Dirty Pictures

Amazon.com

Following vaguely in the footsteps of The People vs. Larry Flint, Dirty Pictures is a provocative retelling of an all-too-true story about the 1990 attempts to censor the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center's controversial Robert Mapplethorpe photography exhibit. The film gets directly at a quintessential, core principle that continues to fascinate Americans: Who gets to decide what forms of expression are valid? Does the constitutional right to freedom of expression apply to forms of expression you don't like? This film blends stock footage of both sides of the Cincinnati debate with actors' reenactments. James Woods's performance as the art museum's director Dennis Barrie is particularly impressive. The juxtaposition of real and fictional footage is extremely effective, and the result is a compellingly intelligent and emotionally gripping look at the issues of right-wing censorship in the arts.

The film contains images of Mapplethorpe's work and interpretations of its contexts and histories as well as insightful interviews with some of the subjects whose photos appeared in the original exhibit. But the art takes a back seat to the true hero of the film--the U.S. Constitution and its defenders. --Tara Chace

Description

Shocking. Stunning. Brilliant. These are some of the words that described artist Robert Mapplethorpes controversial 1990 photo exhibit and this "gripping, provocative and alarming" (The Washington Post) film about the show's censorship is equally as captivating. Starring OscarÂ(r) nominees* James Woods (The General's Daughter) and Diana Scarwid (Inside Moves), Dirty Pictures delves into the uproar over right-wing censorship of the arts in a true-to-life talethat is "chilling" (Los Angeles Times)! When the director of the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Dennis Barrie (Woods), books a touring photo exhibit of the late Robert Mapplethorpe, he knows he's brought a major-league event to town. But when the Cincinnati sheriff (Craig T. Nelson) sees the sexually explicit photos, he shuts down the show charging Barrie with peddling obscenity! Determined to stand his ground, Barrie faces trial and risks losing his joband his familyto protect the right promised to every American by the Constitution'the freedom of expression! * Woods: Supporting Actor, Ghosts of Mississippi (1996); Actor, Salvador (1986); Scarwid: Supporting Actress, Inside Moves (1993)

Customer Reviews:

Great movie!!.......2006-10-01

This was a great movie and a very important part of history for the freedom of choice!! Bravo for showtime with the presentation of this movie!!

Important movie.......2004-05-01

This is one of James Woods' best performances. I was also happy to see Diana Scarwid again. I've been a fan since "Mommie Dearest". This film was half movie and half documentary. Interviews and opinions of the people involved were shown. I gave four stars instead of five because even though it is definitely worth seeing, it seemed to get repetitive and long. Also interesting is that all the people who didn't like the photos were all over 70 (big surprise) and still believe gay people have cooties. So there was bias there, for sure. Good movie.

Following in the footsteps of The People vs. Larry Flint?.......2003-02-17

Dirty pictures in no way follows in the foot steps of The People vs. Larry Flint. This movie is primarily from the perspective of a midwest gallery curator who had brought in a touring exhibit of Robert Mapplethorpe's work. The movie is interlaced with interviews of people who had worked with or had known Mapplethorpe as well as images of his photographic works.
This is an Excellent purchase that raises questions in the mind of the veiwer. It is entertaining and to an extent educational on the art of Mapplethorpe, constitutional rights, and how people judge art based on "Their Values and Tastes."

Following in the footsteps of The People vs. Larry Flint?.......2003-02-17

This is an Excellent purchase that raises questions in the mind of the veiwer. It is entertaining and to an extent educational on the art of Mapplethorpe, constitutional rights, and how people judge art based on "Their Values and Tastes."

Matt North is awsome! :).......2001-03-21

I recently saw the movie about 6 times. I went to high school with Matt North. We were in band together. He's a very, very talented actor!! :) I know he'll continue to be successful in show business.

Average customer rating:

Great movie!!
Important movie
Following in the footsteps of The People vs. Larry Flint?
Following in the footsteps of The People vs. Larry Flint?
Matt North is awsome! :)

Dirty Pictures
Starring: James Woods , Craig T. Nelson , Diana Scarwid , Leon Pownall , and Matt North
Director: Frank Pierson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Nelson, Craig T | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Pustil, Jeff | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Santis, Tony De | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Scarwid, Diana | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Woods, James | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Pierson, Frank | ( P ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

Drama | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00004Z1KE
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Great movie!!.......2006-10-01

This was a great movie and a very important part of history for the freedom of choice!! Bravo for showtime with the presentation of this movie!!

Important movie.......2004-05-01

Following in the footsteps of The People vs. Larry Flint?.......2003-02-17

Matt North is awsome! :).......2001-03-21

I recently saw the movie about 6 times. I went to high school with Matt North. We were in band together. He's a very, very talented actor!! :) I know he'll continue to be successful in show business.

Charlie Rose with Stanley Crouch; James Woods; John Hope Franklin & Loren Schweninger (May 26, 2000)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Stanley Crouch; James Woods; John Hope Franklin & Loren Schweninger (May 26, 2000)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, columnist and commentator Stanley Crouch on his new novel, Don't the Moon Look Lonesome, about race, politics and jazz. Then, actor James Woods talks about artist Robert Mapplethorpe and a new film about the struggle over his work, Dirty Pictures. Later, historian Dr. John Hope Franklin and co-author Loren Schweninger on their book, Runaway Slaves.

Charlie Rose with Brad Pitt; Peter Biskind (May 13, 2004)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Brad Pitt; Peter Biskind (May 13, 2004)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

Brad Pitt discusses his focus on diverse characters, his tendencies to seek interesting projects, his new movie Troy and what the future holds for him. Then, a conversation about the explosion of independent film in the 90s with author of Down and Dirty Pictures, Peter Biskind.

Average customer rating:

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
1969 gang action in Sydney Australia
Down Under Down and Dirty
Dirty Deeds Done Right
Good Fella's in thongs

Dirty Deeds [Region 2]
Starring: Bryan Brown , Toni Collette , John Goodman , Sam Neill , and Sam Worthington
Director: David Caesar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00011FXSM

Customer Reviews:

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.......2006-10-03

I am a huge fan of Bryan Brown. He is hillarious without even trying to be and a real larrikin. He is one of Australia's greatest exports. Even with the strong cast in the film, it is definitely his movie. Any fan of his will love this movie.

Brown plays "Barry". A sydney underworld crime figure who has the monopoly on the Pokie business in Sydney. He is powerful, greedy and street-wise. He has a deal with the local police boss to do whatever necessary to keep his business moving, as long as he keeps the violence of the streets and keeps paying his cut.

Enter two American gangsters who want a big slice of the action, bigger than what Barry believes they are entitled too. What follows is a tug-of-war between the two for control of the pokie trade. Throw in a few twists, a bit of deceipt and manipulation and you basically have your plot.

Its the cast and the soundtrack I believe are the movies biggest assets. Most people will recognise John Goodman, Sam Neil and Toni Collette, who's abilities speak for themselves but special mention must go to Sam Worthington, Kestie Morassi and Felix Williamson.

Williamson who is actually Aussie plays Sal, Goodman's gangster buddy from Chicago. Worthington is a young up and comer who has gone on to star in other great Aussie flicks such as 'Somersault', 'Gettin Square' and 'Thunderstruck'. And this movie provided a launching pad for the very talented Kestie Morassi, who international audiences will remember as one of the British backpackers from 'Wolf Creek'.

I can understand how overseas audiences may not get some of the dialogue. There is lots of slang and dry humour, but provides great entertainment nonetheless.

1969 gang action in Sydney Australia .......2005-06-15

2002 Australian R-rated (Strong violence and language)/ Crime Thriller. Also known as "Knocking Mr. Big" (in Australia), and "Sacré Boulot" (French Canadian title).

DVD Features: The DVD contains two methods to play the film, either in Full Screen (film fits the TV screen, but cuts off some of the top and bottom action) or Widescreen (otherwise known as "Letterbox," the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, cutting off the activity on the sides) mode. The movie can be heard in English (5.1 Dolby Digital or 2.0 Dolby Stereo) or Spanish (2.0 Dolby Stereo). The DVD also contains a trailer for the film.

Credits: The movie stars: Bryan Brown (Barry Ryan; "F/X"; from Sydney Australia), Toni Collette (Sharon Ryan; "The Sixth Sense"; from Sydney, Australia), John Goodman (Tony; "Barton Fink"; from St. Luis, Missouri, USA), and Sam (O')Neill (Det. Sgt. Ray of the Police; "The Big Dish"; from Northern Ireland, UK - family moved to New Zealand when he was 7). The movie co-stars Sam Worthington (Darcy "Ryan" -the nephew; "Hart's War"; Australian), Kestie Morassi (Margaret; "The Merchant of Fairness"; from Adelaide, Australia), William McInnes (Hollywood; "Look Both Ways"; from Queensland Australia), Andrew S. Gilbert (Norm; "Ned Kelly"), Gary Waddell (Freddie; "Heatwave"; from Victoria Australia), and Felix Williamson (Sal; "Babe: Pig in the City"). The movie is written and directed by David Caesar (writer: "Mullet"; director: "Greenkeeping").

Plot: It's 1969 and Barry Ryan controls things in Sydney Australia (including the casino slot machine trade). Two Yanks from Chicago, Tony (more level-headed fellow, just wants to do business) & Sal (hot-tempered, trigger-happy guy), members of the mafia, head over to Sydney with new high-tech slot machines to show around casinos and also offer to buy out Ryan. Meanwhile Ryan's nephew comes back from Vietnam and attempts to adjust to civilian life (obsessed with trying to figure out what pizza is, and gets a little too close to his boss's mistress, Margaret). While this is occurring, an internal Sydney gang warfare breaks out (though there is some confusion over where the gunfire is coming from, might have some US mob help, might not). Also, there is some possible conflict between the two US mob personnel.

Review: Considering the little I knew about the film, I was very surprised when the movie opened in a 1969 Vietnam wheat field. Great opening music, though (the music throughout is great, for the most part). Strange, a helicopter arrives in the middle of a wheat field and delivers pizza to some soldiers (and picks up some soldiers, one of whom ends up in Sydney being picked up by Barry, his uncle). Then the movie starts to make sense, with Tony & Sal flying from Chicago to Sydney Australia with a high-tech slot machine. All this occurs before the opening credits. Great lead out from the opening credits scene of mean looking men in suits entering a casino in Sydney and busting up the slot machines (lead by Barry). Oh, and it might help if the movie had been made with subtitles considering the thick accents.

Great car chase in the movie. The providers (Freddie's gang) of the slot machines that Barry destroyed right after the opening credits pulls up beside Barry and the nephew and shoot at Barry, just one shot though (forgot to load more). Barry drives the car and chases after the rival gang while his nephew attempts to get out their only gun stuck under the car seat.

Interesting take on Vietnam offered in the film. One of the mafia men from Chicago, Sal, notes that the mafia is behind the Vietnam war. Apparently, the mob wants to make some money from the drug trade. As Sal notes: black people and poor white trash get sent to Vietnam, get hooked on drugs, go back to the states and get their friends hooked as well.

Quite an interesting little film with everyone seeming to have their own agendas (some secret, some not). Most of the acting is good, and most of the characters have depth, though some, like the internal rival Sydney gang, have rather thin to non-existing personalities. The Australian accent is a little hard to understand sometimes (doesn't help that the music sound-level and dialogue sound-level seem to be set at two different levels). The plot is solid, but the tension is mostly missing. Considering the Australian film financing in this film, I would assume that the action occurs in Australia, though it is hard to tell (other than the giant desert). Overall, I would give the film 4.10 stars.

Down Under Down and Dirty.......2004-01-08

Here's the mix: throw in a coupla Yank Mafia guys--Sal and Tony. Blend with an Aussie mob operation based in Sydney, circa early 70s. What's the op? Slot machines. This is what's driving Sal and Tony's boss after the money to be made. Made men means make money. How Jimmy, the Mafia boss, found out about all the cash in Sydney is beyond the scope of this flick.

But that's OK. This works great. John Goodman is Tony, a kinda soft hearted Mafia soldier who's the perfect counterpart to Sal, his violent partner--shorter on brains and faster on the trigger finger (except when boar hunting). Bryan Brown is Barry, the main Aussie gangster who runs things in Sydney. Barry is married with a young son, but this doesn't stop him from cussing right to his kid's face or getting nasty when he has to.

Barry's not big on any takeover from the Yanks. Who would be, with a nice steady income stream every week? Not even for a coupla mil. This leads to some punchy (literally) things taking place, not least of which is Barry's nephew taking up with Barry's mistress, a young know-it-all waitress. Barry's wife, played by Toni Colette in a great performance, takes none too kindly to the extracurricular shenanigans.

And Barry's local rivals, one of whom was killed by Barry's men, are not exactly thrilled with Barry either. All this adds up to an edgy neo-noir with a unique Australian flavor. Very nifty. Writer-director David Caesar uses a hip, slice and dice jump-cutty style that is a teensy bit garish, but mostly works really well for the material. Skewed camera angles fit in with the period piece trappings--including spot on rock music and loud-color dress.

A different kind of neo-noir, entertaining and fun. Recommended.

Dirty Deeds Done Right.......2003-12-24

What happens when the Chicago mob moves in on the Aussie nickel slot-machine business? John Goodman's world weary wise-guy takes on Bryan Brown's edgy mob boss in this action-packed black comedy that does for the gentlemen what "Down With Love" did for the ladies--brings back the 60s through an affectionate and humorous lens. Sam Neil and Toni Collette put in strong supporting performances as Bryan Brown's corrupt cop "pal" and his feisty wife, and Sam Worthington demonstrates excellent comic timing as the lad just back from Nam who can't decide whether he wants to be a gangster or open the first pizza parlor in Australia.
Worth renting, just to hear Bryan Brown's advice to his young son on how to get vampires out from under the bed, and if you happen to be (as I am) a fan of any one of these fine actors, you won't be satisfied until you add this film to your collection.

Good Fella's in thongs.......2003-11-09

Good movie- But if you are interested in another great Aussie Gangster film starring Heath Ledger and Bryan Brown- Hunt down "Two Hands", you won't regret it- unfortunatly,as yet it is not available on Amazon.

Average customer rating:

Historical Value
over looked actress makes the movie

Dirty Monks, The

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0009J4UR6
Release Date: 2006-05-19

Product Description

Ten years ago, four young men under the stern leadership of Jim Moore (Anthony Tournis) signed a pact to uphold liberty and bring justice to those wronged. The Dirty Monks were an underground success in defending the defenseless and offending the offensive with an arsenal of toilet paper and eggs. Their revolution had a solid foundation. Their followers were loyal and unwavering, albeit nerdy. That was ten years ago. Now, long after high school, the four are still waging war against jocks and bullies, but after losing his job and girlfriend, Brian (James R. Love) decides he'll be better off without his old friends and their pointless crusade. Scott (David Marcotte) and Norm (Nathan Robbel) give up after being tortured by some grocery store henchmen. The Dirty Monks are falling apart and just as someone really needs them... An original, independent comedy from filmmaker James R. Love that follows the story of four guys as they try to fit the fun of their childhood into the bore of the real world. This film is not rated, but parental discretion is advised as it contains scenes of crude humor, sexual innuendoes, and profanity.

Customer Reviews:

Historical Value.......2005-08-22

While I agree with the review from "Mad Ghost" above, I think the real value of owning this film is actually having proof that Jim Love, at one point in time, had hair... albeit long and nasty (he grew it for the part... seriously - stop laughing).

over looked actress makes the movie.......2005-07-30

the review is good, but it over looks one of the best players in the whole show. Jennifer Christian is outstanding in this movie. although her part is far to brief, her work definitly brings the movie up a star! if you are in the chicago area you should try and catch her on stage and enjoy more work by this talented young actress.

DVD:

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