Reviews (291)

'The Rocky Horror Show' Movie
There is one reason why everyone should see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show": it is the best cult film ever made. There are also three reasons why everyone should want to watch it: 1) It is one of the only 'R' rated musicals in existence. 2) It has strong science-fiction overtones. 3) It is very funny. The movie starts Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon (before they were stars) as the recently engaged Brad and Janet. However, they are upstaged in nearly every scene by Tim Curry who plays Frank N. Furter, the mad doctor. The cast delightfully performs many memorable songs including "Over at the Frankenstein Place" and, of course, the "Time Warp". To fully enjoy RHPS, one must not be closed minded or the picture could prove to be quite offensive. Don't think it's gratuitously violent- it isn't. Merely, the situations the characters find themselves in could shock or appall overly sensitive viewers. If you think you won't enjoy RHPS, going to a midnight screening might be your best bet. The live audience participation will guarantee you a good time, despite your opinion of the actual film. So overall, RHPS is quite a good adaptation of Richard O'Brien's original concept, which always honors its roots on the stage.

DVD = Perfect format to truly experience "Rocky" at home
I loved going to "Rocky Horror" when I was in college, but watching on home video just wasn't the same. I'm probably committing heresy but there's a reason why this sci-fi, horror, B-movie satire, rock musical didn't really make it big until theaters started showing it as a midnight movie and fans started attending in costume and talking back to the screen. The 25th anniversary DVD, with several audience participation options, really is the next best thing to being there.

For the uninitiated, "Rocky Horror" tells the story of two clean-cut American youths, uptight Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick of "Spin City") and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon of "Dead Man Walking") whose car breaks down on a dark, deserted road in the middle of a storm--the classic beginning to many horror movies--and who seek help at a nearby castle. Castles, as Rocky fans know, don't have phones! What this castle has instead is a cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter Tim Curry, in perhaps his finest performance), two very creepy servants, Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien, who wrote the musical) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and various other hangers-on, including lovers Columbia (Little Nell) and biker Eddie (Meat Loaf). Brad and Janet walk in on a party celebrating the creation of Frank-N-Furter's muscle-bound boy-toy "Rocky." Bed-hopping chaos soon ensues, until the servants reveal their true identities and take control.

Punctuating this wacky plot are some of the wildest rock-musical songs ever written. In addition to the classic "Time Warp," there's O'Brien's salute to cult-classic B-movies, "Science Fiction Double Feature," Meat Loaf's "Hot Patootie," and Sarandon ode to sexual self-discovery, "Toucha Toucha Touch Me!"

So much for the "Rocky virgin" portion of the review... What makes the DVD so exceptional is the chance to experience "Rocky Horror" at home nearly like you would in the theater. The DVD has the option of turning on the audience screen comments as well as another option for viewing members of the Rocky Horror Fan Club performing select scenes before returning to the main movie. For those less familiar with audience participation, the DVD can prompt when to throw toast, toilet paper, rice, etc., light a match, put your newspaper on your head, etc.

The second disc contains fascinating interviews with cast members, where fans can find out about their reaction to starring in this cult classic. Meat Loaf's description of not realizing what "Rocky Horror" was going to be about and running out of the theater when Tim Curry entered wearing fishnet stockings, spiked heels, a merry widow, and a leather jacket and singing "Sweet Transvestite" is hysterical. Patricia Quinn talks about how her fondness for the opening song, "Science Fiction Double Feature" made her want to take the role even though she hadn't read the rest of the script. What? Don't remember Quinn singing that number? In the stage versions she did, but the song got reassigned in the film version--and Quinn makes her feelings about that QUITE clear. Sarandon makes the interesting observation that "Rocky Horror" probably kept a lot of art house theaters in business over the years, since they could count on good revenue from the midnight movie, even if the latest regular-hours offering flopped. In Bostwick's interview, however, the actor sounds a bit like William Shatner giving his anti-Trekkie diatribe on "Saturday Night Live."

The only disappointments on the DVD are that the outtakes really aren't that interesting and actor bios aren't provided. I would have liked to see what else the "minor" cast members did after Rocky, but that information is limited to a few lines in the companion booklet. Also, some of the audience-participation comments are nearly impossible to understand because fans are talking over each other. But then that's part of the modern-day theater experience. Even Sarandon noted in her interview that talking back to the screen has gone from the more unison catechism approach to a loud free-for-all.

What seemed so risqué and shocking a few decades ago seems much more innocent today, but it was great when it all began and it's still great! If you've never ventured into the theater to experience "Rocky Horror," this is the best way to experience it at home.

Mesmerizing film.
This is a very outrageous movie. The rock is the background to tell us a horror movie but also spiced with sex , ransvestism and above all a splendid tribute to the movies specially King Kong .
One couple strands in an old house full of weirdos . This movie (here between you and me)could have inspired for Tim Burton in Beetle juice .
In this decade there were great visuals films too . Sherman built a magnificent story absolutely free , intelligent and sarcastic, irreverent and bitter . You might state that Fellini's influence (dressed of english manners and clothes) is present all along the film .
Inmediatly after its release this one acquired the status of cult movie.

The original is still the best!
Don't bother with the play, or the music from the play. The original is still the best. Nobody can fill the shoes of Sarandon, Curry, etc. They originated the roles and have been associated with them for far too long for anyone else to come in try to change them so many years later and attempt to redo them. Stay with the best.

Those Gold Shorts!
Ahhhhh...Rocky had such a lovely outline showing in his gold lame shorts. ... Read more

Description

John Singleton’s award-winning portrayal of social problems in inner-city Los Angeles takes the form of a tale of three friends growing up together in the ‘hood’.Facing tough lives, two succumbto the crime surrounding them in their environment, but one learns to have the strength of character to do what is right and to always take responsibility for his actions. Academy Award ® nominee for Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (1992). Stars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix Reloaded), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Boat Trip), Ice Cube (Barbershop), Morris Chestnut (The Break Up Handbook), Angela Bassett (How Stella Got Her Groove Back). ... Read more

Reviews (349)

One of the scariest movies ever made
Ridley Scott's original 1979 film pulsates with dread and menace. Its darkened corridors mask a reptillian horror unmatched by any other in cinema. "Alien" scared the hell out of me when I saw it in its theatrical release, and the other night on DVD, it scared hell out of me again. Forget the sequels. This is one of the best movies of all time.

Yes, the story is simple, but that's the whole point. "Alien" is a fundamental horror story, your basic haunted house movie taken to the Nth degree. I love the fact it has only seven characters (OK, nine, if you count Mother and the alien itself ... the space jockey doesn't count). I love its simplicity, its straightforwardness. Aside from being a creepy, blood-curdling horror film (only "The Exorcist" and the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" top the chest-burster scene), it is also hard-core science fiction. James Cameron's sequel was an action-thriller (and an excellent one), and the subsequent sequels were just redundant. Scott's movie is the one for the ages.

It's about evil in a shape-shifting form. It's about our fear of the dark. It's about the bogeyman. It's about our irrational fear of creepy-crawlies, spiders, worms, snakes. It is by turns subtle and terrifying. It scares us by hiding the alien, revealing it only in bits and snatches (those exploding jaws!). There is surprisingly little blood; "Alien Resurrection" was a revolting gore fest. And it's a thoughtful film. It actually pauses to consider what a miracle the alien is on a biological level, which helps reinforce the fear and mystery that surround the creature.

In fact, the whole film is soaked in mystery. What is the intent of the beacon that attracts the Nostromo? What is the nature of the alien pilot, its own chest exploded in a gruesome foreshadowing of Kane's fate? What laid those eggs? How long had they been waiting down in the bowels of that awesome ship? Was the full-grown alien male or female? What did it try to do with Brett and Dallas? How exactly does it kill Lambert and Parker? Questions left largely unanswered. Not a problem for me -- I like loose ends, things left to ponder. That's the difference between a "plot" and a "story."

There's a hidden layer -- the fact that a faceless corporation sent those astronauts to their doom, knowingly, in order to extract the ultimate bioweapon. "Alien" is a subtle jab at Corporate America, the creature itself a representation of "the company's" blind, murderous greed.

See this movie. I repeat, if you love good movies, great movies, then seen this one. If you haven't already.

A Science Fiction Masterpiece!
This is one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. Just watching the opening title of this film suggests a story that will bring you terror and fascination at the same time. Director Ridley Scott ("Blade Runner") has created a masterpiece which transcends time. I sometimes look back on a movie that was made two years prior called "Star Wars" and I laugh at how primitive it seems today. However, Alien is as spectacular as it was in 1979. This movie could be rereleased today with as much fanfare as it had twenty years ago. "Alien" broke the mold when it was made and almost every aspect of it has been copied since. This includes the ingenious set designs and the alien creature itself.

All aspects of this film, the screenplay, direction, acting, special effects, and the awesome set designs took a vast amount of imagination and creativity. The thought process alone that went into conceiving an alien which gestates in a human host, and goes through an incredible metamorphosis of various stages to its final horrific form, was a major accomplishment. Sigourney Weaver, as "Ellen Ripley", is the greatest warrior in movie history. She is not only fighting to save her crew from the "Alien", but she's fighting to save humanity from the evil "Company" that will stop at nothing to gain what they desire.

I cannot say enough good things about this movie. JUST SEE IT!

Starts slow, but gets much better
The first half hour or so of this movie was a bit slow, and I honestly had a hard time not falling asleep. It got a lot better though and kept me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend this movie if you like science fiction or suspense.

A terrifying and spectacular sci-fi horror classic.
Although it took some time for me to appreciate it, today I can easily agree with many that 1979's "Alien" is one of the greatest science fiction/ horror movies that has ever been made.

A team on board a deep space ship called Nostromo is returning to earth after a deep sleep but then while returning to Earth, receives a mysterious distress signal on a distant planet and are sent in to investigate the source of the signal. During that time, one of them discovers large objects with movement within them. It turns out that these 'objects' are actually organic alien eggs and when one of them hatches, one of the crew is attacked and is brought back to the ship to have the 'alien' removed but the 'blood' of this alien is in fact a super strong molecular acid that eats through almost anything it touches. Even worse, the crew are being hunted and killed one by one by an extremely dangerous alien creature and now they must try to destroy the creature and escape with their lives before it's too late.

While nowhere near as action-packed as it's 1986 sequel "Aliens", this movie however is equally intense as the sequel but in a totally different way. While the sequel benefits from it's tons of action sequences, "Alien" is every bit as intense by it's extremely suspenseful tone and while it may be slow at times, when the intense parts come, they'll make you jump right out of your seat. This movie does not rely so much on action for intensity as it does on immense suspense, tension, and disturbingly quiet tone and then the alien jumps right out into the screen! While "Alien" is slow-paced a lot of the time the pace leads up to terrifying confrontations with the creature as it kills the crew members one by one. Perhaps it's most famous scene of all time is the frighteningly vile scene where one of the crew members who was previously attacked by the 'baby' alien goes into violent convulsions and culminating when a 'baby' alien bursts right out of the mans chest killing him instantly. That scene is perhaps the most famous sci-fi horror scenes ever filmed. I had nightmares for many years after seeing that and even now with a stomach made of titanium steel, I still get very queasy at that scene but it is one of the most original sequences ever filmed to this day.

Ridley Scott's directing is absolutely phenomenal. Being that this was a low budget movie of only 11 Million dollars, Scott and the crew have used the limited resources to create a really stunningly beautiful yet terrifying epic that has been virtually unrivalled to this day. The sets are incredible and the special effects are really awesome. Even then the film shows it's age in some places such as some extremely dated special effects, a few of which are ancient even by early 1980s standards but overall, this film is one of the greatest examples of using the limited budget to an efficient degree and the result is not only a terrifying Sci-Fi horror movie but also one of the greatest landmark achievements in these two genres.

The cast is absolutely spectacular. The career of a then unknown Sigourney Weaver would literally take off right through the roof with her playing the main protagonist character Ellen Ripley. Ripley's character is one of the best woman protagonists that I've ever seen in any movie especially towards the latter half of this movie. It was this that made Weaver into a superstar. She's even better in the 1986 James Cameron directed sequel "Aliens". Perhaps another favorite 'actor' of mines in this movie surprisingly enough is the cat Jones. I absolutely love the scenes where he like hisses at the guy in the storage unit and literally walks away when the alien grabs him and makes a meal out of him.

This "Collector's Edition" two disk set is a massive treat. The first disc alone is a vast improvement on both the VHS and the 1999 "Special Edition" DVD. The picture and sound quality of the original movie was not all that great but this "Collector's Edition" gives this movie a much needed clean-up job on a phenomenal classic and the picture quality is now crystal clear and the sound quality is also vastly improved too and I no longer have to turn the volume up to eardrum bursting levels to hear the movie clearly enough. The first disc contains the original theatrical version untouched for the 'purists' who don't want anything done to it. Disc One also comes with the "Director's Cut" edition where some footage that Scott didn't feel to happy with is removed but is replaced with some newly incorporated footage that wasn't on the original. The result is the movie being only a minute longer but gives the movie a different light.

The second disc contains an excellent 'making of' documentary and you can witness some ego battles between some of the members of the cast especially between Yaphet Kotto and the actor who played the 'Alien' and how they edited it to make their tensions work in the movie itself. It also has tons of other amazing extras that I don't want to point out, out of fear of spoiling the fun of this DVD.

Most horror movies to me are nothing but vile gore fests with little to no plot behind them but "Alien" is one of the best horror movies of all time. It was groundbreaking back in 1979 when it was released and now 25 years later (at the time of writing this review), it is an absolutely classic today. I strongly recommend that you buy this today and get this DVD. This is one of the most smartly assembled DVDs that I've had in recent years and it is on the border of being flawless.

True Horror Movie
The original Alien is the first and probably the best of the series. Alien may have a slower pace than the action packed Aliens, it had more tension and suspense which is more important in a horror movie. The suspense in Alien is more unnerving than the Alien it self. In Alien, the alien was invicible, no one could kill it. The aliens in Aliens were fairly easy to kill which made for stuning action sequences, but adversely made them less frightening.
Don't get me wrong Aliens is a great Action Thriller movie and it is the perfect sequel to Alien, Aliens is an Action Thriller movie while Alien is a true horror movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

On October 20, 2001, this now-historic concert took place at Madison Square Garden, a mere six weeks after the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Thousands of firefighters, police officers, survivors, families, and fans witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime event as, in the space of nearly six hours, many legendary musical performers donated their time and their talent to one of the greatest causes ever, in the process giving their audience an unforgettable burst of pure emotion.

Organized by Sir Paul McCartney, the Concert for New York City was an overwhelming experience that deserves to be saved for posterity. The two-CD audio recording is crammed with dozens of superb performances but doesn't give a sense of the whole show that this two-DVD set certainly does. Not only can we relive such seminal performers from that evening as the Who, David Bowie, John Mellencamp, and Sir Paul himself, we can see the charming and personal short films made for the occasion by such New York filmmakers as Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese, or the dozens of celebrities and unsung firefighters and police officers who immortalized that day with their stories and musical introductions.

There is one quibble: the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris," one of the blues standards Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy played, and McCartney's "From a Lover to a Friend" and "Lonely Road" are all missing, which seems curious, considering that the entire show could have easily fit onto two DVDs. So don't erase that videotape you made of the concert the night it aired, because that remains the definitive version. But this DVD (with very good Dolby 5.1 surround sound) comes close. --Kevin Filipski ... Read more

Reviews (37)

POWERFUL
I preordered my dvd in early january, i was not fortunate enough to see this event live. Why buy this? You could cop out and only say: Mc Cartney, jagger,keif, elton john, james taylor etc. etc.. You could buy this to feel the emotions of the firefighters and police who lost so many. Listen to politicians who represent the emotion that we felt at the time. Not fighting for a partisan but for the people. Toss in a few entertainers who can make us laugh and cry. Still you have not gotten to the point of why to buy. This may be the most powerful dvd you can ever buy. You cannot watch washington cross the delaware or see lincoln give the gettysburg address. We have watched the towers be struck and tumble again and again. This concert is the beginning of the healing. We cry with our great servicemen and women We sing along to the songs that we have grown up with. We cannot, will not forget sept. 11th and if only one penny from each item purchased goes to help someone who lost a loved one. Then it is a penny well spent. GOD BLESS AMERICA and may god bless new york city. Thank you for a great piece of history and an even better night of entertainment

Heart and Soul of New York
This concert exemplified the magic of music as the background for Americans coming together to grieve collectively. Watching this concert will show you raw emotional energy rarely seen on television. It is a sad concert and there are many times where you can see individual instances of personal grief among the music of many different superstars. It is a long concert and well worth a viewing. Among other things, I thought Paul McCartney was cheesy and his song "Freedom" was a situation where you had an amazing song writer reacting to bad circumstances but with poor results. The Who in my opinion, stole the show and then some, they were amazing as always. I don't think Jay-Z was placed at the right time when he came out. Billy Joel was everything New York as he always has been.
The ultimate point for you, is that you should own this DVD as it is a recorded reminder of music's response to an American tragedy with an audience showing us the rawest and most powerful of human emotions out for the world to see. Some may say it was convenient for superstars to show up and act really concerned and to use their fame as a pulpit to try and relate to everyday people; however, those people are uptight, why else do you go to concerts?, to be taken away from everyday routines and tragedies of life, so a concert of this magnitude after 9/11 was exactly what the country needed.

The Best Concert Ever...With a Few Exceptions
Overall, 99% of this concert is very good. David Bowie, the Who, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney and Elton John all played fantastic sets here. But I have a problem with some of the other music. Eric Clapton plays "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man," totally unreated to 9/11. Jay-Z also had no business appearing at this show, especially if the only piece he can come up with is "H to the Izzo." My other complaint is that this DVD is incomplete. Two Paul McCartney songs, one Eric Clapton song, one Goo Goo Dolls' first song, and a good cover of "With a Little Help From My Friends" are all missing. The entire 6-hour concert could've easily been released. But what's here, for the most part, is very good. So on the whole, this is a good buy.

The Concert That Proved New York Is Still Number One
It was a night of healing. It was a night of reconcilliation. It was a night for firefighters, policeman, paramedics, musicians, actors and "Saturday Night Live" alumni alike to join together and prove New york did not grow weak after 9/11. It grew stronger and this 5 - hour concert showed those shems in the Middle East right.

Disc 1 is chock full of memorable moments. For me, the highlights were Billy Joel doing "New York State Of Mind", Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy doing a scorching rendition of the blues standard "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" and Adam Sandler reviving Operaman. But as just about every reviewer pointed out, The Who blew everyone away. I think it was "Won't Get Fooled Again" that stood out. It was also a spectacular swan song for the band's bassist, John Enthwistle. This was his last live appearance ever. He died suddenly in June 2002.

Disc 2 is even better. My favorite performer here is Elton John, who delivers a powerful version of "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters". Mick Jagger and Keith Richards do great versions of "Salt Of The Earth" and "Miss You", though I would have liked it if all of The Rolling Stones were onstage. Jimmy Falon does an interesting medley of 1980s' hits that includes "Who's Johnny", "Der Komisar", and "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight". Paul McCartney brings down the house at the end. I really enjoyed it when Richard Gere got booed. He was asking for it.

Overall, a great concert.

Support a Good Cause
Just a reminder that proceeds from the sale of this video still go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund. ... Read more

Description

Rita Lee Lance and Chris Lorenzo solve high-profile crimes of passion for the Palm Beach Police Department.They'll stop at nothing in their pursuit of those who, due to their power or fame, feel that they are above the law of the land. ... Read more

Description

This 2-disc set contains the entire first season of 22 fullepisodes including the pilot!Get ready for romance and hilariousbickering in the Big Apple.Join Jamie and Paul Buchman (Academy Awardwinner Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser) as they navigate marriage in this 6time Emmy Award winning series. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

An Awful Way To Treat a Great Show...
While "Mad About You" would go on to become one of the definitive sitcoms of the 1990s, its first season was a little rocky. To be certain, much of the later greatness could been seen (especially at the beginning and end of the season), but rotating characters and a few truly awful episodes made for a rocky start for this series.

The first season showed that Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt had great chemistry together as newlyweds Paul and Jamie Buchman, but many of their friends had difficult beginnings - especially Paul's friends Selby (who disappears by episode 13) and Ira (who appears, initially, as an even less-likeable version of the eternal bachelor Selby). The episodes that really stand out from the season are the ones that deal with Paul and Jamie's newlywed issues - how they met, whether Paul should give up his old bachelor pad, their first anniversary - but there are also some truly unfortunate episodes from the season, especially Jerry Lewis' execrable turn as an eccentric billionaire. Likewise, the first episode featuring Paul's father shows only a little of the depth that his family would later have. All that aside, though, the first season is definitely strong enough to want to buy - unless, of course, you look at the discs from a technical perspective.

While the price for the series is great, I would happily have seen them add another ten or twenty dollars to the price tag to have another disc. Not only is the set devoid of any extras (save multilingual tracks), but the compression of 11 episodes on to each disc makes each look impressively bad on a laptop or HDTV system. On a normal TV from six feet or more away, it looks fine, but I pity the person taking this set with them on an airplane flight.

All in all, it'd hard not to be disappointed in this release. I'm always glad to see more TV series released in full-season formats on DVD, but presentations such as this make you very disappointed in the companies that release them. Maybe Columbia-Tristar will get the hint for Season 2 and put out a much better release. It would be a shame to see them stop with this season just because they did a bad job with it technically.

The First Season
I recently bought the first season of "Mad About You" on Amazon.com. A great buy - all 22 episodes on two great discs, in fantastic packaging, and what a fabulous price! I just hope they keep releasing the seasons as it would be a shame not to.

This is a great show, and as I've only ever seen the first season, I'm not aware of the discrepancies many have mentioned between it and the latter seasons.

Essentially a claustrophobic (but in a good way) sitcom featuring 2 neurotic New Yorkers in love, slowly but surely finding their way through the pitfalls of the first few months of marriage. It can be somewhat annoying at times, and over-talkey, but essenitally it is a charming little show.

The weakest episode of the first season is 'The Billionaire', featuring a loud and extremely irratating guest appearance by Jerry Lewis, this is an unfunny and basically boring episode - although guest star Steven Wright along with the regular cast do their best to make it work; unfortunately, Lewis just blows them all away with his attention-seeking performance.

'Pilot' is a great episode, a nice introduction to the series, and paralells well with the finale 'Anniversary' (Jamie and Paul - played by the excellent Helen Hunt and the very funny Paul Reiser respectively - have sex on their kitchen table again, leaving their friends in the living room).

'Swept Away', 'The Man Who Said Hello', 'Weekend Getaway', 'Sofa's Choice', 'Sunday Times' ... and more - they're all excellent.

21 fantastic episodes (and even the awful Lewis episode has one or two moments) in a great collection. More please!

Oh and by the way, best line of the first series, issued by Jamie regarding Connie and Warren: "It's like a David Lynch version of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY". Excellent, and so very true!!

A true classic of 1990's comedy
The early years of Mad About You were some of the finest half-hour comedies around in the 1990's. It was refreshing to see a series about a young couple who were going through the early stages of a marriage, as opposed to so many series about well-established marriages. Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) were two very well fleshed out characters that you could believe in, and more so when they went through all the little ups and downs a real life couple goes through. (i.e. buying a couch as a couple as opposed to as single people) And while not everything about the show was their realistic (the size of their apartment), you believed these really could be two real-life people.

The fact you were watching a show about newlyweds though was reinforced even more by the other married couple on the show, Mark (Richard Kind) and Fran (Leila Kenzle). This was your established couple. The couple who had gotten over the initial romance of the first few years of marriage, had had a child, and were now dealing with how to keep their marriage still interesting. Without giving away to much about the first season though, their characters probably had the most significant character arc of the first season as they end up in a much different place in their lives at the end of the season.

A contrast was also added for Jamie's seeming perfection in the form of her older sister, Lisa (Anne Elizabeth Ramsay). A serial dater with more perceived psychological problems than you could shake a stick at, she was almost like the Anti-Jamie. She was a great character, and luckily used in moderation. If used much more then she was, she could have quite quickly irritated the viewers.

The first season was not all smooth waters though. The character of Paul's best friend, Selby (played by Tommy Hinkley) never seemed to mix correctly with the rest of the cast, or really fulfill any purpose. For some reason though, when they reinvented the "trouble making" character as Cousin Ira (John Pankow), it worked like a charm. I hate to blame Mr. Hinkley, but you have to wonder why it didn't work.

While the show is top notch, the DVD presentation leaves something to desire. Non-existent extras is a notable flaw. At least some commentary tracks would have been nice. The most notable flaw though is the order of the episodes. While episode 2 being shown as episode 4 is somewhat forgivable, the reversal of episodes 21 and 22 is not. If you buy this set, make sure to flip the last two episodes, because as presented, the fake 21 references the fake 22 heavily. So again, make sure to watch 22 and THEN 21.

While I give the show itself 5 stars, I can only give the DVD set three.

Whoo-hoo
There's nothing like staying at home and watching Mad About You, no matter what season it is. I can't wait for the third season to come out.

Good!
Mad About You was one of my favorite sitcoms in the 90s and I think the first season was pretty good and I think Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt are terrific as Paul and Jamie and I recommend this show. ... Read more

Reviews (426)

Fans Only. Others Need Not Apply
Title: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Director: Kevin Smith

Cast: Jason Mewes ... Jay
Kevin Smith ... Silent Bob
Ben Affleck ... Holden McNeil/Himself
Jeff Anderson ... Randal Graves
Brian O'Halloran ... Dante Hicks
Shannon Elizabeth ... Justice
Eliza Dushku ... Sissy
Ali Larter ... Chrissy
Jennifer Schwalbach Smith ... Missy
Will Ferrell ... Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly
Jason Lee ... Brodie Bruce/Banky Edwards

Tagline: "Hollywood had it coming."

Plot Summary: Jay and Silent Bob must travel to Hollywood to stop production on the movie adaptation of Bluntman and Chronic.

Review and Comments: Don't ask why, just sit back and enjoy the ride. Or don't enjoy it. This movie is one huge "in joke" for people who enjoyed the movies Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma...particularly the first three. And it helps if you have a working knowledge of Hollywood inside jokes and United States Popular Culture. This isn't just a "Jay and Silent Bob" movie, it's a send-up of movies and filming in general.

Basically, what happened here was that Kevin Smith decided to make one long movie about the characters of Jay and Silent Bob, the annoying stoner and his usually silent sidekick that will be familiar to fans (and anti-fans) of Smith's films. If you've watched the movies and you know that the characters annoy you, it's a safe bet that this movie will annoy you even more. If you think the movie might be fun, watch it. Jay and Silent Bob aren't alone here. There's a long list of actors reprising their various roles from earlier Smith films, and they appear at different points throughout the journey.

Oh yeah...the journey...there is a story here, however slight. There's a movie being made about the Bluntman and Chronic comic. Jay and Silent Bob find out that people on the internet are bad mouthing the movie and the characters, so they travel to Hollywood to stop production on the movie before it can ruin their reputations. Or something like that. Along the way, they meet up with various side characters, including a group of girls traveling in a van fulfilling virtually every Charlie's Angel's joke you ever dreamed of. Jay falls in love with one of the girls. She loves him. There's an orangutan involved...

Listen. If you've read this far, you know what kind of movie it is. It's not pretending to be good (in fact, there's a running joke about just how bad this movie actually is that continues throughout the actual movie). It's one joke after another, a lot of them miss, but there's enough jokes to ensure that some of them will be funny. After watching several serious movies and immersing myself in Kevin Smith films for the past few weeks, I appreciated this movie. What else can I say?

The Bottom Line: Strictly for those who are fans of the characters.

The Tackier they get, the funnier they can be
I loved Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. From the actual DVD, to the outtakes and deleted scenes on the second disk. Our not so bright heros learn of a movie being based off of the comic book Bluntman and Chronic, and are talked into going after their cut of the royalties. With cameo performances by Jason Lee as both his prior characters Banky (Chasing Amy), and Brodie (Mallrats), Ben Affleck as Holden (Chasing Amy), Brian O'Halloran (Dante/Clerks), Jeff Anderson (Randall/Clerks), Mark Hamill as the 'movie villain' & of course, our overly reprised heros Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith).

The story is the trials and tribulations the dynamic duo go through to prevent the Bluntman and Chronic movie from being made due to reviews at a random internet site by people who are self styled movie critics. During the course of the film they duo are duped into breaking into an animal testing lab and stealing an orangutang, falling in love, going across country, and ultimately leading to redemptions.

If you're a Kevin Smith fan, you'll enjoy the comedy in the movie as it's run of the mill Kevin Smith humor, and of course his shots at general pop culture, along with influences of his in filmmaking are always a good reason to watch it.

An insult to Smith fans everywhere.
Prior to this movie, I was a huge Kevin Smith fan. I loved the pseudo-intellectual banter in "Clerks," and discovered a new religion in "Dogma" (no, not Catholicism). Then, this piece of trash came out, where Smith unabashedly mocks every loyal fan that's ever quoted Dante, frequented the Quick Stop, or glued a Buddy Christ figurine to their dashboard. I was so disappointed, I posted an inflammatory note on his website (www.viewaskew.com). I suggest you do the same.

1 of the greatest movies of all time... no joke!!
This is an awsome film where two best buddies Jay(Jason Mewes), and Silent Bob(Kevin Smith, who also wrote and directed this film), two stoners from jersey half to stop a film, that is based on the charictars they are in a comic book/tv show. They need to stop it because... there not making 1 penny on it. They get arrested, get in dangerous situations and its all just a fun and good movie. Unless you are sensitive, then dont watch this film because Jay says the f word 3 times in a sentance, and it has sexual humor that some may not like, but if you dont care about the content of the film (like me) and are just out there for good laughs get this and the film CLERKS.

worst movie ever
I was so dissapointed by this film. I am a big Kevin Smith fan - Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma all are great films but THIS MOVIE SUCKS! A half hearted effort at best, only retarded adolecents will find this movie engaging. Save your money for his other films - they merit your time. ... Read more

Description

Neil Simon's beloved story about two divorced men who decide to share a New York apartment. Felix is fussy and fastidious to a fault. He proves that cleanliness is next to insanity. Oscar wreaks havoc on a tidy room with the speed and thoroughness of a tornado. An enduring and endearing picture with the intelligence one usually misses in comedies. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The Original And Still The Best, With An Exception or Two
The story is a classic. Poor neat Felix is going through a divorce, and old, sloppy friend Oscar takes him in. Both go through mid-life crises, and we get to meet some great character actors along the way.. besides Matthau and Lemmon, of course! John Fielder is magnificent. We all know the film by its countless viewings on TV ... and of course the TV series. It's FINALLY nice, through the magic of wide-screen, to see the ENTIRE poker game. To see the ENTIRE messy apartment ... and those classic New York street scenes. What's not so nice are the color and sound. Neither has held up that well, though Paramount must have made their best efforts to put together something out of bad '60's negatives and/or prints. The color is so muted, and so is a lot of the sound for whatever reason. Still, the DVD version is much better than the pan-and-scan VHS version currently offered. Can't do too much about that '60's color.

Odd Men Out Are Still In Style
Perhaps prolific playwright Neil Simon's best known work, the 1968 film adaptation of The Odd Couple, helped to give birth to one of cinema's best comedy teams. It is clear from the begining that Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon were a match made in heaven.

Recently divorced fussbudget and neatfreak Felix Unger (Lemmon) is down on his luck. With nowhere else to turn, he finds himself, reluctantly, on the doorstep of pal Oscar Madison (Matthau), who is himself divorced. Oscar is a total slob and proud of it. The film is all about how these total opposites, can live with each other, without losing their sanity.

While I never saw the play, (save for a High School produced short version) the filmmakers didn't mess with the formula. Adapting stage plays on film, can at times, seem quite limiting . Not here though. Director Gene Saks has great sense of what works. The chemistry between Lemmon and Matthau is undeniable. The performances are pitch perfect--even from the supporting players. Simon's story and script is timeless and holds up very well...The movie may have been made over 30 years ago and yet...I always liked watching the TV series, still, nothing beats the film version.

It's great to finally be able to see the movie in the widescreen format, though, a cleaner print is called for. The only bonus material on the DVD is the film's theatrical trailer. Both of these great actors are sadly no longer with us, but thankfully their work will live on, in the films they left behind. Recommended with a **** and 1 quarter rating.

A Perfect Comedy Team in the Perfect Comedy
Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy? This movie proves that the answer is no. Oscar is a sloppy New York sports writer. Felix is a fussy neat freak who writes the news for television. Both are divorced and share an apartment together. Felix complains about a pickle on the floor, and Oscar complains about Felix washing Oscar's poker cards. Yes, they get on each other's nerves endlessly, that is, until Oscar throws Felix out. This movie is one of my all-time favorites, and unlike other movies I've seen, it doesn't get stale with repeated viewings. All in all, a classic comedy by Neil Simon.

Enjoyable comedy
This is a very funny movie with two excellent comic performances from Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Lemmon makes Felix a sympathetic and three-dimensional character, melancholy and depressive as well as fussy and compulsively neat. What's frustrating for me is that I love Lemmon's Felix, while for Oscar I prefer Jack Klugman, who played the role in the TV show THE ODD COUPLE. My ideal pairing would be Lemmon and Klugman, with the rest of the supporting cast (including the wonderful John Fiedler). Oh, well...

For me, the best part of this movie is the SUPERB theme music by Neal Hefti, which I think should have won an award. In the theme we hear a musical "portrait" of Oscar and Felix, before we even hear either of them speak. Enjoy it!

THE ODD COUPLE: The Movie
Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE has been a hit in three different incarnations. First, in 1965, there was the Broadway production starring Art Carney and Walter Matthau as Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. The play was filmed in 1968 with Matthau and Jack Lemmon, then turned into the TV series featuring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. Though the movie opens up the one-set original to include scenes in restaurants, streets, a motel, a ballpark, and a bowling alley, the sequences set in Oscar's Riverside Drive apartment form the heart of the play; director Gene Saks keeps these intact for the movie. Matthau's deadpan Oscar is the perfect foil for Lemmon's melancholy yet funny Felix. The scenes involving the two are alternately riotous - as when Oscar becomes fed up with Felix's constant fussing - and touching - as when Felix cries in front of the Pigeon sisters, his and Oscar's dinner dates. John Fiedler shines as one of Oscar's four poker-playing buddies. THE ODD COUPLE, in whatever version, is ultimately a comedy about friendship enduring despite differences, and this theme is communicated superbly by the team of Lemmon, Matthau, and Saks. ... Read more

Description

Charley Varrick is a small-time crook who outfoxes the Mob in this fast-paced offbeat thriller directed by Don Siegel. Academy Award winner Walter Matthau stars in a rare dramatic role, along with the powerful Joe Don Baker, as a tough Mafia hitman. Charley robs small banks with small payrolls. That keeps him out of trouble until he stumbles onto the Mob's secret stash. The chase is on as the Big Boys go after the "Last of the Independents." It's a heart-pounding ride that builds to a fiery airborne climax as Charley makes his last desperate run for the Mexican border and safety. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Thriller-diller from one of the masters
Walter Matthau and Joe Don Baker, two actors I can usually take or leave, are brilliant as evenly matched adversaries with very different styles in director Don Siegel's marvelously entertaining thriller. Matthau is Varrick, a rumpled but very resourceful hustler whose take from a small town bank heist turns out to be laundered Mafia money. Baker is the glib, no-nonsense gorilla hired to recover the bucks. Siegel makes flawless use of Southwestern locales as his stars engage in a fascinating game of cat and mouse that has the brutish Baker (he insults friendly whores, abuses a wheelchair-bound gun merchant and smacks sexy photographer Sheree North around before bedding her) always just a baby step behind the ingenuity of Matthau's likeable anti-hero. The junk yard-set climax, a masterfully choreographed battle pitting Matthau's crop-duster against Baker's car, is pure, edge of your seat Siegel. Who wins? Suffice to say, the ending packs one wallop of a surprise, but you will NOT be disappointed. Very highly recommended.

Siegel+Matthau=Near Gold!
An odd combo: cult director Don Siegel, who forever changed the "Lone Cop" genre with "Dirty Harry", and provided Duke Wayne with his final film "The Shootist"; mixed with Oscar-winning comedian Matthau, who personified Oscar Madison in "The Odd Couple" and the Sleazy Brother-In-Law/Lawyer in "The Fortune Cookie". But it works. Don Siegel brings his trademark hard-edge and mean-sprited characters, while Matthau borders on deadpan thru the whole thing as a bank robber who unwittingly knocks over a Mob-controlled bank in the middle of rural New Mexico. There's also a lean, mean hitman on his trail played by Joe Don Baker, and one of the 60's and 70's best sleazeball white collar villians: John Vernon. Add in the beautiful Felicia Farr (Jack Lemmon's wife), the "Blow-torch and Pliers" line that Quentin Tarantino "borrowed" for "Pulp Fiction", and a great denoument, and you have a cracker-jack action-drama, with a hint of comedy-similar in tone to Matthau's "Taking Of Pelham 1,2 &3", which came out a year or so after this. In short, a quintissential 70's cult movie: memorable, tough, and near-great.

The Last of the Independents
Matthau steals a huge load of money from a rural new mexico bank only to find out it was mob money. the ensuing chase from mafia tough guy john doe baker is amazing and makes for a great game of cat and mouse that finally allows crime to pay. this adaptation is fantastic, and although not readily available, charley varrick is a must see.

Charley Varrick
Bad Guy Walter Matthau? Serious part, a good/bad guy, good direction, script, minimum dialog, pure acting/action.
A TRUE SLEEPER!

A Neglected Gem
This is an off-beat film in which Walter Matthau stars as a small-time thief who, with accomplice Harman Sullivan (ably played by Andrew Robinson), robs a money laundering operation which is cleverly disguised as small-town bank in New Mexico. (Had streetsmart Varrick known of the Mob's involvement, he would not have robbed the bank.) Of course neither the Mob nor the police are pleased with the loss of about $750,000. With that in hand, Varrick and his partner struggle to decide what to do next. Meanwhile, the Mob has assigned one of its ablest representatives, Molly (Joe Don Baker), to locate the thieves, eliminate them, and recover the money. Credit director Don Siegel with selecting Matthau to be Varrick. I have always thought that Matthau's talents as a serious actor were under-appreciated. He is brillliant in this role. All other members of the cast are first-rate, notably John Vernon (Maynard Bock) and Sheree North (Jewell Everett). Siegel makes a brief appearance as Murph. Those who enjoy this film should check out The Outfit (1973) in which Baker also appears as well as The Getaway (1994). ... Read more

Reviews (62)

And this ain't no bull
Often mentioned as 'one of the best sports movies ever.' I'm gonna go farther and say one of the finest movies of the past 30 years. Ron Shelton directs from his own screenplay. And that screenplay makes modern poets out of baseball players, clever words consistently spewing from the mouths of wanna be Babe Ruths. At its core, the story focuses on the love triangle involving Annie Savoy (Brilliant Susan Sarandon), Crash Davis (Kevin Costner in an unpretentious performance) and Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins). And minor league ball is the backdrop which allows for grand slam of well executed comedy and just a touch of pathos. Robert Wuhl's assistant coach is so finely tuned, he can bring you to hysterical tears. The ultimate 'chick flick for guys', Bull Durham is filmmaking at its greatest. The DVD has an informative commentary by Director/writer Ron Shelton (Tin Cup).

the carnival that is baseball
Bull Durham is a near-perfect baseball film. Although I feel it lacks some of the wonder of Costner's field of dreams, there are few films that can match Bull Durham's honest, sometimes gritty but always hilarious look into the carnival that surrounds the national pastime.

What particularly special about Bull Durham are the excellent performances given by the lead actors as well as the supporting cast.

Director Ron Shelton couldn't have asked for better performances from his three lead actors. This movie was made back when Costner could still carry a film. He is in the height of his "everyman" powers here. His portrayal of aging minor league slugger Crash Davis is one for the ages. Susan Sarandon smolders yet somehow manages to retain a certain kind of innocence as the groupie-slash-mentor Annie Savoy. Tim Robbins is outstanding as the hotheaded and somewhat mentally challenged rookie pitcher Nuke Laloosh.

The highlights of the supporting cast are Trey Wilson and Robert Wuhl. They play the manager and pitching coach. Wilson is a pure scene stealer in this movie. He provides some of the movie's greatest lines and tenderest moments. Wuhl is the master of the obvious in his cool, almost straight-man delivery.

Bull Durham, like baseball, is about so much more than baseball. Along the way we are invited to think about both the inane and the deeper issues of life. Annie struggles for meaning, Nuke come of age and even Crash's cynical heart softens a bit.

All of the things listed above, as well as the fact that it is a darn good movie earn Bull Durham my hearty recommendation.

Minor League Baseball Masterpiece
Ron Shelton spent some time in the minor leagues represented in his screenplay for Bull Durham, so he knows about the baseball things represented. But he also clearly has a gifted ear for the tempo of real life, and he knows about hopes and desires and the things that make human beings tick. The setting for this film with the minor league Durham Bulls works, and works perfectly, but the characters, especially among the central love triangle, could just as easily have been traveling salesmen or race drivers or con artists or gangsters.

Susan Sarandon plays Annie Savoy, a slightly older woman who is a Durham Bulls groupie of sorts: once a season she picks out a promising young player and begins an affair with them. During that season the promising young player has the year of his life and gets called up to the big leagues, leaving Annie to look for next year's promising young player.

The Bulls also have a million-dollar prospect of a pitcher with a right arm who the gods reached down and turned into a thunderbolt. He also has less control than a seven year old with hyperactive attention deficit disorder without his Ritalin. He's as likely to throw it over the backstop as throw a strike, although his "stuff" is like Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson. Tim Robbins brings "Nuke" LaLoosh to life in his best comic performance.

Kevin Costner, in the best of his many baseball-movie appearances, plays "Crash" Davis, a power-hitting catcher with enough talent to be a leader on minor league teams, but only 21 days in "The Show" in years of minor league work. Crash is not only a competent minor league catcher though - he also knows the history of the game, and he knows how to get into the heads of players who have mental blocks preventing them from achieving all they can as baseball players.

Crash, meet Nuke. Both of you - meet Annie.

The dialogue is so witty and sparkling that more than a decade after the film's release, it still shows up frequently in discussions about baseball movies and on ESPN. Crash envies Nuke's god-given talent, and by degrees the clueless Nuke begins to appreciate Crash's baseball wisdom. Annie has the hots for both of them, and they for her, and the way this triangle evolves and resolves makes for a very satisfying baseball movie watching experience.

The movie would be worth watching if only for the hilarious little scenes that happen out on the playing field between catcher Costner and pitcher Robbins. Nuke has the million-dollar arm and the ten-cent head. Crash knows his job (and everyone elses as well) like the back of his hand. Whenever Nuke starts trying to think for himself, he quickly gets into trouble, frequently with active assistance from Crash.

Crash "calls" the game - signalling to the pitcher which pitches to throw. When Nuke listens things go well. When Nuke doesn't listen, Crash whispers to the hitter what pitch is coming so that the batter can tee off on the pitch. Then as the batter circles the bases after his home run Crash goes out to the mound to remind Nuke not to try thinking for himself. "Boy, the last thing I saw fly out of here like that had a stewardess and passengers on it!"

Supporting parts are performed to hilarious perfection as well, with particular kudos to Trey Wilson as the manager and Robert Wuhl as a team coach. They have many entertaining scenes, including the one following Nuke's minor-league debut - when he struck out 18..... but also walked 18 - both league records! A must for grown-up baseball fans.

I hate Susan Sarandon
Not one of the best comedies that would be Mr.Adam Sandler are someone this was average at best and she sucks very badly watch other movies this is just alright nothing to special.
Acting 8/10 Story 7/10 Direction 3/10 Action 3/10 Entertained 3
Overall 24/50 A little Predictable 3 stars

A fantastic script in a dated film.
4.5 stars. Time passes, and what was once a sparkling 5-star film in the year 1987, shows its age. However, the script is still spectacular! There is so much quotable dialogue here as to seem ridiculous. But there is also a fine cast of excellent actors who bring the words and characters to life, even though they have eighties haircuts and wardrobe. This is a charming film about baseball, romance, (...) baseball, breathing through you eyelids, and baseball. This is smart filmmaking in every respect. ... Read more

Amazon.com

At times brilliant and insightful, at times repellent and false, Happiness is director Todd Solondz's multistory tale of sex, perversion, and loneliness.Plumbing depths of Crumb-like angst and rejection, Solondz won the Cannes International Critics Prize in 1998 and the film was a staple of nearly every critic's Top Ten list.Admirable, shocking, and hilarious for its sarcastic yet strangely empathetic look at consenting adults' confusion between lust and love, the film stares unflinchingly until the audience blinks.But it doesn't stop there. A word of strong caution to parents:One of the main characters, a suburban super dad (played by Dylan Baker), is really a predatory pedophile and there is more than an attempt to paint him as a sympathetic character.Children are used in this film as running gags or, worse, the means to an end. Whether that end is a humorous scene for Solondz or sexual gratification for the rapist becomes largely irrelevant.Happiness is an intelligent, sad film, revelatory and exact at moments.It's also abuse in the guise of art. That's nothing to celebrate. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (224)

I'm living in a state of irony.
Having seen 'Storytelling', I had a fairly good idea of what I was getting myself into when I picked this movie up. It deals with adult subject matter, for sure, but it manages to present the inherent, subtle humor of strange, bizzare, or grotesque situations. One scene that sticks out in my mind is when Philip Seymour Hoffman's character is in a diner with the character played by Camryn Manheim and she just finished telling him about her being assaulted and the particularly gruesome way she dealt with the assault, and he replied, "Well, we all have our plusses and minuses." I laughed until my sides hurt. You really have to see the scene and all it's nuances to fully appreciate it. And there are a lot of scenes like this throughout the movie. This is definately a squeamish and unsettling type of movie with some pretty difficult subject matter. Given that, I wouldn't recommend this movie to just anyone. Seek it out if you must, but be warned, it's not a happy story. As far as one reviewers' statement that the scenes were presented for there shock value only, I didn't really see it that way. I saw a peeling away of the appearance that is presented by people to show the sorid underbelly of life, like turning over a big rock to see what kind of creepy crawlies are hiding underneath. That's not to say that the people in this movie are representative of people in general, but I think we all have little secrets about ourselves, our 'rocks', that we wouldn't want the rest of the world to know. I can understand why some people would be turned off by a movie like this, as I think a lot of people go to see movies to escape from this kind of material. Also, I think Dylan Baker did an excellent job in portraying his character. He played a character who seemed to have the idyllic life, a beautiful wife, a large home in the suburbs, three children, and good career...and pedoephillic tendancies towards young boys. He was so creepy, taking advantage of oppourtunities presented to him, regardless of the consequences. I didn't feel sorry for his character, but I did feel like he was a creature trapped by his own demons, acting on his primal urges. He was what he was, and that wasn't going to change. I don't understand the urges he felt, but the characterization of the monster he became was certainly interesting to watch. I enjoyed this movie, and I am looking forward to seeing 'Welcome to the Dollhouse'.

Cookieman108

KEEP THE KIDS AWAY!
Man, this is difficult, difficult movie!! It's packed full of thoroughly unlikeable characters. And they do some awfully uncomfortable things.

The actors are all outstanding. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays a loser (what a stretch!!) who starts making obscene phone calls to his next door neighbor (Lara Flynn Boyle), who enjoys them. What happens when they meet? That's just one sample of the kind of interactions you might see in this movie. It plays a little like MAGNOLIA, but without much of the hopeful tone that movie ends with.

But the source of all the controversy in this movie is the character played by the brave, brilliant Dylan Baker. He plays a totally milquetoast, average, middle-class father. Yet his character is also a child-molester. I wouldn't say his character is presented sympathetically, but he isn't always shown as just a monster either. There's one scene, wherein his son has just discovered his beloved father's secret and questions him in detail about his twisted desires. The scene is hands-down the most uncomfortable thing I've ever watched. I was literally squirming...it is so shocking, so obscene and so terribly, terribly sad. In two minutes, we see how several lives are shattered forever.

Baker's performance should have been nominated for an Oscar, but this would have required too much bravery on the part of the selection commmittee.

Do I recommend the film? Well, if you aren't afraid to have your limits tested, absolutely. It has a lot to say, not just about child molestation. It's well-acted and written, and has many very funny moments too (one character to another: "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you." to which the response is: "I'm not laughing." It's from the creator of WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, so you know it's going to be unconventional. But it is exciting filmmaking. ABSOLUTELY KEEP THE KIDS AWAY FROM IT!

This film is NOT honest.
"If you can't handle the realism, it's your problem; this movie isn't afraid to be honest; blah blah blah." On the contrary, Solondz goes to ludicrous extremes of contrivance to convince us that the world is horrible, people are monsters, and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Every single character in this film is depressed, insane, a pervert, or a liar, and every character is unhappy. That's neither realistic nor, in my opinion, "honest" on any deeper level. Solondz does his utmost to deny the existence of any chance for redemption. The worldview this movie conveys seems to be that of a deeply troubled person desperately trying to tell us that everyone else is as miserable as he is. I'm not saying some of the things he depicts don't happen in the real world (albeit in less contrived ways). But to focus on them, to the exclusion of anything else, to make a point about the impossibility of obtaining happiness, seems dishonest, manipulative, and downright irresponsible.

I really wanted to like this movie. It was well made and well acted. I even gave it the chance to sink in, since many of my favorite movies become my favorites only after a while of thinking about them. But the more I think about this one, the angrier I get. Why would anyone want to use art in this way?

Tasteless, valueless, shock-fare garbage.
This movie has nothing to offer but shock, and I mean nothing. The acting is decent, but other than that there is no point to this film other than to expose the viewer to the darkest elements of the human psyche for shock value.

The characters are a woman who fantasizes about being raped, a man who drugs and rapes 11-year-old boys, another man who makes obscene phone calls to women while masturbating, an overweight woman who kills the man who raped her and dismembers his body, a Russian immigrant who takes advantage of vulnerable women, an oversensitive, mousy waif who cries at the drop of a hat, a senior couple who separate and try to date other people, and an 11-year-old boy who's obsessed with having his first orgasm. At the end of the movie you will probably either hate or at least dislike ALL of the characters.

Not only are the characters despicable, but this movie is BORING and POINTLESS. The very last scene where this 11-year old kid masturbates on a balcony while spying on a sunbathing neighbor then marches into the dining room and announces to his entire extended family that he "came" is a perfect example of the kind of pointless shock-fare garbage that this film is. It has no value whatsoever.

Dont look for any depth, its not there.
Yes, happiness is an offensive, disturbing film-thats not why I dislike it, it's pretty much impossible to offend me.

The reason I hate this movie is because there's NO POINT! It's just shocking and offensive for the sake of being shocking and offensive. People often mistake shocking for thought-provoking. Read all the positive reviews on this site. Not one of them actually describes any relevant themes, any statements about the human condition stated in this movie. The closest you'll find is "this movie shows that...these things really happen." NO KIDDING! A better film (and they are out there) would have delved into WHY these things happen.

This film would have a little more credibility if the dialogue was a little more believable. Humans simply do not interact that way. Also, the over-use of bright colors and happy-family stereotypes is almost insulting. Yea, humans have a dark side underneath. We get it.

To it's credit, the acting is excellent, and there are some very funny scenes. But please, dont mistake this for a challenging, revolutionary film. ... Read more

Reviews (180)

We Are Not Alone
Nearly a quarter century since it was unleashed, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND ranks as one of the supreme cinematic achievements of the modern era. Steven Spielberg wrote and directed this tremendous science fiction film with his own distinctive middle-class view on things.

Richard Dreyfuss is at his usual terrific best in the role of Ron Neary, another of Spielberg's "Everyman" characters. He is an Indiana power lineman who is called out on a night where the entire city of Muncie goes dark. Then, at a railroad crossing, he is suddenly shocked by the appearance of a UFO, flooding him with brilliant white light. This encounter soon turns both him and his life upside down; his wife (Teri Garr) and kids can't understand his obsession with turning the shape of mashed potatoes or mounds of dirt from his backyard into a mysterious mountain he's been seeing in his mind. Meanwhile, a lonely mother (Melinda Dillon) has her own close encounters with the UFOs, resulting in the still-unseen aliens abducting her son (Cary Guffey). She too has visions of a mysterious mountain, visions which find their way into paintings and colorings.

When the news comes on TV with word that a train supposedly loaded with deadly nerve gases has overturned in northeastern Wyoming, however, both Dreyfuss and Dillon know the locale--Devils Tower. In spite of government officials closing the park off to outsiders (the nerve gas leak is an elaborate cover story), Dreyfuss and Dillon witness, along with a noted UFO expert (Francois Truffaut, director of the 1969 classic THE WILD CHILD) and hundreds of others, the first actual close encounter of the third kind--direct physical contact between Earthlings and extra-terrestrials.

Spielberg's film was obviously a radical shift from most previous Hollywood depictions about outer space visitations to Earth. He evokes the famous line "Watch The Skies" from Howard Hawks' 1951 classic THE THING, but does so without the paranoia and hysteria of the space invasion films of the 1950s. There are no lasers or bug-eyed monsters.

Because CLOSE ENCOUNTERS was made after America's twin debacles with Vietnam and Watergate, it takes a low-key but rather apparent questionable view of the military and the government--as Stephen King put in his book "Danse Macabre", a "don't-let-the-military handle this" approach. In its scope and approach, this movie is closer, in a middle-class way, to Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, which Spielberg has always numbered among his favorites, than to any sci-fi film of the past. Dreyfuss and Dillon are excellent in their roles, as is Truffaut; and as for John Williams' score...what more needs to be said; it's brilliant. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (also known as CE3K) won an Oscar for Vilmos Zsigmond's cinematography, though four other men (William Fraker, Douglas Slocombe, John Alonzo, Laszlo Kovas) are also credited.

Well conceived, suspenseful, occasionally terrifying, and finally uplifting, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS is yet one more staggering masterpiece for a director with a whole lot of masterpieces still to come.

This Movie Changed a Genre
Steven Spielberg is at his best here. The film plays almost like a documentary, and leaves you half-expecting to see alien ships whipping past you on the highway.

Richard Dreyfuss, in a stellar performance, is an ordinary man who is suddenly possessed by something, but is not sure what. We, and he, gradually discover that he is not alone in this obsession; a small group of people across the country have been summoned to Devil's Tower in Wyoming. There is also a sudden increase in UFO sightings across the country. The summonees gradually converge on Devil's Tower, while the scientific community tries to keep everyone away, out of legitimate and sincere safety concerns. The scientists have figured out that a spaceship is on its way and plans to land. The entire movie runs like Ravel's "Bolero": a slow crescendo culminating in a roaring climax ...

The special effects are not only extremely good but are also beautiful. The alien scout ships look like luminescently surreal Christmas tree ornaments and the mother-ship looks like the surreal tree they came from. Everything glows in outlandish colors. The musical score fits the movie perfectly (well, it was done by John Williams) and can stand alone as an orchestral masterpiece. The acting is also very good, and especially so for Richard Dreyfuss.

This film redefined the whole genre of aliens-visit-Earth. Before "Close Encounters", such movies had the aliens attacking us, the aliens appearing friendly but actually here for nefarious reasons, or the aliens being here for genuinely friendly reasons but we don't get it and end up attacking them. "Close Encounters" showed benign, intelligent aliens being met by benign, intelligent humans for information exchange and mutual gain. Of all the garbage and violence we've broadcast out into space (for everything seen on broadcast television is also transmitted Out There), I hope that any would-be visitors, if they exist, see this film before arriving. Even without understanding a word, they'll get the message: if you come in peace, you'll be received in kind. I'm not some fanatic who's convinced there is someone on the way, but, just in case there is, I hope we can respond as maturely and intelligently as this film portrays.

The Neary Family is as impressive as the light show
For me the portrayal of the Neary family is equally as stunning as the portrayal of the spacecraft throughout the movie. The acting in any scene involving the Nearys is astounding. Even though that family doesn't end up the way we might hope, they behave exactly like a real family might when faced with their situation. Pay special attention to the children. Their reactions are dead on.

The special effects are breathtaking and continue to prove, as have so many other great films, that the old way of doing effects is far more spectacular and convincing than today's cartoonish CGI effects.

Incoherent plot; bad science
This film has such distractingly glaring holes that enjoying it is impossible.
Aside from questions of what do aliens need with airplane fighter squadrons and steamships, it presumes that aliens use the same numbering systems and geographic and temporal degradations that we do (why would an alien know how long a second is?)

Add a whole lot of Spielbergian paranoia about the government, and there you have it.

"Toys!"
4.5 stars. This is easily one of my favorite early films from living, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. This film and "Jaws" are two incredible, remarkable achievements from the 1970s. In 1977 all I really remember was the release of another science fiction film by the name of "Star Wars," and it wasn't until the early eighties on cable television that I began to appreciate "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." One of the aspects that sets his early films apart from most was his subtle, yet effective sense of humor. There are many scenes in this film that are just plain hilarious. This is a great story with some excellent acting, most notably from Richard Dreyfuss who won the Oscar for Best Actor in the same year for "The Goodbye Girl." I can't help feeling that his work in this film added to the Oscar voting. Apart from the magical Spielberg touches, which are everywhere, there is another force in this film in the score by composer John Williams. John Williams also won the Oscar for Best Score that same year for "Star Wars." As for the Special Features section on the DVD they finally have the deleted scene showing the inside of the Mother Ship. Steven Spielberg mentions in the documentary that he wishes he had never filmed the sequence, leaving the inside of the ship a mystery. But I love the scene, and I think it adds even more majesty to the ship seeing how huge it is from the inside. This is a Sci-fi gem from the 1970s. I highly recommend buying this DVD. Thank you. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The latest in the line of Saturday Night Live's great character players (including Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman), Will Ferrell showcases his fearlessness in this 72-minute collection. Whether exposing skin or taking a pause beyond the normal limits, Ferrell induces hard laughs like