Reviews (39)

A plotless mood piece, but very well done
To call a movie plotless sounds negative, but in the case of The Last Picture Show, there's so very little plot that it's barely worth speaking about. The film revolves around a number of characters, most notably two high school seniors. Duane is dating the "only beautiful girl in town" and Sonny is carrying on an affair with a married woman. Several other characters move in and out of view, notably the beauty's mother and the owner of the pool hall. The film carefully develops its dozen or so main characters and simply watches them as they move about the bleak-looking desert town. Further adding to the immersion is the fact that the soundtrack consists solely of early-50's country music heard through tinny radios in the background.

This film was quite controversial at the time of its release for its frank (and unglamorised) depictions of sex. Jacy sums up the attitude of sex for the teens when she tells her mother "I would never do that, it's a sin before marriage," but later tells a college boy "I'm a virgin, but I don't want to be." In a small town with little to do, sex is just a form of entertainment, while 1951 morals required that it be hidden from view.

This is a film that cares about its characters and allows them to inhabit the setting. The dialogue and events occur naturally, and at the end of the film, the only things that have really happened are Jacy losing her virginity, a funeral, and the high school football team gets some better linebackers. But because you care about the characters (and the performances are universally fantastic), you care about these events that are objectively small, but which are important to the characters.

This DVD is not of high quality. This may be deliberate - the film is supposed to have a hard-edged, bleak feel that might not be as effective if the film had been cleaned up for the DVD. There is an hour-long reminiscence on the making of the film, which is interesting to watch once. Director Bogdanovich gets the lion's share of time, but many cast members have their say as well. Overall, it's a decent DVD, but the VHS will contain the important part, which is the film itself, and likely of the same quality.

Stark Picture
Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show is an adaptation of a Larry McMurtry novel. Much like most of Mr. McMurty's work, the film is set in Texas. The time is the mid 50's and like many towns at the time, TV was sweeping the land and fewer people were going to the movies, so the only movie theater in town is shutting down. The picture isn't built around that, but more around that the idea of a loss of a more innocent time. The film centers around Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) whose best friend is Duane (Jeff Bridges). They were the captains of the high school football team, but they have since graduated. Sonny still wears the varsity jacket as a sign that he was once something big. He ends up having an affair with the football coaches plain wife. Cloris Leachman plays the wife and she brings a sadness to the role. Sonny helps her feel young and alive, but she can never be with him. Sonny ends up falling for Duane's girlfriend Jaycee (Cybil Shepard) and Duane leaves town. Sonny & Jaycee marry, but in the end everything breaks apart. Mr. Bogdanovich filmed the movie in black and white and town is stark and dusty and we feel a sense of loss. Ben Johnson appears a the all-knowing Lion and he and Ms. Leachman won the 1971 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor & actress respectively. The Last Picture Show is difficult and depressing, but brilliantly made.

plaudits for cinematography
This flick is overrated. But you've got to give the filmmakers credit for going with black- and- white, for shooting it in Texas (where the story takes place) and for not trying to squeeze in too many characters into the "plot."
The Chase, starring Marlon Brando, that also takes place in Texas, might have received all the praise heaped on the Last Picture Show flick had they gone the black -and- white route and stayed away from the Universal back lot.

Hud, also shot in Texas, was a better film than this. It seems to me, a good rule of thumb to doing pictures in Texas is to go with black-and-white photography. Don't know why, could be the automatic, built-in authenticity factor one gets with B & W. Color very often means Hollywood glitz, and doesn't seem to work well with this type of tale.

Anyway, it's not the worst flick ever made. Ben Johnson does a nice job, so does Ellen Burstyn. The latter two deserve four stars for their work here. Sybil Shephard was drop-dead gorgeous at the time.

1950's North Texas in Full Color
This film captures life in small town Texas vividly. It was shot in black and white but color film would not have changed the appearance one bit.

Some of the scenes were shot where I delivered newspapers as a kid. I thought I had been transported back in time when I first saw the film. The characters and dialog are magnificent and the situations reminiscent of life as it was then.

It is a beautiful and touching film, one to watch over and over.

Last Picture Show
An amazing movie. Frankly, I agree with the glowing reviews of the film and I have nothing to add to them. However, concerning the quality of the restoration to DVD I must say that it appears that the widescreen formatting was done incorrectly. If you compare the image of the film's opening with that in the documentary(disregarding the full frame), you will notice that the area below the steps of the moviehouse, in the documentary, reveals the begining of the street. In the film itself, this has been cut off. You can also compare the image of Cybill Shepherd on the back of the DVD cover that shows her feet as she steps out of her car. In the film, this is also cut off. ... Read more

Reviews (528)

Typical Big-Budget Fun Ride
Director Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow & The Patriot) became a popular name in big-budget summer movies with the successful 1996 blockbuster "Independence Day". Massive alien spaceships mysteriously enter the Earth's atmosphere and unleash a devastating assault on the world's major cities. Now, a small human resistance organizes a final stand against the powerful invaders. "Independence Day" is a 153 minutes of pure movie fun. Its simple plot and stereotypical characters are rather predictable but still quite enjoyable. Its amusing humor, intense battle sequences and outstanding special effects are this Sci-Fi film's true highlights. The all-star cast features Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Vivica A. Fox and Robert Loggia.

"Independence Day" Limited Edition is a worthy bargain DVD. Both theatrical and extended cuts are presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains an amazing picture quality with rich color detail and great resolution. The clear 5.1 Dolby Digital sound delivers some well balanced surrounds and awesome bass, but a DTS audio track should have been included in this new release. Among special features, it contains two audio commentaries by filmmakers and FX crew, and a sneak peak at Emmerich's FX epic "The Day After Tomorrow". Despite the lack of supplements, "Independence Day" receives a pleasant "B-".

There's always something...
This fulfills all of the expectations of a summer blockbuster;
things flying around, stuff blowing up, flag waving, etc etc

and yes it is escapist and all good fun

all good stuff (although a little over done, as others have
pointed out, with the flag waving bits -- but then given the
title, i think people must have known that before going in)

but it does fall foul of the usual fault of having one
supremely bad plot element. i'm referring to the odd idea that
the alien shields can be taken down by injecting a computer
virus (oh so easily). in this case, it is a cop out -- a cheap
way for the screenwriter to get from point A to point C without
bothering with B

a wise man once said never let the facts get in the way of a
good story. and a writer once said he never checks the technical
aspects of a screenplay (for the same reason)

the problem with this (and many films suffer a similar problem)
is that it pulls me right out of the film. the suspension of

disbelief of an action rah-rah film can take you to a certain
point, but it is easy to step over that line. the virus did it
for me in this one

any film that uses classic dialogue such as "this is real
life -- not a film" is almost guarenteed to suffer this sort
of problem

You didn't like this film? What are you anyway, a commie?
Normally I don't use reviews as a forum for sniping at other reviewers, but it would appear that Thomas B. Clark came as close as he could to calling me un-American because I didn't care for the jingoism that saturates this film. Well by golly, I guess it is now clear that this film must be a litmus test of the patriotism of all Americans. If you hate it, you must be some sort of com-symp pinko --- it's off to the Russkies with ya.

Incidentally --- I would have refrained from socio-political commentary if only you had also --- I would gently remind you that the Indian Air Force is reported to have done very well against the USAF in exercises conducted in February this year, so maybe the USA really isn't the only one who can get the job done. I'd be willing to bet that the Israeli Air Force, to name just one, might be able to hold its own as well. Of course, maybe I am just whining again.

The argument also seems to be that critics (in addition to being part of the 5th Column) cannot endure a film that engages in make-believe. You can't be serious. Just because a film requires the viewer to suspend belief doesn't necessarily mean it has to suck. I enjoyed "Hellboy," "Men in Black," and "Alien," for example. None of these is remotely believable, but they are well-crafted films with decent performances from their respective casts. Likewise, films packed with explosions & mayhem can also have compelling storylines & characters --- "Master & Commander," for example. I guess I am guilty of expecting the makers of a movie --- even one that is "just fun," should give us more for our money than some paint-by-numbers hack job.

And that is exactly what this movie is, Thomas B. Clark. Contrary to what you claim, I hardly did any nit-picking on all the plot holes in the story, although other reviewers have gone over this movie's silly inconsistencies with a fine-toothed comb. My main complaint was that with the disengaged acting, the cardboard-cutout characters, and the painfully predictable storyline, all the movie really could rely on is lots of special effects & nifty explosions, which really on works on the big screen. The commercial success of this turkey has only encouraged Hollywood to even greater FX excess, to the point that filmmakers seem to think that if they throw enough CGI and special effects at you, they are not responsible for also giving you a decently-crafted movie with a plot & characters and stuff like that.

Hey, it's your money. I spent $1.50 at the budget theatre watching this and I guess I broke even. I pity the people who blew 7 or 8 dollars for this, but again, spend it on what you want. I learned my lesson sooner rather than later. Being the anti-American creep that I am, I just purchased a nice bottle of the 2000 Canon-la-Gaffeliere, which is the equivalent of about 10 viewings of "ID4"-type films, and I think I got the better end of the deal.

AWESOME!!!!
I absolutely love this movie because it's so much action packed fun where vicious aliens from outer space unleash destruction upon the earth's human population and now they must fight back and destroy the aliens before they destroy humanity. This is just so much fun. The special effects are top notch and the acting is great! I really loved the way the spaceships looked like as opposed to looking like flying dinner plates. Go and buy this movie 2day!

Aliens Ate Our Brains!
What else would explain the hit this banal tripe was? ... Read more

Reviews (205)

Any Given Sunday
This was truly an excellent film. This movie is Oliver Stone's best since Platoon. The fast-moving and dizzying cinemaphotography fits the high adrenaline atmosphere of the professional football world well. The film is also perfectly cast. Pacino gives life to the head coach, and Cameron Diaz's clearly most intense role as the team's owner is believeable. James Woods gives an excellent performance as the team doctor, who doesn't really seem to care about anyone but himself. Jamie Foxx has a breakthrough dramatic role as the new hotshot quarterback, whose ritualistic vomiting adds humor to the movie. With his performance, we find out Foxx really can act. LL Cool J, also puts through a convincing performance as the team's running back. Dennis Quaid doesn't really do much as the former QB with injury problems except help to develop Pacino's character. An outstanding cast, that features Charlton Heston as the football comissioner, and Ann-Margaret as Cameron Diaz's alcoholic mother. Former pro football players Jim Brown and Lawrence Taylor pop up as members of the team. I recommend it highly. This is possibly the best sports movie ever made.

War games.
Oliver Stone's cinematic obsession with portrayting American culture as a Vietnam battleground continues with this exhausting study of their national sport.

Once again abandoning the traditional story-telling conventions in favour of flashy cutting, trippy camerawork and a barrage of electic musical snippets, this is a game of two halves. Although the hour or so of in-your-face American football footage is hypnotic, thrilling, scary and technically astounding, the off-field conflicts offer the same old tired sports cliches, albeit with big names and Stone's eccentric camerawork.

The first half hour of the film is almost a mini masterpiece. Sticking the audience smack in the middle of a ferocious game of American footbal, he brilliantly orchestrates frenetic, muddy, bloody, bone-crunching MTV visuals in a Natural Born Killers vein, and introduces the stressed protagonists. There's explosive coach Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), cynical owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz), dedicated star player 'Cap' Rooney (Dennis Quaid) and self-important star player to-be Willie Beaman (Jamie Foxx). When Rooney receives a major injury, Beaman is thrust into the spotlight and begins to show his potential. As his quarterback skills improve and the team seems destined for a play-off place, his arrogant disregard for the rest of the team causes majoy ructions. Meanwhile, Tony and Christina's major hate-hate relationship worsens.

There's a handful of other subplots too, which you could probably write yourself and the fine supporting cast - James Woods, Matthew Modine and Aaron Eckhart - are criminally underused. The behind-the-scenes drama is decently performed, but it seems so flat and pedestrian compared to the explosive games, that you find yourself willing on the next touchdown. Pacino is energetic as usual, even if he is in shouty auto-pilot, Foxx is almost Oscar-worthy in a memorable performance, and Diaz is pretty amazing, it is good to see the actress playing different roles, as her character, Christina Pagniacci is a cold-hearted bitchy business woman, and Diaz usally plays blonde sweet-hearts.

It would seem that the character-and-plot driven days of Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July are long gone for Oliver Stone. Pushing the technical envelope is an alright decision, but it is about time Stone varied his game a little.

About more than just the game
I'm not a football fan. In fact all I know about the game is that there is a ball that must be moved from one end of a rectangular field to the other. Stone decided to draw parallels between this modern game and the gladiators in Ancient Rome. The suggestions were anything but subtle, what with the grunting, clashing sounds, the numerous shots of Ben Hur and the actual references in the film you couldn't help but notice.

Although this movie is ostensibly about football, I came away from it learning a bit more about life. The movie is about an old coach (Al Pacino) whose love of the game has blinded him to life's real pleasures, an injured QB (Quaid) who is easily manipulated by others to continue playing even if it is detrimental to his health. The daughter (Diaz) of a dead football 'baron', who seeks to fulfill her father's lost hope for a son, and a rising star (Foxx) who is blind to everything but his own gratification. From these cast of characters Stone creates drama.

This movie is exciting even for those, like me, who aren't too interested in football. The game scenes seem more like gladiatorial battles than actual football games, and you are left wondering if we have really changed from those Romans thousands of years ago, the way 'we' love these slugfests.

As some earlier reviewers mentioned, Stone appears to be slightly biased in his portrayal of the management of these teams. They are definitely out to make money, but I doubt they are as ruthless as they were made out to be. He should have had some perspective in this movie so as not to make it seem like the management were the 'baddies' and the players hapless pawns.

Overall, this was a great movie. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes drama. For those with kids, you might want to watch it beforehand as it has some sexual scenes, nudity and quite a lot of obscene language.

Not quite there, but entertaining.
In Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday, the audience gets hit by cliches as fast and as hard as the fictional Miami Sharks' quarterbacks get hit by other players during the film's opening game. The audience also get hit hard by the (overly) kinetic editing, both of the film and of the mish-mash adrenaline pumper of a soundtrack, featuring an assortment of rock, rap, and techno beats. Stone and co-writer John Logan push (overly) to get us to buy into their vision of the NFL as a modern gladiatorial arena, and frankly, it doesn't always work; Logan would later get his gladiator fix by co-writing Ridley Scott's crowd-pleaser, well, Gladiator. Still, Logan and Stone manage to score some points with their (overly) broad script which tries to give us an all-encompassing view of modern professional football. Inevitably, it proves too much, and the writing just proves too wide in scope to create a balanced and clear film, though it does have its shining moments, such as when Coach D'Amato (Al Pacino) has comments on the (overly) commercial persona the NFL has adopted, or when Cameron Diaz's character's mother describes the "tragedy" that is her daughter.

Pacino, completely at ease in an Stone flick, gives his first real performance in a long time. Both in his in-game frenzy and in his drunken, sadder scenes, Pacino delivers the goods. Comedian Jamie Foxx also turns in a winning dramatic performance as the rookie quarterback. Come to think of it, the whole cast is stellar and all perform well. Stone seems to bring out strong, almost flamboyant, performances in his actors, and in Oliver Stone films, that's very appropriate. However, the MTV-inspired soundtrack and cinematography detract from the serious delivery of some of the film's concepts. At times, the film seemed more an extended music video than anything else.

Any Given Sunday is a rough movie, both in terms production and in content. The film, despite its lengthy runtime, still feels like it left much of its ideas unsaid; the script just tries too cover simply too many characters and concepts, leaving many of the key players in a somewhat shallow and cardboard like state. Still, Any Given Sunday is an entertaining movie, and fans of football, Oliver Stone, and movies overloaded with dizzying amounts of music and testosterone will no doubt be pleased by the time the credits roll.

MOST REALISTIC SPORTS MOVIE EVER
Among Oliver Stone's work includes "Any Given Sunday" (1999), as good and realistic a sports movie as has ever been made. It features an over-the-top performance by Al Pacino as a veteran pro football coach who can still motivate his over-paid, over-sexed, over-drugged, slightly thuggish, mostly black (except for a few White Aryan Brotherhood linemen) mercenaries with a speech that sends Knute Rockne to the bench.
He reportedly is working on the story of the 1934 Republican industrialists who recruited Marine hero Smedley Butler to overthrow Franklin Roosevelt, which was the genesis of "Seven Days in May". We are still waiting for Tinsel Town to take on Kennedy stealing the 1960 election. It could be a long wait. If any producers are reading this, I am offering my services at the Writers Guild minimum. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Wonderfully GREAT MOVIE!!
I FIRST SAW THIS MOVIE ABOUT 10 YRS AGO AND LOVED IT.
I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT PURCHASING IT UNTIL NOW.
IM SO MAD AT MYSELF FOR NOT PURCHASING IT 4 YEARS AGO
WHEN IT WAS AVAILABLE ON DVD. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE GREAT
HORROR MOVIE CLASSICS LIKE, OMEN , EXORSIST , AND EVIL
DEAD. IT IS A MUST HAVE FOR A HORROR MOVIE FANATIC SUCH AS
MYSELF. I NEVER SAW PARTS 2 AND 3 BUT I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH
PART ONE I PLAN ON PURCHASING THEM BOTH SHOULD THEY COME OUT
ON DVD.

"Run Judy Run!" "See Judy Run!"
Underated B Horror

This is a pretty funny and surprisingly solid B Horror Film. The story is by the numbers, and the acting by now seems a bit dated, but when the fun starts in the house, the film takes a creepy turn.

A group of kids hang out at the abandoned Hull House on Halloween night. Hull House is a house possessed, so the demons that inhabit it are pure evil. They kids have their party until someone decides to play around and summon the demons. And one by one they begin getting posessed by a demonic forces.

It's up to Judy to out live, and out last her demonic attackers.
Amelia Kinkade plays Angela. Watch for her creepy dance sequence. It's pretty memorable and what happens right after elevates Amelia's character, Angela from B Movie character to a horror powerhouse like Freddy and Jason. But unfortunately the 2 sequels that followed are inferior and wound up botching her character. Linnea Quigley does something very interesting with a tube of lipstick. And the gore effects are pretty cool.

It's a solid film that is finally getting the DVD release it deserves. If you are a horror fan you'll be happy to own this little known film. It brings back memories of the golden days, when horror had it's own full fledged section in video stores with hundreds of titles to choose from.

SCARY AS HELL
I AM SO GLAD THIS IS COMING TO DVD. i HAVE WAITED FOR SO LONG. THIS MOVIE IS SCARY AS HELL. TRUST ME. I HOPE IT HAS SOME GREAT EXTRAS TO BACK IT UP.

Night of the demons
Man, im so glad i remembered to do a search for this movie, i already have a sub standard midnite movies release of this film on DVD but the picture transfer is really disappointing as this is a class horror movie from the 80's, fit birds, stupid guys, and some good special fx make this film a cut above the other films of this type. go buy it on anchor bay, i doubt you'll be disappointed.However stay away from part 2, it is absolutely terrible, whilst part 3 tries to be like the original, but doesnt come close.

A True Horror Classic!!!!
I can't say enough good about this movie. Not to be missed. A little cheesy in places but well worth the money. I remember it very fondly and watch it every Halloween. Also has great original songs and the music has finally been released. I am so glad this has finally come to DVD. A MUST HAVE!!!

MikeD. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Great movie, really, but...
Ok, the first time I saw this film was in the 93 or something like that and I thought it was an ok movie but nothing else... then in the 2000 I was in my home and remembered of that movie I saw one day, so I started to look into the tapes collection in my home 'til I found it, played it and actually saw the film carefully. All I can say is that Anthony Quinn played on of the most emotional roles of his career on this one; al the same time, Mrs. Stowe and Kevin Costner gives us on this movie two excellents pieces of acting, 'cause the deep and the honestly on the characters it's the best, it seems like they were actually in love and tryind desperately to find each other.
The only bad thing it's that some scenes are too much slow, it's like the movie begin actually when Tibey (Quinn's character) do his revenge against Costner and Stowe. But, the bottom line is that this movie it's really worth seeing, and don't deserves all the BS that critics told about it.
Give the movie a chance, you'll find satisfied with it at the end.

The last five minutes are the best
Unlike most of Kevin Costner's other movies, Revenge demonstrates that he can truly touch audiences with authentic emotional output. The final five minutes of this movie are so genuinely real, so demonstrative of redemption and despair, that one wonders why Costner can't reproduce this in some of his other movies. Maybe it's the musical score (which, depressingly, was never made into a soundtrack). Perhaps it's Stowe's final "I love you," or perhaps it's the look on Costner's face while he holds her lifeless body in his arms. All I know is, I've rarely beheld such an emotional scene in any other movie. Yes, the movie is violent. But the violence is not senseless. It has purpose, and demonstrates the danger of crossing the barriers of fidelity.

One other scene stands out in my mind. When Costner and Stowe try to make lemonade in his bungalow, the sexual tension is unbelievably real.

One of my all-time favorite movies.

Noctem's review plagiarizes Roger Ebert
The "spotlight review" of the DVD of the movie "Revenge" by reviewer "Noctem" makes liberal use of professional critic Roger Ebert's review of the same film, going so far as to co-opt an entire paragraph unchanged, as follows:

Ebert's review can be viewed at the Chicago Sun-Times website.

By "Noctem" (paragraph 1)
Anthony Quinn is a powerful, brutal millionaire who rules his own private empire. He's surrounded by henchmen, but he lowers his guard to allow a friend into his inner circle - a former Navy pilot (Kevin Costner) who once saved his life on a hunting trip. Costner knows that Quinn has an unsavory reputation, but he doesn't plan to get involved in Quinn's business. He's only on vacation. That's before he sees Quinn's young wife, played by the *beautiful* Madeleine Stowe. Costner and Stowe fall in love at first sight, while Costner makes himself at home in Quinn's sprawling hacienda and goes on a hunting trip with him

By Roger Ebert (paragraph 3-4)

"Revenge" is set mostly in today's Mexico, where Anthony Quinn is a powerful, brutal millionaire who rules his own private empire. He's surrounded by killers and henchmen, but he lowers his guard to allow a friend into his inner circle - a former Navy pilot (Kevin Costner) who once saved his life on a hunting trip. Costner knows that Quinn has an unsavory reputation, but he doesn't plan to get involved in Quinn's business. He's only on vacation."

That's before he sees Quinn's young wife, played by the beautiful Madeleine Stowe, first seen in a voyeuristic camera shot that starts at her ankles and climbs hand over hand up every wrinkle of her dress. Costner and Stowe fall in love at first sight, while Costner makes himself at home in Quinn's sprawling hacienda and goes on a hunting trip with him."

How monumentally lame.

Fairly solid action/revenge film
Revenge is exactly what it's title implies, and like the act the film is named after, it certainly isn't pretty. Kevin Costner plays a US Navy pilot who is the friend of an extremely wealthy Mexican millionaire (Anthony Quinn). While staying at Quinn's, Costner ends up having an affair with Quinn's wife (Madeline Stowe) and soon (naturally) Quinn finds out and seeks retribution by having Costner beaten and left for dead, and Stowe tortured and made into a junkie prostitute. Sounds like a movie for the whole family eh? Director Tony Scott (The Hunger, Top Gun) shows us all the gritty detail that he is known for, and like I said earlier, Revenge is not a pretty film. It is very violent (almost over the top like Scott's next film True Romance) and sometimes hard to watch, but besides all that Revenge is a fairly solid action film with a standout performance from the late Anthony Quinn. All in all, action fans or fans of Kevin Costner (hello? anybody?) should give this a look.

Opinion on Revenge
This is one of my favorite Kostner movies. It is a grisly tale, but interesting and suspenseful. It contains Kostner's hottest love scenes to date (I haven't seen Open Range yet).
The weakness of this movie is the directing...very uneven. But it didn't spoil the movie for me. It is great. A friend of mine said when she saw it that it made her want to go out and buy a jeep. Those who have seen it will understand. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jack Slater is an action-film hero played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. An old projectionist (Robert Prosky) hands a magic movie ticket to Jack's biggest preteen fan (Austin O'Brien), and the kid steps right inside the latest Jack Slater film, becoming the actor star's sidekick in gunfights and car chases. But when Jack's nemesis (Charles Dance) gets his hands on the ticket, the fight busts out into the real world and Jack (à la Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear) refuses to believe he's a fictional character. Director John McTiernan churns some nifty scenes out of this setup, although the fiction-to-reality shuffle is not as deft as in, say, Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo, and the plot needs the kind of logic and discipline found in that classic when-worlds-collide film Back to the Future. Still, Schwarzenegger has moments of wit and smashing action, and we get a faux-movie trailer advertising an intriguing new shoot-'em-up: "Something's rotten in the State of Denmark--and Hamlet is taking out the trash!" ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Super fun action/fantasy...
If there was ever any movie that celebrated Arnold Schwarzenegger movies it's "Last Action Hero." Actually, this film celebrates action movies in general. Directed by action legend John McTiernan (Hunt for Red October, Die Hard), this fantasy film about a kid named Danny who goes inside a Schwarzenegger film is loaded with nonstop action, some good laughs, and tons of cameo appearences, including: Ian McKellan, Robert Patrick, Tina Turner, Chevy Chase, Jim Belushi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Little Richard, and Danny DeVito as an animated cat! This film brings in loads of fun, and the casting of Charles Dance as the villain is genius. Sure, this film isn't perfect, but if you're an Arnold fan it's plenty fun. Sometimes, the movie even works as a spoof of action, like in the car chase scene where literally every single car explodes. This film really isn't as bad as people make it out to be. It's actually one of my favorite Arnold films. I'd recommend this film to the child-at-heart; to the people who never really grew up. It's fun for the kid in all of us.

Underrated Schwarzenegger romp
After his monumental success with Terminator 2, Arnold Schwarzenegger re-united with his Predator director John McTiernan for this action/fantasy farce. The storyline concerns a young boy (Austin O'Brien) who comes across a magic movie ticket which allows Jack Slater (Schwarzenegger), a movie character who is played by Arnie, to leave his film world and come to the real world. Get all that? Good. Schwarzenegger (who also served as executive producer) is great as he pokes fun at his action roles, his career, and himself. The cast is sharp (including Charles Dance, Mercedes Ruehl, Tom Noonan, Bridgette Wilson, and Ian McKellan) with plenty of cameos (including Jean Claude Van Damme, Sharon Stone, Tina Turner, Robert Patrick, and Arnie's wife Maria Shriver) and the action is nicely directed, but Last Action Hero comes close to wearing out it's welcome thanks to it's overly long running time and anti-climatic ending. Last Action Hero wasn't too well received by critics upon it's release, but it still stands as a fun Arnie romp.

Great under-appreciated movie, but gets a little too absurd.
You've probably read this film's plot description already, but let me sumerize it briefly just to comment on it: Austin O'Brian is a huge Swartzenagger fan. Arnie's latest films (acording to this film,) are the Jack Slater movies, which (presumably) came out right after Terminator 2. Danny idolizes the character Jack Slater, a fictional L.A. cop, in the same way that so many of us idolized Han Solo. Then one day Danny's personal friend Mick, an elderly theater projectionist, gives him a magic ticket that was given to him by Houdini, just before Danny gets to watch the latest Slater film all by himself, before anyone eles does. (Jack Slater 4). Danny watches as the film introduces the two bad guys, who've kidnapped Slaters cousin Frank. The scene shifts to two nameless cops (who of course are sure-fire dead meat) who come to Frank's house after getting a false call about a drug deal. Slater arrives and wonders why they're here, he goes in and finds Frank tied to a chair, Frank gives Slater one last message before dying, Slater sees a note that turns out to be a count down and gets out just before the house blows up, the two red shirt cops...well, need I even say? A car full of dynomite-weilding bad guys drive up, Slater gets in his car and the chase is on! Then something strange happens. A stick of dynomite comes out of the screen and lands in the theater! It blows up, and Danny finds himself in Slater's car, now a character in the film!

I couldn't understand why so many critics and audiences hated this. Naturally I was upset when it bombed in the theatre. It was the most origonal film to come along in quite some time. I mean, really, who hasn't fantasized about being able to actually go into the world of their favorite movie or T.V. show and interact with the characters? Thankfully I see most people on Amazon have given this between four and five stars, so I'm not alone. I loved the action, the humor, (which is basically making fun of typical action films and just how absurd they are, even the ones that are meant to be taken seriously) and the one-liners.

O.K., here's one thing I _didn't_ like: the animated cat. I mean, what the @#&%?! The film works when it spoofs typical action films and ridiculous they are, but not when it goes all the way into the realm of farce and becomes something like Airplane! or Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Everything eles was fine, but the cartoon cat...well, when's the last time you saw a conventional action film with living cartoon characters? Really, what were they thinking?

Also, there was the bit where (POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING) we learn about half way through the film that Slater's son Andy was killed. This presumably happened at the end of Jack Slater 3. So Jack Slater 3, it would seem, ends with Slater shooting the Ripper (the bad guy from the last moive), and then the Ripper pulls Andy over with him. Would a typical Hollywood light-hearted action escapest film really have such a dark ending? Well, then again, I guess Lethal Weapon 2 had a simular ending.

Anyway, don't listen to anyone who's told you not to see this. This is not another dumb action movie, this is a film pokeing fun at dumb action films (including some of the ones Swartzenagger's made). Check it out for yourself.

"I'm the famous comedian Arnold Braunschweiger."
After MUCH deliberation, this was deemed an appropriate DVD to watch - after turning down all my other suggestions. And it turned out to be quite good!

This was filmed before Austin O'Brien became truly cringeworthy, with a god-awful haircut in My Girl 2. He's exactly the same here, and there were times I wanted to take a pair of scissors to his hair! (I've just seen a more recent photo, and he looks totally different!)

Last Action Hero has an almost Willy Wonka quality to it. There was a golden ticket that Charlie Bucket had to find and Danny Mannigan also had to find one - or actually got handed it. I was so waiting for Oompa Loompa's to come out! Now that would have been cool.

The whole story climaxes in Arnie being brought out of the movie, and getting to see the 'real' world, which is a very interesting concept, as it could be seen as we're not the ones in control. (I totally believe that) So his whole life was one big lie, and controlled by someone else - not the big man upstairs, but a film director. Arnie basically takes the p*ss out of his whole on screen persona in this, including lots of his trademark sayings, including: "I'll be back!", "Trust me" and "Do it". There's also a very funny scene where Jack Slater meets Arnold Schwarzeneggar - make sense of that!

Also look out for a whole host of cameos in this movie - ones which are easy, to spot, some which aren't! Some of these include: Chevy Chase, MC Hammer, Sharon Stone, Little Richard, Maria Shriver, Robert Patrick, and Jean-Claude Van Damme!

There are some great lines in this. Some of these are:
Danny Madigan: You think you are funny, don't you?
Jack Slater: I know I am. I'm the famous comedian Arnold Braunschweiger.
Danny Madigan: Schwarzenegger!
Jack Slater: Gesundheit.

Jack Slater: Kid! Who does the doctor treat?
Danny Madigan: Patients?
Jack Slater: Look at the elbow of my jacket. What is it doing?
Danny Madigan: Wearing thin?
Jack Slater: Bingo!

Benedict: Gentlemen. Since you are about to die anyway, I may as well tell you the entire plot. Think of villains Jack. You want Dracula? Dra-cool-la? Hang on
[takes out the ticket]
Benedict: , I'll fetch him. Dracula? Huh. I can get King Kong! We'll have a nightmare with Freddy Krueger, have a surprize party for Adolf Hitler, Hannibal Lecter can do the catering, and then we'll have christening for Rosemary's Baby! All I have to do is snap my fingers and they'll be here. They're lining up to get here, and do you know why Jack? Should I tell you why? Hmm? Because here, in this world, the bad guys can win!

So if you're not keen on Austin O'Brien, see how many celebrities you can spot, and how much Arnie acts up in this movie! It's so funny!

The governator slams congress in this one!
Overall, this movie should've been about 30 minutes shorter. Other than that, in my opinion, it's probably the best Arnold flick made. Two moments in this movie are absolutely hilarious. One being his very burning remark about congress being crooks, and the other is when the 'movie' Arnold meets the 'real-life' Arnold and tells him " I don't really like you, you've caused me too much pain." That is the ultimate in comedic irony. Of course, my delivery is too dry. Arnold carries that one off beautifully. This movie was everything it was meant to be. Fast, fun, and full of dry and dark humor. Very good movie..... ... Read more

Reviews (528)

Typical Big-Budget Fun Ride
Director Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow & The Patriot) became a popular name in big-budget summer movies with the successful 1996 blockbuster "Independence Day". Massive alien spaceships mysteriously enter the Earth's atmosphere and unleash a devastating assault on the world's major cities. Now, a small human resistance organizes a final stand against the powerful invaders. "Independence Day" is a 153 minutes of pure movie fun. Its simple plot and stereotypical characters are rather predictable but still quite enjoyable. Its amusing humor, intense battle sequences and outstanding special effects are this Sci-Fi film's true highlights. The all-star cast features Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Vivica A. Fox and Robert Loggia.

"Independence Day" Limited Edition is a worthy bargain DVD. Both theatrical and extended cuts are presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains an amazing picture quality with rich color detail and great resolution. The clear 5.1 Dolby Digital sound delivers some well balanced surrounds and awesome bass, but a DTS audio track should have been included in this new release. Among special features, it contains two audio commentaries by filmmakers and FX crew, and a sneak peak at Emmerich's FX epic "The Day After Tomorrow". Despite the lack of supplements, "Independence Day" receives a pleasant "B-".

There's always something...
This fulfills all of the expectations of a summer blockbuster;
things flying around, stuff blowing up, flag waving, etc etc

and yes it is escapist and all good fun

all good stuff (although a little over done, as others have
pointed out, with the flag waving bits -- but then given the
title, i think people must have known that before going in)

but it does fall foul of the usual fault of having one
supremely bad plot element. i'm referring to the odd idea that
the alien shields can be taken down by injecting a computer
virus (oh so easily). in this case, it is a cop out -- a cheap
way for the screenwriter to get from point A to point C without
bothering with B

a wise man once said never let the facts get in the way of a
good story. and a writer once said he never checks the technical
aspects of a screenplay (for the same reason)

the problem with this (and many films suffer a similar problem)
is that it pulls me right out of the film. the suspension of

disbelief of an action rah-rah film can take you to a certain
point, but it is easy to step over that line. the virus did it
for me in this one

any film that uses classic dialogue such as "this is real
life -- not a film" is almost guarenteed to suffer this sort
of problem

You didn't like this film? What are you anyway, a commie?
Normally I don't use reviews as a forum for sniping at other reviewers, but it would appear that Thomas B. Clark came as close as he could to calling me un-American because I didn't care for the jingoism that saturates this film. Well by golly, I guess it is now clear that this film must be a litmus test of the patriotism of all Americans. If you hate it, you must be some sort of com-symp pinko --- it's off to the Russkies with ya.

Incidentally --- I would have refrained from socio-political commentary if only you had also --- I would gently remind you that the Indian Air Force is reported to have done very well against the USAF in exercises conducted in February this year, so maybe the USA really isn't the only one who can get the job done. I'd be willing to bet that the Israeli Air Force, to name just one, might be able to hold its own as well. Of course, maybe I am just whining again.

The argument also seems to be that critics (in addition to being part of the 5th Column) cannot endure a film that engages in make-believe. You can't be serious. Just because a film requires the viewer to suspend belief doesn't necessarily mean it has to suck. I enjoyed "Hellboy," "Men in Black," and "Alien," for example. None of these is remotely believable, but they are well-crafted films with decent performances from their respective casts. Likewise, films packed with explosions & mayhem can also have compelling storylines & characters --- "Master & Commander," for example. I guess I am guilty of expecting the makers of a movie --- even one that is "just fun," should give us more for our money than some paint-by-numbers hack job.

And that is exactly what this movie is, Thomas B. Clark. Contrary to what you claim, I hardly did any nit-picking on all the plot holes in the story, although other reviewers have gone over this movie's silly inconsistencies with a fine-toothed comb. My main complaint was that with the disengaged acting, the cardboard-cutout characters, and the painfully predictable storyline, all the movie really could rely on is lots of special effects & nifty explosions, which really on works on the big screen. The commercial success of this turkey has only encouraged Hollywood to even greater FX excess, to the point that filmmakers seem to think that if they throw enough CGI and special effects at you, they are not responsible for also giving you a decently-crafted movie with a plot & characters and stuff like that.

Hey, it's your money. I spent $1.50 at the budget theatre watching this and I guess I broke even. I pity the people who blew 7 or 8 dollars for this, but again, spend it on what you want. I learned my lesson sooner rather than later. Being the anti-American creep that I am, I just purchased a nice bottle of the 2000 Canon-la-Gaffeliere, which is the equivalent of about 10 viewings of "ID4"-type films, and I think I got the better end of the deal.

AWESOME!!!!
I absolutely love this movie because it's so much action packed fun where vicious aliens from outer space unleash destruction upon the earth's human population and now they must fight back and destroy the aliens before they destroy humanity. This is just so much fun. The special effects are top notch and the acting is great! I really loved the way the spaceships looked like as opposed to looking like flying dinner plates. Go and buy this movie 2day!

Aliens Ate Our Brains!
What else would explain the hit this banal tripe was? ... Read more

Reviews (54)

A movie that seemed to have a script
UNDERCOVER BLUES was a movie that seemed to have a script; flawed script as it was. I bought this movie to watch the likes of Bacalique Kathleen Turner and that movie star, Quaid. I saw them--with a baby to tend-- try to stage a spy-comedy story, but strangely the outcome reminded me of 101 Dalmations. REALLY! Lucky for an audience was this comic character, Stanley Tucci, who stole the show. Otherwise, Turner and Quaid--CIA Undercover--were too, too suave for spy characters. Their James Bond quip comedy lines just didn't work. Here is another movie that couldn't make up its' mind: is it a comedy, drama, suspense, mystery, n'importe quoi kind of story. Nevertheless, for all of its' flaws, UNDERCOVER moves along and keeps your attention. You are going to laugh somewhere along the line. And keep your eye out for Cruella. She's there with her sort of funny bad guys.

Undercover Excellence
I have rented this movie on more than one occassion and have loved it every time. I am fixing to buy my own copy from Amazon within the hour. I would definitely have this film on the top of my list of recommended movies. It's funny, romantic, full of good ol' fashioned action, and it's something anybody can watch. There's really only one word of profanity in the entire movie. The cast is incredible and I don't think you could find that kind of chemistry in just any movie. Quaid and Turner are fantastic together, and Tucci makes the most of a character that most people would blow off. I don't think the original critic watched the same movie I'm praising (the couple has an 11 month old girl, not a one year old boy, for clarification). Definitely one of the best and one of my absolute favorites!

I Got a Right to Sing the Blues
I love this movie, and it is with great reluctance that I'm rating the DVD with fewer than five stars. However, it seems that little work was done digitally mastering the film: there's a lot of grain and artifacting on the DVD (to be fair, the VHS doesn't look great either, but the blur of the tape reduces the grain in the image; on the DVD you get nice, crisp speckles and blotches). Basically this is a 5-star movie with 2-star production values, split the difference and round up, you get four stars.

The plot provides a so-so post-Cold War backdrop for the actors to do their thing. There hasn't been such a breezy, fun-loving, crime-fighting couple since Nick and Nora Charles. Dennis Quaid's dazzling smile and cheeky attitude brighten up the film, and Kathleen Turner provides a street- and book-smart turn as the brains of the operation. Add in Larry Miller's supporting role as the lisping, soft-spoken Detective Sgt. Halsey (that'th eth-ee-why, not eth-why), Stanley Tucci's shrieking tough guy, Muerte, and Fiona Shaw's devilish Paulina Novacek and you've got ninety minutes of comedic gold.

Unfortunately, along with the straight-from-video transfer, no expense was spent in providing extras on the DVD. There are a handful of trailers and that's about it. The menu screens look good, but if you go to a restaurant and the best thing you can say about it is "nice menus," odds are you won't be eating there very often. That's a shame really, because this is a good movie that's getting a raw deal from poor packaging and a lousy transfer.

If a remastered version of this disc comes out - with or without all the bells and whistles in the bonus department - swoop on it without delay. In the meantime, VHS is actually your best bet: the film's flaws aren't as noticeable and you've been making allowances for such things for years now anyway.

glad it's finally on DVD!
Wow, this is one of my favorite funny movies, no matter what the critics say!! It's obvious that other viewers feel the same. I've watched it many times since the first time I saw it 9 years ago, and always laugh 'till my sides hurt. The way Turner and Quaid interact is great, and I love the people they meet throughout the movie (such as Morty I mean Muerte). The music is great, and I like the New Orleans scenery.

I'm always quoting these lines:
"That's funny"
"Funny ha-ha or funny strange?"

Buy it and enjoy!!

I love this film. Stanley Tucci plays a great loser!
I happened across this film on a cable network that will remain anonymous. I saw that Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid were in it, and it was a comedy, so I watched it. All I can say is....I laughed my butt off! I was shocked because I had never heard of this film. It must have been made and send directly to video, although that's no indication of it's quality.

"My name...is Muerte!" The supposedly streetwise thug played by Tucci says when he mugs his victims. Morty, as Quaid calls him, meets his match when he meets ex-CIA, ex-FBI agent Jeff (played by Quaid).

On vacation after the birth of their first child, Quaid and Turner go to New Orleans to enjoy some good food and music, but end up getting pulled back into service of the government when a terrorist organization is trying to buy up a lot of an experimental high explosive.

The action is good, and the comedy even better. There is no adult humor in this film, so it's suitable for even younger children, although the fight scenes might be a bit much for very young kids.

If you like any of the actors in this film, or just like comedy, you should pick this up, it's one of the best comedies out there. ... Read more

Description

Adventure, drama and romance of an outlaw ship and the = people aboard her. Based on Andrew Geer's novel. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A rather strange role for the Duke, but a great fim!
I just recently stumbled onto this movie while searching through Amazon for war movies, and hesitated getting it because I had never heard of it before. Though available through Amazon channels on VHS, it wasn't the easiest to obtain.I finally got it on VHS though, and immediately found it to be a great little movie.It is now, of course, available on DVD, thankfully.

As my title suggests, and other reviewers have already noted, this is a strange role for the Duke. It is hard to imagine him as anything but an all-American hero. That being said, he put in a performance equal to any he has done before or after this movie. The beautiful Lana Turner added a valuable dimension to the film, and I was amazed at the number of familiar faces in the picture. As the movie was made in 1955, some of the more familiar faces were just getting started, and have become familiar to us after seeing them in many other films or on TV. Tab Hunter, Alan Hale, Jr (Skipper on Gilligan's Island), James Arness (Gunsmoke) are just a few. You'll be surprised at how many others you will recognize.

The story is a simple one. John Wayne has been demoted to a tramp steamer after, what must have been, an honorable career in the German Navy. He "earned" this demotion after making his opposition to the Nazis common knowledge. Even though he has no use for Hitler and crew, he is a German nationalist through and through. His aging ship is docked in Australia as the invasion of Poland by Hitler and the Nazis begins, bringing England and, of course, Australia to war with Germany. He has two choices--either being interned in Australia, along with his crew, or making a run for home. The title tells you what choice he makes. Lana Turner is a German agent "engaged" to a British Naval officer. This officer happens to be an old friend of Wayne's from a previous life. One thing leads to another, and she ends up with Wayne when he leads his ship in a breakout. Her "ex" becomes a lead officer in the chase across the seas, and the plot thickens from here on. Confused? Not if you see the movie. The ending is a bit unusual and unexpected, at least to me, although you sense something similar has to happen. I won't give it away, but getting to the end is suspensful and entertaining.

The Duke is every bit the true to form hero in this movie, German or not. As others have mentioned, there is no attempt at accents by any, other than the Aussies, and that makes it difficult to see any of them as Germans, especially without the stereotypical Nazi uniforms and insignia.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the movie, and am happy to recommend it and add it to my collection. I am very happy to see it come out on DVD, since it was getting more difficult to find on it VHS. If you have a chance to see it--do. If you collect war genre movies, as I do, it is a valuable addition to any collection.
One of John Wayne's better movies even though it is, perhaps, not as well known.

Epic World War II Intrigue

It's almost axiomatic that whatever movie John Wayne was part of could be given several stars, but this one is so atypical to his roles that it is seems unusual that he would choose it.

Recently I saw the movie on AMC, not having watched the movie in many years. Recently too, I became aware that the DVD had been issued. Having a good impression of the movie after seeing it on AMC, I purchased the DVD.

I prefer John Wayne in westerns, and am most familiar and comfortable with the 'saddle em up & move em out' roles, that it takes a bit of role switching to see him as a World War II German freighter captain. But John Wayne was so adaptable in his acting abilities that it comes across just fine; and with Lana Turner, an oft-times underrated actress, his performance gets only better.

If you like a World War II action adventure based on fact, intertwined with human interest, this is a very good DVD to add to your collection.

Recommended.

Great Sea Adventure
Even though John Wayne plays a German sea Captain during WWII this film is concerned more with adventure than politics and that's what makes it work. The stereo sound is outstanding. There are many character actors throughout this movie. It's a good one.

Karl Ehrlich just wants to go home
This story is told secondhand by Cmd. Jeff Napier as he recalls it. So it is one long flashback with narration.

Capt. Karl Ehrlich (John Wayne) is the German captain of a tramp steamer in an Australian harbor. Cmd. Jeff Napier an old friend is showing off his new fiancée Elsa Keller (Lana Turner). From their eye movement it looks as though the captain and Elsa know each other. When the commander steps out, Karl confronts Elsa with her past and sends her packing.

Things heat up pretty fast from here. Even though the captain is an old naval officer he was dismissed when he opposed the Nazi régime. But he is still a German nationalist. With the invasion of Poland Australia is dragged into the war leavening Karl with only a small chance of sneaking the ship out in the fog. At the last minute the German Consulate hands him one of their best agents (spies). One guess as to who that agent may be.

Now the chase is on and Cmd. Jeff Napier has a professional and personal reason to track down Karl before he reaches Germany.

The real story is that of the action between the different members of the crew. The nature of the agent adds complications to the voyage. And there is a conflict of morals aboard.

Will Capt. Karl Ehrlich make it home?
Or will Cmd. Jeff Napier blow him out of the water?
What becomes of Elsa?

"What flag is that sir? It does not have a swastika."
"That is the German Imperial Battle Flag"

A fun side interest in this movie is that instead of the standard John Wane repertoire of actors, this is an interesting mix including, Tab Hunter, James Arness, and Claude Akins.

A Wayne romantic film in style of John Wayne
A common John Wayne film with typical John Wayne styles and macho manners.The German Captain is nobody but John Wayne.He talked like John Wayne, acted like John Wayne.Even romaticises like John Wayne.A simple John Wayne film except he was dressed in German Uniform. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Do ya wanna party?" challenges the soundtrack to this freaky and funny reworking of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Paced to the beat of a pounding rock score, this comic flesh feast delivers both laughs and outlandish gore. No longer lumbering, moaning creatures, these lithe, feral, and cunning undead claw their way out of the cemetery and into the skulls of a human smorgasbord. They even master the art of home delivery: "Send more cops," croaks a corpse into a patrol car radio. Director Dan O'Bannon even takes pains to explain their motivation between the tributes to the granddaddy of zombie horrors ("Well, it worked in the movie!" screams James Karen when a pickax to the skull hardly phases a lively cadaver). Not that it really matters amid the gore and gallows humor, but it does add a kick to the cynically sinister climax. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (141)

"It worked in the movie!"
Re-animated corpses, swearing, blood & gore, full-frontal female nudity, iconoclastic jabs at American culture, and lots of gallows humor--what more could a horror fan ask for?

Any genre fan who has a morbid sense of humor is sure to enjoy 1985's THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. In the same vein as other tongue-in-cheek horror shtick such as the Chiodo Brothers' KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE and Sam Raimi's ARMY OF DARKNESS, this one's specifically a spoof of George Romero's classic and highly revered zombie film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Director/Screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, probably best known for having penned the original ALIEN movie, does a fantastic job of lovingly poking fun at the Horror and SF genres while at the same time satirizing everything from the U.S. Military to Punk Rock. This movie is not only funny, it's got plenty o' "brains"!

And you can't beat the financial value of the DVD edition. Not only does it cost less than a lot of other full-length, widescreen DVD thrillers--including some that are hardly worth the plastic and aluminum it took to make 'em--but it also includes these cool extras: an optional audio commentary by O'Bannon and production designer William Stout; both the G-rated and R-rated theatrical trailers; over 5-minutes of various TV spots; some storyboard-like production stills; and a really cool "Designing the Dead" featurette, in which O'Bannon and Stout discuss the evolution of the final look and feel of the movie (lots of great shots of Stout's EC-Comics-like designs for the zombies offered in this one).

THIS FILM ON DVD WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT
Well, Well, Well, here's a film that offers great brain food ... RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. This film was a surprise hit in August 1985 when this film was released theatrically. I think both cops and peramedics enjoyed this film as well.

This film stars James Karen, Clu Galuger (Nightmare 2), Thom Matthews (Jason Lives : Friday the 13th Part6), scream goddess Linnea Quigley (who plays Trash in this movie), Miguel Nunez and Marc Venturini (whom both appeared in Friday the 13th Part5 - The New Beginning) and a bunch of other actors we all never heard of.

This film pays homage to Night of the Living Dead - the George A. Romero 1960 classic. It also blends in horror along in with comedy (one of the first horror films to do it) with satisfying results. My favourite part of this film is when Trash (Linnea Quigley) visits the Resurrection Cemetary with her friends and tells them her fantasy of dying - to be attacked by older men and eaten alive - and Trash just happens to get her wish.

This film deals with a medical worker (James Karen) and his assistant (Thom Matthews) encounter cannisters of dead cadavers, that splits open that awakes the dead and they turn to a crematorist for help - with disasterous results. The army eventually gets involved and the dead are ready to party.

This film has a good sound mix for a film of the 80's era. A good 80's soundtrack that is now hard to find. A noted song in this film Tonight (We'll Make Love Till We Die) by SSQ was better known as Stacey Q who would later sign on with Atlantic Records the year later with the #2 hit "Two of Hearts". Unfortunately for Stacey Q, she was a one hit wonder, made two albums and was dropped by Atlantic Records in 1990.

I have nothing but great things to say about this film and this DVD. MGM did a great job with the transfer of this film, both piture and sound quality wise. This film is presented in tis standard version and for the first time in widescreen (1.85:1) version. Extras include a soundtrack commentary, a "Featurette" with the writer and director Dan O'Bannon, tv spots and two theatre trailers. This film is a must have for fans of the genre and of this film. Highly reccomended for cops and peramedics !!!!

This film and DVD is well worth the wait so do get your copy today !!!!

"Not the common Zombie flick"
In this sequel of N.O.T.L.D, a mortician I guess you could say, cremated a Zombie and the smoke from his ashes created acid rain which brought the dead back to life. Like I said it's not the common zombie flick, in this sequel the zombies run and talk, which is kind of a disappointment, but it was something different plus it wasnt a Romero film but it was pretty good. Its worth buying and holding on to. It was pretty cool when they basically interviewed the Head of a zombie to ask why it was killing people, so that was a plus. Pretty good and like I said its definately worth buying.

i love all the return of the livind dead's
hi i just want everyone to know these return of the living dead are the best movies i had ever seen ....i wish so bad they will make a remake of this movie like they did to the dawn of the dead cause these movies were my favorite especially this part ..part1 ....i am so happy they are starting to make zombies movies agin....that i remeber it was residents evil first it was ok but not a real zombie movie then dawn of the dead....now i want my favorite one ...(return of the living dead)remakeings...

Perversely funny and haunting
Taking the old zombie/living dead legends and movie treatments, and then standing them on their ears, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is a perversely funny and, yet, fiercely frightening movie. A combination of "The Night of the Living Dead," "Thriller", and a little bit of "Sid and Nancy", RETURN OF THE LIVING Dead is a great punk horror film. The tag-lines are hysterical. (My favorite: "Hey, guys, how can you kill something that's already dead?" "You know, Frank, the kid's got a good point there")

Some gruesome special effects, especially the make-up, are effective, but they do not overwhelm the film. The cast, playing it up between tongue-in-cheek camp and true terror, is made up mostly of no ones but they are quite up to the task. RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is a great horror comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

"HOLLY COW' AS HARRY CARRY WOULD SAY, VAN DAMN ROCKS!!!!!!!
In the beginning of this movie I thought that I was in for another rock em sock em fight it out to the death karate movie, but wow the fight scenes were almost bloodily accurate. The minute the action starts to lull BANG! POW! ZAM! VAN DAMME! I saw that I wasn't dealing with the usual sort. TONG PO who plays the vile degenerate in a role most suited for vermin, played the deranged oriental crazy man to a T. He really scared me! So as the story goes Van Damme is to avenge the tragic accident that Tong Po inflicts on his brother, and to do this he must find someone to teach him the ancient art of Kickboxing before he surely winds up losing all sorts of control. Before he knows it Ian helps him. He forces Van Damme to do the splits and owe my god Van Damme kicks Tong Po's butt with on swift Kick to the mutton chops. Shiver me Timbers if it ain't climatic. Sure to bring the family many cheers and good times in the future. If your looking for an american underdog movie that the whole family can enjoy, kickboxer has got the goods. HIYA!

*Filmed in THAILAND: The Best Martial Arts Movie EVER! W@W*
Before I watched this movie, I didn't know what Thai-Boxing was, and I thought that "kung-fu Bruce Lee" was the toughest man who ever lived. What a joke that is. Hong Kong's top 5 kung-fu masters once fought Thai-Boxer's in a now legendary event, and were all knocked-out, in less than 6 ½ minutes combined.
Thai Boxing is the national sport of Thailand, is fought in the ring and is the worlds most brutal & spectacular martial art.
In case you're wondering what the differences are between (American) kickboxing and Thai-Boxing (Muay Thai), they are as follows - kickboxing is just feet & fists, whereas Thai-Boxing also includes elbows & knees. Now you start to see why it is so notorious.

This is a movie about an American Kick-Boxing champ who goes to Thailand to fight their Thai-Boxing champ. Not surprisingly, the American gets battered, and paralysed, and through revenge, the victim's brother - Van Damme, learns 'Muay Thai' (Thai-Boxing) and fights the guy who paralysed his brother.

Though this scenario is a bit fictional the movie itself is beautifully realistic and authentic. It is about 99% filmed on location in Thailand and the viewer is treated to priceless scenes of inside the Bangkok Ratchadamneon national Thai-Boxing stadium, real Thai Thai-Boxers training at a camp, and spiritual scenes inside the Buddhist temples of Bangkok, featuring the massive gold-plated Reclining Buddha
(watch the movie and you'll know what I'm talking about).

We see Van Damme being taught Thai-Boxing by a Thai, and we watch him progress from being a sloppy fighter to a razor-sharp one. There are scenes where Van Damme, in training, uses his shins to kicks a palm tree, and where Van Damme and his opponent wrap their fists in cloths with broken glass stuck to the knuckles. You may laugh at this, but a little research will tell you that this is how the 'underground' fights are fought, and if you know how tough these Thais are then kicking trees doesn't seem so unrealistic.

As far as I know, no movie comes close to this one, in terms of authenticity at least. It is both educational and highly entertaining - there are loads of high quality fight scenes, and Van Damme is a good fighter (if only a theatrical one). There is nice cinematography too, and as soon as the movie starts you know it has that 'classic' feel about it.
A movie in a class of its own. Brilliant. Buy it!

The Classic, The Best
This has to be the best Van Damne movie with Bloodsport and Hard Target, get this movie its Van Damne's best, 4.8/5

Best Scene Ever!
This movie is unbelieveable! The reason it is unbelieveable? One scene, and one scene only. The dancing scene in the middle of the movie. It goes like this...Van Damme and his wily master go to a dive bar. His master makes him drink a mystery liquor. Van Damme, being the dork that he is in this movie (he is wearing a body suit/tank top at the bar that has clamps that connect at the shoulder, this keeps the shirt from falling off and makes Van Damme look like a dink), gets hammered. He is then forced to dance... With a shreek "AYYYEE", his master cues the music and movie history is made! Van Damme shakes his hips and does his splits, attracting all the babes...and Tong Po's gang! But who cares about those hooligans, Van Damme is getting his groove back better than Stella ever thought possible! The gang attacks him, and he pummels those lousy goons. "You got Served!" has nothing on Van Damme! He would serve those suckahs like he does Tong Po at the end! Nut-Sue Cow (White Warrior in Thai) to you all! What this movie teaches us is that Van Damme's ballet lessons did not actually teach him to "cut a rug", and that his brother is Latino? Buy this movie for this scene, trust me.

Does it get any better?
"kick the tree"

I rate this as Van Damme's best movie. Out of all the movies he has done, I think only 8 or so are good.

This movie has a decent story, ok acting and a great performance by a young Van Damme.

Cover is nice, no special features though.

Again, Van Damme is terrific in this action flick, on top of his game.

If you like a good action movie, especially a martial arts one, Kickboxer belongs in your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

John Wayne at his very best.
John Wayne always seemed to play the same hard-edged good guy in every Western, but there are enough subtle differences in each character to make each one different and each one enjoyable. The same is the case in this film, THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER.

In addition to John Wayne, classic actors such as Dean Martin, George Kennedy, and Dennis Hopper play key roles that make this movie a classic. Sure the action scenes are exactly what are expected, there are also several moments where you'll find yourself belly laughing! All in all, a classic.

A final note. If you don't fall out of your chair laughing when John Wayne hits George Kennedy with an axe handle...check your pulse.

Family
The Sons Of Katie Elder is one of my all time favorite films and my two toddler age sons love it as well. The film starts out with funeral of Katie Elder who raised 4 sons. John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson Jr. From beginning to end, you can feel the passion of Katie Elder and her love for her sons is felt throughout the entire movie. It is a typical John Western, but with more added feeling. Martha Hyer as the only female seen in the film is wonderful. For me, one of the best parts was the character roles of some great old time character actors. Strother Martin, John Doucette and my two favorites, Paul Fix and John Litel. This is a movie that I can watch every couple of days and never tire of it.
One of the best.

John Wayne in his typical role
In this movie, John Wayne plays a character most of us who are familiar with his movies have seen before--a tough never-do-well man, too stubborn to stay out of trouble and too tender at heart to avoid ultimately doing the right thing. Wayne plays John Elder, the eldest son of the deceased Katie Elder, for whose funeral John returns home. Also returning are his three younger brothers: Tom (Dean Martin), Matt (Earl Holliman) , and Bud (Michael Anderson Jr.).

The brothers are prevented from mourning their mother adequately by a scheming entrepreneur named Hastings, who swindled the Elders' parents out of their ranch. It falls on the shoulders of the Elders to redress their mother's loss of the ranch, and try to earn enough money to force Bud to go back to college (that is what Katie wanted).

The plot of this movie is interesting enough--it is distinctly typical of John Wayne and yet innovative enough to not be a cookie-cutter type story. Most of the acting in the movie is poor, especially that of Hastings and his accomplice, Curly. The bad acting (Wayne's is not the best of his career, but not bad, either) is offset, however, by the great performance of Dean Martin, who never fails to impress me in Western roles. All in all, this is probably not a timeless Western classic, but it is good. Anyone who enjoys Westerns should be satisfied with The Sons of Katie Elder.

One of the Duke's best
As John Wayne got older it seemed his movies got better and better. The Sons of Katie Elder is no exception. The Duke is his usual heroic, brawling type with Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, and Michael Anderson Jr. as his brothers. The relationship between the four brothers is very believable especially as they do their "house cleaning." Good storyline with great ending with the ambush and confrontation in the Hastings gun store. Excellent supporting cast with Paul Fix, Jeremy Slate, George Kennedy, and Dennis Hopper in an early role. Well worth the money for DVD with widescreen presentation and the theatrical trailer

Imagination
The mystery of Katie Elder and her husband may have come from American history. Doc Holiday had a lady friend named "Big Nose Kate Elder"
I have often wondered if that had anything to do with this film.

dp ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Not just a Madonna Movie!
This movie epitomizes the giddiness of the New Wave-bohemian lifestyle of the 80's. I watched this movie as a teenager and was fascinated by the outlandish people and the New York City setting. Today I watch it and am struck by the ultimate sweetness of the characters, particularly Roberta (Rosanna Arquette-this really is her movie) and Dez (Aidan Quinn). I think it is an excellent example of screwball, romantic comedy. It's the kind of movie I can watch again and again and it always seems fresh. The supporting actors are great, including Laurie Metcalf as Roberta's uptight sister-in-law and John Turturro as a sleazy night club host. The acting is understated and not over the top- including Madonna, who just seemed to be reading her lines very carefully, but to good effect. Susan Seidelman did an excellent job at directing, too bad she has not done much more! The settings are used to great effect as well, giving you a taste of the intruiging East Village and it's suburban opposite Fort Lee, NJ. If you enjoy this movie I would highly recommend "After Hours" and "Something Wild" which are in the same NYC 80's bohemian kind of vein, although a little darker in tone.

New Wave Meets Suburbia
An entertaining tale of a bored housewife in Fort Lee, New Jersey who accidentially gets mixed up in the lif