Reviews (19)

Not absolutely faithful to the books, but stronger for it
This series is a brilliant adaption of the Jeeves stories of P.G. Wodehouse. A single episode of Jeeves & Wooster amalgamates several short stories into one longer story. The humor in Wodehouse's stories was focussed on word-play, while in the TV productions the humor is often physical. I think they were wise to go this direction, because a visual adaptions are never completely faithful to the original books. Instead of trying to be completely faithful to the written stories, they went with the strength of their medium and the results are brilliant. One reviewer commented that the second series is not quite as funny as the first. I'm not so sure about that. The second series contains some absolutely essential lines. "Its the bally ballyness of it all that makes it all so bally bally." Or this little exchange: Wooster,"Do you know what I look for in music, Jeeves." Jeeves, "I have often wondered, sir." How about this one: Wooster, "We Woosters have soldiered on with worse things than numb lips." Jeeves, "Indeed, sir." One of my favorite scenes is the one in which Jeeves, who has impeccable taste, has to leave the room and sit down when he sees someone wearing a tie with "little horseshoes on it". "Sometimes one can't just shrug these things off," is his comment. About the sets and scenery. I have tried to find anachronisms (such as power lines, etc.) but have been unable to. A brilliant adaption of brilliant stories, superb acting, gorgeous settings.

MUST SEE SERIES! BRILLANT COMIC ACTING!
Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry are brilliant as Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, respectively. This is an extremely witty series - the script is excellent and the acting, some of the best comic acting I have ever seen! If you haven't seen Laurie and Fry at work, particularly in this stunning series, I highly recommend you to do so!

The 2nd season-good, but not best
First off, as a die-hard fan of P.G. Wodehouse, I am critical at best. The First season surpassed my wildest dreams, in short, it was excelent. The second season fell short, however, inasmuch as many of the characters previously introduced in the first season were reintroduced being played by entirely different actors. That was semidisapointing. Also, some of the acting is a little less Wodehouse-y then in the first. I was delighted with Gussie once again, though, and I would still recomend buying it; its well worth the money, and is as good as it is going to get on this earth.

Hilarity for the whole family!
Non-stop British hilarity and fun. Dim and good-hearted Bertie Wooster meets his perfect foil in the intelligent and imperious Jeeves. The Depression never hits and the war never comes in these light-hearted and innocent romps. If your whole family likes to laugh, don't hesitate to buy this set!

Almost as good as season one...
Stephen Fry is the first actor ever to capture the real Jeeves, and Hugh Laurie makes Bertie utterly plausible, in spite of the absurd ways he tends to land himself in the bullion. These dvds must be in your collection if you love Wodehouse; they're worth repeated viewings, as every detail is a treat. Make sure to get season one. The very first episode manages to introduce you to the lunacy to come, and Bertie's utter dependence on Jeeves in only a few scenes. See you at the Drones! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Actress Kasi Lemmons made an auspicious debut as a writer and director with this delicately handled, wrenchingly emotional drama, hailed by critic Roger Ebert as one of the best films of 1997. Eve's Bayou begins with ominous narration: "The summer I killed my father, I was 10 years old." From that point the story moves backward in time and memory to Louisiana in 1962, when a young girl named Eve (Jurnee Smollett) witnesses a shocking act on the part of her womanizing father (Samuel L. Jackson). But what really happened? And can Eve be certain about what she saw when there is more than one interpretation of the facts? Less a mystery than a study of deeply rooted emotions rising to the surface to affect an entire family, the film has the quality of classic Southern literature, with layers of memory unfolding to reveal a carefully guarded truth. Barely seen during its theatrical release, this lushly photographed film deserves to be rediscovered on digital video disc. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Feel The Heat
Eve's Bayou is a spectacular movie. The color and scenery is wonderful and the people are elegant and troubled. Even the character's names stir up visions of dark swamp water and sultry heat. The story is told and seen through the eyes of little Eve Batiste played by a wonderful young actress named Jurnee Smollett. Eve takes us deep into her world which is filled with colorful characters and complex personalities.Diahann Carroll is fabulous as the old fortune teller Elzora with her insane laughter. Debbi Morgan as Aunt Mozelle Batiste Delacroix is something to behold. Aunt Mozelle has promised her family that she will not use her "second sight" to tell fortunes, but neighbors won't let her keep her promise. They seek her out to find missing husbands anyway. Lynn Whitfied as the manor born wife is beautiful and poised as she tries to keep her family together in spite of her wandering husband (Samuel L. Jackson). Jackson is very sexy in this movie and his character has roving eyes as well as roving hands that don't stop even when he is caught in a compromising position by his youngest daughter, Eve. This starts a set of events that lead to the total destruction of an already deeply troubled family.Although this movie did not make history at the box office my guess is that it will become a cult classic. Years from now this movie will be viewed for what it is, a brilliantly produced film. You can literally feel the Louisiana heat from Eve's Bayou. Vannie

A Poetic Accomplishment
This movie is moving and poetic in every sense of the word. From the acting right down to the musical score. I was astounded to learn this is a directorial debut.
Debbi Morgan is absolutely amazing in her role as the sister with the "gift of sight". She provides us with the most amazing scene in the film. In the scene, she is recalling a confrontation between her secret lover and husband. She recalls the events while looking through a mirror, and the scene is acted out as "reflections" in the mirror. This is one of the most powerful scenes I have witnessed. Now that I own the DVD, I can watch it over and over, it is that powerful.
My 2nd favorite performance is by Dianne Caroll, who plays the town voodoo witch.
The DVD has great commentary and an equally well produced short featurette.
The film is complimented by the musical score, which helps the story flow like velvet. I even bought the soundtrack for its amazing hypnotic quality.

Top 10
Eve's Bayou is one of my favorite movies starring one of my favorite young actresses, Jurnee Smollett. You may remember her from On Our Own, a sitcom with her siblings all apart of the cast. The acting is great and the whole movie is a lot different(including the setting) than the usual stuff that comes out. Samuel Jackson is the loving, but adulterous husband and Jurnee doesn't like it. When she decides he goes too far she does the unthinkable to protect her family.

Loved this movie!
Mystery, Magic, and Family what a wonderful base for a movie. I loved the setting, the characters, and the story. It left enough to the imagination to keep it believable. This movie is worth owning!

Eve's Bayou
This is one of the most beautifully written, directed, filmed & acted films of all time! Kasi Lemmons outdid herself with this smoldering family drama set in 1950's Creole Louisianna.

With a stellar cast including Sam Jackson, the incomparable Debbie Morgan, Lynn Whitfield, Diahann Carol, Megan Goode & Jurnee Smollet, this drama seethes with intensity broken by moments of levity. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jason Robards burst onto the Broadway scene in 1956 with his performancein Eugene O'Neill's devastating Iceman Cometh, playing thecentral role of Hickey, a salesman who comes to a rundown bar on amission to bring peace to its boozing denizens by lifting theirillusions--only to wreak disaster on them and himself. Four years later,director Sidney Lumet (later to direct such classics as Dog DayAfternoon and Network) made this skillful television version ofthe play, bringing back Robards, along with a sterling collection ofcharacter actors (particularly Myron McCormick as a former communist whocomes to see his reasonableness as a form of cowardice) and a young RobertRedford (in a strikingly unheroic role). Robards became famous for hisroles in many O'Neill plays; his galvanizing performance drives TheIceman Cometh and makes this production one of the landmarks oftelevision drama. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Robards' Astounding Performance
The chance to see Jason Robards portray his signature role as "Hickey" makes this video well worth the price. This performance of the complete "Iceman Cometh" was originally aired on CBS in 1962, as a live two-part performance, and the video and audio quality suffer from the transferral, but what remains is an extremely well-directed version of this play, which preserves Robards in the role that first brought him acclaim. The supporting cast in generaly excellent, with standout performances from James Broderick and a very young Robert Redford. This version of the play makes an interesting contrast to the 1973 film version, directed by John Frankenheimer, which features a decent, though limted, Lee Marvin as Hickey, but which also displays two incredible actors, Robert Ryan as Larry, and Frederick March as Harry Hope, who are so wonderful in their final screen roles that they overshadow the rest of the characters, Hickey included. One can only lament the director's choice not to cast Robards, thus missing the opportunity to unite three of the greatest O'Neill interpreters in these three splendid roles. Oh well.......

Mesmerizing
This DVD is a wonderful supplement to the play. Read the play first, then buy this DVD. You'll be shocked at how wonderfully portrayed the characters are, and how close they are the the characters you've conjured in your mind. One of the best plays written, a great description of the hearts and souls of humankind. As the intro says, it is a play for people with mature minds and sensitive hearts.

The Essence of Theatre
All you have to do is look at the artists involved in this production to realize the landmark importance of this staging. Robards, considered the quintessential interpreter of O'Neill, reprises the role that first caused critics to sit up and take notice that a major league actor had arrived on Broadway. O'Neill roles were more like autobiographies for Robards. He faced the same alcohol-induced demons in real life as confronted such characters as Hickey and James Tyrone.

Though Lumet may not be in the same league as Jose Quintero as far as O'Neill directors are concerned, he nevertheless wrings solid performances out of every cast member involved in this historic production.

If you can, you may want to purchase this in conjunction with the 1976 Broadway Archive tape of William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life." Both plays have similar bar room settings, about the same size cast, and similar themes. It's interesting to see how two major playwright's handle diologue and monologue, dramatic conflict and themes of dissipation. Personally, I've always felt O'Neill digs a lot deeper than Saroyan, but both productions are superb, as are most plays in the Broadway Theater Archive series.

Almost as Good as Live
About 17 years ago I was fortunate enough to see Jason Robards perform the part of Hicky live, in Los Angeles. Needless to say, it was a riveting 5+ hours of theatre. I knew about this televised version from readings, but had never seen it - until now. It's almost as good as being there! Purests might be upset that the script IS cut - but as much as I love O'Neill, I didn't really miss the cut sections. (Much as with Lumet's "cut" version of "Long Day's Journey"). In fact, this version may actually be more palitable to the less "hard core" watchers. Interesting to see Robert Redford's rather lackluster performance; he may be the weak link in the supporting cast. In any case, a MUST for any student of the theater!

This thing vibrates.
December 20, 2002

I rented this one not long ago and sat through its
mammoth performance straight. This broadcast from
the end of the live television era reaps the benefits
of everything that was developed in that art form's
brief lifespan. 'Iceman' practically hums with the
energy, dedication and craft of its performers. It
is just plain exciting to watch.

I've never been too big a fan of Eugene O'Neil and
his (from today's vantage point) rather overworked
writing style, but I was grateful that 'Iceman' was
as long as it was, and that it permitted me as much
time with its excellent stage actors as it did. Their
work, and the earnest compassion of O'Neil's writing,
are to be savoured. In comparison to today's diet
of ego-rich, hype-rich, ironic-rich, style-rich, but
often craft-deprived efforts--faults evident even
within the independent film scene--'Iceman' is an
electric piece of work.

Jason Robards is terrific, one of my favorites. Now
if only they'd release 'A Thousand Clowns' on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

Forget the Sex...Watch it for it's Magic
I keep seeing reviews; "a high budget porno" or "a dull, boring story with sadistic sex scenes". This movie is so different from these decriptions, it makes me wonder if these people talked, read or played chess through out the entire movie only glancing up occasionally. Mickey Rouke is so subtle with his expressions and dialogue that he creates that mystique that portrays John. Mixed with good looks, a high calibre job (Wall St. Money Market Dealer) & the most amazing apartments money can buy, Kim Basinger (Elizabeth) could not help but be curious. Kim Basingers use of nervous twitches and shy looks makes this her best performance by far. 2 great performances and the best use of a camera, I have seen, makes this 80's style New York flick a stylish, never to forget experience. The scenes in the equestian shop, Farnswoth house, the bed shop, the clock tower are just so well done. Every time you see this movie, it becomes more classy as images of New York's inner city life are portrayed beautifully. Forget the sex scenes, (yeah, they are neccessary) this movie really moves you & keeps images cemented in your mind for a long time. "Elizabeth, please come back before I count to 50...1, 2, 3.."

Um.... yes.
So here's this: I was walkign around the video store and I spy this cover with the kind of hot but kind of old chick from LA Confidential on it, but get this - she's yound as hell and it looks like she gets naked. So sure I'll bite. I get home and it's full on hard core drilling. Rorke gets this chick in some crazy ass positions and the whole time I'm thinking, I thought women were into "making love" not performing "rough crazy sex acts." So I tried some of the stuff from this movie out on this girl I was dating. Turns out she wasn't into it. Turns out she's only into "traditional love-making." Being alone isn't so bad.

Kim Basinger makes this worth seeing
What one realizes while watching this is how limited and ultimately unsatisfactory is a relationship based purely on sex.

I imagine that the familiar dominance/submissive psychology at the heart of this visually stunning movie--and it really is beautifully shot--comes from the novel by Elizabeth MacNeil. I say that, not having read the novel, because the seduction of Manhattan art dealer Elizabeth (Kim Basinger) by the smooth and supremely confident financier John (Mickey Rourke) is so very well done with the expensive presents, the well-timed flower deliveries, little endearments, etc., that it amounts to a woman's fantasy. The partial debasement of Elizabeth and her eventual triumph over her darker instincts and her realization that there is a difference between love and submission is also something that one might expect to find in a woman's point-of-view novel.

However when we get to the actual sexuality and how it is acted out, it is unclear who dreamed up the scenes, MacNeil or director Adrian Lyne or the scriptwriters. I say this because the scenes were so predictable and so ordinary, and when not ordinary and predictable, were bordering on the just plain dumb. Making love in the rain, at the top of a tall building (inside the clock tower), blindfolding the woman, making her crawl, feeding her strawberries, etc., bring nothing new to eroticism. And the scene requiring some imagination--[...]--was not realistically done. Why directors insist on allowing a man holding onto the hand of woman to outrun the men chasing them never ceases to amaze me. And then to have Elizabeth and John stop in the middle of the street to allow the bashers they have outrun to catch up was just plain stupid, not to mention the phony fight that followed.

Not only were the sexual scenes predictable but clearly Lyne was in harness (and I am glad of that) since he stops well short of what might happen if this sort of theme were fully played out.

Putting all that aside what makes this movie worth seeing is Kim Basinger. She is absolutely stunning, and it is clear that Lyne and his camera adored her. More than that Basinger does a fine job of acting in a demanding role. I was impressed. Before seeing this film I thought she was a rather ordinary actress, but her ability to combine grown-up New York chic with little-girl vulnerability and to make absolutely clear the psychological dilemma her character's heart faced really held the movie together.

Lyne's insistence on whispered dialogue difficult to hear was consistent with the theme of the movie but not kind to these ears. But that was okay because much of the dialogue was secondary to the visual exploration of the woman's sexuality. The peek-a-boo and off center and shadowed shots of Basinger's face and her silhouette, and the studied smile from Rourke combined with the stark black and whites of their clothes and the furnishings served to highlight and emphasis the flesh tones of Basinger's skin while lending an appropriate artistic and fashionable atmosphere to the movie, which after all has an art dealer at its center. The many scenes that were began and suggested, and then cut away from, allowed a richer texture of experience for the viewer than would have been possible had the scenes been played out. And that was doubly good because again it is the visuals that make this movie worth seeing, not the originality of the story and its development.

To those viewers who thought that this was some sort of high class pornography, I can only say you missed the point entirely, and indeed, you may be projecting your own sorry mentality.

See this for Kim Basinger whose sensitive and robust beauty dominated the screen.

Craftful Cinematography....a fine work.
If you've gotten this far in the reviews, you'll notice that either people love this film or hate it. It's pretty much right down the middle, which in a way, is a reflection of American societal attitude towards it's own sexuality.

If your own sexual world isn't aware there's something other than the missionary position, chances are you'll see this as a vulgar, disgusting film. The world that John draws Elizabeth into is a very psychologically complicated and sophisticated one. If you can't identify with lifestyles like that, you can't understand how or why they exist.

Personally, I found this film a masterpiece, not so much from the story line, but the mechanics of it. The cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking. Subject matter debates aside, this is a beautifully photographed film. Camera angles, lens choices, it's obvious the director worked very closely with the cinematographer in capturing on film exactly the image he had in his head. I can't say enough about the beauty of this film.

I thought both of the principals turned in exceptional performances, even though I view Rourke as a below-average actor. This film is easily his best, which actually could be said of Basinger as well. The Casting Dept. did a good job on this one.

Bar none, Basinger's strip tease (done with very little nudity) goes on my "All-Time Best Scenes List". The music choice, Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" was a stroke of genius!

Alas, years after it's debut it's the subject matter that is remembered, and I find it still holds up. I'd suggest this film highly. Careful though, you may get more than you bargain for if you make it a "first date" flick to watch!

Sick, big-budget porn movie
This movie is disturbing, offensive, indecent and just plain nauseating. Who is this sick, depressing little piece of trash targeted to? You guessed it, the ... Europeans who indulge in every form of ... imaginable, slobber over XXX-rated movies dealing with sick subjects, and voluntarily make their little children watch it with parents like a "family night". Fortunately, we Americans don't need to be forced to watch this garbage. Send it back where it belongs! ... Read more

Amazon.com

After being brutally dumped by his knockout ex-girlfriend, Matt (JoshHartnett, Pearl Harbor) is so torn up inside that he vows to giveup sexual activity--including masturbation--for Lent. His friends andcoworkers start betting on how soon he'll crack. Their skepticism isgiven fuel when Matt meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon, A Knight'sTale) at a laundromat. They're immediately smitten with each other,but Matt struggles to stay true to his vow, even though it threatens tofounder his potential relationship with Erica. Based on this description,you might think that 40 Days and 40 Nights is religious educationalvideo--however, the barrage of sex gags and frequent nudity would quicklydispel this notion. Almost nothing in this movie remotely resembles humanbehavior. Some movies are so deeply stupid that they're depressingto watch; this is one of them. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (93)

This was a cute film...
I really like Josh Hartnett, and I think he did a wonderful job in this film. It was definitely a nice change from all his recent war movies. This movie is basically about a guy named Matt who gives up sex for Lent, because it became meaningless for him after he broke up with his girlfriend. When he meets the perfect girl, he is really put to the test. Can he keep his vow? Well, I'm not gonna give that away, but I will tell you that the whole thing drives him almost completely insane! It is a really good movie, and I thought it was funny when Matt saw his brother (who is working to become a priest) kissing a nun. I also thought the scene where Matt was handcuffed to the bed was pretty funny, and the scene when he ate dinner at his parents' house. Though the film was somewhat degrading to women, I highly recommend it because it is very amusing.

Crude and vulgar
Think of 40 Days & 40 Nights as the adult and mature version of American Pie, except that it has more of a plot and character development than its teenage counterpart. The basic story is about Matt, a guy who have no problem getting laid every so often, but after his breakup with long time girlfriend Nicole, sex have become somewhat meaningless. So to get his life back on track, he decided to give up sex for Lent, and that includes no bodily intimacy of any kind with women. Unfortunately, he meets this incredible girl name Erica, and it becomes a test of will power for him to finish what he started.

For a movie that deals with sex and is very bold about it, expect a lot of jokes and dialogues surrounding that topic. Mix it up with some physical comedies and a great deal with sexual tension, that's pretty much what the film is about. Josh Hartnett did a passable job as the lead, kind of a let down after his brilliant performance in Black Hawk Down. Overall I got a few laughs from 40 Days & 40 Nights, but I thought the point of the movie (if there ever was one) sort of got lost towards the end. Ultimately it falls into the same pattern that defines romantic comedies which you've seen many times before, I found nothing special or memorable about this experience.

DONT RENT. DONT BUY. JUST BURN
Save yourself the 90-120 minutes and do something else with your life. Read a book, write a poem... or realize there is nothing funny about being raped. Just do not under any circumstances watch this film. It is a waste of perfectly good light and I believe it should never be encouraged.

Remember that they will stop making bad movies if we dont watch them.

Not the best, but better then I expected
Ok, I know that this movie will not go down as the best movie of anything, but we all know that. The reason why I love this film is because of the relationship between Josh And Shannyn. I like the story revalving around him finding a real women, letting go of his ex, and his struggle for redemption from pimping women. I think Josh did a great job showing how hard this vow of his was hitting him. You see when he's with Erica, hes really happy and isent in turmoil, but without her, you see him falling more and more. Not the best comedy, but pretty fair romantic story that makes up for it.

Too many jokes at the expense of the romance in this one
If irony is indeed the master trope of the universe, as I have been claiming for several decades, then you know that as soon as Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) makes a vow to stay celibate for the "40 Days and 40 Nights" of Lent, that he is going to meet the love of his life. That would be Erica Sutton (Shannyn Sossamon), who fate throws him together with at the local laundry mat. Matt knows that he is being tested. The problem is that pretty much everyone he knows is in on the cosmic joke.

Matt takes his vow because his breakup with Nicole (Vinessa Shaw) has left him a wreck. He keeps bailing out on successful dates and is becoming obsessed with ceilings. He goes for comfort and advice from his brother who is studying to be a priest and practicing hearing confessions. When he sees the banners for Lent going up he takes it as a sign and swears off sex, including foreplay and self-gratification. Unfortunately, once his roommate Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) finds out the deals this becomes the prefect opportunity to use the internet to get a pool going on how long Matt can, uh, last.

Now, for the sake of argument we will assume that Matt has no discernable brain activity when he is asleep (despite scenes to the contrary), so that we can have the willing suspension of disbelief to go with the film's running gag that has the hero falling part as he goes longer and longer without relief. In the real world this guy would be able to keep his vow and wake up without any major problems. But writer Rob Perez and director Michael Lehmann ("The Truth About Cats & Dogs") want to milk this guy's discomfort for everything it is worth and, unfortunately, more.

It dawned on me that this movie has is clearly bifurcated into the "guy" parts and the "girl" parts and the biggest problem with "40 Days and 40 Nights" is that the two halves do not fit together (as compared to "50 First Dates," which overcomes a similar problem and combines comedy and sweetness). Matt's friends and co-workers treat his vow as a joke and/or money making opportunity. This allows for lots of jokes and some prosthetic humor that leads to the inevitable conclusion that all men are pigs.

Where this film had potential was with the idea that Matt would have to date a woman without having sex, both before and after she finds out about THE VOW. However, I find it hard to believe that finding out about such a thing would really be upsetting to a woman, especially if the guy knows how to handle a flower (and Matt really knows how to handle a flower; this film must have given lots of couples ideas for similar epsiodes of flower fun). But if you stop and think about it the idea that a couple could have a good time on a date with sex or any form of physical contact has to be against just about everything Hollywood stands for (assuming, of course, they are in an upright position).

I was planning on liking this 2002 comedy more, but then somebody bad does something really bad without consequences. No comeuppance. No joke at their expense. No sense of outraged expressed by another character. Nothing. I was so ticked off by that turn of events that when the film cobbled together the requisite happy ending I was not really in the mood to enjoy it. But the filmmakers do get props for coming up with a nice little gift as Matt's final act of contrition.

Final Note: "40 Days and 40 Nights" was certified for 11 year old in Sweden, 12 years old in the Netherlands and Portugal, 13 year olds in Spain, 14 years olds in Brazil and the cantons of Vaud and Geneva in Switzerland, 15 year olds in the United Kingdom, Finland and Norway, 16 year olds in Argentina and in the Swiss canon of Grisons. I have no idea what to make of these numbers but they sure are interesting and make me wonder what is up with those Swiss kids in Grisons (was it the sex or the vow part they are worried about?). ... Read more

Reviews (58)

The best romantic comedy ever!
This is my all-time favorite romantic comedy (and I am a veteran film fan). YOU'VE GOT MAIL is OK, but the modern film makers had to upgrade Hanks' character to make him rich and threw in unnecessary sexual complications for both characters, thereby detracting from the main plot. IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, the Judy Garland musical version of the same plot, has the acrimony between the two main characters so strong that it is completely unbelievable when they suddenly fall in love. Only this movie has the perfect touch throughout. The makers of the stage musical, SHE LOVES ME, wisely stuck with the SHOP AROUND THE CORNER plot and produced a most delightful show.Stewart and Sullavan make a superb team, with just the right balance in their developing relationship to make the ending not only possible, but even inevitable. The supporting cast is nearly perfect, especially the always excellent Frank Morgan. Felix Bressart, as Pirovich, and Joseph Schildkraut, as the arrogant but slippery villain, are a delight to watch.Don't just rent this movie--buy it! You will want to watch it again and again. And each time will seem as fresh as the first, because there isn't a false note in the whole film.

James Stewart at his best
I'm a big fan of you've got mail, but i'm an even bigger fan of the SHop around the Corner.

The story: Stewart works as a head clerk in a store in eastern Europe. A new woman comes to work at the store and spoils Jimmy stewart days. At the same time, they are both involved in writing anonymous letters to each other and slowly fall in love with each other.

The movie is full of ironic situation and the entire cast that support Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan do a great job. Unlike you've got mail that tends to drag, this movie is full of energy and you can't see time go by.

When the two main characters finally discover their love for each other, it is the most poignant romantic scene i've ever seen. Any girl would want to be in Jimmy Stewart's arms at this point. He had a gift for really making you feel what the characters were going through, and in this case, you really feel the passion he feels for this woman.

I'm not into romantic comedies too much but if there's one to watch, this is the one, regardless of how old it is, the romance in it is timeless.

Honest & Heartfelt
Here's a movie with charm in spades, and a beguiling premise. A man and a woman begin a correspondence, and through this correspondence they fall in love, while in real life despising each other. And what two better to do this sort of thing than Jimmy Stewart (Alfred Kralik) and Margaret Sullavan (Klara Novak). The setting is an odd goods shop in Budapest, staffed by a superb supporting cast, each tossing into the storyline their own minor dramas. Mr Matuschek with his bothersome home life, Mr Pirovitch who serves as Alfred's confidante, Mr Vadas who holds a clandestine affair, Miss Novodny and her gentleman friend ~ who is he? ~ that presents her with lavish gifts, Pepi with his heart of gold, and my favorite, the mousish Flora who devotes her life to her mother, and whom you just know is dreaming of a romance of her own. It is said that Stewart and Sullavan held a deep personal respect for each other off screen, and this makes for a genuine on-screen chemistry between them. This chemistry is of the intellectual variety, and ~ to this viewer at least ~ their sparring conversations and confrontations are greatly more interesting and engaging than any purely physical romance could ever be. Sullavan is terrific, wavering between what she reads in books and thinks she ought to believe, and what her heart is prompting her to feel. Stewart is marvellously put out by all of this, sniffy and sulky, yet finds himself drawn to the prickly Klara despite himself. Everyone is impeccable in their roles, the wit and the banter sparkles. Here's a film that shall grow on you, that shall take you in completely, and will demand repeat viewings ~ and possibly the use of a tissue or two. Intelligent and heartwarming, and infused with a kind of a quiet magic, 'The Shop Around the Corner' ought melt any heart, save the most unmeltable. A romantic masterpiece. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch, who also did 'Eternal Love', 'Ninotchka', and the original 'Heaven Can Wait'.

Wonderful
I loved this DVD I really sudgest it to any classic Romantic

The Shop Around the Corner
1940's THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER has been remade twice; in 1949 with Judy Garland and Van Johnson in the musical adaptation IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, and again in the late '90s in the internet-based YOU'VE GOT MAIL with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. They can remake it another dozen times. It's hard to believe any will ever better this gem from director Ernst Lubitsch.
Jimmy Stewart stars as Alfred Kralik, chief clerk at Matuschek's, a gift shop in Budapest. Margaret Sullavan is Klara Novak, a feisty new hire. Klara and Kralik seem to have only one thing in common - a vocal dislike for each other. Of course they share one other thing - they are anonymous pen pals who have fallen in love with each other through the mail.
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER is based on the play 'Parfumerie' by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, and its pedigree as a product for the stage shows. Almost all action takes place within the shop. It is visually static enough to assume that this probably would have made a successful radio production. That said, Lubitsch comes across with one beautiful shot that would have been impossible to duplicate on radio or in a theater. Shot from the inner side of the post office boxes we see #38 being opened and a gloved hand feeling around the empty interior. The hand is removed and Margaret Sullavan's disappointed face appears, framed by the open box.
Lubitsch also has fun with the wonderful character actor Felix Bressart, who plays the wise and timid clerk Pirovitch. The thunderous and intimidating owner of the shop, Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan - the wizard in THE WIZARD OF OZ), turns to Kralik a few times in the first half of the movie and begs his honest opinion on this or that. Terrified that his opinion may be asked next, Pirovitch makes like a mouse caught out of the cabinet and Lubitsch catches him scurrying off-screen time and again. This business sets us up for a later scene when Pirovitch confronts Matuschek and gives an unsolicited opinion in defense of his out-of-favor friend Kralik. It's an ennobling moment, one of many in this fine movie.
Stewart and Sullavan are convincing as a couple unknowingly throwing barbs at the object of their tenderest affections. They are average enough looking to make the whole thing plausible - a couple of glamour pusses, say Cary Grant and Rita Hayworth, would have thrown the whole thing off. The story needs a boy and a girl-next-door type.
The dvd's extras include cast and crew biographies, a trailer, "A Great Story is Worth Retelling" (background story of the making of THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER in written text) and the short subject "A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound," which doesn't have much to do with the movie it's bundled with but is delightful nonetheless. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A ringing instance of a sequel far outstripping its predecessor, Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More takes the lethal antihero from A Fistful of Dollars, gives him both a rival and an adversary worthy of sharing a gun-blazing corrida, and ratchets up the stylization to something approaching grandeur. This time the Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) is a bounty hunter whose desert Southwest killing ground is suddenly crowded by the presence of an older, black-clad shootist (Lee Van Cleef). Individually and together, they terminate sundry grotesques while closing in on their biggest quarry, a memorably insane bandit called El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté is brilliant). There's just enough plot to imbue Van Cleef with genuine mystery, a dark avenging angel from a lost past whose pull would supply the emotional core of Leone's later masterworks Once upon a Time in the West and Once upon a Time in America. Leone's bravura widescreen compositions are breathtaking, and Ennio Morricone's music score--tinged with lunatic religiosity--is his first great one. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (55)

For A Few Dollars More - An outstanding sequel!
For A Few Dollars More is, in my opinion, by far the best of the "Man With No Name" trilogy! In "A Fistful of Dollars," director Sergio Leone bowled the viewers over with Clint Eastwood's character being a gruff gunslinger of few words and lots of action. In this sequel Eastwood's character has a lot more depth and even a little bit of humor. I am highly impressed with the script and acting in this particular film, especially in comparison with its predecessor. One can even consider it funny but useful that a few of the villains from the first film that were quite dead at the end of that one, are back now with new names! Magnificent performances by both Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef serve to enhance this movie's style.

The premise:

This movie has a wonderful beginning as we are introduced to Lee Van Cleef's character while he's in the performance of his role of a bounty killer. We are then treated to the reintroduction of Clint Eastwood's character, which actually does have the name of Monco, while he is taking care of his business as a bounty killer as well. Once the director has shown these two acts, he deftly shows how they end up on the same path as they both find out that they can score it big by killing Gian Maria Volonte's character, Indio and his gang. From there, we're taken to El Paso where the film's intrigue and suspense kick into high gear as both Eastwood and Van Cleef's characters meet.

If you've never seen this movie or its predecessor, I highly suggest you check these movies out as they're basically the mold for many of the westerns that followed. Prior to this movie and "A Fistful of Dollars," westerns were much tamer, which lends to the popularity of these movies which have a lot more grit and realism to them.

Special Features:

Just like "A Fistful of Dollars" this movie is jam packed with hours and hours of special features, documentaries etc... This DVD is all about what it's supposed to be, the movie! It does include a great theatrical trailer and an exceptional 8 page booklet that gives a lot of great information about the movie and the people involved. {ssintrepid}

A great sequel to A Fistful of Dollars
I liked this movie mainly because of the pairing of Eastwood and Van Cleef. Eastwood reprises his role as the "The Man with No Name" and this time he partners with Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), a fellow bounty hunter who has a personal reason for tracking down the notorious bankrobber Indio, who is worth $10,000 dead or alive. It is interesting that many of the actors who played the villains in "A Fistful of Dollars" are seen again here (e.g. Gian Maria Volonte as Indio)and the location seems to be very similar to that of the first movie. I liked the character of Colonel Mortimer because not only is he a great sharpshooter but he displays himself as a man of principle, in contrast to Eastwood's character, who is only in it for the money. Lee Van Cleef steals many of the scenes. In this movie he plays a good character while in the sequel, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," Van Cleef plays the "Bad" guy. The music by Ennio Morricone is classic. The only drawback in this movie is that much of the gun battles seem cartoonish and many of the people who are shot have no sign of blood to show for their wounds! However, if you are a fan of Eastwood and of Spaghetti Westerns, you'll like this movie a lot.

great story
This time for a few dollars more,the story revolves around a new bounty hunter called angel eyes,CLint returns and is not as comical as he was in the first.I think he's showing us that he has become more of a serious bounty hunter since he got messed up in fistful.LEE van Cleef is on a revenge mission while eastwood is playing angel eyes and the bandits for a few dollars more.It's worth owning,so is the score.thanks

MGM gets a few dollars more from me
Most people reading these reviews already know how great these Eastwood - Leone spaghetti westerns are, so I won't talk about the film itself here. I enjoyed this movie when I first bought it on VHS in 1989 but always hated the brittle, tinny sound, the opening theme music was excrutiating, when we all know that Morricone's soundtracks for these movies was excellent. So here it is in 2004 and I've got the $10 DVD and nothing has improved in the sound. Also the torture scene is missing a few seconds at the end where one of the gang asks Indio: "Why let 'em live?" and he replies: "All in due time". Hmm, let me make a wild guess here: MGM will finally fix this movie the way they should have for the first DVD but it will come out in a "Special Edition" 2-disc set with a bunch of extras for $25 (think The Great Escape here). You know those "Proof of Purchase" UPC's you see on the back of the DVD case? Just once I'd like to see MGM offer a rebate on a new "Special Edition" via a P.O.P. from an earlier DVD version. That's why I'm glad I don't have the first DVD of "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly" already and that's why I won't yet buy John Wayne's "The Alamo". Unfortunately I already bought MGM's DVD of "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", another sub-standard MGM DVD release.

One Of the Three Best Westerns Ever
Along with The Good The Bad and The Ugly, and Once Upon A Time In The West, this is a western masterpiece and one of the best ever made. While not as polished as the above mentioned, For A Few Dollars More contains some of the best scenes in the history of westerns. Col. Mortimer gunning down Guy Callaway, Clint riding in to Aqua Caliente alone, and my favorite, Mortimer lighting a match on Wild's suspenders. Like GBU, I have seen this movie at least a hundred times, and have enjoyed it since I was a 7th grader. A classic western in the Italian style, boasts a superb soundtrack to boot. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Great Collection
While Jackson's ego as the "King of Pop" has folded over recent years, his legacy lives in this compilation of his videos and performances. With the advent of DVD, Jackson's fans will get to see and hear the great quality of his performances and music finally. Two videos on this compilation are worth seeing. The first, "Liberian Girl," is a beautiful ballad, and the celebrity-filled video is one of Jacko's rarely seen videos. The other, "Scream," which was the most expensive video ever made has Michael and his sister, Janet, in a futuristic spaceship setting, that was beautifully directed by Music Video guru Mark Romanek (Madonna's "Bedtime Story" was also his work). Forget the scandals and his wierd habits, and buy this coolection.

KING OF POP
Micheal Jackson is definetly the king of pop - after u see this collection of his videos you wont dispute that.
THE DVD
1.PROGRAM START
2.teaser-elaborate teaser showing micheal jackson as a huge statue.
3.BILLIE JEAN motown 25- an amazing performance of micheal jackson singing billie jean and doing moonwalk for first time- here he shows his amazing talent - in this performance u think it cant get any better than this but yet he ceases to amaze me - performances keep getting better. 5 star performance
4.BEAT IT- classic mj video great dancing - good song 4.3 stars
5.LIBERIAN GIRL- ok/ catchy song with alot of appearances by celebritys - very rare video- 3 stars
6.SMOOTH CRIMINAL-this one i rank up there with billie jean- here he outdoes himself again showing his amazing talent and dancing abilitys- 5 star performance
7.1995 mtv video music awards-another amazing performance- my personal favorite along with smooth criminal- here he does many songs in a mix of some sort and shows many diffrent dances and it amazes me how he can switch so quick into the diff dances -one of a kind performance - 5 stars
8.THRILLER- classic masterpiece /great performances by all- 5 stars
SIDE TWO
1.SCREAM- innovative original video with sister janet- very cool video - 4 stars
2.CHILDHOOD-pretty good video -3.5 stars
3. YOU ARE NOT ALONE- not one of my favorites but still good video/ shows micheals sensitive side- 4 stars
4.EARTH SONG- beautiful video - have to see it to believe it -5 stars
5.THEY DONT CARE ABOUT US- so so video / fun to watch- 3.5 stars
6.STRANGER IN MOSCOW- diffrent type of video yet beautiful-3.8 stars
7.BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR- the worst video on whole disk - i didnt like this song or video at all but the other videos make up for this one - 1 star( this just wasnt micheal jackson- it wasnt his style ) i expect more from this - hes more talented and hes shown that in his past but maybe he just wanted to try somthing diffrent
8.BRACE yourself-3.5-4 stars
SO I RECOMEND THIS DVD TO ANYONE - any pop music lover or micheal jackson fan - even if ur not a big micheal jackson fan u will be after veiwing this collection and this dvd is also good for chronicaling some very memorable video masterpieces.

Michael Jackson is the King! Period!
How can someone who hasn't released any commercially successful material in the last six years be the King? Watch this video and you'll find out!

This is packed with some of Michael's most ambitious video's and live performances.

Video listing:

1. Bille Jean (Motown 25: yesterday, Today and Forever)

2. Beat It 3. Liberian Girl (very rare)

4. Smooth Criminal (one of his finest and higly overlooked videos)

5. 1995 MTV Video Music Awards Performance (Killer 15 minute Jackson performance!)

6. Thriller

7. Scream (duet with sister Janet and an amazing visual effect video!) 8. Childhood

9. You Are Not Alone (Video for the first song ever to debut at No.1 on the Billboard #100)

10. Earth Song (Beautiful video!)

11. They Don't Care About Us (Highly contorvercial song and video from 1996)

12. Stranger In Moscow (rare)

13. Bllod On The Dance Floor (rare in North America)

14. Brace Yourself

Get this DVD 'cause these are some fine pieces of work from the greatest entertainer of the last twenty years!

Five out of five

Video HIStory,volume 2
This package was released sometime after the 1997 release of Michael Jackson's BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR album. There is a video for BOTDF in this package. I just love SCREAM. That video features MJ's sister Janet,who's freaky like her brother. Take note of two censorships when the video is seen on MTV or VH1. The second word of the quoted line in SCREAM that goes "stop f---ing with me" is muted and also during that,Janet "flips the digit" which is blurred. Sorry,they're just following FCC regulations. No MJ fan should be without this package unless he/she chooses not to.

amazing music video
this is highly recommended for fans of mj and also nonfans who enjoy his music. It's all that and a bag of chips. This video came out when I was 14, but it wasn't until 3 years later I ended up buying it and it was well worth it.

It starts out with the now infamous trailer with mj as the statue on the HIStory cover, which leads the mj's groundbreaking performance of billie jean on the motown 25th special, the time he premiered the moonwalk. A definining moment in pop culture that is, and this is followed by the music video for beat it. Next up is the rare release of the liberian girl video which was an overseas hit in 1989 and features tons of celebrites such as quincy jones, weird al, paula abdul etc. and then the brilliant smooth criminal with it's amazing dance sequences, and yet another mj video moment, the lean. 1995 MTV video music awards performance is next, it's a medley of songs such as don't stop till you get enough, the way you make me feel, scream, beat it, black or white, billie jean, dangerous, smooth criminal and you are not alone. Next up is the music video which is considered the best video of all time, thriller. Followed by that is scream, a duet with sister janet and the most expensive video ever. This video set a blueprint for futuristic music videos the same way as previous videos have. Childhood is a sweet song, but I could do without the video. You Are Not Alone is also on here, but it is different from the version that used to air on tv. Earth Song is a touching masterpiece that is bound to make you shed tears. The song alone stands on it's own as a masterpiece, but the video is like the icing to the cake in a way. They Don't Care About Us the brazil version is very bright, very colourful and very rhythmic. Stranger is moscow is a calming masterpiece with a black and white video, beautiful videography here. If you buy the VHS, there is an mj megamix music video that mixes up his classic hits and shows different clips from videos and performances, you won't find this on the DVD. Last but not least, the remix video of blood on the dancefloor is at the end before ending with the brace yourself clip, a montage of Bad tour footage mixed with some victory tour footage. It is definitely worth your money and a timeless classic that is bound to forever live on. ... Read more

Amazon.com

William Holden is the hunky drifter who rides the rails into a small Midwest town with dreams of landing a "respectable" job with his rich college buddy (Cliff Robertson). Kim Novak is the small-town beauty queen engaged to Robertson who falls for the cocky dreamer, as do repressed schoolmarm spinster Rosalind Russell and Novak's tomboyish kid sister Susan Strasberg. Their unleashed passions reach a crescendo at the Labor Day picnic.

Joshua Logan directed William Inge's play on Broadway and carried it to Hollywood, earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director in his screen-directing debut. Holden is years too old for the role but oozes sex appeal and makes a swoony stud when he takes his shirt off (or when, better yet, it's ripped from his back by a boozing Russell), and Novak is a lovely lost girl yearning for something she can't quite grasp. Arthur O'Connell earned an Oscar nomination as Russell's tippling boyfriend. The film was a huge popular and critical hit, but Logan's stiff and strident direction hasn't dated well. He makes his points in big capital letters--subtlety was never his strong point--and loses the natural beauty of the Kansas locations when he takes the climactic picnic scenes into an obviously artificial soundstage. Picnic remains a loved American classic, largely for Holden's tough-guy vulnerability and James Wong Howe's brilliant widescreen color photography. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (74)

A subtle movie! A Dynamite Cast! A Gorgeous Score!
This is a subtle and rewarding film. The cast is magnificent--the performances great! One of my favorite film scores too!

A hint for watching the movie. With each viewing, I find I have been concentrating on a different actor. Kim Novak is definitely at her peak; William Holden is remarkable; Rosalind Russell is at her very best, with a fantastically varied and difficult part; Susan Strasberg is wonderful indeed. All of the supporting actors are super too! And this IS primarily a story of individuals' lives, and how they are changed.

The film gives a remarkably accurate picture of life in 1950's rural Kansas. But onto this background is thrust a love story of great interest and appeal. The film has super color and fine sound (for its era anyway).

The film is, quite simply, astounding. Don't rent it....buy it, bucause it just gets better and better with repeated watchings!

Dripping with lust!
Picnic is one of those films that just transports the viewer into another time and era and that's the sign of a truly great film. Holden has the daunting task of playing a loveable hustler with big dreams that he just can't make happen. So he decides to go back to familiar grounds and falls for kim Novak. Novak is a treasure in this movie her exotic beauty and shaky voice highlights her characters uneveness to conform into the town's perfect beautiful young woman. This film at it's time was billed as too sexy due to the dance that Novak and Holden share at the picnic and till this day the scene holds up great. The lust in both their eyes and Novaks raw sex appeal against Holden's rugged good looks is a sight to be hold. But the back story which I won't give a hint of is the true tale of this flick and shows how human nature is always determined by the role society wants you to play based on your looks! This film still holds up today as a work of pure sexual energy and raw human emotions.

William Holden & Kim Novak are OUTSTANDING in Picnic
I saw PICNIC during its release in 1956 in India when I was in
school. I was crazy about English films and never missed a good
film.one of my class mates saw the film before me and remarked
about the energetic dancing of Holden as spellbinding.I was not
that keen in the beginning to see the film due to its title which meant lightweight and fun. But when I saw the film the experience was tremendous, I had just seen a masterpiece. William Holden and Kim Novak were just outstanding. Holden

brought a breath of fresh air as soon as he appeared, and Kim
Novak was not just a small town beauty queen, she oozed raw sex
and hidden desires exposed to the full by carefree but passionate William Holden. Although, without doubt the highlight of the film was the picnic and the dancing where all the principal players of the film are envolved emotionally and the finale to the story builds up, there other memorable scenes notably the swing scene where Holden gets hold of the swing where Novak is sitting, he begins playing with it unintentionally and realises for the first time that he has fallen for the fiancee of his best friend. Then there is that passionate scene beside the waterfall where both Holden and Novak admit their love for each other and kiss intensly, Holden with torn shirt. After this Holden runs and catches the running train and finally Novak follows him, her true love in the Greyhound. The execution of all these scenes and the whole story is nothing less than perfect. James Wong Hoe's technicolor photography is outstanding. Needless to say I have seen this film many times since and found it always charming.

Holden Sparks, Novak Smolders, Kansas Burns
In a decade of conformity and great prosperity William Inge and Tennessee Williams tackled subjects ahead of their time. Of course they in some cases had to veil the subject matter but that lead to some wonderful revelations in writing and reading between the lines. In this DVD from Colombia of Inge's Pulitzer Prize winning 'Picnic' we have one of the best films of this genre of sexual repression, animal heat, and desperation in small town America.
Most reviewers of this film might begin with the leads but I must start of with the wonderful Verna Felton as Helen Potts the sweet old lady who is caretaker of her aged mother and lives next door to the Owens family. This gifted and now forgotten character actress sets the tone of the picture as she welcomes drifter Hal Carter (William Holden) into her house. At the end of the film she glows in tender counterpoint to the dramatic ending. She is the only person who understands Hal, even more than Madge (Kim Novak). Her speech about having a man in the house is pure joy to watch. It is a small but important performance that frames the entire story with warmth and understanding.
Betty Field turns in a sterling performance as Flo Owens, Mother of Madge and Millie. She is disapproving of Millie's rebellious teen and smothering of her Kansas hothouse rose Madge. A single Mom trying in desperation to keep Madge from making the same mistakes she did. She becomes so wrapped up in Madge's potential for marriage to the richest boy in town she completely ignores the budding greatness that is bursting to get out in her real treasure. Millie.
Susan Strasberg creates in her Millie a sweet comic oddball. She is the youngest daughter who awkwardly moves through the landscape nearly un-noticed, reading the scandalous "Ballad of the Sad Café" being the only one who is different and can't hide it. Her yearning to get out of the smallness of small town life is colored with the skill of a young actress with greatness her.
Rosalind Russell nearly steals the show as the fourth woman in the Owens household boarder, Rosemary, a frantic, hopeless and clutching spinster. In the capable hands of Miss Russell we have a real powerhouse of a performance. She imbues Rosemary with all the uptight disapproval of a woman who knows that her time has past and there are very few options left. She is electric in her need for love. Every nuance of her emotions is sublime in her presentation. Just watch her hands alone.
Floating above all of this is Madge Owens, the kind of girl who is too pretty to be real. The kind of girl who in a small town like this is not understood to have any real feelings or thoughts other than those that revolve around being beautiful and empty. Enter Kim Novak, who is just such a girl. Who could ever expect such a beauty to be anything more than just pretty? But Miss Novak, a vastly underrated actress in her day paints a knowing and glowing portrait of Madge. Her explosion of sexual heat upon meeting Hal for the first time is internal and barely perceptible until she looks at him from behind the safety of the screen door the end of their first scene. That screen door is a firewall protecting her from the flames. She fights in the early part of the film to keep her sexual desire for Hal in check. That night she loses her fight at the picnic and we watch as she opens to reveal a woman of feelings and dreams so much deeper than the prettiness of her eyes or the luminosity of her skin. This is one of Kim Novak's early great roles and one she fills out with lush and deep emotion.
The lives of all of these women of Nickerson Kansas are changed one Labor Day when Hal comes steaming into town. William Holden gives a raw and wounded portrayal to Hal, a man at the edge of his youth and on the verge of becoming a lost man. He lives as he always has, on the fading glow of his golden boy charm and his muscular magnetism. Holden was 35 when he made Picnic, a real golden boy at the edge of his youth. He was perfect for the part. Some reviewers say he was too old to play Hal, but I disagree. Without being thirty-five in real life as well as in the story Rosemary's "Crummy Apollo" speech would not be so effective or devastating. Hal is a man who never bothered to grow up, a man who never let anyone get too close for fear they might see through is bravado and discover his fears of feeling something, anything before it's too late.
Holden also brings a sexual heat to the film that is eons beyond the time it was filmed. He is presented almost like a slab of meat. He struts around in a pre-Stonewall dream of sexy hotness. Not only the girls in town notice him but a few boys too. (There are several layers to Nick Adams paperboy if one bothers to look.) When finally Holden sparks with Novak they blow the lid off of the uptight code bound studio-strangled world of Hollywood in the Fifties.
The film is photographed magnificently in lush color and cinemascope by famed cinematographer James Wong Howe. The famous score by George Durning is classic not only for the famous reworking of the old standard "Moonglow" but for his virtuosity in dramatic power. This is a giant of a score from the silver age of film music. The direction by Josh Logan is perfect in every way and stands among the best of his work.

Moonglow moments
You know it's good:

1. It's the look on William Holden's face when he first catches a glimpse of Kim Novak coming down the stairs in that pink dress. ("Madge is the pretty one"--she sure is)
2. It's the way she shimmies up to him. Revealing her intentions, she never loses eye contact or says a word.
3. It's the moment he takes her into his arms to dance close--he gives a little sigh of pleasure.
4. It's the look on his face when he's dancing--that criptic smile of pleasure and sensuality--all the while knowing that she's totally off limits.

and of course the song itself. This scene in itself makes the movie and with DVD you can play it over and over and over... Not many dance scenes have stood the test of time. I loved it. What can I say--I'm a chick. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Teen Wolf is a flip-flop of the horrorific I Was a TeenageWerewolf story: this time, lycanthropy makes the afflicted high-schooler abig man on campus. An otherwise routine teen comedy, this one works because ofthe customary bounce of Michael J. Fox, in one of his first leading roles (itwas shot before Back to the Future but released in that blockbuster'swake, and cashed in nicely). Although his werewolf makeup makes him look morelike Bigfoot than Lon Chaney, Jr., Fox manages to convey his peppy personalityeven under all that hair. Teen Wolf Too, however, is not even bearable.Here Fox is replaced by Jason Bateman, who finds that his wolfish inclinationhelps him become the big dog on the college boxing team. The sole bright spot isveteran actor Paul Sand as the boxing coach. The rest is howlingly unfunny. - -Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Wow.
I'm a big fan of Michael J. Fox, and it isn't hard to see why. He has immense talent, and he's a very coordinated actor with MANY fine elements to his performance. Jason is a great actor too, although Michael pulled it off much better in my opinion. I always get a certain kind of wholesome feeling from watching Teen Wolf the original rather than in Teen Wolf Too, I feel like there's a guy trying to steal Michael's role. I think the director knew that it'd be a bad idea to cast someone else in Michael's role if they were to continue on the storyline from the original Teen Wolf into Teen Wolf 2. Obviously you can't have Scott Howard without the cool Boof, whoever the hell would name their daugher that, but anyway lol. Susan Ursitti would have to have been another "must have" to be able to pull off a sequel. The chemistry between her and Michael is great, and it can't be matched, because it's their spotlight.

I'd recommend this awesome classic for anyone that's interested in watching a good wholesome movie.

Like Highlander, there can be only one
The only reason I'm not giving This forthcoming DVD five stars is that it's paired with the sequel, which is better left in the vaults of the MIB. The original is, simply put, a masterpiece that transcends the genre of teen movies. It takes the clever idea of using lycanthropy as a coming of age symbol and plays it out beautifully. Michael J. Fox is at his best, and the rest of the cast compliment with excellent chemistry. It's just as fun to watch the tenth time around as the first; I'm finding myself memorizing and quoting it like Star Wars. The sequel does it no justice. Jason Bateman does OK, but the script was too much an attempt to duplicate the original, while the first movie clearly broke ground.

My Favorite "Feel Good" Movie Of The 80's
This movie, to me, is one of my most favorite movies ever. it has something in it we can all relate to...feeling like you're a nobody & wanting to be something more to everyone in your life. It has a great cast, michael j.fox was great as scott howard, but i loved james hampton as "the dad", because he was just like scott at his age. he knew how tough it was to fit in. but the movie is so good, the story is so funny, it brings back so many memories for me. the dvd itself could've had extras on it like explaining why there were so many scenes where the actor's voices weren't in sync with their dialogue. If you feel down in your life & need a feel good movie that makes you go for your dream, take a look at "Teen "Wolf". I would also love if they could bring the soundtrack out on cd, it has been deleted for some time now, & i am sure i am not the only one who would like to see it back in the stores & would buy a copy. the second movie however, is pretty bad. the director (quite plainly) wanted a exact carbon copy of the original classic (let me tell you, he failed miserably) the actor who took over the roles of coach finstock can't act for nuts, he didn't even want to play the part. but getting back to the first movie, i would love to see an extended version of the film, when you watch the preview, you see scenes that are not in the final cut of the movie. please director rod daniel, bring out a extended edition of this classic. my favorite part is at the end when scott throws the ball into the hoop for the final winning shot to clinch the championship for the beacontown beavers, then the crowd all raised their fists & cheered, that scene always makes the hairs & goosebumps all over me stand up & cheer too. i always watch the credits too, i think i've only ONCE only half watched the credits. this movie will always be in my heart forever. "Teen Wolf" HOWWWWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

Good stupied funny movie
I dont think they should sell it with the second one. the first on was good. he ia a high school basketball player who finds out his family is ware wolfs. sound weird but it is good. the second one sucks its not michael j fox. them make him a college boxer and i think its a waist of time to see the acting is ok just not a movie that needed a second one

Your typical 80's teen comedy...
Let's see: a 'geeky' guy is on some sports team that REALLY needs to win. He also has this unpopular girl as his friend (who happnes to have a crush on him), and has a crush on the most beautiful & popular girl in school, who couldn't care less about him. Suddenly, the guy discovers he had inherited the family 'curse' - he is a werewolf. After the initial scare, he finds out he can use it to his advantage - he helps his sports team win, which makes him popular, which attracts the beautiful & popular girlfriend, which makes her boyfriend (who is, incidentaly, on the opposite team) mad, which leads to a big fight, which leads our protagonist to the conclusion that he had abused his power as a werewolf and the importance of team work. This leads to a confrontation with some sort of an authority figure, but eventually the team (lead and inpired by the protagonist) wins the day, and the guy gets together with the geeky girl he discovers he liked all along.

Since this can describe both the movies, the unoriginal & repeated story line is the biggest fault I could find with the Teen Wolf 2 movie. OK, that and the fact Michael J. Fox (who made the most of the 1st film) wasn't in it.

These are typical early tot mid 80's teen dramas, and the fun in them (at least for me) is the memories rather than the story and the laughs. And oh yeah, Michael J. Fox. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There are two reasons to see Toys: some phenomenal visual spectacle and the utterly adorable performance of Joan Cusack. The story: When the founder of the Zevo toy factory dies, he leaves it to his militaristic brother Leland (Michael Gambon) instead of to his whimsical son Leslie (Robin Williams). When Leland starts making war toys (and worse, actual weapons masquerading as toys), Leslie is forced to stop being capricious and take on some authority. Toys is supposedly about innocence and peace, but really it's director Barry Levinson's cry of anxiety about modern-day playthings, particularly video games--which is almost psychic of him, given how video games have started to devour the entertainment market. Fans of Williams will enjoy his performance; the visual design really is gorgeous; and Cusack, as Leslie's sister Alsatia, is so lovely she almost carries the film through its muddled themes. Almost. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (58)

A visual wonder, but a misguided film
Here is a film that has some of the most wonderous sights I have seen in any film. TOYS creates a world of a toy factory that is so wonderful, so imaginative, that you wonder how this movie could possibly have gone wrong. Barry Levinson had this film in mind since before he did DINER, and he found his main star in Robin Williams after they worked on GOOD MORNING VIETNAM. It is obvious what he wants to accomplish. To show us a fantasy world that couldn't exist but that you would love it if it did, that only innocence should prevail in the world of toys. He accomplishes the first half with exuberance. He is aided by three absolutely wonderful performances: Robin Williams, Joan Cusack, and Robin Wright Penn. But he comes to a conclusion that is not only confusing but really bizarre.

Robin Williams is Leslie Zevo. His father is Kenneth Zevo, founder of Zevo Toys, a factory that doesn't so much exist in a town but in the middle of its own world. Zevo is old and dying and played by the legendary Donald O'Connor. (His funeral scene creates a nice little laugh until I remembered that O'Connor himself passed away a few months ago.) Kenneth Zevo must hand over control of his factory, but feels that his son Leslie isn't ready for this job. And his daughter Al-Sashia (Joan Cusack) isn't, well you find out at the end of the film. So he turns the factory over to his brother General Zevo (Michael Gambon) of the U.S. Army.

General Zevo clearly doesn't want the job, but the Army isn't the way he remembers it. He is the kind of soldier who would shoot a fly with his .45 sidearm instead of using a fly swatter. That creates a nice laugh, but in a really funny scene he goes to visit his father, who never tires of humiliating hiis son by showing how he outranks him. What to do? He tours the factory in a sequence that demonstrates again and again the visual wonder of this world. But this isn't his world. He begins to think that there may be a market in the world of war toys, but Willaims and everyone else at the company feels that it isn't the company's style.

General Zevo comes up with an idea. The only reason I can reveal this idea is to explain how the film goes off the rails. The company will manufacture miniature toys armed with real bullets, missiles, and bombs. They will be controlled by children who think they are playing videogames and scoring points. When his scheme is discovered by Williams and Cusack they find themselves running through the factory pursued by the miniature war toys. Bullets are soon flying, explosions are going off, and everything leads to a battle between the evil war toys and the old innocent wind-up toys. It is here when my heart started to really sink. Why couldn't Barry Levinson come up with a more imaginative solution to stop the General than having innocent toys attack (and be blown to pieces) by war toys? Surely a movie with such imaginative setting could give us a payoff just as imaginative, couldn't it?

Robin Williams was born to play this character. He is so convincing as a man who never seemed to grow up. Again and again he uses his gift for verbal improvisation that for once doesn't stop a film dead in its tracks. Joan Cusack displays a charming innocence that many times I don't always see. At the end the secret of who her character really is doesn't come across as a surprise. And there's a nice sweet romance between Williams and Robin Wright Penn as a new employee. And all during the opening, first act, and middle, is that wonderful look. The production designer Ferdinand Scafforeili was nominated for an Academy Award, and perhaps should have received a special achievement for it.

So, TOYS has a magnificent extravagant look, terrific performances, and even some really sweet and delightful music (especially the opening song). But it doesn't have an imaginative conclusion or a good third act. I guess I will recommend this film. Its good qualities really are the price of admission. But ask yourself, what was that ending all about?

This is one you experience, not watch.
If some songs are enjoyable more on account of their phonic sound than the actual melody they offer, then Toys likewise, is a film that can be enjoyed more for its sheer imagery than for its none-too-profound storyline. As many critics--even the adoring ones--will tell you, this movie won't be remembered on the strength of its plot. It's an uncomplicated (if also a little thematically-preachy) story of youthful innocense, big-bully intimidation, and then conclusively, of victorious, passive retaliation. And they're all worthy concepts. However, Barry Levinson doesn't make his audiences mull them over during the movie. To the contrary, it's rather difficult to ponder much of anything in light of the devastatingly gorgeous scenery, the brilliantly simple contraptions, and the fairytale-like quality of the characters.

If ever there was a celluloid catalyst for shattering actor typecasts, this was it. Robin Williams' performance reveals a mostly unfamiliar vulnerable sincerity that, frankly, creeped me out a couple times throughout the story. Similarly, you have Joan Cusack at her most delicate and gently-spoken (with exception of course to the laughable observation she makes in regards to war being "the domain of a small..." so on and so forth). L.L. Cool J competently delivers the role of a convincingly clean, wholesome, family-valued military man caught between the warring factions of his own family, represented by a hawk (his own father, played by the appropriately casted Michael Gambon) and the dove (a perpetually juvenile Williams). Robin Wright Penn isn't given much of a stage in Toys, and consequently her performance is less than striking here. But to her credit, she nurses a few otherwise-forgettable scenes (particularly the overtly ad-libbed cafeteria scene with Williams) back to life with her disarming laugh and sincere attention.

The trivia fanatics will keenly spot the underutilized, but aptly included cameos of Yeardly Smith and Jamie Foxx.

I'm not a big movie fan, in fact I rent/buy movies reluctantly. But this one captivated me from square one and it's a hard one to let go of. Incidentally, I highly recommend the soundtrack. It's a musical revelation that does great honor to the film (with an outstanding and uncredited brief performance by the incomparable Seal).

Chances are, anyone who's reading these reviews has already seen the movie; it's not a film that is naturally attracting new audiences this long after its making. However, I'm convinced this was due in monster proportions to the lack of popular exposure that Toys received, both initially in theaters and subsequently in it's video/DVD release. I, for one, happened to see Toys only by dumb luck, and have been grateful for walking into the theater ever since. But the minimal promotion that was afforded to Toys is all right by me. This is one cinematic secret I'm happy to be in on.

Get Lost!
Watching "Toys" was like watching "Teletubbies" dumbed down for an audience of subhumans.

Six Millions Jews died in concentration camps during World War II. It took the combined forces of the free world to stop this genocide. Williams and the production company that made "Toys" are just closet nazis.

Inasmuch as I watched this self-righteous piece of elitist garbage, I can say without any hesitation that if you believe that the world would be better off in the hands of some two-bit despot, then maybe you'll be stupid enough to accept the premise of this peice of unadulterated nonsense...

By the way, I'm not runblader. I just agree with him.

May Innocence And Joy Prevail....
"runblader", the person who gave this movie a low-rating in which he called this movie "Anti-American Propaganda", needs to grow the hell up. This is a great film. About a man of peace. What's so wrong about that, runblader? What is it that you are lacking inside that you need to invoke images of 9/11 to attack this film? Anyone who debases this film based on notions of patriotism needs to get a smack in the head. Williams, Cusack, LL Cool J and a host of other actors make this well-directed romp a joy to view. It's actually entertaining enough for multiple viewings. The visual effects, as some reviewers more intelligent that runblader have suggested, are amazing. It's as though someone shot film straight from someone's dream. Visually impactful like The Truman Show, as an example. Shun anyone who doesn't like this film. Make them pariahs. It's no less than they deserve.

This movie is still ahead of it's time, but getting closer
A strange choice of metaphors, but still a very compelling critique of the American democratic process and it's mishandling by different citizenry.
If the Toy Factory is US republican democracy, and the elder Zevo the generation leaving the country in it's current quandry this movie can make a bit of sense. The "poor" choices of the past(militaristic Uncle in charge of the factory) compell the newer generations to reorient the system(democracy as toy factory) towards it's original intent. The founder(or founders Jefferson,Madison et al) Zevo had no idea of the damage the company would tolerate and still move towards a stronger more democratic outcome. An allegory for the younger Bush administration, we should all be amazed at how our poor choices inflict harm and ruin our way of life. Catch the Tori Amos, happy worker song at the beginning of the movie and contrast this with the miltary dictatorship that insues.
It's hard to know if the intent of the father was to shake the son out of his doldrums and trivial existence, or a truly poor choice of leadership