Shock

Starring:Daria Nicolodi, John Steiner, David Colin Jr., Ivan Rassimov, Paul Costello (II), Nicola Salerno
Director: Mario Bava
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Great movie!
Better than expected
love at first sight
No Holiday
For the romantic!

The Holiday
Starring: Cameron Diaz , Kate Winslet , Jude Law , Jack Black , and Eli Wallach
Director: Nancy Meyers
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Domestic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Casino Royale (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition)
Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Music and Lyrics (Widescreen Edition)
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000MQC9H4
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Amazon.com

As a pleasant dose of holiday cheer, The Holiday is a lovable love story with all the Christmas trimmings. In the capable hands of writer-director Nancy Meyers (making her first romantic comedy since Something's Gotta Give), it all begins when two successful yet unhappy women connect through a home-swapping website, and decide to trade houses for the Christmas holiday in a mutual effort to forget their man troubles. Iris (Kate Winslet) is a London-based journalist who lives in a picture-postcard cottage in Surrey, and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) owns a movie-trailer production company (leading her to cutely imagine most of her life as a "coming attraction") and lives in a posh mansion in Beverly Hills. Iris is heartbroken from unrequited love with a cad of a colleague (Rufus Sewell), and Amanda has just broken up with her cheating boyfriend (Edward Burns), so their home-swapping offers mutual downtime to reassess their love lives. This being a Nancy Meyers movie (where everything is fabulously decorated and romantic wish-fulfillment is virtually guaranteed), Amanda hooks up with Iris's charming brother Graham (Jude Law), and Iris is unexpectedly smitten with Miles (Jack Black), a super-nice film composer on the downside of a failing relationship. --Jeff Shannon

Extras from The Holiday

First Look Featurette
high bandwidth

Film Clip: "Sushi for Two"
high bandwidth

Film Clip: "Oh Brother"
high bandwidth

Stills from The Holiday (click for larger image)

Beyond The Holiday on Amazon.com

On Blu-ray
CD Soundtrack
The Films of Nancy Meyers

Customer Reviews:

Great movie!.......2007-07-05

This movie is great! It is much better than I had expected. I thought it would be a light, cutesy, movie, but the writing and acting was superb! Far better than I had expected. There are many clever lines and the acting including great, subtle facial expressions. It is a very good movie!

Better than expected.......2007-07-03

I rented this movie online not expecting much. Too my surprise it was much better than I thought it would be.

love at first sight.......2007-07-03

There aren't too many movies that I watch and instantly fall in love with but it happened here. I saw the film, fell in love with story and the music, bought the score and had my sister join me for an encore performace... all in a single day! I'm a romantic at heart and this film was all about it. Not only that but every character was brilliantly used. From the adorable old man to the fiesty little children and of course the love story, this film is sure to touch your heart!

No Holiday.......2007-06-27

I own the movies Hitch, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, Prime - I am a professional chick flick-er. Jude Law, Jack Black are in some of my favorite films. In my opinion, Kate Winslet is one of the most talented young actresses out there. Therefore this film should've been a perfect film for someone such as me - the film had all the right ingredients but the wrong recipe. I was very disappointed with this film. I agree with the other reviewers that the plot of the movie is not so original and is quite predictable. However, most romantic comedies ARE predictable - but what makes the good romantic comedies good is the presentation and the deliverance of the story. This film failed very much in that department. I blame it highly on the script and the editing process. Even with such beautiful people as Jude Law and Cameron Diaz on the screen, the film drags and become unbearable as it progresses. I was very sad as they had such a great cast. And it was a huge disappointment from Nancy Meyers (whose previous film - What Women Want - I enjoyed immensely).

For the romantic!.......2007-06-25

Though not a heart-wrenching love story, The Holiday is a inspiration for the romantic at heart. It causes room for doubt, then offers hope. It's cute...not too deep but still romantic and playfully pleasant. I enjoyed it...have watched it twice. My 15 year old, however, said it was boring and not worth watching. I attribute that to age and the lack of ability to understand certain innuendos.

Frankenstein Conquers the World / Frankenstein Vs. Baragon

Average customer rating:

NICE TO SEE THIS ON DVD! KEEP THEM COMING!
Media Blasters does it again
You're kidding me right...?
frankenstein movie
Going to be Tokyo Shock's best release.

Frankenstein Conquers the World / Frankenstein Vs. Baragon
Starring: Tadao Takashima , Nick Adams , Kumi Mizuno , Yoshio Tsuchiya , and Koji Furuhata
Director: Ishirô Honda
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Sci-Fi | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Monster Zero)
Cult Camp Classics 1 - Sci-Fi Thrillers (Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman 1958 / Giant Behemoth / Queen of Outer Space)
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Godzilla Raids Again

ASIN: B000JU8H7E
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Description

During WWII, a human heart taken from a certain lab in Europe (Dr. Frankenstein's) is kept in a Japanese lab. When it gets exposed to the radiation of the bombing of Hiroshima, the heart grows in size, mutates and sprouts appendages, and eventually grows into a complete body and escapes. Later, a feral boy with a certain physical deformity (a large head with a flat top) is captured by scientists who refer to the boy as Frankenstein. The creature grows to the height of 20 feet, escapes again, fights police and army, and is practically indestructible. Later, a reptilian monster goes on a rampage. Eventually the Frankenstein creature and the reptile face off in a terrible battle.

Customer Reviews:

NICE TO SEE THIS ON DVD! KEEP THEM COMING!.......2007-06-28

I must admit that I liked these ToHo films as a kid,but they are mostly for laughs now.I guess a little for nostalgia too. These Japanese Monster movies are just hysterical! I had not seen this one for many years and I was doubled over with laughter watching it! It is great that they released this film and I would have given it 5 stars,but I remember some different scenes as a kid that ended up in the deleted scenes section of this release. Still all and all a great buy with 3 versions of the film and lots of extra goodies. I would love to see "War Of The Gargantuas", "The Green Slime" and " Yog Monster from Space" released!

Media Blasters does it again.......2007-06-28

Another terrific release from this company. I'm so glad that original Japanese features are finally getting what they deserve. Subtitles too.
Great menus and extras as well.

You're kidding me right...?.......2007-06-22

Yeah I saw this movie when I was about five or seven years old. I'm sure I liked it at the time, but I do not now. "Frankenstein" looks like a John Ratzenber look alike in bad make-up, The monster design for Baragon was better (why did it have to be wasted in this movie). I have never seen the alternate ending with the giant octopus, but it sounds stupid (even for a Toho Monster Movie). In the end, Tokyo Shock may as well be called Tokyo S&^&%.

frankenstein movie.......2007-06-16

i just want to mention that this movie is one of the best that toho productions has ever made as far as science fiction and i would reccomend it to anyone

Going to be Tokyo Shock's best release........2007-06-06

I've been waiting for this movie to come out for quite some time. This movie and War of the Gargantuas. You gotta love the beautiful Ms. Kumi Mizuno. Beside her, the movie is good, one of Toho's best. Add that with the features this DVD is packing. Both Japanese and American releases along with deleted scenes and commentary. A must have for all Toho and movie monster fans. This year has been a blessing for Toho fans with the rereleases of their movies on DVD in widescreen modes and with special features. Grab your friends and a six pack of beer and watch all these rereleased DVDs.

Average customer rating:

Havoc
Two stars at the most!
ooh, la, la, la bamba meets the 21 Jump Street episode wherein Johnny Depp in hair net and khakis says "Orale!" constantly
dvd review
Nothing Special Except the Presence of Young Stars

Havoc (Unrated Version)
Starring: Anne Hathaway , Bijou Phillips , Shiri Appleby , Michael Biehn , and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director: Barbara Kopple
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Crime & Criminals | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

9 songs - Unrated Full Uncut Version
When Will I Be Loved
The Dreamers (Original Uncut NC-17 Version)
Uncovered
Lie With Me

ASIN: B000BBOUUE
Release Date: 2005-11-29

Amazon.com

After making her name in The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway takes a radical detour with this edgy independent drama. As Allie, a wealthy gangsta wannabe, she makes no excuses for her delinquent behavior: "We're just teenagers and we're bored." When her Pacific Palisades posse, including pal Emily (Bully's Bijou Phillips), starts hanging out with a Latino gang (including Six Feet Under's Freddy Rodríguez), they learn what thug life is really about. Hathaway couldn't be more game: She swears, she fights--she disrobes (several times). Written and directed by Oscar winners Stephen Gaghan (Traffic) and Barbara Kopple (American Dream), Havoc plays like a B movie, in the vein of the superior crazy/beautiful, and was released straight to video. For Hathaway fans, it's a chance to see this young talent in a very different light, but for Gaghan and Kopple followers, this lurid morality tale is sure to come as a letdown. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

A group of wealthy Los Angeles teenagers try to become part of the "gangsta" lifestyle but soon run into trouble when they come face to face with a real gang of Latino drug dealers.

Customer Reviews:

Havoc.......2007-07-05

Havoc was a pretty good movie. It depicts a fairly accurate picture between real thugs and fake ones. It also shows how teenagers curiosity can get them into serious trouble. Only problem with the movie is the directors inept ending.

Two stars at the most!.......2007-06-30

One night, rather bored and lazy, I happened across the film and decided to watch it. Later in the week, I watched it again. It wasn't because the movie was great (believe me, it wasn't), not because the acting was inspired (average at best, insipid at times), and certainly not because Anne Hathaway decided to appear topless (whopee-big-deal, another young actress willing to show her lack of common sense). No, I just couldn't figure out what I was missing that made some people rave about this movie. Guess what, I still don't get it. A previous reviewer said it was a "well-meaning movie." I guess that's true but unfortunately, it failed it whatever it was trying to mean.

The plot is curiously the opposite of Hathaway's movie The Princess Diaries (Special Edition). Here we see a rich & spoiled girl with disinterested parents trying to submerge herself into the Latino gang experience. I guess that must have been the attraction for Hathaway, making a film as far away as her squeaky-clean image as possible. Nothing wrong with that but she might have picked a movie that wouldn't have to have used her toplessness as their main marketing point. In other words, pick a movie that would be worth it.

Not that it didn't have its moments. One of the most interesting characters was the teen (sorry, can't remember his name) who was making a film about all the happenings with the "cool crowd". Some of his insights on the character of each person were actually quite good. His comment to Hathaway's character about being one of the loneliest people he knows really brought forth the whole point of the movie. But it was just too little, too late.

Overall, I would say pass on this movie. The plot is anemic, the acting not much better than a high school play, and all the stereotypes it plays off of just makes it all seem too contrived. Thumbs down and Ebert and Roper would say.

ooh, la, la, la bamba meets the 21 Jump Street episode wherein Johnny Depp in hair net and khakis says "Orale!" constantly.......2007-06-29

Ritchie Valens from the wrong side - the CHICANO side of LA meets a pretty privileged white chick and they fall madly in love and he writes a song about how precious his Lady in White is to him. The spirit of La Bamba permeates this film insofar as we are supposed to understand how Anne Hathaway genuinely "shares a moment" for her Ritchie Valens. I have no idea what the characters' names are in this movie but everyone is familiar. Laura San Giacomo is in it, Reese from Terminator is in it, boy from Third Rock From the Sun and busty loosey goosey teen is played again by no longer a teen Bijou Phillips. I thank them all for doing this public service announcement about treating thug life as a consumer product.

I feel so sorry for that young looking Hispanic actor who had to play the Ritchie Valens part in this movie complete with the big man walk. I think he even did that cigarette drag and unplug that shows you are tough. If the characters had been permitted to have a real romance, we would have been favored with close ups of tears standing in his eyes and the line in his cheek from biting down on his back teeth during moments of romantic misunderstanding. This movie also has the 40-something year old actor who played the surviving marine in Clear and Present Danger. Unfortunately, Esai Morales is too busy doing phone card commercials on Spanish television to participate in this amazing film.

Obviously, the Socs from Pacific Palisades can't take on Sabor Latino so I think a sequel/crossover is called for where the Socs bring in the Southies from Good Will Hunting.

p.s. Anne Hathaway raps or sings some gangsta moll song early in the movie. She does a lot of acting with her eyes in this movie resembling a pretty fit Liza Minnelli and is the main reason that this movie is not terrible. It's not too heavy or embarassing or violent to be "important" and therefore unwatchable. This movie is a needed postscript to Clueless and 90210 because it is effective in a way that typical rich kids are decadent and too fast for their own good movies such as Cruel Intentions can't get past nubile prettiness, expensive clothes and real estate for the audience to understand that their situation is terrible and wrong.

dvd review.......2007-05-13

I think this movie will wake up young kids and realize life is not all fun and games.

Nothing Special Except the Presence of Young Stars.......2007-04-28

Brief summery of "Havoc" would be like this. Two bored, rich, white teenagers Alliaon and Emily get attracted to the Latino gangsters in East LA. You don't have to think hard to figure out the results of their behaviors, and actually "Havoc" has little to say about anything after all. Familiar plot devices such as their rebellious high school boyfriends and a timid, quiet kid making a documentary film do not help, nor the clichéd images of the teenagers and their parents living in suburbia. Despite the good acting of Freddy Rodriguez as Hector, to whom our heroine is romantically attracted, the Latino characters are little better than stereotypes.

In fact the film could have been a great social commentary or a riveting drama with better characters (and the screenplay is written by Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana"). It is extremely difficult to show a couple of spoiled, affluent teenagers without making us feel "So why should we care?" and "Havoc" seems to need someone who can fix this problem. It may not be your cup of tea, but "Thirteen" did a better job with equally annoying, but more round characters.

What makes "Havoc" special is the presence of young stars including Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Freddy Rodriguez. It is true that Anne Hathaway disrobes herself, but those ""topless" scenes are nothing pornographic; however, it is also true that the film could be without them from the beginning. If you want to see Anne Hathaway breaking away from her "Princess Diary" image, she would do better in "Brokeback Mountain."

Shock to the System: A Donald Strachey Mystery

Average customer rating:

Mystery and love for everybody!
Stimulating, Riviting, and Good Depiction
Not a shock to my system - it was an injection of pleasure.
Not so shocking, another pleasant film!
A nice, complicated murder mystery with an interesting private eye. Don't forget to read the books by Richard Stevenson

Shock to the System: A Donald Strachey Mystery
Starring: Chad Allen , Sebastian Spence , Michael Woods , Daryl Shuttleworth , and Morgan Fairchild
Director: Ron Oliver
Manufacturer: Regent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Gay & Lesbian | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Third Man Out
Dante's Cove - The Complete Second Season
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
Dante's Cove
Another Gay Movie

ASIN: B000K2V7EG
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Description

(Gay Thriller) When private eye Donald Strachey finds his latest client dead, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Strachey's investigation leads him on a dark and dangerous trail into the world of "gay conversion therapy" - a twisted mix of psychology and religion designed by a doctor to turn homosexuals "straight." Based on the best-selling series of novels by Richard Stevenson

Customer Reviews:

Mystery and love for everybody!.......2007-06-13

I loved "Third Man Out", the first Donald Strachey Mystery movie and this one is even better. The great thing about "Shock To The System" is that the characters are more developed, especially Donald. You get to know him better and in the scene when he tells Timmy about the Army (I can't give details) you feel and cry with him. Chad Allen is a excellent actor but in that particular scene he is simply superb.

I love murder mystery either on film or in books and "Shock To The System" is a great film for those like me who love this genre. But what truly caught my heart is Donald and Timmy's relationship... they are adorable together! This movie is MUST for cute-couple-suckers like me... you can't get wrong with these guys!!!

Stimulating, Riviting, and Good Depiction.......2007-05-13

For anyone who has wondered if the movies would change from showing us the stereotypical gay man, here is a set of films that do. A gay detective embarks on a mission to discover the devious deeds that lead to another mans death. Yet, this film shows much more than just an interesting plot. This is the second film in the Donald St. series and gives the audience a more indepth picture to who the hero really is as well as to how he is coming to understand what life is about. Through this film the protagonist, Det. Don, battles many fears and insecurities all people suffer from, not just a homosexual adience. He confronts a past that still haunts him and stands in the way of his current relationship as well as deals with the oppressive need to fit. Something the murder victim was struggling with.
So, if you enjoy a good murder mystery that also allows you to see how human a person can truly be, I highly recomend this film. You will enjoy the plot as well as charater development and be able to identify with many of the feelings and emotions portrayed within this film. Of course this is only my opinion, but I can safely say you will not be disapointed with the purchase of this video.

Not a shock to my system - it was an injection of pleasure........2007-05-11

This is the second movie in the Donald Strachey Mystery series. It is an improvement on Third Man Out (the first) which also was a thoroughly watchable mystery.

The characters and the storylines are developing well. There is more background information to show how Strachey became the man he is: loyal, trustworthy, tenacious and attracting trouble like a magnet. His partner Tim (Sebastian Spence you can put your shoes under my bed at any time:0)), although not as prominent also developed more depth in this installment of the series. It was like he is settling in for the long haul, relaxing into the role.

I felt the story flowed more easily than Third Man Out and it was a little harder to pick the murderer - although I did by the second murder (but I usually do because I LOVE mysteries).

I don't know if the fact that Chad Allen is actually an out gay man means he brings depth, understanding and a comfortableness to his role but he definitely portrays the character well and shows emotion realistically in the scene where he recounts his first gay relationship experience and the tragic outcome of that. He seems relaxed and real - which is not an easy thing to do - as Strachey.

I think although being gay oriented, because of the characters, it is not an in your face type of prominence. It shows being gay is as normal as being blonde - it just is, you can't change it (although ironically the storyline in this movie is centred around this being otherwise). I like that it is woven into the story showing gay people have real lives, real relationships, real problems and real love. (Sigh) I love a love story and this fits into that liking as well. It gets to me on a couple of levels which is refreshing - mutli-satisfying.

I am definitely looking forward to the next one. If they keep developing in depth and quality this will prove to be a must-have series for film buffs, especially those that love the mystery genre.

Not so shocking, another pleasant film!.......2007-04-23

The gay detective is back! After a promising turn in "Third Man Out", private dick Donald Strachey returns in this second mystery starring Chad Allen.

[...]

[...]

The story and the plot are much better than the first, a definite sign that the series is improving with each film. Sebastien Spence returns as Donald's partner,Tim, and Nelson Wong becomes Strachey's new office manager, Kenny Kwon. Chad Allen does a very good job as the main character and is a wise choice as the film's protagonist.

A good mystery film and worth adding to your dvd library. I hope we see another Donald Strachey film soon!

A nice, complicated murder mystery with an interesting private eye. Don't forget to read the books by Richard Stevenson.......2007-03-22

"Trevor Cornell is one of the most successful reparative therapy providers in New York," says Timmy Callahan. "I wonder what his idea of 'successful' is," says Donald Strachey, a private eye. "Dressing badly," says Callahan, "decorating your home with duck decoys, breaking out in a rash whenever Barbra Streisand sings."

To explain: Reparative therapy means conversion from being gay or lesbian into happy, contented heteroes. Timmy Callahan (Sebastian Spence) is a political type in Albany, New York. Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) is not only a capable and tough private eye in Albany, he and Timmy are married. "At least," as Strachey says, "as close as two men can get to it...more important, I'm in love with him." Those who find a gay agenda under every leaf, revolver and bloody baseball bat may not like this movie. On the other hand, those with a fondness for well-constructed mysteries that feature politics, victimization, murder, martinis and phenalzine should enjoy the story, the style of Donald Strachey and the puzzle. Bet you don't guess the murderer. It's worth pointing out that you don't need to be a collie to enjoy "Lassie" or a guy with a gut to enjoy John Wayne. And you don't need to be gay to enjoy Shock to the System. The movie has it's faults...it was made for cable with awkward acting in some of the secondary roles and it has that clean, careful look of most made-for-TV films. But the mystery is satisfyingly complicated, with a nice number of red herrings. Chad Allen makes a believable, interesting private eye. And his happy home life with Timmy would probably be the envy of many married couples, gay or straight.

Paul Hale, a frightened 20-year-old man, wants Strachey to help him. But before he can tell Strachey what he wants, he is found dead. At first it's thought Hale died of a stroke, but when a lethal mixture of alcohol and barbiturates is found in Hale's system, Strachey decides to find out what was going on. And that takes him undercover to the Phoenix Foundation, a successful institution led by Dr. Trevor Cornell and his wife, where gays and lesbians, Dr. Cornell says, can find their true path to heterosexuality. It turns out that Hale was going to be a poster boy for the Foundation when Cornell announced a major push to go nation-wide with his cures. Not only does Strachey find himself taking part in group therapy and flashing back to his own earlier life, he gets threatened, beaten up, chased and shot. Almost as frightening, he encounter's Hale's wealthy, well-groomed and surgically-enhanced mother. "My son was not gay!" she says. "He was...confused." Strachey eventually solves the crime. Justice, formal and informal, is dealt out.

Donald Strachey is the gay private eye in eight mysteries written by Richard Stevenson, beginning with Death Trick in 1981. They are first-rate reads with clever, involved and sometimes violent plots. In other words, they aren't gay mysteries...they're mysteries that happen to feature a gay private eye. Two of the books have been made into cable movies; this one was shown in 2006 and Third Man Out was shown in 2005. The books are well worth reading if you like mysteries. This movie is no classic, but it makes it's "gay agenda" points low-key enough that they don't interfere with the story. And although there is a bit of beef cake that shows up from time to time, one or two friendly smooches and a quick flash of frontal nudity, the movie has none of the leering smarminess that seems built-in to many of the boy-girl Hollywood films nowadays.

The DVD transfer is excellent. The disc has a director's commentary and two or three extras. I didn't bother to sample them.

Average customer rating:

Time For A Reappraisal?
Really good if you are 7 years old and think an Aussie accent is cool
That is not a knife... this is a knife...
Good Memories!
"Call that a Knife?"

Crocodile Dundee
Starring: Paul Hogan , Linda Kozlowski , John Meillon , David Gulpilil , and Ritchie Singer
Director: Peter Faiman
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Art House & International | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Crocodile Dundee II
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Romancing the Stone (Special Edition)
Beverly Hills Cop - The Complete Line Up
Beverly Hills Cop (Special Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B00005N5SA
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

This 1986 comedy out of Australia is so old-fashioned in its romantic charm that one can't help but wonder what it would have looked like with Clark Gable and Carole Lombard in the leads. On the other hand, it's hard to imagine anyone besides Paul Hogan as the title character, a laid-back Aussie tracker who shows an American reporter (Linda Kozlowski) around bush country, then accompanies her to New York City. Sure, Hollywood has done the fish-out-of-water scenario to death in the last 20 years, and while this film has sufficient sport with the gimmick, it is largely driven by the principal characters and their developing love affair. Hogan cowrote the script and director Peter Faiman evokes the goofy, enchanted air of screwball comedies. The climactic scene, set in a subway station with scores of bystanders witnessing a conversation about relationship commitment, feels like vintage Capra. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Time For A Reappraisal?.......2007-05-18

This film is not considered 'cool' these days due mainly, I think, to lazy TV schedulers who will run a butchered version of the film on Sunday afternoons because it's a 'good family film'. I've caught this film on TV about four times and on each occasion it was in a badly cut version but this DVD seems, so far as I can tell, to be complete. The film deserves to be put alongside the best comedies of any era and should be regarded as one of the prime examples of the form(I would compare it to Capra at his best).

I was lucky enough to see this film at the cinema, knowing no more about it at the time, than that it was supposed to be a good comedy. Well it turned out to be a very good comedy indeed. The film offers so much more than just some very funny moments though. Everyone I know who saw it at the time loved it and it was no surprise that it became one of the years biggest hits. It is strong in all areas, well written and directed with good chemistry between the leading actors and an excellent cast who all perform their parts to perfection. Hogan stands out of course and had the difficult task of throwing off the tag 'Australia's answer to Benny Hill' something he manages effortlessly.

It's difficult to realise now how much of a 'breath of fresh air' it was at the time since Hollywood immediately co-opted (or stole) so much of the style and approach of the film for its own projects in the following years.

The film quite naturally divides into two parts. The first in Australia
has a surprising depth to it and a real feel for the place(the Outback)and its people and of course you get to know the characters. The second part of the film is in New York and provides the bulk of the humour but still remains character focused and never descends into pointless gag-making.

It manages to be hilariously funny one moment and sweetly touching the next. Put simply the film is a delight and a joy to watch and can be seen many times without tiring of it.

Really good if you are 7 years old and think an Aussie accent is cool.......2007-04-21

Dumb girl is saved from big ol crocodile by wise outback guy who stabs it with big ol knife instead of just leaving it alone. Because girls of course could never survive in the outback. Natives with innate wisdom.

Sheech.

Every cliché in the book. Can't believe any adults swallow this one. It's going to be below the threshold for smart kids, let alone adults.

Better adventure film: Master and Commander

OK the dumbos who disagree can now press the "not helpful" button, and the smart people can, at least, consider what I've written.

That is not a knife... this is a knife..........2007-04-14

There seems to be a recipe for making great movies, and this film has all the ingredients. Adventure, action, romance, and great comedy.

A modern day Tarzan, Crocodile Dundee is simply one of those movies we must see. Paul Hogan is superb as he plays the audacious and brave hero out in the wilderness of Australia. Linda Kozlowski is the reporter who sets out to surface the story of man who was attacked by a crocodile and survived to tell the story.

Mick, as he is known by his friends... and he has many... has never set out foot from his environment. Invited by the reporter, he travels to New York City, where great adventure ensues.

New Yorkers are not ready for someone like Crocodile Dundee, but soon, they find themselves admiring and becoming friends with this simply, kind, respectful, and courageous visitor.

The end of the movie is one of the best scenes, capturing great love, and how, total strangers can become instrumental in bringing a relationship to its climax.

Don't miss this movie and you will find yourself saying... "That is not a knife... this is a knife!"

Good Memories!.......2007-04-03

This had more dialog and alittle more skin than I remember, but the humor and storyline are just as much fun as when it first came out!

"Call that a Knife?".......2007-03-26

Took me a while to get around to watching "Crocodile Dundee". Only just did this year, which I feel a bit funny about, being Australian. I'd kind of seen bits of it on the TV and stuff, but I wouldn't say that I'd grown up with it or anything. Seeing it, I think it's not too bad. Strange sort of Australia though. There are some parts that are sort of authentic and some parts that are cartoonish and stereotyped, yet its all blended so well that if you weren't Australian you wouldn't know one from the other. It's funny that way. Bit crude in places though, bit blunt I guess....

Mick Dundee (comedian Paul Hogan) is a bit of a character in his hometown in the outback. Though it's illegal to go around killing crocodiles, he has had a tangle or two with the when he's been out walkabout. A journalist from America goes to investigate, and becomes quite interested in him. Perhaps she'll take him home to New York, see what he thinks of her hometown...

It's worth a look for anyone who's interested, I think.

Average customer rating:

A must see
There's no love in your punches at all!
bunch of weenies acting tough
Ultra Violent Madness, For Better or Worse
I like it.........

Ichi the Killer (Unrated Edition)
Starring: Tadanobu Asano , Nao Omori , Shinya Tsukamoto , Paulyn Sun , and Susumu Terajima
Director: Takashi Miike
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Audition (Uncut Special Edition)
Oldboy
Visitor Q (Sub)
Dead or Alive (Unrated Director's Cut)
Suicide Club (Suicide Circle)

ASIN: B0000CABGW
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Customer Reviews:

A must see.......2007-06-27

If you are a fan of Audition, then you must see this movie. Its brutal, but in a beautiful way!

There's no love in your punches at all!.......2007-06-15

Koroshiya Ichi is probably the ne plus ultra of violent movies that makes A Clockwork Orange like The Sound of Music. The last time I saw something so gruesome was Ilsa-She Wolf of the SS.

A mob boss named Anjo disappears along with 3 million yen, and his devoted lackey Masa Kakihara, a scar-faced blond-haired yakuza with piercings sporting a flashy purple trenchcoat, with two slits on either side of his cheek, takes it upon himself to find out who kidnapped him.

Kakihara is quite the sadist, but just as equally a masochist, as he even cuts off his own tongue to apologize to a syndicate boss. Given a tip by Jijii, one of a group of Chinese immigrants eking out livings doing dirty jobs in Shinjuku, he kidnaps Suzuki, a yakuza boss, strips him naked, hangs him from the ceiling with hooks, and pours boiling hot oil over the guy's back! Yakuza tempura, hmmm....He also has his trademark long pins, which he uses to deadly affect, resulting in human pincushions.

The mastermind is Jijii. His killer is Ichi (Japanese for one), a mentally fragile guy who dresses up in a black rubber suit with a day-glo "1" on the back. His goal is to wipe out the yakuza in Shinjuku. And he persuades the easily swayed Ichi that they are like the people who bullied him in high school, and that it's his role to rid the world of bullies. "They beat upon the weak and pretend to own the world. Vengeance is yours. If you don't kill the bad guys, who will?" However, Jijii doesn't hesitate to use Ichi to get rid of his helpers, who are just tools for his crusade against the yakuza.

Ichi is so extreme in his killings that the people who witness what he has done see a mass of blood, entrails, splattered walls and ceilings, and at one point a human face that has been sliced off. "As gross as ever," says one of his cleaners, who has slipped on the scarlet mess on the floor. In fact in one scene, Ichi kicks down a door, jumps inside a room filled with yakuza. We then hear screams, then yakuza blood and guts flying out the door. A repeated motif is his slicing the carotid artery, and then fwoooshhhh, out comes, as Alex from A Clockwork Orange would say, the red red kroovy.

This movie is very very sadistic, meaning those with a weak stomach watching this during dinner will find themselves emptying breakfast stuff! Although given the comic-book like depictions of mutilation, it will also garner some laughs for the really twisted--the drug-addicted Kano in the TV set for example. But the scene of a pimp savagely beating one of his prostitutes and then violating her ranks high on the cruelty list. Don't worry-he gets his from Ichi and how! And a prostitute is not only beaten but has her nipples sliced off by Kakihara! Ouch!

After being expelled from the syndicate, Kakihara continues the search for Anjo. With him are tough guy Takayama and a disgraced ex-cop Kaneko, who looks a bit like Barack Obama. Kaneko's probably one of the more decent characters, he's just had rotten luck. In fact, he is one of the few genuinely nice to Ichi, as he's reminded how Anjo took him in after he was expelled from the police force for losing his gun, something that even Jijii recognizes. Then there's Karen, a Chinese call-girl who speaks heavily accented Japanese and English. Her anecdote of her wishing someone's dog dead is funny. Note: in that story, she mentions a nawatobi rope which is merely Japanese for a jumprope.

This is kind of a departure from Asano Tadanobu's usual roles. This actor, the Johnny Depp of Japan, normally has a soft-spoken undertone, but the blond hair, scarred face, wicked smile, and slits that cause his mouth to open extra wide, make this one of his more memorable roles.

With a soundtrack veers from weird gibberish techno to a slow synth score, and a kind of retro-70's style cinematography, liking Ichi the Killer depends upon your stomach, and an open mind to extreme violence.

"Listen, when you're hurting someone, don't think of the pain that he feels. Only concentrate on the pleasure of causing him pain. That's the only way to show compassion to your partner."---Kakihara to Karen.

bunch of weenies acting tough.......2007-06-12

not a single frame of celluloid that is believable here. bunch of puny little wimps acting tough. oh yeah. so bad, so ridiculous...and, ultimately, so moronic.

the reason this "director" (I use the term loosely) tries to "shock" (and can't even do that very well, by the way) is because he lacks true talent required to tell a great crime story.

Let's hope he didn't give himself hernia while straining to disgust us with this pile of vomit.

Ultra Violent Madness, For Better or Worse.......2007-05-11

Live Action Anime...yes it is an oxymoron, but it's one way to describe what Director Takashi Miike has done with Ichi the Killer. It's like a live action version of Akira or Ninja Scroll.

The film's plot is secondary so I won't dwell on it here, but if you have never seen Miike's films, get ready for a ride through the imagination of a complete mad man. The best part about the film is that Miike and his team are actually outstanding technically, and his sense of humor is both original and in my opinion hilarious.

Ichi the Killer is as glossed over and stylized as it is sadistic and violent, and believe me when I say that this film is violent. It's sexually violent content is out of whack as well and alone might earn Ichi an NC-17 stamp but it's violence is so fantastic it almost seems cartoon-like. If you didn't find humor in films like Dead Alive, Robocop, Evil Dead 2 or Kill Bill pass on Ichi, but if you like those films like I do, give Miike a chance, you won't regret it.

I like it................2007-04-03

Very humorous take on the trials of the yakuza. the only thing i didn't really care for was the way Kakihara died....it was sort of sad considering the whole movie was building up to his confrontation with Ichi. Kakihara had been waiting all this time for Ichi...getting all excited for a final bout. Waiting for Ichi to kill him. Then he ended up falling from a stairwell. Which is why it got the 4 star instead of 5 star rating.

Average customer rating:

Most excellent, but quick question for other fans out there...
Stone Age and Cavemen
Goofy, funny, silly but BIG FUN
The Weasel Interprets Unfrozen Caveman Adolescents
Super fun movie!!! Infectious Grooves is in the house.

Encino Man
Starring: Sean Astin , Brendan Fraser , Pauly Shore , Megan Ward , and Robin Tunney
Director: Les Mayfield
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

School Days | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Son-In-Law
Bio-Dome
In the Army Now
Jury Duty
Airheads

ASIN: 6305433925
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Amazon.com

Brendan Fraser made his film debut in this 1992 comedy that never quite discovers its audience constituency. On the one hand, it features Pauly Shore, which would seem to define the picture's tone and identity accordingly. On the other hand, the film's other leading man is Sean Astin, the earnest star of Rudy, suggesting that Encino Man will have a lot of heart despite its silly premise. But none of that turns out to be true. Fraser plays an unfrozen caveman discovered by a pair of California high school outcasts (Shore and Astin). As the grunting newcomer becomes popular with the other kids, Shore and Astin try to bask in his reflected glow. Fraser, beginning a long movie career playing cartoonish goofballs, works entirely on instinct and earns his laughs. Shore, however, relies on his familiar verbal shtick, and Astin makes a great overgrown puppy pining after a lost girlfriend. Directed by Les Mayfield, who came to this project from his acclaimed documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. --Tom Keogh

Description

Starring Pauly Shore, Encino Man unearths the biggest laughs in 2 million years! The fun kicks off when two high school buddies dig up a frozen caveman in their backyard! Once the living fossil thaws out, the friends figure he's their ticket to being cool. But the plan backfires when the newcomer turns everyday life upside down, generating pre-hysterical craziness wherever he roams! Co-starring Sean Astin (Bulworth) and Brendan Fraser (The Mummy), you'll definitely dig Encino Man-- the totally irreverent, totally awesome comedy that shows just how hilariously out-of-control things evolve once the stone age meets the rock age head-on!

Customer Reviews:

Most excellent, but quick question for other fans out there..........2007-05-28

Loved this movie since it came out, so I've had both the vhs tape and the dvd of it. Has anyone else noticed that on the dvd version, a part is missing? When Dave and Stoney are trying to teach Link how to fight to defend himself - at the end of that scene - you don't hear Stoney's wonderful line, 'Ow, my pancreas!'

What's up with that?

Oh, and I'd just like to point out that the movie Clueless (another great flick) owes a good part of its linguistic brilliance to Encino Man.

Stone Age and Cavemen.......2007-04-13

I brought this movie based on the fact that I watched it when I was younger and that I love it to pieces. I had to have it in my collection. I found the movie quite entertaining and funny as heck.

Goofy, funny, silly but BIG FUN.......2007-01-09

This is not great art, this is only great fun. I typically never watch anything more than twice, once at the theater and then once again at home if it's really good. I watched this at my 8 year old nephew's house, laughed till my sides hurt and promptly ordered the dvd for myself. I've now watched it at least 6 times. Every time I need a good laugh, in goes Encino Man. My wife likes it just as much as I do. Good clean fun.

The Weasel Interprets Unfrozen Caveman Adolescents.......2006-08-06

Though not as amusing as "In The Army Now" nor as conceptually satisfying as "Pauly Shore is Dead" (though mercifully less painful than "Bio-Dome,") "Encino Man" is typical lighthearted buffoonery not intended for anyone not in the demographic of males aged eight to twenty. Surprisingly, given his evident onscreen cranial development, Shore does not play the Encino Man, a role that goes to Brendan Fraser.

In essence, Shore and company find a caveman adolescent while digging a pool in the yard and take him to high school. Of course there is a whole competition for the pretty girl (which concludes with some prom related mayhem and cake defiling) with much of the plot about fitting in. Needless to say the caveman, "Link," becomes very popular, and learns to do many complex tasks (like driving a car on two wheels, and dancing to an absolutely wretched song apparently called "She Likes to Feed The Monkey") easily, while indirectly winning the Prom Queen amongst much drama. In the end there is an earthquake that sends Link's true love, a teenage cavewoman back from the Neolithic era for him to drool over, in what may be the single most contrived plot point in movie history.

Be sure to watch for the "hilarious" cultural interactions in the Latino bar (the subtitles about cheese are amusing) which served only to make me wish that the INS was that effective in real life. For some reason this also gives Shore the excuse to start his trademark "weasel" bit in an odd mix of English and Spanish.

This is ultra-light entertainment, yet has some modestly funny moments. This will be a hit with most teenage males, but won't convert anyone outside that demographic. The movie is essentially clean: it was rated "PG" in the US, the UK, Australia, and Singapore, rated "T" in Spain, rated "7" in Sweden, and received the desirable rating of "L" in Iceland.

Super fun movie!!! Infectious Grooves is in the house........2006-03-03

This is such a fun movie to watch. It is so goofy and ridicualous and you never get tired of watching it. Encino Man and Pauly Shore is one of the reasons why the early 90s ruled. There are so many cool scenes in this like when Stoney takes Link to 7-11 and they cruise the aisles looking for some grindeage to munch on. And when they go to the Mountian and ride the Viper in reverse. And the drivers ed scene when Link thinks it is Rad Mobile and he puts it up on two wheels and they end up at the bar with all the Mexicans. "You see that girl muchacho. Dont look at her!" The prom scene was cool to, it had Infectious Grooves in it. They are a real band but that song was made for the movie. The singer and bass player are in Suicidal Tendencies and the bass player plays for Metallica now. But anyways... Yeah , this movie is totally radical. Daves room is really cool to. I wish my room was that rad. The school looks cool too. I wish my high school was like that. I notice that whenever i watch something like this that was filmed in the early 90s everything seemed real bright and cheerful. Am i crazy or has anyone else noticed this? Pauly Shores punch lines and phrases never get old. They age like a fine wine... Bud-dy.

Average customer rating:

Good film not great
Classic
You Must Have This In Your Collection.
7 grand masters
All time favorite

7 Grand Masters
Starring: Li Yi Min , and Jack Long
Director: Joseph Kuo
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

Five Deadly Venoms
The Buddhist Fist
Shaolin Wu Tang
Invincible Armour
Shaolin Master Killer (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0001610QQ
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Customer Reviews:

Good film not great.......2007-05-25

I purchased this film based on the high rating the other viewers gave this film it's action packed and the Jack Long was good as the old Master. But to see so many 5 star ratings you would expect to see excellence which I did'nt I have purchased several movies that recieved low ratings that in my opinion where very good. To me the fight scenes were basic and the story line was typical done before but dont get me wrong this is a good film and well worth pocessing but not a 5 star.

Classic.......2007-04-24

I just wish I could see it for the first time again.

This movie is great. We all know Kung Fu movies typically have plots you skip after the first viewing, since they are a) convoluted b) corny as hell or c) stupid. 7 Grandmasters, however, doesn't suffer this pitfall; it has a minimalist storyline that's somewhat archetypal and fun to follow (especially when they use visual comparisons in fights between the new student and the Master). You know exactly what's going on, and enjoy the journeys of the two main characters.

Mainly, though, Jack Long steals the show. You have to expect great things from the brother of Ghostface Killer, and he doesn't disappoint. His martial and acrobatic skills are awesome to behold, and his dignified presence as a confident and reserved Grandmaster of Kung Fu is iconic.

Even if you think Kung Fu movies are all kitschy crap, try this out. You'll at least enjoy some of the great coreography. And if you're a kung fu addict, this is as good as they get.

You Must Have This In Your Collection........2007-04-20

I saw this gem in a Downtown Chicago theatre when I was a shorty. Downtown may be different today but 7 Grand Masters will always be one of the best kung fu flicks ever. You must have this in your collection if you are a true kung fu movie fan. This is a timeless classic.

7 grand masters.......2007-04-02

This is the "Gone with the Wind" of kung fu movies. This one is action packed and shows different styles of Kung Fu. Highly recommended and you'll be hard pressed to find a better movie.

All time favorite.......2007-03-12

I bought this one for my other half just on a whim. This is his all time favorite movie int he martial arts department.
The item was also in great condition!

Average customer rating:

Harriet is good, but the rest of the film......
A Classic...
Will never be as good as the book
fun movie
Another kids movie being underrated by the adults

Harriet the Spy (Widescreen Collection)
Starring: Michelle Trachtenberg , Gregory Smith , Vanessa Lee Chester , Rosie O'Donnell , and J. Smith-Cameron
Director: Bronwen Hughes
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Matilda (Special Edition)
The Baby Sitters Club
The Borrowers
Harriet the Spy
The Indian in the Cupboard

ASIN: B00008OM8T
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Amazon.com

This feature production from Nickelodeon is based on a popular kids' book from the 1960s by Louise Fitzhugh, and stars Michelle Trachtenberg as an 11-year-old wannabe journalist who writes all her observations about friends in a diary. When the book is stolen and read by her peers, she's ostracized. The film is hard to watch for all its sensory overload (rapid cuts, kooky camera angles), but its theme of finding a balance between a commitment to one's voice and one's obligations to others is fairly wise stuff. With Rosie O'Donnell and Eartha Kitt. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Harriet is good, but the rest of the film.............2006-11-22

I gotta give it to that little girl who plays Harriet in the movie. She did a great job. But, I found Rosie O'Donnell's performance really lacking. Which made the film a little boring to watch at times.

A Classic..........2006-11-06

I LOVED this movie when it first came out! And come on...what kid didn't make tomatoe and mayo sandwhichs for the next month after watching it? It is and will remain an all-time favorite of mine!

Will never be as good as the book.......2006-02-09

I loved the book as a child, I read it so many times, so it's been well thumbed. It was also originally owned by my dad when he was young, and he passed it down to me. The cover is tattered and torn now (my dad, not me), but it's been well loved.

I've had the DVD on my wishlist for ages! My dad claimed I'd seen it before, but upon watching, it was obvious to both of us that neither of us had seen it.

First of all, most of the characters didn't quite match what I had in my head reading the book, and some characters & things had been changed. For starters, Harriet had glasses, and short hair. In this, the glasses are virtually gone, and her hair's very long. The Italians that she spied on in their restaurant in the book, are now Chinese. And Eartha Kitt as the fabulous Agatha Plummer makes only 1 main appearance, and 1 very brief appearance, whereas in the book she was a regular character almost!

Of course, it's open to interpertation, but when you're a child, if you have an imagination that is, you get to 'see' the story unfolding in your head, and when I saw this film after so many years, I was so disappointed to see that some of my favourite scenes had been completely dropped (the section where she builds a town in the mud at the bottom of the tree was a particular favourite). Golly was described as being tall, thin, and not a very pretty person - in the film she was turned into Rosie O'Donnell which actually worked. Sport (Gregory Smith who also appeared in Small Soldiers) was the only other character who matched the image in my head to in the film.

Michelle Trachtenberg, although she has the best name in the world, just didn't work for me as Harriet. (Although she did remind me of myself at that age.) There was something that didn't click, and it brought the film down a whole for me.

Most of the kids who appeared in this, didn't amount to much, although Michelle has recently reappeared in Ice Princess. Gregory Smith has of course appeared in Small Soldiers. Vanessa Lee Chester, who played Janie, hasn't done much recently, although she did appear in Lost World, A Little Princess, and She's All That, although if you check out her pic on IMDB, my, hasn't she grown up! The aptly named character in the film, Boy With The Purple Socks (played by Dov Tiefenbach) has appeared in Jason X and Get Over It. Alisha Morrison, who played Laura Peters, also had a small role in Mean Girls.

The film can be quite upsetting when Harriet becomes an outcast in her class, and I found it quite hard to watch at this point. I'm sure I'll dig out the book sometime in the future, but might give a second viewing a miss.

fun movie.......2006-01-08

After reading some of the negative reviews about this movie, I am inspired to write my views!

I saw Harriet the Spy when it came out in theaters in 1996. I was 16 then, and I had read the book a few times. Quite frankly, I didn't like the book that much. I thought it ended badly and Harriet was a bit too mean in the book. But when I saw the movie, I fell in love with Harriet as played by Michelle Trachtenberg. She was positively wonderful in the role, and made Harriet likable and believable.

Harriet learns some important lessons about friendship and the power of words. She also learns to deal with growing up and living with parents who love her but are often absent. I think many kids can relate to this movie. Harriet's classmates are real kids and we see Harriet having to decide whether to cater to the popular kids or stay true to herself. We also see her take responsibility for her actions and win back her true friends.

I think Harriet is a positive role model in many instances. Of course, some could take issue with her spying on people, but she usually does not do so in an illegal manner! After all, this isn't a totally real story! The only thing I didn't like about the movie is when Harriet's nanny tells her she has to lie in order to win back her friends. Because really, she does not, she simply has to not be so harsh with the truth. But this is a minor point.

The music in this movie is great, and I have tried for years to find a soundtrack without success. If anyone knows where the soundtrack is, please let me know!

I also loved the scenes where Harriet does some crazy and fun things like going with her friends to the lady's garden made out of found objects, or fencing with Golly's boyfriend at the movie theater. Harriet and Golly's relationship is beautifully portrayed. It made me want my own lovable nanny!

At any rate, sorry for the long review, but I think this movie is fun and great and I highly recommend it for kids ages 9-13 or so. Parents should watch with the kids and discuss any issues as they see fit!

Another kids movie being underrated by the adults .......2005-12-10

Wow some people take children's movies too seriously. I own Harriet the spy and i still love it the same since it came out and i think it is a Nick classic. If you think about it its a shame the new generation of kids have to grow up without movies like this. Harriet the spy does have a few things in it that seem like its not for children but if you pay attention and watch it to the end it also teaches you to appreciate what you have and plenty of other good morals. The movie description is a bit simple and complicated at the same time Its about an 11 yr old that wants to be a writer but her spying is her writing actually its more like shes exploring and writing everything she sees. You cant just read reviews about the movie you have to see it cause some of the reviews dont do this great movie any justice. The acting is great and the story line is very original and thought provoking. If your a parent and you would like to know if this is a good movie for your kids well im tellin you it is. I was 8 when it came out and it has made me look at some things differently. This is a great movie and you shouldn't let your kids miss this and this definitely will teach children to appreciate good friends and more important good parents. I'm sorry if this review doesn't help or give a good movie description but this is a very underrated movie that will leave a good impression on kids not a bad one.

Average customer rating:

plight of the refugee
Dissapointing to Say The Least
Great Informational Tool, Subtitle Malfunction
powerful and compelling documentary......
Great Information But Not-So-Great Documentary

POV: Lost Boys of Sudan
Starring: Peter Kon Dut , and Santino Majok Chuor
Director: Megan Mylan , and Jon Shenk
Manufacturer: New Video Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Darfur Diaries: Message From Home
Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda
Sometimes in April
They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan
God Grew Tired Of Us: A Memoir

ASIN: B0002V7NYI
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Amazon.com

Lost Boys of Sudan, which premiered on PBS's P.O.V. series in 2003, is a gripping documentary about young refugees from the Sudanese conflict as well as a moving story of survival and acclimation in a strange and daunting land. The film centers around two young Dinka tribesmen who must flee a vicious civil war in their homeland and risk thirst, starvation, and animal attack to reach refugee camps thousands of miles away in Kenya in Ethiopia. Once there, the "lost boys'" journey begins again, as they are resettled in Houston, Texas, and must start new lives in a completely alien country. Eventually, their adjustment to 21st century life becomes the film's main focus; can they join American society and still retain their tribal connections? Told in simple but powerful images, Lost Boys of Sudan affectingly addresses themes of home, acceptance, family, and what it means to be a member of society--both America and the global community. --Paul Gaita

Description

Winner of an Independent Spirit Award and named Best Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival, LOST BOYS OF SUDAN follows two teenage Sudanese refugees on an extraordinary journey from Africa to America, offering a gripping and sobering peek into the myth of the American Dream. In the late `80s, Islamic fundamentalists in Sudan waged war on the country's separatists, leaving behind over 20,000 male orphans, otherwise known as "lost boys." For those who survived this traumatic ordeal and found their way to refugee camps, som were chosen to participate in a resettlement program in America--a distant place so presumably full of hope and opportunity that the Sudanese sometimes call it Heaven. But what if a free ticket to "Heaven" turned out to be anything but? Sidestepping conventional voice-over narration in favor of real-time, close-quarters poignancy, LOST BOYS OF SUDAN focuses on Santino and Peter, members of the Dinka tribe, during their first life-altering year in the United States. Safe at last from physical danger--but a world away from home--the boys must grapple with extreme cultural differences as they come to understand both the abundance and alienation of contemporary American life.

Customer Reviews:

plight of the refugee.......2007-06-04

Good film showing the struggles of two refugees' integration into American society. Shows the everyday struggles of two young men that have known nothing but hardship. This documentary shows bits of life in the refugee camp, through their transition and first year in America. Would've liked to have gotten more of their back story, as it is an amazing story of survival.

Dissapointing to Say The Least.......2007-01-17

Unless you are interested in the challenges posed by introducing a number of displaced youth who have grown up in an extremely deprived and disjointed society to the United States, this movie will not "do it" for you.

The most intruiging phenomenon in the entire film is the obvious mistrust and lack of connection between poor African-Americans and poor Africans, beyond the color of their skin.

For the most part, the situation exists between most working-class Africans and the African-Americans with whom they are lumped up with and have to coexist with at work and home (if they live in predominantly black neighborhoods) and is therefore nothing new, unless you are of a different race.

Great Informational Tool, Subtitle Malfunction.......2006-07-06

This film provides a great informational tool about the struggles and opportunities of refugees trying to make it on their own in a new place. As a history teacher, I am excited to show this to my class to demonstrate assimilation and acculturization. My one problem, and this is a big problem, is that a great deal of the subtitles go way off of the TV. This made seeing what they were saying difficult. I couldn't even see the information at the end. I have a pretty big TV, so I'm sure that this might be a persistent problem. Also, the deleted scenes have no subtitles. But all in all, this is a great glimpse of their lives. The most eye-opening is the tension between African Americans and the Africans. Ironically, the boys from Africa got along better with their white friends than the African Americans. Also interesting is the "help" the church tried to give. They keep delivering all of this furniture to the boys' tiny apartment, yet the lady from the church (who looks just like actress Shelly Long) virtually ignores their pleas for help in finding jobs and educational opportunities. She walks away from them and says "They're angry"

powerful and compelling documentary.............2006-01-16

For anyone unfamiliar with the plight of the numerous lost boys of Sudan, I really reccomend you check out this powerful, compelling, cautionary and very educational film, that looks at two young men who made it out of the turbulence of their country and were able to make a life for themselves in the United States. The Lost Boys consist of some 200,000 (or more) young Sudanese refugees, orphaned, left orphaned and alone in the African nation of Sudan. One connection out of the poverty and desolation of their country, is if they are able to obtain sponsorship through church-based programs in the United States. The two boys profiled in this film were recipients of this sponsorship.

While one journeys to Texas, to seek out work, buy a car and also attend classes at the local high school, the other's journey takes him to a small (predominantly Caucasian) town in Kansas, who attempts to integrate himself into a foreign, and a culture for which he finds himself, both, daunted and isolated.

I believe everyone should see this film, and, in fact, I think it should be implemented in the high school curriculum as a pre-requisite for all students. It is important that we all receive an education in the personal struggles of refugees, like these two young men. This film only scratches the surface, into this subject matter. There are so many important stories, like this, that need to be told!

Great Information But Not-So-Great Documentary.......2005-09-21

For me, the thing that makes a documentary enjoyable is a.) Is the information new and engaging? and b.) Is it presented in a coherent and even-flowing fashion? On the first point, THE LOST BOYS OF SUDAN delivers. We get to hear about the little known religious war in Sudan that killed (and continues to kill) millions of people. Most of those that were murdered (let's call it what it is) were adults. And left behind are their children who flee to refugee camps. Tens of thousands of children made it to these tent cities where they've grown up or died. But a few of them are lucky enough to get access to America, and fly into Houston to become U.S. citizens. This documentary follows the lives of two of THE LOST BOYS and we get to see how leaving their native lands affects them, and how American culture clashes but ultimately enfolds them. Great information.

On point "b", though, the film gets a serious thumbs down. The editing was terrible, a patchwork quilt of events rather than a concise look at these boys' lives. The information was just too broad. They show us their struggle with grades, language, driving, sports, living together, paying rent, jobs, trying to find girlfriends, etc., etc., etc. I would've liked to have seen them focus on a select few items and get us into the microcosm of these issues. For instance, I would've enjoyed learning more about their struggles to get into schools while working at the same time. But all we get is one basic phone call that one of the boy's makes where he talks to family about this issue ...and that's it. We don't hear anymore about it. There were other instances in the film where similar things occurred, too (subjects brought up and then suddenly dropped.)

But even with these problems, the documentary is interesting and informative.

For truly excellent documentaries, though, try DARK DAYS or BORN INTO BROTHELS.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

The Horse's Mouth - Criterion Collection

Sin

Doc: Season 1 [3 Discs] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Francesco

The Fighting Spirit - Special Forces Techniques - Vol. 1