Amazon.com

The 2003 Friars Club-style roast of actor-comedian Denis Leary was the highest-rated program in the history of the Comedy Central network (after South Park) thanks to its barrage of raunchy and frequently hilarious routines from top comics and Hollywood stars. Leary himself produced this special (the first of several proposed for the network), which was taped at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom, and good-naturedly withstands a salty "tribute" from fellow stand-ups Jeff Garlin (who also handles host duties), Colin Quinn, Mario Cantone, and Lenny Clarke, among others. Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, and Christopher Walken also weigh in via videotape, and Leary's fellow Emerson College alumnus Gina Gershon contributes a Broadway/burlesque musical number. At 90 minutes, the jokes come fast and furious, and bear up to repeated viewings for Leary fans and those looking for comedy with some bite. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (2)

In Defense if I may...
ALL comedians 'take' or 'borrow' material and you would know this if you have watched years of stand up comedy! Yes Bill Hicks is certainly one of the best, but get over it! You can watch Bill religiously, remembering all his lines, and still not be able to make people laugh. Denis is a funny guy. His friends are funny guys. The roast is good entertainment for those that aren't offended or precious. It didn't rate it's arse off because everyone thinks Denis stole all his stuff from Hicks. No one cares obviously. Don't fear. Hicks memory is not being stomped on... and lets face it, imitation is the sincerest form of flatery, don't you think? This is a great show, top dvd and I had a good old laugh. Lighten up, have a smoke and knock back a beer. Life isn't to be taken too seriously!

Denis Leary STOLE EVERYTHING from BILL HICKS
This roast has some amusing moments, but no one had the balls to confront Denis about the fact that he lifted the majority of his act from Bill Hicks. His entire "angry smoking guy" shtick was lifted from Bill and Denis Leary should be ASHAMED OF HIMSELF. Besides, what kind of an ego does this guy have to PRODUCE a roast of himself? Do yourself a favor and don't buy this DVD. Go buy any of Bill Hicks' CDs from Amazon. They are all very good (except Philosophy, which is more of a disjointed greatest hits package) and they are all much better than Denis Leary will ever be. ... Read more

Reviews (519)

The most fun movie ever made about serial decapitation.
Visually stunning, deliciously creepy and loads of fun, Tim Burton and Andrew Kevin Walker's adaptation of "Sleepy Hollow" is a spooky treat. Squeamish detective Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a strange, gruesome series of murders. There, he must pit his scientific methods and cool rationalism against a foe who may not be of this earth.

Burton seems to be having the time of his life amid the gloomy, fog-shrouded forests of Sleepy Hollow; his trademark giddy weirdness is benefitted here by absolutely breathtaking cinematography and production design. Christina Ricci, usually a spirited actress, seems a little out of it as Katrina Von Tassel (perhaps her corset was too tight?) Johnny Depp delightfully plays against type as a sissy-boy hero who faints at spiders, backed up well by Marc Pickering as his plucky sidekick. The Horseman is also great fun as a villain. Headless, he's played by Ray Park with the same vicious swagger Park gave Darth Maul. Christopher Walken, playing the headed version, sports a white fright wig and teeth you've got to see to believe. Watch also for great cameos by the likes of Martin Landau and ex-Dracula Christopher Lee.

The action is spirited, the atmosphere creepy and absorbing. The graphic gore is mostly over-the-top silly, but is also treated with sensitivity and restraint when it needs to be. If you're looking for a fun action movie with atmosphere and eye candy to spare, "Sleepy Hollow" should be your destination.

Tim Burton's finest
It's been a long time since Tim Burton has actually directed a film that was successful, with disasterous hits like Mars Attacks! and Ed Wood, I was suprised that Paramount would let him make a production with such a huge budget. Sleepy Hollow is an extremely well made film, the set pieces are hauntingly beautiful, good special effects, a film score by Danny Elfman, and a long list of first rate actors. It's one of those movies that takes you on an adventure(something that I havent experienced in a while, going to the movies)This is a very uncommon film; Extremely inventive, a work of art, and also has a good story. Johnny Depp plays a variation on Ichabod Crane, Christina Ricci plays young Katrina Van Tassel, along with Christopher Walken, Christopher Lee, Miranda Richardson, Ian McDiarmid, and Casper Van Dein. It has splashes of violence, dark humour, gore, drama, and suspence. What more can you ask in a film? Buy this movie and you wont be dissapointed. It's rated R for gore and a scene of sexuality, but nothing that should frighten the kids, I personally think it should have received a PG-13 rating due to the absence of profanity, nudity, or drug content. Besides it is a classic novel by Irving Washington this is an American Folk Tale that I think shouldn't of been taped with an R rating (such a harsh rating for a movie based on a fairy tale). It is rated PG-14 in canada though so dont let your teenagers miss out on this one.

another good film by tim burton.but it has NO child like sid
you know the drill on this one i hope.the story is way off,but the movie is quite good anyway.johnny depp is the star,ichabod crane.this is his best movie.the kids will get scared.this is timburtons only horror film and all others are kid-friendly.i think it is the best of many,many versions of this story including one by disney.a lot of people say they dont like it due to its inconsistencies with the book and that they just werent scared.i say ive never seen a film a hundred percent like the book and why would you want to be scared?entertainment is the idea not fright.if you go to church,youll want to skip this one also.demons,murder,witch craft etc.if the lights are off and your surround sound is blasting,this sounds incredible.a witch and a preacher type get busy but no nudity.johnny depp doesnt deserve any awards but this is the best movie he happens to be in.people give this movie a bad rap for a lot of stupid reasons.the real deal is its good.ive never seen a bad tim burton film yet and ive seen almost all of them.

A Classic Take On a Classic Tale
In the trend of other Tim Burton films, the complextion of the film is creamy, and satisfying. It tells the common veiwer about Sleepy Hollow, yet puts new tantalizing details in the middle of well known scenes. It finally answers the reader of Washington Irving's book where this terror came from, and why it hunts and why it is indeed "headless". The cast is believable, yet the only weak point is Christina Ricci, who seems to be trying to hard to pull off her role. The cinematography is brilliant, something only Tim could do. It becomes dark at the right moments, and is bright and sugar-sweet when it tells the back story of Johnny Depp's mother, and once again is dark as it learns her fate. This film is not only wonderfully thrilling, but comedic in points where you would think it couldn't. Shall I say, they involve blood squirting, staining, spraying and squirting some more. Johnny Depp is a wonderful pick for this movie, as he gives us exactly what we want from anyone playing Ichabod Crane, plus a little bit more. Have fun, yet do not laugh for too long, or it will surprise with it's random and scary turns.

Sleepy Hollow Is a Genuine Fright-Fest
Tim Burton's films, often praised for the intensity of their mood, bring with them a glimpse of the darker side of the human psyche. His characters are often dis-jointed, dark, but at their core, always human. Often, his films are as centrally located around an individual, quite often the title role of the story....such examples include the title characters of films like "Edward Scissorhands, Jack Skellington of "A Nightmare Before Christmas", and Bruce Wayne in "Batman". It is his central character that the story seems to evolve around, and it is often seen from that perspective, providing the audience a narrative thread that they can relate to throughout the film. The same is true of "Sleepy Hollow".

Loosely based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, Burton's "Hollow" is seen from the perspective of Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp (formerly seen in Burton's "Edward Scissorhands")), a New York detective/criminal investigator who is sent to the farming community of Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of several of the local townsfolk.

Burton weaves elements of the original "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" into his story, while creating backstory to further develop all the characters, from the families in Sleepy Hollow, to Ichabod Crane, even to the Horseman himself, centralizing the narrative of this story around Crane's investigation into the murders. While in Sleepy Hollow, Crane quickly learns of a conspiracy that seems to exist amongst the principals of the townfolk. With the aid of Young Masbeth (Marc Pickering), whose father was murdered by the Horseman, and Katrina Anne Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), Depp's love interest and daughter of the town's acting governor, Crane's investigation quickly leads him on a hunt that will take them to the very heart of evil, as they learn the fate of the Horseman, a Hessian Mercenary sent to fight in the American Revolution before falling to the sword when betrayed by two mysterious little girls many years before.

Filled with rich imagery, lavishly created special effects, and plenty of genuine frights, "Sleepy Hollow" promises to bring thrills, chills, and plenty of scares. Moreover, though, the story uses horror to aid the story, not replace it. Unlike so many horror movies released in the past ten years, Hollow does not rely on gore to create thrills, but instead, (as with most of Burton's work), it uses subtle mood, growing tension and human vulnerability to really bring the story home in a way that is both terrifying and immensely engaging.

Rated R for violence, gore and brief sexuality, this is not a film for the young. However, for anyone looking for a good scare with a great story, this is the film for you. (NOTE: This film is a departure from the original story by Irving.) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Only the third host to have a "best of" collection (after Steve Martin and Jerry Seinfeld), Christopher Walken showcases his six appearances as host of the show. For the casual fan of Walken's usual edgy film fare, the skits will be eye-opening as he showcases his song-and-dance skills (catch "The Boulevard of Broken Balls" from his first appearance). The Continental, his recurring suave ladies-man character played directly to the camera, is featured twice (the DVD includes a spilt-screen "making of" version along with two darkly humorous skits that never aired). Other skits include Mango's (Chris Kitten) janitor friend Leon who dreams of showbiz, the trivial physic Ed Glosser (a lampoon of his Dead Zone role), a "Prankster" that goes too far, and music producer Bruce Dickinson (a.k.a. "the cowbell skit"). Walken's wild-man persona is intriguingly tapped as an angry ship captain on a life boat and in a deft skit as a census taker interviewee with Tim Meadows. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Good film, not great
Walken revises his role in the Deer Hunter here, playing a mercenary involved in one of those politically torn countries down yonder. Its a good movie, from the early 1980's, but if you have the Deer Hunter already, you wont need this. I am a big Walker fan- i think he is brilliant, but otherwise there isnt much to this film. Still, its one of only a hundred films that I hand picked for my life-time collection.

'Vive Le Mort, Vive La Guerre, Vive Le Sacre Mercenaire!!'
While Dogs of War is not as exciting and crowd-pleasing as the gold-standard in mercenary movies, The Wild Geese, it is certainly the most thoughtful. It starts off slow, spending over two-thirds of the film setting up the characters and the situation. While the pace occasionally lags, the events are realistic (in terms of a 1970s mercenary operation) and there are occasionally interesting quotes like the one serving as this review's title. Christopher Walken's character is fleshed out and given depth which makes his actions in the climax the logical payoff to his development in the movie. The real problem with this film is the big action finale. It simply isn't exciting enough and is far too brief. There are one or two nice flourishes, but the bottomline is that you expect more payoff with all that build-up. Dogs of War is still a good film but it may leave you a bit unsatisfied. Try the aforementioned 'The Wild Geese' as well as 'Men of War' (1994) if you want more exciting mercenary action.

my favorite book in film
this could have been the superhit with a better script and higher budget. its still a good movie, but not even remotely close to the quality of the book.
if u liked this movie read forsyth's books the r extremely well written and researched.

Dogs of War
This is a great movie! Lots of action, well crafted production.
I read the book first and prefer its ending to that of the film.
However, it is still a fine tale and well worth seeing several times.

Cry Havoc...
From start to finish, this is the kind of movie that most young actors would kill to star in; smart, with a good script and enough character actors to anchor the film firmly into your subconscious.

I should admit I'm a huge Chris Walken fan from way back, so of course I'm biased, but if you watch the film carefully, you'll see that it warrants repeated viewings.

If I have any complaints at all, it would be the video quality, which is why the DVD is a much better bet. Still budget priced, and due to its age, the movie doesn't have much in the way of extra features, but that doesn't detract from it one bit. ... Read more

Description

Rack up this 2003 theatrical release featuring an all-star cast including Chazz Palminteri and Christopher Walken. A gritty dramatic thriller: POOLHALL JUNKIES.

When Johnny, a poolhall hustler, tries to quit the game, it's not as easy as he thinks. And when his younger brother gets hooked into a con that could cost his brother's life, Johnny is forced to play for the biggest stake of his career. It's bigger than money, bigger than life, and bigger than either player can imagine. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Surprisingly good
A street-wise talented pool player missed his opportunity to play in the big time as his mentor decided that he's better off husting money from the downtrodden. So, the movie fast-forwarded to 15 years later when he's no better off despite that he's got a well-to-do paralegal beautiful girlfriend, a poolhall owner who treated him like his own son in the shape of the late Rod Steiger, a loving brother with a bunch of friends who aspired to be like him. By chance, he discovered that all these years, his mentor betrayed him by witholding the truth from him. The relationships soured & they went separate ways. As fate had it, his brother got tangled up with his ex-mentor & he had to play pool for the one last time to save his brother & his honour. The movie happily chugged along & Christopher Walken played the mysterious chap who backed the talented player & helped him to believe in his own self. The message that this movie tried to say is simply: life is what you made it to be. If you keep thinking that you are a loser, you are bound to end up with losers like yourself whilst if you believe that you are a winner, you can escape from the vicious cycle & be someone truly great. Definitely a feel good movie with no pretension. Highly recommended.

Wannabe Pool Buffs?
How about a wannabe film critic.

First of all, Mike Massey, who has been ranked #l several times over his career and who, in a profession that is predicated on gambling, is ironically a devoted christian, was NOT in the film.

Secondly, a story with definite potential proved a flop due to, yes, lack of focus,but also trite assertions (It's ALL about the money), and poor directing/acting by a Ben Affleck wannabe (who was most appropriately paired with a mobile home salesman who looked like he got a face lift to look like Tony Curtis). Christopher Walken was the lone saving grace of this movie because he is Christopher Walken, not because of any merit by the so-deemed crafters of the film. Alas, Rod Steiger's potential impact was scuttled due to inept scripting and direction, which can nearly be said for the muted Ricky Schroeder as well.

Indeed, the screenplay shamelessly [copied] numerous other works, the game scenes were all flash which at best contradicts the reality (pool hustling is about hiding your skill, not advertising it so all the big-money patsies will steer well clear of you), and hustlers very rarely get hustled by other hustlers, especially from such a sophmoric trick like giving away several balls in an eightball match.

Two stars is a generous rating for this flic which is well outclassed by The Color of Money, which plays a distant second to the classic The Hustler (featuring Willie Mosconi whom many still regard as the best player of all time, Jake LaMotta of belated boxing fame, and not to mention Jackie Gleason who was an expert pool player himself- the camera never blinks when he takes a shot). If you enjoy gambling stories in general, check out The Cincinnati Kid starring Steve McQueen, Karl Malden and Edward G. Robinson, a nearly forgotten gem that is to Rounders what The Hustler is to The Color of Money.

And beware of literate phonies who need attention.

Poor effort
I am a pool junkie myself, and this film, while somewhat entertaining just by the fact it deals with pool, falls well short of the mark. The story itself is very underdeveloped, and leaves alot of loose ends. There are a few clever exchanges of bravado and quips, but any pool player with a few years of experience will tell you that this stuff just doesn't happen. No one loses a few hundred, or few thousand bucks on a drinking or pool game that hinges on symantics like "your" shot or "my" shot, and pays up with a "hey ya got me" grin.

The pool is bad. The main character says he can tell Walken has been playing pool from a crease in his pants and some blue chalk marks. First I'd be leary of a guy looking at my pants, second they return to a table with red felt. Who uses blue chalk on red felt? These "pro" level hustlers end up going three to five rails on almost every shot, playing for upwards of $80,000 in a 9 ball race to 5. While the shots are impressive, I ask you this ... What decent poolplayer has to shoot every shot as a bank or three rail shot? If you can't leave yorself even one straight in shot in 5 games, should you really be playing for thousands a game?

The story is ridiculous. The shots are dazzling, but so ridiculously over complicated for a a poolhall money game. Walken is wasted here. The story is weak. If you can look past the lack of plot development, and the technical deficiencies and just want to watch anything about pool, it is OK. There are a few quotes you will find yourself trying to remember for the poolhall, and an 8 ball shot that you will have to try yourself, but have probably tried already before seeing the movie.

This movie is strictly for the non critcal "Poolhall Junkie".

nothing special
**1/2 Though likeable at times, "Poolhall Junkies" is essentially an uneven mix of comedy and drama. Gregory "Mars" Martin, who co-wrote and directed the film, also stars as Johnny Doyle, a hustler-with-a-heart-of-gold who coulda' been a contenda' if only his mentor/manager, Joe (Chazz Palminteri), hadn't stood in his way.

"Poolhall Junkies" demonstrates the risks inherent in a young filmmaker finding it necessary to cast himself in the starring role. Though he somehow managed to rope such acting heavyweights as Palminteri, Rod Steiger and the ubiquitous Christopher Walken into his project, Martin himself has nowhere near the intensity and gravitas necessary to take center stage in a film. As a result of his weak performance, the film lacks the intensity and grit it needs to succeed. In addition, the movie suffers from unfocused plotting, a few too many characters, corny dialogue and a predictable resolution. The one saving grace of the film, however, is that it doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't feel the need to go into melodramatic overdrive to make its points.

"Poolhall Junkies" is a painless time waster, though better you should spend that time re-watching "The Hustler" and reminding yourself how this material should be done. Or, better yet, maybe Martin should have done that before taking on this assignment.

Rack 'em up.

Not a bad pool movie
I liked the movie a lot. I think that the acting was good and Walken was a great fit in the roles like Chazz too. It may have lacked a little in the dramatics but overall the dialogue and the the poolhall atmosphere was portrayed nicely. If you are a huge pool buff or a huge pool movie buff, this may not be high on your list but still it is very well made and honestly could have been worse. Makes me wanna get a "hustler" shirt and head down to my poolhall looking like a badass. ... Read more

Amazon.com

They've tried Catzilla, a feline so ferocious it can't be euthanized. They've tried booby traps that RubeGoldberg would marvel at. They've even tried Caesar (hilariously played by Christopher Walken), a dementedexterminator whose "Squeak Seeker 2000" mouse-cam will infiltrate even the cleverest rodent's secret lair. But theSmuntz brothers Ernie (Nathan Lane) and Lars (British comedian Lee Evans) just can't win against the tenacious mousethat wreaks havoc in the vintage home they've inherited from their father. That's the one-note premise of this chaotic,lavishly produced comedy that starts on a high note and never lets up, eventually leaving the viewer exhausted. Thespecial mouse effects (live-action, animatronic, and computer-generated) are delightful, and the slapstick is frequentlyingenious, but the title says it all in a movie that is little more than an elaborate variation of Home Alone. Aprime choice for family fun, but it's really just a live-action cartoon that overstays its welcome. It's harmless fun if allyou're looking for is a marathon of slapstick gags and pratfalls, and it's notable as the final film appearance of veterancharacter actor William Hickey, who died in June of 1997, shortly after filming of Mouse Hunt was completed.--Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Hilarious!
I think one of the most annoying things about movie critics is that they're supposed to know their stuff, but in the end they come across as just being college guys looking for something dirty to watch! Isn't it funny how they can't help but get down on a hilarious, old fashioned comedy like this and yet show them something like American Pie and it's great intellectual humor! A modern classic! Sickening! This movie was totally hilarious with hardly any sexual humor at all! Allright, just a hint here and there that wasn't necessary. Beyond that this movie was such a perfect comedy for everyone! I absolutely loved this movie! They used every cartoon trick in the book to try and stop that mouse! And wasn't Christopher Walken just incredible?!!! The casting in this was soooo great! It makes me so sad when movies like this come out and hardly get noticed by the public for whatever reason! Probably the lack of sex humor is evident and the previews and it keeps the movie goers away. Anyway I loved it! Do yourself a favor and pick it up! I've got it on VHS but hope to get the DVD eventually!

Mouse Hunt Movie Review
MOUSE HUNT- Movie Review
Critic's Grading
Story: B+
Acting: A-
Artistic Value: B
Entertainment Value: A
Interest Level: A-
Production Value: A

Mouse Hunt, one of the most hilarious movies that DreamWorks produced in 1997 is just fantastic! After Peacemaker (1997), DreamWorks produced another children's movie, this time with a mouse. Even though this movie did not get huge attention like Cinderella or any of the Disney movies, it sure did capture not only the children, but also the adults' attention. It gives children laughter and happiness.
Two greedy brothers, Ernie (Nathan Lane) and Lars Smuntz (Lee Evans) inherit the string factory and a house, which is worth ten million dollars from their father (William Hickey). Two brothers try to sell this old and scary house for money, but there is an obstacle; a tiny mouse. With the tiny mouse, who is afraid of losing his house, and these two brothers, who think this mouse would reduce the value of the house, they get into big chaos which leaves a big mess at the end.
The story gets intense and hilarious via the effect of the shots and different media. The mouse, which has been shot with CGI, looks pretty realistic and gives extra comedy to it. The setting of the house and its effect permeates the mood to this movie. The sounding of the thunder and lightening, shouting, and all sorts of sounds add to the great amount of intensity. The destruction of the house, also shot with CGI, is great! My heart almost fell down as this gigantic house fell down!
Ernie, acted by Nathan Lane, is great fun both physically as a character of his own. Ernie is the oldest son of the two, and he is greedy and blinded by money. In other hand, Lars, played by Lee Evans is skinny with a very heart warming character. These two opposite characters bring out the conflicts and humorous events that make the story more amusing. The mouse, one of the cleverest characters in this movie, has created lots of brilliant ideas to prevent him from losing his house. They are all very fantastic!
This movie can be entertaining to everyone, including adults. Even though it is rated as PG, some scenes aren't proper for young children. There is a part where Lars's wife suddenly takes off her clothes. Also, some of the black jokes are inappropriate. The way they fight and joke might overwhelm some of the young children. It is likely that youngsters may also follow some of the inappropriate scenes in their daily lives. Mostly, it is very entertaining and everybody should see it!
For this movie, I can rate its overall grade as A-. Even though there are some parts which could have been improved, I think it is an excellent movie which puts a smile and laughter in everyone's mind. I strongly recommend this movie to anybody in any age. Why won't you follow me and adventure into this hilarious world?

Man vs Mouse
Last week, thanks once again to the wonderful Patio theater located on Irving Park at Austin, I caught a delightful fantasy film. It was the Dreamworks production Mouse Hunt.

Two brothers inherit the family string business (Smuntz String) and a run-down old house. Neither is worth anything. Or so it seems at first. The house was designed by an eccentric architect named LaRue and was believed to be only a rumor. Suddenly the house is worth millions. Instead of selling outright, the brothers decide to hold an auction to get a better price. But to reach that point they need to do some restoration and get rid of a very determined mouse.

There are then some scenes of the brothers trying to outwit a mouse that could outwit Einstein. Finally they think they have sent the mouse to Castro and the auction begins. As the price reaches unheard of levels the mouse returns. The brothers are so distraught that they bring about their own ruin and destroy the house. Having nowhere else to go they return to the old string factory. The mouse follows.

Once in the factory the mouse shows some more of its intelligence by starting up the factory line and adding Gouda to the mix. The result is a new form of string cheese that becomes the rage with the mouse hired on as head taster.

This movie is truly hilarious. The mouse is great. I believe the mouse is near immortal as well as a genius. I believe this because there is a tendency for owners of the LaRue house to be found locked in a trunk in the attic. We know for a fact that the mouse defeated Christopher Walken (playing the strangest exterminator you have ever seen) and managed to get him from in front of the house into a trunk in the attic. It is even possible that the mouse was responsible for the architect going mad. Whatever the case, this movie is really worth seeing. If you can not find it in a second-run theater, look for it when it comes out on video.

Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!
It's the type of movie, you can watch
repeatedly, and enjoy it every time.

It's a must have in anyone's dvd collection.

Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!
Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!

It's the type of movie, you can watch
repeatedly, and enjoy it every time.

It's a must have in anyone's dvd collection. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A wonderful and absorbing movie
I have to say Communion has to be one of my most favoirte movies. Christopher Walken is a great actor and he made this movie both funny and scary at the same time. I used to watch this movie when I was a kid. It was like a movie I have never seen before. Everytime I watch it I learn something else. The music is really good too which they play in the beginning and at the end of the movie. Whitley Streiber the character Chris Walken plays in many ways is alot like me. I understand the difficulty of being an author and how hard it is if you're work is earsed. But like what he said in the movie," It happened for a reason." I think the aliens wanted him to write that story about them. What is even more fascinating is that this is actually based on a true story. I own the book and the movie. Both in my opinoin are excellent. I can't describe in words what this movie has done for me. I must say when I was younger, I was a bit afraid of the movie. The thought of aliens coming down and taking me away to some unknown place was very scary. The scene I could never forget was the part where Whitley was sitting up in his chair and seen the wierd alien peak at him from the bookshelf. When I was a kid I was afraid of something being behind my bookshelf as well. I love the relationship Christopher Walken shared with his son. You'd never thought he could play such a loving father after playing in the movie "At Close Range" Communion is a movie you could bring over to a friends house and watch over and over. I can't count the times I have seen this movie. Now that I own it, I can watch it everynight if I wanted to. A wonderful and absorbng novel and movie!

Well-Acted, Sometimes Effective, not bad.
"Communion" the movie is a well-acted and sometimes effective drama. Christopher Walken does a good job here, though I've seen him do much better, but here he totally disappears in this character of Whitley Strieber. However, we are never quite clear of what the movie's intentions are. Is it a simple little creepy story? Or a serious dissection of the alien abduction phenomenon? I guess maybe it depends on your point of view on the subject. Which is, I guess, the same way people view the bestselling (non-fiction) book of the same name. I personally can say that I have never experienced some sort of UFO abduction and have my doubts on the existance of alien life, so I look at "Communion" from an outsider's view. For those of us who don't stay in the circle of UFO researchers or "Experiencers," "Communion" works as a good try at scaring the viewer. There are some effective sequences, especially those that take place in the Striebers' cabin, where the abductions first took place. The scenes with the alien beings look really well-done and real. I don't call "Communion" science fiction because it is, like the book, being sold as a true story and there are people who believe it and who have reported claims in the same nature and no offense is wished, so, for me "Communion" comes off as a creepy drama. It isn't completely horrific, indeed, I wished for a few better scares. The reason the movie didn't work completely for me, was that at the end I was left confused and puzzled, "Communion" isn't very clear on what happened or how. It was reported that a film was being worked on based on Strieber's follow-up, "Transformation," but it apparently never materialized, though I wished it had to shed some more light on the story. In fact, "Communion" is not clear when things ARE happening, not just when it shows flashbacks. Take the scene near the end when Walken apparently visits an alien vessel, I didn't understand zilch of what was going on in there and when Walken suddenly wakes up in his car, I was even more confused. Still, "Communion" isn't BAD, it works as an original story and as a showcasing of great performances through-out. UFO buffs will probably love it, outsiders like myself apparently need to not only read the book (which I haven't but now plan to) but watch the movie again after doing so. Not horrible, not terrible, not great, but entertaining and interesting.

WORST MOVIE EVER MADE!
I wasted my money, even though it was like 10 dollars, but still I feel so robbed. I'm an amateur film maker, and this movie has absolutely nothing going for it. I thought it was going to be the next "Intruders", or "Fire in the Sky", especially with Walken in it. Not only did this movie kill Walken's image in my mind, It also showed me how non creative some people are in this world, and that they think and some how do seem to make it. THIS MOVIE IS HIRINDOUSLY HORRIBLE FROM EVERY ANGLE YOU CAN IMAGINE. NEVER BUY!!!!!! NEVER WATCH!!!!!, AT BEST THIS IS A SMOKE UP MOVIE TO LAGUH AT. EVEN THAT IS PUSHING THE LIMITS. Any ALIEN BELIEVER OUT THERE THE SLIGHTEST will be embarrassed, and will wont to hunt down the pretentious director, with no IMAGINATION even with a low budget. WOW is all I can say, it really seems like a dream how bad it turned out...god man. This movie will take away any credibility from any real abduction or UFO case known to man. The real Whitley Strieber where ever he may be has to hate this director with a passion unknown to mankind. WE NEED TO BURN ALL COPIES! And by the way I'm a 110% STRONG believer in Aliens, this movie just pissed me off.

WATCHERS and Watching ........
DREADFUL DVD AND SOUND ....[shame!] BUT AN ABSOLUTELY 'MUST HAVE'.

WALKEN IS SUPERB AS THE MULTIFRACTURED HERO .....quite a tour-de-force and this one is very very chilling since you're [the watcher] never quite sure whether we're in Kansas or not. Last year's "Signs" brushes along similar lines - except this one is invasive ...... did they or didn't they ... and are they here or not????

DYNAMITE CAST includes the special Lindsay Crouse as Spouse, and Frances Sternhagen as the very perplexed psyc.

"Dreamcatcher" is another clone ... but this one [if it can] makes more sense.

WELL WORTH HAVING ..... those chilly New York night time shots and that cabin [sister dwelling to Amityville .......]

NOW, just click your Alien ....... there's no place like .....?

{Nicholas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" makes a terif. double-bill - something different, but also very creepy ~ then there's "The Comfort of Strangers" ..... another Walken triumph!]

Horrendous Letdown
It truly mystifies me how there could possibly be any good review of this film. I read the book, became engrossed in it for days, and enjoyed it immensely. It kept me thinking for a full year afterwards. If you've had a similar experience with the book, be prepared for absolute and total disappointment with the film. It will entirely pollute that part of your mind that the book developes so delicately and will leave you feeling deeply frustrated and disappointed. Worse still though, if you see the film before reading the book, you will be driven from the subject entirely, too repulsed to give the book a chance, not to mention the topic in general. The 'visitors' themselves represent a new low in film effects, and appear to be, at best, discount inflatable puppets motivated by discarded animatronics. In total, I feel an urgent sense that this film does a terrible disservice to Whitley Streiber, shifting the story of his experience from a place of thoughtful contemplation into the realm of the comically yet absolutely disregardable. Trust me, stay away, unless you enjoy pressing the fastforward button on your remote with desperate intensity. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Someone, please strangle her with that necklace
What a wretched piece of cinema. I mean, truly wretched. And the fault lies almost totally with Hillary Swank. She plays Jeanne de la Motte with such-over-the top mellodrama. She never seems to totally connect with the character, giving us this wide-eyed, fast-talking character that is neither compelling nor sympathetic.

What an utter shame. For she was surrounded by some true talent. The actor who plays Cardinal de Rohan is fantastic. In fact, all of the secondary actors and actresses do a decent job.

There's also the matter of the wildly inaccurate retelling of history. Clearly the writers and director wanted viewers to feel terribly sorry for poor little Jeanne. They perverted history in the telling of the story, casting Jeanne in the role of the poor, innocent, misused and discarded aristocrat who is justified in her actions. The truth was, Jeanne de la Motte was a whore and a thief, a con-woman who helped topple the monarchy and murder a queen. For more information on the affair of the necklace, read Simon Schama's book Citizens, or visit the award-winning website, Let Them Eat Cake.

The costumes in this movie are phenomenal. Truly eye candy. If it weren't for the wonderful sets and splendid costumes, this movie would have rated a ZERO.

Make it a Blockbuster night
There is an old saying in theater that instructs you not to "put a gun onstage in the first act if it is not going to go off in the second". By the same turn, do not introduce Christopher Walken into your movie unless you are going to send your script up on itself a little. Jonathan Pryce, Adrien Brody, and Walken all hit the right demi-tragic, mostly comic, tone, as do the minor characters. Everyone else, though, seems to have shown up thinking that they had been cast in "The Hours."

"The Affair of the Necklace" has to be viewed with a generous suspension of disbelief, or with one's forehead protected for a lot of flat-palming. Ninette's final, "If I reached for anything that shown brightly..." speech- which is a bit too Shirley Temple for the rest of the movie- actually diminishes our sympathies for her and cuts the film's last thread of realism. Marie Antoinette's sub-guillotine, "well, maybe I was a bit excessive," flashback, is also a little inexplicable given the modern frame of the movie. Only on Google groups does one still find such negative and simplistic representations of her. And Louis XVI was more fully encompassed in "Start the Revolution Without Me".

The scenery, however, especially at Versailles, is fantastic and- though I have doubts about the wisdom of Swank's "Annie"-style hair on the cover (given her character's orphaned status)- the movie generally fits in well with other flawless, high-end costume dramas. If it hadn't been "based on true events," a tag which subjects a movie to a greater deal of scrutiny than most can stand, I would have thought this one much stronger than it was.

In the end, Pryce, Brody, and Walken do save the movie from itself, and generally make it an entertaining, if not accurate, weekend rental. As an addition to one's video library, however, it is best passed on.

A Masterpiece
This is one of the most historically accurate movies that I have ever seen. This movie is about the scandal that rocked the French monarchy during the late 1780's and helped set the stage for the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy.

Hilary Swank delivers a superb performance as the scheming Jeanne de la Motte-Valois. Jonathan Pryce and Christopher Walken also shine in this well executed movie.

The Affair of the Necklace is a movie that combines greed, lust, corruption and sexuality in a most beguiling mix. This movie is the end result of a rare combination of quality acting, distinguished directing, skillful script writing, a large budget and careful attention to historical accuracy in every detail.

The Affair of the Necklace is a masterpiece.

Not too bad
She's in court after the strong murdered her father for the loud thoughts he had about poor people and now the only thing she cares about is to get a good name for her family back. The Queen should be the only person who would have helped her but how is she going to eliminate all the obstacles in order to get her to the queen.

An interesting (extremely boring for some) drama.

A true art of intrigue
Despite the mixed reviews, after about 20 minutes, I began to enjoy this movie. It is more than it appears at first. It truly is an affair, because people are getting tricked and maneuvered, it has intrigue that unfolded lovely, having been placed right before the French Revolution.

Hilary Swank, although not my top choice for a costume drama, does a good job of playing Jeanne de la Motte-Valois, a woman who lost her parents and her title at a young age. With the help of a court women-chaser, Baker, she uses the Cardinal's desire for Marie Antoinette, and the luxurious diamond necklace that comes into place, to get what she wants.

As lies are told, and people pretending to be someone else, the grand plot begins to resemble a tower of playing cards that can topple at any moment.

It was a wonderful movie, that felt cozy, and it was almost like a mystery drama, in beautiful lavish costumes. The ending is great, and unexpected for some characters. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

what good actors do when good roles dry up
"New Rose Hotel" is the second attempt to turn a William Gibson story into a feature-length film (after the fairly disastrous "Johnny Mnemonic," starring King of Inexpression Keanu Reeves), and its pedigree is what drew me toward it: stars Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Asia Argento(!), and director Abel Ferrara ("Ms. 45") all have steady reputations in the film world. This gave me a slight reassurance: "no matter how bad the script is, the cast and direction could make up for it."

Well, "New Rose Hotel" is the type of film that exists in the twilight zone between films that are so bad they're painful to watch, and films that are so bad they're a laugh riot. The story has something to do with two cyber-pirates (Walken & Dafoe) who hire Asia Argento to fall in love with a prestigious Japanese scientist, and collect a large sum of money in the process. The events unfold with a maximum of confusion and even when things actually seem to be making sense, they just get confusing again.

That's not to say "New Rose Hotel" is ALL bad. Sterling Video, which released this specimen, is a company pretty notorious for pushing out low-budget, bill-paying dreck featuring brand-name stars under the radar of the mainstream so as to pass unnoticed to the library shelves at your local video store. And this is no exception. While Walken and Dafoe bring trademark professionalism to their nothing roles, you know this wasn't a movie made for Academy Award consideration. Ferrara, however, seems to have given up hope after filming, allowing the editor to piece together what little story there was using the gimmick of close-circuit cameras for stylistic value. And Asia Argento, it must be said, is an AMAZINGLY bad actress who would have no career if she wasn't the daughter of Italain director Dario Argento; she mumbles her lines to the point where you won't be able to make out what she's saying (not a bad thing, considering this film makes good use of her physical assets).

"New Rose Hotel" is a low-budget, confusing mess that would be completely forgettable without the presence of Walken and Dafoe. Some scenes retain a sense of style, but other than that this is a lost cause. If you're compelled to rent this, go in with your expectations low and it'll pass easier.

We Liked It & Even Watched It Twice!
Apparently most viewers hate this movie. It is not an easy movie to follow, I grant you. However, I've seen most of Abel Ferrara's films and liked them plus I generally go for anything with Willem Dafoe in it. Walken is a favorite too. Hubby absolutely adored it and would probably go the whole 5 stars if he were writing this, which puts him at variance with almost everyone. I can't go that far but I will go 4 stars. The plot is not that tricky. What is tricky is knowing what moment of time you are in with the characters. At any given moment you can be at the start, middle or end of the story. In this it rather resembles "Memento," which is in the theaters now. Ferrara should have considered changes in lighting or some other visual key to cue the viewers into this time shifts. I've seen this done by shooting part of a film in black and white and the rest in color. I've also seen one time sequence shot in all cool or blue tones while the rest of the movie is shot in reddish hot tones. In short, there are ways to make this easier on the viewer. The plot is that Walken and Dafoe are going to make an Asian scientist fall in love with a call girl they've just met, Sandy. Sandy will bewitch the scientist and he will go wherever she wants him to go. Industrialists will pay Walken and Dafoe big money for the con. They in turn will pay Sandy a million dollars as her share. The question becomes though who is conning whom. While Dafoe is busy falling in love with Sandy, he doesn't follow through on tracing the various leads about her which come into his hands. One irony I couldn't get over was Dafoe being stunned by someone else's beauty, when, in his prime, he had to have been one of the most beautiful people on the planet. Move this back to the 1980s and probably no one would be looking at the call girls in this film! My absolute favorite movie by Ferrara is "Bad Lieutenant" with Harvey Keitel in the starring role. Keitel gives the performance of his life in that film and it is much easier to follow than this one. Before you totally write off this film maker, you might give that one a a try if all the negative reviews on this one are too much for you.

Pff
Well,
Everybody seems to hate this movie in almost all regards. I would say that it isn't spectacular, but I think it deserves better than a lot of these people are giving it. I can respect that they think differently of it.
*chuckle*
It's amazing how many people can be wrong.

Many complained that they didn't understand what was going on. Sucks for them, I guess they just aren't very bright I know I watched it, and had no trouble seeing what was going on. I read the book afterward, and thought it was quite a well-done adaptation, though I would have thought that they could have come up with a better william gibson story to do a movie of, considering the brevity of this particular one, and the abundance of other stories out there, many of which are considerably longer.

A movie that could have been.
Look, it's like this.
The story New Rose Hotel, by William Gibson is one which hilights the decay of society through peoples own self destructive impulses and that never ending bain of humanity greed.

As a story, New Rose Hotel is to be honest way to short to even contemplate making a movie out of it. There's just not enough there and when I watch the movie, it shows immensely. Dafoe and Walken are 2 of my favourite actors and there performance together I found to be of good status. What this movie needed to do was give the viewer a good explanation as to the status of the society , this different world, basically an atmosphere. Instead it gives you a blurred corporate scene and then your thrown into a bar with women that can't sing and the 2 main characters forcing themselves to make out there enjoying the poor entertainment. The exchanging of information should have been more secretive and when people wispered in others ears you should have been given a zoom on that audio. Then there was the main guts of the story, with the nano technologist. This was what could have been the movies saviour, alas it was brushed over and the conversations where the main focus of the movie. This brings me to my last annoyance. The person in charge of camera directing should have been .... Instead of seeing people interacting together at important sections of the story, you got terrible close ups of single faces that were below amateur quality and destracted you from the dialogue. All in all Gibson should have written extra material for the movie and a lot more should have been spent on atmosphere to enhance the intrigue of the story, even if it meant getting more cost effective actors. ...I like to end with a positive note, and the only one I can make as far as capturing the story goes, is that the end scene that Dafoe acted out at the end was effective enough.

If your like me and a fan of William Gibson and these two great actors, you may want this movie as part of your collection, but I tell you now, after your first viewing it's one that will sit and gather dust very quickly.

Another love-it or hate-it film.
Notice that almost no one gives this film its average score (around 2.3 stars)? It's a classic bimodal distribution: hate it or love it. Well, maybe "love it" is a bit strong, but for those who 1) don't know the plot ahead of time, and 2) carefully follow the plot as it develops in the film, particularly in the last quarter, the story is quite gripping. If you've read the story ahead of time, or lose the plot while watching, it will just seem like a very low-budget muddle.

Like many of Gibson's stories, this is hardly science fiction-- in fact, it's more purely noir than many other more noir-y looking films that come to mind. As such, it's about money, love, betrayal, women, memory, machismo--that sort of stuff. Having read the story after seeing the film, I'd almost say the movie was better, while still being true to Gibson's spirit: less of the narrator's whiny voice, more Fox; more mystery, less pseudo-futuristic-cosmopolitanism. And a much better finish.

The best part is really the much-maligned last quarter, which in its memory flashbacks leads you to discover for yourself who betrayed whom and why. The conclusion, if you care about these sorts of issues at all, is really quite sad and moving. Not knowing when it would end, I jumped up close to the TV to hear Argento's reply to Dafoe's last line. To end there shows that these guys knew what they were doing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Coasting on the successes of Gods and Monsters and George of the Jungle, Brendan Fraser turns in yet another winning performance in this fish-out-of-water comedy in which Pleasantville meets modern-day Los Angeles, with predictably funny results. Fraser stars as Adam, who was born in the bomb shelter of his paranoid inventor dad (a less-manic-than-usual Christopher Walken), who spirited his pregnant wife (Sissy Spacek, in fine comic form) underground when he thought the Communists dropped the bomb (actually, it was a plane crash). Armed with enough supplies to last 35 years, the parents bring up Adam in Leave It to Beaver style with nary any exposure to the outside world. When the supplies run out, and dad suffers a heart attack, Fraser goes up to modern-day L.A. for some shopping and long-awaited culture shock. More of a cute premise with lots of clever ideas attached than a fully fleshed out story, Blast from the Past is also supposed to be part romantic comedy, as the hunky Adam hooks up with his jaded Eve (Alicia Silverstone) and tries to convince her to marry him and go underground. The sparks don't fly, though, because Silverstone is saddled with the triple whammy of being miscast, playing an underwritten character, and suffering a very bad hairdo. Fraser, however, carries the film lightly and easily on his broad, goofy shoulders, mixing Adam's gee-whiz innocence with genuine emotion and curiosity; only Fraser could pull off Adam's first glimpse of a sunrise or the ocean with both humor and pathos. Also winning is Dave Foley as Silverstone's gay best friend, who manages to make the most innocuous statements sound like comic gems. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (130)

Light, smart comedy
Brendan Fraser seems to specialize in `fish-out-of-water' characters, and he plays it to the hilt in this smart comedy. Fraser plays Adam Webber, the son of a Cold-War-obsessed scientist (Christopher Walken) and his wife (Sissy Spacek) who hunker down in a fallout shelter for 35 years, when they believe the big one has destroyed the earth.

In truth, a plane fell on their house, and their now-grown son only wishes to go and see the world. Their neighborhood has changed a lot, from quiet suburbia to punk clubs and adult bookstores, but Adam, who only wishes to meet a nice girl, manages to meet his match in the appropriately named Eve, nicely played by Alicia Silverstone with the right mix of incredulousness and sweetness. Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio) as Eve's gay roommate and Joey Slotnick as a stoned club owner who becomes a cult leader (you'll have to see why) are also very funny.

Director/writer Hugh Wilson has created a sweet, satirical film that features romance with light, satirical humor. It also has terrific sets (especially the Webbers' shelter) and a terrific dance scene. Blast from the Past is a light comedy that is well worth watching.

Adam & Eve in Modern Day
I've seen this film a lot of times, more than I'd care to admit to, and I never tire of it. The first five minutes are pretty dull, so I tend to skip past them, as it really starts when the plane crashes into the house.

Christopher Walken & Sissy Spacek are the perfect people to play Brendan Fraser's parents, both as quirky as each other. Sissy plays the perfect wife, drinking to escape her husband and life below ground. Christopher is perfect as the Dad, teaching his son everything he knows.

Alicia Silverstone is kooky, "psychic", and is a perfect match for Adam's character, and of course she has to be called Eve. How original.

Troy's character is brilliant, playing the stereotypical gay guy, which Adam thinks means "happy". Troy and Eve live together, and have a very similar relationship to Will & Grace in the TV show. The girl who has a gay guy for a roommate - tell me, how many times has that been done?

The first fifteen minutes go quickly through the first 35 years of Adam's (Brendan Fraser) uneventful life, cutting back and forth between what's going on above the family.

I couldn't imagine anyone else in the part of innocent Adam, apart from Brendan. He comes out with the funniest expressions! He is brought up to be the perfect gentleman - opening doors for women, calling them ma'am, doing all those things, the guy who every girl would like but then quickly get fed up of!

Some parts of the film aren't explained, leaving you wondering how they had enough supplies to last 35 years, how none of them got seriously ill, until the dad does twenty minutes in, forcing Adam to go up into the big bad world, and how the money hasn't changed in 35 years!

The funniest bits of the film are when Adam talks to complete strangers, in his off-hand way. The best sequence in the whole film is The Mask-reminiscent dance scene, when Adam goes to a club and dances with the two women. It's very similar to when Jim Carrey & Cameron Diaz dance together in The Mask; both are great & memorable. And like any dance scenes in films (Grease, The Mask, Saturday Night Fever) the crowd instantly makes a circle around the main people dancing and watches them. This wouldn't happen in real life, so why do they keep repeating this in films?

The storyline is pretty predictable: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl back.

There aren't many extras on the DVD. There are trailers; cast & crew biographies; deleted scenes and a B-roll. They're your basic extras - not worth watching more than once, if you can last through them. According to the back of my DVD, there's a "Love Meter" but I can't find it amongst the extras so god knows where it is.

This is definitely for sentimental fools, like me, who love a good romance, and think Brendan Fraser is so cute - just not when he sings!

BEAVER REDUX
Brendan Fraser is remarkably good in this good-natured comedy about a young man born and raised in a fallout shelter. Fraser manages to parlay his rugged good looks and youthful exuberance into an intensely likeable hero named Adam. Once released into the modern world, Adam is gleefully joyful to watch. Alicia Silverstone is fine as his "Eve" who is both enamored and repelled by Fraser's childishly kind behavior. Dave Foley as her gay friend is marvelous as well. I also liked Joey Skolnik as the bartender who metamorphoses from a happy teenager to the self-proclaimed monk of a new religion. Kudos also to Nathan Killion (Firefly series) as Alicia's macho boyfriend who gets put in his place by Fraser. Also to the delightful dance scene where Fraser and two girls jitterbug to high heaven. But one cannot overlook the truly marvelous performances from Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken as Fraser's paranoid parents. They are both brilliant, and one can see how these two won Oscars for previous performances. Director Hugh Wilson keeps it all together and I found myself smiling and chuckling all the way through. A delightful find!

Very funny commentary about how nice people used to be
This is a nice, funny movie, which along the way makes an interesting point. The plot is pretty straitforward, but this is a comedy not a drama, and it is plenty good enough to get us from joke to joke.

Films lately seem to be saying that really nice guys come from some other decade, or even century (Kate & Leopold). This might say more about the audience (do we more readily accept niceness if it is ancient?) than the writers, but it is something the film makes you think about, when you're done laughing.

Entertaining, Witty and Extremely Likeable Comic Fantasy
Calvin Webber (Christopher Walken) is a slightly mad genius living in Los Angeles at the height of the Cold War. Paranoid about the communist threat, he has made a vast and elaborate nuclear bunker under his house. And, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, he takes the precaution of going into it with his pregnant wife Helen (Sissy Spacek). By bizarre coincidence, just as they get down underground, a military aircraft crashes on their house. Convinced this is the dreaded nuke, he locks in and they prepare to stay there for 35 years until the radiation reaches safe levels. Finally come the 1990s and son Adam (Brendan Fraser) is sent out to reconnoitre and get look for fresh supplies in what they are convinced is a nightmarish and disintegrated post-apocalyptic world. (The neighbour has gone badly downhill in a way that makes this a more than understandable mistake.) Out he goes armed only with an indefatigable innocence and decency, an unshakable conviction that Perry Como is at the cutting edge of popular music and what he does not yet realize is a huge fortune in vintage baseball cards. After a few hours he is seriously at sea and hopelessly lost. Then he meets Alicia Silverstone's wordly and cynical Eve...

The central conceit of this film is the clash of what is basically a 1950s sensibility with the harsh and cynical realities of 1990s America. That way it strongly recalls 'Pleasantville', made a year earlier. But this is a much better film. While 'Pleasantville' rather condescended to the past, with its knowing modern kids teaching stuffy old 50s types how to be cool and have sex, this film is much more intelligently ambivalent about the blessings of modernity and has a very nice satirical edge. Not to mention much funnier. It is Eve who learns from Adam far more than the reverse. It's essentially an unusual romantic comedy with a bizarre fantasy premise. But it's an unusually sharp, witty and unintelligent romcom. A certain mismatch between British and American senses of humour may partly explain why I seldom laugh out loud at American movies. Several lines in this were notable exceptions. Its best moments recall, as very very few contemporary films manage to recall, the sharply observed intelligence of the great Hollywood romantic comedies of the 30s and 40s. Fresh, entertaining and extremely well-acted, it's well worth a look. ... Read more

Reviews (113)

You Have Two Options: Option A- Go See The Rundown.
Option B- I MAKE YOU go see The Rundown.

The Rundown marks the arrival of Dwayne Johnson, A.K.A. "The Rock" as a bona-fide movie star. As Beck, a "Retrieval Expert" who longs for a simpler life as a chef, he displays for the first time on film the humor and charisma that won him "Millions....and MILLIONS!" of fans in the WWE. Dispatced to the South American town of El Dorado (Called Hell Dorado by the locals) to fetch Travis Walker (Seann William Scott), the wayward son of his shady boss, Beck gets more than he bargained for. He finds Travis easily enough, but getting him home might pose more of a problem. Not only does Travis not WANT to go home, but local land baron Hatcher (The hilariously nutty Christopher Walken, at his eye-popping best here) won't LET him go...At least not until Travis finds a mythical golden idol for him. The Rock vs. an army of gun-toting slave-drivers......Place your bets!

As I said earlier, The Rock is awesome in his role, bringing a mix of self-effacing humor and quiet strength to the mix, balancing out the potentially irritating Scott's whiny character. Walken is, as always, a joy to watch. His diatribe about The Tooth Fairy is worth the price of admission alone, and hearing him say "Oompa-Loompa" is sure to go down in history as one of my all-time favorite movie lines. Director Peter Berg shows himself to be equally comfortable with comedy and action; He keeps the film moving along at a brisk pace, and the action scenes are simply stunning- Not only are the fights choreographed beautifully, but the action is easy to follow, with none of the choppy editing and shaky photography that has ruined many an action movie.

The Rundown is just what it portrays itself as: A fun buddy picture. I had a blast, and so did everyone else in the theater. If you're in the mood for action, The Rundown is a sure bet. If you smell what I'm cookin'.....

3 Notable Comic Performances. Otherwise Mediocre at Best.
A "retrieval expert" named Beck (The Rock) travels to Brazil to find Travis Walker (Seann William Scott), the errant son of an American gangster, and bring him back to his father in Los Angeles. Once in Brazil, Beck finds that Travis is beholden to a man named Hatcher (Christopher Walken), the megalomaniacal owner of a huge gold-mining operation. He becomes embroiled in a race to find an ancient treasure hidden in the jungle that is sought by Travis, Hatcher, and the local tribespeople who want to free themselves from Hatcher's mines.

"The Rundown" is a comic action adventure movie. It has a silly plot and acrobatic fight sequences that are more preposterous than anything from The Rock's pro wrestling career. But if you can get past that, "The Rundown" features 3 good comic performances that are the backbone of this film. The Rock is often compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, but he's a lot funnier. And whereas Schwarzenegger and Stallone are known for their stoic countenances, The Rock has an unusually expressive face, which he puts to good comic use here. Pro wrestling fans may like Beck's fight sequences, but a wider audience will enjoy his comic scenes. Seann William Scott once again proves that he's an actor who will do anything for a laugh as Travis, a kooky would-be archeologist. And Christopher Walken's deadpan delivery of Hatcher's ruthless, preposterously funny lines is priceless. These three actors are the only thing that makes "The Rundown" watchable. But if you're a fan of The Rock, Walken, or Scott, this might be worth seeing. It's no surprise that The Rock is a competent action star, but even a mediocre film like "The Rundown" shows him to be a very charismatic screen presence with a good deal of comic talent. Better script next time, hopefully.

The DVD: This is a nice package for a single disc. Bonus features include 2 audio commentaries, 6 featurettes, deleted scenes, a DVD-ROM (Windows only), and bios for cast and crew. One audio commentary is by director Peter Berg and The Rock. The other is by producers Kevin Misher and Marc Abraham. The featurettes: "Rumble in the Jungle" is a documentary about the film's fight scenes. "The Amazon, Hawaii Style" is about re-creating and filming the Brazilian jungle in Hawaii and features a lot of mutual comic criticism by The Rock and Seann William Scott. "Appetite for Destruction" is about the film's special effects. "The Rundown Uncensored" is a faux (spoof) documentary about The Rock's illicit onset relationship with the film's baboon star, Camilla. "Running Down the Town" is about the creation, in California, of the small Brazilian rain forest town where the film takes place, narrated by production designer Thomas Duffield. "Walken's World" is about the Hatcher character and his domain. All featurettes include interviews with the film's stars and director Peter Berg. Looking for a simple making-of documentary? Try "Rumble in the Jungle". Like the film's humor, particularly in the style of Seann William Scott? Try "The Amazon, Hawaii Style" and "The Rundown Uncensored". "Running Down the Town" is impressive, if you're interested in production design. The disc has 3 unavoidable previews before the film. Subtitles are available in Spanish and French, and captioning is available in English. Dubbing is available in Spanish and French.

Amusing In Spots
Whereas The Rundown did not live up to my expectations, it did have some good moments. The Rock(Dwayne Johnson) does add some charisma to the screen with his glib style. Sean William Scott and Christopher Walken are fine in supporting roles.

However the story line is really nothing special. It certainly lacks depth and basically was written as a vehicle for The Rock to show if his wrestling moves and stunt man abilities. There are other action thrillers that succede on both levels(story and action). Just check out anything by Denzel Washington or even Arnold Schwartzenegger.

The Rundown does feature some comedic moments and some good action scenes. However, the story is middle of the road at best.

Fun movie
I really enjoyed this movie. It was both an action adventure as well as having many funny lines. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to have an enjoyable evening in front of the television.

The Rock is Awesome
This is such a good movie. You will laugh you butt off. Seann William Scott is great in this movie. You will see a side of the Rock you never knew existed and will love it. A must see!! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Not up to par.
The movie opens in March of 1918. The long, bitter winter has yet to come to an end. There is an epidemic of influenza in town and the war has taken Anna's boyfriend overseas. Much as Jacob and Sarah did, Anna waits for every letter from him while tending the sick in town. Back home on the farm, an unexpected visitor will soon rock Sarah's family to its core.

Although 'Winter's End' sounds exciting, its frightfully dull and unprofessional. The acting is just not up to par with the first two. Glen Close, Christopher Walken and the entire cast shine in 'Sarah Plain & Tall' and 'Skylark.' After seeing those, I suppose I was spoiled. I expected that high quality when I bought 'Winter's End' and thus, I was shocked and dismayed by this poorly acted out movie. I've seen these actors/actresses at their best and they are very talented. Now, I am left baffled as to what happened here. Did they just not care this time around? Was it the director? A low budget? What? So many questions, so little answers. What really got me was when, 'Sarah' (Glen Close) was caught out in a blizzard and almost froze to death. The depth of emotion put into that scene wouldn't fill a tea spoon. 'Jacob' (Christopher Walken) put the most into it, but his acting was stilted, unreal and unnatural. Yet, the all time award for stiffness and unnatural acting would be a tie between, Jack Palance (Jacob's wayward father) and Christopher Bell (Caleb) They did a terrible job. To make matters worse, it looks as if the 'honeymoon' is over for Sarah and Jacob in 'winter's End.' There is no more of that 'spark' we enjoyed in, 'Sarah Plain & Tall' and 'Skylark.' There might be one or two scenes where they shine as they once did, but for the most part, the chemistry is dead.
The biggest highlight of the film was Sarah and Jacob's little girl 'Cassie,' played by Emily Osment. She seemed to be the only one who took her role seriously. She was a natural, and very 'real' in her part. She did a great job. But sadly the rest of the cast lost the magic that was, 'Sarah Plain & Tall.'

A 5-star trilogy, well worth a look
Christopher Walken and Glenn Close headline the cast in this excellent series of three Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.

In the first movie of the series, "Sarah, Plain and Tall," Walken plays a widowed Kansas farmer who desperately needs someone to help him rear his children while he tends to providing for the family via his farm in the early 1900s. Glenn Close plays Sarah, a woman from Maine, who responds to Walken's newspaper ad search for a wife. The rest of the story focuses on the developing relationships between Walken, Close, and the children. An excellent story and great movie -- 5 stars all the way.

In the second movie, "Skylark" (sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall), the story of Walken and Close's life continues as they face a severe drought, possible failure of the farm, and stresses those things place upon the family. Top-notch, equal in emotional impact and believability with "Sarah, Plain and Tall" -- definitely another 5-star movie.

The third movie, "Winter's End" finds an unexpected guest in Walken and Close's home -- Walken's father, long absent from any family interactions. In this movie, the children have grown considerably (I believe that all the members of the original cast are still together). While an enjoyable movie, this one is not in the same class as the first two, and hovers someplace around 3.5 to 4 stars.

I awarded the set 5 stars on the collective strength of the first two movies.

Just in case you hadn't noticed, Walken is often cast in somewhat quirky roles, but this is probably my favorite work of his. He plays a devoted father dealing with a range of believable real-life issues. These movies also underscore the incredible talent of Close, who can pull off roles as diverse as Sarah's and that of Disney's Cruella DeVil!

Do yourself a favor...if you haven't watched these movies, watch them. They are wonderful.

Have a great day!

Alan Holyoak

Excellent Family Viewing
This is excellent family viewing. It gives one a sense of how tough it was to grow up in the 1800's and early 1900's. People had to work hard for everything, certainly much different than our world where people are pampered by modern-day conveniences.
Glenn Close is one of the great actresses of all time, no question here. If you like Close, check out her excellent performance in "World According to Garp." She is also capable of playing evil as well...in "Fatal Attraction."

Watching the Sarah Plain and Tall series is a great way to help your family grow closer together.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Sarah has become family!
By the time you watch all of these (there are three) Sarah and her bunch are family. You watch the kids grow up and there are these marvelous stories and it's just good entertainment. Sarah comes to Kansas to marry a widower farmer to "make a difference" to him and his two children. The first movie concerns their meeting and eventually marrying, the second movie shows their life through a drought and forced separation and the third brings them into WW1 and some personal family problems. Everything is done perfectly and you'll enjoy these time and again. I've watched them all several times.

I love it.
I loved all three of these movies. It is nice to find a movie that you can watch with the whole family. I think the 3rd movie stayed close to the book. I wish there were more of these type of movies. ... Read more

Description

Stop that 'Roo! The chase is on when two bumbling Brooklyn buddies sent to deliver a $50,000 mob pay envelope cross paths with a hip-hopping prankster of a kangaroo who sprints off with the loot. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

"Extremely funny, though I don't agree with the rating..."
Don't get me wrong, Kangaroo Jack was extremely funny. I laughed enough to last me three days, but I do agree with other reviewers, there is too much profanity and sexual humor to allow a PG rating. I'd go for a PG-13, but I guess, the humor isn't that bad. And then again, PG means Parental Guidance Suggested. Oh, and Donster, you need to lighten up, dude, you let your kids watch a teen slasher flick but not a mild comedy, you need counseling. Anyway, moving on, I thought this movie was very funny, in fact, I thought it was so good that I went to it three times. My favorite comedy scenes were when Louis (Anderson) and Charlie (O'Connel) were in the bathroom on the airplane talking about the money, but the flight attendants believed they were talking about "things" (that would be PG-13 comedy). The other would probably be G comedy, but still extremely funny, is the very loud and nauseating farts that these camels rip. OMG, I could swear that the next theatre over probably heard it. Okay, well, pretty much the only thing to review about this is the comedy, so I'll leave all other aspects to your thoughts and opinions. Thanks for reading.

Uninspired: Bruckheimer's "Family Picture" Is No Fun
No fun, I say, probably even for kids, for the plot is not simple and the situation is too labored. New York city hairstylist Jerry O'Connell and his buddy Anthony Anderson get in trouble when they accidentally caused a big financial damage to the local mobster (and Jerry's step-father) Christopher Walken. Walken (who obviously does not read script before signing contract), orders the two bumbling Americans to deliver a bag of $50,000 to Australia.

Now, they arrive at Sydney, but soon loses the money in the most ridiculous and incredible way -- a kangaroo wearing a red jacket that contains the envelope runs away in the middle of the deserts! In the meanwhile, unknown to them, gangsters are also sent there to follow Jerry and Anthony, possibly to get rid of them.

The cartoonish idea of two adults chasing the hopping kangaroo is not a bad one, but there is no fun in the chase scenes which are shot like an action movie. Such classic cartoons featuring Road Runner or Willy O Coyote are far superior and ingenious, and the director David McNally (of, incidentaly, the ordinary drama "Coyote Ugly" fame) should have learned a thing or two from these masterpieces.

I see nothing great in actors; they are just OK. Jerry O'Connell looks better than in cult comedy "Tomcats" and Anderson is always fun to watch even though his character (and Jerry's too) tend to scream to each other (like ten times) without particular meaning. Thankfully, Oscar winner (yes, he was, in "Deerhunter") Christopher Walken fare better simply because his role is small, and you get lovely Estella Warren and h