Reviews (172)

Pretty Woman: the best movie in the entire pretty world!
Everyone knows this story, whether they've experienced certain parts of it, or just love it pure & simply because it's terrific. And if you haven't seen it, why not?! Go out and get it now. Go on!

This is the one Julia Roberts film that can never be out-done. No amount of Erin Brockovich's can beat this movie. This catapulted Julia into the big-time, mainstream movies, and she's now one of the highest paid actresses. I dunno whether something like Pretty Woman was never done before this, or whether I'm just sick of Julia Roberts now, but she won't come across a script as good as this again. Not even the supposed "sequel", with Richard Gere & Julia reteaming (they could go all the way and do a Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks) with Garry Marshall and Hector Elizondo for Runaway Bride. Nowhere near as good. But that's a different movie.

The actors are great, and I think it's the only Richard Gere movie I've ever seen - apart from Runaway Bride. The night elevator operator's face (Patrick Richwood) is an absolute picture most of the time, and he makes you laugh just by looking at him.

Of course, everyone knows that Julia's character, Vivian, turns from a poor hooker, into a rich lady. I much prefer Vivian as the hooker. When you first meets Edward (Richard Gere), she's fine, she's cute, and he gives her all this money, and she turns into a frumpy, awkward lady. The clothes are ill-fitting and really don't suit her.

In a few years, when Julia Roberts is old and grey (Richard Gere already was old & grey in this!), this will be considered a classic.

Watch out for a very much blink and you'll miss him role of the detective, played by Hank Azaria. I've seen this movie a hundred times, and it's the first time I noticed him!

The songs are terrific in this, from Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" to Natalie Cole's "Wild Women Do" (the video is not impressive though). The best song is of course, Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love", played as Vivian leaves Edward. It's a very poignant scene, and I always play this song if I'm feeling down about something. The lyrics match any relationship problem perfectly, and matches the scene in Pretty Woman

Romance & Comedy All In One
Pretty Woman is an excellent movie in my opinion. It's about Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), a hooker who is 'working' on Hollywood Boulevard one night with her friend Kit De Luca (Laura San Giacomo). Around the corner comes a Lotust and the person in that car is none other than Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), a heartless business man on his way to the Regent Beverly Wiltshire Hotel. The car then stalls (he doesn't know how to work a stick shift) and that's when him and Roberts meet. Gere then takes Roberts to the hotel with him and before she knows it he's asking her to stay with him the whole week for $3,000.
Some of the cast members include Jason Alexander as Philip Stuckey, Edward's trusty lawyer, Ralph Bellamy as James Morse, the man who's company Edward's firm is trying to take over, Alex Hyde-White as David Morse, James Morse's son, and Hector Elizondo as Bernard Thompson, the manager of the
hotel.
The music in this motion picture is found on the Pretty Woman Soundtrack. It includes Natalie Cole - Wild Women Do, David Bowie - Fame 90, Roxette - Must Have Been Love, Christopher Otcasek - Real Wild Child (Wild One), and probley the most popular song that relates to this movie is Roy
Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman.
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes comedy, romantic, or movies where opposites find one another. This movie will stick around for generations to come. I would give this movie five gold stars and two thumbs up.

Modern Day Pygmaelion
Pretty Woman is a great movie. When Julia Roberts acted in this 1990 classic, she was sexy, vibrant and cute. In her latest movies she seems to have lost her charm, and appears awkward and frumpy.
It is a romantic comedy about a lovable prostitute Vivienne (Julia Roberts) hired by a spoiled, jaded billionaire, Edward (Richard Gere) for a highly unusual assignment.

Needless to say, this encounter irreparably changes both of their lives forever. Thouroughly a story that is funny, touching and engaging,

The change is Vivienne from a streetwalker to a lady mirrors a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady type of theme.

As the voice at the end reminds us, sometimes your dreams come true and sometimes they don't but you are always free to dream!

Some pretty memorable stuff in this movie!

Modern Day Pigmaelion
Pretty Woman is a great movie. When Julia Roberts acted in this 1990 classic, she was sexy, vibrant and cute. In her latest movies she seems to have lost her charm, and appears awkward and frumpy.
It is a romantic comedy about a lovable prostitute Vivienne (Julia Roberts) hired by a spoiled, jaded billionaire, Edward (Richard Gere) for a highly unusual assignment.

Needless to say, this encounter irreparably changes both of their lives forever. Though a story that is funny, touching and engaging, Vivienne's dreams come true, and she able to start a new life, and having found love

The change is Vivienne from a streetwalker to a lady mirrors a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady type of theme.

Edward too has finally learned to love!

As the voice at the end reminds us, sometimes your dreams come true and sometimes they don't but you are always free to dream!

Should be called Pretty Stupid
This movie was terrible. If there was a perfume called "essence of fart" then thats what this movie would smell like. ... Read more

Reviews (73)

You'll Just Die If You Don't See This Movie
Whether or not you've actually seen it, you'll probably have heard of "The Stepford Wives". Based on Ira Levin's novel, it was produced in the 1970s and has endured in the public consciousness ever since. Indeed the terms "Stepford" and "Stepford Wife" are now part of our vernacular. If you're in any doubt what these expressions mean, just imagine a woman who is the perfect male fantasy...a wife who cooks, cleans and keeps her husband's home to perfection whilst remaining an object of beauty, with well-preserved looks, sexy outfits and just the right-sized cleavage. A female who is there to service her man's every need - domestic, emotional, sexual - whilst never questioning her role as devoted housewife.The film tells the tale of New York housewife and photographer Joanna Eberhart, who moves with her lawyer husband Walter (sexy name - not!) and their two kids to the seemingly idyllic rural town of Stepford. Very soon Joanna becomes disenchanted with her surroundings, missing the liveliness of New York. Her feelings of isolation are compounded by the fact that the other women in the town appear content to stay at home for their husbands as loyal house fraus, with no outside interests whatsoever. Also, all new male arrivals in Stepford are invited to join "The Men's Association", an organisation from which the town's women are strictly excluded. Whatever goes on there remains a mystery; the women aren't told.

Fortunately Joanna meets the effervescent and rebellious Bobby Marco, another recent arrival in Stepford who shares her concerns about the strange behaviour of the women in the community. Together they decide to set up a consciousness-raising group and rally to get the local women involved...almost to no avail! At the first meeting of the wives, the other women prefer to agonise over the cleanliness of their kitchens and talk about the wonders of "Easy-On" starch spray and baking. One other recruit is found though; a feisty redhead called Charmaine who feels restricted by her husband Ed's demands. However after a weekend away with him, Charmaine returns strangely altered, allowing her hubby to bulldoze her much-loved tennis court and confessing that she all she wanted to do was "please Ed...and boy am I gonna please him". Weird.

Mystified, Joanna and Bobby seek an answer to the zombie-like behaviour of the local women, wondering if "something in the water" might be responsible. They enlist one of Joanna's ex boyfriends, who is a scientist, to help, but this fails to pay dividends. Joanna soon comes to the frightening realisation that the town's wives undergo a change in personality after they have been resident in Stepford for roughly three months... and her time is almost up...

I won't give any more away but this is a thought-provoking and intriguing movie!! Although low on action, the film builds its sense of momentum through a growing feeling of paranoia: are the women in the town somehow being "substituted" for drone-like replacements? Or are all of Joanna's anxieties inside her own head? If you're looking for a fast-moving film you might be disappointed, but the cleverness of the movie lies in its subtlety and the way in which the events take place in a seemingly normal domestic setting.

Another reason for this movie's success lies in the acting. Katherine Ross (also of "The Graduate") puts in an intelligent, sympathetic performance as a woman who feels increasingly hemmed in by the claustrophobia of Stepford, and you really root for her as she feels she might be next on the list for "conversion". Paula Prentiss is great as Bobby, a funny, bubbly and tomboyish character determined not to become "one of those pan-scrubbers" and the rapport between her and Joanna is believable and touching. Given her determination to escape Stepford, Bobby's last few scenes are all the more poignant; I won't say any more but they make for some of the film's best moments! The supporting cast do a good job: amongst these are Peter Masterson as Walter, becoming gradually less supportive of his wife's feelings and fears and more and more influenced by the demands of the "Men's Association"; and Nanette Newman as Carol Van Sant, one of the wives who starts behaving very oddly at a barbecue, continually proclaiming "I'll just die if I don't get that recipe" (!!) Newman's role as a wife is all the more ironic considering all those "Fairy Liquid" adverts she once did (remember?!)

The movie has also attained a kitsch/camp quality over time, mostly due to the fact that it was made in the 1970s! This doesn't spoil the subtler elements to the film, rather makes it all the more entertaining! A large part of the camp appeal is down to the wives themselves - their appearance, behaviour and dialogue. According to this movie, men would like nothing better than to see their wives dressed in frilly blouses (still showing off their assets), flowery dresses and big floppy hats - hilarious. The wives all say things like "I really shouldn't say it, but I just love my brownies" (that's cakes in case you were wondering) and constantly praise their husbands' performances in the bedroom department: "You're the King....you're the Master"!! No comment!

To summarise this is a very enjoyable movie, which, as I have already mentioned, shows the dangers of male fantasies coming true and the perils that women must face having to exist in a patriarchal society. Go buy it...but don't get any ideas about changing your girlfriend...okay?!

I'll simply die if I don't get this recipe!
THE STEPFORD WIVES was a unique film. It set out to make a horror film where clean spotless sunlit kitchens were just as scary as rainy spooky old mansions at midnight. Made in the mid 1970s during a wave of feminism and controversy over the ERA Ammendment - it never got the acclaim it deserved for it's building creepiness and Sci Fi twists. The remake is what it is, but here's where most people first glimpsed Stepford - a very real suburb where homemaking is a science.

Katharine Ross(in an EXCELLENT turn)plays Joanna Eberhard who moves from NYC to Stepford with her husband and two daughters. She's a photographer and homemaker who's dabbled in the women's movement but never really taken up the cause. She begins to realize the women of Stepford are all obsessed with housework, and worse ... subservient and servile to their husbands. She joins up with another woman who finds this all strange, Bobbie -- played oustandingly by Paula Prentiss. Together they find out a string of clues that maybe not all is well in Stepford, and the seemingly benign suburban bliss may be MANUFACTURED by the creepy Men's Society that every husband is a part of.

Bryan Forbes took over this project after speculations Brian De Palma should film it. He made a very effective treatment of the novel, but added his own touches. His wife Nannette Newman influenced the costumes by demanding rather than proposed Playboy bunny outfits the wives should look Victorian with hats and gloves and long dresses - creepy and sexy. Tina Louise (Ginger on Gilligan's Island) also makes a great cameo as Charmaine - one of Joanna and Bobbie's radical friends who transforms to a Stepford Wife by startingly ripping up her tennis court for a pool her husband wants.

You get the film in widescreen, and the transfer is passable for a movie of this age. Colors are 1970s soft and there is grain, but it looks fine. You get a 12 minute featurette with all the principle players, and they explain how the movie was made and what it was like. Some people say the pacing was slow, but this was the 1970s! I think its suppposed to develop slowly like the novel, and you get to know the characters. The last ten minutes are completely shocking, and no test audiences made them whimp out (cough cough - the remake's ending was reshot). This was a politically relevant well-crafted film with great acting! Superb in every way! Check out the source novel by Ira Levin as well.

A great, but very slow-moving picture.
After seeing the new version of The Stepford Wives (which, incidentally, I loved) I had to seek out the original, which I haven't seen since I was a kid. I was very impressed by most of the performances, most notably Paula Prentiss, who was absolutely magnetic. Although the story was absorbing, and the direction was good, the movie, not unlike Rosemary's Baby, seemed to go nowhere fast. Foot after foot of tape passed through my VCR, but the story unfolded so slowly, it was hard to remain interested........all in all, a must-see because of it's pop-culture influence.

THE STEPFORD WIVES DVD -KATHARINE ROSS
AN EXCELLENT MOVIE ALL AROUND!!! FROM THE STORYLINE TO THE ACTING. DEFINITELY SCARY AT TIMES AND AT TIMES FUNNY. KATHERINE ROSS IS OUTSTANDING IN HER ROLE AS WELL AS PAULA PRENTISS. YOU CAN ALSO CATCH TINA LOUISE(GINGER FROM GILLIGANS ISLAND)AND HER BIG HAIR. A GREAT MOVIE, A MUST SEE!!!

Terrific adaptation of the book
I watched this movie because of the excellent book by Ira Levin. I haven't seen the remake yet, but it will be hard to top this version. This movie is very faithful to the book. There are some changes made, but they remain true to the book and help make it a better movie.

The acting is pretty good. I really found myself caring about what happens to Joanna and Bobbie, her best friend. Having read the book, it was great to see these characters brought to life in a way that rang true. It was almost worse knowing what happens to these characters before you actually see it because you really do want things to turn out OK for them.

It was also very well-written. It starts out kind of slow, but once it digs its hooks in, it keeps you glued to the TV. I also like the way they dealt with the subject of women's desire to be an individual and not some cookie cutter housewife with no life at all. It was done very creatively and it was clever as well.

I highly recommend this movie. It is very creepy and there are some very intense moments. Just because it's rated PG does not mean it wimps out on the suspense. This is one of the most suspenseful movies I've seen in a whil and it's one of the best book to film adaptations I've ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (73)

You'll Just Die If You Don't See This Movie
Whether or not you've actually seen it, you'll probably have heard of "The Stepford Wives". Based on Ira Levin's novel, it was produced in the 1970s and has endured in the public consciousness ever since. Indeed the terms "Stepford" and "Stepford Wife" are now part of our vernacular. If you're in any doubt what these expressions mean, just imagine a woman who is the perfect male fantasy...a wife who cooks, cleans and keeps her husband's home to perfection whilst remaining an object of beauty, with well-preserved looks, sexy outfits and just the right-sized cleavage. A female who is there to service her man's every need - domestic, emotional, sexual - whilst never questioning her role as devoted housewife.The film tells the tale of New York housewife and photographer Joanna Eberhart, who moves with her lawyer husband Walter (sexy name - not!) and their two kids to the seemingly idyllic rural town of Stepford. Very soon Joanna becomes disenchanted with her surroundings, missing the liveliness of New York. Her feelings of isolation are compounded by the fact that the other women in the town appear content to stay at home for their husbands as loyal house fraus, with no outside interests whatsoever. Also, all new male arrivals in Stepford are invited to join "The Men's Association", an organisation from which the town's women are strictly excluded. Whatever goes on there remains a mystery; the women aren't told.

Fortunately Joanna meets the effervescent and rebellious Bobby Marco, another recent arrival in Stepford who shares her concerns about the strange behaviour of the women in the community. Together they decide to set up a consciousness-raising group and rally to get the local women involved...almost to no avail! At the first meeting of the wives, the other women prefer to agonise over the cleanliness of their kitchens and talk about the wonders of "Easy-On" starch spray and baking. One other recruit is found though; a feisty redhead called Charmaine who feels restricted by her husband Ed's demands. However after a weekend away with him, Charmaine returns strangely altered, allowing her hubby to bulldoze her much-loved tennis court and confessing that she all she wanted to do was "please Ed...and boy am I gonna please him". Weird.

Mystified, Joanna and Bobby seek an answer to the zombie-like behaviour of the local women, wondering if "something in the water" might be responsible. They enlist one of Joanna's ex boyfriends, who is a scientist, to help, but this fails to pay dividends. Joanna soon comes to the frightening realisation that the town's wives undergo a change in personality after they have been resident in Stepford for roughly three months... and her time is almost up...

I won't give any more away but this is a thought-provoking and intriguing movie!! Although low on action, the film builds its sense of momentum through a growing feeling of paranoia: are the women in the town somehow being "substituted" for drone-like replacements? Or are all of Joanna's anxieties inside her own head? If you're looking for a fast-moving film you might be disappointed, but the cleverness of the movie lies in its subtlety and the way in which the events take place in a seemingly normal domestic setting.

Another reason for this movie's success lies in the acting. Katherine Ross (also of "The Graduate") puts in an intelligent, sympathetic performance as a woman who feels increasingly hemmed in by the claustrophobia of Stepford, and you really root for her as she feels she might be next on the list for "conversion". Paula Prentiss is great as Bobby, a funny, bubbly and tomboyish character determined not to become "one of those pan-scrubbers" and the rapport between her and Joanna is believable and touching. Given her determination to escape Stepford, Bobby's last few scenes are all the more poignant; I won't say any more but they make for some of the film's best moments! The supporting cast do a good job: amongst these are Peter Masterson as Walter, becoming gradually less supportive of his wife's feelings and fears and more and more influenced by the demands of the "Men's Association"; and Nanette Newman as Carol Van Sant, one of the wives who starts behaving very oddly at a barbecue, continually proclaiming "I'll just die if I don't get that recipe" (!!) Newman's role as a wife is all the more ironic considering all those "Fairy Liquid" adverts she once did (remember?!)

The movie has also attained a kitsch/camp quality over time, mostly due to the fact that it was made in the 1970s! This doesn't spoil the subtler elements to the film, rather makes it all the more entertaining! A large part of the camp appeal is down to the wives themselves - their appearance, behaviour and dialogue. According to this movie, men would like nothing better than to see their wives dressed in frilly blouses (still showing off their assets), flowery dresses and big floppy hats - hilarious. The wives all say things like "I really shouldn't say it, but I just love my brownies" (that's cakes in case you were wondering) and constantly praise their husbands' performances in the bedroom department: "You're the King....you're the Master"!! No comment!

To summarise this is a very enjoyable movie, which, as I have already mentioned, shows the dangers of male fantasies coming true and the perils that women must face having to exist in a patriarchal society. Go buy it...but don't get any ideas about changing your girlfriend...okay?!

I'll simply die if I don't get this recipe!
THE STEPFORD WIVES was a unique film. It set out to make a horror film where clean spotless sunlit kitchens were just as scary as rainy spooky old mansions at midnight. Made in the mid 1970s during a wave of feminism and controversy over the ERA Ammendment - it never got the acclaim it deserved for it's building creepiness and Sci Fi twists. The remake is what it is, but here's where most people first glimpsed Stepford - a very real suburb where homemaking is a science.

Katharine Ross(in an EXCELLENT turn)plays Joanna Eberhard who moves from NYC to Stepford with her husband and two daughters. She's a photographer and homemaker who's dabbled in the women's movement but never really taken up the cause. She begins to realize the women of Stepford are all obsessed with housework, and worse ... subservient and servile to their husbands. She joins up with another woman who finds this all strange, Bobbie -- played oustandingly by Paula Prentiss. Together they find out a string of clues that maybe not all is well in Stepford, and the seemingly benign suburban bliss may be MANUFACTURED by the creepy Men's Society that every husband is a part of.

Bryan Forbes took over this project after speculations Brian De Palma should film it. He made a very effective treatment of the novel, but added his own touches. His wife Nannette Newman influenced the costumes by demanding rather than proposed Playboy bunny outfits the wives should look Victorian with hats and gloves and long dresses - creepy and sexy. Tina Louise (Ginger on Gilligan's Island) also makes a great cameo as Charmaine - one of Joanna and Bobbie's radical friends who transforms to a Stepford Wife by startingly ripping up her tennis court for a pool her husband wants.

You get the film in widescreen, and the transfer is passable for a movie of this age. Colors are 1970s soft and there is grain, but it looks fine. You get a 12 minute featurette with all the principle players, and they explain how the movie was made and what it was like. Some people say the pacing was slow, but this was the 1970s! I think its suppposed to develop slowly like the novel, and you get to know the characters. The last ten minutes are completely shocking, and no test audiences made them whimp out (cough cough - the remake's ending was reshot). This was a politically relevant well-crafted film with great acting! Superb in every way! Check out the source novel by Ira Levin as well.

A great, but very slow-moving picture.
After seeing the new version of The Stepford Wives (which, incidentally, I loved) I had to seek out the original, which I haven't seen since I was a kid. I was very impressed by most of the performances, most notably Paula Prentiss, who was absolutely magnetic. Although the story was absorbing, and the direction was good, the movie, not unlike Rosemary's Baby, seemed to go nowhere fast. Foot after foot of tape passed through my VCR, but the story unfolded so slowly, it was hard to remain interested........all in all, a must-see because of it's pop-culture influence.

THE STEPFORD WIVES DVD -KATHARINE ROSS
AN EXCELLENT MOVIE ALL AROUND!!! FROM THE STORYLINE TO THE ACTING. DEFINITELY SCARY AT TIMES AND AT TIMES FUNNY. KATHERINE ROSS IS OUTSTANDING IN HER ROLE AS WELL AS PAULA PRENTISS. YOU CAN ALSO CATCH TINA LOUISE(GINGER FROM GILLIGANS ISLAND)AND HER BIG HAIR. A GREAT MOVIE, A MUST SEE!!!

Terrific adaptation of the book
I watched this movie because of the excellent book by Ira Levin. I haven't seen the remake yet, but it will be hard to top this version. This movie is very faithful to the book. There are some changes made, but they remain true to the book and help make it a better movie.

The acting is pretty good. I really found myself caring about what happens to Joanna and Bobbie, her best friend. Having read the book, it was great to see these characters brought to life in a way that rang true. It was almost worse knowing what happens to these characters before you actually see it because you really do want things to turn out OK for them.

It was also very well-written. It starts out kind of slow, but once it digs its hooks in, it keeps you glued to the TV. I also like the way they dealt with the subject of women's desire to be an individual and not some cookie cutter housewife with no life at all. It was done very creatively and it was clever as well.

I highly recommend this movie. It is very creepy and there are some very intense moments. Just because it's rated PG does not mean it wimps out on the suspense. This is one of the most suspenseful movies I've seen in a whil and it's one of the best book to film adaptations I've ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (73)

You'll Just Die If You Don't See This Movie
Whether or not you've actually seen it, you'll probably have heard of "The Stepford Wives". Based on Ira Levin's novel, it was produced in the 1970s and has endured in the public consciousness ever since. Indeed the terms "Stepford" and "Stepford Wife" are now part of our vernacular. If you're in any doubt what these expressions mean, just imagine a woman who is the perfect male fantasy...a wife who cooks, cleans and keeps her husband's home to perfection whilst remaining an object of beauty, with well-preserved looks, sexy outfits and just the right-sized cleavage. A female who is there to service her man's every need - domestic, emotional, sexual - whilst never questioning her role as devoted housewife.The film tells the tale of New York housewife and photographer Joanna Eberhart, who moves with her lawyer husband Walter (sexy name - not!) and their two kids to the seemingly idyllic rural town of Stepford. Very soon Joanna becomes disenchanted with her surroundings, missing the liveliness of New York. Her feelings of isolation are compounded by the fact that the other women in the town appear content to stay at home for their husbands as loyal house fraus, with no outside interests whatsoever. Also, all new male arrivals in Stepford are invited to join "The Men's Association", an organisation from which the town's women are strictly excluded. Whatever goes on there remains a mystery; the women aren't told.

Fortunately Joanna meets the effervescent and rebellious Bobby Marco, another recent arrival in Stepford who shares her concerns about the strange behaviour of the women in the community. Together they decide to set up a consciousness-raising group and rally to get the local women involved...almost to no avail! At the first meeting of the wives, the other women prefer to agonise over the cleanliness of their kitchens and talk about the wonders of "Easy-On" starch spray and baking. One other recruit is found though; a feisty redhead called Charmaine who feels restricted by her husband Ed's demands. However after a weekend away with him, Charmaine returns strangely altered, allowing her hubby to bulldoze her much-loved tennis court and confessing that she all she wanted to do was "please Ed...and boy am I gonna please him". Weird.

Mystified, Joanna and Bobby seek an answer to the zombie-like behaviour of the local women, wondering if "something in the water" might be responsible. They enlist one of Joanna's ex boyfriends, who is a scientist, to help, but this fails to pay dividends. Joanna soon comes to the frightening realisation that the town's wives undergo a change in personality after they have been resident in Stepford for roughly three months... and her time is almost up...

I won't give any more away but this is a thought-provoking and intriguing movie!! Although low on action, the film builds its sense of momentum through a growing feeling of paranoia: are the women in the town somehow being "substituted" for drone-like replacements? Or are all of Joanna's anxieties inside her own head? If you're looking for a fast-moving film you might be disappointed, but the cleverness of the movie lies in its subtlety and the way in which the events take place in a seemingly normal domestic setting.

Another reason for this movie's success lies in the acting. Katherine Ross (also of "The Graduate") puts in an intelligent, sympathetic performance as a woman who feels increasingly hemmed in by the claustrophobia of Stepford, and you really root for her as she feels she might be next on the list for "conversion". Paula Prentiss is great as Bobby, a funny, bubbly and tomboyish character determined not to become "one of those pan-scrubbers" and the rapport between her and Joanna is believable and touching. Given her determination to escape Stepford, Bobby's last few scenes are all the more poignant; I won't say any more but they make for some of the film's best moments! The supporting cast do a good job: amongst these are Peter Masterson as Walter, becoming gradually less supportive of his wife's feelings and fears and more and more influenced by the demands of the "Men's Association"; and Nanette Newman as Carol Van Sant, one of the wives who starts behaving very oddly at a barbecue, continually proclaiming "I'll just die if I don't get that recipe" (!!) Newman's role as a wife is all the more ironic considering all those "Fairy Liquid" adverts she once did (remember?!)

The movie has also attained a kitsch/camp quality over time, mostly due to the fact that it was made in the 1970s! This doesn't spoil the subtler elements to the film, rather makes it all the more entertaining! A large part of the camp appeal is down to the wives themselves - their appearance, behaviour and dialogue. According to this movie, men would like nothing better than to see their wives dressed in frilly blouses (still showing off their assets), flowery dresses and big floppy hats - hilarious. The wives all say things like "I really shouldn't say it, but I just love my brownies" (that's cakes in case you were wondering) and constantly praise their husbands' performances in the bedroom department: "You're the King....you're the Master"!! No comment!

To summarise this is a very enjoyable movie, which, as I have already mentioned, shows the dangers of male fantasies coming true and the perils that women must face having to exist in a patriarchal society. Go buy it...but don't get any ideas about changing your girlfriend...okay?!

I'll simply die if I don't get this recipe!
THE STEPFORD WIVES was a unique film. It set out to make a horror film where clean spotless sunlit kitchens were just as scary as rainy spooky old mansions at midnight. Made in the mid 1970s during a wave of feminism and controversy over the ERA Ammendment - it never got the acclaim it deserved for it's building creepiness and Sci Fi twists. The remake is what it is, but here's where most people first glimpsed Stepford - a very real suburb where homemaking is a science.

Katharine Ross(in an EXCELLENT turn)plays Joanna Eberhard who moves from NYC to Stepford with her husband and two daughters. She's a photographer and homemaker who's dabbled in the women's movement but never really taken up the cause. She begins to realize the women of Stepford are all obsessed with housework, and worse ... subservient and servile to their husbands. She joins up with another woman who finds this all strange, Bobbie -- played oustandingly by Paula Prentiss. Together they find out a string of clues that maybe not all is well in Stepford, and the seemingly benign suburban bliss may be MANUFACTURED by the creepy Men's Society that every husband is a part of.

Bryan Forbes took over this project after speculations Brian De Palma should film it. He made a very effective treatment of the novel, but added his own touches. His wife Nannette Newman influenced the costumes by demanding rather than proposed Playboy bunny outfits the wives should look Victorian with hats and gloves and long dresses - creepy and sexy. Tina Louise (Ginger on Gilligan's Island) also makes a great cameo as Charmaine - one of Joanna and Bobbie's radical friends who transforms to a Stepford Wife by startingly ripping up her tennis court for a pool her husband wants.

You get the film in widescreen, and the transfer is passable for a movie of this age. Colors are 1970s soft and there is grain, but it looks fine. You get a 12 minute featurette with all the principle players, and they explain how the movie was made and what it was like. Some people say the pacing was slow, but this was the 1970s! I think its suppposed to develop slowly like the novel, and you get to know the characters. The last ten minutes are completely shocking, and no test audiences made them whimp out (cough cough - the remake's ending was reshot). This was a politically relevant well-crafted film with great acting! Superb in every way! Check out the source novel by Ira Levin as well.

A great, but very slow-moving picture.
After seeing the new version of The Stepford Wives (which, incidentally, I loved) I had to seek out the original, which I haven't seen since I was a kid. I was very impressed by most of the performances, most notably Paula Prentiss, who was absolutely magnetic. Although the story was absorbing, and the direction was good, the movie, not unlike Rosemary's Baby, seemed to go nowhere fast. Foot after foot of tape passed through my VCR, but the story unfolded so slowly, it was hard to remain interested........all in all, a must-see because of it's pop-culture influence.

THE STEPFORD WIVES DVD -KATHARINE ROSS
AN EXCELLENT MOVIE ALL AROUND!!! FROM THE STORYLINE TO THE ACTING. DEFINITELY SCARY AT TIMES AND AT TIMES FUNNY. KATHERINE ROSS IS OUTSTANDING IN HER ROLE AS WELL AS PAULA PRENTISS. YOU CAN ALSO CATCH TINA LOUISE(GINGER FROM GILLIGANS ISLAND)AND HER BIG HAIR. A GREAT MOVIE, A MUST SEE!!!

Terrific adaptation of the book
I watched this movie because of the excellent book by Ira Levin. I haven't seen the remake yet, but it will be hard to top this version. This movie is very faithful to the book. There are some changes made, but they remain true to the book and help make it a better movie.

The acting is pretty good. I really found myself caring about what happens to Joanna and Bobbie, her best friend. Having read the book, it was great to see these characters brought to life in a way that rang true. It was almost worse knowing what happens to these characters before you actually see it because you really do want things to turn out OK for them.

It was also very well-written. It starts out kind of slow, but once it digs its hooks in, it keeps you glued to the TV. I also like the way they dealt with the subject of women's desire to be an individual and not some cookie cutter housewife with no life at all. It was done very creatively and it was clever as well.

I highly recommend this movie. It is very creepy and there are some very intense moments. Just because it's rated PG does not mean it wimps out on the suspense. This is one of the most suspenseful movies I've seen in a whil and it's one of the best book to film adaptations I've ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Cool film, horrible DVD
I agree with the previous review. This is a very cool film of the early 70's, clearly designed to promote Evel and his planned jump of the Grand Canyon (he had to settle for the Snake River Canyon in Idaho instead.) But this is quite simply the worst DVD transfer I have ever seen. The video quality is terrible. For a few bucks you might consider snatching this up, but don't expect much quality wise. On the other hand, this is my favorite George Hamilton performance, although he doesn't really look like Evel, he really nails the performance. John Milius co-wrote the script early in his career.

Evel Knievel Yes! This DVD No!
I have always liked this movie. It stars George Hamilton in the role of Evel Knievel. Actual Footage of Evel Knievel jumps are included in this biographical story. Perhaps the most famous of his jumps is the one from Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas, it is included here in all of its busted up glory.

The only reason I have not to buy this movie is the horrific transfer to DVD. A bad scratchy print was used, washed out color, no state of the art sound and it is not in the widescreen format. Maybe someday a good transfer will be made, until then I wouldn't get your hopes up on this one!

A True American Hero
This film is a true classic and captures the magic that was Evel Knievel. George Hamilton does a fantastic job portraying Knievel as a larger than life icon--a true American Hero. This is a must see for ALL Knievel or Hamilton fans. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cryer's 1st picture and one of his best performances!
He is EVERY bit as good as one could expect someone that age to be in this endearing romantic comedy.

Grounded Till I'm 40...
What Jon Cryer had over Matthew Broderick, was his ability to play "Simple Geekieness", in an endearingly awkward sort of way, and in this movie, he's at his most poignant, playing a photography geek, who falls hard, for a women whom he's accidentally photographed, on one of his early morning photography jaunts.

Up to this point, his world had pretty much revolved around his camera, and a dream of using it, to get the money needed to go to photography school in a different city, so he could escape his hum-drum existence and crappy home life, were his mother's new boyfriend is trying to be his "Best Friend", and in peal advice that he doesn't want to hear (as sound and poniant as it may be).

But, enter Demi Moore, a down on her luck rock singer, playing at a dive bar, with big dreams of the big times, hampered by disserting band members, a sleazy bar owner, and very little luck.

And suddenly, Jon Cryer's world changes, as his infatuation grows for Demi, and he becomes obsessed with seeing her dream full filled (whether she wants to let him help her or not). We see his little world, where everything is seen from a distance, through his cameras lens, opens up, and through his struggles to help Demi, we watch him matures from a geeky kid, to a young man

This film has a lot going for it, in comedy of situation, depth of character, and charmingly gratifying story, that makes this a "Must See" film, for 80's nostalgia fans, and any fan of a great comedy with heart.

OH MY GOD!!! THIS MOVIE IS AWSOME!!!
This is a great movie about a kid who spends his life savings and throws away his dream of photography only to help a lovely lady get her dream of becoming a famous singer. You have to watch this movie! It never gets boring and the story is great. And the only thing that makes it alot better is that its got Demi Moore and she looks mad HOT in this movie!!!

EG Daily's ten minuets on screen save the day
Jon Cryer is little too hormonal, Demi Moore is a little too "husky" but E.G Daily in the small role of Cryer's older brothers' girlfriend rocks. If is wasn't for her talking him into going to a bar he would never have met Laura (Moore) and had his virginity taken and his heart stomped on (all the while taking great candid's of a pre-boob job Moore).

FUNNY! FUNNY! FUNNY!
If you liked JON CRYER in "PRETTY IN PINK", you'll find him especially charming in this cute flick! As a matter of fact, I found all the characters uniquely charming and clever...DEMI and JON work great together as 'ageless' companions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like a pumpkin that transforms into a carriage, some very shrewd casting (and the charisma of Julia Roberts, in particular) morphed this story of a Hollywood whore into a Disneyfied Cinderella story--and a mainstream megahit. This is the movie that made Roberts a star; the charm of her personality helping tremendously to carry viewers over the rough spots in the script (which was originally a cynical tale about prostitution called 3000--after the amount of money Richard Gere's character pays the prostitute to stay with him for the week).Gere is the silver-haired Wall Street knight who sweeps streetwalker Roberts into a fantasy world of room service at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel and fashion boutique shopping on Rodeo Drive. The supporting cast is also appealing, including Laura San Giacomo as Roberts's hooker pal, Hector Elizondo as the hotel manager, Jason Alexander, Ralph Bellamy, and Hank Azaria. Now, is this something you want your sons and daughters to see? That's entirely up to you. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (172)

Pretty Woman: the best movie in the entire pretty world!
Everyone knows this story, whether they've experienced certain parts of it, or just love it pure & simply because it's terrific. And if you haven't seen it, why not?! Go out and get it now. Go on!

This is the one Julia Roberts film that can never be out-done. No amount of Erin Brockovich's can beat this movie. This catapulted Julia into the big-time, mainstream movies, and she's now one of the highest paid actresses. I dunno whether something like Pretty Woman was never done before this, or whether I'm just sick of Julia Roberts now, but she won't come across a script as good as this again. Not even the supposed "sequel", with Richard Gere & Julia reteaming (they could go all the way and do a Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks) with Garry Marshall and Hector Elizondo for Runaway Bride. Nowhere near as good. But that's a different movie.

The actors are great, and I think it's the only Richard Gere movie I've ever seen - apart from Runaway Bride. The night elevator operator's face (Patrick Richwood) is an absolute picture most of the time, and he makes you laugh just by looking at him.

Of course, everyone knows that Julia's character, Vivian, turns from a poor hooker, into a rich lady. I much prefer Vivian as the hooker. When you first meets Edward (Richard Gere), she's fine, she's cute, and he gives her all this money, and she turns into a frumpy, awkward lady. The clothes are ill-fitting and really don't suit her.

In a few years, when Julia Roberts is old and grey (Richard Gere already was old & grey in this!), this will be considered a classic.

Watch out for a very much blink and you'll miss him role of the detective, played by Hank Azaria. I've seen this movie a hundred times, and it's the first time I noticed him!

The songs are terrific in this, from Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" to Natalie Cole's "Wild Women Do" (the video is not impressive though). The best song is of course, Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love", played as Vivian leaves Edward. It's a very poignant scene, and I always play this song if I'm feeling down about something. The lyrics match any relationship problem perfectly, and matches the scene in Pretty Woman

Romance & Comedy All In One
Pretty Woman is an excellent movie in my opinion. It's about Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), a hooker who is 'working' on Hollywood Boulevard one night with her friend Kit De Luca (Laura San Giacomo). Around the corner comes a Lotust and the person in that car is none other than Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), a heartless business man on his way to the Regent Beverly Wiltshire Hotel. The car then stalls (he doesn't know how to work a stick shift) and that's when him and Roberts meet. Gere then takes Roberts to the hotel with him and before she knows it he's asking her to stay with him the whole week for $3,000.
Some of the cast members include Jason Alexander as Philip Stuckey, Edward's trusty lawyer, Ralph Bellamy as James Morse, the man who's company Edward's firm is trying to take over, Alex Hyde-White as David Morse, James Morse's son, and Hector Elizondo as Bernard Thompson, the manager of the
hotel.
The music in this motion picture is found on the Pretty Woman Soundtrack. It includes Natalie Cole - Wild Women Do, David Bowie - Fame 90, Roxette - Must Have Been Love, Christopher Otcasek - Real Wild Child (Wild One), and probley the most popular song that relates to this movie is Roy
Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman.
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes comedy, romantic, or movies where opposites find one another. This movie will stick around for generations to come. I would give this movie five gold stars and two thumbs up.

Modern Day Pygmaelion
Pretty Woman is a great movie. When Julia Roberts acted in this 1990 classic, she was sexy, vibrant and cute. In her latest movies she seems to have lost her charm, and appears awkward and frumpy.
It is a romantic comedy about a lovable prostitute Vivienne (Julia Roberts) hired by a spoiled, jaded billionaire, Edward (Richard Gere) for a highly unusual assignment.

Needless to say, this encounter irreparably changes both of their lives forever. Thouroughly a story that is funny, touching and engaging,

The change is Vivienne from a streetwalker to a lady mirrors a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady type of theme.

As the voice at the end reminds us, sometimes your dreams come true and sometimes they don't but you are always free to dream!

Some pretty memorable stuff in this movie!

Modern Day Pigmaelion
Pretty Woman is a great movie. When Julia Roberts acted in this 1990 classic, she was sexy, vibrant and cute. In her latest movies she seems to have lost her charm, and appears awkward and frumpy.
It is a romantic comedy about a lovable prostitute Vivienne (Julia Roberts) hired by a spoiled, jaded billionaire, Edward (Richard Gere) for a highly unusual assignment.

Needless to say, this encounter irreparably changes both of their lives forever. Though a story that is funny, touching and engaging, Vivienne's dreams come true, and she able to start a new life, and having found love

The change is Vivienne from a streetwalker to a lady mirrors a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady type of theme.

Edward too has finally learned to love!

As the voice at the end reminds us, sometimes your dreams come true and sometimes they don't but you are always free to dream!

Should be called Pretty Stupid
This movie was terrible. If there was a perfume called "essence of fart" then thats what this movie would smell like. ... 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

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Reviews (1)

History of Love
This in a very good and interesting film, Pretty Woman has two greats of the pictures industries, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. This spicy mix which has talent, talent, just talent. We cannot forget the fantastic storyboard, that has action, a beautiful love story, and a spectacular director, Garry Marshall, one of the best directors in Hollywood actually.

You can't miss this oportunity of buy one of the best films in the history. ... Read more