Reviews (23)

"For this particular quilt the theme is: where love resides"
How to Make an American Quilt is a nice comfortable movie, and unlike so many other films belonging to the 'coming of age' genre, it doesn't leave the viewer feeling emotionally drained. It is also unusual in that it attempts to breach the generation divide in its appeal; however its success in this respect is debatable.

Finn is 26 and, hoping for some peace and quiet in which to complete her Master's thesis, she heads for her great-aunt's house in small-town Grasse, California. She also needs time to mull over a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. This is an entrance cue for a smoulderingly handsome strawberry farmer (in an unnecessary plot complication) to hinder Finn's contemplations.

Great-aunt Glady-Joe lives with her sister, Hy, and their constant bickering is portrayed with sensitivity and humour by Anne Bancroft and Ellen Burstyn. The two sisters belong to a quilting group, who are in the process of creating Finn's wedding quilt - thematically titled 'where love resides'. This evokes something different for each of the women, all of whom - in artificially contrived tete-a-tetes - explain to Finn the story behind their contributions to the quilt. The viewer is transported to a time when these elderly women were young, and through them we (along with Finn) learn that times may change, but affairs of the heart will always be unpredictable.

These dalliances in the past are refreshingly piquant; unfortunately this is countered by the film's occasional heavy-handedness. The symbolic crow that leads the women to their true love has all the subtlety of a flashing neon sign. Ultimately however, even if it does perhaps tie up the loose ends too thoroughly, the film will leave the viewer pleasantly satisfied.

Wonderful Tear Jerker with an All-Star Cast
"How to Make an American Quilt" is one of my favorite "chick flicks." And hopefully labeling a movie as a "chick flick" doesn't immediately damn it into some lesser category. When I want to curl up in a quilt on a rainy day and sip hot cocoa and watch a movie, "American Quilt" would be a perfect choice. This is one of the few times when I liked the movie far better than the book--which I read second.

In "American Quilt," Finn (Winona Ryder) comes to spend the summer with her grandmother Hy (Ellen Burstyn) and great aunt Glady Jo (Anne Bancroft) in Grasse, California. Her plan is to finish her master's thesis while considering the marriage proposal of her long-time sweetheart, Sam. Finn's inability to stick with a project--she's changed thesis topics countless times--seems about to derail her relationship with Sam. Amazon.com's main review criticizes the movie adaptation of the Whitney Otto novel for focusing too much on Finn. I thought that Finn's attempt to sort out her feelings about relationships, while talking to the other women in Hy and Glady Jo's quilting group, sewed the story together quite well. As Finn is pondering whether a modern, intelligent woman can preserve a sense of self within a marriage, one by one, her grandmother, aunt, and their friends share the stories of their marriages or their most significant relationships. Older women sharing their life experiences to help guide a younger woman rang very true to life.

Poet Maya Angelou turns in a surprisingly powerful performance as the leader of the quilting group. Her story of how, as an unwed mother, she came to work for Hy and Glady Jo's mother, is one of my favorites. She holds her own with this great actresses. Bancroft and Burstyn are wonderful as sisters whose love for each other has endured, despite betrayal. Samantha Mathis, as the young Sophia Darling, is stellar as the diver who can't wait to shake off the dust of her small town and explore the world, and who discovers that realizing such dreams aren't so easy.

As a quilter, I absolutely loved the various quilts seen in the movie. I appreciated the detail of including fabrics seen in the flashback scenes into the blocks that each woman contributes to the friendship quilt.

--Delightful film--
Starting with the title, which is terrific, I also liked the great cast of actors who were chosen for the film. The story begins when Finn (Winona Ryder) comes to spend the summer with her grandmother (Ellen Burstyn) and her aunt (Anne Bancroft) at a grand old house in California. Finn is a graduate student who wants to spend the summer working on her thesis. She also needs a break from her boyfriend who wants to marry her. She's very indecisive about everything in her life, and I honestly found her part to be a little boring. The best parts of the story are about the friends that her grandmother and aunt share and their involvement in a quilting circle. The quilting ladies are all quite different and through flashbacks we're given a glimpse of them as young women and the love or lack of love in their lives. Jean Simmons plays one of the women, and I was delighted to see her acting again. I loved the scenes where the quilters, are working around a table in the lovely old house. The set designs were beautiful and perfect for the story.

At a certain point in the film, we come to find out that the theme of the quilt is "where love resides." Every quilter is making a block from her own experience in life. Finn also learns that the quilt is her wedding gift.

HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT is an enjoyable movie. I think that the individual stories could have been a little more informative, but all things considered it's a wonderful movie and worth seeing.

sensitive and human
I quilt, my other half is an artist. We both viewed this " simple film " and both found a true delight about the emotions and sometimes confusions of the complexity of love. A finefilm for those that can understand love is delightful but at times so complex. A lovely movie that shrares hope beyond love, love beyond dreams!!

FANTABULOUS
This movie is phenomenal. It stars Winnona Ryder as Finn, a young woman about to be married, who is writing a thesis on the interpersonal relationships that are intertwined with in the making of an American quilt. The people that she is writing about are a group of women who have been quilting together for many, many years. They have assembled with the goal of creating a wedding quilt for Finn. The group is comprised of her grandmother, her aunt, and several of their oldest and closest friends. Each woman is charged with designing a single square of the quilt that represents for them "where love resides". As the women work on the quilt they use the opportunity to counsel Finn about her upcoming marriage. They give their own views on what is important in life; on what their experiences have taught them, and why they have made the choices in life that they have made. While they are together, working on the quilt you learn about the relationships and experiences that represent love for these women. At the same time you learn about the hardships and the tribulations that they have experienced both individually and within relationships with one another. This is a movie that explores the nuances of family, love, birth, death, marriage and friendship. This exploration is handled beautifully. The separate stories are woven together, as their lives are, and as the pieces of the quilt are. The movie on the surface is a simple story of several women's lives and their experiences. As you watch, and look deeper you begin to understand that there is profound meaning and an explicit symbolism in each scene and every moment. Each part of this movie was thought out and carefully considered. It is a pleasure to watch and you find your self deeply involved with these women as you travel full circle in their lives. If you have not seen How to Make an American Quilt you must, it should not be missed. ... Read more

Reviews (551)

A fun, dark superhero film
No, it's not as good as Tim Burton's Batman, nor the original Superman or the recent Spiderman movies. But Daredevil still is a good comic book film that wins much of my praise by being true to the page in creating a very dark character in a harsh world

Still, it is not without its flaws, and if it weren't for some very unique traits I would rate this film as only mediocre. But what works here works exceptionally well. Beginning with the traditional origin story of Daredevil (Ben Affleck), a blind superhero whose remaining senses are greatly heightened, the movie shows how he became a vengeful vigilante who kills the bad guys rather then turning them in to face a potentially corrupt court system (Daredevil's alter ego Matt Murdock is a lawyer by day). This world is mean, and so is its superhero. But he wrestles with his conscious and wonders if he is a bad guy too. In this comic book world, people die. Including those you don't expect to. In other words, it more accurately depicts real life while still in a superhero world.

One particular unique thing about the film is how it illustrates Daredevil's radar sense. The vibrations he picks up are shown in a fantastic visual effect that has to be one of the best film realizations of a superpower in history. From the origin scene when he goes blind to a wonderful scene with Elecktra in the rain where he first "sees" what she looks like from the drops of rain on her face, the technique is used for characterization and "film moments," and never just to show off a cool special effect.

Unfortunately, the movie isn't perfect. There isn't enough development of Elecktra and Daredevil's relationship, and bad guy Kingpin (Michael Clark Duncan) doesn't have enough screentime to villainify his presence. All the characters could have benefited from further characterization as well. But this is a comic book movie, after all, and in the end what matters most is how much fun it was. And Daredevil is a blast.

Truth Or Dare
Daredevil is yet another comic book hero that takes a crack at movie stardom. Created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett in 1964, for Marvel Comics, the film adaptation ends up as a mixed effort at best.

At the age of 12, young Matt Murdock (Scott Terra) is left blinded by dangerous chemicals, while running away from a the scene of a crime, in Hell's Kitchen New York. Soon after, he realizes that the same chemicals that took his sight, have somehow enhanced his remaining senses and made him superhuman. As Matt grows up. he vows to use his powers to fight crime and bring order to Hell's Kitchen...Now an adult Matt (Ben Affleck) is a defense lawyer by day and the masked Daredevil by night...Our hero is being hunted by a ruthless assassin named Bullseye (Colin Farrell), who was hired by the Kingpin of Crime (Michael Clarke Duncan) to take him out. Things get even worse for Matt as the woman he loves, Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner), blames his alter ego for a devasting loss.

Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the film serves the character's origins pretty well, in other words, it stays true to the original comic book.. The film boasts some cool action sequences and solid effects. I especially liked the way in which Daredevil used his power and how that was shown on screen. Since many of the stunts in the movie were staged by the team that handled the Matrix. I was never bored or put off by what I saw there. As usual actors Jon Favreau, playing Matt's pal Frank Nelson, and Joe Pantoliano, as New York Post reporter Ben Urich provide the film some comic relief. Cameo watchers will notice creator Stan Lee and a famous comic book fan turned film director in the film as well.

While the film does have its good points, I found the casting of the film troublesome, and in the end, that's why I only rate this film 2 and a half to three stars. When it comes right down to it, in order for a super hero film to work, it has to be well cast. Without a solid cast to breathe life into the characters, the best special effects can't do it alone. Take the villians. Colin Farrell (can you say over exposed), Hollywood's latest rebel, with his raspy portrayal of Bullseye, come sacross as having a bad case of laryngitis, instead of posing any threat. I also thought the nature of the Kingpin character was lost because other than the film's finale-MCD really had little to do in the film-even though sequels are a certainty, the role was all too brief. Therefore I felt any bald actor could have played the role.As for Affleck, he was just kind of just there, like so many of his roles, he seems to be on cruise control. He did Ok I guess. But at the same time he didn't WOW me either. As good as Garner may be at kicking butt, I didn't think she
shared a lot of chemestry, with Affleck and she seemed to over play it at times in the film. My final gripe with Daredevil is its running time. At just above 90 minutes, the film felt rushed for a comic book flick Fans of the character will see the film anyway. All others might want to skip it and wait for it to come out on video or DVD

Daredevil rocks with or without the mask
Affleck has never been my favorite actor but his Matt Murdock made this movie for me. I can relate to his desire to see justice done and to stand up for the little guy. I loved it that he only defends clients that he believes are innocent even if they can't pay him. I also liked the fact that he grappled with his own morality and battled to keep his desire for revenge from getting in the way of his desire for justice. The Kingpin is Daredevil's enemy and like Daredevil he comes from a violent past. It's Daredevil's struggle to remain on the side of justice that makes him different from the Kingpin. They are as different as they are the same. Will there be a Daredevil sequel? Daredevil was a money maker and the plan all along was to get Elektra off the ground next and that's what's still being planned. We'll have to stay tuned to see exactly what's next for Daredevil at the movies. Meanwhile we have the Daredevil DVD. It's too bad so many people insist on wanting Daredevil to be another Spiderman but I like Daredevil for he is. With or without the mask Matt Murdock is a guy with his heart in the right place who struggles with his demons and tries to do what's right.
I like that.

A FEW MISTAKES, BUT OVER ALL PRETTY GOOD
First of all I would like to say that I am a big Marvel comics fan, and I happen to think that Ben Affleck is a good actor. Now with that said....

Lets get the mistakes out of the way first.

1.There was not enough time spent with the Kingpin, we should have gotten his back story as well. [he was white in the comics, but Mr. Duncan did a good job.

2.some moments wee very cheesy. [see foryourself]

3.And finally.....that's it.

The film was actually better then I thought it would be, I mean after the Hulk came out I thought Marvel was slippin. I now see that I should have seen this in theatures. I can just imagine what it would have looked and sounded like on the big screen.
The effecs in this film were off the hook as well, as well as the camera angles courtesy off Ericson Bore. As far as dialouge goes that could have been a little better at times but over all good, that would be credited to mark steven johnson. I also liked the fact that one of my favorite filmmakers shows up, Kevin Smith. That right there alone makes me want to buy it, oh wait I already did. Casting was on point with this on, putting Ben Affleck as Daredevil was like putting Tobey as peter parker it's a perfect match. And Michael Duncan did a good job as The Kingpin Wilson Fisk. I think the addition of Colin Ferrell as Bullseye was key, he did an excellent job. And Jennifer Garrner did an ok job as Elektra, could have been a little better. Over all I feel that this was a pretty good film, u should check it out.

the man without fear
lets get its flaws out of the way first.its not necessary to show a small boy being blinded,screaming in agony at the hospital and the like.what is it with movie makers and graphic portrayels of kids suffering?damn!would you all stop it already.the whole daredevil comic was also summed up in one movie.it has been out a long time.some of daredevils stunts all over the rooftops were hardly belivable,especialy for a blind man.and lastly,that the kingpin is a gigantic,fat white guy not a pretty big,thick,black man.are we color blind?does it just not matter what a guys color is?i bet you a lot of people would get mad if a movie got made about oprah with rosanne playing her or one about martin king with danny devto cast as the doc.now the cat woman is black too.this is stupid.can eveyone just stay the right color please?in this one a kid gets blinded .his other senses get bettter,but his take off to super extraordinary levels.he becomes the daredevil.lawyer by day,masked vigilante by night.well,the kingpin whos now a homeboy crimeboss.since were on the subject,crimeBOSSES,are almost always white.the thugs are black.check your statistics!but,anyway the kingpin is getting pod that his men keep getting wasted.yes,they are white.so,he gets this crazy irish guy called bulleseye to kill him.bulleseye has a few powers of his own.1-anything whatsoever he picks up,he can use lethaly.2-he never misses-except in this movie when hes fighting the daredevil,3-his bones are laced like wolverines with admantium.im betting they didnt use that in the movie either.ben affleck plays daredevil.it is the best ben affleck movie ever! i like jay and silent bob strikes back better.but he was in that for only a few minutes and whined like a littlke girl the whole time.youre the parent you make the call with this one.i couldnt really say.it is one of the better comic book films lately.if you liked them,youll like this one too.elektra is a long time rival of daredevils in the comic book but here shes his girlfriend and she is HOT!!!!!!!!!too bad she never goes full frontal.hype says its not that good.the real deal is its better than the average comic flick.the action is awesome.there is a fight between dd and everyone i named.will there be a sequel?if you watched the credits,and lets be honest,nobody does,you ll see bullseye all muffed up in a hospital bed.now this did happen...........wait a minute!no it didnt!daredevil had a building fall on him from bulleseye.nevermind!its a good movie.the creators just had a hard time seeing to make it with thier heads so far up thuer asses.maybe thats why its about a blind guy. ... Read more

Reviews (551)

A fun, dark superhero film
No, it's not as good as Tim Burton's Batman, nor the original Superman or the recent Spiderman movies. But Daredevil still is a good comic book film that wins much of my praise by being true to the page in creating a very dark character in a harsh world

Still, it is not without its flaws, and if it weren't for some very unique traits I would rate this film as only mediocre. But what works here works exceptionally well. Beginning with the traditional origin story of Daredevil (Ben Affleck), a blind superhero whose remaining senses are greatly heightened, the movie shows how he became a vengeful vigilante who kills the bad guys rather then turning them in to face a potentially corrupt court system (Daredevil's alter ego Matt Murdock is a lawyer by day). This world is mean, and so is its superhero. But he wrestles with his conscious and wonders if he is a bad guy too. In this comic book world, people die. Including those you don't expect to. In other words, it more accurately depicts real life while still in a superhero world.

One particular unique thing about the film is how it illustrates Daredevil's radar sense. The vibrations he picks up are shown in a fantastic visual effect that has to be one of the best film realizations of a superpower in history. From the origin scene when he goes blind to a wonderful scene with Elecktra in the rain where he first "sees" what she looks like from the drops of rain on her face, the technique is used for characterization and "film moments," and never just to show off a cool special effect.

Unfortunately, the movie isn't perfect. There isn't enough development of Elecktra and Daredevil's relationship, and bad guy Kingpin (Michael Clark Duncan) doesn't have enough screentime to villainify his presence. All the characters could have benefited from further characterization as well. But this is a comic book movie, after all, and in the end what matters most is how much fun it was. And Daredevil is a blast.

Truth Or Dare
Daredevil is yet another comic book hero that takes a crack at movie stardom. Created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett in 1964, for Marvel Comics, the film adaptation ends up as a mixed effort at best.

At the age of 12, young Matt Murdock (Scott Terra) is left blinded by dangerous chemicals, while running away from a the scene of a crime, in Hell's Kitchen New York. Soon after, he realizes that the same chemicals that took his sight, have somehow enhanced his remaining senses and made him superhuman. As Matt grows up. he vows to use his powers to fight crime and bring order to Hell's Kitchen...Now an adult Matt (Ben Affleck) is a defense lawyer by day and the masked Daredevil by night...Our hero is being hunted by a ruthless assassin named Bullseye (Colin Farrell), who was hired by the Kingpin of Crime (Michael Clarke Duncan) to take him out. Things get even worse for Matt as the woman he loves, Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner), blames his alter ego for a devasting loss.

Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the film serves the character's origins pretty well, in other words, it stays true to the original comic book.. The film boasts some cool action sequences and solid effects. I especially liked the way in which Daredevil used his power and how that was shown on screen. Since many of the stunts in the movie were staged by the team that handled the Matrix. I was never bored or put off by what I saw there. As usual actors Jon Favreau, playing Matt's pal Frank Nelson, and Joe Pantoliano, as New York Post reporter Ben Urich provide the film some comic relief. Cameo watchers will notice creator Stan Lee and a famous comic book fan turned film director in the film as well.

While the film does have its good points, I found the casting of the film troublesome, and in the end, that's why I only rate this film 2 and a half to three stars. When it comes right down to it, in order for a super hero film to work, it has to be well cast. Without a solid cast to breathe life into the characters, the best special effects can't do it alone. Take the villians. Colin Farrell (can you say over exposed), Hollywood's latest rebel, with his raspy portrayal of Bullseye, come sacross as having a bad case of laryngitis, instead of posing any threat. I also thought the nature of the Kingpin character was lost because other than the film's finale-MCD really had little to do in the film-even though sequels are a certainty, the role was all too brief. Therefore I felt any bald actor could have played the role.As for Affleck, he was just kind of just there, like so many of his roles, he seems to be on cruise control. He did Ok I guess. But at the same time he didn't WOW me either. As good as Garner may be at kicking butt, I didn't think she
shared a lot of chemestry, with Affleck and she seemed to over play it at times in the film. My final gripe with Daredevil is its running time. At just above 90 minutes, the film felt rushed for a comic book flick Fans of the character will see the film anyway. All others might want to skip it and wait for it to come out on video or DVD

Daredevil rocks with or without the mask
Affleck has never been my favorite actor but his Matt Murdock made this movie for me. I can relate to his desire to see justice done and to stand up for the little guy. I loved it that he only defends clients that he believes are innocent even if they can't pay him. I also liked the fact that he grappled with his own morality and battled to keep his desire for revenge from getting in the way of his desire for justice. The Kingpin is Daredevil's enemy and like Daredevil he comes from a violent past. It's Daredevil's struggle to remain on the side of justice that makes him different from the Kingpin. They are as different as they are the same. Will there be a Daredevil sequel? Daredevil was a money maker and the plan all along was to get Elektra off the ground next and that's what's still being planned. We'll have to stay tuned to see exactly what's next for Daredevil at the movies. Meanwhile we have the Daredevil DVD. It's too bad so many people insist on wanting Daredevil to be another Spiderman but I like Daredevil for he is. With or without the mask Matt Murdock is a guy with his heart in the right place who struggles with his demons and tries to do what's right.
I like that.

A FEW MISTAKES, BUT OVER ALL PRETTY GOOD
First of all I would like to say that I am a big Marvel comics fan, and I happen to think that Ben Affleck is a good actor. Now with that said....

Lets get the mistakes out of the way first.

1.There was not enough time spent with the Kingpin, we should have gotten his back story as well. [he was white in the comics, but Mr. Duncan did a good job.

2.some moments wee very cheesy. [see foryourself]

3.And finally.....that's it.

The film was actually better then I thought it would be, I mean after the Hulk came out I thought Marvel was slippin. I now see that I should have seen this in theatures. I can just imagine what it would have looked and sounded like on the big screen.
The effecs in this film were off the hook as well, as well as the camera angles courtesy off Ericson Bore. As far as dialouge goes that could have been a little better at times but over all good, that would be credited to mark steven johnson. I also liked the fact that one of my favorite filmmakers shows up, Kevin Smith. That right there alone makes me want to buy it, oh wait I already did. Casting was on point with this on, putting Ben Affleck as Daredevil was like putting Tobey as peter parker it's a perfect match. And Michael Duncan did a good job as The Kingpin Wilson Fisk. I think the addition of Colin Ferrell as Bullseye was key, he did an excellent job. And Jennifer Garrner did an ok job as Elektra, could have been a little better. Over all I feel that this was a pretty good film, u should check it out.

the man without fear
lets get its flaws out of the way first.its not necessary to show a small boy being blinded,screaming in agony at the hospital and the like.what is it with movie makers and graphic portrayels of kids suffering?damn!would you all stop it already.the whole daredevil comic was also summed up in one movie.it has been out a long time.some of daredevils stunts all over the rooftops were hardly belivable,especialy for a blind man.and lastly,that the kingpin is a gigantic,fat white guy not a pretty big,thick,black man.are we color blind?does it just not matter what a guys color is?i bet you a lot of people would get mad if a movie got made about oprah with rosanne playing her or one about martin king with danny devto cast as the doc.now the cat woman is black too.this is stupid.can eveyone just stay the right color please?in this one a kid gets blinded .his other senses get bettter,but his take off to super extraordinary levels.he becomes the daredevil.lawyer by day,masked vigilante by night.well,the kingpin whos now a homeboy crimeboss.since were on the subject,crimeBOSSES,are almost always white.the thugs are black.check your statistics!but,anyway the kingpin is getting pod that his men keep getting wasted.yes,they are white.so,he gets this crazy irish guy called bulleseye to kill him.bulleseye has a few powers of his own.1-anything whatsoever he picks up,he can use lethaly.2-he never misses-except in this movie when hes fighting the daredevil,3-his bones are laced like wolverines with admantium.im betting they didnt use that in the movie either.ben affleck plays daredevil.it is the best ben affleck movie ever! i like jay and silent bob strikes back better.but he was in that for only a few minutes and whined like a littlke girl the whole time.youre the parent you make the call with this one.i couldnt really say.it is one of the better comic book films lately.if you liked them,youll like this one too.elektra is a long time rival of daredevils in the comic book but here shes his girlfriend and she is HOT!!!!!!!!!too bad she never goes full frontal.hype says its not that good.the real deal is its better than the average comic flick.the action is awesome.there is a fight between dd and everyone i named.will there be a sequel?if you watched the credits,and lets be honest,nobody does,you ll see bullseye all muffed up in a hospital bed.now this did happen...........wait a minute!no it didnt!daredevil had a building fall on him from bulleseye.nevermind!its a good movie.the creators just had a hard time seeing to make it with thier heads so far up thuer asses.maybe thats why its about a blind guy. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Life During War!
John Boorman's "Hope and Glory" is a nostalgic look at a family's trials and tribulations of living through the London blitz during World Warr II. The film told from the perspective of a young boy shows us both smiles and tears as we see people fall in love, go off to war, lose all their possessions and even those they love.It shows that even though war can cause kaos and the world around us seems to be falling apart, life goes on.People still mow there lawns, go on day trips, attend school and escape daily life at the local cinema.The film does have its serious moments, yet there is a comic undertone that runs through this episodic story.My favorite comic moment is when the father tries to convince his family that the German jam he has brought home from the front isn't poisoned.They all look at him like he's crazy and about to keel over.Truely hilarious!Sabastion Rice-Edwards is excellent as young Billy, who is afraid he's going to miss the war. Sara Miles is great as she plays the emotional role of a mother who is trying to keep her family together during both the good and bad times.This movie really takes you to the British homefront!

Great Film For Practically Anybody
This is one of my top 20 all time favorite movies. If you can imagine all the trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows and aches and pains of childhood and then imagine going through WWII at the same time you have some idea of what this movie is about. Told primarily through the eyes of a young boy, this movie shows a very personal experience of what the Home Front was like for London civilians. Neighbors get bombed out, shrapnel lies in the streets, friends die, and life somehow still goes on. The movie does a really good job of showing how the war could be a source of wonder to a child living through it and a cathartic experience for the adults. At the same time it can be incredibly funny and this is really why the film is so good. Probably my favorite scene is when the grandfather sends the young boy fishing with orders not to come back until he has caught some fish. A close second is the german jam scene. If you like period films, you'll love this. If you just like good movies, not too serious or too silly or too sad, give this one a viewing. Also, the punting instructions given in the movie actually work. Soon after watching this film, I ended up in Oxford, England and was able to teach myself to punt in less than an hour just from remembering this movie, so it's also educational!

Can't go wrong
This movie is great. I am 25 and I love it and I loved it when I was 8 and it came out... looking at WWII through the eyes of a child is exciting in a way. Its one of those rare war movies that doesn't center around soldiers but a normal family instead.

Fabulous Film!
This is a film that sticks in your head. Years after I'd seen it, I searched until I could find out what it was again just so I could see it again. Not only is it beautiful, but funny and wonderful. I highly recommend this!

hope and glory
I like so many avivid lovers of this movie fell in love with it the first time i saw it on showtime back in the eighties when i was just twelve.i never knew the name until i a discussion of movies with some close friends lead me to it. now that i know off i rush to buy this wonderful movie. You know with movie that have so much blood and gore it nice to sit down and watch this movie it take me back to my parents house intently watching this wonderful movie ... Read more

Reviews (551)

A fun, dark superhero film
No, it's not as good as Tim Burton's Batman, nor the original Superman or the recent Spiderman movies. But Daredevil still is a good comic book film that wins much of my praise by being true to the page in creating a very dark character in a harsh world

Still, it is not without its flaws, and if it weren't for some very unique traits I would rate this film as only mediocre. But what works here works exceptionally well. Beginning with the traditional origin story of Daredevil (Ben Affleck), a blind superhero whose remaining senses are greatly heightened, the movie shows how he became a vengeful vigilante who kills the bad guys rather then turning them in to face a potentially corrupt court system (Daredevil's alter ego Matt Murdock is a lawyer by day). This world is mean, and so is its superhero. But he wrestles with his conscious and wonders if he is a bad guy too. In this comic book world, people die. Including those you don't expect to. In other words, it more accurately depicts real life while still in a superhero world.

One particular unique thing about the film is how it illustrates Daredevil's radar sense. The vibrations he picks up are shown in a fantastic visual effect that has to be one of the best film realizations of a superpower in history. From the origin scene when he goes blind to a wonderful scene with Elecktra in the rain where he first "sees" what she looks like from the drops of rain on her face, the technique is used for characterization and "film moments," and never just to show off a cool special effect.

Unfortunately, the movie isn't perfect. There isn't enough development of Elecktra and Daredevil's relationship, and bad guy Kingpin (Michael Clark Duncan) doesn't have enough screentime to villainify his presence. All the characters could have benefited from further characterization as well. But this is a comic book movie, after all, and in the end what matters most is how much fun it was. And Daredevil is a blast.

Truth Or Dare
Daredevil is yet another comic book hero that takes a crack at movie stardom. Created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett in 1964, for Marvel Comics, the film adaptation ends up as a mixed effort at best.

At the age of 12, young Matt Murdock (Scott Terra) is left blinded by dangerous chemicals, while running away from a the scene of a crime, in Hell's Kitchen New York. Soon after, he realizes that the same chemicals that took his sight, have somehow enhanced his remaining senses and made him superhuman. As Matt grows up. he vows to use his powers to fight crime and bring order to Hell's Kitchen...Now an adult Matt (Ben Affleck) is a defense lawyer by day and the masked Daredevil by night...Our hero is being hunted by a ruthless assassin named Bullseye (Colin Farrell), who was hired by the Kingpin of Crime (Michael Clarke Duncan) to take him out. Things get even worse for Matt as the woman he loves, Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner), blames his alter ego for a devasting loss.

Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the film serves the character's origins pretty well, in other words, it stays true to the original comic book.. The film boasts some cool action sequences and solid effects. I especially liked the way in which Daredevil used his power and how that was shown on screen. Since many of the stunts in the movie were staged by the team that handled the Matrix. I was never bored or put off by what I saw there. As usual actors Jon Favreau, playing Matt's pal Frank Nelson, and Joe Pantoliano, as New York Post reporter Ben Urich provide the film some comic relief. Cameo watchers will notice creator Stan Lee and a famous comic book fan turned film director in the film as well.

While the film does have its good points, I found the casting of the film troublesome, and in the end, that's why I only rate this film 2 and a half to three stars. When it comes right down to it, in order for a super hero film to work, it has to be well cast. Without a solid cast to breathe life into the characters, the best special effects can't do it alone. Take the villians. Colin Farrell (can you say over exposed), Hollywood's latest rebel, with his raspy portrayal of Bullseye, come sacross as having a bad case of laryngitis, instead of posing any threat. I also thought the nature of the Kingpin character was lost because other than the film's finale-MCD really had little to do in the film-even though sequels are a certainty, the role was all too brief. Therefore I felt any bald actor could have played the role.As for Affleck, he was just kind of just there, like so many of his roles, he seems to be on cruise control. He did Ok I guess. But at the same time he didn't WOW me either. As good as Garner may be at kicking butt, I didn't think she
shared a lot of chemestry, with Affleck and she seemed to over play it at times in the film. My final gripe with Daredevil is its running time. At just above 90 minutes, the film felt rushed for a comic book flick Fans of the character will see the film anyway. All others might want to skip it and wait for it to come out on video or DVD

Daredevil rocks with or without the mask
Affleck has never been my favorite actor but his Matt Murdock made this movie for me. I can relate to his desire to see justice done and to stand up for the little guy. I loved it that he only defends clients that he believes are innocent even if they can't pay him. I also liked the fact that he grappled with his own morality and battled to keep his desire for revenge from getting in the way of his desire for justice. The Kingpin is Daredevil's enemy and like Daredevil he comes from a violent past. It's Daredevil's struggle to remain on the side of justice that makes him different from the Kingpin. They are as different as they are the same. Will there be a Daredevil sequel? Daredevil was a money maker and the plan all along was to get Elektra off the ground next and that's what's still being planned. We'll have to stay tuned to see exactly what's next for Daredevil at the movies. Meanwhile we have the Daredevil DVD. It's too bad so many people insist on wanting Daredevil to be another Spiderman but I like Daredevil for he is. With or without the mask Matt Murdock is a guy with his heart in the right place who struggles with his demons and tries to do what's right.
I like that.

A FEW MISTAKES, BUT OVER ALL PRETTY GOOD
First of all I would like to say that I am a big Marvel comics fan, and I happen to think that Ben Affleck is a good actor. Now with that said....

Lets get the mistakes out of the way first.

1.There was not enough time spent with the Kingpin, we should have gotten his back story as well. [he was white in the comics, but Mr. Duncan did a good job.

2.some moments wee very cheesy. [see foryourself]

3.And finally.....that's it.

The film was actually better then I thought it would be, I mean after the Hulk came out I thought Marvel was slippin. I now see that I should have seen this in theatures. I can just imagine what it would have looked and sounded like on the big screen.
The effecs in this film were off the hook as well, as well as the camera angles courtesy off Ericson Bore. As far as dialouge goes that could have been a little better at times but over all good, that would be credited to mark steven johnson. I also liked the fact that one of my favorite filmmakers shows up, Kevin Smith. That right there alone makes me want to buy it, oh wait I already did. Casting was on point with this on, putting Ben Affleck as Daredevil was like putting Tobey as peter parker it's a perfect match. And Michael Duncan did a good job as The Kingpin Wilson Fisk. I think the addition of Colin Ferrell as Bullseye was key, he did an excellent job. And Jennifer Garrner did an ok job as Elektra, could have been a little better. Over all I feel that this was a pretty good film, u should check it out.

the man without fear
lets get its flaws out of the way first.its not necessary to show a small boy being blinded,screaming in agony at the hospital and the like.what is it with movie makers and graphic portrayels of kids suffering?damn!would you all stop it already.the whole daredevil comic was also summed up in one movie.it has been out a long time.some of daredevils stunts all over the rooftops were hardly belivable,especialy for a blind man.and lastly,that the kingpin is a gigantic,fat white guy not a pretty big,thick,black man.are we color blind?does it just not matter what a guys color is?i bet you a lot of people would get mad if a movie got made about oprah with rosanne playing her or one about martin king with danny devto cast as the doc.now the cat woman is black too.this is stupid.can eveyone just stay the right color please?in this one a kid gets blinded .his other senses get bettter,but his take off to super extraordinary levels.he becomes the daredevil.lawyer by day,masked vigilante by night.well,the kingpin whos now a homeboy crimeboss.since were on the subject,crimeBOSSES,are almost always white.the thugs are black.check your statistics!but,anyway the kingpin is getting pod that his men keep getting wasted.yes,they are white.so,he gets this crazy irish guy called bulleseye to kill him.bulleseye has a few powers of his own.1-anything whatsoever he picks up,he can use lethaly.2-he never misses-except in this movie when hes fighting the daredevil,3-his bones are laced like wolverines with admantium.im betting they didnt use that in the movie either.ben affleck plays daredevil.it is the best ben affleck movie ever! i like jay and silent bob strikes back better.but he was in that for only a few minutes and whined like a littlke girl the whole time.youre the parent you make the call with this one.i couldnt really say.it is one of the better comic book films lately.if you liked them,youll like this one too.elektra is a long time rival of daredevils in the comic book but here shes his girlfriend and she is HOT!!!!!!!!!too bad she never goes full frontal.hype says its not that good.the real deal is its better than the average comic flick.the action is awesome.there is a fight between dd and everyone i named.will there be a sequel?if you watched the credits,and lets be honest,nobody does,you ll see bullseye all muffed up in a hospital bed.now this did happen...........wait a minute!no it didnt!daredevil had a building fall on him from bulleseye.nevermind!its a good movie.the creators just had a hard time seeing to make it with thier heads so far up thuer asses.maybe thats why its about a blind guy. ... Read more

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After a two-year hiatus that included recovery from heart surgery, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to the big screen in November 1999 with End of Days, a Thanksgiving turkey if ever there was one. Overcooked and bloated with stuffing, this ludicrous thriller attached itself to the end-of-the-millennium furor that kicked in a year too early. A prologue begins in 1979 with panic in the Vatican when a comet signals the birth of a child who will, 20 years later, become the chosen bride of Satan, destined to conceive the devil's spawn between 11 p.m. and midnight on December 31,1999. It's hard to decide who has the more thankless role--Robin Tunney as Satan's would-be bride, or Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cane, the burned-out alcoholic bodyguard assigned to protect the girl from Satan,billed as "The Man" and played with cheesy menace (and an inconsistent variety of metaphysical manifestations) by Gabriel Byrne.

With kitschy character names like Jericho and Chicago (Arnie's partner, played by Kevin Pollack) and lapses in logic that any 5-year-old could spot, End of Days is a loud, aggravating movie that would be entertaining if it were intended as comedy. But Schwarzenegger and director Peter Hyams approach the story as an earnest tale of redemption and tested faith, delivering a ridiculous climax full of special effects and devoid of dramatic impact. You're left instead to savor the verbal and physical sparring between Satan and Jericho, resulting in the most thorough pummeling Schwarzenegger's ever endured onscreen. Of course he eventually gets his payback, just in time for New Year's Eve. Perhaps he was touched by an angel. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (297)

BEAT THE DEVIL
Though a huge fan of Schwarzenegger's movies, I put off seeing this one for a long time due to all the negative feedback it gets from both critics and the viewing public, including many of my fellow Amazon reviewers. Fortunately, I recently gave it a try anyway--and am I glad I did.

Admittedly, the plot is not particularly original and draws heavily from both the Bible's Book of Revelation and the milennial hysteria surrounding the advent of the year 2000. Loosed from hell at the end of the thousand years, Satan (Gabriel Byrne)runs amok in New York in search of a young woman literally born to be his bride, the beautiful but naive Christine York (Robin Tunney). After a bizarre assassination attempt by a rogue Catholic priest, troubled security man Jericho Cane slowly unlocks the mystery of the Devil's plan to claim York, impregnate her with the Antichrist, and bring about the mythical "End of Days." Breakneck action ensues, as Jericho pulls out all the stops to keep Satan from getting his hands on York, leading up to a moving, powerful climax.

As an action flick, "End of Days" definitely delivers. The stunts and FX are fun and exciting, and there's never a dull moment as Cane and York breathlessly try out outrun and outfight their diabolic pursuer. The atmosphere and set design is predominately dark and claustrophobic, drawing the viewer into the private duel between Good and Evil that goes unnoticed by the New Year celebrators all around the combatants. The soundtrack is appropriately eerie and somber and definitely sets an evocative mood.

The acting, despite what many reviewers state, is quite good. Byrne is a brutal but darkly charismatic Devil, and Tunny is exceptionally attractive and charming as the former's destined mate. Schwarzenegger himself plays a rather more human and vulnerable character than his normal action role. Jericho is as tough and resourceful as any other Schwarzenegger hero, but is far more fragile mentally and emotionally and on the edge of a total psychological implosion. Schwarzenegger captures Jericho's soul perfectly, and makes the haunted, disturbed Jericho's trek from despair and hopelessness to newfound faith more than believable. I fear many who pan Schwarzenegger's performance in this flick are merely blinded by their own stereotypical view of what an "Arnold" film should be and so can't bring themselves to appreciate this acting job for what it is. Two scenes, an early one where Jericho is on the brink of suicide and the aforementioned final showdown, are particularly strong.

But I won't deny "End of Days" has some real weaknesses. Most of these stem from the rather unfortunate script, which is not only rather derivative but often terribly illogical. Also, this is another movie where the Catholic Church is portrayed as the only Christian Church in the know, but the scenes inside the Vatican are probably the least convincing and authoritative in the whole film. If the Pope and his advisors know what's coming, why don't they do more about it? The film does have a tendency to oversimplify and gloss over important details that might get in the way of the story.

Still, this is a much better film than I had been led to believe, a movie that works as both runaway action flick and a study of human faith in the face of awesome adversity. Perhaps Schwarenegger's best performance to date, "End of Days" is definitely a film I recommend either to those who have yet to take a look at it, or even to those who have seen it before--if you hated it the first time, it's worth a second look. Maybe this time you'll appreciate it for the stellar depiction of Good Vs. Evil that it is.

Satan gets blowed up real good
Comparing the Exorcist to this movie is like comparing Laurence Olivier's Hamlet to Godzilla versus Mechagodzilla. Interesting that so many people applauded Gabriel Byrne's portrayal of Satan. How would they know? Perhaps this movie appeals to satanists. One particularily disturbing scene has Satan apparently urinating on the streets of New York. This would explain a lot if you've ever been there. Two stars for some mildly amusing special effects

Not for the light-hearted.
Typical Arnie fans will probably love this. He lays his same sort of character, but he seems a bit more edgy in this film and he's lost his sense-of-humour, like he usually has in his other films. But this isn't a bad film. It's all about Satan himself coming to New York, seeking a paticular woman who he wants her to be the mothyer anerchist. Arnie plays an ex-cop, he has lost his wife and daughter and is ready to kill himself. But he soon gets stuck when he has to protect the girl. Let's get one thing straight, this isn't a film were you see a big red monster (Satan) walking around the streets of New York. Satan takes a normal guy's (Gabriel Burn) body and uses that body to walk around.
The film can be very sick at points, and I wouldn't let any light-hearted people watch it. You see sick things like a snake getting cut open, a man being set on fire etc etc. The film does have some odd but very good special effects, you see Satan as he usually is at the end, but it may dissapoint you 'cause he isn't in it for long. The film can be a bit suspenseful at times and can keep you guessing. It isn't all scary, but it might give you a couple of jumps maybe.
I don't have anything else to say really, apart from: Arnie fans will love, see it if want any horror film. Oh, and the flashback scene with his wife and daughter is BRILLIANT!

sooooo much potential lost.
End of Days stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cane and Gabriel Byrne as satan and is an end of the world apocolyptic thriller. Well, that's what the cover infers anyway.

The premise of the story is that a baby will be born to satan which will bring about the end of the world, it's up to Arnie to save the day, again! This film had real potential, I think Gabriel Byrne is a fine actor and a blockbuster movie based on Revelation and the end of time sounded like a great idea but this one way missed the mark. The main problem was the screenwriting. The story just was not interesting. The acting was good, even Arnie showed some range and Gabriel Byrnes' satan was menacing but it really suffered in the story department.

Unfortuantly, every time hollywood wants to make a movie about satan or the anti-christ they seem always have to involve the catholic church in one way or another. Hollywood have a real problem differentiating between christianity and catholosism, they are not the same thing. Catholic priests are not the experts of satan and the demonic realms, there beliefs in this are and the way they do exorcisms for instance is more superstition than what we see in scripture, i.e. using the crucifix, holy water, (are they exorcists or vampire hunters???)Now a movie based on the bible version of revelation directed by say Stephen Spielberg with a monster budget would be something to behold. The left behind movies, whilst being entertaining, lack the finances to really show what happens at the end of the world.

Now I'm a real seeker for a supernatural end of the world apocolypic thriller, boy was I let down by this one! What a waste of talent and opportunity.

End of Days - A fairly decent film!
Until recently I was unaware that this particular film was billed as Arnold Schwarzenegger's comeback film in 1999 after having heart surgery the year prior. As a comeback film I would have to say that this particular film wasn't a completely triumphant one for everybody's favorite super action film star. I remember walking out of the theater when this one was released thinking that Arnold really should've given this one further thought before taking the role and until only quite recently made the decision to purchase the DVD. As I find myself doing often, I felt that this film deserved a second look and in part, I'm glad I did. I wouldn't go so far as many others have in saying that this is a horrible, highly predictable film, but I would say that, upon watching it a second time, the film does have some good merits in showing Arnold's acting skills despite the poorly scripted plot. Ultimately, this is one of those fair to midland type films that most could take or leave although it does have some very interesting plot aspects insomuch as to the whole "End of Days" aspect and the play upon Catholicism and the anti-Christ.

Performance wise, Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his best in films of this type where his strengths are displayed at their best to include the actions scenes and his myriad of one liners that continue to bring about a chuckle. The one true oddity of the film for him is that he takes a beating in this film like no other but hey, what can one expect when Hollywood's crowned king of action films is up against the devil himself. Gabrielle Byrne gives an impressive performance in this film, in a role that is just a few notches up of his normal roles. This is the only film that I've ever watched that had Robin Tunney in it and I would have to say that she's a fairly capable actress but unfortunately not one that stands out.

Director Peter Hyams who is probably best known for some of Hollywood's best marginal films such as "The Presidio," "Outland" and "2010" does a fairly respectable job with the film considering the script available to him.

The Premise:

Here is where the film takes much of its beatings as Schwarzenegger plays Jericho, a former cop turned body guard who has lost his wife and child to criminals and now finds solace in the bottle; a theme that has been done more or less to death in a great many films in this genre. Discounting that particularly overly done theme, the film is based upon the "End of Days" theme, just before the dawn of the millennium in which twenty years prior a girl is born with the mark of the devil and those who follow the devil take up important positions in this girl's life. Coming back to 1999, the devil himself shows up and in order to get his wish of domination, he must mate with this woman, Christine York (Robin Tunney) between 11 pm and 12 am on New Year's Eve...

What follows from there is a movie that is at times over clichéd but does have some well played action sequences and a somewhat intriguing plot that does create a level of intensity towards the films somewhat "comic" conclusion...

Overall, I'd recommend this film to fans of Arnold's and those who like somewhat good action flicks that have a half way decent script. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

-Spotlight on Location
-Feature Commentary with Director Peter Hyams
-Special Effects: The Devil's Playground
-Soundtrack Presentation featuring:
*Never before seen Everlast music video
*Rob Zombie's rarely seen music video
-Book of Revelation
-Theatrical Trailer
-Universal Showcase
-Special DVD-Rom Features ... Read more

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Following in the reptilian slime trail of Anaconda, this derivative monster movie from early 1998 plays like a cross between Titanic and Tremors, with parts of Aliens tossed in for good measure. Director Stephen Sommers couldn't recognize an original idea if it swallowed him whole--which, by the way, is exactly what happens to a lot of passengers on a luxury ship that is attacked by a giant serpent-like sea creature with a voracious appetite for human flesh. Treat Williams plays the leader of a mercenary crew whose members discover the ravaged ship and wage war on the creature; Famke Janssen joins him as an onboard thief and con artist who just happens to be highly skilled with automatic weapons. Of course, the action grows more intense as the body count rises and along the way the monster is gradually revealed in all of its gruesome glory. A guilty pleasure if ever there was one, Deep Rising arrived in theaters shortly after another waterlogged thriller, Hard Rain, and if nothing else it provides proof that the B-movie monsters of the 1950s are alive and well and as cheesy as ever in the age of digital special effects. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Good graphics and not much else
This was a pathetic attempt of a horror flick. The plot was awful and the monster okay. Save your $$$$ for something else.

Titanic Is Invaded evil worm-like aliens
You must see Deep Rising. If you are a Sci-FI fan this is the hot tamale(though if you did not like Alien the movie I do not recommend this movie). The blood and gore is throughout the whole movie, so if your stomach is uneasy Deep Rising is not for you. A great action thriller about a boat driver who drives a bunch of theives to a Titanic like boat. But when the convicts arrive the find thal all the passengers had allready been robbed....of their lives. The rest is for you to find out. A must see Sci- Fi thriller.

There Should Be One More Star Reserved For This Movie (#6)
Deep Rising was a creepy-crawly, slithering, edge of your seat, hellatious ride all packed into one movie that holds your eyes to the screen until all is said and done!

Great Indiana Jonse type action and story.
Action is fast paced and special effects are excellent. Has the feel of an Indiana Jones adventure with likeble hero and sidekick. Well worth the price of the DVD

A MONSTER FROM THE DEEP ATTACKS THE "NEW TITANIC!"
BLOODY, GORY, AND EXTREMELY INTENSE, DEEP RISING REALLY DELIVERS THE ACTION! THE SEA MONSTER IN THE FILM CONSUMES EVERYONE ON BOARD THE "TITANIC-LIKE SHIP" WITH ITS NUMBEROUS TENTICLE FEEDERS AND LEAVES NO ONE ALIVE ONBOARD. BUT AT THE END THE CREATURE GETS WHATS COMING TO HIM. IT'S A MUST SEE IF YOU LIKE GORY SCI-FI ACTION MOVIES! ... Read more

Description

Riggs wows the pretties of a hotel spa before getting to Getz. Murtaugh receives bad bodywork news from an auto repairman after his beleaguered station wagon sees some Riggs-piloted street action. Plus, feisty Leo shares a newly included scene in which he recalls a suspect's address by complex spins of numbers that, well, no one can tell it like Leo. And no one would follow his lead but Riggs and Murtaugh. It's police procedure, Lethal style. Ant it's yours to enjoy as the duo draws a head on criminals hiding behind diplomatic immunity. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Part One
"The Final Programme" is an adaptation of Michael Moorcock's first book in the Jerry Cornelius series. Like Elric, the Jerry Cornelius stories, an epic in themselves, comprise a subset of his Eternal Champion epic, inspired in part by Jungian psychology and the theories of Joseph Campbell. Of all of Moorcock's books, the Jerry Cornelius stories are the most experimental and are by far those which lend themselves the least to movie adaptation.

Robert Fuest, who was a set designer and director of the Avengers TV series and the Dr. Phibes movies, makes an admirable, and visually entertaining, attempt at adapting the first novel, however what he creates is ultimately flawed. This is most noticeable in the ending (which I won't spoil) which comes off as purely pretentious camp in the film, although it works well in the novel.

One of the things which makes the Jerry Cornelius series most interesting is that each novel takes place in a slightly different world with slightly different characters with similar names, reliving the same dramas over and over again. For example, there is the love triangle between Jerry and his brother and their sister, which is barely developed in the movie, perhaps for censorship reasons. As you progress through each book, the themes become reinforced and the series' exploration of archetypes becomes stronger. The love triangle, for example, becomes more profound and takes on mythic tones, like the legends of Osiris, Isis and Anubis. By adapting only the first novel, the movie loses most of its impact and its focus on the themes in the novel becomes quite surface. So instead of an amazing intellectual journey, you instead get what appears to be an especially campy, bizarre and racey episode of the Avengers, with secret agents and spies in fancy dress racing to retrieve a mysterious microchip in a psychedelic and decadent age.

Another weakness of the movie is that it gives only a bare glimpse at the End of the World, something that is wonderfully portrayed (in different manners) in each of the Cornelius books. The largest indication of the movie taking place at the end of the world is a speech about the approaching end of the current Yuga (or "age"). However, it is preferable that the movie is a bit too subtle in this regard instead of hitting you over the head with it.

Someone who has read the Cornelius books will likely have greater appreciation for this film than others, recognizing what it accomplishes in attempting to adapt an impossible to film book. But all should find at least the first half an enjoyable trip with great, creative visuals and avant garde late 1960s fashion and architecture.

Better than I expected
I had read Michael Moorcock's somewhat scathing comments on this movie and its history. Jon Finch was a friend of Moorcock's and he also knew some of the other actors -- it has a superb cast including Hugh Griffiths, George Chakaris, Jenny Runacre, Sterling Hayden. According to Moorcock the only thing wrong with the film (produced by Putnam and Leiberson who had just done Performance -- Jagger turned the Cornelius part down as being 'too freaky') was the director, who came in after the success with EMI of his Doctor Phibes movies. Fuest certainly didn't rise to glory after this and seems to have disappeared almost entirely. Moorcock claimed the director had 'reversed' much of his attack and added sexism whereas Moorcock was celebrating gender bending. For all that, there are some fine performances and some great comic scenes, with Finch and Co. coming in to their own as, according to Moorcock's account, they gradually took charge of the picture. Jerry starts out as a sort of freaky James Bond, but by the middle of the picture is playing it far more for laughs (and a lot better than The Spy Who Shagged Me!). Still well worth watching, if only for its incredible list of British and American repertory movie actors giving their baffled best. Moorcock's piece also notes Chakaris coming up to him 'Young man, young man -- what is this film all about ?' By this time Moorcock had no idea himself. "I don't know," he said. "Ah, there you are," said Chakaris triumphantly, "the author doesn't know what it's about, either.' Really, if you want the full strength of what this could have delivered, you need to read the new Cornelius Quartet, just out from Four Walls, Eight Windows -- this first was always the weakest -- but would have been so much better with a director who understood its targets. The relative failure of this movie meant that the other Cornelius movies, optioned to Goodtimes, never got made. Imagine The English Assassin as a movie -- or better still The Condition of Muzak. Someone should start thinking about a good remake...

"A very tastey world!"
What can you say about a film that, opening scene onwards, you either love or loathe? It's fantastically dated, and that's what makes it fantastic. From the London Red-Bus Movie music, the bizarro pseudo-science, the biting dialogue, and the (almost) Cast of Thousands, "Final Programme" is one of my favorite films ever. I've almost worn out my copy.

The plot's incidental, but what the hey? Jerry Cornelius (Jon Finch) is a Nobel Laureate living on Bell's scotch, pills, and chocolate digestives in a chaotic world where Trafalgar Square is a vast dump, arms dealers operate in basements across from the National Gallery, and Amsterdam's now "25 square miles of white ash--for once the Americans got it right." Jerry's dad, mad-scientist and founder of the Cornelius line, was working on something weird in Lapland when he died, but that's not Jerry's problem now. He's more worried about his crazy brother Frank (the wonderful Derek O'Connor), who is holding their sister Catherine hostage in the Family Manse and is, if possible, more strung out than Jerry.

But Lapland returns to haunt him in the form of Miss Brunner (Jenny Runacre) and three Magritte-like scientists. They need Jerry to help them get his dad's microfilm, the last piece of The Final Programme---a project staggaring in conception and quite, quite funny. The microfilm is locked in the house with Frank, and as the old family retainer tells Jerry,"There's another problem--it's that house. You know what that old house is like." "I haven't forgotten" says Jerry.

That "old house" is a super-modern fortress, of course, complete with lights of simulate "pseudo-epilepsy", booby traps, poison gas, and a pantheon of James Bondish dangers. Along the way to the microfilm, it becomes apparent there's something very odd about Miss Brunner, and that Frank's not the fool he seems.

I know it's dated and I don't care. I don't care if the continuity is bad. I don't care if the budget could've been bigger. I don't care if the "science" is Junk with a capital "Juh". I'm oblivious to it all, because this is such an entertaining movie. For one thing, Jon Finch is incredible. He's the perfect Jerry, and Prince could only PRAY to wear a Goth/New Romantic suit as well as Finch does. For another, Jenny Runacre's Miss Brunner was feminist before there was a common understanding of what that word meant. And the versatile Derek O'Connor's greasy, desperate Frank is brilliant.

You'll need to have your finger on the "rewind" button--the dialogue comes fast and urbane. You'll keep recognizing British character actors, and let's face it, if you're female, you'll want to gaze on Finch's beautiful, intelligent face again.

And the visual jokes--watch for "LOVE" embroidered on the vampirical Brunner nightie in the "climactic" final scene!

A warning, though: this really does deserve its R rating. Hustle the kiddie-winks to bed first--then enjoy!

Planet Weird
This film is based on the original Michael Moorcock story of the same name. I have read the Moorcock version and I genuinely have to say that the film seems to be better. It is an existential romp through conscienceness. It takes you to a weird alternate reality of planet earth. In the end it leaves you with more questions than it answers (what can be better than that). You get to sit back and decide. A film that really makes you think.

I saw it as 1974's Last Days of Man on Earth
You can definitely see the Austin Powers roots here. But unfortunately, much of the gadgetry is only alluded to in events presumably happening off-screen (i.e. several references to the main character flying around in an F-4 jet). Was this for budgetary reasons?
I laughed at the end when I spotted the credit listing the person responsible for "continuity" since this movie had very little. And at only an hour and 15 minutes it is no wonder--all the transition scenes were cut. But perhaps wisely, otherwise it would have been criticized for being "plodding" among its other faults.
Really more of an action/spy flick than sci-fi. I guess this is why sci-fi movies had such a bad image before Star Wars. When I think of sci-fi, I think of what is more accurately called "hard" sci-fi, rather than this mildly apocalyptic-themed movie.
Campy and wacky in a dated, 1970's British way. My favorite scene is the sloppy fight with "the Greek guy" (gotta love the plaintive, "help, I think I'm losing..."). Oh, and the black fingernail polish. If you like that sort of thing, this is good for you. ... Read more

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If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly branding poor Sam as a miscreant.

The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing it. This DVD version of Brazil is the special director's cut that first appeared in Criterion's comprehensive (and expensive) six-disc laser package in 1996. Although the DVD (at a fraction of the price) doesn't include that set's many extras, it's still a bargain. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (302)

the definitive look at this masterpiece
Brazil is, arguably, Terry Gilliam's crowning achievement. Originally called 1984 1/2, this film was embroiled in an infamous battle to be distributed. The studio didn't like Gilliam's version and cut together one of their own. Gilliam went to the press and got the L.A. critics behind his movie and finally shamed the studio into releasing his version.

Criterion's 3-DVD set documents the struggle Gilliam went through to get his film shown. Disc One contains his cut of the film with an informative and entertaining commentary by the director. The second DVD contains the bulk of the extra material. Not only is Gilliam's struggle documented but also various aspects of the production are examined -- including the screenplay, costumes, art direction, etc. The final disc contains the studio's ....py cut with a film historian's audio commentary documenting why this version sucks.

Once again, Criterion comes through with an exhaustive look at an important film of modern cinema. Brazil is a brilliant satire of a dystopian society run amok by pointless bureaucracy. Anyone who has worked a souless job in an office will immediately empathise with the protagonist's plight. Like any great work of science fiction, Brazil offers more questions than answers -- not everything is wrapped up neatly, instead the viewer is left questioning certain aspects of our modern society. Great stuff.

Great movie about dreams and hope
Brazil, despite the science fiction, social commentary and surrealism, is at it's core a film about a man who trapped by the mundanity of life, imagines himself in a more fantastic world.

Jonathan Pryce stars as a tiny unimportant member of a vast hyper-capitalistic society. Life is cold and dreary for everyone. All his spare time is spent dreaming of magical romantic worlds and the beautiful woman who lives there. One day, a simple beaucratic mistake causes a monumental disaster. Not that anyone cares... they just don't want to be blamed. Sent to solve the problem, or maybe to be a scapegoat, Pryce accidentally meets the literal woman of his dreams. As he pursues her, he brings suspicion on himself of being a terrorist (the scourge of the government), and his dreams begin to invade his waking thoughts.

A suprising list of talent lend themselves to the film and is written, minus Kafka and Orwell themes, by Monty Python's Terry Gilliam so expect some obvious humor and much biting satire throughout. Depressing and magical without losing it's hope, any person who can identify with the main character should find themselves entranced.

Despite being made in 1985 the special effects prove to be suprisingly effective (although easily noticed). I personally think this movie is the second best Science Fiction film, 2001 being first, and the best 1984 type movie ever made.

Much loved, but I never got it ...
This is a cult classic, but I find it over-rated. It delivers the zaniness, surreality and crazy camera work, but the film has no interest in its characters -- you'll feel nothing for them, and for me that leaves a big hole in the center of the movie.

For a movie with a similar feel but considerably more heart, try Barton Fink instead. Or even Amelie.

Boring
This movie is really disappointing and boring.

a bizzare and frightening film
If you enjoy futuristic Sci-Films then I would heartily reccomend this, as it presents a number of interesting and imaginative concepts.
The setting is the far future.The world is a polluted wasteland. A strange network of wires covers the ceiling of every room.
A corporation-government, Central Services, controls all trade enterprises. Any who indulge in the businesses they control (which are almost everything) without the proper paperwork are labeled terrorists. So, unfortunately, are those who criticize Central Services' inane policies.
Their Cops, clad in spacesuits that look like they came straight out of David Lynch's adapatation of "DUNE", frequently capture these "terrorists" to be interrogated, tortured, and/or executed with bizarre devices.
The "food" eaten by the characters in this film is premasticated garbage, into which are stuck pictures of what the characters believe they are eating.
The rich and powerful under Central Services rule get daily facelifts and parties,
and they strike the viewer as stupid and frightening.
The plot of the film concerns a daydreaming young paper-pusher (Jonathan Pryce) for Central Services' Ministry of Information who discovers a glitch in some paperwork that led to the wrongful arrest and unfortunate execution of Archibald Tuttle, who was mistaken for Archibald "Harry" Tuttle (Robert DeNiro), who has fallen out with the law because of his entrepeneurial fix-it man services.
Soon, a truck-drivin' gal(Kim Greist) who witnessed Archibald Buttle's wrongful arrest pleads for his release to the Ministry of Information, who label her a terrorist.
Later, The young MOI employee notices her picture in the lobby of his workplace, and decides to pursue her. He saves her from being arrested, and, in doing so, is labeled an enemy of society, which eventually leads to his tragic end at the hands of his friends(Ian Holm and John Palin).
This frightening look at the evils of technology, corporations,wrongful arrests, and totalitarian governments is not to be missed by any except the very young(if it gave ME nightmares, imagine the effect it would have on a seven-year old boy!) . ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good exposure of the Financial/Stocks trading mean
Awesome is the beginning of this movie, shedding light
into corporate Britain. The life of Financial dealers
is shown and their breaking point is exposed.

Daniel Pascoe, maverick trader, has a difficult
time when his maestro and compadre Robby Barrell
is fired off the company. Still he finds how to
overcome difficulties. Once problems are over,
comes the time to think whether the perils
and stress are worth it...

Meeting beautiful Ann Schumann lets him understand what
"having all" means.

The music is glorious (and hard to find,
unfortunately!)

Oh my, I wish this existed on DVD!

Something else: Perhaps from the same studio, they
realized later a tv series on the very same location
(I guess the series didn't pay off... and it wasn't
half the emotion of the movie... that should be the
reason why now only low-end government stations
broadcast the program...)

Jim
I saw the movie and thought it was very good, a nice change of pace to see the British side of the stock market. Myself, I'll never play any stock market games because I've been on the other side of things ie. getting laid off from 2 jobs before Christmas Eve so some investors and brokers can afford higher priced Christmas parties. As for entertainment, I liked the movie very much and especially Rebecca DeMornay's acting effort. As for Dee or whatever your name is the correct spelling of her name is Rebecca DeMornay. But you must be one of those guys who've never seen a real woman naked before! The deed is done Jim.

Alright for a British Wall Street
Its definitely not Wall Street! But it will do from a bunch of Brits. Beware - you will have to brush up on your british do understand what is being said.

Another good British film about money
This movie about English currency traders is exciting and intense. If you are a trader and in need of motivation, you should definitely see this movie. What I liked about it was that it showed the ups AND downs of trading, hence a bit of realism. For instance, what is a trader's life like when he is unemployed? It can be grim, as depicted. However, the realism is balanced by a somewhat implausbile scenario where US T-Bills went from 98.00 to 88.00 in less that 10 minutes. I don't think that kind of volatility has ever hit the US bond market. Nonetheless, a great movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It would have been much better if they showed Rebecca DeMournay naked.

Is the best movie about trading
If you like trading and insight information this is the movie that you need. ... Read more