Ride the Wild Surf

Customer Reviews:

Poseidon's lusty men........2007-07-19

What clean-cut young men and women! Everyone in this quintessential surfing movie acts very civilized and decent, it almost makes you long for a better, more innocent time. That's how it seems at first, anyway. But is the behavior here really so different than it was in the gladitorial days of Rome? One character makes that very same comparison and another says, "Yeah, but no one's forcing us to go out there!" referring to Waimea Beach, where 30-foot waves inspire dread of annihilation in all sane minds.

Oh really? No one's forcing them? Well, do you think that a luscious bikinied morsel like Shelley Fabares would rush to the side of a bellhop if he dropped a suitcase on his foot? The truth is, these men are in heated competition with themselves, with each other, and for the belles of the island. This does take place in Hawaii, after all, where everyone is mesmerized by "big waves." What I'm saying is that the ritual enacted here is one of deeply sublimated paganism. These upstanding young men aren't even aware of these strong inner drives that make them face suicidal risk.

The connection between society and paganism as a whole is drawn by the Fabares character, who insists that the cynical and freedom-loving Fabian go back to school. She wants to have her bullfighter and her businessman all in the same package. At the end we're left in no doubt that Fabian will be a "shark" in whatever career he chooses. Meanwhile the Tab Hunter character shacks up with a half-Hawaiian girl who seduces him with a hoochie dance, fully succumbing to an island lifestyle. This leaves only Peter Brown, who with his blonde hair and straight-edged lifestyle to me represents the Christian in the bunch. But he ends up being totally overpowered by Barbara Eden, who has a thing for rockets ( please don't tell me that I'm making up all this subtext! ) Brown eventually ends up jumping off "the sacrificial rock of the gods" to prove his virility. Oh, and did I forget to mention the scene where James Mitchum stands under a pineapple and challenges Fabian to shoot it with a harpoon?

And the Freudian subtext, though I hate Freud, is not absent either ( probably because most of the people who make movies share his mindset ). There's a great scene early on where the redheaded "girl nut" Eden, playing a karate expert named Auggie, backflips and humiliates posh boy Brown. Later she does everything in her power to reconcile with him -- she is still a woman, after all -- but then asserts her physical dominance over him, yet again, by spraying a beer can in his face... Twice. We see the bubbling froth roll down his face while Eden laughs hysterically. She is marking her territory, so to speak. This is way too pointed to be only a figment of my dirty imagination; if you showed it in a theater of people, they would all laugh, just like they do at gay innuendo in certain films. Also, Fabian's archenemy is a guy named Frank, who is always out to sabotage him, and each time ends up with his nose broken. "You broke your nose again!" James Mitchum says to the defeated Frank, who has to crawl back to the beach where no women await him. The feeling of impotence is palpable.

The presence of Robert Mitchum's identikit son, though it was surely coincidence, drives the fact home that this movie is all about macho codes, just like Mitchum Sr.'s The Lusty Men. The women tut and cluck and wring their hands over their men, and tell them they can't be beach bums forever, yet it is the death impulse of these men that attracts them. Notice how the women are photographed, from below, emphasizing their breasts, like Aphrodite statues looming beneath a blue sky. It is the image that a man has when the girl is on top and dominant -- because, like all pagan kingdoms, this one is ruled by females. Females who demand human sacrifice for their charms.

The fascinating aspect of this movie is precisely this juxtaposition of well-scrubbed, well-spoken youth and an absolute fixation with death and sex. Unlike in The Lusty Men, however, where Arthur Kennedy marries well and leaves the bullring before it's too late, these characters, for all their admirable qualities, will never get off the island.

Ride the Wild Surf.......2007-05-12

Great fun movie with a lot of the stars we remember growing up.
Barbara Eden is particularly amusing with her large rocket she
wants to light for the 4th of July celebration.

A Beach Movie with Character and Depth - One of the Best.......2007-01-04

Unlike other beach movies that were typified by silly slapstick buffoonery, muscles and bikinis RIDE THE WILD SURF was the antithesis of such tomfoolery. Still keeping the muscles and bikinis RIDE THE WILD SURF took itself serious and played it straight. Basically three buddies from California (Fabian, Tab Hunter and Peter Brown) travel to Hawaii during school break looking for the challenge of the truly big waves each with own motivations and reasons. They are not alone in their quest and that sets up the dynamics of this good film as they vie not only to be the best but to win the hearts of the three females (Barbara Eden, Shelley Fabares and Susan Hart) who become enamored with them. In their way are other surfers (including James Mitchum and Roger Davis) looking for that perfect wave as well. This all intensifies the competition, develops the camaraderie and shows the true character and sportsmanship of the surfers. Technically the surfing and cinematography are outstanding. Jan & Dean play the title song that stands toe to toe with anything the Beach Boys did in the musical genre. This is a great film.

Well made but I still like the Endless Summer better!.......2006-08-08

Best one of the beach blanket bingo
type surf movies! Very good cast but
too haole! A few more Hawai'ian locals,
like the kind that always appeared in
Hawai'i Five-0 would have helped. Don't
bother with the DVD widescreen, I hate
'Em...Get this on VHS and watch it with
your girl on a big screen T.V! Better
than Blue Crush!

Fabian, Tab & Peter Half Naked and Wet - What's Not To Like?.......2006-06-17

I remember watching this movie on TV when I was a kid. When I found it while surfing (no pun intended) through the DVD section of Amazon.com I bought it. What a sentimental blast from the past! Three fabulous looking hunks, Fabian, Tab Hunter and Peter Brown, use their winter break from college to spend one last time together in Hawaii to surf Waimea, before they all head in different directions, due to issues explained later on in the movie. By the first evening they all meet the perfect girl who will eventually help them deal with and solve their issues while sitting prettily on the beach in the most fabulous bikinis, with hair that barely moves in the wind, even when they stand up to wave at their beautifully physiqued, half naked, wet men. Yummy! Responsible Tab meets obligation-ridden Dolores Hart. A curiously blond over-cautious Peter meets curiously dark haired free spirited Barbara Eden. Untrusting, angry Fabian meets cautiously-trusting, sweet, Shelly Fabares, who in my book wins the award for best bikini - a while lace number that doesn't look like it would survive a puddle spashing, nevermind a dousing from the Wild Surf. While on the surface (again no pun intended) there is a fraternal feeling of comraderie and respect between the surfers, below the surface there is an undertow (I'm not going to apologize for this pun) of serious competition, as the winner of the contest, no only becomes known as the best surfer, but earns enough money to remain job free for a year to practice for the following year's competition - a dream come true for all of them. The panoramic surfing scenes, accompanied by hawaiian drum beats, are actual films of real surfers and are fantastic, and there are plenty of them. The close ups, while the talking scenes were filmed, are shot while the guys sit on the boards in water where I've seen bigger waves in my son's wading pool. I read in Tab Hunter's book recently, that the close ups of them "riding the waves" were filmed while they were kneeling in red rider wagons, after being spashed with buckets of water. However, it works well enough and is a lot of fun to see. In this movie, the surf is the star, and is not like those dopey Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon movies where surfing is an after thought. The romances are sweet, there's comedy, drama, beautiful scenery and everybody's good looking - so hush little baby - don't you cry! I highly recommend this movie for a little nostalgic fun, if nothing else.

Sam Peckinpah's Legendary Westerns Collection (The Wild Bunch / Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid / Ride the High Country / The Ballad of Cable Hogue)

Average customer rating:

superb set of Sam Peckinpah westerns
One star for Warner Home Video...
Dolby Digital 1.0 audio does not cut it.
A must Own Collection
The gaffer's cut of Pat Garret?

Sam Peckinpah's Legendary Westerns Collection (The Wild Bunch / Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid / Ride the High Country / The Ballad of Cable Hogue)
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Westerns | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: B000BRP4B2
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Amazon.com

Here's how director Sam Peckinpah described his motivation behind The Wild Bunch at the time of the film's 1969 release: "I was trying to tell a simple story about bad men in changing times. The Wild Bunch is simply what happens when killers go to Mexico. The strange thing is you feel a great sense of loss when these killers reach the end of the line." All of these statements are true, but they don't begin to cover the impact that Peckinpah's film had on the evolution of American movies. Now the film is most widely recognized as a milestone event in the escalation of screen violence, but that's a label of limited perspective. Of course, Peckinpah's bloody climactic gunfight became a masterfully directed, photographed, and edited ballet of graphic violence that transcended the conventional Western and moved into a slow-motion realm of pure cinematic intensity. But the film--surely one of the greatest Westerns ever made--is also a richly thematic tale of, as Peckinpah said, "bad men in changing times." The Wild Bunch is a masterpiece that should not be defined strictly in terms of its violence, but as a story of mythic proportion, brimming with rich characters and dialogue and the bittersweet irony of outlaw traditions on the wane. --Jeff Shannon

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid may be the most beautiful and ambitious film that Sam Peckinpah ever made. The time is 1881. Powerful interests want New Mexico tamed for their brand of progress, and Sheriff Pat Garrett (James Coburn) is commissioned to rid the territory of his old gunfighting comrades. He serves fair notice to William Bonney--Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson)--and his Fort Sumter cronies, but it's not in their nature, or his, to go quietly. Peckinpah's theme, more than ever, is the closing of the frontier and the nature of the loss that that entails. But this time his vision takes him beyond genre convention, beyond history and legend, to the bleeding heart of myth--and surely of himself. This is one strange and original movie. In 1973 most American reviewers responded by panning it and deriding its director, whom they saw as having betrayed the promise of Ride the High Country, been swept up in his own cult of violence, and become incoherent as a storyteller. Coherence wasn't helped by MGM's cutting at least a quarter-of-an-hour out of the finished film and removing a bitter, retrospective prelude. Subsequent releases have restored a lot of material, and now there's more widespread appreciation of the depth and power of Peckinpah's achievement. The cast, teeming with fine character actors, is extraordinary, making the gallery of frontier denizens vivid and resonant. --Richard T. Jameson

What does it tell us that Sam Peckinpah's most joyous and life-affirming movie is also his most underappreciated? The Ballad of Cable Hogue was made in that singular moment when, having just completed The Wild Bunch, Peckinpah knew he was back in the game as a feature-film director; and before anyone (including Peckinpah himself?) had an inkling of how completely he was about to redefine the Western genre, contemporary American filmmaking, and his own personal legend. Cable Hogue is a splendiferous entertainment: a grufty Western tall tale, a lusty comedy, and also (in critic Kathleen Murphy's phrase) "a musical about the economic and emotional complexities of capitalism." Its title character--Jason Robards in a great, exuberant gift of a performance--is an ornery varmint left by two scurrilous partners (L.Q. Jones and Strother Martin) to die in the desert. Besides such Peckinpah regulars as Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong, and Gene Evans, the movie features Stella Stevens in her career-best role as Hildy, Hogue's best reason for getting into town now and again, and David Warner, an itinerant preacher and full-time lech who becomes his soulmate. Lucien Ballard photographed, and there's a charming song score (by Richard Gillis) whose neglect is as mystifying as that of the film. Above all, there is Sam Peckinpah exulting in the lyrical, heart-filling possibilities of making a motion picture, trying just about anything, and finding it beautiful. This film was his personal favorite. --Richard T. Jameson

Ride the High Country is the one Sam Peckinpah movie about which there has never been controversy--save at MGM in 1962, when a new studio regime opted to dump this beautiful, heartbreakingly elegiac Western into the bottom half of a double-bill. Westerns rarely even got reviewed back then, so it's wellnigh miraculous that critics discovered the movie and raved about it. Newsweek called it the best American picture of the year. Veteran cowboy stars Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea portray aging gunslingers in the twilight of the Old West. The slow-building tension between longtime friends--one still true to the code he's lived by, the other having drifted away from it--anticipates the tortuous personal dilemmas played out to the death by Peckinpah's Wild Bunch, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and Benny and Elita in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. The action scenes are powerful, if only beginning to suggest the radical technique with which Peckinpah would astonish audiences in just a few years. But his feeling for flavorsome dialogue, Rabelaisian humor, and full-blooded character acting is already unmistakable. McCrea and Scott are simply superb. The two proposed that they swap roles before filming got underway, and the question of who got first billing was settled by flipping a coin. Both men retired once the film was in the can. They knew they'd never top it. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

superb set of Sam Peckinpah westerns.......2007-08-28

Sam Peckinpah definitely became the standard for American westerns after John Ford and Howard Hawks. He kind of is still. Each of the four films in this set are beautful and very different.

-Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, a story that's much of betrayal . Pat Garret betrays his old friend but you still feel bad for him because you know it wasn't a decision that was easy to make. The all around tone of the film was right. Sam Peckinpah even makes a cameo appearance, and it's a sad scene as well.

-The Ballad Of Cable Hogue, a story of simple man . Not a greedy. It's about love and the ways of life. It kind of shows the start of a decline of once was the west. It's my favorite film of the set.

-The Wild Bunch, Definitely the standard for all American westerns. It's a brutal and heart breaking western film. Has to do alot with betrayal and decisions made in life. Standing by those decisions and even loyality.
My second favorite film in the set.

-Ride The High Country, alot of Sam Peckinpah's work has a sense of loss and the feeling of nothing lasting forever. But also things being so wonderful. I think this film has alot of that.

One star for Warner Home Video..........2007-07-13

I bought this set (from another merchant, not Amazon) and watched The Wild Bunch first.

Then I put in the Wild Bunch bonus disc but it wouldn't work - I got a "13:00 the disc is dirty" messsage onscreen. I tried playing it on two DVD players and 2 PCs. Has anyone else had or heard of this problem?

I returned the Wild Bunch (along with the whole set [that's what they told me to do]) to the merchant, who then sent me a replacement set, which I received today.

So I put the Wild Bunch bonus disc in my player and almost instantly, I get: "C 13:00 the disc is dirty" - wtf?

So I take out the effing bonus disc and put it in my Mac; the Starz! special on Sam Peckinpah starts playing; seems fine. So I go to the main menu and select the Outtakes: it starts playing immediately at what seems to be 3-4 minutes into the feature; I try skipping back to the start but it won't work; I try skipping forward to the next chapter, but that won't work, either. I try going back to the main menu but nothing happens. I slow it down to 1/4 speed and the player shuts down, with an error message saying the disc might be dirty.

Obviously, I got a set from a badly authored batch (thanks, Warner Home Video!).

Has anyone else had or heard of this problem?

Dolby Digital 1.0 audio does not cut it........2006-03-14

The single star here goes to Warner. I was so disappointed with Pat G. & Billy the Kid and its mono soundtrack. Here you have Dylan and that great music in "glorious" mono. Doesn't cut it for a special edition disk in my opinion. Others may not care.

Just know what you're paying your hard earned dollars for. No doubt we'll see another release in the future with "All New Digitally re-mastered Audio". After all, it seems the industry is all about making the consumer buy the same product multiple times.

5 Stars for Sam, 1 Star for Warner.

A must Own Collection.......2006-03-09

I,ve must tell you after Receiving Sam Peckinpah's Legendary Collection and Watched for the First Time Ride the High Country i realised, Just For that Movie was Worth Buying This Box,not to say that the Wild Bunch is one of the Best Westerns ever made and one of my Favorites.
This Collection is the best money can buy A lot of Extras Documentaries interviews with actors family members,who knew the man also called Bloody Sam.
I also recommend Sam's Biography If they move Kill'em

The gaffer's cut of Pat Garret?.......2006-03-04

The new version of Pat Garrett, which has the scene where James Coburn visits his wife, restored to the first act is in no way an improvement over the last version. The previous version which was derived from a previewed version of the film is vastly superior. There was a reason why this scene was cut from the preview version, and that is because it plain didn't work, and killed the first act stone dead at that point. One has to believe that Roger Spottiswoode knew what he was doing when he prepared the "preview version", he was, after all, one of the editorial team on this film.

Having said this, at least the earlier version of Pat Garret is included. If you have not seen this film before, watch that one first!

As to Ride the High Country, it would be nice if the telecine operators of this and the previous Laser Disc version of the film would actually listen to the dialog as well as just looking at the pictures. There are around five scenes that were shot "day for night" that the telecine transfer has managed to turn back into normal day scenes, which makes them seem kind of ridiculous! People just don't sit round a camp fire and talk about where they are going to sleep, in broad daylight!

"Legendary Westerns" they are all indeed, but a little more care in preparation would not have gone amiss.

Average customer rating:

Fun and light-hearted
A Classic Which Shouldn't Be Forgotten
Absolutely fantastic!
Mr. Toad's Great DVD
My favourite film in the world

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Starring: Roger Ashton-Griffiths , Robert Bathurst , Hugo Blick , John Boswall , and Keith-Lee Castle
Director: Terry Jones
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Fantasy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B0000DZTIM
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Amazon.com

Inventive, tuneful retelling of The Wind in the Willows by filmmaker Terry Jones (Erik the Viking), and costarring many of his Monty Python pals. The film relies on creative dramatics and subtle costumes to show the human actors playing the various animal characters. We follow Mr. Mole (Steve Coogan), whose home is destroyed by a feisty band of weasels who want to make over the peaceful "wild wood" for economic means. Rat (Eric Idle) and the noble Badger (Nicol Williamson) are enlisted to help, but the rich and foolish Mr. Toad (Jones) and his enthusiasm for automobiles--and his ability to wreck them--soon lay waste to his friends' noble efforts. Python members Michael Palin and John Cleese have small roles as, respectively, the all-knowing Sun and Mr. Toad's lawyer. Three-time Oscar winner James Acheson (The Last Emperor) provides the delightful costumes and production design. The film is not as fun as ex-Python member Terry Gilliam's creative films (Time Bandits) but this is one of those films that deserves an audience. It languished for two years, with only very limited release in U.S. movie theaters. As with Time Bandits, the PG rating is for shenanigans and comic gunplay. --Doug Thomas

Description

A classic Disney tale comes to life in this outrageous comedy adventure filled with high-spirited antics and madcap fun! Bring the whole family along on MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE, a live-action woodland fantasy adapted from the pages of the classic children's novel THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. Mr. Toad (Terry Jones) is literally driving his friends crazy with his powerful passion for motorcars -- selling off the town's land to replace each vehicle he crashes! It's up to Mole (Steve Coogan), Rat (Eric Idle), and Badger (Nicol Williamson) to put an end to the lunacy and save "Toad Hall" from falling into the hands of the conniving Weasels, who plan to turn it into a dog food factory! Includes guest star Bernard Hill (LORD OF THE RINGS) and John Cleese and Michael Palin (MONTY PYTHON).

Customer Reviews:

Fun and light-hearted.......2006-03-17

I enjoyed this movie and felt good after watching it. Good for adults and children!

A Classic Which Shouldn't Be Forgotten.......2004-09-16

This is a so-called kid's movie that's way too good for kids. It's based on the book The Wind in the Willows. Mr. Toad (Terry Jones) of Toad Hall loves fast cars, crazy inventions, and all the latest fads. He crashes his cars regularly and is spending more money that he has on his enthusiasms. And it seems the Chief Weasel (Antony Sher) and his cronies have been buying up the land Mr. Toad has had to sell. They're going to tear down Toad Hall and build a huge dog food factory in its place. The Chief Weasel plans that the first ingredients to be processed will be Toad and his friends, the meek but brave Mole (Steve Coogan), the picnic-loving, loyal Rat (Eric Idle), and the grumpy, advice-giving Badger (Nicol Williamson). The movie details with great humor their adventures to defeat the Chief Weasel and save Toad Hall.

What makes this movie so special is the loving care Jones took establishing the look of the place and the fullness of the characters. If you pay attention, you'll see some gentle takes on greed, the legal system (John Cleese is a defence attorney who makes an impassioned case in court that his client should receive the maximum sentence), 1984, the protection of our environment, taking responsibility for our actions, and friendship. And the movie is not ponderous or preachy at all. It's great fun.

Disney, which had U.S. rights to the film, did nothing with it. When they finally put it in theaters, after insisting the name be changed from The Wind in the Willows to the name of one of their park rides, they spent almost no marketing money on promotion. Not suprisingly, the movie tanked faster than Mr. Toad's tongue catching a fly.

I've watched it twice now, and skimmed through it again this morning. It should be considered a classic. Little kids would probably like the characters, the color and the action, but my target audience would start with slightly alienated and smart teenagers. They'll get it. And then move on to those adults who like adult things.

The DVD transfer is excellent.

Absolutely fantastic!.......2004-07-23

My grandson and I first watched this 5 yrs. ago then happened upon its being shown on BBC while in London this year and remembered how much we had enjoyed it. I have just ordered it as Christmas presents for my other grandchildren. The 2nd viewing was just as funny! We were glued to the TV before we went out to sightsee! It's wonderful!

Mr. Toad's Great DVD.......2004-05-31

Starts a little slow but is strong throughout, very entertaining - aimed at kids, but parents won't be bored!

My favourite film in the world.......2003-12-23

I love this film because it is funny it has alot of the monty python stars in it and also that the actors are amazing. The first time that I ever saw this film was when I borrowed it off a friend and ever since that I had fallen in love wwith it.

Average customer rating:

Very Exciting - A Early Jack Nicholson
The Wild Rice
pit stop powerfulness
fROM ROARING HOT RODS TO RACING BIG TIME
Surprisingly watchable budget DVD of swell hot rod/JD pic

The Wild Ride
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Georgianna Carter , Robert Bean , Carol Bigby , and John Bologni
Director: Harvey Berman
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | 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

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

ASIN: B00005B6JV
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Customer Reviews:

Very Exciting - A Early Jack Nicholson.......2005-05-27

This movie is so exciting as there is plenty of action, pretty girls and a very early Jack Nicholson. Watching this movie is like watching the birth of a great movie star. It seems just like a time capsule. Very nice! Jack is in only his 2nd top-billed movie.

The Wild Rice.......2005-03-25

Juvenile Delinquent sees the error his ways. The wicked are punished in the never ending struggles of good over evil. Like many films from this era, it serves as a study in what was cool in the 1950s, with a moral reminder. Although it's a well put together budget film, the most enlightening part may come from the music and watching these kids dance? Don't go overboard on this one, or expect too much, but it just might be worth a spin.

pit stop powerfulness.......2005-02-26

amazing
the whole cast is amazing
the story is shocking, touching and amazing
a classic this shall stay for the next 90 years
I've watched it 2 times already and shall watch it more
count on it
the movie offers many insights on life, racing and other things. see what you can learn fellow movie goers

fROM ROARING HOT RODS TO RACING BIG TIME.......2003-09-21

Reminiscient of Marlon Brando's "The Wild Ones" and James Dean's "Rebel Without a Cause", fans of Jack Nicholson will want to include this early film in their collection. All of the elements are here...juvenile delinquents in trouble with the law, hot cars, alcohol, the "good girl", etc., and of cause Nicholson, who calls himself "the number one stud" in this film.

Surprisingly watchable budget DVD of swell hot rod/JD pic.......2002-08-26

In only his second top-billed role, Jack Nicholson already shows some of the commanding presence that would eventually make him a star, playing Johnny Varron, smart-mouthed, arrogant punk and "top man" in a gang of would-be hot-rodders (an "anti-hero" ten years before they were popular?). In the first scene, Johnny's questioned by police at a party after 'chicken-running' a motorcycle cop (who later dies) into a tree. Johnny rules his gang with an iron hand, dictating activities, designating girlfriends as 'in' or 'out' ("She doesn't 'fit', man"), and scoring booze from a crooked liquor store owner for their makeout parties at the beach. When 'second lieutenant' Dave appears to be going "shallow" over his girl (because he "chickened" to an oncoming truck and ran his bomb off the road when she screamed) Johnny demands that he drop her ("First thing you know you're gonna be sittin' on a sofa watching TV, and that's the end, you might as well be dead.") Later, in his first legitimate race (featuring some actually quite decent track footage), he wins through dirty tactics and is immediately fired by his furious sponsor (the entire gang goes "on the town" with a twenty in winnings from a bet he had one of his boys place on him). Interestingly, the 'square' chick is the only person who dares to stand up to Johnny, labeling his win at the track "disgusting." Ultimately, his obsession with controlling the gang leads to a high-speed chase and ensuing tragedy. The Wild Ride is short (only 60 minutes) but sweet, featuring lots of groovy hep-talk (count how many times they use the word "man"); a reference to Marlon Brando in The Wild One; some way-cool wheels (gearheads will be drooling); and a nice'n'sleazy, jazzy score heavy on sax, vibes, flute, and bongos. If you're into the late-50s JD/Hot Rod/AIP scene, this should be on your must-see list, daddy-o.
Unfortunately, the source print does have some problems: it's a bit contrasty, and exhibits the usual light speckling and blemishing throughout, plus a few mild jump cuts, some sporadic blotching and lining, and noticeable grain. That said, the picture is bright enough, with generally very good tonal scale and shadow/highlight detail, and acceptably sharp. Basically a pretty solid 16mm TV print, eminently watchable, and benefiting from the superior resolution of DVD. There are a few points where it seems that some footage may be missing, but I noticed no major gaps in continuity. Overall, it blows away the other two Brentwood discs I've purchased: both Hot Rod Girl and T-Bird Gang suffer enormously in comparison, both looking very flat, faded, and dupey. Extras (Casper cartoon with terribly balanced, faded color; movie trivia quiz; DVD Dictionary) are negligible; buy this one for the feature. Besides Brentwood, only Sinister Cinema currently offers this movie on disc (in DVD-R format), and from the few SC DVD-Rs I've purchased I'm not exactly overwhelmed with their overall quality (at several times the cost of this commercial DVD). Since there appear to be no plans for legitimate DVD releases of the bulk of Corman's Filmgroup productions, I highly recommend this disc to JD/hot rod aficionados, especially at the dirt-cheap price.

Average customer rating:

Unfortunate Last Ride of the Dalton Gang
best movie

The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang
Starring: Cliff Potts , Randy Quaid , Larry Wilcox , Sharon Farrell , and Matt Clark
Director: Dan Curtis
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Outlaws | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Biography | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

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

ASIN: B0000EMYMI
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Description

The Dalton brothers rode hard, lived fast and played for high stakes. In this acclaimed production, Emmet Dalton recounts the wild and wooly exploits that made his gang legendary. Starting out as lawmen, deputized by Judge Isaac Parker, the Daltons discovered that stealing horses was more to their taste than chasing horse thieves and they soon found themselves on the wrong side of the law with a $25,000 reward posted for their capture. The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang is a powerful drama of the Old West as it really might have been -- a vivid, exciting saga of colorful characters that traces the rise and fall of the last major outlaw gang to make its reputation infamous before law and order stretched coast to coast.

Customer Reviews:

Unfortunate Last Ride of the Dalton Gang.......2007-03-29

There were many accurate accounts but I did not enjoy the way they portrayed Grat, nor the way they made light of may situations, also the supporting music was corny (comic).

best movie.......2007-03-28

this is the best movie i have seen in years it wa really enjoyed

MLB - Boston Red Sox - Cowboy Up! The Wild Ride of 2003

Average customer rating:

How times have changed.
A Century of Losing... Ended!
Well Done review with hopefully last "cursed" ending
A century of losing
God Bless the Red Sox

MLB - Boston Red Sox - Cowboy Up! The Wild Ride of 2003
Starring: 2003 Boston Red Sox
Manufacturer: Cramer Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B000159EDI
Release Date: 2003-12-16

Customer Reviews:

How times have changed........2005-10-11

I was watching this last night and I realized something, it's only been two years and most of this team is already gone. So far Pedro, Lowe, Burkett, Fossum, Embree, Kim, Williamson, Mendoza, Walker, Grady, Sanchez are all gone. Even our generation's Ted Williams, Nomar Garciaparra is gone(Sometimes it still hurts that he is no longer a Red Sox). Soon to follow will probably be Damon, Mueller, Millar, and possibly Mike Timlin. The 2003 Boston Red Sox were a very magical team. I cried when I watched it last night. That team should have won-no doubt! They always fought so hard and were true dirt dogs. No one cared about their ego or just about me attitude.

2004 was the best year of my life, but this 2003 team will always have a place in my heart. This is a must have!

A Century of Losing... Ended!.......2004-11-23

Did you read that Yankee fan's review above? I couldn't help but think what he makes of this year's "inevitable failure". I look forward to hearing his excuses too.

Well Done review with hopefully last "cursed" ending.......2004-09-04

The 2003 Boston Red Sox were, like the current squad of Sox tearing up the league as of this writing (early September 2004), a colorful, free spirited bunch with various hair styles who took their "cowboy up" attitude all the way to Game 7 of the ALCS where of course the "Curse" did them in once more. In fact if they had been able to beat the Yanks they would most likely have done better against the Marlins than the Bronx Bombers did-- witness the 25-8 drubbing the Sox gave the Fish during interleague play. What the 2003 Sox lacked that the 2004 Sox seem to (finally) be utilizing is a: 1) A balanced offense. Finally more small ball, and less money ball. The 2003 Sox broke all kinds of offensive records and were a jaw-dropping hitting machine from 1 to 9. They pummelled the ball into submission. They still hit like heck in 2004 but with more smarts and creativity(at least after 3 months of failure with money ball and the Garciaparra trade) 2) Stronger starting pitching. Schilling has made a great difference with his experience and poise. Lowe, Arroyo and Wakefield are rising to the occasion. Pedro is Pedro. Burkett and Kim were accidents waiting to happen and were often bailed out by the bashers. 3) Stronger bullpen. Timlin and Embree have never been better and should have been out there to save Martinez in the 8th early against the Yanks last year. Last year's closer-by-committee of Kim et al failed miserably time and time again until the end of the season, and has been replaced by some great middle relieving and of course Keith Foulke as the closer, who has gotten his stuff together like the rest of the team in time for the stretch run 4) The Garciaparra trade. The unhappy, mysterious Sox icon was simply a bad vibe and a person of his influence obviously had a big effect on the team. 5) Better defense. Todd Walker and Nomar could hit the ball in the dark but their defense rarely rose to the occasion. Roberts, Mientkiewicz and Cabrera are lesser offensive players but are many times better in the field and that was a major problem earlier this year and also last year. Bellhorn is getting to be almost as good a hitter as Walker and his defense is better. 6) Was Grady a bad manager? Is Francona a bad manager? Jury is still out on both. Little should have taken Pedro out though. And Francona has done a thousand things wrong this year but seems to be finally listening to the fans' (and management's?) suggestions. The trade and change in clubhouse vibe has certainly helped.

This DVD takes a really in depth look at the entire 2003 season from start to finish for the Sox, featuring a lot of regular season highlights. But I dock it one star for its horrific disaster of an ending, and also for a few too many close ups on players' faces instead of important hits and not enough field views. But it still rocks. Get it.

A century of losing.......2004-07-14

This movie has a great ending. Typical moronic review by the Red Sox nation. The Yankees were "lucky". yeah, just like they were in '78, just like the Mets were in '86, etc. I've never seen so much hoopla about a team that didn't win ANYTHING, even its own division. I give them credit though, that celebration when they clinched the wild card was something, you almost thought they actually came in first. I look forward to hearing the exuses for the Red Sox inevitable failure this year.

God Bless the Red Sox.......2004-06-25

It's a sad story and one that Red Sox fans are all too familiar with. It was a great season for the Red Sox, with a hearbreaking ending. But, we Red Sox fans are a strong willed and loyal group. We all know that the Sox are still the BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL.

This DVD has it all and really does provide a great perspective of the wild ride of the 2003 Boston Red Sox.

As for the many obnioxious Yankee fans who say they knew all along that the "cursed" Red Sox would lose at the end of the 2003 season, (cursed by Don Zimmer? You mean the guy who ditched the Yankees for Tampa Bay and hates George Steinbrenner? Give me a break!), not one of you were so high and mighty last October. You were all scared to death that it was over for your Yankees -- no more incessant bragging -- no more holding the "26 world championships" over every team in baseball. It wasn't until Aaron Boone, just like Bucky Dent - a low (no ) avg. one-hit wonder, took a lucky swing on the last pitch of the 11th inning of game 7 of the 2003 ALCS that the Yankees actually won. It's less that the Sox are cursed than the Yankees just got lucky, which ran out against the Marlins. I guess you Yankee fans have the best team $200 million can buy, but every true baseball fan knows that the best team of 2003 didn't win the ALCS.

Description

Racing down a highway at a break-neck speed, Johnny, a wild teenager with plenty of dangerous attitude, plays a deadly game of "chicken" with a police officer. The policeman is killed, but the cops are unable to make any charges stick to the rebellious punk. Tough-as-nails gang leader, Johnny, is unfazed by the incident, and manages to keep a protective eye on his friend Dave. Meanwhile, beach parties, drag races and booze all mix for a formula that spells big trouble for Johnny and his band of troublemakers. When Johnny gets ideas about Dave's girlfriend, it results in a furious race down a winding highway on a collision course with tragedy.Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Johnny Varron in The Wild Ride (inspired by Marlon Brando's The Wild One) came early in his career, but still showed the kind of presence and power that would eventually make him a superstar. In time, Nicholson would hold the honor as the most Academy Award nominated actor in film history. B-movie producer and director Roger Corman gave Nicholson his first major acting opportunities, releasing such beat generation flicks as The Wild Ride (through his Filmgroup company) and cult classics The Terror, Little Shop Of Horrors and The Raven. Co-stars Robert Bean (Creature From The Haunted Sea) and Georgianna Carter (Night Of The Blood Beast) were also regulars from Corman's repertoire company.

Customer Reviews:

DRIVE-IN SECOND FEATURE.......2005-04-11

"Are you really going out with him?"
"UH-HUH".
"By the way, where did you meet him?"
"I MET HIM AT THE CANDY STORE AND THEN WE WENT OUT IN HIS CONVERTABLE AND PLAYED CHICKEN WITH A COP."
"Cool. Did you win?"
"UH-HUH."
"And the cop?"
"HE DIDN'T WIN."
"Oh. By the way, what's his name?"
"OH, SILLY. DON'T YOU KNOW ALL HOT ROD JUVENILE DELINQUENTS FROM CHEAP LATE '50S EARLY 60S MOVIES ARE NAMED JOHNEY?"
"Johney Angel?"
"JOHNEY DEVIL. JOHNEY DON'T CARE ABOUT NOTHIN'. JOHNEY SAYS THE ONLY GOOD COP IS A DEAD COP."
"Cool."
"TONIGHT WE'RE ROBBING A CASE OF BEER AND HANGING OUT AT THE BEACH WHERE WE'LL GET DRUNK AND NECK AND SAY REAL OUT OF DATE THINGS TEENAGERS USED TO SAY."
"That's real boss."
"AND THEN WE'LL RUN A COP OFF THE ROAD AND SPEED AWAY IN A WILD CLIMACTIC CAR CHASE."
"Cool. Can I come?"
'SURE, IF YOU DON'T MIND GETTING KILLED IN A WILD CLIMACTIC CAR CHASE."
"Uh, maybe I'll just stay home."
"COOL."
"Uh-huh."

Average customer rating:

The Wild Ride & The Violent Years

Manufacturer: PC Treasures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Little Shop of Horrors/The Terror/The Wild Ride

Average customer rating:

Little Shop of Horrors/The Terror/The Wild Ride
Starring: Jack Nicholson
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: B00029NLIC
Release Date: 2004-06-15

DVD:

DVD

DVD