Blue Car

Starring:David Strathairn, Agnes Bruckner, Margaret Colin, Frances Fisher, A.J. Buckley, Regan Arnold, Sarah Buehler, Dustin Sterling, Mike Ward (III), Wayne Armstrong, Aftab Pureval, Wendy Lardin, Jenn O'nofrio, Greg Miller (II), Michael Raysses, Amy Benedict, Jaime Scheingross, Julie Schuster, Jane Mowder, David Carroll
Director: Karen Moncrieff
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Stanley Kramer's sprawling 1963 comedy about a search for buried treasure by at least a dozen people--all played by well-known entertainers of their day--is the kind of mass comedy that Hollywood hasn't made in many years. (Another example from around the same time is Blake Edwards's The Great Race.) After a number of strangers (including Milton Berle, Jonathan Winters, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, and others) witness a dying stranger (Jimmy Durante) identify the location of hidden money, a conflict-ridden hunt begins, watched over carefully by a suspicious cop (Spencer Tracy). The ensuing two and a half hours of mayhem has its ups and downs--some bits and performers are certainly funnier than others. But Kramer, who is better known for socially conscious, serious cinema (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?), is in a mood for broad comic characterization, and some of his jokes are so intentionally obvious (Durante literally kicks a bucket when he dies), they'd have a place in Airplane! Watch for lots of cameo appearances, including Jerry Lewis (who had called Kramer and asked him why he hadn't been invited to participate). --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The mother of all comedic chase movies.......2007-05-15

The best chase comedy ever. Great cast, locations. It brings back memories of LA area in the fifties and sixties. One of my favorite comedies of all time.

An absolute "must have"!.......2007-05-13

Sure... it's dated; that's part of its charm. That said, it's one of the most madcap, zany comedies I've ever seen and is a "must have" for those of us old enough to appreciate the all-star cast of comic icons. Also, if you love old cars, the vehicles you'll see in this movie are worth the price of the DVD alone. Pure entertainment.

One of the best comedies.......2007-05-12

This is a very funny movie with an all star comedy cast. From Jimmy Durante "kicking the bucket" to the fire escape at the end, you'll laugh all the way through. The number of comedy stars in this movie are almost overwhelming. I personally think Jonathon Winters steals the movie.

abolute madness, loved it!!!.......2007-04-11

I first saw this movie with my father when i was a young boy for some reason it never left my mind, so out of shear curiosity i purchased this movie and fell in love with again.

I later found out that there are a few of us that love this movie so much that they have taken pictures of all those wonderful places and made a montage of before and after pictures showing the "Big W" and the back yard where it once stood.

In conclusion i just loved this movie. What more can i say Oh btw Amazon got the movies to me in less than a week, isn't that great.

One of the best comedies ever.......2007-03-30

Great cast help make this one of the funniest movies ever.

Average customer rating:

Be patient!
A Tasty Little Surprise
Great Movie!
A Great Comedy
A classic John Hughes holiday gem that should have gotten the recognition it deserved

Dutch
Starring: Ed O'Neill , Ethan Embry , JoBeth Williams , Christopher McDonald , and Ari Meyers
Director: Peter Faiman
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00076ONUK
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Description

Ed O'Neill of MARRIED WITH CHILDREN stars as Dutch Dooley, a working-class good guy who's the new boyfriend of a wealthy big shot's ex-wife. But when the woman's spoiled son (Ethan Randall of CAN'T HARDLY WAIT and SWEET HOME ALABAMA in one of his first film roles) refuses to come home from his Southern prep school for Thanksgiving, Dutch volunteers to pick the bratty boy up for a road trip back to Chicago that quickly goes hilariously wrong. From fireworks fiascos to hitchhiking with hookers, can a man who's really just a grown-up kid find a way to bring out the child in a little jerk? Christopher McDonald (HAPPY GILMORE), E.G. Daily (VALLEY GIRL) and JoBeth Williams (THE BIG CHILL) co-star in this comedy hit written and produced by John Hughes (HOME ALONE, NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION) and directed by Peter Faiman (CROCODILE DUNDEE) about two strangers about to become best friends…with the scars to prove it!

Customer Reviews:

Be patient!.......2007-05-02

This is a good movie that takes awhile to develop. If you don't sit through the obnoxious son showing how bad he is, then you will miss his transition to a pretty good kid. Dutch is what he is a blue collar guy that although hard nosed, has a heart of gold. This is one of those roadtrips that shows the seemy side of life and the school of hard knocks. Good family entertainment. I recommend for rental first. It may not suit all tastes.

A Tasty Little Surprise.......2007-03-23

A friend of mine loaned me his VHS copy of this movie a couple years ago and I'd never even heard of it. I was a little skeptical at first, but I trusted his judgment based on previous referrals and so I watched it.

It's pretty excellent across the board. It's the best work I've ever seen Ed O'Neill do and that's for sure. He just shines in his role here. The movie is full of surprises so I'll not say anymore about the details, but the writing, acting and directing here are top notch as far as humor goes. There are several lines of dialogue that you will make part of your permanent vocabulary after watching this film similar to the way you adopted lines out of Caddyshack into your everyday world.

To give you just a tiny taste of what's waiting for you, Ed's character steps out of a truck stop restaurant and belches rather loudly prompting the line, "Ahhhhh... nothing burps like bacon!"

You've been warned.

Great Movie!.......2007-02-11

Love wins in the end! Great movie - One of my all time favorites. Ed O'neill is outstanding as the boyfriend. The movie carries a good story and message.

A Great Comedy.......2007-01-07

Very funny. Its like having Al Bundy, but with a little more aggressiveness. A fun time, and reminds you what is important.

A classic John Hughes holiday gem that should have gotten the recognition it deserved.......2007-01-06

I was finally introduced to this film through a friend. I have seen the majority of all the popular John Hughes productions but this one. This film came out around the same time that Home Alone did but as it has been seen Dutch was overshadowed. Dutch has a great cast. Both Ed O'Neil and Ethan (Randall) Embry carry the movie very well. This movie is great as both an everyday John Hughes film but at the same time is great to watch during the holidays. Get this movie now!

Average customer rating:

The mother of all comedic chase movies
An absolute "must have"!
One of the best comedies
abolute madness, loved it!!!
One of the best comedies ever

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Starring: Spencer Tracy , Milton Berle , Sid Caesar , Buddy Hackett , and Ethel Merman
Director: Stanley Kramer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Farce | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005LOL8
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The mother of all comedic chase movies.......2007-05-15

The best chase comedy ever. Great cast, locations. It brings back memories of LA area in the fifties and sixties. One of my favorite comedies of all time.

An absolute "must have"!.......2007-05-13

One of the best comedies.......2007-05-12

abolute madness, loved it!!!.......2007-04-11

One of the best comedies ever.......2007-03-30

Great cast help make this one of the funniest movies ever.

Average customer rating:

"Hit the gas,Grasshopper!"
Good For Car Fans
Rare Laserdiscs - dvds Movies Collector.
Cool cars, crazy storyline
Yet ANOTHER Corman car picture

Cannonball
Starring: John Alderman , David Arkin , Allan Arkush , Belinda Balaski , and Paul Bartel
Director: Paul Bartel
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002VEU8U
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Amazon.com

Cannonball is 100% car-crashin', gas-guzzlin', tire-squealin', '70s-style fun courtesy of executive producer Roger Corman and director Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul). Inspired by the success of Bartel's Death Race 2000, Corman commissioned him to direct this down-and-dirty adventure comedy about an illegal transcontinental car race and the eccentrics who compete for its $100,000 prize. Leading the pack is David Carradine, who's brought his sexy parole officer (Hill Street Blues' Veronica Hamel) along for the ride; hot on his tail are scurrilous Bill McKinney (Deliverance), cult queen Mary Woronov, and a host of marvelous character actors. Bartel also dots Cannonball with cameos by Corman, Sylvester Stallone, co-writer Don Simpson, and numerous fellow filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Joe Dante, and Allan Arkush, all of whom were in Corman's New World stable at the time. Undeniably lowbrow, but also unquestionably exciting and far more entertaining than Burt Reynolds' Cannonball Run pictures (which borrowed wholesale from this film), Cannonball offers plenty of thrills for cult movie enthusiasts. Blue Underground's DVD includes theatrical and TV spots and bemused interviews with Carradine, Corman and Woronov. --Paul Gaita

Description

The Car Crash Cult Classic From The Director Of EATING RAOUL And DEATH RACE 2000!

Buckle your seatbelt for The Trans-America Grand Prix, the infamous cross-country road race from Los Angeles to New York City. David Carradine of KILL BILL stars as Coy `Cannonball' Buckman, an ex-con and fallen stock car champ who puts pedal to the metal for one last shot at glory. But competition on the open road is a killer …and Cannonball is the target! Veronica Hamel (HILL STREET BLUES), Bill McKinney (DELIVERANCE), Gerrit Graham (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE), Mary Woronov (ROCK `N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL), Robert Carradine (REVENGE OF THE NERDS) and Dick Miller (GREMLINS) co-star in this high-speed demolition derby directed by Paul Bartel, co-written by Don Simpson (controversial producer of BAD BOYS and THE ROCK) and featuring wild cameo appearances by Bartel, Simpson, Sylvester Stallone, Martin Scorsese, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Judy Canova and more.

"This Movie Rules! More Cars Crashing Than Just About Any Movie In History!" -Harry Knowles, Ain't It Cool News

"A Definitive Drive-In Car Chase Flick With Babes, Crashes And Truly Amazing Cameos!" -The Austin Chronicle

EXTRAS INCLUDE:
• Kicks and Crashes: Interviews with Stars David Carradine & Mary Woronov and the Legendary Roger Corman
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Poster & Still Gallery

Customer Reviews:

"Hit the gas,Grasshopper!".......2006-09-08

Before David Carradine experienced a career revival of sorts in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies&crossed swords with The Bride,Uma Thurman,he was Cannonball,A Man on the Run.

The plot is completely nonsensical;it involves a cross-country race.David Carradine gets helped by car geeks,has a strange convenience store brawl,shows off his chest for no reason whatsoever&a squeaky voiced Marilyn Monroe lookalike goes to bed with an unpleasingly plump bad guy.

Okay,it's a cross country race,David Carradine has to win to clear his name--it's good dumb fun.Need I say more?

Good For Car Fans.......2006-07-10

David Carradine did a solid job, but some of the supporting actors were poor to fair. I did't even notice Stalone. It was great for watching the cars though, and even gave me some feelings of nostalgia, with so many '60's and '70's cars. Early on there was a gorgeous DeTomaso Pantera making some nice sounds. Lots of almost constant driving, some crashes, and a criminal subplot (which was no big deal). If you love cars, look for a low price, and I think you'll have some fun.

Rare Laserdiscs - dvds Movies Collector........2006-04-28

Cannonball is one of my Favorite dvds 70s movies,I love this movie,I've watched it much,you will love it too,give it a try :)

Cool cars, crazy storyline.......2006-03-10

The title about says it all. It makes ya cringe a little watching them beat up the "classics". But as with alot of 70's movies they just put the car on full out and let the cameras roll. You should see it once just for the cars.

Yet ANOTHER Corman car picture.......2005-04-23

I recently found myself facing down yet another Roger Corman classic with "Cannonball." Hmmm. I'm starting to detect a troubling pattern here. Every time I turn around, it seems like I'm popping another Corman disc into the DVD player. What gives? It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm trying to watch as many b-movie clunkers as possible before shuffling off this mortal coil. Too, I consider it my mission in life--at least at this point in my life--to review as many of these things as possible in order to warn the unwary what to expect should they find themselves stuck in a b-movie situation. What happens if you, a filmgoer only familiar with big budget studio releases that play in thousands of theaters across the country on opening night, should wind up watching a Roger Corman film? Maybe your boss loves these sorts of movies and you want to suck up for a raise. Maybe someone you want to impress has an insatiable craving for crud cinema. If so, I feel sorry for you. You'll have to give up repeated viewings of "Cold Mountain" in order to watch Troma flicks and Italian horror movies. Seek counseling immediately. Maybe you can find a new job and/or new friends.

Before losing all hope, however, you might want to test the waters with "Cannonball." It's not a bad film, actually, although it doesn't have the mega-stars found in the "Cannonball Run" films, two movies that also take as their central premise a cross-country car race. In this picture, directed by cult movie god Paul Bartel, David Carradine stars as Coy "Cannonball" Buckman, a down on his luck ex-con looking to break into the big time by winning the biggest road race of them all. Problem is, Buckman isn't supposed to spend any time behind the wheel thanks to the terms of his parole. Yeah right. Trying to keep a guy like Coy away from souped up jalopies is like trying to keep a fat woman away from chocolate ice cream. Nonetheless, his sexy parole officer Linda Maxwell (Veronica Hamel slumming for a paycheck) tries hard to keep her charge out of trouble. But Buckman is going to race, bet your bottom dollar, no matter what the cost. His older brother needs his help, and Coy needs to feel those miles melting off the highway if even for a few hours. With the assistance of his trusty sidekick Zippo (Archie Hahn) and the unwilling participation of Maxwell, Coy Buckman heads west from California to New York at a thousand miles an hour.

Of course every racing film needs a cast of crackpots driving the other cars, and in this "Cannonball" provides plenty of oddballs trying to make their own mark in the race. We've got Coy's snarling archnemesis Cade Redman (Bill McKinney) dragging along country singer Perman Waters (Gerrit Graham) for some inexplicable reason. We've got ultrahot cutie Mary Woronov driving a van full of babes. We've got a European snob named Wolfe Messer (James Keach) busting everyone's chops in the fastest car. We've got a touchy feely young couple, Jim Crandell (Robert Carradine) and his woman Maryann (Belinda Balaski), zipping along in the hopes that the reward money will give them a start in life. There is also the inevitable chap who thinks he'll win by cheating and a black guy racing in a town car that doesn't even belong to him. Just in case the cast of loonies fails to keep you entertained, Bartel himself shows up as a piano-tinkling mobster who is pulling some crooked tricks behind the scenes. What follows is typical in the crash 'em smash 'em genre: lots of fiery wrecks, down and dirty tricks, a few fistfights, romance, and a keep 'em guessing ending. The only thing "Cannonball" is missing is Burt Reynolds and Jackie Gleason.

This movie offers us nothing we haven't seen in other films. While it is superior to Corman's other racing films, namely Ron Howards's "Grand Theft Auto" and "Eat My Dust," it isn't as much fun as "Death Race 2000." That movie, also lensed by Bartel and containing much of the same cast as "Cannonball," possessed many things lacking here. "Death Race" was more violent, the cars were "futuristic" and therefore cheesier, and the underlying plot more interesting. There isn't much of a plot in this movie once you get beyond the Coy Buckman character. He went to jail after taking the fall for his friend Zippo, and now he wants to race in order to restore his former glory. The idea that his brother is working behind the scenes to save himself from the clutches of Bartel's gangster character forces our hero to make a painful choice when he finally discovers the nasty truth behind the race. Or something sappy like that. Did I mention lots of stuff blows up and a few people die in fiery wrecks? Good, because that's likely the only thing you will take away from "Cannonball." Thank goodness Corman moved on to ripping off other types of genre films shortly after this picture came out.

The DVD is pretty much what one expects with a Roger Corman release. Included for your viewing pleasure are a trailer for the film, television spots, and a poster and still gallery. Interviews with Mary Woronov, Corman, and David Carradine add a bit of backstory to the production. For example, Woronov explains that she didn't know how to drive, so Bartel and company had to shoot all of her scenes in close up lest she kill everyone involved. I recommend "Cannonball" to Corman completists and car racing film aficionados, but all others should probably stick to the corny "Cannonball Run" pictures. Not that they're any better, mind you, but they are a cut above this film in some respects.

Average customer rating:

NICE MICKEY ROONEY FILM
Unused or underused Mickey Rooney
The Big Wheel gets the Green Light!

The Big Wheel
Starring: Mickey Rooney , Thomas Mitchell , Mary Hatcher , Michael O'Shea , and Spring Byington
Director: Edward Ludwig
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006FFR9S
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Customer Reviews:

NICE MICKEY ROONEY FILM.......2005-01-30

THIS MOVIE IS GREAT IF JUST TO SEE MICKEY ROONEY! ALTHOUGH MICKEY ALWAYS DESERVED MORE THAN WHAT HE WAS HANDED. IN MY OPINION THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE TALENTED ACTOR IN THE MOVIES. HE MAKES ME LAUGH, HE MAKES ME CRY, HE MAKES ME HAPPY! GOD BLESS AMERICA! ANYHOW < THE MOVIE PLOT IS PRETTY GOOD! MICKEY DOES A OUTSTANDING JOB AS ALWAYS!

Unused or underused Mickey Rooney.......2003-11-08

Mickey Rooney has been underused a lot of times in his career. And this film is one of these times. He was short and that was a shortcoming (the right word in this case). So his roles were often innocuous ones in rather insignificant films. He has a face, if not a mug, and it is expressive to the utmost. He even has eyes that are as mobile as two wild birds in a stormy sky. His body, and I mean all his body, every single spot of it, is able to take any stand, stance and position that is meaningful and gives some flesh to his character and to the action. And it never looks overdone. His voice is also interesting though it is hardly worked upon enough. And here he is reduced to a pun. He is small so the wheel is big, the game is big, but he is the game (both meanings) of the director. And he is in the car racing business so the wheel is generally one of a set of four and it is also the big race track of Indianapolis and its 500. The film is essentially the story of a young car driver who climbs to the top, i.e. Indianapolis 500. The rest is wrapping up to give some sense to the film and some feeling to the situation and the action. A father who killed himself in Indianapolis. A mother who is scared out of her mind by the race. A mechanic who was the friend of the dead father, is in love with the mother and finally marries her. The daughter of the sugardaddy of the team looks like a boy and plays mechanic, and of course she falls in love with the poor Bill, Mickey Rooney. And that's about all. Unlucky us who do not get what we deserve : a film with a plot and some thickness. It sickens more than it thickens most of the time.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

The Big Wheel gets the Green Light!.......2001-03-08

"The Big Wheel" is a must see for all racing fans. This classic story of a son living up to his fathers name and reputation is as relevant today as it was in the Forties.Mickey Rooney gives a fine performance in his own imitable style aided by a strong support cast including Thomas Mitchell, Michael O'shea and Mary Hatcher and starring the legendary Indianapolis Raceway as the backdrop. Even if you aren't a race fan you'll enjoy the classic racing footage that'll have you on the edge of your seat.5 cheers for "The Big Wheel".

Average customer rating:

A Throwback to Radio's Last Days and Television's Rise
Movie Buff!
There's Really Only One Reason To Watch It...
Dated, dull, and grainy. Don't waste your money!
Grable and Dailey make a terrific movie pair

My Blue Heaven
Starring: Betty Grable , Dan Dailey , David Wayne , Jane Wyatt , and Mitzi Gaynor
Director: Henry Koster
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

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Down Argentine Way

ASIN: B000EXDSAM
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Customer Reviews:

A Throwback to Radio's Last Days and Television's Rise.......2007-03-17

MY BLUE HEAVEN takes a viewer back to the last days of radio and the first days of television. Betty Grable and Dan Dailey play Kitty and Jack Moran, a husband and wife song and dance team. We discover early in the story that Kitty is pregnant with their first child, but loses the baby after a car accident. Kitty learns she may never be able to have her own child and the couple accepts the possibility of being childless until they visit two friends and colleagues Walter and Janet Pringle (David Wayne and Jane Wyatt) who have adopted some of their bustling brood, Kitty and Jack decide to adopt. They have to face a number of obstacles including a snobbish adoption service director and a mother who decides to put her child up for adoption and then wants the child back. Since this is a 1950's musical, we know that the story will all work out better than anyone could expect but like all predictable Hollywood musicals, we may know how the story will end but we want to know what will happen to get to the happy ending.

Most of the musical numbers are interwoven in the radio and television numbers, so the story has a bit of a flow to it. There is a spoof of sorts on an "operetta set in the South Pacific" which in a buffoonish way bears a bit of a resemblance to another Twentieth Century musical. Mitzi Gaynor plays a young vamp named Gloria Adams who makes a move on Jack which Kitty takes rather well. Grable and Dailey are good partners in the film and there are some moments that make viewers feel sorry for the couple when they face setbacks.

I'm assuming that this DVD will appeal primarily to film buffs and Hollywood musical lovers. It doesn't have too many special features: a collection of stills from the filming and trailers for DOWN ARGENTINE WAY and THE DOLLY SISTERS. Still it's an enjoyable film and a good example of a 1950's musical.

Movie Buff!.......2007-01-10

I BOUGHT THIS MOVIE SIMPLY BECAUSE I LIKE THE OLDER STARS, AND MUSICALS, BUT MAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS DIRECTED BY HENRY KOSTER, WHO ALSO DIRECTED "A MAN CALLED PETER". I WAS HOPING FOR THE SAME QUALITY DIRECTING, BUT I PERSONALLY DID NOT SEE THAT. IT IS AN "OK" FILM, BUT I'VE WATCHED BETTER. THIS IS MITZI GAYNOR'S FIRST FILM ROLE, FOR YOU OLDER MOVIE BUFFS. I DON'T CHALK IT OFF, EVEN WITH MY COMMENTS ABOVE!

There's Really Only One Reason To Watch It..........2006-09-07

"My Blue Heaven" is boring. The plot is insipid; the characterizations and dialogue stink; the musical numbers, while occasionally staged in interesting ways, are not only too often absurd, but also lyrically trite, painfully bright, and emotionally hollow to the core. The leads, Betty Grable and Dan Dailey, are attractive professionals; however, in spite of their every talented effort to uplift the drear and uncompelling material, they fail. David Wayne and Jane Wyatt, for all their demonstrated talent in other projects, are more or less cyphers here.

There's really only one reason to watch "My Blue Heaven". One reason...one star: Mitzi Gaynor, in her film debut. Her total screen time is probably less than ten minutes, but so what? Her pert and promising screen personality, her feline beauty, and her exceptional charisma shine through gloriously and make these minutes the most watchable, memorable, and exciting moments in the entire film. If you would value an opportunity to see a tremendous young talent on the rise, then check out Miss Mitzi Gaynor in "My Blue Heaven."

Incidentally, I scorn (and would urge you to avoid) Drew Casper's manic, obsessive-compulsive DVD commentary for this film. Wordy, digressive, unduly fastidious, frequently ill-timed with what is playing on the screen, and galloping throughout with an excess of nervous energy, his comments are absolutely indigestible.

Dated, dull, and grainy. Don't waste your money!.......2006-07-13

I loved watching old Betty Grable movies with my grandmother on TV years ago. She loved them when she was young, and thought I would enjoy them, too. I was barely a toddler, and have fond memories of those viewings. So, I recently purchased the new batch of Grable DVDs hoping to re-experience those treasured memories.

BAD MOVE!

I should have waited for more GABLE instead of wasting money on GRABLE.

Betty Grable and Dan Dailey were performers of modest talents to say the least. They had a nice chemistry, and were surrounded by good production values, nice music, and what I assume originally was gorgeous Technicolor.

The DVD looks very bland and flat, and doesn't do the film's production values justice. Whether it was actually filmed in a bland way, or is just a grainy transfer with color breathing, I couldn't tell you. Fox musicals usually compensate their lack of substance with dazzling colors or terrific songs.

None of that is here. The DVD is drab looking, the songs in the film are mediocre, and the performances are downright tacky at times. I may have liked it at age 5 or 6, but MY BLUE HEAVEN is hardly heavenly when viewing this ugly looking DVD which can't compensate for the drab screenplay, tired stars, and boring music.

Grable and Dailey make a terrific movie pair.......2006-07-10

This was the disc in my recently arrived Betty Grable Collection set I was initially least interested in, however when I watched it over the weekend I really enjoyed it. Betty's movies turn up regularly on tv here in the UK, but I'd never seen My Blue Heaven before. By the end of the movie I was completely won over by the pairing of Betty and Dan Dailey - they make a terrific movie team and the chemistry between them is warm and believable.

The DVD print is gorgeous; check out the colours! This movie has a more subdued look to it than the Fox musicals from the early '40s and its a joy to the eye how everthing comes together in each scene with colour, lighting and costumes. Interesting to compare Betty's look and style in this movie too with her earlier appearance in Down Argentine Way. In the 1940 movie she is fresh and lovely and comes over like a breath of fresh air, full of energy. In this later movie, she is every inch the long-established glamour star, her make up immaculate, her hair almost white-blonde, her wardrobe stylish and sophisticated (though she gets the chance to wear some very sexy outfits too). She's lost none of her appeal over the decade between the two movies. In My Blue Heaven her style is less brassy, much warmer, her famous legs are still highlighted and she's in terrific shape.

Can't emphasise enough how appealing Betty and Dan Dailey are together, now I understand why they were so popular together at the box office and I hope in Volume 2 of the Betty Grable collection another of their movies is included. In My Blue Heaven they look great together in their musical numbers and come across as very believable in their dramatic moments.

After watching the movie, I watched it again with the commentary with Drew Casper and I would recommend it. It is lively and informative and you won't believe how much info he manages to get across as the movie plays. All of it relevant and never dull.

I still have The Dolly Sisters and Moon Over Miami to watch from the Betty Grable Collection Vol 1, and already I'm looking forward to Volume 2.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic, till the final fifteen minutes.
Traveling Down A Long, Lonesome Highway
Angst-ridden but redeemed by good acting
BLUE CAR doesn't accelerate quickly... and that's a good thing.
Highly disturbing look at a highly disturbing truth.

Blue Car
Starring: David Strathairn , Agnes Bruckner , Margaret Colin , Frances Fisher , and A.J. Buckley
Director: Karen Moncrieff
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000ARD7R
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Amazon.com

A breakout hit at the Sundance Film Festival, Blue Car tells the story of 18-year-old Meg (Agnes Bruckner), who--while coping with her disturbed younger sister and her angry mother--finds a refuge from her stormy home life with her English teacher, Mr. Auster (David Strathairn, Passion Fish, L.A. Confidential). His encouragement leads her to apply to a poetry competition in Florida, even though her mother (Margaret Colin) offers neither money nor emotional support. Blue Car depicts her increasing attachment to her teacher--and his increasing attraction to her--with respect and careful detail, providing an acutely female perspective on the experience (this is writer-director Karen Moncrieff's feature film debut). The interplay between Bruckner and Colin is just as vital, even though the writing of their relationship is more familiar. Also featuring Frances Fisher (Unforgiven) in a vivid cameo as Auster's sardonic wife. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Featuring the unforgettable performances of sensational newcomer Agnes Bruckner (MURDER BY NUMBERS), David Strathairn (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL), Margaret Colin (UNFAITHFUL), and Frances Fisher (TITANIC), BLUE CAR tells a powerful coming of age story in the provocative style of AMERICAN BEAUTY. Having been abandoned by her father and neglected by her overworked mother (Colin), young Meg (Bruckner) turns to her English teacher (Strathairn) for solace and inspiration. But the safety of what begins as a mentoring relationship turns increasingly complex and ambiguous as the tension in her family grows! Overwhelmingly acclaimed by the nation's critics, this powerful tale of sex and betrayal is certain to leave you with a lasting impression!

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic, till the final fifteen minutes........2007-05-27

Blue Car (Karen Moncrieff, 2002)

You know, it took me all of five minutes to figure out where Blue Car was going. It's a testament to Karen Moncrieff's film that, for the most part, that didn't diminish my enjoyment of it in the slightest.

Meg Denning (The Woods beauty Agnes Bruckner) is a troubled high school student, pulling farther and farther away from her mother after her parents' divorce. She turns to her English teacher, Mr. Auster (David Strathairn), who encourages her to enter a nationwide poetry competition for high school students. When she wins the first round, she becomes obsessed with finding a way to get to the nationals in Florida without help from her mother (from whom she's keeping her victory) or her teacher (she doesn't want to impose).

Moncrieff's script starts dropping hints that this won't be Dead Poets' Society pretty quickly once the mise-en-scene is set, and the main suspense in the film metamorphoses from "will it happen?" to "when's it going to happen?". Once we get to the Big Reveal(tm), the film does slip a bit, as the script goes down the most predictable possible pathway, and we end up with just another object lesson in Why It's Bad To Do The Things your Parents Warned You About. Still, it doesn't come off completely cheesy, and that's something. The pleasure of the ride was worth the suffering. And, you know, it's Agnes Bruckner. Which should be enough for most red-blooded males. *** ½

Traveling Down A Long, Lonesome Highway.......2006-10-26

Blue Car is no chuckle fest, this much is certain, but in its chilling realism, confident pacing, and expert acting is a sadness that has the exquisite beauty of truth, human truth. This movie does not have characters, it has people. Some you love, some you feel sorry for, some you despise; all are as actual as the last clerk who gave you change.

Meg, Agnes Bruckner, would seem to have more than enough dysfunction in her life to satisfy the minimum daily angst requirement of a high school student. Her divorced mother has both hands gripped firmly on the ledge and oscillates between neglect and rude intrusiveness. Her father is virtually out of the picture. Worse still, she is charged with the care of her mentally imbalanced younger sister, something between a chore and a trial.

Smart and sensitive, Meg is disconnected, with little in life to rely on. When her English teacher takes an interest in her poetry, and her, it introduces an unprecedented ray of hope into her life. Like Agnes Bruckner, who gives a flawless performance that is bravely open and giving, David Strathairn's performance as her teacher, Mr. Auster, is practically a master's class in acting.

Auster is no mere lech or predator; he is a weakling and emotional cripple who lives in a world where bad faith is revealed in layers. Too cowardly to seduce Meg, he must create an environment where she drifts towards him naturally. Because she is already so damaged, this process is painful to witness.

People never stop finding ways to betray and disappoint Meg, and the more it happens, the more tightly she clutches her book of poems, her trip to Florida, and the tender support of Mr. Auster, the one person who believes in her. But that is the nature of the blues. You don't get the blues when you lose something you don't care about. You get the blues when the only thing you have left, the one thing you knew you could trust and rely on, turns out to be a pathetic lie. How you respond determines whether you get the blues, or they get you.

Meg is a very brave young woman who knows more than she should have to know at such a tender age. Writer and director Karen Moncrieff is to be saluted for this gem.

Angst-ridden but redeemed by good acting.......2006-05-10

"Blue Car" does a very impressive job of developing the growing closeness between Meg Denning (Agnes Bruckner) and her high school English teacher, Mr. Auster (David Strathairn). It is not easy to find a balance between sympathy and condemnation in dramatizing such a taboo and finally destructive relationship. The insightful script and, even more, the gifts of these two actors bring that off.

The dismally joyless sex scene, fully prepared for by the writers and actors, was amazingly well done: Mr. Auster attempts to watch out for (or tries to convince himself that he is watching out for) Meg's needs, but his lust finally does him in. His desperate attempt to get her to declare that she "wants him" is simultaneously creepy and sad. Still, he tries to act the caring teacher even as he abandons her. Not surprisingly, she fails to give him the benefit of the doubt. The audience hardly knows who to side with here. The result is ambiguous and very real; that scene keeps replaying in my memory.

I thought the film was less successful in avoiding the trap of adolescent angst. Portraying the angst sometimes shaded into imitating it. On the overdramatic side, "Blue Car" loaded the character of Meg down with just too many tragedies, which I won't list here so as not to spoil the film (or further depress myself). In response to these, her character sometimes toppled over into self-indulgence, as expressed in her brooding poetry and her occasional histrionics. The symbol of the blue car, the car that her estranged father left in when he departed the family scene, is one example of a motif that could have been handled with greater restraint.

I probably would have thought this was a really profound movie when I was seventeen -- in fact, I'm sure that I would have. So it's perhaps unfair of me now to expose it to the view from the other side of middle age. But in the end, despite its many virtues, I found it rather limited in its self-awareness.

BLUE CAR doesn't accelerate quickly... and that's a good thing........2006-04-16

BLUE CAR is a noteworthy film for its low-key approach and understated storyline.

Yes, there are emotional high-notes to be found as a high school girl tentatively takes intimate steps toward her inappropriately willing high school English teacher. But I love how the female director avoided the obvious fireworks; the climax of the film is the girl's realization that her teacher (and now lover) really ISN'T writing a novel, like he led her to believe.

That's the betrayal . . . and while there is a "climax" (no plot spoilers here). I was thankful that the BLUE CAR didn't accelerate any faster than that. (Full Disclosure: Since I am a teacher, I may have found this film more compelling than other viewers will.)

Highly disturbing look at a highly disturbing truth. .......2006-01-18

I read the title for this movie on my satellite guide and thought, "What in the %$@# is this gonna be about?" Well, it was worth giving a try and definitely worth staying awake for.

Blue Car is the type of film that plods along slowly but gradually sucks you in, very much on the same level as The Sweet Hereafter and The Weight of Water, until you're denying even the most intense bodily urges to go to the bathroom - all for the fear of missing something.

In it, we quickly become fascinated with the lead actor in the film, one miss Agnes Bruckner, who plays Meg Dunning, the older of two sisters in what has become a dysfunctional Dunning family. The parents have been split for a while, and the mother is raisng her two blonde haired daughters while scraping by on end's meat. Meg is an introverted holdout from a time when words probably meant much, much more. She loves to write, particularly poetry, and is consumed with newfound esteem when her English teacher, the soft spoken and quietly married Mr. Auster (David Strathairn), begins to take an interest in her writing. At first, his intentions seem pure but deep down, the viewer senses that something is thickening between the two.

Meanwhile, Meg is torn by thoughts of her negligent father, a man who leaves his daughter with the pensive memories of his blue car, and her younger sister who seems to be rapidly falling apart. Soon, courses of action are set in motion and the principle characters seem to act according to their own longings rather than adhering to the obvious warning signs that they seem to be fully aware of, but are unwilling to follow.

This film was amazingly poignant, with acting that will make many weep. The theme is all too real, and will uproot thoughts of the evil that resides in our world, and our own shattered pasts that we try so desperately to escape.

One last note: Agnes Bruckner should have won some awards for this. Unfortunately, she did not. Look for her in future films. She will be a star very soon if she continues to build on this performance.

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Pretty Girls in peril. Can't get enough.
Gorgeous transfer of Pop-Art vision of '70s Rome
Creepity Crawlity
Hardly the Best Giallo
Classic Giallo

The Black Belly of the Tarantula
Starring: Giancarlo Giannini , Claudine Auger , Barbara Bouchet , Rossella Falk , and Silvano Tranquilli
Director: Paolo Cavara
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
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ASIN: B000E41MTU
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Amazon.com

Black Belly of the Tarantula, following the release of Dario Argento's first feature, Bird With the Crystal Plumage, is one of the films that defined the Giallo genre's attractive blend of horror and high fashion. With a score by Ennio Morricone, direction by Paolo Cavara, and starring the handsome Giancarlo Giannini, Black Belly makes the story of a perverted serial killer who first paralyzes his victims with the poison wasps used to stun tarantulas seem cool and intriguing. This could be due to the fact that three of the killer's sexy victims went on to become Bond Girls (Claudine Auger, Barbara Bouchet, and Barbara Bach). Murders set in a massage parlor, an upscale fur shop, and in various white-sheeted beds showcase the aesthetic beauty of bloodshed. Giannini, who plays the suave police inspector, sleuths his way to the killer and finally fights him with the same vampiric ferocity that a wasp attacks a tarantula. In fact, stock footage of the carnivorous insects are interspersed throughout the film for added effect. Plots in Giallo films are basic; rather, the way murders are shot make the films memorable. The finest scenes in Black Belly occur during the stalker's pursuit of his "prey." Women's faces smear across the screen, their makeup palettes carefully matched to the rooms in which they are sliced open. With less actual gore than some other classic Giallo films such as Perfume of the Lady In Black and All The Colors of The Dark, Black Belly of the Tarantula relies more on style than on brutal violence. For this reason, it would be a good introduction to Italian horror for those who want to avoid witnessing serious carnage. --Trinie Dalton

Description

A deranged killer is injecting beautiful women with the poison of a rare wasp, paralyzing them and forcing them to witness their own brutal murders. Academy Award(r) nominee Giancarlo Giannini (SEVEN BEAUTIES, HANNIBAL) stars as the dogged detective who takes the case only to find himself trapped in a web of immorality and murder. From the tantalizingly erotic opening to its vicious stunner of an ending, experience what is considered to be one of the most riveting and acclaimed films in the entire giallo genre.

Claudine Auger (THUNDERBALL, TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE), Barbara Bouchet (CASINO ROYALE, DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING) and Barbara Bach (THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS) co-star in this rarely-seen classic directed by Paolo Cavara (MONDO CANE) and featuring one of Ennio Morricone's best scores ever, now transferred in High Definition from the original camera negative and available for the first time ever in America.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Girls in peril. Can't get enough........2007-01-10

I like this kind of movie. Just a step above MST3K fodder. "A very small step." Don't buy it if your looking for a movie like The Birds, but if you like movies a little on the campy side. You might like this one.

Gorgeous transfer of Pop-Art vision of '70s Rome .......2006-06-18

La Tarantola dal Ventre Nero, to give it it's Italian name, is much more than just another piece of trashy European cinema. It is an exquisite example of how wonderful cinema was in the late '60s / early '70s and an excellent reminder as to why I seldom bother going to movies these days.

Essentially, it's a whodunnit and we could debate the strength and weaknesses of the plot (and there are plenty of weaknesses) but the key to this film is it's cinematic style, a kind of garish Pop-Art vision of '70s Rome that mesmerises with each frame. It's loaded with '60s accoutrements - retro-futuristic furniture, glamorous women's fashions, old-school Alfa Romeo's (was there ever a cooler vehicle?). And the acting is stellar together with yet another legendary Morricone soundtrack.

As for the DVD itself, this is the first Blue Underground disk that I have bought and I can say without equivocation that it's the best looking picture that I've ever seen in this format. Really vibrant colors that are a joy to watch even at moments when the plot begins to sag. And full marks to BU for including the original Italian mono soundtrack with English subtitles. In all, it's a great product that really captures how good DVD can be when someone takes care with these things. I will certainly be buying many more Blue Underground films in the future.

So, you get '70s Rome, funky decor, brash colors, a reasonable plot and if that ain't enough, there are not one, not two but THREE Bond girls in this film (and one of them gets nude and all).

No excuses for not owning this one.

Creepity Crawlity.......2006-05-17

Someone's knocking off horny older chicks, and the fuzz are on the case. Who the hell's doing it, and why?? The quote on the box claims this to be the best giallo ever made, but that's a pretty heavy statement. Apparently the person who wrote that hasn't seen too many giallos. Black Belly is a pretty cool film, but aside from the modus operandi of the killer, it's fairly average. Plus, the identity of the killer was too easy to figure out considering they push a little too hard in making the killer look like the least likely to be the killer. Once again Blue Underground has worked wonders on restoring this one, it looks pretty damn good. It may not be the best the genre has to offer, but it's definitely required viewing for those into the genre. Dig?

Hardly the Best Giallo.......2006-04-12

This 1971 offering stars Giancarlo Giannini in a fine performance as a police inspector on the hunt for a psycho who stuns his attractive victime with a poison-dipped needle before eviscerating them.

The production is above average slick and the performances are fine, especially from Giannini, but I just didn't find it involving, suspenseful or stylish enough to keep my finger off fast forward. It's not bad, just average. The climax and the killer's unmasking is particularly weak and anti-climactic.

Fans of the genre seem to really like this one, but I suggest a rental before a purchase.

Classic Giallo.......2006-03-31

I can't go quite as far as Horrorview: this is not quite the "best giallo ever made." It is, however, one of the best I've ever seen. It would be a solid contender, for example, for "best giallo ever made - that was not directed by Dario Argento." The Black Belly of the Tarantula certainly has a lot going for it. The acting is superb, and the lead, played by Oscar nominee Giancarlo Giannini (Hannibal, Seven Beauties), is excellent. Further, the suspense level is occasionally quite high, the climax is good, the score by Ennio Morricone is classic, and oh, yeah, there are three Bond girls. The lead, a haggard and down of his luck detective, investigates a series of murders that seem to be linked to a blackmailing case. The killer's modus operandi is to insert a large acupuncture needle into the spine of his victims, rendering them paralyzed, and then to kill them while they are conscious but unable to fight back. The back of the DVD claims that the killer uses the poison of a rare wasp to achieve the effect of paralysis; however, watching the film it is unclear whether this is really true. The tarantula/wasp conflict, in which a rare wasp paralyzes a spider and lays its eggs inside - the larvae growing and feeding while the spider is still alive, seems to be a mere analogy in the film and not an identification of how the killer achieves his/her effect. The story contains some nice touches, typical of the giallo genre - such as identifying an ambiguous object in the background of a photograph and using it to identify the possible location of the killer's house. The film also includes a truly harrowing rooftop chase, wonderfully filmed, and, as mentioned above, and a very well done climax. Also of note is that the clinical explanation of why the killer killed, offered at the end of the film, is actually very psychologically sound. Perhaps the film's most notable trait, however, is the quality of the acting - Giancarlo Giannini is a far better actor than the genre of giallo is accustomed to (with the notable exceptions of David Hemmings in Deep Red, Ray Milland in The Pyjama Girl Case, and Max von Sydow in Sleepless), and it really helps the film. On the down side, the plot could have easily been made tighter. Also disappointingly lacking is the typical giallo touch of having a character struggle with deciphering a psychological mystery, whether stemming from misperceiving a crime, a false or inaccurate memory, etc. Such has been an earmark of the genre since the first giallo film, Mario Bava's The Girl Who Knew Too Much, and has been made famous by Argento's masterful films. Perhaps this is an unfair complaint though, as surely not ALL giallo films should be expected to adopt the same tricks. So, while not perfect (and while not the "best giallo ever made" as Horrorview claims - for me that title easily goes to Argento's masterpiece Profondo Rosso (Deep Red), The Black Belly of the Tarantula is certainly ONE OF THE BEST, is far better than most of the modern swill that passes as thrillers these days, and is certainly a must have for fans of the giallo genre.

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Review for "Crimes of the Future'
Fast Company...Finally
Fast Company...Finally
"I have great affection for this movie." - David Cronenberg
An Experiment in Telepathy

Fast Company
Starring: William Smith , Claudia Jennings , John Saxon , Nicholas Campbell , and Don Francks
Director: David Cronenberg
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
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ASIN: B0001NBLWM
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

An early departure from director David Cronenberg's canon of visceral horror, 1979's Fast Company profiles one of his personal passions, racecars, in a gritty melodrama that also features exciting racetrack footage. Veteran toughguy William Smith is top-billed as a champion drag racer who clashes with the unscrupulous oil-company executive (John Saxon) who sponsors his team. Though lacking the gruesome clinical obsessions of his horror features (Cronenberg admits on the disc's commentary that the film was a tax shelter for its Canadian producers), Fast Company is also fascinated with internal machinery (here, car engines instead of human bodies), and it's easily Cronenberg's most approachable film, with plenty of automotive action alongside the solid performances (the cast includes B-movie queen Claudia Jennings in her final performance). --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

Review for "Crimes of the Future'.......2006-08-21

"Crimes of the Future" is the type of postmodernist "artsy" flick which considers meaningless ramblings, actions which could be cryptic messages disguised as purposeless events, and androgynous characters behind which a soundtrack of hoots, whistles, rustling, and static plays with interceptions of complete silence. This is degenerate art at its zenith and extremely surprising as coming from the same director who did "Scanners," "Videodrome," and "Nightbreed."

Fast Company...Finally.......2005-02-01

Fast Company (1979) is truly great B-cinema despite the tendencies of scholastic indifference. Whether its lack of reception has been due to lack of availability, its straight-to-Beta stigma or, most probable, an audience's disregard for anything differing from the Cronenbergian macabre is open for debate. What is certain is that this effort, his first with a budget exceeding the million-dollar mark, was a precursor to the personal trajectory of The Brood (1979).

Divorce proceedings underway, David changed focus to his consuming passion of the automobile. The final product was a decent drag strip movie, "a good B-Movie" he admits. The good versus evil tension included in most racing films is combined with some point of view shots from the car racers proper, in itself, well worth the price of the rental. Spending most of the film arguing with John Saxon, his greasy sponsor from Fast Company Motor Oil, William Smith plays Lonnie 'Lucky Man' Johnson, whose iconic status as drag strip guru is tested race after race. His real stroke of luck however comes through his onscreen squeeze, November Playmate 1969 Claudia Jennings. This marked consecutive attempts at casting notables from the adult industry.

Attempting to recreate the similar appeal and subsequent audience draw that worked for him in Rabid, Ms Jennings' luck ran out in an ironic off-screen car-accident, taking her young life shortly after the film was completed.

Fast Company...Finally.......2005-02-01

"I have great affection for this movie." - David Cronenberg.......2004-06-08

The 2-Disc Limited Edition was purchased impulsively on its street date release, after I saw it staring at me on a shelf at a local retailer. Having greatly enjoyed Rabid, The Brood, Videodrome, and Crash, I had long been curious to see Stereo and Crimes of the Future. Yet having picked it up for Cronenberg's two early features, I was watching Fast Company for the sixth time on Saturday night of that same week.

Phil Adamson (John Saxon): You know you're out of your goddamn mind, Johnson. You're out of your mind, and you're over-the-hill. First you turn my trailer into a goddamn whorehouse, now it's an insane asylum!

John Saxon's villainy as the FastCo oil company rep is hilarious. Aside from the wonderfully written dialogue, his facial expressions and gestures are fantastic. Lonnie "Lucky Man" Johnson's (William Smith) team consists of a Western genre family-like trio, with character names such as Billy the Kid, P.J. and Elder; all wonderful performances. Gary "The Blacksmith" Black (Cedric Smith) is Lonnie's top competitor. He is neither a one-dimensional friend nor foe. His personal team members, known as Stoner and Meatball, are a funny pair. Stoner is likable and not-such-a-bad guy, while Meatball is a classic A-hole. Candy (Judy Foster) is Miss FastCo, a not-so-dumb blonde with feelings for Billy, and who makes an admirable stand when her self-respect is threatened by her employer's demands. William Smith and Claudia Jennings are the long-distance relationship lovers that I, on a personal level, have grown strongly attached to. Both, individually and together, add to the film something magical and nostalgic for me that I find very rare in most movies that I've seen. The scenes involved with them makes me feel like a small boy spending time with a favorite aunt and uncle. Mind you, I come from a Hispanic middle class background.
The cinematographer is largely to thank for capturing the humor of the film, as well as the documentary-like and exciting treatment of the dragsters; not to mention a multitude of highly admirable shots. Also worth mentioning is the work of Art Director Carol Spier, as well as the choices of music that significantly add to this wonderful little film. I have to say that Fast Company has been one of the most delightful surprises that I have encountered on DVD so far this year, along with The Passion of Joan of Arc, Flesh + Blood, Humanité, and Diary of a Country Priest.
Now, about Stereo and Crimes of the Future - after my purchase, I got home as fast as I could, and saw them first. Alas, they did not fully appeal to me, though Cronenberg's aesthetic approach to the storytelling on both, and his very nice camera work, did. I am very glad to have finally seen them, and I do intend to redo so again in the immediate future.
Blue Underground along with the personal supervision of Cinematographer Mark Irwin present an amazing print for a late-Seventies B-movie. The colors and sharpness are outstanding; and the sound is extremely satisfying. David Cronenberg's commentary is both interesting and very pleasing. His own enthusiasm on the film, and at the discovery of the restoration of a thought-to-be lost seen is wonderful. Comments like: "...it's very much me. And I don't think anybody else could have made this movie the way ... that I did." He stumbles at this last comment, probably concerned with sounding egotistical. However, with his style being so distinct along with his input into the script, he has justification to make that statement. Cronenberg also remarks on the commentary: "Worth every penny of it, wasn't it?" I quite agree. And am very pleased to hear a director satisfied with his own work, for a change. This film should appeal to fans of Seventies exploitation and car racing, while bitter and stubborn Cronenberg no-nonsense horror fans might need some lubing, or repeated viewings, to appreciate it for what it is and not for what they want it or expect it to be.

Billy "The Kid" Brooker (Nicholas Campbell): You know something, gang? There's a lot of junk you can put down your pipes, you know what I mean. Now I'm talking about the good stuff. You gotta take care of your baby's engine. So I suggest you go like the pros, and go with FastCo. If you want that power, that performance, and that protection. Yeah. FastCo. This is what all the pro racers use. FastCo Motor Treatment. (Chuckles). All right.

An Experiment in Telepathy.......2004-04-25

Stereo and Crimes of the Future are among the best underground films produced in North America in the late 60's/early 70's, a time when Kenneth Anger and Martin Scorsese were also making their first films. Thanks to Blue Underground for releasing those two important productions (along with the great Fast Company in a fantastic transfer) in such a classy edition.