Federal Hill

Starring:Federal Hill
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Product Description
On the mean streets of providence, Rhode Island, five fiends struggle for a future in the mob-infested neighborhood known as federal Hill. Petty burglar Ralph (Nicholas Turturro of NYPD Blue ) and his drug-dealing friend Nicky (Anthony De Sando) are inseparable until a beautiful and privileged college student leads Nicky to cross over to the right side of the tracks, leaving Ralph and the gang behind. But when trouble emerges back on the Hill, Nicky is forced to choose between his friends and his dreams away from Federal Hill.

System Requirements:

Running Time 100 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Average customer rating:

Mediocre
I FIRMLY believe this movie proved Tom Cruise COULD actually act !
A Little Disappointed
Legal Thriller
What was Sidney Pollack doing in directing this?

The Firm
Starring: Tom Cruise , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Gene Hackman , Hal Holbrook , and Terry Kinney
Director: Sydney Pollack
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0792164962
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Amazon.com essential video

By far the best adaptation of a John Grisham bestseller, this smart, fast-paced 1993 film--directed by Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa)--offers up the dilemma of a young lawyer whose life is turned upside down when he takes a job at a Southern law firm owned by the mob. Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise), having just graduated from Harvard Law, is besieged with offers but takes a job, too good to be true, with a small Memphis firm. He and his wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn), are sucked in by the seemingly close-knit, collegial nature of the firm's partners and the expensive perks that come with the job. His mentor, Avery (Gene Hackman), teaches him the ropes, but Mitch and Abby begin to sense there's something wrong with this idyllic life. When a couple of associates turn up dead, Mitch begins to investigate the history of the firm; and when the FBI asks him to spy on the firm for them, Mitch realizes his life will never be the same and that, if discovered, he, his wife, and his long-lost brother will be in mortal danger. Mitch must use all his talents as a lawyer to outsmart the firm, the FBI, and the mob in order to reclaim control over his life. A very entertaining thriller that engages the audience at a breakneck pace while not taking itself too seriously. It also features some fine writing and strong performances from a large cast of exceptional actors. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre .......2007-06-25

This is a mediocre film mainly of interest as a stepping stone in Cruise's career. While the screenplay is not bad, Pollack never manages to convince me about evilness of "The Firm" - a law firm serving mafiosi from Chicago. The Firm characters never come alive either as lawyers or as bad guys; their sinister-edness has a cartoonish character rather an an aura of real menace.

By far the best part here was played by Hackman. Great acting - subtle, forceful and nuanced.

Cruise's acting shows the beginnings of the (rather predictable) stereotype that we get to expect afterwards: the (fake) sensitive macho, the signature (fast) run with rigid and puffed-out torso and, especially, the signature inability to feel. When an actor has to simulate feeling rather than actually acting THROUGH feeling, the viewer subconsciously gets funnies in the stomach, like when watching a conman trying to persuade others of his honesty. Cruise emotes well but can't express affection or even sexual interest - obviously, he never got lessons in Stanislavsky or Strassberg. I should,however, mention the notable and important exception of Magnolia, where Cruise's expression of hate feels chillingly real.

The actors, screenplay and the director never seem to have achieved a rapport required to convince the viewer - and themselves! - that they have a genuine quality product. Pollack is not the Top Gun kind of guy and he will never be. Oh, well.

I FIRMLY believe this movie proved Tom Cruise COULD actually act !.......2007-03-09

Great Movie ! If You like mystery drama's or if you like Tom Cruise get this movie. He actually PROVES he CAN actually ACT and is really pretty good at it ! Just watching a man fight for his freedom to LIVE and keep his Law Degree and his Wife makes it more than a chic flick. I enjoyed the movie and personally own it ... so i would definately recommend it. U won't know what hit you ! Law and Justice, many grey lines ! A Great rainy evening at home movie.

A Little Disappointed.......2007-02-22

I like John Grisham, but this movie did not follow the book very well and an actor other than Tom Cruise would have been better.

Legal Thriller.......2007-02-21

Almost gave this 4 stars, leaning that way only because of the ending. Seemed slightly improbable, the sudden brilliant legal maneuver the main character makes at the end to evict himself and his wife out of the gangster-fed dillema his life has been thrown into. Then having thought about his brilliance at the Harvard Law School, it reduced the improbability and thus five stars.

This movie does grab you, and pulls you in so that you're always wondering what is coming next. Cruise does good job as well as Hackman.

Have not read the book yet, maybe someday. Still enjoyed the view and if the book is better, it would make a good read as well.

What was Sidney Pollack doing in directing this?.......2007-01-31

The first sign that this movie was going to be well below the book's quality level was the jazzy piano music from the first step. The early scene was a lot weaker than the book's. It continued from there. This did not need to be an R-rated movie, but some Hollywood idiot thought better.

There had been several actresses who received both best actress and best supporting actress (different roles) the same year, and the norm was typified by Jessica Lange in '82, when she lost the best actress but won the best supporting actress. The next actress in that position (Sigourney Weaver, for "Gorillas In The Mist" and "Working Girl" failed to win either. Holly Hunter was nominated in '93 for "The Piano" as best actress, which she won, and this movie for best supporting actress, which I did not believe she was as worthy of.

I like Wilford Brumley, but I cannot think of anything in this movie that is worth recommending to you.

Average customer rating:

Moderate But Enjoyable Schwarzenegger Film
"Who do you think I look like? Dirty Harry?"
Ah-nuld's best, but still very unpolished! Darren McGavin good in supporting role
by the numbers action from his honor gov. schwarzenegger
Raw Deal is a hidden gem!

Raw Deal
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Kathryn Harrold , Darren McGavin , Sam Wanamaker , and Paul Shenar
Director: John Irvin
Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00013RC8E
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com

A by-the-numbers action flick featuring a stern Arnold Schwarzenegger, Raw Deal has all the traditional traits of the genre. Schwarzenegger is a disgraced former FBI agent who winds up as sheriff of a backwater Southern town. He is given a chance to reclaim his job when the head of the Bureau offers him reinstatement if he'll go undercover to capture the mob boss responsible for killing his son. Schwarzenegger must get close enough to gain the trust of the gangster without being discovered as a mole, while gathering enough evidence to take him down. One of Schwarzenegger's early films, in which he honed his persona, Raw Deal offers up the usual quotient of gun battles and tough talk, with a trace of self-deprecating humor from its star, making it reasonably worthwhile entertainment. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Moderate But Enjoyable Schwarzenegger Film.......2007-04-03

Raw Deal was one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's first films in his successful eading man career. Therefore, one can forgive him for making this kind of film because it was so early in his career. People were still getting used to the idea of a heavily accented Austrian as the new action hero on the block. Therefore, almost anything he did would seem novel.

Arnold plays a former FBI agent who was accused of wrongdoing, and ends up leaving the bureau and becoming a small-town southern sheriff. His bureau mentor, played by Darren McGavin, comes to help asking him to work undercover to bring down Chicago's top mobster, who in the midst of a turf war with a Jewish gangster (played by Steven Hill of Law and Order fame). Thinking that this could restart his old career, Arnold agrees, and ends up in the middle of the turf war, trying not to be exposed and running afoul of the hood's chief lieutenant, played by Robert Davi.

This movie is not groundbreaking, but solid and entertaining in its own way. You will definitely get your share of action from Raw Deal and shouldn't feel cheated.

"Who do you think I look like? Dirty Harry?".......2007-03-12

SPOILERS throughout.

No, RAW DEAL isn't one of the Governator's best flicks, not by a long shot. But it's not his worst either (ever cringe thru JINGLE ALL THE WAY, JUNIOR, or COLLATERAL DAMAGE?). Having been released on the heels of the high octane, vastly entertaining COMMANDO, RAW DEAL suffers from the inevitable comparison. This film does have quite a bit to offer Schwarzenegger fans, but, let's be real, it's not as good as COMMANDO. But is RAW DEAL worth watching? Definitely. Is it worth purchasing? I believe so. I bought it. But, then again, I'm an old fan of our muscled Austrian. Shucks, I even voted for him.

As early as 1986 - when RAW DEAL came out - at the beginnings of his Hollywood career as he was still developing what would become his trademark cinematic identity, Schwarzenegger was even then charismatic enough to turn many an action fan's head. That he had a certain flair for droll one-liners was an unlooked-for bonus. In fact, I believe that his wry sense of humor and the implied intelligence that went with that was the decider in making him the overwhelming box office action king over the likes of Stallone, Seagal, and Norris. And Arnold was savvy enought to capitalize on his advantage. He had a firm grasp of his talents and rarely stepped outside his purview. In his role of Sheriff Mark Kaminsky, Arnold is well within his limited acting range. RAW DEAL makes no pretense about what it is: a slam-bang action movie that directly traverses from Point A to Point B and is jam-packed with auto carnage, blazing bullets and thudding fists, all the while showcasing Mr. "I'll Be Back" (a catchphrase which I don't think he says in this film).

The plot: Mark Kaminsky (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is an ex-FBI agent now exiled into sheriffing in a small, nowhere town and saddled with an embittered wife. A promise of possible reinstatement from an old FBI colleague with a personal agenda convinces Kaminsky to infiltrate the Chicago crime syndicate and try to tear it apart from within; if possible, he's given the added task of unearthing the mole who's been selling out the FBI. Kaminsky stages his own death, slicks back his hair, and dons his double-breasted threads. In his attempt to get noticed by the mob, he makes a splashy showing at a mob gambling joint and, from there, rapidly works his way up the criminal hierarchy, occasionally tearing off chunks of mafia flesh.

Is there much violence in RAW DEAL? You bet your arse, there is. Nowadays, when our film action stars all seem to practice fancy martial arts, popping in an Arnold flick in a dvd player is a bit like time travelling to the primitive, old school ways of villain smiting. Arnold never was that limber nor did he ever somersault in the air and execute a graceful roundhouse kick to the head. His style is akin to a relentless runaway train as he uses his monumental strength and power to subdue his opponents via wrestling holds and throws and that gool ol' American standby: the punch to the face. And if he can't hit you or kick you, for sure he doesn't have any compunctions about shooting you up full of lead. And then, of course, he'll submit the coup de gras: a witty punchline at your expense. In RAW DEAL, he uses his "techniques" to traumatize villains in mall clothing stores, gambling casinos, gravel pits, and mafia headquarters, the last venue being where he really launches into Terminator mode. You see, in his own fashion, Arnold does have a certain implacable panache.

The acting? It's decent. Schwarzenegger is Schwarzenegger which means that Schwarzenegger isn't Anthony Hopkins. In terms of acting, Schwarzenegger isn't even Thelma Hopkins. But, here, he's ably upheld by his supporting cast, the most recognizable of whom are Darren McGavin, MURPHY BROWN's Joe Regalbuto, and the ever untrustworthy Robert Davi. Kathryn Harrold is so-so as the love interest (and, mind you, she's not the wife), actually shining for a moment in a restaurant scene with Arnold as she takes him to task for his lack of amorousness. And, yes, this movie drops one of my favorite Arnold wisecracks: As his unhappy, intoxicated wife heaves a cake at him, his character retorts: "You should not drink and bake." Classic. Another line overheard in passing which cracked me up: as Kaminsky and Davi's character were pursuing a man thru a crowded bar, an offended, bumped-into bystander comments with a "Hey, you cretin!" C'mon, who says that, really?

Ah-nuld's best, but still very unpolished! Darren McGavin good in supporting role.......2006-08-01

Kathryn Harrold still no easier to take
than in 'The Hunter', w/ the late Steve
McQueen. McGavin, until he's crippled
(pretty much) almost steals the show
and Murphy Brown's Joe Riggelbuto does
well in a villianous role, helping Robert
Davi. "You should not drink and bake!"

by the numbers action from his honor gov. schwarzenegger.......2006-02-22

arnold has made some good ones and some bad ones and this one falls somewhere in between those.arnold goes undercover to bring down a mob kingpin. thats the story, nothing more nothing less. this one just can't get it's self going and is slow in some places. the gunbattles and fights are ok, but not great. still if you like arnold you may like this one

Raw Deal is a hidden gem!.......2005-12-25

I'm a pretty big fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger films. I'm only 21 years old though, so I was not old enough to recall many of his films from the 80's. Of course every Arnold fan knows and loves movies like Commando and Terminator, but Raw Deal often manages to slip through the cracks. Once this movie was recommended to me, I had to check it out. It's got all the action you demand from an Arnold Schwarzenegger film. The plot is pretty minimal which means you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy some good old-fashioned Arnold-style violence. The guy that played the Dad in the Christmas story perfects a touching portrayal of Arnold's former boss as well. If you buy this movie, I guarantee you're not getting the "raw deal".

Average customer rating:

The Siege (Martial Law Edition)
Starring: Denzel Washington , Annette Bening , Bruce Willis , Tony Shalhoub , and Sami Bouajila
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OT6V0K
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com

A high-profile action/exploitation thriller set in the present, The Siege is really a fantasy that extrapolates from major terrorist attacks. Denzel Washington is FBI special agent Hubbard, "Hub" to his friends, whose anti-terrorist task force must track down the terrorist cells responsible for a spate of bombings in New York. His partner is an FBI agent of Arabian extraction (played convincingly by Tony Shalhoub), proving not all Arabs are bad guys--a point the film should be lauded for making again and again. Thrown into the mix is a CIA spy (played almost kittenish at times by Annette Bening), whose ties to the terrorists appear to be at the center of the conflicts. When the bombings escalate out of control, the President institutes martial law, sending in General Devereaux (played with impenetrable countenance by Bruce Willis) with tanks and troops to ferret out the terrorists. Echoes of Japanese-Americans in internment camps ring out as Arabs, including the son of the Arab-American FBI agent, are herded into a stadium. Periodic audio-montages of "man in the street" sentiments anchor the material in the present and show how serious and relevant the material is. But finally what we have is a taut and entertaining popcorn movie, giving itself the humanistic nod when it can. --Jim Gay

Description

When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make it's bloody mark on the streets of New York, it's up to FBI special agent Anthony "Hub" Hubbard (Washington) and U.S. Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who's responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together, they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up towage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists.

Average customer rating:

Great mini series
Minnie Series
A do not MISS. This is well worth the investment of time!
Very good series
jeux sans frontieres

The Grid
Starring: Dylan McDermott , Julianna Margulies , Bernard Hill , Jemma Redgrave , and James Remar
Director: Mikael Salomon
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B0006GAO4A
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Amazon.com

Broadcast on TNT in July 2004, The Grid is an ambitious, often-gripping miniseries depicting the battle against terrorism in a post-9/11 world. When a terrorist cell's sarin attack in London backfires, an unusual and sometimes-uneasy partnership is formed to anticipate and prevent the next strike. The team consists of counterterrorism analysts and agents from the National Security Council (Julianna Margulies), the FBI (Dylan McDermott), the CIA (Peter Marek), and Britain's MI-5 (Bernard Hill) and MI-6 (Jemma Redgrave). Gradually unfolding over six parts and four and a half hours, the BBC-Fox TV coproduction travels across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa following not only the professional and personal lives of the "good guys," but also the terrorists' stories. Comparisons will inevitably be drawn between The Grid and 24 (especially considering the latter's terrorism story lines in seasons 2 and 3). The Grid can't compete in terms of sheer thrills, but it's a well-shot, well-cast ensemble drama with an exciting conclusion that takes place simultaneously on three continents.

The two-DVD set is supplemented by a commentary track by director Mikael Solomon and executive producer Tracey Alexander on two episodes, commentary by Margulies on specific scenes from two episodes, commentary by McDermott on specific scenes from two episodes, 13 deleted scenes, and three featurettes. --David Horiuchi

Description

Beyond the politics, beyond the headlines, and inside the hunt for terror - where the enemy is closer than you think. US & UK forces join to combat an intricate organization of international terrorists plotting a set of vicious attacks against the US and UK in an action-packed, edgy, tense & emotional mini-series.

Customer Reviews:

Great mini series.......2007-06-08

It was a smart and enjoyable mini series. Good to have for any DVD collection.

Minnie Series.......2007-03-26

A good example of why I like to watch or buy T.V. shows , movies .miniseries. They contain a minimal amount of swearing and sex. And are just as entertaining as the so called "art forms" of modern moviedom. This comes to the point ,entertains, is never dull, a good job all around .Has a good apect ratio for a widescreen T.V.. Good photography.

A do not MISS. This is well worth the investment of time!.......2006-07-07

This movie came as a real surprise to me as I began my viewing with absolutely no expectations. In fact, I honestly felt I was going to watch the first 10 minutes (which is my threshhold limitation of reject or play) get bored and finish my ebay store items. I finish all 3 discs (265 minutes) and took only two essential personal breaks! This movie really picked up where Sayriana (that I really expected SOOOO much more from) dropped the ball!

On the back cover of the movie it states "A heart-pounding thriller" is an understatement. It is a well thought out, balanced movie that really makes you stop and think about how vulnerable we really are in the US. The director Mikael Salomon paid incredible attention in full developing the charactors and interweaving their relationship which seems to be amiss in most movies these days. Combine this with a large dose of realism and a well-developed plot, you have the making of a 5 star movie.

Featuring a top-notch cast including Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies; this mini-series plays out in CSI style with the hi-tech slickness of "24". I have found myself mostly disappointed with movies seen lately; I ranked this as one of the two movies Ihave seen in the "EXCELLENT" category in the last YEAR! Don't miss this one!

Very good series.......2006-04-21

I think this is one of the few movies post 9/11 which takes more realistic view of terrorist activities and their repercussions. Picture quality is very good, direction is top class, and multiple location shooting adds the jazz. Story is tight. If you have some interest in world affairs; I am sure you will be glued to the screen throughout.

jeux sans frontieres.......2006-02-27

This mini-series was one of several referred to in the new Season of MI-5 as one which other customers had bought so I invested in it.

As a drama mini-series there is much to commend it, a reasonable plot, some inter-agency skullduggery and backstabbing, an international cast, some great locations and reasonable dialogue as well as a realistic basis for a story. For the enthusiast this moves along at a good pace, there is action and intigue aplenty and just about everyone can relate to it.

Alas, I do not feel that it is overall a satisfactory mix. It is certainly a good thing to have an element of grittiness about the show. I think that it is admirable that the British are portrayed as the patsies of America and a people who, for being America's closest allies are somewhat cynical about American intentions. It is a good thing too that bureaucracy is seen as stiffling of initiatives and is often caught wrong-footed but overall there is a pevasive nagging of something more.

I am not sure if the issue is really one of just not wringing true. I also feel that there is too much politically correct angles when dealing with what is clearly a complex subject with many levels of meaning and where much is open to debate. The fact that the main villain of the piece is not seen as some sort of idealistic fundamentalist demagogue but as someone who has his own, well-financed agenda, may correspond with modern analysis of terrorists but when we are assailed every day on our teelevision screens with tales of insurrgent attacks, it almost appears that the thorny subject of fundamentalist terrorists does not want to be directly addressed.

I also take issue with the timescales involved. Each terrorist atrocity in real life requires months of patient investigation through dead ends and leads that go nowhere. The most sophisticated spying equipment in history still cannot lead us to Osama bin laden and yet we can track down these people within hours. I am not attacking the lack of realism for realism's sake...I am more concerned that we do not inculcate in the general population's mind that these complex problems are quickly solved when this is far from the case.

The best aspect of this mini-series is the establishment of credible characters with their complex lives and attachments and the constantly changing aspects of personalities. Much more human and much more able to be understood as three dimensional characters rather than stereoptypical beings where we do not need to understand what is going on.

Perhaps the three stars is a little harsh but I think a little more thought going into this show could have brought it into the great category, but nevertheless a good piece of entertainment.

Average customer rating:

Amazing this came out just 3 years before 9/11
if only we could turn back the clock....
when plot is overcome
One of the Effects of Cinematic Media: Reaction
A "terrorists come to Brooklyn" movie...

The Siege
Starring: Denzel Washington , Annette Bening , Bruce Willis , Tony Shalhoub , and Sami Bouajila
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005221K
Release Date: 2000-12-26

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Description

Customer Reviews:

Amazing this came out just 3 years before 9/11.......2007-05-07

-Back when this movie came out a lot of people including myself regarded the events in the movie as being a bit too far fetched. I mean there's no way that some terrorist attacks could put everyone in fear and strip away our civil rights. Sadly that's the case we have here and this movie gets it right on every level. It's as if the writers went into the future and saw what was happening and wrote about it back when they first made this movie. It's a very real story about fictional events that hits very close to home. Not to mention that the terror attack that takes place in the movie happens in New York.

-Director Edward Zwick and writers Lawrence Wright and Menno Meyjes did a great job capturing what happens to a city that has a such a tragedy falls on their lap. They never for a second try to milk or anything, or make anyone out to seem like the bad guy but rather just tell the story from a god's eye view point. Each of the characters believe that they are doing what's right. From the over zealous General who sees nothing wrong with killing a prisoner if he feels it's right for the country, to the FBI agent that tries his best to put an end to the horrible ordeal that has befallen his city. Before 9/11 I didn't pay attention to the movie, I certainly enjoyed it and thought it was good, but after those events I now have a newfound respect for the movie and what it was trying to do. It's not a mere piece of entertainment, but a very powerful story of what happens when fear gets the better of us.

-The power house cast in the movie is without a doubt it's greatest strength. We get A list actors playing regular people trying to make sense of the whole madness of the situation and they pull it off wonderfully. The cast is made up of Denzel Washington, Annette Benning, Bruce Willis, and Tony Shaloub. Washington plays the FBI agent that does his job perfectly and always catches the bad guy. Benning plays Sharon who is a lot more complex than she appears to be. Tony Shaloub is known for his great quirky stuff but in this movie he's as serious as it gets and he does a wonderful job of it. Bruce Willis is also great as the General who is loyal to a fault. All the actors and also the supporting actors all inhabit their roles with great believability and work really well in the movie.

-The only slight problem I have with the movie is that it does get a wee bit too preachy at times. Some the speeches by Washington does get close to being pretentious as hell but it's not too bad. It's not like they have heroic brass backing him up or anything but it does get a bit cheesy at times. The music does get a bit distracting too. Revell does a fantastic job with the score that's for sure, but the more ethnic stuff does get a bit old though. It's like every movie that has a Middle Eastern character in it must have some wailing female vocals and ethnic woodwinds. It gets really old really fast.

-It's really creepy how similar the events in this movie are to how things really are now, but even if you put all that aside what you have is a very solid movie with a great cast and a great message.

RECOMMENDED

if only we could turn back the clock...........2007-04-06

A prophetic movie that I have seen 3 times since September 11, 2001. I was in NYC on 9/11 and volunteered as a nurse at ground zero. I had not yet seen "The Siege, " but ironically, when I walked right up to the wreckage that was the Twin Towers in the cover of darkness with flood lights all around, I remember saying to the person standing next to me: "If it weren't for the smell, I would think this wasn't real. It looks like a movie set." About a year later, my now husband and I saw "The Siege" and I was stunned. Forget White House Memos that were ignored, perhaps our government officials should have occasional field trips to the movies. I only hope that camps detaining Muslim Americans on their home soil and true Martial Law are the parts of the movie that are not prophetic, but only Hollywood. My fingers are crossed...

when plot is overcome.......2007-03-26

the idea behind the story as well as the acting of the three main characters both overcome the actual plot of this movie. It recieved a higher grade then i would have given it because of the acting, and i almost wished that i could have seen it pre 9/11 as well as post 9/11, just to see how i would react differently. last night was the first time i've seen The Seige, and it was surprising. maybe not great, but surprising.

i think what got me the most was how the terrorists didn't care about their lives, just as they don't over in Iraq. as long as the message is clear and the word got out, they will continue doing what they are doing until the message is listened to. in the movie, it was amazing to see Hollywood's depiction of the chaos that would ensue after such an act. especially since this was before a real incident that happened just about the same way.

at parts, i was wishing for less unnecessary plot points, as well as some of them to come together better, but as for a whole, The Seige did it's job.

One of the Effects of Cinematic Media: Reaction.......2007-01-24

Watching the 1998 THE SIEGE in 2007 and then rolling through all the reviews of this film from the time of release to the present is a lesson in the power of the cinema. The obvious initial response was less about the film as a film than about the manner in which the FBI, CIA, Military, Terrorists, and public responded to the unimaginable: shouts of protests about 'glorification of occult terrorists', the Hollywood idea of the impossible happening, and the criticism of the fine cast of actors who steeped into roles 'beyond swallowing' are all here in these reviews.

Now, six years after 9/11 reviewers are taking a different view, though most still find the film pompous and obnoxious. Offensive versus defensive. And after viewing the movie as a movie it is gratifying to know that people feel strongly and are vocal about the depiction of the 'war against terrorism' we continue to lose. Movies that make people think and talk are valuable, and in that light the film is more successful than initially considered.

Yes, there are gaping holes in the script and the plot and the concept, but as a little thriller it maintains our attention throughout and offers some fine moments from actors such as Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Tony Shalhoub, Bruce Willis, Sami Bouajila, Ahmed Ben Larby, Aasif Mandvi among others. And then there are the panoramas of New York City under siege with the Twin Towers standing mightily in the cityscape... It begs the question: if scriptwriter Lawrence Wright and director Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire, Glory, Leaving Normal, Legends of the Fall, etc) were thinking along these lines and finding flaws in our intelligence forces, why weren't the leaders in Washington, DC in tune with 'absurd possibilities'? It makes one think - and that is the best thing about this film. Grady Harp, January 07

A "terrorists come to Brooklyn" movie..........2006-12-30

The Siege is basically a "terrorists come to Brooklyn" movie. It stars Denzel Washington as leader of a FBI team investigating terrorist cells in NYC, Annette Bening as a sly and shifty CIA agent. Bruce Willis as the two-star Army general who brings his troops to town, and Tony Shalhoub as Washington's Arab-American partner (nice job, Tony).

So what happens WHEN things start blowing up? The FBI works flat out in stopping the bad guys. There are jurisdictional issues with other agencies. Shadowy folk remain shadowy. There are power plays. People want the ear of the president. And there are victims, heros, and villains. This movie has them all.

The plot had a convincing build-up, but the conclusion was a bit anti-climatic. The final cell was a bit too Hollywood, with everybody showing up at just the right time... and in the unoccupied public baths?

However, this movie is worth viewing for those first 80 minutes.

Average customer rating:

G-Men
No fidelity is forever!
Another entertaining Warner's film from the production line
James Cagney makes publicity for J: Edgar Hoover...
A good guy with shady friends.

G Men
Starring: Robert Armstrong , Marie Astaire , Brooks Benedict , Monte Blue , and Stanley Blystone
Director: William Keighley
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FI9OBS
Release Date: 2006-07-18

Amazon.com

There comes a time in the career of every gangster star when he has to go straight. Jimmy Cagney did it in "G" Men, a crisp crimefighting drama directed by William Keighley. Its hero is one more Cagney variation on the working-class guy with a smart mouth and a hard right, only this time he's a lawyer whose education was paid for by the avuncular local crimelord. Cagney's on the square, though, and after a law-school pal turned F.B.I. agent is murdered in the line of duty, he joins the Bureau. Made with the blessings of J. Edgar Hoover, the movie pays homage to several spectacular moments in Bureau legend, but it's at its grabbiest when things get personal for Cagney--say, the complications that arise from his onetime sorta-girlfriend, nightclub chanteuse Ann Dvorak, taking up with very bad dude Barton MacLane.

Film critic Manny Farber praised Keighley as "the least sentimental director of gangster careers," and he gives the numerous murders and shootouts a jolting ferocity. (Thirteen years later Keighley helmed the excellent F.B.I. case history Street With No Name.) The I-don't-like-you-and-I-don't-trust-you byplay between Cagney and his Bureau boss Robert Armstrong gets old, but there's flavorful thuggery from MacLane, Edward Pawley, Noel Madison, et al. "G" Men's style is briskly no-nonsense, yet so beautifully has the film been restored and digitally remastered, there are moments when Sol Polito's cinematography literally glows. One gripe only: The movie should have been presented as it was in 1935, without the F.B.I.-classroom intro tacked on for 1949 reissue (the sort of thing "Special Features" was made for). --Richard T. Jameson

Description

In 1931, James Cagney helped jump-start the gangster genre as The Public Enemy. In 1935, he waged on-screen war against the nation's public enemies. Outcries against movies that glorified underworld criminals put Cagney on the side of the law in "G" Men. Emphasis may have changed but elements are the same. "G" Men builds to a fury of bold escapes, siren-wailing pursuits and frenzied shootouts. "Anything worth newspaper space is worth a movie," Warner Bros. executive Lou Edelman declared. Here, a punchy hot-off-the-presses account of the pursuit and capture of John Dillinger provides the story inspiration as tough-guy Cagney gives it to 'em good in a movie that's "fast, gutsy, as simplistic and powerful as a tabloid headline" (Geoff Andrew, Time Out Film Guide).

Customer Reviews:

G-Men.......2007-06-20

After solidifying his reputation as Hollywood's number-one bad guy, Cagney played a straight-edge lawman in this gangland drama, a huge hit for Warners and great publicity for J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling department, which had only recently granted officers the right to bear arms (a big plot point in the film). Cagney is mesmerizing as Brick, prudent and principled but also tough as nails and willing to throw his weight around. His two love interests, a bar-girl-gone-wrong (Ann Dvorak) and hospital nurse (Margaret Lindsay), land him in a tangle and also help amplify the theme of divided loyalties. Cagney is at his riveting, entertaining best in "G Men."

No fidelity is forever!.......2006-12-05

Although he was raised by an underworld important personage., James Cagney will join F.B.I., when a pal is killed by gangsters ., and he will put all his first hand experience to be useful.

Another little gem of William Keighley of the middle thirties.

Another entertaining Warner's film from the production line.......2006-08-10

"G Men" made in 1935 was a clever response by Warner Brothers to the new Hays Code finally enforced in 1934 and which applied strict censorship on the Hollywood product. The challenge was to maintain the excitement of the gangster genre at the same time as honouring the new code which, among other things, insisted that the gangster not be glamourised.

The solution was to switch the magnetic Jimmy Cagney to the other side of the law and make the gangsters headed by the less than magnetic Barton Maclane much less attractive. The film has a slight documentary feel as Cagney enlists as a G Man when he is unable to make a living as a lawyer. The first section of the film follows his training and it is fairly tedious. Cagney is put through his paces by Robert Armstrong in the cliched role which Pat O'Brien usually played, Cagney's sparring superior officer. Having honoured the Code by expounding the work of the law protectors, Cagney is assigned to a case and the film switches to the gangsters and finally takes off. There are re-enactments of recorded gangland murders and the shootout in a cabin in the mountains has all the violence and excitement of the earlier pre-code films.

Ann Dvorak plays a good hearted night club performer who has a yen for Cagney but marries vicious Barton McLane. She is superb as always and performs a rather untidy but enthusiastic song and dance early in the film. Margaret Lindsay plays the leading lady to Cagney in her usual colourless way. Lloyd Nolan plays Cagney's pal who is murdered in the course of duty.

The film was a box office sensation in 1935, endorsed enthusiastically by the FBI and the Hays Office for informing the public about the prevention of crime. Cagney also was delighted to be playing on the right side for once.

The DVD print is excellent and captures the excellent lighting which gets darker as the film's plot does. It is also packed with good extras. There is an informative documentary about the enforcement of the Production Code but the excellent commentary attached to the film itself is hampered by the nasal drawl of the commentator's voice - unfortunate! There is an hilarious short film with the young Bob Hope which is a rare gem and the Looney Tune cartoon included has that great combination of music and drawings which is so entertaining. Also there is a short film, one of a series on golf, with Cagney appearing without makeup. He looks completely different, freckle faced and tow headed. Finally, a blooper reel is included from Warners films of 1935 and a preview of "Devil Dogs of the Air", a Pat O'Brien/Cagney teaming in cliched roles which were repeated a number of times throughout the decade.

Whether as part of the Warner's Tough Guys set or on its own, the DVD is great value.

James Cagney makes publicity for J: Edgar Hoover..........2006-05-02

...And enjoys every minute. The film begins when Brick Davis (James Cagney) an idealistic but unsuccessful lawyer bows out a mother-beating crook. He refuses to become a shyster but respectable clients rarely show up in his Eastside-office. When one of his friends, a new-fledged G-man is killed during an arrest he decides to join the FBI. Cagney's patron McKay, a basically good racketeer who invested $20.000 in his college-education, agrees with his decision. He too plans to leave the mob ("It does not pay. It brings just money"). His decision infuriates his two underlings : Leggett (a posh gangster with bowler & gardenia) and Collins ( Barton McLane, who never read Emily Post - but his co-stars liked him a lot). Leggett and Collins warn Cagney not to poke his nose into their affairs - it goes without saying that he spends the rest of the film hunting these Dillinger-clones down. They rob banks in passing, stage a railway massacre and butcher officers with their machine-guns.

But first Cagney has to convince his instructor McCord (Robert Armstrong who captured King Kong) that he is no "babe-in-arms". McCord does not think much of "members of the academic club" and the scenes where he tries to "teach" Cagney how to spar and shoot are comic highlights. (Cagney's jiu-jitsu trainer however sends him on the mattress. His judo-scenes in BLOOD ON THE SUN 1945 are even more spectacular). He makes also eyes at McCord's sister (Margaret Lindsy who enervated him with her phony British accent). The filmmakers seize every opportunity to show off FBI-efficiency: they make ballistic tests, compare fingerprints, and Cagney wears even a tie with a mini-camera.

The film's most famous scene is a ten-minutes gunfire at the gangster's country hideout. Real bullets were fired and even gangster-molls are armed to the teeth! (The film cost $450.000 and it shows). There are also two emotional moments when Cagney inadvertently shoots his benefactor whom the gangsters used as human shield and when Collins, who married Cagney's old flame (Ann Dvorak who is excellent) "silences" his wife when she tries to help the kidnapped Margaret Lindsay. Most of the film's mood however is merry and optimistic. G-MEN was one of Warner's biggest box-office hits and everybody (except the gangsters, of course) was convinced that the institution of the FBI was a happy event.

Cagney played more profound roles in his life, but the smart, white-collared FBI-agent was one of his favorites. This is why his performance is so cheerful and entertaining. "Honest at last, mom!" he told his mother. THE PUBLIC ENEMY(1931) made him a star, but he hated nothing more than his screen-image, understandable, in view of his own, exemplary life. I was pleased to read that he paid for the defense of the "Scottsboro boys" (nine African-American youths who were innocently sentenced to death in Alabama 1936. The press of the time smeared Cagney for his moral courage!). And FBI-director Hoover, who enjoyed standing in the limelight, was so positive about the film's publicity-value that he welcomed the film-crew with open arms.

A good guy with shady friends........2005-11-18

Jimmy Cagney polishes his tough, street smart, gangster-type image. This time he is not a punk, he's a fed, if not squeaky clean, at least honest. He's a young lawyer who joins the FBI to avenge his best friend's murder. The name FBI is not used nor is J. Edgar's culture present. New technologies for the time are shown. Interesting, but certainly not the CSI of today. Real life events of the time are woven into the story such as the Kansas City Massacre which occurred in 1933.
It is an old fashioned cops n' robbers movie from the 1930's with the stock characters, classic old cars, chases, gunfights & crashes. This movie is guileless. The guilty are killed or captured, Cagney is the hero, gets shot, recovers & gets the girl in the end, his boss's sister no less. An old favorite.

Average customer rating:

Amazing this came out just 3 years before 9/11
if only we could turn back the clock....
when plot is overcome
One of the Effects of Cinematic Media: Reaction
A "terrorists come to Brooklyn" movie...

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ASIN: 6305364206
Release Date: 1999-04-20

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Amazing this came out just 3 years before 9/11.......2007-05-07

if only we could turn back the clock...........2007-04-06

when plot is overcome.......2007-03-26

One of the Effects of Cinematic Media: Reaction.......2007-01-24

A "terrorists come to Brooklyn" movie..........2006-12-30

Average customer rating:

Siege (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Denzel Washington , Annette Bening , Bruce Willis , Tony Shalhoub , and Sami Bouajila
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JA9I
Release Date: 2000-12-26

Description

Average customer rating:

Mediocre
I FIRMLY believe this movie proved Tom Cruise COULD actually act !
A Little Disappointed
Legal Thriller
What was Sidney Pollack doing in directing this?

The Firm
Starring: Joey Anderson , Tobin Bell , Wilford Brimley , Gary Busey , and Paul Calderon
Director: Sydney Pollack
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CXA1
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Amazon.com essential video

This first film adaptation of a John Grisham novel is a crackerjack popcorn movie that satisfies even though it radically changes the last half of the book. The novel's dynamic setup is intact: Mitch McDeere, a hot law graduate (a well-suited Tom Cruise), finds a dream job in a luxurious Memphis law firm. His superiors (Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook) provide Mitch and his young wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn), with a house and plenty of money in exchange for lots of work, and maybe something more. Soon FBI agents (including a bald Ed Harris) encircle Mitch, telling him his firm has a sinister secret, forcing Mitch into a heck of a pickle. How Mitch deals with his situation is where the book and movie differ, yet by the time Mitch is running from bad guys with suitcase in hand, the movie delivers Grisham's goods. For Sydney Pollack's film, Mitch is more confrontational and heroic. Plot aside, the care Pollack put into this fair-weather thriller is unimpeachable, as is his cast. There's hardly a better all-star cast in any '90s thriller, from Hackman and Harris in key roles to actors in smaller parts, sometimes with only a scene or two. Standouts include David Strathairn as Mitch's wayward brother, Wilford Brimley as the head of security, film producer Jerry Weintraub as an angry client, Gary Busey as a private investigator, and Holly Hunter in a delicious, Oscar-nominated supporting role as Busey's most loyal of secretaries. The cast seems to have had as much fun making the film as we do watching it. It's slick Hollywood product, but first-rate all the way. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre .......2007-06-25

I FIRMLY believe this movie proved Tom Cruise COULD actually act !.......2007-03-09

A Little Disappointed.......2007-02-22

I like John Grisham, but this movie did not follow the book very well and an actor other than Tom Cruise would have been better.

Legal Thriller.......2007-02-21

What was Sidney Pollack doing in directing this?.......2007-01-31

Average customer rating:

little gem
EXCELLENT & UNDER RATED Greaseball GEM !!
Beyond atrocity

Federal Hill
Starring: Jason Andrews , Anthony de Sando , Nicholas Turturro , Frank Vincent , and Michael Corrente
Director: Michael Corrente
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Outside Providence

ASIN: B0006Z2LLA
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Product Description

On the mean streets of providence, Rhode Island, five fiends struggle for a future in the mob-infested neighborhood known as federal Hill. Petty burglar Ralph (Nicholas Turturro of NYPD Blue ) and his drug-dealing friend Nicky (Anthony De Sando) are inseparable until a beautiful and privileged college student leads Nicky to cross over to the right side of the tracks, leaving Ralph and the gang behind. But when trouble emerges back on the Hill, Nicky is forced to choose between his friends and his dreams away from Federal Hill.

System Requirements:

Running Time 100 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

little gem.......2005-10-12

As a former Rhode Islander I was attracted to this movie. I had rented Outside Providence and did not care for it. Had an unknown local actor played Baldwin's part it might have been good. Federal Hill, however, was quite good. It completely captured Providence and Federal Hill. I imagine the upcoming movie about Buddy Cianci will be similar as far as the rich cultural portrait Turturro offers. I truly can not imagine anyone saying this is a horrible movie. It's really quite good.

EXCELLENT & UNDER RATED Greaseball GEM !!.......2005-02-21

This movie was filmed in my home town of Providence, Rhode Island in the early 1990's. Back then Providence wasn't looking so good, as it was going through lots of construction. You can see some of the ugliness & gloom Providence experienced back then, in this film. It's a melancholy drama, with hints of oddball humor and plenty of greasy mob guy language. Also you can see enjoyable early footage of some famous actors, and some who SHOULD be more well-known. The portrayals of Rhode Islander Italian Americans is very well done.

The story is fairly simple, but very rich in texture and
typical Italian culture (namely the thug stereotypes.) The neighborhood in Providence in which the actors (thug-types) grew up together in, is called Federal Hill, hence the name of the movie. I used to live there growing up, and the scenes on 'the Hill' such as the bakery/deli, and the restaraunt, were very pleasant for me to see.

Needless to say, there is some odd behavior amongst a couple of the main characters, which leads to PLENTY of trouble!

With a good dose of drama, humor, sometimes depressing situations, class, and quality acting, Federal Hill is a well done, low budget, artsy mob-flick.. Under rated indeed!

These days, the downtown area of Providence is beautiful and a lot has been done to make this colonial city a fun place to visit.

The actor who plays Ralphie went on to become a big star on a major network station's police drama.. and the actress who plays the character Wendy in the film, can currently be seen on a home makeover program.

During the end credits of this wonderful film, the very beautiful song 'Run You Away' from the artist Susan Said (susansaid dot com) plays