Reviews (36)

A movie that made a big splash
"Splash" was a big hit when it first hit the screens back in the 80's and it's still fairly popular today. A man (Tom Hanks) that has been waiting to find the right woman for a long time finally finds her. But there's one problem that he doesn't understand until he really gets to know her, she's a mermaid (Daryl Hannah). How will a man and a mermaid work it out and stay together?

"Splash" is a real entertaining movie and it's not all drama. It tells a story of true love and it does have a lot of drama in it, but it also has a little bit of comedy to it in some parts, and most of that is credit to one of the best comedy actors ever, John Candy, who plays as Tom Hanks's brother. If you like good movies, I definitely recommend getting "Splash." It's bound to make a big splash while you watch it.

One Of My All Time Favourite Comedys!
I will never forget the first time I saw the movie "Splash". It was in California 6 years ago and I watched the tape with my cousin. I thought it was so creative and the acting was so good. It was also a very humorous and did have a few sad parts in it, but all in all, I still liked it and watched it as many times as I could on TV because it was on alot. I then ended up buying my own copy. Ok, enough about me, let me tell you a bit about the storyline

Tom Hanks plays Allen Bauer, a single bachelor who is looking for a love. After a boating accident, he is rescued by a mermaid (Daryl Hannah) and falls in love with her and names her Madison. For he thinks she is a normal, everyday American woman, he has no clue he is dating a mermaid who has 6 days to have legs and not fins!!! Of course this film has lots and lots of surprises, it never tires me out when I watch it!

What a film! No wonder why it is a classic! Rated PG for Language.

SWEET, FUNNY, ROMANTIC, ORIGINAL, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU ASK FOR?
Usually when I hear "an 80's comedy" I really hear "a silly, gross, stupid comedy"...but not this time my friends, because "Splash" is one of the funniest films of the 1980s. You see, it really has it all: funny jokes, tender moments, romance, an intelligent script, and a very charismatic cast.

In "Splash" we can see a very young Tom Hanks (in his comedic period), a promising Darryl Hannah (she didn't quite reach stardom, but in this movie she is great), a hilarious John Candy (in one of his finest and funniest performances), and Eugene Levy, he plays a wacky and clueless scientist.

"Splash" is a movie that effectively combines comedy with romance and fantasy, perhaps the movie succeeded so well because the people involved in the film were youthful and energetic, and they put their hearts in the making of "Splash". This movie is highly recommendable.

Hilarious romantic comedy
I just watched Splash over the weekend on video, for the umpteenth time and I have to say is one of my all time favourite comedies. It still has me laughing out loud and makes me want to weep over the romantic scenes.

A young Tom Hanks plays Allen Bauer, a fruit wholesaler who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. He goes off to Cape Cod one evening after getting drunk and is rescued by a naked beautiful girl (Daryl Hannah) when he falls into the sea. The naked beautiful girl later arrives in New York at the Statue of Liberty in search of Allen whom she also saved from drowning many years ago when they were children. Allen immediately falls for her and spends the happiest days of his life steaming up his appartment and seeing the sights of New York. The only problem is the naked beautiful girl (now named Madison) is in fact a mermaid but Allen doesn't know this.

She has six whole days to stay with Allen and then she must return to the sea. Allen thinks that Madison is an illegal immigrant and offers to marry her so that she can stay with him. She refuses at first and then accepts his offer but before she can tell him her big secret she is exposed to the whole world by a scientist (Eugene Levy) that she is a mermaid. Allen is shocked and backs away from Madison but later realises his mistake and with his brother (John Candy) and the help of Eugene Levy they save her from imprisonment by the scientists.

John Candy who plays Allen's playboy brother is absolutely hilarious. His character is literally larger than life. The comic timing between Tom Hanks and John Candy is spot on. Daryl Hannah is also great as the mermaid who learns to be human in literally a few days. There are some brilliant laugh out loud scenes such as when Daryl Hannah is at Bloomingdales watching television for 6 hours to educate herself in the English language and when she's in a restaurant eating lobster including the shell. There are some great lines aswell such as when Allen mentions about getting married and having children and Madison innocently asks what kind.

Splash is a timeless comedy and is highly recommended to all those who love a bit of romance along with a good laugh.

Lealing

A "Slash" of a Romantic Comedy!
Here's a true piece of Hollywood Candy, a sweet as they come! An 8-year old boy falls off of a tour boat at Cape Cod and is saved from drowning by what appears to be a little girl mermaid. The boy never forgets about what happened that day, although everyone insists he was hallucinating.

Years later, now a man (and played by Tom Hanks), another trip to Cape Cod brings a dejavu: Hanks falls off of a tour boat and is rescued by an all grown mermaid (played by Daryl Hannah). Could it be the same mermaid that saved him when he was a boy? -- The mermaid has normal legs when kept dry, but once douced with water, the legs turn into fish finns. Hannah is able to conseal her true identity, until a "bad guy" exposes her. There are complications, but eventually everything comes up roses.

One great scene is where the grown up mermaid spends 6 hours in the electronics department of a store, and learns the English language fluently by watching tv non-stop. Cute! -- This film is very entertaining and helps us feel compassion for anyone who is somehow different from what society considers the norm. The somewhat predictable ending is beautiful! Highly recommended, especially to the hopelessly romantic cinema enthusiasts out there!***** ... Read more

Reviews (114)

I can dig it!
I am 21 years old. My mother raised me with the monkees music and tv shows. I did not see this movie until 2 years ago. I was impressed. And so should everyone else be that called them a "fake" band and so on. The talent is remarkable, as well as the direction and the writing. This film involves all of the angst and emotion of their personal lives as well as the sign of the times. They were trying to find love and peace in a world ridden with war. At the time they were so passionate about their beliefs, as well as with trying to strip off the stereotypes that people put on them by thinking that they weren't original or by comparing them to the Beatles (with whom they were friends with and hung out with on a regular basis). Everyone will have a different opinion after watching this movie. My opinion is that it is thoroughly enjoyable and an absolute shame to never see. There are so many different scenes and wonderful actors and great music! I think I am going to watch it again right now. Oh, and remember:Nobody ever lends money to a man with a sense of humor.

The Ultimate Acid Trip
Bob Rafaelson and Jack Nicholson were at a party with the monkees while all of them were stoned and asked them questions about their fame, their desires, and their fantasies and the result was Head, a psychodelic, plotless mindtrip which flows like a good Monty Python Episode.

Those tuning in to see the rapid-fire improv-filled laughtrack which was the TV series are in for a shock as this has none of their ultrasticom comedy, but hey! Hey! it's still the monkees....everything is just a bit more abstract and surreal :) And let's not forget the music! Wow! The monkees have never sounded so good, writing nearly all of their material. Mickey shines on Psychodelic "Porpoise Song" (while we see him jump off a bridge into a mermaid-filled sea) and the sweet ballad "aas We go Along. Mike Nesmith really rocks on "Circle Sky" and Peter Tork gives us more songwriting weirdness with his rapid fire "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?"

This is a good movie to sit back with your friends and watch entranced at its path. Lots of fun cameos by the likes of Teri Garr, Frank Zappa, and of course Victor Mature and his hair!

Groovy!

cult classic
All I have to say is if your a true monkees fan your wasting your time I'ts terrible. How ever if your a huge fan of Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shock Treatment,J-Men Forever and any movie that director
Ed Wood did "except" Orgy Of The Dead (thats just asking for punishment.)than this movie is awsome.
I don't under stand why Peter Tork is the star of the movie ,he's on the least compared to the other guyes.

Head is a trip!
What is so unique about HEAD is that it's dreamlike in a way that few movies are. A uniquely crafted film inspired by the underground films of the 50s & 60s. Few movies manage to be entertaining solely on the strength of editing, but here a series of dreamsequences are seemlessly strung together in a fun and innovative way. The most revolutionary part has to be the way the beginning and end sequences were connected by the events between them yet are the same scene with only slight variations. Huh? As the Monkees put it, "when you see the end in sight the beginning may arrive". How they do it is masterful. If you try to make sense of this movie, you'll be missing the point. The best thing to do is just mellow out before you watch it and allow HEAD to mess with your head a little. It will if you give it a chance and that makes for a truly rewarding viewing experience. Outside of the Monkees trying to escape their manufactured image, nothing really makes sense in this strange little movie. However, criticising HEAD for it makes about as much sense as critising your dreams for being equally strange and nonsensical. Where comedy is concerned, HEAD is not funny in a humorous way but rather in a peculiar way, similar to the way dreams have you saying, "what was that all about?" later on. If this had been a hit, it could have taken popular filmmaking in a whole new direction.

The Definitive Anti-Masterpiece
When this film was made the career of the Monkees was already in decline as their show had been cancelled and their music was no longer charting ('Porpoise Song' from the "Head" soundtrack got up to number 62 on Billboard). The group was tired of their squeaky clean image as the 'Pre-Fab Four', and they just wanted out. This film was conceived in an effort to reach out to more adult audiences, and to hasten their departure from the scenes as the prototype MTV 'boy band'.

The film itself is a quirky, stream of consciousness movie that treads the line between anti-war statement film to over the top comedy in scenes where, for instance, they have to frolic on the scalp of Victor Mature (in a sequence known as 'dandruff') and are subsequently sucked into a giant vacuum cleaner by Victor Mature's hairdresser. There is no plot as such, but there is some redeeming social commentary such as when Frank Zappa tells Davy that he needs to work on his music more (but compliments his dancing, done with Toni Basil). At the end of the scene Frank Zappa's cow offers her opinion of the Monkees, in a scene that must be my favorite of the movie.

Some of the music is great, with the Nesmith tune 'Circle Sky' getting top mention. It's a great song, filmed live in a scene designed to show how the boys had been devoured by their public image. Other musical numbers are a bit lacking, particularly 'Daddy's Song' and 'As We Go Along.'

Highlights in the film are in the cameos. Not only do Toni Basil and Frank Zappa put in appearances, so do boxer Sonny Liston (who fights Davy), Terry Garr (who pleads to have poison sucked from her finger), Annette Funicello (who pleads tearfully with Davy in a love interest scene), and Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper in a cantina scene. Most peculiar of all credits are for writers and producers, namely longtime Monkees collaborator Bob Rafelson, and Jack Nicholson, who later collaborated on "Five Easy Pieces" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice", among other projects.

There are also extras consisting of theatrical trailers, including one in Portuguese, and television ads for the film. The film was essentially not promoted, certainly didn't connect with the typical Monkee demographic, and was a disaster at the box office. This didn't trouble the band, as it gave them a clear path out, with Peter quitting very shortly after the movie was released. This is as unlike the Monkees TV show as can be imagined, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a trippy sixties flashback stranger than most any other. I was fortunate enough to see this in a theater, and have loved it ever since. I recommend the film to people who know about the Monkees or just think they do. I guarantee that it will shatter your preconceived notions of the band. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Oh those zany 80's
I remember seeing this in 1987 at the theater. It was kind of embarrassing because there were like only ten people in there.

If you're looking for the zaniness of Ferris Bueller, this is right up your alley. Jerry Mitchell has to fight a school bully at three o'clock. He tries to pay off a huge jock to protect him, which ends up being film history's largest domino demonstration. He tries to get detention, but just ends up turning on his English teacher. Throw in a bratty little sister, a new age girlfriend, the 'perfect girl' and a nerd sidekick, and you got yourself an hour and a half of decent entertainment.

Hey we all had those butterflies in our stomach when we knew we had a fight set for after school, it's all apart of growing up. It just sucked when it happened first thing in the morning, so you had to dwell on it all day. So there's a little Jerry in all of us. Of course those were the 80's. For those too young to remember, teenagers would settle their differences with their fists, not guns. Hard to believe but it's true.

Notice how at the end of the movie, the whole school looks like the Roman Collusium or a scene out of Mad Max. Outrageous.

Great Teen Film
Ask any "child of the 80's" and they'll give you the usual list of classic "teen films" - Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc... But there's a good chance they'll fail to mention one that really stands out: Three O'Clock High. It takes place over the course of a single school day. Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) is a nerdy, wimpy kid assigned to tackle a frightening assignemnt: write a school newspaper story on an incorrigible badass bully names Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson). Not knowing Buddy's temperamental nature, and inability to forgive a grudge, he gets Buddy upset enough to make him set up a fight after school. At three o'clock, natch. Jerry spends the day trying to avoid the confrontation with Buddy, and everything he tries simply gets him in trouble with school authorities, and with Buddy himself. And the moment of truth draws closer... Three O'Clock High is basically High Noon in high school, but it's done in such a fresh and interesting way. The cinematography is spare and clean, with some deft camera moves. The dialogue is pretty crisp, and occasionally hits the mark dead-on. It's surreal, but any recent ex-high schooler will easily recognize the "types" depicted here. END

Great comedy-drama, even better than da BREAKFAST CLUB!
To make one thing clear in front; THE BREAKFAST CLUB is one of those films I'll even love and won't get enough of, when I've even seen a thousand times! Because of its typical 80s-flair, and the great intense actings, it is for me one of the greatest films ever made!
Wouldn't there be THREE O`CLOCK HIGH - a laconic highschool-comedy-drama with a hilariously extravagant story and a standout in acting-qualities!
Casey Sziemasko has to match Richard Tyson in a fight he can't win! So he does anything to prevent the fight - funny, but also dramatic situations follow and in the end anything has to come how it had to come!

GO WATCH IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

If you like the 80's and movies like the Breakfast Club.....
...then Three O'Clock High is for you. I have an old VHS copy that I taped off of Starz or Encore many years ago and I haven't seen it on any of the movie channels for quite some time. Needless to say, my old VHS copy is worn out and I've gone in search for the DVD and I've found it!

I've watched this movie countless times as I've introduced it to my friends who hadn't saw it or even heard of it before I turned them on to it. Everyone I've shown the movie to has liked it. Many of the other reviews do a good job of describing who's in it and what the story is about. It's a movie I think a lot of people can relate to with their own experiences of high school.

It'll become one of those movies that you watch while you're not so sober too! Enjoy.

High Noon at Three P.M.
THREE O'CLOCK HIGH is a forgotten gem and one of the better high school teen movies from the 80's. Casey Siemaszko (BACK TO THE FUTURE, STAND BY ME) plays Jerry Mitchell who inadvertantly gets challenged to an after school fight with the new kid in school, Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson -KINDERGARTEN COP, BLACKHAWK DOWN). Buddy is mean, moody, huge, and probably has a questionable past. This happens practically at the beginning of the school day so the film focuses on Jerry's activites the rest of the day leading up to the time of the fight. He gets in all kinds of funny predicaments (at some of his classes, and at the student supply store which he runs and operates) trying to figure out how to get out of the fight. In the meantime the rest of the school finds out and want to be there (at the school parking lot). The audience is allowed to watch, along with Jerry, the school clock(s)and see his 'life' ticking away. There are many twists and turns involved including a scene where the two meet up again at a math class (actually sitting next to each other) and Jerry helps Buddy cheat on a math quiz. The film could have been predictable, but the fight does insue and it is handled with good direction, care and timing. The filmakers let Jerry hold his own against Buddy with a great and amusing payoff. Then, part of the ending is taken straight out of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Genuinely, a smart movie with some interesting camera work, good production values, a good performance by Casey Siemaszko and a good supporting cast which includes veterans Jeffrey Tambor (AND JUSTICE FOR ALL) and John P. Ryan (THE RIGHT STUFF). Note: Look for Mitch Pileggi (Agent Skinner from the X-FILES) as the school security guard. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg depicts the D-day landings with a realism lauded by veterans. The Big Red One depicts the D-day landings, too, and it was made by a veteran. Writer-director Samuel Fuller, who served in the First Infantry Division from North Africa to Czechoslovakia (including the Normandy landings), made a career out of swift, punchy B movies, such as Pickup on South Street and The Naked Kiss. The Big Red One became Fuller's nod to A-movie filmmaking, yet it has the solid, matter-of-fact perspective of the ground-level infantryman. The episodic action ranges all over the European theater, as a tough squad of American GIs (including Mark Hamill and Robert Carradine) follow their hard-bitten sergeant (Lee Marvin, at his best) and try to stay alive. Filmed mostly in Israel, the film delivers on the requisite war-movie conventions and tough-guy humor but also introduces notes of poetry. Fuller's D-day doesn't match the pyrotechnics of Spielberg's version, but it creates power from the simple image of a dead soldier's watch, ticking away in blood-soaked surf. A fine and memorable picture, The Big Red One might have been even greater had it been released in Fuller's full-length cut--someday perhaps a restoration will allow the director's vision to be seen for the first time. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Big acting by Marvin; Red Normandy beaches; One good ending
Sarge (Lee Marvin), first saw combat near the end of WWI. Now, years later, in North Africa in WWII he is a grizzled, war weary, seen it all veteran. Nevertheless, he's still resolute in his duty and a proud wearer of the Red #1 arm patch insignia of the US 1st Infantry Division. He is leader, father, mother, coach and whatever else he needs to be to get his rifle squad through the war. The four principal characters of interest are Griff (Mark Hamill), an expert riflemen but one who can't shoot the enemy if he sees his eyes; he calls it murder, Sarge says otherwise. There is Zab (Robert Carradine) who's main purpose is narrator, his musings provide background and setting; the other two are Johnson and Vinci. We follow this group throughout the movie and the war from North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, Belgium and finally to a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia for a series of emotionally powerful concluding scenes.

There is no glorification of war here; indeed the message is very clear - the only glory in war is surviving. The movie is very creative in introducing characters whose sole purpose, with their demise, is to underline this message. The short careers of both Lemchek and Kaiser are cases in point. The battle scenes are weak and unrealistic but that's not the emphasis. The action scenes that are memorable are the ones with a subtle message; the camera focusing in on the dead soldiers wristwatch in the surf of Normandy, the water turning red with the passing of time; the scene at the asylum in France and the concentration camp scene where Griff overcomes his compunction about shooting while seeing the whites of his enemies eyes.

It's a well crafted movie, with some strong acting from Lee Marvin and Mark Hamill and a movie which delivers it's message in a well thought out and strong ending.

Awe Inspiring Title, Segmented Movie
In World War Two the US 1st Infantry Division earned its colors in constant battle from North Africa, Sicily and Northern Europe. Because of its distictive shoulder patch the division became known as The Big Red One. Samuel Fuller's motion picture of the same name does not quite hit the mark with respect to conveying the battle scars endured by the division. Fuller focuses on a squad of soldiers, led by Lee Marvin (The Dirty Dozen), in a story told by one of the squad members, Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds). The picture has potential. Indeed there is information to suggest that there is a longer uncut version of the movie mouldering away someplace. The film currently available on VHS and DVD -- the same version that was projected in movie theaters -- seems more like a television movie than major motion picture. Granted, the special effects were good for their day, but you do not have to look too far to see the obvious shortcomings. For the most part the dialogue is contrived and somewhat phony. Lee Marvin, a magnificent actor, was too old to play the part of a junior noncommissioned officer. In two of the beach invasion landing scenes (North Africa and Normandy) and despite a downward camera angle there is a total absence of ships to be seen anywhere on the water except for one token landing craft lingering in the distance. The greatest shortcoming of the film is that it is composed of a series of disjointed vignettes sewn together into one story. The most powerful part of the movie are the last minutes of the film when the squad liberates a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. This scene alone could have been flushed out and served as the backdrop for a whole movie; or possibly been a vehicle for flashbacks of the what the squad had endured leading up to the end of the war. Filmed primarily in Israel THE BIG RED ONE reflects what appears to be a reflective personal journey designed to entertain the storyteller alone. With the exception of this film's stars, I found this movie very similar to A MIDNIGHT CLEAR. If you are a fan of war movies then this movie will probably find its way into your collection.

Worst war film ever?
This film is a disgrace, the combat is unrealistic and i'm sure the tanks in it are all the same for americans and germans alike. The narration is very annoying and quite pointless. I know the film is trying to put across an important message but it could have done it better; better actors for a start, Lee Marvin is not exactly my favourite. Overall leave this film alone, if you want to see a good war film watch Patton, A Bridge too Far or The Longest Day.

OVERALL SCORE: (B+)
This is one of the more stunning and profound cinematic portraits of the Second World War. It is an unflinching window into the surrealistic exploits of warriors in combat. This is by far a more worthwhile movie then many later attempts, that fail to emotionally grip you, instead relying on computer effects for drama.

OVERALL SCORE: (B+)

PLOT: (B), ACTING: (B-), DIALOGUE: (B-), SETTING: (C), ACTION/COMBAT: (B), ANTAGONISTS: (B), ROMANCE: (n/a), AGE LEVEL: (PG)

Other great war movies; The Longest Day (1962), We Were Soldiers (2002), Gallipoli (1981), Attack Force Z (1982), Cross of Iron (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), or The Dirty Dozen (1967).

The "Definitive" Bad Review
This is one of those movies that you either love or hate. I'm guessing the lovers like the interesting combat action and episodic nature of the movie, which keeps up a fast pace and allows for multiple locations and perspectives on the war.

Unfortunately, this movie is ruined by the Voice Narrator - none other than future star of "Revenge of the Nerds." Whether it's the actor chosen or bad direction, it is easily the most annoying voice over in "A-movie" history. Particularly since we have all seen this done much more effectively in war movies released since this picture was made in 1980. I have no doubt that these movies owe a debt to the Big Red One, with the directors saying, "Stop, you sound like the nerd in the Big Red One. Try it again."

My "favorite" scene: The squad delivers a baby during D-Day (you can't make this crap up folks-oh wait, I guess they did). Dialogue of soldier delivering baby: "Lady, I'm a hell of a lot more scared than you are...just take it easy." (uh, Hello, this film was robbed of an Oscar for screenwriting)

My "favorite" voice over narration line:
"We got a bunch of medals...not for delivering the kid, but for killing Krauts."

My all time "favorite" dialogue:
Soldier: "What's the French word for PUSH?"
Marvin Lee: "Pussay" (Which he repeats multiple times as we see the pregnant woman writhing in labor, her legs spread over Lee Marvin's shoulders...."pussay, pussay, pussay...he shouts" (now that's some serious double entendre, folks)

My "favorite" cowboy moment as the soldier's creep through enemy lines. Lee Marvin: "It's a bushwack." (not related to the labor scene folks)

My "favorite" movie message, from this actual dialogue at an insane assylum the GIs comes across in France:

Marvin: "Killing insane people is not good for public relations."
Soldier: "But killing sane people is?"
Marvin: "That's Right."

Wow, that's powerful stuff.

In summary, the acting is sophomoric (gotta love the off-screen screams when someone gets it - no, it's not your little brother playing in the other room--it's the movie), the writing and dialogue is stilted and corny and the tone/direction awkwardly switches from whimsical to melodramatic and back again.

Still, it's not bad Sunday afternoon viewing if you like war action and enjoy making fun of old movies - the best thing to do, though, is watch it with a remote control and hit mute every time the annoying/cloying narrator speaks. For added interest, print off a script of the movie and read the narration at the appropriate points, since on rare occassions the narrator does say something interesting. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Price and Corman tackle Lovecraft and Shakespeare (sort of)
Here are a pair of films with actor Vincent Prince and director Roger Corman from their glory days. "The Haunted Palace" is arguably one of the best adaptations of an H. P. Lovecraft story, but since this is an American International production directed by Roger Corman, the name above the title is Edgar Allan Poe. The Lovecraft story being roughly adapted is "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," which deals with the resurrection of the dead through sorcery. In the town of Arkham the wizard Joseph Curwen was burnt at the stake, but not before he curses the villagers (and their descendants) and promises to rise from the dead. Ward is Curwen's descendant and Vincent Price plays both roles. Ward arrives with his beautiful wife Ann (Debra Paget) to take over the family castle, which comes complete with a caretaker (Lon Chaney, Jr.). Ward notices his resemblance to Curwen's portrait, and soon the dead wizard takes over his descendant's body with the goal of breeding human women with the Elder Gods.

To be fair, Corman resisted the "Poe" credit. The final irony is that "The Haunted Palace" lacks the pace and flamboyancy of AI's Poe films, even with Corman and Price on hand for the fun. The above average script here is by Charles Beaumont and Ronald Stein's musical score is one of the better ones to grace a B-grade horror movie, but as you might expect Price's performance is the lynchpin to the entire film. Still, Corman puts his mark upon the film with the rather downbeat ending. All in all, "The Haunted Palace" stands up in comparison to the more recognizable Poe films and with this DVD we get to see it in its original widescreen format, which makes a big difference.

"Tower of London" is ostensibly a remake of a 1939 film with Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone which turned Shakespeare's "Richard III" into a stripped down horror show (Rathbone was Richard and Karloff his executioner). Price is Richard, Duke of Gloucester at the outset, who murders his way to the English throne occupied first by his brother Edward IV (Justice Watson) and then his nephew Edward V (Eugene Martin). Ironically, Price had been in the original as the poor murdered Clarence, who this time is played by Charles Macaulay. The problem is that the script makes Richard out to be some sort of deranged psychopath, and Price's performance goes over the line into the realm of camp as far as I am concerned.

If you knew nothing about the Richard of history or drama you would think this was another one of Corman's Poe films because it has all of his standard tricks of the trade in that regard (would the director have put Poe's name above the title instead of Shakespeare's if that had been a point of contention?). In the Poe films the Vincent Price character falls apart early on and has to suffer throughout the film and that is what happens with his Richard in "The Tower of London." But why would you want a Richard who guilty murders his way to the throne? The attraction in Shakespeare is that Richard is a grand villain, who can, to quote the bard, smile and murder whilst he smiles. This guy is just a loon. The rest of the cast is more than competent, especially for a Corman film, but Price's performance keeps dragging this one down past the point of no return. Fortunately, "The Haunted Palace" redeems this DVD enough to justify checking it out.

This one almost slipped under the radar.
I stumbled onto the Haunted Palace by accident, on tv, just one of the movies I had never gotten around to watching. So I'm sitting there, only half paying attention when I hear enough key words to tell me that The Haunted Palace is, at least in large part, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, a Lovecraft flick that had completely escaped my attention. (There's another movie base on Charles Dexter Ward called The Resurrected, which is okay, but I liked The Haunted Palace better.) I went out and got this DVD asap. I was a little bit disconcerted about the way they tried to downplay the Lovecraft elements in favor of the Poe influences, but I guess it had to do with the time in which the movie was made. Still, it must be noted that this is one of the few movies that ever, oddball pronuciations aside, specfically named Cthulhu and Yog-Sothoth.

In the movie, Ward inherits the palace where his nefarious warlock ancestor, Curwen, practiced bizarre rites and experimentations designed to help the Old Ones regain their earthly dominion. Unlike the Curwen from the story, who mainly specialized in summonings and necromantic resurrections, the movie Curwen was a warlock trying to create a hybrid race between mankind and the Old Ones that would give Cthulhu and the troops their doorway back to earth. His plans were cut short, however, when the townspeople set upon him and burned him alive. Curwen placed his curse on the whole town, which came both in the form of the longterm effects of his experiments and in the form of Curwen himself, when he returned from the grave. In the movie, Curwen is a spirit that possesses Ward, gaining physical control and falling in with his two warlock cohorts to begin his experiments again. Initially, Curwen is sidetracked by the business of revenging himself on the townspeople and resurrecting his former mistress. However, unlike the Ward in the story, this Ward is resistant to Curwen, strong-willed and fueled by love for his super-hot babe of a wife.

Overall, I thought the movie looked pretty sleek, somber but hard-hitting when it needs to be, with elaborate sets, ghoulishly-perfect lighting, and that cool music, much more dignified and deserving than most of the Lovecraft stuff that's floating around out there. It tends to be a little bit light on the supernatural side, though; the ghost aspect doesn't get quite enough play, and the freakish results of the experimentations could have been better. Still, Curwen did have some kind of aquatic monstrosity in the lower depths of the palace, and even though that particular phase of the movie just sort of fizzled out, I liked to think that the creature was something cool like a servitor to the Old Ones, maybe a Deep One or something like that. Either way, even if you're not a Lovecraft fan, this movie would appeal to any true horror fan, I think, although in my case it did take the Lovecraft aspect to really draw me in. Two BIG thumbs up!

Tower of London was, for me, just an extra movie thrown into the deal. It was okay I guess, and it did have a few hot chicks, but it's nothing I would have endeavored to track down for its own merit. It's one of those ponderous sort of movies that comes off more like a play, a little bit convoluted, inclined more towards wardrobe than anything else. But, I like just about anything with Vincent Price, so it wasn't a difficult movie to watch. The real prize is The Haunted Palace, which tought me to stay on my toes when it comes to old movies. I think Lovecraft would have been pleased.

Overlooked classic Poe film.
This is a super buy since you get two films from the Horror team of Vincent Price and Roger Corman.

King of the Quickies, Roger Corman and Price made a good stab working their way through the stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe, making one film right after another based on horror tales. Near the end, they tossed in one loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward".

Price plays the lead in duo as Charles Dexter Ward his is distant relative, Joseph Curwen, a warlock.

The movie opens, in a small misty shrouded town with a girl going to the castle of Curwen. She is followed there by the villagers, but Curwen claims she came to visit of her own free will. However, the girl can only answer in barest of replies, so they know she is under Curwen's bewitchment. The village drag Curwen out into the night and kill him.

It moves to over 100 years later, when Charles Dexter Ward and his beautiful bridge come to claim the estate as his inheritance. They find the village strange, almost to the point of being hostile, and are oddly chilled when they see so many of the children are deformed. They learn from a kindly doctor there, the villager are cursed because of Curwen - who just happened to be the spitting image of Ward. Not there long at the Castle, when Ward suddenly begins to act funny. Could it be?

A wonderful performance by one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the screen, Debra Pagent, with the great character actors, Leo Gordon, Elisha Cook and Lon Chaney, Jr., this is very low toned horror film that really needs a second - and third - look.

____________________________

The second film in the nice double feature is The Tower of London, another flick that teamed Price with director Roger Corman. The story for this film came from the pen of Leo Gordan (actor in the other film The Haunted Palace) and has his younger brother Bruce Gordon (The Television's Untouchables) as the Earl of Buckingham. Price plays Richard of Gloucester, later to be Richard III haunted by the people he murdered to get to the throne of England (including the Little Princes). Odd note, this is the second time Vincent Price made The Tower of London. In 1939 he appeared in a film with the same title, also based on Richard III, with Basil Rathbone playing Richard and Price playing Duke of Clarence.

Great fun for Price fans at a great price!

Corman and Price strike again
It's funny. Unlike the other reviewer, I found "Tower of London" to be the main movie of interest on this disc, though I did enjoy both. Simply put, I liked "Tower of London" more because it gave us something different: while the half dozen or so other Corman/Price films seen thus far in the "Midnite Movies" series have given us lavish color and adaptations (or "sort of" adaptations) of Edgar Allan Poe works, "Tower of London delivered moody black & white photography and an adaptation of- of all things- a Shakespeare play. Thus, I found the movie to be a refreshing entry in this DVD series, with- believe it or not- long stretches of credibility and minimal hamminess. But like I said, the other movie is good, too, benefitting greatly from using a generous dose of H.P Lovecraft source material as well as the usual Poe themes (though it was still marketed as a Poe film and for the most part still feels like one). It was also nice to see both director Roger AND producer Gene Corman talking about these movies in the brief but very interesting interview segments included with each film. It'll be fun to see what the next few "Midnite Movies" double feature discs will be like... are there possibly any more 1960's American International Pictures Roger Corman and/or Vincent Price pics LEFT that haven't been released?

Saved by DVD
Although I only gave this film three stars its worth a look. Its large sets, swirling fog, moody lighting and great cast set it apart from other B films of this time period. The quality of the DVD is excellant. Vincent Price playing a man torn between right and wrong is always worth watching. A great film for Halloween. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Here Be Munsters
This had all the makings of a huge disaster. We had already born witness to the huge travesty that was The Addams Family Halloween reunion special four years earlier in 1977, so there weren't high expectations for this one. While the film is by no means a classic or what one would of hoped, it isn't all that bad at all. It's quite enjoyable and very watchable and makes you just about forget The Addams Family mistake. Well, almost. By now, we all know the story already. The Munsters was an ABC show that ran for only two seasons(1964-1966)and consisted of 70 episodes. There was the man of the house, Herman Munster(Fred Gwynne), his wife Lily(Yvonne DeCarlo), her father Grandpa(Al Lewis), son Eddie(Butch Patrick), and beautiful niece Marilyn(Originally Beverly Owen, then Pat Priest). They resided at 1313 Mockinbird Lane. This 1981 reunion brings back the 3 main players, Gwynne, DeCarlo, and Lewis, while newcomers played Eddie and Marilyn. Comedy legend Sid Caesar plays a crook who has his wax dummies at the wax museum come to life and pull off robberies. Two such wax dummies are dead ringers for Herman and Grandpa. Naturally, our favorite gruesome twosome are charged with the robberies and it's up to Herman and Grandpa to clear their names and stop the madman. The depiction of Herman and Grandpa as a slapsticky comedy team is fun. What is really special about this goodhearted reunion is that the 3 main actors are all in fine form. It was as tho not a day had passed since their final episode in 1966. Gwynne, who was 54 at the time, was as usual, perfection. He knows Herman inside and out and there is not a single difference in his look or performance as Herman. He was fantastic and never got the credit he deserved. Al Lewis is Grandpa and like Gwynne, it was as if nothing had changed. There was definitley noticeability in age with DeCarlo however. Still, she was Lily. There was nothing to write home about the new actors who played Marilyn and Eddie. Obviously the original actors would of been too old to play these roles now. Points also go to the set of the famous Munster abode. It is pretty much the way it was on the series. It was nice to see the house, what we saw of it, in color. The first Munster movie, "Munster, Go Home!" in 1966, was nice, but I liked and enjoyed this one better. Like I said before, it could of easily of been a horrible disaster, but with the fantastically in top form Gwynne and Lewis, the house, and the endearing charm of the film and the series' legacy, it wasn't all that bad. Now, how about a big screen update?.

Let me splain sometheen
As far as The Munsters go, this may be the worst thing ever done before Munsters Today. But as far as comparing it to the Addams family reunion movie Munsters Revenge is a Masterpiece.

Weak overall, but still irresistible
For those of us who are lifelong fans of "The Munsters," this made-for-TV reunion, while weak in storyline, at least continues the life of the original series sadly cut short after only two seasons. Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis look mostly unchanged and the pair have lost none of their camraderie, and even a noticeably older Yvonne DeCarlo holds up well. Kudos also go to the set designers, who seem to have assembled as many of the original props as could be found for the interior set of the Munster home which fans know so well. [Note, however, that exterior shots of the house are taken from "Munster, Go Home!," with "England or Bust" painted on the family car. By the time "The Munsters' Revenge" was produced, the original house facade at Universal had gone through several unfortunate alterations and must have been too costly to restore and re-dress.] Call this one "for fans only."

it is litttle good but still a bad flim
this migt be worth wacing somtimes but not all the time i dint reely care for this the truth about this show is to try to beat with a other monster the addams family which came first before this show this rely is not that good a rip of show that is stupid if you whant somthing that is good go see the addams family you will be glad you did

Great DVD release
The Munsters' Revenge is, as reunion movies go, an excellent outing. The stars look remarkably unchanged (in spite of the 15 year interval)and their typical performances in character leave you feeling they've never really been away - especially with a script which is very reminiscent of the original series and is quite strong in its humour. What a great idea to release this on DVD and let's hope that this encourages the release of more Universal product reunion movies on DVD such as The Return of Ironside, The Rockford Files, etc. Well worth the money. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Tom Hanks was a relatively unknown TV actor with a sitcom as his biggest credit when relatively unknown director Ron Howard (best known for his own sitcom acting) cast him in this surprise hit. It made stars of Hanks, Daryl Hannah, and John Candy and an A-list director out of Howard. Hannah is a mermaid who comes to Manhattan in search of Hanks, the guy she has twice saved from drowning. Hanks runs a business with his lovable blowhard brother (Candy), whose goal in life is to have a letter published in Penthouse. When this perfect woman shows up, Hanks can't believe his luck and plunges into a dizzyingly romantic relationship, unaware of her sea-water secret. But the mermaid needs to soak and unfurl her tail from time to time, which leads to complications, including her capture by the government for scientific study (what else?). Hanks is winningly charming and Hannah is a perfect match in this enjoyably high-spirited comedy, though the biggest laughs belong to Candy. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (36)

A movie that made a big splash
"Splash" was a big hit when it first hit the screens back in the 80's and it's still fairly popular today. A man (Tom Hanks) that has been waiting to find the right woman for a long time finally finds her. But there's one problem that he doesn't understand until he really gets to know her, she's a mermaid (Daryl Hannah). How will a man and a mermaid work it out and stay together?

"Splash" is a real entertaining movie and it's not all drama. It tells a story of true love and it does have a lot of drama in it, but it also has a little bit of comedy to it in some parts, and most of that is credit to one of the best comedy actors ever, John Candy, who plays as Tom Hanks's brother. If you like good movies, I definitely recommend getting "Splash." It's bound to make a big splash while you watch it.

One Of My All Time Favourite Comedys!
I will never forget the first time I saw the movie "Splash". It was in California 6 years ago and I watched the tape with my cousin. I thought it was so creative and the acting was so good. It was also a very humorous and did have a few sad parts in it, but all in all, I still liked it and watched it as many times as I could on TV because it was on alot. I then ended up buying my own copy. Ok, enough about me, let me tell you a bit about the storyline

Tom Hanks plays Allen Bauer, a single bachelor who is looking for a love. After a boating accident, he is rescued by a mermaid (Daryl Hannah) and falls in love with her and names her Madison. For he thinks she is a normal, everyday American woman, he has no clue he is dating a mermaid who has 6 days to have legs and not fins!!! Of course this film has lots and lots of surprises, it never tires me out when I watch it!

What a film! No wonder why it is a classic! Rated PG for Language.

SWEET, FUNNY, ROMANTIC, ORIGINAL, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU ASK FOR?
Usually when I hear "an 80's comedy" I really hear "a silly, gross, stupid comedy"...but not this time my friends, because "Splash" is one of the funniest films of the 1980s. You see, it really has it all: funny jokes, tender moments, romance, an intelligent script, and a very charismatic cast.

In "Splash" we can see a very young Tom Hanks (in his comedic period), a promising Darryl Hannah (she didn't quite reach stardom, but in this movie she is great), a hilarious John Candy (in one of his finest and funniest performances), and Eugene Levy, he plays a wacky and clueless scientist.

"Splash" is a movie that effectively combines comedy with romance and fantasy, perhaps the movie succeeded so well because the people involved in the film were youthful and energetic, and they put their hearts in the making of "Splash". This movie is highly recommendable.

Hilarious romantic comedy
I just watched Splash over the weekend on video, for the umpteenth time and I have to say is one of my all time favourite comedies. It still has me laughing out loud and makes me want to weep over the romantic scenes.

A young Tom Hanks plays Allen Bauer, a fruit wholesaler who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. He goes off to Cape Cod one evening after getting drunk and is rescued by a naked beautiful girl (Daryl Hannah) when he falls into the sea. The naked beautiful girl later arrives in New York at the Statue of Liberty in search of Allen whom she also saved from drowning many years ago when they were children. Allen immediately falls for her and spends the happiest days of his life steaming up his appartment and seeing the sights of New York. The only problem is the naked beautiful girl (now named Madison) is in fact a mermaid but Allen doesn't know this.

She has six whole days to stay with Allen and then she must return to the sea. Allen thinks that Madison is an illegal immigrant and offers to marry her so that she can stay with him. She refuses at first and then accepts his offer but before she can tell him her big secret she is exposed to the whole world by a scientist (Eugene Levy) that she is a mermaid. Allen is shocked and backs away from Madison but later realises his mistake and with his brother (John Candy) and the help of Eugene Levy they save her from imprisonment by the scientists.

John Candy who plays Allen's playboy brother is absolutely hilarious. His character is literally larger than life. The comic timing between Tom Hanks and John Candy is spot on. Daryl Hannah is also great as the mermaid who learns to be human in literally a few days. There are some brilliant laugh out loud scenes such as when Daryl Hannah is at Bloomingdales watching television for 6 hours to educate herself in the English language and when she's in a restaurant eating lobster including the shell. There are some great lines aswell such as when Allen mentions about getting married and having children and Madison innocently asks what kind.

Splash is a timeless comedy and is highly recommended to all those who love a bit of romance along with a good laugh.

Lealing

A "Slash" of a Romantic Comedy!
Here's a true piece of Hollywood Candy, a sweet as they come! An 8-year old boy falls off of a tour boat at Cape Cod and is saved from drowning by what appears to be a little girl mermaid. The boy never forgets about what happened that day, although everyone insists he was hallucinating.

Years later, now a man (and played by Tom Hanks), another trip to Cape Cod brings a dejavu: Hanks falls off of a tour boat and is rescued by an all grown mermaid (played by Daryl Hannah). Could it be the same mermaid that saved him when he was a boy? -- The mermaid has normal legs when kept dry, but once douced with water, the legs turn into fish finns. Hannah is able to conseal her true identity, until a "bad guy" exposes her. There are complications, but eventually everything comes up roses.

One great scene is where the grown up mermaid spends 6 hours in the electronics department of a store, and learns the English language fluently by watching tv non-stop. Cute! -- This film is very entertaining and helps us feel compassion for anyone who is somehow different from what society considers the norm. The somewhat predictable ending is beautiful! Highly recommended, especially to the hopelessly romantic cinema enthusiasts out there!***** ... Read more

Description

When a motion picture crew decides to use the supposedly-cursed Beal Mansion as the location for their latest horror film, little do they realize that they are tampering with the supernatural. According to legend, seven Beal descendants met violent, but "accidental" ends in the ancient house, and the latest Beal victim had been dabbling in the occult before her untimely demise. After headstrong director Eric Hartman (John Ireland) demands that his leading lady Gayle (Faith Domergue) recite actual passages from the Tibetan Book of the Dead during the filming, he unleashes long-dead spirits that begin to re-enact the historical Beal murders and exact their own bloody revenge on the trespassers. What secret does caretaker Edgar Price (John Carradine) hold to the Beal family curse? And what do the empty picture frame and unmarked grave have to do with the mystery--could there be a remaining member of the Beal family lurking about, with murder on his mind? ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Excellent soundtrack. The Titanic is the Star of this one.
People watch this movie for the soundtrack. Forget the acting. the Titanic is the Star. Clive Cussler is a brillant author and Dirk Pitt is the all american hero (James Bond, Indiana Jones and Macgyver all rolled into one) who gets a little short changed in this novel adaption. Watch the watch movie, buy the soundtrack and then listin to it while reading the book.

As a movie, good...as an adaptation?Well, not so good...
Having seen this movie specifically because of my love of Clive Cussler novels, I cannot help but pile on the criticism of this movie as one of the more horrible film adaptations of a truly spectacular adventure novel.Why?Because those who made this movie, attempted to re-write what was virtually perfect ALREADY.

However...for those who have never read the book, this movie really CAN have some fun & adventurous moments.So why all of the negative comments?I have YET to see a really decent and faithful adaptation of a novel to the big screen.Why?Who can say other than of COURSE there are several reasons why specific scenes are difficult or downright impossible to recreate visually, either by budget limitations or special effects difficulties or is simply unnecessary to the plot.HOWEVER, with that said, when eliminating certain portions of a film end up literally changing such large sections of the storyline as to render it almost an entirely different story, you have to ask yourself WHY DO IT?For those who have read the sequel to Jurassic Park and seen the abysmal movie version, you have to wonder if they even made the movie based on the novel AT ALL.In the case of Raise The Titanic, this is yet another case of plot alterations so severe that it renders the movie almost frighteningly different than the book.

One MAJOR problem with the movie HAS to be the casting of Dirk Pitt.While I am not entirely sold on the casting in 'Sahara' (other than Penelope Cruz as PERFECTLY fitting as Eva Rojas), Titanic's Dirk was simply mis-cast entirely.Somewhat like picking Regis Philbin to be Indiana Jones...well maybe not quite THAT bad.The special effects are surprisingly well done, though.Unlike some films, as time goes by many movies which when first viewed seem to have fantastic effects, only to be seen decades later and you wonder at just how cheesey they look today, this film's effects manage to hold up rather well over the years.However for those of us who are Cussler-aholics, we still find the re-written script to be silly by comparrison.This ISN'T to say the movie is not worth seeing, especially for those who haven't read the book.I can appreciate the film for what it is, and even for what it was INTENDED to be, but I find it almost in-excuseable to rate this movie beyond 2 stars for how much of a horrific adaptation it made.

A little over a year ago I had the incredible opportunity to interview Clive himself, and I asked him specifically about this movie.He said he was so disappointed with how it turned out he vowed to NEVER again sell one of his books to Hollywood unless he had script approval, actor approval and director approval.Since it has been a VERY long time in between Titanic and the release of Sahara, you can see that it took Hollywood a consideraly long amount of time to finally wise up and allow him what he wanted.All things considered, I felt the elimination of the President Lincoln angle from the movie took quite a bit of the REAL fun out of it.

Will I pay to see another Cussler film if ever adapted for the big screen no matter HOW badly it is scripted?Probably.But I sincerely hope that before any Producer makes this attempt to consider one VERY important thing first:Remember WHY the book was so good to begin with.Don't mess with the original.Leave out only what is absolutely necessary and don't take too many liberties with the storyline.See how successful the Lord of the Rings movies were??They adhered to the actual story about 85% of the time and look at the incredible success it enjoyed as a result?Just something to think about.

10 years befoer it was found
I think that the movie was good even if the titanic in reality was broken into pieces, but the book was made ten years before they found the titanic, and well the movie needed to follow the book.

A classic in my dvd-collection!
I agree with one of the reviewers below though I haven't red the book (yet): it's far from the first screen-adaption not being faithful to the book it's based on, far from!

And this adventure-movie, that's all it tries to be, is extremely entertaining -so adventure-fans, haven't you given this one a chanse yet, well, then you've missed something - I guarantee!

The filming of the raising: all I can say is WOW!!! It looks real, though I must admit as a big fan of the movie some wreck-shots on the "bottom of the Atlantic", well, you can tell it is a model -but not all data-animation looks real today either, and that's a fact. This movie must have required a lot of hard work and planning.

I really enjoy "Raise The Titanic", every time I watch it - and I never get bored.

One more thing -the fabolous John Barry soundtrack. Worthy of an Academy Award (and this is serious), the music is so mighty -and the music alone makes this movie worth seing. Fantastic soundtrack!

It's not on dvd here on the amazon.com, I've checked - but it's released on dvd over here in Norway. It contains the trailer, no behind-the-scenes. But I was very happy the day I found it... again!

You can buy it on dvd on www.play.com (in case you're a fan, and would like to buy it). Trailer included. And Cast-biographies.

Recommended!

dissapointed
I was dissapointed that the movie left out so much great stuff that the book has to offer.I truly feel that Cussler was robbed of the finer and major points of his work.I also didn't like thier choice of actors for characters like Admiral Sandecker or Dirk Pitt.I hope in the new movie they plan onmaking McCaunahey decides to take the role if not Harrison Ford or someone like that. ... Read more