Reviews (37)

Frank Capra + Moss Hart & George Kauffman = ??
A fine Frank Capra comedy featuring Jimmy Stewart at his most boyish and gangly, and Jean Arthur as the girl of his dreams. It's a comedy of mismatched lovers: Stewart plays the son of a cold-hearted business tycoon (Edward Arnold) who looks forward to the coming world war as a way to make a killing on the stock market. In the path of Dad's capitalistic machinations lies a family of carefree bohemian kooks, whose open, life-affirming attitude holds together the neighborhood where Arnold hopes to build his next munitions factory. And guess what? Surprise...!! Jean Arthur's character also just happens to be the object of his son's affections. Into this "Dharma & Greg"-like scenario, add Lionel Barrymore as her saintly, eccentric father, who was once a businessman but then dropped out and now spends his days smiling at life, following his passions, and encouraging others to do the same.

In all honesty, although the film is charming, it isn't Capra's best work -- adapted from a stage play by George Kauffman and Moss Hart, it shouts out its kookiness, and has the feel of an off-Broadway production gone awry. The scenes that are meant to show how wacky her family is often play out too broadly, with shouting and grand gestures and a flurry of chaotic action -- dancing, xylophone playing, cooking, painting, newspaper rustling, fireworks going off -- and all of it happening at once. It's too obvious and dramatically weak... Plus, Stewart really hasn't found his feet yet as a star actor. On the other hand, both Barrymore and Arnold give delightfully strong performances, and Jean Arthur is *always* easy on the eyes. Even when slightly muddled, Capra is still better than practically anything coming out comedywise from Hollywood today. A charming 'Thirties comedy.

Classic Capra Comedy!
The rich young son of an esteemed banker (Jimmy Stewart) falls in love with his secretary (Jean Arthur). His family disapproves, but graciously agree to meet with his girlfriend's family. Jean Arthur wishes to plan the meeting as an elegant dinner with her family's eccentricities somewhat constrained. When her boyfriend and his parents show up on the wrong day, all hell breaks loose. Jean Arthur's wise grandfather and patriarch of the family (Lionel Barrymore) helps sets things aright with his harmonica and a little sound advice. This hilarious classic pits an eccentric middle class family against their snobbish upper-crust potential in-laws. You'll roll on the floor laughing at Stewart's "scream" scene, the Russian ballet teacher, the jail-cell and courtroom sequence and more. One of Frank Capra's best!

Great film, Poor DVD
First of all, this film is great, and deserves to be owned by any classic movie fan. It has some of the greatest stars that have ever been on-screen, together! This is easily a favourite of mine, with Jimmy Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore AND Frank Capra, you cant go wrong with watching this.

This film easily deserves the 5 stars, but I take one away because of this very disappointing release from Columbia on DVD. Many of Columbia's releases of classic movies on DVD have been poor ('Awful Truth' comes straight to mind) while others have great releases ('It Happened One Night' for an example).

I will start with the picture quality. It is full of scratching, throughout the film, and in all honesty, it does kind of look like a video. Still, saying this, it is actually watchable, but what a poor effort.

Now for the sound. Ok, this is the real problem. The sound is really quite bad. It is full of hissing, and becomes annoying. Its listenable, but oh, they could have done a lot better here.

The extras. Well, there isnt much to say really, is there? There are nothing for you on this disc.

This DVD is worth getting, but I only say this because of the film itself. What a poor release for such a wonderful film. Hopefully, Columbia will re-release this soon, with a better print, better sound, and some decent extras. If only this could have been more like their release of Capra's other classic, 'It Happened One Night'.

Dont avoid this DVD, but just dont expect much.

PLEASE NOTE: Since I am in England, I own the Region 2 release. It appears to be no different to this Region 1 release though.

very good movie
I'm playing a character in the play that this movie is based on, and so I watched this DVD to get a hint of what it could look like. First, the story is excellent! Do what you want in life; don't work your whole life doing something you hate! That is basically the Sycamore family's philosophy. But when the younger daughter in this household falls in love with the son of the wealthy Kirby family, trouble brews, landing the Kirbys and Sycamores both in jail! In the end, Kirby Sr. learns that maybe the Sycamores have something and gives the young couple his blessing, leaving everybody happy. The play is a little different from the movie, but with the addition of a simple harmonica, the movie is able to give the viewer a wonderful feeling in the end and reinforces the fact that everyone should do what makes him or her happy in life! I will say that the quality of the movie is not the greatest at times, but that's to be expected since it is an older movie. Other than that, it's great!

Warm & Wonderful
This is a gem of a movie. It's all madness & mayhem on the surface, and warm & cozy underneath. Like most of Frank Capra's movies, this is a morality play. The filmaker continues his favorite theme, downplaying the materalistic and embracing the things that really matter, love, both romantic & platonic, friends & family. This type of material might be a preachy bore in the hands of a person less skilled than Frank Capra, but he makes it work. Not only does it work, but the movie is hilarious. The cast is excellent, starring Lionel Barrymore, I would say at his best, but I never saw anything he was in where he wasn't great. Jimmy Stewart plays one of his nice guys here to the max & is terrific also. The rest of the cast is excellent as well. I especially loved the "mad Russian" played by Mischa Auer. Eddie Anderson steals every scene he's in whether he's speaking or not.
All in all, it's a fine ensemble cast, everyone is very good. Do yourself a favor, if you have an opportunity to see this, please do! ... Read more

Amazon.com

When it was first broadcast in 1975, there had never been a more lavishly produced science fiction TV series than Space: 1999, a British production whose budget for the first of its two seasons ran an astounding 3.25 million pounds. What keeps us fans enthralled after all these years has only partly to due with the first-rate production values, the plausibly constructed spaceship models, and expert special effects. The tone of the show is one of scientific dispassion, setting it apart from its TV sci-fi predecessors such as Star Trek, whose mood was more convivial. Our heroes here are in dire circumstances that require cool heads as a survival trait. Those circumstances: the 311 crew members of Moonbase Alpha experience a cataclysm that causes the moon to break away from Earth's orbit and travel endlessly through space, turning our heroes into unintentional explorers. No TV series has created a more palpable feel of hard science fiction than this. Of course the show is not without its detractors; it has been soundly lambasted for its many scientific errors. No less august a figure than Isaac Asimov criticized the show for its premise in the opening episode, "Breakaway," which had nuclear explosions on the "dark side of the moon" somehow propelling it out of Earth's orbit and flying through space without regard to any physical laws. In "Earthbound" (included in this set), aliens traveling to Earth state it will take them 75 years to reach their destination, making one wonder why it didn't take the moon that long to encounter the aliens. While these are serious complaints, fans tend to remember the scientific seriousness of the series and the sense of awe created by the many strange creatures and phenomena that the crew members encounter on their journey through the galaxy. In addition to "Breakaway" and "Earthbound," this set includes "Matter of Life and Death," "Black Sun," "Ring Around the Moon," and "Another Time, Another Place." --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Possibly the worst written Anderson series
The four Gerry/Sylvia Anderson series with which I am familiar ("Thunderbirds", "Captain Scarlet", "UFO", and "Space 1999") all have much in common. At their best, they have high-spirited adventure, good character situations, campy humor, and gee-wiz sets, costumes, and gadgetry. At their worst, they have jaw dropping logical flaws, stock footage overused to the point of obvious inconsistency, and excruciatingly painful sci-babble.

"Space 1999" has some of the coolest sets and gadgetry, and it's hard not to fall in love with them. Despite critics to the contrary, I feel the acting is overall quite competent. However, the episodes tend to be so unflinchingly immersed in trademark Anderson sci-babble that at times I find them almost impossible to sit through. This is a classic and unforgivable example of a show trying to be more cerebral and failing miserably because it substitutes sheer, almost random BS for science and logic. By all means rent these discs, but don't bother to buy them.

WOW!
Where has this show been all my life? I just discovered it on DVD and I'm very excited about it! Great cast, excellent scripts, and striking FX! I will can't wait to see the other episodes of this series.

black sun on DVD
Black Sun is my all time favorite episode of Space 1999 and it looks wonderful on DVD. Space 1999 was a very unique Sci-Fi program and it remains largely misunderstood. One reviewer notes that only when facing certain death do the Alphans come alive, but that's the point: These are highly trained soldiers who must focus entirely on their duties in order to survive. They are trapped inside the Alpha base, which is described as both a barracks and a prison, and are always close to death.
Only under unusual circumstances can the Alphans let down their emotional guard. Black Sun is an unusual circumstance in which they are powerless to avoid destruction. Having exhausted all options, Bergman shares his inner thoughts and feelings with Koenig, who has tears in his eyes, and they make a final toast. It's a wonderful scene which demonstrates just why fans love this show so much.
Black Sun is a great episode of a great series.

YES!
THANKS A&E FOR PUTTING SPACE 1999 ON DVD!
THE FIRST EPISODE GETS THE WHOLE SHOW STARTED WITH THE MOON BLASTING OFF INTO SPACE AND I LOVED THE ZOMBIE LIKE ASTRONAUTS IN THIS EPISODE TOO! SET 1 ALSO HAS CHRISTOPHER LEE AND EPISODES LIKE 'BLACK SUN' WHICH SIMULATE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ON QUALITY LSD. THINGS DRAG AT TIMES AND I WISH THE ZOMBIE LIKE ASTRONAUTS IN THE FIRST EPISODE ACTUALLY ATE THEIR VICTIMS, BUT OTHER THAN THAT I'M REAL HAPPY WITH THIS SET. GREAT SHOW!

really 'out there'
Critics have often not been kind to Space 1999. The program is often accused of having wooden actors because the performers are portraying military and scientific types in a tense situation that they deal with seriously. There's plenty of action, but again some critics fail to be impressed and write it off as just a display of special effects. The weirdness and mysteries presented in the show have often been viewed as bad story telling, and the Alphans have no mission other than to survive and that tends to be viewed as a lack of anything significant happening. Space 1999 is entertaining and exciting if seen as a hybrid of disaster movie and 2001. The moon is hurtling through space and things look grim for the people on it as they struggle for survival and encounter confusing 'far out' alien weirdness. They try to maintain their military and scientific bearing , but their true fear and confusion are visible below the surface and can be incredibly intense. These are great perfomances, the action is exciting, and the weirdness and mystery of it all is compelling. By season two, which I also enjoy, changes were made so that the program was more of a kid oriented adventure show and the Alphans had grown more used to their life on Alpha, but both the tense/trippy atmosphere of season one and the more jovial/comic book vibe of season two can make for entertaining viewing. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

A disappointing adaptation
After reading The Great Gatsby for my American Literature class, I decided to watch the movie, just to see how well it stuck to the plot and theme. I was highly disappointed. Sam Waterston as Nick somewhat impressed me, and Robert Redford was wonderfully mediocre as Gatsby, but the rest of the film appalled me. Mia Farrow's voice is most certainly not "full of money", and I firmly believe that Fitzgerald intended Daisy to be much more intelligent than Farrow portrayed her. The green glow at the end of Daisy's dock lost so much when it became a small, flashing light that could barely be seen across the bay in the film. The ending of the book was somber and moving; the ending of the movie, with a myriad of flappers dancing to "Ain't We Got Fun" was, for lack of a better word, cheesy. Fitzgerald's Myrtle Wilson was, to me, dignified and even somewhat timid. She was not a "wild child", as the film paints her. Overall, I am extremely glad that I read the novel before watching the movie, because this version of the film destroyed a great American novel.

A Decent Adaptation of the Book
Okay, so even though I think the movie version of The Great Gatsby is by no means up to the standards of the book - it is still a decent movie. Robert Redford plays Gatsby in a quiet, mysterious manner and although Mia Farrow goes a bit far in accentuating Daisy's ditzy behavior at times, she is still adequate in the part. The musical score was dreamy and marvelous and actually won an academy award, but then when the movie was brought out on video they CHANGED this wonderful music. I couldn't believe that the song "What'll I do" which is perfect for the scenes where Daisy and Gatsby are rekindling their love affair in a slow, delicous dance, was replaced by some nondescript, elevator music !! What's the deal with that?

The book is a classic and definitely has a 3-hanky ending. I think the ending scene in the movie version sticks close enough to that eerie feeling to be worth watching. However I would remind viewers that the current version has a disappointing musical score and is not the haunting, original academy award-winner.

Guilt! The Eyes Of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, O.D. See ALL !
F. Scott Fitzgerald presents taut tension and symbolism between Modernism and Victorianism in the 1925's quintessential jazz age of the great American novel, "The Great Gatsby" and this 1974 adaptation of Fitzgerald's novel with Francis Ford Coppola's screenwriting captures the better part of it!

Daisy's green light at the end of her dock that symbolizes all hope and want in not just Gatsby but all people, the "haves" and the "have-nots", guilt and carelessness, living above judgement and consequences, and of course, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg over the "valley of the ashes"... All are all beautifully and sadly portrayed.

Mia Farrow as the self centered, one-dimensional Daisy, Bruce Dern as the philandering Tom and Robert Redford as the nouveau riche, enamoured Gatsby turn in quite decent performances.

As Nick says, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money ortheir vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."

However, it is Karen Black as Myrtle, Scott Wilson as George and a sublime Sam Waterson cast as the perfect Nick are the highlight of this film along with the musical score, great costuming and elaborate set design.

This is well worth the watch and I enjoy this adaptation more than the A&E presentation, of which I USUALLY favor!

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no
matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..... And one fine morning - " (Nick)

Happy Watching!

a great interpretation of the book
the book is one of my favorites and this movie captures the books emotion. I think the story of gatsby is a very sad story but a story that most of us go through. I read in another review that this is a chick flick a man won't mind watching I disagree I think this movie and book was made for men because most men have been in Gatsby's shoes to some extent

VERY SAD!
Saddest book I've ever read and saddest movie I've ever seen.
The book was excellent and the actors' played the parts with great accuracy (Gatsby's neighbor is one of the attorneys from the Law and Order series). If sad is what you're looking for, then read the book first, then get the movie. The only "chick flick" that a guy wouldn't mind watching! ... Read more

Reviews (111)

A Holiday Classic...
In 1990, another Christmas movie classic was made. This movie, "Home Alone" is a holiday classic that you can't find anywhere else. The cast is great, the scenes are hilarious, and it's wonderful family movie. Macaulay Culkin starts his fame as the family icon for parents and thier children.

The movie starts out in Chicago, IL at the McCillister house. Here we meet Kevin's family that is running all over the house preparing for their Christmas trip to Paris. Also in the house scoping out the place is Harry (Joe Pesci), a crook posed a cop that is planning on robbing the house after they leave. Now here is where the problems start. When the whole family is eating pizza for dinner, Kevin (Culkin) is looking around for his plain cheese pizza because that's all he eats. So his older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) eats it on purpose. Then Kevin attacks him and the place becomes a mess and soda is spilled and the passports are soaked, etc. Kevin's mother Kate (Caterine O'Hara) sends him to his room. In Kevin's state of anger he says to his mother that he doesn't want to see his family again. Now while in bed Kevin says, "I wish they would all dissapear." During the night the power goes out and the alarm clocks goes out. The next moring they are rushing left and right to get to the airport. Here's the problem: THEY FORGOT KEVIN!

Now kevin wakes up an sees nobody is home. He actually thinks that his wish came true. Now at first Kevin loves this. He jumps on the bed, shoots his brother Buzz's BB gun, takes his brother's life savings, and eats all the junk food in the world and watches "R" rated films. While the family is on the plane, Kevin's mother gets the feeling they forgot something. Kevin's father Peter (John Heard) asks her, "What could we have forgotten?" Then Kate screams: KEVIN! Now while Kevin still is having fun back at home, the family is in Paris trying to get a flight back home. and calling the police, etc.

One day, Kevin goes out shopping and spots a misterious van in the neighbor's driveway. It's the crooks. Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Pesci), The Wet Bandits. Now after Kevin actually goes out shopping to get food and milk, he notices the guys in the van. Now he realizes they are after his house. Sorry Christmas Eve night he plans his battle against the crooks.

The gadgets and the tricks he pulls on the crooks are undoubtably hilarious. First, when the crooks starts talking to Kevin through the back door pretending to be Santa Claus and an Elf, Kevin takes his borther's BB gun and sticks it through the cathole and shoots Harry is the lower region. Then Marv sticks his heasd through the cathole and he gets shot in the head. Now there is ice on all the stairways, the front door knob is burning hot and when Hary touches the knob, the knob's inprinted "M" is impronted into Harry's hand. Lol! Then in the basement there is tar paper on the stairs and eventually there is a nail sticking up which Marv steps on with his bare foot. See what other tricks Kevin has got up his sleeve.

This movie, "Home Alone" is the perfect holiday movie that the entire family can enjoy. It's another Christmas classic. One thing this movie does for me is it gets me into the holiday spirit. In the beginning when Kevin said he didn't want to see his family again, throughout the movie, you realize how important family is, especially around the holidays. Buy this movie for you and your kids and you will love it as much as I do. Merry Christmas! Ho, Ho, Ho!

A Christmas Favorite
Home Alone has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies, It's funny and entertaining!

The movie is about a boy named Kevin McCallister[Macaulay Culkin] who accidently gets left behind in his home in Chicago when his family goes off on a trip to France. While Kevin is at home, two burglars are trying to break in. The burglars are played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. One of the burglars was at the house at the beginning, pretending to be a policeman, to check out the house. After Kevin finds out, he sets up a set of booby traps on the night they arrive. Meanwhile, Kevin's mom[Catherine O'Hara] wan'ts to get home as quickly as she can when she finds out that Kevin was left behind. So, instead of going on a plane she travels back to Chicago on a truck with a group of musicians and their polka king of the midwest[John Candy] when they offer to take her home. After the burglars get arrested with one of Kevin's plans, Kevin's mom arrives home with the rest of the family including his dad[John Heard] and they all feel so grateful to see him.

This is a movie your whole family will enjoy!!!

Home Alone
This is a great family film. You will laugh and laugh when you see keven (macaulay culkin) jumping for joy that his family is not at his house, but when robbers try to brake in the house he starts to see that he really wants his family. This will make the kids laugh seeing growns up laughing. This truely is a great movie!

Great Maculay Culkin
I own 1,2,and 3! I don't own 4. I don't like it!

My favorite holiday movie of all time (Or for any other day)
I am EXTREMELY happy that this movie finally made it to DVD because this is one of the most exciting and nicest holiday and family movies ever made. Everything from beginning to the end reminds me of the Back to the Future movies - when I watch that movie, I always notice something interesting, familiar, funny, or exciting when I see those movies and Home Alone. Many people may not like this DVD release because of inferior picture and sound quality and lack of bonus features - I THINK THIS DVD IS GREAT! Of course, the only bonus features on this DVD are the trailers to the Home Alone trilogy, and the sound is only stereo, but still, that's great because I LOVE THIS MOVIE! You know, because I love the funny parts - including the fake movie Kevin watches and uses to scare off the pizza guy and the villians (I always wanted to try that!) The fake movie, in case you didn't know, is translated into foreign languages as well! Speaking of which, this DVD comes in English, French, and Spanish audio and English subtitles. I've seen this DVD in English sound with closed-captioning from the TV, and on the computer in Spanish sound with English subtitles (still remains Kevin's infamous scream)! Yeah, I'm glad Fox has a Spanish option for this disc because I'm currently finishing up my Spanish class at my prep school and from time to time, I watch DVDs in Spanish (if available; otherwise it's French for the Canadian viewers!) You know, this week or next week, I'm bringing this DVD into Spanish class for my teacher to show. EVERYONE WOULD LAUGH!

This is a sweet movie. The DVD may not be the best, but it's still a great buy! Enjoy!

sethn172 ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Encore to Charlie, the Little Tramp
Chaplin's Modern Times leaves us awed with various noteworthy marks. First of all, Chaplin endeavored to make his second sound film following City Lights (1931), in spite of the wide-conquering trend of talkie. Not only the background music but also occasional sound effects bring out the brilliance of the director. Second, even after two decades since his silver screen debut in 1914, the performance of Charlie the Little Tramp and Chaplin's directing had been matured, not faded, like a good wine. Those laughing spots fairly spread in the entire film proves it. Last but not least, you can never forget this film for the moment when the long-time silent Little Tramp finally open his mouth to sing!--for the first and final time, unless you count The Great Dictator (1940), the following film and another masterpiece of Chaplin. --After all those struggles, Charlie gets a job at a cafe, where his adventure partner the Gamine (Paulette Goddard; Chaplin's wife at that time) works as a dancer. Charlie is to wait and sing. As he can't remember the lyrics when rehearsing, the Gamine helps him writing the lyrics on his cuff for a cheat sheet. A fanfare goes and the Little Tramp marches in the floor stage performing an eccentric dance until he dances so hard that the cuffs are blown away. He frantically and desperately searches for the cuffs and the Gamine says (in the spoken title) "Sing! Never mind the words!"-- It is well known that Chaplin was the last resistant against talkie claiming the universality of silent films. What he performed in this "Titina" sequence, singing in the stateless language (still obvious it is conjured up with a few languages such as French or Italian) and storytelling by his brilliant pantomime. The audience in the film reacts the same way as we do: get a nice-surprise, laugh and applaud. With its theme song "Smile", composed by Chaplin, the performance of Charlie the Little Tramp is definitely one of the highlights of this film. Play it again, Charlie!

My favourite of this first series of Chaplin reissues.
It helps that Modern Times is one of Chaplin's best films, period, running a close second behind City Lights (I hope that's next on the re-release list). And happily, unlike The Gold Rush, which was ruined by awful sound choices, the Modern Times DVD offers a clean transfer of the film with all the beloved original elements intact as far as I could see and hear, plus a host of extras.

The film itself is the most briskly paced of Chaplin's feature-length films. And his writing is sharp, unhindered by the sermonizing which permeates his last works. The dilemma facing our Little Tramp this time is something all of us can relate to: For the first time, we see him thinking ahead, wanting to have a future, to form a family, and working towards that end. Chaplin's physical-comedy skills are at their peak: Witness the extended takes of the rollerskate scene, and the factory assembly line. Even if the 18fps (sometimes 16fps) film speed made everything look faster than it really was, it's still impressive physical co-ordination requiring flawless execution, since Chaplin rarely edits using coverage.

In Modern Times we see one of the first truly well-rounded Chaplin heroines. The radiant Paulette Goddard was Chaplin's best leading lady, her high spirits and lively presence being a much better foil for Chaplin than the starry-eyed icons of perfection that were Georgia Hale, Edna Purviance, or Virginia Cherrill. She just has more star quality and brings a quirkier, more animated personality to Chaplin's films, balancing them nicely.

And the gags -- some of the best in the Chaplin canon. The eating machine always has me rolling on the floor; the nonsense song is terrific (the DVD offers a "karaoke" version which, though a novelty, does tell us finally what the lyrics actually are); and all the machine gags are fast-moving gems.

The bonus materials include a long outtake and several documentaries. "Chaplin Today" features guests Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, the French filmmakers behind the film Rosetta, and though their film-historian banter is not entirely to my taste, they do bring up some insights that I hadn't observed about Modern Times.

In all, a great release, and a great DVD to have for movie nights. It's a wonderful presentation of a comedy classic.

'Where's the Boss?'
Caught between the cog wheels???

If you are suffering from work woes, this film is a great one to watch. A co-worker at my last job recommended this film to me. We worked for one of those genome companies, some of us working in a production capacity, doing the same repetitive tasks ad nauseum. The, (in real life), multi-talented Chaplin in this film is a simple-minded factory worker who spends his day going through the same motions over and over again. He does get lunch breaks, but of course his day at work is not without its mishaps. Funny that a 70 year old film about modern times is still not dated.

This film was made in 1936 during the Great Depression, a time when money and bread were scarce, many people feeling the effects. The story line for this movie reveals some of these circumstances, but as Chaplin lives through them, as when he is forced to drink rum bursting out of casks shot by robbers of a department store, one of whom was a previous co-factoryworker, you can't help but laugh, and as the song says, 'just smile'.

One of the golden gems of Charlot
Modern times was a smart comedy in the previous years to WW2.
Charlot made raptures images in several sequences.
Our unlucky or disadapted little man , definitively wasn{t made for working with the industrial process. This kinetic introduction in the middle of the complex mecahnism of machine systems is a issue to develop unforgettable laughable situations. The sense of alienation in front the no ending belt , causes in him an insane loss of the reality. And the machine who feeds you without waste of time for your employers is a classic.
Obviously Charlot inspired himself in Metropolis, the bitter nightmare of Fritz Lang from 1927. (Watch for instance for the employer who works around the machine control) .
So our beloved anti hero goes out from this the factory to the hospital and over and over he tries to get a job but he fails , by one reason or another.
In the middle of the film will appear a deep inspiration. The eternally beauty Paulette Godard represents exactly that weird mix teenager-woman who will work out as link for him later.
He is a guy with good feelings. He acts always as humanity benefactor but the long arm of the fate runs behind him and the results are not succesful.
The sequences in the dinner hall with the chicken that never comes to the impatient client is a masterpiece. Literally it's a funny coreography dance in the purest sense of the word.
Smile ; no matter what's wrong with you. We'll keep ahead , overcoming all the possible obstacles.
A remarkable film and one of the landmark pictures of this timeless genius.
Haven't you seen it? Make yourself a favour and buy it as a gift for you or your wife or fiancee or kids. This film will never dissapoint you , at least in the next three hundred years.

Getting Chaplin
Until I saw "Modern Times" I only knew Chaplin from clips and impressions rather than from his films. I didn't see the talent. I understood that he parlayed his popularity into power and control over his work and that he made a huge contribution to American cinema. But I found Chaplin the performer, cloying and sentimental.

After watching "Modern Times" however, I understand why he is one of the great performing talents of the 20th century. The film is nearly silent and mostly a series of comedic set-pieces, each one a virtuoso display of Chaplin's boundless talent.

What struck me most in watching Chaplin was both his ability to come up with a routine; strapped to an eating machine, skating blindfolded in a department store and amusing hardened diners as a dancing waiter and executing the concept with grace, humanity and humor. It is also a great testament to his acting that we never question Chaplin's "little tramp" an average, slightly ludicrous character who has amazing talent that deeply undercuts his character's supposed mediocrity.

My other surprise was how effective and nuanced the satire is in "Modern Times." Chaplin's little tramp is the perfect protagonist in a story about the perils of automation and technology. The little tramp is never defeated and always optimistic. He is like a cartoon character in that each travail is new and he doesn't carry with him the baggage from the previous experience. But he is also terribly human; frail, self absorbed, eccentric and resilient so that we the audience don't feel the oppressive weight that automation and technology has upon the working person. Without a strong, human protagonist, the attack against modern society could seem more global and distancing. Instead we witness the pain from an individual perspective that connects to our own lives. ... Read more

Reviews (477)

All That's worth watching
This sweet coming of age tale follows newcomer Patrick Fugit's cross country journey with a 70's rockband by the name of Stillwater. The film is based on director Cameran Crowe's real life experience (also the director of Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, Singles) as the youngest journalist ever to work for Rolling Stone.
He goes to a high school where the kids hate him. He has a mother whose somewhere in between June Cleaver and someone Norman Bates would be bratteling on about. He also has a personal relationship with the Roger Ebert of music critics Lester Bangs.
Lester Bangs invites young William to interview Black Sabbath for him. Instead he runs into the band Stillwater, and the alluring Penny Lane (played by Kate Hudson). When Rolling Stone offers him a chance to travel with the band, and do an interview, William jumps at it.
Ultimately what makes a Cameran Crowe movie worth seeing isn't the plot details, but the characterizations and tender moments of humanity his films provide. Crowe is able to illicit an emotion from his audience without feeling the need to beat his audience over the head with it.
Also, the wonderful performances provided by Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Frances McDormand, Fairuza Balk, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Patrick Fugit provide more quality acting then three years worth of Oscar ceremonies.
Almost Famous is a funny entertaining, and moving film. It is the quality of this film that won it the Golden Globe for Best Picture and has appeared on over 250 critic's top ten lists. It's a movie with an undefinable quality, but will stick in your memory long after you've left the theatre.

A Crowe's Life
The main character in Almost Famous is a 15 year old rock journalist named William Miller. He gets the chance to write an article for Rolling Stone magazine about an up and coming rock band, Stillwater. He goes out on tour with the band and what starts out as a simple assignment, turns into a life altering experience for all involved. The character of William is director and writer Cameron Crowe's on screen alter ego. Mr. Crowe was a 15 year old who wrote for Rolling Stone and the story is based on his life. The film also involves William's overprotective and aggressive mother (played by Frances McDormand) and the battles she waged with his sister. They are based on Mr. Crowe's own family's struggles and the fact that he was willing to air his family's problems in public adds a touch of humanity and reality to the film. Stillwater is led by Jeff Bebe and Russell Hammond who bicker at one another about the band's future and possible fame. Billy Crudup plays Russell the lead guitarist and Jason Lee is Jeff the lead singer. They have a natural fear of the press and refer to William as the enemy. In fact, William struggles to get an one on one interview with Russell throughout the film. The band is followed on tour by a bunch of groupies who refer to themselves as Band-Aids. Their leader is Penny Lane played wonderfully by Kate Hudson. She is in love with Russell, but it is William whom she confides in. The tender relationship between Penny & William is one of the film's great strengths. Throughout the film, William seeks and gets advice from legendary rock critic Lester Bangs. Mr. Bangs is played amazingly by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Mr. Hoffman provides the film's conscious and his brief time on the screen is electric. All the performances in the film are first-rate including Ms. Hudson who is luminous, Mr. Crudup is brooding and dark, Mr. Lee is self-righteous and Ms. McDormand is a fierce presence. But the most startling performance is that of Patrick Fugit as William. Mr. Fugit had never appeared in a movie before and had minimal acting experience, but he is the emotional center of the film, the link between al the characters. He plays William perfectly and captures the essence of what Mr. Crowe was trying to capture. Mr. Crowe guides the film with an eye for detail as the sets and feeling are completely real and harkens the spirit of the 70's. His screenplay perfectly balances drama and comedy and has some of the sharpest dialogue in a long time. Mr. Crowe took home a Best Original Screenplay Oscar at the 2000 Academy Awards for this great script. Almost Famous is Mr. Crowe's love letter to his youth and the 70's. The film is easily his most personal, but it is the personal touch he adds that gives the film its universal appeal.

"I AM A GOLDEN GOD!" -Russel (Billy Crudup)
I loved this movie. Really, that's all that needs to be said. It is one of those films where you know there are flaws here and there, but it is so utterly engrossing and the tone is so perfect you forget that there are moments when there should have been more drama, but it was toned down for inexplicable reasons.

This is one of my shorter reviews, but really, there isn't much you can say except:

-Kate Hudson was mysteriously intoxicating. You believed every guy wanted her.
-Frances McDromand made you feel sorry for her despite some unnecessary strictness. And she was hilarious.
-If you find rock awesome (like I do), you'll appreciate this portrait of the genre, the bands and the fans, and what drives it all.
-The writing was often clever and involving, if a little on the lighter side (sometimes, not for the best).

So I recommend this film to fans of entertaining, breath-takingly sweet (but not over-the-top), unbelievably "cool" movies, and to fans of classic rock. There's nothing left to say except: have fun.

The real deal
I got this director's cut edition because I so was so intrigued by the original theatrical release. I wanted more.

What I didn't expect was how very the new material (typically extended scenes though there are a few new scenes as well) changed the tone and feel of this film. Penny Lane comes across as a tragic, lost soul. Stillwater comes across as a bunch of debauched, spoiled, poorly educated, brain challenged musicians. The "suits" - including the Rolling Stone "hippy suits" - come across as sharks. William Miller comes across as a well intentioned but naive quick learner. He seems vulnerable. Alot of the ackward mysteries of the theatrical release (How did Lester Bangs and William end up at a pizza joint after they had just said good-bye? Why did Russell deny everything after encouraging William to write what he wanted to? What held Stillwater together after those shocking confessions on the plane? There are many other examples.)

It almost like a different film! In fact, a BETTER film I would have to say.

Further, based on my experience in the music industry I found this director's cut to be more reality than fantasy -- the inverse was true of the theatrical release from my perspective. It's STILL not at a "documentary" level but, hey, this isn't suppose to be a horror flick is it?

Also, I know it's kind of whacky (maybe I'm a brain challenged musician too) but I really dig Stillwater's music. I have been listening to the Stillwater CD that comes in the package since I got it. I agree with Cameron Crowe, if these guys toured I would go see them! The movie is great but this CD (filled with songs by Nancy Wilson of Heart and Peter Frampton) really cooks.

Overall I just couldn't be happier with my Almost Famous Director's Edition set.

Almost Famous Is A Perfect Movie
Director-writer Cameron Crowe's ode to rock n roll is more than
just the coming of age tale he wanted to tell for a long time, it is the crowning achievement that not only vastly impressed critics, but it also vasly impressed audiences as well. This is
an autobiographical account of Crowe's early days, working as a
teenage reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, in which we are introduced to his alter ego, which is 15 year old William Miller
(Played by newcomer Patrick Fugit), who gets introduced by rock
music from his spiritual older sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel). Following this and the overprotective attitude of his mother (Played by the always entertaining Francis McDormand), William
Miller goes on the road to interview the band Stillwater who is
headed by the lead guitarist (Billy Crudup), from then on he starts to travel with these people and meets an upbeat and very
beautiful road groupie named Penny Lane, who is played by the
always gorgeous Kate Hudson, who not only gives a breakthrough
performance, but delivers the performance of her career. I will
stop talking here, just see this wonderful wonderful movie. Filmmaker Cameron Crowe may have been put on the map by Say Any-
thing and Jerry Maguire, but it is Almost Famous that is his
main crowning achievement and to prove it, he won a more than
well deserved oscar for best original screenplay. Francis McDor-
mand won a well deserved oscar nomination for best supporting
actress. However it is the talent and gorgeous Kate Hudson who
steals the show as rock groupie and wallflower Penny Lane. She
was so great shw should have won the best supporting actress oscar. However Marcia Gay Harden won instead for her brilliant
performance in Pollock, but I would have given Marcia Gay Harden
the oscar for her performance in Mystic River instead. This movie is a must-see film. Long Live the 21st century, I love the 21st century including it's movies, internet, DVD's, music,
and Cable TV.

Other Films Directed By Cameron Crowe
Say Anything (1989)
Singles (1992)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Vanilla Sky (2001) ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, the arrival ofa young, well-off, eligible man named Mr. Bingley sends the Bennethousehold--with five girls of a marrying age--into a tizzy. But it's theintroduction of Mr. Bingley's friend, Mr. Darcy (played with an imperiousscowl by David Rintoul), that sets in motion the fate of Elizabeth Bennet(the adorable Elizabeth Garvie), resolved only after a labyrinth of socialand personal complexities. Austen's novels are miracles of skillfulplotting, fusing a rich understanding of psychological motivation withwhimsical turns of chance. This superb BBC adaptation from 1980 zipsalong, thanks to lively performances, fluid direction, and a keen grasp ofthe wit of Austen's dialogue (expertly translated to the screen by Britishnovelist Fay Weldon) and her satirical characters, who range from cleverand kind to utterly odious. Due to its faithfulness and deepappreciation of the material, this five-episode miniseries stands up againstany other film or television adaptation (at least nine to date), thoughRintoul may not sets hearts aflutter the way Colin Firth did in the alsoexcellent 1995 miniseries. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (65)

BBC Vs A&E Pride and Prejudice
I enjoyed both the A&E and this the BBC version. I feel they both had their strong points and weak points. Elizabeth Garvie as Lizzie in this version could not be bested in my opinion. She was excellent. Although, I did not see anything really wrong with Jennifer Ehle's portrayal I liked Elizabeth's better. There was some license taken with the dialogue and specific scenes and this certainly effects understanding the relationship between Lizzy & Mr. Darcy. His admiration of Lizzy is more apparent in the A&E version, the scene where she is playing the piano at Pemberley. This scene is not the same in the BBC version. Darcy's gaze upon Lizzy says it all, is very revealing, and why Colin Firth's Darcy was just a little more human. David Rintoul was good, but I could not see open admiration in his face as you could Colin Firth. I thought Jane was too plain in the A&E version. She did not strike me as a beauty! And poor Mary was too plain. All in all they were both well done and entertaining. This one is very close to the book!

A Lukewarm Version of a Great Novel
I vastly prefer the A&E version of Austen's wonderful novel. The BBC version is quite amateurish, with stagy settings and some wooden performances and doesn't do justice to the main characters. Austen writes that Elizabeth had (forgive me, this is from memory) a lively, sportive playfulness that made it difficult for her to offend anybody. The BBC version shows rancorous verbal exchanges between Elizabeth and Darcy that belie the delicacy of the social maneuvers leading up to his mistaken belief that she is hoping to marry him. David Rintoul plays Darcy like an insensate block. Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Wickham are portrayed very well in both versions, but all the characters in the A&E version are better written.
The fact is that several of the reviewers object to features in the A&E version that are actually in the book! For instance, A&E's Mrs. Bennett makes you squirm with embarrassment just as Jane Austen intended. The BBC's Mrs. Bennett is scrubbed up and toned down. And Elizabeth does joke that she first fell in love with Darcy when she saw his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.
The A&E version's view is that many aspects of life in Jane Austen's time are applicable to contemporary life--attitudes toward wealth, socioeconomics, morality (including ruthless seduction and reckless premarital sex). The fact that Jane Austen expressed these ideas with delicacy and understatement may make them less obvious to a modern sensibility. How do you portray a vulgar, ill-mannered or unscrupulous character from the 19th century to people raised on Roseanne, Martin Lawrence, Tony Soprano and The Fear Factor? I think the A&E version accomplishes this beautifully without compromising the story. The BBC version feels constricted and lifeless at times. It's worth watching but it's neither brilliant nor the best representation of this wonderful book.

true to novel, but slack in imagination and emotional spark
I rented this mini some time ago, and although it was true to the text, it has some obvious flaws. The pacing is entirely off. There are some downplayed moments that should be poignant, which instead just feel like dead air. Most importantly, the performances leave much to be desired, as the two main characters, Lizzy and Darcy, are barely brought to life by the respective actors. I have to admit, my favorite parts of the adaptation were those with Darcy, not because of his character, but because the actor had the uncanny ability to barely open his mouth when brusquely and dully dead-panning his lines. His mouth remains a thin harsh line throughout the entre film, keep watch, you'll see!

Excellent Adaptation!
I must agree with the reviewers that find the BBC version truer to the book. The actors better protrayed their characters in line with the manners of that time. The pacing of the story is slow and the setting is not visually striking as in the A&E version. The costumes are very good though.

The A&E version is a visual feast. The story is paced well and the set and costumes are beautiful. However, there is a more modern spin on the story. The actors did a wonderful job but their portrayal of their characters was not quite in line with society of that period. Their was not enough reserve of emotions that was displayed in the book.

I can't say that I liked one version over the other. If you want a truer version of the book, you will be most impressed with the BBC version. If you want a feast for the eyes, the A&E version would be your preference. I own both.

The Greatest Version
This is my favorite version of P & P ever. I really feel that it stays more true to the message of the book than any other. So many versions forget that this isn't a love story, but a class story. It's purpose was to illustrate the classism present in GB at this time. The script varies only mildly from the book. Elizabeth, Jane, and Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are all superb! The note the movie ends on is just delicious. I could be biased by having watched this version throughout my formative years, but I think it's a must-see. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Director David Cronenberg's eXistenZ is a stew of corporate espionage, virtual reality gaming, and thriller elements, marinated in Cronenberg's favorite Crock-Pot juices of technology, physiology, and sexual metaphor. Jennifer Jason Leigh is game designer Allegra Geller, responsible for the new state-of-the-art eXistenZ game system; along with PR newbie Ted Pikul (Jude Law), they take the beta version of the game for a test drive and are immersed in a dangerous alternate reality. The game isn't quite like PlayStation, though; it's a latexy pod made from the guts of mutant amphibians and plugs via an umbilical cord directly into the user's spinal column (through a BioPort). It powers up through the player's own nervous system and taps into the subconscious; with several players it networks their brains together. Geller and Pikul's adventures in the game reality uncover more espionage and an antigaming, proreality insurrection. The game world makes it increasingly difficult to discern between reality and the game, either through the game's perspective or the human's. More accessible than Crash, eXistenZ is a complicated sci-fi opus, often confusing, and with an ending that leaves itself wide open for a sequel. Fans of Cronenberg's work will recognize his recurring themes and will eat this up. Others will find its shallow characterizations and near-incomprehensible plot twists a little tedious. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (196)

"Matrix" haters will find solace in "eXistenZ"
David Cronenberg has always been an unpredictable filmmaker, and even after 25 years in the business, his unique visions show no signs of decay. The possibilities of the human body used for malevolent purposes fueled his "Shivers" and "Rabid"; the eerie drama of the human subconscious punctuated "Dead Ringers," "Naked Lunch," and "Crash." With "eXistenZ," Cronenberg takes eager aim at the future and questions our reality in a film that's devoid of flashy, computer-generated EFX and mindnumbing violence (*ahem*, "Matrix"), but is exciting and intelligent all the same.

The plot concerns a Virtual Reality game designer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) previewing a new system--'eXistenZ'--to the public, but things go horribly wrong when a would-be assassin puts her on the lam with a P.R. nerd (played by Jude Law). For the rest of the film, this odd couple wanders about the VR world, occasionally coming out of the game, to the point where the line between fantasy and reality is blurred (the last shot in the movie only reinforces it).

Cronenberg has gathered possibly his best cast here, getting a lot of mileage out of familiar faces (including Willem Dafoe, Christopher Eccleston, Don McKellar, and Ian Holm, among others). And even though the acting is occasionally overwrought and laughable, the director doubles back in the final sequence, critiquing his work with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Perhaps most importantly, "eXistenZ" proves that FX don't necessarily insure a more 'futuristic' film. Through subtle camera techniques, Cronenberg successfully merges from one level of reality to another with an expert hand. Unlike "The Matrix," which impressed me only on a technical level and left my brain hollow afterward, "eXistenZ" is for cerebral moviegoers, people who demand a little more than chic black leather and slow-motion bullets to propigate a satisfying experience.

Could have been better
It's hard to rate this movie, especially without giving away any plot spoilers (which has to do with periods of bad acting). However it's a fun ride, yet it feels as though the whole "game world" wasn't as fully explored as it could have been. A few scenes, namely the "Chinese Waiter" one, are fantastic, while some are boring...like the car ride in the beginning. The plot itself is pretty easy to understand once you watch the movie twice, or just pay attention the first time. This is no Matrix, and it should hardly be compared to it (I'm not saying The Matrix is good or bad: the only thing these movies have in common is the ability to link up into a fictional world). I bought this as a blind buy and was slightly dissapointed...especially after watching Crash. Check out Equilibrium as well.

Superb psychotic suicide
Cronenberg is a genius in a way. He leads us into the world of a new generation of console games and 3D virtual reality. Everything happens the way the characters you are projected into decide, and yet your deeper psyche can influence the characters. You liberate in such a game your most sombre death instinct and psychotic tendencies. You become the character and the character becomes you. You are entirely dominated by a logic that comes from the character and from the deepest layers of your impulses and passions. You burn up yourself in such a game and you do not know any more where reality is and where you stand in it. Everything becomes both virtual and real. You are lost and unable to make a decision and get out of this virtual world which is just as real as reality. Reality disappears by being blended with virtuality. The game becomes a nightmarish experience and a psychotic trip. You use any weapon at your disposal, in the game or in reality, to kill and destroy yourself and other characters or individuals. Death is at the end of the line, death of your mind, death of your psyche, death of your individuality, death of your freedom and free choosing mind. This film is dangerous because it reveals a real danger we are confronted to : playing any game builds in you a second nature that is rooted in your most morbid passions.

Dr jacques COULARDEAU

eXistenZ
What a wonderful movie. All of the mind twisting about just what is reality anyway? and a feeling for what it's like if you are a videogame character living in a videogame world, where you may have to chop off a person's head to proceed with the game. I love the homage to Philip K. Dick, who beat the reality problem nearly to death in his works (movies made from his stories include Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Screamers, Imposter (which I haven't seen), and the embarrassing Paycheck). When the main characters in eXistenZ get hamburgers to take to the motel, the burgers come from Perky Pat's, and Perky Pat comes from Philip K. Dick. Residents of Mars, to spice up their boring lives in The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, take a drug and play with their Perky Pat dolls, becoming the dolls and trying to live a Barbie and Ken existence. They know it's not real, but it becomes more real than real. You know that you are viewing a great simulation of reality in this movie when the burgers come from Perky Pat's. This movie would not have been made if Philip K. Dick had not lived, and we are better for both of those events.
It also seems to me that people who love The Matrix as much as I do - and there are millions of us - can't help but love this film. I can only attribute this movie's small potatoes performance vis a vis The Matrix to not enough people having seen it. So if one one-hundredth of you Matrix fans out there and all of the Matrix haters one reviewer referred to would rush out and buy this DVD you would make David Cronenberg really rich, as well as one of our finest creators of off-kilter movies.

Original and Strange - Still Cronenberg Has Done Better
A typical Cronenberg - blurred line between reality and fantasy, strange interaction between biology and technology, themes of addiciton and a psychological thriller plot. Leigh is average at best as a star game designer who is releasing a VR game so potent that people are out to kill her. Jude Law is good as the sidekick dragged into Leigh's alter world. However, as in all Cronenberg movies, he is the star and the actors are basically meaningless. Like "Naked Lunch" and "Dead Ringers" the sets and effects are striking and often gross. And also like those movies, Cronenberg injects biology where you would never expect it. In "eXistenz" the game console is a biological creature which must interact with the player via a connection to the spinal cord - weird stuff indeed. Gamers eventually develop a strong addicition to their bio-console in a drug-like way - another common Cronenberg motif. The story is intelligent and the artistic direction is quite interesting, but this film is not for everyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Valley Girl is, like--Omigod!--one of the most "tubular" teen comedies of the early 1980s. This movie launched Nicolas Cage's career, and it's easy to see why: Following his tiny role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cage is perfectly cast as a Hollywood punk who instantly falls for Julie (the irresistible Deborah Foreman), a San Fernando "Valley Girl"--a brighter variant of the stereotype immortalized in Moon Unit Zappa's 1982 novelty song--who must choose between wild-boy Nic and her preening jock boyfriend (Mark Bowen). Fortunately, Julie knows what's right for her (even if her "Val" friends don't), and in refreshing defiance of teen-flick tradition, her post-hippie parents (Frederic Forrest, Colleen Camp) are supportively cool. With sincere humor, a lively soundtrack of '80s hits, and a time-capsule cruise of Hollywood landmarks, Valley Girl is both timeless and nostalgic, owing much of its lasting appeal to Martha Coolidge's sensitive direction. Fer sure, y'know, it definitely won't gag you with a spoon. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Lots of Cool Extras
"Valley Girl" is one of my all time favorite movies and it has now come to DVD. This DVD edition of "Valley Girl" is worth the wait. The film includes a lot of neat extras like a featurette named "Valley Girl-20 Years Later." The featurette includes new video commentary from all of the cast members-except the star Deborah Foreman who is missing. In addition to the featurette, the DVD also includes 80's trivia, a site down talk with the director and Nicholas Cage, and a segment about "The Music from Valley Girl." The film itself was restored well. This is a fun movie that will take you back to the 80's and your high school days. It is definetly something that you should add to your DVD collection.

The Best 80's Teen Film Bar None!
Valley Girl is the greatest of the 1980's Teen films, and is second to none. John Hughes wishes he could have made a film this accurate, this genuine, and this sincere!
This movie is as much 80's as Easy Rider was 60's. It defined the times is what it did.
As silly as it sounds, Valley Girl is actually a very good film. It's put together extremely well, and is original, fresh, and personal all at the same time! They simply do not make teen films of this calibre anymore.
This DVD release is long overdue, but well worth the wait! There are a score of fabulous extras, a commentary track with the director, conversations between the director and Nicolas Cage today, two music videos and much much more!
The picture is high-quality with a tad bit of grain, but the sound is 5.1 surround, and is in widescreen. Valley Girl has never looked or sounded better.
If you only ever see one 80's Teen film, Valley Girl should be the one, and probably the only one you'd ever need to own.

Grotty to the Max
I'm writing a novel about young people and heard "Valley Girl" was the classic of its type. Made in 1983 with Nick Gage and Deb Foreman, I had hopes that the silly "Valley Talk" would entertain. I was wrong. This is a trite soft-porn movie. If your kid watches this movie, they'll be scarred for life. I recommend this one for desperate men that dig Internet teen-porn. Cage is sort-of-Elvis like as a bad-boy punk. He meets non-grody to the max Deb Foreman and a good girl-bad boy crush begins. The beach scene has bikinis and young bods, but then the camera shows teenager Cage in swim trunks. My gal and I started laughing. Cage has a V-shaped bush of hair on his upper chest that looks like it was from the Planet of the Apes wardrobe room. Notice that all actors shave their chest these days, but I guess body hair was in in 83. Thank goodness for director John Hughes. Later in the 80's, he showed Hollywood how to give real character and motivation to young people. Rent "Pretty in Pink" and pass on "Valley Girls."

Excellent Film of the 80's
I will not go into a long spiel about what this film is about since many have already chosen to do so (and I know that is what a review is somewhat about), however I do not want to ruin the plot for anyone. I will say that as a gal who grew up in the 80's, this is one of my FAVORITE 80's films. Even today if I were to watch it, it would take me back to my high school years...the cool tunes, the freaky styles (well, we saw ourselves as "cool" back then), and the lingo, ahhh the lingo. I will add this to my DVD collection so someday when my children are older (now 5 and 3), they can watch it and perhaps get a kick out of the 80's genre of when their mom grew up.

1 of My Favorite Films / 80's Classic
Modern day Romeo & Juliet cliche plot boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls for the preppy girl who's friends don't approve. But it's done with such style and a different twist in this 80's classic. Nic Cage's 1st major role as Randy a punk rocker from West Hollywood whos falls head over heels for a preppy valley girl Julie from Southern Cali. I was basically obsessed with Nic Cage's character ( Randy) in this movie for a while being into the punk scene. Everything about this film is so defining of the 80's when he brings her to the punk club and The Plimsouls are playing " A Million Miles Away" and he looks at her and says real quick when can I see you again and then turns his head quick back away. You can just see right there how much he was into her. At the end is amazing when there at the prom and Randy & Fred his best friend crash the prom when "Johnny are you queer" by Josie Cotton is playing and Randy & Julie hop in the limo and ride of into the night Modern English's classic " Melt with you" comes on. Did I mention what a great soundtrack this movie has every song is perfect for the scenes. One of the best 80's films of all time and & in my top 5 favorite movies of all time. Essential to collection for anyone who grew up in the 80's cinema. Story of opposites attracting and following there own path together regardless of what other people think. I own the special edition DVD and a must see movie. ... Read more

Description

In Chaplin's classic satire on Nazi Germany, dictator Adenoid Hynkel has a double -- a poor Jewish barber--who one day is mistaken for Hynkel. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Chaplin Talks!
"The Great Dictator" is an effective, if uneven, satire that displays Charlie Chaplin's mastery of pantomime and social commentary. This was his first talking picture and features his inspired dual role as Hynkel and the Jewish Barber. However, with the exception of Hynkel's globe dance and the barber's musical shaving technique, "The Great Dictator" doesn't utilize sound and silence nearly as well as Chaplin's masterpiece, "Modern Times." The barber's final speech remains stirring (if obviously out of character), but some dramatic elements seem awkward and don't blend well with the film's satiric fabric. In terms of story structure, Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux" works better -- and is more assured in terms of pacing and the utilization of sound. Regardless of its occasional flaws, "The Great Dictator" remains a memorable film with Chaplin in superb form.

Stongly Agree With Favorable Reviews
After just watching this picture I feel that this would have to be 5 STARS+. This movie was ahead of it's time in humor. I can't say that I am a huge fan of Charlie (only seen 3 films and some keystone shorts at this time) but he is a great comedian and a fine actor. Chaplin plays a duel role as The Great Dictator Adenoild Hynkel aka. Adolf Hitler and, a poor Jewish tramp that is in love with a girl called Hannah. The film has to keep from saying Hitler, Nazi, Mussolini, Italy, Germany, and other words that have to do with Axis because it was made a year and a half before the U.S.A. got involved in World War II. This is a WORLD of fun. BUY THIS DVD!!!! NOW

Serio-comic masterpiece---Hitler saw this one twice!
This film is an excellent piece of anti-axis propaganda in the guise of a hilarious satire of totalitarianism. Chaplin portays two characters who's resemblance to one another is merely coincidental. One is a Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomania with a jewish name, the other a Jewish barber with impeccable instincts for sussing out trouble. Overall, "The Great Dictator" attempts to demonstrate the idiocy of war. By turning the key players into buffoons, it portays the war machine as a circus. This film is much more than a lampoon of the Nazis, however. The silliest characature of all is of Benito Mussolini. Jack Oakie's portrayal of the Dictator of Bacteria, Benzino Napaloni, is the highlight of the film. He's like a stereotype of one of those "larger-than-life" tourists who bluster with absolute authority wherever he goes. It is really hard not to picture him in the loudest hawaiian shirt know to man. It is really obscenely funny. The interaction between the two dictators provides the most sustained lunacy in the film. Their attempts to one-up one another are just brilliant.

"The Great Dictator" does have an extremely serious side. There is an attempt to portray the plight of the displaced Jews with care and much pathos. It works, more or less. The Jewish Ghetto is given enough attention that the viewer develops a connection with them as they attempt to get on with their lives. Maurice Moscovitch as Mr. Jaeckel is particularly effective. Paulette Goddard plays Hannah as a rather dim, dreamy stumblebum. She's cute, but occasionally annoying. Sometimes, it feels like Chaplin has transported Hannah back to the Wizard of Oz--she speaks in that same half-whimpering, dreamy manner as Judy Garland's Dorothy.

Finally, this film certainly transcends any single political agenda. The only agenda one can associate with it is the aim to bring laughter to a world torn asunder by the vagaries of milatary posturings. It seems telling (to me, at least), that Adolf Hitler viewed this film twice. I have always been curious as to what his thoughts were on this total classic send-up of the great men of the Blood-Axis in their own time. Perhaps by the end of the first viewing, he perceived that Mussolini got the worst of it. Then he watched it again--this time with pleasure. If you can't laugh at yourself...

Relevant for Any Age
DVD is the perfect medium for many of Chaplin's films. He demanded a lot from his audience. Each film carries it's own message. Each section of a film addresses a part of that film's message. Every facet of a work has a purpose. He lightened the load through the use of humour. The viewer has to be thinking every minute though. It's possible to watch these films time and again, or to watch different segments repeatedly and keep finding something more. They really are that complex. Fortunately, the DVD medium makes doing that easy.

The Great Dictator is as relevant today as it was when it skewered Hitler and his gang of Fascist bigots back in 1940. It took aim at Hitler but its target could easily be any warmongering regime from any period of history. The parallels are all there. Chaplin addresses each of them and does it well. His character Hynkel is a bumbling and ineffective "leader". He's driven by greed. As the film unfolds it's obvious his greed is rooted in feelings of inferiority. The more his mouth moves the less he says. His economic policies are a disaster-to wage war he has to borrow money from the "enemy". He is petty beyond belief. Ultimately, without an "enemy" to point toward, he's nothing. His entire mantra-loss of liberty, racial persecution, lust for control and so on-is all for one thing: he has to cover the fact that he can't rise to the level of the most humble of those he torments. This is a fundamental truth about people who lust for conquest. Chaplin illustrates it brilliantly.

The film isn't perfect. Chaplin and his crew weren't entirely comfortable when working with sound. Many scenes have dialogue but lack background noise. It was a common fault of the time though. The players have an assortment of accents. The Tomanians (with the exception of Herring) sound British. As the Jewish barber Chaplin sounds British. Many of the Jews in the Ghetto sound Jewish but Palette Goddard as Hannah, sounds as if she came from Queens. There are at least a couple of interludes that interfere with the continuity of the film. These are small complaints though. There are many scenes that have never been bettered. One is the episode with the coins and the cakes. On its own it's pure comedic brilliance. Combined with the statement it makes about the utter ridiculousness of martyrdom for its own sake (not to mention the unwillingness of leaders to become martyrs) it's timeless. The scene with the cannon is a gem. The "ultimate" weapon is shown as the ultimate (and expensive) waste; this could easily be the Crusader Artillery System. The tenderness between Chaplin and Goddard is a thing of beauty. Jack Oakie is fabulous as a Mussolini clone. The scenes between him and Chaplin are hilarious. (Watch the scene with the hot mustard and do some thinking.) The innuendo in the film is brilliant. Who but Chaplin would conceive of Tomainia (after "Ptomaine, poisonous and putrefying organic matter), the "Sons of the Double Cross" or Hynkel's first name, "Adenoid"? The entire backdrop with its "Thinkers of Tomorrow" and other absurdities modeled on the vanity of the Dictator is amazing; it captures the madness completely. The ballet with the globe is beautiful and astonishing. The music representing the ideals for the greedy and the humble is identical. The message: people are alike. As is the norm for Chaplin he did it in a way that was subtle; it's the theme of the Grail Knight descending from Wagner's Lohengrin. Hitler loved Wagner's music. Chaplin would have known that. It's his way of saying Wagner's music wasn't to blame for Hitler's madness. There's more but this should give an idea.

What nobody seeing the film for the first time can be prepared for however, is the way it ends. I wasn't. I saw a few of Chaplin's films as a student but had missed this one. I was floored. His statement about the nature of the people who make war is valid in any age. It always will be.

Watch it and then look closely at the events of the present.

The genius of Chaplin.
One look at Charlie Chaplin's filmography leaves little doubt as to his genius. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy all his films, even the more obscure ones that weren't necessarily box office hits. But of all his films I believe "The Great Dictator" to be his masterpiece. "The Gold Rush" may have been the film in which he wanted to be remembered, and it is certainly a great film, but this film is working on so many levels as to seem superior to me. Sufficed to say, I love satire. This film is loaded with satirical referrences and subtle and not-so-subtle wit and clever word-play as well as all the brilliant physical humor that initially made Chaplin famous. There is so much intelligence in this film that it is easy for me to praise and recommend. I could relate scenes that I absolutely loved, but there are too many to name; and I certainly don't want to ruin all the comedic surprises for those who have yet to see this film. Even after ten viewings I find myself laughing at Chaplin's antics: verbal and physical humor of the highest level. In fact, I guarrantee laughter. There is so much humor here, of so many varieties, that there is no doubt in my mind that anyone viewing this film for the first time with giggle, chuckle, then laugh heartily. Oh, how I envy those first-time viewers. What a magnificent film! Hail Chaplin! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

3.5 stars
I've been a Jackie Chan fan for twenty years and have seen most of his movies. Around the World in 80 Days has some clever ideas and good fight scenes. I liked how Jackie's character got his name and how they worked the story out to sort of make sense.

Similar to Shanghai Knights, this is a campy farce, but I still have a hard time with people not acting appropriate for the period. I don't mean racial or gender stereotyping; I mean people are acting with modern ideas and speaking English all over the world. For example, one scene shows our heroes in a Turkish hot tub (bath) as though it was California. Speaking of California, the Governor's role is rather offensive. Overall, I recommend this movie for Chan fans and fans of the Jules Verne story.

Viewing trailer harmed my experience
Unfortunately, since this movie joined the likes of Treasure Planet as a Disney box office bomb, you might expect to see this movie on your DVD shelf within 80 days. After seeing the preview, I had high expectations for this film, but couldn't attend for a week or two after its release due to a cold. I was disappointed and puzzled when I heard that the movie failed to make even a small splash on the box office top ten, but perhaps now that I've seen it, I can understand why.

Professor Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) is an inventor in the late 1800's England, with lots of ideas and dreams. He is somewhat scorned, however, by his "fellow" scientists at the London Royal Academy of Science. He also has trouble securing good assistants since he somehow manages to shock, scorch, or otherwise injure them. Enter Passapartout (Jackie Chan), a Chinese bank robber in the guise of a Frenchman in order to escape the police. He jumps at the chance to serve Mr. Fogg, and is even more eager when Fogg accepts the wager from the head of the Academy of Sciences, Lord Kelvin, who dares Fogg that he cannot circumvent the globe in the allotted time. Passapartout knows this path will take him back to his native village in China, but conceals this from Fogg. Fogg and Passapartout (hint: it's pronounced Passpartou) depart on their mission. They counter numerous civilizations, manage to dodge the Black Scorpion (a group determined to recover a jade Buddha, the object that Passapartout robbed the bank for to begin with) and pick up a third companion, Monique LaRouge (Cecile de France).

GOOD: Fogg is devoted to the betterment of mankind through his inventions, even though he is ridiculed by his peers. He doesn't accept the bet because of the large sum of money but because he would win Lord Kelvin's position as head of the Royal Academy, which would give him more freedom for bettering humanity. Passapartout robbed the bank, but only to recover the jade Buddha, which he believes protects his village. He displays loyalty to Fogg, although leaving him deceived as long as he can. He also dives through a window (nearly losing his chance for escape in the process) to save a sleeping mother and child from a fire. Monique helps inspire Fogg to look beyond facts and figures to realize dreams, goals, and aspirations. Overall, the characters display generally positive character attributes of devotion, friendship, and love.

BAD: I don't count this as bad myself, but there is a good deal of stylized, non-bloody battles, the kind I understand Jackie Chan is famous for. In the general tradition of Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote, everyone gets beat up a little, but few are seriously harmed in the end. Knives are thrown by assassins, quills are thrown by an angry Lord Kelvin (both of which stick in peoples' skin), and punches and kicks are exchanged between Passapartout, sword-wielding Black Scorpion members, and other karate fighters. There are a few rather unnecessary swear words (H- and D-words), and some drinking. Arnold Schwartzenigger, perhaps in nod to his womanizing nature, requests humorously that Monique stays with him to be his seventh wife. Fogg stares once at part of Monique's exposed legs (1800's standard modesty, it's just above her ankles) and becomes flustered when she catches him staring. There's also the Buddha statue which Passapartout (or Lau Xing, as he is know to his people) steals to return to his village because he and his people believe it will protect their village. Upon returning it, all the villagers, and even Monique, bow reverently before the statue. I list these attributes under "bad" for any concerned parents. I didn't find any of them to be exceedingly objectionable to the point that children should not see it.

THOUGHTS: The key word when referring to Jules Verne here is "loosely" based. An inventor, and his assistant set out to prove man can travel the world in eighty days are the only points where the two stories agree. As for the movie itself, well ... I believe the preview (I based most of my expectations, which I admit were quite high, on the preview) promised a little more than the movie delivered. While most previews pick just a sampling of movie moments, I think the preview chose MOST of the good moments in Around the World in 80 Days, which left you with few surprises in the end. And in fact, there were few surprises in the movie at all, whether you've read the book or not. There were quite a few laughs to be had, but very little character development. Once the movie begins, it continues on a slam-bang course that doesn't slow down or give any pause for meaningful character interaction until about 45 minutes into the movie. I felt like I was seeing an extended trailer, not the real movie. The graphics were...pretty good. For country-to-country transitions, it was obvious the graphics were supposed to come off as fanciful, but still came off rather poorly.

Overall, while not quite living up to my expectations (and to be fair, perhaps such epic thrillers as Lord of the Rings have set an impossibly high standard), the movie is still enjoyable, and I'd recommend it for all ages. I hope we can expect better from Walden Media in the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia series.

Fun family movie
It's a silly, fun movie. There's a little romance, but the young kids can handle it. There are lots of cameos, but it can be amusing to try and catch them all. No one gets seriously hurt or killed in this movie, except for one person, which is too bad, really (don't want to give it away).

Why? WHY? WHHHHYYYY?!?
From the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" episode "The Touch of Satan":
Girl in mo