Amazon.com

A somewhat contrived screenplay doesn't stop this thriller from serving up some of the most spectacular fire sequences ever committed to film. Like any Ron Howard production Backdraft is impressively slick and boasts a stellar cast, including Kurt Russell and William Baldwin. The actors play sibling rivals who have been at odds since the death of their firefighter father years earlier. Robert De Niro is the veteran fire inspector who is tracking a series of mysterious and deadly arsons, and Donald Sutherland is effectively creepy as the former arsonist who understands the criminal psychology of pyromaniacs. Rebecca De Mornay, Scott Glenn, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are featured in supporting roles. Backdraft is a triumph of stunt work and flaming special effects. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Firehouse Fairy Tale...
Ron Howard's Backdraft, is a film that centers on the lives of two brothers. Their father, a Chicago firefighter, was killed on the job when they were young boys. As adults, the McCaffreys, are both members of fire department. The elder brother Stephen (Kurt Russell), nicknamed "Bull", is a veteran firefighter, who prefers taking on a fire head on. His younger brother Brian (William Baldwin), is a recent graduate into the department, and though he seeks to serve out of his brother's shadow, he finds himself assigned to Bull's stationhouse. While Bull is something of a legend within the department, all is not perfect in his life, as estranged from his wife (Rebecca DeMornay), he lives on his father's old dry docked boat.

The family drama is set against a subplot, involving a series of suspicious fires that are being investigated by the fire department's arson specialist, Lt. Rimgale (Robert De Niro). A local Alderman (J.T. Walsh) responsible for budget cutbacks to the department, is pressing Rimgale for answers. After another clash with his big brother, Brian transfers to Rimgale's arson investigation unit.

Once this occurs, the story expands to become more than just a sibling rivalry, as the focus shifts to the investigation of arson and other matters. De Niro, Baldwin, Walsh and Donald Sutherland, who plays a crazed imprisoned arsonist, then assume more primary roles. The physics of a backdraft are quite fascinating, and the results spectacular and explosive. The film does feature some fine special effects and stunts, related to the fire fighting scenes. The identity of the arsonist, and the reasons for the crimes, may not be very credible, but the film proceeds towards a spectacular and emotional finish. In the end, it all comes back to the two brothers, and the special bond between firefighters.

The film does have its flaws. Baldwin (28) and Russell (40) are a bit of a mismatch as brothers, with more of an age difference as adults, than it appeared when they were children. The incident where Brian mistakenly rescues a mannequin is simply ridiculous. And the attempts to attribute to fire almost metaphysical qualities, may be something only firemen can truly appreciate. While the film's focus does bounce around a bit between drama, adventure and suspense, overall the presentation is still worth seeing. The DVD however offers very little in the way of extras.

Great special effects, plus a moving ending
"Backdraft is the story of two brothers. After the death of their firefighter father, older brother Steven (Kurt Russell) follows Dad's footsteps into the Chicago Fire Department. Younger brother Brian (William Baldwin) bounces from one scam or get-rich-quick scheme to another. But Brian eventually winds up back in Chicago in the Fire Department, and in Steven's Co. 17, no less. They go back and forth for a while, until finally Steven drives Brian out of the department and into arson investigation. Brian winds up working for an arson investigator (Robert De Niro) investigating a series of murders-by-arson.

This movie features a stellar cast, giving mostly excellent performances. Special notice should be given to Russell, in what I think is his best performance ever. J.T. Walsh gives an excellent supporting performance as the sleazy Alderman Swayczak, as do Rebecca De Mornay as Steven's estranged wife and Scott Glenn as Firefighter "Axe" Adcox. Donald Sutherland is especially creepy, yet charming as an imprisoned arsonist to whom De Niro and Baldwin go to for advice on identifying the arsonist. Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh (playing Brian's girlfriend and Swayczak's aide) could have held up their parts better, but that doesn't detract from the movie as a whole.

The fire is the real star of this movie. The special effects are truly incredible, and have to be seen to be believed. This movie boasts the best effects I've ever seen in a non-science-fiction movie. Whoever the effects man is should have won an Oscar for the fire scenes in this movie.

Some may criticize the ending for being overly sentimental, but every single time I see this movie, I get choked up during Steven's last scenes. As an older brother, I really identified with Steven and how he wants the best for his brother, but he isn't quite sure of the line between pushing him to improve and pushing him down.

The special effects alone are worth getting this movie, but director Ron Howard put together an all-star cast that (mostly) managed to put together a movie in which the plot isn't entirely overshadowed by the effects. All in all, a very good movie that's well worth your $15.

Predictable but watchable
Backdraft sticks to convention and only innovates in its special effects. The plot is rather contrived and provides the excuse for the filmmakers to play with fire -- lots of it.

Hollywood inferno.
"Backdraft" is Hollywood's version of the firefighter's life. The men are blue collar, ordinary guys who are at times heroic and other times cowardly, men who fight fires because it's their job. Being a Hollywood movie, however, most of the men are in-shape, rugged masculine types who cruise to an alarm call with rock music blasting from the fire engine stereo system and who fight fires that contain surprisngly little smoke. Kurt Russell is not altogether likeable in this film, and yet he carries his two roles off successfully with his familiar macho persona. William Baldwin is the standout character, and shows a vulnerable side to the world of firemen that is usually not seen on film. Pyrotechnics are first rate, although there are many more explosions and a lot less smoke than in real-life fires. Another slick film from Opie Taylor.

respectable movie
I was a fire fighter 82-83, and i seen the movie when it was in the theatre, i liked it a lot, in fact i used to work but a few blocks away from the china town station on cermak road where some of the footage was shot, it dealt with fire house comrades, dealt with " hero syndrome", i was not expecting a techical as it really suppose to be movie, but the heroism displayed by
the fire fighters are 5 star commendable. ... Read more

Amazon.com

What if you could stop your heart to simulate a temporary death, and then be revived so you could describe your near-death experience to others? The mysteries of life--and the afterlife--compel five medical students (Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt) to experiment with their own mortality, and what they discover has unsettling psychological implications. That's the intriguing premise of this neo-Gothic horror thriller, directed by Joel Schumacher (Batman & Robin) with his typical indulgence of vibrant colors and hyperactive, hallucinogenic style. The movie borders on silliness at times, and the near-death recollection of memories results in some repetitious scenes, but the dynamic young cast takes it all quite seriously, which is what keeps this gaudy thriller on the edge.The fascinating premise could have been made into a better film, but Schumacher's mainstream excess doesn't stop Flatliners from being slick, occasionally even provocative entertainment. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Surprisingly good
I bought this movie recently when I saw it at a store, and realized it was a Julia Roberts film I actually had never heard of. I own many of her movies, and since she and Kiefer Sutherland are two of my favorite actors, I decided to give it a shot.
The first thing that grabs you about this movie is the suspense. Come on, medical students experiencing clinical death (Flatlining) and trying to come back is not a very serene situation to begin with. But when they outbid each other for length of time when deciding who gets to go next, even the viewer begins saying to his/herself "oh, God, don't let him die!!" (I did anyway). With each gorgeous young actor wanting to be dead longer than the previous, it really puts you at the edge of your seat. As if this weren't enough, all these people that "died" and came back begin being haunted by their past sins and misdeeds, and are mentally, even physically, harmed by them.
This movie features Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Julia Roberts, Billy Baldwin and Oliver Platt in much younger, and more dangerous, roles than I've seen most of them play. It's a great movie for a younger audience, and probably only for people with a more open mind to horror and death. A last note: Kiefer Sutherland has a great first line.

An unique, different, thrilling film from Schumacher.
When a young, bright but dangerous and ambititous medical student (Kiefer Sutherland) with his fascination with life after death, if there's such a thing. When he convinces four of medical collegues friends (Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin & Oliver Platt) to expierment in a reckless by temporality shut down (flatline) thier heart and brain functions and actually surviving after being dead for a few minutes but once, they had that expiernce, each and one of them, bring something back in thier world from the personal guilt, they have and have to face thier demons and reality, they live in.

Directed by Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys, A Time to Kill, Phone Booth) made an unusual film with an great premise by Peter Filardi (The Craft), which it does pays off quite well. Not everyone will love this strange film with the heart of a supernatural story but it's Schumacher's moody style and energy keeps this alive with Jan de Bont's Excellent Cinematography. Fine Performances by the Cast, including Joshua Rudoy as the Ghost, who haunts the soul by One of the Medical Students. Fine music score by James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Sings). DVD's has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD only extra is a Collector's Booklet. This film is Produced by Two-Time Oscar-Winner:Micheal Douglas (One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Star Man). Excellent Production Designs by Eugenio Zanetti (What Dreams May Come, The Haunting). Panavision. Grade:A-.

A classic.
This has to be my favorite Kiefer Sutherland movie. The basic idea is that five medical students "flatline" themselves to see what happens when you are technically dead. What they get is not what they expect. Consequently, their past comes back to haunt them until they can atone for their actions. A great Sci-fi thriller, but not for people who are into really scary movies. 'Flatliners' has a great cast and acting. This is a movie worth watching on a rainy day.

Highly Thrilling and Original
This film by far is one of the best when it comes to originality. Five med students (Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, and Oliver Platt) want to know what really lies beyond death. One by one they each flatline for a short time to see if they can come back with the answers to life and death. What they get is far more than they would have ever expected. One by one their sins are brought back to haunt them until they make amends with their past. The dark lighting and music keep you entranced throughout the film. The only thing that I have to complain about on this Dvd is the lack of special features. It at least should of had the Trailer, however, other than that, this movie is a "should buy." Great acting by the five lead actors that have now made great names for themselves.

A different but good movie.
Honestly I never heard of this movie until a few months ago. I am a pretty big fan of Keifer Sutherland and some of his movies and of course his tv show 24. So about a month ago I blindly bought this movie just for the hell of it. The Flatliners stars Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, one of the Baldwins, and of course Keifer.

The Flatliners itself is a pretty cool movie with a different concept than those in its genre. It deals with young medical students experimenting to find out if there is an afterlife. Once they come back from the afterlife they are haunted by the other side.

This is one of the ultimate "Do not do this at home" movies. Although after I saw it I couldn't help from asking my friends "How much money would you do it for", lol. I bet one you see this you will be asking your friends.

One area where it is lacking though is the DVD itself is lacking any kind of special features, interactive menus, and a decently layed out chapter selection. In all honestly the movie is pretty good but the DVD is terrible compared to other newer DVDs. To me things like that make a difference. The fact that it is cheap makes up for it though.

I think if you enjoyed movies such as Stir of Echoes, The Sixth Sense, Vanilla Sky, or even the Mothman Prophies (underrated movie) you probably will enjoy this movie. At times it is dark and sorta twisted but it always stays on track and never bores you. Definetly check this movie out if you are a fan of Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon or Julia Roberts because they all shine in this movie.

Movie grade - B+
DVD Grade - D- ... Read more

Description

A comedy of discriminating taste and dirty little secrets. When a movie star and Hollywood diva Miranda Frayle break up, a playboy prince with a stiff upper lip sweeps her off her feet and boldly takes her home to meet his high-class, society-minded mother, who is none-too-pleased at the thought of having a "starlet" in the family. But when the former boyfriend hears about the wedding, he jumps back in the spotlight--and with the help of Miranda's meddling mother-in-law to be, he may just win her back. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A Must for Any Julie Andrews or Noel Coward Fan
This recent release is a must-have for any Julie Andrews or Noel Coward fan. The ensemble cast, including Collin Firth, Jeanne Tripplehorn, William Baldwin, Sophie Thompson and Stephen Fry breathe life into this Noel Coward drawingroom comedy originally written for the stage. The film's script remains true to the play; yet the occasional changes to the play's dialogue fit so seamlessly into the original dialogue that one would never know that it had been changed. Sophie Thompson's acting talents are clearly apparent in her transformation from Felicity's (Julie Andrews' character) servant to a "friend of the family" to disguise her real identity from her sister (Jeanne Tripplehorn's obnoxious character) and would have been Oscar material had the film been released originally in movie theaters, rather than going directly to cable television. But the center of the universe is Felicity, the matriarch of the family around whom the entire plot seems to revolve. Julie Andrews was born for the role of Felicity, and her performace does not disappoint. The actors in this film at times give very subtle emotional coloring to their roles merely by a glance or grimmace. There is no question who is in charge of THIS manor! Anyone who finds the differences between Brits and Americans amusing will find this film an excellent choice. The film has a happy and amusing ending and is well worth waiting for.

Relatively amusing.
This is a drawing room comedy based on a play by Noel Coward. Having not read it, I must presume it would come off better as a stage play rather than a movie. Not that this is bad, really...Just that its not as good as it should be. The British cast (Julie Andrews, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry and Sophie Thompson) play their roles flawlessly, the Americans (William Baldwin, Jeanne Tripplehorn) less so.
The plot: a member of the British nobility (Andrews) is dismayed when her son (NOT Colin Firth as some OTHER reviewers would have you believe)becomes engaged to a movie star (Tripplehorn) whose ex(Baldwin) follows her to England to reunite.
Stephan Fry as the butler, and Sophie Thompson as "milady's" companion/secretary are wonderful; as are the various actors and actresses who make up the staff of the manor. Likewise, Colin Firth gives a hilarious performance of her gay nephew, who aids and abets in the eventual reunion. The upstairs-downstairs feel of the film adds to the confusion; a welcome distraction from the Balwin/Tripplehorn storyline. It is so obvious that these two are trying to be amusing, that they fail entirely. In contrast, the others, who do it so effortlesly, succeed admirably.
All in all, light & fluffy, but nothing to rewatch again and agiain (unless, as I always do, you simply want another look at Colin).

I Enjoyed A Lot; Hubby Stayed Out Of Room
Hubby didn't even enjoy what he was hearing on the other side of the house coming from this movie. However, I'd had a hard day, was totally exhausted and needed something extremely light and frothy so I could completely zone out. This fit the bill perfectly. It is an English ensemble drawing room type comedy. Julie Andrews plays a dowager countess in 1953 whose son, the Earl, decides to marry an American movie star. The countess and her nephew (played by Colin Firth) set the stage to seemingly welcome the couple back to their home but really to break them up. Helping them along are William Baldwin, playing an American movie star who was the woman's former boyfriend, plus the countess's maid who knew the woman film star in her earlier life. Slight? You bet but it was just what the doctor ordered.

If you like "Philadelphia Story," you'll like this too
I got this on a lark (basically because of the price, and I needed something to bring my order to $25 for free shipping, plus anything starring Julie Andrews HAS to be worth while, right?). Good choice! This has turned out to be one of my all-time favorites! Every time I watch it I appreciate more and more how smart and well executed this little farce is. Polished script (obviously, from Noel Coward), amazingly good casting of the Brits (the maid Moxie is the REAL star--she positively makes the film), and drop-dead gorgeous sets. Certainly nothing much happens in the end--it's all about what happens in the middle. If you require "action" (read chases, explosions, blood) or "evil threatens good" or earth-changing conclusions, this film is not for you. But if you like smart comedy with hilarious dialog and some truly memorable inspired acting, you'll LOVE this whimsey film. A GREAT new serendipitous addition to my DVD library!!

Relatively Good
Miranda Frayle leaves her boyfriend for an English nobleman. When the two announce their engagement, the press has a field day. Some things don't change. Miranda was hiding her past because she feared that she would be discovered and dissed. She wanted more than what she had and that was fame and fortune. She really loves her movie star boyfriend he won't do.
"Relative Values" is a good movie to watch because it deals with family, social upbringing, and personal conflicts. Jeanne Tripplehorn does a great impression of a movie starlet and Colin Firth is superb in his performance as a gay nobleman. ... Read more

Amazon.com

She's a lawyer. He's a cop.Some former KGB-types with a wide varietyof slipperyaccents and enough sophisticated technological surveillance gadgets to make one wonderhow the Soviet Union could have possibly failed, want her dead. The cop (William Baldwin) is the only man who can save her. It helps that the high-poweredattorney is played by Cindy Crawford, who gives new meaning to the phrase "habeascorpus."So the plot doesn't make any sense: First they try to kill her, no questions asked.Then they capture her and spill their guts about all the details of their nefarious plan. Butlogic is not what Fair Game is about.It's about explosions, car crashes, and moreexplosions. The only pauses in the action are for showers (one for Baldwin, twofor Crawford) and a change of clothing (Crawford slips out of a tight T-shirt into an eventighter tank top). The best feature of the DVD is the addition of a Gallictrack. With verylittle actual sex in the movie, having the main characters conversing in French definitelyadds some sauciness to the dialogue scenes. --Richard Natale ... Read more

Description

A lesbian hires a male escort to hire and then dump her former lover, in the hope that the lover will then be driven back into her arms.The situation becomes complicated when the escort and the lover fall in love. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Sharing lives
Unexpecting: This movie relates the story of my life: two woman deeply in love, loving each other differently. One lives with the memory of a loss by watching movies recorded when they were living together. THe other loving her friend through her heart, but having an affair with her friends room mate, and in love with this guy. The ending is...

One of The '90s Top Films
Very touching, very surprising. This is a strikingly original character study with stellar performances by Baldwin and Sherilyn Fenn, but the always intriguing Kelly Lynch steals the movie with her portrayal of a young gay woman with a brave heart of gold. Get two hankies, two buckets of popcorn and two good friends and you'll love it.

Not for me
Based on Amazon's customer reviews I went out and rented this movie. I had to struggle to stay awake. While the performances were indeed good, the story felt forced and false. The best thing about this movie was Sherilyn Fenn's eyes.

Lynch Is A Revelation
Performance by underappreciated Lynch is her best since "Drugstore Cowboy." This is one of the finest films of the '90s.

Very interesting
This movie wasnt very predictable at all!!! All of a sudden the plot shifted and left you in suspense. It is a good movie in the romance dept. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this fast-paced, sci-fi/horror shoot-'em-up based on the DarkHorse comic book, Jamie Lee Curtis plays the navigator of an ocean-going tug.When a typhoon cripples their boat, the crew sails into the eye of the storm, where they discover a high-tech Russian communications and research vessel adrift.Only one Russian crewmember is still alive, raving about "intelligent lightning."They soon discover that an alien life form has taken over the ship's computers and is churning out biomechanical warriors.With their own boat destroyed, the crew must battle the creature as the ship reenters the storm.If the basic story and characters all sound familiar, it may not surprise you that producer Gale Anne Hurd's other films include The Terminator and Aliens.This movie and its derivative screenplay aren't nearly as good as those were, and director John Bruno (who won an Oscar for best visual effects for The Abyss) seems more skilled at action choreography and special effects than character and story.Curtis plays another variation on her "scream queen" persona, while Donald Sutherland gives a deliciously hammy performance as the tug captain (in his words, "the dominant life form") who smells salvage money if he can claim the Russian ship for his own.For all the picture's flaws, the effects are good (and gory)and it moves at top speed for a brisk 100 minutes.A trivia factoid: at one point on this troubled production, film footage was seized at the airport because the shipping box was prominently marked with the film's title! --Geof Miller ... Read more

Reviews (3)

pretty freakin' bad
The only reason this gets more than ONE star is because Elizabeth Mitchell is spellbinding in almost everything i've seen her in - just forward it to the moments she's on screen - well worth the admission!

Bottom of the Barrel
Even if you give this movie the benefit of the doubt and assume it was _trying_ to be bad--trying to reinvograte the "B" flick genre, it's still terrible.

The writing is bad. The Baldwin brothers both provide mailed-in, vanilla performances. Tons of gratuitious violence are lost against a plot that's not at all engaging.

The lighthing tries to give a sense of place, but fails miserably. The extras aren't even handled well. This movie will take 105 minutes away from your life and you'll never get them back.

Better than I expected....Jon Seda steals the show!
"Double Bang" opens with the murder of police detective Vinnie Krailes (Adam Baldwin), who manages to finger his killer for his former partner Billy Brennan (William -- no relation -- Baldwin) before he expires. A series of somewhat tedious flashbacks follow which reveal that Vinnie was a dirty cop on the take from the mob. Brennan, who admittedly has "gotten dirty" a few times himself, magically sprouts a set of ethics and decides to avenge his ex-partner's death.

Enter flashy Salvatorre Piscaterre a.k.a. "Sally the Fish" (a highly entertaining turn by Jon Seda, who steals all his scenes and nabs the best lines), the baby-faced mobster who took out the hit on Vinnie. Sally sees his world not as a place where people either break the law or enforce it, but as an elaborate game where the best player on the field wins. For example, when Sally gets roughed up by the police, he literally takes his punches and chalks it up just as one of the costs of doing business. And having a dirty cop offed is nothing personal -- it's just a management decision meant to downsize his operation. Everyone's a player, and no one should be trusted.

So it comes as no surprise to Sally when Brennan finds an unlikely ally in Sally's Uncle Frankie (John Capodice), the local mob boss who is handed an ultimatum by the vengeful detective. Frankie, himself a prudent businessman, must decide whether to protect his impulsive nephew and risk giving up his entire operation to the Feds, or give up Sally and be seen as a snitch by his Family. In the end, Frankie devises a clever way to give satisfaction to all the parties involved.

In a slightly distracting subplot, Elizabeth Mitchell (here, incidentally, almost a dead-ringer for Carrie-Anne Moss) plays the conflicted Dr. Karen Winterman, a psychologist who has an ill-fated affair with one of her patients and manages to get caught up in the mess between Sally and Brennan.

To sum up, this movie is rather more cerebral than the average cops-and-robbers offering, and tries to flesh out each character's motivations instead of just presenting two-dimensional cliches. The pacing is a bit slow and uneven in places, so do not expect to see a shoot-em-up action flick. In the end, it was easier to respect the villains, who were willing to live and die by the sword so to speak, than to sympathize with the crooked cops who took bribes when it was convenient but got all self-righteous when things not surprisingly turned sour for them. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

curdled
Watchable, but not very entertaining. If you want a good dark comedy watch The Doom generation or Blood Simple. This movie falls short in too many ways to describe. The acting is mediocre at best, and the storyline drags. The concept is interesting, but they just don't do enough with it. Would do fine as a short film, but at feature lentgh it becomes, stretched too thin

The Funniest Film Noir Ever
Do you ever pick up one of those movies at the video store and say, "Wow, this is going to be so terrible that I just have to see it!" Well, I do, and that's exactly what I said about "Curdled". I was so wrong - this film is fantastic! Originally a short film, Curdled struck Tarentino like lightning and he promptly urged (forced) Braddock to make it into a feature length movie. I would not ordinarily apply such a cliché phrase as "wickedly funny" to anything, but that is exactly what this film noir is. Gabrielle (magnificently performed by Angela Jones) is teetering on the brink of an obsession with serial killers. Her consuming desire to understand the mind of a murderer motivates her to land a job with a post-murder cleaning service. Her new occupation allows her the opportunity to get closer to the crimes than she had anticipated. This film is out of this world, if you don't mind the sight of blood and laughing at crazy people, that is. I giggle sadistically to myself even now at the thought of it. Oh yeah, William Baldwin is in it.

finally!
Ive been waiting for this to hit dvd for awhile,Ever since I watched the vhs I was hooked.This thing aint for everyone thats for sure.You gotta have a dark sense of humor or just hang it up and watch something else.The dvd is fully loaded.It has:the short film it was based on,deleted scenes,commentary,plus a gallery,tv ads,a kelly preston tv show,plus alot more.its a shame there arent more people who know about this great flick.

Best special features ever!
This is the same fun, quirky black comedy that all the other reviews mention. Thankfully, the DVD is letterboxed, and has truly extensive special features; among them:

* Commentary by the director and producer (co-writers Reb Braddock and John Maass),
* a making-of featurette complete with brief interviews with cast and crew,
* the 30 minute short film that caught Quentin Tarantino's attention at a film festival in Italy,
* the even shorter 'Baby Curdled' - a film school directing project by John Maass,
* an extensive photo gallery mostly consisisting of candid shots of the cast and crew,
* deleted scenes and an alternate ending,
* the original theatrical trailer,
* by far the coolest interactive menu - watch for the fly!
* the commercials and made-for-tv movie that are seen in the film,
* the 'dance of death' rehearsal - you have got to see this!
* probably more than I'm not recalling

Most features have an introduction/explanation by director Reb Braddock.

SMILY-FACE BLACK COMEDY CAN'T DISGUISE THAT IT'S A DUD.
This is a Tarantino movie. He didn't write or direct it, but executive-produced it. Surely must have been a blooper, because although it wallows in blood (don't all of his endeavours, predictably?) and scrambles to put a "just kidding" face on its darker impluses (don't all of his endeavours, again?), it never quite manages to emerge as a coherent or compelling film.

Angela Jones (the taxi driver in Pulp Fiction if you recall) is a Columbian in California smitten with murders. She takes up a job as a cleaning maid, not your ordinary maid but with a niche-business company that cleans up messes on crime scenes. On one of those scenes, she meets up with a real psychopath killer -- played with as straight a face as possible by Billy Baldwin -- who likes to hack women for dessert.

Intriguing pretext. Unfortunately, the actual movie while neat in bits and parts, is overall quite a boring fare. Jones, the ever so murky maid, has a grating type of naivette about her which is funny probably to people who like to see their women cutesy and hyper-melodramatic, but is annoying to me.

Not sure why this dud was produced. But sounds like with the likes of Kill Bill Quentin may well be developing a real taste for such gore which, if unsuccessful, can be shrugged off under the garb of "oh, it was a black comedy" or a spoof or some such weak-kneed toss-off.

(P.S. The movie goes by the name of "Fetish" in Japan) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A REAL HEAVY CHALLENGE TO SIT THROUGH
A COP [WILLIAM BALDWIN] SEARCHES FOR THE MAN WHO KILLED HIS WIFE. SO WHAT. THIS MOVIE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH ACTION AND ALL THE STUFF THAT GOES ON IS REALLY HARD TO PAY ATTENTION TO. PLEASE DON'T WASTE TIME GETTING THIS MESS. ACTION FANS DESERVE MUCH BETTER ENTERTAINMENT THAN THIS. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A great movie combo.
These two movies are absolutely compelling and highly intense and riveting classics for the ages and are both absolutely needs.

BACKDRAFT (1991): I can't even begin to explain how much I absolutely love this dynamite firestorm of a modern classic. The movie is the story of two McCaffrey brothers who have long been in conflict with each other as they try to carry on the family business of firefighting and are forced to put aside their rivalries as they both pursue the culprit of a series of deadly arson attacks occurring all around the Chicago area. The two brothers are in for a surprise for who they discover is responsible for the rash of major fires all over Chicago. Spectacular special effects aren't the only things that light the fires of this movie but also of a great and strong story and how underrated the heroism of firefighting and police business really is. This is especially true in light of 9-11-01 and other acts of crime. "Backdraft" is one of my favorite movies of all time and I highly recommend this movie to everyone. There's little in the way of extras though on the DVD but the picture quality though is much better than the older VHS editions. "Backdraft" is arguably one of the best movies ever made. I give all my praise to all involved in this incredible project.

APOLLO 13: This is based on the ill-fated 1970 mission of the Apollo 13's attempt to land astronauts on the moon when an oxygen tank malfunctioned along with other space module equipment which nearly resulted in the loss of the lives of the three astronauts on board and their quest to return to Earth safely. "Apollo 13" is a marvelous and unsettling true story portrayal of the terrifying events that the astrunautas went through during the ill-fated mission and Tom Hanks is awesome in the movie. The Apollo 13 has gotten the ironic name of a 'successful failure', being that the original goal failed to be met, but the mission to safely return home after near disaster was a 'success'. This movie that documents the events of the mission is a wild ride of a true story. "Apollo 13" is a must-have movie. This DVD, unlike "Backdraft", has extras and the picture quality like the former, is much better than the older VHS edition.

This is a two-punch combo pack of two great movies and are highly recommended. Get both of these movies now! Both are modern classics and are timeless.

Excellent value
I don't own too many DVDs, I mostly rent, because of the price. However, the Apollo 13/Backdraft combo is just excellent. I paid about [$$$] for the pack. The general recording and sound quality on both DVDs is excellent. While it is unfortunate that the Backdraft DVD doesn't offer any compelling extras, the Apollo 13 DVD more than makes up for it. There are interviews with Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, and the other cast and crew members. They talk about their parts, how the movie was made, and how they felt about representing this important part of American history.

If anyone is at all a fan of Apollo 13, I highly recommend the DVD. Of course, being packed with Backdraft, also an excellent movie, only increases the value.

Good Value Pack
I wasn't aware of Backdraft when I purchased this value pack, I did purchased it beacuse of Apollo 13. Now, after enjoying both movies I can say it was worthy to get them in this pack. For the Apollo 13 DVD I can say that it is just great, all the sound and image quality you expect, you get it. I can't say the same for the Backdraft DVD, because it has no special features to enjoy. In general terms the pack is good, but that is because of the Apollo 13 DVD only.

estupenda dupla
apollo 13 es un fantastico dvd, infaltable, imageny sonido realmente muy buenos, backdraft es una pelicula interesante, este tipo de pack presentan una oferta muy buena al momento de decidir una compra ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Better than the first. Still flawed, though.
...P>A quick synopsis...I liked this much better than the first...the characters weren't as dull or paper-thin. There was more going on in this movie. It was not just "let's see how fast we can get to the next scene with guys in their underwear". The plot is flawed by silly dialouge, and bad direction. Not really a horror movie...it still delivers on a small level...

7 out of 10

Another homoerotic horror film from DeCoteau
This is the second film in the "Brotherhood" series of low budget homoerotic horror films directed by David DeCoteau. I preordered it on the strength of the amazingly sexy stills and trailer I've seen. It looks as if this will be even more fun than the first Brotherhood. Cuter guys, more underwear scenes, two warlocks in the bedchamber with one woman, etc. By the way, if you're interested in the original entry in the series please be aware that there are several films with the same or similar titles. If you're looking for sexy vampires running around in their boxer briefs then you want the one directed by DeCoteau, who also made the infamous "Voodoo Academy". ... Read more