Sophie's Choice

Amazon.com essential video

The sunny streets of Brooklyn, just after World War II. A young would-be writer named Stingo (Peter MacNicol) shares a boarding house with beautiful Polish immigrant Sophie (Meryl Streep) and her tempestuous lover, Nathan (Kevin Kline); their friendship changes his life. This adaptation of the bestselling novel by William Styron is faithful to the point of being reverential, which is not always the right way to make a film come to life. But director Alan J. Pakula (All the President's Men) provides a steady, intelligent path into the harrowing story of Sophie, whose flashback memories of the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp form the backbone of the movie. Streep's exceptional performance--flawless Polish accent and all--won her an Oscar, and effectively raised the standard for American actresses of her generation. No less impressive is Kevin Kline, in his movie debut, capturing the mercurial moods of the dangerously attractive Nathan. The two worlds of Sophie's Choice, nostalgic Brooklyn and monstrous Europe, are beautifully captured by the gifted cinematographer Néstor Almendros, whose work was Oscar-nominated but didn't win. It should have. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

We Are So Fortunate.......2007-07-30

I don't think anyone who has actually felt this movie in their hearts would ever be able to pass judgement upon any of the characters. I can not imagine the personal struggle that Sophie felt, not only with her newfound friends, but more impotantly, her family she left behind. How do you make that choice? Sophie did what she had to do to survive. I hope and pray that I will never have to choose between my children, because I would most likely..... choose to end my life.

We are so fortunate that we live in a free country, free from tyrannical, biblical, economic, oh, wait who am I kidding????? I am still proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free!!!!

Sophie's Choice wih Mertl Streep.......2007-07-25

I decided to buy this movie, as it has been in my Best Ten Movies List for
a number of years. Ms Streep is an amazing actress, and does the best foreign
accents I've heard. I would give this movie six stars. M. MacLeod, MD

Great central performance, but not a great film.......2007-06-30

I was drawn to watch this film because it has recently been nominated into the American Film Institute's Top 100 U.S. films. Bearing in mind the effusive reviews for the film already posted on Amazon.Com, I will probably get slated for only giving this film 3/5. Oh well.
The main good thing about this film is primarily Meryl Streep's amazing performance as the title character. Her performance is simply perfect. The emotional resonance of her performance is fantastic, her Polish accent is flawless, she even speaks Polish and German convincingly in the flashback scenes. It ranks alongside Falconetti's performance in Drayer's "Passion Of Joan Of Arc" as one of the greatest in cinema.
However, one performance does not a great film make. What else is great about this film? Keven Kline overcooks his role as Sophie's crazed lover: all charm and wild eyes, charisma turned on at will as if it comes from a tap. Peter MacNichol struggles to bring life to what is basically a dull character: he does his best with what is given to him in the role of the wide-eyed Southern boy.
Nestor Almendros's photography was fantastic in Mallick's "Days Of Heaven". In "Sophie's Choice" he approximates the former film's Autumnal sunlit ambience when the characters (occasionally) move outside: otherwise the camerawork is dull and uninvolving. The washed-out look of the Concentration Camp sequences is well done: approximating the muted colours in many Nazi films, it certainly works in its grimy, unappealing way.
Perhaps the key problem with the film is that it key moment of dramatic tension, the moment that gives the film its title and is the underlying cause of Sophie's toments is held back to the end of the film. Moreover, it is the kind of dramatic moment, having happened in the past, which offers no hope of salvation for either Sophie or the audience. It is sadly reduced to "just one of those" things which happens to people. The dramatic crux of the film is therefore fatally undermined.
The film is not that bad. It's just not an AFI Top 100 film. As a performance, Streep's is top-notch. It is just the film is too long, unfocused and finally unrewarding as either entertainment or dramatic lesson.

Flawless performance by Streep........2007-05-07

I watched Sophie's Choice for the first time last night, and despite having watched numerous Holocaust movies, this one truly touched me. Meryl Streep truly shines as the tragic Sophie, who lives with harrowing memories of her wartime experiences, whilst dealing with the complications of a tumultuous relationship with her live-in mad lover, played convincingly by Kevin Kline. Also of noteworthy performance is McNichol as Stingo, the aspiring writer who also narrates the story...his infatuation and later love for Sophie is true, even after realising Sophie's dark past. The most painful scenes were the flashbacks to Sophie's retelling of her wartime experiences. The "choice" that is the movie's title is rendered in an amazingly heartbreaking performance by Streep, one of cinema's most gut-wrenching scenes ever, and something I will never forget. Truly memorable!

Streep's best performance.......2007-03-07

there is always that one performance in a actors career thats defined as there best and for the great Meryl Streep, her role as Holocaust survivor Sophie brilliantly conveys a person of heartbreak, riddled with guilt, and just so volnerable. pulling of a flawless polish accent, Streep plays Sophie, a polish immagrent who is haunted by her horrible past in WWII during the Holocaust and her stay at a concentration camp. Kevin Kline plays her temptatious lover Nathan and Peter MacNicol is Stingo, the man who Sophie and Nathan befriend. as Stingo becomes more involved in there life, he learns of Sophie's past and the horrible decision she had to make. Kline and MacNicole both provide excellent buffers as to not be outshined by Meryl Streep. the other great thing about this film is the cinamatography, it shifts very nicley from the comforts of Broklyn to the horrors of Europe. there are many great Holocaust films but Sophie's choice is definently at the top three along with Schindler's List and The Pianist. if you want to see a truley powerful film that will leave you heartbroken at the end then Sophie's Choice is the film

I Spit On Your Grave (Millennium Edition)

Average customer rating:

It did what it said, it said what it did.
brOOtal
It didnt suprise me
Classic Nastie!
Very 70's independant film

I Spit On Your Grave (Millennium Edition)
Starring: Camille Keaton , Eron Tabor , Richard Pace , Anthony Nichols , and Gunter Kleemann
Director: Meir Zarchi
Manufacturer: ELITE ENTERTAINMENT
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: B0002CHIJW
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Amazon.com

Writer-director Meir Zarchi's controversial story of rape and revenge has lost none of its ability to shock viewers since it first gained notoriety in the late '70s. Camille Keaton (grand-niece of Buster Keaton and, later, Zarchi's wife) stars as a young woman who is terrorized and then brutally assaulted by four men while on vacation. After slowly pulling herself together, she methodically tracks down and butchers each of the perpetrators. Zarchi's film has been consistently accused of celebrating violence against women, and while the rape scenes are graphic, they also lack the voyeuristic qualities that earmark other similarly plotted exploitation films. If anything, Zarchi is guilty of awkward scripting; the dialogue is leaden, and Keaton's transformation from victim to avenger is too swift. But to label him a pornographer is wrong, and while the film is challenging--perhaps more than most audiences can bear--its depiction of the psychology of violence is undeniably powerful. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

It did what it said, it said what it did........2007-08-17

This movie is a fusion, a cinematic expression of violent sexual acts and justifyable homicide. While the hairstyles, and even the haircuts ;} forever date the film as a 70's drive in sexploitation flick, there is enough wrong going around in this picture to wind the broken clock of even the most ardent gorehound or woman's prison movie aficiondo. It just begs for a remake, but of course that will never happen until society collapses entirely. Here's hoping! I just wish the main character didn't look like she had Buckwheat in a scissorlock for the duration of the rougher scenes.

brOOtal .......2007-07-24

This movie's just wrong on so many levels. I've seen a lot of movies in this genre, but this one takes the cake! Not only do they degrade this woman, but do it over....and over....and over....and over. Most of the time without using cuts or editing and just focusing on the girls torment. It's obviously a rip-off of Last house on the Left, but IMO takes it a little further, and pushes the limits of what's exceptable in horror cinema. This is sleaze at its finest, horror brought to a whole new level of jaw-dropping filth.
I Spit on Your grave = definition of horror.
Check it out.

It didnt suprise me.......2007-06-19

I was afraid to watch this one for a long time considering what i heard of it. The plot is simple, some writer lady goes to the country and ends up being raped and assaulted by 4 ignorant backwoods types then one when one of them dosent go through with the job of 'taking care of her' she comes back for revenge. It was sick, yes, It was you can say brutal in a way, but i can see something like this happening. I mean it didnt shock me considering ive actually met people like this that were maybe a couple inches away from doin something like that. Theres 2 types of people, normal good people and people that are a couple inches away from doing something sick like this. A bunch of guys gettin together, real ignorant types and then pullin something like this, yea, i can see it. The stupidity of one of them made me sick. He was like just doing whatever he was told. Then came 'the revenge'. Plain and simple, not much else. I cant say i could see someone really 'enjoying' watching this but i cant say it was so bad i wouldnt tell you not to see it. I dont think a normal person would have much interest in this one. People who love horror? maybe. Its a hit or miss.

Classic Nastie!.......2007-05-02

"Spit" is one of my all time favourite little "nasties".
It's sick alright and still very disturbing, even though it was made way back in 1978. Ok, it's low, low budget, but that's why it works.
The film's lack of music throughout makes it all the more off putting.
Camille Keaton, as the victim, is an absolute trouper.
Rodney, is Gold.

This Millennium Edition of "Spit" is something my brother and I used to joke about. Ever since we first caught "Spit" at the Drive In on it's original release, the idea of a special edition of "Spit" was something we only ever dreamt of one day owning.
To have it like this, THX Certified Transfer, Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1, looking and sounding like it was made yesterday, with extras laid on, you've got to be kidding.
And that cover ain't half bad either....hey?

Warning:Definately not for the kiddies.

Very 70's independant film.......2007-04-24

about a subject that is just as horrific then as it is now. The four morons who raped her got what they deserved. Then as today, they would never be convicted, a few smooth words from an experienced lawyer, and they'd be out in about 2 hours. And she knew that and exacted her own justice. Although, it was far from a pleasant movie, I feel it would be beneficial for all woman to see it and discuss what they would do in her situtation.

Average customer rating:

One of the greatest adventure films of all time...
I love this movie!
A Great Movie
Great old war film
Zulu

Zulu
Starring: Stanley Baker , Jack Hawkins , Ulla Jacobsson , James Booth , and Michael Caine
Director: Cy Endfield
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

War Epics | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B00008PC13
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Amazon.com essential video

"Sentries have come in from the hill, sir.... They report Zulus to the southeast. Thousands of them." One of the best pure action movies ever made, this rousing adventure recounts the true story of a small 18th-century regiment of British troops (including a very blue-blooded turn by a young Michael Caine) endlessly besieged by an seemingly unceasing number of fierce attackers. Although the basic premise has since been executed with more technical skill and panache (most notably by Aliens and Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans), it's unlikely that anything will ever top the utter spectacle and, above all, sheer unbelievable size of the combat scenes that almost wholly comprise the last half of this film. A gloriously exhilarating essential for anyone looking to get lost in the heat of cinematic battle, topped off with a healthy dose of gallows humor. Not to be missed. Richard Burton voiced the stirring narration. Zulu was followed by a slightly dry but still recommended prequel, Zulu Dawn. --Andrew Wright

Description

A towering cinematic achievement. An astonishing true story. And "a battle film in the grand tradition of Four Feathers and Gunga Din" (Time)! Filmed against the exotic locales of Africa and starring Stanley Baker (The Guns of Navarone), Jack Hawkins (Lawrence of Arabia) and Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Michael Caine (in his first major motion picture role), Zulu is a thrilling account of one of history's fiercest battles! As a terrifying war chant echoes across the majestic African plains, 4000 Zulu tribesmen rise up from the tall grassthat hides them. Furiously beating their swords against their shields, the warriors descend upon a small garrison of English soldiers. "Usuto! Usuto! (Kill! Kill!)," they cry as they launch into a battle with the vastly outnumbered English militia who must manifest incredible skill and incomparable bravery just to survive. *1999: Supporting Actor, The Cider House Rules; 1986: Supporting Actor, Hannah and Her Sisters

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest adventure films of all time..........2007-09-07

...but not one of the greatest DVDs of all time, which is the only reason this is rated four stars instead of five. MGM/UA's transfer is a definite improvement over the atrocious Diamond public domain release, but compared to Paramount's Region 2 PAL disc, which includes new documentaries and original trailers, it's a poor show.

Zulu is one of those films that left an indelible impression of the unique power cinema can have on those of us who saw it on the big screen as children. Intellectually and emotionally other films may have the advantage over it, but asa purely cinematic experience Zulu is unbeatable.

Siege epics were curiously popular in the Sixties - 55 Days at Peking, El Cid, Khartoum, The War Lord, The Alamo among them - but perhaps none have quite such a hold on the public's affections as Zulu, particularly in the UK. It's a celebration of national courage (but not nationalism) with its eyes wide open. The besieged men aren't there to build empires but because it's their job - "Because we're 'ere. There's no-one else," as Nigel Green's memorable Colour-Sergeant puts it to a young soldier.

It's a film with dignity on both sides of the conflict but no self-importance, it manages to extoll heroism without glorifying war. It's also one of the few films to show the sheer physical arduousness of prolonged battle - it ends not with triumph and jubilation but with sheer exhaustion.

The narrative construction is deliberate and belongs to the days when films built up to a climax instead of throwing them in every ten minutes to keep the audience awake. John Prebble and Cy Endfield's script is strong, its subtle clash of egos between Stanley Baker and Michael Caine never over-emphasised and surrounded by memorable vignettes among the rank-and-file that gives the film a depth beyond the superbly handled battle scenes - Nigel Green struggling to maintain his composure as he takes the final depleted roll call, drunken missionary Jack Hawkins' truly irritating Bible-bashing unnerving a young private, Neil McCarthy's concern for a sick calf taking precedence over the ongoing battle.

Co-producer Baker was never to get (or give himself) so good an opportunity in a mainstream movie again, and nor were Endfield and Prebble (the three had previously collaborated on the terrific 1957 thriller Hell Drivers). Mention in despatches to Green and Gert Van Den Bergh as a Boer fighting alongside the Welsh too among a splendid cast from the days when you could still fill a regiment with memorable British character actors.

John Barry's epic score perfectly sums up the heroism and bloody turmoil without lapsing into jingoistic cliches, while Stephen Dade's superlative photography benefits from a good widescreen transfer (that said, the first appearance of the Zulus loses some of its impact even on a large widescreen TV). Definitely one to add to your collection, but you might want to go for the Paramount PAL DVD if you have a multi-region player instead. If you are stuck with Region 1, go for the MGM/UA disc.

I love this movie!.......2007-08-23

First, let me stress this: Buy the MGM release! All others are pan and scan public domain and do not do justice to this magnificent movie.

Over 200 people have already had their say, and I have nothing very different. This is a fun, exciting, and deeply moving movie experience. An interesting sidelight is that it's one of Jack Hawkins last roles with someone else doing his voice--due to cancer. And it's the first major role for Michael Caine who does an incredible job of leaving all traces of his Cockney origins behind. If you already have an inferior pan and scan DVD, replace it. You'll be glad when you get that flat widescreen!

A Great Movie.......2007-07-31

One of my favourite movies of all time.
A must for any collection.
It's basically a true story about 100 fit and 40 sick Welsh soldiers being attacked by 4000 of the world's bravest soldiers, the Zulu, and how they fought them to a standstill using single shot Martini-Henry rifles and 24" pig-sticker bayonets.
Two scenes always stick in my mind. One is where the Welsh out sing the Zulu with "Men of Harlech" and the other where after the battle, the Colour-Sergeant tells Lt. Chard that it was won with "a rifle and bayonet with a lot of guts behind it!"
Forty odd years on, it has not aged at all.
One word to describe it?
Fantastic.
Buy and enjoy.

Great old war film.......2007-07-30

It's a great movie, Michael Caine's first actually, based on a real british battle, it's a movie everyone should watch.

Zulu.......2007-07-02

Endfield's breathless depiction of a rag-tag English force battling an implacable enemy remains one of our very best war films. Baker (who co-produced) was never better, and got his mystified Zulu extras to cooperate only after showing them an old Gene Autry Western, which helped them understand the nature of acting. In one of his final appearances, Jack Hawkins registers as a fanatical priest, and you can almost see the word "star" emblazoned on Caine's forehead. Like the heroes it portrays, the stellar "Zulu" richly earns a chestful of medals.

Average customer rating:

Lots Of Star Power In This Louisiana Gothic Melodrama
over the top camp
A HAIR RAISING SHOCKER
What A Twisted Tale Of Life-Long Deception!
Great entertainment

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Starring: Bette Davis , Olivia de Havilland , Joseph Cotten , Agnes Moorehead , and Cecil Kellaway
Director: Robert Aldrich
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B0009NZ2MO
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Amazon.com

Poor Charlotte Hollis. She's been shunned by the community for decades, ever since the fateful night in 1927 when her lover was hacked apart with an axe. Her antebellum southern mansion is slated for the bulldozer, as it stands in the way of highway construction. Charlotte's only hope lies in her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), coming down from up north to help settle things. Miriam, however, has other designs. Together with her boyfriend Drew (Joseph Cotten), she embarks on a scheme to systematically drive Charlotte out of her mind (not a great leap) and get her mitts on the family fortune. From there, things only get more complicated. Charlotte puts the "gothic" in southern gothic, as a great showcase for completely bizarre, overwrought, and out-of-control performances from all involved. Agnes Moorehead plays Charlotte's loyal, disheveled housekeeper to the hilt, with an odd inflection that calls to mind Amos and Andy more than southern gentility. As the drunken, conniving Dr. Drew, Cotten's accent is indeterminate at times, and seems to come and go. As great as the supporting players are, though, the crown goes to Bette Davis as the shrieking Charlotte, a portrait of isolation and decay stuck in a world of tragic delusions inside her crumbling mansion. De Havilland is a close second as the scheming Miriam; the scene where she slaps the holy snot out of a hysterical Charlotte is itself worth the price of admission. Mary Astor (in her last role) and Cecil Kellaway (as a kindly Lloyd's of London adjuster) put in the only performances with any restraint, acting as counterweights for the rest of the cast. Besides, you'll never get another chance to see Joseph Cotten playing the harpsichord and singing, or caked in mud and lily pads! With Robert Aldrich's claustrophobic direction, Charlotte is as Southern as a field of kudzu, and as subdued as a train wreck. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

This is the tale of a wealthy southern spinster Charlotte Hollis (Bette Davis) who lives with her eccentric maid (Agnes Moorehead) in a decaying southern mansion, shunned by the townsfolk after the mysterious axe-murder of her late lover. When her jealous cousin (Olivia de Havilland) and her cousin's wily husband (Cotton) arrive for a visit, the two conspire to drive Charlotte insane and have her commited so the two can sell off her estate and pocket the proceeds.

Customer Reviews:

Lots Of Star Power In This Louisiana Gothic Melodrama.......2007-08-20

I first saw HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE on television years ago when the local television stations still played a weekday afternoon movie interrupted by many commercials and "dialing for dollars." I was probably in my early teens then and remember being fascinated by the morbid drama and the haunting theme song has always been stored somewhere in my memory. I recently enjoyed re-watching the film and was happy to see it has held up as a gothic suspense film with some horror elements.

In a prelude we see handsome young Bruce Dern playing a married Lothario being told to break off his relationship with Charlotte by her father, played by Victor Bueno, who was actually still in his twenties when he filmed this role. Bruce Dern's character is murdered in a gruesome manner by an unseen attacker and we see Charlotte emerge in the midst of a party her father is giving looking bewildered and covered in blood.

Flash forward thirty-seven years and Charlotte, now played by Bette Davis, is an eccentric older woman living in her decaying Louisiana mansion, left to her by her now deceased father, that is about the be destroyed for highway construction. We learn Charlotte was the chief suspect in the long ago murder but her father was able to shield her from prosecution with his money and a hasty trip to Europe. Charlotte is looked after by Velma, a loyal servant and quite a character played by an excellent Agnes Moorehead (Endora of Bewitched fame). An old friend and the family doctor, Drew (played by Joseph Cotton) also takes a protective interest in Charlotte and her money. Charlotte's sweet voiced cousin Miriam (played perfectly by Olivia de Havilland) arrives to help the increasingly deranged woman make the transition out of her lifelong home which is about to be destroyed. Strange, spooky happenings begin to escalate and the viewer is left unsure of whether the supernatural, Charlotte's delusions or something more concrete are the cause. Meanwhile an insurance investigator from England who has always been fascinated by the case arrives while another major player in the mystery nears death and may be ready to reveal what she knows. All is satisfactorily explained by the end but not after several twists and some deaths occur.

Bette Davis is fine as the tortured Charlotte since the role calls for her brand of unsubtle performance. Olivia de Havilland (one of the four leads in GONE WITH THE WIND) is even better as the calm and competent Miriam who may have a secret or two of her own. And Agnes Moorehead does perhaps the best acting in her role of Velma the servant who knows and sees all. The soundtrack of the film is excellent and the black and white cinematography enhances the mood and atmosphere of the story. Well worth watching by anyone who enjoys a murder mystery with a touch of horror movie conventions.

over the top camp.......2007-08-07

If you want to have some fun watching two old broad icons from the golden age of Hollywood, this movie is for you. Bette Davis and Olivia DeHavilland chew the scenery with no holds barred and the result is over the top camp. The story line, with Bette living a life of guilt over the death of her married lover, can be confusing at times but the performances are worth watching. Agnes Moorehead, an actress who never got her due, is a riot as Velma, the housekeeper loyal to Bette. Certainly not a Bette Davis classic like The Letter or Dark Victory, but a good watch all the same.

A HAIR RAISING SHOCKER.......2007-06-09

THIS SUPERB FILM STARS BETTE DAVIS AS CHARLOTTE HOLLIS WHO HAS BEEN CLOSETED IN HER MANSION SINCE THE GRISLY MURDER OF HER MARRIED LOVER MANY YEARS EARLIER. FINE SUPPORT COMES FROM OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND AS HER COUSIN MIRIAM AND JOSEPH COTTEN AS DOCTOR DREW BAYLESS. THIS THRILLER WILL HAVE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT AND SPECIAL MENTION MUST BE MADE OF CHARLOTTE'S LOYAL SERVANT OSCAR NOMINEE AGNES MOOREHEAD - I DON'T THINK EVEN THIS FINE ACTRESS HAS DONE ANYTHING BETTER. FINE REMASTERING FROM THE 1964 PRINT ADDS TO ONE'S PLEASURE SO DON'T MISS THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT.

What A Twisted Tale Of Life-Long Deception!.......2007-05-26

Davis and DeHavilland are truly at their best in this shocking thriller, set in the bayou country of Louisiana. The setting, the family dynamics, and the un-expected twists and turns in the story will keep your attention riveted to the screen. I enthusiastically recommend this movie to all lovers of Hollywood classics...

Great entertainment.......2007-02-12

The story behind the conception of "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" is well documented, so the question is: without being another Bette Davis/Joan Crawford battlefest, does it match up to the runaway success of "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane"? My opinion is that it ranks as a good movie, but falls into the shadow of it's predecessor.

The plot follows Davis as Charlotte, an eccentric recluse who has been shunned by the townsfolk ever since her married lover was found brutally murdered at a party when she was a young girl. Branded as the killer, Charlotte has grown into a bitter and lonely old woman, who is finally forced to come out of her isolation when the county wants to knock down her house to build a new road. The main part of the film begins as Charlotte's cousin Miriam arrives in an attempt to talk some sense into her, and all the skeletons of the past come to light again.

The film is built around it's two central stars, Bette Davis and Olivia de Haviland (who plays Miriam). The two could scarcely be more different. Davis plays Charlotte as wide-eyed, shrill and in a constant state of nervous terror, while de Havilland delivers a performance of sleek velvety calm. The film hinges on the relationship between these two women, and out of the two of them, it is Miriam rather then Charlotte who suggests a character with much more going on beneath the surface, thanks to de Havilland's glacial cool. Davis is brittle and exhausting nearly all the time, and although she was one of the greatest Hollywood stars of her time, some more subtelty would have greatly enhanced the character of Charlotte in places. However, for the most part she is terrific, in fact her performance gets better and better as the film progresses, culminating in a very moving conclusion. De Havilland also does a great job, speaking in silky soft tones for the most part, but capable of erupting into surprisingly venomous anger as more of her true character comes to light. As is usual with a well known film like this, the twists and surprise revelations are already well known, but what impressed me was the the way the various strands were worked into the film, and how effectively some of the twists were then later built up into new twists! It must have been very effective for first time audiences in 1964, and for anyone who has not seen it even today.

The film looks great. Beautifully shot in black and white, it makes great use of selective lighting and deep shadows, more often than not inside the grand but rotting mansion that Charlotte lives in. There are also some great lines in the script, most often spoken by Davis, which make the proceedings border on high camp some of the time, but for the most part it is a quality product. What detracts from the enjoyment are some very lazy post dubbing in several places (where you can see that the actors are either mouthing something different or not speaking at all!), and the opening prologue set at a party supposedly in 1927, which has no attempt at period detail at all as most of the party goers are dressed in contemporary 1960's oufits (one girl even has a beehive hairdo!). This lack of care by director Robert Aldrich is more in line with one of William Castle's schlocky (but enthusiastic) efforts, rather than a major studio production like "Charlotte" was supposed to be.

I haven't really got that many bones to pick though, as the film delivers solid entertainment for most of it's 2hour running time. It IS a little long, but the constantly unravelling plot together with the performances from it's stars (not forgetting to mention the hilarious turn by Agnes Moorhead as the tousled maid) keep you hooked all the way through. Although some of the early parts are a bit of a screech-fest, it definitely improves as reaches the end, in fact Davis' performance in the last half hour becomes quite touching (barring her cross-eyed freak out on the stairs), and the ending scene especially shows that the film has a real heart.

Mommie Dearest (Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

WHY MUST EVERYTHING BE A CONTEST?!?!
Hanger scene
the Big Kahuna of camp classics
Big Fun
Lost opportunity

Mommie Dearest (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Faye Dunaway , Diana Scarwid , Steve Forrest , Howard Da Silva , and Mara Hobel
Director: Frank Perry
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000ERVJK4
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Amazon.com

The movie that made "No wire hangers!" a household phrase, Mommie Dearest is the very model of a modern "camp classic," so crazily outlandish that it's fascinating. Based on the scathing and scandalous tell-all bestseller by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of histrionic Hollywood movie queen Joan Crawford, Mommie Dearest was billed in advance as a serious dramatic motion-picture biography. But it turned out to be something much, much weirder--a genuine Hollywood oddity that serves up a bizarre mixture of melodramatic trash and outrageous tragi-comedy. Joan Crawford won an Oscar for playing the role of the self-sacrificing mother, the woman who would do anything for her daughter, in Mildred Pierce. As depicted by Faye Dunaway (playing the hell out of the role as if she's determined to win another Oscar of her own, damn it!), her role as offscreen parent puts her in a league with big-time scary screen mommies such as Mrs. Bates in Psycho, and Angela Lansbury's über-mom in The Manchurian Candidate. Dunaway's Crawford torments and terrorizes her adopted children in myriad ways--making them give away their own birthday gifts and rousting them from their beds for frantic after-midnight bathroom-scrubbing attacks. And when, after the death of her Pepsico chairman husband, Crawford tells the board of directors, "Don't f--- with me, fellas!" one is very much inclined to heed her warning. --Jim Emerson

Product Description

Outrageous and controversial, this is the story of legendary movie star Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway) as she struggles for her career and battles the inner demons of her private life. This torment was manifested in her relationships with her adopted children, Christina (Diana Scarwid) and Christopher (Xander Berkeley). The public Crawford was a strong-willed, glamorous object of admiration, but Mommie Dearest reveals the private Crawford, the woman desperate to be a mother, adopting her children when she was single and trying to survive in a devastating industry that swallows careers thoughtlessly. The rage, the debilitating strain, and the terrifying descent into alcoholism and child abuse are graphically - and unforgettably - depicted in this film, based upon Christina Crawford's best-selling book.

Customer Reviews:

WHY MUST EVERYTHING BE A CONTEST?!?!.......2007-09-04

Here's one that separates the fainthearted from the strong. Faye Dunaway, in the role she was born to play, is deeply, deeply scary as Joan Crawford who, according to daughter Christina's best-selling book, tyrannized her kids almost beyond belief. The moviemakers surely expected to be rolling in dough and acclaim for this posh version of a red-hot literary property, so imagine their surprise when audiences rolled in the aisles. Why? Dunaway. So over-the-top, so out-there, so, well, Faye, she instantly installed herself as the all-time Countess of Camp.

The fun begins when Dunaway, as aging MGM star Crawford, realizes that her career's skidding, so everyone around her catches hell. Wailing at her maid as she shoves aside a huge potted plant, Dunaway cleans the floor herself, saying, "You have to move the tree! I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at the dirt."

Mad is right: Figuring that, since she can't have children, she'll reap fabulous publicity by adopting one, enter orphan Christina (Mara Hobel), who isn't the cooperative dream child Dunaway envisioned. When the kid gets sassy, Dunaway locks her up. Out of work, Dunaway gets battier, cursing her studio boss while she jogs: "The biggest female star he's got - ever had - and he's burying me alive. Survive! Survive!" and demonically chopping off Christina's hair when she finds the kid mimicking her, snarling, "I'd rather you go bald to school than looking like a tramp!" She lays into lover-lawyer Steve Forrest, so when he starts to walk out, she pleads with him to stay, crying, "I'm not acting!" while doing nothing but.

When MGM drops her, brace yourself for full frontal Faye as she rampages in the middle of the night, cutting the blooms off her prize roses, then bellowing "Tina - bring me the axe!" Don't miss the scene where Dunaway, her face covered in a cold-cream Kabuki mask, trashes her daughter's clothes closet, shrieking "No wire hangers!" then showers the bathroom floor with Dutch Cleanser, ordering Christina to clean up the mess. This is capped with the most bizarre closeup in movie history, as Dunaway s-l-o-w-l-y turns her head away while staring out cross-eyed into space. (It's anybody's call whether Crawford's supposed to be insane, or whether Dunaway perhaps just went bonkers playing her.)

Dunaway clashes with grownup Christina (Diana Scarwid) too, nearly strangling her child in full view of a horrified magazine reporter. Widowed by a Pepsi magnate, Dunaway stuns a board meeting of executives who try to shove her out of the picture by uttering, "Don't F--- with me, fellas, this ain't my first time at the rodeo."

In the end, Crawford cuts both kids out of her will. "As usual, she has the last word," says grownup Christopher. "Does she?" asks Christina. No, we do, and we declare Mommie Dearest about as high in the Bad Movie pantheon as it is possible to go.

Hanger scene.......2007-08-15

Over all I felt that the movie was really good, good actors/actresess, Mara Hobels acting ability was great for some one of that age doing a film such as this one, over all I enjoyed the movie alot but what was with that hanger scene, a little to extreme if you ask me. Over all except for that scene I loved the movie.

the Big Kahuna of camp classics.......2007-06-26

Joan Crawford, with her impossibly-arched eyebrows and gargantuan shoulderpads, was a camp icon long before MOMMIE DEAREST even went before the cameras. Thanks to Faye Dunaway's performance in the film, Joan Crawford rose to the position of camp's High Priestess, and fans wouldn't have it any other way.

Joan Crawford's adopted daughter Christina began writing the book "Mommie Dearest" shortly before Joan's death and allowed her to read the drafts. It was for this reason alone that Crawford completely cut Christina out of the will (though Christina manages to leave out this important fact in her many interviews and personal appearances). The poison-filled tome did manage to destroy the reputation which Joan had carefully guarded and maintained throughout her professional life; but in recent years her films have gradually found their audience once again and Crawford is now looked upon as one of the leading lights of the classic cinema, as she should be.

MOMMIE DEAREST recounts the early life of Christina Crawford, growing up as the daughter of the reigning Queen of Hollywood. There is little doubt that Joan Crawford was a very demanding and strong woman, an alcoholic with deep-seated psychological phobias. But this does not make her an abuser.

In the film version of MOMMIE DEAREST, Faye Dunaway gives a very eerie recreation of Joan Crawford (which spans from 1939's "Ice Follies of 1939" to her final days). Much has been made of the infamous "NO WIRE HANGERS...EVEEEEER!!!" scene, and Dunaway has that rare ability to capture much of Crawford's agonies. Equally-strong is Mara Hobel, who gives a deeply affecting performance as the younger Christina. Diana Scarwid is memorable as the older Christina.

But it must be noted that so many incidents in the film were glossed-over in favour of Hollywood fantasy. No one will really know what excactly happened in the private relationship of Joan and Christina, but reading between the lines (and being quite aware that much of the book was written with sheer hatred and blinding anger), it becomes very clear that Christina was a little brat who did everything she could to push her mother's buttons.

MOMMIE DEAREST remains to this day a feast for the lovers of camp; from Faye Dunaway's one-line zingers, the outrageous clothes of Irene Sharaff, to the mealy-mouthed Christina played by Diana Scarwid. This deserves it's place on the shelf next to "Valley of the Dolls" and "Trog".

(Single-sided, dual-layer disc)

Big Fun.......2007-06-11

What else is there to say about this movie? I bought this version for the John Waters commentary. I'm glad I did, however Waters' commentary is not as funny as I'd have guessed; it is informative and well-reasoned though. That's good, but those aren't qualities I would have necessarily expected from John Waters.

Lost opportunity.......2007-05-31

Christina Crawford's much discussed (and often challenged) biography of her famous mother was a story that might have made a magnificent, terrifically affecting film version. Sadly, this sumptuous production is a misfire, despite a valiant effort by Faye Dunaway in a performance that has moments of brilliance, and more moments of camp. Fans of the grotesque have lionized the movie and exaggerated its value over the years, but if that kind of thing is your bag, go see Lipsyncha live onstage and get the real deal. There's practically no sympathy for the little girl in this version of the story: for some reason, she comes off as a whining, demanding, and precocious adversary instead of the victim she probably was. Diana Scarwid, a fine actress, practically sleepwalks through her scenes as the teenaged Christina, and the movie has no momentum or drive. The photography is wonderful and the opening credit sequence promises a delirious and evocative journey through old Hollywood. But after an intriguing start, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fizzles. To those who worship this for its unintentional comedy, what can I say? You deserve better. Rent "Trog" instead.

Average customer rating:

You'll like it the day AFTER you see it.
Most powerful film in Larry Clarks Career! A+++++
~Bully~
When you give up and murder your tormentor, how should you be punished?
Frightening and Real

Bully
Starring: Ed Amatrudo , Judy Clayton , Irene B. Colletti , Elizabeth Dimon , and Leo Fitzpatrick
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B00005U14H
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Description

Acclaimed director Larry Clark delivers his most powerful film since KIDS. Marty (Brad Renfro) is a tormented surfer who relies on his longtime pal Bobby (Nick Stahl) for rides to the beach and South Florida bars despite vicious abuse. But when Bobby turns his unwanted attention to Marty's new girlfriend Lisa (Rachel Miner) and her best friend Ally (Bijou Phillips), Lisa decides Bobby's reign of terror must end. Assembling a crew of alienated suburban teens, she forms a deadly plan to get Bobby out of the way once and for all, turning friends into enemies and casual acquaintances into co-defendants in a murder that rocked America to its core.

Customer Reviews:

You'll like it the day AFTER you see it........2007-08-29

That's what happened to me.

Long story short, I haven't seen a movie that built suspense and tension like this one did in a VERY long time.

In action movies, usually 20 people die and it means squat, in this one, it's exactly the opposite.

Is it just me or did Michael Pitt look like he was definitely actually on acid?

Most powerful film in Larry Clarks Career! A+++++.......2007-07-06

this is larry clarks brilliant and scary film about a brutal tormentor and the brutal revenge that was taken on him. the performances of renfro, stahal, phillips, miners, and michael pitt give brilliant and poweful performances....michael pitts steals the show. he was so funny in that movie. larry clark needs to do another crime movie like this there are plenty of true crime novels out there i think that larry clark would do a brilliant job on a child called it. that is a movie that i would love to see. larry clarks best films:kids, another day in paradise, ken park and this film! check it out it is worth your movie it has crime, sex, violences, brilliant direction and writing and the young cast acting and doing the things in this film were amazing.

~Bully~.......2007-05-10

The first time i saw this was on HBO. I knew i had to show it some friends of mine. Its a true story about what some kids do to a Bully. This Dvd is very good.

When you give up and murder your tormentor, how should you be punished?.......2007-04-24

Bully is based on a true high school crime which took place in Cooper City, Florida. Boyhood friends Marty Puccio (Brad Renfro) and Bobby Kent (Nick Stahl) traveled in the same circles of casual drug use and loose women with a group of friends who rarely attended high school classes. Bobby bullied Marty their entire lives, raped both Marty and their girl friends, and pulled aggressive stunts such as capturing a local drifter and forcing him to perform homosexual acts on camera. Director Larry Clark presents a gripping portrait of bullying and submission, and of how hard it is to stand up to the bully when he's been in power for a good sixteen or more years.

With the high school sexual acts and drug use, this film will inevitably be compared to Clark's earlier work, Kids. Bully, however, is based on a true crime with copious court records, confessions, witness statements, and a non-fiction book about the subjects. Any reviewer who attacks the plausibility of the film needs to look no further than Martin Puccio, vs. State of Florida, Appellee. No. 86,242; November 20, 1997. Clark takes the facts of the case and presents a movie which illustrates the fear and loathing of someone who submits to a bully, and makes the viewer understand how hard it is to stand up and change the status quo.

Bully is told from the point of view of the teens involved in the group murder of Marty's tormentor. The question of ultimate responsibility for the crime is answered only in the court sentences, not by the filmmaker. This is a great discussion piece--does bullying invite crimes of self-defense? Was Lisa Connelly the ringleader or did Marty grow a backbone? Was Marty manipulated by yet another bully, Lisa, when he went along with her plan? Did an atmosphere of money, drugs, and plenty of free time create the perfect storm for a mob-mentality murder? How much do absent parents play into a tragedy of this proportion?

Larry Clark has no simple Hollywood answer to any of these questions. Therein lies the beauty of this film.

Frightening and Real.......2007-04-23

"Bully"

Frightening and Real

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

While not a horror film, "Bully" is one of the scariest movies I have seen and the reason that it evokes such fear is that it is a true story. Larry Clark directed this movie that is about teenagers that have absolutely nothing going for them. They have sex all of the time, they drink to excess, they smoke pot and drop acid and their lives are reckless and meaningless.
I am sure that many who see this movie are outraged and that seems to me to be warranted. To see kids behave like this is certainly not the norm. Marty (Brad Renfro) is the central character and he is involved in a sado-masochistic relationship with his "best friend", Bobby (Nick Stahl). Then there is Lisa (Rachel Miner), Marty's pregnant girlfriend. Marty is an average surfer bum and high school drop-out and Bobby constantly picks on him and rides him all the time. Lisa soon tires of Bobby's abuse to Marty and she tells Marty that he should kill Bobby. They go and see a hit man (Leo Fitzpatrick) and ask him to help put an end to Bobby and from that point on the kids start out upon a new path--one of lies, deceit, boasts, and guilt-ridden feelings about the deed they are about to perform. In the end, the teenagers get their just rewards but the cinematic buildup is highly intense.
The movie is accurate and true to life. Based on an incident that took place in Florida in 1993, it is an authentic retelling of what went on. The cast is sheer perfection. When the kids agree that Bobby has to die, the movie reaches its heights. Bobby was a bully and a rapist and an all around loathsome character. He seems to be somewhat of a closet homosexual as reflected by his obsession with gay porn. He drags Marty to a gay bar and forces him to dance onstage. His violent way of dealing with his own gayness is probably how he chose to deal with his repressed desires. He is a psychotic sociopath who has extended the limits of being tough. But his homosexuality is not the reason he is to be killed. There is no clear reason to why he must die. The actions against him are not motivated by revenge but by jealousy. He is due to go to college and to take over his father's business.
The movie utilizes a great deal of potent imagery as the film explores the youth of today during dark and troubling times. It hurts to watch kids behaving the way they do here and we hope they get what they deserve.
The movie will weigh on your mind mainly because it really happened. It is bleak and dark and extremely depressing. It is meant to shock and shock it does.

Average customer rating:

Ford is so versitile!
I lived this...sorta....
Harrison and Annette...
EXCELLENT LITTLE KNOWN FILM ONE OF FORDS BEST!
Very good message

Regarding Henry
Starring: Harrison Ford , Michael Haley , Annette Bening , Stanley Swerdlow , and Julie Follansbhee
Director: Mike Nichols
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

ASIN: B0000A2ZNP
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Amazon.com

Get shot in the head and become a better person. This 1991 Mike Nichols (Wolf) film stars Harrison Ford as a big-shot cold-hearted lawyer who gets a bullet in his brain during a holdup. The film de-emphasizes the traumas of recovery to focus on the title character's personality change after the fact. The canny Ford gets to work from his full, familiar palette of arrogance to boyishness, and even builds Henry from top to bottom after the wounded fellow awakens with no memory. But this is a slow and unremarkable film from Nichols, its sentimentality eclipsing all else, most of all profound insight. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Ford is so versitile!.......2007-09-04

I have loved this movie ever since I saw it when I was in College in the early nineties. I used to be embarrased to tell my friends that it was one of the best (dramatic) movies that I had ever seen, but it has remained that way for years. I always fall back on this movie. It never ceases to put a smile on my face and realize that we aren't stuck in the lives that we created for ourselves during our earlier days. It gives you hope for change and delight for what is to come for the future. Henry and his family have a TON of money and wealth that you could only imagine, but they give it all up; the partnership at the firm and the million dollar apartment in Manhattan for one of the most beatiful things you can imagine; LOVE and FAMILY.

I don't know how the other reviewers feel about this movie, but when Henry returns back to the apartment, towards the end of the movie and he returns to his wife, I always have to fight back the tears. (Because I am a tough guy, huh??) The movie is filled with many awesome moments...one of my favorites is when he is taught to read again with his daughter. A celebration ensues in the kitchen with Henry hugging everyone in sight, including the maid.

There are also a lot of painful moments that make you grateful for the people that will always stick by you during tough times; one of which was the moment when Henry and his wife are at a party and one of their (so-called) friends calls Henry an "idiot" while they were talking behind their back. I just wanted to jump through the screen and strangle them!!!

What a great movie! One of the best works from Harrison Ford during his long and illustrious career!

I lived this...sorta...........2007-07-11

In February 2007, my eldest daughter (age 35) was struck by a car that ran a red light. She sustained massive head trauma and brain damage. In working my way through this tragedy it just happened that ABC aired the piece by Bob Woodruff on the subject AND, somehow, I remembered this film.

When I originally saw the film I viewed it as a pleasant enough experience but pretty much passed it off. It came out during the period when Dustin Hoffman did Rainman and DeNiro did Awakenings. So it seemed like a "me to" film of that ilk. I didn't think it was as good as either of those films at the time, and still don't. But I think that would be more about the writing than the acting. All parties on the acting front put out good work here.

BUT coming back to this film after the brain injury of my daughter, I did view it through different eyes and it was, somehow, helpful to me at that time. The doctors said she would undergo a "personality shift" which we were all fearful of. This film helped take the sting out of that prediction by telling us that may not be all bad.

So I'll keep this film and remember both what I thought of it then and what I thought of it 16 years later. Recommended.

Harrison and Annette..........2007-06-16

...shine in this movie! If you don't love it, there is something wrong with you! Highly recommended!

EXCELLENT LITTLE KNOWN FILM ONE OF FORDS BEST!.......2007-04-08

This a really good film that has not received it's due. Ford plays a very successful work-aholic lawyer that gets dealt a pretty bad hand.....at least so it would seem at first. This is not to be missed!

Very good message.......2007-03-14

A realistic and heart warming story of a couple and their daughter who go through a difficult trial. Coming out knowing the true value of love and life as it should be.

Average customer rating:

A perfect candidate for "Remakes We'd Like To See"
Horrible!!!
Prince of Tides
I Laugh at the New Yorker's Review of this Film
Excellent Nolte

The Prince of Tides
Starring: Nancy Moore Atchison , George Carlin , Maggie Collier , Blythe Danner , and Tiffany Jean Davis
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B00005OLYF
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Amazon.com essential video

Barbra Streisand's best film as a director is helped enormously by one of Nick Nolte's finest performances. Nolte plays a football coach who is estranged from his wife (Blythe Danner) and who enters into an affair with the psychiatrist (Streisand) of his suicidal sister (Melinda Dillon). Streisand is acceptable in her star turn, but behind the camera she paces the story very well and provides lots of room for Nolte to inhabit his burdened but likable character. George Carlin is a bit token as a gay New Yorker, although Jason Gould (Streisand's son) is good as a struggling teen in desperate need of a father figure. The whole film is worth watching just to see a great moment near the end where Nolte stands on a street, a bit slump-shouldered and wearing a look of sad resolve. It's great acting at its most minimal. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

A perfect candidate for "Remakes We'd Like To See".......2007-08-18

The book was great, although the timelines were messy. I really enjoy Nick Nolte, that tough-guy creampuff, but he was too old, as was Blythe Danner. Barbra Streisand directed, & her first rule was "Any shot I'm in is MY shot, so make sure I dominate that scene". Melinda Dillon was OK, but Gwyneth Paltrow would have been far better. Of course, it's such a big, rich book that a mere commercial theatrical release could never do it justice, however, looking at this film dispassionately, Tom Wingo was the only character I cared about. By the way, why are George Carlin & Blythe Danner the only cast members listed in the Amazon header I've ever heard of? Nolte? Streisand? I'd think the stars should be listed. This happens frequently on Amazon

Horrible!!!.......2007-06-01

This is a savage ruination of a wonderful book. I don't know why Pat Conroy let Babs ruin his masterpiece...but ruin it she did.

Read the novel. Skip this mess.

Prince of Tides.......2007-05-07

I didn't notice this was the video. I have not received it yet but the book was absolutely the best I have ever read.

I Laugh at the New Yorker's Review of this Film .......2007-05-04

I had to laugh at the review the New Yorker gave to this film and to everyone and everything that seemed to be involved in the making of it. They came off like a spurned lover that was left for a much prettier woman, or someone who was stood up for the prom two years in a row. Talk about bitter. I think their review has more to do with the New Yorker's anger about Pat Conroy's statements made by his character, Tom Wingo, concerning New York and the New Yorker being less than desirable.

Tom Wingo makes them look a bit foolish and I believe that is why the New Yorker has given the writing of this movie such a bad review. They even go so far as to bash the music. The music in this film was lovely, it went beautifully with the amazing South Carolina cinematography. The New Yorker does try to say that the movie would have been fine if it weren't for the writer, Pat Conroy and his book. But, the book is far superior to the movie in so many ways. The movie is amazing, but as with many movies there is not enough time to include everything.

Pat Conroy sings a song of southern healing, of love and regret, like no other author I have ever read, and he does it all with humor. He is not a metropolitan man. He is a great southern writer, and that is what the New Yorker hates so much about Pat Conroy. But, Mr. Conroy is more than just a great southern writer, he is a great writer from the south, and that is what the New Yorker hates most about Pat Conroy.

Do not pass by this great film, The Prince of Tides, and do not, whatever you may do with your life before you die, do not pass by your life without first reading The Prince of Tides by Mr. Pat Conroy. It will make your life a better one if you allow it to, and not every book is capable of that.

Excellent Nolte.......2007-01-30

Not too bad for the most part, though the ending is pretty unconvincing. The cynical, distant Nick Nolte goes to NYC after his twin sister (played by Melinda Dillon) there tries to commit suicide. He begins seeing her psychiatrist (Barbra Streisand) and through flashbacks we learn about the demons of his family's past - all of which he's learned to suppress his whole life. Conveniently Nolte's wife (Blythe Danner) takes up with another man while Nolte is falling in love with Streisand; at the end he returns to his wife though he still loves Streisand. Nolte is excellent in his role, and as is often the case when he's on screen, his persona dominates every scene he's in; Streisand is fairly bland in comparison. The movie begins to show its weaknesses after Nolte and Streisand fall in love: where the movie should be exploring their love and "obligations" in a hard, meaningful way, it only goes soft and paisley romantic. Why Nolte goes back to his wife, why she even wants him back, is hardly touched on; instead we get the throwaway lines, "You love her more," says Streisand; "No," replies Nolte, "just longer." Not a whole lot of substance there.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!
confused!!!!!
DVD
A movie worth watching
Enchanting

Radio Flyer
Starring: Lorraine Bracco , John Heard , Adam Baldwin , Elijah Wood , and Joseph Mazzello
Director: David M. Evans , and Richard Donner
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

ASIN: B0002TSZI8
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Description

A moving story about two young brothers whose childhood world of monsters and secret potions is turned upside down when a very real monster—a volatile stepfather—enters their lives. Inspired by a local legend, they attempt to build a working airplane to make their escape. Told in flashback by Tom Hanks (2-time Academy Award® Winner 1995 Forrest Gump, 1994 Philadelphia). Starring: Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Lorraine Braco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi in TV's "The Sopranos," Oscar® Nominee, 1991 Goodfellas, 3-time Emmy® Award Nominee "The Sopranos"), Directed by Richard Donner (Goonies, Lethal Weapon, Conspiracy Theory).

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......2007-08-07

I just saw this movie yesterday and absolutely loved it! It was extremely moving and I'd recommend it to anyone. The ending is hard to understand but I suggest reading other reviews to figure out the meaning behind it. Elijah Wood is simply remarkable as is Joseph Mazzello! It definitely brings light to the ongoing suffering many children are enduring and how they cope with the abuse. Very moving.

confused!!!!!.......2007-07-19

I saw this movie when i was younger and i must admit I really thought Bobby flew away!! I never understod it because I always asked myself how does he survive on his own? and all these questions? Until recently I came to know that it is possible that Bobby actually died from the abuse? I don't understand how and when this happened? i tied reading more about it online but there is not much!!! Also I never understood why "The King" only beat Bobby and not Mike? why only one of the boys and why didn't they both try to run away? Also how could the mother be so naive about what was happening and I do agree with a previous review as to why did she take him back? Also someone should have been punished for that boy's abuse/death at the end of the movie!!!!!! Well inspite everything I did like the movie it is not your happy ending heartwormer but it is very real and very well-presented!!! The acting was very good and Tom Hanks does a good job at turning something very sad into something not so bad for the sake of his own kids!!!!!!

DVD.......2007-01-15

This item was a gift so I did not view the video but assume it was fine. The dvd became loose inside the box so I had a little concern of scratching but it did not appear scratched when it was opened. I think all went well.

A movie worth watching.......2006-04-22

A very good drama, Radio Flyer, brings to the screen the story of two young boys whose father abandons them at a young age leaving their mother alone in providing and caring for them.
Things take a turn for the worse when a "stepfather" enters the family...
I have to admit that I did not know what to expect from the film, but as it turns out it was a really good movie that keeps you glued to your seat in anticipation of what comes next!
It is a film about human relations, hope and second chances, but most importantly about trust, love, and inner strength.
Elijah Woods, Joseph Mazzello, Tom Hanks, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least. All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is something else)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few tears. The film does a great job of describing people's every day lives and the problems they face.
In short, Radio Flyer is a movie definitely worth watching, as it will surely provide for an evening's entertainment!

Enchanting.......2006-03-16

I liked absolutely everything about this movie. There is a certain magic to it. The plot is not so merry, rather sad, but things like that sadly do happen in reality.

The film is about one single mum's straggles after her husband leaves her, and she has to raise two sons alone. Then she meets a man she falls in love with, but sadly, she never knows how bad he treats her sons, especially the youngest one, who gets beaten from time to time. But the children keep it secret from mum because they want her to be happy. How beautiful is it? However, after a while they find a way of escape for the youngest brother to avoid leading this unbearable living.

This film contains powerful messages to the people. The strongest one is about how important it is to keep an eye on your children and never let them suffer, because they can never tell you until it is too late... And that you can actually loose them.

This film is a deeply touching one, you get to see one of the yearly works by Elijah Wood, which is stunning. Both children play very good, Elijah delivers very mature acting which turns the film into a masterpiece. Certainly worth wathcing and buying! And I was afraid to see some hard scenes, but there were non, so don't worry, you won't have to hide your face if you like me can't stand violent scenes.

Average customer rating:

Practically Perfect
A great beginning -- and end -- of a director's career
Essential French cinema: Truffaut's 'Les Quatre Cents Coups.'
Oh, I lie now and then, I suppose
The 400 Blows

The 400 Blows - Criterion Collection
Starring: Luc Andrieux , Patrick Auffay , Robert Beauvais , Jean-Claude Brialy , and Christian Brocard
Director: François Truffaut
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video