Amazon.com

After her long and wholesome run as America's Sweetheart, Doris Day quit movies with this well-scrubbed picture. With Six You Get Eggroll--oof, what a title--caught the wave of blended-family comedies, coming just after Yours, Mine and Ours and just before TV's The Brady Bunch. Doris has three sons, and new beau Brian Keith has an 18-year-old daughter (the still-baby-faced Barbara Hershey). It's family-friendly sitcom stuff, with both Day and Keith doing their comfortable, patented thing; when the two of them are onscreen together it's like watching a couple of old sweaters mate. This one is straight formula for fans only, although connoisseurs of camp will enjoy the whiff of Aquarius in the otherwise square proceedings (it was 1968, after all) when Doris goes to a nightclub where the Grass Roots are playing. There's also a hippie gang (featuring Jamie Farr and William Christopher, before M*A*S*H) with ponchos and love beads. The times they were a-changin', and kudos to Day for bowing out gracefully. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (23)

JUST DESSERTS
Doris! The perky big band singer of whom Oscar Levant once quipped "I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin." I thought back to my visit to Carmel, California, a few years ago, where I dropped by the golf course to glimpse her house ...briefly visible from hole three. (Listen real carefully and you can hear her dogs barking.) I thought back to my beloved Great Dane, she with the baby blue eyes --- was named in honor of Doris, though Dory (for short) was actually named by the breeder from whom I purchased the 186-pound beauty.
And I thought back to the first (and only time) I had chatted with Doris Day. It was the January 28, 1986 --- the day the Challenger had exploded, killing her seven crew members (including Sharon Christa McAuliffe, America's first teacher in space), 73 seconds after launch.
I called Doris at her Carmel, California, home, and was in tears.
"Can you believe what happened," she asked her voice muffled and mournful. "I am so shocked. Those poor men and women. Their families ... the children ..." The tears flowed freely for several minutes. She cried. I cried. We both cried. This, I thought between tears, is going to be some challenge.
After a few minutes, she sniffled one last time. And so we began to chat about her life and loves and long career --- Doris was starting a new talk show, and Rock Hudson --- then so deadly sick with the AIDS virus --- was the first guest), her films, her music and of course, her animals. She told me how she cooked her own dog food, steaming rice and boiling chopped beef, then skimming off the fat, before blending in freshly cooked vegetables and a hint of spice. At the end of the conversation, I was salivating and ready to drop to all fours and beg for a taste.
As luck would have it, I am not the only one thinking about Doris Day these days. Paramount Home Video has just released Teacher's Pet, the 1958 comedy in which Clark Gable stars as a hard-nosed newspaperman who's smitten with journalism teacher DD. Not a great film --- gee, did Gable really so badly? --- though the title song is super, as is Mamie van Doren, as Gable's galpal who sings "The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll." A better flick is Day's last one: With Six You Get Eggroll, also from Paramount Home Video,the 1968 blended family comedy, with Day solidly supported by Pat Carroll, as well as Alice Ghostley, George Carlin, Barbara Hershey, Jamie Farr and the once-hot rock group, The Grass Roots.
Warner Home Video has just released the box set, Doris Day Collection, a slipcased collectible featuring six new-to-DVD titles: Young Man With a Horn (1950), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1962), The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and newly restored versions of Love Me Or Leave Me (1955) and Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)--- both of which feature new Dolby Digital soundtracks making Doris seem as fresh as, well, a new Day; along with Calamity Jane (1953) and The Pajama Game (1957), both of which have been repackaged for this collection. All the discs are packed with bonus features, including vintage shorts (including two starring Ruth Etting, whom Day portrays in Love Me or Leave Me), featurettes, cartoons and trailers.
But the best is saved for last. On June 28, MPI Media Group unveils the long-awaited The Doris Day Show: Season 1, the heart-warming comedy series that ran on CBS from 1968-1973. This was Day's TV series debut, and she proved that her big-screen likeability transferred, quite well thank you, to the small screen ... even if some of closer-ups seem a bit too gauzy for our tastes. Day played Doris Martin, a widowed mother who leaves the city to raise her two young sons on the Mill Valley, California farm of her father Buck, played by Dukes of Hazzard icon Denver Pyle. The four-disc box set includes all 28 original episodes from the show's first season, as well as never-before-seen bonus material.The bonuses offer additional insight into Day's warm, off-screen persona: there are TV promos and messages to network affiliates, as well as her two appearances as the "mystery guest" on What's My Line --- the first spot, from 1954, marked Day's TV debut, and her attempts to disguise her voice through a series of hi-pitched squeaks is a sheer delight.

I love love love love love love this movie!
As far as the '60s blended family sub-genre goes, this one is the best. You have bratty, angry step-kids, a married couple who actually seems hot for each other, and a goofy car chase. Great silly and sweet family comedy. I'd like some plum sauce, please.

Excellent DVD of Day's Last Film
Paramount has done a great job on this DVD.The picture quality is excellent with a very sharp transfer and bright vivid colors.The sound has been remixed into a vibrant 5.1 mix, which a very nice touch.And all for a very nice price. After years of grainy, faded videos, this DVD is the ONLY way to see this funny, family comedy.

this is MY life!
as a mom of many, i can relate. i love this movie. love Doris Day. i love the old days when a movie didn't have all the swearing and nudity and violience like now a days. i love swearing, nudity and violence - but there is just something refreshing about not haveing it, and not being tence through a whole movie waiting to be assulted. know what i mean?
this movie is kind of like the Lucile Ball movie "your's mine and ours" with less kids. so, if you liked that one - you'll like this one. and this one does have some really great stuff. funny!!!

Inspiration for The Brady Bunch...
This film was Doris's last ever feature film, released in 1968 and is also said to have inspired the TV sitcom, The Brady Bunch. Not one of her best pictures but cute none the less.

In it, all hell breaks loose between the children of two families, when their widowed parents, Jake Iverson (Brian Keith) and Abby McClure (Doris Day), both start dating and plan to marry. Incidentally, this picture was also the debut for actress Barbara Hershey (from Beaches). ... Read more

Amazon.com

San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Bullitt Hits The Mark
1968's Bullitt is best known for its classic car chase scene that is still considered by many to the best of all time. The movie is worth watching for that scene alone as Steve McQueen's fastback Mustang chases down a Dodge Charger for a tense ten minutes through the streets of San Francisco. Even without that memorable scene, Bullitt is a classic 60's film. Mr. McQueen's performance as steely police detective Frank Bullitt is one of his best and the forerunner of the anti-heroes that would dominate films of the 70's. The plot revolves around a seemingly routine job for Bullitt and his men to protect a mob informant (Pat Renella) who is set to testify before a Senate subcommittee. When two hitmen break into the safe house and fatally wound the informant and injury another detective, Bullitt begins to have questions and takes up investigating the case on his own with the help of fellow detective Delgetti (Don Gordon). Fighting them at every turn is ruthless and ambitious senator Chalmers played with unctuous smarm by Robert Vaughan. Jacqueline Bissett co-stars in one of her first roles as Bullitt's girlfriend and Robert Duvall has a bit part as a cabbie. Director Peter Yates crafts a gritty look to the film and editor Frank Keller won the Academy Award for his superb work.

Steve McQueen scorches the streets of San Francisco
Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. Based on the gritty novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike, this was the first, and only, time McQueen portrayed a police officer (albeit a maverick one) in his movie career. In 1968 Steve was then riding high on the success of his previous crime film, "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "Bullitt" just propelled his star even higher into the heavens !

The plot is tight, economical and well crafted....taciturn, moody Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is charged with the protection of a key witness vital to an upcoming trial involving Mafia connections. Whilst hidden away in a supposed secure location, the witness and his police guard are brutally gunned down by unknown assailants. The heat is turned up on Bullitt by his tough Captain (Simon Oakland) and the manipulative, opportunistic politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to come up with the right answers fast ! Between the draining investigation, Bullitt struggles to maintain his relationship with his cultured, sensitive girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset)

Primarily coming from a TV series background, Englishman Peter Yates (directing his fourth movie) did a commendable job as director on "Bullitt"...producing a complex, intense crime thriller with a unique style that would ultimately influence many other films. Yates would later to go onto direct Robert Mitchum in the excellent "sleeper" crime film "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" !

And of course "Bullitt" is reknowned for it's now legendary car chase between Frank Bullitt's 390 GT Mustang and the two hitmen in their black, Dodge Charger 440 Magnum barrelling through the city streets and highways of San Francisco....just don't pay too much attention to how many times they pass that slow-moving, green VW Beetle !!

The DVD transfer is excellent in both sound and picture quality, and the Limited Edition Set with the extra goodies (Single sheet poster, shooting draft, lobby cards etc.) is a real bonus for keen film fans !!

One of my favourite cop thrillers....McQueen sizzles on screen !!

Put on a Sweater
This detective drama aimed to be the essence of cool, and succeeded, in fact it's a little too cool, can somebody turn up the thermostat? Barely anybody in the picture is allowed to show any genuine emotion, although one of the hoods looks a little upset before he's shotgunned. Director Peter Yates apparently planned to tell the whole story with action and came up with a near-classic. In fact his spectacular staging of McQueen's car pursuit of two Mob assassins is usually blamed for the countless imitation car chases that have blighted American movies ever since. It's certainly one of McQueen's signature roles, but why give him a hokey name like Bullitt?

McQUEEN COOL!
Ignore the paisley pajamas, Steve McQueen was an icon of cool and BULLITT is the proof. Peter Yates has a smart thinking man's cop drama, bolstered by (yes) the best chase scene on film. Great locations in San Francisco. Superior acting by McQueen, Robert Vaughn as a sinister U.S. Senator and Don Gordon, as McQueen's partner. Why didn't Don Gordon become a bigger star?

The good, the bad, and the pretty
"Bullitt" is highly regarded by many for either "the chase", or the drama.

The good and the bad: True, there is a high-speed car chase in part through the hilly streets of San Francisco. Is it "the best ever" chase? Depends on how you look at it. Plus - It was very high speed. Plus - It had a cool-looking Mustang fastback vs a big GTO. Negative - They pass the same VW 4 times, and another car 2 times (why? if not intentional, then very poor continuity) Negative - double-shifting or not, there are about 97 too many gear changes, and some of those are at top speed on the flat stretch near the end. Neg - the bad guys lose too many hubcaps. Still, it's fairly exciting. However, though not car vs car, I think the chase in "The French Connection" is as good if not better.

As for the drama, some of it seemed a bit drawn out. Lt. Frank Bullitt is supposed to protect the state's witness "Ross" against the Chicago "Organization". Ross and one cop are shot, and Ross is later killed in the hospital, where Bullitt is hanging out. Bullitt does not want the prosecutor who gave him the assignment (Robert Vaughan) to know Ross died, so he will have time to find the killers. Turns out Ross may not be who the cops think he is, and this leads to a good foot-chase across the airport runways and the airport itself.

Some of the police procedure as portrayed in the movie is rather shoddy - such as handling a lot of evidence, then asking for it to be fingerprinted, etc.

The pretty: Bullitt has a girlfriend played by Jaqueline Bisset, who gives him grief for his callous attitude. This sets up the final scene of the movie where Bullitt ambiguously questions his existence. Otherwise, her appearance in the movie is useless.

Good acting by McQueen and Vaughan. Look for Robert Duval, Georg Sanford Brown, Norman fell, Simon Oakland and a few other names.

The jazzy score by Lalo Schifrin sounds like a bad TV movie. Wide-screen movie has decent picture and sound quality. DVD extras include a short behind the scenes documentary, text-based cast/crew/location info, list of awards, and a trailer.

In short - Not the best cop movie, not the best McQueen movie, and not the best chase. Watchable but not a stand out. ... Read more

Amazon.com

San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Chases, as they were... Oh, and good style too.
Many people remember this for the ever-famous chase scene, which still is more impressive, and more realistic than most modern chases.However, there is more to the movie then that, although having no stunt doubles for the chase wasn't a bad start.

First of all though the story: McQueen's character is Lieutenant Bullitt, and he is given what seems like a routine protection job of a high-profile witness; however, the witness is shot, and McQueen decides that maybe this is not such a small issue after all.

The story I felt was pretty good, but really the style is where the most effort was put and achieved.For example, the camera shots are used to quite good effect.At the same time though, the "realness" achieved is also pertinent.My only problem, and I promise not to spoil, is that the ending is all too reminiscent of the end of Chinatown (no specifics on how).

Overall though, with nice style as I said, a decent plot, and McQueen, the movie is rather enjoyable.

Excellent and Enjoyable Original Film
Finnaly the most original film bought to a two-disc special edition! Yes I loved this film I saw when I was 4 years old and was fascinated with it! I hope you enjoy this film.

Bullitt is more taciturn than Calvin Coolidge
There's a story about a man who introduced himself to president Calvin Coolidge by telling Coolidge that he had made a bet with a friend that he could get the famously taciturn Coolidge to say more than three words."You lose," replied Coolidge.Steve McQueen has little more dialogue in this visually told police procedural drama.The fact that there isn't alot of stupid chatter makes the movie seem smarter and tighter than it is.I kept thinking I had missed something because the plot didn't make sense too me.I didn't miss anything; the plot doesn't make sense.Which doesn't matter a bit, because Steve McQueen is one of the coolest actors who ever worked in Hollywood and Jacqueline Bisset is a gorgeous girl, and this is a cool movie.

And what a car chase!This clearly is the best car chase ever filmed.Oh, and what muscle cars we had in the late 1960s!Pure, raw power, undamped by catalytic converters or the need for fuel efficiency.This movie, and specifically this car chase (which is the main reason to buy the movie), set the tone for cop movies and TV shows for decades to come.

As car chases go...
I like Bullitt. I even like the quiet times when he is at a restaurant and picking up his girl at her work. I think these touches add to the 'matter-of-fact' attitude prevelant
in the film. I even like the fact they left in the scene where the emt remarks about the ambulance door not being left open
and the 'keep it rolling' attitude of Steve McQueen, as he opens the door and they keep filming.
And while I think the car chase ranks near the top, why do we have to see the same places over and over, but from different vanatge points?I mean, even the skid marks are already there...and what's with the recurring green VW 'Bug'?
Heck, maybe no one really cares.

I especially like the casting of the hit men. Actors not remembered by many. (And Don Gordon, who played Bullitt's partner...) One thing for sure, when they are on the job,
they rule.

After nearly forty years, still powerfully effective
BULLITT is today an easy film to underrate, partly because so many films in the seventies embraced a similar narrative and visual style.This lends the film a sense of familiarity that it didn't have for most viewers in 1968.Instead of a direct, involved form of narrative, the film employs an indirect, detached one.Unlike most film where the action takes place at firsthand, much of the action in this one takes place at secondhand, such as when Bullitt and a hotel employee knock on the door of a room, to cut away to a long shot of his girlfriend sitting in her car, her attention soon called to a police siren and running police officers, letting her and us know that something is amiss.Or the action will often be squeezed to the side, with the screen dominated by something other than the actors, such as the chase near the end on the airport runways, where an airliner will dominate the frame, while one of the actors will be on the periphery.The whole technique is so cool and detached that one expects the Dave Brubeck Quartet to break out at any point.The film is also enhanced visually by a complete lack of dissolves through out.Instead, each shot cuts directly to another, giving the film an almost undefinable crispness.The whole film is, in fact, a technical delight, with everyone trying to remake as many rules as possible.

The film is most famous, of course, for what is quite probably the greatest car chase in movie history.The only other contender for the slot is not quite a car chase, but the car chasing the subway in THE FRENCH CONNECTION, a film that was profoundly influenced by BULLITT in a host of ways.There have been dozens of chase scenes since then that are more spectacular in their stunts and effects, so what makes this one remain so compelling?First, there is the balance to the whole thing.It builds beautifully, first with two hit men in their Dodge Charger trailing Bullitt in his Mustang, then their losing him, only to rediscover him in their rearview mirror.Although they are at this point at normal speeds, the effect if riveting, and when the driver of the charger takes a moment to put on his seatbelt, you know you are in for something special.1968 was before the 1973 oil embargo, so gas efficiency was of secondary concern.Instead, a string of cars were made with power their main concern, and although these were modified automobiles, they nonetheless seem almost alien with their massive engines.But what really makes this car scene extraordinary is the devotion to realism.Most subsequent car chases feature cars vaulting other vehicles, making impossible leaps over bridges, performing astonishing stunts on two wheels or doing an entire rotation, and in every instance landing back on all four wheels with minimal damage.In this scene, they literally wreck the cars.Yeah, they vault over a hill, but when they land, you can feel the shock to the chassis.Also, the speeds are simply incredible.A lot of scenes feature slower cars that they then enhance in the editing room to make them seem faster.There are reports that the two cars in this one often exceeded 110 mph.I don't doubt it for an instance.In defense of other car chases, one reason they have to resort to pyrotechnics and gimmicks and absurd stunts is that in a sense BULLITT took what it was possible to do with two cars chasing each other as far as it could go.Whenever I rewatch this chase scene, I can't help but thinking that I will never see its like again.

This isn't a film that is going to appeal to everyone.Many are going to feel uncomfortable with its detached style, with its refusal to bring all the salient parts of the action to the foreground.But I find its attempt to do something new and original enormously exhilirating.

This is rightfully regarded as one Steven McQueen's best films, if not his best.It is certainly one of the more laconic performances one will see in the genre.Although Clint Eastwood would later travel much of the same ground (literally, since the films were also set in San Franciso in the Dirty Harry movies, both Frank Bullitt and Harry Callahan were loosely based on the same real life detective), nothing like his grimaces or taglines can be found in McQueen's performance.

My one complaint with the film is what I consider to be a rather large hole in the plot.When Bullitt and his partner go to the airport to pull Ross off his flight, only the two of them go.It has always been police procedure to undertake such operations in force.It is simply inconceivable that only two detectives would attempt such an action.They would go in with substantial backup.For me it is one of the only misfires in an otherwise superb film. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A Heavenly Movie
I think I first saw this film when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Just about a month ago I saw the sequel on television and then I suddenly remembered this animated masterpiece. Welp, a few clicks and the order was on its way... (I couldn't find this title from EU at all)As soon as the package arrived I ripped it open and put the disk into the player. Time passed and as I was watching the end credits I was feeling very impressed and good.

So waddaya know, waddaya say? This movie is a true classic if you ask me. The Characters and their voices in particular are very good. Both Dom DeLuise and Burt Reynolds have done a great job and therefore it's very enjoyable to watch Charlie's story go further. I think the songs fit in pretty nicely too -ie. "Soon You'll Come Home" is good so are the others. What deserves a true thumb-up, however, is the animation - it's very good looking and surely 'feeds the eyes'. Oh.. that means.. something.. *grin*

Summary: This one is a must for persons who like animal-centered movies, and for the rest I would also highly recommend it. And naturally for all ages - I, myself, am an 18-year old (perfectly normal) guy who likes this movie at least as much as Terminator II. So if you haven't seen "All Dogs Go To Heaven" yet now it's time fix that little problem.

By the way, Don Bluth, thank you!

5 stars for the movie - not the disc
Okay, I don't need to repeat what has already been said. It's not a movie for little kids, but it's a wonderful piece of animated art that is a refreshing new way of telling a story - I mean you can tell from beginning to end that this is not a Disney movie (not that Disney isn't good, I just think they shouldn't dominate the world of animated art alone). I was 8 when I first saw it and now I still love with all my heart.
So I was really happy to finally get it on dvd.
However, the format is 4:3 - no Widescreen (!) and there is no Dolby Digital 5.1 track on that disc. Am I too spoiled by watching Disney DVDs or does MGM just don't care about the movies they put on dvd? It's the same with The Secret of Nimh.
They should be ashamed to decrease the viewing pleasure of their customers like that! 0 stars for MGM

A good but scarilous film
A world of warning I recomend unless you are an adolescent 10-12 or older you do not want to watch the this movie. This movie has gambling in it and thugs and some old violence seen in the ganster movies. It talks about Charley.

Charley was a naugty dog that carried only about himself. The movie begins with Charlie and his pal Itch a wenner dog breaking Charly out of prison. I was real young when I saw this the first time about 9 maybe it scared the crap out of me.

Anni Marry who unfortunately was not put in the sequel and the Christmas movie.

Killer and itch wer a hoot. Carface, his thugs and King Gator not to mention the nightmare sequence when Charlie goes down into hell. The party at the end when the river catches on fire kills me.

I hated this movie at first because it made dogs look bad but now I love it. I would rent int but because it so old Blockbuster does not have it avilable to rent anymore.

The King Gator was potrayed accurately as being savage. He scared me he was so big he was huge this alligator must have been about the size of a killer whale. About Mabe 30 feet and weighed probably about 30 tons probably. Another reason the alligator scared me was he came really close to eatting Charley.

Since it was rate G which I 100 percent disagee with I think I should have been either PG or PG -13 because of the scene befor this when Charlie and Any Marry ar in the markeet air Carface is on top of this big gun. He start shoot at charlie with I belivie it was a ray gun.

I just found out something really interest the King Gator is not a which doctor I thought he was awhich doctor becase he had a bone coming out of his nose. Withc doctors are belived to have supnatural abilities like to be able to steal souls and stuff like that.

The only thing that saves Charlies from die a painfull death inside the alligator stomach is his howl. The people who wrote the script for some reason which I have never figured out made the King Gator a music fantic.

He thinks Charlie howl is beautiful he takes him out of his mouth. In the chage with had been partly crushed by his huge teeth. Lets him loose and he refuse to eat Charlie instead the become friends.

This I fought was cease and one percent a cat and a dog possible like int Oddis and milo. But an alligator the most vicious of all the reptiles next to the crocodile impossible.

I also fought some parts where I human. Like when carfcae ties Charlie up to a big Chain drops him into the water ro kill him was inhuman. I also thought carface death at the end of the movie was in Human. Come on you do not have a dog get devouured by and alligator in a movie that hte book claims is appropriate for all ages rate G.

While wher eon it whats with these rating system people they need to be more pick those sickos only made Scare Movie R It was alot nastery than that.

If you like this see all dogs go to heaven 2. I recomend that you don't see All dog Christmas Charlie which never should have been made. For it messed up the whole Story line. Carface is not supposed to be alive he is supposed to be and he is supposed to be in Hell.

FINE MOVIE! But Barney is stll fat enough to kill them
I saw this movie,I saw most of it though.This movie was nice,but mean,also the additinoal dogs looked funny...very funny! Not funn,funny-looking-I saw ADGTH 2 was muuuuch better!!

Not for the younger children
I remember loving this as a kid because it had dogs in it, but I didn't really know what was going on. When I watched it later, I was horrified that this was made as a children's animated movie because of the violence and bad lessons taught in it. There is drinking, smoking, machine gun violence, murder, betrayal, stealing, and other lessons that should not be taught to little children. Mind you, I did not understand this until I was older, so it might be harmless and not as bad as I perceived it as an adult. The ending is actually touching, because Charlie, the main character, is an angel because he changes his selfish ways and saves Marie's life. Also, this DVD does not have a widescreen format, which is disappointing, because full screen cuts out some of the movie. The movie is dark, so I recommend it for children seven and up. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

One of McQueen's finest
Papillon is a great movie based on fact that contains many scenes that will stick with you for a long time. Henri Charierre is a safecracker framed for the murder of a pimp and sent to French Guiana, the prison system in South and Central America. Along the way, Papillon meets counterfeiter Louis Dega played to perfection by Dustin Hoffman. The two men struggle to survive amidst the horrible conditions in the prisons. However, the only thing that keeps Papillon alive is the thought of escape and freedom. This is a very bleak movie, at times you might not even recognize McQueen with all the makeup, but the ending does offer hope. The scenes of Papi's solitary confinement and the hallucinations he has while there are very effective and not easily forgotten. Also, the film decides to show prison life as it is. This is not a whitewashed version of it, but instead a fairly graphic depiction of the horrors of the French prison system. Nonetheless, this is still an excellent movie that will keep you interested throughout.

Papillon is up there with The Sand Pebbles as Steve McQueen's finest performances. His role as Henri "Papillon" Charierre is fully believable as he attempts over and over again to escape to freedom. Dustin Hoffman is just as good as Louis Dega, the prisoner who hires McQueen to protect him. The two become friends as they try to adjust to their new lives. The friendship between the two men is very good and some of the better parts of the movie involve their relationship. Don Gordon plays Julot, a veteran prisoner who tries to help them adjust. Robert Deman and Woodrow Parfrey are also very good as Maturette and Clusiot, two fellow prisoners who attempt escape with Papillon. I have to add about Jerry Goldsmith's very good score that perfectly fits the film. The DVD offers a widescreen presentation that looks great, a documentary made during filming that contains interviews with cast, crew, and even Henri Charierre, and also the theatrical trailer. This is a very dark movie, but it is still a great character study that never really slows down. McQueen fans will love this classic!

A Great Prison Escape Film
Franklin J. Schaffner felt that the obligation of motion pictures is to entertain, it's as basic as that, and that is exactly what Papillon does. It is also a movie that really triggers your emotions from start to finish. I feel this is one of Steve McQueen's best acting roles. It was probably the most physically demanding and emotionally challenging role of his career. Dustin Hoffman is simply magnificent as Louis Dega, a role that demonstrates how versatile the actor really can be. It eventually earned him a best supporting actor nomination. Unfortunately, McQueen was overlooked by the Academy that year. Another example of their stupidity!!

The film is emotionally draining, but I find myself watching this film time and time again because of its portrayal of one man's quest to gain his freedom no matter what it takes. Freedom always comes at a price. It is not something that is handed to us or exists freely. It must be earned and that is exactly what his character does by the time the credits role on this film. The viewer will not believe what the character of Papillon had to endure to gain his freedom. The trials he goes through are unforgettable and often left me wondering if I would persevere if I had to undergo the trials he faced.

For me, Steve McQueen is one of those actors who really has a great on screen presence. I will almost always watch a movie just because he appears in it, good or bad. Papillon is no exception. Although Papillon is a character driven film, the movie must be viewed for more than just the characters. It also has wonderful cinematography, direction and a memorable, and at times haunting, musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. It is right up there with the best of the prison escape films.

Henri Charrière, the real life Papillon and author of the novel, talked about society and his real life experiences in this way:

"Society does not want free men. They talk freedom, democracy, anything you want, but they do not want free men. Society wants conditioned men, men who march in step." It's up to the viewer to agree or disagree with that statement while viewing the film.

I highly recommend you watch this film today!

Compelling in every respect
Steve McQueen stars as "Papillion" a French safe-cracker whose butterfly tattoo earned him the title nickname. Framed up on a murder charge he is packed off to the infamous Devils Island prisoner colony. On the ship over he meets Dustin Hoffman, a notorious counterfitter with the means (money) to stay alive but not the muscle to back him up, that is where McQueen comes in. Papillion however has a single-minded outlook on life - freedom. He quickly devises escape plans by any means possible. The settings are exotic, the stories of friendship heart-rendering, the brutality of the prison shocking, the stories of escape, attempt, capture, escape, defiance and the soaring human spirit timeless. Simply a classic of cinema that will stand the test of time, could have been made yesterday and been a blockbuster smash.

One of the greats!!
I dont normally take the time to write these reviews... but this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The struggle these guys have to go through is monumental. This is a must see. I have watched this many times and it never gets old!

A great escape
A movie that made a big impression on me in my early teens, "Papillon" holds up surprisingly well on DVD. The picture and sound quality are more vivid than they ever were on VHS tape (although the vividness also has its drawbacks--a brief "storm at sea" scene during one of the escape sequences looks much more artificial than it did on the big screen 30 years ago), and the star turns of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman are as vivid as they first seemed. The movie's depiction of life and death in France's South American prison camps looks as harrowing and grim as it did when the movie was in theatres.

Yet even as a teenager I had a couple of qualms about the movie--namely, that it didn't follow the book closely enough (and would have been better characterized if it did), and how did Hoffman's character magically regenerate a limb that developed gangrene and apparently had to be amputated? Over the years, despite my nostalgic soft spot for this flick, I've also come to wonder whether a younger actor would have been more appropriate for the role than the 40-ish McQueen (Henri Charriere, on whose memoirs the movie was based, described himself as a young-looking 25 when he was shipped off to the French prison camps), and whether a more gritty approach wouldn't have been more appropriate. The movie is pretty violent for a PG rating (it would probably be PG-13 today), but even with slashings, shootings, stabbings and an execution by guillotine (in close-up, no less), it's somewhat prettified by those grand, leisurely camera moves that were favored by director Franklin J. Schaffner.

On the other hand, I've also got something of a soft spot for those grand, leisurely camera moves, which now seem like relics of an age in which filmmakers didn't assume their audiences suffered from attention-deficit disorder.

In passing, a TV documentary from a few years ago about the French penal colonies (it may have aired on the Discovery Channel or the History Channel) questioned whether Charriere's description of his years as a prisoner was factual. Apparently, none of the former prisoners or guards interviewed could remember a guy named Papillon who managed to escape from Devil's Island. So maybe any questions about the movie's accuracy are moot. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

CLINT Does it Again!
Clint Eastwood portrays a robber ( John Thunderbolt Doherty ) who takes on a side-kick played by Jeff Bridges (Lightfoot ). There is money to be found in an old church. Trouble is, the church has been moved. Also: Geoffrey Lewis ( Goody ) and Gary Busey (Curly) and Catherine Bach (Melody). There is action in this film. But, I wouldn't consider it an action film. It is more of road chase with subtle dramatic elements. Great film. ***Note, we had no problems playing this DVD on our JVC DVD player.

Clint Eastwood And Jeff Bridges Make One Heck Of A Pair!
Released in 1974, "Thunderbolt And Lightfoot" starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and a host of other actors, is one of those movies that will have you glued to your seat (or couch) for the entire movie. Eastwood plays a bank robber named "Thunderbolt" and Bridges plays "Lightfoot" a young drifter. The beginning of the movie has Eastwood (who is giving a sermon in a small church) running from an old ex-con buddy and literally bumps into Lightfoot, driving a stolen white '73 Pontiac Trans-Am. The two of them are followed by yet another ex-con named Red Leary (played by George Kennedy) and his sidekick named Eddy Goody (played by Geoffery Lewis)who wants to get even with Thunderbolt for hiding some stolen cash from a heist that Leary and he had done years ago. Both Leary and Thunderbolt settle their differences and together the four end up planning on robbing the Montana Armory again the second time around. Who would ever suspect Leary And Thunderbolt? The movie is full of car chases and laughs (ex. Jeff Bridges is a riot dressed in drag in one scene) and the ending is quite a surprise. An all around excellent movie which has finally made it's way onto dvd. Recommended!

Eastwood's most underrated film!
In 1974, director Michael Cimino, who had helped write the script for MAGNUM FORCE, made his debut as director for THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT. The result is a surprised combination of action, suspense, and comedy. Clint Eastwood plays John Doherty, a bank robber who is hiding from other members of his gang who think he ran away with the loot,(it is actually hidden behind a blackboard in a schoolhouse). After nearly being gunned down in his own church, Doherty takes off across a wheatfield, and literally runs into drifter Jeff Bridges,(Lightfoot) , who has just stolen a Pontiac. After getting Doherty out of trouble, the two begin a friendship that involves hookers, stealing cars, and running from Doherty's enemies.

George Kennedy plays Red Leary, a member of Doherty's gang who eventually catches up with him. Geoffery Lewis plays Goody, Leary's sidekick. After cornering Doherty,(nicknamed Thunderbolt) and Lightfoot, Doherty convinces them that the money is gone, although he is unaware the schoolhouse had been moved. They all then decide to rub off the same bank because no one would suspect them of doing it again. The plans leading up to it are funny. I always liked the part where Kennedy tells off the snotty kid while they are planning their route in the ice cream truck. Bridges dresses in drag to fool the security guard. When the whole operation is done, the police still catch up with them, and all hell breaks loose.

Still, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot escape and find the money stashed behind the moved schoolhouse on the side of the road. They then buy an expensive convertible and light victory cigars. What happens next is very sad, although I won't give that away. The movie is highlighted by beautiful Montana scenery and long quiet periods with no music, creating a relaxing and peacful setting that will please any action buff. Cimino was obviously off to a good start, and he would win an Oscar for DEER HUNTER 4 years later. This is the most underrated movie of Eastwood's career, and it shows him on the other side of the law and doing a very good job of it.

A rousing action film that is also supremely funny
Before he destroyed his career with the excess of Heaven's Gate, Michael Cimino, the screenwriter of Eastwood's second Dirty Hary flick Magunum Force, created this wonderful caper flick, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, under the discipline of producer and star Clint Eastwood. The cast is excellent, with Jeff Bridges first rate in his Oscar nominated role as Lightfoot, and Oscar winner George Kennedy and Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis (father of Juliette) both very memorable as Red and Goody.

The scene of Red and Goodie in the ice cream cart confronted with an obnoxious lad is a classic in cinema.

The climax of this film is superb. A definite MUST SEE for all Eastwood fans!

Auspicious debut for Cimino...
Buddy films are always fun, and this is no different. The exotic American locales of Idaho are every bit as unique as the Bolivian settings in "Butch Cassidy". As in "Butch Cassidy", the script (by Cimino) is character-driven, and you'll find yourself cheering on the bad guys. Jeff Bridges Oscar nomination (Supporting) surprised a lot of people, but it was most deserved. His role was really equal to Eastwood as far as importance (and screen time). Eastwood was, well, Eastwood. That's not a bad thing. I always thought he was underrated. The DVD transfer is excellent, with a wide 2.35:1 letterbox that shows off some of our country's best scenery. There's action, humor and great chemistry between our buddy-heroes. George Kennedy is about as nasty as they come, though he somewhat copied his nasty performance in "Charade" (10 years earlier). The most interesting thing about this film is that it is the debut of "wunderkind" Cimino. The strength of his work on this film allowed him to create his masterpiece, "The Deer Hunter". No doubt the man has vision and talent. Too bad he over-indulged himself in the dismal "Heaven's Gate" and ruined a studio with his excesses. ("Heaven's Gate" really wasn't that bad, except for the first hour). I think of "Thunderbolt & Lightfoot" as an up-dated version of "Butch Cassidy". Though the music wasn't as frivolous and the script not as taut, there are definite comparisons. Not bad. Check it out. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

LOVERBOY ON DVD!!!
This movie is an halirious comedy of the 80s. Its about a guy(Patrick Dempsey, who has a girlfriend and he gets a job as a pizza delivery guy, the only thing is that the deliveries he makes arent just a pizza its a little fun with the opposite sex. The movie is halirious, he ends up even making a delivery to his mom(ALMOST). Colombia/Tristar pictures needs to bring this back on DVD!!! We should beg Colombia/Tristar pictures to bring this back, private resort, and just one of the guys, all on DVD. They need to be put on DVD, for us 80's fans.

Stupid
What I don't get is how people liked this movie, despite its paper-thin jokes and some cameos by famous actresses (Kirstie Alley, Carrie Fisher).

The thing is, it's only very mildly amusing (and I do put emphasis on very mildly). You'll get bored and want something fresher and funnier. If you want to see a good Patrick Dempsey movie, try "With Honors." It's a lot better than the idiotic mess that "Loverboy" was made from. The only reason for the second star was that it ended and it had the latter mentioned actresses in it.

Rated PG-13 for language and sexual innueudos.

Great movie, terrible price
I love this movie, it's an 80's classic in my opinion. Patrick Dempsey is absolutely adorable as the teen who mistakenly falls into the line of being a male gigalo. Unfortunately, I cannot bring myself to pay this price for a DVD with absolutely no extras. What were they thinking?!?!? For now I'll just rent this movie and wait for the day that the price drops. Too bad....I was looking forward to buying it.

great 80's fun
love this movie. represents what was great about 80's comedies. great soundtrack, silly storyline, and loads of fun.
since when did everything get so serious? this movie doesn't pretend to solve any social problems, it simply makes you laugh.
THAT is what i liked about this flick and what i love about it and other movies of it's genre. don't see it if you take yourself to freakin seriously, but if you want a good time, it's well worth a look!

FINALLY REISSUED AND ON DVD AS WELL!!!!!!!
Im so happy, that Columbia/Tristar pictures finally!, reissued this film, and on DVD in WIDESCREEN! Its about TIME! This movie has never been reissued since it was released originally on home video back in 1989. Im so glad its coming out, and in WIDESCREEN! Itll be the first time ill see this film in its original theatrical aspect ratio! If u dont have this film, Go and get it, u wont be disappointed! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Having scored a critical triumph with Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese accepted Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as his first big-studio assignment, proving his versatility and further advancing his promising career. Hot off The Exorcist with her choice of projects at Warner Brothers, Ellen Burstyn sought a hot young talent (Scorsese was recommended by Francis Coppola) to direct Robert Getchell's fine, sensitive screenplay about Alice Wyatt, a newly-widowed 35-year-old lounge singer with a bratty 12-year-old son (Alfred Lutter) and a very uncertain future. Her pursuit of broken dreams lands her a waitressing job in an Arizona diner, where she befriends foul-mouthed Flo (Diane Ladd) and meets and falls in love with a divorced farmer (Kris Kristofferson).With absolute authenticity of emotion and incident, Alice--which earned Burstyn a well-deserved Oscar® and features supporting roles for future Taxi Driver costars Jodie Foster and Harvey Keitel--conveys a then-timely sense of strength and endurance from a single mother in desperate times. There have been several similar dramas made since 1974, but Alice (which inspired the popular TV sitcoms Alice and Flo) is still the best. Trivia buffs: Look closely for Ladd's daughter--a very young Laura Dern--and Scorsese as background extras in the diner scenes. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Mean Deserts
Although a stop-gap movie for Martin Scorsese, 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' proved to be the pinnacle of Ellen Burstyn's career. Her academy award winning performance in this film crosses back and forth between careful tenderness and passionate intensity with intelligent ease. In most of his best work Scorsese encourages the actors in his films to play around with the script and improvise extensively. In 'Alice' he allows Burstyn's instincts about her character to come to the fore in the scene in the kitchen with Kris Kristofferson where she talks of her early showbiz career with her brother. Practically all of the dialogue was improvised by Burstyn herself, so much so that Scorsese had to cut the scene down to 3 minutes from 15! In fact there seems to have been a lot of cutting going on in this film. Alice's husband comes across as a totally unsympathetic character until you realize that much of his more tender scenes with Alice were cut in order to make the film move faster.

And move faster it does, for with Scorsese's deep aversion to static shots and his use of a hand-held camera in the small claustrophobic environments in which Alice and her son are confined, all the characters in this film look deeply unsettled in personality as well as in geography.

Ironically, filming had to be stopped on this movie for a couple of days because Ellen Burstyn had to go to the Oscars as she was nominated for her role in 'The Exorcist' that year. She returned unawarded to the work that would eventually reward her.

They Don't Make Movies Like This Anymore!!
This movie is the ultimate single mom movie..she faces abuse, tragedy and a life alone raising her child and she doesn't know how she is going to do it. I thought the acting (especially by Jodie Foster) was awesome and true to life. This movie has everything, it's funny, sad and in depth in what life is all about. This movie is for everyone who is just trying to survive life.

One Of Scorsese's Very Best. Time Will Tell...
Do you notice how little one hears about "Raging Bull"
lately? Well, there's a reason--it's not so hot. There is a
lot of repetition, a lot of improvisation, a lot of falsity in
that movie. And in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"?
There's a lot of truth and humor.

This was Scorsese's first studio picture; it was a hit,
and Ellen Burstyn got the Oscar for Best Actress. (In
England, the movie won Best Picture, Best Actress, Best
Supporting Actress, Best Newcomer, and Best Screenplay,
but--inexplicably--not Best Director). The movie was so
popular in America that CBS made a series out of it, and
the series ran for nine full years--the second longest
hit series ever made from a feature film (next to MASH).

I notice that some of the people who have visited this
site have downed the movie, but I also notice that the
one who downed it most didn't even know how to spell
the director's name correctly. (It's Scorsese).

Anyway, time will tell. This heartfelt, true little movie will
work its way very close to the top of Scorsese's ouevre.
It's hilariously funny and also touching and, at times,
harrowing. A well directed, well acted, well written
movie. What a rarity. Watch it and enjoy it.

She now lives on Nick At Nite.
Martin Scorcese's 2nd major feature, *Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*, involves a thirty-something widow (Ellen Burstyn, brilliant per usual) and her 12-year-old kid as they find themselves suddenly thrust into the world without a safety net. From the cozy enclave of Monterey, CA, they wind up in Phoenix, AZ, where, after failing to make it as a lounge singer due primarily to her involvement with a maniac (Harvey Keitel), they're forced to push on to Tucson. There, she sensibly gives up her dream to be a singer and ends up as a waitress at a roughneck diner. At the diner, she meets a fading hippie / farmer / cowboy / musician (Kris Kristofferson -- who else?) who's currently divorced and seems to be a better bet than the [people who] surrounds her. Though he's breezy about his divorce ("She up and left, and I held the door open for her"), it's soon revealed why he's alone and hasn't seen his kids in some time: he's got a definite edge, a my-way-or-the-highway approach that extends to Burstyn's kid as well as herself. She must decide if he's worth the effort required to shape him up. Meanwhile, her son is giving her headaches by getting into trouble with his new girlfriend, a butch but cute Jodie Foster (her first film?). I don't know this kid's name, but what a performance: annoying as hell, but in a real-life way (as opposed to the *Home Alone* way). I've taken the trouble to describe all this exposition because it does seem odd, at first glance, that this is a Martin Scorcese film, with its Western setting, feminist subtext, so forth. Some have said that it's an anomaly in the Scorcese oeuvre . . . but the tendency for this movie's characters to go into theatrical screaming fits, often accompanied by near-murderous violence, and the overuse of the shaky, joggling, "cinema verite"-style camera-work, puts us in all-too familiar territory. *Alice* really shouldn't be this flashy. Scorcese's penchant for projecting to the peanut gallery harms the film. But the characterizatons, the abundant humor, and the sense of everything hanging by a fragile thread, somewhat alleviate the director's excesses. [Quick note for those too young to remember: not long after this slice-of-life dramedy's release in 1974, someone in Hollywood thought that this material would be a great idea for a TV sitcom. Hence *Alice*, starring Linda Lavin ("What a falling off was there!" to quote *Hamlet*) that was inexplicably popular throughout the entire decade. America thought "Kiss my grits!", a phrase often used by a brassy waitress on the show, was hilarious.]

Simply brilliant; beautifully acted, written, and realized
I saw this movie when I was very young (at least 16 years ago). To me it was just a comedy film that launched "Alice" (which was one of my favorite shows at the time). I now saw it after all these years and was amazed by all that I saw this time around.

This is one of the best-acted films I've ever seen. Nothing more needs to be said about Ellen Burstyn here other than she still remains in my mind as one of the luminary, top-drawer actresses in American cinema these past 30+ years. She is flawless here; even breathtaking! And the performance by Alfred Lutter as her son Tommy was one of the finest performances I've seen by a teen/pre-teen. And of course there's Diane Ladd as the infamous Flo, who revels (and excels) in a small meaty role that usually wins Best Supporting Actress Oscars (she unfortunately lost). And Jodie Foster (as butch as can be) is a riot. And Kris Kristofferson gets his part just right, as do Harvey Keitel and the late Vic Tayback as the overbearing but lovable Mel.

I don't know if the perfect acting in this film is a tribute to the actors or to Martin Scorsese (or both). But this film shows that Martin Scorsese is truly a monumental talent. High praise also goes to Robert Getchell for a screenplay that is as hilarious as it is moving. The purity and spirit of this film is obvious and very affecting.

I think this is one of the great films of the 1970s. Be sure to put it on your list if you're a student of cinema. I think it is a landmark film in the human comedy/drama genre. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For anyone who's wallowed in the inanities of 1970s disaster movies, The Big Bus is not only witty but downright endearing. Instead of an endangered airliner or a capsized cruise ship, this dippily deadpan parody features a block-long, atomic-powered, luxury super-Greyhound setting off on its first transcontinental run with a garish cross section of humankind programmed for redemption, retribution, or just sublime ridiculousness as they roll toward Doom--or Denver, whichever comes first. Writers Fred Freeman and Lawrence J. Cohen, who penned the daffy historical spoof Start the Revolution Without Me (1970), twist the sententious ironies of disaster-movie dialogue into pretzels (priceless scene: Richard B. Shull, as a "terminal traveler" with six months to live, and Bob Dishy, a discredited veterinarian who fitted a rabbit for an IUD, debating who knows more about bitterness). James Frawley's direction is drolly cliché-savvy, but his touch proved too delicate for 1976 audiences; it remained for Airplane! to grab the disaster-spoof brass ring four years later. Still, it's not too late to climb aboard. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A Spoof that Should Have Worked
Like the "Airplane!" films that succeeded it, "The Big Bus" is hilarious parody of the oh-so-popular disaster flicks of the 1970's. It is really like a disaster film as seen through the eyes of Tex Avery, the master animator who threw everything into his 'toons, including the kitchen sink at the expense of some poor soul.

"Bus" features a superb cast of movie and television performers who mimic every big name actor featured in bigger budgeted extravaganzas like "The Poseidon Adventure," "The Towering Inferno," and "Earthquake."

In the words of Spike Lee, one must "get on this bus" for a fun-filled ride.

Before Airplane, before Police Squad, before Naked Gun....
...there was the Big Bus!!! An all star cast and joke-a-minute hilarity that's also a time capsule of 70's starts and icons (who can forget Vic "Mel's Diner" Tayback in the bar fight scene!). The romance subplot somewhat falters but if you're a fan of the aforementioned films as well as Kentucky Fried Movie and Groove Tube, this is well worth the rather high price.

Really, Really BIG!
Hop on the BIG BUS! You're in for a rare treat. Joseph Balogna and Stockard Channing star in the best movie parody since "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein"! The big bus is a nuclear-powered monster of a thing, complete with bowling alley, swimming pool, and piano bar. It can change tires automatically, while still moving! It can wash itself! It can go 90mph around curves, with only minor internal chaos! The passenger list is a screwball dream-come-true! Ruth Gordon is the dirty old lady, quick on the draw with her perfectly rude remarks! Rene Auberjonois is the conflicted / doubting priest, who has a nasty streak as long as the bus! Lynn Redgrave is the celebrity on board, seducing any man she encounters. She's also got a secret score to settle! Sally Kellerman and Richard Mulligan are the battling couple, set to finalize their divorce, but unable to keep their hands off each other! Of course, let's not forget the washed-up veterinarian, the terminal guy with six months to live (which Lynn Redgrave helps him to overcome), and the narcoleptic co-driver who passes out at the wheel every few minutes! Did I mention Larry Hagman as the doctor who spends most of the movie in a parking lot, because his patient (Harold Gould) "can't be moved"? Or Ned Beatty and Howard Hesseman as technicians who must work together, but just don't get along? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, there's a bomb on board! Drop whatever you're doing and buy this right now...

The Single Greatest Film Ever Made
Someday I'll build a bus like that and never look back. I'll dine in my bicentennial dining room, I'd raise the flags of all nations, I'd take a dip in the swimming pool, I'd save Stockard Channing from drowning in soda. Why, you can do anything on this bus. I would, however, NOT eat a busload of passengers. Maybe one foot. If it was in a stew.

Airplane Thiefs!!!
Airplane stole so many gags from this movie it isn't even funny. (No pun intended.) I love them both. What no one has mentioned is that the movie is gorgeous to watch...beautifully designed and shot. Airplane, tho perhaps a more consistently funny movie, seems to have tried to copy the production but come off as looking cheaper. They did learn the lesson tho that you never stop the jokes coming. The Big Bus loses one star for letting up here and there to attempt moments of drama that don't quite work. Stockard Channing working in the kitchen as the bus tilts to and fro on the road gets seven stars. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

"FOR $10000.00 THEY BREAK YOUR ARMS...
For $20,000.00 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000." I was captivated by the tag line of this lost jewell of the '70's, which stands alongside Karl Reisz' other forgotten masterwork of the decade (WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN?). James Caan radiates a brilliant character study of a degenerate gambler hellbent on self destruction, not only at the tables and back rooms, but in life. He throws away his birth rite to riches, his family, a beauty (Lauren Hutton in her first significant screen role). It's a road well traveled by the lost and Caan has it mastered. Great screenplay by James Toback, written immediately prior to his own lost marvel of the 1970's, FINGERS (1979).

Why not quit while you¿re ahead?
I grew up amongst gamblers, spending much of my time hustling bowling and gin rummy throughout the Midwest, until, at 17, I shuffled off to the Ivy-covered walls of a prestigious Eastern College.

This gives me much simpatico with Axel Freed, the central character and portrait of self-destruction, the gambler, and James Toback, the film's author. Toback's own reflections suggest that Axel is in many ways auto-biographical.

As a film, The Gambler is shortsighted, an ambitious but nonetheless failed attempt by a first-time screenwriter in difficult waters. It is not without its brilliance-its relentless dedication toward conveying that any gambler's true goal is not success, but utter humiliation-destruction of one's self, and anything and anyone around him. It can be no other way.

In the 1990's where independent film has achieved an emergence and respect in its own, a film like this might have found the strength among the very talented people involved, (Toback, James Caan, Karel Reisz) to emerge into a true gem. Alas this 70's neglected studio cast-off didn't have that opportunity.

London Lee is great in support, Paul Sorvino and Burt Young are well cast as Freed's mob-ties. Young's performance as a mob leg-breaker includes quite a raw, and shocking collection scene.

Probably a pass for any but the gambling addict, for them, a head (as in tape-head) burner. For those who are intrigued by Toback's intelligent approach to the seedier side, try his next effort, Fingers (1978), a diamond in the rough.

A sure thing
A neglected and underrated masterpiece, presenting one of the most convincing and thorough psychological studies in all cinema. James Caan, in what may well be his best-ever performance, portrays a compulsive gambler with an unusually acute awareness of his own motivations. The 'back story', from which we learn how his family background helps feed his obsession, is subtly and convincingly portrayed. The whole is a tragedy, laced with grim humor.

The score uses Mahler's music to great effect, the direction is tight and closely focused throughout and the final scene can only be described as perfection.

the downward slide
An excellent look at the effects of serious gambling addiction. Good plot- How a man with every reason in the world to not be involved in the shady world of gambling (fulfilling profession, good family, the intelligence and clarity to know exactly what's happening to him) lets it dominate him. Makes you wonder how many people across from you at the table in Vegas or the Indian reservation are also on the slippery slope. One complaint: Nobody doubles down with 18, expecting to get a 3 to beat the dealer's supposed 20, not even a reckless maniac. Observation: Basketball talent has improved considerably since the 70s! However the Manhattan court scenes with afros were great!

This should cure you of that gambling problem
An excellent, well-acted, harrowing film that closely reflects the stark reality of a problem gambler. Most gambling films make allusions to the dark side, but this film is explicit: you hear the wheels in his mind click, watch questionable calls unfold, followed by the crushing debt and threats of torture and mayhem that accompany it. You'll see and hear some of that violence too. This is much closer to how it is, which makes it a hard film to truly enjoy, but after it's over, you'll be impressed by how bold these filmmakers were. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Franklin J. Schaffner (Patton) directs this true story of Henri Charriere (better known as "Papillon" or "the butterfly"), a prisoner so determined to escape the notorious Devil's Island, he attempted it multiple times until he reached old age. Steve McQueen plays Charriere, and Dustin Hoffman is very good as the hero's anxious, defenseless friend. Based on Charriere's own memoir and uncompromisingly adapted by screenwriters Dalton Trumbo (Johnny Got His Gun) and Lorenzo Semple Jr. (Three Days of the Condor), the film is tough going (it is set, after all, on Devil's Island) but not gratuitously violent. There are sequences that stay with one for a long time, such as Papillon's brief stay at a leper colony and the long periods of starvation and solitary confinement he endures after each attempted flight. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Butterflies aren't Free
When this movie was released, McQueen was back like a bullitt in superstardom from his last hit, The Getaway. He SHOULD HAVE won the Oscar for this role. Dustin Hoffman was a star, but for a couple of years he had not had a knock-out role and was beginning to look like the peak of his quirky popularity was over. Hoffman did get the Oscar for best supporting actor, although the size of his role is more in the best actor realm. Academy Awards aside, the two actors have great charisma and their respective characters' friendship is sincere and well-developed. Team-ups of two big stars for your money was popular at this time and the McQueen/Hoffman pairing is surprisingly effective. This is crucial to the success of the movie, but several other ingredients make it quite an extraordinary film.

The cinematography is gorgeous, capturing the tropical locations with big, sky-filled scenes. Many angles give a sense of Hitchcock, using various architecture to create mood. The score is excellent: subdued, haunting, and nostalgic. The credits at the end of the film with pictures of the abandoned Devil's Island prison add to Papillon's sense of triumph over adversity. And finally, there is the story itself.

Certainly this should have an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
I was thankful to be spared the 5 year solitary confinement of Papillon after enduring the 2 year sentence in detail. McQueen is truly the "Cooler King" from just the episode in solitary.How can you entertain and show a man in solitary confinement? McQueen and Schaffner succeed in this tough assignment brilliantly. Papillon is not for everyone. If you want an adventure movie that lets you think and reflect, then you will treasure it. This is probably the last great performance of Steve McQueen in his all too brief career. Some people compare Kevin Costner to him, but I would say if you want to see his successor, watch Mel Gibson. Gibson shares much of McQueen's physical mannerisms and facial expressions. I'm not saying he's as good, but there is a great similarity. Just imagine Steve McQueen doing "Payback" and you'll realize not much would change.

The DVD is in a sharp case, but it doesn't have enough extras for such an outstanding film. Certainly there are some deleted scenes hanging around somewhere? OK, Dustin, this film was pivotal to your reaching superstar status, so give back. Just add an audio commentary and I'll be satisfied.

Good movie to see diverse acting abilities of McQueen + Hoff
I just saw this movie a few days ago on DVD. I wasn't born yet when this was originally released. I like the Steve McQueen movies I've seen and usually Hoffman's movies as well. I thought this movie was a great example of both of these actors' abilities. It's not an uplifting movie for sure, but gives you some things to think about in life as well as to be grateful for your freedoms. The movie is a little long at 2.5 hours, so don't throw it in if you are looking for something short and light.

When life was cheap and safe deposit boxes were cylindrical

Back in the first half of the 1970s, many of the movie blockbusters were based on airport novels that were even more popular than the movie. Henri Charriere, Mario Puzo and Arthur Hailey come to mind. Sometimes the adaptation worked brilliantly -- particularly for the GODFATHER series -- but I don't feel that PAPILLON succeeds on the big screen.


The pace is unusual. Most of the excitement comes from McQueen recreating his role as Hiltz in THE GREAT ESCAPE, or almost. But two-thirds of the way in, the action is nearly all over, when McQueen finds a coastal paradise with topless women. Resolution of the entire story is strangely feeble, as it is left to a narrator to tell us that McQueen eventually made it to freedom on his coconut raft.

Two things perplexed me:

1. How did the prisoners' economy function? We see the prisoners handing over large bribes to the prison staff, but we never see how the prisoners acquire more money. New arrivals and the recently guillotined would seem to be the only feasible source of capital inflow.

2. While on the sea, we see Hoffman having part of his gangrenous leg amputated, as a result of an untreated fracture. But by the end of the film, Hoffman seems to have a full complement of feet and he is barely hobbling.

The wide-screen DVD is well remastered, despite the mono soundtrack. But overall, the story adaptation isn't sufficiently well done for most people to want to watch it more than once very five years, say.

one of the most amazing movies of all times...
wow this movie took my breath away. They really got Henri Charriere's life down hard in this (only a couple of changes but not bad ones) some of the scenes were very hard to take in some ways, you can really tell just by seeing some of what they did to him, that it wasn't easy. The relationship between Dega and Papi was very good. It really brought out the bonding they had and everything they went through together. The ending was very touching as well.

Steve McQueen was once again exeptional. Even though, he was protrayed as a cool tough guy as he usually is in all of his films, this movie showed more then that. In some scenes he really brought out the character. As a rough tough human being to a very emotional tortured person. it was just shocking how he managed to take your breath away with a twinkle in those stunning blue eyes. This movie is the movie that really made me fall head over heels with this guy. It's a shame that he didn't get and oscar nomination for this. He derseves it!

Dustin Hoffman did an extrememly good job on this character. (one of the best actors of all times)playing Papillon's scruffy, scrawny friend who went to prison for fake bank bonds. He made the character very believable especially at the end

I would have to say this is the most amazing movie i have seen in a long time. From beginning to the end it just took my breath away. Even though it is long, the time goes by really fast, and it is worth seeing

A Thrilling tale
Papillion is one of the best prisoner stories ever, and this film completly captures the book. Dustin Hoffman does a great job as dega and Steve Mcqueen is the exact papillion one imagines reading about in the book. The tale is extremely gripping all the way to the great ending. It's a story that always leaves me satisfied. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes Prison stories or Adventure stories. ... Read more

Description

3 Great Movies on 1 DVD.Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Three Great Very Rare 1970s TV Movies A Must Have!
First: They Call It Murder (1970) with Jim Hutton. A fantastic whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end. The music and characters are appealing and the plot moves at a perfect pace.
Second: Murder Once Removed (1971) with John Forsythe, Barbara Bain, Richard Kiley,Joseph Campanella and Reta Shaw. A very tense dramatic thriller with many plot twists. Make sure you are paying attention!
Third: A Tattered Web (1971) A tour de force for Lloyd Bridges in one his finest dramatic roles. The film is intense and very entertaining with fine suppport from Frank Converse, Murray Hamilton and Broderick Crawford.
Al in all a terrific package. The prints are quite watchable and I thoroughly reccommend this DVD to any fan of mystery films or ultra rare 70s TV Movies. ... Read more