Description

Anne Rice’s The Feast of All Saints is a tale set in 1840’s New Orleans about "free people of color", who formed their own class at a time when the predominant role of blacks in society was as slaves. The film focuses on the ordeal of one young man named Marcel Ste. Marie (Ri’chard), who searches for the truth about his heritage. As he finds his individual path into the future, Marcel is fully aware that he is a child of African and European descent, but his story is uniquely American. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Anne, they still butcher your books!
I had an interest in this story both as a woman of color and as an Anne Rice fan. After reading this book about 6 years ago, I became very passionate about it being made into a film. When I heard finally that they were going make the film and how perfectly they cast the roles I became obsessed with seeing it. Yesterday when I finally saw it (I did not have Showtime when it came out), I felt they rushed it like a bad pornography. We learned too early in the film what Lisette's relationship to Marcel was or why Richard needed Marcel to "be a brother" to Anna Bella. They definitely did not capture the importance of Christophe to the entire society .I personally felt that they only needed the talented James Earl Jones at the very end and perhaps in the beginning.
EVERY actor in this film has proven thier talent over and over again in other films yet I think with the rushed dialouge they were not given the opportunity to show the talent they usually have. Each actor , later in the movie, had moments where they shone, but only Eartha Kitt , as usual, stood out from the moment that you saw her.
It amazes me to this day that Americans of all backgrounds still pretend that people of color, no matter how light they are, have no connection with the "white" people of this country. I had hoped that this movie would be so powerful that it would make all of us think. I think this was a good movie, but not as great as it could be.
To Anne Rice fans who read Queen of the Damned first and THEN saw the movie you will feel the same way about this movie.
...Why did they bother making this a two part series if they were going to gloss over important points?

beautiful movie
i [tried] to read this book, but couldn't get past the first 250 pages or so. while it was fascinating to read and i found the characters intriguing, i didn't have the TIME to sit down and read it through: the pacing was entirely too slow. so, i put it down and promised myself to 'come back to it,' wishing SOMEONE would adapt it to film so that i could have time for the actual STORY.

i was thrilled when i discovered this dvd at the local blockbuster.

the film, which outlines the lives of one french-creole-haitian family in louisiana who--by a series of questionable and irreversible decisions made through generations--enjoyed the privilege of being part of the 18,000-strong community of those both black and free in early-1800's louisiana, is paced WONDERFULLY.

i found that the film adaptation was true to what i'd read in the book and the characters, except for anna bella who i thought would look more african, were just as i had imagined them in my mind. this is def. the best book-to-film I'VE ever seen. the movie was beautiful to look at and of altogether intriguing subject matter. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. on the contrary, because it was a made-for-tv movie, i was expecting quality far LESS than that which i actually saw. the relationships between the characters were believable, as was the plot of the film. it's about 3 1/2 to 4 hours long, but it certainly didn't feel that way. in fact, i was disappointed when it ended.

the acting was great (the accents, less so). and my goodness, the cast read like a who's who in black hollywood. forest whitaker, pam grier, jasmine guy, ruby dee, ozzie davis, james earl jones, eartha kitt, goodness...the list goes on. however, those that were newer to me, such as the films protagonist marcelle (robert richard) did as well--sometimes better--than the veterans.

i love historical movies, especially those about wwii and america in the 1800s. this is the best movie of the latter category i've ever seen. it neither over-dramatizes or under-dramatizes the situation of the people it depicts (which is more than what u can say for classics such as 'gone with the wind').

i'd recommend this one to anyone.

The Feast of All Saints
I am a man of African, Native American and White descent. My father and mother both from (previous) Slaves states (mother from Virginia and father from Texas) never discussed what they knew about my family history regarding slavery and the only history I learned up until high school was about White American history, so when I became an adult I had a desire to find out about American history which included slavery, because that is a part of America history. I've read several books about the subject and seen (I thought) all the movies about slavery in America. I'm glad that Anne Rice wrote the novel and allowed the movie to be made from her book, otherwise, I wouldn't have known about this part of American history. This movie moved me so much because I could identify with the characters of mixed heritage and I think every American of all races should see this movie. Just one more true story that all American's should know about so we can understand how blessed we are to have moved from that very terrible time to now. In America we still have problems, but not like the ones that existed during Slave time. I've seen this movie 6 times during 2003. It's one that I know I will be watching again and again. I've also purchased the book based on the ratings I saw at Amazon.com so I could compare it to the movie. I'd highly recommend this movie to everyone, but parents should be cautioned about showing it to young children because some of the scenes are very difficult to watch.

What a Beautiful Movie
When I first saw this movie for the first time, I saw myself watching it over and over again. Being an African-American woman in America, I was tired of seeing the usual slavery movies such as Roots, Amistad, and Beloved.All movies that were difficult to watch. I'm pretty sure that both black and white america are tired of seeing the same thing over and over again! the plot is always the same white america opressing blacks! But this movie was different in every way. It actually taught me something about my history, that there were free people of color who were aristocrats, living on the thin line between priveledge and oppression.
The characters and actors put a lot of energy and feeling in this movie and I wish I could give it 10 stars! If your looking for something to watch besides Beloved, Roots, or Amistad, I highly recommend this film!!!

Anne Rice - why do you let them adapt on their own?
Anne Rice has had a troubled history with her books turning into films. Unrecognizable adaptations of EXIT TO EDEN and QUEEN OF THE DAMNED are more frequent than quality films such as INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE. Here you have a half and half treatment of a novel that dealt with people who were half black and half white! Parts of it are true to the novel and its characters, and then parts will leave you scratching your head wondering where they got something. Anne Rice should step in more often and make sure these things are done right, but alas ... this one is close!

Pretty pretty sets, costumes, and actors bring to life a story of racial identity crisis in the South of the 1800s. New Orleans before the slaves were free had a third race of people who were neither black and slaves nor white and truly free. They lived on a fringe of society, and had to arrange their lives carefully or pay for the consequences. Educated bohemians they became the basis for the creoles!

It's an oft ignored subject of American history, and a beautiful story told in rich detail. The book has the luxury of its own pacing, and here the movie has to step quickly to keep up! So some of this feels rushed. But they got the right people! Famous black actors mix with unknowns, and they all come out fine and noble. Even if the dialogue or pacing does not always seem to be on their side.

But worth a look! Then read the far superior novel. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A lovely introduction to a 40-plus-years-old television tradition, This Is Coronation Street includes a highly entertaining, 75-minute documentary about Coronation Street, the long-running British drama, followed by the series' first five, black-and-white episodes out of 1960. The former gathers the show's creators, original stars, and other luminaries to discuss Coronation Street's deep and sustained impact on pop culture, its early and realistic reflections of northern English society, and the ways in which the series' penetration of class barriers set the stage for so-called kitchen sink dramas (e.g., Saturday Night and Sunday Morning) in British cinema.All very interesting, but seeing the first live-broadcast shows themselves is a real eye-opener. Written with remarkable fluidity and strengthened by textured dialogue and seamless performances, Coronation Street today looks not only like a prototype for London's nastier evening soap, Eastenders, but such gritty ensemble American programs from the '70s as Hill Street Blues. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A rare treat for sociologists and soap opera lovers.
I think I once caught about 10 seconds of a "Coronation Street" episode on BBC America, and had I known it was the longest running TV serial in history, I would have paid closer attention. Look at the statistics. It was scheduled to run for 13 episodes in 1960 and is still going strong! In all, there have been (according to a bonus feature on my DVD copy) over 4,000 episodes, 35,000 characters, 55 marriages, 25 births, 82 deaths, 51 weddings, and 32 barmaids, all of which have been watched by 17,000,000 UK viewers. And one of the actors, William Roache, has been with the series since it began.

So what is the incredible draw this show seems to exert? As one viewer said during an interview, we love to watch people who are doing the same thing we are doing in homes just like ours. (Remember how popular "The Honeymooners" was?) Now that Acorn Media (bless 'em) has released a two-DVD set called "This Is Coronation Street" (AMP-6196), I had the chance to watch the first 5 black and white episodes and a 75 minute documentary about the history of this remarkable show.

When the fifth episode ended with the police at the door and looking for one of the younger characters, I have to admit I was angry that I could not see the sixth one and after that the seventh, right up to wherever they are now. The only actress I recognized was a daughter who just left her Polish husband and announces she is pregnant, which reunites them. (Her name is Anne Cunningham and I remembered her from an old "Avengers" episode and one from "Are You Being Served?"). The rest were unknown to me, and I found this a great advantage since I was able to see them as real people and not as actors whom I recognized from other roles.

First of all, I would recommend this as a Must to all sociology and British history majors since it accurately portrays life in northern England as it was in 1960 and as it changed down through the years. Obviously film and drama majors must watch to see how a writer can "get them where they live." Psychology majors will love to see the public's reaction to the jailing of one of the main characters. (If any of you has seen the bonus material on the 1967 "Forsyte Saga" tapes I so highly recommended a while ago, you will recall how the Brits reacted to the Rape Scene. Funny what people consider to be worth arguing about.)

As for the rest of us, lovers of good soap operas will adore not only the first five episodes but also the history of this show. In short, there are very few who will not love this Acorn Media set. Perhaps they will now issue a companion set about "East Enders." ... Read more

Amazon.com

Only the mind of Guy Maddin could conjure up The Saddest Music in the World, in which a double-amputee beer baroness invites musicians of all nations to compete in a grand music competition... in Winnipeg. The only thing zanier than the plot is Maddin's style, which makes the film look like a lost artifact from the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari era, a jumble of Expressionist compositions and gauzy focus. It helps if you're already a fan of the director of Careful and Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary, for this is not Maddin's most cohesive picture. Kids in the Hall stalwart Mark McKinney is a little too arch as a sharpie returning to Manitoba, but Isabella Rossellini is delicious as the "Beer Queen of the Prairie." By the time she straps on a pair of hollow glass legs filled with bubbly lager, you're either delighted by this movie or you've given up. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Going My Way
This irresistible Oscar winner from writer-director Leo McCarey (An Affair to Remember) stars Bing Crosby as a low-key, crooning priest who joins the parish of a no-nonsense but sweet old Irish man of the cloth (Barry Fitzgerald). While Bing turns local toughs into a choir, the elder priest worries over the church building fund and whether he'll get a chance to see his old mother back in Ireland before she dies. One would have to have a heart of stone not to be won over by this charmer, with a lovely ending guaranteed to make you bawl for a week. --Tom Keogh

Holiday Inn
This perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It's a great excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a catchy story, and Astaire's frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance) doesn't let us down. The Irving Berlin numbers (each one connected to a different holiday) are winners, with Crosby's warm performance of "White Christmas" a movie touchstone. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A Five Star Inn
Every so often I check to see whether my favorite movies have made their way onto DVD, and I was rewarded tonight with the news that Holiday Inn is indeed on DVD now. Having never seen Going My Way, I can't comment on its value, but I'll be more than happy to watch it when I finally get my copy of the set.

I remember falling in love with this movie by chance when I was 12, and it took me a good two years to learn the name, but the wait was well worth it. This is one of those movies that you can watch again and again, one time right after another. From the glorious musical sequences to the genuinely feel-good story, you will want to sit down and watch this movie on holidays and any day in between.

A classic for Christmas
Althought this takes place throughout the year, it begins and ends at Christmas time. The story is simple, the romance straight forward, and the acting superb. Holiday Inn is a joy! The romance is complimented with song and dance and the talents of Crosby and Astaire. If you have never seen this wonderful movie, break out the DVD and popcorn and settle in for awhile. Dream of a White Christmas(Was written for this movie, not the one with it's title) as you watch one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time. An added bonus is Going My Way-another wonderful addtion to anyones movie collection. Great value!

Going My Way
A movie that is forgotten by most that is really worth seeing. This movie should be added to the classic Christmas list. This movie makes me laugh and cry, especially because Bing Crosby actually had Barry Fitzgeralds' mother brought over from Ireland and be filmed in the last minutes of the movie. Warm, wonderful and lighthearted.

A "Twofer" To Go For
On the face of it, HOLIDAY INN and GOING MY WAY, despite both being Bing Crosby films from the early 40s, were not exacltly an obvious pairing for a DVD "twofer" package. You might think it more likely to pair the former with WHITE CHRISTMAS, say, and the latter with its actual sequel THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S. But this coupling works precisely because it's not so obvious.

Mixing pious Crosby with show-biz Crosby works because, in the last analysis, he's still the same old Bing, affable, low key and agreeable. His priest is still a mensch. His show biz vet is a regular guy looking for a way OUT of the limelight and into a sane and stable way of life. In other words, he's a mensch too.

If you were raised Catholic in the last century, you know that among the clergy, you had your staid, old-school, well, OLD-COUNTRY types, who struck fear in the hearts of children and adults in the parish. Then you had your spirited, fun-loving priests (and nuns), who weren't above playing a few innings of baseball or running a sack race.

GOING MY WAY touches, very lightly, upon the clash of those two strains among the clergy of the era. Actually, the more traditional Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) is more irascible than truly terrifying. And young Father O'Malley is as all business behind the charm and easy going manner. He just knows that you win more flies with honey than vinegar. And he knows how to get things done. He also knows that he can loosen up the older priest with a few rounds of golf and some fresh air.

The plot amounts to little more than "Let's put on a show to save the parish church." Almost absurdly, a famous opera star (played by famous opera star Rise Stevens) shows up to help out, and high power music publishers rush to buy the young priest's original composition "Swinging On a Star" after hearing Bing and his choir of former street kids sing it as a lark. It's hokum, of course, but it's almost guaranteed to make viewers nostalgic for a more innocent era--even if it's one before their own time.

HOLIDAY INN is a reminder that self-reflexive musicals were almost an established sub-genre from the early 40s on. It's a show-biz tale which turns into your definitive movie-within-a-movie by the end of the film. The show biz format is a little bow to realism (no bursting into song while walking down the street, or scaling a mountain). It's also a tacit admission of Hollywood's self-involvement (the assumption that everyone finds show biz tales utterly fascinating) and, simultaneously, a reaffirmation of mainstream (non-showbiz) values. Distancing themselves from Hollywood and Broadway phoniness is the only way that Bing and his lady love Marjorie Reynolds can find true happiness--of course they still get to stage elaborate floor shows in their Holiday Inn, so ultimately, it's the best of both worlds.

Both movies have plenty of charm, and, as I say, reflect an innocence we seem to have longsince lost. It's no wonder that Bing Crosby films, even when they're not explicitly holiday-themed, have become standard holiday fare for many viewers.

Generation to generation with love
What would Christmas be without these wonderful films. Going my Way, Holiday Inn and White Christmas have been a holiday tradition in our family for 3 generations. The movies are packed away every year with all the other Christmas decor only to be pulled out lovingly again next season with every other Christmas memory. Gather your family around and enjoy an evening of entertainment from a time when life was on much simpler terms and the quality of movie musicals was high. Quick banter, lively dancing, beautiful and humorous music all wrapped up with a big red holiday bow. Total pleasure without any guilt! ... Read more

Reviews (196)

God bless America...they're going to need it.
Set in the year 1985, SLC (Salt Lake City) Punk stars Matthew Lillard as Stevo, one of two punks caught in the heart of conservatism in Salt Lake City, or Salt Lake Sh*tty, as they would say.

Never being a big fan of Lillard (Scooby Doo, Wing Commander, Scream), I waited nearly two years before picking this movie up. I have to say I was impressed by his portrayal of Stevo, along with the rest of the movie.

Many of the ideals of punk are explored, a lot of times in narrative, such as anarchy, rebellion, fighting, drugs, changing the system, sell outs, poseurs, music, and random chaos. I really didn't get a sense of the true punk scene, not like I did with Sid and Nancy, but this movie was entertaining.

Basically the movie follows Stevo and his friend, Heroin Bob around and documents their existence. We get a view into their politics, social circles, lifestyle, relationships, and their difficulties in being a part of the counterculture in conservative America. The film tends to bounce around somewhat erratically, but that seemed in line to me with the subject matter. There are a number of very funny scenes, including one involving a trip to Wyoming for alcohol. Utah sells alcohol, but the sale of such spirits is highly restrictive. I especially enjoyed the ending, even though I did see it coming, but Lillard's performance during the scene really helped to make it work.

A good supporting cast, an excellent music score, and fine direction work together to make this movie worth looking into, especially if you have any interest in the punk scene in America during the 80's. I didn't get a sense that it was completely representative of the movement, but maybe it's not supposed to be...I don't know.

There are some decent extras, including a commentary track by the director and some of the stars, an isolated music score, a couple of trailers, production notes, and an SLC comic book (not an actual comic book, but one you can view on the screen). Oh yeah, if you are easily offened by the liberal use of profanity, you might skip this one as the cursing comes fast and furious.

Great movie
SLC Punk is a great movie, but not exactly what I was expecting. I expected a movie about punk kids stuck in the Mormon citadel of Salt Lake City. And while that is the basis of the movie, that's not really what it's about.

What it's about is a punk guy named Steve-O and his friends that spend all their time partying, doing drugs, and beating up rednecks, etc. Eventually Steve-O starts to question the punk values he thinks are important to him. In the movie, there is a lot of talk about posers, but in the end Steve is a poser too.

I thought there would be more involving conflicts with the Mormon religion, but there are suprisingly few. Even so, SLC Punk is a great movie: all the performances are great, and the direction and visual style is great to look at. The colors are bright and vibrant, like the youthful energy that the movie exudes. The movie is hilarious - Steve-O's rants and speeches about anarchy and violence are great and the various scenes and flashbacks are very good.

One thing SLC Punk lacks is a plot. It's really just a bunch of stuff that happens. It's quite good though. See it.

Perfect?
This movie is a great example of what good film making is all about.Stevo and Bob are both good people at heart,but are caught up in rebellion.This movie will make you think hard about your values.It shows you to be yourself no matter what.Watch this movie and be prepared to think!!

Great Film
This film sets a goal of portraying what life is like as a punk in the late 70s-early 80s, and succeeds. The whole movie aside from the final scene and a select few others contribute to the ultimate undertone of the movie - you cannot escape conformity. All the former friends eventually either die, move away, or get a job. The movie is not just a comedy (though it accomplishes that quite well, "There's a movie on there!"), but a cynical view of punk and pop culture at the time. Many scenes of this movie are surreal, exploring the effects of LSD on mental perception. Overall, this movie excels in everything it attempts to accomplish. Don't bother renting it, just buy the DVD.
5/5

Anarchy? Punk?
Well, although I really love this movie, it having an awsome soundtrack and just being funny in general, I do have a problom with it's representation of punk and anarchy. I have always found the representation of Chaos punks to be detramental to what punk really is, as well as the movies idea of what "Anarchy" is to be a mockery of what Anarchists really stand for (Unity, Order, Peace) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The struggles of teens
WOW! AWESOME movie!!! This movie is about the struggle of teens. Sex and std's is an ongoing issue and you never really think it could happen to your child. But one mother found out she was wrong. This is some thing that can even happen to the "good" kids. This is a movie I would recommend to all teens and parents. They should watch it together. Thanks life time !!

Wonderful Movie!
I watched this movie the night it premeried on Lifetime,they had been showing preview's for it all weekend and me and my aunt figured why not watch it. I loved it! I think it gives you a good view of what's going in the minds of girls 16 and below,everyone wants to be popular and some kids will go to great heights to get there. But this movie doesn't only show you that it show's you how naive parents can be when it comes to there children,and how even if it's your best friend coming to you telling you what's really going on you still won't believe it until it's too late.

A LOT like Kids
I've seen a lot of movies like this (kids engage in sexual activity and theres consequences.) She's Too Young is sort of like a tv remake of Kids(1995). In Kids Tellie has sex with a lot of girls and gives most of them HIV. She's Too Young is almost identical to Kids. In She's Too Young a group of popular boys spread an STD to girls which then spread it to more boys and it eventually spread around the whole school turning into a mess and getting to the parents knowing about it and one mother despretly taking her action after her daughter gets the STD.

She's Too Young
This is the best Lifetime movie that I've seen in a while, except for We Were the Mulvaneys, but that doesn't really count. The only reason I watched this is becuase Miriam McDonald from Degrassi was in it. This movie is great though, lets see if Lies My Mother Told Me can compare to it.

up and coming beautiful star
I have seen Alexis Dziena in other movies and on Law and Order andbesides her obvious beauty, she shows great potential.

Enjoy watching her on the screen. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

How Did This Happen to RIVERDANCE?
If you have followed RIVERDANCE seriously, this version will make you remember Moya Doherty's warning in A JOURNEY about crossing the line. What with the blinding entrance backlights, smoke machines, swaying hips, headset mics and the ugliest costumes this side of Vegas - the line is barely to be found in this tired, truncated incarnation.
You should own it, however, for the inspired performance of the splendid Breandan de Gallai and for the American tap dancers.

New is not always better
I would not recommend this version if you have not seen Riverdance before. Some of the scenes are ruined because of the almighty closeup. A good portion of the show is watching the dancers torso, not complete dancer, with feet moving. All you watch is their smiling face bobbing up and down. This version is also much slower then others I have seen; many slow songs and watching people playing musical instruments. I would only get this if you are collecting the different Riverdance shows. Buy Michael Flately's version if you are new to Riverdance. Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames great.

Great Show
This version, published by the Detroit PBS station version is a recording from the show in Geneva. It's a very similar show to the New York City version, though the minor changes are still just as enjoyable, if not more so.

The video is much sharper focused and the camera work flows better than the New York show. This show is sharper than the Superbit version of the NYC show too. The production didn't seem to be as high a quality as before but it does work fine.

In much the same way that this let down the NYC show, the camera crew neglected to realize that they cut off the dancers feet a little too often, which in this show was very important.

The Audio is STEREO only, but very clear and quite acceptable.

Although I'm happy that this version didn't need me to flip the DVD over for the second half of the show, it did have a noticable transition to the second layer of the DVD between scenes in the second half of the show. Why this transition didn't happen during the black screen at the half way mark is particularly shortsighted.

Overall very enjoyable and worthy of an addition to Riverdance fans DVD libraries. ... Read more

Reviews (247)

An uneasy mixture of various film styles and genres.
While Meg Ryan has contributed some worthy movies to the "chick flick" genre, KATE AND LEOPOLD falls woefully short of "good movie" status. While not a complete nadir, KATE AND LEOPOLD serves up yet another formulaic movie that offers no real surprises and makes us wonder why Ryan plays a role in a film as uninspiring as this. Not that the acting is bad, because it's not. The real problem is the story itself.

Stuart (Live Scheiber), an inventor and Kate's ex, discovers a time wormhole and travels back to 1876 New York. Leopold (X Men's Hugh Jackman), who invented elevators, chases him from his uncle's house, where he is to announce his bride to be, back through the wormhole into modern day New York. Leopold was to marry into money since his family has run short of funds. The rest of the movie shows Leopold adjusting to the modern world and wooing Kate (Ryan) off her feet. The first half plays like a natural "fish out of water" story. Stuart conviently has an elevator accident, getting him out of the majority of the movie. Also making an appearance, Charlie (Breckin Meyer), Kate's brother, spends a lot of time with Leopold, thinking him another actor. Beware: spoiler ahead. If you know anything about films, it's obvious how this is going to end, so it's not really a spoiler. Kate and Leopold go back to 1876 New York to live happily ever after.

The biggest problems I had with this movie was the uneasy mixture of science fiction and romance. The exact same story could have been told without involving time-travel. An excellent film in its own right, Splash took the "fish out of water" story and succeeded quite admirably. Here, the science fiction is little more than a gimmick to dress up a rather formulaic story. The most depressing thing of all, however, is Ryan has proven you can quite successfully have a "chick flick" while having an excellent supernatural slant (City of Angels).

KATE AND LEOPOLD gives us a rather unrealistic love story. KATE AND LEOPOLD is just an elegant man sweeping a boring woman off her feet. Why Leopold would want Kate, other than she has Meg Ryan's looks, is beyond me. Another problem with the story, however, is Stuart the inventor. He is by far the most interesting character, and I kept wishing to see more of him. Leiv does a wonderful job with the role, and the most interesting sections are the all-too brief scene of him in 1876 New York and again in the psychiatric ward. The best and most captivating scene deals with Leiv explaining to a nurse that he is not crazy. I won't ruin it for you if you do decide to see the film, but his explanation is absolutely wonderful, and is easily the highlight of the film.

However, he is taken out most of the movie because of an elevator accident, which makes no sense. The logic of the movie is since Leopold did not invent the elevator, then all the shafts would be empty. Well, if there were no elevators to begin with, why would there be shafts? This is just sloppy writing. The next time the writers want to do a cross-genre film, I hope they do a much better job than this film.

I give it a low three maybe a high two for a squandered opportunity of making another good cross-genre film like CITY OF ANGELS and involving an unrealistic love story.

I Couldn't be more pleased...
With the string of mostly clean, viewer friendly movies I've been seeing lately! Movies I LOVE, without ANY scenes that I'm embarrassed to watch with my parents. Kate and Leopold is another old-fashioned, clean-cut new classic, joining the other new, family friendly films such as The Majestic, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars Episode 2, and Spider-Man!
Kate and Leopold is the story of two lonely people from different times. Leopold (Hugh Jackman) is a young duke from the 19th century, who's family has moved to America and squandered away their fortune. As a result, Leopold is now being forced to choose a wife. The problem is, Leopold is not in love. Kate (Meg Ryan) on the other hand, is a New York City girl who has recently and bitterly broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Stuart, an inventor who has discovered a portal through time. Stuart leaps through his new discovery and unintentionally brings Leopold, his great, great, great (I forget how great exactly) grandfather, back with him to modern day New York City. From here we get a charming fish out of water love story reminiscent of Splash, but maybe a little less bizarre. Just a little. While Stuart is in the hospital recovering from an elevator accident, Leopold charms his way into various people's hearts, and becomes a bit of a role model for Kate's younger brother, Charlie. Eventually, Leopold even manages to charm his way into Kate's battered heart, and, being Meg Ryan, she manages to charm him right back. But while this odd romance is blossoming, Stuart is telling his time portal story to the hospital doctors and nurses, who take it all in with more than a grain of salt. He soon finds himself in a psychiatric ward, desperate to break out and find his way back to his ancestor and the time portal. He fears that if he doesn't send Leopold back to his own time soon, he, himself, will cease to exist!
Kate and Leopold reminds us that a film can be funny, heartwarming, sweet and charming, without a lot of foul language, gratuitous footage, and innuendo. This is simply a charming love story, with endearing characters and a touch of fantasy. There's nothing more to say about it, except that you should pick up a copy today!

I wish I could give a zero
Since this was a Meg Ryan movie I was ready to be bored out of my mind and I wasn't disappointed. Meg plays cute and perky Kate, a street smart New York executive. She has everything going for her except one thing-she has lousy luck in men. This is where it gets interesting and I use that term loosely. Her ex-boyfriend who happens to be living right above her discovers a hole in time that will allow him to go back to nineteenth century and he does just that. Complications arise, however, and a Duke of Albany, from 1876, who is incidentally young, handsome and unmarried, accidentally follows him back through time to present time New York. If that sounds stupid, you've heard nothing yet. He gets in all these incidents because obviously he never seen any of the modern technology which I assume filmmakers wanted to be funny but it wasn't. It was boring as hell. I bet you can guess what happens next. Duke meets Kate, they fall in love because he has nice manners, he goes back in time because balance must be preserved, of course Kate follows him into nineteenth century, they get married and live happily ever after. Oh, I forgot to mention number of boring discussions they have about love and all that. Can someone shoot me, please!.

Science and Romance
Okay, I am not into romances, but my wife is. I put off seeing this because of the dopeyness that I expected. It was better than that, though. Enough science, intrigue and romance to be a good mix. Definitely a good date mix, but even good for a wider audience.

Hugh Jackman really shines in the part...
This was the second movie that Hugh made after he won notice for playing Wolverine in X-MEN, here he puts his stage training to the test and it plays well in this fairly honest and well made movie in which Hugh and Meg Ryan play two people out of time who fall in love and then decite to get married even though the romance is seperated by 150 years. There is a small element of science fiction where time travel is concerened as with STAR TREK IV; THE VOYAGE HOME, it is acknowledged, but taken only a few scenes to explain away and then they go back to doing an honest/romance comedy, which this is. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A Well endowed portray of the classic novel/movie
As the 70's came to a close, nobody exactly knew what was beyond the horizon of the 80's...much to say it's taste in TV movies. "All Quiet on the Western Front", a 1979 made-for-tv movie, said it all. You have your all-star cast of "The Waltons" Richard Thomas, academy award winner Ernest Borgnine, cult fave Donald Pleasence and British actor Ian Holm. Unlike it's 1930 counterpart, which places itself in the hall of fame of war epics, this update gives more and askes for little.

Much like the book and the original movie, the story takes place in 1914 central Germany at the eve of World War I. Many schoolboys (and yes, just like the original film, they oddly speak English with American and British accents, yet its...Germany?) are destinted to join up with the Kaiser's army and fight for the "Fatherland". Paul Baummer (Thomas) is an eager young boy who doesn't exactly look like the fighting type (truth be said, Thomas is giving into too much of his John-Boy image from "Waltons", but nevermind that), in fact he gets distracted easily. But he and his school buddies join the resistance. After going through harsh training with anal Himmelstoss (Holm), they are sent to the frontlines of France. There, they meet Katczinsky (Bognine) AKA "Kat", a seamlessly old warhorse that takes the boys in and teaches them how to fight. And unless you haven't read the book or just know the story like everybody knows the Cinderella story, one-by-one the boys die horrible deaths in the trenches and it's to a point where even some lose their minds. Paul is sent back home because of injuries but returns because he feels like the trenches are his home. Only for his to find out that he's the only remaining of his group aside from Kat, who dies a long and painful death after being hit by shrapnel and being carried a mile or so by Paul to safety. Ouch. Once again, Paul is distracted by something and thus we have "All Quiet on the Western Front"

The tv movie won a Golden Globe for Best Made-For-TV Movie and it definately deserved it. The production vaule was superb and you can tell. I merely wonder if the director intended the film to be released theatrically, because it's quite well shot and pretty high on special effects scale...that is for the 70's. One such thing that would bug a lot of history buffs is just how not a single word of German is spoken throughout the entire movie...and it takes place in Germany! It would be like an American movie were everybody speaks French, but it's Southern California! Right up along side "Enemy at the Gates" (Russians speak with British accents, Germans speak with American?) it's a well endowed movie and a perfect selection for a history class.

Very tough movie
This is a very good and tough movie. It is a big improvement from the 1930 version.

Great film but would have been better without the editing.
As most of the other reviews have noted, this is a great movie. What disappointed me though was that a lot of little parts were edited out. I saw this movie on TV several years ago and recorded it. I thought it was excellent and eagarly purchased the DVD. I wish now that I had kept my tape. Because although the edited parts did not take away much from the story as a whole, those same parts added so much more to it. For example in the unedited version, during training Paul Baumer comes to the aid of one of his comrades who has fallen into the mud. For this he is punished by Corporal Himmelstoss. Later at the front, Paul and his platoon mates are sitting in their dugout and discussing why Himmelstoss received the Iron Cross. By this time Himmelstoss is behaving more human and when he enters the dugout he is no longer taunted. In fact Kat moves over on his bunk to make room for him. These are only 2 examples. There was much more.

Still a good movie, but because of the editing I rate it only 3 stars.

Getting There
Having done a college thesis on this book and the two movie versions, I feel qualified to write reviews. Acting is far better here than in the version of 1930, and so are the special and sound effects. The reason is clear enough: in 1930, actors were new to the concept of sound in films. However, just looking at the DVD cover you know you will have to take this one with salt: he hasn't even got the right helmet on- that one is more WWII than WWI. Apart from things like that which only sticklers such as myself will actively object to, this is an excellent adaptation of a wonderful book. buy it, unless you hold a degree in German Militia in which case all this will do is annoy you. This means you, Mikhail.

Best antiwar movie ever made!
Thank God there are some people in Holywood who can create masterpieces. It is the first movie ever created with such realism about the horrible WW1. It doesn't have any Rambos killing everybody without even sweating. It is more believable than any other war movie, even if it's only a novel. Maybe because it is seen through the eyes of a German soldier. Who knows! Anyway I recomend this movie to everyone who is tired of watching action heroes combined with ...(true stories)??? ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent dramatic reinterpretation of an even more dramatic
This is a movie focusing on well known facts from the Def Leppard 197901986 period.

It starts with Joe Elliot auditioning for Atomic Mass, the band including Sav and Pete Willis, and goes all the way to their first performance with Rick Allen after his accident.

The casting directors and vocal coaches did a fantastic job.Also, the director was able to pull off the personal background that affected highs (their first EP funded by Joe Elliott's dad) and lows (Steve Clark drinking his father's demons (literally) to death) of the band without overdramatizing them.

Also, the movie shows us the influence that Mutt Lange had on their carreer without forgetting the fact that the Lepps had the skills, the talent and the commitment to make it happen with his producing genius.

If you are a fan of Def Leppard, stop reading and buy this movie immediately.If you were a casual fan of the Pyromania and Hysteria albums, you might as well enjoy a nicely made movie that gives you a glimpse into the history of a hugely popular "pop" metal band.

What do you want??? I WANT ROCK N ROLL!

This a MUST for all Leppard Fans!!
This is really good movie, every DL fan should own it. It starts from the beginning, including the old drummer, and it ends at the peak of Hysteria.

DEF LEPPARD IS THE GREATEST BAND GOD EVER MADE!!!

DEF LEPPARD ROCKS
This is a very good movie and I definitely recommend that ANY Def Leppard fan buy it. The actors in the movie look pretty similar to the members also....and it's a good way to learn more about the band if you're a new fan. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This 1930 film, No. 54 on the AFI's Top 100 list, still holds up as a surprisingly forceful and honest antiwar drama. Indeed, the modern sensibility is almost as startling as the sometime stagey acting of Lew Ayres, which can be excused by the fact that, three years after the introduction of sound, actors were still applying stage techniques to talking pictures. Ayres plays a German college student during World War I, who is brainwashed into enlisting in the Army (along with the rest of his class) by a zealously inspirational college professor. Once in uniform and on the front lines, however, he quickly discovers that the glory of the Fatherland is of little concern to a soldier dodging bullets and explosions, whose comrades are dying in his arms. As powerful in its way as Platoon almost 60 years later, it remains a classic tale of young soldiers' confrontations with the possibility of imminent and arbitrary death. Director Lewis Milestone shows a surprising range of techniques in this film from the formative years of moviemaking with sound. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Best Picture Winner of 1929-1930
'All Quiet On The Western Front' was released in 1930 and won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1929-1930. When you watch it, you will see why.

The films leading star is Lew Ayres, and he gives a very fine performance as a German college student who enlists in the Army during the First World War, along with the other students in his class, because of the professor at the college who makes them all want to become brave soldiers. We then watch the brilliantly shot action scenes, which are very realistic and sad to watch, as they go to fight on the front lines. They certainly discover the horrors of war, while we watch it. The movie is directed by Lewis Milestone, and has a very powerful, and sad ending, that you wont forget it.

Now for this Universal Region 1 DVD. Sadly, the print and sound quality are not really too great in all honesty. However, the film is very old, and still, even if its not in the condition some might like it to be, it is still very watchable. Overall, the DVD is not too bad.

This is an absolute must-have for classic film fans. So if you can pass by the fact that the print used here on this DVD is not brilliant, you will absolutely love this movie.

A heart-breakingly honest portrayal of war
Upon returning to his hometown school from which he had enlisted into duty in WWI, Paul Baumer (Lew Ayres) tells prospective recruits: "When it comes to dying for one's country, it's better not to die at all." This is the essence of "All Quiet..." In the film, war is stripped of all its glory, all its valor, all its heroism, and shown in its true state: a hell in which men are taught to kill each other and become animals, fighting not for a cause, but for survival. The film's most powerful scene is its very last, when Paul reaches out of his trench for that beautiful butterfly, a vain attempt to recapture some sense of humanity amongst the horrors that surround him. Notice that many scenes in the movie begin with director Lewis Milestone showing us marching lines of soldiers and flag-waving crowds framed by windows or doorways. This is cinematography at its finest: we see the war not as a part of humanity, but as something foreign, something unknown, like the monster that lurked in your closet when you were a child. Only this monster is real. It is war.

A generation of men destroyed by war
For a movie in the 1930's, Lewis Milestone's adaptation of All Quiet On The Western Front, based on Erich Maria Remarque's novel, follows the book reasonably well. However, rather than starting with the soldiers lining up to get the cook Ginger's stew per the novel (that part comes later), it starts with Paul Baumer's school teacher telling him and his fellow students that they are the light of the Fatherland, the iron men of Germany, the brave heroes who will repulse the enemies when called to do so. In other words, he's exhorting them to enlist, which they do, pressed into patriotism in what was initially thought to have been a quick war with small losses.

From the start, the recruits are eager to get into uniform and to the front, and are puzzled by the behaviour of burned-out experienced soldiers like Tjaden and Kat. This latter, a large, pleasantly ugly man has a knack for scrounging for food and finding enough for the group, and soon, all the recruits stick with and respect this man, especially after their first bombardment. When one of the recruits realizes he has wet his trousers, Kat tells him not to worry about it, as it's happened to better men.

The stages of attacking, the bombardment, attack, counterattack, and repulse, is presented in graphic detail for that period, with the shots of men dying by artillery shells, being bayoneted, or machine-gunned. Some recruits go crazy waiting in the bunker during the bombardment, and one of them rushes outside, only to get cut down by bullets. And the aftermath isn't pretty for some. Franz Kemmerich ends up in the infirmary and has his leg amputated. From the grueling experience of phantom limb pain to the realization that one has lost his limb, the greed of some like Muller who wants Franz's nice boots, to the unconcern of the doctors who see Franz's death as another free bed, war is hell.

War changes people's perspectives. Paul fights and stabs a French soldier at close quarters in a foxhole, and he pleads and apologizes to the dying man, telling him that without these uniforms, they could be friends, and promising to write to his wife. And on leave, Paul is clearly alienated from the older civilians who have no clue that war has burned out his soul, and just keep telling him to give those Frenchies a licking and push on to Paris. I'd go for Tjaden's solution to war: get the politicians and generals wearing just their underpants into a big field and fight it out with clubs. But the discussion of the soldiers yields something still relevant: manufacturers want a war to sell more arms.

The subplot involving the butterflies is new, but the shot of the soldier reaching for the butterfly before being shot by a sniper symbolizes a soldier's whose burned out soul is suddenly heartened as seeing something beautiful, and suddenly thus illuminated within, reaches toward it.

All Quiet On The Western Front deservedly went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in the US. However, Joseph Goebbels' antics in Berlin demonstrates how Germany was in a state of war denial. The incident at a theatre of the second night showing of the movie involved Goebbels' men starting disturbances and yelling anti-Semitic epithets that resulted in the film's termination after ten minutes. Goebbels hadn't even seen the film; he merely wanted to demonstrate Nazi power in Berlin and discredit Albert Grzesinski, Prussia's Interior Minister who was a Social Democrat. When the film was banned by the Board of Censors because it "endangered Germany's image abroad", the headlines of Goebbels' newspaper Der Angriff (German for The Attack) read "Grzesinski Defeated."

One of the few war films I'll watch due to its pacifist message, denouncing the glorification of war. The prologue at the movie's beginning, taken from Remarque's book, says it all: this story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all, an adventure. For death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men, who even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war.

Pitch Perfect Adaptation of the Best War Novel Ever
For only $12, this movie is a steal. AGOTWF won the academy award for best picture the year it came out and, over 70 years later, it is easy to see why. A blistering indictment of war as wasteful and tragic. The way the movie captures the enthusiasm and innocence of the boys as they fight and die for reasons they don't understand is brilliant. Note the progress of the prized pair of boots as it goes from soldier to soldier. Especially relevant movie in our troubled times.

The only true anti-war movie
It would be a mistake to think of this movie as a war movie rather it is the only true anti-war movie I've ever seen. Unlike most so-called anti-war movies there is no glory, no heroics and no over-dramatized deaths in this movie, it is perhaps the most realistic movie I've seen about war, or to put it more aptly, the most likely depiction of war. Put that doesn't mean this movie is boring or an escapade of Art, no this movie is both entertaining and chilling and it is definitely a movie you should see before you die, otherwise you'll regret it, as it will probably be one of Gods favorites, lousy hippie. ... Read more

Reviews (249)

"It's a kind of magic"
This movie is a real gem. I don't really understand why critics were so hard on it, much less do I understand why a few people here are insulting the movie itself (I know the DVD transfer was bad, so I relate to those people) or why the movie was so cheap, then again, the quality of the transfer of this movie would explain it. But this movie is excellent in all aspects. It's unique, and it unfortunately has had its glory destroyed by lousy sequels and TERRIBLE TV shows.

In terms of the acting, contrary to what other people claim here, Christopher Lambert's performance is first rate, and I think it a shame that he has subsequently appeared mostly in bad 1 1/2 star flicks and hasn't since had a real breakthrough in movies. Sean Connery adds real style to the movie with his acting, but it's a shame that he's in there for such a short time. Clancy Brown is as sinister as ever as Kurgan.

The visuals and effects are great by any standard and the swordfighting scenes are excellent

And WHO could possibly diss the rocking musical score by Queen? With such a strong opening theme ("Princes of the Universe") a truly emotional ballad ("Who Wants to Live Forever") and their smash hit single ("A Kind of Magic") just to name a few, you can't go wrong. If you learned about this movie just by being a Queen fan, and first watched the movie out of interest in their score (my situation), you're in for a real treat.

To fans of this movie who were disappointed by the latest transfer, My only suggestion is to wait a while for the Highlander Immortal Edition which will be released April 16, 2002. It promises better sound and picture quality, the uncensored Director's Cut, Commentary, and plenty of Queen material including music videos to their songs from this movie which are musical and visual masterpieces (I've seen them). Plus it's in anamorphic widescreen format, and anamorphic seems like a good way to go especially for a movie like this.

In any case, this movie is a winner and magic in it's strongest form. There can be only one.

There can be only one!
The wait is almost over! The first (and the best, as rated by most) movie in the Highlander saga is about to be released as a 2-disc set with completely new Dolby Digital and DTS audio mix and a much better video transfer. The previous DVD versions of the movie lacked the audio-visual quality, most dvd fans crave for. In fact, in my opinion the movie really deserved a good audio mix, for it is packed with some great music by Queen and I hope the new version contains an isolated music track as well!

The Immortal Edition will be packaged in a limited edition tin box, a feature Anchor Bay Entertainment is known for. With a second disc full of extras, this edition is a release no Highlander fan should miss.

"There can be only one", and it seems this is THE ONE!!

Enthralling Nonsense
That's about the only way to describe "Highlander." It's a B-movie in every sense yet has enough good in it to make it entertaining to watch. I guess that's why it became such a cult classic.

The story centers on a young Scotsman named Connor MacLeod who resides in New York City under a different name. Connor is actually one of the few men on Earth who have the special gift of immortality. These immortals can be killed if beheaded by another immortal and throughout the ages these elect men have been hunting each other down in the hopes of becoming the last immortal on Earth, which would give him a gift of high enlightenment, a gift that can be dangerous if in the wrong hands. Connor is on the run from an immortal goon, the Kurgan, who has been after him since the 1500's. It eventually comes down to Connor and the Kurgan as to who will be the one that receives the special gift.

Something that certainly doesn't work in favor of "Highlander"(and helps make it B-grade) is the fact that the movie has not aged very well. Compared to the action movies of today, this flick looks corny. The special effects are pretty cheesy and the whole production design feels outdated. The acting was, for the most part, not too memorable. Christopher Lambert doesn't do a good enough job of making his character of Connor MacLeod engaging. He makes for rather uninteresting hero. There were only two noteable performances I saw here. One was Sean Connery, who makes a nice little impression playing Ramirez, the man who first tutors Connor when he discovers that he's an immortal. But Connery only gets about 20 minutes of screen time and this hinders him from making a bigger impact. The other standout I saw was Clancy Brown, who plays the Kurgan. Brown makes his character the perfect bad guy giving him the "qualities" of vile, mean, and creepy. In short, he's a guy you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. I have to say that "Highlander" has quite an interesting concept. The idea of immortals hunting each other down to gain an ultimate power is nifty (if somewhat hokey) and director Russel Mulcahy executes it just well enough to make things entertaining, with the swordfights between the immortals becoming the highlight points.

Overall, I really can't say "Highlander" is a great film but at the same time, I can't dissuade you from seeing it either. Who knows? You, like many others, may have that "kind of magic" that will turn you on to this cult classic. The only way to know is to check it out and see what happens.

High level action and fantasy.
HIGHLANDER was undoubtedly among the best of the medieval/fantasy/Dungeons and Dragons sort of movies that proliferated in the 1980s. The choice of the brooding Christopher Lambert was perfect for the part of the Highlander, Conner MacLeod. There is a quiet intensity to his acting, and it works well here. Sean Connery, as his mentor and fellow-immortal, Ramirez strikes just the right balance of swashbuckling and seriousness. His acting is perfect. (So what else is new?)

For me, however, Clancy Brown's Kurgan steals the film. His physical features and bug-eyed grin are dead perfect! And his way over-the-top performance, at times, makes you a little afraid of his character, but he makes you laugh, as well. The confrontation between Kurgan and Conner in a church is a great balance of wit and tension.

The battles in Scotland, at the beginning of the film, and the mayhem in the streets of New York City at the end are priceless. My favorite moment: Kurgan steals a car and takes Conner's love interest for a ride. As he careens through the potholes and traffic, he quietly sings "New York, New York". Now I know where all our cabdrivers take their lessons from. HIGHLANDER is a great piece of quality mind candy that actually tackles some deep issues.

CLASSIC
This is a classic we should all have it ... Read more

Reviews (68)

I loved this movie!
This movie just sort of snuck up on me. I was having a bad day, and it was on TV, so I thought I'd give it a chance. And it turned out to be *just* the thing to pick me up from my doldrums.

A very, VERY sweet movie that is interesting, gripping, has some mystery, romance, and is fine for the whole family. Highly recommended.

Beautiful scenery (I always love beautiful scenery) and two wonderful main characters. Tom Berenger is a grumpy, reclusive and rather shy tracker who get sucked into a very unusual quest -- to find a lost Native American Tribe. He is wonderful in his roll -- he does "grumpy but lovable" better than most other actors I can think of.

Barbara Hershey is fantastic too. Beautiful, brainy, capable, dedicated and a perfect compliment to Berenger's character. I really admired her in this film.

I won't reveal too much of the plot here, but it is a delightful film, and I highly recommend it. Maybe a little on the longish side, but I wouldn't have it any other way. One of my favorite movies to date.

MAGICAL MOVIE
I don't usually watch westerns but when my father told me about this movie, and I saw the awe that filled his eyes, I knew I had to watch it. I did and I was enchanted by everything about it. I loved the performances of Tom Berenger as the tormented Lewis Gates, Barbara Hershey as the bookish anthropologist Lillian and especially, Zip, the scrappy little bob-tailed dog that had so much personality! I also enjoyed Wilford Brimley's narration throughout the movie - it was entirely believable because he is so down to earth. The story is slightly implausible, bordering on fantasy - a bounty hunter and an anthropologist find a "lost" tribe of Cheyenne Indians living in an incredibly remote area of Montana. But the movie is so well done you find yourself wishing it were true. The actors who potrayed members of the lost tribe - especially the man who played Lone Wolf - were extremely authentic without being caricatures or stereotpyes. And the music - this movie wouldn't be as good without that marvelous music. And last but not least, the scenery. The mountains, the rivers where the escaped convicts and later Lewis run for fresh water - made me wonder if such a place really exists. This is a must-have movie best viewed when you are in need of hope and a reason to feel good about the world. And sometimes I wonder if Lillian and Lewis "lived happily ever after" with that lost tribe. I sure hope so!

Excellent
I had purchased the VHS of this movie on a whim, thinking my husband would like it. He likes anything "Western". I found myself totally absorbed in this movie. The theme was different than I expected, but I was not disappointed. I would recommend viewing this movie to anyone with an interest in the West and its history. Tom Berenger is one of my favority actors, anyway.

Modern Day Western With A Century Old Feel
This review refers to the HBO DVD edition of "Last Of The Dogmen"...

"Last of the Dogmen" is a beautiful story that takes my breath away everytime I watch it. It's one of those films that even if you start out viewing it alone, pretty soon, you'll find the rest of the family gathered around simply because one glimpse of the scenery,one paragraph of the dialouge,one look at the story and it's got a hold on you.

It's a modern Western, with all the romantic adventure of one that may take place 100 years ago. Lewis Gates(Tom Berenger) is a bounty hunter hired to track three deadly criminals who have escaped deep into the "Oxbow" of the Montana wilderness. As he follows their trail, he begins to uncover a 100 year old mystery. One of the clues is an arrow that could only have been used by a tribe of Cheyennes that existed over a century ago.
He can't let go of what the possibilities may be and convinces the beautiful Dr Lillian Sloan(Barbara Hershey), expert in Native American culture, that there may be something incredible out there. Their search begins as they try to uncover the past, and what they find is a way of life too beautiful to be spoiled by modern day man and it is up to them to save it!

It's just an incredibly beautiful film that interweaves the search for the past with Gates' own ghosts from his past. The friendships formed,the evolving romance, the cinematogrpahy, the musical score, and the heartwarming story all combined for a wonderful film.
Even "Zip" the dog(played by "Zip"), will be tugging at your heart.Berenger and Hershey worked beautifully together, and Steve Reevis and other American Indian actors were not only wonderful but lent a great deal of realism and authenticity to the film...Bravo!

The DVD presents a wonderful widescreen picture, taking in all the majesty of the Rockies. The DD5.1 is very good. The sounds of nature and the modern day sounds of helicopters and such, are quite a contrast to behold in surround sound.The DVD also has some nice features. It may be viewed with the sound in either the Theatrical version, or the Director version. Both are in DD5.1, and the main difference I found was that the Theatrical version has the captivating narration by Wilfred Brimley,and the Director's version does not. There is the option of Director(Tab Murphy) commentary, and it also provides subtitles in English, French and Spanish for those needing them.There are other features that include, cast bios and costume sketches as well.

If you liked "Dances With Wolves", give this one a try. I can not say enough good things about it. If you have already seen it, you will enjoy it again on this DVD. It's for Western lovers, adventure lovers, romance lovers and anyone who just wants to get lost in a good story for a couple of hours.It is rated PG(there is some violence and mild langauge)

Happy trails and enjoy.....Laurie

A neglected gem of a movie
When this movie was released in 1995 alongside other competition, it flopped due in part to it's main idea, a movie about Indians. But it was never given a fair shot and by this review I hope to change that. The basic plot of the movie is very simple but very interesting. What if there was a lost pocket of Cheyenne in the wilderness of the Northwest? This question brings together two very well developed characters, Tom Berenger as a lonely tracker/bounty hunter with his sidekick dog Skip, and Barabara Hershey, a professor of Native American history. A relationship builds between the two and they are taken in by the native Americans. But, they leave a trail, and are followed by the local sheriff who hates Gates (Berenger's character) and would love to see him in the slammer. A lot of effort and thought was put into this movie, making it not only epic and romantic but also thought provoking and insightful into what we can and should do for the Native Americans. The question I mentioned above is asked later in the film, answered and ends with one of the most spectacular conclusions rivaling that of the Shawshank Redemption. The musical score by David Arnold who has worked on many films including the most recent James Bond movies, is very sweeping and majestic with a lot of romance. I loved this film and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A real B movie, raised up by great acting
If I could, I'd give this 3-1/2 stars, not just 3. Colin Firth, Ian Holm, Nicol Williamson, and Donald Pleasance, among others, make this film worth watching. History fans might enjoy the before and after synopses of the characters and the historical figures on whom they were based. Colin Firth fans will definitely appreciate his bed and bath scenes, although his acting abilities take everything up a notch. Still, with the gratuitous nudity, modern feel, and slim production values, this film can't aspire above B-movie status.

The plot's a bit convoluted. The story is minimally narrated by Matthieu, the law clerk, yet he figures very little in it. Is the story about his boss--the advocate--or about the town? Maybe it's too ambitious in scope, what with its contrasting of country life and city life, interjections of witches, superstition, racism against Jews and gypsies, fornicating by the local clergy, secret societies of merchants, the Black Plague, unusual hunting prey, and sodomy. Oh, yes, then there's the trying of animals in court, a central theme that adds both humor and pathos to the proceedings and proves to be the unraveling of a dark and dirty secret hidden within the town walls. The ending's twist on the knight in shining armor is a good one.

The film's worth a viewing for some fine performances and relatively interesting Medieval subject matter. Just don't expect it to be high brow.

A brilliantly insane and entirely overlooked film
"The Advocate", written and directed by Leslie Megahey, is an underrated and overlooked film, masterful in its subtle insanity and brutally honest in its depiction of its characters and setting.

The time is 15th-century France, a time when animals were subject to the same civil laws and penalties as humans and could be tried in a court of law. Parisian lawyer Richard Courtois (Colin Firth) and his clerk Mathieu (Jim Carter) arrive in a small rural province. Courtois intends to enlighten the suprstitious and backwards populous, run by an unofficial leader (Nicol Williamson). Courtois' skills are put to the test when he must defend a pig accused of murder. That the pig belongs to a roving band of gypsies only complicates matters. Mixed into the conflict is racism, accusations of witchcraft, political and religious corruption, and whispers of the Cathar heresy.

The movie is wonderfully acted, and the director is sure not to glorify or soften any of the characters. Courtois may be intelligent, but he is also arrogant. The priest (Ian Holm) may be enlightened, but he is also a womanizer. The music and costumes are more period appropriate than most medeival fair, and many themes and signs of the times are apparent: the street preacher that accosts Courtois, the secrets of the Cathar heresy, and a particularly vivid Hieronymus Bosch-inspired nightmare. While the film is ostensibly a drama, their is much bawdy, Canterbury Tales-style humor, enough to keep the film from collapsing under its own weight.

The film is finally available on DVD, and this may bring a new round of fans to it. For myself, who had only ever seen it on video, seeing it in widescreen was a wonderful thing. Be warned, however, the film has a very twisted plot, and multiple viewings may be required to sort it all out. That's not even mentioning the twist ending, a moment of deliciously black irony. Definitely a must for period film fans and certainly for anyone who loves quirky, slightly off-key dramas.

Serendipity Cinema #8
A film you may never have heard of, but really should see. Trust me. (AKA "The Hour of the Pig") A good guy lawyer? A medieval good guy lawyer? A medieval good guy lawyer defending a pig who is charged with murder? And is isn't a slapstick comedy? This you got to see. The Advocate is an delicious medieval court drama that takes placein the days when humans and animals were both known to be hosts for the devil. Courtois, an educated lawyer (Colin Firth), runs from the big city to find peace in the countryside but, instead finds murderous acts holding the a village in fear. I won't give you more for fear of ruining the surprises, but the cast is peopled with dynamite performers like; Ian Holm , Donald Pleasence, Nicol Williamson & Michael Gough. Although there is a common inclination to sell this as a comedy,don't be fooled, there is dark moody drama here also.This is fun, thoughtful, intriguing drama and just one of the best films you are likely to ever see that contains the word "Pig" in the title.

Different take on Medieval stories
This movie is definitely a different take on the usual Medieval movie because it's about a lawyer instead of knights on horseback and battles. The battles in it take place in a courtroom, and give the viewer a slight taste of how bizarre Medieval "justice" seems compared to modern justice.

Handsome, talented Colin Firth does a good job playing a lawyer from the city in search of a simpler life in a small provincial town. He's in for some major surprises. The rest of the cast is good also, full of British character actors.

Watch and listen VERY carefully or you will miss subtle details throughout the film.

Nice movie
When I read about the plot on the tape I imagined it to be more dynamic, so I was a little disappointed by the slow pace. Nevertheless, there are some interesting points that kept me watching. I didn't know some of the historic details, so it was good to learn something new. Colin Firth's performance is very good - he almost carries the whole performance himself. ... Read more