Jane Eyre

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Made two years after Citizen Kane, this 1943 version of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre sure looks like star Orson Welles muscled his way behind the camera much of the time. (In fact, costar Joan Fontaine--who plays the title character--has maintained that Welles methodically did just that every day on the set.) Not that the film's official director was a hack: Robert Stevenson, who later had a busy career at Disney making numerous live-action hits for the studio, such as Mary Poppins, gets the credit. But there's no mistaking Welles's masterful hand in the film's bold and creative look, and there's no getting away from his enigmatic charisma as Rochester, the widower who takes in Jane as a governess to his daughter. An engrossing, gorgeous film, there's even a small role for Elizabeth Taylor at the beginning as Jane's unlucky, doomed friend at a cruel boarding school. --Tom Keogh

Description

Jane Eyre secures a job as governess to the child (Margaret O'Brien) of the troubled Edward Rochester, sire of Thornfield, a mysterious English manor. When she hears strange cries and noises from a distant wing, her inquiries are rebuffed. As time goes on, Jane and her master fall in love and decide to marry. But their halted when a visitor suddenly reveals the shocking secret that Rochester has kept for years.

Customer Reviews:

A Very Successful Adaptation of Favorite Novel - .......2007-09-14

Orson Welles plays Edward Rochester, the moody and mysterious employer of governess Jane Eyre in this earlier adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's Gothic novel that takes place in the first half of the 19th Century. Welles also did enough work behind the scenes and the production company offered him a producer credit, which he turned down. Nevertheless, the film has his trademarks all over. Just one look at the Thornfield Hall, the ominous and gloomy, dominating the screen Rochester's family estate that hides terrifying secrets or the first sound of Bernard Herrmann's score, the moody atmosphere, unusual angles - all unmistakably point at the "Citizen Cane's" creator. 97 minutes long Orson Welles/Joan Fontaine version skips some novel's plot lines but the film works nicely thanks to skillfully adapted screenplay by John Houseman and Aldous Huxley. Orson Welles was a great choice for passionate, strong, charismatic and tormented Mr. Rochester. Joan Fontaine was too attractive and too meek for strong-willed and fiercely intelligent Jane but there was undeniable chemistry between her and Welles.

This 20th Century Fox production also stars 7 years old Margaret O'Brien, charming as little Adele Varance and 12-years-old un-credited Elizabeth Taylor, already strikingly beautiful, who'd break your heart as Jane's first and unforgettable friend Helen Burns in the dismal Lowood school.

Of four films based on "Jane Eyre" that I've seen, Welles/Fontaine film is the shortest and the only B/W. IMO, it belongs to the best adaptations and it is my second favorite after Dalton/Clarke version.

4.5/5

To Eyre is Human.......2007-08-19

I originally read the book, Jane Eyre, when I was an eighth grade student.
I loved the story then, and, I still do now. I have watched many versions of the movie, but my favorite has always been the Orson Welles-Joan Fontaine one. I feel that the original story line of Jane Eyre has been the template for many gothic tales, then, and now. The movie is still just as eerie and mysterious today as it probably was when it was made. The acting is superb. I highly recommend this version of the movie to anyone who is interested in watching "classic" movies. "Citizen Kane" is generally rated as number 1 of all the movies, but I truly believe that "Jane Eyre" should be way up on the list.

Jane Eyre.......2007-08-13

The 1944 Orson Welles/Joan Fontaine version of the Charlotte Bronte classic, Jane Eyre, continues to be a riveting experience. Although there have been other fine and memorable versions since, this one remains my all time favorite. Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine will always remain the signal Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre in my opinion and in my mind's eye. Jane Eyre.

Competent adptation of Bronte novel...but uneven melodrama..........2007-07-29

Watching 'Jane Eyre' is like watching two films. The first part seems so far removed from what follows and is easily the best part of the movie. We see a young Jane (Peggy Ann Garner) being placed by her cruel aunt in an orphanage run by wicked Mr. Brocklehurst (Henry Daniell at his most chilling). One of her schoolmates is a very young Elizabeth Taylor as Helen Burns, long dark curls and eyelashes revealing her to be very beautiful, even at an early age. And the wonderful John Sutton is the doctor who witnesses the brutal treatment of the girls at the school. All of this is conveyed in a brooding series of scenes, lit with low-key lighting and many atmospheric effects backed by Bernard Herrmann's moody background score.

The second part of the story involving the mature Jane Eyre (Joan Fontaine) is less successful in keeping with the richness of detail shown earlier. Furthermore, Joan Fontaine is never fully convincing as the plain governness, demure and docile to an irritating degree and never developing the spine of steel Jane's character demands.

Instead, she is completely dominated by Orson Welles--overacting to the nth degree in a very theatrical manner as Mr. Rochester--and the story is sent reeling off course to an unsatisfying conclusion. The structure of the film is so offset by the impressive first half-hour that the second part seems artificial by comparison.

Some excellent black and white photography by George Barnes cannot conceal the artificiality of studio sets. All of the supporting performances are well acted. As usual, Agnes Moorehead does an outstanding job.

Summing up: The first half is brilliant. Joan Fontaine seems to be aware that she's being overshadowed by Welles in one of his most florid roles. Obviously, he had a hand in the direction.

Jane Eyre.......2007-07-21

This is the best of all the renditions of this story. The characters are developed so well by the actors and actresses, and the story is brought to life in all its tragedies and triumphs. Black and white always seems to blend best with these stories and allows the viewer to see the story rather than being dazzled by the brilliant color. This Jane Eyre is worth having as part of a DVD library.

Average customer rating:

The stuff classics are made of
Love and learning
Stanwyck and Cooper light up the screen with shades of "Pygmalion" and "Snow White"
I know I'm in the minority here . . .
Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire
Starring: Gary Cooper , Barbara Stanwyck , Oskar Homolka , Henry Travers , and S.Z. Sakall
Director: Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NIBUT4
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com essential video

Offering a screwball twist on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this delightful comedy has grown dated since its release in 1941, but that only adds to its everlasting charm. Written by the ace screenwriting team of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett and directed by Howard Hawks, the movie presents a breezy case of opposites attracting when nightclub singer "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) is recruited to teach jazzy slang to a group of culturally isolated professors. Gary Cooper plays Bertram Potts, the straight-laced scholar who's compiling slang for a new encyclopedia, and his equally stodgy colleagues are fascinated when Sugarpuss and "Pottsie" seem to be warming up for romance. Complications ensue when the savvy singer must distance herself from her mobster fiancé (Dana Andrews), and Ball of Fire takes a wacky turn when the klutzy intellectuals take on the mobster's henchmen. It's all a bit quaint by today's standards, but the movie's got a wealth of witty dialogue and sassy appeal, with Stanwyck leading the way in a role that's equal parts tough exterior and soft-hearted vulnerability. As a bonus, she performs a pair of rousing nightclub numbers (including a lively rendition of "Drum Boogie") with hopped-up drummer Gene Krupa and his orchestra. Ball of Fire was remade in 1948 as the Danny Kaye musical A Song is Born. This one's a real treat for fans of vintage Hollywood comedies. Don't miss it! --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

The stuff classics are made of.......2007-07-29

We are talking about the best of the best in romantic comedy. Here is one of the 2 couples that stood out during the golden age of American films. (Capra, Cukor and Preston Sturges, each in their own styles, also gave us some of the greatest classics in the genre). Here Cooper plays himself, the innocent, sweet and honest man who is incapable of doing a bad deed. He and seven older learned men are trying to assemble a modern encyclopedia in New York City. Their search for the newest street slang causes them run into 'trouble-girl' Stanwyck and her gang.

With touches of gang thriller and romantic comedy, its not very ambitious plot captivates by the sheer charm of its stars and the magical touch of genial Howard Hawks, who has a knack for making great classics look simple and unpretentious.

Capra, Hawks and Cukor; Stewart, Cooper and Grant or Jean Arthur, Barbara Stanwyck and Hepburn... whatever the combination it's always a winner. Truly the stuff classics are made of.

Even if any new edition of this classic is welcome, we must still hope for a better treatment (some extras and better print quality) of this treasure of American movie-making history in the future.

Love and learning.......2007-07-14

This classic has all the right chemistry. You will love the characters, the romance and action. This mixed with Cooper's trademark "shy guy" moves make it a real winner.

Stanwyck and Cooper light up the screen with shades of "Pygmalion" and "Snow White".......2007-06-12

A burlesque performer on the lam becomes the unexpected muse for a strait-laced professor in Billy Wilder's sparkling 1941 comedy, BALL OF FIRE.

When a group of stuffy bachelor professors are compiling a new encyclopedia, they find trouble writing about modern slang. Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) scouts the streets of New York to find willing people to help in their research. A visit to a nightclub reveals Sugarpuss O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) performing the rousing "Drum Boogie". Potts realises that here is the ideal expert who can lead him through the difficult world of the modern speech. But Sugarpuss is being pursued by the police...and the Mob!

Cooper and Stanwyck give off a splendid chemistry here after previously being paired in Frank Capra's Meet John Doe earlier in 1941. Legend has it that Lucille Ball was originally mentioned for the role of Sugarpuss, but it's hard to imagine anyone being better than Stanwyck, who gives a spirited performance (for another slice of Barbara in a similar role, be sure to see the hilarious Barbara Stanwyck: Lady of Burlesque).

The other professors are played by legendary character actors S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall, Richard Haydn, Oscar Homolka, Henry Travers, Tully Marshall, Aubrey Mather and Leonid Kinskey.

So great to see BALL OF FIRE firmly on DVD. This has been issued as part of the new MGM Movie Classics series along with three other Gary Cooper titles (Casanova Brown, The Wedding Night, and The Adventures of Marco Polo).

(Single-sided, single-layer disc).

I know I'm in the minority here . . ........2007-06-11

. . .but I didn't care that much for "Ball of Fire". I was expecting something like "Bringing Up Baby" or "The Awful Truth"--classic screwball comedies--but "Ball of Fire" just doesn't compare to those two. However, Barbara Stanwyck is marvelous in the film--she's terrific with her comic timing and her flashy clothes. Unfortunately, Gary Cooper is no Cary Grant. His stiff character isn't amusing--and all of the rest of his writing cronies got on my nerves after awhile. I wanted to laugh, but I just didn't find the film all that funny except for a few of Ms. Stanwyck's lines. I give it two stars for her performance--but I'd recommend renting two of her other films--"Christmas in Connecticut" and "Sorry, Wrong Number"--both of which I enjoyed far more than "Ball of Fire".

Ball of Fire.......2007-06-11

This is a remake of a remake, because the plot is so great. The best thing is Danny Kaye did a remake about 9 years later "A Song is Born" - I bought this film so I could watch the 2 together, but "A Song is Born" is only available in VHS. The only problem is it comes in Black and White.

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We are not alone....
Get it while you can !
good movie
okay movie
Very realistic movie based on true accounts....

Fire in the Sky
Starring: D.B. Sweeney , Robert Patrick , Craig Sheffer , Peter Berg , and Henry Thomas
Director: Robert Lieberman
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B0002V7O3S
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Description

FIRE IN THE SKY is the comprehensive story of a logger named Travis Walton who mysteriously disappears in 1975 only to turn up bloodied and bruised five days later. Walton and co-workers accidentally discover a UFO and unfortunately they all escape except Walton who is elevated aboard the bizarre aircraft. Onboard he undergoes painful unearthly medical treatments and tests.

Customer Reviews:

We are not alone...........2007-08-26

This 1993 movie was suggested to me by my Amazon friend, C. Christopher Blackshere. He was so right! This film has just become one of my all time favorites! If you like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Alien", then this is definitely for you. It has one twist though---it is based on a true story of an alien abduction that happened on November 5, 1975. A group of loggers headed by Mike (Robert Patrick), were working on a government contract clearing out part of the forest in the White Mountains (near Snowflake, Arizona). They had to finish the job within a short time, so they worked into the night. While returning to their small town, the 6 men saw a "fire in the sky". They thought it maybe a forest fire and realized that the road they were on was the only one in or out of the forest. Mike pulled the truck over to get a better look. Travis (D.B. Sweeney), got out of the truck and ran to the "fire" despite the other guys trying to persuade him to stay in the truck. It turned out to be this incredibly large UFO. Travis was looking at it while the other guys are just screaming at him to get back in the truck. The UFO "zaps" him and they figured he was dead. Mike returned a short time later to look for his body, but didn't find one. They told their story to the local police and an investigator (James Garner). The remaining 5 guys were being interviewed on a murder charge, as no everyone believed their story. They all agreed to take a lie detector test which they all passed. Travis returned five days later without having any food or water and was severely dehydrated and was taken to the hospital. The last part of the movie, deals with his ordeal of being kidnapped, taken away and having medical experiments done to him by aliens. This movie kept me on edge the entire time! I NEVER was bored! The last 10 minutes of this movie terrified me more than any horror film I ever saw. It is the best thrill ride you could ever be on, at the expense of Travis Walton. Buy it and watch it, I highly recommend it!

Get it while you can !.......2007-03-09

This movie is one of a kind , also a true story.. Ive been unable to find it in dvd format , and its not being produced at the moment. Strange huh ?

good movie.......2007-02-24

this is one of the best movies i have seen,and i like true stories movies so this rates high for me...

okay movie.......2007-02-18

this movie was great except it was very long. the acting in semi decent and the effect are good for its time. i think a remake would be lovely. i also think that some different faces would be good.

Very realistic movie based on true accounts...........2007-02-04

When I first saw this film in 1993 I was very surprised to learn that it was based on a true story. The way the movie portrayed the townspeople as all non-believers is the way it would actually be right? This story adapted very well onto the big screen due to great writing, decent special effects, and very good acting. These actors really did a good job on not making this movie too corny or fake. I had kinda forgotten about this movie until it came out on dvd but after seeing it now the story really does stay with me. The dvd transfer is very crisp and clear with great 5.1 sound. I wish they had some special features included on the dvd. At least a follow up on the people the movie was about.

Fires on the Plain - Criterion Collection

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a devatating anti-war film
one of the greatest anti-war movies ever made
a nice Kon Ichikawa release
The Landscape of Despair...
get over the beginning, and you'll find a masterpiece

Fires on the Plain - Criterion Collection
Starring: Eiji Funakoshi , Osamu Takizawa , Mickey Curtis , Mantarô Ushio , and Kyu Sazanaka
Director: Kon Ichikawa
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000M2E3FE
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Amazon.com

Timeless and unforgettable, Kon Ichikawa's Fires on the Plain ranks highly among the most potent anti-war films ever made. Freely adapted from the 1952 novel by Shohei Ooka and set on the Japanese-occupied Philippine island of Leyte in February of 1945, the film presents a horrific landscape that instantly conveys the nightmarish conditions that existed during the final days of World War II. With a ghostly pallor, sunken eyes, and a case of tuberculosis that has isolated him from his fellow soldiers, the ragged and desperately hungry Tamura (Eiji Funakoshi) has orders to kill himself with a single grenade if he can't find medical attention at a nearby field hospital. Instead he wanders among stinking corpses, through abandoned villages where feral dogs pounce out of nowhere, and eventually encounters two skeletal comrades who are equally desperate to survive. As each of these men is drawn to an inevitable fate, Ichikawa (in close collaboration with his screenwriter wife Natto Wada) strips away any hint of political ideology, focusing on the physical and emotional devastation of survivors to illustrate, in Ichikawa's words, "a total denial [and a] total negation of war." Nearly 50 years before Clint Eastwood tapped into similar themes in Letters from Iwo Jima, Ichikawa was denouncing war with uncompromising bluntness that included (for the first time in a Japanese film) an acknowledgement that cannibalism occurred amidst other wartime atrocities. (In the film it's an indirect reference, but powerful nonetheless.) The result is a raw and powerful experience that fixes itself in your memory. Criterion's 2007 DVD release includes an informative 2006 video interview with renowned Japanese-film expert Donald Richie, video recollections (from 2005) featuring Ichickawa and actor Mickey Curtis, and a comprehensive booklet essay by film critic Chuck Stephens. --Jeff Shannon

Description

An agonizing portrait of desperate Japanese soldiers stranded in a strange land during World War II and the lengths they go to survive, Kon Ichikawa's Fires on the Plain is a compelling descent into psychological and physical oblivion. Denied hospital treatment for tuberculosis and cast off into the unknown, Private Tamura treks across an unfamiliar Filipino landscape, encountering an increasingly debased cross-section of Imperial Army soldiers. Grisly yet poetic, Fires on the Plain is one of the most powerful works from one of Japanese cinema's most versatile filmmakers.

Customer Reviews:

a devatating anti-war film.......2007-05-20

This film, long delayed in coming to DVD, is difficult to watch, for it portrays how war dehumanizes those who participate in it, especially if they are unlucky enough to be on the losing side. While hard to watch, it should be watched, especially by those who glorify war and wear their easy and rampant patriotism on their sleeve. The plot follows a Japanese soldier suffering from tuberculosis as he stuggles to survive in a strange country as his unit and his army dissolve into chaos, privation, and, ultimately, cannabalism and death. Beautiflly photographed, with clear, updated subtitles. A must for any serious film buff.

one of the greatest anti-war movies ever made.......2007-05-11

this is a fantastic movie so vividly and realistically made. you have to watch it with the 'stalingrad' and 'el alamein' to complete such genre in different angle from different soldiers of the three nations that started the 2nd world war, winning at first, losing in the end. don't want to get into the details like writing a book report, but there's some afterthoughts here:
when you were winning the war, you've got everything: you'd be well fed with good food, wine, medicine, women....anything you won over and from the losing enemies. when you were losing the war, you'd have ended up with nothing to eat, even without water to drink, no medicine or medications. hunger, starvation, amputation, rotten wounds, high fever, dying were what you'd get. yes, winners took all. if you are winning, then you've got the best logistic system organized to serve the winning soldiers, so you'd have halliburton, blackwater and other logistic contractors or subcontractors to serve you, even take care of your laundry. and you're still complaining for those services paid for by the mimed tax payers?

a nice Kon Ichikawa release.......2007-05-02

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

"Fires on the Plain" released in Japan as "Nobi" is about a Japanese soldier during World War II that is stranded in the Philipines after being turned away from a hospital for treatment of tuberculosis. He encounters other soldiers whose morale decreases with each passing day.

This in my opinion is an antiwar film and does a good job at showing the hellishness of war.

The DVD contains interviews with the film's director Kon Ichikawa and Japanese actor Mickey Curtis. There is also a theatrical trailer and an intrduction by Japanese-film scholar Donald Richie.

The Landscape of Despair..........2007-04-24

This bleak and despairing film about the ragtag remnants of the retreating Japanese army on Leyte is an examination of human beings stripped of every vestige of culture and values, reduced to simple and barbarous survival. It is unsparing as it follows one tubercular soldier ousted from his unit, ousted from the hospital, joining equally pathetic and emaciated soldiers either sick, misfit, or otherwise lost and all starving as they make their way to a final gathering point for the defeated army to somehow rally. It is a march straight into Hell and a descent into madness and ultimate brutal animal existence.

From the opening closeup slap in the face, this film is an assault on the senses, photographed beautifully in black and white, with unforgettable images of a landscape of death and destruction. Made in the post-war Japan that had formally renounced war and was populated by veterans, both military and civilian, who had seen this kind of carnage first-hand, one wonders if such an uncompromising vision could be presented today.

Not for everyone, this is a film that will not be easily forgotten in its relentless portrayal of war stripped of any martial exhaltations and the wasteland created by the devastation of both the human social contract and, ultimately, the human soul.

get over the beginning, and you'll find a masterpiece.......2007-04-01

Though the very beginning of this film is rather wooden, with a rather unnaturally long expanse of exposition to set up the main situation, this film as a whole is a wonderfully dark study of man's dehumanization through war. Tamura, an unwanted Japanese soldier fighting in the Philippines, finds himself expelled from the army hospital, that considers his TB not worth their time, and sent back again from his unit, who consider him too weak to dig trenches or dig up food and so don't want him wasting their supplies. He is alone with a few yams and a grenade. Tamura is trying to fend off starvation with a crew of fellow hospital rejects when the Japanese efforts go horribly bad and a general retreat is called.

From here, the film follows Tamura and his encounters as he and his fellow soldiers are brought to the brink of desperation and starvation and go to any lengths to survive. Men are reduced to walking corpses, or clans to protect their own interests. A taste for monkey meat develops, and the darkness gets only worse.

Kon Ichikawa's film is appropriately dark and thoughtful, though I find the critical references to Kurosawa somewhat cheap--Kurosawa's cinematography is usually much more broad and portrait-like, while Ichikawa's film is more stark and impersonal at the right times, close and almost claustrophobic also when it needs to be. Give this film the benefit of trying to set itself up for 15 minutes or so, and you will see a masterpiece as wise as _Saving Private Ryan_ without all the frivolous glitz.

Average customer rating:

The Day the Earth Caught Fire
How would you use what time is left
Amazingly Good Nuclear Eco Disaster Movie
Very good for the time it was made and the low budget
A Prophetic Movie?

The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Starring: Janet Munro , Leo McKern , Edward Judd , Michael Goodliffe , and Bernard Braden
Director: Val Guest
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000059PPL
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com essential video

Despite its melodramatic title, which carried on a '50s doomsday naming convention, this taut 1961 English science fiction thriller offers an object lesson in the power of story over special effects. When both the Soviets and the West detonate nuclear tests simultaneously, the seismic double whammy jolts the earth off its axis and onto a new orbit sending it fatally closer to the sun--a fate that writer-director-producer Val Guest views from the street-level perspective of its principal characters, rather than an off-world vantage point. The street in question, however, is London's Fleet Street, the venerable hub of its newspaper and tabloid publishers, and the hard-nosed reporters growing realization that their number is up carries its own stark punch. Edward Judd is Peter Stenning, a rugged, appropriately grim reporter, Leo McKern is tough but compassionate editor Bill Maguire, and Janet Munro is Stenning's love interest, in an elfin, sexy turn that's a striking contrast to her best-known turn in Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People. With an effects arsenal that consists largely of a spray bottle to apply beads of "sweat," Guest and his small but crack cast are surprisingly effective, and the cold war plot hook still works, thanks to its uncomfortable proximity to more contemporary environmental terrors. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

The Day the Earth Caught Fire.......2007-06-28

Literate British sci-fi tale is disturbing in its prescience: just substitute the reality of global warming for the premise of a nuclear mishap and behold a spookily familiar result: extreme weather patterns- hurricanes, floods and droughts- transforming our natural world, and compromising our survival. Judd is fine in his film debut (slightly reminiscent of Sean Connery), but it's Leo McKern as loyal newspaper colleague Bill Maguire who wins top acting laurels. An unsung champ from our English cousins.

How would you use what time is left.......2007-02-21

People are misled and only find out when death seems certain , They try to make sense of it all and end up just banging their heads against the wall ,Leo Mckern's performance is a standout ,the newspaper reporter who's seen it all and wonders how he missed this one, the inter reaction between the reporters is good ,and sometimes spoton for what people do when faced with a hopeless situation ,they laugh ,highly recomended and a bargain to

Amazingly Good Nuclear Eco Disaster Movie.......2006-12-24

Pros:
1) Good storyline - due to irresponsible nuclear testing the earth axis tilts and the earth starts moving closer to the sun with the all the expected ramifications
2) Good use of stock footage - cheap and inventive way to provide visual story feeds (drought, fire, etc.)

Cons:
1) Some weak special effects (but hey, this was the early 1960's)
2) Stereotype male/female roles (I tarzan you Jane)
3) EVERYONE is smoking all the time (no wonder so many people have cancer)
4) No resolution to story

The Pros far outweigh the Cons and for a Sci-Fi movie from this time period, both visionary and cautionary as well as believable.

Very good for the time it was made and the low budget.......2006-08-18

I thought this was well put together. Good plot and great dialog. The way people handled the situation seemed believable.

You have to suspend reality while watching because it's bad science. I couldn't help but think of the silliness of World Jump Day (Google that for a laugh). I wonder if the person who thought of that watched this movie.

Still, this is one of the better cold war paranoia movies from that era.

A Prophetic Movie? .......2006-07-29

This low budget work of fiction from 1961 produced during the cold war era and blaming a shift in the earth's axis on simultaneous Atomic testing by Russia and America leads to increasing enviornmental disasters of changes in weather patterns, increasingly violent storms of high wind damage, tornadoes, thick fog banks and stifling heat that keeps increasing to well over 100 degrees! Is this beginning to sound familiar? This movie may be unintentionally the most prophetic movie ever made. Disregard the sub plot of Edward Judd having marriage problems and you have a well written documentation of today's weather changes with the unified suspicion that we are a doomed race. Ours has not been by Atomic fault, but may be due to increasing sun activity or perhaps, as this movie suggests, we are a little closer now. This science fiction scenario happens in about a month, for us it has taken years. Yet, the power of the press, with real reporters unlike the news bunnies and manni-kens that report our news today dig to get the real facts from a government hiding the truth. Why can't we get them also? All inconvenient truths aside, will someone please stop this industrial baloney and tell the truth?! Like the reporters in this picture, I really would like to know how much time is left before we burn up. Get extra copies of this film to give to your friends. Perhaps some smart fellow in Hollywood will look into it and consider producing a more modern movie with the added elements of today's conditions. All "rocks from space" movies aside, this probability has a greater implication for the future of the human race. A film of value, although today's audience will be impatient by the slow pace and low volume conversations. Despite this, it is still a film that can fill you with questions!

The Wages of Fear - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Are we having fun, yet ?
Another LOST tie in.
The slow descent.
A gripping action film and a powerful study of failure
this classic got the WOW......!!!! effect

The Wages of Fear - Criterion Collection
Starring: Yves Montand , Charles Vanel , Folco Lulli , Peter van Eyck , and Véra Clouzot
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AQKUH2
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com essential video

Henri-Georges Clouzot's gripping 1953 thriller throws four men into a primal struggle against the jungle armed with modern machinery and their own nerves and endurance. The squalid, isolated South American town of Las Piedras is a veritable refuge turned prison for criminals from all over the world. When an oil fire ignites 300 miles away, dozens of desperate volunteers apply for the dangerous job of driving highly volatile nitroglycerin across rugged jungle roads--for a $2,000 payday. The bulk of the film charts the slow, grueling trek over bumpy, pothole-dotted dirt roads and worse. A dangerous cutback forces the trucks to back over a rotting wooden platform built over a cliff, a boulder in the road must be blasted away, and a river of oil (gushing from a broken pipeline) must be forded--all with one ton of explosive nitro resting in the back of each truck. The ordeal forges a tough-guy trust between German Bimba (Peter Van Eyck) and Italian Luigi (Folco Lulli) but tears apart Frenchmen Mario (Yves Montand) and Jo (Charles Vanel). Former gangland hotshot Jo finds his once-fearless exterior cracked, while Mario discovers in himself a new grit and tenacity. Clouzot's stark, simple imagery and painstaking attention to detail create a riveting tension that never lets up, intensified by the ruthless drive of Mario, who proves he will do anything--anything--to get his truck through. William Freidkin remade the film in 1977 as the stylish Sorcerer. --Sean Axmaker

Description

In the squalid, impoverished South American town of Las Piedras, desperate men and women from all over the world scrape out a living and dream of escape, under the watchful eye of the ruling Southern Oil Company.

Customer Reviews:

Are we having fun, yet ?.......2007-06-03

My favorite line in it: "By the way, there are no shocks on these rigs. Our trucks don't have none of those modern conveniences."
After all, what's life but a ticket to the theatre in the Pigalle that you neither use or ever get to cash in? But you carry it with you, to hell, thru hell, and back.

Another LOST tie in........2007-06-02

I rented and watched this movie becuse the two main creators of LOST mentioned it in a discussion on a podcast. They described Bimba as similar to John Locke. I agree.

This is probably one of the most suspenseful vintiage movies I have ever seen so far. Not that I have seen too many of them. Nevertheless, the movie draws you in as you get closer to the delivery that the four men are taking. Although the beginning shows why these men made their decision it is a bit slow and shows it's age by some of the "classic" acting.

I'm not the best reviewer of movies, but I know what I like. This is one of the best and I can see why the creators of LOST are drawn to it.

The slow descent........2007-05-27

The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)

Widely considered Henri-Georges Clouzot's finest film, The Wages of Fear is the story of four poverty-stricken men hired by a rapacious oil company to transport two trucks full of nitroglycerin over three hundred miles of very bad road to an oil well fire. And for what it's worth, the film is very good at what it does; the problem, from the point of view of someone watching it over half a century after its original release, is that it would be very hard to see this film without having heard much of the hype about it beforehand. (One would have to avoid most reviews of the movie, as well as the copy on the DVD case. This is, of course, well nigh impossible.) While it is, in fact, a thriller, it takes more than a few minutes to get rolling (in fact, in the 148-minute restored edition, the guys aren't hired by the oil company for over an hour). Because of this, it seems there are actually two movies here-- one about life in poverty in a nameless South American town (and we've seen that one before, except it was called The Treasure of the Sierra Madre), and one about transporting nitroglycerin. The second is the better work by far, an interesting and engaging portrait of four friends and how the stress of the job tests their friendship as much as their nerves. I'm not terribly sure I'd call it a thriller as much as a simple drama; still, it's well worth your time if you're looking for a good, long movie to get yourself absorbed in. *** ½

A gripping action film and a powerful study of failure.......2007-04-21

"The Wages of Fear" was awarded by unanimous verdict the Grand Prix at 1953 Cannes Film Festival where it won over 27 films, some of which were made by Jacques Tati, Alfred Hitchcock, and Luis Buñuel. Cluozot's own screenplay (based a novel by George Arnaud) focuses on four down-and-out European adventurers (Yves Montand, Folco Lulli, Peter Van Eyck, Charles Vanel) who stuck nearly penniless in a festering town in an unnamed South American country. An oil company need a load of highly dangerous and explosive nitroglycerin to be delivered to a remote well fire 300 miles away burning out of control. The route is through jungles and over crude and treacherous mountains and those men are desperate enough to take the chance. None of these men is heroic or generous, they are in for the money. The four were chosen by the managers of oil company because "if something happens to them, no one would care, they have nobody to worry about them". Henri-Georges Clouzot's view on humanity is not particularly optimistic but he finds a way to make a viewer care about disenchanted but desperate characters. Thanks to Clouzot's ability to create not only a gripping action film but a powerful study of failure, the four men will stay for long time in our memory.

4.5/5

this classic got the WOW......!!!! effect.......2007-04-05

this 'Salaire de la peur, Le' is a fantastic super suspenseful thriller. viewers would feel they are not sitting on couches or in the theatres but actually in the same truck with these on-the-edge desperate bunch. two often used sentences so rightfully fit into this great black and white action-packed movie:
-when the going gets tough, only the tough gets going.
-if you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk.
what a thrill ride!!!

Average customer rating:

Where is the Fire???
Workout? Yes Yoga? Not in my opinion.
Top of the Chart
Good workout
Works up a sweat!

Total Yoga: The Flow Series - Fire
Starring: Ganga White , and Tracey Rich
Manufacturer: Razor Digital Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00061QIV8
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Where is the Fire???.......2007-05-05

This yoga DVD has definitely no Fire and no energy. It is good for hospitals and people who recover from something. This DVD is almost identical to their VHS tape (1984) called Aerobic Yoga - The Flow Series that was very good. Couldn't they just redo it? If you want to find the fire and the energy that is missing in the DVD go back to the VHS tape. Somehow over the years most of the yoga instructors got the understanding to produce DVDs that caters to the beginner market only. Probable, because this is where the money is? They do not teach yoga anymore, they just make a living.

Workout? Yes Yoga? Not in my opinion........2006-12-31

I know I am the only person, so far, who is not entranced with this DVD. I bought it because it had such a plethora of glowing reviews. I am not happy I did.
What drew me to yoga, after decades of long distance swimming, was the philosophical component of the practice. Yes, I love a strong work-out, and I do one every day (Ashtanga Primary Series, Hatha Vinyasa, or Yin-Yang), but I don't want my yoga to feel like an aerobics class. If that's what you're after then buy this DVD; but, if you want something with a bit more yogic depth I would recommend Shiva Rea's Solar DVD. (It may be sold as the Solar Lunar practice. I am partial to the Solar practice and the meditations on the Lunar disc.)
The other thing I was not happy with when doing this DVD was the lack of music. Again, if you like your yoga sans music this may be the DVD for you.

Top of the Chart.......2006-05-28

This dvd is absolutely spectacular. I do this particular dvd when I know that this will be the major exercise of my day. It is challenging, and as another reviewer mentioned earlier, it is one of the few dvds that includes headstand in its routine. As an "intermediate-beginner" to "advanced-beginner" I consider this dvd to be at the top of my ability level. I do have other dvds that are more difficult, but I tend to modify the poses somewhat when I do them. With this dvd I am able to do all of the poses (as Tracey does them, not the more advanced way that Ganga shows) including headstand (without being near a wall). Most of the time I cannot do a headstand the same amount of time that Tracey and Ganga do, but it has given me the confidence to know that I can make slow steady advances with yoga. This dvd will get your heart pumping, and your legs will feel rubbery once you're done, but you will feel so relaxed afterward that you will be glad that you did this routine. I own all of the other dvds in the series (the original, earth, and water) and I would reccommend this set to anybody who wants to make progress with yoga or to have a variety to work on depending on your mood. I would put the original dvd (purple cover) to be just below fire as far as difficulty goes, and then obviously earth and water beneath that one. Again, there are days that I don't feel like doing the most difficult dvds that I have but I still want to do a yoga routine, and it is at these times that I normally get the earth or water out. Water is another one of my personal favorites in my collection. Earth is very conservative throughout the whole routine, but it is a great dvd to help you concentrate on the poses to make sure that you're getting them right instead of flying through them (like an ashtanga yoga class). If you want a complete series that will do just about everything, then get this dvd set. Another thing that I like about this series is that Tracey and Ganga don't "shy" away from any weaknesses. The only pose that I don't remember them doing is eagle pose. Throughout the whole series they do just about every one of the basic poses, so that they (unlike other dvds I own) aren't taking poses out of the routine that they can't do. All of the poses are in there. If you enjoy this series half as much as I do, then you will love it.

Good workout.......2006-05-23

Wow this yoga got my heart pumping. I really found it fun and it was challaging for me.If you are fairly a begginer at yoga you might want to try a lower level in the series because I think this one is level three and they do some head stands that I am unable to do yet but plan on working at it. It is also over an hour all the way through so you are looking at spending some time. Good DVD not my absolute favorite but still very good, I have just been getting into yoga so I want to try a few more tapes just to add to my collection of videos. The only complaint I have, which is a small one at that, is the woman's voice who is doing the narrating is not as soothing as I would hope, but before I got this DVD I was using another DVD where the narrators voice was very melodic so it might just have been what I got used to and you may not even notice it. I enjoy yoga because although it is challanging at the same time it is relaxing and I guess I was just a little dissapointed that the voice was so instructional , but like I said that is minor and I still give it 4 stars!:)

Works up a sweat!.......2006-04-06

I am an advanced exerciser but intermediate yogi. All the Amazon rave reviews lured me to purchase FIRE. I'm so glad I did. It's an hour of great flow & challenge. The headstand part was my cincher since so many yoga DVD's don't have that. My favorite practice is Ashtanga ,& this had some similarity.

Average customer rating:

All Completed Films of Maya Deren, Pioneer of American Avant-Garde Cinema.
Surrealist film primer
Maya Deren
A wonderful collection of experimental film
extraordinary cinema arts

Maya Deren: Experimental Films
Starring: Maya Deren
Manufacturer: Mystic Fire Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006JMRA
Release Date: 2002-02-02

Customer Reviews:

All Completed Films of Maya Deren, Pioneer of American Avant-Garde Cinema........2007-07-31

"Maya Deren: Experimental Films" includes all 6 complete films by Maya Deren, the chief proponent and practitioner of experimental or avant-garde film in the United States in the 1940s-1950s. The films are almost in chronological order, beginning with Deren's most recognizable and influential film, the haunting "Meshes of the Afternoon" (14 min), filmed by her second husband Alexander Hammid in Hollywood in 1943. The film was originally silent, but this version includes music by Deren's third husband Teiji Ito that was added in 1957. "Meshes of the Afternoon" succeeds admirably in reproducing "the way in which the subconscious will develop, interpret, and elaborate an incident", as Deren claimed. What amazes me is how this discontinuous, repetitive film manages to build suspense and create intrigue in addition to its striking visuals and provocative themes, making it the most accessible and enduring of Deren's films.

"At Land" (15 min, silent, 1944) again places Deren in the central role and uses duplication of her character to convey self-perception. "A Study in Choreography for Camera" (2 min, silent, 1943) features ballet dancer Talley Beatty performing continuously as the camera jumps between different environments discontinuously. "Ritual in Transfigured Time" (15 min, silent, 1945-6) is another self-expression but with Rita Christiani and Anais Nin in major roles, Deren appearing at the beginning and end. "Meditation on Violence" (12 min, 1948) films Chao Li Chi performing traditional movements from Wu-Tang Chinese boxing, accompanied by flute and drums. The peaceful and violent aspects of the martial art are represented as Chao begins with no accoutrements against a white background then moves outdoors in ceremonial dress with a sword. The film reverses itself and plays backward as we go back to the spare environment, where the movements are equally graceful in reverse.

"The Very Eye of Night" (15 min, 1952-9) was made with the collaboration of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School, whose dancers are depicted in negative (white on black) and superimposed on a background of black sky with shining white stars. Music is by Teiji Ito. This is the least accessible of Deren's films. There is a progression of events and characters, I suppose, but I don't find it coherent. In any case, it didn't keep my attention and therefore seemed more of a visual experiment than a thematic one. With each film, you have the option to read "Notes & Quotes", which are statements by Maya Deren about her films and a few excerpts of critical analysis from other sources. You can read them before or after viewing the films, as "spoilers" are not an issue in these non-narrative films. Maya Deren's films vary in quality, but I was struck by how modern all of them seem.

The DVD (Mystic Fire Video 2002): The films are watchable but have not been restored, so there are lines, spots, and grain. The sound isn't clean either for "Meditation on Violence". Bonus features are: "Private Life of a Cat" (22 min, silent, 1945) filmed by Alexander Hammid in their Greenwich Village apartment, follows their cat G.G. giving birth and the first 4 weeks of the kittens' lives. "Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti" (8 min) is an excerpt from the longer film which is available on a separate disc. Maya Deren shot 10 hours of film footage while studying Voudoun religion in Haiti 1947-51. This was later edited into a film by Teiji Ito and wife Cherel, with accompanying narration taken from Deren's scholarly book of the same name. This film is in a more traditional documentary style than Deren would probably have done herself. There is also a brief text Biography of Deren, a Bibliography of her books and films, and Writings About Maya Deren, which include Anais Nin describing how they met and Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) commenting on her work.

Surrealist film primer.......2007-05-13

Experimental Films by Maya Deren is the primer for surrealist experimentation with film in all its black and white beauty. The collection evokes not only some universal content of dreams, but also their textured rhythms, disorienting silence, and lingering shades.

Maya Deren.......2007-03-08

a nice teansfer from old materials. films are moving and thoughtful and wonderfully stimulating

A wonderful collection of experimental film.......2007-02-28

Contrary to some previous reviews, Maya Deren, at least in film circles, is one of the most popular experimental directors of the 20th century. And with good reason - her beautiful films are bold and groundbreaking, but also easily accessible and just plain fun to watch. Certain experimental classics such as Michael Snow's structuralist "Wavelength" are more interesting in theory, as they work very well conceptually, but are not as fun to watch. Similarly, Stan Brakhage left behind many beautiful works, but I still find myself more interested in his craft, the way he scratched, painted, or otherwise composed directly on the film stock itself.

By contrast, Deren's films work on many levels. A new viewer inexperienced in avant-garde film will find plenty to enjoy while the seasoned viewer will enjoy the innovative technique Deren employs as well as her metaphor and symbolism.

Besides being a filmmaker, Deren did much to further the art of avant-garde film including writing on aesthetics and helping her contemporaries find exhibition space and support. Her influence on cinematography in particular cannot be over emphasized. Reportedly, after viewing "A Study in Choreography for Camera", Gene Kelly telephoned Deren to ask how exactly she was able to get a dancer to do what was on the film. "At Land" is still has many of the most interesting match-on-action editing sequences of all time.

"Meshes of the Afternoon" is definitely her most popular work, and probably her best. It's a great example of trance film. Any explanation I could attempt to give is a poor substitute for watching it yourself. Although some films can be adequately described with a written statement (here I'm thinking Gehr's Serene Velocity or something similar), Deren's films must be seen to be fully appreciated. Start with Meshes and then maybe "At Land". They all have their charm.

I've avoided referring to Deren as a "woman director" because specifying gender implies to some that "she would be totally unimportant if she wasn't one of the few female directors". Very simply, gender is not an issue here - she's one of the most inventive and most important film directors, man or woman. There are feminist readings possible with Meshes, but most of her work is not preoccupied with typical feminist thought.

As one can imagine, these aren't exactly multiplex-friendly and prior to this DVD, Deren's films were difficult to track down. I was lucky enough to see Meshes in a film class on a big screen, but not everyone has this opportunity. This DVD is a wonderful collection of some of the best experimental film around. If you are already into this stuff, this DVD needs to be on your shelf. If you're just looking for a change from the typical narrative-based film, this is without a doubt the place to start.

extraordinary cinema arts.......2006-10-08

a must see--the modernist cinematography is well beyond it's time and credit

Average customer rating:

Tippy, oh, tippy.
If you only see one space turtle movie this year...
I Am Invincible!
Gammera the Invincible
DUMB!! But really funny in parts.

Gammera the Invincible
Starring: Eiji Funakoshi , Harumi Kiritachi , Junichirô Yamashiko , Michiko Sugata , and Yoshiro Kitahara
Director: Noriaki Yuasa , and Sandy Howard
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008W2U7
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Amazon.com

Shot in black and white, this 1965 Japanese monster movie was the Daiei company's answer to Toho's famous Godzilla series. A skirmish between U.S. and unknown "enemy" planes results in an atomic explosion over the Arctic which unthaws and unleashes the giant flying turtle Gamera, who eventually settles into Japan to wreak havoc while seeking out hydro-electric sustenance. However, this fire-eating (and breathing) behemoth displays a compassionate streak when he saves the life of a young boy who nearly falls to his death from a toppled lighthouse. Panicky scientists and military officials vainly try to find ways to destroy Gamera while the boy seeks to bond with his misunderstood reptilian hero. Like many of its celluloid Japanese monster brethren, Giant Monster Gamera has not aged all that well, but the well-staged and photographed assault on Tokyo makes for festive mayhem. Overall the film is good entertainment for young kids as well as the inner children of the adults who grew up on these monster mashes. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews:

Tippy, oh, tippy........2006-10-03

OK, this film was seen on MST3K. So what? I happen to be a fan of the Gamera and Godzilla movies which is one of the reasons I enjoyed watching Joel and the Bots. Gamera The Invincible was made in 1965, in black and white. While being a Japanese movie it has a lot of inserted scenes for the American, English speaking, viewers. Some of these scenes, such as the television debate between two scientists, are funny because in some ways they reflect true life.
Gamera is a fire eating, flying giant turtle from a time before oxygen was used by life. Of course he wakes up from a million (billion) year old sleep by the explosion of an atomic bomb. Dropped by the evil Russians, of course. Anti-war film, anti-atomic weapons, pro-United Nations, pro-turtles, the film can be seen as a support for or against anything. An oldie buy goodie. The first of eight installments. Only eight? How sad. I think he was just as good as Godzilla.

If you only see one space turtle movie this year..........2006-04-19

...make sure it's the one with the brain lusting space girls! But that one is kinda intentionally comic, this is played as straight as a movie about a flying space turtle can be. Minunderstood monster is unleashed from his artic grave when a Soviet fighter is shot down and boom, we get a mushroom cloud. The studio debate between the Gamera-believing mythologist and the skeptical science writer is priceless! "He called me an ape!" "No, I called you an ignorant ape!" Reminds me of the evening talk shows on the cable news fronts...my, how far we've come that the satire still stings. The contrarian Senator brings to mind some of our finest in Washington today, head in the sand all the way. Brian Donlevy makes a convincing general. Writers (and George Lucas) take note...this is how child characters should be scripted for minimum annoyance. And Gamera himself, well, he looks like a man in a rubber turtle costume, but it works all the way to the ending. A unique ending, I might add, saving the Earth *and* leaving the door open for sequels. All in a day's work for...Nizo Takahashi! Doesn't have the same ring as Mighty Mouse *sigh*

I Am Invincible!.......2006-01-25

A flight of Soviet bombers "accidentally" flies over Alaska. U.S. interceptors shoot one of the planes down, causing a low-yield nuclear explosion. The nuclear explosion wakes a giant prehistoric turtle called Gammera by the local Inuit. Gammera attacks a model ship, flaming it with bad breath for good measure. Fortunately, the crew abandoned ship just in time. What excitement! Did I tell you that this turtle is so cool that it walks on two legs? Clever trick for a turtle.

This movie digresses for a while as Gammera is walking or flying in parts unknown. Various characters, including Brian Donlevy as General Terry Arnold and Albert Dekker as the Secretary of Defense, debate the existence of Gammera. This movie is relatively early in the monster genre because, as any self-respecting scientist of today knows, giant monsters exist and they are nearly all genetically programmed to attack Japan for reasons that scientists have yet to discover. Eventually the scientists and authorities bow to the overwhelming scientific evidence (footprints, sketches by small boys, anonymous phone calls, possibly including one from Kolchak, the Night Stalker) and recognize something must be done about this giant menace!

Gammera rescues a small boy (bless the monster's heart) before going off and frying a bunch of people in a Tokyo apartment building (this is one quirky turtle). To prepare for toasting Tokyo Gammera destroys a geothermal plant and chows down on the flames. I guess Gammera likes hot food. Somewhere around this point in the movie a scientist establishes that (drum roll) Gammera is not like other creatures!

The excitement builds as Gammera lands at a totally cool model airport and then begins to stomp around an excellent model of Tokyo. We catch a bit of a song titled "Gammera" that sounds suspiciously (to me) like the theme from the 1960s television series "Batman." It could be coincidence, or not.

Of course there has to be a plan to deal with Gammera, since all attempts to stop him have failed. Enter Plan Z! Before Plan Z we see model trains and a model laboratory and more models of other stuff, and then we see the Plan Z model. Woo hoo! This stuff is great! Of course, I have to leave the suspense of Plan Z to the viewer to discover.

After the success of "Godzilla," other Japanese studios attempted to capitalize on the monster fad. Modern audiences will find this attempt at giant monster horror more humorous than scary given today's sophisticated special effects. However, the models in the movie are excellent, and the laughs this movie generates for adults is worth a watch. Young children, on the other hand, may find this movie frightening (I know I did way back in the 60s), so just because you may not find the movie frightening, do not assume the little ones won't.

They just don't make movies like this any more. Thank goodness for that!

Gammera the Invincible.......2005-09-25

Watching this movie is a trip back to my youth. I used to watch these monster movies late at night on the local TV stations. It is sooooo corny that it is good. If a person did not grow up watching these movies they may not like them. But for those of us in the know they are just plain fun to watch. It is nice to see it on DVD.

DUMB!! But really funny in parts........2005-04-06

The first Gamera/Gammera movie with added American actor scenes. I was bored with the story but not the unintentional laughs. There are some real burst-out-laughing BAD dialogue and crazy scenes in this movie. My fav has to be when the Father orders his son to let go his pet turtle and the Father says,"I know it may seem cruel. It is. But it's for your own good". Thanks for the cruelty Dad! Or when they drop an H-bomb in the artic and free a jet propelled turtle from the dinosaur era, "a missing link to the leather back". Huh?? Ah yes back when turtles flew. Or when they drop an H-bomb in the artic and don't bother to tell the Eskimos anything. They just turn to the Chief and say, "Take care Chief" and they walk away. Maybe they should tell him not to go over there? Only he stops them and gives them a rare Eskimo carving dating thousands of years old depicting a giant turtle and some wavy lines. They look at the rock and babble widly at what the wavy lines mean, only they can't figure them out finally one guys says, "Lets ask the Chief" who's been standing there the whole time and he doesn't know. Sometimes we look back at old movies like this and think, "thats not bad for 1965". Until you remember that DOCTOR ZHIVAGO came out in 1965. I mean GAMERA IS BAD!! BUT in all fairness some of the miniature and monster scenes look great especially in black and white, like the attack on the nuclear power plant is very well done. It's the first ("American" version) of Gamera and therefore collectable. The nineties Gamera films are a 100 times better (although they have their problems too) and I would say forget the old Gamera movies and go with the nineties versions but this is the very first one and on Alpha Video its a very cheap way to pick it up. DVD quality is good enough.

Average customer rating:

Disagree with the lemmings
Man does this suck
Perry Farrell, why have you forsaken us?
In the days of the box set,
NOT a concert movie...and better for it!

Coachella
Starring: Spearhead , Squarepusher , The Mars Volta , Belle & Sebastian , and Nu Mark
Director: Drew Thomas
Manufacturer: Epitaph / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EQ5UPK
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Description

Coachella, the feature length film based on America's premiere showcase for alternative, cutting-edge music, comes to DVD filled with one classic performance after another gathered from the 6-year history of the festival. The iconic headliners and forward-looking newcomers include Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, White Stripes and many more. Coachella: The Film is already taking its place beside concert epics such as Woodstock as the musical portrait of a generation.

Customer Reviews:

Disagree with the lemmings.......2007-07-23

So wrong! This DVD is excellent. Sure it captures more than the performances from the likes of Arcade Fire (unbelievable), Red Hot Chili's (Californication done righteous), Pixies, Mars Volta, and much more...It reveals the audience side in short, concise, and poignant glimpses. The performances are uncut and excellent in both video and audio production. The reviewers must have crappy sound systems, too much mommy and daddy, and no life. This ensemble reflects Coachella as perfect as possible for a DVD. HighSierraBassPlayer Five Stars!!!

Man does this suck.......2007-04-10

This was just painful. This scatters back and forth between clips of music, clips of interviews with the artists, clips of festival performers, and clips of the audience who are out to prove that they're there for everything but the music, and yet will tell you over and over again that they're there only for the music. You don't get enough of the music or performances to care about them. You don't get enough of the interviews with the artists to know if you care about anything that they're saying. And you get way too much of the audience, so you do know beyond any shadow of doubt that you don't care about them.

The highlight of the film, if there is one, is a back and forth montage between a member of Oasis and some idealistic performer I can't recall the name of. Our cynical little Gallagher brother drones on and on that the idea that music can change the world is dead, that it can't be done anymore, it's simply a dead idea of a bygone era. It's actually the greatest thing any member of Oasis has ever said in any forum, and probably the only true thing they've ever said. Anyway, the clip goes back and forth between his cynical view of music and the bright eyed ambition of an artist that still believes he can change the world, even if one person at a time. I have to think when he watches the movie, the humiliation is unreal. Of course, I have to think anyone that sees themselves on this film would be humiliated beyond words.

Perry Farrell, why have you forsaken us?.......2006-07-12

... Heck, I'd settle for John Popper and the return of HORDEfest.

Sweet Jesus, there are not enough words in the English language to describe how painful this DVD is. Apparently produced by hyperactive 22 year olds drinking caseloads of Red Bull, this DVD pretty much encapsulates what is wrong with the empty TV of MTV. Pandering to the ADD crowd, the camera never lingers for more than 2.4 seconds on any one scene. What the hell, were they paying their camera guys by the minute? Performances are interspersed with spoken interviews and the camera occassionally focuses on a concertgoer who is singing along with the band onstage ('cause, man, you know... everyone was having so much fun!).

If you've ever been to a concert and felt embarrassed for having something in common with your fellow concertgoers, then you should definitely not watch this DVD. Callous youth have never seemed so vapid. It would be excusable if these kids were stoned or drunk or under SOME chemical influence while making so many stupid comments but I'm sorry to say that they appeared quite straightedge.

As other reviewers have noted, this is the crux of the issue. The DVD attempts to give the crowd their fifteen minutes of fame rather than focus on the music performances. (People, it's about you! You're all stars! You have the power to make a difference and you're young and beautiful and edgy and fun! Now go buy a $40 t-shirt and a $10 bottle of Smart Water!)

Note to the girl dancing onstage during the Belle and Sebastian performance: you should really sue the producers for raping you of your dignity.

In the days of the box set,.......2006-06-10

Yeah it's got the mood there fella but really lacks the fullness I was looking for. A great video would have at least had 3 songs per performance. Morrissey's song was cut and that was dissapointing. I got the film to see that and it was like 2 min 25 seconds long. OK.

This video is really just a preview of what could have been and isn't. Rent. Don't buy.

NOT a concert movie...and better for it!.......2006-05-21

While other reviewers have zeroed in on this movie's lack of complete performances or its penchant for "split screens" and "cliched" techiniques, I find "Coachella" a truly interesting capsule of the various moods and bands that hit the stages and fields of this SoCal staple. The film features stunning photography, and tries to portray the many experimental and conventional aspects of the festival. Yes, we see some of the "hippier" trappings like the bike inventions and the "modern" art, but we also see a spirit of kindness and joy of life that is missing from most modern celebrations. I certainly didn't expect complete performances, but most are long enough to get the feeling and vibe of the moment. This also kept the film moving at a faster pace, and acknowledges that while some like Björk or Radiohead, others might not like them enough to stand a complete performance by some of these artists; for these, a little will go a long way. "Coachella" doesn't claim to be a "concert film", and thank God it isn't. I hope another set is released with complete performances, because I would love to see them, but in the context of a concert DVD.

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