Suicide

Starring:Suicide
Studio: TROMA ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Is it wrong to film and broadcast a suicide if the participant has requested it? That's the question posed by this disturbing German horror feature, which presents unflinching images of suicide in a morally thorny storyline. Director Raoul W. Heimrich stars with Yvonne De Bark as a couple who films strangers' suicides and shows them on their Web site (the film's original title was Finalcut.com). The pair wrestles with remaining impassive observers during these intensely intimate (and often gruesome) final moments and the need to get "good footage"--a problem that solves itself when they decide to involve themselves in the suicides. Filmed mostly in a disturbingly voyeuristic POV through Heimrich's camcorder, Suicide ranks with works by fellow German filmmakers Jörg Buttgereit (Schramm) and Michael Haneke (Funny Games) as one of the most challenging horror films in recent years, and should prove difficult to watch for all save the most hardened viewers. Troma's DVD offers the director's cut (in German with English subtitles) as well as more light-hearted "Tromatic" extras (including trailers for Tales from the Crapper and others), which clash with the main feature's oppressively dark tone. --Paul Gaita

The Bridge
Average customer rating:

Great in some parts, drags in others

So powerful

A very moving and sometimes upsetting documentary.

a study in compulsion and grief

Extremely disturbing.

The Bridge
Director: Eric Steel
Manufacturer: Koch Lorber Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
Hines, Patrick | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Used DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Deliver Us from Evil

Black Snake Moan

Breach (Widescreen Edition)

Little Children

Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)

ASIN: B000O76PXK
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

Director Eric Steel has succeeded in making one of the most morbid documentaries ever, The Bridge. Starring several deceased Golden Gate Bridge jumpers, The Bridge is a eulogy comprised of interviews with their loved ones and friends who reminisce about those who succeeded in committing suicide in the San Francisco Bay. Spliced between interview footage are shots of the bridge in all its majesty, surrounded by fog, and being enjoyed by tourists. Meant to represent The Bridge as a rounded character, one of beauty punctuated by tragedy, this film is assuredly touching for the affected families. It's an important step in the grieving process, but feels random viewed by one who didn't know these mentally disturbed citizens. As a conceptual investigation into suicidal motivations, the documentary succeeds, though midway through viewing one begins to feel like an interloper at various funerals. We hear of one woman's battle with schizophrenia, another man's death obsession, and several retellings of those who witnessed the horrendous events. Like Grey Gardens, The Bridge captivates by triggering one's love of sensationalism, but fortunately the film's sincerity undercuts any inkling of gossip column crime reporting. This tribute to suicide victims serves as an oblique tribute to The Bridge, as an honest portrayal of its history, gritty though important to remember. --Trinie Dalton

Description

The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic structure; a symbol of San Francisco, the West, freedom - and something more, something spiritual, something words cannot describe.
The director and crew spent an entire year focusing on the Bridge. Running cameras for almost every daylight minute, they documented nearly two dozen suicides and a great many unrealized attempts. In addition, the director captured nearly 100 hours of incredibly frank, deeply personal, often heart-wrenching interviews with the families and friends of the departed, as well as with several of the attempters themselves.
THE BRIDGE is a visual and visceral journey into one of life's gravest taboos, offering glimpses into the darkest, and possibly most impenetrable corners of the human mind.

Customer Reviews:

Great in some parts, drags in others.......2007-07-04

Way too much static 'people talking to camera' to carry this movie. Overly introspective. Would have benefited from quicker pacing. For example, the section on Kevin Hines, who survived a plunge from the bridge, really begins to drag on and on long after the relevant points have been made.

'The Bridge' might have been strengthened by talking with some of the bridge workers or Coast Guard in order to round out the whole experience of Golden Gate jumpers.

On the plus side, the cinematography is great. As I understand it, the produced used off-the-street local camera talent....which says something about how fertile a place SanFran is for the arts. Also, the narrative leading up to a couple of jumpers works well....sure wish he had been able to interview Gene Sprague's mother.

Great dramatic effect created by interspersing cuts of various people which leaves you guessing which one will go over the rail.

Overall, a good movie.

.

So powerful.......2007-06-27

I wasn't sure what to expect with this DVD. It is beautiful, terrifying and gut-wrenching. Seeing people end their life and listening to their friends and loved ones trying to make sense of it is a world we don't get to see into very often, nor do most of us want to. This is an amazing piece of journalism.

A very moving and sometimes upsetting documentary........2007-06-26

As of today's date, this documentary still has no release date in Australia. I have been waiting for the U.S. DVD release as it is a film I have wanted to see after first reading about it in 2006. I watched it tonight by myself without any pre-conceptions and I have been touched, moved and brought to tears in a documentary that handles its subject matter with both taste and compassion. Suicide of any kind is never an easy subject to talk about let alone make a film about. I give Eric Steel 10 out of 10 for this very poignant work and Alex Heffes the same for his haunting piano score that weaves effortlessly throughout the film.

a study in compulsion and grief.......2007-06-23

One of the pure joys (a word I use intentionally considering its disturbing connotations in this context) of the documentary is the element of challenge--to undertake a concept that brings up more questions than answers, more complexity than simplicity. When the proper challenge is identified, it is the talented film maker who explores rather than concludes, who looks for the range of possibility and concern, the mirror of real life if you will, rather than find an oversimplified answer to everything.

And this is where this film succeeds immensely.

The Golden Gate Bridge is evidently one of the most popular spots for suicide in the world. In 2004, when this film was shot, 24 people threw themselves from it. And Eric Steel, shooting the bridge from various angles during this year, caught several of those suicides.

There is an ethical discussion to be had about the premise of the film alone, an effort to capture suicides on film rather than prevent them from happening. But Steel's handling of these events is far more human and considerate than the manipulative handling of so-called reality shows, where the people are but spectacles who can be maneuvered and edited in any which way to get a pre-desired end. Steel takes these suicides and studies them by talking to the deceased's relatives and friends, or people who witnessed the event, to look at not only the impact of suicide and mental illness, but also the effects of relationships, of living through the day-to-day and not wanting (or not expecting) such events of drama in their lives.

The ranges of attitudes regarding mental illness alone are well worth watching this movie for. From a couple of kiters who are so into their sport that they cannot relate at all to a person's desire to hurl himself to his own death, to parents who have to live with the fact that their own son will most likely find a way to kill himself (and eventually does). People who live with regret for their own actions (or lack thereof) or anger at a loved one for leaving them in that way. The suicides in this film are not presented in any way to glorify them. Instead, each and every person who jumps (or who attempts to jump) comes across as scared and confused. The jumper who survives his attempt describes it best when he says how he was determined to die until his hands actually let go of the rail, at which point he knew that he didn't want to die anymore. Every jumper in this film comes across as a frightened and confused person, even a guy who seems to be talking almost casually on a phone before he climbs up onto a rail, crosses himself and goes.

The story of Gene, the thread that is carried through the movie as we see a man in black with a long mop of curly hair pace back and forth along the bridge as though either looking for the right spot or trying to convince himself to finally go through with it, is probably the most compelling for the essence of painful tragedy involved. His death caps off the film perfectly--it is both sad and shocking, and definitely a punch in the gut. Steel takes a highly difficult subject that many people should be enraged and shocked by, and he treats it more as a story of the survivors and our own confusion towards this compulsion and determination. Alas, these are human beings after all, so we are compelled to find some way to cope with the fact that our own can be so flawed.

Extremely disturbing........2007-06-19

I have mixed feelings about this documentary. If they end up using it to convince San Francisco to stop letting anyone walk or bike over the bridge, erect suicide barriers or have security all over the bridge, then add a star. Having the one guy who survived the jump might be a good story to scare someone from doing it. But is this a dvd you want to buy? In a way this is part snuff film, part documentary. The reason a lot of people will want to see this is out of morbid curiosity to see people jump. The same reason they rent Faces of Death. I rented it and watched it tonight and it was extremely difficult to watch, especially to see the first person jump. I yelled in horror when I saw it. And I've seen everything. Those of you saying that "everyone" should watch this film are out of your minds. There is a reason that suicides are usually not reported on. The reason is that everytime the media does so others follow suit. That is my main reason for giving this a low rating. That and the fact that it is so depressing to watch and you are not going to want to see it a second time so why buy it? If you have to see it, rent it. Or go to the arthouse cinema. But if you do find it playing somewhere- trust me - don't bring a date.

I am not equating the work here from a cinematic perspective to Faces of Death (or it's sequels and spin-offs) and I do not believe that the director and crew made this with bad intentions. But I felt the need to inject some reality into the reviews here with all of these critics telling everyone to feed the cat and run out and buy this. I'm just saying that this is not The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, i.e. something meant for all viewers. And that suicide contagion is not dependant upon a director going so far as to "glorify suicide". It only needs to be mentioned or described- and here the director goes well beyond that.

Average customer rating:

Maxed Out
Sign of the times...
Great DVD to go with the book
Movie failed to turn the corner on the debt problem
People need to wake up to what's going on out there

Maxed Out
Director: James D. Scurlock
Manufacturer: Magnolia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

In Debt We Trust
Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders
Breach (Widescreen Edition)
Jesus Camp
Fast Food Nation

ASIN: B000OU081M
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com

In Maxed Out, author/director James D. Scurlock (Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders) takes on America's debt crisis. Consequently, he touches on related issues like race, corporate malfeasance, and political subterfuge. Scurlock's multi-media approach incorporates statistics, news excerpts, and interviews, but it's rarely dull (comedy bits from Louis CK and tunes from Queen and Coldplay don't hurt). Speakers include economic professors, debt collectors, pawn brokers, investigative reporters, beleaguered consumers, and even Robin Leach (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous). Instead of New York and Los Angeles, he concentrates on mid-size cities, like Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, and Seattle. Plenty of small towns also come into play. Though he never presses the point himself, Scurlock allows his subjects to note the similarities between the credit industry and the drug trade (others use such incendiary terms as "rape"). One thing he neglects to mention, however, is pride. If house payments are ruining your life, selling that property may be the only solution. In most cases, however, it's hard not to feel for those individuals who didn't know what they were getting into before they signed their lives away. For some viewers, this will be a dispiriting documentary--three subjects recount the suicides of relatives who found their debt too much to bear--but in explaining exactly how lenders and creditors make money, Maxed Out can help others to avoid some of their most egregious practices. In other words, debt may be a downer, but knowledge is power. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Maxed Out.......2007-07-03

1. Dee Hock believed the organization he created, Visa International would save the world by "allowing spontaneous interconnection into an equitable, enduring, twenty-first-century society in harmony with the human spirit and biosphere". The credit card has shackled individuals, imposed uniformity, destroyed value at an unprecedented rate, and, so far at least, has replaced neither the pound, the yen, nor the dollar. "Hock's company has arguably been the most powerful force behind a massive redistribution of wealth that has left this country less equal than at any time since the Great depression. Hock sought to save the planet from a rigid, hierarchical, oppressive, and bureaucratic organization.
2. Hock worked his way into a job with Seafirst Bank in Seattle, Washington. Seafirst become a licensee of the BankAmericard, the first bank-issued credit card, a job no one wanted. Consumer credit was left to the loan sharks and pawnbrokers. "In Hock's eyes, Bank of America was not just bigness but management charts, uniform standards, titles, stupidity." The BankAmericard licensees were losing vast sums of money to credit card fraud and primitive technology and manual accounting practices. Shareholders want the problems fixed. In response to pressure, Hock reacted by creating an advisory committee (of bank members) called the Visa International which would become the most ubiquitous organization in the history of capitalism. The idea was to issue credit cards quickly, Visa would exist not for profit and exist to create a world of tangible currency replacing paper money with trillions of electronic transactions moving through the mainframe. "Visa would become the ultimate store of value" In practice it has become nothing more than a massive marketing campaign and an electronic swich that routed money from the bank of the payer to the bank of the payee. Hock remain dedicated to technology that would allow small transaction on a grand scale, hoping someday that this technology would empower the masses and give them freedom. Freedom to no longer be forced to interact with nosy, judgmental bankers! Credit cards had created a new currency and a new money supply. The bankers knew Credit cards was about selling a single product, debt.
3. Banks were in the practice of borrowing money from individuals and lend that money to corporations. Consumer lending was not consider profitable because the small loans were time-consuming and the applicants financial situations poor and probable that they would be unable to repay the loans. Consumer credit speculation and poor lending practices had caused massive bank failures in the 1920 and 1930s. Extending credit to credit poor borrowers was "a noose with which to hang himself financially" and generally considered to be an immoral practice. Banks knew that if you give a consumer credit they will probably use it. Banks learned this lesson, in the 1920, when American had overextended themselves buying products of the industrial revolution on credit.
4. Credit cards demand is a function of the supply of available credit. The more credit the bank supplies the more demand are created. The more people begin to depend on credit the more they need to keep accumulating credit, higher and higher credit limits; new credit to payoff old credit; mountains of credit. No other product creates this type of cycle. Credit card is the only product that its price changes: the charge, penalty fees, interest - combine to create a new price for the product or service - terms and conditions change. The Visa has become a natural monopoly.
5. Walter Wriston, Citigroup Center guru, was the "first modern banker to realize that his job was not to teach customers how to save but how to spend as much as possible." In 1970s, Wriston was promising shareholders 15 percent annual increases in profits-just before a perfect economic storm of inflation, war, and technology bust ravaged the economy. Wriston believed countries can't go broke. Wriston was financing less-developed countries old debt replacing it with new debt, the reverse pyramid scheme. Larger and larger liabilities were being piled on top of the original debt. "Eventually the amount of new cash needed to service the old debt and new debt becomes too burdensome and the whole thing collapses beneath its weight. The only exception is where the player prints the currency with which the game is played, which makes the United States government unique among debtors." Wriston set out to conquer the middle class with Credit card debt and interest fees. "There was something seductive-addictive, even-about instant credit." "Wriston meanwhile, laid out his own vison of the promise land-a land in which millions of customers charged all of their purchases to a Citibank credit card and paid high, unregulated interest rates and fees for privilege." Millions of BankAmericard customers were sent letters explaining that their new visa card would soon be arriving: visa logo and name of bank on the front of the card. Wriston sensed opportunity, signed up to be a Visa bank, and sent out millions of Citibank Visa cards to his competitors customers before the replacement cards from their own banks arrived. Wriston preempted his competitors by a couple of weeks and they never recovered. When it came to easy credit, the average customer was lazy and lovestruck.
6. "In 1996, Americans charged a record $1 trillion on the Visa cards." In 2004, with foreclosures, bankrupticies, and defaults all at higher levels than during the Great Depression, President Bush awarded Wriston the Presidential Medal of Freedom."

Sign of the times..........2007-07-01

They forgot a quite significant definition:

RESPONSIBLE

Main Entry: re·spon·si·ble

Pronunciation: ri-'spän(t)-s&-b&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Anglo-French responsable, from respuns

1 a : liable to be called on to answer b (1) : liable to be called to account as the primary cause, motive, or agent (2) : being the cause or explanation c : liable to legal review or in case of fault to penalties

2 a : able to answer for one's conduct and obligations : TRUSTWORTHY b : able to choose for oneself between right and wrong

3 : marked by or involving responsibility or accountability

Man, it's just so easy to blame everything on someone else these days, e.g fast food for being fat, big tobacco for cancer, blaming banks for uncontrolled spending. Jeeez.

I can just about guarantee if "these poor people were given a second chance with bankruptcy being an option" 85% would end up in the same damn boat all over again.

Great DVD to go with the book.......2007-06-30

I think this DVD makes more sense if you've also read the book. It could be watched on it's own, but it is a bit choppy. It is a great look into debt and how it affects people. I think he may have tried to fit too much into this one DVD, but overall it's a great look at this problem. Everyone with a credit card should see this!

Movie failed to turn the corner on the debt problem.......2007-06-28

Full disclosure: My family and I are fans of, and practioners of, Dave Ramsey's The Financial Peace Planner: A step-by step guide to restoring your family's financial health. As people who have used his guidance to successfully get out of debt, we were expecting a lot from this movie because he's in it and he endorsed it.

Yes, it is tragic that credit card companies take advantage of people and this movie clearly spells out how and why they do it. However, the film failed to turn the corner on the other part of the debt problem--people who just buy too much STUFF they can't afford.

The most heartbreaking story in the film, in my opinion, was the 50+ year-old woman who was losing her home due to debt caused by paycheck loan overuse and the unexpected death of her spouse. Her home appeared to be filled virtually from top to bottom with expensive collector plates, which she had to sell off one by one to get cash.

And what was the 40-year-old developmentally disabled man doing with a credit card if he couldn't even sign his name? Who was using the credit card on his 'behalf?' What were they buying?

I wish the movie had focused more on how a credit score is developed--people wouldn't be so anxious to have a high credit score if they knew what goes into the calculations. It was also enlightening to learn how college campus areas are a breeding ground for student credit card debt.

Other reviewers have commented on the political nature of the movie and I agree: Blaming George Bush because you can't continue to bankrupt yourself away from your credit card debt is wrong. Blame the credit card companies for your high interest rate and fees if you want, but the only person who can solve your debt problem is YOU.

At the end, the movie even managed to get Dave Ramsey to look like a hypocrite--his debt-elimination message is vitally important for people to hear, but at the end, they included a shot of him doing an advertisement for an expensive mattress. (If you're in debt, the last thing you need to buy is a $3,000 mattress!) Yes, I know he needs to do his advertising spots for his radio program, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth because it seemed deliberately included to undercut his message of personal responsibility.

People need to wake up to what's going on out there.......2007-06-26

Yeah- people have the choice for the most part as to what debt they're getting in to and yeah, the big bad meanie corporations are going after you with everything they've got, but people need to wake up to what's going on. Watch this documentary and get this book: How to Take Advantage of the People Who Are Trying to Take Advantage of You: 50 Ways to Capitalize on the System

By the way- these guys need to get over the political aspects of it. Bush didn't cause Americans to go into $9000 of debt (though his ridiculously high budgets don't make for a good example).

Average customer rating:

MUCH BETTER THAN I EXPECTED!
If you like golf and feel-good-pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps movies
This is a Hindu legend, not a golf movie!
A Special Treat
Better than I thought it would be

The Legend of Bagger Vance
Starring: Matt Damon , Bruce McGill , Michael O'Neill , Harve Presnell , and Lane Smith
Director: Robert Redford
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Sports | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Fan Accessories | Fan Shop | Categories | Sports & Outdoors
Similar Items:

Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius (Special Edition)
Tin Cup
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Gentleman's Game
Caddyshack

Product Features:

Classic DVD
Exclusive interviews, highlights, and behind the scenes coverage
DVD's main menu allow you to jump directly to the action
Presented in full-screen digital video

ASIN: B00003CXI4
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Product Description

A disillusioned war veteran, Capt. Rannulph Junah (Matt Damon), reluctantly agrees to play a game of golf. He finds the game futile until his caddy, Bagger Vance (Will Smith), teaches him the secret of the authentic golf stroke which turns out also to be the secret to mastering any challenge and finding meaning in life.

Amazon.com

The Legend of Bagger Vance doesn't break any new ground, but with Steven Pressfield's inspirational novel to guide them, director Robert Redford and screenwriter Jeremy Leven have tilled fertile soil with a graceful touch. Redford does for golf what A River Runs Through It did for fly-fishing: the sport is a conduit for a philosophy of living, and Redford achieves the small miracle of making golf a central metaphor that's visually compelling.

Set in Savannah, Georgia, during the early '30s, the story charts the redemption of disillusioned World War I veteran and former golf champion Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon), who emerges from self-imposed obscurity in an exhibition match against legendary golfers Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill). Having earlier abandoned the socialite (Charlize Theron) who has organized the tournament to promote her late father's spectacular golf resort, Junuh now depends on the support of a young fan (perfectly cast newcomer J. Michael Moncrief) and the mysterious Bagger Vance (Will Smith), a smiling Jiminy Cricket who serves as Junuh's caddy, golf guru, and Socratic angel of mercy.

As Junuh regains the "authentic swing" he feared was lost forever, Redford guides his splendid cast through a spiritual journey that is specific to the discipline of golf and yet potently universal. As always, Redford also conveys his respect for nature and the rhythms of life as well as a sweet nostalgia for simpler times and purer values. With the casting of Jack Lemmon as the film's present-day narrator and elderly version of Moncrief's character, The Legend of Bagger Vance gains even greater dignity and, indeed, the glowing aura of legend. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

MUCH BETTER THAN I EXPECTED!.......2007-05-13

This film received mixed reviews and may not be for everyone. It's a good movie with interesting characters that moves at a leisurely pace...... kind of like golf. If you like golf, you'll probably like the movie. If you don't like golf you still might like it. I don't play and I liked it!

If you like golf and feel-good-pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps movies.......2007-05-13

Not a movie that you have to have to complete your Matt Damon or Will Smith collections but a decent film. It's predictable and trite at times but your wife will enjoy watching it with you.

This is a Hindu legend, not a golf movie!.......2007-02-14

It's hard to believe that not even the Amazon reviewers recognized this movie as an update of the Hindu legend of Arjuna and Krishna. Will Smith essentially plays Krishna to Matt Damon's Arjuna (Randolph Junah -- R-Junah, or Arjuna!). Arjuna was a confused, down and out former warrior who was going into battle during hard times. Krishna's wisdom guided him to his true self and victory. Does the film make sense now?

A Special Treat.......2007-01-04

If you enjoy Will Smith's performances, you're in for a real treat here. He is at his best, which is pretty darned good! The entire cast is excellent and the story is a little gem - even for non-golfers.

Better than I thought it would be.......2006-07-25

Enjoyed this movie. Some good performances with Will Smith stealing the show throughout.

Average customer rating:

Stars' Lives are Never Easy
hollywoodland
Who are all of these people
Great historical fictional film about a well known legend of tv
DISSERVICE TO GEORGE REEVES

Hollywoodland (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Adrien Brody , Diane Lane , Ben Affleck , Bob Hoskins , and Lois Smith
Director: Allen Coulter
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Prestige
Babel
Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)
The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000KWZ7JC
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com

The fact-based mystery of Hollywoodland takes place in 1959, when the death of Adventures of Superman TV star George Reeves cast a pall over the waning days of golden-age Hollywood. As written by Paul Bernbaum, this intriguing whodunit effectively evokes the tainted atmosphere that surrounded Reeves' death (officially ruled a suicide but never conclusively solved), and speculates on circumstances to suggest that Reeves may have been murdered. In combining the melancholy course of Reeves' career with the investigation of a down-and-out private detective into the possible causes of Reeves' death, the film evolves into an engrossing study of parallels between lives on either side of the Hollywood dream. Building upon a distinguished career in TV including episodes of HBO's The Sopranos, Rome and Six Feet Under, director Allen Coulter finds a satisfying balance between the tragic overtones of the Reeves case and the time-honored elements of the gumshoe genre, with Adrien Brody doing fine work as private eye Louis Simo, a fictional composite character who is our conduit to the desperate yearnings of Reeves' final months.

In a critically acclaimed performance, Ben Affleck plays Reeves in moody flashbacks, caught between Superman stardom and financial dependence on his lover Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the somewhat predatory wife of Hollywood "fixer" and MGM honcho Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), whose mob connections suggest foul play as Simo's investigation progresses. Reeves' subsequent lover (played by Robin Tunney) may also be culpable, and as Simo's own personal life unravels, his empathy for Reeves takes on added significance. In presenting its mystery as a set of plausible scenarios, Hollywoodland holds interest as a mystery that's refreshingly compassionate toward the fate of its characters. Warts and all, they're likable dreamers in a town where dreams don't always come true. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Stars' Lives are Never Easy.......2007-06-28

I really enjoyed this well-acted and directed movie that brought back a lot of memories of earlier times. We see a frustrated George Reeves who tried to give an outward cheery demeanor to his adoring public (just about every kid in America) while being prevented from doing what he wants to do (star in mainstream films and direct). Some of the problems were related to being typecast (we see the audience laughing at him when he appears in From Here to Eternity) though I believe if you are good you can get past that (they laughed at Cher at the premiere of Silkwood). Other issues were related to having a controlling mistress who was married to a movie studio executive and she appears to use her influence to prevent George from doing anything outside the cape and tights.

There is an interesting subplot as we see George hating the adoration of all kids, while the investigator of his murder Simos (Adrienne Brody) is clueless to have any meaningful relationship with his own kid.

Simos tries so hard to unravel the "mystery" behind the night of Reeve's death and misses many obvious clues from another client that hired Simos to trail his suspected unfaithful wife. Several times during the movie Simos' focus seems to shift from one suspect to another until a little piece of film makes him realize what probably really happened.

I am surprised that this movie did not fare well as a theatrical release but it really should not be missed!

hollywoodland.......2007-06-11

always loved george reeves as superman. I wish the movie was a little more accurate.

Who are all of these people.......2007-06-09

This was a mish mash of a film. The screenplay was poor to begin with but the film editing left it so choppy and disorganized that it was hard to determine what was going on. There is no background,motivation,or connection, the characters simply appear and disappear. The casting made sure that all of the actors and actresses looked alike so it was hard to distinguish who was who. The film starts with a group of people who are never really identified as to who they are or why they are there. This is a problem that persists throughout the film. The actors do the best they can but they have very little to work with. The connections between the various people are left to the viewer to sort out and some of them never did make any sense. Brody does his best but the character Simo is really the only central theme and in an attempt to give the film direction and some sort of continuity and plot, Simo takes on several subplots that only serve to distract further from the film and what apparently was the central plot.

I gave the film two stars because it does offer three logical theories regarding Reeves death, without actually endorsing any of them. I thought the touch of gray hair at the very end made a huge statement and lent a silent credibility to the suicide alternative. The actors all did well with a very poor screenplay.

Great historical fictional film about a well known legend of tv.......2007-06-07

George Reeves will forever be known and best remembered as TV's Superman, but he actually tried his best to be a legitamate movie actor. This movie works through many different possible theories around his death, and how one P.I. hired by Reeves mother had a theory other than one the police came up with. Adrian Brody is great in his role as a struggling ex cop/private investigator trying to keep a grip on his family and his job. Even Ben Affleck does a descent job, but how could he not, this was a well directed and written screenplay. Worth a look at.

DISSERVICE TO GEORGE REEVES.......2007-06-03

This movie is not very good and it is a disservice to the memory of the Late Great George Reeves

Noel Serrano
George Reeves Group-2007
Hi.5 Network

Average customer rating:

The great one
For love of this movie

For the Love of Nancy
Starring: Tracey Gold , Jill Clayburgh , Cameron Bancroft , Mark-Paul Gosselaar , and Michael MacRae
Director: Paul Schneider
Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

Perfect Body
Death of a Cheerleader (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
No One Would Tell (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
The Killing Secret (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Freshman Fall

ASIN: B000O785X8
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Customer Reviews:

The great one.......2007-06-16

I agree with the above.

This is certainly the best movie I have seen dealing with an eating disorder. It takes you into the mind of the sufferer...and a true one at that. Because Tracy Gold made this movie just getting out of treatment for anorexia, it trult depicts what hell a person is in with this demond. It also shares light on what a famiuly goes through as a loved one suffers. Alothough not everyone suffers the same, has the same help, or suffers from the same reasons I am sure that if you suffer from an eating disorder, or have a loved on who does yoiu will relate.

For love of this movie.......2007-05-16

This isn't the first movie that deals with eating disorders, but it's the best. The acting is first rate, the story is compelling and it's told in a sensitive manner that others haven't been able to accomplish. This is a true story and that fact makes this movie all the more touching. This could be any family, in any city or town in America. You really care about the people in this movie and hope everything turns out okay. I think that it's some of the best acting I've seen from any of the actors especially Tracey Gold who drew on her own experiences to portray the devestating effects these illnesses cause.

Average customer rating:

The best September 11 movie made (forget World Trade Centre)
riveting
Really made 9/11 hit home for me
United They Fought Back
Sad but great move

United 93 (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: J.J. Johnson , Gary Commock , Polly Adams (II) , Opal Alladin , and Starla Benford
Director: Paul Greengrass
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

World Trade Center (Widescreen Edition)
The Sentinel (Widescreen Edition)
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000GH3CR0
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com

One of the most shocking events in modern American history gets a skilled and respectful treatment in United 93. The movie begins by following the four terrorists who hijacked the plane that never reached its target on 9/11/2001, tracking them as they enter the airport and wait for their flight, surrounded by the people who will die from their actions. From there, it cuts to and fro among air traffic controllers and the military as, gradually, it becomes clear that planes are being hijacked and crashed into buildings. As the focus turns to the captive United Flight 93, the passengers discover, due to cell phone connections with family, that they're on a suicide mission and--almost paralyzed by stress and anxiety--decide to fight back. Most movies create tension by implying what might happen, but with United 93 the audience knows exactly what happened: Every person on that plane died. As a result, the movie is more relentlessly gut-wrenching than suspenseful (though the dawning realization of the air traffic controllers has an effective creeping dread). But writer/director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) manages to keep the scale of the events human; there are no glamorous heroics, only terrifying confusion and desperate, hopeless bravery. One can only hope the movie brings some peace to the families of the passengers, as United 93 is the cinematic equivalent of a war memorial, commemorating lives lost in a moment of horrible, harrowing conflict. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

The best September 11 movie made (forget World Trade Centre).......2007-06-21

Went and saw the movie 'United 93' which was about the third plane that was supposed to crash into the Pentagon after the other two went into the World Trade Centre, but instead crashed into a field with no survivors.

I actually liked this movie for the emotion, drama and reality portrayed within it. The usual movies I end up seeing are fluffy love stories with happy endings (unless a really excellent horror movie is on) so it was interesting and yet disturbing to see a real life situation reinacted in front of our eyes. The bad parts first: The movie has far too many scenes of the flight control centre which drains the emotional connection of what this movie is really about. They lack empathy and sadness and maintain too much of their professionalism when they learn of the planes, but make extra speedy runarounds trying to locate all the other planes in the sky. You don't really get to know the characters. They are all merely passengers you'd see on an everyday flight (which I'm sure they were) but it looks like no research really went into their personalities. Far too many useless conversations with no meaning up until the point of when the plane is about to crash and everyone is telling their families how much they love them. The footage of the World Trade Centres with smoke all around only shows the actual buildings and not the people around. There were many below who were devastated, scared, confused... why are they not shown?

The good points? Incredible acting. Yes, the actors and actresses are very convincing. My heart was thudding all the way through from when the terrorists were sitting in their assigned seats to when they started stabbing passengers and threatening to blow up the plane. This movie actually made me cry (which is rare), the end music of the children singing added to the impact of how devastating, frightening and above all saddening the plot and how each one of us felt whilst watching. Definately a movie to see if you can handle the truth about 9/11.

On a complete random note, one of the terrorists looks much like Pete Wentz from the band 'Fall Out Boy'. I definately recommend this instead of the pathetic 'World Trade Centre' movie.

riveting.......2007-06-18

absolutely engrossing and brilliant, had me glued to the edge of my seat, biting my nails, even though we all knew the awful outcome. Truly remarkable on using the non-professionals in the roles, and even better some of the real people taking the part of themselves, was totally refreshing and absolutely a splendid kudo on the right side cheek of director Paul Greengrass. The amount of countless hours of research and interviews he must have gone through, is totally present in every minute of the film, richly detailed and totally mesmorizing.

Certainly not a five star movie, but five star in his writing and directing, without question.

BUY this for your collection, the wide screen certainly brings more to the eye, methinks.

Really made 9/11 hit home for me.......2007-05-31

Having never been to New York and being somewhat young when 9/11 occurred, I didn't feel like I really understood the impact of the event--until I saw this movie. It was very powerful and not obnoxiously patriotic in any way. I cried for a long time afterwards--though its characters are very heroic, this is not a happy movie.

United They Fought Back.......2007-05-21

Everybody remembers exactly where he was on September 11, 2001. I was taking a photojournalism course at the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland, and--ironically--taking part in an exercise on how military reporters should cover terrorist attacks. In fact, we were discussing the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and how, by the time the bombers came to trial, its significance had been buried because Americans' attention was diverted by the O. J. Simpson "trial of the century." At that moment, a Navy petty officer burst into the classroom and told our Air Force instructor to turn on the television--that the World Trade Center had just been struck by an airplane.

We laughed in disbelief. As Army soldiers, being suddenly thrust by cadre into "live" training scenarios was old hat. We thought we were going to cover a "terrorist event" as a practical writing exercise. But, when the projector switched from the PowerPoint slideshow to the live "Today" show broadcast, we knew from the ominous visual of smoke pouring from the North Tower that this was no exercise.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, rumors abounded that Fort Meade was next, because the National Security Agency is located there. By day's end, I was standing outside our barracks, rifle in hand. I will never forget the emotions and thoughts that poured through me that day--revulsion, nausea, fear, anger, hatred. And finally, relief, because I had been spared the hell so cruelly inflicted on so many of my fellow Americans. As long as I live, I never want to relive that day. None of us do.

Thus, when trailers for United 93 began screening in Los Angeles theaters shortly before its release, some in the audience wailed, "Too soon! Too soon!" Too soon? From the morning Imperial Japan attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, until she surrendered in ignominious defeat on August 15, 1945, 1,348 days had passed. On April 28, 2006, United 93's opening day, 1,689 days of the War on Terror had gone by--almost a full year longer than America's involvement in World War II. Surely time enough has passed to allow us to reflect upon and honor those who died that day.

Although Americans were generally familiar with the events that took place on United Airlines Flight 93, most of what we knew had been the subject of dry news reportage and "what if" conjecture. Now, culling transcripts of cockpit flight recorders, 9-1-1 emergency calls, interviews with surviving family members, and eyewitness accounts, writer and director Paul Greengrass has taken the threads of innumerable and seemingly random facts, and woven them into a powerful visual narrative.

In United 93,Greengrass's masterful direction gives us the feeling that we are reliving September 11 all over again. He takes us from the flight's takeover by Muslim terrorists to the events on the ground as the World Trade Center and Pentagon are hit by the three other hijacked planes. He follows United 93's doomed course, in scenes inter-cutting between the airplane and the various air traffic control towers on the East Coast; he ends with the passengers retaking control of the plane from the hijackers, and its tragic crash in a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

By transforming my theater seat into a cramped seat in coach, as the forty-first passenger alongside those who would soon die on that hijacked flight from Newark, Flight 93 thrust the events in my face with visual and aural brutality, compelling me to relive that day--and to recall its lessons.

Filming in "real time," much like Fox TV's popular action series "24," cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and his crew skillfully captured the action with handheld cameras. It's a method I usually eschew for its forced "realism," but Ackroyd made it work by avoiding show-offish, unnecessary camera movement. By shooting mostly with telephoto lenses, he instills in viewers a sense of claustrophobia that heightens the emotional anxiety. John Powell's dark, percussion-laden soundtrack pummels the ears at rapid-fire tempo, ratcheting up the tension to cardiac arrest levels. Throughout the film, my own heart was racing, my brow was sweaty, and I got that same nauseous feeling in my gut that I so vividly remember from that day.

When the end credits rolled, there was nothing but dead silence in the theater where I saw it. United 93 masterfully achieved its objective of re-creating onscreen the nightmare that Americans went through on September 11th.

However, despite the fact that United 93 totally connected with me emotionally as a viewer, it suffers from the primary flaw of telling much of the story from the hijackers' point of view. The viewer learns more about what motivated them to take over the plane than he will ever find out about the private motives of the passengers, whose dialogue is rather threadbare. We know that through AirFone conversations with relatives, the passengers found out that hijacked planes had already hit New York and Washington, that their own flight therefore was doomed, and that this knowledge motivated them to wrest back control of the plane. But we never really find outwhat personally inspired each of them to their valorous actions. We never really get to know the Jeremy Glicks or Todd Beamers. I agree with those critics who have pointed that their dialogue should have been beefed up, and that these heroes should have been more clearly drawn.

Yet I don't think Greengrass himself fully understands what compelled the onboard rebellion. In a recent interview, he explained his film's depiction of the American passengers:

I suppose what I most wanted it to explore was the relationship between individual moments and collective will...You can't lead if the group's not there with the will, and vice versa. Where does leadership come from? It comes from the desire to be led...The order of the airplane was completely subverted...They seized control of the plane, pinned everybody in the back and they were in charge, and something happened in the course of 20-25 minutes...but you've always got that challenge of: what do you do when a bunch of people take over an airplane? You can't just sit there!
While acknowledging and accurately depicting the American passengers' courage, the British director, it seems, hasn't begun to grasp the spirit of independence that most Americans still regard as their birthright. What induced these men and women to action could hardly be reduced simply to some group dynamic of a "desire to be led"--remember, these were American, not German, passengers--but rather, embodied the individualistic, "don't tread on me" streak that fires us up when push comes to shove.

Fortunately, Greengrass's detachment does not undermine the movie's strengths. One scene in particular captures what makes the American spirit so unique and indomitable. As the passengers start attacking the hijackers to take back the plane, a frightened Swedish passenger tries to block them, standing astride the aisle like a lunch hall monitor. "Just do what they say," he lectures. "Give in to their demands...co-operate, and we will be safe." The Americans must shove the Swedish weenie aside in order to reach their attackers and regain control of the cockpit. I have yet to see a more succinct metaphor for European dithering and condescension as obstacles to righteous American action.

Another critique--that United 93 is Politically Correct--is, I think, mostly unfounded. The movie makes no bones about distinguishing its villains from its heroes; it just does so without heavy-handed sloganeering, which would have wreckedthe taut, montage narrative structure. Composer Powell's menacing and foreboding passages, especially while the terrorists are praying, underscore their vicious brutality, just as upbeat, martial music accompanies scenes of Americans fighting back. Nor does the film disguise the facts that the hijackers were motivated by Islamism, or that the passengers took back the airplane to prevent its striking the U.S. Capitol, and, they hoped, to allow them to return safely to their loved ones.

A year after September 11, I spotted a bumper sticker on a passing car while driving the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Next to an image of the American flag were printed these words: "9/11: Remember. Rebuild. Recover." I could not help but think that there was one "R" missing in that slogan. United 93 does a brilliant job in reminding us that on a Boeing 757, a group of heroic citizens taughtus the response befitting a free people in the face of wanton savagery--Revenge. And the film left me experiencing another "R" as well: Reverence for the memories of those heroes.

Every American ought to invest two hours of his life in watching United 93, because it graphically depicts the inspiring acts, courage, and hope that helped spark the flames of direct action against Islamofascism. David Beamer, father of slain hero Todd Beamer, said of United 93: "This film is a wake-up call. And although we abhor terrorism as a tactic, we are at war with a real enemy and it is personal."

No, it is not too soon for this movie. Rather, let us hope that it is not too late.

Sad but great move.......2007-05-16

Your tape DVD was in great condition. And I will buy more DVD's soon Thank you

Average customer rating:

Political and Tragic
A Sad But Timely Movie
Makes you think, but don't forget to consider both sides
Very much worth seeing regardless of your POV
A great and true story

Paradise Now
Starring: Lubna Azabal , Hamza Abu-Aiaash , Kais Nashif , Lotuf Neusser , and Ali Suliman
Director: Hany Abu-Assad
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)
Capote
Munich (Widescreen Edition)
Syriana (Widescreen Edition)
The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000E0OE44
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Amazon.com

Two men, best friends from childhood, are summoned to fulfill their agreement to be suicide bombers for the Palestinian cause. Khaled and Said (Ali Suliman and Kais Nashef, both making striking film debuts) believe fervently in their cause, but having a bomb strapped to your waist would raise doubts in anyone--and once doubts have arisen, they respond in very different ways. Paradise Now is gripping enough while the men are preparing for their mission, but when the set-up goes awry and Khaled and Said are separated, it becomes almost excruciatingly tense. The movie passes no judgment on these men; impassioned arguments are made for both sides of the conflict. This is a work of remarkable compassion and insight, given the shape and sharpness of a skillful thriller. Its psychological portrait goes beyond the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and resonates with fanaticism and oppression throughout the world, be it related to a religious, nationalist, or tribal cause. A stunning film from writer/director Hany Abu-Assad. --Bret Fetzer

Description

"PARADISE NOW" follows two Palestinian childhood friends who have been recruited for a strike on Tel Aviv and focuses on their last days together. When they are intercepted at the Israeli border and separated from their handlers, a young woman who discovers their plan causes them to reconsider their actions.

Customer Reviews:

Political and Tragic.......2007-05-07

This movie brings two very believable characters for the western audiences. The movie has its propaganda aspects to it, but even if one can see beyond the propagandas (and hopefully everyone does), the movie still tells a tragic story of two friends whose life is about to change forever. I just want to emphasize again how believable and relatable the two main characters are despite this being a propaganda movie. It delievers a completely foreign dilemma and translates it very well, and if that's not a masterpiece, I don't know what is.

A Sad But Timely Movie.......2007-04-08

Said and Khaled are young Palestinian friends who are recruited to become suicide bombers against Israel. On their trip to Tel-Aviv, they become separated and their mission gets aborted. These two friends then have second thoughts about their mission, and much of the movie has to do with their struggle of whether or not to go through with their plan. Said says he was born in a refugee camp and has only left that camp once at six for medical reasons. He also bears the shame that his father was executed for being a collaborator. He believes that his life is without hope, that he essentially is already dead. Jamal, one of the masterminds of the plan, assures him and Khaled that upon their deaths they will be picked up by two angels. "This honor is granted to only a few." Said's female friend Suha tries to convince him that nothing will be accomplished by his becoming a martyr.

The acting in the film is superb; the suspense is nerve-racking; the ending will break your heart. The subject matter, of course, is as timely as the evening news. Released in 2005, the movie is in Arabic with subtitles.

Makes you think, but don't forget to consider both sides.......2007-03-30

The film "Paradise Now" presents a compelling story of forty-eight hours in the life of two young Palestinian men who are selected to carry out a suicide attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. The plot focuses on childhood friends Khaled and Said who are living a difficult life under the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The two friends work dead-end jobs at a local auto repair shop and place much of the blame for their difficult situation on Israel. After a long day at work, Said is approached by one of the leaders of the Palestinian resistance and told that he and Khaled have been selected to carry out an "operation" against Israel. As the story continues, the two friends contemplate the ethicality of their decision and struggle to decide whether or not to carry out their mission.
Artistically speaking, this film was done very well. There is excellent character development of the two friends, Said and Khaled. During their struggle to accomplish their mission the two friends question their own motives and the legitimacy of resorting to violence to solve a problem. The arguments posed in the film are also extremely relevant to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. Through the characters of Said and Khaled, the director, Hany Abu-Assad, discusses controversial issues such as the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the legitimacy of Palestinian suicide bombers. Having recently spent time in Israel, this film provided insight to the struggles of the Palestinian people. Many of the views conveyed toward Israel are understandable considering the low quality of life that Palestinians experience. I appreciated that this film pushed me to re-consider my own opinions toward this issue. Any successful piece of artwork forces audience members to think about the issue, and this film did just that. Having said this, "Paradise Now" also encouraged me to look at both sides of the issue, which is necessary in order to formulate an opinion about any issue.
Where I felt this film fell short was the context, or lack there of, that this story was placed in. Although this film is a good way for outsiders to understand the situation from the Palestinian point of view, my fear is that this fuels ignorance towards Israel and its people. "Paradise Now" provides no historical look at how the situation between Israel and Palestine has come to be. There is no reference to the original U.N. partition plan of 1948 in which the land of Israel was divided evenly between Jews and Palestinians. The only reference given to Israel is that of an occupying force, rather than a legitimate country, which overlooks the accomplishments that Israel has had in the last sixty years. Israel is constantly referred to as being an oppressive society, and at one point that it "has no morals" in terms of its military actions. The only reference given to Israel being provoked by suicide bombers is through the character of Suha. Suha is a moderate-minded young woman that Said falls in love with just before he sets off to carry out the attack. Although Suha does bring up valid arguments about why Said should not carry out the attack, she is in no way the heroine of the film, Said is. There is never any reference to the amount of fighting that Palestinians direct at each other. Much of the instability in Palestinian territories is due to political violence between the rival parties of Hamas and Fatah. It seems as if Abu-Assad has overlooked this issue in order to garner support against Israel. This being said, I don't believe that Abu-Assad's purpose of creating this film was to portray a balanced view of the situation. This film was successful in providing an ethnocentric view of life as Palestinian and the justifications, in their mind, of suicide attacks.
I did find this film valuable for audiences who are educated about the Israel-Palestine conflict and have an understanding of the history behind the situation. I would recommend this film to anyone seeking to understand the daily hardships that Palestinians go through. Even though people might not agree with everything that this film conveys, it is beneficial in that it forces one to reexamine their opinion about a certain issue.

Very much worth seeing regardless of your POV.......2007-03-11

For those viewers who are wondering whether this is a pro suicide bomber movie or not, I can say that it may depend upon who's doing the viewing. Director Hany Abu-Assad, who is a Muslim was born in Nazareth, which is a largely Christian city in Palestine. He moved to the Netherlands when he was a young man and currently lives in Los Angeles. He believes the film presents "an artistic point of view of...[a] political issue."

I tend to agree. The proof perhaps is in the fact that some Palestinians feel the film wasn't fair to their situation while some Israelis feel that the film glorified suicide bombers. Both sides can find evidence in the film to support their point of view, and the arguments can become heated.

Personally I find suicide bombings abhorrent and counterproductive. My belief has long been that the Palestinians would further their cause through a non-violent approach similar to methods used by Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Using your children to kill other people's children while committing suicide is not only morally wrong, but not likely to win the hearts and minds of people who can help you. Furthermore the idea (expressed in the film by the suicide bombers and those who exploit them) that some people are superior because they are not afraid to die demonstrates a limited understanding of human nature and ignores history. The Japanese used suicide bombers in World War II for example to no good effect. And those men were not the "humiliated" and "oppressed" uneducated youths typical of suicide bombers in the Middle East. Instead some of them were the cream of the young manhood of a growing nation. Understand also that if the United States had the need it would have no trouble persuading countless Americans to commit suicide for God and country. Some of the combat missions in the Pacific Theater amounted to something close to suicide. No single people have a monopoly on tribalism.

What Hany Abu-Assad shows in the film is that the justification for suicide bombing is at best suspect and at worse without any merit at all. "What happens afterward?" one of the bombers asks, and is told, "Two angels come and pick you up." This is not merely satire, it is a burlesque of the "Paradise Now" reasoning. Indeed the title of the film is itself satirical and ironic. Young men seeing this film will notice that it is THEY who are being used as suicide bombers, not the political leaders and the imams. Also the scene in which the suicide bombers make the obligatory video saying goodbye to family and friends and "I did it for God" with automatic rifle held on high, was played as farce, revealing the empty promise behind being used.

The fact that most of the anti-suicide rhetoric in the film comes from Suha (Lubna Azabal) who is the daughter of a privileged Arab and onetime opposition hero is seen as significant by some because in Arab/Muslim countries the political opinion of women is of scant value, and therefore Suha is seen as expressing a minority or discredited opinion. However, since her expression is so very well articulated and persuasive, it can be seen from the opposite point of view, as expressing reason and moral truth.

Hany Abu-Assad of course had more than an artistic intent in making this film. Clearly he wanted to put the tragedy of the Palestinians upon the silver screen (and DVD) for all the world to see. To be effective he realized that he could not poison the waters of his expression with subjectivity and one-sidedness. He had to work hard to be as objective as possible and to present both sides of the argument. That way his film would be viewed and discussed, and some sympathy and understanding might develop. He had to show suicide bombers as living, breathing human beings. Notice that the two depicted are relatively intelligent young men, not mindless robots.

I share with Abu-Assad the belief that if all the facts about what is happening in the Middle East become widely known and understood (in so far as it is possible to understand the lives of people living in different cultures thousands of miles away) this knowledge and understanding would help to bring about positive change. Ignorance is our only real enemy.

In short, Paradise Now is a work of art and an excellent film that clearly deserved its Golden Globe Award as the Best Foreign Film and its nomination for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film. Kais Nashif who plays Said, one of the bombers, and Ali Suliman, who plays the other, both do an outstanding job, particularly Nashif who manages to combine the look and feel of a disadvantaged youth with the strength of character of a young man who is determined to follow what he ultimately determines is his fate. His motivation goes beyond the ignorant and indoctrinated suicide bomber who is hoping to be rewarded with virgins in heaven. He has personal reasons for becoming a suicide bomber. He is the son of a man who collaborated with the Israelis, and consequently he feels that his fate is to compensate for what his father did.

The film was shot in Nablus and Nazareth and captures some of the atmosphere. The editing is crisp and the story unfolds clearly with a nice tension. The sense that the bomb around the bomber's waist could go off at any moment is one of the devices in the film that maintains that tension in a unique way.

All in all this a film very much worth seeing regardless of how you feel about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

A great and true story.......2007-02-22

This is a great DVD. It show us why people become suside bombers. If anybocy wants to understand the currant situation in the Middle East then you much watch this movie.

Average customer rating:

Good-bye Nicky
Death with Dignity.
Saying Goodbye
A must see
Amazing story of Love and Loss

It's My Party
Starring: Margaret Cho , Bruce Davison , Lee Grant , Devon Gummersall , and Gregory Harrison
Director: Randal Kleiser
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Gay & Lesbian | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

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

Jeffrey
Longtime Companion
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Torch Song Trilogy
The Trip

ASIN: B00008R9KD
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Amazon.com

Director Randal Kleiser is so noted for featherweight fare like The Blue Lagoon and Grease that when It's My Party hit theaters in 1996, critics clapped while filmgoers turned fickle. But it's a potent and tear-jerking film if only because of the personal weight it bears. As Kleiser revealed in interviews at the time of the film's release, the event that made him sit down and write the film "was so powerful it became a turning point in my life," and this film is a fictionalized, heartfelt depiction of that event.

It's My Party is about Nick (Eric Roberts) a young gay man whose AIDS symptoms become life threatening. He decides to toss a final party before he ends his life and invites his friends and family to this most special of special occasions. But then the ex-love of his life--a Kleiser-like film director (Gregory Harrison) who bailed on him after he was diagnosed with AIDS--arrives.

Kleiser called in favors from his friends and they all worked for scale. He said he "never worked on a set that was so supportive." The result is a movie about AIDS that merits a second look not only because it is empathic and loving, but because it's also defined by Kleiser's honesty and self-critical desire for redemption. --Paula Nechak

Description

Writer-director Randal Kleiser (Grease) creates "a genuine family feeling" (Roger Ebert) with this "brave, funny and heartbreaking" (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) film starring Margaret Cho, Academy Award(r) winner* Lee Grant, Gregory Harrison, Academy Award(r) winner** Marlee Matlin, Olivia Newton-John, Bronson Pinchot, Eric Roberts, George Segal and Roddy McDowall. Roberts gives a "touching, urgent performance" (San Francisco Chronicle) as Nick, a man whose three-year battle with AIDS is about to come to a close. Rather than face debilitation, he chooses to end his life but not before throwing the greatest farewell party of all time. As friends and family gather for a bittersweet celebration, something incredible happens. It's a two-daylong, uplifting, outrageous and life-affirming party that is ultimately Nick's everlasting legacy.

Customer Reviews:

Good-bye Nicky.......2007-03-18

This is the most sadness movie. That's ashame for Brandon being so afraid to be with Nick just because he found out he was HIV+ and Brandon freaked out and Nick had to leave because of Brandon. If I was Brandon I would still love Nick even if he is HIV+ or HIV- I would always be there for Nick. When they threw couple of days farewell party for Nick and Margaret went and found Brandon and forced him to go see Nick before Nick's death and Brandon showed up. All of Nick's friends and family doesnt like Brandon but they gave Brandon a chance to visit Nick because Nick wanted Brandon to be there too. In the end friends had to leave first so Nick should have to have a family-together as what Nick's mother wanted. When friends said good-bye then I started to feel so deep and it made me feel so apart and watering in my eyes. When they had family-together and Brandon started to realized that he still love Nick. Nick took the pills and then he was sitting on the chair talking about the pictures from the photo album and then he dead in peace. This made me feel so sorry for Nick's family and his family cried like hell. I am SO fond of Marlee Matlin because I am also deaf and I know sign language. The reason I loved this movie because this movie is gay and Marlee Matlin was playing in this movie and I am HIV+ for a year now as well!!

Death with Dignity........2007-01-24

This a great move in which Eric Roberts dares to flex his acting muscle as a Gay male dying on his own terms with a wonderful party. We all should be able to face a terminal illness this way. The cast are all great, and fill their roles great. You could almost believe the thing was based on a real dying man. I have a soft spot for Eric Roberts. He is underrated talent. If you are ready to admit funerals are for the living, and death is dealt with in different ways get the video. I wish I'd been invited to the party. This could help other facing a terminal illness to live whatever life they have left in style, and on his/her own terms.

Saying Goodbye.......2007-01-16

"IT'S MY PARTY"

Saying Goodbye

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

People react strangely when I tell them that "It's My Party" is one of my favorite movies. It's sad, it's depressing but it is powerful and it is about a period that I have lived through." It's My Party" is about the last day in the life of a young California designer, Nick, who is suffering from an AIDS related brain tumor. He decides to end his own life but only after throwing one final party for his family and for the ones who love him. As the party gets underway and he prepares to get ready to take his own life, his former lover appears in the hopes of an eleventh hour reconciliation.
The movie is based upon actual events and is powerful. The cast is a loaded one with familiar faces--Lee Grant as the mother, Gregory Harrison as the lover, Margaret Cho, Bronson Pichot, Nina Foch and Greg Louganis among others. Roddy McDowell makes a brief appearance and is the voice of conscience in which he questions the ethics of suicide. What an emotion packed drama this is! As the movie rolls along there are laughs and reminisces but as it begins its last 20 minutes, it grabs you by the throat and becomes heartbreaking sad. There is something that a god cry can do for someone. It cleanses you and makes you realize how good it is to be alive.
The script is tight and well written and the actors are fine and the message is deep. It is a true rendering 0of what many AIDS victims once faced. The idea that life could end in a horrible and lingering death was too much for many to accept. Many do not like to be reminded of that period in our history but it is an important time for us that we should never forget. Eric Roberts as Nick gives a dynamic performance as a man in the last hours of his life. Gregory Harrison as Brandon, Nick's lover is appropriately confused and compassion as the man who must deal with his own guilt for having walked out on his ill lover. Having to deal with the mortality of someone that you plan to share your life with is extremely difficult and Harrison manages to isolate that compassionate feeling even if he does so when it is already too late. Lee Grant as Nick's mom dazzles us with her performance and it is easy to understand why she has been so under appreciated for so many years.
Other notables in the film are Bruce Davison, George Segal and Olivia Newton-John along with the others already named form an incredible ensemble cast.
It is easily understood why a film like this is not appreciated. The morbid plot is bound to put people off but it is such an important film about the way we once lived that I think it should be required viewing. The catharsis it gives you will only make you feel better/

A must see.......2007-01-12

Wonderful cast. Outstanding story. Lets us know how far we have come with the fight against AIDS. Bravo.

Amazing story of Love and Loss.......2006-06-21