Reviews (8)

The worst of the seven but a solid purchase nonetheless
While I normally don't deride others comments on these boards, I have to thoroughly disagree with the earlier writer who said that seasons six and seven were the only ones worth watching.NBC made an attempt to make the show more accessible to fans of shows such as NYPD Blue and Law and Order, it doesn't hold a candle to the earlier seasons.However, everyone is entitled to an opinion and here is mine.

While season six had a decent mix of the long standing characters (Pembleton, Bayliss, Munch, Louis) combined with Kellerman (who in my opinion was harder to replace than Pembleton in some ways) and bits of the new characters, season seven relies almost entirely on the "new and improved" NBC version of Homicide.

That means more Falsone, more Ballard, more Gharty combined with Sheppard.While Ballard and Gharty aren't bad characters, Falsone is pretty hard to swallow and Sheppard doesn't ever fit the show's image.It seems as if each character is attempting to replay a former character.Falsone resembles a less sympathetic Felton, Ballard is attempting to play a "sexy" Howard, and Gharty a more blue collar Bolander.None is as good as the original.Also, the long standing partnerships of characters drove the show in many ways (Pembleton/Bayliss, Bolander/Munch).It was almost a novelty to see the original cast team up with someone else such as when Louis was searching for partner to bridge the time between Crosetti and Kellerman.Now they sort of freelance with various partners, killing some of the strength of the dialogue of earlier seasons.

The reason to watch this season is the writing as well as the catharsis experienced by the Bayliss character.More than any other character, the character of Tim Bayliss is intrinsically connected to all the various incarnations of the show.Plus, the worst season of this show is still "very good" and the new characters are less bad characters as they are in the difficult position of following one of the greatest ensemble casts ever assembled during the first five years of the show's run.

Season Six and Seven have their great moments...
While the level of Seasons Six and Seven is not anywhere as consistently good as the earlier seasons, there is much to appreciate. Season Six's episode "Finnegan's Wake" is perhaps the best stand-alone episode of the series, and Season Seven offers the taut and moving "Lines of Fire" and, of course, the last words of Clark Johnson at the end of the last episode, bringing the series full circle from the first words of the first episode.

UK Fan Looks Forward To The Final Season
OK, I've scanned these reviews for snippets of info about Season 7. Channel 4 here in the UK dumped the show unceremoniously, after p***ing off every other fan by fannying around with the late night schedule, yadda yadda yadaa. Yes it was an outrage. But I digress.

I've pur-chased 1-6 and am now in the mid-6 post-Mahoney scandal, the whole Georgia Ray saga, which I enjoyed first time around too. Kellerman's tight wound performances are a joy to behold.

I look forward to seeing how Season 7 turns out. Pembleton's departure doesn't sound like too big a deal. It's an ensemble show after all, though how that pans out we'll have to wait and see.

But I have realised just how strong some of the earlier Seasons were - I can see me going back to the beginning all over again...

RATING seems to be mandatory so I've given it the only one I can.

Ends not with a whimper, but with a bang
Many fans and critics derided season seven of "Homicide" for one reason: the loss of Andre Braugher, who had felt that the character of Pembelton had been taken as far as possible.While it is disappointing to have "Homicide" without him, season seven is capable of standing on its own.Standout episodes include the two-part "Kellerman: PI," "Homicide.com," "La Famiglia," and the final episode, "Forgive Us Our Tresspasses."The twenty-two episodes are available on six discs and include:

La Famiglia
Brotherly Love
Just an Old Fashioned Love Song
The Twenty Percent Solution
Red, Red Wine
Wanted Dead or Alive: Parts One & Two
Kellerman, P.I.: Parts One & Two
Shades of Gray
Bones of Contention
The Same Coin
Homicide.com
A Case of Do or Die
Sideshow Part Two (Part One an episode of "Law & Order")
Truth Will Out
Zen and the Art of Murder
Self Defense
Identity Crisis
Lines of Fire
The Why Chromosome
Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Extras on the DVD set include:
Live Panel Discussion with Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson, James Yoshimura, and David Simon
Barry Levinson's Acceptance Speech for the 2004 Video Software Dealers Association Career Achievement Award
Commentary with Tom Fontana, Julie Martin, and James Yoshimura on the Episode "Forgive Us Our Trespasses"
Cast Biographies

While not exactly "loaded" with extras, this final season set is a necessary addition to any fan's collection, if only for the addition of Giancarlo Esposito and the unresolved plotline of the relationship between Gee and Mike which comes to a head in the movie.
Full of ups and downs, season seven isn't the greatest, but it was television at its finest, and no show has come close to achieving what "Homicide" did from beginning to end: tell gripping stories with a well-developed cast of characters that entertained for seven short years.

answer to clueless about HLOTS
In answer to the views of the obvious soap opera fan, how anyone could prefer the later charactors to the early crew, is truly beyond me. A true Homicide fan knows what made this the great show that it was, and that wasn't some hunky pritty boy actor, and the pat writing from those who came late to the writing staff. I have the first 6 seasons, and look forward to 7, even without Frank around the squadroom. It will be great to see the round up of the Bo Felton charactor,Daniel Baldwin. I just wish it would come out now... ... Read more

Reviews (27)

A pleasure to watch
A beautifully shot, low-key noir flick, MULHOLLAND FALLS is a pleasure to watch, despite a too predictable plot and sleepy pacing. I guess we're supposed to be more occupied by "mood" which is okay with me. This is the only film I've seen where Melanie Griffith gives a more than tolerable performance, and Nick Nolte is excellent as your grim, conflicted noir hero guy. Not nearly as emotionally wrenching or as well-written as CHINATOWN, and nowhere near the interesting, subtle and exciting LA CONFIDENTIAL, this is still a classy movie worth watching. The 1940s setting is almost too perfect, and oh my, what a car! Chazz Palminteri is excellent, despite the writers not giving us enough depth. The rest of the supporting cast is superb. A mellow murder mystery making for a great late-night watch, in the tradition of the film noir. Cheers.

A Cops vs. Federal Government story of murder

Format: Color
Not for sale to persons under age 18.
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: June 23, 1998

Cast:

Nick Nolte ... Max Hoover
Melanie Griffith ... Katherine Hoover
Chazz Palminteri ... Elleroy Coolidge
Michael Madsen ... Eddie Hall
Chris Penn ... Arthur Relyea
Treat Williams ... Colonel Nathan Fitzgerald
Jennifer Connelly ... Allison Pond
Daniel Baldwin ... McCafferty
Andrew McCarthy ... Jimmy Fields
John Malkovich ... General Thomas Timms

Kyle Chandler ... Captain
Ed Lauter ... Earl
Larry Garrison ... Perino's Maitre d'
Chelsea Harrington ... Lolita
Johnna Johnson ... Bar Woman
Rick Johnson ... Staff Car Sergeant
Britt Burr ... Staff Car Driver
Melinda Clarke ... Cigarette Girl
Ernie Lively ... Foreman
Richard Sylbert ... Coroner
Michael Krawic ... Assistant Coroner
Titus Welliver ... Kenny Kamins
Robert Peters ... Cop #1
Father William M. Thigpen ... Priest
Drew Pillsbury ... Chief's Assistant
Brad Hunt ... Guard
Aaron Neville ... Nite Spot Singer
Buddy Joe Hooker ... DC-3 Pilot
Eddie Caicedo ... Gasping Patient
Price Carson ... Honor Guard
Azalea Davila ... Perino's Girl
Sky Solari ... Perino's Girl
Alisa Christensen ... Spaghetti Girl
Bruce Dern ... The Chief
Rob Lowe ... Hoodlum
Johnny Martin ... Mafia Hitman
William L. Petersen ... Jack, Mafia Mobster
Sharmagne Leland-St. John ... Woman in Night Club
Louise Fletcher ... Esther

Max Hoover (Nick Nolte) is the head of a special police squad that is given carte blanche when it come to methods of running bad guys out of L.A., including throwing them off cliffs; hence the title: as one of the bad guys observed, "There are no falls on Mulholland Drive," Until of course, he discovers them as he falls down the cliff.

The instant crime which the story centers around is the death of a young woman, whose body, it turns out, is discovered to be radioactive, and was a paramour of General Thomas Timms (John Malkovich), who is in command of an Atomic Energy Commission base. The AEC and the FBI, on the one hand, and the LAPD on the other, head for an inevitable jurisdictional clash, in spades.

I will not divulge further details of the plot, except to say that it is rated "R" for language and violence--deservedly.

But, unlike several other reviewers, I found the film interesting and am watching it for the second or third time.

Perhaps not a "great" film, but certainly entertaining within its genre, and well acted and directed.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Mulholland...FALLS--Oh, NOW I get it!
Let's get to the good stuff about this movie before the real fun of dissecting it. For Nick Nolte fans, you'll enjoy it because he's good in it and cuts a swaggering figure in a fedora. For Jennifer Connally fans, this is a must have (you naughty boys) and you'll want to keep your finger hovering over the pause button. In the meantime, you'll be cursing the director for editing the heck out of that really good 8mm B&W movie starring the impressive Miss Connally and spending most of the film on something about radiation and men with hats in a shiny Buick. Even though this impenetrable storyline features the additional treat of one of the Baldwin brothers (Adam? Stephen??) getting the crap beat out of him, I still found it lacking since the complete footage of Miss Connally's kinky films were never found and fully displayed to their archival stature. Talk about an extra for your DVD edition!

Now for the bad stuff. The film tries for atmosphere, but only occasionally succeeds. The shot out at the A-bomb crater is impressive, but on the whole, the movie spends too long doing too little. Of the cast, only Nolte is given enough meat to excel. This is a strong cast, but with the exception of Nolte, they have little to do. Melanie Griffith looks fresh off collagen injections to enlarge her upper lip, sadly ruining her beautiful face. Lord help me, but I kept expecting her to go "quack!" Why is it some gorgeous women keep obsessing about their bodies-tattooes, piercing, injections, etc.? They are like masterpieces that continue to have work done to them and hence ruin their natural beauty (ahem, end soliloquy). And miscasting reaches new heights with uber-quirky John Malkovich as an Army General! Apparently they offered him the part in the B&W porno flick and he was theirs for whatever role nobody else wanted.

Well, I don't want to give away the ending, but for me , the whole movie FELL FLAT. My interest PLUMMETED in the climactic scene. So don't feel you should DROP EVERYTHING to go out and rent this movie.

entertaining
with a early 1950's flair, this los angeles police drama and suspense movie is no oscar winner, however a saturday afternoon a the movies would be good.
also after seeing the cast;

nick nolte
chazz palmenteri
bruce dern
kyle chandler
treat williams
william petersen
rob lowe

they could have had more of a movie, such as l.a.confidential
than this mess.

i liked it, up to a certain point.

Modern Film Noir... a classic!
This movie is NOT on the level of Chinatown, LA Confidential or some of the genuine film noir made in the late 40s.... however... if you enjoyed them, you will enjoy this one, and I give it 5 stars for the atmosphere, music, style, costumes, and story so typical of those other great films. ESPECIALLY interesting is Jennifer's portrayal of a "Black Dahlia" type character, pale blue eyes and all.... and Treat Williams role as a military thug, which he plays beautifully. The score by Dave Grusin is absolutely gorgeous and brings the perfectly beautiful shots of period Los Angeles and matching sets to life. Cinematography and sound is first rate. I can hardly wait to own this on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Life Everlasting
Whilst the final episode of the seventh season of Homicide: Life on the Street bookended the show - starting and ending in the same place - loose ends, or rather one very long loose end, was left dangling.

Homicide: The Movie picks up some months after the show ended and it's all change. Al Giadello want to be the Mayor of Baltimore, Gharty is the new shift commander, Bayliss uncertain of his future, is on a sabbatical. It's not giving away much to say that Gee gets shot and squad members past and present return to catch the shooter.

After the disaster of Season 7, the prospect of former cast members of the calibre of Andre Braugher, Ned Beatty and Melissa Leo was more than welcome. Sadly squeezing in so many past characters leaves many with little to do, whilst the main (and rather thin) plotline of Gee's shooting is just an excuse to get Braugher and the excellent Kyle Secor back on screen together. Not that that's a bad thing.

Watching familiar faces and listening to the long missed banter of the detectives reinforced the view that Homicide was strangely overshadowed by inferior, and less intelligent shows like NYPD Blue, and that it never quite got the credit it deserved.

Homicide: Life Everlasting
Homicide: Life Everlasting was the perfect way to wrap-up the show which lasted for 7 seasons on NBC. This two-hour movie originally aired during the month of February of 2000, reunites new and old member of the cast...some more than others in a very clever and subtle way.

The basic plot of the movie goes like this: Former Lt. Al Giardello of the Homicide Unit is running as a mayoral candidate for the city of Baltimore(or as pronounced in the actual city Bawlmer). Gee is shot while giving a speech at the Inner Harbor. He is rushed to the hospital and enroute to the hospital scenes are cut back and forth between each former or current Detective of the Homicide Unit who are informed of the incident including Andre Braugher(Det. Frank Pembleton)who has given up being a cop to teach and Kyle Secor(Det. Tim Bayliss)who had taken a leave-of-absence from the unit at the end of the series.

Other former members of the squad making appearances in the movie are Reed Diamond(Det. Mike Kellerman - now a P.I.),Melissa Leo(Sgt. Kay Howard), Richard Belzer(Det. John Munch), Clark Johnson(Det. Meldrick Lewis), Isabella Hoffman(Megan Russert), and Max Perlich(J.H. Brodie). Gee's son Mike Giardello also appears in the movie as a beat(street)cop after he left the FBI at the close of the series.

This movie is a must see for die-hard fans of the show longing to see former cast members that actually made the show great. And to leave you on an intriguing and interesting note: The ending is a complete SHOCKER!!! Don't miss out on getting this movie for anything in the world. It's the perfect thing for any die-hard Homicide fan and a movie no Homicide fan should be without.

Urban Tradgedy
This proved to be a worthy, if not tragic, ending for what diehard fans called "The Best D**n Show on Television." Being one of those fans, I was torn. On the one hand, I honestly felt "Homicide" didn't need a wrap-up movie. The ending of the televsion series, I thought, was about as satisfying as we fans were going to get under the circumstances.

On the other hand, well, it was my favorite show, for cryin' out loud! I wanted to see how the creators would put it to rest.

BTW, for those of you who didn't keep up with the televion series, this is NOT the DVD to start with! Start with "Seasons I and II" and work your way up!

Back to the review: The storyline is as follows: Al Giardello, former Homicide Unit L-T, is now running for Mayor of Charm City (On, if you can believe it, a drug legalization platform) and has a very impressive lead, that is until he's gunned down while giving a speech. All cast members are reunited as they struggle to investigate the shooting of their beloved "Gee" as he lies in intensive care.

At times, the writing is only mediocre and there are moments when the movie seemed preoccupied with giving every single reunited cast member a line or a scene. Nonetheless, the shocking and sad ending was worth every minute and has some incredible acting from Kyle Secor and Andre Braugher.

I wouldn't want to give anything away save this: the writers don't take the usual route and certainly do not wrap everything up with a "happily ever after" ending. And, looking back on the series, it makes all the sense in the world.

HOMICIDE
This is quite a good made for tv movie unlike the law and order movie (Exiled) WHICH SUCKED! i watched this show because it was a 2 part with law and order and i became as obsessed if not more than with law and order, there are NO bad not a 1, at least not the main characters. I wish this show hadn't been cancelled, i guess it was just to real and profit lacking, and not enough violence...i like how this show wasn't the solve the crime in an hr formula, and there is more than 1 set of detectives, with enough time for all, and still just enough time for sub-plots unlike NYPD which is 100% sub-plots...i cannot wait for the rest of the seasons!!
my favorite episodes (that i have seen)
Fire (1 and 2)
sniper (1 and 2)
Subway
the white glove murders (1-3)
justice (1-2)
three men and Adena
crosetti
the last of the watermen
happy to be here
gone for goode

P.S. Bring this mother****er back! lol dont we wish...

"Who's the fourth chair for?"
Returning on occasion to the job I left almost three years ago, and which I held for over four years, I am constantly reminded of how much things change. And the feeling of awkwardness and unease still permeates throughout each and every one of my visits. The place looks different. Many, if not most, of the faces have changed. Life has moved on without me there. Watching "Homicide: The Movie" evokes much the same feeling within me. The TV movie was produced only a short half-year after the series ended production, yet so much was different. The result is somewhat jarring, yet still acceptable. Life does, indeed, move on. Why should "Homicide" be any different?

The major driving force behind "Homicide: The Movie" was to reunite as many of "Homicide: Life on the Street's" cast members as possible. How does one accomplish this? The answer comes in the form of having a man that many of the characters liked (or at least respected) get shot down. Former Lt. Al Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) is running for mayor of Baltimore, when he is gunned down at a rally. He is rushed to the hospital, and news of his brush with death spreads quickly throughout the area. Soon, every single one of the living detectives who had worked in the Homicide unit during the series' run have returned to the squad room. Much has changed since the time that they were there. Only one of the show's original characters, Meldrick Lewis, is still an active detective in the unit. Stu Gharty, a man many people did not respect, is now the shift lieutenant. The squad room is painted blue. And Jason Priestley (of 90210 fame) has joined the cast as a brash, new detective.

The detectives (old and new) begin to investigate the shooting of Al Giardello. John Munch & Stanley Bolander (Richard Belzer & Ned Beatty) re-unite and work together, as do the popular Frank Pembleton & Tim Bayliss (Andre Braugher & Kyle Secor). If there is a problem with "Homicide: The Movie", it is that in its quest to bring together the over 20 regular and semi-regular (as well as guest-starring) members of the cast of the original show, the usage of that cast is spread very thin. In fact, as it was when the series was on the air, the plot basically revolves around Pembleton & Bayliss. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as they are two of the show's strongest characters. It is simply a matter of time allowance. It had been years since Ned Beatty had been on the show, and perhaps a bit more time devoted to his character wouldn't have been such a bad thing. Or that of Melissa Leo's strong role as Sgt. Kay Howard (another favorite). At any rate, it was interesting to see everyone come back together again, one last time -- even the "dead" characters.

There are some twists and turns in "Homicide: The Movie", as well as a couple of surprises. One of them is semi-predictable, if you'd followed the series up to its final episode. Still, it is devastating. The plot line of investigating Giardello's shooting progresses well enough, although sometimes it feels haphazard, as certain scenes are thrown in, simply for sake of providing something for each of the cast members to do. The last few scenes, once the shooting is solved, provide both a nice, and a not-so-nice coda for the characters that fans of the show grew to know and identify with over the series' seven season run.

In the end, "Homicide: The Movie" seems concerned with wrapping things up, and with tidying loose ends left over from the final episode. I'm not sure whether or not I like this. In many ways, the last episode left things in a way which seemed more natural. Not every answer was solved, not every character's destination was known. Now, with "The Movie", we have almost more answers and finality than I find desirable. It made me pine for the show's early years, when it was simply a deep, gritty, and heartfelt cop show. Ah, those were the days. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Talk about an opening. The first few minutes of John Carpenter's Vampires--in which James Woods's vampire killer leads a dawn raid on a New Mexico "goon nest" of bloodsuckers--not only suggests a horror movie that will not pull any punches, it even evokes some of the more disturbing dream-memories of American Westerns. Muscular and uncompromised, the sequence suggests a new Carpenter classic unraveling before one's eyes. Well, dream on. Things don't quite work out that way, but this is still a film to reckon with. There are a few serious (and surprising) misjudgments on the director's part, particularly a mishandling of Sheryl Lee's role as a prostitute poisoned by the bite of a "master vampire" (who pretty much wiped out Woods's team of goon terminators). But aside from some weaknesses, the action is jolting, the suggested complicity of the Catholic Church in destroying monsters is provocative, and the traces of Howard Hawks's continuing influence on Carpenter's storytelling are in evidence. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (229)

Vampires is the best.
I liked this movie. I usually hate vampire movies but this one was very good. It was funny and tough and didn't have to resort to sub-From Dusk Til Dawn type mayhem that Blade did as it had a plot also. It's not too gory either. Sure KNB do some great make-up effects but it's not like the gore is the only entertainment of the movie. Blade and FDTD relied on the gore to entertain too often. Carpenter has made a Vampire movie that seems more realistic than that.

This movie is stangely light-hearted for a vampire/horror flick. Don't get me wrong though, it's best that way. There is a lot of cool dialogue too and Daniel Baldwin's performance is one of his best. I love desert set movies and this one gives us some great cinematography and gorgeous scenery. The music is also light-hearted in a way but can also be spooky at time. Carpenter always comes up with great tunes and his guitar riff and 'Roadhouse Blues' approach to the genre gives a whole new feel. Plus James Woods shines in the way that only he can do.

The DVD has a boring commentary (Carpenter has no one to talk to), a trailer and the cover claims it contains a photo gallery also but unless it's an easter egg it ain't there. The picture is in pretty good 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and the sound is Dolby 5.1. It'd be cool if Columbia released a Superbit of this movie.

"John Carpenter's Vampires"
Vampires (R)
James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Tim Guinee.
Directed by: John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A famous vampire slayer is forced to hunt down the first vampire. With his team slaughtered, and time running out. He must stop this vampire before a black cross allows the vampire to walk in the daylight.
Special Features: Feature Length Commentary, Trailer.
Review: This film opened with the highest Halloween opening ever, and sold like nobodies business on home video. Master slayer Jack Crow's entire team except sidekick Daniel Baldwin are slaughtered by the original vampire caused by a reverse exorcism by the catholic church that was never finished. This master vampire searches for the black cross to finish the ceremony that would then enable him to walk in the daylight. Crow and sidekick use a bitten hooker to hunt down the vampire due to her psychic link to him. This bloody vampire film is well written, stylish, and just the ticket for horror fans. I jumped out of my skin at the split in half killing. The acting is on James Woods scowling owns the picture he is one of the greatest tough guys ever in this film, Daniel Baldwin is excellent as the no bull sidekick with a soft spot, Sheryl Lee is on as the turning hooker, Tim Guinee as the reluctant priest, Thomas Ian Griffith as the Valic, and Maximillian Schell as the bishop, they are all in top form. Carpenter's direction is slick and he has an eye for spooky sights. This film gets better every time I watch it. As for the DVD? Well the commentary is cool, but couldn't they have added a little more to it? Disappointing, but the film makes it worthwhile. Where's the special edition?

A Refreshingly Different Vampire Movie!!
John Carpenter takes Vampires to a whole new level in this excellent movie! If you want to see a traditional vampire movie, this is not for you! If you want action and lots of it then this is the best vampire movie for you! Jack Crow (James Woods) and his vampire slayers are ready for action, and the first 20 minutes of this movie shows them at work killing the vampires in their own hideout, even though the head vampire should be there he is nowhere to be found. They don't have to wait long because the head vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) finds them and kills most of Crow's vampire slayers, So Crow and Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) with the help of Katrina (Sheryl Lee) a hooker who was at the party which Valek interupted go in search of him and with the help of the Church they hope to finally be rid of Valek.

Greatest vampire movie ever done
I love this movie because of the guns,musics,story,place,James Woods and Daniel Baldwin.Guns:there are lots of good guns in this movie bowgun,spear,rifles.Musics:John Carpenters great west acoustic guýtarre style.story:vampires are in every where on this world and there are hunters to kick them down.place:movie takes places in very good states Texas,New Mexico James Woods and Daniel baldwin:they are very charismatic actors. I watched this movie about 22 times this is the one of the greatest movies that cant forgot in my whole life.

Movie Blows
This movie is one of the worst vampire movies I've ever seen. It's horrible and worse than cheesy. It's another film that portrays the evil vampire and the master that needs to be killed because he's so old and powerful that blah blah freakin blah. The way they drag the vampires out into the sun and how they burst into flames is really dumb with horrible effects. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

'Modern Classic' and the Hard Road of Life
This is a much deeper more evolved movie than most realize at first glance. On the surface, its a simple action adventure movie about the little guy vs. the BIG corporation. It has enough action in it to satisfy the action movie buff many times over with everything from exploding motorcycles to jumping off of rooftops. On a more subtle level, character development is strong and quick. The internal demons that haunt Harley Davidson (Mickey Rourke) and the Marlboro Man (Don Johnson) are very real bringing these characters to life. Their moral dilemmas and loyalty to themselves, each other and their friends are believable. The movie does take the 'action' movie formula: Good Guys versus Bad Guys but includes an element often not seen in 'classic action' movies where the good guys actually have flaws. This movie is more 'classical' in that respect where the villian is the villian, but the good guy isn't perfect. For a comparative type movie, 'The Replacement Killers' is a good example: Action Movie where the 'good guys' aren't necessarily all that good but 'Do the Right' thing. Another way to view it would be 'Robin Hood' meets the 21st Century. This is must have 'Classic' of eighties film making. Amazingly deep dialog for an 'action' movie. It includes excellent cameo performances by Chelsea Field, Vanessa Williams, and Tia Carrera. The last three lines of the movie are classic in themselves: Harley: 'Hey, where you headed?', Girl: 'Nowhere Special.', Harley: 'Get on, I'll take you there'.

ride on!!!!!!!
simply put when i was 9 yrs old and heard that opening song "wanted dead or alive" while harley (mickey rourke) is burnin across the desert, i was a fan for life.... though now i wondered why they didn't pick ccr's "run thru the jungle" for the opening credits...

Butch & Sundance Adaptation
Mickey Rourke is Harley (Butch Casidy) and Don Johnson is the Marlboro Man (Sundance Kid), two struggling men who reunite to help out their friends. With crystal clear spoofs on scenes and dialog from "Butch Cassidy & The Sundace Kid", this movie is the essence of a buddy action flick from the late 80's and early 90's. A cast worthy of "School Ties" tags along, including Tia Carrera, Tom Sizemore, Dan Baldwin, Vanessa Williams, WWF Wrestler: Big John Stud, and quite a few familiar faces from likewise action movies. While it was a little sad to see two actors, both of whom at one time were considered to be at the top of their occupation, drudging along in a movie more suited for Steven Segal and Dolph Lungren, it's also fun to see them handle the parts with skill and a balance that keeps things from getting down right stupid. Tom Sizemore, who plays the bad guy steals the show as a smooth talking, sinister, drug pusher, that has zero fear of a biker and his cowboy buddy. All in all this is a great flick for those nights you just can't seem to get to sleep, which is exactly when the television stations play it.

Classic Movie - badly publicised
What a great movie! Two cool dudes, one excellent bike, great support, good story and cinematography......and then a lousy bloody trailer which probably kept the vast majority away from seeing this movie when it launched and so stopped it becoming a far bigger hit than it ever was.
Great, escapist fun. Turn the lights out, turn the surround sound to 10, couple of cold tinnies and just watch the opening few minutes...woow, what a bike! and a great opening track with Jovi at their best!

A man's movie
"Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" is one of those frat house movis that only guys who's diet is mostly pizza and beer could like, and I ate it all up. This is a pretty simple movie; a pair of loseres rob a bank to help a buddy save his bar, except that they accedentlly stole a new designer drug. From there the two go through Los Angles's Century City to Los Vagas casinos and back again being chased by men in bullet proof black jackets. The two leads, Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson, have a very witty repore between them, raunchy, but funny, and at least as good a team as Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. So this movie is not for everyone, but it is underappriciated and should be givin a chance; although if you're a woman without thick skin, you might want to stay away. ... Read more

Description

Nancy Archer has had an alien encounter and it?s left her 50 ft. tall! Now she sees the men in her life from a new angle - looking down on them - and it?s time to fight back. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

cult movie in the making
Who the hell would remake the 1960's turkey starring Allison Hayes? HBO, that's who!

Daryl Hannah makes for the perfect new giantess in this fine update of ATTACK OF THE 50FT WOMAN.

In the tiny Western town of Archer, Nancy Archer (Daryl Hannah - SPLASH, STEEL MAGNOLIAS) lives under the thumb of her wealthy father, Hamilton, and her philandering husband Harry (Daniel Baldwin - KNIGHT MOVES, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY). For years they have chipped away at her self-esteem, making her feel very small, but all that's about to change...

A chance-encounter with a UFO leads to Nancy growing into a 50-ft giantess, and she goes on a mission of delicious revenge against her louse of a spouse.

Needless to say, the material has not aged well. The creaky plot is slow-moving and only gets going during the last 15 minutes during the "killing spree" sequence. But no doubt this little film has it's appreciative audience, who love the film for what it is....a fun little piece of fluffy schlock!

With Frances Fisher, Cristi Conaway and William Windom.

They made 'em better in the 50s...
So I was browsing through the TV guide when I came upon a listing for ATTACK OF THE 50 FT WOMAN. Could this be that 50's science-fiction film that I've always been meaning to see but never got the chance? Well, turns out it was an HBO made-for-TV remake and, having just seen it, I can almost guarentee that I'll never watch it again...

The main problem with it is that the film is way too short on action and heavy on uninteresting soap-opera rubbish. Daryl Hannah does what she can with the material but I never at once felt sorry for the her, which is what the script tried to keep hammering in. In fact, for the first half of the film, we only get two brief glimpses of a flying saucers (both not very impressive... I still prefer Ed Wood's paper plates on strings). Finally, when Hannah's character starts growing, the narrative is given a brief jolt, but not enough to make it that interesting... It's basically just more of the same old but with Hannah getting increasingly bigger.

When the action finally does kick in near the end, it's not particuarly satisfying... I'm not sure how this compares to the 50s original but I doubt it's as ineptly staged and dull as this remake... Despite the title, the 50-foot woman here never really does any attacking... she just strolls down the street and we get a bunch of close-ups of people screaming and running around blindly... I'm not expecting her to act like Godzilla and smash the place up (although that would have been appreciated) but the way that these climactic scenes were handled were pretty disappointing. There's also a brief encounter with a pair of helicopters that produces similarly mundane results... Perhaps the best scene in the movie is when Hannah peers over a Drive-in movie theater where they're showing clips from the original ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN... It's a shame that I wasn't watching that one instead...

And that's the real problem with this film... There's nothing really all that satisfying about it, except for the novelty of watching a 50-foot tall scantily clad woman cause a curiously restrained amount of havoc, if you could even call it that... Daniel "the forgotten" Baldwin is fairly amusing as the slime-ball husband, but that's about it. Right before the credits at the end of the film, we get a few brief paragraphs on the characters and what happened to them after the film ended... The fact that I could care less about what was written there speaks worlds about my indifference to this film...

Better than the original.
Remakes can never compare to the original film. This one is the exception. I found the 1993 Attack of the 50ft woman to be much more entertaining and funnier than the original. Plus a lot of women can relate to the characters in this movie. The movie is mostly a statement about how mistreated women are around the world, yet it doesn't go too far and totally attack men and make them all villans like other feminist movies. Hannah who plays Mrs. Archer does a great job as a cheated and mistreated wife who never gives up on trying to save her relationship with her low life husband played by Daniel Baldwin. Hannah has an encounter with a UFO and then grows giant and eventually realizes that she is tired of being pushed around. There are many funny situations and characters in this remake. In my opinion, I thought that VICTORIA HAAS stole the show as she played a cute, tom boy, deputy named Charley. The most funniest scenes in the movie involved Haas(i wonder why she never came out with any more films). Well, this film is wildly entertaining. The ending was a little disapointing and didn't explain the scene in the beginning, but I still recommend this film.

Daryl Hannah finally hits the big time in this HBO remake
"Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" finds Daryl Hannah in the titular role of this HBO remake of the 1958 exploitation cult classic. Director Christopher Guest goes whole heartedly for a retro Fifties look in this 1993 which tries to take the best parts (so to speak) of the original and enlarge the rest into a feminist allegory. Once again the story is about poor little heiress Nancy Archer (Hannah), who has been abused all of her life by men from her father, Hamilton Cobb (William Windom) to her swarmy husband, Harry (Daniel Baldwin), who is devoting his limited attention to local bad girl, Honey Parker (Cristi Conaway). Out driving around in the desert to relieve her sexual frustration, Nancy encounters a flying saucer that zaps her, thereby starting the growth process that will level off at the 50 ft. level (note: the original is "Foot" but the remake is "Ft."). The teleplay by Joseph Dougherty (who did his first script for "thirtysomething") borrows as much from "The Feminist Manifesto" as it does from "King Kong." What becomes important is that not even the U.S. military is going to stop Nancy from getting some much needed attention from hubby Harry. Sure, she could do a lot better than Harry, but that is not suppose to be the final payoff of this little feminine fantasy.

This remake does not have the same sort of tacky charm that makes the original so compelling. But there is still the great unanswered question from both of these films as to how the giant woman's underwear manages to keep up with her growth spurt. Daryl Hannah is a lot angrier than Allison Hayes was in the original, and it was the latter's decided sense of disinterest during the final rampage (along with the cloth bikini) that made it one of the enduring images of Fifties science fiction. Ultimately, this is more Guest's film as director, because the entire art direction and visual style of the film is as much a homage to the genre in the Fifties as the original storyline. The remake does not stand alone because there is too much that works off of the original to allow that to happen, so you have to have seen the 1958 version to fully appreciation this one. The main thing is that "Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" does not take itself seriously, and that makes up for a lot of the film's shortcomings.

Attack of the 50ft. Woman
Nancy Archer (Darryl Hannah) is a rich but troubled young woman, who is married to a cheating lowlife who only stays with her for her money. One night, she is driving home by herself, when an alien spaceship lands on the road. She is irradiated by the ship and over the next few days, starts to grow taller and taller, until she reaches a height of 50 feet. She uses her newfound height (and power) to take revenge on those who have wronged her - especially her sleazy husband Harry (Daniel Baldwin) and the trashy, gold-digging bimbo (Christi Conaway) he has taken up with.

This HBO made-for-cable remake of the 1957 cult classic of the same name is updated with an even more feminist slant and has a more thoughtful (and clever) script. The effects and acting are still every bit as cheesy though. ... Read more

Description

Get spooked silly when Chevy Chase and Demi Moore take a wrong turnpike exit and find "hanging judge" Dan Aykroyd and "constable" John Candy in a bizarre New Jersey burg. Year: 1990 Director: Dan Aykroyd Starring:Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Demi Moore, John Candy ... Read more

Reviews (82)

"Dumb, not funny, not scary, but still entertaining
It's true what critics say. Nothing But Trouble isn't Chevy Chase's, John Candy's, and Dan Aykroyd's best comedy though it still entertains. It truly is a lot like Beetlejuice though the ending is horrible. Chevy Chase stars as Chris, a stock market whiz and millionaire who wants to go to Atlantic City with investment lawyer Demi Moore. However, one small violation (Candy plays the cop who brings them in) leads them to Valikenvania, a whole place filled with wrecked yards and a big unclean mansion. In there theyfind the 106 year old Alvin Valkenheiser (Aykroyd), a judge with a extreme grudge for bankers (he thinks Chase is a banker) and has ways to punish people for breaking the law. And as Moore and Chase run through booby traps and rooms, they meet up with several ugly-looking characters (especially those two dirty fat man who Aykroyd plays). John Candy also has another role as Valkenheiser's daughter (that's right, he has a girly part). The script is not Academy-Award deserving but it's not the worst script you've ever read. It's not a complete all star cast but who cares. Aykroyd looks horrible in the movie and though some things are way too unbelievable, I thought it was an an entertaining and creepy movie with a little comedic twist thrown in. You should probably rent it first before you buy it. This is the kind of movie that'll be boring the fourth or fifth time you watch it.

Thought it was great!
Chevy Chase and Demi are on their way to Atlantic City and then they get pulled over by a small town cop and the fun begins from there. The cop tells them they have to follow him to the court house and the judge will make a decision on their punishment. They judge decides they have to stay the night and appear in court the next morning but during the night they try to escape and get caught in the fun house. Lets just say this is not a normal house.

Every since I was a kid I thought this movie was so funny. It just cracks me up! John Candy, Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase your basic 80's comedy team together in this film. They all have parts that are just hilarious and then you add Demi Moore. Also in one part of the movie there is appearance by 2PAC. He is in the band the is playing in the courtroom to avoid getting sent to jail.

I will watch this movie whenever it is on cause I can't help but laugh. Watch this and you will know what I mean!

All I Can Say Is Not So Good
You would think with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd in it,it would be pretty good.It turned out it wasn't that good as you would expect. I would forget this one,its just boring.

GARBAGE
worst movie ever. its full of good actors. you watch it hopeing it will get better but it never does. dont waist your time on it. i dont give it a star but thats the lowest i can give it

This movie scares me
It scares the crap out of me, actually. It's not so much a comedy as the embodying fear of being trapped in a nightmarish junk house populated my mutants, psychos and Chevy Chase. It's not what you would expect from the usual Aykroyd or Chase movie, but it is surreal and unique. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One ticked off Ant
This certainly wasn't what I expected from a stuart gordon film but it worked nonetheless. Gone are the sci-fi trimmings of re-animator, dagon etc..and in its place is somewhat of a character study. Our subject is sean crowly, who we find painting houses. There he meets Duke (played by the ever rotund George Wendt but in a sinister turn). Its an ill fated meeting as it sets in motion a turn of events from which there is no escape. Before we know it, crowly has killed a man for money, only the people who hired him say they didn't really want him to kill the guy. They don't pay. Crowly's guilt sets in when he realizes the guy he killed was a model citizen. The folks who put out the hit get nervous and decide to tenderize crowly abit. Revenge ensues.
This one was solid from the top down. The acting was good. Once george wendt went from good duke to bad duke, there was no hint of his norm character from cheers to be found. The guy who played crowly was good to. I haven't seen him anywhere before but the kid has a future. Theres one of the baldwin brothers in this one too, the older fatter one from john carpenter's vampires. Maybe he can get out from the shadows of his brothers now. He brings his corrupt real estate developer character to life. Direction is good.
Gore:Theres a good amount of red sauce flying around but its more about the sounds in this one. As the golf clubs are put to one guys head, the sound of the bones popping will make you cringe.
T&A: Kari wuher naked as usual. Crowly rolls around in his bed naked whilst having bad dreams.

A King of Films
This is more like a drama that becomes a horror film because of the horrific events that follow. The film so disturbed major studios that they refused to produce it (source: the Featurrette on the DVD). I really liked it but it was disturbing. The main character is a likeable twentysomething man who takes odd jobs where he can. Eventually he's offered and accepts a shady job. And... Just when we've grown to like guy, he proceeds to commit a despicable act and then gets double-crossed for it. How he gets double-crossed and what is done after makes the intense meat of this unique film. All the while we are rooting for the main character as criminal as he is-- which is part of what makes King of the Ants so disturbing. The film is so titled because the main character is referred to, at one point, as an "ant"-- "insignificant". But he begins to regard himself as the "King of the Ants". What a transformation. Not for the faint of heart. Similar to another movie called "May" in which a young lonely girl transforms into something else: May went from drama to horror by the end also.

King rules!!
A wild, well-paced noir crime flick; gory, gruesome and great! Story chronicles how one seemingly ordinary bored underachiever desperate for adventure takes that first terrifying step from which there is really no return. He's ill-prepared to handle all that happens in him and to him after the dirty deed has been carried out ... but even less prepared to just up and walk away. Foretold a few seconds before he reaches his breaking point by the radio playing `Getting stronger every minute ...', he will walk away only when he's good and ready and he's crossed every t and dotted every ... eye. Excellent ensemble, highlighted by newcomer McKenna's incredible star turn.

not what your expecting, quite an awesome film
i went to the movie store in search of that gem that your always looking for and o' boy did i find it! king of the ants is the story of sean crawley, a man willing to go as far as he needs to go to survive. and he go's pretty d@mn far!. from the director of re-animator. this movie sets a new peak of professionalism and is far superior to the mainstream crap we see coming out nowadays like harry potter, the stepford wifes (which turned comedy) and like the reviewer above me said van helsing.

GREAT MOVIE
OBTAIN THIS FILM AND GET IT INTO THE NEAREST DVD PLAYER ASAP!

...or how Stuart Gordon crawls under your skin....
A few weeks ago I considered myself a lucky man. A big fan of director Stuart Gordon (of Re-Animator, and more recent Dagon fame.) I came across a UK DVD version of this movie. Not yet released in the States I get to tell you how good a movie this is.

For American (and these days also more and more overseas) audiences groomed on Hollywood dung like Van Helsing and Harry Potter this is going to be a hard movie. For underground and indie moviebuffs this is...well one helluva treat!

In short, the story is based on a novel by British writer Charlie Higson (most famous for writing tv series like the revamped Randall and Hopkirk) and follows a down on his luck house painter who sees himself being recruited as a hitman. Sounds improbable? Trust me,it all works out onscreen. What follows is a very violent, at times almost surrealistic movie. And like with his previous films, Gordon had me loving every minute of it (I even liked his Fortress).
There are some fine performances here, by the likes of George 'Norm' Wendt as utter scumbag Duke and the least known Baldwin brother as the main baddie. I also liked Aussie genre fave Vernon Wells (from Mad Max II and he played Bennet in Schwarzenegger's Commando) as a baddie who softens up against his captive. You'll be suprised about what fate Gordon has in store for him...but than again this isn't that Hollywood blockbuster, and I refuse to go into spoiler territory.
The revelation here however is Chris McKenna. As Sean Crawley he is a good solid actor with plenty of screen persona and wit. I loved him and hope he has a long career ahead of him. His line where Duke compares him to: "James f....ing Bond" and he just answers: 'No, Sean f....ing Crawley!' is a classic and had me gloating in my seat.

I can't rave about this movie enough. I recommend it to everybody who knows how to find it. Personally I can't help but compare it to a Tarantino flick. I saw this about the same time as everybody was hyping the video release of Kill Bill vol 1. This is so much more brutal and yes SUPERIOR than that(and by the way Gordon is so much better at portraying onscreen eroticism and perversities than Tarantino will ever be)!

Rent, buy or steal it (if need to)!!! KING OF THE ANTS rules my hill! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Promise of a STELLAR beginning and premise... got away
I purchased this DVD for one reason. CHANDRA WEST. I have a knack for noticing future talent. Long before everybody knew who Naomi Watts was, I was a huge fan. Long before everybody knew who Kate Beckinsale was, I was a fan.

The same goes for Chandra (Puppet Master 4&5, Night Terrors, Something More & The Salton Sea). As of today, her most noteable movie was The Salton Sea, and in that, she had a tiny tiny role, delegated only to FLASHBACKS!!

Finally, in WATER'S EDGE, she gets a starring role and shows how good of an actress she can be and has always been. In Water's Edge, she has some very meaty and dramatic moments. Most noteably, a very gut churning scene that involves a shotgun and a firepoker.

Okay... enough about Chandra... now, what I thought about the movie.

WATER'S EDGE starts out quietly when our main characters Robert (Nathan Fillion) and Molly (Chandra West) move to a quiet little town into a very modest log cabin, because they need a change of pace, to get away from the memory of their daughters drowning death, to write a book and they're broke.

We quickly learn that all's not kosher in this family. Depression plagues Molly and their relationship is hanging on by a very thin emotional thread.

That being said, I won't give away anything else, but I will say that the movie starts off EXCELLENTLY. Things start to happen and you don't see them coming. The events are unique, challenging and pose a very very good premise or dilemma for our characters to deal with.

Our characters find themselves in a very unexpected, complex, dangerous and deadly situation. Not to mention, their harboring a young seductive girl named Rae (Emmanuelle Vaugier) from the same dangers.

Everything builds as any good movie would. The tension is good. The dilemma our characters face is complex and intelligent enough to lock you in, and all of a sudden the movie sort of becomes... typical.

Would could have been a really really good LOW BUDGET movie, just becomes another movie because at the halfway point, the movie stopped growing, the story lost its creativity and ended the same way most movies of this sort end.

Although the casing Director's did have the keen insight of casting Chandra West in a leading role. So, the movie only gets 3 stars (could have been 4 stars had it finished the way it started), and I'll throw in an extra star for the Chandra factor. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

underrated
Hero is really a gem. It features consistently good performances and is sharp, thought-provoking, and is touching without approaching sappiness. You get Geena Davis while she was still making good movies, Dustin Hoffman without much visible ego, a solid Andy Garcia, and the always-fabulous Joan Cusack.

This movie was SO underrated. I remember reading that Quentin Tarantino said this was a movie he wished he'd had a chance to direct because it could have been so much better, that in this movie you see a director reaching the extent of his abilities, and while I was glad to see that someone was recognizing it in any way, it also really made me mad that Quentin Tarantino, not like the most consistent or productive director, should say that about Steven Frears, who directed My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous Liaisons, and this. Really! This is for me up there among the best movies of the past 10 years, certainly among the most underappreciated.

AN OTHER ACTOR VERY VERY MUCH INTELLIGENT
Dustin HOFFMAN is a PRODIGIOUS PHENOMENAL ACTOR in THIS SPLENDID MOVIE and he demonstrate witch he is able to conceive a role who's consist to be a FALSE COWARD ! He don't like the photographs the PUBLICITY for HIM and PREFEAR his SON at anything in his life he is contrained to make many things, ... stranges to retain his natural propensity to rob anything, EVEN his ADVOCATE FOR PAY SHE IN A SAME TIME WONDERFULL DUSTIN HOFFMAN AND HIS MOMENTARY FRIEND WHO'S ANDY GARCIA WHO'S AN OTHER WONDERFULL ACTOR !!!!! SPLENDID MOVIE !!!!!!!!!!!!

Hoffman is great here!
Dustin Hoffman is Bernie, a selfish nasty guy who barely shows up at his ex-wife's to spend time with his kid. One night as he is driving to her house to fulfill his parental duty, he sees a downed plane in a field. Irritated but grudgingly acknowledging he should do the right thing, he pries open the door to free the passengers. He goes in and finds the unconscious Gale (Davis), who is a newscaster back from an awards show. Seeing everyone to safety, Bernie hails a cab and continues on his way.

Gale goes on TV looking for her hero. The cabdriver to whom Bernie told his tale then takes credit. He is handsome, seems nice and apparently saved an entire airplane full of people -- a media dream! Bernie sees all this on TV and gets aggravated to no end. But no one believes him that he did such a heroic deed.

The farce continues till it is indeed discovered, through a convoluted turn of events, who the real hero is. Mostly, thouh, Bernie wants to prove to his son that he can do a good thing every now and then, even if people won't believe you. As he philosophizes, the world is just layers of "poop". You peel through the layers till you find "poop" you can live with, and then that's your "poop"!!!

One selfless act of courage can really mess up your life
"Hero" has an interesting premise because it has such an unlikely title character, namely Bernie LaPlante, a born loser played by Dustin Hoffman. Bernie is a small-time thief who has been thrown out of the house by his wife (Joan Cusak), whose son (James Madio) has pretty much written him off, and who is once again on the brink of being sent back to the slammer by a judge (Warren Berlinger). Looking over his options, Bernie figures his best play is to try and make amends with his son before he goes away for a few years. But bad luck pursues Bernie with a vengeance. Not only does his car break down but an airplane crashes in front of him and some kid who walks out of the wreckage bawling about his father being trapped in the plane. Complaining every step of the way, Bernie rescues several passengers, the last of whom is Gale Gayley (Geena Davis), Channel 4 News Reporter. She never sees much beyond a face covered in soot and mud, and the only photograph of her rescuer show a silhouette against the flames, so the story she ends up doing is about "The Angel of Flight 104." Meanwhile, insult is added to injury for Bernie, who lost one of his shoes during the rescue. The other he gives to cabbie John Bubber (Andy Garcia), all the while complaining about how stupid it was to try and be a hero.

Of course, this is all just prologue to the rest of the film, because Gale's television station offers a reward of $1 million for the identity of the mystery man who saved all those lives. Bernie could use the million dollars, but John has the shoe that matches the one the rescue workers found stuck in the mud. Besides, Bernie told John enough of the story for the imposter to get the details right. You also have to keep in mind that in "Hero" no good deed goes unpunished. That is because Bernie did something else when he got Gale out of that airplane, because John really is a good soul, who feels guilty about having so many people praise him for something he did not do, and because Gale is having more than thankful feelings for John. It is going to be really hard to pull a happy ending out of this film with all the bad things waiting to happen.

It is hard for older viewers to watch "Hero" and not see some strong similarities to some of Frank Capra's films such as "It Happened One Night" and "Meet John Doe," where journalists are at the heart of the story. Certainly the performance by Chevy Chase as Gale's boss harkens back to that tradition. But this 1992 film, also known as "Accidental Hero," lacks the soul of the true Capricorn film. More importantly, there does not really seem to be a big point behind all the drama. I keep thinking that there is something deeper going on here, but when Bernie gets to deliver the film's big speech, there is just too much cynicism for it to be really profound. This idea is reinforced at the end of the film where the final scene goes for a punch line. I also explored the idea that this film was a penetrating look at the modern mass media circus, but the great insight along those lines is basically do not believe anything you see on television, which is not as helpful a bit of advice as it might seem.

The performances are certainly solid enough, with Hoffman turning in one that comes across like Ratzo Rizzo's cousin (with a lower voice). Davis plays plucky well and Garcia has an innate earnestness that serves him well in different situations. Cuzak is once again wasted in a fine supporting role, but she is the one that has to reveal that big irony about her husband Bernie: he is really good in a crisis, which is when he forgets to be Bernie LaPlante and be a real human being. You have to admit, that is a pretty good definition of a how heroism works in the real world.

A WONDERFUL FILM
A perfect cast, great story, wonderful humor, and a beautiful heart.It deserves so much more credit. ... Read more

Description

A notorious Hollywood producer, Sammy Saxo, cuts an associate, Vince Vasser, out of a multi-million dollar production deal. Vince decides to extract revenge by making the deal on his own. Unfortunately, Sammy's two-timing wife and her lover have learned of Vince's double-cross and have their own plans for the deal and the money. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hot, Steamy, Sexy, and Fun!
Great movie! Not only is it funny, but it's quite a turn on! The guys may not be Playguy models, but it's worth seeing a few times! ;-)

More Monty than "Full Monty"
Very humorous documentary of six working-class British men who are inspired by the movie "The Full Monty". It follows the lads in the weeks up to their big debut as they work out their routine and obtain national stardom. It includes interviews with the lads and their wives and girlfriends. Finally, toward the end of the film, they strut their stuff in front of hundreds of rowdy women. These blokes leave NOTHING to the imagination. You'll laugh yourself silly during their can-can number. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The "Forget it, Jake, this is Chinatown" line in this well-cast contemporary noir comes near the story's end, when a female truck driver tells wounded fugitive-cop Harry Collins (Ray Liotta) that the desert town of Phoenix--built on sand and sustained by diverted water--has "no right to exist." Well, that would explain the sense of blurred virtue and vice portrayed in this film, the tale of a detective with a gambling problem and his three partners (Anthony LaPaglia, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Piven) manifesting varying levels of corruption. Written by Eddie Richey and directed by Danny Cannon, this expletive-rich and violent movie immediately strikes one as yet another Tarantino knock-off. But a handful of genuinely original ideas and scenes, aided immeasurably by a terrific cast that almost seems to lunge at the roles (including Anjelica Huston as an angry bartender who could let herself drift into an affair with Harry), keeps this drama on track. Yes, the plot does include an obligatory screwed-up heist mishandled by the male principals (wearing animal masks--how original!). But in the hands of Liotta and his pals, it all seems well worth it. Nice marks, too, for Tom Noonan's weird portrayal of a cruel bookie, Giancarlo Esposito's poisonous work as a loan shark, and Kari Wuhrer's all-too-brief scenes as a faithless wife. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good Flick
What happens when all the cops are bad, but in different degrees. Liotta is as corrupt as they come, but he's got a soft spot. Good action, good flick.

God is this movie awesome
I'm so happy I have this in my dvd collection. Ray Liotta is a great actor of our time. We should all appreciate his presence onscreen. Want to watch another incredible performance by Ray: Watch "NARC".

Spellbinding.
Okay, to start off, this movie uses a Tarintino plot ... . LA Confidential was the obvious inspiration. Back to the movie, this movie was amazing and Liota was incredible.

Dreadful collection of cliches
A boring, predictable film with every plot and visual cliche in the book. I simply got tired of the pointless, meandering plotline. Halfway through the film, I realized that virtually every single scene change began with someone lighting a cigarette, and it then became humorous and ridiculous to watch the cliched cigarette lighting routine every 30 seconds.

A yawnfest, I only watched the whole thing because there was nothing else on TV.

Where's RAY LIOTTA's Oscar for this one!
RAY LIOTTA is an incredible and intense actor and this movie showcases his talent better that any movie I've seen. And that's saying a lot. I have to say that RAY is one of the most underated actors to have ever graced the Silver Screen. Everyone should see this amazing movie. RAY was cast as the lead character in this film and rightly so. (He was also co-producer.) His 'Harry Collins' as a cop with a gambling problem lets us see a person losing his self-respect but still living by a code of ethics that won't let him welsh on a bet. Right there you know this guy is setting himself up for big trouble, which finds him, in spades (so to speak). Damn, this man can act!! As we watch him resort to ever desperate measures to get out of the mess he's in, you hope against hope that his bad luck will turn. Not helping matters are his cop buddies who even offer to whack his bookie, Chicago, for him! He declines the offer. He's got a better plan. Why not rob Louie, the loan shark instead? Yeah, why not? How do you think it's going to turn out? (For more information on this movie, check out the AllLiotta.com website. Not only is there a review but lots of pictures as well.) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A cut above
Not half bad erotic thriller; beautiful women and an actual plot. And yes, as the last guy pointed out, a character does get away with murder. Which happens all the time in the real world.

An okay thriller
This movie a alright. The acting was a little cheesey, and the sex scenes (described as HOT on the back of the DVD)were standard fare.

The plotline revolved around an assasination attempt, and was a little confusing. And one of the characters got aways with murder (literally) in the end. I really wanted her to get her dues, but maybe they figured she was justified? ... Read more

Reviews (229)

Vampires is the best.
I liked this movie. I usually hate vampire movies but this one was very good. It was funny and tough and didn't have to resort to sub-From Dusk Til Dawn type mayhem that Blade did as it had a plot also. It's not too gory either. Sure KNB do some great make-up effects but it's not like the gore is the only entertainment of the movie. Blade and FDTD relied on the gore to entertain too often. Carpenter has made a Vampire movie that seems more realistic than that.

This movie is stangely light-hearted for a vampire/horror flick. Don't get me wrong though, it's best that way. There is a lot of cool dialogue too and Daniel Baldwin's performance is one of his best. I love desert set movies and this one gives us some great cinematography and gorgeous scenery. The music is also light-hearted in a way but can also be spooky at time. Carpenter always comes up with great tunes and his guitar riff and 'Roadhouse Blues' approach to the genre gives a whole new feel. Plus James Woods shines in the way that only he can do.

The DVD has a boring commentary (Carpenter has no one to talk to), a trailer and the cover claims it contains a photo gallery also but unless it's an easter egg it ain't there. The picture is in pretty good 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and the sound is Dolby 5.1. It'd be cool if Columbia released a Superbit of this movie.

"John Carpenter's Vampires"
Vampires (R)
James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Tim Guinee.
Directed by: John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A famous vampire slayer is forced to hunt down the first vampire. With his team slaughtered, and time running out. He must stop this vampire before a black cross allows the vampire to walk in the daylight.
Special Features: Feature Length Commentary, Trailer.
Review: This film opened with the highest Halloween opening ever, and sold like nobodies business on home video. Master slayer Jack Crow's entire team except sidekick Daniel Baldwin are slaughtered by the original vampire caused by a reverse exorcism by the catholic church that was never finished. This master vampire searches for the black cross to finish the ceremony that would then enable him to walk in the daylight. Crow and sidekick use a bitten hooker to hunt down the vampire due to her psychic link to him. This bloody vampire film is well written, stylish, and just the ticket for horror fans. I jumped out of my skin at the split in half killing. The acting is on James Woods scowling owns the picture he is one of the greatest tough guys ever in this film, Daniel Baldwin is excellent as the no bull sidekick with a soft spot, Sheryl Lee is on as the turning hooker, Tim Guinee as the reluctant priest, Thomas Ian Griffith as the Valic, and Maximillian Schell as the bishop, they are all in top form. Carpenter's direction is slick and he has an eye for spooky sights. This film gets better every time I watch it. As for the DVD? Well the commentary is cool, but couldn't they have added a little more to it? Disappointing, but the film makes it worthwhile. Where's the special edition?

A Refreshingly Different Vampire Movie!!
John Carpenter takes Vampires to a whole new level in this excellent movie! If you want to see a traditional vampire movie, this is not for you! If you want action and lots of it then this is the best vampire movie for you! Jack Crow (James Woods) and his vampire slayers are ready for action, and the first 20 minutes of this movie shows them at work killing the vampires in their own hideout, even though the head vampire should be there he is nowhere to be found. They don't have to wait long because the head vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) finds them and kills most of Crow's vampire slayers, So Crow and Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) with the help of Katrina (Sheryl Lee) a hooker who was at the party which Valek interupted go in search of him and with the help of the Church they hope to finally be rid of Valek.

Greatest vampire movie ever done
I love this movie because of the guns,musics,story,place,James Woods and Daniel Baldwin.Guns:there are lots of good guns in this movie bowgun,spear,rifles.Musics:John Carpenters great west acoustic guýtarre style.story:vampires are in every where on this world and there are hunters to kick them down.place:movie takes places in very good states Texas,New Mexico James Woods and Daniel baldwin:they are very charismatic actors. I watched this movie about 22 times this is the one of the greatest movies that cant forgot in my whole life.

Movie Blows
This movie is one of the worst vampire movies I've ever seen. It's horrible and worse than cheesy. It's another film that portrays the evil vampire and the master that needs to be killed because he's so old and powerful that blah blah freakin blah. The way they drag the vampires out into the sun and how they burst into flames is really dumb with horrible effects. ... Read more

Reviews (3)