Amazon.com

"You can't kill the boogeyman," explains John Carpenter in Halloween, and to prove it he brings Michael Myers back in this handsome but grisly sequel. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode but spends most of her time cowering in a hospital gown, and Donald Pleasence runs around like a maniac as the panicky doctor desperate to hunt down Myers before he kills again. Carpenter writes and produces with partner Debra Hill, and together they replace the mystery and uncertainty of the original with an exponentially bigger body count and some strange tales about the Druids and pagan ceremonies, and the now-familiar family ties between Michael and Laurie. First-time director Rick Rosenthal (Bad Boys) paces the film at a brisk jog and directs it with a clean, crisp style, taking the murders out of the dark to display them in all their nasty detail. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (292)

Enjoyable sequel, no more or less
HALLOWEEN II (USA 1981): Following her terrible ordeal in the original HALLOWEEN (1978), Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to the local hospital where she's pursued by the murderous Michael Myers.

Fraught with production difficulties and critically reviled upon its original theatrical release, Rick Rosenthal's entertaining sequel manages to defy low expectations, despite a ho-hum script by co-producers John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Taking place immediately after events in the first film, the movie benefits enormously from the work of ace cinematographer Dean Cundey, who transforms the wide Panavision frame into a patchwork of light and shadow. The immortal theme music (slightly reworked from the original by Carpenter and associate Alan Howarth) is beautifully incorporated into the memorable credits sequence, in which a spectral jack o'lantern dissolves into a grinning skull, followed by an episode which establishes Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) as the central character, an obsessive psychologist whose former patient is now the soulless killer running amok in small-town America. The opening fifteen minutes are terrific, an exhilarating combination of atmosphere, suspense and impressive visual technique. But the narrative quickly succumbs to rambling plot developments and a series of routine set-pieces, much of it centered around one of the most understaffed hospitals in movie history! That said, however, the movie recreates the look and feel of the first film in spades and delivers a couple of really good scares along the way. Pleasence gets most of the best lines ("We're all afraid of the dark inside ourselves"), and Curtis does her best with an underwritten role, but few of the actors are stretched by their material. The gore quotient has been upped this time around, the result of post-production tampering by Carpenter, who added extra 'kill' footage against Rosenthal's wishes, and there's a plot twist at the halfway mark which probably contributed to the movie's poor reception in 1981. Nice touches abound, however, including a ghostly flashback to Laurie's past as she comes face to face with the boy who will grow to adulthood harboring a supernatural impulse to kill her, and the tears of blood which roll down the killer's face during his final showdown with the main protagonists. For all its flaws, the movie has much to recommend the casual viewer, and was followed by the unrelated (and poorly conceived) HALLOWEEN III SEASON OF THE WITCH (1983).

Universal's region 1 DVD - which runs 92m 15s - letterboxes the wide Panavision frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced). Picture quality is generally OK, though spoiled by faint blemishes which flicker almost constantly across the left side of the image. It's particularly noticeable during dark sequences (check 01:11:16 onwards, for example), and while it may be less of a problem on 4:3 TV's, viewers with widescreen monitors may find it distracting. Sound format is 2.0 stereo, and while the multichannel effects are generally subdued, it makes a real virtue of Carpenter's creepy music score. English captions and subtitles are provided. Extras include a trailer and production notes, along with brief biographies of the movie's key personnel.

The Terror Continues!
First of all, I've never seen the original Halloween (1978). One day a few weeks ago, I was flipping through channels on my TV. I came upon USA and Halloween II was on. I watched it, and I thought it was great. The murder sequences are truly scary, and John Carpenter's music is creepy and chilling. After being shot six times in the heart and falling off a balcony, Michael Myers was left by Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) for dead. But, it turns out he's alive and he's after his sister Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who's being treated at Haddonfield Hospital. Michael gets in and starts killing everyone (the best death was when he dunked a girl's head in a hot tub and she burned) and Dr. Loomis is trying to stop the horror. Will Dr. Loomis defeat Michael before he kills Laurie? To find out, watch the movie. This is a great film, even if you haven't seen any others. Note: I've also seen some of Halloween: H20 (1998).

One Hell of A Follow Up To A Classic
Halloween 2 for me nailed the formula right again..Yes the gore was a lot more evident and it was a bit less scary but there were very subtle things in this movie that made the storyline come together..We find out that Laurie is Michael's sister, Michael breaking into the school and writing "Samhain" on the board or desk, and the scenes in downtown Haddonfield are great where you don't see Michael but you see people walking around Haddonfield on Halloween night thru his eyes, not thinking anything of him because it's Halloween, the news reports are great and the little cut in of Night of Living Dead is cool as well..I highly recommend this as part of any horror movie weekend marathon you might have planned...

Compensates for the lack of gore in 1st film. Great twist!
Halloween was a low budget horror movie and was actually opened in a few select cinemas around the US but when it received rave reviews it was released nationwide and spawned 7 ongoing sequels including this one!

We rejoin Dr Loomis and Laurie right where the original film left off. The police are now fully aware of Michael's capabilities after finding the bodies in the house across the street. Laurie is then taken to the local hospital where sadly again she is hunted by Michael who slowly kills off the staff one by one until only he and Laurie are left in the building! But in the meantime Dr Loomis reveals why Michael is obsessed with making sure Laurie doesn't make it through to see daylight!

This film is good in terms of the fact that it doesn't fall victim to sequel disease! By that I mean it isn't an exact clone of the first film with new characters. It keeps the story going and introduces many new obstacles. Sadly the fact that John Carpenter felt the need to add lots of blood and gore in this film to make up for the lack of it in the original. The shots look cheap and tacky which doesn't make sense considering the millions that the original film took in! Also the Michael that appears in this isn't as eerie as the one before and his mask clearly isn't the same one used in the first film because it looks as if it's about to fall about!

Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence reprise their roles excellently although the character of Laurie has changed in a weird way. In the first film she's a quiet bookworm who adores her friends. You'd think she'd be reeling over their deaths yet in this film she seems fine and spends her time flirting with one of the ambulance drivers! However it's not all gloom. The twist John Carpenter throws in is genious. It also makes you feel a lot more sorry for Laurie as well!

All in all a good sequel but looks tacky at times and doesn't seem to be carrying over the entire spirit of the first film. However compared to the awful 3rd Halloween film this one is a masterpiece.

I'm getting sick of those slasher fans
I'm a dork I love old Sci-fi movies and I love the work of John Carpenter. I'm getting sick of those slasher fans talking trash about every Halloween movie the only bad one to me is Resurection. Those people don't like movies the only reason those people see it because deth scenes and gore and all that the Halloween movies never have been and never wiil be slasher movies they where doing somthing stylish and fresh and unique with it and all those slasher fans don't see that and they don't care They do the same thing on Haloween 5 and Halloween The Curse of Micchael Myers They're not looking at it right. I never liked Friday The 13th because they're not inspiring they're not unique and stylish and they keep repeating the same thing in every sequel. I'll stick to John Carpenter's Escape From New York and The Thing and those amazing movies I'll stick to Halloween as well. I love this picture It's just as amasing as the original just as scary just as stylish and suspenseful there is no better halloween movie they're all incredible except for Resurection that's the one people should be trasing about. I love movies they're my life I wanna be a director someday but in the mean time I'll just sit In my room and do nothig but watch movies. This is a amazing movie never gets old It's a great story and I relate to the Laurie Strode because she's a nerd like me I feel sorry for her becuse her who's whole life is in pain because this crazy guy won't stop trying to kill her. It makes me cry when she screams out help me but nobody hears her and when she screams Michael Stop It's just kills me I don't have a crszy guy following me around but I am a nerd like her. I love this picture and people who hate it I'm not saying you have to but watch it again and look at it right You'll love it and if you haven't seen it or Halloween's 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, maybe H20 see them they're unlike anything else. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Underated desert war film - You can almost smell the dust!
This a great film as those few who have seen it will testify - Really gritty stuff. They must have changed the name because I distinctly remember it used to be known as 'The Beast of War', a better title.

It is pretty graphic in areas, I saw it as a kid and the scene with the guy getting driven over by a tank certainly didn't help me get to sleep. War is hell, to say the least.

As people have pointed out, they used actual soviet T-62 tanks in the film and it really added to the realism and overall effect. Suffice to say it's not going to make you want to become a tank commander any time soon. The T-62 is dark and dingy inside and definitely didn't come with any cupholders.

Performances are great across the board. It's interesting to see Jason Patric in such an early role, but George Dzunda as the tank commander spearheads the cast.

Yes, some people have noted the helicopter isn't an actual Mi-8, but I don't know how they could have gotten their hands on one back in 1988 anyway, it's a minor quibble and I'm just glad they didn't respray an M-1 to make it the T-62!;)

The desert landscape is cruel and unrelenting, yet strangely beautiful.

All up, five stars, this is tight, solid film, that will hold your interest throughout and is superbly shot. Perhaps somewhat topical at the moment, it's well worth a view.

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Kevin Reynolds directed this film with a script by William Mastrosimone. Although stylized and a little exaggerated, the film is a great at showing how techonology doesn't always get the upper hand in certain environments: nowhere is this truer than in Afghanistan. The rugged mountainous and desert terrain is mostly inhospitable and full of hiding places for guerrilla fighters such as the Mujahadeen.

I found Jason Patric to be the least believable character in this story. I find it hard to believe that a Soviet tank driver, even if he were to disagree with his superiors or the war, would suddenly join the Afghans in fighting his compatriots; an act tatamount to desertion and treason. The best performance was that of George Dzundza who played the hard and tempered tank commander. The movie follows the tank as it wanders lost through the desert like a wounded animal being stalked by hunters. Altogether an enjoyable action movie that is well paced with good acting.

Important film in 2004.....
Cuban-American actor Steven Bauer (aka. Rocky Echevarria) who played Manolo in "Scarface" does a great job as a Mujahideen freedom fighter in this film. All his lines are delivered in Pashto. Fantastic acting! This film actually serves as a very important propaganda piece by the current Karzai government in Afghanistan and is now shown throughout the country.

Great flick; despite the tactical inaccuracies
This movie is great! ... I have since watched it over and over. Some reviews I have read focus on the tactical mistakes and lack of a "real" Russian helicopter in the film. The interesting thing about this is, war is chaotic. Sometimes tactics go out the window when faced with flying bullets. Even if the Russians used Motorized Rifle units as escorts for their armor, there's no saying that armor NEVER ventured out on their own. Heck, maybe this armored unit was part of a larger force that was simply making a reconnaisance-in-force. Also, the helicopter used in the movie was NOT that much different than the Mi-8 which, as it turns out, looks exactly like the one in the movie. If you don't believe me, check it out. Anywho, being a veteran and knowing how the rules of war are almost always broken, the so-called tactical "mistakes" made in the movie are easily overlooked. The main point of this movie is to give the viewer a feeling of the brutality of war and how it changes ordinarily sane people, into first monsters, callous to their nature, then fearful refugees to the carnage they created. This movie is both entertaining and yet, emotionally invoking. You get the sense that the real "enemy" is not the Mujahadeen pursuers, but the maniacal tank commander, driving his men to the brink of destruction. The last thing I'd like to say about this movie is its WONDERFUL soundtrack. The music definitely sets the mood. Now, if only I could find the soundtack. Arista records doesn't seem to know where to find it. I wish I knew!

Buy this movie, you won't be disappointed!

One of my fav war movies
I just love this movie and its great to see it made it to the dvd format i had a tape of it it's so old half the audio and graphics are gone do to time and age of tape. now i can retire the tape. great movie if you dont have it get one while you can. ... Read more

Description

"Elizabeth! I'm comin, honey!" Those were the words oftenheard coming from 9114 South Central, home to Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx)and his son Lamont (Demond Wilson) - known more affectionately to each other as "Pop" and "Dummy" - and their junkyard business.Sanford and Son was the second TV series from Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, whocreated the groundbreaking "All in the Family" the year before. "Sanford and Son" aired from 1972-1977 and was NBC's most popular prime-time series for four of its five seasons, earning four Emmy nominations and a Golden-Globe Award for Redd Foxx during its run. Enjoy this hysterical first season - or you'll get one across the lip. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

"Lamont, you big dummy!"
Complete first season of the hilarious sitcom about a 65 year old junk dealer, Fred Sanford(Redd Foxx), and his son/partner, Lamont (Demond Wilson) is a classic. The same people (Norman Lear, Bud Yorkin, etc.) who dominated 1970s television comedy by bringing us All in the Family (1971), Maude (1972), Good Times (1974), and The Jeffersons (1975) also did Sanford and Son (1972). Sanford & Son does not play much on TV anymore, so if you havent had the pleasure of seeing it, but are a fan of any of the previously listed shows I highly recommend it. Redd Foxx was a comedic genius and this show features his best work. This DVD set will feature the first 14 episodes (Jan - April 1972), here are the titles:

01) Crossed Swords
02) Happy Birthday, Pop
03) Here comes the bride, there goes the bride
04) The copper caper
05) A matter of life and breath
06) We were robbed
07) A pad for Lamont
08) The great Sanford Siege
09) Coffins for sale
10) The Barracuda
11) TV or not TV
12) The suitcase case
13) The return of the Barracuda
14) The piano movers

Also recommended:
All in the Family: Complete first season 3 dvd set (13 episodes)
The Jeffersons: Complete first season 2 dvd set (13 episodes)

Here Comes The Big One
This first season of Sanford and Son is the best! The episodes are hysterical, with Fred up to his usual old tricks, and Lamont being a big dummy. Get this and enjoy a good laugh.

My all time favorite.
This is the season that changed the face of television. No longer were african-americans placed in the supporting role as Redd Foxx marched the show to the top of the charts with his antics. "Five across your lips" and "This is the big one" soon became household punchlines. Never before has a show impacted television as this program demonstrated life from the ghetto and how people, regardless of race, are really all the same!!!!

i love the 70's
great show. Lamount was annoying with a funny dad who owns a junkyard in california. enjoy the good and bad times of their life

the comedic stylings of Redd Foxx
"Sanford and Son" was an American version of a British show "Steptoe and Son." The premise is the antics of junkman Fred Sanford and his son Lamont. Most of the episodes in the first season were basically adaptations of "Steptoe and Son" episodes.

Nevertheless, you get the entire first season here and it's worth every penny. Obviously, this show was ahead of its time and un p.c. as well. One significant plus with this first season is that you will get each episode in its entirety. TV Land obviously has to edit out certain parts (ie Fred using the N word)for today's audiences.

You also see the evolution of Fred and Lamont, along with Fred's buddy Melvin(played by longtime Redd Foxx partner Slappy White), and see early nemesis' of Fred like Aunt Hazel (Esther didn't appear until season two). All of the episodes are excellent, with my favorites being "Piano Movers", "Happy Birthday, Pop" "We Were Robbed", and "Color TV."

I can't emphasise how important this show was in the realm of pop culture and some of the issues tackled are still relevant today. Nothing like this will ever hit the airwaves again. Pick up the Season 2 and 3 sets as well. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Widescreen fans please note...
...you can order a very good quality print of this film from Amazon France's marketplace sellers. The only drawback is that the English version has French subtitles which can't be erased using the menu. However, when you see the low price, even accounting for postage, you won't complain.

A movie that needs to be remade
Don't get me wrong. This movie is fun but as historical accuracies go, it falls pretty flat. The movie doesn't even use the real names of the people involved.

I'm a big fan of epic period pieces and I think there is a lot going for this kind of movie to be made today (with an international cast)

First I'd choose John Milius, Michael Mann, or Mel Gibson as director

Sample Cast
George Clooney or Billy Zane.....US Marine Major
Catherine Zeta Jones...Russian countess
Elizabeth Hurley....British ambassador's wife
Tom Sizemore.....US Marine sgt
Chow Yun Fat.....Prince Tuan
Michelle Yeoh....Empress Dowager
Brian Cox....British Ambassador
Ioan Gruffudd (Hornblower) or Heath Ledger....British Captain
Jermey Irons....German Colonel
Sophie marceau....French ambassador's wife
Alan Rickman....Russian ambassador

You get the picture :-)

spectacular yet intimate
Before the era of political correctness, Caucasian actors donned make up to play characters of other races; roles which, for whatever reason, could not be filled by non-white actors at that time. If you are the kind of person who gets mad watching white people play "sinister" Chinese roles then stay away from this movie or be prepared for this kind of thing:

Prince Tuan: "Your majesty, the execution has been stopped!"

The Empress: "Who!"

Prince Tuan: "Jung Lu!"

However if you can keep that momentary suspension of disbelief going just long enough to allow yourself to get into the story, then you can believe Flora Robson is the Empress and 55 Days is one of the most underrated films of all time: the action sequences are extremely well paced and choreographed and the film, for the most part, stays faithful to history. Obviously the producers could not reproduce the entire Forbidden City so the "palace" exterior scenes are somewhat hokey, but the legation compound and the city wall are reproduced in a convincing way and as set pieces they are used to great effect.

Look for Walter Gotell (General Gogol from the 007 films) and Nicholas Ray himself (in wheelchair) as the American ambassador.

55 days at peking
With all the wham, bam, thank you not madam junk that is prevasive now, this has a superb plot and it has class. This is a 5 star in a world of -1 s! Niven is wonderous and Ava is regal with her feet of clay.

Enjoyable epic and star vehicle
"55 Days At Peking" is an unusual and enjoyable epic and star vehicle. Not least among its admirable characteristics is a set re-creating in Spain an authentic impression of the old Legation Quarter of Peking. The set makes sense to anyone who knows the actual site in modern-day Beijing. That is a considerable achievement in the pre-digital cinematic art of illusion. It shows, too, that there was a great deal of China knowledge behind the making of the movie. Well into the 1990s, many Boxer Rebellion-era structures survived in the old Legation Quarter of Beijing. Due to enduring political and cultural sensitivities, the historical significance of these structures was unsignposted and ignored by the official Chinese tourist authorities, and most of the area was occupied by Chinese Government organisations. The gate of the former British Legation which was recreated for the movie could still be seen just off Chang'an Avenue in Zhengyi Street, a short walk southwest from the Beijing Hotel. The layout and other striking architectural features of the area are well-recorded in books such as Michael J. and Yeone Wei-Chih Moser's "Foreigners Within The Gates" (Oxford 1993). The movie takes liberties with history--overplaying, for instance, the US military contribution, and making the British Minister (played by David Niven) appear a more militarily energetic figure than he seemed to contemporary observers of the siege of the legations. Some purists might find jarring the poor Chinese calligraphy in graffiti, and the casting of (generally well made-up) Caucasian actors in major Chinese roles. However, the standard caveat applies that this is an entertainment, not a documentary. Talent like Chow Yun-Fat, John Lone, Gong Li, Zhang Yimou and Wayne Wang wasn't available to western moviemakers in 1963. "55 Days At Peking" entertains with a creditable impression of this historical episode when China warred by proxy on the rest of the world. It is an interesting film to compare with "Khartoum", in which Charlton Heston also plays the lead, as part of the canon of epic moviemaking about imperial and colonial wars. The casting and illusion of China is worth comparing with "The Inn Of The Sixth Happiness" (1958), in which Robert Donat plays a Chinese mandarin and Wales substitutes for China. It would be fascinating to see a remake of this film with a re-worked story and script, a re-arrangement of Dimitri Tiomkin's excellent score, digital technology, and cross-cultural casting and direction. However, as it probably still could not be shot in China without unacceptable interference, it might need "Red Corner" treatment. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This MTV-produced drama only looks like an adaptation of H.G.Bissinger's expert dissertation of the church of high school football, Friday Night Lights. The energetic, breezy movie has none of the seriousness of Bissinger's book except on its basic level: in West Texas, high school football is life. Into this world comes Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek), a brainy, uncharacteristic jock who sits on the sideline reading Slaughterhouse Five until the West Caanan High School Coyotes All-Texas QB goes down with an injury. Suddenly the spotlight and the tyrannical ways of coach Bud Kilmer (another ace evil turn by Jon Voight) are on Mox and the light is white-hot. There have been several films that show tough, honest kids doing their best against the worst of small-town coaches (Tom Cruise in All the Right Moves, for one) but Varsity Blues, in its glossy style, takes a more curious turn: studying what happens when celebrity comes to the well-adjusted high schooler. Mox starts seeing the rewards of stardom: a six-pack under the counter, acceptance in school, even easy sex from the girl who goes after the starting quarterback (Ali Larter). Will Mox win the big game? Will he bend to the wills of his coach? Will he stay with his old girlfriend? The questions are easy enough to answer, but the film has an ace up its sleeve: Van Der Beek has the stuff to carry the movie. Fans of TV's Dawson's Creek will see a slightly grittier dreamboat here, and Van Der Beek's care with the role makes the most ludicrous parts--includinga trip to a strip club--manage a certain aura. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (118)

Good movie about high school football life
When I first saw Varsity Blues, I wasn't expecting it to be a great movie. But overall, I enjoyed it very much. This movie, created by MTV, only cost $16 million bucks to make and brought in over $52 million at the box office, because this movie is mainly aimed at high school juniors and seniors or in the age range of 16-21.

The story takes place in a fictional town called West Canaan, Texas, a small, steamy town in southwestern Texas where high school football is a way of life. The town is the home of the West Canaan Coyotes, a football team which has won 22 consecutive district championships and 2 state championships. The head coach of the team, Coach Kilmer (Jon Voight), has a "win-at-all-costs" attitude, meaning he has a reputation of playing his players injured or sick. He has also coached many of the current players' fathers, who seem to be re-living their glory years through their sons. When the all-Texas star quarterback Lance Harbor (Paul Walker) goes down with a season-ending knee injury, backup quarterback Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek from Dawson's Creek) reluctantly assumes the duties of filling Lance's shoes. Once he miraculously leads his team to victory, his life begins to drastically change. He becomes very popular in school, gets free under-the-counter alcohol, and even easy sex from the former quarterback's girlfriend. So as the movie goes on, Mox continues to lead his team to victory, while dealing with the pressure of his coach and the love triangle that he has gotten himself into. In the final game at the end of the movie, he shows what it is like to be a high school hero after the coach abandons the team. As the movie ends, we hear a voiceover of what became of the characters.

So in conclusion, it's a pretty good movie from MTV which shows what high school life mixed with football is really all about. That is why I mentioned that this film should mainly be viewed by high school/college students. There are some really funny scenes in this movie; the most notable would probably be when one of the players hijacks a police car and parades around town with a bunch of naked girls in the backseat, and when they discover that their science teacher has a job at a local strip club. Adults might want to stay away from this one. 3 1/2 stars.

Top-notch entertainment for anyone, especially football fans
Absolutely the best football film ever made. As a player who just recently finished my senior season playing for Gibson Southern High School in Southern Indiana, I can relate to a lot of what the movie has to offer. The movie gave me goosebumps on several occasions and nearly brought me to tears. It has just the right combo of action, comedy, and drama to keep the film running smoothly throughtout. The actors do a good job juggling between their dramatic roles and their spots on the field. You'll be impressed with Van Der Beek's athleticism, you'll crack up at the comments of Tweeder and Billy Bob, and in the end, you'll want to wail-on Mr. Voight. I recommend it to anyone interested in a flick with a little bit of everything. Also, anyone who has ever experienced football on Friday nights...don't miss this. It will take you back.

A Late 90's Classic.
Ok, so James Van Der Beek's Texas accent isn't all that great. So what if no football coach in their right mind would run a hook-and-ladder play to a 350 pound lineman. What does it matter that very few of us ever have a teacher as hot as Miss Davis...much less one that works in a strip club? It's still a great movie.

Look people, this isn't supposed to be a drama. This is a comedy-drama. Some dramatic parts, but it's supposed to be funny overall. That's why the movie has Tweeder! There are a few dramatic parts to the film, but it's mostly comedy. The intended audience is obviously the high school and college age, but can be enjoyed by nearly everyone...especially football fans.

Who knew that MTV Films was capable of making a movie like this? It did very well at the box office, and the DVD has sold well too...for good reason. Come on....everyone has to laugh when Tweeder steals the police car.

related to Odessa, TX's Permian High School Panthers??
Does anyone know if the story behind Varsity Blues is related or drawn from the book, 'Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream' by H. G. Bissinger?
It's about the Permian High School Panthers of Odessa, TX; where the the team, for better and for worse, is the town.

Anyone know?

Thanks in advance...

So bad it's good.
This movie almost defines so-bad-it's-good. My friends and I repeatedly watch this movie simply to hear James Van Der Beek's bad Texan accent and his insipid speeches. We constantly quote "I will not live your life" to each other. Quite frankly this movie is hilarious for its over the topness. If it weren't for James Van Der Beek, I'm fairly certain this film never would have seen the light of day. It's a shame that the only real value this film has is for camp humor. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

If God could do the things we do ...
... he'd be a happy man!
I just finished watching the DVD of "The Stunt Man." It's still a smart, amazing, funny, scary, exhilirating experience. This is what great movie making (and great acting) is all about. Richard Rush's direction, the acting from Peter O'Toole and the rest, the terrific screenplay, the great music ... it's just ... perfect. As fresh now as the day it rolled out of the camera.
It's a shame Rush hasn't been able to make more films, but with this classic to his credit he can rest assured that his place in cinema history is complete. Thanks, Mr. Rush!
And Peter O'Toole ... nothing will top his work in "Lawrence of Arabia," but this comes darned close. Eli Cross is the classic "film director as god." O'Toole makes him more than just a petty movie-set tyrant. Cross is sly, witty, mysterious and all-knowing. He's frightening but fascinating. You wouldn't want to introduce him to your mother but you would want to take him out to dinner just to listen to him spin his stories. When he descends from above in his camera crane you'll begin to think he's god incarnate ... just as the stunt man does.
And the plot? That's what made "The Stunt Man" such a hard sell to the movie studios and what makes it a classic. What is reality and what isn't? Are we in control of our lives or aren't we? How do we know what's really going on and what it all means? Is Eli trying to kill the stunt man or just trying to finish his movie on time?
Anchor Bay's DVD transfer is superb. The "Limited Edition" includes Rush's documentary on the making the film. Don't miss it!
If you've never seen this film, get it FAST and enjoy! If you haven't seen it in a while, rediscover why it's so great.
Amen!

Lost Classic!
Most films that rely heavily on stunts don't provide much of interest in between the airbag falls and vehicle pile-ups - Hooper, Cannonball Run, The Blues Brothers and their ilk being prime examples, and even the revered likes of Bullitt tend to sag a bit when the protagonists get out of the car. Fortunately this overlooked gem manages to mix stops-out stunt sequences with a borderline-pretentious paranoia plot to cover all bases with ease. Jobbing greenhorn Steve Railsback gets a job in the stunt team of Peter O'Toole's director's World War One action romance, falls for the leading lady, has his every waking moment interrupted by O'Toole on an ace crane-mounted director's chair, and finally takes on the escape from a sinking car stunt that killed his predecessor. There's plenty of elementary-grade symbolism thrown at it (O'Toole's messianic character is called Eli Cross, in true ramming-the-point-home style), and the whole "What is reality after all? Eh? Think about it" ethos of the film won't impress everyone, but it's all done with a light touch, and you really won't see anything like this anywhere else, and the set-pieces, particularly the rooftop gun battle and aerial dogfight, are brilliantly staged.

One of the top cult movies from the eighties!
Through this clever , ingenious script , the brilliant film maker Richard Rush (nominated as best director in 1980) made a emblematic and glorious film for those people who wante to taste something different . Built as a smart chines puzzle , a man suddenly in a location film and the delicate boundaries between the reality and the fiction are broken . Under this perspective the viewer is challenged moment by moment and obilgated to establish who is who and what is what . Think that you are in a mirror hall (Lady of Shangai's ending sequence) and try to find the object and not confuse with its image .
Link this premise with another two film made in the sixties (Blow up of Antonioni)and Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel) and more recently Parole des enfants (1995) Open you eyes (Alejandro Amenábar 1997) or The rules of engagement (William Friedkin 2000) and you'll be rewarded by that intelligent plot , loaded with thrills, chills, suspense , riddles and surprises , plus an outstanding cast: Peter O'Toole (nominated as best actor in 1980 for this performance) and Hershey .
I'm absolutely convinced since the moment you watch this film , it will become one of your timeless and favorites films.
The doubt for acquire this film never must prevail in your mind even for a second.

o'toole should have gotten the oscar
this is a marvellous cult classic and has three fabulous performances in the vastly underrated barbara hershey and steve railsback.
of course the main thing here is o'toole. this and my favorite year were made close together and amounted to nothing less than a 'comeback' for the actor.
unfortunatley hollwood hasnt made such excellent use of o'toole since then but its a proud spot on this wonderful actors resume

DIDN'T FLIP MY MINNOW
Don't get me wrong. This is not a bad movie. It just doesn't compare to Citizen Kane in innovation. Really, some LA Times reporter wrote that! I guess I'm supposed to watch this numerous times, but it just wasn't that interesting to me. Where's the innovation? The crane?(Golly gee Cletus, I never seen a crane that big before) The reflected faces? The cliched lines of the Vietnam Vet? Then there is that quote that's always bandied about, "You're an actor playing a stuntman playing an actor..." I understand what he is saying, it's just not very pithy.

I kept waiting for the big suprise, the part of the movie that floored me. It never came. I wasn't drawn into an anti-reality, didn't see a dual reality and did not see any allegory. To some reviewers this is the greatest film ever. There's a guy at DVD Verdict who wrote that this film changed the way he looked at movies. I didn't see that. I watched a movie, that while good, was not thought provoking. I suppose I should watch it again, but it just didn't flip my minnow. ... Read more

Reviews (239)

it's going to last you the rest of your life!
Groundhog Day is the funniest movie of the 90's. Brilliant performance by Bill Murray who plays a cocky weatherman Phil Connors who covers Groundhog day every year in the small town of Punxatawnee that he hates. The day end with him being stuck there because of a blizzard that he didn't predict...and what more, he relives groundhog day over and over again...taking advantage of it, taking his own life, making a move on his producer Andie Macdowell which turns out to be his first lesson in reviewing his inner cruelty and becoming a better person, and a local hero!

This movie is straight out funny...it will make you crack up with every viewing. Watch out for Stephen Tobolowski in his bizarre role as Ned Ryerson, and a cameo appearance by the film's director (and Murray's costar in Ghostbusters) Harold Ramis.

The features are well worth the money too.

A tale of love, hope, and redemption
This is a terrific movie - hilarious, uplifting, and deeply romantic and heartwarming.

Bill Murray and Andie McDowell are perfect in this film, Murray as the cynical, infinitely self-centered TV weather newscaster, and Andie McDowell as his radiant and relentlessly uplifting TV producer and love interest. The plot has been rehashed many times by others, so I won't repeat it again.

The thing that makes this movie so memorable, and makes it stand out from all others is not the comedy, which is enjoyable, but the deeper themes behind it.

What are these themes? In reading the other 226 reviews, people have mentioned everything from Buddhist karma and reincarnation, Nietzsche and existentialism, Kubler Ross, the Seven Sins, and Gurdjieff -Ouspensky and the Fourth Way. Comparisons have been made to themes from the Twilight Zone, and Frank Capra movies like "It's a Wonderful Life".

Yes, I suppose all of these themes are present, and people will interpret this movie in the religious or philosophical context with which they are most familiar. Which is why it's a bit surprising that so far nobody has mentioned the main theme that stood out immediately for me in this movie.

Above all the existentialism and New Age themes that might be found in this movie is a very old fashioned one - at its core, this movie is a moral tale of love, hope, and redemption.

Bill Murray's character is stuck in time, stuck in purgatory, stuck in a perpetual rut of endless reincarnation and immortality, whatever you want to call it. His character, Phil Connors asks, "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?"

Connors first uses his recursive immortality to dive even deeper into the Seven Sins, and then sinks into despair, hopelessness, and attempted suicide. But gradually, he awakens to the possibility that his choices of action do matter, and discovers that through caring for the other people in this town, he is able to regain hope in his own life again. It is this genuine turn in becoming a better person that wins the heart of Andie McDowell's character and earns him redemption from this purgatory.

Another reviewer had mentioned a link to the theme of making hard choices in the "Lord of the Rings". Thanks to "Groundhog Day", I came to understand one question from LOTR that had always bothered me - why would any immortal being (i.e., elves like Arwen and Haldir in LOTR) ever give up their immortality? The answer: maybe immortality becomes tiresome and meaningless if one cannot make a difference in this world, maybe leaving immortality to gain the love of another is truly more worthwhile.

There was just one other aspect of this idea that came to mind - what if whoever or whatever had kept Phil Connors stuck in time had continued to keep him there even after his transformation? We like to think that love and hope always leads to redemption. What if it doesn't? That's one real-life possibility which is not explored in this movie, but nevertheless, it is still a terrific movie.

Renaissance Man Extraordinaire - Carpe Diem
There are so many messages behind this great movie with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. He is head over heals for MacDowell from the start, but as an arrogant weatherman, he seems to just tick her off from the start as well.

Imagine waking up every morning and it is the same day over and over again? Well, Murray has this happen to him. Every time he does his day becomes one disaster after another until he finally gives in and figures out he can use each day to improve himself and his life a little at a time.

The message here is clear. We all have a life that is made up of the same day everyday, what we choose to do with that day is really up to us. Do we want to improve our lot in life or just go along with being ourselves in a boring unfulfilled endless life that is a cycle of recurring themes?

This movie shows anyone, even though it is a comedy, that each day we have a choice to make the day what it can be. Murray plays Phil Connors, on Ground Hog Day when the ground hog's name is also Phil...go figure. Connors is as arrogant as they come and he just keeps trying so hard to impress people.

He goes from egotisical and self serving to seeing himself to get the girl of his dreams, Rita. It would be nice to know how many days of Ground Hog Days he spent there. You can see him go from this to a renaissance man who really cares about people, loves life and takes each day and uses it to improve himself.

Rita, although the same person and not being influenced or affected by being in Ground Hog day, comes to really like Phil. This movie makes us laugh at ourselves and our humanity. And by the end of the movie, he shows that he can have a positive effect on everyone he comes in contact with.

So when you hear the song, "I've Got You Babe," and the announcers saying, "It's Ground Hog Day....." remember to use the day to its fullest.

Perfect
G.D really is nearly perfect. I never tire of it. At the same time I think most people miss the point. (By the way, I've NOT seen the Special Edition.)

I'm facinated each time watching the totally self centered Bill Murray caught in this marvelous time paradox, living the same day over and over. He goes through differing stages: fear and confusion; euphoria, when he realizes he can do ANYTHING without consequence; despair, when he realizes that life is meaningless if one pursues selfish pleasures without goals; and finally a peaceful self actualization when he dedicates himself toward self improvement and the humanitarian goals his situation gives him the opportunity to pursue.

It gives one pause to consider what each of US would do in a similar circumstance.

Oh, it's really funny, too.

Groundhog Day a classic
In 1993 , director Harold Ramis genius of dark comedies like ''Analyze This'' casted Bill Murray as Phil Connors in this dark but mostly enjoyable movie named GroundHog Day.

Bill Murray plays Phil Connors a weatherman, who covers everything from weather to Ground Day. Phil isn't happy with his life, in fact he realizes that he is repeating the same routine over and over again. From work in the morning,to
talking to the annoying Ned Ryanser( Stephen Tobolowsky), while listening to Sonny and Cher in the morning to covering the stupid GroundHog Day, Phil is repeating the same day over and over again. Of course the irony here as done by the plot, is that he is the only that knows it. It's like an episode the ''Twilight Zone'' (which I reviewed too on other sites). Eventually Phil has a mental breakdown in which he plans to do whatever he wants. He comes completely unglued when realizing how wasted his life had become, and thus wants to change it.

I use the term breakdown because well Phil isn't exactly a nice guy, he's arrogant and obnoxious. We hardly sympathize with this guy, much less that he is miserable.
However, the point the movie makes is the guy realizes he has been wasting his life away and wants to change it, although Phil's change doesn't go ahead smoothly.

He drives reckless around the train tracks, gets arrested, steals a bagfull of money from a couple of dumb cops, charms his way into sleeping with a beautiful young girl and yet finds out that he still isn't happy. Until he puts the moves on Rita (Andy McDowell), his producer. McDowell is the few actresses that I know that has limited acting potential but her beautiful presence can convey some emotions making her sympathetic.

However, in order to get close to Rita, Phil has to get info on her likes and dislikes from her friends. This angle in the movie, really made me a little sick, because even we are suppose to sympathize with Phil, he hasn't really changed all that much. Rita, eventually finds out Phil's motives and slaps him in the face, and telling him to get lost. LOL No surprise there, in fact Rita's action sums up my argument that Phil hasn't really changed all that much despite his aim to not repeat the same day, he is still repeating his same behavioral patterns.

Phil though in order to impress her and to change himself, starts doing bizarre, yet unreal things that get him attention and he does start to become nicer. This is where the movie gets ridiculous, because even though this is a comedy, I found the rest of the movie to be predictable, superficial, yet enjoyable
Phil becomes a gifted ice sculpter (who knows where he learned this) as one scene, where his cutting a sculpture of an ice angel is shown. Then Phil saves a guy from choking to death, a kid from a falling tree and a host of other surprises. LOL

Yes Harold Ramis does go a bit over the top with this Phil guy, obviously a lot of the stuff he pulls of is almost impossible giving Phil's background, but Ramis is again trying to show the point (although laughingly bad) that Phil is changing. He now has a heart and will do anything to be with this nice woman and of course by Phil doing this he has filled that empty void that he had when he was repeating the same unfulling routine of covering that stupid Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania.

Ramis is actually a buddy of Murray going back to the old days of their ''SCTV'' days, and ''Ghostbusters'' days, so these two talented comedian can pull the hijinks in the film with some realism.

Still though Ramis does do a good job of making us think about the movie and Phil itself and gives us that scary thought that we perhaps might end up like Phil, a shriveled, ugly man who has been repeating the same stupid routine yet doesn't have the capacity to see that this misery is at his own doing.

LOL ... Read more

Description

Five spooky stories, written by Stephen King, are shown in a format based on the popular horror comics of the 1950's. ... Read more

Reviews (87)

Spooky fun
Director George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and horror author extraordinairre Stephen King teamed up for this adaptation/homage to the classic 1950's horror EC Comics, and while the film as a whole has it's share of creepy moments, it's more of a fun horror film, and a labor of love for Romero and King. Five tales are told, beginning with a dead, rich father coming back to life for his birthday cake (yes, you read that right), a simplistic farmer finding a strange meteorite, an insanely jealous husband taking vengeance on his cheating wife and her lover only to get it back to him, a mistreated husband discovering a box containing a monster which he unleashes on his drunken wife, and a man with a severe cockroach problem. Featuring Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, and even King himself, plus great gore and makeup effects by the always excellent Tom Savini; Creepshow is a real treat.

Great Original Horror Film!
In this collaboration with Stephen King, director George Romero assembles a distinguished cast and pays vividly hued homage to the E.C. horror comics of the 1950s. (This film appeared years before the TALES FROM THE CRYPT series.) Five creepy tales are strung together by a framing story involving a young boy being punished by his father for reading the gruesome, titular comic book. "Father's Day" tells the tale of a family patriarch exacting beyond-the-grave revenge on the daughter who murdered him. In "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill," a Maine hayseed (King himself in a ridiculously over-the-top performance) is overtaken by a meteor-based plant growth. A cuckolded husband exacts watery revenge on his cheating wife and her lover in "Something to Tide You Over." A hairy beast in a box is used for nefarious purposes at a university in "The Crate." Finally, in "They're Creeping Up on You," a wealthy, arrogant New Yorker with a fear of germs has a disturbing run-in with cockroaches during a blackout.

While the stories are a bit brief, the style is appropriate for the anthology format. Romero's use of garish colors to mimic the ink in comic books is visually appealing, preventing the gore on display from being too off-putting. Featuring early appearances by actors such as Ed Harris and Ted Danson, CREEPSHOW is eerie, engaging entertainment.

There are so many reasons why I like this film. The length of the film. 120 minutes. That's two hours of horror stories. If you notice lately, any movie that has more than two stories is usually about an hour and a half. Stephen King and George A. Romero on the other hand, were able to put together a two hour film.

It's mostly the suspensful scenes, that get you asking, "what if that was me?" Seeing people suffer in this movie, adds a great effect on the audience. Most of the time I could feel the pain they were going through. Like Ted Danson's story, or when Ed Harris was under that grave. Stephen King was funny as he acted as a retarded farm boy.

If you haven't seen this film, then do so. If you get the same effect I did, then my review should be helpful to you.

Oh yeah! if you're one of those guys who like having snacks and pop during a scary movie, then I would suggest you eat up fast before the last story. Trust me on this one!

I hope my review was helpful to you!

Creepy and cool, the best short story horror movie
This is, for me, the best short story horror film i seen so far. I seen a good amount, i am not going to say all but i seen enough to know what is good and not good. This is the best. I love all the stories, some have there weak moments but the one wih the moster in the box and the roaches are the best. I dont want to type a lot but pure in simple this movie is a good rental and worth 10 or 15 bucks in my book.

it has its charm
What can you say about this movie? It isn't the best movie King has written, not by far. Romero has given us better films--Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead. It has bad animation. Bad effects (even though I am a Savini fan). Bad acting, though we get a young Ed Harris and Leslie Nielsen does put in a surprisingly good performance. And it has those annoying comic book frames within frames. There is a lot to hate about this film. But it does have a certain charm to it. Ted Danson helpless and not so suave or in control. A gruesomeness to it. King plays the hokey hick very well. You can't help but to like this movie, bad as it is.

For TALES FROM THE CRYPT fans everywhere!
The film tells the story of a young boy whose comic contains five stories told in the same vein of early 50's horror comic stories. The film is written by Stephan King (who also appears in the second story in his only starring role,) and directed by George A. Romerio (origonal LIVING DEAD trilogy). Included also are a few brief animated sequences.

A man pays a visit to his family from beyond the grave...

A farmer finds a meteorite that, when broken, spills fourth a strange moss that grows on everything, including his own flesh...

A man and his lover seek revenge on her husband AFTER they've been murdered...

A mysterious crate found in the basement of a college hids some thing that should never be let out. You're about to find out what...

Finally, a cold-hearted billionare with a horrible fear of germs and insects finds his penthouse apartment infested with nine hundread QUADRILLION cockroaches! ... Read more

Description

GOOD BURGER is the story of two goofy friends, Dexter (Thompson) and Ed (Mitchell), while they spend their summer working at a local burger joint for some extra cash.When Mondo Burger, a mammoth fast-food chain opens across the street, it looks like Good Burger is soon going to be history.Now it is up to Dexter and Ed to save the day, as they develop a delicious special sauce that brings hundreds of new customers to their door and makes their new competition desperate to steal the recipe and all of their customers. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

A Hilarious Movie!
I remember the first time this movie came out. My friend wanted to go see it.. and I thought she was CrAzY, considering it was a movie about fast food. Well, to make the long story short, I went to go see it with her and after watching the movie, my mind about Good Burger had completely changed! It's HILARIOUS! In the words of another reviewer, "I love the actors in it, Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Josh Server. They should all get credited for more than just 'People on Nickelodeon.'" I mean, you couldn't ask for a better pair.. Kenan and Kel totally fit their roles. By the way, Josh Server is the cutie who played "Fizz". :) Although, he played a small part in Good Burger, he definitely needs recognition for being a talented actor. He is also a member of the All That cast. Ever since then, I became an avid watcher of the Kenan and Kel Show and of All That. This is a great movie, and not just for kids, but for adults as well! If you have a good sense of humor, then you gotta go see this movie! It is THAT funny!

SO, SO, SOOO FUNNY!!!
I just have to come out and say it-this movie is hilarious!Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell (of Nickelodeon's "Kenan and Kel" and old "All That")are the stars of "Good Burger" and are fabulous in it. They play Dexter and Ed, two Good Burger employees, who are trying to stop the evil Mondo Burger from putting Good Burger out of business. These guys go on one crazy roller coaster of a summer and become friends along the way.I must say that Kenan and Kel are the Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy for this generation. Kel Mitchell is particularly funny as the not so smart Ed. This movie just keeps the jokes coming. It also teaches kids a lesson about caring, friendship, and never giving up faith.
I love this movie!!! As a matter of fact, the reason I am writing this review is that my copy of "Good Burger" is chewed up because we have watched it so many times and I wanted to see if Amazon.com had it on DVD. They don't but hopefully it will be out on DVD soon. In the meantime, I will be enjoying every minute of the VHS!!
Last note- if you liked this movie, be sure to watch "Kenan and Kel" on Nickelodeon! It is soooo funny! I absolutely love this show and I am sure you will too. As of right now, it is on every Sunday at 6:00 p.m. for a full hour!!! I tell you this so you can check it out!
Well, I love this movie and I hope that you will love it (and "Kenan and Kel" :) ) too!!!

the best
this good movie is the best good movie in the good god world. this is good, very good.

my favorite character
i love good burger. especially jennie weber. she is so beautiful in this movie. also in real life to. her incredible popularity is so cool. her huge pants that she wears every day are great. she has so many friends. im so jealous especially kennan and kel. she brags about how popular she is and all the kids are so jealous. im so jealous. i wish i had a brother like jennie. she is so funny lookin when keenan slaps her in the face with a spatula. thats why i love good burger. and jennie is the greatest.

Great Flick!
Good Burger is a great old flick. It will become history for us kids and I have at least 32 friends that say it should be in the Hall of Fame Movies. I loved it! Kel Mitchell steals the movie as the always loveable Ed! Kenan is good but not as good as Kel! So good job Paramount and Nickelodeon and Also Kel and Kenan you both and the rest of the crew in Good Burger deserve a million thumbs up! ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Not a terrible movie, but not great, either.
As other people have mentioned, the characters are rather flat, and the plot is just a variation on the must-save-world-from-scary-guy theme. If you can ignore the predictability and the contrived and sappy ending, it's an okay flick. Eye candy, and the kids'll probably like it -- I did, when I was younger.

If you're going to watch it, though, please DON'T read the books first. Read the books, by all means, but if you read them before watching the movie, you'll find the flick unbearable. Disney changed so much, and with no fathomable reason behind most of the changes. The changes to the character of Fflewddur Fflam hit me especially hard, since he's my favorite from the books -- apart from the name and harp, he's unrecognizable. Basically, everything's been simplified and, well, Disneyfied. All of the PG rating comes from visuals, and any bad things happening to the good guys are fleeting, unlike the books, which carry the more difficult -- but true -- lesson that life can be unfair sometimes.

Anyway, in closing, the movie isn't bad, but as has been said, the books are far better. If you're thinking of buying it for your kids, especially, I'd highly recommend getting the books instead and sharing them. If they like Harry Potter, they're almost sure to like these. The Prydain Chronicles have a depth and a warmth to them that's difficult to find; I first read them when I was a kid, and I find myself re-reading them every few years or so.

Disney wrost movie.
Why bother with this wrost cartoon. There heads are not on tight. I let the MST3000 think about this movie.

Among the Bigger Dissapointments in the Movie World
As an adoring fan of the Lloyd Alexander books this film was loosely adapted from, I have to admit that I have a biased view. The books are so lovely that I purchased this video before seeing it, assuming that since Disney was given such great material to work with it would be a piece of art. I was sorely dissapointed. I suggest that any fan of the books stay away from this movie all together, or at least view it before you make the investment in purchasing it. You'll find many important characters missing, and several key elements to the plot have changed.
I feel that Disney would have done well to make the full series, rather than try and combine the events of The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron and cram them into one movie.
However, Disney's version of The Black Cauldron does have its good points. The animation is rather nice. It's rather simple, but it serves its purpose very well. It's a bit refreshing to see Disney make such a different movie from it's norm. This one is very dark, and doesn't rely on song to pull you in. The characters, while dissapointing if you're familiar with the books, are still portrayed rather interestingly in their own rights. The Horned King is pretty well established, and early on you get a feeling that he just drips with evil. Gurgi, although very different from his written counterpart, is a very loveable character, and brings a bright spot to the otherwise very gloomy feeling of the film. The voice acting is good, the sound effects are of the highest quality, and the score does an adept job at setting the mood.
If you are unfamiliar with the books, and watch the movie with an open mind, it can really be quite enjoyable, but it's noteworthy that this movie has a PG Rating, not the G Rating that most annimated Disney films feature. There are some scenes that I find rather innapropriate for a children's film, including a scene where Fflewddur is changed into a toad and gets stuck in a woman's cleavage, and some of the scenes with The Horned King and the Cauldron-Born which may be very disturbing for sensitive children. I recommend parents pre-view this movie before deeming it appropriate for their young children.

Black & Blue
I love all the risks and new avenues this film took. There is much love and thought that went into its creation. Unfortunately most of this love and attention was focused on looks and not story.

A mixture of visual styles are used in the film, hand-drawn animation, CGI (Disney's first attempt) and even live action smoke. This mixture gives the film a very distinctive look. One that is strikingly different from other Disney animated films.

The Horned King is Disney's most terrifying looking villain ever but he's got the personality of a dead fish. We never connect or understand him like we did say Lady Tremaine or Maleficent. When one character sacrifices himself for the good of the others it should be an act filled with great drama and emotion but it didn't even choke me up much less bring a tear to my eye.

What the film really needs is character development and a clearly thought out plot. About a third of the way through we learn that the film is not about what we were lead to believe (the thwarting of evil) but Tarran's need to accept his position in life. This is a drastic change and the film never really recovers it's footing afterwards.

I'd like to see Disney attempt a film like this again some day because there is much they got right (the tone, character designs, general look of the film). I'd recommend The Black cauldron if you are a serious animation, Disney or fantasy film fan.

A Worthy Effort 3 and a half.
Epic medevil stories are hard to put on film, and are more challenging to put in an animated film. In the Black Cauldron Disney gave it's best. There are a few things though that make the film un-Disney. The characters are not as lovable and iconic on the exception of Gurgi in this movie. The animation is too different and it detatches itself from the other Disney films. The villain is too strong and powerful for a child audience and a little too mediocre for an older crowd. If you look at is as just another movie it really is not that bad, but when comparing it to past Disney effort that is where you run into problems. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

I can watch it over and over again
This is one of my favorite movies. I have watched it infinite times. This movie is funny and entertaining. I never get bored watching it. It's a story of a gym teacher who gets to teach summer school, and in order to get a tenure for next year he has to make the students pass their english tests, but they are students lacking motivation and skills. On the way to the test the story has a lot of sub plots, and very funny and memorable moments, with great characters like Chainsaw and Dave who love horror movies, Denise a dislexic girl, Larry an underage stripper, Pam (Courtney Thorne Smith) a surfer, and of course Freddy Shoop (Mark Harmon) and Robin Bishop (Kirsty Alley).

Harmless Fun
1987's Summer School is an underrated comedy from the 80's. The plot revolves around reluctant summer school teacher, Freddy Shoop (Mark Harmon), who is forced into the job after the original teacher hits the lottery. Shoop is a gym teacher and he must deal with a classroom full of typical high school misfits. Throughout the summer, Shoop's unconventional teaching methods get him trouble with the school's vice principal, but wins over the kids. The film is carried by the immensely likable cast. Mr. Harmon reactions to the student's quirks and miscues are perfectly timed and the students provide genuine laughs. Dean Cameron & Gary Riley are hilarious as shock meisters Chainsaw and Dave, Richard Steven Horowitz plays the perfect geek as Alan Eakain and a young Courtney Thorne-Smith is alluring as Pam House who develops a big time thing for Shoop. Kirstie Alley shows up as a love interest for Shoop. Summer School is a great, lightweight movie that is small on plot, but big on laughs and fun.

The Single Funniest Movie Ever
'Summer School' is truly the funniest movie in the history of film. You've gotta get past the 1987 styles and fashion, but once u do that...this movie is the great. Dave, Chainsaw, the pregnant surfer...ahh, you gotta see it to know what I mean. A cinematic classic. Its about time it came out on DVD. Go buy it now.

Don't wet your pants.....watch this...!
Brilliant and sooooooo underrated. I'm a huge fan, and I'm so glad it's finally on DVD!

Lots of fun!!!
Fun 80's movie. Good acting. Good directing. Favorite line from the movie: When the high school gym teacher (Mark Harmon) is told he has to teach summer school he says, "...but I'm not a real teacher!" The principal replies, "That's okay, they're not real students." ... Read more

Product Description

This DVD compiles 14 Madonna videos from throughout the '90s. Track listings: Bad Girl * Fever * Rain * Secret * Take a Bow * Bedtime Story * Human Nature * Love Don't Live Here Anymore * Frozen * Ray of Light * Drowned World /Substitute for Love * The Power of Good-Bye * Nothing Really Matters * Beautiful Stranger. ... Read more

Reviews (137)

An incomplete "Collection"
This second video collection from Madonna only confirms that Ms. Ciccone is indeed the Queen of Pop and of the Music Video. The videos featured here are absolutely spectacular. From the motion picture quality of Bad Girl, to the gorgeous cinematography of Rain, to the out of this world bizarreness of Bedtime Story, to the hyper energy of Ray of Light, this is indeed a special collection. Unfortunately, it is also an incomplete collection. Among the glaring omissions are EROTICA, DEEPER AND DEEPER (both left off presumably due to their sexual content and innuendo), THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND, I'LL REMEMBER, YOU MUST LOVE ME, DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA (all left off presumably because they featured scenes from movies they did not have the rights to), and YOU'LL SEE (who knows why this wasn't included). I had the same complaint about the Immaculate Collection with its missing videos. What makes it even more aggravating is the fact that a video like LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, which was a complete bomb as a single and is one of the most boring videos ever produced, did make the cut. Yes, it is a beautifully SHOT video, and the director is very "in" right now, but it still doesn't deserve a place over some of her bigger hits. For these reasons this collection earns 4 stars. Maybe someday we'll get to see a COMPLETE Madonna video collection.

Madonna - Queen of Videos
Yes, I miss the sorely deleted videos in this collection: "Erotica" (which I think is one of her best, especially the last few syllables in the song when she exerts "Eroti---CA" while coyly tweetering the whip), "You'll See", "Deeper and Deeper" (that opening with her in the Mercedes is classic and very LA) and even "I'll Remember" (yeah, it was a movie tie-in, but what do you think "Beautiful Stranger" is?). But one needs to remember the likewise forgotten cuts from "Immaculate Collection": "Gambler" "Into the Groove" "Justify My Love" Oh well. Regardless, this collection is a testament to Madonna's prowess and uncanny aptitude in making some of our generation's most unforgettable music videos. Her best video here are (in order): Rain, Bad Girl, Frozen, and Drowned World/Substitute for Love. Forget what Warner blasphemed here but celebrate the artist behind these videos!

A quick question and I'll be happy if anyone can answer this
What song/video is it where Madonna is dressed like a Geisha?

Good DVD
Just bought the video recently and this collection is pretty much OK. My favorite video is "Bedtime Story" because of the fact that it is loaded with awesome special effects. Bedtime story is no doubt one of her best videos. The graphics of "Ray of Light" can use a little enhancing. It's a shame that "Deeper and Deeper", and "I'll remember".

The Immaculate Video Collection Continued!
This is a wonderful DVD! I am so glad my favorite Madonna video of all-time, "Bad Girl", was on the DVD! But there were some videos missing on here, like "Deeper And Deeper", "I'll Remember", "You'll See", and "This Used To Be My Playground". But this is still a wonderful collection!

Bad Girl- I love this video! It is so beautiful! 5/5
Fever- Nice video, but not one of her best 2/5
Rain- Another beautiful video! 5/5
Secret- It's okay. 4/5
Take A Bow- My 2nd favorite video of all-time! 5/5
Bedtime Story- Yuck. 1/5
Human Nature- Cool video! 5/5
Love Don't Live Here Anymore- This is another beautiful video of Madonna's! 5/5
Frozen- I always loved this song/video! 5/5
Ray Of Light- Very cool video... This is some of her best work. 5/5
Drowned World/Substitute For Love- I never really liked the sng at first, but one day I decided to watch the video and it was very good. I also like the song now!
The Power Of Goodbye- Beautiful video! 5/5
Nothing Really Matters- I am not really crazy about this video, but it's okay. 3/5
Beautiful Stranger- Very funny video, especially the beginning! 5/5 ... Read more

Reviews (35)

"Munch On Some Grindage," And Watch This Movie
My review really would classify this at a rating of 3.5 stars. I'm really not a Pauly Shore fan, but this is probably his best movie.

My kids wanted to watch this on Thanksgiving, and now that we've finished, I realized that it really is a fairly decent film. Besides its somewhat predictable plot, the story is quite funny. Pauly Shore plays a California college student, nicknamed Crawl, who goes home over Thanksgiving with his friend, played by Carla Gugino, to her parents' farm in "middle America," as he puts it. Crawl pretends to be his friend's fiance so she doesn't have to face her high school sweetheart, and proceeds to help out at the farm. Throw the California city boy into farm life, and you can only imagine what type of trouble he gets into.

Shore seems to be at his best in the role, and Gugino adds a lot of flavor to the film as well. The acting on the whole was pretty good, and overall, it was a pretty enjoyable film to watch with my family. It's funny and leaves you with a warm feeling in the end. This is a nice family film.

Great film
I'm not that much of a Pauly Shore fan, but when I first saw this I loved it. Now, years later, I saw it on TV and still loved it. It's a funny film. I'd say it's Pauly Shore's best film. Everyone in the family will enjoy it.

Excellent comedy that will be a modern cult classic.
Pauly Shore's best role since " In The Army Now" has him as a city boy from L.A. in love with a Farmer's daughter and joins her for Thanksgiven and wants to be part of the family but he sometimes screws things up.

Very entertaining, funny and sometimes heartwarmining with fine performances, a must see movie.

The DVD looks good with picture and sounds great with it's sound.

Son in Law
All I can say about this movie is if you have a daughter going off to school then this is a must see movie ! And God help us all if "Crawl" is the one in charge. Full of laughs and suprizes. A must see movie if you are in the mood for laughs

One of the best comedies I've ever seen
I'm not saying that Pauly Shore is a great actor, but Son in Law is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Shore plays a Shore-like resident assistant named Crawl at the California university chosen for matriculation by Rebecca of some farm (probably not Sunnybrook) in South Dakota