Amazon.com

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

Reviews (61)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

The latest in the line of Saturday Night Live's great character players (including Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman), Will Ferrell showcases his fearlessness in this 72-minute collection. Whether exposing skin or taking a pause beyond the normal limits, Ferrell induces hard laughs like with the cowbell rocker in the first sketch. The selection includes Ferrell's spot-on impressions of Cub announcer Harry Caray, game-show icon Alex Trebek, President Bush, and Inside the Actor's Studio host James Lipton. As with other SNL Best of...retrospectives, there are short snippets to go along with the full-length sketches that include excellent selections of Ferrell's returning characters Craig the Cheerleader and the swinging Culp brothers. A must for fans, and the DVD includes an intriguing audition footage in which Ferrell leaps from character and character. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Not sure about 'Best Of', but still funny
Like most Saturday Night Live 'Best Of' compilations, it would be more accurate to call this a random sampling of Will Ferrell skits than his greatest ones. How else do you explain the fact that there are throw away skits like the dysfunctional family, yet only brief clips of him doing George Bush and Janet Reno, among others. Also there are a few skits on this that are also on the Best of SNL 96-97 tape.
With that said, this DVD does have enough funny skits and redeeming value to make it worth checking out. You can't go wrong with him playing a flustered Alex Trebeck in 'Celebrity Jeopardy;' his Marty Culp the singing/preaching principal is also always good for a laugh. Both longtime fans and those who don't know Ferrell's work as well will appreciate the range, audacity, and irreverence of the characters he played.
There are also some good extra features, including two very funny apperances on Conan O'Brien. Again this is not perfect, but still is well worth a look.

Ferrell deserves two DVDs
This was a DVD that had to be made, and everyone knows it. Sketches include:
--Anti-drug school assembly musical number
--Blue Oyster Cult ("I need more cowbell!" shouts Christopher Walken)
--Robert Goulet infomercial for his CD
--Craig the cheerleader working a chess match
--Ferrell as: George Bush, Janet Reno (boxing Rudy Giuliani), Saddam Hussein (on 3 way phone call with Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky)
--As James Lipton of Inside the Actor's Studio interviewing Alec Baldwin

--His Harry Caray impression
--As Alex Trebek on Jeopardy, with contestants including Sean Connery and Burt Reynolds
--As professor Roger and his hot-to-trot wife Virginia in the hot tub, harrassing poor business traveler Doug (Jimmy Fallon)
--As one of the Roxbury brothers with Jim Carrey and Chris Kattan
--Substitute art class nude model Terrence Maddox
--Infomercial for Dissing Your Dog
--Weekend update special guest Jacob Silj
--Father of a dysfunctional family with Sarah Michelle Gellar as his rebellious teenage daughter

Extra features include his SNL audition routine (he does his Harry Caray, a Ted Kennedy, and some original characters), two Conan O'Brien guest appearances, some outtakes, and one hilarious dress sketch which never made the final show in which he played Old Prospector Gus Chiggins, assigned to accompany an army unit into Afghanistan.

You know this stuff is good--in half the sketches, the other actors are sobbing they're trying so hard not to laugh. Especially Jimmy Fallon, who finds Ferrell so funny he snorts out half his lines. And through it all, Ferrell stays in character, fully committed. As James Lipton would say, "What courage! What humanity! We are in the presence...of greatness!"

But any Ferrell fan will instantly rattle off several classic Ferrell sketches which are missing: Doug, the face of erectile dysfunction; the bad doctor; the commercial for the hamburger helper mix with antibacterial agents for weeks old ground beef, etc. NBC really needs to honor Will's body of work by issuing a second volume, or a box set, even. Such work must not be relegated to the whims of Comedy Central reruns.

Sidesplitting, but needs more material
A lot of great sketches, here, but alot missing. One of my favorites that was not included is the one with Garth Brooks, where Will plays the Devil.

More Laughs! More Will! More Cowbell!
Even though he only left the show two years ago, you still feel a tinge of nostalgia when you watch Will Ferrell on "Saturday Night Live". Perhaps it's because his versatillity evoked memories of such famed castmembers like John Belushi, Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman. Or maybe it was because he was just so damn funny.

"The Best Of Will Ferrell" tries its best to capture the best from Ferrell's 7 years on the show, and while it's far from definitive, it makes a vailiant effort. All the sketches here are hilarious. Whether he's Craig The Cheerleader, Robert Goulet or George W. Bush, Will will have you in sketches. Some sketches, namely the nude Art Class sketch, grow on you, but you'll learn to enjoy them. The best sketch by far is "Celebrity Jeopardy". In addition to Will's sidesplitting (if not entirely accurate) Alex Trebek, he gets additonal support from Jimmy Fallon as French Stewart, Norm MacDonald as Burt Reynolds, and Daryl Hammond's infamous Sean Connery. There's also the classic "Blue Oyster Cult" sketch, which is naturally to funny for words.

Everybody has one sketch not here that they would have loved to see. For me, it would be the Jeopardy sketch with "Chardonay". But other than that, this is a hilarious dvd. I also suggest watching Will's auditon tape, especially his hilarious Ted Kennedy impersoantion. Get this dvd today!

"Get Of The &%$#@ Shed!!"
Watching this DVD you realize that Will is a true Comedic acting genius. The extras are worth the price of the DVD. I just wish the DVD was longer. Hopefully they'll release a Vol. 2. All the great political sketches were left off DVD (Bush, Janet Reno). Also, they left off the funniest Jeopardy sketch, the one where Sean Connery writes "Buckfudder". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hanging out at an Italian villa with Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida sounds like a painless way to kill a vacation--and Come September is a pretty painless movie, too. Rock is a millionaire who spends a month at his home on the Riviera every year, except this year he's come early and surprised his staff, who've been running the place as a paying hotel. This is one of those comedies of sexual frustration--Rock can't get alone with Gina, because the "hotel" is overrun with American teenagers (chief among them Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, who married after meeting on the shoot). The plot is labored, and director Robert Mulligan shows little feel for farce (he would shortly hit his stride with To Kill a Mockingbird). At least the location shooting has a nice summer breeze to it, and Darin sings "Multiplication" in a nightclub, complete with hepcat moves. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (7)

September continued
Come September is a unique comedy, sparkling with the touch of the Italian summer, American opulence and oriental moods. A must see for people who love cinema and want to keep smiling.

This escapist saga is about two people who are in love but cannot get married due to various reasons, the principal onebeing the hero's unprepared ness. Paradoxically, the time he really decides to tie the knot, he faces the most bizzare week of his life which leads to another September, god knows, how many more.

The best part of the film is that it leaves a lot to the imagination, at at the same time guarantees that you go home feeling good, having spent some quality time. Icing on the cake is the beautiful Italian landscape , it evokes both a sense of grandeur and nostalgia, though Mulligan has ensured that the film does not become a tourist's guide to the south of Italy.

Yes Siree, you don't see many like that!
This is one of the best classic comedy movies. If you are a fan of Gina Lollobrigida, chances are you won't be disappointed and will get to see her beauty and superb acting in this film. If you are a fan of Rock Hudson, then you will be delighted to see his humorous act in this movie. Nothing can be added to make this movie better than what it is now.

Come September is one of those very light, romantic, and comedy movies ever made. You can see this movie whenever you want a break from all the movies we get to see these days. If you will buy this DVD, I can assure you that you will see it many times and won't let dust settle on it like it happens to many of the DVDs on our shelves. Worth spending each and every penny on purchasing this title.. GO FOR IT!

You will love it.

One of those great classic comedies, never gets old
One of those great classic comedies, never gets old, still funny and very refreshingly entertaining after all these years..

A Hudson/Lollobrigida Classic!
A wealthy tycoon,with many abodes, only visits his place (and part-time girlfriend) on the Italian Riveria once each year, in September. This year he arrives early to discover that his caretaker/major domo has been operating his villa as a hotel the other eleven months. And, his girlfriend (Gina Lollobrigida) is about to be married to someone else. To add to the distress, the current guests in the hotel include a group of nuns who are chaperoning three young females. Now, add three college boys in a Jeep with romance on their minds and you have the makings of a great comedy. Some vocals by the late Bobby Darin and a look at a young Joel Grey of Broadway fame. All around a great comedy.

Gee mister, she's a beaut.
Robert Talbot (Rock Hudson) returns to his Villa as he does every September. He naturally expects Lisa (Gina Lollobrigida) to be waiting for him as usual. Of course she has different ideas.

When he is away Maurice (Walter Slezak) uses the villa as a Hotel. It is occupied by a tour group of American girls, a chaperone, which is sweet on Maurice, and Cedric (who is drunk). I think Cedric was a nice touch. Due to circumstances out of Roberts's control, he ends up chaperoning the girls.

Parallel to this a group of American Boys are heading for a hotel (Being the villa) that actually does not exist. They confront Rock Hudson on the road and antagonize him repeatedly referring to his car. "Gee mister she's a beaut". Later with no where to stay the boys camp out in front of the villa full of girls. To get Rock Hudson out of they're way thy try out drinking him and out running him.

Just as you thing Rock Hudson has the upper hand he pulls a faux pas. In an attempt to ward off Tony (Bobby Darin) he tells Sandra Dee that no man would buy something if he could get free samples. She tells Lisa and the fun begins.

There may be some formula scenes, but this is not a typical movie. Instead of a lot of separate personalities they work off of each other. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

One Good Cop
When I bought my first DVD player a number of years ago, Cop Land was one of the films that, I thought about buying right off the bat. I was disappointed though, to discover there were no bonus features on the disc, and I didn't get it. Back then, my rule was simple: no bonus material-no purchase. After a long wait, a special edition for the film, is finally here.

Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone) is the sheriff of a place everyone calls "Cop Land"-a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big-city police officers he's always admired. Yet something ugly is taking place below the surface. The sheriff is shocked when he uncovers a large and deadly conspiracy among these local residents. He doesn't know who to trust. Gary Figgis (Ray Liotta) and Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel) try to persuade Heflin that he is wrong. Soon though, he is forced to take action and make the difficult choice between protecting his own and enforcing the law, as Lt. Tilden (Robert De Niro), an Internal Affairs officer, arrives to begin an investigation of his own.

Writer/director James Mangold assembled a top notch cast that can't be beat. Stallone rises to the challenge and gives his best performance since the original Rocky flick--no really, it's that good. The drama and situations are very real. No over the top, super hero heroics are to be had. It's gritty reality is heightened for me even more, due to Mangold's use of many familiar North Jersey locales, as the story's backdrop.

The DVD showcases a 116-minute "Director's Cut" of film. In this cut, 11 minutes of footage is reinserted, not part of the original theatrical version. For the most part, these scenes are rich in character bits and advance the plot only slightly. Still, the 11 minutes are worthwhile. The audio commentary track from Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad, cast members Stallone and Robert Patrick is a solid one, filled with great insight on how the film came together. Aside from the 11 minutes of inserted scenes, there are a few additional deleted scenes complete with opitional commentary from Mangold, about the editing choices he made. The film's climatic shootout and its corresponding storyboards are detailed for viewers. Pretty cool. Rounding out the bonus material is a featurette called "The Making of an Urban Western" All I'll say is the commentary is better.

The special edition of Cop Land is recommended. And it's worth a re-purchase if you already own the movie only disc. ****1/2 stars.

A memorable movie with an even more memorable cast !
The movie Cop Land combines long lost talent in its leading star, Sylvester Stallone; top notch performances from its supporting cast, Ray Liotta, Robert Deniro, Harvey Keitel, and Annabella Sciorra; wonderful cinematography by Eric Edwards; and brilliant direction of James Mangold who later went on to direct such hits as Kate And Leopold, Identity, and Girl Interrupted.

Cop Land is a fictional tale of crime and corruption in a city run and occupied by New York's unfinest cops. Stallone pulls it off excellently as the city's overweight sherrif, Freddie Heflin, who couldn't get into to the force on account of his deaf ear. When the police force covers up a cop shooting that leaves two innocent men dead and stages a hero story, its up to Sherrif Heflin to reveal the truth and bring order to the city known to everybody as Cop Land.

The movie features an outstanding performance by Robert Deniro as an FBI agent trying to uncover the deceptions and opens Heflin's eyes to the corruption around him.

A memorable film with an even more memorable ensemble cast.

Underrated
Great little movie. Amazing cast, great performances. Nicely underplayed. Will be curiuos to see the directors cut with 11 extra minutes added.

A solid cop thriller in the tradition of Sidney Lumet
Cop Land is a homage to police corruption films like Sidney Lumet's Serpico and Prince of the City. In many respects, Cop Land is also a modern western, complete with a High Noon-style showdown. Miramax previously released this film on a movie-only DVD. This new version is a huge improvement but is it worth the upgrade?

Definitely.

"Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western" is an excellent retrospective featurette. Stallone to be interested in the role but the actor wanted to something different, to go back to his starving actor roots. After him, came De Niro and then everyone else followed.

Next, there is a "Storyboard Comparison" that allows one to watch part of the film's climatic shoot-out simultaneously with the storyboards for it.

There are two deleted scenes with optional commentary.

Rounding out the extras is a solid audio commentary with director James Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad and actors Sylvester Stallone and Robert Patrick. Not surprisingly, Mangold and Stallone dominate this track. Stallone comes across as a very humble and gracious guy. Mangold keeps everyone talking, acting as an informal moderator and asking everyone questions. This is a really good track and definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of this movie.

Cop Land features a killer cast and allows them to flex their acting chops with a top-notch screenplay. This DVD is a definite improvement over the previous bare bones edition and is worth the upgrade. Miramax has finally done this film justice with an excellent special edition.

SLY IS THE BEST!!!!
I AM A HUGE SLY FAN EVER SINCE I WAS A KID, ANY FILM SLY MAKES I MUST SEE WEATHER IT BE SPY KIDS 3 OR THE NEW MOVIE "SHADE" I HAVE TO SEE IT IF SLY IS IN IT. COPLAND IS A WONDERFUL MOVIE AND WHAT IT DID WAS INTREST ME TO BE A DEPUTY SHERIFF MAYBE IN THE FUTURE. SLY ONCE AGAIN DOES A GREAT JOB AS THE DOWN TO EARTH SHERIFF WHO JUST WANTS A LITTLE MORE CREDIT FOR HIS JOB. APART FROM THE GREAT SLY WE HAVE THE GREAT HARVEY KEITEL, RAY LIOTTA AND OF COURSE ONE OF MY TOP 5 FAV ACTORS ALONE WITH SLY WHO IS NUMBER 3 ROBERT DI NERO. THIS IS A GREAT FILM FOR COP LOVERS I THINK ITS ONE OF THE BEST AND REALISTIC FILMS ABOUT BEING A SO CALLED "COP" AND BEING A "SHERIFF". I WOULD RATHER BE A SHERIFF AND WEATHER MOE TILDEN LIKES IT OR NOT FREDDY HEFLIN IS A COP. ... Read more

Description

Stanley Banks is a good father who adores his beautiful daughter Kay and his well-ordered life, a life that is thrown into chaos when Kay announces her engagement. A classic MGM comedy, the story is told via flashback and chronicles the many travails, financial and emotional, suffered by Stanley (Spencer Tracy) as he tries to give Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) a wedding to remember. Year: 1950 Director: Vincente Minnelli Starring: Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Some Things Never Change
I just saw for the first time ever this movie made in 1950; directed by Vincente Minnelli; and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. Ms. Taylor was only 18 when she made this film and was frightening and eternally beautiful. She is so petite that she almost could adorn her own wedding cake. The movie, however, as the title implies, belongs to Mr. Tracy who plays her father who cannot bear to see his little daughter grow up and get married. There is a lot of most fathers in Mr. Tracy's character. He has some great lines and some funny scenes and endears himself to us with his gentle humor-- the footage where he gets stuck in his kitchen making drinks and doesn't get to make a speech about his beloved daughter, just to point out one delightful instance. He is such a bungler-- can't get to Ms. Taylor at the wedding reception to bid her goodbye either.

I did not find this 54 year-old movie dated at all. Some things never change. Love may be eternal and most families the world over act pretty much the same when it comes to seeing their children leave home.

Takes the Cake--Wait There is No Cake.
There is a reason that Spencer Tracy was one of Hollywood's most acclaimed actors. He could pull off any role and make it believable. He was one of the great everymen of his day. Watch, for instance, FATHER OF THE BRIDE and you will find yourself thinking of your own father, grandfather, uncle, or perhaps even yourself.

In the film, based off the novel by Edward Streetcar, Tracy plays Stanley Banks, an upper middle class lawyer who has his nerves put to wits ends when he learns nonchalantly over dinner one evening that his only daughter, Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) has just become engaged. His life is turned upside down in a few brief moments, as the simple thing he thought of as love turns into a nightmare called a wedding. Yet as much as things change, he learns that nothing really changes at all.

This original film version of Streetcar's novel stays true to the source and (as much as I love the remake) in many ways is far more entertaining than the Steve Martin version. The movie has dated some, yet it remains as enduring as ever. Watch it and laugh, maybe cry, then--if you can--give Dad a call.

The original is still the best
I must say that this is far more charming and sentimental than the remake. The relationships presented here seem more real and less scripted.

Tracy and Taylor have an unmatched chemistry as father and daughter that actually stretched into real life, lasting until his death.

Minelli's direction brings real verve to the story without resorting to cheap physical humor. I love the verbal repartee and the cadre of classic Hollywood actors.

The DVD itself is a good transfer both in video and audio. I enjoyed the extras as well, although I couldn't seem to get audio on the two newsreels included.

A great trip down the aisle and memory lane.

A great family film...Better than the Remake...
Spencer Tracy is perfect in his role as the father of the bride. The love for his daughter played by Elizabeth Taylor rings so true in this film. Spencer Tracey gives one of the best comedic performances I have ever seen.

Joan Bennet is also excellent as the mother of the bride.

This comedy is never over the top and the characters seem very real. There are some good laughs.

The upper middle class home and lifestyle reminds me of the book "The Way We Never Were" and at the same times makes me nostagic for the 1950s.

If Elizabeth Taylor's character's call to her dad at the end of film doesn't choke you up then you are made of wood!

Get this film.

This is a classic!
If you're looking for a comedy classic with good acting and a few nuggets of truth, this would be a good bet. Spencer Tracy is delightful as a befuddled, confused, and out-of-his-depth father, trying to survive the announcement, planning, and actual wedding ceremony of his beloved daugher to a man who has taken his place as #1 in her life. He is a typical 50's father-gruff and at times uncommunicative, but always loving. Elizabeth Taylor is cast as the naive and passionate daughter, but she is overshadowed by both Tracy and Joan Bennett as his understanding and long-suffering wife. This is a real tour de force for Tracy and is a delight after all these years. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Irish hard-shoe sensation Riverdance underwent its secondincarnation with Live from New York City, a 1996 performance filmed atRadio City Music Hall. The dazzling choreography and energetic score remain, butMichael Flatley was replaced by less-flamboyant Colin Dunne, a superb technicianwho works well with Flatley's former co-lead, Jean Butler.

About a half-hour longer than the 1995 original, Live from New York Cityexpands upon the second act's theme of the Irish leaving their homeland forother parts of the world. In the most engaging new number, "Trading Taps," atrio of Irish dancers faces off against two urban American tappers. While muchof this show will be familiar, it's different enough to be enjoyed on its ownterms. It's also more stylishly shot, but that's also its biggestdrawback--frenetic editing that allows only brief glimpses of the dancers andleaves the viewer dizzy. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (64)

This video is the best.
I loved this video. If you have seen Riverdance before, then you won't be disappointed and if you have never seen Riverdance, then after seeing this video you will want to watch again and again. I would give this video 5 stars but the editing can be confusing at times. The content definitely deserves 5 stars but the editing isn't. The original Riverdance video is better in that respect because it seemed like you were watching the show live. But R2 seems more like a movie or taped production. The dancing is first rate. I had never seen or really heard of Irish step dancing before Riverdance and now I love it. There are also other types of dance that should please everyone. I highly recommend this to anyone. You will not be disappointed. END

Very poor editing and camera zoom positions
It is disappointing to see just how poorly the video angles, camera placement and editing were done. The energy of the tap performances and the dancers was never the focus of attention - instead, the producer(s) seemed to want to go crazy with their continuous jumping from one camera to another without any thought to showing the performance in its best light. The camera angles continually changed around the stage , with extreme closeups of head and torso that simply did not do *any* justice to the dancing.

The original "Riverdance - The Show" video is a *much* better edited performance, albeit with fewer actual tap dancing scenes. The performance of another similar video "Lord Of The Dance" did not sit well with me either, perhaps because the originality and energy of the dancers was subsumed in an over-produced, over-glitzy performance. Some improvement in the editing over *this* video, but still not anywhere as good as it could have been.

I would recommend the original "Riverdance - The Show" over any of the subsequent performances that have been released. Now, if I could only find that performance in DVD format - the only release that I know of is VHS!

A Reviewer from Canada
I have a previous version of this DVD. However it is two side and not convenient. I wait for a new version like this one for a long time. Unfortunately, this "Superbit" DVD picture quality is not good. I fully agree the review of another reviewer on Dec/17/2003. The only benefit I got from this DVD is "One Side".

Technically this DVD is a Disaster
Terrific performance. Choppy editing. I was looking forward to getting this wide screen Superbit DVD. What a disappointment! First of all, it's not wide screen--it's actually SHORT screen. On a wide screen TV it takes less space than a "full screen" 4:3 DVD or VHS tape. That is, large black bands on the sides and narrower black bands on the top and bottom. One can try the "zoom" function on the TV, but with two unfortunate consequences: You lose the top and bottom of the pucture and you make the already very poor definition picture even worse. Superbit indeed! In short, though described as "anamorphic" on the box, it surely is NOT. It's extremely fuzzy on my 50" monitor, much more so than almost any of the many dance DVDs that we own. As another reviewer suggested, they could have produced this travesty by simply copying a VHS tape. Superbit? Forget it!

A Wierd Similarity
I am a huge fan of Riverdance. I remember the first time i saw it on PBS. Afterwards we ordered the video. I noticed something in the final dance before the credits when everyone came out to dance. On Maria Pages right, there were three African Americans. In the new version there is a dance that features African Americans. The dance must have been cut out of the video. Anyways, the new Riverdance is just as good if not even better then the original!! It's a great buy! ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Cirque du Soleil's Best
I was fortunate enough to see Quidam in its first American run, with the original performers and routines. I can say without hesitation that this DVD captures the beauty, and compelling aura, of the live performance - no easy feat. And in regards to the show itself, I feel strongly that it is the best Cirque du Soleil has ever offered.

With a message of innocence rediscovered in a world of jaded ennui, this show opens the viewers' eyes to seeing life in a new light. Personally, I felt completely renewed after watching, and still feel the magic, thanks to the DVD. Each time I view it, I walk away renewed, and encouraged.

There is not a weak act in the bunch, and several are utterly astounding - the hand-balancing stands out for its technical strength, and the contortion in silk is hauntingly beautiful. Sadly, the easy flow of the German wheel is somewhat lost in the DVD - in live performance, it was one of the best acts in the show. The clowns are as appealingly bizarre as ever. However, the real credit must go to John Gilkey, whose gangly-graceful character captures the heart. He leads the entire show with ease, guiding the production from one act to another...and his solo performances are works of art. His contribution alone makes the DVD worth owning.

A last mention that makes the DVD worthwhile is that it includes music from the show that isn't included on the CD - why these pieces were left out I'll never understand.

A Cirque Lovers Dream
FINALLY! A superior capture of a Cirque du Soleil performance. I sufferied through the last two ("Novelle Experience" and "Saltimbanco") disappointing videos. Watching one missed opportunity after another, I had to draw from my memory of being at the performance to complete the picture. Or else I had to overcome annoying camera tricks. At last there is a film that enhances the experience of "Quidam" that surpasses the visions one gets from a a seat in the audience, and ALMOST equals the experience of being there.

Let me explain. Camera shots and close-ups are much improved over previous ventures (I have not seen the film of "Alegria"), and now are better integrated into the overall experience. Rather than trying to perform camera stunts of their own (there are some exceptions), the viewpoint tries to capture or comment on what is being filmed.. The sound quality (captured from a live performance) is supurb.

And the acts are wonderful. Many are actually more enjoyable [to me] than in my two live viewings because of the viewpoint of this film. While some are not as impressive as some past acts have been, the way the entire production encompasses their essence improves their impact. And some of the acts, quite frankly, are simply as good as it gets.

But in this instance, the whole is far greater than the parts. This has always been a Cirque trait, but is particularly evident in "Quidam". The vision that permeates every frame of this film, every motion of every performer, every brush stroke in every make-up, every note in the score, every stitch in every costume-- is as advanced as anything seen in any art-form -painting, dance, theater, music, athletic arts, light, sound, technical theatre --all fully expressed in one overwhelming artistic statement that produces no less than a state of awe. Hey, but that is what you expect from Cirque du Soleil.

You get it here. For the first time (in my humble opinion) on film. And now you can sit at home in comfort and admire it again and again-- and you can show your friends what it is like to be in a very special world of enchantment.

Disappointment from Cirque
I am a dedicated Cirque fan, experiancing the delights of O, Alegria, Varekai, and Dralion. I recently saw Quidam on TV and was extremely disappointed that I sat and wasted 3 hours of my life in front of the TV for that. This annoying little girl never quits singing, and nothing very entertaining happens through the entire performance. If you want to become a huge Cirque Du Soleil fan, my advice is to not watch this one first, because it will spoil it for you. The best would be to go and see O (or Mystere) live in Las Vegas before anything.

The best of what mankind has to offer!
I think I now have every CdS DVD and have reviewed several of them, but not yet Quidam, as I have always found the words lacking for a proper review....and I still do(but will try it anyway)

Let me first say that John Gilkey is brilliant as the emcee/clown. He is doing something for almost the entire show, and much of the time what he is doing is utterly amazing. One of my favorite Cirque segments is when John runs out screaming with a hula hoop. He then proceeds to do things with the hula hoop which I cannot fathom even after watching the DVD many times over. Let's just say that I do not understand how anyone can possess such control, and furthermore do it every night! John's juggling scene in which he dances and juggles with the hat rack also shows that the level of his dexterity is far beyond that of any other mortal man, as is his sense of artistry.

This show is darker than the other Cirque shows, with a grimace instead of a smile on many of the performers faces. Not that it matters; just an observation. As for the acts- again, they are some of the best of any Cirque show. My personal favorite is the Statue, a music-less act where a man and a woman contort themselves with each other in a most imaginative and athletic manner. It has to be seen to be believed.

The girls with the diabolos are charming. The acrobats who end the show are unbelievable, using only their arms to launch others high into the air and to catch each other. Again, this is where words fast become inadequate. I strongly recommend anyone who has read this far to purchase this DVD and see why, after 66 reviews, it still garners a 5-star review.

In an era when it is en vogue to be negative, this show is a reminder that anything is possible and to never stop dreaming....so pick up the next hat of the headless wanderer you encounter:-)

I must end this review by repeating what another reviewer has already said: "Towards the end of this video I was struck with the thought "if ever the human race were put on trial by extraterrestrials for their atrocities, this should be exhibit A in their defense."

What else can be said?

dodi
Of all the Cirque du Soleil shows I think this one is the best!!
Saw my first live performance in Las Vegas, but if you can not see one live this is the next best thing. Also have two other tapes and have enjoyed them as well. A great purchase and wonderful entertainment. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Spirited Away
The highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history (more than $234 million), Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi) is a dazzling film that reasserts the power of drawn animation to create fantasy worlds. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Lewis Carroll's Alice, Chihiro (voice by Daveigh Chase--Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch) plunges into an alternate reality. On the way to their new home, the petulant adolescent and her parents find what they think is a deserted amusement park. Her parents stuff themselves until they turn into pigs, and Chihiro discovers they're trapped in a resort for traditional Japanese gods and spirits. An oddly familiar boy named Haku (Jason Marsden) instructs Chihiro to request a job from Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), the greedy witch who rules the spa. As she works, Chihiro's untapped qualities keep her from being corrupted by the greed that pervades Yubaba's mini-empire. In a series of fantastic adventures, she purges a river god suffering from human pollution, rescues the mysterious No-Face, and befriends Yubaba's kindly twin, Zeniba (Pleshette again). The resolve, bravery, and love Chihiro discovers within herself enable her to aid Haku and save her parents. The result is a moving and magical journey, told with consummate skill by one of the masters of contemporary animation. --Charles Solomon

Castle in the Sky
Inspired by "Gulliver's Travels," the fantasy-adventure Castle in theSky (1986) was Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establishhis reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheetainherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom ofLaputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of skypirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization.Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's scienceto make himself ruler of the world. Castle echoes elements inMyazaki's earlier Nausicaä, and anticipates imagery in his laterfilms, from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away. Disney's newEnglish dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu)and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola) is lively and close in tone tothe original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The excitingflying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of asteam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make Castle in theSky a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation.--Charles Solomon

Kiki's Delivery Service
In Kiki's Delivery Service, a 13-year-old girl meets the world head on as she spends her first year soloing as an apprentice witch. Kiki (Kirsten Dunst) is still a little green and plenty headstrong, but also resourceful, imaginative, and determined. With her trusty wisp of a cat Jiji (a gently subdued Phil Hartman) by her side she's ready to take on the world, or at least the quaintly European seaside village she's chosen as her new home. Miyazaki's gentle rhythm and meandering narrative capture the easy pulse of real life (even if his subject is a girl flying high upon a broomstick) and charts the everyday struggles and growing pains of his plucky heroine with sensitivity and understanding. Beautifully detailed animation and the rich designs of the picture-postcard seaside town of red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets only add to the sense of wonder. This charming animated fantasy is a wholesome, life-affirming picture that doesn't speak down to kids or up to adults. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (41)

A masterful trio by Studio Ghibli
...although actually, these films were never intended to be anything of the sort ;).

Although Disney has shown an irritating hesitation to publicize or release the films they have purchased the US rights to from Studio Ghibli, this three-set is still most welcome. Spirited Away was my introduction to the studio's works, and is probably one of my all-time favorite movies. These three DVDs, although sparing on the extras, hold up to scrutiny, and I give them my heartfelt reccommendation.

Kiki's Delivery Service is a light-hearted tale that gently chides the world for its harshness, well nevertheless remaining optimistic and true to its form. Spirited Away is a heartfelt adventure, in which the main character does not face good or evil, but simply a need to adapt to a new world and a new set of rules, and to overcome their lesser attributes. And Castle in the Sky is a wonderful, vaguely Star-Wars-y adventure about a confused girl who is ready to meet her destiny.

Did you notice I just used the word 'heart' twice in three sentences? Well, these movies have a *lot* of heart to them, more so than any typical viewing from the House of Mouse. These aren't a packet of slickly-paced jokes, or an 'epic' tale of Good vs. Evil. They simply...are. And they shine for it.

Each DVD contains three language tracks...English, Japanese, and either French or Spanish (Spanish for Kiki, French for the other two). The English version comes with subtitles for the hearing impaired, true to the dub (which is slightly different from the original Japanese version, although not much). There are also literal subtitles for the Japanese track...they're big and obvious, if you even stop to follow any of the instructions or pay any attention at all.

Actually, I prefer the dub for Kiki's delivery service, and I think I might for Spirited Away, too. I haven't yet tinkered with the Japanese Castle in the Sky (which, by the way, was rescored...the original score was maybe one hour of original melodies for a two-hour movie. Ghibli decided that they might as well fix an old annoyance, and the new soundtrack is awesome). Disney did a very good job; the voice actors for the English versions managed to cover some sort of poorly chosen lines rather well.

The movies are, in short, not 'Disney-fied' at all, and if you find the English versions unsatisfactory, you can still experience the pure Japanese bliss. Good show, Disney. Now take a cue from these guys in Japan!

Awesome 3 pack of Miyazaki
Let me just say that each of these films deserves a full review in their own right. That said, I think that Spirited Away is the centerpiece of this trilogy, and the treatment on DVD shows with great audio and video quality, and a healthy set of extras. Castle in the Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service also are looking great on these DVD's, but their extras are not quite as good - the second disc of both movies is the complete storyboards. That's interesting, but nothing I'd write home about. These movies showcase Miyazaki over quite a large period of time - interrupted by a gap where Princess Mononoke was made. It is obvious - you can see the evolution of his style, and the evolution of cgi - almost completely absent in Castle in the Sky, and filling lots of gaps of Spirited Away (though almost always scenery/backgrounds/zooms, nothing of the main characters that I can tell).
If you're a Miyazaki fan, get these discs! If you're new to the anime world, these are good starter movies to hook you in.

Miyazaki spirits audiences away
Hayao Miyazaki is undoubtedly one of the best children's filmmakers today. Here three of his best are collected together: "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Castle in the Sky," and "Spirited Away" -- all overflowing with charm, color, beauty, sadness, and spirit.

In "Kiki's Delivery Service," a determined young witch-in-training (Kirsten Dunst) sets out from her hometown to hone her powers out in the world, with only her cat Jiji (Phil Hartman) by her side. She finds a home and job in a picturesque little town, and puts her broomstick to good use as she sets up a delivery service -- and gets to know some of the townsfolk around her.

Action and fantasy are given a Jules Verne twist in "Castle in the Sky." Miner boy Pazu (James Van Der Beek) sees a girl slowly float down from the sky, suspended by a glowing crystal necklace. Sheeta (Anna Paquin) befriends the orphaned boy, but soon pirates and military thugs are chasing both of the children, so they can use Sheeta to find the fabled floating city of Laputa. To save Sheeta, Pazu teams up with some bumbling pirates -- and finds more than he ever expected up in the clouds.

Academy Award Winner "Spirited Away" opens with Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) being unwillingly moved to a new town. But when her parents take a detour into an abandoned amusement park, they are suddenly turned into pigs. Turns out the park is really a resort for powerful spirits and gods. To save her parents, Chihiro sacrifices her freedom and her name to the vicious Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette). And she allies herself with Yubaba's henchman Haku (James Marsden), a mysterious boy who seems somehow familiar to her.

While technically the Miyazaki three-pack is for kids, adults will probably enjoy the stories as well. These are well-crafted, beautifully-animated films that manage to be uplifting and sweet without ever descending to sappiness. In short, they're smart films. They don't talk down to kids, but they won't alienate adults by being childish.

The animation is uniformly beautiful, full of bright colors and clean lines. And Miyazaki has an excellent story-telling range: He produces the resort-towns of "Kiki," the richly dark-edged world of monsters, ghosts and spirits in "Spirited away," and the slam-bang action and majesty of "Castle." And he doesn't forget to mix plenty of the fantastical in too. In what other movies can you see a six-foot-tall baby, a pirate street-brawl, and a girl riding a dragon through underground tunnels?

Miyazaki also has an excellent grasp of character development, presenting us with the plucky Kiki and resourceful miner boy Pazu. But the best character is perhaps Chihiro, who starts off whining relentlessly, but showing her courage and love as the story goes on. Even the villains are multi-dimensional, even if "Castle"'s Muska goes perilously close to the megalomaniac tyrant cliche.

Miyazaki -- whose latest project is an adaptation of Diana Wynne-Jones' fantasy novel "Howl's Moving Castle" -- is definitely a wonderful filmmaker. These three movies are charming, evocative, emotional, and occasionally even epic. Highly recommended.

Great stories, artist, and better in original version...
I grew up with Japaness Animation, and I can't speak, read or understand Jpanese. I watched these movies since I was about 10 years old, and I am very used to reading subtitle since I was fairly young. Why, because I hac no choice. And I was shocked to see the dubbed version of some Miyazaki film, because it is different than my childhood memory.

If it was just differeces in the way they word things, that's fine. But the problem is that the characters are changed, and story line are slightly altered. That bothers me. I don't remember Miyazaki's work marketing for younger children during the time I grew up in Taiwan, but they certainly changed that here. It is fine if the alternation is made for children, because that would be the only way my little girl can enjoy these great movies with me and my husband before she can read. But as a adult, I strongly recommmend you to watch these movies with English subtitle. Because that version is what the diractor intend us to see, and that is true art. Enjoy the art!!

Why complain about alterations in dubs?
I don't understand the reviewers who complain that Disney "ruined" these movies by the silly dialog or score changes they made in their dubs, or their choice of who to do the english voice acting.

C'mon, people -- they're DUBS. What do you EXPECT?

Watch them as they were intended to be seen -- use the Japanese audio track with English subtitles. If I'm not mistaken, you get the original soundtrack that way as well. It is AWESOME (and dare I say it uncharacteristic) that Disney provided the original japanese versions on these DVDs.

With a very few exceptions (Cowboy Bebop, for example), DUBS are almost always inferior to SUBS. As far as I'm concerned, people who are too LAZY to appreciate a foreign language film deserve what they get in Disney's alterations. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

It can't get any better than this
Oh boy do I love this movie. I'm so glad to hear it's going to come out on DVD (I'm pre-ordering now). I really doubt that Hollywood can make romantic comedies this good any more. Well, hopefully I'm wrong, but quite honestly, I haven't seen any better union since "Big" -- a screenplay so well written, a director so creative (as Penny Marshall), an actor so talented (as Tom Hanks), an actress so lovely (as Elizabeth Perkins), plus a perfect supporting cast (Robert Loggia, Jon Lovitz, Mercedes Ruehl...) Forgive me for being a bit cynical here, but movies like this have become so rare these days, just like happy marriages.

Superb FILM!!!
This has to be one of the greatest films all of all times,EVER!!
Tom Hanks did an exellent job playing a young boy(Joshua "Josh" Baskins) trapped in a grown mans' body. A child trying to make it in a rough world, living as an adult,but only in the flesh.
The writing was excellent! The entire casts' acting was superb! Penny Marshall has directed a true gem that has been a classic for about 14 years now, and will remain a classic for decades to come.
Living in New York as I do, It was really fun to know that the area where Josh met up with the fortune teller machine was shot on location at Rye Playland about 40 minutes driving time from where I live(pretty cool, huh?)I go in that area at times just to rekindle the movie shot(I'm pathetic,right?)
One of the funniest movie scences I can remember is when his (somewhat) love interest,Susan (played beautifully by Elizabeth perkins) tries to get romantic with Josh, but all he seems to care about is jumping on the trampling and seeing who gets to sleep on the TOP bunk.(His young mind cannot comprehend what she means when she says she wants to "SLEEP" with him). Those are classic "BIG" moments, along with him playing the gaint Step-On Keyboard at FAO Schwarz Toy Store that will never leave my memory!It was very interesting seeing Tom Hanks show his boyish side; that innocent charm that very few actors could have probably pulled off so well. I also like the moral to the story as well, JUST LIKE THEY SAY: "Be careful what you wish for,'cause you may get it". Every wish comes with a price. There's no such thing as a perfect wish.
(You'll know what I mean if you haven't seen the film yet). If you haven't seen this extraordinary movie yet, then please do yourself a favor and buy it. Or at least rent it first,then I'll guarantee you will purchase this movie to share with your family and friends for years to come.
P.S. I think Tom Hanks was perfect for the part of Josh,but do you think anybody else could have done a good job as well? What about Bill Murray or Robin Williams? What do you think? Well...now that i think about it, with Tom Hanks playing the Award winning role,and seeing how well it was played, I don't think I'd have it any other way. -- PEACE.

Purhaps THE Defining Moment in Hanks' Career
In 1980 Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari came to the small screen in the sitcom Bosom Buddies and the rest is history. For Hanks anyway. Haven't seen Scolari since Newhart and I'm not complaining. Bosom Buddies only ran for three seasons but Hanks starred in the smash hit Splash in 1984 and his star only rose from there. As he matured throughout the 80's, it became clear that Hanks wasn't going to stand pat with dumb little pratfall comedies like The Money Pit. Little by little his comedies crept away from the silliness and into the drama. Big, in retrospect, seems like a defining moment in Hanks' career. It's the first time Hanks is asked to carry a big budget sink or swim flick all his own. There's plenty of comedy here, of course, but there are underlying themes of loss and fear that had been touched on in some of his earlier smaller movies but never in a big buget blockbuster type flick and not so pervasively. This sense of the inherent sadness and uncertainty of life has come to dominate Hanks' flick. Movies like Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Castaway, and, especially, Philadelphia are quite grim in thier life is suffering seriousness. The Hanks in earlier fare like Splash and Volunteers contrasts sharply with the turn of the millenium Hanks. Big is a must watch for any Hanks fans.

One of the best 80ies comedies!!!
I really enjoyed watching "Big." It stars two of my fav.
actors: Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins. Tom Hanks is really
great as the young boy "trapped" in a mans body. Elizabeth
Perkins is soooo cute as Hanks love interest and also a great
actress. As I wrote,a great movie!!!

I Wish I Was Big . . .
Doesn't every child? Well, if you are a child, and have watched this movie, you have probably changed your mind by now! And if you're an adult, then you will identify with a lot in this movie. That is, if you're watching it with your eyes open.

The movie starts off by making everyone reminisce (well, NOW anyway) by showing the old games, which you thought were state-of-the-art at the time! Now you see them, and you see rubbish graphics, and you had to type what you wanted the characters to do - I remember those! And the film quickly goes on from there.

I'm not sure what it was about the movie, but I wasn't all that keen on it. It seems to drag in the middle, and the whole idea of the movie is forgotton. The mum isn't included as much, it would have been nice to maybe see Tom Hanks come back and see her again, instead of just phoning her. My other quibble is that it's only rated a PG - so much more could have been done with the movie, if it had been a 15, maybe NOT an 18. But I guess they were aiming at the kids, so putting it in some (funny) sex scenes would have not been allowed. Boo.

Tom Hanks is perfect as the kid in a man's body - to me, he seems all arms and legs, awkward and gangly.

An OK movie - not one I would watch again, so it's probably good I got it for free!!! ;) ... Read more

Reviews (219)

Satisfyingly Chilling
Well...Looks like they made better chillers and thrillers twenty years ago than they do nowadays. The Changeling is a big hunk of a slice of intelligent psychodrama and supernatural spine tingling mystery.

The story isn't fed to the viewer like present day movies, and we're treated to a guessing game of mystery and sadness and fear and murder, all thrown against the backdrop of the still innocent 1980. How comforting the decor and architecture of the end of the 1970's, contrasting against the stark empty spaces of the wonderfully spooky and atmospheric grand empty house.

Is there anything more comforting than seeing 70's urban environments and then to be returned to the great big olde house from a century before, now worn and neglected and up for rent?

This film is a batch of home made soup, all the better for a nights' maturation. It'll tingle and nudge at your spine with pleasure and spice, and won't leave you feeling empty half an hour later.

Feel the fear and the nostalgia of that age of innocence, and all with a measure of intelligence that'll delight and scare you in equal measure. A real estate adventure in unexplored rooms that kicks modern hollywood thrills and chills into orbit.

Classy, stylish, and utterly terrifying
This has got to be the most shamefully underrated horror movie ever made. Everything good that other users have said about this film is true. Changeling pulls off the task of scaring the hell out of you without the use of gore or excessive violence. It's also surprisingly beautifully filmed--taking full advantage of the natural and architectural beauty of Seattle and the American Northwest. You also couldn't ask for a better story-line, or more capable actors. I've watched and appreciated this movie many times since it was first released, and it still gives me the willies.

If you want to have a really enjoyable time being scared, don't miss seeing The Changeling. Just don't watch it in a big house all alone.

A Great Adult Horror Movie
George C. Scott gives yet another memorable performance in this truly great, adult, haunted house, horror film. It starts slow and builds and builds until you're totally engulfed in it. It's also one of those movies wherein you just HAVE TO and WANT TO see it again and again. It's very refreshing to find a horror movie with no slashers or bloodshed. It's all suspense and a truly scary ghost. I'd recommend this movie to all horror fans, especially if you're an adult and want something more than gore. This haunted house story is great!

Too scary to watch straight through!
This is one of those wonderfully suspenseful movies that's more suspense than horror. It's SO suspenseful that when it was initially released theatrically, I stayed to watch the lecture hall scene, then left. I'm in that scene, you see. It, and much of the campus stuff, was filmed at the University of Washington in Seattle. Now I'll have to get the DVD just to have that one scene.

A perfect ghost story.
If you can't stand stupid horror flicks like "Scream, While You Watch This Movie" or "I Don't Care What You Did Last Summer" then you will love this flick. George C. Scott stars as recently widowed man who moves into an old house inhabited by spirit of a child. No knife wielding lunatics here, just a good mystery involving who the ghost was and why he bangs around in that old house. Also, check out the aptly titled "Ghost Story" to see what a really good horror movie looks like. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The sheer audacity of My Dinner with Andre drew throngs of curious filmgoers who made the film the most talked-about art-house hit of 1981. After all, who'd ever heard of a movie consisting of nearly two hours of nonstop dinner conversation? Ah... but this isn't just any conversation--it's the kind of mesmerizing, soul-searching, life-affirming exploration that we feel privileged to listen to, and with unobtrusive style, director Louis Malle invites us to eavesdrop to our hearts' and minds' content. The film was written by two New Yorkers at the dinner table, noted playwright-actor Wallace Shawn and well-known stage director Andre Gregory, who essentially play themselves. They taped their conversations for several weeks and Shawn gradually shaped them into a scripted conversation, but you'd never know it from watching the movie. The talk flows and flows until you're captivated by Gregory's stories of world travel and spiritual quests in Poland, India, Tibet, the Sahara desert... the tales of a soul-searcher who'd dropped out of the theater world to rediscover his zest for living. Shawn plays the skeptic, the voice of reason, his feet on the ground but his own mind willing to soar. The cumulative effect of this conversation is almost hypnotic, and certainly plays into our eternal appetite for storytelling. Both primal and sophisticated, witty and profound, My Dinner with Andre is a film that can be savored over time, offering new revelations with each viewing as the listener-viewer develops his or her own appreciation of life's great mysteries. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Don't you wish you had friends like this?
Where to begin? Two real people engaging in an ideosyncratic discussion about everything. Literally. From our modern, somnambulistic culture to artistic and personal freedom, My Dinner With Andre represents one of those conversations from the distant past which you can never quite forget. Every word and observation drips with latent meaning and insight; no fear of using audicious metaphors to make a point; a willingness to expose the soul. Those kinds of conversations may ultimately be more wind than fire, but through all the twists and turns of this conversation, and the self-absorbed pretension that sometimes overwhelms the moment, this movie has a lot to say. About life. About relationships. About death. And about whether we are alive or dead, awake or asleep, happy or unhappy, honest or fraudulent. I urge you to watch this--and then watch The Sixth Sense. Believe it or not, these movies tell a similar story about the world of zombies in which we live. Great film. (Don't listen to the comments about the quality of the conversion to DVD. It ain't great, but it doesn't need to be. This movie would eminently and desirably watchable even if it was shown on some snowy, UHF broadcast.)

You Are In For A Treat
I have seen this movie several times and have always discovered new revelations during each viewing.

Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory are brilliant. They spend almost the entire time before the cameras in animated conversation while eating dinner in a small restaurant in New York City. The conversation is unforgettable and the reason it will not soon leave my memory is that I feel I was there at the table with them. This effect is due to the considerable skills of the director, Louis Malle.

Shawn has been a busy actor and playwright throughout his career with frequent appearances in various productions such as VANYA ON 42ND STREET, a movie with the same kind of appeal as MY DINNER WITH ANDRE. Gregory has worked primarily as a stage director.

Louis Malle is also an excellent director with many film credits including VANYA ON 42ND STREET.

Tres Bon!
"My Dinner with Andre" is my all-time favorite film. I watch this movie often, each time of which I notice another layer of meaning. In addition to the superior dialogue and direction in this film (which other reviewers here have aptly described), the movie is rich, visually. This movie is not visually boring, despite the fact the cameras are on Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory for nearly two hours. Andre Gregory, especially, is such an engaging conversationalist that he evokes compelling mental images in the audience as to what these far away places might look like (i.e., the Sahara and the Polish forest to name a few). After all, Gregory said "I consider myself a bit of a Surrealist," meaning that the world of dream images in the mind's eye are the locus of true imagination. It's a superb use of the verbal to evoke the visual. Yes, the film is overtly naturalistic (i.e., the restaurant setting, a 2-hour meal with "real" characters), but the sheer dialogue transports one beyond mere verisimilitude.

Having the audience imagine, in their own ways, what these venues might look like is so contrary to what we get so often in American movies today. We typically get in your-face visuals and glitzy special effects (e.g., "Lord of the Rings) that allows no room for viewer imagination: its all artificially provided for you. Such films leave me, to use Gregory's words, "passive and impotent."

"My Dinner with Andre" respects its audience by reminding us what it is to be truly human. Having conversations as portrayed in this film is my ideal evening out with a good friend(s).

I can't recommend this movie enough.

A masterpiece! - The best movie of the past 25 years
I just finished this movie, and I feel like I need to simply get a few thoughts down before my head hits my pillow. I didn't know what to expect entering My Dinner With Andre - after all, it is a movie about two guys who have dinner in a restaurant and talk the whole time. But from the moment that the goofy-looking, awkward Wallace Shawn lumbers down a New York street and we hear his voice-over, I knew that something more was taking place in this movie. What it was, I had no idea.

There are no character names; there is no 'plot;' Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, both prominent actors/playwrights of New York, meet after not having seen each other for years and they shoot the breeze. I learned that it's not as extemporaneous as I originally had imagined - Shawn and Gregory got together, recorded hours of their conversations, and then compiled a script based on them. The 'restaurant' is actually a defunct hotel, the waiters and barkeepers all actors. But there's a transcendence to it all, as the men sit and chat (mostly the powerful, lively Andre Gregory doing the talking), food being brought out to them.

What heightens the power of the film is the setup that Wallace gives in the voice-over before their dinner: Andre, the man he meets, has been living a peculiar existence traveling all over the world, when he used to never want to leave his family. A friend of Wallace's saw Andre weeks before sobbing uncontrollably on the street because he was violently moved by a line in Bergman's Autumn Sonata. Like Wallace, we don't know what to expect in the very context of the dinner conversation.

Some of the things that Andre and Wallace discuss in this movie are so unimaginably crazy, so hauntingly horrific, that even the mental images that went through my head sent chills all the way through me. At one point, Andre tells of a strange rite with some friends on Halloween in which some of them let him through a strange process of being stripped completely naked, bathed, led through a field, lowered into a grave and buried alive for half an hour. Of course, I tell you this just to tantalize you, because to begin to even summarize what goes on in 110 perfect minutes would be impossible. Andre and Wallace discuss love, marriage, perception and reality, theology, and even the validity of their very statements. That they relate it with such grace and raw, real emotion makes me refuse to believe that this was staged in any way. It feels so natural.

I can't believe that something like this could actually make its way onto film, because it's such an amazing achievement for the art itself - in a way (especially in an early story that Andre tells about the nature of performance), seeing these men talk over dinner on film is the actual embodiment of a movie folding into itself in perpetuity. These men are real figures, play real figures in the film, recreate real conversations, and talk about reality in such a way that a heightened sense of awareness pervades the whole film. I didn't get up once, check the time - a few times I leaned closer to the screen because what was being said struck so close to me, hit home so hard, that I wanted to just be nearer to it. At one point, I gasped as Andre related the idea of New York, of working society being a new kind of concentration camp in which the prisoners make the prison, abide by the rules, and don't even realize it's holding them in. Whether I believe that or not is irrelevant - the fact that it's worked into a conversation like this is amazing.

The movie moves with grace between moments of hauntingly dark realizations, to soaring epiphanies of happiness and then back again. Much of the film may be discussion about the zombie-like nature of human existence, but there is a certain empowering quality to it all. My Dinner With Andre is not just about a conversation; it is about living; it is about life; it is about reality; it is about love; but most of all it is about the fact that we can all be happy with what we have right now, even with the infinite, scary knowledge that we receive over time. We meet a man who personnifies 'normalcy' with every gesture (Wallace), and yet there's a man who has done everything in his power to resist stasis (Andre). I left the movie with a changed perspective on each man, which I'm sure is what happened between them, too. More than a few times, I felt on the verge of tears watching this, and I felt it more than ever when Erik Satie's "Gymnopedie for Piano" began at the film's conclusion. One of the most transcendent works of music was chosen for one of the most transcendently great films I've ever seen. How cool.

I'm sorry. I'm just rambling at 2:15am, but I just thought it was impossible to not attempt to put into words what could be one of the single most important experiences I've ever had with a movie. I've seen a handful of movies that have drastically changed my thinking about a certain theme or notion. My Dinner With Andre might have just changed my life.

I want to have a conversation like this
I have not seen this DVD so my review pertains only to the movie itself.

This is one of my favorite films of all time. I can watch it over and over again and it remains enjoyable.

The entire movie consists of two old friends having a conversation over dinner. Wallace Shawn plays Wallace Shawn, a struggling playwrite who acts to pay his bills. He is a realist, but he has an unshakable faith in the power and importance of art. Andre Gregory plays Andre Gregory, a once successful director who had worked with Shawn in the past, but who has since had an apparent breakdown. Shawn has heard rumors about his old friend's erratic behavior.

Shawn is wary of the dinner. How crazy is Andre? Why does he want to meet after all of these years. He gently prods Andre with some general questions, but once he gets Andre started, there is no stopping him. He had had a breakdown - or a crisis, or an epiphany depending on how one looks at it. Andre had realized that he was not really living, but, rather, sort of existing in a semi-consious state. He looked around and saw that everyone was doing the same thing. He also lost his faith in the ability of art to communicate anything. This crisis is the result of his reaction to post-modernity in general. He proceeds to tell Wallace the extremes to which he went to try to feel like he was really experiencing life again. He traveled all over the world, experimented with all sorts of mysticism and unconventional thought, and developed a conscious, almost child-like view of the world.

I will not paraphrase the entire conversation. Wallace Shawn does get his rebuttal, and it steers the conversation in a cryptic direction. The conclusion, or lack thereof, of the argument is challenging, if not down-right depressing. This aspect of the film is rarely mentioned. Although Shawn leaves exhilarated by the conversation he has had, that conversation has left the audience in a quandry. The movie should instigate some interesting conversations of your own.

The script is just wonderfull. The two men taped many of their conversations and then edited them up and made a script out of it. Great idea that I am surprised is not used more often. The result is complete naturalism. Malle is reserved and delicate in his direction. A must for anyone who likes intelligent cinema - or simply craves a good conversation. Have that conversation vicariously through this splendid film. ... Read more

Reviews (100)

ENTERTAINING SUDS
Barbara Hershey and Bette Midler form an unlikely alliance in this contemporary/traditional "woman's picture". Well-produced musical numbers, charting CeCe's (Bette) singing/performing career, add zest and emotion, though the central relationship is exceptionally well-played by both the young and older versions of the characters. I particularly loved the way this movie grows with the characters; the story evolves over much time, and, unfortunately, spends too much time, and the film's most overrated song (Wind Beneath My Wings, which has a bizarrely self-involved lyric) in its final half hour wallowing in suds. However, the actresses retain a power throughout, and the tears this movie works to summon forth do not feel shameless -- an age-old friendship will likely always suffer its highs and lows, though perhaps not with this many strings playing in the background.

Friendship that never dies.....
I fell in love with the movie the first time that I saw it and still love it. One of the most brilliant performances by both Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey I have ever seen.I enjoyed very much seeing Bette showcase her voice in the movie because she has such a strong and beautiful voice, not to mention she is so hilarious. The scenes in this movie are emotional, uplifting, comedic and poignant. This film reminds of a special friendship that I have, and just watching the movie reminds me a lot of my relationship with my friend. It depicts that all friendships aren't perfect, everyone has their differences but that in the end that one special friend will always be there for you. In this world today, it is hard to find a friend like that. There were also some stellar performances by John Heard as the love interest of Bette Midler, Laine Kazane as Bette's mother Leona. What a wonderful movie, a real tearjearker and call it a chick flick if you want but this is a movie that was made for both men and women.

I love this movie
Bette Midler is wonderful in this movie. Barbara Hershey gives an outstanding performance. I love their friendship and how it goes through the different phases, and yet at the end they are there for one another, to support one another. This movie is definitely a tear-jerker, yet a classic.

Made me feel dirty
Watching this movie was a very unpleas