Reviews (347)

Good History, Good Film
Movies based on history fall into one of two categories. They're either wonderful stories that are flawed on facts (Braveheart, JFK, for example), or they're faithful to the facts but lack drama (The Battle of Britain, produced by Harry Saltzman in the late '60s). This film, written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, manages to be fairly accurate storytelling and compelling drama at the same time. That Maxwell's movie embodies these two qualities in an almost four-hour picture is no small feat either.

The movie recreates the pivotal battle of the Civil War, when General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia sought to destroy the Union forces under General George Meade at Gettysburg, a small town in Pennsylvania. Maxwell's towering achievement in this movie, besides the many well-staged battle scenes, is to highlight the personal, emotional anguish of the soldiers on both sides, some of whom had been quite close before the war began. Witness the scene in the tent of General James Longstreet (Tom Berenger) as General Lewis Armistead (Richard Jordan, in one of his last screen roles) speaks emotionally about his friend, General Hancock, who he knows is just over the ridge where they will attack the next day. Tears well up in Jordan's eyes as he recalls the deep affection that he developed for Hancock and his wife many years before.

Gettysburg is not a great movie, but it is a very good one, and well worth viewing for any American who is interested in the war that tore this nation asunder and, in some ways, made it more unified afterwards.

Absolutely excellent film making from a historical novel.
I am writing this review after my review of "Gods and General." I realized the measure of any subsequent movie would be "Gettysburg," and the problem is going to be that it is a hard act to follow. Gettysburg is everything a historical novel to movie should be. Start with a Pulitzer prize winning book, "Killer Angels." This is impeccable story telling. On the confederate side, Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee and Tom Berenger contributed career best performances and compelling chemistry. On the Union side, Jeff Daniels as Colonel Chamberlain, C. Thomas Howell as his brother and Lieutenant, and Kevin Conroy as the tough old Mick Sargeant /veteran, provide the compelling chemistry. Sam Elliot fits the part of a veteran cavalry General perfectly. In fact, I can't think of anyone that fits the part of acting from the saddle better.

If Stonewall Jackson had lived and had surrounded the federal troops at Chancellorsville, the war might have ended. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and withdrew from Gettysburg to high ground of his own choice, he might have won the battle and ended the war. This defensive style of fighting is why Lee earned the nickname "Gray Fox." Lee made the same mistake as Union General Burnside at Fredericksburg in advancing troops uphill against an entrenched enemy while taking canon fire on three sides. If General Meade had pursued Lee out of Gettysburg to where he was backed up against a storm swollen and impassable Potomac River, the war might have ended. Instead, war went on for more than two more years, and the death toll rose to over 615,000 Americans. This section of American history is critically important and what will be a set of three movies will serve a very commendable purpose.

Gettysburg-an exciting and dramatic review of the final days
I absolutely LOVE this movie. Based on the bestselling novel 'The Killer Angels' by Michael Shaara, Gettysburg is an engaging and [MOSTLY accurate] retelling of the events surrounding what was probably the most major battle of the War of Northern Agression (no offense to anyone, I AM a southerner, but I harbor no serious prejudices toward anyone). Some minor details, such as Chamberlain's position during the battle are slightly off, but most of the historical action is dead on. Martin Sheen delivers an excellent performance as Gen. Robert E. Lee. Although this movie was released earlier, 'Gods and Generals' by Jeff Shaara (same name as the book, and Michael Shaara's son) precedes Gettysburg in historical order. Recommended to anyone interested in the American Civil War and history buffs alike.

Greatest Civil War Movie
Gettysburg is by far the best movie on the ACW ever made. I saw it in the theater as a kid and I am still impressed with it. It is much better than Gods and Generals and I think its better than Glory for the simple fact that it shows BOTH sides displaying their own feelings, emotions, and desires. I dont think Sheen was bad as Lee but at the same time I dont think Duvall had enough on screen time to properly compare him to Sheen's performance. Richard Jordan was superb in his performance as Armistead and it is a lasting tribute that his last movie before his death to a brain tumor was so powerful and emotional; sometimes I wonder if Jordan was thinking on his own death while filming those magnificent scenes for the movie.

And a little FYI to settle the harsh criticism of Maxwell picking Sheen as Lee: ROBERT DUVALL WAS MAXWELL'S FIRST CHOICE TO DO LEE IN GETTYSBURG BUT DUVALL WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME B/C HE WAS FILMING SOME OTHER MOVIE; SO MAXWELL WENT WITH A BACKUP CHOICE OF MARTIN SHEEN FOR LEE!!!

Gettysburg
I liked this movie very much, but yet I do believe that if it were made at the same time Gods and Generals was, it would have been a much better film. I thought that Sheen did a fair job at playing the great General Robert E. Lee, but he is no match for the outstanding performance of Robert Duvall. I like Tom Berenger as General Longstreet, who was also from my native state, South Carolina. Jeff Danials did a spectacular job in this film as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in Gettysburg as well in Gods and Generals. The effort these actors put in to this movie are so dramatic, it takes your breath away to see these men, in fact, you don't see Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger, or Jeff Danials, you see Robert E. Lee, Jamse Longstreet, and Joshua Chamberlain. But I must say, if you are going to watch Gettysburg, you mite want to watch Gods and Generals first. ... Read more

Description

A sweeping epic charting the early years of the Civil War and how campaigns unfolded from Manassas to the Battle of Fredericksburg, this prequel to the film Gettysburg explores the motivations of the combatants and examines the lives of those who waited at home. ... Read more

Reviews (586)

Severely Underrated
Apparently, all it takes to be a film critic these days is a combination of the right political views on the right issues and a fourth grade education. This would explain why "Gods and Generals" -- an excellent film -- was a box office flop. The critics killed it before it had a chance. Smug remarks by less-than-intelligent reviewers like "this is a film that would make Trent Lott proud" gave potential viewers a bad opinion of the movie before they'd even seen it. And what was it that the critics didn't like? One reviewer said it was too much like a history lesson!! Pardon me, but how could one make a movie about the Civil War and NOT include historical data? This just goes to show how averse a large portion of the American people are to thinking. But enough of this. Onto the film itself. Mr. Maxwell does an admirable job of cramming the first two years of the Civil War into a three hour movie. The film's star, Stephen Lang gives a performance worthy of an Academy Award as Stonewall Jackson. Since the Confederate forces were dominant in the first half of the war, the film focuses on them more than their blundering Union counterparts. This was percieved as Neo-Confederate propaganda by the critics, which of course is not true. And, due to the fact that most of the people in the 1860's were Christians, the movie delves into the religious side of the conflict which nearly sent the snide reviewers into an epileptic fit. The battle scenes were nearly flawless (the only thing missing was the gore and blood) and very exciting to watch. The only scene I could have done without is the infamous "Hail Caesar" scene that semmed to last a half hour. Overall this is a great film about great men who stood against tyranny and died to preserve freedom. If only this generation could understand that. I eagerly await "The Last Full Measure".

War interrupts Stonewall Jackson's prayers
A couple of years back, a spectacular war epic had the Japanese launching a sneak attack on a love triangle and PEARL HARBOR just happened to get caught in the collateral damage. In GODS AND GENERALS, several Civil War battles serve to interrupt the idyllic home life and prayers of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

There's a core of usefulness to this film, which is its reputedly and apparently accurate rendering - such as they are - of the battles of First Bull Run (1861), Fredericksburg (1862) and Chancellorsville (1863). For the historical knowledge to be gained, I would rather that today's young generation watch this than the steady diet of silly, albeit spectacular, fairy tales served up on the Silver Screen. Unfortunately, the combat footage is interspersed with too much overwritten and pretentious dialogue played to the tune of an overly melodramatic soundtrack. And since they're almost carnage-free compared to such recent war epics as SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and BAND OF BROTHERS, the battle sequences have been criticized as glossing over the horrors of war. But how else does the studio get the film a PG-13 rating that will allow younger audiences in to see it? To be sure, its 3 hour and 40 minute run time could have been slashed by an hour, at least. GODS AND GENERALS makes GETTYSBURG (1993) seem like a great film in comparison.

Stephen Lang (General Pickett in GETTYSBURG) does a creditable job as the screenwriter's vision of Jackson, though I'm not convinced that this and the "real" Stonewall resemble each other. Unfortunately, much of the General's career and reputation was established by his brilliant Shenandoah Valley campaign of early 1862, events outside the scope of this epic. From reading, my impression of Jackson is that he was an austere, aloof, brilliant and eccentric commander who drove his men to the breaking point, and won their devotion in the process. The Jackson played by Lang comes across as almost warm and fuzzy. I don't know which version is more accurate, but this relatively pallid cinematic one isn't what I expected.

Robert Duvall plays General Robert E. Lee in GODS AND GENERALS, and his rendition is much more robust and believable than Martin Sheen's in GETTYSBURG. Jeff Daniels, a little chunkier and nearly a decade older, pretty much reprises the Joshua Chamberlain character of the 20th Maine Regiment, although he occasionally falls victim to windy monologs about the sanctity of the Union and the evils of slavery. In GODS AND GENERALS, unfortunately, there's no Little Round Top to valiantly defend to the last minie ball. The best Chamberlain can do is get pinned down by Confederate fire below Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg

Civil war buffs such as myself will certainly enjoy this film while fidgeting between battles. First Bull Run comes across rather stiff and awkward, but the troops are fully into it by Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. It also helps if the viewer has some pre-knowledge of the battlefields and the locations of the opposing lines because there's too little elucidation provided by the on-screen tacticians. Those who've seen GETTYSBURG will recognize many of the actors who reprise their roles from the earlier sequel.

See GODS AND GENERALS and appreciate it for what it's worth. But don't expect a profoundly moving or satisfying experience.

I keep wanting to like this movie, but....
Glory was a great civil war film, it had characters with character, it had a story with a story, it had a believable premise. But, this movie I don't know what this movie was all about. The acting was like a cross between stage acting and politicians trying to act emotional about their causes on a debate stage. And to have it centered in the 19th Century south in this format is like having the cast of the Andy Griffith Show deliver their lines with Shakespearean drama, it just doesn't work. I really don't think General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson would be proud to be remember for his endless droning philosophy on lemonade.

This movie has been playing endlessly on cable for the last few months, and I admit I keep getting drawn into watching it, and if you turn the sound down it's not so bad as a silent movie, but the dialog is, well it's what it is. I could care less about the message personally. The facts about the motivation of the Confederacy are so muddled due to southern pride and political correctness I really don't expect a movie to portray them accurately.

Glory did at least make an effort not to sugar coat the reality of the time to a degree. You can't be politically correct about a time that just plain wasn't politically correct, and unfortunately in the times we live in this means that our history is being rewritten all around to either exaggerate the "bad" guys or glorify the "good" guys in whatever perspective the author seems to think those "guys" are. The simple fact is that 19th century America was a terribly racially divided place and it went much further than skin color and the South.

I guess I keep watching it trying to figure out how someone could bankroll so much effort in costuming and location shoots and battle scenes and all and wonder if they actually watched it before they released it. Does the director of this movie actually have conversations like this? I think the real problem with this movie is that it tries to hard to be politically correct, and that the Author, the Director, the Producer, the Editor, or someone feels that you can't portray the glorious careers of men who don't fit into the political correctness mold of the modern day. This is a serious disservice to historical fact.

So much preaching you can skip church for a year!
Save your $ and just watch the excellent "Gettysburg" again. This one is simply terrible, almost painful to watch. If this was an accurate portrayal of Gen. Jackson, then I'm amazed that his troops waited until after Chancellorsville to shoot him. Returning actors are ten years older than in "Gettysburg" while playing in action that happened months+ before. The only positive was Robert Duvall as an excellent Gen. Lee.

candy for the history buff
I like to study history, and the civil war is one of my favorite points in American History. Mainly because it was so controversial, the reasons, the bad guys, the death toll, etc..... It was one of the bloodiest battles in our history, not because both sides were american, but because of the percentage of dead per battle, sometimes reaching 30%.

I do believe that the South got a raw deal for a long time. They weren't blameless, but they also weren't the evil group of racists that were potrayed. Plus this delves into the fact that the war wasn't about slavery until the later stages, something the North didn't even want. But that is all up for debate in another forum.

This movie is well filmed, the characters feel more three dimensional and close to their real life counterparts, and the recreation of some of the battles are done in an almost loving fashion done by those who spend their pasttime recreating major events. It shows two major early battles where the confederacy won stunning victories causing heavy losses for the Union. The battle of Fredericksburg cost over 17,000 troops on the side of the Union.

The main complaint from people who like this movie was that it left a lot out, there were a lot of smaller battles that where, but it would have added another 2 hours easily to the already 4 hour movie. Maybe we can hope for a special edition some day.

This movie is very pro southern, so if your views tend to favor the union, this is probably not for you. If you don't love history or recreations of battles, especially ones using Napoleonic Tactics and weapons, it probably also is not for you. It is like marzipan, not a lot of people like it, but those that do, love it. ... Read more

Reviews (273)

Frontier justice
TOMBSTONE must rank as one of the best westerns in the post-Peckinpah/Leone era. This is due to many of the traditional elements that made the western genre a uniquely American genre, not to mention the disillusionment that the characters in Peckinpah's and Leone's films felt.

This film focuses on legendary Kansas lawman Wyatt Earp who hopes to stick with retirement from law enforcement by journeying with his brothers (Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton) to the Arizona mining town of Tombstone, along with Wyatt's good friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer). The trouble is, however, Tombstone is a practically lawless place. And when a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys begin to turn Tombstone's streets red with the blood of innocent people, the stage is set--not merely for the celebrated gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but the revenge that comes after Paxton is killed and Elliott wounded.

Much has been made of Kilmer's performance as Doc Holliday, and he certainly does a lot with the role. I myself think that the real star is the often underrated Russell, who looks virtually like a dead ringer for Wyatt Earp. So often, Russell's talents were underutilized by filmmakers. Here, he really shows his mettle as an actor. Powers Boothe and Michael Biehn, as the head honchos of the Cowboys, make for incredible heavies; and the legendary Charlton Heston has a cameo as well.

Well directed by George Cosmatos (RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2), scored by Bruce Broughton, and excellently photographed by William Fraker (BULLITT) on Arizona locations, TOMBSTONE is a must-see western, proof that there is still life in this genre if only Hollywood would return to it more often.

All-Star Western
Tombstone is an excellent western that spares no expense in terms of its starring cast.

The movie begins with the three Earp brothers--Wyatt, played by Kurt Russell; Virgil, played by Sam Elliot; and Morgan, played by Bill Paxton--journeying to a small mining town called Tombstone to, in Wyatt's words, "make our fortune." As an aside, I just want to say that Russell bears an uncanny resemblance to the real Wyatt Earp. If you don't believe me, then do a web search and check it out for yourself.

After crossing paths with a thuggish band of criminals known as "The Cowboys," Virgil decides to become town marshall, with Morgan as his deputy--much to the consternation of Wyatt. As a showdown with The Cowboys looms, Wyatt eventually throws in with them for the legendary Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Without a doubt, my favorite character was the doomed Doc Holliday, played flawlessly by Val Kilmer. Kilmer may have a reputation of being difficult to work with, but he nails the Holliday character and was deserving of an Oscar nomination (which he didn't receive). His smugness, wrapped in a Georgia accent, is truly a joy to behold. He has so many wonderful lines and scenes that they are too numerous to list here. As was historically accurate, Holliday also throws in with the Earps for the OK Corral shootout.

The movie goes on to detail the events after the OK Corral confrontation--including the murder of Morgan and the maiming of Virgil, and Wyatt's subsequent revenge against The Cowboys. Minor plotlines include Wyatt's interest in a stage performer, played by Dana Delaney; and Wyatt's wife's addiction to opium.

The all-star cast includes Michael Biehn as the sadistic Johnny Ringo--a mirror image of Doc Holliday; Powers Boothe, as Curly Bill Brocious, the self-annointed "founder of the feast" known as The Cowboys; Billy Bob Thornton, as the bullying Johnny Tyler; and Charleton Heston, in a cameo as Henry Hooker.

While the film may not be as historically accurate as some accounts, it certainly is enjoyable.

Absolutely riveting account of a well known story
This is probably the best telling of the Wyatt Earp/Doc Holliday saga I have ever seen. I have watched many movies about the legendary fight at the O.K. Corral, but none have been as enthralling as the characters in "Tombstone". Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are more believable as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday than any other actors portraying those characters. The much praised John Ford Classic "My Darling Clementine" while a great movie, was riddled with inaccuracies even to the point of making Doc Holliday a surgeon rather than a dentist. "Tombstone" tried to stay as true to the actual characters as possible and in my opinion more than succeeded. On the heels of the slow, dragging Kevin Costner epic "Wyatt Earp", "Tombstone" is much faster paced and holds the viewers attention with drama, action and breathtaking scenery all the way to the tearjerking end. Well made movie that should hold it's own for a long time to come, I'm definately a fan.

"Not me, I'm in my prime"
Val Kilmers performance as Doc Holliday should have gave him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1993.It was clearly the best performance to date of his carreer.Hollywood just seems to ignore and dismiss this type of movie. Kilmer steals the show from Kurt Russell,as Wyatt Earp.The powerful cast includes Micheal Biehn as Johnny Ringo, Sam Elliott as Virgil Earp, Stephan Lang as Ike Clanton, as well as Powers Booth, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thorton,Michael Rooker, Billy Zane,Jason Priestley, and last but not least, Charlton Heston in a cameo appearance as rancher John Hooker.Again, Kilmer steals the show as Doc Holliday.His performance as a retired dentist that suffers from alcoholism and tuberculosis, is nothing less than masterful, first rate acting. Dennis Quaid played the same character in "Wyatt Earp" that came out about six months later, and this reviewer thinks his performance, while good, was not up to the same standard as Kilmer.There are many "one liners"that everone remembers and have become classic.A definite "must see" western that I would rate in the top five for all-time for this genre.

Who's your Huckleberry?
This is a fun movie. Kurt Russell is dead-on as a wiley Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer steals every scene he appears in as Doc Holliday. Bill Paxton is good as Wyatt's brother Morgan. Is there anyone that looks better under a cowboy hat than Sam Elliot? He plays brother Virgil Earp. Not so much a true narrative as a series of vignettes featuring the above characters (with the centerpiece Shootout at the OK Corral) the film is nonetheless a very entertaining look at these characters. Powers Boothe is menacingly bad as Curly Bill, the leader of the outlaw Cowboys.

Kilmer's Doc Holliday, in particular, is a load of fun. "I'm your Huckleberry" he taunts Johnny Ringo, and although I have no idea where this saying originated, Kilmer repeats it in this film to entertaining effect. Later on he is asked why he sticks his neck out for Sheriff Earp. "Wyatt Earp is my friend", he replies simply. The other man scoffs "I've got LOTS of friends". "I don't" says Doc.

This is the kind of movie that perpetuates the "Legend of Wyatt Earp", but it's also the kind of movie that grown men still quote liberally with big smiles on their faces more than a decade after it's initial release. ... Read more

Description

Willy Loman has spent his entire life believing he and his family are bound for greatness. Struggling day to day as a traveling salesman, Willy begins to lose touch with reality and drifts away into the past. Meanwhile his family, including wife Linda and sons Biff and Happy, attempts to cope with Willy's self-destruction and the still-lingering ghosts of the past. Arthur Miller's timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning play is brought to the screen with a powerhouse performance by Academy Award-winner Dustin Hoffman, who earned Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for this role. The stellar supporting cast features Kate Reid, Charles Durning, Stephen Lang, and in his first breakout role, John Malkovich as Biff, all guided by internationally-acclaimed director Volker Schlondorff (The Tin Drum) and a haunting score by legendary composer Alex North (Spartacus). ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A Stunning Realization of Miller's Masterpiece
This 1985 film of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, directed by Volker Schlondorff, recreates Arthur Miller's original casting ideas for the three principal characters. Miller had originally envisioned Willy Loman, the unsuccessful traveling salesman of the title, as a physically small man with a big wife and two big, strong sons; in this film, that is exactly what we get: Dustin Hoffman as Willy, Kate Reid as Linda, John Malkovich and Stephen Lang as Biff and Happy. Whereas the original Willy on Broadway, Lee J. Cobb, was large and imposing, Hoffman's Willy is a ridiculous little man with impossibly high ideals. His is a humorous and pathetic rather than a tragic interpretation, but this is perfectly valid - there is, after all, more than one way to "be" Willy Loman. And viewers should keep in mind that Miller himself praised Hoffman's characterization, naming him among his three all-time favorite Willys (the other two being Cobb and Warren Mitchell, the British actor who played in an acclaimed London revival).
Kate Reid gives a strong performance as Linda, Willy's loving and suffering wife. She is vicious in her defense of Willy to her sons, especially at the end, when she orders them to "get out of this house...get out of my sight." John Malkovich, with his soft-spoken voice and timid manner, might seem unsuited to Biff, the "all-American football hero" - but I don't think so. To me, Malkovich's halting delivery suggest a confused young man who thinks deep thoughts but lacks the education to be able to articulate them well. Malkovich's performance is a revelation in many ways: in the restaurant and final "confrontation" scenes, for example, we sense that Biff now sees Willy realistically for the first time in his life, and is therefore able to act more fairly towards him. The tragedy, of course, is that Willy is still unable to see reality and Biff is unable to MAKE him see it.
Stephen Lang is unobtrusively excellent as Happy, Biff's neglected younger brother. Charles Durning also does an excellent job as Willy's prosperous neighbor, Charley, who has no illusions about Willy (I always laugh when Willy sneaks a look at Charley's cards during the card game scene, and Charley, without a word, turns the cards over so that Willy can see them.). Joseph Polito is fine as Charley's successful son, Bernard. The small roles are all done well, particularly Tom Signorelli as Stanley, the waiter in the restaurant and an old family friend of the Lomans ("Sure, you look...all right."). Schlondorff's direction is great, with so many telling and memorable moments. The hotel-room confrontation between Willy and Biff is affectingly done: Malkovich is touchingly vulnerable, his last cry to Willy of "You fake!" heartrending. The final confrontation between the two was filmed in several "takes," making the viewer feel that he/she is caught right in the middle of a terrifying family argument. Last but not least, Alex North's musical score, based on his score for the original Broadway production, adds much to the drama.

Willy Loman - a common man like most of us
Seeing the filmed version of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman left me with an intense feeling of sadness. It is a real-life story without any "decorations." It a story about the choices we sometimes make and their consequences.
Willy Loman is a common, fallible man, who realizes that in spite of his high hopes and efforts he has not achieved anything real in life. His sons are not what he wanted them to be, especially Biff. Willy made some major wrong choices and he is definitely not the "winning-type" of a man but he loves his family.
I personally saw something of my father in Willy Loman, and probably that is why it was so appealing for me. But I do not think I can see the movie again. I will simply not be able to.
Volker Schlondorff did a wonderful job, in my opinion. The actors' playing is more than excellent. I think Willy Loman's role is the best one Dustin Hoffman has ever played. John Malkovich also makes a remarkable performance as well as all the other actors

Superb
This is a great 2 act and a requiem play, and Dustin and the cast do a superb job. However, it still doesn't equal Lee J. Cobbs' portrayal of this delusional salesman and his last years of justification of his life. I would like to see the version with Frederic March as Willy. I am sure this scenario about the trials and tribulation of Willy Loman are carried out in the real world, more times than we really know. Overall, a fantastic story by Arthur Miller and worth 5 stars all the way.

Death of a Salesman
I watched the movie for a class in college.

When I first started watching the movie I was less than enthusiastic about it. I wasn't a big fan of movies based on plays, or Dustin Hoffman. Watching a movie about a guy losing his mind just didn't seem like it could be a good movie. However after getting involved in the movie and really seeing what it's about, I think it is a brilliant movie. Dustin Hoffman plays Willy Loman's part perfectly-couldn't have been any better. He does such a great job, you forget your watching a movie-everything seems so real. The way Willy gets involved in his delusions, most of them about him becoming a 'failure' in life and what he did wrong, really add a different perspective. Also, the way that the movie is done in a play like style with basic backgrounds really makes you pay attention to the acting. I think this is an excellent movie, with a brilliant plot and exceptionally talented actors.

"Nobody blame this man... a salesman is got to dream, boy".
The title of this review is quote of what Charley said at Willy's funeral and he is absolutely right. It is true that Willy's deluded and unachiavable dreams lead to his miserable downfall, but it is also true that it is that exact illusions and dreams that keep Willy alive in the first place. They are his only weapon against the toisome reality that surrounds him. As Hap mentions just before Willy comes to the restaurant, Willy is never as happy as when he is looking forward to something. What he is constantly looking forward to is the fulfilment of his dreams.
In his essay "Tragedy and the common man" Arthur Miller says that each tragic hero is characterized by a 'tragic flaw'. It is the desire of that character to oppose what he does not like and this leads to his decline. Willy does not act "act agains the things that degrade" (Miller, Tragedy and the Common Man) him, he dreams against it.
I very much enjoyed this movie, because it reaches deep into the mind and the soul of a common person just like me. All of Willy's innner struggles are more or less something we all have to go through in one form or another. Willy's experience can be a lesson to all of us, the common people. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This Western has become a modest cult favorite since its release in 1993, when the film was met with mixed reviews but the performances of Kurt Russell (as Wyatt Earp) and especially Val Kilmer, for his memorably eccentric performance as the dying gunslinger Doc Holliday, garnered high praise. The movie opens with Wyatt Earp trying to put his violent past behind him, living happily in Tombstone with his brothers and the woman (Dana Delany) who puts his soul at ease. But a murderous gang called the Cowboys has burst on the scene, and Earp can't keep his gun belt off any longer. The plot sounds routine, and in many ways it is, but Western buffs won't mind a bit thanks to a fine cast and some well-handled action on the part of Rambo director George P. Cosmatos, who has yet to make a better film than this. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (273)

Frontier justice
TOMBSTONE must rank as one of the best westerns in the post-Peckinpah/Leone era. This is due to many of the traditional elements that made the western genre a uniquely American genre, not to mention the disillusionment that the characters in Peckinpah's and Leone's films felt.

This film focuses on legendary Kansas lawman Wyatt Earp who hopes to stick with retirement from law enforcement by journeying with his brothers (Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton) to the Arizona mining town of Tombstone, along with Wyatt's good friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer). The trouble is, however, Tombstone is a practically lawless place. And when a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys begin to turn Tombstone's streets red with the blood of innocent people, the stage is set--not merely for the celebrated gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but the revenge that comes after Paxton is killed and Elliott wounded.

Much has been made of Kilmer's performance as Doc Holliday, and he certainly does a lot with the role. I myself think that the real star is the often underrated Russell, who looks virtually like a dead ringer for Wyatt Earp. So often, Russell's talents were underutilized by filmmakers. Here, he really shows his mettle as an actor. Powers Boothe and Michael Biehn, as the head honchos of the Cowboys, make for incredible heavies; and the legendary Charlton Heston has a cameo as well.

Well directed by George Cosmatos (RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2), scored by Bruce Broughton, and excellently photographed by William Fraker (BULLITT) on Arizona locations, TOMBSTONE is a must-see western, proof that there is still life in this genre if only Hollywood would return to it more often.

All-Star Western
Tombstone is an excellent western that spares no expense in terms of its starring cast.

The movie begins with the three Earp brothers--Wyatt, played by Kurt Russell; Virgil, played by Sam Elliot; and Morgan, played by Bill Paxton--journeying to a small mining town called Tombstone to, in Wyatt's words, "make our fortune." As an aside, I just want to say that Russell bears an uncanny resemblance to the real Wyatt Earp. If you don't believe me, then do a web search and check it out for yourself.

After crossing paths with a thuggish band of criminals known as "The Cowboys," Virgil decides to become town marshall, with Morgan as his deputy--much to the consternation of Wyatt. As a showdown with The Cowboys looms, Wyatt eventually throws in with them for the legendary Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Without a doubt, my favorite character was the doomed Doc Holliday, played flawlessly by Val Kilmer. Kilmer may have a reputation of being difficult to work with, but he nails the Holliday character and was deserving of an Oscar nomination (which he didn't receive). His smugness, wrapped in a Georgia accent, is truly a joy to behold. He has so many wonderful lines and scenes that they are too numerous to list here. As was historically accurate, Holliday also throws in with the Earps for the OK Corral shootout.

The movie goes on to detail the events after the OK Corral confrontation--including the murder of Morgan and the maiming of Virgil, and Wyatt's subsequent revenge against The Cowboys. Minor plotlines include Wyatt's interest in a stage performer, played by Dana Delaney; and Wyatt's wife's addiction to opium.

The all-star cast includes Michael Biehn as the sadistic Johnny Ringo--a mirror image of Doc Holliday; Powers Boothe, as Curly Bill Brocious, the self-annointed "founder of the feast" known as The Cowboys; Billy Bob Thornton, as the bullying Johnny Tyler; and Charleton Heston, in a cameo as Henry Hooker.

While the film may not be as historically accurate as some accounts, it certainly is enjoyable.

Absolutely riveting account of a well known story
This is probably the best telling of the Wyatt Earp/Doc Holliday saga I have ever seen. I have watched many movies about the legendary fight at the O.K. Corral, but none have been as enthralling as the characters in "Tombstone". Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are more believable as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday than any other actors portraying those characters. The much praised John Ford Classic "My Darling Clementine" while a great movie, was riddled with inaccuracies even to the point of making Doc Holliday a surgeon rather than a dentist. "Tombstone" tried to stay as true to the actual characters as possible and in my opinion more than succeeded. On the heels of the slow, dragging Kevin Costner epic "Wyatt Earp", "Tombstone" is much faster paced and holds the viewers attention with drama, action and breathtaking scenery all the way to the tearjerking end. Well made movie that should hold it's own for a long time to come, I'm definately a fan.

"Not me, I'm in my prime"
Val Kilmers performance as Doc Holliday should have gave him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1993.It was clearly the best performance to date of his carreer.Hollywood just seems to ignore and dismiss this type of movie. Kilmer steals the show from Kurt Russell,as Wyatt Earp.The powerful cast includes Micheal Biehn as Johnny Ringo, Sam Elliott as Virgil Earp, Stephan Lang as Ike Clanton, as well as Powers Booth, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thorton,Michael Rooker, Billy Zane,Jason Priestley, and last but not least, Charlton Heston in a cameo appearance as rancher John Hooker.Again, Kilmer steals the show as Doc Holliday.His performance as a retired dentist that suffers from alcoholism and tuberculosis, is nothing less than masterful, first rate acting. Dennis Quaid played the same character in "Wyatt Earp" that came out about six months later, and this reviewer thinks his performance, while good, was not up to the same standard as Kilmer.There are many "one liners"that everone remembers and have become classic.A definite "must see" western that I would rate in the top five for all-time for this genre.

Who's your Huckleberry?
This is a fun movie. Kurt Russell is dead-on as a wiley Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer steals every scene he appears in as Doc Holliday. Bill Paxton is good as Wyatt's brother Morgan. Is there anyone that looks better under a cowboy hat than Sam Elliot? He plays brother Virgil Earp. Not so much a true narrative as a series of vignettes featuring the above characters (with the centerpiece Shootout at the OK Corral) the film is nonetheless a very entertaining look at these characters. Powers Boothe is menacingly bad as Curly Bill, the leader of the outlaw Cowboys.

Kilmer's Doc Holliday, in particular, is a load of fun. "I'm your Huckleberry" he taunts Johnny Ringo, and although I have no idea where this saying originated, Kilmer repeats it in this film to entertaining effect. Later on he is asked why he sticks his neck out for Sheriff Earp. "Wyatt Earp is my friend", he replies simply. The other man scoffs "I've got LOTS of friends". "I don't" says Doc.

This is the kind of movie that perpetuates the "Legend of Wyatt Earp", but it's also the kind of movie that grown men still quote liberally with big smiles on their faces more than a decade after it's initial release. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Here's a movie that only a Steven Seagal fan could love. It's not nearly as good as Under Siege (the movie destined to remain Seagal's high-water mark), but not any worse than Above the Law. This time ol' Steve is an agent of the Environmental Protection Agency who's busting heads in Kentucky. He's on good terms with the local yokels (including Marg Helgenberger and Harry Dean Stanton), but locks horns with a slimy mogul (Kris Kristofferson) who's using abandoned mines to dump toxic waste. Along with an ecological message, Seagal serves up several broken limbs, cracked skulls, and bloody noses, and he even finds time to do some guitar picking with country boys such as Travis Tritt and Randy Travis. Once you've heard Seagal crooning a country tune, you'll be eager to see him go back to whuppin' the bad guys. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (320)

Manhunter is a treat....
especially for fans of Michael Mann, and his stylish, intense film presentation. If you absolutely must have your movies true to the book, or if you are watching Manhunter to try to get an early view of Hannibal Lecter (pre-Silence of the Lambs), you may be disappointed.

Mann gives us William Petersen, a little younger and thinner, but much the same as his current role in the television feature "CSI". He has nearly destroyed himself and his family life with his ability to profile serial killers, and his inability to stay out of harm's way. The villain of this setting (and the book, "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris) is called the "Tooth Fairy" and his slaughter of two families is particularly grisly; how and why he chose his victims will surprise you. Mann's use of rock classics for the score, and his choice of actors for the parts of both villians are brilliant. Although I prefer Anthony Hopkins, the Lecter role is played with brilliant understatement by Cox, an actor who can "ooze" madness and evil, and does so in this film. Like many of the reviewers, I found only the original widescreen DVD, and not the 2 part Director's cut to demonstrate the excellence in this film. BRAVO, Michael Mann!

A little slow at times, but done with great style!
True to the book, with a great sense of the somewhat cheesy 80's style Mann himself invented. Love the Inna Gadda Da Vida scene. It is, to me, one of the greatest marriages of music and video ever put on film, and it saved the movie for me. Also enjoyed the eerie lack of music in the 'burning wheelchair' scene. Mann has the unique ability to create an unforgettable 'moment' in a film which etches itself forever into the viewer's mind (For another prime example of this ability, see the seemingly endless 'shooting to escape capture' scene in the beginning of Mann's HEAT. Excellent!). Performances were good, if not exactly captivating, especially if judged in comparison to those in Silence Of The Lambs. But comparing any movie to a 5-time Academy Award winner is probably unfair. The biggest problem with Manhunter, I found, was Mann's (Or, perhaps, William Peterson's) inability to convincingly portray the overwhelming mental anguish that the Will Graham character goes through in this story. All in all, a good, entertaining film with some truly memorable moments.

Dream Much, Will?
Don't miss this original, the first of the Hannibal Lechtor series. The score, the filmography, (Lighting), is still so vividly used in the best of today's suspence/thrill sequences.
Will Graham, (William Peterson), is the "Manhunter" hunting down "Frances Dolarhyde", and also the man responsible for imprisoning Dr Lechtor, at great phsycial, and emotional harm to himself.
Don't be fooled by Dino's latest grab at a buck, the rediculous "Red Dragon". (Which is odd, since Dino owns "Manhunter" as well..)
So, Red Dragon is only a remake of this great film.
It's ultimately embaressing to watch Lechtor and Chilton's charachter's re-acted, only "made up" to look 20 some years younger! (Red Dragon).
This is the Real McCoy, and Brian Cox, IMHO, should have stayed Hannibal Lechtor.
If you want another good performance by Anthony Hopkins, see "Meet Joe Black".
BTW, as far as I can tell, Barney's character, (Frankie Faison), is the only actor to play in all "Four movies of the Trilogy"..
If you want the original psychological thriller in this series, you found it..

Pete

Michael Mann's controversial crime-thriller ...
MANHUNTER is the 1986 crime-thriller that began Michael Mann's career as a respected filmmaker. Adapted from the novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this film will be remembered as "the film with the OTHER Hannibal Lecter" and will dismissed by many as a good first try, but nothing special. CSI's William Petersen stars as Will Graham, a gifted FBI agent who is working to track down a mysterious killer nicknamed the "Tooth Fairy" before the next full moon. Aiding him in his hunt is the (curiously mispelled) criminal genius Hannibal Lecktor, played by Brian Cox. Being a huge fan of the Hannibal Lecter film series and Harris' novels, I have more to work with than some other people. MANHUNTER was adapted and directed by Michael Mann, who also produced "Miami Vice" - and it shows on the glittering design and stunning soundtrack. The acting is okay, but is great only in the cases of Petersen and Dennis Farina (who also featured on "Miami Vice", as well as certain other people who appear in the film). Mann's direction is the greatest part of the film. Brian Cox's performance as "Lecktor" works fine, but is completely incomparable to that of Anthony Hopkins, who played him in the later films. MANHUNTER has been unfairly dismissed as a piece of crap. It's no masterpiece, I'll grant you that, but the fact that the film is so dated, and the work that people like Mann and Petersen have done, make it a wonderful, "Miami Vice"-esque thriller.

Read the novel AND see this film!
I first rented this movie in the late '80s, and I really only did so to see Chris Elliot's cameo -- give me a break, I was really bored that weekend! Years later, when I saw Silence of the Lambs in the theater, I recognized the name of the doctor and realized that these two works were somehow related, and eventually ended up reading all four of Thomas Harris' novels and seeing all five film adaptations, of which Manhunter is my personal favorite.

Upon reflection, I initially found the film's ending a bit stereotypically Hollywood, and not quite up to the same high level of quality found in the rest of the film. As I later read the novel, I at first found myself liking the book's ending better, but understood how it might have been much harder to film -- that is, until I got past the red herring to the novel's REAL ending, which made Manhunter's ending seem positively inspired by comparison. (Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit too hard on Harris, and giving Michael Mann a bit too much of a pass on this point....)

If you don't like Michael Mann's directorial style, or if you're one of those pseudo-intellectuals who can't look at a film made in another decade without calling it "dated" -- or if you think Anthony Hopkins is the only actor who should ever be legally allowed to play the character of Hannibal Lector --then you might not like this film. Though it often strays from the novel a little bit, and leaves almost all of the exposition regarding the Tooth Fairy's origins out, it all still works. Noonan gives an excellent and economic performance, as does Nancy Allen (and their love scene is one of the more tasteful and romantic in recent memory).

Brian Cox also has a different take on the Lector character than Hopkins, but it is ultimately A) closer to the novel's depiction and B) more realistic and believable. Sorry, Tony, but you have to admit, as great as your performance was in Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal comes off much better when the actor playing him resists the urge to chew scenery -- no pun intended....

But it is William Petersen's portrayal of Investigator Graham that really carries the film, and rightly so. As I said before, the novel gives us much, much more background on the Tooth Fairy than the movie does, but the main focus of the story is on Graham and his own internal struggles. I was especially impressed with one scene in particular that Petersen and Mann really pulled off well, as far as taking a great moment from the novel and translating it into a great movie moment. It's the scene in the middle of the film when Graham is seated at a diner, staring out into the rainy night, playing the answering machine message of one of the victims in his head: "Hi, this is Valerie Leads; I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now..." because she's been murdered, of course. Absentmindedly, Graham says aloud, "Me too." The waitress passing by asks if he was asking for more coffee, and he tells her no. Turning back to the window, having now made up his mind to throw himself completely into the investigation and see it through to the end, Graham says out loud, as if the Tooth Fairy could hear him, "It's just you and me now, sport." This was a great emotional moment in the novel, and Mann and Petersen (and the music score) also manage to make it a great emotional moment in the movie as well, losing nothing in the translation.

I give the same number of stars to Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs, but let's face it -- Mann's asylum for the criminally insane is much more realistic and believable than Demme's, for instance. Two different directorial styles, two different approaches to Lector, etc., but each quite good in its own right. The "re-imagining" of 2002 on the other hand is another story, and a sad one at that....

If you're in the mood for the original modern police procedural on investigating serial killers, or for a good psycholgical character study about the effects of such work on the investigators themselves, then give this film a try!

PS: Why is it that when most people review books and films on Amazon, A) they seem not to notice that most of what they say has already been said in the hundreds of other reviews previously posted, and B) they seem to feel obligated to recount the entire plot, point by point, spoiler by spoiler, in excruciating detail, instead of just giving the rest of us a simple idea of why we might like or dislike the book or film in question?! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The game of life and death
Immensely watchable, with a strong performance by Ryan Phillippe, the I Inside is a riveting enough ninety minutes. However, the film is also strangely forgettable, coming across as a kind of second rate, direct to video imitation of The Others, the terrific Nicole Kidman film that came out a few years ago.

The I Inside is a modest thriller that has enough weird, complex plot twists to keep the viewers involved, but the film tries so desperately to be a lot more than it really is. Obviously the highlight of the film is the gimmicky way the plot unfolds, and the fun for the viewer is trying to unravel the tightly woven and complex puzzle that is the story.

The film begins in a veil of whispers as Simon Cable, (Ryan Phillippe), a twenty something yuppie, jolts awake one night in a hospital room and is told by his doctor (Stephen Rea) he died for two minutes, his heart stopped beating, but he came back and survived. But now it's 2002 and a full two years of Simon's memory is missing. The doctor tells Simon that in order for him to regain his memory, he must put the pieces of the puzzle together, which, of course, is what we as the audience must do, as we watch the various seemingly disparate segments of the plot unfold.

It turns out that Simon has been married to Anna, (Piper Perabo), a nasty ice queen and he may have been the victim of a murder attempt, and, worst of all, he was in the hospital two years earlier, following the death of his brother Peter (Robert Sean Leonard). Coming into his room and disappearing without a trace is Claire (Sarah Polley), a mystery woman. Claire confesses her love for him, and tells him that he was responsible for what happened as well.

His doctor takes him for a routine MRI and when he is unscrupulously injected with a sedative, he wakes up in another hospital room talking to yet another doctor (Peter Egan) and learns that it's actually the year 2000, and his brother just died. It is here that he meets Mr. Travitt (Stephen Lang), a cynical hospital-patient roommate and heart patient who seems to occupy all of his visions. As movie goes, back and forth in time, poor Simon must figure out what is real, and what is a dream. He must also solve the issue of his brother's death, which continues to haunt him.

Considering that Simon's mind becomes a maze, a tangled skein of memory he must unravel, the plot is actually not too hard to follow, once the viewer gets used to the idea that he's traveling backwards and forwards in time. Still, as with all such nonlinear storytelling, the question is whether the story itself would be of any interest if it were told as a traditional narrative. It probably wouldn't because what evolves is a fairly derivative Daphne Du Maurier-like murder mystery.

The film doesn't always work because it relies more on slick production values to sell the thrills than story, but Phillippe gives a good performance as the panicky Simon, and he has an on screen charisma that is suitably impressive. It's all rather silly, although the ending does come as a surprising revelation and the seemingly incongruent plot twists sort of come together.

There are the usual spiral staircases, oblique camera angles, swirling photography, and suspicious shadowy personages, along with characters mysteriously disappearing and re-appearing. It's all done quite well, but none of it is particularly imaginative or original. Mike Leonard May 05.

Along similar lines to Butterfly Effect
I can't decide which movie I like best, Butterfly Effect or this. For some reason this never got a cinema release here in the UK, and has gone straight to DVD. But do not let this put you off if you're a UK viewer. It's an excellent, thought-provoking movie. I first saw it here on Amazon, and it was the cover that attracted me to getting the movie. And I have to admit, although the storyline is very confusing, and jumps back and forth in time, I managed to follow it - and if I managed to follow it, then anyone can! :)

I quite like the cast in this, especially Ryan Phillippe, who seems to have fallen in terms to his wife's success. The cast was originally meant to be Christian Slater (as Peter), Stephen Dorff (as Simon Cable), and Jennifer Love Hewitt (as Anna Cable). I could see that working, but then again, they all just had that chemistry that they were able to work together. I nearly didn't recognise Piper Perabo, as I've previously only seen her in Coyote Ugly & Cheaper By The Dozen, and in this, she's cut, straightened & dyed her hair. It looks awfully thin too.

There's not much I can say about this film without getting my butt kicked by Amazon, so you'll just have to see it for yourself. I'll give you a small warning just now - the beginning is the end. When the credits roll expect to be really confused. But it's also one of those films that leave you thinking about it afterwards. While Butterfly Effect was relatively straight forward, this makes you wonder what really happened, and would probably take a second or third viewing to work things out. I think I know what happened, but I imagine there's a lot of different theories out there. Some viewers/reviewers will see the ending as being weak, but you have to read between the lines to work out the ending.

I doubt this movie would have worked with any other actor in the role apart from Ryan, as he's in nearly every scene. So if you're not a fan of Ryan, it's probably not a great idea to watch this, as you'll be sick of the sight of him by the end of the movie.

The director has worked wonders with this film, as you do actually feel part of the film, and you feel as confused as Ryan's character often does. There's loads of different camera angles, which will you leave you disorientated and dizzy, or maybe the latter was just me!

The extras are very boring, and the trailer does well by revealing nothing about the movie. It could have gone either way with this type of movie, and you'd have figured it out before you started watching the movie.

I can't say much more, apart from watch this movie for yourself. Don't knock something until you've tried it.

Movie Soundtrack
I really liked this movie, however I liked its soundtrack even more and can't seem to find it or what the music is anywhere.Does anyone have any information on how I can find it?I would appreciate your help.

decent story, but a little empty over all.
I can't imagine what it must've been like to see this as a play! It makes a pretty good hallucinatory film, but the dialogue is occasionally stilted. I'm not sure I would buy this, but recommend renting it for a look. I don't agree that it is better than The Butterfly Effect although there are certain similarities. I was impressed with Sarah Polley's performance, but found that Ryan Phillippe was better when he had really dramatic scenes to react off of rather than when he wasn't really in motion and just seemed bored or uncertain of his dialogue.

The first half of the film where you don't know who is really to be trusted, and what exactly is going on is quite well done though and that's why I give it 3 stars.
Also the ending is not a letdown, and the whole atmosphere is quite strong throughout. There's just those few dry moments where the acting or dialogue doesn't really seem believeable, and you know it's only there to support the direction of the story. That put me off a bit. I admit I won't forget alot of the scenes for a long time, so enjoy, and yeah maybe it will leave a more lasting impression after all. You'll wonder what kind of a world you might wake up to after your next nightmare I'll bet.

A True Mind Twister That Requires Viewer Participation
THE I INSIDE is a very fine film that deserves a wide audience.It ranks up there with 'MEMENTO', 'THE SIXTH SENSE', and 'JACOB'S LADDER' as the sort of intelligent film that demands intensive participation on the part of the viewer to catch all of its nuances and possible plot variations.

Based on a play Michael Cooney who also wrote the screenplay and directed with considerable finesse by Roland Suso Richter, the story involves a bizarre mix of altered circumstances surrounding the hospitalizationof Simon Cable (Ryan Phillippe in a performance that is the finest of his career and promises much more from this actor) whose circumstances for awakening under the care of one Dr Jeremy Newman (Stephen Rea) are nebulous. Dr Newman who slowly reveals to Simon that he is suffering from acute memory loss due to trauma and possible poisoning (he had undergone cardiac arrest and was resuscitated) and yet warmly reassures him he will soon return to normal.In essence Simon has 'lost' two years of his life, finding through the blur of amnesia that he has a wife Anna (Piper Perabo) who secretly reveals to him that there is a murder in his history that is part of an evil 'plan'.He also encounters Clair (Sarah Polley) who claims they are lovers.Simon is informed that his brother Peter (Robert Sean Leonard) is dead: Anna supports the premise that Simon killed him.The ingredients of the mystery of the lost two years are set in motion.

The connection between the past in 2000 and the 'present' in 2002 is slowly revealed in mind-boggling flashbacks and re-runs of possibilities: apparently the misdeeds of 2000 included an auto accident which resulted in Simon's hospitalization in the very place he finds himself in 2002 and in which his brother Peter died.Tense confrontations and secrets begin to surface and even the concept that if we re-enter our past we can change the future is presented convincingly.Yet how this all plays out is the magic of this fine film.There are so many avenues that could represent the 'true story' of Simon's life and his amnesia-altered past two years that it is truly up to the viewer to decide how this film ends!

The performances are all fine: Ryan Phillippe is superb, capturing all facets of this deluded young man and finding the strength of character in his Simon portrayal that makes us willing to identify with him at every turn.The photography by Martin Langer is moody and atmospheric without resorting to the usual fright tactics.The musical score by Nicholas Pike enhances every frame.But it is the terse direction of Richter that makes this thriller sail into the ranks of the truly fine films of this genre. Grady Harp, March 05 ... Read more

Amazon.com

Band of the Hand was executive-produced by Miami Vice creator Michael Mann, but this violent relic of the '80s begs for a smarter script and Mann's directorial flair. Instead it's got TV's "Starsky"--Paul Michael Glaser--seemingly asleep at the wheel, barely controlling a rainbow coalition of bad actors as punky Florida jailbirds, given a second chance when they're dropped into the treacherous everglades and whipped into a crack unit of urban warriors by a gruff marine (Stephen Lang) who supervises their juvenile "reform." One of the reluctant recruits has a girlfriend (fresh-faced newcomer Lauren Holly) who's tied up with local drug lords (Larry Fishburne, James Remar), and the inevitable showdown offers guerilla warfare in pastel shades. Wretched dialogue and lackluster action don't stop this from being a Vice-like guilty pleasure, populated by garishly costumed stereotypes and ending like the pilot for a TV series that never happened. Even the DVD liner notes admit the movie is "infamous"; accepted on those terms, it's a hoot. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Band of the Hand
Let me start by saying I love this movie. I first saw this film in the theatres during it's original theatrical release. I have this film on vhs. I have been waiting for the past few years for this film to be released on DVD. Finally it has arrived. I wish they had preserved the original theatrical aspect (widescreen), but at least they remastered the audio and video. The film itself stands as one of the best and most entertaining action films of the 1980's. This largely overlooked classic embodies the look, the feel and the attitude of 80's cool and features the most memorable soundtrack of this era. The story centers around a group of juvenile delinquents who have committed serious crimes and are given one last chance at rehabilitation.
This last ditch effort begins in the Florida Everglades and culminates in the "program" relocating to Miami. Once in Miami the ever reforming juveniles have to learn to work together, resist the temptation of their former lives and also confront the harsh realities of their past. Each character undergoes personal growth and ultimately they decide on their own to wage war on the local ... cartel and the action really heats up. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes action movies with humor and substance. Band of the Hand has excitement and flair to spare, considerably more than the standard fare.

Pure 80's goodness!
So long.....I have waited so long for this movie to be released on DVD. Last year, I was forced to buy a well used and badly warn VHS copy on Ebay. Forced, you say? Yes, Forced. This movie is goodness. That's all there is to it. I saw it on cable when I was a kid and it quickly became one of my favorite movies of all time.
Please, do yourself a favor and buy this movie. As some people have said above, they really do not make them like this anymore. It's got that special something that modern movies lack...and I'm not just saying that because I'm older now, and that's what older people are supposed to say about things from their chldhood. It's a fact. My praises cannot do this movie justice. You have to watch it to understand. Band of the Hand is hidden and forgotten treasure. Those who call it corny, or say the acting is "bad" simply do not get it. I get it, and I hope you do too.

Finally, on DVD.
One of the many movies I thought worthwhile, but unavailable on DVD.

Until now...

Glad to see "Band of the Hand" is finally out. Far from a perfect film, it captures a bit of those heady 1980s in a time capsule.

I saw this film when it originally came out - one of the few who did - and I've always refered it to friends as Miami Vice's "What I Did on Summer Vacation" movie.

Now, if we can only get the Miami Vice series out on DVD...

Great 80's time capsule even if it's not great
Band of the Hand is one of those movies that you can watch as a time capsule of teen-focused films of the 1980's. Rather than focus on the angst of upper middle class kids and their love lives, Band of the Hand looks at the criminal element of the era. Directed by Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky and Hutch) and produced by Michael Mann (Miami Vice), this film is more visual than visceral. The premise is only slightly realistic (and only more recently so, as rehab programs vaguely similar have cropped up in the 90's), but it's fun to watch.
The characters are sinister bad boys, but not so much so that you can't love them. There's the drop dead handsome drug dealer, a new wave looking kid who committed patricide (but only because the guy beat his mother and sister), two gang members (one Puerto Rican and one black), and a rough uneducated car thief.
We see these boys commit their crimes and then get busted - all done in a very Miami Vice sort of way. They are all relegated to a new experimental rehab program that involves them surviving on their own in the everglades. If they graduate (which you know they will) they'll move into a really rough area of Miami and learn to live in the city.

Not only do these boys succeed, they do so with flying colors. Rehab is a wonderful thing! This is obviously a liberal conscience at work - none the less it is fun to watch.

I won't spoil the film (because I do enjoy the film even if it is trite and overly empathetic to the characters), but suffice it to say there is a lot of excitement and eventually - intrigue and action in this film.

My complaint is that the film is very uneven. It seems to be bits of several films stuck together. There's a sense of a three act play at work - and the third act is where the fun is.

The acting is good and the interaction of the young and older actors is believable, even if the script is silly.

In the end, you'll enjoy this bit of escapist 80's fun.

Finally!
This is a great movie. At the time, Miami Vice was king (still is to me)and this has the same flavor, just with a coming of age storyline. The charachters are kind of like a group from the Magnificent Seven and the Dirty Dozen combined. All in all, a fun action movie with some good messages just under the surface. Biggest thing about this movie is the incredible soundtrack! Used to have the tape, and would kill for a cd. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is my favorite movie
Chimps are featured, but only to keep us from defensively noticing that the movie is really talking about our deepest experience as humans-- the transition from mute wonderment, through learning and loss, into competence and self-reliance. The story seems to meander as Matthew Broderick replaces Helen Hunt as the main human character, but by the end you can tell that the script was written with the greatest of care and skill.

This Film is from 1987 not 1968.......
This Film you present here is from 1987. Project X from the 60's is a 1968 film about a spy who brought back from cryogenic suspension after being almost killed in a plane. Please let me know if I am wrong or correct this mistake on your page

One of Broderick`s Best.
Matthew Broderick gives one of his best performances of his career in this funny, touching, sad story about about army recruit been choose to teach and take care of the chimps but the real problem, he find out the army using the chimps for radiactive about if they can survive ,if they are flying the plane without knowning they could die.

Good Cast including Helen Hunt and William Salder. This Is Broderick`s Best With War Games, Ferris Bueller`s Day Off, Glory, The Lion King(Voice Only), Election and his underappreciate films are The Cable Guy and Godzilla. Grade:A.

Forever Awesome
This movie was my favorite when it first came out. I had fogotten about it then I saw it on tv and I haven't seen it at stores so I came here to find it. You have to watch this movie, Its great!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this raucous, high-energy action thriller from 1991, Michael J. Fox plays a spoiled Hollywood movie star who wants to bring vivid authenticity to his latest role as a big-city cop, so he recruits the real thing (James Woods) as his experienced mentor. This unlikely partnership doesn't sit too well with Woods, a hot-headed New York street cop who's a magnet for action-packed trouble. But that makes him just the right guy for Fox's research, which goes so far as to include Woods's girlfriend (Annabella Sciorra) and participation in some death-defying crime work. Fast, vulgar, and cranked at high volume, this is the kind of movie that contributed to the destruction of quality storytelling in mainstream Hollywood movies, but the screenplay scores bonus points for its lively characters and even livelier dialogue. Director John Badham is no slouch when it comes to action scenes, either, so if you buckle up and hold on tight, doing things The Hard Way can be surprisingly entertaining. To display the action in full widescreen glory, the DVD presents the film in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Fast, action-packed, tongue-in-cheek, comedy-thriller
Try to forget about plot and characterisation, and simply sit back and enjoy a good old-fashioned mis-matched buddy movie with the emphasis on laughs. The ever watchable Woods steals the show as usual, but is given a close run for his money by Michael J Fox, who gleefully sends-up his goody-goody image. Woods himself described his character as 'The most easily annoyed man in the world', who gets stuck with 'The world's most annoying man'. And so the scene is set for a series of confrontations between the mis-matched pair, while on the trail of a serial killer- The Party Crasher. Annabella Sciorra provides the token female character, losing out on the charisma stakes to a young Christina Ricca, as Woods' girlfriend, but to be honest her scenes seem out of place in what is otherwise a vehicle for the comedic talents of the two male leads. And when needed, Woods can be relied on to provide his customary grit to the proceedings. True it may be a bit of a 'no-brainer', but the two leading men spark off each other so well, you will enjoy it anyway. 'A Room With a View' it certainly isn't, and once in a while thank the lord for that!

The Hard Way is the bestest comedy action adventure movie!
The Hard Way is the amaze me with action and adventure also with comedy Michael J. Fox plays as the Hollywood actor, Nick Lang and James Woods as John Moss, the toughest cop in New York City to track down the serial killer, The Party Crasher(Stephen Lang)
and Nick Lang named as the new partner name is Ray Cassanov, also co-starring includes LL Cool J, Christina Ricci, Penny Marshall, and Delroy Lindo.

what a fun@crazy ride
One of my all time favorites.Its just a fun high.one of those movies that,no matter what mood Im in, makes me snap out of it.This dvd has some cool extras not listed above,so it was a nice suprise when I threw it in my player.A making of,an awsome ll cool j music video,theatrical trailer,videodrome trailer,casino trailer,frighteners trailer,secret of my success trailer.Why there not advertized i dont know,but I do know this movie rocks the boat baby.

They were fun to watch!
I am a james woods fan and a big MJF fan so i just made to enjoy this one. Rent it first to make sure you agree, cause I am the only one in the family that cares for this movie.

??????????
Still waiting for my stuff,since september 27th.
Havent received... ... Read more

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Divimax is a High Definition (HD) film transfer process that provides state-of-the-art picture quality--and can be viewed on any home entertainment system. ... Read more

Reviews (320)

Manhunter is a treat....
especially for fans of Michael Mann, and his stylish, intense film presentation. If you absolutely must have your movies true to the book, or if you are watching Manhunter to try to get an early view of Hannibal Lecter (pre-Silence of the Lambs), you may be disappointed.

Mann gives us William Petersen, a little younger and thinner, but much the same as his current role in the television feature "CSI". He has nearly destroyed himself and his family life with his ability to profile serial killers, and his inability to stay out of harm's way. The villain of this setting (and the book, "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris) is called the "Tooth Fairy" and his slaughter of two families is particularly grisly; how and why he chose his victims will surprise you. Mann's use of rock classics for the score, and his choice of actors for the parts of both villians are brilliant. Although I prefer Anthony Hopkins, the Lecter role is played with brilliant understatement by Cox, an actor who can "ooze" madness and evil, and does so in this film. Like many of the reviewers, I found only the original widescreen DVD, and not the 2 part Director's cut to demonstrate the excellence in this film. BRAVO, Michael Mann!

A little slow at times, but done with great style!
True to the book, with a great sense of the somewhat cheesy 80's style Mann himself invented. Love the Inna Gadda Da Vida scene. It is, to me, one of the greatest marriages of music and video ever put on film, and it saved the movie for me. Also enjoyed the eerie lack of music in the 'burning wheelchair' scene. Mann has the unique ability to create an unforgettable 'moment' in a film which etches itself forever into the viewer's mind (For another prime example of this ability, see the seemingly endless 'shooting to escape capture' scene in the beginning of Mann's HEAT. Excellent!). Performances were good, if not exactly captivating, especially if judged in comparison to those in Silence Of The Lambs. But comparing any movie to a 5-time Academy Award winner is probably unfair. The biggest problem with Manhunter, I found, was Mann's (Or, perhaps, William Peterson's) inability to convincingly portray the overwhelming mental anguish that the Will Graham character goes through in this story. All in all, a good, entertaining film with some truly memorable moments.

Dream Much, Will?
Don't miss this original, the first of the Hannibal Lechtor series. The score, the filmography, (Lighting), is still so vividly used in the best of today's suspence/thrill sequences.
Will Graham, (William Peterson), is the "Manhunter" hunting down "Frances Dolarhyde", and also the man responsible for imprisoning Dr Lechtor, at great phsycial, and emotional harm to himself.
Don't be fooled by Dino's latest grab at a buck, the rediculous "Red Dragon". (Which is odd, since Dino owns "Manhunter" as well..)
So, Red Dragon is only a remake of this great film.
It's ultimately embaressing to watch Lechtor and Chilton's charachter's re-acted, only "made up" to look 20 some years younger! (Red Dragon).
This is the Real McCoy, and Brian Cox, IMHO, should have stayed Hannibal Lechtor.
If you want another good performance by Anthony Hopkins, see "Meet Joe Black".
BTW, as far as I can tell, Barney's character, (Frankie Faison), is the only actor to play in all "Four movies of the Trilogy"..
If you want the original psychological thriller in this series, you found it..

Pete

Michael Mann's controversial crime-thriller ...
MANHUNTER is the 1986 crime-thriller that began Michael Mann's career as a respected filmmaker. Adapted from the novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this film will be remembered as "the film with the OTHER Hannibal Lecter" and will dismissed by many as a good first try, but nothing special. CSI's William Petersen stars as Will Graham, a gifted FBI agent who is working to track down a mysterious killer nicknamed the "Tooth Fairy" before the next full moon. Aiding him in his hunt is the (curiously mispelled) criminal genius Hannibal Lecktor, played by Brian Cox. Being a huge fan of the Hannibal Lecter film series and Harris' novels, I have more to work with than some other people. MANHUNTER was adapted and directed by Michael Mann, who also produced "Miami Vice" - and it shows on the glittering design and stunning soundtrack. The acting is okay, but is great only in the cases of Petersen and Dennis Farina (who also featured on "Miami Vice", as well as certain other people who appear in the film). Mann's direction is the greatest part of the film. Brian Cox's performance as "Lecktor" works fine, but is completely incomparable to that of Anthony Hopkins, who played him in the later films. MANHUNTER has been unfairly dismissed as a piece of crap. It's no masterpiece, I'll grant you that, but the fact that the film is so dated, and the work that people like Mann and Petersen have done, make it a wonderful, "Miami Vice"-esque thriller.

Read the novel AND see this film!
I first rented this movie in the late '80s, and I really only did so to see Chris Elliot's cameo -- give me a break, I was really bored that weekend! Years later, when I saw Silence of the Lambs in the theater, I recognized the name of the doctor and realized that these two works were somehow related, and eventually ended up reading all four of Thomas Harris' novels and seeing all five film adaptations, of which Manhunter is my personal favorite.

Upon reflection, I initially found the film's ending a bit stereotypically Hollywood, and not quite up to the same high level of quality found in the rest of the film. As I later read the novel, I at first found myself liking the book's ending better, but understood how it might have been much harder to film -- that is, until I got past the red herring to the novel's REAL ending, which made Manhunter's ending seem positively inspired by comparison. (Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit too hard on Harris, and giving Michael Mann a bit too much of a pass on this point....)

If you don't like Michael Mann's directorial style, or if you're one of those pseudo-intellectuals who can't look at a film made in another decade without calling it "dated" -- or if you think Anthony Hopkins is the only actor who should ever be legally allowed to play the charac