Friday Night Lights - The First Season

Customer Reviews:

Best Show Ever?.......2007-09-15

I've never reviewed anything on amazon before b/c I've never felt the urge to proselytize before.

Simply put, this is the best TV show my wife and I have ever seen, or at least the best since that aborted semi-season of My So-Called Life.

Unbelievably good acting, incredibly understated but powerful writing (except for the absurd football scenes, but so what?), phenomenal music. Just absolutely perfect, especially once they drop the annoying jittery cinema-verite stuff after the third epi.

You will not be disappointed. Unless you're looking for something about football.

Ok, so maybe you're not a fan of football.......2007-09-12

Or a fan of Texas, for that matter. WATCH THE SHOW ANYWAY. It's that good.

That being said, this is not a show about football. Like all of the most incredible tv, this show is about people - character-driven drama at it's absolute finest. The boring, boooorrring pilot episode shows us each character as a stereotype - who we might see them as if we were, say, outsiders who might not think too highly of the pampered Texas football stars and the locals who have nothing better to do on a Friday night than go watch a high school football game. And, frankly, you just won't give a darn. (Although I'm a tv addict, even I fell asleep during the pilot.)

But then, each character grows. And each character has such flaws. And such conviction. And you get to SEE them. Really see them, and what you find is depth and strength and courage and weakness. The show faces issues boldly without beating us over the head with them (race, gender, prejudice, rape, etc.), providing a forum to express the issues that Americans face everyday. And though some of these issues are heavy, the tone of the show is one of strength in overcoming adversity. Of challenges overcome and the power in forgiveness and in doing what is right rather than what is easy. The team motto says it all:" "Clear Eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose."

Best Show of the Season.......2007-09-11

It was the great underdog show of last season. Watching it on DVD would definitely be a journey worth traveling.

And however long NBC decides to keep it, (I hope for a long time), Season 1 itself is a truly engaging self-contained masterpiece. Enough said.

The only folks who don't love this show..........2007-09-09

are those who haven't seen it...so get this DVD and see what the fuss is about. The deleted scenes do wonders to inform the action of each episode, and to further develop--and make more subtle--the personalities and motivations of the characters; a welcome addition. The only negative I can detect is the decision to change some of the music; in general the first pieces used were just so perfect that any change would be a lesser choice.

Best 'undiscovered' show on television.......2007-09-06

If only the Emmy awards were smart enough to shower this show with nominations, would people realize how great this show really is. Do yourself a favor; buy this DVD. This is one of the best dramas ever on television.Hopefully, people will wake up before it is cancelled.

Friday Night Lights (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Very Realistic Football Film
Friday Nights
Definitely an above average sports film
Small Town Football
A great movie!

Friday Night Lights (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton , Lucas Black (II) , Garrett Hedlund , Derek Luke , and Jay Hernandez
Director: Peter Berg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Sports | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B00005JNEW
Release Date: 2005-01-18

Customer Reviews:

Very Realistic Football Film.......2007-09-09

Based upon the best-selling nonfiction book of the same name, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is the story about Odessa, Texas's high school's bid for a state football championship in the fall of 1988. The movie follows the lives of key members of the team as they begin their summer training through their season that comes to a dramatic conclusion at the Astrodome. Odessa is a small town and doesn't offer many future prospects for the students who live there. Most of them come from troubled backgrounds, for example quarterback Mike Winchell's (Lucas Black) mother is sick and dying and Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund) lives with an emotionally abusive alcoholic father. Nevertheless, hopes and expectations are high for the Permian "MOJO" Panthers and Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton). The town wants perfection, meaning a perfect season with a state title. Coach Gaines wants perfection, too, but he defines it differently. For him, perfection means giving it all; it is a way of life. The Panthers start off the season strong, lead by Winchell and star tailback Boobie Miles (Derek Luke). But then tragedy strikes, distilling the peace and threatening to destroy even Coach Gaines' definition of perfection.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is one of the better team football movies that I have seen. The action on the field is very realistic. That is in part due to some actual footage of Permian football games that were sliced in with filmed footage from the movie. However, much of the realism comes from the attitude of the characters. If you've never been to Texas or Oklahoma and have never played football or personally known someone who has, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is an incredibly depressing movie to watch. The film has been made that way because FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS isn't really supposed to be about football, but it's supposed to be about the characters in the movie. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is really a movie about the friendships between a group of close high school friends.

Yet, it is a football movie. I never played football myself, but I generally like watching football movies. RUDY and INVICIBLE are great films to watch. They aren't as uplifting, but I also enjoyed ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, THE PROGRAM, and VARSITY BLUES as well as comical dramas like THE LONGEST YARD. However, as much as I enjoy watching these films, they are nothing like real football in a small town. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is. It's a very realistic film that illustrates how much the game means to many people and if you are connected to the sport at all, it seems a little insane. For example, in FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS more money is spent on the football team than the rest of a school district's budget combined, the game is followed as a religion, and the biggest moments expected to happen in a person's life are during the Friday night lights of the football season of their senior year. I realize for many people all of that sounds incredible, but in many parts of the country those things are a way of life. Priorities might be out of line, the people might be misguided, and living like that seems incredibly depressing, but it's all very real.

In short, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is one of the most realistic football movies ever made. Highly recommended for football fans, citizens of Texas, anyone who read the book, and people who favor dramas scattered with a little sport action.

A couple of trivia pieces: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS features country singer Tim McGraw in his motion picture debut. Also, Connie Britton who plays Coach Gaines' wife, Sharon, is also the same actress who plays Coach Eric Taylor's (Kyle Chandler) wife Tami on the television series FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.

An extra on the DVD is the short documentary "The Story of the 1988 Permian Panthers." This featurette is a look back at the 1988 season with some of the real life players from that 1988 team, including Boobie Miles, Mike Winchell, Brian Chavez and Don Billingsley. Real footage from some of their games as well as television interviews and news pieces about the team are seen. I really enjoyed this featurette. It's the best extra on the DVD.

Other extras include the usual directors commentary, deleted scenes, a brief conversation with Tim McGraw about acting, a behind the scenes personal video entitled "Player Cam", and a comment from director Peter Berg about the reasoning why he added the scene at the burger joint.

Friday Nights.......2007-05-17

Friday Nights

Title: Friday Night Lights
Director: Peter Berg
Produced by: Brian Grazer
Release date: 10/08/04

Did you know that the Permian Panthers have won more state championships then any other high school team in the state of Texas? That is a very good record considering that there are more high school teams in Texas than Kentucky and Tennessee put together.

In this great sports film it tells the true story of a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, where football is life. This movie was inspired by the true season of the 1988 Permian Panthers. Friday Night Lights was based on a book written by H.G. Bissinger, and was voted by ESPN the magazine the greatest football novel of all time.

This movie keys on the life of five ordinary small town boys that all share one dream, a state championship, Mike Winchell (Lucas Black), Boobie Miles (Derek Luke) Brian Chavez (Jay Hernandez), Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund), and Ivory Christian (Lee Jackson). These teenage boys have the weight of the world on them as they head into the 1988 season.

In this small town they have one huge quality that is football. Every Friday night all businesses close for the night and all the houses are empty. Since everybody is at Barrett Stadium one of the largest high school fields in the country. The Panthers are always one of the top teams in the state, and every year the community expects a state title. Considering all this anything less then a state championship is failure.

Permian heads in as a good favorite to win state, but when Permian's star All American running back, Boobie Miles, hurts his leg in there first game the teams confidence and chances decline. The panthers were then forced to start a tiny one hundred pound running back that is nowhere near the skill level of Boobie Miles. After Bobbie finds out he is out for the season, the whole team and town about give up on their chances of winning state. It looked as if there was a horrible disaster that happened in the town, the way everybody acted. However quarterback Mike Winchell, fullback Don Billingsley, and defensive end Ivory Christian will not let this team go down that easy.

The panthers manage to pull together a good season. They faced a season that Permian was not use to, finishing barely in front of five hundred. Losing games no one in town thought would be close. But they ended up in a three-way tie for first and second place in the region. As a result they do it the way everyone settles a tie, they flipped a coin. The coin flip went there way and they found them self in the state tournament. The team gets motivated after hearing about Boobie being hurt, and probably having his football career end. They then dedicate the state tournament to Boobie. Permian makes it all the way to the state championship game where they face a powerhouse from central Texas, the Dallas Carter Cowboys. Where Dallas Carter went undefeated and won every game without breaking a sweat. Since Permian barely got into state championship Dallas Carter was heavily favored. But the panthers wont go down without a fight.

This movie has great camera views and makes you feel like your watching a real football game. After I watched the movie I really wanted to play football, it was that good. For example I would watch the part of the movie where they play Dallas Carter before every one of my football games, it made me so pumped and ready to play. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole movie just waiting to see what happens next. I would defiantly advise sports lovers or people who just like a good movie to check this one out.

By.jd

Definitely an above average sports film.......2007-04-10

I have read so many spectacular reviews of the TV series FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHT that I decided that I needed to watch the series myself. But I first wanted to see the film that the TV series was based upon.

This is a carefully crafted film about the somewhat dubious role that football is allowed to play in the lives of small town Americans. What many people seem to miss in seeing the film is the deeply critical aspects of the film. While the struggles of Permian High School to overcome the loss of their star player Boobie Miles -- who is portrayed as a 1988 high school equivalent of today's Darren McFadden of Arkansas (like McFadden, Miles is portrayed as someone who is spectacularly fast, a great receiver, and even an accomplished passer) -- take center stage, there is also a quiet but pervasive criticism of the role that football is allowed to play in people's lives in this small town. There is the sadness of several former players who have never been able to find meaning in their lives after hanging up their cleats. There is also the poignancy of people utterly obsessed with the failure or success of the local high school team, as if there was some connection between the quality of their lives and the fate of the team. From the beginning to the end of the movie there is a sense that these are people without lives, so that while on one level we celebrate the victories of the team on another we experience a deep sadness. I kept thinking of something Kierkegaard wrote while watching the movie. He distinguished between the comic and the tragic, characterizing the latter as regarding with finite interest that which ought to be of eternal interest, while identifying the comic as regarding something finite as of eternal interest. In this sense, the movie is at its heart a tragicomedy. The movie doesn't explore precisely why these people have such sad lives, but it leaves no question at the end that they do.

This is a very slick movie, which is impressive given that it was essentially a low budget film (it was made for around $30 million) with a very large cast. As a result the film has pretty much a no name cast, the only actor that most people would be familiar with being Billy Bob Thornton. But the film never reveals its low budget. From beginning to end every aspect is highly polished.

I mentioned the way that the movie criticizes our obsession with football and how this obsession is contrasted with the fundamental emptiness in the lives of the characters in the film. The two characters who most display these aspects of the film are the aforementioned Boobie Miles and former star Charles Billingsley, played by country music star Tim McGraw. The only thing that Miles has going for him at the start of the film is his athletic ability and as we hear him struggling to read a recruiting letter we realize that he is borderline illiterate. When he learns that his knee injury is far worse than anyone imagined he realizes how little life has to offer him. He is a man with rapidly collapsing horizons. Billingsley, on the other hand, has only his memories of having starred for Permian. He relentlessly drives his son to achieve a similar kind of success so that he can relive some of it vicariously.

This film in the end is not a celebration of football, but a paean on our excessive obsession with what is, in the end, only a game. It does not mean that football is devoid of all redeeming values, but it does mean to point out that there is more to life than football.

Small Town Football.......2007-03-17

"Friday Night Lights", the inspiration for the 2006-2007 TV series of the same name, is an unflinchingly look at a small, economically-depressed Texas town where the only exciting event is the Friday night high school football game. That kind of spotlight creates intense expectations for the Permian High School Football Team to succeed, causing players to make tough choices and live with the consequences.

Billy Bob Thornton does an inspiring turn as the football coach who rallies the team after a season-ending injury to a key player. His leadership and mentoring of the team causes the players to come together and make the best of their situation and of each other. The movie avoids a cliche ending but leaves the viewer with the sense that what the players accomplish together will be with them all their lives.

This film is highly recommended as an excellent capture of high school sports as preparation for the challenges of adult life.

A great movie!.......2007-02-21

I don't claim to be a movie critic, I'm just a regular guy. And I thought this movie was one of the best sports movies that I've ever seen! I would rank it right up there with Hoosiers, Rudy and Remember the Titans. It's not necessarily a feel-good movie, like the others I mentioned, but it's just a great story! The west-Texas realism is outstanding!

Average customer rating:

Very Realistic Football Film
Friday Nights
Definitely an above average sports film
Small Town Football
A great movie!

Friday Night Lights [HD DVD]
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton , Lucas Black (II) , Garrett Hedlund , Derek Luke , and Jay Hernandez
Director: Josh Pate , Peter Berg , and Mark Piznarski
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000FGG60C
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Description

A genuine stand-up-and-cheer movie about a courageous high school football team's fight to fulfill their destiny and live their dream, Friday Night Lights is "unforgettable and real!" (Larry King) Billy Bob Thornton stars in a true American story of how one legendary Texas town made hope come alive under the exhilarating glare of Friday Night Lights! "One of the greatest sports stories ever told" (Sports Illustrated) is now "one of the greatest sports movies ever made!" (Larry King)

Customer Reviews:

Very Realistic Football Film.......2007-09-09

Friday Nights.......2007-05-17

Definitely an above average sports film.......2007-04-10

Small Town Football.......2007-03-17

A great movie!.......2007-02-21

Friday Night Lights (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Very Realistic Football Film
Friday Nights
Definitely an above average sports film
Small Town Football
A great movie!

Friday Night Lights (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton , Lucas Black (II) , Garrett Hedlund , Derek Luke , and Jay Hernandez
Director: Peter Berg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Sports | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: B0006IJ5PM
Release Date: 2005-01-18

Customer Reviews:

Very Realistic Football Film.......2007-09-09

Friday Nights.......2007-05-17

Definitely an above average sports film.......2007-04-10

Small Town Football.......2007-03-17

A great movie!.......2007-02-21

1: The Story Behind the Longest Winning Streak in Football History

Average customer rating:

The Story Behind the Longest Winning Streak in Football History
More Than Just a Football Documentary
Can Someone Please Help Me.
A must if you love the purity of High School Athletics...or simply love athletics
Excellent insight into the De La Salle football program

1: The Story Behind the Longest Winning Streak in Football History
Starring: Maurice Drew; Bob Ladouceur
Director: Tim O'Hara
Manufacturer: goingdigitalfilms, LLC
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Documentary | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Sports | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000693YI0
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Product Description

EXCLUSIVELY OFFERED BY GOINGDIGITALFILMS---Brand New DVDs--LIMITED FIRST PRODUCTION RUN--ORDER Yours Today! DVD FEATURES: Additional 45min Edited Version (No Explicit Language), Filmmakers Commentary Track, Deleted Scenes, Extended Football Games, 2 Additional Speeches by Head Coach Bob Ladouceur, 2 Teaser Trailers, Photo Gallery, Production Notes and More... You've heard the staggering statistics.... 151 consecutive wins....0 losses in the span of a decade... A winning percentage over 90% since 1979... You'd think it was a high school football factory, you'll find it's something much more... 1 is a rare behind-the-scenes chronicle of the most successful high school football team ever and follows the De La Salle Spartans through a season on a quest not to win another championship or break another national record, but on a journey to become a cohesive team bound by love. Recommended for anyone interested in the factors behind phenomenal team success, high school, football, greatest sports stories or teen development. It's not about X's and O's. It's about having faith in something larger than yourself. Feature length version contains some explicit language. Edited version contains no explicit language.

Customer Reviews:

The Story Behind the Longest Winning Streak in Football History.......2007-08-26

This film will give people an opportunity to analyze the mindset and climate created by Coach Ladouceur and the De La Salle coaching staff. You will also learn the importance of brotherhood between children and adults. The director and producers did an outstanding job at giving us a visual description of the mystery behind the streak. This is a must see for anyone interested in being successful in the professional world of sports and business.

More Than Just a Football Documentary.......2007-01-09

I have purchased this video twice now, the first I loaned to a friend and he never returned it!
This DVD is a great documentary that gives a glimpse of a football power built on discipline, dedication and strong interpersonal relationships, with football success a manifestation of these qualities.
I recommend reading the book "When the Game Stands Tall" and watch this DVD and you will gain a great insight to DeLaSalle and their program as they were both done over the same time period.
A great video for athletes, coaches, students, etc. I cannot recommend it enough

Can Someone Please Help Me........2006-05-26

I am trying to find a way to get this film on DVD, but I am running into deadend after deadend. Does anyone know why its in unavailable ? Can anyone help me ? I Have sent emails to the GDFilms website, and made phone calss but have recieved no responce. PLEASE HELP !!!!

Please contact me with info at
ruebels2k3@yahoo.com

A must if you love the purity of High School Athletics...or simply love athletics.......2005-11-24

"1: The Story..." is a must in every coach and sport's fan DVD library. I first caught on to this story as most of us did: little blurbs on the news and small anecdotes in the paper. When I saw that goingdigital films and Tim O'Hara had spent a season with the team, I decided to take a shot and order this DVD.
I should mention that I coach softball and girls soccer, and when I showed the girls soccer team pieces of the DVD they were immediately hooked. We were looking to start a tradition of excellence of our own based on hard work, honesty, morals and Christian values. The girls instituted aspects from the documentary such as chapel time and committment cards into our own season. As a matter of fact, at our first chapel the girls stood up and hugged to seal their committments to each other just as Coach Ladoceur's players do after their own team chapels.
These ideas have become the basis of what we did (and still do), and the cohesion we picked up from Coach Laudceur, his team and his staff were a major inspiration that created our success.
When other coaches at my school found out about Tim O'Hara's work and how we were using it, they began to ask to borrow the DVD. Now, nearly a year later, the DVD has been widely viewed and highly appreciated by nearly every coach in our building.
The beauty of this story is that it's not about football. It's about sports, life and the love of teammates. It's about a coach who has stayed humble (despite ridiculous success), who never preaches the sermon but simply lives it, and who might just knock you off your seat with his dry delivery of powerful words.
Shot beautifully, this DVD captures the essence of high school sports and the true definition of "success" at this level. It's not always pretty, it's not always joyful, but at its best it is pure and honest. In a day of Terrel Owens arbitration cases, steroid-using baseball players and coaches who seem to have lost their influence to players who make three times what they do, "1: The Story..." reminds us that we can still go out to the local ballfield and catch sports at its best.
And if you're a coach, it reminds you that your job matters for all the right reasons.

Excellent insight into the De La Salle football program.......2005-05-19

I've been going to De La Salle football games for a long time now, ever since "the streak" started. Like most people that follow the program, I would always find myself asking "How do they do it"? How do they win so many games against the high level of compitetion that they play? This excellent documentary answers all of these questions and the answers are not what you would think. They do it by getting the kids to commit to each other, to their community, and to themselves. By following around the coaches and players for a year, the viewer is able to get direct insight into the program. It is almost surreal to see how well the kids bond to one another through these techniques; teenage boys crying and telling each other how much they love and mean to one another. You don't even have to have an interest in football to enjoy this film. If you are at all interested in the development and education of young men and women then this film will do you great good.

Average customer rating:

Disappointed
Friday Nights In America
Not worth it

Friday Nights in America
Starring: Friday Nights in America
Manufacturer: Arts Alliance Amer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000787ZTO
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Product Description

More people attend high school football games than all pro and college games combined. Join us on a fascinating journey to discover why these games remain America's most popular event. Is it just a small town phenomena? Why do so many fans attach so much of their identities to the fate of their home team? How do these games manage to blur the lines between color, wealth, age and gender? From the prairies of west Texas, to the cotton fields of Georgia, from abandoned steel mill towns in W. PA to affluent Concord, CA and the #1 team in the nation, FRIDAY NIGHTS IN AMERICA goes behind-the-scenes to uncover the magic of the Friday night spectacle

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2005-07-08

This documentary is not very in-depth and was not made very well. It seemed to be made in a hurry as there are some obvious mistakes and was not made with much detail. Only a few schools across the country are represented, so I don't see how that reflects the title, Friday Nights in AMERICA, indicating that schools across the entire country would be discussed. Overall I was very disappointed.

Friday Nights In America.......2005-04-21

I was taken on a magical journey inside the phenomenon of high school football in our country. I loved the segment on "The Muck Bowl" in the Everglades of S. Florida. I was truly impressed with the story on De La Salle High School and their articulate and compassionate head coach.
I was saddened, yet enlghtened, by the closing of so many high schools in western PA due to the loss of their steel mills. It really hit home when I saw towns that had lost their local prep team, also lose their identities. This was a revealing contrast. All in all, it taught me that millions of people invest large portions of themselves in the fate of their H.S. teams every friday night in the fall. A wonderful documentary. Well told.

Not worth it.......2005-03-01

This is the worst documentary I've ever seen and is truly not worth the money. The main point is not argued well and it is generally not well done. I was expecting to find out why "more people attend high school football games than all pro and college games combined" because that is the very first statement presented to the audience. However, the film is more about old-time rivals and how great it is to win than about why communities give greater support to high school teams over pro and college teams. Furthermore, only a handful of teams are presented, and I wasn't convinced that they represent American high school football as a whole, especially because every team ends up winning. The documentary fails to capture the excitement and tension of high school football games. In addition, I was disgusted by the fact that there were spelling errors. "Coach" is misspelled "Caoch" on two different occasions, and "Receiver" is misspelled "Reciever."

Overall, I was not entertained and did not learn anything new about high school football by watching this documentary. If you want to watch a film that truly captures the essence of high school football and wonderfully portrays a sense of tradition and excitement on a Friday night, buy "Friday Night Lights," or even "Varsity Blues."

Average customer rating:

One Night Stand
More a poem for the eyes and ears than a film
The open space before commitment.
A brilliant film from a brilliant artist!
Pretty bad

Friday Night
Starring: Valérie Lemercier , Vincent Lindon , Hélène de Saint-Père , Hélène Fillières , and Florence Loiret
Director: Claire Denis
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B0000C23D1
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Amazon.com

Like the other films of French director Claire Denis, Friday Night exists in a realm of glances, skin, and dreams. Working with basic elements, Denis (whose previous films were the hypnotic Beau Travail and the scary Trouble Every Day) fashions an often-wordless liaison between a woman caught in a huge Paris traffic jam (there's a transportation strike going on) and the stranger she picks up in her car. Their brief encounter is the simplest of situations, but Denis grounds it in the exactly realized locations of their courtship: car interior, hotel room, late-night restaurant. And, of course, in the expressive faces of the two actors: Valerie Lemercier, best known for her comic roles, and Vincent Lindon (late of Chaos). The dreamlike rhythms of the piece will undoubtedly defeat some viewers, but if you give yourself over to the movie's spell, it will come alive. --Robert Horton

Description

Claire Denis' visually stunning and sensual film explores a chance encounter between two strangers who meet in the middle of a transit strike and wind up changing their lives forever.

Customer Reviews:

One Night Stand.......2005-07-24

Claire Denis' beautiful one night stand with her audience. One night with a total stranger sans baggage. It didn't happen before & won't happen again. Note we have an early hint when the woman is preparing to move in with her boyfriend, however she can't throw out that flashy dress.

More a poem for the eyes and ears than a film.......2005-04-04

If you're looking for action, thrills, an intricate plot and a cliff hanger of an ending, this is not the film for you. But if you're content to find a lyrical, seamless, gentle film about two strangers sharing a night for no other reason than curiosity and affection, you'll be pleasantly surprised by Friday Night. Sometimes people share their bodies and perhaps even their hearts for a night without the world collapsing aound their ears, without people being hurt, without a thousand words of drama and heartache. Friday Night portrays such a night, wrapped in superb camerawork (you can always tell when a cinematographer started out as a still photographer,) ethereal, lighter than air music (I'll buy this DVD if only for that, as there seems to be no soundtrack cd) and editing which allows us to be caressed by the quiet moments. Someone once said that the music is between the notes, and the editor and director understand this. An unusual, sensual, quiet little experience for the film fan weary of overacted, explosive American fare. If you've experienced a one night stand or two, you may find yourself wishing they had been this uncomplicated and enjoyable.

The open space before commitment........2004-09-02

Laure (Valerie Lemercier) is moving out of her apartment to move in with her boyfriend. Almost all of her possessions are packed and labeled, with the exception of a few she needs to decide on. Her home, the area that belongs to her completely is in her car. In the midst of Paris' transit strike, she gives a lift to Jean (Vincent Lindon).

That is a brief description of the beginning of Madame Denis' wonderful Vendredi Soir. Very few films are paced so exquisitely showing us the first stages of attraction and desire as this one did. The shots of Laure watching Jean's hands, Jean removing Laure's glove to caress her hand and their decisive brush against each other on the staircase are some of the loveliest and most romantic images I've seen on film.

Desire is sometimes fleeting, but almost always memorizable. Yes, their affair is brief but during it, you can almost see them both noting, analyzing and remembering. The final shot of Laure, dressed and ready to go, as she gently touches Jean was both her and our exit out of the gorgeous, romantic fantasy that was this movie.

A brilliant film from a brilliant artist!.......2004-08-31

I had to sign up as a reviewer just to counter the terribly uninsightful customer reviews of this film. This is great film! An historic film! Claire Denis is a courageous filmmaker precisely because she does not pander to the audience's expecations; she does not conform to the conventions of Hollywood-influenced filmmaking. Instead she pursues the kind of quiet drama that unfolds in real life with remarkable insight into character, with remarkable compassion for humanity. As a result, her films might sometimes seem slow, or seem as though little is happening. But what you get is far more amazing than a sinking "Titanic": You get a real picture of the sort of real drama that occurs between real people in their real lives. Imagine a love story between people who are not more beautiful, not more amazing, not more different than you and I -- imagine a love story between people like us -- and then imagine a filmmaker who can capture all of its minute nuance. That is greatness. That is Claire Denis. That is "Friday Night."

Pretty bad.......2004-03-28

Okay, I'm a big Claire Denis fan--the sublime "Chocolat," "Nenette and Boni," even "Beau Travail"--but this one is worse than pretty bad, really. It's downright awful. All, that is, but the stunning opening shot over the roofs of Paris.

Average customer rating:

Sorry's Not Good Enough/Friday Night
Starring: Mcfly
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B000L22TC4
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Average customer rating:

Nice Little Movie
Another Totally Implausible WWII Propaganda Film
Friday steals the show!
Just a lot of fun!
A Solid B Movie With A Blind Detective And Ruthless Nazi Spies

Eyes in the Night
Starring: Edward Arnold , Ann Harding , Donna Reed , Stephen McNally , and Katherine Emery
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: B00008AOUV
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Customer Reviews:

Nice Little Movie.......2006-11-17

This is a Thin Man movie with a dash of Val Lewton hastily thrown in. Not quite your typical film noir, but close to it. Nazi's? Donna Reed behaves like a Nazi, completely against type, even though she is unaware of all the real goings on. She treats her stepmother cruelly, and even accuses her of murder. (Cue the blind detective. Only at the end does she show any remorse. No wonder the characters were so brutal! Two murders, a hostage situation, and a German shepherd guide dog for a rescuer makes for a riot of a film. A little bit of slapstick is thrown in to make this MGM movie from 1942 funny. The print could have been better. Certain scenes are a little murky, inclunding the credits, on my new widescreen Toshiba television. The black and white is not as vibrantly displayed as on a Turner DVD, but for $7.98 or less, this is worth it, until Turner releases it, after which I would recommend an upgrade. All in all, an improvement over most Alpha titles, and a nice form of entertainment.

Another Totally Implausible WWII Propaganda Film.......2006-10-03

Another WWII Implausible Propaganda Film
"Eyes in the Night" is another example of the power of WWII propaganda to freeze the brains of screenwriters. Adapted from a decent detective novel, the Nazi spy element was amped up to cash in on home front paranoia. Along with the better detective elements went most of the logic, suspense, and character motivation of the original story. In its place is a confused mess that even Director Fred Zinnemann (later to do "High Noon" and "Here to Eternity") could not salvage.

Along with simplistic motivation you will find a lot of stupid pet tricks as the blind detective's (Duncan Maclain played by Edward Arnold) seeing eye dog can open doors and obey vague fetch commands that confuse his step-and-fetch-it black servant (Mantan Moreland).

Set in the United States, Duncan's long-time friend Norma (Ann Harding) lives on a country estate with her new husband who for unknown reasons stores top secret scientific plans in his small unguarded wall safe. You know they are critical to the war effort because the spies say they are worth ten armored divisions. As the story unfolds it is slowly revealed that almost everyone is a Nazi spy; the entire household staff, a community theatre group, and a few guys of unknown origin. There are almost enough German personnel to fill up those ten armored divisions.

Although they enjoy a huge numerical advantage the spies conveniently wait around until Norma and her husband leave town to make their move on the safe.

A melodramatic back-story concerns Norma's relationship with her new stepdaughter and aspiring actress Barbara (Donna Reed). Barbara is supposed to be just 17 but Reed was in her early 20's and looked about 30. Harding (as always) is quite good and Reed (as always) is quite bad, the talent disparity gives their scenes together a farcical quality. These actually are bad enough to give the movie a certain camp appeal. Reed might be the only aspiring movie actress to have been challenged by the role of an aspiring movie actress.

Zinnemann does infuse his production with a certain style. Playing off the blindness of his main character with frequent blackouts and generally understated lighting. There may never have been a feature film whose negative had less exposure to light than this one did.

Arnold's performance is a bit over the top, apparently compensating for his character's blindness with aggressive flailing (imagine an extremely fat man replacing Patty Duke as Helen Kellor) and a loud voice.

Along with Harding, Katherine Emery (a stage actress in her film debut) gives a great understated performance as the leader of the huge band of Nazi's. She may remind "Narnia" viewers of the best performance in that film, Tilda Swinton's White Witch.

There are no extras on the DVD but it is a very good print.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Friday steals the show!.......2006-03-22

To be honest about it, I got this disc by mistake, thinking it was another film. It turns out that the mistake was a brilliant one, because "Eyes in the Night" is a near-forgotten gem. This is a movie that should be a favorite in the rotation on TCM, but somehow it escapes notice.

The plot centers around a blind detective played by Edward Arnold (very effectively) who appears from the very beginning to be an eccentric sort. At first glance, you might mistake him for a gruff Nero Wolfe clone, but any such misconception melts away when you discover that there's no Archie Goodwin here to do all the leg work. No, Arnold does his own, with the able assistance of his seeing eye dog, Friday.

Arnold's niece has married a wealthy inventor doing government work. Her strained relationship with her step-daughter gets worse when a lover they shared is murdered. The girl blames her step-mother, who seeks Arnold's help in finding the real killer.

As it turns out, that murder is the tip of an iceberg of espionage, and the victim belonged to a ring of spies seeking the inventor's latest classified formula! Arnold finds himself trapped in the house with the family, prisoners of the spies. That's when the blind man shows what he can do! And most of all, that's when Friday gets serious!

I won't ruin it for you, but let's just say that Friday engages in canine heroics that would give Rin-Tin-Tin and Lassie both inferiority complexes. Actually, the animal stunts are fairly spectacular, even if the dog's intelligence level seemed to surpass that of just about anyone else in the movie (not that Arnold's human helpers are that hard to top in the mental category, another fun part of the movie). When Friday escapes from a locked basement, it's almost worthy of McGyver!

"Eyes in the Night" is a great blend of action, mystery, and humor. There are a few stretches where the film drags briefly, but it doesn't hurt the overall product. This is a load of fun. Friday alone makes it worth watching. Arnold's effective performance and the antics of his zany non-canine employees are just bonuses!

Just a lot of fun!.......2006-03-05

This film will provide a good solid evening of entertainment. Yes, it is a Grade B detective film from the 40's, but it contains some distinctive, fun moments. The detective (played by Edward Arnold) is blind and must employ his own set of tricks to nab the bad guys. His Dog FRIDAY is a hoot. This dog is brighter than most of the humans in the movie! It is worth the price of the film to watch this dog act! Donna Reed at her youngest, is one of the female actresses, she adds a bit of interest in her "bad girl" routine.
To sum it up, this is a film that provides a good entertainment. It certainly is different!

A Solid B Movie With A Blind Detective And Ruthless Nazi Spies.......2006-01-16

Eyes in the Night has Nazi spies with a ruthless leader, a country home atmosphere, a spoiled daughter and a noble stepmother, and a secret in a safe that, in 1942, is worth ten armored divisions to the Germans. Most of all, it has a smart, confidant, resourceful private detective who happens to be blind.

Duncan Maclain (Edward Arnold) lost his sight in WWI. Now he's a successful detective who has mastered Braille, judo, and has honed his other senses to a keen edge. He has as his associates a tough but humorous assistant (Allan Jenkins) and his smart guide dog, Friday. One day he's visited by an old acquaintance, Norma Lawry (Ann Harding), for whom he has great affection. "You're just as beautiful as ever," he says, after "seeing" her face with his fingertips. "The only time I miss not having eyes is when you're around." Norma has married a scientist who is working on a great discovery for the war effort. Her daughter, Barbara Lawry (Donna Reed), however, dislikes her intensely, wants to be an actress and has begun seeing the lead in a play they're rehearsing. The man is a cad who had also wooed Norma before she married Barbara's husband. Norma wants Mac to help her discourage the actor, but one night someone does it first and permanently. The actor is killed, the body disappears and Mac suspects there is more to things than meets the eye. When he visits Norma's country estate, he quickly finds a nest of Nazi spies intent on learning the secret Norma's husband has discovered.

There's murder to be done, men to be tortured, a safe to be broken into and the ruthlessness of the Nazis to be exposed. Mac Maclain must use all his wiles, from acting like a drunk to strong-arming a few of the bad guys. "Where are you?" cries one of the Nazis, trapped in the darkened basement with no bullets left in his revolver. "In the dark," Maclain says quietly, "In the dark. In my kingdom." It's quiet for a minute. Then there's a strangled cry. He even matches erudite quotations on blindness with the butler, topping the man with these words from John Milton, "O loss of sight, of thee I most complain! Blind among enemies! O worse than chains, dungeon, or beggary, or decrepit age!" Maclain may be blind among enemies, but it doesn't slow him down at all. Eventually Maclain beats the Nazis at their own game, with the help of Friday, and Norma and Barbara are reconciled.

This is one of the many, many well-crafted B movies turned out in the Forties. It's a tight story of espionage, made interesting by the skills and cleverness of the blind Duncan Maclain. Edward Arnold, one the of the great Hollywood character actors, dominates the movie with his characteristic blend of confidence and good humor. One of the villains (it's no secret; we learn her true nature early on) is played by an actress named Katherine Emery. She made only a dozen or so films, preferring the stage. She's a forbidding combination of Gale Sondergaard and Mercedes McCambridge. She is eerily self-possessed. Typical of many of the films of the era, there's a black servant, played by Mantan Moreland, who is all rolling eyes. There is a roster of actors with familiar faces or whose faces will be, such as Reginald Denny, Rosemary DeCamp, John Emery, Steven Geray, Barry Nelson and Steven McNally (billed as Horace McNally). It's also worth remembering that first-class directors such as Fred Zinnemann, who later made such films as From Here to Eternity, High Noon, A Man for All Seasons and The Day of the Jackal, learned their craft by making studio programers like Eyes in the Night.

This Alpha Video is in better shape than we might have expected. It's watchable. There are no extras and only six chapter stops.

Average customer rating:

Friday Night Lights Season 1 Volume 1

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

Product Description

Actors: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Color, Dolby Language: Spanish Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.) Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Number of discs: 3 Rating NOT RATED Studio: Universal Studios DVD Release Date: August 28, 2007 Run Time: 559 MINUTES

DVD:

DVD

DVD