Description

Brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot cracks the toughest cases with brainpower alone, endearing him to thinkers everywhere and making Agatha Christie the bestselling author of her day. As portrayed by DAVID SUCHET in this British television production, Poirot became the most-watched detective in the history of the PBS Mystery! series and a hit all over again on A&E. In these three stories, Poirot outsmarts both the criminals and the other crime-solvers in and around elegant upper-crust 1930s London.
Murder in the Mews—On Guy Fawkes Night, Poirot is called in on a case he suspects is murder made to look like suicide.
The Adventure of Johnnie Wavery—A country squire hires Poirot to investigate threats against his young son.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds—Poirot’s keen powers of observation and culinary know-how help him solve a murder case. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

MYSTERY MAGNIFIQUE!
It's no mystery why this is the most-watched detective show in the history of the PBS "Mystery!" series --- Christie penned a brilliant Belgian [detective] who solves crimes only using his "little grey cells" and the aid of his affable associate Captain Hastings. And not one hair out of place on his perfectly coifed hairy lip! No mystery why fans shouldn't host sleuthing
fetes: Acorn is releasing the entire canon! Mystery magnifique!

Great productions, two weak plots
The excitement mounts (and shelf space decreases for collectors) as the 10th entry in the Hercule Poirot series appears! has, of course, all the superb production values of the other sets (both the short episodes on VHS and the longer ones on VHS and DVD) with the nearly perfect incarnation of Poirot in actor David Suchet. However even the most rabid fan must admit that two of the three plots are not top drawer.

"Murder in the Mews" is the strongest entry with its twist on "the murder set up to look like a suicide" element. Toss into the salad the caddish Major (James Faulkner), the pompous politician (David Yelland) engaged to the victim, and the best friend (Juliette Mole), and you have all the ingredients for a solid whodunit with a good red herring.

"The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly" telegraphs its solution too early in the proceedings for any interest to build up except for the question of How rather than Who. Also the precautions taken to prevent the crime are too unrealistic for credibility.

"Four and Twenty Blackbirds" again uses a bearded character, which in series such as this one too often means someone in disguise. I am not revealing too much, since Poirot knows this halfway through, but the criminal in this case was simply too careless and there are "too many clues." A nude artist's model with a sense of humor, however, does not hurt.

But mind you, these are still fun to watch as Suchet penguinwalks circles around Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson). ... Read more

Description

Thrilling performances by Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, and Burl Ives make this adaptation of Tennessee Williams' story about a wealthy plantation owner succumbing to cancer, one of the most acclaimed movies in history.Year: 1958Director: Richard BrooksStarring:Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Burl Ives, Jack Carson, Dame Judith Anderson ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Powerful, though altered, version of the play
Tennessee William's play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", was considered so controversial that its Broadway producers forced the playwright to alter the third act. Either in spite of or because of the changes, the play was a huge hit. Even with the changes, it had to be further watered down for Hollywood's 1958 movie version. Once more, it was a boxoffice smash. It went on to garner six Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Elizabeth Taylor and Best Actor for Paul Newman. Despite the industry's timidity back then, the movie was a searing, powerful drama about a family in crisis. That it remains so to this day, despite massive changes in social values and mores over the years, is a credit to its brilliant cast and to its director, Richard Brooks.

Brick and Maggie [Newman and Taylor] have come to his father's big plantation in Mississippi to celebrate the old man's 65th birthday. Everyone calls him Big Daddy, and as portrayed by Burl Ives, he truly is a larger than life figure. Brick's brother, Gooper [Jack Carson], his wife, Mae [Madeleine Sherwood], and their five 'little no-neck monsters" are also there. Big Daddy has just returned from several weeks at a clinic where he was treated for cancer. He thinks he is cured, but the doctors have lied to him. He's unlikely to see his next birthday. Rivalry and intrigue abound among the siblings and their families as everyone fights over who will take over the plantation. Brick has major problems of his own. The former star athlete drinks too much, refuses the advances and affection of the gorgeous and calculating Maggie because he blames her for his best friend's suicide, and is bitter about his father, who doesn't seem to love him or anyone else. Brick is also hobbling around on crutches, having recently tripped while trying to leap a hurdle one drunken night. Through all the bickering and fighting, his mother, Big Mama [Judith Anderson], tries desperately to hold onto whatever happiness and dignity the family still possesses. But a storm of confrontations is brewing, and she's powerless to stop it.

The 'shocking' element that was changed was the revelation that Brick and his friend had been lovers and that Maggie's 'crime' was her attempt to eliminate her rival. This was changed to the friend's killing himself because he was weak. I think when you know this, you can easily see what is going on underneath the surface between Brick and Maggie. It also makes the characters more understandable and believable. Their constant fighting makes more sense. The story becomes about more than greed, power, money and land. It becomes about the power of the human heart.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is highly recommended, script changes notwithstanding.

Every line filled with tension, and the acting is wondeful!
This adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play was nominated for six academy awards in 1959. It stars Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie, rejected over and over by her alcoholic husband, Brick, played by Paul Newman. His father, Big Daddy, played by Burl Ives, has just returned to his Mississippi mansion after exploratory surgery. There's bitter rivalry in the family as they speculate about his death. Jack Carson plays the older son, who, with his pregnant wife, played by Madeline Sherwood and their five obnoxious children are determined to inherit Big Daddy's fortune. But Big Daddy despises him, as he does his own wife of 40 years, Big Mama, played by Judith Anderson.

As this film was originally a play, most of it is sharp and cutting dialogue, every line filled with tension and double meanings. Close-ups reveal the artistry of the actors, all of whom are excellent. I especially liked Burl Ives, whose performance called for a wide range of emotions, showing his vulnerability as well as his strength. And as the characters battled with each other, the story, which I understand was rewritten to fall within the guidelines of 1950s censors, slowly revealed itself. Some critics say this ruined this movie adaptation. I can't comment on that because I though the story was great. Most of the film takes place inside a house and there's almost no physical action. Not necessary. The dialog does it all. And it does it well. Recommended.

Humanity at it's best...
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is a spectacular visual masterpiece about the human spirit.
Every character has three dimensions, and every line is perfectly written and delivered. Credit is needed for the original playright(although I am aware the plot was altered to please the strict critics of the time), who along with the screenplay writers are as important as the actors.
Speaking of actors, Liz Taylor, Burl Ives and Paul Newman were all flawless in their roles. They were human, and as a painting they were more real than reality. My opinions of the characters changed continually throughout the film. It was as if you were peeling away the skin layer by layer to find the truth. Annoyance turned into hate, hate turned into compassion.
The most important element of this film was feelings;emotions the players have, and have to deal with. As well as how you feel about them, and their situations.

Superb
Acting doesn't come any better than this. Newman and Taylor have such chemistry its unbelievable, and although the movie may drag in certain parts, overall it is a great character study.
Taylor is heartbreaking as the sexually deprived wife as Newman, a hardened man who suspects his wife of infidelity. Once again the theme of homosexuality is present ( as it is in all of Williams' plays), but in the movie it is thankfully downplayed and subtle. The definitive film version of the play, whose highlights are pretty much every scene in which Maggie and Brick are alone in their room bickering.

MEEEOOOOW!
"Cat on the Hot Tin Roof"
Has so much tension, one can't cut it with a machete... Just another very dysfunctional family, which Tennessee Williams writes so brilliantly.

You have Maggie (the cat) The only character in the extended family who is 'Normal' The only one who seems to be keeping the family from killing one another. Liz, of course plays her beautifully, superbly, very sexy as 'The Cat'

(Brick) Paul Newman plays her husband...A drunk with many devils he needs to let out, such as why he will not sleep with Maggie, why won't he stop thinking about his foot-ball buddy who killed himself. The viewer will wonder if his has other preferences... Because who wouldn't sleep with (The Cat)??

Big Daddy...played by Burl Ives... The GOD of the family, the one with all the money, Power, the one who's dying. (Excellent performance)

(Goober) Brick's brother and his wife wait impatiently for Big Daddy's fortune. The wife is appalling enough to make one sick. Continually taunting Maggie about not having children, having a bad marriage, not controlling Brick. Her kids run around the house like little, foul animals.

This family is a disaster waiting to happen...The pressure cooker is on high, baby, and when she blows
Watch out...All hell will break loose all over the place.

They don't make um' like this anymore.

MEEEEOOOOOW! ... Read more

Reviews (112)

Classic!
This epic comedy adventure begins with Pee-Wee getting out of bed and playing with his toys like a normal...whatever he is. He fixes himself and his dog Speck breakfast with a fancy breakfast-making contraption and weighs himself. The scale reads 98 lbs. and gives him the ominous daily horoscope "Don't leave the house today."

Of course, our hero ignores this advice so he can go to the store and pick up the horn for his bike. He parks his bicycle, visits the Magic Shop, then to Chuck's Bike-O-Rama. But when he comes back, his treasured bike has been stolen!

To begin his search for his bike, he sees a fortune teller, who tells him it's in the basement of the Alamo. This starts him on his journey, which has him hitching rides with convicts and phantom truck drivers; working in a restaurant; riding bucking broncos; hanging out with bikers; and finally, ending up at Warner Bros. Studios. He knows that his bike is there, but getting it back won't be easy!

Tim Burton's over-dramatic directing gives the movie a feeling more like a cartoon than a live-action movie, and Reubens' acting is great. The plot is simple yet exciting, since there's always a good joke or something interesting happening. Danny Elfman's lively score for the movie is the perfect accent to the adventure.

This is my pick for one of the greatest movies of all time.

Large Marge Sent Me...
...and she said that if you don't get this feature-packed DVD, you'll be missing out on a real treat! We all know the film is funny and inspired: Mr. Reubens and Mr. Burton made magic on a budget. But this picture holds up like Miss Yvonne's hairdo and the generous additions take full advantage of the DVD format. The commentary by the star and the director is quite casual and down-to-earth. No pretense here. It's as much a treat to hear them covet certain props and reveal which they "kept" after the film as it is to learn how Tim Burton got the director's job. There is also an interesting, informative piece that features production sketches set to commentary from the set designer. Extremely cool. Danny Elfman also talks about his memorable score on an isolated track. The salvaged bits in the "Deleted Scenes" section are a bit rough visually but worthwhile nonetheless. Cool DVD interface, too. Your money will be well-spent on this. Paging Mr. Herman, Mr. Pee-wee Herman...

A one-of-a-kind classic comedy
It is really such a shame about what happened to actor Paul Reubens and his alter-ego Pee-wee Herman. This is an absolutely delightful, one-of-a-kind classic comedy. The follow-up film, Big Top Pee Wee, while it has it's moments, can't possibly even begin to compare. As one film critic said of this film at the time it was released, just leave your sanity at the door and enjoy it!!

Unwatchable
This film made me physically sick. Peewee has a grating personality and the jokes were... well... uninspired at best. Skip it and watch something funnier... like paint drying or the teletubbies.

I must admit, I only got through the first 25 minutes before I had to turn it off. Maybe the last hour transcended the first part, but I wouldn't put a wager on it.

Paging Mr. Herman...
This movie is truly one of my all-time favorites. I love it because I've seen it tons of times and each time I laugh again. Every scene I could easily call my favorite scene. This movie is great for fans of the show. I would recommend this movie to anyone with a sense of humor. ... Read more

Description

Ingmar Bergman puts his indelible stamp on Mozart's exquisite opera in this sublime rendering of one of the composer's best-loved works: a celebration of love, forgiveness, and the brotherhood of man. The Magic Flute (Trollflöjten) stars Josef Köstlinger as Tamino, the young man determined to rescue a beautiful princess from the clutches of parental evil. Criterion's edition features the film's glorious soundtrack in the original stereo format. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

a magnificent adaptation
As the film opens with the overture, it focuses on the face of a beautiful child in the audience, and it is as if we see this fantastic production through her innocent eyes; it's an adaptation that captures all the playfulness and enchantment of Mozart's glorious last opera, and brings it to life with renewed vigor.
The attractive cast, though occasionally vocally uneven, is a total delight; Josef Kostlinger is superb as Tamino, Hakan Hagegard shines as Papageno, Ulrik Cold impressive as Sarastro, and Elisabeth Erikson is adorable as Papagena.

The sets, which sometimes seem to shift like smoke, as well as the costumes, are masterful, and include everything from lovable fuzzy creatures, to a brilliant vision of the "dark regions", with dancers writhing and wrestling as its tortured inhabitants.
I also enjoyed the backstage views during intermission; Tamino and Pamina playing chess, Sarastro looking over a score of Parsifal while a chorus member reads Kalle Ankas (a Donald Duck comic book), and especially the formerly fire-spewing dragon trudging past a doorway.

I never fully appreciated "The Magic Flute" until I watched this film; it's strange that Ingmar Bergman, more known for his somber films, should bring out so much light and joy from this magnificent opera.
It would make a perfect introduction for young people to opera, and the singing in Swedish seems quite natural and enjoyable (especially for us older folks who have listened to the great Jussi Bjorling for decades), and the subtitles are excellent and easily to read.
Those who like filmed opera, will surely find this to be an imaginative, wonderful production. Total running time is 135 minutes.

The Drama Of Mozart's Magic Flute
The Magic Flute, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's last opera, is a multi-layered Singspiel opera that is accessible to children as well as adults. It is an allegory of good versus evil, layed with Freemason ideals, and scored by Mozart's most sublime music. Ingmar Bergman filmed a live performance in a Stockholm theater in Sweden. The singers are singing in Swedish, not its original German, and the camera provides glimpses of going ons backstage and shots of the audience, focusing especially on a red-haired girl who is deeply engaged in the opera. This way, Bergman makes opera a dramatic experience. At times, it feels as if we are not watching an opera at all, but a play. The Swedish cast is fresh, energetic and engages the audience in the fabulous story. The story should be familiar to opera buffs. Tamino, a lost prince, finds he has been commissioned to save a beautiful princess, Pamina, from the clutches of a supposed evil wizard, Sarastro, and return her to her mother the Queen of the Night. As the opera progresses, we discover that Tamino has been deceived and he is, in essence, "shown the light" of truth through the aid of the enlightened religious order of Sarastro's men. The Queen, Pamina's mother, is the villain, bent on dominating the earth, and Sarastro, Pamina's father, is a benevolent holy man who intendes to foil the dark queen's plans. The custody battle over Pamina is true to the Mozart allegory. He had Pamina represent Austria, Sarastro, the "father", was the wise ideals of Freemasonry, while the "mother" Queen of the Night is the suppression and censorship of Freemasonry by imperialist autocrats like the Empress Teresa, whom the Queen is modeled after.

Superb singing. The arias "Dies Bildnis", in which Tamino looks at a portrait of Pamina and falls in love, is well made. Papageno's character is sharply defined as comic, earthy and human. In this film, he wears no feathery costume or plumage, and is instead an actual human man with earthy appetites for food and lovemaking. The Queen of the Night's two arias "O Zittre Nicht" and "Der Holle Rache" are full of dramatic prowess and coloratura technique, both escalate to high F's. Pamina's "Ach Ich fuhls" which she sings in a backdrop of utter darkness, is melancholic and moving. Finally, Sarastro's character is divine, with a sonorous bass-baritone voice, and a final scene almost likens him to Jesus or God. As a bonus, this film presents us a view of the going-ons backstage during intermission. Tamino and Pamina play chess, the Queen of the Night puffs away on her cigar and Sarastro reads the manuscript to Wagner's opera Parsifal, all the while the interlude "March Of The Priests" plays in the background. This is superb performance, quality drama and on DVD, this is a must have for all opera fans who put opera DVDs on their collection.

a major classic
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This film which can best described as an operetta, is based on the opera of the same name by Mozart. The only difference is that the libretto is in Swedish. The origianl Swedish title of the film is Trollflöjten. The movie is well known and has remained popular to this day.

Disappointingly, the Criterion DVD has no special features on it.

Sublime
No other director is the history of the medium had the balls to something like that.And no other director in the history of medium broke all the rules,so often,like Ingmar Bergman.In a time of his life that he did everything that someone could do with film ,(The Seventh seal,Wild Strawberries,Persona etc etc)this very pleasent work was born.The rest is history...

Worst Magic Flute Ever
I have watched several live Magic Flute productions and a few other video productions. And this is THE WORST EVER. First, I would like to mention that I love imaginative interpretation. But this one tries to be different and look avant-garde, but yet lacks imagination and artistic quality.
Musical performance. Very bad. Pick up any Magic Flute CD randomly. It cannot be worse than this. Technical sound quality. It sounds very archaic. So bad. It is worse than the good quality LP mono recording that I have. Besides, why should I
watch Magic Flute in Sweedish ? If it's not original German, I would rather choose English. And I am sure that if there is an another Magic Flute produced in China and sung in Chinese, that DVD will get billions of 5 star rating. This Amazon rating system is simply ridiculous.
In the beginning of the opera, while Overture is being performed, it shows the face of a girl in audience for a long time. What is this ? Why should I watch this girl's face so long time ? Why ? If her expression, harmony with back ground, different angle, etc.. create artistic quality, I would understand. But it's not like that. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Funny episodes but only one has to do with StarWars
Just the last dvd on this disc has Mark Hamil on it and is a hilarious episode. Homer becomes a bodyguard for the Mayor after he saves Mark and the Mayor from nerds at a Sci-fi convention. There's other episodes that also have StarWars jokes that could've been added on the disc. Instead there's just 3 other episodes that have nothing to do with it at all. The cover shows Bart with a lightsaber fighting Homer dressed up like Darth Vader. That's false advertising because there's not even an episode like that on this dvd.

There's one episode that could've and should've been added. That's an episode where Lenny and Carl are fighting with Lightsabers. They're arguing saying "Episode 1 sucks more..., No episode 2 sucks more!". Still though since the show is always funny. The episodes on the disc that have nothing to do with StarWars are still funny. Ok this isn'tworth 15 dollars but the Mark Hamil episode will still make any StarWars fan laugh. Plus I love the part on one non-StarWars episode where Homer and Marge get Bart to go to Military school by lieing saying they're going to Disney World lol.

I feel cheated
I bought this DVD because I thought it would contain spoof's of Star Wars for my son.He and I both thought that was on there and both of us were terribly disappointed (a 7 year old does not understand about marketing)

I am appalled that Fox would sink this low and deliberately try to cheat people..If I want to see the Simpsons we turn on the TV! I for one now have a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to Fox and I will never ever buy another DVD from them. (it is not the money I spend .. it is the principal that a company took advantage of people and stoop so low)

Cool
This is awesome. All of these episodes are well worth watching, not to mention the fact that they're uncut, too. :D

Simpsons- Bart Wars
I've owned this collection for 6 years now, it was released in 1999 here in the UK; (we tend to get alot of these collection dvds, it seems the uk market are willing to pay for them.) Obviously as a cash in with the release of episode 3, they've decided to release it in the USA.
However there are some good episodes and it is still the Simpsons, and these episodes are from the time when it was at the top of its game.
Wait till they come out on the box sets.

seriously...why bother?
virtually no thought or care went into this dvd collection.it just seems to be playing up the Star Wars angle with no real connection to it.here's why you should skip it:

1.only 4 episodes(and one's already on dvd)
2.no extras to make up for the fact there's only 4.
3.no theme to this set(a cameo by mark hamill doesn't justify a star wars theme)

do yourself a favor and either get one of their 5 episodes + a featurette set(like the christmas one).or better yet, save your ten bucks, add to it slowly, and then bust it open and buy those complete season sets as soon as they come out.at least those are well thought out and packed with extras.if you need a quick fix, watch a few episodes from your current seasonal sets.this bart wars disc just screams "rip-off" too much for me to cut it any slack. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Don't Miss This One!
This is an excellent video that accurately depicts the highlights of the Biblical story of King David! Although it is a wonderful pleasure just to sit and watch, we have also used it for Bible study classes and found it an extremely valuable tool in understanding the many events that surrounded the life this man "after God's own heart". ENJOY!

Forget the Negative Reviews! It really is 1000BC!
Fantastic Art Direction, High Production Values, and a Superb Cast and Crew make this film the most visually accurate Old Testament Story ever given the Big Screen Treatment. Whoever was the technical advisor for this film did an excellent job in recreating the period. Edward Woodward is Outstanding as Saul (most of the cast is British, which lends a certain archaic dignity to the dialogue). Richard Gere also does a great job as King David.
If you have a passion for Biblical or Historical Epics - this one delivers! The battle scenes (which are very well choreographed), chariot charges, and of course the duel between David and Goliath are all 'edge of the seat', 'toe curling action'
I really cannot praise this film too much!

"a lamp unto his people"
When this film was released in 1985, the critics were not kind, but I love this film, and think it's a good telling of the story of David, based on I and II Samuel, I Chronicles, and the Psalms. Though much of it has been compressed (David's relationship with Bathsheba is limited mostly to the consequences of it for instance) and some creative license used for plot continuity, it has a tremendous amount of Biblical accuracy.
Taking place from 1000 to 961 B.C., the costuming, sets, and artifacts are fabulous; filmed in Pinewood Studios, U.K., and on location in Italy, the cinematography by Donald McAlpine is wonderful. The score is also lovely, by Carl Davis.

The brief nudity in the wedding chamber sequence has in my tape, been darkened so as to be imperceptible; either this is a flaw in the tape, or an effort not to offend and capture a wider audience, which would be silly, as this is a very mature drama. It contains much brutal violence making it unsuitable for children, and the confrontation with Goliath for example (which is exceptionally well done), is one of four beheadings.
Richard Gere is a marvelous David, and stands up well against an excellent international cast. He was thirty-five when this was filmed, and is about as handsome as a human has a right to be. The actor who shines above all though is Edward Woodward as Saul. He is riveting, and it's a brilliant character study of courage mixed with jealousy, revenge, and madness.

This is far from being a "Big Bible Epic" with lots of well known stars, instead it's serious and beautifully acted, and perhaps arrived on the scene at the wrong time, that it was so unappreciated two decades ago. Total running time is 114 minutes.
"It is through the heart, the heart alone, that God speaks to man".

Excellent and accurate biblical portrayal!
This biblical story recount of the lives of King Saul and King David were very true to what I have read in the Old Testament stories in the books of "Samuel" and Kings". Having Richard Gere portray the adult King David didn't hurt either!!! This is one of the better "bible" story movies I have seen to date. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing this biblical story "come to life" and Richard Gere is terrific in it! Lot's of action and well done!

Sucked!
This movie sucked! Everything about it was terrible. Some may also find it offensive for straying far from the biblical narrative. Although this movie is called "King David", the story bares little resemblance to the story of King David found in the books of Samuel and Chronicles. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Great Movie
Little Buddha is a wonderfully entertaining and historically accurate film. The story has two plots, making it confusing at some times. One tells of a Buddhist priest searching for the reincarnation of his dead teacher, while the other tells the story of Siddhartha Guatama, the Buddha. (Played by Keanu Reeves)

As far as the acting goes, this film gets five stars from me. Siddhartha, (Reeves) is played beautifully, along with Lisa Conrad, (Bridget Fonda) and Lama Norbu. (Ruocheng Ying) Another plus about the acting are the three children who played the candidates for the reincarnation of the teacher. I especially liked Gita, who is the only girl candidate.

I liked the costumes, too, as they are historically accurate, and stand out with the bright colors and makeup. I found it strange that the men wore makeup, but they do, and the film portrays it brilliantly.

All along I have been mentioning how historically correct this film is. I have been saying this because it is the truth. Not only is the story of Siddhartha correct, but all of the facts about Buddha and Buddhism are too. If you know nothing about the religion, watching this film will give you a basic introduction to Buddhism.

There are two things that would have made this film better. If it did not flash so much between the two plots, it would have been less confusing. Also, I did not like the music. I don't know if it just was not my type or if it didn't go with the movie, but I didn't like it. Little Buddha is a grea movie and I recommend watching it, but don't waste your money on the soundtrack.

Educational
Cast: Ying Ruocheng, Alex Wiesendanger, Keanu Reeves, Chris Isaak, Bridget Fonda

Little Buddha is both an enjoyable and educational movie. This movie has two story lines. One is about the quest of a group of monks, to seek out the reincarnated spirit of a great Buddhist teacher, Lama Dorje. And the other is a retelling of the story of Siddhartha, and how, having reached enlightenment, becomes the Buddha.

During the first plot line, Lama Norbu comes to Seattle in search of the reincarnation of his dead teacher, Lama Dorje. His search leads him to young Jesse Conrad, Raju, a boy from Katmandu, and an Indian girl. Together, they journey to Bhutan where the three children must undergo a test to prove which is the true reincarnation. After finding his teacher the monk then meditates and dies.

The second story is about Siddhartha and how he became the Buddha. It traces his spiritual journey from ignorance to true enlightenment. Young Siddhartha lived a carefree life in the palace. His father, Kind Suddhodana, is shielding him from all unpleasantness such as elderly, sick or dying people. Gradually however, Siddhartha begins to get curious about the world out there, and one day sneaks outside the palace gate. Siddhartha comes in contact with suffering, desires, and death. This movie really opens your eyes to the basic concepts of Buddhism and the theme of reincarnation.

I really liked the costumes and scenery in this movie, because they cam across well along with the theme. The music also added that extra effect needed to keep your attention throughout the movie. There was extremely good acting in this movie, especially by the children. Although this movie was well-written and well thought out, there was no emotional depth or appeal. The running time on this movie is also a little too long, which is not aided by the ragged transitions. And the characters never really connect with the audience, so the viewer's attention span is greatly tested. But overall I really enjoyed this movie and the themes it presents.

A wonderful family film
"Little Buddha" is a wonderful family film that is entertaining and educating without being educational. It provides a view on Buddhist beliefs and explains the basis of this way of life.

Embedded in the main story of the film is the story of the Buddha's journey to enlightenment. It is told in a fashion that will be enjoyable to people of every age. This work is also filmed beautifully and shares with you life in many cultures.

Please take some time and enjoy this film!

PS - Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha (Buddha) - takes some getting used to...

Little Budda, Little thought
It seems to me that this movie was rushed through production. I feel that this movie could have gone deeper into the truth of Buddism and not lingered on the top of it. I don't understand how the parents of the little boy would just leave him with perfect strangers or let him run off by himself in Bhutan. There seemed to be no point with the fact that the fathers freind died, except that it showed connection between Siddhartha and the boy. In the end of the movie, I didn't understand how the kids ended up watching Siddhartha be temtped under the Bo tree and reach enlightenment. While many of the things shown about Buddism were true, they forgot some main ideas such as the four noble truths and the eight fold path.
In all, I feel this movie could have been taken more time on in the making and resulted in a pathetic movie that stretches the reality of our lives

Excellent Film
I really love this film, it wasnt at all what I expected, and that is even more awesome.
I let my son watch this film and he enjoyed it so much he had a ton of questions regarding Buddha and the expeirences of all the children. No child is too young to develop an open mind.
I suggest this film for anyone interested in Eastern Philosophies and/or Reincarnation. Or if you have questions or uncertainities about Buddha, this film brings Buddha's teachings forward and expresses the compassion that his love had. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Classic, Classic Tom Hanks
My wife and I have seen this movie MANY times and we laugh harder each time we see it. This movie must be a cult classic, mainly because if we act out a piece of a scene or speak a line from it (as we often do) many people are 'in' on the joke having seen it repeatedly themselves. Alexander Gudenov really steals the scenes that he's in portraying Shelly Long's ex-husband/Symphony conductor. I love it when he admonishes the orchestra at lunchtime after a lackluster rehearsal and tells the members to '...go stuff yourselves, I hope you choke!' (in that wonderful accent).
I highly reccommend this film to anyone, especially if you own a house. Those laughing the loudest will have had home repair experience I'm sure. Tom Hanks at his funniest. You won't be dissapointed!

Favorite moments:

bathtub scene (with pop-up thermometer in the turkey)
raccoon scene
The Shirk brothers contractors
All of the Alexander Gudenov scenes
'The Cheap Girls' band
borrowing money from 'Benny'
Hanks and Long fighting in front of the contractors

.....the list goes on......

Simply too funny
"The Money Pit" may have been a disaster at the box office and with critics at the time but this movie is just too hilarious. This is one of the few movies that makes me laugh until tears starts rolling down my face. My personal favorite moment is when Shelly Long finds a raccoon in the dumb waiter and it leaps at her. Seeing her running around screaming with a raccoon on her shoulder is hysterical. Of course just watching Tom Hanks' character try to fix the house is equally funny, particularly when he hears Shelly's character screaming and he runs...or tries to run up the poorly built staircase. The classic moment is when he falls into that hole and is stuck there for most of the day, missing out on an important meeting with a contractor and then seeing Shelly Long's expression when she finds him stuck in the hole. "The Money Pit" remains one of my top favorite comedies of all time as well as favorite Tom Hanks film.

home blech home!
Tom Hanks and Shelly Long star in this 1980s Steven Spielberg movie as Walter and Anna, a Manhattan couple who are unceremoniously evicted from her ex-husband's apartment and must search for new housing. They find what seems to be a steal -- a huge million-dollar mansion for next to nothing --- and move in, only to be besieged with a collapsing staircase, chocolate-brown "water", rotting wood, exploding doorbell, you name it. Probably one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen is when Tom Hanks sinks through the rug into a hole in the den floor and gets stuck.

Broke and cranky from sinking more and more resources into the money pit in which they live, Anna and Walter snipe at each other. The shady contractors they hire say they can get the job done in 2 weeks -- and continue saying that four months later.

The house may or may not get rebuilt, but will Walter and Anna survive as a couple? Being a typical 1980s comedy which paved the way for everything starring Meg Ryan for 16 years, you already know the answer. But it is still a hilarious movie to watch, depsite its predictability.

Sigh sigh
When I watched this movie for the very first time, I was 18 yold. It was and it is one of the most loved movies I ever seen in my whole life and it meant so much to me because I felt like Tom Hanks when I was rising up my new house and I seen myself in that movie with all the hard time to make the house of my and her dream nice and cozy. We did it but I miss those times.

Thanks "The money pit".

Luca

One of my all-time favorites!
Who wouldn't want to see Tom Hanks stuck in a hole in the floor? This movie is hilarious right from the start - Shelley Long and Hanks play off each other well. Well worth a few bucks to have your own copy at home! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

My favorite SET of Poirots So Far!!
I have all the DVD sets of Poirot - except for #6 which I am fixing to order! I LOVED this DVD the best so far!! Number #5 was so intertaining - and I highly recommend it.

It's great to have "Poirot" on video!
I so enjoyed the "Poirot" series when it was shown on PBS during the 1990's. David Suchet is for me the definitive Hercule Poirot, while Hugh Fraser and Philip Jackson are exactly how I always picture the characters of Captain Hastings and Chief Inspector Japp to be. This "Poirot" Box Set #5 contains three outstanding one-hour episodes. "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" is a haunting tale of the supernatural. Young and beautiful Susan Maltravers, mistress of Marsdon Manor, is being tormented by visions of a girl who killed herself years ago on the Manor grounds. I wouldn't like to reveal any more of the plot that, but I would like to mention that in the episode the camera work is a remarkable feature and the denouement is terrifying. "The Double Clue" is a clever story about a theft that occurs during an elegant garden party. Even his romantic feelings for a Russian countess cannot distract Poirot from his first duty, to track down the thief. "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" is my personal favorite of the three episodes, an OTHELLO-like tale of jealous lovers. In addition to fine acting from each cast member and delightful period sets and costumes, each episode features a musical score that perfectly evokes the mood of the story. Anyone who loves the "Poirot" series will thoroughly enjoy this box set. Check out the other sets and the many full-length (103 minute) "Poirot" features, as well.

Still top notch entertainment
Thanks to Acorn Media, we may very well soon have all the Hercule Poirot episodes available for easy watching, the shorter ones on tape and the longer on DVD. With the arrival of Set 5, we have cases 13-15 from the classic BBC series that was once shown on PBS and currently in shamefully abbreviated forms on a commercial channel.

I have already posted my general comments about this series on the webpages for the first four sets, so let me cut to the chase.

"The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor" begins comically enough with a would-be mystery writer of an inn owner summoning Poirot to solve a baffling case that happens to be fictional. Naturally a real death takes place under what seems to be supernatural circumstances; and the production does indeed create a wonderfully English country manor spooky-ness that makes this worth watching. Never mind that the solution involves all sorts of twists that verge on the incredible; but to invert the aphorism in "Sleuth," this is Inspector Fiction, not Inspector Fact.

"The Double Clue" is exceptional in that it shows Poirot emotionally involved with a suspect, a fascinating (at least to him) Russian countess who might or might not be involved in a series of jewel thefts. Japp is honestly in fear of losing his job unless the thefts are stopped, while Miss Lemon and Hastings do their own sleuthing as Poirot spends time with the countess. "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" has a plot within the plot, so to speak, rather far-fetched. However, the presence of actor John McEnery and the opening surreally filmed dueling sequence more than make up for any storyline inconsistencies.

Again, it is always instructive to compare these dramatizations with the originals; but the former stand up very nicely on their own.

More gorgeous Poirot adventures
The neat-freak Belgian Hercule Poirot returns, along with the faithful Captain Hastings, blunt Scotland Yard Inspector Japp, and hyper-efficient Miss Lemon.

"The Double Clue" is a bit of a tearjerker--jewels vanish, Japp's job is on the line, and Poirot is beginning to fall for one of the suspects, neglecting his job. Hastings and Miss Lemon attempt to salvage the investigation, but without Poirot they are going to have trouble. The end is sad, and this is the first of the Poirot shows to indicate that Miss Lemon might have more than professional feelings for her employer.

"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" is a strange story about love, deceit, jealousy, honor, and lots of swords. A man is found stabbed in a "Spanish Chest"--and even Poirot is being checked out. This includes the excellent scene where Poirot, along with a friend, end up dancing the Charleston (with very bad grace)

"The Tragedy of Marsden Manor" is a particular favorite, with an elderly man dying unexpectedly and leaving a beautiful young widow who is being attacked by a ghost. The actress playing Lady Marsden is downright chilling at times, such as when she is staring up at the trees, and this story includes a man asking Poirot to proofread his mystery novel. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Two years after Twentieth Century Fox released its melodramatic disaster film Titanic in 1953, Walter Lord's meticulously researched book A Night to Remember surprised its publishers by becoming a phenomenal bestseller. Lord had an intuition that readers craved the reality of the Titanic disaster, and not the romantically mythologized translations that relied on fictional characters to enhance the world's worst maritime disaster. Lord's book proved that truth is far more compelling than fiction. Three years after it appeared, the book was brought to the screen with the kind of riveting authenticity he had insisted upon in his own research. The 1958 British production of A Night to Remember remains a definitive dramatization of the disaster, adhering to the known facts of the time and achieving a documentary-like immediacy that matches (and in some ways surpasses) the James Cameron epic released 39 years later. The film erroneously perpetuates the once-common belief that Titanic sunk in one piece (instead of breaking in half as its bow began to plunge), but many other misconceptions are accurately corrected, and the intelligent screenplay by thrill-master Eric Ambler is a model of factual suspense. By making Titanic the star of the film, director Roy Baker emphasizes the excessive confidence of the booming industrial age and creates an intense realism that pays tribute to Walter Lord's tenacious quest for truth. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (64)

Best Titanic movie yet.
Cameron's film has its moments, but in truth I only liked it for the chance it gave me to see a great old ocean liner brought to life again on screen. In "A Night To Remember", the effects are not nearly so impressive, but the story is far better. It's very much in the style of a docudrama, but its a docudrama about one of the most fascinating and enduring stories in all of history. I don't quite know why Cameron felt it necessary to tell a soap opera melodrama about two fictional lovers and use one of the most dramatic stories in all human history as nothing more than a backdrop. "A Night To Remember", based on Walter Lord's outstanding book of the same name, tells the story of the disaster itself. Kenneth More plays a heroic Second Officer Lightoller, and the film actually makes him out to look a little better than he did in reality - he lowered several of the lifeboats less than half loaded, and permitted no men at all to get in, even when the boats were ready to lower and no more women were nearby to board. Still, this bit of dramatic license doesn't hurt the film.

The account of Titanic's loss has something in it to appeal to everybody. For the lovers of a great story it has incredible drama and suspense. For lovers of nostalgia it is far the best documented voyage of any ship from the golden age of the great ocean liners. For those interested in tragic irony there is the story of a great ship, regarded as unsinkable going down after ominous warnings were ignored. For those interested in stories with a moral, there is the cautionary tale of placing blind faith in any work of human hands, or thinking that the things of men are impervious to the forces of nature. For students of human nature, Titanic was a microcosm of society, with the full range of human strength and weakness on display, from acts of inspiring heroism to those of despicable cowardice. For those interested in social history, there is the huge gulf between the first class passengers with their vast wealth, and those in steerage with little more than the clothes they stood up in.

Few stories have proven so enduring and so fascinating as that of the Titanic. This movie remains the best, and most faithful film version of it to this day.

One of the most moving and comprehensive Titanic movies
I've been obsessed with the Titanic since Robert Ballard found the wreck when I was only five years old. Both this film and James Cameron's Titanic are chock full of historical facts and fictions. That said, I have to say that I do enjoy A Night to Remember a bit more. I think the technical accuracies were helped by having an actual crewmember as a technical advisor. The interiors were almost spot on, with just a few minor variations. It's also nice that most, if not all, of the main characters were actual crew members and passengers. I thought it was eerie how the ship in the movie groaned and popped as she settled into the water, much like the actual Titanic. And I might be the only one who noticed, but it seems like all movies since this one have a shot of a cart in the First Class Dining Saloon rolling down the tilting floor. I also liked that the ship's orchestra played the tune Horbury to the words of Nearer, My God to Thee, my favorite setting of the hymn. The featurette was such a wonderful behind-the-scenes additon, something James Cameron might think of including on his DVD someday. All in all, A Night To Remember is a moving and touching addition to any Titanic fan's collection.

Puts Cameron's Big Deal to Shame
James Cameron's over-hyped special effects spectacle can't hold a candle to this taut, gripping, underplayed production.

Comparing what the directors do with their leads gives one an idea of their priorities. A Night to Remember's Roy Ward Baker, in juxtaposing the unflappable lead player Kenneth More with the overwhelming event, has the effect of making what we know to be inevitable that much more wrenching. On the other hand, Cameron takes Leo DeCaprio, who does a great job with what he's given, and wastes him on a cliché starcrossed-lovers subplot.

The stark black and white photography of A Night to Remember - a North Atlantic night filled with icebergs IS black and white - makes the Technicolor of Titanic seem like a waste of emulsion. And, believe it or not, there are some special effects in A Night to Remember that give Titanic a run for its mega-bucks.

A Night to Remember lets the inherent drama of the Titanic catastrophe deliver the impact, demonstrating that "They don't make them like they used to" is more than just nostalgia.

Excellent for it's time.
Wonderful production for it's time, but I must dispute the first two listed reviews that call it "more accurate" and "the best and most faithful version". These reviews make you expect more than you get. Cameron was absolute in his quest for accuracy with Titanic and his production made me feel the drama, while I only watched the drama in "Night". With that said, I rate this 5 stars and recommend it highly for every Titanic buff's video archive.

Most historically accurate film about the Titanic disaster !
This is a review for the Criterion Collection release of the film.
Now you might not think of it as accurate with this film not showing the Titanic split in two before sinking, but it still is far more accurate than any film to date Feb 2004.

This film is based ot the book of the same name by Walter Lord. Unlike every other film about the Titanic which have seen. This one is based almost solely on acutal events characters and interviews with people involved in the disaster.

An interesting nt it that the band plays the British music to the hymn "Nearer my god to thee" instead of the American version which has been played in two other Titanic films which have seen.

Many of the actors were virtaully unknown at the time of release and one Actress in the film, Honor Blackman later became famous in the 007 film Goldfinger.

The supplementary features are also very good and the Audio commentary give reference to James Cameron's film. This was a film that was quite impressive for it's time and remains popular to this day. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hoo-hah! After seven Oscar nominations for his outstanding work in films such as The Godfather, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon, it's ironic that Al Pacino finally won the Oscar for his grandstanding lead performance in this 1992 crowd pleaser. As the blind, blunt, and ultimately benevolent retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, Pacino is both hammy and compelling, simultaneously subtle and grandly over-the-top when defending his new assistant and prep school student Charlie (Chris O'Donnell) at a disciplinary hearing. While the subplot involving Charlie's prep-school crisis plays like a sequel to Dead Poets Society, Pacino's adventurous escapades in New York City provide comic relief, rich character development, and a memorable supporting role for Gabrielle Anwar as the young woman who accepts the colonel's invitation to dance the tango. Scent of a Woman is a remake of the 1972 Italian film Profumo di donna. In addition to Pacino's award, the picture garnered Oscar nominations for director Martin Brest and for screenwriter Bo Goldman. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (73)

By far my favorite movie
When I first heard of this movie, I had no clue what it was about. My friend and I saw a teaser poster with Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar dancing the tango labeled "Scent of a Woman". Putting two and two together, we went into the theater thinking we were watching a love story until the movie started. Whoops. Despite my misgivings in the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised. What I found was a riveting story of mentor-mentee relationship. I love movies that involve the master taking young grasshopper under his wing. Except master is not Mr. Perfect himself. Both the student and the teacher learn from each other's weaknesses. And despite Lt Col Slade's struggle with his misfortunate blinding accident, his Army core values were still in tact. Hard-working and willing to give up a Thanksgiving weekend to look after an embittered retiree, Slade sees an underlying goodness in Chris O'Donnell's fragile, fence-sitting character, Charlie. Like most young men his age, he was susceptible to peer pressure and could easily choose the wrong path as his friends had. Slade is blind but easily sees the temptation to compromise the boy's integrity and future. "This old bat has sharper radar than the Nautilus" Slade tells his young league. He lays all the cards out for Charlie to see, but knew instinctively it was up to the boy to make his own decision. Charlie eventually shows his true colors in the face of adversity. Like a good soldier, he never leaves his commander's side even when the danger is self-inflicting. Character like that is a rarity in anyone and must be preserved! This prompts Slade to reciprocate his support for Charlie who is enrolled in a prestigious school reknowned for producing some of the most important figure heads in America. "Be careful what type of leaders you're making," he warns the school staff. Charlie learns lessons in life that no school could teach him.

Underneath the tough exterior, there was a softer side to Slade. He definitely had a thing for the ladies. Instead of playing up a macho cassanova, "Mac-Daddy" persona predominate in a lot of films today, Slade is quite the charmer and gentlemen. He's cultured, sophisticated, genteel and surprisingly knowledgeable about women's perfume. Hence the film's title. I find that warrior-poet quality incredibly sexy and appealing. You can't resist a man who makes the tango look so easy and doesn't mind getting "all tangled up" with you. A beautiful role played by Pacino earning him a well-deserved oscar which probably was most credited for by his empowering monologue in the end. This is by far his best role in a movie.

Lovely film. Sweet, sad, romantic yet uplifting. This is truly a classic for the ages.

One of This Decade's Best Films
I have probably watched "Scent of A Woman" thirty times. I find it one of those movies that becomes hypnotic a few minutes into it. Al Pacino is absolutely outstanding in the role of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, retired from the U.S. Army. Slade, blinded by a drinking/grenade game he was playing with one of his drinking buddies, is now living as an embittered alcoholic with an adult niece, her husband and two little children. He is an arrogant, angry man used to issuing orders and not displaying very much gratitude or affection.

Charlie Simms, played well by Chris O'Donnell, is a scholarship at a nearby prep school in the same town in New Hampshire where Slade lives. Charlie's trying to earn some money over the Thanksgiving weekend so that he can travel home to his parents in Oregon at the Christmas break.He discovers an ad placed by Slade's niece to care for her blind uncle over the Thanksgiving break so that she can travel with her husband and kids to Albany, New York for Thanksgiving with her in-laws.Charlie answers the ad and the adventure quickly develops.

Slade has his own plans for Thanksgiving. A last big blowout in New York City before killing himself.

He is abusive to Charlie at first and acts as if he is one of his military aides. He doesn't let him in on his plans until it's practically time to leave for New York -- while Charlie had been told by Slade's niece that the weekend would be at her home looking after her uncle.

A beautiful bonding begins as Slade and Simms interact and except for his anger and bitterness, it is obvious that Slade is not particularly handicapped by his blindness as he has developed an extra few "senses" which make him seem remarkable.

The journey to New York is a roller coaster of emotion from comic to touching to almost tragic. When Slade finally decides to kill himself, Charlie manages to save the day -- although it's pretty touch and go keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Charlie has problems of his own. He's not particularly self confident and Slade is tremendously intimidating. Charlie's other problems center around an incident at school which places him at a crossroads -- whether he should rat on some kids at school at the headmaster's own brand of intimidation, or face expulsion.

The movie concludes with an impassioned speech by Colonel Slade on Charlie' behalf before a school-wide assembly being held for a disciplinary committee hearing on the incident Charlie has knowledge of.

Simms remains true to himself and proves himself to show new confidence and an outstanding sense of personal integrity.

Slade has also benefited by his own plans gone awry and his opening a window of care for Charlie as another human being. He emerges as a sign of hope to overcome his bitterness, anger and alcoholism.

An absolutely remarkable film!!!

My Two Scents
Actor Al Pacino has amassed quite a stellar career over the years, filled with strong performances, that make him one of the best at what he does. He skills, magnetism, and range put him at the top of my favorites lists. For 1992's Scent Of A Woman he hits another high point, winning an Oscar, and alowing a relative newcomer to earn his acting chops, working with a master.

Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) is a young scholarship student at an exclusive prep school in New Hampshire who agrees to look after Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino), a blind retired army officer, to earn extra money over the Thanksgiving break. Frank is an acid tongued and cynical bully who completely suprises Charlie with his plans for their weekend together. He has bought them tickets to New York, booked a suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and rented a limousine, all to take the Big Apple by storm. Before Charlie realizes what he has gotten into, he is accompanying the colonel around Manhattan as they begin their wild and eye-opening adventures that include a fast-paced test drive in a Ferrari and a tango with a beautiful woman (Gabrielle Anwar). Frank's passion is women; he waxes lyrically on their bodies, scent, and sensuality, and gradually Charlie becomes aware of the sentimental romantic buried deep within the lonely man's heart.

Directed by Martin Brest, the film is nearly pitch perfect, with Pacino commanding the screen. Even though, I know Pacino isn't really blind--he plays the disability very well. By the end, I couldn't imagine another actor, playing it as "real" as he did. I thought O'Donnell was also quite impressive holding his own oppossite Pacino. The script from Bo Goldman has drama, humor and is very organic. The only minor problem I had was the film's very end. A bit predictable if you ask me...

The film deserves to have an upgrade to special edition status. The current DVD has little in the way of extras. I wanted more. There's only a few production notes and cast biographies on the disc. Not even the theatrical trailer made the extras. Until a special edition is a reality, the film is still a must see, even in its current form on DVD.

I'll Show you out of order!
I absolutely love this movie. The first advertisement I saw for this movie was a poster of Al Pacino and Gabriel Anwar doing the tango. My firend I went into the movie theaters eagerly awaiting to see a lovely romantic comedy. But when the first scene started with a boys school and just kept going, we were beginning to wonder if we walked into the right movie.

However, the movie was captivating as soon as Al Pacino came on screen, he obligates Chris O'Donnell to accompany him to the airport and head to New York. You keep wanting to see what happened next in the movie and before you know it, you've just fallen in love with a hopeless manic-depressive and a young kid whose promising future is about to go under because of a compromising situation that swing the wrong way.

Where does loyalty start and integrity ends? Both Pacino and O'Donnell have to come to grips with in some fashion or another. But there is no doubt the bond between the two of them is unbreakable.

Pacino Shines
Scent of a Woman, a 1993 Academy Award Nominee for Best Picture, is about a friendship that builds between two opposite people, the blind retired Lt. Colonel Frank Slade and the prep school student Charlie Simms, during a wild weekend in New York City. Both are coming to a crossroads in their lives. Charlie has to decide whether he will tell on who played a practical joke on the school's headmaster. But his future is lying in midst of it. And Lt. Colonel Frank Slade, once an aide to Former President Lyndon Johnson, now blind, is considering taking his own life. Their friendship grows, and although I don't want to give too much away, I'll say that I was satisfied with the ending.

Al Pacino's performance in this was stellar, and have many others have mentioned, won him his first Best Actor Oscar. Great film which will undoubtedly be enjoyed by many for years to come. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A hit in Europe but a flop in the U.S.--where it was trimmed, rescored, and given a newending--Luc Besson's The Big Blue has endured as a minor cult classic for its gorgeousphotography (both on land and underwater) and dreamy ambiance. Jean-Marc Barr is a sweet andsensitive but passive presence as Jacques, a diver with a unique connection to the sea. He has theastounding ability to slow his heartbeat and his circulation on deep dives, "a phenomenon that'sonly been observed in whales and dolphins… until now," remarks one scientist. Kooky New Yorkinsurance adjuster Joanna (Rosanna Arquette at her most delightfully flustered and endearingly sexybest) melts after falling into his innocent baby blues, and she follows him to Italy, where he'scontinuing a lifelong competition with boyhood rival Enzo (Jean Reno in a performance both comic andtouching).

Besson's first English-language production looks more European thanHollywood, and it suffers from a tin ear for the language. At times it feels more like an IMAXundersea documentary than a drama about free divers, but the lush and lovely images create a fairytale dimension to Jacques's story, a veritable Little Merman. More dolphin than man, he's sotorn between earthly love and aquatic paradise that even his dreams call him to the sea (in asequence more eloquent than any speech).

Besson has expanded the film by 50 minutes for his director's cut, which adds little story but slowsthe contemplative pace until it practically floats in time, and has restored Eric Serra'ssynthesizer-heavy score, a slice of 1980s pop that at times borders on disco kitsch. Mostimportantly, he has restored his original ending, which echoes the fairy tale he tells Joannaearlier in the film and leaves the story floating in the inky blackness of ambiguity. --SeanAxmaker ... Read more

Reviews (99)

Long film
I have not seen the shorter version, and can give no comparision between the two cuts.
I bought the movie because I was impressed with Luc Besson's other films, such as La Femme Nikita and Leon. The story is about 2 divers, deep free diving divers. Very deep, very dangerous. The competitiveness and relationship between these 2 men is most definately love-hate, with Reno's charactor not being able to be himself without his competition and friend.
Very long, as stated perviously, with 49 minutes of footage added, the picture moves along at a fair pace. This is not an action move. Even the dive sequences are not fast paced; they move to where you are moving with them, down to their deep depths which they are certain will challenge them, but not kill them, or at least fairly certain. With Arquette's character, we are introduced to the love interest. Reno warns his friend to avoid her and concentrate on his work, but he is in to her in a very big way.
I am not sure who to recommend this film to, but it is definately worth a look.

Unfortunately, the Director's Cut left me feeling empty.
Well, I've read the other reviews and I find myself most decidedly in the minority. The movie is good, but it's not great. On the other hand, neither is it terrible. My first experience with The Big Blue was the American version, cut shorter and with Bill Conti's score in place of Eric Serra's. The Director's Cut (D.C.) is both longer and darker.

Okay, I'll say it. I like the American version better. Period. It was, perhaps, my all-time favorite movie. But things have since gone downhill. Eric Serra's music is good, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel that it has the emotional impact of Conti's. Yes, we're talking about something very subjective here. If the D.C. is your first experience with this film, then you'll be lucky enough to enjoy it without having to compare and contrast. However, for me, something was missing in this new release. I found many of the extra scenes superfluous to both the story and the character arcs. For example, there's an added humorous scene midway through the film that exists, supposedly, to show that Enzo likes to take chances and flex his masculinity. I agree; the scene depicts just that. But there are plenty of other scenes that do the same thing; this one is redundant. (On a side note, the endings of each version are virtually identical -- don't let someone tell you otherwise. Ultimately, this movie is about a man's struggle to choose between Humanity and Nature, and that message remains unchanged from one version to the next.)

Regarding the scoring, there are points in the D.C. where a given scene just didn't work for me with Serra's music (sometimes Besson chose no music at all, and the silence that falls over the action is absolutely stifling). I don't believe that Serra's score did the movie justice. Conti was able to capture the flavor of the film much more easily, yet without being disrespectful to Besson's message. At best, Serra hit the mark only five times out of ten.

To be fair, I can't honestly say that my take on the D.C. is based solely on its own merits, as I saw the American version first. I'd suggest that you watch both and decide for yourself. Of course, it might prove difficult to find the older one these days (outside of rental stores, that is).

In short, I was disappointed that they didn't come out with a DVD that had both the American and Director's versions. I realize that'd be more expensive, but it would've been a nice touch (and I'd have paid extra for it). I'm glad I saw the D.C., but I'd much rather own on DVD the American version and I regret that I now think less of the movie than I had previously. I would have given it two and a half stars, but it wasn't bad enough to warrant a solid two, considering how much I loved the American version; despite its flaws, this is still a pretty cool movie.

ETMR - The Big Blue
1. Humanity: Many critics claim the central themes portrayed by the two male protagonists are the search for freedom and the proclamation of one's individuality. Yet both Jacques and Enzo are undeniably not free, having self-imposed chains tied both to the sea and their fantasies about the sea. In what ways does the film express the dangers of escapism and sentimental loneliness?

2. Implications: All three characters are tied to their worlds. Enzo is trapped in his status as the best, Johanna cannot move beyond her desire for a normal life with Jacques, and Jacques is unwilling to depart from the last words of his father. Do you think this film romanticizes these issues, or criticizes them?

3. Evolution: Besson (the director) stresses the super-human qualities of both men. Do you think these qualities are tied to their fate with the sea, or do they have a choice about their fate?

4. Realism: There is a magic realism in the film that cannot be ignored, form the magnetic pull of the ocean, to the unhuman mysteries beneath. Without these magical elements, does the movie stand on its own as a piece of reality?

5. Stageplay: Much of the acting in the film is overdramatized, from the sensual yet sentimental plumbings of Johana, the deaf silence from Jacques, to the heavy and bawdy nature of Enzo. Do the actors work together in a cohesive whole, or do they jarr the story and create separate entities upon themselves?

Please put the Original US Version on DVD!!!
Like many others who discovered this well overlooked film many years ago, I was greatly disappointed in the Director's Cut. For starters, the US Version's Music Score surpasses the European Score by leapyears and this Director's Cut uses that cheesy synthesizery European Score. :-( Secondly, the additional footage simply adds a little more pointless skin in the form of nudity, but adds little or nothing to the overall story except about 50 minutes of your time. It feels like it's dragging compared to the original US Version and often gives you more information than you wanted - sometimes it's best to not tell the audience everything and let them fill in the blanks themselves. The original US Version is one of my favorite films of all times, but this updated Director's Version doesn't make my cut because the extra stuff is pointless and long and the European Soundtrack is horrible!!!

Universal Truth: Review from Power vs. Force by D.R. Hawkins
[Refers to original theatrical release.] "We've made [kinesiological] calibrations of various kinds of records of athletic achievement, including movies. Of all the movies about sports studied, the French film 'The Big Blue' produced the highest calibration. This is the story of Jacques Mayol, the Frenchman who held the world record for deep-sea diving for many years (until very recently). The movie calibrates at the extraordinary level of 700 (universal truth), and has the capacity to put viewers in a high state of consciousness -- the manager of one movie theater that showed it described audiences wandering out lost in silence or crying with joy they couldn't describe." David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D, from "Power vs. Force", page 173 ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before coming to America to make such acclaimed films as Tender Mercies and Driving Miss Daisy, Australian director Bruce Beresford made a lasting impression with this compelling courtroom drama, considered one the finest films of the Australian new wave of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Based on a true story about three soldiers in the Boer War who are served up as political scapegoats of the British Empire, the film uses a flashback structure to dramatize the courtroom testimony.It begins when the three Australian soldiers are railroaded for the justified killing of a German missionary and placed on trial for court-martial not as a matter of justice, but to mollify the German government for the sake of political expediency. Burdened with a competent but inexperienced and hopelessly disadvantaged lawyer, the soldiers realize that their fate has been sealed and the outcome of their trial is a fait accompli. Unfolding with urgent precision and a riveting focus on its well-drawn characters, Breaker Morant was the all-time box-office hit in Australia at the time of its release in 1980, and it remains one of the very best historical dramas ever made. --Jeff Shannon ...