's suspense, twist and turns, and a great finale. Hard to find a movie that actually suprises me, cuz i always know the plot before it even starts. But basically heres the run down without me giving it away. Gene Hackman, Bad Guy, Dustin Hoffman Good Guy, John&Rachel at first bad guys, but then later you realize their the Good Guys, then again their always the good guys cuz to me anybody that can make a lawyer sweat is good in my book. The trial is about sticking it to the gun company, John& Rachel are going to achieve this by infiltrating the system, by making the gun company believe that they're on their side, which their not. The Gun company looks like they're going to win, then they're not, then they are, then.....Oh just watch the movie and you'll see.

Top pedigree, middling result........2007-06-09

Another John Grisham thriller is churned out as a star studded movie. It seems the books with the most thrills have been taken, as this is somewhat pedestrian, although still entertaining.
So what's it about? A big trial against the gun manufacturers is in progress, and both sides are anxious to have the jury on their side. The gun manufacturers hire Gene Hackman, representing the dark corporate side of jury manipulation. However, the apple-cart is upturned when it turns out that the jury is already being manipulated and may be for sale, engineered by someone on the jury and an accomplice (Weisz).
The collection of stars is fantastic - Hackman, Hoffman, Cusack, Weisz. In fact, as the interesting extras point out, Hackman and Hoffman have never shared screen time before. Seeing them in their one big screen moment together is the highlight of the movie. Hackman does not quite bring the same complexity to the role as he did to his other Grisham movie, `The Firm', but he lends real gravitas to his unscrupulous jury consultant. Hoffman is unusually restrained for the most part to play a convincing attorney, but it's Cusack once again who shows himself as a truly natural talent, morphing into just about any role he is given with ease. Here, the entertainment is in watching him manipulate the jury with some applied psychology, while his own motivation remains obscured until a time of his choosing.
Most of the movie is a bidding war and cat and mouse game, until the final denouement unveils the true motivation in a reasonably satisfying way. Along the way, the thriller elements seem shoehorned in, with the real joy in watching the process of choosing and manipulating the jury - the indictment of the system the movie is aiming at.
It's a solid enough story, and well told - but somehow you get the feeling the source material was never as cinematic as Grisham's previous movie adaptations. The cast and acting, especially by Hackman and Cusack, make this worthwhile. For legal thriller buffs, it won't disappoint, but it's not the real classic it might have been.
The extras where Hackman and Hoffman chat about their on screen scene together and their long friendship, is probably the most interesting thing on the disc.

Things that make you go huumm!.......2007-05-18

Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, John Cusack and Rachel Weisz what could be better? Gene Hackman, always the consumate professional, is wonderfully sinister. Dustin Hoffman delivers. And Cusack and Weisz simmer as a scorned couple out for redemption in this tight thriller. It makes you wonder sometimes whether or not companies really do go to this extent to rest decisions in their favor. It's also kind of scary knowing technology exist that allows people with know how avenues to poke around in your private matters. In the end, Runaway Jury delivers!

Highly Recommend.......2007-03-04

Just watched this movie for the second time, and it was as suspenseful as the first. Great acting, and a plot that keeps you guessing. I liked that although there was some emphasis on the issue of semi-automatic weapons in the hands of civilians, I never felt like this was the focus of the plot. The way the characters played and conned each other through out was the most interesting for me, definitely takes the viewer on a good ride. What is great too is that I forgot how the movie ended, which made my second viewing that much more interesting.

Jurors Are Not King Solomon.......2007-02-28

The acting in this Grisham book made movie is excellent. As others have reviewed, Hackman is exceptional in his role as the cool, calculating jury selection expert. Cusack is equally cast and performs admirably as the juror with a motive who ends up having the tale revolve around.

It unfolds slowly, suspensively with snippets of past events flashed at the right moments to reveal just enough and keep enough still in doubt.

Having just served on jury, this is fascinating stuff. Wonder two things: how true to book? how true to civil Louisiana trials? In any case, for viewing this is riveting tale with sophisticated technology, body language experts, and feasting upon human behavior at its weakest.

Makes for great drama! Grisham is winner again and this movie depiction is worth the watch.

Average customer rating:

Runaway Train
SHORT TRAIN RUNNIN
What is "freedom"?
Konchalovsky crafts a memorable screen moment that reminded me the dramatic sequence of John Huston in Moby Dick...
Dramatic, suspenseful, excellent script and scenery

Runaway Train
Starring: Jon Voight , Eric Roberts , Rebecca De Mornay , Kyle T. Heffner , and John P. Ryan
Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 0792838424
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Description

Tearing up the track at 100 miles-per-hour, Runaway Train features hair-raising footage (Leonard Maltin) and spectacular, OscarÂ(r)-nominated* performances by Jon Voight and Eric Roberts. Packed with action, suspense and a powerful climax that will sweep you away (The New YorkDaily News), Runaway Train is an intense...stunning...astonishing (Roger Ebert) super-thriller! Manny (Voight) is the toughest convict in a remote Alaskan prison who, along with fellow inmate Buck (Roberts), makes a daring breakout. Hopping a freight train, they head full-steam for freedom, but when the engineer dies of a heart attack, they find themselves trapped, alone and speeding toward certain disaster. Until, that is, they discover a third passenger, a beautiful railroad worker (Rebecca DeMornay) who's just as desperateand just as determined to surviveas they are! *1985: Actor (Voight), Supporting Actor (Roberts)

Customer Reviews:

Runaway Train.......2007-05-13

Wonderful movie - It has everything, gripping adventure story, strong characters, and beautiful scenery. Jon Voight and Eric Roberts are terrific as the two escaped cons. Based on great screenplay by Akira Kurosawa. One of my all time favorites.

SHORT TRAIN RUNNIN.......2007-03-27

Set in the northernmost wilderness of Alaska, RUNAWAY TRAIN was a surprise hit back in 1985, garnering Oscar nominations for stars Jon Voight and Eric Roberts.
Voight plays the grizzly safecracker who escapes from a maximum security prison with his adoring fan, rapist Eric Roberts. Their escape leads them to hop on a train, not knowing that the engineer has dropped dead and fallen off the train and that they are hurtling across the wasteland at high speeds with no engineer! Nor do they know that Rebecca DeMornay is also on the train, the engineer's assistant who had taken an untimely nap and has awakened to her dangerous situation.
The cast is good: Voight and Roberts chew up the scenery, DeMornay is effective and supporting John P. Ryan oozes evil as the sadistic warden. It's rather dated but the scenery is haunting and beautiful and has enough action to maintain interest.

What is "freedom"?.......2007-03-09

Like the song says, "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose". Is freedom a physical or philosophical thing? It depends on where you are at and where you have come from. For "Manny" Mannheim (Jon Voight) freedom is going out on your own terms. If you can take your nemesis with you, all the better.

This film is a classic "under the radar" film. You will not find it on many critic's lists, best of lists or featured in many film retrospectives, but it comes as close to some of the classics of the 30's and 40's as any film of it's era.

Voight's performance is powerful and multi-dimensional. The point where he berates Brock (Eric Roberts) for falling into the too easy macho con trap and not working to improve himself for re-entry into society is a revelation. When Brock asks Manny if he (Manny) could suck it up and work at some dull job to make it on the outside, Manny replies, "I wish I could". The look on Brock's face says it all. "This guy really means it. Here is a hardened con, a tough guy that everyone at the prison idolizes for his spirit and he's telling me that he would trade it all for a chance to wash dishes or clean floors. But he knows it is too late. He cannot go back now." Manny is a man locked into his fate. He cannot knuckle under to the warden, or the system or to his own will to live free or die.

A bothersome aspect of the film for me is Eric Robert's performance. Somehow he garnered a nomination for best supporting actor, but to me his performance is a little too overbearing and annoying. I know that he is supposed to idolize Manny and play the young man who grows during the film, and I can get that as a boxer he may be a bit "punchy" but he often sounds like he is doing a drunken Elvis imitation and comes close to overacting in some scenes. Also the storyline concerning the administrators at the central railroad office tends to veer close to cartoonish comedy, but these are small points that should not distract you from the overall message and story in the movie.

I recommend this movie to anyone who is in the mood for an above average adventure movie with some great scenes of wintry landscapes shot along lonely rail lines and a protagonist a cut above the usual one dimensional character protrayal.

Konchalovsky crafts a memorable screen moment that reminded me the dramatic sequence of John Huston in Moby Dick..........2007-01-12

Based on a screenplay by the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, "Runaway Train" is bloody, intense and oppressive... It is a movie with arresting images about a notorious life term prisoner who has been welded in a hole for 3 years and a psychotic warden who practically hopes that his dangerous prisoner will make the first move, so that he can have an excuse to 'stop his clock.' The film takes place in the freezing landscapes of the Alaskan wilderness, and in a maximum security prison where the only escape is death...

Soon enough, Manny (Jon Voight) is on the loose along with another fellow prisoner, an unbalanced prizefighter called Buck (Eric Roberts), infected by Manny's madness... Their escape is a serious blow to the obsessive warden (John P. Ryan) who knows that his prison will be out of control if he fails to get them back...

Faced with certain death in the world's most inhospitable climates, Manny and Buck wind up on an unmanned train ignoring that its driver has suffered a heart attack, and the locomotive is rolling into something very fast...

Jon Voight completely embodies the brutal convict... The fierce intensity in his eyes, the ferocity in his voice, the hardness to withstand pain, these are indications of his madness... He has an injured hand, a scar around his eye, and a desire for revenge rooted deeply in his thoughts...

Though the movie is a character study of the dangerous inmate... We see the aftermath of Manny's last encounter with the warden... We don't get the opportunity to examine his mind or figure out what makes him so fiery... Just like Buck, we're looking at a man at war with world and everybody in it...

The film's centerpiece is the showdown between the warden and Manny... At this point it becomes clear that the warden's personal obsession overrides any human consideration... It is a thrilling show... Manny believes in nothing, and is capable of anything...

Andrei Konchalovsky depicts prison life with all the usual clichés: uptight guards, beatings, and murders... He does an admirable job of taking us into strange figures on a killer train... Konchalovsky crafts a memorable screen moment that reminded me the dramatic sequence of John Huston in Moby Dick...

Dramatic, suspenseful, excellent script and scenery.......2007-01-04

Jon Voight, Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay turn in superb gripping performances. They come from 3 different worlds, yet are trapped on this runaway train trying to save their own lives. The two prison escapees (Voight and Roberts) display a wonderful dichotomy of personality - brutal, savage inmates who would kill to get away, while at the same time showing themselves to be decent protective people in their treatment of De Mornay who is a railroad employee who just happened to get stuck on this ride with them.

All the "railroady" scenes are very very good. The mechanical "facts" about the locomotives, the track, and their various attempts to stop or reroute the train, are all done very well and done believably.

The film gains a lot of drama from Alaskan wilderness, the frigid outdoor action scenes, and the big machines rocking and careening through the mountains.

I caught this movie by accident on late-night TV once, and bought this DVD because the movie is so good that I got sick and tired of waiting for it to come around on TV again.

The language is a little coarse, but not unrealistically so. Unlike current worthless Hollywood trash that peppers its scrips with the "F" word purely for shock value, the tough talk in this movie is completely believable and appropriate.

If you like drama, complex personalities, dialog, and a story line where you have to pay attention (instead of just watching cuties and car crashes), buy this movie. Send your drinking buddies and your girlfriend home, turn off the lights, and watch this movie in solitude. You won't be sorry.

If Hollywood kept making movies like this, I'd go to the movies.

I don't hand out 5-star ratings to ANYTHING lightly.

Average customer rating:

great acting and nice plot.
RUNAWAY IS A RUNAWAY HIT!
A fun 80's sci-fi drama; a solid "B"
A Creative, Well Scripted Sci-Fi Thriller
great all time classic

Runaway
Starring: Tom Selleck , Cynthia Rhodes , Gene Simmons , Kirstie Alley , and Stan Shaw
Director: Michael Crichton
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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Looker

ASIN: B00004TX5G
Release Date: 2000-08-22

Customer Reviews:

great acting and nice plot........2007-06-21

Tom Sellect is an actor who has many faces. I especially like him in westerns, but he always gives any script his all. He did in Runaway
Susan`

RUNAWAY IS A RUNAWAY HIT!.......2007-03-07

RUNAWAY IS ONE OF THOSE GREAT MOVIES THAT SEEM TO
GET OVERLOOKED OR THE CRITICS HATE IT. THE STORY
IS WELL WRITTEN AND ACTED AND THE SPECIAL EFFECTS
ARE GREAT. TOM SELLECK AND GENE SIMMONS [YES THE
MAN FROM KISS] ARE BOTH EXCELLENT AND PLAY THE
PARTS PERFECTLY WITH A LITTLE COMEDY THROWN IN
THIS IS A WINNER! IF YOU LIKE SCI-FI ACTION MOVIES
THEN I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS. CHECK OUT DEAD OR
ALIVE WITH SIMMONS AND RUTGER HAUER ALSO.

A fun 80's sci-fi drama; a solid "B".......2007-02-19

This is a really fun film and Michael Crichton deserves a lot of credit, seeing as he both wrote and directed it: the pacing is good and the story is well-conceptualized and original in placing the viewer convincingly into a world of the near-future where robots are common place and there is a division of the police department that handles related robot malfunctions. Overall, the film (mainly) works because all of its other elements are solid as well (apart from some shoddy writing in the middle of the film [likely to ratchet up the action-quotient] and Joey Cramer's acting!): Jerry Goldsmith provides an excellent score, Gene Simmons plays a convincing bad guy, Tom Selleck makes for a likeable hero, Cynthia Rhodes is gorgeous, and G. W. Bailey (of Police Academy fame) is perfect as Selleck's angry boss.

A Creative, Well Scripted Sci-Fi Thriller.......2007-01-18

You know how mechanical things go awry? Well, in the future, when a robot becomes a "runaway", who do you turn to? Jack Ramsey (Tom Selleck) and his division of the police department.

There are great gizmos in this sci-fi story, such as electronic spiders and bullets that have your name on it. Though, dealing with the latter, a newspaper had fun pointing out those bullets were so slow and weak that a restaurant table could provide protection.

Michael Crichton did a good job directing it, though he inserted one bit on reincarnation that did not add anything to the story (you should expect a fundamentalist like myself to point that out). Cynthia Rhodes played one of my all time favorite love interests. Gene Simmons started off low key, but by the end of the movie, you could easily picture him with his demonic makeup.

I really enjoyed this movie, and would highly recommend it.

great all time classic.......2006-03-10

Runaway is a great classicly old film the robotics are dated but that is to be expected considering its made in 1984!, It still doesn't stop the fact its definately one for the collection? I couldn't help but enjoy the film the first time i watched it or the last!

Average customer rating:

Innocence Lost
Linda has some amazing moments, supporting cast equally good
Old Memories
wrong one
Great Classic Movie!

Born Innocent
Starring: Linda Blair , Joanna Miles , Kim Hunter , Richard Jaeckel , and Allyn Ann McLerie
Director: Donald Wrye
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001WTWL0
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Description

A 14-year-old runaway (Linda Blair) is placed in the care of the state. She is soon to find out her existence means little to many, trapped in the uncaring bureaucracy, the sometimes brutal treatment from her peers and her own abusive family, she will be hard pressed to meet anyone willing to hear her unsung plea for help. Digitally mastered and uncut - contains the original graphic rape scene! Bonus Features: VCI Previews| Actor Bios| Chapter Selection Menu. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 99 minutes; Color; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1974; SRP - $5.99.

Customer Reviews:

Innocence Lost.......2006-09-11

Linda Blair, immediately following her triumph in ''The Exorcist'' was cast in this then controversial TV movie. Christine Parker is a young runaway from an abusive home whose parents hand her over to the state. She finds herself in a detention home, where she discovers the even harsher realities of the young girls who reside there - unloved, troubled, and angry, who have the tendency to vent all their aggression onto newcomers. She finds herself as the target of their rage on evening in the shower room, where five of her fellow inmates gang up on her and violate her with a toilet plunger handle. Considered overly graphic at the time of its original airing in 1974, the scene was cut for later airings, but has been restored on DVD. Blair's nipple can be briefly seen for a few moments and that may explain why the scene was cut in subsequent TV broadcasts. As disturbing as it is, the rape is essential to the film's plot and adds to the anguish that Chris and her peers experience. When she has the chance to go home for a brief stay, her abusive father (Richard Jaeckel, magnificent) slaps her and her mother, leading the teen to run away again, taking her right back to where she started. Kim Hunter is effective as the passive, meek mother who endures her husband's insensitivity and mistreatment. Blair went on to give some more great performances in the late 70s, such as another TV movie, "Sarah T: Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic" and the theatrical releases "Sweet Hostage", "Summer Of Fear" and "Hell Night". Not long after, she found herself in exploitation flick hell. She is an outstanding actress, giving her all to every project, and it would have been nice if she had found some more mainstream material. Joanna Miles as the compassionate teacher, is the voice of reason and perhaps of caring in a system that does not want to take a bigger step towards actually considering the welfare of these troubled youths. Allyn Ann McLerie, as the well-meaning but ineffectual housemother Lasko, conveys the frustration and defeatist attitude of a woman who keeps things together but can't bring herself to actually make a difference in the lives of her girls. The portrayals of the other adolescents are right on target, a diverse group who all share the same pain, so much so that they become bonded in a hardened, indifferent way. Chris becomes one of the gang, and in a sadly realistic conclusion, has lost sight of any goals or aspirations she may have had to change her life.

"Sarah T: Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic" and "Sweet Hostage" are long overdue for DVD releases.

Worth viewing, still relevant today.

Linda has some amazing moments, supporting cast equally good.......2004-12-27

No one mentions the other inmates of the juvenile asylum, but the young actresses playing Denny and Moco are scarily effective, and Tina Andrews, the young girl playing Josie(who can also be seen as one of Marcia Brady's school-friends in the 'Davy Jones' episode on 'The Brady Bunch' as well as a student in 'Conrack'), gives a tightly-controlled performance; when her mother comes for a visit, Josie cries, mocking her: 'When ya comin' home? I miss you, Josie'." That's good acting. As for Linda Blair: she's always reliable and solid, but here it takes her a little while to warm up. In the admissions office near the beginning, Linda is a bit too somnambulistic("I don't think I need to be here"), but minutes later, when she has discovered her father brought her suitcase from home, Linda gets the juices going: "Who brought it? Why didn't you tell me he was here?" This is a wrenching moment. In this horrible place, with ugly walls and sterile decor, Chris is being jerked this way and that--and then come to find out, her own father was just there and didn't even want to talk to her. It's a powerful movie, and should touch anyone who's had a troubled youth. The low-budget, documentary quality of the movie was deliberate(it looked this way even on it's first TV airing), and the DVD will only enhance its 'dated' look, but at the time it was a ratings bonanza and made Linda Blair one of the highest paid actresses working in telefilms. Her next two, "Sarah T. Portrait of a Teenage Alcholic" and "Sweet Hostage" are even better than this one, but are, sadly, still in the DVD vaults.

Old Memories.......2004-10-24

I first saw this when it was first shown on TV with the rape scene still in, but when I watched this DVD the rape scene was mild to today look. THe father in the show head was still in the 90 if you watch it with you kids.

wrong one.......2004-09-14

this movie is ok but they put the wrong one on dvd. the one they should put on dvd is sweet hostage.that is in my top five favorite movie list.there was no tv movie that is better than sweet hostage.if you like to sit down and watch a good good sad movie than sweet hostage is for you. NOT THIS ONE.

Great Classic Movie!.......2004-07-08

I first starting watching this movie when I was three years old in 1985 and It's a throwback to my toddler years when I watch this movie today.Just like Linda Blair this film is a classic!she does a awesome job acting and I'm very glad it came on Dvd.

Description

Runaway Universe - presents the dramatic quest to unlock the secrets of the stars as two rival astronomy teams search for exploding stars, map gigantic cosmic patterns of galaxies, and grapple with the ultimate question: what is the fate of the universe? With the use of stunning three-dimensional cosmic simulations captured with revolutionary high-definition technology, NOVA presents the first attempt to explore the riddle of "dark energy"- the mysterious repulsive force that some scientists believe counteracts gravity. How big is the universe? What does a supernova look like? Was Einstein's greatest blunder actually correct? Explore these questions and other fascinating mysteries of the universe with this thrilling intergalactic adventure.

Customer Reviews:

a new and very interesting view of the cosmos.......2007-05-19

This DVD presented a interesting information that really challenges older views of the universe. NOVA is generally excellent at making complex scientific principles accessible to the non-scientist, and this episode definitely did not disappoint. The questions raised by the possibility of an ever-expanding universe are endless, and it makes me realize just how much we don't know. Yet, everything was easy to understand and presented in a very interesting manner through the interviews with scientists and footage of their work. This is definitely a good DVD for folks interested in physics.

Excellent progress report.......2007-04-06

This program is a few years old now, but the gist of it remains true. We live in a time when astronomers are coming to terms with the fact that we simply do not know the nature of most of the material in the Universe. The show tells the story of how astronomers use supernovae to determine the rate of expansion of the Universe, and whether it will continue forever. The people involved are the best in the business, and most of them are engaging and even fun to watch. I've used this show many times in an astronomy class for non-scientists and they love it.

pretty good.......2007-02-21

great info excellent presentation and good covering of a great theory i recommend it

New theories about the expanding universe!.......2007-02-18

Before Albert Einstein died, he expressed a belief that there was a mysterious energy in the universe that held it together, yet couldn't be seen. He had no proof. In time, however, he came to believe that this thought was a blunder on his part. Now, as it turns out, he may have been right after all. This mysterious energy is known as Dark Energy and certain scientists believe that it occupies at least two-thirds of the known universe with Dark Matter filling most of the last third. Matter, as we know it, only occupies about five percent of the universe. This is part of what the NOVA espisode, Runaway Universe, deals with. There's also the race between two rival astronomy teams, each seeking to find evidence which shows that the expansion of the universe is not slowing down, but rather speeding up. Each team is able to gather the necessary proof for this new theory by observing certain types of exploding stars and the expanding heat and gases that erupt from them. Ten years ago, it seems that almost everyone thought the universe was going to stop expanding and that all the galaxies would eventually be drawn together for a gigantic implosion. Now, it looks as though that particular theory was wrong. What is the force that's causing the universe's expansion to accelerate? This is where the theory of Dark Energy may come into play. A number of today's scientists believe that Dark Engergy counteracts gravity. Rather than gravity pulling all of the galaxies together into one massive clump, Dark Energy may be keeping them apart while at the same time propelling them forward through infinite space and time. As well as discussing these new ideas, the Runaway Universe also has some breathtaking imagery of super novas and gaseous nebulae and spiral galaxies that were taken by the Hubble Space telecope and a much newer scope that enables scientists to see futher into darkness of our universe. If only I was eighteen years old, instead of fifty-six. The next fifty years are going to be astounding for astronomers as new knowledge and insight comes about, especially when we finally put a man on Mars. I wish I could be here for that moment.

Average customer rating:

My Little Pony collection for Christmas season !
The first 80's cartoon remake, that was an improvement on the original!
Cute and full of charachter!

My Little Pony - The Runaway Rainbow
Starring: Russi Taylor , Skip Hinnant , Sarah Partridge , Sandy Duncan , and Susan Blu
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FZETIY
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Description

If it's all about rainbows it must be about RAINBOW DASH. And it is. She loves this time of year when Ponyville and Breezie Blossom are all about celebrating rainbows. Meanwhile in a new magical place called Unicornia, RARITY is being taught how to be a Unicorn Princess and the importance of making the first rainbow of the season. But RARITY is quite a little rascal and embarks on an incredible ride that includes a MAGIC WAND, falling through the clouds right into the middle of Breezie Blossom, a visit to Ponyville, meeting SPIKE THE DRAGON and a huge adventure (with lots of mishaps) as she tries to get back to Unicornia. RARITY soon realizes that getting home in time to create the first rainbow of season is not an easy thing to do --- but it is fun! Come on, won't you join RARITY and all her friends in the most colorful My Little Pony adventure ever?

Customer Reviews:

My Little Pony collection for Christmas season !.......2006-11-27

I am 31 year old and still love my Little pony because of the sillness and fun they have on their adventure !
I start to watch My Little Pony : Runaway Rainbow and it was very colorful
and bright carttoon ! All My Little Pony are great and fun animation to watch ! I draw from watching this type of animation on dvd or vhs !
I want to do a simliar carttoon like My Little Pony with a twist !
I don't have a new animation storyline yet but drawing the inspiration from My Little Pony is worth it !

The first 80's cartoon remake, that was an improvement on the original!.......2006-09-14

I just got this DVD today, and I was really surprised! It was better than I expected! This is the first 80's cartoon remake, that I can say is better than the original.

Alot of the other remakes didn't capture the magic of the 80's cartoons they were based on. My Little Pony, The Runaway Rainbow, not only captured the original spirit of My Little Pony, it improved upon it. The artwork is great, the voices are great, the characters are cuter. The music also is beautiful, it's something even adults can enjoy.

I'm very happy to see that at least one of the 80's cartoon remakes, were done well.

Cute and full of charachter!.......2006-08-17

We recently saw a sneak peek of this movie and it is excellent . The edition of the unicorn ponies is charming especially little Rarity and there is a lesson to be learned in the end as well.
If you have a My little Pony fan- definetely get this delightful wholesome movie for your little one:)

Average customer rating:

Most Courageous film ever.
Dark film
Extraordinary Film
You will not be disappointed.
This is NOT your Everyday Creep Fest!

8MM
Starring: Nicolas Cage , Joaquin Phoenix , James Gandolfini , Peter Stormare , and Anthony Heald
Director: Joel Schumacher
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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Return to Paradise

ASIN: B000BBOUW2
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Description

Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage stars with Joaquin Phoenix and Catherine Keener in an electrifying thriller from the writer of Seven. Directed by Joel Schumacher (The Client, Batman Forever, A Time to Kill), this dramatic story follows one man's obsessive search for the truth about a six-year-old crime and his ultimate discovery of the truth about himself.

Customer Reviews:

Most Courageous film ever........2007-06-11

American people should be proud of this film, the courage of showing such a disgusting subject and not only the courage of producers, but the actors and the director are equally courageous. Why I said that American people should be proud of this film, unfortunately United States are the greatest producer of pornography and all kind of pornography of the whole world, in Miami for example white americans get men from Africa and countries like Cuba and put them to make sex with "barely legal white american girls" creating tons and tons of sexual sites that are a direct offense to American families and to American history, someone should do something immediately, maybe CIA or FBI, someone, so this film is an alert to American people of what's been happening nowadays, thank you Nicolas Cage, sometimes is necessary to show things even when it is not what we want to see. It is necessary to recover the moral values of the founding fathers.

Dark film.......2007-05-05

An interesting choice for Nicolas Cage, but he and Joaquin Phoenix are great in this film. A little disturbing, a great but twisted plot.

Extraordinary Film.......2007-03-14

Once you get past the nagging and uninspired performance of Catherine Keener, You will find this to be an outstanding and often times very uncomfortable (in a good way) film. With the exception of Keener, great performances abound....Including Cage, who in my opinion has never returned to the form he displayed in "Leaving Las Vegas"...This movie being the exception. Joaquin Phoenix, however, is the real standout. Great performance. James Gandolfinni is completely unlikeable, but being the villan, that is a good thing. Great story, beautifully shot and completely engrossing. You cannot lose with this film. This is great filmaking !!! 5 Stars.

You will not be disappointed........2007-03-10

A dark, gritty view of the darkside of our humanity and sexual interests.
Nicolas Cage portrays an average family man who, by his job as a private eye, is thrust into a sinister world of sexual depravity. Deeply moving, emotional, frightening, and almost too real.

This is NOT your Everyday Creep Fest!.......2006-11-05

This movie actually takes you like it or not to a completely different world and I don't mean by use of a Star Ship or matter energy transporter. No the strange new worlds one experiences watching this movie are found right here on Earth in the seedy sides of town. OFTEN SOME rich powerful men by day have GIGANTIC strange even perverse sexual appitites by night for treats both subtle and gross. As we know in the United States wherever there is money waiting their is no need so twisted, saddistic and sick that some willing hard up enterprising soul won't make it his personal business of satisfy fully completely and often.

Men of wealth with perverse sexual needs and those who satisfy them is the core of the story. 8MM is a peek into a world of, rich powerful men with saddistic sexual needs that appear to know no boundries at all. 8MM also highlights in great detail the things done by those thuggish brutish men who make it their life's work to satisfy their clients most craven evil ruthlessly profligate dispicable passions. How the movie unfolds I won't share here but trust me this is an action adventure movie with a truly sick and twisted plot. 8MM brings to the surface some of the gruesome horror lurking in deep shadows of some alternative sexual lifestyles. 8MM will imprint itself on your mind because, a visit to the world it reveals is not one easily forgotten at least by me and I loved watching it.

A note this movie is diffinately not family viewing. 8MM is not even for the faint of heart from polite society. I am warning you that while still VERY MUCH Hollywood this film does a pretty good job of being real in ways that could way too easily gag a maggot!

Average customer rating:

Tollway to Hell
absolutely horrific film
All The Lost Boys
Strange and well done
Caught In The Undertow--Just Relax And Go With The Flow

Undertow
Starring: Jamie Bell , Kristen Stewart , Robert Longstreet , Terry Loughlin , and Dermot Mulroney
Director: David Gordon Green
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007R4T3K
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Amazon.com

The dazed, dreamlike world of director David Gordon Green remains intact, although Undertow has more story than his previous gems (All the Real Girls, George Washington). In the hot, green Georgia countryside, a man (Dermot Mulroney) lives with his two sons on a farm; their existence is shattered by the arrival of the man's Faulknerian brother (Josh Lucas), a dangerous sort with an ulterior motive. The movie that follows is like The Night of the Hunter filtered through a Days of Heaven lens--there's even a Heaven-like narration provided by Jamie Bell. That's what you get for having Terrence Malick produce your movie. The plot doesn't always sit comfortably with Green's uncanny style--sometimes it feels like an intrusion on a private world of childhood--and Josh Lucas is "actory" in a way that most Green actors are not. Green is at his best when noticing some stray detail (the younger brother likes to arrange his books according to smell), not when connecting the dots of story. Still, the images will stick in your mind, Tim Orr's cinematography is superb, and Philip Glass provides a suitably mysterioso score. --Robert Horton

Description

A brilliant cast, including Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama) and Dermot Mulroney (About Schmidt), rips into this tense and edgy film from David Gordon Green, the "gifted director" (Roger Ebert) of George Washington and All the Real Girls.Bristling with "mood, atmosphere, and psychological suspense" (The Christian Science Monitor), Undertow is a thriller that "transcends the genre" (New York Post)! The Munn familyfather John (Mulroney) and his sons, Chris (Bell) and Tim (Devon Alan)lives a solitary life on a rural farm in Georgia. But when John's brother Deel (Lucas) arrives, fresh from prison and with a sea of rage and envy simmering beneath his skin, the family's isolated world becomes one marked by violence, greed and murder.

Customer Reviews:

Tollway to Hell.......2007-06-18

Not since 'Deliverance' has a creepier movie come from a setting in the Deep South. 'Undertow' has a drive and tension with a minimalist of Hollywood effects. There aren't any huge highway chase scenes or urban gymnastics. What 'Undertow' does is work its way through the vortex of its descriptive title by developing a terse development and a sense of danger with all the players working through tangibly tragic desperation. 'Undertow' is an excellent thriller because it demonstrates the futility of escape for the main characters.

In a beginning scene young adolescent Chris (Jamie Bell) is seen throwing a rock through his girlfriend's bedroom window. It's apparent that he's not welcome there, for the father comes out with a shotgun. From there Chris is on the run until we can almost feel his pain as he steps through a nail on a board. Police cars swerve through the mud dirt roads until they meet their familiar scofflaw and bring him to justice and the emergency room. Upon his return his Uncle Deel (Josh Lucas) has joined the family after being released from prison. At first he takes the family's hospitality, but scorns his responsibilities. Then father (Dermot Mulroney) and uncle (both brothers) face off for a confrontation over resentments built up over the years. After the debacle, Chris and his ailing brother, Tim (Devon Alan) must fend for themselves, not having the credibility to go to the authorities or any immediate next of kin to buffer them as they choose to flee through the rural South.

'Undertow' is effective. At one point their father John tells the boys of his coveted coin collection, which he explains is the toll needed to cross the River Charron, the river in hell. What ensues by this piece of foreshadowing does just that in a thoroughly captivating and believable way that keeps the audience in the thick of the chase. (Highly recommended)

absolutely horrific film.......2007-05-01

a horrendously boring movie from start to finish, with nonchalant dialouge, characters, or depth. Save Jamie Bell's 'ok not bad at all' performance and the rather superior cinematography, the only highlight of the film, was seeing the credits come up at the end. Bell is so naturally talented with timing, if he tried a bit more in this role, it could have possibly garnered a nomination from the Academy. His character should have taken on more of a fatherly role after leaving his home, he didn't and that is not Master Bell's fault, but the directors.

Gus Van Sant must have had a field day with this one.

All The Lost Boys.......2007-04-21

David Gordon Green's third film is more conventionally plotted than his previous "All the Pretty Girls" but it has his very distinctive earthy and poetic style that makes the film dreamy and beautiful without being "pretty-pretty". Based on the real story, "Undertow" tells about a father and his two sons who live in a rural backwoods Georgia. The father is a lonely man; the older son is a rebel, and the young one has some health problems. One day, a long lost Uncle Deel shows up, and the lives of four of them are changed forever. This film is a successful combination of the family drama and "South Gothic Thriller". It brings to mind such classics of the cinema as "Night Hunter" and the writings of Mark Twain and Brothers Grimm as well as the ancient legends and myths. The best about the film are its stunning cinematography and performances by Jamie Bell as Chris Munn, the older boy and Josh Lucas as Deel Munn, the boys' uncle whom they never knew.

Strange and well done.......2007-02-01

a small film but original.The two boy actors were excellent. Not a pretty story but poetic,particulary the ending

Caught In The Undertow--Just Relax And Go With The Flow.......2006-10-31

I was impressed with David Gordon Green's minimalist, haunting "George Washington." I was surprised and delighted with his "All The Pretty Girls." So I was interested to see what his third picture, "Undertow," would bring to his oeuvre. But I have to admit, I was nervous as well. Here, he was working with a larger budget and more mainstream actors like Jamie Bell, Dermot Mulroney and Josh Lucas. What I got was a nice surprise--a nasty little family gothic thriller.

It's a bleak and uneventful existance on the Munn farm. John, a widower played by Mulroney, is raising his two boys in a very secluded lifestyle. Oldest son Chris, a prematurely weathered Jamie Bell, handles most of the responsibilities and chores but longs for a different life. He rebels at every opportunity which gets him into trouble with the law as often as not. Younger brother Tim is a sickly and emotionally stunted child. There is talk of a family treasure--told in dreamlike fashion--but no signs of material wealth of any kind.

One day, shady Uncle Deel arrives. Oozing dangerous charm, this ex-con wants to reconnect with his brother, get to know his nephews and get a fresh start. Chris is initially drawn to the stranger, but mistrusts him on many levels too. And as we find out--for good reason. Secrets come out and violence erupts. The boys go on the run--taking hope and charity where they can get it and evading danger. There is a certain menacing "Night of the Hunter" quality to their travels through the country landscape.

I really enjoyed the film--it's unorthodox and has a lazy, southern gothic appeal. I didn't know exactly where the story was going and so was caught up in the journey. There were interesting family dynamics as well as a decent thriller. Mulroney is perhaps one of our most underrated actors--he's great here. He's a tremendous character actor "cursed" with leading man looks--and I always prefer him in these interesting choices instead of seeing him in traditional fare with someone like Debra Messing. Josh Lucas, as Deel, is really creepy. He was born to play villainous roles--that charm and smarminess work to perfection. And Bell continuees to impress.

So, if you want to try something off the beaten path--take a look at "Undertow." KGHarris, 10/06.

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