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We can safely call it one of the most notorious films in Hollywood history:Myra Breckenridge, the wild, tasteless, legendary disaster. Sprung from a novel by Gore Vidal, Myra tells the tender tale of a man (damply played by film critic Rex Reed) who has a sex-change operation and goes to Hollywood as a woman--played by Raquel Welch. Mae West creaked out of retirement to play a man-hungry agent (one of her meals is young Tom Selleck), and John Huston is an aging cowboy star, Myra's nemesis. To say the movie endorses the destruction of sex roles in modern society would be giving the rampant incoherence too much credit. Old film clips, plus footage (all too apt!) of atomic bomb tests are spliced into the action, to puerile effect. Almost everybody involved with the film disowned it, especially a horrified Vidal. Is there a cult for this movie? They can have it. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Not a "cult classic", but almost...
It's amazing that a studio backed this mess of a story/film and released it, thinking that it would be a hit among anyone. This premise is just too out there for the average, "make me feel better and affirm my own biases" film-goer. With that said, because it's sooooooooo over the top and messy, it's quite wonderful. Mae West gets off some great one-liners, and my god, any film that can feature Mae West surrounded by dancing black men as she's rapping (YES, I said 80yr old Mae West RAPPING!!!)truly is something wonderful! Oh, and miss Welch has maybe the second best bed-hair in cinema (#1 is Miss Deneuve in Belle Du Jour, tres parfait bien sur!). Myra Brekinridge isn't for everyone, but approached with the right spirit, you'll love it!

WHAM! BAM!
..... and 'Thank ya'all'

This extravaganzic curiosity made it to DVD in various guises ....this one ain't bad. BUT I'd visit the novel before plunging into this somewhat contemporary vision of Hollywood across the hills ...[nuffin's really changed!]

RAQUEL/REX are suitably paired with 'his and & her' accoutremonts .... painfully coiffed and coutoured for this 'vision' as is LEGEND MAE WEST ~ still firing those 'zingerz ' from various anatomical points, but al least the darling diva was not 'wired for sound' as she was later in "Sextet" - a babe sorely missed - also her grand wit and style!

Other points of note - babyfaced [yes he was] TOM SELLECK is part of Mae's entourage, and an almost unrecognisable FARRAH FAWCETT debuts as the love-object's [the rather dim young hunk]
aspiring love .... whatever happened to the boy? Possibly still 'tied up' in Mae's suite at the El Royale ....

Not forgetting a brave and quite funny JOHN HUSTON .... nice to see this other legend of showbiz spoof tinseltown.

NOPE, THIS ONE's A QUAINT HALLUCINATION - worth driving through occasionally - with the appropriate gear!

Not a family movie!
Fox has provided a beautiful widescreen transfer of this cult classic. The sound is great also. There are two audio commentaries. One by the director Mike Sarne and the other by star Raquel Welch. Some have said that director Sarne is settling old scores within his commentary, but really he is only setting the record straight. His is clearly the more insightful effort. Raquel takes herself and the movie too seriously and at the end of her spiel, with all of it's pseudo-intellectual pretensions, even admits that she doesn't know what she's talking about and is "here for the laughs." She seems put out that the movie didn't have mass appeal and wasn't a crowd pleaser, which is one of the reasons I find it so endearing. The AMC documentary on the "making of" is very interesting as well. It is included on the disc. All in all, this is a very good buy and an excellent example of what dvd is all about: Top quality sound and picture plus interesting extras. The movie itself, like anything else, is a matter of taste. If you like whacked-out late '60s/early '70s cinema like "The Magic Christian", The Monkees' "Head", "Beneath the Valley of the Dolls", "Candy", "Casino Royale", then you'll dig this flick. People (including Raquel) just don't seem to understand the premise which is: A gay film critic has an accident and while in a coma DREAMS he is a woman in Hollywood. When he wakes up (in the original BLACK & WHITE finale) he screams "Where are my t*ts?" Yes folks, the movie is about a dream and when was the last time you had a dream that wasn't a little weird and disjointed? But don't get me wrong... a lot of people will still find this film way too "out there" and it is definately a "culter." Not for squares or kids! Originally rated "X". Needless to say, I LOVE IT!!

THE TOP THREE ACTORS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED OSCAR NOMINATIONS
I have wanted to see Myra Breckinridge since it came out in 1970.

Indeed, it has been a difficult movie to find anywhere.

I was thrilled when it came on DVD just recently.

When I first watched it, I was sort of disappointed. I expected more. What? I don't know. So I had to give it a chance. After viewing it once, I then watched it with Raquel's commentary, and then with the Director's commentary.

Raquel gave a great performance, as did John Huston (Buck Loner)

and Mae West (Letitia Van Allen) was quite attractive in this film. This was her first color film ever, and after a long hiatus from the silver screen.

There was alot of anymosity on this set, and I fault the Director Michael Sarne for this. If he hadn't been so full of himself, this might have worked better. I don't know who's in control of the script, or changes in the script, but this constant rewriting of the story didn't make matters better for the actors.

I think the acting is top rate, and the actors deserve credit for taking lemons and making them into lemonade.

I wrote to Raquel Welch recently to tell her alot of this and more, and I mean what I say.

And maybe she's right.

In the commentary I believe she wished that John Huston had been the director. I agree with her on this. Someone who might have cared about people would have made this difficult and abstract story a success on film.

mire breckinridge
With the exception of sharp widescreen color transfer and the nifty AMC Backstory featurette, this "Special Edition" DVD is as big a botch as "Myra Breckinridge" itself. Neither commentary is particularly enlightening--director Michael Sarne primarily seems intent on settling old scores with Gore Vidal Rex Reed, and the studio, while Raquel Welch's arch (and largely meaningless) asides seem to suggest she's revisiting the film over a bottle of wine. The only differences between the theatrical and "special" versions are a black-and-white ending in the latter, and the odd substitution of a Oliver Hardy film clip (he's seen opening an exploding champagne bottle) for the cannon fire clip that followed Rex Reed's auto/erotic climax in the release version. Even stranger, both clips are preceded a snippet of bubbly music not present when the film was originally released or broadcast on TV. (My guess is that this is a musical cue left over from the notorious excised clip of Shirley Temple shooting herself in the face while milking a goat.) Still, to anyone who's even vaguely interested this weird curio is worth a look. ... Read more

Reviews (173)

"A planet where apes evolved from men...?"
Grade "A" sci-fi movie. This was Charlton Heston in his prime - before "Midway", "Earthquake", and "Gray Lady Down"... and after the great ones "Ben Hur", "Touch Of Evil", and "Ten Commandments". An Oscar winner for John Chambers' monkey make-up. Along with Heston (Col. George Talyor), Roddy McDowall (Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Zira), Maurice Evans (Zaius), and the mute love interest Linda Harrison (Nova) all give outstanding supporting roles. Released in February 1968, this movie was way ahead of it's time. A great idea with apes ruling the planet that man once ruled... how clever to take an idea so simple and turn it upside down. The final scene (filmed at Zuma Beach, CA) is defined as "classic"... and even tho there is no big bang or special effects extravaganza, the last 5 minutes of this movie will leave you with your mouth agape. With all the hub-bub over the new (2001) Tim Burton "reimagination" of this film (which in my opinion was a huge let down)... I would have thought this particular DVD would've had more to offer in the way of extra goodies... not so. This DVD will give you the 112 minute film in necessary widescreen format, a photo gallery, & trailer(s). No interviews, deleted scenes or behind the scenes simian stuff at all. Too bad. This is a great movie and essential in most any library of classic films.

Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!
When Franklin J. Schaffner's brilliant science-fiction masterpiece was released to audiences in 1968, the world was still in a sense of uncertainty at just what the future would hold in store. With Cold War paranoia still running high in the United States, PLANET OF THE APES ingeniously incorporated the fears of society with the popular concept of space exploration to come up with a film that's still relevant now more than ever. Politics aside, the original PLANET OF THE APES also makes for very entertaining viewing and its timeless appeal is just as enjoyable and fun now as it was over thirty years ago!

The movie starts off with a rather somber and understated prologue with four astronauts going into deep hibernation. Their spaceship crash-lands on a planet some two thousand years into the future, where apes have evolved into the dominant species and the humans are regarded as the animals. To reveal any more about the plot would be unfair, but it's important to note that the intelligent screenplay (co-written by none other than Twilight Zone host/writer Ron Serling) raises some very provocative issues about society, religion, science and law. The absolutely brilliant ending has since become the stuff of legends, and remains one of the instantly-recognizable images in popular culture.

Charlton Heston gives a magnificent and absolutely convincing performance as astronaut George Taylor, and would go on to become a mainstay in post-apocalyptic movies, such as BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE OMEGA MAN, and SOYLENT GREEN. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter give excellent performances as apes Cornelius and Zira, and Maurice Evans plays his ape protagonist, Dr. Zaius, with just the right amount of contempt to make it work wonderfully! The acting is top notch, the direction is marvelous, and the special effects on the apes are fantastic!

The Digitally Mastered DVD from Twentieth Century Fox is a thing of beauty, and an absolute joy for fans of this film. The film is presented is an absolutely gorgeous 2.35:1 Widescreen format (which is its original aspect ratio). Bonus features include an excellent photo gallery and a series of theatrical trailers for every single one of the films in the series (a nice touch). Essential!

ape
in this one some astronauts are in suspended animation.they come out and go down to some strange planet.charelston heston is in it.whos he?guess that was before my time.the kids will think the apes are funny.i cant tell if its low budget because all those old movies look low budget.it is the best of the set which has many many sequels.it is also better than the tim burton version.the very last scene is very well acted and one of my favorite scenes ever.thee are some chicks about but its hard to tell that they are as sexy as they are through all the grime and dirt from the forest world they live in.its an excellent film.

a brilliant classic
With its excellent performances and tight, smart script written by Rod Serling and Michael Wilson (based on the book by Pierre Boulle), this is a film that stays fresh and interesting even with repeated viewings. Released the same year as "2001: A Space Odyssey", both films are at the top of my "super sci-fi" list, and stack up against the best of what has been released in recent years, which relies more than ever on special effects to tell the story; the effects in "Planet of the Apes" are minimal, and it's the latex make-up that is the marvel, and garnered John Chambers a Special Award at the Oscars for his work, which allows the ape characters full freedom of facial expressions. Oscar nominations went for costume design, and the marvelous score by Jerry Goldsmith.
The cinematography by Leon Shamroy is also fantastic, and I love the aerial descent that starts the film.

Charlton Heston as the astronaut who lands in an "upside down world", and Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall as free thinking scientists are superb, and in smaller roles, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore and James Daly terrific as authority figures in the ape colony.
This film had four sequels, a TV series and a cartoon series, as well as a multitude of merchandise from plastic figurines to bubble gum cards, but the original stays pristine and untarnished by its often silly spin-offs, and is a one-of-a-kind classic.
What this film has, that one can appreciate even when one knows what it is, is that rare thing...a great ending. Very few films leave one with a satisfied feeling at their close, but this one is unique, brilliantly filmed, and like a perfect dessert after a good meal.
Total running time is 112 minutes.

A fundamental sci fi movie
In the authority chain, you may distinguish the clear diference between the apes too.
One spacial navy suddenly falls in a hole time and it's carried hundred years after. The landing in a unknown planet, carries to these man and it shows them a world ruled by apes who dictate its own rules and have established the official story.
The man is under them in the evolutive chain. The men have lost his speaking capacity and they only make gutural sounds. Their state is something less than pitiful.

George Taylor is wounded in his throat and that's why he can not articulate even a single word.
The dramatic sequences in the same point he pronounces the first word,(Do you remember the miracle worker and the wild child?) creates a true revolution among the ape scientist. This behavior are against the rules. The law is the law.(The island of Dr. Moreau)
And so, Taylor is involved in a constant fight for surviving. His friends can not help him anymore , one is dead and the other suffered a lobotomy.
The dramatic ideas exchange between Taylor and the master science of the ape comunity include hilarious bits and obviously undeniable conflicts between the science and the faith. Forget all you learned about Darwin and please watch the mirror image. All the concepts are reverted and so the anguish and the poor human condition is less than zero.
Finally our hero ¿wins? and he can carry Nova his only possibilitie for sow the next human seed generational, but he will find out the astonishing revelation.
Since its release, this film involved just once more the fever for new concepts and ideas. Fahrenheit 451 (1967) and 2001 was released the same year and the world was in a decisive turning point. The man conquers the moon and the screen must be part of this decisive event.
So the people turns back over Asimov, Bradbury, Boulle, Stanoslav Lem and will read over and will find out new universes, bitter nightmares spacials. In a very close state the fifties had a coommon behavior. The ancient films of sci fi were released, and others were remade.We had to expect four years for Solaris directed by Tarkovski in 1972.
In this sense, you can not forget the political behavior in many countries in that age. There were many dictators all around the world , and the figure of the ape was a clear methapor of them.
Undoubtly, you may be find the film , thirty years after, a little bit aged, but the dramatic implications that a nuclear conflict involves, still feed the imagination of many people.
Charlton Heston was a true icon of rthe anti hero in the fifties (with his religious films) and in the sixties (with historical roles), then he would make another war films but keeping always that undeniable majesty for make prevailing the truth, no matter what's the prize you pay.
Sensational direction of Franklin Schaffner and arresting sequences, like the human chase and the scape from the jail (or the concentration camps) .
Another cult movie and the best of its following entries. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

Classic Clint!
If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles. ... Read more

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One might reasonably expect Tomcats to be the Porky's of 2001: after all, it concerns a group of young, sexist morons and their fears and fantasies about young women. But Tomcats isn't quite as brain-dead as that, though it is phenomenally more neurotic. Jerry O'Connell plays one of two remaining bachelors within a group of wealthy pals who set aside a cash reward, years before, earmarked for the last among them to get married. O'Connell needs the money to pay off a gambling debt, but his problem is that the other bachelor is a horrendous pig (Jake Busey) unlikely ever to land a gal. A general mean-spiritedness flows through this wearying comedy, manifest in such ugly moments as watching someone's girlfriend run over by a golf cart and an excised, cancerous testicle kicked around hospital hallways. If you're looking for female flesh, however, forget it: Tomcats is far more driven to explore male nudity, while making equally naked today's masculine fears of impotence, mothers, and lesbians. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Three Little Words
Unfortunately, this movie came out at a time when a lot of very funny comedies were on the horizon (Heartbreakers, American Pie 2, Freddy Got Fingered, etc.), so, it didn't review as well as it would have. While it was not as over-the-top as American Pie 2, it does rank right up there. I didn't give it five stars because at times it seems to drag. All editorial and press reviews aside, this was a very good movie. At times, I would find myself almost coughing from laughing so hard.

Here's a synopsis: The movie begins with a group of friends who are very disillusioned, they are afraid of commitment and want to remain "Tomcats" forever. They all place money into a high-yield mutual fund in the mid-90's and thinking that it wouldn't be that big of deal leave it there to collect interest. Flash-forward to present day, the pot is now almost half a million dollars and there are only two unmarried guys left, Kyle (Gary Busey) and Michael (Jerry O'Connell). While at their friend's wedding in Las Vegas, Michael gets in trouble at the craps table to the tune over 50 thousand dollars. He hatches a plan to fix up Kyle (who is filthy rich and pretty much has a different girl every night), with a former bridesmaid at his friend's wedding all those years ago, Natalie (played hilariously by Shannon Elizabeth). What follows are some of the most disgusting, degrading, and downright depraved scenes that I've seen to date (...). See this movie if you're a fan of gross-out comedy, or if you're just looking for a good laugh.

Wretched In Every Possible Way
This movie fails in every possible way a comedy can:

The characters are so repellent and unfunny that you don't care what happens to them.
The story barely exists after 20 minutes.
The "gags" are torturously lame, especially the scene involving a hospital cafeteria and David Ogden Stiers.

Growing up in the 80's, we sat through a lot of horrible comedies aimed at the all-important teen male audience only to hear, "Well, that sucked but at least we got to see (hot actress name here) naked."
TOMCATS doesn't even deliver on that.

What's the point?

Um, anyone for balls?
No matter how many times I watch this movie, it never gets "tiring"!

A pretty good storyline features a host of hilarious moments .... if you ask me, this movie is about typical guys, their dislike of marriage, and the need for cash! In amongst this are some moments, you will never forget .... chasing the testical, throwing the dice, and well, I have to say it - the chick in the back seat of the car and Kyle ..... this is hilariously funny (maybe to the point of disgusting?) ... and of course the 'pretty' funny bachelors party scene ... also deserves a mention!

This is one of the best comedies I have seen in ages and ages, and for all you girls out there, this is not only for the guys! It should be taken in the "tone" that it's set in (it's a comedy and not serious) .... and you should sit back and enjoy the ride! ...... and, if you can't find it funny then it will at least gross you out in parts - enough that you will have to laugh anyways (not so bad if you ask me)!

Either way, you definitely shouldn't miss this one!

3 words
Rude Crude Funny

If you don't like raunchy comedies, than don't bother. However, if you like movies such as There's Something About Mary or American Wedding, than you will like this movie.

This guy has such bad luck with every female he meets.
A group of male pals are at the wedding of a friend. When he gets married, Jerry O'Connell, (as "Michael") and the rest of the men agree to never get married, be single and be a "Tomcat". Horatio Sanz (as "Steve") agrees too, but the next thing they know, he gets married too. Michael and Steve are still friends. Everytime Michael meets a woman, bad luck happens and he gets in trouble with thugs or the law. He's a innocent as can be. Horatio Sanz (NBC's Saturday Night Live) is hilarious and a delight in this film. Billy Hufsey plays a "Pit Boss". ... Read more

Reviews (173)

"A planet where apes evolved from men...?"
Grade "A" sci-fi movie. This was Charlton Heston in his prime - before "Midway", "Earthquake", and "Gray Lady Down"... and after the great ones "Ben Hur", "Touch Of Evil", and "Ten Commandments". An Oscar winner for John Chambers' monkey make-up. Along with Heston (Col. George Talyor), Roddy McDowall (Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Zira), Maurice Evans (Zaius), and the mute love interest Linda Harrison (Nova) all give outstanding supporting roles. Released in February 1968, this movie was way ahead of it's time. A great idea with apes ruling the planet that man once ruled... how clever to take an idea so simple and turn it upside down. The final scene (filmed at Zuma Beach, CA) is defined as "classic"... and even tho there is no big bang or special effects extravaganza, the last 5 minutes of this movie will leave you with your mouth agape. With all the hub-bub over the new (2001) Tim Burton "reimagination" of this film (which in my opinion was a huge let down)... I would have thought this particular DVD would've had more to offer in the way of extra goodies... not so. This DVD will give you the 112 minute film in necessary widescreen format, a photo gallery, & trailer(s). No interviews, deleted scenes or behind the scenes simian stuff at all. Too bad. This is a great movie and essential in most any library of classic films.

Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!
When Franklin J. Schaffner's brilliant science-fiction masterpiece was released to audiences in 1968, the world was still in a sense of uncertainty at just what the future would hold in store. With Cold War paranoia still running high in the United States, PLANET OF THE APES ingeniously incorporated the fears of society with the popular concept of space exploration to come up with a film that's still relevant now more than ever. Politics aside, the original PLANET OF THE APES also makes for very entertaining viewing and its timeless appeal is just as enjoyable and fun now as it was over thirty years ago!

The movie starts off with a rather somber and understated prologue with four astronauts going into deep hibernation. Their spaceship crash-lands on a planet some two thousand years into the future, where apes have evolved into the dominant species and the humans are regarded as the animals. To reveal any more about the plot would be unfair, but it's important to note that the intelligent screenplay (co-written by none other than Twilight Zone host/writer Ron Serling) raises some very provocative issues about society, religion, science and law. The absolutely brilliant ending has since become the stuff of legends, and remains one of the instantly-recognizable images in popular culture.

Charlton Heston gives a magnificent and absolutely convincing performance as astronaut George Taylor, and would go on to become a mainstay in post-apocalyptic movies, such as BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE OMEGA MAN, and SOYLENT GREEN. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter give excellent performances as apes Cornelius and Zira, and Maurice Evans plays his ape protagonist, Dr. Zaius, with just the right amount of contempt to make it work wonderfully! The acting is top notch, the direction is marvelous, and the special effects on the apes are fantastic!

The Digitally Mastered DVD from Twentieth Century Fox is a thing of beauty, and an absolute joy for fans of this film. The film is presented is an absolutely gorgeous 2.35:1 Widescreen format (which is its original aspect ratio). Bonus features include an excellent photo gallery and a series of theatrical trailers for every single one of the films in the series (a nice touch). Essential!

ape
in this one some astronauts are in suspended animation.they come out and go down to some strange planet.charelston heston is in it.whos he?guess that was before my time.the kids will think the apes are funny.i cant tell if its low budget because all those old movies look low budget.it is the best of the set which has many many sequels.it is also better than the tim burton version.the very last scene is very well acted and one of my favorite scenes ever.thee are some chicks about but its hard to tell that they are as sexy as they are through all the grime and dirt from the forest world they live in.its an excellent film.

a brilliant classic
With its excellent performances and tight, smart script written by Rod Serling and Michael Wilson (based on the book by Pierre Boulle), this is a film that stays fresh and interesting even with repeated viewings. Released the same year as "2001: A Space Odyssey", both films are at the top of my "super sci-fi" list, and stack up against the best of what has been released in recent years, which relies more than ever on special effects to tell the story; the effects in "Planet of the Apes" are minimal, and it's the latex make-up that is the marvel, and garnered John Chambers a Special Award at the Oscars for his work, which allows the ape characters full freedom of facial expressions. Oscar nominations went for costume design, and the marvelous score by Jerry Goldsmith.
The cinematography by Leon Shamroy is also fantastic, and I love the aerial descent that starts the film.

Charlton Heston as the astronaut who lands in an "upside down world", and Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall as free thinking scientists are superb, and in smaller roles, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore and James Daly terrific as authority figures in the ape colony.
This film had four sequels, a TV series and a cartoon series, as well as a multitude of merchandise from plastic figurines to bubble gum cards, but the original stays pristine and untarnished by its often silly spin-offs, and is a one-of-a-kind classic.
What this film has, that one can appreciate even when one knows what it is, is that rare thing...a great ending. Very few films leave one with a satisfied feeling at their close, but this one is unique, brilliantly filmed, and like a perfect dessert after a good meal.
Total running time is 112 minutes.

A fundamental sci fi movie
In the authority chain, you may distinguish the clear diference between the apes too.
One spacial navy suddenly falls in a hole time and it's carried hundred years after. The landing in a unknown planet, carries to these man and it shows them a world ruled by apes who dictate its own rules and have established the official story.
The man is under them in the evolutive chain. The men have lost his speaking capacity and they only make gutural sounds. Their state is something less than pitiful.

George Taylor is wounded in his throat and that's why he can not articulate even a single word.
The dramatic sequences in the same point he pronounces the first word,(Do you remember the miracle worker and the wild child?) creates a true revolution among the ape scientist. This behavior are against the rules. The law is the law.(The island of Dr. Moreau)
And so, Taylor is involved in a constant fight for surviving. His friends can not help him anymore , one is dead and the other suffered a lobotomy.
The dramatic ideas exchange between Taylor and the master science of the ape comunity include hilarious bits and obviously undeniable conflicts between the science and the faith. Forget all you learned about Darwin and please watch the mirror image. All the concepts are reverted and so the anguish and the poor human condition is less than zero.
Finally our hero ¿wins? and he can carry Nova his only possibilitie for sow the next human seed generational, but he will find out the astonishing revelation.
Since its release, this film involved just once more the fever for new concepts and ideas. Fahrenheit 451 (1967) and 2001 was released the same year and the world was in a decisive turning point. The man conquers the moon and the screen must be part of this decisive event.
So the people turns back over Asimov, Bradbury, Boulle, Stanoslav Lem and will read over and will find out new universes, bitter nightmares spacials. In a very close state the fifties had a coommon behavior. The ancient films of sci fi were released, and others were remade.We had to expect four years for Solaris directed by Tarkovski in 1972.
In this sense, you can not forget the political behavior in many countries in that age. There were many dictators all around the world , and the figure of the ape was a clear methapor of them.
Undoubtly, you may be find the film , thirty years after, a little bit aged, but the dramatic implications that a nuclear conflict involves, still feed the imagination of many people.
Charlton Heston was a true icon of rthe anti hero in the fifties (with his religious films) and in the sixties (with historical roles), then he would make another war films but keeping always that undeniable majesty for make prevailing the truth, no matter what's the prize you pay.
Sensational direction of Franklin Schaffner and arresting sequences, like the human chase and the scape from the jail (or the concentration camps) .
Another cult movie and the best of its following entries. ... Read more

Reviews (173)

"A planet where apes evolved from men...?"
Grade "A" sci-fi movie. This was Charlton Heston in his prime - before "Midway", "Earthquake", and "Gray Lady Down"... and after the great ones "Ben Hur", "Touch Of Evil", and "Ten Commandments". An Oscar winner for John Chambers' monkey make-up. Along with Heston (Col. George Talyor), Roddy McDowall (Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Zira), Maurice Evans (Zaius), and the mute love interest Linda Harrison (Nova) all give outstanding supporting roles. Released in February 1968, this movie was way ahead of it's time. A great idea with apes ruling the planet that man once ruled... how clever to take an idea so simple and turn it upside down. The final scene (filmed at Zuma Beach, CA) is defined as "classic"... and even tho there is no big bang or special effects extravaganza, the last 5 minutes of this movie will leave you with your mouth agape. With all the hub-bub over the new (2001) Tim Burton "reimagination" of this film (which in my opinion was a huge let down)... I would have thought this particular DVD would've had more to offer in the way of extra goodies... not so. This DVD will give you the 112 minute film in necessary widescreen format, a photo gallery, & trailer(s). No interviews, deleted scenes or behind the scenes simian stuff at all. Too bad. This is a great movie and essential in most any library of classic films.

Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!
When Franklin J. Schaffner's brilliant science-fiction masterpiece was released to audiences in 1968, the world was still in a sense of uncertainty at just what the future would hold in store. With Cold War paranoia still running high in the United States, PLANET OF THE APES ingeniously incorporated the fears of society with the popular concept of space exploration to come up with a film that's still relevant now more than ever. Politics aside, the original PLANET OF THE APES also makes for very entertaining viewing and its timeless appeal is just as enjoyable and fun now as it was over thirty years ago!

The movie starts off with a rather somber and understated prologue with four astronauts going into deep hibernation. Their spaceship crash-lands on a planet some two thousand years into the future, where apes have evolved into the dominant species and the humans are regarded as the animals. To reveal any more about the plot would be unfair, but it's important to note that the intelligent screenplay (co-written by none other than Twilight Zone host/writer Ron Serling) raises some very provocative issues about society, religion, science and law. The absolutely brilliant ending has since become the stuff of legends, and remains one of the instantly-recognizable images in popular culture.

Charlton Heston gives a magnificent and absolutely convincing performance as astronaut George Taylor, and would go on to become a mainstay in post-apocalyptic movies, such as BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE OMEGA MAN, and SOYLENT GREEN. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter give excellent performances as apes Cornelius and Zira, and Maurice Evans plays his ape protagonist, Dr. Zaius, with just the right amount of contempt to make it work wonderfully! The acting is top notch, the direction is marvelous, and the special effects on the apes are fantastic!

The Digitally Mastered DVD from Twentieth Century Fox is a thing of beauty, and an absolute joy for fans of this film. The film is presented is an absolutely gorgeous 2.35:1 Widescreen format (which is its original aspect ratio). Bonus features include an excellent photo gallery and a series of theatrical trailers for every single one of the films in the series (a nice touch). Essential!

ape
in this one some astronauts are in suspended animation.they come out and go down to some strange planet.charelston heston is in it.whos he?guess that was before my time.the kids will think the apes are funny.i cant tell if its low budget because all those old movies look low budget.it is the best of the set which has many many sequels.it is also better than the tim burton version.the very last scene is very well acted and one of my favorite scenes ever.thee are some chicks about but its hard to tell that they are as sexy as they are through all the grime and dirt from the forest world they live in.its an excellent film.

a brilliant classic
With its excellent performances and tight, smart script written by Rod Serling and Michael Wilson (based on the book by Pierre Boulle), this is a film that stays fresh and interesting even with repeated viewings. Released the same year as "2001: A Space Odyssey", both films are at the top of my "super sci-fi" list, and stack up against the best of what has been released in recent years, which relies more than ever on special effects to tell the story; the effects in "Planet of the Apes" are minimal, and it's the latex make-up that is the marvel, and garnered John Chambers a Special Award at the Oscars for his work, which allows the ape characters full freedom of facial expressions. Oscar nominations went for costume design, and the marvelous score by Jerry Goldsmith.
The cinematography by Leon Shamroy is also fantastic, and I love the aerial descent that starts the film.

Charlton Heston as the astronaut who lands in an "upside down world", and Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall as free thinking scientists are superb, and in smaller roles, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore and James Daly terrific as authority figures in the ape colony.
This film had four sequels, a TV series and a cartoon series, as well as a multitude of merchandise from plastic figurines to bubble gum cards, but the original stays pristine and untarnished by its often silly spin-offs, and is a one-of-a-kind classic.
What this film has, that one can appreciate even when one knows what it is, is that rare thing...a great ending. Very few films leave one with a satisfied feeling at their close, but this one is unique, brilliantly filmed, and like a perfect dessert after a good meal.
Total running time is 112 minutes.

A fundamental sci fi movie
In the authority chain, you may distinguish the clear diference between the apes too.
One spacial navy suddenly falls in a hole time and it's carried hundred years after. The landing in a unknown planet, carries to these man and it shows them a world ruled by apes who dictate its own rules and have established the official story.
The man is under them in the evolutive chain. The men have lost his speaking capacity and they only make gutural sounds. Their state is something less than pitiful.

George Taylor is wounded in his throat and that's why he can not articulate even a single word.
The dramatic sequences in the same point he pronounces the first word,(Do you remember the miracle worker and the wild child?) creates a true revolution among the ape scientist. This behavior are against the rules. The law is the law.(The island of Dr. Moreau)
And so, Taylor is involved in a constant fight for surviving. His friends can not help him anymore , one is dead and the other suffered a lobotomy.
The dramatic ideas exchange between Taylor and the master science of the ape comunity include hilarious bits and obviously undeniable conflicts between the science and the faith. Forget all you learned about Darwin and please watch the mirror image. All the concepts are reverted and so the anguish and the poor human condition is less than zero.
Finally our hero ¿wins? and he can carry Nova his only possibilitie for sow the next human seed generational, but he will find out the astonishing revelation.
Since its release, this film involved just once more the fever for new concepts and ideas. Fahrenheit 451 (1967) and 2001 was released the same year and the world was in a decisive turning point. The man conquers the moon and the screen must be part of this decisive event.
So the people turns back over Asimov, Bradbury, Boulle, Stanoslav Lem and will read over and will find out new universes, bitter nightmares spacials. In a very close state the fifties had a coommon behavior. The ancient films of sci fi were released, and others were remade.We had to expect four years for Solaris directed by Tarkovski in 1972.
In this sense, you can not forget the political behavior in many countries in that age. There were many dictators all around the world , and the figure of the ape was a clear methapor of them.
Undoubtly, you may be find the film , thirty years after, a little bit aged, but the dramatic implications that a nuclear conflict involves, still feed the imagination of many people.
Charlton Heston was a true icon of rthe anti hero in the fifties (with his religious films) and in the sixties (with historical roles), then he would make another war films but keeping always that undeniable majesty for make prevailing the truth, no matter what's the prize you pay.
Sensational direction of Franklin Schaffner and arresting sequences, like the human chase and the scape from the jail (or the concentration camps) .
Another cult movie and the best of its following entries. ... Read more

Description

Pretty young ladies make the perfect plant food. Henry Fudd, an overage mama's boy and part time peeping tom, is the proud owner of two very peculiar plants he keeps locked in his bedroom. Named Adam and Eve and looking like overgrown Venus Flytraps with giant mouths filled with razor sharp teeth, the plants not only talk, but eat humans--especially the sexy centerfold kind. Definitely not for the kiddies, "Please Don't Eat My Mother!" also features legendary sex kitten Rene Bond as one of the plant's more delectable meals. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Two classic westerns for the price of one
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" remains one of Clint Eastwood's most underrated westerns. Behind "Unforgiven", it's it's his best, most emotionally complex western (although "High Plains Drifter" comes in as a close second). The transfer here is very good although I did notice a glitch that appears to be on the original film--a discoloration on the print at the very bottom about an hour in to the film. It's a minor flaw. There's also quite a bit of hair and dust during the montage of fighting between the Union and Confederates. The extras, while not as great as "Unforgiven", are pretty good as well. We get the theatrical trailers, a documentary on the making of the film as well as Eastwood's own introduction (although it doesn't replace the need for a commentary track).

"Pale Rider", Eastwood's return to the western genre after an absence of nearly a decade, isn't quite as original as "Wales". "Pale Rider" borrows from "Shane", "High Noon" and a couple of other classic westerns (including some of Leone's) creating a patchwork of various themes and scenes. The transfer looks very good although some scenes aren't as sharp as they should be. It's not a dual layer disc (we get both widescreen and full screen on each side of the disc). Theatrical trailers are included here but, again, it's sorely missing a commentary track from Eastwood. Four and 1/2 stars for "Wales", 3 for "Pale Rider". ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

Classic Clint!
If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles. ... Read more

Description

Booby Trap (1973, 90 min.) - It's time to kiss and go boom! A cheerfully insane ex-marine hates teenage "freaks and nuts" so much he steals 40 land mines and turns the desert site of an impending rock festival into one big Booby Trap! Headquartered in a stolen motor home, the cackling loon (played waaaay over the top by "Please Don't Eat My Mother" director Carl Monson) also blows up a hitchhiking hippie chick just for the fun of it. His anti-social activities trigger a chain reaction all the way from the military to a Sunset Strip topless bar, with the site of this intended massacre besieged by his cocktail waitress ex-wife, her shot-in-the-shoulder boyfriend, two out-for-blood mobsters, and a big sissy with stolen money. "The Takers" (1972, 78 min.) - After a breakfast of LSD and hitchhikers, The Takers--two berserk bikers--decide to go upscale when they spot suburban housewife Laura and bachelorette Barbi, follow them to Laura's home, and invite themselves in: "We're gonna have us a party with some educated social-type broads!" And party they do until Laura's hubbie (Monson again!) unexpectedly shows up to settle things with some shotgun vengeance and... well, one of the goofiest, most startling endings of any motion picture! Two demented drive-in delights from the vaults of Harry Novak, both "Booby Trap" and "The Takers" are best summed up by the lovely Miss Barbi: "Listen, honey, these two are freak outs!" ... Read more