To Hell & Back Boxed Set

Starring:Dimension Thriller Theater
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

To call The Judi Dench Collection a treasure trove is indubitably cliché, but that's so much classier than "Dench-a-Palooza." Essential for fans of the great Dame, theatre buffs, and drama students, this eight-disc set is an embarrassment of riches, with nine BBC productions of classic and original plays, plus three radio plays and excerpts from televised interviews, one of which features her moving rendition of "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music, for which she won an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical (is there nothing she can't do?). They etch an indelible portrait of an artist with a compelling presence and staggering range. Judi Dench is one of those actors who rarely seem to make a false move, handling wrenching drama, madcap farce, and witty comedy with equal aplomb. John Hopkins' Talking to a Stranger (1966) is a British television benchmark that is mentioned in the same breath as Dennis Potter's masterpieces. Dench won her first BAFTA (the British equivalent of the Oscar) for her role as a damaged sibling in a dysfunctional family. Dench stars as Anya in Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, a 1962 production translated by, and starring, John Gielgud and, as Madame Ranesvky, Peggy Ashcroft. Ashcroft is a hard act to follow, but Dench pulls it off in a 1981 production in which she assumes the role of the irresponsible aristocrat.

Georges Feydeau's Keep an Eye on Amelie (1973) is a carefree hour in which Dench stars as a coquette who agrees to marry a confirmed bachelor (Patrick Cargill) so he can inherit a million francs. This production is paired on disc 4 with writer Michael Frayn's (Noises Off!) award-winning comedy Make and Break, which unfolds at a trade fair in Frankfort and stars Dench as a devoted secretary to a work-consumed boss. Two powerful dramas comprise disc 8, Going Gently, for which Dench earned another BAFTA as a hospice nurse to two adversarial patients, and Can You Hear Me Thinking?(1990), starring Dench and her late husband Michael Williams (A Fine Romance) as parents whose lives are shattered when their teenage son develops schizophrenia. Ibsen's still potent Ghosts (1981) boasts a stellar ensemble, including Kenneth Branagh as doomed son Oswald and Michael Gambon as Pastor Manders, with Dench as Mrs. Alving, whose respected late husband led a dark, secret life. Anything but, Absolute Hell (1991) is a lost-souls black comedy starring Dench as Christine, the proprietor of a bohemian nightclub in post-World War II London. The cast includes her future Notes on a Scandal costar, Bill Nighy, as a washed-up writer. Stardom in the States came late to Dench. This collection allows her audience to catch-up with these mostly towering performances that established her as one of the premier actors of our time. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Dame Judi Dench is one of the most celebrated stars of stage and screen. She is the winner of an Academy Award(R), two Golden Globes, an unprecedented seven Olivier Awards, and numerous BAFTAs. At the BBC, she has appeared in a dazzling range of material from sitcoms to Shakespeare. This collection contains ten star-studded BBC productions spanning four decades and ranging from the Feydeau farce Keep an Eye on Amelie to Ibsen's Ghosts with Kenneth Branagh, Michael Gambon and Natasha Richardson and Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard with John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft and Ian Holm. And tucked away among the bonus features is a 1996 interview in which she sings "Send in the Clowns" from her Olivier-winning performance of A Little Night Music, just one of the many gems in this glorious testament to one of the greatest performers of our time.

DVD Features:
Featurette:Judi Dench: My Favorite Things (1985, RT: 30 min) BBC profile of Judi Dench in which she discusses her passions
Interviews:Judi Dench talks to Richard Eyre (2002, RT 59 min)
Other:Three Radio Plays With Great Pleasure (1991, RT: 44 min) Are You Still Awake?(1994, RT: 15 min) Amy's View (2000, RT: 123 min)

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT COLLECTION OF A GREAT DAME!.......2007-07-03

This is an excellent collection of Judi Dench's fine work for BBC Television. It spans her career from the early sixties to the nineties.
You will also get some very nice extras to enjoy.
This is a "must" for every fan of this great actress!

Not quite what I expected.......2007-06-19

I don't need to express how much I like Judi Dench. It would be excessive, and too sickeningly precious.

Although I thought Judi Dench deserved the Oscar for "Notes on a Scandal," (and other past films) this television and radio retrospective is one I could have lived without. It has nothing that remotely comes close to the quality of Ms. Dench's film work.

As for this interminable boxed set of Ms. Dench's dalliances into television and radio, I was never so disappointed. Indeed, to be subjected to two productions of Chekhov's "Cherry Orchard" is enough to free my point of any ambiguity. Simply put, two "Cherry Orchard's" are two too many. Where's my razor blade?

"Talking to a Stranger" was rather more than I could take. Can you say, manic?

The only reason to buy this collection would be for "Make or Break" with a marvelous supporting cast including the great Robert Hardy, (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Elizabeth R, Edward the King, Middlemarch, Bramwell, and Harry Potter). Then there is, "Absolute Hell" with Bill Nighy, (The Lost Prince, The Pirates of the Caribbean II and III), Francesca Annis, (Cleopatra, Lillie, Edward the King, and Under the Cherry Moon) and another equally well rounded ensemble as "Make or Break." Both TV movies are wonderful.

The poetry readings are a nice touch. They are readings before an audience from several well versed poets. Each poem is read by Mr. Michael Williams and Ms. Judi Dench. Michael Williams (Elizabeth R, and Educating Rita) is Ms. Dench's late husband. He also co-starred with her in "Can You Hear Me Thinking?" in this collection. Despite the fact Williams and Dench are both in it don't expect too much viewing this 'illness-of-the-week-movie.' Its teleplay is short on facts and made with typical stiff British upper-lip for its subject matter. There is one exception. Michael Williams plays his role of father with greater depth of character then Judi Dench does playing mother. It remains to mention, Michael Williams played a minor role in the film "Tea with Mussolini." Sadly, the husband-wife team of the smash-hit sitcom, "A Fine Romance" (1981-1984) had no extensive scenes together in the film. Mr. Williams (a gifted actor by reason of his own ability) died of lung cancer shortly after his final TV film "The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns" on January 11, 2001 at Hampstead, London, England.

Judi Dench's portrayal of an actress in the radio play, "Amy's View," is that of another abhorrent virago to utterly despise. If one likes that sort of thing - or simply worships everything Dench - one can engage in uproarious Bacchanalian festivities. Perhaps that was the point. However, an actress playing an actress behind the scenes is rather a bore these days. Dench plays at being a selfish, temperamental, helpless character always in need. She's never happy with what shes got - no, not even with her own daughter. Yet, she's perfectly content living with a swindler - or so she tries to convince herself. Her character exists in a world of her own making and without any redeeming qualities. Compassion, love, and forgiveness do not exist in her narrow view of life off stage. Hence, the feeling that accompanies an experience of a thespian being indulgent exists in large quantities as one listens.

There is also a ghastly aggrandized installment called, "Ghosts" by Ibsen, starring Natasha Richardson (Patty Hearst, and Widows Peak) and the brilliant Kenneth Branagh (Chariots of Fire [uncredited], Henry V, Dead Again, Peter's Friends, Much Ado about Nothing, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Othello, The Proposition, William Shakespeare's Hamlet, The Theory of Flight, Conspiracy, and Shackleton). Unfortunately, "Ghosts" is a production cooked too long and anything but edible! It is a presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image of life, which is, in fact, less than anything based in reality. Allow it to be stated, though, it is understood one person's idea of art (whatever the exact definition of art might be these days) can be another person's Grimm's fairytale!

The early interviews with Ms. Dench are charming. Yet, one might wonder about her later interviews before sinking their hard earned pennies into this collection. After all, not all of us live the life of a 'Superstar.' I shall say but this - they are a bit pretentious. One fellow 'board-walker' (acting as interviewer) is befitting those inclined to social exclusiveness, who rebuffs criticism of those considered inferior. His posturing is similar to W.S. Maugham's character 'Mr. Warburton' in Maugham's short story "The Outstation." That interview alone caused me to reevaluate how I view Ms. Dench (the actor) from such a distance. Often distance opens the mind to clarify the difference between falsity and truthfulness. Although I admit I like Ms. Dench's work I do not think I'd care to know her or meet her on the street. No star can sum up the life of anyone on a chance encounter. I've met, worked with (and been around) enough of them to know - ma'am.

Nonetheless, yes Ms. Dench, we know too well how difficult it is to do the work you do. Believe me 'Joe Public' (as you call us) really does understand. Work is work for all of us!

Ms. Dench singing "Send in the Clowns" was brilliant - the TV host sycophantic. At this price, two TV movies, a poetry reading, a song (and a partridge in a pear tree!) from the entire lot, aren't worth it for this Judi Dench fan falling out with the celebrated Dench charm.

With the lack of more recent readings for the BBC such as "Pangbourne," this box set is more like "mother's little helper," - about 40 milligrams forced for several days!

Who knows, I may watch again one snowy night and change my mind - but I doubt it - it doesn't snow where I live!

I don't expect too many positive ratings for this review either. Don't bother please.

Now I feel as if I got my money back - oh how delicious!

Bravissima Judi!.......2007-05-20

Proof that Ms. Dench is one of our finest actresses today. An important set to own and cherish! And as "icing to the cake" her superb rendition of "Send in the Clowns" is included.

Can't help lovin' that dame.......2007-05-14

Absolutely great! Judi Dench is the best of the best, and it's a real privilege to at last be able to see some of her extraordinary early work, along with some of her more recent, highly acclaimed roles as well. The special features are treasures.

The Best of the Best of Judi Dench.......2007-05-06

Fantastic collection of rare Judi Dench films. Keep THE GHOSTS, THE CHERRY ORCHARD (1981) and KEEP AN EYE ON AMELIE. J. Dench is remarkable, excellent dramatic actress and amazing comedienne, as well. Very interesting also the extras.

Cult Camp Classics 3 - Terrorized Travelers (Hot Rods to Hell / Skyjacked / Zero Hour!)

Average customer rating:

It looks like the "AIRPLANE" producers picked the right week to release a movie!
I can't believe all three of these movies in one box set at such a great price

Cult Camp Classics 3 - Terrorized Travelers (Hot Rods to Hell / Skyjacked / Zero Hour!)
Starring: Dana Andrews , Jeanne Crain , and Linda Darnell
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Horror | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Cult Camp Classics 2 - Women in Peril (The Big Cube / Caged / Trog)
Cult Camp Classics 1 - Sci-Fi Thrillers (Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman 1958 / Giant Behemoth / Queen of Outer Space)
Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics (The Colossus of Rhodes / Land of the Pharaohs / The Prodigal)
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
Lucille Ball Film Collection (Dance Girl Dance / The Big Street / Du Barry Was a Lady / Critic's Choice / Mame)

ASIN: B000OHZJHI
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

It may be stretching things to call this trio of films Cult Classics (although Hot Rods to Hell does have its own fan appreciation website), but they provide more than enough cheap thrills and guilty pleasures to make this set irresistible to aficionados of BG (as in "so Bad they're Good") films. Whether it be Disney's Bon Voyage or Hostel: Part 2, travel has provided Hollywood with no end of horror stories. In Zero Hour (1957), it's not snakes on a plane, but tainted halibut that provides the terror, and with both pilots incapacitated by their unfortunate meal choice, it's up to traumatized pilot Ted Stryker (Dana Andrews) to overcome his "war record" and land the plane. If you're a comedy buff, then surely this scenario sounds familiar. Well, it should be familiar, and stop calling me "Shirley." This is the film that Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers mercilessly and meticulously spoofed in Airplane!. It's all here, right down to little Joey's visit to the cockpit (but without any references to gladiator films) and the rich dialogue the Airplane crew lifted nearly verbatim ("It's a different kind of flying altogether").

Andrews is back in the driver's seat in Hot Rods to Hell (1967), a film that loses a little something when not heard through the tinny speakers of a drive in theatre. Andrews stars as a man forced to put the brakes on the kicks-crazy hot-rodding punks terrorizing his family. "These kids have nowhere to go," a local cop stoically observes. "And they want to get there at 150 miles an hour." Laurie Mock costars as Andrews' conflicted teenage daughter who catches the leader's eye (he's tired of "stale bread" Mimsy Farmer). The dialogue is wicked cool and the overwrought acting all over the road. In short: don't let this pass you by. Andrews isn't on board in Skyjacked (1972), but we feel more confident with Charlton Heston at the controls as the no-nonsense pilot ("That man doesn't fool around," a colleague observes), whose plane is being hijacked to Moscow. The cast is a made-for-TV movie lover's dream, with Yvette Mimieux as a stewardess in peril (and Heston's former flame), Susan Dey, former football great Roosevelt Grier as a cellist, Walter Pidgeon as a senator, James Brolin as the very wired Vietnam vet, and Claude Akins providing ground control. This one's more of a bumpy ride, but the cheesy dialogue, earnest performances and soap opera developments keep Skyjacked flying high. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

It looks like the "AIRPLANE" producers picked the right week to release a movie!.......2007-05-06

Finally, the producers of AIRPLANE! are finally cutting loose Zero Hour!, the film and many others that provided funny fodder for the parody movie AIRPLANE!

As far as 'Hot Rods To Hell', which BTW stars one of my favorite actresses, the beautiful Jeanne Crain, I rate it a -5 STARS and then a +10 STARS for being so bad that it is just super great! Result? 5 STARS! Ya gotta see it to appreciate! (Or believe it for that matter)!

Skyjacked? Well, kind of like 'Airport' as it stars, well, just about everybody. What the heck; 5 STARS!

I can't believe all three of these movies in one box set at such a great price.......2007-04-19

I've always wanted to get all of these movies for years, and now there are coming out in one box set and at a great price. I've always loved Linda Darnell and she's in Zero Hour which the comedy Airplane is party based on. Hot Rods To Hell has Dana Andrews and Jeanne Crain who started in the 1945 State Fair. This movie has never been on DVD before. If you bought these movies on their own each is about $14.00 on Amazon.com. I don't see how you can go wrong with paying $[...] for this boxset. Thanks Warners for releasing these movies for us to enjoy in a great boxset. Thanks to Amazon.com for offering great prices.

World War II Collection, Vol. 2 - Heroes Fight for Freedom (36 Hours / Air Force / Command Decision / Hell to Eternity / The Hill / Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo)

Average customer rating:

Good Collection
dvd availability
great collection
Sub-standard WWII Collection

World War II Collection, Vol. 2 - Heroes Fight for Freedom (36 Hours / Air Force / Command Decision / Hell to Eternity / The Hill / Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo)
Starring: James Garner , Eva Marie Saint , Rod Taylor , Werner Peters , and John Banner
Director: George Seaton , Howard Hawks , and Sam Wood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)
The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Charge of the Light Brigade / Gentleman Jim / The Adventures of Don Juan / The Dawn Patrol / Dive Bomber)
James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story)
Hell and High Water
Unconquered (Universal Cinema Classics)

ASIN: B000NTPG70
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Studio description

Includes: 36 Hours (1965), Air Force (1943), Command Decision (1948), Hell to Eternity (1960), The Hill (1965), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944).

Customer Reviews:

Good Collection.......2007-06-15

Some of these may have been available before now, but none in a WWII set that includes shorts and cartoons from the period. Pick any two you like and they are worth the price. "Command Decision" with Clark Gable as General Casey, a serious officer commanding a bomber group in England, is wonderfully realistic. "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" with Spencer Tracy as Jimmy Doolittle leading the first bomb raid on Japan is excellent. The others are just bonus as far as I'm concerned and a very good one at that. "The Hill" is a good military prisoner movie with Sean Connery as a prisoner. "36 Hours" with James Garner is good espionage movie. Air Force is resonably decent account of a B-17 crew that witnessed Pearl Harbor starring John Ridgely. "Hell to Eternity" with Jeffrey Hunter and David Janssen is about Hispanic boy raised by Japanese-Americans and fought for United States. Fans of WWII movies should enjoy the set. I recommend it. Especially for a Fathers Day gift.

dvd availability.......2007-03-24

I'm not sure about THE HILL, but the other 5 titles in this collection have NOT been on DVD--at least legitimiate disk. AIR FORCE, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO, and COMMAND DECISION are all wonderful war or combat films (there's a difference between the two--see the books on the genre by Mike Mayo, Thomas Doherty and Jeanine Basinger). It's great that other classics such as THE PURPLE HEART and even the less stellar SO PROUDLY WE HAIL are finally being released this spring on DVD. Collectors and film historians should appreciate all of these titles that really reflected the country's mood between l94l and l945. Propaganda was such a vital component on the home front and these movies show us the nationalistic side of the American people at the time.

great collection.......2007-03-13

I disagree totally with the above reviewer. These films are excellent. The only one I am not thrilled with is The Hill, all the others are very good WWII films. I have been waiting for Command Decision for a long time. This collection will not disappoint.

Sub-standard WWII Collection.......2007-03-12

Of the 6 films, 3 are old films made in the '40 (Air Force; Command Decision; 30 Seconds Over Tokyo) and widely available in dvds for sometime.

Hell to Eternity is an obscure war film. 36 Hours is more fitting for espionage catagory. The Hill, which is probably the most powerful film among the 6, is a prison film.

A carefully selected Sidney Lumet Collection is highly anticipated.

Average customer rating:

Triumph of Effort and Courage
A simple but great autobiography of a hero
Excellent factual account of a true hero!
To Hell and Back
Great movie

To Hell and Back
Starring: Audie Murphy , Marshall Thompson , Charles Drake , Jack Kelly , and Gregg Palmer
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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Similar Items:

Biography - Audie Murphy: Great American Hero
Sergeant York (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Battle of the Bulge [HD DVD]
No Name on the Bullet
The Red Badge of Courage

ASIN: B0001FVDH8
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Amazon.com

Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier in World War II, enjoyed a Hollywood acting career after the fight. In this 1955 autobiographical film, however, he plays himself re-creating his own actions and movements in key battles. As strange as this project might have seemed to him at the time, the results are pretty impressive. The film, despite a flat script, is really a pretty good war drama about Murphy and his buddies making their way from North Africa to Berlin. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Triumph of Effort and Courage.......2007-06-02

Murphy was perhaps the greatest citizen soldier ever. Today, his memory stands as a valuable lesson not only to the American youth, but also for the world as a whole.

Read this book if you wish to have any idea what real men are capable of.

A simple but great autobiography of a hero.......2007-05-12

This is a great account of a WW II hero. Read the actual Congressional Medal Of Honor Award to Audie Murphy on the Internet before you watch the movie. It really puts things in perspective doing it that way. Quality of the movie is not that great by todays standards but the story is worth having in your library. I would have given it 5 stars except for the quality of the production technology.

Excellent factual account of a true hero!.......2007-04-10

While some of the acting in the film was quite ordinary, this fact-based film biography of Audie Murphy, the most highly-decorated soldier in US history, and portrayed by himself, is essential to the serious war film collector. Murphy insisted that the scenarios presented in the film were factual, while some were, of course, dramatically enhanced for Hollywood consumption. It is a fast-moving story and definitely enjoyable.

To Hell and Back.......2007-04-08

I found the book to be a fascinating true account by Audie Murphy. It is a story that gives accurate details of what was happening but goes into indebt thought and feelings about his desire to survive. The closeness he and his buddies form during their time together and the feelings that they go through when one gets injuried or killed is spot on. Always knowing that they were fighting for not just personel survival but survival of the free world.

Great movie.......2007-03-30

I love this movie as I have seen it many times. Audie Murphy did a great job in playing himself, although it must have been really hard to relive.

A movie that I would highly recommend.

Average customer rating:

Just want to clear this up...
Based on fact WW2 drama
Exceptional War Movie
I too would like to clear a couple of things up...
Set the record straight

Hell to Eternity
Starring: Jeffrey Hunter , David Janssen , Vic Damone , Patricia Owens , and Sessue Hayakawa
Director: Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

Sailor of the King
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Air Force
Fixed Bayonets
Command Decision

ASIN: B000NTPG66
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Customer Reviews:

Just want to clear this up..........2007-06-05

This is a fantastic movie and I'm so glad it's finally seeing the light of the day on DVD. I'm a bit biased however, as Guy Gabaldon is my grandfather's brother. With that being said, I want to clear something up stated by a couple other reviewers. Guy Gabaldon was not Mexcan- American, he's Spanish American...his family is 100% Spanish. That takes nothing away from him being a great American hero as this movie shows, I just wanted to get the facts straight.

Based on fact WW2 drama.......2007-03-05

This is the story of Guy Gabaldon, an Hispanic juvenile, who is "adopted" by a Japanese family in Los Angeles before WW2. Growing up he learns to love and respect his "parents", their lifestyle, and to speak their language. When the family is sent off to an internment camp, Guy joins the Marine Corps. He is torn between the love of his parents and love of country. During the battle of Saipan he convinces hundreds of Japanese soldiers to surrender thus saving many lives, both Marines and Japanese. Based on the true life actions of Marine Hero Guy Gabaldon. Pretty good story and worth watching.

Exceptional War Movie.......2005-10-19

I've seen this movie many years ago and it rates up there with movies like "Sands of Iwo Jima" and "Green Baret" just to name a few. If your a war movie buff-It's a MUST see movie. Hopefully, it will be released on DVD soon.

I too would like to clear a couple of things up..........2004-01-14

This movie is about an American in the Pacific War. This American has a special history or relationship with the Japanese, and his adoption by a good Japanese-American family, the effect of Pearl Harbor on himself and that family, and his experience of the Japanese he has both lived-with and had to fight against on Saipan Island battle are what make this above-average Pacific-war saga based on US Marine Guy Gabaldons personal story and war experience a little different from the run of the mill genre. Good supporting-cast with David Jansen, his gambling and broads loving buddy whose luck runs out finally on Saipan, sadly.
This man Guy Gabaldon would proudly agree with my description of him as an American, Im pretty-confidant.This movie is about Americans and Japanese,
its not about Germans, or Polish people,
or Swedes, or Russians,
or Italians,
or British or Irish or even, would you believe,and this may be more than you can handle, but its not about wonderful Spanish or Mexican people, or modern race-politics in the US and trivial PC touchiness, its about an American Marine and the Japanese.
I tell you this as a non-American myself, if I can see it, so should practically anybody else.

Set the record straight.......2002-07-12

I would like to point two things out.

In "Hell to Eternity" although Jeffery Hunter's character should have been depicted as a Mexican-American and should have been portrayed by one (Anthony Quinn comes to mind), the truth is, his character was depicted as a Italian-American portrayed by a classically white Western European (Jeffery Hunter).

In the years prior to "Hell to Eternity" being made, in California, the home of Hollywood, the agricultural industry expereinced a work shortage and recruited illegal immigrants to pick up the slack. Later during the time "Hell to Eternity" was made they became a burden to deal with and President Eisenhower ordered them rounded up in "Operation Wetback" and sent them back to Mexico. Additionally, during the making of "Hell to Eternity" the rise of the United Farm Workers took place and even though the UFW was a positive force for change for the Mexican-American community, others (bigots and racist) saw the union as an infernal trouble maker. Hence, it was unfashionable and politically incorrect for Hollywood to depict or portray either Mexican or Mexican-Americans as heroic figures let alone the subject of a major motion picture. Consequently, circumstances being what they were (prejudice, bigotry and selective memory and history), artistic license was used as an excuse to deviate from the actual true story. The result was an untrue and inaccurate depiction in a movie that was supposed to be about a true Mexican-American hero, Guy Gabaldon, a hero that the Mexican-American community has been deprived of celebrating for many decades now.

My second point is that, with the recent popularity of war movies these days, since 1960 when this movie was made, there never has been an attempt to right this wrong and depict and portray the true story of Guy Gabaldon, the true Mexican-American hero of this movie. Hollywood continues to focus exclusively on white heros of our wars in their movies to the detriment of our country's diverse history.

Customer Reviews:

Camp Classic Finally On DVD.......2007-07-01

This film is amazing. Originally made for NBC as one of TV's first color Movies Of The Week, it was deemed "too hot" for TV! The acting is so over the top, the script is beyond terrible, yet is all adds up to one of the most enjoyable nights at the movies you could ever ask for. Dana Andrews plays a man who's suffered a terrible automobile accident and although apparently physically recovered, is now riddled with self doubt.
Thankfully his high strung wife Jean Crain (in full co-dependent, full on denial mode) has all the faith in the world that he'll one day return to being a fully functional man (don't miss the final scene for the answer to this). Thankfully they have a Doctor who perscibes peace and quiet (and plenty of it!). So they buy a motel in he desert, as you do in this kind of film.
But there's no peace to be had when the local teens run WILD! WILD I TELL YOU!
The teens look a fast 25, speak like jazz heads from the 50's and are very, very rude!
But Crain and Andrews are the real show here, they don't leave any scene un-milked for maximum DRAMA!
A palatable sense of career desperation gently wafts between them, as if they both believe that by overacting to 11 they can somehow lift this turkey. They can't, they don't and let's all thank god for their bold, misguided attempt.
Highly reccomended.

So Bad It's Good!.......2007-06-24

The other reviewers really don't get the appeal. HRTH has been a favorite BAD movie of mine since I was a teenager in the 70s, when I first saw it on late-night TV. It was gloopy even then. Sure, Dana is awful, wooden and pedantic. But that is what fans of this movie really love. And how about Duke's immortal line when he tell's Laurie Mock's character that her father better not take over Dailey's Motel (which also contains the "cool kids" nightclub hangout) or "No one's going to have any fun...not even you." Heavens what a threat!

The movie is chock full of dopey lines and Jeanne Crain's overacting is a real hoot. Anyone who is buying this should be doing so with their eyes wide open, knowing that while the makers had no idea they were making a Camp Classic, that is just what this is. Filmmakers could not make it as unintentionally funny, if they tried. In fact, I've heard that someone is trying to remake the film under it's original title: "52 Miles to Terror." If they ever do, I'll probably see it, knowing that they'll update it and make it like the "Fast and Furious." And I'll probably be a little sad, as the original, for all its flaws has an undercurrent of naivite that is endearing. A modern remake will be brutal and remorseless, much like our world is today.

Adults acting childish.......2007-06-23

Here is Dana Andrews in probably the worst role of his career. In "Hot Rods to Hell", he plays a moron who gets all huffy about some kids who got a little carried away while having fun. He then proceeds to do his best to annoy them until the confrontation escalates to tragic consequences. Yet somehow the director apparently doesn't think it is his fault.

Excuse me. What part of "ignore them and they'll get bored and go away" did he not understand? This movie makes adults look like idiots. No wonder the 60's turned out the way they did.

This film barely managed four stars out of ten at IMDB - just slightly better than "Plan 9 from Outer Space". I guess I'm not the only one who disliked it.

Why did they waste resources and the plastic to put this tripe out on DVD when there are so many other excellent films they still haven't released? How about a Dana Andrews classic like "While the City Sleeps"? Oh well.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!.......2007-06-13

I remember seeing this as a kid, double-billed with GOODBYE CHARLIE, at the McDade Drive-In. Maybe I'm just nostalgic for simpler times - the "juvenile delinquents" in this film are pikers compared to the drug-addled, sex-obsessed and gun-toting mutants that appear in films these days - but having seen it recently on Turner Classic Movies, I realized that it wasn't a bad little film. If I read correctly somewhere, this was originally one of the first made-for-TV films out of MGM studios that the powers-that-be decided to release theatrically. Anyway, if you long for the days when hot rods were good ol' American beauties, (unlike in the FAST AND THE FURIOUS series) you might enjoy this fast-paced little thriller.

Hard to believe Dana Andrews sank this low..........2007-06-12

Dana Andrews made his mark in 1940s classics like "Laura" and "The Best Years of Our Lives." Two decades later, he was struggling to keep his career alive in low-end "B" movies like "Hot Rods to Hell." Frankly, this movie gives the "B" label a bad name, because "Hot Rods to Hell" just plain old-fashioned sucks. The plot is thin, the acting is wooden and the direction and pacing are rock-bottom. At 100 minutes, the movie is at least 10-15 minutes too long. Even worse, it's almost like watching an MGM-produced social engineering movie about youth gone bad and the dangers of driving recklessly.

If you're into camp, you'll probably enjoy "Hot Rods to Hell" on some level. For every other movie viewer, it's a 100-minute sentence in hell.

Event Horizon (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Could've been great.
some event!!
Very good film
Event Horizon
The average person has no idea what quality is.

Event Horizon (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Laurence Fishburne , Sam Neill , Kathleen Quinlan , Joely Richardson , and Richard T. Jones
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Sphere
In the Mouth of Madness
Hostel (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
The Thing (Collector's Edition)
Silent Hill (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000E1NXAY
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Amazon.com

Drawing from Andrei Tarkovsky's heady science fiction meditation Solaris by way of Alien and Hellraiser, this visually splendid but pulpy piece of science fiction schlock concerns a mission in the year 2047 to investigate the experimental American spaceship Event Horizon, which disappeared seven years previously and suddenly, out of nowhere, reappeared in the orbit of Neptune. Laurence Fishburne stars as mission commander Captain Miller and Sam Neill is Dr. Weir, the scientist who designed the mystery ship. Miller's T-shirt- and army-green-clad crew of smart-talking pros finds a ship dead and deserted, but further investigations turn up blood, corpses, dismembered body parts, and a decidedly unearthly presence. It turns out that the ship is really a space-age haunted house where spooky (and obviously impossible) visions lure each of the crew members into situations they should know better than to enter. The ship is gorgeously designed, borrowing from the dark, organic look of Alien and adding the menacing touch of teeth sprouting from bulwark doors and clawlike spikes inexplicably shooting out of the engine room floor. Unfortunately the film is not nearly as inventive as the production design--it turns into a woefully inconsistent psychic monster movie that sacrifices mood for tepid shocks--but the special effects are topnotch, and ultimately the movie has a trashy B movie charm about it. --Sean Axmaker

Description

The year is 2047. Years earlier, the pioneering research vessel Event Horizon vanished without a trace. Now a signal from it has been detected, and the United States Aerospace Command responds. Hurtling toward the signal's source are a fearless captain (Laurence Fishburne), his elite crew and the lost ship's designer (Sam Neill). Their mission: find and salvage the state-of-the-art spacecraft. What they find is state-of-the-art interstellar terror.

Customer Reviews:

Could've been great. .......2007-05-27

This movie had so much going for it, but it never really found its groove. So many elements necessary for a good sci-fi thriller were there but not put to good use.
Having said that, I still recommend checking it out. It's kind of a mess, but I can't deny the creep factor of this movie. It's dark and brooding and has a few good shocks.
As with everything else I've seen by Paul Anderson, something's missing. It's the body of a good movie absent a soul. Maybe one of these days he'll get it all together on one. I'll look forward to it.

some event!!.......2007-05-13

Not worthy of the fifth star, as I found the editing to be confusing, with a 'limited budget' feel about it, with the acting not as expected from the known actors.

Very good film.......2007-05-07

Event Horizon is a very good film spawned from a unique idea. The blend of sci-fi and horror borders on genius. It was equally original and terrifying. I like the idea of having a futuristic film involving space travel that doesnt involve a ridiculous story about aliens. Lawrence Fishburne is outstanding in this movie. I think it's a must have for any intelligent person who appreciates a movie that is outside the realm of typical American cinema. This film can be appreciated even if you dont like sci-fi or horror. It's that good.

Event Horizon.......2007-03-20

This is probably one of the scariest movies of all time. Sam Neil at his best. You've got a great script mixed with awsome special effects. This movie is just all around pleasing, and I recommend it for any library.

The average person has no idea what quality is........2007-03-05

This review will be used interchangeably for a few titles. Event horizon, The darkness (Anna Paquin), And Jeepers Creepers. These are all excellent in one way or another, have good production values and acting. Jeepers has the best movie monster creation of the last 20 years. And the darkness has a great story and a solid non happy ending. Event horizon has excellent acting by Sam neill and Laurence fishburn and a truly creepy story. The bottom line is you see reviews for movies like these and Wes Cravens They for example where many people give them 2 star ratings while going on and on about The grudge or the ring 2 or house of wax, Blair witch 2 and Ring around the rosie (one of the worst and most pointless movies Ive ever watched.) This just goes to prove once again that the average person refuses to think and doesnt want a movie that might require any thought to follow. Originality is punished by the masses because clever things make them feel dumb.

Average customer rating:

Does Not Make Much Sense
WHERE ARE YOU JASON?
SURPRISE!
THE WORST FRIDAY! ....BUT IF YOU WANT THE COMPLETE SET
someone tried....

Jason Goes to Hell - The Final Friday
Starring: Andrew Bloch , Billy Green Bush , Adam Cranner , Steven Culp , and Tony Ervolina
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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Jason X (New Line Platinum Series)
Friday the 13th - From Crystal Lake to Manhattan (8 Movies)
Freddy vs. Jason (New Line Platinum Series)
The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (Divimax Edition)

ASIN: B00006FDBT
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Amazon.com

Blow mad killer Jason Voorhees to smithereens in the opening sequence of the movie? Sorry, folks, you have to do better than that. Jason's evil spirit finds its way into a series of host bodies, thus continuing the carnage at Crystal Lake, in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Naturally, part 9 is not the final Friday the 13th movie (no big deal: part 4, you'll recall, was titled The Final Chapter). Jason confronts a long-lost sister at the lake, while the usual assortment of naked teens are dispatched. This one tries to vary the formula a bit but ends up with a story line every bit as nonsensical as those that came before. The final sequence tries to put Jason away for keeps and calls upon the demons of hell for support. The last shot is an outrageous joke, which is perhaps what this franchise deserves. --Robert Horton

Description

Scare yourself into purgatory as the body count continues. The relentless, hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees returns for more bloody cranage in this ninth chapter of the frightfully successful Friday the 13th series. Year: 89 Director: Adam Marcus Starring: John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Erin Gray

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
DVD ROM Features
Interactive Menus
Other
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Does Not Make Much Sense.......2007-05-17

Now I know that horror flicks aren't supposed to make alot of sense, but there comes a point where leaving too much unexplained and unaccounted for detracts from the quality of the movie. And that is the case with this film--how does Jason have a long-lost sister? What is the Necronomicon doing in the house? What's with the bounty hunter and his special dagger? Not very well thought out.

WHERE ARE YOU JASON?.......2007-05-12

THIS MOVIE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN ALL THE OTHER 13THS-BUT IT'S STILL GREAT!ALL THESE 13TH MOVIES ARE GREAT!THERE ARE SO MANY WEIRD THINGS GOING ON IN THIS MOVIE.THERE'S A CREATURE THAT COMES FROM JASONS SOUL,AND GOES INTO THE MOUTHS OF PEOPLE-AND THAT SOMEHOW KEEPS JASON ALIVE.THAT'S NOT WHAT JASON REALLY NEEDS.HE REALLY NEEDS A FAMILY MEMBER.YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN.

SURPRISE!.......2007-04-30

THIS IS ANOTHER DIFFERENT MOVIE-BUT STILL EXCELLENT!IT'S STILL SCARY,SUSPENSEFUL,AND INTERESTING.THIS EEL LOOKING THING FROM JASON GOES INTO THE MOUTHS OF PEOPLE - IT TAKES OVER THEIR BODY.IN ORDER TO KEEP LIVING - JASON NEEDS TO BE REBORN.HE WAS BORN FROM A VOORHEES,HE HAS TO BE REBORN FROM A VOORHEES,AND HE CAN ONLY DIE FROM A VOORHEES.YOU HAVE TO GET THIS TO SEE WHAT I MEAN.

THE WORST FRIDAY! ....BUT IF YOU WANT THE COMPLETE SET.......2007-03-21

I was really disappointed with this entry even though Jason Takes Manhattan isn't much better! The DVD treatment is way to good for this film. If you want to complete the Friday series it should be seen as it does set up for the Freddy VS Jason movie.

someone tried...........2007-03-10

someone in the industry tried to do something different with jason since so many people out there complain " oh another stupid kid running from a killer".....this movie has some interesting stuff in it.....not exactly the story i would have preferred for jason,,, i mean come on dirt demons from hell are a little weak....but look for the props in the house,,, the book of the dead,, the crate from the basement that says arctic expedition on it that will remind you of creepshow and or the thing(john carpenter)....by the way how come the voorhees electric was never turned off and the house has been empty for 20 years,,,,set up by the tv reporter...

Average customer rating:

Big Pin Head fan
It IS the R-rated version!
A boring let down
Movie
Overdue and Overpriced for lack of features.

Hellraiser III - Hell on Earth
Starring: Kevin Bernhardt , Brent Bolthouse , Peter Boynton , Doug Bradley , and Ken Carpenter
Director: Anthony Hickox
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Slasher Flicks | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2
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ASIN: B000FEBWV2
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Description

From horror legend Clive Barker comes "the ultimate in fear!" Dan Scapporotti, Cinefantastique. Some call him the Black Prince of Hell. Some call him the Angel of Suffering. The horror fans everywhere, he's Pinhead (Doug Bradley), the urbane, spike-faced minion of evil with a bloodlust for human souls. Now Pinhead's back in the most diabolical Hellraiser of them all - Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth! TV reporter Joey Summerskill (Terry Farrell, Back To School) is on assignment at a local hospital when a bloodied teenage boy is rushed into the emergency room. As Joey watches, the writhing boy is literally torn apart by chains impaling his body. Fleeing the carnage, Joey follows the victim's girlfriend to a downtown nightclub, the Boiler Room. In the apartment above the Boiler Room rests the owner's newly purchased sculpture: A pillar etched with distorted figures and faces. Among the frozen images is Pinhead. Tonight he shall be released.

Customer Reviews:

Big Pin Head fan.......2007-05-14

I am a hooro movie junkie and this character is indearing

It IS the R-rated version!.......2007-04-22

To make it once and for all clear for all of you fans: This Paramount DVD features the R-rated cut of Hellraiser III.
Since I still own the unrated Laserdisc version (which runs exactly 97 minutes), I was pretty much able to perfectly compare this DVD to the LD. And the DVD is definitely the R-rated cut. The advertised 93 minutes for this DVD-version are correct.

A boring let down.......2007-02-01

When J.P. (Kevin Bernhardt), a playboy club owner, buys a mysterious-looking puzzle box and mistakes it for a work of art, he has no idea that Pinhead, "the Black Pope of Hell" (Doug Bradley), is trapped inside. Playing tricks on his captor's mind, Pinhead tries his best to manipulate J.P. into breaking him out of his prison -- that is, until an astute journalist (Terry Farrell) begins to suspect something.

Watching "Hellraiser III", it's obvious that the producers were trying to make a poor man's "Nightmare on Elm Street" rather than a proper continuation of the first