Reviews (15)

First they blew into town... then they BLEW IT UP!
I bought this movie out of a sense of nostalgia, being a child of the seventies. Watching this movie now, it didn't quite hold up as well as I remembered, but it is somewhat entertaining, and I would feel comfortable showing it to my nieces and nephews, given its' lack of anything that could be considered even remotely offensive.

The plot has Donovan (Bill Bixby), a bachelor and small time hustler of sorts, getting stuck with the care of three orphan children. As he tries to unburden himself of his three wards, he finds the townspeople to be less than receptive to the idea of taking in the children. These orphans hold the deed to a goldmine, thought by everyone to be dried up, but an earthquake turns up a huge gold nugget, and now the townspeople are falling over themselves to take custody. Donovan, actually concerned with the welfare of the children, works up a plan to marry Dusty (Susan Clark), and pass the children on to her care, as she seems truly interested in the welfare of the children, and not their money.

Don Knotts and Tim Conway play a pair of bungling thieves who scheme, among other things, to try and steal the huge gold nugget. The whole ladder theft from the firehouse scene was pretty funny.

Some other easily recognizable stars in this movie are Harry Morgan and Slim Pickens.

As I said before, while the movie didn't seem as humorous to me now as it did when I was a child, it was certainly entertaining. It's a fine wide screen presentation, but what I really enjoyed was the special features. The interactive menus are excellent and grant access to quite a lot of interesting information like lengthy biographies, interviews, history of the back lots at Disney studios, promotional stills and advertising material for the movie, a synopsis of what was going on at Walt Disney in 1975 (the year this movie was released), and so much more.

Apple Dumpling Gang Is Finnaly On A Specail Edition DVD
I just got my copy of this DVD and I Love it. Another Great Movie for you to see is the sequel to this timeless classic Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. Which is also available on DVD from Amazon.com.

Here is a brief Description:

3 kids are sent to a backwoods town and are supposed to belong to a backwoods drunk. Well the backwoods drunk has other plans so he gives them to a town newcomer Donnavan. Well than the kids find gold, and that is when they meet the 2 hilarious crooks Tim Conway, and Don Knotts. Well after they find the gold everybody wants the kids . And it attracts attention to a group of crooks. Well as the movie goes on you find out that Tim Conway, and Don Knotts used to work for the Head of the gang of crooks until Tim Conway acidentally show the guys leg in a hold up. well it ends the Donavan and his friend Dusty get married and they move to St. Louis where he starts a Gambling Joint. But in the sequel you don't here anything about it, and in the sequel they said that Donavan and Dusty and the kids moved onto a farm. Did I miss something somewhere ?

Great Movie. 5 Star Rating.

One of Disney's best
One of the best live-action Disney movies. A sweet story about misplaced children, an unwilling but good-intentioned gambler as a foster parent and two bumbling crooks as the comic foil. Bill Bixby, of "My Favorite Martian" and "The Hulk" fame, plays Russell Donovan, the roaming gambler who is unwittingly stuck with some "valuables." Tim Conway and Don Knotts, a little past their prime, play the hapless crooks known as the "Hash Knife Outfit." Susan Clark plays the tomboy stage coach driver who fills in as the kids mother. Beautiful scenery, lots of action, comedy, and a fabulous saloon brawl that is the highlight of the film.

They call them the Apple Dumpling Gang
Once again Disney released a classic in it's fading days of "G" rated gems. The loose knit comedy team of Don Knotts and Tim Conway is always a hit in any situation. This is one is a bit plot heavy for them and Disney but it still makes you laugh. Bill Bixby is their straight man who carries most of the plot. At first they try to rob him but by the end they help him, his kids and his girlfriend defeat the bad guys and save the town. This is a very good movie and the sequel is even funnier.

Excellent Widescreen DVD release of a Disney favorite!
An excellent DVD release -- in WIDESCREEN -- that does justice to a Disney favorite from the 1970s. The print and sound are excellent -- the extras lots of fun. Note to Disney Home Video: PLEASE release all films in their original theatrical ratios. We were very disappointed with The Snowball Express, Balckbeard's Ghost, Babes in Toyland, and The Moon-Spinners. Disney fans take note: Escape to Witch Mountain is another outstanding "Special Edition" release that is highly recommended. ... Read more

Description

Buster Crabbe stars as Flash Gordon in this classic 1930s serialpresented for the first time on DVD. Humanity is doomed todestruction! A distant planet has broken its orbit and is headedstraight toward the Earth. While Dr. Hans Zarkov works feverishly tofinish a rocket ship of his own design, internationally renowned poloplayer and Yale graduate Flash Gordon is a passenger on a smallplane where he meets fellow passenger Dale Arden. When a meteorstorm destroys their aircraft, Flash and Dale bail out and land nearZarkov's ship. The great scientist enlists them to join him on his questto save Earth, and the heroic trio blasts off into space to rendezvouswith the runaway planet Mongo. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Still one of my all-time favorites.
I can't get enough of 3 NINJAS!! Well, actually, I only really loved the first two 3 NINJAS films [3 NINJAS and 3 NINJAS KICK BACK]. The rest of them aren't as good. I haven't seen either film in quite a while, but I'm waiting for the day when I can go out and buy them so I can watch them all the time! 3 NINJAS is basically about three brothers who are learning Martial Arts from their grandfather, who is a Martial Arts expert. Their father is an FBI agent, and then their father gets into some sort of trouble with some bad guys and the three brothers end up helping the father by using their Martial Arts skills to fight the bad guys and get them caught by their father! Hilarious movie with some great Martial Arts moves and wonderfully acted by the entire cast. My favorite character in both movies is Max Elliot Slade -- I think he's soooo cute! Everyone should see this movie...it's one of the best. And 3 NINJAS KICK BACK is ever better.

Rocky ,Colt ,Tum Tum are the 3 NINJAS
The movie is about 3 kids name Rocky,Colt,Tum Tum that are ninjas train by there grandpa.There dad is a FBI agent trying capture a black market salesman but it only leds bad things to home!Actually I enjoy this movie alot because Its so cool kids kicking kindappers butts and fighting together as a team against bad guys.Even though its corny it still a good humor and movie to watch.

Probably the worst film I've ever seen.
I saw this movie for the first time several months ago. The only reason I actually watched it is because my friend had two valid points - there was one hilarious part, and it had the word "'za" in it.
The only reason I've given this film 2 stars instead of one is because of the scene where the door slams in the kidnappers face. That is probably the funniest scene in the movie.
3 Ninjas is full of horrible jokes and bad action sequences. Just when I was starting to take them seriously, the Grandpa names the kid "Tum-Tum". Ancient ninja warrior, Tum-Tum!
The ending is the worst. I don't want to ruin it for you.
Finally: The DVD. It has nothing on it, save the movie. I wanted to see something - behind the scenes, trailers, I don't know. If you really want the movie, buy the VHS.

fun kid movie
Its a good movie that kids and adults can enjoy. The movie is about three brothers, ( Samuel aka rocky. Jeffery aka colt and Michael aka tum tum) whose grandfather is teaching them martial arts during the summer when they go to stay with him. when they come back home for school they get into trouble when a criminal master mind their cop father is after decides to come after the boys.

The Classic
One of the best movies ever. It is so light hearted, and the comedy is so corny that you can't help but fall in love with it. Each of the boys are awesome, and almost seem inhuman the way they Tear up their adult competition. Its the type of movie you watch when you are having a bad day, heck it is the type of movie u can watch n e time u want. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "Night of the Meek" (Ep. 47, December 23, 1960) - Christmas in the Twilight Zone. Art Carney is a forlorn department store Santa who takes to drinking--only to find himself experiencing the nicest Christmas ever! "The Invaders" (Ep. 51, January 27, 1961) - A flying saucer lands in the attic of an isolated house inhabited by an impoverished woman--who soon becomes panic-stricken as tiny spacemen begin to stalk her! "Nothing in the Dark" (Ep. 81, January 5, 1962) - An old woman has fought with death a thousand times and has always won. But now she finds herself afraid to let a wounded policeman (Robert Redford) in her door for fear he is Mr. Death. Is he? ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Superb performances from great actors in "The Twilight Zone"
Volume 1 of "The Twilight Zone" presents a trio of classic episodes where the performances by the actors are as memorable as the stories with their infamous Twilight Zone twists. "The Invaders" is a tour de force performance by Agnes Moorhead in an episode written by Richard Matheson. Moorhead plays a woman living alone in a farmhouse who finds that a miniature flying saucer has landed on her roof. The woman has to fight against the strange tiny invaders with their advanced technology. But then remember, this is the Twilight Zone. "Night of the Meek," written by Rod Serling, finds poor Henry Corwin (Art Carney), a department store Santa who shows up drunk on Christmas Eve and is fired. Wandering the streets, he discovers a magic bag that can dispense any gift he asks for. Definitely a seasonal message from Serling and directed by Jack Smight, with John Fielder and Burt Mustin in the cast. "Nothing in the Dark," written by George Clayton Johnson, offers Gladys Cooper as Wanda Dunn as an old woman who has barricaded herself in her basement apartment for years, fearing that Mr. Death with kill her with a touch. Wanda knows that Death can take many disguises. But despite her fears, when Harold Beldon, a young policeman is shot outside her door, she drags him inside. Of course, the fact Beldon is played by Robert Redford might have something to do with her letting her guard down. This DVD includes "Inside The Twilight Zone", with information on Rod Serling, a history of the series, reviews of each episode, cast information and a season-by-season commentary. Not a bad first disc, but there is much better to come. However, you will not find a better trio of performances than you find here with Moorhead, Carney and Cooper.

Santa, Twist Endings and more are Just the Beginning
Indelible episodes, NOTHING IN THE DARK and THE INVADERS have to be two of the most viewed stories from "The Twilight Zone." Gladys Cooper and Robert Redford give very credible performances in this story of 'Mister Death' knocking at the door penned by George Clayton Johnson. THE INVADERS is a classic episode in the true sense of "The Twilight Zone." Richard Matheson wrote a memorable story and Agnes Moorehead gave one of the greatest visual acting jobs of all time. Alfred Hitchcock would probably call this episode an example of 'pure cinema.' NIGHT OF THE MEEK is a great Christmas holiday episode. Art Carney plays a drunken department store Santa who comes across a magical Santa's sack that generates gifts for those that are needy. Filmed directly to videotape and written with great warmth by Rod Serling this is one of the best and loved episodes. This is a good cross-section of shows from this series.

Awsome series!
Wow, I just watched these episodes and I was impressed. Very entertaining. I'll do a review for each episode.

Night of the Meek- This is a great Christmas episode, even though it was october when I saw it. (***)

The Invaders- When I first saw this, it really creeped me out. I was even screaming! There was a wonderful twist at the end. (***)

Nothing in the Dark- This is another one that gave me the creeps. Death comes walking up to your door. Probably the best one on the disk. (****)

The first and best of Science Fiction Television
First collection of shows from the 1959 to 1964 TV anthology by Rod Serling, which showcases both great acting and outstanding writing done by both Serling and frequent writer contributors like Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont. Show put acting and writing ahead of any fancy special effect shots or cheap creature make-up work done (which is so commen on certain shows and films shown on a cable network today that shall remain nameless). Great first edition for anyone who likes the best of what television can offer.

Enter the 5th dimension....
Besides the TV Plays that you will buy this for, there are some DVD goodies (extras.):
Special "Inside the Twilight Zone" Section Written by Marc Scott Zicree
Biographical info on Rod Sterling
History of the Twilight Zone
Cast information
A season-by Season commentary

They claim to be digitally re-mastered yet there are still a few glitches and snow.

Episode 47 "Night of the Meek" December 23, 1961

As with short TV plays there is not real time for a buildup. Art Carney is an out of work person that plays Santa Claus. Because of his disappointment in life he indulges in libations. This leads to his dismissal as a store Santa. I will say not more as you are about to enter the twilight Zone.
Things had to move fast as there was only a half hour to complete the story.

Episode 51 "The Invaders" January 5, 1961

Agnes Moorhead is a woman living alone in an old farmhouse without any conveniences such as electricity. She is preparing supper when she hears a mysterious sound. Something appears to have hit the roof. She goes to investigate. I will say not more as you are about to enter the twilight Zone.
This episode thought well played seems to drag a bit as the woman is spending a lot of time searching around and licking her wounds. She says little (ok nothing) but conveys her part well. See Agnes Moorhead again when she has a lot to say in the movie "Dark Passage."

Episode 81"Nothing in the Dark" January 5, 1962

Long After the movie "Death takes a Holiday", in this episode death (Robert Redford) takes on the appearance of a wounded police officer.
Gladys Cooper plays an old woman afraid of Death. More than the scenario, of which we all know the eventual outcome, is the interaction between the two characters. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The horse of course
This is a great family film from the Disney Studio. A fun adventure with Dean Jones, without as much slapstick as his other Disney outings. A little adventure, big dose of comedy, with some romance thrown in while a single father has to sort out his priorities.

Jones is an advertising executive that is stuck between an employer who is pressuring him for a jazzy new ad campaign, and being a single parent of a daughter that desperatley wants a horse. He is not to keen on horses, the cost of the riding instructions she is attending, or even the instructor. Of course the instructor (Diane Baker) feels his daughter is a fantastic rider and should actually compete. He is opposed to the extra cost and the let he fears his daughter will have.

Through a few twists, suddenly the 2 needs meet and he not only buys a horse but lets his daughter enter it in shows. But he really does it to promote an ad campaign and figures out a way to have his clients pay for it. Meanwhile his daughter develops a love interest in another horseman, a very young Kurt Russell. And Dad begins to fall for the instructor he hates. Dianne Baker and Dean Jones have a wonderful chemistry and if you loike them together you should really see them as a married couple in another Disney comedy called, "the Ugly Dachsund".

The DVD version listed here does NOT include widescreen, or remastered, or have any extras, which is a big dissapointment. My VHS version is clean though and looks fresh even though it is also not in widescreen.

Adorable Horse Story
I am a horse-lover and when I saw this movie I just loved it as well! It's a cute story about a dad and his horse loving daughter. He finally is able to get her a horse to show, but there is a catch. The horse is named after a company as part of an ad campaign. The dad ends up falling in love and the daughter has a thing for a very very young Kurt Russell! Overall great family movie, and a must-have for any horse lovers video collection.

Full Screen Sucks ......... most of the Time!
DVD Movies have many great features: great picture quality, making of documentaries, trailers and much more. However my favorite feature would have to be "Widescreen". So that is why I was so disappointed when I found out this movie was full screen. I bought this movie anyways, because at less I could replace my old faded VHS tape with superb color and sound and it did. However it did more than that. Upon closer comparison I noticed that was getting a lot more picture on the top and bottom and left and right of the screen!!!! On my 32 inch TV it's about and extra inch and a half more picture around the out side of the screen compared to my VHS tape. I was overjoyed and delighted by this discovery. So don't be too hasty in judge this movie if you love widescreen. Give it a chance it will be sure to please.

DISNEY DOESN'T GET IT!!!!!
No wonder the company is about to be taken over and broken up -- DVD was introduced to be an alternative to video, to offer more than video: better picture, more extras, and most importantly, more picture. Letterboxing. Widescreen. The complete image. So what does Disney do? They take some of their most beloved live-action films such as this one, and dump it on DVD in full-frame editions. What is the point of that? Who isn't used to widescreen DVDs yet? Why should I waste my money replacing my old Disney videos with the same crappy full screen image as before? Disney just doesn't get it, and their sales show it.

Great Movie! LOVED it!
Well, I thought this movie was wonderful! I am a horse lover, so I usually like almost any movie with horses in it. But I think people who are and aren't horse lovers will like this movie too. It's funny, it has a good story, and it has gripping competition. The horses used in this movie were excellent jumpers (not to mention beautiful). I have rented this movie from the local video store a minimum of 10 times. Its a good old Disney Classic thats good to watch when you just feel like curling up on a couch and watching a video. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In a break from his usual he-man roles, Ving Rhames takes on the persona of "Holiday Heart," a church choir-directing female impersonator who is openly gay, religious, and alone. His loneliness ebbs when he rescues Wanda (Alfre Woodard) and her daughter from her drug-abusing boyfriend. He invites the pair to live free of charge in the duplex across the hall from his own and they form a family of sorts. But Wanda hooks up with a well-heeled drug dealer (Mykelti Williamson) and soon falls back into drug addiction, leaving Holiday to give up his own dreams and take care of the girl. Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) directed this R-rated cable movie that earned Woodard a Golden Globe nomination for her stark performance as a woman whose intelligence and love for her daughter are no match for the demons of her addiction. Screenwriter Cheryl L. West, who adapted her stage play, gets credit for combining the sentiment of a family story with the harshness of street life. The film's noble desire not to pretty things up does make for some tough scenes and a less-than-happy ending--thus the restricted rating. But the film has its fun moments, too, many of them thanks to Holiday's mincing fellow impersonator Jambalaya Blue, played with relish by Jonathan Wallace. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Fabulous; Great Plot; Must See Film
Upon seeing "Holiday Heart" recently, I was left with a heartwarming feeling. A slightly unusual Christmas tale, but very well done. As in any movie, there were certain parts that were less than realistic (Social Services would've been all over this situation) and I would've liked to have seen a little more development of the relationship between all the characters, but as I usually say, I don't watch movies for reality, I watch them for entertainment or escape. I'll watch A&E, Discovery, and The Learning Channel for reality television.

The always-enjoyable Ving Rhames looked a little uncomfortable portraying a drag queen at first, but was impressively camping it up by the end of the film. There was a fine supporting cast as well, especially the exceptional Alfre Woodard as the mother who struggles with her drug addiction. Jesika Reynolds did a fine job in this role as the heartbroken daughter, and Mykelti Williamson was excellent as usual as Silas. Kudos to Robert Townsend for a lovely and slightly surprising story.

This is probably one of my Top Ten of movies that one must see for the realistic plot and the plot formation. There was more creative thought into the plot and dynamics between the characters and this is not your "normal" movie, however, it shows a paradox between being a drag queen and also being a Christian, which is cool. It's heart warming, yet realistic in a world that values quick answers and easy solutions. It offers hope and reality. The lines are well written. The music is great. The actors and actresses are well chosen. Top notch film.

"Holiday Heart" attempts to be a touching lite drama about a burly drag queen who befriends a female druggie and her daughter. Rhames works hard to fit into his character and his dresses and, to his credit, pulls it off. The film in general is a little schmaltzy around the edges, makes obvious efforts to push the viewers buttons for the desired result, and tells a story which beyond the unique premise is unoriginal. Nonetheless, the viewer who sets skeptical analysis aside and goes with the flow may just become pleasantly engrossed in this heart warming tale of strange bedfellows.

All in all, if you have a chance to watch this movie, I highly recommend it! You've got to give Ving Rhames credit for being in full drag on stage lip-synching "Baby love, my baby love..." Showtime delivers another "No Limits" performance.

loved it
I normaly hate watching most tv movies, but as I was channel surfing, one day, I came across this and seeing Holiday (Ving Rhames) saving Wanda(Alfre Woodard) from an beat down, it just stopped me and I began watching. Seeing Wanda slowly go from a women who loves and cares for her daughter, to a druggy and prostitute, broke my heart. And seeing Ving take a role that not many men will do,(except the guys in "To Wong Foo with Love Julie Newmar") that takes guts, and style.

Heart Warming & Aching
From my direct knowledge, being sober for 9 years. I thought this movie was the best realistic performance I have ever seen! I'm a treatment specialist for Addiction and it will be a movie I would show to my clients. This movie made me laugh and cry. Robert Townsend Out did himself with this movie.

Warm
I was truly surprised to Ving Rhames portraying a gay character given that he possesses a manly image. Even more surprising, he did a convincing job of portraying a drag queen with an open heart. I saw this film for the first time on BET with my mother. Alfre Woodard and the ingenue give realistic portrayals of the characters. Watch it and be warmed.

Heart-warming!!!!
This is a heartfelt movie it really does warm your heart it is about a Alfre Woodard a crack user with a daughter that she mistreats and steals from it is about them meeting a drag-queen"Holiday"(Ving Rames) who feels sorry for them and helps them out and allows them to live with him and him and Nikki becomes the best of friends and Wanda the crack user ends up dying this is a good movie and a real tear-jerker!!!!!
I would truly recommend any Alfre Woodard and Ving Rhanes fan to buy this dvd because it is very good with superb acting!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in this mesmerizing drama with haunting overtones of To Kill a Mockingbird. Thornton plays a mentally retarded man who has spent 20 years in a psychiatric hospital for killing his mother and her lover. Released into the community from which he came, he befriends and protects a lonely boy regularly harassed and abused by his mom's boyfriend (a terrific performance by Dwight Yoakam). The story is ultimately about sacrifice, but Thornton certainly doesn't get twinkly about it. Some of the best material concerns the hero's no-big-deal efforts to integrate into a "normal" life: working, eating fast food, earning admiration for his handyman skills, and attaining a semblance of community among other damaged souls. John Ritter has a great part as a gay shopkeeper who tries to assuage his own loneliness by spilling his guts out to Thornton's uncomprehending character. The DVD release presents the film in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (154)

All Right Then
If you are expecting a slow southern drama about a small-town misfit who is released from an asylum and trying to fit in again, then Sling Blade is a "must see" movie.Released by Miramax in 1996 and wrote, directed and starred by Billy Bob Thornton, this fictional drama is set in Arkansas , where a mildly retarded man named Karl Childers played by Thornton is about to be released after 25 years from an asylum for the criminally insane.This movie has a very slow pace which is in comparison to how Thornton is portraying Karl.Thornton receives an "Academy Award winner for Best Adapted Screen Play and for Best Actor in 1996" in this breath taking performance as Karl Childers.

Karl, played by Thornton, was imprisoned for a youthful act of terrible vengeance. Stumbling upon his mother naked on the floor with one of the towns men on top of her, and believing that she was being raped, he killed the man with a few thrashings of a sling blade. After killing the man and looking at his mother he realized that the man was her lover and Karl, filled with red rage, killed his mother as well.Now 25 years later he returns to the community where he stumbles upon a young boy named Frank Wheatley (Lucas Black) who has lost his father and likes to listen to Karl's rasp voice andhis "all right then" phrases that he makes. With both Karl and Frank feeling like outcast they are drawn together and become good friends, and before long Karl moves in with Frank and his mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday), and finds a job fixing lawnmowers.Not to long after Karl moving in with the Wheatley home, he realized that Linda's boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), abuses both her and Frank.Doyle is always putting Frank down for being different and calls Karl a "humped-over retard", between each of the drinks of beer he swigs down.You also learn about Linda's friend and protector, a gay grocery store manager (John Ritter) whose self appointed goal is to protect the Wheatley family from Doyle's drunken outrages, and to keep his gay life in the closet in this small southern town.

In addition to figures such as Jim Jarmusch showing up in a cameo as a Tastee Cream counter clerk and J.T. Walsh captive role, musicians such as Vic Chesnutt and Ian Moore make appearances as members of Doyle's terrible backyard band. I give this movie 4 stars even though it could be argued that Sling Blade could be taken under the cutting board, but it does not take away from the great performance of the movie which runs approximately 1 hour 34 minutes.

Neglect and ignorance breeds violence

The film Sling Blade was written, directed, and starred Billy Bob Thornton as a mentally retarded man who was neglected and teased as a child.Most of Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) childhood was one of torment at the hands of cruel school children, and neglect from ignorant parents.Karl thinks his mother is being raped and kills her assailant, only to find that his beloved mother was a willing participant in the encounter.He becomes enraged and strikes her down with a sling blade.Karl spends the next two decades in a state institution for the criminally insane.He has been a model patient, and is eventually deemed fit for release back into society.Only his body has grown during his incarceration, while his mind has remained that of a child.His first encounter outside of the hospital is with a young boy Frank (Lucas Black) and his mother Linda (Natalie Canerday), who take him into their home and treat him with dignity and kindness.Karl instantly loves his new family, but his happiness is quickly extinguished when Doyle (Dwight Yoakam) enters Karl's life.Doyle is a violent alcoholic redneck who destroys any hope for Carl, Frank and Linda to have any sort of happiness.These are the main players in this tragic story, but (John Ritter) Vaughn Cunningham plays a supporting role as Linda's homosexual boss and close friend.We also catch a glimpse of Karl's father Frank Childers (Robert Duval) in a small, mostly insignificant role as well.The movie starts out slow and really never speeds up as it progresses.I think that the movie would not work any other way than being slowly told since the main character is slow as well.Sling Blade ends as it begins, with tragic consequences for everyone involved, and leaves me wondering why people are so cruel to others who are different.I would definitely recommend the movie.I enjoyed the movie and I found it worth the time I invested in watching it.The characters were well developed, and I was able to become emotionally attached to Karl's character as well as Frank, his mother, and Vaughan while they tried in vain to coexist with Doyle and his abusive ways.

Good guys finish last?
Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in this slow moving drama with scary similarities to the movie To Kill a Mockingbird. Thornton plays Karl, a mentally retarded man who has spent 20 years in a psychiatric hospital for killing his mother and her lover with a sling blade (Thus the name of the movie). Released into the community from which he came, he befriends and protects a lonely boy regularly harassed and abused by his mom's boyfriend Doyle (Dwight Yoakam). The story is ultimately about sacrifice; Karl is forced to make a choice between what he feels in his heart, and what he feels is biblically wrong. Some of the best material involves Karl's no-big-deal efforts to integrate into a "normal" life: working, eating fast food (mostly French fries), earning admiration for his handyman skills, and attaining a semblance of community among other damaged souls. John Ritter has a great part as a gay shopkeeper who tries to alleviate his own loneliness by spilling his guts out to Thornton's uncomprehending character. There is also a meaningless scene where Karl confronts his father (Robert Duvall, who is a great actor that must have needed a quick paycheck, as he really played a very insignificant role).

After watching the film, I must admit I felt a little ambivalent about Karl's final decision. Without giving away the ending, I felt that Karl was forced to make a decision because Frank's (Lucas Black) mother refused to make one. She is involved in an abusive relationship and keeps both her and her son's life in peril because she doesn't want to be lonely. The plot is so similar to other movies I've seen, that I knew what the ending was going to be from the beginning.

I thought the movie was worth renting, but didn't like it well enough to add it to my movie collection.

Slow On Purpose
Billy Bob Thornton does an excellent job writing, directing and starring in this movie.You will not even recognize him as he becomes a retarded southerner, (Carl Childers), just getting out of the State correctional facility.The way that Thornton explains the childhood of Carl in the beginning of the movie gives the audience a good picture of what he has been through.He befriends a young boy (JT Walsh) who like himself has struggled through a troublesome childhood.When Carl gets out of the State Hospital he is introduced into another dysfunctional family.The boy whom he had befriended invites him to stay with his family so that he does not feel nervous all of the time. The new family consists of the boy's widowed mother, her best friend also her boss who is played by John Ritter and her new boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yokam) who is a very mean construction worker.Yokam and Ritter also do excellent jobs in their roles.Yokam plays the part of an unstable single alcoholic whom is destined to abuse everyone he is associated with.Ritter is a local grocery store manager who is trying to hide the fact that he is a homosexual.Toward the end of the movie you can predict what is going to happen by the turn of events that take place. Carl gets Baptized and then things around the household start to get out of control.He goes to all of the people who have been straight with him and asked them of favors.What happens next is quite predictable but the manner in which it takes place is out of the ordinary.This movie is not a very fast paced movie and there are many slow spots.The reasoning behind this is the main character is also very slow and he is setting the pace.I would rate this movie a four out of five and would watch it again due to its incredible acting and excellent screenplay.

Thornton makes a brilliant "debut"
When I first saw Sling Blade back in 1996, I was immensely moved by Thornton's portrayal of a mentally retarded man trying to assimilate into the world from which he was cast years ago for killing his mother and her lover. It was, to me, a perfect movie from beginning to end. The movement was precise; all of the situations (unfortunately) highly believable, and the acting, from Thornton to John Ritter to Lucas Black was terrific. Lucas Black, incidentally, seems to be making the transition from child star to adult actor quite well. So many "cute kids" that can act like "cute kids" grow into ungainly adults who can't act like adults. He's breaking that mold, and perhaps it's because he was never under the intense scrutiny that others like Macaulay Culkin were.

Anyway, I'm digressing in a huge way.

Having seen this recently on cable, I was surprised at how strongly certain images remained from my first viewing. Frank (Lucas Black) tossing huge bags of laundry out of the Laundromat, the cot that Karl (Thornton) slept on, originally, in the back of the garage he worked at, the horrible scene where Doyle (played to oily perfection by Dwight Yoakam) flew into a drunken rage and shoved Linda (Frank's mom, Natalie Canerday), whereupon Frank viciously attacked Doyle by throwing everything he could get his hands on at him. That was such a brilliant and moving scene. As was the scene where Karl grabbed Doyle's hand and said something like, "Don't you lay a hand on that boy".

However, while watching it, I realized that I had missed a rather major plot line, the entire reason that Karl and Frank bonded the way the way they did. I'm chalking it up to being nine years dumber than I am today, but that's just a convenient excuse. I missed it, and, uh, all I can say about that is "duh!".

What I missed is rather simple, and may come as no surprise to anyone reading this. Karl, under direction from his parents, drowned his younger brother and buried him alive. Retarded and young as he was, he didn't have a complete grasp on the situation, but over the years, he came to realize that what he did was wrong. On Frank's end, his father killed himself. Rather simple here. Karl found the little brother he wanted as well as his perceptive abilities could grasp, and Frank found the father he desperately missed and needed. Without that core, the movie really lacks coherency. So for me to have missed that and still enjoyed the film immensely - well, like I said earlier, duh. My only complaint about the missing father figure was that John Ritter's character, who was gay, could easily have been a father figure to Frank. Being gay didn't disqualify him. Let's get serious - if being gay disqualifies, even in young Frank's mind, wouldn't a socially inept retarded person be disqualified too? That's a minor problem, though.

Going back to powerful images, anyone who has seen this film is not likely to forget the ending, where Karl calmly goes from place to place, extracting promises from various people so that he and Doyle will be alone later that night. Karl calmly asks Doyle how to reach the police, and once Doyle tells him, Karl calmly stands up, kills him with what I guess is a sling blade (I admit ignorance here), then calls the police, reports a murder, and says that with the second blow he nearly cleaved Doyle's head in two. After reporting the murder, he sits down and finishes eating dinner.

Later, upon being readmitted to the mental institution, we are confronted with the most disgusting of criminals - and I'm not even certain why this particular criminal was institutionalized, unless he had a great lawyer - the child molester. This man is talking to Karl about his "exploits", which are revolting, and asks if Karl had met anyone on the "outside". Karl says he met a boy, and the molester indicates that he doesn't go that way, but was sure that Karl had a good time with him. Karl replies, and I'm paraphrasing liberally, "Don't you never say nothin' `bout that boy. As a matter of fact, I'd appreciate it if you don't say `nothing to me at all."

Retarded, yes. Immoral? That's a more difficult question. The Bible told him that killing was wrong, but obviously he somehow worked out that in certain matters killing was OK (he said to his father that he would kill him where he sat, but he saw that his father was doing a fine job of it himself).

This was the first time I'd seen Billy Bob Thornton, although he'd appeared in and/or written seventeen films prior. Having never seen him, I had no idea how remarkable his acting was. After seeing him in other films, his performance here put Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man to shame.
... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great !
This is a classic Stephen Chow movie and one of the funniest. No doubt he is the king of comedy. He is great in the role of the hapless but cool guy (just watch the castration scene...). He is really skillful and has a vast range of expressions (well, I think you can compare him to Jim Carrey... in some ways but not in total). Though the movie has lots of sexual spoof, I think is not insulting; I read that Cantonese comicality is difficult to understand to foreign... well, I don't find it so different from the Italian one!

Some unavoidable presences in the movie: Ng Man Tat (Hoi Tai Fu) that is (I think) in 90% of SC's movies (and this is good, they are GREAT together) - Chingmy Yau (Princess Kim Ning) - Sandra Ng Kwan Yue (Sister Bond) - Man Cheung (Empress Dowanger/Lone-er).

And remember: always watch a SC's movie in the ORIGINAL language or you'll miss the best...

A parody that is a lot better than most Hong Kong films
Visually stunning parody of Hong Kong swordplay epics. Stephen Chow is a smart aleck, fast-thinking lowlife named Wilson Bond (really) who gets caught up in an incredibly tangled court intrigue. Bond starts out working for Chan (Damian Lau), Master of the Heaven & Earth Society and then he ends up on the side of Chan's target, Prince Ning (Siu-Lun Wan). Basically, in the great tradition of "Yojimbo" and "A Fistful of Dollars," Bond swears loyalty to whoever is threatening him at the moment and ends up playing everyone against everyone else while trying to figure out how to save his neck. This parody is more fun than a lot of the "serious" movies it is taking on. The DVD is letterboxed, which is great, but the English subtitles to the Mandarian language washes out from time to time. Then again, the dialogue in this 1991 film directed by Wong Jing is not exactly the strong set of "Royal Tramp." The fun continues in "Royal Tramp II" so be sure you watch both parts or you will be missing half the fun.

Stephen Chow's Best - don't forget the sequel, or the book!
This was one of the first DVDs I bought for my collection after getting a DVD player. The plot is engaging and extermely well-written, and the brilliant physical comic performances of Stephen Chow and Ng Man Tat work wonderfully even for someone like myself who needs the subtitles to follow the story.

Be aware, though, that "Royal Tramp" and "Royal Tramp 2" are a single story split into two parts, rather than just a movie and its sequel. Be sure to get both.

Also, this movie is based in the only story by Louis Cha that is currently available in translation. The title of the book is usually translated as "The Duke of Deer Mountain", but the English translation (in 3 volumes) is called "The Deer and the Cauldron", Volumes 1 (ASIN 0195903234) and 2 (ASIN 0195903250) have just recently been reprinted, and Volume 3 (ASIN 0195903277) is due out in September 2001.

Great fun!
An extremely funny rendition of the Duke of Mount Deer story. Stephen Chow is just hilarious! I got this DVD because it's classic.

Royal fun
This movie was loose based upon the 80'HK tv series starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung. This is probably Chow Sing Chi best movie. I've seen some of his film's including the sequel. But this one is better. Royal Tramp is about Wai Siew Po, a nobody who tell stories in a whorehouse where his sister works. He becomes a member of the royal staff and is appointed to Hoi Kong Kong, while he still remains a rebel against the Chings. The story is redecules, but that's what we aspect from a Chow Sing Chi movie. The action is marvelous, with lots of wire works. The kung fu is absolutely fantastic. My favorite is the Fa Kwat Yu Mien Teung. Which means as much as "bone-melting-palm". ... Read more

Amazon.com

François Truffaut again tackles the elusive nature of creativityand the elusive creation in this thoughtful, sumptuous, 1980 film.Nominated for the Best Foreign Language film Oscar, and a winner of various Césars,The Last Metro is a tale of the theater in occupied France during World War II.Marion Steiner (Catherine Deneuve) manages the Theatre Montmarte in the stead of her Jewish husband, director Lucas Steiner (Heinz Bennent).He has purportedly fled Francebut is really hiding out in the basement of the theater.The one hope to save the Montmarte is a new play starring the dashing Bernard Granger (Gérard Depardieu).The attraction between Marion and Bernard is palpable, and as usual Truffaut creates tension and drama from even the most casual of occurrences.The theme of the director locked away while his lover and his creation are appropriated by others makes for interesting Truffaut study, but first and foremost this is a well-spun romance.--Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Truffault can be a lot of fun
Francois Truffault, who has always terrified me as a true "art" director, comes across in this film with warmth and humor; not only that, one get to learn a little about Paris under the Nazis and how people "coped." Catherine Deneuve, wife of the director and lead lady, is gorgeous as she balances the needs of her cranky Jewish husband in hiding (Heinz Bennent; he's continuing to direct by listening in to rehearsals through the pipes) and those of her handsome leading man (Gerard Depardieu), whose only way of coming on seems to be to grasp a pretty woman by the hand, gaze into it and murmur, "I seem to see two women here." For a movie about a sad and terrible time, there is a lot of strength, here, and I found Truffault, for some bizarre reason, easy to understand.

Grace and Elegance
If films were planes, Francois Truffaut's "The Last Metro" would be a glider, cutting gently through the winds of occupied Paris, and moving gracefully through the lives of a theatrical troup attempting to mount a production during wartime. As Marion Steiner, Catherine Deneuve brings elegance and beauty to the subtle intrigue and fluctuating emotions of day-to-day life under Nazi occupation in 1942. Like Truffaut's film, her performance is one of nuance and subtlety, and garnered her the award for best actress in France.

Marion Steiner leads two lives, separated only by a stairway. Below the theatre, in the cellar, she shares a love with her husband Lucas (Heinz Bennet), a Jewish theatrical director who must live in hiding, coming to life only when Marion's footsteps bring her into his claustrophobic world.

Their love is real, but is slowly threatened by the distance and contrast of the living going on up above and the stagnation and frustration below. The internal strain becomes greater when Marion falls under the spell of her leading man, Gerard Depardieu, Truffaut's camera capturing the fleeting glances and icy demeanor that is our window into Marion's heart. Depardieu's passion for French resistance, however, may prove greater than his passion for the theatre, and Marion must also contend with a pro-Nazi theatre critic who could sink the production before it begins.

Only after Truffaut has used his camera to show us this elegantly detailed world of the French theatre during wartime does his screenplay suprise us, and remind us in an uplifting way that life itself is but a play, and we are all part of the cast.

This is definitely a masterpiece, but if you have not ventured into foreign films yet, I would not suggest this be your maiden voyage. One must ride the 747 first to appreciate the grace of Truffaut's glider, turning ever so quietly, without a sound, into the winds of the human heart.

Warning: subtitles cannot be turned off
Zone 1 Francophones beware: the english subtitles are on
the video layer and cannot be turned off. I suppose this
might save the production cost of redoing subtitles for
DVD, but it would be nice if this fact were mentioned in
the technical info. Completely unacceptable, hence the
automatic one-star rating.

A true classic
One of Truffaut's and Deneuve's best pictures. It has warmth, history, a sense of the absurd, excellent pacing, and a bit of suspense. It's also has more a linear storyline then many French films. All of the performances are excellent.
Two Warnings:
1. Avoid dubbed versions (Deneuve's sense of humor is in her voice, not on her face, resulting in a mirthless character when dubbed).
2. The new Fox version changed the sub-titles and wrecked some of the best lines.

Late Truffaut that gets better with every viewing.
Truffaut follows in the tradition of Jean-Pierre Melville by adapting a popular genre as a serious allegory for the darkest period in French history: the Nazi Occupation. Just as Melville used the gangster film to examine notions of legality, legitimacy, authority and criminality in a period when the Resistance were outlaws and the police were rounding up Jews for the death camps, so Truffaut takes the beloved putting-on-a-show warhorse, and uses it as a metaphor for the conditions of life in Occupied France: the need to act, adapt and continually discard roles. When Depardieu's character leaves to fight for the Resistance, he puns about exchanging his make-up (maquillage) for the maquis. What Truffaut is most interested in, as in all his films, is the effect this need for constant dissembling has on individual identity and relationships.

This wonderful romantic comedy plays like a mature update of 'Casablanca', richly stylised, bravely open-ended, with Truffaut's moving camera wrenching spirit from claustrophobic confines. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Russ Duritz (Bruce Willis) is an ultracynical, 40-year-old L.A. image consultant who fashions bogus façades for scumbag clients. Oblivious to his own need for a makeover, he's a tyrant in the office (to the chagrin of his sarcastic assistant, played to perfection by Lily Tomlin), and he's emotionally unavailable to the morally centered woman (Emily Mortimer) who senses goodness beneath Russ's hardened veneer. Not a moment too soon, a pudgy kid (Spencer Breslin) mysteriously appears in Russ's life, revealing himself to be Rusty Duritz--that is, Russ's 8-year-old self, arriving by some magic to put the adult Russ's life into beneficial perspective. This variation on A Christmas Carol has Rusty guiding Russ on a tour of his past to reveal how he became a loveless, hard-shelled loser. It takes a bit of smarmy chicken-soup psychology to explain it all, but The Kid is an otherwise charming and involving fantasy, suggesting that perhaps we'd all benefit from a bit of counseling by our younger selves. Written with admirable restraint by Audrey Wells (who brought a similar appeal to The Truth About Cats and Dogs) and directed by Jon Turteltaub (Cool Runnings), the movie doesn't force its supernatural elements or attempt to explain Rusty's existence. It's just a fable for our modern age and a reminder to embrace the better angels of our nature. Delivered with an easy blend of humor and sentiment, that message makes The Kid an unexpected pleasure. (Look closely for Matthew Perry as Willis's shaggy-haired client.) --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (75)

What are you gonna do with your life??!!
Well, this movie has Bruce Willis starring in it, so from the very start, you know that it's definitely not going to be bad. This was the first Disney movie I've seen in a long time. It was strange to hear words like "jerk" and phrases such as "holy smokes" instead of the more commonly-used swearing we always hear in movies!

I liked the premise of the story, since I've often wished I could meet mini-me, so I went along to check it out.

I thought it was going just okay, until I started crying just that little bit! It really makes you think about your own life, and how being an adult can eliminate your dreams... if you let it. Sometimes you have to think about, and allow yourself to remember the negative events that occurred in your past, in order to get over it, forgive yourself and move on.

The kid wasn't annoying, so that was a bonus too! Brucey Baby, of course, was in amazing form. A great movie for the whole family, as they say!

highly enjoyable with a great cast and realistic story!
Disney's The Kid is a very real and original concept because almost any businessman in america could be Bruce Willis's character. DO NOT let the Disney logo stop you from watching this wonderful movie. It is fun and great at the same time. The acting was superb all around. bruce Willis is at his cometic finest and this is also one of his best performances. Spencer Breslin(the little boy) was fablous you could just see Bruce Willis being like that at eight. Lili Tomlin is as sacastic as ever and does her job to the "t." the perfromance that strikes you the most is Emily Mortimer. She has an amazing screne presence and the best chemistry with Bruce Willis I have ever seen. She even got to keep her acsent! This is the movie that will make her a star.(you may recognize her from Scream 3) She will make it in hollywood because she has a sweet, down to earth look that people just love. Disney's The Kid is great and a must see! A lot of people can identify with at least one of the characters. This is one for Adults and Children alike!

Sorry but I can't agree
This story has been done dozens of times over the centuries -- the hardened, cynical adult looks back over their life and has an epiphany. Stories like this and Dicken's "Christmas Carol" seem to me to drag the audience through a lot only to get them to an ending which we all know -- bad guy turns good. I much prefer the twist versions of the story, like "Harold and Maude" and "It's A Wonderful Life", wherein the protagonist is a more likeable character who comes to see how much they are liked and valued by others in the world. Saw this on a plane and I'm sure that hurt it a little but honestly I hated this movie.

Barely watchable emotional comedy
The movie starts off with Bruce Willis living a fast-paced lifestyle, and approaching his 40th birthday. He wakes up in the middle of the night to see a kid in his house. He recognizes the kid to be himself, 32 years ago! Willis is obviously hallucinating, but medications don't make the kid leave. The movie ends with an explanation of why the kid arrived in the first place, and once the reason is figured out, the kid leaves.
There are some comedic and emotional moments, but not quite enough to give this movie a higher than 3-star rating.

Spencer and Bruce good, but need different movie.
Spencer Breslin and Bruce Willis are good together, but it is almost impossible to make an excellent movie out of this plot. They were using A Christmas Carol's plot, but did not even come close to the success of it. Spencer is hilarious about Bruce's job and about Bruce not having a dog, and Bruce is Bruce displaying his acting talents all over the screen, but this movie just did not live up to its wonderful predecessor, A Christmas Carol. It was actually an okay film, giving a good moral and displaying acting talent, but they didn't follow through all the way. ... Read more

Description

Historical drama exposing the famous love triangle in King Arthur's Court. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Exciting and Lush Arthur Tale
1953's KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE was MGM's first wide-screen motion picture (filmed in CinemaScope in England). What the film lacks in scripting is made up by spectacular and brilliant cinematography by Freddie Young, colorful art designs by Alfred Junge and Hans Peters and an exciting score composed by Miklos Rozsa (a prelude to his majestic EL CID score). Robert Taylor looks good as Sir Lancelot of the Lake. Mel Ferrer is King Arthur. Ava Gardner is Queen Guinevere. (Sir) Stanley Baker comes off best as Sir Modred who plots to undermine King Arthur. There are large-scale battles and much swordplay throughout the adventure. The sword fight between Sir Lancelot and King Arthur is well filmed and the most dramatic which sets the stage for the relationship between these two men. There is another sword fight later in the film between Sir Lancelot and Sir Modred's men. This is a well-staged and choreographed duel which takes place on the steps outside Lancelot's quarters in the castle. Despite all this swordplay the story is somewhat static and does not really evoke that much emotion from the viewer. However director Richard Thorpe is successful in conveying Guinevere's love, through a restrained but effective performance by Ava Gardner, for Sir Lancelot. Ultimately it is a solid film in the old Hollywood traditions of storytelling.

GENERALLY STILTED PRODUCTION - NICE LOOKING DVD
"Knights of the Round Table" was MGM's first feature in the newly christened widescreen format of Cinemascope and the studio's inexperience with a 2:35:1 aspect ratio, in retrospect, is rather obvious. The audience is treated to drawn out battle scenes (that are thrilling) and lavish spectacle. But the whole look and feel of the film is very theatrical, like Shakespeare on stage. Robert Taylor, usually so natural, is uncomfortably stiff as Lancelot, while Mel Ferrer fairs slightly better as King Arthur. Ava Gardner is wasted as Gueneviere. Sets and rear projection are glaringly obvious. Over all, for its historical context in the early days of widescreen film, more than entertainment value, "Knights" is a worthwhile movie.
Warner Home Video has given us a generally good looking print. No attempt has been made to remove age related artifacts from the negative. Overall, the quality of the transfer is very smooth though, at times, it can seem somewhat digitally harsh. Exterior footage tends to suffer from a considerable amount of film grain while interiors are well balanced. Black levels are perhaps a bit weak and fine details are lost in the darker scenes. Close ups look gorgeous. Long shots suffer from pixelization. Fades between scenes tend to suffer from a sudden grainy quality that is customary for all Cinemascope film stock of this period. The audio is stereo surround and amply provided for considering the limitations in the original recording.

EXTRAS: Mel Ferrer comments on the film's production. There's a featurette movietone trailer and the film's original theatrical trailer too.
OVER ALL: Not a bad movie but an incredibly dated one, "Knights of the Round Table" nevertheless offers up a good example of vintage Cinemascope film making from the 1950's.

Calvary Charges, Fierce Battles and Pageantry
KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE is a movie about the classic tale of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot and Guinevere. Lancelot's ill-fated love for Guinevere is played out against a background of cavalry charges, fierce battles and pageantry. The plot is amplified by the rivalry between Lancelot and Mordred as well as Sir Percival's quest for the Holy Grail. Merlin appears in the film as an advisor to Arthur and Lancelot's wife dies while giving birth to the future Sir Gallahad.

Robert Taylor as Lancelot and Mel Ferrer as Arthur are both superb. Ava Gardner makes a beautiful Guinevere but her acting seems to be a little flat. The strong supporting cast includes Stanley Blake, Felix Aylmer and Robert Urguhart.

KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE received Academy Award nominations for Best Color, Art Direction and Sound. The main competition for Oscars in 1953 came from STALAG 17, ROMAN HOLIDAY and FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.

Richard Thorpe also directed Robert Taylor in IVANHOE in 1952.

The Age of Chivalry
A very enjoyable movie about the legend of King Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere. Robert Taylor is perfect as Lancelot... noble and chivalrous, although human at the same time. Colorful and full of heraldry, if you like stories of the age of chivalry, you'll enjoy this.

Knight of the Round Table
I've always like a Robert Taylor movie. It's one of those movies, you could add to your video collection, and watch it again periodically. ... Read more

Description

Slapstick prevails when Jacques Tati's eccentric hero Monsieur Hulot is let loose in the ultramodern house of his brother-in-law, and in an antiseptic factory that manufactures plastic hose. Tati directs and stars in the second entry of the Hulot series, a delightful satire of mechanized living. Academy Award winner, Best Foreign Film. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Tati's Wise and Wonderful Comedy.
In looking at the other reviews of "Mon Oncle", it would seem that people either love or hate this movie. From my 5-star rating, you can see that I am in the former category. I fail to understand how a film can be called boring, when it is so full of life, and witty observations. Rather than feeling that it was too long, I was sorry when it was over.

In "Mon Oncle", the well-meaning, but dim-witted M. Hulot comes face to face with modern living and technology. His brother-in-law is an affluent executive with a plastics company, and owns a state-of-the-art home, full of amazing gadgets. The house is also a tasteless nightmare, devoid of warmth and comfort, with a "garden" to match. You will not soon forget the atrocious fountain, with a huge, metal fish spewing water into the air--but only to impress important guests, of course. In this concrete monstrosity, the couple are also attempting to raise a small boy, who understandably has more fun away from the place, with his uncle Hulot.

Tati is constantly contrasting old-fashioned, small-town life with urban "progress". In addition to the "house from hell", we see the huge, boring factory where Hulot's brother-in-law works, and where he tries, with hilarious lack of success, to land M. Hulot a job. Meanwhile, back at the ranch--er house--we have the outdoor party scene, with a bizarre group of co-workers and neighbours desperately trying to look important and convivial. Of course, Hulot unwittingly undermines the whole celebration, with a little help from that hideous fountain.

There are a number of scenes of children being--well--children--playing tricks on unsuspecting people. Some scene-stealing dogs are also part of the mix.

The DVD is impressive--colours are excellent--the sound naturally is mono. There is a touching introduction by Terry Jones, the well-known director and Monty Python graduate. Also included is an early short film with Tati called "School for Postmen" which is very amusing--a nice bonus.

For those people who consider "Mon Oncle" to be a comedy masterpiece, I agree completely. If you like Tati and his unforgettable creation, M. Hulot, this disc has to be in your collection.

My favorite movie....
I suppose I am out of touch with "the 90s" in that I detest movies where most of the jokes are based on bodily functions. (Flatulence jokes just aren't funny to me.) I love Mon Oncle because it is a physical comedy - in fact, there is extremely little dialog - and yet it is not insulting to the intelligence. Jacques Tati (one of the great comedians) is M. Hulot, an enigmatic, silent man who lives a quiet, calm life. Dismayed and uncomprehending of his sister's "moderne" life, Hulot strikes up a friendship with his nephew. Some of the best scenes are when the boy leaves his sterile, plastic "hygenic" world for the more earthy but enjoyable world that Hulot occupies (it is as if a small piece of Old France is hanging on in the middle of Paris - the old butcher shops, the cobbled streets). The boy's mother cannot understand why her son would prefer "old things" to the new, modern style.

There is a lot of humor in the movie - lots of Keaton-esque sight gags when Hulot tries to deal with the modern appliances in his sister's house - but underneath the humor there is a sweetness and a yearning and a recognition that the new ways aren't always better than the old. This is a movie with humor and heart.

True, it is more slow-paced than recent comedies (which may be what the reviewer who thought it "THE MOST BORING MOVIE" was used to), but if you allow yourself to relax and appreciate the slow pace, it's a beautiful and brilliant movie.

The adjective "Zen-like" is most overused today, or else I would describe watching this movie as a "Zen-like" experience. It got into my mind and changed me. And I am not a fan of movies, there are very few I like enough to watch through once, let alone repeatedly.

a nice sequel to M. Hulot's Holiday
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

Mon Oncle or "My Uncle" again follows Msr. Hulot when he visits the then-modern home of his brother-in-law. There he gets into mischief with his nephew. He later inadvertently creates havoc at a rubber hose factory also. The film is second in a series of four movies three of which have been released by the Criterion Collection.

The film has many items featured that I was not aware existed at the time. These incldue an electric garage door at a residential home that has a motion detector to open the door.

The Criterion DVD also contains an introduction to the film by Terry Jones and there is also a short film, "L'école des facteurs" or "Postman School" which is also quite good.

This DVD was out of print for a while but was reissued in February 2004

Charmed
My children(19 and 8) and I borrowed the most recent dvd version of Mon Oncle from our local library. We were charmed. Watching various visitors to the garden navigating the stepping-stones was marvelous.
Gerard waiting to whistle at passersby was hilarious. (My children and I were wishing we could add our coins to the pot.)
What a perfect picture of a boy being a boy.
We loved the dachshund in his bothersome coat leading the other dogs around town.
Tati was certainly a genius of detail.

The reason for just four stars...My children prefer Les Vacances.

Human unrelations satirized perfectly
I watched this film after seeing my wife's all time favorite, Les Vacances Monsieur Hulot. Bumbling slapstick, nearly as silent film, is used to parodize the era of the happy middleclass housewife of the fifties with all her new appliances, her husband with all his gadgets, and to throw sarcasm at efficient production at the expense of human relations. I don't know of a film that does a better job of this. the ending is happy, with the absent gadget-focused father finally discovering the joy of having a playful young son. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

The movie was good, it's not what people expect from Murphy.
I really liked this movie. It was funny and yet different considering what people usually expect from Eddie Murphy. He was not rude or used a lot of bad language. It shows that he is a very versatile actor. He can do good roles an roles where he hast to be the crudest person on earth. Anyway, I thought that having the animals really talking and their lips were in sinck with thier voices was a job well-done. Some of the actors that you think would never be good as a voice were pretty funny. John Legazamo was good as one of the rats. The drinking monkey was also hilarious. Well, I can say nothing but good for this movie.

vastly superior to the sequel, IMHO
Like a lot of people who believe themselves to be worldly, I put my little barriers up when I encounter a film like "Dr. Dolittle". When you think of yourself as a sophisticate, it's hard to reach the child within. You hope the kid left long ago.

The truth is that few people grow up entirely. Halfway through this movie, I threw in the towel and decided to admit I was enjoying this adolescent gem. It's infectious.

Eddie Murphy's Dr. Dolittle is not recognizable as the character in the Hugh Loftis book. He's been totally updated. The only element left from the novel is Dolittle's ability to talk to animals. He understands them. They converse. Thankfully they do not sing, as they did in the dreadful Rex Harrison musical comedy thirty years ago. That film lost a fortune for Fox Studio. At this late date, Mr. Murphy and friends seem to have recovered its money.

It may seem like a gift to be able to communicate with guinea pigs, owls, dogs, pigs, pigeons and other creatures. This gift could be a one-way ticket to the funny farm, which is the problem Dolittle faces.

One of the best things about "Dr. Dolittle" is that it's short. The producers were wise enough to get in and out before the audience realized this was basically a one joke, one special effect story.

Murphy seems to have undergone a personal transformation in the last few years. Now he is completely at ease and in control in gentle comedies like this and "The Nutty Professor", just as he was in the sexy and crime-driven vehicles that made him a movie star in the 1980s.

It was bathroom humor that earned this picture a PG-13 rating. It may have deserved it, but kids seem to learn this stuff younger these days. Maybe they are just more open than my generation was. This touch of crudeness helps "Dr. Dolittle" to work. Full of smart remarks, these animals are survivors. They are also endearing. They assure that the movie never becomes sickeningly sweet. Besides, nobody expects Eddie Murphy to give up his bad boy image completely.

One element I found interesting is that, despite all the advances in digital special effects, when you see a lot of animals talking on screen, it doesn't look any more real than it did in the days of Francis the Talking Mule. It just cost ten times as much to create the effect.

Laugh out loud comedy.
Dr. John Dolittle (Eddie Murphy) has the so called "perfect life", a beautiful wife, two loving daughters and a career that could not be better. All that changes one night when he nearly hits a dog with his car. As he is leaving, the dog calls him a bonehead then runs off. From that day on his childhood ability to communicate with animals is back. Soon, animals are showing up at his home to get help. His colleagues suspect he's going crazy and many decisions still have to be made regarding the sale of the clinic. Just as everything is about to fall apart, a circus tiger falls seriously ill and it's John's turn to prove to everyone that he's not crazy.

No Repeats
This is a movie I bought first, primarily for the kids because of the reviews. No one ever asked to watch it a second time. I say this because one of my kids was watching the Lion King last night, for the umpteenth time. So yes, I agree that eddie murphy impressed me again with his talent... but it just didn't grab my kids, 3 boys and 2 girls. I had to give it a good rating of 3 rather than a 2 to encourage the making of good movies.

Where's Richard Pryor when we need him?
eddie murphy is a comical guy, but is he really the right guy to play in something as stupid as this? Of course, who is the right guy for it? One of the questions i can't stand to think about in this movie, is how Dolittle hears the animals speak, but their lips move and nobody notices. Can't they connect the dots? Obviously not. And obviously, the filmmakers couldn't either. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

amazing
Legend of 1900 is absolutely amazing, it blew me away. The music, the music was like nothing I've heard before

Nice surprise!!!
The Legend of 1900 was a wonderful, uplifting surprise. The music, the unique story and cinemetography blew me away. A different story set on a ship, and I was drawn in from early on.
Take a chace on this one. It's not your everyday, here today, gone tomorrow movie!!!!

One of the finest stories ever told!
I cannot recommend this movie more! I am so happy to know that their are such beautiful souls in the world, such as the writer of this tale.
Thank you to the writer and director and the players!!
This has a fabulous cast and incredible score. ... Read more