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La Belle Noiseuse is a thrilling and unconventional drama about the responsibility of an artist to his vision and the conflicts that arise when such responsibility is perceived as a threat to others. Michel Piccoli (Le Doulos) delivers one of his finest, most lived-in performances as Edouard Frenhofer, a famous painter living with his artist wife Liz (Jane Birkin) on a spacious estate in the French countryside. Frenhofer has lacked inspiration for a decade and has given up on painting. The idea behind his unfinished masterpiece, La Belle Noiseuse ("The Beautiful Troublemaker"), has been seemingly unattainable for a decade; Liz was the original model for it, and Frenhofer's exhaustion with the project has an emotional parallel to his dispassionate relationship with her.

Along comes a rising artist, Nicolas (David Bursztein), who suggests that his girlfriend, Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart), a writer, could help Frenhofer jumpstart the painting's completion. From this point, most of La Belle Noiseuse becomes a remarkable, seemingly unedited and privileged look at the development of a bond between artist and muse. Béart, fiercely brilliant, spends the majority of the film nude and continually molded into sometimes-painful positions as Frenhofer struggles--sketch after sketch, paint upon paint--to find something beyond the obviousness of Marianne's body. As the two struggle to meet each other halfway, Liz and Nicolas feel marginalized and jealous, putting pressure on Frenhofer to disregard such personal concerns or give in to them. Adapted by French New Wave master Jacques Rivette from a story by Honore de Balzac, the lengthy La Belle Noiseuse is fascinated by the artistic process; it is itself a patient process of watching ideas and aesthetic courage reveal themselves in the face of extraneous aversion. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Superb
I am not sure what the person before me knows about French cinema and the history of this film in particular but before posting comments that border sheer ignorance PLEASE do some research. This true masterpiece of a film was shot in 1.33 and that is how La Belle Noiseuse it was shown during the Cannes film festival. This is the prefered original aspect ratio (perhaps some have forgotten that not all films are supposed to be seen in widescreen, many were shot in an academy ratio of 1.33). Though La Belle Noiseuse is a modern film, just like Godard often does, Rivette has chosen a ratio that fits best his vision.

With this said the length of the film has nothing to do with the artistic merits it conveys. This is a strong, utterly sophisticated, yet bold and original film that reaches the very core of the creative process artists go through. Exceptional work!!

A word before it's released
This is a 4-hour French film, and I have seen the VHS version. Although the film is generally criticized for being way too long and boring, I personally found the film very appealing. I enjoyed the slow pacing. The film definitely involves the viewer, and 4 hours later, you feel like you really know these characters, who now have a life of their own. There is a substantial amount of nudity in the film, but it's more about posing for an artist than about sex. This is, in fact, an art film, not a mainstream film. As such, it delves into human emotion as much as it paints the beauty of the female form. I'm giving this film, in advance of its DVD release, 3 stars because it is being released in standard format, which is an insult to any film, and because it may not appeal to the average mainstream viewer, who may be too impatient to watch all 4 hours of it. But for me, it will be a welcome addition to my limited collection of French films.

I absolutely agree with everything said by the 5-star reviewer (except for the statement about this being released in its orginal format, which is apparently erroneous). But having read contemporary French language critiques of this film, and having dicussed it with a few of my French friends (who mostly complained about its length), I still believe that the average mainstream non-French viewer will probably find the film a bit too long and boring. Fans of art film in general, and French films in particular, will definitely treasure it, though. Include me in.

See it any way you can...
La Belle Noiseuse is now available on DVD through Amazon.co.uk. Unfortunately it is transferred in 1.33:1 aspect ratio, which is falsely stated to be the original ratio, whereas in fact the film was shot and screened in 1.66:1 - while for some films this might be tolerable, here the cropped picture detracts woefully from the cinematic experience - profiles are severed, actors inexplicably move half off screen, the beauty of many tableaus is compromised. One can only hope that Criterion decide to provide an American edition. That said, the actually picture quality is good and the subtitles legible.
*
There is an interesting interview, however, with Rivette, in which he tells of Divertimento being edited together entirely from out-takes. To illustrate the point a dinner table scene is shown, first from La Belle Noiseuse, and then from Divertimento -in the first there are many cuts and changes of point of view, in the second a slow zoom in onto one couple and only a single cut. In a way, then, Divertimento is an entirely different film. Rivette explained the changes as in part stemming from a certain boredom attending the traditional editing process - he and his editor did their best to entertain themselves, and to create a significant variation on the original work of art.
*
As an exploration of the artistic process, and of the psychological danger involved in exploring the depths of another human, the film is wonderful. Of course, in terms of aesthetic beauty it is also hard to fault. Michel Piccoli is sensitive and somehow manages to vie for command of the screen against the charms of Emmanuelle Beart (who really is stunning).
*
This, I think, is by far Rivette's best work, and definitely worth viewing in whatever available format.

Only for hardcore "La Belle Noiseuse" fans (like me)
After receiving extraordinary acclaim for his 4-hour masterwork "La Belle Noiseuse", seminal French New Wave director Jacques Rivette edited it down to 2 hours (by jettisoning its long real-time takes of an artist at work), substituting alternate takes of certain scenes and making subtle but important changes in the scene order. The result is "Divertimento", a slightly darker and, in my opinion, substantially lesser work.

If you admire "La Belle Noiseuse" as much as I do, "Divertimento" will give you a thought-provoking but not revelatory new angle on a great film. If you haven't seen "La Belle Noiseuse" yet, don't cheat yourself by watching this one first. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A working girl's dream job!
I recently bought this tape again after I wore out my old one! The scenery in this film is truly beautiful as well as that of the many fountains. The movie starts off with three young ladies, one of which just arrives in Rome to start a new job taking over for another girl returning to America to be married. All three young ladies go through the trials and errors of finding love interests in the romantic city. One finds her handsome prince, one finds a hunky, floundering student and the third falls for her novelist older boss. All three ending up with their heart's desire. Guess those coins in the fountain paid off! Sure wish it was that easy these days!! Truly a delightful film.

One of the Most Romantic Beginnings in Any Hollywood Movie
I don't think you'll find much to top this opener, with the fountains of Rome being turned on one by one while Frank Sinatra croons an ulta-smooth rendition of the title song. Ohhhh!
This movie has a lot going for it after the opening song too, (unlike "Raintree County" for instance), so you'll be riveted to the screen. For starters, it's a wonderful travelogue of Rome, in glorious technicolor. And then, it boasts three of my favorite actors, none of whom ever gave a bad performance: Clifton Webb, Louis Jourdan, and Rosanno Brazzi.
These men each figure in a love story with one of three American secretaries living in Rome, respectively Dorothy McGuire, Maggie McNamara, and Jean Peters. In Webb's case, he is McGuire's boss, and has been totally unaware of her real feelings these past ten years. Jourdan is a wealthy playboy used to preying on innocent young girls who's having the tables turned on him by the very predatory McNamara. And lovelorn Rosanno Brazzi--who always makes my pulse flutter--has been pining after Peters, but afraid to tell her of his love, since he believes her engaged to another. How these unlikely scenarios resolve themselves is a delight for the viewer. Take my advice on this one: If you want to be swept away some night by romantic escapism, "Three Coins in the Fountain" is your best bet.

Great story, great cast and superb cinematography
I saw this movie when I was a child and liked it. Then saw it many times on TV and at a special screening in New York.The best thing about it I discovered is the dialog. It's smart and funny - of course, the script was written by a Pulitzer prize winner: John Patrick.
The film was nominated for an Oscar as Best Picture of 1954, and actually won for Best Cinematography and Best Song
The cast is marvelous - most outstanding are Jean Peters and Rossano Brazi (who are the best looking couple and also share the best story of the three featured in the film)and Clifton Webb, who delivers his lines full of sarcasm and innuendos with perfect timing.
The film's most valued asset is its photography by Milton Krasner. Although many will remember "Roman Holiday" as capturing the best of Rome, this film is much more superior visually - and in color and glorious wide screen Cinemascope.

romance is not that easy in Rome!
This movie tracks one month is the lives of 3 American secretaries working in Rome. It opens with the newest girl being picked up at the station and brought back to the apartment, where the other 2 fill her in on how hard romance is in the Eternal City. One even says she is returning to the USA to get married -- although there is actually no fiancee in question --- just to protect herself and her reputation.

There is to be no fraternizing with other employees -- after all, they are told, they are only secretaries -- but when one falls for a coworker she gets them both into trouble. Another has spent 15 years as the secretary to a great novelist who is obvlivious to her feelings for him. And another goes about being a "Rules Girl" (it IS the 1950s), learning everything about her Italian Prince Charming and pretending to like all the same things as he does, but then feeling horrible for misleading him.

Charming and beautifully filmed, this is a romantic film for audiences of all generations.

THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN
I LIKED THIS MOVIE BUT I THOUGHT THE REMAKE WITH LONI ANDERSON WAS MUCH BETTER. I'D LIKE TO BUY THAT VERSION BUT DONT SEE IT LISTED. ANY SUGGESTIONS? ... Read more

Reviews (1388)

Quentin Tarantino's Tribute &...
The guy is very creative in displaying a story in a very original structure and media. Kill Bill is a cult movie fan's greatest dream come true. Everything is in there from good old Western Coybow movies to the cinema of the east slapped together. For the sterotypical "white" person who only consumes the blockbuster hits of what ever popoular trend is out, this movie may appear silly or confusing to a degree of laughter. Thats the beauty of this movie, it shows us which movie watchers are out there. In the theaters I caught a lot of white people laughing at the asian sequences of the film and they were also dumbfounded by the special appearances of the actors from Wild Zero, Ichi the Killer, Battle Royale, and Suicide Circle to name a few. (i was hoping to see Tekashi Kitano) The only special appearnce of a star they would know is "David carra..whats his name...? the guys from that Kung-Fu show...yeah." A lot of people failed to see the element of honor that was displayed in both films between characters which was a very beautiful element. The action sequences were directed very well so that it made up for a lot of the actor martial arts flaws such as akward positions and hyper extended punches, so there are little moments killed.

One sad thing though is that Kill Bill Vol.2 had a trailer for the 2002 film HERO, which is now going to hit theaters here that did it injustes. They stated that the movie was presented by Quentin Tarantino, but I've overheard many reactions of people thinking that it is directed by Quentin Tarantino rather than the truth (Zhang Yimou). Plus the trailer gave the art film a false representation of an epic war film, many may be disapointed. So are movies like Kill Bill building bridges with Hollywood and Asia or are they just going to jokingly stereotype Asian films and cuture in an unfair way? Fans and crowds shall tell in time.

Oh and by the way, I don't want to sound like "white" people are not cool, I use the term "white" for the typical stereotyping day by day american. As far as stereotypes go, sometimes people enjoy becoming part of it and making it obviously true. I look forward to one day the stereotypes are non existant and everyhting in around our lives is understood for what it is and not what it looks like on the surface.

Maiming and decapitation are never fun. Until now...
Oh, the joy of being a movie geek. This year has been a tremendous blessing for all of the human race, or just us film fanatics, as the movie gods have listened to all our prayers to deliver cinematic goodness. One of these that came as a major grace is called "Kill Bill: Volume One", the latest offering from the dark, perverted but brilliant mind of Quentin Tarantino. Last seen under the spotlight in 1997 with "Jackie Brown", we have been painfully awaiting his next move throughout a six-year-span. Well, time finally came upon us and the wait is definitely worth it.

Appropriately entitled "Kill Bill", Tarantino tells a simple revenge story, albeit through his usual non-linear storytelling structure, about a lanky blonde woman (played by the invigorating Uma Thurman) only known as "The Bride" a.k.a. "Black Mamba" who wakes up from a coma to exact revenge on her former assassin group called "The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad" lead by Bill (David Carradine), who aren't really happy of her decision to quit and marry someone in El Paso, Texas. Hence, bloody carnage ensues as Bill and the gang made of eclectic members-Budd, Vernita Green, Elle Driver and Oren-Ishii-massacres The Bride's family and guests on her wedding day, including her unborn baby. Bill saves her for last and shoots her head (on what could be one of the most startling introductions in a movie). Thinking that she's dead, they leave her cold in her blood-splattered wedding dress, which is a terrible mistake on their part, as The Bride gets up from her hospital bed after four years with furious determination and will to destroy every single one of the perpetrators, saving the best for last, which is, of course, Bill, proving that as far as justice goes, it can easily get very poetic.

However, this is only half of the story, as Miramix, the film distributor, and Tarantino himself decided to cut the three-hour long movie in half and released them four months apart. That being said, I am very sure that Volume Two will be as equally brutal and vigorously entertaining to what I've seen four times in the theaters (Yes, four times! It's that good!)

"Kill Bill: Volume One" is perhaps the most violent American movie ever (and I've seen a lot of movies). It can be easily be used as an example of how the morals of the Western world have dramatically fallen in the 21st century. But it's most important to know that this movie was made as an ode to those rare, odd, cheesy and absurd kung-fu, Western, exploitation, slasher and grindhouse movies we usually see gathering dust in the cult section of a video store or occasionally seen playing on television at 3 in the morning. Kill Bill: Volume One on the surface looks like a very empty fluff made to only shock the already seemingly desensitized viewers, but underneath, it is really a very intelligent piece of art. Intelligent in a sense that it knows the rules of the cinema: it knows it audiences are and doesn't give a damn thing or two to those who don't want to get involved. For instance, The Bride wears a yellow jumpsuit during the last hour of the movie. To the uninitiated, it's just a striking sexy vintage number. To those in the know, it's a replica of Bruce Lee's tracking jumpsuit from his 1979 movie Game of Death. And this is just only a fraction of Tarantino's endless references, in-jokes and homages to old and obscure cinema. From Brian DePalma to Godzilla, from giallo films to Japanese animations, God knows what else are there he injected. I say this movie is an entire pop culture of pop culture.

Even without this quality, it's still deliciously entertaining, boldly creative and visually arresting, it's safe to say that this is an instant classic. No, this is not an Oscar-winning movie, let alone be nominated. But not everything has to have a deep storyline with complex characters to be a great film. This movie has no substance and as empty as a dead shell. But it's an amazingly great film, nonetheless. The fact of the matter is that Tarantino made this with great respect, love and passion of the medium, that he practically utilizes everything to its full advantage from complicated camera shots (the long tracking shot of The Bride going to the washroom is incredible), beautiful cinematography (the claustrophobic and filthy Hospital environment, the beautifully exotic and bright Japanese backdrop), the amazing eclectic selections of music (from Nancy Sinatra's "Bang, Bang" to "The Green Hornet" theme song) and the excellently choreographed fight scenes as if we're watching an amazing, exhausting ballet dance with swords. Oh yeah, and the beautiful gushing of the blood and gore like water coming down from Niagara Falls.

"Kill Bill: Volume One" is an extravagant, highly-stylized, ultra-energized, uber-violent piece of celluloid. It's made up of a world were grativity is without law, violence is sheer poetry, pissed-off Caucasian women likes to play with samura swords, and even assassins have feelings. It's a world where obscure 1970's disco music goes perfectly seamless along with the motion of decapitation and maiming.

Oh what fun!

Aside from that movie that left me with tears featuring hobbits and wizards and that fetus-looking boy-fish who seems to say the word "Precciooooooussssss...." a lot, this year belongs to Kill Bill: Volume One (and I cannot wait for Volume 2!)

Thank you, Tarantino for your sick and twisted mind.

great movie
i loved this film! great STYLE, great action, great story. and very funny. i loved the use of zamfir's famous tune for the samurai scene! it's a delicious homage (or parody?!) of various genres - japanese samurai (esp kurosawa), chinese kung fu, american spaghetti westerns. wonderful.

HOLLYWOOD Tarantino??
Great movie I have to say, paying respect to crazy asian cinema. My only gripe is Uma Therman being in the movie. I would have like to see Quinten dig up and unknown actor or maybe some B movie or expoitation actress. And although I like Lucy Lu I can think of a hundred different asian actresses that would have fit the role better. ANyway, great movie! If you like this movie check out any movie by Takashi Miike like: Iche the Killer, Dead or Alive, Dead or Alive 2, Dead or Alive Final, Audition, Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl.... any one of these movies makes KILL BILL look like a Walt Disney film!!

5 stars for SONNY CHIBA and GORDAN LEU!!!!!
I just saw this movie on DVD after not getting a chance to see this in the theaters. 5 stars for Gordan Leu and Sonny Chiba!! Awsome to see these 2 great legends of asian cinema! I remember seeing Gorden Leu as a kid from just about EVERY great Shaw Bros. kung fu flick! And Sonny Chiba? ..... Cmon! The Japanese James Bond!? Excellent casting. Great flick!! ... Read more

Description

Nowhere-man Ronny Miller is secretly in love with Cindy Mancini, the prettiest, most popular girl on campus. When Cindy finds herself in a desperate predicament, Ronny steps in to save the day ... for a price! Cindy must pose as Ronny's girl so that her popularity might rub off on him. But the road to popularity takes an unexpected twist when Ronny becomes so "cool" that his former friends feel the chill, Cindy is left toally out in the cold, and Ronny himself discovers that money might buy you popularity, but it can't buy you love! ... Read more

Reviews (69)

You Can't Buy Love, But You Can Buy This Movie
Amusing story of a nerdy high school student Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) who discovers that becoming popular isn't the greatest thing in the world. After she accidentally ruins her mother's suede dress with some wine, Cyndi, the most popular girl at school (played wonderfully by Amanda Petersen) will do anything to replace it before her mother gets back from her trip.

Enter Ronald. After seeing her desperate attempt to replace the dress at the mall, Ronald makes a deal with Amanda. He'll use the money that he has earned all summer by mowing lawns to buy a new dress, in return for Amanda's help in turning him to Mr. popularity.

Along the way, Ronnie learns lessons about the true value of having real friends, and towards the end of the movie Ronald discovers that he is still himself.

This film, which is no longer produced by Touchstone Video (a division of the Disney Corporation) features many couple of stars before they hit it big. Gerardo, the Latin-singing star who scored a one-hit wonder with "Rico Suave," plays one of the football jocks in the film. However, the real scene-stealer in this film is Seth Green ("Austin Powers"; "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" "Can't Hardly Wait") who plays Ronald's annoying, yet hysterical little brother, Chuckie. By taking a look at Seth in this past role you can understand why he is such a big star today. He is always a trip when it comes to comedic performances.

I loved this film for many reasons, but I think the most memorable scene in this film probably has to be Ronald learning an African dance he saw on television (he thought he was watching "American Bandstand"). After learning it, Ronald performs it at the big dance, not knowing that it would become a huge hit.

This film ranks among the 10 best teenage comedies produced in the 1980's. Let's only hope that it will be re-released on video and DVD in the near future.

Great 80's teen comedy
Viewed as a genre of its own, the 80's Teen Comedy produced some fun, enjoyable movies. One that holds up quite well is Can't Buy Me Love. Starring Patrick Dempsey in what was probably his best role of the era, it's the story of a geeky kid who pays the captain of the cheerleading team to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. While not entirely realistic, it has a good ending. The humor holds up well after 16 years, as does the movie overall.

The DVD was hugely disappointing, and my 4 stars are based on the movie itself. Unless you consider chapter stops a special feature, the disc is devoid of any extras. The greatest offense is that it's presented only in fullscreen. I'd normally pass on a non-widescreen release, but my wife insisted on having it. If you have to have this movie, this is probably the best release it will see for quite some time.

ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVS***
If you love the corny but terrific 1980's, you'll love this movie. In my opinion, the TEEN MOVIE OF ALL TEEN MOVIES... tHE CLOTHES ARE A RIOT, but ther than that this movie has a terrific point, Cools, Nerds...who cares! Ronald Miller rides into the most popular girl in school's heart on a lawnmower. From there its all sorts of fun for the move watcher! I love this move and was soooo pleased it was released on DVD. No special features, bummer. Terrific film though. Be sure to get it!

1980s classic!!!
Patrick Dempsey plays nerdy Ronnie Miller, who is so on the outside of society at his high school that he is known simply as "Lawn Boy" because he mows everyone's lawn for his part-time job. He wants to be popular for his upcoming senior year, and he sees his chance when cheerleader Cindy Mancini is in a jam, having ruined her mother's suede outfit at a party and needing $1000 to replace it.

Ronnie happens to be at the mall at the same time, purchasing a new telescope with his lawn-mowing money when he sees Cindy's dilemma. He offers to pay for the new outfit if she will pretend to be his girlfriend for a month and introduce him to the popular circle.

Although this seems completely crazy to Cindy, she does it (after a great little makeover -- quite the staple of 1980s teen movies!) She even starts to like Ronnie as a person, until popularity goes to his head.

People are lemmings and will believe whatever they are told, particularly in the classic scene where Ronnie starts doing the "African Anteater Dance" which he saw on a show he mistook for 'American Bandstand'. Everyone at the school dance follows him instantly.

Don't miss a very young Seth Green as Ronnie's annoying brother! He is great as a smarmy kid!

NERDS, COOLS, MY SIDE, YOUR SIDE, ITS BS !!
THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST TEEN MOVIE'S EVER MADE. I just saw a preview the other day for a movie thats about to be released.. i think its called "Love Dont Cost A Thing" - and its a total rip off !!!! of Can't Buy me Love, just shows how their is no originality these days, they sample the hell out of music, now movies !! ... Read more

Reviews (59)

COOL, ELEGANT FILM NOIR....
Although toned down from Vera Caspary's novel, "Laura" is a classic example of sexual obssession in 40's film noir. Otto Preminger (with help from Rouben Mamoulian) created a masterpiece of a mystery film loaded with decadence and sexual tension. Tough streetwise police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the violent society murder of beautiful, enigmatic ad exec Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) and enters the cold, calculating world of high society where everyone has dark secrets. He encounters a list of suspects including ascerbic Waldo Lydecker (superb Clifton Webb) as Laura's "benefactor" and companion who introduced her to the high end of advertising and her gigolo fiance' Shelby (Vincent Price) who is more or less kept by Laura's aunt (Judith Anderson). It is Lydecker who matches wits with Mark every step of the way. Mark has become obssessed with Laura's portrait, her perfume and letters and has obviously fallen in love with the "dead" Laura. The sexual obssession theme lies underneath the complicated relationships including Mark's fascination with Laura's relationships and her personal things and in the flashback sequences, it is clear that Lydecker fancied himself more than just Laura's "companion". He sought to possess her. But it gets stickier as it goes along when Laura turns up very much alive. There is so much to savor in this film along with the performances (especially Webb's) like the beautiful b&w photography that gives the film a dream like quality and the lovely "Laura" them by David Raskin that haunts the film and emphasizes the romantic longing Mark has for Laura and Laura's mysterious, paradoxical personality. Any way you slice it, "Laura" is a classic film heads up above the rest and needs to be available on DVD. It is not to be missed.

A MUST SEE
I saw this movie at least ten times. First time was in my early teens, when it was shown on local TV. I never heard of Gene Tierney before, but after seeing this film, I knew I would never forget her. She was the most beautiful actress I ever saw and her mannerisms reveal a classy keen intelligence. Everything about this movie will haunt you--Tierney's beauty, the musical score by David Raksin, the portrait, and the ending.

The film is about a woman who seemed to have everything--a successful career, beauty, brains, wealth--who is discovered murdered in her apartment. A detective, Mark McPherson, played by Dana Andrews investigates the case and starts questioning possible suspects. One is the Svengali-like Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), a syndicated columnist and radio personality. Another is Shelby Carpenter, a smooth Southern gigolo played by Vincent Price (yes Vincent Price!). And there's Laura's middle-aged socialite aunt, Ann Treadwell, who was using Carpenter as her boy-toy until Carpenter meets Laura. Other possible suspect is Laura's maid, a feisty loyal Irishwoman.

The film shows narrated flashbacks by Lydecker. He idolizes her and intercepts Laura's suitors, all of whom he considers beneath her. He couldn't intercept Carpenter who attracts Laura, and who Laura was supposed to marry the week she was found murdered. The first twist of the film is when McPherson falls in love with Laura, who's presumed dead. From reading her diary and letters and continuously seeing her portrait, he discovers she's the woman of his dreams, an unattainable goddess whose physical presence he can only imagine. So when twist number two happens, the murder investigation understandably becomes secondary to this gumshoe detective.

This is the best film directed by Otto Preminger. I believe it's the first American film he directed, and his following films pale by comparison. Ironically, this is a film full of second choices. The lead was written with Jennifer Jones in mind, but she turned it down. It was then offered to Heddy Lamarr who also turned it down. Tierney claimed in her autobiography that she didn't want the role either and thought the film was going to bomb, due to the fact that many aspects of it were not prepared (the final script, the music) and that Dana Andrews (also a second choice) prior to this film never had a role as a leading man. The portrait that was originally intended for the film was painted by the wife of director Rouben Mamoulian, who was initially hired for the film but was fired by Preminger who was producing it. Paintings don't transcribe well to film so a touched-up photograph of Tierney was used as the portrait. Preminger took the directing himself. He wanted to use the song "Sophisticated Lady" by Duke Ellington as the musical score, but David Raksin made a deal with him, in which he would write a score Preminger would approve of in one weekend. Raksin claimed he kept looking at a photo of Tierney during the composition of the score and that she was his inspiration. Thus second choices made this movie a classic.

The dialogue is witty and biting, particularly that of Lydecker. The film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Webb), Best Black and White Cinematography and Best Musical Score. It only won for Best Cinematography, and I'd like to learn what films aced it in the other categories. Although awards are not considered important by many film connoisserus, the winners are the ones recognized by the next generation. Thus "Laura" remains one of the most underrated films of all time.

Revised Release Date
Fox now says Laura will be out November 04. We can just hope this is not just another tease after first announcing Sept 03. Are lawyers involved in this delay?

Release date
The review from Utica is correct: Laura was supposed to be out 9/03. It's been on my wish list for almost a year. Maybe Fox should get Eisner to oversee releases (he must be looking for something to do).

Wasn't this supposed to be out on DVD last November?
I ordered this DVD early LAST YEAR, and it is yet to be released. There are so many mediocre if not downright awful films that are always being released onto video and DVD, yet this film, which is truly one of the best classics of all time, is still not available. What is Fox doing? ... Read more

Reviews (193)

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
From birth to death, this is a hilarious view at the time we spend inbetween. The established cast of actors, in and out of drag, poke fun at everything from religion to vital organ transplants.

My favorite scene is where "the fattest man in the world" pigs out at a fancy restaurant and eventually explodes to the disgust of the other guests. Another good one is where 3 couples at a house party get a visit from the grim reaper and give him several clever arguments before finally following him to heaven.

This is The Monty Python Gang at their very best. The little ditty at the end of the movie is priceless! You will also enjoy the "introduction" by a groups of gold fish and the "opener" saluting the great profession of accountancy. This film is an absolute must for fans (but then again, if you're a fan, you've already seen it anyway). Five stars for this one!

The Pythons in top form!
Here we have THE best Monty Python movie ever! I know I said that about Life Of Brian...but I mean it this time (no, really). Meaning of Life is a stroll through the world according to Monty Python. Many aspects of the human condition are twisted by our favorite Brit-comedians into a series of hilarous sketches. Although there are a few standouts-Birth the Third World, intercourse instruction, live organ transplants and *my favorite* the entire Death section-everything is funny. Additionally, all of Eric Idle's songs are so good you'll never forget them-and find yourself singing them in the shower. Show this to your uninitiated friends and see what happens! Beware: there are those who may find some of this offensive. I personally find MEANING an exhilarating ride! One thing does trouble me. Monty Python says it'll be Christmas in Heaven every single day! Don't you think this'll get annoying after the first 4 or 5 months?

This is on my favorite all-time movies list; which explains why I own both the DVD and the VHS version. Don't expect a Life Of Brian DVD type Criterion treatment-you get the movie, scene selection and that's it. But that's all you need. The VHS isn't bad either if you don't want the widescreen or higher price of the DVD. I was worried about wearing out the VHS...not a problem now!

More hilarious twenty years later...
...a Python fan since about twelve, I vividly remember this film coming out when I was thirteen or so. I loved it. It's great that it has not only held up but, like fine wine, it has gotten better with age. Maybe Terry Gilliam's right when he says, in one of the commentaries, that, today, comedy's standard is so low that "our crap seems good no." But it reveals their genius in so many ways. It reveals a confidence they clearly didn't feel--as tho' they'd gotten their sea legs--in the first two efforts. Though "Brian" is their supreme achievement, I have to say that this film must be placed ahead of "Holy Grail"--which given its budget looks distincly like badly shot TV. Hysterically funny, but the budget limits are are even more glaring in a high res medium like DVD.

In "Meaning of Life" the entire cast are masters of the medium (something Cleese proved independently in "A Fish Called Wanda") and they use their skills, rising even to lyrical heights (Eric Idle's paen to the universe in "Live Organ Transplants"). And the effects are more hysterical twenty years later.

This movie is also remarkable for the rather bitter satire of American pop culture. Heretofore, the Python's had stayed within the classic tradition of British comedy--filled with whimsy and just plain silliness and the class structure. American humor is generally either observational or political--and these days it almost entirely the latter. Even the masters of observation, Goldberg and Carlin, have abandoned it for bitter political diatribes attacking former fans like myself in the basest terms because out political beliefs differ.

And it follows, as it should, that the movie's best skits are the ones true to their tradition. George Harrison once called Python the continuation of the Beatles (to the point of chipping in $8M for distribution and advertising for "Brian"!). And, especially in the all too brief Gilliam animations, this is completely accurate. Without being at all derivative, they capture the whimisical sensibility the Beatles had updated and transformed and ran with it.

One draw back is the rather low-rent 5.1 remix. I've other films--e.g. the Godfather films--which are older than have far better jobs. So don't expect much. In fact, you might even consider using the 2CH option as the remixing engineer makes little use of the rear speakers.

That gentle bitch aside, the deleted scenes are mixed (why on Earth Jones thought anyone would want to see more of Mr. Creosote is beyond me?) and clearly wisely hit the cutting room floor (especially the horrendously unfunny Martin Luther skit), but some the commentary by Jones and Gilliam--clearly done at different times and mixed--is interesting most especially for the bitterness of Gilliam's attitude. It has been so on the two preceding films, but it's much more intense on this one.

The brief interview segments shows the group rivalry is still a hot issue in the guys' psyches, nearly twenty years after Graham Chapman's tragic death ended the group; they are still bickering. Gilliam's comments about Cleese are particularly acid; Cleese does he usual job of insulting nearly everyone. He is returned the favor by the rest of the group, tho' Jones slyly does it with the most class and thus does it the best. Cleese, after all, easily slips into insufferable. Hence his brilliance as Basil Fawlty.

A reluctant four star due only to the ****-poor 5.1 remix. The studio, surprise, surprise, didn't want to spend any extra money getting a good one.

The movie itself: 5 stars.

This disc should have been recalled
If you purchased this disc, and it does not have "V2" on disc one, contact Universal for a replacmeent, even if it plays fine on your current DVD player.

Here is why - the problem is with progressive scan DVD players and progressive scan monitors. Very few people have both, so the problem will not rear its ugly head until you upgrade.

The movie is completely unwatchable in this configuration.

Do yourself a favor, and get disc one replaced now, before it is too late.

Not up to par
I have seen both The Holy Grail, and The Life of Brian and this one did not meet my expectations after seeing those. I laughed thrice, maybe. I almost skipped the entire second section, as younger persons were present and we were utterly disgusted with it. If you have a taste for sexual humor, you'll most definitely enjoy this film more than I. The second disk is not even worth slipping into your player, and if, like me, you have a compatibilty issue with Disk 1 and you live in another country, it's going to be a hassle to get a replacement.
The fish were comical, and the entire segment on fighting was brilliant, but that was all of the humor I seemed to find up until a few minutes near the end. If you've never watched Monty Python, I suggest you start with one of the other movies, as this one could turn you off of a truly great source of hilarity. ... Read more

Reviews (247)

Kidnap the Sandy Claws!
This is my favorite animated film and in my opinion the best to come out of the Burton/Elfman team. The plot is... well... "different": The denizens of Halloween Town kidnap Santa Claus and have their way with Christmas. i.e. make a complete mess out of it. The visuals are spectacular (if a little dark) and the music and songs are wonderful and fit right in with the action. Regarding the "family appeal" of this movie: just keep in mind that this is a Tim Burton creation (Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow) and therefore it is dark, a little scary and the humor is on the sarcastic side. Oh, and if you absolutely can't stand musicals, then this movie will either make you a believer (like it did to me) or will put you off.

About the DVD edition: I've seen this movie in the theater, on TV, on VHS and now on DVD and I must say that the DVD edition had the best sound quality. They could have included some bonuses (a "the making of..." type of feature is really missing) but the excellent sound and decent picture quality was good enough for me.

Go ahead and give it a try, especially if you're a Burton/Elfman fan!

Fantastic, wonderful, and moving...
I've not seen this movie in a very long time, and it wasn't until just recently that I revisited it. The Nightmare Before Christmas' title sounds like something from a horror movie, but it certainly isn't one. Sure, everything looks grim and creepy, but that's just the setting. The story of Jack Skellington feeling as if everything is a routine for him and wants to experience something different was kinda touching, as is with the songs he sings to himself in the film. The music is creepy at times and is beautiful when needed, and it's all composed by Danny Elfman; who in turn also wrote the songs, and does Jack Skellington's voice. TNMBC was skillfully animated, using the stop-motion style, which most likely took them quite a while to finish. The end product looks pretty good too, especially for a movie released back in '91. Tim Burton has always been one of my favorite directors, and this film didn't let me down. Not only did it bring back some nice childhood memories, but it also made me feel good in the process. Those parents who aren't sure of showing this film to their kids because it may scare them, at least consider that the movie has NO violence either than a stitched-up lady jumping from a building, but she doesn't get harmed as she puts herself back together. If your kids can handle the creepy looking monsters and creatures, by all means let them watch this movie. They most likely will never forget it.

the best christmas and halloween movie ever
wellllllllllllll.the guys from halloween land go to x-mas land and kidnap santa and do x-masup thier own way.its animated or something so no stars per say.this one is for some kids and not for others.the sensitive types need to be in bed.it is another one of tim burtons abselute masterpieces.there are basicly 2 kinds of movies.your julia robetrs-sell out-hollywood-junk and movies that actualy required some thought.so anyone with an imagination will like it.this is themost over the top and wild x-mas movie ever.

Spellbinding
This movie is beyond enchanting, delving into the realms of spellbinding. I never thought that an animated film could be so stunning with its cinematography mixed with the music. That's the amazing beauty of Tim Burton's world: it's filled with contrasts. In particular is Sally (voiced by the Canadian goddess Catherine O'Hara) the ragdoll who externally is not the most beautiful thing with her stitchings and patched clothes, but internally she is pure and filled with love for Jack. Even her singing (again Catherine) sounds like an innocent child, straight tone (no vibrato) and a flowing, velvet soprano.
The world of Halloweentown is dark, but filled with beauty and rich melodies straining through (by the genius Danny Elfman). The construction of the film is so perfect making Halloweentown filled with browns and blacks whereas Christmastown is bright and cheerful, joyful as we expect Christmas to be and the real world is somewhere in between. All of it pulls together beautifully to create a timeless story and the most magnificently filmed ending with Sally and Jack in the snow.
Just proves the genius of the film makers.

yuck
Why does "everyone" love this movie? It's not that good. Not at all. I saw this when I was four and I absolutely hated it when I found out they kidnapped Santa Clause. The zombie girl taking her head off at one point in the movies was pretty gross too...yuck. I don't reccomend this film. ... Read more

Description

There's something in this house...Something ancient and dark that remains still, hidden and silent. It can only wait, having been concealed in the shadows for years. In fact, its milieu is darkness. Only in it can it show itself and move. It even takes its name: DARKNESS. It's lived here since someone tried to call it, more than forty years ago. Because this house hides a secret, a terrible past, an inconceivably evil act. Seven children, faceless people, a circle that must be completed. And blood, lots of blood... But something went wrong. One of the children got away. The circle wasn't completed. That's why what lives here isn't finished. It's just waiting...It tries to carry out what it couldn't before, making plans in the shadows, to become complete, to be, to exist. A new family has just moved into the house. A small child. An unstable father capable of losing his temper at any time. A perfect target. The right place at the right time. The pieces only have to be put in place. And then wait. Maybe the family's daughter will be able to discover the truth; the dark secret of the past, the sinister conspiracy, the truth about what threatens them. Why is the father getting worse? What is her little brother afraid of? Why doesn't her mother listen to her? And why do the lights keep going out? It could be that nothing happens by chance, that everything has been worked out from the start. A devilish plan, precise and exact like a time-bomb. Her father's illness, the house, the circles, the children. Perhaps she can foresee darkness' master stroke of play and the inevitable destiny that is closing in on her family. But maybe it's too late.... ... Read more

Reviews (94)

Hey, I Want My Two Hours Back!
Boring horror film with ugly actors repeating ugly lines.Over reaction abounds. Anna Paquin should drop a few pounds and trade her Oscar for some acting lessons.And what's with the pony tail?You have not seen overacting like this since Richard Boone died. You've seen every "shocker" in this film at least a hundred times in much better movies.And Ed Wood never wrote lines as lame as this "script."If ever there was a DVD made for the Wal-Mart five dollar bargain bin, this is it!

Here's a sleeping aid or you....
So dull it's lifeless. Bad story, dull acting, visually poor. I can't believe I actually watched this mess from start to finish. It has no logic, nothing exciting, nothing for me to recccomend you waste your $$$ on it. I rented it for $3.00 and I even regret that!If you are looking for a good horror movie, try GINGER SNAPS instead!

Should of stayed shelved...
I now see why this film sat on the shelf for two years before the studio finally decided to release it. It's ashame too, because they could of done so much more with it. Good actors, good cinematography, great setting and feel, but the script and dialogue made no sense whatsoever. Do yourself a favor and watch the Grudge instead.

it was ok
i liked the special effects and the idea of the movie. the ghost or demons whatever they were in this movie were pretty creepy and smart. i didn't like any of the main actors in this except for the kid, grandpa and the crazy fellow who built the house. if they didn't have that paquin lady in this, it would have been better. oh yeah, and the scene where the father and son were stuck in traffic was just plain stupid.

Where'd all the pencils go?
I normally don't rush online to write a review, but I just finished watching this movie and had to do it. This the only thing horrific about this movie is the story and the characters.

The movie tries to wind slow tension by making Paquin walk from room to room at the slowest possible speed. It tries to draw cheap jumps with the not-so-subtle use of sudden booming music. Both tricks failed miserably.

The mother comes off as inept, the father comes off as a pathetic idiot who has no idea what's going on. The son looks like the posterboy for Ritalin, and surprise, the only one who has a firm grasp on the situation is the adolescent, over-dramatic, daughter.

Like a compulsive gambler, I forced myself to watch the whole movie to see if the ending would be somehow worth it.

The explanation for what is happening is beyond feeble. It looked like the writers got stuck for a solution and threw this garbage at the audience hoping it would fly.

Hell, I would have settled for the house being built on an old burial ground instead of the sludge they fed me.

If you're between the ages of twelve and sixteen, maybe you'll like it. If you're an insomniac and have nothing to watch at two in the morning, maybe you'll like it. If you have to make a choice between this and lethal injection, maybe you'll like it. If none of these things apply to you, save your money.

But still . . .

Where'd all the pencil's go? ... Read more

Reviews (98)

This Movie Iz Crazy
Im am a 14 year old and I want to talk about the Movie Menace II Society.Menace II Society is the tightest Movie I ever saw since "Boyz N The Hood" & "South Central".It all started out as a young boy name Caine (Tyrin Turner) telling a story about surviving the streets for good.My favorite Scence is When Caine & O-Dog(Larenz Tate) was in the liquor store when these two got evloved in a murder by O-Dog kill the korean grocer and also killed the korean lady while O-Dog threatens to get the video tape from her.In The Movie, They mention O-Dog as "The American's Worst Nightmare" and They also mention that O-Dog is Young, Black, And Don't Give A [care]. They also have a cool soundtrack with MC Eith(Streith Up Menace) and all other cool artists.I Recommend this movie to everyone.If U love hood movies and u have not seeen it yet, nows it the time to spend your money and buy this classic.On the internet, they also mention the "Director's Cut"(which is Unrated and the orignal verison is an R-Rated Movie).So if you Moviegooer and u have not seen that movie yet, now's the time to get that movie.One more thing,The Directors Allen & Albert Hugues(From Hell,Dead Presidents) did an good job on this movie.

True 2 Life
Okay, since im from London, i cant accuratly depict if this is, or is not the real situations encountered by members of the LA public. But upon watching this for the first time, it really hit me that the horrific things portraid in this movie could happen to anyone of us.

Caine, the main focus of the movie, was brought up in a drug filled home, his father was a drug dealer, and his mother a heroin addict. Caine first saw someone be shot when he was just a child, as shown in the films early scenes. Following this his father is murdered in a fixed drug deal, and his mother overdoses, and dies.

Caines best friend O-Dogg is a 16year old, who, as is said in the movie is 'Americas worst nightmare', hes young, Black, and he just dont giv'a F***.

I wont spoil the movie by saying anymore, but take it from me this is one of the the best movies you will see in a long time, especially if you like the whole gang thing, it also has historical content of the 'Watt's rights'. I say buy it as soon as you can.

Powerful movie
This movie is a veery powerful movie. It will give you some laughs and then youll be crying. It is very moving and it wshows you what the ghetto is really about. Growing up and surviving in the hood is very hard and this movvie shows just how hard it is.

Top 10
Menace II Society is one of my Top 10 movies of all time. I could watch it 5 times a day every day. Tyrin Turner should have become a big star after this movie. This movie had great actors, a good storyline, and production. Just wanted to say he was in Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation video as the kid walking around that place, whatever it was, for some strange reason.

After Boyz in da hood
came this, a raw powered movie, that brings to the real of the early 90's South Central LA. This movie is pretty violent and gory, but yet it has a pretty strong message in it. Do you care wether you live or die?

Tyrin Turner(Kaydee) did a excellent dabut about a man who gets cought up in a situation he wants to get out of. Larenz Tate(O-Dog) is more of a straight up gangsta, but did a real good job at acting. Movies with strong messages like this make up for a excellent drama.

If you loved boyz in the hood and don't have this, that's a real shame, even if you didn't watch bouz in da hood, you should get this, and boyz in da hood as well, because those 2 movies are wll-worth the money.

peace ... Read more

Reviews (247)

Sword and Sorcery Epic
An ancient prophecy tells of a sacred child that will bring an end to the reign of the evil Queen Bavmorda(Jean Marsh). The sacred child is smuggled out of the castle and finds her way to Willow Ufgood(Warwick Davis). He leaves his village on a quest to return the baby but he becomes trapped in the middle of a battle beween good and evil. With the help of Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) Willow must protect the baby from the queen and her daughter Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) and fulfill the prophecy.

Willow has received a very nice transfer that is a step up from the old laser disk. It is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1). There is no edge enhancement and very little grain which is amazing for a picture from 1988. The sound however doesnt make use of the surrounds. Very few times are the rear speakers used. The film is in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround.

The audio commentary by Warwick Davis is very informative and every fan of the movie should listen to it. I just wish that George Lucas and Ron Howard participated as well. Two great featurettes are included along with several trailers and stills. Unlike most fantasy movies it is suited for all ages. Willow is a movie that I grew up with and today am still very fond of it. This film has it all, action, adventure, comedy and romance. Highly recommended.

This Movie, I Love It!
Val Kilmer and the delightful Warwick Davis take us on a fantasy adventure that noone should ever forget. When Willow (Davis) happens to come upon a mystically sacred child, he finds out he must defend the child to help save her and all that is good from an evil sorceress bent on taking over the world by using the power of the child. Along his way, Willow encounters some interesting counterparts, including Madmartigan (Kilmer) who had been imprisoned for wrongdoing. What happens on Willow's adventure is something every fantasy film fan should enjoy.

Much like Legend, Labryinth, and The Goonies, I grew up with Willow being one of my favorite films. Willow has the special ability to make me return to my childhood and thoroughly enjoy it, no matter how many times I've watched it. My excitement when I found out Willow would be transferred to DVD was great! And I'm a satisfied customer after purchasing it. The video and audio transfers are wonderful. The picture makes the film even more colorful than I've ever seen. The Making Of . . . featurette is quiet entertaining, and it was awesome to see both Ron Howard and George Lucas working behind the scenes with the cast. The commentary with Warwick Davis is a good little listen, and the theatrical trailers and tv spots are neat to watch.

I was very very ecstatic about this Willow's DVD release. And even more ecstatic that all of my favorite 80 films are getting good DVD releases. I hope there's more to come.

Willow- What i think...
When i was little, i really did enjoy this film, and watched it for hours. I am not sure about it now, since its been a while. But i remember it being amazingly fantastic, and i loved every minute of it. The storyline was well thought out, and it had a mixture of genres. Including, Fantasy, Comedy, adventure and more, all the aspects which will please a child audience.Its a love, hate relationship, either you LOVE it or hate it really. Its not every ones cup of tea, but its certainly mine. If your things such as Lord of the rings, Never ending story, etc, (anything with magical aspects) Then this is the thing for you! :)

Is this the best they can do?
I really wish Lucas had made a better movie than this. In fact he did, it was called Star Wars. Look at this movie and see the similarities to Star Wars. Willow is Luke Skywalker. Billy Barty is Obi Wan Kenobi. Val Kilmer is Han Solo. The two little faries are R2D2 and C3PO. And you can obviously see who the Darth Vader character is.
I would have forgiven this if at least the story were watchable. Even when I saw this movie as a kid I found it hard care what happened it any of these characters. I really wanted to like this movie because I am a big fantasy fan. Unfortunately when Hollywood makes a fantasy movie 9 times out of 10 they make it silly beyond belief or so sappy that you wonder why they didn't just make a modern romance movie instead.
If you want to see a real fantasy movie check out any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Princess Bride, Excalibur or Conan the Barbarian (NOT the Destroyer.)

Great for kids!
I remember seeing this movie as a child and absolutely loving it. The sets and monsters are magical and entertaining, and the plot is well-crafted and fast-paced for a kid. I did get the movie for Christmas, and it doesn't hold up as well to my now adult mind as The Dark Crystal or The Princess Bride, especially the acting, but still, it's fun to watch. If you liked this as a kid, or are still a kid, I'd recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tony Kushner's prize-winning play Angels in America became thedefining theatrical event of the 1990s, an astonishing mix of philosophy,politics, and vibrant gay soap opera that summed up the Reagan era for anentire generation of theater-goers. Post-9/11 wouldseem to be too late for a film version--philosophy and politics don'talways age well--but this 2003 HBO adaptation, ably directed by Mike Nichols(The Graduate), provides a time capsule of the '80s and reveals thedeep emotional subcurrents that will give the play lasting power.

The story centers around Prior Walter(Justin Kirk) and Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman), a gay couple that fallsapart when Prior grows ill as a result of AIDS. But cancer is not the onlything invading Prior's life: He begins to have religious visions of anangel (Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility) announcing that he isa prophet. Louis, who doesn't cope well with disease and suggestions ofmortality, leaves and starts a relationship with Joe Pitt (PatrickWilson), a closeted Mormon who works for Roy Cohn (Al Pacino, Dog DayAfternoon)--the real-life right-wing lawyer, notorious for hisruthless behind-the-scenes machinations. Add in Joe's depressed andhallucinating wife Harper (Mary Louise Parker, Fried GreenTomatoes), his determined but open-minded mother Hannah (Meryl Streep,Adaptation), a fierce drag queen/nurse named Belize (JeffreyWright, Basquiat, reprising his celebrated performance from theBroadway production), and you've still only begun to discover the wealthof characters and storylines in Kushner's ambitious work.

Thepowerhouse cast (also featuring James Cromwell, Michael Gambon, and SimonCallow) is uniformly superb. The script has its weaknesses--some of thefantastic elements, including Prior's journey to Heaven towards the end,fall flat--but even what doesn't work is bristling with ideas and aferocious desire to capture human existence in this time and place.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A profound human dimension amid the politics and pain
A jaw-dropping film adaptation of Tony Kushner's epic, 5-hour play, which was a defining artistic statement documenting the political and social upheaval that AIDS-HIV disease brought to America's gay community and to the wider America around it. Mixing agitprop and camp with magical realism and utter, heart-rending, pathos, Kushner and director Mike Nichols bring the story to the screen in a big, big way, with all-around amazing performances by a perfectly cast ensemble. Al Pacino gets to chew up yards of scenery in his portrayal of the sleazy, venal, far-rightwing attorney Roy Cohn (who acted as Joe McCarthy's point man in the infamous 1950s prosecution of "atom spies" Julius and Ethel Rosenberg) and for once, all of Pacino's high-decibel yelling pays off with some real dramatic ooompf.

There are a lot of things that you could comment on in this play -- the exploration of Jewish-American assimilation, the powerful reaffirmation of a supposedly marginalized leftist perspective, etc. -- but the most profound insight Kushner has to offer is about who the real redeeming angels will have to be in our nation's coming cultural reconciliation. The humanity that he is able to impart into the character of the middle-American Mormon, Mother Pitt (played faultlessly by Meryl Streep), is a marvel of modern political drama: and it rings undeniably true. Pushing past our narrowly defined social and political "roles," and into our shared humanity, is the only road open to folks who want to see America's moral and ethical core liberated from the ideological intrusions of the religious far-right, and the resulting frustrated anger of the disenfranchised middle-liberal-left. In a strictly us-vs-them world view, Mother Pitt would be derided by those on the we're-here-we're-queer Left... but as many people have learned, particularly amid the devastating upheavals of the HIV crisis, our real emotional lives are (ideally) not ruled by dogma. Mother Pitt isn't just a caring parent, she's also a kind, pragmatic person, and for her, the most pragmatic choice when confronted with an epidemic, is to simply offer sympathy and solace. What could be more natural? Let's hope her example prevails.

The CITIZEN KANE of the Modern Era
My expectations were high when I learned that HBO was going to spend over $60 million on an adaptation of Tony Kushner's extraordinary 6-hour epic play, but I could nt have imagined that the resulting film would move to the top of my list of best films ever made in the United States - but that is precisely what Angels in America has done.

Streep and Pacino deliver the finest performances of their careers here (Streep in 4 roles!). Emma Thompson is radiant. And the performances of Jeffrey Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Justin Kirk and Ben Shenkman positively shine.

And the WRITING and DIRECTION! As close to Shakespearean as any American work I have ever read. And scenes that captivate in their composition and lighting, in their structure and their content. And a magical blending of profundity, humor, pathos, tragedy, and ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit over desperation and resignation. A musical score to match the high levels of word and vision.

In short, this film is nothing short of miraculous. All who worked on this masterpiece should be proud of their achievement. Angels in America stands as testimony to what the human mind can accomplish at its finest and most creative.

Simply the best movie I've seen in years....
HBO should've released this movie in movie theaters. I saw it at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco and it was a fantastic experience. Seeing it on TV is great, but.... Oh well, just enjoy! The acting, story, and filmography are amazing.

awesome
I started to watch the series using the on demand feature of our cable company and then it went away before I got to watch the whole thing. I can't wait to get the dvd so I can finish watching it and have it to watch again and again. Having been around when this was all going down makes this series really hit home. The acting is superb as are the special effects.

beyond wonderful
If they had released this movie in the theaters, there would not have been enough Academy awards to give to the writer, the director, and the wonderful cast. Who should get Best Actor? Al Pacino as the loathesome Roy Cohn or Justin Kirk as the dying Prior Walter? Who should get Best Actress? Meryl Streep as the practical, compassionate Mormon housewife, or Emma Thompson as the beautiful, terrifying angel? This series had me riveted to the TV set. I could not do anything but watch. Get this movie. You owe it to yourself to witness one of the major artistic events of the decade. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An epic in length and breadth, this documentary aims at nothing less than a full-scale portrait of the most dominant institution on the planet Earth in our lifetime--a phenomenon all the more remarkable, if not downright frightening, when you consider that the corporation as we know it has been around for only about 150 years. It used to be that corporations were, by definition, short-lived and finite in agenda. If a town needed a bridge built, a corporation was set up to finance and complete the project; when the bridge was an accomplished fact, the corporation ceased to be. Then came the 19th-century robber barons, and the courts were prevailed upon to define corporations not as get-the-job-done mechanisms but as persons under the 14th Amendment with full civil rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (i.e., power and profit)--ad infinitum.

The Corporation defines this endlessly mutating life-form in exhaustive detail, measuring the many ways it has not only come to dominate but to deform our reality. The movie performs a running psychoanalysis of this entity with the characteristics of a prototypical psychopath: a callous unconcern for the feelings and safety of others, an incapacity to experience guilt, an ingrained habit of lying for profit, etc. We are swept away on a demented odyssey through an altered cosmos, in which artificial chemicals are created for profit and incidentally contribute to a cancer epidemic; in which the folks who brought us Agent Orange devise a milk-increasing drug for a world in which there is already a glut of milk; in which an American computer company leased its systems to the Nazis--and serviced them on a monthly basis--so that the Holocaust could go forward as an orderly process.

The movie goes on too long, circles too many points obsessively and redundantly, and risks preaching-to-the-choir reductiveness by calling on the usual talking-head suspects--Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore. And except for an endlessly receding tracking shot in an infinite patents archive, there's scarcely an image worth recalling. Still, it maps the new reality. This is our world--welcome to it. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Review of the Corporation
Like the behemoths it chronicles, The Corporation is monstrous in scope, clocking in at nearly two and a half hours.While none of the footage seems dispendable, the documentary could certainly have used some tightening up.If it had remained comitted to its subject matter, the history and structure of the corporation, it would have been more effective.The most useful parts were in the begining of the film, which really made me look at history differently: we see how the post Civil War treatment of the Corporation as an individual, in one legal decision, was actually one of the hugest paradigm shifts of the modern age.However, The Corporation goes on to tackle every single aspect of globalized, late capitalist life: advertising, marketing, branding, intellectual property.There is plenty of scholarship on marketing and advertising out there, and while the segments here were well done, they made this documentary feel bloated and meandering.The argument, while devastating, loses its complexity as it moves along.The documentary begins with Corporations as monstrous structures that are not necesarily the sum of their parts.The most amazing footage is that of a CEO and his wife having their home surrounded by hippy protestors, only to bring them coffee and tea, and sit down to chat with them.This scene, in which consumer-citizens and corporate spokesmen form a genuine ecology, was pivotal and ultimately describes what corporate interface may have to become if they are to survive (or if we are to survive, for that matter), cut off from boardrooms, immersed in the environment of which they are a part.As the documetary progresses, however, the tone becomes one of Evil Empires and patholically insane citizens servicing institutions without understanding their actions.This may be partially true, but it leads to an argument for localized, community based consumer resistance, which may be less effective than corporation-based, intercommunity collaboration. The end of this documentary was a gnostic, transcendentalist veil lifting: we can fight the corporation, if we only take control of our Selves! Where it should have run a bit deeper than that:We ARE the corporation, and the survival, reformation or downfall of these structures relies on how we learn to treat one another.Additionally, blame on environmental destruction was placed squarely on the power of corporations, and not on the more guilty culprit: overpopulation.I believe it's possible to make corporations fiscally accountable for population growth, if only because it is in their immediate best interest.(The lower the population, the more money there is to go around.Every corporation on Earth would benefit from a population decrease in several generations' time.)Despite the overly broad approach, this is an absolutely neccesary documentary to view for anyone interested in corporations or the structures of late capitalism.

Excellent primer on corporate globalization
I saw this documentary twice in the theaters, and recently purchased a copy of the DVD from the film distributor's website, Zeitgeist Video, not Amazon.It's an excellent ethnography of corporations and their abuse of power in the U.S. and abroad.The film starts off with a history of corporate charters, and how they gained a definition of personhood through manipulation of the Supreme Court decision that freed slaves after the Civil War.And, as a person, the corporation can be diagnosed with a psychopathic personality disorder using the DSM-IV.A criticism that I have about the movie is that it doesn't deal with the fundamental problem with corporations: it's not corporations that's the problem, but the underlying economic system of capitalism.It's capitalism that causes corporations to look towards the global south to enslave cheap labor to make a profit.Capitalism that causes corporations to pollute the environment and spew toxins into the air.Capital interests that control the ruling ideology and prevent the voices of dissent from being heard.(The film shows two Fox reporters who were silenced for making a show about cow's milk laced with hormones produced by Monsanto.)The film stops short at pointing a finger at the real culprit for ecological destruction and global stratification today - capitalism.That being said, it's still a good primer on corporations, and I plan to use it in my intro sociology class for undergrads.It is a long movie, for other educators out there, at 145 minutes.The second disc of the movie has 5 hours of interviews with people from the film including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and the horrid Milton Friedman.And, the website for the film, TheCorporation.com, has a helpful instructor's guide.

Defamation DOES NOT equal credibility
This documentary is absolutely and categorically disgusting in every form of the word.This is a socialist onslaught against capitalist success and no one seems to care.Here's just an example of how radical and meritless this film is...it stretches to compare coporations with Nazi facism...its disgusting.Do not support the liberal lying media; boycot this crap.

Stunning Food for Thought, Whatever Your Politics
Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, and Joel Bakan have collaborated in THE CORPORATIONto produce a documentary version of Bakan's book of the same name (subtitled "The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power"). In doing so, they have outlined the legal history of corporations in America and compiled a litany of concerns over the increasingly unregulated and growing power of that institution.

There can be no doubt that THE CORPORATION takes a left of center view of American business, as witnessed by the film's featured "talking heads:" Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Howard Zinn, and Michael Moore. Viewers can argue over balance or the choice to "diagnose" the legal personhood of the corporate institution as pathological. Nevertheless, this movie raises important issues that deserve consideration regardless of the viewer's political leanings. When an organizational form accumulates as much power and influence as the corporation has, and when that institution is legally bound to consider first and foremost its profit maximization over all other factors, the consequences of disregard and lax regulation (and popular unawareness) may be dire indeed.

Achbar and Abbott begin with a brief history of corporations, noting that the origin of corporations' rights as "legal persons" arose out of judicial interpretations of the equal protections clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was written to end slavery. This interpretation granted corporations the rights of individuals, but overlooked many of the responsibilities and accountabilities of citizens. "Corporation as person" opens the door for Bakan's psychoanalysis, from which he deems the institution to qualify under DMS-IV as psychopathic.

THE CORPORATION is at its best and most revealing when it tells stories, such as the little-known plot to overthrow FDR in 1934 by a cabal of industrialists, including representatives of Bethlehem Steel, DuPont, Goodyear, and J.P. Morgan. Perhaps only the conscience of General Smedley Butler, the man approached by those industrialists to lead a 500,000-man, militarized march on Washington, prevented America from experiencing a military coup. Stories about GM, Ford, Coca-Cola and IBM under Hitler's regime are equally fascinating, and equally disturbing (did you know, for example, that Coke invented Fanta Orange to keep its German factories open in the 1930's?).

Three particular stories give THE CORPORATION its greatest impact and best serve to humanize the issues. The first concerns child labor in Asian sweatshops, particularly with regard to Kathy Lee Gifford's clothing line. The second story concerns the privatization of water in Cochabamba, Bolivia as a condition for that country's receipt of World Bank loans. Bechtel Corporation comes off as the bad guy here, particularly as a result of the extraordinary greed and hubris the company displayed in managing to make the collection of rainwater illegal in such a poor area. Finally, there is the story of Monsanto's rBGH bovine growth hormone, rejected throughout Europe and Canada for its cancer links but approved by the FDA. The story behind the story here is Fox News's blatantly coercive actions to suppress a report on rBGH compiled by its own staff from ever appearing on the air, presumably in order not to offend a major advertiser. Each of these three stories prove that "little people" can still be heroes - Charles Kernaghan (Director, National Labor Committee) in the first case, Oscar Olivera in the second, and Steve Wilson and Jane Akre in the Fox News story.

THE CORPORATION runs long (145 minutes) and can seem dry at times, but the story is too important to ignore. This movie is two and a half well-spent hours, and you will finish it with a lot to think about. The separate "Majority Report" interview of Joel Bakan by Janeane Garofolo provides a good summary and review of the many different topics covered by the full documentary. It would be nice to imagine NBC or even PBS airing this movie someday, just as it would be nice to imagine students at Harvard or Wharton business schools being required to view it in their coursework. Would that it were so. Hopefully, enough concerned citizens will watch it on their own to raise some consciouses.

Corporation - Politics, Economy, Society, and Logo Loyalty
The documentary Corporation provides an angry and dark image of the leading corporations of the world, and justly so.This image originates with the 14th Amendment, which the government generated in order to give the slaves the same freedoms as its owners.Somehow, similar corporations that exploited the slaves took the opportunity to maximize their powers through the very same document that helped slaves gain their freedom.Through the 14th Amendment, Corporations gained rights of individuals, yet without individual responsibilities for the actions of the corporation.

Cleverly, filmmakers Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar utilize the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), which psychological health professionals use to assess and diagnose mental disorders.The psychological profile of a corporation should be justifiable, if they intend to fall under the same category as an individual in a legal sense.Through the psychological profile of corporations, several deviant behaviors occur such as "failure of conforming to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest" (see pp. 649-650 in DSM-IV.) In the fi