Reviews (24)

CULT MOVIES 15
15. THE MECHANIC (action, 1972) Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is the mechanic, a hit man hired by the Organization (a Mafia-life firm) as its own assassin. Bishop's contact to the Organization is Harry, a long time confidant of his late father. Bishop is meticulous in his work. Before any hits he studies the targets weaknesses so as not to leave any leaks. He is without feelings or remorse, the consummate professional. Bishop's next target is Harry. He carries the job through without hesitation. Harry's son Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) lives the life of a dilenta playboy. He suspects Bishop's involvement in his father's death, and tries to find out what his ties to the Organization are. Steve comes to admire Bishop's unwavering and ruthless personality, as Bishop admires Steve's youthful promiscuity and cunning nature. They are both alike. Bishop takes him under his wing and trains him as his new partner. On their first hit together their assigned to a "cowboy ride" (a hit that has to be done quickly). It turns out to be a set-up engineered by the Organization. Bishop escapes, but someone is still out to eliminate him.

Critique: As far as spy and espionage films go The Mechanic is one of the best. Not only for those Charles Bronson aficionados (like myself), but for lovers of well-made auctioneer. Michael Winner's clever direction adds a sparkle to the genre. He sets up interesting insights into assassin's mode of work. A cut above Death Wish (1974- Bronson's best known film), in both content and script, Bronson's performance is the epitome of cool. He's perfect at playing a character that has been totally detached from the outside world, and a man trapped in a world he can only have created. In the same way that Steve McQueen used his laconic presence to great use, Winner makes full use of Bronson's craggy features.

QUOTE: Bishop: "Murder is killing without a license. Everybody kills."

The thinking man's solution
Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is a 'mechanic' -- a contract killer. Given an assignment, Mr. Bishop studies his target's habits, lifestyle and schedule, seeking weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Mr. Bishop then decides where and how to complete his assignment, using martial arts, weapons, explosives, or anything else deemed necessary. Mr. Bishop is an expert in a stress-filled occupation, but Mr. Bishop is beginning to experience anxiety attacks in his daily life.

Steve McKenna (Jan Michael Vincent) is the jaded son of a deceased crime boss. At Steve's urging Arthur accepts Steve as an apprentice. Arthur teaches Steve the tricks of the mechanic's trade. Their first assignment together is awkward. Their next assignment is a rush job and it blows up in their faces ...

Charles Bronson's career is marked by violent characterizations. The Arthur Bishop role is interesting because Arthur Bishop is an aesthetic -- Arthur Bishop treats contract killing as an art form. If Charles Bronson normally plays bludgeon characters, Arthur Bishop is a scalpel. And Jan Michael Vincent plays Steve McKenna both with sensitivity and with his usual attractive swagger. Coupled in a well-written plot, Bronson and Vincent's performances make "The Mechanic" a memorable film.

A real cultmovie from the seventies
Pay attention very careully. The essential dramatic line is very simple. Never trust in anyone; no matter what your intentions be; remeber two very close related films with this one; Donnie Brasco and Wall street.
The script turns aroun a smart paid assasin; his works are extremely clean and he makes those murderslook like simple accidents: the long opening sequence is wonderful , a silent depict without any introduction; the film is direct and deeply absorbimg.
Later he'll meet his next victim and wil befriendof the son of that one. Obviously he made a wrong choice; you know, in this business,and that choice will become the spark of his end.
The script flow runs organical; our mechanic has several nightmares; and also he suffers from insomnia. He makes his assignments as he was a chess player; the locations are superb; specially the last one in Naples.
Jan Michael Vincent worked out as a perfect balance to the mechanic: but warning; because you never must underestimate your enemy.
The ancestral myth of Icaro appears in this sense; too much proud; too much arrogance ; a briliant intelligence without a prudence dosis; a lion with fierce moods but without any sense of the rules of game. This fortune fate will reach you sooner or later.
You may enlist this title as another clever Film noir.
Bronson made a legendary film three years before titled The rain passenger from Rene Clement; and this movie made him growing up as a heavy weight character actor.
One of the most intimate triumphs of this unforgettable actor.
Buy this one!

Bronson at the top of his game
This is a great 70s movie. I haven't seen that many of Bronson's movies, but The Mechanic is by far the best of the ones I have seen. Bronson is a mechanic (or hitman) who is joined by Jan-Michael Vincent (who would later appear in the Airwolf TV show) as his apprentice. You're drawn in from the beginning even though there's no dialogue at all for several minutes. The planning and execution of the "hits" are cold and calculating, leaving the ultimate question of whether or not the apprentice will be able to succeed his master.

The Whole Ball Of Wax
You'd better hope and pray that your picture doesn't end up in Arthur Bishop's mailbox, boys and girls! That slick hitman, Bishop is played to the hilt by none other than Charles Bronson! You already knew that, but I had to say it regardless. This is one of his best performances right up there with his performance in Death Wish and The Great Escape. Like Death Wish, he's the criminal that we're all rootin' for, and he carries this movie flawlessly to the end. Even the most diehard Bronson hater(if there are any-and if there is, shame on you!) will dig this movie if you like action films. I really can't think of alot more to say about the film, other than it's worth it for the great price or at least a rental for crying out loud! ... Read more

Description

Unable to put up with ridicule any longer, Kelp creates a potion that transforms him into his alter ego, Buddy Love, who is slick, cool and a hit with the ladies.The only problem with this potion is it doesn't last very long, and wears off at the most inopportune moments. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

What a ride!
Professor Julius Kelp (played by Jerry Lewis) is a brilliant, if nerdy, chemistry professor at a small college. Tired of being mistreated by larger men and disregarded by beautiful women, he decides that he can use his knowledge of chemistry to improve himself. His experiment goes awry when an experimental formula turns this meek and mild dweeb into a bold, abusive and startlingly handsome lounge lizard--Buddy Love. When the formula shows an alarming tendency to destabilize at awkward moments, Kelp must try to keep his split personalities separate, as the object of his dreams, the delectable Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens), seems within his grasp. However, Miss Purdy's experience with the vain Buddy convinces her that he may not be her dream man after all, and that a better man might be a gentle chemistry professor!

This is one of my favorite movies. Yes, there's no serious social commentary here, and the comedy is rather low, but what a ride! This movie is clean, and can be watched by the whole family (which I appreciate). The humor is quite quirky, which makes this movie fun to watch over and over again. This is another movie that I recommend for all families.

Innovative Dr. Jeckell and Mr.Hyde Spoof
This Classic film shows the incredible comedic range of Jerry Lewis as a goofy buck tooth professor with an exagerated low self esteem. He finds that one of his gorgeous students Miss Purdy played well by Stella Stevens takes some sort of interest to him. As the professor he stumbles on a potion that can change his genetics into an overly arrogant good looking man who lacks the one thing that would win Purdy over. Sensitivity. The characters name Buddy Love is said by some to have been based on former rat pack partner Dean Martin. Buddy Loves character was an inspiration for comedian Andrew Dice Clay as Dice has said, "Your not here because your Not attracted to me. And you can see I dig you pretty well myself." Eddie Murphys remake although good could never over shadow this classic comedy. Lewis as Professor Kelp at the prom with his goofy dance steps is hilarious. This movie is timeless and I highly reccomend it to everyone. This movies 1963 release gives you some sense of the simple wholesome lifestyle of the early sixties. As a male I can't help but fall for Stella Stevens every time. Jerry Lewis proves in this movie he's a comic genius!

One of Lewis's richest films
This is one of Lewis's richest films, one in which technical perfection meets considerable thematic depth. Professor Kelp is a soul whose few contacts with the sensible world lead to complications; people mock him because of his inability to accomplish concrete actions. Suddenly troubled by sensible beauty (S. Stevens), Kelp feels the need to have a body that will enable him to satisfy his desire. This body (Buddy Love), in direct contrast to Kelp, is comfortable only when pursuing entirely material endeavors; Love is especially at ease at the Purple Pit, an echo of Plato's cave in the way it manufactures illusions and crude dreams. Kelp's embodiment is not complete, as soul and body soon start to interact (when Buddy speaks like Kelp and vice-versa). The merging of both is foreshadowed by three clues: a) Buddy avenges Kelp by humiliating the head of the University; b) as the prom night begins, Kelp uncharacteristically starts to dance, led by instinct alone; c) Buddy's more decent behavior when he performs for the students, a bit later. A performance which is interrupted by the ultimate transformation and Kelp's ensuing confession. The film's conclusion is far from a happy ending: despite Kelp's vow to accept himself as he is, he now moulds his appearance and demeanor after Buddy Love's and has been corrupted by Buddy's fascination with artificiality. The fact that Kelp would return two years later in 'The Family Jewels' as a photographer - i.e. as a reproducer of the sensible world - is revealing. A major work from an underrated artist.

Jerry Lewis Almost Under control
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR is about an eccentric chemistry professor who discovers a liquid concoction which can transform him into a suave character in the style and manner of Dean Martin. For a Jerry Lewis film the antics are somewhat tame. Lewis plays the professor and Stella Stevens is his adoring student. The supporting cast includes Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman and Howard Morris.

The movie is saved by the acting and outstanding good looks of Miss Stevens. The Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde theme makes a decent story and the film also benfits from Jerry Lewis behaving almost as if he is under control.

GREAT!
i'm a 19 year old woman, and I have to say that I like this original Nutty Professor better then the remake one with "Eddie Murphy" Jerry Lewis does a wonderful job has the Professor, this movie has a very good story and great acting, it is so amazing how many good movies there were back then, anyone who hasn't see it yet should =-) ... Read more

Description

Academy Award(R)-nominee Melanie Griffith (Best Actress, 1989 -- WORKING GIRL) stars as Billie Dawn, a Las Vegas showgirl whose lack of sophistication embarrasses her Washington, D.C., millionaire boyfriend (John Goodman -- THE BABE). He, in turn, hires a handsome and well-educated journalist (Don Johnson -- GUILTY AS SIN) to help smarten her up. In no time at all, the millionaire gets much more than he bargains for! And as Billie blossoms into an independent thinker, sparks fly as she uses her learning to turn the nation's capital upside down! You're sure to love BORN YESTERDAY -- the hilariously delightful comedy hit that proves you should never underestimate the power of an underestimated woman! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Almost 50 years after the original, it still works!!
One of the biggest problems with remakes is often that they are extremely dated. Born Yesterday, the 1993 remake of the wonderful 50's comedy, starring the irrepressible Judy Holliday, and a gruff, teddy-bearish Brodrick Crawford--holds up beautifully. The basic story remains the same,(remember: "Do me a favor, Harry...drop dead!!!") but the details, the dress and the language are totally 90's. It's a delightful, and really--a touching story of a young woman (Melanie Griffith) who is brought to an appreciation of herself as something well beyond a gorgeous face. Her teacher is a kinder, gentler Don Johnson; and her Neanderthal-type husband, John Goodman is Harry, a nasty 'Fred Flintstone Goes To Washington' kind of guy! It all works till a bit of a let down near the end, but truly, there's a several minute rendition of the first 17 or so Ammendments to the Constitution sung (with energy) to the tune of the "12 Days of Christmas" that, alone, would be worth the price of admission!! Rent it, buy it; somehow, try it!!

VERY WATCHABLE DESPITE THE AIRHEAD BLONDE CLICHE..
It's difficult for me to tell which group this light film satirizes more: bimbo blondes (our protagonist blonde miraculously amasses sparkling intellect through avid reading of a dictionary and the Constitution) or boorish politicians.

Because the new film can't really tell audiences anything about the idiocy of politics that they don't already know, I'd say Born Yesterday is principally about the blonde's enlightenment and her humiliation of her pompous politician husband.

Overall it is a fairly inoffensive that lesirely goes about its comic business. I've seen it a couple of times and finished it on both occasions. And it's in colour (to counter-argue the whole Original vs New debate that other reviewers seem to be fascinated with).

Recommended rental for sure.

I never saw the original, version, so I loved it.

John Goodman and Melanie Griffith played their parts suberbly.

This is about a millionaire scrap metal tycoon who turns real estate mogul (John Goodman) whose clueless girlfriend (Melanie Griffith) finds herself without a clue in the Washington-Merrie-Go-Round. So her boyfriend (Goodman) hires Paul Verrall (Don Hohnson) to help her with the special skills, small talk, etc.

A problem: boyfriend Goodman, like almost everyone else, as the story demonstrates, are not nearly as smart as they lead everyone else to believe, like the reporter for NPR who pretends to have read de Toqueville, but has not, as Griffith discovers. It is all an act, designed to impress others.

The script is so true to life, full of flakes and phonies, that it is almost laughable.

A great movie, and one you will probably remember for a long time. It shows how we all get bullied by the people with real power over us. Very entertaining, too.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and mainenance
and other books

So it's a remake!?!
Who cares? If I want to watch the original and I feel that strongly about it, then that's what I'll do - stick to the original. In this case, I enjoyed this particular remake very much. It's not the original, no, but it's pure entertainment. I found it to be fresh and engaging. If you only wanna see the original, then skip the remake, but if you're willing to open your mind to a new script with some different actors, then sit back, relax, and enjoy the escapism.

The Original is BETTER!
This movie deserves zero stars. Avoid any version (VHS or DVD) of it!See the original in all its Glorious black and white beauty! The original is a million times better than this trite,stale re-hash with a not-very-talented cast. This a remake that should never have been made,it is horrible! To even suggest that Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson could recapture the charm and sparkle of Judy Holliday & William Holden is preposterous! Melanie Griffith has got to be one of the worst actresses ever, and she butchers this role. As for Don Johnson, it takes more than a pair of horn-rimmed glasses to pretend he is William Holden. John Goodman has the right girth and maybe a bit of the swagger and behaves like a brutish lout to compare with Broderick Crawford in the original "Born Yesterday". But just because the three leads in this remake may look or sound a little like the 3 Academy Award winning talents that were in the original cast, does not mean the movie will work. There is good reason why a remake hadn't been attempted for over 30 years--the film is so good, why mess with it? That's what this version is, a mess!
Hollywood insists on tinkering with classics like this to try to bring them to a new audience, but most of the time, they fail, miserably. How many times (and millions of dollars later)do they need to be reminded of this? To borrow that old joke,(when somebody is trying to 'put one over on you'), "...let me check my driver's license, to see if I wasn't born yesterday " :
Don't get fooled by this movie.

It is wretched! Run, don't walk far,far, away from this one!Avoid it like the plague.
Rent or buy the original BORN YESTERDAY, you'll be glad you did! ... Read more

Amazon.com

While its particulars remain rooted in the sexual revolution of the late 1960s, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is remarkably timeless as a classic comedy of manners. Making an impressive, high-profile directorial debut after success as a screenwriter, Paul Mazursky took the pulse of California society better than anyone, especially with this well-cast, sharply observant comedy that begins when sophisticated couple Bob and Carol (Robert Culp, Natalie Wood) attend a weekend retreat that opens their eyes to the possibilities of open marriage and mutual acceptance of extramarital affairs. When they reveal their newfound liberties to straightlaced couple Ted and Alice (Elliott Gould, Dyan Cannon), the subtle, behavioral richness of the largely improvisational screenplay (by Mazursky and Larry Tucker) rises to the surface, conveyed through the kind of natural rhythms and pauses that were dramatically in vogue in the fast-changing Hollywood of 1969. The film hasn't lost any of its punch, perhaps because American sexual politics have returned to the conservatism that existed before Bob and Carol emerged as the signature comedy of the swinging sixties. The absence of the late Natalie Wood is the only drawback to the DVD's excellent commentary, which reunites Mazursky, Culp, Gould, and Cannon in a casual atmosphere of humorous reminiscence. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Contemporary Psychobabble Dates Badly
BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE starts off as if a stoned hippie with an 8mm cam began to film cinema verite and did not wish to infringe on the rights of an equally stoned cast to get the scene right in the first take. Somewhere in this turgid bloated mess of a psychodrama are some unpleasant truths about the way married couples confront personal and sexual disconnections, but this relevant set of subtexts is hidden under an annoying coating of a 60s mentality of free love, beads, primal scream therapy, and groupsex, all of which date what otherwise have been some eternal truisms.

Robert Culp is Bob, a 40 something successful businessman who is less a fully-fleshed individual than a stereotyped hippie weekend wannabe who wants the freedom to have affairs but is unwilling to give his wife Carol (Natalie Wood) the same right. Bob is not just a man in search of himself. He comes across as an annoying pest who likes to think of himself as a new age guru who believes that he personifies the adage of Do Your Own Thing. Naturally, anyone who dares to show conventional middle class moral objections to his philandering is dismissed as a fuddy duddy out of touch with his own feelings. Carol is even less of a believable person as she skates through life with her feet barely touching the moral ground of life. Director Paul Mazursky allows the viewer to get an idea of how and why Bob and Carol think and act. At the start of the film, they attend a group interaction session led by a therapist who exhorts his patients to engage in some questionable methods: they scream, beat pillows, gawk about the room, and stare into one another's eyes as if to connect on a visual level.

Ted (Eliot Gould) and Alice (Dyan Cannon) are more open with their vulnerabilities, and hence engage us more. Both are disgusted at first with the open fooling around of Bob and Carol. Ted wants more frequent sex with Alice but does not know how to handle her rejection of him. Despite his geekiness, Ted comes across as a reasonably moral man whose own limits are soon to be tested first by a wife whose burgeoning sexuality snaps to attention then later by his own crumbling wall of marital fidelity.

The second half of the film is more interesting than that of the first. The cloying irritability that dominates the first half is replaced by several humorous, yet revealing vignettes that culminate with all four in bed and not knowing or daring what to do. The hesitant expressions on their faces suggest that morality is not a blanket to be donned or doffed at will. BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE is a potent, if misguided moral fairy tale that warns us that the freedom to be superficially open may in fact be nothing more than a license to hide behind that blanket of openness.

Amusing and Intriguing
Certainly a movie that has publicized the sexual revolution of the sixties and seventies. Very interesting how Bob and Carol's carefree attitude about sex eventually loosens up Ted and Alice's more conservative ways.

Its interesting how Bob and Carol test their relationship with their affairs. Amusing how Carol is quicker to be more accepting of their individual affairs than Bob. Ted and Alice at first are appalled by each of their infidelities. However when they hear the reasons behind their actions, they lighten up their approaches. Bob and Carol truly love each other where their affairs are merely for recreational purposes.

Those who are intrigued by psychology or the free love generation of the late sixties will be specially interested in this video.

A Hip Sendup of the Sexual Revolution
"Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" is an insightful film about the sexual revolution.

It deals with two couples -- one older and into "experimentation" (Bob & Carol), and the other younger and more square (Ted & Alice).

In a sense, the sexual experimentation of Bob and Carol epitomized the 60's ethos of (perhaps pathological) self-reflection and the idea that "if it feels good, do it." (We're still feeling the reverberations of that.)

But the ending of this enjoyably funny movie also indicates that most people can only go so far. Whether its cultural conditioning or innate, there are certain lines that most people simply cannot cross....

The movie does not pass judgment, but ultimately, there is a message there.

All the actors are good, but Elliot Gould and Dyan Cannon especially so. (They were both nominated for supporting Oscars.) Dyan Cannon is wonderful -- she's the best thing about the movie.

sexual revolution
I watched this movie on local television in the UK a couple of weeks ago, turning it on a half hour or so into it.

Once I got past the shallow critique of hair styles and clothing I was able to consider what was happening socially in the US during the late 60s when this movie was conceived/filmed.

I was only 3 when the movie was released but I imagine it was significant for adults at that time. Society was much more open/liberal re: sexuality and the challenging of stereotypes, such as the long-standing double standards afforded to men.

My '4 star' review may be slightly high, but what motivates me to do so has more to do with the subject this movie takes on, its willingness to challenge the status quo and collective consciousness of the public at that time, as well as the honesty in which it's delivered.

The final scene is hardly climactic compared with the latest Bond film but, like much of the film, there's an authentic message there.

Ill-conceived
"Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice" is widely applauded as a breakthrough film, but lets cut through the hype. First what Leonard Maltin calls "ultrasophisticated" is more an exposure of his own dimwittedness than a film commentary. 2 couples seek enlightenment and think they found the key: just have an affair and tell your partner about it...is that really the extent to which enlightenment was explored in the '60s? Such is the main flaw; 2 couples are sincere about transcending middle class limitation, but group encounter sessions do not "insight" make.

Robert Culp and Natalie Wood play the couple who think affair+honesty=enlightenment. As Horst observes, Culp is one hellofaguy. I wish Natalie Wood's husband would let me have her...I'd think he was a nice guy too. What would have made this film good is if at the end they decided to go to India and seek true enlightenment.

On the bright side we have '60s fashions and good Bacharach music...and the beautiful Natalie Wood. The final scene "Love Sweet Love" is an interesting ending to an otherwise disappointing film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The prime minister of Eritrea is assassinated by political opponents, setting off a chain of events with global repercussions in the intelligence community.Burt Lancaster plays Cross, a CIA operative who dates back to the agency's earliest days as the OSS.Scorpio (Alain Delon) is a protégé of Cross, and one of Cross's best friends in a netherworld where everyone's allegiances, personal and political, are in question.Higher-ups within the intelligence agency decide that Cross knows too much and is better off eliminated; at first, Scorpio refuses the job until the CIA frames him on a phony narcotics bust and coerces him into the assignment.The two men play a game of global cat-and-mouse as Cross consorts with his Russian counterparts--fellow aging dinosaurs in a young man's game. Cross's links with the Russians go back to the days of the Spanish Civil War and the time when Cross was given the ironic label of "premature anti-Fascist" by the House Unamerican Activities Committee.The incredibly convoluted plot is rife with double-crosses and reverse double-crosses, in an environment in which nothing is quite as it seems and no one is to be trusted.Director Michael Winner infuses enough energy and excitement into the film's many action segments to make Scorpio worthy of comparison to John Frankenheimer's best political thrillers. Winner also throws in several curveballs, such as the zither music during a meeting in a Vienna café (shades of The Third Man) and the preposterous device of disguising Lancaster as an African American priest.Though not quite a classic, Scorpio is still an underrated espionage thriller that was well attuned to the political cynicism of the time. Best line: "I want Cross, and I want him burned!"--Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a "must see" for Delon fans
Though the plot is somewhat muddled, locations change at a dizzying speed between Washington, Vienna, and Paris, has some improbable situations, and occasionally stilted dialogue, it's highly entertaining, and has an excellent cast, especially Alain Delon.
He's fabulous as "code name: Scorpio", conveying so much meaning with the subtlest of gestures. He's also superb in the action scenes, so lithe and fast, and seems to be doing all his own stunt work...and he certainly must be one of the most spectacularly gorgeous actors to have ever graced the screen.
To top it off, Scorpio has a sensitive side: He likes flowers, and most of all, cats...enough to make a woman's heart flutter !

Lancaster is very good as Cross, the spy who wants to get "out of the game", Paul Scofield is great as always as his Russian cohort, and Joanne Linville lovely as Cross' wife.
The cinematography (Robert Paytner) is exceptional, and Jerry Fielding's marvelous score is atmospheric and at times almost symphonic.

You may have to see it several times to make any sense of the plot, but this is a very watchable film, has a lot going for it in many ways, and it has to be Delon's finest English speaking performance, which is a good enough reason to make this one a keeper.

Solid 70s Espionage/Crime Movie
Not in the same league as The Day of the Jackal, The Manchurian Candidate or French Connection. It was still an enjoyable movie. Lots of great "on location" scenes, good action, excellent suspense with lots of double-crosses.

Burt Lancaster's friendship with his cold war nemesis in Vienna was a neat part of the story - two cold warriors who became trusted friends after years of playing cat and mouse together.

Underrated Spy Classic...
SCORPIO is Alain Delon's code name. He is a Black OPX's agent (assassinations and "head hunting" meyhem) recruited surreptiously by The CIA to carry out missions the American secret intelligence service is expressly forbidden to engage in by its Congressional charter. Burt Lancaster is old timer Super-spy Cross. He is Delon's recruiter, mentor and...predictably?...Scorpio's ultimate target as the CIA decides to clean house by killing-off its overly knowledgeable old Timers. Cross, of course, does not fancy this form of Short Timer treatment. He goes on-the-run with every intention of dish-served-cold vengeance against the Agency's new breed of FNG computer-brat/ Ivy league educated "punk"; and in particular Deputy Director and Operations Chief McLeod. McLeod (John Colicos) is played with icy, charismatic menace. He is the consummate fascist employed to "safeguard" Democracy by undermining its fundamental tenets and most bovine Sacred Cow ideals. Employing the spy network's Underground Railroad, Cross links with his opposite number in the KGB played by Paul Scofield. Russkie ace agent Scofield has great respect and sympathy for Cross (but none for CIA/American duplicity) and he respectfully encourages Cross to "double-cross" the nation that has betrayed him (incidently killing his wife) with a pricey, very public defection. The acting...the spy by-play between Lanchester and Scofield is excellent. This is what lifts a "burn" the burnt-out case revenge thriller into a dramatic study of men who have been soldiers being sold-out by their respective Coca Cola/Vodka- driven pop power political cultures. The Yuppie spies "who love themselves" have not quite made the scene but SCORPIO/ Delon is a bloody eager beaver ready to do a buddy in to GET INSIDE. The end of the movie is satisfyingly "righteous". The Surprise End tacked-on to The End is a wicked winner that supplies sufficient jolt and immoral moral to a predatory game where all become victims of Will-to-Power; and that the only good guy-spies are DEAD ONES. (4 and 1/2 Stars for a film of John Le Carre character...)

What was this film about?
I saw this film twice, and I STILL don't know what it was about. Plot is so convoluted, with so many minor characters and twists and turns. I guess some people think this is "clever cat-and-mouse," but after two viewings over the course of several years, I still had no clear idea who the characters were, or why they did what they did.

There's something about me and Burt Lancaster films. I found his MIDNIGHT MAN equally confusing, and his ATLANTIC CITY tedious and pointless.

I can't think of a single Burt Lancaster film that I even liked.

A Rare Masterpiece For The Spy Genre.
Burt Lancaster plays an aging CIA agent who's finally had enough of the spy life and wants to quit the business so he can spend more time with his family. But his trecherous Bosses don't want him to quit so they assign Alain Delon A.K.A SCORPIO to eliimate him. Fantastic script Delon's performance in the film is one of his best even if his english is sometimes off a bit. the highlight of the film is the chase sequence between Lancaster & Delon throughout the Streets and Alleyways Of Venice. It's a captivating spy film done with the right amount of action and suspense. Most Of Today's spy films don't even come to this masterpiece. And even if they could they would still fail. This film was a true gem for it's time and cannot and will not ever be replaced or duplicated. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

What a ride!
Professor Julius Kelp (played by Jerry Lewis) is a brilliant, if nerdy, chemistry professor at a small college. Tired of being mistreated by larger men and disregarded by beautiful women, he decides that he can use his knowledge of chemistry to improve himself. His experiment goes awry when an experimental formula turns this meek and mild dweeb into a bold, abusive and startlingly handsome lounge lizard--Buddy Love. When the formula shows an alarming tendency to destabilize at awkward moments, Kelp must try to keep his split personalities separate, as the object of his dreams, the delectable Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens), seems within his grasp. However, Miss Purdy's experience with the vain Buddy convinces her that he may not be her dream man after all, and that a better man might be a gentle chemistry professor!

This is one of my favorite movies. Yes, there's no serious social commentary here, and the comedy is rather low, but what a ride! This movie is clean, and can be watched by the whole family (which I appreciate). The humor is quite quirky, which makes this movie fun to watch over and over again. This is another movie that I recommend for all families.

Innovative Dr. Jeckell and Mr.Hyde Spoof
This Classic film shows the incredible comedic range of Jerry Lewis as a goofy buck tooth professor with an exagerated low self esteem. He finds that one of his gorgeous students Miss Purdy played well by Stella Stevens takes some sort of interest to him. As the professor he stumbles on a potion that can change his genetics into an overly arrogant good looking man who lacks the one thing that would win Purdy over. Sensitivity. The characters name Buddy Love is said by some to have been based on former rat pack partner Dean Martin. Buddy Loves character was an inspiration for comedian Andrew Dice Clay as Dice has said, "Your not here because your Not attracted to me. And you can see I dig you pretty well myself." Eddie Murphys remake although good could never over shadow this classic comedy. Lewis as Professor Kelp at the prom with his goofy dance steps is hilarious. This movie is timeless and I highly reccomend it to everyone. This movies 1963 release gives you some sense of the simple wholesome lifestyle of the early sixties. As a male I can't help but fall for Stella Stevens every time. Jerry Lewis proves in this movie he's a comic genius!

One of Lewis's richest films
This is one of Lewis's richest films, one in which technical perfection meets considerable thematic depth. Professor Kelp is a soul whose few contacts with the sensible world lead to complications; people mock him because of his inability to accomplish concrete actions. Suddenly troubled by sensible beauty (S. Stevens), Kelp feels the need to have a body that will enable him to satisfy his desire. This body (Buddy Love), in direct contrast to Kelp, is comfortable only when pursuing entirely material endeavors; Love is especially at ease at the Purple Pit, an echo of Plato's cave in the way it manufactures illusions and crude dreams. Kelp's embodiment is not complete, as soul and body soon start to interact (when Buddy speaks like Kelp and vice-versa). The merging of both is foreshadowed by three clues: a) Buddy avenges Kelp by humiliating the head of the University; b) as the prom night begins, Kelp uncharacteristically starts to dance, led by instinct alone; c) Buddy's more decent behavior when he performs for the students, a bit later. A performance which is interrupted by the ultimate transformation and Kelp's ensuing confession. The film's conclusion is far from a happy ending: despite Kelp's vow to accept himself as he is, he now moulds his appearance and demeanor after Buddy Love's and has been corrupted by Buddy's fascination with artificiality. The fact that Kelp would return two years later in 'The Family Jewels' as a photographer - i.e. as a reproducer of the sensible world - is revealing. A major work from an underrated artist.

Jerry Lewis Almost Under control
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR is about an eccentric chemistry professor who discovers a liquid concoction which can transform him into a suave character in the style and manner of Dean Martin. For a Jerry Lewis film the antics are somewhat tame. Lewis plays the professor and Stella Stevens is his adoring student. The supporting cast includes Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman and Howard Morris.

The movie is saved by the acting and outstanding good looks of Miss Stevens. The Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde theme makes a decent story and the film also benfits from Jerry Lewis behaving almost as if he is under control.

GREAT!
i'm a 19 year old woman, and I have to say that I like this original Nutty Professor better then the remake one with "Eddie Murphy" Jerry Lewis does a wonderful job has the Professor, this movie has a very good story and great acting, it is so amazing how many good movies there were back then, anyone who hasn't see it yet should =-) ... Read more

Description

Returning to Blood Island, a ship catches fire and explodes after its crew is slaughtered by the gruesome half-dead, green-blooded Beast of Blood. The horrendous creature washes ashore and terrorizes the island inhabited by the mad Dr. Lorca (longtime Philippine star Eddie Garcia), who attaches heads to a hulking headless body and makes life miserable for our heroes, two-fisted John Ashley and beautiful Celeste Yarnall (of Elvis Presley movie fame). The couple journeys to the forbidden Valley of Doom, filled with Lorca's hideous failed experiments, where a monstrous climax explodes in a cataclysm of unforgettable horror! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Classic Drive-In Wonder, Okay DVD
This no-budget wonder from Eddie Romero (The Orson Welles of the Phillipine Islands) and Hemisphere studios is a great throwback to the Drive-In era. 'Beast' is the third entry in the 'Blood Island' series (fourth if you count 'Terror is a Man'). This one has a well concieved monster, surprisingly gory kills (for its' day), 'mondo' jungle ambience, silly sub-Bond intrigue and yes, even some topless babes going for it. The DVD has some nice extras, but I do have some complaints. First, the print used for this DVD transfer is hurting. They claim it's been restored, but I just can't believe it. This thing's riddled with scratches and artifacting and is so dark in places, it's hard to make out what's going on. Also the commentary by the producer is a real snoozer. He goes on and on about the minutae of Hemisphere's history and repeats himself endlessly, not really giving much insight into the making of 'Beast'. That said, I got the impression that Image really was trying to do the best they could with this DVD and that's more than can be said of most genre DVD releases. Even with the drawbacks, this disk is a welcome addition to any schlock-fiend's library and I especially enjoyed the interview with Romero.

DISAPPOINTING "BEAST".....
Another entry in the Blood Island films, this one opens with a fanged monster bursting out of hiding on a cargo ship parked off the coast of Blood Island. The beast grabs an axe and slaughters the crew before the ship explodes in the melee. The sole human survivor, John Ashley, washes ashore as does the monster who ambles off into the jungle. Ashley determines to find and kill the beast but first he must locate the evil Dr.Lorca whose experiments in his island hideaway resulted in the beast as well as some murderous mutated natives. Intrepid reporter Celeste Yarnall comes along to get the scoop. She is kidnapped by Lorcas' henchmen and taken to the hideaway house. A chubby local native girl takes a shine to Ashley and helps him battle the henchmen through most of the middle of the film in the jungle. The beast doesn't show up again until the end when it's revealed Dr.Lorca is looking to give it a new head. Not as fun as "Brides of Blood" although there is a bit more gore and some topless shots of Yarnall and the chubby native girl. The photography is good to poor with some scenes tinted so dark it's hard to make out what's going on. Ashley is wooden as always and Yarnall is not much better but she is fetching in a sarong. I can only say see this if you're curious but there's not much "Beast of the Dead". Instead there's too much jungle action between Ashley and the henchmen.

DISAPPOINTING "BEAST".....
As in the other "Blood Island" films, this one is filmed in the Philippines and stars John Ashley again battling a monster hatched from the island lab of Dr.Lorca. In the opening, the fanged creature bursts from hiding on a cargo ship and slaughters the crew with an axe. The ship explodes during the melee and Ashley and the creature are washed ashore. Ashley is rescued by the natives of the island and the creature ambles off into the jungle. Ashley wanys to find Dr.Lorca and destroy the creature. He is joined by the lovely Celeste Yarnall as a reporter on a similar mission to meet Dr.Lorca. Dr.Lorca was presumed dead in a fire but is actually alive with half his face burned and still conducting experiments in his island house lab that result in mutated natives that attack now and then. The creature doesn't show up again until near the end as Lorca seeks to give it another head. Yarnall is kidnapped by Lorca's henchmen and held in Lorca's house where she now sports lovely island apparel replete with flowers in her hair. Hmmm. Anyway, there's a lot of jungle fighting between Ashley and Lorca's henchmen, some mild gore and bare breasts but little else going on here. "Brides of Blood" was much more entertaining and imaginative. The photography in "Beast" is poor at times and gets so dark you can hardly see what's going on. The monster is fun when he appears but he's not around much except in the beginning and towards the end. I was disappointed in this one.
And Ashley's acting seems to be worse than he was in "Brides" if that's possible. Yarnall is Ok to look at and does some topless scenes but I wanted to see more monster on the rampage. To sum it up, see this if you're curious but "Brides" is better.

A DISAPPOINTING "BEAST"...
Another installment in the Blood Island series has a fanged monster coming out of hiding on a cargo ship and killing the crew with an axe. The ship explodes and the lone survivor (John Ashley) washes ashore on Blood Island. The monster also washes ashore and disappears into the jungle. Ashley is rescued by the natives, most of whom he knows from a previous Blood Island outing and there is talk of "The Evil One" running amok. Ashley wants to find the mysterious Dr.Lorca who is rumored to have survived a fire when "The Evil One" last ran amok. Dr.Lorca conducts fiendish experiments that usually results in monsters and native deaths. Ashley is joined by the lovely Celeste Yarnall who is a writer and photographer. She is promptly abducted by Lorcas' henchmen who take her to his island house. The ending has Dr.Lorca attempting to give the aforementioned monster a new head and all hell breaking loose. This is a pretty dull movie. The monster shows up in the interesting beginning and at the end. In between, it's just endless battles between Ashley and Lorcas' henchmen through the jungle. Several of Lorcas' "failed experiments" show up to cause mischief but they're only natives with awful patchwork make-up jobs. There is some gore and some bare breasts but I thought this movie was about the "Beast of Blood" not jungle battles and fistfights. I hate to admit it but "Brides of Blood" was more fun than this. The photography ranges from good to terrible with some scenes so dark it's hard to see what's going on. I can't recommend this very highly. It's just not very good at all. ... Read more