Initiation

Starring:Lawrence, Harvey, Winchester, Otto, Smith
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

History of Native American Life
A Learning Experience
Great movie
Better than Dances With Wolves
Authentic and brutal rite of passage

A Man Called Horse
Starring: Richard Harris , Judith Anderson , Jean Gascon , Manu Tupou , and Corinna Tsopei
Director: Elliot Silverstein
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008CMR5
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Amazon.com

American Indians were a "cool" factor in 1970 cinema, the year A Man Called Horse made its vigorous, feverishly real, and occasionally shocking debut alongside Little Big Man and Soldier Blue. Unlike the latter two films, however, Horse is less an allegory for Vietnam-era America and more of a vision quest for historical identity. In one of his defining roles, Richard Harris plays an English aristocrat captured by Dakota Sioux in 1825. Over time, he adopts their way of life and eventually becomes tribal leader--but not before undergoing savage initiation rituals, the most famous of which involves being suspended by blades inserted beneath Harris's pectoral muscles. Horse looks clunky, quaint, and inadvertently demeaning in some respects today, but the film's Native American milieu is at least defined on its own terms, i.e., whole cloth and apart from familiar Western conventions. The real draw is Harris, whose performance has a soulful integrity. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

History of Native American Life.......2007-01-10

Being a history teacher, I needed a movie that would depict realistic Native American life for a Texas history unit. I remembered this movie
from my youth and what an impact it made on the nation. My students are not exposed to those great epic movies of yesterday. This film is an accurate accounting of everyday village life of the Sioux. It truly is a
historical classic with superb acting from Richard Harris and others. It is a must see and one for our children to view in their studies of Native Americans.

A Learning Experience.......2006-12-01

If people thought Mel Gibson had it tough getting people to watch a movie that was fully in Aramaic, think back to 1970 when A Man Called Horse came out. This movie is almost entirely spoken in Lakota, and there aren't subtitles. This helps you to really get a sense of what it was like to be thrown into a foreign culture and to try to thrive there.

Richard Harris plays John Morgan, a nobleman from England who has gotten bored with life and has been romping around the plans of the American West to find something more interesting. This is back in the 1820s, before the civil war, when there were vast expanses of quiet. Suddenly, Morgan is captured by the Sioux Indians. They treat him like a pack animal, calling him horse. It's not necessarily that the natives were "excessively cruel" to their captured slaves, in an unusual way. They looked down on them just as the southerners looked down on their slaves. They treated them as functional possessions - to be fed and watered, but certainly not paid much concern to. Morgan has to do chores, eat what is given to him, and sleep outside in the cold.

Morgan learns to do what he must to stay alive, including defending his dignity. We get an "I am not a horse!" stand, very much reminding us of "I am not an animal!" from a certain other movie. Every person wants to be respected for their humanity. The chief's sister falls for his good looks and soon the two are making goo-goo eyes at each other. But there's a catch. For Morgan to get the girl, he needs scars on his chest.

In a scene which probably goes down as one of the most memorable in all movies featuring native american cultures, claws are inserted into Morgan's chest muscles and he is suspended by them, spinning in slow circles. It is of course agonizing. But it was also a rite of passage, a way for a boy to prove he had become a man. A tribal "tattoo" if you will. The ceremony was the Sun Dance, to celebrate the strength and power of life.

I give the movie high marks for really striving to keep the situations authentic. We don't get translations of all the Lakota language, nor is the movie "dubbed" in English. Instead, you have to listen to the native language and try to learn as you go what they are saying. There are of course English sections where Morgan is talking to himself or to another captive in the group. The clothing, the homes, the ceremonial lodge are all quite fascinating to see. Many of the actors were from the Sioux reservation and knew how to do these things properly.

That being said, there is also a bit of "English dude saves backwards natives" as well. It's Morgan's skilled tactics that save the day when a battle ensues - even though this tribe has been fighting wars their entire lives, while Morgan has been off lazing in the sun. The chief's daughter could marry whoever she wanted and choose the "best of the best" - and she goes for Morgan. In very little time - and without really learning the language - Morgan goes from looked down on slave to most exulted leader.

I am also a bit embarassed that they had such trouble finding real native americans to play the lead roles. I realize if we watch a movie about the Roman Empire we tend to have Americans, not 100% Romans, playing those parts. They put Americans into all the parts in a Robin Hood movie, too. However, Native Americans *are* Americans and they were right there in the areas that the movies were being filmed. Instead, they took actors who did not look Native American at all, painted them red, and made it seem that it was good enough. I certainly understand that a good actor can submerge himself into the part, but if the movie is about a captured male African slave and his traumas coming to America, it wouldn't do well to have that played by Gwyneth Paltrow and filmed in Siberia. As good as an actress as she is, the visual mismatch would interfere with the story.

Still, in all, it is definitely a movie to watch at least one, and appreciate the parts that were done well. At one point, Morgan's fellow slave crows over a bad thing which has happened to one of the Sioux. Morgan turns and snarls at him, asking him if he has learned nothing in the five years he has been with the tribe. I certainly appreciate that sense that we can all learn from other cultures, if we would just open our ears and listen.

Great movie .......2006-08-30

This movie was great for anyone interested in Indian history. You get a feel for how they lived. If you're not sympothetic to how white men treated them before the movie, you will be afterwards.

Better than Dances With Wolves.......2006-08-07

An English nobleman, visiting circa-1820 America, is kidnapped by a band of Sioux warriors. Before you can say `Lord Greystoke" John Morgan (Richard Harris) is adapting to the strange and savage savages, and integrating himself into their strange and savage culture. That adaptation, of course, ultimately results in Lord John having a pair of splinters driven deep under his chest muscles and getting hoisted high in the air by a rope attached to those splinters. After this initiation ceremony Horse/Lord John/Harris becomes a respected warrior in the tribe. The scene, gruesomely realistic when A MAN CALLED HORSE was released in 1970, still works pretty well today.

I recommend this movie with, no pun intended, reservations. Director Elliot Silverstein does a good job of presenting the story from Harris's point of view. His initial capture and harsh treatment is appropriately exciting and unsettling. Harris is good in the physically demanding lead role, and conveys well the disorientation Lord John feels and his gradually increasing confidence in the hostile environment. And it's always nice to have a movie pay attention to details when it takes place in a foreign and exotic location - in this case a Sioux tribe in the early decades of the 19th century. The small stuff, as far as I can tell, is accurately related.

On the other hand, the `Tarzan factor' always has to be taken into account. White English nobleman travels to the colony, is kidnapped by the `natives' and, through inherent superiority, rises to a position of power and prestige in the foreign environment. At least A MAN CALLED HORSE treats the Sioux with interest and respect, and even has a few Native Americans, most notably Eddie Little Sky, among the cast. Well, Iron Eyes Cody, the `Crying Indian' some of us may remember from anti-pollution television commercials of the `70s, has a part in it too. But I've just learned, to my surprise, that Iron Eyes Cody was a second-generation, full blooded Italian from Louisiana whose real name was Espera DeCorti. Who'da thunk? Yellow Hand, the chief who claims initial ownership of Horse, is played by Manu Tupou (Fiji Islands.) Running Deer, Horse's eventual love interest, is played by Corinna Tsopei, Miss Greece 1964. Perhaps the most intriguing bit of casting is the actress who plays Yellow Hand's mother and Horse's opening day tormenter, Buffalo Cow Head - beneath the brown grease paint and buckskin robe it's no other than the redoubtable Dame Judith Anderson.

A MAN CALLED HORSE was followed, a half decade or so later, by RETURN OF A MAN CALLED HORSE. I haven't seen the second one but enjoyed the first well enough to bury it deep in a rental queue.

Authentic and brutal rite of passage.......2006-05-15

Richard Harris stars as John Morgan a privileged but bored English nobleman hunting in the Northwest in the 1820's. He is captured and his party slain by a band of Sioux Indians. Brought back to their village he is presented to the aged mother of the chief, Buffalo Cow Head played by Dame Judith Anderson. He is degraded, dehumanized and must serve as the old lady's slave.

"A Man Called Horse" was extensively researched as to the lifestyle among the Sioux at this time and portrayed in beautifully photographed and acted out fashion. Harris gradually embraces the way of the Sioux and is schooled by another prisoner Batiste, a half Indian and half Frenchman who acts as his interpreter.

Harris falls in love with the sister of the chief, Running Deer played by the gorgeous raven haired Corinna Tsopei, a former Miss Universe from Greece. The chief, Yellow Hand played by Manu Tupou will not approve of their marriage until Harris undergoes the Sun Vow, a harsh, hurtful ceremony to prove his bravery.

Filmed in both Mexico and South Dakota with a large native American supporting cast, the movie goes on to effectively portray the tragedy that follows Harris and the Sioux tribe as they struggle for survival in the competitive environment they populated back in those days.

Average customer rating:

Great video for teens
Dying to Belong

Dying to Belong
Starring: Sarah Chalke , Mark-Paul Gosselaar , Isabella Hoffman , Jenna von Oy , and Jennifer Warren
Director: William A. Graham
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000A59PZG
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Customer Reviews:

Great video for teens.......2007-06-27

I teach "The Battle of Jericho" and this video does a pretty good job depicting the hazing issue. My female students enjoyed it more than the males.

Dying to Belong.......2007-04-14

I never purchased this movie so I can't very well review it. However, I did see it on television and wasn't that impressed.

Average customer rating:

Avoid This
Consider only if you can get a dollar rental
I dont Hate Paris Hilton, But after this movie I might
a film that hardly stands out but it's a good pass time!
Amazing!

National Lampoon's Pledge This!
Starring: Paula Garcés , Rick Najera , Heather Chasen , Kerri Kenney , and Diva Zappa
Director: William Heins
Manufacturer: Film Mates
ProductGroup: DVD
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American Pie - The Naked Mile (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2: College @ Sea
National Lampoon's Barely Legal
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Beerfest (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000I8OMEO
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Description

Get ready for the raucous, unrated version of National Lampoon's Pledge This! starring Paris Hilton and Paula Garces (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle). A group of freshman female misfits will do anything to get into the Gamma, Gamma Sorority but first they'll have to impress Gamma president Victoria (Paris Hilton) . Soon it's all out class warfare between these pledges and the beautiful "it" girls who rule the sorority scene. It's a hilarious comedy in the over-the-top tradition of the Old School and Van Wilder comedies.

Customer Reviews:

Avoid This.......2007-05-29

In "National Lampoon's Pledge This!" Paris Hilton is "Victoria English," president of South Beach University's fiercely exclusive sorority "Gamma Gamma." Everyone adores her, worships her and wants to be accepted by her, and everyone wants to be like her ... are you still listening?

Reese Witherspoon might have this uninspired story watchiable with her comedic talent. Sorry, no such luck here because Ms. Witherspoon was not available. Instead you see Paris Hilton doing nothing particularly great, except gliding around the campus in expensive dress or saying something silly smugly. Actually she does nothing even during the film's pie-throwing scenes (yes, there is!) because no pie hits her.

There are toilet jokes (about school toilet "eating" a poor girl, and ... er ... about one exploding toilet, no, I'm not kidding) and of course, lots of nudities. But there is more to come after these gross-out gags and the film gets worse. A group of freshmen arrive, mostly stereotyped "outcasts" or "misfits" and they have to undergo humiliating "initiation" in order to be member of the sorority. This part is not just unfunny, but repulsive.

Finally I didn't write the names of co-stars and cameos because most probably they want to forget anything about it all and must have already deleted the name of the film from their CV by now. So please, listen, here is my advice; Avoid this.

Consider only if you can get a dollar rental.......2007-05-09

I rented this movie from a video machine at our local grocery for a dollar. Had I rented it from a movie store for $4, I would have felt cheated. This is a dumb movie and not very funny. It is hard to believe so many reviewers are giving it 3 and 4 stars. When I think of National Lampoon, I think of Animal House and Vacation. This movie is not in the same league or even close. It seems this movie was written for Paris Hilton, as the charater she plays is a carbon copy of her in real life. Maybe die hard Paris Hilton fans will find more to appreciate than I did.

I dont Hate Paris Hilton, But after this movie I might.......2007-04-29

PARIS PARIS PARIS, where do I begin

I know you are a lil rich kid, who is trying to make it as a media star, you know TV seroes, record deal, pin ups. and movies...and your choice are farely great to highlight you...However, this movie is a step back for even you.

This National Lampoon film is neither an ANIMAL HOUSE nor a VACATION. It is real weak film versions of the American Pie series combined with Bring it On and Legally Blonde films without the cheerleading. John Waters could have made a better film in his sleep..and I think he has!

The plot is confusing story line. Also with 30 year old adults trying to play college cut ups, it seems like these "KIDS" seem too old to do some of this CRAZY STUFF.

Their sight gags may make anyone gag. The pie scene steals from ANIMAL HOUSE's & Blazing Saddles's food fight and old three stooges movies..and Paris, you get not a drop of pie on you (AMAZING since you are inthe middle of the tossing)

The one star is for the star of the film, Ms Hilton...who is her screen time makes herself seen. It does not always advance the plot much, but she is beautiful to watch.

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

a film that hardly stands out but it's a good pass time!.......2007-01-31

I like this film because several reasons, unlike most of the National Lampoon's I've recently seen, this was the least silly & disgusting. there was a better plot to it, Paris Hilton is a fine actor! alot of people would say she's playing herself in this movie but if u think that, then u don't really know her. but I'm not getting into that. now to the plot, Veronica(Hilton) is the hottest girl in the school, popular, dating the "hottest" guy on campus & is totally rich! looking to win a chance to get a photoshoot for FHM, she needs the hottest girls to compete with her. only that doesn't go so well when she starts treating some of the wannabees like crap & they decide to retaliate. there is a journey of self-discovery, lessons to be learned but it's not a big part of the film & kinda comes from nowhere. lots of this doesn't make sense but who cares. it's a very cheesy flick but it has humor, nudity, all the things u'd want from a National Lampoon's flick & I give it points for trying something new & actually having a point to the film! I say it's a good film to see, though maybe not a family film, it's still worth your time!

Amazing!.......2007-01-17

Ok, everybody who left those bad reviews were Hilton haters. This movie is a lot of fun and I would suggest it to anybody who DOES like Paris Hilton. The movie is the best I have seen her in and I really hope she will be in more like this one. I thought it was really funny!

Average customer rating:

TIBETAN BUDDHISM ART
werner on the wheel
Rare glimpse at Kalachakra rites
Fascinating film...
Cultivating compassion

Wheel of Time
Starring: Thupten Tsering , The Dalai Lama (XIV) , Mattieu Ricard , and Takna Jigme Sangpo
Director: Werner Herzog
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000AQ68Y6
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

As filmmaker and cultural anthropologist, Werner Herzog brings his unique powers of observation to Buddhist rituals in Wheel of Time. The documentary's title refers to the central symbol that forms the physical and spiritual hub of an intricately detailed sand mandala that is the centerpiece of the Kalachakra initiation, a Buddhist ceremony that attracts several hundred thousand monks and pilgrims to Bodh Gaya, India (the original site of the Buddha's enlightenment) in 2002. Through well-chosen images and his own sparse but effective narration, Herzog chronicles this spiritual conclave, incorporating brief interview clips with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, a lively debate between high-level monks at the gathering, an interview with a Tibetan political prisoner who'd spent 37 years in jail, and a visit to the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet, where the faithful endure a high-altitude 52-kilometer trek to worship on holy ground. Having recovered from illness that prevented his full participation in the Bodh Gaya ceremony, the Dalai Lama appears at another Buddhist ceremony in Graz, Austria, where another sand mandala symbolizes the deep significance of Buddhist inner peace. Herzog's fascination with these rituals is infectious, and with a powerful soundtrack of Tibetan music and Buddhist monks' chanting, Wheel of Time achieves its own quiet quality of grace. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Wheel of Time is acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog's (Grizzly Man, Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo) gorgeously photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. It is said that Buddha found enlightenment under a tree in Bodh Gaya and today, Buddhist monks are ordained in this holy place. Herzog magically captures the lengthy pilgrimage (which for some, is over 3,000 miles), the monk's creation of the beautiful and intricate sand mandala (the wheel of time) along with many secret rituals that have never been seen before on film. He delivers a personal and introspective look at what Buddhism really means to its most ardent followers, as well as giving outsiders an intimate look into a fascinating way of life.

Customer Reviews:

TIBETAN BUDDHISM ART.......2007-06-11

I love anything that has to do with sand mandalas and buddhism. Mandalas are complex to explain but their creation as well as their destruction is a fascinating aspect of the impermanence of things. The DVD presents the audience the oportunity to dive into this rare and mystical expression of art. I personally love it and collect all related to tibetan buddhism.

werner on the wheel.......2007-01-25

I like to watch most anything by the documentarian Werner Herzog, and Wheel of Time was no exception. This film finds him in Bodh Gaya, India, where tradition has it that the Buddha first found enlightenment 2,500 years ago under the bo tree. Every few years a half million Buddhist pilgrims travel to Bodh Gaya for a sacred rite convened by the Dalai Lama called the Kalachakra ("Wheel of Time"). The pilgrims come from near and far, many by foot, making prostrations the length of the body the entire trip. One monk from Tibet took three years to travel the 3,000 miles, genuflecting the entire way. Others will make 100,000 of these prostrations once they arrive, a rite that takes six weeks. Central to the series of religious activities is a "mandala" or sculpture made of colored sands that the monks craft from a large stencil. The intricate work of art is destroyed after the rites, the sand returned to the earth, a symbol that all is transitory. In one scene the pilgrims circumambulate the 25 mile base of Mount Kailash (22,000 feet). Wheel of Time has less narration than other Herzog documentaries, leaving you to wonder what some of the throngs of worshippers are doing. Herzog is also much more circumspect with his typical critique. But the combination of color, scenery, history, religion, culture, and language make this a very good if not great film.

Rare glimpse at Kalachakra rites.......2006-03-14

This is a wonderful rare glimpse at the complex Kalachakra initiation rites, once performed only performed in Tibet. One of the most complex rituals in the world, Kalachakra initiation involves ten days of teaching and empowerments for initiates, and elaborate preparations involving even more time before hand.

For me, the emotional coda of the piece is when the Dalai Lama is forced to cancel the initiation due to illness. In response to a previous review posted on this site, the implication that the Dalai Lama is just too lazy or uncomfortable with his accommodations is insulting and absurd. Aside from the fact that the Dalai Lama has always performed this ritual in India or Tibet, his permanent residence is in India! The rituals are complex and mentally exhausting. Once the empowerments have started, it is extremely important to not stop for any reason. To prevent a broken ritual the Dalai Lama decided to postpone it to the next year. Furthermore, not a single person at the initiation would jeopardize the Dalai Lama's health for a ritual that could be performed at a later time.

Fascinating film..........2006-02-27

The film is beautiful and fascinating. If you like the National Geographic-type films about exotic places and people like I do, you would get a kick out of this one. The camera work is superb. The content of the film has some disappointing and anticlimactic moments, however. About half a million monks traveled to Bodh gaya for the festival of Kalachakra. It took some of them more than three years to crawl (literally - they traveled on all fours, in a series of prostrations and standups - if you see the film, you'll know what I mean) from Tibet and other parts of Asia. If you see the scenes in which they distribute the gifts to the faithful, you will once again realize that all the faithful are for the most part basically the same - only gifts and their quantity differ. Dalai Lama was not there to perform the Mandala rituals. He arrived a couple days later and, in his address to the crowd, he said that he canceled all the remaining rituals because of health reasons. He postponed them until the following year and moved them to Austria. Yeah, sure, as if these monks can actually make it there. Looking and acting perfectly healthy, he did not sound convincing at all. As the camera showed the stone-faced crowd, I tried to imagine their disappointment. It may be easy for me to say, but if I was Dalai Lama, I would perform all the rituals for the half million faithful no matter how I felt, unless I was dead or paralyzed. Isn't that supposed to be his primary job and duty? I can't help thinking that the reason Dalai Lama did not want to stay in Bodh Gaya is because it lacked the kind of accomodations that Dalai Lama is accustomed to. I am sure that he was more comfortable staying in one of the hotels in Austria. Plus the exposure to the media one could get in Austria. When he talked about the center of the universe, I think that he literally believed that, that he is the center of the universe, and his conduct seemed to confirm it. Thisw was my first encounter with Dala Lama, so to speak, and I expected a wise ascetic monk. Instead, I saw a man who enjoys fame and comfort as much as anyone else does. He also seemed affected by it no less than any other man would be.

Cultivating compassion.......2006-01-28

In 2002 Werner Herzog went to India to observe the festival of Kalachakra, the ritual that takes place every few years to allow Tibetan Buddhist monks to become ordained. An estimated 500,000 Buddhists attended the initiation at Bodh Gaya, the land where the Buddha is believed to have gained enlightenment. The resulting documentary, Wheel of Time, is not a typical Herzog film about manic eccentrics at odds with nature but an often sublime look at an endangered culture whose very way of life is threatened. Herzog admits that he knows little about Buddhism and we do not learn very much about it in the film, yet as we observe the rituals, the celebrations, and the devotion of Tibetan Buddhists we learn much about the richness of their tradition and their strength as a people.

The festival, which lasts ten days, arose out of the desire to create a strong positive bond for inner peace among a large number of people. The monks begin with chants, music, and mantra recitation to bless the site so that it will be conducive for creating the sand mandala. The magnificently beautiful mandala, which signifies the wheel of time, is carefully constructed at the start of the festival using fourteen different tints of colored sand, then dismantled at the end to dramatize the impermanence of all things. Once built, it is kept in a glass case for the duration of the proceedings so that it will not be disturbed. The most striking aspect of the film are the scenes showing the devotion of the participants. Using two interpreters, Herzog interviews a monk who took three and one-half years to reach the festival while doing prostrations on the 3000-mile journey.

The prostrations, which are similar to bowing and touching the ground, serve as a reminder that we cannot reach enlightenment without first dispelling arrogance and the affliction of pride. In this case, the monk has developed lesions on his hand and a wound on his forehead from touching the earth so many times, yet it hasn't dampened his spirit. Other Buddhists are shown trying to do 100,000 prostrations in six weeks in front of the tree under which the Buddha is supposed to have sat. Herzog introduces a moment of humor when he films a young child imitating the adults by doing his own prostrations but not quite getting the hang of it. In a sequence of rare beauty accompanied by transcendent Tibetan music, we see a Buddhist pilgrimage to worship at the foot of 22,000-foot Mount Kailash, a mountain that is considered in Buddhist and Hindu tradition to be the center of the universe.

The Dalai Lama explains wryly, however, that in reality each of us is truly the center of the universe. After waiting in long lines to witness the Dalai Lama conduct the main ceremony, the crowd is shocked into silence when he tells them that he is too ill to conduct the initiation and will have to wait until the next Kalachakra meeting in Graz, Austria in October. The Graz initiation ceremony is much smaller, however, being confined to a convention hall that can only fit 8000 people; however, everyone is grateful to see the Dalai Lama restored to health. In Austria, Herzog interviews a Tibetan monk who has just been released from a Chinese prison after serving a sentence of thirty-seven years for campaigning for a "Free Tibet". His ecstasy in greeting the Dalai Lama is ineffable. During the closing ceremony, the monks dismantle the Mandala, sweeping up the colored sands and the Dalai Lama releases the mixed sand to the river as a means of extending blessings to the world for peace and healing.

Herzog's mellifluous voice lends a measure of serenity to the proceedings and he seems to be a sympathetic if somewhat detached observer. While he makes every effort not to be intrusive, he cannot resist, however, staging a scene toward the end in which a bodyguard is seen presiding over an almost empty convention hall to illustrate the Buddhist concept of emptiness. Wheel of Time may not be Herzog's best work but it does contain moments of grace and images of spectacular beauty. Because of the destruction of their heritage, the Tibetans survive today mainly in the refugee camps of India. Any effort that promotes an understanding of their culture is very welcome and Wheel of Time provides us with an insight into an ancient tradition geared toward perfecting humanity through quieting the mind and cultivating compassion.

Closely Watched Trains - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Oh, those randy Czechs!
Superb
A Funny Train from Somewhere Sad
A different take on things...
The Last Picture Show Meets Von Ryan's Express

Closely Watched Trains - Criterion Collection
Starring: Jiri Menzel , Josef Somr , Vladimir Valenta , Vaclav Neckar , and Libuse Havelkova
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Kolya
The Conformist (Extended Edition)

ASIN: B00005NFZB
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

Jiri Menzel's funny, tragic 1966 film, set during the years of Germany's occupation of Czechoslovakia, may be admired today more out of nostalgia than anything, but in fact it holds up very well as a wry satire from the years of the Czech New Wave. Vaclav Neckar stars as an unambitious youth whose chief preoccupation is a wish for sex, but who secondarily sees the draw of joining the organized Resistance movement. The latter, however, would require energy and focus, and Neckar's character--who does as little work as possible as an apprentice railway platform guard--prefers the inertia of his small-town depot. Spending his time observing the philandering of an older guard, keeping clear of his wild-eyed boss, and flirting with the female conductor of a passing train, the young hero has his priorities in order but must deal with an increasing responsibility to a larger rebellion. The film has a nice mix of rural lethargy, surreal hints, and comic knowingness about the landscape of teenage ambivalence. Finally, there is something else: the shock of a confrontation between dreams and real-world obligation, particularly in a world gone mad through no fault of one's own. --Tom Keogh

Description

At a village railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia, a bumbling dispatcher's apprentice longs to liberate himself from his virginity. Oblivious to the war and the resistance that surrounds him, this young man embarks on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery, encountering a universe of frustration, eroticism, and adventure within his sleepy backwater depot. Wry and tender, Academy Award®-winning Closely Watched Trains is a masterpiece of human observation and one of the best-loved films of the Czech New Wave.

Customer Reviews:

Oh, those randy Czechs!.......2007-04-01

The "Closely Watched Trains" are those that are carrying supplies to the German army in and through occupied Czechoslovakia during World War II. That is why they are closely watched--so that they run on time. But they are also closely watched by the people of Czechoslovakia, especially dispatcher Hubicka (Josef Somr) and his trainee Milos Hrma (Vaclav Neckar) for another reason, which will become apparent as the movie ends.

Not that Milos and Hubicka are especially diligent workers. On the contrary. What Hubicka is especially adept at is seduction of females while Milos is distracted by his worries about becoming a man. He has what must be seen as a problem demanding comic relief (if you will). He has trouble pleasing his girl friend because of premature ejaculation. He is so consumed by this embarrassing failure that he seeks quietus in the warm bath of a bordello. Meanwhile Hubicka is able to please the pretty young telegraphist Virginia Svata (Jitka Zelenohorska) by playing a kind of strip poker with her and rubber stamping her pretty legs and butt much to her delight and to the consternation of her mother when she finds out. The German Councilor Zednicek (Vlastimil Brodsky) who tolerates no hanky-panky when it comes to keeping the trains moving conducts an investigation and comes to the conclusion that Hubicka is guilty of misuse and abuse of the great German language because he stamped German words onto Virginia's body!

This is the tone of the film, wryly ironic, irreverent and mildly comedic, employing in a sense a kind of off-center "theater of the absurd" treatment. Director Jiri Menzel, who appears briefly in the film as Dr. Brabec who diagnoses Milos's "affliction," spun this off from a novel by Bohumil Hrabal, but it could easily have come from a novel by Jaroslav Hasek, who wrote the celebrated Czech classic, "The Good Soldier Svejk," so alike in treatment and tone are they, and so very characteristic of the Czech national mind-set vis-a-vis all the horrors of the European wars. Menzel concentrates on the petty affairs of day-to-day peasant life, sex, the raising of pigeons and geese, the boredom of bureaucratic jobs as he works toward the culminating scene in which the heroics seem almost light-hearted and to come about more from happenstance than from careful planning.

Some of the scenes in the movie are absolutely unique in the world of cinema and suggest a kind of cinematic genius. The creepy goose-stuffing (for foie gras pate) scene in which Milos seeks help with his "problem" from an older woman is riotous--or would be riotous if we were not so amazed as what she is doing while talking to him and what it LOOKS like she might be doing! The scene in which Stationmaster Lanska is torn between the prospect of seducing a voluptuous woman and the chance that he might miss supper reminded me of a little boy at play with his mother calling him home for dinner. The final scene in which it looks like Menzel may have employed a wind machine is just so perfectly presented, combining as it does the stark realism of the war and a delicious (but soon to be mixed) personal triumph of the resistence.

This is one of the classic films of all time. But prepare to put aside ordinary viewing habits and to concentrate with an alert mind. The subtleties of Menzel's little masterpiece will be obscured by inattention, preconceptions and faulty expectations. (Or at least that is what they'll tell you at film school.)

See this Oscar winner (Best Foreign Film, 1967) for Jiri Menzel who survived oppression and censorship by the Soviets and is still making movies.

Superb .......2006-07-17

Based on an outstanding short novel by the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal, Closely Watched Trains is probably the finest film of the Czech New Wave. The New Wave resulted from a period of experimentation that resulted from the liberalization of the Communist Party that produced the Prague Spring and was terminated by the Soviet invasion. The wit and humor with which Closely Watched Trains approaches Czech life during WWII was undoubtedly a major departure from the conventional party ideology. As commented by other reviewers, Closely Watched Trains is a witty sex comedy and ironic coming of age story. It is also a deeply ironic allegorical account of Czech history during WWII. Superbly filmed and acted.

A Funny Train from Somewhere Sad.......2006-06-15

A funny look at a dramatic world through the eyes of railway workers in a small town in wartime Czechoslovakia. I enjoyed watching this movie, it really is a hopeful and humorous story about human beings in times of turmoil. This is Czechoslovakia during World War II. The Nazis are officially in control, and actively imposing their bureaucracy on the nation. Our protagonist is young Milos Hrma, whose father is a retired railway man, and spends the day sitting at home, looking at his watch, and telling everyone where each train in now. He encourages his son to find employment at the local village railway depot.

Easily the youngest employee at the depot, Milos wants to fit in, be admired, be a man. He wears the uniform of a train dispatcher, but doesn't seem comfortable in it yet. While other reviewers have mentioned young Milos' talk of wanting to have sex, which is actually quite funny in its stark honesty, much can be lost in our descriptions. This is a comedy, not a prurient display. It seems that sex is simply the path Milos believes he must take to be a man. It is his naivety and honesty with his fellow railway employees that makes the whole deal such a riot. This self-created drama keeps his mind off of what is happening around him. Some may be offended by this, in which case I'd suggest you'd probably be happier buying a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD. Milos does show himself a man...and it has little to do with s-e-x. Very worth watching!

Some of the scenes are terrific--I liked the scene where Milos goes up to kiss the female conductor as the train is about to pull away and then...oh, I won't ruin it for you! It really is a funny film set in a heartbreaking time. All the more interesting that it was shot in 1966. Reccommended for comedy buffs and railway workers everywhere. I wish that sort of exitement happened on my train! :)

A different take on things..........2006-01-06

The most interesting aspect of Closely Watched Trains is the camera work behind it. The framing of this (black & white) film is most accomplished. For instance, you might see a distant frontal shot of something, then a medium shot---also head-on (and stationary), then an alternate side angle close-up of what the camera was drawing in on. Of course, the director does pan his camera at times & shots are tracked, but what's most noticable (and interesting) about this film are its multiple stilled shots at varying distances to convey space crossed. Likewise when characters talking to one another are filmed we aren't subjected to head shots of each in alternating succession---showing that only 2 camera were used, but are given a variety of responding shots which gives the impression of 3-5 cameras being employed (whether so many were actually or not, not being the point). In this sense it has the mood of an accomplished silent film, wherein the visuals convey most of the story by themselves (thanks to able direction). So, if you are a fan of filmmaking do give this film some of your time. Incidentially, the World War 2 aspect of this film is rather secondary to the human side of this story, which concerns the separate sex lives of a freshly recruited train station attendant named Milos Hrma & his superior; the latter being a ladies-man & the former rather clueless (being quite despondent about being so---which is effectively captured in stilled, varying angled, close-ups of this man). (05Dec) Cheers!

The Last Picture Show Meets Von Ryan's Express.......2006-01-01

Unless you are seriously into coming of age movies you can skip this one. Critics love this film because it conforms to the modern liberal message that you should have sex with basically anyone. The attempt to make the protagonist Milos into a tragic hero as a resistance fighter fails because it is obviously unimportant addition to the main story, which is that a young man should have sex early and have sex often.

Average customer rating:

one dark night
One Dark Night DVD.
Tilly Shines
Good Spookster
One sinister dark movie

One Dark Night
Starring: Elizabeth Daily , Dave Daniels , Robin Evans , Kevin Peter Hall , and Donald Hotton
Director: Tom McLoughlin
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ASATHG
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Customer Reviews:

one dark night.......2007-05-13

I loved this movie ever since I was a teenager, and when I saw that it was on DVD after all these years...I had to buy it. I loved it then and still in love with this movie!!!! the movie is still a good and scary even though it was made back in the 80's.

One Dark Night DVD........2007-03-04

So let me be the first one to tell you this is one cult classic flick that will scare you well most of you, those who will admit that it did. if you like supernatural thriller films then this one for you, it all begins with a daughter of a scientist that has strange dreams of Girls & Guys being murdered in a weird way . there's a pair of Ladies in high school that call themselves the sisters that are accepting a new recuit in the group , but first she has to pass their childish test. will she survive? rent it to see it's PG For mild Language & strong violence , Mild brief nudity in one scene. It stars Adam west ( Batman fame & one lady that was in better off dead as the singer of the band & now voices cartoons namely tommy of the rugrats Elizabeth Daily. so enjoy this one dark night haaaaa if you can stand it . :) this is a real horror movie not a one passing as one

Highly Recommended for a Good Scare .

Ummm I really think Archor Bay should've got One Dark Night than this company it's only half restored, there are some dirt and scratches left which take away from the enjoyment of watching this film plus a frame jumps, but the colors are bright better then the vhs version which was faded. the case that it comes in also is'nt best .

Tilly Shines.......2006-11-10

A tired initiation theme livened up but one stella performance from Meg and some creative lemonade making from the crew. Quite frightening if you can get into it as much as our heroine. The extra disc is endless footage of filming without narration and interesting as that.

Good Spookster.......2006-08-19

One Dark Night received a limited theatrical release in a year when the slasher film was pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel. Though still a "teens in peril" formula, it earns it's keep by bucking the trend of stalk-&-slash by reaching for some genuine supernatural thrills, and gruesomely morbid set pieces. It really has more in common with the likes of Phantasm than Friday The 13th.

I know many find the first two-thirds slow-going, but I think One Dark Night delivers a relatively sustained build-up to the show-stopping climax, that still gives a honest dose of the creeps.

One sinister dark movie.......2006-07-10

A girl desperatly wants to join a group of other girls but she has to pay a price: she has to spend the night in the local mausuleum. Not much going on you might think. But in a subplot we've allready seen that a mysterious, paranormal-gifted madman is just buried there.
And, as it turnds out, even after his demise, this madman still has a lot of nasty energy within him that wants to "get out" at all cost, making other lost souls in the building come to some sort of "half living state" again.

About all the reasons why I liked this cheap, obscure little horror movie, I have allready mentioned in my user comments review of "Oasis of the Zombies" a.k.a. "Oasis of the living dead".
The low budget gives it a distinct cheap look, which suggests a bit of a documentary-feel, and it has a quiet kind of atmosphere in the overal tone although there's still a lot of screaming and running in this one.

Just like the zombies in "Oasis of the living dead", the living dead who terrorize the girl and some other accidental invaders, are not screaming, running, jumping or acting franticly: they just emerge from their tombs and, quietly gazing, start to move across the floors of the seeming endlessly, dimly lit corridors.
This quietness the undead produce during their menacing assault is some kind of releaf, well... for me it is anyway, and a stray from the too much seen hysterical-zombie-running-and-howling stuff.

But think of this as well: the most eerie scene we catch right at the beinging. Police officers enter the room of an alledged serial killer. The scenery they (and we) witness is both very awkward and strange: a handful of dead girls' bodies lay stacked away in a closet, and kitchen items like plates and forks are stuck in the wall - no extreme blood or gore, but an enstranged, weird and very creepy mise-en-scene which immediately asks for answers.

But what the answers are is of lesser importance. It's how to start a movie in a good and haunting way, without throwing in a shoot-out, a cliché chase of cops and criminals, or a million dollar of cheesy sfx.
It's an eerie and off-beat but highly disturbing start and could have come out of the pen of such `masters of the weird tale' as Thomas Ligotti or Ramsey Campbell.

Okay, there are long, overstretched moments of dullness that break the underlying tention quite a bit. But all the things I mentioned above make this obscure little scare a treat none the less.

Average customer rating:

Terrible
Victoria Secret having a nightmare...
Where to start?
There is no light at the end of this cinematic tunnel
Unforgivable Direction, Story, and Acting. How Could This Movie Have Gone So Wrong?

Death Tunnel
Starring: Steffany Huckaby , Melanie Lewis (II) , Yolanda Pecoraro , Kristin Novak , and Annie Burgstede
Director: Philip Adrian Booth
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B000CQQI8U
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Description

Death Tunnel follows a group of college kids who have to spend a night in a haunted sanatorium. An upscale college initiation party strands five girls in the 'Scariest Place in the World.' Within the five floors of an abandoned hospital built in 1910, haunted by five hosts of its tortured past. As the students, one by one, become victims of its tragic history, they soon uncover a shocking link they all may have to its past - a five hundred foot, underground body chute built to remove the dead bodies of its patients. When each door opens up, new terror and each corridor leads to unimaginable horror and the only way out is through the Death Tunnel.

Customer Reviews:

Terrible.......2007-07-06

As a horror movie buff, independent, and low budget movie fan, I can honestly say this was one of the worst rip off movies I have ever seen. I am from Louisville, KY where Waverly Hills Sanitorium is located, and I am forever fascinated by it's morbid and tragic history. This movie compromised the integrity of everything sacred about that building, not mention ripped off Rob Zombie videos and The House on Haunted Hill. At least The House on Haunted Hill was somewhat tolerable. This, not so much. This film is only for those who like an abundance of naked bodies, excruciating acting, and zero substance "Girls Gone Wild" home movies type of stuff.

Victoria Secret having a nightmare..........2007-06-14

This movie is just horrible. It has all the cliches. The rich girl, the naive girls, the bitchie girls, the stupid jocks and what about all the lingerie? Its like watching the Victoria Secret models out on Halloween! The characters are all miserable on their acting, and the dialogue... alot of foul. Reason to see this movie? No way!

Where to start? .......2007-06-12

I dont normally bother writing reviews because i know everyone has their own opinions and everyone likes different things, but if i can save at least one person from this awful movie it will be worth it. There are plenty other reviews that have pointed out all the problems with this movie so i will try not to just repeat them... but the first clue that this film was going to be bad was in the opening credits "shot, cut, and directed by philip adrian booth"! this means you are either dealing with an egomaniac or there was a very limited amount of creative forces at work. "shot" (aka filmed) with a 12 gauge, "cut" (aka edited) with a razor blade into a billion pieces and then taped back together randomly. if you are interested in this film PLEASE do not purchase it... i will gladly send you my copy which i paid 7.50 for and still feel cheated. if you have seen this movie... why did they never simply walk downstairs and try to go out the door? or even go out one of the many busted out windows? ive recently been to waverly hills and i know for a fact that they have just now started rennovating and replacing the windows... when this movie was filmed there werent any windows in the building! its evident in one of the first scenes! i hate this film and anyone who had anything to do with it!

There is no light at the end of this cinematic tunnel.......2007-05-06

Five girls. Five floors. Five hours. And believe you me, it will feel like every second of five hours before you finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel that is The End. Now I knew going in that most people hated this movie, but I still wanted to see it, dadgummit. After all, five sexy coeds in a haunted sanitorium can't be all that bad, can it? The answer is a resounding Yes - it can and is that bad. This isn't the kind of bad movie that totally amateur filmmakers might go out and shoot over the course of a weekend, either. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to make a horror movie this wretchedly awful. Apparently, it helps when the producer and director dress like Axl Rose. The direction is terrible, jumping back and forth between the actual initiation and the leadup to it for at least the first half of the film and leaving a number of logistical questions completely unanswered. Still, the brunt of the blame must fall upon the writers of this incoherent mess, for they truly deserve to be run out of town by a mob of pitchfork-wielding villagers.

Kentucky's Waverly Hills Sanatorium serves as an ideal setting for the horrors that were supposed to be unleashed here (in fact, the most interesting thing on the whole DVD is the descriptions by cast and crew of some of the spooky things they really experienced there), but Death Tunnel does no favors to the very real history of this medical institution. The filmmakers reportedly used some actual EVP recordings in the movie, but, unfortunately, there is no explanation as to how these were obtained.

At least the five girls aren't bad looking at all, especially lead actress Steffany Huckaby. Don't look for too much in the way of nudity, however, as the filmmaking Booth Brothers obviously don't subscribe to the old "the worse the movie is, the more nudity you show" tradition (if they did, they would have had no need for a costumer at all). Not a single character is given an ounce of substance, so you could care less if and how any of them might die. What you have here are just five college girls chosen for a special initiation at a Truth or Scare party. One girl is deposited on each of the five floors (except they put two of them together for no apparent reason), and they have five hours to get out of the place by way of the infamous Death Tunnel. They know all this, and there are pictures and newspaper clippings everywhere identifying the place as an old sanitorium, yet it takes Heather, supposedly the smart one, almost seventy-five minutes to figure it out (which takes something away from what is supposed to be a climactic scene). And the ending? Don't even get me started on the ending.

A lot of work went into the special effects, but it's just a list of all your usual suspects - blurred images, shaking cameras, and computer-generated ghosts up the wazoo. In other words, it's nothing we haven't seen before, especially in the past few years. Personally, I found Death Tunnel about as scary as cutting my toenails. I could be nice and say the filmmakers probably just tried too hard to make this movie scary, but there's no getting beyond the fact that this is one rotten egg stinker of a horror movie.

Unforgivable Direction, Story, and Acting. How Could This Movie Have Gone So Wrong?.......2007-04-26

How is it possible to set a movie in what's become known as "the scariest place on earth" and have it turn out so badly?

Beats me. But these people managed it.

The premise was passable, albeit B-movie all the way: "Five sexy coeds who've been dared to spend the night" in a creepy old building. (Note to future filmmakers: Any movie that starts with "five sexy coeds" is going to bomb.)

The location (Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, KY) amply provided the creepy old building. Images of Waverly Hills, alone, are enough to give someone the willies. Despite that, the scariest thing about Death Tunnel is that it got made in the first place.

The fault for this train wreck lies squarely with the script and the direction (both of which came from Philip Adrian Booth). I can't blame the actors. They probably thought it would turn out differently. At the very least, they knew they'd get a paycheck for their work. But the dialog and direction are horrendous. The director supposed mechanically-altered voices (low-pitched, of course, to sound evil), rapid jump-cuts, and grainy, often out-of-focus shots and nerve-jangling noises interspersed with whatever vapid acting was happening on screen equal suspense. He supposed wrong. They equal headache.

Hopefully, Mr. Booth hasn't yet quit his day job.

Watch this film only to see the setting, Waverly Hills Sanatorium. But be prepared to be thoroughly disappointed and frustrated by a movie that could have been outstanding with a better script -- and a director more interested in letting the story unfold than in taking the kitchen-sink approach by adding every horror-movie cliche ever seen.

Average customer rating:

Above-average horror film
Vengeance in the Desert
The La-La Sisterhood...
Sisters of Death
Thrills, chills, and spills!

Sisters of Death
Starring: Arthur Franz , Claudia Jennings , Cheri Howell , Sherry Boucher , and Paul Carr
Director: Joseph Mazzuca
Manufacturer: St Clair Vision
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ASIN: B0001GH7IG
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Customer Reviews:

Above-average horror film.......2007-06-27

An above-average horror film that has some interesting twists and turns. Sorry, I won't say much about it otherwise, as this isn't Fellini, but for a horror film, it outdoes all of my other recent reviews of more "modern" films. See for yourself. I truly think the best horror was made in the late 1960s to early 1970s time-period.

Vengeance in the Desert.......2006-10-12

An initiation into the sorority of The Sisters goes horribly wrong and one young woman is killed. Seven years later the survivors of the tragic night are summoned to a reunion. Whoever has put it together has provided travel expenses. When the ladies arrive at their destination, they discover it is just a departure point to get to the real destination, a large villa in the desert. The drivers decide to crash the party and join the women at the villa. There they part into the night unaware that someone is watching them. But the next morning the watcher is revealed. It is the dead girl's father and he wants to find out which of the ladies murdered his daughter.

Suddenly the villa becomes a prison surrounded by an electrified fence. They know there was no murder, just an accident. But how do they convince the vengeful father? Soon it changes to a game of survival as the ladies begin to be murdered one by one. There is supposedly a witness that proves the tragedy was really murder and things step up a notch. Desperation reigns as the survivors begin to dwindle in number while trying to escape the villa and the madman who is after them. A few more revelations and plenty more action bring the story to a surprising conclusion. You will have to watch to find out who dies and who survives.

An interesting little film although I never quite understood the purpose of the initiation rite that went wrong. Why the two bullets, etc. After the stylish opening with the blue-draped sisters the visuals return to pretty standard fare for the era. I never felt any real menace except right near the end. Mostly I felt the characters were rather stupid. Why didn't the guys just drive a couch or other heavy object through the fence? Still the film is true to its era but nothing really distinguishes it outside of the opening scene. Worth watching for a little drama but nothing that really stands out.

The La-La Sisterhood..........2005-10-01

A secret sorority inatiation rite ends tragically when a pledge is shot in the head. The gun was supposed to contain a blank cartridge, but fires real ammo instead! Seven years later, the five remaining "sisters" receive invitations to a reunion. Now, I'm aware that this movie was made in the swingin' 70s, but good lord, these women are some dopey dingalings! They decide to go to the mysterious home of a mysterious man via a car with two men they've never met! Yikes! The house is surrounded by a ten foot electrified fence. Who would walk gleefully into such circumstances by choice? Our five heroines, that's who! They soon find themselves trapped (duh!) by a madman with evil intentions. It is explained that he is the dead girl's father, swearing revenge on the dizzy gals, who are now at his mercy. The two guys who drove them to this place try to protect them to little effect. One by one the girly-girls bite the dust. We get death by strangulation, electrocution, and rattlesnake! I like this one just fine. Sure, it's silly! Still, it's fun and watchable...

Sisters of Death.......2005-03-05

During an college sorority initiation ceremony, a pledge in the Secret Society of Sisters is accidentally shot and killed. Seven years later the six remaining members receive invitations (and $500) to attend a reunion. Only one of the Sisters knows the invitation was sent by the dead girl's father.
From the Farrah Fawcett hairdos to the Starsky & Hutch clones, the low-budget SISTERS OF DEATH looks like a made-for-tv movie. This 1978 movie stars 1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings (Sorry, no nudity in this one.) The girls, driven to a remote desert estate by Starsky & Hutch, soon find themselves prisoners behind a powerful electric fence. Papa's hidden somewhere inside, packing gunpowder into some nasty looking bullets when not roaming through hidden passages.
The plot of SISTERS OF DEATH is tried and true and a little tired, and a few too many twists are thrown in at the end, but the movie is pleasant enough.

Thrills, chills, and spills!.......2004-08-01

The film begins with a Sorority initiation of two prospective members attired in virginal veils who kneel before a Council with obscured faces, who play a game of Russian Roulette with the initiates until one is shot - yet this was supposed to be a test of trust, no bullets were to be in those guns. A few years go by and the girls receive mysterious invites containing a sizable amount of cash to a reunion at some unknown location, as if they were bribed. They all gather and are all collected by a Starchky & Hutch-looking twosome, and driven to a mansion deep in the isolated countryside where they find their accommodations. They all begin to wonder who their host is, eventually making an appearance - it turns out to be the murdered girl's father! Here is where the real fun begins as he carefully orchestrates each girl's demise in various suspenseful ways. At some point, the drivers who had dropped the girls off decide to "crash the party", as it were, propelled by their libidos in hopes the girls desire male company. So all enter, but none can exit, primarily because of the electrified fence {which would be a marvelous implementation for the nation's borders, in My opinion}; there is a touching scene in which the father undergoes his sad ritual at a shrine he erected to the memory of his daughter in which he plays a recording of her performing the flute, which he so compassionately replicates. Personally, I felt he had every right to avenge his daughter's death - and when loopholes in the legal system yield no justice, he took it in his own capable hands, and thus initiated his own version of "The Most Dangerous Game" of sorts, although the prey here are rather weak overall, and his vigilantism is actual justice, eye for eye and kind for kind. A distraught father seeking justice for his precious little girl - quite a noble endeavor.

Towards the finale, the last living girl fires what probably has to be the luckiest shot in all of cinematic history, and she dos reveal her true colors in a very surprising twist at the very end.

Quite entertaining in a Death Wish sort of way, I grant this film a 4/5 for the Lex Talionis perspective.

The Initiation/Mountaintop Motel Massacre

Average customer rating:

2 good movies on 1 disk
If you buy this.. know what your getting.

The Initiation/Mountaintop Motel Massacre
Starring: Bill Thurman , Anna Chappell , Will Mitchel , Virginia Loridans , and Major Brock
Director: Jim McCullough Sr. , and Larry Stewart
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000AB16X
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Customer Reviews:

2 good movies on 1 disk.......2003-12-29

These are pretty good slasher flics. Montaintop Motel Massacre is about an escaped mental patient who goes on a murderous rampage in a secluded hotel in the mountaintops. She hides beneath the floors and hacks people up with a hand sythe. Pretty good. Initiation is a classic film about 2 identical ladies. One's good and one's evil. The evil one wants to go back to the good one's family and take her place. You get the picture.

If you buy this.. know what your getting........2003-11-03

Two cheesy ultra low-budget B-movies. Hey, there isn't anything wrong with low-budget movies. It's just that neither of these choices are anything to recommend. The reason is simple, some may not even watch the films all the way through the first time. Most others will never desire to see the two films a second time for sure. So why buy a DVD that you'll never watch again? This review was written for those that haven't made a purchase of this double feature. In hopes that dollars are saved. However, if your like me you've already bought it. I happens to the best of us.

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Trick Or Treason

Average customer rating:

Alvin Fans
Average enough kiddie fare for Halloween, but not much more than that.
These Episodes Do NOT Contain the Original Opening Sequence!!

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Trick Or Treason
Director: Rudy Larriva , Charles A. Nichols , and John Kimball
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FIHN5C
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Description

Join Alvin and his brothers Simon and Theodore for this hilarious Halloween adventure. Alvin wants to be accepted into the Monster Club, but the Monster members seem to think its cool to be cruel. It takes Theodore's friendship to Michael, a misunderstood outcast the other kids call Pumpkinhead, to show Alvin that being a true friend is really a lot more cool than trying to be a popular Monster! There are plenty of laughs and surprises and music, including the Chipmunk's rendition of the hit song "Monster Mash" to make this a monstrously fun video any time of the year!

Customer Reviews:

Alvin Fans.......2007-07-03

Kids loved it. We rented this movie so many times that we finally decided to buy. The kids watch it all year round.

Average enough kiddie fare for Halloween, but not much more than that........2006-12-20

Chip and Dale aren't the only squeaky-voiced chipmunks in the realm of animation. Around the same period these two critters were born out of the Disney studio, another trio would challenge their position--Simon, Theodore, and the ever-irrepressible scamp, Alvin. Creations of musician Ross Bagdasarian (who, incidentally, had the stage name of David Seville, the mild-mannered human who "fathers" the chipmunks), these three have amused many through their numerous record albums and television shows.

This DVD compiles several episodes from the 1980's series, as well as a 1994 Halloween special, "Trick or Treason", in which egocentric Alvin aspires to be part of a monster club while Theodore strikes up a friendship with a malformed, misunderstood boy. This special, capped off by a kitschy "Chipmunk" rendition of "Monster Mash" is probably the best on the disc, with solid production values, humor, and a couple of nice (albeit predictable) twists. (Considering it is a 1994 production, such polish is to be expected.)

On the other hand, the remaining episodes (where the "boys" deal with a seemingly menacing babysitter, a monster movie, practical jokes, and nightmares) are a mixed bag. For kids unfamiliar with Alvin and company from the '60s or the curious, this is passably entertaining fare. Unfortunately, my mother (who had grown up with the "old" Alvin), found these latter episodes to be uninspired and predictable--with production values on par with, well, an 80's TV cartoon and only a number of mildly amusing moments. It's not bad stuff for Halloween or a rainy day, all in all, but Alvin, Simon, and Theodore have had better outings--try THE CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE or A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS instead.

These Episodes Do NOT Contain the Original Opening Sequence!!.......2006-11-06

Attention nostalgia fans-
If you buy these old cartoons partly for nostalgia, like I do, then you know that being able to see the original opening sequence of the show is all important. It's what you remember most about the show. However, while these are episodes from the 1980s "Alvin and the Chipmunks" cartoon show, these episodes do NOT contain the original opening sequence that started the show. The theme song is there, but it's not the same animated opening sequence. They instead substituted it for some other sequence that I didn't recognize. So, if you want to see the original opening of this cartoon show, you may want to wait for another DVD or DVD set to come out.

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