The Mangler

Starring:Robert Englund, Ted Levine, Daniel Matmor, Jeremy Crutchley, Vanessa Pike, Demetre Phillips, Lisa Morris, Vera Blacker, Ashley Hayden, Danny Keogh, Ted Le Plat, Todd Jensen, Sean Taylor, Gerrit Schoonhoven, Nan Hamilton, Adrian Waldron, Norman Coombes, Larry Taylor, Irene Frangs, Megan Wilson
Director: Tobe Hooper
Studio: New Line Home Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Matt Helm Lounge (The Silencers/ Murderers Row/The Ambushers/The Wrecking Crew)

Average customer rating:

A Fascinating Look at Sex, Spies, and the 1960s
Killa!!!
Outstanding Series!
Matt Helm Lounge
A '60s Spy Spoof Flashback

Matt Helm Lounge (The Silencers/ Murderers Row/The Ambushers/The Wrecking Crew)
Starring: Dean Martin , Stella Stevens , Daliah Lavi , Victor Buono , and Arthur O'Connell
Director: Phil Karlson , and Henry Levin
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009RCPWK
Release Date: 2005-12-06

Description

Dean Martin stars as the original swinger agent, Matt Helm, in this four-disc set including: THE SILENCERS, MURDERERS ROW, THE WRECKING CREW, and THE AMBUSHERS.

THE SILENCERS: The first of the series of Matt Helm films, the big cheese of Big O, an organization that wants to sabotage the American atomic missile system. It's up to secret agent Helm to save the day.

MURDERER'S ROW: The handsome top agent Matt dies a tragic death in his bathtub - the women mourn about the loss. However it's just faked for his latest top-secret mission: He shall find Dr. Solaris, inventor of the Helium laser beam, powerful enough to destroy a whole continent. It seems Dr. Solaris has been kidnapped by a criminal organization. The trace leads to the Cote D'Azur.

THE AMBUSHERS: A government space saucer is hijacked mid-flight by a powerful laser beam under the control of Jose Ortega, who then proceeds to rape the female pilot, Sheila Sommars. ICE sends agent Matt Helm to Acapulco with Sheila to recover the saucer, under the guise of Matt taking fashion photographs of beautiful models. Matt is temporarily sidetracked, falling prey to the seductive charms of enemy agent Franceca Madeiros.

THE WRECKING CREW: The count has stolen enough gold to cause a financial crisis in the world markets so I.C.E. sends in ace spy Matt Helm to stop him. As Matt works alone, the British send in Freya to aid Matt, but it seems that Freya causes more problems than she solves.

Customer Reviews:

A Fascinating Look at Sex, Spies, and the 1960s.......2007-04-17

This is a great collection of movies for both Matt Helm and Dean Martin fans. Most viewers will find Dean Martins' slightly comedic approach to the Matt Helm character very entertaining. In addition to some pretty funny moments, the movies are also full of clever songs, such as "When Your Sweetheart Puts A Pistol in her Pillow."

These movies provide a fascinating look at American culture of the 1960s. They contain old cars, scantily clad women, and a surplus of sexual innuendo. The behavior exhibited by Dean Martin is also rather interesting. In a scene from "The Silencers", he rips the dress off of Stella Stevens as an incentive for her to start talking. Today, such behavior would be called "assault." In another movie, Dean is drinking from a flask while driving his car and receiving instructions from Headquarters. Obviously, drinking and driving was not an issue in the 1960s. These films contain some of the big name actresses of the day, such as Stella Stevens, Ann Margaret, and Sharon Tate. Sharon Tate, unfortunately, is better known for being murdered by Charles Manson and his family.

The quality of the movies is excellent and there were no problems with the DVDs. All four DVDs fit into two slim containers. The entire collection fits into one box the size of a normal DVD case. Unfortunately, the set has the appearance of a rental from the local video store, vice something that was intended for sale. "The Silencers" contain several movie trailers for unrelated films such as "Fun with Dick and Jane." There is no trailer for "The Silencers." The other movies do contain Matt Helm movie trailers, but not on the disk of that movie. The set also contains multiple trailers for "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and an upcoming release of the Seinfeld DVDs. Finally, one DVD came with a small anti theft tag used to prevent shoplifting.

Despite these minor anomalies, this is a very entertaining set of movies. Dean Martin is as enjoyable now as he was in the 1960s. The viewer can certainly see how these films were a likely source of inspiration for the Austin Powers movies.

Killa!!!.......2007-04-12

Bond, Steel, Flint, Man From Uncle, don't got nothing on Matt Helm. Awesome retro movies! Must have if you like this type of movies.

Outstanding Series!.......2007-04-04

It was very enjoyable seeing these now forty year old classics. Dean Martin was his usual easy going self as Matt Helm, while James Gregory was excellent as McDonald his boss. Well worth it!

Neal Robertson

Matt Helm Lounge.......2007-03-31

Waited a long time for these to become available. I am very happy with them. Boy, special effects have sure come a long way.

A '60s Spy Spoof Flashback.......2007-02-24

I want to echo all that has been said by the other, positive reviewers regarding the fun nature of these films. I was a kid in the 60s and Matt Helm was the anti-Bond, an American spy who totally out-cooled that British guy. Definitely not to be taken seriously but a fun romp on a retro weekend of martinis and lounge music. Also note that the aspect ratio on these films is 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen so they look great on a 16:9 Hi Def set. Please Amazon, make sure you list the technical details for your products.

Average customer rating:

Barbra At Her Best
MUST SEE - Once
BARBRA AT HER ULTIMATE BEST
Not to be missed
A must have for any music artist!

Funny Girl
Starring: Barbra Streisand , Omar Sharif , Kay Medford , Anne Francis , and Walter Pidgeon
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005O3VD
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com essential video

Ah, Barbra. Of all her onscreen personas, she sparkles in none as she does in her role as 1930s comedian Fanny Brice in the musical Funny Girl. Portraying the life of this star of stage and radio, Brice preens and prances and sings, captivating her audience both onscreen and off. Fanny Brice started life on the Lower East Side of New York, the daughter of a Jewish saloon owner. Not the prettiest girl around, Brice still managed to quickly rise to stardom as a performer in the Ziegfield Follies. A shrewd, obstinate woman, Brice dictated her own success story on stage; things were a different matter in romance. Falling hard for the stunning Nick Arnstein (suavely played by Omar Sharif), Brice must navigate a difficult marriage. While kids may love the tunes (which include the now-infamous "People," as in "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world"), the plot is definitely adult-oriented. Enjoy this one, but don't go too far out of your way for the sequel, Funny Lady. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

Barbra At Her Best.......2007-06-29

The vehicle that made Barbra Streisand a major superstar. From Broadway acclaim, to her 1968 Academy Award winning performance, "Funny Girl" is Barbra Streisand. When she sings its most familiar number "People", it seems all time stands still. And to date, there still is no one else who can touch that song but Barbra. As the popular comedic singer/actress Fanny Brice, we're given a lesson of survival through adversity. And Omar Sharif's finest hour since his appearance in "Lawrence of Arabia" as Fanny's gambling addicted first husband Nicky Arnstein. You so much want to see these two succeed as a couple; but alas, it just wasn't to be.

Another standout is the finale, as Barbra so convincingly sings "My Man" with every award winning emotion imaginable. A note of trivia, Barbra Streisand won her 1968 Best Actress Oscar in a tie with Katherine Hepburn for her grand performance in "The Lion In Winter". An extreme rarity in Oscar history, having only happened once before back in the 1930s.

MUST SEE - Once.......2007-05-17

This used to be one of my favorite movies. The songs are spectacular, and the telling of Fanny Brice's rise to stardom is a lot of fun. Once she has it all, the movie tends to drag. It's an interesting perspective on how we might look at life, however - it's the struggle to get somewhere that most intrigues us. Once we get there, it's no fun anymore. That's why this is a must see once movie - and you will want a CD of the music.

BARBRA AT HER ULTIMATE BEST.......2007-05-03

"FUNNY GIRL" is arguably Barbra Streisand's best film; probably because, as Fanny Brice, Barbra was human and
vulnerable; qualities she has rarely displayed on screen since. (In "THE WAY WE WERE", another three handkerchief weepie, she comes close.) "FUNNY GIRL" is one of my favorite movies from my teen-age years, but I certainly see it differently as an adult.
As a musical biopic, "FUNNY GIRL" is a mixed bag. Several of the best songs from the original Broadway production, noteably "Coronet Man," "Who Are You Now?" and "The Music That Makes Me Dance", are absent from the film version. This is probably due to director William Wyler's inexperience with musicals. Composer Jule Styne was reportedly furious about the musical omissions. Herbert Ross directed the musical numbers that did survive, Wyler did the rest. Somehow, though, Barbra's amazing charisma and the spirit of Fanny Brice herself carry the viewer over numerous rough spots.
The film is best when depicting Fanny's tremendous drive and deterimination to succeed in show-business, which mirrors Barbra's own. Whereas Barbra's quest for perfection and control made her an untouchable, unreachable star, I suspect Fanny always essentially stayed a kid from Brooklyn. Nobody from show-biz came pounding on Fanny Brice's door. So, Fanny opened doors herself, and paved the way for generations of unconventional, talented funny girls after her. If Fanny had lived in our generation, she would have undoubtedly earned a top spot on "Saturday Night Live" or something similar. She did become a top star of the Zigfeld Follies, but on her own terms, I'll bet. In the musical, she wants the audience to laugh with her instead of at her. So, she sticks a pillow under a wedding gown and turns a lavish Zigfeld production number into a comic farce. She feels the wrath of the Great Zigfeld (Walter Pidgeon) immediately afterwards, but even he admits her comic instincts were brilliant. He hated it, but the audience loved it.
In terms of depicting Fanny's less than brilliant private life, the musical is a sketchy and inaccurrate mess. Fanny was briefly married to Harold White before she met and married gambler/con man Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif).
So, Nick was Fanny's second, not first, husband. But the audience is not likely to quibble over the facts. When
Barbra sings "Don't Rain On My Parade" and Fanny Brice's signature song "My Man", the movie is sheer, absolute, bliss.
The picture and sound quality, and the Interactive Menu, on the DVD are superb. This is a restored print.
Barbra has often said that "FUNNY GIRL" is her favorite movie. Sadly, there is no Audio Commentary. If Barbra would (please!) someday do an Audio Commentary for another DVD edition, then the audience would truly be "the luckiest people in the world!" Oh, Barbra tied with Katharine Hepburn in "The Lion In Winter" for "Best Actress" of 1968-- the only "Best Actress Tie" in the history of the Academy Awards.
To see the real Fanny Brice on film, check out 1938's "EVERYBODY SING" from MGM. I don't know if it is out on DVD. Fanny plays Olga, the Yiddish maid to Judy Garland's daffy theatrical family. Billie Burke (Glinda in "THE WIZARD OF OZ", and widow of Fanny's former boss Florenz Zigfeld) plays the scatter-brained mother.
It's Judy Garland's show, but Fanny proves she is a funny girl when she gets into the act as her celebrated Baby Snooks character. Barbra is dressed as Baby Snooks in "FUNNY GIRL" in the scene where reporters ask Fanny about Nick Arnstein's criminal activities. She answers back in comical, Baby Snooks fashion until one reporter asks a question that hits a raw, emotional nerve.

Not to be missed.......2007-03-31

This movie is beautiful and entertaining. I have seen it 8 times and never miss it when it is on TV. Omar is so gorgeous to look at and makes a perfect Nick. Barbra shows off her voice in many dimensions and proves what a great singer she is. Most of us did not grow up with Fanny Brice except on the radio so her life was a mystery. It always seemed funny but there was plenty of heartbreak. I know the producers took many liberties in depicting her life but I think we all get the gist.

A must have for any music artist!.......2007-03-28

I saw this movie in theatres decades ago, and am still singing "Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady" to my husband! .. it's a wonderful film, extremely well acted, riveting performances by Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif.. unforgettable lyrics and melodies.. This movie is in my Top 10 of all time favorites! One of the things I love about this film ~ it's not total singing throught the entire film ~ plenty of acting and scenes to make it a super A+ film !

Average customer rating:

BRILLIANT MOVIES, GOOD PRICE, SO-SO/SOFT PRINT AND SOUND. . .
the one and only Barbra
A must for musical fans
Funny Girl/Funny Lady DVD
Why are you reading this review?

Funny Girl/Funny Lady
Starring: Barbra Streisand , Omar Sharif , Kay Medford , Anne Francis , and Walter Pidgeon
Director: William Wyler , and Herbert Ross
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00070HK24
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Customer Reviews:

BRILLIANT MOVIES, GOOD PRICE, SO-SO/SOFT PRINT AND SOUND. . ........2007-06-10

Sure wish studios or distributors would enhance such soft prints, update sound tracks to 5.1; these are classics and deserve it. Oh well, still beats tapes and lasers . . .

the one and only Barbra.......2007-03-17

fabulous DVD great quality and the songs are FAB Streisand shines through both films!

A must for musical fans.......2007-03-10

Beautifully presented double disc set of two Streisand classics. A must for all fans and lovers of movie musicals. Thoroughly recommended.

Funny Girl/Funny Lady DVD.......2007-03-09

These movies are wonderful. I have loved them for years and very happy to add them to my collection. Barbra streisand is wonderful in both. Highly reccomend both movies.

Why are you reading this review?.......2007-02-23

I mean, who are you that you do not know this movie? It is an absolute MUST-SEE! Live it, love it, learn it! Barbara Streisand embodies the awkward post-pubescent in us all. I highly recommend seeing this movie in a local theatre whenever possible. Good times.

Average customer rating:

The mangler reborn......mangled sequel.
if only there was a lower rating...
MANGLED KING
We Like Aimee Brooks
The Mangler Is Back......

The Mangler Reborn
Starring: Aimee Brooks , Reggie Bannister , Weston Blakesley , Scott Speiser , and Juliana Dever
Director: Erik Gardner , and Matt Cunningham
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B000BBOFAE
Release Date: 2005-11-29

Description

When a repairman builds a machine from parts of an old haunted laundry press, he becomes obsessed and possessed by it. As life slowly drains away from him, he serves only one master and it's the machine. The repair man will do anything to feed the machine and keep it alive. His murderous rampage grows out of control and he slowly descends into hell to feed his blood lust.

Customer Reviews:

The mangler reborn......mangled sequel........2007-03-31

The original mangler movie with robert englund, the stephen king story about the haunted laundry press that kills, that was a good movie, creepy like his other movie; graveyard shift. The sequel to that, which had nothing to do with the haunted laundry press--mangler 2 was about a bunch of kids trying to get off the school property while being hunted down by a haunted security system that took the form of animated circuitry consisting of other parts of machinery. Lance Henriksen stars. That movie totally blew one star on that. In this film a repairman buys parts from the original laundry press at an auction, repairs it and becomes posessed by it. To sate the machine he feeds it people. Almost all of this movie takes place in and around the repairman's house. Most of the victims are young women who he has been called to do repairs for.
They could have done so much more with this movie. The acting was ok, the camera work was ok. The lighting, and lack of music made for a creepy setting, some of the graphic scenes in this movie were grisly, but those were only two scenes, the rest was a lot of blood splatter. This movie for the characters was futile, no one escapes, not for a lack of effort. However the ending was anticlimatic.
What I didn't like about this movie, was the fact that the repair man subdued his victims(including his wife and daughter) with a rubber mallet, not only that but they saw it coming, the guy actually hold the mallet over thier heads, and the victims just stand there and look at it like, "hey bud, what'r'ya doin'" and then Wham! dirt nap. Plus there were two instances where the repairman could have been easily incapacitated...but no its a horror movie and logic takes a back seat to stupidity(sometimes). At any rate I pray they production company that has the rights this will not make anymore.
Bottom Line.........stronger sequel that mangler 2, But not that great of a film, the 2 stars a gave for mood and creepiness with some splatter.

if only there was a lower rating..........2006-09-19

this was purchased to complete a Stephen King-type/oriented horror collection. my MISTAKE and WASTE of money. If you paid 99 cents to rent this, then you paid to much. If you actually purchased this time-waster, as i did, you too were taken. the only upside of my purchase is that I'm going to donate this to Goodwill Enterprises and write it off on my taxes. Previous reviewers said a lot about the movie that i won't bother to repeat, as obviously i agree with them. trash, drivel and steaming pile are all way too good adjectives to use on the waste that was dumped onto DVD.

MANGLED KING.......2006-08-13

Stephen King should have sued the filmmakers for this abominable "sequel" to the original MANGLER. The script has none of the skill imbued in King's short story or any of the style of the original Tobe Hooper film. This one follows a middle aged plumber who buys the dreaded machine at an auction and becomes obsessed with repairing it. This leads to his being gobbled up and HE becomes a walking, killing mangler. Also involved in this mess are a father and son house burglary team, and a young girl who has just lost her job and her lover. They got trapped in the mangler's house and do innumerably stupid things, all without any real sense of suspense or credibility. The movie tries to use its gross out gore to make an impact but it ends up being sadistic and absurd. I wouldn't waste my time on this one, folks.

We Like Aimee Brooks.......2006-03-27

While "The Mangler Reborn" is certainly not a masterpiece, it is better than what is reflected in most comments about the film. It is a rare example of a low budget horror film that is played totally straight, no humor and very little self-parody.

With a budget of just $85,000 they had to be very inventive so don't expect elaborate production design or special effects. The title character looks like a cafeteria dishwasher being operated by "Edward Scissorhands". They try to pass the thing off as sinister by always showing it in shadows. When a victim is fed to the thing they change to very tight shots of knives and clippers, trying to make it seem like they are part of the machine rather than being held by crew members off-camera. Obviously the film would benefit from a more elaborate and diabolical device, or at least one with some credibility.

But the Stephen King inspired premise is a good one and the first two thirds of the film set it all up very nicely. It is almost captivating for a while but finally runs out of gas and plods through the final 30 minutes.

An appliance repairman (Weston Blakesley) has acquired the cursed parts from the original "Mangler" (named for the old-style washing machine with external rollers to squeeze the water out of clothes) and is obsessively working to reinvent the lethal thing. Eventually he becomes possessed by the machine and more zombie than human. He must feed it humans because he needs to drink their "squeezins" to keep his zombie body from decaying.

Blakesley is quite credible as the slack jawed zombie who takes a rubber mallet on his repair calls and acquires his victims from among his customers. His life is complicated when a father and son burglar team (Reggie Bannister and Scott Speiser) attempt to rob his house and when his daughter comes for a visit.

Aimee Brooks gets a whole bunch of standard scream queen moments and is extremely attractive.

The main problem is that not enough happens to sustain an eighty-minute feature. Had a parallel story periodically cut in and built up a bit of suspense, "The Mangler Reborn" could have been a engaging little film.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

The Mangler Is Back.............2006-03-04

I enjoyed the very first Mangler movie, though a old movie now. I rented this movie the day it came out for it looked like it promised to be a great horror film. Well, I was disappointed like I have been in many other "sequels". The gore and blood scenes make me give this movie 2 stars. Other than that, the movie is neither suspenseful or thrilling. The mangler machine is rebuilt by a repairman who decides to keep the machine alive by feeding humans to it. A couple of cool scenes but that's it. This was another let down movie. Barely worth the rental fee.

Average customer rating:

I Fold
It held my interest
Not really 5 stars but deserves more than 2 1/2!
Definitely one of Tobe Hooper's worst
One Of The Best Stephen King Adaptations; 4.5 Stars

The Mangler
Starring: Robert Englund , Ted Levine , Daniel Matmor , Jeremy Crutchley , and Vanessa Pike
Director: Tobe Hooper
Manufacturer: New Line Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002A2VK0
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Customer Reviews:

I Fold.......2007-05-25

The Mangler's not one of the more popular King adaptations. The inspiration for King's story most likely was how nasty it would be if someone actually got caught in one of those steam irons. It certainly would be a horrific scene, but as nasty as that is, it's not a concept you can really make a feature film around. That's probably why King wrote it as a short story. Stretching the short story into a feature length film requires much more plot to be added(the short story may have had a half hour worth of film material, tops). Alot of folks who bash this film usually have something along the lines of...."With the talent involved, how could it be this bad?"...to say. Well, most horror fans have a hard time admitting to themselves that since Texas Chainsaw, Tobe Hooper has become increasingly schlocky as the years go by. We all know it, we just don't say it. Englund hasn't always made the best stuff, and not every King story is a winner. In The Mangler, Hooper is trying to actually make the film scary. The tone is much more serious than subject matter like this should be. Sure, the first scene where the machine claims it's first victim is effective, but by the time you reach two grown men performing an exorcism on a laundry folder, and then having the machine turn into a Lovecraftian monster, it's just too damn silly. So why the four stars? Well, I actually do enjoy this movie quite a bit. If you want to view this with the intention of getting your pants scared off, it'll fail. If you view The Mangler as drive-in fare, it's fun. It's got some nasty gore, an over the top villain played by Robert Englund, funny lines(both intentional and unintentional), and the film is actually shot very well. As others have stated, the acting is hammy, particularly in Englund's case. However, certain mention should go to Ted "wasn't she a great big fat person" Levine. The film is practically a showcase for Levine's odd performance. Is he being campy and over the top? Is he serious and coming off as goofy? It's hard to tell for sure, but he's always amusing and never boring to watch. I think the guy's actually a good actor and it was cool to see him in a leading role. If this were made today, it'd be Orlando Friggin' Bloom or some other schmuck that's mistaken for a good actor. My disappointment with this dvd is that it's the theatrical R-rated version. One of the special features shows a split-screen comparisson of the R and unrated versions. Why the hell not just put those snippets back in the movie? Especially in these days where studios are so "unrated" hogwild. I'm surprised we didn't see an unrated version of Happy Feet when it csme out on dvd. I used to have a vhs copy of this movie, and it was the unrated version with the extra nastiness. So, I know it can be done. The deleted bits are quick gore shots that actually do enhance the scenes and make them much nastier. But anyhow, I do actually think this is a pretty fun movie...depending on how you look at it,that is.

It held my interest.......2006-10-22

I liked this movie. It was different than what is out in theaters now and it is different in movies in general. I also thought that the acting was good and the special effects were good as well. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone that likes horror movies.

Not really 5 stars but deserves more than 2 1/2!.......2006-02-25

A lot of people will bash this movie and a lot of will people bash this review. But I think if you like Tobe Hooper, Robert Englund, or Stephen King, and lots of red stuff then you'll enjoy 'The Mangler'. It's definitely not the trio's best work. It drags in places, the story is a bit convoluted, and the acting (aside from Englund, who's always delightful to watch) is weak. But I don't really care about that stuff. I like this flick because it's creepy, mysterious, disgusting, and has a touch of dark comedy. It's perfect for those nights where you and your fellow horror buffs get together to watch movies and have a few beers. Give it a shot.

Definitely one of Tobe Hooper's worst.......2005-09-26

Legendary Texas Chainsaw Massacre creator Tobe Hooper directed this adaptation of a Stephen King short story for New Line Cinema, and sadly, it doesn't work at all. The last time the names Hooper and King were in the same sentence together was when Hooper crafted the classic, original Salem's Lot mini-series, but there's no magic here like there was before. Maybe it's because the story itself wasn't one of King's better ones, or maybe Hooper didn't put everything into it. The story revolves around a cop (Silence of the Lambs' Ted Levine) assigned to investigate strange and grisly murders, all of which point to a laundry press which appears to be posessed. The owner of the factory (Robert "Freddy Kruger" Englund) seems to not be concerned about any of this, and by the time revelations are made, you probably won't care. The story has it's share of faults, while Hooper's direction is uninspired. There's some nice gore, and Levine and Englund are good, even though it's hard to seperate Englund from his infamous role as a horror icon. All in all, the Mangler may be worth seeing if you're a fan of Tobe Hooper or Stephen King, but don't expect anything special out of it.

One Of The Best Stephen King Adaptations; 4.5 Stars.......2005-09-23

An adaptation of the classic short story by Stephen King, and the first time (and so far only) King, director Tobe Hooper and star Robert Englund - three of horror's MVPs - share billing on a movie. As great as the original story was (now would be a good time to observe that certain themes can only be handled by certain writers, and to ask the rhetorical question of 'Could anybody but Stephen King have actually written a horror story about a possessed laundry machine and not have it come off an absolute joke?') the movie actually surpasses it. The danger with adapting novels to the screen is that often the material gets compressed down to fit a certain running time; I think a lot more great movies (certainly in the horror field) have come from short stories or novellas than lengthy novels (although there are certainly examples of the other: the best adaptations of "Dracula" and "Frankenstein", King's own "Pet Sematary" and a number of tv miniseries {+ some non-horror movies}; "Nightbreed", etc.) With "The Mangler" the challenge is the opposite from what you get when you try to fit all of a novel into a movie; there's not enough of the short story to make a full movie.

So what we have instead is a "Mangler" that's been greatly expanded in all directions, not only continuing on well past the immortal last line of the written story but adding in a major twist on the origin of the possessed machine plus greater character development and subplots. A move that could have fizzled out but pays off in spades, resulting in a character-strong, gory and - most difficult of all to achieve given the subject matter of a possessed industrial cleaning machine - believable tale of carnage and conspiracies, and the overwhelmed protagonists caught in the bloody crosshairs. The Mangler is less of an idea here and more of a character unto itself, and in this version of the tale it's not the only villian lurking in the secrets of town. Nine out of ten; a terribly under-rated movie.

Average customer rating:

Tell me what you want, you really, really want....
can't give zero stars, so...
"Order in my chaos"...BWAH - HA - HA!!!
KING SHOULD SUE
Worst Episode Ever

The Mangler 2
Starring: Lance Henriksen , Chelse Swain , Philippe Bergeron , Dexter Bell , and Daniella Evangelista
Director: Michael Hamilton-Wright
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006AUGW
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Product Description

terrifying new chapter in The Mangler legacy! What was designed to provide maximum security to Royal Collegiate College suddenly sets out to kill and destroy everyone in its path. Now virtual reality means virtual death!

System Requirements:

Running Time 100 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Tell me what you want, you really, really want...........2005-03-28

I know what you want, you really, really want! It's a differnt movie than this drivel! That's what you want, you really, really, want! TRUST ME

can't give zero stars, so..........2004-10-31

A few things:

This may be THE worst Stephen King-associated movie there is. That's right, THE worst. That's stacking it up against all six "Children of the Corn" sequels, the ridiculous "A Return to 'Salem's Lot," "Thinner," and "Sleepwalkers," each of which is so terrible that I could scarcely have enjoyed myself less had I been forced to undergo a colonoscopy at the same time. But as bad as those are, they can't out-suck this piece a crap.

And that's almost as much as I can manage to say. If you want specifics, just buy the thing.

But at least the opening credits of the film have the good grace to not mention King's name. That's good, since the film -- and I use that word loosely -- has literally nothing to do with King's story. Don't believe me? Check it out, baby.

"Order in my chaos"...BWAH - HA - HA!!!.......2004-04-16

Is this horror movie for you? To find out, simply ask yourself these following questions:

1. Do you find the image of wires slowly stretching across a floor to be particularly terrifying?
2. Do you have no problem believing hackers can easily buy viruses off the website named "Hacker Mall"?
3. Do you enjoy "Spice Girls" songs being referenced almost 10 years after they were relevant?
4. Do the words "You've Been Mangled" appearing on a PDA display send chills down your spine?

If you answered "Yes" to any of those questions, then this movie is for you. In fact, if you enjoy movies that are so bad, they're hilarious, then this movie is for you, too!

Here's the "plot" Jo (played by the talented Chelse Swain, who deserved so much better) is an angry teen who is enrolled at Royal Collegiate College! (Did she also go to High School School???). What she's angry about, we're never really sure. So she downloads a virus named "MANGLER 2.0" into the school's high-tech computer system. The virus then uses the computer system to slowly (very slowly) kill off the 5 or 6 people who are still in the school. The virus also falls in love with Jo (no, I'm not joking), because Jo gave "birth" to it... which is kind of an odd statement since Jo didn't create the virus, she only downloaded it from a hacker web site. Will Jo make it out alive??? More importantly, will you stay awake long enough to find out???

Where do I even begin??? How about the fact that almost all of the kills happen off-camera, including the guy who was killed after computer wires wrapped around gardening shears and slowly picked them up... (Yes, you read that correctly) And the ways people die... burned to death by a sprinkler system... jumping up and down on an electric fence yelling "It's safe"... Then there's the various "in-joke" references, like when the Mangler tells an African-American student that the black guy doesn't always die first! That was so clever...back in the late 90's when Scream 2 did the same joke! But it was still better than hearing the Mangler actually say "TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT!" Make it stop...

And how do you make a bad movie into an even worse DVD? How about accidently omit a scene where a major character dies??? Thes a moment where the teens are running in a gym, then the screen goes dark. Next thing you know, they're all outside talking about their murdered friend. At first I thought I had a defective copy, but now I find out other DVDs had the same glitch! HOW DO YOU ACCIDENTALLY OMIT AN ENTIRE SCENE???

The only saving grace is Chelse Swain, who does give an effective performance, despite her character being so unlikeable, and having to say ridiculous lines like "I have to find order in my chaos"! Other than that, all you get is a boring story moving with one-dimensional characters who suffer lame kills (a couple of which are actually seen). Only rent this one if the video store is out of "Plan Nine From Outer Space"!

KING SHOULD SUE.......2004-01-22

Why Stephen King would even let someone use the title of his short story for this supposed "sequel" is a mystery to me. This movie is so lamebrained and contrived, dull and lifeless, acted by a troupe of pretty awful actors, including the usually dependable Lance Henriksen. Other than Will Sanderson, the rest of the cast is really, really bad...especially the lead character of Jo. The movie seems to exist only to show off some buff bodies and watch them run throughout the building in slow mo; the director also liked using that filming the same shot from minutely different angles, for what purpose, only he can tell. The extras interview this bunch of clowns, and director/writer Michael Wright looks and acts like some high school drama teacher; they also spend time saying how many "weird" things happened during the filming. I certainly wouldn't make the mistake I did and buy this clunker!!!

Worst Episode Ever.......2004-01-10

To be totally forthcoming, I only watched the first third to half of the film. However, I feel pretty confident that that does not preclude me from saying, with confidence, that this is one of the worst movies in recent memory. Compared to this movie, Jeepers Creepers 2 becomes "Hamlet" and Halloween V becomes Citizen Kane. At least these movies appear to have come from a studio. This film appears to have been made with a camcorder and edited on a home computer--sort of like the Ghost Ship imitator called Ghost Rig (no, I'm not kidding--it's real) and other stuff by that same studio, except actually worse.

Everything that could conceivably be wrong with a movie is wrong with this one. I think they were going for eighties brat-pack-revival horror. However, instead, there is a definite air of community access television/high school television production class project about this movie. The movie is many things, but scary and suspenseful are not among them. The first hour or so of the movie is dedicated to introducing one of the main characters in ways which are completely unnecessary. The premise (and I'm not ruining anything for you, because there isn't anything to ruin) revolves around a disgruntled teen heiress with hacking skills who downloads a virus in order to disrupt the computerized security system of the prep school at which her father has imprisoned her out of general desire to be a troublemaker. The virus then turns out to be murderous, presumably sentient. However, rather than having the computer kill people in ways which one would expect a computer to do so (see: Feardotcom, in which an evil website somehow caused viewers to drop dead after viewing after evil energy from the killing of innocent women was somehow tapped into by a serial killer), wires and garden shears (I *think* that was what they were) and other stuff are actually coming out of the computer to kill people. As Butthead once informed Beavis, "These effects aren't very special."

The acting is atrocious. Not just wooden. Not just melodramatic. Atrocious. We have actors stumbling over their lines in scenes that should have been reshot, and I seriously think the school headmaster character, for one, was actually reading his dialogue from a prompter given his complete lack of intonation.

Customer Reviews:

Tell me what you want, you really, really want...........2005-03-28

I know what you want, you really, really want! It's a differnt movie than this drivel! That's what you want, you really, really, want! TRUST ME

can't give zero stars, so..........2004-10-31

"Order in my chaos"...BWAH - HA - HA!!!.......2004-04-16

Is this horror movie for you? To find out, simply ask yourself these following questions:

If you answered "Yes" to any of those questions, then this movie is for you. In fact, if you enjoy movies that are so bad, they're hilarious, then this movie is for you, too!

KING SHOULD SUE.......2004-01-22

Worst Episode Ever.......2004-01-10

Amazon.com

Austin Powers undoubtedly stole a few moves from Matt Helm, the swinging secret agent embodied by Dean Martin in four intentionally dopey late-'60s movies. The Silencers is the first and best of the bunch--but at that, it's barely a movie. Dino is first seen reclining in his automated bed, and he hardly wakes up for the remainder of the picture. (When a stunt double performs athletic moves in the action scenes, you rub your eyes at the impossibility of Martin moving that quickly.) And yet Matt Helm manages to stave off a nuclear disaster in the southwest desert, the nefarious plot of a Chinese archvillain (Victor Buono). The 007-style gadgets include exploding sportcoat buttons, plus the wet bar in Dino's station wagon--so he can gulp whiskey while he drives. The women are, of course, outrageously sexist playthings, although Stella Stevens remains the most adorable of '60s sex kittens. --Robert Horton

Product Description

Take one shot of danger, two splashes of action and a twist of comedy and add a gererous portion of screen legend Dean Martin to the mix and you've got The Silencers, a stylishly sexy adventure in the tradition of James Bond. It's up to secret agent Matt Helm (Martin) to save the day when mascared megalomaniac Victor Bruno (What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?) and his dasterdly organization, Big O, plot to sabotage America's atomic missile system. From deep inside Big O's subterranean hideout to a perilous mountainside car chase to groovy designer bedrooms filled with booby traps, Helm braves blistering showers of bullets, knives, and laser beams to make the world a safe place again. Helping his cause is a bevy of beauties including Stella Stevens (The Poseidon Adventure) and double agent Daliah Lavi (Casino Royale). In addition to its arsenal of high-tech gadgets and outrageous costumes, The Silencers features an amazing opening sequence starring Cyd Charisse (Singin' In The Rain) and a cocktail-era soundtrack by Elmer Bernstein with vocals by Martin, Charisse and Vikki Carr.

Customer Reviews:

dated formula movie.......2007-06-29

Although I had good memories of this movie seeing it as a kid in the theatre, I was very disappointed seeing it again now. The only way its watchable, is to think of how Mike Myers would adapt some of it for Austin Powers later. Unlike the Bond and Flint flicks, this one is sort of a musical with Dino himself singing half a dozen numbers. The action scenes are stupid. Dino has not a single redeeming quality other than the adolescent wisecracks. The effects are extremely cheesy, and I can't even bear to watch the "laser" scene - the noisiest non-lasers ever envisioned. The women are treated like props more than any other movie I can think of - half a dozen beauties quickly pass through the movie during the credits and first 20 minutes - until it settles on Stella and Israeli actress Daliah. This movie was an obvious cheap copy of the Bond and Flint movies at the time, and it does not hold up well after 40 years.

After Further Review..........2005-11-18

Contrary to what some viewers say, this dvd is not cropped.
The widescreen format is exactly the same throughout the film.
However, it is true that one brief scene involving Stella Stevens has been deleted, probably due to an oversight.

Watching Dino Is Such A Pleasure.......2005-09-20

Although I think the coolest Matt Helm flick is "Murder's Row, watching Dino in any of his films provides such pleasure. Dino majored in the three B's---Butts, Booze, and Broads and so does this Matt Helm caper. Who cares about plots and subplots when Dino is making the scene. I really like that the DVD includes a preview of the second Helm film at the end. Dino making it with all those chicks is really where it is at! I'm looking forward to the issueing of all 4 Matt Helm films in the box set this December!

Dean Martin's First "James Bond" Spoof as Matt Helm.......2005-03-14

Following four highly successful serious spy films starring Sean Connery as that world-famous fictional British spy James Bond, American film companies began playing with the idea of producing their own spy films with equally world-famous, but more humorous, spies in their own James Bond spoofs. On January 16, 1966, the first James Bond-inspired spoof hit the big screen starring James Coburn (1928-2002) as Derek Flint in Twentieth Century Fox's film "our Man Flint". Only one month later, on February 18, 1966, a second James Bond-inspired spoof hit the big screen starring the well-known comedic actor/lounge singer Dean Martin (1917-1995) as the semi-retired spy Matt Helm in "The Silencers", which was produced by Claude Productions and Meadway, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Similar to Derek Flint, Matt Helm loves to be surrounded by beautiful women; but unlike the super-serious & high-tech Flint, Helm is far more laid back. Helm's bedroom is equipped with a rotating circular bed (which was also part of Mike Myer's 1997 portrayal of British superstar/super-spy Austin Powers in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery"), which can also role forward and raise at an angle so that it can let Helm (and anyone else in Helm's bed) slide into a waiting olypic-sized bubble-bath. Doing his best to avoid being used in yet another spy mission, Helm leaves his expensive home and travels to Acapulco where an unexpected blond woman is waiting in his bedroom. While in his arms, she is shot from behind by one of Helm's former spy coworkers Tina (Daliah Lavi, who appeared in yet another James Bond-inspired spoof in 1967: the highly comedic "Casino Royale" that also starred Woody Allen, David Niven and Peter Sellers). Discovering that they're being watched by operatives working for the evil mastermind Tung-Tze, a.k.a., "Big-O" (Victor Buono, 1938-1982), Helm & Tina escape in his station wagon to Phoenix, where they expect to find a highly sought after computer tape. The tape is in possession of a singer named Sarita (Cyd Charisse), who ends up shot while performing on stage, but hands the tape over to the highly-accident prone Gail Hendrix (Stella Stevens) who runs on stage to help her. Helm & Tina quickly rush Gail out of the club and away from enemy agents, but suspect that she is also an enemy agent working for "Big-O". After being temporarily knocked out by gas shooting out of a phone, Helm is assisted by his & Tina's boss Sam Gunther (Robert Webber, 1924-1989), who also prevents Gail from escaping. Helm then takes Gail to San Juan, which is where Sarita told her that something was going to happen before she died; but can Helm stop the dastardly Tung-Tze and his evil plan? You'll just have to watch the film to find out!

In typical 1960's motif and humor, "The Silencers" is still a very humorous spoof to this day and I rate it with 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a non-serious spoof. Dean Martin would portray Matt Helm in three more subsequent films: "Murderer's Row" (later in 1966), "The Ambushers" (1967, which is my personal favorite) and "The Wrecking Crew" (1969). Hopefully these other three Matt Helm films will also be released on DVD.

A word about the cropping.......2005-01-09

I won't review the film as this has been done by others. However, I would like to add some thoughts about the "cropping" issue--

To many fans of DVD, a key selling point is seeing a film the way it was orginally presented in the theatre.

Most people are aware today that widescreen films shown on a full frame standard TV's are cropped-- that is, they are panned and scanned and you lose information (images). Pan & Scan changes the composition of the film.

With this in mind, people expect to see ALL of the composition when a film comes out on DVD and is viewed on a widescreen televison-- not less. However, there are exceptions:

In some circumstances, the director of a film will compose a shot with more information than is meant to be conveyed to the audience.

The "extra" information is never meant to be seen. When the film is "matted" for release, the additional info is covered up and you are left with the director's original conception of the shot.

Now here's the thing: when the film is shown on commercial television in a standard full screen format, the "matts" are opened up and the film subjected to pan and scan. In this case, you may now see parts of the shot that were covered up-- and also lose other parts that were originally shown.

The bottom line here is that this release of "The Silencers" shows the film in its "matted" form the way it was shown in theatre's. People who have seen the film on television all these years became accustomed to seeing the "open matt" pan & scan version. They have seen more information than was intended and now think that the released DVD version has been "cropped" because the afore mentioned images are now missing.

Here's a great example: (warning: spoilers below)

A previous reviewer makes mention that in a certain part of the film, actress Nancy Kovack is shot in the back and we her bare bottom. This reviewer then complains that in the DVD version, we don't see that far down. The conclusion that is drawn is that this scene is to riske' for the DVD version for some reason and has been cropped or edited out.

As explained above, this is simply not true.

In the pan & scan "open matt" scene, we see the actress wearing only a shirt and pantyhose. Dean Martin is holding her and we see Kovack from the back. As she is shot, Kovack arches up and we see her pantyhosed butt come out of the shirt.

This "nyloned butt" shot was never intended to be seen-- remember this was a film made in the mid 60's-- nudity simply wasn't going to make it in to a film that was rated the way this one was.

Further, there was also another bit of nudity just slightly earlier in the same scene that is in the "open matt" pan & scan version-- Kovack in shirt and pantyhose rushes up to Dino and we see both of the actors side by side.

As Kovack turns towards Martin, her short shirt lifts and parts slightly, and we see a glimpse of Kovacks "front" (for want of a more descriptive term).

Again, this was not meant to be seen and never would have made it past the censors during the original release.

So, in this instance, viewers have seen a more racy version of the film on televison than was ever shown in theatre's-- the complete opposite of what is expected with a DVD release-- hence the complaints.

Average customer rating:

Barbra At Her Best
MUST SEE - Once
BARBRA AT HER ULTIMATE BEST
Not to be missed
A must have for any music artist!

Funny Girl [Region 2]
Starring: Barbra Streisand , Omar Sharif , Kay Medford , Anne Francis , and Walter Pidgeon
Director: William Wyler
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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ASIN: B00005NWYT

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Barbra At Her Best.......2007-06-29

MUST SEE - Once.......2007-05-17

BARBRA AT HER ULTIMATE BEST.......2007-05-03

Not to be missed.......2007-03-31

A must have for any music artist!.......2007-03-28

Average customer rating:

Funny Girl [Region 2]
Starring: Barbra Streisand , Omar Sharif , Kay Medford , Anne Francis , and Walter Pidgeon
Director: William Wyler , and Herbert Ross
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