Revenge of the Dead

Starring:Gabrielle Lavia
Studio: Cydonia Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!
a good movie. fun to watch
You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!
The gunfights are the highlight
"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!"

The Quick and the Dead
Starring: Sharon Stone , Gene Hackman , Russell Crowe , Leonardo DiCaprio , and Tobin Bell
Director: Sam Raimi
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0767817710
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Amazon.com essential video

Director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) tries gamely to recapture the exotic mysteries of spaghetti Westerns in this stylish but empty film, which stars Sharon Stone as a stranger who comes to the town of Redemption in time for an annual shooting contest. Her real motivations for being there are the stuff that might have found their way into a film by Sergio Leone--in fact, much of this film is a pastiche of Leone's greatest hits, including A Fistful of Dollars and Once upon a Time in America--but one can't quite believe Stone in the role. Gene Hackman gives a predictably solid performance as the town tyrant, and Leonardo DiCaprio is good as a lucky young gunslinger who gets to kiss the heroine. But not even the cast can help this failed project. Raimi brings a lot of razzle-dazzle to his camera work, but it doesn't make the film any more substantial. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!.......2007-06-30

Take one of the many martial arts contests to the death movies, transplant it to the Wild West, and you have the general idea what The Quick and the Dead is about. The head bad guy, Herod (played by Gene Hackman) sponsors a gunfight. First prize is enough money to choke a herd of horses. From all corners of the country they come, some nasty and some nice. There is Russell Crowe's character, a former outlaw who has renounced violence. There is Leonardo DiCaprio's character, only know as "the kid", who's fate is irrevocably intertwined with Herod's. Finally, there is the mysterious gun woman, played by Sharon Stone, who has her own agenda.

In theory, this movie should be a disaster. Not that many critics liked it, in some circles the nicest thing said about it was "ridiculous". This is regretful, because it is an excellent, exciting movie with precise, supercrisp camera work. The duels, while bloodless enough to avoid an "R" rating, nevertheless come across as rough, tough and nasty.

This is a must-see movie.

a good movie. fun to watch.......2007-06-05

not accurate, but it is fun. It is very easy to get into the story. Gene Hackman is awesome.

You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!.......2007-05-17

In THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995), Sharon Stone plays a cheroot-smoking, Clint Eastwood-mimicking 1800s gunslinger, and Gene Hackman plays Gene Hackman - think of a wood plank; you know, something just a little less rigid and a little more emotional than Clint Eastwood. For the intelligent reader, this is all the review that should be necessary. Sure, I could proceed point-by-point in illustrating what makes this movie such a putrid corpse (a real "Boot Hill" special), but frankly, it is not even worthy of a serious critique. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - along with Jack Nicholson's THE SHOOTING (1967) and Jane Russell's THE OUTLAW (1943) - represents "The Dreck Of The West" on celluloid, and it is a good example of why I completely stopped going to the movies two decades ago. I was tired of paying money to have my intelligence insulted (as well as having Hollywood's immorality paraded before my eyes).

Although this movie is an empty-headed, overly-produced, ultra-dippy "cartoon" (the Biblical allusion was especially stupid and any Yosemite Sam cartoon would be funnier and equally believable), it did amply show me what I borrowed it from the library to see - namely, MESCAL.

MESCAL is a frontier town movie set where numerous Westerns have been filmed. It is located near Benson, Arizona, just three miles North of Interstate 10 (exit #297) and on "the other side of the tracks." (I've always wanted to say that!) My brother, Napoleon, my friend, Pooh, and I sneaked into MESCAL a number of years back (a REAL Outlaw Trio), but I have since longed to take the "official" $8.00, 45-minute guided tour, and on May 3rd that dream was finally realized. The tour begins in the large saloon built specifically for THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, and there are no phones, johns, or refreshments available. (No saltwater taffy here folks! This is the REAL West . . . uhm, built for moviemaking.) Some other FAR BETTER Westerns that have largely or partially utilized the MESCAL set include:

The great Monte Walsh (1970) featuring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance (will this film EVER be released on DVD?!) MESCAL represented both Harmony and Charleyville. It was Roy Bean's Langtry, Texas, in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), and Paul Newman's courthouse/saloon is still standing! It stood in for (if memory serves me) Hays, Kansas in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), where that old cigar-store Indian of an actor, Clint Eastwood, asked the Confederate soldiers, "Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?" And it played the part of Tombstone, Arizona in Val Kilmer's Tombstone (1993). On the MESCAL tour, you will walk into The Oriental saloon (now an empty shell of its former self) where Kurt Russell slapped around Billy Bob Thornton and where later, Ol' Doc Holliday matched Ol' Johnny Ringo's gun tricks with a fancy exhibition of silver cup-handling. (The MESCAL tour operates on a very limited schedule, so call ahead -- (520) 883-0100; press menu option #7.)

I watched THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - filmed entirely at MESCAL - solely to see the movie set. And if you haven't got any gardening to do; a house to clean; children to watch; a good book to read; quality music to hear; a dinner to cook; letters to write; bills to pay; windows to wash; a dentist to see; a room to paint; a leaky faucet to fix; a friend to visit; a car to repair; a play to attend; a wife (or husband) to love; a drawing to sketch; a good movie to view; an enemy to fight; a dog to walk; a cat to kick; a geriatric to help; a mouse to catch; a fly to swat; a walk to take; dishes to scrub; laundry to fold; prayers to pray; shopping to do; a bank to rob; a supermodel to stalk; a nap to sleep; a game of solitaire to play, or a Louisville Slugger-wielding friend to batter you into unconsciousness, then by all means, I recommend that you borrow THE QUICK AND THE DEAD from your local library.

But be forewarned, if you do borrow it and your trigger finger doesn't hit that "eject" button QUICK enough when the movie turns stupid (which it does very QUICKLY), then this movie might render you brain-DEAD. Of course, if you actually PURCHASE this movie, then you probably already are!

The gunfights are the highlight.......2007-04-22

'The Quick and The Dead' is a good example of an anti-western. Released in 1995 and directed by Sam Raimi, the film features a female gunfighter played by Sharon Stone and some campy, over-the-top gunfights. Critics and western purists haven't been kind to this movie over the past several years. For that reason, it is better remembered by most as an early film vehicle for Russell Crowe than for being a "classic" western. Crowe's career benefitted more from this movie than that of other stars who appeared in the film such as Stone, Gene Hackman or Leonardo DiCaprio. The plot is as simple as a plot can get. Hackman plays John Herod, a grizzled outlaw who "runs" the town of Redemption which is a generic western town with a bar, a gun shop and a haven for prostitutes. Herod hosts regular quickdraw competitions in Redemption as part of a plan to goad other gunfighters, men who might challenge his rule, into coming onto his turf and, more often than not, eating lead. It is a simple and effective strategy that has allowed him to stay in power for many years. Instead of having these men sneak into town or gang up on him, Herod is able to get these men face to face in a one-on-one setting and either blow them away himself or sit back and watch while other gunmen do his dirty work for him in the contest.

The thin plot that exists in 'The Quick and the Dead' is centered around a few major and minor characters, each of whom have their own reasons for wanting to eliminate Herod (Hackman). The dialogue here is adequate and some characters (or actors) have better material to work with than others. Predictably, the worst dialogue comes from Stone herself and her character (Ellen) resorts to a large number of one liners. Such is the norm in a Sam Raimi movie. More often than not, though, Stone's performance is convincing and she does a much better job with the script than many leading ladies (circa 1995) might have done. Would Demi Moore or Julia Roberts have been better? Hardly. Before he was a household name, Russell Crowe contributed a convincing performance here playing the role of a preacher named Cort, who was once a riding partner of Herod's. Gene Hackman's performance is up to par and then some, even though 'The Quick and the Dead' is usually overlooked when one brings up his long catalog of films. Admittedly, there is nothing new here that a Hackman fan hasn't seen before but that doesn't mean his performance isn't good. It is. Leonardo DiCaprio uses his considerable talents to bring the character Fee to life. Known throughout the town of Redemption as "The Kid", Fee is purported to be John Herod's son and that eventually becomes more important as the competition moves on.

The actual plot does very little to drive 'The Quick and the Dead.' The most enjoyable moments take place during the actual gunfights and the challenges (banter), among the contestants, leading up to them. While the results of most bouts are predictable, the way things play out will both amuse and shock people who are new to the movie. One freshly dead gunfighter gets stripped to his skivvies by bandits who loot his corpse in the middle of the street, while the entire town is looking on. Another gunfighter, believed to be dead by no less than the town doctor, rises up and continues to fight. Meanwhile, the townspeople do show emotion when a gunfighter or two they are sympathetic with, or rooting for, is gunned down.

The plotholes here are forgivable, due to the excitement that takes place leading up to and during the gunfights. What is missing from the movie would be some character development or background on a few of the supporting cast members. Some of the supporting characters, particularly Ace Hanlon (played by Lance Henriksen) and Sgt. Clay Cantrell (Keith David), are great. Hanlon plays a card shark who goes from town to town doing "impossible" trick shots to entertain locals, before stopping in Redemption for the quick draw contest. During one early conversation Ace brags about how many men he has killed and in another scene, he talks about being as fast of a draw with his left hand as he is with his right. Nobody believes a word of it. Played to perfection by Henriksen, Hanlon's screen presence and dialogue is one of the best things about 'The Quick and the Dead.' It is just too bad his screen time is fairly limited and you get very little background on the character, other than one or two key scenes.

Sgt. Cantrell is a gruff, no-nonsense hitman who is hired by a group of townspeople to enter the contest and kill Herod (Hackman) by any means necessary. Somehow Herod finds out about this plan and confronts Cantrell before the two of them engage in a gunfight later that day. In a touch of irony, Herod admits he thought Ace Hanlon was the hitman hired by the town which led him to confront Hanlon first. Like Ace Hanlon, the character of Clay Cantrell gets very little screen time and it is too bad since he proves to be an entertaining character when he is on screen. Furthermore, Cantrell's last scene in this film is the most controversial one in the movie for people who are writing a review. Most Raimi fans love it but some western purists loathe the camera shot. Once again, Keith David's character is another minor character that the viewer would love to know a little bit more about. You'll notice that a lot of the minor gunfighters are just there and you never learn anything about their past and very little about their motives. Another minor character who provides a little entertainment is Jonathon Gill, who plays Spotted Horse and leads everyone into believing that he is impervious to bullets. One of the more talked about appearances is that of Gary Sinise, who makes it into the movie via a flashback. He plays the father of Ellen (Stone), who had his life interrupted by Herod when Ellen was just a child.

Sam Raimi's directing work here is very underrated and some of the best stuff is hidden beneath the surface. Watching the movie several times, a viewer can still notice new stuff each time out. Looking in the background of the bar while contestants are signing up for the contest, you will find a wanted poster for Virgil Sparks (wanted for murder and rape) who is one of the first round contestants. A moment or two after you see the poster, Sparks appears on the screen to enter the competition. Deep in the background of most shots, you don't just see extras but you can also see main (and minor) characters interacting with each other. Such a practice isn't common since the background of many major movies are regularly filled with extras and not the stars. This subtle camera work may have been entirely unintentional but I don't think it was. There are a lot of neat "props" and some character shots that you'll notice in the background when watching the movie in slow motion, rewinding over key scenes or stopping to press pause every so often.

The ending of 'The Quick and the Dead' is hardly a surprise and this movie finishes just the way you would expect it to. No twists, no "surprise" ending and thankfully, no legitimate opening for a sequel. What happens with John Herod is another point of contention for reviewers who have a grudge with this movie and it is something Sam Raimi gleefully included. What you will realize from watching the movie, or even reading most of these reviews, is that this is not a "traditional" or "pure" western. Not even close. Campy dialogue and fight scenes abound. The hero/heroine is a female gunfighter, which polarizes the audience right from the start. Some label this as a comic book style western. A recurring theme that 'The Quick and the Dead' shares with other westerns is its dark humor, most of which is provided by Hackman's character Herod. Some of the contestants in the quickdraw, including Eugene and Scars, are stereotypical outlaws. Those type of characters meet the norm for nearly any western.

What you get with 'The Quick and the Dead' is a movie that won't finish high on the list of most seasoned western fans or a list from a mainstream movie critic. It is a movie that is imperfect and could have been touched up in a number of places. Regardless, 'The Quick and the Dead' is a good introduction to Russell Crowe, a good catalog movie for Gene Hackman, a good cameo for Lance Henriksen (or Gary Sinise and Keith David, etc.) and a good stepping stone to help Leonardo DiCaprio cement his star status. This is one of the most commonly shown (and watched) movies on "regular" cable tv. It is regularly shown on AMC, TBS and TNT when they need to fill a late night or weekend time slot and there is a reason for it. 'The Quick and the Dead' is an easily accessible movie with just enough star power and just enough action to keep someone watching until the finish. When it is all said and done, the good things in 'The Quick and the Dead' outweight the bad and you are left with an above average movie and a three-and-a-half to a four star film.

"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!".......2007-02-19

I think that line (spoken by a crowd of evil children before they beat up an unarmed, chained Russell Crowe) sums up the movie well. This movie does an excellent job of communicating the sheer GLEE of sadism. Everyone in this movie (with the partial exceptions of Stone and Crowe) don't just like to inflict pain on others - they ENJOY it. They cackle and quip and snicker and guffaw as they blast enormous, ragged, bleeding holes into people. This is an excellent (if somewhat garish and comic-bookish) look at an evil that has infected a whole town. Imagine Eastwood's more sinister and sometimes turgid attempts (High Plains Drifter and Unforgiven come to mind), but with a wink and a sense of humor. More slow-mo than the Olympics. Pioneered the bullet cam that has since been done to death. Ms Stone shows a lot of leg. So, it's got a lot going for it is what I'm saying.

Average customer rating:

Fun!
Any zombie lover with like this one!
Dead Heat
Entertainment? Yes!
A Buddy Cop Movie With Zombies; Does It Get Any Better?

Dead Heat (Divimax Special Edition)
Starring: Treat Williams , Joe Piscopo , Lindsay Frost , Darren McGavin , and Vincent Price
Director: Mark Goldblatt
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000YTPN4
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Customer Reviews:

Fun!.......2007-06-14

This movie is terrific B-movie fun. Loved it the first time I saw it and every time since then. Highly recommended!

Any zombie lover with like this one!.......2007-03-09

a unique blend of action and zombie movie from the ' 80 cult classic movies.
i highly recomand this one as one of my favorite movie as a kid.
lot of blood and gun fight. zombies with uzi fighting each other and trwoing grenades! how can you not love this?

Dead Heat.......2007-01-05

Great movie. Had this on Video and wanted to upgrade to DVD. I wasn't able to obtain this in Australia and when I found it at Amazon I was thirlled

Entertainment? Yes!.......2006-11-15

This movie is great on a few levels:

-Excellent Special effects.

-A few appearances by cult favorite actors.

-and TONS of fish tanks.

But really, this movie is loaded, and I can't see how no one dubbed it an "instant cult classic" in 1988 when it was released. The acting is cheesy, the lines are cheesy, and the whole story is irrational (but continuous and easy to follow just the same).

The extras on the DVD are cool too. I bought this in the "Walking Dead" fright pack which means I paid about $5.00 for this thing. After watching this movie I would gladly pay 9.98 for it and all the fun I'm going to have introducing friends to it!

Note: I liken Piscopo to an athlete who's personality is great and you love to watch him- but he just can't seem to reach the championship level... just an observation.

A Buddy Cop Movie With Zombies; Does It Get Any Better?.......2006-10-19

This is the epitome of the type of movie Anchor Bay releases on DVD, crisp, clean, clear and celestial. Dead Heat is by far a cult movie that can be seen as both an action and horror movie. Our leads, LAPD detectives Roger Mortis (Treat Williams) and Doug Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) are investigating crimes, which are being committed by people who are deceased. When Roger is killed during the investigation, he is brought back to life, by the same element that is resurrecting these criminals, to solve the mystery.

The movie itself isn't suppose to be taken seriously, at least that is how I watched it. Joe Piscopo provides many one liners that are really funny, and one liners can be hard to pull off. Treat Williams also provides some dry and wry humor. It's cool that Vincent Price was in this movie, which gives it the official horror stamp of approval. There are plenty of dummies, fake blood, and cheesy effects to keep you going. It also has this buddy cop vibe to it, now it isn't Lethal Weapon or anything, but still a buddy cop movie. The sour cream on the taco is it was made in the 1980s! So if you love those late night cop movies and have a taste for things that are undead, you get them both in the same eighty-four minutes!

Average customer rating:

Davis a legend
Classic Bette Davis 1960's Drama/Thriller!!
It will keep you hooked!
Two Bette's For The Price Of One In Great Little 1960's Thriller
"But I am Margaret De Lorca!"

Dead Ringer
Starring: Bette Davis , Karl Malden , Peter Lawford , Philip Carey , and Jean Hagen
Director: Paul Henreid
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00027JYLM
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Amazon.com

Hot on the heels of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Bette Davis slipped neatly into another juicy thriller. This time, instead of co-starring with Joan Crawford, she got to play opposite... herself. Dead Ringer casts Davis as a wealthy (and nasty) widow, and also as her slatternly (but good) twin sister, long estranged. When the poor sister discovers the depths of her sib's evil, she takes a dramatic step that will test her skills as a thespian. Davis's old leading man, Paul Henreid, directs this material at a leaden pace, but Davis gives such a brazen performance, she pulls it through. Plus, the moments of high trash (a red-hot poker rammed into a hand, a lethal dog attack) are easily savored. Peter Lawford's seedy playboy and Karl Malden's stolid cop fill out the key supporting roles--not that anybody else matters. This is Bette Davis's world; everybody else is just visiting. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Davis a legend.......2007-01-10

After seeing Whatever happened to Baby Jane I looked forward to this movie. Must admit I was quite disappointed in the film as such but Davis remains a legend. I will recommend this movie for its excellent performance but it is not on the same level as Baby Jane.

Classic Bette Davis 1960's Drama/Thriller!!.......2006-08-08

This is a wonderful Bette Davis drama/thriller with just a touch of camp. I love movies of this time period and genre. I am so glad to be able to add this to my DVD library.

The commentary track pushes this DVD rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, yet the film on it's own is worth the price. The two gentlemen giving the commentary give you loads of info about Bette Davis' life and career. You also will learn quite a bit about the other members of this talented cast and the making of this film. There are other extras that focus on the beautiful mansion where it was filmed. You will even see some behind the scene footage of the film being shot.

There was no other actress quite like Bette Davis and most likely never will be again. Get this DVD while you can!

It will keep you hooked!.......2006-05-23

Dead Ringer is a sensational thriller starring Bette Davis in a dual role as twin sisters Edith and Margaret. Edith is poor, while Margaret is loaded, having married into wealth. Trouble is that Margaret's wealthy husband was once Edith's first love, and when the sisters meet at his funeral after a decade of silence, sparks beging to fly again, and Edie plots a fiendish scheme to escape from her unhappy and debt-ridden life.

If you don't know the film, and have not heard much about the plot, you are in for a treat. This is a first class, highly entertaining thriller. For a black and white Hollywood star vehicle from 1964, the movie still stands up strong today with a plot that keeps you gripped from the moment the wheels of crime start turning, until the bitter end - and it's bitter, believe me! Bette Davis makes a real feast of her dual role, and the effects that keep her on screen as both sisters at the same time are flawless. I was scrutinizing the screen to spot the joins on some occasions, but completely failed. Davis also skilfully makes herself into two different personalities, showing why she is considered to be one of the greats of the Hollywood golden age. True, at this point in her career some of her subtlety had gone, and the familiar Baby Jane screech is in full effect, but she still does a great job, constantly smoking like a chimney as Edie (amusingly lectured by the other sister at one point, that smoking is unhealthy!), and throwing juicy insults around. Although the direction and cinematography are fairly mundane, Davis' performance makes the film shine. You can practically see the machinations of Edie's mind as she starts to flounder among the constant stream of obstacles that threaten to sabotage her plan, and its great fun to watch her. There are good performances all round from the rest of the cast as well, plus some fantastic surprise twists in the plot, so do yourself a big favour and avoid reading any plot summaries before you watch it.

It may only be Saturday matinee entertainment now, or a filler DVD for a rainy afternoon, but Dead Ringer will keep you hooked right through to the end if you give it your time, and there's no shortage of films around even today today that can't beat that.

Two Bette's For The Price Of One In Great Little 1960's Thriller.......2005-08-11

The juicy thriller "Dead Ringer", is a personal favourite of mine and is a classic example of that curious genre that involved veteran performers appearing in macabre stories which sprung up in the early 1960's as a result of the sensational box office success of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?". The films made in the wake of Baby Jane's success were to provide many veteran actresses and actors such as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Ray Milland, with meaty leading roles in lower budgeted thrillers and horror stories for the rest of that decade. Whatever failings these films may possess critically they are still immensely entertaining and certainly gave the veteran actors involved a new lease of life career wise at the time. I believe that "Dead Ringer", starring the legendary Bette Davis in the dual roles of two long estranged identical sisters caught up in a web of envy, intrigue, deception and finally murder is one of the best of the cycle. Produced by Warner Bros., the studio where Davis was once the undisputed Queen in the 1930's and 40's, "Dead Ringer", has an irresistably expensive look to it and is the ultimate star vehicle for the ageing Davis where she gets the unique opportunity to act opposite herself. "Dead Ringer", and "Baby Jane", began a flurry of work for Davis for the next ten years in films of varying quality such as the Grand Guignol gems "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", in 1964 and "The Nanny" in 1965 through to the truly bizarre "The Anniversary", in 1968. "Dead Ringer", however is one of the more intriguing efforts in this genre and Bette Davis as always gives her all in her dual roles.

Based on a story by Rian James, "Dead Ringer", stars legend Bette Davis in the dual role of Margaret DeLorca/Edith Phillips, two long estranged sisters who are suddenly brought together at the funeral of Margaret's husband Frank. It is far from a happy reunion as the sisters have a long smouldering emnity for each other ever since Margaret stole Frank away from Edith on the excuse that Frank had got her pregnant. Not helping the situation is the fact that while Margaret went on to lead a glittering life enjoying the DeLorca millions , Edith remained unmarried and struggled to earn a living running a heavily in debt cocktail lounge in a seedy part of San Francisco. Margaret makes some very patronising amends by offering Edith cast off clothes back at the house after the funeral however the bitter Edith begins to form a deadly plan of her own when she discovers from the family chaffeur on the drive home that there was no child and that Margaret had deceived her to get Frank fo rherself. Enraged over having her whole life ruined by her sister Edith calls Margaret to her home that evening and then murders her sister and cutting he rhair and taking her clothes assumes her sister's identity back at the DeLorca mansion. However things dont go as smoothly as Edith first thought as she has to get used to strange surroundings, new people, and worst of all a very unexpected and eventually troublesome "boyfriend" in Margaret's secret lover Tony Collins (Peter Lawford). Edith finds herself drawn further into a frightening world of black mail when she discovers that Margaret and Tony actually murdered Frank and that Tony has discovered her masquerade and wants to be paid off. Edith's beau, well meaning Sergeant Jim Hobbson (Karl Malden), also begins to become suspicious and when Frank's body is exhumed and he is discovered to have died from poisoning the net closes in around Edith. Edith is successful in getting Tony out of the way when he is savaged by the family dog but her problems escalate when Edith then finds herself up on a murder charge for the crime her sister had commited. Not wanting to ruin Jim's loving impression of her Edith keeps up the charade of actually being Margaret who is condemmed to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin and she kindly allows Jim to believe it was Edith who died back at the house and not Margaret as she goes off with the police to be executed.

"Twice the terror as murderous twins!", cried the trade papers about Bette Davis at the time of the release of "Dead Ringer", however never could this film be termed a true horror effort as it is more a psychological thriller with Gothic overtones to it. Despite the time period it was made in "Dead Ringer" closely resembles one of those old star vehicles from the 1930's which had the lead actress centre stage throughout the proceedings. Despite it's short comings in the story department this is a Bette Davis show all the way and Davis handles the work where she is seemingly acting with her double very well. This was the second time she had played identical twins involved in murder, the first time being back in 1946 in "A Stolen Life". She manages extremely well in giving both Margaret and Edith very distinct personalities and mannerisms and her scenes where she is playing Edith after she murders her sister and is trying to adjust to Margaret's lifestyle at the mansion are especially good. Considering the Davis powerhhouse at centre stage it is amazing that there are some other interesting performances in this film especially Peter Lawford as the boozy, black mailing boyfriend of Margaret's who cottons on to Edith's deception and wants his share of the goodies. His work with Davis as he begins to blackmail her character is especially noteworthy and creates alot of the dramatic tension in the second half of the story as Edith's plan begins to unravel. Karl Malden as Edith's ever loyal fiancee who by his investigation unknowingly signs his beloved Edith's death warrant thinking she is Margaret is also effective in his playing and both Jean Hagen as flighty socialite Dede Marshall and especially veteran actress Estelle Winwood as the religious zealot Dona Anna make great impressions with their limited screen time. "Dead Ringer", boasts very high production values which gives this "B" grade story a style which is quite unexpected. The use of the luxurious Doheny Estate for the exterior shots is a superb choice and gives those scenes shot there an expensive look and feel so important in creating the vast difference in the fortunes of Edith and Margaret. The musical score by Andre Previn is also a great favourite of mine and is excellently chosen and incorporated into the action creating alternately eerie and oppressive feelings through the course of the film. Interestingly "Dead Ringer", is directed by Bette Davis' old "Now Voyager" co star Paul Henreid. While he might seem a strange choice for the directing duties his direction here is spot on as he lets the action move along at a leisurely pace building in tension and complexity as the story develops. He wisely allows the characters of the two sisters to be fully mapped out which allows much of the drama of when Edith pretends to be Margaret to have its own built in tension.

Glossy star vehicles for ageing actresses really are an extinct species in present day Hollywood where no one ever seems to be over 35 years of age. Thankfully the fluke success of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", allowed many actresses from the 1930's and 40's to keep working in similiar roles. Regardless of how the material in these films was viewed critically Bette Davis was never less than compelling on screen and she certainly displays all of her star quality here in "Dead Ringer" turning a fairly ordinary little thriller into something you can enjoy time and again. Passed off by many as camp fluff never to be taken seriously I instead enjoy the film and Bette Davis' performance in particular more from the point of it being from that last period of the fast disappearing studio system in he early 1960's that still saw studios tailoring vehicles for particular actors and actresses and managing to give even relatively low budget efforts such as this a gloss and sheen unheard of in the "New Hollywood", of the 1970's onwards. Enjoy Bette Davis playing twin sisters on a collison course of hatred, deception and murder in the stylish Grand Guignol thriller "Dead Ringer".

"But I am Margaret De Lorca!".......2005-08-06

By the time 1964 came around Bette Davis was having career resurgence. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was a huge hit for her and Joan Crawford; therefore, it was only logical that both actresses would be offered a variety of quasi horror and gothic-like roles. While Dead Ringer isn't really a horror film, it certainly has enough spooky and unnerving elements to involve the viewer and create an atmosphere of foreboding.

Is Dead Ringer a piece of B grade junk designed as a vehicle for a fading star's last gasp at glory? Or is it a cleverly wrought psychological thriller, made redeemable by the presence of a true star and great actress? Well, the answer is probably a bit both - theres no doubt that movie has elements of a second rate melodromatic thriller, but the film is also surprisingly tense and in the end provides a perfect showcase for the glamorous Ms. Davis to do what she does best.

Dead ringer is ultimately a campy gothic thriller about estranged twin sisters Margaret and Edith (Davis, playing both roles). The film begins with a funeral for Margaret's husband who has just died of heart failure. When the wealthy Margaret invites Edith back to her mansion in Westwood it is soon revealed that the insensitive, social-climbing Margaret actually stole Edith's insanely rich beau away from her and has since been living the high-life while Edith struggles to keep her run-down nightclub afloat.

With her rent three months in arrears and frantic for money, Edith hatches a desperate plan to murder her own sister by making it look like suicide. Thinking that she can just walk in and take over her life, Edith scrambles to carry off the masquerade, pretending she knows Margaret's safe combination by heart, or that she can differentiate between the mansion's hundred rooms, all the time trying to figure out what sort of person Margaret really was.

There are lots of surprises as Edith gradually discovers that Margaret possessed a lot of dark secrets that she was desperate to hide. Murder, betrayal, and infidelity all follow with Edith ultimately learning a hard lesson: when you adopt someone's assets, you must also accept their liabilities, for better or for worse. Viewers are in for such side attractions as Davis slapping checkbooks across rooms, contemplating burning her own hand with a red-hot fire poker, and even shoving herself backwards into a chair.

The supporting cast is strong with Carl Malden competently playing an affable, nice-guy cop who is in love with Edith, and just can't believe that she'd ever commit suicide. Jean Hagen absolutely chews up the scenery as a blithely indecent social butterfly and Estelle Winwood is terrific as a dour, doily-wearing Bible-thumper.

But in the end, Dead Ringer totally belongs to the commanding Bette Davis. This is one of her campiest and most ham-fisted roles ever, and where she's at her chain-smoking, eye popping, and out of control best. Mike Leonard August 05.

Average customer rating:

Get Your Good Clean Fresh Nasty Shallow Fun Here
TERRIFIC THRILLER ABOUT PARANOIA
A SUPERIOR THRILLER!!
Hollywood studio would have never produced `Shallow Grave'
A DEAD GUY, A BRIEFCASE FULL OF CASH... WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Shallow Grave
Starring: Kerry Fox , Christopher Eccleston , Ewan McGregor , Ken Stott , and Keith Allen
Director: Danny Boyle
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Trainspotting - Director's Cut (Collector's Edition)
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A Life Less Ordinary
Brassed Off!
The Pillow Book

ASIN: 079284405X
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Amazon.com

The first feature from director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew MacDonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (who went on to make the enormously popular Trainspotting, the not-so-well-received A Life Less Ordinary, and The Beach), Shallow Grave begins with three obnoxious roommates mockingly interrogating applicants who want to share their spacious flat. The guy they finally choose doesn't last long--they find him dead from a drug overdose along with a suitcase full of money that he no longer needs. They decide to keep the money; this of course requires that they discreetly dispose of the body, which proves to be a gruesome, traumatic business. They begin to suspect each other of betrayal and become increasingly deranged. The movie wants to be a satirical comment on the greed of British yuppies but is more an exercise in stylish paranoia, where the color of the walls matters more than why the characters behave the way they do. The clever cinematography and macabre humor make Shallow Grave worth watching, just don't expect to like anyone in it. Starring the very hip trio of Kerry Fox (An Angel at My Table, The Last Days of Chez Nous), Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Velvet Goldmine, Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace), and Christopher Eccleston (Jude, Elizabeth). --Bret Fetzer

Description

Three friends push the boundaries of trust in this hermetically sealed shocker (Los Angeles Times) from the creators of Trainspotting. Starring Kerry Fox (The Hanging Garden), Christopher Eccleston (Elizabeth) and Ewan McGregor (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), Shallow Grave is a masterpiece of terror (Movieline), riddled with hairpin turns (Boxoffice) that takes you on a fantastic ride to the lowest depths of human nature. Juliet (Fox), David (Eccleston) and Alex (McGregor) find that their new reclusive roommate has not left the bedroom for days. After kicking in the door they discover his drug over-dosed corpse and a suitcase full of money! Fatefully choosing to keep the money, they know they have to get rid of the remains. But the body won't stay buried and a careless trail from the shallow grave leads the policeand two money-hungry thugsback to the trio. And as the stakes get higher, so does the body count, not to mention their paranoia which is quickly putting their friendships in jeopardy forever!

Customer Reviews:

Get Your Good Clean Fresh Nasty Shallow Fun Here.......2006-10-19

"Shallow Grave," a 1994 black comedy-farce, was the film debut of young British director Danny Boyle, who had previously worked in British television. You can catch his work in the "Inspector Morse," and "Hamish MacBeth" series, and it's well-worth catching, if you can.

The movie starred several then-unknown actors. Kerry Fox as "Juliet Miller," Christopher Eccleston as "David Stephens," and Ewan McGregor as "Alex Law." In smaller parts it featured; as "Detective Inspector McCall," Ken Stott, who's since made a career playing tv cops, most recently "Inspector Rebus;" and Colin McCredie, whom some may remember from the last series of "Taggart." Robert Carlyle, an actor with whom Boyle had previously worked on "Hamish," was offered the starring part of "David," but turned it down.

Boyle was born on October 20,1956(same date as Viggo Mortenson), in Manchester, England, son of first generation Irish Catholic immigrants. He began working in theater: he was Artistic Director of the Royal Court from 1982-85, and then Deputy Director from 1985-87. He's since gone on to make the hits "Trainspotting," a fairly outrageous druggie film, with Ewan McGregor again, in 1996; and "28 Days Later," a zombie movie like no other, in 2002. His work tends to have a light--some might say shallow-- touch, and a taste for the fantastic.

"Shallow" is a fresh take on a hoary idea: that pots of money, no matter how acquired, will break any friendship/companionship/marriage. It's set in Edinburgh, and opens on a sweeping panorama of that city's elegant, historic New Town district. (Only exteriors were filmed in Edinburgh, however, the rest was filmed in Glasgow to take advantage of a 150,000 pound grant from that city's film board.) Three roommates, needing a fourth for financial reasons, are interviewing candidates; they're kind of snarky, but funny if you don't happen to be the interviewee. Their flat is drop dead gorgeous, big and light, full of unexpected color: you'd sure like to be the lucky one chosen. Mysterious Hugo, the man chosen, dies immediately after moving in. They never exactly know why, neither do we; all parties just assume drug overdose, especially after Hugo's found to have a suitcase full of nice crisp 100 pound notes. This sets the plot, in all its gruesome, unpredictable glory, in motion; six people will be dead by movie's end.

Boyle's first movie is pure "tartan noir," tough, funny, macabre, and couldn't be further removed from what Hollywood has recently conditioned us to. We never learn the back stories of the three main characters, nor any of the others, nor why they are acting as they do. And none of the characters are shown to be nice people, worth rooting for. In fact, in my off-the cuff memory, we haven't been presented with three such easy to dislike characters since the late John Huston's masterpiece "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," starring Humphrey Bogart as Fred C. Dobbs, John's father Walter as another of the miners, and ending with a body count about the same as "Shallow Grave's."

In sum, "Shallow Grave" is a tight, entertaining, shallow little thriller, with Boyle's trademark touch of the fantastic. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. Your feelings about it will be influenced by your fondness for the unexpected, and your willingness to sit there and let a movie take you where it will.

TERRIFIC THRILLER ABOUT PARANOIA.......2006-10-02

This is a terrific thriller about three roommates sharing the same flat in England who are looking for a fourth person to rent to. The film starts off a little comical with the three roommates, Juliet (Kerry Fox), David (Christopher Eccleston) and Alex (Ewan McGregor) sizing up the various denizens looking for a place to stay. They go through silly dialogues, and ask outrageous questions of those who wish to rent. Finally, one person shows up whom they all agree to rent to. There is a problem however: This man is more than they bargained for.

After only one night in the flat, the trio find the man dead of a drug overdose. Moreover, he has a briefcase filled with money. Instead of reporting this to the police they decide to keep the money and get rid of the body. Thinking no one will be the wiser, they dump the car and dismember the body in the woods. However, the police discover the body, and the short-lived roommate's fellow thugs discover the car. And these are not the type of men you want to cross. They deal very harshly with everyone in their quest to find their missing friend, and more importantly, the missing money.

David (Christopher Eccleston) is one hell of a case of paranoia. Although he has reason to be. However, it becomes a morbid case of paranoia when the thugs arrive on the scene. Not content with dealing with the thugs, he becomes dementedly paranoid of his fellow roommates. What I liked about the film is how it shows greed, even amongst friends, changes these three people. With Alex (Ewan McGregor) seeming to be the only normal one among them. This is an excellent thriller, and highly enjoyable. The ending is superb and highly unexpected. Highly recommended. [Stars: 4.5]

A SUPERIOR THRILLER!!.......2006-07-19

From the director that brought us the trashy movie called "The Beach," comes this fantastic thriller that has to be seen to be believed!!
If you like movies like Fargo, Blood Simple and A Simple Plan, you'll love this!! It's that type of thriller!!

Hollywood studio would have never produced `Shallow Grave'.......2006-01-17

Why is it that I watch and enjoy so many films in which Ewan McGregor appears? After finishing the substantive part of my day one evening last week, I flipped over to IFC and found `Shallow Grave' (1994) just starting. I stuck with it, and was not disappointed.

A movie fan has to love the risks that the independent filmmakers take. Danny Boyle, the same director of `Trainspotting,' did a very nice job with three rather unknown actors at the time - at least in the U.S., Kerry Fox (Juliet), Christopher Eccleston (David), and McGregor (Alex), a quirky and unusual script, a little contemporary film noir, and created an enjoyable little story. Nice work, Danny Boyle.

In synopsis, Juliet, David, and Alex live in a nice four bedroom flat and are conducting a roommate search to pay a fourth of the rent. During a dinner/interview with a prospective tenant, Hugo, played by Keith Allen, the three are impressed, perhaps excessively so, when the potential flat mate brandishes nice wad of pound notes. Very shortly after Hugo moves in, he is not to be seen. Inquisitive Alex (he's a newspaper reporter) leads the charge to break into his room only to find Hugo naked and dead. Then, Alex continues to snoop and finds a substantial cache of money in a suitcase under the bed.

In short, after some very shallow soul-searching, the trio decided to keep the money rather than to report Hugo's death to the authorities. As such, Juliet, David, and Alex David must dispose of the body, Hugo's car, and anything else that could possibly associate the deceased flat mate with the three friends. The disposal proves to be quite a grisly affair, but that is not the least of the trio's problems. Paralleling their own struggles in disposing of Hugo, Boyle introduces us to two very bad men who are also looking for the money. The audience does not know and does not necessarily need to know who these very bad men are, just that they are very bad men and are getting closer and closer to Juliet, David, and Alex.

Ironies abound in `Shallow Grave,' but one of the most fun of those ironies occurs at the point when bodies, - yes, bodies - are found in a shallow grave, and Alex is assigned by his editor at the newspaper to cover the story. Alex's front-page headline is then succeeded by an intense climax as the three "friends," each apparently on the verge or over the precipice of insanity caused by greed, face each other early one morning and then a surprise ending that includes Alex gruesomely fastened to the floor of the flat.

In a moderate budget, independent film, actors, directors, and producers tend to take more creative risks. As such, I do not believe a Hollywood studio would have ever produced `Shallow Grave'. And, if it had, Hollywood would have turned it into a watered down version of its original intention, comparable to the difference between the independent `Requiem for a Dream' and the Hollywood `Traffic.' Good for lovers of good film.

A DEAD GUY, A BRIEFCASE FULL OF CASH... WHAT WOULD YOU DO?.......2005-11-09

What would you do if you find a briefcase full of cash? Eternal question raised in so many movies... There would be no movies like this if characters decided not to take it and just leave it be. They always take it and as it's easy to understand a case full of money can't NOT belong to anyone. So here we go...
I'd say that this flick (which reminds of Sam Raimi's "A Simple Plan") is not just a criminal-action-thriller movie. It goes far beyond that and that is why it's better than the Raimi's. "Shallow Grave" explores the darkest and remotest corners of our soul and mind and shows how carelessness and exhilaration can slowly turn into paranoia and madness. The three main characters here didn't realize in the beginning that this funny and happy story will end with mistrust, quarrel, alienation and murder. And this transformation is really frightening.
Another masterpiece from Danny Boyle whose films are quite simple at first glance but very serious and psychological at second.

Average customer rating:

Useful tool for teachers
Deals with todays hot issue of school violence
a great movie with an amazing actor
True high school drama!!
Great film! Great actors!

Bang Bang You're Dead
Starring: Thomas Cavanagh , Ben Foster , Randy Harrison (II) , Janel Moloney , and Jane McGregor
Director: Guy Ferland
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Particles of Truth
Zero Day
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ASIN: B0000A2ZNK
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Customer Reviews:

Useful tool for teachers.......2007-03-14

This CD is a perfect tool to view violence from another perspective and how the zero tolerance policy can be a controversial issue.

Deals with todays hot issue of school violence.......2006-11-28

This is a very good movie. It really hits on the way schools are today. I believe everyone should see this. Watch with your children or parents and converse on what is going on. There has never been a movie like this. It gets to the point of the matter which is school bullying and what the outcome can be.

a great movie with an amazing actor.......2006-11-06

i saw this movie on showtime and i was surprised to see that this movie
was made after what happened at those schools but then i thought this is
good, a movie like this should be made because people need to know about
this kind of thing. i was one of those kids who got teased in school and
at times i felt like going and shotting the people who tormented me but i
didn't, but i think every kid who's been teased should see this movie be-
cause it can show them that you don't have to go out there and kill the
people who hurt you, you can get revenge in different ways.
i also thought randy harrison was great in this movie, i've been a fan of
his sense queer as folk and i thought he was amazing in this movie and i
think he's going to go far. i can't wait to see his next movie and any thing else he does in the future.

True high school drama!!.......2006-07-06

You know what? I saw this movie and loved it! This is a true high school drama! It is the only high school drama I would ever watch. It shows just what brutal of a place high school really is. I agree 100% with the guy who said like "bullying is true drama. Not my boyfriend ditched me or my parents caught me getting wasted and they took away my Porche". Bullying is true drama. Like I said this is the only high school drama I would ever watch. I really hate those stupid fake chick flicks that just glorify high school and have all that fake drama. I think it should be shown in all schools. I can almost gauruntee this movie would certainly change anybodys opinion on school bullying. Think before you bully somebody. You could wind up dead someday!

Great film! Great actors!.......2006-05-05

Amazing work by these two young actors, Ben Foster and Randy Harrison. The white heat of passion and intensity of these two can melt solid concrete.

Average customer rating:

Good film but I thought there were a few flaws
"God will forgive them, He'll forgive them and allow them into Heaven, I can't live with that."
A masterpiece
Wish they had 6 stars
Revenge in the Midlands

Dead Man's Shoes
Starring: Paddy Considine , Gary Stretch , Toby Kebbell , Jo Hartley , and Seamus O'Neill
Director: Shane Meadows
Manufacturer: Magnolia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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District B13
Brick
The Proposition
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Lady Vengeance

ASIN: B000GPPPTU
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com

Harrowing thriller about a hotwired ex-soldier (co-scripter Paddy Considine from Cinderella Man) who returns to his sleepy Irish village to dole out merciless revenge upon the booze- and drug-sodden hoodlums who abused his mentally handicapped younger brother (the astonishing Toby Kebbel). Director Shane Meadows (Once Upon a Time in the Midlands) doesn't shy away from delivering scenes of gripping suspense and violence, but the end result hews closer to an ambiguous meditation on the nature and effect of vengeance a la Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs than a Death Wish-style grindhouse effort. Taut and thought-provoking, Dead Man's Shoes is a must-see for indie film aficionados with a taste for the grittiest of fare. The DVD includes some rollicking commentary by Meadows, Considine, and producer Mark Herbert; an intriguing and heartfelt featurette on Meadows and his own violent past as a teenage skinhead in 1980s England, from which he drew inspiration for this film; and an alternate (and somewhat less satisfying) final scene. -- Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

Good film but I thought there were a few flaws.......2007-05-01

I love nothing better than a decent revenge film. Kill Bill Vol 1 is the finest one that I have seen. This one is set in the Derbyshire countryside and starts with Paddy Considine arriving at a disused farmhouse. It because apparent as the story unfolds that the Considine character has a retarded brother and he is hell bent on revenge for something that was done to his brother by a gang of drug dealers led by Gary Stretch. The film soon develops into a dark and disturbing bloody mission of revenge and we eventually learn the full details of the retarded brother and why his brother is so mad.

The most glaring problem that I have with this film is the lack of law enforcement. How can you butcher so many people and get away with in with no intervention by the police ? I could say the same for another recent film by the same director Shane Meadows "This Is England". The film also has a very dark heart. It doesn't seem to believe in forgiveness.

Overall I enjoyed the performances of the main characters but I thought the story was a bit too Tarantino-esque to justify any more than 3 stars.

"God will forgive them, He'll forgive them and allow them into Heaven, I can't live with that.".......2007-05-01

In mixing Hitchcock with Cassavettes, "Dead Man's Shoes" is a spare, ever-contemporary revenge yarn, yet told with an old-school, resoundingly pious sensibility. "Shoes" eventually implodes from bare-bones realism to an in-your-face epic, a harshly realistic, atmospheric story of senseless violence, its irrevocable effects and its brutal confrontation.

Directed by British art-house mainstay Shane Meadows (24:7, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands), the story takes place at a grim, anonymous small England village, where everybody seems too afraid to walk the uninviting streets, and yet nothing seems promising in the dilapidated business's and residential neighbourhoods that are hanging by a thread.

We're first introduced to Richard (Paddy Considine, who is also the film's screenwriter), and the only information we first know about him is that he's travelling with his brother Anthony, a mentally spastic younger sibling who clearly has been brutally tampered with in the not-too-distant past. Enigmatic and rather quiet (the first time hear him speak is in opening voice-over "God will forgive them for what they did. I can't allow that.", an ominously forthright prayer if there ever was one), he walks into town, stays low-key and slowly insinuates himself into local taverns and conversations with some subdued, unknowing locals.

After some initial wrangling, we find out that there is a specific agenda for his "visit": to confront a group of shady, drug-dealing, rather petty criminals, unsuspecting of the grimacing, quiet Richard, but yet their involvement with Anthony becomes clearer as flashbacks, bit by bit, tell a cold, terrifying story that has enraged the former soldier to his absolute apex, and believably so.

As Richard initially confronts them with few words other than intoning cryptic warnings, it escalates to creatively nefarious uses of spray paint, from writing threats on the oblivious thieves walls to adorning their faces with a clownish decor. As they grow from frightened to restlessly vigilant to all-too-knowing of this man's priorities, they can't go unfazed from Richard's wrath as one-by-one they meet a brutal demise.

Now all this has the metaphorical structure of an age-old western, though this cowboy is without horses, honour or heroism, and the incendiary revenge that is taken can often be worse than the crime that was committed.

"Shoes" often deftly blends this classic narrative thread with a very present-day indie sensibility (repete with the almost-vertiginous shaky camera and lots of thespian-tingled earnestness), telling a story that is both minimalist and operatic. From an oxygen-masked Considine to an ever-grungy set design, it's a film that wants it both ways, and it satisfies on both front.

Told with as much as heartfelt sincerity (Considine clearly nurtured it as a must-project and the film is undoubtedly grounded in a real-life experience, as "Shoes" often comes across as a potent personal lament) as cathartic brutality, it's a film that's impossible not to respect, and it's often quite gripping, the dingy small-town milieu is authentic and engrossingly foreboding; the religious plot overtones and it's deadly ramifications are as appropriate as they are purposely exaggerated. Considine delivers another ferociously eloquent sense of spiritual self-awakening and it's affected violence, just as he did in his vastly under-appreciated tour-de-force in My Summer of Love, inspiring as much pathos as intentionally ambiguous chills.

Ultimately, "Shoes" meets the ambitions that lye in this consistently absorbing revenge parable. Not a film to disregard, with all it's promise and veracious detail, it is not for the faint hearted.

A masterpiece.......2007-03-18

Low budget, indie spirit. But in the best meaning. The movie itself it is brilliant, but it sounds perfect (the soundtrack is another masterpiece) and the image is an achievement for a movie with low budget.
Take care, it's very darky, very strong. But a whole cinema experience.

Wish they had 6 stars.......2007-02-13

One of the most thought-provoking movies I've ever seen. Stunningly well written - superb acting -stunning direction. This movie is about revenge - pure and simple, but it takes you down the path to where all revenge truly ends up. A man comes back from the army to find his brother has been brutalized and sets out to exact revenge on those responsible - only to come to an awakening himself about the nature of revenge. DO NOT miss this film. I ran out and bought it after seeing it. You will not regret it. Exquisite!

Revenge in the Midlands.......2007-02-01

With it's storyline of an ex-soldier who returns to his hometown to take revenge on the bullies who mistreated his mentally-challenged brother, Dead Man's Shoes,directed and co-written by Shane Meadows,could be described as "Get Carter" for the 21st century. But whereas Mike Hodges 1971 film with Michael Caine was filmed with an icy detachment and featured a cold and distant central hero, Dead Man's Shoes, is shot with a restless hand-held intimacy that evokes feelings of dread and sympathy simultaneously for the mysterious but rather likable character played (very well) by Paddy Considine, who also had a hand in the script. As the bodies pile up and the bad guys begin to panic, the revenge dished out seems to be all out of proportion to the mistreatment of Considine's brother. But then, in a very clever twist, a surprise is unveiled and it's this little jolt that really makes Dead Man's Shoes a memorable and haunting experience.

Average customer rating:

good but not so good
Only rent if you really must see it.
dead next door
Awesome Movie
Dead and Bloated

The Dead Next Door
Starring: Lester Clark , Floyd Ewing Jr. , Pete Ferry , Barbara Gay , and Roger Graham (II)
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009RQRQU
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Description

The government sets up a Zombie squad after an epidemic has made the world run rampant with living corpses. Raimi, Mercer, Kuller, and others head off to Ohio to try and find a cure to the epidemic but soon run into a crazy cult of zombie lovers who are set on preserving the zombies and letting a new world be born because they believe that it's God's will. When Mercer gets infected with the zombie virus, Raimi and the others must work quickly to find a cure and avoid the cult.

Customer Reviews:

good but not so good.......2007-06-03

if you want a basic overveiw of this movie then here it is, in the dead next door we see the highest budgeted 8mm movie which there arent very many of. the bad things about this movie seem to be dissapointing to any fan of george romeros films like dawn of the dead and night of the living dead. simply because the dead dont die, because in the begining we see a man shoot a zombie in the head then cut the zombies head clean off his body, but the zombies body was still trying to eat him then the guy bent over to get his gun then the freakin zombies head bit his arm! whats up with that? and another thing is that the zombies just show up in the beginning and some of the zombies can talk. but other than that this movie has a good plot but incredibly stupid ending and is very short but it is still a movie worth watching. i wouldnt say its a must see but its worth sitting down and watching once or twice.**warning** this movie can be a dissapoint to some people but a majority of people like this movie

Only rent if you really must see it........2007-04-22

The plot had some potential, but unfortunately we ended up with this instead. It's not cheesy, it's lame. This is one of those films where characters make really dumb decisions that make no sense, or do really stupid things in the name of trying to create some tension. So much so that the movie is more tedious and boring then anything. However, because the plot wasn't bad and the effects were pretty decent I gave it 2 stars. That said, I would have to say your not missing anything by passing this one over.

dead next door.......2007-03-29

one of the best zombie filmes ever made. i think its a cult classic

Awesome Movie.......2007-02-22

I'm a huge horror movie fan. I'm more of a slasher movie kind of guy, and normally stay away from the zombie kind of movies, as I think they're quite boring. I bought this movie because I really though the cover looked cool. I know its a stupid reason to buy a movie, but I did anyway. After watching this movie, it has become one of my top 3 favorite movies of all time. The cheesey-ness is what I love about the movie. The acting is pretty awful, but I really really love the story line. You have to admit, for the amount of money this film was shot for, it has some really good special effects. I think the zombies look way better than more "higher budgeted" films like Dawn of The Dead.

Basically, if you're really into cheesey 80's gore zombie movies, then this is an absolute must have.

Dead and Bloated.......2006-11-07

My SECOND review, as my first did not get printed (AS USUAL). Anyway, I'll try to make this short and sweet. I usually try and give credits to directors, producers, writers, and actors in most of my movie reviews; however, I'm going to make an exception here. I've read other reviews that have called this gigantic turd "hilarious", "Night of the Living Dead + money + color", "wonderful for gorehounds", etc., etc., etc. All I can say is it must not take much to please you people.

This is, WITHOUT A DOUBT, the WORST excuse for a movie I've ever seen. (My most humble apologies to Tobe Hooper and "Mortuary"). The whiners of horror movies are always moaning and groaning, "why don't critics take horror movies more seriously?". Well, Einstein, here's a glowing example. This is nothing but grade D trash: horrible effects, horrible acting, horrible writing, horrible directing. You name it; it's NOT in there. This movie's most FEEBLE attempts at humor come off as just that: feeble. I bought this, together with "Dead and Breakfast", and I can't begin to tell you which one is worse.

So, here's a little advice from me: go check out a book at the library, buy a book, go to a REAL movie, have your hair done, have a manicure--do ANYTHING but waste your time on this gag-fest (for all the WRONG reasons) of a movie. Another one that I would give ZERO stars to, if I could.

Average customer rating:

Not As Bad As I Thought It Would Be
Loved It
part 1 and 2 way better !!
Among the Best of the Best!!
The army shouldn't play with dead things...but plucky teens should!

Return of the Living Dead 3
Starring: Kent McCord , James T. Callahan , Sarah Douglas , Melinda Clarke , and Abigail Lenz
Director: Brian Yuzna
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005LQ0Z
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Customer Reviews:

Not As Bad As I Thought It Would Be.......2007-03-27

I expected a movie of abominable quality when sitting down to watch it, but was a bit surprised at some of it's good points. I won't go into too many specifics here, but some thought was put into character interaction in this film and plot resolution. Some of the acting wasn't that good and there were some holes in the story, but this certainly wasn't as bad as a ROTLD sequel could have been -- it makes for a good Sci-Fi channel movie.

Loved It.......2007-01-29

It was hard for me to find this film, so when I ordered it on Amazon I wasn't disappointed. The product came exactly as described, the film was excellent for being a third chapter in the series. I recommend this film to every horror fan out there.

part 1 and 2 way better !!.......2007-01-17

1st, acting is not that good and affex arent that good either.Buy part
one and two but dont bother bying part 3.

Among the Best of the Best!!.......2007-01-17

Return of the Liveing Dead 3 I must say is among the best of zombie movies. It takes a total different direction then the first 2 Return movies but pretty much same story line. It not az ombie movie with comedy. It actually take a serious approach to it. The just of the movie is, at this point the military is useing the zombies to make some sort of super soldier for warfare. There trying to make it were the can some how control the zombies as much as they can. The director of the products son steals his keycard to get into the military base. The son and his hot girlfriend goes onto the base and catches a glimpse of the experiment. They leave though before they can see the experiment go terribly wrong. Okay then the son and his girlfriend get in a wreck were this red headed beauty is killed by a broken neck when she is thrown from the bike into a pole. The son brings her back to the miltary base were he brings her back to life. This starts the whole mess, and probably the birth of the best zombie I have ever seen. She is hott, dead and she pierce's her self and cuts her self to take the pain of the hunger away. Anyway my skills of telling ya the just of this movie sucks. All I can say is I came out knowing I watched a good horror flick, and I was sporting a giant rod. I give this move two rods up for its good direction that kept me watching and the hott dead chick. Go head give a try you won't be dissapointed.

The army shouldn't play with dead things...but plucky teens should!.......2007-01-02

If gore and comedy are your preferred combo, this seemed a passable treat. I caught it on cable, so I'm sure I missed plenty of the former. The first attack in the army base was actually pretty nasty and tense, well-filmed with the contrast between the stark white and the hideous blue/grey of the zombie. But once they're running around and the kid tries to keep his undead girlfriend under control, it was pretty laugh out loud funny.

Average customer rating:

Listless Nonsense
Interesting, but flawed
Clive Owen Is Good, But Not Good Enough To Breathe Life Into This Sleeper
I'll Sleep When I'm Done This Review
Slow-Moving Modern Noir That Actually Made Me Sleep

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Starring: Clive Owen , Charlotte Rampling , Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Malcolm McDowell , and Jamie Foreman
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002WZTJS
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Amazon.com

Mike Hodges and Clive Owen, director and star of the stylish 1998 crime drama Croupier, team a