Description

They've got the guns. They've got the posse. But they've got no chance when a street-fighting ex-cop (Jet Li) takes on both sides of a fierce Oakland turf war, involving "the wildest action scenes since The Matrix!" (Bill Bregoli, Westwood One). ... Read more

Reviews (210)

Uninspired, but Fun
Like many films today, "Romeo Must Die" seems to be all about style over substance. Blazing guns and flying fists are intercut with beautiful girls and the occasional comic relief, but whatever high-falootin' ambition the movie may have had during the conception of the screenplay quickly dissolves into eye candy and emotion a few minutes in. In this case, however, that's not such a bad thing.

The convoluted plot intertwines two stories; the classic revenge tale featuring Jet Li, and the almost equally archetypal gangster-wants-to-go-legit theme, loosely held together by Aaliyah. Through happenstance, each character finds their destiny dependent on the other, thus providing the meat of the story.

Both Li and Aaliyah prove that they are able to carry a major motion picture and each has their own undeniable charisma. Unfortunately, Aaliyah's confidence and flirty stage business is never exploited to develop the romantic elements alluded to in the movie's title.

What viewers do get, however, is a fairly well-paced action film with one of Hong Kong's best action stars.

Fight sequences are very well done and feature a clever, never-before-seen special effect that I won't mention here. Perhaps a bit too much wire-work (especially for those not initiated in Hong Kong martial-arts/fantasy films, like those of Tsui Hark), but exciting and worth seeing again.

I'll end this review with a post script on two wonderful Asian stars that I really hope to see more of in American cinema: Russell Wong and Francois Yip. Both are gorgeous faces that really deserve to be seen more.

Recommended

Jet's best American film
Since coming to the US, Jet has been given a variety of akward roles. Romeo Must Die was probably his best film outside of China. The cast flowed smoothly together, and the story had a few twists.

Bad Story, but Jet Li
Why is it that movies with Kung Fu elements never really satisfy, except of course for the Matrix and Crouching Tiger. The authors of the story have tried to make a modern day Romeo and Juliet, in this case Asian Jet Li and black Aaliyah. This is all fair and well, but there is no real story to it. They come together, are good and survive in the end.

Thankfully there are some very good Kung Fu scenes by Jet Li which makes it fun. where Jackie Chan is more comedy, Jet Li is certainly art and well choreographed. The scene when he is playing football is a good one, the other is where he beats up some dudes with a hose.

With an hour and 50 minutes it's too long, so just skip to the fighting parts on the DVD.

cool movie
I rented this movie at blockbuster and i liked it. Jet Li's martial arts was fantastic and i like the part at the store where Maurice calls Han dimsan. My rating for this movie is a 10 out of 10.

They faked it.
I like Jet Li but this movie is so faked it was impossible to get into the story. We are suppose to beleive this is the Bay Area of California but we see the Vancouver B.C.'s skyline,and locations and mountains, scene after scene, only the license plates and flags have been changed to protect the innocent. I just could not take any of it seriously. Lets have more truth in location. Pleeeease! ... Read more

Reviews (64)

It's official! The Pest is a non-stop laugh riot.
Comedian John Leguizamo stars in the funniest film ever made as a scam artist named Pest who lets a group of neo-Nazis hunt him so he can gain $50,000 to pay off bets he placed with the fictional Scottish mob.

Jeffery Jones co-stars as a native of Germany who has succesfully hunted all races of human beings except for one: Latino. His son, Himmell, (Eduardo Ballini) is the exact opposite of what his father is as evidented in his outragously funny one-liners (e.g. "I want to grow up to be a hair dresser and write musicals.").

Pest is helped out often in the film by his two nutty friends, Ninja (Freddy Rodriguez) and Chubby (Aries Spears). They provide their own brand of slapstick humor into the bubbling brew of comedy which every character provides ingredients to.

It's very sad to see how underrated The Pest is, seeing how hundreds of people (including myself) believe this film to be the funniest movie ever made. It has everything a comedy needs and so much more. I strongly to encourage everyone to go out and rent "The Pest." You'll lose your voice laughing...

It's official! The Pest is a non-stop laugh riot.
Comedian John Leguizamo stars in the funniest film ever made as a scam artist who lets a group of neo-Nazis hunt him so he can gain $50,000 to pay off bets he placed with the fictional Scottish mob. Jeffery Jones co-stars as a native of Germany who has succesfully hunted all races of human beings except for one: Latino. His son, Himmell, (Eduardo Ballini) is the exact opposite of what his father is as evidented in his outragously funny one-liners (e.g. "I want to grow up to be a hair dresser and write musicals."). The Pest is helped out often in the film by his two nutty friends, Ninja (Freddy Rodriguez) and Chubby (Aries Spears). They provide their own brand of slapstick humor into the bubbling brew of comedy which every character provides ingredients to. It's very sad to see how underrated The Pest is, seeing how thousands of people (including myslef) believe this film to be the funniest movie ever made. It has everything a comedy needs and so much more. I strongly to encourage everyone to go out and rent "The Pest." You'll lose your voice laughing.

WARNING, THIS MOVIE WILL CAUSE NONSTOP LAUGHTER!
John Leguizamo in this movie is outragiously hilarious. I would reccomend this movie to any comedy fan. I suggest you go and buy this movie immediatly.

OMG its been ages and i got to still love this movie
This is one of the worlds greatest comedy movies.
I watched it once in 97 and now i just cant stop thinking about all the jokes which still make me laugh

god if you have any sence of humor.... get this movie

more than 5
this is a great movie,i don't even think it deserves 5 starts i think it deserves way more than just 5 because this movie is one of the funniest movies i have ever seen. it has a funny story,funny scences,and John Leguizamo is one funny guy in this movie. you have to watch it if you haven't seen it. it's the best. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dinner Rush is gourmet cinema, served with a generous helping of culinary panache. After countless commercials, music videos (including Michael Jackson's "Beat It"), and a few obscure features, director and restaurateur Bob Giraldi casts his own New York eatery as a TriBeCa hot spot where the owner (Danny Aiello) presides over a busy night of fine dining and mob entanglements. He's been a bookmaker for 25 years but he's going legit; his son (Edoardo Ballerini) is a nuovo cuisine genius, eager to inherit the business; the sous-chef (Kirk Acevedo) is deeply in debt to mafia thugs; an art-dealer snob (Mark Margolis) is antagonizing his waitress (Summer Phoenix); a charming stranger (John Corbett) harbors a climactic surprise; and a powerful food critic (Sandra Bernhard) is ready to pounce on any wrong move. In perfect control of this bustling environment, Giraldi directs like a great chef cooks: with Altmanesque delicacy, confident that every ingredient is vital to the success of his creation. It's utterly delicious. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (25)

I loved this movie
As a person who loves food, restaurants in Manhattan and Danny Aielleo, I think I loved this movie before I even saw it. But now that I've seen it I can't stop recommending it to every body I know. I loved this movie, the writing, performances, characters and of course, the wonderful recipes created by the kitchen staff.

One can't help but realize how food has changed in the last 20 odd years and perhaps nowhere as much as the New York restaurant scene. Where once diners were afforded large home made food, today we are afforded smaller portions wonderfully presented with moutwatering tastes. We eat from a myriad of spices, tastes and countries. Everything is prepared with thought and passion and presentation is the key word.

And it is Dinner Rush which presents to its viewers the old world of restaurants with mom and pop cooking in the back to today's world of tempermental chefs, sous chefs, matire d's, waiting in line and begging for a reservation. Dining today has become a palate of wonderful foods and memorable experiences. As one of the characters played by John Corbett says, "When did eating become a Broadway production?"

But lest you think that Dinner Rush is only set in a restaurant and kitchen, which it is, the restaurant is so much more and sets the stage for a microcosm of all sorts of people living their lives with all sorts of challenges. From Danny Aiello, the original owner of this restaurant (owned by the director Bob Giraldi) who wonders what happened to spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, to his son, the highly educated chef with his own ideas to the sous chef addicted to betting and finally to the two underworld gentlemen who occupy seats during one night, this movie is a banquet for the eyes ear and nose. It is as if one is tasting the food through the words of all of these fine actors. Not since Big Night with Stanley Tucci, have I enjoyed a movie about food and restaurants as much as I did the night I saw Dinner Rush.

And now you'll have to excuse me as I head out to a favorite Italtian restaurant. Just writing this review has made me hungry. Come to think of it, perhaps I'll see this movie again tonight I enjoyed it so much.

An order of Sausage and Peppers......per favore
I've spent the bulk of my adult life in the food business as a student in cooking school, a chef, in restaurant operations and in food procurement. So I can attest to the accuracy of the crazy, loud cacaphonous milieu that serves, not just as a back drop, but as an active character in Bob Giraldi's "Dinner Rush." Giraldi himself is the owner of the restaurant where this movie was filmed. So he knows of what he speaks. The story itself involves bookmaking, addiction to gambling, murder, art, old style cooking versus nouvelle, the chef as star and old courtly values vs new cavalier ones to name a few things. Danny Aiello is the owner, Louis Cropa his son the chef, Udo (Edoardo Ballerino) at a bustling, newly busy restaurant in Tribeca. Udo has recently "saved" the restaurant from extinction and red sauce and meatballs with his new ideas and recipes...or has he? Aiello, with his raspy, quiet voice and his total command of the screen acts as the voice of reason and experience and it is obvious he longs for the old ways and the old times when his wife ran the restaurant and where he good get a plate of sausage and peppers. Stylistically, "Dinner Rush" is more like "The Godfather" than "Casino," in that, not only was the film shot in beautiful earth tones in middle light (as was "The Godfather") but, the values put forth are more like those of the 40's and 50's than those of the the year 2001. Giraldi seems to be saying: let's return to a time when life was more clear-cut and simple and Italian food meant red gravy and meatballs and you could tell the bad guys by the shoulder holsters,stick pins and two-toned spectator shoes. Danny Aiello dominates the movie but Edoardo Ballerini, Vivian Wu (Nicole) and Kirk Acevedo (Duncan....late of HBO's "Oz") definitely make good impressions. "Dinner Rush" is a call for reason, re-evaluation and a reinstatement of old ways and values....and hey this makes more sense to me every day.

Very Entertaining
The premise of this movie is rather simple - father/restaurant-owner/bookie wants to get out of the bookie business; son/chef who wants to take over the restaurant as part of growing up; young family friend in trouble with bookies.. BUT.. don't let that dissuade you from watching.

Except for the opening scene, the events of the movie all take place during one night and largely in one place when the conflicts built into the premise converge in the restaurant.

The cinematography is outstanding - the ballet of activity in the kitchen is wonderfully filmed

The acting is all top-notch. Even the minor characters (waiters, cooks, guests) deliver their roles well. The only drawback here is Sandra Bernhard as a food writer - she does schtick rather than acting.

The plot is simple and fairly predictable, but so was Casablanca which in some ways this movie's structure resembles.

Watch and enjoy.

Warning - eat a good meal first; the dinner scenes will make you hungry.

Deliciously Entertaining
The characters are what drive this movie and make it fun to watch. Though I realize that last lobster dish he created for the stuck-up food critic was meant to be ridiculous, I still found myself drooling all over the couch. Danny Aiello is perfect as the low-key restauraunt owner who is not impressed with his star chef son's cuisine.
The events are realistic, and I loved the pretentious, condesending "Fitzgerald" jerk who just rips his waitress to shreds with his lowbrow, rude remarks. The gay maitere D was hilarious as was the ... bartender who challenges his customers to trivia and rakes in the dough. My only semi-complaint was the ending which I found to be rather predictable and unbelievable, saw it coming a mile away.
Still, this is a great indy film, and a must-see for anyone who works or has worked in a trendy restaurant.

Buon Appetite!!!
It's Sat. morning and I just stumbled onto this awesome movie! What more could you want besides Pancakes and sausage served up with real maple syrup, black coffee. After watching Dinner Rush, I am ready for Lunch!!! Its a great cast acting in a very well written script! Danny Aiello's portrayal of "ol' Tony" in The Professional could be a side script to Dinner Rush. Old Dog on the block that will not be pushed around. Its every Italian restaurant in NYC with that one table that the owner reserves for himself. From the front of the house to back of the house, the restaurant is real!!! The conversations could take place anywhere fine dining is hustled. The stress and pressure is a big part of the food service industry and you can see the realism in this movie. When you see that server being tortured by a overly demanding customer, understand that they work hard for every penny!!! Food, food, and more food!!! As movies of food go this one should come with a recipe book. Finally, I suggest no dieters watch this movie, you can gain weight from just watching it!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Completing the loosely connected trilogy that also includes Metropolitan and Barcelona, writer-director Whit Stillman brings his signature style to this casually structured but acerbically witty ode to... well, to the last days of disco. Set in New York during 1980-81, the film follows its half-dozen central characters onto the strobe-lit dance floor of The Club--the anonymous name Stillman gave to the central setting, knowing at the time that his film would be released in close proximity to 54, the bigger-budget movie about the legendary and infamous nightclub Studio 54. In fact,Stillman's film captures the same period with greater accuracy, and draws us into the waning disco craze with more incisive wit and deft handling of a first-rate cast.

The film's casual plot revolves around six recent college graduates, and Stillman charts their clashes and intimacies with a keen sense of human foibles and frailties, pausing throughout for such characteristic touches as a hilarious conversation about the sexual politics of Disney's Lady and the Tramp or the homoerotic subtext in an episode of Wild Kingdom. Sharp dialogue is in rich abundance here, and through it all Stillman captures the fading glory of disco as his characters make the transition toward adult responsibilities. It's here that we see how this film is subtly intertwined with Stillman's earlier work, and where we gain a fuller and more satisfying appreciation of a filmmaker who has carved a singular niche for himself in the world of independent movies. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (67)

My favorite movie of 1998.
Just as I loved "Metropolitan" when it was released in the early 90's, this was a wonderful homecoming after a less than enthralling "Barcelona." To me, "The Last Days of Disco" was the perfect summer movie. Released around the same time as the mind-numbing "Armagedon," I felt like I had sat down for two hours of conversation with some good friends.

The thing I enjoyed most about this movie is that we are shown both the highs and the lows of these character's lives. And although there has been much criticism of their narcissism, I find these people very real and very refreshing. I feel that Whit Stillman captures a class of people, a time of life, a social milieu, and a part of history with such dead on accuracy that I was just in awe as the movie unfolded.

I saw the movie three times in the theater and was moved to tears each time by the end scene on the train. To me it so perfectly brought the movie to a close, and, sums up the experience of life with such precision: the pain, the humiliation, the joy, the beauty, the excitement, and the struggles we all experience on a daily basis, but in the end, being alive really is something to dance about.

Equal to, or the best, Stillman "social trilogy" film
When watching a Stillman film, one should take it with a grain of salt. He has the ability to simply give an observation on the type of persons populating his films, who are usually rich, sheltered, urbane and dangerously pretentious. The importance of what he shows is that one could identify with the characters, or perhaps see someone they know. Although I grew up in the rural south, I was still able to identify with the actions and thoughts of the characters in "Disco". Much is made of Kate Beckinsale's painfully superficial and 'bitchy' character--however, it Chloe Sevigny who brings a sense of 'everyman(person)' and an honesty and morality to the rather directionless and morally ambivalent folks throughout the movie. It is the poetic justice of seeing Chloe succeed despite her social insecurities--and seeing Matt Kesslar follow his ideals and a moral code which wins him a girl he falls for, which made this a joy to watch for me. The moments of social dissection using "Lady of Tramp" and the epitome of mid-twenties life, the Unemployment Office, provide hilarious elements of droll humor. I identify with alot of the events in Stillman's movies, even though I never said the things that are said. Scares me a little, but I think moviegoers know or are those people in his films--and it scares them too. "Metropolitan" and "Barcelona" are important to view first before taking in this small breath of fresh air. As a sidenote, the music to "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" preludes the beginning of "Metropolitan"--I believe that is reference to the Protestantism of the lives of Stillman's characters thoughout this "WASP Social trilogy"--and makes it an interesting aspect of these films in this age of political correctness and leftism of Hollywood.

Burn Yuppie Burn
Stillman's obvious artistic kinsmen are Woody Allen and Eric Rohmer. Yet, Stillman doesn't wallow in self-pity like the former and doesn't constrict his stories within 'moral' discourse of the latter. Stillman, at his best, manages the right balance between lively chatter and somber reflection. His writing, rather like Allen's, sometimes has the annoying characteristic of rehearsed monologues interrupted by token protestation by others merely for the sake of furthering the monologue. Sometimes, no matter how clever or engaging, the exchanges are about trivial matters though contextualized within the general theme. Stillman also isn't quite a director of actors; the performances are adequate, even charming, but never tour-de-force. This restraint may seem somewhat odd in a movie about wild and crazy disco, but it isn't really about disco. Disco is simply used as a backdrop, as a phase in musical culture as well as in life, which defines these lives. This movie could just as well have been set in the hippie 60s or charleston 20s. Stillman is, foremost, concerned with certain timeless lessons revolving around friendship and love. There's something about chivalry and honor in all of his movies, values that are old-fashioned but refreshing in today's movie values of cynicism and violence. Also, interesting is Stillman's nostalgia for disco which is paradoxically colored by his conservative instincts. We usually associate disco--as with most other forms of pop cultural movements--with novelty, faddishness, and disposability, yet Stillman conjures up a vision of a city on a hill, of camelot, with its knights, princesses, and jesters. Stillman understands new become old. What was revolutionary becomes conservative; in a way, it's a statement about youth; how youth is identified with new ideas and values yet as we grow older it becomes a time and place to cherish and mythify, to remember and behold. In this harking back to a special period to which we can't return but has defined the mood and mode of our lives, Stillman has found the core of conservative instincts--if not ideology--in all of us. Ultimately, Stillman's films are not about passion but about dignity, not about Truth but honor. Stillman's instincts, being conservative, do not lean toward utopian visions, all-encompassing truths, or mad passions. He believes most people can, at their best, find some kind of moral compass in life and direct their actions with a modicum of moral consideration. Stillman believes people can think and can change. Hardly original but rare in movies today with their stock characterizations and simplistic, determinist dynamics. Perhaps, Stillman doesn't have the gusto of PT Anderson, the bravura inventiveness of Tarantino, or the morbid gravedigging obsessiveness of Solondz, but his grasping for sanity in an ever-changing, deceptive world is much needed and welcome. Thank god not every director is a Stillman but we need him just as any other, just as the New Wave needed Truffaut as much as it needed Godard, Rohmer as much as Chabrol.

WONDERFUL PICTURE
This is the BEST film i've seen about the disco era and an all round great motion picture, hands down, its not even an issue, BUT why on earth is the dvd sooo expensive? Were there limited copies to beginwith or something? All i know is i'm not going to shell out a $100 bucks for any single dvd title, i don't care what movie/film is on it, and its a shame because this is really a fantastic film.

Stillman has still got it baby
I loved this movie with a flame. Im a huge Whit Stillman fan, man, Barcelona and Metropolitan, god those where so awesome, and if you havent seen his other works then check them out or this one out. Chole Sevingy and Kate Beckinsale are simply amazing. Robert Sean Leonard has never been more cooler and grand. Matt Kesslar is good as well. doesnt let go for a minute and then movie rocks. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

LOOKING FOR AN ECHO
IF YOUR AS YOUNG AS I AM,(62) THIS MOVIE AND THE SONGS STILL LIVE IN YOUR HEART AND WILL FOREVER. ALMOST EVERY SONG AND PIECE OF MUSIC TOLD OF OUR FEELINGS FOR AND OF THE LOVE OF OUR LIVES. LOOKING FOR AN ECHO IS OUR TIMES IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES. GREAT GREAT MOVIE. I'LL BUY IT ON DVD BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE IT ON VHS.

Whadda Good Movie!
I am a self-proclaimed doo-wop junkie, that finally saw a movie to do this music proud! I recently had the pleasure of seeing Kenny Vance and the Plantotones perform, which moved me to purchase the CD and the DVD! A fine cast, and heart-felt story combines with the music to make "Echo" a movie you can watch more than once. This is a real "sleeper", that needs to wake up more viewers!

Not often, a reel feel-good movie!
One wonders if the cast & crew of this wonderful flick thought they would/could succeed with: no guns, no blood, no explosions, no murders...beheadings, stabbings, etc.

If you love music, and have heard some fifties music, the kind that you just have to involuntarily sway and bob to....then this is your movie. It's wonderful, with a storyline and characters completely full bodied. And the music! Armand Assante playing against his usual form. And Diane Venora, a character so charasmatic, Assante isn't the only one that falls for her. We do, assisted by the best music score in a film since the Commitments! I love this movie! Makes me smile...."FEEL GOOD!".

Look No Further!
This is absolutely the best movie wrapped around fifties & sixties music that I have ever seen. The music of Kenny Vance is superbly woven throughout a very heartwarming story that makes you want to cry and cheer at the same time. This is the music WCBS-FM SHOULD still be playing! The locations in Brooklyn and Howard Beach are just great and add to the overall flavor of the movie. Don't hestitate, just buy it!

An average film
I love the oldies and Doo Wop and bought this movie based on the reviews here. I was very disappointed. This movie was average in every way. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A pointless sequel
The original "Substitute" starring Tom Berenger and Ernie Hudson was an over-the-top but admittedly clever take on the "tough teacher/tough class" sub-genre started by "Dangerous Minds". Unfortunately, such movies typically spawn mediocre sequels to capitalize on even moderate interest, which leaves us with "Substitute 2: School's Out", starring Treat Williams instead of Berenger.

To say that this movie is unoriginal is an understatement. It more-or-less puts us into the exact same situation as the first film, only done worse than before. When his brother is murdered by a violent street gang called the Brotherhood in a carjacking, mercenary Karl Thomasson (Williams) decides to take on two roles. The first is to take care of his brother's daughter. The second is to become a subtitute teacher for his brother's Brooklyn high school class, which some of the Brotherhood thugs attend. He suspects that the school's auto shop teacher, Warren Drummond, is involved in a car-stripping operation with the Brotherhood and its violent leader, Lil' B. Naturally, it's up to Thomasson to teach the tough class while working to take down Lil' B and Drummond's operation with his mercenary pal Joey 6 and a janitor named Johnny Bartee.

The most dissapointing aspect of this movie is the acting. Before you say, "It's a B movie, so what do you expect?", consider the cast involved in this film. Treat Williams may be a direct-to-video actor for the most part, but considering his number of Emmy nominations and his achievements in "Everwood", you'd expect a little more from him. He simply comes off as too nice a guy to be a hardened merc. Longtime Broadway actor and recent "Law & Order: SVU" cast member B.D. Wong doesn't fare much better as Drummond; he's either over-the-top or very dull. Michael Michelle ("ER") as teacher and love interest Kara Lavelle and Angel David ("The Crow") as Joey 6 are both OK, but wasted for the most part. Daryl Edwards, who plays Johnny Bartee, ends up becoming very annoying in this film. And while rapper Guru (of Gang Starr fame) is one of the most gifted hip-hop lyricists around, he's no actor, and he really embarrasses himself as Lil' B in this movie.

Aside from the weak acting, the movie doesn't really do much with its characters or plot. The relationship between Thomasson and the gang-bangers in his class (one of the better points of the original film) never works at all, especially his attempt to connect to Mase (Eugene Byrd of "8 Mile" fame). At one point, Thomasson throws Mase's stereo out the window because he's playing rap music really loud in class. Mase gets angry and attacks him with a switchblade, but after Thomasson subdues him and leaves him in charge of the class for a moment, Mase later apologizes for what he did. In the space of one class, Mase changes from "I'm-a cut you up real good" to "yeah, I was wrong". Right.

There are other problems, too, including some ridiculously unrealistic action sequences. How does somebody manage to survive an attack by gang-bangers firing automatic weapons at them from BOTH SIDES of a narrow corridor? Beats me, but Thomasson, Joey 6, and Bartee do somehow. Equally bad is the scene where Drummond kills Lavelle by shooting her at point-blank range and then wipes her blood off his hands on a stuffed teddy bear AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. Oh, yeah, and I'm still very puzzled as to how they got that laser trick to work on the Brotherhood when laser sources are very easy to spot at any range. The hoods in Brooklyn may not be Ivy League material, but I really didn't think they all have the intelligence levels of rodents.

In the end, "Substitute 2" never works as well as its predecessor did, or as well as many such movies in general. The poor acting and weak plot make it hard to like. If you want to see a movie in this genre done right, see the first film or "187" with Samuel L. Jackson. You can definitely do better than this film.

Best of the substitute sequels - worth seeing
As a big fan of The Substitute I was surprised that I hadn't seen the three sequels to the movie - so I watched one each day for three days. All three are worthwhile entertainment, much better than most of the "B" movies out there (I rent so many B movies that turn out to be unwatchable). However, this first sequel is the best. Treat Williams is a good replacement for Tom Berenger. He has that almost-too-old-but-still-can-kick-butt feel like Berenger. The reason this movie works better than the other two sequels is that it actually takes place in a high school and kind of mimics the first movie with the gangs, etc.. I love these movies because in every one the Substitute beats up some kid in the classroom to prove a point. There's good action like the first movie, I love it when the Substitute is going to get shot in a drive-by and actually runs to the car, does a flip, and breaks the guy's arm which is sticking out of the window! There are no suprises, as usual there is always a teacher/administrator that is "in" with the thugs who are terrorizing the school and the substitute. And everyone gets their due in the end.

SUBSTITUTE 2 Review!
As is the case in just about every straight-to-video sequel, the original star is out and a newer somewhat lesser known star is in. Treat Williams does the series justice as a mercenary who fills for his slain brother's history class in a mean Brooklyn high school. It wouldn't be a "Substitute" film if he wasn't kicking and punching his students through the halls with the help of a few unlikely faculty members. Good straight-to-video fare with a decent cast featuring B.D. Wong, Michael Michelle, Eugene Byrd, and a few others but Angel David taking over Raymond Cruz's "Joey Six" role is about easy to believe as Tommy Lee Jones filling in for Billy Dee Williams. Oh wait! Anyways, you get what you pay for.

This movie sucked and just kept on sucking.
Treat Williams is an awesome actor he would have played his role superbly had he had a plot to work with. This movie just plain sucked...no doubt about it. Michael Michelle's and B.D. Wong's talents are a waste in this piece of crap. The first "Substitute" was very entertaining, I say that with tongue in cheek. They call this one an action flick? My goodness, the scenes were so far and so few. This was a very cheap movie, poor action sequences and dialogue as well. The yo-yo scene in the classroom was very interesting though. Haven't seen the the next two in the series, and now I don't know as if I want to.

ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL
ANOTHER MERCENARY [TREAT WILLIAMS] BECOMES A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AT A SCHOOL IN WHICH CRIME IS RAMPANT. NOT TOO MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL, BUT IT'S ALMOST BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL! TREAT WILLIAMS MIGHT NOT BE AS MEAN AS TOM BERENGER WAS, BUT HE'S STILL A PRETTY INTRIGUING ACTOR FOR THE ROLE THAT TOM BERENGER PLAYED. THIS IS DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING. THE ACTION SCENES ARE PRETTY CLEVER. EVEN FEATURES AN APPEARANCE FROM GURU, WHICH IS THE MC FOR GANG STARR. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Ballarini is THE GREATEST
I watched this movie once on cable, and Happily Surpised to see Eudardo Ballarini playing a VILLIAN, opessed to the gentle role he played in "Looking for an Echo", which is also an EXCELLENT movie! Angela Landers, from Tampa Florida

Good formalic Movie!
I picked "Malevolent" because Kari Wuhrer was in it. She is not only beautiful but a good actress. Lou Diamond Phillips pulled off a great performance as detective Jack Lucas trying to clear his name. The real star of the movie is Edooardo Ballerini who was the scary heavy in this film.

As you watch this movie you soon can figure out what will happen next. Not a bad thing, but at times its just too obvious thus making the scenes not as much impact as they would. Pretty much you seen all this stuff before. But still everything was good. For a "straight to video" movie they really went all out for production of the car chase scenes which looked great.

Excellent
After passing out in a bar's bathroom cop Jack (Lou Diamond Philips) dicovers his gun and bloodied hankerchief are missing, and the pocket torn from his shirt. However the missing items begin to turn up at murder scenes, setting a stop-watch for Jack to figure out why a stranger would want to set him up for murder. Also starring Kari Wuhrer (clothes on, but there is a nice scene in a shower) and Edooardo Ballerini. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

sadness as a comedy?
I have to say to those who didn't see this film - it's not a comedy at all, it's about being lonely and being sad, and about how when you live in a lonely sadness all your life, what happens when you have to change it in a moment? I thought it was lovely, the acting was perfect for the rolls, and the soundtrack added a lot to the movie.

One major flaw with this film.
David Schwimmer. I'll admit it. He grates on my nerves like it's no one's business. I find him annoying, cloying, and repulsive in every role I've seen him in. He's the major reason I avoid Friends like the plague (although there are plenty of other reasons for that). But this movie also has the anti-Schwimmer: Gwyneth Paltrow. I can't explain exactly why, but I find her enchanting and intriguing. (Maybe it's because she is a terrific actress, or because she seems so sweet and nice even off the screen.) So, there you have have it. A movie with two polar extremes ... the hideous and the sublime, the awful and beautiful, the appalling and the ... you get the point.

Some people might quickly dismiss this movie as a Graduate wannabe. There's some truth to that. The Pallbearer is quite derivative of the Graduate; it's a play on the young man, older woman, younger woman triangle, and it certainly doesn't have the Graduate's silkiness--or it's wise intelligence. There's nothing in the Pallbearer that matches the uneasy end where Dustin Hoffman and Katherine Ross nervously sit at the back of the bus with this quietly panicky, "What now?" look on their faces.

But it does have some well-orchestrated moments, including a brunch from hell, and some genuine, quirky characters. I'd give it a chance; it's worth watching. And if you can stomach David Schwimmer, you might really like it.

Not funny
The box advertises a hilarious movie. It was not bad, just not funny.

Pleasant enough little film.
Despite the utter comtempt and loathing I have for Friends (For being the most obvious, stupid, unfunny comedy very much
like the equally appalling Will & Grace), I nevertheless quite enjoyed David Swimmer's performance in this film. It was quite an enjoyable, lighthearted if slightly predictable romantic comedy. Paltrow was even reasonably good in it. So whilst not exactly a masterpiece, nonetheless an interesting little Black comedy for those moments whwn you have nothing else better to do.

good
i liked this despite my mothers views. it's a cute romance and tragedy. ... Read more

Description

Winner of the 1996 FANTAFESTIVAL-Rome,Italy Winner- CINEFANTASTIQUE Magazine 1997 - Best Outlaw Video Official Entry of the LA PORTA SUL BUIO II Festival-Rome, Italy ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A giallo tribute done right!
I recently bought this blindly based solely on word of mouth.I've been hearing about it for years, but the VHS tape has been long out of print and fetched high prices on eBay when it would pop up on there.When I found out that it had finally been released on DVD, I jumped at the chance to buy it right away.And, boy, was I glad I did!As a person raised on some of the classic giallos of the 70's from the likes of Argento, Fulci and Bava, I am usually very critical of any attempts to recreate what the Italian masters have already done so well.5 DEAD ON THE CRIMSON CANVAS proves that you don't have to be Italian to make a giallo, and you can actually be original in the confines of an obvious tribute to a genre you love so dearly.And writer/director Joseph F. Parda clearly loves giallos dearly as evidenced by the little touches he adds here and there throughout the course of the 96 minute film.He stays steady on the delicate line between an homage and a rip off and he succeeds I think.As I said earlier, I'm very critical of this genre and 5 DEAD is not without its flaws.At times certain actors performances came off as a bit campy and at other times the lighting was not on par with the rest of the film.But these instances were few and far between and did not deter my enjoyment of the film in the least.Parda definitely has a unique visual style though that is usually never seen in films of this caliber on this budget.I can wholeheartedly recommend 5 DEAD ON THE CRIMSON CANVAS to even the most minor giallo fan.Bigger enthusiasts, like myself, will no doubt appreciate and get a kick out of this fun film.I look forward to what Parda has to offer in the future.I see that, according to the Internet Movie Database, he made a film called MACHINES OF LOVE AND HATE in 2003.Does anyone know the status of this?I would love to see that as well.Hopefully a DVD of it will come along shortly because just from the positive reviews online that I've read, that film too seems like it could be great!

Pleasant Surprise
This movie is worth the watch....lots of twists and surprises the commentary alone is worth the price...lots of gore as well ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Good Movie, but Very Depressing
This movie reminds me of tragedies like Hamlet where just about all the main characters die at the end. This movie was a very negative depiction of the illegal gambling/bookie world.

Peter Falk plays this aging bookie, Vinnie who is about to be replaced by this young jerk Tony, who is played by Freddie Prinze Jr. Lauren Holly (Marybeth) and Timothy Dutton (Frankie) are a young married couple with big problems because Frankie is an unemployed drunk with a tendency to make bets that lose him big money. Well, Frankie makes this huge bet that of course loses him like thousands of dollars. Tony contacts Marybeth who is already working like a dog trying to keep her family from bankruptcy and forces her to find a way to make payments on this huge debt and also forces her to have sex with him. I won't totally give away the end, but like I said just about everybody dies.

Freddie Prinze Jr. fans will be surprised to see their cute little good guy romantic comedy star playing a cocaine addict and all around jerk. Although, I thought he did all right pulling off that role. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

LOOKING FOR AN ECHO
IF YOUR AS YOUNG AS I AM,(62) THIS MOVIE AND THE SONGS STILL LIVE IN YOUR HEART AND WILL FOREVER. ALMOST EVERY SONG AND PIECE OF MUSIC TOLD OF OUR FEELINGS FOR AND OF THE LOVE OF OUR LIVES. LOOKING FOR AN ECHO IS OUR TIMES IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES. GREAT GREAT MOVIE. I'LL BUY IT ON DVD BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE IT ON VHS.

Whadda Good Movie!
I am a self-proclaimed doo-wop junkie, that finally saw a movie to do this music proud! I recently had the pleasure of seeing Kenny Vance and the Plantotones perform, which moved me to purchase the CD and the DVD! A fine cast, and heart-felt story combines with the music to make "Echo" a movie you can watch more than once. This is a real "sleeper", that needs to wake up more viewers!

Not often, a reel feel-good movie!
One wonders if the cast & crew of this wonderful flick thought they would/could succeed with: no guns, no blood, no explosions, no murders...beheadings, stabbings, etc.

If you love music, and have heard some fifties music, the kind that you just have to involuntarily sway and bob to....then this is your movie. It's wonderful, with a storyline and characters completely full bodied. And the music! Armand Assante playing against his usual form. And Diane Venora, a character so charasmatic, Assante isn't the only one that falls for her. We do, assisted by the best music score in a film since the Commitments! I love this movie! Makes me smile...."FEEL GOOD!".

Look No Further!
This is absolutely the best movie wrapped around fifties & sixties music that I have ever seen. The music of Kenny Vance is superbly woven throughout a very heartwarming story that makes you want to cry and cheer at the same time. This is the music WCBS-FM SHOULD still be playing! The locations in Brooklyn and Howard Beach are just great and add to the overall flavor of the movie. Don't hestitate, just buy it!

An average film
I love the oldies and Doo Wop and bought this movie based on the reviews here. I was very disappointed. This movie was average in every way. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A pointless sequel
The original "Substitute" starring Tom Berenger and Ernie Hudson was an over-the-top but admittedly clever take on the "tough teacher/tough class" sub-genre started by "Dangerous Minds". Unfortunately, such movies typically spawn mediocre sequels to capitalize on even moderate interest, which leaves us with "Substitute 2: School's Out", starring Treat Williams instead of Berenger.

To say that this movie is unoriginal is an understatement. It more-or-less puts us into the exact same situation as the first film, only done worse than before. When his brother is murdered by a violent street gang called the Brotherhood in a carjacking, mercenary Karl Thomasson (Williams) decides to take on two roles. The first is to take care of his brother's daughter. The second is to become a subtitute teacher for his brother's Brooklyn high school class, which some of the Brotherhood thugs attend. He suspects that the school's auto shop teacher, Warren Drummond, is involved in a car-stripping operation with the Brotherhood and its violent leader, Lil' B. Naturally, it's up to Thomasson to teach the tough class while working to take down Lil' B and Drummond's operation with his mercenary pal Joey 6 and a janitor named Johnny Bartee.

The most dissapointing aspect of this movie is the acting. Before you say, "It's a B movie, so what do you expect?", consider the cast involved in this film. Treat Williams may be a direct-to-video actor for the most part, but considering his number of Emmy nominations and his achievements in "Everwood", you'd expect a little more from him. He simply comes off as too nice a guy to be a hardened merc. Longtime Broadway actor and recent "Law & Order: SVU" cast member B.D. Wong doesn't fare much better as Drummond; he's either over-the-top or very dull. Michael Michelle ("ER") as teacher and love interest Kara Lavelle and Angel David ("The Crow") as Joey 6 are both OK, but wasted for the most part. Daryl Edwards, who plays Johnny Bartee, ends up becoming very annoying in this film. And while rapper Guru (of Gang Starr fame) is one of the most gifted hip-hop lyricists around, he's no actor, and he really embarrasses himself as Lil' B in this movie.

Aside from the weak acting, the movie doesn't really do much with its characters or plot. The relationship between Thomasson and the gang-bangers in his class (one of the better points of the original film) never works at all, especially his attempt to connect to Mase (Eugene Byrd of "8 Mile" fame). At one point, Thomasson throws Mase's stereo out the window because he's playing rap music really loud in class. Mase gets angry and attacks him with a switchblade, but after Thomasson subdues him and leaves him in charge of the class for a moment, Mase later apologizes for what he did. In the space of one class, Mase changes from "I'm-a cut you up real good" to "yeah, I was wrong". Right.

There are other problems, too, including some ridiculously unrealistic action sequences. How does somebody manage to survive an attack by gang-bangers firing automatic weapons at them from BOTH SIDES of a narrow corridor? Beats me, but Thomasson, Joey 6, and Bartee do somehow. Equally bad is the scene where Drummond kills Lavelle by shooting her at point-blank range and then wipes her blood off his hands on a stuffed teddy bear AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. Oh, yeah, and I'm still very puzzled as to how they got that laser trick to work on the Brotherhood when laser sources are very easy to spot at any range. The hoods in Brooklyn may not be Ivy League material, but I really didn't think they all have the intelligence levels of rodents.

In the end, "Substitute 2" never works as well as its predecessor did, or as well as many such movies in general. The poor acting and weak plot make it hard to like. If you want to see a movie in this genre done right, see the first film or "187" with Samuel L. Jackson. You can definitely do better than this film.

Best of the substitute sequels - worth seeing
As a big fan of The Substitute I was surprised that I hadn't seen the three sequels to the movie - so I watched one each day for three days. All three are worthwhile entertainment, much better than most of the "B" movies out there (I rent so many B movies that turn out to be unwatchable). However, this first sequel is the best. Treat Williams is a good replacement for Tom Berenger. He has that almost-too-old-but-still-can-kick-butt feel like Berenger. The reason this movie works better than the other two sequels is that it actually takes place in a high school and kind of mimics the first movie with the gangs, etc.. I love these movies because in every one the Substitute beats up some kid in the classroom to prove a point. There's good action like the first movie, I love it when the Substitute is going to get shot in a drive-by and actually runs to the car, does a flip, and breaks the guy's arm which is sticking out of the window! There are no suprises, as usual there is always a teacher/administrator that is "in" with the thugs who are terrorizing the school and the substitute. And everyone gets their due in the end.

SUBSTITUTE 2 Review!
As is the case in just about every straight-to-video sequel, the original star is out and a newer somewhat lesser known star is in. Treat Williams does the series justice as a mercenary who fills for his slain brother's history class in a mean Brooklyn high school. It wouldn't be a "Substitute" film if he wasn't kicking and punching his students through the halls with the help of a few unlikely faculty members. Good straight-to-video fare with a decent cast featuring B.D. Wong, Michael Michelle, Eugene Byrd, and a few others but Angel David taking over Raymond Cruz's "Joey Six" role is about easy to believe as Tommy Lee Jones filling in for Billy Dee Williams. Oh wait! Anyways, you get what you pay for.

This movie sucked and just kept on sucking.
Treat Williams is an awesome actor he would have played his role superbly had he had a plot to work with. This movie just plain sucked...no doubt about it. Michael Michelle's and B.D. Wong's talents are a waste in this piece of crap. The first "Substitute" was very entertaining, I say that with tongue in cheek. They call this one an action flick? My goodness, the scenes were so far and so few. This was a very cheap movie, poor action sequences and dialogue as well. The yo-yo scene in the classroom was very interesting though. Haven't seen the the next two in the series, and now I don't know as if I want to.

ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL
ANOTHER MERCENARY [TREAT WILLIAMS] BECOMES A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AT A SCHOOL IN WHICH CRIME IS RAMPANT. NOT TOO MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL, BUT IT'S ALMOST BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL! TREAT WILLIAMS MIGHT NOT BE AS MEAN AS TOM BERENGER WAS, BUT HE'S STILL A PRETTY INTRIGUING ACTOR FOR THE ROLE THAT TOM BERENGER PLAYED. THIS IS DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING. THE ACTION SCENES ARE PRETTY CLEVER. EVEN FEATURES AN APPEARANCE FROM GURU, WHICH IS THE MC FOR GANG STARR. ... Read more