Reviews (3)

...and Steed's Mother makes three!
The final season of the original Avengers finally comes to DVD & VHS in region one. "The Forget me knot," the debut episode of Ms. Tara King played by Linda Thorson, was released back in 1998, but only now is the entire series seeing the light of day - and it's been well worth the wait.

There are many of course who do not rate these last adventures featuring the debonair John Steed as Britain's top government agent as highly as what had gone before, and it's easy to see why. Steed's pairing originally with Mrs Gale (Honor Blackman) and later Mrs Peel (Diana Rigg) had been an excellent match for his skills. With Mrs Peel leaving the show, the producers, Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell followed suit and John Bryce was brought back to the programme, following his stint producing the early Mrs Gale episodes.

The first thing Bryce did was to cast his girlfriend, twenty one year old Canadian Linda Thorson as Steed's new assistant, Miss Tara King. In order to complete the delivery of episodes to the US market, production was fairly rushed, and what came out of it was deemed substandard. Bryce was sacked and Fennell and Clemens brought back to rescue the production. Clemens was particularly unhappy about Linda Thorson's role, but it was too late in the day to do anything about it. They set about filming the initial block of 8 episodes (extended to 9), rehashing two of the abandoned Bryce episodes, and bringing back Mrs Peel for the one-off story "The forget me knot" to introduce the new character of Tara (although this "debut" was actually filmed third). Once these episodes were ready, they set about producing the final batch of 24.

There is a very significant shift in the character of Tara King between these two production blocks as Thorson began to gain confidence in the part. Also added as a regular into the later stories is Steed & Tara's boss, "Mother," played by Patrick Newell. Thorson's inexperience and the naivety of the character are often cited as the reason the show was cancelled after these episodes were transmitted. Personally, I think the inclusion of the very annoying "Mother" to be a far more valid reason. But it's all a matter of taste.

The stories are included on the discs in the order they were first transmitted in the UK. I would strongly recommend viewing them in PRODUCTION ORDER (easy to track on any Avengers website). There are several reasons for this. It's easier to warm to Miss King as you follow her character development. It also makes more sense to understand her constant hair changes and costume. She started as a blonde, moved to a be-wigged brunette, and only in the latter 24 episodes did we see Thorson's own hair. We can also see how the actress started in "slimmed down mode" (on the orders of the TV station) but regained her lost weight as the series moved along. The character also started out as a complete "spy" trainee, but by the second production block, had become one of the most experienced agents in Mother's department. I also enjoyed seeing the rehashed sets from episode to episode too. All these nuances are lost by following the stories strictly in disc order, and indeed the characterisation of the leads is actually confusing if you simply watch the shows in disc order.

As for the discs themselves, sadly A&E have once again neglected to include any extras at all. All there is are a few still photos, although it has to be said that the menus are at least very well done. The picture quality is certainly very sharp, but there are definitely flaws due to sparkle and dirt. Sadly, "You'll catch your death" has been transferred incorrectly, and the picture strobes and jumps throughout. Clearly no-one at A&E was paying much attention to the remastering process.

Clemens believes this batch of episodes to be the best of the entire run of The Avengers. He has stated that everything came together right in terms of production and scripts. I can't say I agree entirely. They are certainly as enjoyable as anything else, but the total fantasy nature of the stories and the weakness of Tara and Mother characters combine to take the edge away when compared to the earlier Peel episodes. Regardless, it's all camp and wacky fun and I still highly recommend this collection to any fan of the series as there is plenty here to enjoy.

GREAT VIEWING
I JUST GOT THIS DVD AND IT IS GREAT.
THE STORIES ARE AS FOLLOWS.

THE INTERROGATORS-STEED AND TARA VS AN EVIL MASTERMIND KILLING AGENTS INFORMERS WILL TARA SPILL THE BEANS..

THE ROTTERS- STEED AND TARA INVESTIGATE A VERY BAD CASE OF DRY ROT...

INVASION OF THE EARTHMEN- STEED AND TARA ARE HUNTED THROUGH A BIZZARE SCHOOL FULL OF PITS,KILLERS AND DEADLY TUNNELLS.

KILLER-TARA TAKES A HOLIDAY AND STEED GETS A NEW ASSISTANT WHO CAN MORE THAN TAKE CARE OF HERSELF.

THE MORNING AFTER- STEED AND A MAN HE IS TRYING TO PUT INTO CUSTODY MUST TEAM UP TO SAVE A DESERTED TOWN...AND TARA IS PUT TOO SLEEP!!

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE COUNTLESS CLUES- STEEDS FREINDS ARE BEING FRAMED FOR MURDER SOON IT IS STEEDS TURN ..THE VICTIM A INCAPACITATED TARA..

I LIKED THESE ONES ALL ARE VERY INTERESTING BUY THIS NOW.

Steed Goes in for the Kill - Tara Takes a Spill
For those staunch Emma Peel fans, you can rejoice, for the infamous episode "Killer" is in your hands, featuring the undeniably Emma Peel-ish Lady Diana Forbes. But for those other unbiased viewers, you'll be happy to know that there's only one sour apple in the bunch. So settle down and take these six doses of Tara, and judge for yourself; adorably wacky or embarassingly inept?

First, we have the indelibly charming "The Interrogators", and then the humorous "The Rotters", and of course the detestable "Invasion of the Earthmen". "The Interrogators" is perhaps the definitive Tara King episode, in which agents run trough a special interrogation course, and then find all their contacts have been murdered. So many plusses for this one! First of all, we have the great Charles Crichton directing (his last episode, sadly), a terrific script, and an exorbant amount of batty boffins, with lots of cute touches such as Izzy Pound and his Incredible Marching Sound, which, for me, takes the cake. This is one of my favorite Tara episodes, featuring the ever-menacing Christopher Lee as villianous Colonel Mannering. A truly brilliant episode in every respect! Next we have "The Rotters", in which experts on forestry are being murdered for knowing too much about dry-rot. I can't find much to say, but it smacks with classic Avengers touches, such as a delightful pair of villianous, a good dose of wit, and plenty of eccentrics. Last there's "Invasion of the Earthmen", in which Tara and Steed invetigate at a Space Academy, training astronauts with aspirations of conquering space. This one's a dud thanks to its shakey production history. It was half finished with producer John Bryce at the helm, before he was sacked, then additional scenes were filmed and the result presents a fascinating premise, but it's just so very dull. I reccomend you pass on this one, unless you feel you can really stomach it.

On the second disk, there's the fan favorite "Killer", the haunting "The Morning After", and the straightforward but well-executed "The Curious Case of the Countless Clues". "Killer" seems to work much better for the Tara-haters, as Tara is off on holiday and she's replaced with leggy Lady Forbes, in which agents are all turning up dead, gift-wrapped, clean as a whistle, and dumped in a graveyard. The Forbes character seemed quite wooden to me, while the episode was still good, I would have much preferred Tara. Good all-round production, though. "The Morning After" also excludes Tara, as she spends the episode asleep, and Steed, handcuffed to a criminal, searches a deserted town. This episode is extremely haunting and memorable for it's somber and sweeping atmosphere. Much like "The Town of No Return", it's quite eerie. Last we have "The Curious Case of the Countless Clues", in which aristocrats are being implicated as murderers thanks too some extremely damning evidence, courtesy of a very clever killer with a weakness for art. This episode is quite good. While rather bland, there really isn't much at fault, and features an extremely harrowing climax well worth the price of admission.

This set is definitely worth your money, and all the episodes, except one, are good. It's worth the price for "The Interrogators" alone. So don't hesitate, Tara won't bite. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

New meaning for "buddy system"
The Farrelly brothers have a knack for producing films (SHALLOW HAL, DUMB AND DUMBER, KINGPIN) about awkward subjects in a manner such that they'd be taken to task for political incorrectness if the results weren't so funny.

In STUCK ON YOU, Bo (Matt Damon) and Walt (Greg Kinnear) are the owners of a Martha's Vineyard burger joint in which they also do the cooking. This doesn't sound like the basis for much of a plot except that Bo and Walt are twins conjoined above the hip. They share a liver, most of which belongs to Bo - a situation that has so far caused them to reject the surgical separation that would perhaps endanger Walt's life. In any case, they'd decided long ago that their condition wouldn't hold them back. So, when Walt announces that he wants to go to Hollywood and become an actor, Bo decides to go along (so to speak). Of apparent benefit to Bo is that his internet girlfriend, May (Wen Yann Shih), lives in Los Angeles. There are problems though. Bo has acute stage fright, and he's never even told May that he has a brother. Walt, however, firmly believes that everything will work out. He even suggests that Bo can be his stunt double so he, Walt the Star, won't get hurt.

While watching this clever and highly entertaining comedy, I was impressed by the amount of movement choreography and rehearsal that must have been necessary for Damon and Kinnear to act in concert in some very intricate ways. This is apparent as we watch the twins cook-up six burgers in 3 minutes to meet their restaurant's standing promise ("Food in 3 minutes, or it's free!"), play baseball, ice hockey, and football, slow dance with dates, and beat up on a a group of harassers. Then there's the bit when they get into a fist fight with each other that's worth the price of admission.

Several screen personalities appear as themselves, most notably Cher and Meryl Streep. The former pokes great fun at her real life public persona. In my opinion, Cher is to be admired and applauded for evidently not taking herself too, too seriously. I can't imagine most of Tinseltown's prima donnas taking similar swipes at their overblown images.

Awhile ago, I saw CALENDAR GIRLS, to which I granted five stars simply because it was unpretentious, pure entertainment that left me completely satisfied and with a grin on my face. At the risk of cheapening the 5-star rating, I'm awarding STUCK ON YOU the same. It's not a great film and likely won't be nominated for any Oscars but, you know, great good fun in any form shouldn't be over-analyzed by snobbish reviewing. Life is too short.

Unattached
Comedy directors, Peter and Bobby Farrelly, haven't really had a "mega-hit" since There's Something About Mary. After seeing the Stuck On You trailer in theaters, I was sure it was going to be another lackluster film, along the lines of Me Myself And Irene. While not quite on the same level of disappointment, as that Jim Carrey movie, Stuck On You, isn't exactally a laugh riot either.

Bob (Matt Damon) and Walt (Greg Kinnear) Tenor are small-town legends who excel at sports, and who are the proud owners of a fast-food restaurant where their four hands work the grill at lightning speed. When the acting bug bites Walt, he convinces Bob to honor their childhood pact to never hold back the other, and the brothers head west for the bright lights of Hollywood. Bob and Walt make fast friends with their sultry neighbor, April (Eva Mendez) who helps Walt get his foot in the door as a porn star. Things begin to look even better for Walt when the boys encounter a legendary Hollywood diva. Whatever happens to the boys, one thing is for sure... nothing will ever come between them.

The film's comedy relies on the fact that the brothers are truly stuck together. It's just too bad that the teaming of Damon and Kinnear didn't produce the kind of chemistry that's so vital in order for this to work. Damon, who can be funny, seemed to be trying too hard. And I still say Kinnear, should have stayed on cable TV's Talk Soup, rather than make the movie leap...Other than As Good As It Gets, has he even been in a "popular" movie since then?? Some of the jokes and bits are funny, but frankly the Farrelly's seem to be playing it safe here. The laughs are not as rapid fire or ireverent as I expeted. The biggest sight gag wears thin too after the first 30 minutes or so...

The audio commentary by the Farrelly Brothers is ok--the two don't take things too seriously and I had more fun with the track than the film itself. The eight deleted scenes wouldn't have amounted to making the movie any better--had they been included. Of the three featurettes: "It's Funny: The Farrelly Formula," "Bringing Stuck on You to the Screen," and "The Makeup Effects", I enjoyed watching the one that details the make-up secrets the best. The others are pretty generic and don't really offer much that you wouldn't expect them to. In the cross promotion department: the extras offer a short look behind the scenes at the comedy Dodgeball(?) and other future DVD releases. A brief blooper reel, TV ads, the Stuck On You theatrical trailer round out the disc.

Stuck On You is rather middle of the road as far as the Farrelly Brothers filmography is concerned...A risky buy a better rental but beware either way.

A Disappointment
I saw Greg Kinnear in Sabrina and As Good as It Gets, and thought that he was marvelous in both. I saw Matt Damon in Ocean's Eleven, and thought he was great in that as well.

I saw Shallow Hal, which was also directed by the Farelly brothers, and thought that (aside from being kind of stupid) it was really funny.

I hated this film, and there weren't any redeeming qualities at all. I kept waiting for Kinnear and Damon's wonderful acting abilities to pop out and completely bring back the entire movie.

It didn't happen.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone- it was a complete disappointment for me.

The Moral of the Story
Some may look at this film as either a low, bottom of the barrel joke to make fun of conjoined twins or some will be expecting a laugh a minute no brainer movie. But anyone who knows what a Farrelly movie is like (and that means MOST of their movies) that this one is neither. Many people fail to see the heart and message that most of the Farrelly bros. films offer. It isn't about gags or over the top humour; they are really about the underdogs. The ones who are trying to fight their way to some degree of respect in whatever they're trying to achieve. Yes, there is some humility in it, but overall, these characters do learn a lesson as well as the people around, against and for them. If you watch other Farrelly bros. films you can see a trend here.

"Kingpin," for instance, takes the man who use to be the"could have been" pro bowler of a small town. In an unfortunate circumstance, he loses his hand and therefore his dreams of becoming a pro bowler have drowned any possibilities of it ever happening.

"Dumb & Dumber" seems to have you rooting for the underdog wackiness of the two friends who seem to not get it together with thier intelligence, but they still earn the respect from others because of their overall goodheartedness. Let's say they're kinda like Lennie & George in "Of Mice and Men." Just a slight bit less brighter.

If one can overlook the overall silliness and see the message behind these movies, then one can truly and successfully dissect and analyze a story, with an open and humble mind.

Stupid
I was shocked such talented actors were talked into making such a stinker of a movie. I guess they were paid handsomely. I could not muster enough interest to stay until the movie was finished. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stanwyck Lashes Out ... Brilliantly
Movie: ***** DVD Transfer: ****1/2 Extras: ****

Barbara Stanwyck is rougher than rawhide as Jessica Drummond, the high-riding "Woman With a Whip" (the film's pre-production title) in writer-producer-director Sam Fuller's movie about the female ruler of rugged Cochise County, Arizona.Armed with determination, wiles, and a savage lash, Drummond has firm control over the territory ... and she's backed up by a gang of forty sharp-shooting killers who follow her orders without question.Everything's going her way until a former gunslinger turned marshal (Barry Sullivan) arrives with his two brothers and begins to chip away at Drummond's power by attempting to restore law and order to the territory.Soon enough the lady and the lawman are engaged in a deadly battle of equals that will eventually engulf the entire community.

It's hard to believe that "Forty Guns" proved to be Stanwyck's last big screen appearance for five long years, a period in which she didn't make films because, in her own words, "no one asked me."Her performance is simply astonishing, and superbly nuanced: her voice and physical bearing communicate all too clearly that Jessica is not a woman to be trifled with.Stanwyck's triumph is even more complete when one realizes that the fifty-year-old actress performed all her own stunts in the film --- including being dragged by a horse during a harrowing tornado sequence!The rest of the cast is excellent throughout: Sullivan pulls off the difficult task of matching Stanwyck's energy without attempting to steal scenes; and nice work is also turned in by supporting players Gene Barry, John Ericson, and Dean Jagger.However, this is Stanwyck's movie all the way; her presence infuses every scene, even when she's off-camera.

The DVD presentation of this film is a credit to 20th Century-Fox Home Video.Both widescreen (Cinemascope) and pan-and-scan versions are included on the disc, and although it's not mentioned on the packaging, the DVD also includes the film's Original Theatrical Trailer.Picture and sound quality are superb throughout ... even the trailer is beautifully transferred.Overall, this is a magnificent release of a rarely screened film, enthusiastically recommended for fans of Samuel Fuller, Barbara Stanwyck, and the Western genre.

Forty Guns
The imminent release of this 1957 DVD is well worth waiting for especially in showing the fim in its original widescreen format. FORTY GUNS is a creative Fuller reworking of the western genre turning stereotypes on their heads, revealing the raw emotionalism and insecurity affecting various characters, and containing brilliant examples of crane and tracking shots representing key elements of this cinematic genius.
FORRTY GUNS has received good critical comment in the past. But what is most notable in this film is the reworking of previouswesterns such as THE GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K CORRAL and THE FURIES into a Fulleresque cinematic battleground. The Bonnell brothers (led by Barry Sullivan now reluctant to kill) are reworked versions of the Earpps while Barbara Stanwyck's sexually assertive Jessica Drummond is Fuller's masculinized version of Vance Jeffords from Anthony Mann's THE FURIES and her previous "Cattle Queen of Montana." Stanwyck, of course, personified the strong woman on screen in the pre-feminist era and this is one of her best performances. In this film, all conventions are overturned resulting in one of the most iconoclastic endings ever to appear in a Western. I will not spoil it for those who have not seen it but merely point out that Fuller directs the studio's "official climax" in a deliberately unbelievable manner. This is one of the best westerns of its kind directed by one of the major artists of Hollywood cinema. Cliches are absent and Stanwyck's character represents one of the most amazing inversions of classical Hollywood gender stereotypes ever to appear outside "film noir."

Companies should now follow Criterion's DVD release of PICK UP ON SOUTH STREET (1952)by releasing restored widescreen versions of Fuller's early Vietnam War entry CHINA GATE (1957) and MERRILL'S MARAUDERS (1961). In this current age of Hollywood creative bankruptcy, a return to the legacy of one of its greatest exponents is long overdue. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great movie for kids
We are fans of the original Thunderbirds series. We went to the movie with our children and were not disappointed. It was really very entertaining and exiciting. Our kids thought it was fantastic! All they wanted to do is play Thunderbirds for the next week. The movie is not some work of art and the middle of the show depicts teenagers coming of age-not award winning writing here. What it does have going for it is some good rescues, good digital effects, no guns fired at anyone, strong female characters that can kick some butt, good updates to the super rescue machines, and one scene with a hand reaching for a throttle control with wires clearly visible. Despite all this die hard original Thunderbirds fans may not may still complain-missing the cheesy supermarionation(?sp) effects. You must see this with kids 5-12 years old.

THUNDERTURD
I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY SEEN THIS MOVIE, BUT I AM A HUGE THUNDERBIRDS FAN. IT IS ONE OF THE ALL TIME BEST SHOWS (AFTER THE SIMPSONS) THE TRAILER LOOKS LIKE THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE MONEY BY BUTCHERING A CLASSIC SHOW. IF YOU WANT A GOOD THUNDERBIRDS MOVIE BUY THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO AND THUNDERBIRDS 6. IF YOU CANT, GO LOOK AT A PILE OF DIARREAH, IM SHURE IT WILL BE BETTER THAN THIS MOVIE.

One word: GAY!
OH puhhleeeaaaaazzzzzzzzzeeeee! This movie looked stupid from the first time i saw the trailer! I think the movie is about this loser (and ugly) kid in the future that "wants to be the hero" or something like that. Do NOT watch this movie. I haven't seen it and i already know FOR SURE that this'll FLOP like crazy!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

I Love Howie/Bobo !
This movie starts off slow, but soon enough it picks up and its hilarious. Howie Mandel was a comic genious. My favorite scene is where he changes clothes in a dressing room but the dressing room was...umm..occupied! You'll love it too.

An Absolute Childhood Classic!
I remember watching this video every day, when I was very young, until my siblings were blue in the face with annoyance! :) I am 17 now and this movie is still a favorite with me. I would really like to have it in my collection but I am having trouble finding it! It is a must have!

how can you get funnier than this
the very first time i saw this movie i was laughing so much that tears were rolling down my face.the best part was when they were in church and bobo was howling to the song.there were parts in this movie that would make anybody laugh.this is one that should be on dvd i would be one of the first ones to buy it.

Laugh out loud funny
This has to be just about the funniest movie I ever saw. Howie Mandel is excellent as Bobo a man lost in the woods for 28 years raised by wolves. This movie is very kid friendly and good family entertainment. There is no sex or violence in the movie. I very highly recommend Walk Like A Man to anyone who enjoys laughing a lot.

Howie Mandel at his best!
If you like Howie Mandel and his type of humor, you will really enjoy this movie. I laughed out loud at his portrayal of being a wolf that is being trained to be a man. This film is unique because it doesn't have any violence or wild love making yet it is good. I found humor based on Howie's body language. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Undiscovered Blaxploitation Gold
Fans of Blaxploitation will be more than satisfied with this DVD double feature. "The Black Gestapo" is a mean, nasty race-riot of a movie. A benevolent police group, the People's Army, attempts to aid the citizens of Watts, who are being terrorized by what appears to be a mob of bitter appliance salesmen. There's dissention in the army's ranks, however, and a splinter group made up of local criminals forms to run the white mob out of Watts (one wise guy is castrated in his bathtub, another is run off the road by a breast-baring Uschi Digart and shot up by the gang). The mob retreats, but this new People's Army takes their place, shaking down the citizens and having drunken orgies at their new compound (where Ms. Digart shows up again in the leader's bed). "Gestapo" is directed by R.L. (Lee) Frost, who directed such exploitation gems as "The Defilers," "The Pick-Up" and "Love Camp #7." This one's not as stylish as his earlier roughies, but he keeps the story moving with brisk pacing and plenty of sex n' violence (though mostly violence). There's not a single one of "The Black Gestapo"'s 88 minutes that's politically correct.

By comparison, "The Black Six" is an After School Special, focusing on a good-natured biker gang of six Viet Nam vets (all played by pro football players, including "Mean" Joe Green) who are riding across the U.S., doing odd jobs for weak-chinned farm women or terrifying bigots at a poorly constructed roadside cafe (our heroes literally bring down the clapboard restaurant while its owner--a part I'm sure was originally written for Shelley Winters--stands by the road shrieking). The beating death of one of the brother's brother takes the guys back to a hick town to avenge his murder. By this point, you'll have heard the theme song about 12 times. You'll hear it 12 more times before the final credits. Bad acting, silly dialog and extreme afros all lead to a totally incomprehensible ending. All this hilarity is brought to us by director Matt Cimber, who later went on to direct the Pia Zadora potboiler "Butterfly," which is, in view of "The Black Six," an accomplished film.

No fan of Blaxploitation can afford not to see these movies. The entertainment value is double the cost of the DVD!

Great Social Comentary
Black Gestapo is a great social commentary. I would rank it with Animal Farm. It shows the dangerous of the black militant movement. In the movie a black militant , but non-violent organization hires outside help for protection. They warant this unit unlike any other in the group to use force to push out the opperessing mafia. Unfortuneatly, they become more crooked than the mafia. I love how the movie put extreme black radicalism in the same boat as the nazis movement. It was a wake - up call to me and many others.

The Black Six was a little lighter. It was about cool bikes and football player. It was good none the less.

A Strange Little Gem
First, I'll admit that the only reason I bought this film was because Uschi Digard was creditted in it (anD, well, I found it cheap :-).

This is a strange little story about black revolutionaries, Panther styled, that split groups. One becomes very domineering and tyranical, which leads them to greater power. The other are the good guys who keep their revolution's ideals in sight. The two finally duke it out.

Look for:
The main bad guy is "Mack" from TV's "Night Court"
Uschi Digard in a few eye candy scenes. Some nudity, some action scenes. Worthwhile for Uschi Completists (am I the only one :-D) ... Read more

Reviews (359)

Gross, crude...funny Farrelly Bro's comedy
There's Something About Mary (1998) Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, Chris Elliot, Lin Shaye, D: Bobby and Peter Farrelly. Brace-face softy/nerd Stiller finally gets the confidence of asking the girl of his dreams-a friendly knockout named Mary (Diaz)-to go to the prom, but an accident that leaves him incapacitated-physically and mentally-keeps him from seeing her again. Thirteen years pass, and he hires a sleazy undercover agent (Dillon) to track her down, who falls for her as well. Overly hyped moron-comedy, a Farelly Brothers collaboration that crosses DUMB AND DUMBER turf, is outrageous for two hours (having characters not trying to be funny but encountering embarrassments), and definitely hits the "gross guardrails". Diaz is more appealing than most as she smiles as much as possible, and Stiller and Dillon are very funny. Don't forget the unforgettable "hair-gel" gag ("Is that hair-gel?") and the zipper scene ("Is it the frank or the beans?"). Running Time: 119 minutes and rated R for nudity, crude sexual humor and language.

"All I got are these coins from Nepal. . ."
Hats off to the Farrelly brothers. These guys can take off-colored humor, outrageous sight gags, sophomoric gimmicks, recycled comedy, a hopelessly nerdy leading man (Ben Stiller), and still put together a very funny movie. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY is pure tongue-in-cheek, towel-popping comedic bliss that makes fun of anything and everything--and offers no apologies.

This movie is a celebration of in-your-face sight gags: a johnson caught in a zipper, a petrified dog revived by an electric jolt, a dash of "all natural" hair gel. The visual comedy assaults you, wave after wave, and never lets up. It's comedy you would expect to find in the third stall of the locker room, comedy so off-the-wall and immature you can't believe the sound of your own laughter.

Matt Dillon surprised me; this actor can flat out play a humorous role. Cameron Diaz is perfect as Mary, the title character, while Ben Stiller is just. . .Ben Stiller. While THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY doesn't break new comedic ground, it darn sure enhances the genre. Granted, some of the stuff was lame, but I'm game.
--D. Mikels

GREAT EXTRAS!
This funny, slapstick movie from the Farelly brothers has Ben Stiller hunting down a long lost High School love, with the usual crude gags and sharp turns along the way.

Get the widescreen 2-disc director's cut, because it's loaded with special features like gag reels, behind the scenes stuff, interviews, etc.

Rated R (contains language, semi-nudity, crude humor relating to sexual content, slapstick violence-- no blood and references to drug abuse)

Starring Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon and Cameron Diaz

The best comedy of the 90s, new story, crazy comedy.
Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Chris Elliot, Lee Evans and Cameron Diaz are great in this hillarious comedy with lots of great scenes and interesting plots that lead to a series of slapstick disaster. There are so many scenes, including my favorite, where the dog (Puppy) and Stiller (Ted) fight that are hillariously funny and keep you laughing.

If you like what the Farrelly Brothers bring to the comic, comedy world, this movie has it. I loved the fact that they mixed up comedy and romance to make a huge hit. The pure gem of comedy, this will be the funniest rated comedy you'll come accross.

Bad movie
Bad movie, overrated, I smiled a cople of times. Do not waste your money ... Read more

Reviews (481)

One of the Most Overrated Films Ever
Gone With the Wind is remember as a great movie because of it's epic scope and excellent production values. But 60 years later when the big budget no longer thrills us, we are left with a decent film but nothing special.

To begin with the entire film is very campy and melodramatic. The whole film is very heavy-handed and over-done. Scenes like where Scarlet crys "I'll never be hungry again" are just plain ackward. Someone should have tatooed the word "subtlty" on Selznick's head.

The script is fairly weak too. It presents a very narrow, one dimensional view of the Civil War. Worse, the Civil War ends half way through the movie and the rest of the film lacks the first half's energy.

Another major flaw is that the characters lack any real depth. Scarlet is cold and nasty through the whole movie. She never changes untill the last two minutes of the movie. There is simply no development. Ashley is noble and his wife is so nice and sweat that it makes me sick. These characters simply aren't human and don't feal real. Probably the only character in the whole movie who actually developes at all is Ret. Sadly, Clark Gable's strong performance isn't enough to carry the rest of the cast.

It should also be noted that Gone With the Wind is very racist at some points. The scene where all the slaves are going off to fight the "evil yankees" is enough to turns one's stomache. Most of the black characters are portrayed as child-like and stupid. The only exception to this is Mimi who does an excellent job and deserved her Oscar.

Gone With the Wind is still an example of fine production values but when you strip away all the lavish sets and money spent on the film, you're left with a rather hollow experiance. While there is no denying that it is a very pretty movie, even today, and it does have it's moments, Gone With the Wind is simply an over-done and campy movie. This film does not deserve to be ranked up there with the likes of Citizen Kane or the Godfather. It's just not that good.

After more than 400 reviews...
...you can't say much else!! A spectacle to end all spectacles; the epitomy of costume, art direction, and cinemagraphic grandeur (Technicolor film was still rare in the 1930's, and the industry was already engulfed in production of at least one *other* color movie that same year). I wasn't enthralled with this film when I first saw it years ago but I have come to appreciate its epic presentation and gothic, almost soapy, storytelling. And the cast is entirely first-rate, from the leading lady (whose historical casting was a mini-series in itself) to the supporting roles (Hattie McDaniel, Thomas Mitchell, Ona Munson, Laura Crews, Ann Rutherford, Harry Davenport, Oscar Polk, 'Superman's' George Reeves, et al) to the hundreds (thousands?) of extras who populated the pre-and-postwar South (the tracking shot of the Twelve Oaks mansion at the start of the barbecue and the sprawling, widening shot of Scarlett walking amidst all the wounded soldiers come to mind). It is a great script ("Waste always makes me angry;" "Do you ever shy away from marrying men you don't love?") and great direction (Victor Fleming, George Cukor, and Sam Wood- anyone else?). It is a record-holder of sorts among Oscar nominated (or Oscars won) films, but it came out in an extraodrinary year of films. 1939 also saw the releases of, among others, GOODBYE MR. CHIPS, DARK VICTORY, THE OLD MAID, GUNGA DIN, ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, JUAREZ, ON BORROWED TIME, THE WOMEN, GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, AT THE CIRCUS, BABES IN ARMS, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, LOVE AFFAIR, MADE FOR EACH OTHER, and THE WIZARD OF OZ.

Lesley Howard is brilliant and a strong character
In his role of Scarlett O'Hara's (initially) true secret love. I had been a fan of Mr. Howard's for many years. His performance here is among his finest. Also check him out in The Petrified Forrest. As for the rest of the film. When he's not in it it's a little strong on the romantic side.

Worth Another Look for this Fan of Classic Film
Gone with the Wind creates many strong opinions, but I daresay many of them by people who haven't seen the film, or at least not in many years. It is sort of an amalgamation of both Margaret Mitchell's book and a reworking of DW Griffith's even more controversial silent blockbuster Birth of a Nation.

I had written this off as a silly commercialized Hollywood fairly tale but recently decided to give it another look. Basically, I think the claims of racism are far overblown, especially compared to other films of this era. It seems to me that Selznick and company went to great pains to stamp out the more overtly racist themes of Griffith's famous 1915 film. For instance, Scarlett's attempted rapists were all white; real black actors have menial but still important roles; those black actors are treated with dignity and respect; and finally the "n" word probably more frequent in southern parlance of the day was replaced with the more delicate term of "darky", and never used in a scornful fashion. And while establishment opinion in the North still clings to belief that the Civil War was a most noble and unselfish effort, the truth was something much less certain. Surely slaves in the prewar South were not all treated as gingerly as in this film; but just as certainly they were also brutally repressed in the North as well (just watch Gangs of New York for a history lesson on Northern feelings towards African Americans). All wars have a side people would rather forget, and this one was certainly no different. Also on the positive side, the film does a good job of capturing this broad historic period with smart scenes amidst well designed sets. It's really quite a grand production, in color no less, with a marvelous historical and cinematic scope.

On the less positive side, the heralded performances I think are a bit overrated. Clark Gable's presence helps considerably, but he is certainly not nearly as natural or comfortable as he was in It Happened One Night. And Mitchell's sappy, soap operaesque story frequently slips nearly into the preposterous, especially in latter scenes of the film when the historic takes a back seat to the dramatic. But maybe that's what gave the film its broad appeal, as it has a little of something for everyone. I think another factor may have really launched its success: released during the cold winter of 1939, its four-hour sitting time gave depression-weary Americans a warm night on the town for a cheap price that they could all afford.

Regarding the standard edition DVD, its very serviceable but the extras are appallingly poor for a film of this esteemed history. Also, Spanish subtitles would have been nice (only has English and French).

The Best of the Best
A total classic...everyone should own this film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Federico Fellini's 1972 ode to the city of Rome is far from a coherent narrative, but as a selection of images and sounds celebrating the famed Italian capital, it's dazzling and hugely enjoyable. Stylistically, it's a perfect bridge between the excesses of Satyricon and the nostalgia of Amarcord, and it showcases the true love that Fellini had for the Eternal City. Mixing autobiographical flashbacks with the travails of a present-day movie company making a film about the city (headed up by Fellini himself), Roma is an impressionistic tour de force, delivered via Fellini's unique cinematic vision. If you can't tolerate Fellini's larger-than-life approach, the sometimes-garish colors, or the circus atmosphere, you'll probably find Roma insufferable. But fans of Fellini will be in seventh heaven, especially during some of the wonderful set pieces--a music dance hall performance that's interrupted by bombing during World War II; a papal fashion show that's so surreal it must be seen to be believed; and a breathtaking sequence in which the film crew, tagging along with an archaeological dig, happens upon an ancient Roman catacomb and watches as the beautiful murals disintegrate before their eyes. Through it all, Fellini's passion for Rome (and moviemaking) shines through, especially in the film's climax, a dialogue-free sequence of motorcycles roaring through the city at night, a tour that ends at the magnificent Colosseum. At that marriage of past and present, Roma is about as perfect as cinema can get. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Fellini's mixture of strange & contradicting images of Roma
Opening narration: "The film you are about to see does not have a story in the traditional sense with a neat plot and characterss that you can follow from the beginning to the end. This pictures tells another kind of story--the story of a city." And Fellini gives a loving, sometimes poking playful commentary, at times tragic portrait of Rome from his time as a boy in Fascist Italy to 1972, when this film was made.

Rome. As in Romulus and Remus, the river Tiber, Julius Caesar, the Colisseum, it's a city steeped in history as a great empire that rose and fell, and the film starts with Caesar and the crossing of the Rubicon, and how he is still revered in school. There is even a statue of Caesar in his town: "apart from his usefulness to the pigeons, he was a common meeting place for the town."

Speaking of common meeting places, there are two scenes where that aspect is emphasized. Fellini recalls of the apartment block where he stayed for a while, agog at the various characters, crying children, scolding mothers, etc. Eating was taken seriously, and who ate? Kids, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, friends, friends of friends... there must have been at least a hundred or so people at the dinner feast. As one woman tells him, "They say eat alone, the devil cheers. Eat with friends, the devil jeers." The table is rife with complaints, insults, greetings, even a little girl who sings an obscene song, eliciting laughter and scandalized looks. Similarly, there is the Festa De Noantri, the Festival Of Ourselves, where the Romans celebrate themselves, and the celebrants are either long-time residents or people who thought they were passing by and stayed forever. The term "carnival-of-life" has been used to describe Fellini's movies, and this is very true here.

Fellini's film unit visually "describe[s] the entry into thecity via the ring of motorways that surrounds her [Rome] like a Saturn of rings." The scene of the modern super highway speaks of the tragic toll industrialization has taken, and the raining deluge adds to the misery. Hitchhikers, prostitutes, cement trucks, even a tank and a guy pushing a cart, highway patrol, communist student protesters, insane bumper to bumper traffic, and the most tragic scene, an overturned and burning truck-trailer, dead cows littering the road, firefighters fighting the blaze. Yet history does rear its head. Plans to make a Roman subway is halted and delayed because of the unpredictable Roman subsoil. "Every 100 yards, you come across something of historical importance." The workers have to learn speleology and archaeology as a result. And when will the subway be done? Who knows?

At a wartime variety show, an intellectual-looking member of the audience remarks, "We are seeing basic humanity here. Vaudeville is the arena of mass aggressiveness, a combination circus and brothel." Given the rowdiness of certain coarse members of the audience who heckle at comics or whistle at the girls, that's true enough. But might that not also be a commentary on Rome and maybe any large city?

There's also the pleasant enough handsome Peter Gonzalez portraying the young Fellini and we see the look of 1930's Rome through his eyes. Interesting images and characters underpoint any Fellini film and this is no different. The huge hulk of a man at the theatre who has a wet rag thrown at his face, a religious fashion show that becomes garish, and the various prostitutes at the brothel are just some of them. Interesting commentary on brothels and churches: "an invitation to sin, one that could be confessed to the next day."

So what is Rome, in the end? A city that has died and been resurrected so many times, that it's fitting to witness the coming end of civilization from there as Gore Vidal says? The vestal virgin and she-wolf, an aristocrat and tramp, a somber buffoon? The unflattering latter is given to actress Anna Magnani, whom Fellini calls the living symbol of Rome--(she died a year after this brief appearance). In the end, I'd say all these things and more.

A magical film, the very best of Fellini!
ROMA is a total treat of a movie. Rather than a continuous, plotted narative, it provides vignettes of "typical" Roman life. For my mind, it provides some of the strongest images ever filmed. Highlights include a totally irreverent ecclesiastical fashion show that is not to be missed, and a journey into an archaeological treasure beneath the streets of Rome. It features traffic, life during World War II, apartment life, eating, and delightful visits to the red light district.

This isn't a film for children. It IS a film you simply must see!

2757 (Ab Urbe Condita)
Would "Caligula" or "Nero" be shocked at what their city, the Eternal City, the City to which all roads once led, has become so many years into the distant future? Or would they (probably more likely) find a way to fit right in somehow? This is one of the "notions" that I found myself pondering as I watched this movie. It really is a great movie, and it is certainly worth any true film fan's time. I may have even liked (some of it at least) better than (again, "some of") La Dolce Vita.
Having grown up in a very Italian family - with my father having been born in a "pagliarone" ( roughly, a slang dialect term meaning "stone hut") in an ancient and very rural village probably not much unlike the one Fellini's main character ventures out to Rome from - I myself was definitely "right at home" , so to speak, watching scenes like the famous "dinner on the piazza". (Personally I could watch that scene again and again and not get tired of it, but...maybe it is "an Italian thing", so to speak, and others would not find it so amusing). However there certainly is no dearth of general humor to be found in the antics of the wild cast of characters which Fellini always brings into his films. And Roma of course is no exception to this. For example, the bedridden obese old woman in a hairnet, who owns the building that he stays in in Rome when he first arrives there, who tells him, "now let's just live in peace and not bust each other's balls"! Or the bald old man who does a rather convincing Mussolini impersonation. My personal favorite though would probably be either the ultra-tanned would-be "Continental" kind of guy who approaches the female American tourist telling her, "You VERY bella" and offering to take her picture, OR the guy in the piazza scene (which is supposed to have taken place some thirty years prior to that) who was wearing one of those nylon "do-rags" that rap stars favor today, and yelling up to his dark, beautiful brooding girlfriend to get down to the piazza before he beats the hell out of her ... "again". Sure, these are walking stereotypes, these characters, and negative ones at that. But, as they say, there is a kernel of truth (at least) in all stereotypes is there not? For instance that "dinner on the piazza" scene that I mentioned before? It does perhaps resemble some sort of "prototypical" summer-night-in-Bensonhurst, or somewhere like that, with plenty of gold chains, "dago-t's", and "pane e vino" to go around.
On a more serious note however the most touching scene (and this is a point that is usually generally agreed upon, I think, by most of the movie's fans) is the scene of the sudden (and apparently accidental) destruction of the ancient Roman frescoes by the modern Roman work-crew. Obviously this is Fellini's artistic "condemnation" , if you will, of the massive industrialization of the City in modern times, and the (clearly potentially disastrous) effects of what we may call the "godless modern" encountering the ancient and sacred. Cruel and loud machinery encountering the long-buried, the "resting-in-peace", the, once again, "sacred". It is in a way akin to some of the imagery in the much newer film called Fahrenheit 9/11. There we see American tanks and fighter jets turning up the sand with shells and bombs, and setting fires and explosions, in the very "Cradle of Civilization", the land of the very first codified and written-out system of law and order. Such imagery, like Fellini's vision of the vanishing ancient frescoes, is so evocative it can truly make the viewer want to weep.
Athough Roma has improved much since Fellini filmed it back in 1972 ( I just left there myself a couple of months ago so I can say this is definitely so), in this film, during the time that he is showing it to us, the City appears to be delusional, vaguely delirious with fever perhaps, or in the throes of a restless night full of tossings-and-turnings and wild "half-waking" dreams. It is these dreams which are in fact the "images" and "vignettes" that Fellini shows to us throughout the film.
Overall, in comparison with the (mostly) worthless garbage that is cluttering the racks at your local neighborhood video rental store, this film (ANY of Fellini's films for that matter) would certainly be much more rewarding for the would-be connoisseur of truly good movies to pick up and take home tonight.

Yes, it was weird
It is not only incoherent, but inconsistent. There is one scene, in which old frescoes, newly discovered, are destroyed by exposure to the fresh air, which does seem to convey some meaning or message. Everything else seems to be just weirdness for its own sake, or vulgarity for its own sake. There isn't anything in the film that actually reveals anything about Rome. If you tell me I "just don't get Fellini", I will happily agree with you.

More real than real
In watching this film, especially the parts shot at 'home' in the apartment, one gets that alien feeling as if showing embarassing home movies to a stranger. There is an unapologetic "this is life, have some wine and pasta and shut up you mouth" feel to parts of this movie that I wouldn't change! Having been raised mostly by an Italian family, I noticed certain subtle things about the people depicted, especially in the big feast scene, that many wouldn't pick up on. The unruly child singing the song with naughty lyrics (cute and funny), the vicar walking around shaking his money bag hoping for donations, and the best part of that scene...
A dark handsome young man with a do-rag and pullover sweater is shouting to his lady that she stop her whining and come down and join the feast! It's a wonderful little scene the way he has to coax her down, then she's glad she came.
However, Fellini is not one to leave it up to the subtleties. The scene of the fashion show for Catholic clergy is unmatched in it's genius. NOTE THE OBVIOUS SWIRLING, SHINING SUN-DISK BEHIND THE POPE! The Pope comes out, resplendant in a shining golden garment, looking like the Sun King, and I must say...it took Fellini to figure that out!
Another highlite for me is the scene in the vaudeville style theatre. There is just something disturbing about the whole scene that I cannot put my finger on. At the same time it's wildly entertaining, especially the antics of one particular teenager with a certain big fella. Whack! What has always been the most disturbing for some reason is the act that comes from the back of the theatre. Three men dressed in black coats and tails, faces painted white, black derby hats, holding long white candles come out and do a few numbers. They are trippy, they are freaky, and I can't figure out why, but they are downright scary to behold. For the life of my I can't say why.
In writing this review I have jumped around, stopping my typing to insert something out of order, just like Fellini. Not just like Fellini, that's impossible. I must say though, he has warped my sense of perception in films for the better.
I'm not going to ruin it for you. You simply must see the movie. ... Read more

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It may have been underrated when first broadcast on PBS on consecutive nights in the fall of '03, but executive producer Martin Scorsese's homage to the blues is a truly significant, if imperfect, achievement. "Musical journey" is an apt description, as Scorsese and the six other directors responsible for the seven approximately 90-minute films follow the blues--the foundation of jazz, soul, R&B, and rock & roll--from its African roots to its Mississippi Delta origins, up the river to Memphis and Chicago, then to New York, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Because the absence of lengthier vintage clips is the principal drawback of the series, Clint Eastwood's Piano Blues is the best of the lot; a musician himself, Eastwood simply lets the players play, which means we get extensive file footage of the likes of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Nat "King" Cole, as well as new performances by Ray Charles, Dr. John, and others.--Sam Graham ... Read more

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Get your kicks with The Avengers '66. This two-volume set uncorks six sought-after episodes from this cult classic series' fourth season. Patrick Macnee, the umbrella-toting gentleman spy John Steed, and Diana Rigg, the ravishing Mrs. Emma Peel, investigate further extraordinary goings-on in the most ordinary of places, including a swank hotel ("Room Without a View") and a golf course and dance school ("The 13th Hole" and "The Quick-Quick-Slow Death"). Suitable for framing is "The Girl from Auntie," in which an art dealer, who supplies his clients "anything for a price" (including the Mona Lisa!), kidnaps Emma for auction to enemy agents. Perhaps members of Monty Python's Flying Circus got the inspiration for their "Hell's Grannies" sketch from this episode's quaint assassin, an elderly "lady" who does in her victims (including four chaps named John, Paul, George, and... Fred) with knitting needles.

For new fans, the episodes found in The Avengers '65 sets are of a better vintage, and The Avengers '67 offerings give more of a campy, effervescent kick. But '66 was still a very good year, and Avengers aficionados will, of course, want to own every episode from the Mrs. Peel era. "What's so special about Mrs. Peel?" a woman asks in "Auntie." "You'd think she was Madame Curie and a half-dozen others all rolled into one." She is, to borrow a phrase, all that. A second Avengers '66 boxed DVD set is also available. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (6)

New partner for Steed
These DVD's from A&E represent the best known and certainly the most popular era of the long running British TV fantasy-adventure series "The Avengers." Made between 1965 and 1966, all 26 episodes of the fourth season of the show are available here on four discs.

When Honor Blackman (Mrs. Cathy Gale) left the series after season 3 to take up the lead role in the Bond movie "Goldfinger," the producers had already made the decision to start filming the series, moving it out of the TV studio and giving it a much glossier and dynamic feel. John Steed (Patrick MacNee), the debonair British government agent stayed on and his new partner was devised by the production team to be another tough, all-action girl with "Man Appeal." M-Appeal (geddit?) Elizabeth Shepherd was cast as Mrs. Emma Peel and two episodes were filmed before it was mutually agreed that she didn't meet the expectations of the production team. A quick replacement was sought and in stepped Diana Rigg. A TV legend was born.

The relationship between Steed and Mrs. Gale had always been haughty to say the least. With the introduction of the widowed (or seemingly) Mrs. Peel, the relationship between the two leads became much closer. Mrs. Peel was as intelligent, quick thinking and emasculated as her predecessor, and initially at least shared her penchant for leather outfits, but she was also certainly softer and more readily prepared to act as Steed's partner in their adventures.

The stories were certainly becoming much more fantasy bound, and the use of diabolical masterminds and organizations with bizarre acronyms became the norm for the stories from this series on. The fantasy and sci-fi elements of the show were highlighted more than before and the fashions and design of the show took on a much more stylish and indeed 'stylized' look. The success of these elements was immediate, and huge ratings in the UK followed, plus overseas transmissions of the show followed for the first time. Such was their success indeed that another 26 episodes were soon commissioned, this time to be made in color.

The stories have supposedly been digitally re-mastered for these DVD releases, and indeed the picture quality is pretty impressive, but there is still sparkle and dirt on the prints that may detract from the quality for some viewers. The 26 episodes are presented in the same order of their original UK transmission.

This for me is the very best season of the show, with great style and wit accompanying the excellent scripts, direction and production values. I'd certainly recommend this release to anyone.

A Very God Plot and Very Fun
The Avengers, Patrick Macnee as John Steed and Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel are a classic two from the Avengers. This is a great set. It has some very good plots and these episodes are always fun to watch. From finding out about a new star from trading enemy agents into England, the Avengers are always on the tail of the enemy. This set includes: Silent Dust, Room Without a View,Small Game for Big Hunters, Girl From Auntie, The 13th Hole, and Quick-Quick-Slow Death. This is a fine Avengers sets... but not the best.

Yet Another Great Set of Episodes.
It is very difficult to review the Avengers DVD sets. Each set of disks has its own set of highlights and just when you think that they must have exhausted all of the clever ideas, they reach out and tap you with yet another inspired script superbly performed by well trained actors.

And this disk is no different. It ranges from the highly interesting Girl from Auntie (with a "costume" for Mrs. Peel which it is hard to believe got by censors from the period) in which Steed steps forward and takes the primary focus to the rather strange "The 13th Hole" which brings a new outlook on the game of golf as a life and death struggle. Not a weak episode in the bunch.

(One of the best parts about these old avengers episodes is seeing future stars of stage and screen in roles unlike those for which they achieved fame. )

The 13th Hole
If you fondly remember that great British import that we watched on TV way back in the 60s then you no doubt know about the content of what you are getting. The year is 1966 and it is definitely more 'camp' I would say. Still you may be more likely concerned about the quality of the product. Like John might say to Emma, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch your back. Just watch the hat please." John and Emma are back and are here to stay via DVD technology. Being on DVD, the aesthetics about the actual episodes are not in question here. More appropriately one may ask how they look. They look good, very good, excellent in fact. Still can't get that great theme out of my head, 1966 and all.

3 Belles and All is Well
John Steed certainly was comfortably well in the hands of Kathy Gale, Mrs. Emma Peel and Tara King. 'The Avengers" was a popular 1960's British fantasy-adventure series that focused on the exploits of a male-female duo in the service of the British government. The series underwent several changes of its female lead but its one constant male lead was John Steed always portrayed by the debonair Patrick Macnee (Originally the John Steed had two male partners but that format eventually changed). Kathy Gale portrayed by Honor Blackman became Steed's first female partner. However, when Honor Blackman departed the series and Diana Rigg entered as Mrs. Emma Peel, the show became an international sensation. Rigg brought sophistication, wit, charm and beauty, which hid her lethal and highly visual judo and karate abilities. Macnee and Rigg complemented each other beautifully with their carefree witty and charming exchange of dialogue. The show distinguished itself with bizarre and futuristic villains and fantastic plots. Popular at the height of the James Bond craze, the show was able to distinguish itself with its simply over-the-top visual style. Laurie Johnson's catchy and sophisticated main title theme matched the visuals of the show and still conjures up an image of the series when listened to today. When Diana Rigg left the series, Linda Thorson entered as John Steed's new partner Tara King. The series soon went off the air in the United States. It was a shame because the episodes with Tara King were quite good. The King episodes seemed to be a little more down to earth and contained some very good writing and intricate plotting. In any event series definitely left its mark amongst the finest. These DVD copies are gorgeous and they sound great in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Leslie Neilsen Better Spy Harder
In Spy Hard the Bond spoof half of the movie isn't really spoofing James Bond. They spoof Pulp Fiction poorly, the True Lies spoof is lame, and the Home Alone spoof is so bad. They just found some cheesy look alike of Macally Caulkin. I found it funny when they had the beginning part of the film where Weird Al Yankovic sang the theme song. He head really didn't have to blow up. Spy Hard is a poor film and just like the slapstick of other Neilsen films.

Naked Gun 4?
I was able to pick this DVD up in the cheapie bin, and thats where i'd recomend you find it too. Dont pay too much for this movie!

Basicly it almost seems like its Naked Gun part 4! Sure, a few name changes here and there, like Neilsons charactor "Agent WD-40!" and a few others here and there.. but if they changed a couple of things around, you basiclly would have Naked Gun part 4 IMO~

If you enjoyed the Naked Gun films, you will probably like this movie too, or you will absolutly hate it! As agent WD40 is re-assighned after retirment to capture a bad man he thought he killed years ago. And along the way you see the classic Neilson spin off , parody and goofyness that he portrays so well!

If your not into whacky comedys , then youll hate this movie.
If your like me and enjoy them, then this movie isnt bad at all!

I see there are quite a few diffrent reveiews varying up and down opinions, but IMO it could may well be NG4.... but others would disagree, and I certinly would never recomend Wrongfully Accused over this movie.

HILARIOUS!!!!
The one-liners 7 sight gags in this film really keep it fresh and fast paced. My favorite has to be Ray Charles driving the city bus. "Next stop Melrose...I think!"

You have to be in the mood for dumb comedy: 3 1/2 stars
Okay, this is a dumb movie. What little plot there is only serves to connect a loosely arranged set of parodies and puns in true Leslie Nielsen form. However, if you're in the right mood, it can be a entertaining way to spend an hour and a half. Leslie Nielsen plays agent WD-40 who sets out to rescue agent Barbara Dahl (Stephanie Romanov) from the evil and prosthetic clutches of Doctor Rancor (Andy Griffith.) Beginning and end of story. Along the way, viewers are treated to send-ups of various movies and celebrity personalities. The humor is erratic, as the script is burdened with groaners and jokes that simply don't work as much as it is carried along with its laugh out loud moments. The sophomoric comedy often works because of the element of surprise: the best laughs come when the viewer is least expecting them. It helps if you're familiar with many of the films that "Spy Hard" parodies. The only brilliant part of this film is the Weird Al Yankovic segment during the opening credits. It is so funny on its own that it warms up the audience for more laughs. I don't think I would have been so willing to find humor in the silliness if Weird Al hadn't already started me laughing.

This is pure sophomoric, spoof comedy in the spirit of National Lampoon and Saturday Night Live - all, of course, with the distinctive touch of Leslie Nielsen. Leave your intelligence at the door - and then settle down for some truly mindless, occasionally hilarious, comedy.

not Leslie's best
I was expecting a lot more from this movie. A lot of the jokes fall flat. Think of National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1. Although Spy Hard is not as horrible as that one, it still in no way measures up to the greatness of Airplane! or the Naked Gun movies. This movie is probably worth a rental from your local video store, but I wouldn't recommend buying it. The best part of this movie is the opening title sequence by Weird Al Yankovic. It spoofs the typical James Bond opening credit sequence. When I first saw that at the theater, I almost fell out of my seat from laughing so hard. The opening credits alone may be the best reason to see this movie. After that, it's a so-so movie with some funny parts but mostly gags that fall flat. ... Read more

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Nick Chen (Chow Yun-Fat) is not your average New York cop. Working in Chinatown has its multifarious cultural nuances and its fair share of ubiquitous enticement, both of which are reflected indetective Chen's weary face. He had to get into bed with the highest echleons of the Chinese Mafia as a way of augmenting his own career, while maintaining a semblance of control over the dime-a-dozen hoods who proliferate on this turf. To make matters worse, he now has to break in rookie detective Danny Wallace (Mark Wahlberg), who has asked to be assigned to the Chinatown division. Apparently Wallace is infatuated with all things Chinese, or is suffering from "Yellow Fever," as his fellow colleagues would have us believe. Chen, not one to suffer fools gladly, takes young Wallace under his protective wing, oft-warning the shady powers of the neighborhood not to sink Danny into their sordid pool of corruption. But before he knows it, both he and Wallace are caught in a deadly ring of double-crosses, shady-dealings, murders, and car chases. And all of this under the suspicious eye of Internal Affairs.

Part Serpico and part Hard Boiled, this film seems at first to be a major departure from director James Foley's previous work. However, Foley has frequently revealed a keen eye and understanding for emotionally complex relationships, especially between teacher and pupil (Glengarry Glen Ross) or father and son (At Close Range). This movie is no different. In fact, Foley's meticulous attention to the relationship between the wise, morally burdened Chen, and the naïve, innocent Wallace morphs this otherwise tedious plot into a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Hats off to Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg, whose sympathetic chemistry creates an authentic and deeply personal connection, a factor that proves crucial to the film's poignant, disturbing finale. --Jeremy Storey ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Too Long!
Despite bad reviews I enjoyed Chow Yun Fat in the Replacement Killers. It was not up to par with his John Woo stuff but I enjoyed it very much.

The Corrupter is Chow Yun Fat's second American film. He is perfectly cast as a shady New York City cop in China town. Mark Walhberg is also very good as his new partner. Another good performance was by Brian Cox as Walhberg's father.

The film has some great action parts. The film also does a great job contrasting Chinese and US culture. On many levels its a great film about cultural diffusion.

However, despite some great cultural exchanges, good actions scenes, and great acting the film in my opinion was not very good.

Its too long and by the last 20 minutes the story is dragging and dragging. I wanted to like this film very much, but the story itself and its collapse into boredom at the end sank this film for me.

This was a good effort but it failed to cross the finish line. It is worth a rental, but not too buy. You will not want to watch this film more than once.

Again, I really wanted to like this film and wish I could have.

DON'T EVER LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO LIKED THE REPLACEMENT KILLER
It makes me sick that "The replacement killers" gets praise. CHow yun fat is an actor, not just a suit with guns. The Corruptor, was an equal blend of this, good action sequences and a good story. Chow plays nick chen, a NY cop on the Asian Gang unit. newcomer Danny Wallace (Wahlberg), is put on the unit, to take down mobster henry lee before the local punk fukienese dragons gang puts him out of business. There are so many twists and turns in this film that i don't want to give anything away. I had high hopes for this film, after the replacement killers and it fulfilled them. It gave chow a chance to act (more than the 13 words he had in replacement killers), not just shoot (although it's nice). The ending of the film I found particularly well shot and acted. All in all a good showcase for chow's talents, and a worthy third rank under Serpico and prince of the city for movies about police corruption.

If all bad cops could be this good!
I loved the confrantation that Danny Wallace had with his dad about the contemplation of what to do about turning in his partner Nick Chen .. I won't spoil the quote you have to take it in context of the scenario of the movie. What an impact it made in my life that what I do in my life will be what I live with. I don't know if I over looked the goings on with Nick Chen because after all he was Yun-Fat Chow or that his over looking Uncle Benny's activities was some how a kindness to help May a lost drug addict and prostitute unable to escape her fate he tries to be more then a cop in her heart. The entire movie was tastefully done, story line excellant, directed in a way to make you laugh, cry, sit at the edge of you chair during those action scenes. Not to mention the sound track subpurbly done. I have had always found Yun-Fat Chow a believable actor in all rolls he portray; this movie he stole my heart (more then in Anna and the King).. the ending must be seen to appreciate how to me he was a good cop, with admiration to the writer in whatever message he wanted to leave you at the end. If you thought Mark Wahlberg was exceptional in this roll you should see him in The Perfect Storm and never thought he would play such a sicko in Fear but had me convinced. Lady's don't judge all men by what goes on in this movie but be wise to it's message of common sense. It always amazes me when an actor can play his/her complete opposite. I look forward to watching more of both of these great actors movies. Don't wait to buy THE CORRUPTOR should it go out of print you will regret it! Well I think so. Thanks for listening - Bye. Would welcome your comments too.

Wow!
I was really surprised by how good this movie is. I figured a straight-forward shoot-'em-up and some exotic intrigue was about all it would have going for it. The cover had the usual fatuous nonsense on it: "You can't play by the rules when there aren't any." Why is it 90% of video covers have a reformulation of the same stupid subtitle? Apparently there is some lucky guy out there is employed writing new, yet indistinguishable ways to either deny the existence of Rules/Boundaries/etc. or at least deny their applicability to some beautiful, well-armed people. Good for him.

Anyway, this movie definitely exceeded my expectations. Great direction, but most of all great performances from Chow-Yun Fat and Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg's relationship with his father was fairly cliched, yet it still came across as believable. The various moral predicaments of the two cops were just as interesting and well-done as the fight scenes. There is one major chase scene, which I found silly after a while, since it gave the impression that there were absolutely no other police cars within ten miles of some maniac with an Uzi blowing away civilians.

But that is a nothing criticism. Really, the only sore spot was the FBI goonish guy, who was both tiresome and one-dimensional in comparison with the other characters. But on the main, an excellent action-thriller. Chow-Yun Fat wasn't limited by John Woo's formula this time around, and his chops definitel show as a result.

Best Chow Yun-Fat film so far, EXCELLENT PLOT
This movie has excellent plot and is not one of those mindless John Woo action films. Acutally, it is the ONLY John Woo films that has a good plot in addition to the usual good actions. ... Read more