Description

The U.S. nuclear sub Tigerfish churns toward the North Pole. Its mission: rescue the imperiled members of weather outpost Ice Station Zebra. On board are Cmdr. Ferraday and his crew, severalunexpected arrivals with secret orders?and enough suspicions, suspense and twists to make Ice Station Zebra an engrossing espionage thriller. The Cold War heats up as John Sturges (The Great Escape) directs Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan, Jim Brown and more in this epic adventure nominated for two Academy Awards?* and featuring taut action set pieces above and below the ice. All hands to stations for excitement! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Cold war drama warms up on DVD
One of the better cold war dramas produced during the 60's, "Ice Station Zebra" isn't exactly an action adventure; it's more of an action drama. Most of the "action" is the dramatic conflict between Commander Ferraday (Rock Hudson) and his guests Boris Vaslov (Ernest Borgnine)a former Russian spy who now works for British Intelligence, MI-6 secret agent "David Jones" (the wonderful Patrick McGoohan) and Marine Captain Anders (Jim Brown). A nasty ice storm brews at the North Pole. When Ice Station Zebra calls for help the Tigerfish is sent north to break through the ice to save the men stationed there. That's the cover story. The reality is that a satellite has crashed in the arctic tundra and must be recovered before a Russian expeditition gets to it.

The image quality is stellar on this first time release from Warner Brothers. There's hardly any analog or digital artifacts. While there's no commentary track we do get the original promotional featurette on the movie "The Man Who Makes a Difference" and it's actually pretty good at providing behind-the-scenes footage about the shooting of a real Navy submarine to be integrated with visual effects into the movie. The big attraction here is a wonderful 5.1 remix of the original soundtrack. While it's not as active as, say, a brand new movie, it sounds pretty darn good with better depth and expanded sound than any previous incarnation of the movie on home video.

This was originally shot in SuperPanavision and, atlhough this is a widescreen presentation much like "2001: A Space Odyssey". It's a huge improvement on the previously cropped versions that have floated around. The original Overture from the roadshow edition of the movie has been restored to this version with Michel Legrand's marvelous score. The intermission is also included, hence the 2 hour and 30 minute running time.

Patrick McGoohan took time away from shooting his series "The Prisoner" to make "Ice Station Zebra". Ironically he plays another secret agent. "David Jones" doesn't stray too far from John Drake the character he played in "Secret Agent Man" (aka "Danger Man in the UK)but McGoohan's clipped sarcastic delivery and unpredictabllity make him a stand out in the cast. Hudson's relaxed performance as the Commander provides a nice counter balance to McGoohan's intense one and provides a nice counter point to Borgnine's cagey Vaslov. The first half of the film is marvelous and, although it sags during the second half (for a lot of reasons) and the conclusion doesn't have the cinematic style of John Sturges' previous films ("The Great Escape" and "The Magnificent Seven")but, all in all, "Ice Station Zebra" still provides marvelous entertainment. The footage of the real submarine surfacing and going under the water looks marvelous.

Nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Cinematography and Best Special Visual Effects), "Ice Station Zebra" lost in both categories to "Romeo and Juliet" and "2001: A Space Odyssey". The visual effects that open the movie are still exceptionally good and wouldn't look out of place in Kubrick's film of the same year. That's ironic since MGM pulled "2001" from some theaters to premiere "Ice Station Zebra".

A Very Cold War.
Released in 1968, "Ice Station Zebra" remains an engrossing, suspenseful thriller, well directed by John Sturges. With films like "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape" to his credit, you know that any movie directed by Mr. Sturges is going to hold your attention, even if--in this case--it clocks in at over two and a half hours.

The titular station is a weather outpost located close to the North Pole. Something has gone terribly wrong there, and an American nuclear submarine is sent on an urgent rescue mission. Nasty Arctic weather--and the polar ice cap--will not allow any other means of transport to reach "Zebra". Of course, there is a more sinister agenda here than trying to save the lives of a few stranded scientists. This is why the submarine has two espionage "experts" on board--one British and one Russian--as well as a platoon of marines.

Rock Hudson stars as the sub captain. While this role does not challenge Mr. Hudson's acting abilities, he is appropriately fearless and stalwart in the face of danger. Ernest Borgnine is our Russian secret service agent, working for the "West" as a "good Russian"--or is he ? Mr. Borgnine is a good actor, and after the first few scenes, I found myself accepting him in this role. Jim Brown is the tough-as-nails marine leader. I would never call him a great actor, but Mr. Brown is certainly convincing as someone nobody wants to annoy ! Real acting honours in this movie go to Patrick McGoohan as the British "agent". Fondly remembered for his sixties TV series "Danger Man" ( aka Secret Agent ) and "The Prisoner", it will always be a mystery to me why Mr. McGoohan did not choose to make a greater number of films and become a huge star. Frankly, for me at least, he steals the film.

The colour, widescreen picture is excellent, as is the sound for a 36-year old film. While some of the arctic action clearly takes place in the studio, I was impressed with the submarine footage, and once you are under the ice cap, you can really feel the tension. Yes--it's a submarine film--things do indeed "go wrong" !

Ladies--while my wife did enjoy "Ice Station Zebra", she did confirm that this is a "guy movie" ! In fact, there are no women in the cast at all. If you are looking for romance, this is not the place !

It is not clear to me why Howard Hughes would want to watch this film hundreds of times, but is it a coincidence that this DVD starts with a trailer for "The Aviator" ? I don't think so.
The disc includes a few other trailers, and an interesting short on one of "Zebra's" cameramen who helped to pioneer action film photography--fascinating.

I suppose the West vs. Soviet "cold war" scenario is dated--in 2005, international tensions are much more complicated--but "Ice Station Zebra" still delivers a tense, exciting story, and this DVD was worth the wait. Recommended.

Pretty decentmovie despite of itself.
I would rate this movie as 3.75 on the five star system. I found Ice Station Zebra to be quite an interesting and entertaining movie. A great cast led by Rock Hudson proves to be superb and fun to watch. The movie was adapted from the Alistair MacLean's novel. Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare were both taken from MacLean's novels and both were great movies.

The Cold War situation really don't looked that dated to me. Its part of history. The script is well written and although the special effects on ice and snow appears to be bit cheesy by today's standards, it doesn't take away from gripping story about espionage, betrayal and secret microfilm. The photography was superbly done, even on the cheesy ice and snow area. Personally, I didn't see anything wrong with Ernest Borgnine playing a Russian, If Sean Connery can, why not him? I felt sorry for Jim Brown again, cutting a promising football career only to be killed off in movies. Patrick McGoohan was great and he and Hudson carried the load of the film.

The film became infamous when it was learned that it was Howard Hughes' favorite movie of all times but that shouldn't distract from the fact that its a pretty decent film. Its on my guilty pleasure list of films I like despite of some flaws. What some flaws? Well, the movie more closer to a drama, not action adventure as some folks may have thought. When I first saw this movie at the age of ten, even I could figured out that Ernest Borgnine may end up being a the bad guy. It was bit obvious. The ice and snow set were really pretty lame but it can be overlook. And for some of you guys out there, there is no female in this movie!! (All male cast.)

The DVD edition of this film proves to be quite good. The images are clear and crisp, the 5.1 DD works pretty decently although not very aggressively. There is a short documentary on the film and some trailers to watch. Definitely not much on the extras.

one of the better films of all-time
cold-war saga, starring Rock Hudson, Patrick MacGoohan, Ernest Borgnine & Jim Brown. The suspense begins when Hudson as the captain of a US nuclear submarine is given a mission to a north pole research station manned by British and American scientists...
As a side note, one wonders if this was the reason that the 'Drake' character from Secret Agent finally resigned from being a spy and ended up being taken to 'The Village' as The Prisoner?

One of the Best Cold War Adventure films
ICE STATION ZEBRA is an outstanding piece of cinema. It is as breathtaking as the day it was released. It does not grow old but continues to grow on you. This is one of Rock Hudson's best performances and the photography and sets are outstanding. Good to have it on DVD at last. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A Classic of the Crime Genre
Based on Truman Capote's book, "In Cold Blood" is a rare example of a film which does justice to its original source. Based on an actual mass murder which occured in Kansas in late 50's, this stark black-and-white film directed by Richard Brooks (who also wrote the screenplay) is not for the squeamish. The two murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, are excellently portrayed by Scott Wilson and Robert Blake. Two down-and-out losers, they plan what they believe will be a "major score" in the robbery of a supposedly wealthy Kansas farmer. But their partnership, and the psychopathic personality of Perry Smith, creates a third entity which results in the slaughter of the entire Klutter family. The last 30 minutes of this film are truly horrific, in flashback mode, and the brilliance of Richard Brooks' direction is that the murders are merely inferred by quick camera cuts that never show the killings on screen. The killers' executions at the end of the film are almost anti-climactic. See the film, then go read Capote's book; both are excellent accounts of this sad and savage story. This is a film that cries out to be released on DVD, with possible extra features being a documentary or two on the real-life killers and their actual capture. A much under-appreciated classic of film noir.

Good adaptation of a great book
Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was hailed as a "non-fiction novel"; Richard Brooks' film adaptation is a semi-documentary film. Brooks doesn't sensationalize, however; the blood and gore of four horrible murders is kept to a bare minimum. We hear the gunshots but we don't see the carnage, and we don't need to; the power of suggestion does it all. Brooks keeps the movie strictly on track, from the night of the murder to the discovery of the crime the next morning; the killers' flight across country and the investigation by the detectives of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation which solved the crime and brought the perpetrators to justice.

The actors are all competent in their roles and there are some very good performances indeed in the supporting parts. But the outstanding performance in this film is Robert Blake as Perry Smith, and to a lesser extent, Scott Wilson as Dick Hickock. Blake's haunted expression as he says, right before his hanging, "I'd like to apologize. But who to?" makes the viewer feel all the tragedy of a wasted life.

The one problem with this otherwise fine screen adaptation is that we see far too little of the Clutters. We don't get to know them as people, their lives, how they interact. They're just people who get murdered one night. In the book they became living characters, people we felt we knew. In the movie, they're almost reduced to bit players. The book is about the Clutters, who were killed by Hickock and Smith; the movie is about Hickock and Smith who murdered a family named Clutter.

The book raced along with the speed of a good novel; the film moves at a slower pace, that of an investigative report. If we see too little of the Clutters, we really get inside the minds of Smith and Hickock, and it isn't very nice in there. Shooting the movie in black and white lends to the newsreel quality of the film. It's a stark, bare-bones movie, the right kind of film to depict a senseless crime that ultimately destroyed six lives.

2 thumbs up, 2 killers down :-)
"In Cold Blood" is the 1967 movie based on Truman Capote's non-fiction book about the murder of a family of four by Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson). Although the killers were expecting to get about $10,000 from the safe, it turns out there was no safe and they only got $40.

Filmed in black-and-white, the movie has very good cinematography, and includes several interesting cuts from scene to scene. In one shot, as Perry is in jail telling a rather sad story about his life, the shadows of the rain running down the window falls on his face and gives the impression of cascading tears. There are also several intercut flash-backs, mostly having to do with Smith's early family-life and abusive father, including the finale on the gallows.

The blues/jazzed-based score was composed by Quincy Jones, and was very good.

It was almost shear luck that the pair got nailed for the murders. Although they had passed bad checks and stolen some cars after the murders, the police had no evidence to connect them to the killings - except for some personal effects that Smith had mailed back to himself from Mexico and picked up just shortly before being arrested. After being found guilty in only 40 minutes of jury deliberation, the pair sat in jail a few years awaiting execution.

As it turns out, although Hickock actually came up with the plan, Smith did all the killings, mostly out of anger. So, as some have asked, was the killing "In Cold Blood" really theirs, or ours? Near the end, when a couple of journalists see the hangman go up the steps, they have this bit of dialog:
"Is he the, uh...?"
"Uh-huh..."
"How much does he get to hang them?"
"Three hundred dollars a man."
"Has he got a name?"
"We the people."

Well-acted by Blake and Wilson, and supporting roles for John Forsythe, Gerald S. O'Loughlin and Jeff Corey. Some of the jurors and other small parts are played by the actual people. Much of the locations are the actual locations, including the house where the killing took place.

The very last scene is not one you find in many movies.

DVD has nice anamorphic wide-screen movie, English or French spoken language, subtitles in 7 languages, chapter selection, and for once, a trailer worth watching. R-Rated, 134 minutes. The no-frills DVD is a bit pricey, but I'm giving the movie five stars on its own.

Dark, desolate film is poignant and powerful
Truman Capote's best-selling "non-fiction novel" was brought to the big screen by Richard Brooks and is a suspenseful, entertaining yet dark, spare film that details the slaughter of an innocent farm family by two ex-convicts. The moody black and white cinematography emphasizes the lonely, dreary, bleak Kansas prairies where the murders were committed and underscores the single-minded purpose and detached optimism with which the killers planned their deed. The events of that fateful night are told in a flashback, near the end of the film, a brilliant touch by Brooks to illustrate the horror and senselessness of the act by Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The Clutter family's last day on earth shows them going about their tasks on their farm as the normal, content family they seem to have been, never realizing that evil forces were moving their way to destroy them. The authorities spare no effort in trying to bring the killers to justice and finally do so because of a reluctant prison informer and good fortune. Alvin Dewey [John Forsythe] and his three crack investigators pursue the two killers, and Paul Stewart's Jenson, who narrates the film as a reporter and criminal psychologist, may or may not represent Capote as he reconstructed the crime for his book. Quincy Jones' throbbing score is the perfect accompaniment to the film's somber narrative, suggesting Delta-type blues themes for some cues, and then switching to jazz rifts highlighted by a heavy base line for other scenes. The offbeat casting is perfect, with star-quality names left out of the film so the viewer's attention will focus on this tragic, true life story.

Chilling Adaptation of Capote's Controversial Novel
When Truman Capote published his 1966 novel IN COLD BLOOD--a story based on the actual 1959 murder of wealthy Kansas farmer Herbert Clutter and his family--he single-handedly established a new type of printed literature. Factual accounts of real-world crime had made it into print before, of course, but in writing HIS book, Capote combined in-depth journalistic research with the techniques of fiction writing, openly folding the facts of the case into invented dialogue and, for aesthetic purposes, sometimes combining the case's less important actors into single fictional characters. Capote himself referred to IN COLD BLOOD as a "non-fiction novel," and this approach to retelling real-life crimes in a pulp-like literary format would eventually evolve into the true-crime genre that is popular today.

Maverick filmmaker Richard Brooks saw the potential of Capote's work as a basis for an aesthetically literate and thematically powerful film and subsequently adapted it for the screen. Producing and directing the film himself, Brooks collaborated with talented cinematographer Conrad L. Hall to create a film that challenged the established Hollywood conception of what movie is supposed to be. Brooks rejected studio pressure to make the film in color, to cast well-known stars in the leading roles, and to soften the story's matter-of-fact depiction of the murders. Instead, he wanted to make a film that, like the novel upon which it was based, seemed raw, hard-boiled, and true to life.

In spite of the violent and senseless nature of the real-life murders, Capote's novel was intended to ultimately evoke feelings that would make the reader repudiate support of capital punishment. Having grown close to the murderers during his research, the author attempted to depict them as merely misguided human beings who were deserving of sympathy, understanding, and, above all, mercy. Capote wanted the reader to understand that a state-enforced, publicly sanctioned execution of the two killers would, in effect, simply increase the number of victims in the Cutter murder case by two, and he thought that his pseudo-journalistic approach would disguise his real message in a seemingly objective narrative account of the events. Brooks wanted to retain Capote's underlying intent, and he and Hall both realized that stark, somewhat grainy black-and-white photography would give the film a documentary feel and thereby reflect the novel's pseudo-realistic tone. Brooks also knew that casting big stars as the primaries in the film would skew the audience's perception of both the story and the characters, as would any softening of either the murders or the executions. Brooks was so obsessive about creating a sense of verisimilitude, in fact, that nearly all of the filming was done on location in the places where the events depicted occurred--including the same Kansas house in which the Cutter family was murdered. In addition, six of the actual jurors from the trial of the killers appeared in the film's trial scene, some of the extras in the film were real-life neighbors of the murdered family, and the hangman in the execution scene was THE hangman at the execution of the real-life killers!

So Brooks stood firm and got to make the film he wanted to make. And as the writer/director undoubtedly expected, IN COLD BLOOD generated controversy for its gratuitous violence (this in spite of the fact that the killings in the film occur outside the frame), its sympathy for the murderers, and its anti-capital-punishment stance. However, if the film--as well as its source material--has any flaw, it is the fact that it does not achieve its intended socio-political goal. The filmmakers and actors create such a sense of realism in the depiction of the cold-heartedness of the killings and the lack of contrition in the killers that, instead feeling a sense of injustice or cruelty when the murderers are executed, even the most liberal anti-death-penalty members of the audience generally go away feeling as though the killers got their just deserts. Nonetheless, IN COLD BLOOD is a well-made piece of noirish crime drama that has held up incredibly well over the years. As killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, actors Robert Blake--best known for his role in TV's BARETTA in the 1970s--and Scott Wilson deliver riveting, wholly believable performances. Conrad Hall's excellent cinematography does indeed give the film a gritty, documentary feel, and his excellent frame compositions simultaneously give an almost painterly quality to the imagery. Also notable is the jazzy score by Quincy Jones, which generates an early 1960s flavor without being too intrusive to the narrative.

IN COLD BLOOD earned Oscar nominations for Brooks' direction, his screenplay, Hall's cinematography, and Jones' score.

For the contemporary audience, IN COLD BLOOD might seem more socially or politically germane than ever in light of Robert Blake's relatively recent arrest and pending trial for the alleged murder of his wife. Ever since Blake was taken into custody, one of Conrad Hall's most famous shots from IN COLD BLOOD keeps popping up on TV in newscasts and such. The shot centers on Blake's face the night his character, Perry Smith, is scheduled to be hanged, and as he gazes out a rain-spattered window, the light shining through gives the impression that a torrent of tears are streaming down his face.

The DVD from Columbia/Tristar offers relatively nothing by way of extras, but the digital transfer is very good. IN COLD BLOOD is presented in anamorphic widescreen in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and though some filmic artifacts like scratches and dust appear from time to time, there are no visible digital artifacts. The black-and-white photography comes across with what is obviously the intended amount of contrast and graininess. The soundtrack is available in English via Dolby Digital 3.1 SurroundSound and in French via Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, with little noticeable hiss or distortion. Would've been nice if Columbia/Tristar had included a little bonus documentary about the real murder of the Clutter family, but this is nonetheless a very worthy disc to add to the collection of any film aficionado. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

I actually would give it 3 1/2 stars...
This movie has humor in it, it's not "intelligent" humor, no it's actually pretty low brow. But, that doesn't make it un-funny. Brian Hooks plays his part wonderfully. And George Wallas, as his father, is perfection. This movie wasn't made to be the greatest ghetto comedy ever. People have to high expectations, they need to just enjoy this movie for what it is. A Silly, stupid, "black" comedy. It's good for some chuckles.

3 Strikes
This movie is your average funny black comedy, Brian Hooks plays a man who has been in jail twice and is out on parole, one more strike and he is out (25 to life), its a humourous comedy about the miscoincidenes that happen to him just after he is out of jail, he is caught in a stolen car and is then seeked by the police.

YOUR AVERAGE GHETTO COMEDY MOVIE
A CONVICT [BRIAN HOOKS] IS RELEASED FROM PRISON. HOWEVER, HE'S BEEN PLACED UNDER THE THREE STRIKES RULE AND HE'S ALREADY WENT TO JAIL TWICE! WHEN HE'S PICKED UP BY HIS HOMEBOY, HIS HOMEBOY GETS INTO A SHOOTOUT WITH THE COPS AND NOW THE COPS ARE ALSO AFTER HIM AGAIN! UNFORTUNATELY FOR THIS MOVIE, THE FUNNY MOMENTS TEND TO BE SCARCE. BRIAN HOOKS IS OK, BUT THIS MOVIE COULD'VE USED FUNNIER CHARACTERS AS WELL AS A BETTER SCRIPT. LOOK AT ''FRIDAY'' INSTEAD.

One of Brian Hooks best.
I guess this is one of those movies that either you get it or you dont. I enjoyed this movie very much, it left me in stitches. I dont know why it got dissed so hard. As for the people complaining about it black exploitation...... get a grip its comedy not a dramma. Its the 2k decade if we cant laugh at ourselves who can we laugh at?!! I think you can sit back with ya girl or chill with ya man and get a good laugh out of this movie. Thats why I give it 5 stars.

FUNNY MOVIE.
THIS MOVIE WAS VERY FUNNY, THEY MADE THIS MOVIE VERY FUNNY. I LIKE THE WHOLE THING. HE GOT IN TROUBLE AS SOON AS HE GOT OUT OF JAIL. ITS CRAZY. HOW U GONE GET UR 3RD STRILE AS SOON AS U GET OUT OF JAIL. ITS FUNNY IF U HAVENT SEEN IT THEN U SHOULD GO AND SEE IT. ... Read more

Description

A 1930's gangster/detective yarn about a Kansas City police lieutenant on the trail of underworld thugs and the private detective that keeps getting in his way. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Mindless Fun
Mindlessly funny in some parts - if you don't expect too much. Missing is the scene where Clint explains to his girlfriend that he shot his wife when he found her in bed with his best friend. When asked about the friend, he replies, "He was my best friend," indicating he didn't shoot him.

Not a great one*
Sorry, but it's not a good one... & I love most Clint movies... sorry to have to give this one a bad review.
To sum up- alot of fighting- but boring!

Screw The Critics This is A Funny Movie
Watching Clint Eastwood & Burt Reynolds work together is fun, They are old friends and have a natural sense of comedy timing. Also Shaft himself Richard Roundtree appears.

A Thin satire
Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood play a PI (former cop) and police detective respectively seeking to bring down "snotball" bad guys in a 1930's genre gangster movie. While not normally a fan of satire, it has an entirely different flavor when actors are poking fun at themselves rather than someone else. It is fun to watch Reynolds and Eastwood play highly exaggerated stereotypes of their signature characters - a little like watching Jackie Chan outtakes.

Unfortunately, the satire rapidly wears a little thin like the same joke being repeated over and over again for an hour and a half. The ending is especially lame; as if they just got tired of making the movie and slapped something together so they could all go home.

Is it worth watching? Yes, if someone is in the right mood and doesn't expect too much.

Eastwood and Reynolds try Abbott and Costello.
I must take exception to Mr. Maltins' review of this one. At no time during the viewing of this film (my copy at least) do the stars "pour gasoline on a guy and set him on fire...". There is a scene where a gangster becomes soaked with gasoline from a ruptured gas tank. There is a subsequent fire but I saw no one being burned. In another scene our heroes threaten to ignite the posterior of another guy after saturating it with alcohol but no ignation takes place. All in all a good time killer with some pretty good sight gags. The gun fight in the garage is close to being a classic. Give us a break Len, it's escapism and worth a look. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Stockbroker to courier
The movie is set in an unnamed city, but I live in San Francisco, and it is obvious that the movie was shot here, even though the filmmakers tried to avoid shooting landmarks.

The Pacific Exchange is located downtown and that is probably where Bacon's character works. However, the exchange's equities floor went fully electronic in 3/2002 and there is no longer a trading floor full of traders yelling at each other. The options floor is still open.

I would recommend this film to fans of bicycle movies and maybe Kevin Bacon movies. I'm a fan of cycling movies, so I own a copy and have seen it several times. I work in an office job and used to be a pretty hardcore cyclist. I used to fantasize being a SF messenger. However, I also knew that my lifestyle required more than [their salary].

The cycling scenes are fun but there are some continuity problems. In closeups, Kevin Bacon's bicycle lacks brakes and gears, which is consistent with the fashion among many messengers to ride fixed gear/track bikes on the street. However, in many of the stunt shots, when he is racing down the hills, the stuntman cyclist is clearly on a freewheel-equipped bike and probably has brakes.

There are also several scenes shot in Kevin's massive loft apartment. It might have been possible for a messenger to have his own large loft apartment in the 80's, where he can play with his ballerina girlfriend. However, that apartment probably costs [a lot more] today!

absolute garbage
This film is pure nonsense. Bacon's character supposedly rides a fixed, but in the "race" scene midway through the film, it is obvious that the stunt double rides a freewheel bike. He should always be peddling, even when airborne on San Francisco hills. The lack of attention to this simple detail begs the question: why even put him on a fixed, when so many other characters ride freewheel rigs?

And don't even get me started on Kevin Bacon. I rented this because I wanted a campy, cheesy, formulaic film about bike messengers, but the filmmakers clearly had no respect for or knowledge of their subject.

BOOOOO!!!

Real Drama
Quicksilver is a pure example of how fast things can change in the real world. From the fast paced floor of the New York Stock Exchange to a "Quicksilver" bike messenger. Either way there are tasks at hand. This movie really demonstrates certain ethics and values. There are certain things people may do for extra money, but how far will they go. Will they lose everything they have or will they hit it big.

Quicksilver is a great movie for the everyday dreamer. Many people talk of the "American Dream"..... Well this just proves that there are steps to get there.

Nice bacon bit
The movie was filmed on the floor of the san francisco OPTIONS floor exchange. All the traders stayed after the close and filmed the movie. How do I know? My dad was in this movie. He worked on the floor and has several shots of him 1) at a quotron(remember those) , and 2) clearing for some one.

So obviously I am biased, but aside from my dad this is actually a pretty decent film, save the fact that no way some ex-trader is going to get on the floor take a position and make a killing. Every once and a while I bust this movie out and watch pop in his blue brioni suit working the floor. He is my hero and I will always have this to show my kids and their kids when he is no longer with me.

So get the film!

Cycling/Stocks
Cyling and Stocks

What other movie are you gonna see these two together.

Gotta see this regardless if it's from the eighties ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Organization was the second and finalsequel to 1967's In the Heat of the Night and sees Sidney Poitier's homicide detective Virgil Tibbs called in to investigate the murder of a factory manager. In a lengthy, dialogue-free opening (the film's best sequence), it appears that we are witnessing the culprits in action. However, this group turns out to be a gang of idealistic young vigilantes who knew that the factory was a front for an international drugs cartel--the Organization of the title--and have made off with a haul of $5 million worth of heroin secreted there. Suspected of the manager's murder, they meet Tibbs and seek his cooperation. He agrees to help them, pitting himself not only against the Organization but his own police department.

Set in San Francisco, The Organization invites invidious comparisons with Bullitt: its somewhat cheesy contemporary soundtrack, derived from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, certainly marks it as a piece of its period, as do the occasionally less-than-convincing action sequences, risible acting, and far-fetched plot. Poitier, as ever, lends the film a certain dignity and poise, worthy of better material to work with than this. The film is also notable for providing early showcases for two of Cop TV's most famous captains: Daniel J. Travanti (Hill Street Blues) and Bernie Hamilton (later Captain Dobey in Starsky & Hutch) are both assigned minor roles here. --David Stubbs ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Is this the reason Poitier took a hiatus from movies?"
This is without doubt one of the worst movies ever made! Wooden acting,poor picture quality and a soundtrack that made my teeth grate. Being a Poitier fan and language student, I got it for the foreign language subtitles. A die hard movie buff might want to see it for the early wasted performances of some fine actors,including Raul Julia as a "Hippy". I often disagree with the critics for lacking a sense of fun, but this turkey deserves all their venom. If you decide to see it, I suggest you use earplugs and just read the subtitles. ... Read more