Reviews (125)

Personal Best -robthenob@hotmail.com
In 1995 I was up in Scotland with five of my best friends whom had literally come from the four corners of the earth for the occasion. We travelled around the beautiful country, camping where we could and generally enjoying our freedom and youth. One particular spot that we stayed at was on the North West coast of Scotland, on a small, remote peninsula next to a white sanded beach with a view towards the Isles of Muck and Rum. After being there for a couple of days, we were told by a passing local that the beach was the very one that Local Hero was filmed on, and the peninsula where we had been camped for the past two days is where the church in the film was situated (it was apparently a set, made around an old house that still exists). At this point I had not seen the movie but knew the soundtrack by Mark Knopfler very well. The holiday I had that year was without a doubt one of the best I've ever had. Two years later on returning to NZ, I watched Local Hero with tears in my eyes, I couldn't believe that my favourite place in all the world was captured on an exceptionally beautiful, quirky, strangely romantic, and intelligent film. Overall I think that the general gist of the film is one of awakening our senses to the simple things in life, just like MacIntyre did on arriving at that small coastal village. We all need, at some point in our lives, to escape the hum-drum of every day life and awaken ourselves to the real life outside of our own. It is a wonderful, gentle film that will always be a part of me. P.S. I have omitted the exact name and location so that it is not overrun with tourists, but if you really want to know, send me an E-mail.

One of my all-time favorites!
I am dating myself woefully, but I remember seeing this film when it came out in theatres. I trekked some distance (via bus) down to some theatre in Hollywood (I'm from another part of L.A.) because it wasn't showing anywhere nearby. I wanted to see it *that* bad. And I certainly wasn't disappointed.

When I finally got a DVD player, one of the first DVDs I got was "Local Hero". It's definitely on my "must-have" list.

The story is simple -- materialistic Peter Reigert is sent to a small Scottish village to try to negotiate a land deal for his rich, eccentric boss (Burt Lancaster, who is outstanding). He arrives in Scotland as a guy who is only obsessed with business deals, his car, and his posessions back in Texas, but soon he learns there are more important things in life. The townsfolk are absolutely wonderful, all in their own unique, eclectic way. Denis Lawson particularly shines as "jack of all trades" who holds several positions in the community, including innkeeper.

The oddness and beauty of this film takes time to unfold, and it is best just to sit back and watch it happen. Everyone seems to have a story, everyone is eccentric in some way. I especially loved Burt Lancaster and his interaction with his "therapist", who takes the job *far* too seriously. Lancaster plays one of the most likeable and unique characters onscreen. Reigert too, is endearing. He so wants to be "normal" that he can't even admit that he might use a shampoo for dry or greasy hair. "Normal. EXTRA normal.", he says, when asked what kind of shampoo he needs. What an uptight guy he seems at first, but he soon mends his ways.

The score by Mark Knopfler is among one of my favorites too. I can play it and it brings back the whole atmosphere and mood of this film. The musical piece played at the end of the movie is heart-wrenching and brings back the sweetness of the end of this fine movie every time I hear it.

Director Bill Forsythe created an absolute gem in this movie. A must-have in *every* film collection. Absolutely first-rate.

difference of opinion
This is one of those movies that you watch and finally when the credits roll you kick yourself for wasting the time and effort to do so.
The bomb dropping jets? The guy on the motorcycle? The briefly hit on relationship between Mac and the other guy's wife? The marine biologist turning into a mermaid? Please, some one explain the relivance.
The ending seemed as though the writer needed a quick way out of a poorly written movie. I'll bet Burt Lancaster turns in his grave (is he dead?-if he isn't he should be after making this dud) every time some one waist their time trying to watch this movie.
The main reason I watched the movie was because of the soundtrack that was written by Marc Knopfler-great music, terrible movie.

Where's Bill Forsythe when we need him?
This movie really did inspire me. I got up the nerve to make a solo trip around Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.

The scenes, characters and sounds of this movie are simply unforgettable. For sure, it's a cold heart that won't come out speakin' with a Scots accent with a touch of Russia.

You can go home again.
A very charming movie that bears up well under repeated viewings. Bill Forsyth has done so many good movies over the years, but I think this remains his best. Certainly, it is the closest to home, as he beautifully plays off the American-Scotland theme and the sense of misplaced identity.

Peter Riegert is great as Mac, a representative of a large Houston oil company who has been chosen to close a deal on a harbor village in the north of Scotland, because of his presumed Scottish ancestry. Turns out Mac is of Hungarian, not Scottish descent, as his parents thought MacIntyre was an American name. Nevertheless, Mac soon finds himself adapting to the rugged North Sea coast, picking seashells from the tidal pools and adopting a rabbit his driver had inadvertantly hit on the road.

Forsyth introduces the viewer to a wonderfully eccentric cast of characters in the small village, led by the amicable Gordon Urquhart, mayor, innkeeper, accountant and jack of all trades. Mac finds himself falling in love with Gordon's wife, but the playful romance is treated more in jest than in an attempt to foil the plot. It is in a grizzled beachcomber that we find the perfect foil to the land deal, which eventually brings the head of the oil commpany, Mr. Knox (played to perfection by Burt Lancaster) to Scotland.

You will fall in love with this movie, as I did, carried along by its charm and beautifully poignant moments. Forsyth doesn't miss a beat in this playful movie. ... Read more

Reviews (95)

One of the Most Edgy Courtroom Drama's of All Time!
To say A Few Good Men is superb is an understatement. This film has it all: a great story, great acting, great suspense, and great drama. The film should really be part of the 5-Star Collection. The film has a great cast Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, and Kevin Pollak.

This film is about two members of the Navy, who are being tried for the murder of their partner for being a witness to one of them shooting illegally into Cuba. This sparks for a great drama in which a smart mouthed, cocky lawyer (Cruise), his brash female love interest (Demi Moore), his "helper" so to speak (Kevin Pollak), a angry Col. (Nicholson), and the prosecutor (Kevin Bacon).

This film is great, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves good acting and an even better story.

DVD Special Features Include:

• Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
• Production notes
• Audio Commentary by Director Rob Reiner
• Exclusive Documentary: Code of Conduct
• Featurette: From Stage to Screen with Aaron Sorkin and Rob Reiner
• Full-screen and widescreen anamorphic (2:35:1) formats

A Great Courtroom Drama
I have always been fond of courtroom dramas. I have always enjoyed watching lawyers and prosecutors giving their opening speeches, doing their job the best way they can, and closing statements. I love everything regarding those things. "A Few Good Men" is perhaps the best courtroom drama so far.
Lt. Daniel Kaffe (Tom Cruise in an excellent performance) has to defend two U.S. Marines accused of accidentally murdering one of their colleagues because they were ordered to carry out a disciplinary punishment called 'Code Red'. The characters fulfill their performances well: Jack Nicholson -in a scene-stealing performance -as the commander of the accused soldiers, the late J.T. Walsh as his executive officer, J.A. Preston as the judge on this court martial, and Kevin Bacon as the prosecuting Marine. The only person I feel uncomfortable with is Demi Moore as the Navy officer who pushes Kaffe to the limit in his duty as a defending lawyer; she seems to me like a rag doll, just a cast-filler.
But who cares? The fact is that director Rob Reiner made an excellent courtroom movie from a fantastic material written by Aaron Sorkin. Marc Shaiman's music score does a fine addition to these precedings, and the photography by Robert Richardson adds a touch of class to this film. This is a great movie all the same.

Best movie EVER!
I really like this movie. It has alot of suspense and it keeps you wondering what the outcome will be. This movie is my favorite movie and I keep wanting to watch it over and over again. I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who likes suspense mixed in with a little humor!

Unit - Corps - God - Country.
How much critical thought can the military allow its rank and file? Certainly most orders must be followed unquestioningly; otherwise ultimately the entire Armed Services would collapse. But where do you draw the line? Does it matter how well soldiers know not only their military but also their civic duties? Does it matter whether trials against members of the military are handled by way of court-martials, or before a country's ordinary courts?

I first saw "A Few Good Men" as an in-flight movie, and after the first couple of scenes I thought that for once they'd really picked the right kind of flick: A bit cliched (yet another idle, unengaged lawyer being dragged into vigorously pursuing a case against his will), but good actors, a good director and a promising storyline.

Then the movie cut from the introductory scenes in Washington, D.C. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Jack Nicholson (Colonel Nathan Jessup) inquired: "Who the f**k is PFC William T. Santiago?"

And suddenly I was all eyes and ears.

Director Rob Reiner and Nicholson's costars describe on the movie's DVD how from the first time Nicholson spoke this (his very first) line in rehearsal he had everybody's attention; and the overall bar for a good performance immediately rose to new heights. Based on my own reaction, I believe them sight unseen. Or actually, not really "unseen," as the result of Nicholson's influence is there for everybody to watch: Never mind that he doesn't actually have all that much screen time, his intensity as an actor and the personality of his character, Colonel Jessup, dominate this movie more than anything else; far beyond the now-famous final showdown with Tom Cruise's Lieutenant Kaffee. Nobody could have brought more power to the role of Jessup than Nicholson, no other actor made him a more complex figure, and nobody delivered his final monologue so as to force you to think about the issues he (and this film) addresses; and that despite all the movie's cliches: The reluctant lawyer turning out a courtroom genius (as lead counsel in a murder trial, barely a year out of law school and without *any* prior trial experience, no less), the son fighting to rid himself of a deceased superstar-father's overbearing shadow, and the "redneck" background of the victim's superior officer Lieutenant Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland, who nevertheless milks the role for all it's worth).

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his own play, reportedly based the story's premise - the attempted cover-up of a death resulting from an illegal pseudo-disciplinary action - on a real-life case that his sister, a lawyer, had come across in the JAG Corps. (Although even if I take his assertion at face value that assigning the matter to a junior lawyer without trial experience was part of the cover-up, I still don't believe the real case continued the way it does here. But be that as it may.) Worse, the victim is a marine serving at "Gitmo," the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, where *any* kind of tension assumes an entirely different dimension than in virtually any other location. In come Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and co-counsels Lt. Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollack) and Lt.Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), assigned to defend the two marines held responsible for Santiago's death; L.Cpl. Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and PFC Louden Downey (James Marshall), who claim to have acted on Kendrick's orders to subject Santiago to a "code red," an act of humiliating peer-punishment, after Santiago had gone outside the chain of command to rat on a fellow marine (none other than Dawson), attempting to obtain a transfer out of "Gitmo." But while Kendrick sternly denies having given any such order and prosecuting attorney Captain Ross (Kevin Bacon) is ready to have the defendants' entire company swear that Kendrick actually ordered them to leave Santiago alone, Kaffee and Co. believe their clients' story - which ultimately leads them to Jessup himself, as it is unthinkable that the event should have occurred without his knowledge or even specific direction.

By the time of this movie's production, Tom Cruise had made the part of the shallow youngster suddenly propelled into manhood one of his trademark characters (see, e.g., "The Color of Money," "Top Gun" and "Rain Man"); nevertheless, his considerable skill (mostly) elevates Kaffee's part above cardboard level. Demi Moore gives one of her strongest-ever performances as Commander Galloway, who would love to be lead counsel herself in accordance with her rank's entitlements, but overcomes her disappointment to push Kaffee to a top-notch performance instead. Kevin Pollack's, Kevin Bacon's and J.T. Walsh's (Jessup's deputy Lt.Col. Markinson's) performances are straight-laced enough to easily be overlooked, but they're fine throughout and absolutely crucial foils for Kaffee, Galloway and Jessup; and so, vis-a-vis Dawson, is James Marshall's shy, scared Downey, who is clearly in way over his head. The movie's greatest surprise, however, is Wolfgang Bodison, who, although otherwise involved with the production, had never acted before being drafted by Rob Reiner solely on the basis of his physical appearance, which matched Dawson's better than any established actor's; and who gives a stunning performance as the young Lance Corporal who will rather be convicted of murder than take an unhonorable plea bargain, yet comes to understand his actions' full complexity upon hearing the jury's verdict.

"Unit - corps - God - country" is the code of honor according to which, Dawson tells Kaffee, the marines at "Gitmo" live their lives; and Colonel Jessup declares that under his command orders are followed "or people die," and words like "honor," "code" and "loyalty" to him are the backbone of a life spent defending freedom. Proud words for sure: But for the "code red," but for the trespass over that invisible line between a legal and an immoral, illegal order they might well be justified. That line, however, exists, and is drawn even in a non-public court-martial. I'd like to believe that insofar at least, this movie gets it completely right.

Another Good Jack Nicholson Film
A good adaptation of Aaron Sorkin's play, A Few Good Men. Rob Reiner does a great job creating a suspenseful, entertaining tale of a fence line shooting at a Guantanimo Bay marine base. Sorkins dialogue sparkles as it always does. The sound is particularly strong technical high point. Jack Nicholson does a great job as Col. Nathan Jessup, the base commander. This role earned him a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Tom Cruise, Keifer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon all have respectable performances. The only true weak spot in the film is yet another wooden, one-dimensional performance by Demi Moore. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steven Spielberg's first feature film, 1971's Duel, is set on a desert highway. It stars Dennis Weaver as a driver being pursued by a menacing truck, which is following him with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. In this spiritual update from 1984, C. Thomas Howell plays a guy taking a drive-away car from Chicago to San Diego. On a whim, in the rain, and against his better judgment, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer). The hitcher quickly admits to being a murdering psychopath, and once Howell finally gets him out of his car, he is pursued with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. We're never sure if the hitcher is a figment of his imagination, making Howell a schizophrenic killer, or if he's real and Howell is the random victim of a wandering madman, which is how his potential new girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) thinks of him. Either way, The Hitcher is great fun, kinda scary, and teetering on the brink of "must see." --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (78)

The Hitcher is some seriously bad company...oh, yeah!
This is my favorite Rutger Hauer movie. His persona fits this role perfectly. With a good supporting cast, a well-written screenplay and an excellent musical score, Hauer drives his audience along the twisted path of a psychotic hitch-hiker who kills just about anyone who is unfortunate enough to meet him.

C. Thomas Howell plays a young man by the name of Jim Halsey, who is delivering a car to a customer in San Diego. As he travels across a lonely West Texas highway at nite, he's having trouble keeping awake and nearly runs afoul of a big-rig. When he catches a glimpse of a rain-soaked hitch-hiker (Rutger Hauer) standing on the shoulder, he stops to pick him up, against his better judgement, figuring the man's company would keep him awake.

Halsey tries to strike up a conversation with the hitcher, but the hitcher only gives him a terse and twisted tale about being out of gas and needing cigarettes. The hitcher begins to play a psychological game of words with Halsey that quickly turns into a life-threatening situation. A quick-thinking Halsey pushes the hitcher out of the moving car and speeds away, thinking that's the last he'll see of him. The hitcher seems impressed(!!!) by Halsey's escape; apparently no one else has been so lucky. The hitcher begins to pursue Halsey with a mindless obsession that leaves dead bodies and destruction all around them.

The hitcher is a master of manipulation in this film. I really liked the ending, although, if the storyline is followed accurately, it doesn't allow for a sequel with Rutger Hauer, who absolutely is the shining star of this movie. I would love to see him play this part again- it truly is his calling. As a previous Amazon reviewer noted, he doesn't have to speak a word for you to know what he is thinking and contemplating as the role of The Hitcher. His body language and facial expressions tell you all you need to know. I think this entire movie could have been done without a single line of dialogue from the hitcher and been just as effective.

Rutger is waaaay cool, the movie is awesome and it should be part of your collection if you dont have it yet. A DVD must!

Great latter-day "road" picture, genuinely terrifying.
Seeing this on HBO this morning with the negative experience of "Vanishing Point" still fresh in my mind reminded me that yes, there are some great road movies that take place in the American Southwest which do not leave the viewers questioning the significance of the film...and prefer merely to scare the hell out of them instead.

The plot is staggeringly effective in its simplicity; a college kid (C. Thomas Howell) contracts to deliver a car from Chicago to San Diego. In the desert during a storm he picks up a hitch hiker (Rutger Hauer) who doesn't bother with the pretense of winning his mobile host's faith and trust; he immediately slips into maximum creep-out mode and the kid knows he's in serious trouble within minutes as the hitcher makes it known under no uncertain terms that he has indeed killed someone in a particularly brutal fashion...and with a seeming trace of resignation and inevitability he plans to do the same to the kid.

What follows is a fortuitous escape and a series of subsequent encounters between Howell and Hauer, with entanglements involving the police, Jennifer Jason Leigh (thankfully before she picked up that horrible New England upper class accent she seemed to use in a number of her '90's roles), and more murder victims.

The encounters succeed in building a sense of escalating tension that is never satisfactorily resolved until the film's ending, which does seem somewhat contrived (minus one star for that). However, the performances of all the actors are excruciatingly believable, especially Hauer, who is genuinely disturbing. He's not some sort of supernatural teen slasher a la Jason or Freddy Krueger or (to a lesser extent) Michael Myers, classic horror movie icons all; Hauer is simply someone...ANYONE...that could cross your path without any warning or fanfare...and could make your personal terrorization his sole purpose in life. That is what makes this movie truly scary; while watching it you will clearly understand the implication that yes, this too could happen to you.

"Riders on the storm", indeed.

Where should I begin?!
Ok, one of my favourite movies ever, this is. I know it seems strange now, it isn't an epic with outstanding performances and great set pieces and all that, it's just a plain old, fun 80s horror road movie, but I just love it all the same.

Rutger Hauer is imensely scary as a (not so freaky killer like Jason or Michael, nor a gruesome killer) but a sharp, haunting character with an icy personality. C Thomas Howell is very good as a young teenager. He starts off in the film to be a bit geeky, but once he meets Hauer he starts to get a little freaky himself. They are basically the two main characters in this.

The film -- as you probably know -- is about C Thomas Howell delivering a drive-away car (let me just say I don't like the review from Digibiong! because he says there is a mistake on the license plate of the car, but it's a drive-away car so it doesn't matter) and he has to deliver it to San Dieago, on the way he picks up a stranger on the road, he seems like a nice guy, but he turns out to be quite psychotic. Howell is able to push the stranger out of the car and carry on down the road, but the hitcher isn't done yet, he starts to play a deadly game with Howell, like getting the police onto him, framing him, killing people in front of his eyes and all stuff like that. The film doesn't drag at the start, it starts off straight away with Howell picking the stranger up and it gets darker and darker every time.

The gore in this film isn't that bad, we do HEAR a woman get pulled apart, but we don't SEE it. We never really do see a lot of deaths happen in the film, but I think that's what makes the film scary. It can be very atmospheric at times, but a lot of the scary parts happen in the day-time. When we come to the conclusion it gets a little dissapointing since it doesn't go on for long and I was expecting a great confrontation.

So, that's "the hitcher", one of my favourite movies. Road movies are my favourite genre of movies and here are a couple more good ones:

Breakdown
Convoy
Duel
Hitcher 2: I've been waiting

Absolutely MAGNIFICENT one of the greats of the 80s
Like many, I saw this totally haunting film late night on HBO by myself as a child. The opening scene is quite simply perfectly executed, and one of the most frightening and realistic scenes ever put to film. The atmosphere in this film is so wonderful, and the writing first rate. The leads are utterly convincing -- real props to Howell who has a difficult role. I am in love with the Southwest, and in a odd way this film is a great meditation on the wilderness down here too -- kind of like Thelma & Louise. What American films should be like.

More Than Just A Ride!
One of the scariest movies I have ever seen, The Hitcher is relentless in its intensity. Jim Halsey (C. Howell) picks up a hitchhiker (R. Hauer) on his way to San Diego who soon admits he killed his last ride. Hauer says, "You know that driver from that last car? I cut off his legs". It doesn't take more than that before Jim is able to trick and force the 'hitcher' out of his car. Thinking that it's over, Jim soon sees the hitcher riding in another family's car, knowing he will kill them all. Reporting him to the police is of no use and even after they capture him, he pulls a shocking twist on everyone. Jim befriends a lonely waitress (J. J. Leigh) who believes his story, but soon she ends up in the middle (literally) between them (the most revolting scene in the film). It's a suspenseful, non-stop, killer maniac fright ride. It becomes clear the hitcher is out to frame Jim for multiple murders or kill him. The ending is just as frightening as the rest, but I guarantee you won't leave this film feeling good - just shaken up. Not for the squeamish, but maybe a good date movie. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

One of the most amazing films I've ever seen
The Spitfire Grill is a movie that shows the beauty of life and the hope that can be found inside it. This film can make you cry; I've seen this a few times and I still cry. You cry because you feel like you've lost part of your heart when it's over, like it's part of you. Allison Elliot portrays a girl that just needs love, and she's remarkable at it. Everyone should see this.

A Heartbreaking Treasure
This is a moving and rewarding film that places our heart in it's palm and slowly squeezes until we feel it's pain. You will never forget Alison Elliot's quiet performance of young Percy Talbot, fresh from prison and trying to start her life over. In a sad and pivotal moment in the film, she reveals the heartbreaking reason she was incarcerated, and why she has picked Gilead, Maine to start over; "I thought maybe....in someplace small..."

The day to day life of a small town and it's people is perfectly captured as Percy comes to work for Hannah (Ellen Burstyn) at The Spitfire Grill. Hannah knows about pain and gives Percy a chance. Marcia Gay Harden gives a fine performance as a shy and sweet soul who's husband uses her for a doorstop and hates Percy for being her friend and encouraging her to be herself.

Many lives are touched in this small town by Percy who has seemingly found her home at The Spitfire Grill in Gilead, Maine. There is the mystery of the food Percy leaves out back at Hannah's request that is gone the next morning. There is the underlying sadness of Percy's past that is always present. An essay contest to find a new owner for the Grill so Hannah can retire is part of the small town mosaic painted in this wonderful film.

There is tragedy as well as we are reminded how life does not always give us the chance to start over. There is also redemption and the message that what we do in our lives does affect others and can even change the way they think. To say this is a small independent film is to do it an injustice. This is a great big film about the small things in life, the things that matter. If you really love the movies and want to see something you'll remember and keep in your heart forever then this is your DVD. Don't miss this one.....

A Wonderful Film of Redemption
I won't get into any plot details, as several previous reviews have already discussed the character and scene development. I thought the film was a minor masterpiece in its subtle understatement and remarkable artistic achievent. The film seemed to adumbrate several themes; namely, the quest to find peace and harmony in a remote town far away from the hustle and bustle of modern urban stress. As it turns out, however, that there is an undeniable malaise which pervades this small town located in the far away wilderness of Maine. The name implies biblical associations. There are the themes of loss, of alienation, of lack of understanding and communication among the towns people. Despite the undeniable beauty of the place, there emerges a sort of spiritual wasteland which poisons the town. Along comes Percy, a stranger with her own desolate past. As the movie progresses Percy's involvement and commitment to her work and to several of the inhabitants involve the viewer's growing awareness that she is somehow a redeeming force. The scene between Percy and the reclusive, hermetic son near the end fully defines her role as the young woman redeemer of this wasteland. Her death, not unlike the ultimate sacrificial act brings the townspeople together in a sort of final requiem. The town is awakened and is ready to accept the new caretaker of the Spitfire Grill. A wonderful film.

It captures the Spirit of a northern New England town!
Having lived both in Maine and in northern New York, I can tell you that the Spitfire Grill captures exquisitely the spirit and essence of a small town in both of these places. Characters abound in these parts of the country --just as they do in this excellent movie, "The Spitfire Grill". This is one of those movies that has a little bit of everything. It is good, clean entertainment that even the kids can watch. It is at times thrilling, at other times heart warming; and it may even bring tears to your eyes. Acting is all around superb! The Spitfire Grill is now one of my all time favorites. Its both in full screen and widescreen.

The colors of New England never fade.
I came upon this film completely by accident years ago. It was being shown on a cable channel and out of sheer boredom, I decided to watch. It is, quite simply, a beautiful story. I couldn't find a fault anywhere. Having grown up in the East Coast, the film depicts New England accurately down to the last fall, colored maple leaf.

We have the small town values and concerns pitted against the dark and mysterious past of a stranger, an outsider. Redemption. Acceptance. Forgiveness. Understanding. The more you need, the harder you'll have to work in order to get it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you're a lifetime member of the Jennifer Connelly fan club, you'll be in the passionate minority of people (100% male) who won't care that this 1991 comedy is wallowing in its own oily puddle of lameness. The gorgeous Ms. Connelly is conspicuously put on display in this typically lightweight fluff from writer-producer John Hughes. Frank Whaley does his best to liven up the male-fantasy plot about a semi-nerdy teen who gets a night-watchman job in a variety store, only to find himself locked in overnight with the local knockout (Connelly), who's as rich as she is beautiful. She's also really unhappy with her home life and her bully boyfriend (Dermot Mulroney), so it's Frank's big opportunity to make his move as a sympathetic Romeo. Shallow and contrived, the movie does have its standard moments of John Hughes delicacy, and a cameo by the late John Candy scores bonus points for comedy. Still, it's clear that the movie exists primarily to satisfy adolescent lust--and with Connelly as the object of desire, this otherwise tiresome comedy is a triumph of wish-fulfillment casting. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (30)

A movie for all of us who were "outcasts" in High School!!!
I loved this movie!!!! Frank Whaley is an underated actor who gives a very energetic perfomance, and Jennifer Connoly, well...'nuff said. I guess I'm a little biased in this review because I was one of those labeled in high school "Outcast", and I identify with the main character. It's about damn time one of us got the most girl popular girl in high school!!! Sorry that's the pain from High School talking. And which one of wouldn't imitate Jim Dodge's antic's if we were locked in Target for one night!?!?!?!?!

The amazon.com reviewer needs to get his facts straight!
This is a great movie...I think I have a review here or the VHS version...anyhow, I wanted to point out, the movie is not really about Whaley's character lusting after Jennifer. It's more focused on the comedy of it all. Also..Dermot Mulroney does NOT play Connely's boyfriend, he plays the robber/murderer who breaks into Target to rob the place, and runs into Whaley and Connely! You can't write a bad review basically trashing the movie, if you clearly haven't even seen it!

I like it for what it could have been.....
I absolutely love this film- it's strangely endearing. and the best part is, it is most endearing for what it COULD have been. i think that's why i like watching it so much. the film was made during john hughes' fall from grace (his deal with the devil had to run out sometime) and the early 90's weren't as kind or interested in his fantastic dissections of 80's class conflicts and teenagers know best philosophy. career ops does run a tad thin but there was a great deal of potential. i think whaley's performance was really underrated. if the film had kept some of the scenes shown in the teaser trailer in 1991, he would have been even more likable. the problem is, hughes wants whaley to be a cross between Duckie in 'pretty in pink', ferris bueller and even the anthony michael hall char. in 'weird science'. this amalgamation doesn't do Whaley justice in what was probably a sincere attempt to create an original character of his own. His Jim Dodge is actually really interesting- a cool guy that doesn't trust his own coolness, a lower middle class son who doesn't know how to do well in his parent's eyes and an imaginative, articulate guy who can't quite escape midwest america. if the film would have been less about slapstick (please please please shoot whoever decided bringing in the mulroney brothers for their unecessary subplot that just ruins the film) and more about the dynamic between whaley and connelly, it could have been fantastic. connelly, meanwhile, is also let down by someone- the editor. she is fantastic- beautiful, articulate, classy, and graceful, but appears to be acting in a totally different movie than whaley. the scenes both about and with her father border on the uneasy. i have a feeling that in the original script she was really abused by the bullying dad, perhaps both physically and sexually. i could see it as a possibility with that character. we get a hint of this but then the movie shies away from it completely and we never quite get if its a joke or not (although the scene of connelly in profile with the father outside her door always made me nervous.) i really do like she and whaley together but both hughes and the editors don't seem to know what kind of movie they wanted to make- a slapdash comedy in a newly popular chain store, or a character study of a 'much cooler than his town gives him credit for' guy and the genuinely kind and rich girl who befriends him under strange circumstances. for this matter, we also (b/c of the editing) are never quite sure where connelly's afections lie- in liking jim dodge, or in getting the hell out of town. i just have a soft spot for this film and what it could have been if everyone involved in the production had agreed on what they wanted to make. the ending is atrocious and corny but the rest has promise. this is a great film for aspring filmakers and especially WRITERS to watch both for its good points but mostly for its wrong turns. A great deal can be learned from it.

Yes, It Definitely Has Jennifer Connelly In It
I watched this movie for the first time in many years the other day and had to come to this board to see the comments. Just as I thought, a lot of guys oogling Jennifer Connelly. And with very good reason. This movie was the worst in the John Hughes collection, but I can't tell you why because I didn't care a thing about the plot or the lead male character or the robbers or even John Candy, of whom I was a very big fan. I just know that Jennifer Connelly is an absolute doll in this movie, whether it be on roller skates or on a mechanical dime-store horse (especially a mechanical dime-store horse). In fact I think she comes across sexier here than she does in The Hot Spot, where she shows even more of her assets.

Alas, today Jennifer Connelly has gone the way of Calista Flockhart and lost the babyfat and become a serious actress, even carting home an Oscar, but her role in Career Opportunities will be the one remembered by fans years from now.

Ugh!
Little did I know as I watched this movie that Jennifer Connelly would be a huge star or that a Target would acutally open in my neighborhood in the years to come. But even that doesn't mitigate the bad taste I still have in my mouth from this movie.Try not to watch it if you're in a career slump or in between jobs or depressed! I was all of the above at the time, and watching this was the worst punishment I could have inflicted upon myself.This was surely the last hurrah of 20something-bashing, you know, the kind of uneducated diatribes in which this demographic was perceived as lazy, unambitious, boring, and jaded. In reality the 20somethings were in a slump in the early 90's because of a recession and a poor job market, not because of any lack of ambition on their part. But you wouldn't know it to watch this movie. It does great injustice to GenX. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steven Seagal needed a new approach to his standard head-busting heroics, so he teamed up with Keenen Ivory Wayans for this routine 1996 action flick. This time stone-faced Steve plays Los Angeles homicide detective Jack Cole, newly transplanted from New York and teamed up with Jim Campbell (Wayans). They're assigned to track down "The Family Man," a serial killer who earned his nickname by crucifying entire families and leaving religious graffiti as his calling card. The case heats up when the latest victim turns out to be Cole's ex-wife, and Cole is considered a primary suspect. That makes Seagal get really mad--you don't wanna get Seagal too upset, y'know--but he still has time to quote Buddhist wisdom and crack wise with Wayans, who plays it relatively straight as the practical half of this partnership. It's typical Seagal stuff all the way, with obligatory fight scenes every 10 minutes or so, but Seagal fans will enjoy it, and Brian Cox makes a suitably hissable villain. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Buddha Worship
"The Glimmer Man" is about a Buddhist police officer played by Steven Seagal. That's the whole movie. He teams up with Keenen Ivory Wayans and they try to look for 'The Family Man,' a serial killer who uses religion to make his mark. Steven Seagal was about to be killed by a Russian gang, but he told them, "I gotta lot of cash OR you can take plastic." He used his credit card as a weapon, how nifty is that? Another encounter involved Seagal walking into a restaurant and he caused lots of damage. All of that wine gone to waste and Seagal managed to try some of the food! He sure does enjoy food! Then Seagal fought a bald martial artist at the end of the movie and asked, "Is that the best you got!?" Yes, Steven Seagal can bring it and eat it in this movie. The duo found the killer and uncovered a deep plot involving smuggling. This movie is comedy, especially when Seagal gave Wayans a taste of powdered deer privates. It was disgusting, yet satisfyingly original! Good movie.

Typical Seagal
O.K.-- Steven Seagal was not considered for a Best Actor award for this movie (nor for any of this other flicks). This is, however, an enjoyable little movie -- you just have to get past Seagal's wooden acting, his love beads, and the huge holes in the plot. Keenen Ivory Wayans' character worked well -- he gets credit for all of the intentional humor, including one particularly funny line.

DEFINITELY NOT ORIGINAL
SEAGAL AND KEENEN IVORY WAYANS PLAY TWO COPS THAT'RE GOING AFTER A SERIAL KILLER KNOWN AS THE FAMILY MAN. SEAGAL AND WAYANS ARE DEFINITELY NOT GIBSON AND GLOVER. BUT THIS MOVIE ISN'T AND COULD NEVER BE ''LETHAL WEAPON''. SOME OF THE ACTION IS GOOD, BUT THE MOVIE'S JUST HARD TO SIT THROUGH. AT LEAST KEENEN IVORY WAYANS DOES DELIVER SOME FUNNY MOMENTS. WELL, SEAGAL HAS DONE WORSE MOVIES THAN THIS. BUT THEN AGAIN, SEAGAL HAS ALSO DONE BETTER MOVIES THAN THIS.

Steven Seagal: the name says it all!
This movie is one of my personal favorites. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. You had comedy, drama, suspense and action all rolled into one fantastic movie. Before this movie, I hadn't been a big fan of Keenan Ivory Wayans but he was actually very good in this film. Steven Seagal's performance was excellent and his martial art moves was over the top! I own this video and I never get tired of seeing it. It's all that and a bag of chips!!

One of my favorite Segal movies
This is one of Segal's better movies. I would rate it with Under Siege in quality. Good plot, great supporting cast. He does not inject the PC [stuff] that many of his later movies seem to have. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An amazing film that takes you from Roswell to the Pentagon
First off, the entire UFO scene is corroded by "nit-pickers" who couldn't be proven that cookies exist at a grocery store much anything more ("We have no proof that cookies are always in the cookie aisle, sometimes they are seen in the dairy department.."). Essentially they are wannabe-lawyers without practical information to live life by; real people need good-enough information to act on, and this film gives us just that. This is probably THE best UFO/ET movie Hollywood has made yet, better than E.T., Close Encounters and all of the other fairy tales. It takes what took place at Roswell in 1947; puts you there with Major Jesse Marcel, and runs-with-it, to its full conclusion: the worse-case-scenario that indeed alien craft crashed there etc. In an exciting, and dramatic way you see how the truth is covered up with intimidation (Your career will be ruined!) and fear and how the military/government was (is) scared white by the UFO/ET phenomena as it should be. Civilians who seek courtroom-level "proof" and "open-ness" are not so smart. There is a big differance between National Security and a feel-good debating society.

The film works on many levels, authentic 1940s look/feel, excellent music, but the key idea is the general concept of a cover-up and what do the men who hid the truth do when they get old and are ready to die? Do they talk? Noone had asked that question until the film. A few years later, Colonel Philip Corso wrote a book from his end as an Army R&D developer (The Day After Roswell) just before he died; so the question is; if someone hid the truth as a young man, would we listen to him as an old man with nothing-to-lose? If we are wannabe lawyers in our mentality, we certainly will be legalistic and not listen because these folks have ruined their "credibility". Real people, not UFOlawyers understand that in time of war you have to lie at times to protect the common good and that people/situations change...as life is in some ways a struggle, and when the time is right the truth might be able to be revealed. That the USAF has already lied at least twice about Roswell (Weather balloons, lately parachute dummies) should tell you something is not what it appears. Those that say it was project MOGUL sensor balloons to monitor Russian A-Bomb test, geee big deal. After the Russians declared they had "the bomb" most people wouldn't care if you ran kites up to the stratosphere to measure radiation. Why the secrecy now, then? We have spy satellites that everyone in the world has known about since SPUTNIK. Its not the surveillance methodology or the tidbit that we knew the Russians were testing A-Bombs that was worth hiding/deceiving about. Why use stretchers to carry parachute dummies? You simply throw them over your shoulder and walk.

The most compelling scene in the movie is when Secretary of Defense Forrestal communicates with the so-called ET; consider this with the fact that he later jumped out of a window (with assistance) to his death (murder). Suggest you read Corso's book in conjunction with this video and consider that the "beings" that are manifesting themselves are NOT cuddly Spielberg toys from outer space and that there may really be indeed a very GOOD REASON why the military/government covers up the UFO/ET mess.

Good movie about the "UFO Crash near Roswell, N.M"
"Roswell - The U.F.O. Cover-Up" was a made for TV movie in 1994 and I thought it was a good version of what might have happened there in the New Mexico desert in 1947. The Air Force at Roswell claimed that they had captured a "Flying Saucer" but then reversed itself and said it was only a weather balloon! Years later the Air Force said the event was the crash of a "Mogul Train of Spy balloons". ( Special balloons with listening microphones to detect Russian atomic bomb testing). Then later, Air Force claimed the "Crash" was a test where dummies were dropped from aircraft. The film was well acted with Kyle MacLachlan as Jesse Marcel. It showed how he was ordered to be photographed with the remains of a weather balloon and keep quiet about the material that was actually recovered from the crash site; miles from the city of Roswell. I enjoyed the movie ,but wish the film had followed the book "The Truth about the Crash at Roswell", by Kevin Randle.

Uninformative, A Film That Could Have Been Made Better.
"Roswell: The UFO Cover-up" is the type of film that could have been made better, could have been made to be more interesting. It's as if, the writers just thought of slapping together a UFO Conspiracy flick instead of an investigative piece. Some scenes aren't interesting as well as the characters. Never for a second, would I be convinced by this film that a UFO crashed in Roswell and that the government covered up the facts. The rest of the movie is also boring, I almost fell asleep watching it! If there was controversy surrounding this movie, I don't know why. It's not threatening to any conspiracy (look, before I wrote this, there were only 3 reviews). Also, I think a documentary version of this movie would have worked better. It's just to ridiculous to believe any of this in this form. There's also too much dramatic license, stuff you know never really happened. The film also lacks a visual style, it looks too plain. It doesn't matter if this is a "true story," it's still a movie. I bet Oliver Stone could make a much better film about this subject and come out with a masterpiece. Other than that, "Roswell: The UFO Cover-Up" seems too much like a badly written, badly-made, uninteresting film that is pure science fiction.

THEY'RE OUT THERE
The Roswell story has been an interesting piece of "urban legend" for some time now. Did our government conspire to cover up the supposed crash landing of an alien spaceship? We'll never really know the truth, I'm sure. ROSWELL is an intriguing movie, although it lacks any real suspense and since we know how it ends, one is left with what is basically a character study of Jesse, the soldier who was humiliated and promoted in order to keep his mouth shut. Kyle MacLachlan, one of our most underrated actors, gives a solid, sturdy performance, even though his makeup conjures up images of Brad Dourif. Martin Sheen's enigmatic character makes an appearance at the end of the film, but we never know who he is. Dwight Yoakam does well as the farmer who first discovers the wreckage. However, only MacLachlan's character is developed fully enough to care about. A clean, clinical and provocative movie; just not a great one.

The case they so desperately want to crush...
As I indicated in my review of debunker Karl Pflock's Roswell book, there is an erroneous belief that if you can disprove the Roswell Incident, you have automatically debunked all UFO reports. How ridiculous.

This is the case they feel they HAVE to crush in order to get a handle on disempowering the pro-UFO/Alien lobby. When you watch this movie, you will understand why.

Roswell is a very well made movie, with an excellent cast, which features some powerful performances by Kyle Mac and Dwight Yoakam above all.

The UFO debunkers will hate it because it tells the story of an actual Alien incident including the recovery of at least one semi-telepathic crash survivor.

Some contemporary UFO purists will have a problem because of the artistic license taken and the fact that it seems like Marcel was stuck between a rock and a hard place, having wanted to release the true account of the crash - whereas now some people believe that Marcel was told to release an exaggerated 'crashed disk' report by Blanchard, which was then pulled/denied in true disinformation style.

Whatever the theorizing, this movie tells a fairly traditional Roswell story, which includes all of the main elements of the discovery and cover-up. If anything, as another reviewer said, a worst case scenario.

The Project Mogul balloon that debunkers keep whining about, DID have a roughly disk-shaped instrument gondola suspended way beneath it, but nobody in their right mind could EVER mistake it for a craft that was capable of independent flight, even if it had become totally separated from the mother balloon, which seems not to have been the case, per their own debunking mythology.

This movie has a feel about it that just gets under your skin, and for many reasons, flaws and artistic license or not, it flows more like a documentary of Marcel's life than a piece of pure fiction. When you compare the flow and feel of this movie with the infantile ramblings of debunkers such as the barely literate Kal K. Korff (yeah, KKK), you cannot help but feel that the movie is the closest thing we might ever know to the Truth.

The idea that the whole Incident was a piece of disinformation, to fool the Russians or whatever, falls apart instantly for 10,000 reasons and is perhaps the most ludicrous suggestion of all.

No, something unusual came down in Roswell, and until the Government comes clean, and stops fabricating seemingly deliberately absurd 'explanations', the story told in this movie may be considered a very reasonable possible scenario.

Very highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good sci-fi film, good DVD transfer
This DVD is better than the Terminator series of films starring our new governor.

Hot 'Bot!
Eve is a veeery realistic-looking android babe with some nifty military hardware including a hot bod, and a nuclear bomb. What a woman! But when things go awry in her testing phase during a bank robbery, Eve winds up lost in the big city. Now, the rescue team, which includes the real (human) Eve and Gregory Hines, must find and disarm her before she goes "kerblooey." Of course Eve is programmed to protect herself at all costs, and virtually any-sized problem she is presented is met with her own brand of "Six Million Dollar Man"-esque ultra-violence, resulting in the destruction part of the film's title.

EXCELLENT FLICK
Great movie. Very underrated. The scene with the policemen in their yellow rain slickers gives me a big woodie! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A U.S. soldier is dead, and military lawyers Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee and Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway want to know who killed him. "You want the truth?" snaps Colonel Jessup (Jack Nicholson). "You can't handle the truth!" Astonishingly, Jack Nicholson's legendary performance as a military tough guy in A Few Good Men really amounts to a glorified cameo: he's only in a few scenes. But they're killer scenes, and the film has much more to offer.Tom Cruise (Kaffee) shines as a lazy lawyer who rises to the occasion, and Demi Moore (Galloway) gives a command performance. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, J.T. Walsh, and Cuba Gooding Jr. (of Jerry Maguire fame) round out the superb cast.Director Rob Reiner poses important questions about the rights of the powerful and the responsibilities of those just following orders in this classic courtroom drama. --Alan Smithee ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Controversial issues raised in Sudie & Simpson
Sudie & Simpson effectively and accurately portrayed many issues that were controversial back in its 1940s setting. These issues include racism, sexism and molestation. I happened upon the movie as it was being aired on the Lifetime Channel. Sara Gilbert and Louis Gossett, Jr. both did an excellent job conveying their characters' emotions within the dialogue.

The most prevalent issue in this movie is racism. I found Sudie and the entire town's ignorance and feelings towards another race shocking and somewhat offending. However, I realized that her frame of mind was consistent with those who lived back in that time period. Sudie, unlike her fellow town mates, however, was not so quick to pass judgment on Simpson. I was especially moved as I watched a friendship develop between the two.

Sexism and molestation are other issues apparent in this movie. Back then, people believed everything bad that happened to a woman was considered her fault, and because of that, women would just have to accept whatever happened to them and not tell anyone else about it. Sudie and her friends seemed to have that mentality throughout the movie. They also have the mentality that adults don't listen to what a child has to say.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wishes to educate themselves about controversial issues such as race, sex, and molestation. Though set in the 1940s, the issues that were controversial then are still controversial now, although on a smaller scale. Those who watch this movie should keep in mind that the movie was set during a time when racism was still widespread, and because of that, moviegoers should be more "thick-skinned" about some of the comments made throughout the film.

Acurate depiction
This was an accurate depiction of the attitude toward blacks in the south in the 40's. It was well written and well acted, especially by Grossett and Sara Gilbert. My wife and I watched it on tape from the original presentation on the LifeTime channel.

I cried all through the movie. There were some dramatic moments. One was when the hunters found Simpson. Simpson acted just as was expected of a black in those days. Another was the town meeting. It took courage for Mary Agnes to come through with the truth.

The child molestation was treated as was the custom in those days: Don't believe the kids, it can't happen here, a black man was responsible.

I believe that any young ladies, black or white, would benefit much from watching this video. It treats a delicate subject in a way that youngsters could relate to.

For the screen play and the excellent performance of the actors, I heartily give this 5 star rating on a par with "To Kill a Mocking Bird."

A bit slow, but still slightly interesting....
I watched this movie solely because I am a die-hard fan of John M. Jackson. John plays the character of Dr. Stubbs in this movie. I enjoyed watching his performance, but the rest of the movie didn't really excite me all that much. Anyone who has a problem dealing with racism or child molestation should probably think twice before watching this. Since the movie takes place in the early 40's, it's full of the attitudes of those days-- the idea that sex is a bad thing and women should be ashamed of their bodies, menstruation is a curse, blah, blah, blah. Dr. Stubbs tries to rectify some of those mistaken notions at the end of the movie, but I was left with the distinct impression that few people were actually listening. ... Read more