Amazon.com

Get mindless for awhile with this 1997 disaster flick, starring the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles as a funky place for lava to spew, plus Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche as the brave souls who know how to shut off the spout. Director Mick Jackson (TheBodyguard) wastes no time getting to the good stuff--it's happening even before opening credits are over--and neither should anyone in the mood for technical efficiency without the burden of art. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Better than that other volcano movie with James Bond ;)
I've watched this movie dozens of times, the first being at an ampitheater in Indiana on a cold fall day. I hadn't heard of it before but the tickets were free, so I checked it out. Wow! What a movie! I couldn't believe it, the entire time I was sitting on the edge of my seat, I left with no fingernails at all. All the actors were just terriffic, especially Tommy Lee Jones, who just adds flair to any film he's in. I'm not sure where people get off saying that this movie is too fantastical, either. As they say in the film, one day in Mexico a man saw a smoking fissure in his field; the next day there was a volcano growing there. That story is completely true, and it's happened repeatedly throughout the world. Why couldn't it happen in LA, the most geologically unstable major city? That's like saying that an earthquake can never hit New York City because it just can't happen. And as the current quote on the page said, you can't fight nature? The techniques used in Volcano are used constantly in Iceland and Greenland, which are all highly geologically unstable places with many volcanos. Anywho :) off my soapbox, if you've got a second, check this out on a large TV with a huge sound system! And skip that Dante's whatever, Volcano is the bomb... literally.

Haha, what were you people expecting? Pyroclastic flows?
I think, overall, this is a good disaster movie. I mean, are you ever REALLY looking for a realistic scenerio in an action flick? I think the plot progressed smoothly (not one of those movies where the screen comes on and starts with people running around getting fried), and the music was great.

Obviously this is a small volcano, considering that if it was a Mount St. Helens thing with pyroclastic flows and lava all over, then yeah, LA wouldn't stand much of a chance, but its fun to think how a major city like LA would face a little volcano deciding to pop up in the middle of the city.

I think I lost some IQ...
This has to be one of the dumbest movies...ever...Yes ever...Seeing this movie I think my IQ dropped 20 points from it's stupid storyline and totally impossible happenings as a volcano magically forming in LA

Really dumb....the only thing good about this movie is laughing at it the entire way for its sheer stupidity

A stale and lame piece of junk
Is it fun to watch? Yes. Why? Because this is so bad you can't help but enjoy. They completely and utterly disregard any realism and totally defy the laws of physics. Let's put it this way, in this movie the coast is toast and the plot is rot. Tommy Lee Jones gets a major pay check to lead the rescue effort when geological mumbo-jumbo causes the La Brea tar pits and the new L.A. subway system to spit steam, ash, fire and a rolling, molten sea. Actually the coast is not even toast. Let me quote from everyone's favorite smart alleck Mike Nelson: "I hate to start this by nitpicking, but the movie really should be called lava and not volcano. The "film" starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche, really was long on lava and, as far as I could tell, had only one small-quite small, really-volcano. And, despite all the hype, the coast was not, at any time during the film, toast. The coastal city of Los Angeles, CA, was indeed in no small danger of being incinerated by flowing magma, but the situation was completely handled by disaster workers, and only the most pessimistic naysayer would describe the situation by saying 'the coast is toast.'" Beyond all that, seeing as how close our characters were to the lava, one would have to wonder why they weren't burnt up. At the temperature of the magma the characters could've in no way been as close as they were. Oh well it's simply a terrible movie. Bad acting, boring plot, crumby music, and doesn't even remotely live up to the hype! Unless you're in the mood for a cheeze-fest I suggest you see something else. Heck watching grass grow would be more stimulating than this.

valcano rocks on!
I love the movie valcano. I recemend it only to people who like horror and death movies becuse valcano is one of them. I hope kids don't really belive that this has happend becuse there has not ever been a valcano so powerful to blow up so much ash and magma to destruct a whole state and more than that so dont belive this happend. I will like this movie so much I am willing to pay for 2 copys of it if I had that kind of money but I dont so dont think I will. ... Read more

Description

The powerful and unexpectedly moving true story of the rise and fall of the infamous crime boss Paul Castellano. Castellano's visionary plans to evolve the Cosa Nostra into a legitimate business ultimately lead to his assassination by members of the family, who lived and died by the mob's unwavering dedication to tradition. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

why bother
The title for my review says it all this movie is shocking. chaz wots his name doesnt look a tad like castellano. The movie makes out as tho neil dellacroce and castellano are best friends where in fact they didnt like each other. How can people watch this movie. I saw it on sky and I didnt like it one little bit.

Apart from castellano not looking 1 bit like chaz wots his name, gotti didnt have a big part in this movie I mean after all the guy killed castellano he shud have co stared in the movie. Also gambino looks a lot fatter than the real don carlo.

There are so many points i cud pick at but why shud i bother abusing this movie when it wasnt even worh having the idea for this movie. one good idea go back to storyboards u lowlife movie writers and think to ourselves were u either stoned or drunk or simply off your rocker.

JUST DON'T BOTHER

Dunno ... Chazz looks a little short to be Paul
Grant it 'Gotti' was a little wrong with the size of Paul Castellano but still - Chazz Palminteri offers the nice view of Paul Castellano as the loveable Mafia boss who's not a real fighter but a 'lover' - by doing this like in every book written about a famous person ... the key person is always made into a hero.

Same with the HBO movie 'Gotti' which was based on Jerry Caprici's co-author book "GOTTI: Rise and Fall" and then there is "Witness to the Mob" which is the HBO version of Salvatore Gravano's "Underboss."

In fact 'Boss of Bosses' was based on the book written by the two FBI agents who helped 'bug' Castellano's Todht Hill mansion. And in the book these two agents come to enjoy his pressence (this happened right when the FBI in the movie arrested him and their conversation in the car) right before he got murdered afront of Sparks Steak House in Manhatten.

In the movie this scene was shot in the agents' car but according to the book - the scene actually took place in the back of Castellano's favorite deli - where they were eating some deli and whatnot.

The other problem was how they broke into Castellano's house - they didn't show how they got the information of where to put what - and in reality they had an agent ask to use their phone (which they gladly gave the okay too) and then his simple instructions other than too make an call was to remember everything in the house.

They also didn't jump over a wall - this would've meant that the alarms which I believe in the book said would go off in 2 minutes - I think he had motion sensors, so in reality they had to basically go over the roof and then into one of the windows -so they didn't just go through the front door. That would've game them away right?

Also when Carlo Gambino died - he didn't die in this big mansion - he died watching a Yankees game in his very modest house on Long Island. So that was wrong ... in fact from the picture I got from Gravano's book that - Neil Dellacroce was the one that died in the big mansion.

And when they showed the hit of Castellano - Gotti was in the car with Gravano not some overweight man! Last time I checked Gravano wasn't that overweight!

So these 3 stars are just for Palminteri's performance as the loveable Big Paulie ... keep up the good work.

A New Perspective
I'm a great fan of Chazz Palminteri, which is why I orignally purchased this DVD. And, I have to say, that his acting was, as always, terrific. As a movie, this was enjoyable. The writing was not great and the plot really didn't move you, but, for some reason, the movie was digestable.

This plot follows the rise and fall of one-time Gambino family boss Paul Castellano. Obviously, this movie was made to offset the negative press that the late-Castellano has received over the years through the volumes of books, movies, and articles written about John Gotti. In fact, movies like 'Gotti' paint an entirely different picture than this one. So much so that if you watch both movies side-by-side (as I did), you feel as though you are watching two entirely different stories. In reality, the movies cover different time periods. But, those areas that do overlap are told from two entirely different perspectives. Example: The movie 'Gotti' paints Paul Castellano as an overweight, unintelligent, mean-spirited man who had not paid his dues and, consequently, did not deserve his position at all. 'Boss Of Bosses' paints Castellano as a well-spoken, well-groomed, intelligent business man who had risen legitimately through the ranks with his close friend Carlo Gambino.

Which version is accurate? I can't say that I know. What I do know is that the 'Gotti' version of Paul Castellano is the one that I had come to believe before I watched this DVD. Now, I'm not sure.

Watch this DVD and judge for yourself. If nothing else, you'll be entertained for 90 minutes or so by a fantastic leading actor. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The ever-limber Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in the entertaininglyover-the-top action flick Derailed. The plot has to do with adeadly virus on a runaway train, but that's hardly the point--what makesthe movie fly along is the ridiculous yet entirely enjoyable escalation ofplot devices: not only is Van Damme on the train to protect a beautifulhigh-tech thief (Laura Elena Harring, Mulholland Drive), not onlyis the train hijacked by terrorists, not only is the virus actuallyreleased into the train's ventilation system, not only is the engine onfire, but Van Damme's family came on board to surprise him on his birthdayand are now being used as pawns by the terrorists. Derailed is alsoloaded with spectacle: car chases, shootouts, explosions, a traincollision, hand-to-hand combat, and Van Damme riding a motorcycle on top ofthe train--you really couldn't ask for more. Sheer trashy fun. --BretFetzer ... Read more

Reviews (26)

JCVD has DERAILED his fans
Jean Claude Van Damme made his reputation in the late 80's and early 90's with martial arts movies that involved his entering a kumite, winner take all. In BLOODSPORT and KICKBOXER, his athleticism, good looks, and never-say-die persona were magnified in confrontations with a killer bad guy, usually played by Bolo or Michel Quissi. The fights in those films were seen as intriguing choreographed versions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As long as JCVD stuck to that type of film, he stood out and the movie did good box office. Eventually, he felt that he could branch out into being an action star along the lines of Steven Seagal or Jackie Chan. The brutal truth about his acting talent is that it is limited to the savage ring fighting of his early career. With DERAILED, JCVD proves once again that his acting, when combined with laughable special effects, cheesy writing, and illogically paced fight sequences, cannot compensate for these other deficiencies. In DERAILED, he plays Jacques Kristoff, a CIA type who is hired to bring in a sexy Russian female who has ripped off her Mafia boss to the tune of a deadly smallpox serum, which is released into the air of the train on which all are riding. The plot holes are big enough for that train to drive right through without hitting a bump. His wife and children surprise him by meeting him on the train, only to be taken hostage along with the other passengers. If this sounds a little like DIE HARD meets SIEGE, then you have already figured out the ending. The bad guys are tough enough, but JCVD's fights with them are claustrophobic, thus negating the allure of his high kicks. Instead, he has to resort to the grappling devices like chokes and ankle locks that I found to be the most interesting part. DERAILED is a glitzy movie with lots of pretty girls, tough guys, and short combat scenes, but the feeling that I had at the conclusion is that if JCVD wants to avoid the continual embarrassment of straight to video flicks like this one, he would do well to remember the kind of movie that made him a superstar in the first place.

Not his best
The movie to me was very horrible,first of all the sound effects in this movie were very cheap. The movie wasnt one of his best. The other thing is that the whole thing of him having a family and being married was stupid.

Entertaining, low budget movie that could've been bad.
I don't understand why people say this movie is bad it's really pretty well done. Van Damme jumping from one train to the other on a dirt bike put a good touch on to the movie. And i liked the directing of the film for the fight scenes. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars is at one point during a fight they split the screen between Van Damme fighting a guy and the girl fighting another guy, that was bad looking. Also when the helicopter blew up that was done a little badly. Other than that the movie was pretty good for a low budget flick.

WORST MOVIE EVER.
This has got to be the worst movie I've ever seen.
If you find this DVD on the street, just keep walking.

Terrible but a great laugh!
Van Damme is back and his movies are getting worse . . . sure he has made some great ones like SUDDEN DEATH and KICKBOXER, but this one, from the people that brought you CROCODILE and SHARK ATTACK(and its sequels!) is so bad it's hilarious. Van Damme plays a government agent(AGAIN?!) who has to escort a prisoner across Europe by train, but in the process terrorists steal and unleash a bioweapon on board which she is transporting. And to add to the complications, Van Damme has his family, or the usual oh-the-humanity interest on board. The authorities, fearing a Europe-wide plague from the dealy smallpox bioweapon, attempt to destroy the train. Sound familiar? A rip-off of the far superior CASSANDRA CROSSING with hints of the equally superior UNDER SIEGE 2 thrown in. However, the enjoyment comes from the incredibly bad special effects that you will see. Check out the toy helicopter chasing a train set through papier-mache mountains! Exploding cars on the autoracks that blow up as soon as a bullet hits them, lack of route knowledege through Austria by the producers(all main lines in Austria have overhead wires and do not operate Bulgarian diesel locos), two toy train wrecks set alight by a kid with a match or so it looks and horrendously bad acting and dialogue that makes bad movies like BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and SHARK ATTACK 3 look brilliant. So at least it's funny. Recomended if you love dreck and want something to compliment that bad movie cheese-fest you are putting on! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Rocky gets a prison-block makeover in Undisputed, and the generic combination packs a vicious one-two punch. Owing much to the macho, gut-busting B movies of Hollywood's golden age, this no-nonsense drama gets right down to business, beginning when heavyweight champ "Iceman" Chambers (Ving Rhames) enters Sweetwater prison on a rape charge. The prison has a boxing program, and convicted killer Monroe Hutchen (Wesley Snipes) is the 10-year undefeated champion. A challenge bout is coordinated by an aging mobster prisoner (Peter Falk) and the head guard (Michael Rooker), and Undisputed pummels its way to its brutal and unpredictable conclusion. Colorful characters abound (foul-mouthed Falk is the hilarious standout), and seasoned director Walter Hill (coscripting with his Alien partner David Giler) brings them together with invigorating focus. There's not an ounce of fat on this tough-minded movie, and even its inevitable outcome seems freshly unexpected. Obviously inspired by Mike Tyson's ill-fated escapades, Undisputed turns fact into potent cellblock fiction. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Two boxers go head to head but it's the movie that's K.O.'d!
Wesley Snipes stars as the boxing champ of Sweetwater Prison whose title and manhood are put at jeopardy when the true heavyweight champion (played by Ving Rhames) lands in the cellblock for the rape of a showgirl (Rose Rollins).

I enjoyed UNDISPUTED for the first thirty minutes or so but after that I became lost. I was looking for deeper character development than I ever got. We get to know Ving Rhames character the most (mainly because he's a replica of Mike Tyson) and he's the antagonist. We get introduced to several supporting characters (Wes Studi, Fisher Stevens, Peter Falk, Michael Rooker, Jon Seda) here and there for whatever reason. However, they're all a prison cliché.

The character we never get to know, oddly, is the hero, played by Wesley Snipes. We can only assume that Snipes is the hero because of his sensitive hobby of making houses out of toothpicks. Other than that, Snipes has only about twenty lines. It's weird. Rhames even though billed second has far more screen time than Snipes.

I can't help but feel that this film lost it in the editing room. Somehow this movie feels like half a movie. Like important parts have been chopped away. I just can't imagine writers Walter Hill and David Giler (ALIEN), or any writers for that matter, writing a script with such a non-dimensional lead character.

While action film veteran Walter Hill (48 HOURS; LAST MAN STANDING) has learned some stylish new tricks to filmmaking, they're not enough to save his latest effort. All in all, two incarcerated boxers go head to head, but it's the movie that gets K.O.'d.

D+ (the plus is for Ving Rhames)

Highly entertaining.
Looking over several of the poor reviews is rather surprising, unless you hate the violence promoted by boxing. This is a really good boxing movie. You have a Mike Tyson-like character who winds up in prison duking it out with a modest hard lifer in a real prison with hundreds of real convicts for extras. It's interesting to watch from 2 perspectives, boxing itself and prison. However, it's definitely a movie for the guys.

Fast paced action drama, no it's best presentation
This has got to be the most obvious movie you will ever watch as the fights and outcomes, court hearing, prison moves from Rhames and Snipes, not their best movie though, they've did some great ones like Ving in 'Pulp Fiction' and Snipes in 'The Fan'.
Although the realistic fight at the end between reigning prision champ, Snipes and Challenger and former Heavyweight Champion of the world accused of rape, was worth the 1 1/2 hour watch. Some of the storylines in this movie is a bit zany and unauthorised charecters that make apearences in this movie enter then suddenly vanish from the script. If this movie took long enough to make with the fluential budget ammount and great cast of charecters, it would've made a name.

Great B movie
First off, why in the hell wasn't this movie a hit? This is your classic slambang action movie and a helluva lot of fun. Wesley Snipes pulls a complete 180 by playing an appeallingly low key, almost spiritual underdog prison boxing champ and the great Ving Rhames rocks the house with his Tyson inspired heavyweight champ sent to jail for allegedly commmitting rape. Peter Falk , who plays an old jewish mobster has one hilarious monologue where he drops the F-bomb more times than even Joe Pesci ever has. Don't get me wrong, this material isn't exactly original and it is formulaic and predictable but an old pro like director Walter (48 Hrs.) Hill can pull this off and make it feel fresh and suspenseful. A lot of typical screenplay conventions are missing, such as a love story and a protaganist. The Rhames character is so arrogant you don't care if he really is innocent, he should serve time just for his megalomania. The Snipes character is a murderer serving life and even with his underdog persona he is still not exactly a hero and that is one of the refreshing aspects of this well acted and directed movie.
This is a B movie to be sure, but a damn good one.

Prison, Boxing, and Men's Pride; Peter Falk Is Standout
"Undisputed" is a Walter Hill film, which means it's about well-drawn characters, simple premise, and machismo. Or especially the last thing. Here you see Wesley Snipes as 'Champ of the prison boxing' (for 10 years) Monroe Hutchen, and Ving Rhames as 'the real Champ' or George 'Iceman' Chambers, who is convicted for rape charge. But some say they don't need two champs, so they decide it by fighting.

So they fight, but not so soon. A veteran prisoner named Ripstein (excellent Peter Falk, spitting out so many F-words) steps in, who truly loves the art of boxing, and he wants them to fight there, in the prison in the middle of the desert. Surrounding the three main characters are Michael Rooker, Wes Studi, Jon Seda, Fisher Stevens, and Master P as special guest.

The story is so simple, but the point is not that part. If you are looking for "48 Hours" it's not here. Hill and co-writer David Glier opted for creating realistic characters instead of actions, so what you see first is not the names of the actors, but those of the characters. They do not talk much about themselves, unlike many films of the genre, but you get to know them through the dialogues, uttered by well-chosen actors who can really act.

"Undisputed" belongs to the genre (prison film); however, it never shows unnecessary digression in the short course of story, and Hill wants that way (see how Michael Rooker's character slyly refers to the genre itself). It is not about a hero and a villain, it's about men's pride and dignity, and on that score it succeeds. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An impressive cast throws their combined actorly muscle behind thisexploration of the war of the sexes. Michael (Joe Mantegna) doesn't understandwhy the new car he bought for his wife Dana (Christine Lahti) has sent her intoan emotional tailspin; frustrated and confused, he and his friend Bruce (PaulReiser) decide to blow off steam by going to a strip club--unfortunately, Danareturns home just as the men are setting off. She follows and is appalled bywhat she finds, setting off a far more serious marital crisis for both couples.What starts out as a middle-aged version of American Pie turns into anhonest attempt to grapple with the troubles of a long marriage. The conclusionis dubious, but Women vs. Men has some thoughtful moments along the wayand the cast keeps the scenes lively--Lahti and Glenne Headly (as Bruce's wife)are particularly good. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (26)

JCVD has DERAILED his fans
Jean Claude Van Damme made his reputation in the late 80's and early 90's with martial arts movies that involved his entering a kumite, winner take all. In BLOODSPORT and KICKBOXER, his athleticism, good looks, and never-say-die persona were magnified in confrontations with a killer bad guy, usually played by Bolo or Michel Quissi. The fights in those films were seen as intriguing choreographed versions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As long as JCVD stuck to that type of film, he stood out and the movie did good box office. Eventually, he felt that he could branch out into being an action star along the lines of Steven Seagal or Jackie Chan. The brutal truth about his acting talent is that it is limited to the savage ring fighting of his early career. With DERAILED, JCVD proves once again that his acting, when combined with laughable special effects, cheesy writing, and illogically paced fight sequences, cannot compensate for these other deficiencies. In DERAILED, he plays Jacques Kristoff, a CIA type who is hired to bring in a sexy Russian female who has ripped off her Mafia boss to the tune of a deadly smallpox serum, which is released into the air of the train on which all are riding. The plot holes are big enough for that train to drive right through without hitting a bump. His wife and children surprise him by meeting him on the train, only to be taken hostage along with the other passengers. If this sounds a little like DIE HARD meets SIEGE, then you have already figured out the ending. The bad guys are tough enough, but JCVD's fights with them are claustrophobic, thus negating the allure of his high kicks. Instead, he has to resort to the grappling devices like chokes and ankle locks that I found to be the most interesting part. DERAILED is a glitzy movie with lots of pretty girls, tough guys, and short combat scenes, but the feeling that I had at the conclusion is that if JCVD wants to avoid the continual embarrassment of straight to video flicks like this one, he would do well to remember the kind of movie that made him a superstar in the first place.

Not his best
The movie to me was very horrible,first of all the sound effects in this movie were very cheap. The movie wasnt one of his best. The other thing is that the whole thing of him having a family and being married was stupid.

Entertaining, low budget movie that could've been bad.
I don't understand why people say this movie is bad it's really pretty well done. Van Damme jumping from one train to the other on a dirt bike put a good touch on to the movie. And i liked the directing of the film for the fight scenes. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars is at one point during a fight they split the screen between Van Damme fighting a guy and the girl fighting another guy, that was bad looking. Also when the helicopter blew up that was done a little badly. Other than that the movie was pretty good for a low budget flick.

WORST MOVIE EVER.
This has got to be the worst movie I've ever seen.
If you find this DVD on the street, just keep walking.

Terrible but a great laugh!
Van Damme is back and his movies are getting worse . . . sure he has made some great ones like SUDDEN DEATH and KICKBOXER, but this one, from the people that brought you CROCODILE and SHARK ATTACK(and its sequels!) is so bad it's hilarious. Van Damme plays a government agent(AGAIN?!) who has to escort a prisoner across Europe by train, but in the process terrorists steal and unleash a bioweapon on board which she is transporting. And to add to the complications, Van Damme has his family, or the usual oh-the-humanity interest on board. The authorities, fearing a Europe-wide plague from the dealy smallpox bioweapon, attempt to destroy the train. Sound familiar? A rip-off of the far superior CASSANDRA CROSSING with hints of the equally superior UNDER SIEGE 2 thrown in. However, the enjoyment comes from the incredibly bad special effects that you will see. Check out the toy helicopter chasing a train set through papier-mache mountains! Exploding cars on the autoracks that blow up as soon as a bullet hits them, lack of route knowledege through Austria by the producers(all main lines in Austria have overhead wires and do not operate Bulgarian diesel locos), two toy train wrecks set alight by a kid with a match or so it looks and horrendously bad acting and dialogue that makes bad movies like BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and SHARK ATTACK 3 look brilliant. So at least it's funny. Recomended if you love dreck and want something to compliment that bad movie cheese-fest you are putting on! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fun to see, no more, no less.
Why Roy Scheider plays a part in a movie like this I really don't know, but it elevates Executive Target just a little bit above your everyday action movie. It does not really have much of a plot. ( Former stunt driver has his wife kidnapped and must help kidnap the president to get her released, how unlikely can you get ) but Michael Madson as the frantic driver makes tme most of the part and Scheider as the president is quite believable. The action scenes, especially the car-chases are really good and the movie is short enough that you don't get bored from the lack of story and dialogue. Nothing special, but good for an evening of fun.

An above average B-pic!
I didn't expect to find one of the best ever car chases is a straight-to-video, (I don't know about the rest of the world, but in Australia, this went straight-to-video) but Executive Target proved me wrong. The presence of the ever-cool Madsen also makes this movie a winner. To sum it up, its vertually a movie version of the playstation game "DRIVER".

Poor Roy Scheider.
He and Michael Madsen earnestly trudge through this B movie with nary a flash of charisma. The supporting characters ham things up in an appropriately campy way, but the low-budget mayhem looks flat and dull. ... Read more