The Manson Family (Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition)

Starring:Maureen Allisse, Michelle Briggs, Tom Burns (III), Marita Clarke, Carl Day, Marcelo Games, Mark Gillespie, Paul Harper, Valerie Hatt, Norris Hellwig, M.M. Jones (II), Leslie Orr, Nate Pennington, Marc Pitman, Joel Pohlman, Sherri Rickman, Jim Sayer, Melissa Schlosser, Jim Van Bebber, Amy Yates
Director: Jim Van Bebber
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Product Description
If you think you know the story of the Manson Family, you are dead wrong. Director Jim VanBebber (Deadbeat at Dawn) delivers an uncompromising snapshot of this cult of personality, hell- bent on executing the brutal vision of its leader, Charles Manson. On a ranch outside of L.A., the dream of the Love Generation is perverting into something evil. Has what was once an oasis of free love and acid trips becomes ground zero for a madman s paranoid visions? An average group of kids, the Family, become engulfed in a delusional world where torment and slaughter is considered the path to righteousness. The Manson Family is a dizzying, rapid-fire vision of the sex and violence that unifies the misguided group, and at the direction of their leader, ends in a brutal spree leaving seven people dead in 48 hours. You ve seen the story through the eyes of the law. Now witness it through the eyes of The Manson Family.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES The VanBebber Family 77 minute documentary featuring all-new interviews with cast and crew, In the Belly of the Beast 74 minute documentary from the Fant-Asia festival in Montreal featuring Jim VanBebber and other Independent filmmakers, Two Theatrical Trailers, Photo Gallery Including Production and Behind-the-Scenes Stills.

System Requirements:

Running Time 260 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Average customer rating:

Simply the most wonderful film of all-time!
Brilliant!
Just Beatling along (Inspired by "The Long and Winding Road" - The Beatles)
Girl saves boy
Definitely not a Fiasco

Elizabethtown (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Orlando Bloom , Kirsten Dunst , Susan Sarandon , Alec Baldwin , and Bruce McGill
Director: Cameron Crowe
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Just Like Heaven (Widescreen Edition)
In Her Shoes (Widescreen Edition)
Proof
Walk the Line (Widescreen Edition)
Pride & Prejudice

ASIN: B000CNESJO
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Amazon.com

Elizabethtown has all of the elements of a great Cameron Crowe movie, but none of the Cameron Crowe vision that made Almost Famous work. It's mostly a series of sweet moments, each capped with the right song at the right time; in fact, the soundtrack is the real star of the movie, and the right song is all there is to piece together a film that is much less than the sum of its parts.

From the start of Elizabethtown, big contrasts are evoked: death and life, success and failure are side by side, so we're told. When the movie starts, Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) is experiencing failure and death in spades: the shoe he spent eight years designing for Mercury (a thinly-veiled copy of Nike) has been recalled, costing his company $972 million dollars. On the verge of a suicide attempt, he learns his father has died, and Drew flies to Kentucky to retrieve the body to Oregon for cremation. On the red-eye to Louisville he meets Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst), a perky flight att'ndant with a charming flair for cute lines ("I'm impossible to forget, but I'm hard to remember," she chirps). Once in Elizabethtown, Drew tries to plan a memorial while dealing with relatives who have their own agenda in addition to his manic family back in Oregon, all while facing the reality that in a few days he'll be known nationally as one of his industry's most legendary failures. Yet still he manages to connect with Claire on an all-night cell phone conversation--complete with the requisite watching of the sunrise--and to strike up a furtive romance.

So we now have death and life side by side. But despite these dramatic shifts, what sets up to be a roller coaster ride of a film flattens out to a milquetoast middle ground with no real life of its own. Drew Baylor has suffered two tragic personal losses in the course of one day, but you wouldn't know it from Bloom's lethargic performance. There's not much to Claire either. Her whole character is made up mostly of cutesy quotable lines and mysterious little smirks. In the end, Elizabethtown is a film that doesn't know what it wants to be, and unfortunately there's no payoff, other than a few memorable lines and a great soundtrack. --Dan Vancini

Product Description

From Oscar winner Cameron Crowe comes "a potent blend of rock 'n' roll and classic romantic comedy." Orlando Bloom stars as Drew Baylor, a hot-shot designer whose life becomes completely unraveled when he loses his father and his job on one fateful day. En route to Elizabethtown to visit his family, Drew meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst). She's beautiful, unstoppably positive, and just the gal to guide Drew on his journey back home and to teach him what it means to live and love along the way. Set against the backdrop of an incredible soundtrack, ELIZABETHTOWN is "an amazing trip of love, loss and laughter."

Customer Reviews:

Simply the most wonderful film of all-time!.......2007-06-16

Everyone has a film that comes along once in a lifetime and forever endears itself to their heart. For myself, Elizabethtown was that film. No longer do I have to defend my favourite film selections against comparisons with the golden era classics such as Casablanca and Breakfast At Tiffany's, Elizabethtown in my opinion for it's time is the equal of both. Although director Cameron Crowe's past films include my previous all-time favourite Jerry Maguire, I believe he has raised the bar with Elizabethtown. If ever a movie is to be made from one of my novels, then Cameron Crowe would be the man I would want calling the shots. From it's eclectic yet refreshingly beautiful soundtrack, to the raw emotional presentation of life that exists around us, Elizabethtown rises above. Kirsten Dunst is fabulous as the unstoppably positive airline hostess Claire and although Orlando Bloom starred in bigger blockbusters such as the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and the Pirates Of The Carribean films, I hope he holds the role of Drew Baylor as one of the finest performances of his career. Throw in a talented support cast of Susan Sarandon, Jessica Biel, Bruce McGill and Alec Baldwin and you have a highly enjoyable movie. I could spend the rest of my life waiting for a film to top Cameron Crowe's loveable walk through Louisville, Kentucky only to be disappointed when all others fail to compare. So it's safe to say I'll leave Elizabethtown in a class of its own, as a stand alone masterpiece!

Brilliant! .......2007-06-15

When I first heard about this movie, I thought I would hate it because it was "about death" but the reality is that this is a movie that celebrates life. I know. That's an incredibly cliche opening line, but when I saw this film, I was mesmerized by it. I recently watched it again with a friend who'd never seen it, and she had the same reaction I did. It was simply an amazing movie. I've read the reviews here, and all I can say is some of you have seen a completely different film than I did. Having lost my father at a stressful period in my life, so much of this movie struck me as true--the family members you don't know, the overwhelming number of decisions and plans that must be made, and the sudden realization that the grieving doesn't truly begin until the funeral is over. Orlando Bloom played this perfectly.

I found nothing confusing about the subplots, which to me weren't really sub, but part of the overall plot. I thought the actors, especially Orlando Bloom as Drew Baylor, were perfect. Bloom's portrayal of a man on the edge, a man making the decision to end his life, and oddly and in great and giddy underscore to the career ending opening of the film, FAILING, is absolutely enchanting. He so beautifully shows us a man so completely overwhelmed by events that he doesn't know what to do, and yet he has to step up and take care of things because there is no one else to do it. So what does he do? He copes...which is just what he thought he couldn't do!

The scene where the truth of his father's death is finally a reality to him is touching and well done. It was the kind of scene that could easily be "over the top" but Cameron Crowe and Orlando Bloom somehow managed to avoid that and give us honesty and depth instead.

Kirsten Dunst was also a delight. Her character, Claire Colburn has such a positive approach to life that it seems at odds with Bloom's character's negativity, but it is this that makes it work. She's so positive, and so determined to cheer him up, that her being there for him seem completely natural. They're growing relationship becomes more and more a lifeline to both characters making the audience realize there are similarities beneath the surface.

The ending is brilliant. The road trip was a perfect way to bring this film to an emotional close. It put Drew Baylor in touch with life, with himself, with his father, and with the world, shifting things into perspective and making the eventual choice he has to make obvious to him and to the audience.

The music was inspired and inspiring! I bought volume one of the soundtrack and I fully intend to go back and buy every other related CD. All in all, this film is going on my list of all time favorites. I'll watch it again and again.

The only thing wrong with the DVD is the lack of extra scenes. Why we got more of Rusty's Learning to Listen rather than more of these amazing characters is a bit perplexing.

Just Beatling along (Inspired by "The Long and Winding Road" - The Beatles).......2007-06-10

This long and winding film
That was hard to endure
It just wasn't that great
I've seen better before
It'll make you shed a tear
It may make you snore

The hyped but ugly shoe
That the world laughed away
That left Drew unemployed
Wasting all those years
And then his father died
Left him with no tears

Many times he'd sketched alone
The shoe that was his pride
By Friday everyone'll know
That his career was fried

But still he wandered back
To the place he'd called home
He'd left there once before
A long, long time ago
On route he met a girl
Too perky to ignore

And then she led him back
In a long winding plot
She taught him to enjoy
What he before had not
She taught him how to feel
The things that he'd forgot

Many times Orlando bloomed
While Kirsten wore a smirk
Many scenes just went too long
As with that Baldwin jerk

Why did I watch this one?
As if I were inspired
In truth it was the fact
That I was just too darn tired
To get up from my chair
With the effort required

Amanda Richards, June 9, 2007

Survey on the sidebar:

You may have noticed that Amazon has made some changes to its website. If it looks the same to you right now, look out for a new format that will be rolling out gradually in the weeks to come. If you can see the changes, I'd like to know what you think. Please leave me a comment with your opinion.

"Love the new look" or "Hate the new look" comments are perfectly acceptable.

Thank you for your time.

Girl saves boy.......2007-05-22

A portrayal of one man (Bloom) questioning his will to live after a major work failure. He goes through the motions of life and is "saved" by an angel (Dunst works up in the air) as she extends her compassion for his situation and employs her charm and feminine creativity, and waits for his spark for life to return.

Definitely not a Fiasco.......2007-05-14

Reading previous reviews, one who has not yet viewed "Elizabethtown" may be tempted to, well, not see it. I would have to say that most of the previous viewers had good points, but did not stand back and take a good look at the movie and appreciate how truly wonderful it was.
I saw this movie in the theater. And I loved it! I haven't seen any earlier Cameron Crowe (yeah, yeah, I know), but if anything was to convince me, this sure would.
"Elizabethtown" is the story of Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom), inventor of the Spasmotica shoe. The Spasmotica is not a failure; it is a fiasco. He is fired by Phil, then goes home and assembles a device with which he intends to kill himself. Shortly before he does, however, his sister (Judy Greer, who is absolutley wonderful in her part) calls to say that his dad has died.
Drew must now go to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, to settle everything. He goes by plane, where he meets flight attendant Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst, with a funny Southern accent). And, yes, romance does follow.
This movie has so much in it. It might sound depressing, but I would call it sweet melancholy. And there are so many funny moments in it. Oh, and the music! The music is, in a word, phenomenal. Also included in the movie: a beautiful tap dance scene, a great "Free Bird" moment, and a road trip(!!). Let's just say, the movie is worth watching to get to the road trip scenes.
Overall, this is a feel-good movie. I agree with another reviewer in saying that there are some unresolved themes, but unless you have heard that said, you really don't notice it.
NOTE: This is one of my favorite movies ever, so perhaps I'm partial. See it anyway.

Average customer rating:

Simply the most wonderful film of all-time!
Brilliant!
Just Beatling along (Inspired by "The Long and Winding Road" - The Beatles)
Girl saves boy
Definitely not a Fiasco

Elizabethtown (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Orlando Bloom , Kirsten Dunst , Susan Sarandon , Alec Baldwin , and Bruce McGill
Director: Cameron Crowe
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Just Like Heaven (Widescreen Edition)
In Her Shoes (Widescreen Edition)
Proof
Walk the Line (Widescreen Edition)
Pride & Prejudice

ASIN: B000CNESJY
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Amazon.com

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

Simply the most wonderful film of all-time!.......2007-06-16

Brilliant! .......2007-06-15

Just Beatling along (Inspired by "The Long and Winding Road" - The Beatles).......2007-06-10

Girl saves boy.......2007-05-22

Definitely not a Fiasco.......2007-05-14

The Manson Family (Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Body condom required
very unsettling
Evil and alive.
Not watchable don't waste your money
Campy, Occasionally Disturbing...Usually Stupid.

The Manson Family (Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Maureen Allisse , Michelle Briggs , Tom Burns (III) , Marita Clarke , and Carl Day
Director: Van Bebber, Jim
Manufacturer: Dark Sky Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Helter Skelter (Director's Cut)
Helter Skelter
Charles Manson: Superstar
Manson Family Movies
Manson in His Own Words

ASIN: B000784WS6
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Product Description

If you think you know the story of the Manson Family, you are dead wrong. Director Jim VanBebber (Deadbeat at Dawn) delivers an uncompromising snapshot of this cult of personality, hell- bent on executing the brutal vision of its leader, Charles Manson. On a ranch outside of L.A., the dream of the Love Generation is perverting into something evil. Has what was once an oasis of free love and acid trips becomes ground zero for a madman s paranoid visions? An average group of kids, the Family, become engulfed in a delusional world where torment and slaughter is considered the path to righteousness. The Manson Family is a dizzying, rapid-fire vision of the sex and violence that unifies the misguided group, and at the direction of their leader, ends in a brutal spree leaving seven people dead in 48 hours. You ve seen the story through the eyes of the law. Now witness it through the eyes of The Manson Family.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES The VanBebber Family 77 minute documentary featuring all-new interviews with cast and crew, In the Belly of the Beast 74 minute documentary from the Fant-Asia festival in Montreal featuring Jim VanBebber and other Independent filmmakers, Two Theatrical Trailers, Photo Gallery Including Production and Behind-the-Scenes Stills.

System Requirements:

Running Time 260 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Body condom required.......2007-06-09

This is one of the worst movies I've ever had the displeasure to see. The acting, effects, sound, and everything else was awful. I took a ten minute shower, and immediately put this DVD in the Salvation Army donation bin after watching it.

very unsettling.......2007-05-22

the manson family.. one of the great puzzles of our century.. It is in a way what this century is about.. techniques in how to control, mislead, and even hypnotize a flock or populous.. It is like a miniature example of what aldous huxley feared in 'brave new world' - methods of keeping people in place - drugs, illusion, persuasion..
While this movie is not the perfect portrait of the manson's it kept my attention the whole way through - and aroused my interest in the case and its implications.. Filmed in a very original style.. it sometimes feels slightly amateurish.. but nevertheless succeeds where it is most important to succeed.. worth watching.

Evil and alive........2007-04-21

I have always hated this madman for being associated with the hippies.The movie is frightening.

Not watchable don't waste your money.......2006-12-12

This movie was terrible. I expected a documentary, instead it was poorly acted reinactments from bad actors. I watched for maybe 40 minutes and had to shut it off. It was just terrible. I am a huge documentary film watcher. This movie could have been good, but it's just flat out terrible. I rented it from the library, what a waste of my time. It's not the typical documentary you expect. The cover of the DVD makes you think it may be a serious look at that whole incident, its a joke and should never have been burned on a DVD.

Campy, Occasionally Disturbing...Usually Stupid........2006-11-16

I'd say I know about the Manson family/murders about as much as the average person. I know about their victims, their trial, their sentences, and Charlie Manson's CD. But, to tell you the truth, my knowledge about the whole debacle is, in reality, quite small. I've never seen "Helter Skelter" or any other movie about Manson...This one intrigued me because it had good reviews on the front (from Roger Ebert & Entertainment Weekly's Owen Glieberman). I want to begin by saying that the film is not 256 minutes, like the back cover said. It doesn't even pass 100 minutes. Anyway, the Helter Skelter movie was told from the lawyer's point-of-view. The Manson Family is meant to be told from the eyes of The Manson Family. Instead of just presenting it, it is set up as a producer splicing together interviews to create a Manson documentary. While these interviews play, we get glimpses into the life of Manson. Nothing really new. Charlie Manson, an aspiring musician and convict, got some followers to hang out with him at his ranch. They'd take drugs and have sex as often as possible, while all looking up to Manson as a heavenly figure. Eventually, he convinces them to commit murder (although they actually kill a black man first) which leads to the Tate-LaBianca killings. There are a lot of problems with the movie. One of them is that almost the entire movie is too damn campy. None of the scenes that take place at The Ranch creeped me out or disturbed me at all. I didn't laugh at any point during the movie, but I found a lot of scenes laughable. There's also a ridiculous sub-plot about a bunch of Manson worshipping kids, who are plotting to kill the producer that's viewing the interview footage. The most effective scenes come from the Tate-LaBianca killing scenes. They are truly horrifying to watch, especially when the woman supposed to be Sharon Tate begs for the life of her baby. The movie is told like a documentary and has cinematography that gives it a look of a 1970s movie. I mean, it doesn't even look purposefully done that way. It looks very 70s-ish. This makes those scenes more effective. Another thing that led to the downfall was the producer and the Manson worshippers. If this movie had been solely about The Manson Family, cutting all that other stuff out, even with the camp left in...This would've been a better film. I was tempted to give it 4 stars, but I'm going to give it 3 (well 3 1/2)...I did find those murder scenes disturbing and haunting. The acting is good, but the actors (since they are playing drug users) do way too much overacting. I even thought the guy playing Manson was overacting, until I watched the Charlie Manson interview on the 2nd disc where I realize that the actor is sedated compared to the real Manson. The interview is interesting though. There's one last problem with this film I wanted to point out. I usually don't even care about something like this, but in this film it bothered me. Most films that deal with this subject matter try to present a reason why these people would do something like this. This film seems to just want to exploit the fact that it happened. It tries to pin the reason on LSD, marijuana, and brainwashing...But that seems like an easy way out. I don't think anyone can truly pin down what occurred at that ranch to make these people do what they did, but the writer/director could have at least attempted a character study to get into the psyche of these characters. It doesn't even seem like this goal was in his mind. This is not a film I would watch again. I, personally, don't know why anyone would want to submit themselves to this again. If you really want to see it that bad, rent it first.

GRADE: C+

Average customer rating:

The Cemetery Club
Movie Review
ELLEN BE MY WIFE!
Plenty of life left

The Cemetery Club
Starring: Ellen Burstyn , Olympia Dukakis , Diane Ladd , Danny Aiello , and Lainie Kazan
Director: Bill Duke
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Camilla
Once Around
The First Wives Club
The Evening Star
Crimes of the Heart

ASIN: B00008L3TD
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Amazon.com

Three Jewish widows meet on a regular basis at the cemetery where each has buried her husband. But talk about faux Jewry: The widows are played by Olympia Dukakis, Ellen Burstyn, and Diane Ladd. One is uptight, one is fun loving, and one is confused--and each is coping with the notion of starting a life with a new man. But only Burstyn is actually out there trying to begin anew, with the formulaically lovable Danny Aiello. Her romance drives a wedge between the friendship, but you won't care too much because the comedy (based on a Broadway play by Ivan Menchell) is so wan that it's almost nonexistent. And there's nothing these three veterans (or director Bill Duke) can do about it. --Marshall Fine

Description

In the heart-warming tradition of FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, an all-star cast lights up the screen with irresistible laughter and captivating charm! Once a week, a circle of lifelong friends meet to pay tribute to the past. But when life throws them a few unexpected curves, they happily discover the best times are still ahead! Academy Award(R)-winners Olympia Dukakis (MOONSTRUCK) and Ellen Burstyn (ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE), plus nominees Diane Ladd (RAMBLING ROSE) and Danny Aiello (DO THE RIGHT THING), team up to deliver genuinely delightful performances in this enchanting comedy treat! Join them for a fun-filled celebration you're sure to enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

The Cemetery Club.......2007-05-23

It really is changed too much from the original play. Changing characters names is just too much of a change.

Movie Review.......2007-01-30

The Cemetery Club has been one of my favorite movies for years. Before purchasing the movie through Amazon, I had been searching all video stores for the movie. I wished I had thought of Amazon before searching for the movie elsewhere because it was so easy to find on Amazon and just as easy to puchase, as well.

The Cemetery Club is a movie for all ages. It is especially fun to watch with family members. The cast is fantastic; Danny Aiello, Olympia Dukakis, Ellyn Bursten and Diane Ladd and Christina Ricci has a small part in the film as a young girl.

I highly recommend this movie.

ELLEN BE MY WIFE!.......2006-02-12

The rest were good but she is my love ----always. Will you see her best film? Same Time Next Year?

Plenty of life left.......2002-09-22

The acting and the basic theme of the film -- how people handle further attachments after losing a spouse -- are good. There are a number of funny lines and poignant moments. The main romance is handled well and realistically on an emotional level. The final scene in the music store was unfortunately marred by Ben's phoney stuttering when he tries to get out the word marriage. The idea is fine, but the execution seemed really hokey. All in all, an enjoyable film that had a lot of nice touches, particularly the bedroom/hotel night scene.

Le Corbeau (The Raven) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Le Corbeau
The deadliest weapon:
A masterpiece of misanthropy!
unknown classic, fresh and on-point
Very fine

Le Corbeau (The Raven) - Criterion Collection
Starring: Pierre Fresnay , Ginette Leclerc , Micheline Francey , Héléna Manson , and Jeanne Fusier-Gir
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Manufacturer: Criterion
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Quai des Orfevres - Criterion Collection
Diabolique - Criterion Collection
The Wages of Fear - Criterion Collection
Pepe Le Moko - Criterion Collection
Port of Shadows - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B00014K5Y6
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Description

A mysterious writer of poison pen letters known only as Le Corbeau (The Raven) plagues a French provincial town, and unwittingly exposes the collective suspicion and rancor that was seething beneath the community's calm surface. Made during the Nazi Occupation of France, Henri-Georges Clouzot's Le Corbeau was attacked by the right-wing Vichy regime, the left-wing Resistance press, the Catholic Church, and was banned after the liberation. Le Corbeau brilliantly captures the spirit of paranoid pettiness and self-loathing that turns an occupied French town into a twentieth-century Salem. The disc includes a video interview with Bernard Tavernier (director of Coup de Torchon), and excerpts from a 1975 documentary on French cinema during World War II.

Customer Reviews:

Le Corbeau.......2007-06-25

Filmed during the Nazi occupation of France, Clouzot's brilliant, edgy psychological thriller captures the petty enmities and virulent paranoia that, letter by letter, rips a tight-knit community apart. Framed by the moral dilemma of Fresnay's Germain, a serious, stone-faced man haunted by "two ghosts" from the past, "Corbeau" adds one Hitchcockian twist after another, while immersing us in an ominous atmosphere of suspicion. Adding to the intrigue are radiant social worker Laura (Francey), elderly psychoanalyst Dr. Avorzet (the wonderful Pierre Larquey), and needy cripple Denise (Ginette Leclerc). Dark, cynical, and utterly captivating, "Corbeau" illuminates the inner world where good and evil mix in equal measure.

The deadliest weapon:.......2007-04-23

The story of a small French provincial town infected by the mass hysteria of suspicion, spying, and hatred caused by the damning letters revealing the guilty secrets of all citizens and always signed "Le Corbeau" (The Raven) is an absolutely brilliant film. It is incredibly clever, involving, and extremely dark and leaves very little hope regarding the human nature and its motivations. The word is the most dangerous and the deadliest of weapons, and a gun, a knife, or a poison only finish the evil deed that always starts with the words. The humans are very creative in choosing the right words that will hurt and infuriate the fellow human being and start the unstoppable nuclear reaction of hatred, intolerance, and violence. H.G. Cluozot had difficulties working in France after he had made "Le Corbeau" in 1943 which was produced by the German company and later judged by French as a piece of anti-French propaganda. It took writers such as Jean Cocteau and actors such as Louis Jouvet, an admirer of Clouzot's work, to recognize the powerful subtext to Cluozot's controversial masterpiece.

A masterpiece of misanthropy!.......2006-12-24

Clouzot's second film, "The Raven" was a masterpiece of misanthropy... Dissecting the moral collapse of a small French town plagued by a wave of poison pen-letters, Clouzot revealed a sour, embittered vision of human motivation...

Greed, envy, hypocrisy and hatred are his characters' primary instincts; cruelty and mutual suspicion inform every act of communication... Such was the power - and, perhaps, truth - of Clouzot's vision of provincial life that it was interpreted as an act of collaboration with the occupying Nazis; rumors suggested it was shown in Germany as anti-French propaganda... Clouzot found himself unemployable for several years...

The idiocy and falsity of the accusations were proved by his subsequent films...

unknown classic, fresh and on-point.......2006-07-17

I concur with the other reviewers' superlatives about this remarkable film. The acting, the direction, the cinematography is all superb. Criterion has, as usual, given us a beautifully-restored print of the feature film. (Compare to the blurry quality of the original theatrical trailer, just to see how far Criterion refreshed the original). The film, even without knowing the time and place it was made, stands on its own as a look at mutual suspicion, malicious gossip and a prurient interest in personal lives -- something we can relate to, 60 years later.

Criterion has added two featurettes -- a video interview and an excerpt from a a 1975 documentary that included director M. Clouzot -- that puts Le Corbeau in its context, produced in occupied France. The material does bring out that Continental-Film, for whom Clouzot worked, was created by Joseph Goebbels with the aim of making banal, light, frothy entertainments to divert French audiences -- and instead M. Clouzot produced this, a noirish anti-informer film. All the more remarkable that this film seems fresh, and eerily current, today.

M. Clouzot would go on, post-war, to create some classic suspense films: Quai des Orfevres, Diabolique, Wages of Fear. Le Corbeau is an early example of his excellence as a director.

Very fine.......2005-12-30

A film about a village terrorized by anonymous poison pen letters by Henri-Georges Clouzot made during the Nazi occupation of France. The film was attacked by the right-wing Vichy regime, the left-wing Resistance press, the Catholic Church, and was banned after the Liberation. However, Jean Cocteau and Jean-Paul Sartre recognized the film's greatness of Clouzot's anti-Gestapo subtext and helped him reestablish his career after the war. The film is in magnificent black and white, and it perfectly captures the paranoia of the war. Perhaps not as affecting as Diabolique, but quite potent none the less.

Average customer rating:

Very Interesting.

What Happened After? Manson Murders

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

True Crime Authors: Helter Skelter With Vincent Bugliosi
Helter Skelter
The Manson Family (Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition)
The Family
Helter Skelter (Director's Cut)

ASIN: B000E372CW
Release Date: 2001-10-10

Description

For two nights in 1969, Charles Manson and his deranged "family" terrorized Los Angeles, committing seven murders. Three decades later, Manson remains one of the most notorious killers in history, but those whose lives were touched by his brutal acts are largely forgotten.WHAT HAPPENED AFTER...? sheds new light on the crimes by talking with relatives of the victims. Some, like Alice LaBianca, whose lost her husband, have stayed quiet and in relative seclusion. Others, like Debbie Tate, the younger sister of the actress Sharon Tate, Manson's most famous victim, have worked tirelessly to ensure that none of the killers will receive parole. Relatives of the murderers, including Paul Van Houten, the father of one of LaBianca's killers, provide another view of shattered lives. And finally, Barbara Hoyt, a former Manson "family" member, talks on camera for the first time since she testified against her former leader.This is the most comprehensive examination ever produced about the post-crime lives of the killers, the victims' families, the lawyers and the former members of Manson's murderous clan.

Customer Reviews:

Very Interesting........2007-06-28

To see the very differnt ways these poeple coped with the tragic events of the Manson Murders was surprising and touching.

Average customer rating:

Gordy
Gordy Da Pig!
Lovable pig inspires compassion for animals
He's no 'Babe'
Corny

Gordy
Starring: Doug Stone , Kristy Young , James Donadio , Deborah Hobart , and Tom Lester
Director: Mark Lewis
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Babe Family Double Feature
Homeward Bound II - Lost in San Francisco
Jungle 2 Jungle
Homeward Bound - The Incredible Journey
The Adventures of Milo & Otis

ASIN: B000064730
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Amazon.com

Gordy, the kooky adventures of a modest little piglet that could, had the bad luck to go snout-to-snout with powerhouse porker Babe and became the "other" talking-pig movie of 1995. Pure-of-heart Gordy is a modest little guy who never loses sight of his mission--to find his lost family--as he confounds the pig-napping conspiracies of a sneering villain and his bumbling henchmen and becomes a corporate spokes-pig, media darling, country music maven, and national hero! Directed by eccentric documentarian Mark Lewis (Cane Toads: An Unnatural History), this oddball family comedy lacks the storybook images and polished grace of Babe, but it has its own goofy, cartoonishly exaggerated charm. While the shadowy threat of the dungeonlike slaughterhouse may be too intense for the very young, no pigs are harmed and happy endings are guaranteed for all. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Bring home the lovable talking pig who waddled off the farm and into our hearts -- and the movie everyone's gone hog-wild over! It's Gordy! The world's cutest piglet whose kindness and bravery lead him and the children he loves on one big adventure after another! The fun begins the moment you enter Meadowbrook Farm, a magical world where real live animals can talk! When Gordy's family is trucked "up north," a mysterious place from which no pig has ever returned, Gordy runs off to find them. He soon befriends two equally adorable children -- the only humans who can hear him because they are "pure of heart. "Together, they teach the adult world the true meaning of friendship and the value of family. Now you can own this heartwarming piggy tale full of charm, laughter, and toe-tapping music from the biggest names in country music -- and "overflowing with good will and genuine affection." (Seattle Weekly)

Customer Reviews:

Gordy.......2006-07-08

A talking pig named Gordy becomes involved in a
fun-filled adventure to save his family members
from being turned into pre-packaged bacon and pork
roast at the local slaughterhouse.

It is a really cute and simple movie that would
be more enjoyed by younger children.

Gordy Da Pig!.......2006-06-17

In 1995 two pig movies arrived on the scene at the same time. There was a funny movie called "Babe," and then there was this movie.

In this pig of a movie, a pig called, wait for it...GORDY, has a lovely happy life on the farm, until one day he runs off on a search. When he returns from his search, his family is GONE! Pretty dramatic, ain't it? Anyway, Gordy's family was sent "up north," which is a euphemism for the packing plant, where the Gordy family will be turned into...okay, maybe I'll skip that part.

Gordy is off with the single-minded purpose of saving his family. I will say that Gordy did focus on finding and saving his family. Throughout this whole movie Gordy kept coming back to that, no matter where he was.

Gordy hardly sets off on his journey when he encounters Luke MacAllister (singer Doug Stone, who actually can sing), Jinny Sue MacAllister (Kristy Young, who actually can't sing), and Cousin Jake (Tom Lester, who some may remember as Eb Dawson on "Petticoat Junction," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and "Green Acres"). The trio is traveling country singers headed off to another singing engagement. In fact, just after Jinny Sue meets Gordy hiding in the back of a truck, we get to see Jinny sue singing and leading a bunch of line dancers at a local dance hall. I have no clue as to why we are focused on Jinny Sue other than to establish she's a red-blooded sweet American girl who does not sing very well.

After the distraction, we get back on the road, only Jinny Sue has now acquired Gordy as a pet. At a singing gig at the governor's mansion we meet a whole cast of stereotypical characters, particular the wormy Gilbert Sipes (James Donadio, who had a very short acting career; after seeing this movie, I can see why), Jessica Royce (Deborah Hobart, who has appeared in a couple dozen movies and television shows), her son Hanky Royce (Michael Roescher, in his only role ever), and wealthy Henry Royce (Ted Manson, who has been in more than two dozen minor roles). It turns out that Henry Royce is wealthy, and Gilbert Sipes has his eye on gaining the family fortune.

During the singing action, Hanky manages to fall into the mansion pool and is rescued by Gordy. Hurrah for Gordy, the vaguely lovable pig!

Gordy is now on the fast track to stardom, becoming the mascot for Royce industries, and beating out Jessica Royce for popularity. Gilbert Sipes tries to do away with the pig, and of course routinely fails thanks to Hanky and Gordy.

Eventually we get to Branson, Missouri, where Jinny Sue, Luke and Cousin Jake are performing with a number of really famous country singers: Mo Bandy, Roy Clark, Christy Lane, Boxcar Willie, Jim Stafford, Buck Trent, and Mickey Gillie. Henchmen of Gilbert Sipes try to do away with Gordy again, unsuccessfully, of course, and Gordy finally learns where his family is. Of course, the family is on its way to, gasp, a grisly end, and Gordy has to get there in the nick of time. Will he make it? You will have to watch to find out.

There is no comparison between pig movies. "Babe" took in an estimated $67 million dollars in US box office, and "Gordy" took in an estimated $4 million. "Babe" won an Oscar, 17 other awards, and had another 16 nominations for other awards. "Gordy" won one minor award. "Babe" was nicely plotted and appealed to adults as well as children. "Gordy" was unbelievable and hard to watch as an adult.

Children do seem to like this movie. My children liked it, but I found it hard to keep watching to the end. For adults, and probably for nearly anyone above the age of ten, this movie is just painful. Disney had a miss with this movie.

I gave this movie three stars, which is very generous, because my children liked this movie. If it has not been for their enjoyment of the movie, it would have gotten two stars. Good luck!

Lovable pig inspires compassion for animals.......2005-09-16

My son who is 6 and my Godson who is 3 absolutely loved this movie. They have watched it over and over. I thought the pig was adorable, especially when he talked and snorted at the same time. What I liked most about this movie was that it inspires people of all walks to examine their eating habits and find compassion for animals that we consider "food".

He's no 'Babe'.......2005-01-29

Gordy (voiced by Justin Garms) is a live-action movie about talking animals - with its emphasis on porkers - who must endure the cruel whims of man. When Gordy is stolen by an aspiring country singer named Jinnie Sue MaCallister (KristyYoung), his life changes for the better; that is, if you'd rather go to beer-swilling hoedown yodeling concerts than be turned into a BLT. Tough call.

Staci Layne Wilson

Corny.......2004-03-30

This was a predictable and corny kids movie, and for that it just eeeked out the third star, but maybe two and a half would be a better ranking.
In any case, it's not in my "to own" list, but if you have young kids, they'll probably be entertained at least once watching it.

Average customer rating:

Had potential, but failed badly.
FilmFanaddict.com Review of Manson Family Movies (by David Carter)
One-star "Buyer's Regret" reviewers don't get the joke
absolute garbage!
Even more boring than your own home movies

Manson Family Movies
Starring: A.J. (VII) , Sister Audress , Ms. Brad , Bryant , and Knarly Dana
Manufacturer: Cult Epics
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Manson Family (Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition)
The Helter-Skelter Murders
Charles Manson: Superstar
Helter Skelter
Helter Skelter (Director's Cut)

ASIN: B0009WFEQ4
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Product Description

Manson Family Movies is a primitive, obsessional, fetishistic tribute to mayhem, murder and madness. Enough to appall even the most jaded video junkie The home movie effect really added to it. Attention to fetishy detail was really astounding Abigail s scarf, Tex s gun, plus Sadie, Tex and G. Spahn looked more like the originals than Helter Skelter. Very rude all the rumors, MDA deal, Leno the bookie, Tate S&M I liked the Valley of the Dolls touch. The most obscure was Leno s vacation I had never even imagined those sights. - John Waters

System Requirements:
Running Time: 88 Mins

Extras:

Director s Commentary Track
Outtakes with Director s Commentary
Last Interview with Charles Manson (30 min.)
The Original LAPD Murder Photos
Original Charles Manson Artw

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Had potential, but failed badly........2006-12-14

I liked the basic premise the film was based on, the amateurish home movie rumor of the Manson family. I didn't even mind the fact that it is silent. The movie is awful because like other reviewers below said, the guy in this movie doesn't even resemble Manson, except he's got a beard. There is no acting, or even attempt at acting. When several of the characters that are supposed to be women are actually men in obvious drag, and they act ridiculous, the movie lost all hope for me. It fails in every category. Tongue in cheek or not. This movie is wasted money. It's sad when the best part of a DVD are the extras, and indeed with Manson Family Movies, you should skip watching the movie and go directly to the extras. Avoid wasting precious 88 minutes of your life.

FilmFanaddict.com Review of Manson Family Movies (by David Carter).......2006-05-25

The killings attributed to the Manson Family are, in their essence, no different than crimes that happened on a daily basis in the 1960's. Though gruesome, multiple homicides and even serial murder were not new concepts at the time. Why, then, did these particular crimes capture America's attention to such a degree? Much like it's films, Hollywood's most famous murders were tailored perfectly for public consumption. The most well known victim, Sharon Tate, was a beautiful young starlet. Playing opposite her as the villain was Charles Manson, a larger-than-life character that seemed to embody the worst aspects of the permissive sixties culture. Conservative America was distrustful of the youth movement, and Charles Manson's very existence confirmed all of their fears. Many have attempted to bring the killings to the screen with varying degrees of success. John Aes-Nihil's MANSON FAMILY MOVIES brings a fresh perspective to this familiar topic.
MANSON FAMILY MOVIES is structured to resemble just that: home movies shot by members of the Manson Family. Working without dialogue, Aes-Nihil attempts to bring a narrative structure to a collage of images that are both graphic and disorienting at times. The viewers are taken through key events in the Manson Family's history. Additionally, the omniscient camera also shows the victims prior to the murders. Aes-Nihil uses a blend of concrete facts (to which he brings a high level of detail) and urban legends surrounding the crime, which are shown in gloriously exploitive sequences.
The lack of dialogue is going to be the main stumbling block for most viewers. In lieu of dialogue, Aes-Nihil will occasionally use crudely drawn title cards to convey character's speech. The film is not silent, however, the soundtrack is compiled from the recordings of Manson and his Family members, lending a macabre authenticity to the proceedings. The lack of dialogue creates a problem for viewers unfamiliar with some of the subtle details of the case. This is clearly a film for devotees of the crime, as an intimate knowledge of it is all but required to follow the film closely.
Though it shows the Family and their crimes in great detail, MANSON FAMILY MOVIES does not glorify them. By using the "home video" format, Aes-Nihil is presenting the Family's activities as part of the collective memories of a nation. Just as your trip to the beach when you were nine is a part of your memory and an event that shaped your life, the Manson Family murders are part of the memory of America. It's an event that seems less than real now, like a movie you've seen in the past. Aes-Nihil's film shows the murders as an event that transcends a mere crime story and instead a crucial event in shaping society after the sixties.

One-star "Buyer's Regret" reviewers don't get the joke.......2006-01-14

If you approach this low low budget "shocker" as an armchair "criminologist" thinking it will give you a detailed police procedural of the infamous Tate-LoBianca slayings, then you probably expect yet another rote re-telling of attorney Vincent Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter". Well, it's not. Someone's tongue was firmly implanted in cheek while making this film, and its entertainment value depends largely on how developed your sense of "camp" is (the glowing endorsement from bad taste meister/ironist John Waters on the jacket should be clue #1!). The film was PURPOSELY shot "amateurishly" on grainy super-8 to simulate what the infamous Manson "family" home movies might have looked like. Supposedly, some footage does exist, although it would have likely been of "daily life" activity at the Spahn Ranch (only a moron would believe that they would have had time to film the actual murders while perpertrating them!). This is one film that benefits 100% from the director's commentary track, and I highly recommend watching with it "on". The commentary actually makes this the "JFK" of Manson films, because you learn some interesting "counter-myths" as to what may have motivated the murders. To tell you the truth, the director's take-that several members of the Tate household were using and selling "MDA" and dealt the drugs through members of the Manson family, pointing to a classic "drug deal gone sour" scenario, actually seems more pragmatic than the "zombie hippie killers held in thrall of a messianic cult leader" explanation. At any rate, I think the director makes it quite clear that this was designed as a work of entertainment, not of enlightenment-and taken in that spirit, it works. Obviously not for all tastes, but definitely worth a spin for the jaded viewer.

absolute garbage!.......2005-12-19

This is by far the worst movie I have ever seen in my entire 40 years of life. The acting (if you call it that) is low rent, the entire filming is a giant charade. The guy playing Manson is pathetic and doesn't even resemble him. Some of the actors playing female family members are actually men wearing wigs.

This is so bad I can't even put it in words. If you are a Manson buff, look elsewhere, nothing could be worse.....PERIOD!

Even more boring than your own home movies.......2005-09-17

Don't even waste your money renting this piece of crap. I am fascinated by the Tate-LaBianca murders, so I bought this film, intrigued that it was filmed at several of the actual locations associated with the case. What a disappointment this was! This stinker stars a Mexican guy who bears a closer resemblance to Cheech Marin than Charlie Manson, and an ensemble cast of cross-dressing actors who would embarrass a high-school drama club.

Every scene in the film is cheesier than a bag of Doritos corn chips, the silliest parts being the corn-syrup "blood" and the laughable "murder" scenes. I've seen twelve-year-olds in haunted houses who were scarier than these folks. A total waste of time and money. I sure hope no one made any money off this joke of a film.

Average customer rating:

Sudie and Simpson
Starring: Reid Binion , Larry Black , Paige Danahy , Frances Fisher , and Sara Gilbert
Director: Joan Tewkesbury
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000GAKH02
Release Date: 2006-11-15

Average customer rating:

Body condom required
very unsettling
Evil and alive.
Not watchable don't waste your money
Campy, Occasionally Disturbing...Usually Stupid.

The Manson Family
Starring: Maureen Allisse , Michelle Briggs , Tom Burns (III) , Marita Clarke , and Carl Day
Director: Jim Van Bebber
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
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( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Helter Skelter (Director's Cut)
Helter Skelter
Charles Manson: Superstar
Manson Family Movies
Manson in His Own Words

ASIN: B000784WSG
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Description

If you think you know the story of the Manson Family, you are dead wrong. Director Jim VanBebber (Deadbeat at Dawn) delivers an uncompromising snapshot of this cult of personality, hell- bent on executing the brutal vision of its leader, Charles Manson. On a ranch outside of LA the dream of the "Love Generation" is perverting into something evil. What was once an oasis of free love and acid trips has become ground zero for a madman's paranoid visions. An average group of kids, the "Family", become engulfed in a delusional world where torment and slaughter is considered the path to righteousness. The Manson Family is a dizzying, rapid-fire vision of the sex and violence that unifies the misguided group, and at the direction of their leader, ends in a brutal spree leaving seven people dead in a 48 hours. You've seen the story through the eyes of the law. Now witness it through the eyes of THE MANSON FAMILY.

Customer Reviews:

Body condom required.......2007-06-09

very unsettling.......2007-05-22

Evil and alive........2007-04-21

I have always hated this madman for being associated with the hippies.The movie is frightening.

Not watchable don't waste your money.......2006-12-12

Campy, Occasionally Disturbing...Usually Stupid........2006-11-16