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All your favorite characters are back for the second season of The Kids in the Hall--but the stakes have been raised. Bobby (Bruce McCulloch) is still rockin', but now he's battling more than just his parents in "Bobby vs. Satan." (Shades of the Charlie Daniels Band!) Meanwhile, the increasingly outrageous Buddy (Scott Thompson) steps off his bar stool to manage the Sappho Sluggers in "Buddy Plays Softball," does time in "Buddy Cole in Jail," and is freed by a batty judge (Dave Foley) in "Justice."

Then there are the other familiar faces. Cathy (Thompson) and Kathie (McCulloch) are still dieting, Fran (Thompson) and Gordon (McKinney) are still bickering, Cabbage Head (McCulloch) is still trying--in vain--to score and, after a potentially debilitating injury, Mr. Tyzik (McKinney) is still crushing heads. (Alas, the 30 Helens and the "Nobody Likes Us Guys" appear to have gone missing.)

This four-DVD boxed set of the Canadian sketch comedy includes all 20 uncensored episodes from 1990-1991 (Comedy Central censored the occasionally-foulmouthed series). Along with the old favorites, the one-offs, and the black-and-white movie spoofs (Kevin MacDonald and Foley did once work in an art-house movie theater after all), there are several new characters. They include the Cops (McCulloch and McKinney), the Sizzler Sisters (MacDonald and Foley), Simon (MacDonald) and Hecubus (Foley), Mr. Heavyfoot (Foley), Chicken Lady (McKinney), and incredibly annoying know-it-all Gavin (McCulloch), who only eats onions. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

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From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, American Beauty moves with a mesmerizing confidence and acuity epitomized by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine of the story, and his very first lines hook us with their teasing fatalism--like Sunset Boulevard's Joe Gillis, Burnham tells us his story from beyond the grave.

It's an audacious start for a film that justifies that audacity. Weaving social satire, domestic tragedy, and whodunit into a single package, Alan Ball's first theatrical script dares to blur generic lines and keep us off balance, winking seamlessly from dark, scabrous comedy to deeply moving drama. The Burnham family joins the cinematic short list of great dysfunctionalAmerican families, as Lester is pitted against his manic, materialistic realtor wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening, making the most of a mostly unsympathetic role) and his sullen, contemptuous teenaged daughter, Jane (Thora Birch, utterly convincing in her edgy balance of self-absorption and wistful longing). Into their lives come two catalytic outsiders.A young cheerleader (Mena Suvari) jolts Lester into a sexual epiphany that blooms into a second adolescence. And an eerily calm young neighbor (Wes Bentley) transforms both Lester and Jane with his canny influence.

Credit another big-screen newcomer, English theatrical director Sam Mendes, with expertly juggling these potentially disjunctive elements into a superb ensemble piece that achieves a stylized pace without lapsing into transparent self-indulgence. Mendes has shrewdly insured his success with a solid crew of stage veterans, yet he's also made an inspired discovery in Bentley, whose Ricky Fitts becomes a fulcrum for both plot and theme. Cinematographer Conrad Hall's sumptuous visual design further elevates the film, infusing the beige interiors of the Burnhams' lives with vivid bursts of deep crimson, the color of roses--and of blood. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (1022)

Astonishing
This is one of the truly rare films that works brilliantly on every possible level. As a satire, it delves deep into the heart of society, and illuminates the strong undertones of resentment, despair and desire that flourish beneath glossy facade of American life. It displays the reasons why so many lives unfold without any happiness, because people choose to live without going after their dreams and ambitions. On the other side "American Beauty" is also a modern tragedy, a story of one man's search for identity and freedom, and the way he profoundly impacts the people around him. The film slowly unravels the masks people where, and explores the moral obscurity and emotional chaos they could plunge into when they decide of follow their heart instead of their conscience. Kevin Spacey is phenomenal as Lester Burnham, his performance is 100% worthy of an Oscar. Alan Ball's script never ceases to amaze me, it's abundance of shrewd observations and insights is something to marvel at. Visually, the film is stunning, it's imagery is nothing short of cinematic poetry, you will find yourself in awe in every frame, every moment. "American Beauty" never shies away from reality, no matter how sad, and in the end, you will find yourself looking at the things that surround you with a whole new outlook. This is a truly remarkable film, one of the decade's best.

Visually stunning and utterly repellent.
There's a scene in American Beauty in which a teenaged boy is found filming a dead bird by two girls his age. They ask him why, and he explains, "Because it's beautiful." That's one opinion: another, which also applies to "American Beauty," is that no matter how beautifully you light, film and score it, something foul and rotten is still foul and rotten.

Director Sam Mendes is clearly gifted; cinematographer Conrad Hall's use of color and light is stunning; the music is haunting, and the cast talented, and even Alan Ball's script shows a deliberate intelligence too many movies lack. But none of these elements can disguise the fact that this movie is sad, cynical and sick at heart. It's a mean-spirited chronicle of suburbia as hell which tries to patch itself over with a feel-good moral and fails utterly.

With the possible exception of one semi-redeeming choice Kevin Spacey's character makes at the end of the film, none of the main characters exhibit any likeable or even remotely worthwhile traits. Spacey's Lester Burnham goes from being a wimp to an arrogant lecher; Annette Benning as his wife is a shrill Martha Stewart caricature; Mena Suvari, as Burnham's teenaged lust object, is profoundly unlikeable; Thora Birch's daughter character is selfish and sullen; her creepy love interest, boy-next-door Wes Bentley, deals drugs when he's not filming her obsessively. Then there's Bentley's abusive ex-Marine dad... the list goes on and on.

No one is having a good time in American Beauty. Everyone is miserable. And the one person who figures out a way to escape that misery is horribly dead soon after. There is a worthwhile message in American Beauty, as well as one utterly lovely scene involving nothing more than a videotape of a windblown plastic bag. But the brighter elements of this movie feel hastily tacked on to its warped, unrealistically dark world view, and in the end they cannot compensate for the utter, gaping landfill where this film's moral center ought to be.

An amazing film
I thought this movie was awful. It's amazing to me how anyone could like this. I couldn't wait for it to be over. I had to rate it when I saw how many people thought it was a masterpiece? This simplistic piece of badly acted crap? The situaion with the father and the teenage girl is almost child pornography.

AN EXQUISITE AFFIRMATION OF LIFE
On the surface, this stunner from Sam Mendes is such a relentlessly bleak look at the vacuity of the supposed "American Dream" that viewers may just turn off to it en masse. And it shows in the acute polarization of reviews here on Amazon.

But if you can be a little less knee-jerk and not shut off all rational thought when confronted with what's disturbingly familiar, you may also find that the film is genuinely, voraciously amusing, and directed with such breathtaking flair that Spacey's bravura performance seems like a career-defining one.

Beneath the surface of all the seeming pettiness in our daily idiosynchrasies, the theme points out, is an entire world of such simple elegance that chortles to be seen and heard, but is neither recognized nor heeded to.

An interesting visual device in the film is the use of windows. Not just a use, but a splurge, come to think of it. Almost everything important happens in front of, around, or through windows. Could this be a metaphor perhaps for self-examination, for viewing one's life from the outside?

What I do not understand is why most films in this genre (Ice Storm, Ordinary People) end with a dramatically tragic finale. Does it take a shattering turn of events to break everyone out of their daily reverie? Something to think about.

Any rate, long story short: an evocative gem you need to own.

There is only one word for this movie..... PERFECT
I've seen a lot of Hollywood crap, and I was just getting sick of that whole movie industy when I happened to see American Beauty. I'm a story-line fanatic and I've seen way too many stupid blunders on most movies, but this one was just flawless.
It was absolutely perfect. In fact, the only camparable movie to this one was that Korean film, Old Boy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When a Great Dane puppy is raised with a litter of Dachshunds, itnaturally thinks it's a Dachshund too--even when it grows to 10 times thesize. Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette star as the hapless couple who tookin the galumphing dog, which wreaks havoc on their house and home. TheUgly Dachshund is mostly a series of spectacular disasters (the doggydemolition of Jones's art studio will delight kids and reduce adults tonervous wrecks), but it's held together by the convincing domestic banterof Jones and Pleshette (who was quite a dish in 1965); the pair went on tostar in a couple of other Disney live-action flicks, Bluebeard'sGhost and The Shaggy D.A.. Despite some racial and genderstereotypes, it's a good-natured and amusing movie in the Disney mold.Also featuring classic character actor Charlie Ruggles (Bringing UpBaby, The Parent Trap). --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great for Dachshund fans!
Very cute movie for Dachshund fans or Great Dane enthusiasts! My favorite live action Disney movie -- long out of print. I am so happy that Disney released this on DVD. It is fun seeing the original trailer and the little featurette about Disney's dog stars too.

Funny movie!
This is a clean, funny movie for the whole family. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to laugh. This movie is particularly funny if you own a dachshund.

I've been begging Disney for years to release this movie on DVD. I'm so glad they finally did!

Classic Disney Film
In the classic tradition of Disney fluff, comes Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette who play Mark and Fran Garrison, a childless couple who's baby is Danke, their prize winning Dachsie. When the film opens, they are rushing to the hospital to have a baby. Not their own, rather, Danke's.

Mark is now even more outnumbered by females 5-1, and he's ready for some more masculinity in the family. When Mark picks up the Dachsies at the Vet hospital, Mark discovers from the doctor that a male Great Dane pup has been rejected by his mother, and agrees to take it home and allow Danke to nurse it. Fran believes that Danke just had another puppy, even though he looks different.

As time goes by, Fran realizes that "Brutus" is a Great Dane and insists that he be taken back to the hospital. Mark agrees, but can't get that pup off is mind. When Mark is given a birthday only fit for Dachshunds, he blows his top, only to find Fran surprises him with Brutus, now almost full grown.

Over time the Dane and Dachsies grow up and get into lots of mischief. Most of the times the Dachsies were responsible, but Fran can't believe that for one minute! The ending of the film brings Fran and Mark back together and they both become proud of the Dane Brutus has grown up to be.

I highly recommend this film to all ages. I watched The Ugly Dachshund when I was little, and now my daughter enjoys it, so it definitely stays a favorite over the generations. This wholesome, comedic type of film is hard to find these days, so grab this dvd up while you can! I also recommend other Disney titles starring Dean and Suzanne- Blackbeard's Ghost and Shaggy D.A.

The Ugly Dachshund
This is one of the best movies for children that I have seen. It keeps moving so you don't get bored. And is very funny. I recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh. Watch it and enjoy!!

The Ugly Dachshund, Great For The Whole Family
This is one of my favorite movies! Dean Jones plays an artist married to Suzanne Pleshette who has a purebred dachshund about to have puppies. As a favor to their vet, Dean sneaks in a Great Dane pup with the dachshund pups and that's when all the fun begins! I had this movie on video and I've shared it with children and adults...everyone laughs at it. It's a sweet comedy that everyone can enjoy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The futile yet inspiring stand of 300 Greek soldiers against the hugestarmy ever assembled in the ancient world inspired this typical example ofHollywood epic movie-making. King Leonidas of Sparta (Richard Egan,Demetrius and the Gladiators), prevented by political squabblingfrom sending his entire army to defend the narrow pass of Thermopylae,sets out with his personal bodyguard to fight off the ambitious Persianking, Xerxes. Along the way are a pair of young lovers, scantily claddancing girls, and treachery though a secret mountain path. The 300Spartans, made in 1961, has an overstated cold war subtext--there'smuch talk of freedom vs. slavery--and there are a few too many shots ofarmored men marching through the Greek countryside, but the historicalconflict has a fundamentally stirring quality. Also featuring Sir RalphRichardson (Dr. Zhivago, Dragonslayer) as a wily Athenianpolitician. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Memory vs now
Many of us grew up on these Hollywood 'epics' of ancient history. We remember them fondly. "The 300 Spartans" is one such film. Our memories, however, can play tricks on us. Then we see them again as we age, and our opinions change. We have to remember the times in which they were made and the type of audience that eagerly went to see them.

As a widescreen epic (and you have to see it in the 2:35x1 aspect ratio which the DVD presents), it stills holds some strange fascination.

Sir Ralph Richardson is the one stand-out performance; somehow, British actors seem to be able to deliver stilted dialog in such a way that it seems somehow classical. Richard Egan was also a good actor. As the Spartan king, his performance is consistant and even believable. He is rugged-looking and seems to understand what his character is all about. He brings the character on the page to some sembelence of life.

The rest of the cast make their characters seem cut from a comic book, or a very bad high-school production. This is especially true of David Farrar as the Persian King, who tears up the screen without once delving beneath the skin to give his role any dimension. These are supposedly professional actors, able to rise above a bad script. Unfortunately, the director accepted only fair performances and let it go at that.

Barry Coe and Diane Baker have the unfortunate roles of the young lovers. They were both young contract players at Fox and neither convinced anyone that they were either Spartans or that they were ever actually in love. Mr. Coe has one unfornutate line: "Have you heard anything about the Persians?" He delivers this like a football player asking his coach about the opposing team.

The script does present the story's history with fair accuracy. Once the Spartans get on the march, the pace picks up nicely, and the battle scenes are well staged. As usually happened with these epics, the production values of the behind-the-camera talent clearly outshone those being photographed.

300 Spartans revisited
I first saw this film when I was 12 or 13. At that age I thought it was an action movie and I took it solely for that - it was good with large battle scenes, sword clanging against shield, etc. However, it is a little deeper than that. The film tells the story of King Leonidas of Sparta who took a small cohort of Spartan soldiers to stand at Thermopylae against a huge Persian army. Most of the rest of the Greek city-states declined to send troops because the pass was so far from their territory. Leonidas realized that the pass was the best place to meet the Persians as the narrow space would allow a small force to block a tremendously larger force. The Spartans marched hard to get to the pass before the Persians and then fought like demons when the Persians arrived - actually driving them back and temporarily routing them with some well-planned tactics and ferocious sword play. After several days their position is betrayed and their meager allies killed or put to flight. The Spartans are then surrounded. Their sacred customs do not permit surrender or retreat so they make a suicidal charge at the Persian king. Leonidas falls and the Persians then massacre the remaining Spartans who refuse to give up his body.
Richard Egan is suitably noble and brave as Leonidas. It is obvious that he fears nothing as he wades into battle with spear,sword and shield. One comment is that Leonidas is like his name - that is, like a lion, and he is. The supporting cast is also quite good, including Sir Ralph Richardson as Themistocles (a crafty Athenian politician and statesman) and Diane Baker in an early role. The film is in technicolor or some similar process so the color of the Spartan's cloaks is a brilliant red and there are a lot of other bright colors, perhaps a little bit much considering the gore. What is perhaps most impressive and memorable is the music playing in the background as the Spartans march - it is haunting. As Leonidas says - no army in the world marches faster. The Spartans march for several days with almost no rest and the music slows to mirror their exhaustion - the men look haggard, dirty and unshaven - yet they continue to march. These marching scenes may be the best in the film showing the desperate race to reach Thermopylae before the Persians. At the end of the film there is a flashback to the Spartans marching with the music in the background. A narrator explains that the Greeks went on to defeat the Persians in large part because the Spartans delayed them long enough for an organized defense to be planned - also, perhaps because all of Greece was awed by the remarkable courage and nobility of a small band who sacrifice their lives for their country.
The film has definite defects and the end result could have been better. However, it is still quite good and I find that I like it even better now. While the film takes a few liberties with history, the basic story line is accurate - small group of Spartans under Leonidas hold off huge Persian army at Thermopylae and go down fighting. I have seen the film rated as only one star - I don't know who did this rating but it is off the mark badly - it is easily rates four stars and just missed five.

Exciting,dramatic recreation...
THE 300 SPARTANS does creditable job of recreating one of the most famous Last Stand battles in history. Director Rudy Mate makes excellent use of on-location sites to render the mytho-historical Battle of Thermopylae fought in August of 480 BC. An elite, 300 man-guard of Sparta's Battle King Leonidas arrayed itself in the narrow "Hot Gates" pass.[North of Athens and Thebes, but far north east of Lacedaemon/Sparta. This is critical,because Sparta's senate initially voted to defend much closer-to-home portion of the Peloponnesian Peninsula near the strategic land bridge of the Gulf of Corinth]. Xerxes,invading Persian Monarch and would-be world conqueror, myriad legions were averred so numerous that their force "drank the streams dry" marching to the attack.

Richard Egen does excellent job as Leonidas. He is charismatic yet characterisically laconic leader of Lacedaemons whose "warrior cult" society was legendary even to its Greek City-State peers,embodying The "RETURN HOME WITH YOUR SHIELD...OR ON IT!" victory or death ethic. David Farrar is fine as haughty despot Xerxes who none the less conveys astonishment(and once when a desperate,final Flying-Wedge assault by the Spartans threatens him personally)and respectful fear. Sir Ralph Richardson's role as Athenian senator who struggles to cobble unity from fiercely independent Hellenic poleis is "instructive" and understated.As noted,the background romance involving Diane Baker and a Spartan soldier initiate is essentially filler; Mate employs it well,however, to introduce a Greek traitor who discloses the mountain pass which allows Persians to flank...annihilate...the Spartans and their small cohort of allies.

THE 300 SPARTANS may not be epic film making but it's quite good. It's interestingly attentive to detail(wicker shields for Persians;the Lambda signum on shields of Spartans...dressed in red cloaks so enemies cannot see them bleed.)Photography is fine using both panoramic sweep and jump-cut close-up's. Battle scenes are convincing(lacking CGI magnus/extravagance)effectively conveying claustrophobic chaos and terror of close, no-quarter combat. This is an exciting,dramatic recreation of one of the signum battles of history. Overwhelming odds are confronted by resovled courage. It's the right stuff of myth that both chides the spirit as well as excites the imagination.

Your spear is for yourself. Your shield is for the line.
Here is a credible portrayal of the heroic stand that the 300 Spartans made at the pass of Thermopylae in 480BCE. Trying to make their way through the pass was a Persian army that likely numbered around 200,000. It was led by king Xerxes, son of Darius.

The Persians were set on conquering Greece, and Xerxes was out for revenge. 10 years earlier, in 490BCE Darius had launched an ill-fated invasion force that was turned back at Marathon. This time, Xerxes believed he had a large enough army that the outcome of the war between Greece and Persia would not be in doubt.

Unfortunately for Xerxes, he had never faced a fighting force of the like fielded by the Spartans. The valiant Lacedamons along with a handful of Greek coalition forces held the pass for the better part of 3 days.

On the third day, the Spartan king Leonidas dismissed the rest of the Greek forces so that they would live to fight another day. The Thespians declined to leave and they stayed and fought to a last man alongside the Spartans.

It is this obstinate and awe-inspiring battle that is depicted in the film. All-in-all, it is quite well done and does a reputable job of introducing most of the major characters in the period such as Themosticles, Leonidas, Xerxes, Mardonious, Aspasia and Ephialtes.

The best part of the film lies in its authenticity regarding Spartan battle dress and weaponry. In the film the Spartan shields have an upside down "V," which was the symbol of the Homoioi (full citizens). This was, in fact, what their shield depicted.

The Laconians had a long (roughly 8 foot) spear + a short-sword, and this is what the actors wielded. The Spartans also wore red to (supposedly) hide their blood, and this is accurately brought out in the film as well.

On the downside, there are a few weak parts of the script. The most egregious is an anachronism; Mardonious informs Xerxes that the Spartans "fight like machines."

There are also some directorial lapses and a few spots where armies are supposed to be in close combat and yet the extras move so slowly that you think they don't have a care in the world. I rather doubt the tension at Thermopylae 2,500 years ago would allow for such insouciance.

The acting is fairly good. Richard Egan gives a solid performance as the venerable Leonidas. The Xerxes in the film is not, I would think, too far removed from the actual pompous king who invaded Greece all those centuries ago.

Aside from all that, the primary reason one should buy this DVD is that it is real history. While some of it is fabricated and fudged, it is nevertheless an excellent representation of what really happened. To this day, to commemorate those three days in August of 480BCE there is an epigraph at Thermopylae. Translated into English, it reads thus:

GO TELL THE SPARTANS, STRANGER PASSING BY
THAT HERE OBEDIENT TO THEIR LAWS WE LIE.

Not as good as I remembered
Of course, that is because I was a very young child when this movie was originally being played. It's still fun to watch. The acting is marginal, costumes are poorly done and some of the spoken lines are terrible. It's main redeeming quality...it's a good clean movie that is biased toward the admirable qualities in mankind...duty, honor, country. This is something that you don't get to see very often from Hollywood these days.

I waited a very long time for this to come out on DVD, and bought it immediately. It will forever be part of my collection, and I will watch it many more times over the years. It's not The Ten Commandments or Ben Hur, but for me and probable many other baby boomers, it's still a "must have" movie. ... Read more

Reviews (303)

Landmark in US filmmaking
----
Don't be fooled. "Big Fish" is not the classic want-to-be "surreal" tale with random psychedelic elements. "Big Fish" is not a movie that "tries to hard" to be different or bizarre. "Big Fish" is *real*. It embodies much more than what it may seem at first glance.

After a somewhat decline during his last movies (since his masterpieces "Edward..." and "Ed Wood"), Tim Burton finally decided to explore two more realistic subjects: first; a father-son relationship and second; the story of ones life. "Big Fish" is left to the viewer to be understood, analyzed, and interpreted. Like any other film, the final interpretation lays on the viewer. However many directors are often biased and leave little room for personal interpretation making their own. Burton, on the contrary, leaves a universe for multiple interpretations. One can wonder how he managed with such a solid plot. Nonetheless, he succeeded.

The beauty of the profound subject, the imaging, the style, and the meaning and purpose of "Big Fish", makes it a film to be remembered by many generations to follow. Tim Burton has delivered a masterpiece like never before: a landmark in US filmmaking.

5/5 - "Big Fish" is huge.

Wow
I've been a big Tim Burton fan for years, so when the combination of his imagination with the heavenly creature that is Ewan McGregor are combined - it's a match made in movie heaven.
The story revolves around a man who feels disconnected from his father and all of his "tall tales" of growing up. When his father falls ill, he returns home with his pregnant wife and tries to get to the truth of the matter when it comes to his father's life.
I loved how the story kept going back and forth between the present day and the past. Burton's imagination is one of the things I love about his films and he didn't cease to amaze me with this project. Plus, all of the interesting characters brought into the story made the movie even more enjoyable. (My particular favorite was Karl the Giant.)
Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor's performances were amazing. I'm surprised and a bit disappointed that this movie didn't get as much credit as it deserves. Another aspect I loved was the relationship between Bloom and his wife. That scene where he is in the tub in his pajamas and his wife joins him just about brought me to tears. You could still feel the love between the two characters.
Go see this movie. It may just be a movie about tall tales, but it you'll leave feeling better about life.

Greatest Movie Ever
This is the greatest movie I have ever seen. And for all of you people that thought it was terrible, you are either one of three things: mentally handicapped, void of any emotion, or just plain stupid.

Just Plain Awful
After seeing the movie, I was without words to describe my disappointment with the movie. Seeing the comments and reviews on Amazon, I am without words as to how people could be giving such an awful movie 5, 4 or even 3 stars. It is phony from start to finish, with a terrible plastic feeling throughout. It has the most stupid script ever, jokes that are simply not funny, and the bottom line is the I just could not believe someone actually released this movie to the theaters. I simply cannot put into words how deep my disappointment is.

Something's missing...
There are things worth seeing in Tim Burton's Big Fish. Some of the scenes are visually stunning. There are some colorful minor characters (especially the poet/bank robber played by the wonderful Steve Buscemi). And the ending is pretty moving.

Other than that, there seems to be something aimless to the film. It was difficult for me to get interested in what was happening to the characters; I never felt that I truly got to know them, and though perhaps this is part of the point, it was frustrating. Also, Ewan MacGregor's insistently upbeat performance would occasionally get on my nerves. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first two episodes of this BBC miniseries only hint at the delightsto come. A lawsuit aimed at church reform in the town of Barchester forcesa decent middle-aged clergyman (the august Donald Pleasence, best known inthe U.S. for the Halloween movies) into a moral crisis and aconflict with his son-in-law, a pompous archdeacon (Nigel Hawthorne,The Madness of King George). The gracefully written and actednarrative shows glimpses of dry wit--but in episode 3, the arrival ofa new bishop (Clive Swift, Keeping Up Appearances), his imperiouswife (Geraldine McEwan, The Magdalene Sisters), and his deviouschaplain (Alan Rickman, Truly Madly Deeply, the Harry Pottermovies) launches The Barchester Chronicles into a satirical powerstruggle all the more mesmerizing because of the smallness of theterritory. The scheming of the citizens and clergy of this British town isboth Byzantine and wonderfully comic as the tempestuous personalities clawand dig at each other.

Rickman, in one of his first film or television roles, turns in a tour deforce of oily ambition. McEwan's ferocious machinations are downrightterrifying, while the sputtering Hawthorne (The Madness of KingGeorge) seems constantly in danger of bursting a vein. At the centerof it all is Pleasence. Making goodness compelling has always beendifficult, since wickedness is always more dramatic; but Pleasence bringsa deep and stirring passion to his role that proves as engaging as all theback-biting that surrounds him. And these are just the more familiarfaces; a host of lesser-known actors give equally superb performances. Thefinal episode (of seven) will have you on pins and needles. TheBarchester Chronicles, adapted from two novels by Anthony Trollope, isone of those marvels of British television, a skillful production thatproves intelligent fare can be hugely entertaining. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (202)

The DTS version rocks the home theater!
This is the first disc I bought since I got the home theater set up and this one you won't believe! Ok, I'll admit the story here is a little weak, but this isn't supposed to be a "Raging Bull" type of character study. This is a very entertaining, state of the arts effects, fun film. The sound from this DTS version is extraordinary. The separation of the 5.1 is incredible. The twister sequences will blow you away. You feel the sound and the fury! The only other disc that compares is the Saving Private Ryan one. For you home theater fanatics, this is your film.. you'll see it, hear it, and feel it. This disc also has some great extras like director commentary and a cool documentary of how it was made. All in all, it's not one of the finest 100 or 200 movies ever made, but you may find yourself watching it over and over for the experience of it! You'll love it! The movie itself is about a 3, but the DVD DTS is about a 5!

I like it anyway...
OK, I've read the other reviews...I think "Twister" is entertaining, with great CGI effects. The plot is intense, and most sub-plots are silly. Helen Hunt is beautiful, and quite a good actress. Bill Paxton is customarily hammy. Still I enjoy this film as entertainment. It's interesting to note that a lot of our current best actors today got a start in this film. Philip Seymour Hoffman, in particular, shows great flair, as well as Jeremy Davies, playing the wimp. Director Jan de Bont seems to use Alan Ruck a lot, and for good reason: He's talented. I was disappointed when Jamie Gertz won the Razz Award as "Worst Supporting Actress" in '96. I thought she gave a fine performance...her character was written to be reactionary, and I thought her every nuance was touching and sincere. As far as writing, well, some of the soap opera stuff could've been cut short. Jan de Bont, with all the films he could've chosen, showed scenes from Kubrick's "The Shining" (at the drive-in), and Cukor's "A Star is Born" (before Aunt Meg's house is blown away). If these are homages, he has good taste. And Lois Smith was solid as the aunt; I've liked her since she played Nicholson's sister in "Five Easy Pieces". A fine character actress. With this stuff in mind, I watch "Twister" often, and enjoy it each time. Why be so analytical? It was made as mass-marketed entertainment and, on that level, it succeeds. Doesn't seem to matter that it was also on quite a few "10 Best" lists in '96. I like it a lot; if you don't, maybe you should get out more...

the suck zone II
In the movie, the twister destroys a drive-in while The Shining is showing on the screen. One could only imagine that this amounted to a review of The Shining. I don't agree with this review. The Shining is a very good movie.

the suck zone
I rented this movie thinking it was going to be a remake of The Wizard of Oz. Boy what a letdown. Come to think of it I had the same experience watching Zardoz.
While watching this movie, it became clear to me that "actors" are people who have been randomly selected to get in front of a camera and pretend to do things. The characters say things like, "these satellite readings have increased in the last ten minutes" "Keep monitoring this pattern" "Ok" Then there is a tossing aside of sodas and a melee of excited, riot-like running toward vehicles. Then there is more dialog, like "We're not going to be able to intercept!" "No, we will. Hang on!" "Are you out of your mind?"
"We gotta get outta here!" "I know!" This last dialog is screamed over the sound of lots of wind. The movie appears to be about a weather phenomenon wherein lots of wind causes a general sucking effect: the script sucks, the acting sucks, the effects even pretty much suck.

The tornadoes alone save this movie.
I have had interest in the concept of severe weather for my entire life and had high expectations for the movie "Twister" and the result cuts boths ways for me.

The movie is of a married meteoroligist couple who are in the midst of getting a divorce, and have not gotten along for a very long time and they make a new invention that they believe will help them see what it looks like, inside a full blown tornado. They have ambition to deploy this new technology to disperse 'lighter than air' radio transmitters into a twister and record the signals to see what it may look like inside a tornado.

The special effects when the tornadoes strike are absolutely awesome not to mention the chase scenes especially towards the ending when the couple speed away from a tornado drive right through a house that was thrown onto the countryside road by a tornado (Impossible in real life) and the other of when a drive-in movie screen showing a snippet of the movie "The Shining" being ripped apart by a F5 tornado in the middle of the night.

"Twister" though suffers from several things and I can sometimes see where some of the detractors are coming from when regarding this movie. While the action scenes and special effects are amazing, the movie's plot lacks a good flow and the film drags on and on in several places and one scene which is just like a boring day at home would've been better left out altogether. Plus the characters are very unconvincing and lack personality.

Even for me who doesn't mind ocassional deviation from the laws of physics in movies, some of the tornadoe scenes are completely unrealistic. For example as I said earlier in a review, there is no way a twister could fling a whole house across a countryside road or even roll the whole intact house across the countryside because most houses are built on foundations and strong tornadoes in real life would shed houses into tiny pieces or otherwise reduce them to ruin. An F5 tornado would leave nothing of a house behind and can even rip the pavement off a road if the conditions warrant. \

This movie is nonetheless worth watching just for the tornadoes alone but this movie could have been a lot better than it turned out to be. While having it's share of flaws Roland Emmerich's "The Day After Tomorrow" is far superior on many levels and corrects a lot of the flaws of "Twister" in my opinion. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Gracefully adapted from Dava Sobel's extraordinary bestseller, the four-part TV production of Longitude combines drama, history, and scienceinto a stimulating, painstakingly authentic account of personal triumph andjoyous discovery. Equally impressive is the way writer-director CharlesSturridge has crafted parallel stories that complement each other with enrichingperspective. The first story involves the successful 40-year effort of 18th-century clockmaker John Harrison (Michael Gambon) to solve the elusive problemof measuring longitude at sea. In 1714 the British Parliament had offered agenerous reward to anyone who solved the problem, and Harrison devoted his lifeto that solution. The second story, some 200 years later, involves the effort ofshell-shocked British Navy veteran Rupert Gould (Jeremy Irons) to restore theglorious clocks that Harrison had built. Like Harrison, Gould is the mostadmirable type of obsessive, but, also like Harrison, he risks his marriage toaccomplish his difficult task.

Thousands of sailors perished at sea before Harrison's triumph changed history, but Longitude demonstrates that Harrison's glory was slow to arrive--and his prize money even slower. A fascinating study of 18th-century British politics and clashing egos in the arena of science, thefilm is both epic and intimate in consequence, and Sturridge's magnificentscript inspires Gambon and Irons to do some of the best work of theiroutstanding careers. The ever-reliable Ian Hart appears in Part 3 as Harrison's now-adult son and apprentice, and Longitude approaches its dramatic climax with the exhilarating tension of a first-rate thriller. Rallying after sickness to prove the integrity of their marvelous seafaring chronometers, the Harrisons still had to fight for official recognition, and Gould's restoration of the Harrison clockworks provides a fitting coda to this exceptional story about the thrill of discovery and the tenacity of remarkable men. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Better Than the Book
This film is described as an adaptation of Dava Sobel's book of the same name. It is far more than an adaptation, however. Charles Sturridge took a somewhat threadbare tale and turned it into a stirring, dramatic account of the life, tribulations, and ultimate achievement of the 18th century English horologist, John Harrison. It's not that Sobel's book is poorly written. It is in fact entertaining and engrossing as far as it goes. The trouble is that she doesn't go into enough detail and leaves a lot of questions unanswered for the reader. Sturridge takes up her story and fleshes it out, providing the sort of background and character development that the book lacks. Providing the audience with a parallel storyline involving the WWI veteran, Rupert Gould (briefly noted in Sobel's book) also is a stroke of genius on the writer/director's part. The parallels between the lives of the earlier inventor and the shell-shocked vet are striking and poignant.

It does nothing to hurt Sturridge's cause to have assembled such a sterling British cast. Irons and Gambon have great roles to their credit, but they surpass themselves in this production. Sturridge has demonstrated that he can squeeze good acting out of a virtual lemon (Ted Danson in Sturridge's adaptation of "Gulliver's Travels"). He has far more to work with here, and the results are remarkable. Gambon, perhaps best known to American audiences for his lead role in "The Singing Detective," and the recent "Gosford Park," again delivers the goods in this masterful performance. He captures perfectly his character's idiosyncrasies, vicissitudes and ultimate triumph.

Much of the series of course focuses on the "chase" for a solution to the longitude problem that plagued seamen from time immemorial. Methods for determining longitude before the chronometer was invented ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. Heavenly charts were sometimes supplanted by such ludicrous schemes as "the wounded dog method". The following is a transcription of a dialogue delivered by the method's inventor:
" Now, it is vital to my process, Sir Edmund, that each dog be wounded with the *same knife*, as these three animals have been, under my instructions, some three days ago. Now, the animals are then to be conveyed aboard one of His Majesty's ships, uh, under the supervision of a designated officer, whose task it is to *prevent the wound from healing*. Now the knife, however, would remain here, in London, and at *precisely noon*, each day, is to be plunged into the Powder of Sympathy, which would immediately aggravate the wound, so that each dog, no matter how many thousands of miles away he may be on his particular vessel, would begin to howl... thus."

Clearly, there was a need for a practical solution to this age-old problem, as thousands of sailors were placed in constant peril, owing to the fact that, without a reliable method, they really couldn't get their bearings. This is one area where Sobel does a very good job in her book describing the difficulty in determining longitude, versus the rather simple methods for calculating latitude. That a rather simple man of humble origins could work out the method was disconcerting to several members of the vaunted Board of Longitude, which was composed of members of the ruling class. Harrison's chief detractor and a rival for his claim of the longitude prize (20,000 pounds, equivalent to almost a million dollars by today's standards) was Sir Nevil Maskelyne. Maskelyne comes across in the film and in Sobel's book as a rather arrogant, self-inflated snob, who engages in actual subterfuge of Harrison's claims. Viewers/readers may be interested to note that Maskelyne also appears as a character in Thomas Pynchon's "Mason & Dixon," also in an unflattering light.

In terms of a recommendation, I would have to give Sobel's book between three and four stars. While it is highly readable and engaging, it leaves way too many avenues and dramatic possibilities unexplored. Sturridge fills in all the gaps, and then some. It is not often that I recommend a film over a book, but in this instance, the film is a far richer and satisfying experience.

The Quest for Longitude.
I just watched this docudrama this weekend, and while it is too early to see if critics will give this film any latitude, I will.

As a historian, I often long for at least a blend of authenticity when discussing historical events. Often, as in Jean d'Arc films, accuracy is forgotten in leiu of mythology. Longitude give us the story of one of the greatest quests in history, and remains true to Dava Sobel's book on John Harrison and his son William. The two of which have perhaps saved more mariner's lives than life preservers! One mistake of a few minutes cost more than 1,700 men their lives in one incedent.

The drawback to accuracy is length, as this is a four hour film. However, it took the Harrisons 40 years to construct the four clocks/watches, thus an hour per decade seems reasonable.

If you care about maritime travel, history or clocks, this film will keep you interested for the entire four hours.

Exodus I; BA History EWU

A wonderful tale of vital historical importance
The beginning of this film makes clear the importance of knowing one's position at sea. Disasters--some of epic proportions--were distressingly regular when doubts about one's position relative to land or dangerous reefs were the order of the day. This film tells two stories in parallel. The first is of John Harrison's efforts to make accurate nautical clocks--called chronometers--that could be used at sea and provide a simple means of acertaining longitude (by comparing the time at the home port of known longitude to that of the ship determined by the sun or the stars). Harrison had to struggle against many technical odds to make his machines--and against many bureaucratic barriers to getting them accepted.

The second story is that of Rupert Gould, the Royal Navy officer, who, suffering from his experiences in the first world war, begins the process of restoring the old Harrison clocks to working order. This story is of less historical significance than the first, of course, but it is why we are able to go to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and see the clocks running today. The poor fellow turned the clocks into an obsession as his life changed dramatically around him.

Well done, and well worth the time.

True Story of a Lone Genius who Captured Time
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Note: This review has been written from a city with the following position on Earth:

LATITUDE: (43 degrees 2 minutes North)
LONGITUDE: (81 degrees 9 minutes West)

This 3 hour 20 minute movie (based on the 1995 book by Dava Sobel) that was first on television in 1999 (and transferred to two 100 minute DVDs in 2000) is "a sweeping epic that takes place in two worlds." The two worlds are the eighteenth century of John Harrison (1693 to 1776) and the twentieth century of Lieutenant Commander Rupert Gould (1890 to 1948). This movie chronicles the life of Harrison who builds sea clocks and alternates his story with Gould's who restores Harrison's clocks and at the same time restores his own health. (Note that most of Sobel's book {that has the same title as this movie} is concerned with Harrison's story while only four pages in the last chapter of her book are devoted to Gould's story.)

The beginning of this movie is narrated and lasts less than three minutes. However, this narration is probably the most important part of this movie because it tells the viewer about latitude and longitude, indirectly how to calculate longitude, how time is related to longitude, and why longitude was so difficult to measure "during most of human history." (How to determine latitude was discovered centuries before this.)

I felt this narration was adequate but it did not mention one simple and important fact:

In 24 hours, the Earth spins 360 degrees on its axis from east to west. (Thus, as the narrator states, four minutes of time equals one degree of longitude east or west.)

The first DVD tells the story of how ships (with their crew and valuable cargo) were being lost at sea because they could not determine their position properly since their navigators were unable to calculate the ship's longitude accurately. As a result, the British parliament offered a reward that's equivalent to many millions of dollars today to anyone who could practically solve "the longitude problem."

Most of the scientists of this time thought that this problem's solution, even at sea, was astronomical. However, a lone genius, simple carpenter, and clockmaker named John Harrison (acted superbly by Michael Gambon) knew the fact stated above, so he reasoned that time was the solution to this problem.

So Harrison began building a clock (eventually called a "chronometer") that would be accurate enough to be used by a ship at sea. (Realize at this time there were only pendulum clocks that were quite bad at keeping time on a swaying ship at sea.) The viewer is shown Harrison constructing his clocks with it's many components. As well, we are shown the final beautiful result -- a clock that was to be used at sea. (Note that this first clock was named "H-1.") We are also shown the maiden voyage of H-1 as it's tested in 1736 on a ship bound for Lisbon (with Harrison, a non-sailor, on board). H-1 worked well during this trial. Because of Harrison's perfectionism, he elected after this trial, to build a better clock called H-2 (which was never tested). H-2 led to H-3 (which was also not tested).

As mentioned above, we are also shown scenes of Rupert Gould's life (very well-acted by Jeremy Irons) that alternate with Harrison's adventure described above. We are made aware that Gould's own life was tragic. As a result, he volunteers as a sort of therapy to restore clocks H-1, H-2, and H-3 that, in his time, were almost two centuries old. The result is that the viewer is shown more of the exterior and interior of Harrison's beautiful and complex "timekeepers" and how they actually work.

The second DVD tells us of Harrison's masterpiece -- H-4 (that was the size of a large pocket watch). As with H-1, H-4 is tested in 1761 on a ship bound for Jamaica with Harrison's grown son (well-acted by Ian Hart) on board. This timepiece worked well.

Also we are shown how Harrison had trouble collecting his monetary prize. In fact, we hear one official on the board (the "Board of Longitude") responsible for bestowing this prize say, "I would not wish to see the longitude prize stolen by a country toolmaker." As fate would have it, an astronomer who favored an astronomical method, Nevil Maskelyne (well-acted by Sam West) became the head of this board, causing further delays. Harrison has to seek the assistance of King George the Third (well-acted by Nick Rowe) to cut through this bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, Gould finishes restoring the clocks and manages at the same time to overcome his own problems.

The acting of those indicated above and the supporting cast is exquisite. The cinematography is breath-taking with the scenes at sea very realistic. All costumes that represented the two alternating time periods transport the viewer back to those periods. The movie itself has it all: intrigue, science, history, geography, astronomy, navigation, clockmaking, ambition, and greed.

A minor complaint is that a simple calculation for determining longitude was not shown. As well, the DVD only has one extra feature called "Behind the Scenes."

Finally, although not absolutely necessary, I recommend reading Sobel's book before viewing this movie. Doing this will enhance your enjoyment and understanding of the movie.

In conclusion, this movie was an A&E production. As a result, viewing this movie is definitely "time well spent."

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The Best!
This has it all! History, science, a great adventure story, great acting. Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons are superb! Though I haven't read the book I got the book for my Dad a number of years ago. He's a scrooge about books and loved it!
This has a fast-paced story; lots of action shots, verve and movement. The story never dulls and moves easily and effectively. I've watched it nearly a dozen times. If you are interested in how academy, science, and politics collide; are interested in how difficult the scientific and historical processes were almost 300 years ago, this is a DVD for you! ... Read more

Description

1. "An impressive achievement ranking with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING!" -- Roger Ebert 2. Deleted Scenes -- Never-Before-Heard Song; Alternate Openings 3. Songs of MULAN 4. Music Videos Featuring Jackie Chan, Raven, And Christina Aguilera 5. "Discovering MULAN" -- Embark On A Behind-The-Scenes Adventure With The Filmmakers 6. Early Presentation Reels 7. Progression Reels 8. DisneyPedia: "Mulan's World" -- Explore The Fascinating World Of Ancient China With Your Host, Mushu 9. MULAN Fun Facts 10. Audio Commentary 11. Storyboard-To-Film Comparisons ... Read more

Reviews (374)

A Legend to Remember
Mulan is a character unlike any other Disney heroine. She lives for a purpose of bringing herself and her family, honor. She fights, not only the Huns, but also Chinese tradition. All that she does and says is powerful. Other characters present humor and irony, making the film cute and sending a strong inspiration to be yourself and strive for the best. The music, including "Reflection", is well performed and composed (voices of Lea Salonga, Donny Osmond, Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, etc.). Orchestrations from this movie were nominated for the Oscars. The animation combines typical Disney styles with touches of Chinese art. This is truly a moving story with some breathtaking animation thanks to computer technology.

Fantabulous!!!!!!!!
WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? Sorry but I read some discouraging reviews and I just wanted to ki-... Ok Mulan is a GREAT movie!!! Funny, Cool... All that. I think it was made very well. Now I don't know the original story or whatever but this was great! It could be for girls or boys. It doesn't have all that lovey dovey stuff. If your like... I don't know how old, but this is a very good movie! It's about a girl who was told by the matchmaker that she would never bring her family honor. So she dresses up as a boy to fight in the army in her father's place. Her father uses a cane so he wouldn't do so good in the army. You know fighting... Anyway there's Mushu(Voice of Eddie Murphy), Cri-kee,(her lucky cricket), her horse Kahn, Li Shang(Her captain), the bad guy Shan-Yu and her friends Chien-Po, Ling and this short guy but I forgot his name... Something with a 'Y'... But anyway Disney did good with this. Good for the whole family. You may want to hear stuff people say these days and stuff. Or stuff Eddie Murphy would say normally or whatever but I think you don't need that because It's still a cool show! So go out and BUY IT because it's cool, fun and just FANTABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S(It WAS made in 1998 after all, then was... kind of different from now, right?) :-) >^,,^< (Trust me. All of this is the honest truth!!! I mean why would I lie?) ;-]

One of My Favorite Disney's
I love most of the Disney movies whether they are animated or acted. What impressed me most about this movie was not just the animation, voice acting, and music great, but the moral was super. Most good movies have a lesson to be learned. This one was incredibly simple and to the point. Value all people and learn what they have to offer no matter what their sex, believes, et cetera. I highly recommend this movie for the whole family. It is ashame Disney hasn't learned it shouldn't limit the sales of their movies yet. I think they are going to learn the hard way when someone buys them out and stops the stupid moratorium policy. I know if I could buy Disney the first thing I would do is fire the person or persons responsible for the moratorium and second I would immediately make all Disney movies available all the time. If you see negative votes here there is a good possibility they come from scalpers. They want to sell you used Disney movies for three or four times what they are worth. They don't want them to be available all the time. They want them to be unavailable for at least eight years.

Lessons for our Children....
I do not believe that I have EVER watched an animated film that taught more of the values that I would want our future generations to learn than MULAN.

The movie opens with Mulan getting ready to go to the "Matchmaker." Although, she is a beautiful girl, she lacks the grace to make a good impression. Devistated, she returns home. Her father tells her that "like the cherry blossoms, her season has not come."

When China is invaded by the Huns, there is one line in the movie that is uttered by the emperor and it is SO profound. The general in charge of the armies confidently announces that his men can handle this invasion. However, the emperor issues a proclamation calling all available men because, "sometimes a single grain of rice may be the deciding balance in tipping the scales." Or - "one man may make a difference between conquest and defeat."

In this case, it turns out to be a woman! I LOVE how Mulan interacts horribly with the men at first and how she is told to leave. Mulan has to prove herself and she doesn't give up.

Even after she is a hero, Mulan is disgraced when it is discovered that she is a woman. She is shunned and yet when she must come to the rescue of China again, her comrades are loyal to her and listen to her ideas.

Throughout the movie there are the different interactions of those who accept women for who they are and those who are stuck within stereotypes.

Mulan is a cute and VERY funny movie with adorable songs. What makes it a GREAT movie however, is the very powerful message that we should judge one another on our merits and character - whether we be men or women.

A fun movie, never boring to watch!
I first remember when this movie came out, and I wanted to see it SO bad! I loved it, and would continue to rent it over and over again, until I finally got it as a Christmas present. But, as time went on, you get kinda tired watching it over and over again, as with all movies.
The plot is exciting and adventurous, with a little bit of humor, from, of course, Eddie Murphy, who plays Mushu, her comical 'guardian' dragon. Fa Mulan is a girl trying to at least get a decent match and bring honor to her family, when she hears about the Hun Army's invasion on China, lead by their ruthless leader, Shan Yu. Her father is too weak to fight the whole Mongol army, so she puts matchmaking matters aside, and joins the army, pretending to be a boy. Action-packed and cute, this is a fun movie, and will keep your kids watching in eager anticipation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally broadcast in 1994, the second season of NYPD Blue was disrupted by the departure of star David Caruso (Detective John Kelly) after just four episodes, under apparently less than amicable circumstances. He was ably replaced as Detective Sipowicz's partner by Jimmy Smits as the smoother Detective Bobby Simone, and the series managed not to miss a beat.

More streamlined and downbeat than its predecessor, Hill Street Blues (also created by Steven Bochco), NYPD Blue continued second time around to mix near-the-knuckle detective work to foil New York's scummiest with more character- and relationship-based drama. Although it's regrettable that its ethnic minority characters, such as Lieutenant Fancy, are increasingly marginalized here, the series is more comfortable--and even has fun--with regular characters such as the nervy Detective Medavoy and his on-off paramour Donna Abandando. Andy Sipowicz's simmering, tough-nosed recovering alcoholic is increasingly and amusingly put to the test in a number of situations, including: a murder investigation in a gay bar; being sung to at his own wedding by Nic Turturro's Detective Martinez; and a love scene in the shower in which we experience the dubious pleasure of seeing his bare rear.

New female introductions, such as the strong but sympathetic Detective Lesniak, also helped to shake up the series with a much-needed estrogen boost. There's also fun to be had in spotting a number of guest appearances by up-and-coming actors destined to make it in their own right such as Richard Schiff and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) and Debra Messing (Will & Grace).

The DVD set contains a number of extras, primarily a one-hour documentary in which the cast and crew discuss the series episode by episode, the self-congratulatory mood broken only by some subtle digs at departing star David Caruso (apparently, he walked straight off the set following his final take into a waiting limo without any farewells). There's also a small piece paying tribute to the music of theme-writer Mike Post and an item covering the relationship between Sipowicz and Assistant DA Sylvia Costas, in whose marriage this series culminates. --David Stubbs ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Almost as good as Season One
By now we all know that David Caruso's character of John Kelly exits in the 4th episode of Season 2. Like many NYPD Blue fans, I hated to see him go. Smits stepped in immediately after and he was also very good, but the dynamics of the show would have to change. I didn't like Bobby Simone at first, but that was probably because I was sad to see Caruso leave. But the episodes remained gritty and intense, and Smits soon hit his stride. All was well in the precinct again. The downside to Season Two was the introduction of Kim Delaney to the cast near the end of the season. I still contend that she is and was the weakest actor in the run of the series. I'm afraid that her inclusion as a series regular is off-putting enough for me to not purchase any further season box sets that she appears in. I'll start buying them again when Rick Schroeder's character of Danny Sorensen comes in and Delaney's role is reduced and eventually eliminated.
The commentaries included in this box set are interesting though not quite fascinating, and the so-called "documentary" is just an episode-by-episode series of recollections by the principle cast.
All in all, a good purchase. You get 22 great episodes, Caruso's most complicated and dramatic character story, and precious little of the Diane Russell character.

Simone Says!
NYPD Blue season 2 is where we say goodbye to John Kelly (David Caruso) and meet Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smitts). Simone is by far the greatest Blue character ever! We meet Bobby about 4 or 5 episodes into the second season. This DVD set is a must have for any Blue fan! You can see Bobby from the very beginning, then in the future--buy the other Blue boxed sets all the way to his tear-jerking death.

Season 3 - Coming soon?
It seems Fox are heading the words of all those fans out there desperate for season 3 and have said they are planning to release season 3 but as yet have no confirmed release date. Keep your eyes peeled and some spare cash to one side. Things are looking up!

Yeah GREAY NYPD BLUE
This was a great DVD I cant wait for season 3 to come out

NYPD Blue RIP
Recalling the depature of David Caruso, it seemed at the time that NYPD Blue was a lost cause. But just when things looked bleak, along comes Jimmy Smits to put his stamp on the show and help take NYPD Blue to a whole new level.

The turnover is handled superbly (and explained on the commentary for the episode "Simone Says" by David Milch) with Bobby Simone crossing out Kelly's name on the locker and writing in his own while the always excellent Dennis Franz (Andy) complains to the Lieutenant that this just can't possibly work out after one "how ya doin'?"

The entire set is great with the last episodes of John Kelly leading off the season. The set is packaged well and includes a few extras and insightful commentaries.

Why NYPD Blue RIP at the top? Because the idiots at Fox did not make enough money on the release of seasons one and two and appear in no hurry (and probably unlikely) to release any other seasons! Disappointing to say the least. There should be someone to complain to. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Taking off from an amazing true story, The Last Shot mines some pleasing inside-Hollywood gags about indie-film production. But this is no ordinary indie:An FBI agent (Alec Baldwin) sets up an elaborate ruse to sting some mobsters in Rhode Island, by picking a screenplay from the slush pile and financing pre-production. The movie will never be made, but the bogus production will lure the mobsters into the trap. The hitch is, the starry-eyed writer-director (Matthew Broderick), cast, and crew have no idea they're part of an undercover operation--the poor saps think their ship has come in and they're actually making a movie. Adding to the joke is that Baldwin finds himself enchanted by the moviemaking world and beginning to care about his unsuspecting stooge (Broderick is at his most engaging). Writer-director Jeff Nathanson (who scripted Catch Me if You Can) doesn't quite trust this funny set-up, sweetening the pot with too sentimental nudges, but the two stars develop a handy odd-couple chemistry. Toni Collette, as a has-been actress, and Joan Cusack, as a sharp-tongued agent, have some riotous moments. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Making Arizona In Rhode Island?!
The Last Shot is a very unique black comedy about the making of a fake movie as an FBI plot to capture the mobsters. Alec Baldwin is an unerdercover cop named Joe Devine pretending to be Lou Diamond, a movie producer who hires a wannabe screenplay wright(Matthew Broderick/Steven Zancht) to direct a movie based on his script entitled Arizona. This movie is based on a true story and it's funny to see how Broderick's character go through the whole experience without a clue his "directorial debut" is captured on candid camera the whole time.

Toni Collette is very striking as a washed up A-list nominated actress(Emily French) desperately seeking a career revival role, and she got the lead of Arizona after doing a dead on audition for Diamond and Zancht. Calista Flockhart plays Zancht's girlfriend who is an umemployed actress, and she ended up having to play a supporting role in Arizona. Other supporting players including Ray Liotta, and Joan Cusack who gets to deliver some very dirty lines. Both Alec Baldwin and Matthew Broderick turned in funny and convincing performances.

"We are going to make your movie!"
With its penchant for crude, mordant sardonic humour, the Last Shot would have to be of the funniest movies to be released in recent years. Remarkably clever in its re-imagining of a supposedly true story, The Last Shot also features a fine ensemble cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Matthew Broderick, Calista Flockhart Tim Blake Nelson, and the gorgeous Toni Collette.

Baldwin starts as FBI agent Joe Devine, who is trying to catch some mobsters on Teamster-related racketeering charges by posing as a Hollywood producer. He heads to Los Angeles to make a movie, any movie, and happens upon a screenwriter named Steven Schats (Broderick) who's penned a tear-jerker called "Arizona," about a woman with cancer combing the desert for the Hopi Indians before she dies.

When Devine asks the innocent and down and out Schats to direct the movie, he's overwhelmed. Maybe things will start looking up again, he lives near the city pound and he currently needs to get out of his apartment otherwise his struggling actress girlfriend (Flockhart) is really going to go mad at all the barking dogs.

Of course the whole production is a sham, but Devine needs to have a reason to get close to the Teamsters, who, are in Rhode Island, which means that he has to convince Schats to ship the shoot east, where "Arizona" can still be made, with Providence starring as the Grand Canyon. Schats doesn't understand how that could possibly happen but he rolls with it, desperate to make his dream of being a successful come true.

Much madcap hilarity ensures as the production team set up shop in Providence and score the big time with a "nominated" vile, irreverent starlet (an hilarious Collette). Even wackier is when the FBI gets carried away and begins to insist on having input into the movie's creative process. One thing leads to another and the FBI eventually catch up with the mob, just as the first scene of Arizona is about to be shot.

Director Jeff Nathanson displays real off-kilter flair, with an ability to find humor in, of all things, dog suicide, and urinating in a glass. His humor is at once shocking but also remarkably cheeky, and he knows how to pace his story well. The actors appear to be having a ball with the wacky dialogue, which stretches from loopy to the bilious. An unaccredited Joan Cusack is particularly hilarious, playing a crazed, cynical, potty-mouthed producer who lists among her accomplishments, that she once "dated the black guy on Hill Street Blues."

Although Broderick does his trademark wretched, innocent sad sack, he really makes you feel for his character, imbuing him with integrity and making us believe that really loves Devine for believing in him and his cruddy little movie.

Nathanson is also having lots of fun actually poking fun at the industry, and Los Angeles locals will really appreciate his efforts to create an absurd entertainment microcosm that is really a hilarious slant on the real industry. Playfully overwritten and over directed, and mostly a loveless letter to Hollywood, The Last Shot is full of pathetic people slouching toward fame, but who are also incredibly endearing in their ultimate love of movies.

The film is ultimately a movie about movie fakery, based on a true story about a bogus movie, but in the end, none of it matters because the fakery is all so incredibly well done. Mike Leonard May 05.

Satirical Take on Filmmaking. Inspired by True Story.
"The Last Shot" is a satirical but good-natured look at the film industry and the passion to make movies. It was inspired by a real 1989 FBI sting operation, in which an FBI agent posing a producer enlisted two unwitting filmmakers to make a movie in Providence, Rhode Island in order to net some mobsters. In "The Last Shot", ambitious FBI agent Joe Devine (Alec Baldwin) dreams up "Operation Dramex" to nail mobster Tommy Sanz (Tony Shalhoub) by bribing him to intercede with the Teamsters on a movie that Divine will pretend to produce. But first Divine will need a script. Stephen Schats (Matthew Broderick) has been trying to stir up interest in his script, called "Arizona", for years while managing a movie theater and running a kennel for celebrities' dogs in Hollywood. He thinks his dreams have finally come true when Joe offers to finance the film, with Stephen allowed to direct, no less. Devine doesn't actually want to make the movie, but only to use pre-production to trap Sands. But Devine and his FBI colleagues get caught up in cinematic and professional ambition and end up taking the film and the sting operation farther than they had intended.

"The Last Shot" sends up the entire film industry, from Hollywood players to aspiring producers to writer wannabes. It even pokes fun at the vaunted passion to create art. Writer/director Jeff Nathanson's decision to spare no one is one of the film's strengths. Another is the fantastic cast. Alec Baldwin is perfect, and the depth of the supporting cast kept surprising me. Toni Collette is very funny as a screwed-up actress and former "it girl" desperate to resuscitate her career. Calista Flockhart is Steven's actress girlfriend even more desperate to start a career. Joan Cusack parodies a television producer recruited to teach the FBI about the movie business. Ray Liotta is Joe Devine's brother and FBI superior. Maybe only big fans of film and of filmmaking will find "The Last Shot" hilarious, but, if that's you, you won't want to miss this all-out send-up.

The DVD (Buena Vista 2005 release): Bonus features include a featurette about the true story that inspired the film, a variety of material that didn't make the final cut, and a audio commentary. In "Inspired by Actual Events" (12 minutes), FBI agent Garland Schweickhardt and former filmmakers Gary Levy and Dan Lewk talk about their experiences with the real 1989 FBI operation on which the film was based. "Robert Evans Presents" (2 minutes) is a few scenes in which legendary producer Robert Evans provided narration for the film that was eventually cut. You can choose to view the film with the narration or just watch the narration by itself. "Joan Cusack's Montage" (1 1/2 minutes) is a few clips of Cusack's performance that didn't make the final cut. There are 3 extended scenes and one deleted scene available. The audio commentary by writer/director Jeff Nathanson and actor Matthew Broderick is casual, with a lot of comedic banter, but also contains information on directorial decisions and filming. Captions for the film are available in English. Subtitles are available in Spanish and French.

Can't remember when I laughed that hard before!
Okay, so I saw this movie a looooong time ago at a screening when I lived in L.A., and thought the movie was incredibly funny.I've been waiting for the movie to come out, telling everyone that they had to see it, and am a little surprised (and disappointed) that I never heard of it being in the Theatres.

It's not the usual humor that I like, but I can't remember a time throughout the whole of it that I, and the rest of the audience, wasn't laughing hysterically.In fact, I can't remember a movie that I've ever seen that I laughed that hard at.The only part of the movie that I didn't like was the ending, but I am pretty sure that they have changed that part of it, because no one liked it.All in all, it really is a fantastic movie for those times when you need a nonstop laugh-fest!It's just a shame that (to my knowledge) it never made it to the theatres!

VERY HILARIOUS!!
This is Matthew at his best! This movie is very hilarious. It is actually inspired my an actual true story. It is very funny from beginning to end. If you like Matthew Broderick, you will really, really like this movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Half of the characters in this 1988 John Landis potboiler seem to be played either by Eddie Murphy or costar Arsenio Hall, swaddled in elaborate Rick Baker makeup appliances that render them unrecognizable but also weirdly immobile. As a pampered African prince who journeys incognito to Queens, New York, to find a bride who will love him just for himself, Murphy manages to look smug and naive at the same time. There are enjoyable sequences of Murphy's Prince Akeem applying his lordly manner to his new job in a fast-food emporium, and falling for the boss's spirited daughter (Shari Headley), who teaches him how to party down, American style. But the fish-out-water premise is never fully exploited. Star spotters will have a field day locating Cuba Gooding Jr., Donna Summer, Louie Anderson, Vondie Curtis Hall, E.R.'s Eriq La Salle, and Samuel L. Jackson in their minuscule supporting roles. --David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Hilarious classic that will live in our hearts forever!!!
This is one of my all time-favorite African-American movies. First of all, Eddie Murphy is hilarious (in all of his roles). Arsenio Hall is a perfect foil for Eddie's hijinks. Eddie let his full range of talent show in this film; he played an innocent person who grows into a mature adult right in front of our eyes and realizes that there is a price to pay for love; whether or not you are born into royalty. This is one of those movies that a person watches over and over again and ends up reciting the lines as the movies is playing. James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair are wonderful in this movie as well as the King and Queen. Madge Sinclair was one of the world's best actresses and I miss her greatly. She tells James Earl Jones "put a sock in it, Geoffrey, the boy is in love." Nobody can deliver that line to a black king, except a black queen. John Amos, (whom I have loved since Good Times), is a great actor as well. He plays the part of a black businessman so well, and as a father he takes no stuff off of the King. He tells James Earl Jones, "I will break my foot off in your royal _____); now that's a ghetto father for you. James Earl Jones knew where to draw the line with Cleo McDowell.

I also like the fact that the Kingdom of Zamunda was filled with kindness, and the people were happy, the royal family was truly wealthy and had everything. You know, this movie is truly a fantasy and helps us escape from our everyday lives. Just to see the Queen and King eating breakfast and talking to their son on a "speaker phone" because the table is so long, is funny. The King and Queen taking their entourage to Queens when they received the telegram to send $1 million to Semmi who had spent up all his pocket change is one of my favorite scenes. That music that is playing during the sequence when the entourage arrives in Queens is so wonderful, moving and swirling, I am buying the soundtrack just to get that song. When