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Wes Anderson's follow-up to the quirky Bottle Rocket is awonderfully unorthodox coming-of-age story that ranks with Harold and Maude and The Graduate in the pantheon of timeless cult classics. Jason Schwartzman (son of Talia Shire and nephew of Francis Coppola) stars as Max Fischer, a 15-year-old attending the prestigious Rushmore Academy on scholarship, where he's failing all of his classes but is the superstar of the school's extracurricular activities (head of the drama club, the beekeeper club, the fencing club...). Possessing boundless confidence and chutzpah, as well as an aura of authority he seems to have been born with, Max finds two unlikely soulmates in his permutations at Rushmore: industrial magnate and Rushmore alumnus Herman Blume (Bill Murray) and first-grade teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). His alliance with Blume and crush on Miss Cross, however, are thrown out of kilter by his expulsion from Rushmore, and a budding romance between the two adults that threatens Max's own designs on the lovely schoolteacher.

Never stooping to sentimentality or schmaltz, Anderson and cowriter Owen Wilson have fashioned a wickedly intelligent and wildly funny tale of young adulthood that hits all the right notes in its mix of melancholy and optimism. As played by Schwartzman, Max is both immediately endearing and ferociously irritating: smarter than all the adults around him, with little sense of his shortcomings, he's an unstoppable dynamo who commands grudging respect despite his outlandish projects (including a school play about Vietnam). Murray, as the tycoon who determinedly wages war with Max for the affections of Miss Cross, is a revelation of middle-aged resignation.Disgusted with his family, his life, and himself, he's turned around by both Max's antagonism and Miss Cross's love. Williams is equally affecting as the teacher who still carries a torch for her dead husband, and the superb supporting cast also includes Seymour Cassel as Max's barber father, Brian Cox as the frustrated headmaster of Rushmore, and a hilarious Mason Gamble as Max's young charge. Put this one on your shelf of modern masterpieces. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (421)

"I'm a little bit lonely these days."
Simply one of the best movies in recent memory, Wes Anderson's Rushmore is the sweet, sad story of Max Fischer, prep-school enthusiast and terrible student. Equal parts character study, deadpan humor, and coming-of-age drama, Rushmore is that strangest of creatures - a sad comedy. All the performances in the film are brilliant, but Bill Murray's melancholy millionaire is the highlight of the bunch. The cinematography here is brilliant and steals effectively from films as diverse as Barry Lyndon and The Graduate; Anderson knows how to show off his actors rather than gloss over them, and the film is that much better because of his camerawork. This is probably the best DVD on the market in terms of extra features. It's a mystery how they managed to fit it all on one disc, but this set includes a documentary, taped auditions, storyboards, and a hilarious send-up of several of that year's films. Also included is an introduction to the film, and a great map of Rushmore. The transfer is also excellent (and apparently supervised by Anderson himself), and the sound is very good.

One mild warning: some people hate this movie. I mean HATE. If you don't buy the Max Fischer character, you will probably be one of those people. I think it's brilliant, I think it's one of the best movies I've ever seen, but in order to make this an even-handed review, I will simply say that several nice, interesting, intelligent people can't stand to sit through this movie. Rent it before you buy it, to make sure, but if you like it, the DVD is well worth the extra few bucks.

Max Fischer scores big, Criterion earns extra credit
I fell in love with this movie when I first saw it in Februrary 1999. Seeing it again on this superb DVD immediately rekindled that romance. Great performances, pitch-perfect script. The characters seem to inhabit a parallel univserse, a more innocent, gentile and slightly fable-like universe where the most important things are extra curricular activities and building an aquarium for the woman you love. Sure, director Wes Anderson rips off a wide range of artistic influences, ranging from THE GRADUATE to THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. But the irrepresible, fun-loving spirit of the hero Max Fischer (played by newcomer and Francis Ford Coppela relative Jason Schwartzman) makes it all seem somehow believable and puts a smile on your face.

Make sure you buy the Criteriion edition DVD. It has lots of extra goodies, like a great commentary track by Anderson, co-screenwriter Owen Wilson and Schwartzman; a making-of-the movie documentary; interviews with Anderson and Bill Murray by the PBS robot Charlie Rose; plus the priceless MTV shorts Anderson made which spoof other 1998 movies like THE TRUMAN SHOW and OUT OF SIGHT, the best movie of that year.

requires a certain type of humor to appreciate it
The owner of the video store warned us about this movie - it only appeals to a certain segment of the population, he told us. He was right. Among the audience I watched it with, half loved it and half hated it. I didn't appreciate the movie's humor because I thought it failed to develop a minimal level of empathy for the characters. As a result, I couldn't convince myself to care much as they moved from debacle to debacle. Not very entertaining in my opinion, but it seems to appeal to some, especially those that sympathize with oddball characters.

Different
I never truly understood the point of the whole film, but it was different. I'll give props to the kid in movie who tried so hard to make something great out of something ordinary. His infatuation with his school teacher is silly, funny yet heroic. Because the kid just never gives in.

Bill Murray is great with playing the bored Patron to the school who grows a liking to the kid. The whatever, I could care less attitude about him is very well played.

I like the small nonchalant, yet out of the ordinary point in the movie that happen in mid conversation that adds to the comic nature of the film. When the kid asks for an explanation and is quite furious, he's smoking in a Murray's car and deflt flicks some ash on the seat. In another scene, Murray is smoking two cigarettes at once.

A different film. Likable, but not one I could watch over and over again. Once is enough. I like movies with a little more visual appeal. Worth the peak.

a truly original film
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

In this movie, 10th grader Max Fischer falls in love with the widowed 1st grade teacher at his school. Max is the undisputed king of extrcurricular activites at his school. His grades have plummeted as a result and is in danger of expulsion. He later becomes the protégée of Herman Blume, the father of twin brother students at his school. His new mentor then falls in love with the teacher and in an act of revenge, Max exposes the affair to Herman's wife.

The DVD has excellent special features.
There is audio commentary by the writers of the film and actor Jason Schwartzmann who plays Max in the film, a "making of Rushmore" press film, short theatrical adaptations films released at the time Rushmore was which aired on the MTV movie awards, screen tests and audtions of the child actors and actress in the film, Chrlie Rose Show interview with actor Bill Murray and Director/co-writer Wes Anderson, and drawn storyboards with film comparison and, several pictures of props, drawings and other items from the film. There is also a foldout map showing key events in the film. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent Series - but DVD very poor production quality
I grew up watching this series and today it's a very refreshing break from the garbage and filth we are bombarded with on a daily basis everytime we turn on the TV. Even commercials are rank with crudeness these days. Anyway, if you would love to be reminded that the world hasn't always been so disgusting, vulgar, and violent then you will enjoy this series.

I was very disappointed, however, with the production quality of the DVDs. There are no subtitles for the hearing impaired, no special features at all and, most annoying, there are no chapter breaks between scenes allowing you to skip ahead. Instead you have to "forward" through it just like with your VCR (so what's the point of having it on DVD?). Also, the claim that the films have been "restored" is either a joke or a lie as many scenes are peppered with white specks and other visual debris. Also, there are moments when the screen looks like a video tape with the tracking gone awry. At times it almost looks as though they copied a bad video onto DVD. It seems they rushed through the production of these DVDs with little concern for quality. In spite of this, I do not regret my purchase and have enjoyed watching these with my family, including my three teenagers who have all become fans of the show.

And to Amazon let me say how annoying it is that any moron can write a "review" of something they obviously did not purchase or spend any time watching but rather are only posting a review because they have an adolescent need to rant against a particular genre which they have absolutely no appreciation for. Such reviews are a waste of everyone's time, including the person writing the "review". When only 2 out of over 50 people find a review helpful, I think it would be a service to everyone to pull it.

Best money I've spent on DVD
I have hundreds of DVD's of all types and have enjoyed this series with my family more than anything else, we're not quite through all and we'll be sad when they're done!

"What an assume Christmas present!"
I ordered this DVD set for my wife who is a huge Little House fan. I was confident that this was one of the best Christmas presents I ever gave her. My wife loves it. She had been taping episodes for quite some time from a TV station that didn't come in very well. Nearly everyday after she got home from work, she would watch the episode that she had just taped, even though she's seen all of them many times. Well, now that she has the 1st 3 seasons, she still watches an episode after work, but instead of the fuzzy picture on the VHS tape, she watches an episode on DVD. I must admit I end up watching some of them myself. It's unfortunate that no one makes quality shows like this anymore. A lesson to be learned in every episode. (By the way, the picture quality is fine, definitely not an issue for shows that are more than 20 years old.)

I think I even learned something from the episode we watched after work today.

Little House is the Best Show Ever!
Wow at last I can watch those kids run through that field over and over again with out waiting for re-runs! A place where it's always an innocent sunny day filled with lessons about doll making and dress sewing! Where going to school meant dealing with the pranks of Nellie Olsen instead of being killed by guns! Golly gee! Here is irrefrutable proof that everything will be available on DVD and that the most sickingly sweet, mind numbing shows will forever entertain the feeble minded! No there is a thought..or lack of..put a disc in I ready for the pretty praire again!

Great! Excellent!! Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to say that the title of my review is true. To the Little House on the Prairie fans, you will love these seasons. Finally for once, you can accually see the little house series, without having to go to the nearest video store, or bid higher prices on auctions that you will pay a great deal of money for, when it is right here on amazon. you get free shipping, no tax, and yet the relaxing little house sequels. I also want to mention that you should look into the 4th season, that has not been released yet, and will be avalible February 18, 2004. I had ordered this item last november with the pilot movie as well. I hope you enjoy these shows.
On a 1-10 scale, 10 being the best thes would be a:

not a one, or a ten, this would definily be a +71.7

~L.H.o.t.P. Lover~ ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Undisputedly, Allen's most brilliant and mature movie.
What can I say about this movie, except that I have seen it more times than I can count. Each time I watch it, something more is revealed and to me that is the sign of truly excellent writing. The characters are three-dimensional, each with their own idiosyncracies and contradictions. The separate plots compliment each other and stay distinct till the very end, yet they both deal with fundamental human issues and dilemmas. The cast is first-rate. Much of the movie is seen through Allen's character; as always, a cynical and unhappy man, yet you leave the film feeling a certain satisfaction and a greater insight into human behavior. The philosopher is a second narrator, in a sense, and his points of view are pertinent to both of the parallel plots. His suicide adds a twist to the story, where the viewer is suddenly left unsure on how to feel about his poignant words which we once trusted and valued. Overall, the movie is a gem and should be seen by every serious Woody Allen fan as well as those who can't stand him.

The eyes of God are on us always
Two stories run parallel to each other, destined to meet in the denouement. Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau), a successful opthamologist, contemplates murdering his hysterical mistress (Angelica Huston). On the flipside, Clifford Stern (Woody Allen) falls for Halley Reed (Mia Farrow), the woman producing a documentary he’s directing on his loathsome brother-in-law, a successful television producer (Alan Alda). One narrative carries its inherent weight well. Landau’s torment after the deed is done is palpable and painful. The other narrative seems flighty by comparison. Titular bad guy Alda shields himself from the daggers shot from Woody’s rolling eyes. However, his only real sin is lechery.

That being said, the two most heartbreaking moments in the film -- moments that rival in visceral emotion anything I’ve seen at the movies in some time -- come from the “flighty” narrative. I wish I could tell you what they were, but that would spoil the surprise. Just know that they are probably the most dramatic moments Woody Allen has ever put on film, as either director or -- and here’s the surprising part -- dramatic actor. His work is low-key and subdued here, more so than I’ve ever seen it before.

The rest of the cast is spotty at best. Landau, who I rarely believe in his roles, comes close to completely pulling off his Judah, only he misses by a few steps. One scene, where Judah exhibits poor judgement, had me astonished in my seat with disbelief. Still, more commitment from Landau would have sold the scene better. Mia Farrow gets some snappy one-liners as well as some tragic moments, but it feels like she’s forcing the issue in both respects. Also, she has little to no chemistry with Woody (at least none that I saw on screen). The best work is done by Alan Alda. His role could have been an over-the-top parody (it nearly is), but Alda pulls the reigns back just enough. His Lester isn’t really the bad man Cliff sees; he’s just a materialistic blowhard. Nothing criminal about that. Kudos to Alda for showing restraint, while sketching a living and breathing character.

There are some truly funny moments that serve as comic relief to break up the tense drama. Woody gets most of these, natch. One memorable scene involves Cliff and Lester, in which Lester pauses from a conversation about Cliff filming his documentary. He recites into a mini-taperecorder ideas about a TV farce in which a “loser” films a documentary on a successful man, and learns something in the process. Cliff, standing right there the whole time, rolls his eyes in disbelief. On paper, it may not come across how hearty a laugh this moment gets.

The most fascinating aspect of the film was probably the discussions of morality and ethics. God enters the picture once or twice (in discussion only), and man’s deeds are raked over the coals. And even though it doesn’t provide the typical Hollywood movie answers, the answers the film does provide are realistic and true and, most importantly, tragic. While the situations portrayed may be fantastic, the reactions by the characters within them were real.

Probably the darkest of Woody’s movies, “Crimes and Misdemeanors” will most assuredly be amongst the ones remembered a hundred years in the future. It balances its comedy, drama, and tragedy sublimely, creating a document of life that’s sure to provoke and entertain.

Crime but no time
I think what Allen meant to call this film was "Felonies and Misdemeanors" since a misdemeanor is a crime and the title a little redundant. That aside I think it's his best film, hands down. He managed to pull together his comic and tragic instincts into what is an entertaining and occasionally harrowing declaration of atheism. Not a philosophy everyone agrees with but he doesn't soft-pedal it. The staging of the murder that parallels Allen's romantic misadventures with a TV producer gives Martin Landau the role of a lifetime as a well-meaning physician who profits from an evil act. Great performances all around, especially Jerry Ohrbach as Landau's hoody brother and Allan Alda as a TV impressario who divests Woody of Mia Farrow (something the director probably wishes had happened in real life).

God Is Not An Idiot
Examining theodicy, the enigma of reconciling a benevolent God with capricious fate and suffering, Woody Allen fails to get much beyond a dark comic-dramatization of a freshman philosophy bull session, attempting to prove heroic enlightenment by forming agnostic conclusions.

Martin Landau plays an ophthalmologist having an affair with a frantic, aging stewardess threatening to disrupt his affluent contentment by confronting his wife. Not deriving solace from a kindly Rabbi patient and friend who is facing blindness and recommends honesty, Landau solicits help from his criminal brother to solve the problem with a hired killer. His bouts of conscience include reminiscing moral debates at a family Seder during his adolescence. His father, favoring a morally sensible existence, argues with a nihilistic aunt who trivializes the bible, believes God's non-existence is proven by The Holocaust, and views morality as a social contrivance.

Allen plays an uncompromising documentarian falling in love with an assistant (Farrow), also pursued by his boorish brother-in-law (Alda) who produces sitcoms and relishes being perceived as a creative genius. Alda's deep thoughts include the idea that with enough passage of time, tragedy becomes laughable, believing the Lincoln assassination to be an example. Alda throws his in-law a bone by allowing him to film him at work when Allen would rather work on a portrayal of a humanistic philosopher pondering serious questions. Unlike Landau's cynical aunt, the philosopher believes an empty universe is given meaning when human beings define values for themselves.

Allen's likable character turns the documentary of Alda into a satire of the man's vanity, and we gain sympathy for his protectiveness towards a favorite niece. Shielding her proves futile as Allen learns of the philosopher's suicide while on an outing with her. At a wedding reception, Allen discovers he has lost his battle for Farrow's affections to the egotist and then engages in a chance colloquy with Landau, wistful over the fading of his conscience. Allen's sadness invites us to share a resignation over the capriciousness of fate, the success of obnoxious people, the joyless end of an unmourned mistress, the unrequited love of a sensitive man, a sweet woman taken in by a cad, the blindness of a benevolent Rabbi, the despair of a man of apparent wisdom, and the return to comfort by a philanderer and murderer all serving to portray God as incompetent because life is unpredictable and joy and suffering are not proportionate to decency or malice. The answers of religion must be contrivances.

However, it requires contrivances to view God as a fool. Extreme skepticism often ignores contrary evidence to its cosmic-accident interpretation of existence. If we are just "a pack of neurons" and our mental life nothing but electrical impulses, then we cannot explain the realm of abstract concepts, including those of science. Nor can we explain the human mind's openness to truth, the foundation of all thought. Atheists cannot explain why anything should go right, even observation and deduction, why good logic should not be as misleading as bad logic, if they are both chance movements in the brain of a bewildered ape. Atheists exalt reason, but they cannot account for reason. Neither can materialism account for consciousness, free will, value judgments, and the existence of a unitary self. In a material world such things cannot exist. Matter cannot be free or have a self. Neither could free will exist if joy and suffering existed in perfect proportion with virtue and malice reducing our functionality to stimulus-response reward-punishment contingencies like that of lab rats pursuing a piece of cheese. Love and courage could not exist.

Similarly, no matter how we claim to be nonjudgmental and deny innate moral truth, we can not ignore the countering evidence of our own anger, which reminds us that there are natural expectations we have, should have, and can not avoid having of each other. Anger is the existential expression of moral outrage even when we exercise moral outrage at the very concept of moral outrage, reflexively calling anyone presenting a moral vision a hypocrite. In our sober moments, we know the life of the desperate woman is as sacred as the successful doctor. Nonetheless, we often live with the temptation to defer to "important people," hoping the identification of an imaginary human genius will confer a sense of superiority on ourselves by our presumed courage in recognizing theirs. We are quick to excuse the transgressions of genius. Morality can not be enough for great minds if they represent insights that anyone can have. Allen is a brilliant satirist of human pretense, often portraying trendy sophisticates as fools, but just as often sides with their elitist conventions that view metaphysical and moral questions as hopelessly complex needing great minds to sort it out for the rest of us. The last advice from Allen's philosopher is to hope for some genius of the future to give us life's meaning, although in the interim loving our families provides meaningful hope.

But since a benevolent creator implies the universal nature of important truth, the fading of conscience does not really occur so easily, and an ethical sense is innate to human decency. The killing of a man of noble purpose is still a tragedy 140 years later. So is the killing of a lonely mistress. A God with the wisdom to be subtle also invites us to find meaning in loving our families, which is precisely what we don't do when we exercise a blind faith in our self-definition. Self-worship is closer to the definition of evil. It may be that we prefer to ignore evidence that God is not idiotic because it helps us to avoid realizing that we often are. Why impeach our failures of decency if God is in no position to judge us negatively if we don't? Fortunately, as our better, God is merciful in judging our mendacity, our failures, and our acts of desperation. There is a vast body of literature examining theodicy, unfortunately most written by humble people whom intellectuals never notice.

Powerfully intelligent film
This is not a typical Woody Allen film in that it has an overall seriously philosophical quality. The performance of Martin Landau as a successful opthamolgist who is morally conflicted is one of the most moving and grounded Film performances I have ever seen. He is just magnificent in this movie. Allen deftly weaves Landau's story together with another thread featuring Allen as a documentary film maker who is unhappily married. His brother-in - law is an obnoxious televison producer played to great effect by Alan Alda. This film raises questions of morality , faithfulness and does so in a way that leaves the viewer to think through these issues as the characters go trough their respective moral crises. There are some laughs included but for the most part this is serious filmmaking at it's best. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

American Dreams Is Fabulous
I just found out about the new American Dreams Season One DVD that will be released in September. Thank God that my birthday is in August so I can order it! I started watching American Dreams in September of 2003 and fell head over heals in love with it! Even though I did not grow up in that generation, my goodness, I can certainly relate to their family's way! Watching the show is one of the highlights of my week. I already know that this DVD will be awesome, and I haven't even seen it yet. I definately suggest everyone get the DVD. I sure will.

What a great family show!!
I have watched every minute of American Dreams since it began and LOVE it!! I'm a Baby Boomer who lived through the tumultuous 1960's and this show portrays the unrest very accurately. It's a great family show and I applaud NBC for renewing it!!

One of the Best!!!
This is one of the best shows on today. It's great for the whole family. I'd love to know what the extras on this DVD will be and I can't wait for it to come out.

Great Show!
From the first promo I saw for "American Dreams" in the summer of 2002, I knew I would love this show and I was right!

This is such a great show for the entire family. It surprises me that it doesn't do better in the ratings than it does.

I was born in the late 60's, so I can kind of relate to how the Pryor's family life plays out ... having only one television set (and only having 3 channels to choose from), one telephone, buying and listening to 45's (for those younger ones of you out there, these are the single records) on a tabletop record player, penny candy that actually cost a penny, Coca-Cola in glass bottles, getting into movies for 50 cents, having a sit down dinner with your family most every night (exceptions were Friday & Saturday nights) of the week ... especially Sunday and so many other things. I love this show, because it reminds me so much of being a child in the late 60's in early 70's.

If you haven't ever watched "American Dreams", I suggest you buy the DVD for Season 1, catch up on Season 2 by reading episode synopsises at nbc.com and start watching Season 3 at 8 p.m. on Sunday night starting September 26th!

American Dreams is awesome
I love this show so much. Even though i wasn't born in this generation, each week, i tune in. The music of American Bandstand is amazing. The special guest stars were awesome. I love how the Pryor family always has something going on. I can't wait to watch the 3rd season. Meg pryor and Roxanne are really funny and cool, while Patti is a brat. Will is adorable, and JJ Pryor has issues with Beth. JJ is also very cute! anyways I would recomend this dvd to anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (191)

Please do yourself a favor - see this wonderful film!
The amazing thing about this movie is its subtlety - especially its low-key, ironic sense of humour. All three of the main characters are quirky yet enjoyable, just like the score (which was done by Mark Mothersbaugh, of Devo fame). While this film isn't the end-all of movies, the character development and interplay is very, very enjoyable. There are many moments to laugh out loud at the off-beat comments (and mumblings) of the characters, and a lot of lines that are memorable enough to be quoted again and again.

This film seems to usually illicit strong reactions from viewers, however. Either they find it extremely humorous and endearing, or they think it's boring and pointless. I think a good sense of wry, ironic humour and a touch of love for the slightly off-beat helps a lot. A love of character-driven films and slacker films wouldn't hurt either (i.e., this isn't for people with short attention spans and the need to always be excited).

In my opinion, this is a movie that everyone should give two chances - if you just don't get it the first time, try again. It just might click, and you'll be better off for it.

Quirky, delightful start to two great careers.
Released in 1996, this is Wes Anderson's first feature movie and the beginning of a great career that has also included the fantastic quirky comedy-dramas "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." "Bottle Rocket" isn't the equal of those films, but it is a great start to Anderson's career, and a fine little comedy. It also marked the beginning of the stardom of Owen Wilson, who co-wrote the script with Anderson and plays the most noticeable and memorable part. The film was shot in Texas, Anderson and Wilson's home state, based on a short film they had made two years earlier.

The movie has the type of laid-back and character-driven humor that won't appeal to everyone. This is comedy that doesn't target laughs or build up elaborate set-ups as most comedies do. Instead, the humor is continuously slow-pitched to you in the form of weird but likeable characters, off-center attitudes, and situations that seem familiar to us but are played in unreal ways and thus become extremely funny. All together, it's an extraordinarily enjoyable and pleasant movie that strolls through its story with no particular rush.

Owen's brother Luke Wilson, who had so far appeared in every Wes Anderson film, plays Anthony Adams, who gets out of a voluntary mental hospital after recuperating from a breakdown. His friend Dignan (Owen Wilson) has big plans for both of them -- a life of easy and enjoyable crime! Dignan doesn't have any good ideas, but tries to make up for it with endless enthusiasm and an outrageously optimistic view of life. Unfortunately, when things inevitably don't go well for him and his friends start criticizing him, he can fall into pretty bitter depressions. Owen Wilson has the character nailed down, and Dignan sets the tone for most of Wilson's other characters: the enthusiastic but misguided nut. Dignan gets his friend Bob (Robert Musgrave) in on his plan to pull a 'job' (and all of Dignan's 'jobs' are minor-league suburban affairs) that will attract the attention of the local crime boss/landscaper, Mr. Henry (James Caan in a brief but darned funny performance). Dignan get obsessed with his planning and attempts at damage control, while Anthony and Bob are more busy with the really important things in their lives: Anthony falls for a housekeeper at a motel (Lumi Cavazos, from "Like Water for Chocolate"), and Bob tries to deal with his bully of a brother, Future Man (Andrew Wilson -- yep, another Wilson).

The film has some sad and serious moments -- after all, these are characters who are really going NOWHERE in a very boring suburban landscape -- but with Dignan around it never stays down for long. There are plenty of chuckles and some real moments of howling laughter, especially during the climatic 'take down' (and I'm really using that term pretty loosely). Another Wes Anderson favorite actor, Kumar Pallana, who appeared as Pagoda in "The Royal Tenenbaums," is on-hand to add comedy as a safe-cracker (and again, I'm really using that term loosely).

If you like quirky, odd, but realistic comedy, and if you've enjoyed Owen Wilson in many of his later performances, "Bottle Rocket" is really worth a look.

(This DVD is, unfortunately, nothing special. The picture and sound are good, but it hasn't a single extra on it, not even a trailer.)

Don't just watch it once
This movie is greatness. Two rules: Don't watch it alone or only one time.

"I can't concentrate unless the gun is on the table"

Anderson and Wilson Deserve Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Wes Anderson's and Owen Wilson's Bottle Rocket is the most sympathetic film I have seen since...well, their most recent film, The Royal Tenenbaums. Professing to be a Wes Anderson adherent since the release of their third film--though I'd never seen his and Wilson's very first collaboration [pseudo fan--oh you better believe it], I finally surrendered the insanity and rented it from my local Blockbuster. All I can seem to say is, "Oh! What a film!" I, insanely, have refrained from writing a review of The Royal Tenenbaums because I know I will resort to sentimentality and will be unable to relate my thoughts intelligently and thus say nothing constructive. Now, however, I am forced to review Bottle Rocket, mainly because it is a deserving yet--unlike The Royal Tenenbaums--very undervalued film. Although directed in a crazy and amateur style [much different from the precision in the direction of Anderson's subsequent two films]--shaky hand-held camera and mismatched and unconfident musical choices--the writing is not noticeably second-rate to that in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Despite the film's very few problems, there is a pleasant sentiment accompanying the watching of this film--Bottle Rocket's cast and crew are comprised of family members and old friends [most every actor in the film has a Texan drawl], and even the sets seem to evoke a personal sentiment in the creators. Because of this familiarity, you, the viewer, are overwhelmed with the feeling that this film were made by people you actually knew, and--when there are mistakes--you don't even want to hold it against the makers or maintain any true negative feeling towards the film because it is just so nice.

The story is somewhat uncontained and unsystematic: two bored friends, Anthony [Luke Wilson] and Bob, are forced into participating in recreational robberies that are crazy [yet unassuming]--like holding up a book store at closing time--but grandly planned with an extravagant detail by Dignan [Owen Wilson], their whimsical, delusional and childish friend. Anthony and Bob, in their mid-twenties, are interested in relationships with girls or their families, but Dignan is interested in nothing but pulling off heists in revolutionary ways--hoping to be made into some kind of crime legend--since he's been fired from a job he really liked, working as a landscaper. The story of Bottle Rocket is easily and obviously reminiscent of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer in that Tom, like Dignan, was more eager to fantasize and daydream than ever accomplish anything or even enter the real world while it was Huck, like Anthony, who tired of the childish fantasy games. Though the story is haphazard, it is one of the most compassionate and kind character analyses I've ever seen in a film. Dignan holds grudges and is easily upset, but he's always the one receiving the punches and never giving them, and when arguments start he instantly begs everyone with a pitiful desperation to stop fighting. "You know, I'm not always as confident as I look," Dignan confides after being heckled by some older, cooler, and more accomplished guys for wearing a yellow jumpsuit. His friend, Anthony, tries to console him by saying, "Did you see what they were wearing?" but all Dignan replies with is, "Yeah, it looked pretty cool." Owen Wilson, unlike in the other films, is the primary writer of Bottle Rocket and adds a comprehension of the character that only autobiographical experience could possibly invoke. The writing and execution of the other major players, Anthony and Bob, fail in comparison to the utter vitality exuded through the personality of Dignan, and this disproportion proves to be the major downfall of the film. Nevertheless, though characters like Max Fischer, Royal Tenenbaum and Eli Cash are extremely well-written and are quite effective, Bottle Rocket's Dignan is the most kindhearted and benevolent character ever created by Anderson and Wilson--or anyone else, for that matter.

a cool look...
At what the Wilson/Anderson writng team were up to before thier Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums masterpieces. In comparison it is really a pretty boring movie, but it's got some funny moments, as well as a really enjoyable soundtrack, so still fun nevertheless. I reccomend it if you liked the royal tenenbaums, rushmore, or both.(which I can't see how you can't like them unless you're just a bisexual babyeater) ... Read more

Reviews (81)

A beautiful romance
People often seem eager to criticize Keanu Reeves' acting and give negative reviews of his films unless they are action driven. This film was not a huge box office smash but its one of my favorite films with Reeves. The story is an old fashioned romance set against the Napa Valley wine country of Southern California at the end of World War II. Alfonso Arau, who also directed the great film "Like Water for Chocolate" uses lush colors, deep and rich, to convey the passion and sensuality, perfectly complimenting the storyline. Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sanchez Gijon make a beautiful couple and the scenes, such as one where the entire family and workers wear wings to fan warmth on the crops to ward off frost, is like something out of a dream. The music is beautiful and though the ending is a bit of let down, the story is very romantic and a must have for anyone who likes an old fashioned romance.

A CLASSIC ROMANCE MOVIE...
This is a romantic drama that is entertaining, despite Keanu Reeves' somewhat leaden performance and the overly contrived plot. Look to the late Anthony Quinn for a wonderful performance as the benevolent grandfather, who knows true love when he sees it. Look to the beautiful damsel in distress, affectingly played by the lovely Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, with whom Keanu Reeeves ultimately falls in love. Look also to the erotic, grape crushing dance and the idyllic cinematography. Overlook the ridiculous ending scene where one is almost embarrassed for Giancarlo Giannini and the rest of the cast. If you do all this, you will probably enjoy the film.

The movie plot is simple. World War II veteran returns home to the woman he had married just before he left to go to war. You get a sense of what is to come, when she is not at the dock to meet him, as he arrives after a four year sojourn. Puzzled, he goes home and finds her there, and you have to wonder what he ever saw in this dolt, notwithstanding her lovely figure. She seems totally uninterested in him as a person. She never even bothered to read the almost daily letters he sent her, which is why she never even knew he was coming home.

He goes off to his former job, that of a traveling chocolate salesman, even though it is clearly not something he wishes to do. While on his journey, he meets a beautiful woman named Victoria, who has a problem. You see, she is pregnant by a man who does not wish to commit himself, and she is on her way home to her close knit family in the idyllic Napa Valley. She is terrified of telling her very old fashioned father, played by Giancarlo Giannini, of her situation and is weeping copious buckets of tears over the expected confrontation. What does Keanu do? Why he suggests going home with her and posing as her husband, while she breaks the news to her family of her purported marriage to Keanu and her pregnancy. Once this is done, Keanu will ostensibly desert her and go on his merry way.

Of course, all the best laid plans often go awry, and this is no exception. They fall in love. Even though he could, he refuses to take advantage of her sexually, because another woman, his wife, has a claim on him. You gotta love this guy! He tries to leave a number of times, but is initially unsuccessful. It is clear that he would prefer to stay. When he finally leaves and returns to his so called wife, he gets a not so unwelcome surprise. A surprise that guarantees that all will be well in the end. Though the outcome is predictable, it is still a moderately enjoyable film.

Seriously awful sentimental blather
I saw this originally in the theatre, but caught it again on late night TV recently. What a disappointment coming from the director, Alphonso Arau, of the sublime classic "Like Water for Chocolate"! "A Walk in the Clouds" is cut from another bolt of cloth completely -- the treacly, sentimental "women's movie" of the 50s -- and utterly lacking charm, intelligence, realistic emotion or even plot coherence. Be warned that this is NOT the delightful magic realism of "Water for Chocolate".

There are so many lame, unbelievable details that its almost cruel to mention all of them. Paul (the flat, affectless Keanu Reeves, incapable of expressing anything remotely like romantic love) is a chocolate candy salesman who carries around ONE box of sample candy...in the heat of late summer. Apparently he is unconcerned about it melting in the heat or even about replacing the samples he offers to potential customers. Instead of selling the candy door to door in his native San Francisco, he somehow boards a train for Sacramento (even hotter!) but ends up in ... the Napa Valley. (Please consult a map to see why this is utterly ridiculous.) BTW: Look for Debra Messing (Will and Grace) in a small, thankless role as Paul's unfaithful wife.

Victoria (Aitana Gijan) is a Mexican American graduate student who has gotten pregnant by her married college professor, and is inexplicably returning home to Napa, where she will face the anger and scorn of her traditional Mexican family. Anyone who could have written this knows exactly nothing about the period (just after the end of WWII) and is in a kind of denial about the real lifestyles of Mexican American women at that time. I'll bet that there were precious few Mexican Americans (men or women) attending graduate school at Berkley at that time, and if there was, it would remarkable and worth commenting on. Even a basic 4 year college degree was a big deal in the 40s, let alone a master's. (Ms. Gujan, who is very lovely, nonethess is a little too old to be playing a college student.) Additionally, it is more likely that an unwed pregnant girl of that time, with disaproving parents, would have gone to a home for Unwed Mothers and given her child up for adoption. There simply was not the casual acceptance of illegitimate children at that time -- it was a genuine scandal -- and that's easy to forget today when the very word "illegitimate" has practically disappeared from the language.

Paul and Victoria decide to pretend to a sham marriage to fool her parents -- for one night! -- and then he'll abandon her, leaving her and the baby to the sympathy of her family. This definitely sounds like a plan that is NOT going to work right from the get-go, as everyone is (no surprise) highly suspicious of the situation. The two have prepared so little that they couldn't fool a bored INS investigator about their "relationship", as they clearly know nothing about one another.

Although the story appears to start in summer and warm weather (the characters are wearing summer clothing), six hours after arriving at the family winery, the weather turns cold enough to actually cause the wine grapes to FREEZE. In other words, the temperature dropped from the 70s to below freezing...in September. This isn't really normal for the Napa Valley, which is the chief wine growing region of California precisely because it is so temperate. (BTW: the Aragon family lives in a kind of high-style palazzo that looks more like the ostentacious home of a 90s-era film producer than a real working vineyard.) It is a sad comment on this whole film that the views of the vineyard are misty CGI paintings, rather than real photography...a strange choice when the area being referrenced is known to be one of the most beautiful and photogenic in the world!

Anyways, as the grapes are freezing, they put out gigantic smudge pots and all the characters grab giant silken "wings" and run out to the vineyards to perform rather elaborate "dances" to direct the heat to the grapes and prevent freezing. This looks and is perfectly ridiculous. I am also surprised that it works! Apparently so well that every member of the family apparently SLEEPS with such wings at the ready in case of sudden unseasonable frosts. (Victoria runs out to flap wings in her silk nightgown...a nightgown which a couple hours earlier she was too embarassed to allow Paul to glimse her in....how come she isn't shivering in this thin sleeveless garment when the presence of frost clearly indicates that the temperature is below freezing?)

The movie is literally one gaff filled moment after another, like those I have mentioned above. The next morning -- after the freeze, which has miraculously lifted and the temperature gone back to the 70s -- it's harvest time! The next day! and a couple of days later...you got it. The entire vineyard burns to the ground...except one tiny blackened root which is, YUP, it's the foundation root brought all the way from Spain hundreds of years ago. Apparently they are going to restart an entire several hundred acre vineyard with ONE ROOT.

I know that director Arau is Mexican and probably wanted to reference as much of his beloved homeland in this project as possible. Certainly there is a long history of Mexican Americans in California, so he had lots of choices. But I am fairly certain that the vast majority of vineyards in Napa were ITALIAN in the 1940s. Any of the hispanic actors cast could have convincingly played Italians and the old film this is based on was itself Italian. Making everyone Mexican is no more believable than making them Swedish or Lebanese...it's an affectation and utterly unrealistic.

The whole movie has the feeling of a stale, artificial tasting bon bon (not unlike the candies that Paul is half-heartedly trying to sell) -- old, dried out, tasteless, synthetic and generally unpleasant. There is a place for old fashioned romance in movies, but "A Walk in the Clouds" sure is not it.

Beautifully Filmed, But It Needed a Lighter Touch
A WALK IN THE CLOUDS was directed by Alfonso Arau with cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki. These same two people worked on the magical film, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, so I expected to see some of that same magic in A WALK IN THE CLOUDS. And, I did. But only some.

A WALK IN THE CLOUDS is the story of Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) who marries quickly, right before leaving for Europe and WWII. When he comes home, to 1945 San Francisco, he finds his wife less than overjoyed to see him. Used to being alone (but hating it), Paul doesn't stick around and takes the train to Sacramento, instead. There he meets the beautiful-but-pregnant-and-unmarried Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon). Victoria comes from an old, aristocratic Mexican family and she's terrified of what their reaction will be to her pregnancy. Paul, smitten with her beauty and her charm (and just being an all round good guy, too) offers to "pretend" to be her husband for one day and then abandon her. Victoria and Paul agree that this is the best road to follow, especially where Victoria's stern and traditional father, Alberto Aragon (Giancarlo Giannini) is concerned. Of course, the inevitable happens and Paul and Victoria really do fall in love.

When Paul and Victoria arrive at Victoria's family's vineyard, Alberto dislikes Paul from the start. Paul is simply not aristocratic enough or moneyed enough or traditional enough to suit Alberto, although Paul does have more luck with Victoria's grandfather, Don Pedro (Anthony Quinn), who is a kinder and more accepting man than is Alberto.

A WALK IN THE CLOUDS begins well, and, in the beginning, it does contain some magic, but, for me, at least, it simply wasn't able to sustain that magic until the final credits. The writers handled the magical first half of the film with a very light touch, something this film, with its touches of fantasy, definitely needed. During the second half, however, they let the film slip into melodrama and silliness and the ending, for me, wasn't at all satisfying.

I think Keanu Reeves as Paul, a man searching for his place in the world, was woefully miscast. He was wooden, even during his love scenes with the very pretty Aitana Sanchez-Gijon (who is far better known in Spain). Sanchez-Gijon's performance lost some of its luster simply because she had to play off the very wooden Reeves so much of the time, but she did try and part of the time she even succeeded. At least she looked the part. She has a luminescence and effervescence about her that make us feel any man would be a fool not to fall in love with her. Giancarlo Giannini and Anthony Quinn turn in first-rate performances as Victoria's father and grandfather and they do much to rescue A WALK IN THE CLOUDS from mediocrity.

Despite this film's tendency to slip into heaviness and melodrama, each scene is a visual delight. Cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, certainly didn't let anyone down. A WALK IN THE CLOUDS is gorgeously filmed and, on that score, it does rival, or perhaps even surpass, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE. While the entire film is a visual delight, two scenes, in particular, deserve special mention. The first is a scene during which the women of the vineyard dance around in a vat of grapes, crushing them with their bare feet. That might not sound so gorgeous on paper, but it is both sensual and beautiful. The second scene that deserves a special mention is my favorite and revolves around the people of the vineyard as they "fly" through it at night on huge, gossamer wings in an attempt to keep the frost off the grapes.

If only A WALK IN THE CLOUDS could have kept the light, ephemeral feel it had two-thirds of the way through the film and avoided the disastrous fall into melodrama and it's horribly silly ending, I think it might have been a masterpiece. As it is, I definitely think it's worth renting, but I would have to think twice before buying it. It's certainly not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

I'm a guy and even I thought it was great.
Keanu's alleged "wooden-ness" fits his role in this movie perfectly (as a returning WWII vet who saw a lot of death and now is faced with a wife who doesn't understand him and a job he doesn't want).

The music is great too; I went out and bought the soundtrack.

Basically, it's a great romance movie with beautiful scenes, not a bad way to start a Friday evening with your lover. ... Read more

Reviews (90)

Months of checking have finally paid off!
... This is one of those movies that you have to appreciate for it's simplicity and sometimes almost cheesy scenarios. I can't imagine anyone playing these characters other than the people cast. Robin Williams performance as Popeye is reminiscent of the really old B&W Popeye cartoons where half of the time he's mumbling which adds to the comedy. Even the costumes in this movie are semi-cartoonish which cleverly adds to the cartoon-to-live-action transition while reminding us that the silliness is part of the reason we loved the cartoons and characters as much as we did, and still do.
Bravo to Paramount for finally releasing this on DVD for the people like me who have been searching for this classic since I bought my DVD player. I've been checking on a weekly to monthly basis for a long time now, and am estatic to see my searching has paid off.
If you haven't seen this fantastic movie before, or haven't seen it in years, take the time to rent it one more time so you can see what you'd be gaining by ordering or pre-ordering this today!!

Soundtrack by Harry Nilsson
Wonderful movie. It's got a fantastical depiction of Sweethaven with its eccentric characters, and a wonderful ensemble cast. Robin Williams gives a very credible portrayal of Fleischman era style Popeye. He's also incredibly sweet, but not the kind of cloyingly ingratiating sweet Williams is known for in later films.

The best part of this movie are the marvelous songs written by Harry Nilsson. I loved the music from Popeye when I was a kid, and as an adult who has recently re-discovered Harry's music, I'm pleased to see this out on VHS again so I could get a hold of the music in *some* form. If you liked Nilsson's "The Point", then treat yourself to this movie, and if you liked Popeye's music, check out "The Point", they're both absolutely smashing.

"Somebody owes me an apology!"
The "Somebody owes me an apology!!" line by Olive's Dad was the funniest running gag in the movie but then they dropped it about halfway through. Big mistake. Great sets and characterizations hampered by misguided plot and inappropriate musical numbers. Great until about halfway through then it falls apart. Definately woth a watch for the Robin Williams Popeye characterization and the great sets. If you like the look and style of flicks like Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy, give it a rent!!

Great movie
I think Popeye was a great movie, personally. I really enjoyed the songs, sets, costumes, and Robin Williams is perfect as Popeye. I can't wait to own this on DVD, where it can be seen in its original widescreen format with beautifully restored picture and sound.

And a note to vhspreowner - Disney and Paramount have actually had a pretty good relationship, even after Popeye went bust, (Which actually wasn't as bad as many think - it grossed $50 million domestically, making a $30 million profit.) including Paramount's recent collaboration with Disney (through Miramax) to produce The Hours.

The Legend of Popeye: Milestones and More...
In 2004, Popeye will be celebrating his 75th birthday! The anvil armed spinach eater is an icon to Americans (as well as Europeans) everywhere. And if you are like me, an American of European ancestry...

"Popeye the Sailor" was created by E.C. Segar as a character in the black & white (later color), Fleischer Brothers newspaper strip "Thimble Theatre" (which was a comic about The Oyl Family). He later made his debut with his own cartoon short, seen on movie screens everywhere in 1933.

Walt Disney Pictures teamed with Paramount Pictures to create the 1980 live action movie directed by Robert Altman, bringing the comic character turned cartoon star into a living breathing human. The parts of Popeye and Olive Oyl were originally going to be played by Dustin Hoffman and Lilly Tomlin but ultimately went to Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall in perfect casting roles. The entire gang was aboard for the ride (Bluto, Wimpy, Swee' Pea, and all the rest along with plenty of new friends and foes).

Despite Popeye being a Segar/Fleischer creation as well as having later associations with A.A.P. (Associated Artists Productions), Hanna Barbera, Disney & Paramount, Popeye is best known as being a "King Features Syndicate" and will forever be linked to all animators and produces as being King's trademark. In fact, because the exact rights for Popeye were so confusing, he was mysteriously missing from the 1989 cartoon/live action movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" as the most notably absent cartoon. Due to fear of being sued, Touchstone Pictures sadly left Popeye out of the film, while every other one of his contemporaries from Mickey Mouse to Bugs Bunny appeared in the famous "Toon Town" scenes. Today, Popeye is alive and well with the King Features clan. Sammy Lerner wrote the famous theme song that has been a staple wherever Popeye has appeared.

Although maybe not quite on the scale of "Pinocchio," Popeye is very popular in Italy where he is nicknamed "Iron Arm." Bill Costello provided the original voice in the cartoon and later in the 1970s, Hanna Barbera is best credited with bringing Popeye back to life in several new shows including an updated version called "Popeye & Son," where Popeye & Olive are married with their own kid (not Swee' Pea).

Perhaps his popularity in Italy and throughout Europe can be linked not so much for Costello's and Barbera's contributions, but to the filming of the movie in Anchor Bay (near the capital Valletta) in Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean, just 60 miles south of Sicily. After filming, it became a hugely popular tourist attraction, and even today movies are filmed there through MFF-Malta Films Facilities ("Troy" starring Brad Pitt just wrapped filming in Malta, Greece, Spain and Italy, and Pitt no doubt will be an even huger figure in Europe now).

Many of the "citizens" of the created town of Sweethaven, especially those who had to do some physical gags, were recruited from European traveling circuses. Most of the cast and crew (about 60% if you read the credits carefully) had Italian surnames! The following is a list of those credits: Richard Libertini (played "Geezil"), Larry Pisoni (played "Chico"), Peggy Pisoni (played "Pickelina"), Carlo Pellegrini (played "Swifty"), Noel Parenti (played "Slick"), Pietro Torrisi (played "Bolo"), Roberto Dell 'Aqua (played "Chimneysweep"), Valerie Velardi (played "Cindy"), Roberto Messina (played "Gozo" and was head stunt coordinator), Sammy Gemette (sound editor), Giovanni Fiore (camera operator), GianFranco Transunto (camera operator), Luigi Bernardini (camera operator), Mauro Merchetti (camera operator), Gian Maria Magorana (camera operator), Lorenzo Battaglia (underwater camera operator), Rudolfo Bramucci (gaffer), Vladimiro Salvatore (key grip), Alberto Emidi (key grip), Tony Maccario (property manager), Alvaro Belsole (construction manager), GianCarlo Del Brocco (makeup), Alfredo Tiberi (makeup), Gilberto Provenghi (makeup), Alvaro Rossi (makeup), Maria Teresa Corridoni (hairdresser), Aldo Signoretti (hairdresser), Gabriella Borzelli (hairdresser), Rita Innocenzi (hairdresser), Rita Galea (publicity), Paulo Lucidi (unit manager), Luciano Tartaglia (accountant), Gaetano Mirante (carpenter), Gugliemo Modestini (painter), Angelo Marta (sculpter), Angelo Zaccaria (sculpter), and last but not least, Mickey Chono (head caterer). Alitalia Airlines was the air transportation company of choice for all involved in the film.

So as you can see, Popeye can quite possibly be considered a foreign film (although it is in English) and the fact that it's popular from the US to Europe-to everywhere in between-is no surprise. It's amazing how many Italians were involved in the creation of the characters as well as the sets. Like Italy, Malta's official religion is Catholic and it's official languages are Maltese (which is a West Arabic dialect with some Italian words) and English. The country has Maltese and English newspapers and is a huge tourist spot for those visiting nearby Sicily and even stands wonderful on it's own. In fact, tourism is the main business in the country's economy and the mild yearlong weather and beautiful seaside villages (as seen in Popeye) are no doubt it's selling points. Just watching the movie makes me want to travel there someday and the beautiful cinematography bring the sailor to life as well as any of the animators who have tried their hand at drawing the famous sailorman.

Popeye has his own video game, his own stamp, a clothing line (and Halloween costume), not to mention his own real brand of canned spinach, the #2 seller in supermarkets everywhere just behind Del Monte. In fact, he is so famous that he has his own statue in Chester, Illinois-which is the birthplace of E.C. Segar. Today, Popeye can be seen on Cartoon Network and read in papers nationwide as well as on the internet. This year marks the 110th birthday of E.C. Segar as well as the 75th birthday of Popeye, and next year, Popeye the Movie will celebrate it's 25th anniversary with a new DVD.

Please send me all of your Popeye questions or comments and to join the Johnny DeCarlo Popeye Fan Club, e-mail me: JohnnyItalian@aol.com ... Read more

Description

Kung Fu expert Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a martial arts master who arrives in Hong Kong to compete in the Kumite, a violent championship fighting contest. ... Read more

Reviews (91)

Way past due on DVD
A great martial arts flick As noted, this movie was JeanClaude Van Damme's first starring role, and for my money one of his two best films. He portrays Frank Dux, an American champion of the Kunite, which was/is a full contact, anything goes martial arts competition.

The movie introduces us to Van Damme's incredible martial arts ability. The story line is simple and unremarkable but effective. Van Damme participates in the Kumite against the wishes of the government which trained him. The cast is certainly unremarkable, led by Bolo Yueng, first(?) seen in "Enter the Dragon", playing Chong Li, the film's key villain and kumite champ.

What makes the film, though for martial artists (and fans) is the incredible range of fighting techniques seen through the film. Some of them are great, some comical. But there is a ton of action (much of it predictably brutal). But for fans of the genre, it is highly recommended.

Van Damme's first and best
Bloodsport is a movie that every Martial Arts fan has seen or at least heard of. This movie was Van Damme's first starring role in which he portrays real life martial artist Frank Dux, an American who was the undefeated heavyweight champion of the kumite from 1975 to 1980 (don't quote me though). The reason this movie was so great was that it showcased Jean-Claude's martial arts and gymnastic prowess rather than his sub-par acting ability. The story was simple but effective: a shady and brutal Martial Arts tournament is being held in Hong Kong and Dux (Van Damme) is going to participate to honor his shidoshi and surrogate father Senzou Tanaka. Leah Ayres and Donald Gibb did an average job of playing Van Damme's cohorts. But who really shines in this film is Bolo Yueng who did a great job in playing Chong Li, the film's key villain and kumite champ. Paul Hertzog did a great job with the soundtrack, which fuels the movie's many fight scenes. This is probably Van Damme's best film. ... Overall, Bloodsport delivers plenty of action with a decent story and is an enjoyable film. I would reccommend it to any Martial Arts fan.

"Now, I break you! Like I break your friend!"
During the martial-arts craze of the mid-90's, there were few bigger stars than Jean-Claude Van Damme. Though it wasn't a box-office hit during its enitial theatrical run, "Bloodsport", Van Damme's first starring vehicle certainly found its audience on cable and video. "Bloodsport" follows American fighter Frank Dux (Van Damme) as he enters a brutal full-contact tournament known as the Kumatai. Looking back at the movie that I once watched religously with all my friends almost a decade ago, it's probably to safe to say that if you didn't pick up on this one during its time then you probably won't understand it now. It had all the great things you'd expect from a Van Damme movie: Minimal story, cheesy overacting, and tons of random splits. The musical score from Stan Bush and a rather silly perfomance from Donald Gibb are the icing on the cake. Anytime I'm looking to take a trip down memory lane, I toss in this and "Kickboxer" and have my own little JCVD double-feature. Now, if only they could put together a special edition DVD.

The Frank Dux story is a hoax
That was proven amongst the martial arts community years ago. Being a martial artist myself, I always get a laugh when I read the description of this movie on websites. However, I am giving this movie 4 stars only because of Van Damme and the great fight scenes in this movie. This is Van Damme at a young age and doing all the kicks and moves that he seems to have lost with age. Bloodsport is basically an imitation of "Enter The Dragon" (the greatest martial arts movie ever made) where a lone guy enters a tournament. The theme has been repeated countless times but Bloodsport is one of the better clones. Also be sure to check out Kickboxer, which is even better than Bloodsport!

jean-claude van damme this movie was good
pretty good movie old though, but its alright the acting was kind of cheap ,but what do you expect from an old movie right? its a van damme classic . ... Read more

Amazon.com

Actually, this comedy is one of the more enjoyable films to examine midlife crisis in the 1980s. Written and directed by Alan Alda, it examines the effects of middle age on a group of married couples who are longtime friends. Each season they go away on a vacation together, but the dynamic gets skewed when one of the men dumps his wife for a younger woman. Though some may find the characters' self-satisfaction and upscale neuroses a shade cloying, they are more than matched by Alda's solid, often funny writing. The couple with the biggest laughs: the hilariously paired Jack Weston and Rita Moreno (although Alda and Carol Burnett also strike comic sparks). --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (34)

I've loved this movie since I was 11
No joke, my parents took me and my sister to see it when we were on vacation in Spooner, WI in 1981 because they wanted to see it.For some reason I have developed a fascination with this movie.As I grew older I understood more of the conflicts and it made me love it even more.I love Alan Alda, Carol Burnett and Rita Moreno along with the other characters.I love how much food is involved in this movie.I love this movie!This is my number 1 favorite movie of all time and I don't think I can express how happy I am that it is finally being released on DVD!

PAN AND SCAN
PAN AND SCAN: Need we say more?
Why do they butcher a great film like this? Pan and Scan means we don't get all of the picture, but it also means that the close-ups are always too close-up--the face fills the screen. This is the same perverted treatment originally given to "Chariots of Fire," until Warner Brothers finally heard the public outcry and reissued it. I'd certainly be willing to pay more for a film of this quality if UMVD would transfer to DVD all the quality that's there. Of course, this means preserving the original theatrical format.

You Can Stop All Of The Crying
According to Universal's website the DVD is "Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)."

This is a great movie, buy it!

Pan & Scan Strikes Again...BOYCOTT!!!
Four out of five stars for this magnificent, touching and downright hilarious film about middle-aged friends rejuvenating a lifelong friendship with the passing of four seasons in one crazy year. ONE STAR for what UMVD plans to do with this release. Pan & Scan, cropped images, probably a transfer from the washed out, far inferior "DiscoVision" laserdisc of the early 80's, no extras...do these people realize (a) DVD consumers HATE all of the above and boycott lazy releases like this, (b) bare bones releases like this are an insult to the filmmakers' integrity, and (c) as soon as televisions go all digital widescreen by 2007, full-frame DVD's like this will be utterly useless (even more than they are now)???? Any studio marketers out there (Anchor Bay? Please jump in on this), please read my plea and the pleas of many others here and give FOUR SEASONS and every other pan & scan crap DVD the releases they deserve! Joe Consumer is NOT an idiot and YES, we will notice when you all try to save a buck by releasing extremely low-quality product! Boycott's aplenty, we assure you!

Real Life, Love and Vivaldi, too!!!!
Alan Alda (best known as the wisecracking Hawkeye from the long-running TV series M*A*S*H*) wrote and directed this brilliant film which, for me, is the perfect homage to the successful marriage.

The story centers around the close friendships of three middle-aged couples who always take their vacations together. A huge problem arises when one of the husbands (played with gusto by Len Cariou) abruptly sheds his longtime, devoted and quirky wife (played by the brilliantly gifted late actress Sandy Dennis) for a much younger and pretty woman (portrayed by Bess Armstrong.) Dennis suddenly becomes the odd-woman out of the group while Armstrong takes her place in the traditional group vacation.

Everyone feels the effects of the switch, and their reactions and adjustments (or lack thereof) to the situation create the movie's tension and raise universal questions about love, commitment, marriage, honesty and aging.

Alda's wife in the film, played by the legendary Carol Burnett, struggles to make sense out of what happened, and worries that all aging women (including her) may be cast aside without remorse by their husbands stuggling with the mid-life blues who want younger, sexier partners. In one revealing portion of the story, Alda joins in a soccer game "with the boys" and plays to the point of exhaustion and even injury to impress Armstrong. Burnett withholds her sympathy for her wounded mate and is furious instead, forcing him to realize what he was doing through witty, poignant and hysterical dialog.

Multi-talented Rita Moreno and Jack Weston are the third couple also caught in the tortured but humorous and telling web of self analysis and doubt.

Armstrong feels the tension from a completely different perspective, having fallen in love with a man who refuses to vacation alone and whose closest female friends refuse to accept her as part of the group but resent and mistrust her instead.

The humor, and it is a very funny film, comes from the honesty the situation forces on the participants for them to be able to survive the vacation with their relationships and/or marriages intact.

Ultimately, the younger woman is accepted on her own terms and the other couples understand more fully their love and dedication to their mates, while embracing true friendships with everyone in the group.

Vivaldi's classic Four Seasons is the perfect soundtrack for the film and the inspiration for its title.

I strongly urge anyone in a relationship, whether new or of long-duration, to see this film. It is very rare, indeed, when any studio produces a coming of age film FOR ADULTS that has humor, heart, respect for the middled-aged and absolutely NO teen angst! Bravo!! ... Read more

Reviews (25)

As Satisfying a Film as Ever Made - Revised Review!
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS is a miracle movie. As conceived and directed by Denys Arcand this film is a brilliantly entertaining story, full of hilarious dialogue and situations, full of intellectual stimulation, brilliant metaphors and similes, full of probing philosophy, while standing as the finest examination of our society as it stands at the moment. The beauty of the film is that for all of the intellectual wealth it contains, it never bogs down with cerebral weightiness. The mood is consistently entertaining: the infinite messages contained are left as after burn.
Remy (and indelible characterization by Remy Girard) has lived a life of sexual freedom, intellectual pursuits (he is a Professor of History and defender of free thinking), and seems to have placed his family and wife in the periphery. Suddenly faced with a diagnosis of a rampantly aggressive and untreatable cancer, he rages against the world that no longer holds his tenets of civilization dear: he faces death having no legacy to leave the world he entered. His ex-wife notifies his worldly and wealthy Baby-Boomer generation son in his important office in London to return home, despite the fact that the son sees little point in rushing back to the father who was never a father to him. The son Sebastien (in a sophisticated, engrossing performance by Stephane Rousseau) flies to Montreal and, in his manner of control, takes over, planning the care of this 'shameful father' in a manner that allows him to provide the best amenities while putting more emotional distance from his father. Money talks, and after Sebastien drives him to the USA for the best of scans and opinions only to hear that Remy will not follow-up by entering a US Medical Center, Remy is moved to a deserted floor of the hospital (grandly redecorated and staffed by Sebastien's conniving way with money bribes). Sebastien gathers the wildest assortment of Remy's friends, mistresses, and political/intellectual oddballs and gives Remy everything he could ask for - even satellite conversation with Remy's yachting-on-the-seas daughter. When the disease advances and the accompanying pain encroaches, Sebastien even arranges for heroin by coercing the addicted daughter of one of Remy's mistresses to supply the need. Eventually as the situation changes, Sebastien arranges for the entire entourage to move to a beautiful house by a lake outside Montreal and there the group eats, drinks, philosophizes, and entertains their old friend. At this point Sebastien and Remy are alone with their personal histories and disappointments and regrets and it is the playing out of how this is resolved that is the utter magic of this magnificent film. Though the ending of the film is implied from the outset, to spoil the final moments by revealing the actual moments of the story would be a disservice to the viewer
An added attraction on the DVD (in French and English with subtitles) is a filmed dinner with the entire cast (and to a person, this is a cast of gifted, virtuosic actors), discussing the movies, their characters, and more importantly looking at the Montreal that was the dream of the future when all of these actors were young and idealistic and now faces a stagnation and void that each sees as a threat to the future. These are articulate actors and their words and thoughts are intensely sensitive and informative. This added feature adds yet more depth in accompaniment to the film. THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS is a film to purchase for your private collection, a film to return to often as a reminder that living our lives as individual sanctities is the only way we will be able to maintain 'civilization' in this era of instant gratification and disregard for the past. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ON EVERY LEVEL!

A Film of Beauty and Intellectual Wealth
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS is a miracle movie. As conceived and directed by Denys Arcand this film is a brilliantly entertaining story, full of hilarious dialogue and situations, full of intellectual stimulation, brilliant metaphors and similes, full of probing philosophy, while standing as the finest examination of our society as it stands at the moment. The beauty of the film is that for all of the intellectual wealth it contains, it never bogs down with cerebral weightiness. The mood is consistently entertaining: the infinite messages contained are left as after burn.
Remy (and indelible characterization by Remy Girard) has lived a life of sexual freedom, intellectual pursuits (he is a Professor of History and defender of free thinking), and seems to have placed his family and wife in the periphery. Suddenly faced with a diagnosis of a rampantly aggressive and untreatable cancer, he rages against the world that no longer holds his tenets of civilization dear: he faces his mortality convinved he has no legacy to leave the world he entered. His ex-wife notifies his worldly and wealthy Baby-Boomer generation son in his important office in London to return home, despite the fact that the son sees little point in rushing back to the father who was never a father to him. The son Sebastien (in a sophisticated, engrossing performance by Stephane Rousseau) flies to Montreal and, in his manner of control, takes over, planning the care of this 'shameful father' in a manner that allows him to provide the best amenities while putting more emotional distance from his father. Money talks, and after Sebastien drives him to the USA for the best of scans and opinions only to hear that Remy will not follow-up by entering a US Medical Center, Remy is moved to a deserted floor of the hospital (grandly redecorated and staffed by Sebastien's conniving way with money bribes). Sebastien gathers the wildest assortment of Remy's friends, mistresses, and political/intellectual oddballs and gives Remy everything he could ask for - even satellite conversation with Remy's yachting-on-the-seas daughter. When his disease advances and the accompanying pain encroaches, Sebastien even arranges for heroin by coercing the addicted daughter of one of Remy's mistresses to supply the need. Eventually as the situation changes, Sebastien arranges for the entire entourage to move to a beautiful house by a lake outside Montreal and there the group eats, drinks, philosophizes, and entertains their old friend. At this point Sebastien and Remy are alone with their personal histories and disappointments and regrets and it is this exploration of how these two disparate souls find each other that the utter magic of this magnificent film. Though the ending of the film is implied from the outset, to spoil the final moments by revealing the actual details of the story would be a disservice to the viewer
An added attraction on the DVD (in French and English with subtitles) is a filmed dinner with the entire cast (and to a person, this is a cast of gifted, virtuosic actors), discussing the movies, their characters, and more importantly looking at the Montreal that was the dream of the future when all of these actors were young and idealistic and now faces a stagnation and void that each sees as a threat to the future. These are articulate actors and their words and thoughts are intensely sensitive and informative. This added feature adds yet more depth in accompaniment to the film. THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS is a film to purchase for your private collection, a film to return to often as a reminder that living our lives as individual sanctities is the only way we will be able to maintain 'civilization' in this era of instant gratification and disregard for the past. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ON EVERY LEVEL!

outstanding
The best movie I have seen in years!!

Can anyone help me learn the name of the final song?

Gets better as it goes on
Barbarian is a movie that gets better as the minutes pass. It's about making the most of your time alive. It's a movie of humanity, that'll make you laugh and leave a tear in your eyes. An enjoyable movie in the end.

Great movie--TERRIBLE print!
The DVD pictured above is to be avoided at all costs! The background and characters are frequently light green; it claims to be "widescreen," but it filled my entire screen, and the film was distored, with elogated people, etc. There are 3 (three!) previews before the film starts! --oh yes, the first time I watched this Buena Vista release, it hicchoughed several times; the second time it didn't.

The subtitles are very readable; the soundtrack is excellent (and should be listenable to those who really speak French).

If I cannot find another print of this movie--which I saw many times in the theater, I will be left with a beautiful memory! ... Read more