Reviews (4)

A delectable treat
Although the acting is a bit on the amateurish side, this is a fun and enjoyable movie about the struggles of an all-girl rock & roll band. It is smart, clever, and suspenseful, definitely better than most movies like it, especially the more recent Prey for Rock and Roll. If you can get past the shot on video look, which I felt suited the film just fine, this one is is worth seeing. I enjoyed it immensely, but recommend it more to the indie loving crowd. Others might be put off unfortunately.

Excellent movie
Okay -- I'll concede that I noticed the bad acting. In the first scene, there were such bad breaks in the flow of conversation, I thought I was watching a bad porn. But after that I just stopped caring (and it got a little better). I thought the plot was really well-designed. I was gripped to the screen though the whole thing to find out the answer posed in the intro. If you want Hollywood, watch "Josie and the Pussycats."

Loved it!
Ok, so the acting isn't the best - it started out pretty bad, but then either 1. it got better or 2. I got used to it and didn't care. This is a fun, entertaining movie. I can see how some people could find this terrible, BUT if you're into low budget, independent movies like myself, you will probably like it. If not, save yourself the hassle and avoid this movie. This is a GREAT low budget rock chick flick with lots of sex, drugs, booze, fights, stereotypical plot...and of course rock and roll! I give it 4 stars out of 5 (only because of the predictible rock cliches and...well, some bad acting).

Horrible and bad acting
So bad it is kinda fun. The acting is the worst I've seen since the movie "Coyote Ugly". Just a total joke. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Disturbing images and a few good shocks don't stop The Ring from being a hash of half-baked ideas. It's the kind of frightfest you'll watch to set a chilling mood or spook your susceptible friends, but when you try to sort it out, this well-mounted American remake (of the 1998 Japanese hit Ringu, based on Koji Suzuki's popular novel) collapses into a heap of incoherent parts. The negligible plot follows a Seattle reporter (Naomi Watts) as she investigates the death of her niece, the victim of a mysterious videotape that, according to vague urban legend, causes the viewer's death seven days later. (Fear Dot Com borrowed the same idea while avoiding this film's lofty pretensions.) The reporter, her son, and her estranged boyfriend view the tape, and the film's countdown structure follows them into deepening layers of terror--all quite effective until the movie attempts to explain itself. At that you're better off shutting down your brain and letting the creepy visuals take over. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (1007)

Almost too much!
The scariest or creepiest or whatever you'd call a movie that makes you look over your shoulder even in your own apartment for several days after the first time you've watched it. These movies aren't good for my health, including "The Grudge". And yes, I'm man enough to admit it -and my girlfriend having long black hair didn't exactly help it! Hehe, it's not that bad of course, but "The Ring" indeed is the movie that managed to scare the peace out of me for the rest of that day, and with its' flaws (the tape that's never explained where comes from or how was "produced") -well, the movie managing to do so well what it intends to do I DON'T CARE! A masterpiece of its' genre, "Halloween" or "Nightmare On Elm Street" will never be the same after this!

Creepy!

DON'T START THE VCR & DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE!
The Ring is perhaps one of the best movies of the last 10 years, for the fact that it is a story that starts as a mystery, jumps into drama, gets sucked into the supernatural, and ends with vicious delight and surprising answers.If you have not seen this movie, you must.I cannot say much more except for the breif review below because the surprises will hit you like a ton of black, thick rock!this ones a real shocker!

A disturbing videotape appears to hold the power of life and death over those who view it in this offbeat thriller. A strange videotape begins making the rounds in a town in the Pacific Northwest; it is full of bizarre and haunting images, and after watching it, many viewers receive a telephone call in which they are warned they will die in seven days. A handful of teenagers who watched the tape while spending a weekend at a cabin in the mountains scoff at the threat, but as predicted, they all die suddenly on the same night.

Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts), the aunt of one of the ill-fated teens, is a journalist who has decided to investigate the matter and travels West with her young son, Aidan (David Dorfman), a troubled child who has been drawing pictures of strange and ominous visions. Rachel managed to find the cabin in the woods and watches the video herself; afterward, she receives the same phone call, and realizes she must solve the puzzle of the video and the person or persons behind it within a week. Rachel turns to her ex, Noah (Martin Henderson), an expert in video technology, who at first is convinced the story is a hoax until he digs deeper into the mystery

The suckiest scary movie I ever saw
This movie sucked! sucked! sucked! Aside from the creepy subliminal images it was nothing. I didn't get the plot, because there wasn't one. I mean where did the girl come from? Was she something the "voodoo" doctor cooked up on her parents trip they took to try and have a baby? I mean she evidently wasn't theirs because she came back like 9 years old. I thought the story was through in the end when they got her body from the well, it should have been, but alas, the story went on to her boyfriend getting killed by Samara. Somebody please tell me the reason for this little girl doing the things she did and where did she come from and what was the motivation for this dumb movie. I mean even in the "short story" the had on the extras on the DVD it still told you nothing about the story, it just showed clips from the film like you were suppose to get it. I mean how can you get that if you didn't even get the movie. I would have given it no stars but you have to put something in. I'm sorry but this movie was a waste, I'm glad I only rented it from the movie rental store.

Not Scary
This film does not deserve the praise it receives.The story, as would be expected with a 'horror' film, is very weak.Once you get past how simple and stupid the idea is, you realize that the movie just isn't scary.I did not jump or startle during the entire film.It is an interesting idea, to try and not use blood and gore to make it scary, but the film didn't do anything special.It also relies on using very remedial methods to try and scare the viewer, like playing a sound of a closing door very loudly while the screen is still dark.Then, once you get to the end of the film, it feels like a total waste of your time.Just not worth seeing.

Before you die....
... you see the ring. This is such a great, suspenseful, well-thought out piece that I had to watch it twice. This horror movie relies on psychological fear and suspense rather than gore (though there a few bloody, disturbing moments). This movie is great for those who enjoy a movie with a ton of jumpy moments. The viewer is taken on the journey with Rachel in her quest to survive or face the wrath of Samara... I've got six days left... pray for me.... ... Read more

Description

She's sexy. She's seductive. She's Robin Shay, a beautiful free spirit whose spontaneous style always gets her into trouble - and now she's escaping from a New Mexico prison! But freedom is fleeting as Robin escapes right into the lap of politician James Tiernan, who reluctantly puts her back in jail. She "talks" carpenter Billy Moran into a hasty marriage, effecting her immediate parole. However, Robin soon learns that freedom has its price - a "husband" and his family - and all she wants is to play rock 'n' roll. With a smitten politician in one hand, and a passionate husband in the other Robin creates her own rules - then breaks them. Rebecca De Mornay ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A sexy film
Man,is this a sexy film. Rebecca DeMornay is Robin,a paroled convict who forms a band with some people who answer an ad she placed(she's the lead singer and rhythm guitarist). Upon her release from jail she marries the handsome man who bails her out. So Robin begins her new life with her new husband Billy(Vincent Spano) and his young son,Timmy,from an earlier marriage. Handyman Billy has a younger brother who's a musician also. He also works as a sales clerk at a fast food restaurant(he was fired from the restaurant after failing to show up too many times). Billy and Robin had affairs with others during their marriage which never ended. Robin had sexual affairs with governor hopeful James Tiernan(Frank Langella). They shot pool together and Billy went bowling with another woman. After Billy an Robin engage in a sexual activity on a bed inside a museum,they're photographed by a patron. The photograph is brought to the attention of Robin's parole officer. Now Robin's about to go back to jail. Billy gets a lawyer and fights to the finish for Robin's revoked parole. James even admitted,"Miss Shay(Robin) is getting too dangerous for me.". So Robin and her band perform in a nightclub and she catches the eye of a male sex fiend. Jealous Billy beats the crap out of the sex fiend. So to keep the marriage alive,Billy plans to go to Robin's jail(Billy confessed to her that he murdered another woman). Awesome film!

Somewhere between a guilty pleasure and an underrated gem
If you can forget the whole remake thing, this is a somewhat involving movie, with interesting plot twists, a great performance by De Mornay, nice supporting performances, interesting if corny character development, a nice sound track, Vadim's strange but unique visual style and it's very sexy. What more do you want? I think as time goes on and a new generation stumbles on this flick free from the hype about it being a remake of a "classic" it will be appreciated more and more as a nice offbeat B movie melodrama with lots of sex, some nice humor and beautiful photography.

And God Created Rebecca De Mornay
AND GOD CREATED WOMAN is a remake of the classic Bridgett Bardot film but in title only. The movie is pretty predictable, so it is only saved by just having Rebecca De Mornay heating up the screen. There is a hilarious chain of events near the beginning of the film. She escapes from a women's prison, hitchhikes a ride (from a man played by Frank Langella in the car), and the vehicle ends up at the prison she's escaped from. So, she has to sneak back into prison without being noticed. A contractor (Vincent Spano) helps her out while he's working on some construction in the prison gymnasium...The rest of the plot is not very memorable as she tries to start her own rock band when she's paroled and must sacrifice integrity and her marriage to get to the top etc. Overall, a movie that was made to showcase the "talents" of Ms. DeMornay and nothing else.

A different kind of view
I liked this movie because I could relate to some of the relationship problems in my past i.e. 2 of 5 women who first told me they loved me then told me I'd be a lonely old guy, I told them both,better than than being a miserable young man with them.Women I've known,they all think they're smarter than me always trying to tell me stuff I already know.Anyway I liked the movie and all the arguments and humor,a typical politician got have something on the side [...],but has to becareful of his image.Rebecca DeMornay was excellent as a free spirit,not a gold digger or typical hollywood bimbo, like those other hollywood bimbos. I thought she was great in this movie,the other actors were good too. I think because of jealousy by other people in Hollywood, Ms. DeMornays efforts are not recognized. This movie was very entertaing but see it for yourself [....]

For Rebecca DeMornay Fans Only
If you were hooked by Rebecca De Mornay's sexiness in Risky Business (like I was), this movie is for you. She is so beautiful and voraciously sexual throughout. The story has a few flaws (she nearly has her parole revoked for being photographed having sex with her husband??) but it is a worthwhile vehicle for doing what she does so well. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When it arrived on the big screen in 1987, Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop was like a high-voltage jolt of electricity, blending satire, thrills, and abundant violence with such energized gusto that audiences couldn't help feeling stunned and amazed. The movie was a huge hit, and has since earned enduring cult status as one of the seminal science fiction films of the 1980s. Followed by two sequels, a TV series, and countless novels and comic books, this original RoboCop is still the best by far, largely due to the audacity and unbridled bloodlust of director Verhoeven. However, the reasons many enjoyed the film are also the reasons some will surely wish to avoid it. Critic Pauline Kael called the movie a dubious example of "gallows pulp," and there's no denying that its view of mankind is bleak, depraved, and graphically violent. In the Detroit of the near future, a policeman (Peter Weller) is brutally gunned down by drug-dealing thugs and left for dead, but he survives (half of him, at least) and is integrated with state-of-the-art technology to become a half-robotic cop of the future, designed to revolutionize law enforcement. As RoboCop holds tight to his last remaining shred of humanity, he relentlessly pursues the criminals who "killed" him. All the while, Verhoeven (from a script by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner) injects this high-intensity tale with wickedly pointed humor and satire aimed at the men and media who cover a city out of control. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (191)

The Strong Arm of the Law
The future of law enforcement is now available in the thrilling Sci-Fi actioner "Robocop". In the near future, police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is brutally gunned down by ruthless criminals but a powerful corporation rebuilds him as an indestructible high-tech cyborg with the mission to bring justice in violent streets of Detroit. Tormented by nightmarish images of his former life, Robocop seeks revenge on the criminals that took his life. "Robocop" is still director Paul Verhoeven's (Total Recall) best work to date. This film is a fiercely entertaining action-packed joyride. It contains a sharp storyline, high-voltage actions and some surprising bits of wicked satire. The cast also includes Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer. The 1987 hit actioner is presented in its theatrical 1.85:1 widescreen format. The DVD contains a good video transfer and well-balanced 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Its only supplement is its original theatrical trailer. Though fans are more interested in the Criterion Edition, this simple edition is a worthy bargain purchase and gets a "B-".

Not a bad movie, but one scene makes me sick
Dutch director Paul Varhoven takes us on a ride filled with the demise and downfall of our own society in his first American action adventure film, ROBOCOP. It is worth while to mention that ROBOCOP was shot in a time period where Detroit was known as the murder capital of the world. Since than, Detroit has cleaned up its act, and New York has lifted that title from the motor city's back. But in Varhoven's vision, Detroit is a spiraling downward paradox, filled with drugs, violence, and prostitution. The picture is dark and monochromatic, with a grim look upon our future. Its actually a bit depressing to tell you the truth. ROBOCOP is a satire, cracking jokes at modern day aspects of life such as the automotive industry, television commercials, and corporate development (the OCP portion of the film.) The movie has a solid script and a convincing cast, probably most entertaining are the OCP corporate hot shots, but no one steals the show like ED-209. Peter Weller does well with the material he is given to work with, even if he is a little on the monotone side. Kurtwood Smith is all too believable as the dark and sinister villain, Clarence Bodiker. The villains in this film are the most convincing, although its not that hard to make someone seem evil. Basil Poledoris's music score is commanding, even if a little overemphasized with synthesizer, but I guess that's how the 80's were. It really adds a whole other dimension to the film, and multi-academy award winner Phil Tippit's stop motion effects are amazing. I have mixed feelings about this film. Like I may have mentioned above, ROBOCOP is very convincing when it comes to its antagonists, almost too convincing. Along with the Robocop package comes one of the most brutal scenes in Hollywood History. Not since the ambush sequence in BONNY AND CLYDE has there been a more shocking murder in a motion picture. I'm speaking of the scene in which Murphy is, to say the least, shot to death. I felt this over-emphasis was anything but crucial to the plot, as there was no need for it, since we had already been given a display of the cruelty of the characters (can you fly Bobby...CAN YOU FLY! ) We didn't have to see Murphy take a shot between the legs, fall to his knees in agony, and lie there helplessly as his limbs are blown off one at a time. This isn't art, its savage. VARHOVEN, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! Now I'm aware of the criterion edition, which features even more of this nonsense, in crucifixion style! I mean come on! That's just sick if you ask me. One thing off-setting about this scene is that it takes place in a very confined setting, creating a claustrophobic illusion. We can sympathize for Murphy, especially us males when it comes to the first shot he takes. Some things just shouldn't pass through the lens of a camera, period. As for the rest of the film, three cheers, but this scene was totally unnecessary. The blade thru Kurtwood Smith's neck ain't pretty either, but at least he deserved it. The viewing of this scene leaves one feeling sick to there stomach, thanks Dad, for fast forwarding when I was a little kid.

A classic action movie that makes Kill Bill a comedy
The 1987 classic Robocop is one of my all time favorite movies next to Scarface(1983), First Blood(1982), Goodfellas(1990), Braveheart(1995), The Exorcist(1973), Animal House(1978) and The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie(1979). When I first saw this movie in 1988 when I was 12, I was in for a time of my life. As for the first Robocop(forget the sequels), Old Detroit has become a violent wonderland of criminal activity. New officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) and Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) are partners in a police force under siege from OCP, a company that wants to turn Old Detroit into a Metropolis kind of place. Whilst pursuing particularly bloodthirsty and disgusting badguys, led by the reprehensible Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith), whom had some of the funniest lines ever uttered by a villain in film, Murphy is captured, tortured, shot full of holes and killed. This scene is rather disturbing to watch for those who don't like violence. After his death, Murphy becomes ROBOCOP. Murphy now has a mechanical body and becomes a walking weapon of mass destruction! He in initially goes out to clean up the streets and uphold the law. However, the scientists forgot that he was human and Robocop subsequently has a flashback to the night that his human form was killed and is later haunted by memories of his wife and son. The nightmare sequence sets up one of the best revenge films I've ever seen next to the first First Blood. ROBOCOP then finds out the sinister secrets of OCP's #2 man (Ronny Cox) after assaulting Clarence and must do battle with the ED-209, an earlier robotic crimefighter design with heavy-duty guns and missiles. The rest of the film is great too. I can't give more away, you have to watch. Highly recommended!

Rent the first movie now!!
Absolutely incredible! I liked peter weller as Robocop,mainly because his voice was a little quiet,wich I admire. I just love watching Robocop cream all the gang members and I never get bored of it,and the toxic waste guy.a perfect idea for the movie! I was home alone just flipping around the channels and I found the word robocop on the screen.I went ahead and checked it out,I had heard people say how violent it was and im only 13(so I was prepared..) I dropped in when the cops are first chaseing after the gang,and when they got to the gangs hide out where murphys hand like explodes from a little pistol,AS IF.Although it was still wheerdly entertaining,still I was suprised at how good it the movie was.one of the best of the 80's,rent the movie you will like it,I sware.

A good but violent film.
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD release of the film.

The plot is original for the time also.

After being killed, a police officer is brought back to life as a robot with superhuman strength.

This film is an interesting look at human memory and emotions as well as the idea on law enforcement of the future. The film is the unrated director's cut and includes violent scenes which were cut to avoid an MPAA X-rating. Though compared to the violence in today's films, it is not that graphic.

It is also an interesting look at large corporations and their potential to become corrupt, a bit ahead of its time but now apparent with the many reports in the news nowadays.

The death of officer Murphy and his 'rebirth' as a robot have been compared to the crucifixion and ressurrection of Jesus, by director Paul Verhoeven. He stated that he wanted the death scene to be as graphic as possible so the audience would have sympathy for him and not just think of him as a robot after his 'rebirth'
The scene where he discovers his old home, abandned by his widow and children is also touching and really is well written.

The DVD has excellent audio commentary by the director other crew. It also has storyboard/film comparisons. it has the teaser and theatcical trailers and an interactive essay that was origianlly in a film magazine.

This DVd remains out of print and is worth the $50 dollars it currently sells at for those who are fan of the movie. ... Read more

Description

When a selfish mayor refuses to pay a Pied Piper for ridding the rats from the town, the Piper gets rid of all the children in the town as well. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Faerie Tale Theatre Ever!
I would have to agree with the previous review that this is the best episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. In adapting faerie tales for film or television, the biggest difficulty seems to be in capturing that sense of awe and wonder that the original stories invoke. Without picture illustrations and a child's imagination to fill in the blanks, the original stories often appear static and lifeless on the screen. At worst, the sublime becomes downright ridiculous. Faerie Tale Theatre is a great and entertaining show, but rarely has it captured that sense of magic. This episode is one time that is has, and the results are truly something to behold. Eric Idle is the only "name" here, but the rest of the cast is equally perfect in their roles. Nicholas Meyer creates an entire other world, utilizing medieval tones in setting and costumes, as well as an eerie score of pipes from composer James Horner. The effect is mesmerizing, and if the use of rhyme as dialogue takes some getting used to, it only adds to the haunting impact in the end. This episode may be too disturbing for the youngest children, but all lovers of faerie tales owe it to themselves to see this. It doesn't have the budget of big-screen fantasies, but I rank this right up there with the NeverEnding Story and the Dark Crystal. If you love those films, then you understand what I mean about the sublime.

Wonderful and surreal...as fairy tales should be.
In the early to mid eighties, Shelly Duvall produced a cable show for the then flagship HBO network called Faerie Tale Theatre. The intent was to bring classic childhood stories to an audience of young and old alike through big name stars, directors, and hip, irreverent writing. Without this series, there would not have been a "Princess Bride". Although many of these were excellent examples of the best television could offer, the finest hour (for me) was director Nicholas Meyer's interpretation of Robert Browning's "Pied Piper of Hamelin". Both faithful to the original poem and liberal in its creative embellishments, Meyer perfectly captured the eerieness of the story. The show starred Eric Idle and he makes a perfect Piper. Tall, pale, with piercing eyes and a hawklike nose, Idle looke every bit the character: part mystic, part mercenary. And his final march out of Hamelin with the children is truly the stuff of innocent nightmares. Without sentimentality, without any concession to cuteness, this episode proved that within all great children's stories lurked something magical and sinister...Just like adulthood. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Legendary producer David O. Selznick dreamed of another magnum opus like his 1939 production ofGone with the Wind; he also purposed to make Jennifer Jones, hisladylove and eventually second Mrs. Selznick, a megastar. Accordingly, he micromanaged the making of Duel in the Sun (Lust in the Dustto some), an extravagant Technicolor epic about the collision of the old Westwith the new, wide-open spaces with railroads and barbed wire, and hot-bloodedoutlaws with civilized folk, often wimpy or unwell. Beginning among giantrocks drenched in a blood-red sunset, with velvet-voiced Orson Welles intoningthe leibestod legend of doomed Pearl Chavez and her demon lover, Duel neverstrays far from lush romanticism, spiced with a dash of S/M. Orphaned Pearl (Jones) comes to live at Spanish Bit Ranch, where frail Laura Belle McCanles (Lillian Gish) tries to make a lady of her, despite her questionable originsand insistent voluptuousness. Sexual license versus law--Pearl's choices--aresymbolized by the McCanles brothers: dark, undisciplined Lewt (a lubriciouslywicked Gregory Peck) and reasonable, forward-looking,repressed Jesse (Joseph Cotten). The cast is huge(Lionel Barrymore, Walter Huston, Harry Carey, Herbert Marshall, CharlesBickford, Butterfly McQueen) and there are unforgettable set pieces: summonedby a cacophony of bells, the gathering of McCanles cowboys from the fourcorners of the earth; Pearl in heat, clutching Lewt's leg and being dragged across thefloor as he makes his getaway to Mexico; and the lovers' final shootoutamong those red rocks, as orgiastic a finale as you could ask for. --Kathleen Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Sprawling western, silly plot
Duel in the Sun was supposed to be the next Gone with the Wind for David O. Selznick. The hyped film boasts an all star cast: Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotton, Lionel Barrymore, and Lillian Gish. The acting is over the top, especially Jennifer Jones' sultry Pearl. Gregory Peck seemed to enjoy his change of pace role as Lewt and enacts the role with gusto. It was a change from his heroic characters that he played in his earlier films. Joseph Cotton is the virtuous brother, Jesse, who does not choose to "forget" that he catches Lewt with Pearl, much to Pearl's hearbreak.

The ending of the book had Jesse and Pearl vanquishing the evil Lewt and riding off into the sunset. Looking at the over the top finale of this movie, I wish the producer had stayed with the ending of the book. The lines are laughable ("You know I had to shoot you," cries Pearl. "Yes, dear, I know you did," answers Lewt.)

There are many cliches: Lewt catching Pearl swimming in the nude and not allowing her to leave the water and get her clothes. Pearl throwing herself at another man to make Lewt jealous. Pearl's transformation, where she decides to become a wanton, her facial expression changing to reflect this.

I understand the "dance of the sump" was left out of the film, where Pearl dances for Lewt. It was supposed to be "indecent" but in retrospect might have been a source of amusement to contemporary audiences.

If you are looking for representative films from the Selznick studio, consider the following instead: Gone with the Wind, A Star is Born, Portrait of Jennie, and The Prisoner of Zenda. For MGM, Selznick produced such standout films as David Copperfield and Anna Karenina. For better films pairing Jones and Cotton, look for the films Love Letters and Portrait of Jennie. The two are at their best in those.

Epic, Sprawling Horse Opera (Roadshow Edition Review)
Sweeping! Magnificent! Corny! Romantic! A west that never existed is splashed across the screen as only David O. Selznick, the master of such gargantuan Hollywood classics as "Gone With the Wind", "Since You Went Away" and "Rebecca" could give us.
This is not the revisionists west of the 1990's, nor that West of the gritty operatic glamour of Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time In The West." You will not find the spare clean and lean beauty of John ford's West. What we have here is the epic telling on a screen that screams to be stretched into widescreen and spills out over the audenience the lush and romantic horse Opera of Pearl Chavez, the McCanles clan and the coming of the railroads in the 1880's.
From the moment the overture replete with unneeded narration begins you know you are in for a melodrama of purple emotions and blood red vendettas. The opening scene is set in a saloon on a scale of a modern Vegas casino. There amidst the wild gunfire of overheated cowboys and insanely spinning faro wheels we are introduced to the Scarlett O'Hara of the West, half-breed Pearl Chavez. As played by Jennifer Jones she is just about the hottest tamale to ever hit the pages of a screenplay expressly written to drive men mad, turn brother against brother and defy a "Sinkiller". What Jane Russell was supposed to be in "The Outlaw" we get in Technicolor spades in the form of Miss Jones.
She takes huge hefty bites of the massive sets and chews them to a fare thee well and in the process creates a wanton nymphomaniacal character of such charm, heat and passion that she is truly a motion picture original. This is the best thing Miss Jones ever did because it is so out of control and beyond the pale of her more subdued performances. Of saints, teenage war brides and ghosts of lost love.
As Lewt McCanles we get the hottest, meanest, most excitingly nasty performance Gregory Peck ever was allowed to give. And what an irresistible bad boy he is. He was never sexier or more wonderful than in this departure from the Peck norm.
Even the usually dull Joseph Cotton manages to rise above his typically dry rolls, but not too much, in the thankless roll of the good brother. He seems a little too old for the part and a little too polished. Someone like Charlton Heston might have been more on the spot.
Lillian Gish steals every scene she is in with quite assuredness and only finds completion from the ever-prissy Butterfly McQueen. In her final scene with Lionel Barrymore Miss Gish makes off with the scene so quitly that you are hit with it's impact only after the fact. Barrymore creates one of his most beloved curmudgeons as Senator Jackson McCanles full of sound and furry and ultimately signifying less than nothing. His introduction to Pearl topped by a sneeringly shocking racial slur that encapsulates his character and time and place.
Another highlight is the cameo by Walter Huston as "The Sinkiller". What can be said of him is only this, pure cinematic magic.
The film unfold with such a sense of grandeur and awe that it sweeps you along to its incredible ending on the wings of epic pure camp poetry. The Dimitri Tiomkin score is a masterpiece and much famed over the years for the incredible call of the bells set piece.
The three cinematographers involved, Hal Rosson, Ray Rennahan, and Lee Garmes paint movie memory after memory with the palate of hot dusty hues that have long been forgotten by audiences of today. To see it now is perhaps more exciting and thrilling than it was in 1947.
All of this mad mixture of melodrama, mush and music was orchestrated by the master showman of his time, the ultimate huckster of smoke and mirrors and consummate barometer for just what we wanted in our early epics of the America that never existed, David O. Selznick, who added the "O" to his name just because it looked better on the marquee. When they say that off heard lament "They don't make'um like they used to." Both Mr. Selznick and "Duel In The Sun" are what they are talking about. If they still made them like this then something would be terribly wrong. Thank god they did make films like this once upon a time and we still have them to lose ourselves in a dream of what never was and what will never be again.

Dreadful sound transfer
The dvd image is great, the soundtrack transfer is horrible: drops in volume and the dialogue is often distorted.

POINTLESS REISSUE OF ALREADY AVAILABLE DVD
Producer David O. Selznick never thought small. Dreaming of a magnum opus on the same grand scale as "Gone with the Wind" and, perhaps a little bit self-conscious of the fact that his recent affair with Jennifer Jones had yielded only one stellar performance from the starlet - and not even in a film he had produced - Selznick's driving ambition to make Jones a star on par with the likes of Vivien Leigh, led him to handcraft "Duel in the Sun." This was to be an extravagant Technicolor epic about a doomed mulatto, Pearl Chavez (Jones) and her rabid lust for, Lewton McCanles (Gregory Peck, in the uncharacteristic part as the villain), the ruthless son and roguish playboy of retired senator and bigoted rancher, Jackson McCanles (Lionel Barrymore). After Pearl's father, Scott (Herbert Marshall) murders her mother, Pearl is sent to live with Jackson and his wife, Laura Bell (Lillian Gish) on their sprawling ranch, Spanish Bit. Pearl is determined to live purely and plainly, but her incendiary disposition leads into the arms of Lewton. Jesse McCanles (Joseph Cotten), the good son, is forced to leave Spanish Bit, returning years later to find that his brother has become a ruthless tyrant and outlaw. Buttressed by a fiery backdrop about the colliding sensibilities of old West morality and the true Northern ambitions to tame it, "Duel In The Sun" ultimately became an overblown melodrama that seemed almost a garish lampoon of "Gone With The Wind" rather than its successor. It did respectable box office at the time but very little to advance Jennifer Jones' career into the echelons of super stardom. Prior to its release a sensual dance sequence that Pearl performs around a tree stump for Lewton was deleted because the censorship of the period found its sexual implications...well, shocking. Selznick's usual attention to craftsmanship and story design also seem to be absent from this occasion. He repositions Butterfly McQueen (Prissy from "Gone With The Wind) as the Prissy-esque house maid, Vashti, who is even dumber than Prissy and, Selznick muddles the supporting cast with oddities of all sorts, including Walter Huston as a religious zealot, determined to rid Pearl of her sexual demons, and Charles Bickford, as an over-the-hill farmer who offers Pearl his hand in a loveless marriage. Because of its sexually charged subject matter (there is, after all, a rape, a murder and the prospect of lovers committing suicide in the mountains) "Duel In The Sun" acquired the rather unflattering moniker of 'Lust In The Dust.'
"Duel In The Sun" had previously been made available from Anchor Bay in a stunning road show edition. MGM's reissue is the truncated theatrical version - also made previously available through Anchor Bay. On all three DVD incarnations, colors are well balanced, though on this new version they seem a tad more dated from the rich and vibrant colors on the Anchor Bay version. Black levels are good but fine detail is lost in many darkly lit scenes. There's also more noticeable film grain on this version than the Anchor Bay edition. The audio is remixed to stereo but only marginally appealing, sounding rather forced and re-channeled. There are NO extras.
There's nothing to stand up and cheer about here. If you are a die hard fan of this film, or westerns, then you will definitely want to look up the out of print copy from Anchor Bay, rather than this reissue. Aside from being longer, the Anchor Bay version also tends to be a better visual presentation overall.

Don't know why this movie has such a bad rap.....
It is WONDERFUL!!! What more could one ask for from the Golden Age of Hollywood: Producer David O. Selznick(he did a little something called "Gone With the Wind" - you may not remember that one....), beautiful Jennifer Jones, a young Gregory Peck, stalwart support from Joseph Cotten, a crotchtedy Lionel Barrymore, a luminious Lillian Gish, supendous 3-strip Technicolor, a decent story for a western(my least favorite movie genre), and a history that would equal Selznick's other "little movie" - GWTW. The DVD of this does the film justice, although some commentary or other supporting features would have been fantastic. I have the Anchor Bay releases of this film and just got this MGM release-they seem to be taken from the same source material, which is very, very good. This film's reputation needs to be defended - sure it was shocking in 1947, but in 2004, they could probably touch on these topics in an "Waltons" or "Litte House" episode. Judge for yourself - get this movie - you won't be disappointed!! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Martin
I think Martin is one of the best shows. And I know about 50 people who would buy this DVD as soon as it comes out.Whoever is reading this, please hurry and put Martin on DVD. This DVD will be a top seller. My daughter and I watch it every night on TV One.She is now recording it.Hoping it will come out soon on DVD.If you can put The Facts of Life, The Steve Harvey Show(which is one of my favorites also), and the OC on DVD surely, "Martin has to be on the top of the list very soon.Please, Please, Please, let us vote for "Martin".

Girlfriends
This past year was the first time I had an opportunity to view the TV show "Girlfriends"and now I can't get enough, so I'm looking for the dvd's starting with the shows first episode.I can't find a thing so I'm assuming there is no new release.I like this TV show as much as I liked "Living Single"because it shows African American women living different lifestyles, all having their "ups" and "downs" like normal African American women without the behaviors of the sterotypic ghetto female.

Why aren't the best TV shows ever on DVD as yet?
I find it sad that the first season of the "OC" can be on DVD in less than a year, yet classic shows like "Living Single," "Martin," "A Different World" and "New York Undercover" have yet to be given a chance.I remember when I started college that "A Different World" was on TV and I related so much to that show. I felt like they knew exactly what I was dealing with on my college campus. "Martin has to be the funniest TV show ever, yet the DVD manufacturers refuse to give it the respect that it deserves. "Living Single" showed black women in a positive light, not just being the typical rump shakers that you see on TV and videos.All of these shows made me laugh. I appreciated the writing and the issues that they dealt with. When can we finally be recognized in the DVD industry and be given a chance to view the shows that we liked? It's been almost 5 years already since these shows were on the air.How much longer do we have to wait?I can't relate to "Seinfeld," the "OC" or "Friends."I don't want a clip of one episode here and there.I want the entire epiosdes and seasons of each show.Every episode, every blooper, every cast and crew biography. As a willing and potentiaI consumer I think I deserve it.Why doesn't the industry?

Living Single & Martin Lawrence Show
I check Amazon daily to see if the Martin Lawrence and Living Single shows have been released yet. I tell my son about these shows all the time and how funny they were.Can't wait to see them released on DVD.Please release on DVD.They were good wholesome fun and I truly enjoyed them.Please release!!!

The show is a MUST BE ON DVD!
I would be the first one in line to buy this show IF it was on DVD. I watch the re-runs every day on the Oxygen channel and glad to see that they have great taste in what should be aired. The show never has a dull moment, a great pick me up on those days when you need itand just andgreat show.SOMEONE needs to lobby to get this on DVD. Want proof? Do a search on google and see just how many people are asking for this, not to mention the petetions-I have personally signed 3. Come on, make this girl happy.Too bad I don't know Queen Latifah. Talk about a talented woman. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another movie looking at Hollywood.
"Hollywood Confidential" is a TV movie and it certainly looks like it. It actually resembles a version of "VIP" with some men working alongside the women. The only difference is that the main purpose of the agency in the film is to spy on people (although they also provide protection when the situation calls for it). The actors are never really given any chance to express emotion. They are all just there for the purpose of speaking lines to present the extremely dull plot. The plot mostly centers around a big time Hollywood director who is trying to cut off his relationship with a teenage girl. The usual plot developments occur and nothing truly interesting ever really happens. Charlize Theron and Amanda Pays (who is criminally underused here) try to provide some spark but it is hopeless in this case. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

The Sap Head
This l949 black and white movie still looks good. It has a screenplay written by ultra-individualistic Ayn Rand, based on her classic novel. But other than everyone being complete miscast and the film looking nothing like the book, this is a major dissapoint to this faithful Randist. Director King Vidor initially wanted Greta Garbo as Dominique but of course she refused. John Garfield was mentioned as Howard Roark. He would have been fantastic. Instead, they got laconic, low-keyed, much too old Gary Cooper who always made you think of a straw-sticking-out-of mouth cowboy. Patricia Neal simply ain't no Dominique Francon. Edward Carrere was the production designer, capturing nothing of hte grandeur of over-the-top architecture described in the book. William Cameron Menzies (who had designed Gone with the Wind, King's Row) should have designed this flick. Art direction should have been genius Anton Grot, instead of insipid william Kuehl. (Grot was the genius who designed the now legendary, nearly surreal sets of the Bette Davis/Paul Henreid camp classic, "Deception" with its football sized penthouse of the supposedly poor, struggling Bette--"I had to take in piano students!") Miles Anderson costume designs for "Fountainhead" were uninspired. Why didn't they get--again from "Deception"--the fabulous Bernrd Newman? Max STeiner actually did the film score but you'd never know it? He also created a masterpiece with his musical of Bette Davis' greatest film, the l949 "Beyond the Forest." They should remake this film today, have mature actors in the roles, not the MTV brat pack. Rand supposedly had a bloody time trying to keep her screenplay from being watered down--which it was.

Pressure can have unintended consequences . . .
Is what Howard Roark (Gary Cooper) tells Dominique Francon (Patricia Neal) about her fireplace. They're talking about er...marble.

This is in a scene which occurs shortly after their first encounter, when Dominique spots Roark and his muscular forearm working at a quarry operating a drilling machine into the stone.

After a long and prolongued silence which ranks among the best moments in cinema, she asks, from her height above the pit: "Why are you looking at me?" Roark replies: "For the same reason you're looking at me."

And if you think that's a good moment, wait till Roark's climactic speech to the jury. Over five minutes long. (What! A movie audience sitting still through a speech? Impossible!) and absolutely spellbinding.

The film version of Ayn Rand's bestselling novel was directed by the expressionist master, King Vidor, and the screenplay written by, of all people, Ayn Rand.

Who, during a pre-production party accosted Jack L. Warner and warned him that if he cheapened or otherwise dumbed down her work, she would dynamite his studio. She nmeant it. Jack smiled and gave her a cigar.

The Fountainhead is the story of a hero who wins.

By hero, we mean an uncompromising man of genius and absolute integrity. This seems as far fetched to us as Cyrano fighting a hundred armed swordsmen---and winning! (Rostand was a major influence for Rand ) It's clearly impossible. He's not in Russia, so he won't be shot, it's not that explicit--it's America, he's bound to quietly fade into obscurity and failure. It would be naive to suppose otherwise, so how can this be a triumph instead of a tragedy?

Thematically that's the question that Roark's alter egos Gail Wynand (Raymond Massey) and Dominique Francon ask themselves. Gail is the billionare owner of an "Enquirer" type of news rag who rose from poverty by giving the suckers what they wanted. He lives by the credo "Oppress or be oppressed."

Dominique wants to want nothing, the logical credo of a beautifull woman who is convinced that beauty and greatness have no chance at all in this world. We first meet her as she's destroying of a statue of a Greek god. She's fallen in love with it and can't bear the pain of neeeding it, or anything else.

As usual with Rand, these are tortured giants, not the "folks next door"

Critics of Rand are right in stating that they are improbable beings. (Name a great man or woman of history who isn't).

Roark does make Conan the Barbarian look like a wimp by comparison. But you see, that's the fun of it. As are her villains, who are NOT romanticized ( forget "Bonnie and Clyde" , "The Godfather" and the rest of zillions of ever so cool bad guys we've been fed by Hollywood for decades) they are chilling parasites, exemplified in the character of Ellsworh Toohey.

I'ts Ayn Rand, people. Teenage girl sexual fantasies out of Danielle Steele combined with the mind of an Aristotle! A strange but wonderfull combination.

And as to Cooper, Neal and Massey, their acting is phenomenal. Perfect casting and flawless directing by Vidor.

A true classic.

You don't need to know about the book to enjoy this film
While it was based on Ayn Rand's book, Ayn Rand personally altered the story to adapt it to film. It is a great movie that really makes the viewer think about many things including individualism, selfishness, and even what is right and wrong. For many people who take these notions as given from a very young, questioning them with an adult mind is a good idea. If you enjoy this movie, be sure to pick up and read some of Ayn Rand's non-fiction.

Absolute Hookum and a pure joy!
As an Architect, my opinion is biased by actual experience in this field, but, this movie made me laugh so hard the first time I saw it, it became one of my all time favorites. No architect I have ever met acted anywhere near as self rightious as Roarke, they'de be working at MickieD's the rest of there lifes, as NO ONE would ever hire them, not even to clean pools. Architecture is about knowing your client needs and providing a solution that meets all the requirements of the client, city, and context. That being said, this movies a HOOT!!!

First off, too all the Rand-ites out there, THIS IS A MOVIE! get over the fact that the book is better, every book is better than the movie, thats the nature of the beast.

For the Non-Rand-ites out there, SEE IT SEE IT SEE IT. This movie is a melodramotic potboiler of bad movie bliss. Dont get me wrong, the production values are excellent, its beautifully shot and the cinematography is terrific. The archtectural projects are really spectacular and completely impossible to build, so they are way over the top. But the script is pure Hooey! and the music is sooooo overly-dramatic. Thats what makes this such a great film too watch. Only Ann Rand could take a good novel and cram it into such a laughably compacted screenplay. I felt I has watching cliffnotes from the novel. In the first 5 minutes a year of the story goes by, and the whole film is like that.

There are some very good moments in the film though, topped by Coopers speech to the jury. But the best sceen is after the "drills in the quarry" scene when Patrica Oneill is thinking of Cooper and in the background are images of drills with this completely campy Xylophone music acompanying it. Its one of the most overtly sexual suggestive scenes ever put of film and it hilarious, and dont forget to wait till the end, when you can see the Worlds Greatest 200 story Phallic Symbol ever created on film in the Wymann Building, with Cooper standing on top of course!

Great!!
If you liked the book... get this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (243)

An entertaining FX thrill ride
"Hollow Man," directed by Paul Verhoeven, is a sci-fi thriller that takes on a classic theme: invisibility. Although this topic has been portrayed in numerous movies, TV programs, and comic books, "Hollow Man" distinguishes itself with a combination of cutting edge special effects and menacing thrills. Kevin Bacon plays the film's main character, Dr. Sebastian Caine--whose name struck me as a subtle biblical reference to the "mark of Cain" (Genesis 4:15)

The effects are truly the star of the film, and the filmmakers exploit the invisibility motif in many memorable scenes. Sequences such as a hunt for an invisible escaped gorilla are shot with flair. Good production values add to the film's visual appeal: every would-be "mad scientist" would drool over the high-tech laboratory created for Dr. Caine. But be forewarned: the film's gory violence may not be suitable for all viewers.

The only real flaw of the film lies in the characterizations. Bacon's Dr. Caine is an unlikeable, arrogant creep who shows his disregard for both human and animal life from his first scenes. The film's one almost sympathetic character, a soft-hearted veterinarian, is whiny and annoying. As a result, I found myself not caring much for any of these characters. But this criticism aside, "Hollow Man" is an entertaining and visually stunning thrill ride.

Great special effects, horrid script
Hollow Man could've been so much better but it just wasn't. Hollow Man takes the idea of the classic Sci Fi movie The Invisible Man and gives it a total shake up. Kevin Bacon plays a government scientist that is testing the possibilies of becoming invisible.

He and his team test this new and possibly revolutionary idea on of course, animals and finally, their hopes and works come true as they rematerialize an invisible gorilla. Thinking that Bacon is safe, he has his team turn him invisible hoping that he will be able to rematerialize as well. Things start to go wrong as Bacon and his team are unable to bring him back, he then goes insane and furious and starts taking his revenge on his team, government officials and anyone else that gets in his way.

O.k. now here's the bad news. Now normally that sounds really good, but in this day and age, 5 star special effects don't and can't help a poor script and bad plotted movies. I'll say it, it was a great idea but it was poorly executed. Don't get me wrong, the effects are awesome, phenomenal and nothing else was like them. The problem was that the plot was so vast and doubtful (even for Sci Fi) that it made the movie cheap.

The other thing that made this one bad was that the characters in the movie (aside from Bacon), might as well have been air brushed in because for the most part, it seemed like they didn't matter because the supporting cast felt nonexistant. None of them gave strong performances or even had adequate dialogue to match Bacon's (and even his was not that impressive).

I think the lesson here is that it's no longer the 80's and that when movies have great effects and bad scripts, don't be too surprised if you feel let down because of that. It's good to have high expectations in the viewing of your choice. It's just that Hollow Man shouldn't be a part of that.

come on, show some love
Think of this movie as a big budget slasher flick, sci-fi hybrid,and you might enjoy it.It has a mean streak a mile long and jaw-dropping effects.you can pin point when it shifts from sci-fi to slasher flick. the dvd is packed listen to the commentary its a good one.a guilty pleasure for sure,its better than the 2 1/2 star rating above.

Great Movie, Takes a Little Long, But Still Great!
Sebastian Kane is a scientist for a secret government organization. His ex-girlfriend Linda and her boyfriend Josh are his co-workers, as well are Sarah, Frank, and Carter. They work deep underground planning something secret. It's so secret, in fact, that a dozen other movies were made about it. It's called "The Invisible Man." Great movie, but I can get some more originality when I'm spanking it. Basically, Sebastian (Kevin Bacon, omg so sexy, no just kidding--Elizabeth Shue is hot!) volunteers himself to be a guinea pig for an invisibility serum and when he is unable to be brought back, he takes revenge on his co-workers in various Paul Verhoeven-gory fashions. Paul Verhoeven is a genius: he brought us classics like Starship Troopers, Robocop, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct, and this movie is going into those classics. It's scary (loved the dog scene), it's gory (loved when ___ is dropped onto the metal and it dices his throat open), and it's got a lot of high points to it (the fight between Sebastian and Josh is the best part). It's got good acting (loved the guy who played Carter--is he in anything else? The guy does good!), some sensual parts, some genuine "holy hell!" parts, and some good one liners ("And I thought killing you would be hard!"). Enjoy this flick! It's fast-paced, and great.

HOLLOW MOVIE
Yes, the effects are brilliant; director Paul Verhoeven hasn't lost his flair for cinematic flair. Elisabeth Shue is lovely; Josh Brolin is studly; and Kevin Bacon is appropriately malevolent. The movie's focus however is so shallow and the characters at times so unlikeable, we find outselves wondering how much of ourselves to invest. HOLLOW MAN is entertaining enough, although I can't for the life of me figure out the allure of being invisible. The climactic scene is tense and well done, but the Michael Meyers when is the villain really dead schtick is still getting old.
Not a bad movie for a popcorn Friday night, but it could and should have packed more punch! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Of all the Danny Kaye movies, this musical biography of the legendary vagabond storyteller is definitely the most poignant, extending the performer's range far beyond his usual comic shtick. It may not be as funny as Wonder Man, but it has so much more going for it. In fact, the film is really more about Kaye than Andersen, providing rare insight into his humanitarian ideals and rapport with children. The Frank Loesser score is beautiful, as is the Technicolor cinematography. Among the songs performed, "Inchworm," "Thumbelina," and "Ugly Duckling" are the standout favorites. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Hans Christian Andersen not quite, but very entertaining
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75) was an Ugly Duckling. He lived in the third largest town Odense, in Denmark. The son of a cobbler he was poverty ridden and a failure as an actor and it wasn't until he moved to Copenhagen and won the patronage of Frederick VI, through his poetry, that he wrote his fairy tales and developed into a swan. Like many artists he wasn't particularly happy, and never did marry, although he was very fond of Jenny Lind (1820-87) the Swedish Nightingale a soprano given the name by P.T. Barnum during her tour of the United States between 1850-52.) Charles Vidor's film does state at the beginning, This is not the story of Hans Christian Andersen but a fairy tale about the great spinner of fairy tales. The Danes objected to the way Hans Christian Andersen was portrayed even though Goldwyn had rejected 21 previous manuscripts, so the film company inserted this statement in the credits.

Danny Kaye with his chiselled features does resemble H.C.Andersen when looking at his profile, but apart from this facial feature that's where it stops. Kaye had dark hair but Hollywood soon changed that and he became a blonde, Andersen also had dark hair but he kept it that way.

Unlike some earlier musicals, this film does have a strong story line with loads of songs written by "Baby, It's Cold Outside", Frank Loessen, such as Thumbelina, Ugly Duckling, No Two People, and of course Wonderful Copenhagen. The scenery is very clever, the backgrounds look like illustrations from fairy tale books, but as the camera zooms in to the foreground the buildings and props become three dimensional similar to a pop-up-book.

There are four ballet scenes that I probably found boring back in '52, but revisiting them now, they are visually very interesting, technically I wouldn't know if they are good or mediocre but for a Hollywood musical film, four ballets must of taken an enormous amount of consideration seeing as the film is really for kids. Once again the backdrops for the ballets also resemble fairy tale illustrations and pop-up-books.

Instead of a soprano, Andersen falls in love with a ballet dancer and here's a musical that doesn't have a very happy ending because poor Hans gets mixed up with a married woman. The ballet dancer Doro, is played by Zizi Jeanmaire, and is married to Niels played by Farley Granger. During the last part of the film, the audience is taken behind the scenes of the ballet company playing at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen, but this isn't a film of a show included in a show, similar to earlier musicals, but an uplifting musical film with lots of music with catchy tunes helped by a ton of children.

The last ballet scene takes 17 minutes, quite long for a popular movie. In the film Hans writes a story especially for his love Doro, unfortunately Niels locks him in a cupboard so Andersen never sees her perform but has to use his imagination.

The ballet takes place on land and under the ocean. The surface waves are pop-up so that the dancers can be seen dancing in between the swells, it's really very clever visually, and there's no trickery here. Under the sea filled with monsters and witches, the heroine is probably attached to a pulley so that she can be seen swimming for the surface. There are no blue screens in this film, all effects are up-front and work perfectly similar to a staged ballet. Once again the technicolor process is used and this enhances the fairy tale effect with vivid colors.

Hans Christian Andersen fairy stories are not violent when compared to the Grimm brothers, but the themes usually have a lesson, and in the story written for Doro's ballet, "The Little Mermaid," it is saying that aiming for the stars does not always bring happiness, but then of course Walt Disney hadn't yet arrived on the scene and he soon changed that philosophy.

A good kid's movie
HAns Christian andersen is a good movie. Andersen (Danny Kaye) is a cobbler who can't stop telling stories for the little kiddies. This gets him in trouble with the top bananas in town, who vote to have him run out for making kids miss school. Andersen moves to Copenhagen, falls in love with a beautiful french ballerina, and gets himself famous for his stories, all the while going from song to song with true Kaye spirit. It was a good movie, but not one to be overly thrilled about.

Delicious performer, wonderful introduction to ballet!
I fell hopelessly in love with Danny Kaye when I was 8 years old, and I'm still crazy about him many years later. . . no other performer of whom I'm aware has ever shown his unique combination of comic virtuousity, tenderness, silliness, physical bravado and dramatic depth.

He could also really sing, not just comically but straightforwardly, in his naturally rich, sweet lyric-tenor voice. If you really listen to the "Inchworm" song, you will hear just how fine his voice really was.

The ballet sequences in the movie transfixed me as an eight-year-old ballerina wannabe. Maybe they look hokey to present-day grownups, but I bet most kids would immediately understand.

One of the best movies ever!!!!

Correction
I'd just like to make a correction on another customer review that I read of this movie. This was not Danny Kaye's last movie. I don't know what was, but in 1954, he did "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney. It's not a really important thing, I suppose, but I just wanted to make sure that the information was correct.

Delightful Children's Musical
Danny Kaye plays the Danish cobbler-storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen. At the beginning he is said by the schoolmaster of the village of Odense he is causing trouble. The trouble is he tells stories to the village children, and they learn things like numbers falling in love and marrying each other. One town person said of his stories: They asked their daughter what time it was? She said "the minute and hour hands weren't speaking to each other. They were in love with the second hand. So they wouldn't make up until they met at 12 o' clock." After all the commotion with the village officials, Hans goes back to his cobbler shop. There his apprentice friend, Peter talks him into getting away from the village and going to Copenhagen.

Reluctant at first Hans agrees to go to Copenhagen with Peter. There Hans meets and falls in love with Doro (Jeanmarie), a beautiful French ballerina. But later learns that she is married to the demanding Niels (Farley Granger). Overwhelmed by his love for her, he is inspired to write, 'The Little Mermaid' for Doro. The story of the Little Mermaid, like Doro goes-that she looked for love from the wrong man. Hans becomes popular with the people of Copenhagen and his gift in telling stories to the children. So Andersen's fame grew out of his plays and stories. Some of the musical scores that stand out are the most known of Andersen's best loved works. Those most memorable numbers are from 'Inchworm,' 'Thumbelina' and 'The Ugly Duckling.' Hans later finds that the ballerina truly loves her husband, so Hans returns home to his village of Odense. There he tells his stories to the children who loves to hear his fairy tales. You may not find Kaye's usual comic flair here. He extends his more poignant side of the famous storyteller. This was Kaye's final film of his career beofre embarking on his life's love of working with Unicef. If you like to read about Andersen, he wrote his auto-bio, 'The Fairy Tale of My Life.' The film itself is a delightful children's story that the whole family can love. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

"E.R." Meets "Twin Peaks"
This 5-hour marathon was originally a mini-series on Danish television, which partly explains the length. It won't take you long to get completely involved in the weird goings-on at the massive Copenhagen hospital complex named "The Kingdom", though, and once you're hooked, you'll want to savor every minute. The primary plot concerns a malingering woman's search within the hospital for the spirit of a young girl, but there's also a phantom ambulance, a secret society (complete with some really bizarre initiation rites!), a Greek Chorus doing the dishes, and at least a half-dozen sub-plots. Although there are some visually disturbing scenes, plus a few steamy ones, the overall tone is best summed up as "quirky humor". The vast impersonality of the hospital is conveyed through washed-out sepia-tinted shots of endless corridors and fly-over shots of the huge complex, but the halls are chock-full of nuts. The Swedish chief neurosurgeon, on the lam from Stockholm thanks to assorted misdeeds there, shouts his frustrations at the "Danish scum" from the rooftops. A resident takes *his* title quite literally, setting up living quarters in the basement, where he recycles pharmaceuticals and keeps tabs on who's up to what. A portly orderly, cowed into submission by his psychosomatic mother, wheels her throughout the building while she searches for the spirit of a young girl she believes was murdered. The loopy head of staff seeks to inspire the workers with a typically management-brain-dead scheme he proudly calls "Operation Morning Wind". If you like the movies of the Coen brothers ("Fargo", or "The Hudsucker Proxy") or if you enjoyed "Twin Peaks", this is *definitely* one to check out. And since this isn't enough in itself, yup, there's a five-hour *sequel*!

Stanley Kubrick meets David Lynch
When I first saw this foreign gem from director Lars Von Trier ("Breaking The Waves")in Cork, Ireland, the film festival program copy read, "Kubrick meets David Lynch. Already has a cult following."

What "it" is, is "The Kingdom." Perhaps best decribed colloquially as ER on acid, "The Kingdom" is a four-part series set in a hospital in Sweden. Built on an acient burial ground (somewhat a la "The Shining"), as the hospital (named The Kingdom) defies nature with the pursuit of hard-nosed science, it begins to undergo structural damage and visitations by uneasy spirits.

While shifting from the levity of relationships between the doctors, who range from open-minded and good-natured to practitioners of bad medicine, to the greek chorus (represented by two mentally challenged dishwashers who work in the basement), "The Kingdom" delivers palpable chills. Expect ghosts, severed heads, malpractice suits, seances, alien/ghost births and operations involving the switching of organs. It may sound like a bad episode of "The X-Files," circa '98, but the full effect of Von Trier's opus is decidedly classier and worth every second of the four one-hour installments (it originally ran as a television program in Denmark). If you enjoyed the following, you will most certainly take delight in "The Kingdom": The City of Lost Children, La Femme Nikita, Twin Peaks, The Shining.

Mad Genius!
A fascinating ghost story set in a Danish hospital and created by the mad genius, Lars von Trier. This director is famous for Breaking the Waves and his new film, Dogville. However, The Kingdom is by far my favourite film he has directed so far. [...].

A masterpiece encompassing many kingdoms
The Kingdom is the name of a gargantuan decaying hosital in Copenhagen where this amazing Lars von Trier Gothic television miniseries is set. of course, the title also refers to the kingdom of Denmark (in the staff meeting room where many scenes take place, the portraits of Queen Margrethe and her consort are prominently displayed), for which the hospital is a metaphor, and for the kingdom of society in general. And, as von Trier explains in his charming afterwords to the episodes, it also refers to the kingdom of the imagination itself.

The miniseries works on all these levels. It's a quirky, incredibly atmospheric study of the hospital centering upon the discovery of the ghost of a girl murdered 75 years previously on the same site haunting the hospital, and it revolves around a giant cast of dozens of memorable characters, all of whom are intensely sympathetic even though they're pretty miserable human beings. The three at the core of the story are a malingerer, the septuagenarian medium Mrs. Drusse, obsessed with discovering the story behind a ghost; a blackmailer, the young and sexy Dr. Hook; and his nemesis in the neurology department, the jaw-droppingly arrogant brain surgeon Dr. Helmer, who had to take this job in Denmark (which he loathes) after being cast out of a job in his native Sweden under suspicion of plagiarism. Although the Gothic aspects to the story are beautifully brought out by the labyrinthine deserted basement hallways of the hospital and Von Trier's gorgeous sepia-tinted cinemtography, like all the best ghost stories the ghosts here serve as metaphors for what's wrong with the state of society in general. The miniseries is an amazingly funny satire on the dilapidated Danish health care system, and the film's funniest moments involve the attempts of the neurology department's manager, the marvelously manipulative and passive-aggressive Professor Moesgaard, to implement a hilariously inane PR campaign called "Operation Morning Air" that involves (among other things) having the neurosurgeons cheerfully sing introductions to one another at staff meetings.

The series has often been compared to "Twin Peaks," but it's probably even better. Like the Lynch series it does a marvelous job of conveying atmosphere, but it is deeper and more carefully engineered and imagined. Though there are m