Bizarre

Starring:Bizarre
Studio: Synapse Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
Bizarre

Description

Bowling for Columbine did it to the gun culture. Super Size Me did it to fast food. Now The God Who Wasn't There does it to religion.

Holding modern Christianity up to a bright spotlight, this eye-opening documentary asks the questions few dare to ask. "Did Jesus even exist?" is just the beginning for The God Who Wasn't There. Your guide through the world of Christendom is former fundamentalist Brian Flemming, joined by such luminaries as Jesus Seminar fellow Robert M. Price, author Sam Harris and historian Richard Carrier.

In addition to the film, which won the Best Documentary award at the 2005 Grassroots Cinema Film Festival, this feature-packed DVD includes:

-Special commentary tracks with Richard Dawkins and Earl Doherty
-Over one hour of compelling additional interview footage
-An in-depth Web-enabled slide show
-Music from the soundtrack
-Bios of all participants

This provocative DVD takes off the gloves and gives religion an unprecedented, no-holds-barred examination. So hold on to your faith. It's in for a bumpy ride.

Customer Reviews:

More history, please.......2007-06-30

Although I enjoyed the film, I felt that it did not delve deeply enough into the various legends and myths which were obvious grist for the christ sham. I was hoping that this would be a more extensive and exhaustive study of the origins of the myth, the growth of it, and perhaps even an examination of the dysfunctional psychology behind the need for religion or god.

disappointing documentary.......2007-06-27

I was looking forward to an entertaining and instructional documentary and it was to some degree. The documentary was factual regarding religion and the bible, but I felt Brian Flemming made a few segments too personal. Further, many of the jokes went overboard and would make most people cringe. I did like the interviews, especially those with Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins.

Some Good Information Presented with an Agenda.......2007-06-16

I don't know that I've ever had such mixed feelings about a DVD I've watched like I had with this one. Before I ordered it, when I read some of the negative reviews beforehand, I thought that the reviewers were probably just being close-minded. But now I understand where some of them were coming from when writing their reviews about the DVD.

If you've never learned a lot of the information that's contained in this DVD before, then you may learn things that you'll consider to be new and insightful for you. And if you believe that what you've learned in the Bible is God's word and it's infallible, then you'll probably be outraged by what you see and hear in this DVD.

Before watching this DVD I'd read "The Dark Side of Christianity" by Helen Ellerbe, "The Jesus Puzzle" by Earl Doherty, and "In God's Hands" by David Yallop. All of these books I purchased on Amazon and I highly recommend them if the subject matter of what's in this DVD interests you.

While I've rated this DVD 4 stars because I feel the information will be valuable if you're learning about it for the first time, the problem I have with this DVD is the fact that Brian Flemming seemed to be more interested in ridiculing Christianity when making this DVD then he was in making a great, informative DVD on the subject. Showing clips of old movies about Jesus at high speed to make them look really stupid may not have been his best choice here. And sitting down for an interview under false pretenses with the Principal of the Christian school he attended while growing up, and trying his best to embarrass the Principal may not have been the best choice to make when making this movie either. But at least Flemming left in the part where the Principal excuses himself from the interview mentioning that this was not what he was told by Flemming in advance that the interview would focus on. And insisting during this interview to this man who has devoted his life to Christianity that all the students who attend his school should be given a warning about all the bad things that Christianity will bring into their lives, was quite a bit out in left field, too.

In some ways it just seemed that the purpose of making this DVD was for Flemming to get back at Christianity for all he felt it had done to hurt him in his life, which again is different than just making a DVD about Christianity. And at the same time I found myself agreeing with a lot of what Flemming believes about Christianity, too. It's just that he presented it with so much bitterness.

Of even more value to me than the movie was the bonus audio interview on the DVD with Earl Doherty, the author of the book "The Jesus Puzzle." If you haven't read Doherty's book you will probably find this interview to have some very valuable information in it. But strangely the audio of this interview is played along with the video of the movie playing at the same time, even though the audio interview does not coincide with the scenes being shown at the same time from the movie. So I ended up just listening to the audio interview without watching the movie at the same time so that I could better concentrate on and understand what was being said in the interview.

There's some good information in this DVD, but it seems to be delivered with the primary intention of ridiculing and defaming Christianity, rather than serving as information about what we may have never learned about Christianity before that we really need to know about.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!.......2007-06-13

But if you've GOT to see it anyway, see if you can borrow it from a friend or get it at the local library. Or take mine -- I don't want it.

The DVD is advertised as being comparable to "Super Size Me" and "Bowling for Columbine." If I made a documentary, I would probably want to advertise it as being on a par with some of the greatest modern documentaries around as well; but if you want the truth, it is perhaps the worst.

First let me say that I am an atheist and my views concur with those of the author (Brian Flemming). I am a huge fan of Richard Dawkins (whose commentary on the DVD is the only interesting aspect of it) and Sam Harris (whose brief appearances hardly did him justice), two good reasons to watch the film. Unfortunately for the film's content, those two reasons aren't even good enough to redeem the work overall.

The film is sluggishly slow and super boring. The author is quite amateur in terms of film editing (granted this was only his second production according to IMBD), but also playing the role of unskilled camera-operator, he provides himself with raw footage that can't even be edited to look good. At one point, he even held the camera out in front of his own face.

In addition to being the director, editor, and producer, Flemming is also the film's main and only interviewer. He actually has some good connections (I'm very impressed he was able to get Sam Harris to do an interview with him). Unfortunately for him (and even more unfortunately for anyone watching it), Flemming is a timid interviewer who, while in a position to ask thought-provoking questions from leading scholars, fails to achieve this goal. During one scene, he visits the superintendent of the religious school that raised him as a child. During the interview, instead of eliciting interesting perspectives to further his thesis, he personally attacks his subject on camera (after having tricked the guy into doing the interview in the first place) in an apparent attempt to express the grudge he's held since childhood. Further, he asks five random Christians questions about the history of Christianity and uses their lack of answers to his specific questions as evidence that most Christians profess a believe about something they do not know enough about, according to Flemming's standards. I infer that the author contends that if those people were made aware of the answers to his questions, then they would question their beliefs. I disagree with that contention and the evidence he uses to support it.

As for content, you won't learn much here. The actual film is 62 minutes and doesn't present much concrete evidence to advance the author's thesis. Don't get me wrong, I don't wish to imply that the author actually had a definitive or concrete thesis!

Anyway, I love learning and I also love learning about atheism. For this reason more than any other reason, I strongly recommend that you do NOT purchase this DVD. Instead, I recommend Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion," Sam Harris' "Letter to a Christian Nation," and Victor J. Stenger's "God The Failed Hypothesis." If you absolutely must get a DVD instead of a book, then purchase any season of the Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters," or Showtime's "Penn and Teller: Bullshit!" There are numerous episodes dealing specifically with religion(i.e. Creationism, the Bible, Exorcism, Alcoholics Anonymous...) in the latter.

It's just not a good documentary........2007-06-06

Let me start off by saying that I was a film major for several years, but I'm now majoring in both History and Theology, so I have adequate background to critique Flemming's work. In short, Flemming's film was just not very good. The background music was the best part of the whole thing. He made a lot of bald face claims without providing adequate proof. In fact, several times his claims are outright wrong or misleading.

Case in point:

"We used the earliest possible date for the Gospels." (70 A.D. for Mark, 80-90 A.D. for Matthew and Luke, 90-100 for John). In actuality, there are sufficent reasons to place Mark at 60 A.D. and Luke & Acts at about 65 A.D., Matthew at 70 A.D., and John between 70-90 A.D. (A GUIDE TO THE BIBLE by Antonio Fuentes, University of Navarre). Even if the latter dates are wrong, the fact that a fair amount of scholars argue for earlier dates, indicates that there are earlier possible, thus making his statement false. Flemming only uses the dates he uses because they make the skeptical argument more compeling.

Further, he blatantly misuses a quote of Jesus: "But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me." (Luke 19:27). Flemming presents it as a often overlooked quote of Jesus, without really explaining why. Well, in fact, the quote, in context, is placed within a parable of Jesus where a king Jesus is using as a metaphor gives the command of death. The parable is dipicting the justice of God against those who claim Faith to God, but don't act upon it, and the reward for those who hate him. He's not commanding Jihad. Remember, if you read the Bible like a fundamentalist, you'll get fundamentalist conclusions.

Besides those issues, Flemming's interviews range from the interesting to the out right irrelevant. In particular, the interviews with Sam Harris and Richard Carrier don't really add anything to the supposed topic at hand. Really, after the first third of the film, the documentary just becomes a "Christianity Sucks" flick. Again, with very little other than opinion.

If Flemming wanted to make the film truly groundbreaking, why not have a myriad of scholars provide truly critical analysis of the Jesus story. The only person in the film qualified in that department was Jesus Seminar Fellow, Robert Price. But he appears on screen for just a few soundbites. If anything, why not have Price and Earl Doherty, the "scholar" interviewed on the audio commentary, come on and really rip the Jesus story apart? Instead Flemming dismisses the Jesus story as false with little argument or evidence. FYI: Appeals to reason are not evidence!

All in all, this was a slick, yet poorly executed work that harkens to the cult hit "Loose Change." Though at least those guys had a compeling argument. Frankly, one would be better off watching the PBS Frontline documentary "From Jesus to Christ." It may not be perfect, but it's better than Flemming's.

Average customer rating:

Being John Malkovich [HD DVD]
Starring: Orson Bean , Ned Bellamy , John Cusack , K.K. Dodds , and Richard Fancy
Director: Spike Jonze
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000OHZL44
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Description

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a struggling street puppeteer. In order to make some money, Craig takes a job as a filing clerk. One day he accidentally discovers a door… a portal into the mind of John Malkovich (played by John Malkovich)! For 15 minutes, he experiences the ultimate head trip - HE is John Malkovich! Then he's dumped out onto the New Jersey turnpike! With his beautiful office mate Maxine (Catherine Keener) and his pet-obsessed wife (Cameron Diaz), they hatch a plan to let others into John's brain for just $200 a trip. See what all the critics are talking about.

Average customer rating:

Review of "Yellow Submarine" by a crew member.
Don't give it a superficial viewing
Out of print????
good job by the voice actors who played the beatles
Words Misheard from Mrs. Malaprop

Yellow Submarine
Starring: George Dunning (II) , John Clive , Paul McCartney , Geoffrey Hughes , and Ringo Starr
Director: George Harrison
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Yellow Submarine (Songtrack)

ASIN: B00000JRUQ
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Amazon.com essential video

This restored, animated valentine to the Beatles offers viewers the rare chance to see a work that's been substantially improved by its technical facelift, not just supersized with extra footage. Recognizing that its song-studded soundtrack alone makes Yellow Submarine a video annuity, United Artists has lavished a frame-by-frame refurbishment of the original feature, while replacing its original monaural audio tracks with a meticulously reconstructed stereo mix that actually refines legendary original album versions.

What emerges is a vivid time capsule of the late '60s and a minor milestone in animation. The music represents the quartet's zenith--Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The story line, cobbled together by producer Al Brodax and a committee of writers, is a broad, feather-light allegory set in idyllic Pepperland, where the gentle citizens are threatened by the nasty, music-hating Blue Meanies and their surreal arsenal of henchmen, with the Beatles enlisted to thwart the bad guys. Visually, designer Heinz Edelmann mixes the biomorphic squiggles, day-glo palette, and Beardsley-esque portraits of Peter Max with rotoscoped still photographs and film; Edelmann's animated collages also nod to Andy Warhol and Magritte in properly psychedelic fashion, which works wonderfully with such terrific songs.

High orthodox Beatlemaniacs can still grouse that the animated Fab Four are (literally) flat archetypes, but that's missing the sheer bloom of the music or the giddy, campy fun of the visuals. Making sense of the story is second to submerging blissfully in the sights and sounds of this video treat. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Review of "Yellow Submarine" by a crew member........2007-06-16

As one of the animators who worked on the Beatles' animated epic, YELLOW SUBMARINE, I am delighted by the almost universal praise heaped on this recent DVD release of the renovated and digitally remastered version of the movie.
It is immensely satisfying to know that a whole new generation has come to discover the delights of this 1960's flower power masterpiece, and with the legendary "Hey Bulldog" sequence - deleted from all but the original British prints - reinstated in all its bizarre glory, Beatles fans can at last experience the full version of this psychedelic animated odyssey as it was originally meant to be seen.
I know I am totally biased in giving the film a 5-star rating, but I would say that the twelve months I spent working on it (during 1967-1968) was, without a doubt, the single most exciting period in my almost 50-year career in the animation business. It was made even more memorable by the fact that, during production, I became engaged to Diana, my wife of nearly 40 years, who worked on the "LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS" sequence.
The struggle to produce anything resembling a final script while production surged inexorably on past the writers towards an impossible deadline, the creative arguments, the personality clashes, the budgetary nightmares, the physical kidnapping of the film - with the whole thing being propelled by the sheer exhilaration of knowing that we were all taking part in an astonishing revolution in animated films - all made for a heady and never-to-be-repeated experience. For a detailed look behind the scenes during the making of the film, read Dr. Bob Hieronimus' "INSIDE THE YELLOW SUBMARINE" and Al Brodax's "UP PERISCOPE YELLOW".
While the authors differ on some points, both books are packed with detail and anecdotes, and the debate about who said what and who did what on YELLOW SUBMARINE seems set to continue for quite some time. But there is one undeniable fact in all of this - if producer Al Brodax hadn't stuck his neck out and taken a chance on producing an animated feature all those years ago, the phenomenon that was the YELLOW SUBMARINE would never have set sail on its fantastic voyage. For that we all owe him a vote of thanks.

Don't give it a superficial viewing.......2007-04-03

With the passage of time it's easy to forget the Beatles were once cutting edge and loved to tweak the nose of authority figures everywhere and the gentle tone of "Yellow Submarine" compared to today's animated features only emphasizes that point. At the time of "Yellow Submarine" the Beatles were at the height of their success, and while they undoubtedly wanted to send a message to authoritarian figures everywhere they didn't want to do that in a ham-fisted manner. Considering the counter-cultural wave that was about to follow, "Yellow Submarine" seems almost quaint by comparison and it moves at a considerably slower pace than modern day cineastes or casual viewers may care for.

"Yellow Submarine" depicts the conflict between the Blue Meanies (representing authoritarianism, be it Fascism, Communism, or whatever) and the peaceful residents of Pepperland. The Blue Meanies employ a means of weaponry to freeze the residents of Pepperland, leaving a sole resident to seek help via the Yellow Submarine. The set up of action, in particular, unfolds particularly slowly, giving time for the character of each Beatle to slowly be explained amid scenes of rather Peter Max inspired psychedelia. The overall effect isn't exactly trippy unless you're actually tripping I suppose. Several memorable Beatles songs are included throughout the film and at points it's almost like a precursor to music videos, but rather than enhancing the film they're more of a distraction, especially "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds."

Ultimately the Beatles arrive to save the day and the movie itself is a satire on the foolishness and limitations of authoritarianism in all its manifest forms, as well as the benefits of freedom. Some of the newer songs are a bit weak, especially "All Together Now" with its especially incongruous line about "chop the tree" which is hardly an eco-friendly lyric. Having seen it as a kid I doubtlessly enjoyed it, yet 30+ years on I could scarcely remember any details. Having seen it again I could scarcely be bothered to see it again anytime soon. I honestly couldn't recommend this except for die-hard Beatles fans, fans of animation or pyschedelia, or those looking for satirical films. "Yellow Submarine" is sadly more of a time capsule of a different time and place, when all you needed was love. It's a bit sad we've moved so far beyond that, but the message of fighting tyranny, despotism, and authoritarianism is all too appropriate today.

Out of print????.......2007-02-19

Just rented a copy of this because it's out of print! I can't believe it. These are THE BEATLES, not some jive time band. I'm not a musical marketing guy so I don't know exactly what your sales goals are to keep something like this in print, but it seems like after all of the care they put into giving this scrumptious sound, you might want to keep it in print.

Anyways...

This is good but not great stuff for me. I'm more of a Black Music fan than a Beatlemaniac. This is the first Beatles flick that I've seen. After initially resisting the Beatles due to their Motown imitator origins, I've followed the Ray Charles' of the world and taken to their superior songwriting. I've been watching a bunch of performance videos as of late and I decided to watch Yellow Submarine to see the Fab Four brought into animation interpretation light.

I dig the music. "All Together Now" is fun Paul stuff. I like the Sgt. Peppers stuff that's on the video. There are a couple of filler tracks, but on the whole the music is outstanding and I can see how Funkateers like George Clinton gain inspiration from works like Yellow Submarine. It's a short jump from Beatles vs. Meanies to Dr. Funkenstine vs. Sir Nose Devoid of Funk.

The plot for this takes on more metaphysical meat than it's willing to thoroughly digest. When they have John's character pontificate on Einstein and the Sea of Holes, I'm wishing that I saw The Phantom Tollbooth with Beatles songs for the soundtrack rather than a hodgepodge of writers trying to do justice to the trippy visions of the Revolver and Sgt. Peppers albums. I can see how the out there visions of this music would lead the Beatles to go back to basics with the upcoming White Album.

Man, I can't see how they let stuff like this go out of print, though. Maybe there's some sneaky packaging thing going on that I don't know about. Like not selling the CD any more solo and making Yellow Submarine a DVD/CD combo only for Beatles completists. Hmmmmmmm.

4 stars

--SD

good job by the voice actors who played the beatles.......2006-12-30

I'm Not sure if anyone has pointed this out BUT the voice's for paul and company is not their own , these were in fact voice actors and they did a very good job too . This was also confirmed by paul proir to the movies release

Words Misheard from Mrs. Malaprop.......2006-12-08

Jeremy Boo saying "...ad hoc, ad loc and *crypto quo*/so little time, so much to know." It is NOT "...crypto quo..." for those of you who missed your Latin lessons. It is "quid pro quo" which means "The concept of getting something of value in return for giving something of value." In any case Dr. Boo is quoting Latin cliches to sound more erudite and smarter than he is.

And Mrs. Malaprop..."A malapropism is an incorrect usage of a word by substituting a similar-sounding word with different meaning, usually with comic effect." Such as that famous line not by Jimi Hnedrix, "Excuse me while I kiss this guy" instead of the real lyrics "Excuse me while I kiss the sky."

Other than that, Yellow Submarine is one of those true classics that should not be missed.

my $1.98

Average customer rating:

Excellent - in all areas
Incredible original story.
A Wild Ride
Over-rated
Genius? No, just odd

Being John Malkovich
Starring: Orson Bean , Ned Bellamy , W. Earl Brown , Kevin Carroll , and John Cusack
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007AJF8
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Amazon.com essential video

While too many movies suffer the fate of creative bankruptcy, Being John Malkovich is a refreshing study in contrast, so bracingly original that you'll want to send director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman a thank-you note for restoring your faith in the enchantment of film. Even if it ultimately serves little purpose beyond the thrill of comedic invention, this demented romance is gloriously entertaining, spilling over with ideas that tickle the brain and even touch the heart. That's to be expected in a movie that dares to ponder the existential dilemma of a forlorn puppeteer (John Cusack) who discovers a metaphysical portal into the brain of actor John Malkovich.

The puppeteer's working as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a Manhattan office building; this idea alone might serve as the comedic basis for an entire film, but Jonze and Kaufman are just getting started. Add a devious coworker (Catherine Keener), Cusack's dowdy wife (a barely recognizable Cameron Diaz), and a business scheme to capitalize on the thrill of being John Malkovich, and you've got a movie that just gets crazier as it plays by its own outrageous rules. Malkovich himself is the film's pièce de résistance, riffing on his own persona with obvious delight and--when he enters his own brain via the portal--appearing with multiple versions of himself in a tour-de-force use of digital trickery. Does it add up to much? Not really. But for 112 liberating minutes, Being John Malkovich is a wild place to visit. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Excellent - in all areas.......2007-07-01

A great original film which shows the potential once again of an independent production. The photography and the writing were exceptionally well done. I've revisited this film at least 10 times.

Incredible original story........2007-06-16

This film is a modern masterpiece, an original idea that has no rival. Genius in film making. That being said it was damn funny too. Who would have thought that you could base an entire movie around John Malkovich. The ; "in your own head scene" was the funniest thing I've seen in years. Great movie definitely recommend. Call my agent, From now on out its all puppets.

A Wild Ride.......2007-06-03

There aren't many films that will force you to think differently. This is one of those rare exceptions, and a funny one to boot.

It explores the age-old question of what it would be like to be inside someone else's head (and body, with riotous gender switches).

Great quote from Cameron Diaz, who plays Lotte Schwartz in this film: "It's been said that in Hollywood there are only 14 different scripts. Well, this is number 15."

A film to be watched in one sitting, it is the perfect entertainment for a Friday evening, after a tough week.

Highly recommened.

Over-rated.......2007-05-12

It's not really THAT original when you look at more independent films, and even originality can't help a boring movie. Not really that funny or entertaining. It feels as if it is trying to hard.

Genius? No, just odd.......2007-05-02

This film received rave reviews for being "original, innovative, unique." As one can see from the reviews on this site, many viewers agreed with that assessment, but I don't. It just seemd bizarre, and not in a good way. Different can be very good, if it's interesting. When it has me looking at the clock wondering to myself, "how much longer will this turkey last?", then I know it simply didn't connect with me.

Maybe I'm just too bleak to "get it" and I should stick with more conventional comedies like "Big Lebowski." Now, there's a great film!

Average customer rating:

It claws your senses, twists your logic, and murders your soul; and yet I can't look away.
time better spent elswhere
I like cats.
SMALL TOWN AMERICA FREAK SHOW.
Objective review--GUMMO

Gummo
Starring: Wendall Carr , Charles Matthew Coatney , Bryant L. Crenshaw , Darby Dougherty , and James Glass (II)
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: B000059HA8
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Description

From Harmony Korine, screenwriter of Kids, comes a haunting portrait of life in small-town America. Through a collection of dreamlike and devastating images, Korine offers a glimpse of Xenia, Ohio, a world existing in the aftermath of a tornado.

Customer Reviews:

It claws your senses, twists your logic, and murders your soul; and yet I can't look away. .......2007-05-23

Another reviewer said Gummo was "unlike anything else of TV." My Holy Goodness, how right they were. If a lunatic was voted mayor of a town, Gummo would be the film depicting the townsfolk who call such a place "home-sweet-home."

We are introduced to the following: two awkward, gangly teens who kill cats and sell the rotting corpses to a local grocery store for a dollar per pound; three sisters who are about as backwards as anything this side of Appalachian poverty; a seedy brother who pimps his retarded sister out to teenaged boys; a sinister-looking young lady who, obviously being on the slow side, enjoys walking around the town singing "Jesus loves me this I know" as well as the always depraved "A-B-C-D-EFG-" song. Along the way, we also meet a young man wearing nothing but some swim trunks and a pink bunny hat who has the habit of urinating on cars driving beneath a local underpass. Oh, and for fits and giggles, we meet a group of rowdy mullet-styled rednecks who get their kicks from wrestling kitchen chairs to the point of exhaustion.

Sound like fun? This is a messed-up movie about twisted people living in the aftermath of a tornado that has swepth through their little slice of heaven. Nothing runs together smoothly as scenes and storylines come and go without rhyme or reason. Even the David Lynch and Terrence Malick crowds out there will feel disoriented in about 90% of this film.

A word of caution: if you begin to watch Gummo, you will have trouble turning away. I would liken it to a drug addiction that you know will harm you in some if you keep using it, but you end up alleviating such a warning by telling yourself, "Hey, just a little more. Just a little bit mo...."

time better spent elswhere.......2007-05-19

Here are some alternative suggestions to watching this movie:
1) spend the hour and a half in a forest preserve out house...
2) try making your own crystal meth and then doing it
3) eat some spoiled chicken, get sick, puke and then role around in it.
4) piss in your pants and don't change your clothes
Doing one or all of the above is a far better experience than sitting through this piece of vile trash.

I like cats........2007-05-19

I hated this trash. I'm so glad I saw it on IFC and didn't pay for rental. I can't ask for my money back. I do want that hour and a half back though. That so called writer/director(?) should go away.

SMALL TOWN AMERICA FREAK SHOW........2007-05-19

This film eloquently shows what the rest of the world have always known, that small town America is full of inbred Morons, come to think of it, midwest citiiesof full of these morons as well.

Objective review--GUMMO.......2007-05-14

So I tend to look at things in terms of nuetrality. This movie is freakin wierd, but incredibly artistic, take from it what you will. Its touching in its entirity as it lends insight into the shattered lives of victims of a devistating tornado in the unrecovering town of Xenia, OH. This is skewed by sensless acts of animal cruelty and odd behavior by residents which is obviously apparent in their off color choice of spare time activities. The movie ends abruptly leaving questions unanswered but more importantly a sense of sympathy for those in similar circumstances. It offers a startling depiction of a life very different than most, and a state of living not easily fathomed by most. This is very much a make-you-think kind of movie, especially in relation to the nature of human condition itself. Its a movie worth seeing for perspective if nothing else. It will be what you make of it....

Average customer rating:

Probably a better rental
Spellbinding
Man On The Moon
Weird
Thank you very much...

Man on the Moon
Starring: Gerry Becker , Jim Carrey , Danny DeVito , Paul Giamatti , and Marilu Henner
Director: Milos Forman
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I'm From Hollywood
Me, Myself & Irene

ASIN: B00003CWTL
Release Date: 2000-05-30

Product Description

In this entertaining comedy Jim Carrey hilariously portrays the late Andy Kaufman, considered to be one of the most innovative, eccentric and enigmatic comics of all time. Along for the ride to the top is Kaufman s manager, George Shapiro (Danny DeVito), his best friend and writer, Bob Zmuda (Paul Giamatti) and girlfriend Lynn Margulies (Courtney Love). You ll stand up and cheer for Carrey in "A comic wallop of a movie!"

System Requirements:
Starring: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Paul Giamatti, and Courtney Love.
Directed By: Milos Forman.
Running Time: 1 Hr. 59 Mins., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2000 Universal Distribution Corp.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

"There is no real you," jokes Lynn Margulies (Courtney Love) to her boyfriend, Andy Kaufman (Jim Carrey), as he grows more contemplative during a battle with cancer. "I forgot," he says, playing along, though the question of Kaufman's reality is always at issue in Milos Forman's underappreciated Man on the Moon.

The story of Kaufman's quick rise to fame through early appearances on Saturday Night Live and the conceptual stunts that made his club and concert appearances an instant legend in the irony-fueled 1970s and early '80s, Man on the Moon never makes the mistake of artificially delineating Comic Andy from Private Andy. True, we get to see something of his private interest in meditation and some of the flakier extremes of alternative medicine, but even these interludes suggest the presence of an ultimate con behind apparent miracles of transformation.

Screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (The People vs. Larry Flynt) allege that transformation was Kaufman's purpose--more than a shtick but less than a destiny. As we see him constantly up the ante on the credibility of his performance personae (the obnoxious nightclub comic Tony Clifton; the insulting, misogynistic professional wrestler), Forman makes it harder and harder to detect Kaufman's sleight of hand. But it's there, always there, always the transcendent Andy watching the havoc he creates and the emotions he stirs.

Carrey is magnificent as Kaufman, re-creating uncannily detailed comedy pieces etched in the memory of anyone who remembers the real Andy. But while Carrey's mimicry of Kaufman is flawless and funny, the actor probes much deeper into an enigmatic character who, in life, was often a moving target even for those closest to him. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Probably a better rental.......2007-05-14

I really enjoyed this movie, and it does a great job telling Andy's story. However, I can't say I would watch this movie more than once a year, so a rental would probably work for this movie. I recommend this movie highly, and enjoyed it, however the bonus DVD features are kind of disappointing.

Spellbinding.......2007-02-01

Jim Carrey is absolutely spellbinding in his portrayal of the late Andy Kaufman. Lore has it that Carrey stayed in character even when he wasn't shooting a scene. I may be incorrect, but I don't believe he was even nominated for an Oscar for this role and that is an absolute joke. The movie does a good job of moving through the different periods of Kaufman's ever-changing comedy periods. The one thing that I didn't particularly like about the movie was the time devoted to crowd shots, but I suppose that was Forman's way of showing Kaufman's effect on an audience. Highly recommended both for Carrey's performance and to learn about Kaufman.

Man On The Moon.......2006-10-08

Andy Kaufman isn't as famous in Australia as he is in America. I remember the first time I saw "Man in the Moon". I thought it was a very interesting concept, a film about an unconventional comedian who liked to provoke not just laughter from his audience, but confusion, anger and relief. It wasn't until halfway through that someone told me that it was based on a true story. "You mean, someone actually did all this?" I said, impressed. Kaufman must have been quite a character in real life, a character in more ways than one!

Jim Carrey plays Andy Kaufman, and I think he does a pretty good job potraying Kaufman from his low-key beginnings in the comedy clubs, through his days in "Taxi" all the way to the Carnegie Hall concert just before his death. He plays him as a passionate, curious man with a vision, a man who likes to have things his own way, and has a few ways of getting it. He's a man who seemed spontaneous but seemed to plan things both on stage and in life very carefully.

There are a few special features on this DVD, and they're pretty interesting. There's a selection of deleted scenes, a featurette on the real Andy Kaufman, the original theatrical trailer, and two music videos from REM, who contributed to much of the soundtrack.

Overall, worth a look for fans of biopics.

Weird.......2006-05-29

In this Andy Kaufman bio the viewer is left asking one question: Who is weirder, Jim Carey or Andy Kaufman. I don't know the answer, but both of them are fruitcakes.

The problem with this movie is that if it is accurate, Kaufman was really not a very nice man, so you really don't feel for him when he gets sick. Also, the movie never really gave much insight into Kaufman. It's like nobody knows him or understands him. Not uncommon amongst comedians, most of them are messed up people.

Thank you very much..........2006-01-24

The greatest comedian who ever lived! Andy was very special, a rare breed! My hometown hero from Long Island, NY. Sorry that you had to go so quickly. God bless you Andy where ever you are? Here I come to save the day...

The Tales of Hoffmann - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

I've never seen anything like it
Total British post-WWII success
good, but expensive
From a would-be dancer
After The Red Shoes

The Tales of Hoffmann - Criterion Collection
Starring: Moira Shearer , Ludmilla Tchérina , Anne Ayars , Pamela Brown , and Léonide Massine
Director: Emeric Pressburger , and Michael Powell
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
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Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008YOFG
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Amazon.com

Jacques Offenbach died with his masterpiece not quite finished, and that has made The Tales of Hoffmann a predestined victim for adapters who have dropped some numbers, inserted others, altered the plot, fiddled with the casting, and changed the order of scenes. It has survived and kept its essential identity through many adaptations because its music is so witty and compelling, its imagination so vivid and varied, its story of the poet Hoffmann's unhappy loves so intriguing they can transcend such tinkering.

A critical performing edition prepared by musicologist Michael Kaye has made it possible to come close to Offenbach's original intentions after more than a century of misunderstanding, and major companies have begun to use that edition, but so far no universally satisfying production of it has reached video. An Opera de Lyon production, using Kaye's research but with a radically untraditional staging, has won wholehearted approval from some fans but unequivocal rejection from more.

As adaptations go, this 1951 film is the best compromise currently available on video and will always be a classic in its own right, even when a more faithful treatment becomes available. It drops some of Offenbach's music and includes some that is spurious, and it changes the plot (Hoffman's beloved Stella is made a dancer--Moira Shearer--not a singer). But at least it treats the story with affection, imagination, and technical expertise. The music presents only highlights of the score, but it is in the hands of a great conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham. The movie is essentially the work of the same team that produced The Red Shoes (directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger); it has the same kind of imaginative appeal and its technical resourcefulness is still exciting, still on the cutting edge despite its age. I expect eventually to add a more faithful Tales of Hoffmann to my video collection, but I will never stop enjoying this one. --Joe McLellan

Description

In Jacques Offenbach's fantasy opera, the poet E.T.A. Hoffmann dreams of three women - a mechanical performing doll, a bejeweled siren who steals his reflection, and the consumptive daughter of a famous composer - all of whom break his heart in different

Customer Reviews:

I've never seen anything like it.......2007-05-05

"The Tales of Hoffmann" (1951) - a beautifully photographed film version of Jacques Offenbach's opera, his final masterpiece is a magic (and there is no other word to describe it) blend of Adventure / Romance / Fantasy / with an endless stream of gorgeous melodies, seductive and tender love scenes, bizarre characters - comic, romantic or villainous, and tragic climaxes. The film was a follow-up to "The Red Shoes" (1948) a fantasy/musical/romance/drama set in the world of ballet with the same directors, stars, and production designers.

In "The Tales of Hoffmann", Robert Rounsevill stars as E.T.A. (Ernst Theodore Amadeus) Hoffmann, the poet and writer who tells three stories of his great but unhappy loves all ending tragically thanks to the meddling of his enemy, a supernatural villain (Robert Helpmann as quadruple evil, Lindorf, Coppelius, Dapertutto and Dr Miracle). Objects of Hoffmann's love and admiration include Olympia the wind-up doll (Moira Shearer who also plays Stella the dancer, the fourth and yet another Hoffmann's misadventure), Giulietta, the Venetian courtesan who sails away after trying to capture Hoffmann's soul (Ludmilla Tchérina -absolutely brilliant as the siren and the seductress who elegantly walks over the dead bodies, literally), and Antonia the beautiful opera-singer with the fatal voice and deadly illness. One of the greatest choreographers and dancers of the last century, Léonide Massine shines in three absolutely different roles demonstrating his talent as a dancer, strong emotions and tremendous humor.

What makes "The Tales of Hoffmann" not just an ordinary screen adaptation but the stunning unforgettable event, the film which had inspired the future famous directors George Romero and Martin Scorsese to become the filmmakers is the perfect combination of fantasy, classical music, ballet, singing, stunning visual effects, imaginative and often bizarre and even disturbing images that would fit a horror movie (deconstructing Olympia -the doll is horrifying), incredible but calculated feast of colors, their mixture, the unique color palette to match each story, camera work that is so innovative and dynamic that even now, 56 years after the film was made, looks fresh and modern. The feast for eyes, ears, and feelings, "The Tales of Hoffmann" is the love child of incredibly talented people from different epochs and countries. The opera by Jacques Offenbach, the French composer is based on the dark romantic fairy tales by the German E.T. A. Hoffmann. The team of two directors known as "The Archers", the British Michael Powell and the Hungarian Jew Emeric Pressburger who had to flee his country before the WWII, and their international team of stars, color consultants, choreographers and production designers made this miracle happen. The last but not the least is legendary Sir Thomas Beecham conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Total British post-WWII success.......2007-01-21

As Britain's film industry revived after WWII, the arts stablishment put its best into this lavish, spectacular, ravishing production that I fist saw on its 1951 release and have loved ever since, as a so-so tape and now a much improved DVD release. With its scenes in the traditional order, it has Sir Thomas Beecham conducting, the fine light tenor Robert Rounseville as Hoffmann, ballet greats Moira Shearer, Leonid Massine and Robert Helpman and extraordinary sets, all directed with panache and grace by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Only a grumpy fussbudget wouldn't like it.

good, but expensive.......2007-01-15

It is a good purchase, but if you add the cost of shipping, taxes, conversion to region 4 and the product itself, I payed about 100 dollars for it.

From a would-be dancer.......2007-01-15

What a wonderful set of tales! I first saw this many years ago and was fascinated by the stories and the dancing and the way they were woven together with beautiful voices. I especially loved the scene in which Dapertuto attemts to charm Giulietta with the gems he mad of candle wax. I feel so lucky to be able to get a copy of this.

After The Red Shoes.......2007-01-12

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) has long suffered by comparison with their lush, ostensibly realistic masterpiece, The Red Shoes (1948). The visual blandness and musical tedium of Hoffmann's final episode accounts for this, at least in part, as well as the libretto's relentlessly artificial variations on a premise that's all too precious. A word might also be said about the miscasting of Robert Rounseville as the eponymous hero-victim. All of this is more than offset, however, by brilliant dancing - Moira Shearer's, of course, but also Leonide Massine's, Robert Helpmann's, Ludmilla Tcherina's, and choreographer Frederick Ashton's - to say nothing of the ambitious and almost perfectly realized production values, including some ingenious special effects. Nor can the musical performance - by the Royal Philharmonic under Sir Thomas Beecham - be slighted. Some viewers of the original film and its VHS copy have complained of imperfect illumination and color clarity, both of which this ultra high-tech version has brilliantly remedied. This, then, is the best possible Powell-Pressburger Hoffmann. And, as in Criterion's version of The Red Shoes - a wealth of extra features provides otherwise unavailable insights into the auteurs' ingenious planning, production, and editing. Recommended.

Average customer rating:

There's a light, over at the Franken... er Femm ... place
The Old Dark House
It really was a dark and stormy night...
Great Classic
Confusion is Creepy

The Old Dark House
Starring: Boris Karloff , Melvyn Douglas , Charles Laughton , Lilian Bond , and Ernest Thesiger
Director: James Whale
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000ILEU
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Description

A dark, gothic, one-of-a-kind macabre comedy. Directed by James Whale, subject of the acclaimed "Gods and Monsters," "The Old Dark House" tells the story of three weary travelers who find shelter in a mysterious Welsh manor, soon find themselves in the unwelcoming company of the psychotic Femm family--and never will they be the same!

Customer Reviews:

There's a light, over at the Franken... er Femm ... place.......2007-06-23

I only noticed it mentioned by one of the earlier reviews but it immediately struck me that this must have had a strong influence on Rocky Horror Picture Show. Even some of the dialog had me finishing it in my head with the Rocky Horror version. ("There's a light ...", "Madness ... takes its toll"). You can almost hear the RHPS music (over the storm). It even has a little bit of "gender bending" -- not to be confused with homosexuality as one reviewer does. But the film soon casts its own spell and you're hooked on its terms. Have a potato! And some gin! Enjoy the ride.

In any case -- this is a minor masterpiece with some great performances. The Femm family are especially good and Charles Laughton is notable for what I think is his first Hollywood role.

Like many of the "strangers stranded in a spooky house" movies (of which this must have been one of the first) it is filmed almost as if it were a stage play, giving it much of its considerable charm. The cinematography and lighting are pure "Universal Horror". This film was a trend-setter. Anything it didn't actually originate it certainly made its own.

And the title of the film is perfect!

P.S. Why not five stars? Need to leave a little room for Bride of Frankenstein!

The Old Dark House.......2007-06-21

One of Whale's most indispensable horror films, "House" marries dark wit with bizarre, wonderfully eerie scenarios involving the three Femm children: addled atheist Horace Femm (Ernest Thesiger), his fanatically Christian sister Rebecca (Eva Moore), and older brother Saul (Brember Wills), a pyromaniac kept under lock and key--usually. Karloff, in his first big role, is memorably ghoulish as a gin-swilling servant, but Thesiger and Moore play the demented siblings to sinister effect. Inspired camerawork, spooky lighting, and brilliant ensemble acting from the whole cast put a sardonic twist on this sublime tale of gothic lunacy.

It really was a dark and stormy night..........2007-02-05

Any film that starts with the visual version of "It was a dark and stormy night" might otherwise be regarded with suspicion but not in the hands of director James Whale. Is it worth checking out? Absolutely as this is one of Whale's masterpieces using humor, some creepy imagery and a great cast (Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, Charles Laughton, Ernest Thesinger and other notable stage vets) to create a moody chiller with humor.

The extras include a thoughtful trivia filled commentary Gloria Stuart and a second commentary by Whale bigorapher and film historian James Curtis. Curtis Harrington provides a detailed introduction of how he became involved in saving the film, meeting Whale, etc. The video quality of this portion is so-so. The transfer of the film looks solid although it could use more digital cleaning up (like the recently reissued editions of "Frankenstein" and "Dracula"). Although the film appears a bit unsteady in the beginning, it improves. I personally thought the contrast could have been improved a bit as well. Audio sounds good but the volume is a bit low and probably could stand a bit cleaning up to get rid of some hiss and popping.

The follow up to Whale and his star Boris Karloff's "Frankenstein", this witty, cynical horror film is well adapted by writer Ben Levy. Thought lost for years (the original film has been out of circulation for at least 44 years when William Castle made his weak remake), director Curtis Harrington found a copy of the film from which this version is drawn.
The film was almost lost when Universal sold the rights to Columbia in 1963. Luckily director Curtis Harrington (who befriended director Whale late in life)while working at Universal asked to have the negative pulled and duplicated. Otherwise the film would be lost as the firs reel of this classic was in pretty bad shape.

Overall this is a pretty good reissue of a classic Whale film that has been out of circulation for too long. It's a classic right up there with Whale's "Waterloo Bridge", "The Bride of Frankenstein", The Invisible Man" and "Frankenstein" although closer in tone to "Bride" and "Invisible" than his straight horror films.

Great Classic.......2006-11-10

A great classic worth every penny. A bit dated but that makes it even better. From the director who brought you such classics as Frankenstein with Karloff and The Invisible Man with Claude Rains. They just don't make movies like this anymore. Highly recommended.

Confusion is Creepy.......2006-07-16

Old Dark House is an early thriller which draws audiences probably because of Boris Karloff's name but which has a great cast. The story goes that several people (including Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stuart, and Charles Laughton) are driving around in the rain getting more and more lost as time goes by and risking more and more danger as they drive on the muddy ground. They stumble upon an old house with lights in the windows and venture in only to find a very strange family inside. There is a creepy butler (Karloff) who cannot speak except to mutter gibberish, a fanatically religious old woman, and a timid older man. The visitors begin to notice strange things in the house and become more and more frightened when they learn that the circumstances of the night are making the muddy muck outside a bit safer than staying cooped up inside.

The quality of the print I saw was less than great, but it was a cheap bootleg. I would assume that Kino's release has a much better print.

The film is greatly suspenseful because of how confusing it is. We never know, nor do the guests of the house, who is crazy and evil and who is good, so one is constantly on edge.

The cast is very good. Stuart is absolutely gorgeous in her slinky evening gown. Laughton is decent, though he does not have enough screen time to really shine like he normally does. It is Douglas who gets the greatest recognition, aside from the creepy Karloff. Douglas is heroic and lovable, a role normally designated to a co-star in his films. He takes on the leading man position very well.

Average customer rating:

This movie has Miike written all over it.
Wipe that milk mustache off your face!
Yakuza in Twin Peaks
good but not great
decent for low budget

Gozu
Starring: Hideki Sone , Sho Aikawa , Kimika Yoshino , Shohei Hino , and Keiko Tomita
Director: Takashi Miike
Manufacturer: Pathfinder Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002Z7RNG
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Description

From the acclaimed director, Takashi Miike, comes a Yakuza/horror film to shock and amaze audiences everywhere! When Minami is sent to kill his mentor, Ozaki, who is in the midst of a nervous breakdown, he embarks on a journey of unexplained natural phenomenon that only the director of such films as Audition, Dead or Alive and Ichi the Killer can provide in this surreal Lynchian/Cronenberg-like odyssey!

Customer Reviews:

This movie has Miike written all over it........2007-06-01

The vast majority of the film doesn't make a lick of sense, but it's so funny and jolting that sense would almost be a distraction. Gozu is a fascinating trip which is bizarre, perverse, entertaining, downright hilarious in parts, with some stunning cinematography and in all honesty a very interesting exploration of the intense bonding of brotherhood between the Yakuza that goes beyond loyalty and into self-sacrificial love. Gozu is a completely different film in comparison to Miike's earlier work, while some may call upon the definitive identity the film has as a Miike production in all honesty he has never really made a film like this before. The violence on display is very much toned down with no real shock factor. In Gozu Miike parodies his earlier work (thus the scenes of lactation) and the violence that is present is more restrained and bizarre as opposed to offensive.

It's Miike doing Lynch and Cronenberg and I have to say its an ill-fated entertaining ride. Gozu is simply not supposed to be taken seriously, any film that opens with the paranoid ramblings of a Yakuza claiming Chihuahuas are trained to kill simply has to be taken with a pinch of salt. And yet, despite the often ridiculous locations, characters and plot turns there is still a fascinating subtext to be found that lifts Gozu from the realms of entertainment into a genuinely interesting film.

However tenuous this may seem, Gozu is actually quite an interesting take on homo-eroticism in the yakuza. Without giving too much away, (the film really is best experienced blind) Miike examines themes of masculinity, and the difference of physical and emotional attraction with the bonding of men whose only cause for separation lies within their physical embodiment. This in turn, leads to one of the biggest "what the hell" endings I have seen for a long time. When dissected however, it only further enhances the sexual politics of the story bringing more weight to the question of sexual orientation. This subtext however, takes backseat to just pure unadulterated dirty humor and entertainment as Miike pulls out all the shots to dazzle, perplex and excite the audience into a frenzy of surrealist humor, inventive plot twists and plenty of in-jokes to satisfy his ever growing fan base.
Looking at this jacket of this disc led me to believe that Gozu would deliver a garish horror film, however, there is very little horror on display despite the occasional moments of suspense as Miike relies heavily upon the strains of the cello score rather than a true deep rooted sense of fear. but what we truly get is a film that dives into a surrealist landscape which is much more bizarre than terrifying. However, with tongue firmly in cheek Miike does succeed in living up to its kitsch B-movie feel.

Wipe that milk mustache off your face!.......2007-03-11

At first, "Gozu" begins like one would imagine a Yakuza movie might. An underling, Minami, has been given the unenviable task of disposing his superior and best friend Ozaki, who seems to have gone crazy. When Ozaki mysteriously dies on the road to Nagoya, and later disappears, the warped minds of writer Sakichi Sato and director Takeshi Miike rush in to assault Minami and viewers with a seemingly endless parade of quirky characters and disturbing imagery which would give Freud and Jung fits.

Why do half of the characters in a town outside Nagoya seem to make no sense? Who exactly is the pretty young woman Minami finds in his car? And why does he keep seeing a man with a cow head in his dreams? Minami seems to be locked into a nightmarish roller-coaster ride of insanity. I can guarantee you'll never look at milk or soup ladles the same way again.

If you've not seen Miike's films before - as I had not - "Gozu" might not seem to make a lot of sense at all. If you give in to your will to be weird, however, you might recognize the terrifying beauty of Miike's creation.

Yakuza in Twin Peaks.......2007-01-05

If you ever wanted to see what would happen if you threw a David Lynch movie in the blender with a Takashi Miike movie, I'd say this film is most likely what you'd get.

This movie is pretty damn strange but being that I love both directors, I couldn't help but love this strange tale of.... man, I don't even want to spoil it for you but this one goes down as one of the oddest Yakuza movies in existence.

This is a nice DVD package. Picture is good, sound is fine, and there are a good amount of bonus features, like interviews, commentary and other goodies.

Hey, if you like Lynch or Miike films, give this one a shot. One of the better Miike films I've seen.

good but not great.......2006-09-18

I was expecting more from this movie but it left me wanting more...The movie was strange and a little disturbing but there ws nothing scary or horror like about it...I would recommend this film if you're a Takashi Miike fan.

decent for low budget.......2006-08-01

I just like movies that have a little more happening. But with some of the strangest scenes ever, I have to say that I am really split in the middle with this. I didn't like it, but I was almost intrigued enough to watch it again. Everything is just sort of a long build up for the end, and I don't know if it was worth waiting for. I would highly recommend another twisted movie called Oldboy over this.

Average customer rating:

Love this show but the volume on the DVDs messed up.
Must have for any Unsolved Mysteries fan
I Want More Unsolved Mysteries Collections!
No Black Dahlia?
Scary and spooky

Unsolved Mysteries: Bizarre Murders
Starring: Unsolved Mysteries
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Unsolved Mysteries: Strange Legends
Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts
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ASIN: B00068CUOK
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Customer Reviews:

Love this show but the volume on the DVDs messed up........2007-03-18

Not sure what the problem is with the volume/sound quality but, I had to turn it up quite a bit to hear it. Otherwise, I enjoyed viewing the Unsolved Mysteries DVDs I've purchased.

Must have for any Unsolved Mysteries fan.......2006-12-30

Well we have a bunch of episodes collected from UM about cases involving murders on DVD. Part of the set deal with murders that were solved, but the other half are murders that are still unsolved to this day. This is what interested me the most, not just that they were unsolved but why.

Of the top of my head, the "Danny Casolara", "Prison Killings", "Plane Sabotage", "Dakota Double Murders", and "Civil Rights Murders" were the most intriguing partially do the fact that Robert Stack and show made it obvious that these murders were part of a cover-up. Whether they are part of a cover-up made from the government, a crazy person, or sloppy police-work is open to debate. The Casolara case is entirely disturbing. A man allegedly slashes his wrists while working on a top secret journalist report and the cops are dumb enough to conclude it is suicide? Give me a break.

The late Robert Stack is great in presenting these stories adding his own input into the story. The only bad thing about the set is that the Special Features are very limited. In this case, per DVD we get about two audio commentaries on select episodes but that's it. A bit disappointing, but the amount of episodes they include in on each set is great enough to satisfy any UM buff.

I Want More Unsolved Mysteries Collections!.......2006-10-07

Amy Lynn has already done a terrific job of summarizing these stories, so I won't repeat that, but I do have a couple of things to add:

1) I wish they would do more of these collections so we can remember our favorite UM episodes.

2) The discs include director/producer commentary for some of the segments. This is a great behind the scenes look at the making of the show.

3) My favorite episode from this collection, "Texas Most Wanted" is interesting for several reasons. It's a very well-done look at a horrible crime, the story of the murder of Larry Dickens by a violent pervert. The episode led directly to the perp's capture. The interviews with Dickens' mother and sister were very sensitive and well-handled. This is "Unsolved Mysteries" at its top-notch best.

BTW, take a good look at the actor who played Larry Dickens. That's Matthew McConaughey.

No Black Dahlia?.......2006-08-09

Inquiring rhetorically, how can this otherwise well produced program not include the 1947 unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, in Los Angeles? If the physical remains of her body don't constitute a bizarre murder, nothing does.

Scary and spooky.......2005-10-09

This collection of bizarre murders from the show 'Unsolved Mysteries' is likely to send chills down your spine. Some of the murders are so shocking and grotesque that they will give you the spooks. One murder that was really out there was titled 'Dakota Double Murder'. This is case of three people who were involved in a car accident on a cold winter night. Two of the people disappeared from the car, only to be found dead at the scene of the accident three months later, and in different states of decomposition!
Watch these videos with the lights off.

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DVD

DVD

A Low Down Dirty Shame

Darkman/Darkman 2: The Return of Durant

No Angels.Com (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Bride of the Wind

The Miracle Worker