Cowboy (1958) (Sub)

Starring:Glenn Ford, Jack Lemmon, Anna Kashfi, Brian Donlevy, Dick York, VÃctor Manuel Mendoza, Richard Jaeckel, King Donovan, Vaughn Taylor, Donald Randolph, James Westerfield, Eugene Iglesias, Frank DeKova, David McMahon, Amapola Del Vando, Leoda Richards, William Leslie, Bek Nelson, Rafael Mendez, Strother Martin
Director: Delmer Daves
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This sturdy Delmer Daves picture--his third with Glenn Ford, following Jubal and 3:10 to Yuma--is one of the most offbeat Westerns ever. And it must be the most writerly, with Frank Harris's memoirs as the source and a picaresque screenplay by Edmund H. North and Dalton Trumbo (a blacklistee, credited only posthumously). There's a pileup of oddities and complications at the outset, with Chicago hotel clerk Harris (Jack Lemmon) already in mid-romance with a daughter of the Mexican aristocracy (Anna Kashfi--Mrs. Marlon Brando at the time), and Texas cattleman Tom Reese (Ford) storming in to commandeer an entire floor of the hotel for him and his drovers so they can party till, well, the cows come home. Partying is curtailed when Reese loses big at cards; Harris bails him out with his savings, and Reese finds he's taken on not only an unwanted partner but a tenderfoot besides. Soon everyone is headed south.

Description

Get ready for big laughs with Abbott and Costello, undeniably the most popular comedy team of all time! Now, the classic films of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are available on DVD in this hilarious collection.

The wildly popular comic duo has entertained audiences since 1931, conquering vaudeville, radio and the silver screen in nearly 40 films. Enjoy these side-splitting hits like Buck Privates and Hold That Ghost in this collection of eight full-length features. The Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello: Volume 1 will have you laughing out loud again and again!

One Night in the Tropics (1940)
Bud and Lou get mixed up in a "Love Insurance" scheme.

Buck Privates (1941)
The duo accidentally enlists in the U.S. Army to avoid getting arrested!

In the Navy (1941)
Bud and Lou are sailors bound for duty on the high seas in this musical comedy.

Hold that Ghost (1941)
The boys inherit a haunted house formerly owned by a mobster.

Keep `Em Flying (1941)
Bud and Lou enlist in the Army Air Corps and get caught up in a love triangle.

Ride `Em Cowboy (1942)
The duo head to the Lazy S ranch to hide after Lou accidentally proposes to an Indian girl.

Pardon My Sarong (1942)
Bud and Lou travel to the South Seas where Lou is mistaken for a legendary god!

Who Done It? (1942)
The boys are suspected of murder while being targeted by the actual killer.

Customer Reviews:

Laughing all the way...........2007-06-30

I remember some of these movies from when I was a kid (okay, I'm dating myself but I don't care). "Hold That Ghost", which is the reason I bought this collection, has some of the funniest bits EVER captured on film. No "off color" language or jokes -- just lots of laughs. The exchange after Joan Davis runs into Lou Costello and knocks him down STILL makes me laugh out loud. If you like "funny" -- this is your ticket.

Classic comedies.......2007-06-24

It may be hard to believe nowadays, but Abbott and Costello were once one of the biggest box office draws at the movies. In the early 1940s, their movies were among the tops in terms of tickets. Nowadays, they seem to be mostly forgotten except by fans of old movies, which is too bad. Their movies may not be the best comedy ever written, but they are all pretty fun. Volume 1 of The Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello features their first eight films.

One Night in the Tropics is their screen debut. They are actually just secondary characters who contribute little to the plot (involving some romantic mix-ups) but are brought in to lighten things up, with among other things, their "Who's on First" routine. Next up is their first starring feature and the first of their three military comedies, Buck Privates. In this one, they accidentally enlist in the army while trying to avoid a cop who later turns out to be their drill sergeant.

The next of their "service comedies" was In The Navy, in which they assist a famous singer who is trying to become a regular Joe by becoming a sailor. The final service comedy is Keep `Em Flying, which puts them in the early Air Force.

The pair inherit a supposed haunted house on Hold That Ghost. It actually used to belong to a mobster, and some of his loot is still in the place, attracting other hoodlums. In Ride `Em Cowboy, they wind up on a dude ranch. Pardon My Sarong is something of a takeoff on the Hope/Crosby Road pictures, with the two winding up on a tropical island. Finally, in Who Done It?, they are entangled in a murder mystery at a radio station.

There is a very structured approach to these movies: Universal Pictures obviously wanted these churned out quickly (some were out within a couple months of the start of shooting!) and they used plenty of contract players: for example, three movies have Shemp Howard in small parts and Dick Foran in bigger parts. All the movies are pretty short (they range from 78 to 87 minutes). They all have a romantic subplot involving other characters and (with the exception of Who Done It?), they all have several musical numbers, some featuring big names like the Andrews Sisters and Ella Fitzgerald.

At the core, however, are Abbott and Costello, more particularly Lou Costello who forms the comic heart of these stories. They are the same characters in every story: Bud is the fast-talking con man and Lou is the not-so-bright coward with an almost child-like approach to the world. There is plenty of physical comedy, but they are at their best when the two are just talking.

It'd be a bit much to call these films classics, but they are entertaining and they would probably amuse kids as well as adults. I suppose it's also technically inappropriate to call this The Best of Abbott and Costello when it actually is just their first eight movies, but at the same time it is true: this collection does show them in top form.

Great collection.......2007-06-15

Except for "One Night in the Tropics", these are some of Abbott and Costello's most entertaining films. One of my very favorite A@C films, "Ride 'em Cowboy" is marred by the dreadful dream sequence. What makes it more frustrating is to read from sources that other comedy scenes (which sound funnier) were filmed but rejected including extended bits of business with the poker sequence. The rest of "Ride 'em Cowboy" however more than makes up for the dream skit. This dvd set is a great buy for the cost.

Enjoyable films, great price, questionable disc quality.......2007-05-04

While I don't think I'll ever grow to be a *huge* A&C fan, as I've been seeing more and more of their films, I've grown to genuinely like them and to really enjoy watching them, even if I personally don't find them as consistently hilarious and personally endearing as some of the other great comedians of the era. But for this price, and for this many films in one collection, how could anyone go wrong?

'One Night in the Tropics' (1940) is actually a star vehicle for Allan Jones (best-known for his roles in the Marx Brothers' first two MGM films), Nancy Kelly, Robert Cummings, Peggy Moran, and a few other secondary characters. It's an enjoyable movie, but nothing really classic or memorable. A&C are actually the most interesting characters and steal the show, even though their comedy routines are detached from the plot and they're just trotted out as periodic comic relief. They're also not really playing very sympathetic characters in this one. It seems like one of those films that's watched more for the historical interest than for genuine entertainment value.

'Buck Privates' (1941), their first starring vehicle, is considered a classic, though here too they often seem to be relegated to supporting comedians and pushed to the back burner in favor of the romantic subplot. The same holds true in their other two service comedies, 'In the Navy' and 'Keep 'Em Flying' (also from 1941). While all three of their service comedies are genuinely enjoyable and funny, they would have been even stronger and funnier if all of the superfluous musical numbers and the romantic subplots with boring characters we don't really care about had been cut out. They were funny and talented enough to carry a film on their own without being forced to play second-fiddle to secondary characters! The weakest of these three is 'Keep 'Em Flying'; overall it just seems disjointed and inconsistent, and like they'd run out of top-notch material to mine after already doing their first two service comedies. (These service comedies also feel, in hindsight, like subtle propaganda just in case the U.S. really did enter WWII, what with the "Isn't the Army/Navy/Air Force great and fun?" theme.)

'Hold That Ghost' (1941) is also somewhat bogged down by musical numbers and a romantic subplot, but at least here those elements don't take up as much time as in a lot of their other early films. The plotline about spending a night in a haunted house and all of the hair-raising things that happen seems a bit cliché today, and the script seems a little weak, but overall there are enough funny moments and interesting twists and turns in the plot to make it worthwhile.

'Who Done It?" (1942), which mixes comedy and a murder mystery, has a very strong script and a supporting cast. What makes this film so funny and tight is that it focuses almost entirely on A&C instead of being cluttered up by some boring romantic subplot and superfluous song and dance numbers. 'Pardon My Sarong' (1942), made in imitation of the popular Hope and Crosby 'Road' pictures of the time, finds them on a tropical island. Although it does feature musical numbers and a romantic subplot, at least the comedy routines are seamlessly worked into the picture instead of seeming more detached from the plotline, and the subplot seems more interesting than usual. 'Ride 'Em Cowboy' (1942) is enjoyable entertainment and has a good script, though unfortunately has the same formulaic feel that a lot of these other films do--musical numbers and a dull romantic subplot that really slow down the story and relegate A&C to supporting characters. Normally I find Westerns boring and dated at best and offensive at worst, but since this is a comedy Western, I liked it. Even the stereotypical depictions of the Native Americans weren't as bad and offensive as they often are in these kinds of films.

Overall, while A&C aren't my top favorite comedians, I do enjoy watching them, and these early films are no exception. And while the songs and romantic subplots slow the pictures down, the boys are great when they're front and center instead of being relegated to supporting players. However, while this may seem like a great price for 8 films, it's not entirely a great deal. Since these are double-sided discs, they're more prone to scratching and malfunctioning. While the first disc played fine for me, I had to go through a number of different copies before finally getting a second disc that didn't freeze up or skip at any point. Would it have taken that much effort for Universal to ensure more quality control on this classic catalogue? And while the extras (trailers and production notes) are much appreciated, these films and this comedy team are famous and respected enough to have merited something more, like audio commentaries or photo galleries. Still, at least they're represented on DVD now, inferior technical quality or not.

The Best of Abbott and Costello, Vol. 2.......2007-04-02

Abbott and Costello's humor is outstanding and timeless. This collection of some of their movies will have you laughing uproariously, and you will watch these movies over and over again, and keep on laughing even after you've watched them so many times that you know what is going to happen next.

Average customer rating:

Points To Ponder
When westerns were westerns
No enemies ... alive.
Magnificent!!!
Fantastic Entertaining Western! One of the Best ever made!

The Magnificent Seven (Special Edition)
Starring: Yul Brynner , Eli Wallach , Steve McQueen , Charles Bronson , and Robert Vaughn
Director: John Sturges
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Shane
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ASIN: B000059TFW
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Amazon.com essential video

Akira Kurosawa's rousing Seven Samurai was a natural for an American remake--after all, the codes and conventions of ancient Japan and the Wild West (at least the mythical movie West) are not so very far apart. Thus The Magnificent Seven effortlessly turns samurai into cowboys (the same trick worked more than once: Kurosawa's Yojimbo became Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars). The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of '60s stardom: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges (The Great Escape), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it: bum-bum-ba-bum, bum-ba-bum-ba-bum.... Followed by three inferior sequels, Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride! --Robert Horton

Description

Spectacular gun battles, epic-sized heroes and an all-star cast that includes Academy AwardÂ(r) winners Yul Brynner* and James Coburn**, together with Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach and Charles Bronson, make The Magnificent Seven a legend among westerns. Spawning three sequels and a successful television series, and featuring Elmer Bernstein's OscarÂ(r)-nominated*** score, thisstunning remake of The Seven Samurai is "a hard-pounding adventure" (Newsweek) and "an enduringly popular" (Leonard Maltin) cinematic classic. Merciless Calvera (Wallach) and his band of ruthless outlaws are terrorizing a poor Mexican village, and even the bravest lawmen can't stop them. Desperate, the locals hire Chris Adams (Brynner) and six other gunfighters to defend them. With time running out before Calvera's next raid, the heroic seven must prepare the villagers for battle and help them find the courage to take back their town or die trying!

Customer Reviews:

Points To Ponder.......2007-04-24

First-rate film, it easily makes my list of the Top 10 westerns. Here are a few points to ponder:

"The Magnificent Seven's" score by Elmer Bernstein received a 1960 Oscar nomination but the award that year went to "Exodus"; which "featured" something called "The Exodus Song" (with lyrics by Pat Boone!!). 45+ years later there is not even a CD release of "Exodus" while the score from "The Magnificent Seven" is one of the most recognized pieces of music ever written. If anyone needs proof of the staggering lameness of academy voting this is the most obvious of countless examples.

The score was further popularized in the late 1960's as the theme for Marlboro cigarettes. An odd bit of irony given that Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Jorge Martinez de Hoyos all died of lung cancer; Horst Buchholz and Charles Bronson of pneumonia, and Brad Dexter of emphysema.

In the film, only two (Brynner and McQueen) of the seven leave the village alive (Buchholz survives but stays behind). In real life these two actors were the first to die, preceding the others by about 20 years.

The other four deaths (only Robert Vaughn is still alive) occurred over just a nine-month period (James Coburn in Nov 02, Brad Dexter in Dec 02, Horst Buchholz in March 03, and Charles Bronson in Aug 03).

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

When westerns were westerns.......2007-03-30

It is nice to see the good guys come together to help the ones who need it with being paid for it. No dirty language, sex or any of the really violent themes. Just the good guys doing their job and winning.

No enemies ... alive........2007-03-12

The Special Edition in widescreen Panavision with color by De Luxe is gorgeous from landscapes to big action scenes. The camerawork, whether a tracking shot of the galloping Forty Thieves, or just a set piece looking up the long bordertown street to Boot Hill, is inspired. The score by Elmer Bernstein in Dolby is well, magnificent!

The individual vignettes with Wallach, McQueen, Coburn, and Bronson are little classics. And yet, and yet ...

I first saw TM7 in a theater when it was first released and grew up watching the Marlboro Man on TV so I was looking forward to seeing TM7 again in its orginal glory. But as I watched, I found myself thinking: Had Horst Buchholz really been this annoying? Were the villagers always such wooden actors? Wasn't there more interaction among the Seven? Weren't there more gunfights in the original? In short, it is a very good movie, but it isn't THE Magnificent Seven - the one in my memory for 46 years.

But I'm rating it for what it is, not for how I remembered it, and not because it isn't in Japanese, and it still comes up 4 stars ... plus one more star for the interviews and commentary features on the Spec Ed.

If you wonder why a Russian and a German were cast as leads in an American Western, watch the documentary feature, "Guns For Hire." Or, if you wonder why the Mexican farmers speak perfect English (better than Brynner or Buchholz) and always wear sparkling clean white clothing (while the Americans are always sweaty and dirty), watch the feature. Which one of the Seven actually got married on the set during the village fiesta? Yep, it's in the feature.

Magnificent!!!.......2007-01-30

I haven't seen the original "Seven Samuri", so this is has no conparisons. As a western, this might be one of the best I've seen. Yul Brynner's presence on screen is commanding. I can see why he was later chosen for the sci-fi film, "Westworld". His supporting cast is just as outstanding. It reads like a who's who list (McQueen, Colburn, Bronson) of action films. With a powerful cast, a entertaining villan (Eli Wallach), an intriguing storyline and a beautiful Elmer Bernstein soundtrack (It makes me want to have a Marlboro cigarette, afterwards.), everything comes together. It's an unforgetable western that continues to live its reputation as one of Hollywood's finest films.

Fantastic Entertaining Western! One of the Best ever made!.......2007-01-10

A true Classic! Excellent story, fast paced yet, slow enough for the viewer to learn character development. In my opinion, it has one of the best director's of westerns, John Sturges, with a musical score composed and directed by the best man ever to develop a musical score for a western, Elmer Bernstein. His music lends to the story and captures human emotion in every secene. The acting is superb by a veteran cast of the best actors to be assembled for a film, Yul Bryner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, to name a few.

The interviews are interesting and captivating on the second disk, and give you a good a idea of what it was like to work on this film.

Believe me, you won't regret buying this two disk version. An excellent edition to a film library. A great film that you can enjoy over and over again.

John E. Matty, Springfield, VA

Cowboy Bebop - The Perfect Sessions (Limited Edition Complete Series Boxed Set)

Average customer rating:

Just, grate.
A great show that is almost impossible to get legitimately
Put Your Fears to Rest, This DVD set is Amazing!
oh yeah baby, yeah1!!
Limited Edition is not in print - beware of cheap 3 disc set

Cowboy Bebop - The Perfect Sessions (Limited Edition Complete Series Boxed Set)
Starring: Aoi Tada , Gara Takashima , Norio Wakamoto , Miki Nagasawa , and Tsutomu Tareki
Director: Shinichirô Watanabe
Manufacturer: Bandai
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005QCW4
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Amazon.com essential video

Each of the snazzy 25-minute installments from the most popular Japanese animated TV series of 1998 is a satisfying adventure tale about a futuristic hipster bounty hunter. This is an elegant action-comedy anime, with smoothly integrated CGI space-flight elements, gorgeous graphics, blues harmonica and sax riffs on the soundtrack, and a no-sweat post-Tarantino attitude. Despite occasional eruptions of gun-fu Asian-action violence, and some intimations of heavy-duty drug use (in the first of 26 episodes, one especially noxious narcotic is administered as an aerosol spray straight onto the user's eyeballs), the tone is surprisingly convivial. None of the generic tough elements are grim or mean-spirited. Lanky antihero Spike Spiegel is a planet-hopping freelance hunter with an ex-cop sidekick named Jet, a loopy fellow hunter named Faye, a teenage computer hack, and a genetically enhanced Welsh corgi assistant in tow. The emphasis is on clever twists of plot in an episodic short-story format with as many wisecracks as punches being thrown. --David Chute

Description

Meet Spike and Jet, a drifter and a retired cyborg cop. They've formed a partnership in a bounty hunting enterprise that specializes in adventure and cash. Using an old converted fishing ship called the Bebop, with the help of the intelligent data dog, Ein, the mysterious and vexing femme fatale, Faye Valentine, and Ed, the genius hacker -- Spike and Jet scour the galaxy to clean up space, one bounty at a time.

* Considered one of the best anime of all time in both Japan AND the United States. * Cowboy Bebop is now available as a special DVD collection box set that contains all six DVD's from Cowboy Bebop packaged with the Cowboy Bebop Original Soundtrack CD in a collectors box.

Customer Reviews:

Just, grate........2007-06-13

I got it right on time. The dvd's where not opened (new set) I would buy from this guy any time.

A great show that is almost impossible to get legitimately.......2007-06-05

Ok, so Cowboy Bebop is a great show. Here's the deal. The sellers who are selling this new are selling you a bootleg. The set simply isn't being manufactured anymore. The real thing has 7 discs all together 6 DVDs, and 1 Audio CD. The sets that sre being sold here (unless they are used and expensive) are usually 3 discs, maybe 4 or 5 if they throw in a copy of the movie, and the soundtrack. So, please be aware of this. I wasn't when I went into this, and wound up with a $50 bootleg.

So, what does that mean for you, the person who wants the show, but doesn't want to sign over their firstborn? Well, the set isn't too bad. The episodes are compressed down to 9 per disc. Some people have complained about the video, or audio. I found it pretty good! If your trying to watch this on your whiz-bang 90 bajillion inch HDTV, then I'm sure you'll notice some artifacting, and things like that. But then you can probably afford to shell out a minimum of $125 (or $350 for the legitimate Perfect Sessions) for a 26 episode TV show. For the rest of you the video is of suprising quality as is the audio. The languages, and subtitles are intact.

I'll admit that I am somewhat morally conflicted over this. The people who created the show deserve to be compensated for it. But I feel that I paid a fair price ($49, when it's as cheap as $25) and that if Bandai was REALLY that interested in milking a few more bucks out of me they'd make a less expensive set. Just be sure that you get the FX copy, and you'll be ok.

Put Your Fears to Rest, This DVD set is Amazing!.......2007-05-29

If you've been looking at the price suspiciously as I did, and you've read the reviews here and there about these being shoddy bootlegs, put your fears to rest. Sure these may be made by some pis-ant company in China, but the quality is fine, great even. This is an incredible deal, the ENTIRE series starting at about $25! (I don't use exclamation points lightly). In your copy there might be a discruntled pixle in an episode or two, but for the price I think that is well worth the risk. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how great this series is, the real concern is about the quality of the DVD's themselves. They're awsome.

oh yeah baby, yeah1!!.......2007-05-21

oh, im so excited. i love cowboy bebop!! three discs, great quality, but I dont think that subtitles can be turned off. Comes in english, japanese with english subs, english with japanese subs. Nothing wrong here, perfect, loved it, great series, lots of shoot em up and great story line. Get it!!

Limited Edition is not in print - beware of cheap 3 disc set.......2007-04-18

First of all, Cowboy Bebop is an amazing collection of animation. The stories and characters are very involving. I originally caught an episode on Adult Swim and was hooked, so I had to get the whole set.

Cowboy Bebop has been released on DVD in many different versions. Beware or you will not get what you expect. The original series was first released on 6 individual discs. These are available used. Later, The Perfect Sessions 6 DVD boxed set was released in limited quantities at an MSRP of $250. Each box is numbered. These are no longer available for sale except on auction sites. Cowboy Bebop Remix is the a 6 DVD set containing a Dolby surround remix of the original audio.

A cheaper, 3 disc set was created and released in Asia. This is the set you find commonly offered for sale for $20 or less. Compressing 6 DVDs worth of material onto 3 discs involves large amounts of compression so many people are disappointed when they pay $20 and expect a $250 set. You get what you pay for! If you want quality, spring for the 6 DVD set.

Average customer rating:

The Man from Snowy River
excellent movie
A Winner
Australian Romance
Very Good Movie

The Man From Snowy River
Starring: Tom Burlinson , Terence Donovan , Kirk Douglas , Tommy Dysart , and Bruce Kerr
Director: George Miller
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Quigley Down Under

ASIN: B000062XG0
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Amazon.com essential video

A conventional boy-and-his-horse story set against the red rocks of remote Australian mountains. (If there's a wide-screen edition, grab it. The scenery is one of the movie's strongest features.) Tom Burlinson is Jim Craig, a young man left stranded after his father's death who is struggling to save the family farm. He proves his manhood during a hair-raising hunt over the wooded slopes in search of an escaped stallion. The great, grizzled, Australian character actor Jack Thompson (the idealistic lawyer in Breaker Morant) is the tough, older horseman who takes the lad under his wing. The director, George Miller (not to be confused with the action-master who made the Mad Max films) allows costar Kirk Douglas to mug and grimace and prance far too much in a duel role as a pair of lovable old coots who hate each other's guts. Luckily, one of the coots has a handsome daughter (Sigrid Thornton, an Elizabeth McGovern-type with grit), who also has a way with horses. So it isn't all rocks and pine trees. --David Chute

Description

With its unforgettably heroic story, its stunning cinematography, and acting performances that are uniformly excellent, THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is one thrilling adventure you won't want to miss. Set during the 1880's, when the Australian frontier was as wild and dangerous as the American West, the film follows the exploits of a handsome youth (Tom Burlinson) who sets out to tame a wild herd of horses. Taking on a challenge many men had attempted before him, he rides deep into the treacherous and untamed wilderness of his native timberlands where boys become men fast - or die trying. Featuring Kirk Douglas in a remakable dual role and highlighted by a climactic chase involving 40 horsemen and 90 wild stallioins thundering across snow-covered peaks, THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is destined to become a legendary film!

Customer Reviews:

The Man from Snowy River.......2007-06-08

Great sags about a Austrial cowboy wants to prove his is as good as his dad and get the girl, Jessica

excellent movie.......2007-06-02

For the people who loves riding horses in the nature, work with cattle or horses, they should watch this movie. Excellent action scenes.

A Winner.......2007-05-27

I love horses, always have. And I love this video. It's one of very few that I would choose to own, rather than rent.

Australian Romance.......2007-05-13

This is an excellentwestern romance with all the thrills of fast horses anda
great cliff hanger at the end.

Very Good Movie.......2007-05-12

I do enjoy movies about horses and this one is very entertaining to me so much so that I have the video and the DVD.

Average customer rating:

Not the correct region for DVD players
Two of My Favorite Stars
I never thought this movie could be a Western was I Wrong this is a Western in a Far off Land.
Tom Selleck
Quigley ... not a bad movie

Quigley Down Under
Starring: Tom Selleck , Laura San Giacomo , Alan Rickman , Chris Haywood , and Ron Haddrick
Director: Simon Wincer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005LOL0
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Amazon.com

Tom Selleck plays Matthew Quigley, the cowboy hero in this traditional Western, set very untraditionally in Australia. After some macho silliness in the opening minutes, the story settles into a surprisingly evocative tale of Quigley, a sharpshooter who had come to the country to work for a land baron (Alan Rickman) and who is on the mend after a brutal attack. In the company of a woman (Laura San Giacomo) abused by that same baron, Quigley gets his strength and his shooting skills back while healing in the midst of aboriginal people as well as some stunning Australian settings. Director Simon Wincer (Phar Lap) brings a lot of integrity to this rare horse opera from contemporary Hollywood. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Not the correct region for DVD players.......2007-07-03

DVD arrived promptly and in good order, however, due to Australia being in the Oceania region our DVD players cannot play US type DVDs. Amazon did warn me that this was a possibility - however, no option was given by Amazon to choose a DVD for this region - Oceania. I am stuck with a DVD I cannot watch

Two of My Favorite Stars.......2007-05-07

Classic Western in a new setting. The stoic cowboy and the damsel in distress Down Under. It is always a good evening when watching the interactions of the cowboy and the 'crazy lady'.

From the beginning when he rescues her and she 'latches onto him' as her protector, right to the end when she.... Well... that would be telling.

It has all the right mixtures, The Good Guy, The Surprisingly Tough Damsel, and The Overstated Evil Cattle Baron, all in the wilds of old Australia. Good Stuff!

I never thought this movie could be a Western was I Wrong this is a Western in a Far off Land........2007-03-11

Man I love it when the bad guys get it in the end, and they do in this movie. Tom Selleck plays a Great Hero in this movie.If you can handle some Brutal seens ,Blood and Shot'em up swearing, but in the content of this movie its done to bring its point across and does that.Hey Who Watchs Westerns in Todays World? I-still-do.Dont forget Open Range too!

Tom Selleck.......2007-02-12

A different kind of western! The story line is good and Tom Selleck his usual great self!

Quigley ... not a bad movie.......2007-02-06

It was sort of a Revisionist Western. It was set in the Colonial period of Australia . The best things were

* the cinematography of Australia's glorious landscape. Most of it shot around Alice Springs where I lived the a while.

* adequate performances from the 3 main characters ..Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo currently seen as Maya Gallo in TV show "Just Shoot Me", and Alan Rickman .... and it has dingo's too

"Quigley" is a reasonable action movie which revealed the truth of our shameful past.

Average customer rating:

Not the Apple Dumpling Gang
revenge is sweet & so is the duke
The Cowboys
100 Years Of Greatness!!!!!!!
Worth Watching

The Cowboys (Deluxe Edition)
Starring: John Wayne , Roscoe Lee Browne , Bruce Dern , Colleen Dewhurst , and Alfred Barker Jr.
Director: Mark Rydell
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O599WQ
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Almost in spite of itself, The Cowboys has taken its place among John Wayne's most beloved films. It wasn't always that way: When it was released in January of 1972, the film was widely criticized for appearing to promote the notion that boys become men through violence. From a politically correct perspective, this apparent message is arguably deplorable (and some interpreted the film's young fighters as a reflection of young draftees into the Vietnam war), but there's no denying that The Cowboys remains as invigorating as it ever was, no matter how dubious its thematic implications. Based on a novel by William Dale Jennings, and adapted with Jennings by the married screenwriting team of Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. (whose impressive credits include Hud, Hombre, and Norma Rae), the movie opens with aging ranch owner Wil Anderson (Wayne) desperate for ranch-hands to herd 1,500 head of cattle across 400 miles of dangerous territory. With no better options, he reluctantly hires boys from the local schoolhouse (including Robert Carradine in his screen debut), and an experienced, worldly-wise cook named Nightlinger (played to perfection by Roscoe Lee Browne) joins the cattle drive--the first black man the boys have ever seen.

A Hollywood liberal who initially felt at odds with Wayne's right-wing politics, Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond) originally sought George C. Scott for the lead, but studio executives urged him to convince Wayne to take the role. It was a happy outcome for both, as Rydell directs Wayne with an enjoyable mixture of Old West humor and grizzled trail-hardiness, and The Cowboys is a top-drawer production with gorgeous cinematography (on location in Mexico and Colorado) by veteran cameraman Robert Surtees. Colleen Dewhurst appears briefly but memorably as the madam of a traveling troupe of prostitutes (in a scene often cut from earlier TV broadcasts and some home-video releases), and the young A Martinez (who would later star in several TV soap operas and the indie-hit Powwow Highway) makes a strong impression in a prominent supporting role. But the real reason for the film's lasting popularity is the hiss-worthy villainy of Bruce Dern (as "Long Hair," leader of the rustlers), who earned a dubious place in movie history for his character's cheating approach to gunplay. No matter how you interpret its themes of fatherly influence and justified vengeance, The Cowboys (later the basis of a short-lived TV series) is undeniably entertaining, dominated by Wayne's reliable presence and bolstered by a rousing, Copland-esque score by John Williams. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Not the Apple Dumpling Gang.......2007-06-16

This picture deserves a better reputation. Yes, it has a bunch of kids in it - but it's not Disney-style cutes and sentiment. And boy, does it hold up in this beautiful presentation with the overture and entr'acte. Completely irresistible. (Why wasn't Bruce Dern nominated for this?)

revenge is sweet & so is the duke.......2007-06-11

john wayne gives the last significant performance of his career (i dont much care for "the shootist", sorry) in this revisionist western from director mark rydell. highlighted by the charmingly amateurish performances by the young supporting cast, and the oh-so-sinister bruce dern in his breakthrough role, the movie is vigilantly off-beat, and more true to the spirit of the 1970s than the 1870s. im not sure wayne fans will like it, but i think wayne haters (oh how i pity the fools) might.

The Cowboys.......2007-06-10

This is a very good movie. It is a intriguing movie. It keeps your attention. I would recommend to everyone.

100 Years Of Greatness!!!!!!!.......2007-05-28

My brothers and I grew-up on this and many of Big John's flicks. This is one of his best and left me with the best message for growing boys of today. Just like John Wayne says near the end of the movie: "Every man wants his children to grow-up better than he was" was pure greatness!!!!! And has stuck with us to this day. Only a "non-American" could not appreciate the values expressed on this movie........

Worth Watching.......2007-05-27

I had never watched "The Cowboys" before because, when it first came out, the concept of John Wayne leading a bunch of kids on a cattle drive didn't appeal to me. However, the awareness that this was one of 30 some John Wayne movies I hadn't seen led me to watch it last night. I was impressed. For one thing, I could tell from the beginning that this was a major production for its' day. The cinematography was impressive and the location and sets were well done too. The case for why a school room-full of kids were chosen for the job was credibly made and the journey begins. There's a fair amount of action and entertainment along the way. John Wayne gives a good performance as the cattleman who comes to respect his trailhands. There is some suspenseful conflict with some bad guys and something that rarely happens in a John Wayne film occurs. I won't say what it was but I could only think of "The Shootist" and, in an indirect way, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" as the other times it occurred after "The Alamo".

The kids give a credible performance and so does Roscoe Lee Brown. Interestingly, there was a bit actor with the last name Canutt who showed up on the credits (as one of the bad guys). Could it the Duke found work for a relative of his old sparring partner Yakima Canutt? Collen Dewhurst is featured but she's over-billed for her gratuitous part. This is not a great movie but it turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be.

Average customer rating:

Why No Widescreen?!
Return to Snowy River
Great Movie.
Very Good Movie
Deserving of No Less than 15 Stars.........

Return to Snowy River
Starring: Tony Barry , John Bird , Tom Burlinson , Peter Cummins , and Brian Dennehy
Director: Geoff Burrowes
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Man From Snowy River
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ASIN: B00005JLHX
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Description

Australia's breathtaking Victoria Alps set the backdrop for this spectacular epic saga. Tom Burlinson and Sigrid Thornton, two of Australia's brightest film talents, star in a fast-paced, action-packed story of a stormy romance caught up in a violent feud between landowners. Acclaimed actor Brian Dennehy (LEGAL EAGLES, COCOON) gives a gripping performance as the powerful patriarch determined to keep them apart. Visually unforgettable and packed with rugged adventure and masterful stuntwork, RETURN TO SNOWY RIVER is a thrilling and memorable film!

Customer Reviews:

Why No Widescreen?!.......2007-06-30

This is a great movie, but it was originally shown in theaters in the 2:35:1 Widescreen format. I know some people like the full screen format over widescreen, but so much of the beauty and landscapes are lost in pan and scan full screen. Why can't this film be released with both pan and scan & widescreen. I know I am not the only person who would like to see it released in widescreen. Please consider a re-release Disney for the widescreen audience. Thanks

Return to Snowy River.......2007-06-08

Gotta watch both to get the full affect of the Man of Snowy River... Great love story...

Great Movie........2007-05-13

The ladies love this! Pop it in, and watch 'em cuddle right up into your arms.

Very Good Movie.......2007-05-12

I have the first movie and the second on video and Dvd and I do enjoy them very much.

Deserving of No Less than 15 Stars................2007-04-10

As I said for the First part of this Masterful Storyline, forget what you hear about the Director and the Producers, this story is Given to you not by them but by a Masterful Storyline, Wonderful Acting and Scenery unlike any you will see Anywhere.

Sequals Often do NOT match up to their predecessors, yet This one Equals its First part in All ways possible.

It is NOT to be missed, and it will Demand that you watch it over and over, finding New things at each viewing.

Average customer rating:

Midnight Cowboy
Oddly touching
Texas meets New York on a crash collision course!!!
My favorite movie
Dustin collection

Midnight Cowboy
Starring: Dustin Hoffman , Jon Voight , Sylvia Miles , John McGiver , and Brenda Vaccaro
Director: John Schlesinger
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0792833287
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Amazon.com

The first, and only, X-rated film to win a best picture Academy Award, John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy seems a lot less daring today (and has been reclassified as an R), but remains a fascinating time capsule of late-1960s sexual decadence in mainstream American cinema. In a career-making performance, Jon Voight plays Joe Buck, a naive Texas dishwasher who goes to the big city (New York) to make his fortune as a sexual hustler. Although enthusiastic about selling himself to rich ladies for stud services, he quickly finds it hard to make a living and eventually crashes in a seedy dump with a crippled petty thief named Ratzo Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman, doing one of his more effective "stupid acting tricks," with a limp and a high-pitch rasp of a voice). Schlesinger's quick-cut, semi-psychedelic style has dated severely, as has his ruthlessly cynical approach to almost everybody but the lead characters. But at its heart the movie is a sad tale of friendship between a couple of losers lost in the big city, and with an ending no studio would approve today. It's a bit like an urban Of Mice and Men, but where both guys are Lenny. --Jim Emerson

Description

Daring. Provocative. Shocking. Compelling. Nearly thirty years after its original release, "Midnight Cowboy is still heartbreakingand timeless" (The New York Observer). This Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay also boasts OscarÂ(r)-nominated** performances by Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, neither of whom have "ever been better on screen than they are here" (Chicago Tribune)! When Joe Buck (Voight), a good-looking,naively charming Texas "cowboy" makes his way to the Big Apple to seek his fortune, the only wealthhe finds is in the friendship of Ratso Rizzo (Hoffman), a scrounging, sleazy, small-time con man with big dreams. Living on the tattered fringe of society, these two outcasts develop an unlikely bond one that transcends their broken dreams and get-rich-quick schemes and makes Midnight Cowboy "that rarest of things: [a film] every bit as moving now as it was when it was [first] released" (Premiere). *1969 **1969: Actor

Customer Reviews:

Midnight Cowboy.......2007-06-28

Two years after "The Graduate," Hoffmann transformed himself into an ailing derelict in director Schlesinger's dark, intense "Midnight Cowboy." A story of friendship born of desperation in Manhattan's grimy underbelly, "Cowboy" was at the vanguard of a new kind of Hollywood movie in the late '60s--gritty, complex, and unidealized. Despite an initial "X" rating, the film won Oscars for best picture, director, and screenplay, and both Hoffman and newcomer Voight were nominated for their gutsy, raw performances. Hoffman's Rizzo is particularly astounding.

Oddly touching.......2007-06-12

This movie brings the viewer to the places that people like to ignore. What it ultimately shows is that there is humanity and empathy to be found in even the most jaded of individuals.

Texas meets New York on a crash collision course!!!.......2007-05-28

Even though this movie is old, it's still could have been relevent today. A young John Voigt plays a Hustler from Texas who's just too nice. Dustin Hoffman plays Ricco, a petty thief from the streets of New York. Both from many miles apart, but with the same disease, lonelyness. With many classic 60's scenes, and plenty of character development, this film has it all. Rent it, buy it, but make sure you have seen it. A classic.

My favorite movie.......2007-04-25

I saw Midnight Cowboy, in 1969, and was greatly moved. It's a sad but very worthy film, which left me feeling somewhat wiser. I would particularly recommend it to those who came of age in the late sixties. The party scene might look like farce to someone who didn't experience that period. One of my favorite things about this movie is the Toots Thielmans harmonica in the Midnight Cowboy instrumental theme. It's beautiful. I also like "Old Man Willow" by Elephant's Memory.

Dustin collection.......2007-04-11

What a classic!! Good sound and picture, and if you want to see Jon and Dustin starting out, get this dvd!!!

Average customer rating:

Oklahoma!
One of the all time great musicals
Purchase for use in Europe
An American original
Great music. lyrics

Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Gordon MacRae , Gloria Grahame , Gene Nelson , Charlotte Greenwood , and Shirley Jones
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AP04NI
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Amazon.com

The hit Broadway musical from the 1940s gets a lavish if not always exciting workout in this 1955 film version directed by old lion Fred Zinnemann (High Noon). Gordon MacRae brings his sterling voice to the role of cowboy Curly, and Shirley Jones plays Laurie, the object of his affection. The Rodgers and Hammerstein score includes "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," and "People Will Say We're in Love," and Agnes DeMille provides the buoyant choreography. Among the supporting cast, Gloria Grahame is memorable as Ado Annie, the "girl who cain't say no," and Rod Steiger overdoes it as the villainous Jud. --Tom Keogh

Description

Set in the Oklahoma Territory in the early 1900's, this joyous celebration of frontier life is a story of tender romance and dangerous passion. Gordon MacRae is Curly, a sunny, good-natured ranch hand, and Shirley Jones is Laurey Williams, the farmer's daughter he loves. Rod Steiger is he menacing Jud, who tries to comes between them. The first Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration, this Academy Award winner for Best Score features the classic songs "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and "People Will Say We're In Love."

Customer Reviews:

Oklahoma!.......2007-06-26

Though the film is long and contains a fairly high corn factor, it's also visually stunning, and truly soars whenever the music and dancing starts, with peerless renditions of "People Will Say We're In Love," "The Surrey With The Fringe On The Top," and the immortal title tune. The dance numbers, choreographed by Agnes de Mille, are original and exuberant, while Steiger and Gloria Grahame turn in fine performances, respectively playing the dastardly Jud and the naively amorous Ado Annie, "the girl who can't say no."

One of the all time great musicals.......2007-05-13

The music is great as well as the singing and acting. This movie is a visual treat for the eyes and it has great dancing as well. If you love musicals (particularly those made in the 40's 50's and 60's) than you will love this movie. While this movie has a dark side for the most part it reflects the optimism that seems to be so much a part of the American character. Watch it you will enjoy it.

Purchase for use in Europe.......2007-04-23

I was so disappointed on receipt of the Oklahoma DVD that it would not work outside of the USA. I am sure it is well the cost.

An American original.......2007-04-05

This version of "Oklahoma" will always remain my favorite. Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones are sheer perfection. Every single Rodgers and Hammerstein song including "Oh What a Beautiful Morning,""People Will Say We're in Love," "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top," "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No," and the title song are romantic, humorous, original and beautifully sung and directed. This show is considered the quintessential American musical and after experiencing the amazing on-location sets, costumes, choreography by Martha Graham, dream sequence, and charming and delightful overall mood of this movie, you'll be humming these tunes for days!

Great music. lyrics.......2007-03-17

One of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best. I think 4.5 would be more accurate. But not quite up to "The Sound of Music", or "The King and I"

Average customer rating:

the man who shot liberty valance
Best Western Ever!!
"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend"
John Wayne at his best!
It's Pendelton's in a sippy-cup.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Starring: John Wayne , James Stewart , Vera Miles , Lee Marvin , and Edmond O'Brien
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005ASGG
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Amazon.com essential video

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." That's more than the code of a newspaperman in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; it's practically the operating credo of director John Ford, the most honored of American filmmakers. In this late film from a long career, Ford looks at the civilizing of an Old West town, Shinbone, through the sad memories of settlers looking back. In the town's wide-open youth, two-fisted Westerner John Wayne and tenderfoot newcomer James Stewart clash over a woman (Vera Miles) but ultimately unite against the notorious outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Ford's nostalgia for the past is tempered by his stark approach, unusual for the visual poet of Stagecoach and The Searchers. The two heavyweights, Wayne and Stewart, are good together, with Wayne the embodiment of rugged individualism and Stewart the idealistic prophet of the civilization that will eventually tame the Wild West. This may be the saddest Western ever made, closer to an elegy than an action movie, and as cleanly beautiful as its central symbol, the cactus rose. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

the man who shot liberty valance.......2007-06-27

The first time I saw "The Man who shot Liberty Valance" was on TCM.I was amazed at the casting of this fine old western and decided to buy it for my library of old movies. I was not disappointed. John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, along with Lee Marvin made this far better western than most movies were in it's day! It is fun to see all of these actors in their prime, doing what they do best! Thumbs up!!

Best Western Ever!!.......2007-04-23

John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart come together to lead one of the most dynamic casts of characters ever put into a western movie.

Who really shot Liberty Valance?

In a story that speaks to true inner strength and humility, the question is answered after the strangest turn of circumstances sees Jimmy Stewart (Ransom Stoddard) rise from humble (almost cowardly) beginnings to become a very well-respected man of the community. It's only later in life that he learns he's made his name on the actions of John Wayne's character...

I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, but one thing you learn in this movie is that things are not what they first seem. And that makes the movie WAY ahead of its time!

I am stoked to see it available on DVD.

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend".......2007-03-16

The combination of John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin along with Vera Miles and a plethora of talented supporting actors from the John Ford stable make this one of the best westerns. Character development is what makes this film so wonderful. The premise is simple: a man builds his entire life on a legend. Told in flashback, Mr. Stewart's character, Ransom Stoddard, sets the story straight regarding the pivotal moment of his life that paved the way for future achievements. Yet, he fails to recognize that his greatest achievement was not in literally doing the things, but in the courage demonstrated in a time of crisis. "Murder, pure and simple; but I can live with it. Hallie wanted you alive. You taught her to read; now go back in there and give her something to read about." And so he does.

John Wayne plays the "noble cowboy" and shy suitor with his usual easy-going charm. Lee Marvin plays the villain, Liberty Valance, with particular passion, serving a worthy stereotype of the sadistic gunslinger. Vera Miles does a nice turn as the romantic interest for Wayne and Stewart's characters. Supporting cast members Woody Strode, Andy Devine, Edmund O'Brien, Strother Martin are all at of the "Old West Central Casting Department." Together, they make the movie entertaining and special on a variety of levels: action-western, romance, lost love, to name but a few.

The DVD quality is quite good. Although some have bemoaned the lack of DVD "extras," for the price, the DVD offers good value. These kinds of movies are rare today and should be appreciated for the pure joy of filmmaking craftsmanship.

John Wayne at his best!.......2007-03-09

This is a CLASSIC John Wayne movie! I strongly encourage any Duke fans to own this movie. He has often been criticized for his lack of acting ability, but this performance holds up very well next to James Stewart. This is truly a multi-faceted character. Red River and The Searchers are often acknowledged as his best. This one needs to be included in that discussion.

It's Pendelton's in a sippy-cup........2007-02-03

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a resonating acheivement in film. That, however, is not a new statement but I unlike others will ground it.
This most complex work, of John Ford's, is a compilation of talents. The quality, though, that holds it highly above the rest is its successful deconstructive nature. The Western's various elements are herein taken apart, examined, and then honed to as realistic a nature as possible. Then, they are put back together as they now are, except. . . except for one thing, now, they don't fit anymore. Do they? The righteous sigil of the law can't bring himself to end another's life (our films today ALWAYS justify the hero's killings with self defence, as if it was so simple as that). The Deus Ex Machina of the film John Wayne feels more like the villain than the hero. But, despite these sudden disparities with what we've seen on the screen before the film carries a successful and fluid narrative . So by that, the film acheives the deconstruction genre in its fullest form. Once the pieces are identified and shaped to perfect points they are amazingly, not just put back together but formed into a cohesive whole. That final step is the cruelest and breaks the majority of would be genre studies. It requires displacement of people, places, emotions, and actions. The man that was one is now two. The idea that was once impure and illogical is now entirely possible because it is now in the realm of the real human mind. The film is so exraordinary because it succeeds where so many others fail. To deconstruct a genre it is not merely enogh to have "The Antihero", darkness, or violence. Deconstruction is a difficult progression of story that requires a great understanding of story elements and their conventional use. It is a testament to this film that it is one of the few successes of its kind.

Now, the ephimeral.

This review is for a dvd not just the movie. The film gets five stars the dvd gets one (zero if I could) and those average to three. Suffice it to say that the lack of features, the packaging, and the John Wayne Collection moniker at the top of the box are all insults to this film. There are no notable features of any kind for a film which should be in a four-disk set to rival that of Gone with the Wind. The packaging is your standard keepcase which, I suppose, is acceptable. Lastly, I have no problem with John Wayne but putting that garrish moniker on this film would be simillar to printing "The Toshiro Mifune Collection" at the top of a Seven Samurai dvd. No, as much as I'd do "anything for the man who shot Liberty Valance" I will continue to rent the old VHS copy my local video store has yet to ruin and replace with some trite trash like "The Dukes of Hazar