Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

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Considered by many to be the greatest B movie ever made, the original-release version of Orson Welles's film noir masterpiece Touch of Evil was, ironically, never intended as a B movie at all--it merely suffered that fate after it was taken away from writer-director Welles, then reedited and released in 1958 as the second half of a double feature. Time and critical acclaim would eventually elevate the film to classic status (and Welles's original vision was meticulously followed for the film's 1998 restoration), but for four decades this original version stood as a testament to Welles's directorial genius. From its astonishing, miraculously choreographed opening shot (lasting over three minutes) to Marlene Dietrich's classic final line of dialogue, this sordid tale of murder and police corruption is like a valentine for the cinematic medium, with Welles as its love-struck suitor. As the corpulent cop who may be involved in a border-town murder, Welles faces opposition from a narcotics officer (Charlton Heston) whose wife (Janet Leigh) is abducted and held as the pawn in a struggle between Heston's quest for truth and Welles's control of carefully hidden secrets. The twisting plot is wildly entertaining (even though it's harder to follow in this original version), but even greater pleasure is found in the pulpy dialogue and the sheer exuberance of the dazzling directorial style. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

stop talking mexican..........2007-08-11

"It is not supposed to be easy. Only in a police state being a policeman is easy". If there ever was a story about crime and corruption, this one takes the cake. A very unique & avant-garde film with surreal characters in a super-real world. Outrageous Akim Tamiroff as 'Uncle Joe' at his best and unforgettable.

Unique as Film Noir.......2007-08-09

Orson Welles, as Hank Quinlin, offers his own view of film noir. Of course, at the beginning of the film, it states that those editing it wished to stay as close to what Orson intended, in it's making. TO me, Orson takes a page from righ out of his character, Will Varner, in The Long Hot Summer. His acting skill as a crude, clever, bawdy, worn out Detective, who wants to run all of those in whom he runs into, in his course of administrative sleuthing is unmatched. To me this is the style character Orson was made for. And I must say that the film had a good cast - with other leading stars of the day - like Charleton Heston and Janet Leigh. Charleton Heston's Character running into Orson's - as Ole Hank, reminds me of what Forest Gump said in getting a box of chocolates, "you never know what you're going to get." I highly recommend this film, but I must admit I am a great fan of Orson Welles, and anything he acts in. Great stuff!

Touch of Evil.......2007-06-27

The director's original version is restored for this DVD, to powerful effect. Welles creates a desolate night-time world in the dirty town of Los Robles, a forgotten speck on the map where everyone seems to carry a nasty secret. Lurid, almost surreal atmosphere is complemented by uniformly first-rate performances, with Heston and Leigh never better, Welles himself a bloated symbol of moral decay, and Akim Tamiroff memorably slimy as a local crime boss. Don't miss Marlene Dietrich playing a gypsy- as you might guess, she gets the final word. A cult movie with a capital "C".

Orson Wells.......2007-03-19

well worth seeing. A Wells classic, that just has not aged

Touch of a master........2007-02-28

Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)

The American Experience documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane concludes with the observation that after the scandal that erupted over Kane, Orson Welles "never worked on another major Hollywood production." Which is pretty amazing, when you consider how many of Welles' post-Kane movies are acknowledged as classics nowadays. After Kane, Welles plunged himself deep into the world of noir (one wonders what Jung would have to say about that) and continued cranking out fantastic movies. Seventeen years later, Welles made his second-best movie-- Touch of Evil, the very epitome of the things that make noir great.

Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston) is a Mexican (yeah, yeah, but suspend your disbelief) narcotics officer who's just gotten married to Susan (Janet Leigh), a Philadelphia socialite. On the eve of their honeymoon, someone plants a bomb in the car of a rich American on the Mexican side of the border, and the bomb explodes on the American side. This brings Vargas into contact with Hank Quinlan (Welles), a corrupt, racist American detective who tries to railroad Manelo Sanchez (Victor Millan, last seen in Scarface), the victim's daughter's boyfriend, by planting evidence at the crime scene. Vargas, meanwhile, is also being pursued by Joe Grandi (Justine's Akim Tamiroff), a crime boss whose brother Vargas arrested. All the threads eventually come together in the most entertaining of ways; the movie's climactic scene has been copied (and parodied) so many times that by now it's a cliché. But remember that it wasn't in 1958; this is as good as it gets.

Orson Welles' directorial prowess was as legendary as his excesses. Rent a Welles movie at random, and you're pretty much guaranteed a good time. Some of his movies, though, deliver more universally than others; Citizen Kane seems to be the favorite of most folks. Mine has always been The Stranger. But Touch of Evil stands with both. This is great stuff, an absolute must for film fans. **** ½

Average customer rating:

Bleak House a terrific mini-series
Bleak House
Fantastic
Very Great Performance
I Don't Care If You Hate Dickens - BUY THIS!

Bleak House
Starring: Gillian Anderson , Alun Armstrong , and Charlie Brooks
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CEXG0U
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Amazon.com

Andrew Davies isn't much of household name in the U.S., but he's the king of the BBC mini-series. His skillfully adapted scripts for Pride & Prejudice (the beloved Colin Firth version) and many, many more are peerless examples of classic novels done right--cunningly edited and shaped to let all the rich emotion and sharp intelligence spill over with zip and vigor. Bleak House is no exception; it's one of the best Dickens adaptations to date. The mini-series form allows Dickens' panoramic view, brimming with eccentric characters and complex turns of plot, to sprawl out without losing an iota of suspense or momentum. Two innocent young orphans (Patrick Kennedy and Carey Mulligan) are the potential heirs to a fortune, but their fates are snarled in a monumental legal battle known as Jarndyce and Jarndyce. But the heart of the story is another orphan, Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin), whose mysterious parentage proves to be intertwined with the fate of the Jarndyce wards and the aloof Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files). Dickens' story twines through an excoriating vision of the legal system to heartbreaking domestic drama to a murder investigation to near-Gothic horror, all broken into utterly delicious half-hour segments (after the hour-long opening episode). Martin is utterly beguiling, homely at one moment and luminous the next; Anderson's grippingly eerie and brittle performance will delight her fans. But to single out anyone seems absurd, because every character--from the vicious lawyer Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance, White Mischief) to the foppish parasite Skimpole (Nathaniel Parker, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries) to the simpering clerk Guppy (Burn Gorman)--is intricately drawn, all hitting a mesmerizing balance between caricature and stark emotional honesty. Bleak House demonstrates that humor, pathos, and social criticism can all be contained in one wonderfully entertaining package. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Bleak House a terrific mini-series.......2007-09-13

Bleak House is exceptionally well-done. It has a great story, interesting quirky characters, excellent production values, and terrific acting. It is a drama, not a romance. It is not bleak. Good character studies. Entertaining and well worth your time. One of the top half dozen mini-series I've ever seen.

Bleak House.......2007-09-02

I loved this. I found the tale held my interest from beginning to end. The cast was exactly right. There were so many of my favourites to spot. A good choice.

Fantastic.......2007-08-30

I saw Bleak House in part watching Masterpiece Theater on PBS some months ago, but somhow managed to miss the conclusion. Which left me painfully eager to know how it all came out. And so I was thrilled to find it available through my online rental service. I am a Period Film addict and for the most part really enjoy when classic novels are brought to screens, big and small. The BBC has in my opinion an unrivaled talent for this, and has created some of the most beautiful and faithful adeptatians I've seen. So as I say having seen some of the miniseries already, My expectations for the ending were quite high, but even so Bleak House left me utterly speachless. Every aspect of this film is incredible. The film as a whole is almost indiscribably good.

The Acting was superb from top to tail, everyone seemed ti inhabit the very skin of their charater, but even amoung these there were performances that knocked my over.

Gillan Anderson, as the ill fated Lady Deadlock.
Anna Maxwell Martin, as the indomitable Esther Summerson.
Burn Gorman, as Guppy I couldn't help but like him.
Katie Angelou, as the sweetest little girl ever Charlie Neckett
"Shake me up Judy" Philip Davis, as Smallweed
Hugo Speer, as Sergeant George
Alun Armstrong, as Inspector Bucket
Charles Dance, as Mr. I got what I deserved Tulkinghorn
and for some reason I'm not sure of. Johnny Vegas, as Krook

My hands down favorite scene: (for the benefit of those who havn't read the book, or seen the series) A certain mother daughter reunion.

as Compulsively watchable as the BBC's Pride and Prejudice, you really gatta see this.

Very Great Performance.......2007-08-25

After seeing this series on PBS/KET I decided to buy the discs for a sister-in-law. But, I haven't sent it out to her yet. I'm afraid she's going to get a used copy ;0)

I Don't Care If You Hate Dickens - BUY THIS!.......2007-08-01

I am not a Dickens fan, and I think Bleak House as a book is almost unreadable. But this production takes that book and makes it into a TERRIFIC series.

All the performances are great, but the "Show Stealer" is Anna Maxwell Martin as Esther Summerson, the lead character/narrator. Ms Martin is "Letter Perfect."

I have given this DVD to a couple of friends who also are not particular fans of Charlie D. All had the same reaction that I did. So BUY IT!

Average customer rating:

I do not feel ALONE Anymore
Thoroughly engaging *Spoliers*
Ben Kingsley is awesome, the movie is not
Ben Kingsley's acting is wonderful but the rest of the movie is a real downer............
Mostly Good for It's Performances

House of Sand and Fog
Starring: Jennifer Connelly , Ben Kingsley , Ron Eldard , Frances Fisher , and Kim Dickens
Director: Vadim Perelman
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
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ASIN: B0001DMVBC
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Amazon.com

Jennifer Connelly followed up her Academy Award for A Beautiful Mind with this dark but moving story of small mistakes that escalate, with tragic necessity, to disaster. In House of Sand and Fog, Kathy (Connelly) gets evicted from her house for failing to pay a tax she never should have been charged in the first place. The house is swiftly put up for auction and bought by a former military officer from Iran named Behrani (Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast). When legal efforts fail her, Kathy turns to a sympathetic cop (Ron Eldard, Bastard Out of Carolina), who wants out of a loveless marriage and who's willing to step over legal boundaries if it might give him a fresh start. Topnotch performances by the entire cast make House of Sand and Fog a compelling psychological drama; your sympathies will be pulled in all directions. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Academy Award winners Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) deliver stunning performances as two strangers whose conflicting pursuits of the American Dream lead to a fight for their hopes at any cost. What begins as a struggle over a rundown bungalow spirals into a clash that propels everyone involved toward a shocking resolution. "The surprise ending will leave you breathless!" (Clay Smith, Access Hollywood)

Customer Reviews:

I do not feel ALONE Anymore.......2007-08-14

It is an EXCELLENT movie. I feel it touch and reflect perfectly the loneliness which we (Persian) feel in the western world. Powerful play by Sir Ben Kingsley and indeed, my flow Persian actors Shohreh Aghadashloo. I highly recommend it.
Abbas Ghadimi, Ireland.

Thoroughly engaging *Spoliers*.......2007-07-13

4.5 stars. I don't know what I was expecting when I popped this movie in the old dvd player, but it wasn't this. A simple mistake sets off an incredible domino effect that leds to a stunning ending. There's no way the audience can take sides because both parties are in the right. I think the only character that was missing a serious amount of marables was Deputy Burdon. Nothing this man did made sense and it is more him than the two opposing parties that escalates this bad situation into a colossal mess. Whenever I thought his character was doing something holy unbelievable, I'd think about the stories that sometimes makes the ten o'clock news. (Kiddnapping, diaper-wearing astronaunts anyone?) But what makes this film a winner is the remarkable performance by Kingsley. Connelly, though beautiful, always seem to sleep walk through her performances. They're not horrible, but not very memorable. That includes A Beautiful Mind. When I think of that Oscar vehicle, it's not her character that sticks out, it's Crowe.
Back to this movie, House of Sand and Fog, is a a good film and is truely worth your time, but be prepared to be a little depressed when the credits roll.

Ben Kingsley is awesome, the movie is not.......2007-06-13

What could have been a great movie turned out to be a nothing movie. Ben Kingsley is excellent and gives 110% in everything he does. Jennifer Connelly was fine too and the other actors did well.

The story itself is the problem. A boring story of a girl that is angry over losing her house. You wait and wait and wait for something exciting to happen if not at least something interesting.

It doesn't. Not until the end when Ben Kingsley and his wife commit suicide.
There, I just saved you some valuable cash. Now you owe me!

Ben Kingsley's acting is wonderful but the rest of the movie is a real downer...................2007-05-26

Ben Kingsley's acting is remarkable in the film as he convincingly plays a former high ranking Iranian colonel dealing with a much lower style of living in the U.S. Jennifer Connelly is able to evoke the audience's sympathy despite her character being remarkably dumb and inept. The movie is compelling at first with an interesting and unique plot but the nightmarish ending made it difficult for me to find real enjoyment in the film. And the real estate legal situations as well as the colonel and his wife's sudden decision to take in and help the "angel bird" did not see realistic. I suppose there is a message to be learned from the movie in regards to what is really important in life but the main impression I took away from the film was the very tragic and rather graphic ending.

Mostly Good for It's Performances.......2007-05-11

House of Sand and Fog is a hopeless but convincing tragedy about contested houses and broken pasts. It is morbid and profound enough to keep the riff raff away while also being flat enough to stray from any mainstream. I enjoyed the film for the same reasons critics probably enjoyed it. The film is carried by it's performances first and foremost and almost entirely. One of the more educated knocks on House of Sand and Fog is that the book is simply not really that transferrable toward the movie medium. I never read the book but the film and story stand enough to fuel three of the better performances of that year and also the greatest ensemble considering it's cost.

First is Ben Kingsley who plays Colonel Berani, a man who was forced to flee Iran during it's revolution. He sees a similar home in San Franscisco with regards to it's view (in Iran his home oversaw the Caspian Sea beautifully). This new home was recently repossessed from Kathy, played by the beautiful and talented Jennifer Connelly. I genuinely want Connelley to show her range in the future but House of Sand and Fog is not such an environment. Here, Jennifer plays a women ruined by Alcoholism and being ditched by her husband. She then sparks up an affair with a married police officer named Lester, played by Ron Eldred, and the undermining to throw Berani out of the house begins.

First time Director Vadim Perleman takes a subtle approach in the differences and similarities between the film's main characters. It was enough to make me walk away from the film wanting more but as if by osmosis the film won me over in perspective only days later. Watching the three main characters tangled in their flaws is enough to keep the film compelling. Berani is too proud and deaf to women, Kathy is too eager and manipulative and Lester is too idealistic and blinded by love. They are all ignorant to one another and completely void of empathy. Nadi is Berani's wife and she is played by the outstanding Shohreh Aghdashloo. Nadi is one of the only really likeable characters, because she is also the only one who sees the other's sides, but she is restrained by her submissiveness and her lack of English. Though heavy handed enough to obtain a brooding feeling that tragedy is inevitable, watching these characters fall is worth the wait if you appreciate this sort of film.

Kingsly proves his versatility once again and upstages Connelly in that regard by a long shot. Connelly really just invokes the roles she's been celebrated for before this movie, although she is still quite effective and it revisits her type-casts a bit deeper. It is Aghdashloo that truely stands out and I viewed this film and her performance after the hype with some degree of suspicion. She is excellent.

Overall, House of Sand and Fog is a downer. It wasn't as good as I hoped, given both the indie hype prior to it's release and the mainstream hype during and after it's release, but it was still pretty good. The cast alone makes the film worth watching but I would still imagine we will see more from Perleman in the future as well.

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House of Strangers
I just saw it...
House of Strangers
UNIQUE PLOT, often used.
Obscure dramatic gem

House of Strangers (Fox Film Noir)
Starring: Edward G. Robinson , Susan Hayward , Richard Conte , Luther Adler , and Paul Valentine
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000EXDSBG
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Description

Edward G. Robinson's ill-gotten gains embroil his entire family in scandal and murder. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Customer Reviews:

House of Strangers.......2007-09-15

This is a great movie, black and white, but the acting is wonderful, well worth having in your collection

I just saw it..........2007-07-30

and loved it. Susan Hayward and Edward G. Robinson were great! One of my favorite actresses, Debra Paget, was also featured in a supporting role. Great family drama!

House of Strangers.......2007-06-22

Joseph L. Mankiewicz's scorching tale of a destructive family vendetta is a stylish, well-conceived outing. Though screenplay credit went to Philip Yordan, Mankiewicz's inspired touch is evident in the film's tight pacing and sharp, flavorful script. Robinson is masterful as an Italian-American patriarch, and the under-appreciated Conte is also aces as a slick operator who's not quite as tough as he seems. For a gritty noir you won't forget, enter this House of Strangers.

UNIQUE PLOT, often used........2007-04-24

Joseph L. Mankewicz's great family drama is a one of a kind story starring Susan Hayard, E.G. Robinson and Richard Conte. Conte plays the favorite son of ruthless banker who does not run his business by the book (Robinson) that gets him in trouble. Conte takes the rap and goes to prison for 7 years while his greedy, dullard brothers just stand by and watch and take the bank over from their father. Hayward plays Conte's socialite girlfriend and nobody can deliver a one liner like a snap of a bullwhip quite like Hayward. And thanks to the bristling dialogue, the exchanges between Conte and Hayward are classic cinema.

Actually Hayward who was a big star at the time had just been signed by Fox and the studio did not know what to do with their expensive propety, so they cast her in a 3rd role despite her star billing. But thanks to the tight direction and witty and unusual script filled with film noir touches, makes this film a classic. The plot line has been used time and again but has never equalled the original.

All the lead stars are brilliant in this vibrating classic flick.

Obscure dramatic gem.......2007-04-17

Despite its inclusion in the Fox Film Noir series, "House of Strangers" has more in common with "King Lear" than it does with "Panic in the Streets" and "The Street With No Name." Still, it flirts with noir through casting. Stars Edward G. Robinson and Richard Conte have frequently walked the dark, rain-swept streets of that anxiety plagued genre which generally focused on society's underclass.

"House of Strangers" tells the story of an Italian immigrant barber who finds his fortune in banking. But success comes with a heavy price as his tyrannical ways alienate his sons, three of whom let their father twist in the wind as his kingdom crumbles due to mismanagement and unethical practices.

Although Philip Yorden receives sole credit for the screenplay, film historian Foster Hirsch, who provides an insightful and entertaining commentary, insists the script was primarily the work of the director, Joseph L. Manckiewicz. The acidic tone of much of the dialogue does suggest it written by the man who brought us "All About Eve" the next year.

The cast is superb with Robinson brilliant as always, but it is Luther Adler as Joe, the eldest son and the most conniving, who offers the standout performance. His scene with Conte in the restaurant is a textbook example of fine acting. Susan Hayward is good, too, but her part is rather superfluous, added for box-office purposes rather than dramatic necessity.

"House of Strangers" is fairly obscure these days, and is probably best-known for having inspired the 1954 western "Broken Lance" with Spencer Tracy and Richard Widmark, but it stands tall on its own merits and is well worth seeking out.

Brian W. Fairbanks

Average customer rating:

For once, the film is better than the book
Not even close...
Not very well edited.
Social Commentary, not a Romance
Well acted

The House of Mirth
Starring: Eleanor Bron , Terry Kinney , Anthony LaPaglia , Laura Linney , and Jodhi May
Director: Terence Davies
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B00003CXSA
Release Date: 2001-05-29

Amazon.com

Meticulously adapted from Edith Wharton's 1905 novel, The House of Mirth may seem at first to be as dry (and as flat) as pressed flowers, but it's quickly evident that director Terence Davies and X-Files star Gillian Anderson (in a breakthrough film role) have tapped directly into the venality of Wharton's New York society. As the ill-fated socialite Lily Bart, Anderson perfectly conveys the understated wit and craftiness of a woman who knows how to play the game, and yet learns too late that it's loaded with ruthless, unspoken rules. Rising above the traditional crop of "marriageable girls," Lily is desired by any number of men who could ensure her place among the moneyed elite, but she deflects their courtship; lawyer Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz) is her true love but, tragically, his modest financial status leads them both into a cycle of unfulfilled romance.

Instead, Lily makes too many assumptions about her station, offending her aunt (Eleanor Bron), falling into a financial obligation to a manipulative investor (a curiously apt role for Dan Aykroyd), ostracized by a "friend" (Laura Linney), and refusing help from her most prominent would-be suitor (Anthony LaPaglia). All of these gaffes combine to forge Lily's downfall, and Anderson brilliantly captures the horror and confusion of a woman who is shocked when her expectations are no longer matched by her reality. Lily grows defenseless and dependent, and The House of Mirth evolves from stately reserve to become a devastating portrait of class cruelty. Heavy stuff, to be sure, but expertly crafted and blessed by Anderson's complex and heartbreaking performance. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

For once, the film is better than the book.......2007-08-05

House of Mirth was actually number one on my Christmas list of must-read books last year. I'd heard so much about the movie, I forced myself to abstain from watching it until I finished this sure-to-be intensely satisfying book. I'm sure it's because I'm not used to Edith Wharton's writing style, but I think she may've been alergic to action. There's plenty of self-examination from our heroine, Lily Bart, and her seemingly endless commentary on society and her place in it. Thankfully, we're spared much of that in the film. The film brings up many interesting points that I'm sure the book discussed, had I cared at the time. Is Lily Bart a martyr for accomplished, well-to-do ladies of her circle? Does she surrender too soon? Does her weakness say more about her or society? It really is rather a disturbing look at societal politics and how quickly the upper echelons of society could eliminate or alienate rivals by rumor, slander or even the hint of impropriety. As much as I initially loathed Lily Bart and her ineptitude, I really should sympathize because she's not a survivalist in the skilled, strong work-ethic sort of way. She wasn't bred for that. We get early on that even she knows she's doomed to failure. She's given several opportunities to get back in the game, but shuns them out of pride or loyalty to her friends. Gillian Anderson is exceptional in the film because she understands Lily Bart is an uncomplicated woman. She wants to be a part of high society but won't step on anyone to get there or take the easy way out. She knows Lily's imperfections but she'd explain that they're necessary if she's to fight for her place in the world. That's all she knows. I do love the entire cast in this film, especially Dan Aykroyd as Gus Trenor. Some people dislike the casting of Aykroyd and I too think his presence is rather jarring. I'm waiting for him to whip out his proton pack. But his odd, slimy salesman presense was a brilliant choice as we instinctively don't want him anywhere near Lily. I'm rather partial to this film for restoring the bitter disappointment I felt for the book. I really find it more interesting to watch Lily's star gradually diminish without needing a constant commentary from the heroine. We only need to see how she reacts. She isn't able to share her inmost feelings and I think her silent, self-struggle, is what makes the audience wish they could help her or be her confidant.

Not even close..........2007-08-01

Has anyone read the book? This film pales in comparison. The actors are miscast, the dialog is flat, and the visuals do nothing.

The title should have been "how to take a great book and make it look bad". Sorry Edith.

Not very well edited........2007-07-05

Many of the characters from the novel were left out of this film. Although the lead actress was good, if I had'nt read the novel I would have been lost.

Social Commentary, not a Romance.......2007-06-18

This is an adaptation of the 1905 novel by Edith Wharton. The title is from Ecclesiastes 7:4: "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." The story follows young socialite Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson of The X-Files) as she simultaneously attempts to find a husband and sabotages the attempts with gambling debts and, in her naiveté, even more troublesome financial obligations to a wealthy married man aptly played by Dan Aykroyd. Lily appears trapped by her love of money and the strict social conventions of the time. She tries to do the right thing but her efforts fail. She is ultimately a tragic figure. She states towards the end, "I have tried hard, but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person."

For a story to work you must care about the characters. The reason I give this movie only four stars is that while I cared for the Lily of the novel I could not muster the same feelings for the selfish and often stupid Lily of the movie.

Edith Wharton was born in 1862 to a wealthy New York family. She knew the wealthy and powerful of the age. She was a part of upper class American society but also a harsh critic of it. Her novels illustrate the provincialism, elitism, ignorance and bigotry of the period. Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature for her novel The Age of Innocence, in 1921. She was the first woman to win the award.

Recommendation: If you enjoy period movies this is one worth watching but be warned it was written as social commentary, not as a romance.

Kyle Pratt

Well acted.......2007-03-16

If you like period movies, this one is for you. This is the second period movie I have seen Gillian Anderson and I am astounded as to her wide acting range. This is not one of my favorite but it has more to do with the story line.

Average customer rating:

Fairly Awful
Part 2 was better, heck should've really ended with 3.
Alien Resurrection - Review
Scary adventure, almost touching at the end
My favorite movie

Alien Resurrection
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B00000ILDG
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Amazon.com

Perhaps these films are like the Star Trek movies: The even-numbered episodes are the best ones. Certainly this film (directed by French stylist Jean-Pierre Jeunet) is an improvement over Alien 3, with a script that breathes exciting new life into the franchise. This chapter is set even further in the future, where scientists on a space colony have cloned both the alien and Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), who died in Alien 3; in doing so, however, they've mixed alien DNA with Ripley's human chromosomes, which gives Ripley surprising power (and a bad attitude). A band of smugglers comes aboard only to discover the new race of aliens--and when the multi-mouthed melonheads get loose, no place is safe. But, on the plus side, they have Ripley as a guide to help them get out. Winona Ryder is on hand as the smugglers' most unlikely crew member (with a secret of her own), but this one is Sigourney's all the way. --Marshall Fine

Description

A group of scientists has cloned Lt. Ellen Ripley, along with the alien queen inside her, hoping to breed the ultimate weapon. But the resurrected Ripley is full of surprises for her "creators," as are the aliens they've imprisoned. And soon, a lot more than "all hell" breaks loose. To combat the creatures, Ripley must team up with a band of smugglers, including a mechanic named Call (Ryder), who holds more than a few surprises of her own.

Customer Reviews:

Fairly Awful.......2007-07-03

Just because you have the computer technology doesn't mean you should go cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs with it.

I must say that this movie is full of tension; it hardly ever lets up (much like the second film). But it's clearly the creepiest, weirdest, goriest, and nastiest of the franchise. It's overkill. There's no solid story, and it's all becoming too familiar in its endless variations of the tired 'escape the monsters' formula. I am surprised at how many people give this movie four or five stars. It's not worthy.

Ripley's manicure manages to stay nice all through the harrowing ordeals. Not a crack or a chip. I nearly laugh when they show closeup shots of her hands. Didn't the director or any of the cast or crew notice this during the rushes?

But how about that disturbing, gruesome, gutwrenching scene before the end? Too much. (Shudder.) I'd rather watch "Sophie's Choice".

Of all the Alien films, I always gravitate back to the first, the original suspense-filled monster movie that created the whole egg/facehugger/birth/acid blood/alien concepts. I do enjoy the second movie for its action and thrills, but I've watched the first one the most. It is fairly brilliant, frightening, and purposely slow in building its tension to a wonderful climax.

Alien Resurrection is the kind of film you'll watch once, most likely...unless you enjoy cheesy, gore-laced action flicks with stereotypical characters and dialogue. It won't beg repeat viewing like number one does.

Part 2 was better, heck should've really ended with 3........2007-05-15

While this movie is nice for just a popcorn flick, this series really should have just ended with 3. While I could enjoy the movie for what it was, which is why I'm giving this a 4 star rating.

Alien Resurrection - Review.......2007-05-07

I generally liked this movie, but the story reminds me more of keystone cops type of comedy rather than the movie I had hoped it would be. Slapstick this movie should not have been.

Scary adventure, almost touching at the end.......2007-05-06

I'm somewhat new to the Alien series. Since I wasn't even born before the first movie made its appearance in the 1970s I was too young even after Alien Resurrection hit theaters in 1997. I did see bits of the movies since they represent an epitome of science fiction filming, but still a child until the late 1990s (I was born in 1985) I didn't care to see something so graphic and horror-based. I had recently purchased the second film Aliens and was impressed by how convincingly Weaver portrayed Ripley, and how interesting the plot line was (I happen to find the first film eerie, but a little boring at first). The third feature, Alien 3, was definitely scary, but was my least favorite. Alien Resurrection is one of the best in the movies. The film has great effects (for its time), and once again Weaver portrays a believable character--in an interesting sense, the mutant alien (part original Alien and part Ripley) almost comes off a little sympathetic in the final look between Ripley's character and said beast, with its sad eyes looking at its mother. Definitely one of the better Alien movies, although I doubt it completely takes the top spot from Aliens.

My favorite movie.......2007-03-29

This is my favorite of the series. I got it quick and I didn't get charged a small fortune

Alien - Resurrection (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Best "Alien" movie by far
truly atrocious
"Kill me ... kill me ..."
Witness the Resurrection of Fear...
Excellent end to a great scifi series.

Alien - Resurrection (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00012FXBI
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Description

Customer Reviews:

Best "Alien" movie by far.......2007-08-21

I personally think this movie is the best of the "Alien" series. Most people won't agree with that statement and I think it's because they have this unattainable image portrayed by the second movie, "Aliens", which was directed by James Cameron. You might have to remind yourself that James Cameron also created the movie Titanic (which I think breaks any cred he had as a director).

Where the 2nd "Aliens" movie is slow moving and puts more focus on suspense, this movie is action packed. It's very visually pleasing and looks great on an DVD with HDMI upscaling. "Resurrection" features a screen play by Joss Whedon (of Firefly fame) and includes Winona Ryder as a very hot looking robot. Sigourney Weaver is very entertaining to watch and her character, Ellen Ripley, is intriguing and has a different "alien-like" quality to her. Before where she was a pretty weak pilot she is now a rough neck.

I really liked the characters in the movie, the relationship between Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder, and I really loved the morbid feel to the movie. The scene with all the failed cloning experiments was great to see, even if it was a bit disgusting.

Many people dislike this movie, so if you're a sheep and usually only like what is popular, this movie is NOT for you. If you like a good movie even if it strays from the original idea of "Alien", try it out.

truly atrocious.......2007-07-09

Wow. If you ask me, this was by far the worst film in the Alien series. I cannot understand why so many people seem to find this movie enjoyable. It was really silly. It had bad acting. It had aweful, unlikeble characters. Events occured without any sort of sense. It was just a bunch of space cowboys walking through corridor after corridor in a dark gloomy spaceship. That is until the human/alien is introduced. Brad Douraf introduces us to the creature by calling it a "little butterfly." It then sucks his brains out. The hilarous looking creature runs around, chasing Riply, before getting sucked out of a spaceship in a goopy unconvincing manner. I am sorry folks, it was just bad. As in, I've seen sci-fi movies more enjoyable.

"Kill me ... kill me ...".......2007-06-15

"Alien: Resurrection," released five years after the failure of David Fincher's "Alien3," sounds delightful. It's written by the utterly brilliant Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" among others, and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the man behind "Amelie." Mixing Whedon's trademark creativity with Jeunet's vibrant style seems like the perfect remedy for those who disliked "Alien3." Unfortunately, it's not. Written shortly before he created "Buffy," Whedon's script reads like a comic book, sorely lacking the structure of the series' previous entries. It's in Jeunet's directing where the film really plummets, though. The actors seem to have had little guidance (Jeunet didn't speak a word of English at the time the film was made), the performances are over-the-top to the point of being cartoonish, and Jeunet's style is all about in-your-face grotesque imagery.

Here's the story: 200 years after "Alien3," a group of military scientists have successfully cloned Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and extracted the baby alien queen from within her. Also, they've experimented by combining her human blood with alien blood. The result is a far more out-there, carefree, bizarre Ripley, devoid of the humanity that made the character so appealing in the other films. That's not to say that this new Ripley isn't appealing. On the contrary, she's quite fun, thanks to an enthusiastic and oddball performance by Weaver. The supporting cast includes Winona Ryder, who shines as a determined young space pirate with a secret, Ron Perlman, future "C.S.I." star Gary Dourdan, Dan Hedaya, and Brad Dourif, who is creepy as usual.

Comparing these films, Ridley Scott's "Alien" and Fincher's "Alien3" are the suspense-based, claustrophobic, "nowhere to run" entries in the series, while James Cameron's "Aliens" and this movie are the action-packed, shoot 'em up entries. Jeunet knows how to direct a sci-fi film, and it would appear he knows how to direct an action film as well (his style is actually similar to scribe Joss Whedon's in "Serenity"). Unfortunately, he has no idea how to direct an "Alien" film. It's this disregard for the previous films that makes "Alien: Resurrection" seem like your everyday sci-fi thriller.

As this is the most recent of the solo "Alien" films (excluding Paul W.S. Anderson's foolish "AVP: Alien vs. Predator"), it has some more bombastic visual effects than its predecessors. However, they aren't always better - in fact, these are the weakest effects of the series. Granted, there are some highlights, such as the utterly horrifying, foul alien hybrid (and his stomach-churning demise), or any scene featuring the alien queen. But there's frequent use of CGI, and part of what made the titular beasts so frightening in the earlier movies was the realism that came with using a guy in a suit. That realism is lost through this film's CGI effects, and with it dies much of the terror contained in the previous films.

So who's to blame for this movie's many problems? Many a finger points to Joss Whedon. Whedon has defended himself by saying that though not much from his original screenplay was changed, the finished film follows it very loosely: actors speak the lines wrong, scenes are filmed wrong, everything looks wrong. Even a glance through Whedon's script proves that, in the hands of the right director, it could've been a decent film. Regardless, it's too much like an action comic and not enough like an "Alien" movie.

However, most of the blame should go to the director. In the introduction to his "special edition" cut of the film presented in the "Alien Quadrilogy" boxset, Jean-Pierre Jeunet says that he is extremely proud of the movie in any form. Sadly, there's nothing to be proud of here; truthfully, this film is a disgrace. How odd that the director who brought us "Amelie," one of the best and most refreshing films ever made, should be responsible for such a turgid movie as this. And turgid it is: "Alien: Resurrection" is unquestionably the worst of the "Alien" movies. It's a cartoon version of the "Alien" saga, filled with drifting actors and a shoestring plot. It's gross, frequently confusing, and just plain weird (take, for example, a scene in which Ripley apparently has sex with an alien).

At its end, "Alien: Resurrection" is a perfect example of what happens when foolish studios keep series going after they've run their course. "Alien3" would have been a fitting close for what may be the greatest science fiction series of all time, but instead we're left with this stupid, dull mess of a film. It's ironic that through "Alien: Resurrection," the title a reference to what execs planned to do the saga after its near-death through "Alien3," the powers that be unwittingly killed off the series. Ten years after the film's release, there's been no "Alien 5," and with the overwhelmingly-negative response to Paul W.S. Anderson's "Alien vs. Predator," it seems likely that the "Alien" saga, at least on its own, has reached its end.

Witness the Resurrection of Fear..........2007-06-10

When "Alien 3" was released to theaters with lackluster results, it left both the studio and fans wondering if there was any need for further installments in the franchise or had it simply run its course. After 5 years of wondering whether we had seen the last of those nasty creatures known simply as `aliens', 20th Century Fox released what they hoped would be their redemption for the failure of their previous effort with the appropriately titled "Alien: Resurrection".

"Alien: Resurrection" picks up approximately 200 years after the events of "Alien 3" a group of scientists have found a way to clone Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and successfully remove the Queen that had been inside of her. But this clone Ripley isn't exactly the Ripley we remember, during the cloning process her DNA became spliced with that of the alien's, leaving Ripley with the ability to sense their presence and also giving her enhanced strength and stamina. When a team of smugglers come aboard carrying human cargo to be used to breed new aliens, they quickly discover that the creatures are far more dangerous than they expected, and much smarter too (thanks to Ripley's DNA). In no time at all, the aliens have found a way to get loose aboard the space ship, and not surprisingly, they make quick work of most of the crew, save for a few who managed to survive along with the smugglers and Ripley. Now Ripley must decide whether to save herself or fall back into her old habits and destroy the aliens that have plagued her for years and years.

After "Alien 3" brought the franchise to its knees, this fourth installment allowed the `Alien' saga to once again stand tall and become a film series that 20th Century Fox could once again be proud of. "Alien: Resurrection" brought back the horror and ominous atmosphere that Ridley Scott had used so successfully in "Alien", and packed exhilarating action sequences that reminds you of the glory days of James Cameron's "Aliens", all wrapped up together with a very strong, well-written script that tied up the series nicely and left fans with a satisfying movie experience that allowed them to forget about the less-than-stellar "Alien 3". I was happy that the creative team behind "Alien: Resurrection" decided to incorporate story elements that occurred in "Alien 3" rather than ignoring the film altogether like some franchises do with lackluster installments. Of course that may have been a decision heavily backed by the studio in an attempt to save face for their tampering with the previous movie, but that's just my assumption.

The cast was comprised of great actors who all turned in excellent performances, Michael Wincott, Winona Ryder, and Ron Perlman were by far the biggest standouts as far as the new members to the franchise are concerned. Of course, the biggest star of the movie was Sigourney Weaver, who was having much more fun here than she did in "Alien 3", and her performance was evidence of that, as she appeared to breathe new life into her character Ripley. I believe she truly enjoyed getting to play the much darker side of the character, a side that had not been seen in any of the previous installments, and made the movie even more enjoyable, since you never knew for sure what Ripley was going to do from one moment to the next.

The special effects were the best in the franchise, and the decision to use CGI at times to create the aliens was nice, giving them much more fluidity and freedom to their actions. But even with all the great CGI work, the practical effects employed in this movie, and throughout this entire franchise for that matter, is by far some of the best in all of Hollywood, and should be held as the standard for what all other monster movies should aspire to.

If you were one of the many fans that was disappointed, and perhaps disillusioned with the franchise by "Alien 3", then you should definitely give "Alien: Resurrection" a look, as it will quickly redeem the series in anyone's eyes, and it serves as an excellent ending (at least so far) to a terrific science-fiction/horror franchise that spanned almost 20 years.

"Alien: Resurrection" is rated R for violence and language.

Excellent end to a great scifi series........2007-05-24

This is the final chapter of the Alien saga unless you count AVP which I kinda count as both a prequal to the Alien saga and a sequal to the Predator saga. I remember being very excited when this came out for two reasons. I love the Alien movies and this is the first one I got to see in the theaters. It was very well done all around IMO. The acting was great as usual and the special efects were outstanding for the day. Even in 10 years it amaing how much CG has improved. This was a great movie then and even better now with this release. While not a directors cut it adds more depth to the film and the ending gives a much better finale than the orriginal ending. My only gripe with the special edition is the cheesey opening but all in all it's a great movie and great release.

The Charles Dickens Collection (Oliver Twist / Martin Chuzzlewit / Bleak House / Hard Times / Great Expectations / Our Mutual Friend)

Average customer rating:

The Charles Dickens Collection
Dickens Package 1
Dickensian Delights
opinion
lovely , region 1 only

The Charles Dickens Collection (Oliver Twist / Martin Chuzzlewit / Bleak House / Hard Times / Great Expectations / Our Mutual Friend)
Starring: Ben Rodska , Scott Funnell , Eric Porter , Frank Middlemass , and Lysette Anthony
Director: Gareth Davies , Pedr James , and Ross Devenish
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009PVZMS
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

As can be clearly seen from the care lavished on these six BBC adaptions of Charles Dickens' novels, the British love their Dickens! And why not--Dickens is ideally suited to television, with his elaborate but vigorous plots, each a compendium of comically odious personalities (and one or two nice folk, just to keep things from getting too awful). Actors dig into these meaty roles with zeal, delighting in the hairpin turns from macabre horror to sweet sentiment. The more popular (and most frequently adapted) of the books at hand--Great Expectations and Oliver Twist--are the most conventional. The 1981 mini-series Expectations (in which young Pip learns the pitfalls of wealth through his relationship with the rich and bitter Mrs. Havishamand and her warped ward, Estella) is dutiful to its source but not adapted with much inspiration. Twist, from 1985, fares better; it's a zippy treatment of this tale of childhood deprivation and juvenile delinquency, and the horrors of Victorian orphanages will raise your hackles. The adaptation is capable but a little flat--still, any story where an undertaker observes, "Every tear is another shilling in the till," is clearly not lacking in wicked wit.

Fortunately, the others are considerably juicier: Martin Chuzzlewit, a lesser-known but richly satirical book, has a star-studded production from 1994, featuring Paul Scofield, Tom Wilkinson, Pete Postlethwaite, and Julia Sawalha, among others. The wealthy Martin Chuzzlewit, deeply suspicious of all mankind due to being hounded by greedy, grasping relatives, threatens the happiness of his ward Mary and his namesake grandson. In addition to the sterling and energetic cast, Chuzzlewit has outstanding production values, as does the 1998 version of Our Mutual Friend, which goes to great lengths to evoke the textures of life in Dickens' London. The mysterious death of a man about to inherit a great fortune sets in motion a complex plot that intertwines two love stories (it's one of Dickens' most romantic works), social scheming, and murderous obsession. The names aren't quite as famous (such as Paul McGann, Timothy Spall, Anna Friel, and Keeley Hawes), but the performances are top-notch and the script is particularly dynamic.

Bleak House, a Kafka-esque story of young innocents caught in an all-consuming, multi-generational lawsuit, cultivates a rich and potent Gothic horror; the 19th century seems like an unnerving alien world, through which lawyers and policemen stride like cruel predators. Diana Rigg is the most famous face in this 1985 production, but strong performances abound. The final component of this box set is the most curious: A 1994 version of Hard Times starring Alan Bates and Richard E. Grant, which turns this dark story--about a schoolmaster/politician who raises his children on reason at the expense of all feeling and finally reaps the bitter rewards--into a compact, theatrical feature film that's so swift it's almost jaunty. Adapted and directed by Peter Barnes (writer of The Ruling Class), it's the most stylized production of the bunch, and while lacking the depth and narrative detail of the others, it effectively cuts to the essence of Dickens. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

The Charles Dickens Collection .......2007-08-31

Great condition. brand new! Wonderful product and great stories.

A must see and definitely "family friendly".

Dickens Package 1.......2007-06-27

This collection is an embarassment of riches. Each story is divided into several episodes which take time to view and absorb. So far we have only viewed "Bleak House" and "Our Mutual Friend". Both are excellent and capture the steamy world of Dicken's London. I think I am constantly amazed at the attention to detail that the Brits recreate in historical drama. And of course there is the wealth of character playing for which Britain has always been famous. A really excellent series.

Dickensian Delights.......2007-06-02

This collection is wonderful, you can "watch" these novels over and over, faithful to Dickens in tone, plot and spirit -- Highly recommended.

opinion.......2007-06-02

I've just bought the collection, I've seen 3 movies so far, they're great, faithful to the books I've read. They come with cc(closed caption)so it helps the understanding. I watch a film and read the book. They're perfect for those who are really into literature. I highly recommend them.

lovely , region 1 only .......2007-05-08

The dark stories about the impossible lives of the unfortunate makes it a kind of films that will glue anyone to the chair. BBC serieses are not like any other film, and I simply escape to anothr world every time I watch.
Had to watch it in my computer though, since it was not my region( not even after I changed the region in my "region free" DVD player ) which also means I had no subtitles either. A good computer screen is needed for that purpose.

Average customer rating:

DVD quality
For the film, zero for the transfer
Don't waste your money
Colours
A Beautiful, Bucolic Tragedy.

Ju Dou
Starring: Wu Fa , Zhang Yi , Zhijun Cong , Wei Li , and Li Gong
Director: Fengliang Yang , and Yimou Zhang
Manufacturer: Razor
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ASIN: B000BBOU54
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Customer Reviews:

DVD quality.......2007-08-27

Very poor quality non-anamorphic version. Don't waste your money and wait for a remastered edition.

For the film, zero for the transfer.......2007-07-26

I have to echo previous comments. A dark, disturbing and intense film, full of repressed rage and suppressed emotion. Although difficult to tell from this mucky transfer, the original cinemaphotography was clearly outstanding. Very claustrophobic in scope and character, the images still manage to glow at times. There are also some truly bleak characters- most notably the mute, implacable sociopathis son. Scary and memorable.

This film clearly deserves better than this pathetic, murky, gritty, 4:3 transfer it receives here. A real shame- when are Zhang's films going to get the treatment they deserve? The only kind thing I can find to say is that is was somewhat better than the truly putrescent transfer given to 'Raise the Red Lantern' - a landmark in low-end video quality. Oh dear.

Don't waste your money.......2007-07-09

I have over 300 dvds and this is by far the worst transfer to a disc I have ever seen. The colors are horrible as it bleeds all over the place. At times the film actually bounces and stutters like an o