Description

A group is introduced to the supernatural through a 90-year old New England haunted house. Be prepared for hair-raising results in this classic horror film! ... Read more

Reviews (274)

I've eaten casseroles scarier than this
Refreshing as it is to see a horror film rely more on the power of suggestion than on buckets of blood, "The Haunting," Robert Wise's 1963 adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel, never really becomes as frightening as it clearly wants to be. Occasionally tense and mildly spooky but more often talky, overly melodramatic, and just downright silly, this is one of those films that would benefit a great deal if its characters would just shut up once in a while.

Or at least stop thinking, so we wouldn't be forced to listen to their irritating voice-overs. Granted, there's only one character erring in that direction, but unfortunately, it's Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris), a whiny, disturbed, introverted old maid who's got some serious bats in the belfry--she's feeling (what else?) guilt over the recent "natural" death of the sick old mother she's nursed for the past eight years. Eleanor, of course, proves to be the most susceptible to the eerie but invisible apparitions of Hill House, an abandoned old estate where she and three other guests (well-played by Richard Johnson, Claire Bloom, and Russ Tamblyn) are embarking on a search for the supernatural.

Harris does the best she can, but watching her wander about like Alice in Wonderland on crack, murmuring awful dialogue like "The house wants me, the house is alive," is more likely to evoke laughs than chills. There's also a protracted early scene in which Harris is driving toward her unfortunate destination, plagued by anxiety, fear, and that ever-present voice-over, that is a complete rip-off of the same scene Janet Leigh did in "Psycho" (and I apologize for even mentioning the name of that superior film in this review).

The idea behind all this prolonged psychobabble, of course, is that "The Haunting" can be considered as either a genuine ghost story or simply a story of a woman's deteriorating psyche, and that the ambiguities of the human mind are ultimately far more frightening than the sight of actual spooks. It's an excellent idea, but there's also such a thing as being too vague; in fact, the scariest moment in the entire film occurs when it finally decides to actually SHOW us something scary, rather than anesthetize us with obtrusive close-ups and creaky music. (Humphrey Searle's score blares so incessantly it could turn you off to soundtracks altogether.) Certainly, an excess of gore isn't the recipe for a successful horror movie, but if there's one thing that "The Haunting" demonstrates, it's that an excess of anything else is hardly an improvement.

The Wise choice for the Occult!
Call it horror or a supernatural thriller, "The Haunting" (1963) ruled out the pitfalls that made others of the genre seem pretentious. On first sight you are treated to a mansion set in an evil aura with baroque décor and looming statues. Doctor Markway (Richard Johnson) presides over the investigation, supplying us with an excellent catalog of phenomena to fuel our apprehension. Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris) is the hysterical spinster whose emotional fears become bound with ours. Then there is the wild soundtrack. Humphrey Searle composed a creepy score with a strong arrangement of brass and strings, creating an abstract and crazy effect to attack the senses. A perfect plot, script, narrative and good casting builds the horror through the viewer's own imagination. The best example of a movie to triumph over gore, intense violence and CGI. More evidence that "black and white" is not an obsolete format but an underused film technique. Robert Wise is a versatile director who showed a genuine skill in fright. You will not find "The Haunting" in any shallow top ten list with other famous horror films. You will find it taking refuge in your personal list of what you fear. A movie with a formula to survive repeated viewing and perpetual quality on DVD.

One of the scarest 60's films in the world.
Most people see the remake and won't bother with this one, but this film is really truely pure horror unlike the remake, one of the scarest films ever made, it also tells a classic story of a repressed women and a house that makes her lose her mind, the film is so much more than all of that though, it has all the events timed perfectly as it keeps bulding more and more untill the frightning conclution, If you're a true horror fan give this one a shot, you'll love it.

A chilling movie about an evil house
HIll House has been standing empty for almost 90 years. Whipsers of strange phenomena have kept would-be ocupants away for a long time; not even the owners will live their. That is, until Dr. John Markway assembles a small team to invesitgate the supposed supernatural events of the house. He invites Theodora, a psychic who lives a very different lifestyle; Eleanor, a sheltered young woman who recently lost her canterkaerous mother and has had experienece with poltergeist phenomena; and Luke Sanderson, soon to inherit Hill House and acting as the family's representative. Together, they begin to study the house, it's history and architecture. Or, has the house chosen one of the team for its own purposes?

Horror film director Robert Wise does a magnificent job with this adaptation of the Shirley Jackson novel. Very few visual effects are used, instead relying on lighting (the one scene with the wallpaper in Eleanor's room is eerie), atmosphere, sound and the viewers own fear to create a creepingly chilling film. They make the viewer feel like actors in the movie instead of bystanders. All the actors give fine performances: Clair Bloom as Theo, Russ Tamblyn as Luke, and Richard Johnson as Dr. Markway. But, Julie Harris' performance of Eleanor makes the film. Her almost childlike confusion, fear and determination to stay the course keep you enrapt in the film.

It's very refreshing to see a horror film that doesn't rely so much on expensive special effects to get the chills across, instead using acting, lighting and story to convey terror and fright. This is a classic horror film that still delivers to this day.

Good, but lacks the depth of the novel
I probably would have liked this movie a lot better if I hadn't read Shirley Jackson's brilliant book first. The Haunting is a decent haunted house film, not terrible by any means, but it is an inadequate adaptation. Maybe a more faithful adaptation of the book would have been impossible, since the novel depends so much on psychological suggestion and an unreliable (and possibly deranged) protagonist. That sort of subtlety is more difficult to express on film: there is the truth of what the camera is seeing, that is all. Ambiguity of perception cannot be easily communicated on film.

The most crucial change (to me, anyway), and one that makes me wonder if the screenwriters really read Jackson's book at all, is that Theo is made into a stereotypical "predatory lesbian" character. Eleanor's relationship with Theodora is more layered and complex in the novel, and her conflicts with Theo have a lot to do with her increasingly fragile mental state. In the book, /Eleanor/ pursues Theo. Theodora's rejection of Eleanor (directly or indirectly) leads to the outcome of the story. The "manifestations" in the house are more about Eleanor's essential loneliness and need for belonging than ghosts. The filmmakers of The Haunting definitely grasp this (unlike the filmmakers of the completely awful remake), but removed from its context, Eleanor's sense of rejection in the film is hard to understand. I suppose the filmmakers transferred Eleanor's romantic interest to the doctor rather than Theodora due to the controversial nature of homosexuality, but by doing this, the context of Eleanor's breakdown is removed, and movie Eleanor is a lot harder to relate to.

I'd suggest that you read the book *and* watch the movie, to give yourself some basis for comparison. Ordinarily I don't think it matters if movies are not faithful to the books they were adapted from, but in this case I think it significantly alters the essential meaning of the story (and The Haunting of Hill House is more than simple genre horror, no matter what anyone might say.) ... Read more

Reviews (195)

Here Come THE JETS!
WEST SIDE STORY remains unique...to the point of astounding...in status among most accomplished classics in cinema history. Legendary director Robert Wise[whose eclectic mastery of film ranges from "lost" mythology epic, HELEN OF TROY to sci-fi milestones-THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and STAR TREK:The Movie]perfectly renders a film of passion;tragedy;humor and ultimate celebration of youthful humanity. Leonard Bernstein's score is peerless Americana: classic ART and popular entertainment.Jerome Robbins'choreography is electrifying;Steven Sondheim's "libretto lyrics" are ensconded in popular music immortality.

West Side Story's ensemble cast is likewise peerless.
Natalie Wood is superb as American JULIET, Maria. Richard Beymer's Tony/Romeo charcterization wonderfuly combines heroic "tough guy" with star-crossed lover. George Chakris(Bernardo)and Russ Tamblyn (Riff)jive; fight and dance their rival gangs into legend. My favorite is Rita Moreno.Her performance as earth mother/eternal woman figure, ANITA is remarkable. Her ferocious sexual brio;lioness-Queen humor("if you can fight in/for AMERICA!");home girl insouciance, and passionate GRACE are archetypal.WEST SIDE STORY thematically equals--if not surpasses--its SHAKESPEAREAN progenitor.It is America's SOUND OF MUSIC.The ten Academy Awards could be justly re-awarded.

[When I learned "my" homies back in Massachusetts'Pelham Regional High School...citadel/incubator of so-called 5-college professoriate and University of Mass'PC satrapy centered in Amherst...BANNED WEST SIDE STORY as Racist(this year the school is featuring VAGINA MONOLOGUES)I wondered: "WHERE ARE THE JETS when you need them?"]...

Certainly WSS was never conceived--as Mel Gibsons's THE PASSION OF CHRIST--to stir Culture War and rally believers. WEST SIDE STORY is,"unsimply",American film making at its finest and cinema art of world class caliber. It is movie ICON,which,as The JETS challenge, remains at-the-ready: "to beat every last f.....'gang on the whole f.....'street!"(10 Stars)

powerful,realistic , the finest musical drama I have seen
This ia a very intense, fast moving story in which many of the scenes easily could have happened in real life in New York at that time.

The quality of the music and lyrics blends beautifully with the action, and the choreographed dances are breathtaking.The actors fit their parts to such perfection that I could not imagine anyone else than Natalie Wood playing Maria, or George Chakiris as Bernardo, and on and on for the rest of the Jets and Sharks. My favorite musicals are those from 1950-1970 and of all the great ones like Oklahoma, South Pacific, and the Sound of Music, West Side Story impresses me as the most exciting dramatic musical of all time. It is hard to find a boring moment in this movie. When I think about this movie, the ballet numbers, choreography, and excitement stand out the most in my mind. For a fast moving drama this is a classic against which to compare other musical drama. Who would have thought that a mere conflict between two gangs could have been portrayed into such a dynamic movie. The producers certainly succeeded in bringing up to date the Romeo and Juliet saga. The romance and tragedy of Tony and Maria will always be indelibly impressed in my mind.

Magnificent adaptation of Romeo & Juliet!
Robert Wise made his masterpiece with this film mixing the essential spirit of the shakesperian mood , recreating it in the modern times as a racial conflict.
Wise mixed the drama with a credible plot . The coreography is towering and the music ( Oh what kind of inspiration was in the mind of Leonard Bernstein , acquire buy also the soundtrack; Maria became a classic ), Rita Moreno won a deserved Academy Award and this became a personal triumph for Natalie Wood one of the most beautiful faces ever seen in the cinema story .
The sequence fights between the bunchs is perfect articulated , there is a fine balance between drama and music.
Enjoyable film and of course for all a generation of teenagers in that age , who actaully are grandparents , still remember with nosthalgie that unforgettable jewel picture .

The Best Musical
West Side Story is one of my favorite musicals. The music and the choreography is incredible. Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer make a perfect Maria and Tony. Now that it is on the 2 Disc Special Limited Edition, it is even better. You can have the original intermission music if you wish and there is a great documentary called West Side Memories which shows how this amazing musical was made. Along with the special edition you get a book that contains the original screenplay, a timeline of the show from when the idea was first thought of and to when it came to the screen, a pamphlet you could of bought in the theaters when it first opened in 1961, and newspaper clippings of what critics thought of the show. Even if you didn't get the special edition this show is still worth owning. The songs are incredible. My favorites are "Maria", "America", and "I Feel So Pretty" which a ninety minute instrumental version is used for the intermission.

Best movie Ever
This movie is a must anyone who loves musicals, it's a total classic. If you thought you knew a lot about the movie, think again, because with all the extra fetures will provide you with more knowledge that you than think about.

The movie has definatley got some of the best dance seguences ever made for a musical. ... Read more

Reviews (195)

Here Come THE JETS!
WEST SIDE STORY remains unique...to the point of astounding...in status among most accomplished classics in cinema history. Legendary director Robert Wise[whose eclectic mastery of film ranges from "lost" mythology epic, HELEN OF TROY to sci-fi milestones-THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and STAR TREK:The Movie]perfectly renders a film of passion;tragedy;humor and ultimate celebration of youthful humanity. Leonard Bernstein's score is peerless Americana: classic ART and popular entertainment.Jerome Robbins'choreography is electrifying;Steven Sondheim's "libretto lyrics" are ensconded in popular music immortality.

West Side Story's ensemble cast is likewise peerless.
Natalie Wood is superb as American JULIET, Maria. Richard Beymer's Tony/Romeo charcterization wonderfuly combines heroic "tough guy" with star-crossed lover. George Chakris(Bernardo)and Russ Tamblyn (Riff)jive; fight and dance their rival gangs into legend. My favorite is Rita Moreno.Her performance as earth mother/eternal woman figure, ANITA is remarkable. Her ferocious sexual brio;lioness-Queen humor("if you can fight in/for AMERICA!");home girl insouciance, and passionate GRACE are archetypal.WEST SIDE STORY thematically equals--if not surpasses--its SHAKESPEAREAN progenitor.It is America's SOUND OF MUSIC.The ten Academy Awards could be justly re-awarded.

[When I learned "my" homies back in Massachusetts'Pelham Regional High School...citadel/incubator of so-called 5-college professoriate and University of Mass'PC satrapy centered in Amherst...BANNED WEST SIDE STORY as Racist(this year the school is featuring VAGINA MONOLOGUES)I wondered: "WHERE ARE THE JETS when you need them?"]...

Certainly WSS was never conceived--as Mel Gibsons's THE PASSION OF CHRIST--to stir Culture War and rally believers. WEST SIDE STORY is,"unsimply",American film making at its finest and cinema art of world class caliber. It is movie ICON,which,as The JETS challenge, remains at-the-ready: "to beat every last f.....'gang on the whole f.....'street!"(10 Stars)

powerful,realistic , the finest musical drama I have seen
This ia a very intense, fast moving story in which many of the scenes easily could have happened in real life in New York at that time.

The quality of the music and lyrics blends beautifully with the action, and the choreographed dances are breathtaking.The actors fit their parts to such perfection that I could not imagine anyone else than Natalie Wood playing Maria, or George Chakiris as Bernardo, and on and on for the rest of the Jets and Sharks. My favorite musicals are those from 1950-1970 and of all the great ones like Oklahoma, South Pacific, and the Sound of Music, West Side Story impresses me as the most exciting dramatic musical of all time. It is hard to find a boring moment in this movie. When I think about this movie, the ballet numbers, choreography, and excitement stand out the most in my mind. For a fast moving drama this is a classic against which to compare other musical drama. Who would have thought that a mere conflict between two gangs could have been portrayed into such a dynamic movie. The producers certainly succeeded in bringing up to date the Romeo and Juliet saga. The romance and tragedy of Tony and Maria will always be indelibly impressed in my mind.

Magnificent adaptation of Romeo & Juliet!
Robert Wise made his masterpiece with this film mixing the essential spirit of the shakesperian mood , recreating it in the modern times as a racial conflict.
Wise mixed the drama with a credible plot . The coreography is towering and the music ( Oh what kind of inspiration was in the mind of Leonard Bernstein , acquire buy also the soundtrack; Maria became a classic ), Rita Moreno won a deserved Academy Award and this became a personal triumph for Natalie Wood one of the most beautiful faces ever seen in the cinema story .
The sequence fights between the bunchs is perfect articulated , there is a fine balance between drama and music.
Enjoyable film and of course for all a generation of teenagers in that age , who actaully are grandparents , still remember with nosthalgie that unforgettable jewel picture .

The Best Musical
West Side Story is one of my favorite musicals. The music and the choreography is incredible. Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer make a perfect Maria and Tony. Now that it is on the 2 Disc Special Limited Edition, it is even better. You can have the original intermission music if you wish and there is a great documentary called West Side Memories which shows how this amazing musical was made. Along with the special edition you get a book that contains the original screenplay, a timeline of the show from when the idea was first thought of and to when it came to the screen, a pamphlet you could of bought in the theaters when it first opened in 1961, and newspaper clippings of what critics thought of the show. Even if you didn't get the special edition this show is still worth owning. The songs are incredible. My favorites are "Maria", "America", and "I Feel So Pretty" which a ninety minute instrumental version is used for the intermission.

Best movie Ever
This movie is a must anyone who loves musicals, it's a total classic. If you thought you knew a lot about the movie, think again, because with all the extra fetures will provide you with more knowledge that you than think about.

The movie has definatley got some of the best dance seguences ever made for a musical. ... Read more

Description

Howard Keel and Jane Powell are rapturous newlyweds who tame his six rowdy bachelor brothers in the wild Oregon backwoods in this Best Score Academy Award(R)-winning song-and-dance-filled comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

One of the Most Energetic Musicals of all Time
1954's "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is rough around the edges and that's just what the doctor ordered. Stanley Donen directed this rough and tumble highly acclaimed musical, set in Oregon in 1850. It was adapted from Stephen Vincent Benét's story "The Sobbin' Women" (based on Plutarch's The Rape of the Sabine Women) and perfectly integrates song, dance, and storytelling. Russ Tamblyn as one of Howard Keel's brothers and Julie Newmar as one of the potential brides are very memorable. Besides Michael Kidd's brilliant choreography (which almost goes without saying) is Cinematographer George Folsey's CinemaScope photography that captured both the grandeur of the land (shot on MGM's back lot!) and the brilliant and bawdy dance numbers. Unfortunately it was shot in Ansco Color and not Technicolor which makes the images less vivid. Yet it does not hinder the film. I saw a recent interview with Jane Powell and she believed that MGM thought they had a real dud on their hands. Boy, were they wrong. Of the DVD versions I prefer the original MGM issue which had a 2.55 to 1 aspect ratio. The Warner Studios version is 2.35 to 1. Both DVD versions remastered the original 4-track magnetic soundtrack to 5.1 Dolby Digital discrete channels. I find this sound remastering very annoying especially to stereophonic films made in the 50s and 60s. The sound on the hi-fi VHS tape is actually truer to the original film.

Singin' & dancin' & sobbin'
A "sleeper" when it was released in 1954, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is still one of the freshest musicals ever made. With a pretty, spirited score by Gene de Paul and Johnny Mercer and rambunctious but carefully-controlled choreography by Michael Kidd, this modestly-budgeted movie surprised everyone by becoming an enormous hit, even being nominated for Best Picture. Based on a short story by Stephen Vncent Benet called "Sobbin' Women" (which was the film's working title), it tells the story of a frontier woman Millie (Jane Powell) courted by a backwoodsman Adam (Howard Keel). He takes her off to his rustic home, neglecting to tell her he has six untamed brothers to care for. Undaunted, Millie sets about domesticating the household, complete with readings from classical history, including the story of the Sabine women, which the boys take to heart. The musical was filmed in AnscoColor and CinemaScope, and the wide screen is utilized to great effect, especially in the barn-raising sequence. Letter-box is mandatory. DePaul and Mercer wrote some effective songs ("Wonderful Day", "When You're in Love", "Sobbin' Women") and the numbers blend into the story perfectly under Stanley Donen's smooth direction. Dresden-doll coloratura Powell and strapping baritone Keel make such an attractive couple it's odd M~G~M never co-starred them again. (Evidently a musical version of "Robin Hood" never got past the drawing board.) The brothers include New York City Ballet star Jacques d'Amboise and a non-dancer, the mysterious Jeff Richards, who may have been the handsomest man ever to appear on the screen, Rock Hudson notwithstanding. Among the brides is Julie Newmar, who a couple of seasons later would stupefy Broadway in "Li'l Abner".Bright and pleasantly aggressive, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is right up there with Metro's best musicals.

Fun movie!
The movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is an excellent, fun, family movie with singing, dancing, romance, and even some action. It tells the story of seven brothers who all live together way out in the country. When the eldest brother, Adam, comes home from town one day with a wife, the other six brothers decide they want brides too. They have to battle the townsmen, however, who have already "spoken for the girls." This movie is full of fun and laughs, and I would highly recommend it.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
This is a great film, two wonderful singers. Good story line as well. My kids, my husband and myself all like this one! It is a good family film everyone will enjoy.

I LOVE THIS FILM SO MUCH
I mean who wouldnt love, not like, but love this incredible film. This was the first film that I watched when I was growing up. It is similar to pretty woman but reverse because here are 7 rough western thugs that in need of brides to tame them, after their oldest brother got married. Not only did the film have good actors and actresses that were too funny to ignore, but the music and dancing were just as good. I love it and can you believe all but one brother are still alive today? Wow!!!! ... Read more

Description

Stanley Banks is a good father who adores his beautiful daughter Kay and his well-ordered life, a life that is thrown into chaos when Kay announces her engagement. A classic MGM comedy, the story is told via flashback and chronicles the many travails, financial and emotional, suffered by Stanley (Spencer Tracy) as he tries to give Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) a wedding to remember. Year: 1950 Director: Vincente Minnelli Starring: Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Some Things Never Change
I just saw for the first time ever this movie made in 1950; directed by Vincente Minnelli; and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. Ms. Taylor was only 18 when she made this film and was frightening and eternally beautiful. She is so petite that she almost could adorn her own wedding cake. The movie, however, as the title implies, belongs to Mr. Tracy who plays her father who cannot bear to see his little daughter grow up and get married. There is a lot of most fathers in Mr. Tracy's character. He has some great lines and some funny scenes and endears himself to us with his gentle humor-- the footage where he gets stuck in his kitchen making drinks and doesn't get to make a speech about his beloved daughter, just to point out one delightful instance. He is such a bungler-- can't get to Ms. Taylor at the wedding reception to bid her goodbye either.

I did not find this 54 year-old movie dated at all. Some things never change. Love may be eternal and most families the world over act pretty much the same when it comes to seeing their children leave home.

Takes the Cake--Wait There is No Cake.
There is a reason that Spencer Tracy was one of Hollywood's most acclaimed actors. He could pull off any role and make it believable. He was one of the great everymen of his day. Watch, for instance, FATHER OF THE BRIDE and you will find yourself thinking of your own father, grandfather, uncle, or perhaps even yourself.

In the film, based off the novel by Edward Streetcar, Tracy plays Stanley Banks, an upper middle class lawyer who has his nerves put to wits ends when he learns nonchalantly over dinner one evening that his only daughter, Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) has just become engaged. His life is turned upside down in a few brief moments, as the simple thing he thought of as love turns into a nightmare called a wedding. Yet as much as things change, he learns that nothing really changes at all.

This original film version of Streetcar's novel stays true to the source and (as much as I love the remake) in many ways is far more entertaining than the Steve Martin version. The movie has dated some, yet it remains as enduring as ever. Watch it and laugh, maybe cry, then--if you can--give Dad a call.

The original is still the best
I must say that this is far more charming and sentimental than the remake. The relationships presented here seem more real and less scripted.

Tracy and Taylor have an unmatched chemistry as father and daughter that actually stretched into real life, lasting until his death.

Minelli's direction brings real verve to the story without resorting to cheap physical humor. I love the verbal repartee and the cadre of classic Hollywood actors.

The DVD itself is a good transfer both in video and audio. I enjoyed the extras as well, although I couldn't seem to get audio on the two newsreels included.

A great trip down the aisle and memory lane.

A great family film...Better than the Remake...
Spencer Tracy is perfect in his role as the father of the bride. The love for his daughter played by Elizabeth Taylor rings so true in this film. Spencer Tracey gives one of the best comedic performances I have ever seen.

Joan Bennet is also excellent as the mother of the bride.

This comedy is never over the top and the characters seem very real. There are some good laughs.

The upper middle class home and lifestyle reminds me of the book "The Way We Never Were" and at the same times makes me nostagic for the 1950s.

If Elizabeth Taylor's character's call to her dad at the end of film doesn't choke you up then you are made of wood!

Get this film.

This is a classic!
If you're looking for a comedy classic with good acting and a few nuggets of truth, this would be a good bet. Spencer Tracy is delightful as a befuddled, confused, and out-of-his-depth father, trying to survive the announcement, planning, and actual wedding ceremony of his beloved daugher to a man who has taken his place as #1 in her life. He is a typical 50's father-gruff and at times uncommunicative, but always loving. Elizabeth Taylor is cast as the naive and passionate daughter, but she is overshadowed by both Tracy and Joan Bennett as his understanding and long-suffering wife. This is a real tour de force for Tracy and is a delight after all these years. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1957, Peyton Place has becomesynonymous with torrid soap opera. Though the novel by Grace Metalious iseven more sensational, the movie provides plenty of tantalizing storyturns--secrets, adultery, rape, bitter parents, frustrated teenagers,suicide, and murder. Multiple storylines deftly interweave: AllisonMacKenzie (Diane Varsi), an ambitious young girl struggling with theneurotic fears of her mother (Lana Turner, in a career-revivingperformance) and the neurotic fears of the boy she loves (Russ Tamblyn),while her best friend Selena Cross (Hope Lange) fights off the brutaladvances of her drunken stepfather. The movie had to sanitize the novel'sNew England town in order to get some of the more unsavory plot turns pastthe censors; ironically, the glossy "normal" surface makes these eventsall the more shocking, paving the way for David Lynch's Blue Velvetand Twin Peaks. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (30)

The secrets and scandals of a small New England town
Based the bestselling novel by Grace Metalious, Peyton Place is a hallmark of mid-20th century American culture and remains powerful melodrama to this day. Modern audiences in particular might notice similarities with the currently popular Dawson's Creek.

The story centers around shopowner Constance MacKenzie (Lana Turner), hiding a secret from her past; her daughter Allison (Diane Varsi), who dreams of escaping from Peyton Place and becoming a writer; Allison's best friend Selena Cross (Hope Lange), who lives literally on the other side of the tracks and suffers abuse at the hands of her drunken stepfather (Arthur Kennedy); Norman Page (Russ Tamblyn), a shy, quiet student yearning to break away from his domineering mother; Rodney Harrington (Barry Coe), the playboy son of millowner Leslie Harrington (Leon Ames), who disapproves of his son's relationship with the flashy Betty Anderson (Terry Moore); and Mike Rossi (Lee Phillips), the new high school principal smitten with Constance.

Screenwriter John Michael Hayes did a magnificent job of distilling Metalious's occasionally crude story, making it acceptable to film audiences, though it can be argued that Metalious's feminist slant was lost in the process. The film was beautifully directed by Mark Robson, who's never gotten enough respect, perhaps due to his reputation as a craftsman; well, Peyton Place is a finely crafted work, solid entertainment, with majestic location work in Camden, ME, much of which will be lost in the transfer to the small screen. The cinematography is by William C. Mellor and the wonderful score is by Franz Waxman.

Peyton Place received 9 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay-Adapted, Best Cinematography, Best Actress (Lana Turner--her only nomination), Best Supporting Actress (Hope Lange, Diane Varsi), and Best Supporting Actor (Arthur Kennedy, Russ Tamblyn). 1957 was the year of The Bridge on the River Kwai, so Peyton Place lost in every category.

Get this DVD-Peyton Place the classic soap opera
Peyton Place is one of my favorite books and one of my favorite movies. The filming and score are beautiful. The scenery of coastal Maine is fantastic. This is one of the most popular soap operas...the term "Peyton Place" has come to mean a gossipy community.

Most of the acting is great... the only actor that does not seem right for the role is Lee Philips. He is does not see the type of guy Lana Turner would go for.

Lana Turner and Diane Varsi have some great mother daughter conflicts. Lloyd Nolan is great as the doctor caught in the moral dilemma of covering up a miscarriage (which was an abortion in the book)

The DVD adds an interesting commentary by Russ Tamblyn and Terry Moore. You feel as if you are sitting with them as the watch the film. They give share stories of what it was like to be a young actor in the 1950s.

This is a great film and even better DVD. My wife and I liked the book and movie so much we named our daughter Allison after Peyton Place's main character.

The Darkside of Small Town Life
1957's Peyton Place was based on the tawdry best seller by Grace Metalious that depicts the sorted lives of the residents of the titular small New England town. The film was quite controversial at the time as it contains frank talk about sex, an incestuous rape, a hinted at abortion and murder. The film helped paved the way for the abandoning of the Hollywood moral codes. Everyone in Peyton Place, it seems, has something to Hide. Constance MacKenzie (Lana Turner) is an uptight single mother to Allison MacKenzie (Diane Varsi). She is fearful of scandal and rebuffs the advances of new high school principle Michael Rossi (Lee Phillips). Constance is hiding a secret from Allison and after Allison is wrongful accused of swimming naked with Norman Page (Russ Tamblyn) she reveals that Allison was born illegitimately as her father was living with Constance but was married. Allison leaves Peyton Place to go to New York City. Allison's best friend Selena Cross (Hope Lange) lives in a shack with her drunken stepfather Lucas Cross (Arthur Kennedy). Lucas is abusive and beats Selena and eventually rapes and impregnates her. Confronted by Dr. Swain (Lloyd Nolan), Lucas leaves town. He eventually returns and tries to take advantage of her again and Selena kills him. This leads to trial where Allison returns to town to speak on her Selena's behalf. She avoids her mother and in a bitter meeting tells her of her feelings towards her. At the trial, Selena refuses to let Dr. Swain speak about the rape. Dr. Swain's conscious gets the best of him and in an impassioned statement on the stand he reveals Selena's secret and chides the townspeople for their gossiping ways that led Selena to this position. Selena is acquitted and Allison reunites with Constance. The film was a huge hit and ironically Ms. Turner was embroiled in her our murder trial when her fourteen daughter stabbed her mobster boyfriend to death. It spawned a sequel and a popular television series. The film garnered nine Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director (Mark Robson), Best Actress for Ms. Turner (her only nomination) and two Best Supporting Actor & Actress nomination for Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Tamblyn, Ms. Lange & Ms. Varsi. The film holds the ignominy of having the most nomination without a single win.

Colorful soap classic/less than perfect DVD
Lana Turner and a terrific cast make this toned down version of Grace Metalious's steamy, sensational novel a real potboiling delight! The music, the cinematography, everything...it all evokes a long ago time and place and here it is all beautifully preserved for posterity! Fans will also enjoy its sequel, RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE with luscious Carol Lynley and another good looking cast of youngsters and scenery-chewing veterans.

Unfortunately, this DVD has a few jumps and glitches which disrupt perfect viewing. The AMC Backstory documentary isn't all that informative, and you'd think they'd at least have edited out the commercial bumpers. The commentary track by Tamblyn and Moore is one of the most boring ever...nearly impossible to sit through. Neither actor offers much insight into the film they are watching, instead rattling off alot of their own movie credits and misinformation (ie. Dick Sargent was never in "that genie show," Ms. Moore). Who was producing this!?

The commentaries make this DVD a must-have
I already had a beautiful copy of this movie--the outrageously priced ($49.95) laserdisc set put out by Fox Home Video sometime in the 90s--but the selling point for me this time around was the promised audio commentaries by Russ Tamblyn and Terry Moore. I wasn't disappointed! I've always considered Tamblyn one of the unsung heroes of moviedom (his credits read like a list of the best films ever made--"Gun Crazy," "Father of the Bride," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "West Side Story," and this gem among others) and I'm certain that those viewers only familiar with his remarkable dancing and acrobatics in musicals would be surprised by his sure handling of a complex character in this film. The performance earned him a well-deserved Oscar nomination--a feat not shared by the majority of his musical colleagues. Tamblyn comes off as a very likable, unassuming guy in his audio commentary, and his memory of the long-ago events is pretty sharp--even to the point of remembering that a double for Lana Turner did a couple of the shots in the last scene rather than the actress herself. Along the way he has plenty of interesting stories about the other actors, the location shoot, and what was going on in his life at the time. Terry Moore is also very engaging in her commentary, although she's clearly less familiar with the movie itself--e.g., she registers surprise at the fate of Betty Field's character the same way a first-time viewer would. But Ms. Moore also has some intersting recollections, such as roasting in her winter coat while surrounded by fake snow in the blazing California sunshine. And her obvious respect for the story's themes and its characters (as significantly altered and arguably improved for the film adaptation) is very endearing, particularly if you're as enamored of the film as this viewer. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

One of the Most Energetic Musicals of all Time
1954's "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is rough around the edges and that's just what the doctor ordered. Stanley Donen directed this rough and tumble highly acclaimed musical, set in Oregon in 1850. It was adapted from Stephen Vincent Benét's story "The Sobbin' Women" (based on Plutarch's The Rape of the Sabine Women) and perfectly integrates song, dance, and storytelling. Russ Tamblyn as one of Howard Keel's brothers and Julie Newmar as one of the potential brides are very memorable. Besides Michael Kidd's brilliant choreography (which almost goes without saying) is Cinematographer George Folsey's CinemaScope photography that captured both the grandeur of the land (shot on MGM's back lot!) and the brilliant and bawdy dance numbers. Unfortunately it was shot in Ansco Color and not Technicolor which makes the images less vivid. Yet it does not hinder the film. I saw a recent interview with Jane Powell and she believed that MGM thought they had a real dud on their hands. Boy, were they wrong. Of the DVD versions I prefer the original MGM issue which had a 2.55 to 1 aspect ratio. The Warner Studios version is 2.35 to 1. Both DVD versions remastered the original 4-track magnetic soundtrack to 5.1 Dolby Digital discrete channels. I find this sound remastering very annoying especially to stereophonic films made in the 50s and 60s. The sound on the hi-fi VHS tape is actually truer to the original film.

Singin' & dancin' & sobbin'
A "sleeper" when it was released in 1954, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is still one of the freshest musicals ever made. With a pretty, spirited score by Gene de Paul and Johnny Mercer and rambunctious but carefully-controlled choreography by Michael Kidd, this modestly-budgeted movie surprised everyone by becoming an enormous hit, even being nominated for Best Picture. Based on a short story by Stephen Vncent Benet called "Sobbin' Women" (which was the film's working title), it tells the story of a frontier woman Millie (Jane Powell) courted by a backwoodsman Adam (Howard Keel). He takes her off to his rustic home, neglecting to tell her he has six untamed brothers to care for. Undaunted, Millie sets about domesticating the household, complete with readings from classical history, including the story of the Sabine women, which the boys take to heart. The musical was filmed in AnscoColor and CinemaScope, and the wide screen is utilized to great effect, especially in the barn-raising sequence. Letter-box is mandatory. DePaul and Mercer wrote some effective songs ("Wonderful Day", "When You're in Love", "Sobbin' Women") and the numbers blend into the story perfectly under Stanley Donen's smooth direction. Dresden-doll coloratura Powell and strapping baritone Keel make such an attractive couple it's odd M~G~M never co-starred them again. (Evidently a musical version of "Robin Hood" never got past the drawing board.) The brothers include New York City Ballet star Jacques d'Amboise and a non-dancer, the mysterious Jeff Richards, who may have been the handsomest man ever to appear on the screen, Rock Hudson notwithstanding. Among the brides is Julie Newmar, who a couple of seasons later would stupefy Broadway in "Li'l Abner".Bright and pleasantly aggressive, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is right up there with Metro's best musicals.

Fun movie!
The movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is an excellent, fun, family movie with singing, dancing, romance, and even some action. It tells the story of seven brothers who all live together way out in the country. When the eldest brother, Adam, comes home from town one day with a wife, the other six brothers decide they want brides too. They have to battle the townsmen, however, who have already "spoken for the girls." This movie is full of fun and laughs, and I would highly recommend it.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
This is a great film, two wonderful singers. Good story line as well. My kids, my husband and myself all like this one! It is a good family film everyone will enjoy.

I LOVE THIS FILM SO MUCH
I mean who wouldnt love, not like, but love this incredible film. This was the first film that I watched when I was growing up. It is similar to pretty woman but reverse because here are 7 rough western thugs that in need of brides to tame them, after their oldest brother got married. Not only did the film have good actors and actresses that were too funny to ignore, but the music and dancing were just as good. I love it and can you believe all but one brother are still alive today? Wow!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Looking for a rousing Viking adventure that's cheesy and entertaining? The Long Ships is just the movie for you. As England's greatest color cinematographer, Jack Cardiff had filmed 1958's The Vikings, so he was well-prepared to direct this exciting, occasionally grisly mini-epic (a British/Yugoslavian coproduction, filmed in Yugoslavia), which received mixed-to-favorable reviews when released in 1964. Back then, it was a perfect matinee marvel if you were young and impressionable, and it's still worth its weight in hot buttered popcorn. While that most contemporary of actors, Richard Widmark, is clearly out of place as a maverick Norse warrior, he's sufficiently valiant as he guides his Viking brother (Russ Tamblyn, still hot from West Side Story) and a long-ship full of warriors in search of a huge, solid-gold bell coveted by Mansuh (Sidney Poitier), a Moorish prince obsessed with retrieving the legendary bell at any cost. Treacherous maelstroms, lovely damsels, corny battles, and casual humor make The Long Ships a lot of fun--like a Ray Harryhausen adventure without the animated creatures. (Oh, and Mr. Poitier? James Brown called... he wants his hair back.) --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The best Viking movie I have seen!
A yarn of long ships and tall men. The long ship: one especially constructed as King Harald's funeral ship. The hero: Richard Widmark, a ne'er-do-well as crafty as Odysseus. His father: Krok, a tremendous beer-swilling thane, builder of the long ship. King Harald dupes Krok, paying him a mere two gold pieces for his two years of effort. So Rolf (RW) and his brother Orm consider it fair to steal the long ship to search for a legendary golden bell, "as tall as three tall men" to recoup their fortunes. To guard against reprisals against their family while they are absent, Rolf and Orm also kidnap the king's lovely daughter. Thereby is the stage set for the search for the bell, the pursuit by the king, and the exciting clash with the Moors, led by Sidney Poitier. If you like action and adventure, you must see this movie!

Most fun Viking Flick
Now some will tell you "Vikings" is the best or some other film. I myself have a copy of "Vikings" too. But when it comes to the most fun I would have to say "The Long Ships" wins the prize. Take a swarthy group of Vikings on the quest for a giant golden bell, a dangerous sea journey, an army of Moors to battle, a ruthless King, and a fiendishly unusual device, "The Steel Mare", to kill a man and you have a classic.

It has great scenery, sets, costumes, music, and the cast does a great job of hamming it up. Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier are perfect. You can tell they all had fun doing this movie. Though we don't get to see some carnage such as the results of riding the Mare, who needs to, my imagination works fine thank you. Quite honestly the in your face gratuitous gore of many other movies is overrated. When you think about it there are few movies about Vikings, and of those you definitely want to add this to your collection. The whole family should get a kick out of this one.

You will be humming the theme song after the movie, and may find yourself swinging pillows at one another seeing imaginary Moors. I couldn't wait any longer to see it on TV or until this comes out on DVD so I bought it on VHS. Now that I got the VHS copy it is coming out on DVD. DOH! I ended up buying this DVD and it is incredibly sharp. What a beautiful job of transferring it. Not much in the way of extras but still a wonderful DVD to own.

Viking--Where is the Bell ? !
I had not seen "The Long Ships" since it was released theatrically 40 years ago--yet it left a lasting impression. Of course, I am delighted that Columbia has issued this beautiful DVD--wide-screen, gorgeous colour--it is a treat to look at !

I think some of the negative reviews must come from people who took this movie far too seriously. What we have here is good, old-fashioned "hokum"--the actors knew it--the director knew it--so lighten up, and enjoy this rousing, exciting adventure.

I'm sure that Widmark and Poitier realised that they were not going to win Oscars for this movie--but sometimes even the best actors like to do things that are fun ! I suspect that Widmark was in his 40s, yet like that other famous "viking"--Kirk Douglas--he obviously stayed in shape, and acquits himself well in the action scenes. Mr. Poitier must have had a ball, wearing an outlandish wig, and flowing "Moorish" robes.

Movie buffs will see many familiar faces in this one, although--in a number of cases--they may not be so apparent at first. Terrific character actor, Lionel Jeffries, with heavy make-up and a top-knot, is the eunuch guarding the harem ( not too well ! )--his purpose is clearly comic relief. Stalwart British actors, David Lodge and Edward Judd, are "on board" as thick-bearded vikings. Another viking is played by that quintessential Scotsman, Gordon Jackson--I suppose some Scots might have travelled to Norway ? Clifford Evans ( on leave from Hammer Films ? ) is dignified as the viking king. Russ Tamblyn, always an acrobatic, athletic force, has his moments as the younger viking brother. Rossana Shiaffino and Beba Loncar are beautiful women--but that's all. Finally, the award for unbelievable over-acting goes to Oscar Homolka, as Widmark's ( and Tamblyn's ) father--his "drunken" scene at the mandatory "viking orgy" is quite surreal !

There are a number of memorable scenes, and I agree with other reviewers about the "Mare of Steel"--in 40 years, I never forgot it. You will not forget the poor "guinea pig" selected for a demonstration of this lethal device. Will Mr. Widmark be next ? Start chewing those finger nails !

One small criticism--as I mentioned, Columbia has done a beautiful job of presenting this film in all of it's colourful glory. However, someone in the "proof-reading" department really blew it. On the cover of the DVD case, the two stars' names are at the top--Mr. Poitier's name is spelled incorrectly. He is only one of the biggest stars in the history of film--so this glitch is unfortunate.

Anyway--for history scholars and lovers of authenticity--stay away. For the rest of us who like pure entertainment, "The Long Ships" is an exciting voyage !

Where is that golden bell?!
Finding a good viking film is never an easy task. One must wade through a lot of bad movies before discovering that rare gem. The 1964 lusty epic "The Long Ships" is not a gem. In fact, it is so laughably bad as to be amusing - but that's a good thing.

Certainly not as horrid as "The Norsemen," but far inferior to "The Vikings" and "The 13th Warrior," this film tells the tale of a band of vikings in search of a huge golden bell. Led by Richard Widmark and Russ Tamblyn (that's right, Russ Tamblyn), these colorful warriors steal a ship, oar through a maelstrom and battle Moors, all the while trying to find that darn golden bell.

Sidney Poitier, starring in probably the worst film of his career, is the leader of the Moors. He's got a sexually frustrated wife back home who's irritated with his obsession with finding this golden bell. Everyone's looking for the golden bell. I suppose when found, it can be melted down and provide untold riches for all involved. Which is really kind of a shame, because when it rings, it makes such beautiful music.

Anyway, Poitier and the Vikings reluctantly join forces to find the golden bell - which is about 20 feet tall. Such a golden bell must be awfully heavy, but it's carted around on a Gilligan's Island-like raft and pulled by a few horses once they reach land. At one point the bell falls down a cliff, killing a lot of vikings, and then oddly floating on the ocean. Thank goodness it didn't sink because I don't think viking scuba gear had been invented yet.

Oh well, I first saw this film as a child and thought it was the greatest darn film in history. It plays like a comic book, with Richard Widmark delivering Indiana Jones wisecracks throughout. It's a lot of fun if in the right mood and the battle sequences are exciting. The sets are also appropriately elaborate.

The film clocks in at over two hours and it drags because of it. But to edit "The Long Ships" down would mean to delete the scene where the vikings stumble upon a female harem. Rather than escape with their lives, they decide to sample the wares, which of course leads to chaos. I was half expecting John Cleese to make an appearance any second.

Ala Baba and the 40 Viking Thieves
Love Richard Widmark but this movie would have been better with a lighter weight actor like Tony Curtis. Entertaining but only worth renting. Russ Tamblyn is not the stature of Sydney and Richard.

Beautiful photography and effects but not a must see movie. ... Read more

Description

Get ready for over-the-top hilarity when comedy original Chris Elliott (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, SCARY MOVIE 2) goes overboard in this hysterical high-seas misadventure that's sure to keep everyone laughing! Elliott stars as Nathanial Mayweather, a spoiled rich kid whose plans for a ritzy Hawaiian cruise backfire, finding him lost at sea with a gang of salty old sailors. And when his crusty cabin mates get a whiff of his highfalutin attitude, they give him every rotten chore on the boat -- and take him on the wackiest adventure yet to sail the Seven Seas! Chart a course for fun with CABIN BOY -- a truly wild comedy! ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Just plain goofy
Ok... I really like this movie. But in honesty there can be a little too much lag between the really funny parts.

There are some great snapshot moments that will stick with you and make you laugh.

Sometimes around the house I can hear my wife or one of my boys say "Wanna buy a monkey?".... aaahhh... I love that.

And Lord help me, there is just something unbelievably funny about a floppy dancing Chris Elliott being pelted on the head by beer cans. Comic genius? Hardly - but damn if it does not crack me up every time I think about it.

I struggled to watch the whole movie
and I had to give up. I got what they were trying to do and I didn't think it was funny. I like Chris Elliot but not in this movie.

Are you drunk or something?
Honestly... the older I get, and the more views I give this flick... the funnier it gets. I've been fan of Elliott's since "Get A Life" and by the time I saw this film, any hope of anyone even knowing who he was, was long gone. But it didn't matter. I struggled through my first viewing thinking, "wow, this movie sucks hard," but for some reason still decided to watch it again. That's Elliott's charm/magic... you don't really get him, sometimes he even annoys you, but you just wanna give him another go. So... 5, 6, 14 viewings later... I get it! I get it every time now! I get a little more each and every time now! Honestly... even my girlfiend didn't want to like this and she was howling! It's about the subtleties... a funny glance, a funny dance, a flying, talking cupcake, or more than likely, a really good one-liner. Anyway... I'm rambling... watch this movie 2-3 times then enjoy!

"The Odyssey" on "Ecstasy"
This twisted little adventure tale is either a full-sail comedy classic or a rudderless shipwreck, depending on your opinion of star Chris Elliott, the only true heir to the late Andy Kaufman. Like Kaufman before him, Elliott's comedic ouvre is something you "get", or you don't (before I am accused of being a snob, let me freely admit that there are comedians I don't "get": Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and George W. Bush). The man who gave us "FDR: The One-Man Show" embarks on a rollicking voyage through a sea of Irony when his "fancy lad" books passage on the barely seaworthy "Filthy Whore". Brian Doyle-Murray (who played Elliott's crusty landlord on his short-lived Fox TV series) is memorable as the fishing boat's captain. Great cameos by "Tumblin'" Russ Tamblyn (as a Mer-Man!) and Ann Magnuson as the sex-starved, multi-limbed wife of a cranky ogre. Crew member Brion James (who you may recognize as one of the replicants in "Blade Runner") gets to deliver the movie's best line: "Oh-purple lightning. THAT'S always a good sign." Don't throw this one back!

The trick to enjoying this movie is to..
watch it with kids under the age of 13. But even the kids will tell you it's the worst movie they've ever seen.

You know, I like Chris Elliot too and I thought "Get a Life" was pure comic genius before the network started tinkering with the recipe. But this thing (insert head shake thingy) is so monumentally bad I'm actually at a loss for words. The blue chick with 6 arms and her giant husband that just opened a "housewares" store on a remote deserted island was pretty creative. OK, seeing Chris Elliot riding on the back of his girlfriend swimming across the Pacific with a ski rope to hold on to was pretty funny but that was about it.

Now, if you find yourself all that curious about this flick the DVD transfer is pretty good and the sound is about what you would expect...but who cares? 2 wigs ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Warning - No Commentary
I loved this film in the cinema, though it may be too
slow and dated for some children now. However I was
very dissapointed when I bought this DVD to find that
there was no audio commentary contrary to description
here and other sources. I don't know whether it was
perhaps on some early copies but it isn't on the
current version. Seems a missed opportunity if it was
dropped for some reason.

Tom Thumb
Loved the film; brought back memories of my childhood when my parents brought me to see it back in the late 50's. The film though presented principally for children, has a lot of sentimentality and morals to its' credit. Really nice movie.

A delightful film for the entire family!
I found this late 1950's version of Tom Thumb" to be the best Rus Tamblyn was superb in it. It's so very well worth seeing. i think it deserves all the stars it can get. It really impressed be as such a magical film. The dance numbers were great. It was funny amusing, romantic, colorful, nice songs and dance. I also found Alan Young wonderful in it as well. It's a must see for the entire family.

Tom thumb
This film is one of the best films of all time for children and adults too, unfortunately the film is not available on video or DVD in the United Kingdom so anyone who lives in the U.K. will have to have a Video Recorder which is NTSC compatible. This film used to double bill at the cinema with Wizard of Oz but more enjoyable of the two and you don't tire of watching it.

when i was a little kid, this was my favorite movie
and the good parts are just as good today.

start off, of course, with the brilliant sequences from george pal. if i am not mistaken, this was the final puppetoon animation he did, as he was then involved increasingly in directing feature length films. but if only for the yawning man and con-fu-shen, this film would be worth seeing.

add to that, the wonderful live performances by such as the underrated dancer russ tamblyn in the title role; the legendary jessie matthews; and a young peter sellers and terry thomas as marvelous comic villains. sadly, the love story between queenie and woody slows thing down, and even the usually wonderful alan young cant save that part of the movie. (incidentally, a year later young would turn in his finest performance in the george pal "time machine.")

i have such fond memories of this movie, and it manages to live up to them -- i would wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to fans of fantasy, dance, or puppetry. bravo! ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the most vital of all film noir pictures, Gun Crazy has more cinematic gusto and sexual heat than almost any movie of its time. It's a variation on the Bonnie and Clyde story, but with a bizarre set-up:firearms enthusiasts John Dall and Peggy Cummins (neither of whom were ever this wild again) meet as sharpshooters in a carnival, then turn to crime. The direction, by Joseph H. Lewis, is like a spray of hot lead from a gun barrel, capped by an amazing sequence--shot in one long take--of a bank robbery seen from the backseat of the getaway car. (Billy Wilder himself called up Lewis to find out how he did it.) If most film noirs trace the anxieties of postwar America, Gun Crazy goes directly to sheer madness. Trivia note: the film had a title change, to Deadly Is the Female, for its original release, whereupon it was changed back. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The winner of 10 Academy Awards, this 1961 musical by choreographer Jerome Robbins and director Robert Wise (The Sound of Music) remains irresistible. Based on a smash Broadway play updating Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the 1950s era of juvenile delinquency, the film stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer as the star-crossed lovers from different neighborhoods--and ethnicities. The film's real selling points, however, are the highly charged and inventive song-and-dance numbers, the passionate ballads, the moody sets, colorful support from Rita Moreno, and the sheer accomplishment of Hollywood talent and technology producing a film so stirring. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim wrote the score. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (195)

Here Come THE JETS!
WEST SIDE STORY remains unique...to the point of astounding...in status among most accomplished classics in cinema history. Legendary director Robert Wise[whose eclectic mastery of film ranges from "lost" mythology epic, HELEN OF TROY to sci-fi milestones-THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and STAR TREK:The Movie]perfectly renders a film of passion;tragedy;humor and ultimate celebration of youthful humanity. Leonard Bernstein's score is peerless Americana: classic ART and popular entertainment.Jerome Robbins'choreography is electrifying;Steven Sondheim's "libretto lyrics" are ensconded in popular music immortality.

West Side Story's ensemble cast is likewise peerless.
Natalie Wood is superb as American JULIET, Maria. Richard Beymer's Tony/Romeo charcterization wonderfuly combines heroic "tough guy" with star-crossed lover. George Chakris(Bernardo)and Russ Tamblyn (Riff)jive; fight and dance their rival gangs into legend. My favorite is Rita Moreno.Her performance as earth mother/eternal woman figure, ANITA is remarkable. Her ferocious sexual brio;lioness-Queen humor("if you can fight in/for AMERICA!");home girl insouciance, and passionate GRACE are archetypal.WEST SIDE STORY thematically equals--if not surpasses--its SHAKESPEAREAN progenitor.It is America's SOUND OF MUSIC.The ten Academy Awards could be justly re-awarded.

[When I learned "my" homies back in Massachusetts'Pelham Regional High School...citadel/incubator of so-called 5-college professoriate and University of Mass'PC satrapy centered in Amherst...BANNED WEST SIDE STORY as Racist(this year the school is featuring VAGINA MONOLOGUES)I wondered: "WHERE ARE THE JETS when you need them?"]...

Certainly WSS was never conceived--as Mel Gibsons's THE PASSION OF CHRIST--to stir Culture War and rally believers. WEST SIDE STORY is,"unsimply",American film making at its finest and cinema art of world class caliber. It is movie ICON,which,as The JETS challenge, remains at-the-ready: "to beat every last f.....'gang on the whole f.....'street!"(10 Stars)

powerful,realistic , the finest musical drama I have seen
This ia a very intense, fast moving story in which many of the scenes easily could have happened in real life in New York at that time.

The quality of the music and lyrics blends beautifully with the action, and the choreographed dances are breathtaking.The actors fit their parts to such perfection that I could not imagine anyone else than Natalie Wood playing Maria, or George Chakiris as Bernardo, and on and on for the rest of the Jets and Sharks. My favorite musicals are those from 1950-1970 and of all the great ones like Oklahoma, South Pacific, and the Sound of Music, West Side Story impresses me as the most exciting dramatic musical of all time. It is hard to find a boring moment in this movie. When I think about this movie, the ballet numbers, choreography, and excitement stand out the most in my mind. For a fast moving drama this is a classic against which to compare other musical drama. Who would have thought that a mere conflict between two gangs could have been portrayed into such a dynamic movie. The producers certainly succeeded in bringing up to date the Romeo and Juliet saga. The romance and tragedy of Tony and Maria will always be indelibly impressed in my mind.

Magnificent adaptation of Romeo & Juliet!
Robert Wise made his masterpiece with this film mixing the essential spirit of the shakesperian mood , recreating it in the modern times as a racial conflict.
Wise mixed the drama with a credible plot . The coreography is towering and the music ( Oh what kind of inspiration was in the mind of Leonard Bernstein , acquire buy also the soundtrack; Maria became a classic ), Rita Moreno won a deserved Academy Award and this became a personal triumph for Natalie Wood one of the most beautiful faces ever seen in the cinema story .
The sequence fights between the bunchs is perfect articulated , there is a fine balance between drama and music.
Enjoyable film and of course for all a generation of teenagers in that age , who actaully are grandparents , still remember with nosthalgie that unforgettable jewel picture .

The Best Musical
West Side Story is one of my favorite musicals. The music and the choreography is incredible. Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer make a perfect Maria and Tony. Now that it is on the 2 Disc Special Limited Edition, it is even better. You can have the original intermission music if you wish and there is a great documentary called West Side Memories which shows how this amazing musical was made. Along with the special edition you get a book that contains the original screenplay, a timeline of the show from when the idea was first thought of and to when it came to the screen, a pamphlet you could of bought in the theaters when it first opened in 1961, and newspaper clippings of what critics thought of the show. Even if you didn't get the special edition this show is still worth owning. The songs are incredible. My favorites are "Maria", "America", and "I Feel So Pretty" which a ninety minute instrumental version is used for the intermission.

Best movie Ever
This movie is a must anyone who loves musicals, it's a total classic. If you thought you knew a lot about the movie, think again, because with all the extra fetures will provide you with more knowledge that you than think about.

The movie has definatley got some of the best dance seguences ever made for a musical. ... Read more

Description

Three gorgeous women will stop at nothing for a chance to become a famous magazine's Centerfold of the Year. For Angel Grace, this opportunity is too good to pass up, and she enlists the help of a doctor who promises her great endowments with a secret beauty enhancement program. But something goes wrong, and Angel finds herself filling out in the most unusual ways! A wild and sexy comedy that shows beauty is not just skin deep, but 60 feet tall. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The 50 foot woman grows 60 feet taller!!!
No she is not The 50 foot woman but this Centerfold is bigger, badder and better the the other one!And look! now she has someone to fight about who has a bigger bust than the the other in the middle of Hollywood! I did enjoy this one better then the other movie.The reason i bought this movie and probbobly why all the other men who bought this movie was becuase of the picture on the case,it was a picture of J.J. North in a ripped up white bikini (witch didn't hide much) peeking behind a skyscrapper while a fire truck was at her feet.I think this movie deserves five stars because well, just look at the case.

great campy movie
this is a funny great b-movie, with lots of beauful women,and a huge jj north as the sexy centerfold. the ending is pretty good, for anyone who likes b-movies, this is a must buy.

JJ North is Incredible!
JJ North is one of the most beautiful women to land in any B-movie in the last twenty years. It's heartbeaking this stunning actress has not done more. This movie is what B-movies are about. It's fun and filled with incredibly pretty women. If you're looking for Oscar winning acting look elsewhere. If you want silly fun, you shouldn't miss this. My only complaint is that there wasn't nearly enough of the dark and sexy Nikki Fitz.

The Most Colossal Catfight Ever Filmed!
J.J. North stars as Angel Grace, a drop dead gorgeous model who is insecure about her looks. She goes to a doctor who has developed a formula that will enhance her natural beauty. She drinks a certain amount every day, to help give her an edge over her competitors for centerfold of the year. This comedy is a thinly veiled cautionary tale about the dangers of drugs. As the effects of the beauty formula wear off quicker, Angel increases the dosage. By taking an overdose, her body grows to gigantic proportions. Jay Richardson as the humorous Hugh Hefner-like magazine publisher, and Tim Abell as the photographer, conspire to keep her from getting an antidote. They figure they can make millions off her as a colossal centerfold. This comedy is also a thinly veiled indictment of the way men exploit women. The luscious Tammy Parks plays Betty, Angel's main rival for centerfold of the year. When she finds out about Angel's beauty enhancement, she consumes a massive amount of the formula and also grows to massive proportions. The catfight between these two gorgeous giants is the highlight of the movie. This comedy is really a thinly veiled guilty pleasure!

Babe-a-liscious!
Normally I would give a disc with absolutely no extras (except for 3 trailers for other Corman movies) 2 stars but I gave it an extra one since the price is so right. J.J. North is a babe beyond belief in this ripoff...er uh, I mean tribute to 50's sci-fi flicks such as 50 Foot Woman. REALLY bad special effects mixed with mostly forced perspective shots make for a fun flick with cameos by other favorites of mine like Nikki Fritz and Michelle Bauer. The catfight between the two female giants through downtown LA is a hoot and gives us the best line from the movie: "My God! Look at the size of those T*TS!!" ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Tracy returns in a quickie sequel to "Father of the Bride"
After the success of "Father of the Bride," M-G-M produced this sequel the following year. This time around Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) learns that his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) and son-in-law Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor) are going to have a baby. Father is no more thrilled with the idea of being a grandfather than he was about Kay getting married in the first place. Joan Bennett as his wife Elllie and Billie Burke and Moroni Olsen as the other soon-to-be grandparents do their best to help poor Stanley through this latest trauma. A cute film, but certainly not as charming as the original, mainly because it is taking the same approach, albeit with a slightly different topic. It seems Stanely is no more interested in becoming a grandfather than he was in letting his daughter get married. Still, there are nice moments between Tracy and Taylor, who always called the actor "Pops" until the day he died. This 1951 film was also directed by Vincent Minnelli and Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett again did the screenplay using the characters first created in Edward Streeter's novel. "Father's Little Dividend" was remade, in a round about way, in the recent Steve Martin vehicle "Father of the Bride II."

Tracy returns in a quickie sequel to "Father of the Bride"
After the success of "Father of the Bride," M-G-M produced this sequel the following year. This time around Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) learns that his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) and son-in-law Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor) are going to have a baby. Father is no more thrilled with the idea of being a grandfather than he was about Kay getting married in the first place. Joa