The Bad Seed

Amazon.com

"A basket full of kisses for a basket full of hugs." Those are chilling words, at least when uttered by that ice princess, Patty McCormack. As Rhoda Penmark, she is as pretty as a porcelain doll but drips venom with each curtsey and polite response. Little Rhoda's mother is terrified she has passed on her own mother's corruption. Oops, turns out she's right. This passes the test of time, as it still gets under your skin. The character development is tight and the story very involving. Not even Freddy Krueger had the ability to scare like tiny McCormack, looking just like a little adult while she literally beats out the competition for a penmanship award. However, director Mervyn LeRoy's hands were tied over the ending, which was changed from the source material--Maxwell Anderson's hit Broadway play. A supposedly more appropriate, and moral, ending was demanded by the studio. This was remade (badly) in 1985. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Nice Shoes.......2007-09-13

I don't know which is scarrier: folks so deeply analyzing this film that they lose sight of its simple brilliance; or that when I told my sister that I had purchased the bad seed on dvd she said, "Well, that movie pretty much sums up my childhood...".

As the name of Mufasa when spoken to Shenzi, the bad seed is full of tingles. Frankly I was blown away by it. Before becoming a film, it had completed over 200 showings as a stage production. The original cast is inluded in the film, which explains why everyone nails their character.

My favorite movie of all time, after seeing thousands of movies from modern to silent era, is Signs. One of the qualities of signs success at achieving creepiness and claustrophobia was the choice to keep 90 percent of the story in the house and its surrounding cornfields. As signs, a massive majority of the movie takes place within a spacious apartment and backyard, with a few exceptions.

Yes, the bad seed is black and white. Get over it. I have spent years defending the quality of older films, be it black and white or cinemascope. Drain the color from L.A. Confidential or Find Me Guilty for a cool treat. Frankly, if it's a problem for you... as I always say... you are missing it. Get on board. Hey, wouldn't it be cool to be the unique eccentric one in the group that actually knows James Cagney for his talent rather than Michaelangelo's impersonation in Ninja Turtles? I feel better now.

Acting, as afore mentioned, is superb. Yeah, put here all of the critical cliche's deserving of a great cast. One of the best drunks I have ever seen. A child star that near matches L. Blair (in a different way, yeah.) A mother that rides rollercoasters with her facial expressions and moods... its just cool really. It touches everything just right, and is entirely believable.

When originally released, the studio thought it was so disturbing that they had the cast take a bow after you see "The End". A cheerful voice appears from behind the words and reassures tha audience that no one was really burn-... I better not go there. Then after the bows, there is a funny obligatory moment, to show the actual humanity of the child star. And yes, it still holds that intensity. Also, reguardless that the reason was studio restrictions, it keeps true to the rule that the audiences imagination is a better tool than any special effect ridden death scene.

After seeing The Bad Seed again after nearly a decade, it is nice to see that it still has the effect on on me as an adult that it did when I was a child. All I wanna do is convince you to watch it, so forgive me for not including the usual theatrics included in the average review. The bad seed is creepy, and besides Descent, is one of the best thrillers I have seen in years.

Fantastic movie except for the last 3 seconds.......2007-09-09

Imagine a person who looks like you and I....actually, they probably look better than you or I (well, at least me). They have the wit, charm, and personality to match their good looks. By all appearances they are happy, well-adjusted and polite, perhaps even virtuous.

But this person is different from the vast majority of humanity in one very significant way. They have no conscience, none whatsoever. That little voice inside that scolds us when we do wrong never troubles them. They are incapable of grasping the concepts of right and wrong in any way. Their only thoughts are of what they want and how they may obtain it as quickly and easily as possible. They're not immoral so much as ammoral, in that they simply don't possess the ability to understand or appreciate ethical concepts.

Furthermore, they lack empathy. You and I feel bad when we watch the news and see stories of tragedies like 9/11. They don't. The suffering and misfortunes of others do not register in their minds whatsoever. Completely self-centered, they walk among us, hurting and murdering with no more compunction about it than a cat may have about torturing and killing a mouse.

This is an apt description of real people living in the world right now. The psychological term for them is psychopath. This film ably portrays such a person. What makes it especially chilling is that this devil in human flesh is clothed in the skin of a pretty, polite, and ever so well mannered little girl. Her parents are fine people, propserous and respectable. She attends private school, is showered with presents and attention, and enjoys every advantage.

But beneath her thin veneer of amiability she is a monster who kills at the slightest provocation while manipulating the adults around her with ease. The only emotions she ever feels are envy, rage, and fear for her own well-being - no tenderness, no compassion, and absolutely, positively no love.

This movie was made in 1956, but that fact in no way detracts from its appeal. Patty McCormack did a brilliant job of playing the little hellspawn, Rhoda Penmark. Rhoda wants things she can't have, like a crystal snowball. Or a medal for penmanship won by another child. Or a pet bird owned by the older woman who lives in the apartment above hers.

A funny thing happens when Rhoda sets her eyes on such things: the original owners soon turn up dead, after which Rhoda acquires the object of her desire, explaining to the grownups around her that the deceased always wanted her to have it, in the event something unsavory ever happened to them.

No doubt about it, Rhoda is a cold, calculating killer. But after watching the film for a while I found myself starting to like her, simply because the adults around her are too stupid, weak-willed or cowardly to put a stop to her mischief. At least she doesn't let such character faults prevent her from achieving her goals.

Not that I'd want her for a daughter, of course. I have no desire to wake up with a slit throat one night because my 8 year old just had to have that shiny new tie clip I got for Christmas.

The only major fault with this movie - and it is a BIG one - is its cheesy, moralistic, easy-out ending. It is reminiscent of tales told to wide-eyed children by dour old Sunday school teachers, about the evils of smoking, swearing and parking in cars with members of the opposite sex. "And just as Billy finished gulping down the liquid in that dark glass container, boys and girls, he saw the skull and crossbones label on it. He knew then that, instead of swiping one of his dad's beers, he had actually stolen the bottle of rat poison his mother had bought the day before, and drank every deadly drop!" "OOOHHHH...."

I learned from research, though, that the film's pathetic finale was forced on the producers by movie censors, who felt that its intended climax was simply too shocking for audiences of the day. Something tells me I would have hated living in the 1950s.

Nevertheless, the fine performances of Miss McCormick and the rest of the cast make this disturbing story well worth watching, even 51 years after its release. Enjoy it!

By the way, where is that tie clip? Suzie, dear, have you seen it? Uh oh...

For the ultimate depressing movie fan! (=.......2007-08-19

My title is not bad. This is good! This movie is so ahead of it's time, i felt like i was watching a modern-day movie in black and white (which only increased the drama). The story is fantastic. A perfect, flawless, polite little girl with a troublesome secret-until the secret gets out, that is. Cast into depression and guilt, the mother ends the story with a bang beyond belief. No person should be without this movie in their collection. I watch it over and over again.

! the bad seed - every character deserved an oscar !!!!!.......2007-06-30

i will never forget seeing this movie the bad seed when i was a young teenager. i have seen it over and over again since my teenage years. this movie is top notch. the acting in this movie is superb. every character in this movie deserved an ACADEMY AWARD. the bad seed is a true, real thriller. this movie has everything. nothing is lacking in this movie. where did they find this child actress ? i am astonished every time i watch this movie at her chilling performance. i do not think i ever saw her in another movie. she should have been at the top of every directors list for a role in their movies. i find acting talent to be lacking. especially, in this type of movie genre. i am always shocked when i see the date this movie was made 1956. this movie was way ahead of its time and underappreciated. everyone should watch this movie and understand afterwards what a true classic it truly is.

The Bad Seed.......2007-06-26

LeRoy's divinely campy classic about a psychopathic child with a suspiciously sweet veneer was adapted from Maxwell Anderson's Broadway play, also starring Kelly and McCormack. When Christine discovers a long-buried secret about her own biological family just as another "accidental" death clouds their home once again, the plot takes a chilling twist. McCormack is one of the eeriest evil dolls you'll see, and Eileen Heckart, playing the mother of Rhoda's first victim, delivers an extraordinary, Oscar-nominated performance. Despite a silly tacked-on ending dictated by sponsors of the day, "The Bad Seed" remains a highly distinctive, creepy little thriller about a very badly misbehaved child. Classic dialogue between Rhoda and her dad: "What will you give me for a basket of hugs?" "A basket of kisses!" Yikes!

Average customer rating:

The Truth is Out There
Scary but informative
Bad Seed was very bad indeed.
Must see video on the hazards of genetic engineering of food

Bad Seed: The Truth About Our Food
Starring: Bad Seed-Truth About Our Food
Manufacturer: UFO TV
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FS2WIU
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Description

This documentary exposes a vast conspiracy to contaminate and control the world's food supply through genetic engineering of food crops. Leading scientists, researchers and activists present the facts that you need to know about genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The methods used to genetically engineer plants are imprecise and extremely dangerous. Eighty percent of food sold in North America already has ingredients made of GMOs that have not been adequately tested for safety. This program presents all the facts about this alarming controversy and features the best-known, most credible bio tech / agriculture authorities in the world today.

Customer Reviews:

The Truth is Out There.......2007-05-13

This is crucial information to get out to everyone who eats! This DVD does a good job at waking us up to the "Truth" about the corruption amongst the FDA and the Agro-Chemical industry. It's a must see and a must pass on to everyone concerned about the health and well being of others and our planet. As the film suggests, we as individuals have the power to stop this. INSIST ON ANSWERS from your local grocery, from your local farmers, from your local governments. The film's presenters seem truthworthy and articulate very clearly the loss of FDA accountability for our food safety, the lack of research about GMO's and the dismissal of our right to choose and know about what we put in our bodies. This is a low budget production, but it's rawness matches it's message.

Scary but informative.......2006-12-01

I saw the feature length version of this film in the theater, then purchased
this special edition. The special edition has extra interviews with various
experts. It was really informative. As with the movie itself, you probably
have to watch the extras twice to absorb all the information.

Bad Seed was very bad indeed........2006-11-10

I purchased Bad Seed to use in my nutrition class. I was very disappointed. It had no narration to lead the events and the videography was very amateurish.

Must see video on the hazards of genetic engineering of food.......2006-06-14

If you didn't know that 60% of food sold in North America contains ingredients of genetically modified plants and that the ingredients are hazardous to human health and the planet, you will really know it after seeing this video.

"Bad Seed - The Truth About Our Food" is a relatively low budget but highly effective documentary with a gripping story and credible information. The video contains interviews with a wide range of experts as well as just activists and farmers.

Unlike many documentaries this one doesn't include a bunch of cheesey footage from public domain stock footage from the 50s and 60s. Intead it uses parodies of Monsanto ads to add a little spice of humor.

The animation sequences are good and there is a segment on the evils of Monsanto that really brings the message home.

This video is not nearly as polished or as boring as the other documentary on GMOs "The Future of Food" and focuses more on the health consequences of GMOs rather than the impact on agriculture.

If you eat, you must watch this video, otherwise you won't really know what you are eating or the consequences of your eating choices.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - God Is in the House

Average customer rating:

but the concert footage
So Glad I Bought This
Someday he'll come out ... God Is In the House
God Is In The House...and Nick is as well...
Stop! Quit! I can't take it!

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - God Is in the House
Starring: Nick Cave
Manufacturer: Mute U.S.
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000AM6NP
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Customer Reviews:

but the concert footage.......2006-12-23

people here aren't giving enough attention to the actual concert on the dvd. it is first and foremost a concert dvd and there's no escaping that the sound is quality is just plain poor. the vocals are buried deep and it's almost like they just set up a speaker in the back and recorded it that way. yes the performance is great as expected but it still fails on original intent.

no need to watch the documentary and the videos aren't anything you can see on youtube anyhow.

So Glad I Bought This.......2005-04-09

This is a great DVD. The primary feature is the concert, which alone, would be worth the price, but in addition it also includes three promo videos (Love Letter, AS I Sat Sadly By Her Side, and Fifteen Feet Of Pure White Snow), and a documentary on the recording sessions for And No More Shall We Part, which most cave fans that I've met agree is their best record.
I had never seen Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds live. Wasn't sure what I was in for.
Nick Cave is a rock star. He is so alive and animated on stage. He stomps and swaggers with the charisma of a mad man.

If you're into Nick Cave, there's no question: you need this DVD.

Someday he'll come out ... God Is In the House .......2004-09-01

Perhaps the greatest example of a true showman. Nick Cave stomps around stage pointing and screaming at the audience one minute, then gently caressing the mic the next. He's a charismatic cross between an early 1950's crooner and a mid-1970's minister - somehow he makes it all accessible and brilliant. For those into masochistic entertainment, please apply here. It's lyrically brutal music, but transforms into an artform once Cave delivers in his Jim Morrison/Elvis/Johnny Cash baritone while proclaiming to the audience, "All of God's children will have to die."

This is, of course, a DVD of a show Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds performed in Lyons, France around 2001 (just after the recording of the album, `No More Shall We Part' - my favorite Cave release by the way). It showcases the mad, frantic, masterful way Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds can direct emotions and coax the audience into applauding even though he's bringing to light all their flaws (well not just them, but humans in general).

But I've gotten caught up in describing only one half of his musical persona. The other half consists of the brooding crooner (think David Bowie, Tom Waits, or Lou Reed) singing lines such as, "We've bred all our kittens white so that we can see them in the night ... God is in the house." - any songwriter who can compare forced Christian individualism and seclusion with cats, has my vote as one of the greatest lyricists of the 20th century.

It is rather terrifying, because if it wasn't for the documentary (more on that later), you'd think that Cave actually meant every lyric he pronounced - he's that good of a performer. Pure emotion and visceral honesty. After you hear him shouting, "Do you love me?" after describing his lover's bleeding thighs with complete conviction, you wonder, Is he talking from experience?

Now the crowning achievement (both of Cave and whoever produced this DVD), is the documentary which shows Cave and his cohorts recording the `No More Shall We Part' album. It shows Cave in a different light than what most people are used to. You think you'd see a brooding madman, berating and ranting (like his live shows), but here in his natural persona (I've used that word again), he is surprisingly normal. Quiet, encouraging, and sarcastically funny, he seems like someone worth knowing in real life. I was worried `cause, as entertaining as it is, his live personality is something I'd rather watch from a distance.

While Cave and his band (the Bad Seeds) aren't at their absolute best on this particular show (performing wise), they still have the energy they had back in the `80s (impressive, considering that there's not a person in the band younger than 40). Hopefully there will be another live performance released on DVD, but for those who need more, check out the album `Live Seeds' - a flawless performance - perhaps one of the greatest live albums of all time.

God Is In The House...and Nick is as well..........2004-06-24

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds would have to rate as one of the all-time great line-ups of musicians ever to grace the stages and stereos of the world, and thus its fitting that their first DVD be suitably impressive.

The main extravagance of "God Is In The House" is a concert recorded in Lyon, France on the 2001 "No More Shall We Part" tour. Featuring a Bad Seeds line up of Mick Harvey (guitars), Blixia Bargeld (guitars), Conway Savage (piano), Jim Sclavonous (percussion), Warren Ellis (violin/organ), Tomas Wylder (drums) and Martyn Casey (bass). This is a truly spectacular line up and they deliver a very good concert. The curtain raiser, "Do You Love Me?", is very good, but the pace doesn't let up - nearly every song is a highlight, except (oddly) the title track, which personally doesn't do anything for me. Maybe other people get something out of it that I don't.

The extras are very impressive as well. All three "No More..." videos are included - the very abstract "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side", the incredibly hilarious "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow" and the beautifully emotional "Love Letter", which brought tears to my eyes. A forty-minute film of the band recording "No More Shall We Part" provides a great insight into the recording of an album (and the bit in the middle featuring the recording of "The Sorrowful Wife" is brilliant).

Ultimately, if you're a Nick Cave fan, there's simply no excuse not to own this (unless you don't have the money). It's not perfect, but damn it comes close. "The Videos" should be great, too.

Stop! Quit! I can't take it!.......2004-01-24

Wow! What can I say? This is one of the most amazing DVDs I've ever had the pleasure of viewing! Whoa! What amazing music! What amazing showmanaship!! Please...let the words "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds" ring thoughout the land.

Average customer rating:

It's about the music not the pictures.
bad seeds don't fall far from the tree
Ditto the Mixed Bag
The bad seeds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty crappy for such a great artist.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Videos
Starring: Nick Cave , Mick Harvey , Barry Adamson , Hugo Race , and Warren Ellis
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
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ASIN: B0001JXOPI
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Customer Reviews:

It's about the music not the pictures........2006-04-09

Nick doesn't even like making videos. Rent don't buy this one. It's much more worth your while to buy a live performance DVD.

bad seeds don't fall far from the tree.......2005-08-02

Videos are, demonstrably, not a strong point for the Bad Seeds. Neither are they a point of interest for the band. If you are interested in inspired and objectively interesting videos, look elsewhere. However, if you like to watch Nick Cave dance around while Blixa Bargeld looks very pretty in the background, you've found your match. The commentary between the videos is entertaining and offers a glimpse into the minds of the otherwise taciturn Bad Seeds. This is a collection for the collectors, or the über-fans.

Ditto the Mixed Bag.......2005-04-02

If you have not seen this DVD, it must be restated that Cave and his bandmates admit from the very start that they do not like doing videos. So, if you presumably already have these songs on CD and many of the reviews lean toward the negative, why own this? Well, in my view, The Videos is a great collection precisely because it is so primitive and often silly. I don't like all the songs and would rather that others had taken the place of those I don't like, hence the four stars. But overall, this is a video that any Nick Cave fan should be eager to own because actually watching Cave perform adds so much more to the songs.
The following are my favorites:
1) Staggerlee---Cave in his most menacing stance. The dancing is so silly you may roll on the floor laughing.
2) Where the Wild Roses Grow---Manichean juxtapositions. Cave and Minogue play their roles to the hilt. And then there's that snake...
3) Into My Arms---The imagery is what gets you. Very stark.
4) Henry Lee---The video does not really fit the words, but you can feel the sexual tension generated by PJ Harvey and Cave.
5) Red Right Hand---Always a great song, sinister as Cave can make it.
6) Do You Love Me---Actually, I couldn't care less about the bozos he filmed in a Brazilian dive, but the performance is urgent and bursting with Cave's energy.
7) Jack the Ripper---Full of blood, brings the lyrics to hideous life.
8) Mercy Seat---Somewhat weak, but Cave looks the part of a loser who is about to be fried. Could have been a lot more graphic, but still a great song.
9) The Weeping Song--The set it comical (with the phony water and rocking boat, the guys swilling Retsina), the dancing stupid, and Blixa Bargeld with a voice tailor-made for a song like this.
10) I Had A Dream, Joe---Shows the band at its most manic. No acting per se, but lots of great shots of individual band members frantically playing and Cave working himself into an exhausting frenzy.

What didn't I like? They could have jettisoned What A Wonderful World and In the Ghetto for sure. They stink out loud, particularly that last,the aural stench of which still lingers in my ears.
Addressing one reviewer's complaint, one can skip the commentary before each song by selecting the songs one by one rather than playing the whole thing through. A bit of a pain, but its an option.
So, overall I ditto the mixed bag judgement of several reviewers but reiterate my recommendation of The Videos for anyone who is truly a Nick Cave fan. I plan to enjoy this DVD frequently and you may find that you will too as long as you remember the proviso that these videos are not the acme of the art.

The bad seeds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-03-31

The bad seeds certainly! I liked Where The Wild Roses Grow, because the video is excellent. Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue are great in this one, but I figure that's just because I like Kylie and nothing else but Nick is good in this one! The only Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds video I like.

Pretty crappy for such a great artist........2004-11-25

I really enjoy Nick Cave's music and I have almost all of his CDs. He has a deep and poetic lyrical style that is rare in popular music today. So when I saw his DVD of music videos, I was intrigued. Man was I let down. Maybe two or three of the videos are tolerable, most are bad and a few are outright terrible. I am pretty forgiving to low budget productions in most cases. Usually I can get passed the cheap sets and poor camera work on videos, if they are creative. But something about these videos' cheap production was just plain bad. If you like Nick Cave, stick to his audio collection and just pretend you never saw this DVD.

The Road to God Knows Where/Live at the Paradiso

Average customer rating:

cool but far from perfect.
An insane carreer that leads to God knows where

The Road to God Knows Where/Live at the Paradiso
Starring: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Manufacturer: Mute U.S.
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000CCZR6S
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Description

Previously available on VHS, now released on DVD for the first time! 'The Road To God Knows Where' is a film by Uli M. Schueppel featuring a cast of Nick Cave, members of the Bad Seeds as well as Anita Lane, Lydia Lunch, Jim Thirwell and more. 'Live At The Paradiso' is a full-length live concert from the famed Paradiso Club in Amsterdam from 1992 featuring Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds performing "The Mercy Seat", "The Ship Song", "Tupelo", amongst others.

DVD Features:
2 DVD

DVD 1:
'The Road To God Knows Where', A Film by Uli M. Schueppel
'The Song' A Short Film by Uli M. Schueppel
City Of Refuge

DVD 2:
'Live At The Paradiso', Amsterdam (1992)
Intro
The Mercy Seat
Jack The Ripper
The Ship Song
Tupelo
Deanna
The Good Son
The Carny
Papa Won't Leave You, Henry
The Weeping Song
In The Ghetto
From Her To Eternity
New Morning

Customer Reviews:

cool but far from perfect........2006-09-12

i love nick cave and the music and performance but this dvd is not pure gold by any means. The Road to Nowhere is slow at best, just a lot of behind the scenes footage edited together. There are good moments but mostly it's watching people do normal stuff for a long time. Sitting on the bus, jamming a little, arguing with management. It offers insight but little entertainment.

the performance is much more fun to watch but the image quality isn't that great and whoever edited it cut and pasted multiple performances together rather than just presenting one concert like I would have preferred. It's distracting to see what Nick's wearing change from shot to shot.

Performance wise it's tight it's the dvd that's shaky.

An insane carreer that leads to God knows where.......2006-02-10

First there was the release of the `God is in the house' dvd, a performance Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds gave in France, in 2001. Later on there was the awesome release of Nick's first real band The Birthday Party: two live punk gigs in the beginning of the 80's.
Now there is a double bill on dvd: the black & white documentary `The Road to God knows where', which can be best described as a `behind the scenes of Nick and The Bad Seeds on tour', and the 1992 concert in Paradiso, Amsterdam.

The documentary is a deliberatly paced, understated, non-explaning series of impressions. No biography here, no guiding voice-over or cinematic manipulation: just scenes which themselves often do not really have a point, but are, as a whole, a pure look at The Man as he really is, calm, dead-pan funny at times, but often serious and quiet. Not at all the rockbeast he sometimes is during his shows. To some this may simply be a dull film without real climaxes or `exceptional happenings', but to the real fans it gives a true feeling of an almost Jim Jarmusch road movie a.k.a. "slices of life".

The second disc contains the live concert in Holland and this show happens to be the perfect bridge between the crazy, insane Early Years and the more mature and structured performance of the exceptional singer / songwriter Nick Cave is now (`God is in the house').

In Amsterdam's Paradiso Nick jumps all over the stage, shouting and screaming as a man in rage, pleading as a mad preacher and even kneeling down, either before himself (`The good son') or the audience (`Papa won't leave you, Henry').
There is no rest in this almost psychotic man, not even during the Elvis-evergreen `In the ghetto', although it is, together with a delirious performance of `The carny', a point of ease and rest in between the real adrenaline pumping classics like `The mercy seat', `Tupelo' and `From her to eternity'.
The latter song is sung with an almost grunging voice at first, but it never really goes over the edge; Nick is just an intens and hyperenergetic performer with an almost Biblical mission: the stage is his altar and The Caveman is there to convert the crowd.

No rest for the pity or the wicked. And thank God somewhere down the road for that.

Average customer rating:

What a Stinker!!
PLAIN STUPID
DARK THRILLER
Good performances, interesting concept
Making the best out of nothing

Bad Seed
Starring: Luke Wilson , Norman Reedus , Dennis Farina , Mili Avital , and Vincent Kartheiser
Director: Jon Bokenkamp
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
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ASIN: B00005JRMX
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Amazon.com

Luke Wilson stars in this above-average thriller with complex morals. Bad Seed starts off with a bang, with an affair and two murders in the first 15 minutes. Preston, the wronged husband (Wilson), is soon on the run, with both the police and his wife's lover hot on his trail. Norman Reedus, while good as Preston's nemesis, is faintly miscast; he's so creepy that you never quite believe he could lure anyone into romance. Dennis Farina, on the other hand, gives an engaging performance as Dick, the private eye who takes on Preston's case. Bad Seed has a few dodgy plot points, but it is far more thoughtful than most movies of its genre. Preston is far from perfect and he wrestles with his flaws throughout the movie. Most interestingly, Bad Seed refuses to end when most thrillers would, taking a surprising amount of time and care with its denouement. Well worth a look. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

What a Stinker!!.......2006-02-21

Do not waste your time with this piece of trash. PEEE U. This movie made no sense. It's hard to believe that it was ever released in the theater!! Borefest. So many holes in it. Didn't make sense--especially the ending. I'd like to know where the title came from...Bad Seed? the only thing I could think of was maybe they were referring to the retarded brother who was killed and buried, I guess that could be considered a big rotten stinking bad seed. This movie should've been called Bad Movie!

PLAIN STUPID.......2005-12-26

Oh, my God! This is one of the most idiotic movies I've ever seen, and I'm not prejudiced. It's advertised as a psychological thriller with a message, but I haven't seen any psychology or thriller or message here. First, the film is full of plot holes and they are not unnoticeable - they jump into your eyes! The acting is very poor (except Dennis Farina) although Luke Wilson is a good actor and I used to see him in good pictures. The storyline itself is very hitchy, different things happen that are difficult to understand (I mean motivation), characters' behaviour is also totally unmotivated. I'm not going to retell some scenes not to spoil them for you, although there's practically nothing to spoil here, I'll just give you some examples.
As the movie goes, guy #1 is chasing guy #2 willing to kill him. At certan point guy #2 starts chasing guy #1 and the latter tries to escape. Why?! He just wanted to catch and kill guy #2! During the other persuit guy #1 is firing his gun at guy #2 being at a long distance. He misses. Then, when he's at arms length, he doesn't shoot. Why? There's no chance to miss! In another scene two of them arrange a rendezvous at a remote gas station at night. Guy #2 knows that guy #1 wants to kill him. They meet, guy #1 has a tire lever in his hand. If you were guy #2 would you turn your back on him? I guess not, it's stupid, but apparently guy #2 doesn't think so... Then one guy's clothes is sopping with gasoline and the other chases him with a lighter. He throws the lighter and the other guy's clothes ignites. I doubt that, if thrown, a lighter (even Zippo) doesn't extinguish itself, and even if it doesn't, I doubt you can ignit a person throwing a lighter from ten or fifteen yards. Dennis Farina's character is a very harsh and impudent private investigator who'd make his own mother pay him for preparing coffee for her. You wouldn't expect some warm attitude from him toward other people. But suddenly we see his character is a very sympathetic person who wants to help Luke Wilson with open arms. Why? I didn't see him changing slowly. Just in a blink of an eye he turned out to be caring and kind person. And such episodes happen throughout the whole movie. I was asking myself all the time: why? is that possible? how did he do that? what for? along with many other questions.
I felt like the movie was falling apart in front of my eyes, it seemed so impotent and helpless. Maybe it was a good story once in the head of the director, but he proved himself to be absolutely uncapable to put it on celluloid. And the worst thing is that the picture tries to be something more than just ordinary thriller, it tries to seem thoughtful and serious work. But it can't. It's just like elementary school pupils decided to stage some serious play and - yes, they are doing it with all their seriousness, but to us it all looks just hilarious. Hence it leaves the feeling of a terrible disappointment.
The only reason I kept watching it to the end was Dennis Farina. He was like a glue, trying to stick all the parts of the movie together and working for everybody else involved. He's a brilliant, extremely talented actor, real professional, it was a true pleasure to watch him here, but sometimes I felt pity for him, because he somehow wound up being in this horrendous film. I think Farina is the only reason also why I gave the movie two stars. If it was not for him, there'd be one for sure.

DARK THRILLER.......2004-03-26

BAD SEED is one dark movie, complex and intriguing in its concept. Luke Wilson plays Preston Tilton, a man who discovers his wife is having an affair; after an argument, he comes home and finds her dead. Wilson is sure that her cast off lover, played by Norman Reedus, is the culprit. He finds out where Reedus lives, and after breaking in, is attacked and ends up killing the ex-lover. Wrong! He has killed the lover's retarded brother instead. Loverboy has a videotape of Wilson committing this murder, and from there, we are spun into a brooding and complex maze of mystery. Wilson does okay in the role, but there are key scenes where he seems to be struggling with his character; Reedus is almost too sleazy to be credible as a lover; but, and this is a big but..DENNIS FARINA steals the movie as PI Dick, who helps Wilson find out the truth. Farina brings a lot of passion and conviction to a role that could have been secondary. But as the movie winds down, Farina's performance is what keeps the movie floating. A no-compromise ending also makes this a different film.
Interesting and worth a view.

Good performances, interesting concept.......2002-01-30

The concept of this film deals with what a normal person would do under extreme circumstances. In this case what would you do if your spouse has an affair and is then murdered. Luke Wilson gives a nice performance as Preston husband of the murdered woman. He plays Preston as a well rounded character never too nice and never going too far over the top as to make it unbeleiveable. Denis Farina also gives a great performance and he and Wilson work well together. The best thing about this film is the relationship between Preston and Jonathan played by Norman Reedus. Both characters remain realistic throughout their extrodinary situations. This DVD is worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of Luke Wilson or, the director, Jon Bokenkamp. There is a very interesting and entertaining commentary track with Wilson and Bokenkamp as well as a production featurette and behind the scenes production photos. There is also a second commentary track with Bokenkamp and the producer, but I have yet to listen to it.

Making the best out of nothing.......2001-07-12

Highly simplistic storyline made into a damn good "B" movie! Preston's wife Emily has an affair with Jonathan and from there on, EVERYTHING goes wrong! At times, this movie has that "L.A. Confidential pulp-type" feel to it which make it quite right especially when Preston goes to visit a private investigator. He turns out to be, well, let's say, not too conventional in his techniques. A non-Hollywood ending which, of course, will give it that "flop" status. Could be better but I must commend Jon Bokenkamp on his efforts. Flick stars Luke Wilson, Norman Reedus, Dennis Farina & Mili Avital. Worth a watch!

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Abattoir Blues Tour
Starring: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
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Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? / The Bad Seed (Two-Pack)
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BUYER BEWARE.......2006-02-15

I GIVE THE DVD A 1 STAR NOT THE MOVIE. JUST TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT A NEW 2 DISC EDITION IS COMING OUT OF THIS FILM.

Now... here's a look at some more of the 200 new-to-DVD titles coming in 2006:
The Bette Davis Collection, Volume 2 - including a new Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?: Two-Disc Special Edition (1962 - with new and vintage documentaries and never-before-seen footage), Jezebel (1938), Old Acquaintance (1943), Marked Woman (1937) and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942).

STAY TUNED TO DIGITAL BITS FOR RELEASE DATES- http://www.thedigitalbits.com

The Bad Seeds (Ondt blod) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Denmark ]

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The Bad Seeds (Ondt blod) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Denmark ]
Director: Carsten Fromberg
Manufacturer: Nordisk
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Denmark released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Danish (Dolby Digital 2.0), Danish (Subtitles), English (Subtitles), Swedish (Subtitles), SYNOPSIS: Lasse, a middle-aged cop and welfare worker, takes a group of young offenders on an island excursion. He hopes the young criminals will learn social values from the harsh natural environment. However, there is a trouble-maker determined to have a show-down with Lasse. SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Featurette, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Trailer(s),

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