Amazon.com

Thanks to the ambitious vision of director Tim Burton, the blockbuster hit of 1989 delivers the goods despite an occasionally spotty script, giving the caped crusader a thorough overhaul in keeping with the crime fighter's evolution in DC Comics. Michael Keaton strikes just the right mood as the brooding "Dark Knight" of Gotham City; Kim Basinger plays Gotham's intrepid reporter Vicki Vale; and Jack Nicholson goes wild as the maniacal and scene-stealing Joker, who plots a takeover of the city with his lethal Smilex gas. Triumphant Oscar-winning production design by the late Anton Furst turns Batman into a visual feast, and Burton brilliantly establishes a darkly mythic approach to Batman's legacy. Danny Elfman's now-classic score propels the action with bold, muscular verve. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (261)

The best comic book movie.
Superman. Spider-man. X-Men. They're all good comic book films, but to me they pale in comparison to this 1989 classic. Micheal Keaton plays Batman/Bruce Wayne and pulls both roles off real well being a millionaire by day and a crimefighter by night. Jack Nicholson also pulls off a great role as the psychotic Joker. The writers did a very good job on the story. My only complaint is the DVD itself. There's not even a theatrical trailer. Maybe Warner Bros. will release a 2-disc special edition next year for the film's 15th anniversary, complete with a theatrical trailer, deleted scenes, and possibly a commentary. They should, considering all the 2-disc special editions they've been releasing lately. Anyway, I highly recommend this to anyone.

My favorite line from the movie:

Mugger: Don't kill me.
Batman: I'm no going to kill you. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell all your friends about me.
Mugger: What are you?
Batman: I'm Batman.

Is there a 6-foot bat in Gotham City?
I can still remember as a 4 year-old being completely obsessed with the Batman character. And I loved the movie. To put it simply, Batman was my hero. Of course this isn't the case anymore but I still think that "Batman" is a great film.

One of the most striking things about "Batman" is the set design by Anton Furst, which is very Gothic and bleak looking (during the outdoor scenes there is no sun whatsoever). The Gotham City that looked like any other in the TV series is transformed into dark, slimy crime pit in which good is basically nonexistent. Tim Burton gives the film some good direction, keeping things tight and interesting. He executed the action scenes nicely as well. Aside from the impressive set design and direction, the movie is also well acted. Michael Keaton played the role of Batman very well, giving Batman a powerful presence and a sort of everyman personality (which is even a bit off-the-wall) when he's Bruce Wayne. Jack Nicholson, meanwhile, was excellent as the Joker. He hams things up a lot, which makes sense since the character of Joker is supposed to be a complete, smart-mouthed maniac. I did notice a few problems with this movie though. The story, for the most part, focuses too much on the Joker, which is silly. I mean, isn't the movie called "Batman"? The plot is bit shallow as well, which probably explains why I found it a bit difficult to pin point exactly the Joker wants to do with Gotham City. The love story was bit weak as well. While Kim Basinger did good job as Vicki Vale, she and Keaton didn't develop a lot of chemistry to make their pairing believable.

If you can ignore some minor problems, "Batman" stands as pretty good comic book adaptation. If you like superhero films, then this one is certainly worthy being included in your collection.

al right
It's the first batman movie and it really wasn't that good. Jack Nicoleson was good at joker. But this movie just doesn't catch you. The story between Bruce and Vicky is okay. Tim Burten filmed it well,the action wasn't that good, and compared to the others except the fourth one it doesn't stand a chance.

im batman!
jack nicholson set a world record for accepting 89 million bones to play the joker here.i didnt like the fact that the joker got wasted since he was easily the best character in thefilm.also,although i think tim burton is a directing genius,in this film he focused way too much on character development and the beautiful gothic arcitecture of gotham and really had little left for the actual storyline.michael keaton is batman.children will enjoy this one.this is easily the best of the batman onslaught of the 90s.this is a film most anyone will enjoy except people who criticize everything.there is only one really hot babe in this one.her name is vickie.shes one of those stuck up buisness broad by day-raving whore by night types.the only major difference between this movie and the comic book is that the joker is batmans long time arch nemisis not just some fly by night clown who gets wasted in the first episode.jack nicholson played an awesome joker.he deserved an award.people say this movie rocks and THEY ARE RIGHT.

garbage
Laughable special effects, especially for a movie that came out in the 90's, Robot Jocks had better effects. Watch where the joker falls off the building, and where the bat plane crashes, I think the fire is done with cigarettes. Choreography is lame, like at the end where a guy jumps over Batman's head then goes falling through the floor. Batman doesn't use his intellect or detective skills really, just goes charging in to battles, he almost gets killed twice while out of costume. It doesn't make sense that batman tries to tell Vicky Vale his secret identity. "Yeah, this'll make her respect me
". I can imagine him in front of a mirror practicing "I'm Batman". He also endangers innocent civilians in a car chase(...). What's up with her wardrobe?(glasses), and the guy reporter is an annoying geek. The batsuit is more powerful than the batplane? Batman is shot about 15 times through the course of the movie (twice without the suit), but all it takes is one shot to bring down the plane, i guess because it's moving towards the bullet at such a speed. An aluminum tray also provides stronger armor than the batplane according to tihs movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This time around, the Brat Packers (Emilio Estevez, Christian Slater, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland) are on the run from the law and making a break for the border. Sutherland is yanked from his school-teaching job back East and extradited for trial, until he's liberated by the other members of the gang. There's a memorable scrap between Phillips and Slater, and a couple of pretty decent firefights, but all in all this is rather forgettable fare. It taps into the futility and camaraderie of classics like The Wild Bunch and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but Sam Peckinpah or George Roy Hill it ain't. Jon Bon Jovi adds to the Rock-Stars-in-the-Old-West feel of this one, rife as it is with non-period dialogue and long, blowy hair. Still, fans of the original movie may find plenty to like in this sequel, even if it comes across as being a bit tired and turgid (notice there never was a Young Guns III). --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Young Guns II: Truly In The Blaze Of Glory
Emilio Estevez returns as the smart-mouthed yet fast-drawing William H. Bonny, now much better known as Billy the Kid. Billy, one of three survivors of the shootout in the climax of the original Young Guns film. To start off the movie, Billy rescues his friends, Doc Shurlock (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chavez (Lou Diamond Phillips) from a miserable western town. But as the trio attempts to gallop on horseback all the way back to Old Mexico, a federal posse led by none other than the traitor Pat Garrett (William Petersen) is in hot pursuit, and the stakes are high as Billy battles his way through a ton of barriers... ultimately ending in a mysterious ending: did Billy the Kid survive?

What Goes Around, Comes Around
Young Guns 2 is what Unforgiven had tried to be: an anti-violence western. While lacking in the historical accuracy area, Young Guns made up for it in providing a well acted entertaining moral.

Young Guns tells the story of William H. "Billy the Kid" Bonney and his gang of outlaws. They are wanted for their involvement in the Lincoln County Cattle Wars, which is historically accurate. The story does veer from reality in the personality of the Kid and his purposes for involvement. They make a romantic hero out of a murderer. Of course Hollywood has done this on a number of occasions (Mumia Abu Jamal).

There really is a moralistic tale to this story: he who lives by the sword, will die by it also. The movie does make a statement as to the question of the Kid's death. Some claim that Pat Garrett didn't actually kill him, that he let him go and the Kid lived on for many years before 'revealing' himself to a newspaper reporter. I don't think that either side can be substantiated.

This is definitely one of my favorite movies to catch whenever it's on tv. One of my favorite movie lines of all time comes from this movie. It's said when Kiefer Sutherland (Doc Scurlock) points a gun in Emilio Estevez's (Billy) face and says, "William H. Bonney, you are not a God." And the Kid replies, "Why don't cha pull the trigger an find out?"

billy the kid
this one is designed to fuel a billy the kid lives style story.it wont hurt the kids i dont think.lou diamond phillips,keefer sutherland and emilio estevez arein it.the first one was better.besides the first one,this is one of the best western flicks ever.a red head whore goes topless for a few.that part was the best.each of the actors did thier best in this and the first young guns.

Charming, entertaining and even better than the first one.
Young Guns is a movie about the origins of the legendary Billy The Kid and a handful of deputized outlaws that accompanied him in his adventures. Young Guns II is the great conclusion to Young Guns, so well realized that it outshines its predecessor.

The story begins with the hunt for outlaws promoted by the newly elected governor of New Mexico with the help of handsome government rewards for the capture (dead or alive) of known personalities. Billy The Kid is one of the hunted and Pat Garret, his longtime friend, is made Sheriff to aid in his capture. The outcome of the story is legend.

The cast's performances (Emilio Estevez, William Petersen, Diamond Lou-Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland, Christian Slater, Alan Ruck, Balthazar Getty, James Coburn and Viggo Mortensen) are wonderful and delightful to watch. The characters are very well developed and all of them shine in their own way. The score and soundtrack by Alan Silvestri and Jon Bon Jovi, along with the movie's photography, are breathtaking and work in concert to transport you to a long ago and far away place, making you feel part of the action. The sets and settings accurately depict the period; the showdowns and shot-outs abound, the surprise elements and unexpected plot twists are rewarding and the story is consistently woven into a fascinating tale based on one of the better known legends of the Old West.

To enjoy this movie even more I would recommend watching Young Guns (part I) first, a very good movie too, you'll appreciate the character's growth and the pre-established, continued story lines a lot better. This is a must watch for those who like Westerns, like to wear their cowboy hats from time to time, or simply want to enjoy a good, entertaining, action-packed movie.

better then the first
I think this is better then the first one. with an allstar cast you can cut with a knife. you got your Emilio Estevez, Christian Slater, Kiefer Sutherland, Alan Ruck, Viggo Mortensen, Lou Diamond Phillips and your William Petersen. with more roust um up action and gunplay. Slater stands out in this entire movie and Im just glad he made it out alive. though did they have to kill off Kiefer and Lou, come on man. packs a screaming wallop. yeeehaw, ride um cowboys. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

One of the Best Comedies of the Ninties.
New Yorker Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) turns 39 and thinking that he will be misrable for the rest of his life. Then his two best friends (Daniel Stern & Bruno Kirby) offer a present to Mitch by bringing him to a cattle drive in New Mexico. Then mitch's life start to change unexpectedly by going on his fantasy vacation with his friends. They are set out to find thier freedom and thier adventure, they will remember for a life time.

Directed by Ron Underwood (Tremors, Heart & Souls, Mighty Joe Young-Remake) made a extremely likeable entertaining ambitious comedy. Crystal, Stern, Kirby and Jack Palance's wonderful Oscar Winning Performance makes this Contemporary Comedy Classic really worth watching. Crystal also Executive Produced the film. There's a nice music score by Marc Shaiman (South Park:Bigger, Longer & Uncut). DVD's has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD only extra is the Original Theatrical Trailer. This is Wonderfully Written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (City Slickers 2:The Legend of Curly's Gold). Watch for Jeffery Tambor, Yearley Smith, Robert Contanzo, Jake Gyllenhall, Danielle Harris and that's Crystal real-life Daughter-Lindsay Crystal playing his Daughter in the flim. One of the highest grossing films of 1991. This is One of the Best & Most memorable comedies ever made, see it. Grade:A.

Buckaroo Bonanza....
This review refers to the MGM Contemporary Classic DVD Edition of "City Slickers".....

Saddle up Buckaroos, for the funniest city dude meets cowboy adventure since Bob Hope roamed the plains!

Mitch(Billy Crystal) is going through a mid-life crisis. He sells "air" for a New York radio station and finds that as he nears 40, his life seems unfulfilling. His buddies Ed(Bruno Kirbly), an aging Romeo, and Phil(Daniel Stern), pitifuly henpecked, also seem to be feeling the strain. They decide a little vacation is in order and head for a New Mexico cattle ranch to enjoy life as they "bring in the herd".

This "fantasy" vacation turns into one hysterical adventure. Learning to rope and ride is trickier(and funnier), then you think. But the toughest part is dealing with the tough ranch hands. One in particular..."Curly"(Jack Palance)...is one bad hombre as he scares these guys out of their wits.

They are joined by several others as the drive begins from New Mexico to Colorado and anything than can go wrong... does! There's a stampede, a runaway wagon, and Mitch even has to deliver a calf. Their cell phones are no help here! There's also mucho male bonding going on during the trek. These guys even bond with the cows! They learn about each other and with the help of the very tough Curly, they even learn what is important in life.

The funny lines and gags are non stop, and there are some very poignant moments as well. It'll have you smiling and often laughing out loud. You won't want it to end, but luckily...there's a sequel.."City Slickers 2..The Legend of Curly's Gold".

The film was honored with several awards. Among them Jack Palance took an Oscar for Best supporting actor, as well as a Golden Globe and a Best supporting actor from the American Comedy Awards. Billy Crystal was also honored at the American Comedy Awards as Funniest Actor in a lead and the People's Choice Awards voted the film the Favorite Comedy of the year. They are joined by some outstanding and seasoned character actors. Jeffrey Tambor, John Mostel, David Paymer, Patricia Wettig, and Helen Slater and the wonderful Noble Willingham all keep us in stitches as well. The music by Marc Shaiman is as fun as the story and Direcotr Ron Underwood and Photographer Dean Semler bring us some real cinematic delights.

The transfer of the DVD is very nice. An excellent picture in widescreen presents the beautiful Western scenery and terrific colors. If you watch the original theatrical trailer, you can really notice the difference made by the transfer. Although the sound in Dolby Stereo was good, it could have been better. This film with all the great music and action needs to be in 5.1. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and has subtitles in Spanish and French, but no other special features. Just a really funny flick that will take you away for about 2 hours.

So sing along to the tunes of "Rawhide" and "Bonaza" with Mitch, Phil, Ed and Norman the cow along the big trail...have fun...Laurie

Poignant Comedy
This is one of those great comedies that also speaks to the great truths of life. I have watched this film over and over again and am always left with a wonderful feeling after having watched it. It lifts my spirits when I am low and helps to remind me what is truly important in life.

Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) are three friends approaching mid-life at break neck speed. Each year they go on increasingly more dangerous adventures which Mitch's wife (Patricia Wettig) describes as desperate and juvenile attempts to hold on to their youth. When Ed suggests mushing along the trail of Admiral Byrd as a way to top running from bulls in Spain, Mitch is ready to quit the adventure trips and settle into senior life at the ripe old age of 39. After a demotion at his job and a surprise at his birthday party where Phil and his icy wife Arlene (Karla Tamburelli) have a blow out after she learns of his infidelities, Mitch's depression gets the better of his wife who sends him on one more adventure - to find his smile.

And so it is that the trio finds themselves on a cattle drive in the American west with five other lost souls and Curly (Jack Palance) as the cattle boss. Palance is wonderful as the gruff old cowboy who intimidates everyone around him (Mitch:"Kill anyone today, Curly?" Curly: "Day ain't over yet."). Yet he knows the secret to life and relates the cryptic answer to Mitch during the ride. As they drive the cattle and overcome obstacles like stampedes, drunken escapades by the trail hands and their own personal struggles, Mitch comes to realize what Curly's answer means and that it is the only answer he needs to bring the pieces of his life back together.

A Big Letdown!
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!! I hate it when they do this!! The first hour of this movie is so funny I laughed out loud on a number of occasions. Something I don't usually do when I watch a comedy by myself but this was just too hilarious. Then, a cow gets shot just after giving birth, Jack Palance dies and is buried on the trail, two horses get killed going over a cliff with the wagon and a cute little calf nearly drowns in a river. After being bullied and deserted by drunken cowboys, the "city slickers" manage to drive home the herd of cattle and are informed that the cows that "trusted" them will be ground up for hamburger....but hey, that's life! Billy Crystal finds his family is the most important thing to him, and he adopts the little calf, but no jokes could make me even smile after the middle portion of this movie that starts out broad comedy and mutates into warm'n'fuzzy, overly-sentimental, and very predictable fluff. Not my idea of a "feel-good" movie... a little sad actually. When it started I was making plans about buying the sequel. When it ended I decided to sell the original. I can see why there are so many used copies for sale at Amazon Marketplace.
This could have been up there with the best National Lampoon Vacation movies (started out that way) but they blew it.

Great movie, horrible dvd
I love this movie! Its among my top favorites. However, the DVD [is bad]! One reason, the dubbing. The first half of the movie is fine, but about half way through, the words being spoken by the characters dont match up with their mouth. It looks like a bad Bruce Lee movie! Im not one to complain, but it just kept getting worse! At one point the whole line was almost spoken before the characters mouth started moving! I just baffles me that those responsible for transfering this movie to DVD took no care at all in doing it! I really dont know how this DVD made it to stores without someone noticing this huge fault and trying to make it better. Like I said, this is my favorite movie, I give it the lowest rating for the lack of dubbing quaility! ... Read more

Reviews (94)

A Classic Cult Film!!!
Repo Man is THE classic cult movie. It's a real original! A wacky and complex masterpiece that defies description. Emilio Estevez, in his one and only good role, is the title character, a teenage punk who lives with his hippie parents in L.A. The always brilliant Harry Dean Stanton is the veteran repo man who takes Estevez under his wing and shows him the ropes of the trade. To reveal more would be wrong, one of the many pleasures of this movie is the wild surprises and twists that the film springs on us. Let's just say the film mixes a punk attitude with bizarro science fiction, hysterical comedy, satire, a GREAT soundtrack and much more. With this film and the brilliant Sid & Nancy (another film you should see if you have'nt)Alex Cox announced himself as a great director. Unfortunately, he seemed to want to self destruct a promising career with the release of two deeply flawed but nonetheless interesting films Walker and Straight to Hell. This is a man who needs to direct again? Where is he now??

Cult classic
Of all the low-budget films to come out of the Eighties, Repo Man, Alex Cox's dark cult comedy about Eighties urban sprawl and alien paranoia, is one of the better ones. Emilio Estevez stars in one of his earliest roles as Otto Parts, your modern apocalyptic teen up to his armpits in drugs, sex, and parental neglect. He soon finds a way out through Bud (Stanton), an ace repo man, who gives him a job and teaches him the ways of the car repossessing trade. The two wander through the guts of L.A. in search of a '64 Chevy Malibu, priced at 50 thousand dollars, and run into a cast of bizarre street characters: feds, girls in distress, a lobotomized nuclear physicist, and really, really dumb criminals. Estevez gives one of the best performances of his career, honing his acting skills as a punk white boy just in time for his role in Coppola's The Outsiders, released later that year. Cox, who wrote and directed the film, creates a strange but hilarious view of our culture, a brilliant satire on modern society.

What the f*ck do I know?
One thing I do know is this film is a modern day masterpiece.Unlike anything made before it.A true work of art and absolutely essential to any great DVD collection.Better than Gone With The Wind.It will make you wanna go to L.A. but stay home and watch Repo Man instead.I really wish they'd release the made for TV version of it as well.Along with the high art of Richard Elfman's brilliant Forbidden Zone, Repo Man is in a class all by itself.SUPERB!

not what i had expected
I was thouroughly pleased upon seeing repo man. Though i Admit it was defintitletely not what I had expected. A friend recomended the movie to me saying it was apunk rock thing, and it was actually an acurate portrayal of the punk rock lifestyle of the 80's. WHOA no way, thats the last time i trust that guy. What I did discover was a magical glowing, flying spacecar, which everyone and their mother wanted. It's brilliant, just half way through the movie it takes a twist for the strange. I'd recomend this movie to anyone. This is probably Emelio's only good performance ever so that makes the movie that much more special.

"The more you drive, the less intelligent you are."--Miller
Wow, ummm....interesting. Finally something different. No, I mean this is REALLY different. About time to, cuz lately I've seen a string of bvad movies, so it's nice to see something cool and original every now and then. Otto (Emilio Estevez) is a Los Angeles punk, a loser with no direction and no role models. But he discovers a code of honor and higher purpose when he joins a select group of latter-day knights: the repo men. As a fledging apprentice, Otto slowly learns the ways of these high-caliber, overmedicated auto repossessors. And when a $20,000 bounty is placed on a mysterious missing car, Otto eludes the police, feds, religious cultists, and other repo men in a frantic search for this holy grail. Could one man's destiny lie in the back of a 1964 Chevy Malibu? For some, actually for many, this film will come of as stupid and random, but for those of us who "get" it, this is a breathe of fresh air. Using clever, if somewhat odd, story telling, this film should keep you entertained and amused throughout the entire duration of the film. I say rent first, then but. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Grab your favorite munchies, kids. Red and Meth, that dope-addled dynamic duo, are going to Harvard! And while it's not an episode of Masterpiece Theatre, How High is destined to become a guilty pleasure of the cannabis crowd. The plot's a familiar one--take the basic selling points of any Cheech & Chong movie (a pair of shambolic protagonists who smoke lots of weed while slinging slang and driving funky, '70s-style cars), graft them onto a generic "raising hell on campus" teen movie scenario, and shake vigorously. The result is a prosaic effort that does contain some all-too-brief moments of genuine humor. Red and Meth, a.k.a. Redman and Method Man, may look like the world's oldest freshmen, but both offer genial performances, especially Method Man, who imbues the character of Silas with a dog-eared gentleness that raises him above the film's leaden script and plasticine directing. --Rebecca Levine ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Booklet Missing
In response to the last reviewer, I did not get anything in the lefthand sleeve either. I bought this set and there was no booklet in the lefthand side, though there was a sleeve for it. I brought it back for another one, and the replacement had no booklet either. Did the company producing this DVD change their minds about putting something in the sleeve, or did I get two bum copies in a row? The one star rating is because of the negligent packaging...the movies were fine.

Does it come with a booklet?
I have liked the movies since they came out, but I agree that the dvds could have been remastered with better sound and widescreening. I guess these will do for now given the decent bundled pricing. One quick question. Did anyone receive a booklet in the left sleeve of this set? There's an empty pocket in mine and it seemed weird. Is it just packaging or should I bother to return for a replacement? Thanks for any help from the Conan experts!

Classic Fantasy
Conan: The Barbarian is a classic fantasy film and probably the best fantasy film besides the LOTR series of movies. Sure the second Conan movie, Conan: The Destroyer, isn't as good as the first but who cares when you are getting both for only $15. Pick this DVD up just for the first one and you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you enjoy the second one too, after all it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

I can't wait for the new movie, Conan goes to Nease
This is an excellent example of American movie making and the general intellect of the country. We should be proud! Of course, with Arnold busy these days, the new movie, Conan Goes To Nease, will star Buff Biondom who really gives Arnold a run for his money... especially when he lifts an entire portable building (complete with a ramp for the disabled) and crushes a statue of Ponce DeLeon, four and a half miles away. Co starring Scott Bebe, as the dreaded nemesis, the Borester, whose very voice puts people into a coma. Sadly (or gladly), in the final scene, Conan 's daughter wipes out an entire herd of deer and KNF dies - pass the corn.

Mono sound?
Upon receipt and inspection of the package, it appears both of these movies are presented in 2.0 mono sound. WTF?

After researching (just now, between these two sentences) it would appear the new special edition of Barbarian is also in mono (someone said it was 1.0 mono)... hrm. That is too bad. You would think they would be able to make a decent sound package for this since they went through the trouble to fix up the visual clarity.

Anyway, I'm giving this 4 stars just because it is frickin Conan and Conan ROCKS! All it needs is an improved sound suite and it would be at 5 stars. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Is this the Family Gun, Dad?
One of the best films of the 1980's, At Close Range tells the true story of the Johnston Family gang (changed here to Whitewood) which terrorized Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania in the 1970s by stealing tractor parts and generally being hoods. While the story may sound not too compelling, this film gets a huge boost from some great ensemble acting. This is the movie that got me over my aversion to Sean Penn and Christopher Walken delivers one of the most believably evil people in movies. I grew up in the town this all took place in and Bruce Johnston (Christopher Walken=Brad Whitewood) lived next door to my Uncle. And my Uncle said that Walken nailed this guy's persona. Scary Thought. What saves At Close Range from being just another crime movie is the flair that James Foley brings to the direction. It's often gorgeous, thank to Juan Ruiz Anchia's brilliant cinematography and in no small part to Patrick Leonard's haunting score, keyed to the melody of Live to Tell. How come there was never a soundtrack? Do yourself a favor, check it out and be reminded that evil does exist and in forms more insidious and banal than serial killers and possessed little girls.

My favorite Sean Penn movie
This shows why Sean Penn is the best actor of his (and of any other) generation. An intense, beautifully acted and photographed film based on a true story (the family also lived near my area of PA). It's sad that the movie, Penn and James Foley got so little recognition. The only flaw I could see was that apparently Keifer Sutherland was edited out of the movie except for an appearance at the end.. I've been trying to find a book on this subject and would appreciate any information. Sean, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Eileen Ryan (Mrs. Penn), the underused and under-rated Millie Perkins, and Mary Stuart Masterson were all excellent. The last 20 minutes are incredibly riveting.

SUCKED WALKEN COULD HAVE DONE BETTER
At the time Sean Penn was not very known so it didn't surprise me
he would be in this flop of a movie.But Walken was already respected and an oscar winner.What was he thinken.Christopher
Walken is a great actor and he does a good job in this but this
movie is so boring I couldn't wait for it to end.Skip this see
Deer Hunter,Dead Zone for good Walken movies.As for Penn along
with colors thank god for Casualties of war or he would have never gotten were he is today.

The Truer Story...
"At Close Range" is a film that, at the gut level, pursues its audience long after viewing. The brilliant manifestation of acting genius by Penn and Walken is only matched by the haunting realization of this "true story." Undoubtedly, that old saying that true-life is more compelling than fiction takes hold in this case. In all, "At Close Range" digs at the heart of its audience and, with as much attention to sincerity as Hollywood allows, surpasses the disconnect of reality and nightmare. (Something as equally interesting; Mary Stuart Masterson's character in the film was included on behalf of her real-life model Robin Miller--my aunt. The company producing the film was denied permission by my grandmother to use Robin's name, so Hollywood did what it does best--they changed names, capitalized on someone else's tragedy, and denied royalties to the victim's family. I would say, too, that there are only a handful of us who actually know the truer story behind this film, and it is viciously haunting.)

One of my favorite films
Juvenile deliquent Brad Whitewood Jr ( Sean Penn), spends his time in a small town with his friends pulling off petty thefts for small time cash. However, Brad is getting sick of his boring life, and longs to make some serious money. Brad's father (Christopher Walken) is the leader of a serious gang of thieves. Brad has heard the rumors about his father, but never got a chance to know him. So he decides to leave his boring life behind, and sets out to find his father so that he can learn the tricks of the trade and become just like him. At first, Brad's father appears to be a good guy filled with plenty of wisdom and helpful hints on how to make it big. But when Brad witnesses his father intentionally kill someone, he realizes that he may be in over his head.

"At Close Range" is a great film. The story is based on the real life story of killer Bruce Johnson. With the acception of the character's names being chaged, the film features an accurate interpretation of events. It is truly a shame that no one really knows about this film. It features a powerful and emotional tale of an American criminal family. The film is very captivating and draws you in from the beginning. The story is great because it combines a somewhat touching look at a son getting to know his father, with an extremely well thought out crime story. This film emphasizes the term "appearances can be deceiving" because as the story goes on, Brad begins to learn what type of man his father really is. There is also a nice romance aspect to the story because Sean Penn's character meets and falls for a woman played by Mary Stuart Masterson.

Sean Penn and Christopher Walken offer two of their finest performances in this film, which is another reason why it is a shame that no one knows about this movie. "At Close Range" shows that Sean Penn was a great actor before "Mystic River". He nails the role with his perfect portrayal of being rebellious and naive at the same time. Christopher Walken is great because he plays both the loving father and the hardened criminal so well. Walken's performance in this film will give you the creeps. It really was the perfect role for him. Overall, I would place "At Close Range" at the top of the "unknown gem" category. This film is probably one of the best crime films I have ever seen. The story is absolutely fantastic and the actors involved could not have given better peformances.

A solid 5 stars... ... Read more

Reviews (21)

An excellent sequel to Chinatown.
This film was badly reviewed and did not do much better at the "Box Office." An excellent sequel to Chinatown. This story is as engaging and interesting as the original. The big surprise isn't who the bad guy turns out to be but who Jake Gittes has been dealing with all along. Keitel does an excellent job as supporting actor.

There are times throughout this movie when you don't know if the the two "Jakes" are going to kill each other or become fast friends. The slow build up of grudging respect is interesting though and the plot, performances, and scenery keep you engaged. This is a must see if you liked Chinatown.

Vastly Underrated
Any sequel to something as good as "Chinatown" is going to disappoint some people, but "The Two Jakes" is just the sequel that that movie needed. "The Two Jakes" has a different look, and a different feel to it; one that is akin to the time that it represents- like "Kiss Me Deadly" or "Sudden Fear" has a different look than "Casablanca" or "The Big Sleep".

Yes, it does have a convoluted plot, but one that makes perfect sense if you pay attention, and you cannot fault the performers- they are flawless to the extras. It is also the most flawless (yep, I know that I have been using that adjective a lot, but it fits, and you can look at my other reviews to see just how mean I can be!) look of postwar Los Angeles that I have ever seen- and as a resident, I know how hard that that can be to pull off. So, okay, it's not "Chinatown" so what? Not to denigate it, but that movie's impact was mainly because it re-introduced a generation to the whole film noir genre, brilliantly. This movie attempted to do the same thing for a time that also should be remembered- the 50's film noir, before "Psycho" and "Bonnie and Clyde", but the movies that paved the way for those classics.

Excellent color film noir
This is a nice sequel to Chinatown. It is written by Robert Towne, the writer of Chinatown. Where Chinatown is pre-war Los Angeles and surrounds water resources and development of the San Fernando Valley, this film is about post-war Los Angeles and oil.

The DVD is high quality. The image is sharp, color is good, and soundtrack well balanced.

If you have Chinatown you should also add the sequel to your collection.

Two Jakes: A Classic, but not a Masterpiece
Two Jakes is great movie, but simply NOT on the level of "Chinatown"... The story is well written, the talent is superb, but the direction lacks the dynamic, passionate style that Polanski put into his masterpiece "Chinatown". Jack, Harvey, Perry, and especially the normally talented Meg Tilly, walk through their parts without tension or emotional dynamics... which is not consistant with either the period, nor the style of early film noir.... this is a film in the style of the 90s, and so Nicholson is seduced by BOTH leading ladies... and it falls flat both times. The music, which is not distinctive, adds nothing to the needed dramatic tension of these characters, which it should have. Still, the movie has some strong points. The photography and set designs are first rate. The scene in the Max Factor building using the actual reception room and exterior is wonderful... the building is now the "Hollywood History Museum" and it was great to see it as it may have appeared in 1948. The new DVD transfer is a fine one, color corrected, and sound is clear and crisp. The performance by Ruben Blades is incredible and he is a frightening tough guy who shows his loyalty and bond to Harvey's character in the end very clearly... not an easy bit of drama to play out on screen. I recommend this one, but just do not expect the same masterpiece that Chinatown is.... and I strongly recommend a person see Chinatown first to understand much of this film.

Good Follow Up to CHINATOWN
THE TWO JAKES is a good follow-up to CHINATOWN. The Characters and sets really make this movie. The story is just average but the period details are very good. Too bad Jerry Goldsmith did not compose the score but Jack's great style of directing makes up for quite a lot. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

humorous redemption
GOIN'SOUTH is a funny movie about a humorous redemption. Jack Nicholson is the redeemee and lovely Mary Steenburgen is the redeemor. Jack, the low-life criminal, finds that marriage with obedience to Mary is the price he has to pay for going straight. Mary finds that the price of getting cheap gold miner labor through marriage to Jack includes all of the vows, conjugal and otherwise. They actually strike gold and GREED enters into the plot. Greed is a dandy comedy catalyst. The writers gave this movie excellent dialogue. Casting was terrific. What can telegraph a better joke than Nicholson's devilish leer? Mary Steenburgen fit the role of a prim, greedy reformer to a Tee. Even the cover on the box sets the comedy mood of this film with Jack's leering face framed by a noose, saying if I may, "Hey! This is going to be a funny, funny, movie."

A DEFINITE LAUGHER
This was the first incarnaction of Jack reading the phone book: You don't care what's being said because Jack's saying it. GOIN' SOUTH is so pointless it can't help but be funny. The scene where Jack devours the boiled chicken is hysterical (then dead panning to Mary Steenburgen, "How about a little DE-sert?"). I wonder how much of this film was off the script and how much was improved. GOIN' SOUTH isn't ground breaking comedy, but it is a definite laugher.

Give me more
Jack rocked this. He played his part perfectly. I laughed myself silly watching this movie. It was predictable but hell we all like a movie that touches home base every once in a while don't we. If you rent this movie you will probably want to buy it so just buy it first and watch it with style. A clear picture is worth an extra few bucks. VHS is fading away in front of your eyes.

Goin' South
I have watched this movie many times and never get tired of it. I have shown it to many of my friends and they all enjoy it. Jack Nicholson cracks me up every time. No-one could carry this part off as well. Watch this movie and be entertained as you want to be.

Missing some scenes and lines.
My wife and I both agree that the DVD seemed to be missing some scenes and lines, particularly "We don't need no stinkin' batches" by Belushi. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Captivating 80's Sci-Fi!
"Well... We've got our experiment now, don't we?" That's what the scientist at the Time Travel command center say's, after discovering that a Man on a motorcycle was thrown back in time. Fred ward and Bad Guy, Peter Coyote & Posse do a remarkably great job in this movie. The cast selected for this movie was Top Notch. The bonus is beautiful brunet Actress, Belinda Bauer, who plays a Hottie with brians & a gun! Michael Nesmith should be acknowledged for his contributions to the music. The Soundtrack is EXCELLENT! It was taylor-made for the movie and ads to the experience. You'll love the dialog, music and his cool gadgets! Open your mind and sit back... You'll enjoy it! (It also helps if you're not a stuck-up movie critic like Leonard Maltin, who gets paid to trash movies.) This movie is long overdue on DVD. I think they should have released a soundtrack too! !!REMEMBER, THIS MOVIE IS AN INDEPENDANT RELEASE... SUPPORT INDEPENDANT MOVIES!! By the way, fans of this movie should check out Michael Nesmiths website: www.videoranch.com

Captivating 80's Sci-Fi!
"Well... We've got our experiment now, don't we?" That's what the scientist at the Time Travel command center say's, after discovering that a Man on a motorcycle was thrown back in time. Fred ward and Bad Guy, Peter Coyote & Posse do a remarkably great job in this movie. The cast selected for this movie was Top Notch. The bonus is beautiful brunet Actress, Belinda Bauer, who plays a Hottie with brians & a gun! Michael Nesmith should be acknowledged for his contributions to the music. The Soundtrack is EXCELLENT! It was taylor-made for the movie and ads to the experience. You'll love the dialog, music and his cool gadgets! Open your mind and sit back... You'll enjoy it! (It also helps if you're not a stuck-up movie critic like Leonard Maltin, who gets paid to trash movies.) This movie is long overdue on DVD. I think they should have released a soundtrack too! !!REMEMBER, THIS MOVIE IS AN INDEPENDANT RELEASE... SUPPORT INDEPENDANT MOVIES!!...

A reasonably enjoyable (albeit a bit bumpy) TimeRide
I remember going to see this at the local 'plex with a friend when it first came out, and I rather enjoyed the experience. Now, after seeing it again for the first time in almost two decades, I found it to be a fairly standard western/time-travel adventure with a smidge of romance, and a dollop of fish-out-of-water comedy thrown in for good measure. Our hero (Fred Ward), a famous Baja racing motocross biker testing out a few high-tech tchochkes (well, they tried to make the tchochkes look high-tech, anyway, but like the "futuristic" gadgetry seen in the original "Star Trek" show, they ended up kinda dated), somehow manages to stumble into some time-traveling experiment out in a remote part of the desert, and gets transported back to the old west. All the while he never seems to know that he's gone back in time, despite several cues & clues thrown at him during his stay.

The aforementioned fish-out-of-water comedic elements are occasionally amusing, but most of 'em are a bit too subtle or are not pulled off quite as effectively as they could have been (the director acknowledges this problem in the commentary track). Fortunately, the main heavy and his two bumbling henchmen pick up the levity as they set out to take the "futuristic" dirt bike for themselves. In the meantime, the hero manages to get a little action with a surprisingly assertive woman, which sets up the tried-and-true travel movie gimmick known as... well, that's be givin' away too much if ya ain't seen this yet, so I won't discuss this particular point any further. All in all, I found "TimeRider" a not-half-bad waste of an hour and a half, with the nostalgic angle enhanced by the early 80s adventure film rock music soundtrack that relied heavily on synthesizer keyboard melodies. Even the old west scenes have this kinda music, only more old west-y in sound... if that makes any sorta sense. It ain't no "Back to the Future", but it'll do in a pinch...

But wait, there's more: what is a movie DVD without the obligatory theatrical trailer or two? In this instance, they threw two trailers in as well as several TV spots. BTW it was the TV spots that got my seven-year-old brain thinkin' to myself, "Hey, that movie looks kinda cool! Maybe I can harangue my older friend who lives a cross the street to go see it with me at the local multiplex!" Which is what I eventually did...

Then there was the big surprise: a feature-length commentary track by the movie's director! Never in a million years did I ever think "TimeRider" would have a commentary track devoted to it, but there ya have it. Anyhoo, he goes over the usual technical stuff, talks about certain scenes and moments he felt could've been done a little better, and shows his penchant for nepotism by pointing out the various relatives he used as extras in some of the scenes. He also discusses the lessons he learned shooting the movie, which was his first feature film as a director. Ya know, the kinda stuff you usually hear in a commentary track...

Now I'm gonna go off on a tangent for a moment here, but... I had a bear of a time trying to find this on video OR DVD anywhere! I went to just about every online store looking for it, and failed to get any results whatsoever on their search engines. Fortunately, I caught sight of the DVD at an "old-fashioned" brick-and-mortar setup, and found out why my searches were unsuccessful: I was typing the movie's title into the online stores' search engines as two separate words (Time Rider), rather than as one compound word (TimeRider)! I guess none of the online stores I checked out could be bothered to have their search keywords set up to where both "Time Rider" and "TimeRider" would lead to a hit for this movie...

And on another tangent: I coulda' sworn there was a scene near the end where one of the bad guys got blown up by a stick of dynamite or something off-camera, and after the explosion the camera cuts to a pair of bloody, tattered boots hitting the ground. Am I thinkin' of a different movie here? I could have sworn it was here where I saw that scene. If anybody knows which flick I'm talkin' about where this moment appears, drop me an e-mail, willya? Thanks. BTW I know it's not "Raising Arizona"...

Anyhoo, I gotta skate. I'm gonna go watch my other fave Fred Ward action/adventure movie that I haven't seen in a long time: "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins"! I tell ya, I'm so excited to finally see that flick again, I'm havin' trouble maintainin' bladder control...

'Late!

Great movie, disappointing release....
Interesting movie, but I was disappointed that a scene at the end got cut short. This is your basic fish out of water story with a motocross racer, Lyle Swan (played by Fred Ward) gets unknowingly caught in a time travel experiment and launched about 100 years in the past. The general reaction, due to his attire and motorized horse is that he is some kind of devil, but one person he comes across, Porter Reese, a criminal outlaw played by Peter Coyote, sees the potential in owning this amazing contraption for himself. All of this takes place in the southern California desert, and Lyle is unaware of what has happened to him. He thinks he just got lost during a race, and tries to find his way back home. I thought it was interesting that he never really gets clued into the fact that he is 100 years out of time. As I said in the beginning, and I think another reviewer mentions this, that a few critical seconds were cut out of a scene at the end. These few seconds of missing footage include a helicopter, its rear rotor blade, and the main antagonist. I think this part was edited out for a television release and never put back in for the DVD release, which is a real shame. You wouldn't think 3 to 5 seconds of footage could impact a movie as much as it does, but it does here. This is the reason why I am giving the release 3 stars instead of four. Other than that, this was a fun sci-fi/western/action movie.

They blew it over 3 lousy seconds
I give the movie 4 stars; the DVD, 2. I wish I had read the Amazon reviews before I picked this DVD up last night--but then, why would I have expected that anything had changed? I've been a fan of this flick since its theatrical release, so I was very happy to have TIMERIDER on DVD finally, and pleased with the transfer, but the TV/airline-version ending completely BITES. "Okay, here comes the tail rotor...and I can hear Reese (Coyote) screaming...and all those squishy sound effects...but...but...YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!" (Good thing I was home alone.) According to sources, the DVD was made from the "only usable negative available." Uh...sure. I find it impossible to believe that Michael "Mr. Video" Nesmith couldn't find a single viable source in his files for THREE WHOLE SECONDS of film. Laserdisc? How about digitally cleaning up a VHS tape? Unfreakinbelievable.

Am I upset? You're darn tootin' I am. Sometimes "little" things matter A LOT. ... Read more

Description

Randolph Smiley (ROBIN WILLIAMS) has it all - as the costumed star of the highest rated kid's show on TV, "Rainbow Randolph" has a Manhattan penthouse, a Times Square billboard featuring his beloved character, cars , boats, horses and all the indulgence that celebrity brings. Until he get's caught by the Feds in an under the table bribe, busted and instantly reviled, Randolph is a star no more. Enter Sheldon Mopes (EDWARD NORTON) and his alter-ego "Smoochy", a puffy, fuscia rhinoceros. Smoochy is the perfect remedy for what ails the networks...Now it's Smoochy who's got the swanky penthouse, the Times Square billboard and the smooth-talking agent (DANNY DEVITO). Sheldon soon learns that children's television is a dangerous world steeped in corruption, back-stabbing and violence with his biggest problem being Rainbow Randolph. Broke and homeless, Randolph seeks revenge on the Rhino that stole his job and his house; he's convinced the foam rubber carpetbagger is the face of evil sent by the devil to destroy him and he will not sleep until Smoochy takes a permanent dirt nap. ... Read more

Reviews (134)

This movie kicks..., critics don't know...
If your open-minded and got a sense of humor (not one of those stupid... romantic comedy or "goonie-google" white sense of humors) this movie will make you laugh so hard that you'll be having a six-pack at the end. God Bless the cynics and the sadistics because if you don't fall some where in between those two categories you won't fully enjoy this masterpiece.

"SMALL BUT FIERCE !!!"-Rainbow Randolph.

Brilliantly, ingeniously twisted...
This film boasts one of Robin William's finest comedic performances, as a scorned ex-kiddie show host hell-bent on revenge, as well as some excellent, hilarious work from the likes of Ed Norton, Danny DeVito, and Jon Stewart. It also boasts amazing directing from Danny DeVito, in this, his most accessible (yet still, thankfully, demented) work yet.

This film is a freewheeling satire of the dumbing-down and commercialization of children's television, and has a ball taking pot shots as such kiddie pop culture travesties as Barney the Dinosaur. The twists and turns that the plot takes are not only completely unpredictable, but hilarious to boot, as our beloved purple...um...rhino, gets involved with everything from the Irish Mafia to the Ice Capades. There a few moments in this film where you will literally need to have your jaw scraped off the floor, and also hold your sides, in pain, from laughing too hard.

Now, not everybody enjoys or "gets" this type of humor. If you are a fan of very dark comedy, I would recommend you pick this film up instantly. If you're not, you just might find yourself not enjoying yourself very much.

The funniest black comedy I've seen in a long time!
Upon learning of Robin William's decision to take on some more darker roles in future movies, I was definitely interested and intrigued by this career move... in watching 'Death to Smoochy' I knew he definitely did NOT make a mistake in being in this film. The film is not only a laugh out loud, almost nonstop laugh fest, but it also does an excellent job at poking fun and showing the darker side of children's television. and there is a great dichotomy in the characters of Rainbow Randolph and Sheldon Mopes (played respectfully by Robin Williams & Edward Norton). both characters represent two complete opposite ends of the spectrum in regards to light and darkness within us. Rainbow Randolph is a corrupt, selfish, greedy, manipulative degenerate person, while Sheldon Mopes is honest, kind, caring, and a sweet person, but even these qualities don't exactly make him perfect either. but regardless of their rivalry and all the other circumstances that threaten to destroy them both...this is one of the coolest and funniest films I've ever seen...

A real sick comedy
I'm not going to go on and on like i usually do because words can not discribe how sick and funny this film is. Seeing that this film comes from the brains of DeVito, your in for a rare treat of real sick demented belly-gut laugh humor.I have a great respect for Ed Norton as an actor. I believe he is one of Hollywoods most gifted and veritile actors to ever come down the pike. In this film you'll see even a different Ed Norton,,,,a real sick Ed Norton. He is GREAT!Can't wait for the DVD!

!this movie was funny as hell!
this movie was the funniest movie ive ever seen i hope they make death to smoochy 2 ... Read more

Amazon.com

After his bloody showdown with Brad Pitt's psychopathic redneck in Kalifornia, David Duchovny used an off-season hiatus from The X-Files to star in this 1997 thriller, in which he plays a doctor whose fall from professional grace leads to a dangerous career in the criminal underworld. Having lost his license after drug abuse caused him to lose a patient during surgery, he's recruited into his illegal career by a slimy but charismatic millionaire (Timothy Hutton) whose associates have a way of getting shot all the time. Before long, Duchovny comes to realize the extent of Hutton's evil, and he finds himself caught in a criminal trap that also involves an alluring femme fatale (Angelina Jolie) and a Faustian bargain that could cost him his life. The plot's rather absurd and fairly predictable, but fine performances by Duchovny and especially Hutton (who makes a memorable screen villain) make this stylish thriller intriguingly worthwhile. The DVD includes the original theatrical trailer. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Uneven, couldn't make up its mind about what it was
"Playing God" was supposed to be David Duchovny's breakout movie role; he had previously starred in movies such as "Kalifornia" and "The Rapture," but "Playing God" came out at the height of "The X-Files"'s popularity and acclaim.

You can understand what Duchovny was trying to do here, to get away from the straight arrow yet weird role of Fox Mulder. So he chooses the role of a disgraced doctor whose license to practice medicine has been revoked due to his substance abuse problems. What's a guy supposed to do?

Well, if you hang out in seedy bars where gunfights break out, you demonstrate how handy your skills can be to people who get shot and wounded a lot. Kind of like a black market surgeon. That's how Duchovny gets hooked up with crime boss Timothy Hutton.

I had great expectations for this movie when it came out, and while I was disappointed, I thought the critics were far harsher than warranted. True, Duchovny's performance, while not bad, seems very similar to what he does on "The X-Files," a sort of flat, somewhat wry, never in real danger attitude.

The biggest flaw with the movie has to be the fact that it couldn't make up its mind about what it wanted to be, film noir or dark comedy. At times, it veers toward a "Pulp Fiction"-like fascination with the minutia of being a criminal, while at other times it tries (but fails) to evoke suspense and fear. (For example, there's a scene where some bad guys want him to fix up their dead friend. The way the scene is cut in the trailer, it comes across as funny when Duchovny says, "I'll see what I can do." The way its cut in the movie, there's an intervening line of dialogue where Duchovny seems to be quite frightened; the effect of the following response is ruined.) With the excellent cast, it could have done either one competently; but its attempt to do both fails. Personally, I think the dark comedy would have been the better way to go. There's a scene near the end where Duchovny, in an elevator surrounded by Asian tourists, does a deadpan response to an annoying FBI agent that's the highlight of the movie.

In summary, this is a decent rental if you lower your expectations.

Morality Play as Duchovany Plays God
Some reviewers call the premise absurd.... I don't know... I didn't find it to be such a stretch of the imagination. Some one loses their license to be a doctor and gets roped into doctoring for a bad guy... It could happen! I thought Timothy Hutton performed well as well as David Duchovany. Nicely done.

A very enjoyable movie
I would give it five stars because it is my favorite movie of all time, but some would say that it's far from perfect. I really like this movie because the main character, has flaws. It makes it seem more realistic to me when people in movies aren't perfect. It has good camera work that I really like. It makes for some cool shots and I never felt lost when some action was going on. It has a cool car chase, just the right amount of comedy here and there, a decent story, fairly good acting, and some good action! This definatly could have been better, but I think it has just the right combination of things to make it an enjoyable movie that I think anyone that is a fan of action or David Duchovny should definately see. I don't think you'll be dissapointed!

The WORST movie of all time!!!
I should have known to stay away from this when our local newspaper gave it an F. But, 9 times out of 10, film critics are usually wrong, and I end up loving what they hate. So, we went anyways.....Well, for once, we should have listened to that paper. This movie is SO ridiculous, and the acting is SO horrible, and the plot is SO completely asinine, that it brings a question to mind....who in their right mind could have possibly thought this script was worthy of committing to celluloid??? My friend and I managed to keep people from walking out and lamenting on their lost 7 bucks by cracking jokes throughout the whole movie, and halfway through, we had the whole theater (all 6 of them, my party of 3 included) turned around in their seats watching us to see what we were going to say next. I don't think any of us actually saw the ending.....I do have a sort of affection for this movie for the fact that I realized that no matter how bad the movie is, I can always manage to keep myself entertained, simply by making fun of it. For that, it gets my one measly star. Well, that and you're required to put at least one when you review these things. Although I do have to agree with one of the reviewers..I haven't laughed so hard in a while either!

Excellent acting with an absurd premise
David Duchovny took his time off from The X-Files to star in this far fetched thriller where he plays a disgraced surgeon who is recruited by a wealthy criminal (Timothy Hutton) to perform meatball surgeries on his wounded henchmen. The plot, character development, and directing aren't anything sophisticated and are far from being anything special, but Playing God kind of works thanks to excellent performances from Duchovny, Hutton (in his best role next to The Dark Half), a pre-fame Angelina Jolie, Peter Storemare, and CSI's Gary Dourdan. Check it out if your a fan of Duchovny, just don't take it too seriously. ... Read more

Description

A depression-era country singer hoping to make it to the grand oldopry before he dies of leukemia, helps his nephew through the rites of passage. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Eastwood tries to sing country
In the early 1980's, Clint Eastwood tried a number of different characters. He had his ups and downs, and HONKEYTONK MAN is definately a down. Based on a novel, the movie takes place in the 1930's with Eastwood playing Red Stoval, an aging country singer trying to make it in the bars. He sest out on a trip to Memphis, hoping to make it big. His real-life son Kyle plays his nephew, who tags along to keep him out of trouble.

I give him credit for trying, but Eastwood CANNOT sing. He actually did a better job trying in PAINT YOUR WAGON then here. The movie is rather slow, with the occasional sleazy comment or action to hold your interest, which doesn't last long. One funny moment is when Red tells off a cop who is frisking him. Another is when he holds up a friend with a shotgun, (yes, he does carry a gun in this one briefly). By far the funniest part is where he takes his nephew to a brothel to help him lose his virginity! Still, the movie is depressing with Red suffering from TB throughout the whole film, and to see him waste away while singing doesn't make things any better. The cars are also not in date with the film. Wanting to be somebody is a good motive for still going on with the show, but he takes it too far, and any Eastwood fan would be rattled by the ending. HONKEYTONK MAN was a commercial disappointment, and I would sadly rank it as one of Eastwood's worst films.

Watchable, but horrid
Let me say straight off the bat that this is an enjoyable film in many ways. It moves along without ever boring, despite not having much in the way of dramatic highs and lows. The acting feels pretty natural for the most part, but not really believable for the place and time in which the movie takes place.

But there is a lot to complain about. First of all, Eastwood cannot sing at all. It's pretty embarrassing, and I'm a little astonished that he didn't have someone do this for him. It's not just because his voice is timid to the point of being characterless, or without any sort of natural projection or decent intonation. There are plenty of "way off" country singers I love and admire. It's more that his voice has no country in it at all - it's almost a more tepid and unaccented sub-sub-James Taylor sort of voice. Downright bewildering, especially when this film is meant to take place in the 30's, when country music was in its infancy and fairly crude sounding, recorded or live.

I notice one other reviewer mentions a cameo from Bob Wills, who entered into a coma a decade before the movie was made, and died eight years prior to the film. That's a hell of a cameo! Even if this "thirties" movie was meant to represent 1939, Wills still would have only been in his early 30s - which makes odd the fact that he's played as if he's at least in his 60s here, and performing a song that wasn't recorded until two decades later. (Kudos, on the other hand, for having an actor who actually worked with Wills play the part.) Ditto the clothing styles (a woman who performs on the Grand Ole Opry wears an outfit that wouldn't have been worn until roughly five decades later, performing a song that sounds like early 80s Barbara Mandrell - nothing even remotely within two generations of the period in which this movie takes place.) One could say it's this failure to get even the most basic period details correct that prevented this movie from having very much success. It's a largely comical adventure a la "O Brother, Where Are Thou", which plays around with a lot of cultural mythology - but "O Brother" could play even faster and looser with credible plot development largely because they captured the details of the time period so wonderfully well. Bear in mind that even the term "honky tonk" was not widespread until the 40s, and hardly used at all to describe a genre of music until the early 50s. That makes the title of this film and its general basis pretty suspect. It's ironic that the success of "O Brother" was largely in their use of "real" traditional music sounding like what it did at the time, not some weakened Nashville pap. Another point is that in the mid-30s the Grand Ole Opry wasn't anything like what it became in the 40s and 50s - Chicago actually would have been a better destination, as the WLS Barn Dance was really roaring then.

There's also the names - there was a Herman Arnspiger who played with Bob Wills and was by any account I've read, a pretty swell guy. Here he is a friend of Bob Wills, but a total lying scumbag robber thief trying to pimp an underaged girl. "Stovall", the name of Eastwood's character, was also the name of a guy who was one of country's great songwriters. (His name was Vern, not Red though). And the TB thing is kind of a conflation of the death of Jimmie Rodgers (or Woody Guthrie's cousin Jack, for that matter) - coughing between takes in his final recording session. I know people who assume this was based on a true story, and that's a shame, as some of the true stories of these country guys are far more compelling than this tale was.

I'm a young person whose musical interests extend largely to reggae / punk / 60s soul, so it's not like I'm an oldtimer complaining about how it really was. I sure wasn't there then. My point is more that when a novice classic country fan such as myself can see the gigantic flaws in research, there's a big problem.

My final word is that this is a fair way to spend a couple of hours, but probably a poor choice of things to spend your money on. Buy "O Brother" or Robert Altman's "Nashville" instead if you want something similar.

The Eastwood Team
I enjoyed the film very much over all.The acting was well done,which showed the skill of the Director in bring out the talent of each individual actor. I am not sure if the singing and guitar playing of Mr Eastwood was actually done by him or a professional country Western musician. I do think Marty Robbins contributed a great deal to the ending and perhaps it was in some part his sing and playing that inhanced Mr Eastwood in his part

I did wish that more scenes could have involved the radio stations of that error but that was not any detraction from the picture.

I am sure it is difficult for a parent to capture the attention of a son or daughter in a work setting for long periods of time. The very fact of how this film turned out is of special significance to the sucess of the relationship between father and son. Well done gentlemen!

Critics seldom know what people really enjoy
This wouldn't be the first time, I thoroughly enjoyed a movie that critics labeled as too-something-or-other. This is a great movie and apart from the usual Eastwood fare except for the 'gut-and-grit' exhibited by the lead character, Red Stovall, to accomplish his dream despite tuberculosis. As for down-grading Eastwood's singing ability, there are a number of country greats who lack melodic tone and volume but make up for it with style. (Truly unfortunate that critics can do the same!)

Buy and enjoy this movie; you won't be sorry.

Eastwood Sings Country.
Eastwood play uncle Red, a drifter trying to get to the Grand Ole Opry. Along for the ride is Eastwoods son Klye. ... Read more