Habit

Starring:Alan Bandit, Aaron Beall, Michael Buscemi, Dale Cameron (II), Patricia Coleman (II), Jack Dingas, Hart Fessenden, Larry Fessenden, Michael Angelo Garcia, Jesse Hartman, Whitney Alexandra McGann, Marcus A. Miranda, Rebecca Moore, Becque Olson, Kelly Reichardt, Herb Rogers, Meredith Snaider, Eric Vesbit, Helene Weintraub, Heather Woodbury
Director: Larry Fessenden
Studio: Fox Lorber
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Whoopi Goldberg returns in a gratuitous, poorly written sequel that contrives a reason to get her character back into Maggie Smith's convent. The "socially conscious" plot finds Goldberg being asked to relate to a bunch of street kids and pull them together into a choir. Since a bad guy is needed, the script grabs that old chestnut about a rich guy (James Coburn) preparing to close down the convent's school, and runs with it. The film is slow and unconvincing from start to finish, although costars Mary Wickes and Kathy Najimy get some good laughs, and the music is pretty spirited. --Tom Keogh

Description

Everybody's favorite nun is back in the habit as Academy Award(R)-winner Whoopi Goldberg (Best Supporting Actress, 1990, GHOST) stirs up more laughs than ever before! This time, Whoopi goes undercover as Sister Mary Clarence at a troubled inner-city school. Equipped with a melody-marching lesson plan, she brings the gift of laughter, the power of music, and a touch of heavenly inspiration to the classroom -- before the streetwise students discover who she really is! Experience the joys of higher education with this crowd-pleasing favorite as Whoopi answers her calling once again and delivers her special brand of habit-forming fun!

Customer Reviews:

A fun, family-friendly movie!.......2007-06-17

After watching the first Sister Act and thoroughly enjoying it, I bought this movie hoping that it would be as good as the original. Thankfully, it is!

So what's this movie about? Sister Mary Clarence (played by Whoopi Goldberg) is asked to aid the sisters with teaching a group of unruly kids. When she is asked to teach the school's music class, at first she is frustrated that the kids won't listen to her. Eventually, she finds out that the class is full of great singers, one girl especially (played by Lauryn Hill). Unfortunately, the girl's mother won't allow her to sing with the rest of her classmates. Things get rough when Sister Mary Clarence finds out that the school is going to be shut down. That doesn't stop her from taking her choir to the state championship. What's going to happen to the school? Will the choir win the championship? And what happens to the group's best singer?

So what's to like about this movie? First of all, there's a lot of funny parts. One particular part that stands out is when Sister Mary Clarence asks a girl to sing any song and she chooses to sing the theme song to The Love Boat. Second, the storyline is pretty good. It was enough to keep me entertained and I was eager to find out what happened to the choir at the end of the film. Also, this movie stars Lauryn Hill which is great to see as I'm a fan of her music.

What's not to like? Not much. This is one of those movies that going into you know is not going to be the best movie you've ever seen. Just an overall entertaining film to pass a couple of hours on a lazy Sunday.

If you liked the first Sister Act, be sure to watch this one as well. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

TWO IS BETTER.......2007-02-08

SISTER ACT 2 IS MORE THAN JUST A MOVIE. IT'S IT'S FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. I BROUGHT IT FOR MY GIRLFRIEND & SHE LOVES TO SING ALONG WITH THE MOVIE. AND SHE KNOWS EVERY SONG FROM THE MOVIE BY HARD

Love it!.......2007-01-19

This is an awesome movie, full of music and fun and suspense. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes stories about real life and those struggling to overcome their societal obstacles.

What a little help can do.......2007-01-18

This is to show that with a little practice and help you can do anything. This is a funny movie but it does have a good meaning behind it. Just follow your dream and things can happen. Thanks

Great Whoopi DVD........2007-01-10

Excellent movie! Every bit as good as the first Sister Act!

Average customer rating:

A "Different Movie" not what you'd expect!
Kathleen Turner is great...Waters went commercial on this though
Are Those Pussy Willows Dotty?
Over-the-Top, But That's the Point
One of the best comedies ever.

Serial Mom
Starring: John Badila , Tim Caggiano , Mary Jo Catlett , Patricia Dunnock , and Kathy Fannon
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00000JGHR
Release Date: 1999-07-13

Amazon.com essential video

Director John Waters creates here a wickedly funny--and nasty--comedy starring Kathleen Turner as the ultimate suburbanite: a woman so obsessed with suburban perfection that she kills a neighbor for not separating her recyclables. Hubby Sam Waterston and kids Matthew Lillard and Ricki Lake don't have a clue that in fact it is squeaky-clean mom who is the killer at large in their Baltimore neighborhood and who has murdered, among others, the guy who dumped her daughter. The final courtroom scene is a riot, turning her into a celebrity defendant (long before O.J.) and featuring a terrific cameo by Patty Hearst (yes, that Patty Hearst). Not for the squeamish or the easily offended, Waters's fans will find him in classic form. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

A "Different Movie" not what you'd expect!.......2007-05-13

That's for sure! I saw some of it being made too! In Towson MD!

Kathleen Turner is great...Waters went commercial on this though.......2007-03-29

This is a must have if you are a John Waters fan. Kathleen Turner does the greatest job of a suburban housewife gone whacko. Many will poo-poo this work by Waters since it is a little mainstream and commercialized, but I laughed a lot with this movie and would highly recommend it to any sicko out there.

Are Those Pussy Willows Dotty?.......2007-03-03

John Waters did a terrific job on this movie. The casting is great. I can't believe they got Kathleen Turner to do the things she did in this movie. The movie starts out all sweet and cute with family breakfast and then some detectives stop by to question folks in the neighborhood about a lady in the neighborhood who is being sent some pretty nasty mail. Once the detectives and kids leave we then get a glimpse into the world of Beverly Sutfid while she makes a prank phone call. This entire scene is destined to be a comedy classic...Serial Mom then goes on a killing spree because some people have insulted her and her family. This movie is funny!!!!!!!!

Over-the-Top, But That's the Point.......2006-08-10

When people (mostly critics) mention two John Waters films they say Hairspray and Serial Mom. The first John Waters film I ever saw was "Pink Flamingos" and until I watched this, that film was the only one I had seen. Waters made that film (commonly called the most disgusting film ever made and rightly so) to get his name out there; His plan worked. He never made a film like that movie, but he still makes films with the intention of shocking his audience. Serial Mom is a comedy that is very over-the-top and has a lot to say about the media. Having only seen Pink Flamingos, I can't believe the same person wrote and directed both of these movies. They both have a strange vision for sure, but they're very different films. Kathleen Turner ('The Virgin Suicides') plays Beverly Sutphin is the definition of a perfect suburban mom. She's like those characters you see in 60's television shows like Leave It to Beaver. She has a loving husband (Sam Waterston)and two children (Ricki Lake and Scooby Doo's Matthew Lillard) Misty and Chip. Everything seems perfect; Then two detectives show up at the Sutphin household to ask Beverly about obscene phone calls her neighbor Dottie (Mink Stole, who worked with Waters on Pink Flamingos as Connie Marble)has been getting. But, Beverly couldn't possibly be making such calls. Or is she? Pretty soon, obscene phone calls escalate to murder, which begins with her son Chip's math teacher. When Beverly is finally arrested after a series of murders, the film really goes over-the-top. The movie isn't perfect; Kathleen Turner is perfect as Beverly Sutphin, but the movie has its share of flaws. It's not hilariously funny, it's mildly funny. The comedy is more to be appreciated than to be enjoyed. This movie is entertaining and it's funny how true most of this stuff is. Look for cameos by former porn star Traci Lords and John Waters as the voice of Ted Bundy. If you like Waters' stuff, check this movie out. If you don't, stay away.

GRADE: B-

One of the best comedies ever. .......2006-06-26

This film was made in 1994, a few years after "Cry-Baby". John Waters has a Hollywood sized budget to work with and continues his path to more "mainstream" targeted movies. But for those fans who fear this would compromise Waters' humour - don't worry, it doesn't.

"Serial Mom" has the qualities that many mainstream comedies lack. It can be seen as satire, or you can just turn your brain off and have lots of fun. The dialogue is hysterical and the cast does a wonderful job, especially Kathleen Turner in the title role. In this film, she makes one of the greatest comedic roles in film history. I also love Mink Stole as the neighbor and unknown Patsy Grady Abrams as Emmy Lou, a customer in the local video store who only rents family films - and doesn't rewind!

While this is quite different from the films Waters made 20 years earlier, it is by no means worse. This may very well be his best movie, and one of my favorite comedies ever. I would recommend it to Waters fans as well as those who aren't yet familiar with him. If you buy the region 1 DVD you get a nice director's commentary.

Average customer rating:

Best of all Elvis Films
Not an Elvis Movie
Just a good old movie
Change of Habit - starring Elvis Presley
Elvis and Mary

Change of Habit
Starring: Elvis Presley , Mary Tyler Moore , Barbara McNair , Jane Elliot , and Leora Dana
Director: William A. Graham
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00006674X
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Amazon.com

Elvis tried something different in his final narrative movie… but the results are oddly similar to his usual '60s formula. Here the King plays a doctor working in an inner-city free clinic, playing host to three Catholic nurses (who are really nuns incognito). Elvis gets hung up on one of the nuns, played by Mary Tyler Moore; she seems a lot closer to The Dick Van Dyke Show than the Vatican. The songs are sparse--"Rubberneckin'" gets a workout in one of those awful stilted hootenannies so prevalent in Elvis pictures. The flower-power ambience is more interesting than the story; the film features Mod Squad-style attempts at racial politics, a sit-down protest, and a weird sequence involving "rage reduction" to cure an autistic child. Elvis has good scenes and indifferent ones, but he looks fantastic (this is just after the great "comeback"), and he dresses like no other doctor before or since. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Best of all Elvis Films.......2007-04-09

This movie is my favorite and I'm a huge Elvis fan! I can't understand why it is so underrated.

Not an Elvis Movie.......2007-01-05

This movie does star Elvis Presley. However, he is really a minor player. Even my 12 yr old son noticed that much. The movie is about the 60's movement to better the humanity in a neighborhood of racial mixes, young people on drugs, & the Banker - the guy who "owns" the neighborhood, preys on those just trying to get by. So we have Sr. Michelle who tries to naively help the troubled youth, Sr. Irene who comes to terms with her ownself as she learns how to beat the Banker & help her people & young Sr. Barbara - the young rebel, who learns how to fight the tough battle while staying in tune with the neighborhood people. Elvis has the role of Dr John Carpenter, a calm voice in a sea of turmoil. He knows there's trouble in the streets, he's there to help those he can, get involved when necessary & help where he can. He doesn't have any illusions of being the superhero. Actually Elvis seems to have walked in off the street onto the movie set he is so lowkeyed. He appears to be having fun, relaxed & even gets to play football. He does sing - 4 songs if you include the title track. One song at the beginning where he & the neighborhood kids are just hanging out & jamming, & one at the end - a gospel song in church. The one in the middle is the kind of movie song he hated to do - he just bursts into song on a carousel, singing to a small girl trying to get her to smile. This is one of my favorite Elvis movies, give it a shot.

Just a good old movie.......2006-09-11

I just would like to say, just watch this movie for fun. If you try and rate this movie by asking if it is Elvis's best you are probably not going to like it, same thing with Mary Tyler Moore. Too many people try and be movie critics. Most of the time if the movie critics hate it, I like it, and if they love it, I hate it. I just watch movies for the fun and try not to rate people on if it is their best. This is a good family movie. It is a clean movie and not out of line for the 60's. So just sit back and enjoy, don't try and read anything into the movie and you will probably like the movie.

Change of Habit - starring Elvis Presley.......2006-03-23

HELLO. WITH REGARDS TO THIS MOVIE ( CHANGE OF HABIT ) STARRING ELVIS PRESLEY, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS WAS ONE OF HIS BEST MOVIES. ALMOST EVERY OTHER MOVIE HAS HIM SINGING REALLY DORKY SONGS. THIS MOVIE WAS NOT BAD. IT ALLOWED HIM TO ACT AND SING SONGS THAT WERE NOT THAT BAD.

PAUL SUMMERS

Elvis and Mary.......2006-02-09

This movie is enjoyable if flawed (holding a child for 8 hours straight won't cure autism). Elvis as Dr. Dreamboat is gorgeous, (despite mutton chops) I just wish that MTM as Sister Michelle wasn't such a quavery nervous wreck. (and besides, she looks like a chipmunk in her full habit at the end). Elvis is very natural with the mediocre dialogue, a shame that he was under the thumb of his manager and didn't get more dramatic roles, he surely could have handled them. (Check out Jailhouse Rock for a comparison)

Watching this while I was growing up, I hoped that Sr. Michelle would choose the doctor over the church, (which we are frustratingly left to figure out ourselves). But now I think his character would have been happier with the nun who definitely leaves in the end!

If not the best written Elvis movie (with stereotypes and heavy handed messages galore) at least it's nice to see him in a dramatec role. It meant well as a commentary on the times, it just needed a bit more fine tuning. The opening 'striptease' by the nuns (they change from habits to streetclothes) certainly sends a mixed message and some might say a sacriligious one too, but for the most part, it's just immature and a bit ridiculous.

I still like this picture if just for Elvis alone!

Average customer rating:

Go Ask Alice Very tame
Reminds me of high school!
THE BOOK IS BETTER
not so much
GO ASK ALICE

Go Ask Alice
Starring: William Shatner , Ruth Roman , Wendell Burton , Julie Adams , and Andy Griffith
Director: John Korty
Manufacturer: Jef Films
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ASIN: B000FKP47Y
Release Date: 2006-07-18

Description

A teenage girl's downhill spiral into drug addiction. A move to a new school in a new city puts great pressure on Alice, a high school student. Hoping to be liked, she tries desperately to be friendly with the school's "popular" students. Eventually she is invited to a party and she is introduced to drugs. This is a true story based on the actual diary of a teenage girl caught in the vicious web of drug addiction and her desperate fight back to the real world. William Shatner plays a role light-years removed from that of Captain Kirk in Star Trek and Jamie Smith-Jackson is utterly convincing as the young girl trying to cope with the humiliation which drug abuse can

Customer Reviews:

Go Ask Alice Very tame.......2007-04-07

It had to be a made for TV movie. NO DOUBT AT ALL. While the movie was 0K in a 70's kind of way, to much 'meat' was chopped (read the book) to be a "scary" look at 60's teenage drug use. Course I could just be old and jaded. A strange little flick from a odd little decade.

Reminds me of high school!.......2007-03-24

I'm glad I finally found this. I read the book and first saw the movie when in high school. I totally forgot that William Shatner was the dad! I enjoyed watching it again. Now I have to find The Death of Ritchie (lol).

THE BOOK IS BETTER.......2007-03-04

I really was disappointed in the movie after reading the book. The book is much better. I guess it might have been different had I seen the movie before reading the book, but I really doubt it.

not so much.......2007-02-20

i was very disappointed with this movie, the book was so much better. it left out alot of parts, like where she was baby sitting in the end and got drugged by a 'friend'. it skipped the entire scene and went straight to the hospital, leaving you wondering what really happened. i guess if i had seen the movie first i might have liked it better though, but i recommend reading the book also

GO ASK ALICE.......2006-12-14

great movie about kids gone wrong, drugs etc.. a must see if you grew up in the 1970s

Average customer rating:

The Road Home
Everything And More
very very sad but it's my best movie
Love is all you need
Underrated Masterpiece!

The Road Home
Starring: Ziyi Zhang , Honglei Sun , Hao Zheng , Yulian Zhao , and Bin Li
Director: Yimou Zhang
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005QFE5
Release Date: 2001-11-27

Amazon.com

At the start of the most recent film from Chinese director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Shanghai Triad), a young man returns to his native village after the death of his father, the village's schoolteacher, who died while trying to raise money for a new schoolhouse. His body is in a neighboring town; the young man's mother insists that it be brought back on foot, lest his spirit not find his way home. From this starting point, the young man recounts the tale of his parents' courtship, which involved a red banner, mushroom dumplings, a colorful barrette, and a broken bowl. The Road Home is beautifully filmed, particularly the luminous face of Zhang Ziyi (from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), whose performance is a heartrending portrait of hope and yearning. A simple but deeply emotional film. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

The Road Home.......2007-05-07

One of the best movies I have ever seen. Very moving. For english speaking viewers, you really must watch it in Chinese and read all subtitles to truly appreciate it. A movie about love and dedication, not an action movie. Beautiful outdoor scenes. You wonder why US film makers can't make movies like this. The movie is slow moving at times, but with a purpose, building true appreciation for the characters. Liked it so much I have purchased the dvd for family members as gifts.

Everything And More.......2007-04-17

I had high expectations, for this film, and it did not disappoint me. A very warm hearted story and one that will stay with you. I highly recommend this film for anyone who can appreciate a story about human emotions and devotion.

very very sad but it's my best movie.......2007-01-10

that is the best romanc movie i have ever seen

Love is all you need.......2006-12-13

The Road Home is a powerful film about love and the trials and tribulations one goes through getting there. Right from the start the audience is presented with an undertone of sadness. Although it is ok to fall apart, somebody has to stay strong and take care of business. Often in times of overwhelming sadness the bereaved are so out of touch with reality that everything would fall apart without someone sensible to step into crisis mode.
These scenes of sadness and funeral preparation are intermingled with a beautiful love story. In a small village in China, a young couple is falling in love. This is a unique experience for a backward society where ancient and outdated traditions are still practiced. Sometimes the interactions between Shao Di and Changyu are so subtle that it is hard to catch the hidden meaning behind the exchange. This film really plays up the importance of a glance or a light touch. When you look in someone's eyes, it is beautiful to see understanding gained without the exchange of a single word. I really admire how the directors choose to make this film about love instead of sex. America is a sex-saturated society where many relationships begin and end with a mere exchange of bodily fluids. It is fascinating to me that other cultures can make a sexless film that appeals to more than just children.
Before this class, I had almost no experience with foreign films. Until now, I did not realize there were any films without cussing, violence, and sex being made now a days. I have been so indoctrinated with the Hollywood formula films that I forgot what a true piece of artistry looks like. I did not realize a movie could be both entertaining and educational. Kudos to the Road Home for being so tasteful and entertaining. This is definitely hands down my most favorite film of this class. I am so grateful I was made to watch it. By the end, I found myself almost in tears.
Although just a story the Road Home gives, you hope that true love really does exist. Why would someone risk endangering the wrath of the government for a woman if she was not his true love? It makes you feel good inside when you see a couple fighting against all odds to come back to each other. In western society, we often take dating and falling in love for granted. In our culture, people fall in and out of love every single day. This movie teaches you a great lesson about not taking love for granted. As someone who has fallen in love for the first time it is reassuring to see a couple that had every obstacle in the world placed in front of him or her succeed? I always thought that Sean and I met to young and would not make it. Shoa Di and Changy were young and had every conceivable obstacle in their way. No one thought they would make it. As the critics would say The Road Home is the feel good movie of the year.
Red according to desktop publishing dot com, denotes purity, joy, and celebration. In Chinese culture, red symbolizes happiness and prosperity and is often used for good luck. In the movie if you look close enough you might have seen how the young Shoi Di was wearing red every time she ran into her crush. If you knew anything about the color red, you would know that the red on her jacket is supposed to be an outward symbol of her happiness. She often thinks of marrying the teacher and celebrating the occasion. The red banner in the schoolhouse is used for good luck. Many of the modern day scenes are shown in black and white. According to dictionary dot labor law talk, dot com black and white is used in contrast with color in movies because the scenes or characters done in black and white are either more outdated or dull than the characters and scenes shot in full-color. I think that this assessment is true because the village is a little run down compared to the past. Mostly the only people living there now are old people and a few kids. Most of the citizens have moved on to a more populated area that is more modern and interesting. This town is rather dull.
In the end, you feel attached to the town. It is as if you grew up there yourself.

Words 752

Underrated Masterpiece!.......2006-12-02

I thought this was a beautiful film. With little to do with talking, the legendary director Yimou Zhang (Raise The Red Lantern, To Live, The Story Of Qiu Ju and Hero) uses scenery for emotions in this film, which are so rich. I thought the story was beyond beautiful how the girl would wait until the guy she was in love with, would pick her bowl of food that she made special for him, I loved that she would follow him and try somehow to get his attention. This film is a true love story that you never really see anymore with excellent acting from a radiant Zhang Ziyi, now known as in America Ziyi Zhang. I totally recommend this film for people who love a true romance film that will make you cry.

Average customer rating:

Hitch's Last Masterpiece
underrated gem, almost
For those who are already Hitchcock fans
Hitchcock squeezed and twisted suspense out of the simplest materials...
Hitchcock Does Freud

Marnie
Starring: Diane Baker , Henry Beckman , Morgan Brittany , Sean Connery , and Bruce Dern
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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Release Date: 2006-02-07

Customer Reviews:

Hitch's Last Masterpiece.......2007-07-01

Blasted when it was first released in 1964, this misunderstook Hitchcock film has picked up speed along the way and joined the ranks of his other earlier works. Tippi Hedren stepped in as the leading lady when Grace Kelly bowed out for political reasons, and she gives the best performance of her career. This was the last movie to use all of Hitchcock's "team," and the experience and polish that they learned is all exhibited here. Bernard Herrmann's haunting score is lush and adds much to what is going on. I would highly suggest multiple viewings of this film; each time you will catch more and appreciate the journey that Hitchcock takes you on. I will warn you though; even for a 1964 film, it has many adult themes and is definitely somewhat disturbing in light of its two main characters: a frigid kleptomaniac and her determined suitor who is obsessed with taming her. It was a highly personal movie for Hitchcock; he pushes Vertigo even further and goes to areas that would not have been permitted even 5 years earlier. The extras, including a highly informative Making Of Documentary make this DVD worth owning.

underrated gem, almost.......2007-04-11

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have been renting a lot of hitchcock films lately. Rebecca, 39 steps, vertigo, north by northwest, lady vanishes, shadow of a doubt. rear window, rope, psycho, the birds... so i'd decided to rent a lesser film, Marnie. At first, I was skeptical because I thought Tippi Hedren was not a particularly good actress. After a few minutes, I was captivated until the end. Of course, I had noticed several flaws here and there, but they were far from destroying the movie. I was eyeing Tippi's performance like a hawk, but she did an OK job, considering the massive undertaking. If someone else played Marnie, it might had been a true classic (Catherine Deneuve, Kim Novak, Grace Kelly). But I thought it over and realized that these fine actresses were too good for this neurotic role. Tippi had a down-to-earth quality about her, most likely due to her lack of acting experience. So I thought Tippi was a proper choice. Sean Connery was a good match for Tippi. He seemed like a man who was willing to put up with this crazy character. Everyone else did a good job.

Anyway, the script is what did it for me. It is intelligent and well paced. Many people had complained about the special effects and backdrop as being fake and unconvincing. But I don't think Hitchcock cared about these trivial matters. So, in this sense, it is like an European movie. It is an art film with a Hollywood production. Perhaps Hitchcock was trying to imitate Luis Bunuel, the master surrealist director, who in turn, probably was inspired by Marnie to create his masterpiece Belle De Jour.

Because of these particular flaws, many critics consider this a minor work. As Francois Truffaut said, "Marnie is one of the greatest flawed films in the history of cinema."

UPDATE: After seeing it again, I realized how clumsy Tippi portrayed Marnie. She was clearly out of her acting range in this movie. Also, Hitchcock was known to be a perfectionist so I wonder why he allowed Tippi's performances to slip. Perhaps he wanted to ridicule her because she rejected his sexual advances during the filming. And the more I learned about Hitchcock's relationship with Tippi Hedren the more strange this movie becomes. When Marnie was being raped, it really seemed like Hitchcock was raping her! Yeech!!

However, after becoming more acquainted with Hitchcock's method of directing his "cattles," I suspect that Hitchcock did not make any actual sexual advances. I think he was trying to put her into the right mindset simply for the fact that Tippi could not act. Hitchcock had been known to psychologically set up his stars for their roles to add to the realism. I think Hitchcock sexually advanced Tippi on purpose for this reason!

About the score: Bernard Hermann overdid it. It is like a Vertigo ripoff. Hitchcock's careless direction of his star and Hermann's annoying score are what truly divided the critics. Admirers love the cinematography, colors and dialogue. They become forgiving of everything else.

I still think it is Hitchcock's last great film, but at the bottom of the barrel of his masterpieces. Is this movie worth multiple viewings? I would say yes, but hesitantly. If this movie was shorter, like 90 minutes instead of 133 minutes, I would say definitely.

For those who are already Hitchcock fans.......2007-03-26

If you are a huge Hitch fan (as I am) then give this film a try, but if you haven't seen many films by Hitchcock you'd be better off having a look at some other films first: North by Northwest in the color category & The 39 Steps/The Lady Vanishes/Shadow of a Doubt for his best efforts in black & white. Mind you, I'm not saying Marnie isn't a worthwhile film, just that its 1960s 'repressed childhood memory screws up an adult life' theme can be a bit much to take at times. Tippi Hedren looks great (as usual) as she plays a bunco lady in this film, lifting cash from a succession of employers when she is not flipping out having seen something red in color. Sean Connery has the misfortune of falling in love with her (for no apparent reason other than her Tippi Hedren looks apparently) and thus sets out to try to help her in any manner he can. She pleads with him in the film "If you love me, let me go," but Sean will have none of that & doggedly persists in his mission (spurred on by what who knows). I know it was typical of that era of film making, having rather fake looking scenes set in cars that are supposed to be traveling on roads, but this film has over 7 full minutes of this as Marnie and Connery's character make believe they are in transit to someplace---7 minutes is a lot of seconds in a film, even when broken up by other scenes. Moreover, Hitchcock utilizes several very fake looking matte paintings as backdrops in this film. Maybe it's just me, but all this just reinforced my feeling that the story was a bit forced as well. It's up to you now. Cheers!

Hitchcock squeezed and twisted suspense out of the simplest materials..........2007-01-08

In a more serious vein, the psychiatric undertones of a suspense story had reached a more realistic level when Alfred Hitchcock came to film "Marnie."

The childhood roots of Marnie's problem were certainly the fulcrum of the plot; but they were also a vital strand in her character, the main force of her motivation; and the question of if and how they would be uncovered was as much a suspense mystery as that of if and how the police would catch up with her...

For Marnie (Tippi Hedren) was a thief, a compulsive thief... She would take a job in an office, win liking and trust by her good looks, manners and work; then rob the safe and move to another part of the country, changing her wig, her name, her identity...

This was the sequence when she went to work for Sean Connery, a successful businessman; but he replaced the stolen money, tracked her down, and forced her to marry him as the only alternative to being handed over to the police...

Marnie Edgar had many problems which sprang naturally from character and situation... Cool, desperately detached, she could find in herself no affection for any living thing except her beloved horse... She was sexually frigid, and when her husband used force, she tried to drown herself.... There was a constant threat of recognition by some victim from her past... Marnie was continually in fear of bright red colors and thunderstorms...

The uncovering of the springs of Marnie's neurosis was utterly convincing and bitterly painful... Marnie had always said she was an orphan, but her husband tracked down her mother and brought the two face to face... There was a beautifully acted scene when she met up again with her mother (Louise Latham), who even now could show no more affection to her daughter than Marnie could to her husband... When Marnie watched while this mother lavished her love on a neighbor's child, and Marnie's eyes begged, but in vain, for a morsel of tenderness, as she had begged in vain as a child...

But still, deep in Marnie's unconscious, the roots entwined: the fear of sex, the compulsive stealing as some sort of compensation, the inability to trust a human being with her love, the shattering effect of a blood-red color...

"Marnie" is not a film in which Hitchcock indulged his flair for spectacularly thrilling set-pieces in dramatic, and often precipitous, situations... But it is memorable, among many things, for the way in which he squeezed and twisted suspense out of the simplest materials... When Marnie was robbing a safe, for example, while an office cleaner cleaned the floor inexorably towards her - no more than that - the heart felt like disintegrating...

Hitchcock Does Freud.......2006-10-08

Back before red represented commies or backwards voting habits it represented passion. Our titular character in this film has a real hang up with that color, to the point where she goes into a panic attack every time she sees it. That is the jumping off point of "Marnie," a lackluster Hitchcock film starring Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren. It plays like a greatest hits of Hitchcock themes: Mistaken identities, obsessive behavior, perfect crimes. The problem is that his scope is so big and his ideas so many that this film lacks the focus and intensity that he is known for. By the time the end rolls around the plot has nosedived into mumbo jumbo, and that's not to mention the climax which is downright implausible. Hitchcock had made many gems before this one so my only conclusion can be that this time around he let his ego do the directing.

The film starts out following Marnie around as she robs her places of employment. Her scheme is similar to the one used in "Bad Santa" only she pretends to be a good worker so as not to arouse suspicion (overtime not fornicating in the big and tall section). All men have weak spots and she knows how to exploit them and turn them into jobs (even though she has no references). She eventually runs into Mark (Connery nailing the sexy suave look) who busts her and then blackmails her into marriage. Of course had the criminal looked like Homer Simpson and not Tippi Hedren we would have had a different movie on our hands. The dilemma for Mark is the aforementioned repressed passion. So she refuses to put out and he (being a Hitchcockian leading male) becomes obsessed with making her do the deed. Hitchcock wanted to compare the taming of Marnie to the taming of a wild animal. This is fine because he does it in a very clever, populist way. Who wouldn't want a wife who was as beautiful as Marnie, who was also well behaved? And since Mark wanted what every man wants (secretly or openly) then we have to root for him to tame her. At this point, however, the plot becomes unhinged. We watch as Hitchcock strains for the Grand Ole Climax. His score abandons all subtlety. His landscapes are huge. His camera swoops and dives. It's a spectacle to watch, but it is not strong filmmaking.

It comes as no surprise that Marnie had a sordid sexual childhood and that is the reason for her dysfunction. But remember this was in a time before every indiscretion was excused away with that explanation. The fact that she gets away free and clear shows that this film was a great inspiration for our generation of entertainers and politicians. As far as Hitchcock goes, you can't win them all. By reworking the ending and eliminating about 20 minutes he could have pumped enough energy into the film to make it work. But as it is we are left with a final sequence that goes for shock (!) and comes up with silliness and overacting. **1/2

Sister Act / Sister Act 2 - Back in the Habit

Average customer rating:

Sister Act / Sister Act 2 - Back in the Habit
Starring: Sister Act , and Sister Act 2-Back in the Habit
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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I Think I Love My Wife
Ghost Rider (Two-Disc Extended Cut)
Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
The Ultimate Gift
Blades of Glory (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000QUU4LY
Release Date: 2007-09-11

Stephen R. Covey Live - The 8th Habit - From Effectiveness to Greatness

Average customer rating:

Thought it was pretty good ...
If you like Covey, don't buy this DVD
If you like Covey this is a must!

Stephen R. Covey Live - The 8th Habit - From Effectiveness to Greatness
Starring: Stephen Covey
Director: Clint Atterberry
Manufacturer: Better Life Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009DWW3Q
Release Date: 2004-11-15

Customer Reviews:

Thought it was pretty good ..........2007-03-13

I'm not sure if Covey was off, or not, this DVD was my first introduction to his material. I thought there were several stories and concepts in here that were motivational/inspirational and that definitely moved me to think about what I was/am doing in my life. It seems this is an abridged version of the book, but the points are definitely made and definitely well taken. I especially liked the four assumptions for your mind, body heart and soul, and his telling of a story at sea, an allegory that appears in the naval manual.

If you like Covey, don't buy this DVD.......2006-03-17

I am a very big fan of Stephen Covey, his writings, and especially the 8th Habit. The book is excellent and I recommend it to anyone. The Live DVD is, I hope, Covey's worst live performance ever. He looked uncomfortable and nervous like he was struggling to remember his text, some of his slides were written incorrectly from the book version, his clip mike appeared to not be working so he was awkwardly grasping a hand held microphone that looked ridiculous, and the performance overall was poor. I was also surprised at what they chose to use as a quick 35 minute version of the lecture. It was not as coherent as it could have been. If you have ever seen Covey speak live or seen it on video, this is not the man you have seen before. I am still not sure what was wrong - off day, not comfortable presenting the new material, or if I am overly critical. It was a big surprise and a big disappointment. Buy the book, skip the DVD, and hope this was an anomaly.

If you like Covey this is a must!.......2005-04-26

Anyone who has read any of Stephen Covey's books knows that the content is very deep. This DVD allows you to understand all the principles outlined in the 8th Habit. Mr. Covey teaches, inspires and sets a standard that each of us should strive to attain. I have now viewed this DVD 3 or 4 times as well as shared it with many friends and family members.

Christmas Unwrapped - The History of Christmas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)

Average customer rating:

Mark this DVD for annual viewing
why isn't it longer?
Fascinating and Knowledge-Giving!
Interesting history of my favorite holiday
SHORT BUT FUN HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS

Christmas Unwrapped - The History of Christmas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)
Starring: Harry Smith (IX) , Robert Clarke , James Stewart , Darren McGavin , and Peter Billingsley
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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Religion | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Apocalypse - The Puzzle of Revelation (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)

ASIN: B0007WFULA
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Customer Reviews:

Mark this DVD for annual viewing.......2007-03-16

Harry Smith does a nice job narrating this history of Christmas and is backed by a well-rounded and erudite group of experts on Christmas, religion, and folklore.

This documentary appeared on The History Channel ten years ago but it isn't outdated. It's nice to have for an annual Christmas season viewing.

Stephen Nissenbaum, Historian at the University of Massachusetts, reminds us that Christmas in old time England was really like a carnival similar to today's Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We also hear from Alan Dundes of the Folklore Department at U.C. Berkley, Leigh Eric Schmidt and Elaine Pagels, both of the Religion Department at Princeton University and A. W. Purdue, Historian at Open University in England.

For those who see a modern day conflict between the religious and secular aspects of the season, Penne L. Restad, Historian at the University of Texas, says that there has always been other ceremonies associated with the Christmas season in addition to Christ. This conflict goes back to the very first celebration of the liturgical feast.

The story reveals the Pagan roots for many of today's traditions and shows that many traditions we think "ancient" are recent inventions. It studies the cultural material of Christmas - trees, shopping, and songs.

Rev. Forrest Church, Minister at All Souls Church in New York City points out that people have deep needs to connect with family and friends during the Christmas season. This illustrates how Christmas is more than just a time to attend a church service; it's a time for family gatherings.

This year, why not gather with your family to view "Christmas Unwrapped."

why isn't it longer?.......2007-01-17

Every segment to this interesting and relevant documentary tells so much about where we get our traditions, yet sometimes it feels rushed. It could have been a whole hour longer and I would not have moved from my seat!

Fascinating and Knowledge-Giving! .......2006-05-15

I love to discover the origins of things, because everything in life has a meaning and a purpose behind it. Events like Christmas are no exception. This DVD presentation by the History Channel covered the 3,000+ year history of the world's greatest holiday--its ancient origins in pagan festivals, the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and many other interesting aspects. I might've rated this DVD four stars, because it is not as fully comprehensive as other history sources. But since I don't believe that was the filmmakers' intentions, I believe they lived up to their intentions and therefore, I rate this five stars. I would strongly recommend this DVD to anyone wanting to know more about this very special holiday.

Interesting history of my favorite holiday.......2005-12-12

For all of those you who beleive Christmas has become to "Commerecial" this is the documentary for you! You see, Christmas has always been "commercial" from the begining!

I do not want to spoil the documentary but here a few topics covered.

- Why December 25th was selected even though it probably was not the actual birthdate fo Christ.

- Why we have "Evergreens'

- The development of "Santa Claus"

- Why the firts generation of "Americans" (post 1776) did NOT celebrate Christmas.

- Why Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas after he overthrew the English Crown.

"Unwrapped" transports us throughout history and how the traditions and ideas of the holiday evolved. From the drunken festivals of medieval England to the movie "A Christmas Story" and its Red-Rider BB gun. "Unwrapped" effectively mixes the secular with the religous and shows us how and why wee celebrate it the way that we do. A must see for any fan of the Christmas holiday!

SHORT BUT FUN HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS.......2005-04-12

This documentary originally appeared on the history channel back in 1997 and has been repeated every year. It has become a holiday favorite of mine even though I've seen it numerous times. It's narrated by "Early Show" host Harry Smith and traces the roots of Christmas back to its earliest beginnings as a pagan Roman holiday of feasting. We then see Christmas virtually outlawed by the Puritans but never forgotten. TRhe holiday would enjoy a rebirth in the mid 1800's thanks to several people including Clement Moore's poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas", and cartoonist Thomas Nast who helped define the look of Santa Claus.

From there we see the holiday further defined by popular culture in movies and TV and also by consumerism, as the holiday shopping season is invented and begins to really flourish at the turn of the 20th century. Nast gives way to Haddon Sundblom's Santa paintings that he did for Coca Cola, finally giving us the jolly, fat santa we know today. Throughout he documentary we get comments from historians such as Stephen Nissenbaum and Penne L. Restad who've written their own books about the origins of Christmas. And comments from Humorist jean Shepherd, whose works the famous holiday film "A Christmas Story" was based on.

It's a wonderful documentary. As a Christmas fanatic I only wish it would have been longer but I never tire of seeing this each year. One viewing and you're guaranteed to be filled with holiday cheer!

Average customer rating:

Shadow Magic
I really wanted to like this movie
For everyone learning to speak Chinese a real blessing
Universal themes wrapped in a unique package
Cinema Paradiso Chinese Style

Shadow Magic
Starring: Jared Harris , Yu Xia , Yufei Xing , Peiqi Liu , and Liping Lu
Director: Ann Hu
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005N5RN
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Customer Reviews:

Shadow Magic.......2006-11-10

What an interesting movie - a real find. Very intelligently written and beautifully executed, the movie "reflects" the birth of motion pictures and how mysterious and wonderful it appeared to people experiencing it for the first time.

I really wanted to like this movie.......2006-05-25

And there really is nothing wrong with it, other than I was maybe hoping for something really spectacular and intriguing, and what I got was kind of... dull. Shadow Magic is about one of the first introductions of movies to China. In SM the person doing the introducing is Raymond Wallace, an englishman who's wife had just recently left him. A young man named Liu, who is continually fascinated with western technology, allies himself next to Wallace to bring the movies, aka Shadow Magic, to China. Of course life is not easy, and it is tradition and the arranged marriage to the wrong woman that complicates matters. As I said earlier, I really wanted to like this movie. And honestly, I can't quite pin down what it was that disappointed me about it. It flows along at a considerable pace, and has that sweet sentmentality that countries like Ireland and England have practically put a copyright on. But I suppose I was expecting something more, and I was let down. Either which way, I would recommend this film for a historical aspect. But don't expect anything above average.

For everyone learning to speak Chinese a real blessing.......2006-05-25

I enjoyed the heck out of this movie, but even if I did not, the best part is that the Chinese spoken is easy to understand. The actors speak very clearly and the captioning actually is in the frames where the speaking occurs. The sound tracking is very clean. I have been watching a lot of Chinese films while I learn to speak Chinese.Too many times it is impossible to follow the voices. This film is great for voice clarity. speed of speaking, lack of complex sentences, and tracking. You can even hear the tonality of the language. A real blessing to begining suffering student.

Universal themes wrapped in a unique package.......2005-04-27

Only at the beginning of this movie do you strain with captions. As you progress they become almost second nature and you are transported into the story.

I was surprised as the basic story on the surface seems to tell of how people deal with new technology. This is the introduction of moving pictures or "Shadow Magic."

The reality of the story is the friendship of two people Raymond Wallace (Jared Harris), Liu Jinglun (Xia Yu), and their relation ship to others. Raymond is dumped by his wife for someone with money; yet finds his self and future in the making of film. Liu is in a rigid culture, including family and friends, which is trying to force him into marring a rich widow instead of the young aristocrat girl Liu Jinglun (Yufei Xing) he loves.
Can Liu over come the culture and individual prejudices or will he re-assimilate?
And what is to become of Raymond?

Though, short of a tear jerker, you will still get involved with their lives and marvel at the cinematography.

Cinema Paradiso Chinese Style.......2004-08-30

The material for this movie is good: a Westerner trying to strike it big in the Middle Kingdom a.k.a China by introducing Chinese to motion picture. The movie was set in the early 20th century as China was on the verge of Industrial Revolution and prior to destruction of Ching Dynasty. It was difficult for him to set up the business at first but through the help of a pro-Western and curious Chinese, motion picture gradually made its headway into the local scene. Personally, I feel that the motion picture is a metaphor of modern time. Naturally, there were Chinese who were reluctant to embrace motion picture because they felt that Chinese Opera Theatre had been going on since the beginning of time and thus, that should continue. Anyway, the movie touched upon the cultural difference between East and West. The Chinese character was coerced by his father to marry a wealthy widow who was significantly older than him. In the olden times, the son had no option but conformed out of obligation. However, the Western fellow (played by Jarred Harris) convinced the Chinese who had since become his best of friend that he should follow his heart, to pursue his dream lady the daughter of a revered Opera Singer of the time. Jarred's character explained further that it's perfectly okay to display his affection for the opposite sex. Then, there was mentioning about hierarchy difference. Whereas the Opera singer's daughter was rich, the Chinese was poor. Again, in the olden times, it was an impossibility to bridge the gap somewhat. As a movie would have it, it would build to a climax where circumstances tried the friendship between the Chinese and the Western guy, the new against the old, complacency against courage. Being a feel good movie, you can guess the rest. I really feel that this movie is much aligned with "Cinema Paradiso" as the scenes of Chinese watching motion picture for the first time was exactly how it set up in the Italian movie. Furthermore, the soundtrack utilised here is very much an Ernio Morricone rip-off. It is expected for such kind of movie to be slow-moving. It's unjust to compare this movie against Cinema Paradiso. Yet, it's also unfair that the story is put to us in a condescending way suggesting that that's exactly what's going on in China during that time. Naturally, there were touching moments but it's as if we have been down the same track before. I question the accuracy of the depiction. Is it the right kind of gramaphone used for the time? There's never any display of chaos when the country was supposed to be filled with soldiers of both East and West trying to curb the civil war and the colonisation of various Western powers. In this instance, Jarred Harris is THE only Westerner in the movie. Overall, a well-made movie but in a shallow kind of way. Recommended watching but not for everyone.

DVD:

DVD

Tenko - Series 1 Complete [1981]

DVD: Harlock Saga

Laurel And Hardy - No. 15 - Pack Up Your Troubles And Relate