Reviews (2)

Good Documentary
This Documentary was good because they focus on his career more than his trouble life. That being said I would rate this Documentary of a grade C+ because I believe they should focus equally on his life and career to give the audience who watches this documentary a whole understanding of how his life was affected by losing his mother and a father who was distant from him.

Forever James Dean
This is a great video about the short but legendary life of James Dean. It contains pieces of several interviews of friends, actors, and other people who knew James well. It also shows stunning scenes from James' three movies that will forever be remembered. You'll learn of James' complex life: from his grief-filled childhood to his fatal accident. You'll see in depth stories of his life which show just how much of fascinating person Dean truly was. The only set back of the film is its length. At only 69 minutes, I don't think you can get nearly as much information about Dean's life than you should from a movie all about this legend. The movie should have been longer, with more of the interviews and scenes and other stories. However, you still will be very pleased after watching the film; I was in tears for most of it. Why?- you'll have to see for yourself. I strongly urge you to buy "Forever James Dean" if you are a die-hard fan or if you are just a little interested about this star, or as the movie describes him: "a comet of Holloywood". After watching this film, your heart will be gasping for air, and you'll be left in awe only wanting to see and learn more about James Dean. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bob Hope at his best!
Mr. Hope stars as Freddie Hunter, a reporter who is chaperoning a troop of scouts aboard a ocean liner. The scouts see it as their duty to save Freddie from himself by making sure he doesn't smoke, drink or enjoy the hug of a woman "other than his Mom". The fact that the head boy of the troop is the son of Freddie's boss doesn't help Freddie when he decides to flirt with the Duchess Alexandria. But women are the least of Freddie's troubles. There is a killer on board. This killer decides to frame Freddie for his murderous deeds. Fortunately, there is a detective on board, hot on the trail of the true murderer, but wait, Freddie discovers the body of the murdered detective. How will Freddie prove his innocence? This is an entertaining film for the whole family. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves, Jim Backus and Roland Young. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy this wonderful movie!.

Funny movie,awful print
The dvd of this is a real let-down.The picture quality is really washed out.If you can put up with this,Hope is on good form,the story is above average and Jack Benny's brief appearance is a hoot.Shame about the transfer,though...

A young viewer
Bob Hope is wonderful in this delightful movie. I recomend it to everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Rescued From Gilligans Isle!!!!
The rescue from Gilligans Island was one of the best episodes of Gilligans Island (even though it was a reunion show). It had the same antics of each of the castways. Especially Gilligan. When they find out there is a huge storm going to hit the island they build a raft with one of the huts on it. Mrs. Howell -as the storm was approaching- told everyone that they left their dog outside. Gilligan not thinking runs out into the storm to get the dog. As he runs out the door Mrs. Howell remembers she left the dog at home. The castaways believe Gilligan is lost forever until he is found floating behind them. Soon the coast guard finds them they are took back to civilization and go there seperate ways except Gilligan and the Skipper. GIlligan and the skipper want to buy a boat but they cant without the signatures of the other five castaways. They find each castaway and ask them to come to this big party they have for the launching of their boat they take another 3 HOUR TOUR!! Which they get lost at sea again and get stuck on their own island.

Rescue from Gilligan's Island DVD Review
6 of 7 original castaways are back in action to finally get rescued, in this 1978 movie (originally shown on TV in two big ratings episodes). The only non-original castaway in this movie is Ginger. It's apparent the producers of this movie weren't impressed with Tina Louise choosing not to be involved in Gilligan reunions when they give her replacement horrible, unfunny one-liners.

All in all, this movie isn't as good as one of the original episodes, although it is fun to see how the castaways finally get off the island, and what happens to them as they return to their old lives.

The DVD itself is disappointing in that no effort was made to clean up the picture or sound. Some scenes are so poorly spliced together that you miss a few words of dialogue.

The "extras" on this DVD would have been better off not being included. There's an old Little Rascals episode, and a overly simple 10 question trivia game. Lastly, they include a DVD Glossary of terms. There's no Gilligan related extras...something that would have been a nice bonus for Gilligan fans looking for more info on this movie, and some of the other reunion movies that were made.

All in all though, buying this DVD is likely the only way to see this movie, as most video stores wouldn't carry old made for TV movies. In the future, it would be nice if someone would spend a little time and money to actually restore these types of movies instead of just quickly trying to release them asap to the public.

This movie is nice for Gilligan fans, but don't expect to convert anyone into being a Gilligan fan by showing them this DVD.

Fun reunion movie
I saw this reunion TV-movie when it was first broadcast on NBC in 1978. I recently bought the first-season "Gilligan" DVD set, and my young son has long been curious about how the castaways finally got off the island. So when I came across this entry for five bucks, I couldn't resist.

The Amazon.com customers' complaints that are already posted here are quite valid. The movie's DVD version is indeed poorly edited, and the generic DVD "extras" are nothing to write home about. On the plus side, if you're a bonafide "Gilligan" fan, there's enough first-class silliness to justify watching this, even for a second time. The characters are still true to their one-note origins, and even though spoilsport Tina Louise is replaced by the lesser Judith Baldwin, she looks darned good wet.

Who are you kidding? Fork over the five bucks and indulge your inner child!

great movie bad bad dvd
i rate the movie four stars and the dvd 1 star. my opinion is you get what you paid for. this dvd is a cheap price because the movie is very poor quality. there is one scene where a icecream cone just appears in gilligan's hands out of nowhere. even people who never seen this movie can tell where the scenes are CUT OUT.

Absolutely Horrible...
I have been a fan of Gilligan's Island for the last 30 years and when I finally received this DVD, I thought it was the next best thing to sliced bread. I was wrong though... As is stated by other customers here, the editing was absolutely horrible. A lot of the scenes were cut and it just ruined the whole movie. I gave it two stars because it is always good to see the cast of Gilligan's Island perform and this specific DVD did them no justice whatsoever. Shame on you to dishonor those actors and actresses that made Gilligan's Island as famous as it is today... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For Twiggy fans only!
This DVD is made from a not-very-mint print of a film (the film just starts abruptly...no company credits. As if no one wanted to take responsibility). A weak "comedy" farce about a ad executive (Tom Smothers) who must come up with a brassiere ad campaign on the day of his daughter's wedding (are you laughing yet?).

After a hit on the head, Smothers sees his dream-girl, one 30's flapper by the name of Polly, played by Twiggy. Twiggy is invisible to everyone but Smothers and the entire film is devoted to all the predictable entaglements that can be mined from such a set-up.

The film has that slightly hazy look of bad 70's TV shows, the pacing of this comedy is sluggish in the extrememe, and the acting styles vary from character to character. Twiggy and the low-budget recreations of 30's musicals her character inspires are the only saving graces of the film. She is a delight throughout and the only reason to own this rarity (oddity). Super cheap DVD package, no extras, bad sound and can I again mention that fuzzy cinematography? ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1962 special marked the last hurrah of Mr. Magoo, who starred in 43 cartoon shorts, including two Oscar® winners, from the UPA Studio between 1949 and 1959. Magoo appears as Scrooge in a Broadway production of "A Christmas Carol" in this minimally animated hour. The play-within-the-show features forgettable songs by Jules Styne and Bob Merrill: Tiny Tim ("played" by the animated character Gerald McBoing-Boing) sings, oddly, of "razzle berry dressing" and "woofle jelly cake." This retelling of Dickens's holiday standard is much tamer than Richard Williams's Oscar-winning adaptation: the ghosts aren't scary, nor does Magoo confront the specters of Ignorance and Want. Small children who might be frightened by more dramatic versions of the story will enjoy this mild program. And the self-satisfied chuckles and bromides Jim Backus gives Magoo in his lighter moments remain as delightful as ever. This film is suitable for ages 6 and older. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (81)

An Extremely Enjoyable Movie
We make it a tradition in our house to watch this movie on Christmas - and we're Jewish! This is a funny cartoon version of A Christmas Carol, which has Mr. Magoo starring as Scrooge in a theatrical production (in the classic show within a show tradition). The songs are cute (yes, it's a musical) and the story remains intact, although shortened. The Tiny Tim here is the cutest one I've seen in any version of A Christmas Carol - in fact this is one of the best versions out there.

Thank you, THANK YOU!
I humbly wish to thank Good Times Video for re-releasing this holiday treasure--and I write these words well into January. I ordered this DVD in a fit of nostalgia, and as I watched it for the first time since I was a child, I felt tears streaming down my face. I soon realized I hadn't seen this wonderful program since I believed in Santa Claus! I couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 since that last time I saw it, yet it has stuck in my mind and heart ever since--the INCREDIBLE Stine/Merrill score, the wonderfully "early 60s" animation style, the faithful retelling of the Dickens classic, the adorable Tiny Tim, the terrific voice performances by Jim Backus, Jack Cassidy, and many others. "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" might not have been the most sophistically animated Christmas special ever broadcast, but its warm heart and passionate script make it one of the most truly unforgetable (and beautiful) TV experiences of my lifetime. If you have a family with small children, perhaps ages 5 and up, order this program and enjoy it with them. Perhaps they too will have a holiday memory that will last as strongly as mine. Thank you, Good Times Video and Amazon--no make that an uppercase THANK YOU--for blessing me with this cartoon classic that I feared was lost forever. And those songs..........those wonderful,loving, memorable songs!

The best "Christmas Carol" available
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol has been my favorite retelling of the classic Dickens story for years, but I was always embarrassed to admit it, given the simplistic presentation. Finally, I realized that it was that very simplicity, and brevity, that makes this version so appealing. Without benefit of Technicolor storybook pictures or breath-taking effects, these animated characters give an honest, concise telling of the story of Scrooge's redemption.

Any animated feature is only as good as the voices that speak for the characters and this one is chock-full of winners. Jim Backus moves beyond his usual Mr. Magoo voice to find new colors to fit Scrooge's character. The transformation from penny-pinching miser to good-hearted soul via a Scrooge terrified by the visitations is complete. Jack Cassidy is a sympathetic Bob Cratchit and the multi-talented June Foray (of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame) is the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Surprisingly, even in a 52-minute format this version sticks carefully to the Dickens story line and retains all the essential story elements, something that cannot be said for the majority of the filmed versions which feel compelled to "explain" Dickens with extraneous dialogue and scenes. The only addition -- other than the preliminary play-within-a-play set-up that shows Mr. Magoo arriving at the theatre to get ready to go on stage - is the songs. And what delightful songs they are! "The Winter Was Warm" is a beautiful ballad, "I'm All Alone in the World", sung as a duet between the old and young Scooge is a real tear-jerker, and the "La, La" chorus of the rag-pickers, has me laughing just as much now as it did the first time I saw this in the early '60's. What is it about those wide open mouths and visible tonsils in close-up?

Viewing Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol at least once (usually more) each year is part of my Christmas celebration.

TRULY A TREAT!!!
This is a super special. It has the warmth of Christmas and for people my age, it has a bunch of memories of the sixties. A delight to watch each year. It aired on NBC back in 1962 at 7:30 - 8:30 on Tuesday night December 18th. This is another classic holiday special that people need in their homes for the holiday. This DVD is a must.

OH, MAGOO! YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN!
Over the years adaptations of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Charles Dickens' immortal Christmas classic have become a hobby of mine. There have been some great ones but one is surprisingly good and should be a part of the collection of any serious Scrooge-a-phile.

I remember seeing MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL when it debuted on network television in 1962. Though I was a child it made an indelible mark that was never to be forgotten. It ranks right up there with the original animated HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS and is as charming, original and wonderful as it was when I first saw it. It is now a favorite of my children as well.

Additionally, MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL features a soundtrack of songs that are wonderful. Composed by Broadway legends Jule Styne and Bob Merrill of FUNNY GIRL fame, the songs will become some of your favorites for the holiday season. Add to that the vocal talents of the great Jim Backus (Gilligan's Island), Morey Amsterdam (The Dick Van Dyke Show), and Jack Cassidy and June Foray (The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle) and you have an unbeatable and classic holiday triumph.

Douglas McAllister ... Read more

Description

This 6-DVD set includes Rebel Without a Cause, North by Northwest, Singin' in the Rain, The Bad and the Beautiful, Designing Woman, and Ben-Hur. ... Read more