All Quiet on the Western Front

Product Description

A devastating story of war and a generation destroyed. In 1914 a group of German schoolboys, idealistic and inflamed with youthful patriotism, set off to fight in the "glorious" war. During their brutal basic training disenchantment begins; then, boarding a train for the front, they see the wounded being rushed back to hospitals. They begin to grasp the grim reality of war.

On their first night in action they come under heavy attack. In the trenches, they begin to fall. Their youth is stripped away by the violence, and the boys become as sullen as veterans.

When Paul (Richard Thomas) shoots a Frenchman and watches him die, he realizes the futility of the war. Wounded, he returns home to a different world, a place where he cannot fit in. Sent back into battle, he meets destiny on a day when the German High Command Communiqu states simply, All Quiet On The Western Front.

System Requirements:

Running Time 131 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Taken from the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front is a devastating portrait by Delbert Mann (Desire Under the Elms, Marty) of a small group of German soldiers throughout the World War I.

The star-studded cast is headed by Richard Thomas (The Waltons) as Paul Baumer, and includes such award-winning actors as Ernest Borgnine, Ian Holm, and Patricia Neal. As both narrator and star, Thomas occasionally seems to reincarnate his familiar John-Boy persona, but creates a character that has many more levels than that television alter ego. Watching Paul as he watches all of his high school buddies die is a highly emotional experience. He returns to his home a different person, conflicted in his feelings about the Army and war, evolving from an idealistic schoolboy to a fearful and humble veteran.

The scenery and costuming in this period piece are well done, and surely contributed to its winning the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Made for TV. Also contributing to the greatness of the film are the exceptional cinematography and special effects that, while realistically gruesome, truly emphasize the horrors of war. --Zachary Lively

Customer Reviews:

Great job, from 1979.......2007-09-12

This movie is very well done. I understand it was shot in the then East Germany or maybe Poland (?). Uniforms are correct, and it follows the book plotline pretty well.
It doesn't get the critical reviews that the 1930s film does, but I think that may be due to the wide acclaim that old classic has - and maybe due to some effects like the 1979 version being in color whilst the book never mentions colors - in fact, one can almost feel that era was all gray or black & white (and the 1939 film follows that theme, by necessity).

I think this film should be better known than it is, especially with some of the re-newed interest in the Great War after so long being overshadowed by WW2 and Vietnam...but understand, the book is not a happy one - its about hopelessness. This film version 'almost/sort of' tries to sidestep that, which is really impossible given the theme of the original book.
I wonder if it will ever be filmed again ??

Great War Film!.......2007-05-25

This is one of the best war films ever made. I've seen the first version also. This film is an improvement over the original although the original was done well with what they had back in early years of film. What really makes this war film great is that it doesn't glorify war at all but shows you the death and destruction of war. This film should be mandatory in all high schools! The book is very good also. The book is more descriptive than the movie. What happens to Paul in this film is happening to our young men and women in Iraq right now!!

The "Johnboy" version of AQWF is truly awful.......2007-05-01

This film might be okay for the general public or high school classroom, but this film brings almost nothing to the table for WWI buffs or lovers of the novel. It's hard to mention anything good about this film other than the fact that it is not as dated as the original film and is also in color.

Earnest Borgnine's casting as Kat is simply laughable. The boys' mentor in the trenches, the "old man," was "old" only in comparison to the teen-aged boys who surrounded him. The battle scenes do not inspire fear or horror. Equipment, uniforms, and sets are inaccurate and "made for TV quality" at best. The acting is wooden and hallow.

This film is a waste of time and is scornfully referred to as "the Johnboy version" by WWI buffs. It is universally reviled.

All Quiet on the Western Front.......2007-01-18

Great war documentary of WWI, there is very little available that shows this period in history on the front, but this one is a classic.

ALL QUIT ON THE WESTERN FRONT.......2007-01-17

I really enjoyed this movie. Not the typical "John Boy" movie. I have not seen the original, although I have recently purchased it. I will be able to make a better comparison once I have seen it. By itself, however, it holds it's own.

Average customer rating:

not one of the best movies on dying
A Study in Aloneness and Despair..............yet.....
Death in France
The Poetics of Dying

Time to Leave
Starring: Melvil Poupaud , Jeanne Moreau , Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi , Daniel Duval , and Marie Riviere
Manufacturer: Strand Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000IHY9K2
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Product Description

A handsome, successful fashion photographer (Melvil Poupaud) learns that he has a malignant brain tumor that will soon kill him. Hiding his diagnosis, he alienates his family and his young boyfriend, but during a short stay with his grandmother (Jeanne Moreau), his vulnerability is met with a big heart and sound advice. A chance encounter with a roadside cafe waitress (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) results in an unusual bargain that provides a happy, playful dimension to the proceedings. Director Francois Ozon (Swimming Pool, 8 Women) has made a film that is at once ironically funny and emotionally gripping. TIME TO LEAVE was a selection in the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival, 2005.

Customer Reviews:

not one of the best movies on dying.......2007-06-25

I just didn't see what was so great about this movie. The description made it looked like it would be a wonderful tearjerker of a movie. Instead, I found myself impatient for the end.

Romain is a young gay fashion photographer, who likes to score coke on the side. When he blacks out on the job, he is told, by his doctor, that he has an inoperable brain tumor. In addition, chemotherapy wouldn't do much help and he has little time left.

So, Romain rejects any form of treatment. He decides to alienate himself from his boyfriend and family. He breaks up with his boyfriend. Of course, one can understand that he is trying to spare his boyfriend the grief and pain of his pending death. Despite his parents' plea to be nice, he insults his sensitive sister. Regardless of everything, he doesn't tell anyone about his health. He only tells one person: his grandmother. He only tells her because she would die soon.

After that, the movie pretty much lost my attention. Even when he was asked to impregnate a woman since her husband was sterile. His dying scene wasn't touching at all. You wanna cry hard about someone one dying at the beach? Then, go rent *Beaches*.

A Study in Aloneness and Despair..............yet............2007-02-19

Ah, Francois........Francois............if your intent was to give us a heart shatteringly sad tale, you've succeeded only too well. Yet, in the end, you have also given us---in Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's character of Jany---a glimpse of Romain's redemption.

The Final Scene: Romain has withdrawn from the world......we then see a 'sun-setting' world withdraw from him (yes, you do actually see that........the symbolism is heart wrenching).

Letting you in on a little secret, after viewing this film one has only to look again at the cover of the DVD.......to unerringly 'know' how Romain's life truly ends / begins. All becomes clear.

PS--Obviously I strongly disagree with preceding viewers who, principally, can find only the negative in Romain. He is (was), after all, only too human.

****

Death in France.......2007-01-04

"Time to Leave" is Francois Ozon's version of a melodrama/tearjerker in the same vein as the Bette Davis films of the 30's and 40's particularly "Dark Victory." His take on the musical, "8 Women" is weird, stylish, over-the-top but ultimately successful. "Swimming Pool" is a sexual thriller with style to burn and features a nude scene by Charlotte Rampling: all glorious 60 years of her.
Ozon's central character Romain (Melvil Poupaud) is selfish and pouty and the fact that he is dying from cancer does not make him less so. After learning that he will die soon, Romain tells no one, proceeds to thoughtlessly dismiss his lover, brutally insult his sister at a family gathering and generally act as thoughtless as one who is dying has a right to. It can go either way, can't it? Facing imminent death do you let loose with a fury of invective and self-loathing or do you forget the past and attempt to make amends for a life not particularly well lived. For the most part, Romain chooses the former until he seeks out his grandmother (the still radiant Jean Moreau who adds much needed humanity and thoughtfulness here): his shield dissolves and he looks for and receives warmth and love. When Grams asks him why he has chosen to tell her about his impending death, he says "It's because you are also so close to death...you will understand." Weak, self-centered, passive-aggressive hogwash.
Though Melvil Poupaud does a good job as Romain and Ozon structures and stages his inevitable death as if Romain is Manon in "Manon Lescaut," Romain remains an unabashed anti-hero: one whose first concern is himself and though a subplot involves Romain valiantly donating his sperm to a childless couple...one that you can't help but despise yet nonetheless grudgingly admire for his single-minded rage against an inevitable death without letting go of his basic, though loathsome nature.

The Poetics of Dying.......2006-12-01

François Ozon (Water Drops on Burning Rocks, 8 Women, Swimming Pool, 5X2) is one of the most fascinatingly talented French directors on the scene today. His films have a simplicity, a direct approach to the mind and the heart, and an extreme respect for both his actors and his audience - factors that allow him a means for communication that is rare and proves he has few equals. In LE TEMPS QUI RESTE (Time to Leave) he addresses that earth-shattering moment of being informed that death is imminent and shows us how one character copes with that information and how it changes his remaining days and his history of relating to others.

Romain (Melvil Poupaud) is a handsome and successful fashion photographer who is gay, has a lover Sasha (Christian Sengewald), but is somewhat estranged from his family. For some reason he cannot relate to his pregnant sister Sophie (Louise-Anne Hippeau) despite his mother's (Marie Rivière) pleading and his father's (Daniel Duval) distance. During a fashion shoot Romain faints, is taken to the doctor (Henri de Lorme) who informs him he has metastatic cancer for which there is little hope (except for chemotherapy and radiation therapy) that he will live past a few months. Romain opts to go without treatment and begins to face his remaining life with silent gloom. After a very sensuous sexual encounter with Sasha (Ozon holds nothing back in depicting this!), Romain decides to quit his job, tells Sasha to leave, separates from his family, and visits his beloved grandmother Laura (Jeanne Moreau, as exciting an actress as ever!) who shares her philosophy of living and dying and bonds even more closely with the grandson who mirrors her own life. Her sage wisdom is what grounds Romain.

Romain, alone, travels about France, meets a sweet couple in a cafe - Jany (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) and her husband Bruno (Walter Pagano) who are unable to have children - and after consideration Romain consents to comply with their request to impregnate Jany but only if Bruno is part of a ménage a trois in the process. The couple discovers Romain is dying after Jany becomes pregnant and Romain for the first time is able to show tenderness in his relationship with them. Somewhat changed in outlook Romain returns home, has a tender talk with his father who accepts his son's sexuality, attempts a reconciliation with Sasha unsuccessfully, and even responds to a letter from Sophie. His missions completed he travels to the ocean where the film ends in one of the most beautifully subtle, tender and genuinely realistic ways.

In every way this film is satisfying. The actors are to the person excellent with Melvil Poupaud, Jeanne Moreau and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi particularly outstanding. But the kudos go to writer/director Ozon who once again proves that his enthusiasm for his field of art is boundless. He is one of the more important figures in cinema today. A brilliant, quiet, immensely satisfying film. Grady Harp, November 06

Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist

Average customer rating:

Honest and Inspiring
sick, sad and heart warming
Perhaps the Most Apt Title For a Movie Ever
Look between Bob's leg! He's sporting 'wood'!
I didn't want to like it but...

Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist
Starring: Kathe Burkhart , Sarah Doucette , Bob Flanagan , Sheree Rose , and Rita Valencia
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000AKY42
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Product Description

Sick is the internationally acclaimed, Sundance award-winning film about the comedian and performance artist Bob Flanagan, whose experiences with S/M helped him manage his painful disease of cystic fibrosis. A deeply moving, often hilarious profile of one of the most unique artists of thei20th century, Sick follows Flanagan's strikingly original art and life over several decades as he explores the limits of pain, sexuality, love, and death.

System Requirements:

Running Time 89 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Honest and Inspiring.......2006-11-25

This is far from a simple story.

I have a very small, miniscule glimpse of what it's like to live in pain on a daily basis. After watching this mans story I realize I have nothing to complain about and so much yet to experience and learn.

I will never want to participate in S&M sexual behavior. I'm just not programmed that way. I didn't, however shudder away from the sights on the screen while Sheree, Bob's lover and partner of 15 years, poked needles through the skin of his scrotum and while Bob hung by his ankles and choked on his disease. He had Cystic Fibrosis. The most difficult part of the documentary was watching him die. It is in your face death, and death of the worst kind. He drowned in his own phlegm and fluids.

But he lived so incredibly hard and his way, with what seemed like no apologies or regrets. This documentary shows a humor of the sickest and smartest kind.

I remember being a young girl, maybe 9 and watching a "Hallmark Movie of the Week". It was called Alex: The Life of a Child. I later found out it was actually based on a book written by her father, Frank Deford. I was so moved by this story and didn't understand at that age why someone as old as me had to die from having a cold. I didn't understand Cystic Fibrosis or what it actually did to the body, but I never forgot the movie or the disease and eventually read the book. When I read about SICK, the documentary, I had to get it. I'm morbid in my own way I suppose. I'm curious about things that a lot of people wouldn't dare read or watch or even talk about, so this was right up my alley. Had I known I was going to become so entranced by Bob I think I would have chosen not to watch. Only because you see this sick but Alive man die...as I said and It's something that is incredibly difficult to just put out of my mind.

Regardless, I am so moved and am so glad he had the courage to put his story on film for the world to see. I only wish more people had the courage to watch his life, with out judgment and with empathy.

sick, sad and heart warming.......2006-11-05

i bought this last night having only heard of it, but having an active interest in the lifestyle.

i certainly got more then i had anticipated. the scenes are extremely graffic, some painfull.

but then you have the human interaction, and a guy just trying to deal with his illness. this really is his life, no holds barred. intimate, painfull.

even if you have no interest in the lifestyle, you will still grow to like bob, and be saddened at his death. a definate recomend for anyone who is in the life.

Perhaps the Most Apt Title For a Movie Ever.......2006-01-23

Man, this movie makes for some truly harsh watching, yet Flanagan is a stunningly fascinating man. It's just hard to believe this is the same man shown in the clip of "The Steve Allen Show". Juuxtapose this with Bob getting... No, I'm not going to spoil it. But this is the movie for people who claim to have seen everything.
Needless to say, don't watch it with your kids.

Look between Bob's leg! He's sporting 'wood'!.......2005-10-03

If you are having trouble 'getting wood', just nail some on like Bob does.

I didn't want to like it but..........2004-11-26

I couldn't help feeling for Bob, watching him die made me cry.
The movie has some VERY graphic scenes, but his humor and stories make it worth it.

Average customer rating:

She's Got You - so watch this!
The Real Patsy Cline
Sweet Dreams Follow Up
The Real patsy Cline

Patsy Cline - The Real Patsy Cline
Starring: Patsy Cline
Manufacturer: White Star
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002VGTD4
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Description

The complete, true story of Patsy Cline's brilliant rise to stardom and her tragic death at the pinnacle of her career. This unique video biography features rare, clasic performances, Patsy's hit songs, such as Crazy, I Fall To Pieces and more.

Customer Reviews:

She's Got You - so watch this!.......2007-08-19

"The Real Patsy Cline" is a good overview of Cline's all too brief career. Director Mark Hall uses the interview as his primary tool to tell Patsy Cline's story. Interviewees include band mates, friends, family members and people who were a part of her life. Recognizable names include Loretta Lynn, Mel Tillis and Carl Perkins. In addition to interviews, original TV footage is shown. Beyond this, there is some quasi-reenactment material. Both video footage and photographs combine to tell her story. Significant time is spent on the events surrounding her last plane trip. Overall, the film does a good job of telling her story. A good biography should give the viewer a feel of who the subject was, what made the biographee tick and what the subject was like as a person. In an entertaining and informative way, "The Real Patsy Cline" accomplishes these goals. On the down side, the production is low budget. The 1986 program sometimes has that corny 1980's feel. This is easily forgivable since the substance is so strong. "The Real Patsy Cline" is not only a good introduction to Cline, but it is a celebration of her life.

The Real Patsy Cline.......2007-03-20

I enjoyed this video. In the video people who worked with her shared things about Patsy as well as her husband, daughter, and her neighbor. It gives you insight on how hard patsy worked for her fame and how Patsy was an ordinary person but wasn't one to hold back if someone got in her way.

Sweet Dreams Follow Up.......2006-04-19

I love Patsy. I bought two documentaries the same day, one was this, the other was the anthology. I watch the movie Sweet Dreams with Jessica Lange over and over and always wondered what Charlie Dick was really like and what happended to him and the children. The Real Patsy Cline DVD has more of this. The Anthology DVD is more live video of Patsy. I enjoyed it, but not as much as The Real Patsy Cline. It depends on what you are looking for. Interviews with family members, get The Real Patsy Cline, if you want live video of Patsy back in "the day", get the anthology. Hope this helps.

The Real patsy Cline.......2005-08-25

Another fascinating documentary on Patsy Cline, it also is very haunting as well, as it re-enacts the events that lead up to her final tragic flight on March 5, 1963, also the haunting piano music that was played in those sequences as well.

Paul Czinner: The Bolshoi Ballet [DVD Video]

Average customer rating:

Priceless snapshot of Bolshoi in 1956
One of the most exciting ballet films ever
Classic

Paul Czinner: The Bolshoi Ballet [DVD Video]
Starring: Galina Ulanova , Raissa Struchkova , Nikolai Fadeyechev , Gennadi Rozhdestvensky , and Dying Swan Walpurgisnacht Rachmaninoff
Director: Paul Czinner
Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000PC6EOO
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Studio description

VAI DVD 4426. Paul Czinner's 1956 film, Giselle (Adam) (abridged) Galina Ulanova, Nikolai Fadeyechev Scenes from 5 other ballets. 95 min., Color, All regions.

Customer Reviews:

Priceless snapshot of Bolshoi in 1956.......2007-08-04

In 1956, the Bolshoi Ballet company toured the West for the first time, and they created a storm. Conspicuously absent from the tour was the Bolshoi's prima ballerina, Maya Plisetskaya, whose difficult relationship with management prevented her from touring in the company until 1959. But Paul Czinner, who had already made several films of staged performances, decided to capture the Bolshoi for posterity, and what a relief that he did.

The video is broken up into two main parts. The first is a pastiche of smaller ballets, danced by the Bolshoi's rising stars. My own personal favorite is the Walpurgisnacht from Faust, danced by Raisa Struchkova. But the second half of the video is devoted to Galina Ulanova, who was named prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi Ballet. (After she retired, Maya Plisetskaya was given the title.) Ulanova in many ways was an unusual dancer. She was born in St. Petersburg, and was a pupil of the famed teacher Agrippina Vaganova. For the first half of her career she danced at the Mariinsky Theatre. Stalin liked her dancing he essentially forced her to transfer to Moscow. Ulanova created the role of Juliet in Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. Even in her youth, she was known more for her unique lyrical elegance than technical aplomb. Flashy roles, such as Kitri or Odile, were never in her repertoire. But she was unrivalled in ballets such as Les Sylphides, Romeo and Juliet, and, most famously, Giselle.

By the time Ulanova's Giselle was filmed, she was 46, and, presumably, past her technical prime. The extremely exposed developpes in Act II (Margot Fonteyn said they were the most terrifying moment for her in all of ballet) are 'handled' by a quick cutaway, but it's clear that Ulanova's developpes are no longer comfortable. I would say her Giselle was a snapshot of the past, except her Giselle is unlike the Giselles of her own day. It's a unique interpretation. Ulanova's Giselle has an artless simplicity -- she is not dance-crazed, or neurotic. Just a simple peasant girl who fell in love with the wrong man. Thus her heartbreak when she is betrayed is all the more touching.

In the second act, Ulanova is not an otherwordly weeping spirit. Her somewhat wholesome looks and chubby (for ballet standards) figure prevented her from looking otherwordly. But Ulanova's Wili Giselle also doesn't have the feverish intensity associated with the role. She is more of a gentle balm, there to save the man she loves. For this reason, many modern viewers might find her interpretation unusual. Tamara Karsavina, herself a legendary Giselle, said that Giselle should be given to a ballerina with "great elevation," presumably because of the many huge leaps and jumps of Act II. But Ulanova's jumps are quiet and understated. Overall, Ulanova's Giselle has no 'wow' moments but the sum total of her performance is greater than the parts.

There are limitations to the film. It is 'slightly abridged' but with cuts here and there, the Giselle is only about an hour long. Many of the cuts are at the most difficult parts, dance-wise, for Giselle. The "Spessivtseva solo" with the hops on pointe and the fast turns Giselle makes when she first enters as a Wili is gone, as is the beautiful first duet between Giselle and Albrecht. One supposes these cuts were made to accomodate Ulanova or in the interests of time, but it is a loss. The Albrecht, Nikolai Fadeyechev, is serviceable but not memorable. There is little passion and chemistry between the Giselle and Albrecht. Also, in order to film the performance, Czinner had to add an enormous amount of lighting to the stage, and in Act II, this becomes a real distraction, as the whole act works better when danced in a moonlit glow. Also, Ulanova is 46, and, as I said, somewhat shaky technically in the extremely exposed choreography of Act II.

I forgot to add that the film also has Ulanova's Dying Swan, the brief vignette choreographed for Anna Pavlova, but a favorite showcase for countless ballerinas. Again, Ulanova's Dying Swan accepts her death with a gentle, lyrical grace. Unlike Plisetskaya or even Pavlova, who stir and shake furiously before they fold up and die, Ulanova simply folds up serenely and dies.

In a company known for fiery athletics, Ulanova was a gentle, lyrical spirit, and this film is a tribute to this unique, unforgettable dancer.

One of the most exciting ballet films ever.......2007-07-17

Without doubt this is one of the most exciting ballet films ever. Paul Czinner's justly famed film of the Bolshoi Ballet's historical first-ever tour to the West, at London's Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 1956, is thanks to VAI now available in DVD-format.
The main part of the programme consists of the truncated performance of "Giselle" filmed at Covent Garden with Galina Ulanova, Nikolai Fadeyechev and Rimma Karelskaya in the leads. The remainder is a divertissement of Russian goodies which, as much as "Giselle", help us to understand why the Bolshoi dancing had such an impact on western audiences back then. After the Dance of the Tatars from "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai" and the Spanish dance from "Swan Lake" features the rousing "Spring Waters" duet (danced here by Ludmilla Bogomolova and Stanislav Vlasov), the Polonaise and Cracovienne from Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin", an irresistible "Walpurgisnacht" led by Raissa Struchkova and Alexander Lapauri, and "Dying Swan" danced by Ulanova with incomparable serenity.

Even 50 years after date this film continues to astound, whether it is Ulanova's expressive veracity, Struchkova's daredevil bravura, Karelskaya's stylish authority, the scale and cohesion of the Bolshoi corps de ballet, the zest of the caractère dancing, or the overall theatrical eloquence of the ensemble. My only question remains how "abridged" this "Giselle" really was, and how much was actually edited for previous releases but exists somewhere in the vaults. That VAI lists a peasant pas de deux allegedly danced by Bogomolova and Evdokimov, but not appearing in the film, does sound like bad news.

Shot in colour, the 50-year old print unavoidably looks its age with the saturated brownish tint (especially in "Giselle") and many artifacts. Yet, just as the artistry of the Bolshoi dancers remains inspiring, the filming can still serve as a model of how to shoot a ballet. Many recent directors have done far worse with fake artistic close-ups of unnecessary body parts and frantic editing. Paul Czinner went straight to the essence.

Classic.......2007-05-09

I have owned this video on VHS for many years now, and was surprised and delighted that it has been released on DVD. For any and all Ballet lovers, this is a must have for your dance library.This is The Bolshoi at its peak, The Bolshoi that was denied to the Western world until this London tour in 1956 and subsequent tours to the USA in 1959 and '62.I was fortunate in my youth to see Ulanova in 1959 at the old Metropolitan Opera House,truly a great artist, not to be forgotten! The VHS version offers 7 selections, although I noticed that the DVD offers only a total of six.
1-Dance of the Tartars from The Fountain of Bakhchiserai
2-Spanish Dance from Swan Lake
3-Polonaise and Cracovienne from Ivan Susanin
4-Walpurgisnacht from Faust (Raisa Struchkova..WOW)
5-Spring Water
6-The Dying Swan (Ulanova,another WOW)
7-Giselle (Ulanova/Fadeyechev, abridged version)
Remember, this is 1956 audio/video technology but so what,the entire program is a classic treasure.

Sam Kinison - Why Did We Laugh? (DVD/CD)

Average customer rating:

Laugh til you hurt
Choppy
More than just a loud mouth, a lot more
the collection was not his best material.
Fantastic

Sam Kinison - Why Did We Laugh? (DVD/CD)
Starring: Carl LaBove , Rodney Dangerfield , Bill Kinison , Dennis Miller , and Tim Matheson
Director: Larry Carroll (IV)
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000H5U5J4
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Description

For fans of comedy, Sam Kinison needs no introduction. His scathing comedy tackled tough topics no other comedian dared to touch. Fed up and disenfranchised with his career as a Pentacostal preacher, Sam left the ministry to try his hand at comedy. Almost immediately, and thanks in part to the foresight of Rodney Dangerfield who showcased Sam on an HBO special, his piercing scream, extreme humor and irreverent take on life attracted attention. Containing rare, early footage of Sam preaching and performing stand up at the world famous Comedy Store, the Award Winning "Why Did We Laugh" tells the story of a comedic genius who touched a deeper chord in people than most entertainers. Sadly, Sam was taken from us far too early, yet leaving us with a lasting and unique legacy. Includes excerpts from various stand-up appearances as well as interviews with Rodney Dangerfield, Richard Pryor, Dennis Miller, Larry King, Jay Leno, Judy Tenuta, Beverly D'Angelo, Tim Matheson and others. Also, appearances from "Larry King Live", "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson" • Separate CD entitled "The Passion of Sam", featuring Sam giving an Evangelical sermon and singing at the Emanuel Temple Church in Rockford, Il., where Sam was once employed as the Youth Pastor (approx. 36 min r/t)

Customer Reviews:

Laugh til you hurt.......2005-07-24

I have a guilty pleasure .... the late comedian Sam Kinison .... the guy who turned from being a screaming preacher to being a screaming stand-up, and if he strikes you the right way, you can laugh til you hurt.

He was really very religious and a great communicator. He was disillusioned with people like Tammy Faye Baker and hubby and their ilk .... the so-called religious people who raised money for shopping malls etc, and so he quit the evangelical circuit to communicate in a very different way. He was also someone very disillusioned by very bad relationships and he expresses his extreme rage at his ex-wives and lovers in a way that others who have been through the same thing can identify with in a very cathartic way.

I remember hating his screaming back in the 80s when I first heard him and then changing my mind when I saw this very same documentary about him about a year ago on A&E. He was in extreme pain and he dumped it on his audience who roared with uncontrollable laughter. Funny how that works.

Choppy.......2004-05-16

If you really want to get into Sam's routine(s),don't buy this dvd. As soon as you start enjoying his material, it stops to interview someone else that knew him.

More than just a loud mouth, a lot more.......1999-07-21

I watched "Why Did We Laugh" with great interest. Director Larry Carroll has found something deeper and much more interesting about Sam Kinison lurking just behind the noise and laughter. I didn't think it was possible but Kinison actually seems to have been a very human, very compelling character. Bravo.

the collection was not his best material........1999-02-22

it just wasn't a good compliation

Fantastic.......1999-02-17

The life of the late great Sam Kinison is explored from birth to his untimely death in this wonderful video. It has lots of interviews with Sam's friends, colegues, and his brother Bill. The way it is put together is great, with some of his best comedy clips on the video. It tells about the life of Sam Kinison very well, from the loud mouth hysterical man on stage, to the warm, caring man off it. Buy it... you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh again.

Average customer rating:

Did not Like
pointless
Don't Get Mugged by Thug Life
Trust me, This Video/DVD sucks.
Definitely a Must-Own

Thug Immortal - The Tupac Shakur Story
Starring: Tupac Shakur
Manufacturer: Xenon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000056BRU
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Customer Reviews:

Did not Like.......2007-06-27

I am an ETERNAL Tupac fan and this video is about 85% interviews with people who KNEW him and 15% Pac! I would have rathered it be the other way around.

pointless.......2005-05-07

imagine that you make it real big and die. THEN they go back to an old neighborhood you lived in and do interviews. that's all this is. people talking about pac. it was whack in my opinion cause for one a LOT of haters came out of nowhere talking mad noise about him. the thing is they were all rappers at one time so it came off to me as them being mad they were still in the same spot. one dude even said pac deserved to be shot. you want a real documentary then i recommend thug angel or Resurrection.

Don't Get Mugged by Thug Life.......2005-03-06

This video is a collection of interviews with minor characters in Tupac's life. Tupac never shows up in it! What they had to say about the performer could have been condensed into a 10 minute production--if that. Your money is much better spent buying the Tupac Resurrection video, which is really very good and actually has Tupac giving the interviews.

Trust me, This Video/DVD sucks. .......2005-03-03

Im a huge 2Pac fan, and Im here to tell ya' dont waste your money on this video/DVD. Its basically just no-thrills video footage of some old friends of Pacs from Baltimore, hanging around their neighborhood talking about Pac, some of their memories are funny and its amusing watching them clown around telling their stories, but most of it is entirely forgettable. Theres a few home made video segments that Pac and his boys took of each other back in the day, but nothing too great. If youre a crazy Pac fan that must own everything with his name attached to it, then go ahead and buy this Video/DVD. But, if youre just a big fan of Pacs who wants to pick up a video/DVD about him, I recommend the Tupac Movie documentary "Tupac/Resurrection" which is really a must own for any real 2Pac fan. Also although not all about just Tupac himself "welcome to Death Row" is interesting to watch, but do yourself a favor and save your money rather then spend it on this video/DVD. Trust me people, this video/DVD sucks, dont believe any of the reviews that said it was great or whatever. Pac himself would be the first to blast on this video/DVD saying that its garbage.

Definitely a Must-Own.......2004-12-05

This is one of my favorites I picked at Wal-Mart. 'cuz it's the 1st documentary I ever picked and own by my man 2Pac who is an inspiration to me. I luv him the way since he started off as a rapper, a activist, and then an actor. I actually seen Welcome to Death Row, Tupac Shakur-Thug Angel:The Life of an Outlaw, Tupac:Resurrection (which I haven't seen but look forward of getting it into my collection), I mean there are a lot more documentaries I seen asides this one. Tupac will always live on in my heart and soul. Rest in peace, baby your spirit and your music lives on.

Kiepura and Eggerth: The Charm of La Bohème

Average customer rating:

charming

Kiepura and Eggerth: The Charm of La Bohème
Starring: Jan Kiepura , Marta Eggerth , Paul Kemp , Giacomo Puccini , and Robert Stolz
Manufacturer: Bel Canto Society
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006V6TNA
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Customer Reviews:

charming .......2005-09-17

Before Marta (aka Martha) Eggerth went to star in two Judy Garland pictures For Me and my Gal and Presenting Lily Mars, she starred in musicals in her homeland. Unlike the MGM movies here she plays a sweet girl and not an obnoxious one.
Two singers who aspire to make it in opera meet. The man manages to get to the top of the field while the girl unbeknownst to him is dying. This manages to incorporate a modern day seeting with a similar plot and music of La Boheme. It seems like the subtitles are picked and chosen. But I still give kudos to Allegro for releasing films like these. A year later after this movie Jan Kiepura and Marta married.

Maria Callas - Living and Dying for Art and Love

Average customer rating:

An excellent documentary of Callas' last role
OTHER VIDEO BIOGRAPHIES ARE BETTER
The Callas Legend Lives On

Maria Callas - Living and Dying for Art and Love
Starring: Franco Zeffirelli , Antonio Pappano , and La Scala Opera
Manufacturer: Tdk DVD Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007ORE1C
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Customer Reviews:

An excellent documentary of Callas' last role.......2005-05-29

To those who think that this is a single-track documentary on Maria Callas' career, you are right. The DVD focuses not on Callas the woman, or Callas the singer of the 50's, but the Callas who returned to the theatre after a brief liaison with that snide Greek snake, Onassis. The events in the film are reported factually, and there is much involvement from people in and out of the opera business. Great singers like Grace Bumbry and Placido Domingo were here to give the public their thoughts on Callas the artist, the musician, the great singer (she really was), and as a professional too. The director Franco Zeffirelli, who was a good friend of Maria, was also there to recount detail by detail the great amount of passion that Maria dedicated to this extremely complex role, and actresses like Judi Dench comment on Maria Callas' ability to act superbly. Dame Judi Dench herself is a great actress, and undoubtedly she only comments on the best if they truly live up to their name. She also said that she sang like an angel, and what is more is she did attend the performances Maria gave to London as Tosca.

Although very little survives of the video performances that Callas gives on stage, what little we have is enough to prove what a dramatic force she was to reckon with. After watching snippets of Act 2 of Puccini's masterpiece in fuzzy black and white, I was no longer thinking of Maria on stage. Instead, I was seeing Floria Tosca. Every gesture Maria performs is simply astonishing. Her Vissi d'arte is sung almost like a prayer, and the murder scene that follows the aria is bloodcurdling. Hearing Tosca say "Muori!!! Muori!!! MUORI!!!" with Callas' voice is nothing short of being raptured to dramatic and musical heaven. Just watch her and Gobbi interact, and you will know why the Callas legend survives even up to this day. It will never end. Callas is immortal.

OTHER VIDEO BIOGRAPHIES ARE BETTER.......2005-03-29

This isn't a full Callas documentary. It centers upon her final operatic projects on stage - Tosca at Covent Garden, the Met and Norma in Paris. Nothing is objectionable here - it's factual and well presented, and many classic B/W still photographs have been "animated" in a 3-D sort of way. Anyone who wants to see the complete Act Two of Tosca is directed toward the EMI DVD called "At Covent Garden 1962-1964". As far as Callas video biographies go, you'd be better off with the first one produced shortly after her death and hosted by Zefirrelli (on Allegro), one entitled "Life and Art" that is available on EMI, and Tony Palmer's somewhat overdramatic "La Divinia" (on Image Entertainment). I was hoping that the A&E Biography of Callas produced on cable a few years ago would be produced on video, but it hasn't.

The Callas Legend Lives On.......2005-03-13

The legend of Maria Callas seem to have taken on a life of its own with a continuing flood of books and articles, even a successful Terrence McNally play, 'Master Class,' and now this recent (2003) documentary from BBC-TV directed by Steve Cole. The subtitle of the documentary, 'Living and Dying for Art and Love,' is taken from 'Tosca,' of course, and in a very clever conceit, Cole structures this film delineating the cross-currents of art and love in Callas's life after the plot of 'Tosca.' The similarities, of course, are eerie and its no surprise that Floria Tosca was one of Callas's most potent and famous roles; indeed the last she ever sang. Using vintage footage both of her performances and of newsreel and TV news footage we get many glimpses of the diva in the last few years of her life, and as background there are generous dollops of recorded performances. Adding to this are extensive interviews with people who knew and admired her, including Grace Bumbry, John Copley, Dame Judi Dench (who called her, not surprisingly, a 'great actress'), Plácido Domingo, her biographer Nicholas Gage, Tito Gobbi, conductor Antonio Pappano, producer and impresario Alan Sievewright (one of her close friends), Sir David Webster and, best of all, Franco Zeffirelli.

Much is said (and shown) of the 1964 Zeffirelli/Covent Garden production of 'Tosca' mounted for her. Indeed, there are three 'bonus' tracks--one of Gobbi singing 'Tre sbirri ... Una carozza,' followed by 'Vissi d'arte,' and Scarpia's murder beginning with 'E qual via scegliete?'. (There are also some snippets of Callas singing 'Norma', but they are few; most of the focus remains on 'Tosca.')

Without giving away too much, it is fair to say that the notion that Callas was devastated by the loss of Aristotle Onassis to Jackie Kennedy and that it led to her death is cogently argued. It is hard to escape the impact of the tragedy on her final years. The editing of the footage of Callas, the musical background, the voice-over narration and the interspersed excerpts from the interviews are expertly, even artfully done. This 60 minute documentary has a dramatic arc not unlike that of a gripping verismo opera plot and one keeps thinking what a wonderful opera could be made from Callas's life; has that ever been attempted or even contemplated? I wonder.

The added footage from the three opera scenes brings the total timing of the DVD to 71 minutes. Sound in DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, LPCM stereo. The film is in English, with subtitles in German, French, Italian.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Sexy, Heartbreaking & True
The Poetics of Dying
Sheer Perfection
Death in France

Time To Leave (Le temps qui reste)
Starring: FranÃ§ois Ozon , Melvil Poupaud , Jeanne Moreau , and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000HEWHBY
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Customer Reviews:

Sexy, Heartbreaking & True.......2007-01-24

This movie joins two of my favorite artists now working in film:
director Francois Ozon and actor extraordinaire Melvil Poupaud. This
movie is beautifully shot, exquisitely seductive in many parts and
finally movingly sad. A true work of art. Ozon is the best thing to
happen to movies since Almodovar. And Melvil Poupaud is not only one of
the best actors of his generation but he is also sexy beyond belief.
Bravo to all involved.

I hope that Ozon will work again with Melvil because the two are exquisite together. It is like watching Almodovar's work with Penelope Cruz or Carmen Maura.

Melvil Poupaud should be an international star any time soon.

The Poetics of Dying.......2006-12-01

Sheer Perfection.......2006-11-25

"TIME TO LEAVE"

An almost perfect movie

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"Time to Leave" (Strand Releasing) arrived yesterday and it is really something. It is one of those rare movies that holds your interest from start to finish. In fact, it even does more than hold your interest--it mesmerizes. I would even go so far as to say that "Time to Leave" is a perfect movie. It is gorgeously acted, beautifully filmed; the script is literate and sensitive. It has everything going for it. It will move you like few movies can.
Directed by Francois Ozun, "Time to Leave" is a French film that deals with a high profile 31 year old fashion photographer who is diagnosed with a brain tumor and has a very short time to live. As Romain, a good looking gay man comes to terms with this lot in life, he decides not to disclose his condition t anyone except his grandmother, beautifully portrayed by legendary French actress, Jeanne Moreau. As the seriousness of his illness sets in, Romain becomes cruel to his lover, rude to his pregnant sister and uncommunicative to his mother and father.
This is a feel-good tender movie about death and I realize that the statement is somewhat of oxymoron. You have to see the movie to understand why I say that. Is it possible to feel good about a beautiful young man dying at his prime? I don't know why but I felt good the entire time I watched this brilliant movie. One of the amazing qualities of this movie is its attitude toward being gay. The main character is gay and when he learns that his life is almost over, he begins a voyage of debauchery and descends into a world of anonymous sex. But that is not what "Time to Leave" is about. Being gay is not even an issue in the film and it just happens to be--nothing more. The idea of saying goodbye is not a new one in the cinematic world. The farewell to the earth here is expressed in a novel way and death becomes a welcome relief for Romain. It appears that the director was influenced by the goodness of mankind and the tenderness of life. There are some issues with political correctness but the way Ozun has woven his story, they are glorious. It is obviously Ozun's love for life that guided him to direct this movie. I was extremely moved by the movie but it did not leave me depressed as death usually does. Instead, it uplifted my spirit and made me realize how much death is a part of life. The movie haunted me and still haunts me.
Romain explains why he trusts his grandmother with the news of his impending death. It is because she is nearing the end of her life even though she is healthy. The scene between Melvil Poupaud (Romain) and his grandmother, Laura will tug at you. As Romain drives away after telling his grandmother that he is going to die soon, you feel as if you have to cry yet you don't. The exchange between the two of them is moving and tender and you don't succumb to the morose but rather are uplifted.
The existentialism of the plot provides the thoughtful sequences we see on the screen. The question that the film asks is if it is possible to find peace at the end of life. This becomes an even harder question when life is stripped away at a young age. This is a candid film which is sexy and hypnotic. It seems to me to be a very personal study of life in the face of death.
If you are still not sure how you feel about the movie when it is over, the bonus features may clear up any questions you might have I do not understand why the deleted scenes were deleted because to me they further explain the life/death experience and the featurette on the making of the film gives excellent insight. This is one that you should not miss. Here is an example of what a movie should be.

Death in France.......2006-08-30

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