Reviews (28)

My favorite childhood movie - and it has a message!
I first saw this movie in theaters when it came out, which would make me nine or ten at the time. I loved the movie then. The environmental message made sense to me, and it really got its point across even to a young kid, though I didn't understand consciously that Batty had be a subject of animal experimentation (now I'm an 18 year old animal rights activist, so maybe it registered on some level though).

But a great message alone isn't enough to make a movie. It's got all the classic elements necessary for a kids movie. A great villian - Hexx is scary, unique, and voiced to perfection by Tim Curry, two strong protagonists for guys and girls in Zak and Crysta, a mythical past and setting, fun comic relief - Robin Willians is terrific as Batty, and plenty of great songs.

It's different enough from your typical Disney movie to be great, but similar enough that kids will love it. Plus, it will be something they've never seen before and it will send many important messages (about taking care of the environment, believing in yourself, and how you can make a difference) that every kid should hear. I definatly believe this is the best children's movie ever made.

Very beautiful, gentle nature story
Well, I'll just be brief with this one.
Synopsis:Zach, a 15-20 year old city boy comes to work for a deforestation company in the rainforest. A fairy, Chrysta, falls upon him by chance and to save his life, she attempts to give him fairy SIGHT, but ends up giving him fairy SIZE. Once Zack begins to explore the beautiful world of Fern Gully, he sees a side to nature that must be preserved. All of this is threatened though by Hexxus, an evil spirit that feeds on pollution.
Cons: A very overly pretty boy characters...but that's not always bad. An almost irritatingly naive female character, a shrinking violet a lot of times. Magic that unfortunately doesn't exist.
Pros: A good story to get across without being boring, dreary, or scary although a lot of people said that Hexxus terrified them. Batty Koda! Robin Williams plays the character of the brain scrambled bat very well and adds humor to the movie. Very sweet little movie to teach children about the destruction of the rainforest.
Overall: It's quite worth buying. A very charming movie for all ages, Fern Gully will help people to see another side to the rainforest while, not exactly realistic, is very lovable and lively. Enjoyable.

Spectacular beyond words!!
(...)Lovely animation, wonderful message, lovable characters....it has everything! It deals with the most important issue plaguing our planet to this day. It shows that living things deserve to be left alone, and that humans should stop interfearing (sp?). When I remembered this movie from years and years ago, I knew this had to be where my passion for animals and nature originated. This is a deeply moving and empathetic movie; the fairies can feel a tree's pain. It's seriously the best movie on the face of the earth to me. It's absolutely brilliant, spectacular, inspiring, powerful, uplifting, etc. I'm passing it on to my children and their children, without a doubt!

Message to everyone: Speak out for things that can't speak for themselves. Go vegetarian, adopt needy animals from shelters.....any little bit helps. We have alternatives to meat and paper and pencils.....why don't we use them and save a couple trees and animals? We need to have more sympathy and respect for the suffering of innocent lives who never did anything to deserve what they go through.

Long live tree-huggers!

(...)

Surprisingly Good
This is one of my favorite animated movies. Obviously this movie is one big enviornmental awarness message but so is about 90% of all movies. Although this movie features a very well told story, the best feature is the beautiful animation. Showcases early use of CGI effects that are used today. This movie does have musical numbers but they are good musical numbers. And of course, who could forget Robin Williams as the crazy bat. Recomended to anyone.

Important Lessons Sometimes Come in Small Packages
I absolutely adore this movie. It presents a delightful mix of humor and poignant symbolism. Perhaps if more children watched movies like this they would grow into enviromentally conscious adults. The characters are as loveable as they are educational. If I could, I'd buy a copy of this movie for all the children I know. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's not the scary hit that The Ring was in 2002, but The Grudge makes a similarly convincing case for American remakes of popular Japanese horror films. Barely a year passed between the release of Takashi Shimizu's creepy ghost story Ju-On: The Grudge and the production of this American remake, set in Tokyo and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in her first post-Buffy horror film. About the only significant difference between the two films is the importing of a mostly-American cast (including Bill Pullman, Clea DuVall and Grace Zabriskie), but The Grudge was reconfigured (by screenwriter Stephen Susco) to allow Shimizu to refine and improve the spookiest highlights of his earlier version, which enjoyed previous incarnations as a short film and two made-for-Japanese-video features. Surprising box-office analysts with a $40 million opening weekend, The Grudge may disappoint hard-core horror fans because it lacks gore and graphic violence, but as a creepy tale about a very haunted house, it's guaranteed to send a few chills up your spine. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (344)

I gotta hold a "Grudge" here...
Let me just get this off my chest...for the love of God, just because the Ring was a surprise horror hit, could you please stop trying to copy it in every horror film! This film has the same cheesy lighting and imagery that 'the Ring' did. The main terror in this film is bottom line, a naked asian boy who meows. That scares me, but not in a horror way. Sarah Michelle Gellar is not bad nor any of the actors cast in here, they just weren't given much and unfortunately neither were we. Catch it on cable or satelite tv late one night, then forget it. Not one you want to waste adding to the collection.

Buffy - The Horror Genre Slayer
I couldn't wait to watch this movie. I thought the plot was superb. The acting was terrific. And the CGI and FX where the best I've ever seen. The main ghost women looked so realistic. And Buffy looked great. I haven't seen Sarah Michelle Geller play such a terrific role since Scooby-Doo. The ghosts in this film are so scary to look at.

Now I'll stop being sarcastic and give you the words to decode my review.

I couldn't wait to = I unwittingly suffered through this...
superb = crap
terrific = pathetic
best = worst.
realistic = s##t house
looked great = made me wanna puke as usual.
Scooby Doo = Debbie Does Dallas
are so scary = Are constipated looking dummies that should have been designed to look more like Michael Jackson if they wanted motionless, falling mannequins to look scary.

Wow, what a bad movie
I went to see the grudge in the theatres and I wasn't expecting a good movie because of the recent surge of poorly made PG-13 movies released. Unfortunately it was worse than I was expecting. I watched it and I kept thinking "what the hell is going on?" My biggest gripe of the movie was that things would happen that wouldn't be explained. Half way through the movie I kept debating whether or not to walk out. Three-fourths of the way in I wanted to gouge my eyes out. I gave it a 2 because it was, somehow and somewhat, better that other movies of it's kin (ie; Abandon, The Ring 2, etc.)

And Sam Raimi used to be such a good director too.

Scarier and Better than Original
I am, of course, a huge Sarah Michelle Gellar fan.I thought the initial, theatrical version of "The Grudge" was a very well done and original movie.It was scarier than "The Ring," it had better acting, better directing, and a more intriguing plot.My problem with the film was due to the fact that the filmmakers never really showed WHAT exactly happened in that house.The audience easily inferred what took place, but the audience was never explicitly told, "this is what happened, and why all this crazy, evil stuff is now happening."This version changes that.

I prefer this unrated, extended, director's cut, or whatever they are calling it becausethe include what actually happened in that house, and it is truly horrifying.The majority if the added scenes depict some pretty scary stuff that I think was important to the plot of the movie and should not have been cut.Thanks to this version, it has been added back in to the film.Now, we the audience, can truly understand how terrifying this movie is.

p.s.The terrifying aspect works best at home in the dark by yourself when you start the movie at around midnight or so.

Lost In Translation??
This movie was a remake of the Japanese Horror film Ju-On: The Grudge.In fact, it even has the same director.However, I think there are a lot of things taken for granted in Japan that Americans don't really understand.

So at the end of the movie I was left scratching my head thinking, "What did I just watch?"I understand how the killings started, so maybe a better question was, "What was the point of this?"The ending is not an ending at all, but more an opening for a possible sequel.

The strongest aspect of this movie was that the bulk of the gore was left to the imagination of the viewer.You don't see people getting killed, you see it coming and then the rest is up to you.I think this actually makes it more scary than seeing what actually does happen.

The best part is that it lowers the rating from an 'R' rating to a 'PG-13' so more people can see it.With an 'R' rating, this movie would not have made as much as it actually did.

However, if you like a scary movie then go ahead and watch this.If you don't like them as they keep you up for weeks with nightmares (and you don't want this) then stick with Mary Poppins.This movie will have you jumping a couple of times. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Kip Raines (Giovanni Ribisi) is a cocky young car thief working with a crew to steal 50 cars for a very bad man whose nickname is "The Carpenter." Being young and cocky, Kip messes up, so it's up to his big brother, Randall "Memphis" Raines (Nicolas Cage), to come out of car thief retirement and save him. With a cast that includes Robert Duvall, Angelina Jolie, Delroy Lindo, Cage, and Ribisi, it would be easy to say this story wastes all their talents--which it does, but that's not the point. This is a Jerry Bruckheimer film. A good story and complex characters would only get in the way of the action scenes and slow the movie down. No, Gone in 60 Seconds (based on the cult 1974 film of the same name) is not about the stars as much as it's about cars. Fast cars. Rare cars. Wrecked cars. All cars. Too bad director Dominic Sena (Kalifornia) doesn't come across as more of a gearhead; he seems less interested in fast cars than fast cuts. But is this movie fun? Absolutely, and it's fun because it's so stupid. With pointless car chases and hackneyed dialogue in one of the most predictable plots of the year, Gone in 60 Seconds is a comic film that's not quite a parody of itself, but darn close. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (328)

Good Movie...Cage Needs More Sleep
When I first went to see "Gone In 60 Seconds", I had never heard a word of it in previews or word-of-mouth. I never liked or could sit through any Nicholas Cage movies until this one though. Cage plays a rather lathargic Randall Raines, a reformed car theif who is unwillinglly drawn back into his old profession to save his younger brother Kip (The Wonder Years' Giovanni Ribisi) from death. Kip takes a car boosting job for the meanest car-theft ringleader in town (A part which even I could've played better than this guy), and faces the ultimate price for mistakes. To keep the big boss from killing his brother, Cage must round up old collegues to pull off the biggest boost of their lives. Some of his partners in crime include Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall and my favorite...Vinnie Jones as The Sphinx. Each with his/her own special tallent, they work at moving 50 cars in 2 days to save little Raines. The one thing that kept the movie from running out of gas at the box-office I think, was the fact that they went in-depth as far as methods of boosting the cars...instead of knocking on someone's door and stealing the keys from the kitchen table. And there's a lot of laughs along the way that keep it from seeming like a re-run of CHIPS. Up-beat comedy makes the movie a lot better than it could've been, my favorite part was Nicholas Cage taunting a seriously ghettoed-out rival theif from inside a diner who was out kill him. The movie does have a few corney scenes that were obviously forced by a nerdy director...but the action, the laughs, and all the new stuff you learn about stealing cars these days is what makes it a good pick for me. I think this movies' like alcohol though, if you get in a car after it youre gonna feel like driving like a maniac. Nicholas Cage deffinately hits a mark with this one.

An escapist guilty-pleasure movie
If you're the kind of moviegoer who likes to watch some films without having to do a lot of thinking, loves action and hot cars, and likes to watch a goofy movie without having to think about character depth or surprises in the story, you'll like this movie. I recommend it only to people who like such movies. I don't mind watching such a movie now and then, and there are some things that I thought were pretty cool.

The 1967 Shelby GT-500 Mustang is the best thing about the movie. I've always liked cars and this is a rare classic. The climactic chase is cool and well done. Nicholas Cage actually did 98% of his own stunt driving. Another thing I liked was Robert Duvall. I guess he's the kind of actor who can survive anything. And the opening boost of a brand new Porsche 911 right out of a factory showroom was kind of neat, and funny as well.

But the story is predictable, awfully predictable. You know the hero will save his brother's life. The only surprise is in the final delivery of that Shelby. If you actually saw the original 1974 film you'll recognize a scene in a garage that pays homage to a similar one in the old film. It involves a car, a cop, and heroin. I was also disappointed that the final chase doesn't last longer.

GREAT CAR FILM!
"Gone in 60 Seconds" exists for one purpose: to show off some of the hottest cars in existence. The storyline is kind of hokey, but the cars more than make up for it, especially the GT 500. The car chase at the end is one of the best ever filmed! All the actors (Especially Robert Duvall, who can never give a bad performance) do fine in their roles. All in all, "Gone in 60 Seconds" is a one @#*& of a ride!

Also, don't miss Christopher Eccleston (plays the villain, Raymond Vincent Calitri, in this film) this January, when he resurrects one of the greatest characters of all time, the Doctor, in BBC's new "Doctor Who" series. BBC plans to send it to American TV stations as well.

Movie Grade: B+

Maybe a three star movie, but still...
A waste of great talent is probably the most honest thing I can say about this flick.
Jolie is Academy Award material and she hardly does anything in this movie. Gage is a master, this movie was a waste of what he's capable of doing, but I guess he's a good draw. I actually saw this at the theater when it came out and a second time recently. There are cool cars and some cool chase scenes, so it's not that it isn't entertaining, it's just that I was expecting a lot more.

Great chase scenes- cheesy otherwise
Nick Cage is pretty good in this film- the car chase scenes are wild and fun- the rest of the storyline gets kind of schmaltzy and is really predictable.Good action flick when you need to zone out- if you want something with more substance- go back some years and watch Dirty Harry! ... Read more

Amazon.com

An atmospheric and sexy crime caper, this stars Dennis Quaid as a New Orleans police detective. He's a smooth talker who butts heads with the new assistant district attorney, Ellen Barkin. She's rigid and plays by the rules; he is mildly corrupt. They soon find themselves romantically entwined, and a bit chagrined.

Director Jim McBride (Great Balls of Fire) was in top form with this 1987 sizzler. You may not remember the particulars of the plot, which concerns supposed gang killings and police corruption, because it is the romance that has staying power. Blame this on Quaid and Barkin, who send off enough sparks to light up Bourbon Street. They are not only sexy together, but endearing, which makes you want to like them as much as they like each other. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (27)

party on down, Cher!!!
This is what I call a personality movie. The plot is fine, maybe a few holes and you sort of can see it coming down the turnpike, but that is not what you will watch this movie for time and again. It's the actors. They are the whole show and they give you a great one at that. Dennis Quaid jumped into leading man spotlight with this film, and Ellen Barkin is a delight as his adversary and can't-help-falling-for-you-lover...she is cute, engaging and not your typically blonde!! Quaid and Barkin are friends in real life, and that chemistry carries over into their roles. They have fun with the characters and so will you.

I have viewed this movie and will continue to do so, it's just that sort of a good time. I absolutely adore New Orleans, and you get some good scenery and even better cajun music (though where is Doug Kershaw??? I ask!), with excellent supporting performances from John Goodman and Ned Beatty.

Dennis plays Remy McSwain, a police Lieutenant that loves the Big Easy and takes everything in laid back stride, until problems arise. There is a supposed drug war going on, he thinks he has all the answers until Burkin's ADA Anne Osbourne starts asking questions of her own. Their attraction is instantaneous, sexy and fun, as she knows she cannot fall for the man she is investigating, but she cannot seem to stop herself.

Uncle Souse tells Barkin's character at once point "put your purdy face in the car, cher."....well, put your purdy face in front of the telly and enjoy a trip down to Dr. John's way.

Please note that is Jim Garrison playing Jim Garrison!! For those who do not recall the name, see Oliver Stone's JFK.

Mature audiences as there is one sexy, steaming love scene between the leads (which they said they had trouble doing since they were friends in real life - well, it sure does not show!!!)

Look out for the gator, baby!!!

Sexy and Colorful
This colorful and fast moving film from director Jim McBride about an only slightly corrupt cop in 'The Big Easy' and the pretty Assistant District Attorney sent to investigate the department is filled with cajun spice and atmosphere. The lines between right and wrong are blurred like a rainy windshield in this lightning paced and very sexy cop film.

Dennis Quaid gives a terrific performance as Remy McSwain, a second generation cop who sold out early on in his career, accepting it as the norm but not letting it hinder him from doing his job. When the prim and sexy Ellen Barkin arrives on the scene in the form of D.A. Anne Osborne he attempts to wine and dine his way out of trouble as bodies start piling up in an apparent drug war.

The sexy encounters between Remy and the shy Anne blend seamlessly with some very brutal crime scenes and a lot of New Orlean's music to propel this film at a breezy and very enjoyable pace. When Remy's own corruption is exposed their relationship becomes more complicated as he tampers with evidence and gets off. But her comments to him that he is no longer one of the 'good guys' causes him to take a serious look at himself. When cops are discovered to be behind all the recent drug trouble, the answers will hit far too close to home.

A very unique cop thriller that manages to maintain a light and breezy ambiance throughout, this is one of the most memorable films of it's kind. It's spicy flavor goes down easy and makes you crave more. The supporting cast that includes Ned Beatty, John Goodman, and Lisa Jane Persky offer fine support in this very seductive and one of a kind film you must see. Pick this one up today!

Glad I finally watched it.
A friend of mine has chased me around with this DVD for weeks, telling me it is a must see. She was right! The only problem is, it's her copy and now I'm going to HAVE to buy my own. I live about an hour away from New Orleans and let me tell you, they have the Cajun flavor down pat. I just wish Dennis Quaid were there all the time. This movie is sexy, steamy and very entertaining. It's amazing that it is from 1987 and yet is not outdated at all. If you haven't seen it yet, then buy it now!

Hard to Follow
I was very disappointed with this film. I had watched it immediately after coming back from a wonderful trip to New Orleans and was desiring something that would remind me of New Orleans. The acting in this movie was mediocre. What really made this movie not very enjoyable was the fact that the storyline was very hard to follow. Most murder mysteries are supposed to have their share of twists and turns, however this movie went way beyond that to the point of complete confusion. I gave this movie a 2 star rating because at least the New Orleans backdrop and the Cajun Zydeco music was nice.

Not Quite So Big As I Remember
I used to have this on VHS and adored it- it's a terrific film, with an unbeatable combination of twisty plot, stars that have incredible chemistry, and spicy music.... and yet when I watch it on DVD I find five minutes of the ending has just disappeared into the great old void at the editing room.

Does anyone know why this part has been cut? It doesn't seem to make much sense, as without it, the conclusion of the film is very abrupt and disjointed... it's amazing the difference that one tiny little scene makes!

Don't give up your VHS copy just yet- not until those editors find that damn five minutes and put 'em back in where they belong! ... Read more

Amazon.com

David Lynch's 1990 Wild at Heart is an utterly random and ugly experience with pockets of startling imagery and inspired set pieces. Based on a Barry Gifford novel, the film stars Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as lovers on the lam whose relationship is tested and who meet some truly dangerous wackos (including an almost-simian Willem Dafoe). Lynch's thoughts seem to be everywhere, and he expects the audience to keep up with a story that seems more a collection of avant-garde whims than a coherent vision with the intuitive brilliance of his Blue Velvet. Cage gives one of his more chaotic performances, but then he was just reading Lynch's signposts. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (68)

if you're truly wild at heart, then you must .....
i first saw this film in theatres back in 1990 and i couldn't get the film outta my head. at that time, i knew very little about david lynch or his unique style. needless to say, i fell heart and soul for this maniac film and knew i would probably want to watch it over and over. nicolas cage gives perhaps his best performance prior to the wonderful leaving las vegas and i still think this film was very overlooked by everyone with the exception of true lynch fans. while this is probably his easiest film to date that the mainstream cinema could DIGEST, wild at heart is still very much avantguard as it is excessive in the language, violence, and sex departments. what makes this film so digestible is the ironic humor which surrounds the plot like a second skin. while still not a film for everyone, there is much to like about this david lynch treat. i particularly love the scene where nicolas cage is visited by the good which played by then unknown sheryl lee who advises him that the wild at heart must follow their dreams. shouldn't we all follow our dreams no matter how crazy or chaotic things may be?

Dear Tom Keogh,
Wild at Heart is, indeed, a film with some startling images. Any David Lynch fan will tell you that you should expect no less from him. In this film, Lynch is showing a subtle form of humor, he is referencing the Wizard of Oz (I'll not dare say "remake," he is rewriting it in his own fashion), and he is creating film as art in his typical fashion. You see, you actually have to pay attention to Lynch's movies in order to fully understand them. You likely have to watch them more than once to get his points. That's all part of the fun. If you bother to pay attention to the details of the movie, then you will understand that his thoughts are not all over the place at all, but are telling you a story, in Lynchian fashion. He doesn't take you by the little hand and lead you through a smarmy Hollywood film about life and love then whisk you off to a nice, rosy conclusion with a sunset and cutesy music. Don't expect the point to Wild at Heart to come easily. If that is what you want, may I suggest "Dumb and Dumber." David Lynch combines film with art and Wild at Heart is no exception. If you want a movie to present a simple story line and to conclude with a pretty red bow, then skip this one. But if you want to watch an outstanding David Lynch movie, then Wild at Heart will not disappoint. This is a fantastic movie.

PLEASE RELEASE IT ON DVD!!
David Lynch's Wild At Heart is a masterpiece, it won Palme D'Or at Cannes Film Festival for Best Picture. It has an outstanding cast, featuring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Isabela Rosselini, Sheryl Lee,
Diane Ladd, Harry Dean Stanton, Willem Dafoe and so many other great actors! Why wasn't yet released on DVD in North America? Everywhere else in the world was. David Lynch is one of the best American directors and "Wild At Heart" is one of his masterpieces.
My favorite line from this film is: CENSORED.

Film of the Future
Lynch uses cinema the way it should be used. It's a naturally surreal medium, something only Lynch has truly understood, ever since Salvador Dali made Un Chien Andalou, all those years ago. Wild at Heart is totally coherent, as many reviewers have realised, even if only partly and subconsciously. All I would like to know is this: is the American South really the raw and mindless hell on earth that it seems to be in almost every film I've seen located there?

David Lynch's violent adaptation of the Wizard of Oz
Wild at Heart is David Lynch's violent adaptation of the Wizard of Oz with mesmerizing cinematography, which offers an exceptionally artistic cinema experience. Many scenes are visually packed as they offer much to ponder since they are often surrealistic or full of symbolism. The symbolism and surreal environment enhance the fantastic adventure into love, passion, and righteousness that Lynch provides for his audience. The tale begins with Sailor (Nicolas Cage) who was sent to jail for manslaughter as he killed a man in self-defense that was sent by his girlfriends neurotic mother. Released on probation Sailor is free and loving as he can reunite with his girlfriend Lula (Laura Dern) despite Lula's mothers opposition to their relationship. Lula's defiance upsets her mother who hires another hitman to slay Sailor. However, Lula and Sailor decide to take off to California and break Sailor's probation by following the yellow line on the road to the promise land. ... Read more

Reviews (152)

Ignorance is bliss
...Anyone who has done the least bit of research will know that David Lynch has final cut of everything he does. He chose to cut the movie down from its original inception. Please know that this is a fantastic movie, and the DVD IS Lynch-approved. As for the commentary and deleted scenes, Lynch has stated many times that he will NEVER do commentary, and does not agree whole-heartedly with including deleted scenes. He also refuses to use chapter stops (this is good). If you need someone to hold your hand while you watch this movie, and explain how to think for yourself, then I propose you find a different film to watch.

Goodbye Cherry Pie
Remember Laura Palmer? She's the one who was into sex, drugs and..., ended up killed by..., wrapped in plastic, and then it all began. Well here is the oft-times lurid, unsettling and sometimes plain scary film about Laura. This is not the eccentric drama/comedy we know as "Twin Peaks:TV series, and it's not for the fair weather Peaks fans. David Lynch lets us know that this is the flip side right at the opening credits when the violent destruction of a television is followed by a bloodcurdling scream. No wonder they hated it! I love it, and thanks to NewLine who in conjunction with none other than the maestro himself have produced a gorgeous digital transfer of this essential work. Forget the deleted scenes fiasco..with this quality sound and picture, and a good price, this is a no brainer for true Twin Peaks fans. I docked a star because the only substantial extra, the "documentary" is quite a disappointment. If you have absorbed the series and permit the Lynchian universe to enfold you, "Fire Walk with Me" will reveal itself as a coherent,disturbing and beautiful adventure. Great performances by Sheryl Lee and Ray Wise, but the real star is the director who gave us something that we never expected, and it gets better at each viewing.Wow Bob Wow!!

The Reason this movie wasn't as good is becuz.....
In the David Lynch "motion pictures" collection, there are 8 films that have been made since 1978. "Eraserhead," "Elephant Man," "Dune," "Blue Velvet," "Wild at Heart," "Fire Walk With Me," "Lost Highway," and his latest, "Straight Story." The four best are Eraserhead, Fire Walk With Me, Blue Velvet and Lost Highway.

David Lynch's vision of "FIRE WALK WITH ME," is not bad because he wanted it to be. The original fire walk with me movie is romoured to be over 3 and a half hours long. There is PROMISED to be a FIRE WALK WITH ME DVD coming out soon. It should be out later this spring with all the cuts that werent originally in the TWIN PEAKS movie. Please.... dont be disappointed with the original though, it is a good movie. You should try this movie, I THINK, before you watch, rent or buy the TWIN PEAKS TV series.

thanks

garmonbozia, all right.
See, this movie is yet another intentional turkey in the David Lynch stinkography. When will you people believe me when I tell you the man simply likes to make bad movies?!? The picture comes off as a demented episode of Northern Exposure with the plot-wiring torn out and the character development up on blocks. Throw in the obligatory sinister midget and sundry unemployed freaks and... Weee're in business! Oh, wait... we need something for the characters to do... well, they can all just take turns going insane, can't they? Problem solved! David Lynch is a modern freak show operator. The freak show has never gone away. It has just been billed as something else.

Prequel sets the stage for series pilot
Shot after the series was cancelled because there was a demand overseas for more "Twin Peaks" material, "Fire Walk with Me" gives us a glimpse of what occurred just prior to Laura Palmer's murder in the pilot. While it spells out some things only hinted at in the pilot and is a bit more literal than the series, "Fire Walk with Me" also has the benefit of being a theatrical film and, as such, we get to dig deeper into the underbelly of the town.

The first thirty minutes of the film are devoted to a murder similar to Palmer's that occurs in another town. A pair of FBI agents are sent in to investigate (Chris Issak and Keifer Sutherland). When they run into resistence from the local law enforcement, they're forced to flex their FBI muscles a bit. While investigating a clue in a trailer park, one of the agents vanishes. Agent Cooper (MacLachlan)is called in to find the missing agent.

Far more surreal than the series with a number of high profile cameos (David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton), this is a bit more bizarre as well when compared to the series (and even the pilot). The DVD is chapter encoded (unlike the frustrating "Mulholland Drive"), has an original documentary that's shot in a style like Lynch might have used with the original cast (save Piper Laurie, Michael Ontkean, Jack Nance and a couple of other cast members)about the impact of the show.

It's an excellent companion piece of the pilot (available as of now only as a region 0 DVD from Taiwan)and the series (available as a boxed set for the first season only with, reportedly, the second season coming next year some time). Picture quality is exceptionally good with the sound particularly outstanding in its use of 5.1.

A solid cast with a good script that meanders a bit, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" plays better than parts of the first season but isn't quite as strong as both the pilot and first 8 episodes of the series. It's still worthwhile for fans of the show. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Northwest Junkie Pranksters
I am always surprised at how many people have not heard of this film. Although released back in 1989, this is definitely one of Van Sant's best films. This flick takes you into the day to day routine of Bob (played by Matt Dillon) and his melancholic and nomadic band of junkies who roam around the Pacific Northwest raiding pharmacies and hospital drug cabinets in search of Valium, Dilaudid and other narcotic goodies to pop, shoot and snort.

The mood of this film is generally very dysphoric however some comic relief is added throughout in the dialogue and 'trippy' visual imagery. Some of the pranks they pull on the detective they are eluding are also pretty humorous.

The movie definitely captures the 70's era well with its acting, dialogue and wardrobe. Superb acting by Dillon as the intimacy phobic, restless and highly superstitious ringleader, Kelly Lynch as his less than satisfied girlfriend, James LeGros as simpleminded Rick, and Heather Graham as the young ditzy neophyte who literally goes overboard trying hard fit into this group of merry prankster junkies.

This movie is a creative little exploration into the day to day routine and psyche of the junkie, so if you can't handle the portrayal of this reality, then this is another movie that isn't for you. Interestingly, William Burroughs plays a short role as a junkie priest, adding some penetrating social commentary towards the end.

As dark as comedy can come
Remember one thing when watching this film: DRUGSTORE COWBOY is a comedy; the darkest comedy for its time but a comedy nonetheless. It was a breakthrough in so many ways. Obviously, Gus Van Zant got a career going. Independent films were beginning to be taken seriously.But Matt Dillon finally proved that he was more than a chiseled face. His comedic performance here would be his best. "No hats on the bed!" Even though he was wildly funny in THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, he's three times better here.

There are moments when I've felt that individual scenes are better than the whole. I love William Burrough's scenes as a junkie priest. In one scene, after one of Dillon's friends o.d.s in a motel, Dillon goes to unbelieveable lengths to hide the body in a crawlspace. Once he's completed this gruesome task, he realizes that the motel complex is surrounded by State Troopers--for a convention! The look on Matt Dillon's face is priceless.

Please take a look at this dark and funny film. Forget about some of the poorer qualities of the DVD (although they are annoying). DRUGSTORE COWBOY is worth the viewing.

drugs and thugs
this one is about 4 losers who rob drug stores for..............what else?................drugs!then they either take them or sell them.nobody important showed up on audition day.this is not a lifetime movie and can be enjoyed by the guys.it does look inexpensive like a lifetime movie though.it is not nasty like that movie with leonardo dicaprio where hes a junkie or trainspotting with thier lewd and disgusting scenes and dead babies.there are 2 really obnoxious people here.one is a slow kid from next door who keeps trying to hang with the big kids and the other is one of the main 4 characters who constantly screws everything up.the real deal is this movie is good.since no one else will say it,i will........if you want to make a good movie about heroin and other narcotics,just cut out the screaming rehab workers,the gay men in the bathroom stalls and all graphic displays of bodily functions.oh and no one AND I MEAN NO ONE is amused by the dead baby scene in trainspotting.so,my point is this movie follows that formula and is therefore good.

Dillon is bad to the bone
loved this movie with a fire. Im a huge fan of Matt Dillon's work and he gives probably the best performance of his career and he hasnt topped it yet. he plays a druggy and he has a girlfriend played wonderfully by Kelly Lynch and he has two friends, James LeGros and Heather Graham and he also has a cop on his ass played nicely by James Remar. later a stealing of drugs goes bad and Graham kills herself so Dillon wants to rehabilitate and start over with his life and he checks in and he finds out one of his former teachers is going there. Max Perlich also stars as a dimwitted drug dealer. powerful anf funny. the bet scene is where that guy comes out of his house and shoots the cop on the ladder

Independent Film making at its Finest
The best aspect of Drugstore Cowboy is that any sententious moralizing about getting high is kept to a minimum while the audience is left to make up its own mind regarding the pros and cons of tuning in, turning on, and dropping out.

Set in Portland during the early 70s; Van Sant has put together one of the finest independent films ever. Excellent quips such as Dillon's character referring to a young junky as a "TV Baby" make for a meaningful and scintillating script. It's also a humorous movie with certain scenes retaining an understated comic appeal. While the sets give a fantastic portrait of 1970s west coast junkie life.

The always intriguing late William Burroughs makes an appearance in the last quarter of the picture as Father Murphy, a well known old school addict who also happens to be a man of the cloth. The dialogue between him and Dillon's character is the high point of the movie; writing just doesn't come much better than this.

Drugstore Cowboy is simply brilliant all the way around and stands as an example of what American film making can achieve if the giant studios are kept from meddling in the artistic process.

It should be remembered that Burroughs classic book on the dope scene: "Junky", would make for a nice companion to the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Magnificent Story and Wisdom Gleaned
I love movies as this. Movies that teach valuable life lessons (even if they are cheesy). Richard Gere acts as if he is the consummate low-life-user-loser (not as low however as his father, played as if it was natural for him by Robert Loggia), until he experiences numerous maturation lessons in the serious game we call life.

What makes this movie (and all similarly toned movies for that matter), cheesy is they distill the melodramatic moments of life in the span of a few hours of a movie.

Louis Gossett, Jr. won an Academy Award for a one of a kind portrayal of the disciplinarian drill instructor who falters at times dealing with "Mayonnaise". Brilliant acting on Mr. Gossetts part.

Taylor Hackford does a magnificent job of drawing out the inherent skills of all players, Debra Winger, David Keith, Lisa Blount, Lisa Eilbacher et al, directing them to convey to the audience the writers intent. Magnificent story and wisdom gleaned from a movie.

Richard Gere has arrived
Self centered hustler Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) enlists in an officer's training school where he quickly meets his match in Sergeant Foley (Lou Gossett, Jr.), who warns him of all the "Puget Sound debs", girls who come across the ferry every weekend to try to land (or trap) themselves a future naval aviator. But Mayo manages to shake off his selfishness and he learns to love-not only deb Paula Pokrifki (Debra Winger), but his new best friend Sid Worley (David Keith). What follows is a love story that is timeless and rewarding. A great stay at home date movie. Look for young David Caruso and Lisa Eilbacher.

A crowd-pleaser!
This 1982 romantic classic is a perfect remedy for Valentine's Day. This movie not only pleases the woman you love, but it's only enjoyable for the guys, too. I'm a man, so there I admit I liked the film. I'm not too keen on romantic movies, but if the story is about a man who trying "to be all he can be" and trying to get the girl, that's my ticket home.

This "chick flick" has a young Richard Gere playing a self seeking, ill-bred nobody who enlists in the Navy training corps under a strict and disciplined drill instructor(Louis Gossett, Jr. who gives a Oscar winning performance) who teaches him the fine line of courage, friendship and compassion toward his fellow man. And of course his hard work pays off by wooing the lovely Debra Winger where both of indulge into tendor passion.

This movie is oozing of sexiness and the commanding performances by Gere and Winger are all worth while. The film has enticing moments of drama, which are perceptive to the viewer. The timeless song UP WHERE WE BELONG may be kinda fruity to listen for a guy, but hey admit it! Some of you sing it in the shower I bet!

Anyway, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMEN should be a perfect gift or viwing on Valentine's Day.

Hate to admit it, but I liked the movie
I never really thought to watch this movie because it was considered to be "sappy" but watching it on cable, one can appreciate the romance portrayed in this movie. Gere plays a naval cadet training to be an officer who meets a factory woman played by Deborah Winger. His character is unemotional although he is love with the girl. His friend, however, is opposite of him. He was willing to love the woman who was Winger's friend in the movie, but she made it clear that love was the least thing she was looking for in a man and he met his own demise. Although this movie is over twenty years old, it is still a good movie to watch. Sometimes romance doesn't have to be about sex. It's about the emotion, the heart.

Officer and A Gentleman lifts the audience up
When I saw this movie as a young adult, I found it to be a very interesting, sweet, coming of age movie. The movie follows Richard Gere as "Zack Mayo" who joins the Navy and goes through Officer Candidate School. Along the way, he learns the meaning of friendship, discipline, and love.

The beginning has a very poignant episode of flashbacks going back to "Mayo's" childhood, his father's treatment of him, and his harsh upbringing. It is through this upbringing, that you begin to understand why "Mayo" acts the way he does through the first half of the movie.

The friendship between he and David Keith is a special one, one that tests its very meaning. Debra Winger does an excellent job of a local factory girl, looking to find someone special. Along comes the smooth talking, loner "Mayo" who is hell-bent on completing Officer Candidate School without anyone's help. Their chemistry is magical.

Louis Gossett Jr. is the senior drill instructor who tests "Mayo's" committment and perserverance. Gosstt Jr. is "Foley" who's job is to weed out those who don't belong and he does a phenomenal portrayal of that.

Some of my favorite scenes were with Gere and Winger at the "Tides Inn", Gere and Gosset Jr. in the blimp hanger, and the latter half of the film with Gere's changing of character.

This is an excellent movie for anyone who has ever hoped for a better life, a true challenge, and had people who cared for them. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Kathy Bates stars as an unhappy wife trying to get her husband's attention in this amusing and moving 1991 screen adaptation of Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. After befriending a lonely old woman (Jessica Tandy), Bates hears the story of a lifelong friendship between two other women (Mary Stuary Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker, seen in flashback) who once ran a cafe in town against many personal odds. The tale inspires Bates to take further command over her life, and there director Jon Avnet (Up Close and Personal), in his first feature, has fun with the film. Bates develops a real attitude toward her thickheaded spouse at home and some uppity girls in a parking lot, but dignity is generally the key to Avnet's approach with the story's crucial relationships. Tandy is a joy and clearly loves the element of mystery attached to her character, and Masterson and Parker are excellent in the historical sequences. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (88)

Fried Green Tomatoes
Reviewed Date: October 2003
Studio: Universal Studios
Genre: Drama
Exposure: Color
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 1991
Directed By: Jon Aunet

Starring: Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jessica Tandy.

Co-Starring: Gailard Sartain, Stan Shaw, Cicely Tyson, Gary Basaraba, Grace Zabriskie, Richard Riehle, Grayson Fricke, Lashondra Phillips, Enjolik Oree, Nick Searcy, and Ginny Parker.

If you want to see a good movie for the whole family, "Fried Green Tomatoes" is the movie for you. It shows friendship, compassion, humor, laughter, and real life encounters.

The setting takes place in the late 1980's and takes you back in time a half century to the town of Whistle Stop, Alabama.

"Fried Green Tomatoes" is a movie for anyone. It can make the best of us laugh and cry through the entire movie. "Fried Green Tomatoes" is a movie that gives you two different stories within itself. One story takes you back to the 1930's. The other part of the story takes place in the 1980's between Ninny Threadgooda, telling the story of her past to help her new friend Evelyn get her life together.

The frienships made within the movie show that this woman do hold their friendships in very high regards. The friendship in the 1930's would help both women to get through some really tough times. The friendship in the 1980's between Ninny and Evelyn keep these two ladies on track.

I give this movie 5 stars because it is a movie for anyone. Also because it shows how good friends will help a loved one in need of there help at a drop of a hat. This movie is just a well rounded movie, filled with emotion.

Better than Steel Magnolias
Fried Green Tomatoes is two stories in one ---- depressed housewife Kathy Bates befriends an elderly woman (Jessica Tandy) who tells her the story of two best friends (Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker) who ran a cafe in the 1930s. The tale of the friends depicts domestic violence, pregnancy, childbirth, and two accidents involving trains. But the courage and spirit that the women have, as told by Tandy to Bates, encourages Bates to stop being a victim in her own life, particularly to her all right but insensitive husband.

The movie does a great job of showing the trials and tribulations of being a woman but how female friendship can conquer all. It is even more riveting to see it set in a time when women -- particularly unmarried women of dubious sexuality --- have to overcome obstacles set by society in general and its views of what a woman's role is. TOWANDA!!!!!

fried green tomatoes, food for the soul
I have seen this movie probably 20 times in my life and I have to say it is definetly a personal favorite in my collection. This movie touches on so many emotions that it will have you angry, sad, touched, uplifted, empowered and roaring with laughter. This movie is told to a fed-up repressed housewife (kathy bates) by a sweet ,lonely ,vivacious old woman (ninny) during visits to a nursing home after a chance meeting. The intertwined story is about Idgy a Tom-boy who distances herself with the world due to a tragedy at a young age. As Idgy ages the only person she is close with is her "hired hand" Big George and his mother Sipsy. Idgy's mother becomes concerned with Idgy and decides to have Ruth ( a girl from idgy's past) come and stay with them to try to reach Idgy. At first Idgy is stand offish but soon they become best friends that is, until Ruth leaves because she marries. I dont' want to "spoil" the rest of the story so I'll leave that alone for the time being. As Ninny tells Mrs. Couch (kathy bates) they become close friends and Mrs. Couch begins to become empowered by the strong women in the stories and making some changes in her own life. It touches on tough topics such as racism, spousal abuse, death, tragedy, loneliness, fear of death, and fear of life for some. This dvd is a must watch and own for your dvd collection.

Great Southern Storytelling on the Screen
I'm always surprised how badly great storytelling makes it to the screen. Particularly, great Southern stories, which tend to make it to the big screen replete with caricatures and stereotypes. I recall, with particular sadness, the movie adaptation of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. While this adaptation to the screen of Flagg's tremendously moving novel does have its share of simple, stereotypical southern "archetypes", these are largely drawn from Flagg's book, and are largely essential to the story. It is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable movies I have ever seen and, ten years after first seeing it, it still brings raucous laughter and tears to my eyes. It's the classic "story within the story", and begins with the introduction of a tenacious elderly widow to a repressed younger southern housewife in a nursing home in rural Alabama. What starts off to the housewife as polite and indulgent small talk of past acquaintances with a likely senile elderly woman turns rapidly into an engrossing story with what must be the best "hook line" in storytelling ("Why anybody would have thought she killed that man is beyond me!"). This story then becomes a parable which the housewife uses to change her life for the better.

While certainly a moral parable of the greater value systems of past times, and of loyalty and courage in the face of bigotry and oppression, the story never loses its infectious humor, despite some genuinely tragic events. The lesbian theme of the book is only mildly hinted at, and one would almost overlook it were one not to deliberately search for it. Some of the more brutal aspects of the book are retained, with the rampant racism and wife-abuse still harrowingly reflected, if toned down. Consequently, younger viewers may best appreciate the film in the company of an adult. Regardless, this is one of the best "feeling good" movies I have ever seen, and being a Southerner from an area very near that depicted in the book, makes me pine for the South in profound ways. It's a film about empowerment and, more importantly, the empowerment one gains through friends, and through standing up for one's friends, and through an unshakable belief in self-respect.

No little credit for the success of the film goes to the incredibly strong performances of Masterson as the tom-boyish Idgie Threadgood, and Marie Louise-Parker as Ruth Jamison, along with the underrated performance of Stan Shaw, one of TV's great character actors, as Big George. However, the film's strongest performances come from three grande dames of the screen (and stage): Cicely Tyson, as Sissy, Jessica Tandy, as Ninny Threadgood, and Kathy Bates, as Evelyn Couch. While Tandy and Bates have received their due, Tyson's performance, as always, is often overlooked.

To Wander!!!!
A story of friendship and love, and how they can both intertwin. Mary Stuart Masterson (Somekind of wonderful) and Mary louise-Parker (Boy's on the side) Displaying fabulous performance's along with Jessica Tandy (Driving miss Daisy) and Cathy Bates (Misery). The whole story surrounding a relationship that can not be defined. My Favourite film ever! However i think some people are wrong with one aspect surrounding Ninny and Idgie. That they are one and the same! Best Quote- " Face it girl's.... I'm older and have more insurance"
A film for any Mary Stuart masterson Fan. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Powerful, superbly developed, a strong message delivered.
One of the best though shocking movies ever filmed.

This movie is amazing. It's tragic as it's real, it can do nothing but enrage you, and more likely to create a conscience on any rational human being about what should never happen in the world. The performances are equally shocking for it's realism, you can't miss this one, though you need a strong stomach, and to realize that this is something that's ought to stop long ago, but it still happens, so you'll be contributing to an incredible cause by watching this video, and then doing ANYTHING to prevent this from happening. It's about Child abuse, excessive and sick love for someone who hurts your own child, which is truly sick but that seriously happens.

Enough words do not exist to describe the effect this movie had in me, and I'm sure no one would miss it's powerful message. I seldomly write reviews, but this was a must-do. And I wish there is something I can do as well, so that means so can you.

As a writer on it's beginnings as well as a screenwriter, I hope someday I can reach some of the power of this movie to keep this from happening.

You really can't miss this one

A story that will haunt you and rob you of smiles
This 1996 Showtime film is set in rural South Carolina in the 1950s. It stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as a young unwed mother whose loves her young daughter, played by Jena Malone, but yet is incapable from protecting her from an abusive stepfather, played by Ron Eldard. Directed by Anjelica Huston, it brought out the best of all the actors and kept me glued to the screen in spite of the depressing story. Over and over again, we witness the senseless physical abuse by the father, and the young girl's stoic acceptance of it all. It was good that there were enough aunts and uncles in her extended loving family to help out, but her life is a history of short reprieves with various aunts and uncles, only to be picked up by her mother and brought back again to her house of torture. Yes, this is fiction, but we all know that these things exist. The director was wise though to also develop the characters of the mother and stepfather; we understand who they are and how they got that way, even as we despise what they are doing. The stepfather is out of control and the mother cannot bring herself to leave him, but it is the young girl who must suffer the most. It's a haunting story and, like life itself, there are no easy answers.

Nauseatingly violent.
Psycho stepfather beats stepdaughter, useless waste of a good soul mother does nothing to stop it. Typcal Lifetime movie garbage. I applaude Mr. Turner for refusing to show it. We know there are people like them in the world and we don't need to be reminded of it everyday, yet LMN gets off on programming this kind of movie. Disgusting, VERY DISTURBING trash, period.

questionable ethics
i simply want to express a view i find curiously absent from these pages. a group of people find a ten year old and use her to disturb paying viewers and this is called a great work? from what i understand about the american legal system, children are concidered not capable of making concetual decisions concerning sexuality (let alone sex with adults). but then, if this is true, how is it that a child is mentally capable of play acting brutal sexual abuse with an adult, while being filmed, so that people she doesn't even know can watch her be realistically raped and beaten? oh what a good actor she is, right? i guess children enjoying sexuality in a film (i am thinking of ken park) is wrong, whereas children suffering from sexual abuse is beyond reproach because it is a social statement that "needs to be told". personally i find the way most people speak of how they found this film "shocking" and "disturbing" to smack of masocism. is there a kind of hypocracy that enables the viewer to think he/she deserves to have his/her senses violated by those wise old demigods in hollywood? but then maybe the grow special children in california studios who are magically immune to exploitation for serious art's sake. just curious, that's all.

Interesting but disturbing movie
Wow! This movie is really intense in parts, some scenes were VERY graphic. Let the viewer beware! This is not a movie for children. It tells the story of a girl who is physically & sexually abused by her stepfather and her mother doesn't protect her. If you like these kind of movies, I would definately recommend this one; the actors are wonderful and the story is very compelling. I did think the pace of the movie was slow in some parts and also some of the characters weren't developed fully enough. That's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Never take yourself seriously
Don Knotts and Tim Conway are the experts at not taking themselves seriously. The best way to give an understanding of how wild this movie is is to simply point out that comic genius Don Knotts plays the straightman to Tim Conway's magnificent imbecile. Of course none of it makes sense - it was never meant to! That's part of the joke. My family has worn out one copy of this video. Not even the classic 'Walk this way' from Young Frankenstein can match up to the take on that joke in this movie. My mother begins laughing at it several minutes before they actually perform it, it's so funny! I'm willing to bet Tim Conway made up the 'Wookalar' story on the spot, from the incredulous look Don Knotts gives him. Great double feature with Clue!

Oh how I remember this movie!
I can remember my mom first getting this movie for me when I was about 3 years old, and she told it had Don Knotts & Tim Conway from "The Apple Dumpling Gang" in it! To this day it continues to make me laugh, and it is one of those movies which has withstood the test of time! But with these 2 comedy greats playing the spoofs of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to solve a murder in a dark haunted mansion, it's a movie every family of any age will treasure! A must for the whole family!

This movie is hilarious
It's a true comedy classic - you'll laugh til you fall out of your chair! And it is climactic too!

slippery sleuths
great comedy team as wats &holmes like the beach wagon etc they realy left a mark ...

"A Sound? You mean like a Wookalar would make?" "Koowah!"
First the DVD review: This DVD was/is put out by "Hens Tooth" video. (Hens Tooth?) Features the original theatrical trailer, which in itself is a gem; a wonderful stills gallery featuring behind the scenes making of the movie...priceless! And an awesome commentary by Tim Conway and the Director Lang Elliot who offer tons of little know facts and insight to this classic! This DVD is crisp and clear and so is the sound! The only thing this DVD lacks are the deleted and alternate scenes and alternate angles they showed on TV back in 1984. (see below for details) But, I'm happy to take what they give!

I know this is going to sound odd, but this is my favorite comedy of all time! No question! I have always been a big fan of Tim Conway and Don Knotts! (Who isn't?) Both men are absolute geniuses and have been underused since this movie came out back in 1981. This movie left a huge impression on me when I was a kid! I have always wanted a house just like the one in this movie! Who wouldn't want a 252 room estate! You could almost sleep in a different room for a full year! I was equally impressed when I found out the house in this movie is a real house! It's the Biltmore House and gardens. The real house is in Asheville North Carolina. Although the Biltmore House doesn't have 252 rooms (darn!) it is an absolutely gorgeouse manor! I highly recommend you check out their website! They will even send you a free brochure which pulls out into a mini poster! I have one on my wall right now! Very cool!

Anyways, back to the review...This is one movie that can be shared with the whole family! When this movie came out I was 10 years old and was so impressed by the look of it, the hysterical comedy, the cast, and the mystery storyline! You had to be there, but everytime and I mean EVERYTIME I saw this movie the theater was packed and sold out! Movies back then would run for 3-6 months at a time! (this is before even video and vcr's) I would clip every article or advertisement for this movie and I still have them today in a scrapbook! Yes, I am a fan!

Tim and Don play two ameturish private detectives who are called in to investigate the murder of Lord and Lady Morley, the owners of the estate. Don plays the straight guy to a T! Tim plays a wacky, paranoidish, inventor/detective. One of Tims inventions is called a time gun, which goes off every hour! He is also afraid of a legendary creature called the "Wookalar"! A half pig half human creature that will "suck your brains right out your nose!" Very funny stuff! You have to see it for yourself! The two detectives run into a myriad of funny characters along the way in the Manors staff and housekeeprs/caretakers! Just when they think they know who the killer is..that suspect ends up dead! Hilarious!

Now, here is something to note: I was extactic when this movie first aired on TV back in 1984 and happily taped it! Lucky for anyone else who taped it (and still has the tape like me!) because they showed scenes and alternate takes/angles that are NOT IN THIS DVD! They show a scene with Trisha Noble and Tim Conway eating dinner at a loooong dinner table that is just hilarious! Tim dresses up as Don's character, in hopes of "fooling" the killer, as a decoy. Trishas character just beats the crud out of Tim as she gets upset when people try to "trick" her! Hilarious!
The next scene they showed was an extra scene of Tim trying to send off a Homing pigeon, with an update of their investigation to Scotland Yard. Tim has a whole crate of homing pigeons and every time he trys to send a message something happens to the bird! So, in the deleted scene Tim paints a pigeon black, so no one can see it at night thus nothing should happen to it, and when he throws it out the window of his room...the pigeon goes but the wings stay in his hands! Cruel? Yes, by todays standards, but still funny!
Next, there is an alternate scene when the maid is preparing tea for Tim and Don and the killer slips poison in their cups. And there are a couple of alternate angle shots throughout the TV version.

This is an absolute classic comedy! Buy it before it goes out of print! ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Flea recites Shakespeare. What more do you need to know?
Well-dressed "indie" hack Gus Van Sant (who's about as indie as Evan Dando) received lots of kudos for this pretty-boys-in-ripped-jeans, "loose adaptation" of "Henry IV, part 1". If this is a loose adaptation of Henry, then "The Rainmaker" is a loose adaptation of "Bleak House". This sometimes decent-looking piece of fluff is so desperate to live up to its "loose adaptation" hype, it actually (painfully) inserts some actual dialogue from the play into the middle of the movie. OK, yeah...get it. Thanks.

River Phoenix is actually quite good & handles the vague, sappy story of boy-hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold with class & subtlety. His task is a thankless one: he plays a character who honks on bobo, hangs out with danceclass reject thugs, and has the occassional grand mal seizure on the highway. That and he's looking for Mama. Sure, but that's always the issue, isn't it?

What's his name? Keanu Reeves gives his usual Frank Gifford-on-thorazine performance. He plays a rich kid who hustles to get back at his family. Reeves is uniformly awful throughout. The interaction between Reeves and Pheonix is like watching two popular college guys go to their favorite hole-in-the-wall bar in the seedy section of town and attempt to "fit in". Meanwhile, they try to pay the tab with a VISA Platinum.

The shame of the movie is that what looks like might turn out to be a dark, intriguing portrait of a troubled twentysomething (nothing earthshattering, there, I grant you) winds up being a J. Crew travelogue that desperately wants to be (1) literary and (2) a cult film. Unless your name is Ed Wood, you can't just effortlessly toss off cult films. Even Wood had to wear fake breasts and fondle a cashmere sweater.

In truth, this would be a really good film student project if it were fifteen minutes long and in a language I couldn't understand. As it is, Van Sant doesn't have near the talent or original vision (see Psycho, the rape of) to pull off a formless character study or a literary cult film. Two stars because of Reeves, the first ten minutes and it's not based on a Tom Robbins novel.

Reality check...
This movie shocked me at first, but I soon realized that Gus Van Sant and the actors, especially Phoenix strove to present us with a picture and a reality we often don't see or don't choose to see. Welcome to the world of male hustlers. I didn't expect to be taken on a date in the first few minutes, and I was sad to learn how a person can give over their body for a 20$ bill. I was impressed and touched by River Phoenix's preparation for this character. His effort paid off beautifully! I understand through reading some of the biographical books about him; he always threw himself into every character. It is said that in preparation of the film, he spent a great deal of time with one particular hustler, a young man, whom he portrays. In addition, he lost an incredible amount of weight to look the part. Mike Waters is a young man looking for something. From highways to gay bars and back again, he searches for his mother, an ethereal character from his dreams, nightmares, and semi-wakefulness from his bouts of narcolepsy. The fits of instant sleep provided some comical moments, yet I enjoyed it because I was finding out what gave Mike stress. He was also looking for love from a man, and not from turning tricks. The actors often reffered to having sex with another person, for free, which gave you wings. The extent to which Mike and other actors will go to search and strive after a goal is unbelievable: From the high plains to the sea-board cities to France, they wandered from place to place looking for Mike's Mom. There is a conflict between Mike and his older brother, who is more a part of Mike life than he realizes. I was inspired by the courage of the characters to show the depth of comittment that a young man will go through to discover truth, no matter how difficult.

I highly recommend this movie to become aware of what happens all around us. We can love others better when remove the labels and love them regardless of where they came from. As a pastor and reviewer, I benefited greatly to seeing a brand new perspective of life and it helped in my work to aid people I know in these situations. It made me wonder - in this season of Christmas why our homes are not open to rejected teens. Loving and intimate relationships are free to give. Mike and his companion had a intense relationship of companionship which didn't revolve around sex That should inspire us to think how we treat the people around us.

"My Own Private Idaho" (just one more)
I forgot one more story, related to what I wrote, already. As if you'll print this, but maybe.
When "Sweet November" came out, I realized it was a remake of the 60s film, only it starred Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron, this time. I'd seen the original, with Sandy Dennis and Anthony Newley, back in the 70s, when it was on TV late one night, with Susie, my ex-girlfriend I wrote about earlier--the one who gasped, when I called her from the hospital and told her I think I'm an alcoholic. We'd loved that movie--and the "irony" there is that her birthday is November 17th, and that date features prominently in the new movie. It's also set in San Francisco, and I live just north of there, at Muir Beach. What an "irony." Sometimes, when I see "coincidences" in movies his friends and family make and my own life, I now think this was maybe River trying to tell me something from the Great Beyond.
When I wrote Susie of this "irony," after yet another hiatus in our relationship--she is fundamentalist Christian and has right-wing beliefs, when no one I know on purpose does, anymore, really--she ignored me. So bye-bye, Susie, and maybe that is for the best, since she wasn't in sobriety, even though we smoked and drank and took drugs, though she didn't favor that last.
I have related stories--such as when I saw Summer, River's youngest sister, in "Wasted," for the first time. I like this movie, though I can do without the sex scenes. And she can't relate it to River's OD, though it's about heroin addiction and is dedicated, in part, to those who lost their lives due to this disease.
I will go to sleep, now. I had no idea I'd write so much, and it's late. I have a bit of a head cold, but I thought I'd write you, since you sell me a bunch of River Phoenix things, suddenly, and you might want to know why, incidentally.(...)

Weird and wonderful...Keanu Reeves can actually act??
Being fairly new to the world of 'art-house' movies, i first found this a little confusing, and i was concerned that this strange approach would hinder the emotional impact of the film, rendering it yet another overly stylish, powerless and incomprehensible piece of modern film-art. I had also heard that it was extremely shocking and controversial. However, i began to understand Gus Van Sant's language, and it soon seemed completely natural. The claims regarding its explicit sexual nature have been, fankly, grossly exaggerated and probably the result of mild homophobia. The camp fire scene is the most memorable, with River Phoenix's perfomance as Mike, subtle and shining as usual, bringing to mind the very similar camp-fire scene in "Stand by me". Having only seen Keanu Reeves appear in such films as 'Speed' and 'the Matrix', in which he hardly demonstrates any power or skill as an actor, it came as somewhat of a pleasant surprise to see his humorous and striking portrayal of Scott. A sensitive choice of music contributed to the mood, both in the comic, nostalgic steel-string guitar to the gentle folk song that plays as Mike vows through tears to find his mother (by the way, does anybody know what that song is or how to find out?). I was slightly disappointed and depressed by the ending, which is extremely inconclusive, but i suppose movies don't always need a conclusive ending to make them good. Overall a visually stylish, emotionally powerful movie, with some fantastic acting by River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves.

wierd, different, and sad
I did not know exactly to expect when watching this movie but I am a big fan of River Phoenix so I decided to give it a shot. I watched about the first third or so of it and found myself thinking I can't believe I rented this, with the exception of a few scenes that I thought were pretty funny, but when the campfire scene happened I became more involved with the film. I started to see Mike more as a person searching for love and his mother instead of just a male prostitute that fell asleep a lot. I thought River's acting was brilliant. Everything I have seen him in so far is so believable to me. For example, when he sees Scott and his new girlfriend kissing at the dinner table he blows smoke at them, out of obvious jealousy, and he can't sleep when he hears them making love in the next room. I think he was excellent in picking up people's mannerisms and the little things that people do. I ended up being so mad at Scott in the end and was saddened in how it seemed that Mike would live that life until his death. The role of Mike was played perfectly in that it seemed that he didn't even like being a prostitute, evident by his fits of sleep during most of those situations, but he was just trying to get by and find love. The believable acting, mostly by River, and the sadness and emotional vulnerability of the second 2 thirds or so of the film more than make up for the beginning. I hope to look deeper into people's lives and less likely to judge others, something that I must admit needing a little more help in. It really saddens me that there are people right now as I'm typing this review living lives similar to this one feeling like the "road never ends" for them. God bless them and everyone else. ... Read more

Description

As Nessip, Wesley Snipes free-falls into the daredevil world of sky-diving to track down a cadre of techno terrorists in Drop Zone, a chute-to-thrill adventure co-starring Gary Busey, Yancy Butler, Michael Jeter and more. Ready for excitement? You're in the zone with "the action movie of the year!" (Ron Brewington, American Urban Radio Network). Jailbreak... at 38,000 feet! U.S. Marshal Pete Nessip's prisoner parachutes out of a 747 and floats safely into the night with his daring, deadly cohorts. Nessip does his best to stop the bold escape. What does he get in return? Suspended. But being off the force doesn't mean Nessip is out of action. When it comes to stopping killers, he's taking the plunge. ...