Amazon.com

Lou Diamond Phillips leaves a haunting impression as the late 1950s pop idol Ritchie Valens, who made the Latino influence in rock & roll conspicuous through his hit songs. Filmmaker Luis Valdez (Zoot Suit) creates a nimble, exciting, and sympathetic portrait of the boy driven to rise above obstacles of race and family legacy, and Esai Morales is equally fine as Ritchie's envious, searching brother. Great support from Elizabeth Peña and Danielle von Zerneck as Valens's sister and mother, respectively, and Joe Pantoliano is solid as the singer's straight-talking manager. Valdez brightens up the third act with a rock & roll show featuring, among others, Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochrane. Marshall Crenshaw turns up as Buddy Holly getting on that plane with Valens, and Los Lobos (who actually performs Valens's music on the soundtrack) has a nifty cameo as a Tijuana band that gives Valens a piece of crucial inspiration. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Ole!
La Bamba is one of my top 25 favorite films. Lou Diamond Phillips comes across for real. I was surprised when I saw a picture of the real Ritchie Valens. I had forgotten what he looked like (when I was a teenager). Lou doesn't look like him, but who cares? This is a great suspension of disbelief.

Esai Morales doing a great job as the troubled brother Bob. it is easy to feel his pain. And it is almost impossible to tell the difference between Los Lobos' rendition of the title song and the original Ritchie version. The hint is in those couple of seconds of silence that Los Lobos does near the end. And then there are those excellent imitations of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, Jackie Wilson and others.

The DVD has two feature-length commentaries that are worth listening to. Beyond this, I have also turned on the Spanish-language track and watched the film a few times that way. If you have some understanding of both languages, it helps to show how they get the nuances across it slightly different ways.

One of the best rock biopics ever.
I saw La Bamba the other night for the first time in many years, and was delighted to see how well it had held up. Of the many tragedies in the history of rock, there are few more bitterly poignant than that of Ritchie Valens, and director Luis Valdez makes us feel the full force of the tragedy. He makes us love not only Ritchie (Lou Diamond Phillips) but also his supportive mother Connie (Rosana De Soto) and his troubled brother Bob (Esai Morales), then ends the film as he should, on a note of raw, unmitigated grief. On the way to the tragic end, however, we also get marvelous recreations of vintage rock songs by Los Lobos, Brian Setzer, Marshall Crenshaw, Howard Huntsberry and others. Seeing La Bamba again brings up a smaller tragedy: why Phillips, Morales and De Soto didn't become bigger stars, as they clearly deserved to become from their performances in this movie. Only Phillips came at all close to stardom, and for every step forward he took--his change-of-pace villainous role in Courage Under Fire, his Broadway triumph in the revival of The King and I--he took two steps back with some straight-to-video flick. But in any case you can still see them in La Bamba, and laugh, cry, and applaud.

fantastic
I love this film!! after being introduced to it by my older sister i have never looked back!!! Lou diamond Phillips is amazing as Ritchie Valens and Esai Morales is equally great!!! the supporting cast helps what is already a fab film become a classic!! The soundtrack is great and the end music that they play in the final scenes makes it so emotional. The film really reminds us what a loss it is when someone as talented as Ritchie Valens was dies so young... The film has never stopped making me cry and i am sure i will continue to love this film.. it is a timeless piece which is a fitting tribute to one of Rock n Roll's finest!

Good but it has major problems too
Film needed more period flavor. What's with Ritchie's brother Bob's hairdo? Too 80's. Also, the film gets goofy towards the end with the Big Bopper going around saying "Hello Baby" to everyone and a weak performance by Marshall Crenshaw(Sp?) as Buddy Holly.

all musicians should see this
this movie is about late 50s rock n roller ritchie valens who along with buddy holly and the big bopper died in a plane crash ritchie was an amazing talent with a beautiful voice he was only 17 lu diamond phillips does such a wonderful job portraying how hard it was coming up as a latino in the 50s and how ritchie loved a whitegirl but her parents wouldnt let them be together but they found ways anyway and he was going to propise to her before he got killed this movie has alot of great moments and music by the band labamba youll end up crying once u realize what a musical loss ritchie valanz buddy holley and the big bopper were to that generation and generations after all musicians should buy this dvd right away if u havent seen it u owe it to these founders of rock n roll ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Einstein said that life was a spectacle.
And this movie prooves that. I have this on Laserdisc.. and there was no way my collection could be without it. Definitely a comedy of all sorts- dark, light- romantic. You have to love Fisher Stevens catchphrases- I'd watch the movie just for his one-liners. I wish I could turn my high school into a timewarp- From dinosaurs to future invaders- this flick solves conflicts among all time periods. Ever see a dinosaur invade the gym before? If the team of Zucker and Abrahms ever got ahold of this movie watch out. I love this movie because it always makes me laugh- at the world around me- at scifi- or is it laugh with scifi- another classic 80's flick. And this fantastic exploit of adventure are enough to bring out the child in all of us.

Weird Explosive and Crazy
My Science project is a classic 80's thrill ride. This explosive comedy was one of my favorites. A weird glowing orb is placed in the hands of a kid by fate. (He fell in a hole) When power is introduced to the "machine" space time and every thing unholy takes over a local high school. See this movie.

SENTIMENTALLY OUTRAGEOUS 80s FILM
This film is noteworthy because it is just so 80s and they just don't make them like this any more. I thought the time-space warp idea was used very effectively for a totally off the wall experience. I suppose you may have to have a pretty objective sense of humor to enjoy this film, however, don't judge it too harshly.

Buy this
This movie is a classic, funny, action packed and really good !!
Buy it, its great 5 stars !!

My Science Adventure
The story is good and the cast is decent as well. Who would know that Dennis Hopper would add some comedy relieve. This is one of those sleeper movies like "Adventures in Babysitting" and "The Last Starfighter" that turns out worth your time.

If you like movies like "Explorers", "Goonies", and "Flight of the Navigator" you should enjoy it. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The sets, music, and directing is good. Even the special effects which are a bit dated now are still quite good.

A science project made from a hidden device in a secret military stockpile can lead to some unpredictable results. When the school starts to transform into periods of the Earths history including the dinosaur age, the students must keep on their toes to survive.

No extras with this DVD. Even if there aren't any this is a good price for couple hours of light comedy adventure. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Hilarious film about making films
This is the only film I have view about filmmaking. It is about a strugling director that tries to make a movie on a very low budget. Steve Buscemi is an exellent choice for a film director, and we become a part of his every day life. We follow him through all the problems you can imagine, and more. This film gives you an accurate picture of what it is like in the filmindustry. Unless your're a part of making blockbuster movies with unlimited budgets. Which this movie so clearly isn't. It is a very funny movie, that you must see if you are interessted in what filmmaking is all about.

One of the Best Movies about Movies
This film is a must-see for anyone who enjoys the goings-on behind the camera during movie production (or just about anyone who likes to laugh). The performances are fantastic (Steve Buscemi in one of his best comic roles; Catherine Keener playing the insecure yet talented actress wonderfully; James LeGros spot-on as the pea-brained pretty boy). Tom DiCillo captures the characters and craziness perfectly. You won't be disappointed!

HILARIOUS!!!!
This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. The only problem is you don't want it to end! Buscemi and LeGros are perfect! Buy this movie, Buy this Movie, Buy this Movie!!!!!!!! You won't regret it.

Two Major Talents Out to Amuse... Watch Out!
The talents I am talking about, of course, are the director Tom Di Cillo ("Moonlight in a Box"), subsequently infamous amongst the 'independent crowd', and the star, Steve Buscemi, who here once again proves that he is one of the most versatile character actors working today. The result of these two individuals working together, a comedy about making indie films called "Living in Oblivion", is one of the funniest and intelligent motion pictures of the 1990s.
Most comedies nowadays either rely on dumb physical humor (celebrities: grimace, puke, punch, scream, trip'n'fall...) or on recycled situational gags ("Welcome to Mooseport"?!) Genres like romantic comedies are sickeningly predictable (Richard Curtis/ Hugh Grant, anyone?) and sentimental. Spoofs like "Scary Movie" refer frequently to the more-successful slapstick of the Abraham/Zuckers' "Airplane!" (1980) or other earlier and funnier stabs at eccentric wit (Mel Brooks).
What we have nowadays, ladies and gents, is Robert De Niro hamming it WELL up in the gruesomely exploitative "Analyze That"; Eddie Murphy counting his paycheck in "Daddy Day Care" (where it's sporadically puked on by an annoying eight-year-old twerp) and "The Haunted Mansion" (where the paycheck should have been snatched away by Terence Stamp, who definitely got a lot less dough for the project than 'Axel', but tries a lot harder to save it from drowning in its own poop). It is a delight for us film-lovers to witness a comedy that is not desperate and/or indifferent in its attempts to make its audiences laugh, a comedy that is honest and certain of its genuinely witty concept, a comedy that is inspired rather than expired. "Living in Oblivion" is that kind of comedy.
The film's 1995 theatrical release was unimpressive due to the picture's low-budget, and a central theme that withheld limited appeal. In my opinion, neither of those factors should prevent an average film-goer with a developed sense of wit to enjoy Tom Di Cillo's little masterpiece. Despite the fact that it focuses on the intricacies and hardships of independent filmmaking, the topic is just as accessible as any story contemporary Hollywood has to offer ("Bowfinger"...). One does not have to possess knowledge of all technical aspects of producing a motion picture to appreciate the film's humor.
From the first nightmare dream sequence that Steve Buscemi's director has, the audience is hooked: everything goes wrong in each hilarious take, shot in color as opposed to the dream's black-and-white reality. Just when it threatens to stretch too long, the director wakes up (in color) and proceeds to his film shoot (in black-and-white). The dream sequence serves as an introduction of all the quirky crew members, including Dermot Mulroney's eye-patched DoP and Catherine Keener's emotional actress. The resulted nightmare is a premonition of events to get even more horrible in reality, supplemented by the established 'color switch' wackiness. And they do get worse.
Slapstick may play a part in this film, but what makes it different from the forced obnoxiousness of Rob Schneider crap is how effortlessly it is handled by the cast, which makes the slapstick a natural consequence of built-up, razor-sharp insightful humor. The script avoids cliche and pathos - it keeps the film down in reality, which allows certain character exaggerations (the blonde arrogant film star...he is by far one of the funniest single characters in film history). Steve Buscemi shamelessly adopts yet another identity - where is his "funny-lookin'" thug from "Fargo", or the geeky Mr. Pink from 'Reservoir Dogs"? In "Living in Oblivion", Steve Buscemi runs the show as the exasperated director, who has to maintain absolute tranquility with his cast and crew. Buscemi's gradual loss of cool is something to marvel. As for the rest of the cast, it is simply flawless, each character a developed individual worthy of his own feature film.
Tom Di Cillo's brilliant entrance into the filmmaking arena has everything a comedy needs: tight dialogue, witty actors who understand and aspire to their script, sublime direction that does not distract but has style, and, most importantly, the appreciation of its audience's expectations. "Living in Oblivion" respects humanity's need to laugh. I just wish that the rest of "The Dream Factory" wouldn't underestimate that need, and stop living in oblivion.

An acurate comedy on film making
I am a film student, and I have to say that this is really close to what goes on on our sets. "Living in Oblivion" is about a low budget film maker (Steve Buscemi) and his nightmare experience trying to get simple scene filmed, but is foiled at every turn. Buscemi is so funny, and so dead on; I guess he learned a lot on all the indi movies he has done. Catherine Keener is excellent as the insecure actress. James Le Gros is perfect as a primadonna actor. There are no bad performances in "Oblivion", it is very true to life; well, movie life anyway. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

KILLER B
This tv movie starts out very well, staging some frightening bee attacks that are genuinely uncomfortable and scary. Director Rockne O'Bannon leads Robert Hays, Nancy Stafford, Ryan Phillippe and Dennis Christopher through some sharp moments. However, once the attack becomes confined in the Hays household, the movie loses its overall steam. Sure, we care about the family and their plight, but its narrow focus doesn't carry forth the horror of the mass attack possibilities.
Ryan Phillippe is good in one of his early roles, but why in the world does the family put up with him; he's the one who decides to shoot up the primary hives, and then he freezes when he's needed to help out.
Dennis Christopher is cool in his role as the resident bee expert who cheerfully explains bee venom at a packed outside cafe where all the patrons start asking questions.
Not a bad movie, but one I felt could have been better.

Best TV movie I've ever seen
I saw this when it came out and then again a few years ago and now I can't wait to see it again. So awesome.

A viewer
A terrific killer bee nightmare, the best of its kind, a great killer bee movie that doesn't suck! A 3 star thrille with a terrific enemy! DEADLY INVASION will have you on the edge of your seat and bitting your nails till the very end! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Faced with not graduating unless he completes his science project, ahigh school gear-head sneaks into a nearby Air Force base, looking for some gizmo he can pass off as his own invention.What he finds is an alien energy device that rips holes in both time and space, infesting the school with everything from dinosaurs to the Viet Cong.Writer-director Jonathan Betuel tries to mine some of the same veins as Weird Science and Real Genius (all three films were released in 1985) but with less success--mostly due to a slapdash script.The film veers from being The Breakfast Club to WarGames to Rambo, leaping over plot holes all the way.As the hero, John Stockwell is too low-key for his own good, but Danielle Von Zerneck is appealing as his emerging love interest, and Fisher Stevens and Raphael Sbarge do their best to inject some life into the material.Dennis Hopper (as a hippie-dippie science teacher) chews the scenary with gusto--and at one point shows up wearing the costume he wore in Easy Rider. --Geof Miller ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Einstein said that life was a spectacle.
And this movie prooves that. I have this on Laserdisc.. and there was no way my collection could be without it. Definitely a comedy of all sorts- dark, light- romantic. You have to love Fisher Stevens catchphrases- I'd watch the movie just for his one-liners. I wish I could turn my high school into a timewarp- From dinosaurs to future invaders- this flick solves conflicts among all time periods. Ever see a dinosaur invade the gym before? If the team of Zucker and Abrahms ever got ahold of this movie watch out. I love this movie because it always makes me laugh- at the world around me- at scifi- or is it laugh with scifi- another classic 80's flick. And this fantastic exploit of adventure are enough to bring out the child in all of us.

Weird Explosive and Crazy
My Science project is a classic 80's thrill ride. This explosive comedy was one of my favorites. A weird glowing orb is placed in the hands of a kid by fate. (He fell in a hole) When power is introduced to the "machine" space time and every thing unholy takes over a local high school. See this movie.

SENTIMENTALLY OUTRAGEOUS 80s FILM
This film is noteworthy because it is just so 80s and they just don't make them like this any more. I thought the time-space warp idea was used very effectively for a totally off the wall experience. I suppose you may have to have a pretty objective sense of humor to enjoy this film, however, don't judge it too harshly.

Buy this
This movie is a classic, funny, action packed and really good !!
Buy it, its great 5 stars !!

My Science Adventure
The story is good and the cast is decent as well. Who would know that Dennis Hopper would add some comedy relieve. This is one of those sleeper movies like "Adventures in Babysitting" and "The Last Starfighter" that turns out worth your time.

If you like movies like "Explorers", "Goonies", and "Flight of the Navigator" you should enjoy it. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The sets, music, and directing is good. Even the special effects which are a bit dated now are still quite good.

A science project made from a hidden device in a secret military stockpile can lead to some unpredictable results. When the school starts to transform into periods of the Earths history including the dinosaur age, the students must keep on their toes to survive.

No extras with this DVD. Even if there aren't any this is a good price for couple hours of light comedy adventure. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BAD MEDICINE
Robin Cook is the prolific author of several medical thrillers, in which medicine goes wrong, and the hero/heroine have to face the dire consequences. In ACCEPTABLE RISK, we are introduced to the story via a 1709 hanging of a woman suspected of being a witch. In fact, twelve of these damsels hung that day. Fast forward to the future and we meet idealistic Dr. Chad Rowe, and his lovely wife, Kelly Rutherford who have just inherited the house of the long dead witch. While renovating the house, Lowe discovers a shimmery mold and takes it to his lab, and finds out it has some unusually powerful capabilities: it intensifies his emotions, and seems to cure brain damage such as in Alzheimers. He secretly starts ingesting the formula he's made from the mold, called Ultra, and starts experiencing some of these effects. Needless to say, things start going wrong, and then he decides to enlist other team members to come up with a viable potion.
Lowe and Rutherford do well in their roles, Rutherford looking like a young Judith Light, and Lowe a young Rob Lowe. (Ha ha). Add Sean Patrick Flannery as friend Bobby, who seems to have been a little loose cannon anyway, and you have the ingredients for medical mayhem.
This is a made for TV movie, but its production values are good and I found it intriguing and entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Einstein said that life was a spectacle.
And this movie prooves that. I have this on Laserdisc.. and there was no way my collection could be without it. Definitely a comedy of all sorts- dark, light- romantic. You have to love Fisher Stevens catchphrases- I'd watch the movie just for his one-liners. I wish I could turn my high school into a timewarp- From dinosaurs to future invaders- this flick solves conflicts among all time periods. Ever see a dinosaur invade the gym before? If the team of Zucker and Abrahms ever got ahold of this movie watch out. I love this movie because it always makes me laugh- at the world around me- at scifi- or is it laugh with scifi- another classic 80's flick. And this fantastic exploit of adventure are enough to bring out the child in all of us.

Weird Explosive and Crazy
My Science project is a classic 80's thrill ride. This explosive comedy was one of my favorites. A weird glowing orb is placed in the hands of a kid by fate. (He fell in a hole) When power is introduced to the "machine" space time and every thing unholy takes over a local high school. See this movie.

SENTIMENTALLY OUTRAGEOUS 80s FILM
This film is noteworthy because it is just so 80s and they just don't make them like this any more. I thought the time-space warp idea was used very effectively for a totally off the wall experience. I suppose you may have to have a pretty objective sense of humor to enjoy this film, however, don't judge it too harshly.

Buy this
This movie is a classic, funny, action packed and really good !!
Buy it, its great 5 stars !!

My Science Adventure
The story is good and the cast is decent as well. Who would know that Dennis Hopper would add some comedy relieve. This is one of those sleeper movies like "Adventures in Babysitting" and "The Last Starfighter" that turns out worth your time.

If you like movies like "Explorers", "Goonies", and "Flight of the Navigator" you should enjoy it. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The sets, music, and directing is good. Even the special effects which are a bit dated now are still quite good.

A science project made from a hidden device in a secret military stockpile can lead to some unpredictable results. When the school starts to transform into periods of the Earths history including the dinosaur age, the students must keep on their toes to survive.

No extras with this DVD. Even if there aren't any this is a good price for couple hours of light comedy adventure. ... Read more