Amazon.com essential video

This 1984 Carl Reiner comedy is one of the best film showcases of Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin's sundry talents. Tomlin plays a sickly spinster who is given the chance to transfer her soul to the body of another woman, and thus go on living. But the magic man who is supposed to make this happen goofs up and locks her spirit inside a bachelor lawyer (Martin)--or, more accurately, within the right half of the poor fellow's body.Suddenly, the swinging man-about-town is literally at odds with himself, unable to make a self-determining decision without a huge internal struggle. Martin's physical comedy, always remarkable, is absolutely inspired this time around, as he convincingly portrays a man split down the middle between opposing sensibilities. This is also one of the best films by Reiner, a filmmaker whose novel ideas are sometimes more striking than their execution.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Classic 80's Steve Martin
1984 found director Carl Reiner teaming up with old friend Steve Martin once again. "All Of Me" captures some of Martin's best physical comedy to date. Martin plays sympathetic lawyer Roger Cobb who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time... and gets crusty "just-dead" Edwina Cutwater's (Tomlin) soul dumped into him by accident... and the lunacy starts. Vicious Terry Hoskins (Victoria Tennant) is quietly evil to a tee. The majority of this film concentrates on Cobb dealing with his mixed feelings (his and Cutwater's), and trying to find the bumbling Prahka Lasa (played by Richard Libertini) so the lost soul of Cutwater can find it's final resting place. I remember this movie being hilarious when it came out and Steve Martin was one of the kings of comedy. While still an entertaining watch today (20 years later), it has lost a tad of it's luster. Three major flaws with this DVD, 1. The lack of absolutely no worthwhile extras on this DVD (comes with a trailer only), 2. Terrible MONO sound, 3. Full screen only... it's no wonder you'll find "All Of Me" in most stores on the bargain rack.

Must see
Simply one of the best movies ever made. As a romantic comedy it does very well, Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin operating in peak form. The soul-searching Martin brings a haunting power to the title song 'All of me', without performing it. I can't hear the song anymore without welling up.

They do it with mirrors
Be advised that this is a rather naughty movie for a PG rating; it probably would have earned a PG-13 had that rating been around at the time. That aside, this is a real gem. What you have is Steve Martin as a lawyer and jazz guitarist (he seems to learn a new skill for every movie), a dog named Bix, a creepy girlfriend, a blind saxophonist, a Tibetan swami, Lily Tomlin as a wacky rich invalid, an amazing and riotous courtroom scene, a New Orleans funeral band playing excerpts of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and "Oh Didn't He Ramble," a horse, a dented bowl, a bucket of water, and various and selected other props, all rollicking to an ending so happy it'll bring tears to your eyes. Crazy musicians! (BL, Tucker, GA)

One of my Favorite Comedies!!
This is one of my Favorite comedies of all time! It has the best cast ever for the lead characters, Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin. As for the plot I am going to copy from what I have on a poster in my room of the movie:
"When rich, eccentric Edwina Cutwater died, a crazy guru tried to transport her soul into the body of a beautiful young woman. But the guru goofed, and Edwina's soul is accidentally taken over the entire right side of her lawyer, Rodger Cobb [Steve Martin]. He still controls what's left. Now, Edwina and Roger are living together in the same body. He's losing his job; He's losing his girlfriend. And he just can't seem to get her out of his system. No matter how hard he tries."
Well, there you have the plot...and now for the good part: The acting! Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin are two of my favorite actors of all time...and when I heard they were in a Comedy together I was suprised and amazed! So when I popped in the video I knew it was gonna be good. I'm not going to go into descriptions in detail of the movie because you'll just have to see it to believe me...and I know you won't be dissapointed! This is truly one of the best comedy's ever and with great performances by great actors, "All of Me" certainly can't be missed!!

Great performance
Proof that the Academy Awards don't care for comedy is Steve Martin's failure to get a nomination for his performance in "All of Me", as challenging a role as any in drama. Martin is brilliant in his portrayal as a man with two souls in one body. The story, cast, and laughs are first-rate. The DVD transfer is average and the choice of full-screen is, as always, disappointing. An essential purchase for Steve Martin fans, however. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The classic teen novel of adolescent torment and forbidden love gets brought to the screen. When the father of four beautiful blond children is suddenly killed, their mother (Victoria Tennant, L.A. Story) takes them to the family home she fled 17 years earlier. Their fierce and frightening grandmother (Louise Fletcher, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest) locks them in an upstairs room, from which the only escape is into the cluttered and cobwebbed attic. The children's isolation gets more and more extreme as their mother abandons them, finally even slowly poisoning them to gain her father's inheritance. Sadly, the movie shies away from what made Flowers in the Attic such a hugely popular book--namely, the incestuous sex that began between the two older children, Cathy (Kristy Swanson, the movie version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Chris (Jeb Stuart Adams). Instead, the movie insinuates incestuous longing in all directions: Cathy's father brings her special presents before he dies, Chris scrubs Cathy's back in the tub, Chris has a noticeably stronger attachment to their mother than Cathy does--not to mention that the grandmother whips the half-naked mother in front of the grandfather. Fletcher brings a bit of bite to her role, and the movie occasionally rises to absurdly lurid zest. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (56)

3 stars for the movie alone
I think all the people complaining here about the movie being not as good as the book should ask themselves this question. if you had never read the book and watched the movie what would you think of it then? i have read the book many times and enjoyed it. the movie i thought was well done. good acting by victoria tennant, louise fletcher and kristy swanson. and a beautiful score by christopher young. an obvious stunt double at the end was laughable but thats it. the movie by itself was decent, quit trashing it people give it a rest.

Trash
This movie was so bad it was good. The acting was lousy, the music was horrible, and the script was less than desired.

TWISTED
This movie is a total trip! A shining example of human cruelty and utter coldness. What is best about 'Flowers' is the creepy tone that it carries throughout. Don't want to give anything away about the story but I will tell you that this one keeps you guessing. Movies made today are very predictable; take what you would least expect and expect it. I guarrantee that by the end of this movie you will have a sickened view of humanity and the selfishness that exists in people.

Great Movie
I really enjoyed this movie the acting was great and the plot was believable. Iwas truly disturbed by the fact the mother could do that to her kids. Anyway I Recommend this movie it is classic and you do not get good movies like this anymore.

I liked it!
Ya,
this DVD is worth the money. If you have read the book then, yes, you probably hated the movie, but with a book "YOU" are able to create what you want out of each character and mold them. With movies, it is all done for you, so ya I am sure you were disappointed if you read the book first. I enjoyed the movie, it is rather dark, but it is a good movie, for the 80's
I'd buy it again if I had to ;o) ... Read more

Reviews (62)

*Scratches head* Why did this do bad at the box office?
Actually I can probably answer my own question: because everyone went to see this movie expecting The Jerk and got Woddy Allen. This is not a bad thing, in fact this is (in my opinion) Steve Martin's finest achievement, a brilliantly written, witty, well-rounded romantic comedy that is definately a "cult-favorite". I hate most romantic comedies, detest them because they use stupid plots designed only to drive the characters together. This movie builds a world of comedy around Steve Martin's character, then gently and subtly introduces the romance in a very artistically delightful bit of filming, with a dreamy Enya soundtrack in the background (back when she was at her best). How can you not laugh when Steve Martin is on the freeway and, to his horror, hears it's the first day of spring and consequently "open season on the LA freeway", to which he immediately takes out his gun and starts firing blindly at the old granny in the car next to his, who fires back. Or all the great cameos like Rick Morrannis, Patrick Stewart, Chevy Chase, and even Terry Jones. If you're a fan of Steve Martin's more subtle wit instead of his goofy antics (read his book Pure Drivel for similar subtle humor), you will love this movie.

L.A. STORY is Steve Martin's masterpiece
It's always a delight to follow a movie comic who really knows what he's doing, because eventually you hit the jackpot. With Woody Allen, it was HANNAH AND HER SISTERS; with co-exec-producer/writer/star Steve Martin, it's L.A. STORY. Rarely does any movie, much less a comedy, keep me bolted upright in my seat in anticipation of what might happen next. But from its schizoid opening ballet to its sweetly happy ending, even when I wasn't laughing, I was enchanted.

Martin plays Harris K. Telemacher, a Los Angeles TV weatherman who's unsatisfied with his superficial lifestyle. He woos and beds some women whom most men would probably be thrilled to have (Marilu Henner, "Sex and the City's" Sarah Jessica Parker), but he is unsatisfied until he meets a British journalist (Martin's then-wife Victoria Tennant) whose very unpretentiousness is enough to knock him off his feet.

This is obviously Steve Martin's attempt to be another Woody Allen--there's the Annie Hall-like quirky romance, the use of jazz great Django Reinhardt on the soundtrack (he also uses Enya, which was my introduction to this beautiful vocalist), and he romanticizes L.A. the way Allen does The Big Apple. Funny thing is, it all works. Even if you're as anti-L.A. as Manhattanite Allen is, it's an L.A. crafted in Steve Martin's mind, anyway--and what an original landscape it is.

It even goes Allen one step better. One scene Allen filmed and then deleted from ANNIE HALL featured the rolling news marquee in Times Square telling him to return to Annie in L.A. I have no idea whether Martin ever heard about this or not, but in L.A. STORY, he gets romantic advice from a highway traffic sign. The concept sounds hopeless (as Allen obviously decided it was), but Telemacher is so disbelieving about the concept that its comedy comes across. After all, everything else offbeat happens in L.A.; why not this?

There are few comedies that meld so perfectly. One is tempted to credit its lush visuals and on-the-button pacing to director Mick Jackson, except that Jackson has done little before or since that is this striking (THE BODYGUARD was a big hit, but I can't say it stands out in my mind). It's obviously Martin's comic vision all the way, and it's pure delight.

Martin's physicality and wit are on grand display here. And though Victoria Tennant, like Jackson, has done little else in her career that's this good, Martin certainly makes us see just what he saw in her. When they finally come together, it feels deserved and not at all forced.

In an era where gastric wheezing and room-temperature mentalities substitute for wit, it's refreshing to see a comedy that actually creates its own special world. For me, L.A. STORY ranks right up there with Preston Sturges's screwball comedies--a one-of-a-kind take on the world's craziness and the love that helps us endure it.

L.A. STORY is rated PG-13 for sexual situations and strong language.

One of Martin's Worst...
Having recently been certified as a qualified Steve Martin Critic under the auspices of the ASPG (American Society for the Prevention of Gout), I feel that I must impart what knowledge I have about "L.A. Story" so that the world will be a better place.

"L.A. Story" bombed at the box office after word of mouth killed it. In looking at the overall effort, it's not difficult to see why. "L.A. Story" is, in effect, a vanity effort, something that was manufactured for film critics and industry insiders. After films like "The Jerk", "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", and "The Man with Two Brains", Martin probably felt that it was time to move on to films that would appeal to a more mature, demographically correct audience.

The only problem is, "L.A. Story" is an effort that over reaches. As celeberal humor, it's too predictable. The sight gags and dialogue exchanges really don't work as humor, because the story itself plods along in a rather formulaic and mechanical manner.

"L.A. Story" is a film that will appeal mainly to members of the International Steve Martin fan club or certain Hollywood mutual admiration societies. If you want to see a good Steve Martin Film, watch anything else but "L.A. Story".

Incidentally, as of this writing, used VHS copies of "L.A. Story' are selling for $1.10 on Amazon...

Pure Genius
I have to admit, I'm not too keen on Steve Martin's newest (especially family-fare) movies, but can put L.A.Story up there in my top 5 movies of all time. Martin is a comedic genius and I get very excited to see him on Saturday Night Live, or in a movie such as this where he is truly in his element. I have owned this DVD for a few years and have put many miles on it, but long for artisan to release an updated version. Perhaps it is not on the top of the list for the studio or Martin (especially since it stars his ex-wife), but true L.A.Story fans hear me out and respond if you remember this:

Throughout the film there are references to "Harry Zell" (a Hollywood player)- more than I can count on one hand, actually. If you are paying attention, you keep expecting to see a scene with Mr.Zell but alas, it ended up on the cutting floor. I can vividly remember the first time L.A.Story debuted on Showtime in 1993 or so and surprise! the debut was hosted by the talented and hilarious John Lithgow- one Mr.Harry Zell. He introduced the movie and with a tear in his eye, showed his scene at the end of the movie. I'd love the film to be completed with this scene inserted in the appropriate spot- or at least included as a deleted scene.

All in all the movie is just about perfect, and people should get the Cliff's Notes to "A Mid-Summer Nights Dream" if they can't understand it.

Literate Love
Let's get this right out in the open. This is a love story. It is nothing more, and it does not need to be. It's context is a combination of philosophical literature and Los Angeles references, which makes for a dynamic range of comedic styles; testicle humor to Shakespearean parody. The sound track adds some magic and lends a weight to a story that is nothing new to the movie business. Yet it is the combination of elements that makes this movie a favorite of mine. Cinematically, it is clean and surreal.

I have read reviews that have called this movie Martin's masterpiece, and in the genre of romantic comedy, I agree. It is my favorite romantic comedy, and know that as a general rule, I hate romantic comedies. And yes, I still say this is a five star movie, definitely on my top 100 list as a Steve Martin fan and critical reviewer.

If you are looking for the "wild and crazy guy", look to The Jerk or his old stand up albums. If you want an intelligent love story in a unique backdrop, get this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

thought provoking reading and viewing
I taught this particular novel and showed the movie in my AP senior lit and comp class several years ago. After I made the decision to teach the book, I read a review in The English Journal by another teacher who had taught it. She raved about it. My students said the same things hers did..."Why did you save the best until last?" I lent my video to a student who lent it to a friend. I never got it back. The book and the movie force us all to examine how we view women...how we view women in the church...how we view women in society. They force us to examine the separation of church and state. The book is not the product of a bored, sick mind, but rather the product of a contemporary feminist author whose work routinely asks us to reexamine ourselves. The video is a good representation of the book, bringing to life events portrayed. The book is better, but the video is certainly worth watching. And for the love of God, let's not let the USA become Gilead.

a decent film of a better book
the environment--these are the facets of a bleak existence and the movie holds true to that. There are flashes of joy, mostly in the well-played interaction of the main character and her best friend, but these are few and far-between. This isn't a complaint, but fair warning.
A worse flaw, for me, were the changes made to the main character, who moves from a more honest passive character in the novel to an active, at times brave/heroic character in the film. Perhaps they thought it would have been too dark, perhaps they thought the audience wouldn't react well to a passive main character. But it robs the story of much of its truth. As does the ending, which without giving any details, is much less ambiguous than in the story.
If you've read the book it's worth seeing but be prepared for some disappointment. If you haven't read it, it's even more worth seeing, especially today when aspects of our lives like the Taliban and the Patriot Act make the story reverberate more, but don't expect to have a bunch of friends over for a laugh-fest.

An absolute insult to such a thorough and compelling book
I have recently studied this book in my AS year at college and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have so much admiration for Margaret Atwood in writing such an imaginative, yet horrifying, book. The film version does the novel no justice at all, even my lecturer said it was 'absolute bobbins.' We gain no insight into the atrocities of the Republic of Gilead and the mental/physical effects it has on the women. I would admire anyone who successfully films a version of the novel!

An Insult to Margaret Atwood.
A cheesy, thoughtless rendition of one of my favorite books. The book contains some of the most beautiful narrative told in Atwood's unmistakable prose... the movie replaces ALL of her work with this with some talentless hollywood hack's shallow after-school-special dialog... and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'd recommend "Volcano" before I'd recommend this trash.

Very poor adaptation of an excellent novel...
I first read Margaret Atwood's book The Handmaid's Tale for a women's studies course at my local community college and I enjoyed it very much. It is a very important work, much in the same vein as Orwell's "1984," but more hopeful, and told from the perspective of a woman. However, the movie was a huge disappointment and loses much of Atwood's message.

A quick overview of the story: Offred is a Handmaid in a futuristic, dystopian society known as Gilead. The birthrate in Gilead is very low due to severe toxic pollution, and so the remaining fertile women are selected to be Handmaids whose sole purpose is to become pregnant by the upper class men (called Commanders). As soon as they provide their Commander with a child, they are packed off to another household to do it all again. If they are ever unable to bear more children, they will more than likely be labeled "Unwomen" and shipped away to a work colony to die. Handmaids are not allowed to read, and can only leave the house with permission. The book consists mostly of Offred's thoughts about her former life and her current position. There are hints of a resistance movement, but no one in this world can ever be sure that anyone else is trustworthy. Offred does not know what is real, or what is safe, and lives in constant fear. The regime has made it illegal for a man to be termed infertile, so if a Handmaid has no children, it is blamed on her without question. Offred's Commander is obviously incapable of fathering children, and she faces relocation to the colonies if she does not conceive. As her time runs out, the suspense builds to a crescendo of urgency and terror.

The film does not capture the full horror of the world Offred, the story's main character, lives in. In the movie she appears to have almost unrestricted freedom of movement, able to wander about the house and even leave it without permission (for example, she just trots off to the Red Center one day and spends the night - this never happened in the original story), whereas in the book she was monitored constantly. There is also absolutely no reference to the Handmaids not being allowed to read, so a viewer that has not read the book would likely wonder at the significance of the scene where the Commander presents Offred with a magazine as a gift. Offred also smiles quite often in the movie, and there are no allusions to her frequent thoughts of suicide, which are readily apparent in the novel.

My biggest disappointment with the movie, however, was the altered ending. Atwood's book leaves us wondering, and actually gives the reader the task of creating the end of the story themself through the way they choose to live their life. The movie, however, provides us with a very neat, tidy, pretty little ending that allows the viewer to forget all about the characters without a twinge of conscience - they're obviously ok, right? So what's that got to do with my life? The movie ending does nothing to make the viewer think or realize that if we aren't careful right here and now in our own lives, everything might not turn out so prettily. There is no lesson, or moral to the story, when Atwood very plainly intended for her work to pack a real punch.

I really don't think the novel is even a good candidate for adaptation into a movie, because the book is very slow, centering mostly around Offred's thoughts. She cannot do much, so most of the time she just sits in her room, and it is her contemplations during this time that make up the bulk of the writing. It would be very hard to accurately represent the novel in film without making the movie boring. The director of this film obviously realized this and so he spiced it up and tried to make it into an action movie. It just doesn't work.

To make matters worse, the acting in the film is very wooden. Natasha Richardson, who plays the main character, is particularly unconvincing. It is hard to feel for the characters because they just don't seem real. The whole atmosphere of the film is stiff and unnatural.

Nevertheless, before I close, I would like to point out the few things I actually did like about the movie (and hence why I'm giving it two stars rather than just one):

The scene depicting the monthly "ceremony" is particularly moving. It is rather hard to watch, but I believe it really captures the event as described in the novel. I particularly liked the fact that the camera focuses for a moment on Serena Joy at the end of the scene, showing her emotions as the Wife - something we don't get so much of in the novel.

The movie also does a good job of showing the relationship between Offred and the Commander. The viewer can easily see that the Commander sees Offred as a pet - something fun to play with and indulge, but nothing he really cares about. She is like a toy for him, and one that can easily be replaced, just as Offred has replaced the Handmaid before her.

Overall, though, I would not recommend this movie to anyone. It just doesn't convey the message that Atwood intended, and it's not even very entertaining in and of itself. Read the book instead. You'll get so much more out of it. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Unusual plot!
The movie has a very unusual plot, although this plot is maybe not always believable. But the main attraction here is James Woods playing a villain. Brian Dennehy, his partner, is also up to the task, but he is here the same as he was in many other movies - tough guy. James Woods performance really makes you to forget some weaknesses in the plot and not to pay much attention to bad acting by other actors. Overal, great treat for James Woods fans and good enough thriller.

James Woods gives heart to his portrayal of a killer
If you're not a James Woods fan, you wouldn't understand, but bear with me:

This movie is really a story about the redemption of the assassin Cleve, played by Woods. The characters in the movie are given little depth by the writers, but the stars give heart to this film. I was most intrigued by the performance of Woods. Most actors play assassins as raving psychotics, (and typically Woods is no exception) but Woods takes the character of Cleve a step further. Seen in the beginning of the film as a savior to the best selling author and cop named Dennis played by Denneghy, Cleve at first shows a cool exterior and one wonders if this will be yet another Woods' film where he simply gets to shoot a lot of people. But when the character of Cleve comes to life, Woods shows his depth as an actor. Cleve's cool exterior and successful career as an assassin masks a tangible vulnerability as Cleve tries to come to terms with his life, wanting himself to be seen by the public as "sympathetic" in Dennis' "best seller." (You see this at the very end of the film where Cleve has to make a decision: get final revenge on his boss Matlock or save Dennis's teenage daughter). The ending is worth every minute of the background 80's synth music.

Cleve doesn't feel guilt in the murders he's committed for the cupidity of the company; as Cleve says matter-of-factly, "It's the profession I was in, Dennis." This streak of sociopathic deeds combined with an obession for verbal politeness was an interesting mix that I found intriguing. (One tongue-in-check example is after Cleve saves Dennis' life, he places a card on Dennis' windshield with the simple message: "Say thank you!")There were many great scenes like that throughout the film, making you wonder if you should hate Cleve for what he's done, or pity him, even like him, for who he wants to become. Watching the complexities of Woods' character slowly unfold was well worth the money. This film is excellent, especially if you are a James Woods fan.

A TRUE SLEEPER
I FIRST CAME ACROSS THIS GEM WAY BACK IN THE 80'S ON THE ADVICE OF THE VIDEO STORE OWNER. AS I WATCHED IT I KNEW IT WOULD BE ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. JIM WOODS PORTRAYS A SMOOTH, VICOUS UTTERLY AMORAL KILLER WHO MANAGES TO SLIT THROATS AND BREAK NECKS WITH OUT WRINKLING HIS ARMANTE SUITS. BRIAN DENNEHY PLAYS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN AS THE HONEST HARDNOSED COP RAISING HIS DAUGHTER ALONE AFTER THE PASSING AWAY OF HIS BELOVED WIFE. JIM WOODS AS EX-HITMAN CLEVE CONTACTS DENNIS MEECHAM, PLAYED BY DENNEHY, OUT OF THE BLUE AFTER SAVING HIS LIFE IN A SHOOTOUT AND THEN DISAPEARING. CLEVE THEN USES DENNIS TO WREAK REVENGE ON HIS EX-EMPLOYER DAVID MATLOCK BY WRITING A FACTUAL ACCOUNT OF HOW MATLOCKS COMPANY "CAPPA INTERNATIONAL" WAS STARTED BY THE THEFT OF MONEYS FROM A POLICE DEPOSITORY. THE SUBSIQUENT ODDESY AS CLEVE TAKES SGT. MEECHAM THROUGH A MAZE OF INTRIGUE AND MURDERS SLOWLY CONVINCES A SKEPTICAL COP THERE JUST MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO THIS AFTER ALL. AS THE FLICK PROGRESSES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COP AND THE CROOK TURNS TO A KIND OF UNEASY FRIENDSHIP WHICH SGT. MEECHAM WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT CLEVE KNOWS ANYWAYS. A MEMORABLE SCENE IN THIS MOVIE IS WHEN CLEVE APPEARS, UNEXPECTANTLY IN SGT. MEECHAMS PUBLISHERS HOUSE AS SHE ARRIVES HOME FROM A BUSINESS DATE. IF YOU DON'T THINK JAMES WOODS CAN BE CONVINCINGLY SCARY CHECK THIS SCENE OUT. CLEVE IS IN SEARCH OF A COPY OF THE MANUSCRIPT THAT MEECHAM IS WRITNG AND VERY CONVINCINGLY MAKES A BELIEVER OF THE LADY THAT SHE HAD BETTER GIVE HIM THE COPY IF SHE HAS IT, FORTUNATELY SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE COPY AND CLEVE BELIEVES HER, HE THEN ASSURES HER IF SHE TELLS MEECHAM ABOUT THEIR LITTLE MEETING HE WILL COME BACK AND "HURT YOU LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN HURT BEFORE". THE MOVIE PROGRESSES TO A SHOWDOWN AND RESCUE OF MEECHAMS DAUGHTER BY CLEVE. I LIKED THIS MOVIE SO WELL BECAUSE IT WAS BELEIVABLE. CLEVE AND MEECHAM EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO GO BACK TO WHERE CLEVE GREW UP AND MEET HIS VERY NORMAL SALT OF THE EARTH PARENTS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A GOOD POPCORN AND POP MOVIE CHECK THIS ONE OUT IT DELIVERS A LOT OF BANG FOR THE BUCK AND RANKS RIGHT UP THERE WITH SOME OF THE BEST. ENJOY.

not just a thriller
If you like James Woods, this will definitely float your boat. Woods plays an ex-hitman, Cleave, for a large business situated in Los Angeles, which means you get to see him show his capacities to be smooth, calculating, and also emotionally explosive. While this movie is put in the action category, as it should be, its plot unfolds itself by slowly revealing the machinations of a corrupt and powerful business, that Woods' character is trying to take down for having gyped him at some point in his service. Throughout this development, the movie plays the characters of Woods -the cunning and dangerous hitman- and Dennehy -a just but temperamental cop- off one another. As you can guess, Dennis, the cop, continually suspects Cleave of having some dark secret or another cold trick up his sleeve. This movie's ability to display how Dennis communicates and cooperates with a criminal, who he despises, is what takes this movie beyond bare action and into a fascinating portrayal of personalities caught in the larger struggle of enforcing justice on mega-corporations.

One of the Best From Woods and Dennehy
James Woods and Brian Dennehy both shine in this thriller about a cop/author who teams with a psychotic killer in order to bring down an organized crime figure.

It is fascinating to watch the interaction betwwen the two leads. Dennehy knows that Woods is a cold-blooded killer yet he uses a combination of physical presence and intestinal fortitude to keep the the smaller Woods in line. Woods' character actually tries to befriend Dennehy but one is never sure that he won't snap and kill Dennehy at any moment.

This is an excellent film and a showcase for the talents of these two fine actors. I hope a DVD version will be released but until then it's VHS only. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 1980s weren't too kind to John Frankenheimer, but this film standsout as a top-notch spy thriller. A Nazi pact to steal a fortune from the Third Reich to aid Holocaust survivors results in a bizarre inheritance 40 years later, with architect Michael Caine having to come to terms with his father's past and the terrifying prospects of a Fourth Reich. The whole thing becomes a metaphor for a witches' covenant. It's exciting and well-paced and full of precious little moments (though Caine and Victoria Tennant fall short of being interesting characters). Supporting actors Mario Adorf, Michael Lonsdale, and Bernard Hepton really shine. The film wasbased on Robert Ludlum's bestseller and coscripted by George Axelrod (The Manchurian Candidate). Terrific audio commentary by the director provides valuable insight--for instance, allowing Lonsdale to carry a long exposition scene through his commanding presence. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The Director's Edition
Ok, rent the DVD and watch the movie straight through. Then watch it again with John Frankenheimer's audio commentary. It's the only way you can figure this thing out. He explains the plot, which is not Ludlum's complete story. And Ludlum was a very entertaining author, although I think he got paid by the word. In fact, since great chunks of the novel are missing (the ending is completely invented by the screen writers), you need the director giving you notes as you watch. I was surprised that there were 3 writerss credited with the screenplay. That's usually a bad sign to begin with.

The movie is a heck of a lot more interesting to watch with the director's notes, but it doesn't help the plot or pacing, which are deathly dull. Far too much chit-chat, and exposition, exposition, exposition.

Some of the scenes were played in a certain location simply because Frankenheimer found real locations that appealed to him and he just changed the script to accomodate his choice, even if it didn't make a darn bit of sense to the story-line. For example, the scene of the sexual carnival was added simply because Frankenheimer wanted to make a statement about the decadence of Berlin in the '20s and '30s, and for no other reason. The carnival, I learned, was Frankenheimer's total invention; it doesn't actually exist.

The scene of Caine riding a horse is there simply because Frankheimer found a restaurant in Germany with a riding area attached. The scene, however, was set in London, so London buses had to be brought in to convince you that it was London.

The scene where Michael caine says he doesn't drive wasn't in the original script. It was added to cover the fact that Michael Caine doesn't drive and never has. Does knowing this little tid-bit help you enjoy the story? Not for a second. This is sub-rate Frankenheimer.

Only Michael Caine Had Any Class (But Not Much)
It is hard to imagine how any film that stars Michael Caine and is directed by John Frankenheimer could go so wrong in so many ways. There is nothing wrong with any plot that suggests the fall of the Third Reich could lay the seeds for a future resurgent Fourth Reich, but the problem with THE HOLCROFT COVENANT is that things went fuzzy from the start. A Nazi general in Berlin in April of 1945 arranges for billions of US dollars to be used ostensibly to compensate for the atrocities of Hitler's wars of conquest and genocide. He realizes that decades must pass before his son (Caine) would grow to maturity to carry out his grand design. The film suggests, however, that the real purpose of all these billions is not philanthropic at all. There is more than a hint that this general merely used verbal chicanery in his death note to propagate a new Reich. Now if this money were truly intended to spark a new Reich, then the result would have been logical, and hence believable. It is not until the very last two minutes of the film that director Frankenheimer, with no warning, pulls a switch about the true purpose of the legacy.

Caine, of course, tries hard to pull things together, but he gives what is probably the worst performance of an otherwise glittering career. Compare his fumbling Holcroft with the sureness of his recent THE QUIET AMERICAN. It is strange to see and hear Caine look like a bumbling fool who can neither drive a car nor shoot a gun. By the end, however, he somehow matures enough to figure out a convoluted plot and clearly wants his character to be seen as suave, confident, and in control. When he tells the audience how he manages to figure this all out, his explanation makes no more sense than the rest of the plot. On a technical note, the sound track was hard to hear, and the scenes of nudity were thrown in to make sure your attention does not wander, which it did. Rent this only if you are a die-hard Caine fan.

My copy of the DVD was defective,
The DVD lacked some chunks of the movie. There was no viewer menu, no ability to navigate the scenes.

As for the show, it was pretty good. For some reason, however, the bad guys had to prove they were evil by engaging in incest. I guess Hollywood couldn't expect an audience to understand killing for money as a bad thing. The plot is somewhat corny and ripe for satire, but the movie has good production values. Michael Caine plays his role perfectly, of course.

O
I rented John Frankenheimer's "The Holcroft Covenant" back in the late-1980s when I was a big fan of Michael Caine spy movies. This movie is a disappointment.

"The Holcroft Covenant" is one of the very worst films of both actor Michael Caine and director John Frankenheimer. I couldn't make much sense out of the story. The screenplay is absolutely ludicrous. At times, the movie can't seem decide whether it wants to be a bizarre satire or a spy thriller. The superior Caine is absolutely wasted in this picture.

John Frankenheimer simply forgot how to make great movies. As a Frankenheimer film, "The Holcroft Covenant" is even worse than "Dead Bang" and "99 and 44/100% Dead." I am disappointed that the director of the unforgettable "The Manchurian Candidate" made this piece of nonsense. I don't understand why efforts were made to transfer such an inferior Frankenheimer movie from videotape to DVD when the director's vastly superior "The Iceman Cometh" hasn't yet been released to home video in ANY form.

"The Holcroft Covenant" is a failure. For a great Michael Caine spy movie, see "The Ipcress File."

Stank
This film was one confusing blob of a mess. One of the worst films I've ever seen. It made me never want to read a Ludlum novel, since that's what it was based on. When I heard an audiotape of Ludlum's memoirs, and he said how he LIKED this film, it REALLY made me never want to read one of his books. Even Michael Caine in his autobiography says that when he got on the set, he read the script more closely, only then to realize it didn't make any sense. But he was stuck, and had to film the darn thing. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

*Scratches head* Why did this do bad at the box office?
Actually I can probably answer my own question: because everyone went to see this movie expecting The Jerk and got Woddy Allen. This is not a bad thing, in fact this is (in my opinion) Steve Martin's finest achievement, a brilliantly written, witty, well-rounded romantic comedy that is definately a "cult-favorite". I hate most romantic comedies, detest them because they use stupid plots designed only to drive the characters together. This movie builds a world of comedy around Steve Martin's character, then gently and subtly introduces the romance in a very artistically delightful bit of filming, with a dreamy Enya soundtrack in the background (back when she was at her best). How can you not laugh when Steve Martin is on the freeway and, to his horror, hears it's the first day of spring and consequently "open season on the LA freeway", to which he immediately takes out his gun and starts firing blindly at the old granny in the car next to his, who fires back. Or all the great cameos like Rick Morrannis, Patrick Stewart, Chevy Chase, and even Terry Jones. If you're a fan of Steve Martin's more subtle wit instead of his goofy antics (read his book Pure Drivel for similar subtle humor), you will love this movie.

L.A. STORY is Steve Martin's masterpiece
It's always a delight to follow a movie comic who really knows what he's doing, because eventually you hit the jackpot. With Woody Allen, it was HANNAH AND HER SISTERS; with co-exec-producer/writer/star Steve Martin, it's L.A. STORY. Rarely does any movie, much less a comedy, keep me bolted upright in my seat in anticipation of what might happen next. But from its schizoid opening ballet to its sweetly happy ending, even when I wasn't laughing, I was enchanted.

Martin plays Harris K. Telemacher, a Los Angeles TV weatherman who's unsatisfied with his superficial lifestyle. He woos and beds some women whom most men would probably be thrilled to have (Marilu Henner, "Sex and the City's" Sarah Jessica Parker), but he is unsatisfied until he meets a British journalist (Martin's then-wife Victoria Tennant) whose very unpretentiousness is enough to knock him off his feet.

This is obviously Steve Martin's attempt to be another Woody Allen--there's the Annie Hall-like quirky romance, the use of jazz great Django Reinhardt on the soundtrack (he also uses Enya, which was my introduction to this beautiful vocalist), and he romanticizes L.A. the way Allen does The Big Apple. Funny thing is, it all works. Even if you're as anti-L.A. as Manhattanite Allen is, it's an L.A. crafted in Steve Martin's mind, anyway--and what an original landscape it is.

It even goes Allen one step better. One scene Allen filmed and then deleted from ANNIE HALL featured the rolling news marquee in Times Square telling him to return to Annie in L.A. I have no idea whether Martin ever heard about this or not, but in L.A. STORY, he gets romantic advice from a highway traffic sign. The concept sounds hopeless (as Allen obviously decided it was), but Telemacher is so disbelieving about the concept that its comedy comes across. After all, everything else offbeat happens in L.A.; why not this?

There are few comedies that meld so perfectly. One is tempted to credit its lush visuals and on-the-button pacing to director Mick Jackson, except that Jackson has done little before or since that is this striking (THE BODYGUARD was a big hit, but I can't say it stands out in my mind). It's obviously Martin's comic vision all the way, and it's pure delight.

Martin's physicality and wit are on grand display here. And though Victoria Tennant, like Jackson, has done little else in her career that's this good, Martin certainly makes us see just what he saw in her. When they finally come together, it feels deserved and not at all forced.

In an era where gastric wheezing and room-temperature mentalities substitute for wit, it's refreshing to see a comedy that actually creates its own special world. For me, L.A. STORY ranks right up there with Preston Sturges's screwball comedies--a one-of-a-kind take on the world's craziness and the love that helps us endure it.

L.A. STORY is rated PG-13 for sexual situations and strong language.

One of Martin's Worst...
Having recently been certified as a qualified Steve Martin Critic under the auspices of the ASPG (American Society for the Prevention of Gout), I feel that I must impart what knowledge I have about "L.A. Story" so that the world will be a better place.

"L.A. Story" bombed at the box office after word of mouth killed it. In looking at the overall effort, it's not difficult to see why. "L.A. Story" is, in effect, a vanity effort, something that was manufactured for film critics and industry insiders. After films like "The Jerk", "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", and "The Man with Two Brains", Martin probably felt that it was time to move on to films that would appeal to a more mature, demographically correct audience.

The only problem is, "L.A. Story" is an effort that over reaches. As celeberal humor, it's too predictable. The sight gags and dialogue exchanges really don't work as humor, because the story itself plods along in a rather formulaic and mechanical manner.

"L.A. Story" is a film that will appeal mainly to members of the International Steve Martin fan club or certain Hollywood mutual admiration societies. If you want to see a good Steve Martin Film, watch anything else but "L.A. Story".

Incidentally, as of this writing, used VHS copies of "L.A. Story' are selling for $1.10 on Amazon...

Pure Genius
I have to admit, I'm not too keen on Steve Martin's newest (especially family-fare) movies, but can put L.A.Story up there in my top 5 movies of all time. Martin is a comedic genius and I get very excited to see him on Saturday Night Live, or in a movie such as this where he is truly in his element. I have owned this DVD for a few years and have put many miles on it, but long for artisan to release an updated version. Perhaps it is not on the top of the list for the studio or Martin (especially since it stars his ex-wife), but true L.A.Story fans hear me out and respond if you remember this:

Throughout the film there are references to "Harry Zell" (a Hollywood player)- more than I can count on one hand, actually. If you are paying attention, you keep expecting to see a scene with Mr.Zell but alas, it ended up on the cutting floor. I can vividly remember the first time L.A.Story debuted on Showtime in 1993 or so and surprise! the debut was hosted by the talented and hilarious John Lithgow- one Mr.Harry Zell. He introduced the movie and with a tear in his eye, showed his scene at the end of the movie. I'd love the film to be completed with this scene inserted in the appropriate spot- or at least included as a deleted scene.

All in all the movie is just about perfect, and people should get the Cliff's Notes to "A Mid-Summer Nights Dream" if they can't understand it.

Literate Love
Let's get this right out in the open. This is a love story. It is nothing more, and it does not need to be. It's context is a combination of philosophical literature and Los Angeles references, which makes for a dynamic range of comedic styles; testicle humor to Shakespearean parody. The sound track adds some magic and lends a weight to a story that is nothing new to the movie business. Yet it is the combination of elements that makes this movie a favorite of mine. Cinematically, it is clean and surreal.

I have read reviews that have called this movie Martin's masterpiece, and in the genre of romantic comedy, I agree. It is my favorite romantic comedy, and know that as a general rule, I hate romantic comedies. And yes, I still say this is a five star movie, definitely on my top 100 list as a Steve Martin fan and critical reviewer.

If you are looking for the "wild and crazy guy", look to The Jerk or his old stand up albums. If you want an intelligent love story in a unique backdrop, get this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent adaptation.
I still place Stuart Woods's "Chiefs" among the best police dramas ever written. Since I learned that a TV adaptation of the book was made, I've always wanted to see it - and, about a year ago, I finally found and bought the DVD release of the series (which seems to be unavailable outside R2). I actually did not expect much, but what I received surprised me - and it was a positive surprise. The series is an excellent adaptation of the novel and manages to do it justice, which is a rarity... as is the fact that very little of the book's plot is omitted. Certainly, some of the details - such as Will Henry's growing obsession with the mysterious murders, and the technical sides of his investigation - have to be treated superficially, but every important subplot and aspect of the book is present in the film; consequently, the series manages to be just as thrilling and involving as the novel. Amusingly enough, the credits on the box of the DVD misled me slightly - I assumed Charlton Heston, Keith Carradine and Billy Dee Williams would be playing the three chiefs, chronologically; of course, this is not the case. Of course, a Collector's Edition, with some extras and a commentary (perhaps even by Stuart Woods?) would be even better, since the DVD I have is bare-bones, with only a spartan menu and chapter selection, but that's unlikely to happen with a TV series. Then again, it's been done with, for instance, "IT!", so... you never know. If a Special Edition DVD is ever released, I'll certainly buy it in addition to the standard one I have.

One of the Best
This was one of the BEST movies I have ever seen. This movie touches on everything from Domestic Violence to Racism and everything in between. Danny Glover before he was super famous! Can't get much better than that!

A Great Mini-Series with a good plot and great actors
I first watched "Chiefs" when I was about 14- my aunt taped the whole mini-series for my family, and we all enjoyed it immensly.(A bit heavy subject for a 14-year-old, but a definate eye-opener, on racism, politics AND hitchhiking!) It is about three successive police chiefs in a small Southern town, how each deals with the myriad prejudices against Colored People, and a decades-long case involving the mysterious disappearances of young boys hitchhiking through (as well as the political aspects of)the town. It is a very sad conclusion, when they discover what happenened to the boys, but an excellent series overall.
However, my mother eventually bought the VHS version when it came out, and we were very dissapointed to find that many memorable scenes were cut out- in particular, my favorite, where Billy Lee(up & coming politician & all-around good guy)invites his fellow politicians to lunch (to discuss deplorable prison conditions) -at the prison! -I would only buy the DVD edition if the WHOLE, COMPLETE series were there,(lots of room on DVD's I'm told) -a commentary on the series and book, as well as interviews with actors would also be great, if available!
Hard to pick a favorite actor here, as everyone in the movie was top-notch, but Billy Dee Williams got the best part in the whole movie, when he proclaims to the rednecked hicks that arrest him for no better reason than being a Black Man(I speak as a white chick), "My name is Tyler Watts- but you can call me "Chief"! -Well worth watching even once, if just to draw your own conclusions- but I warn you, if you like it, you'll be hooked! If you don't....well, we'll probably be hearing from you! :)

Chiefs
I have been a reader for 44 years, since I was 12 years old. CHIEFS is one of the best books I have ever read. It was not until I was finished with it that I found out it had been a mini-series on TV in the 80s. The story is full of honorable men doing their best against many prejudices in the South. It took 43 years to solve the mystery of the missing youths and who their killer was. I said to my husband - boy you'd like this if it were a movie. The snaking plot(s) fit right in with what I like to watch on TV. A touch of the Old West, small town living, Southern attitudes, and heroes!

Entertaining mini-series
I greatly enjoyed this three-part series when it was televised back in 1983. Based on the novel by Stuart Woods (which I later read), it covers three generations of police officers in the town of Delano, Georgia, and the deadly secret that they all will face. For its first chief, Delano decides to hire "a good man," so Wayne Rogers (Trapper John on "MASH") is the choice. Next was the corrupt officer (Brad Davis), followed by the town's first black officer (Billy Dee Williams at the height of heartthrob-ness, having just been Lando in "Star Wars"). Charlton Heston and Keith Carradine have recurring roles. I would enjoy seeing this again on DVD, though I wonder if it would be a full release or the 3.5-hour edited version I've heard about on VHS. ... Read more