Revenge of the Land

Starring:Welsh, West, Gallagher
Studio: Direct Source Label
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Haunting River of No Return
Mitchim offers a portrayal of total integrity with all the conviction of a Joel McCrea or Randolph Scott...
RIVER OF NO RETURN
Underrated Monroe vehicle
wild river

River of No Return
Starring: Robert Mitchum , Marilyn Monroe , Rory Calhoun , Tommy Rettig , and Murvyn Vye
Director: Jean Negulesco , and Otto Preminger
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FUH38C
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com

The dew of new stardom was still visible on Marilyn Monroe when she ventured up to Canada to shoot this sturdily entertaining CinemaScope Western. Although director Otto Preminger later claimed little interest in the picture, he couldn't help but bring his even-handed visual style to the widescreen process. The location shooting (in Alberta) is eye filling, and that river really does look alarming. Best of all, Marilyn, fresh and vital, had a costar to match her magnetism but not humor her sometimes-scattered approach to acting: Robert Mitchum, as a homesteader with a dark past. He's weighty enough to stand next to MM's bright flame without giving any ground; they should have worked together again. Since Marilyn plays a saloon singer, she gets to sling some tunes in her inimitable style, with as much glamour as the gold rush-era trappings will allow, giving "I'm Going to File My Claim" various meanings. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Haunting River of No Return.......2007-01-11

The background music of this excellent film is beautifully haunting and very suited for the movie. We have watched this film AT LEAST 6 times and is on a par with The Duke's Rio Bravo.

Mitchim offers a portrayal of total integrity with all the conviction of a Joel McCrea or Randolph Scott..........2006-11-10

Perhaps because of his air of detachment, the typical Mitchum situation is one of being drawn into events... Otto Preminger's "River of No Return" is set in Northwest Canada, in savage Indian territory, in the gold rush days... The plot is weak but the scenery is spectacular and the action of the river dramatically powerful... Otto Preminger knew how to create tension and threat in the grandeur and menace of the Canadian Rockies...

The film opens in 1875 with widower Matt Calder (Mitchum), coming to town, where his ten-year-old son Mark (Tommy Rettig) is waiting for him... He has served a term in prison for shooting a man in the back, even though he shot the man only to keep him from murdering a friend... Mark has now been sent to join his father, who has bought a farm for them...

Mark has made the acquaintance of Kay (Marilyn Monroe), a saloon singer, while waiting for his father.... Calder thanks Kay for her kindness to his boy, and father and son depart for their farm...

One day, Calder sees Kay and gambler Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun) in trouble on a raft in the river near his home... He helps them ashore and learns that Watson is in a hurry to get to town to register a gold claim... So eager is he that he steals his rescuer's only horse, and leaving his girl behind as well, rides away...

The predicament of those left is deepened by the fact that Indians are on a rampage and are due to attack the farm at any moment... The only way left to get to town is by a wild river...

Photographed in Technicolor and CinemaScope, the film is designed to exploit the splendors of the mountains, trees and rapid rivers plus the magnetic pleasant figure of Marilyn who is the only charming woman surrounded by two handsome men and a charming kid...

Marilyn sings 4 numbers in the film: "One Silver Dollar," "I'm Gonna File My Claim," "Down in the Meadow," and "The River of No Return."

The little boy, Tommy Rettig, played another big-scale Western, Delmer Daves' "The Last Wagon," with Richard Widmark, Felicia Farr, and Susan Kohner...

RIVER OF NO RETURN.......2006-08-26

VERY WELL WRITTEN AND PRODUCED. GOOD PERFORMANCES BY ALL THE MAJOR ACTORS, (MARILYN MONROE, ROBERT MITCHUM, TOMMY RETTIG, & RORY CALHOUN). CHET ATKINS GUITAR PERFECT FOR THE TITLE SONG.

Underrated Monroe vehicle.......2006-07-22

I very much enjoyed this movie.
It has something for everybody:beautiful scenery,great songs,the beauty of Marilyn,a bit of action,suspense.
The movie-going Public in the 50's did not enjoy Monroe in straight roles,and proved it by not buying many tickets to watch these films.
'Don't Bother to Knock','Niagara','The Misfits',and 'River of no Return' had very average Box-Office appeal.
However,i find this film pleasant to watch.The chemistry with Robert Mitchum works well.It is a nice touch to see Marilyn interact with a child (Rettig is doing a good job),but my favorite scenes are the ones at the Saloon.Monroe was doing her own singing,which was quite a rare occurance for actresses of that era.
Also something I found interesting,was the depiction of the Marilyn character,basically a 'Bad-girl' trying hard to be a 'Good-girl'.She plays it rather convincingly,in showing the dilemna of such an exercise.
To conclude,i believe that it is safe to say that this is not the best film of Preminger,but then again not his worst (calling..Skidoo ?)

wild river .......2006-06-03

This is the first Marilyn Monroe movie I saw in which she played a sophisticated character - a salon singer who gave her every penny for her untrustworthy boyfriend to file claim on a potential goldmine. And she played it well and sang beautifully.

The fact that the movie was shot in the picturesque Canada certainly helped. The roaring river and the rocky cliffs did not pale even when compared with River Wild (Meryl Streep) made decades later. Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe were a perfect couple. Two lonely souls in the west who deserved a better life.

For the superb cineamatography, the theme song (sang by Monroe during the movie and again at the end in a western cowboy style) and the leading characters, this is a movie to see.

Average customer rating:

for me this is the most accessible of peckinpahs movies
Butterfly Mornings... and Wild Flower Afternoons
A warm and vivid film with a distinctive flavor that teases the sense of taste...
The elusive dreams !
The Ballad of Cable Hogue

The Ballad of Cable Hogue
Starring: Jason Robards , Stella Stevens , David Warner , Strother Martin , and Slim Pickens
Director: Sam Peckinpah , and Nick Redman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Junior Bonner

ASIN: B000BT96DM
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Amazon.com essential video

What does it tell us that Sam Peckinpah's most joyous and life-affirming movie is also his most underappreciated? The Ballad of Cable Hogue was made in that singular moment when, having just completed The Wild Bunch, Peckinpah knew he was back in the game as a feature-film director; and before anyone (including Peckinpah himself?) had an inkling of how completely he was about to redefine the Western genre, contemporary American filmmaking, and his own personal legend.

Cable Hogue is a splendiferous entertainment: a grufty Western tall tale, a lusty comedy, and also (in critic Kathleen Murphy's phrase) "a musical about the economic and emotional complexities of capitalism." Its title character--Jason Robards in a great, exuberant gift of a performance--is an ornery varmint left by two scurrilous partners (L.Q. Jones and Strother Martin) to die in the desert. Through pure cussedness and what may be dumb luck, may be divine intervention, he "finds water where it wasn't" and survives. Nothing to do now but settle back, let his waterhole--the only one on the stage line between Deaddog and Gila--make him a rich man, and await the day those two old partners drop by his waystation.

Besides such Peckinpah regulars as Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong, and Gene Evans, the movie features Stella Stevens in her career-best role as Hildy, Hogue's best reason for getting into town now and again, and David Warner, an itinerant preacher and full-time lech who becomes his soulmate. Lucien Ballard photographed, and there's a charming song score (by Richard Gillis) whose neglect is as mystifying as that of the film. Above all, there is Sam Peckinpah exulting in the lyrical, heart-filling possibilities of making a motion picture, trying just about anything, and finding it beautiful. This film was his personal favorite. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Sam Peckinpah's light-hearted, rambunctious ode to the dying Wild West, with Jason Robards as a rascally prospector who transforms a desert water-hole into big business. Year: 1970 Director: Sam Peckinpah Starring: Jason Robards, Stella Stevens, David Warner

Customer Reviews:

for me this is the most accessible of peckinpahs movies.......2007-04-22

jason robards made a magnificent western ("once upon a time in the west") the year before, and he excels here as a drifter who comes upon the only watering hole on a stage route, and turns it into a thriving business. all the while falling in love with hooker stella stevens; forging an odd friendship with gantryesque preacher david warner; and plotting revenge against the ex-partners who had left him for dead. the movie is possibly sam peckinpahs best, and sits in an odd spot as the huge flop right between "wild bunch" and "straw dogs": his two biggest hits. absolutely worth your time, and be sure to listen to the dvd commentary by a panel of peckinpah mavens: one of the rare times those tracks offers valuable insight to the movie.

Butterfly Mornings... and Wild Flower Afternoons .......2007-02-25

That song will never leave your head after seeing this film; what a beautiful song! This is the last of Peckinpah's films I have seen, and I must say, it is the best, followed by "Straw Dogs", "Pat Garret" and "Ride the High Country." Cable Hogue found water where it wasn't - and thus begins "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" (1970). Jason Robards delivers one of his best performances, similar to the character he played in "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1969), in a film that is perhaps Sam Peckinpah's best! Left to die in the desert by his so called friends (L.Q. Jones and Stother Martin), Cable wanders about asking God for a helping hand. Near death by thirst, Cable finally stumbles upon water, and begins an enterprise called "Cable Springs"; a reststop for weary travelers along the stagecoach trail. Once in town he falls in love with Hildy, "the ladiest damn'd lady" - a whore nonetheless, while befriending a wandering preacher who expounds in theories of life and love. Peckinpah's lyrical poetry is extraordinary as it is both charming and fascinating; brought to life with the wonderful photography by Lucien Ballard, and the heartwarming score by Richard Gillis. This is a film you will thoroughly enjoy, covering themes often familiar to Peckinpah's films, as the old west dies out, while the heart and spirit remain intact.

A warm and vivid film with a distinctive flavor that teases the sense of taste..........2006-12-22

Sam Peckinpah's "The Ballad of Cable Hogue," although still very much concerned with the sere and yellow, offers light, or, at least, lighter relief...

Thirst does very much play a part in his history at the outset.... Robbed and abandoned by his partners (Strother Martin and L. O. Jones) in the desert, Jason Robards is saved from certain death by finding water from a spring... And out of this discovery comes a sort of success story...

The spring is handy to the stagecoach route and so, assisted by a banker in the nearby of an unexciting town (Deaddog is the indicative name), he sets up a 'halt' on the trail... In Deaddog he also chums up with the local whore (Stella Stevens). And always aiding and encouraging him is a mischievous preacher (David Warner) who is ever willing and able to give more than spiritual comfort to the female members of his flock...

The old fellow's project prospers; the sympathetic prostitute pays him a fleeting but rewarding visit; he eventually gets revenge on one of the partners who left him to die... And the happiest ending seems to purr into view in the form of a splendid car carrying the good-time gal who has finally decided to settle down with him...

Allegory? Or straight romantic comedy? One is never sure but it's a warm and vivid film with a distinctive flavor that teases the sense of taste... Whether the style is peak Peckinpah is another matter...

The elusive dreams !.......2006-10-13

Cable Hogue is the most poetic film of an epic filmmaker as Peckinpah was. This is the portrait of human being who will make the best he can in order to achieve his personal bliss, far from the madding crowd. Intense, lyric and heartfelt rendition of the most representative North American genre: The Western considered as a mythic universe.

Jason Robards and Stella Stevens are superb in this vibrant and touching film.

The Ballad of Cable Hogue.......2006-08-14

A hard movie to find. Directed by the late Sam Peckinpach. Jason Robarts is very good in it. Very entertaining.

Average customer rating:

Excellent movie, but there's only one problem with this
"A hard land that the sun has sucked all the good out of"
Feedback from Real Apache "Calculus Wiz"
A Subtle yet Powerful Western
Chato's Land DVD

Chato's Land
Starring: Charles Bronson , Jack Palance , Richard Basehart , James Whitmore , and Simon Oakland
Director: Michael Winner
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005LOL5
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Description

Charles Bronson (The Magnificent Seven) and Academy Award(r) winner* Jack Palance (City Slickers) star in a magnificent western as wild and untamed as the Old West itself. Bristling with dynamic action sequences and riveting performances, Chato's Land is a bold, sweeping tale of passion, vengeance and cold-blooded murder. Chato (Bronson) is a half-breed Apache Indian who treads the line between two cultures, balancing allegiance to his tribe with the allure of the white man's world. But when Chato kills a vicious sheriff in self-defense, he finds himselfhunted by a posse led by the ruthless Quincey Whitmore (Palance), a former Confederate soldier who is determined to see him hang. It's 13 men against one, but the odds shift in Chato's favor when he leads his pursuers into Apache territory, where the harsh, cruel countryside can kill as surely as agunman's bullet. *1991: Supporting Actor, City Slickers

Customer Reviews:

Excellent movie, but there's only one problem with this.......2007-03-25

I love this movie. This is a classic Charles Bronson movie. So I was happy when I bought this DVD. But I was a little disappointed upon watching it. Not wanting to spoil anything, so I'll stay vague. At some point in the movie, one woman is assaulted. In the original movie that I remember seeing in a theatre in the 70's, the scene was rather graphic, her clothes being ripped off her, resulting in a short nudity scene. But not here on this DVD. For some strange reason, the scene is still there but not the same. Apparently the film maker shot it twice. Once with full nudity, and once where she still gets assaulted the same way, but keeps her clothes on. We get this censored version on this DVD. It's no big deal since the scene was pretty short. But I still don't like getting a modified version from what I remember. I'm surprised no one pointed that out in the previous reviews. No one has seen this movie in the theatre when it came out? I still recommend it as it's a great movie if you look beyond this fact.

"A hard land that the sun has sucked all the good out of".......2006-12-31

Make no mistake; "Chato's Land" is a sprawling, unforgiving environment that offers little water and no reward. The blistering, sprawling landscape of rock and sagebrush, however, is but a backdrop in this story that shows man at his most ugly of moments.

Charles Bronson stars as Pardon Chato, a half Apache Indian who is enjoying a drink in a saloon when he is antagonized by an arrogant sheriff. Chato goes against the sheriff's wishes to leave because of his heritage, and lets his actions speak for themselves, leaving the mouthy lawman dead on the floorboards. A posse is soon rounded up with a variety of area men, many of them farmers and ranchers. They embark on a trip to find Chato and avenge the death in town, as well as feed some of their own continual hatred towards the Indians in general. Greed, Hate and Perseverance battle Logic, Pride and Tolerance as the group soon start battling each other over what they think is right and wrong when it comes to avenging the death of the lawman.

A great western film from 1971, Chato's land offers a solid and stoic storyline that is wrought with irony as well as themes of loyalty and revenge. Charles Bronson aside, a superb supporting cast is experienced as well. Victor French (later of "Little House" and "Highway to Heaven" stardom) graces the screen as one of the posse members, and with Jack Palance and James Whitmore in tow, its a well rounded cast that never lacks quality in acting despite a somewhat linear storyline.

Palance plays the part of Quincy Whitmore, a war veteran who understands, and sometimes even respects the Apache's actions more than most. His arch-nemesis is Jubal Hooker (played by Simon Oakland) who has the "fever" of wanting to see the Apache man hang, even if it costs them lives which could end up coming down to the last man. Jubal is excellently played by Oakland as a man who is consumed with his own destiny of vengeance. Loyalties loved and lost, a large part of the movie is very emotional in power and prestige as we experience the dismay of the men as they deal with the battles that rage within their very own camp, and minds.

With Bronson portraying a cunning, intelligent and yes even ruthless Apache warrior, Chato's Land is a western that is filled with buzzards drinking blood, the dark side of man, and the notion that if you go to battle with someone in their own back yard, you better think twice about who has the best odds, regardless of how many men you bring with you.

The scenic landscape and the shots taken at night as well as during the scorching hot days are excellent, and the sound quality of this DVD in my opinion is very good if not perfect. If you want a western that gets dirty but portrays a deep story within, see "Chato's Land".

Feedback from Real Apache "Calculus Wiz".......2006-05-11

I saw a few scenes and couldn't even continue watching. I like a lot of Charles Bronson's movies. Examples include "Death Hunt," the 80s "Death Wish" series, and "the White Buffalo." But his acting in this movie is unrealistic. He does not act like a real Apache. Bronson seems to overdo it on being "stoic." A relative and I watched a few scenes and just switched channels. Bronson is out of his element in trying to portray a real Apache. Paul Newman does a much more realistic job when he portrays an Apache-raised white man in "Hombre," which I purchased on Amazon. I do applaud Bronson in trying to portray a movie more sympathetic to the plight of the Apaches trying to avoid reservation confinement in the 1880s. Given the time period, perhaps Bronson should have hired Roman Gabriel instead. He does a realistic job of portraying a Cherokee Indian in the "Undefeated," which was also released around the same time (give or take a couple of years).

A Subtle yet Powerful Western.......2006-03-23

Michael Winner's CHATO'S LAND may seem a bit below standard from other films that he directed but the strength in this film comes from Charles Bronson's stoic performance seen and unseen on the screen. Bronson's presence is there and is inescapable as is the baron land he habitats. The visual forsaken look of the film's characters and landscape makes the viewer wonder what the point of this whole film is. Whatever Bronson's transgressions may really have been the forlorn posse tracking him are representative of the worst qualities of society. I saw this film when first released but with time I see the deeper social implications and commentary on society that director Michael Winner was making. This is a good Western but may be a difficult one to appreciate on an initial viewing.

Chato's Land DVD.......2005-09-16

Excellent film if you think the indians were grossly mistreated by us, and I do. Here they got some much deserved revenge, and justice.

Average customer rating:

Haunting River of No Return
Mitchim offers a portrayal of total integrity with all the conviction of a Joel McCrea or Randolph Scott...
RIVER OF NO RETURN
Underrated Monroe vehicle
wild river

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Similar Items:

Niagara
Bus Stop
Heaven Knows Mr. Allison
Bend Of The River
The Last Wagon

ASIN: B000062XG7
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com

Description

Set against the majestic beauty of the great Northwest, Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum) is a rugged widower with a questionable past who decides it's time to start a new life with his young son, Mark (Tommy Rettig). But their peaceful existence is sabotaged when Matt is robbed and pistol-whipped by cold-blooded gambler Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun). Unexpectedly, Weston's fiancée, Kay (Marilyn Monroe) postpones her wedding so she can nurse Matt back to heath. In his pursuit to exact revenge at any cost, Matt takes Kay and Mark on a treacherous ride down a roaring river, where they're at the mercy of wild animals and a lawless frontier.

Customer Reviews:

Haunting River of No Return.......2007-01-11

The background music of this excellent film is beautifully haunting and very suited for the movie. We have watched this film AT LEAST 6 times and is on a par with The Duke's Rio Bravo.

Mitchim offers a portrayal of total integrity with all the conviction of a Joel McCrea or Randolph Scott..........2006-11-10

RIVER OF NO RETURN.......2006-08-26

VERY WELL WRITTEN AND PRODUCED. GOOD PERFORMANCES BY ALL THE MAJOR ACTORS, (MARILYN MONROE, ROBERT MITCHUM, TOMMY RETTIG, & RORY CALHOUN). CHET ATKINS GUITAR PERFECT FOR THE TITLE SONG.

Underrated Monroe vehicle.......2006-07-22

wild river .......2006-06-03

Average customer rating:

Actually three and a half stars
Conservation first
firewater
Outstanding Performances

Tulsa
Starring: Susan Hayward , Robert Preston , Pedro Armendáriz , Lloyd Gough , and Chill Wills
Director: Stuart Heisler
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
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Smash-Up
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Reap the Wild Wind

ASIN: B000098ZT8
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Customer Reviews:

Actually three and a half stars.......2004-05-13

This review refers to the Alpha Video (Gotham) DVD.

Overall Quality of DVD: **1/2 /**** Sound: ** /**** Plot: **1/2 /**** Acting: ***/**** Cinematography: ***/**** Direction: **1/2 /****

The story is surprising in the fact that it deals with concern for conservation , the environment and treatment of native indians.

Of course, the oil companies paid no attention then nor now.

All the actors do very well - nothing great but very solid. Director Stuart Heisler is a good "B" director but I disagree with the reviewer that stated he "MADE" Susan Hayword a star. If anything Susan Hayword made him look decent just as Humphrey Bogart does with "Tokyo Joe".

The rear-projection scenes of the oil fields on fire are nearly flawless - I mean, I could not note the telltale signs of rear-projection (things appearing out of proportion or hazy etc.).

In my opinion, it's worth the asking price.

Conservation first.......2002-05-04

One will say one more film about oil in Oklahoma. But this film is different. It brings together several questions that are extremely important. First the alliance between the white entrepreneurs and the Indians. The Indians are divided on the question of the conservation of their land as grazing land, as cattle-raising land due to the easy money oil brings in. We will note that justice does not hear conservationist arguments. Second the position of women in this adventure and women are shown as entrepreneurial just like men, equal to men, though they can use their charms to convince people of the value of their decisions, not force but soft conviction. Third the problem of conservation : how can the land not be ruined and wasted by oil exploitation ? The answer is to do it in a non-intensive way because this intensive method gets a lot of oil in a short period of time, but it also ruins the land through pollution. The answer is in an exploitation that leaves the land clean and usable all the time for cattle or other activities. Then the money brought in is less massive in a short period of time but regular for a long period of time. Such a way is defended by scientists and engineers but opposed by entrepreneurs. It is an accident that will determine the state and various congressional representations to regulate oil exploitation in such a way that nature is not spoiled. Fourth oil culture is not just the exploitation of crude oil, but it creates a whole network of services and roads for the cars that use that oil to run and refill when necessary. It is a structurizing activity whose social consequences are extremely far-reaching. A very well done film on very modern issues. Conservation must be a major objective of man on earth : think of the long-run future instead of the short-term profit.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

firewater.......2001-11-11

Director Stuart Heisler must have liked Susan Hayward because he cast her in 3 films - Among the Living, Smash up - The Story of a Woman, and this one, so in a way he is responsible for elevating her to A level productions. This one hovers in between a B and an A, independently produced, and using a lot of rear projection. The material is interesting in it's view of the American Indian, here presented as land owners and cattle ranchers, with Heisler beginning with a montage of the different kinds of Indians, and Hayward being 3/4 Cherokee. Presumably this is want accounts for her "wildcat" quality.
The screenplay by Frank Nugent and Curtis Kenyon, suggested by a story by Richard Wormser, is a cautionary tale of the emergence of oil drillers in Oklahoma and the effect they had on the environment of the cattle ranchers. We begin with the accidental death of Hayward's father, as the opportunity to hear the anti-oil lobby. However Hayward's form of revenge seems a direct violation of the conservation stance of her descendants, as she enters the oil business to be more successful than her main competitor, the man she blames for her father's death! Robert Preston appears as a "rockhound" engineer who helps Hayward strike oil, and matters reach a climax when she must decide whether to drill the property of her father's Indian friend, Pedro Armendariz.
The notion of Armendariz as a "crazy Indian" is introduced when he refuses to have his land drilled, he is threatened with being declared "mentally incompetent", and Heisler provides an extended and laboured use of montage to suggest his mental breakdown as he drives through fields of oil drilling towers and starts a fire laughing maniacally. Armendariz' view however is seen as a minority as other Indians seem happy to sell as much oil from their property and overlook the "smaller short term profit".
Of course, it is this very issue that produces conflict between Hayward and Preston, with Hayward's ambition seen to be clouding her true nature.
Preston's romantic interest in Hayward is somewhat a surprise considering the way she humiliates him at their first meeting, though I suppose men had to be tougher than usual in the period, but what is more humiliating is the way Preston out-acts her. Here Hayward relies upon big smiles and profile turns for charm, though her yelling at Preston at one point is unexpectedly loud.
Heisler uses horizontal slides, mini-montages, the unbearably bucolic singing of Chill Wills, Freudian symbolism in Hayward drinking from a large glass of brandy in front of Preston, and African-American servants for when Hayward hosts a society party, where Armendariz is a guest in tuxedo. We never actually see a servant serve him, since perhaps the irony would be too much.

Outstanding Performances.......2000-04-21

This little gem, starring Susan Hayward & Robert Preston is a real bargain at this price! I've seen it a few times & still find Ms. Hayward's performance mesmerizing. Robert Preston, who is usually known for his musical roles(especially The Music Man)is superb as the oilman she becomes involved with. Very highly recommended, especially for Hayward fans.

Average customer rating:

More than just a martial arts film
True story, true action, a powerful film
One of Chiba's best!
Film langka tentang Shorinji Kempo
the japanese side of the post war depression

Killing Machine - Shorinji Kenpo
Starring: Sonny Chiba , Etsuko Shihomi , Tetsuro Tanba , and Yutaka Nakajima
Director: Noribumi Suzuki
Manufacturer: Adness
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Sonny Chiba Collection: Legend of the Eight Samurai

ASIN: B00023B1GM
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Description

Sonny Chiba stars as Doshin So, a martial arts master who returns from the second World War after serving as an undercover spy. Upon his return, he finds that his family's land has been stolen. Doshin must also take back the town from a group of black marketers and to rebuild his life. He also helps a group of war orphans to get back on their feet including a young girl forced into prostitution. In typical Chiba fashion, it's time to make someone pay!

Customer Reviews:

More than just a martial arts film.......2007-05-12

When i first saw this film, it totally blew me away. I ordered this film thinking I was going to get nothing but senseless karate action with a moderate story plot. But instead I received it both ways. Incredible action, incredible story. The story was very dramatical. It was almost like a true war story, even though some of the events are fiction. It tells a tale of a japenese spy who gets fed up when he finds out that his country surendered and then he begins to loose control and starts killing everyone in his sight. He is then sent to a jail only to find out by a jail forman that he wants him to escape and leave out of sight. He then escapes and opens up his own martial arts school. Where he founded his own style (kenpo). He is then confronted with challenges around him that conflicts his school. That is when he has no choice but to become a killing machine. Sonny chiba is an incredible actor. I have only seen films such as the street fighter by him. But i never seen him act so dramatically in this role.

This is a great film with incredible martial arts fights and a touching story line. I highly recomended you buy this film.

True story, true action, a powerful film.......2007-05-10

Along with his bio films on the life of karate legend Mas Oyama, Sonny Chiba Shinichi made this film about the life of the founder of Shorinji Kempo, So Doshin. (Chiba actually holds legitimate black belt rankings in both kyokushin karate and Shorinji kempo). As other reviewers have properly pointed out, this film was terribly misnamed for English speaking audiences as ""Killing Machine," which of course Master So was no such thing. He was, however, a true defender of the weak, a man who believed that love, peace, and justice, backed up by the power to punish, is the true way in martial arts and the way to an orderly society. I own both the VHS, English dubbed version (the one I saw in the movie theatre years ago when this film was first released in the USA) and the DVD, Japanese language version with subtitles. Far and away, the latter is the best of the two. So much is lost in the English dubbed version, it is far better to read the subtitles which are much closer to what the actors are actually saying. There is some excellent footage of training at the Shorinji Kempo World HQs in this film and some of the actors are members of the hombu dojo. In my estimation, Master So Doshin, whose life is depicted wonderfully well by Chiba in this film, was a true saint. Buy this DVD and see why.

One of Chiba's best!.......2007-01-30

This is one of Chiba's best flicks. Although they should have stuck with "Shorinji Kempo" for the title, (he's not really a killing machine, but a budo expert who undergoes a spiritual change) the movie is really good. It follows the adventures of Doshin So, the founder of the Shorinji Kempo martial art. It's not as hammy as the Street Fighter series, but not too serious either. If you like 70's choppy-socky, don't miss this one!

Film langka tentang Shorinji Kempo.......2006-07-22

Film ini mengenai sekilas perjalanan Doshin So, Sang Pendiri, cukup bagus walau sekilas, maklum film ini dibuat dalam waktu singkat, 2 minggu...!

the japanese side of the post war depression.......2006-06-18

And man was it powerful. Just as hard hitting emotionally as a lot of good american post war movies, BUT WITH KARATE. I have to admit that I really am not a huge fan of Sonny Chiba. But then again, I don't really like the street fighter movies. I grew up on that stupid iron eagle movie. i like him more in movies like shogun's assasin, shogun's ninja, kill bill, and storm rider's but this movie is more of the "street fighter" style and is in my personal opinion, BY FAR SONNY CHIBA's SINGLE BEST PERFORMANCE. Sonny Chiba, the greatest anti hero ever is truly a killing machine in this one.

So basically every time you here a woman crying or someone is in trouble, SONNY CHIBA WILL START KILLING PEOPLE. Oh man was he awesome. He is not fighting some fat karate guy like he did in street fighter but he is playing a characeter named Doshin So. He was trained in Shaolin and eventually founded the style known today as Shorinji Kenpo. And Kenpo is beign used to just detroy people in thsi movie! He plays a renegade who after the war just gets pissed off at evreything wrong in the world and DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!! He doesn;t give up, just keeps noticign things that are wrong with his country becasue of the war and blows up. He is told to lay low, but oh no. He keeps teaching at his school and a young girl who he saved twice learns from him. So the local thugs know that Chiba is a badass and go to his school to offer him and his students money to take care of some criminal business they need done to capitilize on the post war depression, uh-oh. You just asked that question to the wrong guy. He declines of course but he goes to stop them and brings his students, of course. One of his students gets killed and uh-oh again. Yeah, some more limbs by the tens get broken and some are lost forever:)

Overall this movie has a few big flaws, but with how low of a budget they had, it was truly an epic for it's time.

Perfectly letterboxed picture, 5.1 sound is pretty good, and picture is surprisingly VERY good. Subtitles are also VERY good.

Also some trailers including another one of my favorite chiba flicks-G.I. SAMURAI.

I first saw this on the brentwood 10 pack-"Tough Guys of Kung Fu" and that is actually a pretty good buy. Full screened but probably best pictuer quality in the whole set. Still pretty bad though. I would only suggest the good version if you have the money and really enjoy this flick, casue i know I liked it enough that I had to egt teh other version. Well worth it! Enjoy.

Average customer rating:

Actually three and a half stars
Conservation first
firewater
Outstanding Performances

Tulsa
Starring: Susan Hayward , Robert Preston , Pedro Armendáriz , Lloyd Gough , and Chill Wills
Director: Stuart Heisler
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00023BM0C
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Customer Reviews:

Actually three and a half stars.......2004-05-13

This review refers to the Alpha Video (Gotham) DVD.

Overall Quality of DVD: **1/2 /**** Sound: ** /**** Plot: **1/2 /**** Acting: ***/**** Cinematography: ***/**** Direction: **1/2 /****

The story is surprising in the fact that it deals with concern for conservation , the environment and treatment of native indians.

Of course, the oil companies paid no attention then nor now.

The rear-projection scenes of the oil fields on fire are nearly flawless - I mean, I could not note the telltale signs of rear-projection (things appearing out of proportion or hazy etc.).

In my opinion, it's worth the asking price.

Conservation first.......2002-05-04

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

firewater.......2001-11-11

Outstanding Performances.......2000-04-21

Average customer rating:

Cabalgando Con la Muerte
Starring: Mario Almada , Carlos East , Blanca Guerra , Erick del Castillo , and Rojo Grau
Manufacturer: Uni Cine
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0009ML2C4
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Description

La tierra es muy importante...los que descuidan la tierra no producen alimentos y no pueden sustentar a su gente...y siempre serán servidores de otros". Isidro es uno de los pocos campesinos que está dispuesto a defender sus tierras y para ello hacer frente a Sebastián. La mayoría de sus vecinos ya se han sometido a los dictados del último. Afortunadamente contará con la ayuda de Cándido, un jinete solitario que le ayuda a organizar "las fuerzas de la resistencia". La batalla será dura. Este es un western cargado de acción y sentimiento. En Español, No Subtítulos Almada is friend of the humble, implacable with the powerful that steal their land, kill their children and rape their wives. Nothing and nobody can stop him because he is riding with death. Original In Spanish No Subtitles

Average customer rating:

john b
Gary Cooper-esque Spaghetti Western
GREAT MOVIE, BAD DVD

Find a Place to Die
Starring: Jeffrey Hunter , Pascale Petit , Reza Fazeli , Nello Pazzafini , and Giovanni Pallavicino
Director: Giuliano Carnimeo
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Outlaws | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Spaghetti Western | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

Westerns | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

Art House & International | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005Y70X
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Description

A geologist and his sister (Pascale Petit) discover gold in an abandoned mine located on the untamed border between the U.S. and Mexico, where brute force is the only law. When the brother is fatally wounded by a band of gold-hungry outlaws, the determined young woman enlists the aid of an outcast Confederate soldier/vagabond gunfighter (Jeffrey Hunter) to forcefully regain her stolen treasure and avenge her brother's murder. Bonus Features: Bonus Spaghetti Western Trailers| Scene Selection. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 89 minutes; Color; 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - R: Year - 1968; SRP - $9.99.

Customer Reviews:

john b.......2006-09-23

It's a shame that this film can not be digitally remasterd and restored
plus the sound track as well.Because this is a wonderful exceptionaly
well italian western,that has been in my opinion over looked and under
rated.Jeffrey Hunter is a wonderfull actor,and handled this role with
perfection and brought life to his character.VCI did a crapy job on this
DVD and because of that i will not purchase it,until it get's remaster'd
by WILD EAST PRODUCTIONS OR BLUE UNDERGROUND or ANCHOR BAY.The musical
score was composed brilliantlly for this move and on of the best i have
heard in this genere!! Other than "ENNIO MORRICONE"OR"BRUNO NICOLAI"OR
"RIZ" The other great film composer.The film was released in 1968 not
1971.Check it out on the IMB.The film diservers a 5-star rating,but the
VCI DVD diserves 1-star for it's BUTCHERY of this Magnificant movie.

Gary Cooper-esque Spaghetti Western.......2004-02-15

A pimp, a preacher, a bandit, a bully, a disgraced officer, and a beautiful woman form a tense alliance for profit in this surprisingly good Italian-made Western. The date of release can't be right (1971) since Jeffrey Hunter died in 1969. 1968 is more likely, making it one of his last films. Hunter is excellent in his role as Mr. Collins, creating a character one could see Gary Cooper handling in his prime. The cast adds flavor to the story as the ruffians Hunter is surrounded by look more like menacing real-life thugs than actors.
I've seen many Spaghetti Westerns, so many that I've begun looking at more obscure ones to satisfy my appetite. When I found this one, I'd never heard of it and my expectations were low. Ten minutes into it changed that. The musical score is one of the best themes I've ever heard in this genre. Except for Hunter the cast was unknown to me, but each was very effective. The conflict between Collins and Paco was quite cool. Hunter's performance displays just how much his premature death robbed us of a fine leading man. I highly recommend this movie to any Western fan.

GREAT MOVIE, BAD DVD.......2002-12-30

WHAT A SHAME THAT A GREAT WESTERN HAS BEEN TRANSFERED ON A BAD
QUALITY DVD. THE QUALITY OF THE DVD IS WORST THAN VHS VIDEOS. THE
COLOURS ARE HORRIBLE, THE PICTURE IS GRAINY AND WASHED OUT LIKE
A BAD VIDEO TAPE. LOOKS LIKE VCI ENTERTAINMENT MADE THIS DVD FROM
A REALLY BAD VHS VIDEO TAPE ON A HOME COMPUTER. HALF THE MOVIE IS
JUST PLAIN GREEN AND THE OTHER HALF FADES BETWEEN BLUE AND GREEN
AND THE PICTURE IS FUZZY AT BEST.
DONT BUY THIS DVD, ITS REALLY BAD QUALITY.