A River Runs Through It (Deluxe Edition)

Description

Academy Award®-winner Robert Redford (Best Director, Ordinary People, 1980) captures the majesty of the Montana wilderness and the strength of the American family in this acclaimed adaptation of Norman Maclean's classic memoir. Craig Sheffer stars as the young Norman, and Brad Pitt stars as his brother Paul, an irresistible daredevil driven to challenge the world. Growing up, both boys rebel against their stern minister father. While Norman channels his rebellion into writing, Paul descends a slippery path to self-destruction. Co-starring Tom Skerritt as the Reverend Maclean and Emily Lloyd as wild-hearted Jessie Burns.

Customer Reviews:

Still waters run deep!.......2007-08-09

Add this one to your library. Beautiful scenery, great story and great acting make this film a personal library keeper. This flim clearly showcases two things; namely, Robert Redfords directing genius and Brad Pitts acting depth. I think in many respects A River.... parallels Ordinary People in character, depth and scope.

a classi movie.......2007-01-29

This movie was a big hit when it firs came out in the late 90s. A word of warning this movie has frequent cursing in mild drinking and a couple short scenes with brief nudity. This movie should be for those ages ten and up. It tells the storey of two boys growing up in montanta in the early 1900s. Based of the best selling book made a few years prior to this. This movie will have you laughing at times and crying at others. Don't miss this classic storey, of love, family and forgiveness.

A WONDERFUL, WHOLESOME FILM FOR THE FAMILY.......2007-01-20

A wonderful family-oriented movie with such beauty and heart. It's too bad more film makers can't produce quality movies like this one. This is so-ooo worth seeing!

POSSIBLY THE BEST FILM OF THE 1990s.......2006-10-04

This film is hard to describe, but I'll do my best; the interaction between the characters was enjoyable, the beautiful relationships between the people, i.e.: Crag Shaffer (spelling?) and his minister father, as well as Craig Shaeffer's would-be/soon(?)-to-be-wife, and his brother, played by Brad Pitt. This is a warm-hearted film, yet it's melancholly, 'cause like towards the end of the film the narrator says, beautiful things don't last forever. Nothing specific really points to this direction (the sad ending), its just this kinda subliminal feeling the film has, like all the good stuff happening is too good to be true or something. None of the material in this film is boring (unless you want an action film...) nor hokey or sappy or anything. It's a mature blend of everything sweet and beautiful...and melancholly. The very last scene where the narrator reflects on the current state of his life left shivers on my spine. I LOVE this movie!!!

Stunningly Beautiful Film , Story And Brad Pitt Too!...But "Deluxe" Edition?.......2006-08-27

Even with Brad Pitt co-starring in this film, it was the awesome cinematography that kept me mesmerized. Filmed in the lush mountains and rivers of Montana, director Robert Redford and Director of Photography Phillipe Rousselot(who won an Oscar for his work on this film)capture the beauty of this land and the story.

Based on a autobiographical novella by Norman Maclean, we are swept back to the earlier part of the 20th century with the Maclean family. Family, church and Fly fishing came above all else. Norman, played at the younger age by newcomer Joseph Gordon-Levitt(who was honored with the Young Artists award in 1993 for his performance), and his younger brother Paul are close and come from a loving but highly disciplined household, run by their stern father(Tom Skerritt) the Reverend of the small town church. The Rev. is strict when it comes to their education, but a big part of that education is the freedom to fly-fish, enjoyed by all the Maclean men.

We watch as Norman and Paul grow into men(Craig Scheffer/Brad Pitt) and how differently their lives turn out. Norman grows into a fine scholar, but Paul takes a different path. His is one of a rebel, who finds trouble at every turn. But always they have their love for each other, their family, and their love of fly-fishing. Paul turns it into an art that is a sight to behold in that beautiful Montana scenery.

Other fine performances are turned in by Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Maclean,and Emily Lloyd as Jessie Burns, the girl who steals Norman's heart. A beautiful music score by Mark Isham adds greatly to the view without being obtrusive to the story. A fine screenplay by Richard Freidenberg will draw you in and keep you there. It's a great break from action movies without getting overly dramatic.

It is rated PG, but probably not appropriate for the younger viewers, there are some adult themes as well as brief nudity.

This is the second new "Deluxe" edition film I have come across this week(the other, another Brad Pitt Film, "Legends of the Fall), that does not list the features that makes this edition "Deluxe" and more expensive then the previous edition by Columbia.The earlier edition does justice to this beautifully filmed movie in it's transfer to DVD. Just Gorgeous! Remastered in anamorphic widescreen(if you prefer full screen, that is on side B)with excellent clarity of the colors as well as the picture. The sound remastered in Dolby 2.0 Surround was very good, but I would have loved to hear it in 5.1. It may be viewed in French, Spanish(also stereo),or Portuguese(mono), and has subtitles in these languages as well as English. There are theatrical trailers and Talent files, but no other special features. So Amazon, it would be nice for fans if any "extras" on the Deluxe edition were listed here.

If your in the mood for a great action thriller, this is NOT it! This is a film to just sit back and savor.....Oh and I really did enjoy Brad Pitt's performance(almost as much as the scenery)...enjoy....Laurie

Average customer rating:

The Freaking Best Film Ever
Disappointed
Love it
So BAD
Hilarium Ensued

Haggard (Unrated Version)
Starring: Dave Battaro , David Decurtis , Brandon Dicamillo , Ryan Dunn (II) , and Jason Ellis (III)
Manufacturer: Slam Films
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00009YXKE
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Description

Ryan Dunn (played by himself) is one sorry SOB; he's completely hung up on Glauren (Jenn Rivell), his ex-girlfriend, even though she's out playing the field. Rumor spreads that she's hooked up with heavy metal's poster child, aptly named Hellboy (Rake Yohn). Ryan can't stand the thought of the two of them together, so he recruits his friends Valo (Bam Margera) and Falcone (Brandon DiCamillo) to find out the truth. The pair do whatever it takes to get their evidence, even break into her house. In the meantime Ryan flirts with insanity, has run-ins with the law and even gets stabbed in the eye with a fork as his friends try relentlessly to help him forget the girl. Haggard also features special appearances by professional skateboarders Tony Hawk, Jason Ellis and Bucky Lasek.

Customer Reviews:

The Freaking Best Film Ever.......2007-08-05

This movie is hilarious but outragously explicit. Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Brandon Dicamillo, and Raab Himself star in a movie that unveals what true love really is, and how it's better to screw it and have fun instead. I watched this movie 8 times so far and it never gets old. Tony Hawk even has a part!!! You can watch this movie on google video.
"Haah Huhhh Hey Valo" - Raab

Disappointed.......2007-07-17

I bought this movie with the expectation that it would be funny. I didn't find it funny at all. It was bizarre and fully of "potty" humor. I love the Jackass crew, and consider myself to be a fan of Bam Margera's. This movie just didn't deliver for me.

Love it .......2007-05-16

If you like the craziness of Jackass and Viva la bam! Then you will like this. Its very similar only theres no stunts, its a storyline with a plot! Which makes its a great comedy and a little strange but none the less its extremely funny. Just remember who's acting in it Bam Margera, Dico, Dunn, And Raab and Of course Mr. Don Vito!! as well as many more , you defiantly know with people like that you are going to have a seriously funny zany movie

So BAD.......2007-05-14

I bought this DVD, being a big Bam/Jackass fan...and boy, was I disappointed. There are times when the writers of this film take it too seriously, and times when they don't take it seriously enough. It was kind of all over the place for me. I think the guys should just stick with what they do best and not try to seem so "deep".

Hilarium Ensued.......2007-04-13

This movie was so freakin hilarious I watched twice the day I got it and I have watched it like 3 times afterwards. Excellent movie can't wait for another from Bam and the crew.

Average customer rating:

Good
The Start of a Classic
Great
OK
The first is still the best

Survivor - The Complete First Season
Starring: Jeff Probst , Stacey Stillman , Richard Hatch (II) , Gretchen Cordy , and Rudy Boesch
Director: Mark Burnett (II)
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001ZDKXI
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

Here's where it all began. The first season of Survivor dominated the ratings in the summer of 2000, helped spur the reality-TV craze, and inspired countless water-cooler jokes about getting voted off the island. The first season established the formula that would continue, with sometimes surprising variations, over numerous subsequent seasons: 16 people intended to represent the American mosaic are stranded far from civilization (in this case, the island of Pulau Tiga, off the coast of Borneo), struggle for food and shelter, compete in a series of physical and mental challenges, and at the end of each three-day episode vote out one of their fellow contestants. After 39 days, the one sole survivor who is able to outwit, outplay, and outlast the others wins a million-dollar prize. Because the Survivor craze preceded the craze for complete-season DVD boxed sets, the first season was represented on DVD and video by a 150-minute highlights package called Season One: The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments. Now, all 13 episodes are available in a five-disc set (the fifth disc is ...Outrageous Moments) that contains every challenge, every political maneuver, every next-episode preview and previous-episode recap, every tribal council including the famous finale, and the reunion show. If you started watching Survivor in the Australian Outback or later, this is the perfect opportunity to see how host Jeff Probst, scheming Richard Hatch, tough truck driver Sue Hawk, ex-Navy SEAL Rudy Boesch, athletic Kelly Wiglesworth, and the others got the ball rolling. If you did watch the first season, here's your chance to relive it, and you also get an enthusiastic group commentary by host Jeff Probst (poking fun at himself) and contestants Hatch (talking the most, which should surprise no one), Boesch, and Gervase Peterson on the first and last episodes, plus some minor featurettes (seven minutes of footage of the contestants leaving L.A. for Borneo, David Letterman's Top 10 featuring the contestants, and 10 minutes of new interviews with Hatch, Boesch, and Peterson). Many reality shows have come and gone in the meantime, but in terms of staying fresh over a long run, Survivor has outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted them all. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2007-08-12

It's funny to see how this popular show started. Thank goodness they made some improvements during the following seasons.

The Start of a Classic.......2007-02-10

As Survivor started this week with Fiji, you should go back to see how it all started. It was shot in many cases with one camera and things were done on the fly so to speak. In the out takes it explains the how the survivors revolted late in the series when the reward was minimal, and how the production team thought on their feet to fool the winner and provide a good reward.
The voice overs which are optional are good, I watch the series both ways, and sometimes the say something that just makes you laugh or stuns you that you did not think of it before.
This is the original, and worth the watch.

Great.......2007-01-19

Very secvure pacakging and good shipping times, were pleased to be able to locate as we could not find in stores.

OK.......2006-05-23

This season was OK only because a person who didn't deserve the money won it. Kelly should of won hands down. Why did the jury vote Rich? OK Sue, Rudy and Greg had a reason. Wait a minute, Greg did the number thing. So that means that Sue and Rudy had the only good reason voting for Rich and against Kelly. Otherwise the season was very good.

The first is still the best.......2006-01-04

There is no topping Season One of Survivor. Love him or hate him, Richard Hatch made the game of Survivor. Without him, who knows how long this series would have lasted. I've seen every single season of Survivor and I still think Borneo was the best. I enjoy the editing more and its so nice to not have Jeff commentating every challenge nonstop ("So-and-so has her first puzzle piece. Oh now, so-and-so is in the lead". Shut up already!) There wasn't any of that in the first season and I love it. The DVD set is nice, the only thing I wished for more of was behind-the-scenes stuff. I wanted to actually see people filming the castaways and see them doing some of the interviews while on the island. Oh well, still worth buying, that is for sure.

Ken Burns - American Lives (Thomas Jefferson / Lewis & Clark / Frank Lloyd Wright / Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B Anthony / Mark Twain / Horatio's Drive / Unforgivable Blackness)

Average customer rating:

A Great Collection of PBS Documentaries

Ken Burns - American Lives (Thomas Jefferson / Lewis & Clark / Frank Lloyd Wright / Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B Anthony / Mark Twain / Horatio's Drive / Unforgivable Blackness)
Starring: Sam Waterston , Gwyneth Paltrow , Ossie Davis , Blythe Danner , and Michael Potts
Director: Ken Burns , and Lynn Novick
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000ANVQ50
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

Ken Burns American Lives (7 Disc Gift Set) - Ken Burns American Lives Collection is a compilation of seven outstanding biographies and stories of some of America's most celebrated pioneers and historical events. Programming in this series began with Thomas Jefferson in 1997 and concludes with Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson in 2005. The 7-disc Gift Set collection includes:
- Thomas Jefferson (1997)
- Lewis and Clark (1997)
- Frank Lloyd Wright (1998)
- Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (1999)
- Mark Twain (2002)
- Horatio's Drive (2003)
- Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2005)

Customer Reviews:

A Great Collection of PBS Documentaries.......2006-01-15

I bought all of these individually. As he did with The Civil War and Baseball (as well as his earlier works which are now also in a box set, not to mention The West, New York and Jazz). Ken Burns continues to present his "American Stories" with pictures and narration that bring the past alive. 1 tiny nitpick note however. This is an 8 not a 7 disc set (for some reason the Jack Johnson story was released on 2 discs rather than a double sided disc like Mark Twain and Lewis and Clark which are of equal length to it). Other than that, you're getting a good deal on this and it will fit nicely along side the "America" box set (or your copies of those individually) and Ken's award winning "mini series" (plural). Get em all, and all other documentaries will just fade away. Ken Burns is the KING of the modern documentary film. Keep em coming, Ken, we'll keep buying em (on DVD) :-)

Average customer rating:

A fascinating man!
A Unique Look at a Unique Man
Just fine, except for two unpardonable errors

Goldwyn - The Man and His Movies
Starring: Dustin Hoffman , Samuel Goldwyn Jr. , Melville Shavelson , Cecilia DeMille Presley , and Teresa Wright
Director: Mark A. Catalena , and Peter Jones (II)
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005NRNE
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating man!.......2007-06-27

Apart from all those jokes that people made about him fracturing of the English language, he was a determined and very interesting man. Like most of the old Hollywood moguls he liked things done his way, but in spite of that he developed an extraordinary talent for picking the right film to make. He did it big and gave it class and the later MGM followed his lead. I enjoyed watching this disc and I'm sure I'll watch it many times again in the future.

A Unique Look at a Unique Man.......2001-10-12

After watching Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, I was still really in a documentary mood, so I decided to check out Goldwyn - The Man and His Movies, another documentary about someone I was familiar with, but didn't really know a lot about. With Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, the documentary focuses on a man really loved and respected by many people. Throughout the documentary, there are people who talk about the fact that Hank was their hero, their role model. Goldwyn - The Man and His Movies is a little different: almost everyone interviewed about Samuel Goldwyn mentioned at least once the fact they couldn't stand working with the often abusive and caustic Goldwyn.

Loved or hated, Goldwyn was certainly a Hollywood luminary who went to amazing lengths to insure that he had the final word on what went up on the screen. Considered by most to be a phenomenal success, Goldwyn always seemed to be fighting an uphill battle against insurmountable odds. A true film genius who is known for the mantra "make less films, make better films", Goldwyn always seemed to be at war with everything around him, while constantly doing what he could to 'fit in'.

What I really liked about Goldwyn - The Man and His Movies was the deep sense of irony in the story of Samuel Goldwyn and how his triumphs seemed to be worse for him than his tragedies. Goldwyn - The Man and His Movies does a great job of brining together the many people touched by Samuel Goldwyn to present a unique look at one of Hollywood's most interesting moguls.

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

Just fine, except for two unpardonable errors.......2001-10-11

I caught part of this program when it aired on PBS locally Sunday night, and I caught the rest last night on its second airing. On nearly all counts, it is a fine program, featuring not only clips from all of Goldwyn's famous films (including the long unseen 1959 "Porgy and Bess"), but interviews from many departed screen stars such as Bette Davis, Dana Andrews, and Laurence Olivier, all shown, thankfully, not at the end of their careers and in failing health, but in interviews made as long as twenty years ago. The funniest clip is a display of Olivier's towering acting skills when he imitates Goldwyn's voice as he reacted to Olivier's appearance during the filming of the 1939 "Wuthering Heights", one of the screen's greatest classics. Family members are also interviewed, giving sometimes poignant insights into Goldwyn's relationships with people.

However, this film does feature two howling errors which could easily have been avoided by more careful research. A. Scott Berg, author of the biography on which this documentary is based, is also responsible for the script here, and is featured heavily in interviews, so it is difficult to understand how on earth he could have missed these errors, but during the "Porgy and Bess" segment, we hear the narrator baldly stating that Goldwyn had loved it ever since he had seen it onstage in 1932, and that the 1959 film won three Academy Awards. In fact, "Porgy and Bess" opened on Broadway on October 10, 1935, and the 1959 film won only one Academy Award (for Best Adaptation of Score). In addition, it actually LOST three Academy Awards-- to the year's blockbuster, "Ben-Hur".

I watched this segment twice in two days to make sure my ears were not playing tricks on me, and sure enough, the errors were there. The "American Masters" TV series usually produces completely accurate programs, but this time someone was asleep at the wheel when it came to proofreading the script or doing the research.

Average customer rating:

The Hawk Really IS Dying
not for all audiences but intriguing nonetheless
Very well done
"You've Got That Bird On Your Arm ~ Everything Needs Training"
Bizarre Obsessions

The Hawk Is Dying
Starring: Shelby Saboy , Katie Dixon , Mark Campbell , Rusty Schwimmer , and P.J. Lalka
Director: Julian Goldberger
Manufacturer: Strand Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000OCZD56
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Customer Reviews:

The Hawk Really IS Dying.......2007-08-05

This is a movie about a man with personal issues who is obsessed about taming a hawk. The characters interact in unusal ways (the main character sets up his love interest with his mentally challenged nephew for sex!) I have to say this was a hard movie to endure. The story line is very unusual and the conversation hard to understand. The actors should have been coached to enunciate! I had to rewind over and over in a few spots and never did figure out what the actor said, so I just gave up and went on. One thing that was interesting about this movie was the insight to taming a hawk, but I wasn't really sold on why the main character would want to do that. Nice packaging and filming, but entertaining? No.

not for all audiences but intriguing nonetheless.......2007-07-19

***1/2

At what point, in a person's mind, does obsession finally turn to madness? That seems to be the question raised by "The Hawk is Dying," a grimly depressing yet strangely compelling film about a man possibly being pushed towards insanity by the bizarre, sudden death of the mentally retarded nephew he helped to raise.

The always intriguing Paul Giamatti plays George Gattling, a single man who lives with his sister and her teenage son near Gainesville, Florida. Gattling is determined to capture a wild hawk and train it to do his bidding, despite the fact that all his earlier efforts in that direction have resulted in tragic failures. After his nephew somehow drowns in his own waterbed when he is with a local prostitute (whom Gattling set him up with), Gattling begins to slip further and further into apparent madness, cutting himself off from family members and friends and becoming ever more obsessed with taming the hawk he has captured.

This is no easy film for the casual moviegoer to sit through. It is harsh, grim and depressing, and we're not always sure what the overall purpose of the film is at any given moment. Still, paradoxically, it is this very air of enigma, coupled with Giamatti'a bravura, tour-de-force performance, that most gives one reason to check the movie out. Giamatti is totally riveting as a man driven by an almost manic need to establish control over another living creature, even if that means relinquishing the hold on his own sanity a bit to do so. He receives superb support from Rusty Schwimmer as his good-hearted but dimwitted sister, and Michelle Williams as the prostitute strangely embroiled in the boy's mysterious death. And writer/director Julian Goldberger, basing his work on the novel by Harry Crews, makes the most of the rural, exotic setting to help create an otherworldly mood for his bizarre little tale.

"The Hawk is Dying" is not for every taste or audience demographic, but for those searching for something a little different, out-of-the-mainstream and challenging, this one just might fit the bill.

Very well done.......2007-07-15

As someone who works with raptors and who is a fan of paul i was eager to see this film and i wasn't let down. When it started i did have my doubts - the hawk is not a red-tailed hawk, its a species from europe often used because they are so easily trained and calm. Also the begining behavior of the hawk when first captured is not true (way to calm and quiet) but there is no way to accurately show this except with a real wild hawk. That given the hawks behavior became more true to form as the movie went on. The bird of prey crew for the film did an excellent job.

Given the nature of the behavior of paul's character plus who he seeks for advice about falconry and the fact that he tried to hide the hawk from the cop that came by, i conclude that he was an illegal falconer. Someone who wants to do falconry but doesn't go through the right channels, otherwise he wouldn't be so fearful of the hawk and would have known what to do with it. Not a role model position or something to endorse by any means but unfortunately may be truer to form than many would like to admit. It does show what happens when a average person tries to be a falconer, hawks die. Please get the proper training and permits if you are thinking about falconry. I think they created this wannabe falconer to fit the dysfunctional world created in the movie, so in that sense it fits.

After the hawk issues are addressed the drama really sets in. I like these movies because they are so much more like real people's lives, common and flawed. It can be a little hard to follow in some parts, just remember what is said. For example if you are confused why paul's character is always collapsing its because he is refraining from eating until the hawk eats, making him weak.

Over time as tragedy sets in the hawk symbolizes much more than just a bird trained to be used for falconry. The priest conversation sets up part of this. I really don't want to spell this all out here, it should really be experienced. I also LOVE the real world like reactions to people who love falconry, from the "just a bird" mentality of non-animal people to the ignorant mentalities (will they eat my dog?), to the your obsessed mentality of those who so inline with mainstream that they fail to understand people who passions can lie elsewhere (the sister is a great reflection of this). All of these I have experienced in my ways, although another character for the movie could have been one i encountered in real life who asked me if they could eat my hawk...

Anyway in summary, the acting was excellent and they story moving, albeit sad for the most part of the movie. The hawk was not a red tail but you don't mind as you get caught up in the drama and it becomes much more than a hawk. The look of the film is great and the characters authentic. I felt like this could have been a place i have been to a few counties away. Basically if you are not an animal person this film should still have enough drama to hold you through. If you are an animal person it will mean much more. The only reason i did not give it 5 stars was that it was hard to follow in a couple of scenes and the pace was slow in some parts.

I should note that the high point in falconry was not to have it feed from your glove, that is just an important step in the main goal. The high point of every falconer's effort is to release a bird you have worked with for so long and have it CHOOSE by its own accord to come back to you for food. You can never make a raptor do anything it doesn't want to do, so to have it willing decide when it is flying free of its own accord to come back to you is very powerful and rewarding. It is one of the few bonds a human can have with a true wild creature. This said i think they ended the movie with the release appropriately since the release of the hawk mirrors the release of the soul, his dealing with a death he feels responsible for and his grief over it.

"You've Got That Bird On Your Arm ~ Everything Needs Training".......2007-07-15

`The Hawk Is Dying' released in '05 is a small budget film that relies almost entirely on the talents of Paul Giamatti in the starring role to generate and sustain the prerequisite energy and focus to keep the audience entertained throughout.

Synopsis: Giamatti plays the part of George Gattling owner of a local auto custom shop and would be hawk trainer. His aspirations to train this wild spirited bird stems from a deep seeded desire to set himself apart from his lower, middle class existence and like the hawk rise above the normal scheme of things and feel alive and free for the first time in his life. When a loved one unexpectedly dies his need to accomplish his dream escalates and becomes a do or die situation for both him and his recently captured prey.

Critique: Yes, Giamatti has proven himself to be a superior actor and this role only further proves that point. However even an actor of his caliber can only do so much with a storyline primarily consisting of him with a bird of prey attached to his arm. The tale is obviously allegorical and the hawk symbolic of something beyond what is seen on the surface. I'm sure numerous deep thinking viewers will have a great time discussing the layers of meaning over expresso after watching. Bottom line, `The Hawk Is Dying' is worth one viewing, but that's about it.

Bizarre Obsessions.......2007-05-16

"The Hawk is Dying"

Bizarre Obsessions

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

Strand Releasing has a big hit on tap for us this summer and the release of "The Hawk is Dying" is sure to create an audience. The movie stars two time Academy Award nominee, Paul Giamatti who has quite a role here. He plays George Gattling from Gainesville, Florida who is unhappy and lonely. He details cars and lives with his sister, Precious who is also a malcontent and her mentally ill son, Fred (Michael Pitt). When Fred's dad deserted the family some twenty years earlier, George began to raise Fred. George has virtually no love life except for a casual sexual relationship with a young psychology student who could probably be his daughter.
George and Fred have one passion in common, the sport of kings, falconry. By training falcons and hawks, George feels a sense of the past that he thinks is nonexistent in the modern world. However whenever he attempts to train a bird, the result is death of the animal. George and Fred try to catch a hawk and while doing so ties his own fate to the fate of the bird. Hawks that are kept in cages will sometimes starve themselves to death rather than submit to being caught. In an attempt to find meaning in his life, George refuses to eat or drink until the hawk he has caught does.
As tragedy comes to the family, George's obsession with the hawk increases and he is so bent on taming the wild bird that he borders on insanity and he alienates and bewilders those around him. The hawk and man are at odds--as George locks himself into a battle of the will with the bird, the bird would rather die than give in.
The movie is based upon Harry Crews's semi-autobiographical novel which he published in 1973. We meet bizarre characters who drive themselves, by their obsessions, to the very limits of human experience. The compassion of the film as seen through George's determination to tame the hawk. This gives beauty and humor to the film as if George is one who marches to the beat of a different drummer. This obsession of George's pulls at the viewer and drags him into the film in a way I did not think was possible. Giamatti gives another Oscar caliber performance but he is not alone. The entire film is imbued with great acting by a superior cast. The movie moves you like few can do. Michael Pitt as the mentally challenged Fred gives a performance of sheer beauty and he rises to new heights in a supporting role.

Average customer rating:

What of the desceased?
Bad, Bad Skater!
stoked
sad and rad.
Sad- Unbelievable!

Stoked: Rise & Fall of Gator
Starring: Mark 'Gator' Rogowski , Tony Hawk , Jason Jessee , Steve Olson (VIII) , and John Brinton Hogan
Director: Helen Stickler
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures / Umvd
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ASIN: B0002K10NE
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Amazon.com

Stoked is a fascinating history of Southern California's skateboarding scene in the late 1980s, a profitable and exciting time for then-rising superstars such as Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, and Steve Caballero, but a far darker experience for the much-worshipped Mark "Gator" Rogowski. Helen Stickler's film begins with an entertaining overview of skateboarding's renaissance in the '80s, when Rogowski and other talented skaters in and around Los Angeles developed a massive following of boys, who in turn provided a market for flashy, Rogowski-endorsed designer boards and accouterments. For a time, the charismatic, handsome Gator became a wealthy sports celebrity in search of greater pop-star status. When the skating scene shifted from the half-pipe to the street, however, Rogowski's fortunes, sanity, and freedom tragically erode. Stickler's thorough research, smart pacing, and extensive interviews make this a compelling, cautionary tale; a jailhouse phone interview with the now-mid-30s Gator proves both enlightening and spooky. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

What of the desceased? .......2007-09-16

Interesting movie but I'm a little puzzled. On one hand, the movie very accurately portrays the 80's skateboard scene (brings back lots of great memories especially clothing styles). It's easy to get caught up in the excitement just like the dogtown documentary. On the other hand, very little is mentioned about the girl who was killed by Gator. Her skull gets more air time than any video footage or stories of her life. What of her background? Her family? Her dreams? Why should it only be about Gator? Lastly, Jason Jesse is hilarious.

Bad, Bad Skater!.......2007-02-18

Oh man, I hated this movie! I'd just watched "Dogtown And Z-Boys" (which I loved!) and was looking forward to seeing some eighties skate action after that great view of the seventies. Anyway, this movie is a total bummer. The skating is boring, the style is bad and it doesn't cover the eighties skateboard era well at all. If you don't already know the story, Gator was a sub-par skater who became a corporate sell-out and a has-been in short order. He was an arrogant jerk. He once punched one of his young fans after the kid asked for an autograph. As his career started to fall apart, he became a born again Christian. He then raped and killed his ex-girlfriend's best friend as a revenge ploy after she dumped him. He's currently serving life in prison. Perhaps some kind of redeeming documentary could have been made out of this sad and depressing story, but this film is not it.

stoked.......2005-08-16

Tragic story of someone who had it all, looks, money, fame, fans; and when he lost it all, he turned to destruction of not only himself, but an innocent.

Will love this movie if you grew up in the 1980's.

sad and rad........2005-05-23

this film is fascinating in content and well produced in style. having grown up in California in the 80s, i was pretty familiar with this skateboarding scene. i was not aware of the tragedy of Gator until much much later (after i had pretty much given up actual skateboarding). to see the story unfold in this thoughtful manner was amazing. highly recommended.

Sad- Unbelievable!.......2005-01-29

I saw this documentary not knowing anything about skateboarding or Mark "Gator" Rogowski, so I was surprised when I was affected so much by this story. I have never seen a "true crime" story where I actually feel sorry for the perpretator as well as the victim.

There were two sides to this documentary. First, there is the glamour, fame, hot guys, fun times, etc. of the rise of the skateboarding superstars of the 80's. This aspect is thoroughly entertaining and one cannot help but be impressed at the athletic talent of these young men, not to mention they are not bad to look at!

Then there is the incredible story of the meteoric rise of Gator Rogowski and all of the success and excess that he was exposed to at such a young age. This would be difficult for any kid, but he was particularly vulnerable because he had no father figure and not a strong parental/authoritative influence in his life. The only "elders" in his life with any influence seemed to be the executives who hired him to promote their products, and they just used him to make money off of him. They and all of his adoring fans gave him a God-like complex for a time, it seems. When you are that revered and that young and that misguided, there is only one way to go and that is down. Once the executives used him up for all they could, they discarded him. Once his fans decided that vert was out, they discarded him. His pitiful fiance, who everyone admitted used him for his fame and money, discarded him once the fame and money was gone. It seems like he was used by everyone and that all he wanted all along was acceptance and to be loved. Isn't that what we all want? His struggle to fulfill this basic human need was magnified in the limelight and he was being ridiculed. No one seemed to get that he was searching and desperate and that he was looking for a new identity outside of skating. He received no support from anyone, it seems. You can see how he slowly started to disconnect from people and reality, just by the interviews and snippets of him in film in the later years, where he started to act a little different. It is sad that he wasn't close enough to anyone or no one cared enough to try to help him during this slow, maddening spiral of manic depression and identity crisis.

On another note, I also feel that Jessica would not have died if it had not been for Brandi. She seemed so pathetic, self-involved, self-centered, unsupportive and unempathetic. He was so needy and vulnerable, I think that was the final crush for him, when she blatantly left him and flaunted her new "hot surfer guy" to him. That is just cruel to do to someone who is hurting. I think that rejection along with everything else was what made him break. These ragefull and painfull issues mixed with his bi-polar and manic depression led him down a path to the darkest places a soul can know. He turned himself in and has expressed nothing but deep remorse ever since. My point is not that it justifies what he did, but that it was not his true self. It was the extremeness of his situation. I think it is sad, because I honestly feel that if he got the help he needed and had people who genuinly cared for him and looked out for his best interest, this would have never happened. He could live a free life and Jessica wouldn't have had to be the victim of his outlet of hurt and rage.

I defanitely recommend this film- it really makes you think and stays with you for a long time.

Average customer rating:

What of the desceased?
Bad, Bad Skater!
stoked
sad and rad.
Sad- Unbelievable!

Stoked - The Rise and Fall of Gator
Starring: Mark 'Gator' Rogowski , Tony Hawk , Jason Jessee , Steve Olson (VIII) , and John Brinton Hogan
Director: Helen Stickler
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

Skateboarding | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B000127ZDM
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Amazon.com

Description

DVD bonus footage:
- Five page interactive timeline
- Rare vintage interview outtakes, skate sessions and demo
- Extended scenes with arresting new material
- Private unseen home movies
- Criminal case documentation
- New short films by director Helen Stickler
- "Stoked: Uncovered" FUEL television special
- Theatrical trailer
- Weblinks
- Spanish subtitles
- Surround sound

Customer Reviews:

What of the desceased? .......2007-09-16

Bad, Bad Skater!.......2007-02-18

stoked.......2005-08-16

sad and rad........2005-05-23

Sad- Unbelievable!.......2005-01-29

Average customer rating:

Because it's SOOOO bad!!
Definate MUST NOT SEE...
Campfire Stories....
trash
Creepy bunch of stories!

Campfire Stories
Starring: Jamie-Lynn DiScala , John Hensley (II) , Joshua Harto , Charlie Day (II) , and David Johansen
Director: Andrzej Krakowski , Jeff Mazzola , and Bob Cea
Manufacturer: Velocity / Thinkfilm
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B00006HAYS
Release Date: 2002-12-17

Customer Reviews:

Because it's SOOOO bad!!.......2007-03-23

My roommates and I rented this movie in college, thinking it would be scary. It was so awful that we were in hysterics for pretty much the whole movie. I think we had to pause it so that we could calm down from laughing. If Mystery Science Theater 3000 was still around(sniff...I miss that show), this would be the PERFECT movie for them to watch. Rent (or buy, the cheapest copy is 29 cents!) this movie if you want to be entertained by just how bad a movie can be.

Definate MUST NOT SEE..........2005-09-05

This ranks down there with the worst of the straight-to-video horror movies of recent years. The acting is sub-par, the "campfire stories" are dull and predicatable, and the myriad video camera angles and technqiues border on the nauseating at times (oh, not to mention the worst CGI you'll see this year in the "Indian" story). It's such a waste of time, that there is really nothing at all ever remotely interesting enough to make a comment like "worth seeing for a laugh" or the usual... Just skip it - save your time and money. (yes - it is one of THOSE movies, sorry to say).

Just by way of background, and while other reviewers seems to prefer to reveal much of the story and plot, I think that sort of ruins the film in many cases. So, you'll want to look for other reviews and reviewers if that is what you are looking for...

Campfire Stories...........2004-11-21

This movie was not that bad. The first time I watched it, I was like what the heck??? I looked at it a second time, and I really like it. I won't write another movie description because other people have done so already.
Check the movie out for yourself, and maybe you'll like it, too.

trash.......2004-09-14

this movie is not even worth renting, trust me. the entire crew of this movie put so little effort into all aspects of production that it is completly unwatchable. The plots are simple and childish(essentialy poorly acted and directed "Are you afraid of the dark?" sequences.

Creepy bunch of stories!.......2004-06-19

I was expecting cheese but surprisingly the acting was quite good and a lot of the plots were really nasty and bad minded people getting what they deserved I guess. Little too graphic in my opinion but it's horror so that should be expected.

Average customer rating:

Sydney Poitier Rules!!!

Mark of the Hawk

Manufacturer: Treasure Box Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B0002739VS

Product Description

Obam, Sidney Poitiers character struggles with increasingly hostile forces facing each other in a colonial African country. The African people want their lives and their land back from the British colonist. 83 Minutes, in COLOR.

Customer Reviews:

Sydney Poitier Rules!!!.......2005-05-26

Sydney Portier rules in this great colonial African Drama.It's a must see!!!

DVD:

DVD

DVD