Reviews (95)

Not a good DVD, but a Good Arnold flick
The Running Man tells of a future world where convicted fellons are put on a game show "The Running Man" and are placed in arenas along with psychotic stalkers who are there to kill these guys in record time all for the entertainment of the American people.
The film is great but not perfect. I love the way the film portrays society, as basically a bunch of mindless and gullable media slaves. Which some would argue is true for our society today, where we believe everything served to us on television and radio, not considering that maybe the people behind these stories are money hungry, heartless liars. It was almost like a future version of the Roman Empire, where upper class Romans found the most violent and bloody sport with slaves getting butchered in an arena as pure entertainment. This film uses the likes of rich corporate adults as the shows mainstream audience loving fellons get butchered the same way.
The films special effects are ahead of its time, with believable gore and movie props like futuristic cars and buildings.
Richard Dawson is great as the gameshow's host, as a lovable teddy bear on screen, and a greedy, self-involved liar backstage. The remaining cast do thier jobs well, although they could have found more talented actors. Arnold is Arnold, without him, this movie wouldn't have the box-office appeal that it did, nor would it have the appeal on todays audience that it did. And even though his one liners after each death border on stupidity in this film (with a lot of the other dialogue), his Arnoldness simply makes up for it.
This movie was a great and unique idea and it was executed just fine, I own this dvd and like it a lot. Although, giving us simply a trailer as an extra simply sucks. I wouldve like to hear some commentary on it at least. Oh well...

Mediocre, but strangely likable and memorable 3.,5 stars
It's the future, and the world is in a violent, poverty-stricken mess. The biggest entertainment around is . . . a reality show. A very brutal reality show. Convicted criminals become contestants in a game-show where they either get killed as they run a gauntlet against a bunch of thugs, or they survive and get to move to Hawaii.

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man wrongly convicted of a crime and chosen as a contestant in the lovely game-show described above. Of course, Ahnold can't take that lying down, so he proceeds to not only survive, but try to break this ugly set-up. Richard Dawson plays the host of the show, which is broadcast everywhere, and hams up it to perfection, as the ultimate it's-all-about-ratings smarmy egotist-with-a-smile.

I didn't like the repetitiveness at times of the action scenes, nor the bad, cheap settings somewhat hidden by bad lighting. I did like the general sense of tension created, as well as Arnold's genuine good-guy versus Dawson's completely-fake bad-guy. Not a movie to rave about, but fun to watch if you don't have much else to do.

Perhaps more topical now
While in 1987 this may have been simply another action star for Governor-to-be Schwarzenegger, viewed today this film offers more layers of meaning.

"The Running Man" is a reality show in which criminals are forced to run from bounty hunter-types who are given WWF wrestling style introductions and use a myriad of weapons to kill their prey. The audience cheers and boos mercilessly as the real-life people meet tragic ends. Seen today in the era of "Survivor" and "Fear Factor," among other reality shows, this movie offers much in the way of questioning the direction of such television. Is this the direction reality TV is going? Also good for a look at mass media and people's belief in what is told to them.

The movie is what it is. Fist-pumping commando, guns and heavy artillery. Schwarzenegger is wrongly framed for a crime he didn't commit and made a criminal in this Orwellian society in which the mass media is everything. He's forced into The Running Man world. There's some throw-away jokey lines after disposing of the heavy villains, but the real treat is watching real-life game show host Richard Dawson playing the slimy, evil host of The Running Man - the real villain in this movie full of larger-than-life killers.

Read the book instead
I read the book by Stephen King and I loved it! This movie is NOTHING like the book. The basic plot (and I mean VERY basic) is the same, but the events that take place aren't even close. I'm sorry I wasted my time with this sad excuse for a movie. I was very disappointed and I recommend to everyone READ THE BOOK INSTEAD!

Another great piece of 80s Arnie action megacheese!
Although I don't consider 'The Running Man' to be one of Arnie's best bits of action fare, it does have more than its fair share of those silly cheeseball moments that I ofttimes crave. I especially enjoy the part where our hero and his fellow contestants/captors take out the first obstacle: Sub-Zero, a deadly blade-wielding hockey goalie who looks a lot like that Odd Job guy. His referring to the late SubZero as "Now, just PLAIN zero!" is a prime example of bad action one liners at their best (worst?)!

Then there's Richard Dawson as the main heavy: a futuristic game-show host with all of the fake glee and smarmy oiliness you can bear! He also gives the best rebuttal to our hero's famous "I'll be back!" here, so be on the lookout for it! And not to go off on a tangent, but does anybody out there imagine how 'The Running Man' would've looked like had present 'Family Feud' host Louie Anderson played Killian, or am I the only one? Um... anyone? A little help here...?

Oh yeah, let's not forget future Minny guv Jesse Ventura as one of the game announcer/enforcers. His raucous, obnoxious blather and uber-macho posturing really adds a pro-wrestling feel to the competition as it unfolds! You'll definitely be feeling Minnesota (or is it FLEEing Minnesota?) after watchin' "The Mind's" performance here!
All in all, 'The Running Man' is one enjoyable waste of an hour-and-a-half for all you testosterone-driven action megacheese buffs out there!

As for the Special Edition extra features: Along with the usual director/producer commentary tracks-- both of which I bailed out on after the first fifteen minutes because they were so inane and uninteresting-- and such are a couple documentaries dealing with the movie's subject matter. The first is a half-hour-long talk about Constitutional rights and freedoms following the 9/11 attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, and the other dealing with reality TV shows. I found both reasonably informative, although the former show had some of creepiest-looking interviewees I've ever seen in a documentary. Both of these were included to reflect the movie's central "duel-to-the-death-game-show" premise and dystopian backdrop, as well as its 'prediction-of-the-future'-style prescience. Personally, I think they're giving this over-the-top actioner a bit too much credit in being a mind-opening mirror of modern society. I mean, let's face facts: since when has the term "high-concept" and Arnold Schwarzenegger gone together in a movie? Is that the smell of overheating brain matter from you pondering my question that I'm smelling, or is it just me?

'Late ... Read more

Reviews (269)

One of the Governator's best...
It sits perched in the trees, invisible to the naked eye. It watches them trek through the rainforest. It stalks them slowly, lunging forward when given the chance but never revealing itself. It follows their patterns and mimics their voices. The leader turns, sporting a serious expression of fear. It is Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger). "If it bleeds, we can kill it," he says, glancing down at the green liquid.

Terror comes in many forms, but so does action, and "Predator" successfully combines both. We already know the fate of our hero, but that does not matter, simply because we enjoy the ride. This is a smart action/horror/thriller that doesn't fall back on cliches, but pushes forward, aware that it may be following such films as "Alien" (1979) but yet only improving upon the presented material. The Predator is a work of genius--originally fitted for Jean-Claude Van Damme and shaped like a giant bug, it was later reworked by creature effects artist Stan Winston (with the help of James Cameron) after Van Damme was fired due to complaining too much about how hot and stuffy his suit was. The villain helps make this movie, and if there were ever a terrifying creature it is the Predator, which is not only visually haunting but an emphasis of how advanced life forms could hunt us like we hunt animal prey.

Kevin Peter Hall hadn't gotten much work then; a few stage performances but nothing serious. He was picked up by John McTiernan because he was taller than Arnold Schwarzenegger and, when placed in the alien suit, he not only looked fierce but he also looked like he could be the one and only true opponent to Arnold, a man who looks like he eats babies for breakfasts. (And perhaps grown humans for lunch.)

Not only is he the perfect opponent, he helps make the movie. A lot of the film's positive elements come from the lush Cambodian jungles, the haunting direction by McTiernan, the ultimate macho combat role by Arnold, the paranoia and startlingly effective idea of the remote settings. Much of it also comes from the fact that the alien, when finally revealed, looks real. It looks real, all right, and also pretty darn horrifying. (Who can forget when it drops its face mask and reveals its true self?)

Major Dutch Schaefer and his elite team of US Commandos are sent deep into the swampy depths of a Columbian jungle, trying to locate a downed chopper carrying a Cabinet Member. "Do your Cabinet Members always fly on the wrong side of the border?" Dutch quips before he and his men are loaded into their means of transportation.

They arrive in the jungle and soon find that a camouflaged creature is ritualistically stalking and murdering them. But this isn't just random slasher style--it picks off its prey on a whimsy, and only attacks fair game (e.g. those with weapons). Soon Dutch and his team realize that getting out of the jungle isn't going to be as easy as they thought.

For me, "Predator" is one of the best action films of all time. It has everything. It isn't messy and over-paced; it takes its time getting where it's going, building up the tension for the audience, and then unleashes a bombardment of action set pieces and visual effects. Another great thing is that it is sort of Hitchcockian in a way; it doesn't show us the killer, at least not at first. It again takes its time, building up the tension, getting us primed. When it finally does show us the creature, we're shocked.

Arnold Schwarzenegger fits the role like a glove; criticize him all you want, Dutch was made for him. Can you imagine Sly or Willis playing Dutch? Not me, either. This is his time to shine. Shine he does.

The series is getting a jumpstarted revival next year with "Alien vs. Predator" (2004). There are doubts as to whether or not it will live up to long-growing expectations, especially with Paul W.S. "Resident Evil" Anderson at the helm, but I remain the optimist as far as I can. The idea of the two species joining together for a feature film was hinted at in "Predator 2" (1990), then hinted at even further with a line of comic books, fan fiction, and great videogames. I, personally, cannot wait.

Predator Preys On Your Sense of Adventure
"The Most Dangerous Game," to which Predator bears a remarkable resemblance is a literary classic and mandatory reading in most ninth grade English classes. So the question arises, why is that story held in such high esteem when this picture is cast aside as mindless tripe? I suppose having Arnold Schwarzenegger's name above the title and Joel Silver's in the producing credits doesn't help, but don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting this movie should have been showered with praise from critics, or awards from Academy members. But a pat on the back for one of the finest action directors working today (John McTiernan of Die Hard fame) might be nice, especially considering this film isn't nearly as dumb as people would have you to believe.

Schwarzenegger stars as the leader of an elite commando force sent into Central America to retrieve U.S. hostages being held in guerrilla hands. Little does he or anybody in his team know (with the exception of Carl Weather's character) that they're actually being manipulated into assassinating a group of Communist dissidents and thorns in the thorns in the side of the C.I.A. This is the only the first back-stabbing and leads to a quite harrowing and action packed combat sequence that wouldn't have looked out of place in Platoon or Saving Private Ryan.

While all this is going on, comsuming more than a half hour of briskly paced screen time, we still have yet to see the alien. McTiernan utilizes a clever tactic orginated (or at least to the best of my knowledge) by Steven Speilberg in Jaws by shooting from the predator's point of view. By doing this we only get glimpses of the monster, as he has the ability to turn himself invisable at will, which makes the final confrontation all the more terrifying. Also noteworthy is Kevin Peter Hall as the villainous creature who is a constant menace and manages to make a very impressive impression even though we never see his face.

For about the last hour of the movie he stalks Arnie and his rebel company, picking them off one by one as is customary in these kinds of films. To me the parrallels to "Dangerous Game" are quite obvious, simply substitute an alien in place of the hunter who preys on humans. The symbolism of the book and the movie is quite clear, or at least in my mind, and is that hunting for sport is inherently wrong. But even the predator has a code of conduct that human hunters have yet to adopt, he doesn't take advantage of another species inferiority or good nature. To me, being as I'm such an animal lover, I'd root for the alien a lot sooner than I would Ted Nugget or his band of ignorant rednecks.

Now I'm willing to concede that maybe I'm so intent on justifying my appreciateion for this film that I might be imposing onto it hidden meanings that aren't really there, but even if that is the case it does little to depreciate my enjoyment of one of the most exciting science fiction movies that I've ever seen. Sure the acting is merely adequate and the writing could use some sprucing up, especially in fleshing out the characters a little more, but the directing is superb and the finished product is about as good as anything you have the right to expect considering the genre.

And that's not to mention the special effects. Done by Stan Winston, who won recognition as being the best in his field after his work creating the digital dinosaurs in Speilberg's Jurassic Park, he does an equally impressive job here. The "creature features" never get too corny and at the same time aren't so good as to distract from the rest of the film. It's a fine line to walk and I can't think of anybody who does it any better.

This is the second four star review I've given a Schwarzenegger movie in as many months (the other being for True Lies) and I'm quietly coming back around to being a big fan of his early work for the first time since I was thirteen.

the best alien action film out there
when I first saw the first Predator film,I was happy to see the strong male role running for his life. Yet I do think why this editions for the Alien and Predator films are coming out so close to each other is for the summers next cross over. Alien vs Predator. But to the film, the first predator was by far the best. Sending in comandos into a rain forest and each one being killed off is truly a scary sight and yet the movie is full of action. Predator is by far one of my favorit films and I will go by this film when it comes out three days before the opeaning of AVP.

great Sci Fi film
This has got to be one of the coolest monster movies ever made! The cast is great and the creature is THE coolest (technologically advanced) alien ever! Don't listen to the 2 bad reviews. One of those guys can't even spell a simple word like "cigar", I doubt he has much taste in movies if he can't pass high school english. It's ironic that all of the low scores (besides the two drop-outs) are given not because of the movie, but because of the poor DVD treatment Fox has given it so far. I can only hope that the upcoming Alien Vs Predator will be as good as it looks. It's been a long time coming and they had better not screw it up. Anyway, get this movie. Just make sure you wait for the spec. edition coming out July 23rd! Go Yautja!

Arnold Schwarzenegger's best movie
Predator is the Arnold Schwarzeneggers greatest movie ever.A very good sample to sci-fiction in early 80's.South american terorists has captured a small group of americans and CIA is not going to send special forces to rescuing them only one man can do this job dutch and his team.Very famous actors played in this movie Arnold Schwarzenegger,Carl Weathers,Bill Duke,Jesse Ventura. if you love this movie than you must watch another great movies of schwarzenegger which is the commando,terminator ... Read more

Reviews (95)

Not a good DVD, but a Good Arnold flick
The Running Man tells of a future world where convicted fellons are put on a game show "The Running Man" and are placed in arenas along with psychotic stalkers who are there to kill these guys in record time all for the entertainment of the American people.
The film is great but not perfect. I love the way the film portrays society, as basically a bunch of mindless and gullable media slaves. Which some would argue is true for our society today, where we believe everything served to us on television and radio, not considering that maybe the people behind these stories are money hungry, heartless liars. It was almost like a future version of the Roman Empire, where upper class Romans found the most violent and bloody sport with slaves getting butchered in an arena as pure entertainment. This film uses the likes of rich corporate adults as the shows mainstream audience loving fellons get butchered the same way.
The films special effects are ahead of its time, with believable gore and movie props like futuristic cars and buildings.
Richard Dawson is great as the gameshow's host, as a lovable teddy bear on screen, and a greedy, self-involved liar backstage. The remaining cast do thier jobs well, although they could have found more talented actors. Arnold is Arnold, without him, this movie wouldn't have the box-office appeal that it did, nor would it have the appeal on todays audience that it did. And even though his one liners after each death border on stupidity in this film (with a lot of the other dialogue), his Arnoldness simply makes up for it.
This movie was a great and unique idea and it was executed just fine, I own this dvd and like it a lot. Although, giving us simply a trailer as an extra simply sucks. I wouldve like to hear some commentary on it at least. Oh well...

Mediocre, but strangely likable and memorable 3.,5 stars
It's the future, and the world is in a violent, poverty-stricken mess. The biggest entertainment around is . . . a reality show. A very brutal reality show. Convicted criminals become contestants in a game-show where they either get killed as they run a gauntlet against a bunch of thugs, or they survive and get to move to Hawaii.

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man wrongly convicted of a crime and chosen as a contestant in the lovely game-show described above. Of course, Ahnold can't take that lying down, so he proceeds to not only survive, but try to break this ugly set-up. Richard Dawson plays the host of the show, which is broadcast everywhere, and hams up it to perfection, as the ultimate it's-all-about-ratings smarmy egotist-with-a-smile.

I didn't like the repetitiveness at times of the action scenes, nor the bad, cheap settings somewhat hidden by bad lighting. I did like the general sense of tension created, as well as Arnold's genuine good-guy versus Dawson's completely-fake bad-guy. Not a movie to rave about, but fun to watch if you don't have much else to do.

Perhaps more topical now
While in 1987 this may have been simply another action star for Governor-to-be Schwarzenegger, viewed today this film offers more layers of meaning.

"The Running Man" is a reality show in which criminals are forced to run from bounty hunter-types who are given WWF wrestling style introductions and use a myriad of weapons to kill their prey. The audience cheers and boos mercilessly as the real-life people meet tragic ends. Seen today in the era of "Survivor" and "Fear Factor," among other reality shows, this movie offers much in the way of questioning the direction of such television. Is this the direction reality TV is going? Also good for a look at mass media and people's belief in what is told to them.

The movie is what it is. Fist-pumping commando, guns and heavy artillery. Schwarzenegger is wrongly framed for a crime he didn't commit and made a criminal in this Orwellian society in which the mass media is everything. He's forced into The Running Man world. There's some throw-away jokey lines after disposing of the heavy villains, but the real treat is watching real-life game show host Richard Dawson playing the slimy, evil host of The Running Man - the real villain in this movie full of larger-than-life killers.

Read the book instead
I read the book by Stephen King and I loved it! This movie is NOTHING like the book. The basic plot (and I mean VERY basic) is the same, but the events that take place aren't even close. I'm sorry I wasted my time with this sad excuse for a movie. I was very disappointed and I recommend to everyone READ THE BOOK INSTEAD!

Another great piece of 80s Arnie action megacheese!
Although I don't consider 'The Running Man' to be one of Arnie's best bits of action fare, it does have more than its fair share of those silly cheeseball moments that I ofttimes crave. I especially enjoy the part where our hero and his fellow contestants/captors take out the first obstacle: Sub-Zero, a deadly blade-wielding hockey goalie who looks a lot like that Odd Job guy. His referring to the late SubZero as "Now, just PLAIN zero!" is a prime example of bad action one liners at their best (worst?)!

Then there's Richard Dawson as the main heavy: a futuristic game-show host with all of the fake glee and smarmy oiliness you can bear! He also gives the best rebuttal to our hero's famous "I'll be back!" here, so be on the lookout for it! And not to go off on a tangent, but does anybody out there imagine how 'The Running Man' would've looked like had present 'Family Feud' host Louie Anderson played Killian, or am I the only one? Um... anyone? A little help here...?

Oh yeah, let's not forget future Minny guv Jesse Ventura as one of the game announcer/enforcers. His raucous, obnoxious blather and uber-macho posturing really adds a pro-wrestling feel to the competition as it unfolds! You'll definitely be feeling Minnesota (or is it FLEEing Minnesota?) after watchin' "The Mind's" performance here!
All in all, 'The Running Man' is one enjoyable waste of an hour-and-a-half for all you testosterone-driven action megacheese buffs out there!

As for the Special Edition extra features: Along with the usual director/producer commentary tracks-- both of which I bailed out on after the first fifteen minutes because they were so inane and uninteresting-- and such are a couple documentaries dealing with the movie's subject matter. The first is a half-hour-long talk about Constitutional rights and freedoms following the 9/11 attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, and the other dealing with reality TV shows. I found both reasonably informative, although the former show had some of creepiest-looking interviewees I've ever seen in a documentary. Both of these were included to reflect the movie's central "duel-to-the-death-game-show" premise and dystopian backdrop, as well as its 'prediction-of-the-future'-style prescience. Personally, I think they're giving this over-the-top actioner a bit too much credit in being a mind-opening mirror of modern society. I mean, let's face facts: since when has the term "high-concept" and Arnold Schwarzenegger gone together in a movie? Is that the smell of overheating brain matter from you pondering my question that I'm smelling, or is it just me?

'Late ... Read more

Description

From the director of ' 'Highlander' ' comes an action-packed thriller. He's a cop accused of murder - and the only man who knows he's innocent, is the killer who framed him. Now the cop must unite with an old friend - and gangster - if he is to defeat the killer, save his reputation and maybe even his life. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

One of my favorite films...
I can remember the first time I saw this movie. It was on HBO right after the George Foreman vs. Lou Savarese fight a few years back. Being a film with Denzel Washington and John Lithgow, I was surprised that I hadn't heard of it before then but was in for a big surprise.

Being a 1991 film (and an HBO Original Production), this was made before Denzel Washington really hit it big but it's one of his finest films in my opinion. While Washington portays a young cop turned bright futured district attorney, the best job in the film is done by John Lithgow, who plays one of the best psychotic yet genius characters in recent memory (Earl Talbot Blake). Lithgow, in fact, does such a good job playing this insane yet calculating killer hell bent on revenge that it's very strange to turn around and watch him on 3rd Rock From The Sun!

The supporting characters played by Ice-T and Kevin Pollak are well done and well written, but also very important in the storyline...something that isn't always true in mainstream films.

The plot is very interesting, and not something that has been 'done to death'. As the film winds down, it seems a little predictable but also the only suitable way for everything to end. Ok, so it's not a blockbuster 4 star masterpiece, but RICOCHET is still a very well written film that is action packed and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Highly recommended.

A solid MOVIE..
Late one night I went to buy a 6 pack and to my surprise I noticed a stack of DVDS at Sav-On Drugs were on sale for 5.99. To my surprise RICOCHET was on sale...I love denzel..lithgow plays a nefarious villan who mindfu*ks Denzel. Such a good early 90's movie...even the soundtrack is cool. I like the basketball game in the beginning of the movie..where you see Denzel slam dunk the basketball!! "HE GOT GAME" - thats for sure!
The character Denzel portrays in this movie is a mixture of his ...training day character and the character he played in Out of Time. He is a victim, but yet he knows how to mess with bad guys. Great movie...ICE-T did ok..this was during the time period Mr. Ice-T was doing films such as New Jack City and Trespass.....Solid performances....and a pretty decent story line. If you want to sit home one day and drink a beer and watch a suspenseful movie....this is it. I laughed throughout the movie at the characters outfits...because its just funny seeing people wear stuff from the early 90's....No more 80's laughter..pure 90's laughter. Perfect movie to illustrate the
90's.

I watched it because I thought it was about Chile
(spoilers, but don't worry; you'll never want to watch it anyway)

Every few years or so, I come across a movie that seriously contends for the title of "worst movie ever made." Godzilla was one of them, then 200 cigarettes, tomb raider... Anyhow, if it weren't for the respectable effort made by Denzel Washington, this movie just might take the cake..

Denzel plays a cop-turned-DA and Lithgow is a psycopathic hitman who has an obsession with breaking out of prison and getting his revenge on the man who put him away.

Nothing here seems to make any sense. For example, the sword fight at the beginning between Blake (John Lithgow) and his cellmate -- first of all, Blake already established his dominance as soon as he entered the jail cell and beat up his new roommate. This bizarre neo-medeival sequence, using books and newspaper as armor, has no point at all. It's just a excuse to showcase some really bad dialogue.

And as for really bad dialogue, Ricochet is unequalled. I cringed at least once every two minutes. Lithgow is so ridiculously serious in his role that anything he says sounds like it's a mockery of himself. It reminds me of the head gangster in the movie Ghost Dog, except in that movie it's *supposed* to be ridiculous. Who knows - maybe that was the idea here.

The end is totally gratuitous. The plan that Denzel comes up with is completely foolish for one thing - if his plan were to fail, which would almost certainly happen, he would end up completely ruining himself. But in the movie, it doesn't fail. Ok, fine. But then, when he has Blake surrounded and could easily have him captured, or at least video-taped to prove that he's still alive (oh yeah, Blake made a preposterous escape at the beginning of the movie and then faked his death), he draws the charade on longer and has Blake chase him down to the Watts Towers.. (The fact that the towers are used is the only cool thing about this movie besides Denzel..) It just seems like he's making things as difficult as possible for himself. He comes off like an idiot.

A good mainstream suspense movie should have a very intellegent protaganist and a slightly more intellegent antaganist; the only reason the protaganist should ever win is because of his absolute commitment to survival and justice, not because the antaganist is easily tricked into silly little scenarios, like being electricuted on Watts Towers (would those towers really conduct that much electricity??)

I misread the title of the movie on my Satellite TV guide and thought I was going to watch a movie about Pinochet..

ANOTHER GREAT ACTION MOVIE
A MURDERER [JOHN LITHGOW] GETS CAPTURED BY A COP [DENZEL WASHINGTON]. THE MINUTE HE STEPS FOOT IN JAIL, HE SPENDS EVERY MINUTE OF HIS LIFE PLOTTING REVENGE. THIS MOVIE PROVES THAT DENZEL WASHINGTON CAN DO PRETTY GOOD IN ACTION MOVIES. THEN AGAIN, DENZEL CAN DO GOOD IN JUST ABOUT ANY TYPE OF MOVIE. THIS MOVIE IS DEFINITELY A GOOD MOVIE TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION.

STARTS POWERFULLY, BUT FIZZLES LIKE "OUT OF TIME"
A sure way to ruin an otherwise intriguing thriller is to loosely tie in patches of action as though someone sat and conceived all these sequences and then threw in a story to somehow tie them in.

"Ricochet" had Dezel W, pretty much the sole reason I picked up this movie. And it started with a bang, literally, followed by some superb action right down to the middle of the film.

Yet, midway through the whole charade I just forgot to care about all the gory violence, not in the least due to its implausibility. Some scenes with Lithgow's terrifying cameo as the bad guy are even quite menacing and impactful. But at the end one only leaves with a taste of crassy action from cardboard characters in a staid plot.

An ignorable number. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

YOUNG JOHN WAYNE CLASSIC WESTERN MOVIES
LAWLESS FRONTIER - John Wayne Stars in this action adventure set in the early untamed west where men lived by the quickness of the draw. Wayne delivers a tremendous performance as our hero who fights and dishes out his own dose of law and order.

LUCKY TEXAN - John Wayne and his sidekick "Gabby" Hayes play act as gold miners who strike it rich. Unfortunately, before they can enjoy the fruits of their labor, they are wrongfully accused of robery and murder. As always, the road to the truth is never a straight path. ... Read more

Reviews (269)

One of the Governator's best...
It sits perched in the trees, invisible to the naked eye. It watches them trek through the rainforest. It stalks them slowly, lunging forward when given the chance but never revealing itself. It follows their patterns and mimics their voices. The leader turns, sporting a serious expression of fear. It is Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger). "If it bleeds, we can kill it," he says, glancing down at the green liquid.

Terror comes in many forms, but so does action, and "Predator" successfully combines both. We already know the fate of our hero, but that does not matter, simply because we enjoy the ride. This is a smart action/horror/thriller that doesn't fall back on cliches, but pushes forward, aware that it may be following such films as "Alien" (1979) but yet only improving upon the presented material. The Predator is a work of genius--originally fitted for Jean-Claude Van Damme and shaped like a giant bug, it was later reworked by creature effects artist Stan Winston (with the help of James Cameron) after Van Damme was fired due to complaining too much about how hot and stuffy his suit was. The villain helps make this movie, and if there were ever a terrifying creature it is the Predator, which is not only visually haunting but an emphasis of how advanced life forms could hunt us like we hunt animal prey.

Kevin Peter Hall hadn't gotten much work then; a few stage performances but nothing serious. He was picked up by John McTiernan because he was taller than Arnold Schwarzenegger and, when placed in the alien suit, he not only looked fierce but he also looked like he could be the one and only true opponent to Arnold, a man who looks like he eats babies for breakfasts. (And perhaps grown humans for lunch.)

Not only is he the perfect opponent, he helps make the movie. A lot of the film's positive elements come from the lush Cambodian jungles, the haunting direction by McTiernan, the ultimate macho combat role by Arnold, the paranoia and startlingly effective idea of the remote settings. Much of it also comes from the fact that the alien, when finally revealed, looks real. It looks real, all right, and also pretty darn horrifying. (Who can forget when it drops its face mask and reveals its true self?)

Major Dutch Schaefer and his elite team of US Commandos are sent deep into the swampy depths of a Columbian jungle, trying to locate a downed chopper carrying a Cabinet Member. "Do your Cabinet Members always fly on the wrong side of the border?" Dutch quips before he and his men are loaded into their means of transportation.

They arrive in the jungle and soon find that a camouflaged creature is ritualistically stalking and murdering them. But this isn't just random slasher style--it picks off its prey on a whimsy, and only attacks fair game (e.g. those with weapons). Soon Dutch and his team realize that getting out of the jungle isn't going to be as easy as they thought.

For me, "Predator" is one of the best action films of all time. It has everything. It isn't messy and over-paced; it takes its time getting where it's going, building up the tension for the audience, and then unleashes a bombardment of action set pieces and visual effects. Another great thing is that it is sort of Hitchcockian in a way; it doesn't show us the killer, at least not at first. It again takes its time, building up the tension, getting us primed. When it finally does show us the creature, we're shocked.

Arnold Schwarzenegger fits the role like a glove; criticize him all you want, Dutch was made for him. Can you imagine Sly or Willis playing Dutch? Not me, either. This is his time to shine. Shine he does.

The series is getting a jumpstarted revival next year with "Alien vs. Predator" (2004). There are doubts as to whether or not it will live up to long-growing expectations, especially with Paul W.S. "Resident Evil" Anderson at the helm, but I remain the optimist as far as I can. The idea of the two species joining together for a feature film was hinted at in "Predator 2" (1990), then hinted at even further with a line of comic books, fan fiction, and great videogames. I, personally, cannot wait.

Predator Preys On Your Sense of Adventure
"The Most Dangerous Game," to which Predator bears a remarkable resemblance is a literary classic and mandatory reading in most ninth grade English classes. So the question arises, why is that story held in such high esteem when this picture is cast aside as mindless tripe? I suppose having Arnold Schwarzenegger's name above the title and Joel Silver's in the producing credits doesn't help, but don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting this movie should have been showered with praise from critics, or awards from Academy members. But a pat on the back for one of the finest action directors working today (John McTiernan of Die Hard fame) might be nice, especially considering this film isn't nearly as dumb as people would have you to believe.

Schwarzenegger stars as the leader of an elite commando force sent into Central America to retrieve U.S. hostages being held in guerrilla hands. Little does he or anybody in his team know (with the exception of Carl Weather's character) that they're actually being manipulated into assassinating a group of Communist dissidents and thorns in the thorns in the side of the C.I.A. This is the only the first back-stabbing and leads to a quite harrowing and action packed combat sequence that wouldn't have looked out of place in Platoon or Saving Private Ryan.

While all this is going on, comsuming more than a half hour of briskly paced screen time, we still have yet to see the alien. McTiernan utilizes a clever tactic orginated (or at least to the best of my knowledge) by Steven Speilberg in Jaws by shooting from the predator's point of view. By doing this we only get glimpses of the monster, as he has the ability to turn himself invisable at will, which makes the final confrontation all the more terrifying. Also noteworthy is Kevin Peter Hall as the villainous creature who is a constant menace and manages to make a very impressive impression even though we never see his face.

For about the last hour of the movie he stalks Arnie and his rebel company, picking them off one by one as is customary in these kinds of films. To me the parrallels to "Dangerous Game" are quite obvious, simply substitute an alien in place of the hunter who preys on humans. The symbolism of the book and the movie is quite clear, or at least in my mind, and is that hunting for sport is inherently wrong. But even the predator has a code of conduct that human hunters have yet to adopt, he doesn't take advantage of another species inferiority or good nature. To me, being as I'm such an animal lover, I'd root for the alien a lot sooner than I would Ted Nugget or his band of ignorant rednecks.

Now I'm willing to concede that maybe I'm so intent on justifying my appreciateion for this film that I might be imposing onto it hidden meanings that aren't really there, but even if that is the case it does little to depreciate my enjoyment of one of the most exciting science fiction movies that I've ever seen. Sure the acting is merely adequate and the writing could use some sprucing up, especially in fleshing out the characters a little more, but the directing is superb and the finished product is about as good as anything you have the right to expect considering the genre.

And that's not to mention the special effects. Done by Stan Winston, who won recognition as being the best in his field after his work creating the digital dinosaurs in Speilberg's Jurassic Park, he does an equally impressive job here. The "creature features" never get too corny and at the same time aren't so good as to distract from the rest of the film. It's a fine line to walk and I can't think of anybody who does it any better.

This is the second four star review I've given a Schwarzenegger movie in as many months (the other being for True Lies) and I'm quietly coming back around to being a big fan of his early work for the first time since I was thirteen.

the best alien action film out there
when I first saw the first Predator film,I was happy to see the strong male role running for his life. Yet I do think why this editions for the Alien and Predator films are coming out so close to each other is for the summers next cross over. Alien vs Predator. But to the film, the first predator was by far the best. Sending in comandos into a rain forest and each one being killed off is truly a scary sight and yet the movie is full of action. Predator is by far one of my favorit films and I will go by this film when it comes out three days before the opeaning of AVP.

great Sci Fi film
This has got to be one of the coolest monster movies ever made! The cast is great and the creature is THE coolest (technologically advanced) alien ever! Don't listen to the 2 bad reviews. One of those guys can't even spell a simple word like "cigar", I doubt he has much taste in movies if he can't pass high school english. It's ironic that all of the low scores (besides the two drop-outs) are given not because of the movie, but because of the poor DVD treatment Fox has given it so far. I can only hope that the upcoming Alien Vs Predator will be as good as it looks. It's been a long time coming and they had better not screw it up. Anyway, get this movie. Just make sure you wait for the spec. edition coming out July 23rd! Go Yautja!

Arnold Schwarzenegger's best movie
Predator is the Arnold Schwarzeneggers greatest movie ever.A very good sample to sci-fiction in early 80's.South american terorists has captured a small group of americans and CIA is not going to send special forces to rescuing them only one man can do this job dutch and his team.Very famous actors played in this movie Arnold Schwarzenegger,Carl Weathers,Bill Duke,Jesse Ventura. if you love this movie than you must watch another great movies of schwarzenegger which is the commando,terminator ... Read more

Reviews (269)

One of the Governator's best...
It sits perched in the trees, invisible to the naked eye. It watches them trek through the rainforest. It stalks them slowly, lunging forward when given the chance but never revealing itself. It follows their patterns and mimics their voices. The leader turns, sporting a serious expression of fear. It is Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger). "If it bleeds, we can kill it," he says, glancing down at the green liquid.

Terror comes in many forms, but so does action, and "Predator" successfully combines both. We already know the fate of our hero, but that does not matter, simply because we enjoy the ride. This is a smart action/horror/thriller that doesn't fall back on cliches, but pushes forward, aware that it may be following such films as "Alien" (1979) but yet only improving upon the presented material. The Predator is a work of genius--originally fitted for Jean-Claude Van Damme and shaped like a giant bug, it was later reworked by creature effects artist Stan Winston (with the help of James Cameron) after Van Damme was fired due to complaining too much about how hot and stuffy his suit was. The villain helps make this movie, and if there were ever a terrifying creature it is the Predator, which is not only visually haunting but an emphasis of how advanced life forms could hunt us like we hunt animal prey.

Kevin Peter Hall hadn't gotten much work then; a few stage performances but nothing serious. He was picked up by John McTiernan because he was taller than Arnold Schwarzenegger and, when placed in the alien suit, he not only looked fierce but he also looked like he could be the one and only true opponent to Arnold, a man who looks like he eats babies for breakfasts. (And perhaps grown humans for lunch.)

Not only is he the perfect opponent, he helps make the movie. A lot of the film's positive elements come from the lush Cambodian jungles, the haunting direction by McTiernan, the ultimate macho combat role by Arnold, the paranoia and startlingly effective idea of the remote settings. Much of it also comes from the fact that the alien, when finally revealed, looks real. It looks real, all right, and also pretty darn horrifying. (Who can forget when it drops its face mask and reveals its true self?)

Major Dutch Schaefer and his elite team of US Commandos are sent deep into the swampy depths of a Columbian jungle, trying to locate a downed chopper carrying a Cabinet Member. "Do your Cabinet Members always fly on the wrong side of the border?" Dutch quips before he and his men are loaded into their means of transportation.

They arrive in the jungle and soon find that a camouflaged creature is ritualistically stalking and murdering them. But this isn't just random slasher style--it picks off its prey on a whimsy, and only attacks fair game (e.g. those with weapons). Soon Dutch and his team realize that getting out of the jungle isn't going to be as easy as they thought.

For me, "Predator" is one of the best action films of all time. It has everything. It isn't messy and over-paced; it takes its time getting where it's going, building up the tension for the audience, and then unleashes a bombardment of action set pieces and visual effects. Another great thing is that it is sort of Hitchcockian in a way; it doesn't show us the killer, at least not at first. It again takes its time, building up the tension, getting us primed. When it finally does show us the creature, we're shocked.

Arnold Schwarzenegger fits the role like a glove; criticize him all you want, Dutch was made for him. Can you imagine Sly or Willis playing Dutch? Not me, either. This is his time to shine. Shine he does.

The series is getting a jumpstarted revival next year with "Alien vs. Predator" (2004). There are doubts as to whether or not it will live up to long-growing expectations, especially with Paul W.S. "Resident Evil" Anderson at the helm, but I remain the optimist as far as I can. The idea of the two species joining together for a feature film was hinted at in "Predator 2" (1990), then hinted at even further with a line of comic books, fan fiction, and great videogames. I, personally, cannot wait.

Predator Preys On Your Sense of Adventure
"The Most Dangerous Game," to which Predator bears a remarkable resemblance is a literary classic and mandatory reading in most ninth grade English classes. So the question arises, why is that story held in such high esteem when this picture is cast aside as mindless tripe? I suppose having Arnold Schwarzenegger's name above the title and Joel Silver's in the producing credits doesn't help, but don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting this movie should have been showered with praise from critics, or awards from Academy members. But a pat on the back for one of the finest action directors working today (John McTiernan of Die Hard fame) might be nice, especially considering this film isn't nearly as dumb as people would have you to believe.

Schwarzenegger stars as the leader of an elite commando force sent into Central America to retrieve U.S. hostages being held in guerrilla hands. Little does he or anybody in his team know (with the exception of Carl Weather's character) that they're actually being manipulated into assassinating a group of Communist dissidents and thorns in the thorns in the side of the C.I.A. This is the only the first back-stabbing and leads to a quite harrowing and action packed combat sequence that wouldn't have looked out of place in Platoon or Saving Private Ryan.

While all this is going on, comsuming more than a half hour of briskly paced screen time, we still have yet to see the alien. McTiernan utilizes a clever tactic orginated (or at least to the best of my knowledge) by Steven Speilberg in Jaws by shooting from the predator's point of view. By doing this we only get glimpses of the monster, as he has the ability to turn himself invisable at will, which makes the final confrontation all the more terrifying. Also noteworthy is Kevin Peter Hall as the villainous creature who is a constant menace and manages to make a very impressive impression even though we never see his face.

For about the last hour of the movie he stalks Arnie and his rebel company, picking them off one by one as is customary in these kinds of films. To me the parrallels to "Dangerous Game" are quite obvious, simply substitute an alien in place of the hunter who preys on humans. The symbolism of the book and the movie is quite clear, or at least in my mind, and is that hunting for sport is inherently wrong. But even the predator has a code of conduct that human hunters have yet to adopt, he doesn't take advantage of another species inferiority or good nature. To me, being as I'm such an animal lover, I'd root for the alien a lot sooner than I would Ted Nugget or his band of ignorant rednecks.

Now I'm willing to concede that maybe I'm so intent on justifying my appreciateion for this film that I might be imposing onto it hidden meanings that aren't really there, but even if that is the case it does little to depreciate my enjoyment of one of the most exciting science fiction movies that I've ever seen. Sure the acting is merely adequate and the writing could use some sprucing up, especially in fleshing out the characters a little more, but the directing is superb and the finished product is about as good as anything you have the right to expect considering the genre.

And that's not to mention the special effects. Done by Stan Winston, who won recognition as being the best in his field after his work creating the digital dinosaurs in Speilberg's Jurassic Park, he does an equally impressive job here. The "creature features" never get too corny and at the same time aren't so good as to distract from the rest of the film. It's a fine line to walk and I can't think of anybody who does it any better.

This is the second four star review I've given a Schwarzenegger movie in as many months (the other being for True Lies) and I'm quietly coming back around to being a big fan of his early work for the first time since I was thirteen.

the best alien action film out there
when I first saw the first Predator film,I was happy to see the strong male role running for his life. Yet I do think why this editions for the Alien and Predator films are coming out so close to each other is for the summers next cross over. Alien vs Predator. But to the film, the first predator was by far the best. Sending in comandos into a rain forest and each one being killed off is truly a scary sight and yet the movie is full of action. Predator is by far one of my favorit films and I will go by this film when it comes out three days before the opeaning of AVP.

great Sci Fi film
This has got to be one of the coolest monster movies ever made! The cast is great and the creature is THE coolest (technologically advanced) alien ever! Don't listen to the 2 bad reviews. One of those guys can't even spell a simple word like "cigar", I doubt he has much taste in movies if he can't pass high school english. It's ironic that all of the low scores (besides the two drop-outs) are given not because of the movie, but because of the poor DVD treatment Fox has given it so far. I can only hope that the upcoming Alien Vs Predator will be as good as it looks. It's been a long time coming and they had better not screw it up. Anyway, get this movie. Just make sure you wait for the spec. edition coming out July 23rd! Go Yautja!

Arnold Schwarzenegger's best movie
Predator is the Arnold Schwarzeneggers greatest movie ever.A very good sample to sci-fiction in early 80's.South american terorists has captured a small group of americans and CIA is not going to send special forces to rescuing them only one man can do this job dutch and his team.Very famous actors played in this movie Arnold Schwarzenegger,Carl Weathers,Bill Duke,Jesse Ventura. if you love this movie than you must watch another great movies of schwarzenegger which is the commando,terminator ... Read more

Reviews (269)

an intersting fact about ths movie
Predator is a great movie and all, but did you know that before the casting people got Kevin Peter Hall to play the predator, JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME was going to play it? I bet you didn't. He actually did play the predator for the first few weeks of shooting, but instead got off the movie because it was weakining his stamina, which he decided hwas a good idea to save for his next movie, "KICKBOXER."

Great Action! Great Monster!
Predator is one of the best action films ever made, aswell as one of the best monster movies ever made. The creature effects handled by the best monster creator ever, Stan Winston, are extremely terrifying and fun! The late Kevin Peter Hall played the Predator, who is even cooler than the aliens in the Alien film franchise.

The other actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and others play their roles with great energy and each character has his or her own set of characteristics. Arnold plays Dutch, a great Major, who leads his team threw the jungles only to be taken one-by-one by the creature, in classic monster movie fashion.

Hunting season is on...
When a helicopter goes down in Latin America, Major Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his elite rescue team are the first to be called to track down and recover the survivors. The jungle is filled with enemy guerilla forces, and something even more deadly. It hunts for sport, it has the chameleonic ability to remain unseen, and it's after Schaefer and his men. As members of his team are brutally killed by the Predator, Schaefer realizes that the only way to survive as the hunted is to hunted the hunter. Co-starring Minnesota govenor Jesse Ventura, Predator is a film unlike any other. It is undoubtedly among the best movies of its genre.

"The jungle is alive..."
Predator, the film which helped launch the career of director John McTiernan (who would later helm the first Die Hard movie), and the film which introduced us to one of the most terrifying and impressive movie monsters ever in the Predator. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers star as US commandos on a rescue mission in South America, but when they find a group of skinned corpses hanging upside down, plans change. Eventually, one by one each soldier is picked off by an unseen force, until only Arnold is left, and he comes face to face with the sleek alien hunter called the predator which takes his prey's skulls as his trophy. The design of the Predator itself is in a word, awesome. FX and makeup legend Stan Winston (responsible for Pumpkinhead and the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park for starters) outdid himself with the design of the beast, as Arnold puts it in the final fight, "One ugly mother......". While the movie is great, some more special features would have been nice. There is a rumor of a battle filmed between the Predator and Billy which would have been nice to see. All in all though, if you've never had a chance to see the original Predator, now has never been a better time, its one of the best sci-fi/action movies of all time. On a side note, future governor and former WWF wrestler Jessie "The Body" Ventura played one of the commandos, and Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally supposed to be the man in the Predator outfit, but he bowed out at the last minute to film Bloodsport.

Try Special Edition Instead
Having read so many complaints about this particular DVD edition, I'd recommend the Region 2 Special Edition (available from Amazon.co.uk) if you can play Region 2 PAL DVDs.

The Special Edition features the same transfer as this disk (with DTS) but comes with a second disk loaded with extras (all of which are great). As well as that, the menus and packaging are also far superior. It doesn't look like this will be making it to Region 1 for some time (after all the previous releases), so this looks like your best bet for the foreseeable future. ... Read more

Description

In 1947, Rancher William ^SMac^T Brazel discovered what looked like a crashed alien spacecraft in Roswell, New Mexico. After reporting his find to Air Force Intelligence officer Jessie Marcel at the Roswell air base, the wreckage was reportedly flown to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Some say it still exists there in Hangar 18^Eothers say it^Rs now at Area 51 in Nevada. Is this crash a figment of overactive imaginations?The U.S. Government isn^Rt talking about it. But, lots and lots of people are...

Did you know that a UFO sighting occurs somewhere every three minutes? If you have ever questioned whether real life is stranger than fiction, put your doubts behind you as the filmmakers who brought you the comedy hit Trekkies take on Roswell, New Mexico, the town famous for extra-terrestrial encounters and government cover ups.

Richard Kronfeld lives in Minnesota and has dreamed for years of traveling to Roswell, New Mexico to research alien abductions and, maybe, even contact an alien intelligence himself. All his friends have moved on and accomplished things in their lives and Kronfeld sees this trip as a way for him to take action for once in his life. The cameras follow Kronfeld as he makes his pilgrimage to the shrine called Roswell. Spend six days in a rented Coachman with two dogs, a film crew, UFO experts and an overdose of alien abductees. Documenting the fanatic-like following that has sprung up around reported extra-terrestrial encounters,Six Days In Roswell is a record of one man^Rs hilarious journey in search of the unknown and a journey in search of himself.This is the perfect DVD addition to any science-fiction fan^Rs video library. Fans of Fox^Rs The X-Files and the WB^Rs Roswell will certainly enjoy this sci-fi comedy hit!

Synapse^Rs DVD of Six Days In Roswell was one of the most critically acclaimed releases of 2000 and the winner of the DVD Association^Rs 2000 DVD Video Excellence Award!Listed on over six TOP TEN DVD Lists of 2000, this dual-layer DVD is loaded with added value and Special Features! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Truth is out there¿ and the truth is this is Awful.
I visited the official website for this movie and saw some video clips and read reviews... such as "Gut-busting funny..." and "pants-peeing funny".
I am generally amused by corny stuff, but this didn't inspire one audible laugh outta me. Since I'd watch some video clips from the website, I had already seen the only moderately humorous stuff that takes place in the movie. I don't think I laughed out loud once.
Really this movie was not unique or insightful.
It really provides nothing more than if you bothered to watch your boring brother's homemade footage of himself walking through a UFO convention while buying alien knick-knacks and souvenirs. The real let down is that there is no real genuine interaction between Knonfeld and the UFO enthusiasts. It gets about as in depth as when he occasionally asks someone, "Do you believe in UFOs." Wow, now that is a pretty deep portrayal of people wrapped up in a phenomenon, huh? Sorry to say there were a lot of missed opportunities. And it could have been achieved with a charismatic, talented actor. Instead, they had Kronfeld. If the lead actor was a legitimate cornball it wouldn't make it any funnier... instead he is just a poor, uncreative comedic actor. I'm totally bummed I spent $26.98 to find this out the hard way. I was thrilled when Amazon.com got this to me so quickly. And I was heartbroken when my expectations for a good comedy/documentary were crashed in to the ground like some misguided alien spaceship.

The Truth is out there...and that awful truth is this docu-comedy is not worth the time or money to sit through. (-If you want a good "docu-comedy" go with "American Movie", not "6 days in Roswell".)

Of course it's faked, that's the point !
The "viewer from Belmont, Ca" had better have ducked, cause this went right over his/her head. It's supposed to look faked. It's making fun of many documentaries and the people who play up to them on camera. It's subtle genious !

Faked Days in Roswell
This film really belongs in the category of "Mockumentary." Most of the scenes are terribly contrived and our hero, Richard Kronfeld, comes across as a nerd playing even more of a nerd. You are constantly aware that he is mindful of being on camera and is playing to it. This is true of most of the performers--the word that best fits the people in this film. The outtakes you can view on DVD only further this observation (the scene with the luggage on the stairs is embarrassingly amateurish). As a result, "Six Days in Roswell" is about as funny as a government film of crash test dummies.

I'd give this film one star for being just plain stupid, except that it introduced me to singer Suzanne McDermott, who gives us the most honest, genuine and professional performance in the entire film.

Six Days In Roswell = BIG FUN
I truly enjoyed this documentary. I had to stop the movie at times because I was laughing so hard! The makers of "Trekkies" bring you this hilarious film about mild mannered Richard Kronfeld and his quest to learn more about alien abduction by attending the 50th anniv celebration in Roswell, New Mexico.

In his spare time Kronfeld builds Star Trek props and fashions them from household items. The one scene of him dressed as Star Trek's "Captain Pike" and being pulled behind a lawn mower in this hometown's annual "Raspberry Festival" is worth renting this film alone.

Six Days in My World
SIX DAYS IN ROSWELL

Produced and Edited by Roger Nygard Directed by Timothy B. Johnson Starring Richard Kronfeld and hundreds of other UFO Enthusiasts, including a rather large Joshua contingent.

Website: http://www.Roswell6.com Coming to Video and DVD in October 2000

Did you know that a UFO sighting occurs somewhere on the planet every three minutes? Hundreds of thousands of unexplained sightings have been reported all around the world, many of which were documented or photographed. 4 million Americans believe they have been abducted. 71% of Americans believe the government knows more than it is telling us about UFOs. Millions of people, including US President Jimmy Carter have claimed they've seen UFOs.

SIX DAYS IN ROSWELL is a documentary about the fanatic-like following that has sprung up around the many UFO sightings and the reported extra-terrestrial encounters. But specifically, the film is the story of one man's search for answers.

Richard Kronfeld lives in Minnesota and has dreamed for years of traveling to Roswell, New Mexico to research alien abductions, and maybe even contact an alien intelligence himself. All his friends have moved on and accomplished things in their lives, and Kronfeld sees this trip as a way for him to take action for once in his life. The cameras follow Kronfeld as he makes his pilgrimage to the shrine called Roswell.

Kronfeld and the film crew arrive in Roswell early the morning of July 1, 1997. Kronfeld's adventure begins with the simple task of finding a room. Unfortunately every hotel within a 50 mile radius is booked. Eventually Kronfeld locates a Roswell resident who agrees to rent out his motor home.

With lodging finally secured, Kronfeld sets out to find some answers. He asks people about their alien beliefs, their UFO sightings, their unexplained abductions, and how these things affect their lives. Kronfeld and the filmmakers speak with hundreds of people, including the famous and infamous figures in the UFO world.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Roger Nygard worked with Tim Johnson on TREKKIES, a documentary about the fans of "Star Trek." Nygard was directing TREKKIES in 1996 and needed somebody to shoot simultaneously at a convention he could not attend. Although Johnson had been shooting and producing industrial videos for ten years at Lifetouch Video Creations in Minneapolis, he had never picked up a film camera. Taking a chance, Tim bought a cheap, wind-up, Russian 16mm camera (a Krasnogorsk, costing about $350 new) and shot several rolls. The footage was terrific, and Nygard sent Johnson to cover other "Star Trek" events.

In January of 1997 as Nygard was nearing completion on TREKKIES, Johnson suggested they film the Roswell UFO Encounter, a celebration planned for the 50th Anniversary of the alleged crash of an alien space ship in 1947. Tim discovered the existence of the event through Richard Kronfeld, one of the featured interviewees in TREKKIES, whom Tim had filmed. In addition to being a Trek fan, Kronfeld is an avid UFO enthusiast, and he was planning to make the pilgrimage to Roswell, to the largest UFO convention in history.

Nygard's response to the idea was, "I'm sure there will be a lot of Trekkies in Roswell, but I'll bet that subject could be a whole film in itself." Johnson agreed, and set out to raise the money to finance the shoot. Johnson called all the rich people he knew (a total of three), pitched the idea, and raised just enough of a budget to cover the trip. With seed money in place, Nygard raised enough additional funding to complete the film.

Every film needs a story, and the filmmakers hit on the idea of focusing the documentary on Richard Kronfeld and his trip to Roswell. "We created a back-story for Rich and his character, a character that is just a subdued exaggeration of who Rich really is," says Nygard. "I discovered in TREKKIES that people open up to you if they feel you are one of them." So the filmmakers set out to create a UFO enthusiast character for Rich, to give them a framework within which to draw out the maximum humor from their subject matter.

After the shoot, Nygard began assembling the footage, The story began to take shape in the form of chapters separated chronologically and thematically. To tie it all together, the filmmakers asked Kronfeld to narrate the film with journal passages. The result is the record of one man's hilarious journey in search of the unknown, and a journey in search of himself. ... Read more

Reviews (269)

an intersting fact about ths movie
Predator is a great movie and all, but did you know that before the casting people got Kevin Peter Hall to play the predator, JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME was going to play it? I bet you didn't. He actually did play the predator for the first few weeks of shooting, but instead got off the movie because it was weakining his stamina, which he decided hwas a good idea to save for his next movie, "KICKBOXER."

Great Action! Great Monster!
Predator is one of the best action films ever made, aswell as one of the best monster movies ever made. The creature effects handled by the best monster creator ever, Stan Winston, are extremely terrifying and fun! The late Kevin Peter Hall played the Predator, who is even cooler than the aliens in the Alien film franchise.

The other actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and others play their roles with great energy and each character has his or her own set of characteristics. Arnold plays Dutch, a great Major, who leads his team threw the jungles only to be taken one-by-one by the creature, in classic monster movie fashion.

Hunting season is on...
When a helicopter goes down in Latin America, Major Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his elite rescue team are the first to be called to track down and recover the survivors. The jungle is filled with enemy guerilla forces, and something even more deadly. It hunts for sport, it has the chameleonic ability to remain unseen, and it's after Schaefer and his men. As members of his team are brutally killed by the Predator, Schaefer realizes that the only way to survive as the hunted is to hunted the hunter. Co-starring Minnesota govenor Jesse Ventura, Predator is a film unlike any other. It is undoubtedly among the best movies of its genre.

"The jungle is alive..."
Predator, the film which helped launch the career of director John McTiernan (who would later helm the first Die Hard movie), and the film which introduced us to one of the most terrifying and impressive movie monsters ever in the Predator. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers star as US commandos on a rescue mission in South America, but when they find a group of skinned corpses hanging upside down, plans change. Eventually, one by one each soldier is picked off by an unseen force, until only Arnold is left, and he comes face to face with the sleek alien hunter called the predator which takes his prey's skulls as his trophy. The design of the Predator itself is in a word, awesome. FX and makeup legend Stan Winston (responsible for Pumpkinhead and the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park for starters) outdid himself with the design of the beast, as Arnold puts it in the final fight, "One ugly mother......". While the movie is great, some more special features would have been nice. There is a rumor of a battle filmed between the Predator and Billy which would have been nice to see. All in all though, if you've never had a chance to see the original Predator, now has never been a better time, its one of the best sci-fi/action movies of all time. On a side note, future governor and former WWF wrestler Jessie "The Body" Ventura played one of the commandos, and Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally supposed to be the man in the Predator outfit, but he bowed out at the last minute to film Bloodsport.

Try Special Edition Instead
Having read so many complaints about this particular DVD edition, I'd recommend the Region 2 Special Edition (available from Amazon.co.uk) if you can play Region 2 PAL DVDs.

The Special Edition features the same transfer as this disk (with DTS) but comes with a second disk loaded with extras (all of which are great). As well as that, the menus and packaging are also far superior. It doesn't look like this will be making it to Region 1 for some time (after all the previous releases), so this looks like your best bet for the foreseeable future. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Rambo meets Alien in this terrific science-fiction thriller from 1987, directed by John McTiernan just a year before Die Hard made him Hollywood's most sought-after director of action-packed blockbusters. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite squad of U.S. Army commandos to a remote region of South American jungle, where they've been assigned to search for South American officials who've been kidnapped by terrorists. Instead they find a bunch of skinned corpses hanging from the trees and realize that they're now facing a mysterious and much deadlier threat. As the squad is picked off one by one, Arnold finds himself pitted against a hideous alien creature that's heavily armed and wearing a spacesuit enabling the creature to render itself invisible. The title says it all in describing the relentless, escalating action that follows, maintained by McTiernan with an abundance of visual flair. The film's special effects are still impressive, and stunning locations in the Mexican jungles create a combined atmosphere of verdant beauty and imminent danger. The plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, but the movie's so exciting and tightly paced that its weaknesses seem irrelevant. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (269)

an intersting fact about ths movie
Predator is a great movie and all, but did you know that before the casting people got Kevin Peter Hall to play the predator, JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME was going to play it? I bet you didn't. He actually did play the predator for the first few weeks of shooting, but instead got off the movie because it was weakining his stamina, which he decided hwas a good idea to save for his next movie, "KICKBOXER."

Great Action! Great Monster!
Predator is one of the best action films ever made, aswell as one of the best monster movies ever made. The creature effects handled by the best monster creator ever, Stan Winston, are extremely terrifying and fun! The late Kevin Peter Hall played the Predator, who is even cooler than the aliens in the Alien film franchise.

The other actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and others play their roles with great energy and each character has his or her own set of characteristics. Arnold plays Dutch, a great Major, who leads his team threw the jungles only to be taken one-by-one by the creature, in classic monster movie fashion.

Hunting season is on...
When a helicopter goes down in Latin America, Major Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his elite rescue team are the first to be called to track down and recover the survivors. The jungle is filled with enemy guerilla forces, and something even more deadly. It hunts for sport, it has the chameleonic ability to remain unseen, and it's after Schaefer and his men. As members of his team are brutally killed by the Predator, Schaefer realizes that the only way to survive as the hunted is to hunted the hunter. Co-starring Minnesota govenor Jesse Ventura, Predator is a film unlike any other. It is undoubtedly among the best movies of its genre.

"The jungle is alive..."
Predator, the film which helped launch the career of director John McTiernan (who would later helm the first Die Hard movie), and the film which introduced us to one of the most terrifying and impressive movie monsters ever in the Predator. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers star as US commandos on a rescue mission in South America, but when they find a group of skinned corpses hanging upside down, plans change. Eventually, one by one each soldier is picked off by an unseen force, until only Arnold is left, and he comes face to face with the sleek alien hunter called the predator which takes his prey's skulls as his trophy. The design of the Predator itself is in a word, awesome. FX and makeup legend Stan Winston (responsible for Pumpkinhead and the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park for starters) outdid himself with the design of the beast, as Arnold puts it in the final fight, "One ugly mother......". While the movie is great, some more special features would have been nice. There is a rumor of a battle filmed between the Predator and Billy which would have been nice to see. All in all though, if you've never had a chance to see the original Predator, now has never been a better time, its one of the best sci-fi/action movies of all time. On a side note, future governor and former WWF wrestler Jessie "The Body" Ventura played one of the commandos, and Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally supposed to be the man in the Predator outfit, but he bowed out at the last minute to film Bloodsport.

Try Special Edition Instead
Having read so many complaints about this particular DVD edition, I'd recommend the Region 2 Special Edition (available from Amazon.co.uk) if you can play Region 2 PAL DVDs.

The Special Edition features the same transfer as this disk (with DTS) but comes with a second disk loaded with extras (all of which are great). As well as that, the menus and packaging are also far superior. It doesn't look like this will be making it to Region 1 for some time (after all the previous releases), so this looks like your best bet for the foreseeable future. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Who would have guessed that before politicking for governor, policing the galaxy was penciled in on Jesse "the Body" Ventura's curriculum vitae, right after professional wrestler? As Abraxas, Ventura plays a bi-Galaxian cop who chases a rogue law enforcer from the northern stars to the North Woods of Minnesota. "Good cop, bad cop" takes on a whole new meaning when Abraxas pursues the evil Secundus (Sven-Ole Thorsen) through assorted snow banks, evergreens, and a winter wonderland of death traps, en route to a final confrontation involving the anti-life equation, a limitless power source for the power-hungry Secundus.Not surprisingly, his acquisition of the anti-life equation will end life on this planet as we know it. Will Abraxas prevail?Helping Ventura wrestle with this question is Sonia, portrayed by Marjorie Bransfield, a young innocent, immaculately impregnated by Secundus.James Belushi, as an earthling law-enforcement type, lends a late helping hand.

Unfortunately, the biography portion of the DVD neglects to illuminate Ventura's earlier career, when he ably presided over a much smaller jurisdiction than Abraxas.As a pro wrestler, Ventura typically clocked in for work in a pink boa, wraparound shades, and kicky short-shorts--a much livelier uniform than that issued to guardians of the universe. --Stephan Magcosta ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this action thriller based on an early story by Stephen King, Los Angeles in the year 2017 has become a police state in the wake of the global economy's total collapse. All forms of entertainment are government controlled, and the most popular show on television is an elaborate game show in which convicted criminals are given a chance to escape by running through a gauntlet of brutal killers known as "Stalkers." Anyone who survives is given their freedom and a condominium in Hawaii, so when a wrongly accused citizen (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is chosen as a contestant, all hell breaks loose. Cheesy sets and a slimy role for game-show host Richard Dawson make this violent mess of mayhem a candidate for guilty pleasure; it is the kind of movie that truly devoted Arnold fans will want to watch more than once. And check those credits--choreography by Paula Abdul! --Jeff Shannon ... Read more