Amazon.com

In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What's not to like? --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (307)

Hell Goes Red
I had never even heard of Hellboy before the movie arrived, and I instantly wondered just what type of harbinger of doom and destruction could anyone be with the word "boy" in their name. Even the paltry Babel Fish of Hitchhikers fame would merely die choking on its own laughter.....or so I thought. I was very pleasantly surprised by the movie "Hellboy" and the overall story that it followed.

The main character is a demon, called "Hellboy" (Ron Perlman) funnily enough, who comes through a portal opened by Rasputin, (Karl Roden), at the behest of the desperate Nazis in 1944. After the portal is closed with the help of Professor Broom, (later played by John Hurt), Hellboy is found and becomes the FBI's latest weapon against the "things that go bump in the night". The bad guys come back in the present day to end the world, and they are Rasputin, his girlfriend Ilsa, (Bridget Hodson) and Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, (Ladislav Beran). To add to the mix, Hellboy has a new "babysitter" in Agent John Myers, (Rupert Evans) and a love interest in Liz Sherman, (Selma Blair).

Ron Perlman was basically born to play the role of Hellboy, from the basic structure of his face to the very mannerisms and attitudes that Hellboy exudes. Perlman was absolutely stunning in this role, and had the right, sardonic wit to pull it off with class and panache. Even with a huge amount of prosthetic make-up, Perlman was not limited in his expressiveness during the movie. The action scenes were also excellent, and the make-up did not seem to inhibit Perlman's movements at all.

Karl Roden brings an intense and deeply emotional Rasputin to the movie, and particularly in the last scenes brings through an intense amount of feeling. However, I would not say that the eerie sense of evilness really came from him. That was really provided by the near-silent Karl Ruprecht Kroenen and his deadly blades. Kroenen is very much the silent type, and mostly communicates through gestures, if at all. The masks that he wears through the movie also add to the inhuman quality of the character, as well as a very quiet, but noticable hissing as he breathes.

For the special effects and the set designs, I can only add to the positive comments for this movie. The dark feel of the movie was excellent and added to the sense of forboding that was brought by some characters. Also, the achievements of the effects team were really stunning, and what they managed to do with various everyday items has been great. Also, the robotics and so on have been excellently executed and have only added to the movie's overall feel and atmosphere.

The 2-disc set provides some interesting information on both the making of the film and various characters as well. I found them to be very informative and well set out. If you do not want to wade through stuff that is not interesting to you, you can go straight to that section, rather than watch the entire "Making Off..." thing.

For action and a good story that combines history, fantasy, Hell, magic, and some very interesting characters, "Hellboy" is pretty hard to pass up. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it, including the Samaritan, which "uses really big bullets."

good
overall this is a great movie... no great acting or story but the whole movie just "works"... one of the best comic book based movies ive seen... this is what sin city should have been like... the cheesy acting & dialogue are way better than that suck-fest called sin city...

the start of the movie reminded me a lot of the nazi stuff in indiana jones... but the hellboy nazis were not as goofy & lame as the ones in jones... until the end, which brings me to one of my biggest gripes with this movie...

all the main villans were shown to be very smart & in conrol leading up to the final battle... then all of the sudden everyone loses their mind, start rambling like madman, & let hellboy do whatever he wants... wtf? lame! its like they got to writing the end & tacked on the same crappy ending from any number of other action movies...

one other problem with the movie was the relationship between hellboy & selma blair... their "romance" was as interesting to watch as the blue guy eating rotten eggs in the fish tank...

entertaining but not worth the cash
The action sceens were awesome but unfortonetly the action

sceens are the only good part they are boring and did not keep

me interested in the movie. With the action sceens at 5 stars

and the normal sceens with no vilonce The average is 3.

Most movies I am still interested in the story and enjoy seeing

non vilent sceens.This movie is different I can only enjoy

action sceens.

"We're the ones who bump back..."
Commissioned by the Nazis, a bald Rasputin conducts a ritual in 1944 to summon a Daemon God into the world of mortals, but too much goes awry during the invocation due to the meddling of a Professor Bloom, yet the portal was open for far too long and a baby demon comes through, which is subsequelty raised by Bloom to become the unlikely crime-fighting, cigar-smoking, weight-lifting hero known as "Hellboy" {Ron Perlman}, who now must face the hell-hound-like denizens of the infernal regions. This character is added to the ungateful lot the likes of Nick Knight, Blade, and Dracula's son from Castlevania, who deny their origins and are at odds with their own natural darksides. Hellboy becomes the 'muscle' for a parapsycholical organization named "The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense", aided by a clairvoyant humanoid amphibian {"Abe Sapien"} and X-Files-like agents. He actually files his magnificent black horns resembling Lord Darkness' from Legend, down into ugly stumps that end up looking like goggles, in order to fit in with the group.

While the BPRD attempt to contain the firey talents of a Delia-like character named 'Liz' {Selma Blair}, who herself is quite a pyromantic hellion, she and Hellboy become mutually infatuated {despite the ingracious amorous advances of a fellow agent of Hellboy's}, which seems a perfect match, considering Hellboy happens to be inflammable, making for a very romantic spectacle when they embrace within a plume of blue flame.

Rasputin was drawn into the portal, and with the help of a striking Russian female cohort, and an impressive zombie-like character in a Nazi uniform wielding a blade in each hand, returns empowered as an anthropomorphic synthesis of Sammael, with the aid of the 'children of Nergal', to prepare the path for the nefarious inheretors of the planet.In a marvellous concluding scene, one gets to briefly see Hellboy in his potentially demonic splendor, inclusive of a crown of fire, before confronting Behemoth, a magnificent Cthulhuilike creature. Seems like 'somebody' has been selecting choice Infernal Names from The Satanic Bible!

The aesthetics are enjoyable, the plot intriguing, and the characters remarkable, although the Demoralization Process is present, but can be overlooked for the film's better qualities.

not a review - more of a question
I seldom ever write reviews - if somebody likes things I do not like (or viceversa) they are wellcome to it. As they say, de gustibus....

I only have one question to Guillermo Del Toro - can I have another one?!! Please, please please make the second one. I do not want to part with Ron Perlman as Hellboy and with others. I loved every moment of it, I want more! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

INCREDIBLY AWESOME!!!!
I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!! THE BEGINNING HAD THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS THEMESONG AND AFTER THE THEME SONG THEY HAD SPONGE BOB DANCING A JIG!!!! IT WAS SO COOL!!!! I LOVED IT AND THE BIGGER PINNAPLE WAS DANCING SO HARD IT WENT INTO OUTER SPACE TO THE PLANET NEPTUNE AND BECAME A ROAST CHICKEN!!!!

I LOVE SPONGEBOB
i saw the spongebob movie on the night it came out and i was impressed. the show got me impressed too because it's funny, cute, and awesome. it made me proud in my heart. spongebob will be my favorite show, movie and favorite charactar.

Looks Fantastic!
I have absolutly loved Spongebob Squarepants ever since the tv show was first aired and have been waiting for the movie ever since. The trailers for the movie are really funny! I will be there on opening day, no matter what!

SPONGEBOB!!!!!SPONGEBOB!!!!!SPONGEBOB!!!!!SPONGEBOB!!!!!
I'M READY! (...)FOR THE GREATEST BLOCKBUSTER MOTION PICTURE EVENT OF THE LAST 2 CENTURIES. I WANT TO MOVE TO BIKINI-BOTTOM AND LIVE NEXT TO SPONGEBOB, PATRICK, AND SQUIDWARD AND I WANT TO WORK AT THE KRABBY PATTY AND GIVE MY WHOLE PAYCHECK BACK TO MR. KRABS AND THEN CRASH MY BOAT AT BOATING SCHOOL AND GET MY DRIVING TEACHER THROWN IN JAIL AND HAVE A KUNG-FU FIGHT WITH SANDY CHEEKS AND LOSE TO A GIRL AND GET LOST AND DRIVE A ROCK BACK HOME AND FEED MY PET SNAIL HUGE, GIANT, OVERSIZED CANS OF CATFOOD!!!!! AND I'M 30 YEARS OLD, SO MY WIFE CANNOT SAY NO.

CAN'T WAIT!
I can't wait untill SpongeBob the movie comes out, i've been watching it every day and night on T.V, Me and my friends have stickers, magnets, pencils, everything of Spongebob. We all think SpongeBob rocks, not forgetting Squidwert of course.
Thanks, love Dragon
xxx
P.S Only 5 months and 7 days and counting untill it comes out! ... Read more

Amazon.com

How many movies offer the rare spectacle of a parasailing pink starfish flying over a crowd with a congratulatory pennant clenched between his buttcheeks? And that's only the tip of the iceberg--The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a freewheeling goof of a cartoon, full of surreal twists as its diminutive heroes head down a dangerous road to rescue the lost crown of King Neptune. SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny), an arrested adolescent in the mold of Pee-wee Herman, works at a fast-food restaurant that serves something called Krabby Patties (as the restaurant owner is himself a crab, it's not clear what exactly they're made of). His best friend Patrick Starfish (Bill Fagerbakke) lives under a rock and has an IQ in the lower digits. Still, their friendship carries them through many a tight spot as they strive for manliness. Anyone seeking a coherent world will be disappointed; in this undersea adventure, things catch on fire or seem to be surrounded by air whenever it's convenient for a gag. The jokes are often more silly than actually funny, but there's an undeniably energetic joviality to the proceedings. Featuring the voices of Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Tambor, Alec Baldwin, and a fully fleshed appearance by David Hasselhoff. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (161)

Adorably Sweet and Funny To Boot!
The animation was perfect, the plot was funny as well as interesting and (at times) touching, and the music rocked!!

I think you'll also find the new characters quite charming, especially the sweet and beautiful Princess Mindy (who SHOULD be Spongebob's romantic interest, not Patrick's...but, ah well.).

This movie is definatley wonderful... I give two thumbs WAY, WAY up!

Sometimes EXTREME ignorance can be charming!
I am a big fan of the TV series; unfortunately, the movie is not nearly as entertaining to me. If you enjoyed "An Extremely Goofy Movie" or maybe "The Care Bears Movie" then you might want to chance it, but if you're expecting the TV show forget it. The most interesting thing about this movie to me is that it drew someone like p kitts out from under whatever rock he/she was hiding. Word creations like "lagh" (used 5 times), "houp" for "hope," "seen" for "scene," and "though" for "tough," when teamed with expressions such as "i seen it 2 times," etc., are funnier than anything in "The Spongebob Squarepants Movie"! Just funny, funny stuff! And I don't mean any disrespect, honestly. I just wish the movie had entertained me as much as that review!

Spongebob's Biggest Adventure Yet!
King Neptune somehow misplaces his crown and suspects it was stolen. He then goes to Mr. Krabs, who is a crab {obviously}, and the owner of the restaurant the Krusty Krab. He is also egomaniacal. Spongebob and his friend Patrick who is a starfish agree to go find the crown so King Neptune would be happy. {It's nice to not have commercials in between the movie too}. But, Mr. Krabs nemisis, Plankton, hires a guy {more like a tough biker} to go after Spongebob.

loved it , two tumbs way up!!
I love this movie i seen it 2 times in the theaters, and bought it when it came out.For allmost a month i watched evey night ,and somtimes throughout the day.Even adults can love this.My favorite seen is when spongebob sings "Goffy gober rock" when it showes patrick with tights on LOL. I laghed untill I allmost cried ,but when i seen it the second time i didnt lagh,but i was expecting eveyone else to lagh but no one laghed.(must have been a though crowd), if you have not seen it you must at least rent it,or buy it if you are a spongebob fan like me or anyone else,houp you like it!

Good L-o-L Fun
there are some good jokes in this film and funny scenes. Worth the buy, that simple. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Lacking some of the Henson Magic, but still a lot of fun.
This movie has some big shoes to fill. The original Muppet Movie, Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Christmas Carol and the Muppet take on Treasure Island are classics in my mind. Muppets from Space ranks about fourth of the six, but these are six films at the top of the list of all time favorites. This film holds more tru to the earlier films, where our favorite fuzzy friends play themselves and the cameos fly fast and furious. Gonzo (The Whatever) decides that he is tired of being the only Muppet that is specialy challenged. A series of dreams and a sequence lifted directly from Contact help him to realize that he is actually from ?Out there?. Not only that, but his family is finally ready to come get him. From here the movie does what Muppet films do best- Vaudeville type gags and pop culture references that sometimes fly over children?s heads, but help keep parents entertained. I originally saw this film with my wife, brother, sister in law and 6 year old niece. We adults (all raised on The Muppets on TV and at the movies) laughed longer, harder and more often than the moppet. References to contemporary science fiction films and TV series abound and are among the more clever gags peppered through the movie. Be sure to keep an eye open for a reference to Brent Spiner?s appearance in ID4 once Kermit and friends get into the secret lab. It?s a riot. The ending of the film is the only place it really misfires. It can be seen from a mile off and we all knew what would happen before we even entered the theater. Bu that?s OK. We need the happy ending for the kids. The first 90 minutes were for us.

Lacking some of the Henson magic, but still a lot of fun.
This movie has some big shoes to fill. The original Muppet Movie, Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Christmas Carol and the Muppet take on Treasure Island are classics in my mind. Muppets from Space ranks about fourth of the six, but these are six films at the top of the list of all time favorites. This film holds more tru to the earlier films, where our favorite fuzzy friends play themselves and the cameos fly fast and furious. Gonzo (The Whatever) decides that he is tired of being the only Muppet that is specialy challenged. A series of dreams and a sequence lifted directly from Contact help him to realize that he is actually from "Out there". Not only that, but his family is finally ready to come get him. From here the movie does what Muppet films do best- Vaudeville type gags and pop culture references that sometimes fly over children's heads, but help keep parents entertained. I originally saw this film with my wife, brother, sister in law and 6 year old niece. We adults (all raised on The Muppets on TV and at the movies) laughed longer, harder and more often than the moppet. References to contemporary science fiction films and TV series abound and are among the more clever gags peppered through the movie. Be sure to keep an eye open for a reference to Brent Spiner's appearance in ID4 once Kermit and friends get into the secret lab. It's a riot. The ending of the film is the only place it really misfires. It can be seen from a mile off and we all knew what would happen before we even entered the theater. Bu that's OK. We need the happy ending for the kids. The first 90 minutes were for us.

This hilarious film is truly out of this world
Muppets From Space (not to be confused with the original Muppet Show's Pigs in Space) is one terrific movie. The Muppets redefine themselves on the cutting edge of entertainment, put together a film of nonstop action and hilarity, pull off a rather touching ending, impart an important lesson about life to children as well as adults, and really bring their own special magic to the viewing audience. Feature films permit the Muppet universe to expand in altogether new ways. For one thing, you get to see full-body shots of Muppets doing extraordinary things (rather than having to settle for the old above the waist only shots). More significantly, in relation to this movie, there are some pretty good special effects that really make the Muppet world seem more believable than ever. All of the Muppets look great, and some relatively newer characters are nothing short of hilarious (Pepe the Prawn in particular).

Muppets From Space centers around Gonzo, the little guy with the big nose and no real history. He's tired of being a one-of-a-kind creature and yearns to know where he came from. First things first, though. The film opens with the start of a new day in the Muppet house; everyone gets up out of bed and quickly gets down with their bad selves to the funky music of "Brick House." The Muppets have definitely found the funk, and this makes for a really happening, memorable soundtrack. Just when Gonzo is really down about being alone in the world, he receives a communication from outer space (via his alphabet-shaped breakfast cereal). Soon, he is convinced that he is an alien and, what is more, he claims his alien family is on its way to earth. A certain secret agency picks up signs of the aliens and comes after Gonzo, thinking he can tell them what the aliens want and where they will land. The leader of this secret group, played by Jeffrey Tambor, is a little bit out of his mind, and Gonzo falls right into his pending trap by showing up at the local news studio to announce that the aliens are coming. The other Muppets don't really believe Gonzo's claims, but they are eager to help rescue him when he falls into the evil clutches of the Men in Black. The conclusion of the movie is a real hoot indeed, delivering a close encounter of the truly unique kind.

All of the Muppet characters are great; Kermit and Miss Piggy don't get as much screen time as usual, but that may well be a good thing. Gonzo and his roommate Rizzo the Rat (another fantastic, relatively new character) are more than capable of carrying the movie by themselves - of course, they don't have to do it alone because many of the Muppets play important parts. Pepe the Prawn absolutely steals the show, if you ask me; he may be the funniest Muppet yet created. As usual, a number of famous stars make cameo appearances in the film, including Andie MacDowell, Ray Liotta, F. Murray Abraham, Kathy Griffin, Hollywood Hogan (as his NWO self), and an always annoying David Arquette. Kids as well as adults should love this movie. Older viewers will appreciate some of the subtle nods to popular culture; for example, you will find parallels to big movies such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek, Men in Black, Independence Day, and The Shawshank Redemption.

This is as funny and enjoyable a Muppet movie as you will find. Don't let the kids get all of the enjoyment out of Muppets From Space, though; there are plenty of things incorporated into the plot and script to make adults smile and laugh, as well.

CLASSIC
this is such an unexpected movie. This is my kind of humor. Its definetly worth watching, especially if you are a muppets fan.

My favorite Muppets movie!!!
After being disappointed by Muppets Treasure Island (which had so much potential) we were reluctant to see this movie. What a pleasant surprise! This movie is really fun, funny, and the soundtrack rocks. This movie turmed my significant other into a muppet lover. We love the MST2K version with the muppet commentary too. Lots of neat extras. No disappointments! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The long road to Pollock began when actor Ed Harris received a biography of Jackson Pollock from his father, who noticed that his son bore an uncanny resemblance to the artist. Harris's fascination with Pollock matched his physical similarity; the actor chose to direct and star in this impressive film biography. And his devotion assured a work of singular integrity, honoring the artist's achievement in abstract expressionism while acknowledging that Pollock was a tormented, manic-depressive alcoholic whose death at 44 (in a possibly suicidal car crash) also claimed the life of an innocent woman. The film also suggests that Pollock's success was largely attributable to the devotion of his wife, artist Lee Krasner, played with matching ferocity by Marcia Gay Harden in an Oscar®-winning performance.

In many respects a traditional biopic, Pollock begins in 1941 when Pollock meets Krasner, who encourages him and attracts the attention of supportive critic Clement Greenberg (Jeffrey Tambor) and benefactor Peggy Guggenheim (Amy Madigan). As Pollock rises from obscurity to international acclaim, Harris brings careful balance to his portrayal of a driven creator who found peace during those brief, sober periods when art brought release from his tenacious inner demons. The film offers sympathy without sentiment, appreciation without misguided hagiography. As an acting showcase it's utterly captivating. As a compassionate but unflinching exploration of Jackson Pollock's intimate world, there's no doubt that Harris captured the essence of a man whose life was as torturous as his art was redeeming. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (79)

One Of The Best Films Of The Decade!
One of the great injustices this year was that Ed Harris did not win the Oscar for best actor for his superb portrayal of the tormented and compulsively frenetic artistic genius Jackson Pollock in the movie "Pollock". When one views all of the supporting documentation in the wonderful DVD package accompanying the film, one recognizes the incredible ways in which Harris literally nails the character dead-on not only in terms of personality, but in terms of style and mannerisms, in his interpretation of this driven alcoholic modern painter compelled to push himself to the limit in pursuing what he thought to be true and authentic in painting.

This is a film that is so well done it literally defies comparison with anything recent, and the fact that it was treated relatively shabbily at the Academy Awards (only Marcia Gay Hardin was recognized for her well-deserved Oscar for best supporting actress as Jackson Pollock's long suffering but ever faithful wife Lee Krasner, an accomplished artist in her own right who also was widely recognized for her painting abilities, although not until later in life, after Pollock's death. Also terrific here is Amy Madigan, Harris' real-life wife who turns in a great supporting role as Peggy Guggenheim, one of the very famous and very rich Guggenheims, and a person primarily responsible for bringing Pollock to the attention of the painting public by using her gallery as a showcase for Pollock's astonishing modern works.

This film is terrific in every detail, from the Brooklyn accents mastered by Marcia Gay Hardin in her portrayal to the costumes and wardrobe to the cars used to the fabulous 1940s big swing and jazz musical backgrounds employed. The sets are terrific, as is the ensemble acting by the assembled cast. The story spills off the screen and the viewer finds himself enraptured by the magic squirting from the manic brushstrokes Pollock swirls on the canvas with such energy and purpose. We are transported magically into Pollock's world in a movie so good one cannot imagine why it is such a secret. This is easily one of the best films of the new millennium! Enjoy!

Jackson Pollock Remembered
Ed Harris stars, directs, and produces the great 2000 film "Pollock". It wonderfully portrays the life and turbulances of famed painter Jackson Pollock. This beautiful film shows how Pollock became world-known. However, more than his art is expressed. His struggles and destructive lifestyle represent his art influences and portray who he was. This brilliant plot expresses the emotional side of the events wonderfully. Such depth proves Ed Harris's, who plays Pollock, true fascination. The radiance keeps audiences interested scene by scene, leading to the surprising conclusion. Through everything, the Oscar-nominated performances by Harris and Marcia Gay Harden (she won) play the key role in this masterpiece. Their passion within their characters is expressed beautifully, giving the chain of events the necessary added emotional stance. Such film quality makes "Pollock" sure to please audiences of all kinds. Its emotional value is sure to continue touching audiences as it has.

THE DARK SIDE OF ART AND SUCESS
A gripping biopic that explores events in a real-life artist's life, played intensely to perfection by Harris, who from the director's chair also managed to secure a similarly assured, pointed turn from the other lead: Marcia Harden as a woman who sacrifices herself completely in the service of what she perceives as genius.

Pollock's meteoric rise to glory meant that he succumbed soon to common celebrity ills -- booze, promiscuity, temper -- and this is the area that the film seems to cast a dramatic wide-angle lens on.

Personally, I felt that the film did not really wow me with its somewhat conventional and occasionally even shallow drama potraying a painter's angst, skimping in turn on the insights into what really made him tick. Achieving a delicate balance between these two facets of the artist's life was what made Kirk Douglas' "Lust for Life" or the more recent "Frida" such true classics.

A decent rental for the superlative performances of both the lead characters and its evenhandedness in dealing with a sensitive subject (Harris takes no sides, we never really stop despising Pollock because of his abrasive nature) but don't expect anything you'd call a marvel of film making.

A great biopic prespective of pollock with great charecters
Ed Harris does it again and with a great story behind the movie, this is one of the best bio based fact movie i've ever seen, some parts are a bit hard to understand but nontheless, the real life and road to freedom, away from frustrations, this is a must see high rated movie and i recommend it to any period movie lovers. With a great supporting role from Oscar winning actress Marcia (...) Harden, this movie has reached it status, shame it didn't win an oscar though. 10/10

Interesting but frustrating
POLLOCK focusses on the artist Jackson Pollock and his life which eventually spirals into tragic circumstances. We come to learn that Pollock is manic depressive who has the ability to change the moods of everyone around him.

The film was not as engaging as I had hoped. In fact, it was quite frustrating in parts, and to be honest, I was at a loss to see what all the fuss is over his works of art. Am I missing something? His paintings were appalling, in my opinion.

Ed Harris delivers a decent performance of a man whose life wasn't worth making a movie over.

Yawn! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on Susanna Kaysen's acclaimed journal-memoir, Girl, Interrupted bears inevitable resemblance to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and pale comparison to that earlier classic is impossible to avoid. The mental institution settings of both films guarantee a certain degree of déjà vu and at least one Oscarwinner (in this case, Angelina Jolie), since playing a loony is any actor's dream gig. Unfortunately, director James Mangold seems to have misplaced the depth and delicacy of his underrated debut, Heavy, despite a great deal of earnest effort by everyone involved. It's easy to see why Winona Ryder chose to star in (and executive-produce) this nearly worthy adaptation of Kaysen's book, since it's a strong vehicle for female casting and potent drama. Mangold certainly got the former; whether he succeeded with the latter is not so clear.

To be sure, Ryder conveys the confusion and chaos that signified Kaysen's life during nearly 18 months of voluntary institutionalization beginning in 1967. But the film seems too eager to embrace the cliché that the"crazies" of the Claymoore women's ward are saner than the war-torn world outside, and lack of narrative focus gives way to semipredictable character study. Susanna (Ryder) is labeled with "borderline personality disorder," a diagnosisas ambiguous as her own emotions, and while Jolie chews the scenery as the resident bad-girl sociopath, Ryder effectively conveys an odyssey from vulnerable fear to self-awareness and, finally, to healing. The ensemble cast is uniformly superb, making this drama well worthwhile, even as it treads familiar territory. If it ultimately lacks dramatic impact, Girl, Interrupted makes it painfully clear that the boundaries of dysfunction are hazy in a world where everyone's crazy once in a while. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (231)

So, what's your diag-nonsense?
The movie is based on the real life story of Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder), who was admitted to Claymoore, a mental institution, in the late 60's after drowning a bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka. She insists this wasn't a suicide attempt, but her parents and psychiatrist don't agree. While at Claymoore, Susanna meets the ohter inmates, Georgina (Clea Duvall), her roommate, who's a pathological liar, Polly (Elisabeth Moss), who everyone calls Torch and has been badly scarred by fire, Daisy (Britanny Murphy), who won't eat in front of anyone, Janet (Angela Bettis), who won't eat at all, and most importantly, Lisa (Angelina Jolie). Lisa is a sociopath. She constantly escapes Claymoore, only to return after having a crisis (or running out of money). She "runs" the place and is a major pain in the ass for Nurse Valerie (Whoopi Goldberg).

Soon after, Susanna starts to wonder if she's indeed crazy or if she's turning crazy by being there. The doctors at Claymoore, Melvin (Jeffrey Tambor) and Dr. Wick (Vanessa Grave) seem to think she's mentally ill, while her boyfriend Toby (Jared Leto) disagrees.

Susanna has to deal with the situation, trying not to spiral into insanity, but at the same time finding a substitute for a home amongst this group of rejects.

As for the acting, it is solid all across the board. Ryder does a convincing job as the lead character and all of the other actresses shine in their roles, especially Murphy, but this is Jolie's film. She steals almost every scene she's in, from the distressed crying on one of her downs, to frighteningly mad outbursts, to maniac lunacy. She earned a well deserve Oscar for her supporting role.

The director, James Mangold, has also helmed films like Cop Land (1997, with Sylvester Stallone, Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel), Kate & Leopold (2001, with Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan) and Identity (2003, with John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet).

"I didn't try to kill myself...I had a headache"
"Girl, Interrupted" is the true story of Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder), a young woman who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder during the 1960s. My favorite parts of the film were the transitions between scenes; the movie flowed beautifully. Susanna signs herself into Claymoore, a mental institution, after a failed attempt at suicide. At Claymoore, she meets a wide variety of different girls, each with different problems. There is Lisa the sociopath, played by Angelina Jolie and Daisy, a loner, played by "Clueless's" Brittany Murphy. Whoopi Goldberg rounds out the cast as Valerie, the head nurse on Susanna's floor. A bit reminiscent of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Girl, Interrupted" is one of the finest films I have ever seen. Winona Ryder is brilliant, I have never seen her portray a character better.

One Flew over the Girl
Of course any movie made about people in a psychiatric ward will resemble the classic 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'. This we also do not know for sure if the leading character is sane or not.

Winona Ryder is great in this movie, though a little too pretty. The best perfomance comes from Angelina Jolie, who is just amazing. The movie is sometimes a little sad, frightening, scary but also moving. The ending is a little sweet but not too sweet. A happy ending with a twist.

The music is great since it plays in 1968, although the theme of the sixties is a little underplayed. It is still a great movie though.

It gives you a new look on how normal some people are.
This is one of the most brilliant movies. The acting is superb, and the story grabs you. Angelina Jolie and Wynona Ryder do really good performances. The movies makes you think about how different people are and not to judge and be more aware of people's feelings. The movie is awesome. I highly reccomend it.

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Girl Interrupted was on last tonight. You know when the shoplifter reads about BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER? What a revelation! That's me - well, except for the CASUAL SEX - but the DIRECTIONLESSNESS and the SELF-DESTRUCTIVE ACTS (I quit my job the other day).

All this time I thought I was an existentialist. I was wasting my evenings on Camus and Kierkegaard (my back is like a tightrope dancer's, twisted in my childhood, and therefore it is easy for me. One, two, three - I can walk upside in existence). What comfort: the condition is medical not metaphysical.

All I needs do is clear up my skin. Then I aim to complete those symptoms ... and I'd like to begin with Anjelina Jolie ... and even if she got all serious on me, that would be okay: I'd explain to her: the disorder was what was casual (- it was part of my directionlessness). Not you. My aim is true - I'm an existentialist. ... Read more

Reviews (353)

A Masterpiece...
Bill Parrish ( Anthony Hopkins) is a media tycoon who is about to celebreate his 65th birthday. Unfortunately, it is also his time to die as well, because Death ( Brad Pitt) decides to pay Bill a visit. Bill manages to make a deal with Death to keep him alive a little bit longer, in exchange for teaching him what it is like to be human. Things become complicated however, when Death not only takes up an interest in life, but in Bill's beautiful daughter Susan ( Claire Forlani) as well.

For some reason "Meet Joe Black" has received mixed reviews from critics and moviegoers. In my opinion, this remake of the 1934 film "Death Takes a Holiday" was one of the best films I have seen in quite some time. The movie has gained a reputation for being long and drawn out because it is 3 hours long. I did not find the film to be drawn out at all, and time flew by for me when watching this film. Brad Pitt is actually a very good actor and shows it in this film. Pitt accurately portrayed how Death would react to the world around him with his endless curiousity and naive behavior. The scene where Death discovers peanut butter for the first time is priceless!! Anthony Hopkins was great as usual, and turns in another oscar worthy performance as Bill Parrish. You come to legitimately feel for his character because you know that it is only a matter of time before the inevitable is coming. The thing that impressed me most about the film, was that the romantic story between Death and Claire Forlani's character Susan is extremely well done, despite the gloom setting that Death's presence brings. I also highly recommend picking up the soundtrack to this film. The musical score used was outstanding.

The only piece of advice I can give with this film, is to ignore its reputation and give it a shot. Overall, "Meet Joe Black" is a captivating and touching film with great performances given from the actors and an incredible soundtrack.

A solid 5 stars...

What a range of acting by Brad Pitt!
OK, the guy has played some weird roles in some rather bad movies -- but he's always played them well. This movie takes full advantage of Pitt's talent by having him play the nice guy, tough guy, intelligent, sensitive, compassionate and romantic. There are scenes where he is actually funny even though it's presented in a subtle way. I found myself laughing out loud several times and couldn't believe I was watching a movie about death! So now Brad is playing his best role ever in a great movie and the critics seemed to pan the movie anyway.

Hopkins and Forlani are also excellent in their roles. Hopkins gives a wonderful performance as a loving father and powerful business man faced with death, but having to hide it from his family. Claire Forlani plays the part of his beautiful and intelligent daughter so well. She's constantly probing into Joe's situation to find out why he is living in her father's house meanwhile falling in love with this stranger and teaching Joe about love (something that is obviously new to him).

The contrast between Pitt, the lawyer in the coffee shop and Pitt as Joe is fascinating. The guy in the coffee shop is opimistic, fun, lively and a great conversationalist. He smiles and laughs easily making Susan extremely attracted to him. Pitt as death (Joe) is quite different even though he looks the same. Joe is quiet, serious, mysterious, and somewhat clueless about people. As time goes on, Joe becomes more comfortable and Susan gets him to smile after his first kiss and he get a "week feeling" in his knees. The love scene is beautifully done and shows Susan undressing Joe. They get to the point where he can't get his shirt off all the way and he has this huge grin looking at Susan. I loved that part!

There is a lot of conflict in this movie too. Many of the characters have personal issues to work out. It seems like a simple story but actually has several stories being told.

Death at its finest
I do believe this is one of the rare movies that every member of the cast gave a stellar performace. But applause must go to Pitt for his portrayal as both Death and the human Joe Black. The subtle changes in his character was performed masterfully. Forlani did well as the youngest daughter of the media mogul Parish, going from daddy's little girl to seductress. But besides it, this movie also raises some deeper issues, like highlighting the small things we take for granted in our everyday life. Do make an effort to watch it, you'll find yourself profoundly touched by it.

One of the best of all times
Meet Joe Black is one of my favourite movie of all times, I think it is also one of the best movie of all times. I remember the first time I saw it in the theatre; I was taking a break in the middle of my projects with hardly any sleep for days. I did not realise that is was a 3 hr movie and I did not fall asleep. The opening scene with Anthony Hopkin just captivated me within the first 5 mins of the movie. Since then, I have watched it over 5 times, each time with new discovery in the wonderfully written script about love, death, and life; how a perfect gentle, who I think has everything, still cannot escape mortality, and how this fear has been transformed into courage. The movie had many wonderful moments, one of which when Hopkin with Forlani in the helicopter talking about love like "when lightning strike", also a moving scene when Bill's (Hopkins charactor) less favourite daughter told the father that it is alright as everyone is allowed to have a favourite, it is OK as long as she feels loved. I strongly recommend anyone to watch the movie for yourself and not listening to the negative reviews from the "critics" as most of the time, they are wrong.

GREAT- MUST SEE!
I never liked Brad Pitt in his movies, so when my neighbor told me to watch it, I was hesitant. I thought it was going to be really dumb. I watched it anyway and have found a great movie! Brad Pitt was awesome! I couldn't believe it. This movie is worth it's weight in gold. (or at least the 12-20 bucks most places are asking for it!) If you haven't seen this you have got to! The lines are perfect, they all fit together, and there is enough comedy, romance, mystery, etc ,etc to keep it from being too sad. In the end, it is happy so for those of you who don't like sad movies - DON'T WORRY ABOUT THIS ONE, IT IS GREAT! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

One of the Best Comedies of the Ninties.
New Yorker Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) turns 39 and thinking that he will be misrable for the rest of his life. Then his two best friends (Daniel Stern & Bruno Kirby) offer a present to Mitch by bringing him to a cattle drive in New Mexico. Then mitch's life start to change unexpectedly by going on his fantasy vacation with his friends. They are set out to find thier freedom and thier adventure, they will remember for a life time.

Directed by Ron Underwood (Tremors, Heart & Souls, Mighty Joe Young-Remake) made a extremely likeable entertaining ambitious comedy. Crystal, Stern, Kirby and Jack Palance's wonderful Oscar Winning Performance makes this Contemporary Comedy Classic really worth watching. Crystal also Executive Produced the film. There's a nice music score by Marc Shaiman (South Park:Bigger, Longer & Uncut). DVD's has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD only extra is the Original Theatrical Trailer. This is Wonderfully Written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (City Slickers 2:The Legend of Curly's Gold). Watch for Jeffery Tambor, Yearley Smith, Robert Contanzo, Jake Gyllenhall, Danielle Harris and that's Crystal real-life Daughter-Lindsay Crystal playing his Daughter in the flim. One of the highest grossing films of 1991. This is One of the Best & Most memorable comedies ever made, see it. Grade:A.

Buckaroo Bonanza....
This review refers to the MGM Contemporary Classic DVD Edition of "City Slickers".....

Saddle up Buckaroos, for the funniest city dude meets cowboy adventure since Bob Hope roamed the plains!

Mitch(Billy Crystal) is going through a mid-life crisis. He sells "air" for a New York radio station and finds that as he nears 40, his life seems unfulfilling. His buddies Ed(Bruno Kirbly), an aging Romeo, and Phil(Daniel Stern), pitifuly henpecked, also seem to be feeling the strain. They decide a little vacation is in order and head for a New Mexico cattle ranch to enjoy life as they "bring in the herd".

This "fantasy" vacation turns into one hysterical adventure. Learning to rope and ride is trickier(and funnier), then you think. But the toughest part is dealing with the tough ranch hands. One in particular..."Curly"(Jack Palance)...is one bad hombre as he scares these guys out of their wits.

They are joined by several others as the drive begins from New Mexico to Colorado and anything than can go wrong... does! There's a stampede, a runaway wagon, and Mitch even has to deliver a calf. Their cell phones are no help here! There's also mucho male bonding going on during the trek. These guys even bond with the cows! They learn about each other and with the help of the very tough Curly, they even learn what is important in life.

The funny lines and gags are non stop, and there are some very poignant moments as well. It'll have you smiling and often laughing out loud. You won't want it to end, but luckily...there's a sequel.."City Slickers 2..The Legend of Curly's Gold".

The film was honored with several awards. Among them Jack Palance took an Oscar for Best supporting actor, as well as a Golden Globe and a Best supporting actor from the American Comedy Awards. Billy Crystal was also honored at the American Comedy Awards as Funniest Actor in a lead and the People's Choice Awards voted the film the Favorite Comedy of the year. They are joined by some outstanding and seasoned character actors. Jeffrey Tambor, John Mostel, David Paymer, Patricia Wettig, and Helen Slater and the wonderful Noble Willingham all keep us in stitches as well. The music by Marc Shaiman is as fun as the story and Direcotr Ron Underwood and Photographer Dean Semler bring us some real cinematic delights.

The transfer of the DVD is very nice. An excellent picture in widescreen presents the beautiful Western scenery and terrific colors. If you watch the original theatrical trailer, you can really notice the difference made by the transfer. Although the sound in Dolby Stereo was good, it could have been better. This film with all the great music and action needs to be in 5.1. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and has subtitles in Spanish and French, but no other special features. Just a really funny flick that will take you away for about 2 hours.

So sing along to the tunes of "Rawhide" and "Bonaza" with Mitch, Phil, Ed and Norman the cow along the big trail...have fun...Laurie

Poignant Comedy
This is one of those great comedies that also speaks to the great truths of life. I have watched this film over and over again and am always left with a wonderful feeling after having watched it. It lifts my spirits when I am low and helps to remind me what is truly important in life.

Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) are three friends approaching mid-life at break neck speed. Each year they go on increasingly more dangerous adventures which Mitch's wife (Patricia Wettig) describes as desperate and juvenile attempts to hold on to their youth. When Ed suggests mushing along the trail of Admiral Byrd as a way to top running from bulls in Spain, Mitch is ready to quit the adventure trips and settle into senior life at the ripe old age of 39. After a demotion at his job and a surprise at his birthday party where Phil and his icy wife Arlene (Karla Tamburelli) have a blow out after she learns of his infidelities, Mitch's depression gets the better of his wife who sends him on one more adventure - to find his smile.

And so it is that the trio finds themselves on a cattle drive in the American west with five other lost souls and Curly (Jack Palance) as the cattle boss. Palance is wonderful as the gruff old cowboy who intimidates everyone around him (Mitch:"Kill anyone today, Curly?" Curly: "Day ain't over yet."). Yet he knows the secret to life and relates the cryptic answer to Mitch during the ride. As they drive the cattle and overcome obstacles like stampedes, drunken escapades by the trail hands and their own personal struggles, Mitch comes to realize what Curly's answer means and that it is the only answer he needs to bring the pieces of his life back together.

A Big Letdown!
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!! I hate it when they do this!! The first hour of this movie is so funny I laughed out loud on a number of occasions. Something I don't usually do when I watch a comedy by myself but this was just too hilarious. Then, a cow gets shot just after giving birth, Jack Palance dies and is buried on the trail, two horses get killed going over a cliff with the wagon and a cute little calf nearly drowns in a river. After being bullied and deserted by drunken cowboys, the "city slickers" manage to drive home the herd of cattle and are informed that the cows that "trusted" them will be ground up for hamburger....but hey, that's life! Billy Crystal finds his family is the most important thing to him, and he adopts the little calf, but no jokes could make me even smile after the middle portion of this movie that starts out broad comedy and mutates into warm'n'fuzzy, overly-sentimental, and very predictable fluff. Not my idea of a "feel-good" movie... a little sad actually. When it started I was making plans about buying the sequel. When it ended I decided to sell the original. I can see why there are so many used copies for sale at Amazon Marketplace.
This could have been up there with the best National Lampoon Vacation movies (started out that way) but they blew it.

Great movie, horrible dvd
I love this movie! Its among my top favorites. However, the DVD [is bad]! One reason, the dubbing. The first half of the movie is fine, but about half way through, the words being spoken by the characters dont match up with their mouth. It looks like a bad Bruce Lee movie! Im not one to complain, but it just kept getting worse! At one point the whole line was almost spoken before the characters mouth started moving! I just baffles me that those responsible for transfering this movie to DVD took no care at all in doing it! I really dont know how this DVD made it to stores without someone noticing this huge fault and trying to make it better. Like I said, this is my favorite movie, I give it the lowest rating for the lack of dubbing quaility! ... Read more

Reviews (142)

Witty HELLBOY is fun, rollicking adventure
Based on the Dark Horse comic, HELLBOY is probably one of the more unusual superhero films around today. In a prologue set in World War II, the U.S. Army foils a (...) plot to open an other dimensional portal and unleash monster fiends upon the world. However, an infant demon slips through into our world. Taking pity on him, government scientist Professor Broom raises the tyke as his own. Sixty years later, we find the demon all grown-up and fighting paranormal menaces for a secret U.S. government agency. However, Hellboy finds himself battling not only the evils of his past, but his own feelings for Liz Sherman, a fellow freak with pyrotechnic powers.

Ron Perlman is perfectly cast as the demon with a blue-collar attitude towards his job. In many ways, he comes across as your local garbage man or plumber with his world-weary view towards the many monsters he faces. His snappy comebacks are especially amusing. Perlman's costume and make-up also reinforce the image with his floppy raincoat and filed-down horns, which resemble goggles more than anything. Selma Blair is touching as Liz Sherman, the somewhat sullen object of Hellboy's affections, while John Hurt brings an added amount of warmth as the elder Professor Broom. Rupert Evans is solid as the young FBI agent who is introduced into Hellboy's world. As the evil Rasputin, Karel Rodin underplays the part, making him a somewhat bland bad guy. Doug Jones, with the voice of David Hyde Pierce, makes the fish-man Abe Sapien a truly fun creation. Lending solid support is Jeffrey Tambor as Hellboy's antagonistic boss. Director Guillermo del Toro does a wonderful job keeping the film at such a brisk pace that we easily get swept up in the story.

Despite having a lower budget than most films of its type, the special effects are definitely better than average with snaky haired monsters providing menace and a complaining zombie half-corpse providing laughs. HELLBOY is a fast-paced, fun film that definitely will draw in fans of the cult comic, while the irreverent attitude will appeal to action fans in general. It doesn't matter if you're familiar to the comic or not, this film is definitely a enjoyable time, and as such, is one that I definitely recommend.

Great Casting
One of the better Marvel Comic / Movie crossovers of late with a powerhouse performance by Ron Perlman in the title role, who delivers the character which such panache, you can forgive the other disappointing aspects of the movie. A typical pulp storyline finds the birth of Hellboy by a Nazi ritual interuppted by well to do professor figure who he comes to know as father, and then we are moved hence 60 odd years. Hellboy is now on our side thankfully, but we are then only to find (shock horror) that the original protagonists have re-emerged to finish their aim of World destruction yada yada yada. Top heavy on the SfX as you would expect, but the success lies in the movies persistent, and almost self effacing script; that refuses to try and overlay a topical, or politically correct message, as so many other movies of the genre have in the past. The film seems to know it's implausible and often silly beyond belief, but the acting is perfectly executed. Any moments of stale screen time are soon enlivened with some beautifully delivered lines, again by Perlman, who almost single handedly carries the whole picture. A lot of fun here for young and old, and should appeal to those outside the 14-22 demographic for whom it seems to have been intended for by the director. Your intellect won't be tested too much, but if you know that going in, you should enjoy this movie. Deserves 3.5 stars, but not quite 4.

Stylish fun
"There is a place, a dark place, where ancient evil slumbers, waiting to be awakened," a character warns in the first minutes of "Hellboy." And if you think that ancient evil is going to continue slumbering through a film with a title like "Hellboy," you must be dreaming. Awaken it does -- on two fairly spectacular occasions -- and to defeat it, the world must call upon a guy who could squash Spider-Man with one sweep of his rock-hard right hand, a scarlet-skinned avenger who makes the Hulk look not-so-incredible.

Hellboy, as readers of the Dark Horse comic know, is a half-man, half-demon and, as played by Ron Perlman, he's a whole lotta fun to hang around with. Although he's got brute strength to spare, his fireproof hide hides a tender side: He vainly tries to sand down the pair of horns that keep threatening to sprout out of his broad forehead, he consumes basins of chili and mini-mountains of nachos in one sitting, and he enjoys the company of ... kittens.

The dream project of the gifted Mexican screenwriter and director Guillermo del Toro ("Mimic," "Blade II"), "Hellboy" initially appears to be a flashy mishmash of elements lifted from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "X-Men," "The Matrix" and other fantasies. But stick with it. Somehow del Toro gives the movie unexpected rhythm and spirit; don't be surprised if you get caught up in this weirdly affecting tale about a superhero bedeviled by his need for acceptance and companionship.

The screenplay by del Toro begins in 1944, as the Nazis and the diabolical Grigori Rasputin (yes, the Mad Monk himself) combine science and black magic to open a portal to Hell. The results are dire for all concerned, and in the midst of the mess a miniature red menace manages to cross over from the dark side.

Adopted by paranormal expert Professor Broom (John Hurt), the little creature grows up to be Hellboy, the secret weapon of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, an organization dedicated to stamping out monsters whenever and wherever they appear. They're a low-profile bunch. Instead of the supersonic jet the X-Men travel around in, the BPRD team disguises itself as a band of trashmen.

In the rare moments when he's not fending off attacks by the sinister forces of Rasputin (Karel Roden), Hellboy attempts to deal with new BPRD trainee John Myers (British TV star Rupert Evans), who has managed to win the trust of Hellboy's dreamgirl, Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a sullen soul cursed with pyrokinesis: Whenever her temper flares, everything goes up in flames. The bizarre love triangle is delightfully well-played, with Hellboy fuming and fussing as he stalks John and Liz. "When am I ever gonna get a girl?" Hellboy complains. "I drive around in a garbage truck."

"Hellboy" also introduces Abe Sapien, an intellectually inclined gill-man/psychic who speaks with the voice of David Hyde Pierce; an undead assassin with a horribly mutilated body, veins full of dust and a clockwork heart that keeps him running; and Sammael, a hell-hound capable of resurrecting itself (or quickly reproducing copies of itself) each time it seems to be near death. Avid readers of the comics will be pleased to know creator Mike Mignola served as a visual consultant here, and he's at least partially responsible for the film's sleek, dark, glossy/grungy look.

Certainly not everything works as well as it should. The humor, which often gives scenes a welcome edge, sometimes gets perilously close to the thudding one-liners that eventually sent Arnold Schwarzenegger into exile in the California governor's mansion. An insufferable bureaucrat (Jeffrey Tambor) who abruptly disappears from the storyline -- a plot point that's ridiculed during the end credits -- is an extraneous annoyance that slows down the action and should have been cut before shooting began.

But for every little flaw or misstep, "Hellboy" manages to come up with something unexpectedly off-the-wall to compensate for it, such as the inclusion of 1940s chanteuse Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" on the soundtrack, or a fistfight that somehow continues, even as the participants are hurtling down an elevator shaft.

Just to let you know
A 3-disc edition of HellBoy is coming out in November. It'll have 15 minutes added into the film, a new commentary track, and a few other extra features and bonuses. So you might want to wait on getting this if you'd rather get the full version. Sheesh, when are studios going to quit doing this? It's bad enough there're going to be 4+ other releases of Kill Bill...

Hellboy
As far as Comic book movies go, this was extremely well done. Del Toro did a marvelous job in bringing this to the big screen. Ron Pearlman was superb in the title role as Hellboy, just as Michael Keaton was to Batman. The plot was great, taken right from one of Mike Mignola's stories. This is pure escapism at it's best (as all comic book movies are). Just enjoy it for what it is. If you want to go further, just head to Borders and read a copy of any of Mike Mignola's Hellboy graphic novels for free (there are about 6 available). In closing, I really enjoyed the film and will buy the DVD, although I'm hoping for a directors cut extended version (I'm hoping they'll do one). Like I said, just enjoy it folks! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's tinsel and holly and "fa la la lolly" when Eloise lends her unique brand of holiday spirit to this made-for-television movie inspired by Kay Thompson's book of the same name. Sofia Vassilieva shines as ruckus-raising Eloise, who can simultaneously exasperate and exhilarate the genteel staff of New York's Plaza hotel. In the days before Christmas, Eloise learns that Rachel (Sara Topham), the daughter of Plaza owner Mr. Peabody, is returning after a long absence to marry mystery man Brooks Oliver. Eloise insists on helping with the Yuletide nuptials while plotting a matchmaking scheme of her own--to find true love for her best pal Bill (Gavin Creel), a free-spirited hotel waiter. Meanwhile, Eloise keeps busy sprinkling holiday mirth on everyone, including her beloved Nanny, played "rawther" marvelously by Julie Andrews. Whereas Eloise at the Plaza portrays the precocious 6-year-old as mostly mischievous, this film showcases her compassionate side which, together with the strong ensemble cast, offers plenty of Christmas cheer. Watch for the sizzling chemistry and musical talents of Topham and Creel. (Ages 5 and older) --Lynn Gibson ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) loses his job at an auto factory, he expects to quickly find another. But instead, his wife Caroline (Teri Garr) starts working for an ad agency and Jack ends up taking care of the house and kids. He soon runs afoul of shopping etiquette, a voracious vacuum cleaner, and he can't even drop his kids off at school properly. He starts losing his pride and letting himself go. He stops shaving, drinks at all hours, and watches soap operas. And not only does a predatory divorcée (Ann Jillian) have her eye on him, Caroline's new boss (Martin Mull) has more than business on his mind. Will their marriage survive? What makes Mr. Mom work isn't its role-reversal premise, but its clever off-the-main-plot scenes like the obstacle course at the company picnic, where a footrace with swim fins is set to a variation on the theme to Chariots of Fire; a poker game using discount coupons for money; or a traumatic, soap-opera-influenced dream Jack has when he realizes his life is going down the toilet. This is the first starring role for Michael Keaton, who went on to star in Beetlejuice and Batman; he makes the most of both its comic and sentimental side. The script, incidentally, is written by John Hughes, who later went on to write and direct The Breakfast Club and Home Alone. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Cute!
Mr. Mom stars Michael Keaton as a guy who loses his job and is having trouble finding a new job but his wife played by Terri Garr finds a job and he has to stay home and take care of the kids and do the housework etc, it is a cute movie with some funny and charming scenes and Michael Keaton and Terri Garr are both good and the kids are cute. I give it 3 stars because even though it's a cute movie it's a little dated and it's not as cute as some other similar movies but I still think it's worth watching at least once so I recommend renting this and then seeing if you like it enough to buy.

Keaton is masterful
After he burst off the screen in Night Shift, Michael Keaton was given his first leading role in this film. He plays Jack Butler who designs and builds cars for a big Detroit auto maker. Due to cutbacks, he is laid off from his job. His wife, played by Teri Garr, has been a housewife to their three kids and hasn't worked in years. Jack and her make a bet as to who will get a job first. Of she does and Jack is forced to stay at home and watch the kids. He obviously has no idea how tough the job is and the film goes through his transformation from an inept house dad to a growing into the role. Some hilarious scenes include a trip to the supermarket gone awry, Jack's addiction to soap operas and his confrontations with his wife's smug boss played with oily charm by Martin Mull. Teri Garr is very funny as is Ann Jillian as her best friend. The real star is of course Mr. Keaton, who shows he cannot only be funny, but touching and caring. a first rate performance.

A Delightful Family Film
Mr Mom is a delightful family movie reversing parental roles where the man works and makes money and the woman stays at home and raises children. It all starts when Jack loses his job at a Michigan car plant caused by a shrewd accounting, who wants to improve financials by downsize personnel. The movie protrays the accountant as dishonest, cheap negotiator; who shifts blame by using a job enticement to get Jack too appear before a corporate board too take blame for losses. The accountant tries to manipulate Jack into taking responsibility for a sudden drop in profits and increases in costs, in Jack's old division. The Accountant wants Jack and his friends too confess and get their jobs back, 1/2 price. Jack confronts senior management and reminds them, he doesn't work for the company, anymore. The mood shifts and the accountant trys to pursued Jack too confess of siphoning funds for his own purposes; Jack wants his job back, however, he knows the truth is more important, so he stands up to the accountant and tells management, when he was there, costs were down and profits up. The movie pokes fun at the company's senior management attempts too creating short term profit gains by layoff staff and ignoring the effectiveness of middle manager, in particular Jack to keep costs down and production up. Its difficult to know, how Jack really helped the company. The Rocky analogy was a perfect setup for "Gung Ho". Revelation of Jack's skill will be discovered in "Gung Ho".
Jack's wife Caroline uses her connections too get a job working for an advertising firm tasked with creating an advertising campaign for Schooner tuna. Caroline brings Schooner back to selling "Americanism", "we at schooner tuna care", and "during this period of economic crisis, Schooner will drop the price of each can of tuna, 50 cents". Caroline is smart, if you want to move inventory, drop price; profit margins are less but product starts to sell, the cost of good don't increase stablizing against further losses, sales increase, and inventory decreases. I would say Caroline was pretty smart, maybe much smarter than Jack.
Caroline experiences the corporate climb, sexual harshment, hardline politics, long work days, and starts missing experiences with her children. Jack tells her not to forget what is most important. Jack experience mid-life crisis, throws a race against Carolines boss, drinks too much, gambles with his new female friends, gets confused while multitasking (clothes, TV maintanence, changing diapers, school dropoffs, and Soap operas). Jack becomes Rocky, cleans up his home, task command of his life, and makes a come back.
The movie is very delightful. The cast bringing humor, empathy, and friendship to the big screen.

Delightful family movie
Mr Mom is a delightful family movie reversing parental roles where the man works and makes money and the woman stays at home. It all starts when Jack loses his job at a Michigan car plant caused by a shrewd accounting, who wants to improve financials by downsize personnel. The movie protrays the accountant as dishonest, cheap negotiator; who shifts blame by using a job enticement to get Jack too appear before a corporate board too take blame for losses. The accountant tries to manipulate Jack into taking responsibility for a sudden drop in profits and increases in costs, in Jack's old division. The Accountant wants Jack and his friends too confess and get their jobs back, 1/2 price. Jack confronts senior management and reminds them, he doesn't work for the company, anymore. The mood shifts and the accountant trys to pursued Jack too confess of siphoning funds for his own purposes; Jack wants his job back, however, he knows the truth is more important, so he stands up to the accountant and tells management, when he was there, costs were down and profits up. The movie pokes fun at the company's senior management attempts too creating short term profit gains by layoff staff and ignoring the effectiveness of middle manager, in particular Jack to keep costs down and production up. Its difficult to know, how Jack really helped the company. The Rocky analogy was a perfect setup for "Gung Ho". Revelation of Jack's skill will be discovered in "Gung Ho".
Jack's wife Caroline uses her connections too get a job working for an advertising firm tasked with creating an advertising campaign for Schooner tuna. Caroline brings Schooner back to selling "Americanism", "we at schooner tuna care", and "during this period of economic crisis, Schooner will drop the price of each can of tuna, 50 cents". Caroline is smart, if you want to move inventory, drop price; profit margins are less but product starts to sell, the cost of good don't increase stablizing against further losses, sales increase, and inventory decreases. I would say Caroline was pretty smart, maybe much smarter than Jack.
Caroline experiences the corporate climb, sexual harshment, hardline politics, long work days, and starts missing experiences with her children. Jack tells her not to forget what is most important. Jack experience mid-life crisis, throws a race against Carolines boss, drinks too much, gambles with his new female friends, gets confused while multitasking (clothes, TV maintanence, changing diapers, school dropoffs, and Soap operas). Jack becomes Rocky, cleans up his home, task command of his life, and makes a come back.
The movie is very delightful. The cast bringing humor, empathy, and friendship to the big screen.

Somebody must've died...there's a limosine out front.
If you don't own this movie, get it. It is a classic. The characters are believable and real and the comedy is perfectly blended between real-life/palusible situations and that intanglible movie quality that makes movies like this great. Kenny and Alex remind me...of me...when I was their age. Jack Butler, Carolyn Butler, Ron Richardson, Joan...all fantanstic characters. In my opinion, movies of the 1980's (character/plot driven movies) don't get any better than this. My one critique is that the male stripper scense seem a little out of place. Yum Yum Tuna Bits! ... Read more

Reviews (37)

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

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

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

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

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

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

GO WATCH IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

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

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

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

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