Reviews (27)

An Existential Masterpiece
Although "8 1/2" is often touted as Fellini's greatest work, this other, equal masterpiece from roughly the same period grows more and more profound over time. An amazingly photographed and energetic survey of ennui and despair, "La Dolce Vita" is Fellini's rumination on the intellectual and moral death of an aspiring artist, who is equally a Fellini surrogate and a stand-in for the director's perception of modern man.

Though it began life as a sequel to "Il Bidone," "La Dolce Vita" ended up an autobiographical precursor to "8 1/2" by fictionalizing Fellini's earlier life as a journalist and newspaper caricaturist rather than his career as one of the great filmmakers of the 50s and 60s. As the celebrity journalist in crisis, Marcello is fantastic -- as graceful and intelligent and sexy a performance as the screen has ever seen -- and his romp with the unbelievably pneumatic Anita Ekberg in the Trevi fountain is one of the great iconic moments of world cinema. There's a haunted, despairing quality to Mastroianni's acting here that is so subtle and cumulative that by the end of the film his predicament of quiet despair overwhelms the viewer.

Bottom line: no thinking person's film collection should be without this movie, which is as beautiful and moving as any piece of art ever created, in any medium. Fellini and his fantastic cast are all at their peak as artists, and few films have ever approached their achievement.

Get this onto DVD!
My favorite Fellini film, combining the brilliant kaleidescopic parading of faces that characterize his later films with the humanistic neorealism of his earlier work. Told in a series of all-night parties that each end with the recognition of dawn, the movie tells the story of a tabloid writer who has risen to the top of his profession only to be dragged down because he can't find any sustaining meaning in the glitz and glamour.

But the story line, although more important here than in later Fellini films, is really just a device to put actors on the screen, and nobody does this better. The cast is real reason to see this; Mastroianni in the role of his life, Anouk Aimee as a bored rich woman, and Anita Ekberg spilling out of her dress as an American actress are merely the most famous - every single performance, even by the most trivial of parts, is astounding and some of the best ever captured on film. My personal favorite is the clown trumpet player with the balloons at the Cha-Cha Club - in the middle of his performance he flashes one quick look at Mastroianni that speaks volumes.

Unfortunately, the only version I have ever seen is in a standard screen ratio that is obviously badly panned - in a film this full of images there is almost more panning than actual camera movement going on, and still too much is happening off-screen. This movie needs badly to be letterboxed and given a new subtitle translation - but in the meantime, even if you have to settle for the poor VHS version, just enjoy what we have, from the awesome set pieces like the chasing of the Madonna and the final party, to the amazing Nino Rota score and the haunting organ melody of "Patricia".

5 star FILM--0 stars for a DVD that isn't released!!
WHERE IS THE DVD of 'La Dolce Vita'?? This is far superior art and entertainment to that wonderful-but-ridiculous '8 1/2' I mean, we all love Fellini, but why is his most coherent and artistically mature film lying around in some distributor's vault while trash like 'Shanghai Surprise' and box-sets of Whoopi Goldberg movies get all these million-copy releases?? Fellini is more than '8 1/2'; FEEL FREE TO RELEASE THIS DVD ANYTIME!! Ugh, do I have to get a region-free DVD player to watch foreign films? Heck, there are some American classic films that do not have release here, but are being printed in UK and European codes. What is wrong with American distributors?? We want our Fellini, and we want it now!! Gimme the sweet life gimme the sweet life GIMME THE SWEET LIFE!!!!

P.S. To all sympathizers, Bergman's 'Persona' is FINALLY getting American release in February. Cross your fingers they don't back out at the last minute in favor of a straight-to-DVD sequel to 'Finding Nemo': 'Filet of Nemo: Almond Crusted with a Side of Rice Pilaf,' starring the voices of Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Aniston, and Dom Deluise.

Fellini 's Vita
I am very fortunate to meet Guiletta Masini, the lovely wife of Federico Fellini. I several times wrote letters to Fellini himself and he answered back me. That had been going for a while till he died. If you doubt me, I can provide you copies.
I am only one Deaf authority on Fellini and his movies. I have a good collection of video, vhs or dvd. Many books about him and his movies.La Dolce Vita and 8 and half are my top favorites. I saw them in 35mm, 16mm, tv, vhs and dvd versions but the 35mm verisons are always the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, F.R. Gomez

So ... ?
I does lack a plot. I almost fell asleep during the first half. It picked up during the 2nd half when the main character ran into his father. That was interesting for me, for personal reasons. But, having just watched it, all I can say is that it left me with an emtpy, hollow feeling. If that was the point, then the movie is quite successful. Mind you, I'm not the usual "simplistic" movie watcher. But that was my feeling... ... Read more

Amazon.com

A summit meeting of great Italian directors of the era, Boccaccio '70 is an antipasto platter of vintage sex symbols and naughty material. Cooked up and bankrolled by Carlo Ponti and American producer Joseph E. Levine, the four-part film was meant to tap the international smash of Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita, which gave audiences some refreshingly, you know, "mature" subject matter. Four directors were hired to create segments ostensibly based on the tales of Boccaccio:Fellini himself (in the lull between La Dolce Vita and 8-1/2), Luchino Visconti, Vittorio De Sica, and Mario Monicelli.

Monicelli's story, Renzo and Luciana, is an agreeable tale, full of everyday Roman life:an office worker (Marisa Solinas) must marry her boyfriend when she gets pregnant--although marriage is against company rules. Fellini's segment, The Temptation of Dr. Antonio, is fantastical and big-scaled. It tells of a censorious bluenose (Peppino de Filippo) who becomes incensed at the presence of a billboardfeaturing a sexy portrait of Anita Ekberg (selling milk)--a portrait that comes to life. For this bizarre escapade, Nino Rota composed an advertising jingle that will stick in your mind whether you want it to or not.

Visconti's The Job is the best segment, tracking the emotional chess game between a playboy (Thomas Milian) and his wife (Romy Schneider at her most gorgeous) after he is publicly exposed in a sex scandal. Finally, the De Sica piece (The Raffle) is a fairly broad romp that uses Sophia Loren as the reward in a raffle. Sophia's delicious, needless to say.

The finished product weighed in at a whopping 208 minutes, and Monicelli's segment was lopped off before the film showed at the Cannes Film Festival. It has never been restored, until this DVD release. All the segments are frankly too long, and none qualifies as an essential gem, but they do give the flavor of Italy's best at an especially exciting cinematic moment. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A must for fans of the directors
BOCCACCIO 70 is made up of four short films, each around 45 minutes long.The DVD set is broken up into two DVDS, with two of the shorts on each, and the second DVD containing a few extras.

The transfer for all the shorts is absolutely stunning.I don't think it could have looked this good when it played in theatres.

Disc 1

The first segment, directed by Mario Monicelli, had long been unseen, at least in the US.It was removed from the US release of the film.It is the least of the four, but still quite watchable, about a newly married couple, dealing with their family and work.Not much to it, but an interesting view of everyday life.

The second is probably the strongest, by Fellini.I would argue that this is one of Fellini's most focused works (although I would admit that I find him to be overrated to some extent).It is a very funny film about a moral crusader who objects to a large billboard for milk, with Anita Ekberg on it.

Disc 2

The third segment is directed by Visconti starring Romy Schneider.A wealthy man is caught in a scandal, having to do damage control with his business associates and his wife.It is one of Visconti's lightest works, and also quite fun.

The final segment is De Sica's THE RAFFLE.A group of men enter a raffle, the prize being Sophia Loren.

The extras on the disc include the original US credits, trailers, and some brief interviews made at the time of the films release, as well as a photo gallery.

The film is a must watch for all fans of the directors.

Drink your meelk!
This film I picked up more out of curiousity and because Fellini directs one of the viginettes. I had never seen any of the 4 mini films before, nor did I know of the controversy surrounding its universal release. Each film deals with sexuality in different ways. All of the films have impressive looking anamorphic transfers for being almost 45yrs old. There is English dubbed audio tracks though my copy kept switching back to Italian on its own.. English subtitles looked fine.
All of the films looked great and are restored anamorphic transfers. The Fellini film was my favorite by far. This is his first feature using color as well as featuring dreams/fantasy in his films. I couldn't help think of Attack of the 50ft Woman seeing thecharming Anita come to life off a billboard. This is as close to comedy as Fellini got , too bad he didn't explore this more often. Fellini's segment is almost an hour.

The Visconti piece was lavishly produced and feautured a troubled wife trying to rekindle that spark. This takes place in a high class French styled mansion. Romy is nice to look at even if she is rather pathetic. This mini drama was the most serious of the 4 and rather depressing as it unfolded.

The last two were rather light and forgetful even if Sophia Loren looked fabulous, and was omni present in her role as a carnival spinster with a change of heart.

The extras are fun. Lots of on set pics and lobby cards , plus a large fold out booklet with press clippings and news reviews.The U.S. and Italian trailers are intresting to compare.

If your a Fellini fan, you would do well to see this for his giantess fantasy alone!





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Description

Includes the following movies, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Mexican Hayride Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man Comin' Round the Mountain Lost in Alaska ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Except for A&C Meet Frankenstein...these are bombs!
Universal has squished another 8 Abbott & Costello movies out on a 2 disc set that will obviously please the ardent fans, but these films (with one exception) are really AWFUL.

The only one worth any note here is A&C MEET FRANKENSTEIN which actually has a good script, and a clever way of intergrating Universal's horror franchise with their then-hugely popular comedy team. It's the only A&C film I can sit through (except for their earliest).

SKIP THIS DUD!

The best of Abbott & Costello Vol. 1
I have waited so long and now to have them released is fantastic. These are true comedy and can now be shown to my grandkids to experience a good laugh without swearing. Kudos to Universal for releasing these gems and hopefully more soon.

This DVD collection is a must - for any A&C Fans
I remember growing up watching old Abbott and Costello movies on Sunday afternoons with my Dad (along with the classic monster movies and the old Blondie shows). Buying these DVD's is like reliving great memories from my youth. The picture quality on these DVD's is outstanding - they are very well done. This third volume in this series is going to be the best of them all - this DVD will have some of my all time favorite A&C movies. I have watched the first two volumes numerous times since purchasing them and look forward to this next volume with great anticipation.

Worthy of More Than 5 Stars...
I just can't get enough of Abbott and Costello!

I waited for quite a few years for ANY Abbott and Costello movies to hit DVD. There were very few in print. It was frustrating.

Well, the wait paid off big time. The first two sets were incredible. Universal has gone the extra mile and these sets are winners on so many levels.

Each set thus far includes 8 HIGH QUALITY films for under $20!

When I say HIGH QUALITY, I'm not just talking about the quality of the prints, which is very high, but the movies themselves are not lost turkeys. These are the truly all classics, and this set includes some of the great Universal Monster tie-ins, which were previously sold individually for more than the price of this set of 8!

Based upon the track record for classic movies going out of print, I suggest you buy them while they are still in this format.

keep em coming!
This is what offering a great value is all about! I've got vol. 1 & 2 already and this one on order. This will be one of my favs for sure! 8 movies, fantastic quality, all for under $20!!! Man, the CD music industry needs to stand up and take notice of what's happening in the DVD industry. This is one of many great collections that have/are coming out. The Universal Monsters, The Marx Brothers, Don Knotts and several other collections all reasonably priced. You can't even rent movies this cheap. Vol 1 & 2 of this series are stellar for quality and the packaging is top notch and very convenient, they take up very little space in a storage unit. I'm not sure how many movies are left to release after this but if there's enough to do another vol 4 please do so! Thanks a million Universal Studios! ... Read more

Description

An American merchant marine captain ferries a group of = Chinese refugess down the Yangtze River to escape the Communists. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Ferryboat to Hong Kong
"Blood Alley" is a big, sprawling, grandly mounted and sumptuously photographed adventure story starring John Wayne and Lauren Bacall that tells the tale of a merchant sea captain (Wayne) who has had his freighter stopped and boarded illegally in international waters by the Red Chinese, and who has been imprisoned by them for some time since. A village downriver from the prison where Wayne has been kept antes up a bribe to the prison guards and gets Wayne sprung. Taken downriver by his "contact", big Mike Mazurski made up to look oriental, Duke is informed that the entire village wants to escape to Hong Kong and they want him, Duke, to captain them all down the Formosa Straits ("Blood Alley") to Hong Kong and freedom...and they want this to be done on a leaky, creaky, pokey-slow and prone-to-breakdown stern-wheeled ferryboat. With no charts.
Wayne mulls this and decides he has no choice in the matter. He makes a homemade chart from memory and sets about to put the escape plan in motion, taking everyone with him, including the headstrong daughter (Bacall) of a medical missionary, and an entire family of loyal communists who can't be left behind because their masters would kill them as "responsible" for this flight.
Down the straits goes the ferry boat, dodging commie gunboats day and night and slipping into forests of reeds for camouflage when their pursuers draw too near.

The telling of the story of this journey is so well done that the viewer tends to be detoured away from the story's great glaring logical pothole. This escape is set in the mid-1950s and NOT the EIGHTEEN fifties. Decades earlier it COULD have happened the way it is shown, but NOT in its supposed time period. The reason? Airplanes. In the mid-1950s Communist Chinese forces would have aircraft up and down the Formosa Straits LOOKING for this ferry and they WOULD find it. Yet there is never a mention of aircraft here and no aircraft ever shows up anywhere in the movie. Its almost as though there is no such thing as a search plane in existance...or any kind of plane at all!!!

Very Strange. Yet, it is only later that you realize this. Throughout the film the movie-makers keep you so involved with the dangers and rigors of the journey that you don't even THINK about planes while you're watching it. Very clever diversion.

There is good chemistry with Wayne and Bacall and they go through the typical "difficult" time with each other before becoming hard-breathers as they enter Hong Kong Harbour together.

Aside from some minor silliness (Duke perpetually talks to an "imaginary friend" named "Baby"....which happened to be Bogart's pet name for Bacall) and the aforementioned mysteriously missing aircraft, this William Wellman-directed story hangs together well and delivers the goods on excitement and interest.

Good movie overall.

Now...WHEN are they EVER going to release one of Wayne's all time masterpieces? WHEN are we EVER going to see "The High And The Mighty"???????

Let me get it correct for everyone
First off, you can't beat the Duke in just about any movie. Blood Alley and The Sea Chase were a departure from his typical westerns and WWII movies, but he handled them in his true dominating fashion.

Now, I noticed that in other reviews, there was some discussion about how many movies John Wayne died in. Let me give you the complete list of those from 1939 onward. I don't know how many he may have died in during the 1930s, if any, because I haven't seen that many of his B westerns.

1. The Shootist (1976)
2. The Cowboys (1972)
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). He is dead at the start of the movie, and the entire story is told in a flashback.
4. The Alamo (1960)
5. The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
6. Wake of the Red Witch (1948)
7. The Fighting Seabees (1944)
8. Reap the Wild Wind (1942)

Great John Wayne Flick
I saw this a couple of times on TV. It's a fine action movie.
One review here suggests to get it on DVD-wisescreen, but I can't find where any such version was made. VHS is the only choice.

also WAKE OF THE RED WITCH
Last saw Blood Alley on tv long, long, ago. I didn't even know it was available on video, but I will pick this up soon to add to my library. A good action movie.
I THINK John Wayne also died in Wake of the Red Witch.Can we say that he 'died' in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"?
3/10/2004 JULY 2003? time sure flies.Just got the VHS (was looking for DVD, can't find).Great, better than I remember from tv.Not just action, there's commentary, and some of the Chinese characters are sooo stereo typed.Note the Chief Engineer is Nisei (2nd gen Japanese American, see GO FOR BROKE i think).

He has died in 4
John Wayne also died in the Fighting Seabies ... Read more

Amazon.com

Despite its reputation as an oversimplified epic, King Vidor's War and Peace remains a stellar showcase of Hollywood prestige. While Cecil B. De Mille was reviving ancient Egypt for The Ten Commandments, Vidor was transforming Italian countryside into war-torn Russia, bringing massive resources to bear on this sumptuous, if ultimately misguided adaptation of Tolstoy's classic. Given the marquee casting of Audrey Hepburn as Natasha and then-husband Mel Ferrer as decorated battle hero Prince Andrei, this is a movie you watch for star value, not literary fidelity (for the latter, look to Sergei Bondarchuk's Russian version). Henry Fonda serves Tolstoy more effectively as Pierre, whose passive observation of Napoleon's invasion turns this grand moral tale into an intimate study of individual passions. The battle scenes (directed by Mario Soldati) remain impressive, as does the film's grand parade of pomp and circumstance. Slow, regal, and peppered with brilliance, this epic falls short of classic but it's still a visual feast. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Lovely , simply charming and heartwarming
This movie touched my mind in so many ways. One thing it brought to mind was that the most important things in life are still free. The cast was excellent and the cinematoghraphy was beautiful. I truely enjoyed this movie. An excellent choice for those who love history with a lot of romance.

Good Entrainment with a Few Flaws
Great Cast with a great story is not always the best combo, but this DVD is a keeper. Audrey Hepburn as Natasha does the best with her multi expressions & cute dialogue during the many courtships throughout the film. Henry Fonda as Pierre comes in a close 2nd, but at 1st he seems out of place, too passive. Later this lack of emotion or evolvement shines forth as he goes though many hardships as a prisoner of Napoleon. Mel Ferrer as Prince Andrei, then Audrey Hepburn's real husband, has the same problem as Henry Fonda, he drifts in & out of character. I believe the problem with the main male actors is that they played it too straight. The woman who played Prince Andrei's 1st wife did the worst, she over acted like a silent movie star. The supporting cast does a great job, specially the actor playing Nepoleon. This is exactly what I think Nepoleon looked & acted like in the early 19th century. The phyical height & size for the French emperor are perfect, & the letting of free opinion to be express, yet at the same time having the over powering will to bring Europe to his knees. Desite the flaws, this version of "War & Peace" will give you a short stroll, with a "to the point" idea of a western classic with great photography & sound. I try not to watch it too many times because I don't want to wear it out.

the Hollywood version
This film is a bit of a mess, but nevertheless very entertaining, mostly because of Audrey Hepburn...her charisma and enthusiasm make up for a lot of the muddled and mixed performances that surround her in this star-studded production of Tolstoy's masterpiece.

Hepburn's then real life husband, Mel Ferrer, does a pretty good job as Prince Andrei and Henry Fonda is Pierre, who despite sounding like "Young Mr. Lincoln", gives a convincing performance, and has several fine scenes. Nino Rota's score is a curious one, as the beautiful Italian-flavored melodies we're accustomed to hear from him are replaced by Russian folk tunes and battlefield music.

Perhaps too many big names and too many writers (6 of them !) made the heart of the book get lost, but this is Audrey's movie, and she's a delight to watch.

Still The Best
This is an appeal to Hollywood, if anyone's listening.
I first saw this film in 1956, when it first opened in the UK.

I've seen it several times since, but all I can get here across the pond, is a second hand video at an extortionate price of nearly £ 40.

Please can we have it on DVD? SOON!

Hello?
Hasn't anyone ever heard of something called DIGITAL RESTORATION? Why must evryone keep waiting for sudios to release all these movies on proper 3- disc sets with a proper restoration. i mean, look what they did to My Fair LADY, it was so well restored that i couldn' tell the difference. even gone with the Wind hasn't had a proper DvD release yet. ... Read more

Description

Killer Nun

From the Secret Files of the Vatican! Uncut! Uncensored! Unholy!

Legendary Swedish sex bomb Anita Ekberg (LA DOLCE VITA) stars as sister Gertrude, a cruel nun who discovers depraved pleasure in a frenzy of drug addiction, sexual degradation and sadistic murder. Joe Dallesandro (ANDY WARHOL'S FRANKENSTEIN),Lou Castel (A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), Alida Valli (SUSPIRIA) and the lusous Paola Morra (BEHIND CONVENT WALLS) co-star in this notorious 'Nunspolitation' sickie based on actual events that took place in a Central European country not many years ago!

Branded as obscene around the world and banned outright in Britain, Killer Nun has been completely remastered from original vault elements and is now presented with all of its blasphemous sex and violence fully restored for the first tme ever n America! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Rat Pack buddies Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were prized for theirability to appear relaxed on camera, but in 4 for Texas they're nearlyasleep. It must have looked good on paper: reuniting the crooners and teamingthem with two international sex symbols in a jokey Western under the guidance oftopnotch director Robert Aldrich (Kiss Me Deadly). Ursula Andress, as ariverboat owner who hooks up with Dino, unleashes her bedroom purr to greateffect, but formidable Anita Ekberg had a bad year in 1963 (she also got stuckin Bob Hope's immortal Call Me Bwana). A tasty roster of character actorsis wasted, although Charles Bronson and Victor Buono are amusing as unsavorycitizens of 1870s Galveston. Even the Three Stooges, in their Curly Joeconfiguration, wander through. After a terrific opening sequence in the desert,establishing Frank and Dean's rivalry, this one quickly goes south. --RobertHorton ... Read more

Reviews (5)

easy going entertainment
Who cares if this movie is going nowhere like some complain. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra give a lot of laughs and Ursalla Andress and Anita Ekberg are perfect partners for them. The rest of the cast make the movie something different that usual western spoofs. You get two semi-good guys, two bad baddies, and an assortment of others plus a cameo by the Three Stooges. What more can you want. The good guys win in the end, the gals get the guys, and everyone lives happily ever after. It's great. No social message or deep plot, just pure enjoyment for some of us lighter hearted movie buffs.

What's not to like?
Well Sinatra and Martin are classy and funny, the ladies are sexy, the supporting cast generates laughs and we even get the three stooges for good measure doing their classic TEXAS skit.

this is no movie classic but it is a fun picture that doesn't take itself too seriously. In that vein you will enjoy it.

ah Dean, oh Franky...
Three stars, for Four for Texas. Bet your wondering, What the heck is this movie? Well its one of those films with big stars in an average film, with colorful characters. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra go head to head as enemies wanting the same thing: a hundred thousand dollars. Not much happens really, mostly just butting heads. But as enemies they do each other justice, by simply being on the screen for two hours. Even though there is little gun-play, the best thing about Four for Texas is the humor. Mostly dry stuff that just seems to work. I particularly liked the bumbling emecile banker that always seems to be both looking for a sandwich, and a quick fix for his "intestinal fortitude" problem. ~S.A.O.S.~

easy going entertainment
Who cares if this movie is going nowhere like some complain. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra give a lot of laughs and Ursalla Andress and Anita Ekberg are perfect partners for them. The rest of the cast make the movie something different that usual western spoofs. You get two semi-good guys, two bad baddies, and an assortment of others plus a cameo by the Three Stooges. What more can you want. The good guys win in the end, the gals get the guys, and everyone lives happily ever after. It's great. No social message or deep plot, just pure enjoyment for some of us lighter hearted movie buffs.

Hilarious
this was a hilarious movie even though I have never seen it before. It had alot of funny scenes. But as David Rigsbey says it had no direction. ... Read more

Description

Federico Fellini welcomes us into his world of filmmaking with a mockumentary about his life in film, as a Japanese film crew follows him around. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A friendly chat
Federico Fellini broke through all the walls he could find in 1987's delightfully jumbled "Intervista." The maestro created a film about a film about a film.

There is, not surprisingly, a film about all those films, the Italian documentary "The Man From Rimini," included on the "Intervista" DVD. The leisurely docu runs an hour, subtitled.

"I don't really consider ('Intervista') a movie," Fellini tells the press as he hits the festival circuit. "It is a friendly chat among close friends."

Those friends are his collaborators at Rome's Cinecitta Studios, whose 50th anniversary inspired "Intervista." Fellini's film is a mockumentary of sorts, in which a Japanese TV crew arrives on the lot to interview the director, who tells them of his first visit to the studio as a young journalist. Fellini, meanwhile, is supposedly adapting Franz Kafka's "Amerika," rounding up the usual surreal suspects for his cast and riding out the production's craziness.

Fellini notes there is "no subject and no screenplay" -- "Intervista" is "a movie made in total freedom." That may explain the Native Americans on horseback who attack his Italian crew, wielding TV antennas as spears.

The movie is best known for its scene with Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg, sentimentally reunited to watch the Trevi Fountain scene from 1960's "La Dolce Vita." (Ekberg says Mastroianni didn't have much time for her on the "Intervista" set.)

Images are widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1), enhanced for 16x9 screens. The transfer looks good, with true flesh tones despite some grain. The "5.1 surround audio" stays front center in surround mode. There is a long annoying stretch in which the sound suffers from a persistent popping sound. ... Read more

Description

Gold of the Amazon Women is a wild, bikini-clad adventure that makes Tarzan's exploits look like a trip to the zoo. Two explorers searching for gold in the jungles of South America stumble onto hidden treasure of a different sort--a forgotten tribe of wildly attractive Amazon women, including Anita Ekberg as their queen. Donald Pleasence (Halloween) and Bo Svenson (North Dallas Forty) have their hands full when the man-hungry babes invade Manhattan, and the excitement really starts. The steamy jungle is nothing compared to the throbbing city streets--and these women can't get enough! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Lightweight TV Profile
Unfortunately, this 52 minute documentary is nothing more than a string of mediocre interviews with clips from Fellini's films that cinephiles have all seen before. Not without charm (provided by Carmen Piccini's obvious enthusiasm for her subject), the doc may possibly serve as a very basic introduction to the Maestro's films but fans will be ill-served. It does not, in any way, capture Fellini's complex, enigmatic personality nor offer fresh, in-depth interviews with the master himself. It does not possess memorable camera work by a genuine documentarian nor an original and incisive script that would lift it out of the hagiographic, lightweight, cut-and-paste cable TV doc format . The short archival interviews with Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese are worthless for what they offer - nothing but platitudes - although Anthony Quinn's tame anecdotes make for pleasant enough viewing - which, ultimately, is what this hokey-pokey documentary is all about: a curiously uninspired and unrevealing stroll through the felliniesque.

Not so magical
After seeing the other doc. just released on Fellini (i'm a born liar) I have to say this one left me slightly confused. On one hand there is a greater variety of clips from his films, they still omit many that I'd say are absolutely essential, but hey that's a nitpick. The problem comes with the strange feeling I get while watching this that it was made simply as a vehicle, a vanity project for the "director". She is an attractive Italian woman I will admit, but putting her name on every concievable surface, and her pictures, and making sure she gets some on camera time adds up to a feeling on unsincerity to me. And yet on the other hand there are some different interviews I'd previously not seen, Donald Southerland is much more enjoyable and affable to listen to on this disc than on "Born Liar", but don't be fooled by the promise of Scorsese and Woody, they talk for maybe 2 minutes total and they're clips from old interviews you've probably seen a million times. But if you're a Fellini nut, then you'll probably find something you like here... If I had to recommend one over the other I'd go with I'm a born liar,simply because there's more meat on its' bones. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Toothless
In this 1969 film by Amando de Ossorio (Tombs of the Blind Dead) Ekberg plays an Italian fashion model who inherits a creepy Spanish castle, only to learn that her ancestors were vampires. The sets and costumes are beautiful, but can't compensate for the stiff performances, poor dubbing and slow pacing.

Avoid Retromedia's DVD version. Even though it purports to be the 88-minute "Americanized" version of the film, it's only 74 minutes and appears to be an edited-for-television version.

One and a half stars out of five.

INOFFENSIVE EURO-SCHLOCK
Released in 1968 as part of a triple-horror-feature for the drive-in crowd, "Fangs" came and went without notice in this country. Supposedly, this is the "American" version. Retromedia--whom I admit I have no respect for due to their poor quality offerings--has done an OK job with this Italian-Spanish vampire mish-mash and I rather enjoyed it. 50's sex bomb Anita Ekberg is miscast as Sylvia--a Rome "bathing suit model"--who is notified she has inherited a castle. On her arrival, it turns out she has inherited it's alleged vampiric/witchcraft legacy as well. The strangely effete and thin "Uncle" who has sent for her has other cards up his sleeve. What follows is a campy Euro effort at atmospheric horror replete with beautiful girls, a dungeon tomb, sinister caretaker, Euro-style barmaids at a local inn and , of course, "vampires" that may or not be real. It's all very "PG" with no gore or nudity but LOTS of cleavage on the girls. There's a typical stiff-as-a-board hero and his comic-relief friend who dash about saying "We've got to save her!" and one line I truly loved from a barmaid to the hero/scientist, "Would you mind having a look at a girl who's not well?" The dubbing is so-so, the acting the pits (but so bad it's a riot) and the photography is typically European style atmospheric but rather endearingly low-budget. Miss Ekberg is a LITTLE too long-in-the-tooth to be a damsel in distress with an obviously younger leading man, but she is still beautiful and displays, in one outfit, some astounding "assets" that are truly eye-bogglers. All in all, not bad if you're in the mood for something like this and especially if you like low-budget "Euro-shockers". The color is good with one shady spot in one scene and the soundtrack has what sounds to be the original continental jazz flavored pop score along with the appropriately creepy stuff. I liked it---maybe you will too. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very funny, but...
Overall, I thought "Paris Holiday" was a very funny movie. It was the first film I'd seen with Bob Hope, and i was very pleased. I could not stop laughing during that ridiculously cheesy helicopter scene!
However, one of the main reasons I got the movie was because I thought Anita Ekberg, of whom I am a big fan, was a main character. She was one of the stars to get top billing, so naturally, I thought she would be in the film quite a bit. This was not the case. Her character is important to the story line, but she is not shown much, which was a little disappointing.
Overall, the movie was very good, VERY funny, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for an Anita Ekberg movie.

Paris Holiday
Ha! People are allowed their own opinion i guess. I, personally, loved Paris Holiday. My 3rd year French class watched it today, and it was perfect. There was just enough French in it to make it extreamly interresting... Plus, the really cheezy story line and special effects really made it worth while.. It's just one of those old crummy flicks that you grow to love.. the bad guys after the good guys... the good guys winning it all in the end.... only to find out that they may not really have won.. Plus all the pretty girls. It's a great movie, if you like the type!!!! :D

Beware--another cheapjack ripoff DVD
I have been wanting to see this film for years, because I'm a fan of Hope's early films and the ones with Crosby, and this one has the reputation of being better than the losers he began to crank out in the '50s and '60s; because Gerd Oswald directed the superb (long unavailable because of the dreadful remake) A Kiss Before Dying; and because Preston Sturges appears in it as an actor. I should have known when I saw the low price tag and the unknown logo (Brentwood) that this would be a bargain basement ripoff. To begin with, it's pan and scan; just the credits are letterboxed--then you apruptly switch to seeing only a third of the Cinemascope image. The print itself in not good, a lot worse than a decent VHS tape, with drifting colors. As for the movie, I lasted midway; the jokes are definitely late Hope, smirky and obvious, and the action is slowed considerably by the fact that Hope plays opposite Fernandel, who speaks only French--you have to wait while another character translates what he says or watch him looking confused. Still, is the movie really as deadly as it seems? I'm not sure. Oswald proved in his others pictures that he knew how to fill a Cinemascope screen and it's possible that that in the correct aspect-ratio this picture as some style; the letterboxed pre-credit sequence is certainly more watchable than what follows. What's really troubling is that this same company is putting out a bunch of Hope's films, including some of his best (ie The Seven Little Foys). Are all the DVDs in the series as lousy as this? Has anyone made the mistake I made with this one, of actually buying one? Let's hear from you. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Toothless
In this 1969 film by Amando de Ossorio (Tombs of the Blind Dead) Ekberg plays an Italian fashion model who inherits a creepy Spanish castle, only to learn that her ancestors were vampires. The sets and costumes are beautiful, but can't compensate for the stiff performances, poor dubbing and slow pacing.

Avoid Retromedia's DVD version. Even though it purports to be the 88-minute "Americanized" version of the film, it's only 74 minutes and appears to be an edited-for-television version.

One and a half stars out of five.

INOFFENSIVE EURO-SCHLOCK
Released in 1968 as part of a triple-horror-feature for the drive-in crowd, "Fangs" came and went without notice in this country. Supposedly, this is the "American" version. Retromedia--whom I admit I have no respect for due to their poor quality offerings--has done an OK job with this Italian-Spanish vampire mish-mash and I rather enjoyed it. 50's sex bomb Anita Ekberg is miscast as Sylvia--a Rome "bathing suit model"--who is notified she has inherited a castle. On her arrival, it turns out she has inherited it's alleged vampiric/witchcraft legacy as well. The strangely effete and thin "Uncle" who has sent for her has other cards up his sleeve. What follows is a campy Euro effort at atmospheric horror replete with beautiful girls, a dungeon tomb, sinister caretaker, Euro-style barmaids at a local inn and , of course, "vampires" that may or not be real. It's all very "PG" with no gore or nudity but LOTS of cleavage on the girls. There's a typical stiff-as-a-board hero and his comic-relief friend who dash about saying "We've got to save her!" and one line I truly loved from a barmaid to the hero/scientist, "Would you mind having a look at a girl who's not well?" The dubbing is so-so, the acting the pits (but so bad it's a riot) and the photography is typically European style atmospheric but rather endearingly low-budget. Miss Ekberg is a LITTLE too long-in-the-tooth to be a damsel in distress with an obviously younger leading man, but she is still beautiful and displays, in one outfit, some astounding "assets" that are truly eye-bogglers. All in all, not bad if you're in the mood for something like this and especially if you like low-budget "Euro-shockers". The color is good with one shady spot in one scene and the soundtrack has what sounds to be the original continental jazz flavored pop score along with the appropriately creepy stuff. I liked it---maybe you will too. ... Read more