The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Amazon.com

Thirty years after its release in 1964, this poignant romantic drama, in which virtually all of the dialogue is sung, was badly in need of restoration. The bright colors had faded and washed out in a haze of pink, and the film stock had badly aged. Fortunately, the movie was properly restored to its original splendor and rereleased to worldwide acclaim. Not only was this French romance a daring musical experiment (because the entire screenplay is a kind of epic song, beautifully scored by Michel Legrand), but it also introduced Catherine Deneuve, who was 20 years old when the film was released and became one of France's all-time screen legends. Deneuve plays a young woman in love with a local auto mechanic named Guy (Nino Castelnuovo) who has been drafted into the army. In his absence she learns that she is pregnant and then marries a rich man who agrees to raise the child. The bittersweet story follows what happens when Guy returns from service. To reveal anything more would be a disservice to anyone who hasn't seen this touchingly heartfelt film. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

SPEND A ROMANTIC,LIGHT-HEARTED-EVENING .......2007-08-25

THIS IS SIMILAR TO A LIGHT OPERA BECAUSE MICHELE LEGRAND'S MUSIC IS SUNG THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE RATHER THAN THE SPOKEN WORD. THE ROMANCE BETWEEN 2 YOUNG LOVERS AND THE WAR IN ALGIERS SETS THE TONE. THE MOVIE REMINDS US THAT LOVE IS EVER PRESENT AND NEVER LEAVES OUR THOUGHTS.

Essential French cinema: Demy's 'Les Parapluies de Cherbourg.'.......2007-07-28

I love this nearly perfect movie. French director, Jacques Demy's musical film, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg) (1964), stars 20-year-old Catherine Deneuve (in her breakthrough role) and Nino Castelnuovo, with a beautiful musical score by the prolific composer, Michel Legrand (Band of Outsiders). All of the dialogue is all sung as recitative, even the most casual conversation.

Set in in the coastal town of Cherbourg, Normandy, the film tells the coming-of-age love story of mesmerizing Geneviève (Deneuve) and Guy (Castelnuovo). Geneviève works in her mother, Madame Emery's umbrella shop, and Guy works as an auto mechanic. He lives with his godmother, Aunt Élise, and her caregiver, Madeleine (Ellen Farner). Guy is drafted to fight in the Algerian War just before Geneviève discovers she is pregnant. At her mother's insistence, she eventually agrees to marry Roland Cassard (Marc Michel), a wealthy Parisian jeweler. When Guy returns to Cherbourg, he learns that Geneviève has married, becomes rebellious, and starts drinking excessively. In his despair, he has sex with a prostitute named Geneviève. Madeleine then tells Guy that his Aunt Élise has died, and he realizes that Madeleine has loved him all along. They marry, have a son, François, and buy an Esso gas station together. On Christmas Eve, Geneviève and her daughter, Françoise, stop for gas at Guy's station. Geneviève (Deneuve's model of French elegance)--driving a Mercedes and wearing a mink, asks Guy if he wants to meet their daughter. He says "no," the two then exchange their goodbyes, and Guy greets Madeleine with a kiss, before playing in the snow with François.

Umbrellas is the second film in a trilogy of Demy films that share some of the same actors and characters; it comes after Lola (1961) and before The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). The completely restored version of Umbrellas features vibrant colors restored by Demy's wife (film director Agnès Varda), and a digitally-remastered track of Legrand's familiar musical score that will stick in your head.

G. Merritt

Unforgettable.......2007-06-17

I watched this beautiful film last night and fell in love again. So gorgeous, so unforgettable. Catherine Deneuve as Genevieve and Nino Castelnuovo as Guy are just the perfect star-crossed young lovers. You totally believe their story, even though it is all intense colors, music and seemingly light conversations. Thank you, Jacues Demy, and Michel Lagrand, and all the actors and everyone who worked on this film. American film makers could learn a lot from you. Also, designers - why can't our world look like this?? Where do they get that wallpaper and paint? Wow!! It makes life so much better even though life is not always so perfect and yes, very sad too often. If it hadn't been for that war, Guy and Geneveieve might have made it. War - what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Not for the everyday people, that's for sure.

Even the skies weep.......2007-06-03

I admit to some trepidation when I hit the "Play" button on the remote. I had seen Demy/Legrand's LE DEMOISELLES DE REROCHEFORT a few weeks earlier and found it tedious. Plus, will I like a film that is entirely sung, like an opera? Plus, many (or all) the actors were dubbed by European pop singers who possessed flimsy voices (based on the fragments I've seen over the years).

What can I say? I got caught up and carried along to the end - by the star-crossed-lovers plot - by Michel Legrand's glorious music - by director Jacques Demy's and cinematographer Jean Rabier's vibrant visuals - by the the highly appealing cast. Under those circumstances, the singing voices were easy to get used to and, occasionally, they would show a pleasing brilliance of tone.

I can't help revealing the amusing moment when the mother tells her teenaged daughter, "No, you're not ugly. You're not the fairest of them all...". That daughter was played by the young Catherine Deneuve. However, gorgeous as Deneuve was, I would have gone for the brunette played by actress Ellen Farner. I was bummed to learn that that beauty appeared in only 3 movies (the other 2 may be obscure and unavailable German films).

There's a documentary on Jacques Demy on the DVD which states that Demy was influenced by American musicals. However, with UMBRELLAS, Demy took his own route. This story is far more sophisticated, even daring to end on a beautifully understated scene. The libretto (like that of most operas and operettas) is very sentimental and only the opera format keeps it from being sickly saccharine. It all adds up to something unique and daring -- and worth a try by someone looking for a new film experience.

Gloriously romantic yet surprisingly clear-eyed.......2007-05-20

A semi followup to Jacques Demy's Lola - both Michel Legrand's main theme and Marc Marcel's character return - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is surprisingly upbeat despite its subject matter. A traditional lost love story set against the backdrop of the Algerian War that separates the lovers, it opts for a less than traditional realistic ending that shows how their lives change, not necessarily for the worse, after they are parted. It's last act is darker than people give it credit, dealing with the young hero's disillusion on his return, oddly enough made more affecting by the triteness of what precedes it. While shot in some of the most glorious colour imagery ever seen, the dialogue is little more than sung banalities, whether it's a declaration of undying love or an extra asking where the paint shop is, which somehow grounds it. Even the location of the finale, an Esso filling station, is ultimately mundane, yet somehow becomes a gloriously romantic location for a wistfully bitter parting.

Taken from the restored version of the film, the DVD also includes an extract from Agnes Varda's documentary The World of Jacques Demy dealing with the making of the film.

Average customer rating:

Awesome!
Awesome Movie for entire family
solid acting and excellent story
Predictable - ultimately this is Ed O'Neill's film
REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little Giants
Starring: Rick Moranis , Ed O'Neill , Shawna Waldron , Devon Sawa , and Todd Bosley
Director: Duwayne Dunham
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00009AVA4
Release Date: 2003-07-08

Description

Two brothers, one a former football hero and the other a warm-hearted klutz, find themselves at odds when they coach opposing pee-wee football teams.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Filmographies
Interactive Menus
Introduction
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-03-09

My two toddler's love this movie. It was so hard to find and Amazon had it. This is a great kid's movie! It is a must have for all families.

Awesome Movie for entire family.......2007-01-11

This movie is a classic. We owned it on VHS and the tape finally fell apart, so I ordered it for our family for Christmas. Good for all ages, nice night of entertainment for all of us.

solid acting and excellent story.......2006-10-26

I really liked this film. It's not a groundbreaking movie in any way, though. It's about a bunch of underdog kids who aren't interested in football until a coach comes along and changes their minds. Throughout the movie we see the kids working out and trying hard to prepare for the match against the other more talented (and unlikeable) team. It's pretty much the same thing we've seen in the Mighty Ducks except now it's about football.

It's just a typical family movie that sends the message to children that even if you're small and think you don't have any talent, you actually DO have the talent to play football, hockey, basketball, whatever. One of the characters is a girl who doesn't know if she wants to play football with the boys or be a cheerleader like all the other girls.

Rick Moranis once again plays that shy, quiet character he does so well in other films such as Honey I Shrunk the Kids. It's hard to believe he's now a country singer (no, I'm not kidding). Ed O'Neil doesn't quite play the jerk character you'd expect from the Married with Children show. He's not really a nice guy either, though.

I find it interesting that the team names are the Giants (the good guys) vs. the Cowboys (the bad guys) because the Monday Night Football game this week were those two teams facing each other (with the Giants winning).

Predictable - ultimately this is Ed O'Neill's film.......2006-08-06

When Ed O'Neill was cast into the role as Al Bundy in the late 1980s comedy, "Married with Children", it quickly would become a role synonymous with O'Neill himself. At the same time it catapulted O'Neill into a major star. It seemed natural that O'Neill would soon start to do feature films. However, for the most part O'Neill's feature film resume has never lived up to his role as Al Bundy. In 1994, while still on "Married with Children", O'Neill would team up with Rick Moranis to star in a comedy called "Little Giants". While I'd hardly call "Little Giants" a groundbreaking or award-winning movie, it still was a pretty good film. Much of what made this movie very good has to be credited to the talents of O'Neill himself.

For the most part, "Little Giants" follows a familiar style of story. O'Neill plays Kevin O'Shea. Kevin is a local hometown former All-American football hero. Kevin is now retired from Football and owns a successful car dealership in his hometown of Urbania. He lives in an nice house with his wife and two daughters. Also living in Urbania is Kevin's brother Danny O'Shea (played by Rick Moranis). Danny's life hasn't been quite as successful. Danny's wife had abandoned him and his daughter Becky many years ago - living Danny in the role as single parent. Danny runs a service station in Urbania, but doesn't nearly live the lifestyle of Kevin. When Kevin is asked to coach a peewee football team to represent Urbania, he takes the role very competitively as he has taken Football all of his life. When Danny sees Kevin having tryouts for the Football team, he becomes very upset with the way Kevin is handling things. Kevin only picks the best players to play. While Danny's daughter Becky deserves to play, Kevin basically leaves her off the team because he is a girl Not only does Danny feel Becky deserves to play, but he feels that all kids deserve a chance to play on Urbania's peewee football team - no matter how good they are. This leads Danny to form his own football team - with the "castoffs and misfits" who didn't make Kevin's team. Because the peewee football league will only allow one team to represent Urbania, Kevin and Danny have their teams square off on the field to decide who will represent Urbania. The film then focuses on Danny's attempts to build and train a rag-tagged Football team up against his brother's well-oiled machine.

There are a couple of interesting subplots going on in this film. The first one involves Becky - Danny's daughter. We see Becky struggle with walking a fine-line between being a tom-boy and a teenage girl. Since Becky is a main part of Danny's team, this has an integral role in the film. The other involves Danny and Kevin's attempt to recruit a blue chip prospect named "Spike" - a new boy in town, with a "little league father".

The movie also uses the NFL connection in a couple of ways. The first is the team names. Kevin's team adopts the helmets and uniforms of the Dallas Cowboys while Danny's team will adopt the helmets of the New York Giants. Being a New York Giants fan, it made me even root more for the underdog "Little" New York Giants against the hated Dallas Cowboys (On the other hand, Cowboy fans may not feel the same way). The other involves some cameos of some famous NFL stars. These NFL stars happen to be passing through Urbania and lend a hand to Danny as he is training the Little Giants for the big game. These players include Tim Brown, Steve Emtman, Bruce Smith, Emmitt Smith, and of course John Madden - all of whom are playing themselves. As he does in the broadcast booth, Madden will also entertain on the big screen.

In this movie, Rick Moranis is once again cast into the wimpy, unsuccessful character. We see this happen in a movie he does later on with Tom Arnold called "Big Bully". This is a style of character that has almost become synonymous with Moranis himself. While Moranis' character of Danny is the hero - he becomes a difficult character to root for. It's O'Neill's character of Kevin that dominates. This is not because Kevin is "stronger" than Danny - it is because that Ed O'Neill is a superior actor to Rick Moranis. The only interesting thing that happens to the character of Danny O'Shea is how the idea of coaching up against his brother begins to consume him - and impact his relationship with daughter Becky.

The idea of an underdog team going up against the established team is something we've seen time and time again. The other concept of the weaker brother going up against the stronger brother is also something that has been seen many times. While "Little Giants" will entertain audiences throughout the movie, the familiar concepts of underdog and brother against brother are completely predictable. On top of that, the ending will also be completely predictable - including how most of the big game between the Giants and Cowboys go. On a side note, the kids playing the members of the Little Giants team are very fun to watch.

Still despite the predictability, I still found this a pretty decent movie. Even with the movie being very predictable, the nice thing is that the underdog Giants will become a very root-able team against the Cowboys. And of course, Ed O'Neill will shine big time in this movie. This is a good movie for young and old to watch and one that I would recommend.

REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-11-29

This movie is really great. I LOVED IT!! I won't give away any of it because it would probably give away too much. GO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S GREAT and FUNNY!!!!!! DEFINETLY A MUST SEE!!!

Roger Corman Collection (Bloody Mama / A Bucket of Blood / The Trip / Premature Burial / The Young Racers / The Wild Angels / Gas-s-s / X)

Average customer rating:

This collection is a mixed bag of style
Bloody Mama on DVD, finally, at last!!

Roger Corman Collection (Bloody Mama / A Bucket of Blood / The Trip / Premature Burial / The Young Racers / The Wild Angels / Gas-s-s / X)
Starring: Peter Fonda , Susan Strasberg , Bruce Dern , Dennis Hopper , and Salli Sachse
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000SK5ZFC
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Description

Disc 1 Side A: Bloody Mama Disc 1 Side B: A Bucket of Blood

Disc 2 Side A: Gas-s-s Disc 2 Side B: The Trip

Disc 3 Side A: Premature Burial, The Disc 3 Side B: X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes

Disc 4 Side A: The Young Racers Disc 4 Side B: The Wild Angels

Customer Reviews:

This collection is a mixed bag of style.......2007-09-10

Corman's work generally falls into two categories. The first would be the horror/sci-fi he did in the late 50's to early 60's including his Vincent Price films and those along a similar vein. These don't have anything particularly graphic in them. They tend to be cleverly done B-productions with bigger stars than you would guess. The second group start in the mid 60's and run into the 1970's and can be quite violent. This doesn't mean that they aren't cleverly done. Just don't expect something along the line of Corman's series of Poe films when you sit down to watch "Bloody Mama". "Billy Jack" and "Easy Rider" are more similar to Corman's later films, five of which make up this eight film collection. There are no extras included in this set. The following is a brief synopsis of each included film with ratings by a popular film database. Let me say I think the ratings given for most of the films is way too low. If you like Corman's work you'll likely rate each of these films much higher.

A Bucket of Blood (1959) 6.9/10 - a horror story with an artsy bent featuring an outstanding performance by Dick Miller as the accidental artist.

Premature Burial (1962) 6.4/10 - Ray Milland is obsessed with being buried alive, so he's outfitted his future tomb with all kinds of bells and whistles to insure this won't happen. Vincent Price was supposed to star in this one, but Milland does a great job as the death-obsessed gentleman.

X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes (1963) 6.5/10 - Like "The Incredible Shrinking Man" this film examines what it means to exist. Ray Milland experiments on himself and gives himself "X-Ray vision". As a result he can see past and through all reality. The only problem is that his senses are unable to take in and comprehend what his eyes are seeing - and seeing through - without going insane.

The Young Racers (1963) 3.5/10 - New to DVD.

The Wild Angels (1966) 5.2/10 - I think this film is better than its rating. It's one of the original biker films and I don't think that the film's tagline that paints these guys as just a bunch of violent losers is completely accurate. They do some outrageously pointless violent things, but they are more complex than that. Stars Peter Fonda and Bruce Dern as two of the bikers.

The Trip (1967) 5.8/10 - Written by Jack Nicholson. This is one of the first of the drug culture films of the late 60's, early 70's. The whole movie is basically what an LSD trip looks like as experienced by Peter Fonda's character. In spite of the fact that the plot is thin this film did well at the box office. Very much an artifact of the time in which it was made, but still interesting.

Bloody Mama (1970) 5.1/10 - New to DVD. Here Corman is cashing in on the success of Bonnie and Clyde to tell another familial tale of crime and violence. This family is headed by Ma Barker (Shelly Winters). It also sports some great supporting work by Bruce Dern and Robert De Niro.

Gas-s-s-s (1972) - 3.7/10 - A strange gas kills everyone over 25 in the world. The movie is part political satire and part comedy with a large dose of violence that is likely to make many people queezy. The film works quite well and holds up over time, but it's not your old-fashioned Vincent Price-style Corman film. You'll note the early appearances of some performers who are just getting started such as Ben Vereen, Cindy Williams, and Talia Shire.

My four star rating comes from being a fan of Roger Corman. If you are not, you might want to pay more attention to the film database rating.

Bloody Mama on DVD, finally, at last!!.......2007-08-30

I rejoice at the news of Bloody Mama finally coming to DVD. I am a bit surprised to find that I have to buy a whole set of DVD's to get it, however. Bloody Mama features a very early and memorable performance by Robert De Niro. Shelley Winters is unforgettable as Kate "Ma" Barker. The film is quite tawdry and violent for a film made in 1970. I have always remembered this film for the nearly totally nude scene by Diane Varsi and the other outrageous goings-on. I will buy this and recommend it heartily to others with similar interests. A great and underrated gangster film.

Average customer rating:

Had potential...
hilarious
Best quote of the film:
I liked it better when it was called "Fandango"
Excellent Movie

Rolling Kansas
Starring: Kelly Bright , Ryan Thomas Brockington , Greg Dorchak , Charlie Finn , and Ed Geldhart
Manufacturer: Monarch Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002CR09U
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Customer Reviews:

Had potential..........2007-07-28

This movie struck me as an independent, cheaper version of 2000's Road Trip. The general plot of this movie seemed to have plenty of potential for a decent comedy. Unfortunately, the movie drags in several places, and nothing particularly funny ever happens.

hilarious.......2007-03-25

this movie isn't for everybody, but if you like movies like super troopers and dukes of hazzard, you might want to check this one out.

Best quote of the film:.......2006-10-24

What do ya got in that box there?
-oh, just Bunnies, sir.
Look like dog snacks to me!

I liked it better when it was called "Fandango".......2006-06-03

This movie was essentially a rip-off of the MUCH BETTER Fandango, which starred (seriously) Kevin Costner. The characters, the basic plot, the basic geography were all lifted from Fandango, and shamelessly so.

Not since the "Point Break" rip-off, "The Fast and the Furious", have i seen such a blatant rip-off of a film.

Quality-wise, it is quite weak.

Excellent Movie.......2006-04-17

I love this movie. It is a total stoner film! I was laughing so hard during every scene! 5 STARS!!!

Average customer rating:

Very Dissapointed
PREMIUM
Pleasantly Surprised
Premium
Disappointed also

Premium
Starring: Dorian Missick , Zoe Saldana , Hill Harper , Eva Pigford , and Frankie Faison
Director: Pete Chatmon
Manufacturer: Code Black Entertainment
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ASIN: B000M7XRGA
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Description

Cool is a struggling actor fed up with stereotypical African-American roles. While pumping gas to make ends meet, he collides with his ex-fiancé after 3 years of silence. She is getting married in 36 hours. As the clock ticks on his life, love, and career, Cool finds he must take on the biggest "role" of his life to win her back.

Customer Reviews:

Very Dissapointed.......2007-08-30

I love my black "B" rated movies but this one just didn't pull it off for me. It looked like cheap production. This wouldn't be a good pick if your into black movies like me.

PREMIUM.......2007-08-25

THIS WAS A VERY, VERY GOOD MOVIE!! I REALLY ENJOY EVERYTHING THAT THE TWO STARS ARE IN, ZOE SALDANA AND HILL HARPER BOTH ARE AWESOME. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS MOVIE.

CECELIA P.
LOS ANGELES, CA.

Pleasantly Surprised.......2007-07-29

This movie kept me up all night, and I really only put it on as something to fall asleep to! The acting was great, I loved the chemistry between the two main characters, and the storyline was real. It's a definite keeper for me that I will be watching again, in the future.

Premium.......2007-06-27

I did not like the movie. I think the price was a little to high because the movie was poor. It didn't hold my interest.

Disappointed also.......2007-06-20

I think the actors in this movie have talent. The material just didn't work for them. The first thing that irked me was the cut to's. If you know how to complete a movie, you shouldn't have to inform me of what's going on inbetween sceenes. I hate that as much as I hate talking on a music CD. I am paying to see a movie that explains itself. This film does look like it has a decent budget, but the story doesn't work.

Average customer rating:

Almost
gut-wrenching, heartfelt...
Never again!
Grim and unrelenting realism
The Grey Zone

The Grey Zone
Starring: David Arquette , Velizar Binev , David Chandler (IV) , Michael Stuhlbarg , and George Zlatarev
Director: Tim Blake Nelson
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B000087EYX
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Amazon.com

The title of Tim Blake Nelson's harrowing drama of Jewish death camp prisoners who rise up against their captors to "destroy the machinery" refers as much to the compromise and cloudy morality of collaboration as to the gray world coated in the smoke and ash of the crematoriums. Inspired by real-life events at the Auschwitz death camp, The Grey Zone stars David Arquette as a soul-deadened laborer whose being fiercely jolts to life when he finds a young girl alive among the gassed corpses. He's the heart and soul of an outstanding cast that includes Steve Buscemi and Daniel Benzali as revolt leaders, Allan Corduner as the shunned camp doctor, and Harvey Keitel as the commandant. Nelson's rapid pacing, intimate shooting, and terse, jagged dialogue give the moral debate a discomforting immediacy as it races a deadline. When doom hangs in the air, sure death creates unique priorities. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Almost.......2007-06-29

This is an almost impossible topic to do well; Nelson and company came very close. There are a few historical errors, and the relationship between SS and prisoners - with the exception of the people like Nyszli - was rarely as "conversational" as the film suggests. The hierarachy within the sonderkommando itself is also missing, which was a key part of what they had to contend with. Typically, SS spoke directly (in the form of giving orders) to non-Jewish kapos; not to the class of prisoners who figure centrally in the film. Likewise, the frenetic pace of the work when there was a transport to be "disposed of" was not shown here. I assume this was in the interest of everything being "matter of fact," which _is_ generally true to the sonderkommando's everday adaptation to their task.

I found the mix of accents confusing - why did only the Germans get them? And some of the interaction around planning the rebellion needed a bit more context, I think.

That said, there is more here that is _essentially_ true than in most Holocaust films. The grayness of the film itself fit its subject. When the "ash speaks" at the end, in the form of the incinerated girl, I was initially put off. Why this flight of poetry in the midst of such an unpoetic film. But it was short and on point enough to add at least something.

gut-wrenching, heartfelt..........2007-06-12

The women in this astounding film are incredible; Mira Sorvino, in particular--who turns in another Oscar-caliber performance. What I can't get over is the fact I had no idea she was even in it. The entire time I was watching this tremendous re-enactment I kept thinking (whenever her character was on screen) who is this woman? Where did they find her? I simply could not connect her to the wonderful, scene-stealing job she did in Mighty Aphrodity; the actress is that good here.

I do my best to keep from writing lengthy reviews (very often skip over them as well when wanting to find out about a film am interested in, etc.) so I won't go into the plot and what happens. Will only say that, although I always look foreward to seeing Harvey Keitel on screen, I only wish that he had refrained from going with a German accent. Not many American actors can do a foreign accent and do it well, not even Meryl Streep--and I don't care what some people might say about that. Accents never sound right. They should have just hired a German actor to play the part, etc.

All in all, kudos to the folks for making the film. It just might leave you choking back a sob or two. Strong stuff. Am currently reading Eyewitness Auschwitz by Filip Muller (and I have read others on the subject.) This film struck me as pretty authentic--and am glad it was made.

Thank you to one and all for all the hard work that made this unforgetable motion picture possible..

Never again!.......2007-06-02

This movie takes you into the holocaust in a way that makes the characters more than ciphers. There is a story here, and images that will haunt you for years to come. Yes, the Jews had to do a lot of the Nazis' dirty work - it was part of the torture that the Nazis designed, as they thought they could never be held accountable. The Jews who cooperated maybe got to live a little longer, maybe got a little more food, an extra blanket. It's amazing what the will to survive will do to a human being. And, without those survivors telling their stories, holocaust deniers would not even need to exist. There would be nothing to deny.

Again, the images in this movie are haunting, moving, and should cause one to think and to dig deeper into what we think we know about the holocaust, and about man's inhumanity to man. We may think we know what horror man is capable of. We can only remain aware as long as our eyes remain open - and our hearts remain connected to our souls.

Auschwitz - Inside the Nazi State

Grim and unrelenting realism.......2007-05-27

Prior to watching this dvd, I had read accounts of the true events it depicts, namely the heroic but futile uprising of the crematoria sondercommando at Auschwitz in 1944, during the Germans' frenetic gassing of the half million Jews of Hungary. These men, whom Auschwitz survivor and acclaimed author, Primo Levi, called "the ravens of the crematoria" were all Jews and were kept alive for the grisly work of herding their fellow-Jews into the gas chambers and then burning the bodies in the crematoria ovens. They received privileges denied other Jewish prisoners for carrying out this hellish work but were themselves murdered and replaced after about 3 months because the Nazis considered they knew too much about their heinous crimes. With Dantesque and nightmarish realism the movie depicts the horror of the men's existence, their brutalisation and their simultaneous efforts to cling to a shred of humanity, for example saving the girl who survives the gas,and to make a stand against the monsters who have forced their moral corruption. Also noteworthy is the courage of the Jewish women who smuggled explosives to the men of the sondercommando and who were themselves subjected to hideous torture and subsequent execution.
This is not an easy film to watch, but it helps to lay to rest the oft parroted claim that the Jews of the Holocaust did not fight back at the same time as it reminds us of the barbarism and appalling inhumanity of Nazified Germans in WW2.

The Grey Zone.......2007-03-11

Based on the real-life events in WWII, a special squad of Jewish prisoners, who staged the only armed revolt that would ever take place at Auschwitz. Historical film showing the troubles that prisoners had to deal with in Auschwitz. A bone chilling story.

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Still wild after 40 years
A Sixties Freak Speaks Out
14 or fight
"We suggest the required age for President be ....14."
A Pair of Duds

Wild in the Streets/Gas-s-s-s
Starring: Barry Shear , Shelley Winters , and Christopher Jones
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B0007R4T3A
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Description

WILD IN THE STREETS: Original Theatrical Trailer Widescreen (1.85) English (Mono) Subtitles: English, French, Spanish GAS-S-S-S: English (Mono), Spanish (Mono)

Customer Reviews:

Still wild after 40 years.......2007-05-13

Shelley Winters is again brilliant and the theme of the film hasnt dated(what gen Yers hasnt thought about getting rid of those pesky baby boomers) However Gas-s-s-s is unwatchable but I'll keep trying earlier in the night.

A Sixties Freak Speaks Out.......2007-05-13

"Wild in the Streets" is aptly named since it is a very wild film, very unusual and original in premise. Christopher Jones, a James Dean lookalike, who sounds like Brando when he speaks, plays a charismatic rock singer in the late sixties. When they lower the voting age to fourteen, he gets elected President of the U.S. and puts everyone over the age of thirty in LSD concentration camps. Shelly Winter provides one of her extremely over the top performances as his mother. You must see the scene where she is interviewed by Pamela Mason -- it is a scream to watch and hilarious! Also, the soundtrack is wonderful and one of the songs "Shape of Things to Come" was on the hit parade and is a great rock tune. The opening of the film literally jumps out at you, filmed during a rock concert featuring Chris/Max Frost and his band the Troopers (Diane Varsi, Richard Pryor, Kevin Coughlin) who all also give give good performances in the film. The movie is highly recommended and is one of my all time favorites. I even own the soundtrack album and also, the Max Frost & the Troopers original album, with songs that didn't make it into film. Go rent this or better yet buy it. You will definitely want to see it over and over again.

14 or fight.......2007-03-14

This is not a particularly good film, but it is an interesting look at the sixties through a somewhat astigmatic point of view. I use clips from the movie in a sixties pop culture class at the university level. The song Fourteen or Fight is a good example of the sixties attempt to "Rock the Vote."

"We suggest the required age for President be ....14.".......2007-03-03

Craziness from the 60's, man I love this movie.

A boy genius Max Frost grows up through chemistry experiments and social dissapointment to become sort of a Lex Luthor rock and roll star with significant charm, charisma, and influence over the kids of this country. Soon Max concocts a scheme to lower the voting age to 14 by whipping the kids into a frenzy with the war cry "14 or fight" that builds so much momentum that DC is overrun by children demanding the vote, which results in sort of a Kent St massacre that emboldens Max even further to arrange an acid trip for members of Congress in order to get them to lower the voting age. Next thing you know Max has been elected President at the age of 24, and legislation is soon passed to herd everybody over the age of 35 into internment camps where they are forced to take LSD as soon as they get off the bus. Some seem to genuinely like it.

This is sort of the ultimate revolution statement for children of the 60's, of which one I am as well so I remember the general climate and anger towards the "establishment" back then. In the end, Max is confronted by a bunch of angry 8 year olds an in a flash of recognition realizes what he's set into motion. Its all so deep. haw haw

Anyway, a very good cast including Hal Holbrook, Shelley Winters, Richard Pryor, Millie Perkins and a few other recognizables. Christopher Jones was sort of a cult icon in the 60's, and he was fantastic in this role, pretty cool for a Tennessee boy. Surprised his career fizzled so soon. The DVD sports an excellent transfer and soundtrack, much better than I expected on this double disk. Sorry, I had no interest in watching "Gas-s-s-s-s" 4 Rolls

A Pair of Duds.......2007-02-05

While now it is something of an art, the teen movie took a while to really get working right. Often many of the "hippie" movies of the late sixties were not very good, probably because they featured more stereotypes (especially as perceived by older adults) than real characters. The only exception that comes to mind is the very good Alice's Restaurant. Others, however, were not well put together and also seemed pretty dated pretty quickly. The set of Wild in the Streets and Gas-s-s-s are a couple of the poorer movies in the genre.

Wild in the Streets tells the story of a young rock star who becomes a political figure promoting giving the vote to 15-year-olds. Eventually, he completely transforms the country, becoming president and locking up all the adults. Although some of the music is passable, the story itself is silly, the sort that makes Legally Blonde 2 (the one where Reese Witherspoon goes to Washington) seem politically astute by comparison.

Part of the problem with Wild in the Streets and many other similar movies is that they treat their youthful subjects rather condescendingly (the title of this movie alone demonstrates the ultimate feelings about these youths). Even if adults have their faults, these films more often seem warnings about why you can't really trust anyone under thirty. At least Roger Corman treats his subjects more sympathetically in Gas-s-s-s, the tale of an Earth in which all adults have died due to a deadly gas and anarchy ensues. The movies follows a group of characters (including a young Talia Shire, Cindy Williams and Ben Vereen) as they seek a new home. Their quest takes them past various new societies, such as a community that takes football to a fascist level.

Gas-s-s-s was Corman's last movie for his longtime associate, American International (and one of his last directing gigs), and Corman does not go off with a bang. The writing and acting are pretty feeble, and the humor - never Corman's strong point - rarely works. I think I actually felt my brain melting as I tried to watch this movie. While Wild in the Streets may rate a high two stars, this is at best a low two stars. I suppose if you a real cinema buff, these may have some interest, but for most people, this set will be a waste of time.

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Son of Flubber
Flubber
The Absent Minded-Professor
"Ya might call it Dry Rain."
Colorized?

Son of Flubber
Starring: Fred MacMurray , Nancy Olson , Keenan Wynn , Tommy Kirk , and Ed Wynn
Director: Robert Stevenson
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000DZTL8
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Description

Medfield's lovable but hopelessly absent-minded professor -- Ned Brainard (Fred MacMurray) -- bounces back in this classic Disney film with hilarious new mishaps when he experiments with the amazing by-products of his startling anti-gravity substance, "flubber." Windows shatter, football players fly, and thunderstorms materialize indoors as Professor Brainard fights to keep Medfield College from falling into the hands of ruthless land developer Alonzo Hawk (Keenan Wynn).

Amazon.com

Proving that sequels rarely measure up, Son of Flubber reunites cast, director (Robert Stevenson), studio (Disney), and concept (an eccentric inventor, played by Fred MacMurray, makes odd products with hilarious side effects), and still isn't as good as its predecessor, The Absent Minded Professor. MacMurray and company turn their attention to some new inventions, including flubber gas and dry rain, and while there's plenty of comedy to be had, the film is finally spotty and wears out its welcome. On the plus side, Paul Lynde is a funny addition to this follow-up. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Son of Flubber.......2007-07-20

I grew up with Disney and this is just another of the fun movies that was made at that time

Flubber.......2007-02-05

Fred MacMurray portrays the role of Professor Ned Brainerd, the Absent Minded Professor, again.

Brainerd refines his flubber into flubber gas. As in the Absent Minded Professor which had a flubbered Basketball game, this time there is a sport game of football.

Alonzo P. Hawk (Keenan Wynn), Disney's greatest live action villian, is back with his snake oil evilness aplome. Tommy Kirk reprised his role as Biff Hawk, the professor's friend and Hawk's son. Nancy Olson also returns as Brainerd's supportive wife Betsy.

Paul Lynde makes an appearance as the sportcaster, showcasing an early Uncle Arthur from Bewitched laugh in his scenes. Ed Wynn, Keenan's father, cameos in this film as a state officer

If you are fan of Classic Disney work, this is one of the best Disney comedy. If you are looking for more than its one joke premious than it has, dont watch this. I like this simple comedy, so it is worth my time-I hope it will be yours too

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

The Absent Minded-Professor.......2006-11-10

I just love Fred MacMurray as the bumbling forgetful professor. He is so lovable.

"Ya might call it Dry Rain.".......2005-07-25

Quick, what is the only Disney movie in which you will hear the phrase "bolluxed up?" haw haw Never saw that one coming.

Flubber becomes a victim of "national security" and our hero Ned Brainerd (MacMurray) returns home empty handed from our nation's capital to find creditors threatening to cancel his newspaper subscription, predators threatening to bulldoze Medfield College, the IRS threatening to ruin his life, and his wife (Nancy Olsen) looking like a million bucks in her new mink coat while holding a check for same for something poor Ned doesnt own anymore and cant sell so that we can all enjoy the wonders of Flubberoleum and can safely drop our children on the floor without the fear of being locked up by Social Services. A very frustrating start to the terrific sequel to Absent Minded Professor, all adding to the frenection of MacMurray, who must now invent something entirely new so that he can save Medfield, his home, and his marriage from the slimey advances of Prof. Shelby Ashton (Elliot Reid) and the return of luscious old flame Desiree de la Roche (Joanna Moore).

All the usual suspects are here from Disney's vast arsenal of character actors to keep us entertained while Ned goes about inventing a weathermaking glassbreaking foodgrowing machine. The Halloween chase scene with Prof. Brainerd terrorizing Shelby Ashton from above with his new rainmaking device is one of the funniest in Disney history. And of course we're treated to another Medfield sports showdown vs. national champs Rutland in a gridiron matchup where Flubber becomes the great equalizer. ROTFL!

However, Disney gets no props for this DVD release. The retail case proudly proclaims on the cover "The Original Black & White Classic." Well, except for one thing...the original theatrical release was in 1.75 widescreen, not pan and scan like this version. Why would Disney do this you ask? That's a good question. When you have the answer to that mystery, maybe you can explain to me why they likewise released Absent Minded Professor in a "colorized full screen" edition 9 months before they released the original widescreen B&W print on DVD. However, they did a superb job remastering this print cause the video is top notch, and you won't mind the Dolby mono, but there are sadly no extras on this disc to speak of unless you're the type that gets excited about a photo gallery and ads for other Disney films. A Five Star film loses a point for bad execution by idiot Disney execs. 4 Turnips

Colorized?.......2005-03-12

I remember seeing this in color on Disney or TBS (I forget which) They should've used that version. If you think colorizing is a peccatto, then just turn the saturation on your TV/Display down to 0! :)

Good to see it on DVD!

Average customer rating:

Hells Angels on Wheels
Casual Biker Movie
Great entertainment
One of the Best Biker Flics
Funny old flick

Hells Angels on Wheels
Starring: Adam Roarke , Jack Nicholson , Sabrina Scharf , Jana Taylor , and Richard Anders
Director: Richard Rush
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000E69GN
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Amazon.com

This pair of Joe Solomon-produced biker dramas are two of the better examples of the '60s subgenre. Jack Nicholson stars in Hell's Angels on Wheels as a moody cycle-riding gas station attendant adopted by Adam Roarke's gang when he jumps into a friendly bar fight. It's a fairly blatant rip-off of Roger Corman's The Wild Angels, but director Richard Rush (who next teamed up with Nicholson for the counterculture classic Psych-Out) offers up a lifestyle that's less nihilistic than simply meaningless and winds the unlikely friendship between restless Nicholson and rootless Roarke into an inevitable clash over basic philosophical differences (namely, Jack wants Adam's girl, and Adam wants Jack to kowtow to his leadership). William Smith is an unusual hero in Run Angel Run: he's a sellout on the run from vengeful biker clubs up and down the coast. Director Jack Starrett, a former actor in biker movies himself (Hell's Angels on Wheels, among others), creates a taut little picture highlighted by impressive stunts (Smith jumps onto the flat car of a moving train). Smith's brooding, taciturn performance mellows when he takes a job on a rural sheep farm and connects with a career farmer who used to be a barnstorming biker in the 1950s. "I gotta be free man, I gotta fly," confesses Angel, but at what price? Both pictures were cheaply made for quick playoff, but there's an interesting attempt to explore the tension between the thrill of the road and the hollow activity passing for freedom. The set comes in a cool-looking 8 by 12 tin storage container, but the tapes do not have separate video sleeves. --Sean Axmaker

Description

When he loses his job, gas station attendant Poet (Academy Award-winner Jack Nicholson) falls in with a rough band of Hells Angels who terrorize Northern California in a hellraising frenzy of parties and gang fights. Choppers, drugs, sex, murder and mayhem ensue as Poet and gang leader Buddy (Adam Roarke) head down a dark road to danger. From acclaimed cult director Richard Rush (The Stunt Man) with cinematography by the legendary László Kovács (Easy Rider, Paper Moon) and music by Stu Phillips (Battlestar Gallactica, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls).

Customer Reviews:

Hells Angels on Wheels.......2007-06-08

A great movie, really fun and captures the feeling of the time

Casual Biker Movie.......2007-01-15

Nicolson could have been a real Angel. A classic for your library. Most enjoyable.

Great entertainment.......2006-12-14

This is the best Biker movie I have seen so far. Once again, Jack proves he can do it all. Pretty raw for a sixties movie, and they didn't do much to squash the perception of the Outlaw Biker. I am a Biker, and at times can be pretty critical of Biker movies, but this was a very entertaining flick.

One of the Best Biker Flics.......2006-03-16

Hells Angels on Wheels is, by far, one of the best examples of a sixties biker movie.
Right from the opening credits where we see various California Angels getting on their bikes and heading off through the streets of San Francisco, to the big meeting up of Sonny Barger's Oakland crew and our own film gang, headed up by Adam Rourke.
Jack Nicholson, as Poet, is the movie's standout performance, and, by all accounts, Jack blended in with the real Angels on the set to the point of being mistaken for one.
The film does fall apart at the end, almost as if, after 90 minutes of action and continuity, the director just lost interest and wanted to wind it up as fast as possible.
The bikes in this one are heavily featured and there are many examples of mid sixties choppers lovingly photographed by the great Leslie (Laslo) Kovacs. You can see the seed of many Easy Rider (also photographed by Kovacs) shots in Kovacs work on this film.
This movie is probably the closest portrayal of the California Hells Angels ever made- even Sonny Barger doesn't completely hate it.

Funny old flick.......2006-03-10

You know I never thought the Hells Angels were as funny as they are in this flick. Most of the extras were actual Hells Angels. You can actually see Sonny Barger in a couple of the shots. This movie will let you see what the original Choppers were like

Average customer rating:

a mixed bag
Great - even with a Hollywood ending!
Great movie
Boring Ending....And Not A Surprise
A Reason Why Hollywood Remakes Are Genrally a Bad Idea

The Vanishing
Starring: Jeff Bridges , Kiefer Sutherland , Nancy Travis , Sandra Bullock , and Park Overall
Director: George Sluizer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B0002IQLHQ
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

It's not unusual for Hollywood to remake European hits. What is unusual is the director of the original getting the chance to helm the new version with an American cast, which is what happened with this film based on an intensely creepy Dutch film of the same name (both directed by George Sluizer). Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock are on vacation when, while stopped at a crowded rest area, she disappears. He devotes the next several years to discovering what happened to her, ruining his life in the process. When he does get a clue, it leads him to Jeff Bridges, who plays a bizarre and highly organized individual whose motives are almost as strange as he is. Bridges is spooky, but Sluizer ultimately is undone by Hollywood's demand for a happy ending, which makes this film affecting but far less unsettling than the original. --Marshall Fine

Description

In this riveting, tension-filled psychological thriller, a young woman (Sandra Bullock) mysteriously disappears, sending her boyfriend Jeff (Kiefer Sutherland) on a years-long quest to find her. Not even a new love (Nancy Travis) can keep him from his obsessive search. All the while, the calculating psychopath (Jeff Bridges) who kidnapped his girlfriend stalks Jeff, ultimately taking him through the exact same steps that led to the crime. In order to find out what happened, Jeff must put his own life in the hands of this devious stranger.

Customer Reviews:

a mixed bag.......2007-07-27

i personally found the original version of" the vanishing " to be something of a letdown , it played like a long , sadistic episode of the twilight zone . so you'd think i'd just love the hollywood-ized remake , but it too is somewhat flawed . shifting the focus in the beginning of the film to the killer might have SEEMED like a good idea , but it doesn't really add much . on the other hand the performances here are all really terrific , especially sandra bullock in one of the first roles she really attracted attention with . but the conclusion of the film is sort of protracted and tiresome , and like i said , focusing so much attention on the killer early on in the film creates a sort of imbalance that throws the material off-whack . still it's not without interest and fans of the 4 actors will want to see it .

Great - even with a Hollywood ending!.......2007-07-12

I am usually the first one to complain when Hollywood remakes great European films (what's up with this Catherine Zeta-Jones remake of "Mostly Martha" by the way?????) - but you have to admit, sometimes the American film has a fresh take on things ("Cousins" comes to mind as an improved American remake). So yes, this film does provide vengeance/resolution/good guys win, which Americans crave, but it also provides some insight that is in my opinion worth the rewrite.

What do I mean? The character of Rita, and how her worldview is juxtaposed against Jeff's. He wallows, he obsesses, and he therefore doesn't see the big picture. She is not a victim, she has agency - she will not go down without a fight, figuratively or literally, with Jeff or with Barney. I love watching her piece the whole thing together, and I love watching her interact with Barney in a totally different way from Jeff. True, we can't expect Barney's games to work on her in the same way, but in any case, I enjoyed watching Rita come to terms with what's going on.

Good thriller, leaves you thinking about all the characters.

Great movie.......2007-03-11

..i saw some of this movie on cable a while back, but didn't watch the whole thing because i missed the beginning so i brought it here. I'm surprised i had never heard of this flick before as it's very well acted and a nice suspeseful thriller for those into that genre.

Boring Ending....And Not A Surprise.......2007-02-12

This American version of the movie too predictable. Doesn't fit the title of "suspense." If you want a TRUE thriller, buy the Dutch version of this movie! That version is captioned, but you are so taken in by the storyline, you won't even realize it. The American version of "The Vanishing" was softened up for American audiences.....the Dutch version is not, and the ending is even more shocking!

A Reason Why Hollywood Remakes Are Genrally a Bad Idea.......2007-01-31

Occasionally, when a foreign film gets a lot of press Hollywood takes notice and does an English-languag