Little Richard

Starring:Leon, Jenifer Lewis, Carl Lumbly, Tamala Jones, Mel Jackson, Garrett Morris, Anthony Lee, Lahmard J. Tate, Alimi Ballard, Anthony Griffith, JoNell Kennedy, Michael Mantell, Reynaldo Rey, William James Jones, Warren G., Gregory Gast, Michael Ralph, Karen Bankhead, Robert Littman, Ski Carr
Director: Robert Townsend
Studio: Live / Artisan
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The railroad's got to run through the town of Rock Ridge. How do you drive out the townfolk in order to steal their land? Send in the toughest gang you've got...and name a new sheriff who'll last about 24 hours. But that's not really the plot of Blazing Saddles, just the pretext. Once Mel Brooks' lunatic film many call his best gets started, logic is lost in a blizzard of gags, jokes, quips, puns, howlers, growlers and outrageous assaults upon good taste or any taste at all. Cleavon Little as the new lawman, Gene Wilder as the wacko Waco Kid, Brooks himself as a dim-witted politico and Madeline Kahn in her Marlene Dietrich send-up that earned an Academy Award nomination all give this sagebrush saga their lunatic best. And when Blazing Saddles can't contain itself at the finale, it just proves the Old West will never be the same!

Customer Reviews:

Blazing Saddles.......2007-07-03

Tastelessly ribald spoof of Hollywood Westerns packs a lot of silly madcap comedy into its 90-minute running time. Just about everyone imaginable becomes the target of Mel Brooks's shamelessly funny lampooning, and Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, and the great Gene Wilder turn in some of the loopiest performances of their careers. Madeline Kahn is especially memorable as Lilli Von Shtupp, a Marlene Dietrich-like chanteuse. If you're in the mood for humor that's lewd, crude and unabashedly infantile, hitch your wagon to "Blazing Saddles".

Funny, Funnier, Funniest.......2007-06-18

The first movie that my wife watched in one sitting and wanted to see again the next evening. Side splitting and healthy slapstick as only Mel could make.

Classic scenes are cut out.......2007-06-10

If you like this movie, DO NOT buy this edition, as some classic scenes have been cut out of this early-DVD era release. Buy the 30th anniversary edition instead.

Enjoyable once in awhile.......2007-06-01

Frankly, I don't find Blazing Saddles to be THAT funny. It's a movie that you can enjoy watching about once every ten years or so, but not any more often. Mongo is funny, and Gene Wilder gives a fantastic dramatic performance as always. Otherwise, there's not much about Blazing Saddles that's really that amazing. It's amusing, but not once did I laugh out loud. And even though it is obviously used to make a political statement, the repeated use of the "N" word still turned me off. I know it was being used tongue-in-cheek, but like most of the bits in this movie, I just didn't find it funny. Another mark against this movie is that due to its age, many of the cameos and cultural references go over the head of people today, not even realizing who they are seeing or that certain things are being parodied. Overall, more boring than funny, even when you know what the references are.

A Mel Must-Own.......2007-05-31

Probably the best, if not, the most influential of all of Brooks' films. Probably couldn't be released today with all the PC watchdogs howling, but that's another matter all together! Madeline Kahn at her finest with her tongue-in-cheek Dietrich send-up! No comedy collection should be without this masterpiece!

Average customer rating:

It was good movie
Vaniishing Point dvd
Tarantino was right!
VANISHING POINT/ BARRY NEWMAN
Awesome

Vanishing Point
Starring: Barry Newman , Cleavon Little , Dean Jagger , Victoria Medlin , and Paul Koslo
Director: Richard C. Sarafian
Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Vanishing Point
The Driver
Gone in 60 Seconds

ASIN: B00013RC8O
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com

Art film and road movie collide for Vanishing Point, an existential car chase across the desert in a post Easy Rider America. Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, a taciturn driver who bets that he can drive a new Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours. He loads up on amphetamines and begins his odyssey through the contemporary west while a funky black DJ (Cleavon Little) turns the driver into a folk hero and broadcasts advice on dodging the cops. It's like a counterculture precursor to Smokey and the Bandit, with the road as the last bastion of freedom and the DJ as a combination commentator and mystical guide. The slim plot offers a network of society drop-outs that aid the "last free Man on Earth" (as the DJ describes him) on his obscure but obviously symbolic quest while flashbacks paint Kowalski as a world-weary hero. It doesn't really make much sense, but the amazing car chases and excellent stunt work are stunningly set against the American west, beautifully captured by cinematographer John A. Alonzo. Vanishing Point is most assuredly a product of its time, the heady, anything-goes era of rebellion in the early 1970s. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Thrills, spills and a handful of pills. It all adds up to one of the most spectacular car chases in motion picture history! Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, the last American hero, who set out to prove that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in just fifteen hours. Along the way, he meets an old prospector (Dean Jagger), a snake worshipper, a nude woman on a motorcycle, and a blind D.J. (Cleavon Little) who "sees" danger ahead in this super-charged, action-packed adventure!

Customer Reviews:

It was good movie.......2007-06-13

I bought it cause they were talking about it in the recent Grind House movie that came out in spring of 2007.

Vaniishing Point dvd.......2007-06-01

At gas being 3.00 a gallon,rather then go store to store looking for this title.I thought Amazon was faster annd a good price for this item.I went where and product was promtly delivered to my door!!Amazon is great for finding title like thes an others for a good and fair price!!

Tarantino was right!.......2007-05-15

This movie was mentioned in Grindhouse, so I bought it to check it out. There's some killer car chases! A little cheesy in parts, but the action satisfies!

VANISHING POINT/ BARRY NEWMAN.......2007-05-13

OF THE TWO VANISHING POINT MOVIES PRODUCED THE ORIGNIAL WITH BARRY NEWMAN STILL HOLDS TOP HONORS WITH ME. THE CAR THE ACTORS AND THE SCENERY. THE HONESTY ABOUT THE PERIOD ie. RACIAL TENSIONS, DRUGS, HIPPIES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT MADE PERFECT SENCE. TO BAD THEY HAD TO DESTROY THAT BEAUTIFUL 70 CHALLENGER, THERE SO RARE NOWADAYS.

Awesome.......2007-05-13

I was only 7 yrs old when I first saw this movie. I never forgot it. It is awesome.

Average customer rating:

Almost as Good as Fletch
Great transaction. Thanks!
Fletch Lives.... Fletch Laughs
Fletch Lives on
In his next film, please wear more disguises!

Fletch Lives
Starring: Chevy Chase , Hal Holbrook , Julianne Phillips , R. Lee Ermey , and Richard Libertini
Director: Michael Ritchie
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Fletch (The "Jane Doe" Edition)
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Seems Like Old Times

ASIN: B00009W5F3
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Product Description

Director Michael Ritchie and Chevy Chase team up once again for FLETCH LIVES, with Chase reprising the role of Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, newspaper journalist and master of disguise. When his recently deceased aunt bequeaths her decrepit manor to him, Fletch travels down south to rural Louisiana. Initially, things go well, especially when he hooks up with a flirtatious southern belle. But when he wakes up the morning after, he's shocked to find that she has been murdered. In order to catch the killers and clear himself, the intrepid, chameleon-like Fletch must infiltrate the congregation of Jimmy Lee Farnsworth (R. Lee Ermey), a greedy local preacher who wants to gain control of Fletch's land in order to build a Bible-themed amusement park. Written by Leon Capetanos, FLETCH LIVES crackles with the same blend of rapid-fire dialogue and visual jokes as the original.

System Requirements:

Starring Chevy Chase, Hal Holbrook, Julianne Phillips

Directed by Michael Ritchie

Running time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

Amazon.com

Before his movie career completely tanked, Chevy Chase made one of the few films that gave him a chance to display his comic versatility: 1985's Fletch, the Michael Ritchie-directed comedy about an investigative reporter who specializes in going undercover on big stories. Lightning, however, didn't strike twice when Ritchie and Chase went back to Gregory MacDonald's novels for a second helping. This sequel features Chase once again as Fletch, super-reporter, who heads from L.A. to the South, where he supposedly has inherited an estate. Before long, he's become involved in a murder plot and is trying to stay out of the killer's sights himself. The material is considerably weaker, revealing Chase's shortcomings as an ad lib comic. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Almost as Good as Fletch.......2007-04-11

Though the sequel isn't as laugh-packed as "Fletch", it still has many great moments and always at the very least will be funnier than Hudson Hawk or for that matter Chevy's own "Funny Farm".

Great transaction. Thanks!.......2007-01-30

Fast delivery. Good packaging. Good deal. Need I say more.

Fletch Lives.... Fletch Laughs.......2007-01-09

I've enjoyed this movie every time I've watched it. I love Chevy Chases quick wit, subtle humor & facial expressions that keep you wanting more. Comedies these days are laden with extreme cursing & bad taste... Fletch is none of that! Good old fashioned FUNNY!

Fletch Lives on.......2007-01-04

The Fletch movies are some Chevy Chase's best work. The role is perfect for him and he brings the movie alive. I only wish there had been more then two movies.

In his next film, please wear more disguises!.......2006-09-30

I don't think I'd ever heard of Fletch before meeting my boyfriend, never mind Chevy Chase. Since then, I've had the opportunity to see some of the Chevy Chase films that he's best known for, but I still prefer the National Lampoon series. They're slightly more memorable. I consequently bought my boyfriend all the Fletch books by Gregory McDonald last Christmas or something. I finally relented and watched Fletch Lives, cos I was getting sick of the puppydog eyes.

Fletch Lives has Chevy Chase in a number of disguises, and all but one I recognised as being him. He's certainly one of those actors who can put on a totally different accent without any effort, and I applaud him for that, cos it's something I cannot do. It makes the characters more realistic, unlike certain actors who cannot put on a different accent no matter how much you pay them. But it still doesn't make me like Keanu Reeves any less.

Fletch discovers he's inherited a rather run down mansion down south, gives up his job, and moves down. Along the way he has daydreams along the lines of the Song Of The South movie (which I saw many, many years ago) and gets into a song & dance routine, probably spoofing Song Of The South? There's another mystery to be solved, when a woman he sleeps with, is dead by morning. Poor Fletch. Wonder what the real cause of it was?! :) He sets about solving the mystery.

I bought my boyfriend quite a few of the books, so it's a shame there's only been two films. There might even be more Gregory McDonald Fletch books out there, that I missed. There could have been a real film franchise there.

Fletch Lives is good, but is less memorable than the National Lampoon Vacation series, but still worth a watch.

Average customer rating:

Life on the Prairie
great family movie.
Set in motion your love of Little House on the Prairie.
little house on the prairie the pilot
good times, good times

Little House on the Prairie - The Pilot
Starring: Melissa Sue Anderson , Alison Arngrim , Richard Bull , Victor French , and Jonathan Gilbert
Director: Victor French , Michael Landon , Lewis Allen , Maury Dexter , and Alf Kjellin
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Little House on the Prairie - The Complete Season 1
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ASIN: B00009QG5T
Release Date: 2003-07-08

Description

Based on the best-selling books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, this classic, produced and directed by Michael Landon, takes us from the woods of Wisconsin to the plains of Kansas where the Ingalls struggle to build a new life. With indomitable courage that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, the Ingalls face endless challenges and experience countless adventures as they pursue their dream of a new home. This premiere movie is a "must-have" for all Little House fans! This DVD has been restored using state-of-the-art color correction, picture enhancement and noise reduction technologies.

Special Features:
* Interactive Full Motion Menu
* Actor Biographies
* Scene Index
Run Time: Approx. 95 min.
Components: 1 DVD

Customer Reviews:

Life on the Prairie.......2007-05-13

A series for the whole family. Something for everyone. Great actors, including the children. Good background scenes, alot of horse drawn rigs. Get a feel for the way life was many years ago. Go back in time and enjoy.

great family movie........2007-02-18

This was my favorite book series as a child, but somehow I missed the premier of this series. I saw the first episode of the tv show, but never saw the original tv pilot. I bought this and loved every second. I highly recommend this to any Laura Ingalls Wilder fan.

Set in motion your love of Little House on the Prairie........2007-01-17

I am a Little House fan so this was a must have for me. You will not be dissapointed. The pilot is based on the time before the Ingalls family live in Walnut Grove. You also meet Mr Edwards. My passion for this series began with Michael Landon and his creative genius for delving into positive family values. I look forward to the time when my children are old enough and we can watch the series together.

little house on the prairie the pilot.......2007-01-15

it is going to be a big part of my collecton

good times, good times.......2007-01-12

There are a couple of things missing in this movie that are in the book but not too many. I always loved the series but this pilot was great to go back and watch. reminded me that I love the books. Go old school and rewatch it. I intend on buying the whole series. I want my kids to watch them all.

Average customer rating:

kids movie
It's about freedom.
too funny!
Just when you could sleep in your bed
Little Monsters (full screen edition)

Little Monsters (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Fred Savage , Howie Mandel , Daniel Stern , Margaret Whitton , and Rick Ducommun
Director: Richard Greenberg
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0001AW14C
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Description

Leap into a fantastically monstrous world where hijinks become high art, curfews and chores vanish from sight, and a wacky, irrepressible monster can become your best friend! Eleven-year-oldBrian (Fred Savage, "The Wonder Years") knows that there's a monster under his bed. And when he sets a trap for ithe captures an experience beyond his wildest dreams! Led by Maurice (Howie Mandel), a horned, blue-green prankster extraordinaire, Brian discovers the vast subterranean hideout of the "Little Monsters"and the best friendship he's ever had. But soon, Brian realizes he'll have to shut the door on this dream come true...or risk the nightmare of becoming a Little Monster himself!

Customer Reviews:

kids movie.......2007-05-14

I bought this movie years ago for my children, and they loved it. I was pleased to find it again on Amazon, so I could purchase it for my nephews. It's an enjoyable movie for adults and kids. My youngest nephew who is usually afraid of certain movies loved this one.

It's about freedom........2007-05-05

Seriously, this movie is great. CHe-CHe-CHe-CHe CHECK IT OUT. GO AHEAD. CHECK IT OUT GO AHEAD YEAH CHECK IT OUT! I remember hearing that on the original vhs release. Probably never hear it again. :(

too funny!.......2007-04-10

this movie is even better watching at 19 years old. i loved it when i was a kid and i fell in love with it all over again watching it the other night. buy it!

Just when you could sleep in your bed.......2007-04-02

He is there hiding under your bed comes, Maurice. Brian trys to stop him.
But Brian and Maurice become best friends.
If there is a bed there is always a way! Very funny movie.

Little Monsters (full screen edition).......2007-03-29

My daughter loved this movie! She thought it was very funny and liked the monster that Howie Mandel plays.

Average customer rating:

The Homecoming
Great Family movie
Perfection
Waltons had to start somewhere
Not Up to the Series Standard IMO

The Homecoming
Starring: Patricia Neal , Richard Thomas , Edgar Bergen , Ellen Corby , and Cleavon Little
Director: Fielder Cook
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000AQS5E
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Amazon.com

A true television classic, The Homecoming was the second movie (after 1963's Spencer's Mountain) based on Earl Hamner's autobiographical writings about love, pride, faith, and survival in rural America during the Great Depression. The Homecoming introduced the Walton family, a 1930s mountain clan living a hardscrabble existence that forces patriarch John Walton (Andrew Duggan) to seek work, far from home, in the city. When John fails to return home, as promised, on Christmas Eve, his iron-willed wife Olivia (Patricia Neal) keeps a lid on their children's worry. Oldest son John-Boy (Richard Thomas), who privately dreams of becoming a writer but worries about disappointing his parents, is dispatched to find his dad. Graceful yet harder-edged than the subsequent TV series The Waltons (which recast several characters and ran for nine years), The Homecoming reveals, albeit understatedly, much about the pain of poverty even as the family draws strength and closeness through endurance. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Homecoming.......2007-07-05

Based on the autobiographical novel by Earl Hamner, Jr., Fielder Cook's heartwarming, award-winning TV drama "The Homecoming" spawned the long-running series "The Waltons." Patricia Neal is superb as Olivia Walton, who soothes her children's anxieties while dispatching John-Boy, winningly played by wholesome actor Richard Thomas, to find their father. Cook's spare, touching film is ideal for the holidays, underlining the importance of family love and solidarity over material possessions.

Great Family movie.......2007-06-14

Great Family clean movie for an evening get together.

Perfection.......2007-03-09

I love this movie, so I couldn't give it any less than the best rating...I'd give it more stars if I could.

Waltons had to start somewhere.......2007-03-08

I missed the movie when it started and wound up comparing it to the series. The series characters grew up with me and have been like family. I felt the original cast payed the parts in a much harsher attitude but it was interesting and made me appreciate the way the series handled the family situations.

Not Up to the Series Standard IMO.......2007-02-15

Being a fan of the TV series, our family was generally disappointed with this special (pre-series) episode. The kids were great, but the story wasn't so great and the different parents / actors were hard to warm-up to.

Average customer rating:

The Professionals
Men who will endure
The Professionals
The Professionals - A classic that gets sweeter with age
A strong flavored Western!

The Professionals (Special Edition)
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Lee Marvin , Robert Ryan , Woody Strode , and Jack Palance
Director: Richard Brooks
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0007MAO0C
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

Before The Wild Bunch, there was The Professionals, Richard Brooks's marvelous ode to friendship, loyalty, and disillusionment. It may not have the stylistic bravado or fatalistic doom of the legendary Sam Peckinpah film, but Brooks's storytelling is simple and steady and just as insightful. The difference is Brooks is a lot more optimistic. Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster are buddies who have drifted into oblivion after fighting together in the Mexican Revolution. Marvin, the principled loyalist and munitions expert, lost his wife and his heart. Lancaster, the dynamite expert and unprincipled adventurer, keeps losing his pants. They team up with wrangler Robert Ryan and archer Woody Strode to rescue the beguiling Claudia Cardinale, who has been kidnapped by their old revolutionary buddie Jack Palance. So it's back into bloody Mexico they go on a "mission of mercy" for railroad tycoon Ralph Bellamy, who's paying handsomely for the return of his wife.

But nothing is what it seems in this exciting, existential adventure, which was beautifully shot by Conrad Hall. Sarcastic quips, philosophical musings, and heart-rending reversals underlie Brooks's humanistic sentiments. These are tired, world-weary men who somehow find the strength and the will to pull together for the sake of love and commitment. Through it all, Brooks seems to be lamenting a decline in professionalism much deeper than his story. He's decrying Hollywood and the society at large, anticipating Peckinpah's later strategy. --Bill Desowitz

Customer Reviews:

The Professionals.......2007-07-02

Brooks's self-penned, high-energy Western, set in the waning years of the Mexican Revolution in 1917, is as gritty and colorful a horse drama as you could ask for. The teaming of Marvin and Lancaster, playing Raza's disenchanted ex-amigos, works brilliantly, while Strode and Ryan offer fine support as talented sidekicks. Italian bombshell Cardinale, in her first English-speaking role, provides plenty of fiery va-va voom, too, especially in league with Palance's rough-riding Raza, who proves to be quite a romantic himself. Filmed on location in Nevada and enhanced by Conrad Hall's exquisite cinematography, "The Professionals" is a rousing, thoughtful action movie that deals with questions of money versus morality, and the last gasp of noble frontier idealism.

Men who will endure.......2007-06-21

Great, straight, linear narrative. Clear and uncluttered. Immaculate camera-work sweeping over a merciless terrain. Tough, rugged, dauntless men. Brave and beautiful women --- Claudia and Maria are worth far more than $100,000 each. No weirdos, no weeping (only a little female tear, quickly brushed away); and the only narcotics are traditional and ancient --- honest, old-fashioned hooch and cheroots. Do or die: with no foul language, a smattering of folksy truths and food for thought. All the twisty issues resolved the way they should be. Perfect dialogue, delivered with power and conviction. Just masterful, no-nonsense telling of an unusual story: a heist with a difference. At the end we know who the good guys are, and only the bad guy is a true bastard. This is nostalgia for the way it was, and what we could do with more of. Buy and digest at leisure. With pleasure.

The Professionals.......2007-01-06

Strong principal cast as well as supporting cast.Ruggard scenery and enternaining story line.

The Professionals - A classic that gets sweeter with age.......2006-12-30

The Professionals is a must have in any Western DVD based collection. Strong actors backing up a stout story that is filled with action, adventure and humor. Aside from that, its also strong in its portrayal in themes of friendship, trust and just flat out ironic consequences that are fueled by the common strands of greed and lies that often find themselves intertwined within stories stemming from the western genre.

Filmed in some parts of Death Valley in 1966, The Professionals is a story that takes place in 1917. A wealthy individual named Grant hires a group of men to rescue his kidnapped wife from a desperado named Raza. This particular group of men are mercenaries of sorts, each possessing a viable trade to apply in their mission, which, if successful, will garner each of them $10,000. Hollywood standout Lee Marvin plays Rico, a stalwart gunslinger that joins up along with a witty munitions expert named Bill Dolworth (played by Burt Lancaster). Robert Ryan plays horse trainer Hans Ehrengard and when you throw in a scout and longbow warrior in Jake Sharp (played by Woody Strode) you have all the ingredients for a team of men ready to take on the searing desert and all the dangers it can throw at them.

The movie is coaxed with fine dialogue that pushes the character development to another level. Some of the men once fought with Raza, and find it hard to believe that he would kidnap Grant's wife (played by the lovely Claudia Cardinale). Arguments abound on their trip as human nature battles instincts and logic all in a fine mesh of right and wrong, do or die battle plan. Setbacks abound as we follow the men to their destination with Raza. It won't be easy, the desert is grueling, and around every boulder and through every mountain pass, their problem solving skills as well as their sanity for what they are risking for the cash often comes into question.

Jack Palance plays Raza, and does so with the intensity and leadership that is required for such a character. Another plus about this movie is the ingenuity that is used throughout some of the fight scenes. There is much more substance to it in terms of "thinking" than simply having men alternate pot-shots at each other from across the face of a boulder.

When the showdown happens, there is a startling discovery that not everything is as it appears, and soon the group of men who are to take Grant's wife back to him are suddenly met with yet another obstacle to negotiate.

I'm not an expert when it comes to reviewing Western Classics, but I have to say I absolutely loved The Professionals. A superb story with great acting as well as an authentic desert landscape makes it a gem of a movie. The special features section of the DVD is also fun as we get to go behind the scenes and listen to interviews with the cast and learn more about the efforts of fine filmmaking that made "The Professionals" a Western Classic.

A strong flavored Western!.......2006-11-08

'The Professionals' is a greatly entertaining film, excitingly directed by Richard Brooks who makes its action sequences startlingly real allowing his stars full scope in developing their characters...

There is some nice cinematography in the movie... The Mexican countryside is a vast place, and we see the beauty of what is otherwise miles of desert...

The motion picture takes place before World War I, during the bloody time period of the Mexican Revolution, when Pancho Villa and other colorful rebel chieftains led their people in the fight against oppression and freedom...

The film is about four men of sharp instinct, men who live by their abilities and expertise: Ryan, the quiet horseman who can kill 'bandidos' but he can never shoot a fine stallion; Strode, the black giant, can hide all his feelings, but his companions can absolutely rely on him... Marvin, the ex-soldier who still wears an army hat, keeps his opinions on life but his code is incorruptible; Lancaster is clearly an adventurer without principles, but always fit for immediate action...

They may all be unrefined and unsociable but they take pride in being professionals: Burt Lancaster is a good-humored speculator, expert with dynamite; Lee Marvin is a gunnery expert and tactician, a fine demonstrator of new automatic weapons; Robert Ryan, an ex-cavalry man, a cattle boss and a wrangler, and Woody Strode, a dependable scout and tracker, specialist with rifle, rope and long bow... Their job is to go into Mexico for a mission of mercy, rescuing a kidnapped wife...

The expedition across the border is enormously dangerous but Ralph a millionaire rancher (Ralph Bellamy) believes that few daring men with great expertise and an adequate motive could get him what he seeks... He also knows that Lee Marvin fought for Pancho Villa and came face-to-face with Jesus Raza (Jack Palance), the bloodiest cutthroat in Mexico, the brutal kidnapper...

The four men make their uncertain way to the fortress of Raza... Their understanding of the country and the people, and their experience with arms and strategy allow them to locate the attractive young woman... They attack the camp at night and destroy all its strategic positions... Suddenly, thrown into the middle of a shoot-out, they are captured by an unexpected event...

'The Professionals' is about few men tempered like steel... Men who have learned the code of professionalism... Claudia Cardinale feels right in the role, her character is about a woman brought to life through her exposure to righteous struggle...

The most horrifying sequence of sound and fury in the film occurs when Raza's revolutionary army attacks a train, and retaliates against government troops... The captain who led the attack orders the hanging of the two officers and shoots the surviving soldiers...

Ryan (witnessing the scene) shows his turbulent emotions toward Raza's brutality... But Lancaster explains the motives... The men on the train were 'experts at torture' who had raided a whole village... burning the town and killing their people... The explanation partly satisfies Ryan... Lancaster clarifies: 'Maybe there's only one revolution since the beginning... The good guys against the bad guys... The question is, who're the good guys?'

With three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Cinematography and a first-rate cast, the motion picture is a strong flavored star Western, quietly humorous, delivering what viewers want from any haunting and beautiful film... Give it a look.. You'll be glad you did.

Average customer rating:

Heartwarming.....
mystery alaska
Totally Enjoyable "Small" Film
Decent screenplay overshadowed by a lousy leading man
Part of Your Hockey Collection

Mystery, Alaska
Starring: Hank Azaria , Cameron Bancroft , Adam Beach , Maury Chaykin , and Russell Crowe
Director: Jay Roach
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

Classic DVD
Exclusive interviews, highlights, and behind the scenes coverage
DVD's main menu allow you to jump directly to the action
Presented in full-screen digital video

ASIN: B00003CWUX
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Product Description

With Russell Crowe (THE INSIDER, A BEAUTIFUL MIND), Hank Azaria (GODZILLA, THE BIRD CAGE), and Burt Reynolds leading an incredible all-star cast, here's a fun, uplifting, action-packed story that everyone will love! A remote hockey-obsessed town populated by 633 of the most eccentric characters you'd ever want to meet, Mystery is the kind of place where nothing ever changes. But then life as they know it gets turned completely upside down! When a publicity stunt brings the world-famous New York Rangers -- and the national spotlight -- to Mystery for a game with the local team of weekend warriors, the whole town rises to meet the challenge of a lifetime! Also starring Mary McCormack (TRUE CRIME, DEEP IMPACT) and Lolita Davidovich (PLAY IT TO THE BONE, JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE) in another critical favorite from the hit-making director of AUSTIN POWERS 1&2 -- you'll stand and cheer as this ragtag bunch shows that nothing can melt their dreams of a miracle on ice!

Amazon.com

When it comes to the subject of community, David E. Kelley--the prolific writer-producer behind television's The Practice and Ally McBeal--falls somewhere on a continuum between directors Howard Hawks and Robert Benton. While Hawks's professional characters are bound by a knowledge of how to do what they do even if they don't know why, Benton's people, professional or not, have long ago substituted their own eccentric reasons for that elusive why. Thus we get the kind of in-house, oddball rituals sandwiched between passages of actual work on Ally, and the affectionately entangled personal and professional ties between small-town folks in Kelley's earlier TV series Picket Fences.

Kelley's script for Mystery, Alaska (co-authored by Sean O'Byrne) takes that level of eccentricity to a geographical and spiritual extreme. The film revives the hackneyed Rocky formula, setting a lopsided hockey match within a remote, self-contained hamlet where the members of a tiny population all have to wear multiple hats and still keep neighborly ties intact. The story concerns the town's chief source of identity and pride: so-called "Saturday games," in which local men divide into teams and play pond hockey for the locals. When a prodigal son (Hank Azaria) of Mystery shows up with a television network offer to bring the New York Rangers in for a televised match against the homegrown team, the town fathers agree. Coaching falls to the town sheriff, John Biebe (Russell Crowe), an admirable man and a longtime player recently bumped from the team. John, however, doesn't want the job: everyone knows the real coach in those parts is Judge Burns (Burt Reynolds), but he wants no part of it either. All of that changes after a sad tragedy forces everyone to reevaluate their positions and pull together in order to beat the Rangers.

Following the success of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Jay Roach proves to be an able director of drama, swift action, and low-key, character-driven comedy not unlike that in Benton's Nobody's Fool. He has to deal with some pure corn at the end, but Roach pulls it off and guides the actors to and through far better moments. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Heartwarming............2007-05-26

Mystery, Alaska is one of those movies called a "sleeper". Not much heard about it and not much expected when you see it, but it turns out to be an amazing feel good, heartwarming kind of movie. If you love hockey, then it's a must have for your collection. If you love good, clean, family oriented and feel good kind of movies, then it's definitely worth the purchase.

mystery alaska.......2007-05-16

mystery alaska is a very good hockey movie if you are a hockey fan and russell crowe plays a very good role in this movie and there is some humor to go with this movie.

Totally Enjoyable "Small" Film.......2007-03-25

In a town [New York] where "March Madness" has ruined every aspect of TV watching, except for PBS [they're begging instead -- seems as if they do that for two weeks every two weeks or so now], this little film was a real treat for this nonhockey fan! The performances were uniformly excellent [though I wish Russell Crowe would not go so terrifically soft in the voice at times so that you have to pitch your sound way up and then suddenly decrease the volume quickly; Burt Reynolds, an excellent actor, is also guilty of this in this film], the story good, the cinematography excellent -- in short, for me, a really good, totally enjoyable movie! Thank you, producers!!

Decent screenplay overshadowed by a lousy leading man.......2007-03-19

There is one major problem with this movie, and the problem's name is Russell Crowe. I CAN'T STAND Russell Crowe! I think he is one of the most overrated actors around, and his arrogance bleeds into every single movie he appears in. He is not particularly talented and makes the same faces in every film, and it drives me CRAZY! In this case, we have what could have been an okay movie, but Russell Crowe poisoned the whole thing with his very presence.

"Mystery, Alaska" has the potential to be a decent movie. It's about the small Alaskan town of Mystery, a place where everybody knows everyone else and each resident is obsessed with the game of hockey. One day a former Mystery resident turned sports promoter returns to town with very exciting news: he's set up an exhibition game between Mystery amateur hockey players and the New York Rangers. The people of Mystery must learn to put aside their various differences and pull together in preparation for the event of a lifetime.

This film is sentimental and can basically be summed up in one cliche: "It's not about whether you win or lose; it's how you play the game." There are several strong performances in this movie, including Hank Azaria as Mystery's prodigal son and Burt Reynolds as the town judge/coach. However, Russell Crowe spoiled the whole film for me. He plays the town sheriff/hockey player/coach, and he's basically just a big cocky oaf on ice. There's this one scene where Crowe's character is supposed to have a "touching" moment with his wife. He crosses out a bunch of words in a newspaper column and instructs his wife to read the remaining characters out loud. I think the intention of the scene was for Crowe's character to come across as being all sentimental and deep, but it was just incredibly stupid and serves as a perfect example of how every movie Crowe is in basically turns to garbage.

If ANYONE but Russell Crowe had been cast in the role of John, "Mystery, Alaska" might be worth watching. Sadly, though, I must advise you to skip it.

Part of Your Hockey Collection.......2007-02-06

If you are a hockey fan, this movie has to be part of your collection! Besides, without this movie, you will never be able to answer the question, "What are the best two activities to do in the cold?"

Triple Feature: Free Willy/Free Willy 2 - The Adventure Home/Free Willy 3 - The Rescue

Average customer rating:

FREE WILLIE
Free Willy Series
fun and filled with memories
Free Willy Movie
Great movies

Triple Feature: Free Willy/Free Willy 2 - The Adventure Home/Free Willy 3 - The Rescue
Starring: Jason James Richter , Keiko (II) , Lori Petty , Jayne Atkinson , and August Schellenberg
Director: Simon Wincer , Dwight H. Little , and Sam Pillsbury
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000HT38A8
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

Fun, excitement and the whale that captured the world's imagination add up to big family entertainment. A lonely boy understands the plaintive cries of the orca confined to an aquatic park's too-small tank and does something about it in Free Willy (Disc 1/Side A). Watch and understand why "audiences have gone wild for Willy" (Richard Corliss, Time). The boy rejoins Willy in his new ocean home and together they confront a burning oil spill in Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (Disc 1/Side B), "the ideal family movie" (Caryn James, The New York Times). And Free Willy 3: The Rescue (Disc 2) - "the best of the Free Willy pictures" (Siskel & Ebert) - adds a grittier edge with a story about an illegal whaling operation. Don't miss 3 whales of a tale!

Customer Reviews:

FREE WILLIE.......2007-05-26

My Grandson loves the movies and they are of good quality.

The movies arrived when they were expected - no delay!

Free Willy Series.......2007-05-25

The DVD was shipped quickly and it's quality was excellent. My grandson and I have watched the trilogy many times and like all 3 movies.

fun and filled with memories.......2007-04-13

When I was young I loved to watch Free Willy with my grandmother. I thought I had grown out of it, but I fell in love with it all over again. It doesn't matter what age you are, a great movie is a great movie.

Free Willy Movie.......2007-03-14

This was a great buy! My classroom just finished up a unit on Whales and loved watching Free Willy! On snow days when not a lot of kids were there we watched the other two....my high school seniors can't get enough of the movies!

Great movies.......2007-01-29

This movies are a great example of a mixture bettween drama with action it has many of both things through out ist's plot. Also the way they made the real orca whale, Keiko, act in some scenes mixed with the computer generated whale scenes is really amazing. Who has never seen the scene in which the whale junps over and passes over the boy, and towards freedom. It's simply a good and family classic, even more if you're fan of this animals.

Average customer rating:

A Road Runner cartoon with people
The Villain
The horse is the best actor
Lots of laughs.
GOOD CAST OF CHARACTERS

The Villain
Starring: Kirk Douglas , Ann-Margret , Arnold Schwarzenegger , Paul Lynde , and Foster Brooks
Director: Hal Needham
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000063INF
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Amazon.com

This curiosity from the mid-1970s is breathtaking in its dreadfulness. Directed by Hal Needham, this was an attempt at creating a Roadrunner cartoon with live actors--except that instead of a live actor they got Arnold Schwarzenegger, before Hollywood smoothed his rough edges (and his Austrian accent). He plays the invulnerable sheriff who rides blithely through life, unaware that the evil Kirk Douglas wants to kill him and kidnap his squeeze, Ann-Margret. The stunts are cartoony without being funny and Schwarzenegger shows exactly why he was known as "the Austrian Oak." Douglas works extra hard but effort alone isn't enough to elevate this script. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

A Road Runner cartoon with people.......2007-06-27

Fun movie and clean, good for an afternoon romp with Ahnald, ann-margaret and Kirk Douglas. Crisp and clear and lots of fun.

The Villain.......2007-06-08

This is one of my husband's favorite comedies. It's like watching a cartoon with real life people. My favorite charachter is the horse, Whiskey!

The horse is the best actor.......2007-05-15

I don't mean to denegrate Kirk Douglas as an actor, and I'm sure everyone had fun making this picture. It's just that somehow it doesn't come off as funny as I thought it would. Live action based on a cartoon (Wile E. Coyote) is an interesting concept, but it falls a bit short of expectation. The Governator (Schwarzenegger) is as wooden as I've ever seen him, but this was an early movie of his, so he's improved with practice.

The horse is hysterical! She (yes, it's a mare, although it's referred to as "he" throughout the movie) is one very smart animal. I currently have 6 horses of my own, and have worked with 35 others over time, so I have a pretty good idea of the intelligence level of the species. She is amazing, and is definitely worth the price of the movie.

Paul Lynde and Ruth Buzzi, very funny people in their own right, are downright wasted in this movie. Neither had a chance to display the comedic talents they are gifted with, so that too was a disappointment.

Lots of laughs........2007-05-06

Great spoof. I never dreamed that these two tough guys could be so funny. They must have had a great time making this film. Ann Margaret was perfect as Charming. No bad language, and the violence was strictly accidental.

GOOD CAST OF CHARACTERS.......2007-02-05

KIRK DOUGLAS LIKE YOU NEVER EXPECTED! ALWAYS THOUGHT OF KIRK DOUGLAS AS A SERIOUS ACTOR. THE MOVIE IS STUPID, BUT ENJOYABLE! GOOD MUSIC FROM MEL TILLIS HELPS A LOT!

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