Reviews (16)

He Gets By With A Little Help From His Friends
In an effort to support Landis in his legal tribulations, a glittering array of Hollywood heavyweight directors and actors, with a rock star thrown in, toil as bit players and extras to make a manic movie with ultra-dry wit and tongue-in-cheek dialogue. Goldblum and Pfeiffer play their roles a little subdued compared to what is going on around them. It all makes for a well-constructed comedy that became an instant cult favorite. The more times the viewer sees it the more nuances and cameos jump out. Highly recommended!

Good plot, but missing something. . .
I rented this movie for the sole reason that David Bowie is in it. His performance was wonderful, yet extremely brief. Therefore I was highly disapointed. Granted, the movie wasn't too bad, Pfiefer and Goldblum are both wonderful, but Bowie was gyped. He is an amazing actor and should have had a bigger part, or at lease more time on screen. I suggest this movie for the sole reason of seeing his 2 small scenes.

enjoyable film
This is a chase movie, a kind of film-noir without the black and white. Here the ordinary man is Jeff Goldblum, a guy so so unhappy with his mundane job and cheating wife that he spends his nights driving the LA streets instead of sleeping. One night he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. He interrupts the murder of a beautiful and mysterious Michelle Pfeifer and very shortly he finds himself her unwilling accomplice as both evade her ruthless pursuers. She warns him right up front that she is "one of the bad guys", but he's hooked. The chase takes them to all of the "mink-lined sewers" of after dark LA and lets them encounter quirky and sometimes violent characters. This movie plays like a mix of dark comedy and thriller.It has a plot twist of sorts, but does not end darkly. The cameos will be interesting to film buffs, but not to anyone else. It's Goldblum, Pfeifer, and the chase that drives this movie. And thankfully, the story - though improbable - strings tightly together and does not involve stupid car chases, explosions, or wanton killing. In fact, the violence is tame by today's standards. There's the brief nudity seen in 80's movies and occasional mild profanity. A nice film to rent. I bought it.

Awesome and lots of fun...
This is one of the best comedy/adventure/chase flicks ever made. Lots of fun with some interesting twists. Don't miss it.

one of my all time favorites
This is a great movie that is always underrated by critics. Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer are wonderful here, at the start of their careers, and without big star egos. The surprise cameos are fun and the story is fresh and unique. I recommend it to anyone who is tired of the same old plot and action. This is well worth the money. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

very nice story, a lesson for all

A FAMILY THING

Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Michael Beach, Irma P. Hall, 1995

Synopsis

An Arkansas man (Duvall) in his 60's finds out, after his mother dies, that his birth mother was a black woman, who died giving birth to him. He then goes to Chicago to find his half brother (Jones), who does not want anything to do with him. It is thru his Aunt T. (his birth mother's sister) that the two men grow to understand the truth of their relationship.

My Review

You can't go wrong with Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones. Irma P. Hall (grandmama from 'Soul Food') gives a great performance giving this movie that special boost that makes it worth seeing and talking about. The flashback scene near the end of the film is superb. An interesting and touching story.

MOVIE BY OUTSTANDING VETERAN ACTORS FOR EVERYONE
Oddly enough, I purchased this video from a bargain bin of pre-viewed tapes at a local video store. The cast led by Robert Duvall (Earl Pilcher Jr.) and James Earl Jones (Ray Murdock ) was enough to peak my interest. I had not heard of FAMILY THING until taking it home that evening. This is the poignant story of an intense midlife crisis lived through by an ordinary middle aged white Arkansan, played by Duvall. Head of an extended family, upon his mother's death Pilcher is handed her personal letter to him by their family minister. Her letter says, his secret birth mother was his adoptive mother's then taboo Black friend. Also, he has an older half brother Ray Murdock (skillfully played by James Earl Jones). This is how the story begins. A central character named Aunt T (Murdock's surrogate mother) is so well played by veteran actress Irma P. Hall that her not receiving a nomination for an Academy Award cannot so easily be explained as an oversight. The tensions, ironies and intense character developments interpreted by Duvall and Jones keeps this movie alive from beginning to its happily resolved end. It is too bad that censors in Hollywood were embarassed by common and infrequent street talk and a mild childbirth scene in a flashback. Making an optimistic guess, these innocent segments alone led to the movie's PG-13 rating. Yet it contains important social and family messages that should be received by all children (and adults). Having raised four of my own, my position would have been to allow my nine years old and older to see Family Thing on their own.

IMPORTANT AND WELL MADE MOVIES STILL CAN BE SEEN AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM. Family Thing is one of them.

One Great Movie!
To make a long story short, this is one awesome movie. I'm proud to own it on dvd. I highly recommend it. This movie plainly proves that we're all God's children, pure and simple!

EXCELLENT MOVIE -- A FAMILY THING
When my husband asked me to watch this with him, I was like "ok, there's nothing on cable, might as well". I wasn't really thrilled about watching it but to my surprise it is one of the BEST movies I have ever seen. Robert Duvall is super in this movie not to mention James Earl Jones. This movie really says it all "it doesn't matter your color...family is family, it's just A FAMILY THING. I give this 2 thumbs up and 5 stars.

Overlooked masterpiece
When I looked over the video box and saw the fine cast, I rented this movie expecting some enjoyable but fluffy entertainment. However, this sleeper turned out to be a true masterpiece, easily making my list of all-time best. Within the first few minutes, Robert Duvall gives us a study in fine acting when he confronts his father with the mother's letter about their long-buried family secret. And how many people would recognize the authentic Southern slang when James Earl Jones declares, "I ain't studyin' you!"

The only flaw I can find in this picture is the jarring music that inappropriately breaks the mood to introduce the final credits. But that's the only one, a millionth of a percent. I will snap up the DVD now that it is available.

Good story, great cast, engrossing from beginning to end. So why didn't this movie receive more attention? Was it because it isn't the kind that generates huge box office receipts? Was it moviedom politics? Or did the reconciliation between brothers who grew up on different sides of the color line make the p.c. types, the ones for whom injustice and victimhood are the only valid racial topics, uncomfortable? ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Very Good
The relationship between the Vatican and the Third Reich has been a very hot topic recently, as new documents and scholarly works have served to ignite a massive debate. Could the church have done more, did they aid the Nazi's covertly, was Pope Pius XII a coward in the face of Hitler? These are all relevant questions that deserved to be answered. Into the debate steps Amen, an effective drama directed by Costa Gavras, which, while looking at the actions of the church hierarchy during the war, concentrates more on the low level relationship, which I consider much more fascinating. The movie is an interesting look at morality and responsibility in the most troubling of times.

The movie's protagonist, interestingly enough, is SS officer Kurt Gerstein, played by the subdued Ulrich Tukur. Gerstein is a chemist by trade, and is promoted because of his ability to create extremely effective "anti-vermin" pesticides, such as forms of Zycklon-B. Gerstein is stunned to discover, as he stares into a gas chamber, that his formula's are being used for far more than animal extermination. The realization changes his life, and Gerstein, a devout Catholic, gives the information and more to a well-connected Italian priest, Father Riccardo. Riccardo's family is close to the Pope, and the two unlikely allies feel they can effectively move the church against the Nazi regime. They have a precedent, considering that a Catholic uproar ended the SS sponsored extermination of the mentally handicapped. However, the two soon find that the church is hesitant to challenge Germany, for numerous reasons, including their hatred for Stalin's Russia, their anti-Semitic attitudes, and their fear of decreased power in Nazi dominated Europe. It's a wait and see attitude that is getting millions killed. Both men are locked in their moral duty, even as those they trusted fail them, time and time again.

Amen is a stylish film that uses the rich history of Europe to lend a foreboding atmosphere to the entire situation. The Vatican shots are amazing, as are the Berlin and, horrifyingly, the camp scenes. The acting is good all around especially Tukur's portrayal of the tortured SS officer, unsure of where to turn. While it may make some leaps of faith that are factually baseless, it does shed an interesting light on those times. It's ending is a haunting one, as was history's verdict. A good film.

solid movie
This was a solid movie. The acting was good, but understanding the dialogue was hard at times. It showed how both protestant and catholic leaders did nothing. It also shows how fearful everyone was of hitler's power. The Vatican clearly was portrayed as being more concerned about preservation than any eternal moral action. the movie coincides nicely with cornwell's book "Hitler's pope.".....as winston churchill said, "all that is needed for evil to persist is for good men to do nothing."

Interesting Aspect of Holocaust History
This beautifully filmed moralist story of an SS Officer and a Catholic priest is based on the play THE DEPUTY. It starts out slowly, so conditioned have we become to Holocaust recreations, but the human conflicts eventually set this work apart and keep the viewers' interest in this woefully underreported aspect of WWII history. Fine performances, direction and production design highlight AMEN. The audio soundtrack and score, however, are not up to par with the rest of the film... the recurring "train" theme is irritating and amateurish; the rampant voice-over dubbing is also distracting and often difficult to understand.

As far as the bonus materials found on the DVD, there isn't much there...but the "Making Of" documentary has several interesting moments.

A Powerful Lesson we May Still Need To Master
As far as films dealing with the Holocaust are concerned, I do not believe that AMEN is in the same category as LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL or SCHINDLER'S LIST. I say this not so much because of the film's quality, but due to the fact it is really a morality tale about what happens when people who are basically good fail to see obvious evil, do little to nothing about it, and in the end may even be aiding the evil that so opposes good. The Holocaust is merely the backdrop, and the failure of organized religion to oppose the evil of Holocaust is history's best example to demonstrate what happens when people do not oppose evil.

At the beginning of the film, people of the Christian faith seem to be doing the right thing. People with mental and physical disabilities are being sent to the death camps, and churches, particularly the Roman Catholic Church boldly speak against the atrocity. Yet when the same thing happens to the Jews, the vigilant churches remain indifferent at best, and in more cases than not, silent. The more the churches realize the atrocities, the more deafening the silence becomes.

Amen breaks new ground as far as the discussion is concerned. Much has been made about the silence of the Vatican in general, and more specifically Pope Pius XII's failure to speak. The film could have used the easy answer, namely fear that the Vatican would be destroyed, and would therefore destroy the Church as well. While this is mentioned in the film, it really does not seem to be the major reason for the silence. The choice for the Church was either to side with the Allies, which included Russia, a Communist nation. The Communists were viewed as more evil since Communists opposed religion. The Axis powers were just as evil as Stalin, but at least they allowed the practice of the faith as long as the Church was not critical of the Nazi Regime. This seems to be the more accurate reason for the silence.

Many people who will see this film will see the Catholic Church in a less than positive light. I'm not certain this is accurate. The character of Fr. Riccardo Fontana is one of the two heroes of the film; he is Catholic, and actually stands for what is best in the Church. Keep in mind, the greatest Christians, Catholic and non-Catholic, are more often than not the heroes who stand alone, and the heroism of one who stands alone is probably a more powerful example of faith than any religious officials. We see in the character of Fontana one who makes a morally good choice and acts on it as opposed to the hierarchy, who made a bad moral choice of choosing what they believed was the lesser of two evils. Fontana is actually a Christ figure and his actions teach us how we should be acting. Also, people viewing the film should keep in mind that while the Catholic Church is the Church that is viewed as wrong, none off the other Christian denominations did all that much to stand up to the evil either. If Dante is correct about the hottest spot in hell being reserved for those who remain neutral, and silence is considered neutrality, many are in deep trouble.

Indifference.
Based on a true story, *Amen* is an important, and heretofore unexamined, angle in cinema's ongoing grappling with the Holocaust: the complicity of the Catholic Church with the Third Reich's "Final Solution". Important BECAUSE the subject hasn't been examined in film. Precise, too; the movie is concerned with the murder of the Jews in particular. Early in *Amen*, we see the German Catholic Church put a stop to the euthanizing of what the Nazi Party calls "unproductive citizens", e.g., people with Down's Syndrome and, indeed, any who suffer from mental illness. The local archbishop threatens the Nazi bureaucrats with exposure to world opinion, and thunders indignant, logical arguments from the pulpit ("'Unproductive!' And what of injured soldiers returning from the front? Are they 'unproductive', too?" etc.). But the thing is, these mentally ill were baptized as Christians. The JEWS, on the other hand. . . . Director Costa-Gavras gives them an unlikely champion: an SS officer and chemist Kurt Gerstein (Ulrich Tukur) whose creation of a cleansing agent, designed to filter contaminated drinking water for the troops at the front, becomes a primary tool in the mass-murder campaign by the German government. The chemist, a devout Protestant, is horrified when he discovers to what uses his invention is being put. He is eventually brought to a concentration camp, and is more or less forced to view a gassing through a peep-hole on a gas-chamber door. Thankfully, WE'RE spared the sight. Indeed, we "see" almost no atrocities: Costa-Gavras assumes we're intelligent and moral enough to already know that genocide is evil. (Obviously a faulty assumption, considering that this movie received almost zero attention from audiences and critics. We clearly need piles of bodies displayed with Barber's *Adagio for Strings* swelling in the background, and a Schindler-like hero played by a robust and good-looking Irishman.) Instead, he shows us the hideous paperwork, the incessant criss-crossing of the cattle-cars (empty one way, full the other way) . . . the whole damnable mechanical PROCESS of the Holocaust. Gerstein decides to be the "eyes and ears" of this process, and even tries to slow it down in his fumbling way by hysterically claiming that THIS batch of chemicals is leaking from their canisters and must be destroyed, THAT batch won't be ready for months, and so on. Meanwhile, having learned that the Church managed to stop the murdering of the mentally ill, Gerstein appeals to the local diocese. Upon informing the local big-wig prelate that the Nazis are systematically wiping out the Jews, the prelate muses suspiciously, "Are you even Catholic?" But he DOES get the attention of a fictional young Jesuit, Father Riccardo (played with agonizing understatement by Mathieu Kassovitz). Riccardo becomes determined that Pope Pius XII should learn of the atrocities . . . and is fiercely checked by the Church bureaucracy and finally by the Pope Himself. *Amen* savagely attacks the Church in general and the Pope in particular: it's rather telling that Costa-Gavras could find no single figure to base Riccardo upon, but had to create an amalgam from various (and doubtless feeble) voices in the Church hierarchy at that time. Some may complain that Riccardo is merely a symbol of Good, and that another character in the film, known only with chilling anonymity as "The Doctor", is just Evil personified. But I think enough ambiguity is provided by Gerstein himself: we like him, we identify with him, we sympathize with his disgust, we encourage his attempts to alert the world, but we also feel uneasy that he remains in his position as SS Lieutenant. What IS the truth about Gerstein? We'll never truly know what was in his heart; we only know what he documented about the process of the gassings, after he was incarcerated after the war. Was he trying to condemn his murderous colleagues, or merely hoping to absolve his own continued participation? Or both? Perhaps Riccardo and the Doctor, both fictional, represent his own divided soul. ... Read more

Description

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and one of the most acclaimed independent films of recent years, The Believer is a daring and courageous portrayal of a young Jewish man living an impossible contradiction as a neo-Nazi. Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling) is an intense young man whose fierce intelligence and inexhaustible curiosity once made him a star pupil at his local Yeshiva. Now, at age twenty-two, he focuses this intensity on altogether more sinister aims; as a rising star in local neo-fascist circles, Danny spends his days attacking synagogues and fomenting hate among a devoted band of followers. Yet while working tirelessly to realize the destruction of his own people, Danny finds himself inexplicably drawn back to Judaism. This terrible inconsistency in the heart of Danny's soul - the yearning to study Torah and to attack Jews - and the avoidance of easy psychological explanations, make The Believer one of the year's most complex and provocative films. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

A good film, but nothing special
It seems like every few years now another neo-nazi movie comes out. The last one was American History X and before that Romper Stomper and Made in Britain way before that. Now it's the The Believer. As you probably already know, this movie is about a jewish neo-nazi, which of course, doesn't make any sense. This was a good movie all around but what makes worth watching is Ryan Gosling's performance. Maybe people don't know or remember but he was in Remember the Titans as one of the extras for the football team. Come to think of it, Ethan Suplee from American History X is also in Remember the Titans, how strange. Anyway Ryan Gosling has been compared to Robert DeNiro's character Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver which is totally appropiate considering this was one of the best performances I've ever seen. Ryan Gosling totally gets lost in his part completely out-doing any of the supporting actors in the film, including Billy Zane. I mean, he makes them look bad, he's that good. However, aside from the fantastic performance given there is nothing else special about this movie. There is nothing that's going to make you want to watch it again and again. There wasn't even that much violence, which I thought was odd for a skinhead movie. Yes, there is racism but it seems muted amongst the skinhead's extreme hatred for jews. There's hardly a mention of other minorities and only one scene actually inlcudes them the group's agenda. Other than that, it's jews, jews and more jews. It's kind of noticable that in every neo-nazi movie there's always one main target and all other minorities are insignifacant. American History X it was blacks, Romper Stomper it was asians and now it's jews. I guess that's understandable because the main character is jewish, after all. So anyway, this is definately a movie to see, you should check it out from the video store, but it's not worth buying. Like I said, there's nothing special about this movie that makes it better than so many others. You may not even want to watch it twice, there's just no motivation.

I believe it's good
Okay, I'll get the cliche out of the way right now: "The Believer" is a thought-provoking movie. Love it or hate it (and this is a movie that could easily inspire both views), "The Believer" will almost certainly make you think. Telling the story of a Jewish neo-Nazi named Danny Balint, the movie is a harrowing examination of the nature of belief and self-perception, every bit as provocative and hard-hitting as the better-known "American History X." Although the idea of a Jew who hates his own people may seem contradictory, the movie reconciles it very well. Through frequent flashbacks to Danny's Yeshiva class, the audience sees that Danny feels God is a bully and the entire history of the Jewish people is one of weakness and submission. Although much of his propaganda is just tired repetition of Nazi beliefs, Ryan Gosling's performance invests what he says with undeniable conviction. Danny's hatred is deeply rooted in his childhood experiences, and unlike many of his skinhead bullies, he *believes*. At the same time, Danny seems conflicted about what exactly it is that he believes. In one scene vitriolic anti-Semitic sentiments are pouring out of his mouth, in another he's repairing a sacred Jewish scroll that his friends have damaged. No matter how hard Danny tries to reject his roots, it seems the connection to them is too strong to sever completely. I think what "The Believer" was trying to get at is the confusion young people experience between accepting what they're taught and forging their own beliefs. Danny clearly has strong feelings and wants to believe *something*, but is having trouble figuring out what it is. In that sense, "The Believer" is about as apt a title for a movie as I've ever heard. It can be viewed in its most obvious form as a cautionary tale about the seductive nature and the dangerous potential of hatred, but that's a somewhat narrow view. What I thought the makers of the film were really going for was an examination of the difficulty young people can have in finding both their place in the world and their own belief system. But whichever way you look at it, "The Believer" is a gripping view, and highly recommended.

Mesmerizing script!
This film is deeply disturbing. We are in front of one of the challenging works made from the independent films. Winner of the Sundance in 2001 ; the movie deals about an outlaw from the jew religion who decides to make a breakthrough with his past traditions seeking for answers . He's a very clever man and very often he made extreme questions to his teachers.
So he makes the whole cycle and becomes Nazi as a rebelness signal , but his memories are stronger and keeps in the deep of his soul respect from the learned traditions . The dialogues are a real tour de force , and there are many disturbing questions without answers.
And since the movie has rapture moments that will remind you to Taxi Driver and American Story X, the film is far beyond from the other two, and it demands a major attention from you.
One of the most powerful cult movies from this new century!

Can't take your eyes away from the screen
this movie was amazing, i literally couldn't take my eyes away from it. Ryan Gosling does an amazing job this movie proves that he is truely is a great actor. the entire cast was great and the director made the movie very believeable and makes it look almost like their following a real life story happening at that very time. all i can say is that the movie was amazing along with the cast but mainly Ryan Gosling!!!

..........there's nothing up there, Danny...........
The story of Danny Balint, a young and intelligent neo-nazi that is recruited by an ambitious neo-fascist organization. The only problem lies within Danny's paradoxical secret: he's jewish.

Danny is just one of many intelligent thinkers that end up renouncing their religion in the spirit of "free-thinking". In Danny's case, he begins to hate Judaism so much that the only alternative for him seems to join the ranks amongst the opposing side. But even surrounded by those with similar opinions, Danny cannot seem to escape the ignorance that he feels plagues society. Immersed in idiotic nazi philosophy, he begins to despise his new peers as much as his heritage. Danny's problem is that he just hates everyone, especially himself. Never really belonging in the world and plagued by his own consciousness, is there no redemption for the troubled young man?

Superb acting from Ryan Gosling (Murder by Numbers) as Danny Balint. The scene in the coffee shop.......one take focused on Danny as he spits his rhetoric....brilliant. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Glass half full
"Shattered Glass" is a clever film about the rise and fall of an attention-craving, fawning huckster. It's rare these days to watch a suspense movie that literally has no action, but "Shattered Glass" succeeds marvelously. I had a blast watching the film's self-fixated protagonist squirming as the screws were tightened and he was snared in a web of his own deceit. Stephen Glass wanted the big byline, the articles that would catapult him to fame and grant him the status he desired. In order to achieve this, he fabricated stories with such enthusiasm one couldn't help but be swept up in the excitement. Hayden Christensen plays him to the hilt, with nuanced mannerisms, golden boy charm, and a sincerity that gradually grows stale. His insecurity is evident when he ends his conversations with apologies, false compliments, and self-deprecation designed to elicit sympathy or praise. His theats at suicide are at once chilling and pathetic.
The story is deceptively simple, but the details are complex, adding layers of psychological instability. I also enjoyed Peter Sarsgaard's performance as a poised editor who will do the right thing even if it means alienating himself from the office staff, who fall prey to Glass's manipulations. The film is brilliantly bookended with fantasy scenes that show Glass's true motivations--lying to gain public attention and acclaim, not unlike a serial killer who turns himself in to become a figure of notoriety.
Amazingly, the story seems to continue as Glass published a novel, "The Fabulist", which also tries to twist the truth to shift responsiblity to other parties. Online reviews of this novel smack of author participation, as if the writer sought to balance the negative reviews with his own glowing summations. Why else would the reviews be so incredibly polarized, with most giving the novel one star, while others give it five stars? Decide for yourself.

"Glass" is see-through but still compels
March was a big month for ethically challenged journalists.

First, infamous ex-New York Times reporter Jayson Blair published his book, "Burning Down My Masters' House," a tome that generated reviews uniformly more interesting than the actual contents of its pages.

Then "Shattered Glass" was released on video. The film looks at Stephen Glass, a young writer and associate editor for The New Republic who, in the mid- to late '90s, rose to notoriety with his vivid, colorful articles - many of which were later found to be, in whole or in part, simply products of his imagination.

The movie focuses on the period in 1998 when Glass' jig was just about up. In order to cover his tracks, he's forced to fake his notes, manipulate office politics, create phantom voicemail accounts and manufacture Web sites and business cards. As depicted by "Shattered," passing off fiction as journalism isn't just a despicable practice, it also appears to involve about four times more sweat than doing actual, honest work.

It's a fascinating story that, on the whole, is deftly handled. Unfortunately, Hayden Christensen, who plays Glass, doesn't seem as skilled a con artist as the guy he's portraying had to have been. With his passive-aggressive apologies and transparent flattery, he's more of an Eddie Haskell than a convincing fraud. I'm a reporter at a newspaper that's a long way away from the infinitely more sophisticated, more competitive New Republic, yet Glass' manipulation, as rendered by Christensen, wouldn't fly in my newsroom for five seconds.

As a result, the movie suffers somewhat and, while that may also be a fault of the writing, the script doesn't fail actors Peter Sarsgaard and Hank Azaria who, as Glass' editors Charles Lane and Michael Kelly, give smart, flawless performances and are the best reasons to see the movie (yes, Sarsgaard is every bit as good as the hype claims).

Also solid is Steve Zahn as Forbes reporter Adam Penenberg, and the scenes in which he disproves one of Glass' articles fact-by-fact play like lighter reversals on "All the President's Men."

On the DVD: The lone extra feature is a brisk "60 Minutes" segment on the real Glass, in which we see what a low-key, blank-eyed cipher he actually is. There's also a somewhat self-serving though no-less-interesting commentary track by Lane and writer-director Billy Ray that, ironically, points out the many inventions and dramatic licenses that were taken in order to make the story more cinematic. It's too bad they didn't give the actual subject of the movie an opportunity to comment on the movie that's been made from an unfortunate, pathetic chapter of his life; that would've been something to hear.

EXCELLENT
After missing this one in the movie theatres, I made a point to rent this one when it came out on DVD. I now want to purchase my own copy--and I will be revising my Favorite Movie List.

Shattered Glass revolves around Stephen Glass, former reporter for The New Republic Magazine during the 1990's. Glass achieved outstanding status as a reporter. Turning out great story after great story, everyone thought Glass an outstanding journalistic talent.

Too bad he did not write fiction at the time. It turned out 17 of his features for TNR turned out to be either partially or totally fabricated.

His tapestry of lies unraveled in May of 1998 as a writer for Forbes Online, Charles Penenberg (Steven Zahn) tried to do a follow-up story on Glass' latest piece called "Hacker Heaven." Unable to find a website for a fictitious software company, nor credible phone numbers for any of the sources, Penenberg contacted TNR editor Charles Lane.

At this point, Lane starts to have his own doubts and does his own investigation. As he uncovers the truth, Lane discovers that Glass not only fabricated the whole Hacker story, but may have done the same with other stories. Of course, the fiction ends as Glass is fired.

The independent movie has so many strengths going for it. First and foremost is the cast. Hayden Christensen plays Glass who uses his childlike charm and innocence to dupe superiors. Christiansen, who played young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars is able to spin his yarns and congratulate himself for it. As Glass, Christensen tenaciously sticks to his lies even when proof flies in his face. A quick wit even tries to modify lies to suit his own needs. The charm works more as Christensen uses his innocent and sincere voice to issue hollow apologies.

Another outstanding performance is Peter Sarsgaard who plays new TNR editor Charles Lane. Sarsgaard provides the most subdued, yet powerful performance. Often, experts tell us 85 per cent of all communication is non-verbal. This is where Sarsgaard has a true strength. He displays diappointment, concern, skepticism, and downright anger without flamboyant gestures or pitch and tone in voice.

Another noted performance is Hank Araria, who usually does many voices for "The Simpsons." In real life, Azaria shows some real acting credibility playing the wise and insightful Michael Kelly, Lane's predecessor at TNR. Kelly went on to serve as editor for the Atlantic Monthly and was killed in April 2003 while coveirng the war in Iraq. In fact, Shattered Glass was dedicated to Kelly's memory.

Probably the ultimate muscle for Shattered Glass is the accuracy for what really happened. Although I liked the 1999 release of The Insider, writer director Michael Mann sacrificed the truth in order to "add drama" to the story. That does not happen, though, in Shattered Glass. In this case, writer/director Billy Ray tells it like it happened--as if knowing journalism's main goal is to search for the truth.

The conjectural end (which I will not reveal) probably has the greatest dramatic affect on the whole movie. While some in the audience might feel sympathy for Glass and his duplicitous methods, others will feel betrayed, angry, and skeptical. Still, it struck me that Glass' habitual lying actually took him to another realm where he believed his own lies. Within the mind of Glass, he DID do a story on Young Republicans acting like reprobates. Glass believes he DID do a story on a hacker kid who was cut a deal by a software company.

Who knows the real intention of the movie. Was it to chastise Glass--or other fabricators like Jayson Blair? Or maybe to rebuke the journalist profession? Or did the movie intend to slap the motion picture industry for leaving truth at the studio gate? In any case, Shattered Glass works--and it works well.

Contemporary Masterpiece
You can't trust anybody, and now, because of Stephen Glass, you definitely cannot trust the press. Mr. Glass snatched everybody's confidences and destroyed them with fabricated, fantastic stories. After his downfall, many newspapers and magazines found one or two inconsistencies with their writers, including the New York Times, the Boston Globe and USA Today.

This film proves that Hayden Christensen isn't just that whiny brat from the Star Wars movie. He's a whiny brat in this movie, too ... but he plays Glass with such sincerity and charm you cannot help but feel the tiniest bit sorry for his mistakes. But it's Peter Sarsgaard who really steals the show as Glass's editor at The New Republic, who, after taking over the magazine from the late, great, and heavily favored Michael Kelley, discovers his writer isn't as good as everybody thought. Sarsgaard melts down into a puddle of anger and anxiety. He tears into Christensen with unholy vengeance. He makes you squirm in your seat as Christensen tries to weasel underneath his thumb.

The largest flaw with this movie is totally up to audience interpretation. Some people believe this film glorifies what Glass did. In a way, that's true. It sets an example of "if you screw up, don't worry, you'll get a young Darth Vader to play you in the film, and Tom Cruise will produce." At the same time, Christensen plays Glass like a greasy sewer rat, and even when you're feeling a touch sympathetic, you can see Glass for the sniveling bastard he truly is. So while it at once condemns and approves, the film makes Sarsgaard's character the true hero, and therefore steals any and all of Glass's thunder.

The DVD features an interview with Mr. Glass, exposing him for the whiny, self-serving jerk he truly is.

Excellent
Well acted and a good thriller. It's like a thriller without the murder. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the suburban hinterlands of Arizona, pirate-radio DJ Hard Harry wages a one-man war against boredom from his bedroom transmitter by night. In between great Lenny Bruce-style stream-of-consciousness rants, Harry attacks the airwaves with the likes of the Descendents, Bad Brains, and Concrete Blonde, as well as occasionally kickin' it old school with some early hip-hop. By day, though, Hard Harry is Mark Hunter, a painfully shy new kid who's anonymous to the point of being invisible at Hubert Humphrey High School.Completely misunderstood by his '60s-era parents, Mark is desperate to keep his radio alter ego separate from his day-to-day persona, especially as his radio shows draw more attention from the authorities. Fellow misfit Nora (Samantha Mathis, in her first feature role) eventually discovers Hard Harry's trueidentity, much to Mark's chagrin, and the two of them become torchbearers against the stifling status quo of the town as they dodge the police, the school administration, and the FCC. There are familiar high school authority archetypes (the assistant principal with clip-on tie, lemon-yellow K-Mart short-sleeved dress shirt, military flattop, and bulky key ring) and a rather strained subplot of a corrupt school administration. Mainly, though, this is a rousing teen call-to-arms that showcases Slater's talents as he developed the cynical, sarcastic neo-Jack Nicholson delivery that would become his trademark. He's at his best during his radio monologues (making them truly seem ad-libbed), and his influences become clear as he checks out a copy of How to Talk Dirty and Influence People from the library. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Stab them with your plastic forks
One of my favorite movies, Pump Up the Volume is a film that has a great message and a cool cast. Christian Slater is perfect as Harry/Mark, I think this is his best role, his second best being JD in Heathers. Samantha Mathis is also great in her role has Nora. It's a movie that has a message about censorship, teen suicide, pressures in society, freedom of expression and it also has a great soundtrack with lots of music Hard Harry plays on his pirate radio station. It's a movie that, even with it's slightly serious tone, makes you feel free and gives you a lift. I really think everyone should see this movie, it's one of my top 5. It also has tons of great quotes, especially things Harry says during his radio broadcasts.

Allan Moyle, of course its 5 stars
This man rocks. This is also the man behind Empire Records( a movie that if you want the full effect you need to get the special fan edition, the original was alllll cut up, the special edition is a bit longer and much better). He knows how to make a movie. He also likes to dig into punk rock in america. Allan Moyle rocks. Theres no way around it. Anything he does is great. Samantha Mathis and Christian Slater are also great.
For those who know nothing of this movie ,how have you missed it but its the story of a shy guy whos moved into a new town. his parents got him a short way radio station so that he can talk to his friends back home. he uses it to play his kind of music, speak of things that he wants to and basically break every censorship law in existance. After one of his listeners shoots himself while listening to the show mark finds himself being wanted for arrest. He must find a way to change the minds of a town of teenage radicals. its the soundtrack of the pixies, concrete blonde, the beastie boys and basically everything that is good. also in it is the story of a boy and a girl who are legends in their own mind who seek after eachother. (samantha mathis and christian slater) moura ( i think thats her name its been a while since ive seen this) and mark.
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if you like this get "empire records". like i said though, its best to get it on dvd- special fan edition. the regular edition is great too but the 16 minuets of extra footage and deleted scenes make the movie. the extra footage is also put into the movie so its like watching a whole new movie. it rocks, i just bought the special edition yesterday..

shallow teen flick weighed down by self-awareness
Christian Slater is Mark Hunter, a nerdy Eastern transplant to an Arizona school. Completely overlooked by his easy-going parents and everybody else, Hunter runs a pirate radio station under the name "Hard Harry". Every night, the hordes of students who think nothing of Hunter, listen for every syllable of Harry's voice. Hunter laces his subversive radio with mixtures of Lenny Bruce and the likes of "Concrete Blond", and everybody loves it. Everybody that is but the stern, authoritarian and uptight nerds who live for nothing but make life miserable for everybody younger than they are. Hunter is a man with ideas, but he can only express them through Harry - he alters his voice for radio, and uses an anonymous mail box to collect fan mail - keeping his double life a secret. Unfortunately, Nora (Samantha Mathis), an introverted intellectual teen who works the library at Hunter's school, pieces together the clues of Hunter's & Harry's shared ID.

Until then, "Pump" is sheer fun, an equal opportunity offender that doesn't strain your sense of morality. The adults are easy targets (even Hunter's parents are out to lunch - they never realize that their son's got enough electronic equipment to be the "Hard Harry" that everybody is talking about; the rest of the adults fail to consider Harry's message as a wake-up call). But the teens are also pretty wasted - for all of their energy, they never convert their power into a cause (the script wakes up near the end, and crafts a genuine cause involving manipulation of student scores - a revelation hit on by a "friendly" teacher played by Ellen Greene of "Little Shop of Horrors" fame). Instead of rising up against some perceived evil, Hunter's fellow teens merely become louder versions of the same annoying and cliquish high schoolers that we've seen in countless flicks (typically starring Corey's Feldman & Haim, and Larry Linville or Mary Woronov as the evil principal). Even after essentially telling his listeners what kind of person he really is, none seek him out. They're not after Hunter's reality, only Harry's wicked construction. It's good clean fun, and Harry's rants are so irresistible, you'd be willing to sit through about 2 hours of it. Though Hunter/Harry talks to the disaffection of Teen-America, little in the surrounding setting bears out how much trouble we're in (clue: though a bastion of adult-managed conformity, Hunter's school still keeps the library stocked with Lenny Bruce).

Unfortunately, in true shock-jock tradition, Harry/Hunter's words become entangled with tragedy when a local teen commits suicide shortly after calling in. Faster than you can say "Good Morning Vietnam", Hunter dumps than resurrects Harry's persona - only now he's on a mission, and "Pump" becomes more serious than it proves to deserve. Still missing the genuine story underneath the story, the teens become louder, and the adults more repressive (one of the teens is brutally assaulted by one of the school's employees) and the script more satisfied with how it delivers Harry's message than how it can convincingly craft one. At that point, "Pump" transforms from an engaging comedy into a weighed-down message movie, one that spoils the fun of both halves. By the end, you feel like you've been watching less of a movie, than a really long and loud "After School Special".

Talk Hard / Amazing film
Powerful film, Christian Slater with an incredible performance as Mark Hunter a shy kid who moves to Arizona in a new school where he notices things are very wrong. At night he turns into Hard Harry on pirate radio with a system in his basement. He has the whole school glued to his radio show that comes on at 10:00pm every night. No one knows it's him. He begins to uncover shady doings with the teachers and releases it on the air along with some kickin tunes by great bands really good soundtrack. His radio skits are hilarious. A girl (Samantha Mathis) figures out his identity and really gets into him and helps him reveal the crooked teachers. An amazing movie about censorship and the courage to speak your voice against wrong authority. One of my favorite films in my top ten, essential to collection.

Slater is the bombdigity
this movie is about Christian Slater who plays Hard Harry the pirate radio man of his pirated show, is magnificent and full of style. this is a movie that deals with rebellion and teen angst..kids who want to live their lives free of all the things they are imprisoned to do and they tune into Slater's show everynight including Samantha Mathis which this is her starring debut in a movie. Cheryl Pollack also sparks some hottstuff. slamming music and great moments make this one a masterpiece and a movie not to be forgotten, one of the best movies of 1990. note: Seth Green has a short but recognizable roll in here and so does Martin Landau's daughter Juliet Landau has a small role as well, both Green and Landau worked together again in the tv series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Green played Oz and Landau played Drusilla. make plans and rent this or buy this. ... Read more

Description

When astronomer Dr. Lily McKee (Annabella Sciorra) discovers a massive asteroid hurtling towards the earth, she quickly sends her young son to the safety of his grandfather in Dallas, and contacts the director of the Federal Emergency Management, Jack Wallach (Michael Biehn).The huge fireball hits Kansas with devastating consequences, transforming the city into a hellish maelstrom of rubble and fire.But as Jack and the local firefighters race to rescue victims, Lily sights a second, even larger asteroid - heading straight for Texas. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Bad?
After reading all the reviews I was really disapointed when I saw the rating some of these people gave this movie. This movie was great. There are lots of special effects and explosions. At the beginning of the movie a man is driving a truck in Billings, Montana when meteor hits the road and the truck explodes. The next day a chopper flies over Montana and see's that there is a house on fire with people on the roof. The people in the Chopper rescue them and then a Propane Tank explodes! My favourite part in this movie is when an Asteroid hits a dam in Kansas City and sends water tearing through the city. Then the grand final happens when two planes blow up the earth threatening asteroid. After everyone celebrates the lady who found the asteroid finds out that the lasers blew the asteroid into tiny pieces. Several small pieces and a large one are heading straight for earth. As the discoverer of the rock went to NASA in Houston she left her Dad and her Son back in Dallas. Soon a couple of asteroids hit Dallas and then the big one hits. It blows up Dallas and obliterates it. The rest of the movie is pretty much finding a lsot boy and his grandpa. So all in all I thought that this movie was C O O L !!

Bad?
Redaing all the reviews I was really disapointed when I read some of the reviews from other viewers. This movie was great. There are lots of special effects and explosions. At the beginning of the movie a man is driving a truck in Billings, Montana when meteor hits the road and the truck explodes. The next day a chopper flies over Montana and see's that there is a house on fire. The people in the Chopper rescue them and then a Propane Tank explodes! My favourite part in this movie is when an Asteroid hits a dam in Kansas City and sends water tearing through the city. Then the grand final happens when two planes blow up the earth threatening asteroid. After everyone celebrates the lady who found the asteroid finds out that the lasers blew the asteroid into tiny pieces. Several small pieces and a large one are heading straight for earth. As the discoverer of the rock went to NASA in Houston she left her Dad and her Son back in Dallas. Soon a couple of asteroids hit Dallas and then the big one hits. It blows up Dallas and obliterates it. The rest of the movie is pretty much finding a lsot boy and his grandpa. So all in all I thought that this movie was C O O L !!

KISS OF THE ASTEROID
FACT: This is a science FICTION movie.
FACT: The thought of asteroids hitting the earth is frightening.
FACT: Considering this is a TV movie, it's a remarkable feat to make this overall so good.
FACT: Michael Biehn is like Kurt Russell and Kiefer Sutherland, a good actor who hasn't quite got the right role yet.
FACT; Annabella Sciorra is so lethargic, one can doubt she's feeling anything at all.
FACT: Anthony Zerbe is still a great character actor.
FACT; The demolition of Dallas is devastating.
FACT: For what it is, this is a very enjoyable and mind-boggling movie.

teased
Yes, it's no Deep Impact or Armeggedon. The only similiarity is the asteroid. And if were not for two little things, this would've been a four star movie. First, there is a water-crashing-over-land scene that is reminiscent of the old days (the 60's) when we saw frothy bathwater being tossed over miniature model towns. It's an eyesore in the movie and that's when you start to notice the acting aint all that great either. There are alot of really good effects mixed in though, which is puzzling. There is no spaceship that attempts to make a landing on the asteroid, and their defensive ideas all revolve around lasers instead of nukes. There is a movie here, but they mixed in some pretty bad effects with the good ones and spent too much TIME focusing on the drama of the doctor's lost child and the grandpa. You know what happens, she spends at least a half hour of the movie looking through a wasteland, and then there's another 30 minutes spent on totally irrelevant action sequences while rescuing a boy from his own stupidity (he wanders into an asteroid crater - that is on fire).
Reviewers seem to like this movie, and it wasn't all that bad. Deep Impact is one of my favorite movies, so I had to check this out. I can only watch Armeggedon if I'm alone and allowed to fast-forward through all the drama scenes. And Asteroid will never be watched twice - i.e. rent.

Good
Okay so this movie doesn't run up to movies liek deep Impact and Armageddon, but it deserves some praise for 100% its own special effects. The plot might be a bit off wack but the special effects are what makes this movie great. Another good thing about this movie is you actually get to see some other American cities get walloped. In this movie Kansas City, Missouri, Billings, montana and Dallas, Texas get a chance. Pretty good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Love it
This is great. I only wish that it would continue to play all 5 episodes. Unlike the 1st dragontales DVD, after an episode plays, it goes back to the menu instead of playing all 5 continuously. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fans - Get This One Right Away!
The new "Dragon Tales" DVD focuses on stories about overcoming fear. Included is "Have No Fear" - a story about Ord's fear of a butterfly/frog hybrid creatured called a "butterfrog" and "Try It You'll Like It," - a story in which our Dragon Tales friends try to help Zak overcome his fear of the attractions at the Dragon Land Amusement Park. Both are fairly well-written stories that have a good approach to the topic.

However, the main and most important reason why show fans should get those DVD right away is the presence of the story "Cowboy Max" on this DVD. This story is part an episode that was supposed to air during the final batch of five shown on PBS, but instead ended up airing only foreign markets for unknown reasons. The two stories in that episode: "Just the Two of Us" and the one on this DVD - "Cowboy Max," featured some of the best writing and dialogue ever seen on the series.

Stories are presented full-screen and a play-all feature is included. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A potboiler featuring a demented caretaker and a seemingly hapless suburban family, this isThe Nanny of the 1990s. However, it is much more predictable than that 1965 Bette Davis psychodrama, and more graphic. It works only because Rebecca De Mornay makes us intensely uncomfortable as the disturbed au pair who wants to take care of much more than her employer's well-being.

Annabella Sciorra plays the perfect mother of a flawless family. Her obstetrician, however, is less than wonderful, having enjoyed her examination much more than he should have. When she files sexual harassment charges against the repugnant doctor, he loses face--literally--after shooting himself in the head. Several months later, an ideal nanny shows up at her home. You guessed it--she's the doc's widow.

The movie follows a tried and true formula, with the audience in on everything. However, the story does surprise us in intense and intimate ways. The visit to the obstetrician is one of the creepiest moments in the film. You definitely hear the voice of writer Amanda Silver in a plot concerned with the vulnerabilities of a family, a newborn, a marriage.

Since we know so much up front, there is an overall lack of inventiveness in the plot machinations. It may not jolt us, but De Mornay does. It's unsettling to watch someone who appears so attractive and who behaves so kindly suddenly reveal hideous psychopathic tendencies. Restraining herself from going over the top, she instead oozes such malevolence you'll want to shudder. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Sick and disturbing realistic thriller
I first watched The Hand That Rocks the Cradle when I was very young. There are some great actors in this movie, such as Rebecca DeMornay, and Ernie Hudson, and Julianne Moore. I rented it a few nights ago, and I felt guilty and disgusted at the very thought of anyone, including myself, being entertined by such a sick film. The acting is fine, but the story is not a made up kind of thing. A story like this happens all the time, not quite as dramatic as the movie, but there are so many sick people out there who manipulate and deceive, and even kill. Rebecca DeMornay plays a sociopathic diabolical deeply disturbed woman seeking revenge on CLaire Bartel, after losing her husband, baby, and home. A sick person seeking revege is not a good mix. You can learn a thing or two from this film. I have learned by own experiences with sociopathic people. Number one is, if a person seems too good to be true, they aren't! No one is perfect and if they seem to be perfect they are definately without a doubt, acting!! If things start to go wrong, bad things, in a pattern, one happening after another, don't ignore it like Claire did. Being naive and blind is opening yourself to the enemy. An easy target is someone who trusts way too fast and opens up way too fast. To hire someone to watch after your kids, never on the third day tell them your life story. Every bit of private information you give them, they can use it against you, if they wanted to. Just like Payton did. There were so many sick things in the movie that made me want to just shut it off. The underwear scene, the greenhouse scene, the perfume on the dress scene, how on earth did she manage to get that far??? Anyone would stop and wonder why such things are happening. Bad luck? No, try a sick twisted person living in your home trying to destroy your life. It's a sick world we live in. That's why nowadays you can do background checks and criminal checks on the people you allow into your house to care for your kids. Always be alert and never ignore your instincts!!!

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle Rules the World!!!
"The hand that rocks the cradle" from 1992 and by Hollywood pictures was a great movie. i remembered it did create a buzz when it came out. the performances were good, but what really got it attention was this vile and almost mesmerizing character of peyton flanders (rebecca mornay). an over the edge psycho who wants to get revenge on one family because of a miscarriage she suffered over the fact that her husband , dr. mott (john de lancie) has been found guilty of sexually foundling his own patients.

Of course dr. mott has dr. mott has had a long history of doing this and his wife knows about it. however his dark secret is exposed by claire bartel (annabella sciorra) who while pregnant gets some unwanted sexually advances by the good old dr.

Bartel then is pointed as the first woman to come out as one of the dr. victim's and this causes a domino effect where other victims come of the closet to talk about the dr. the dr's games are over , however he can't deal with the fact that he has been exposed and going to prison, so he commits suicide (via a gunshot).

Peyton (mornay) loses their baby in the process and when she finds out miss bartel was the first victim to speak out she does what any typical psycho would do, she targets her for her revenge. the expression "hell on wheels" definitely applies here. Peyton's character is quite a sight for sore eyes, i haven't seen a psychotic character like this since glenn close's alex character in fatal attraction.

However, peyton doesn't launch an obvious assault on claire. no she's schemes to get into the family and then killing clare by posing as a nanny for hire in the family.

She then sets up the situation to get hired by making it look like the baby of the Bartel's is choking and thus saving her life. Pathetic. However the Bartels, Clare and Michael (Matt Mccoy) laughingly fall for the lies of Peyton despite the fact that she isn't whom she claims to be but then again the Bartel family is such a naive family that they are easily pluckings for Peyton's revenge.

For instance, Peyton is hired to be the "nanny" even though, she admits she wasn't sent by a nanny agency , she doesn't have clear cut references, and Marlena Craven (Clare's friend) doesn't like her one bit.

That about sums the movie itself in a way. It seems several characters are either too dumb or too naive to see what's going and this in turn leads to the disastrous things that happen at the hands of Peyton.

For example it seems that Clare has a sort of asthma problem and she must take her pills. Well one day, Michael (Matt Mccoy) must turn in an important proposal to his company. Clare volunteers to do it, but when her back is turned, Peyton hides the proposal thus ensuring some problems in the marriage of the Bartels. The stress caused on Clare causes her to have several asthma attacks yet she doesn't see that Peyton is responsible despite the warnings from Marlena or the obvious advances Peyton is making toward Michael. Yes that's right Peyton ever the home-wrecker tries to make sexual advances toward this gullible guy to break up the family.

Add further insult the other person who doesn't believe Peyton's nanny character is who she claims is Solomon (Ernie Hudson from Ghostbusters and Oz). Solomon is a black man who is mentally challenged, yet despite this Solomon has the intelligence to realize Peyton is a psycho. However, Peyton before Solomon has a chance to discuss his suspicions of her, gets rid of Solomon, thus leaving the Bartel family once again an easy target for her.

LOL I made it sound like a soap opera. But all kidding aside "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" is a very intense psychological thriller. Probably the best that came after Fatal Attraction and was then followed by another thriller about a psycho woman in "Single White Female" with Bridget Fonda.

Revenge Of The Babysitter: The Classic Thriller
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, released in 1992, seems to have opened up people's eyes to the real evil in some people who masquerade as babysitters or people of friendly nature you can confide in but who only wish to do harm. Although this is downright drama and sensational, the stuff thrillers are made of, some of its content can in fact occur in real life and there have been many a case that has proven true. It was a thriller in the early 90's, although it may appear rather tame by comparison to our present thriller movies. On DVD, the experience is fresh and the sound quality is incredibly good. The DVD features the original trailer and commentary. It stars Rebecca De Mornay as the scheming and murderous baby-sitter Peyton, Annabella Sciorra as Claire, the hapless wife. The story moves slowly, building up tension to a climatic finale.

Peyton's husband, an obstratrician, sexually molests Claire who files a complaint and seeks to get him in jail. The obstratrician commits suicide and triggers a miscarriage in Peyton, who was about to have his child. So, there it is. The set-up. Peyton really does have valid reasons to be angry. She has lost everything -her husband, her baby and her home. But she is so consumed with bitterness and by her desire for revenge that she is stripped of her humanity and becomes an authentic villain so perfect for this type of film. Rebecca De Mornay's non-threatening, beautiful and innocent Caucasian features are a perfect disguise. She takes a job as babysitter to Claire's daughter Emma. Now safe in the family's trust, she conducts scheme after scheme to destroy Claire and to exact revenge. She is breastfeeding Claire's infant to mark the child as hers(Peyton proves that women can be just as territorial as men and just as ruthless, perhaps more so) she wins Emma's trust and affection by forging a false friendship, she frames the black help, who is a bit weak and slow but proves heroic in the finale, by making Claire believe he is sexually molesting Emma -she hides Emma's panties in a drawer in the storage room. She even tries to break up Claire and her husband by making Claire believe that he is having an affair with his old friend and sweetheart (played by Julian Moore who ends up killed in the greenhouse by Peyton) and Peyton even attempts to seduce Claire's husband for herself! There is no stopping her until her come-uppance comes just in time for the ending.

The dangerous "outsider" coming into the safety of a perfectly happy family really works as a thriller in cinema. We cannot sympathize with Peyton, because she is a very corrupt and vicious woman. Although we would like to see Claire, Sciorra's character, be more defensive and try to protect her family and even eliminate the villain herself, we cannot help but worry how it will turn out for her since she is not a very strong woman and is in fact a victim of asthma. The real star of the show is Rebecca De Mornay anyways and so it was fitting that Claire is a weak contrast by comparison to Rebecca's powerfully evil performance. The location was shot in Southern California somewhere near the Hollywood Hills or perhaps a suburban community, is tailor-made for the ambiance of a dark film such as this one. Who'd ever guess that such intense crime could happen in a small town that looks blameless ? The music is effectively chilling, although the composer or music editor seems to have delighted in playing with the theme of innocence mingled with evil- the soprano aria "Poor Wondering One" from the Gilbert and Sullivan opera "The Pirates Of Penzance" is played repeatedly as it seems to be an album that Claire has in her house. At one point, the orchestral score twists the cheerful melody by using darker and menacing instrumental themes
so that "Poor Wondering One" sounds more serious and visceral.
The rest of the music is appropriately detached, shocking and like most other thiller movie scores.

An entertaining time waster
If you have a brain, you'll know how this movie will end up. The demented nanny. The saintly, stuttering black handyman whom she has fired. The mousy, asthmatic wife. The clueless husband. There are few surprises in this movie.

So why three stars instead of zero or one? Well, Rebecca DeMornay is effectively chilling in the role. She's pretty believable as the nanny who has her very real reasons for going off the deep end. (In fact one of the few surprises in the film is that she is given a solid reason for flipping out. In fact, I was kind of rooting for her over the very mousy Annabella Sciorra.)

The scene with DeMornay in the woman's bathroom at the arboretum was great. Her character, Payton, was quite soulless, and she made you feel her chill. She never plays a false note. The stares she gave could stop people in their tracks. You really do think this woman could kill.

Worth watching if your expectations aren't for a Casablanca or Gone with the Wind.

The 90's Classic Thriller About An Evil Babysitter
1992: I was too young to fully appreciate this film when it was first released. At this time in the early 90's, shocking thrillers of suspense dealing with the base instincts of humans for murder and revenge were very popular (Silence Of The Lambs won Best Picture) and the ever popular femme fatale- such as Sharon Stone's portrayal in Basic Instinct. Rebecca De Mornay rose to movie stardom at this time with her performance as Peyton, a vengeful and scheming baby-sitter. Rebecca De Mornay grew up in Europe although she was born in America - her father was the radical conservative talk show host Wally George whose show was popular in independent stations in the 80's and early 90's and who died recently. Opposite De Mornay is Annabella Sciorra, who plays the asthma-ridden but brave and good mother Claire, who has the seemingly perfect suburban dream life- a devoted husband, a daughter and a baby.

After it's been revealed that Claire's obstritician has sexually molested her, he commits suicide rathe than being put in jail. This triggers the consuming obscession for revenge in his widow, Peyton. Peyton takes a job as babysitter for Claire's baby and daughter Emma (played, it seems, by the child actress in Matilda).

Although Peyton comes off as innocent, helpful and utterly harmless, she slowly works her revenge over Claire and her family. She is breastfeeding Claire's baby without her knowledge, winning Emma's affection, gets rid of the African American help who knows too much, and even tries to seduce Claire's husband. The subtle way in which she does her evil is very frightening but the intensity grows most abundantly in the final portions of the film. This is a well-done movie, in almost Hitchcock psychological horror, and is a great adult film. I must stress that this is adult horror and that kids should not watch it. It would make them twice about their "real" babysitter. Of course, although there are a few bad apple babysitters, not all of them are like Rebecca De Mornay's wicked Peyton. ... Read more

Reviews (191)

The Strong Arm of the Law
The future of law enforcement is now available in the thrilling Sci-Fi actioner "Robocop". In the near future, police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is brutally gunned down by ruthless criminals but a powerful corporation rebuilds him as an indestructible high-tech cyborg with the mission to bring justice in violent streets of Detroit. Tormented by nightmarish images of his former life, Robocop seeks revenge on the criminals that took his life. "Robocop" is still director Paul Verhoeven's (Total Recall) best work to date. This film is a fiercely entertaining action-packed joyride. It contains a sharp storyline, high-voltage actions and some surprising bits of wicked satire. The cast also includes Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer. The 1987 hit actioner is presented in its theatrical 1.85:1 widescreen format. The DVD contains a good video transfer and well-balanced 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Its only supplement is its original theatrical trailer. Though fans are more interested in the Criterion Edition, this simple edition is a worthy bargain purchase and gets a "B-".

Not a bad movie, but one scene makes me sick
Dutch director Paul Varhoven takes us on a ride filled with the demise and downfall of our own society in his first American action adventure film, ROBOCOP. It is worth while to mention that ROBOCOP was shot in a time period where Detroit was known as the murder capital of the world. Since than, Detroit has cleaned up its act, and New York has lifted that title from the motor city's back. But in Varhoven's vision, Detroit is a spiraling downward paradox, filled with drugs, violence, and prostitution. The picture is dark and monochromatic, with a grim look upon our future. Its actually a bit depressing to tell you the truth. ROBOCOP is a satire, cracking jokes at modern day aspects of life such as the automotive industry, television commercials, and corporate development (the OCP portion of the film.) The movie has a solid script and a convincing cast, probably most entertaining are the OCP corporate hot shots, but no one steals the show like ED-209. Peter Weller does well with the material he is given to work with, even if he is a little on the monotone side. Kurtwood Smith is all too believable as the dark and sinister villain, Clarence Bodiker. The villains in this film are the most convincing, although its not that hard to make someone seem evil. Basil Poledoris's music score is commanding, even if a little overemphasized with synthesizer, but I guess that's how the 80's were. It really adds a whole other dimension to the film, and multi-academy award winner Phil Tippit's stop motion effects are amazing. I have mixed feelings about this film. Like I may have mentioned above, ROBOCOP is very convincing when it comes to its antagonists, almost too convincing. Along with the Robocop package comes one of the most brutal scenes in Hollywood History. Not since the ambush sequence in BONNY AND CLYDE has there been a more shocking murder in a motion picture. I'm speaking of the scene in which Murphy is, to say the least, shot to death. I felt this over-emphasis was anything but crucial to the plot, as there was no need for it, since we had already been given a display of the cruelty of the characters (can you fly Bobby...CAN YOU FLY! ) We didn't have to see Murphy take a shot between the legs, fall to his knees in agony, and lie there helplessly as his limbs are blown off one at a time. This isn't art, its savage. VARHOVEN, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! Now I'm aware of the criterion edition, which features even more of this nonsense, in crucifixion style! I mean come on! That's just sick if you ask me. One thing off-setting about this scene is that it takes place in a very confined setting, creating a claustrophobic illusion. We can sympathize for Murphy, especially us males when it comes to the first shot he takes. Some things just shouldn't pass through the lens of a camera, period. As for the rest of the film, three cheers, but this scene was totally unnecessary. The blade thru Kurtwood Smith's neck ain't pretty either, but at least he deserved it. The viewing of this scene leaves one feeling sick to there stomach, thanks Dad, for fast forwarding when I was a little kid.

A classic action movie that makes Kill Bill a comedy
The 1987 classic Robocop is one of my all time favorite movies next to Scarface(1983), First Blood(1982), Goodfellas(1990), Braveheart(1995), The Exorcist(1973), Animal House(1978) and The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie(1979). When I first saw this movie in 1988 when I was 12, I was in for a time of my life. As for the first Robocop(forget the sequels), Old Detroit has become a violent wonderland of criminal activity. New officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) and Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) are partners in a police force under siege from OCP, a company that wants to turn Old Detroit into a Metropolis kind of place. Whilst pursuing particularly bloodthirsty and disgusting badguys, led by the reprehensible Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith), whom had some of the funniest lines ever uttered by a villain in film, Murphy is captured, tortured, shot full of holes and killed. This scene is rather disturbing to watch for those who don't like violence. After his death, Murphy becomes ROBOCOP. Murphy now has a mechanical body and becomes a walking weapon of mass destruction! He in initially goes out to clean up the streets and uphold the law. However, the scientists forgot that he was human and Robocop subsequently has a flashback to the night that his human form was killed and is later haunted by memories of his wife and son. The nightmare sequence sets up one of the best revenge films I've ever seen next to the first First Blood. ROBOCOP then finds out the sinister secrets of OCP's #2 man (Ronny Cox) after assaulting Clarence and must do battle with the ED-209, an earlier robotic crimefighter design with heavy-duty guns and missiles. The rest of the film is great too. I can't give more away, you have to watch. Highly recommended!

Rent the first movie now!!
Absolutely incredible! I liked peter weller as Robocop,mainly because his voice was a little quiet,wich I admire. I just love watching Robocop cream all the gang members and I never get bored of it,and the toxic waste guy.a perfect idea for the movie! I was home alone just flipping around the channels and I found the word robocop on the screen.I went ahead and checked it out,I had heard people say how violent it was and im only 13(so I was prepared..) I dropped in when the cops are first chaseing after the gang,and when they got to the gangs hide out where murphys hand like explodes from a little pistol,AS IF.Although it was still wheerdly entertaining,still I was suprised at how good it the movie was.one of the best of the 80's,rent the movie you will like it,I sware.

A good but violent film.
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD release of the film.

The plot is original for the time also.

After being killed, a police officer is brought back to life as a robot with superhuman strength.

This film is an interesting look at human memory and emotions as well as the idea on law enforcement of the future. The film is the unrated director's cut and includes violent scenes which were cut to avoid an MPAA X-rating. Though compared to the violence in today's films, it is not that graphic.

It is also an interesting look at large corporations and their potential to become corrupt, a bit ahead of its time but now apparent with the many reports in the news nowadays.

The death of officer Murphy and his 'rebirth' as a robot have been compared to the crucifixion and ressurrection of Jesus, by director Paul Verhoeven. He stated that he wanted the death scene to be as graphic as possible so the audience would have sympathy for him and not just think of him as a robot after his 'rebirth'
The scene where he discovers his old home, abandned by his widow and children is also touching and really is well written.

The DVD has excellent audio commentary by the director other crew. It also has storyboard/film comparisons. it has the teaser and theatcical trailers and an interactive essay that was origianlly in a film magazine.

This DVd remains out of print and is worth the $50 dollars it currently sells at for those who are fan of the movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

An inspired casting gimmick, a wonderful mood, a grown-up lovestory--all this in The Fabulous Baker Boys, but the only thinganybody ever talks about is Michelle Pfeiffer on top of a piano.Granted, it's a showstopper: clad in a slinky dress, Pfeiffer rollsaround on the Steinway while she purrs out a languid version of"Makin' Whoopee." Adding to the seductive vibe is the fact thatshe's not singing to the audience, but to the sullen piano player(Jeff Bridges) whose fancy she has captured. Bridges and his real-lifebrother, Beau, play two lounge entertainers whose act has grown stale;they're not above doing "Feelings" for the tourist crowd. They'vehired songbird Pfeiffer (who does her own sexy singing) to spice upthe routine, a strategy that pays off in spades. The three actorsare terrific, with the fabulous Bridges boys playing neatly offtheir own sibling rhythms. Writer-director Steve Kloves captures thefeel of second-rate Seattle clubs, and Dave Grusin's jazzy scorekeeps propelling the film forward. The story itself might have comefrom a 1940s romance, yet Kloves and his actors keep it unusuallymodern and thoughtful. And then there's Michelle Pfeiffer rollingaround on top of a piano.... --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Makin' Whoopee
31 years of playing piano together has taught Frank and Jack Baker a few things. But, there are some things that they could only learn from their new singer, Susie Diamond.

Jeff and Beau Bridges are exceptionally cast as the brothers and Michelle Pfeiffer makes the screen sizzle. Add a terrific musical score by jazz great, Dave Grusin and you've got a terrific movie for the grown-ups in the house.

This truly is Jack's story... a moody musician with an aversion to commitment anywhere in his life. And he runs behind a tough-guy skin when he finds himself falling for Susie. We are left with an ambiguous ending as writer/director Steve Kloves weaves clever dialogue with a stark, realistic lifeline.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Bridges really burn up the screen with a New Years rendition of MAKIN' WHOOPEE. Their sexual energy envelopes the song. Pfeiffer does an excellent job singing (the last time she sang onscreen was in the horrid GREASE 2).

A brilliant character study, THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS really fill the seats.

The DVD has a shaky video transfer, but the audio sounds pretty good.

That's What You Get, Folks, for Makin' Whoopee
4 1/2 stars

As the piano-playing "Baker Boys" of the title, Beau and Jeff Bridges play like they're brothers -- which they are. The Baker Boys, who have seemingly forever been playing muzak-style piano, accompanying each other, and making the smallest of small talk in a two piano-act, are out of gas. So, they decide to hire a "girl singer," to win back Seattle audiences ... and bookings.

The sequence in which the brothers audition would-be singers is the funniest of its kind ever filmed. But while this movie has some wonderful laughs, it is not, ultimately, a comedy.

Screenwriter-director Steve Kloves' debut is dominated by an actress named Michelle Pfeiffer, and by a sultry, smoky, saloon singer named ... Micheller Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer does all her own singing, and she's joy! (Warning: Although the wonderful soundtrack mixes Dave Grusin's cool jazz score with works from the Great American Songbook, don't buy the cd, as much of the best music is left off of it.)

Like Sinatra singing a Harold Arlen torch song, this one doesn't miss a beat.