Reviews (27)

Welcome to the world of Buddy Holly
The Buddy Holly Story starring Gary Busey should not be taken as a historical document. Nor do I believe it ever set out to be. What has been created is a film which gives the feel and atmosphere of Buddy Holly, his music and the USA of the day. To have been completely factual would have most probably killed the film with legal challenges and suppression. The Crickets leaving Buddy to side with Norman Petty in the split leading to the final tour and the bitter disappointment this must have caused Buddy, the actual split itself with Petty and the resultant financial complications, these happenings are really not the sort of thing to air in a movie to celebrate the life and music of one of the founders of Rock.

Instead Gary Busey has strapped on a Fender and in effect becomes Buddy Holly. The rhythm and beat, the frantic excitement, the sheer enjoyment of the music, it is all there. We actually get to experience a timeslice of a period some of us recall fondly and others would like to share. A wonderful reminder of good music for us oldies or a enjoyable introduction to a legend for others, a Rock'n'Roll legend quoted by The Beatles and a number of other major musical identities as a major influence in their music.

It's not history, but it is the authentic feel of the music
The Buddy Holly Story starring Gary Busey should not be taken as a historical document. Nor do I believe it ever set out to be. What has been created is a film which gives the feel and atmosphere of Buddy Holly, his music and the USA of the day. To have been completely factual would have most probably killed the film with legal challenges and suppression. The Crickets leaving Buddy to side with Norman Petty in the split leading to the final tour and the bitter disappointment this must have caused Buddy, the actual split itself with Petty and the resultant financial complications, these happenings are really not the sort of thing to air in a movie to celebrate the life and music of one of the founders of Rock.

Instead Gary Busey has strapped on a Fender and in effect becomes Buddy Holly. The rhythm and beat, the frantic excitement, the sheer enjoyment of the music, it is all there. We actually get to experience a timeslice of a period some of us recall fondly and others would like to share. A wonderful reminder of good music for us oldies or a enjoyable introduction to a legend for others, a Rock'n'Roll legend quoted by The Beatles and a number of other major musical identities as a major influence in their music.

One of the lesser known items about this film and the making thereof is that Gary Busey actually formed a band and toured up and down the west coast of the USA before the making of it to provide himself with the feel and practice of performing Buddy Holly songs before an audience. He actually played and sang the songs in the film rather than lip-sync Buddy's records to provide some authentic feel to the whole thing - good on yer Gary !

Gary Busey brings Buddy Holly to life!
I'm a huge fan of Gary Busey, who may not be a "star" but is nevertheless a great actor. This is by far his best performance, & I feel he deserved the best actor oscar more than Jon Voight (who won for Coming Home). Few people know that Busey was a musician before he was an actor, so in this awesome musical biography of Buddy Holly we get to see just how talented he is. The film is mostly factual, although some screen characters are actually composites of two or more people. The energy in Busey's performance is what makes this a winner. Not only did he sing, he did it while being filmed live! That's what gives this such a realistic look to it & it's why this stands out among the other musical biographies as one of the best. There was also a lot of unscripted dialogue that makes this even more entertaining. The best thing about the dvd is the hilarious & very informative commentary from the director Steve Rash & Gary Busey, which is almost as good as the film itself! This is an excellent tribute to a lengendary rock & roll icon & it won an oscar for best score adaptation. Do yourself a favor, add this great film to your collection!

Awesome, Must Have Movie!
I think this is a fantastic movie. Gary Busey did an excellent job portraying Buddy Holly. Though I am aware that not every detail of this movie is 100% factual, it still makes the audience love and care about Buddy and his music. This movie is truly a must for any music fan.

Not The Real Buddy Holly Story
This movie does not in any way portray the real Buddy Holly. It contains several inaccuracies, and, to me, Gary Busey is miscast as Buddy Holly. I have read several books on Buddy Holly in addition to having the video "The Real Buddy Holly" hosted by former Beatle Paul McCartney and the Biography video of Buddy Holly, and this movie doesn't do justice to the Buddy Holly we all loved and enjoyed. If you're looking for an entertaining movie and not concerned with accuracy then, I supppose, you will enjoy the movie. However, if you want the real Buddy Holly story you'll have to look elsewhere. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

'El Schmucko is getting the Hell out of here...'
Goldie and Segal...Caviar and Martinelli Sparkling Cider, funny rich and raunchy. Two of my favorite Actors gamboling like playful lecherous pups with more energy than guile, and the rest of the cast had me reaching for my pampers...especially the hysterically funny scene with Conrad Janis, whose role as the deadpan Mormon Preacher wedged between these two comedic masters, manages to steal the biggest laugh by deciphering their Franco/Pig-Latin quasi-seduction scene in the middle of their runaway Coach, leaving my friends and I in tears. Triple A Plus---a 'Must See'.

I Want This Movie on DVD!
I first saw The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox in a movie theater when I was a kid and I thought this movie was hilarious and I liked the cast, especially Goldie Hawn and George Segal and I'm hoping this movie will be made available on DVD!

a classic goldie moment
I first saw this film when i was around 7 back in the 80s and i fell in love with it then, nearly 15 years later it is still amazing. Funny, fanastic, one of goldie's best! Shame its not on dvd!!!!
This is a must see for any goldie fan or any comedy fan, easy to get humour, both dirty and clever.
A MUST!!!!!

UNFORGETTABLE
Another of Goldie Hawn's classics! It's the story of a conman and a prostitute thrown together by the hand of fate, and their hilarious partnership. The best scene is where Goldie auditions for the job of governess to a religious family, and she must give a demonstration of her musical skills. The only song that is suitable for the circumstances, is a number she used to perform in the brothel: "Please don't touch my plums" and she does a magnificent job of impressing the pater familias and tickling the viewer's funnybone. The Duchess is a pearl in Goldie's crown.

An Awsome Classic !!!!
This movie is so funny!!!Any one who likes, or loves Goldie will simply LOVE this movie!!!I collect vhs (soon to be dvd) classic movies and this one has been a real bear to get ahold of. Anyway, I love it and I hope someone will read this and get the movie too. I promis they won't be dissapointed. Also, if anyone has ever seen The First Wives Club, they show a "tiny" pic of Goldie in her saloon outfit, next to her phone, and answering machine as "Brenda" is leaving her a message. That was only for the GREAT Goldie fans to notice. ... Read more

Description

Three interlocking stories set in New York City’s legendary Roseland dance palace make up this charming film, the third to be shot by Merchant Ivory Productions in America. In the first segment, The Waltz, Teresa Wright is a widow who comes to the Roseland in order to sustain the memory of her late husband, but meets Stan (Lou Jacobi), a man who offers her an opportunity for happiness in the present. In The Hustle, Christopher Walken stars as a gigolo with three women in his life, all of whom depend on him for different degrees of romance and companionship. In the final segment, The Peabody, an older Viennese woman (Lilia Skala) sets out to win a dance competition despite warnings that it could imperil her health. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s understated screenplay delivers an uncharacteristic bit of sentiment not present in other Merchant Ivory efforts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Unknown Dance Movie!!
This is a great underrated,unknown Dance movie that highly recommended.It's a must see flick!!!

Disco history actually!!
this video should be remembered as the very first piece of celluloid to ever record the dance steps of the (then) growing craze of the hustle in disco. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

A Disaster Film Classic but bad acting
I recently bought the Airport Terminal pack for myself because I always had a passion for disaster films. Before I bought the terminal pack, I wanted to see if I could rent the Airport sequels at the VHS store, they didn't have them, when I finally bought the terminal and when I saw Airport 75, I thought it was a classic for a disaster film, but for acting i though it was a joke, in the entire film, from the beginning and to the end, Karen Black who plays the Head Stewdess on a Boeing 747 that collides with a small private plane during flight looks like she has her eyes crossed, now that was hiliarious! Her acting was just as bad, it became even worse when she had to take instructins for Al Murdock ( Charlston Heston) to fly the plane, that scene was really painful to watch, and one other thing to, the man who was flying the small private who eventually crashed into Flight #409 looked like he was having a heart attack when he lost control, before that happened, if he did have a heart attack then why didn't the movie tell anything about heart problems, I guess that was just to add excitment to the movie. All in All the movie was good, the acting was a joke, esepically Karen Black's acting!

Best of the bunch
My personal favourite of all the Airport movies, Airport 1975 is a camp classic. Right from the opening credits I am whisked away to the 70's and the familiar feeling of snuggling up at the drive-in....I can almost smell the thermos coffee. Airport 1975 doesn't take itself too seriously, yet all the characters play it straight. With a cast that reads like a guest list for a post Oscars party this movie seems to be full of cliches, yet it was this movie that started the said cliches, which I suppose debunks that theory. This is the movie that Airplane (aka Flying High) stuck closest too. With the sick child (Linda Blair), singing nun (Helen Reddy) and commitmentphobe pilot (Charlton Heston) all represented in the direct spoof. The movie however belongs to Karen Black, the poor old flight attendant. The plane is rendered pilotless when a midair collision with a small plane collides with the cockpit. Ms Black then has to take control of the 747 with no experience in flying whatsoever. Entertaining and hilarious.
I was disappointed however in the DVD which was very light on features. I would have loved to see a trailer, a commentary or better yet, a feature on all four Airport movies, but alas, it was not to be. I had to settle for a filmography on the top 2 stars only and that was it.
If you want a blast from the past, or are just fond of the disaster flicks churned out in the 1970's I would heartily recommend Airport 1975.

Buy this version unless they remaster the Terminal Pack...
I won't comment on the film or the acting; it's hard to take any Airport film seriously after Airplane! skewered the genre.

However, if you appreciate the film for what it is, fun entertainment, this is certainly one of the better in the 70's disaster film genre and the special effects have held up well over the years.

If you're interested in this film, I strongly urge you to buy this copy instead of or in addition to the Airport Terminal Pack; there is a mastering error that does not fully expand the film horizontally in that collection, with the result that objects are somewhat compressed horizontally from their true proportions. Another reviewer's references to "tire ovals" and "stick people" is a bit of an exaggeration, but you'll wonder why the plane is so short and stubby and why the airport's pickup trucks look as if they have 4' beds. :-)

In short, another mastering error on Universal's part and, frankly, a somewhat better transfer on GoodTimes' part make THIS the better transfer of Airport 1975...

Superfluous from Beginning to End
I first watched this movie on NBC back in April 1977. Though edited to make it fit its two hour timeslot and allow room for commercials, I later purchased the video from Goodtimes Video to watch the parts not shown by NBC. From the beginning of the movie shot at Dulles Airport in northern Virginia, the cast who star as the crew and passengers aboard Columbia Airlines flight 409, board a Boeing 747-123 (on loan from American Airlines) and it is typical Hollywood overacting, particularly the passengers. Some of the crew, especially Erik Estrada, who plays flight engineer Julio, does quite a bit of womanizing with one of the stewardesses. I've flown a lot during my lifetime, even aboard 747s, and have never heard so much redundancy as depicted in this movie. The sound effects were a little primitive from the Boeing 747 sounding like a Boeing 707 on take-off down to the telephone gongs that are the same ones used on the beginning of the "Rockford Files". This was in the days before George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic came into the vogue. By the way, his film "American Graffiti" was the inflight movie. Some faults are present in the film. The private pilot (Dana Andrews) identifies his plane as "two-three-two-zulu" instead of the correct identitication: N9750Y. Another fault was at the time the stricken 747 lands at Salt Lake City and runs out of runway before Charlton Heston has to turn the nose tiller to make the plane go left at a high rate of speed. Here, we see the passengers get thrown to the left instead of to the right. Another fault we see is that the passengers are catching a glimpse of the daring midair transfer. In reality it would be difficult for anyone to see such an operation. If you were to watch the movie more than once, you could see all these errors.

Better transfer than the "Terminal Pack" transfer
As hard as it may be to believe, this being a "Good Times" release, the transfer on this DVD is better than that included in the "Terminal Pack". Yes, the "Terminal Pack" transfer is anamorphic, and this one has SLIGHTLY more grain....but this transfer is in the correct proportion. Tires are round and the actors don't look like stick people.

My recommendation...buy this disk to supplement your "Terminal Pack". ... Read more