Reviews (556)

Heeeere's Johnny! A modern horror classic on DVD
It's tough to believe that Stanley Kubrick received a Worst Director Razzie nomination for "The Shining." While "The Shining" may not be given the classic status of some of his other films like "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001", it's actually the least polarizing of this highly-praised and atypical filmmaker's work.

This atmospheric thriller is sure to creep you out with its pacing, eery editing and cinematography (those tracking shots are highly effective), and Jack Nicholson's powerful performance as Jack Torrance. Horror films often tend to divide audiences into genre fans who follow the gore and those who laugh in the face of so-called scares, insisting their own resiliancy to cheap thrills and lamebrain plotting.

Fortunately, "The Shining" doesn't make you take sides, because its chills come from plotting and character study as much as they do from odd sights that will make you jump. It may stray from Stephen King's book and not all of it may make sense, but "The Shining" has so much going for it that you won't mind. It's a gripping and satisfying film experience, and in my opinion, one of the best films of the '80s.

This Warner DVD re-release is definitely the version to get. The fullframe presentation comes at the wishes of Kubrick and the video and audio offer significant improvement over the drab initial release. (Unfortunately, the original Mono audio track has been dropped altogether in favor of an effective 5.1 remix. They could have included both with no problem.)

In the way of extras, there is an engaging half-hour on-set documentary, filmed by Kubrick's daughter Vivian. It provides a candid experience of the film's creation, and interviews with some of the actors. In addition, this DVD re-release includes an audio commentary on the documentary (sort of a "making-of the making-of") by Vivian Kubrick. There's also the spooky trailer, which shows how a movie preview can perfectly pique one's interest in a film, without spoiling (or even saying) much.

Possibly the Best Horror Movie Ever
This was a spectacular piece of work. It had a chilling soundtrack, and had some very good camera work. In the case of the Shining, a movie has finally exceeded the book upon which it was based. Things that would normally make a movie terrible have made the Shining a spellbinding movie. For example, the dialogue throughout the entire movie seems forced and unnatural. Another example is during an argument between Jack Nicholson (who performs incredibly well throughout the entire movie) and Shelley Duvall, after which Jack storms out of the room and glances at the camera as he goes by. If you're a horror fan, or just into movies, this is definetely one to see again and again and again.

A great horror movie..
This film slowley but shorley creepes you out, I don't think any one but Jack Nicholson could have played this role that well, and Krubrick has the best feal in the world, and the score is one of the best ever put in a movie. The movie is really scary.
It all starts off kinda slow thenwe see Dany talking to himself, and then there's a few images that are veary frightning, the holtel gives you a veary creepy isalated fealing, like if something were to happen there'de be no way out. Jack slowly starts going crazyer and crazer, and the hole time creepy images are appearing in the hotel, and the last half hour of the movie is trueley scary, a must see.

267
When i first saw this movie i was scared to death. realy it may have beeen the scariest movie i have ever seen. i also read the book but the movie was even scarier.
i realy recomend you this movie.
maby it had beeen the scariest movie i have ever seen...you are going to love this movie.

Another Kubrick Classic
I loved this movie. It freaked me out I must say. Jack Nicolson is the perfect crazy man in the movie. Another thing this movie possesed was great cinematography as any Kubrick film posses and great acting by all of the actors and actresses. Great movie deffinate buyer. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

I Know How You Hate Veiny Veal. . .
Just one of the brilliant lines in this wonderful film that is STILL not out on DVD.

Wonderful cast, although you have to buy that Cloris Leachman is the mother of Bonnie Bedelia and Anne Meara.

Best lines: Bea Arthur.
Best scene: love on a toilet seat.

And I wouldn't mind a book about Spain, either. . .

A funny but sad look at marriage .
This film is a funny but sad commentary on marriage as seen through the eyes of different generations. The cast is wonderful, especially Bea Arthur as the wife and mother whose line, "I can understand you wanting to leave, but I can't understand you leaving" shows the difference in how women have changed in the way they look at marriage. Diane Keaton, Gig Young, Anne Jackson, and Richard Castellano are all excellent in their roles.

This is one of my top 10 movies and the song,"For All We Know" by the Carpenters fits perfectly with the theme.

Still a classic
This is over 30 years old, but still a classic. Diane Keaton fans will love her in one of her first roles. We still use some of the lines, especially "So, what's the story, Richie?" and I often tell my husband his hair smells like raisins just to let him know I still love him. I just wish Icould buy a copy at a reasonable price!!!!

Something the "Viewer from Seattle" should consider!
I found this movie to be a splendid comedy, which kept me chuckling like I was on laughing gas. It's a spectacular comedy from husband-and-wife team Renée Taylor (The Nanny) and Joseph Bologna (Big Daddy). It's also a great thrill to see Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Beatrice Arthur, along with Bonnie Bedelia, Richard Castellano, Bob Dishy, Michael Brandon, a young future Oscar-winner Diane Keaton, and Oscar-nominee Gig Young in one of his last films. I recommend this movie for anyone who just loves movies in general!
~~As for that viewer from Seattle, I'm not mad at that particular section of his review, BUT [they] SHOULD take into consideration that the following statement:
****Favorite moment (for guys): a Steadicam shot of Bonnie Bedelia's face as she walks toward a bed. Not even Liz Taylor's face could rival Bedelia's for those few seconds. Favorite moment (for gals): Harry Guardino blowing a sweet, macho kiss to Anne Meara during the wedding ceremony.****
--Leaves out certain people.
I think, had they taken more consideration of other people into account, they would've had a stronger opening statement, which would've been written like this:
:._-~*Favorite moment (for gal-lovers): a Steadicam shot of Bonnie Bedelia's face as she walks toward a bed. Not even Liz Taylor's face could rival Bedelia's for those few seconds. Favorite moment (for guy-lovers): Harry Guardino blowing a sweet, macho kiss to Anne Meara during the wedding ceremony.*~-_.:
Now that's the way the review shoulda looked--at least mine should come-off better to the polite-at-heart.
----
Anyways, when deciding if you'd like to purchase the movie or not, I suggest you choose "Add To Shopping Cart"--because it will be a wise choice that you are heavily rewarded for!

Still funny after all these years
A big wedding, funny relatives, bittersweet relationships, a very young Diane Keaton -- what's not to love? In crowded theaters, Bob Dishy and Richard Castellano stole the show. Castellano still stands out, as do Gig Young and Bea Arthur. Favorite moment (for guys): a Steadicam shot of Bonnie Bedelia's face as she walks toward a bed. Not even Liz Taylor's face could rival Bedelia's for those few seconds. Favorite moment (for gals): Harry Guardino blowing a sweet, macho kiss to Anne Meara during the wedding ceremony. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Funny About Love
Let me begin by saying that I read the review about this movie by "petershelley". WHOA! How could anyone be so opposite of everything this movie was about!! He does not have a clue and I mean not one about life, people, love, emotion, vulnerability and what it is really all about. This guy is so off base I actually pity what a superficial life he must live. He needs to get off his pedestal and get down here where the real people live. I believe that the performance by Gene Wilder was phenomenol and I could FEEL his pain when his wife walked out the door after their break-up. Knowing Mr. Wilder's history with his departed wife, Gilda Radner, one can only guess at his source of the emotion he exibited in that scene. No wonder I could feel it-I don't think you call that acting. I think it was real. Does Mr. Shelley know what it feels like to want to have a child and not be able to? I think not. If he did he would understand the motivation behind the actions of Duffy in the movie "Funny About Love". ANYONE who has been there knows that you CANNOT intellectualize about such a thing as Mr. Shelley does in his review. IT JUST IS. Christine Lahti's character represents so much of what it is to be a woman these days and try to be everything to everyone and not lose herself and her dreams and ambitions. She very much needed to know that Duffy loved her more than he loved the dream of having a child. That what we have in the here and now is all we really ever have, and even that is temporary. Mary Stuart Masterson of course brought so much humor to a really pretty sad situation. Because of her ability to love unconditionally she was able to give something extraordinary of herself to someone she loved and cared about without having to OWN that person. She was able, out of friendship or love, to fulfill the dream of another human being and complete his life. What greater gift is there on this earth? What an amazing movie, I loved every minute of it and can't believe it has taken it over 10 years to cross my path. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE and of course "Immediate Family" is right up there with it. Alexis Baughman

Gene Wilder Rules In This Romantic Comedy!!
Gene Wilder rules in this romantic comedy also co-starring Christine Lahti.It's a must see!!

Duffy Bergman¿s biological clock is about to go off
This tale of Gene Wilder as a Gary Trudeau-like celebrity political humourist doesn't work as comedy, drama or romance. The screenplay by Norman Steinberg and David Frankel is based on an Esquire article by Bob Greene entitled Convention of the Love Goddesses, which is represented by Wilder speaking at an all female college, declaring that men are "self-pitying" and in awe of women. However this hardly qualifies as feminism, which director Leonard Nimoy amusingly plays with by having Wilder's car pass a line of phallic trees. The only relationship he seems to have with a woman where Wilder isn't controlling or negative is his affair with the much younger Mary Stuart Masterson, and even this is invalidated by his unwillingness to declare his emotion, echoed in Sotto Voce being the name of a featured restaurant.
The main romance here is with Christine Lahti. At first her disinterest in him gives her some strength. She is a waitress at a book signing event of his yet unimpressed with his fame. However wardrobe dress her in Annie Hall-wear and soon she is revealed to be self-consciously weak, which diminishes Lahti's otherwise appealing qualities. The inability of the couple to bear a child sours their relationship, and Lahti bears the teary-eyed guilt.
What is noticable about the treatment is the parallels to be made with Woody Allen movies, specifically Annie Hall and Manhattan. Masterson is a bad driver like Diane Keaton was, and swears the way Keaton did in Manhattan, and the age difference recalls Allen and Mariel Hemmingway. Wilder too gets his share of arrogant jokes at the expense of others, and has Allen's ability to extend his performance beyond the comic persona. His reductive James Cagney imitation is about the only thing I liked.
At first Nimoy paces at a clip, aided by the music score of Miles Goodman, but soon the timing comes to a holt and we're left stranded with people we'd rather do without. It's not encouraging that Anne Jackson as Wilder's acerbic mother is quickly disposed of. The treatment's continued coverage of Lahti telegraphs events, and only the most desperate of romantics can be pleased with the conclusion. ... Read more

Reviews (556)

Heeeere's Johnny! A modern horror classic on DVD
It's tough to believe that Stanley Kubrick received a Worst Director Razzie nomination for "The Shining." While "The Shining" may not be given the classic status of some of his other films like "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001", it's actually the least polarizing of this highly-praised and atypical filmmaker's work.

This atmospheric thriller is sure to creep you out with its pacing, eery editing and cinematography (those tracking shots are highly effective), and Jack Nicholson's powerful performance as Jack Torrance. Horror films often tend to divide audiences into genre fans who follow the gore and those who laugh in the face of so-called scares, insisting their own resiliancy to cheap thrills and lamebrain plotting.

Fortunately, "The Shining" doesn't make you take sides, because its chills come from plotting and character study as much as they do from odd sights that will make you jump. It may stray from Stephen King's book and not all of it may make sense, but "The Shining" has so much going for it that you won't mind. It's a gripping and satisfying film experience, and in my opinion, one of the best films of the '80s.

This Warner DVD re-release is definitely the version to get. The fullframe presentation comes at the wishes of Kubrick and the video and audio offer significant improvement over the drab initial release. (Unfortunately, the original Mono audio track has been dropped altogether in favor of an effective 5.1 remix. They could have included both with no problem.)

In the way of extras, there is an engaging half-hour on-set documentary, filmed by Kubrick's daughter Vivian. It provides a candid experience of the film's creation, and interviews with some of the actors. In addition, this DVD re-release includes an audio commentary on the documentary (sort of a "making-of the making-of") by Vivian Kubrick. There's also the spooky trailer, which shows how a movie preview can perfectly pique one's interest in a film, without spoiling (or even saying) much.

Possibly the Best Horror Movie Ever
This was a spectacular piece of work. It had a chilling soundtrack, and had some very good camera work. In the case of the Shining, a movie has finally exceeded the book upon which it was based. Things that would normally make a movie terrible have made the Shining a spellbinding movie. For example, the dialogue throughout the entire movie seems forced and unnatural. Another example is during an argument between Jack Nicholson (who performs incredibly well throughout the entire movie) and Shelley Duvall, after which Jack storms out of the room and glances at the camera as he goes by. If you're a horror fan, or just into movies, this is definetely one to see again and again and again.

A great horror movie..
This film slowley but shorley creepes you out, I don't think any one but Jack Nicholson could have played this role that well, and Krubrick has the best feal in the world, and the score is one of the best ever put in a movie. The movie is really scary.
It all starts off kinda slow thenwe see Dany talking to himself, and then there's a few images that are veary frightning, the holtel gives you a veary creepy isalated fealing, like if something were to happen there'de be no way out. Jack slowly starts going crazyer and crazer, and the hole time creepy images are appearing in the hotel, and the last half hour of the movie is trueley scary, a must see.

267
When i first saw this movie i was scared to death. realy it may have beeen the scariest movie i have ever seen. i also read the book but the movie was even scarier.
i realy recomend you this movie.
maby it had beeen the scariest movie i have ever seen...you are going to love this movie.

Another Kubrick Classic
I loved this movie. It freaked me out I must say. Jack Nicolson is the perfect crazy man in the movie. Another thing this movie possesed was great cinematography as any Kubrick film posses and great acting by all of the actors and actresses. Great movie deffinate buyer. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

interesting story line and historical too
I found the movie very interesting. I may be biased toward the film since actually I appear in the last scene of this movie (one of the boys at the study table in the black synagogue that Zero Mostel visits) The late Chief Rabbi W.A. Matthew (my grandfather)has an appearance in the movie leading the study group discussion in the historic landmark Harlem synagogue. Although not in the final edit, during filming it was an interesting scripted discussion.
-David Matthew Dore'

Great Movie
I watched this on cable and loved it so much I had to buy it. Very different Kind of Movie. I really enjoyed it so much:-)

Promise Unfulfilled
Zero Mostel plays a poor schlemiel by the name of Mishkin, who is visited by a Jewish angel named Levine. Levine is played by Harry Belafonte! This certainly promises some very clever and very amusing moments. Unfortunately, the promise remains unkept. In fact, the film never really gets started. I can remember thinking what a long time it was taking to get going, and then the closing credits started to scroll; it never got going. What is particularly disappointing is that this is a film I wanted very much to like. Alas, we don't always get what we want. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Forgotten Glenda Jackson Film Worth Seeing
Glenda Jackson, Sandy Dennis and Geraldine Page are all excellent in this little seen film from the 70's. The script and the acting are very good. The main problem is that this DVD transfer is terrible. Poor picture and sound. If you've never seen the film, I recommend it. If you have seen it, skip this DVD and hope they come out with a better quality DVD in the future.

Nuns on the take
Imagine a convent as Watergate and Glenda Jackson as Richard Nixon. Nasty Habits is a parody of Watergate that Lampoons everyone from Sandy Dennis as the John Dean character to Melina Mecouri as Henry Kissenger. It has however been called a "one line movie" (You won't have Alexandra to kick around anymore). But I think you have to appreciate it for what it is, a thinly disguised political lampoon of a time that wasn't that funny. I highly recommend it if you're a democrat.... ... Read more

Amazon.com

This bittersweet two-person play by Murray Schisgal stars Eli Wallach(The Magnificent Seven, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) andhis wife Anne Jackson as Paul and Sylvia, coworkers who type names out ofthe phone book for salesmen. Though the action of the play is continuous,The Typists moves forward from Paul's first day to many yearslater, capturing fights, despair, friendship, and the raw need to keepgoing through their lives. Schisgal's script isn't brilliant, but itsquiet understanding of the ways people cope with getting through the daybuilds to a sincere pathos. Wallach and especially Jackson are excellent;Jackson never makes the unmarried Sylvia the object of pity--hercompelling mixture of resilience and defensiveness is too tough to lookdown on, and too real to ignore. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Description

Husband and wife Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson star as a 38-year-old truck driver and a weary cigarette girl from a nightclub who elope and discover they know very little about each other in this bittersweet 1954 Broadway comedy. The mama's boy's domineering mother gives them no peace or privacy on their honeymoon and soon the marriage turns into the eternal triangle--with his mother as the "other woman." ... Read more