Grim

Starring:Emmanuel Xuereb, Jack Chancer, Peter Tregloan, Michael Fitzpatrick (II), David Kennedy, Ian James, Adam Tury, Tres Hanley, Kadamba Simmons, Jules De Jongh, Nesba Crenshaw, Louise Hickson, Nadia DeLemeny, Zeb Lamb
Director: Paul Matthews (II)
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical 1993 novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility. As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humor to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Dark Dark dark and depressing.......2007-07-06

This was a waste of money. I don't discount the fine acting talents of the stars, but it was a depressing story, no matter who was starring in it. I thought there would be some hope, but the ending was too ambiguous and the whole movie was dark and depressing.

Overrated .......2007-07-03

Interesting film but wildly overrated by the critics. Confusing and ambiguous story line trips up a pretty good cast and produces a mediocre science fiction film. I am afraid that all this film really foreshadows is more bad movies to come. This film does not, by any stretch of the imagination, compare to Sci-Fi classics like Blade Runner. Save your money and watch it on cable.

I hated this movie.......2007-07-03

Bleak, weak story line..everyone is always running. very confusing and depressing and I thought it made NO sense even though I understood what was trying to be said. The ending was a joke. Don't waste your money or time! I didn't even want to give it one star! One of the worse movies I ever saw!

A Classic.......2007-07-03

I really enjoyed this movie and the sci fi element was great.
A defintie keeper to the collection.

Self-important.......2007-07-02

It's a political thriller filled with horrifying implications about our future, implications we'd really rather not face. It's timely, it's hard-hitting, and all that. So naturally I was curious and wanted to see this film that wise critics told me was foretelling our possible fate. And so I rented Black Sunday recently.

And 30 years later, the film doesn't show its age very well. It's very rooted in the 70s. It is filled with more "movie moments" than genuine truths, though those moments are well-disguised.

And that about sums up Children of Men, too. It's trying so hard to be Important. It's obviously a protest against the current war on terror and all the infighting it has generated. But it's based on a red herring--or a gimmick, to put it less charitably--and it's about as subtle as a boulder falling off a thousand foot cliff.

Folks, the issue we'll be facing in the near future won't be wars stemming from underpopulation (why terrorists are at war on this is never really explained), it will be on *over*population. More specifically, overpopulation with dwindling natural resources, and electorates everywhere who have done nothing past lip service because they're busy stuffing their pockets with donations from those who control the existing natural resources. *That's* a topic I'd like to see a grim movie like this tackle. But it just might make theater-goers a little uncomfortable as they climb into their Hemi pickups and SUVs afterwards.

So instead we get this self-important movie that either the NY or LA Times (I forget which) says frightens us because we know, deep down, this could be our future. I'd say it's watchable and enjoyable because deep down we know this isn't our future. Is there really an infertility epidemic going on that I'm unaware of? There are grave problems threatening us today, and not one of them is in this film. There's not much in this film, really. It's a cleverly-disguised action thriller, Mad Max meets Brazil (both better movies, btw).

In addition to the red herring of infertility (which is never explained, by the way...Nor do we have any reason to believe the child at the end will survive any better than anyone else, especially since she's a preemie, so the whole ending felt pointless to me), there's the infighting. Here the message is obvious, driven home by power tools, and in case you're out getting popcorn during this bit the director constantly has huge overbearing signs in all the locations with messages like "Report Suspicious Activity." Yes, I know there are really such signs nowadays. Yes, I get the indictment of what's going with British and American governments currently. Anyone who hasn't been lobotomized gets it. But after beating us up with it, the filmmakers don't develop it, doesn't make a point past the obvious one. By contrast, look at the odyssey the central character in Brazil undergoes, and how it affects both him and the people he loves and looks out for.

What stymied me after watching Children of Men was that such a one-dimensional movie impressed all the high-brow critics. Then I went back and reread the 1970s reviews for Black Sunday and understood. So often films that seem so foretelling look naive a couple decades later. It's hard to predict the weight of your warning when you are so close to it--and this film is very emotionally-close to its subject. I make the prediction right here and now that this film will play very different on our consciousness 30 years from now, as environmental warnings from the 70s about an impending ice age do today.

And this wasn't particularly groundbreaking filmmaking either. We have a standard stock of characters here: the reluctant hero who rediscovers his idealism after a great personal loss, the old flame who reunites him with his past ways (and geeze, Julianne Moore has one of the most heavy-handed, literally un-believable entrances in screen history here), the sacrificing fatherly figure (did anyone not know how that part was going to end?), the shining young woman who represents Hope, and so on.

Children of Men is the latest in a line of Syrianna/Constant Gardener/Traffic-type films, with sprawling plots, timely messages, a documentary look, lots of violence, a backdrop of decaying society, large cast of characters, etc. Except the other films had valid conceits. That's the difference.

The disc looks great, however, and there's plenty of bangy-boomy sound to give your subwoofers a workout. There are several small featurettes about the making of the film, including a nifty pieces demonstrating worldlessly how they created the CGI baby. No trailer, oddly. But after you, not believing my review, rent this anyway, go see Brazil, a far deeper film that has turned out to be eerily accurate about how things are shaping up (terrorist wars that drag on and bankrupt governments, governments that are pennywise and pound foolish, drone workers whose only escape is disembodied fantasy, trying to achieve immortality through plastic surgery, wrapped presents that are destroyed at checkpoints, consumerism run rampant and in the guise of patriotism or religious fervor). That's the difference between a pseudo-intellectual movie and a film that really makes you think.

Average customer rating:

true classic
Great Movie, but this is not the Special Edition DVD.
Man plus Machine equals Schwarzenegger!
Great movie
The Terminator

The Terminator (Special Edition)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Michael Biehn , Linda Hamilton , Paul Winfield , and Lance Henriksen
Director: James Cameron
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005N5S5
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Amazon.com essential video

This is the film that cemented Schwarzenegger's spot in the action-brawn firmament, and it was well deserved. He's chilling as the futuristic cyborg who kills without fear, without love, without mercy. James Cameron's story and direction are pared to the bone and all the more creepy. But don't overlook the contributions of Linda Hamilton, who more than holds her own as the Terminator's would-be victim, Sarah Connor--thus creating, along with Sigourney Weaver in Alien, a new generation of rugged, clear-thinking female action stars. It's surprising how well this film holds up, and how its minimalist, malevolent violence is actually way scarier than that of its far more expensive, more effects-laden sequel. --Anne Hurley

Description

In the year 2029, the ruling super-computer, Skynet, sends an indestructible cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before she can fulfill her destiny and save mankind.

Customer Reviews:

true classic.......2007-06-27

Schwarzeneggers Terminator debut is the best one in my
opinion but the technic isnt that good escpecially in
the last scenes animation of the robot ist done quit
simple for its time ok but today truely bad.
as for the imagequality forget about that fast.

Blu Ray is no magician but it is defenetly the best version when it comes to clear pictures
but no comparison to a new movie thats filmed with HD equipment.

Great Movie, but this is not the Special Edition DVD........2007-06-23

Don't be fooled, I have been looking everywhere for the Real Special Edition DVD.

The first DVD was a barebones Disc that was non-anamorphic. Then in 2001 MGM released the Special Edition with the following features.

- Other Voices Documentry.
- Terminator: a retrospective fetturette.
- Deleted Scenes with optional Commentary
- Theatrical trailers and TV spots.
- DVD-ROM features.

The DVD that Amazon is selling is only includes one trailer and some DVD-ROM stuff. I can't find the Special Edition DVD anywhere. Also, there are three Reagon 2 releases, a Special Editon, a Definitive Edition, and an Ultimate Edition! Why aren't there any Reagon 1 Ultimate Editions, all we have is a barebones Disc with no good extras. Someone tell me where I can find the Reagon 1 Special Edition DVD.

Man plus Machine equals Schwarzenegger!.......2007-06-16

Entertainment Weekly recently touted the first sequel ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day") to this film as being one of The Twenty-Five Best Action Films of all time. That title may be an accurate assessment of the non-stop action of the sequel but what would it have been without its predecessor which ranks as one of the best science fiction commentaries on the path that we may be going with our computer-dependent society.

James Cameron scored a casting coup when he gave the role to Arnold. At the time, the muscle-bound actor had had a few films under his belt, films that played mostly on his physical appearance and his novice acting skills. "The Terminator" character was short on dialogue but Cameron made the best of his star by providing him with one-line zingers and stares that could wake the dead.

To call the part "tailor-made" for Schwarzenegger would be a major understatement. He was muy perfecto.

Linda Hamilton, not yet the household name that she would become for TV's "Beauty and the Beast," as well as not yet the future "Mrs. James Cameron," is appropriately confused and terrified as the waitress that would ultimately become the mother of the man that would rescue humanity.

Michael Biehn is well-cast as the other traveler from the future, intent on preventing Arnold's malevolent cyborg from doing his killing-thing.

Stan Winston's effects still hold their own after almost a quarter of a century.

Great movie.......2007-06-07

Great movie, pretty impressive FX for it's time. The Blu-ray version suffers a little due to this movie's old master. It's no where near being Pirates of the Carabean clear (Probably the best Blu-ray video quality so far).

There are some extras, one which show the making of the FX, which is a plus.

But for 19 dollars, it's a no brainer. Get Blu-Ray version if you don't already own DVD version.

The Terminator.......2007-05-27

Lots of action from beginning to end. If you love an action film, this is for you!

Schwarzenegger was a perfect pick to play this character.

Average customer rating:

Das Boot
Great combat movie.
Gripping epic of war at sea
Jurgen Prochnow excellent. Oscar-worthy performance.
THE KING OF ALL SUBMARINE EPICS!!!

Das Boot - The Director's Cut
Starring: Jürgen Prochnow , Herbert Grönemeyer , Klaus Wennemann , Hubertus Bengsch , and Martin Semmelrogge
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0767802470
Release Date: 1997-12-10

Amazon.com essential video

This is the restored, 209-minute director's cut of Wolfgang Petersen's harrowing and claustrophobic U-boat thriller, which was theatrically rereleased in 1997. Originally made as a five-hour miniseries, this version devotes more time to getting to know the crew before they and their stoic captain (Jürgen Prochnow) get aboard their U-boat and find themselves stranded at the bottom of the sea. Das Boot puts you inside that submerged vessel and explores the physical and emotional tensions of the situation with a vivid, terrifying realism that few movies can match. As Petersen tightens the screws and the submerged ship blows bolts, the pressure builds to such unbearable levels that you may be tempted to escape for a nice walk on solid land in the great outdoors--only you wouldn't dream of looking away from the screen. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Das Boot.......2007-07-06

Originally a 210-minute German mini-series edited down to feature length, "Boot" is haunting and works as an anti-war piece precisely because it is seen from the losing side. German actor Jurgen Prochnow turns in an intense portrayal of the boat's desperate captain. The film's other star--Peterson's camera--roves through the sub fluidly, never allowing the viewer a breath of escape or boredom.

Great combat movie........2007-07-01

I've heard it said that combat is long periods of boredom, punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Well, this movie has it in spades.

From what I know of WWII history, this movie is accurate. Beyond that, you spend hours in the confined quarters of desperate men making the best they can of a bad situation.

Naturally, the movie ends on a down note.

Quite a ride. Loved it.

Gripping epic of war at sea.......2007-06-28

This is the model for films about war at sea. The direction and photography are expert: there are very few scenes that look like model work, and you have no trouble believing you are on board the U-boat under the most perilous of conditions. I did think some of the depth charge explosions were too close to be survivable, but I'll accept that as arising from the film's need to get explosions and submarine into the same frame. The crew show a believable and gripping range of characteristics and emotions, including courage, desperation, and ingenuity. These men believe in their country but have little time for ideology. They have a bond that holds them together under the worst of circumstances, and the first-rate acting makes that very real. The ending brings home the cost and futility of war.

Jurgen Prochnow excellent. Oscar-worthy performance........2007-06-12

I only wish some of these long-winded reviewers would stop trying to be Roger Ebert.

Film is terrific. Must see. Fine writing/direction. Walfgang Petersen is another A-list director, no doubt about it.
The only quibble is this: film is on the looong side. Saw the original version in a theatre way back when it came out--and it was just about right. This version, though, just might leave your poor backside aching after a while.

Definitely worth getting. Might be the BEST submarine film ever made.

THE KING OF ALL SUBMARINE EPICS!!!.......2007-06-03

This is the type of movie that you watch when you are really longing for a submarine movie. This is a well-made and very realistic epic of a real life German U-boat in WW II Be prepared to spend the whole day watching because it is very long but very worthwhile. It is a must see!

Noel Serrano

Average customer rating:

Compulsory For Anbody Thinking of Using
Pacino Can't Save a Tired Script
Al Pacino's first starring role, a stunning debut.
The Boredom in Needle Park
Pacino and Wynn

The Panic in Needle Park
Starring: Al Pacino , Kitty Winn , Alan Vint , Richard Bright , and Kiel Martin
Director: Jerry Schatzberg
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000A9QK6E
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Customer Reviews:

Compulsory For Anbody Thinking of Using.......2007-06-27

I was a little taken aback by the film's "PG" rating. Drug use is treated frankly, there's some strong language and fleeting nudity. But then I thought why shouldn't young people of a certain age see this film. They are the most vulnerable in being ensnared into the drug culture and maybe they should heed the film's cautionary message. I also found the timing of this film's release, 1971, interesting because it comes at a time when the drug culture was in full bloom and we were only a few years removed from "Easy Rider". The selling point is, of course, Al Pacino who is nothing short of amazing as the small-time thief who goes from pecking to full-blown addiction. I thought this was more Kitty Winn's picture, though. Her character could be anybody's daughter who for reason's unknown takes up a serious drug habit. The film is essentially a love story between Pacino and Winn's characters. I couldn't decide whether the love between the two brought a little light to their dismal straits or that they were enabling each other into a worse addiction. For obvious reasons the film's message is timeless because, unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. Pacino and director Jerry Schatzberg would later collaborate on another seventies gem, "Scarecrow", that is well worth checking out.

Pacino Can't Save a Tired Script.......2007-06-26

I can't help but compare this film to Drugstore Cowboy, another drama detailing the life of heroin users. The comparison does not favor Panic. While Drugstore Cowboy feels like a story written by someone who really knows what it's like to be a junkie (it was), this tale feels like it was written by an intellectual who had never touched smack but thought it would be cool to write a story about strung-out people. The whole thing feels affected, stale, acted out. You can't help but love Al Pacino, overacting in an endearing way in the earliest days of his career. And Kitty Winn, the actress who plays Pacino's partner in crime here, is cute and charming in a Margot Kidder/Karen Allen kind of way. But actors' charms aside, the film is bland and sterile. Skip this and go watch Drugstore Cowboy, which will make you feel like you are really inside the world of a group of heroin users.

Al Pacino's first starring role, a stunning debut........2007-04-08

Thirty-six years (1971) after it came out it is finally being released on DVD. This stark and grim film was heavily criticized by critics mostly because of its brutal and honest drug content. Filmed on location in New York City, THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK, marked the real beginning of what was to become the amazing career of one of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen the legendary Al Pacino. Great movie that I am happy is finally making its way to video. The movie had been released in Europe for some time but never in the United States that is until now. I will definitely be purchasing this underrated movie classic that for years has become among die-hard Pacino fans one of his most sought after movies ever. To the studio that finally thought about releasing this movie after so many years of waiting I thank you kindly.

The Boredom in Needle Park.......2007-02-12

This film drags along at snails pace, without any discernible plot. Although occasionally one is hinted at, it never seems to unfold. The "highlights" are a couple of extended, graphic heroin injection scenes, and otherwise two hours of muddy, low register mumbling of street jive and drug talk. After an hour it became a struggle just to sit through, but I forced myself to keep watching, convinced it was all leading to 'something'. Unfortunately it wasn't, and nothing happens.

Pacino himself is not remotely convincing as a down and out addict, and he doesn't fit in at all with the junkie crew. The lone saving grace is Pacino's creepy brother Hank (played by Richard Bright), who convincingly portrays a career burgular. His scenes and character draw you in, but unfortunately he vanishes midway, and we're back to dragged out scenes of Pacino and his girl slumped in bedrooms, high and staring vacantly into space.

Maybe this film will be of some interest to the Pacino-completist, but my personal advice would be to steer clear. And this is coming from both a Pacino fan, and a fan of 70s American cinema. Otherwise if you still want to proceed, a shot of heroin may be necessary before viewing.

Pacino and Wynn.......2007-02-05

A true (*****) star movie is one that: 1.) Makes you think 2.) Makes you cry 3.) Makes you shudder 4.) then think again.
Ordinary People, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Goodfellas, Shawshank Redemption, and "I Want To Live", are five star movies.
This IS a five star movie.
The writing is rough, the characters are flawed, camera angles are off, yet this film is gripping to the core. I first saw this film on AMC when AMC was a pay channel. My first impression was,... how can a film end this way?
On second viewing,... what a masterpiece.
Pacino is at his (RAW) best. Wynn,... how can anyone act in this manner if they truly aren't like this in true life?
Moving and thought provoking.
(*****)

Average customer rating:

now I remember
Environmental degradation, extreme poverty in 2022. No way right?
A smart, powerful, and still timely cautionary tale
Heston discovers a REALLY inconvenient truth
Still waiting for it

Soylent Green
Starring: Charlton Heston , Leigh Taylor-Young , Chuck Connors , Joseph Cotten , and Brock Peters
Director: Richard Fleischer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00009NHBM
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Amazon.com

Charlton Heston seemed fond of starring in apocalyptic science-fiction films in the late 1960s and early '70s. There was Planet of the Apes, of course, and The Omega Man. But there was also 1973's Soylent Green, a strange detective film (based on Harry Harrison's Make Room! Make Room!) set in 2022 and starring Heston as a Manhattan cop trying to solve a murder in the overpopulated, overheated city. His roommate (a necessity in the overcrowded metropolis), played by Edward G. Robinson, tries telling him about a better time on Earth before there were no more resources or room left; but Heston doesn't care. Directed by Richard Fleischer (The Vikings), the film has a curious but largely successful mix of mystery and bleak futuristic vision, somewhat like Blade Runner but without the extraordinary art direction. This was Robinson's last film and he's easily the best thing about it; his final scene seems terribly appropriate in retrospect. Joseph Cotten makes an appearance as the man whose murder results in the revelation of a shocking secret. --Tom Keogh

Description

The is the year 2022. Overcrowding, pollution, and resource depletion have reduced society's leaders to finding food for the teeming masses. The answer is Soylent Green -- an artificial nourishment whose actual ingredients are not known by the public. Thorn is the tough homicide detective who stumbles onto the secret so terrifying no one would dare believe him.

Customer Reviews:

now I remember.......2007-06-27

Hadn't seen this movie for decades. Hasn't been on TV anywhere so I bought it. Now I know why. Simple plot, little or no SPX and just plain boring all around.
Oh well, they can't all be winners....

Environmental degradation, extreme poverty in 2022. No way right? .......2007-06-11

I saw this in the now defunct Northland theater in Southfield Michigan. The theater had only 1 screen. And it didn't change films every other week like they do now(Funny girl was shown here as the only feature for over a year!). But hey I digress. Released in 1973, Soylent Green's future shows global warming reeking havoc, extreme poverty, corporations running things, extreme food shortages, energy shortages and overpopulation. Pretty prophetic I'd say. As for the food shortages Soylent Corporation comes to the rescue with their Soylent food- tasteless food squares in different colors that look a lot like the low fat snacks that my wife buys.

Charlton Heston is fantastic as NYC Detective Thorn who is investigating the murder of a rich but troubled man (played by Joseph Cotton). He is troubled because he knows the secret of the powerful Soylent Corporation. Because of NYC overcrowding and poverty(40 mil and counting) Detective Thorn is overburdened and underpaid so the police of the future have no qualms about helping themselves to a deadman's belongings, including his live in prostitute (how cool is that). It appears that between 1973 and 2022 they did not seem to make any new cars, firearms or trash trucks which are sometimes used for the secondary purpose of scooping up disorderly citizens. The movie does not have the production values and special effects of a futuristic movie like Bladerunner but these are minor points of contention for an otherwise fine film. This DVD is shown in widescreen and for the true fan it has a commentary track with actress Leigh Taylor-Young and Director Richard Fleisher giving interesting behind the scenes info.

Edward G. Robinson is excellent as Sol, Thorn's assisant or 'book' as he is referred to. This was Robinson's 101st and last film. In a memorable and famous scene with Heston, Sol decides to end his life after finding out the horrible secret of Soylent Greens origin. Unfortunately Robinson passed away shortly after this film was released. This DVD should be in every sci-fi fans library.

A smart, powerful, and still timely cautionary tale.......2007-06-06

Like most people, I knew the shocking secret of the film long before actually watching it. But I was truly surprised to discover what a strong film it remains to this day, presenting a grim but convincing picture of a world in rapid decline, both materially & culturally. Even better, it credits the audience with intelligence & lets us put the pieces together as we watch, rather than hitting us over the head with speeches & statistics.

Are the minimal effects & overall design dated? Of course -- but that's totally beside the point. Ideas are what matter here, not gloss. True science-fiction isn't about prediction, it's about speculation: what if? And it's often commentary on & criticism of the present. This film is a perfect case in point. If the details haven't aged well, the essence remains as searingly potent as ever.

What strikes me is the restrained, casual tone of the picture, presenting a corrupt & apathetic world so matter-of-factly. Our coarsened hero Thorn (an excellent Charlton Heston) is so obviously a product of that world, shaped by its anomie & mounting despair. Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson in a heartfelt final appearance) is the dwindling counterpoint, no more than a living memory of a better, cleaner world that Thorn can't even begin to imagine. And Leigh Taylor-Young's Shirl is a tragic figure, sensitive but wearily accepting of her role in a society that has no place or pity for her humane spirit.

The background is filled with throwaway lines that almost slide by without calling attention to themselves: asking a bodyguard if he can read or write, thus establishing the collapse of literacy; marveling at something as common to us as a glass of ice, indicating its scarcity; succumbing to the temptation of a rare hot shower, rather than sex or money. A sickening yellow-green pall fills the screen in all outdoor scenes; a palpable weariness & desperation covers everyone like a thickening layer of dust. The viewer feels as grimy & sweaty & unwashed as any of the characters. In some ways, it's a brutally realistic version of "Idiocracy" long before that satiric film.

Most telling is the transformation of human beings into disposable commodities by the corporate masters of the world. From young women called "furniture," to the literal scooping up of hungry rioters, to the secret of Soylent Green itself, the mass of humanity exists to be used, traded, bought & sold to satisfy the greed of a handful of the rich & powerful. Which doesn't seem all that far-fetched these days ...

When we get to the final scenes with Sol, dying before screen images of the green earth he knew as a child, it's as jolting to the viewer as it is to a stunned Thorn, who finally realizes just how much both humanity & the world have lost. And the age of the film is actually a reminder that the greenhouse effect & global warming were well-known over 30 years ago, only to be ignored & disregarded since that time in favor of corporate interests. Dated? Not in this regard!

All in all, it's the sort of film that probably wouldn't get made today, not unless it was packed with CGI effects, massive explosions, a larger body count, and a lot less intelligence. But if you're ready for a thought-provoking story, you won't do much better than this fine science-fiction film. And the commentary by director Richard Fleischer & Leigh Taylor-Young is informative & articulate, adding to the experience. Most highly recommended!

Heston discovers a REALLY inconvenient truth.......2007-06-03

In an overcrowded, overheated world where nature is dying, a cop (Charlton Heston) investigates the assassination of an executive (Joseph Cotton) of the company that manufactures most of the world's food supply, learning a terrible secret in the process. Although the look of this 70s SF movie is dated (please tell me that the scarf Heston wears throughout the film won't come back into style), its story is more relevant than ever. This is a world where global warming has gone unchecked and the most powerful nation in the world has been reduced to third world poverty. One can only imagine how bad it is elsewhere.

I'm usually not a big fan of remakes, but this film would be a good candidate for an update. Not only is the message appropriate for today's audience, but just imagine what they could do now with the food riot scenes and the machines that scoop up the rioters with huge shovels. Heston bellows one of his most memorable lines ever in this one: "Soylent Green is ------!" ranks right up there with "Keep your hands off me, you damn, dirty ape!"

Still waiting for it.......2007-05-15

I will be willing to send you any details that help other customers. But I have not received the movie yet. According to Amazon prediction of approximate delivery, the item should be arriving today, May 15, at the latest. Unless this occurs in the afternoon today, this did not happen. I understand that there may be some delay, due to the international delivery process, so I expect to get it in the next few days. especially because whatever I have bought from Amazon in the past has always arrived to my door without any problem. M. Ferreira.

Fight Club (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

I dislike violent films, and I love this movie
Bad
This movie kicks....
Anarchy anyone?
If you are ready to wake up and do more than just behave ...

Fight Club (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Edward Norton , Brad Pitt , Meat Loaf , Helena Bonham Carter , and Zach Grenier
Director: David Fincher
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003W8NM
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Product Description

2-Disc set is loaded with Extra Punch!

Bonus Features

Four audio commentaries by the cast and crew, including David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter.
Five deleted scenes and outtakes.
Original sketches, oil paintings, storyboards, publicity stills and lobby cards.
17 behind-the-scenes vignettes.
Anamorphic widescreen format
Languages:English 5.1 surround; English and French Dolby Surround

And much more!

System Requirements:
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto, Van Quattro, Markus Redmond, Michael Girardin, and Rachel Singer. Directed By: David Fincher. Running Time: 139 Min., Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 Twentieth Century Fox.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

All films take a certain suspension of disbelief. Fight Club takes perhaps more than others, but if you're willing to let yourself get caught up in the anarchy, this film, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, is a modern-day morality play warning of the decay of society. Edward Norton is the unnamed protagonist, a man going through life on cruise control, feeling nothing. To fill his hours, he begins attending support groups and 12-step meetings. True, he isn't actually afflicted with the problems, but he finds solace in the groups. This is destroyed, however, when he meets Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), also faking her way through groups. Spiraling back into insomnia, Norton finds his life is changed once again, by a chance encounter with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), whose forthright style and no-nonsense way of taking what he wants appeal to our narrator. Tyler and the protagonist find a new way to feel release: they fight. They fight each other, and then as others are attracted to their ways, they fight the men who come to join their newly formed Fight Club. Marla begins a destructive affair with Tyler, and things fly out of control, as Fight Club grows into a nationwide fascist group that escapes the protagonist's control.

Fight Club, directed by David Fincher (Seven), is not for the faint of heart; the violence is no holds barred. But the film is captivating and beautifully shot, with some thought-provoking ideas. Pitt and Norton are an unbeatable duo, and the film has some surprisingly humorous moments. The film leaves you with a sense of profound discomfort and a desire to see it again, if for no other reason than to just to take it all in. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

I dislike violent films, and I love this movie.......2007-06-25

Fight Club MUST be seen twice to be truly understood. Can't say more than that, it would ruin the fun.
This film was way ahead of its time in its devastatingly exact portrayal of the emptiness of its time. Give this puppy a few decades and it will be seen as perhaps the finest celluloid expression of millenial ennui/nihilism. The violence is entirely necessary to the experience, and this isn't the standard defense-industry-sponsored Hollywood Gun Porn; it's straight-up bare-knuckle brawling, and its visceral point hits home hard. In the anesthetized homogenized consumerist vacuum of a culture that we call home, it takes at least a few solid shots to the jaw to begin to wake up from our American Dream/Nightmare.
Fight Club was widely panned upon release, and no wonder. This is one of the most subversive major studio films of all time, intelligently deconstructing modern film and the entertainment/distraction industry in general. Fight Club's heroes blow up the headquarters of credit card companies (!) in a decidedly unapologetic way...not really the message our Feudal Lords wish us to ponder while being entertained. Why not buy a copy on your Mastercard just for kicks, but whatever you do don't burn it for everyone you know just because the message of this film is more important than making money for the system this flick slams at every turn.
So many hidden details, so much black humor (the Ikea lifestyle catalog scene is brilliant), three excellent lead performances, tremendous writing (Palahniuk must have been thrilled with the adaptation), a wild score, state of the art editing, sets, and direction, and so much more.
But, and this can not be overstated, you absolutely have to see it twice; the second viewing is a completely different animal, and will make you realize how thoroughly manipulated we are by modern culture, no matter how above and beyond it we think we may be.
For a culture constantly and adoringly staring up its own ahole, Fight Club is a satisfyingly violent enema.

Bad.......2007-06-24

I was like ok, everyone talked about fight club likes its the greatest movie of all time plus I am a huge Brad Pitt fan so let me just buy it without ever seeing it. Big mistake. The only interesting aspect of this movie is the ending revelation of the relationship between Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Other than that, it was a waste of a lot of time. This movie was no short. But, than again, I am hard to entertain but I suggest that before you buy it, bit torrent it first!

This movie kicks...........2007-06-17

Fight Club....so fresh when it came out, and still so. Man, the action, the comedy, the drama.....and so so so so well put together. Ed Norton has a very controlled, boringly normal, compulsively square life. Then he joins a fight club, and Brad Pitt (smokin hot in this movie...it had to be said) steps into his life. I don't want to give away any twists or turns, but I will just say that while a little violent, the movie is amazing to watch. It's so well acted, and adventerous, and like nothing else you'll see.

Anarchy anyone?.......2007-06-15

Fight Club is a crude raunchy slugfest that knocks the wind out of you like an unsuspecting kick to the balls. Edward Norton a mealy mouthed insurance inspector runs into his antihero, a wise smart mouth punk, who knows what ails today's men. They have lost their animal instinct, the bloodlust, and their will to survive. The two start up a clandestine bare knuckle fight club. Surprisingly clubs spring up everywhere. The members begin to worship Pitt and Norton like gods. Things take a turn for the worse as the fight clubs turn its energy on society. Norton slowly but surely begins to realize that there is something really familiar about Pitt. This is really a great film if you're planning to be part of the new revolution; of course we all know the first rule.

If you are ready to wake up and do more than just behave ..........2007-06-14

I loved this movie. It give a much needed message while providing excellent, though dark, entertainment. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs to grow a pair!

Average customer rating:

Blow movie
mildly entertaining, but then just plain irritating
AMAZzzzing movie..!
A okay film
No honor among thieves... or anybody else for that matter.

Blow (Infinifilm Edition)
Starring: Tony Amendola , Penélope Cruz , Cliff Curtis , Johnny Depp , and Dan Ferro
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: B00003CXWV
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Amazon.com

A briskly paced hybrid of Boogie Nights and Goodfellas, Blow chronicles the three-decade rise and fall of George Jung (Johnny Depp), a normal American kid who makes a personal vow against poverty, builds a marijuana empire in the '60s, multiplies his fortune with the Colombian Medellín cocaine cartel, and blows it all with a series of police busts culminating in one final, long-term jail sentence. "Your dad's a loser," says this absentee father to his estranged but beloved daughter, and he's right: Blow is the story of a nice guy who made wrong choices all his life, almost single-handedly created the American cocaine trade, and got exactly what he deserved. As directed by Ted Demme, the film is vibrantly entertaining, painstakingly authentic... and utterly aimless in terms of overall purpose.

We can't sympathize with Jung's meteoric rise to wealth and the wild life, and Demme isn't suggesting that we should idolize a drug dealer. So what, exactly, is the point of Blow? Simply, it seems, to present Jung's story as the epitome of the coke-driven glory days, and to suggest, ever so subtly, that Jung isn't such a bad guy, after all. Anyone curious about his lifestyle will find this film amazing, and there's plenty of humor mixed with the constant threat of violence and paranoid anxiety. Demme has also populated the film with a fantastic supporting cast (although Penélope Cruz grows tiresome as Jung's hedonistic wife), and this is certainly a compelling look at the other side of Traffic. Still, one wishes that Blow had a more viable reason for being; like a wild party, it leaves you with a hangover and a vague feeling of regret. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Based on a true story, Blow gives us a fast-paced look at the quick rise and fall of George Jung (Johnny Depp) who became a premier importer of Colombian cocaine, in the turbulent 1970's, forever changing the face of drugs in America.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
DVD ROM Features
DVD ROM exclusive web site
Documentary
Filmographies
Music Video
Outtakes
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Blow movie.......2007-06-14

I did not receive this product at all, I tracked its progress and it said it was sent to me, but I never did receive, I attempted to contact Amazon about this order and there was no reply. I was very dissatisfied and felt like someone stole my money.

mildly entertaining, but then just plain irritating.......2007-06-12

I bought this the other day on a whim at a garage sale.

First off, a technical matter: where the hell is the closed captioning on this DVD? I have a hard time understanding what's being said unless I can also read someone's lips. On a 14" TV, that's not always possible. Thus, I appreciate closed captioning. I am sure deaf people do too. This is the first DVD I've seen in a long time that does not include it in the standard features, or if it does, I sure as hell couldn't find it.

Second, the movie itself: at a certain point I lost all sympathy for George Jung. You can root for a small-time pot dealer who is in cahoots with a stewardess to smuggle marijuana cross-country. Even as his greed gets the best of him, nobody's getting killed, nobody's dying of overdoses. But it's hard to have much sympathy for a character who works for a drug lord who shot a man in cold blood at the "job interview."

Jung knew firsthand the damage cocaine was doing to his friends' and wife's health. He saw with his own eyes the damage it was doing to innocent people in Columbia. He wasn't just an addict without the willpower to stop himself from doing another line. He was running the largest drug-smuggling ring in the country.

Boo hoo. He lost his daughter's trust when he didn't show up to take her to California. That trip wasn't meant to make Kristina Jung happy, it was to prove to himself that he was at heart a good dad.

This is one of those movies that irritates me precisely because it could have been excellent. I don't mean that it should have become an anti-drug screed (few things are more tiresome than those), but it could have been vastly improved by the director and screenwriter having more emotional distance from Jung. The problem is not that Jung believes the things he tells himself about himself, it is that Ted Demme does too.

Also, I have yet to see a movie with Penelope Cruz in it in which she does not completely annoy me.

AMAZzzzing movie..!.......2007-05-23

this is def one of my favorite movies!! i love it. pure genius. great and captivating movie. i know it sounds cheesey. but this movie really is great. get it!!! i was really pleased w/ the fast delivery too. THIS IS A MUST SEE and theres no doubt about it that this will become one of your top favs as well.

A okay film.......2007-04-30

not one of Jhonny Depps beast movies it was okay kinda sad that he couldn't stop dealing drugs, to be with his family. well all in all it was an okay film.

No honor among thieves... or anybody else for that matter........2007-04-23

I have to admit I passed this one by for quite a few months at Blockhead. I was intrigued by the stars, put off by the topic... until I read further into it and discovered this movie was not some drug culture self-glorification eulogy. And then I discovered it was about George Jung, the real life character who introduced Columbian cocaine so devastatingly onto the American drug scene. Rather than repeat the synopsis already presented in the Editorial Reviews, I'll just comment on the things that struck me most poignantly in the film.

1) If ever a young man was influenced by his mother's faults, George Jung was he. George had the same personality as his father--hard working, good hearted, and loyal. But the father was condemned to a life of poverty, damned by his refusal to leave a losing plumbing & heating business. "Without us, people would freeze to death!" The mother, I believe, knew in advance that the father would never be a financial success, and that is exactly why she married him. As long as he was around never earning quite enough to satisfy her, she had a crutch, her eternal 'but-for.' "But for that loser, I coulda had a nice house. But for that bum, I coulda had new drapes." This sick, symbiotic relationship did a lot of damage to young George. When he was growing up he did not have access to the pop psychology books that could have alerted him to the debilitating scripts that his parents wrote for themselves. The precise damage done to young George was in convincing him that adequate money could cure any shortcoming life might saddle him with. And that shortcoming leads me to Point 2, George's monster-wife-from-hell, Mirtha, beautifully rendered by Penelope Cruz.

2) In marrying Mirtha, George married his mother. George was the modern day equivalent of the Greek tragic hero, Oedipus. The only difference was that where Mom needed a nice brownstone to wow the neighbors, Mirtha needed a nice palace--Versailles will do--to wow the jet-set. When George stumbled, and both the Jung men were genetically programmed to stumble, Mirtha, the monster wife, was there to rub his nose in it right on cue. Did you happen to pick up on the first two times George got busted? He was ratted out by first his mom, then by Mirtha. His mom did it not because she thought he was doing something wrong, but because she had to regain her stature in the community. After all, everyone already knew about George's drug doings, so what better way to shut the neighbors up when George came home for an illicit visit than to dial 9-1-1? However, when Mirtha did it, it was out of pure meanness. She was mad and she had to take it out on George.

3) George was basically a good man in spite of his misplaced business focus, and that goodness was also his fatal flaw. George was loyal to a fault, not a good quality in an industry plagued by disloyalty. He'd been ratted out by his mother and his wife, so it stands to reason that the third time George got busted was when his closest, lifelong friends set him up with the feds. Where's the honor among thieves? Perhaps there never was any.

--Ejner Fulsang, author of "A Destiny of Fools", Aarhus Publishing, 2006

Average customer rating:

WHAT A CRAZY TWIST!
So many missteps
Sleeper
A feel good movie.
Entertaining well made film about a difficult subject

Sleepers
Starring: Kevin Bacon , Billy Crudup , Robert De Niro , Vittorio Gassman , and Minnie Driver
Director: Barry Levinson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: 0790729393
Release Date: 1997-04-01

Product Description

The judicial system is supposed to protect them. But when a youthful prank in New Yorks Hells Kitchen spins out of control, the punishment does not fit the crime. Sentenced to the Wilkinson School for Boys, four pals are mistreated at will by a cadre of sadistic guards. Now, 15 years later, they have an unexpected opportunity to use that system-for revenge. Friendship. Loyalty. Retribution. From its telltale opening lines to its stunning courtroom climax, Sleepers is spellbinding entertainment. With a vengeance.

System Requirements:
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, and Jason Patric Director: Barry Levinson Interactive Menus Production Notes Scene Access Theatrical Trailer Languages: English and French Subtitles: English, French and Spanish Widescreen version presented in a "letterbox" widescreen format preserving the "scope" aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition, enhanced for 16:9 widescreen TVs English: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Surround 5.1 Two Sided Disc Special Features: Cast/Crew Bios, Film Highlights, Interactive Menus, Production Notes, and Theatrical Trailer Video Format: Widescreen (no A.R. specified) Enhanced for 16x9 TVs Subtitles: English, Spanish, and French Track Info: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround French: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Closed Captioning: Yes # Discs: 1 # Sides: Single Produced by Barry Levinson, Steve Golin; written by Barry Levinson, Lorenzo Carcat; running time of 148 minutes; Closed Captioned. Copyright: 1996, Warner Bros.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

The first thing you need to know about Sleepers is that it's based on a novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra that was allegedly based on a true story. The movie repeats this bogus claim, which was attacked and determined by a wide majority to be misleading. Knowing this, Sleepers can be a problematic movie because it's too neat, too clean, too manipulative in terms of legal justice and dramatic impact to be truly convincing. And yet, with its stellar cast directed by Barry Levinson, the movie succeeds as gripping entertainment, and its tale of complex morality--despite a dubious emphasis on homophobic revenge--is sufficiently provocative. It's about four boys in New York's Hell's Kitchen district who are sent to reform school, where they must endure routine sexual assaults by the sadistic guards. Years after their release, the opportunity for revenge proves irresistible for two of the young men, who must then rely on the other pair of friends (Brad Pitt, Jason Patric), a loyal priest (Robert De Niro), and a shabby lawyer (Dustin Hoffman) to defend them in court. Despite the compelling ambiguities of the story, there's never any doubt about how we're supposed to feel, and the screenplay glosses over the story's most difficult moral dilemmas. And yet, Sleepers grabs your attention and pulls you into its intense story of friendship and the price of loyalty under extreme conditions. The movie's New York settings are vividly authentic, and Minnie Driver makes a strong impression as a long-time friend of the loyal group of guys. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

WHAT A CRAZY TWIST!.......2007-03-26

I WASNT TOO SURE IF I WAS GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE BUT ITS A WONDERFUL MOVIE. THE STORY HAD A CRAZY TWIST AND I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THIS MOVIE WOULD BE THIS INTENSE. ITS GREAT I WOULD RECOMEND EVERYONE TO SEE IT, BUT THIS IS NOT A FAMILY MOVIE UNLESS THE CHILDREN ARE OLDER!

So many missteps.......2007-03-14

Man, with this cast you really could have blown the roof off the house. I mean, all the national treasures of acting are here -- except for Kevin Spacey, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta, Tim Allen and Carlos Mencia.

The kids were really annoying, right? How many astonished close-ups of them were we gonna get? Get over it. Big deal, a prison guard did some bad things to you. They acted like it didn't happen to everyone.

Dustin Hoffman is a national gem. He get so into character that sometimes he forgets to get back into Dustin. At least, that's all I can think -- because I saw him in Manhattan and I kept yelling, "Hey Dustin, want to go get a hot cocoa and some Buggles (crunchy corn snacks)?" But he acted as if he didn't hear me -- must of been deep into his character, yes?

Sleeper.......2007-01-12

IT WAS A GOOD STORY, TOLD WITH A LOT OF CLASS, AND THE SAD THING ABOUT IT,...IT REALLY HAPPENS TO CHILDREN..
BRAD PITT ANT THE CAST WERE GREAT....B. KIPKER

A feel good movie........2007-01-12

This movie is depressing, dark and a real eye-opener. Good cast, and good court-room drama. A strong cast and solid performances make this movie a must watch.

Entertaining well made film about a difficult subject.......2006-11-28

This film deals with a topic that continually arises in our culture, the sexual molestation of children by adults in authority positions. In some ways the film compliments the more contemporary film "Mysterious Skin" which deals with a similar theme. I will first discuss an overall assessment of the film and then return to the theme of sexual molestation and the long path to recovery from sexual molestation.

As a dramatic engaging film, this product is very good. The acting of Robert DeNero, Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Minnie Driver, Billy Crudup, Brad Pitt, and Dustin Hoffman is super. DeNero is wonderful as the priest put in an ethical dilemna. Jason Patric holds the second half of the film together as the most psychologically sound of the victims. Kevin Bacon is creepy and realistic as the sadistic molester. Dustin Hoffman is a rare talent as he plays an incompetent alcoholic drug addicted second rate lawyer. Also note that the child actors were very good also. The plot is well developed and engaging, especially the division of the film into childhood and adulthood experiences. The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas is also used as a unifying theme of imprisonment, escape, planned revenge, and redemption from pain. The cinematography was very good (notice the camera angels and techniques used on the city streets, the courtroom, and especially in the youth facility) and sound track (with serious almost tragic overtones) are first rate. Overall the film gets 5 out of 5 points.

The theme of sexual molestation of children by adults is a difficult and disturbing topic. In this film, 4 boys are molested, with two emerging as angry killers and two emerging with intact emotional stability. Brad Pitt plays the young lawyer who uses the court room to unearth the sexual crimes committed by several guards in the correctional facility. Jason Patric however plays the victim with the the strongest emotional stability and who is capable of developing loving relationships and moving forward with his life. Revenge was the theme that holds the second half of the film together, carefully plotted and executed by two of the victims, impulsively and self defeating by the other two.

A fine film worthy of your time.

Average customer rating:

Justifying Revenge
Lest We Forget
Spielberg clarifies on the DVD
Well done, but has flaws.
Speilberg made the movie he set out to make when he chose 'Vengeance'

Munich (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Eric Bana , Daniel Craig , Ciarán Hinds , Mathieu Kassovitz , and Hanns Zischler
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B000F1IQN2
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Amazon.com

At its core, Munich is a straightforward thriller. Based on the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team by George Jonas, it's built on a relatively stock movie premise, the revenge plot: innocent people are killed, the bad guys got away with it, and someone has to make them pay. But director Steven Spielberg uses that as a starting point to delve into complex ethical questions about the cyclic nature of revenge and the moral price of violence. The movie starts with a rush. The opening portrays the kidnapping and murder of Israeli athletes by PLO terrorists at the 1972 Olympics with scenes as heart-stopping and terrifying as the best of any horror movie. After the tragic incident is over and several of the terrorists have gone free, the Israeli government of Golda Meir recruits Avner (Eric Bana) to lead a team of paid-off-the-book agents to hunt down those responsible throughout Europe, and eliminate them one-by-one (in reality, there were several teams). It's physically and emotionally messy work, and conflicts between Avner and his team's handler, Ephraim (Geoffrey Rush), over information Avner doesn't want to provide only make things harder. Soon the work starts to take its toll on Avner, and the deeper moral questions of right and wrong come into play, especially as it becomes clear that Avner is being hunted in return, and that his family's safety may be in jeopardy.

By all rights, Munich should be an unqualified success--it has gripping subject matter relevant to current events; it was co-written by one of America's greatest living playwrights (Tony Kushner, Angels in America) and an accomplished screenwriter (Eric Roth); it stars an appealing and likeable actor in Eric Bana; and it was helmed by Steven Spielberg, of all people. While it certainly is a great movie, it falls just short of the immense heights such talent should propel it to. This is due more to some questionable plot devices than anything else (such as the contrived use of a family of French informants to locate the terrorists). But while certain aspects ring hollow, the movie as a whole is a profound accomplishment, despite being only "inspired by true events," and not factually based on them. From the ferocious beginning to the unforgettable closing shot, Munich works on a visceral level while making a poignant plea for peace, and issuing an unmistakable warning about the destructive cycle of terror and revenge. As one of the characters intones, "There is no peace at the end of this." --Daniel Vancini

Customer Reviews:

Justifying Revenge.......2007-07-03

We have gotten awfully used to the defense of inaction in this country. From Kindergarten on, we are told to turn the other cheek, tell the teacher, sticks and stones... blah, blah, blah. Here, however, is another take on this dilemma, one terribly relevant, it would seem, in this time of arbitrary killings, defended by grinning thugs. We can wring our collective hands or we can act. This film takes on this subject in a time when America's revenge genre, the Western, has gone out of fashion. "Munich" really is "The Unforgiven" set in Europe. The killers are hunted down and killed in return. It's more or less as simple as that, but here one is asked to identify with the assassins and to ask oneself if it would be as easy as it may have seemed, in so many movies where the good guys catch up with the bad guys. It's a film built around an ethical issue, a real issue, it seems to me. The film is not fully satisfying, but it is hard to say why. The acting is fantastic. I came away thinking the ending was weak. The entire sequence is New York seemed soft and sentimental suddenly and out of keeping with the film. The screen play by Kushner has other weaknesses. For example, I had trouble accepting that these guys would be so amateurish. Each killing is botched, which, were the assassins American, would seem believable but, given that they are Israeli, the finest intelligence units the world, it seemed somehow contrived. The setting is great, the subject matter thankfully adult, and it is finally a political film, which is a rare and fine thing.

Lest We Forget.......2007-06-05

"They're all gone," intones sportscaster Jim McKay. McKay and other ABC news folks of 1972 have their TV footage mixed with a quick montage of violent filmed movie scenes of the '72 Olympics where 11 Israeli Olympians were massacred by the Arab Black September group.

Five men led by a young Israeli named Avner are assembled to revenge the massacre of the Munich Olympians. The Munich Avengers hook up with a family that has been in private intelligence since the Vichy Government ran France during World War Two. Lebel (Michael Lonsdale) is its patriarch. He becomes a sage to the Five. "Never work for any government" he warns. Well, its a little late to change that just now. At first everything goes swimmingly. The movie looks like other well made thrillers. These 'pros' who have never exactly done this kind of work in their lives 'seem' very successful.

Thriller afficionados will remember Michael Lonsdale as the French inspector who traced assassin Edward Fox across France in the Day of the Jackal 33 years ago. Older and heavier, Lonsdale is right at home as patriarch of the French family aiding the Israeli assassins in targeting their victims.

The Israelis find themselves sharing a room in Athens with five Arab Assassins but arrange a truce by convincing the Arabs they are part of the German Beider-Meinhof gang. Avner discusses middle east morality and politics with the Arab gang leader. Avner is seen by the audience as losing that argument. Later the forger has to 'fix' a foiled murder attempt in a hotel room. He is wounded. Several of the Arabs Avner's crew boarded with are killed in a gunfight outside. Carl (Cirian Hands) is murdered in bed later by a comely prostitute after Avner has turned the woman down. The Israeli avengers trace her to a Brussels houseboat where each fires a shot into her as she vainly attempts a seductive but grotesque striptease to save her life. An attempt to kill the architect of the Munich Murders is foiled when five Brits, posing as drunks, interfere. Avner's men are now aware they are being followed and watched. Who do the five Brits work for, the CIA or Britain's MI-6? The hunters are now the hunted.

The foiled Assassination perplexes and demoralizes. Their Israeli handler Ephraim calls Avner home to tell him their work is splendid. Not to them it isn't. Avner doesn't want to continue. He suspects they have killed Arabs not involved in Munich and balks at giving names and addresses of contacts to Ephraim. They discover the CIA has protection deals with some of their targets. The remaining Four don't know who is after them or for what. Two more die and a demoralized Avner and Steve(Daniel Craig) split up.

Afraid now, Avner flees to his wife and baby in Brooklyn. But unknown agents follow and scare hi