Description

John Huston won the Academy Award(R) for writing and directing this powerful saga that pits gold and greed in the wilds of Mexico and stars his father (Walter Huston) and Humphrey Bogart. Year: 1948 Director: John Huston Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt ... Read more

Reviews (77)

A BONA-FIDE CLASSIC STORY OF GREED AND BETRAYAL !
Here you have a trully great package: a top director (John Huston) and a top star (Bogart) with an great screenplay, music (by Max Steiner), great photography (by Ted McCord) and a top cast. The story revolves around a group of stray losers (stranded in a mexican town) who decide to join forces and go after the (gold) riches of the wild, lawless mexican lands. They are greedy Dobbs (Bogart), honest Curtin (Tim Holt) and wise old Howard (Walter Huston). But the gold fortune they gain from the mountain soon transforms their views and relationships as Dobbs quickly falls into paranoia.

This is a trully classic film which deserved a trully great DVD edition... and this is it!! A two-disc edition with everything you can dream of... A great documentary (The Story of TTOTSM) with Martin Scorsese (lots of and others), another documentary about John Huston, two great Bugs Bunny films (one is a funny spoof of this film), A Lux Radio Theater broadcast, a vast gallery of photos and publicity material, a dozen Bogart trailers, one short film, a newsreel... everything you need to reproduce a classic night at the movies back in 1948!!!!!!

Obviously, the film in this edition has flawless sound and image... and along with this incredible tray of extras, this is surely the DVD edition to buy.

It seems that Warner Home Video is commited to release deffinitive editions of some of its classics (Thanks, WHV!!). I bought this DVD in a box that contains also Yankee Doodle Dandy and The Adventures of Robin Hood (two other two-disc editions who got this first rate treatment).

A great buy for an affordable price! Check for the 3 film box containing The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Yankee Dodle Dandy and The Adventures of Robin Hood.

John Huston appears briefly (and repeatedly) as the american in a white suit who gives Bogart a coin - surely, the greatest director-cameo I've ever seen in an american classic film.

Bogart gives outstanding performance in this classic film
"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" won Oscars for best director (John Huston), best supporting actor (Walter Huston) and best screenplay (John Huston). The film was also nominated for best picture but unfortunately lost out to Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet". This was yet another marvellous performance by Humphrey Bogart in a difficult role and proves once again what an outstanding actor he can be when given the right material.

Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Bob Curtin (Tim Holt) are two Americans down on their luck in Tampico, Mexico, who manage to acquire a temporary job working for Pat McCormick (Barton MacLaine) but don't get paid for their efforts as McCormick does a disappearing act with the money. Dobbs and Curtin catch up with him later in a bar and after coming to blows manage to get the money that was owed to them. A young Mexican boy (Robert Blake) approaches Dobbs who reluctantly buys a lottery ticket from him. Dobbs and Curtin spend the night in a flop house where they meet Howard (Walter Huston), a grizzled old timer who tells them stories of the times he went prospecting for gold in the mountains. They are both quite interested in this but don't have the necessary funds to purchase the equipment they would need. Next day the young Mexican boy comes to find Dobbs to tell him that his ticket has won some money in the lottery. It is not a fortune but enough to invest in some tools and equipment so that Curtin and himself can team up with Howard to search for gold in the Sierra Madre mountains. Greed and distrust inevitably take hold of Dobbs and he gets increasingly suspicious of his two companions and becomes more and more paranoid as the days go by. He is sure that they want to steal his share of the gold which is just not so. A group of bandits led by Gold Hat (Alfonso Bedoya) come across their camp and try to rob them of the gold but with the help of James Cody (Bruce Bennett) they manage to fight them off.

Some favourite lines from the film:

Humphrey Bogart (to John Huston): "Hey, mister, will you stake a fellow American to a meal?".

Bogart (to Bruce Bennett): "Tonight you're our guest. Tomorrow morning look out - no trespassing around here, you know, beware of the dog - get it?".

Alfonso Bedoya (to Bogart): "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges".

Bogart (to Tim Holt): "Fred C. Dobbs don't say nothing he don't mean".

Writer/director John Huston played a cameo role at the start of the film as an American tourist ("White Suit") who Bogart approaches for money (three times!). Robert Blake was the small boy who sold Bogart the winning lottery ticket. Blake later went on to appear in many feature films such as "In Cold Blood", "Electra Glide in Blue", "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here", and also starred in the TV seies "Baretta".

This was a superlative performance by Humphrey Bogart - one of his best - and completely different to his smooth portrayal of Rick in "Casablanca". His character of Fred C. Dobbs was shifty and devious verging on paranoia and madness. The film has now rightly become a classic and is much admired by "movie buffs". Clive Roberts.

A must see classic movie with Bogie
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a classic movie that has to be watched by movie fans. Set in Mexico in 1926, the movie tells the story of two down and out Americans who have nothing to their name except their meager salaries. The two men, Dobbs and Curtin, decide to team up with a weathered, old prospector, Howard, to go prospecting for gold in the mountains of southern Mexico. Soon enough, the trio happens upon a mountain just full of gold waiting to be found. What follows is a condmenation of human greed and want of unlimited wealth and riches. The three men become suspicious of each other immediately, thinking that the other two might steal their share of the gold. At the same time, the three must deal with bandits who will stop at nothing to get their possessions. The ending does provide for a brief message of hope. Everything from the cinematography to the acting to the writing is great in this movie. Movie fans everywhere should see this classic movie.

Humphrey Bogart gives an excellent performance as Fred C. Dobbs, a wayward American who believes that the power of gold would never make him change his ways and beliefs. Watching Dobbs morph into a money hungry, paranoid man is frightening. Walter Huston, father of director John Huston, plays Howard, the grizzled old prospector who is the only calm one in the group. Tim Holt stars as Bob Curtin, Dobbs' partner and the moral leader of the trio. The movie also stars Bruce Bennett, Barton MacLane, Alfonso Bedoya, and Manuel Donde. Also look for a brief appearance from John Huston as a well-to-do American who gives Dobbs some money for a meal. The 2-Disc Special Edition offers a ton of great extras. If you're a fan of this classic movie, you will love these extras. For a classic movie, ranked #30 in the AFI Top 100, with great performances, an excellent script, and beautiful scenery, check out The Treasure of the Sierra Madre!

Classic depiction of greed wrapped in grand adventure tale
The beauty of this classic film is that, while it certainly is a shattering depiction of how greed destroys a man and depletes one's innocence, THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE also works as an exciting adventure, with great-looking black-and-white scenery serving as perhaps a counterpoint to the darker things going on in the soul of Humphrey Bogart's Fred C. Dobbs. That a movie can be so entertaining yet so powerfully reflective of human nature is most likely what has allowed this film to live on ever since its release in 1948. Great entertainment that is also food for thought seems in such short supply in movies today that we really should treasure movies like this, especially when it's made this well.

Greeeeeed!!!
Greed wrecks Bogarts life.In the end I'm happy. Why? At least his two pals didn't die.The only one who suffered was himself. A ironic line of Bogart"My friends are coming behind me on horses" when he's faced by bandits after ditching his friends.In truth,his friends are riding on horses to get their gold back from him.They arrived too late.Chilling..... ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Swab the deck, me matey!
The Disney studios first official full length, live-action feature, TREASURE ISLAND is good fun. Although it lacks the slick story-telling flair of recent family films, the story, based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, is precise and fluid. Robert Newton chews up the scenery as Long John Silver, paving the way for many lovable villains. Bobby Driscoll (Song of the South) plays the brave little Jim Hawkins (or "Jim Harkins" if you speak pirate) who gets involved in a treasure seeking adventure of good vs. evil. In the end, like the viewers of the video, the line between the two is not so well defined. That is a clever twist, especially for a Disney family film. The VHS format already shows some deterioration after a few viewings so I look forward to a DVD release but in the meantime. Yo ho yo ho, A Pirate's Life for Me!

All Aboard With Long John Silver
Jim Hawkins is a tavern owner's son who acquires a map showing the location of buried treasure. He shows it to an adventurous squire who recognizes its value and outfits the good ship Hispaniola to set off in search of the prize. The squire hires Jim as a cabin boy and persuades his own physician to join the crew as ship's doctor. The gullible squire's first big mistake is to sign up a rascal named Long John Silver as ship's cook. His second mistake is to allow Silver a chance to recruit some of his old shipmates from his pirate days as members of the Hispaniola's crew.

TREASURE ISLAND is an excellent movie with plenty of realistic action and convincing settings. Robert Newton is brilliant as Long John Silver and Bobby Driscoll shines as young Jim Hawkins. A strong supporting cast includes Basil Sydney, Denis O'Dea, Ralph Truman, Walter Fitzgerald, Finlay Currie and Geoffrey Wilkinson.

Director Byron Haskins also directed THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.

Old memories
Emotions ran high when I saw this movie again after more than 50 years. It was as exciting now as when I was a young child. Robert Newton's performance is a classic. After half a century, he is still the baddest (best) pirate ever.

"The Disney Version" is better than the novel.
Don't believe it? Read the book. The reviewer who said "...every screen production I have seen comes across as a cartoon or at best, 'an animated feature'," wasn't paying attention.

Robert Louis Stevenson's pirate story _is_ a children's fantasy. (Stevenson - whose grandson would later become one of Disney's "house directors" -- says as much in the book's introduction.) The principal characters are well-drawn and believable, but the story is 98% adventure. There is no _dramatic_ thrust to events. And it's told from the view of a 20-year-older Jim Hawkins, which tips off the reader that Jim is never in any real danger.

The emotional focus of the story is Jim's attraction to / repulsion by Long John Silver. In the novel, the adult Jim briefly acknowledges that he was attracted to Long John Silver as a surrogate for his recently deceased father, but turned away, because Silver is plainly untrustworthy. Stevenson fails to develop the relationship any further.

Not the screenwriters -- they bring it front and center. The story is now properly focused where it should be -- can Jim _really_ trust Long John Silver?

Silver is also worried about Jim, who plainly doesn't need "Piracy for Dummies" to recognize Silver is not altogether on the up-and-up. In a scene not in the book, Long John attempts to sweet-talk Jim -- one might even call it a seduction -- ending with the presentation of his parrot as a gift. The effect is subtly erotic -- especially as the gift comes from someone with such an obviously phallic name. (One is tempted to think Stevenson's name choice was deliberate -- he must have known how cabin boys were "mistreated.") And though Silver is married in the novel (to an unseen wife), the movie leaves his marital status unstated.

Long John Silver is a morally ambiguous character, and the film plays up this ambiguity. Silver alternates between protecting and threatening Jim, and you believe his sincerity in both instances. At the end, Jim is forced into deciding whether he should let Long John escape or be turned over to justice, completing the film with a solid dramatic "bang!" (The novel simply peters out -- Silver is taken captive, later wandering off with some of the loot.)

Robert Newton's interpretation of Long John Silver has always been controversial. There's no question it's totally "over the top." But that's how we expect pirates to behave, and it's how Stevenson wrote the character. I've seen "Treasure Island" several times -- Newton isn't simply chewing the scenery. His is a conscious interpretation, and he's in full control at all times. It's a great performance.

Arr, maties! Climb abord for a rip-roaring adventure!
The first time we watched this movie I watched it for about five minutes before walking away, because it wasn't interesting to me at the time. But when I caught the last twenty minutes of it, I decided that it was interesting after all and watched it from the beginning again.

I loved it! Bobby Driscoll was wonderful as Jim Hawkins, and Robert Newton gave the performance of his life as Long John Silver. The rest of the cast was also tremendous.

I had tried reading the book before, but it hadn't been interesting to me, and I ditched it before I was halfway done. Now, because of this movie, I think I'll dust it off and have a go at it. Who knows, I might even like it enough to review it! :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Best known today as the series that helped launch Johnny Depp to stardom, Stephen J. Cannell's 21 Jump Street was also one of the first hit programs for the fledgling Fox network, a status that lasted for most of its five-year run (1987-91), thanks to its engaging mix of youth culture and police drama. As outlined in the pilot, Depp's baby-faced Ofc. Tom Hanson is transferred to the special Jump Street division, a unit that utilized young cops to infiltrate juvenile crime. Unlike many of Fox's youth-oriented shows of the period (i.e., Beverly Hills 90210), Jump Street took its stories seriously, and addressed numerous social issues in its episodes; though some of the fashions and slang seem dated, the program remains entertaining decades later. The Jump Street set compiles all 13 episodes of the debut season, including the two-part pilot; the solid extras feature commentary by co-star Peter DeLuise, as well as interviews with fellow Jump Street officers Dustin Nguyen, Holly Robinson Peete, and Steven Williams (whose Captain Fuller replaced Frederic Forrest's Jenko halfway through the first season), as well as the prolific Cannell. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (12)

21 Jumpstreet Where Are You?
I watched the first 4 seasons of Jumpstreet and it was good. This was the first show on the Fox network to be a hit. This show pulled higher ratings than Married with Children before the departure of Johnny Depp and newcomer Richard Grieco. This show deserves to be on dvd!!!!

YM
I'm so glad 21 jump street is coming on dvd. i've been waiting for it for a long time. I recently discovered this series and they stopped showing it on public TV so I was bummed out, but now I can buy it! yey Depp!

Woo-Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They have all these ridiculous shows on coming out on (i.e, ALF) DVD, finally a show with more substance (I'm fibbing, I just love Johnny Depp). I'm looking forward to buying this on October 26..........

21 JUMP STREET!
21 jump street was my favorite TV series in my childhood..and I became Johnn Depp fan since 21 jump street...*_*....With this DVD my Johnny Depp collection is complete!! ^.^....Hope all seasons will release soon!!

Doug Penhall is the man!!!
How could anyone not love this show? The cast was awesome. Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson... but my favorite was Peter Deluise. That guy was both a stud and a riot.

I also must acknowledge the honesty the show brought to the air in terms of showing how emotionally hurt the school kids who got arrested were when they were busted by people they once thought of as friends. Some of the kids understood it was truly for their (and societies) own good, and others did not.

My favorite episodes involved Doug Penhall marrying Marta (a beautiful girl from El Salvador), and the pain of his wife being deported and murdered by their government once she returned home- extremely touching (and not what one expects from a teen cop show!)

This is one of my favorite series ever- and I really encourage everyone to go back and relive the first season. It's really a fun ride!!! ... Read more

Reviews (129)

Classic 80's Teen movie on a very poor DVD
If you want to own this movie on DVD then you'll have to be prepared to pay an arm and a leg. It's only out on region 1, and has long since been deleted, so commands a very high price for no apparant reason other than the film itself - its certainly not for the extras - there aren't any.

The film stars 80's starlet Molly Ringwald (Breakfast Club) and Anthony John Hall (Weird Science, Breakfast Club) and also reunites them with director John Hughes, also from "The Breakfast Club". Comparisions between the two cannot be helped. Personally I prefered "The Breakfast Club" but there must be many who disagree - both are good, assuming that you like that sort of thing. High School coming-of-age movies are after all pretty much of a muchness, as the recent spoof movie "Not Another Teen Movie" so aptly illustrates.

Where both Hughes movies fall down on DVD is with the lack of extra features. "Sixteen Candles" is at least in widescreen, but that's all - there's no remastered 5.1 audio mix, no subtitles, no trailer, no cast biographies, no featurettes, no commentaries, no nothing. And if the other reviewers are to be believed then the music on the DVD isn't even the original soundtrack, supposedly due to rights issues. I say this because I'd never seen the film before I brought the DVD so don't know any different. If true, it'll certainly be interesting to see the proper soundtrack if and when it ever comes to DVD again. 2004 will mark the 20th anniversary of the film, so prehaps the time is right to ask Universal to consider a re-release with decent extras.

Long Duck Dong
Sixteen Candles is another classic 80's teen/high school film. It's one of the rare ones that is actually great and memorable. The film starts teen queen Molly Ringwald as Sam, your normal, every day kid. Her family has forgotten her sixteenth birthday amid all the uproar of her older sister's upcoming wedding. That's not all. An annoying geek(hilariously played by Anthony Michael Hall)is hound-dogging her, she has a huge crush on a popular jock, her grandparents have invaded her home, and, worst of all, a foreign kid named Long Duck Dong(Gedde Watannabe)is staying in her room. It's a comedy of chaos as a young teenager tries to grow up. As expected, happiness shines through for all in the end. Sixteen Candles is a sweet,hilarious look at the life of an ordinary teen. Molly Ringwald is so real and believeable in this that she could be somebody you know, or, just maybe, could be you. The always reliable Paul Dooley plays her father. Watch out for John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jami Gertz in small roles. Sixteen Candles is a candle you'll never want to blow out.

Definitive 80's. A must!
Sixteen Candles is a must-see classic. Truly unique, original, and memorable. The cast is fantastic and the story has been duplicated countless times. It took me so long to finally see this, and I regret not seeing it earlier. Everyone talks about it, it's not worth being left out and you're just gonna thank yourself later anyway, so SEE IT NOW if you haven't already. If you have, see it again, memorize the lines, and have a Sixteen Candles drinking party!!!!

Great movie - BAD DVD
This was a fun movie. It does not take itself seriously and pokes fun at its characters. Some of the pokig fun is not politically correct (to wit - Long Duk Dong, and some of the BoHunk comments)) but that was a bit of the 80's.

This DVD has the original soundtrack, previously unavailable on VHS or the old DVD, and it still holds up.

THE BAD PART
Where to start - the packaging is cheap cheap CHEAP! They did not even put in a little card to tell you the chapter names. There is no commentary, no extras, NOTHING!

PLUS when you put it in, it goes through ads for other movies and DISABLES THE MENU BUTTON!

Again, this is a fun, 80's movie, but the DVD is so cheap and so obnoxious to the fans/owners that I hate to recommend it becuse the people who put it together were such jerks.

But I do recommend it. Enjoy.

A Rememberable Teen Flick.
This is definately the rebound film. It is hard to live up to a movie like The Breakfast Club. This film is your average, average, teen movie. It does boost some new things to the screen, but it is mostly predictable, however, it is enjoyable. It has enough great moments to outweigh the cheesy parts, which makes it good in my book. If you are in the mood for a "no surprise" movie, this is the film for you. I reccomend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Stephen Sondheim's landmark 1984 musical Sunday in the Park with George is a fictional representation of maverick French Impressionist painter Georges Seurat's efforts to create his masterpiece, Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte. Seurat, played by Mandy Patinkin, is obsessed with his work, to the frustration of his mistress, Dot (Bernadette Peters). Along the way, we meet many other characters--whoever happens to be in the park that Sunday--who eventually become part of the canvas.

Act 2 fast-forwards 100 years. Patinkin now plays Seurat's great-grandson, George, himself a frustrated artist. In the score's best-known song, "Putting It Together," George (and Sondheim himself) explains the hazards of trying to create art while also confronting the reality of having to pay for it. In a search for inspiration, George travels with his grandmother--Seurat and Dot's daughter (played by Peters)--to the original island where Seurat created the painting. As with Sondheim and cocreator James Lapine's next collaboration, Into the Woods, Sunday is often criticized for redirecting its focus in the second act instead of letting the first act stand by itself as a complete work. The second act, however, is the emotional core of the show, as George confronts all the feelings his great-grandfather had repressed so many years ago.

Stephen Sondheim's brilliant score is remarkable for its combination of vivid colors (listen to his dots of sound that represent Seurat's pointillistic style of painting), character pieces, and sheer beauty. The cast is terrific, and the show, aced out of most of the 1984 Tony Awards by La Cage aux Folles, won the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Recorded before a live audience, Sunday is especially entertaining on video, as the staging elements bring out the full humor and inventiveness of the show, and it is astonishing to see the disparate characters form themselves into the elements of the familiar painting. So many great musicals are banished to the memories of those who attended live or--even worse--immortalized as inferior movies. Sunday in the Park with George is an absolute must-see for anyone interested in musical theatre, and a must-own for anyone with a passion for it. The DVD includes an audio track with commentary by Sondheim, Lapine, Patinkin, and Peters. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (47)

DVD brings Broadway home! With Sondheim commentary!
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE was one of the first Sondheim collaborations with Lapine, and it remains a classic of the stage. Here you get the original cast including Many Patinkin and Bernadette Peters captured for a PBS GREAT PERFORMANCES. The camerawork is tight on them, and you see every nuance in their faces, and even get glimpses of what Mandy is drawing as he plays Seraut in the first act. Some people find this one hard to relate to, and of the three available on DVD that is probably true. PASSION and INTO THE WOODS deal with easier subject matter, and have more elaborate staging to work with. But this is still a handsome production filled with vituoso performances of classic songs such as "Tipping the Hat" and "Sunday". That it is a difficult musical shouldn't stop you by any means. Like a fine wine it grows on you and warms you the more you imbibe. The best part of the DVD is the commentary featuring both lead actors, Sondheim, and Lapine. Mandy Pantinkin seems to dominate the discussion, but all chime in to reveal what a personal labor of love it was for all involved. Sondheim's biggest revelation is that he originally intended George to be played by a BASS, and was skeptical of Mandy in the role! Bernadette Peters good-heartedly remembers all the cast member names, and recalls many backstage stories centered on the performance. Mandy seems most concerned with telling you about auditioning, and developing his "dog" voices. Lapine talks of how dialogue became songs and vice versa. It's a great track, and gives you insight into the show that will make you appreciate it that much more.And as a side note ... why all the problems with Act 2? "Move On", "Children and Art", and "Putting It Together" are some of the most moving songs and moments in the show. The idea that a love can last generations! Sigh! I think it's wonderful.

Not Stephen Sondheim's Best Work
The Brilliant Stephen Sondheim has written many, many breath-taking scores such as A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Into The Woods, A Little Night Music, Company, and Into The Woods, but unfortunately this musical does not have the quality and consistant standing ovation quality music as the rest. Although the amazing vocal and acting ability of such stars as Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters help this show along, the music almost ruins their talents in this movie and show. The plot is very original, but it gets boring after the first few scenes. The dialogue is good with some hilarious outbursts by Mrs. Peters and serious moments by Mr. Patinkin, but as I said before, the music diminishes the quality of the book. The quality of the actual video (or DVD) is good with some nice close-up shots of the cast and the sets are of excellent quality. If you would like some good family entertainment, I highly suggest purchasing the following musical videos: "Into The Woods", "West Side Story", and "1776" but I regret to say that I do not recomend "Sunday In the Park With George" unless you have a collection of musical videos and would like more of Mr. Sondheim's works.

Sondheim at his best
This is a must see for any one who has the CD, loves Sondheim, or just loves the musical theater. On the CD there are some lyrics that just dont make sense. Even some songs seem out of place. But buying this DVD will clear them all up. I agree with some of the reviewers that Mandy Patinkin overacts. His hand movements are a bit too drastic sometimes. In the Audio Commentary he basically dominates the conversation. But his vocals and his deliverance are great. Bernadette Peters is most likely the greatest actress alive. In the second act, when she becomes marie, she plays the role to perfection. The supporting cast is great as well. The funniest line (and a catchphrase of mine), is when the boatman is supposed to be giving directions to the Americans who think He cannot understand english. "Why dont you just walk into the water until your lungs fill up and you die". LOL. He should have won a Tony for that. This whole show should have won a Tony, Not "La Cage Aux Follies". Get this and enjoy it as much as I did. You will not be dissapointed.

Breathtaking Score, Irritating Patinkin
I've never enjoyed the work of Patinkin. He overkills characters and though he seems to think of himself extremely highly, his portrayals leave much to be desired. One of the great music theatre artists Phillip Quast played this role in London (National Theatre), and audiences responded well to his masterful portrayal. It is a shame Patinkin has to content with such competition, Quast is a consummate artist, Patinkin wants to be one.

Patinkin's irritating vibrato and appalling resonance make for a boring and watery (pardon the pun) performance, lacking in any proper exploration of the music's depth and attempting to steal attention away from his mega co-star Peters, who outshines Patinkin with her physicality and realization. This is not to say Patinkin does not attempt to convey some sense of emotional sensitivity in relation to his performance development, he does, but it is a contrived exploration which, stylistically, appears acted and unashamedly forced.

Patinkin's appalling commentary on this DVD draws attention to this obviously self conscious, afraid performer who seems so adamant to steal attention away from the highly intelligent professionals with whom he works. He strives to attract attention.

Patinkin aside, Peters puts in a masterful portrayal, conveying a beautiful sensitivity which makes up for the lost moments of Patinkin's self-indulgent performance. Peters commands attention, and receives it.

An ingenious score by our great master Stephen Sondheim allows the depth and texture of the emotional to be fused with the physical in an interesting and multifaceted exploration. The sweeping grandeur of "Sunday" evokes the lush, somewhat dreamlike world of Paris at the turn of the century beautifully, yet we can also see the sculptural formations built into the intricate score as if to suggest shapely formations and distinguished hues.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE has a magnificent score, and apart from Patinkin's poor performance as George, this show is leveled out by the hard slog put in by the remarkable supporting cast - it's all in a Sunday's work really...

A solid record of a brilliant show.
Though perhaps the later Passion was a greater Sondheim-Lapine collaboration, their first work - Sunday in the Park with George - remains a sensitive and delicate piece that merits contemplation. It was preserved on video, and the preservation is generally solid. The film work generally manages to capture where the audience attention would best be, and in such a visual show it does as well as film may to transcribe the essence.

Sunday... is one of Sondheim's most pleasant scores for listening; it has a grace and majesty that mark it above much of his other work. It is fortunately combined with a witty book and excellent direction on Lapine's part. The central character of the first act, Georges Seurat, is portrayed with a certain distance and coldness by Mandy Patinkin that many consider off-putting; I think that this is more directorial bias than actor's intent, and Patinkin's work was indeed among his best here. His romantic counterpart Dot is played with elegance and style by Bernadette Peters, at the prime of her career and in fine acting style. The second act's George is a much more relatable character, and I think that Patinkin's portrayal here is much more likeable and enjoyable. His work in "Putting it Together" alone is a masterpiece; Patinkin truly took the task of making two roles work. Peters is understated, but well acted, until the finale where she is marvellous. And the actual finale will raise more questions than it answers...for the show is really all about whether we choose to create children or art...in other words, romantic love or artistic devotion? This is the question George must face, as Seurat faced it, and learn where his answer lies.

The ensemble parts are amazing. Fans can look for virtuoso performances by the likes of Brent Spiner and Charles Kimbrough. Everyone takes on the challenge of two different roles, two different worlds, and does so as gracefully and well as the leads. The result is a marvellous show that is sadly not produced all that much; the presence of the DVD record, though, makes up for it generously. It cannot be missed by any fan of serious musicals. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Eddie Murphy at His Best
I'm so glad they finally decided to release a DVD version of Boomerang. I have the VHS version but I am sure to buy the DVD. Boomerang is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's a great love story and a wonderful depiction of how a dog gets dogged. Eddie plays the dog and Robin Givens plays the dogette. If you can get over the fact that she was once married to Mike Tyson you will see a wonderful portrayal of her character. Halle Berry makes a not so glamarous showing but is quite stunning to say the least. It's the first time you see Halle's personality and not just her looks. She not just a made up face but has substance. The cast is great and soundtrack is off-da-hook. This is by far some of Eddie's best work. He is funny, charming, and looks mighty fine in this movie. Be sure to buy the DVD when it is released. You will be pleasantly surprised. It's one for every African American Movie Collection.

The BEST movie ever made!
Yes you read right, this is the best movie ever (at least to me)! Boomerang is about a player Marcus Gram(Eddie Murphy) who finally meets his match when he falls for a lovely woman named Jaqueline Broyer(Robin Givens). Everything that he did to women in the past all comes back to him, hence the title Boomerang(get it?). The supporting cast is as good as they come, they gel very good together, which include:Halley Barry, David Allan Grier, Martin Lawrence,Chris Rock,Ertha Kitt,etc(theres alot!). You'll see what I mean when you watch certain scenes like when Marcus and his friends are at dinner talking about women or working out talking about girls, its funny because it just seems like your there listening to friends really talking about that stuff. Theres also the dinner scene which is really good and funny! Mix that with a still to this day awesome soundtrack and yes you read right its the best movie ever made! Don't believe me, then go rent the video, but make sure to come back and buy it and dont say I didnt tell you so.

Eddie Murphy is hilarious
I love this movie. I laugh everytime at Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, and David Allen Grier's scenes. Chris Rock was also funny. Hallie Berry was great. I enjoy watching this movie. I laugh as if it is my first time viewing it. Now that I have the DVD, I love the deleted scenes. This is a must have for true DVD collectors.

Jacqueline and Angela
This is my favorite African-American movie of all time. I truly have to give credit to Reginald Hudlin for doing this movie, and for also doing "House Party." But what I really want to talk about is the two female characters: Jacqueline(Robin Givens) and Angela(Halle Berry). One day I was watching the DVD and I had it set on the "commentary by the director." What caught my attention was when Reginald Hudlin said something like how most women are the Hallies. And that is so true. Like he explained, most of us women relate more to Halle Berry's character who was shy and insecure, wanting to be so much like Robin Givens's character who was like a powerful stylish career woman. But even though Angela wasn't as glamorous as Jacqueline, Angela was the chosen one that changes Marcus(Eddie Murphy) and his ways, shows him the real true meaning of love, and at the end, Angela is the one that he wants to be with.

Love Should've Brought Yo Ass Home Last Night!
Hey this was an excellent movie. Eddie Murphy looks and acts funny especially when he is trying to look sad. The star studded cast of Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Eartha Kitt, Grace Jones, Robin Givens, Halle Berry, John Witherspoon, Chris Rock, Lela Rochon and David Alan Grier definitely set this movie off. Eddie Murphy does the unthinkable and gets the runaround from Givens...something a playa of his status should never get. From the beginning this movie is excellent, edge of your seat, thrilling romance. THe soundtrack that accompanies the movie is also greatness. This movie is a must have in your collection if you even remotely like Eddie Murphy or any of the said stars in the movie. You'll definitely enjoy this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Quite simply a great movie, one whose implacable portrait of ruthless greed and insane ambition becomes more pertinent every year. The astonishing Klaus Kinski plays Don Lope de Aguirre, a brutal conquistador who leads his soldiers into the Amazon jungle in an obsessive quest for gold. The story is of the expedition's relentless degeneration into brutality and despair, but the movie is much more than its plot. Director Werner Herzog strove, whenever possible, to replicate the historical circumstances of the conquistadors, and the sheer human effort of traveling through the dense mountains and valleys of Brazil in armor creates a palpable sense of struggle and derangement. This sense of reality, combined with Kinski's intensely furious performance, makes Aguirre, the Wrath of God a riveting film. Its unique emotional power is matched only by other Herzog-Kinski collaborations like Fitzcarraldo and Woyzek. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Herzog's visionary film is one of the greats!!
Werner Herzog's Aguirre, The Wrath of God is one of the great achievements of the incredible New German Cinema movement of the 1970's. The film's "story" has been discussed elsewhere on this page so I won't bother to repeat it. But really, this is no plot to speak of. This is a mood piece, a dream of a film. It is a study of power and delusions and if that sounds boring, believe me its NOT. The visuals are extraordinary (typical of a Herzog film). From the films incredible opening shot of a long line of men as they snake thier way down a mountain to the final shot, which is one of the most memorable in cinema, of a mad Aguirre on a raft surrounded by corpses and small monkeys floating down the river. Adding to the dreamlike effect is the eerie music of Popol Vuh. Aguirre is a memorable film experience that you should'nt miss. I commend Anchor Bay for releasing Herzog's entire output on DVD, this a definitely one for your personal library at home. Very highly recommeded!

Entertaining but eerie.
This film has always been a sentimental favorite of mine, although it is definitely not a mainstream movie with mass appeal. It chronicles the eerie, haunting, and morbid journey of a group of fifteenth century Spanish conquistadores who break off from Pizzaro's group and head into the deepest parts of the Amazon jungle in search of gold. They are swallowed up, one by one, by unseen natural forces in the jungle, and also by the paranoia and insanity of their leader Aguirre (Kinski). It is well deserving of its reputation as a cult classic, and it is one of Kinski's signature pieces. Showcasing his ability to create a bizzare, twisted and disturbing persona. Since the conquistadores are eventually lead to destruction by Aguirres lust for power and riches it is almost a metaphore of the entire history of the Spanish conquests of South America. The film is actually shot in several languages (including English), then DUBBED into GERMAN, and then SUBTITLED back into English again; which gives the whole thing a rather strange appearance. Kinski's daughter Nastashia is also in the film, playing Aguirre's daughter. Her character is not well developed, and she is only there to show that there IS actually something in the world that Aguirre cares about besides gold. Nevertheless, it is a novelty to see her in her movie debut, before she became famous in her own right. I recommend the movie to those who like offbeat 'artistic' films, and cult classics, but not to those who are looking for light entertainment or an adventure movie.

The doomed quest for El Dorado
I am new to Warner Herzog, and "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" is the 2nd of his films that I have seen. Like many directors with strong artistic visions, I have found his style a bit hard to adapt to but I am appreciating it more and more. The grotesque colors he uses are particularly noteworthy, lending a feeling of unreality that contrasts with the naked realism of his films. The visual images are haunting, and linger after the film is over. The Wrath of God and 400 little monkeys...

"Aguirre: The Wrath of God" is by no means an easy film to get into. The characters are brutal and uninviting, and it is impossible to sympathize with their plight, the conquest of the native peoples. Like the river they travel on, the armored conquistadors move slowly but relentlessly forward, pieces of their humanity and sanity falling off along the way. At one scene in particular, the soldiers dispassionately watch their fellows trapped in a river eddy, discussion whether or not they should attempt a rescue with no more urgency or care than wondering if they should have coffee or tea. The peruvian natives are equally unsympathetic, picking off the soldiers slowly from the jungle, invisible and dangerous. One can see the influence it must have had on"Apocalypse Now."

People call this film dreamlike, and that maybe, but it is also brutally realistic, dirty and harsh. There is a sense that this is exactly what it would be like. There is a definite sense that animals were harmed during the filming, and that people were harmed as well. No camera trickery or artistic license is taken. All deaths are ignoble. Klaus Kinski, as Aguirre, is an uncharismatic Richard III,. slightly hunchbacked and ugly, leading his followers down a mad path that can have only one destination.

Herzog and Kinski's Vision of Manifested Madness
On the eastern slopes of the Andes during the Spanish expedition , Gonzalo Pizarro urges his men to continue through the thick Amazon forests despite the dangers within the dark and humid jungle. The tale of Pizarro's venture begins with an ominous warning as it is revealed to the audience that the only surviving evidence of the expedition is a journal kept by Brother Gaspar de Carvajal, a monk who travels to spread the gospel of Christianity. This bleak foreshadowing induces an inching uneasiness into the mind of the audience. This is enhanced by further looming incidents such as native slaves dying like flies from simple colds and food shortage. The low supply of food leads to a decision to split the group where one group should return for provisions and the other should continue searching for a gold shimmering city. This tale then follows the ill-fated who continue the journey for the legendary city as they are drawn deeper into the cruel world of the Amazon. Deaths of several men forebode the grim future of the expedition, which the leadership wants to call off and return to the safety of civilization. However, Aguirre (Klaus Kinski), a high ranking soldier, commands a rise against the leadership based on a proud vision of greatness and worldly riches beyond imagination that drives him to thrust deeper into the unexplored rainforest. Aguirre's vision draws the expedition into a personal realm of madness and destruction, which leads to only one certain fate.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God has a lingering effect on the audience as the eerie atmosphere created by Herzog persists from the initial shot to the final scene. There are several components that generate this bizarre ambiance of the story such as cinematography, idiosyncrasies, mise-en-scene, and performances by the cast. The cinematography is simple and sometimes documentary-like, which produces a real feeling. This real feeling together with the uncanny knowledge of the unavoidable doom enhances the extraordinary atmosphere of the venture. The complete portrait of the character Aguirre by Klaus Kinski is nothing but spectacular. Herzog's choice of mise-en-scene is delicately chosen as all the items had to be transported by the expedition. Each item within each frame displays a significant symbolism such as the horse and raft, which adds new layers to the unnatural atmosphere. Lastly, the performances by the cast are outstanding as it is not the dialogue that drives the story forward, but the visual manifestation of their being that elevates the outlandish impression of each scene. When Herzog combined all the aspects of film-making in Aguirre: The Wrath of God he left the world a brilliantly eerie cinematic experience that will leave several notions in reflecting minds.

Herzog and Kinski go Tarkovsky.
Wraith of God was actually made in 1972 in German and got its US debut in 1977 and provided Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) with a vision. The film is pure art through and through using the Amazon River as a backdrop for the epic tale of Spanish conquistadors finding themselves abandoned in South America on a quest to find the legendary city of gold 'El Dorado'. Set a few decades after the Inca Empire has fallen in the 16th century, these troops of Spanish explorers have been selected by the head explorer for the region, and founder of Mexico - Pizarro, to find the lost gold. Within a few days of being on the Amazon the conquistadors are split on the rapids. Soon there is a mutiny, murder, revenge and betrayal as the dreams of vast wealth and power drive all of them to their doom.

The combination of Kinski and Herzog is electric. Here, on a shoe-string budget, they make mountains out of nothing as Tarkovsky did on 'Stalker'. The costumes and sets are all obviously mostly made by the actors and whatever film crew that would actually risk hanging around Herzog and Kinski for the gung-ho shoot. This is kino-art's rendition of Hearts of Darkness. The actual suffering of the film crew (and some cruelty to animals - several horse falling scenes, the pillaging of a village with an attack on pigs and a monkey being thrown aside) is clearly visible in the narrative which borders on extreme adlibbing most of the time as well as hard labour (moving a cannon on a small wagon around the jungle, building rafts with a toilet on board and living off the land). The improvisation though is classic in every sense of the word making Herzog and Kinski instant important additions to the world of high profile art film makers. The cinematography is spot on. The majority of it is hand-held but the images of the jungle are striking and the final shots of the circling raft are sublime. Seeing Kinski chasing monkeys around the raft is also some of the most memorising and breathtakingly remarkable scenes in cinema. The film is one of the most unusual you have ever seen and becomes psychotic towards the final stages showing the craziness of our characters search for the gold - a reflection of the exertions of the crew and actors. Kinski is outstanding as the deranged Don Lope de Aguirre who trying to follow in Pizarro's footsteps even manages to take his family into hell with him. There is an excellent plot element involving a mock trial with a monk as a judge and the crowning of a pseudo-king that will have you in disbelief. The film is so lucidly insane that it will captivate you within the first few minutes. By the time the credits role you will have experienced an epic completed with a few actors, a raft, some animals and natives and yet have witness something as grand and epic as 'Spartacus'. Herzog is a crazed genius and the world is his strange colloid laboratory.

'Aguirre' is up there with the ranks of 'Andre Rublev' and 'Apocalypse Now' however Kinski and Herzog did go one better when they made 'Fitzcarraldo'(they tow a steam ship up a mountain... really!). The aspect ratio of this film is 1.37:1 meaning that it is not in widescreen or letterbox, but it was originally filmed as a square almost (fitting television perfectly). The transfer is extremely good although I believe that this is not a new transfer and was probably encoded from a very good master video tape (Beta SP) for German television broadcast and not from a 35mm film print. No one is complaining though because the quality is extremely good. The extras (documentaries, commentaries) are a must. By the way you can get the Kinski/Herzog box set of 6 films for a few quid extra than this stand alone DVD. Go look for it. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

Has it's moments
I was skeptical before watching this movie, I wasn't expecting good acting and drama in a movie about gangs in prison. The story of 3 young Mexican/ American growing up in the streets of LA. Each one representing the different choices that many of us take in life.

So we see ourselves utilize our god given gifts to make an honest living. And at the same time to resist and battle the temptations of drugs in Cruz, the artist. To channel our rebellion and energy to push us past what it seems like a dead end street, in Paco the Cop. Or "go with the flow' and be part of a self-destructive life by associating ourselves with the wrong crowd in Miklo.

While Benjamin Bratt and Jesse Borrego offer a very strong and believable performance, I found some of the slang way over done to the point that it becomes laughable and corny.

The story has it's moments. One in particular between Paco and Cruz that is so intense, dramatic and real that it made a knot in my throat.

If you get past the corny gang slang, you will find this movie intense and dramatic.

"When you expect nothing,but get everything, that¿s destiny"
Ok, for one thing, it's more then just 5 stars. Jesse Borrego (Cruzito) does an amazing job at his character. Watching him perform pushes me to WANT to become an actor. He transforms himself well, he changes from innocent to drug addicted, to clean and sober.

Benjamin Bratt (Paco Aguilar) does an amazing job, watching his character go from Bad-boy "el gallo Negro", to "la oda." its just, Amazing to watch him for the years of his life, diss the cops, then just years after become one. Making a choice, deciding against FAMILY and LAW.... so yeah, question, if ya seen it, what would you do?

Damian Chapa does an excellent job, watching his character go from Wero to CHICANO RULER.Besides, the fact each main character in this movie is just HOT! Even for being their age.;)
Enrique Castillo is just awesome all around, this is an excellent movie! I can't stress that enough.
This movie was thought out well, each and every character was played RIGHT and VERY very well, and I am still amazed. I've seen this movie more then once, and every time I watch it, I walk away completely amazed!

This movie, was like I said, written well, directed well, I'm a very critical person when it comes to movies, I pay more attention to the outer side of the scenes, to see the mistakes. I've watched this movie, enough to know, that there aren't any, or if there is, I haven't caught them yet. Well in other words, this movie is SMART. Flat out, in order to fully understand it, you've got to fully watch it. Its like a perfect soup, with each actors extra attitude to their character, their sound, their look, adds that extra spice to the recipe. So if you haven't seen it, see it. If you've got the movie, pull it out, and watch it. It's awesome. That's all I can say.

Hasta Luego!

nice
this was such a nice movie. since this movie is very actioned packed.

It's just i'ight
Interesting cast, nice whips, and some of the gadgets were hilarious, BUT Duane Martin as anything but a lady's man, or screw up I wasn't ready for all that! And JadaKiss acting OOH HELL NO! Sometimes you just have to say no. It's obviously a low budget film filled with African Americans so I say support your people! I mean it was what it was a movie!

hot
this movie was very hot. and this movie even has a great cast. ... Read more

Amazon.com

What a combo! Tobe Hooper, the director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, teamed up with family-oriented producer Steven Spielberg to make Poltergeist. The film is about a haunted suburban tract home in a development very much like the Arizona one in which Spielberg was raised. (Because it came out the same summer as Spielberg's E.T., it was tempting to see both movies as representing Spielberg's ambivalent feelings about childhood in suburbia. One was a fantasy, the other a nightmare.)Spielberg also cowrote the screenplay, which taps into primal, childlike fears of monsters under the bed, monsters in the closet, sinister clown faces, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. At first, some of the odd happenings in the house are kind of funny and amusing, but they grow gradually creepier until the film climaxes in a terrifying special-effects extravaganza when 5-year-old Carole Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is kidnapped by the spooks and held hostage in another dimension. Though not nearly as frightening as Hooper's magnum opus, or the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, which came along two years later, Poltergeist is one of the smartest and most entertaining horror pictures of its time. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (147)

Haunting.
Steven Spielberg doesn't just make great family films and moving dramas. He also can help make a great horror movie. Of course, he had some help from famed horror director Tobe Hooper. However, make no doubt the hand of Spielberg is all over POLTERGEIST and the movie wouldn't be the classic it is without his guiding vision.

The movie is about the Freeling family, a typical suburban family living in an above average suburbs. Everything about the Freeling's life seems normal. That is until the youngest daughter, Carol-Anne. (Heather O'Rourke) starts hearing voices late at night from the television. She wakens the family late one night to announce that, "They're heeere." From there the Freeling's lives are slowly turned upside down as small ghostly pranks such as moving chairs and breaking glass snowball into more and more frightening incidents until young Carol-Anne is kidnapped into the neatherworld by forces from beyond.

JoBeth Williams pulls off a wonderful performances as the distraught mother and Craig T. Nelson is a joy to watch as the family's patriarch.

POLTERGEIST is a horror movie that is remininscent of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, but with an extra heaping of Spielbergian special effects. The movie is full of suspense, yet actually contains very little violence, hardly any foul language, and no sex. If the film wasn't so frightening, it could be a family film.

A HORROR CLASSIC--AND RIGHTFULLY SO
What sets Poltergeist apart from the usual banality of other horror films is quite simple: this one actually has a story. A story that is as touching and beautiful as it is bloodchilling. This movie actually grabs you by the heart and holds on tight until you reach the final credits. The plot centers on the suburban Freeling family and the supernatural havoc their home is wreaking on them all. There is no sex, no slashing, and minimal gore, and yet you are quite honestly frightened out of your wits. The special effects-- which include a spectral parade down the stairs of the Freelings' home and a massive, roaring skull forcing its way through a doorway--are spectacular, and the cast is genuinely talented. The way Diane Freeling (JoBeth Williams) caterwauls in despair when her daughter, Carol Anne (the late Heather O'Rourke) is abducted by the spirits is heartwrenchingly believable. In short, this is a true must-see. Other standouts: Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein), a determined clairvoyant; and Dr. Martha Lesh (Beatrice Straight), a hard-nosed but sensitive parapsychologist.

"IT KNOWS WHAT SCARES YOU..."
When two of the greatest directors, horror master Tobe Hooper (creator of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" & "Salem's Lot") and filming genius, Steven Spielberg (creator of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" & "Schindler's List") came together, the blockbuster smash-hit, "Poltergeist" was born and blew audiences away worldwide! A classic combo of epic proportions that brought us one of the most horrifying, imaginative, and powerful films ever put on the BIG SCREEN!

Originally released in 1982, Heather O' Rourke plays the main role as loveable (and cute!) Carol-Anne, while JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson (leading star of the 80s T.V. sitcom hit, "Coach"), & Zelda Rubinstein would probably be considered the supporting actors. It is the most original and creative ghost story since "The Exorcist" (1973) & "The Amityville Horror" (1979) about the Freeling family who lives in the beautiful California suburbs. (which is where the movie was filmed) Carol-Anne somehow has a link with the supernatural via the family television set and soon strange and funny things begin to happen: a large earthquake strikes the community, chairs begin moving on their own, and the family dog begins barking for no apparent reason. (Or so it looks from OUR point of view!)

However, the phenomenon soon turns into a terrifying nightmare of unspeakable horrors: the mysterious tree outside in the back yard comes to life and nearly swallows Carol-Annes' brother, Robbie whole; and Carol-Anne is sucked into a parallel demension (the afterlife) through her bedroom closet. Now, it's up to a group of professionals in the study of the paranormal and a gifted elderly psychic to get her back!

(WARNING: Do NOT read this if you have not yet seen the movie. Contains spoilers...)

In the world of the afterlife, Carol-Anne continues to be tormented by the powerful entity (AKA The Beast) and soon her mother must be plunged into the spectral world herself, while her husband and the others assist her safe return in the process. Barely escaping the undead insanity, Carol-Anne and her mother are brought back to our reality through a gateway in the bathroom ceiling.

Everything is back to normal and everyone is safe again... OR SO IT SEEMS! One night, the family agrees to leave their beautiful home but the nightmare isn't over yet! Robbie is attacked by the one thing that scares him, his stuffed clown doll, while the mother tackles head on with the beast ITSELF! The spirits are now PISSED!! Carol-Anne and Robbie are nearly swallowed back into the portal to the afterlife but are saved by their courageous mother.

The father, being a real estate agent arrives home with his boss and is enraged with anger with the discovery that the town cemetary's headstones was moved but the bodies were left buried under the Freeling's home. After a breathtaking escape, all hell breaks loose in the suburbs in an explosive thrill-ride finale! The ending was quite clever and nicely done and once you see it, you'll never think of T.V. sets the same way again! The DVD includes WIDESCREEN & FULLSCREEN animorphic formats and the original theatrical trailer to the film which is nice for an extra treat! But keep in mind that the BONUS extras are pretty limited.

There are absolutely NO BTS footage, let alone cast interviews or director commentaries. During the production of the film, real scary events were reported happening which weren't supposed to happen and ironically a few years later, Heather O' Rourke, Dominique Dunne (who played Carol-Anne and Robbie's older sister, Dana Freeling), & Julian Beck (who played the villain, Kain in the sequel) died. (Heather O' Rourke died before the release of "Poltergeist III") I only hope that maybe in the future a Special Edition 2-disk set of the movie can be available, teaching us what REALLY happened during filming with the cast interviews and such. After all, it would give Tobe Hooper and Spielberg fans a more insight to the movie. For now, this is the best version of the movie you can get and is without doubt, a MASTERPIECE in cinema!

I GIVE IT A 10/10!!!! DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS #1 HORROR CLASSIC! BUY TODAY!!! I also recommend, "The Amityville Horror", "Tourist Trap", "The Exorcist", & "The Funhouse" in addition! They are all truly horrifying films in their own unique way.

Always Liked This But...
Poltergeist comes from my childhood so it will always be a part of me. It was one of the first films I remember seeing and I will never forget it. To watch it now brings back memories of being a kid and for that it will always have a place in my heart. This film was never that scary to me. For some reason I found it too silly to be scary. Poltergeist is also one of the dumbest movies to be made because there is no way a family would stay in a house AFTER chairs pile up on the table and they hear voices at night. Also who would stay in this house AFTER they got Carol Ann back? That was the straw that broke the camel's back. When I was a child I didn't notice these things but as an adult it makes a once very interesting film seem down right pathetic. I still like this movie it just makes no sense whatsoever.

Poltergeist (1982)
Director: Tobe Hooper
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Jobeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne, Zelda Rubenstein.
Running Time: 114 minutes.
Rated PG for ghastly scary scenes and some language.

The anticipation for "Poltergiest" was imminent. With "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" director Tobe Hooper teaming with the likes of Steven Spielberg (who has directed such classics as "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park") and Frank Marshall, it was bound to be a supernatural classic. The team did not disappoint. This film is one of the most stylish, devilishly entertaining horror films of the past quarter century, using superb special effects, fine performances, and an elegantly humorous screenplay as a springboard to portray the terror of restless spirits.

The opening scene of "Poltergiest" is the most famous, presenting the cute six-year old girl Carol Ann in front of a disoriented television screen. As the girl turns back to her family, who has fallen asleep watching a television program, she proclaims "They're here!", creating the foundation for a tense, roller-coaster ride full of ghoulish thrills and chills. When the family realizes that their house has been inhabited by fiendish spirits who wish to use their daughter as tool to reach the next world, parents Steven and Diane (played extremely well by "Coach"'s Craig T. Nelson and the charming Jobeth Williams) must put their faith back in love and use sheer determination to save their family from the evil ghosts.

Some of the most memorable and witty scenes involve the quirky haunted house specialist (played by Rubenstein), which she guides the Freeling parents into a world of unspeakable horrors as they attempt to rescue their daughter. The musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is evocatively on the mark, using a chorus of children vocalists that not only create a glorious harmony, but add an eeriness to the film. "Poltergiest" is not only a ghost tale, but a film that renders a theme of hope and faith, using a gentle touch that is not found in many horror films. A magnificent spectacle of stricly original terror, "Poltergiest" has withstood the tests of time and is still of one of the best. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Desrves more than 5 stars!
This video was recored live in Central Park on September 19, 1981. I think it deserves more than 5 stars. I think is the greatest video that ever was. Simon and Garfunkel sing infront of 500,000 people. It contains 2 extra songs that were cut from the album; The late great Johnny Ace, and Late in the evening(reprise). Durring The Late Great Johnny Ace, a duranged fan jumps on stage after Paul sings about John Lennon being shot. Paul gets real scared and the bouncer comes and grabs the kid and takes him away. The highlight of the evening I think is when Paul sang 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Art sings an OK version of Bridge over troubled water. Paul and Art play with an amazing backing band too. Also much of the dialogue that was cut from the record, is restored on the tape. Things such as intro's of songs, Paul introduces the band, and Paul had a speech about fireworks. I think it is great and you should buy it. You can't be considered a Simon and Garfunkel fan without it.

Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park-superb
This dvd is much more than entertainment.this dvd presents simon and garfunkels life works in just under 1 and a half hours.The picture quality is not superb dvd quality but considering it was filmed and recorded in 1981 the best job in mixing it has been achieved. There are some great renditions of the classics such as mrs robinson,scarbourough fair,feelin groovy,sounds of silence and the boxer. The camera work and sound is spectacular and you really get a sense of what the atmosphere must have been like for the audience in this historic event. a spectacular performance by 2 elite singer/songwriters.All though there are no special features this is a must have for simon and garfunkel fans or fans of th 60's. Many peopel and even Art himself suggest that this was not his best performance but i beleieve he is exceptional and it is shown when singing such songs as scarbourough fair and bridge over trouble water in particular.

Simon and Garfunkle - Revisited.
I was happy to see Simon and Garfunkle in concert on their recent "Old Friends" tour, and was more than pleased by the performance of two men who, by all rights, should've been retired and not in the best of vocal form. The afterglow of the Philadelphia show led me to acquire this DVD from the 1981 Central Park reunion show. Since most of the songs from the current tour are reflected by the Central Park set list, it was worth it for me.

This DVD is actually better than I originally remember from watching it on TV. Maybe I was just too wrapped up in my new wave years (I was a junior in college at the time the album was released), but both men were in strong form vocally. It also meant that, as a greatest hits sort of show, all the bases are essentially covered. Even the Paul Simon solo material comes across as well matched (in particular, "American Tune" which rings truer in the post 9/11 world as it did back then). The instrumentation is a bit dated, Richard Tee's keyboards especially, but that's more the fault of the times than of performance.

And the performances here are superb. Oddly, the one major musical flub from the disc is "The Late Great Johnny Ace." It was Simon's tribute to John Lennon and is when a fan charges the stage, distracting Simon from the microphone. Art Garfunkle is relegated to only one solo hit here, and naturally it's "A Heart In New York." Just as "counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike" gets a huge outburst of applause (it did here in Philly, too), "Heart" brings the crowd to express itself with exuberence.

On the other hand, when Art begins to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water," it's hard not to notice that he can still sound like the folk singing choirboy of the sixties, and even more so for "The Sound of Silence." Despite all the infighting, back biting and legendary arguments that Simon and Garfunkle have shared over their career, there is no denying that - as a duo - they created magic. After 20 years, I'm glad "The Concert In Central Park" is in my DVD library.

There are a few minuses: A serious lack of extra features. Jamming two songs into one chapter, and not just once but six times. Crappy liner notes/graphics. The fact that you can still sense the personal tension between Art and Paul. (They were supposed to produce an album entitled "Think Too Much" together after the tour, the resulting album was Paul's "Hearts and Bones.")

PS: I eagerly await the inevitable "Old Friends" concert CD and DVD, and would also recommend Paul Simon's "Concert In The Park" from 1991.

Great concert - but there's still a significant cut
All of the reviews say it all. Except - in my hazy memory of watching the concert on TV I recall a song called "Citizen of the planet" being performed, which I now find out is a "new release" from S&G. Can anyone remember this song being performed in the Central Park concert?

To Correct Some Misconceptions
The other 4 and 5 star reviews speak for themselves. I'd like to correct a few misconceptions about this DVD, though. Anyone who thinks that "The Late Great Johnny Ace" in not included on the DVD has not watched it all the way through. Although not listed on the tacklist, it comes on right after "A Heart In New York". Another criticism was over the inclusion of seven Paul Simon solo tunes. Paul Simon wrote almost all of S&G's material. In my book, any Paul Simon song that Art sings on is a S&G song. By that standard, there are only two Paul Simon solo songs. Plus Art sings solo on two S&G songs and his own "A Heart In New York". So I think it evens out pretty well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's not exactly Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but this 1998 entry, starring Vanessa Williams and newcomer Chayanne offers its own terpsichorean pleasures. The story centers on Rafael Infante (Chayanne), a Cuban émigré to Texas, where he takes a menial job at a local dance studio run by John Burnett (Kris Kristofferson). There, he falls for Ruby Sinclair (Vanessa Williams), a one-time ballroom championship contender looking for the opportunity to compete for the title once more. The romance seems a foregone conclusion but has some snap thanks to a crisp performance by Williams and a sunny (if limited) one by Chayanne, a singing star in Puerto Rico. Best of all is the dancing itself. In terms of both energy, exuberance, and style, this film's dance sequences rank with the best of the decade's limited celebration of the kinetic art, such as Strictly Ballroom and Shall We Dance. Though the movie's central plot secret seems obvious from the first downbeat, the film takes off every time the dance music kicks in. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (85)

Fantastic
"Dance With Me" was a really great movie that worked on manylevels. It had great music, an enthusiastic, fun-loving cast, a great storyline, believable characters, sensitivity, romance, and a happy ending. This was accomplished without the use of gratuitios sex, violence, and bad language that seems to be all too common in todays movies of lesser character. Vanessa L. Williams was great as dancer Ruby, and Chayanne was wonderful and romantic as her male love-interest, though he did have a tendency to smile way too much. They were amazingly romantic, full of chemistry, Chayanne was very convincing in his role as a man with dubious parentage. Chayanne is hot, yes, but even hotter was the man who played Vanessa L. William's ex-partner, the father of her son, and competetion partner during the Latin dance contest sequence. He is an extremely sexy man! I only wish that he, Valenzuela (the male Valenzuela--not the woman one), could have gotten WAY more screen time. This movie makes you want to get up and dance. It moves you in more ways than one. I've watched it at least twenty-five times since it was released (very limitedly in the theaters), and I will watch it, no doubt, twenty-five more times before it's all over. This is a fantastic, glamourous movie, and if you prefer a little "ethnicity" in your movies as opposed to formulaic movies like "Strictly Ballroom" or "Dirty Dancing," and if you want to hear great Afro-Carribbean-Latin sounds and see some of the best dancers in the world, this movie is for you.

Great, wonderful, highly enjoyable movie!
"Dance With Me" was a really great movie that worked on many levels. It had great music, an enthusiastic, fun-loving cast, a great storyline, believable characters, sensitivity, romance, and a happy ending. This was accomplished without the use of gratuitios sex, violence, and bad language that seems to be all too common in todays movies of lesser character. Vanessa L. Williams was great as dancer Ruby, and Chayanne was wonderful and romantic as her male love-interest, though he did have a tendency to smile way too much. They were amazingly romantic, full of chemistry, Chayanne was very convincing in his role as a man with dubious parentage. Chayanne is hot, yes, but even hotter was the man who played Vanessa L. William's ex-partner, the father of her son, and competetion partner during the Latin dance contest sequence. He is an extremely sexy man! I only wish that he, Valenzuela (the male Valenzuela--not the woman one), could have gotten WAY more screen time. This movie makes you want to get up and dance. It moves you in more ways than one. I've watched it at least twenty-five times since it was released (very limitedly in the theaters), and I will watch it, no doubt, twenty-five more times before it's all over. This is a fantastic, glamourous movie, and if you prefer a little "ethnicity" in your movies as opposed to formulaic movies like "Strictly Ballroom" or "Dirty Dancing," and if you want to hear great Afro-Carribbean-Latin sounds and see some of the best dancers in the world, this movie is for you.

Good, but I've seen better
I enjoy this show, but as a ballroom dancer, this movie did have a lot of problems. The competition scene itself was hopelessly off. If you're going to display a ballroom competition, at LEAST get it right! The comp they showed is nothing like a real competition, you get nothing of the real feel of what ballroom is. Someone looking to get hooked on the dance style will be sorely disappointed if that's what they're expecting. There's a lot more to it than this movie shows. More to the point, I'd like to see a ballroom movie that employs REAL ballroom dancers, people who actually know what they're doing. That could bring a whole new kind of charisma to the screen. Other than that, though...the music was incredible, very dance-able, it made me want to get out and samba the night away. The story was only halfway, and sort of muddy at times, like they were trying to put TOO much into it, but not too bad. Still, give me Strictly Ballroom any day.

slow & predictable
some good dancing/music & an occassional laugh; however, i found the story slow, cliche & predictable. did i miss the scene where the us/cuban governments began allowing hassle free travel for citizens between the us & cuba??? a 2 star film with an extra star for vanessa williams, who is unbelievably gorgeous.

A real feel good film
A glimpse of beautiful, stylish dance entertainment and a capture of smooth passionate heat. Vanessa L. Williams and Chayanne worked well together. A great feel good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (70)

Well animated but not true to the strip
Garfield: The Movie is a fairly straightforward story with no secondary tales or other touches that could take this film out of kidvid. The interaction between the animated Garfield and the real actors and sets is subtle, rather than the eye-popping wow! of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Unlike better family films such as Shrek or Finding Nemo, this one is strictly for kids as there is little to keep an adult's interest.

The movie starts out with a few scene-setting vignettes, brief unconnected tales much like the Jim Davis comic strip the movie was lifted from. But right away something is amiss. Jon, Garfield's human, isn't presented as a complete loser. He lives in a very nice house in an unspecified part of the midwest that looks suspiciously like Oak Park or a similar John Hughes location. The furnishings are tasteful and reasonable quality. And Jon isn't completly incompetent in his day to day actions.

And what's worse, Jon's unrequited feelings for Garfield's veterinarian, Liz, are not thrown in his face (as per the strip) but returned within the first 20 minutes. The vet character is just as wrong as Jon; both are cute, thin, and dress well. Jon should be a zhlub, Liz should be strictly business. Here, Jon's a heartthrob and Liz dresses like she's on her way to a disco. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

The major plot point is okay (evil cable-TV animal show host kidnaps Odie after dog wins a blue ribbon, Garfield rescues him), the animated Garfield is done well, and the status quo is preserved. My kid liked it okay. But I would not advise anyone over 12 to watch this unless accompanied by an