Description

Nab the star-studded comedy-adventure that dazzled moviegoers everywhere! It's the action-packed tale of three loyal swordsmen (Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt) who are joined by an eager recruit (Chris O'Donnell) to protect the King of France. Together, the foursome battle enormous odds in their attempt to defeat an evil royal advisor (Tim Curry) and a seductive envoy (Rebecca De Mornay) plotting to overthrow France's crown -- fighting against both time and scores of enemies! You'll cheer out loud when these exciting muskeeteers face danger, fun, and adventure at every turn -- proving they are the greatest swashbucklers who ever lived! ... Read more

Reviews (95)

My favorite musketeers movie
All right, let it be said. This movie has NOTHING to do with Dumas's novel. It isn't even close. There, now that that's out of the way, let me just say that this is a great film. It's done in typical Disney style, with an incredible cast that brings to life this classic tale with a lot of flare and some good, old-fashioned fun.

The entire cast is great: the three Musketeers (Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, and Charlie Sheen) are hilarious, and the impetuous young D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) proves the perfect complement to this already comic trio. Add Tim Curry and Michael Wincott as the bad guys and you've got yourself a comic, action-packed adventure that is sure to please the whole family.

Loved it
I found this movie very entertaining... Oliver Platt (Porthos) provided some great laughs. Charlie Sheen (Aramis) was one of the nice looking ones. Kiefer Sutherland (Athos) could have acted a bit more bitter... but he did an over good job. Chris O'Donnel (D'Artgnan) no. I don't think he took to this part well at all. I agree with several other reviewers. He turned it into mush. Tim Curry (Car. Richeliu) LOVED HIM! He played that part two ways to the director... funny or scary/serious. The director wanted to go for the funny way, mainly because everyone else in the cast would be as well. I would have loved to have seen him play it serious. Rebecca DeMornay( ?) was quite good as a seductress. The man w/the patch (can't remember name) did fairly well. Wasn't the best performance, but wasn't mush either. I give this film only four stars, mainly because of Chris O'Donnel's performance. No,it didn't stay true to the book, but I liked it anyways.

F.U.N
is this film corny? silly? fun? YES! its a FUN romp! The acting is great the story is great its a very well done version of the classic story. the sword fighting isnt bad either. If you have seen this you must get it quick, most disney films don't last long. If you like swashbuckling movies that are fun and pay homeage to the films of days long gone this is for you!

BRAVO!!!
Definitely a great epic movie and one of my personal favorites, The Three Musketeers, brings to the screen the tale of who else, but Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, and the gorgeous Rebecca De Mornay whose performances are simply amazing, make this movie one of the best of its kind. (Tim Curry's character, in particular, as Cardinal Richelieu, steals the show!)
The actors' great talent and chemistry clearly shows, thus providing an entertaining film that can be watched over and over again. The castles, the battles and the costumes are all wonderful! The Three Musketeers is a movie about love, honor, bravery, loyalty, and heroes from a time long gone. It is a great movie indeed!

Wish I could give it O stars
The cast seems ludicrously out of place in this movie--only Anwar is partially believable and her part is slight.

If you wish to see an interesting an authentic three musketeers, look for AISN B00006LPC5 , a 1972 version that is incredible. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Overlooked in theaters but gaining a modest cult following in video release, writer-director John Herzfeld's underrated 2 Days in the Valley has a lot going for it, not the least being a variety of interesting characters played by a superb ensemble cast. The complex plot centers on a mild-mannered hit man (Danny Aiello) who is hired by an icy killer (James Spader) to assist him on his latest job. Eric Stoltz and Jeff Daniels play the vice cops who stumble on the murder scene. Their investigation leads to a colorful array of San Fernando Valley denizens, including a has-been director (played by director Paul Mazursky) and a snobbish art dealer (Greg Cruttwell) whose lives come together in unexpected and interesting ways. Emphasizing characters that consistently hold our attention with humor and poignant desire, this clever thriller fits nicely into the eccentric category of "Only in California." --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (42)

"You have one minute to decide the rest of your life..."
I found this film to be absolutely fantastic! The story was interesting, the cast was intriguing and the humor/sarcasm was witty and unique. I found myself laughing at times just because of the characters' interesting behaviors.

The film begins with a murder-for-hire. Eventually, the hit men and a wide range of other characters come together through coincidence and circumstance and are forced to resolve their issues while trying to escape from San Fernando Valley, California.

The storyline of this film is a bit crazy, but the characters invloved are all excellent and hold the viewer's attention. James Spader is particularly good as Lee, a cold-blooded murderer who is obsessed with time, especially the importance of a single minute. This is definitely one of his best films. His acting in this movie is creepy, but fantastic. The rest of the cast was also really great and it was enjoyable to watch their lives play out. Another positive aspect of the film was the terrific score...I can't get some of the songs out of my head!

Overall, this was a fantasic film and I highly recommend it to anyone who is in the mood to watch something that is really fun and hearwarming. It is definitely a must for fans of James Spader, but I think that it can be enjoyed by a wide audience. Give this film a try and I guarantee that you will enjoy it!

Two Days in the Valley
This is a really good movie, with an unbelievable cast and a brilliant plot! The music soundtrack is also very good, and there is not a bad scene in the movie! I just can't understand why nobody has seen this film! Here we have a variety of bizarre characters (highlights were Danny Aiello, James Spader, Charlize Theron, and Jeff Daniels) who stumble into each other's lives. The director threw in a lot of little interesting quirks, such as the murderous assassin smirking as he watches a cop sight down the barrel of a watergun, or a spiteful old man who we came to hate earlier slinking out of a Japanese pleasure house in the dead of night. (Another interesting thing for me about the movie is to watch for the manner in which every character's name is given as the plot unfolds. ALL of them are named at least once somewhere in the film!) The movie is very well written and very interesting, and if there is any problem whatsoever, it would have to be that at times the dialogue becomes a bit laborous and unrealistic. (Sometimes, it appears that the characters are explaining what's going on to the audience, rather than conversing with the other characters.) Nevertheless, this is a trite point, and distracts none at all from the movie's enjoyment. And although Two Days in the Valley has been called a "Tarantino rip-off", I think this is because, like in many Tarantino films, we get to see famous actors playing in roles that we are not accustomed to seeing them in.

WHERE IS MY WATCH ?
I still wonder what was the purpose of John Herzfeld when he filmed TWO DAYS IN THE VALLEY. The structure of the movie isn't revolutionary, so the plot should give us an answer to this question.

Well...I still wonder, did I say ! It could be :

- Everybody changes his mind so don't take anything for granted.

- One minute of your time can modify your life (but we know that already, don't we ?).

- Don't get married if you're an ice skater !

And so on. You've understood that the screenplay isn't the main interest of this movie neither.

Happily enough, the cast is great and brings very funny and enjoyable moments, I must admit it.

A DVD zone I should have rent it instead of buying it.

This film is a classic because...
No matter what scene you come in on, you'll say to your friends, "Look, this is a really good part,"and you'll all sit there till the end. I always figured Charlize Theron was sleeping with the costume designer because she was a new-comer, while Teri Hatcher was an established star. Yet, in every scene, Teri is sweating, in sweats, and Charlize is wearing this white body stocking(or not)that looks like it's more make-up than clothing. Their fight scene is my favorite. Spader gives everyone 60 seconds, Aiello cooks, Jeff Daniels steams and Eric Stoltz finds a clue and meets a charming young lady. You'll recognize almost everyone in this "all stories converge" masterpiece.

Most fun I've had with a cult classic in a long time. . .
'2 Days in the Valley' is NOT one of those movies where you're rolling around on the floor laughing, but you will most likely find yourself feeling and cheering for this bunch of characters played out by an AWSOME and well-cast cast. Charlize Theron in particular (who has got to be one of the most beautiful women on Earth) will leave you thinking about her long after the movie is over. She and Terri Hathcer's (who does the best acting job here she has ever done) cat fight toword the end is the highlight of the movie by far. If you like quirky characters, cute gogs, unbelievably gorgeous women who can fight, and even coldblooded killers, you will surely enjoy this movie.

if you are one of those people who only like these big, epic movies (re: Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart) then avoid '2 Days in the Valley' . . . it's not for everyone :D ... Read more

Reviews (41)

A GREAT 1960'S WAYNE WESTERN!
Paired with Robert Mitchum, El Dorado is essentially a remake of Howard Hawks' earlier Rio Bravo (with writer Leigh Brackett updating her own script). John Wayne, instead of sheriff, plays an aging gunman, who is getting too wise for the game. Robert Mitchum, as the drunken sheriff, takes over the role of the drunken Dean Martin, and James Caan is the fresh faced greenhorn last played by Ricky Nelson (thankfully, Caan doesn't sing). Hawks and Brackett take their time in setting up this story, giving Wayne and Mitchum plenty of backstory, before the stand-off in the town of El Dorado.

In this movie, Thornton is offered a job by land grabber Ed Asner to take out the Sheriff of El Dorado and run the rightful landowners off their land. Thornton refuses and instead goes to El dorado to help his friend against the other gunmen Asner hired led by Nelse McCloud played by regualr Wayne Co-Star Christopher George.

Caan plays Mississippi a young man who cannot use a gun and is given a sawed off shotgun as his weapon. Arthur Hunnicut plays Bull and essentially takes over the role that Walter Brennan played in "Rio Bravo".

The movie has a great deal of action as well as humor as Wayne and Caan and Hunnicutt attempt to sober up the sheriff. Wayne and Mitchum had great chemistry together and even though the Duke was aging, still commands the screen in this movie.

Lots of fun.

The best Wane flick
This is my all-time favorite John Wayne flick. Most lists I see list "The Searchers" as the best, but I disagree. This is essentially a reworking of "Rio Bravo", but you get better co-stars here with Robert Mitchum and James Caan. Plus you don't have the unrealistic sing-a-long that occurs in the middle of "Bravo"

In this movie Cole Thornton (Wayne) is a hired gunman in town to help out in a range war. Before he goes out to meet his new boss, Bart Jason (Ed Asner), he meets his old buddy J. P. Harrah (Mitchum). Harrah convinces Thornton that he'd be fighting for the wrong side.

Later, Thornton is in another town, where he meets up with Nils McCloud (Christopher George), who is off to El Dorado to take the job Thornton turned down. McCloud tells Thornton that Harrah is now a hopeless drunk, so of course, this being a Wayne flick, Thornton has to ride to the rescue.

Along the way he is accompanied by Alan Bedillian Traherne ("Yeah, that's why most people call me 'Mississippi'.") and Bull (Arthur Hunnicut). The end is a shootout worthy of the name.

A Very Entertaining Western
EL DORADO has a lot of good elements such as an interesting story, gripping suspense and above all excellent acting. Besides John Wayne in the role of a professional gunfighter and Robert Mitchum as the sheriff of El Dorado, the film has a strong supporting cast which includes James Caan, Charlene Holt, Paul Fix, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michele Carey and John Mitchum. The latter is the younger brother of Robert Mitchum. In this movie John plays a bartender. He has more than 200 movie and TV appearances to his credit as well as stints as a singer and song writer.

Robert Mitchum can play a drunk trying to cope with a hongover as well as anybody in movies. Howard Hawkes is best remembered for his direction of SERGEANT YORK.

I always thought that EL DORADO deserved a high rating even though it failed to receive any Oscar nominations in 1967. The Academy award competition in that year was dominated by BONNIE AND CLYDE, THE GRADUATE and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.

ONE OF WAYNE'S BETTER 1960'S WESTERNS
El Dorado is basically a remake of 1959's Rio Bravo with Robert Mitchum playing the Dean Martin Role and James Caan playing the Rick Nelson role as a young gunman. The Trio are joined by Mitchums deputy "Bull" in trying to protect a family of rancers from an evil land baron trying to run them off their land.

It's classic Wayne with lots of humor mixed in with the action. Wayne and Mitchum were very good together and Mitchums scenes playing the drunken sheriff are very funny.

Ed Asner plays the evil land baron with Christopher George as his hired gunslinger who wants to challenge the older Wayne to see who is faster on the draw.

Not as good as Rio Bravo but better than Rio Lobo which was basically yet another re-make of the same plot.

Decent remake
I got the feeling that Hawks was sitting around one day wondering what movie to make next when he happened upon the Rio Bravo script and, as a joke, suggested making it all over again. The movie execs, sniffing money, said why not and so El Dorado was born.

Wayne reprises the Wayne part, Mitchum the Martin, Caan the Nelson and Hunnicutt the Brennan. Wayne is noticeably older and paunchier and doesn't quite have the chemistry with Mitchum that he had with Martin but it's not a bad effort. Hunnicutt's deadpan delivery is almost as amusing as Brennan's moaning and shrieking. James Caan is a better actor than Nelson if perhaps not so easy on the eye.

Buy both movies, watch both and love both. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anyone who's ever been passionate about golf will find something to admire in Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, a staidly reverent biopic about one of the game's greatest champions. In the title role, Jim Caviezel suffers almost as much as he did in The Passion of the Christ, portraying Jones--who made history by winning golf's elusive Grand Slam (four top tournaments in less than four months) in 1930--as a passionately committed golfer who silently endured chronic pain (a spinal disorder prompted his early retirement at age 28), stomach ailments, emotional torment, and borderline alcoholism while maintaining amateur status in the sport he so magnificently dominated. Jeremy Northam brings much-needed levity and rakish style as Jones' friend and rival golfer Walter Hagen, and Malcolm McDowell adds colorful character as Jones' friend and biographer O.B. Keeler while Claire Forlani suffers the typical biopic plight of the hero's wife, who offers compassionate empathy while wishing Jones had more time for family. With repetitive golf scenes and a somber tone of martyrdom, Bobby Jones was partially financed by Jones' estate, which may explain its respectable dullness and instant fate as a box-office dud. Still, director Rowdy (Road House) Herrington is clearly enamored of his subject, and some of that enthusiasm shines through the gloom. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Bobby Jones Integrity
I am not a golfer, but seeing this movie made me want to play. I was impressed by the beauty of the golf courses. Bobby impressed me very much. I liked his sense of honesty. He is a good roll model for young men. This movie is a classic to me. When you want to come away from a movie feeling good, go see this one. The way the story was told was very good. From a small boy, and then growing up. I thought Jim Caviezel looked very much like Bobby. I was not bored at all.

King of Swings
As powerful as the movie and Jim Caviezel's portrayal of Christ in The Passion of the Christ is, the movie IS NOT ENTERTAINING. Big Surprise! This movie is entertaining to watch because of Caviezel's subtle portrayal of Bobby Jones, the good supporting cast, the wonderful scenery, and the positive message of the movie. I'm definitely going to purchase the DVD, and I don't even like golf!

Fore the love of the game
For as long as I can remember my goal in life was to be the starting third baseman for the Chicago White Sox. Which was an ambitious goal considering I never even started on my Little League teams. I always thought that if I was gifted in baseball that I would be willing to play without pay. I loved the game that much.

Bobby Jones loved golf like I love baseball and he had the ability that matched his desire. He also had a life outside of Golf and was never content to be defined by what he accomplished as a player.

Jim Caviezel is amazingly convincing as Bobby Jones. Caviezel has a remarkable ability to become the character he is portraying. His dead-on performance brings added poignancy to the narrative.

The story is also aided by the strong performances of Claire Forlani as Jone's wife and Jeremy Northam as his main rival, Walter Hagen. In lesser hands these supporting roles could have been caricatures that did little to add to the pathos or the plot.

Through these performance and through the extraordinary golf sequences the viewer comes away with an acute understanding of the love affair that people have with the games they play.

Love Bobby Jones, not the movie
Being an Atlanta native, I grew up with the legend of Bobby Jones. It's a shame that the movie did not match his standards for quality in his golf and his life. It is slow and plodding, the acting stiff and the scenes awkwardly staged not very natural. Instead of feeling you were in 1920, you constantly sensed that it was shot today trying to imitate 1920. James Caviezel was actually pretty good, but the movie as a whole just had an amateurish production quality. Bobby Jones was a great person, more so than a great golfer. The movie tried to show this, I just wish it could have been done more professionally.

Bobby Jones -
I had the pleasure of seeing this movie at its premiere in NYC and learning more about the making of the film. The film itself is well done and gives you a real sense of the character of Bob Jones. He is a man that overcame his own problems through discipline, strength of character, and determination. No excuses, just do it. Lessons most of us need to practice!

But the story behind the story is just as inspiring. The independent film made by the Bobby Jones Film Foundation was made on a shoestring budget yet has continued to give and raise money for charities. The foundation believes in the philanthropic legacy of the Jones family - there's more to life that money and winning championships. Bobby Jones was diagnosed and suffered from syringomyelia - a painful and degenerative spinal disorder that some 240,000 Americans suffer from.

The American Syringomyelia Alliance Project (ASAP) is a non-profit charity supporting research and education for people affected by syringomyelia. The Jones family and the Bobby Jones Film Foundation are generously supporting ASAP as well as other charities. Bobby Jones chose to make the best of his life despite syringomyelia - through his continuing legacy, ASAP is improving the lives of those with syringomyelia today. Go see this film and be prepared to be inspired.
(...) ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Good film, less suspenseful than dramatic
There is great tension in this film, but the suspense is less frightening than we see in some of Hitchcock's other films.

What's really great about this film is the directorial art, in visuals and timing and setups -- and the acting is fabulous. How often did we get to see Stewart really flex his dramatic muscles in so complex and potentially somewhat dark and hard character? Song or no song, Doris Day does a fine job of acting through Que Sera-Sera, and it is artfully placed and used within the film for dramatic effect. Personally, I feel and understand her predicament, even though I don't find myself as involved with the characters as I do in Rear Window. That, however, may just be me, since Rear Window is my favorite Hitchcock film -- and I find it easier to identify with Grace Kelly's character than I do with this one.

Overall, a fabulous film, worth watching. If you get past the clothes and cars, you'd never know when it was made -- personally, I don't care!

Hitchcock Sleeper Classic now on WIDESCREEN DVD!!!!
The 1956 Widescreen Color "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a remake of Hitch's 1934 Standard Screen Black & White British version. (Hitch didn't come to the United States until 1939). As he stated, "the 1934 version was directed by an amateur and the 1956 version by a professional."

This was to be the second of 5 brilliant films made from 1954 - 1960. (the others are; Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959) & Psycho (1960)). This was Hitchcock at his best, in fact these last 4 were voted to AFI's (American Film Institute's) top 100 films in the last 100 years (1998). So you can see why "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was overlooked. A definite sleeper classic!!!

Summary: James Stewart, wife Doris Day and son are on a vacation in Morocco. They are accidently swept up in an assassination plot to occur in London. The assassin group kidnaps their son as insurance of their silence and hold him hostage. Doris Days rare dramatic role is outstanding and her singing the Oscar winning song, ("Que Sera, Sera") high light this brilliant spy thriller. Jimmy Stewarts natural acting ability (Hitchcocks favorite male actor) pulls off being Doris Days husband.

The Anamorphic Widescreen Color presentation is excellent. The "Making of - with Patricia Hitchocks (Hitch's daughter) comments is very interesting & informative.

Que Sera Sera

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Format: Color
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: August 3, 1999

Cast:

James Stewart ... Dr. Ben McKenna
Doris Day ... Jo McKenna
Brenda De Banzie ... Lucy Drayton
Bernard Miles ... Edward Drayton
Ralph Truman ... Buchanan
Daniel Gélin ... Louis Bernard
Mogens Wieth ... Ambassador
Alan Mowbray ... Val Parnell
Hillary Brooke ... Jan Peterson
Christopher Olsen ... Hank McKenna
Reggie Nalder ... The assassin
Richard Wattis ... Assistant manager
Noel Willman ... Woburn
Alix Talton ... Helen Parnell
Yves Brainville ... Police inspector
Carolyn Jones ... Cindy Fontaine
Harry Fine ... Edington
Alex Frazer ... Man
Wolf Frees ... Aide to the foreign Prime Minister
Milton Frome ... Guard
Leo Gordon ... Chauffer
Walter Gotell ... Guard
Frank Atkinson ... Taxidermist
Bernard Herrmann ... Himself (conductor)
Alfred Hitchcock ... Man in Morocco marketplace
George Howe ... Ambrose Chappell Sr

Harold Kasket ... Butler
Barry Keegan ... Patterson
Lou Krugman ... Arab
Lloyd Lamble ... General manager of Albert Hall
Donald Lawton ... Desk clerk
Mayne Lynton ... Taxidermist
John Barrard ... Taxidermist
Edward Manouk ... French waiter
Richard Marner ... Aide to the foreign Prime Minister
John Marshall ... Butler
Lewis Martin ... Detective
Louis Mercier ... French policeman
Ralph Neff ... Henchman
Leslie Newport ... Inspector at Albert Hall
John O'Malley ... Uniformed attendant
Liddell Peddieson ... Taxidermist
Arthur Ridley ... Ticket collector
Patrick Aherne ... Handyman
Eric Snowden ... Special Branch officer
Alexi Bobrinskoy ... Foreign Prime Minister
Guy Verney ... Footman
Anthony Warde ... French policewoman
Patrick Whyte ... Special Branch officer
Peter Williams ... Police sergeant
Richard Wordsworth ... Ambrose Chappell Jr
Allen Zeidman ... Assistant manager
Clifford Buckton ... Sir Kenneth Clarke
Peter Camlin ... Headwaiter
Abdelhaq Chraibi ... Arab
Gladys Holland ... Bernard's girlfriend
Barbara Howitt ... Soloist in Albert Hall sequence
Enid Lindsey ... Lady Clarke
Janet Macfarlane ... Lady in audience
Betty Bascomb ... Edna
Elsa Palmer ... Cook
Mahin S. Shahrivar ... Arab woman
Alma Taylor ... Box office woman
Janet Bruce ... Box office woman
Naida Buckingham ... Lady in audience
Barbara Burke ... Assassin's girlfriend
Pauline Farr ... Ambassador's wife
Bess Flowers ... Woman in Hotel Lobby

On vacation in Marrakech, Morocco, Dr. Ben McKenna (James Stewart), his wife Jo (Doris Day) and their son Hank (Chrisopher Olson), meet a secret agent, Louis Bernard (Daniel Gélin) who is killed because he is in possession of a secret: a statesman is about to be assassinated in London. Before he dies, he confides in McKenna some of the details. To keep the doctor quiet, the
bad guys grab his son, Hank, and threaten his life.

This is the story as it unfolds. Hitchcock does his usual fine job of keeping up the tension, and of course Stewart and Day do their usual excellent job of acting. This is a superb thriller, and endlessly entertaining.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Shows that Doris Day can act
When this film was made, people were confused at the choice of Doris Day as the mother whose son is kidnapped. However, Doris Day is outstanding in this, and very convincing. She is more than just 'funny girl' actor who appeared in so many comedies.

The film does however suffer from being very dated. It starts off well, but goes pair-shaped halfway through. I'm not a fan of James Stewart, and wonder why Hitchcock used him so often. Didn't he realise that there were other actors around? He acted the same in all his films. Yawn!

The DVD is features packed. There's a "Making Of," Trailors and nice anamorphic transfer. Some reviews have criticised the transfer, but i actually think it is much cleaner than the supposedly restored "Vertigo" withDVD.

Doris Day Shines!
Alfred Hitchcock did a wonderful job on this 1935 remake of The Man Who Know Too Much. Dr. Ben McKenna, played by James Stewart, his wife, Jo (Doris Day), and their son are vacationing in French Morocco. They meet up with many suspicious charaters, but they befriend one man, played by Daniel Gelin. Their friend was a detective and was shot in front of many people while in the midst of trying to solve a case. Then the McKenna's son is kidnapped by some other "friends". The police aren't helping with the case so Ben decides to figure out who the kidnappers are by himself. This is the only Alfred Hitchcock film in which a song is sung. The song "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" won an Acadamey Award. Doris Day's acting is brilliant. She really got me to feel like I was her. That my son had just been kidnapped and I could not go on living. The movie was so good that I cried because I was deeply affected by the charaters feelings and emotions. This is one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock thirllers and one of my favorite Doris Day films. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Grand old-fashioned Cinemascope entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released this DVD on May 11, 2004. For anyone who's a fan of the Cinemascope era of the studio, this DVD is a must have. The movie itself is a silly contrivence of the time, based on a popular comic strip, as the illustrations during the main titles show, but it's all well-mounted with excellent photography and a Franz Waxman score that's a prime example of how a composer can really elevate the atmosphere and pace of a movie. The depiction of the era of the story is cardboard, with everyone and nearly everything looking too pretty and well-manicured -- no grubby surfs are anywhere to be seen, and even the comicbook Vikings are too clean -- but it's fun at its own level, even if today the movie's pace is a bit slow. My only complaint is that top-billed star James Mason isn't in more of it. The actor and his character are far more interesting to watch than the story's protagonist and the stiff, young Robert Wagner sporting a silly wig!

Fox has done a decent job of restoration on this 1954 Technicolor film. While the look is dated and the film stock is more grainy than we're used to today, the majority of it looks remarkably good. I suspect much of it was newly struck from the black and white color separation masters, but the frequent lap desolves have the second generation look of excessive grain and poorer color fidelity. There's one bad anomaly in the transfer at 24min.15sec., a 15 second shot that looks to be third generation. It's soft, grainy and blocked-up. Except for a couple rear projection shots elsewhere in the movie, nothing else in the transfer looks this bad. Otherwise this is a fine looking 16X9 anamorphic DVD of a vintage Cinemascope film.

Originally this movie was presented in some theatres in 1954 in 4-track magnetic stereo. Here, what survives of the stereo tracks is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 (not 5.1 as stated in another review here). I'd have preferred if Fox had gone to the efforts of doing a proper 4.0 transfer, but the stereo still sounds good, with the directional dialogue of the era intact, though it can be a bit distracting when left and right speakers are too far from the screen (in theatres the speakers would of course be behind the screen). I found I had to raise the dB level of my rear surrounds to +10 in order to bring out the ambient sound of the film, mostly reserved to the music, but at 1:27min.21sec., when pig fat is used to light fires during the siege of the castle, the mono surround did come alive with fire noise and that was fun.

I'm only giving this DVD three stars because Fox didn't have enough faith (and they may be right) in this library title's marketability to include a commentary track by star Wagner, or a least some feature on the film's production history, and because the sound wasn't remixed for 4.0, but if you're a fan of such films I highly recommend this DVD.

A Viking prince joins the Knights of the Round Table
The Sunday comic strip character gets the CinemaScope treatment and is an entertaining film with plenty of marquee names to attract more than passing interest. The movie holds up quite well 50 years after its release and tells the story of a Viking prince who seeks to overthrow an imposter who has seized the throne of Scandia from his father and return it to King Aguar. Robert Wagner is perfect as the determined and resourceful "Val", as the smitten Aleta [Janet Leigh] calls him, Sterling Hayden is fine as Sir Gawain, the stern but dedicated mentor to the "Viking knave", and the excellent James Mason's suave, polished and calculating Sir Brack has dark, sinister shadings. The film has plenty of action and derring-do, romance, jousting matches at a tournament, palace intrigue, a large-scale battle at the castle in Scandia and an excellent fight with broadswords between Valiant and the Black Knight at the end of the movie. Excellent color photography, realistic sets, beautiful scenery and Franz Waxman's brooding score round out a first-rate film production.

Fun Americanized Arthuruan Adventure!
"Prince Valiant" is a fun, colorful adventure yarn from 1950's Hollywood. It isn't very faithful to the tone or style of Hal Foster's groundbreaking and beautiful comic strip but is far above the average swords'n'armor pic of the era.

Lacking the style of Curtiz's swashbucklers, the solid scripting of Thorpe's "Ivanhoe" or the visual panache of his stunning tribute to the Brandywine illustrators, "Knights of the Roundtable", "Prince Valiant" packs in lots of well executed, wide-screen action, terrific set pieces, wonderful costumes and attractive landscapes.

Done with a straight American accent (apart from James Mason's stage-villain turn as the traitorous Sir Brock) it often reminds one of George Lucas's "Star Wars".

I've shown this to alot of kids & they all love it. Presented in its original 2.35.1 aspect ratio from a really clean print, it looks remarkably good considering it's a B-picture from half a century ago.

Oh, it also stars the wonderful Donald Crisp ("National Velvet", "How Green Was My Valley"). Overall, a steal for the sell-through price. Enjoy!

I'm eleven again
As soon as I began this DVD, I found myself setting in the massive RKO Keith's theater in Downtown Dayton, Ohio. The reason I purchased the disk was for that reason. I am 100% satisfied for in that department.

The film score by Franz Waxman is perfection. It is dramatic and fun. As an adult, I wish that the transfer had been in Dolby 5.1.

The performances are appropriate for this film except for Mr. Mason who does no wrong.

I would like to add that the sword fight at the end of the film is of equal to the excitement found in the final duel in Scaramouche.

SWORDS AND SASHES - AND LOVE THAT HAIR CUT!
Director, Henry Hathaway's film version of cartoonist, Hal Foster's Scandinavian hero, "Prince Valiant" is one of those over-blown, wacky-tacky epics that is impossible to take seriously, but so much fun to watch. Robert Wagner is the rather effeminate looking title character who takes Camelot by storm. Determined to regain his own throne, Valiant uncovers the treachery of the Black Knight (James Mason, in a toss away role) and challenges him. Of course, there's also time for love with bombshell, Princess Aleta (Janet Leigh - who quite often found herself squeezed into a corset during her 1950s film tenure.) The film veers between comic book pulp and self-conscious seriousness, but Hathaway's direction ensures that neither become the vice to sink his epic. Brian Aherne (as a credible King Arthur)and Sterling Hayden (a not so credible, Sir Gawain) costar.
THE TRANSFER: Pretty good. Colors are generally bold, vibrant and well balanced. Flesh tones seem a bit pasty but that's in keeping with early Cinemascope/Eastman color dye transfers. Shadow, contrast and black levels are generally solid. Rear projection photography is more obvious than it should be. Pixelization and edge enhancement are present but do not terribly distract. The audio is 5.1, delivering a nice spread in the music tracks. Dialogue is not natural sounding, but again, this was usually to be expected for the vintage of the film.
EXTRAS: Sorry. Nothing but the film.
BOTTOM LINE: This prince is worth a second glance, but its not quite as glamorous as, say "Scaramouche" so much as it belongs as the bottom half of a double bill at your old-time drive in. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

JOAN FONTAINE'S OSCAR -WINNING ROLE
"Suspicion" is a intriguing film and one of Hitchcock's best;it's beautifully made and perfectly played. The role of Lina McLaidlaw is not too unlike Fontaine's character in 1940's "Rebecca". Johnny Aysgarth (Grant) is the lovable scoundrel Fontaine marries,only later to become horribly suspicious of him for various reasons. In the last reel,director Hitchcock builds on every clue, every plot turn; in the final confession scene, he is dependent upon Grant's skills as an actor;the infuriating moral ending is expected but nevertheless, "Suspicion" remains a highly satisfying diversion.

Let's hope the DVD is truly a "Special Edition".
"Suspicion" is a wonderful suspense ride for Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. In his interview with Francois Truffaut many years later, director Alfred Hitchcock talked in detail about this film. He had a small flashlight put in the ominous glass of milk that Grant carries up the stairs to Fontaine, as she is having doubts about her play-boy husband. I can only hope that if the films original ending still exists, as it apparently was filmed, it is included on the upcoming DVD. Even if the footage is gone, perhaps story boards exist. The movie originally had Cary Grant actually plotting to off his wife. Fontaine is last seen writing a letter to her mother confessing her fears that her days are numbered. She gives Grant the letter to post when he brings her the "glowing" glass of milk. The last scene had a much relieved Grant, Fontaine having been dispatched, whistling as he mails the letter that will convict him. The music swelled to a judges gavel and the credits ran. Instead, we got a very happy, but very contrived and not terribly convincing ending. The studios did not want Grant, their matinee idol, playing a heavy. Hitchcock still made a wonderful film and hopefully the DVD release will pay homage to his original vision.

Stop Complaining! Just Watch the Movie!
"Suspicion" is one more classic Alfred Hitchcock film. Like many, it too is filmed in murky but beautiful black and white. The key character is Cary Grant, who worked with the great director so often. Grant plays the role of a lying, scheming, swindling, cheating and thoroughly unlikable fellow. He marries a young but wealthy ingenue, Joan Fontaine. He is patently and without remorse after her inheritance. Fontaine quickly realizes the type of jerk she has married. She even starts to suspect that Grant is out to kill her! The plot further thickens when Grant's buddy, actor Nigel Bruce, dies suddenly on a business trip with Grant. We wait for one of those English detectives that Hitchcock casts so well to haul Grant off to jail. And then? Then there is that famous car ride that ends the movie so abruptly and has given other reviewers fits. It is all too true that "Suspicion" ends quickly with no clear-cut resolution. We are left with no clue if the couple divorced, lived happily ever after or if Grant finally got tossed in a British cooler. The abrupt and unresolved ending is similar to "Notorious". This reviewer has no problems with murky endings. Why not appreciate them "as is"? Some interesting sidebars: 1)"Suspicion" was filmed with an entirely British cast on a Hollywood lot, nowhere close to the English seashore.2) Grant was said to be furious at the Director because Hitchcock allegedly was very patient with Fontaine but hassled him during production. 3) Ms Fontaine won a 1941
Best Actress Oscar for her role, making her the ONLY actor/actress to be so recognized for a Hithcock film. The recommendation from this reviewer is to enjoy "Suspicion" for what it is-an above average suspense film with perhaps a hole or two in it. Viewers should ignore the fact that Grant and Hitchcock have done better work elsewhere. They might also ignore the fact that RKO Pictures changed the "original" ending. That scarcely makes Hollywood history. Why not just calm down and watch the movie? "Suspicion" should stand alone on its' own merits.

A Suspicion that this Could Have Been More Memorable
There are no directors better than Alfred Hitchcock in setting a mood of menace or a string of clues that point to some truly climactic ending. In SUSPICION, Hitchcock presents a view of good guy Cary Crant as a leering, lying, cad who may be guilty of even worse criminal behavior.

Grant is Johnnie, who opens as the Cary Grant his fans have always known: suave, handsome, dashing. Joan Fontaine is Lina, a rather bookish frump who nevertheless catches Johnnie's eye. Early on, Johnnie's interest in Lina is at least partly based on her family fortune. When the audience sees Grant going against type by playing the caddish Johnnie, they can see that behind the smiling eyes and suave grin lay a twist that no one would have believed. Director Hitchcock slowly builds up the character of Johnnie by innuendo. At each step of the way, Lina hears and sees the implied charges, but she always tries to find a rational answer that does not point toward what the audience sees as the inevitable truth. Nigel Bruce as Beaky, a childhood chum of Johnnie's, supplies the same innocent charm that he displayed earlier as Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes series. Here as Beaky, Bruce reinforces the twin nature of Johnnie: that is one must accept his negative side if one is to as readily accept his positive. With each revelation, first from Beaky, then from Johnnie's employer (Leo G. Carroll), the mounting evidence accrues to convince Lina that her husband is guilty of a series of crimes ranging from theft, to deception, to murder. The famous scene in which Johnnie brings Lina a glass of glowing milk indelibly etches in the audience's collective mind the conviction that Johnnie is indeed the creep that he appears to be.

Unfortunately, Hitchcock could not allow the reputation of Cary Grant to be tarnished by ending the movie on the affirmation of a guilt that he had spent the better part of two hours so carefully constructing. The turn about of the closing scene leaves the viewer gasping in disbelief. Even if that viewer accepts the glib explanation of Johnnie of his true motivation, then this acceptance still leaves him as the same cad he was at the start of the film. Still, Joan Fontaine as Lina managed to snare an Oscar for best actress. SUSPICION is the kind of quality film that except for the last minute manages to engage the viewer in a race against time during which one woman must balance her feelings against mounting suspicions against a man whose charm is source both of her love and her deepest fears.

Slight thriller with star power
Cary Grant (Johnnie Aysgarth) was 37 when this was released and perhaps at the pinnacle of his sexual charm (but not at the pinnacle of his career by a long shot); and Joan Fontaine (Lina Aysgarth--not "Linda," as the video jacket mistakenly has it), 24, was fresh from her very fine performance in Rebecca (1940) alongside Laurence Olivier, also directed by Alfred Hitchcock, for which he garnered his only Best Picture Oscar. I don't think this film is nearly as good. It is saved from being something close to annoying at times only by the star power of the leads and a fine supporting cast, especially Nigel Bruce (best known perhaps as Dr. Watson in a number of Sherlock Holmes films) as Cary Grant's friend "Beaky."

The problem with the film lies partly with the casting of Cary Grant, although not in his performance as such. He was seen as such a valuable property by the studio that the proper ending of the film was considered inappropriate and so it was changed. Along the way we see a lot of mixed foreshadowing so it is impossible to tell whether his character is that of a loving husband who is a bit of a rogue or a cold-blooded murderer who married Lina for her inheritance and intends to kill her. We can see how the latter possibility might not work so well since she was only getting a subsistence allowance from the will of her father who disapproved of the marriage. And there are all those dark scowls that Grant manufactures, somewhat awkwardly I must say, to keep us in doubt. What is apparent is that Hitchcock had one ending in mind and then had to change it and wasn't able to redo some of the earlier scenes that worked better with the old ending.

At any rate, Joan Fontaine is very good, lovely, graceful and focused. With this performance she went one up on her older sister Olivia de Havilland by winning the Best Actress Oscar. And it is a bit of a spicy treat to see Cary Grant as something of a heavy, at least part of the time. For most of us, who have seen him in many films, his character has always been sterling.

I must also note that some of the production seems a bit unnatural. Grant wears his suit and tie all buttoned up even when visiting Fontaine in their bedroom (carrying the infamous glass of milk, which I understand was backlighted with a bulb inside the glass to make it almost glow). Fontaine's Lina appears mousey and bookish at the beginning (it is suggested that she was in danger of being an old maid!) but later develops a more sophisticated style. And I don't think Hitchcock or Grant really gave her enough cause for the sort of fear she experienced. The final scene with its quick about-face was not entirely convincing or conclusive either.

Contemporary audiences might wince at the plodding direction by Hitchcock. They might even wonder why he decided to make a movie from such a familiar and lightly plotted tale not far removed psychologically from a romance novel. But Hitchcock always erred on the side of giving the mass audience what he thought they wanted. What they wanted here was Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine together romantically with some mystery and doubt along the way. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Hilarious!!
This is a really funny movie about a soap opera, and the drama that goes on behind the scenes. Being a soap opera fan myself, I found this to be extremely funny as the movie pokes fun at the genre. The movie centers around a soap opera titled "The Sun Also Sets". Sally Field plays the big diva of the set, a real soap diva (a la Susan Lucci) who is friends with the show's headwriter (who is played by Whoopi Goldberg). The backstage drama upstages the drama that happens on screen each day, and takes a life of it's own. There's enough deceit, betrayal, backstabbing and other soap staples to occupy a lot of airtime on any soap opera! It's a very satrical movie, and it's quite funny how everyone's dirty laundry gets aired for everyone to see! I have to say that Sally Field is the scene stealer though, she has the soap vixen part down PAT and it's so entertaining to watch. I won't give away the plot, just watch the movie and enjoy the scandal. The movie also features Kevin Cline, Elizabeth Shue Robert Downey Jr., Cathy Moriarty, Teri Hatcher, Kathy Najimy, to name a few of the superstars. A really funny movie that you will watch over and over again.

SOAPDISH is a funny, wacky farce
Celeste Talbert is the Queen of Soap Opera divas. But after years of success on her show, "The Sun Also Sets," she finds herself beset with a wild assortment of wacky problems including jealous rivals, an ambitious niece, incompetent costumers, off-the-wall plots for the show, and the return of an old boyfriend who has his own ax to grind with his former sweetie. Needless to say, what happens ends up topping anything the soap opera could ever produce. SOAPDISH is a very funny farce that takes the excesses of soap opera and punches them up to a fever pitch level, poking fun at everything from TV networks to dinner theatre. The cast is top-notch, with Sally Field as the neurotic Talbert leading the way. She is matched by the hammy Kevin Kline as her old boyfriend with the big ego, while Whoopi Goldberg is delighfully droll as the show's head writer. Cathy Moriarty is pure venom as Talbert's rival, and Robert Downey, Jr., is perfectly befuddled as the show's producer with a yen for Moriarty. Nice performances are also turned in by Teri Hatcher (from TV's LOIS AND CLARK) and Elisabeth Shue, who both make one of their first film appearances in this flick. Overall, SOAPDISH is a wonderfully wacky film that should delight anyone who enjoys "behind the stage" type stories. Definitely recommended.

What if the real soap opera was behind the cameras?
"Soapdish" is a soap opera about a soap opera, which indulges in the appealing idea that what is happening behind the cameras is more sex, secrets, and scandal that what is happening in front. That is, until the end when, like "Tootsie," the dirty laundry is aired on live television. The focal point of the insanity is the legendary Celeste Talbert (Sally Field), the aging star of "The Sun Also Sets." When we first meet Celeste, accepting her umpteenth acting award, she thanks her co-workers, most of who are sitting there with frozen smiles muttering things that are not nice underneath their collective breaths. Clearly Celeste is a prima donna who needs to have a comeuppance.

The person who wants to be that comeuppance is bombshell Montana Moorehead (Cathy Morairty), who plays Nurse Nan on the show. She is enticing the show's producer, David Barnes (Robert Downey Jr.) with promises of naked fun to write Celeste's character Maggie out of the show. Towards that end he brings back Dr. Rod Randall, the character played by Maggie's ex-lover Jeffrey Anderson (Kevin Kline), despite the fact that his character was written out of the show after being decapitated by a tractor trailer while driving a pink convertible in the Yukon on his way to visit his brother, an ex-con named Frances. Fortunately there was a revolutionary two-day operation.

However, the monkey wrench in everybody's plan is young Lori Craven (Elisabeth Shue), who manages to worm her way onto the show and Celeste's dressing room. Those who actually watch more than television soap operas and were weaned on theatrical efforts along the same line should be thinking about "All About Eve" at this point, but, no, that is too mundane a plot line for this farce and Lori turns out to be the spark that starts a whole new round robin of the aforementioned sex, scandal and secrets.

With a script by Robert Harling ("Steel Magnolias") and Andrew Bergman ("The Freshman"), this 1991 comedy directed by Michael Hoffman ("Restoration") piles on the complications and tries to keep things going fast enough to keep the momentum going before it collapses. Fortunately "Soapdish" saves the best part for last, when it looks like the only thing that will save the day is an emergency brain transplant in a Jamican restaurant. Obviously everybody in the cast is trying to upstage everybody else, and the clear winner is Kevin Kline, who not only can figure out how to use his real voice when preparing for an important conversation but refuses to wear his contact lenses in scenes that require him to read off the teleprompter.

Also in the cast of "Soap Opera" are Whoopi Goldberg as Rose Schwartz, the writer who is Celeste's one friend, Teri Hatcher as actress Ariel Maloney, Gary Marshall as network head Edmund Edwards, and Kathy Najimy as the always perky Tawny Miller. Ultimately this comedy will appeal to those who like "Soap" and "Nurse Betty" more than "All My Children" and "As the World Turns," but there is nothing wrong with that, especially since sometimes this movie is as funny as it thinks it is.

awesome movie
clever, hillarious, goofy, great! this movie never got the recognition it deserves. it's a fantastic escape.

Very enjoyable
This movie isn't a laugh-riot from start to finish, but it does have some very funny moments, mostly when Kevin Kline or Cathy Moriarty are onscreen. Both of them rip into their roles with gusto, and steal the show from Sally Field, who is funny but only truly lets loose when she's interacting with Kline (i.e., an uproarious scene in Kline's apartment). Whoopi Goldberg and Robert Downey Jr. give fine comical supporting performances, as does Teri Hatcher (sporting extremely big hair) and Elisabeth Shue (though it's a little hard to picture the blonde Shue as the child of Kline and Field). Clever cameos by Garry Marshall, Carrie Fisher, Leeza Gibbons, and several soap actors round out the enviable cast, and sharp writing keep the whole thing afloat even in the weaker parts. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Mirale of the White Stallions
I am a ridding instuctor and have been searching for this video to show my students. It is a wonderful way for them to see some of the greatest riding in the world in a story every horse lover should know! These precious animals are braught to such vibrant and beautiful light by Disney in this movie. A REAL MUST SEE!!!

White Stallions Dancing
I have been trying to track down this movie for a long time. It was a movie from my childhood and I loved it dearly, I simply could not remember its title. I remember the heroics of the rescuers and the beauty of the Lipizanner horses. This is a movie that would still entrance all viewers, but especially those with a passion and love of horses. I wish Disney would release this on video for the children of today and tomorrow. This movie reminds us that war is not just about people but treasures and animals as well.

Miracle of the White Stallions
"Don't give a hoot about Joe Public" seems to be the mantra these days at Disney when it excitedly releases classics on DVD.

Why don't they take a little more care and issue these films in widescreen format in the way they were supposed to be seen. Its just another way the public has been hoodwinked by a greedy mouse. I wouldn't purchase any of these "new" re-releases until they put product of an acceptable - as opposed to half-assed - quality. Shame on you!

Again, the "new" Disney shows no respect for their heritage
No wonder the company is about to be taken over and broken up -- DVD was introduced to be an alternative to video, to offer more than video: better picture, more extras, and most importantly, more picture. Letterboxing. Widescreen. The complete image. So what does Disney do? They take some of their most beloved live-action films such as this one, and dump it on DVD in full-frame editions. It's a crime against these wonderful films, films that are a credit to the "old Disney" -- the wonderful, family-friendly Disney. And what, exactly is the point of pan-and-scan? Who isn't used to widescreen DVDs yet? Why should I waste my money replacing my old Disney videos with the same crappy full screen image as before? Disney just doesn't get it, and their sales show it.

THE DVD VERSION
Several of the reviews on this site ask the Disney studio to release this film on DVD. Well, they have and this review refers to the DVD version.

I have been familiar with this movie since I worked at the Disney studio in 16mm film distribution in the 1970s (about 7 years before the VHS blockbuster years began), and am familiar with the original negatives. In what I am finding to be typical of the Disney folks, this film is presented in a 'full frame' version, rather than a WIDESCREEN version. The film was shot for a 1:85x1 projected ratio (known as Academy Flat) which presents the picture in a slight retangular format. However, a full frame, 4x3 video transfer of such a negative isn't all that bad, although it would have distinguised it from the normal VHS format.

Also, I am very surprised that the Disney people didn't make an effort to 'clean up' the original negative, which contains a great amount of negative dirt and scratches. The DVD does preserve the original look to the film (color and tint), but there has been so much technology invented to digitally reproduce an almost flawless image, that I am surprised it isn't been used. It is one of trhe major reasons that people have switched to DVD.

Also, look for a mistake in the original negative. Just after the horses board the train, there are reddish, flash frames (possibly an overexposure to the camera original negative) which could easily have been removed digitally.

A few "extras" would have been nice, such as behind-the-scenes material. This stinginess is becomming something notorious with recent Disney DVD releases. Walt Disney shot tons of background footage for every movie he made, and this is stored in the studio vaults. I've seen it in 16mm, although it was shot on 35mm.. You can ignore the lack of a WIDESCREEN image if the DVD contained these precious extras. Otherwise, it's just a transfer of the old VHS image. What's the point of that?

As far as Robert Taylor's performance, far from being 'wooden' (as one reviewer wrote) I agree with another reviewer who said that he was protraying a real man (who was also alive at the time and a hero in Europe), and the script and direction decided to present a truthful, realistic portrrait of him. Don't forget that this movie, and many others (BALLERINA, HORSE WITHOUT A HEAD, ALMOST ANGELS) were shot in Europe after World War II. They were made chiefly for a European theatrical audience and were intened for an American TV audience on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY. So, you'll find a different style of acting and presentation: a bit slow for us, but perfect for their intended audience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The effects are low-tech and no longer special, but Escape to Witch Mountain still has plenty of Disney live-action charm. It's rather quaint by later standards, coming just two years before Star Wars upped the ante on movie magic, but the story's got timeless appeal as a precursor to Harry Potter's more lavish brand of kid-wizardry. Here you've got Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and sister Tia (Kim Richards), orphans unaware of their mysterious past, who are taken in by a nefarious liar (Ray Milland) seeking to exploit their supernatural powers. Populated by '70s stalwarts like Donald Pleasance and Eddie Albert (the later playing the kids' grown-up accomplice, unwittingly rescuing them from Milland), this lightweight Disney fare is perfect for kids under 10, with such enticements as a clever cat mascot named Winky (because he winks a lot), Tony's magical harmonica... and a Winnebago that flies! With a sci-fi climax, this popular hocus-pocus spawned a 1978 sequel (Return from Witch Mountain) that has proven similarly popular with kids. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Escape to Your Childhood!
Growing up as a child in the 1970's I remember watching THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY every Sunday evening at 7pm. I of course enjoyed the cartoons but also enjoyed the many live action Dinsey movies such as THE SHAGGY DOG, THE SHAGGY D.A., POLLYANNA, THE WHIZ KIDS movies and of course the WITCH MOUNTAIN movies. I remeber looking forward to ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN and would make it a point to never miss this movie when it aired.

The story is about a brother and sister, Tony & Tia, who along with their alien family tried to migrate to Earth but crashed upon arriving. Tony and Tia then try to locate their family with the assistance of a widower whie trying to avoid a rich villan who wants to use the kids Extra Sensory Powers (ESP) to further his greedy goals. As a child I actually found this movie to be very scary. I actually feared for Tony and Tia. Now as an adult it has lost the scary aspect. That comes with age I guess. It is still a good watch though.

I have wanted to purchase this film for years so my children could watch it. Now that they are pre-teens and begining to loose their childhood innocence I was finally able to purchase this new DVD. As I suspected they were reluctant to watch this movie and the sequel RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN. I finally got them to watch the films and they did enjoy the them but obviously it did not have the same effect on them as it did me. However younger children, especially those who have not been spoiled by CGI special effects will no doubt still enjoy the films. I tried to explain to my children that as a grade schooler I had a huge crush on Kim Richards (Tia). I got teased for that and of course when I teased my boy about his attraction to Hillary Duff that was a different matter. Go figure.

The DVD has some nice special features. Interviews, cartoons and other such material. I don't have enough positive things to say about Disney's old movies being offered through their Vault Disney line of products.

Superb and timeless.
I like Escape To Witch Mountain better than any other Disney film. It's probably in the top 5 best kid-movies ever made for that matter. I'm now 36, but was 7 when I first saw it. I probably had a crush on Kim Richards back then but I clearly remember seeing the movie at the theater and loving it.

Looking at the dvd now.. the direction by John Hough is crisp and the effects, though not digital, have loads of SOUL, creativity and charm. When a car full of bad guys wrecks.. the fact that they show the 4 occupants safely getting out of the car is a nice touch (after all kids are watching this).. and that (and lots of other things in this movie) speak to the innocence that still actually existed for those of us lucky to be kids in the 1970s... there was still a common-respect in large parts of society.. kids could be kids .. and all the in-your-face junk that permeates much of the world of kids today was years away...

Back on the subject at hand...I watched the DVD (which is nicely loaded with extras) and was surprised by a couple of moments in the film that clearly ...we'll say INFLUENCED.. a certain Mr. Spielberg years later. One involves a menacing object being shown in a rear-view mirror (like Jurassic Park!). The 2nd is when the Winnebago eludes its chasers (I won't say exactly how!).... looking rather similar (shot for shot!) to a scene in E.T. involving a chase and bicycles. (This film is HUGELY suprior to E.T. by the way!)

But I don't want to get too bogged down in how other movies clearly ripped this great one off!

This film is amazing with it's memorable musical score, acting by Albert and the kids, mystery-unfolding storyline and warm, nicely-done conclusion. The open credit sequence is really good too. Perhaps most of all... it has something that gobs of movies today certainly DO NOT - a great story.

I plan to show it to my 5 year old neice this weekend!

Enjoy it!

My Favorite Live-Action Disney Movie from the 70's!
I first saw Escape to Witch Mountain in a movie theater with my friends when I was 10 years old and it is my favorite Live-action Disney movie from the 70's and the one that stands out in my memory the most! Kim Richards (Tuff Turf) and Ike Eisenmann (Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan) play sister and brother Tia and Tony who are brought to an orphanage after their foster parents die. They are the only parents that they remember and have no memories of their lives before they were brought to their foster parents. Tia and Tony it turns out have powers that make them be able to move objects with ther minds, see in to the future, etc and when a man named Lucas Deranian played by Donald Pleasence (Halloween) finds out about it he pretends to be their uncle and takes them to live in the secluded mansion of his employer the wealthy, greedy and powerful Aristotle Bolt played by Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend). It turns out that The sinsister Mr. Bolt has plans to enslave them so he can force them to use their powers to bring him even more wealth and when Tia and Tony escape they befriend a crusty old widower named Jason O'Day played by the wonderful Eddie Albert (Green Acres) who helps them escape the clutches of the evil Bolt and Deranian but they also have to escape a crooked sheriff and a hunting party who think they are witches. This is a delightful movie that is good for the whole family and has a great cast that includes the actors I already mentioned, but also good in small rolls in the beginning of the movie are Reta Shaw (Mary Poppins) as Mrs. Grindley who runs the orphanage and Dermott Downs as a bully called Truck. Denver Pyle (The Andy Griffith Show and The Dukes of Hazard) was good in his cameo roll as Uncle Bene. I also think the director John Hough did a great job and I really like this DVD. I love that they presented the movie in widescreen and the extra features are pretty good, I especially liked the making of doccumentary but I didn't really care for the Mickey Mouse and Pluto cartoon which is not my favorite Mickey Mouse cartoon but anyway I just very highly recommend this DVD!

The Bolt Mansion in Carmel
For anyone interested, the Mansion Disney used for Mr Bolt is located on the famous "17 Mile Driveing tour of Carmel homes, in Monterey Cal.

On the Set of Witch Mountain, Felton California
I was in HS the year they shot this movie, and what excitment that was for Disney to come to the Mt. town of Felton California, in the Redwoods. All the meadow scenes and mountain road and cabin were in our small town. The city hall was used for the Jail, and you see the bowling alley and Felton drug in the backround. WOW, also The summer they shot "The Lost Boys" was also shot in Santa Cruz County, along with "Sudden Impact" The final scene was shot at the Boardwalks' Big Dipper Rollercoaster.

Randy
Movie Fan ... Read more

Reviews (136)

Good Sequel
Predator 2 is by all means a good sequel. Truly enough, most fans are upset that there is no return of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, but everybody has to realize that the Predator movies aren't like Aliens where Siqourney Weaver always returns to battle aliens. This is different, these Predator movies s aren't based on Arnie, there based on the Predator. Arnold isn't the main character, his charactor's name isn't even in the title, the predator is the main charactor and its name is in the title. Arnold's name is in Terminator and he made a reapearence in that because he was the main character. This series is based on the Predator and those who go in its way, in which this time, the man that faces the Predator is Danny Glover. Anyway, here is the plot.
A new Predator comes to town and This time the story takes place in a city, not a jungle. The predator has an eye out for a cop named Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover from LETHAL WEAPON) ). But instead of just going straight for him, the predator starts having the appetite for drug dealers and starts killing many gangs in the city. Although I am not really sure, but I think the Predator does that to mess w/ Mike Harrigan's head. And things start to become personal when the Predator kills Harrigan's partner. Mike Harrigan thinks that all the havoc is being caused by some major drug lord and will stop at nothing to find out. Harrigan's problems isn't just getting catching this psych, or predator, but another person named Peter Keyes (Gary Busy who also happens to be from LETHAL WEAPON) also tries to crack the case and won't stop at anything to do so. So now, both Harrigan and Keyes battle the Predator and each other. And as far as I am concerned, the two have no intentions on getting along.
That is pretty much everything you will need to know about the movie's plot. This film is not as good as the first one, yet still good. Danny Glover may be no Arnold Schwarzenegger yet he still does as good as Arnie would have done it. I would be rating this a five star movie if the plot would have been a little better. The plot is okay but does have a confusing ending. Overall, I do suggest buying this movie this movie along w/ the first.

"He's in town...with a few days to kill..."
Yep, this description said it all! I have seen this movie too many times to mention and I STILL love watching it! The movie starts out fast and furious and there is so much action in this movie that once it starts, it DOESN'T let you catch your breath!

Danny Glover may not be your first choice when thinking 'action hero' but he does a VERY convincing job. Bill Paxton plays a street-smart, wise-cracking cop and delivers a fun character (as usual) that dies (as usual). As, Gary Busey plays the testosterone injected Special Ops officer that thinks he can actually CAPTURE the deadly Predator!

The AWESOME Predator effects (cloaking, vision modes) make this movie shine (not to mention the AMAZING number of bullets fired in this movie, DAMN!) The direction, lighting, fog and camera movement in the final showdown onboard the Predator's ship is pure genius as it makes you feel like you are actually "there" on an alien craft watching this galactic fight to the death, AWESOME!

For any self-respecting 'Predator' fan, this is a MUST SEE!!!

This Predator Didn't Hit Its Mark
I was a huge fan of the original PREDATOR and recommend it to any sci-fi/action movie fan. But when I first saw PREDATOR 2 I was surprised at how big a dissapointment it was to the first movie. Danny Glover was pretty good as Mike Harrigan but he nowhere compares to Arnold, and the rest of the characters were just there to add a few more lines to the script. The one character I did find amusing was Bill Paxton, who, once again, dies acting obnoxious and herioc.
The actual Predator was very impressive and had a lot more weapons than the one in the original, which I thought was cool. My favorite was the Smart Disk, which cut Gary Busey's character Keys in half. Stan Winston did another excellent job with the Predator, as he does in all his movies. The only thing I didn't like was how long it took for Steven Hopkins, the director, to reveal the actual creature. We've already seen it before, what's the point of holding it off until twenty minutes into the movie?
The movie has quite a few good action scenes in the movie which do not disappoint, filled with blazing guns and buckets of blood on the floor. The thing that doesn't make sense is why they had a full minute of pure uneccesary nudity involving a prostitute and a gang member. A second later five Jamacians come in and the Predator just ends up killing them all.
The light and sound in the film are very good for a cruddy movie and Fox did a good job. The extras include two featuretts including talks with the actors and the making of the Predator. There is also a theatrical trailer.
Overall PREDATOR 2 is a fun movie to watch and should be part of any die hard fan's collection.

A good sci-fi
im not much into sci-fi because the acting is usually cheesy and the movie gets tired-some quick. Ive seen this movie plenty of times, the first time being when i was 10. i like this movie equally if not more than the first one. this movie portrays the predtor character more of an hunting race rather than just a crazy alien like the first one. Which brings up a point, someone had posted earlier that they didnt understand how the predator came back to life from the first movie to be on this one. It didnt, this is a different predator, its a race of hunters that travel everywhere in hunt of good game. Also someone commented that the ship blew up on the last seen of this movie, it didnt.... it flew back into space at a high speed. if you look closely at the predator trophy room where they have their skull collection you can see an alien skull on the wall rack. all in all it is a great movie too much blood for my liking but the weapons and predators custom and ship make up for it. many great scenes like the subway fight and the unforgettable scene where the predator attacks a group of people that walked in on a couple while making love!!! Danny glover is simply awesome in this movie. i would recomend buying, but if your still not sure.... its a most diffinet rent!

Not half bad
First off: this movie is nowhere near as good as the first one. But then again, it would be a near impossible task to out do the original. The first movie was perfectly paced, action packed and had Arnold Schwarzenegger as the buff hero with cheesy one-liners. However, this movie is an entertaing ride nonetheless, and the last 20-30 minutes more than make up for the weak story and characters. Danny Glover is a good hero, but is no replacement for Arnold. And the inclusion of Gary Busey and Bill Paxton save this film from obscurity. ... Read more

Reviews (203)

I watched this movie six times in three days!
I really enjoyed this movie. It was about a girl(Jody) who dreams of dancing in the American BAllet Company(ABC) when she gets invited to dance at the American Ballet Acadamy(ABA). Jody is behind in ballet tecniqe, has bad feet, doesn't have enough turnout, and doesn't have the "ideal" body type for classical ballet. Unsurprisingly the director, Jonathon Reeves, doesn't think she'll ever beable to be dancer in any company. With her best friends, a bolimic roommate, and an idiotic dancer/choregrapher/boyfriend this movie is very realistic. Being a dancer I can relate to the "abused" pointe shoes and competative atmosephere. The dancing at the end left me hungry for more. On DVD the main character(Jody, played by Amanda Shull) looks and sounds completly different in some of the scenes. I would reccomend this movie to anyone who wants a good plot.

Great fun and inspiration
Regardless of cliches, being labeled as teen-flick, etc. this movie is certainly very enjoyable. If nothing else, see it for Ethan Stiefel's amazing dancing. I've seen him live before, but never in hip-hop or jazz roles. Very exciting to see him show off his versatility in Center Stage! I've danced ballet for years and I don't care about the little discrepancies in the film; it's still great. I particularly enjoyed the portrayals of the daily drudge of class. The fact that Hytner used real dancers (except for Maureen's character, which is fine) was the real kicker for me. I'm still dancing and sometimes I watch this movie as reminder of what fun you can have when you dance for the love of it.

Enjoyable and fun
Even though I feel like the acting is strained and forced at times, I still really enjoy this movie and have watched it multiple times. Of course I have a fascination with the dance world, which I know nothing a