Reviews (104)

a film noir masterpiece
While not as highly regarded as Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil is arguably Welles' second greatest film and now it is being presented as the filmmaker had originally intended it to be. Included on the DVD is his 58-page memo to Universal Studios detailing all the changes he wanted to be made to their compromised version of the film.

As it stands now, this is an amazing film with some of the most impressive deep focus photography ever put to screen. The depth of field that Welles creates is astounding.

Touch of Evil is also probably one of the last of classic film noirs produced by Hollywood and was a great way to end this period of the genre.

A lot of people poo-poo the casting of Charlton Heston as a Mexican (?!) government muckty-muck and to be sure that was some really odd bit of casting but he's perfectly cast as the straight-arrow good guy of the film. But he's totally blown off the screen by Welles' corrupt sheriff who simply steals every scene he is in. Janet Leigh, stunning as ever, is also really good as Heston's beleaguered wife.

What I like best about this film is the moody atmosphere that permeates every scene -- even the daylight ones. It draws you into this corrupt, cynical world and never lets go. Essential viewing.

100-Proof Noir
Seedy border town is the setting for this noir classic--justifiably called by a New York Post film critic "The Baroque Cathedral of Film Noir." Orson Welles' entrance as the crass, venal Capt. Quinlan is just one example why this film is a must-see on the big screen--not that this DVD widescreen version is so bad (it's a gem). Quinlan's massive, bloated bulk fills the screen as he climbs out of his car to begin the murder investigation that will soon envelop and taint the film's principal characters--immediately establishing Quinlan as the embodiment of corruption. The breathtaking opening sequence (shot in one take) incorporating the ambient music and sounds of the town's lurid nightlife is a key part of this reedit DVD version, setting right the studio-maimed opening of the original release, which ran opening credits and Henry Mancini's score over this sequence to Welles' fruitless objections, diluting its effectiveness. Respected Mexican police official Miguel "Mike" Vargas (Heston) and his American bride Susan's (Janet Leigh) ("She doesn't look Mexican either," Quinlan sneers) honeymoon is derailed when they become targets first of local crime family boss "Uncle Joe" Grandi (Akim Tamiroff), whose brother is about to be sent to prison because of Vargas, and Grandi's impulsive nephews, and then Quinlan, when Vargas accidentally uncovers the latter's penchant for tampering with crime scenes to ensure a death sentence for the accused--whether guilty or actually innocent. Leigh drips sex and is the perfect pawn for those scheming to wreck her husband's career and their marriage. Joseph Calleia stands out as Pete Menzies, who idolizes Quinlan and painfully must come to terms with his betrayal. Dietricht is enigmatic gypsy Tana (memorable line as she looks over the considerably changed Quinlan and bluntly says: "You're a mess honey.") Mancini score, especially "Tana's Theme" ("Pianola"), is exceptional. One valid complaint about this otherwise beautiful DVD is that the standard version should have been included in addition to the widescreen version for those who have not yet overcome the perception problem of "those black bars." Now for me, widescreen is the best. It is how we see the movie on the big screen. This is how the film was shot, and we see camera angles that are lost when the film has been "reformatted to fit your television screen." Those who put together this DVD should have known better and provided BOTH options--usually standard practice with many DVDs.

Pulp Fiction
Orson Welles may have made the supposed greatest film in history with "Citizen Kane", but the experience virtually ruined him. Ostracised by Hollywood and the press after his insulting portrayal of William Randolph Hearst, he was relegated to making low budget films.

Touch of Evil was made in 1958; the last film to be directed by Orson Welles. Unexpectedly given the reins of the film, Welles threw away the script for the planned film, and in just two weeks scratched out a script based on a cheapo pulp fiction novel called "Badge of Evil".

The result, as presented now in a restored version (the movie was, like Magnificent Ambersons, butchered by the studio) is quite remarkable.

On the one hand, it is definitely pulp, with an extremely rough-and-ready style, gritty elements (this is the only "pot party" you're likely to see in a "great film" from the studio era!) and a very, very low budget.

On the other hand, it is a masterpiece. I was extremely impressed by the scene in which (*spoiler!*) Hank Quinlan strangles the Hispanic fellow. I have never seen a movie scene shot like this, especially with the surreal effect of the flashing neon, and the slanting camera.
And who can forget the end of the film, where (spoiler!) Hank Quinlan sits in a pile of garbage in a stream, and tries to cleam blood off his hands? Look at Orson's acting in this scene - truly magnificent.

Someone called this the best B film ever made. If you want to see a pulp masterpiece made on the cheap, see Touch of Evil!

You don't have any future , just only past!
This cynical answer given by Tanya (Marlene Dietrich) is obviouslly a clear a reference's pattern shakesperian.
Any other fim noir before or future has been able t tarnish Welles's vivid creatin of a mexican nightmare, or his realization of a set of characters who are so well depicted , resonant , cruel and colrful. This shakesperian giant utilizes his accustomed approach so efficiently that it makes hard for any viewer t be capable to disecrn which moment create the dramatic thrust of the story and the others laded of outrage and fuRY.
A film is really good when the camera becmes an eye in the mind of a poet. Welles made movies as an orchestra conductor.
The opening shot , lasting ver four minutes , show us once more the personal style of Welles in what concerns to the moving camera and the longtake, establishing the premise around whixh the narrative is built. Like the genius he was; he knows to emphasize the dramatical effects without losing his goal.The camera begins with a close up of a time bomb ; then the camera travels up and back , and fllows the car as a constant witeness . This opening shot is widely in all and every masterful of cinema in the world. Notice fr instance, the cinematic fluidity works out as a visual device .
Once more , we must recall the huge influence about the expressionism german permeated the visual style nt only of Welles , but Hitchcock and a a crowd of talented directors alng these three decades of glorious films noir.
If you need any other proof, think in Fritz Lang , wh came from Germany and (coincidentially?) fllowed the road of the film noir.
In these puzzle of corruption and shame Quinlan is shocked due he failed to bring his wife's murderer to justice ,and retaliates by enlisting the help of the racketeer Uncle Joe Grandi .
Once more the film noir works out as an extrardinary expressive device to express the hopelessness, the existential anguish , the shadows of the fate, the shame and distrusts that shapes the behavior of the human being. All this puzzle runs with the timeless tragic atmosphere ; you face the cruelty in Vargas's wife in the motel where she is kidnapped where visual scenes suggests us all the horror , told in theatrical language where the words are useless.
When Quinlan (as Macbeth)decides to visit Tanya about his future , he listen these bitter words wh wrk out as headline in the review.
From all the stanpoints , this is the one of top movies entitled as film noir , because Welles enriched the bitter insights so typical of this genre with shakesperian moods.
Notice for instance that Grandi reminds us to Yago ; obviusly Grandi has a minor stature since he is much vulgar and obscene . and Tanya is linked with Macbeth's witches ; and the nightmares and the demons who live in the cavern - mind of Quinlan reminds us to the decadent power.
A unforgettable masterpiece all the way.!

Restored to Orson Welles wishes. Great nighttime mood film.
Great black & white film noir film with Orson Welles. The opening sequence has the feeling that you are moving with through the night time streets of the California/Mexico border. You might be astonished by the weight of Orson welles as he does not look like himself from the time of Citizen Kane. The film starts with a bride and groom Janet Leigh and Charlton Heston as they walk into the Mexico border town. Orson Welles plays a wrong-doing police chief who wants to follow the couple. Heston is a well-known Narcotics Investigator and his wife trys to inquisitivly get involved in her husband's professional business. Well, when she sticks her nose in too far, she has got a mexican boy and his boss on her trail. While Heston separates from his wife for official business, he advises her to go on to a hotel for sleep. She ends up in this out of the way hotel taken care of by Dennis Weaver. (Janet Leigh would end up in another hotel two years later in PSYCHO [1960]). Heston must square off with Orson Welles. There are two different versions of this film. When Welles was fired as director, Universal Pictures recut the film. After Welles saw the film in 1958, he wrote a 58-page letter to the studio about the way the film should be re-edited and scenes added. In 1998, Universal obliged. This letter was found and a new version of "Touch Of Evil" was made from the original negetive and the film was reconstructed the way Orson Welles had wishes. This new version is longer at 111 minutes. This DVD version is the 111 minute version. The 1958 print is 108 minutes and shorter prints are 95 minutes. Cast also includes: Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff, Valentin De Vargas, Ray Collins, Mort Mills, Victor Millan, Lalo Rios, Michael Sargent, Phil harvey, Joi Lansing, Harry Shannon, Dan White, with special guests Marlene Dietrich and Zsa Zsa Gabor. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Shortly after Dick Van Dyke played Bert in Mary Poppins, he starred as Lt. Robin Crusoe in this lesser known 1966 comedy, splendidly showcasing his myriad comedic talents in a South seas setting. Families who remember Van Dyke’s riotous romp as Navy-pilot-turned-island-native will appreciate this digital release of the original film. The laughs begin from the moment Crusoe is marooned at sea on a military-issue rubber raft and fights off a shark while reading a step-by-step survival guide. By the time he washes ashore on the island, discovers the wonders of bamboo, and stumbles upon a poker-playing astro-Chimp, audiences are given over to the gigglefest. Nancy Kwan, as Wednesday, adds to the merriment as the island’s other castaway who plays a humorous game of charades with Crusoe before revealing her status as an exile, having escaped her overprotective father. With the battle cry, "Women have rights too," Crusoe and Wednesday prepare for the inevitable patriarchal showdown, a madcap misadventure. While special features are sorely lacking--such as an interview with Van Dyke--this decent family flick remains a rich Disney relic. (Ages 4 and older) --Lynn Gibson ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Tom Hanks had a bit tougher time.
This is an absolutely delightful movie for the family with the king of physical comedy, Dick Van Dyke, in the starring role.I have purchased this DVD and found it to be fairly digitally crisp, something unusual for Disney's typical practice of "digital dumping".BUT, a mono sound track?The movie is rich with lush island scenery with brilliant colorful special "fireworks" effects towards the end of the movie.Walt's vision was always to give the movie goer a visual treat.Which is why the Disney Dodo Marketing Department released the disc in a truely Micky Mouse "Pan 'n' Scam" format; you despicable, rotten rodent!I only bought because I DID'NT have on tape.If you have the tape avoid as usual but if not, the movie is truely 5 STARS!

Great Fun!!!
I recalled seeing this movie during Saturday afternoon showings at the post theater.As I was a military brat and this film had a military bend, I was hooked; and it has remained one of my most favorite children's movies ever since.Now my 4 and 2-year-old daughters are enjoying it immensely and it has become their favorite movie to watch with dad.In fact, this is the first movie my oldest will watch from start to finish without asking me to skip or repeat a scene over and over again.She'd just rather watch the whole movie over and over again.As her some of her other favorites are "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," it seems Dick Van Dyke's ability to mesmerize children is timeless.

Five reasons to skip this one.
It's been a long time since I've seen this film, and I remember it to be an engaging slapstick farce with Dick Van Dyke in top form as the title character, a descendant of the original Robinson Crusoe who, while on training mission, crash-lands on a tropical island.He must fend for himself while awaiting rescue, with only fellow castaway Floyd the astrochimp and a native girl he names Wednesday to keep him company.It's a funny and fast-paced lark, and very typical of '60's Disney product.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this version of the film for purchase at this time.Here are five reasons why:

1.Like "Million Dollar Duck" and "Barefoot Executive", "Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N." is being released to DVD in a lazy, fullscreen version instead of the family-friendly 1:66:1 aspect ratio it was originally filmed in.As a film purist, I simply refuse to buy anything that isn't presented in the format it was originally filmed in.That Disney is dumping old films on DVD in the old fullscreen VHS format shows a total lack of respect for the filmmakers and the consumer alike.

2.I see no indication on the packaging that this film has been digitally restored.Therefore, I must conclude the DVD contains the same tired old print of the film that was originally released on VHS.Even more galling is the fact that the sound hasn't been upgraded to stereo, but according to the packaging is presented in "mono."I ask consumers everywhere:why bother replacing old VHS films with DVDs that are of no better quality than what you already have?

3.There are absolutely no extras presented with this film.No "making of" documentary, no commentary with Mr. Van Dyke, no original theatrical trailer, nothing.That Disney released this film with no extras makes the lack of a widescreen print even more annoying, since there is more than enough room on a DVD to present both fullscreen and widescreen versions of the film.Other companies, especially MGM/UA, do it all this time.Why can't Disney?It's simple:laziness and lack of respect for the consumer.

4.This DVD is ridiculously expensive, expecially at the original retail price of $19.95, which is a full $10 more than most bare-bones DVDs are priced by other companies.Disney has always been known for gouging its fans at the cash register, but this is ridiculous.

5.1+2+3+4=ONE BIG RIPOFF.Once again, Disney rips-off its consumers, and they'll continue to laugh all the way to the bank unless we take a stand.Therefore, I ask fans everywhere:

BOYCOTT ANY DISNEY DVD THAT IS NOT RESTORED AND PRESENTED IN WIDESCREEN FORMAT.That's the only way we'll ever get through to these greedy corporate pinheads.

Film:*** (out of *****)DVD: * (out of *****)

Remeber Well
I give this four stars from memory only. I watched this movie many times on the Disney channel back in the day when it ment something to have the Disney Channel. I enjoyed it a lot. I always have had a soft spot for Dick's movies. I remember it being fun, clean and very entertaining...something you just don't get from live action Disney anymore. If you are looking for a family film that will grab the attention of the room...this should be it.

My favorite part of this film is when Lt.Crusoe (Van Dyke)..
first comes ashore and hallucinates that he sees a bunch of modern vacationers stareing at him. That scene is positively eerie. Then when the illusion evaporates and Crusoe realizes he's alone on a desert island (and really screwed!) it's all classic. Nancy Kwan is sexy in her role. BTW to another poster Floyd is a chimp not a monkey. ... Read more

Description

Brilliantly capturing the oppressive paranoia of Franz Kafka's classic novel, Orson Welles' "The Trial" is the story of a young clerk, Josef K., who is arrested, tried and finally executed--all without ever knowing his crime. Welles filmed this baroque work of genius in a deserted Belle Epoque railway station in Paris. The strange setting perfectly captures the bizarre and nightmarish world of Kafka's mythical totalitarian state. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

It's All About the Swagger, Baby!
People argue about "cool." Some say John Coltrane is cool. Other say Clapton, Dylan, or Lennon are "cool." Lenny Bruce is "cool" to some, and Miles Davis epitomizes "cool" for others. For me, there isn't a man who has EVER lived who personified "cool" more that Mr. Sinatra. You can see what I mean here in the first motion picture that casts the infamous "Rat Pack" in major roles, "Oceans 11." Playing an ex-WWII soldier, Sinatra's Danny Oceans plans the greatest heist in history: Rob five Las Vegas casinos at once on New Year's Eve. It's a bold plot for a bold cast. There's Frank with his "I own the world" charisma. There's Sammy Davis Jr. with his usual flair for the song and dance routine. "Deano" Dean Martin also croons in the picture, and Peter Lawford, the only non-singer of the four main Rat Packers, still holds the audience with his charm and wit.

This film shows what Las Vegas was like when it was an "adults only" city. This was when Sinatra and his boys ruled Vegas, and we should be thankful that they had the foresight to put some of the flavor of the times on film.

Now, where's my martini? I'm late for my craps game.

Nostalgic Fun
OCEAN'S 11 is a real time-capsule classic. The ultimate "heist" movie, starring The Chairman of The Board, Dino, Sammy, Joey, Peter, and the rest of The Rat Pack, this one is worth seeing just to watch "the boys" hanging out together and getting into trouble.

The late Fifties All-Adult ambience of Vegas is priceless, as is the hep cat cool which just oozes off the screen. Let's face it: How many men could get away with calling the President of the United States "Chickee Baby"? Well, Frank called JFK precisely that. Even Bill Clinton was never that swingin'!

The storyline is a standard potboiler involving a group of old Army buddies setting up the biggest theft in American history, five Vegas casinos. Frankie ain't doin' no singin', and the film's a bit slow moving in spots. They're playing it a little too straight and serious,and there are less laughs than chuckles, and no sex, but the film was a product of it's times (1960) and still had to get past the censors in those days. Peter Lawford is over the line as a forty year old Mama's Boy trying for the Big Score.

No matter how good the Clooney remake is, he won't touch this one at all...There's only one Rat Pack!

great
an excellent movie that has action and a little bit of comedy also great stars such as sammy davis jr. dean martin and of course frank sinatra

A Very Cool Movie!
Ocean's 11 is a cool movie with a topnotch cast that includes Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis JR, Cesar Romero, etc.

It's a very cool movie that I watched long before the remake!

The remake is alright but not anywhere near as good as the original 1960 version which is an awesome movie and that twist ending is great!

Two stars is a gift
The GOOD:
- Some nice historical shots of Las Vegas during its golden age
- Sammy's musical / dance number

The BAD:
- Comes across as just a pure star ego project (which apparently it was)
- Silly dialog
- Lots of non-value added characters (remember this was a full employment project for Frank's buddies)

BOTTOM LINE:

The folks giving this movie 4-5 stars have definitely drunk the nostalgic Rat Pack cool aid. I honestly think they are reviewing the idea of this movie, rather than the film itself. If you not one of these fans, then I would recommend

- Wait for the original to appear on late night TV
- Get the "remake" - much better ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A restrained treat
Of course this film is not explicit by current standards- it was released in 1968. If blatant expliciteness is what you want, you're looking at entirely the wrong decade. I still find this to be a most erotic movie. Romina Power is really very cute. The scenes of her chained and naked have given me quite a lot of pleasure. Depending on who you believe, she was either 16, 17 or 18 when this film was made. Whatever her age, in this film she had the most delightfully pert and un-enhanced late teen breasts. I've not seen a pair like it in real life or the media for ages. Ah, the memories! Nice close-ups of her bare feet, too.

Pretty Poor
If you are expecting an S&M feast, you will be dissapointed. I fast forwarded through most of this movie. Granted the lead actress is very atractive, but the "good" scenes are shrowded in this annoying green and red light. not worth it to be honest.

Mildly erotic tale, semi-explicit for the times.
This tale, like Eugenie, Her Journey Into Perversion, isn't bad, and fairly explicit, for the late 60's, but is still pretty tame, by today's standards. Has a weird appearance by Jack Palance, as a mad monk, or something. Also, a limited appearance by the late Klaus Kinski. Limited nudity and sex, but hey, what can one expect-it's fairly low budget. There are interviews and other features for the "technically" minded. Worth a look, but not worth the price I paid for it, or the other one-Eugenie. Minimal relation to the works of De Sade; which they, both, are supposed to be based on.

Fast forward review
For sex sleaze fans, any more sleaze on the DVD than on the tape? Nope, sorry, same scenes. The quality is very nice, so you'll never see the hankerchief-sniffing branding scene looking so good.

One thing I noticed in fast-forwarding through this awful thing (nice DVD advantage there), is that aside from the "M" scene there's really not much. The sixteen year-old Romina is stunningly cute, and you can clip the pictures of her hanging from a chain leaking poor quality Franco fake blood and doing a "Pretty Baby" couch turn, but the green and red lighting is actually not very erotic.

Most other sexploitation flicks have a lot more graphic nastiness, but the branding scene is a must, there's no question about that. One star for that, and one star for brief lolita Romina nudity, that's it.

Fun seeing Jack Palance soused --
As director Jesus Franco says in an accompanying interview, Jack Palance would start guzzling red wine at 7 in the morning the days his scenes were to be filmed, and BOY, can you tell it in the finished product! There are lots of pretty scenes, photography, costumes, people, etc., but it's mostly a bore. I recommend EUGENIE DE SADE for anyone dipping their toe into Franco .... ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A Romantic Love Classic
This film is really rather a classical love story will stay in my heart forever. In my opinion, no one can see this film remaining indifferent or apathetic without feeling the incomparable charm of Ingrid Bergman¡¯s and Yul Brynner¡¯s throughout the story. As I remember, the first time I saw the film, it had already been on for about 1 hour on TV. Even if I didn¡¯t see it completely, I was still fascinated by both the complicated plot of the story and the wonderful performances of the actors/actresses. Some scenes in the film were very humorous. And the music which showed the characteristic of Russia in it also leave a deep impression on me. Now I have seen this film for several times, but every time I saw it, it always moved me a lot. Having seen many other films acted by Bergman or Brynner, I still think ¡®Anastasia¡¯ is the one I like the most. Without kisses, embraces or sweet conversations, it would still be a romantic love classic forever. As a woman who roamed the streets, Anna might be the Grand Duchess of Russia or even only a poor, bewildered person. And what she only wanted was love. Since no one accepted her, no one cared about her, she even had a feeling suicidal. Then a Russian general found her and saved her. He wanted to train her to be Anastasia---the youngest daughter of Russia¡¯s last czar. What only attracted him was the ten million pounds. Bergman was weak, tender and gentle, on the opposite, Brynner was stern, hard and sharp. Is there any possibility that she would be able to change him? In the film, there were many very excellent details that showed the subtle relation between Anna and Bounine. On the one hand, Anna hated him for his only wish for money, hated his using her for his own purpose, hated his not understanding what she really longed for was. On the other hand, she had fallen in love with him. Therefore, she tried flirting with Prince Paul (her former fiance), trying to make Bounine feel jealous. Bergman¡¯s performance was so subtle, ingenious that make the story much more lively. Even if general Bounine was in love with her, too, he didn¡¯t show any concern on the surface. He wanted the money of the legacy, but he loved her more. He seemed rather fierce, but is kind at heart. How many ¡®contradictions¡¯! At the end of the story, Anna succeeded in changing him. The scene which left the deepest impression on me was their last conversation just before the ball. They tried to convey their real feelings to each other. But there were so many problems existing between them. Money or Love? The ending of he story was to be expected but unexpected as well. When Anastasia left from her grandmother again, who was so kind, was so approachable, was the person she had wanted to see for so many years. How sad she was at that moment! I was greatly touched by this scene. In the end, Anna and Bounine ran away to seek for their own happiness renouncing their claim to the money, in spite of the public. I supposed that Yul Brynner might be a most suitable actor to act the white Russian general. His looks, his expression, his posture, his performance, even his bald head were very great. The performances of the other actors/actresses (especially Helen Hayes and Martita Hunt) were also wonderful ones. Everyone must be deeply moved by Anastasia¡¯s close relation with her grandma particularly. The film was also memorable for the acting of the two main characters. The story told us that money or position doesn¡¯t mean love, happiness and freedom. In the film or in the real life, no matter what Anna was, whether she was real or just a imposter, it doesn¡¯t really matter. The most important thing is that the film showed us a history, a mystery, or even a legend. This film was written, directed, acted very well. When it was made in the 1950s, even my parents had not been born. But time doesn¡¯t mean discrepancy, either. I¡¯ll love the romantic splendid love story forever and I¡¯m quite sure that it would always be a classic in the film history forever.

A Romantic Love Classic Forever
This film is really rather a classical love story that will stay in my heart forever. In my opinion, no one can see this film remaining indifferent or apathetic without feeling the incomparable charm of Ingrid Bergman¡¯s and Yul Brynner¡¯s throughout the story. As I remember, the first time I saw the film, it had already been on for about 1 hour on TV. Even if I didn¡¯t see it completely, I was still fascinated by both the complicated plot of the story and the wonderful performances of the actors/actresses. Some scenes in the film were very humorous. And the music that showed the characteristic of Russia in it also left a deep impression on me. Now I have seen this film for several times, but every time I saw it, it always stirred me a lot. Having seen many other films acted by Bergman or Brynner, I still think ¡®Anastasia¡¯ is the one I like most. Without kisses, embraces or sweet conversations, it would still be a romantic love classic forever. As a woman who roamed the streets, Anna might be the Grand Duchess of Russia or even only a poor, bewildered person. She had suffered terribly for a long time and what she only wanted was being accepted. Since no one cared about her, she even had a feeling suicidal.At the begining,though acting a woman who was in dire straits, Bergman still had a unique noble disposition just like a princess wandering destitute far from home. Then a Russian general saved her and changed her life. He wanted to train her to be Anastasia---the youngest daughter of Russia¡¯s last czar. The only thing attracted him was the ten million pounds. Bergman was weak, tender and gentle, on the opposite, Brynner was stern, hard and sharp. Is there any possibility that she would be able to change him? In the film, there were many excellent details that showed the subtle relation between Anna and Bounine. On the one hand, Anna hated him for his only wish for money, hated his using her for his own purpose, hated his not understanding what she really longed for was. On the other hand, she had fallen in love with him. Therefore, she tried flirting with Prince Paul (her former fiance), trying to make Bounine feel jealous. Bergman¡¯s performance was so subtle, ingenious that make the story much more lively. Even if general Bounine was in love with her in spite of himself, too, he didn¡¯t show any concern on the surface. He wanted the money of the legacy, but he loved her more. He seemed rather fierce, but was kind at heart. How many ¡®contradictions¡¯! The scene that left the deepest impression on me was their last conversation just before the ball. They tried to convey their real feelings to each other. But there were so many problems existing between them. At the end of the story, Anna succeeded in changing him. Money or love? The ending of the story was to be expected but unexpected as well. When Anastasia left from her grandmother again, who was so kind, was so approachable, was the person she had wanted to see for so many years, how sad she was at that moment! I was greatly touched by this scene.... I supposed that Yul Brynner might be a most suitable actor to act the white Russian general. His looks, his expression, his posture, his acting, even his bald head were very great. And he had a quite different glamour that made him always attractive. The performances of the other actors/actresses (especially Helen Hayes and Martita Hunt) were also wonderful ones. Everyone must be deeply moved by Anastasia¡¯s close relation with her grandma particularly. The film was also memorable for the acting of the two main characters. It told us that money and position don¡¯t mean love, happiness and freedom. In the film or in the real life, no matter what Anna was, whether she was real or just an imposter, it doesn¡¯t really matter. The most important thing is that the film showed us a history, a mystery, or even a legend. This film was written, directed and acted very well. When it was made in the 1950s, even my parents had not been born. But time doesn¡¯t mean discrepancy, either. I¡¯ll always love this romantic splendid love story and I¡¯m quite sure that it will be a classic in the film history forever.

Anastasia
Great Movie - Horrible DVD! I'm rating this one star because the DVD quality is so bad. For the first time, I'm in the process of returning an item to Amazon. This makes me sad because I love this film and wanted to add this to my growing collection of classic films in my DVD Library. The sound is not always in synch and the volume goes up and down. The sound is absolutely terrible!

Special features
The DVD versionÕs special features of this classic film is jammed pack with historical information, not only about early 20th century Russian aristocracy, but also about the Ôbehind the scenesÕ making of this wonderful movie. For this humble DVD collector, I prefer as much expert commentary as can possibly fit into the format. Does anyone know more about the industry than Sylvia Stoddard? I donÕt think so.

Anastasia Is Finally On DVD.
I bought this DVD when it came out 2 months ago when it first came out. And I love this movie more than Any other movie that Ingrid Bergman played in. I especially liked it because they had an interview with Hellen Hayes (The Grandmother) son James MacArthur. I have been corresponding with him and i just really liked that.

Here Is A brief Description:

Anastasie (Ingird Bergman) is a woman who has no clue about who she is and where she comes from, she then meets (Yul Brynner) who thinks that if he can train her to act like the Real Annastasia he can pass her off and get the huge reward for her return. Well when they get to St. petersburg they find out that The Arch Duchess (Hellen Hayes) has lost hope of ever finding her Annastasia and refuses to see Ingrid Bergman. Well she finally visits Ingrid Bergman and realizes that she really is her grand daughter. And it ends happily.

Great Movie. 5 Star Rating. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Great movie, but truly lousy MGM DVD transfer
This '60s heist movie sparkles, dazzles, and charms with its strong international cast, story adapted from an Eric Ambler mystery novel, and typically great direction from Jules (Rafifi) Dassin. Dassin gets a truly captivating performance from his wife Melina Mercouri as a thief obsessed with stealing the Topkapi emeralds, and an Academy Award-winning comic turn from Peter Ustinov. This was my favorite movie of all time when watching it on tv as a child. I waited a while to see it on DVD. Sadly, MGM seems to have transferred the movie through a vat of mud. The source print is faded and looks lousy. The movie is great, as is the theme song.

Wonderfully entertaining, with great Ustinov performance
One of my favorite films, and quite possibly the most entertaining caper movie of all time. A jewell thief (Melina Mercouri) has her heart set on a fabulous emerald-encrusted dagger. The priceless object is being kept at the high-security Topkapi Museum in Istanbul. Mercouri enlists the aid of sometime lover (and professional thief) Maximilian Schell to devise and execute an intricate plan of stealing the dagger. Schell assembles a team that includes Robert Morley as an inventor and electronics expert, and Peter Ustinov as a small-time con man who doesn't realize that he's part of the scheme. Ustinov is persuaded to spy on Mercouri's group by Turkish authorities who think the gang members are terrorists, but he is eventually made aware of the actual intentions of the thieves. The first few minutes of TOPKAPI may lead you to believe that you're in store for one of those hopelessly fluffy "comedies" of the 60's. But don't be fooled. From the moment the jovially frantic music score is played over the opening credits, rest assured that you're about to be treated to a light-hearted, fast-paced movie that expertly combines humor, suspense, and thrills. The international cast is great, but Peter Ustinov is especially delightful to watch in the role that won him the 1964 Oscar for best supporting actor. As Arthur Simpson, a shifty yet sympathetic character who gets used by just about everyone in the film, Ustinov easily steals the movie (although Akim Tamiroff also has his share of funny moments as a drunken cook). This film has all the elements for a first-rate piece of entertainment: an engaging cast, exotic locales, good dialogue, and artful direction by Jules Dassin whose earlier work in RIFIFI partly inspired this movie. TOPKAPI is a wonderfully entertaining motion picture that should appeal to everyone.

DVD Widescreen Transfer Is Perfect
I must elaborate more on the reviewer who said that the transfer to DVD looked like it had been dragged through a vat of mud. I had the movie on VHS tape and knew what to expect of it. The reviewer may have only noted the first 6-7 minutes of the movie which I would call a dream sequence with shades of different colors around the screen. Once this sequence is over, the movie is normal and the transfer to DVD which I rented was perfect. The movie was just as it is on my VHS tape but of better quality, of course.

Topkapi
This is in the end a good caper movie and maybe worth watching because its possible a lot its elements have been emulated in other films like the Pink Panther, Mission:Impossible and Entrapment.
It is a jewel theft caper involving a hypersensitive floor security system, where you drop in from the roof. I am not giving anything away that isn't in the trailer. But it is stuff you have now seen many times before. The gymnastics and plotting of how that is carried out is the variance. There is some pretty good tension in pulling off the crime.
As in any movie like this, whether you like it depends a lot more on whether you like the characters. And this is the point where the film gets a little iffy for me. This is the first Melina Mercouri I have seen. So I don't have the perspective of years prior knowing what a great beauty she was. I am going to get in trouble for calling it as I see it her. Melina Mercouri is an attractive enough older woman but well past her prime and trying and failing to hide it behind hair died from silver gray to blonde and heavy mascara and eyeshadow. But perhaps she is merely past her prime and just unapologetic and sassy about it.
The effect is the same. She is a little grotesque.Maximillian Schell on the other hand is a truly handsome and suave as the organizer of the plot.
Peter Ustinov is cute. As a fairly early role you see him here developing a lot of his most popular affectations that will serve him well in future roles. This production seems a little low budget and doesn't show off his distinctive voice and mannerisms as well as a film with more deft camera direction and better sound can. The stalwart British character actor Robert Morely as the inventor is very good. Also on the team is a brutish strong man who seems to have little purpose in the film who is partnered with an acrobat who cleverly mimes most of his part because he is a mute.
Ordinarily I don't have much trouble making allowances for the style of films of the various decades but Topkapi has a style that to me seems particularly dated and tips the hand of its minimal budget badly. There are many filler shots of the marketplace and locals of Istanbul that aren't particularly interesting and slow the pace of the film down. Also the image and sound is of marginal quality and frequently dubbed though it is an english speaking film.Its not out of synch but it has that odd unnatural feel to it. If you mind has the mental alacrity to make allowances for this its a clever enough film to keep you entertained. But I can't imagine anyone under 25 raised on modern production values not being a little antsy and impatient deciphering some of the slightly muffled heavy accents of the international cast.

Certainly a better film than Entrapment. I think overall the film is merely OK. Either of the Ocean's Eleven films does has a more entertaining ensemble cast and are more fun to watch in this genre.

rififi....
A band of thieves, assembled by a deliciously intent Mercouri, attempts to steal a fabulous emerald-encrusted dagger from the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul. The utimate theft is depicted in a long sequence reminiscent of his earlier heist scene-but this time with considerably more levity. Dassin assembled a flawless cast of charming rogues and charlatans, including Peter Ustinov in an especially humorous performance that earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. If you are not a WT, then it is a very nice movie for you.... ... Read more

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As the French New Wave was reaching its maturity and filmgoing had evolved as a favorite pastime of intellectuals and urban sophisticates, along came Jean-Luc Godard to shake up every convention and send highfalutin critics scrambling to their typewriters. 1965's Alphaville is a perfect example of Godard's willingness to disrupt expectation, combine genres, and comment on movies while making sociopolitical statements that inspired doctoral theses and left a majority of viewers mystified. Part science fiction and part hard-boiled detective yarn, Alphaville presents a futuristic scenario using the most modern and impersonal architecture that Godard could find in mid-'60s Paris. A haggard private eye (Eddie Constantine) is sent to an ultramodern city run by a master computer, where his mission is to locate and rescue a scientist who is trapped there. As the story unfolds on Godard's strictly low-budget terms, the movie tackles a variety of topics such as the dehumanizing effect of technology, willful suppression of personality, saturation of commercial products, and, of course, the constant recollection of previous films through Godard's carefully chosen images. For most people Alphaville, like many of the director's films, will prove utterly baffling. For those inclined to dig deeper into Godard's artistic intentions, the words of critic Andrew Sarris (quoted from an essay that accompanies the Criterion Collection DVD) will ring true: "To understand and appreciate Alphaville is to understand Godard, and vice versa." --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (39)

the greatest sci-fi film ever: not a special effect in sight
'Alphaville' is Jean-Luc Cinema Godard's 'The Wizard of Oz', the story of an American stranded in a strange fantasy city, who must find its controlling wizard before he can return home, evading forces sent to destroy him. Eddie Constantine reprises the role of Lemmy Caution that made him famous in 1950s France, as the roughneck FBI agent who fisticuffed, dame-bothered and slang-winked his way through a series of simple-minded thrillers. here he has become Special Agent 003, sent by his superiors in the Outlands to assassinate Professor Von Braun, the brains behind Alphaville, a futuristic city controlled by a philosophical computer, and which bears more than a passing resemblance to Gaullist Paris.

Alphaville is a classic dystopia, its minions brainwashed, dehumanised and branded; photographs of its leader on every available wall; the surveilling computer present in every room. dissidents are tortured or murdered in elaborate rituals (e.g. diving-board firing-squads in swimming pools before a gallery of socialites). Double-talk couched in the complexities of dialectic numb the brain; dictionaries are censored daily.

Much of the fun in Godard films of this period lies in their playfulness with familiar cinematic genres; and the trappings of the gangster and spy genres, the detective story and sci-fi adventure (brawls, shoot-outs, car-chases, interrogations, (literal) femmes fatales etc.) are made ridiculous by their slapstick treatment, comic exagerration and over-emphatic music. 'Alphaville' may be a pulp adventure, but the world Lemmy must negotiate is not one of genre, but of ideas, about reality, history, politics, freedom, love, poetry, dreams, the mind, logic, conformity, escape, all reverberating in an environment based on One Big Idea.

'Alphaville', like Chris Marker's similar 'La Jetee', is less a futuristic satire than a reflection of contemporary France (its dark and dense mise-en-scene like a negative photograph of the familiar city; with its extraordinary modern architecture reconfigured as a giant prison), with memories of the recent Nazi Occupation. But, as its name suggests, Alphaville is also the first (cinematic) city of post-modernity, where meaning and authority is decentred, where language ceases to have any shared value, where time ceases to exist, the past and future are abolished, and the mindless live in an eternal present, unable to learn from mistakes or hope for improvement, unable to acknowledge the value of culture. Lemmy seems to be set up as a very 'human' interloper, a repository of 'our' feelings and values in a culture that would seek to suppress them. But Godard called him a Martian', and he is a stranger to Alphaville, which, after all, is our world: he is a figure from pulp fiction , a risible set of signifiers who can only offer Natasha a choice between who gives her orders.

Most dystopias, like '1984' and 'Blade Runner', ultimately fail, because they are as cold and inhuman as the worlds they portray. 'Alphaville', especially in its visionary climactic half hour, shares more with Nabokov's novel 'Bend Sinister' - positing whimsy, idiosyncrasy, gags, Surrealism (Eluard, Bellmer), pop art, the absurd, the unexpected, the daft, the poetic, the aesthetic, the cinematic (especially Melville's 'Deux Hommes Dans Manhattan'), Anna Karina's gorgeous coats against the Brave New World.

But we shouldn't get too comfortable in this ''us vs. them', anti-totalitarian model: Professor Von Braun, with dark, impenetrable shades permenantly welded, is the clean-cut image of the director; he too forces Anna Karina (his daughter, Godard's wife) to perform for strangers and suppress her personality; he, like Godard, is the creator of Alphaville.

The Beauty of Individuality Exemplified
It is a rare thing to see a film that not only shows one what life is, but espouses a concrete vision of what life should be. Even more rare is a film which does this by situating characters in a world where one would not want to live thereby isolating the very essence of what makes on human. Godard's Alfaville not only accomplishes this feet but it creates an artistic embodiment of all that true individuality stands for. More potent than 1984 and just as beautiful as novels such as Atlas Shrugged, Alfaville shows one who is willing to watch and listen the true value and purpose of freedom and the ominous results when that freedom is removed from their lives. The music, cinematography and overall directing could only be done by an individual who's sense of life is majestic and bordering on, if not completely genius. This is not only great science fiction but it is art at its highest ideal, a work that makes me proud to be human.

a weird film and quite interesting
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This film which is one of several involving the character Lemmy Caution remains popular to this day as one of the few science fiction films with no special effects. It is a good view of a technocratic society an has elements which at the time seemed like fantasy but in our computer age seems more feasible.

The film also has a voice over that is really deep and raspy that sounds very interesting.

The DVD does not have any special features but still is a good one to buy.

The Eternal Theme of the Individual VS The State
It should not surprise anyone that a film from Jean-Luc Godard will invariably attract the usual assortment of Post-Modernist, ethically and politically retarded, anti-Western afficionados. Some of that can be seen in the reviews for this film, both on this page and throughout the Internet. The truth however, is that while Godard was a borderline socialist and critical of the supposed decadence of "America", he was more of a heroic individualist than anything else and his pre-1970 films all demonstrate this fact.

Alphavile is without a doubt, his greatest achievement and it is a work that speaks of an artistic sensibility all but lost in the France of today, which is overun with rampant anti-intellectualism and a worship of un-reason.

Godard takes the Bogart-like "Lemmy Caution" character out of his former slew of 40/50's French spy thrillers and puts the very same character into a future where a technocratic dictatorship exists. In doing so, the very best idealism of American pulp-fiction is given back its soul by a French director, Godard, who truly was interested in the world of ideas.

This film not only shows why a totalitarian state must be destroyed, it also demonstrates some key philosophical concepts in the process. Through Godard, we learn that it is language that first must be assaulted before one can enslave man, then mathematics, then history and finally, the human mind itself. We can see parallels to this line of thinking through the world today and yet, how ironic that it is today's France that probably best embodies Godard's nightmare come to life (for a Western democracy of course).

The cinematography of Alphaville is superb, as is the musical score by Paul Misraki which is one of the finest I have experienced, for it reaches its crescendo with the most important line in the film, almost as an answer to a question. The theme of Alphaville is simple enough - the Individual against the State, but the soul of Alphaville reaches higher to a level where Man is sanctified against all intrusions on his life, liberty and happiness.

Anna Karina plays the part of the Ideal Woman still capable of feeling and understanding the value of love and that immortal word that may still one day save humanity - "I". It is a rare thing to find a work of art that speaks so eloquently to the sublime beauty of Man, Humanity and Individualism. Godard does this and more in Alphaville and for that, he should go down in history as one of Europe's finest artists.

Note - One would need to watch this film about 3 times to completely grasp every important nuance. Also, Anthem and 1984 are good reads along the same vain.

An Analysis of Genre
As usual with Godard moments stand out. In this film the most absurd sequence involves a diving platform in what looks to be an eastern bloc recreational center and a number of black sweatered and bereted revolutionaries with sub-machine guns standing on the pool deck spraying the divers as they dive. Whats it all mean? Well I suppose you could say its Godards way of commenting on the wests ability to turn even political oppression into mass entertainment.

I like a number of Godard films: Breathless, My Life To Live, Contempt, Pierrot Le Fou, First Name: Carmen, Hail Mary, In Praise of Love --still Alphaville remains kind of a hard one for me to get into. Perhaps because I am not too keen on science fiction. It seems the people who like this film are the ones who like science fiction in general. To me science fiction is full of cliches and so is film noir and so to me it seems Godard is using these genres to address cultural cliches -- and yet he is also making pointed comments on modern culture as he does so. You can always count on a Godard film to be smart and even though its not one of my favorites Alphaville is no exception to that rule.

Anna Karina looks great as always. Unfortunately for Lemmy Caution she is the daughter of Alphaville's overlord. No one really believes the future will look like a parking garage nor that a super-computer will run our lives and that people will become vacant automatons. Only a handful of early twentieth-century authors thought the future was leading us toward Alphaville. In the context of the swinging sixties sci fi just looks campy and noir even campier. Whats going on in Godards head? Hard to say in this film. To me its funny, but a surprising amount of people seem to take this sci fi stuff seriously.

I think the new wave band of outsiders enjoyed genre hopping because it gave them a chance to flex their movie knowledge. Plus genres come loaded with rules which the new wavers can then subvert -- so that is the fun of Alphaville, subversion of genre and in this case its a double dose of subversion because Godards subverting two genres, sci fi and noir. I think its interesting to note that in both of these genres men and women relate in steretypical and fatalistic ways -- and the new wave was about being hyper-conscious of these film conventions. Perhaps what Godard is really saying is that in order to invent life anew we must break free of these conventions. This is of course something his characters often fail to do although in some films they try. ... Read more

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Three years after Lawrence of Arabia, the largely impressive Lord Jim (1965) finds Peter O'Toole again essaying a self-doubting but remarkable, white Englishman who leads a foreign people against their oppressor. Based on the Joseph Conrad novel, Lord Jim is the story of a British maritime officer, Jim (O'Toole), who takes a brief post on a tramp steamer and flees in terror during a storm at sea. Dogged by a reputation for cowardice, Jim attempts to reinvent himself in his own eyes, commanding an attack against a feudal warlord (Eli Wallach) in a distant, Southeast Asian village and basking in god-like glory afterward. A sinister plot by a gentleman pirate (James Mason) sets the stage for Jim's confrontation with his true destiny. Simplified and adapted by writer-director Richard Brooks (In Cold Blood), Lord Jim sometimes feels rushed and obvious, but O'Toole's golden performance and legendary cinematographer Freddie Young's 70mm footage are outstanding. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Literary Classic transformed on the silver screen
Richard Brooks adaptation of Joseph Conrad's fascinating work Lord Jim, was received in 1965 to mixed reviews.

The movie is an attempt at recasting Conrad's work in the action adventure genre. What is perhaps one of the most compelling works of character in English literature losses its power in the process. What it then becomes is lavishly told, ploddingly paced action adventure fare. And in this category it suffers greatly by comparison to the more recent Indiana Jones series of movies.

The novel presents numerous challenges to the lead actor and director: the structure is complex, Jim speaks infrequently, and (most importantly) it deals with the inner substance of Jim's character. Bringing this together in a well told visual tale is an overwhelming challenge.

Richard Brooks and Peter O'toole should be congratulated for their effort, but the results earned them only a plodding "B" movie.

ANOTHER DVD RELEASE, PLEASE!
LORD JIM is a great film. It really surprised me how a great movie could be adapted from a bad novel! The movie is AWESOME! A great film for the collection. This film screams DVD Release! Please do so. PULEASE!!Grade: A

A Uniquely Thoughtful Adventure Epic
If you favor the David Lean approach to grand scale epic film-making, you mustn't miss a wide screen viewing of this gem. It is too thoughtful, intelligent, even philosophic to move at a pace which would suit devotees of todays thrill-a-minute offerings, yet it offers so many rewards which are seldom found these days. Amidst lushly photographed, exotic settings and loaded with fabulous performances by some of the screen's all-time finest actors, "Lord Jim" dares to mix action adventure with a penetrating examination of moral issues like courage and honor and integrity. The visual production is wondrous and makes a quality widescreen edition intensely desireable and long overdue.

Great and Powerful Movie
Lord Jim expresses the ups and downs of a sailors life and how every port was his home. To me that is the best type of plot for any movie or novel. I give this move two thumbs up but PLEASE RELEASE ONTO DVD!!!!!!!!

great film
one of the top ten movies i've seen, and i've seen alot. starts off slow but wait until the movie truly accumulates. toug to watch without choking up, a truly powerful movie. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

How many Mr. Arkadins are there?
Viewing Orson Welles' film "Mr. Arkadin today is an experience similar to that the characters in his complex films would feel if they were real-mystery, confusion, frustration, fascination. Except for "Citizen Kane" and "The Trial" every one of Welles' movies--every one he completed that is--was taken over by its financial backers and reedited beyond comprehension. "Mr. Arkadin" is one of his most cryptic works not only because it was taken from its creator and reshaped, but because it was apparently reshaped several time by several different people. We don't have only one bastardized version, but several, at least 3. And according to Welles himself as quoted in Peter Bogdonavich's book "This is Orson Welles", none of these was even close to the story he wanted to tell. So "who is Mr. Arkardin?" is as pertinent a question when asked in the context of the film's story as it is when discussing the film itself. I myself have seen two distinct versions. One, a VHS tape of the "European" release of the film, re-titled "Confidential Report", the other this DVD Laserlight release of the later US release edit. Of the two, "Confidential Report" had the better edit and was also transfered from a much better print. This DVD version is certainly priced right, however--cant' beat Welles for under $4!

As for the film itself, in all its incarnations, "Arkadin" is a fascinating failure, obviously patched together on the run on a miniscule budget. The overall plot is intriguing (and begs to be remade from Orson's original script). A famous, mysterious billionaire, claiming amnesia, hires a sleazy golddigging bum to investigate his own past. To give away more would be evil, so I won't. Let's just say there are some clever twists and turns. Unfortunately, the film only works in spurts. There are quite a few masterful scenes, but they are only loosely connected, a s though only half the filming was completed and the movie had to be cobbled together at the last minute from what was on hand, whether it made sense or not. The awkward narration and many clumsy montages used to fill the gaps make this obvious.

Again, however, I must say that for movie lovers, film students, Welles freaks, or anyone else looking for something very different, you can't beat a Welles DVD for the price of a rental!

One of Welles' richest and most underrated fables
We will probably never know exactly what Orson Welles envisioned Mr. Arkadin to be, but even in its present state, it remains a commandable achievement and one of his most underrated films. His storytelling mastery is evident throughout, both in the sound and images. As in Citizen Kane, the main character's life is gradually explored, but this time it's the subject of the inquiry who started it himself; this brings the film in the territory of initiations and psychoanalysis. Seemingly to uncover his own past, Arkadin sends low-profile hood Guy Van Stratten in a complex initiatic quest, one in which the initiated is mostly lured by money and luxury. Like Kane, Arkadin takes shape mainly via other people's testimonies, and he undergoes his own type of initiation: for the very first time, he is stripped of the masks and disguises he always relied on, and he is scared at the perspective of his private self (his Jungian 'number 2' personality) being discovered by the only person he cares for. Fables are scattered throughout the film, and the movie itself is such a tale, Arkadin acting as its grand, imposing Ogre, a character possessing strange and far-reaching powers. His overbearing abilities are illustrated in various ways, notably through the film's rapidly changing settings (a device also used in The Trial). The work's depth can also be measured by this consideration: Mr. Arkadin's universe is a huge maze in which Arkadin himself is Minos, Dedalus and the Minotaur all at once. This dense, rich and dreamlike film has never really received its due.

Extremely good story but terrible picture quality
I bought Orson Welles Citizen Kane and liked it so I decided to watch other Welles movies. I bought Mr. Arkadin because the DVD is cheap and rated high on IMDB. I should have buyed Touch of Evil instead. The quality of the picture is laughable, sometimes there are glitches in the sound during scene changes. Judging by the picture and sound quality I would say that they used equipment from the 30's to shoot and edit the movie and that the print used for that transfer was stored in a refrigerator during 45 years. Welles directing work is good but obviously he had to deal with the poor quality of the European movie industry of the 50's. Sometimes the picture shake, during the opening credits the captions are white on a white or gray background so we can't read everything. The editing is very poor, there are too many scene changes. When I bought this DVD I expected to receive the LaserLight version, instead I got a DVD made by Alpha Video. The case cover is different and there is no supplemental material. He was mastered cheaply on a PC with the SpruceUp DVD Maestro software, that seem to create problems, each time I try to play the disc on my computer the FBI warning message appear and then the disc eject. I didn't notice any audio syncing problems however. This movie is the perfect candidate for a remake. I give **** for the story and * for the overall quality of the movie.

Third-rate Kane knockoff - by the man himself!
This film represents sort of an artistic low point for Welles. Presumably exhausted by his four-year ordeal of producing "Othello" and far removed from his Hollywood glory years, he attempted a comeback with this hodgepodge re-working of the "Citizen Kane" theme. The rich and mysterious Mr. Arkadin hires an investigator to research his past, presumably to keep his secrets away from his enemies. However, everyone interviewed by the private eye mysteriously dies! (This idea was realized more effectively in 1987's "Angel Heart"). Although this film showcases' Welles unique style far better than, say, "The Stranger," its utter lack of production values make the experience somewhat grueling. Welles shoots with a manic energy, but fails to reach the giddy heights of "The Lady from Shanghai" or the visual eloquence of "Othello." Fortunately, Welles gets some entertaining performances from his supporting cast, particularly Michael Redgrave as an effeminate shopkeeper and the ubiquitous Akim Tamiroff ("Touch of Evil's" Uncle Joe Grandi) as the kooky Jacob Zouk.

The Laserlight DVD transfer doesn't help matters. As noted, it's taken from a grainy, choppy, poorly synced public domain print. However, you do get an unintentionally funny Tony Curtis intro, as well as the chance to own a rarely seen Welles film for a budget price.

Poor quality ruins the experience
I am referring to the Laser Light dvd edition of this film, which promises the best digital transfer of the film. That is great, but they used the worst print anyone could concieve to transfer! I taped this off of television awhile back and decided to buy a dvd version and this is 100 times worse than the version I taped myself on the slowest speed off of late night tv! In reading other reviews it appears that there is a much better VHS version and I would recommend that over this. Do not be fooled like I was with the fine condition of Welles' "The Trial" by Laser Light or the pipe smoking picture packaging of this. This version of Arkardin is a total waste of money. ... Read more

Description

Young, nubile, and virginal Justine (Romina Power, Tyrone Power's 18-year-old daughter) is cast out of a French orphanage and thrust into a depraved world of prostitution, predatory lesbians, a fugitive murderess (Mercedes McCambridge), bondage, branding, and one supremely sadistic monk (an outrageous performance by Jack Palance). It's a twisted tale of strange desires, perverse pleasures, and the ultimate corruption of innocence as told by the Marquis de Sade. One of the most lavish and bizarre erotic shockers ever made by the notorious Jess Franco, "Justine" is bursting with wanton nudity, sexual perversion, and an all-star cast including Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil), Maria Rohm (Venus in Furs), and Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu) as the Marquis de Sade. Originally released with over 30 minutes cut, this infamous film is presented here fully restored and completely uncensored for the first time! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A restrained treat
Of course this film is not explicit by current standards- it was released in 1968. If blatant expliciteness is what you want, you're looking at entirely the wrong decade. I still find this to be a most erotic movie. Romina Power is really very cute. The scenes of her chained and naked have given me quite a lot of pleasure. Depending on who you believe, she was either 16, 17 or 18 when this film was made. Whatever her age, in this film she had the most delightfully pert and un-enhanced late teen breasts. I've not seen a pair like it in real life or the media for ages. Ah, the memories! Nice close-ups of her bare feet, too.

Pretty Poor
If you are expecting an S&M feast, you will be dissapointed. I fast forwarded through most of this movie. Granted the lead actress is very atractive, but the "good" scenes are shrowded in this annoying green and red light. not worth it to be honest.

Mildly erotic tale, semi-explicit for the times.
This tale, like Eugenie, Her Journey Into Perversion, isn't bad, and fairly explicit, for the late 60's, but is still pretty tame, by today's standards. Has a weird appearance by Jack Palance, as a mad monk, or something. Also, a limited appearance by the late Klaus Kinski. Limited nudity and sex, but hey, what can one expect-it's fairly low budget. There are interviews and other features for the "technically" minded. Worth a look, but not worth the price I paid for it, or the other one-Eugenie. Minimal relation to the works of De Sade; which they, both, are supposed to be based on.

Fast forward review
For sex sleaze fans, any more sleaze on the DVD than on the tape? Nope, sorry, same scenes. The quality is very nice, so you'll never see the hankerchief-sniffing branding scene looking so good.

One thing I noticed in fast-forwarding through this awful thing (nice DVD advantage there), is that aside from the "M" scene there's really not much. The sixteen year-old Romina is stunningly cute, and you can clip the pictures of her hanging from a chain leaking poor quality Franco fake blood and doing a "Pretty Baby" couch turn, but the green and red lighting is actually not very erotic.

Most other sexploitation flicks have a lot more graphic nastiness, but the branding scene is a must, there's no question about that. One star for that, and one star for brief lolita Romina nudity, that's it.

Fun seeing Jack Palance soused --
As director Jesus Franco says in an accompanying interview, Jack Palance would start guzzling red wine at 7 in the morning the days his scenes were to be filmed, and BOY, can you tell it in the finished product! There are lots of pretty scenes, photography, costumes, people, etc., but it's mostly a bore. I recommend EUGENIE DE SADE for anyone dipping their toe into Franco .... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

OUTHOUSE IN MOROCCO
A RATHER LONG DRAWN OUT STORY, SOME BATTLE ACTION. LEGION IS HOLLYWOOD TYPE, NO LEGION MUSIC, A FEW LAUGHS FROM AKIM TAMIROFF. RAFT IS TO SERIOUS AND RATHER BORING. SAD ENDING JUST LIKE THE LEGION IN THE THE MOVIE. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good romantic comedy
Little known 1939 film starring the beautiful and classy british blonde star, Madeleine Carroll and american, guy-next-door-type, Fred Mac Murray, who play opposite each other with much chemistry.

Carroll is a business woman, who's the executive Vice-President of a Department Store in N.Y. and doesn't care for anything except her career, and there comes carefree Mac Murray, who lives in Bali, and changes it all...

Excellent supporting by Helen Broderick as Carroll's friend, who contributes with most of the picture's wisecracks, Allan Jones as a Met. Opera singer, who loves Carroll and wonderful child actress Carolyn Lee, who steals many-a-scene from the grown-ups.

Look for Akim Tamiroff, as comic, meddling window-cleaner.

The picture quality is O.K.

An Entertaining Romantic Comedy
"Honeymoon in Bali" stars one of the most beautiful blondes ever to grace the silver screen, English actress Madeleine Carroll, & Fred MacMurray, who was good at comic & dramatic roles. Hitchcock starred Carroll in "The Secret Agent" & "The 39 Steps." She was Bob Hope's "My Favorite Blonde." Carroll plays a successful executive who is married to her career & has no time for marriage & a family. MacMurray's character would today be a male chauvinist, but back in 1939 most women contented themselves with being housewives & mothers. MacMurray challenges Carroll's way of life. She is both attracted to & repelled by him. When MacMurray brings along a little girl for whom he is responsible, Carroll's mothering instincts are aroused, & she realizes that one can love a career, but a career can't love one back.
Akim Tamiroff adds humor as a voyeuristic window-washer who becomes interested in Carroll's life in her office.
The Front Row Entertainment DVD is satisfactory in picture & sound... ... Read more