Dead Poets Society (Special Edition)

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Robin Williams stars as an English teacher who doesn't fit into the conservative prep school where he teaches, but whose charisma and love of poetry inspires several boys to revive a secret society with a bohemian bent. The script is well meaning but a little trite, though director Peter Weir (The Truman Show) adds layers of emotional depth in scenes of conflict between the kids and adults. (A subplot involving one father's terrible pressure on his son--played by Robert Sean Leonard--to drop his interest in theater reaches heartbreaking proportions.) Williams is given plenty of latitude to work in his brand of improvisational humor, though it is all well-woven into his character's style of instruction. --Tom Keogh

Description

In an age defined by crew cuts, sport coats, and cheerless conformity, he not only broke the mold ... he reinvented it. Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997) delivers an extraordinary performance in one of the most compelling motion pictures of all time. Williams stars as English professor John Keating, a passionate iconoclast who changes his students' lives forever when he challenges them to live life to the fullest and "Carpe Diem" -- seize the day! Keating's unconventional approach meets with irrepressible enthusiasm from his students, but the faculty at staid, exclusive Welton Academy prep school is, to put it mildly, not amused. Featuring a star-marking performance by Ethan Hawke and over three hours of never-before-seen bonus materials, this Special Edition of DEAD POETS SOCIETY will captivate and inspire you again and again.

Customer Reviews:

teacher to father.......2007-08-07

Interesting film. I saw this when I was young and I emphasised with the teacher who was bold, interesting full of life and passionate about what he believed was right. Now I am nearly 40 I find myself emphasising with the father who was basically playing the averages in the knowledge that this probably was best for his son. This is a brilliant film and one of my favourites of all time. I wonder what I will think when I am 70...In fact I know...Dreams make us alive and Robin reminded me of that.
Thanks.

One of my favorite movies of the 80's.......2007-07-25

This movie tends to grow on you. It is shameless on its manipulative stance on free thinking, poetry, and living poetically. I loved it.

Carpe Diem...Seize the day, gather ye rosebuds while you may.

YAWP!.......2007-07-06

There are a number of movies about a teacher who inspired his or her students. There are a number of stories about prep schools and students that learn to appreciate art and the classics as a way of helping them find themselves.

This movie is sort of the captain of them all. It is the leader. If there is a starting point, this is where it all began. If there is a measuring stick by which all other similar movies are judged, it would be this one. Robin Williams is simply amazing. While his actions are deemed controversial in the times in which he lived, watching the film today, many might think "what's the big deal?"

But it was a big deal. The character Williams portrays brings a boring class to life. He brings a bunch of bored prepschool boys out of their funk. He teaches them to love not only literature but life itself. A lesson that is echoed in many movies that will come after it....

I love this movie and rate it as a MUST SEE!

Absolutely Timeless.......2007-06-16

Some of the more cynical movie critics out there have been quick to slam 'Dead Poets Society', mistaking its beauty and idealism for over-sentimentality. In my view these critics simply need to open themselves up a little more.

The arrival of John Keating in a strict boys boarding school, blows open the lives and minds of all his young students. Perhaps this is where the film finds a place in the hearts of so many viewers. Many people will have spent their schooldays mired in tedium and waiting for someone to truly engage them. This is the gift that Mr. Keating bestows upon his students. The movie is a subtle, beautiful and moving examination of human relations.

The movie works heavily with the idiom that still waters run deep. Todd Anderson is new to the boarding school and extremely quiet. His shy nature is what guides him into the purview of Mr. Keating and allows him to become a sort of poetic protegé. The relationship between these two is one of the most touching parts of the movie and is sure to reach even the hardest of cynics out there.

To any potential viewer of this film, all I would say is open yourself up. This is a beautiful fim and will perhaps show what those schooldays could have been, given a little inspiration in the faculty.

Good for class.......2007-05-07

I used this in my class after reading several of the poems. Outstanding! Gave students a lot to think about.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie, I still say second-best :)
MODERN FILM NOIR AT ITS BEST
"Hello Kitty-Kat . . ."
Jack!
CHINATOWN: For those who love great screenplays!

Chinatown
Starring: Richard Bakalyan , Faye Dunaway , Jerry Fujikawa , Bruce Glover , and John Hillerman
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B000022TSH
Release Date: 1999-11-23

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Roman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse investigation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigsaw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic father, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorable cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of the greatest, most completely satisfying crime films of all time. --Anne Hurley

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie, I still say second-best :).......2007-08-22

I love film noir movies. Chinatown is set in Los Angeles in the 30s, and features a great cast including Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. It earned spot 20 on the AFI top list.

There's a great plot here, with twists and weaves. It all comes down to water - that resource that all of life depends on. People are willing to kill and sacrifice others in order to get their hands on it. The dialogue is snappy and offers many layers.

I realize completely why the movie is #20 on the list - but I have to admit that I always compare it in my mind to Casablanca, which is #2 on the list. So where some people say this has the best dialogue, acting, etc. of all time, I have to say Casablanca would come in first for me. Still, this movie isn't that far off.

MODERN FILM NOIR AT ITS BEST.......2007-07-31

Without a doubt director Roman Polanski's take on greed, crime and corruption in high and low places in 1930's Los Angeles is a modern landmark in the noir detective genre. Evoking all the attributes of the classic film noir detectives Jack Nicholson as J.J. Gettes is that old favorite- a tough guy who doesn't mind taking a beating for the good of the cause, is resourceful, loyal and resolute and also has a little spare time for the ladies (of course without strings, if possible). Fay Dunaway as the conniving, justly father-conflicted femme fatale carrying a big family secret is a good match up for Nicholson's tough guy detective. Unlike some plot lines this one, written by Robert Townes, keeps a tight leash on the line and does not get tricky with subplots and twists. That makes it all the stronger for this one may be all about the water problems in up and coming Los Angeles but is also about overweening greed and ambition tied to that development. Sound familar?

"Hello Kitty-Kat . . .".......2007-07-16

If you're a fan of this movie, you'll know exactly what scene that is from . .And if you've never watched it before, do so . .A classic flick.

Jack!.......2007-07-15

This movie really does get better as the years go by. Jack is an all-time great. I think any movie buff needs to make sure it is in the library.

CHINATOWN: For those who love great screenplays!.......2007-07-14

If you are a person who loves great screenplays, then CHINATOWN will have you wrapped up in it's perfect little web of intrigue. The who, what,where,when and why are all there.Though I am a tremendous fan of Roman Polanski films, I must say that neither Faye Dunaway or Jack Nicholson are favorites of mine in the least; but I could not ever see this picture done another way with other people.I am not a fan of "film noir" either.But if you are a movie fan who values characters and plot done well, then CHINATOWN IS the perfect screenplay brought to the screen with the perfect actors and perfect direction AND IT IS A WHOPPING SUCCESS!!! After knowing what happened in California a few years back concerning the electrical blackouts, this film was all the more compelling for a 2007 viewing.The ending is pure genius and pure reality!

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Gatsby Review
Gorgeous movie
Mia Farrow sucks
THE GREAT GATUBY
Sam R-M's thoughts on the Gatsby film

The Great Gatsby
Starring: Robert Redford , Mia Farrow , Bruce Dern , Karen Black , and Scott Wilson
Director: Jack Clayton
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000AUHQT
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Amazon.com

This adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, puts costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. It's certainly a handsome try, and perhaps no movie could capture The Great Gatsby in its entirety. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. No, the problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the Jazz Age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Gatsby Review.......2007-08-24

It is unfortunate that the original is not on DVD yet but this is one of the more colorful versions.

Gorgeous movie.......2007-06-28

This movie was lovingly made, and it shows in every gorgeous scene. There are some slow moments, but it's a fine adaptation of one of the greatest novels of all time. Redford was made to play Jay Gatsby, the hopeless romantic, and Mia Farrow is picture-perfect as the fickle Daisy Fay Buchanan.

Mia Farrow sucks.......2007-06-27

While this version of the movie is truer to the novel than the PBS version, some of the Redford/Farrow scenes are hard to watch. My students like the newer version better because the acting is more credible and Mira Sorvino is a "hot" Daisy, but this is closer to the book. We need a third version of this movie with me as director.

THE GREAT GATUBY.......2007-06-12

It reached by even three though only one was ordered.
The order for the cancellation was disregarded.
It resents it very much.
It wants it according to returned goods.

Sam R-M's thoughts on the Gatsby film.......2007-05-29

This interpretation of The Great Gatsby portrayed my view of the setting and of Nick very well. The contrast between Gatsby's house and the Valley of the Ashes enlightened my picture of these places when I read about them. As for the characters, I thought Nick Carraway was performed brilliantly. He was the perfect contrast to self-absorbed high class society and portrayed Nick's sense of quiet akwardness. Tom Buchanan should have been a larger and more intimidating character. It said in the book that his muscles could be seen moving through his clothes and that when he walked into a room he filled the doorway, yet in this movie he appears to be too normally built for a football player. Daisy's character annoyed me, though this may have been done on purpose, and her scenes with Gatsby at his house when they are portrayed "in love" were so cheesy that I could not help but laugh. Overall, however, the movie is a great choice for anyone who is seeking a visual portrayal of The Great Gatsby because it follows the book fairly accurately, though I was not pleased with the absense of Owl Eyes in the film. Samuel Rodgers-Melnick Period 8

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a strong musical remake of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY.....
Not as good as I thought it would be.
fine musical adaptation of The Philadelphia Story
High Society
High Society DVD - Great Video

High Society
Starring: Bing Crosby , Grace Kelly , Frank Sinatra , Celeste Holm , and John Lund
Director: Charles Walters , and Tex Avery
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00008AOWO
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Description

This witty, musical version of The Philadelphia Story stars Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and the jazz master himself, Louis Armstrong, playing the hottest trumpet in the land. Year: 1956 Director: Charles Waters Starring: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong

Customer Reviews:

a strong musical remake of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY............2007-08-30

I absolutely adored THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, with Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart, and didn't even know that there was a remake until I saw HIGH SOCIETY and learned what inspired it. Though, this film's plot is based on themes and conflicts depicted in the original, this version has a beautiful score by Cole Porter with songs like "True Love," and a great cast starring Grace Kelly in the role of Tracy Lord (originally played by Katharine Hepburn) and Bing Crosby in the role of C.K. Dexter-Haven (originallly played by Cary Grant). Lord is engaged to be married and her ex-husband, Dexter-Haven still has some unfinished business with her. What's more, a wily journalist (Frank Sinatra in the Jimmy Stewart role) and his assistant (Celeste Holm) are determined to get a story on Lord, a high profile socialite. The pending marriage results in uproar for all parties involved, with beautiful music interspersed between scenes.

The strong point of this film really is in its music. It adds so much to the plot, and, though, HIGH SOCIETY isn't quite as entertaining (in my opinion) as THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, it is definitely a lot of fun to watch. Grace Kelly looks beautiful, Frank Sinatra takes on Cole Porter's score with gusto and Bing Crosby is charming.

Not as good as I thought it would be........2007-08-09

High Society does not even compare to the superb direction of The Philadelphia Story. Although I am a huge fan of both Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, the acting in this film was lacking. No disrespect to Grace Kelly, but she doesn't hold a flame to Katharine Hepburn. Kelly's portrayal of Tracy Lord was horrific at best. Not only was the acting inferior, but also the musical numbers were shockingly dull, the best parts were the rhythmic stylings of Louis Armstrong. I recommend that if you watch this film try not to compare it with The Philadelphia Story, because it will only disappoint you.

fine musical adaptation of The Philadelphia Story.......2007-07-28

High Society is a splendid reinvention of The Philadelphia Story--as a musical. The numbers wow you with their star studded quality: we get Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly all singing beautifully against stunning backdrops. The movie has a quick pace that keeps your interest; and the lines are thought out well. The convincing acting enhances the film even more.

As the action begins, Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly) is just about to marry for a second time to George Kittredge (John Lund). Her first husband, Dexter Haven (Bing Crosby) who never truly stopped loving Tracy, lives rather conveniently next door--and he is determined to stop the marriage so that he himself can remarry Tracy and finally find true happiness with her. Dexter even hires Louis Armstrong (playing himself) and a jazz band to help him woo Tracy back!

Naturally, things become even more complicated when a tabloid blackmails Tracy's family into covering Tracy's wedding to George. Two tabloid reporters show up; and Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm do a marvelous job of being a reporter and a photographer.

Initially, Tracy behaves in a manner that would make Katherine Hepburn proud: Tracy is strong and demanding of people; and she has nerves of steel. Gradually, however, as Tracy gets reacquainted with Dexter and comes to know the photographer (Frank Sinatra) and her fiancé George, Tracy may have to face some choices she didn't plan on having to make.

The convincing acting carries the film well; but the film runs at its best when the musical numbers deliver! Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby do an excellent dialogue/duet of "Well, Did You Evah," and Bing sings "True Love" without a superfluous note. The movie also boasts a great number by Louis and his band as they perform "High Society Calypso" on their way to Dexter's home at the very beginning of the movie. These Cole Porter numbers glisten like gold! Great!

The color is exceptionally clear and crisp; and the choreography shines in crowded scenes like the dance scene at the party the night before Tracy and George are to be married.

The DVD boasts a few extras; some are better than others. There's a cartoon entitled "Millionaire Droopy" that I could do without; but the black and white newsreel footage of the premiere of High Society at The Pantages Theater thrills me even if it's only a bit more than a minute long. You also get radio ads (audio only, obviously) and Celeste Holm hosts a 15 or 20 minute retrospective of Cole Porter's influence on the movie High Society and how the movie was made.

High Society remains an excellent musical that never lets you down throughout its 111 minutes. The plots moves along at a brisk pace and you are kept guessing who Tracy will choose to marry almost until the end of the movie. The musical numbers couldn't be better, either.

I highly recommend this film for fans of classic musicals from MGM's dream factory; and people who enjoy romantic stories with a bit of comedy on the side will cherish this one for years to come!

High Society.......2007-04-03

I loved this film. The acting was better than many of the musicals I have, and it has some of the greatest singers of all time. The weakest acting was by Grace Kelly. I have several of her films and felt she was utilized for her extreme beauty and grace more than her acting ability. I think she made a better princess. However, musically you don't get better than Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra, and the great Satchmo, Louis Armstrong...Wow! The story was based on a previous 1930's movie, "The Philadelphia Story" only it was moved geographically to Newport, RI. I feel this was a good choice, but then I lived in the Newport area for 20 years and there was a little nostalgia in it for me. I have seen this movie many times over, and I will see it over again. It's one you won't tire of. If they could have worked in some Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire dances, it could have been even better.

High Society DVD - Great Video .......2007-03-17

This is one of my wife's favorite movies and our VHS tape had faded. This DVD replaced it with clearer video, excellent sound, non-fade media and many extras. A very good value.

Average customer rating:

See a beautiful film document as art
Excellent Movie
The Big Lie
Triumph of the Will
Spooky

Triumph of the Will
Starring: Adolf Hitler , Sepp Dietrich , Josef Goebbels , Konstantin Hierl , and Hermann Göring
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Manufacturer: Synapse Video
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ASIN: B000E41MRC
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Amazon.com

Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!).

Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour

Amazon.com

Triumph of the Will is one of the most important films ever made. Not because it documents evil--more watchable examples are being made today. And not as a historical example of blind propaganda--those (much shorter) movies are merely laughable now. No, Riefenstahl's masterpiece--and it is a masterpiece, politics aside--combines the strengths of documentary and propaganda into a single, overwhelmingly powerful visual force. Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!). Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour

Customer Reviews:

See a beautiful film document as art.......2007-08-25

Other reviews and endless, boring commentaries will tell you the history you probably already know about this film, so I will get on to the heart of the matter. In this beautifully conceived and executed piece of filmaking you will experience a phenomenon unknown to our own time: A people united, uplifted and bound together in a common enthusiasm for their future. Hope, joy and beauty expressed and then captured on film. It is sentimental; it remembers the dead of the great world war . . and it exhalts at the resurrection. The sometimes moving, sometimes stirring musical score is artfully set to a variety of expressive visuals, from spontaneous crowds of the every-man to choreography and movement of the camera, all created and assembled to give you a unique experience to linger with. The speeches by various dignitaries and officials may be sat through with curiosity, perhaps even patience, as we today will have to focus a little harder to understand them and what each is talking about. Forget the hopeless, corny nonesense which insists this film is propaganda. Simply enjoy, for a moment, what WE have not had since that time, in the post-war world of the west. We search for and are anxious to find for ourselves a union of happy, enthusiastic people. What you will see in this film is increasingly elusive for us today. You will enjoy the experience this film brings to you, whoever you are, wherever you are from; this was it's intention, and it will forever succeed.

Excellent Movie.......2007-06-27

I am a huge WWII and civil war fan and this movie was an excellent portrayal of Hitler rising to power in Nuremberg. The movie is in German, but with English subtitles, but is still a very powerful work of history/propaganda.

The Big Lie.......2007-06-21

Hitler's propaganda minister infamously said, "If you tell the Big Lie often enough, people will believe it."

TRIUMPH OF THE WILL is a terrifying look at the zenith of Nazi propaganda. In the future, propaganda would be well-used cinematically by the Soviets (and Michael Moore) but never as well as "Triumph of the Will". The opening vista in the clouds, soaring above the earth, gives Hitler an almost divine persona. The landing is accompanied by throngs of ordinary people who call out his name as though he was a long-lost relative. The motorcade past the old somber buildings reflects Germany's past , while the parade presents Germany's future. To see these rapt children, teens and older adults in the light of history is to see those whom Hitler would most cruelly betray. Seldom has such evil been presented as messianic. This is the power of mass media perverted and abused.

Students of history and of mass communication would do well to view why a free press is critical to a democratic republic like ours.

Triumph of the Will.......2007-06-21

Accomplished through the offices of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (though he detested the idea of a woman filmmaker), Riefenstahl's magnificent, mesmerizing masterpiece offers a powerfully instructive look at the delirium of crowds, the fever pitch of 20th-century nationalist politics, and the megalomania of Adolf Hitler--none of which, of course, was its reason for being. However, on the level of technical brilliance alone, "Will" is a visual monument every bit as great--and ethically compromised--as D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation." An undeniably accomplished work of art, "Will" is one of the more intriguing documentaries you'll ever see.

Spooky.......2007-06-16

WOW!!! The power of film. Very Scary!!!! It reminds you to be critical of the "information" the media provides.

Bob Dylan - Don't Look Back (1965 Tour Deluxe Edition)

Average customer rating:

There's A Battle Outside, And It Is Ragin', Baby Blue
Archival Treasure
It all stays good
Don't look Back
Finally the complete songs

Bob Dylan - Don't Look Back (1965 Tour Deluxe Edition)
Starring: Bob Dylan , Albert Grossman , Bob Neuwirth , Joan Baez , and Alan Price
Director: D.A. Pennebaker
Manufacturer: New Video Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KJU1HI
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Amazon.com essential video

Both a classic documentary and a vital pop-cultural artifact, D.A. Pennebaker's portrait of Bob Dylan captures the seminal singer-songwriter on the cusp of his transformation from folk prophet to rock trendsetter. Shot during Dylan's 1965 British concert tour, Don't Look Back employs an edgy vérité style that was, and is, a snug fit with the artist's own consciously rough-hewn persona. Its handheld black-and-white images and often-gritty London backdrops suggest cinematic extensions of the archetypal monochrome portraits that graced Dylan's career-making early-'60s album jackets.

Pennebaker's access to the legendarily private troubadour enables us to witness Dylan's shifting moods as he performs, relaxes with his entourage (including then lover Joan Baez, road manager Bob Neuwirth, and poker-faced manager Albert Grossman), and jousts with other musicians (notably Animals alumnus Alan Price and Scottish folksinger Donovan), fans, and press. It's a measurement of the filmmaker's acuity that the conversations are often as gripping as Dylan's solo performances. Grossman's machinations with British promoters, Baez's hip serenity, a grizzled British journalist's surrender to the fact of Dylan's artistry, and the artist's own taunting dismissal of a clueless sycophant are all absorbing.

With the exception of the studio recording of "Subterranean Homesick Blues," the live performances (including five newly restored, complete audio tracks excised from the original film but included on the DVD version) are constrained by crude audio gear. Their urgency, however, is timeless, as is Pennebaker's film, a legitimate cornerstone for any serious rock video collection. --Sam Sutherland

Description

BOB DYLAN: DONT LOOK BACK--65 TOUR DELUXE EDITION is the ultimate look at Bob Dylan's concert tour of England in the spring of 1965--one of the most intimate profiles of an artist ever put to film. This definitive set includes the remastered classic film by D.A. Pennebaker, a brand-new, hour-long look at Dylan, and the original 168-page companion book to the film. More than just a concert film, DONT LOOK BACK is a window into the spirit of the 60s, and one of the poet-musicians whose words and songs defined it.

Customer Reviews:

There's A Battle Outside, And It Is Ragin', Baby Blue.......2007-08-17

"Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'"
Bob Dylan

In 1965, Bob Dylan changed the face of music. He was on the tail end of his Acoustic tour with Joan Baez and was invited to tour England. He invited Joan Baez to continue the tour with him. There was some sort of problem and even though she accompanied him, she did not participate in the concerts.Before Bob Dylan no one had put words to music about the social issues of the day and sing them in public. Bob Dylan's protest songs had an international impact. Along with Joan, Alan Price, formerly of 'The Animals' accompanied Bob. That tour was the end of Alan's time with that group. He was a brilliant musician and went out on his own.

The photographer had unprecedented access to Bob and the rest of the troupe. Nothing was held back, and Bob assisted the filming by making himself available for whatever was needed. 'Don't Look Back' could very well be the best music documentary ever recorded.The music was above all the music of the time. Joan Baez, with her voice at the peak of its glory, sings 'Turn, Turn Turn'. There were very few moments of peace and quiet because of the attention that Bob Dylan attracted. We do see one moment where Joan is singing, Marianne Faithful was present, listening and Bob Dylan was writing. Albert Grossman was the manager and he always put his artists first. He is there and he hung out with Bob Dylan and protected him.

The documentary was filmed by D.A. Pennebaker, and shows us one of Bob's first public appearances. He was singing at a voter registration rally in Greenwood, Mississippi. This young white man singing in the midst of black men, and they were singing along with him.Bob's mentor was Hank Williams, and he sang his tunes whenever he had a chance to relax. We see him at one of these times and hear him in harmony with Hank. Pennebaker had taken his film to anyone who might show some interest. At the first screening, Bob Dylan came with a large pad of paper ready to jot down changes that needed to be made. At the end of the screening, the pad of paper was empty. Bob Dylan jumped up and said "It is perfect and it does not need any changes".

There is a great deal of trivia available on this film and heard! Tom Wilson was the record producer, and he also produced the first Simon and Garfunkel record. We are privy to this information, and see these people up close and personal.What is noticeable in this film is that everyone smoked, all the time.Bob Dylan always has a cigarette in hand as does most every one else. I did not see Joan Baez smoke, and she may be one of the few. We see Bob looking in a guitar shop window, and how amazed Bob was. He was pretty much owned by 'Fender' guitars at the time, and he was amazed at the variety out in the real world. Bob was seen writing music while playing the piano, and this may be the first time that kind of scene was filmed. Pennebacker had no idea at the time what he had wrought!

One scene that is memorable was titled 'The Science Student', a man who was interviewing Bob. He later ran a music company, but he comes off as a dupe. Bob Dylan was just killing time before he went on stage. Nothing was staged, and Bob got the best of this Science Student. This guy wrote music criticism and came in looking for a serious interview. What he got was an artist blowing off steam before his concert, pre-concert jitters.

Pennebaker gives us his version of filming. He always sees a center point of each scene. He thinks of all of the people who have never heard this music before, and just waiting for their time. Dylan was restive during this tour. He wanted to go some place other than where he was, he was almost always that way. The old buildings in the UK were an acoustic challenge. The sonics of the performances drove the sound man crazy. Donovan made his appearance at Bob's hotel, and Bob had a copy of his record. Bob would play this at times, and he particularly loved the chorus.

The scene called 'The Drinking Glass' shows Bob wanting to know who had thrown a glass out the window of the Savoy Hotel and hit the limo driver. It was a humorous scene. Most everyone was 'feeling good', and we never find out who was the culprit. Bob starts singing 'Baby Blue'. What a wonderful time this was, the beginning of an era, and the end of the acoustic era of Bob Dylan. A special time to hear and see Bob Dylan singing one of his songs in a living room in the UK in 1965.

There did not seem to be any posters announcing that Bob Dylan would be singing, people just knew. We see the concert at the Royal Albert Hall- a glorious hall that as we hear 'Queen Victoria had built for her dude!' And, then the famous 'Interview with the Time reporter'. Bob Dylan puts this guy on waiting for the concert to start. In reality the reporter writes a very nice story. Bob talks to the reporter about the state of the world, but it comes across as if he were 'riffing' the reporter. Dylan was sympathetic to the writer, and he was trying to tell him something. The writer understood what Dylan was trying to do, but we don't understand that at the time. An inside to the film as told by the film maker Pennebaker who was there up close and personal.

A breakthrough documentary and the interviews with Bob are an illumination of the press who were supposedly conscious of what was going on with Bob's music, but in reality were more in the dark than anyone.
A tour through the beginning of the Bob Dylan career. Anyone who was anyone was at the Royal Albert Concert, the Beatles, the Who of the music world. Facing the Bull, the tension of facing the World, we see all of this, cause 'the times they are changin'. One man with a harmonica mesmerized the entire world with his charisma- Bob Dylan.

Wonderfully, Highly, Mesmerizingly Recommended. prisrob 08-17-08

Bob Dylan - No Direction Home

Bob Dylan - Don't Look Back (1965 Tour Deluxe Edition)

Archival Treasure.......2007-07-15

Bob Dylan often was in a shroud of mystery. That's why J. Robert Van Dyke's documentary, `Don't Look Back' is so valuable. Caught in the throes of his tour in England, the 1967 copyright only gives the release date of this fun and illuminating look at the great singer/songwriter/musician. Taking from his newly released album, `Bringing It All Back Home,' the footage undoubtedly came from 1965 when he controversially went electric and invented the folk-rock hybrid. The feel of the black and white film sometimes seems shaky and impromptu, and scenes transition at times like a home movie. Yet, the editing is the real gig, capturing some essential moments in the life of Dylan and his entourage at a consequential time in his career.

The highlights are many. There are times for him to "meet the press". What is so revealing is how he turns the tables on one British reporter and a 'Time' correspondent later. When a British reporter asks Bob, "What is your attitude about life?" He's put off by the ubiquitous question; so when he asks the reporter the same question, the reporter says he can't answer the question in two minutes. Dylan responds, "How do you expect me to?" There are other great moments. Joan Baez can be the real ham sometimes, but when she sings in their room her voice resonates beautifully. Similarly, we get a brief, intimate performance by Donovan who visits Dylan. There are also some fine behind-the-scenes action. It becomes heated when the reporters come to interview Dylan, and one man tells his manager, Alan Grossman, to get out. Another scene shows him making interesting negotiations for a couple of Dylan's performing nights in London. Of course, the whole affair is worth the price of admission to be able to see and hear the "Bard of Hibbing" onstage doing numbers like "It's All Right Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" and "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll". The whole film starts with a bare-bones video of "Subterreanean Homesick Blues," with Dylan changing display cards with his lyrics before the Beatles put theirs on `Sgt. Pepper'.

Although not as polished as Scorsese's film, 'No Direction Home,' it is essential. The real comparison is not with Scorsese's work, but a comparison of this film with what it would be like to have gone without it. (I discovered this movie from `Rolling Stone,' as a list-topper from their "Best Films of Rock `N Roll".)

It all stays good.......2007-05-28

I first saw this film as part of the Vancouver Film Festival one summer evening in the late sixties. It engrossed me then and in its VHS form and in this new double cd release. What's great about this issue is the "out takes" have been reworked into a companion piece that accompanies the original release in this package. The commentaries supplied by D.A. Pennebaker and Bob Nieuwerth are fun and insightful. I loved it. and can't wait for someone to do a similar treatment to "Eat The Document", Dylan's tour with the Hawks a year and a bit later.

Don't look Back.......2007-05-24

I always wanted to have this film; and now it's even better. It was a movie that was only seen by a few; now it can be seen by everyone. Thanx for having it.

Finally the complete songs.......2007-05-21

I waited for so long for them to add the rest of the songs on
this great documentary. It is hard to imagine them making this
documentary any better than it was, but they did. Thank you.

Average customer rating:

Heart of the Game Review
Great for teams
Teamwork leads to success
Inspiration
Compelling true story

The Heart of the Game
Starring: Ludacris , Joyce Walker (III) , Devon Crosby Helms , Maude Lepley , and Bill Resler
Director: Ward Serrill
Manufacturer: Miramax
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ASIN: B000LXGXX4
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Amazon.com

The Heart of the Game is, simply put, one of the most enjoyable and joyous documentaries ever made. For several years, the movie follows a girls' basketball team called the Rough Riders from a Seattle high school as they strive to win the state championship, and in the process discovers heart-wrenching twists of fate, vivid and compelling characters, colorful dialogue, and a nail-biting conclusion. The Heart of the Game starts with Bill Resler, a professor of tax law who agrees to become the head coach for the girls' basketball program at Roosevelt High School. He swiftly challenges the players with demanding drills and wild metaphors (each year he picks a different theme for the team, from "pack of wolves" to "tropical storm")--and the girls take him on, pulling together into a potent team. But when a girl from a poor neighborhood named Darnellia Russell joins the Rough Riders, her skill takes their fortunes even higher--until she unexpectedly has to quit. From there, the movie takes more and more compelling turns, carried along by the winning personalities of Bill and Darnellia. The Heart of the Game, like Hoop Dreams, works first as an exhilarating sports movie, but has a rich human story that will make it fascinating to people who don't care about basketball. First-time filmmaker Ward Serrill lucked out with the material, but he clearly labored to shape what must have been thousands of hours of footage into a taut, headlong movie. His labor paid off. See this movie. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Go courtside for a true-life rush like no other in this passionate and inspirational documentary in the same powerful tradition as HOOP DREAMS. Director Ward Serrill brings the camera up close and personal to capture the Roosevelt Roughriders girls' basketball team during six turbulent seasons, taking us far beyond the court. You'll meet Bill Resler, the tax professor turned hard-driving unorthodox coach who turns the team around — and Darnellia Russell, the talented inner-city tough girl who battles off-court threats to regain eligibility. You'll meet a real team full of drive, toughness and the unbridled desire to make history.

Customer Reviews:

Heart of the Game Review.......2007-09-07

Heart of the Game is an engrossing story of girls' high school basketball and personal drama. We enjoyed it completely - and not just because it is the story of a local team.

Great for teams.......2007-09-05

This is a great movie for your team to watch and mines did. They thought it was done very good and had some very good points.

Teamwork leads to success.......2007-08-03

The Roosvelt High School girls basketball team overcame many adversities through a a united effort by the young women, the coach and parents and the school to demonstrate that underdogs can win.

Inspiration.......2007-07-30

This story is a great inspiration for any girls basketball team. It puts life and the game of basketball in perspective. It tells the true story about the ups and downs of the game we all love. It teaches athletes about the power of hard work, team work and belief.

Compelling true story.......2007-07-21

This is a documentary with a heart. It's about a Seattle high school girls' basketball team, the Roosevelt Roughriders, which is led by a creative and demanding coach named Bill Resler who motivates his team by urging them to "go for the kill" like a "pack of wolves". He sets the basketball standards high, but at the same time he had a lot of compassion and insight into what makes his players tick. When star player Darnellia Russell transfers to Roosevelt, she presents a challenge to Coach Resler. Although supremely gifted as a basketball player, Darnellia has a hard time adjusting to a school which has a high population of upper middle-class white students. Coach Resler teaches her how to be a team player, and encourages her to be tough enough to endure the hard times. This is an inspiring story which shows the importance of mentors for young people during a vulnerable and important time in their lives.

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Holiday
Breezy Comedy with Hepburn & Grant Making A Perfect Match!
One of the best of the 1930's
Classic
Fine Grant & Hepburn film

Holiday
Starring: Katharine Hepburn , Cary Grant , Doris Nolan , Lew Ayres , and Edward Everett Horton
Director: George Cukor
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B000ION7AI
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com essential video

Amazon.com

This absolutely charming, wholly engaging romantic comedy is the hidden gem of the four collaborations of Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Most everyone's seen The Philadelphia Story, but few know of this unorthodox, hilarious comedy of life among the rich and privileged, though both were Broadway hits by playwright Philip Barry. Grant plays the happy-go-lucky Johnny Case, a self-made man with a dream in his heart of making just enough money to retire on and then traveling around the world. Johnny proposes to the lovely Julia (Doris Nolan) in Lake Placid, but it isn't until he comes to pay her a visit in New York that he discovers she's the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Although his nonconformity ruffles the feathers of Julia's stuffy father, he's soon won over the whole family--most notably, Julia's rebellious sister Linda (Hepburn), who in becoming Johnny's greatest advocate finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. There's more going on here than a spiffy, surface romance, with Johnny's free-spirit determination going up against rock-hard establishment values, and director George Cukor plays up the social politics of the story just as well as the wonderful, exquisite romance. Hepburn and Grant, as always, are perfectly paired, and given able support by Lew Ayres as the black sheep of Hepburn's family, and Edward Everett Horton and Jean Dixon as Grant's longtime pals. Filmed previously in 1930; Hepburn understudied the role of Linda on Broadway and used a scene from the play in her first screen test. --Mark Englehart

Stills from Holiday (click for larger image)

Sony
Johnny Case (Cary Grant), a free-thinking financier, has finally found the girl of his dreams ' Julia Seton (Doris Nolan), the spoiled daughter of a socially prominent millionaire ' and she's agreed to marry him! But when Johnny plans a holiday for the two to enjoy life while they are still young, his fiancée has other plans - she wants Johnny to work in her father's bank! As he tries to decide whether to follow his head or his heart, Johnny can rely on at least one Seton in his corner. She's Linda Seton (Katherine Hepburn), the down-to-earth younger sister of his soon-to-be-wife, and she likes Johnny just the way he is.
Customer Reviews:

Holiday.......2007-06-20
As leading man, Grant was unequalled, the epitome of charm, and Cukor's "Holiday" finds him in peak form, starring opposite the redoubtable Hepburn in this giddily amusing romantic comedy. Based on Philip Barry's Broadway play, this was the third Grant-Hepburn pairing in as many years, and one of the sauciest, as the young would-be lovers buck the dictates of high society. With excellent supporting work by Lew Ayres as Hepburn's alcoholic brother, and Edward Everett Horton as Grant's bosom friend, "Holiday" is an antic riff on lives of privilege.
Breezy Comedy with Hepburn & Grant Making A Perfect Match!.......2007-06-13
Freethinking Johnny Case (Cary Grant) finds himself betrothed to a millionaire's daughter (Doris Nolan). When her family, with the exception of black-sheep Linda (played with great comedy flair by Katherine Hepburn!) and drunken Ned, (Lew Ayres) want Johnny to settle down to big business, he rebels, wishing instead to spend the early years of his life on "holiday." With the help of his friends Nick (Edward Everett Horton) and Susan Potter, (Jean Dixon) he makes up his mind as to which is the better course, and the better mate!

The dialogue in this 1938 classic makes "Holiday" one of the most enjoyable Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant movies ever! The same year the duo made "Bringing Up Baby" (available in an essential DVD 2-disc special edition!) under the direction of Howard Hawks. Then re-teamed two years later for the ultra-comedy classic, "The Philadelphia Story" (a must own in the 2-disc DVD special edition!) would once again prove what a dynamic comedy team Hepburn and Grant made! Director George Cukor directed both "Holiday" and "The Philadelphia Story" creating two of Hollywood's true comedy gems and (as always) did a fantastic job! "Holiday" may not have gotten the attention that "The Philadelphia Story" or Hawk's "Bringing Up Baby," received, however, it is thoroughly entertaining and showcases Hepburn and Grant beautifully!

Having these wonderful films on DVD and as part of my Classic Comedies DVD Library is fantastic! For sometime now "The Philadelphia Story" and "Bringing Up Baby," (both in a 2-disc Special Edition) have set together on their shelf awaiting "Holiday," and now the set is complete!

One of the best of the 1930's.......2007-06-07
This truly is one of the great classics of the 1930's, on a par with "Dinner at Eight," "The Awful Truth," and Howard Hawk's "Bringing Up Baby." Directed by the great George Cukor, fast-paced, and perfectly cast, with one of the most witty scripts from a great Philip Barry play, it all comes together in one of those cinema gems with few equals. George Cukor is one of my all-time favorite directors. From "Dinner at Eight" in 1933 to "My Fair Lady" in 1964, the genius of this man has created a body of classic films unequaled in my humble opinion. It is my goal to have all of his films on DVD in my film collection.
The marvelous chemistry between Hepburn and Grant would go on to delight generations of film buffs. It is films like these that can shape and influence our lives, in ways positive and uplifting.
Add this one to your collections gang.
Classic.......2007-05-12
What better entertainment than Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. See them in their early years and find out what made them stars. You also get to see an acrobatic scene that doesn't use stunt doubles or special effects!
Fine Grant & Hepburn film.......2007-04-12

Being George Cukor the director you can't go wrong. The poster doesn't tell the truth, though. There's no holiday in this movie. It's a very indoors comedy, and one feels it should have some scene outside, at least at the end when the happy couple is supposed to finally board a ship.

The story is very simple and everyone can figure what the end is going to be, though you'll want to know how it's going to come about. Grant and Hepburn are excellent; it's hard to tell who does better. The script writer is the same as in "Philadelphia Story", and does a fine work here too. Now, I wouldn't call this a comedy, although that's what it's supposed to be; if so, this is the saddest comedy I've seen. There's also an exaggeration in the theme about rich people being all empty and sad souls, given to drinking or drugs to fill their emptiness. The film takes it for granted that it's always like that, its point of view is a little manichaean. One would have liked some more specifics about the lives of the characters.

Anyhow, this is a very good film, but not as good as the really great comedies... say "Bringing Up Baby", "Philadelphia Story", or "Ball of Fire", no. Actually these last titles are way above "Holiday".

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Important movie

Warning: Live rabbit killed and skinned - very graphic scene

Hey Michael, Moving Back To Flint-town?

A Critique of Roger & Me and its Critics

Good first try, but lots of rookie mistakes

Roger & Me
Starring: James Bond (IV) , Pat Boone , Anita Bryant , Karen Edgely , and Bob Eubanks
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Bowling for Columbine

The Big One

Fahrenheit 9/11

An Inconvenient Truth

The Awful Truth - The Complete DVD Set (Seasons 1 & 2)

ASIN: B00009YXAS
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Amazon.com essential video
Roger and Me is a loose, smart-alecky documentary directed and narrated by Michael Moore, an everyman host with a devastating wit and a working-class pose. When his hometown is devastated by the plant closure of an American corporate giant (making record profits, one should note), the hell-raising political commentator with a prankster streak tries to turn his camera on General Motors Chairman Roger B. Smith, the elusive Roger of the title, and the film is loosely structured around Moore's odyssey to track down the corporate giant for an interview.
While Moore ambushes his corporate subjects like a blue-collar Geraldo Rivera, a guerrilla interviewer who treasures his comic rebuffs as much as his interviews, his portraits of the colorful characters he meets along the way can be patronizing. The famous come off as absurdly out of touch (Anita Bryant appears for some can-do cheerleading, and hometown celebrity Bob Eubanks tells some boorish jokes), and the disenfranchised poor (notably an unemployed woman who sells rabbit meat to make ends meet) all too often appear as buffoons or hicks. But behind his loose play with the facts and snarky attitude is a devastating look at the victims of downsizing in the midst of the 1980s economic boom. This portrait of Reagan's America and the tarnish on the American dream comes down to a simple question: what is corporate America's responsibility to the country's citizens? That's a question no one at GM wants to answer. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews:

Important movie.......2007-08-05
Moore's been telling it how it is for quite awhile now. Interesting look at some of the processes that have got us to our current level of "progress." The US, and its mega corporations, need to start taking a longer-term view of things, so that the rest of the world stops overtaking us at our own game....
Warning: Live rabbit killed and skinned - very graphic scene.......2007-07-24
I was very much enjoying watching Roger and Me until a live rabbit was killed and skinned in the movie! The scene seemed to go on forever.

What a shame that an otherwise great documentary was ruined by this unnecessary and offensive scene. The point could have been made without the graphic footage.
Hey Michael, Moving Back To Flint-town?.......2007-05-16
I live in Flint, MI currently but have only been here for 2 years. I am originally from CA and have lived in Hollywood, NYC and London, and relatively cultured and do not have a mullet, missing teeth nor do I kill rabbits in my yard. Whenever I tell people I live here they immediately quip, "Why FLINT? Have you seen Roger and Me?" I finally had to break down and watch it because I was so incredibly curious. This movie aggravates me the same way all of the people in the bars do with all of their complaining and blaming GM for their misery.

They should be blaming the unions because had they not pushed to pay people turning screws on the assembly line higher than the chemists at GM, GM might not have been forced to move to Mexico to stay afloat. Oh, and Michael Moore is full of it. One scene he claims to be in Flint is actually shot in Detroit so don't let him fool you. This movie is full of holes.

If he wanted to help this city so much he would not have portrayed it in such a negative light as he did. Not everyone here is dirt poor and not everyone lives in a shanty on the East side either. If Flint was suffering Flint Bishop airport would not have just expanded, the mall would not be growing, new shops would not be opening all the time.

The hotel opening shown in the movie is sad to me, because thanks to this movie no one would visit Flint and it closed down. Now it is used as a place people rent for weddings etc. and the whole downtown is an empty ghost town.

Ask Michael Moore why he has to travel with so many bodyguards and acts like a diva. Why he moved away from Flint to escape to his newfound wealth in New York or Western Michigan NOT stay and keep his money in Flint. GM gave people jobs, the unions forced GM to move by making ridiculous demands, and Michael Moore put a nail in Flint's coffin with this garbage. If he was so concerned about saving it, why then did he not put money back into it, and years later why has he not done a thing to help it instead of moving away just like good old Roger did?

Thanks to this movie, people might only ever remember Flint for what he painted it to be all those years ago so he could push his own career, and not the important place it once was or it could be if he hadn't stabbed it in the back for profit.

Actor Will Ferrell was just here over a week ago filming for his next movie at a small local bar downtown called The Torch so it should be interesting to see how that turns out.

A Critique of Roger & Me and its Critics.......2007-04-04
Although humorous and entertaining, one can understand why critics such as Pauline Kael and Harlan Jacobson have a problem with Michael Moore's approach to documentary filmmaking. Indeed, from the audience's perspective, almost everyone Moore interacts with in Roger & Me looks callous, short-sighted, or inane through his lens; albeit for good reason. In addition, once viewers become conscious of Moore's domineering edit techniques and chronological laxity, they may write off the valid arguments he does make. But if Moore strictly adhered to documentary ethics, would Roger & Me still have been the most successful documentary of its time? While there is no clean cut rebuttal to Moore's critics, each argument must be examined case by case, gauging their contextual validity.

Perhaps the most piercing evidence of Moore's manipulation is his decision to omit the dialogue between him and Roger Smith during the 1987 GM shareholders meeting. This point, in particular, is so pivotal because the film is driven by Moore's quest to speak with Roger Smith. Moore could have easily not attended the meeting and therefore not even mention it. This quandary alone realizes Moore's ability to direct the story as he pleases. As the scene unfolds in the film, Roger Smith appears to be ignoring Moore's presence despite Moore's plea for questions. Here, Moore shows conscious manipulation of an event; an indisputable example that he crossed the line. Problematic scenes on this order of magnitude can completely shatter the viewer's trust in Moore as a documentary filmmaker and what we see on screen. Jacobsen explains, "[Roger & Me] has the form of documentary...we expect that what we are seeing there happened, in the way in which it happened, in the way in which we are told it happened."

On the other hand, one problem Moore's critics are overlooking is that they are lumping Roger & Me into the largely diverse and loosely defined genre known as "the documentary," as if all films showing real footage of real people and events should be held to the same standards. Roger & Me is a hodgepodge of Bill Nichol's documentary modes beginning with the participatory where Moore comments on his personal upbringing and explains how he became involved in filmmaking. Most of Roger & Me progresses in participatory mode, however there are brief jaunts of expository mode where Moore recaps a series of events in "voice of God" narrative. The film climaxes in poetic mode with a carefully choreographed juxtaposition of Smith's warm Christmas message of giving against the harsh images and sounds of a family being evicted; eliciting a contradictory response to Smith's speech. If we also include Moore's style of slight manipulation, what typology of documentary is this?

Like fiction films, the documentary genre has become increasingly more complex and experimental; blurring the boundaries of its classification. Moore may have created a new sub-genre of documentary: one that combines Nichol's documentary modes in a heuristic visual essay where accurate historical representation is eclipsed by unbridled personal emotion. Interestingly, Moore calls Roger & Me "an entertaining movie that hopefully will get people to think a little bit about what is going on". If his intention is to galvanize the public, then does the end justify the means? Does the fact that Roger & Me became the all time best selling documentary upon its release, exposing millions of people to important social issues through the powerful medium of film, justify the bending of truth in his films? In retrospect, I agree with minor stipulation. Is it ok that Moore ambushes people who have no idea of his agenda? In response to Pauline Kael's article, I have no grievance with Moore's ambush interview technique towards people on the street or corporate PR representatives. Kael questions "what does Moore expect?" I doubt Moore expects an insightful and well articulated response from everyone he speaks to. However, Moore's strategy is effective at probing the collective consciousness of America for us to ponder. All too often companies are given ample prep time to strategize a self-serving spin to public inquiry. Moore's approach, in effect, catches them with their pants down. In response to Moore's truth bending, although I disagree with Moore, perhaps he believed it was the only way to reach a broad audience when traditional documentary films and grassroots newpapers were dwarfed by Hollywood blockbusters and mainstream media.

I am still somewhat at a loss in that I admire and respect Michael Moore for what he has achieved. Moore provides a voice for those in the lower rungs of our hierarchal society--he is confrontational, he probes routine corporate operations, he reminds us not to become too complacent in our daily lives. Still, some of his tactics are completely unethical and imposing. I believe Moore has the ability to make entertaining and socially introspective films without the problems mentioned. Whatever you call his films, one cannot deny that galvanizing public interest on social issues is a bad thing for America.

Good first try, but lots of rookie mistakes.......2007-03-12
Roger & Me debuted in 1988 and turned Michael Moore into an up-and-coming star in the populist media. Narrated and produced by Mr. Moore, it examines the economic decline of his hometown, Flint, Michigan, due to the closing of several GM plants. The name Roger refers to Roger Smith, the GM executive who was the force behind these closings. The movie starts by showing Moore's childhood in Flint, and how the city grew rich on the automobile business. Then came the announced closings. The movie shows film footage from these events, such as the corporate announcements themselves, news footage both local and national, and reactions from Flint residents. The movie then shows the gradual decline of the city such as store closings, bankruptcies, increased crime rates, and evictions of many citizens. Throughout this decline, Mr. Moore tries to find Roger Smith so he can meet with him, and convince him to visit Flint. Time and again Moore misses Roger, and the movie ends with him managing to confront Roger for several minutes at a banquet.

Interspersed throughout the movie are scenes of the wealthy citizens of Flint and how they are totally disconnected from the middle class and laid-off workers of Flint. Also interspersed is footage of the various ridiculous things Flint citizens do after GM leaves them, such as growing rabbits for meat.

The point that this movie seems to be trying to convey is that GM closed the plants to reopen them in Mexico to boost profits, and not to postpone corporate losses. It is here that movie is quite lacking in numbers and data. For example, the movie should have shown the price of GM stock during this time frame, and also GM's profit line before and after the plant closings. Another area where numbers would have helped is in showing Flint's decline. The movie should have shown employment rates, city tax earnings, and crime rates in Flint before and after the plant closings.

In conclusion, this is a good, but not great, muckraking movie. It is worth watching as a historical piece, and lends insight into the economic decline of the Midwest and Northeast.

Average customer rating:

WHAT!!!

Bygone days in jolly old England

A Good But Not Great English Drama

A Soap-opera which leaves you empty in the end.

Could have been...

Berkeley Square
Starring: Clare Wilkie , Victoria Smurfit , Tabitha Wady , Kate Williams , and Rosemary Leach
Director: Richard Signy , Richard Holthouse , and Lesley Manning
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
Class Differences | By Theme | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Family Life | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Television | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video