Reviews (101)

A well-acted crime thriller
In "The General's Daughter," directed by Simon West, John Travolta plays Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, an Army investigator. He and a fellow officer (Madeleine Stowe) team up to investigate a high profile murder on an Army base. Their quest for the truth leads them into some twisted pathways of sex, power, and secrecy.

This film is a genuinely gripping crime thriller. Director West maintains effective tension, and the performances are outstanding. Travolta brings an appealing mix of strength and sensitivity to his soldier-cop, and Stowe is also wholly credible as his sharp-minded partner. The supporting cast is stellar, but I was particularly impressed by James Woods' raw-nerve performance as an army officer who may be hiding a secret.

The one aspect of the film that doesn't work is the brief romantic bickering of the two main characters; to me it was out of place and merely detracted from the main story. What I did find compelling was the film's effective portrayal of the military as a complex subculture with its own history and customs.

Be warned: the film does not portray the U.S. Army in the best light, and many will be disturbed, and even offended, by some of the film's ideas and images. There is some harrowing stuff here. But I found the film truly compelling.

ho-hum melodrama
Despite high powered talent both in front of and behind the camera, "The General's Daughter" emerges as a tepid, run-of-the-mill murder mystery set on a deep South army base. The murder victim is the (to put it politely) sexually loose daughter of the camp's highly distinguished general; Travolta portrays the investigator, torn between loyalty to the military and to his civilian duties, whose job it is to unravel the mystery of her bizarre death.

Though based on true events, the film's screenplay fails to develop a particularly compelling or surprising story, settling instead for a gallery of essentially stereotypical characters. We have, for instance, the cynical, but essentially decent tough guy investigator, the hard-as-nails female helpmate, who, of course, has shared a failed romantic past with the hero, and the by-the-rules-at-all-costs military father, willing to sacrifice his daughter's life on the altar of doing what's best for the institution. In addition, the film lines up the usual array of red herrings, false leads, and strawmen suspects that Travolta's character must bat away before the final solution is revealed. That resolution comes in the form of a ludicrous, barely credible scene in which the guilty person, as always, pointlessly explains to the investigators every detail concerning the execution of the crime.

Given nothing in the way of fully developed or fleshed out characters to portray, the actors are left to essentially sleepwalk through their roles. It is obvious none of their hearts are in these dull proceedings. Travolta needs perhaps to begin challenging himself a bit more in more demanding roles and stop settling for such routine assignments as the one he has found in "The General's Daughter".

Alternative Ending is the Best!!
In the special edition at the end of the tape, they show an alternative ending. It is much better than the original ending.

As usual, Travolta stands out. He does an excellent job of portraying a Warrant Officer and puts military, officer B.S. in its place.

As good as the movie is, the book is better.

John Travolta finally shows acting ability.
This movie was fantastically cast with a superb plot that will keep you guessing until the very end. Actor John Travolta has not played this good a part and in such good a fashion since he starred with Olivia Newton John in Saturday Night Fever.
John Travolta is with the investigating team in the army when the General's daughter is murdered. The problem is, the murder is made to look like a rape, yet clearly isn't. The maze of twists and turns this movie takes you down will have you on the edge of your seat. I like the line "There is a right way, a wrong way, and the Army way" because John Travolta must risk his career and all he has going for him to choose which way he will take. Rent or buy it today - you won't be sorry.

Save your money, buy the book!
The engrossing Nelson DeMille novel was turned into a boring, hard to follow, predictable movie. The book draws you into Ann Cambell's world, the movie never does. It is a complicated story with many twists and turns and there is no way a 2 hour movie could do it justice. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

CULT MOVIES 15
15. THE MECHANIC (action, 1972) Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is the mechanic, a hit man hired by the Organization (a Mafia-life firm) as its own assassin. Bishop's contact to the Organization is Harry, a long time confidant of his late father. Bishop is meticulous in his work. Before any hits he studies the targets weaknesses so as not to leave any leaks. He is without feelings or remorse, the consummate professional. Bishop's next target is Harry. He carries the job through without hesitation. Harry's son Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) lives the life of a dilenta playboy. He suspects Bishop's involvement in his father's death, and tries to find out what his ties to the Organization are. Steve comes to admire Bishop's unwavering and ruthless personality, as Bishop admires Steve's youthful promiscuity and cunning nature. They are both alike. Bishop takes him under his wing and trains him as his new partner. On their first hit together their assigned to a "cowboy ride" (a hit that has to be done quickly). It turns out to be a set-up engineered by the Organization. Bishop escapes, but someone is still out to eliminate him.

Critique: As far as spy and espionage films go The Mechanic is one of the best. Not only for those Charles Bronson aficionados (like myself), but for lovers of well-made auctioneer. Michael Winner's clever direction adds a sparkle to the genre. He sets up interesting insights into assassin's mode of work. A cut above Death Wish (1974- Bronson's best known film), in both content and script, Bronson's performance is the epitome of cool. He's perfect at playing a character that has been totally detached from the outside world, and a man trapped in a world he can only have created. In the same way that Steve McQueen used his laconic presence to great use, Winner makes full use of Bronson's craggy features.

QUOTE: Bishop: "Murder is killing without a license. Everybody kills."

The thinking man's solution
Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is a 'mechanic' -- a contract killer. Given an assignment, Mr. Bishop studies his target's habits, lifestyle and schedule, seeking weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Mr. Bishop then decides where and how to complete his assignment, using martial arts, weapons, explosives, or anything else deemed necessary. Mr. Bishop is an expert in a stress-filled occupation, but Mr. Bishop is beginning to experience anxiety attacks in his daily life.

Steve McKenna (Jan Michael Vincent) is the jaded son of a deceased crime boss. At Steve's urging Arthur accepts Steve as an apprentice. Arthur teaches Steve the tricks of the mechanic's trade. Their first assignment together is awkward. Their next assignment is a rush job and it blows up in their faces ...

Charles Bronson's career is marked by violent characterizations. The Arthur Bishop role is interesting because Arthur Bishop is an aesthetic -- Arthur Bishop treats contract killing as an art form. If Charles Bronson normally plays bludgeon characters, Arthur Bishop is a scalpel. And Jan Michael Vincent plays Steve McKenna both with sensitivity and with his usual attractive swagger. Coupled in a well-written plot, Bronson and Vincent's performances make "The Mechanic" a memorable film.

A real cultmovie from the seventies
Pay attention very careully. The essential dramatic line is very simple. Never trust in anyone; no matter what your intentions be; remeber two very close related films with this one; Donnie Brasco and Wall street.
The script turns aroun a smart paid assasin; his works are extremely clean and he makes those murderslook like simple accidents: the long opening sequence is wonderful , a silent depict without any introduction; the film is direct and deeply absorbimg.
Later he'll meet his next victim and wil befriendof the son of that one. Obviously he made a wrong choice; you know, in this business,and that choice will become the spark of his end.
The script flow runs organical; our mechanic has several nightmares; and also he suffers from insomnia. He makes his assignments as he was a chess player; the locations are superb; specially the last one in Naples.
Jan Michael Vincent worked out as a perfect balance to the mechanic: but warning; because you never must underestimate your enemy.
The ancestral myth of Icaro appears in this sense; too much proud; too much arrogance ; a briliant intelligence without a prudence dosis; a lion with fierce moods but without any sense of the rules of game. This fortune fate will reach you sooner or later.
You may enlist this title as another clever Film noir.
Bronson made a legendary film three years before titled The rain passenger from Rene Clement; and this movie made him growing up as a heavy weight character actor.
One of the most intimate triumphs of this unforgettable actor.
Buy this one!

Bronson at the top of his game
This is a great 70s movie. I haven't seen that many of Bronson's movies, but The Mechanic is by far the best of the ones I have seen. Bronson is a mechanic (or hitman) who is joined by Jan-Michael Vincent (who would later appear in the Airwolf TV show) as his apprentice. You're drawn in from the beginning even though there's no dialogue at all for several minutes. The planning and execution of the "hits" are cold and calculating, leaving the ultimate question of whether or not the apprentice will be able to succeed his master.

The Whole Ball Of Wax
You'd better hope and pray that your picture doesn't end up in Arthur Bishop's mailbox, boys and girls! That slick hitman, Bishop is played to the hilt by none other than Charles Bronson! You already knew that, but I had to say it regardless. This is one of his best performances right up there with his performance in Death Wish and The Great Escape. Like Death Wish, he's the criminal that we're all rootin' for, and he carries this movie flawlessly to the end. Even the most diehard Bronson hater(if there are any-and if there is, shame on you!) will dig this movie if you like action films. I really can't think of alot more to say about the film, other than it's worth it for the great price or at least a rental for crying out loud! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The titular center of the world is a matter of perspective in WayneWang's (The Joy Luck Club, Smoke) notorious, explicit drama ofemotional isolation and sexual commerce in the modern world. According to rich,apathetic cyber-geek Peter Sarsgaard (Boys Don't Cry), it's his homecomputer. Amateur rock & roll drummer and part-time stripper Molly Parker(Wonderland) deems it an erotic part of the female anatomy. Their "date"is merely a sexual contract that takes them to Las Vegas, a place as phony andimpersonal as their so-called romance. "You know it's just an act, right?" shereminds him between her slinky bump-and-grind striptease shows and their sweatysexual gymnastics.

The Internet makes a great metaphor for modern social alienation, with itsimpersonal communication and virtual sex, but there's not much else new in thisfamiliar story other than the erotic content. Shot on dimly lit, high-definitionvideo, the gray, washed palette sucks the glamour and titillation right out ofthe spectacle, turning it into an empty, soulless exercise in physical sensationand self delusion--appropriate to this story of lonely souls unable to breakthrough their own isolation. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Weird Sexual Film Leaves One Dry
This was a weird movie. Wayne Wang is one of the most famous directors of "no budget films" (films that shoot on 16mm and video with no connection to Hollywood) and popularized by Rick Schmidt. On that recommendation, I went to see this movie.

The plot centers around a rich tech-geek who hires a stripper to go with him to Las Vegas. During the trip, sex mixes with (maybe) love and eventually all hell breaks lose with each side realizing what they really are.

There are plenty of reasons to view this movie. The characters are very complex, with truly subtle perfomances given by all involved. The story also is engaging with enough twists to keep one puzzled. This is a sexual film that is the complete opposite of "Showgirls." It is a view of the sex industry with both it's appeal and its horrible toll of the minds of its partisipants. You will real want to discuss this film.

So far, it sounds like a five star movie, but it isn't. The lowbudgetness of the movie makes the sex scenes look like porn, which actually draws the audiance out of the emotions Wang is looking for. It also is a movie that becomes increasingly vulgar to melodramatic effect, so as to almost parody itself at times.

It appears that there were two sides to Director Wayne Wang on this piece.

Director Wayne made a profound study of the sex industry.

Director WANG made a cheap vulgar porno.

It's too bad that they're the same movie.

Reality check.
Touted as the modern "Last Tango in Paris", a movie I neither understood nor enjoyed, this unrated film still caught my eye. I was intrigued enough by the plot synopsis of "Center of the World" - computer geek hires stripper for a $10k paid trip to Vegas. The strip related scenes were tasteful and focused on the psychology more than the detailed physiology. The stripper was very real, no Pam Anderson look alike. These two elements made the entire film more inviting to me. A film that provoked some thought and discussion. Money and sex -- when the power changes hands? What is the gender difference between love and sex? When does a man think of a woman's pleasure? Sexual deviance, over sexed desensitization, when does a man say "no"? What will become of the guy who watches 3 computer screens at work - work, stocks, and ..., and yet has no time to have a normal social life? This film also dares to show the most real woman's ... -- about time! Films truly do give us impressions about what sex is supposed to be like, and hello - most films are directed by men - so how often do we actually see a realistic female ... and not some male interpretive fantasy?

Exploring the boundaries between reality and fantasy
Think the premise of "Pretty Woman," but more firmly grounded in the real world, and you might get close to what "The Center of the World" is all about. This film abandons the glamourized Hollywood notions of sex workers, and doesn't engage in the pat, happy ending that we saw in "Pretty Woman"... and it is a far better film for it. Furthermore, Molly Parker is far more exotically lovely than Julia Roberts could even hope to be, and a better actress to boot.

In short, if you're looking for a romantic escapist fantasy about a sex worker redeemed by the love of a good man, look elsewhere -- this film is far more complex than that.

Comparisons to "Pretty Woman" do seem inevitable however, to the point that I wonder if the director and writers weren't crafting this film as a direct response to that one, a way of saying, "Whoa boy, reality check!" The premise is familiar at least. Richard (Peter Saarsgard) is wealthy but lonely after a breakup with his girlfriend two years before. He meets Florence (Molly Parker) in a coffee shop and finds out that she is a stripper. He visits her at the strip club where she works (nicely named Pandora's Box), and is so intrigued by her that he offers her $10,000 to spend three days with him in Las Vegas. She agrees, with a number of strict conditions, including limiting the number of hours she is required to "work," and limiting the acts she will perform. "No kissing on the mouth" (sounds familiar, no?) and "no penetration" are among her limitations.

From this familiar territory, though, the film explores new ground. Richard and Florence get to know one another as they spend more time together, and Florence finds out that Richard isn't such a bad guy, just lonely. "Why do you have to be so nice?" she asks him at one point, partially angry and partially not. Richard, in the meantime, is becoming more and more deeply entranced by this woman he has hired, which becomes part of the conflict.

Given the subject of the film, there is of course a great deal of sexuality portrayed in it. It is handled pretty tastefully, and none of it is there for its own sake. It is partially through their sexual relationship that we see the growth and the limitations of the characters' relationship in general. The sex scenes are handsomely shot and are not the typical sort of scenes one might expect from an erotic film; nevertheless (perhaps because they are unique), they are extremely erotic.

The acting is quite good. We spend most of the film only seeing Richard and Florence interacting together, with just a few other characters showing up here and there, but the two lead actors have the chops to sustain the film from beginning to end. Peter Saarsgard plays a "nice guy" well, and it's good to see that he doesn't overplay it at all. He's a very real nice guy, with flaws and points where he stops being nice out of frustration or anger. Molly Parker, as Florence, lends a similar depth to her role. From the first moment you see her you can see why Richard becomes infatuated with her: she is ethereally lovely, with a husky voice that is simply enthralling. But it is her personality that Richard really falls for, and that too is portrayed believably. She is played with a genuine warmth and likeability that is often missing from erotic films, but not overly sweet like "Pretty Woman" and many other Hollywood attempts at a similar story. I suspect that Molly Parker will be a talent to watch carefully in the next few years.

The nature and limitations of the relationship between these two people -- in one sense employer and employee and in another far more intimate than that -- becomes the main subject of the film as it progresses. How much of what Florence is giving to Richard is real, and how much is an act? How does the aspect of money change what happens over that three days? Are his feelings based in reality? Are hers?

Some of these questions are answered at the end, others are left open to the viewer's interpretation. There is nothing about the end, however, that is trite or simple, and as in life, there is a great deal that will depend on the perspective of the person watching the story unfold. This is a film very much grounded in reality, dealing with real people in a realistic (if unique) situation, and in the end it avoids the typical Hollywood fantasy notions that are so common.

Comparisons to "Pretty Woman" may well be inevitable for this film, but in such comparisons "The Center of the World" comes out ahead in every category. It's not a perfect film, but it is an excellent one. It is both sexier and more realistic, and that makes it well worth watching in my book.

Hidden gem!
This movie was totally not what I was expecting but I just loved it. It examines the meaning of relationship (at least that's how I understood it) and does it with such delicacy and subtlety that it's very rare in american movies (it rather characteristic for french movies). The movie is very erotic and sensual even without (or almost without) nudity. The acting by Peter Sargaard and Molly Parker was superb. Highly recommended to all fans of european cinema that can accept a movie without much outside action.

The penetration of bought company...
Where is the center of the world? This is a rhetorical question as it is often perceived to be in the mind of the individual with the notion. In this film the center of the world surrounds the interpersonal relationship between a man, Richard (Peter Sarsgaard) and a woman, Florence (Molly Parker). This relationship has a monetary foundation as Richard has rented Florence for a three day trip to Las Vegas. Richard has developed a depression that is consuming his life as he is on the brink of making a big business deal, but his world is now obsessed with Florence and the erotic favors that she is performing for him. The notion "where is the center of the world" is apparent as the story unfolds, however, it is Florence's callousness and Richard's passion that spins the story as it brings the audience a decadent cinematic experience that is worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (176)

COLD RECEPTION FOR A HOT WILDER CLASSIC
MGM continues to insult the intelligence of the DVD consumer with this 'special edition' of one of Billy Wilder's all time great romantic comedies. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are witnesses to the Valentine's Day Massacre. To stay alive the boys shave their legs, dress in drag and join an all-girl's band fronted by sulty singing sensation, Sugar Cane (Marilyn Monroe). Featuring Monroe's inimitable renditions of "Running Wild" and "I Wanna Be Loved By You" this is a keeper in every respect.
Unfortunately MGM Home Entertainment has done a terrible job of remastering the print. Though the black and white picture exhibits exceptional contrast and clarity, the obtrusive inclusion of edge enhancement, artifacting, aliasing, fine detail shimmering and digital grit make for a really unattractive visual presentation. The sound has been remixed to 5.1, but the dated fidelity shines through. Still, the audio is presented at an acceptable listening level and without much distortion or echo.
Extras included a trip down memory lane with Tony Curtis that is overly long and really dragged down by Curtis' flamboyant hamming it up for the cameras. Oh well, I can't imagine too many people are asking him to shave his legs these days. Bottom line: If you absolutely must have the film I guess you could waste your money on this version. My hope is that someone at MGM will want to revisit this classic at a later date and with a more reputable transfer. Here's to hoping. Besides - nobody's perfect!

Still A Gem
"Some Like It Hot" is one of those great classics that has as much comedy in it as well as it does romance. It is the story of two musicians, Joe and Terry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), who intenvertidly stumble upon a mob squad hit (The St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and must flee from Chicago to Florida in hopes of getting away from the mobsters. Realizing that two female musicians are needed, Joe and Terry decide to dress in drag, board a bus filled with female musicians, and head to Florida. Of course, one of the leading ladies on board the bus, is the sexy Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), who has guy problems and represents the rebel.

The film has such balance between the comic exploits of Curtis and Lemmon looking out for their backs and trying to pull off this whole female identity without getting caught, and the romantic parts, which involve Curtis' character trying to woo Sugar Kane. While Curtis is trying to make the moves on Sugar Kane, Lemmon's character is trying to escape the advances of a multi-millionare who continally attempts to make the moves on him/her.

There is plenty of double-meaning humor, slapstick humor and fun romance in this movie. It has a little of everything, and it is understandable why most still refer to this movie as a gem.

Transvestites, yipes!
This one shows up on Turner Classics every once in a while, but I hadn't focused till the other night. There's something creepy about dressing like a woman. Some burly men may have no qualms, but I find transvestites, ahh, uncomfortable. I know. It's me and there's nothing wrong with that. In Some Like It Hot, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are cross-dressing to escape some killers. They're not very attractive as women, which allowed me to enjoy the sex identity farce. Farce in America means screwball comedy. If Monroe crawled into my Pullman berth to sleep, hmm -- Lemmon pops one no doubt, and I'm not sure it was in the script if you know what I mean. Then he's swarmed by bunches of scantily clad ladies and the fun escalates. Monroe wears two dresses that give an interesting illusion. What a bod.

No pastry, no butter and no sugar

Director: Billy Wilder
Format: Black & White
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: May 1, 2001

Cast:

Marilyn Monroe ... Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis ... Joe (Josephine)/Junior
Jack Lemmon ... Jerry (Daphne)
George Raft ... Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien ... Mulligan
Joe E. Brown ... Osgood Fielding III
Nehemiah Persoff ... Little Bonaparte
Joan Shawlee ... Sweet Sue
Billy Gray ... Sig Poliakoff
George E. Stone ... Toothpick Charlie
Dave Barry ... Beinstock
Mike Mazurki ... Spats' Henchman
Harry Wilson ... Spats' Henchman
Beverly Wills ... Dolores
Barbara Drew ... Nellie
Edward G. Robinson Jr. ... Johnny Paradise
Paul Frees ... Funeral Director/Josephine
Joe Gray ... Mobster at banquet
Harold 'Tommy' Hart ... Second Official
Ted Hook
John Indrisano ... Waiter
Tom Kennedy ... Bouncer
Fred Sherman ... Drunk
Tito Vuolo ... Mozzarella
Al Breneman ... Bellhop
Pat Comiskey ... Spats' henchman
Penny McGuiggan ... Band Member
Laurie Mitchell ... Mary Lou, Trumpet Player
Helen Perry ... Rosella
Sandra Warner ... Emily, Band Member
Grace Lee Whitney ... Band Member
Marian Collier ... Olga, Clarinet Player
Joan Fields ... Band Member
Mary Foley ... Band Member

The cops bust a "funeral" with a casket full of booze--and nothing else. Joe/Josephine (Tony Curtis) and Jerry/Daphne (Jack Lemmon), desperate for work as a bass fiddle player and saxophonist, take a spot as members of an all-girl band, in drag, for a Florida tour, and to get away from gangsters who know that they witnessed a gang war murder by Spats Colombo's (George Raft) gang. There they meet Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe) who has a drinking problem.

The pair are attracting the notice not only of the mob, but also of suitors, including millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) and others, and Joe/Josephine falls for Sugar. This is a wacky movie which provides a lot of laughs, and brings out hidden a talent for comedy from Curtis. Billy Wilder did a great job.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

Hot Comedy, Hot Action, Hot Actress, Hot Jazz, Hot Movie
too Hot to be true, Marilyn Monroe,Tony Curtis,Jack Lemmon star in one of the greatest and funniest comedy classics of all time. The 1959 farse about the two musicians Joe and Jerry, who disquise themselves as women under the names Josephine and Daphne to land jobs as the sax and bow fidle in an all girls jazz band.Where they meet gorgeous songbird Sugar Kane. Also where Daphne meets womanizer Osgood Fielding III.When Daphne is stuck with that "dirty old man" Joe(Curtis) borrows a cup of that sugar(Monroe)as the millionare of Sugar's dreams "Shell Oil Junior". If Your looking for a classic comedy this is a good one. It's AFI's number 1 laugh, or if you want more marilyn, you love her in this one and if your looking for more Curtis and Lemmon they're hysterical in this one. See this classic comedy and you'll get "the sweet end of the lolly pop". As Osgood said at the end "nobody's perfect" well thats true ,but Some like it Hot may be a perfect comedy and as Sugar sang "I'm through with love, well she's not through for long ,but We are not through with this movie, because we love this film so much and we all want to "borrow a cup of that sugar" every time we watch it, "ZOWIE" "Yeah real hot" ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Good movie. Could have been great.
This movie could have been a lot better if it had a more competant director. Today it looks dated in places, and some of the dialogue delivery approaches camp at times (again, blame Mr Winner). Plot: after his wife and daughter are attacked by muggers (one being Jeff Goldblum)and Bronsons wife is stomped to death and his daughter raped and obscenely "tagged" with a can of spray paint, architect & Korean war conscientious objector Bronson acquires a gun on a business trip to Arizona and returns home to New York to embark on a one man vigilante rampage blasting street scum into oblivion. Bronson and Vincent Gardenia both give good perfomances, and the rape scene still has the power to jolt you out of your seat, but every time I see DEATH WISH I keep thinking of how it could be updated and remade... better. Still the fun of the series is to cheer Bronson on whenever he wastes some scumbag. This was the precursor to such revenge flicks as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and MS .45.

The Dark Knight.
It's hard to remember now, but there was a time when Michael Winner was just another director, one who produced some decent b-movies before having a freak hit that caught the mood of America at the time. 'Death Wish' was the hit - it elevated Charles Bronson to iconhood, and even today Winner's increasingly-laughable films have 'From the Director of 'Death Wish'' on the posters. This is the closet he ever got to creating a classic piece of cinema. This is based on a book, although the emphasis has been changed. Whereas the 'hero' of the novel was presented as a dangerous man who had eventually lost all reason, here, Bronson is basically Batman - Dirty Harry without restraint. As such, it's ambivalent. On the one hand, there's a primal kick in watching Bronson blow away thugs, but on the other hand it's hard to believe that real-life would be so clear-cut, and subsequent witch-hunts of paedophiles, satanists and rock fans show that it's hard to put rage back into the bottle from whence it came. The sequels became increasingly-harder to take seriously, and the bazooka-toting 'Death Wish 3' is a modern classic of silliness. As with all Winner's films, it looks like a television movie, and as with all Bronson's films, Bronson is Bronson - an older, grizzled tamplate for Schwarzenegger et al, he acts not as Paul Kersy but as Charles Bronson, movie star. It is, at the very least, interesting.

Your Typical Evening On A Saturday!
GREAT ACTING BY CHARLES BROSNAN! ENJOYABLE TO WATCH. REALLY GREAT CINEMATIC PIECE!

carbolic acid
This is the original in the Death Wish series,and its still the best.Paul Kersey(Bronson)is devastated after his wife and daughter are raped and killed,he goes on a killing rampage of revenge.As he dispatches each thug with his own brand of justice,we cheer their deaths from Kersey`s trusty 32 caliber revolver.This film is a favorite of vigilante justice supporters.

CONTROVERSY IS GOOD.
I don't remember too many films from the 1970's the earned an entire OP/ED page in the N.Y. Times, but this urban classic did. Controversy proved to be good box office and Bronson became a superstar as Paul Kersey. DEATH WISH is a taunt thriller that sparked more than one water cooler discussion in 1974. Michael Winner worked this one into a poster child for street justice and inspired more than a few real life imitators (the ad campaign boasted: "Paul Kersey is going to kill 3 muggers tonight: One for his murdered wife, one for his raped daughter and one for you!"). What was more unfortunate is that DEATH WISH became a parody of itself with 4 awful sequels. Forgot the rest, cheer for Bronson here everytime he caps a bad guy. ... Read more

Reviews (114)

BOUND to Please
A thoroughly absorbing caper from the first scene to the last. If you like sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what in the world is going to happen next, then you'll love being plopped down into the intricate maze of this film. The story twists and turns unpredictably, and the billiantly quirky cinematography and seamless editing add to the fun. Great star-turns by Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, and especially Gina Gershon who never hits a false note. There's also an edgy, over-the-top performance by Christopher Meloni as a gleefully sadistic mobster; Meloni makes his scenes crackle with barely contained malice, and proves once again that he's a highly capable actor with a commanding on-screen presence.

The DVD presentation of this underrated gem is quite good. "Bound" is much more enjoyable when viewed in widescreen, and the sharp transfer offered on the disc is a vast improvement over the VHS version. The theatrical trailer and audio commentaries are enjoyable extras. A "making of" featurette would have been a nice bonus - but even without it, this is a great DVD that current and future fans of the movie will be proud to own.

A brilliant mob movie played against type.
This is a wonderful movie, and being used to the standard offering where macho italian mobsters beat up on their dumb molls, it is a real breath of fresh air.

Jennifer Tilley oozes sexuality from the opening scene in this movie, and never stops right to the end. She plays Violet, her character, brilliantly. A mob club Vamp who is there as furniture for the boys, and they drool and fight over her, little realising her true nature.

Enter Gina Gershon, the butch ex-con called Corky, flaming obvious lesbian, replete with tattoos and leathers. Boom! Violet moves from Vamp to seductress in some of the hottest sex scenes ever filmed - gay or straight!

Having formed a sexually charged but shallow bond, the ladies embark on a plan to relieve the mob of a couple of million in blood money. Violets significant other, Caesar (played brilliantly by Joe Pantoliano) is busy in the apartment laundering the money for the mob. In a tongue in cheek parody, he actually has to launder the money, washing off the blood, haning it to dry, and ironing it.

In classic Hitchcock tradition, Violet and Corkey tell us exactly how the heist is going to go down. And of course, it all goes horrible wrong. Caesar is not as dumb as they thought, and the plot escalates into angst, madness, violence and murder with a neat Tarantino-esqe twist.

This is a great movie - Hitchcock meets Tarantino. Lots of atmosphere and suspense, but also lots of laughs, not to mention mayhem and murder. Not a movie for those who are squeamish around blood, murder, violence, lesbianism or drain clearence. But highly recommended for those who love bondage, leather, tattoos, butch lady decorators and shiny stainless steel sink traps.

Very entertaining movie
for what it is: a decent caper film with a great performance by Joe P., one of his best. Tilly isn't bad either, but it's hard to take her seriously with that voice, I have to admit. But it's still holds your attention. BTW, don't buy this if the lesbian scene between Tilly and Gershon is all that interests you. Yes, it's steamy, but we're talking maybe 30 seconds on screen. That's it. Buy this because it's an enjoyable movie.

By the Directors of the Matrix
I heard of this movie when I saw the Matrix DVD bonus extras. This was the movie that got them the Matrix. I felt that is was excellently done with plot twists and mistakes in plans that were excellently directed. Well worth seeing.

Innovative film portrayal of lesbians and good noir.
For warchild27: Yes, on track 18 of my DVD, Joey Pants' commentary cuts out for most of the rest of the track. From track 19 on, the commentary should be fine. However, I bought a used copy which has visible scratches. If your audio cuts out on some other track than 18, then you have a defective disk (and so do I).

Film is an actor's film, rich in suspense and nuance. Joey Pants is great as always. Tilly is odd, and Gina Gershon is a bit disappointing to me, but all of the character actors were great, especially Law & Order SVU's Christopher Meloni, a riot as a whacked-out psychopathic henchman.

I was a bit disappointed in the editing, although some shots and editing are clever. Some of the editing decisions are explained in the commentary, which I found to be a hoot and which genuinely enriched my experience of the film. Too bad all of the stars showed up late for the commentary session, Tilly and Gershon coming in about 30 minutes before the end of the flick!

This is not a lesbian suspense film; it's a suspense film in which the protagonists are lesbians. The film attempts, I think successfully, to make their lesbianism seem normal. ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Grisham wrote the screenplay for and produced the enjoyable Mickey, a family drama that explores--typical of the bestselling author--seemingly unresolvable conflicts between the personal and the ethical. Harry Connick Jr. plays California attorney Tripp Spence, a widower whose recent bankruptcy has come under scrutiny from the IRS. Admitting wrongdoing to his son, Derrick (Shawn Salinas), Tripp vows to avoid jail, and the two head for Las Vegas under assumed identities. Rather than stay out of sight, however, Tripp talks the manager (Mike Starr) of a first-rate Little League team into drafting Derrick, a 13-year-old, talented pitcher who claims to be younger. Soon Derrick is attracting national attention, precisely what Tripp doesn't want, yet he refuses to squelch his son's brilliant ride to the top. Hugh Wilson (Guarding Tess) directed this brisk, smart feature, which includes a generous amount of on-the-field baseball action and an intriguing subplot about Cuban ball players. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Mickey

Harry Connick Jr. as Tripp Spence

Shawn Salinas as Derrick, a.k.a. Mickey

Writer/producer John Grisham cameos as a Little League Commissioner

... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mickey
Everyone is aware of John Grisham's great ability to create stories of high intrigue courtroom thrillers. Although he is hardly a versatile writer of stories, he has shown a love of sports in his writing, most notably in his recent novel "Bleachers", which I have not yet read but of which I have heard much about. He clearly has a love for both politics and sports.
"Mickey" is a family film written by John Grisham, and in it Grisham combines both the world of politics and the world of sports to create a well-constructed story in which political intrigue collides with the baseball diamond as a father and son attempt to conceal their true identity from slimy tax agents as they live and breathe the high-flying world of baseball.
Although the story is well-constructed, the blend made of politics and sports is not seamless. The key players in both arenas are in a world of their own, a field of their own, an expertise of their own. When both worlds collide, the story's plot thickens. Still, the distinction between politics and sports is clear. That somewhat lessened the dramatic effect the story tries to convey to the audience.
The acting quality of this movie is below average. The performances in this film are, for the most part, don't come across as being realistic in their portrayal of the various characters. Still, newcomer Shawn Salinas deserves a round of applause for his top-notch performance as the title character, a 13-year-old boy who, along with his widowed father Glen (Harry Connick Jr.), is on the run from the law as they both alter their identity and flee justice after Glen evades taxes and falsifies tax info in desperation after his wife passes away. Salinas turns out the best performance in this film, which is impressive seeing as this is his debut film performance. He is a highly talented young actor who shows great promise as an actor.
If you are looking for a family-friendly movie telling a very good story that provides some food for thought concerning honesty and integrity, I can heartily recommend "Mickey". If you are a die-hard John Grisham fan, you may be highly disappointed with this story, for which I had good expectations for because of the potential it had for becoming Grisham's best. If you are somewhere in between, there is a middle ground in this film for you that you may or may not find is worth your time.

An excellent film for the little sluggers!
'Mickey' is a WONDERFUL family-friendly film that reinforces the concept of fairness in both sports and life. It'schalk full of baseball action and delivers a powerful possitive message that makes keeps you on your toes through the very end last moments of the film. 'Mickey' is perfect for a pizza night at home with the kids or even a rained out sporting event.

I highly recommend this film.

GREAT BASEBALL FILM
Tripp (Connick jr.) and derrick (salinas) decide to change their identities and flee to las vegas. Derrick's new identity as "Mickey" is a year younger, which means he enters little league as a 12 year old. they thought the fraud would be over at the end of the year, but they didn't count on the team having a dream season!
Written by John Grisham and played perfectly by Connick and salinas, this is a great family movie and a great baseball movie.

Mickey is a Great Little League Film
I thought this was a great film.Although it's story is about something negative that happens in Little League, through the story it shows the positive and amazing aspects of the organization. It'swell written and carries you into the story.The impact of one person's actions on many comes out clearly.Anyone who has ever played Little League, or is involved in the organization should really enjoy this film.I highly recommend seeing it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A movie's lasting value can often be measured by its influence in theyears anddecades following its original release, and on that basis Run Silent, Run Deepis certainly a classic of sorts. It remains one of the seminal World War II submarinepictures, and its intelligent script and tautly executed action are clearly echoed in suchlater submarine dramas as Das Boot and especially Crimson Tide,which borrows liberally from this 1958 film.

In one of his best and final roles (he appeared in only four films after this), Clark Gable plays a submarine captain without a command, having been saddledwith a desk job after his previous ship was destroyed due to his overzealous pursuitof the enemy in dangerous Japanese waters. He finally gets another boat--this timewith a vigilant first officer (Burt Lancaster), who stands poised to assume command ifGable puts his crew in unnecessary danger. The tension and mutual respect betweenthese two principled men is superbly written and directed (Robert Wise was just twoyears away from his triumph with West Side Story), and the crucial inclusionof a strong supporting cast (including Jack Warden and Don Rickles) enhances themovie's compelling authenticity. Based on a novel by former submarine commanderEdward L. Beach, Run Silent, Run Deep is rousing entertainment with theadded benefit of paying honorable tribute to the men who navigated through the mostfrightening and claustrophobic channels of the Pacific theater. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Stay away from the Bungo Straits!
One of the best submarine movies ever made with superb performances by Gable and Lancaster, who star as commander and executive officer, respectively. Their characters developed well against each other in the movie, which contained plenty of realistic action.

Captain Richardson (Gable), wanting to redeem himself for losing his submarine in the Bungo Straits off Japan the previous year, is successful in getting out from behind the desk and back in command of a sub, whose crew has already accepted Lancaster as their new skipper, with the previous captain being transferred to another station. However, Richardson is given command of the submarine, and the tension mounts as the power struggle continues, amidst constant diving drills and grumbling among the crew, who fear that they will be labeled "the best drill cowards in the Navy."

Richardson is out to prove his theory that he can take out an Akakaze destroyer with a bow shot. This type of destroyer had sunk his sub the previous year, but it is also discovered that Japanese submarines are also lurking in the area and have picked off several unsuspecting American subs.

A classic war movie, and a classic submarine movie. The only one that I would consider better is "The Boat."

Suspenseful and complex
A superior war film, and one of the prototypical submarine movies. Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable lock horns as the ranking officers on a WWII submarine slated for duty in the Pacific theater. Lancaster has been the ship's captain for years and has the respect of the crew, but he is abruptly displaced by Gable's Captain Richardson, a near-washout who is obsessed with breaking a Japanese blockade of a vital sea lane, after having lost his own ship there the year before. The personal tensions and resentments between the two officers are complicated by the grumblings of the crew, and by differences in naval tactics: Gable runs the crew ragged practicing for a dangerous new tactic that he's convinced will defeat the Japanese, and the sailors appeal to Lancaster for relief. A fascinating look at the frayed edges of military discipline, with a taut, well-directed script and good B&W cinematography. The shots of the exterior of the submarine are particularly nice: here's a film that lets us see how boatlike submarines actually are; you feel like you're actually up on deck, looking at every rivet and welding seam. If you go for this kind of movie, this one is hard to beat.

- Don't say we didn't have a Captain! -
Commander Richardson (Clark Gable) survived his last assignment as a Captain on a submarine, which was sunk in the Pacific Ocean. A year later Commander Richardson works at a desk, in Pearl Harbor, but this is not what he is meant to do as he wants to be a Submarine Captain again. He sends in a request to return to Area 7, where he once was sunk, as the area has been deemed too cursed since four other subs have been sunk there throughout the last twelve months. Commander Richardson is assigned to a new submarine, however, it was supposed to be Lieutenant Jim Bledsoe's (Burt Lancaster) assignment as he has been on the sub for two years. Despite Lieutenant Bledsoe's dislike of the navy's decision he continues to work hard for Commander Richardson, who is running diving exercises repeatedly without telling anyone why. This causes apprehension among the men on the sub as they are to enter the most feared waters of the Pacific Ocean. Run Silent, Run Deep is an interesting war film that depicts the daily frictions between Captains and the rest of the men onboard subs during the World War II. Wise creates an authentic atmosphere onboard the submarine, despite some underwater shots that obviously were shot in a swimming pool. In the end, Run Silent, Run Deep offers a suspenseful and intriguing cinematic experience.

The greatest submarine war film
This is the quintessential submarine movie, not to mention one of the great war movies of all time. It by far outclasses the other submarine movies like Torpedo Alley, Torpedo Run, and The Enemy Below (although with Kurt Jurgens and Robert Mitchum the latter is actually pretty good). And although still not in Run Silent, Run Deep's league, the more recent Das Boot is excellent too.

Gable and Lancaster are great as captain and commander and the supporting efforts from Jack Ward and Don Rickles also deserve mention. Don looks like he's only 25 here (although he's probably more like 30) and he still has no hair! (That's okay, Don, we still luv ya.) The movie builds the tension up to an almost unbearable climax as Gable proceeds to train his crew to perform the risky bow shot maneuver to take out the Akekazi destroyer, despite the scepticism of both Lancaster and the crew. The tension is made all the more palpable when their first attempt at destroying the Akekazi fails and the Akekazi drops depth charge after depth charge on Gable's ship. But Gable manages to just barely slip away. Then finally, in a suspenseful climactic scene, Gable successfully torpedoes the deadly sub-hunter with the infamous bow shot.

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Big Steve says go rent it and don't Bogart the popcorn.

Excellent submarine movie
Run Silent, Run Deep is an excellent WWII submarine adventure with an excellent cast. It tells the story of a submarine who has received a new captain in place of one of their own officers. The new captain, Captain PJ Richardson, wants revenge on the Japanese destroyer who sunk his previous sub. The man he took the position away from, First Officer Bledsoe, instantly takes a dislike to him which causes obvious problems. The movie follows the efforts of the two men to counter each other as one seeks revenge and the other tries to save the lives of the crew.

Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster are both excellent as the battling officers aboard the sub. The movie boasts an excellent supporting cast that includes Jack Warden, Brad Dexter, Nick Cravat, and Don Rickles, all who do very good jobs with their roles. However, Gable, in a later role, and Lancaster steal many of the scenes they are in together. The DVD is well worth it with a booklet included and also widescreen and full screen options for viewing. This is a great movie for fans of WWII action flicks! It is often obvious how this movie influenced later submarine movies in the genre. Go and check out this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (61)

A Typical and Atypical Western
"Quigley down Under" stars Tom Selleck in the title role as an American sharpshooter who answers a help wanted poster for the best rifleman in the world. The job is in Australia and Quigley travels there not knowing exactly what the job is.

When he arrives in Australia, Quigley meets Crazy Cora, played by Laura San Giacomo. Cora is a slightly deranged American who believes Quigley to be her husband Roy. Cora continues to believe Quigley to be Roy even after he insists his name is Matthew Quigley.

When Quigley finally meets his new employer, Elliott Marston (Alan Rickman), he is disgusted to find out that Marston wants him to shoot Aborigines. Cora has become the self-designated defender of the Aborigines and gets abused by Marston for it. Quigley intervenes and winds up roughing Marston up a bit. Marston then has Quigley and Cora beaten and left in the desert to die.

"Quigley down Under" becomes, after this, a set piece movie about good versus evil. This is typical of the Western genre. In this Western though the good guys are a little "gooder" than usual. Both Quigley and Cora are pure hearts who only want what's right for the Aborigines. Cora is more determined to see it happen while Quigley is only interested in it so far as it gets him out of Australia alive.

The most interesting part of the movie is the relationship between Quigley and Cora. In most Westerns the woman is a one-dimensional cutout whose only raison d'etre is to stand by in horror as her man goes out to fight the bad guy. However, Cora is a fully fleshed out individual with both a history before Quigley and an existence independent of him. She still does the "stand by in horror" thing; but, it's with a sense of grace and composure you don't often get from that role.

From that relationship between Quigley and Cora is where I derive my four-star rating. Absent it, this movie would only get two stars from me. The Western is one of the most overdone genres in the cinema. To be able to find a unique spin on it after so many have been done is a well accomplished task.

Another plus for "Quigley down Under" is its cast. The three main players in this movie; Selleck, San Giacomo, and Rickman; are all first-rate actors. That Tom Selleck has not become a film star similar to Tom Cruise or Robert De Niro amazes me. He has an ability to fill a screen like so few actors can. The one actor who comes to mind by way of comparison is Charlton Heston. They both have that ability to project the necessary emotions and feelings of a scene without much effort. Laura San Giacomo is also another actor that I have a hard time figuring out why she hasn't become a star. Her portrayal of Crazy Cora in "Quigley" should have been a springboard to better roles but it hasn't panned out. Rickman is probably the one from this movie to have the best movie career to date. Rickman is one of the best bad guys going and even when he plays an angel ("Dogma") he still has that sideways sneer that makes you wonder what kind of a criminal he would be if he didn't find acting.

"Quigley down Under" is not your typical Western, which is why it might not be for those who enjoy movies like "Unforgiven" or "The Outlaw Josey Wales". However, it is a good movie from a non-Western genre standpoint and one that I'd recommend.

Tom Selleck's best ever
Like many TV actors, "Quigley"'s star Tom Selleck gave much attention, during and after his small-screen career, to attempting to break into movies. If he'd been born in 1926, instead of 1946, he would probably have gained fame, not as Thomas Magnum, but in Western films and/or TV series like this one. Quigley is the role he was born to play, and in Quigley's adventures he has made, to my mind, the best movie of his career.

This slam-bang actioner, though often labelled a "Western," actually takes place, not in the American West, but in the Crown Colony of Western Australia, probably around 1875 (there are still convicts there). Selleck plays Matthew Quigley, a soft-spoken marksman from Wyoming, who answers an advertisement by Australian rancher Marston (Alan Rickman) for "the finest long-distance marksman in the world." After three months on a sailing ship, he steps ashore at the port of Fremantle, where he promptly gets into a brawl with what turn out to be three of Marston's men, come to meet him, and is mistaken by displaced "native-born Texian" Crazy Cora Cobb (Laura San Giacomo) for her husband Roy. At Marston Water he offers a display of his skill with his primary weapon, a customized Sharps .45 buffalo gun, and impresses everyone, including Marston, who describes himself as "a student of your American West" and is a fast draw, pinpoint-accurate, and quietly proud of it. Only now does Quigley find out that he was being hired, not to kill dingoes (Australian wild dogs) as he thought, but to clear Marston's lands of the native Aboriginies. He promptly throws Marston out the French window of his own house, but is eventually overwhelmed by Marston's crew and, with Cora, taken out to the desert to die. Managing to kill the two men who fetched them there, he recovers his rifle and big Stetson, but loses the buckboard and horses. Trying to walk out, he and Cora are found by a clan of Aboriginies, who take them in, and when a group of Marston's men appears to hunt the natives down, Quigley takes up his Sharps in their defense. Eventually he eliminates Marston and all but three of his men in a sort of one-man "long hunt," climaxed by a shootout in which, though wounded and battered and admitting that he "never had much use" for handguns (he doesn't even carry one), he kills three men so fast that his shots sound like one.

Though there's a good deal of violence in this video--in fact, it will probably be too intense for kids under the age of 12 or so--none of it is gratuitous: each instance either serves to further the story in some way or is portrayed as an inevitable result of the choices and character of the person acting or being acted against. Selleck's Quigley is a '90's version of the classic John Wayne hero: soft-spoken, quietly competent, modest and unassuming (he "spent a night" in Dodge City once, and describes it as "a nice place to get some sleep"), chivalrous toward women and even a little unsure of how to react to them. (His early interactions with San Giacomo's Cora, on the Fremantle docks and in their first outback camp, add a whimsical touch to the movie's tone and should draw laughs from all watchers.) He also has an iron code of behavior, and he doesn't hesitate to learn even from the primitive Aborigines: one of the most delightful sequences finds them teaching him to use a spear-thrower and to suck water out of the sand through a bamboo--after which he repays them by conducting a class in the making and proper use of a rawhide lasso. Rickman is the kind of villain you love to hate: smooth, silky, sneering, yet acting from what seem to him to be completely valid reasons. San Giacomo may be "touched in the head," but she's also earthy, practical, and fiercely loyal to Selleck and to the orphaned Aboriginie baby they find; her story of how she came to be in Australia is touchingly delivered.

And, like most of the best movies, "Quigley" can serve as a starting point for some penetrating family discussion. Parallels will quickly be seen between the Aborigines' situation and, not only the experiences of the American Indian, but the "ethnic cleansing" through which the former Yugoslavia suffered, and which kids may have studied in school. Quigley seems not to be revengeful against Marston and his crew of 20-odd tough English and Irish until they act against the Aborigines who have been his and Cora's friends, and even then a case can be made for his killing as many of them as he can hit: afoot and outnumbered, he doesn't want them in the area and angry at him; after the second Aboriginie drive and the accidental killing of a storekeeper's wife, he is simply resolved to keep them from doing any more harm.

Though action is the movie's keynote, it is above all the story of how three people inspire one another to certain inevitable acts--in short, like all the best stories, it turns on character. And its characters will remain in the memory for a long time to come. (A side-benefit is the blood-stirring score by Basil Poledouris, which was one of the first CD's I ever purchased.) The cinematography gives a powerful sense of the size and loneliness of the Australian outback (filming was done in Alice Springs and other Australian locations), as well as of how important it is that Quigley seems far better able to adjust himself to it than Marston's men are willing to do. Director Simon Wincer, though not of American birth, has turned out a movie which, while not strictly a "real" Western, should become a classic of the genre. By my criteria, it's definitely a 10--or perhaps even a 12.

Great comedy
You will be laughing your tail off. Here is why:

Quigley (Tom Selleck), investigates a report on human right violations by the English settlers against the aboriginal population of Austria.

(Obviously, Quigley had improved the inter-racial relationships in his native Wyoming to perfection: black, indians, white, all live in equality, peace and harmony, and now he is on a mission to do the same in Austria)

Quigley quickly discovers the horrible truth, and being a superman, supperherro, suppersshooter, quickly brings justice. All bad guys (english, irish, scotch) are punished, aboriginals are free. No more slavery, genocide, collonialism and exploitation.

A blond Texan woman shares his passion and adopts a little black baby; the baby fell from a 200 feet cliff and survived!

Have fun!

Ernesto Ce Gevara

Western with a twist
This is an American Western to be sure, filmed in the outback! Classic good vs. bad! And lots of fun with the interaction between crazy Cora and Quigley! Fine acting all around and a nice twist at the end! Very enjoyable.

Boring CD, good movie
In glancing at the reviews I see that many of them are for the moive which is much better than the soundtrack. I've liked the title theme since I first heard it and always wanted the CD for that reason. Out of the 11 tracks I was disappointed to find that I really liked only about three selections, maybe one or two more than that. #1 Main Title is good and #11 Matthew Quigley amounts to about three different versions of the tune, it might be even better.
Out of the eleven tunes six have varying degrees of the theme worked into them in some way, thats what makes the CD boring, so little variety. I think I did like #4 Marston's Murderers, actiony but no Quigley bits. #4 Native Montage had no Quigley and certainly nothing Native to it, guess it was all right otherwise.
All I can really recommend this album for are the two Quigley selections, easily the best on the CD. Shiloh Rifle, the company that made the Sharps that Selleck used in the movie still uses the title selection on their website 12 years later, that's how good that tune is. ... Read more

Reviews (93)

"This is where they touch their uninspired little organs."
The infamous "Pink Flamingos" is the John Waters film that first drew attention to his warped talent, and it is probably the film for which he will be remembered. Divine (Glenn Milstead) is in top form and stars as the "filthiest person alive," Babs Johnson. Babs lives in an abandoned trailer somewhere near Baltimore with her perverted son, Cracker, and her deranged mother, Edie, the Egg Lady. Edie (Edith Massey) lives in a giant playpen inside the trailer where she consumes large numbers of eggs while dressed only in her underwear. Miss Cotton (Mary Vivian Pearce) forms the other member of the Babs Johnson gang.

Meanwhile, Raymond and Connie Marble (David Lochary and Mink Stole) operate a black market adoption agency from their disgusting cellar. The Marbles covet Divine's title of "the filthiest person alive," and so Babs Johnson is their number one enemy. Babs, who is "forced to go underground" is sniffed out of hiding by a spy (Cookie Mueller), and once the Marbles know the location of Bab's trailer, "the battle of filth" begins.

If you like camp, then you may enjoy this film. The dialogue is amazing, and the film still has the capacity to shock more than 30 years after it was made, so be warned. If you are offended by the more mainstream films of John Waters (Serial Mom, Polyester), then don't watch this one, and if you've never watched a John Waters film before, "Pink Flamingos" is not a good place to start. I can't count the number of times I've watched this film, and I'll never grow tired of it. John Waters is my hero, and the humour in this film brings this fact home to me again. Waters juxtaposes real perversions (Raymond Marvel's "perverted urges," and the kidnapped women in the basement are two good examples of deviant, criminal behaviour), and puts these elements on an equal standing with ridiculous perversions--Divine and Cracker foul the Marvel's furniture by licking it, and consequently the Marvel's furniture rejects them. This juxtaposition of the truly perverted with the truly strange creates a unique comic twist. This film is not for the queasy or the faint-hearted. It is about revolting people doing revolting things. Don't miss the Marvel's underwear scene, please. The film also has a fantastic soundtrack that stands well on its own--even if you haven't the courage to watch the film--displacedhuman

The Original Trailer Tacky Barf-O-Rama
Like those who listened to radio reports about the attack on Pearl Harbor, every one who has ever seen PINK FLAMINGOS can tell you exactly where they were when they first saw it--and some thirty years later the movie is still one of the most unspeakably vile, obnoxious, repulsive, and hilariously funny films ever put to celluloid, guaranteed to test the strongest stomachs and the toughest funny bones. Filmed with a close-to-zero budget and some of the shakiest cinematography around, PINK FLAMINGOS tells the story of two families that compete for the tabloid title of "The Filthiest People Alive." Just how filthy can they be? Plenty: the film includes everything from sex with chickens to what I can only describe as a remarkable display of rectal control to a heaping helping of doggie doo, and I guarantee that you won't want to eat an egg for at least several weeks after seeing it.

The cast is either wonderful, atrocious, or atrociously wonderful, depending on how you look at it. The star, of course, is Divine... and to describe Divine as the BIGGEST drag queen on the planet would the understatement of the year. She is a mammoth creature given to BIG eye makeup, BIG orange hair, and BIG expressions--she is the Charleton Heston of drag, and whether she is almost running down a jogger, pausing to use the bathroom on some one's front lawn, or startling real-life shoppers by taking a stroll along a Baltimore sidewalk she is both unspeakable and unspeakably funny. Others in the cast include Mary Vivian Pearce, Danny Mills, and the ever-appalling Edith Massey as members of Divine's family; and Mink Stole and David Lochary as the white-slaving, baby-selling couple who challenge Divine's status.

It should be pretty obvious that PINK FLAMINGOS is not exactly a movie that will appeal to just every one, and viewers who know director John Waters only through such later films as HAIRSPRAY and CRYBABY will be in for a major jolt. But if you want to see something so completely different that even Monty Python couldn't imagine it, this is the movie for you. Just make sure you eat before you see it, because you probably won't want to eat afterward--and you might want to keep a barf bag handy just in case.

!! BRAVO JOHN!!
First and foremost, eithier you'll really hate or really love and appreciate "Pink Flamingos" - as is true with all of John Waters'work....But if you're looking for this soundtrack [Pink Flamingos] then you're a diehard Waters fan!!- or have really ecclectic taste in old music ! In either case, this is an awesome soundtrack.....And like his movies, it's campy, fun, and sort of surreal. I'm just dissapointed there's no soundtrack for "Female Troubles" - in my opinion, Waters' best film.....I've enjoyed All of his films -and the music that he selects for them. I hope more af his soundtracks are released in the future!!

Still schockingly hilarious after all these years.
In my opinion, John Water's movies have always been smarter on paper than most give him credit for. All of his work skewers the establishment was well as some of its offshoots and although intended to be shocking (in many instances just for the sake of being able to do so), my favorite moments generally involve the amazing Mink Stole and when John Waters in a very matter of fact fashion throws in something absolutely jaw-dropping as if it were just another scene.

On one hand you'll have people who will find Waters' early work to be too repulsive to watch and on the other extreme, you'll find others who worship his movies without any reservation and reject any critique as a sign that people just don't get it. My perspective is a little different as after watching Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Desperate Living, my view is that while the ideas continue to be as fresh as they were made in the mid to late 1970's, his early work is much funnier when taken in little dozes rather than full length movies. Although, many may disagree I find Desperate Living to be his early best, while Female trouble is highly overrated. Pink Flamingos falls somewhere between the two.

There are scenes in Desperate Living that had me laughing so hard that I cried. In fact, the first half hour of the film is absolutely hilarious. Every scene involving Jean Hill who plays the hilarious Grizelda Brown and/or Mink Stole who plays the crazed Peggy Gravel, is a gag waiting to happen. There is a scene that takes place after something horrible happens (like I am going to tell you what happened) when Peggy is driving away with Grizelda that is worth the price of owning this movie. Said scene has Mink Stole going off like a madwoman regarding her hatred of nature, and it never fails to surprise me how funny she is. As happens with most of Waters' early films, it ultimately runs out of steam and starts relying too much on shock value and by now almost any Waters fan is hard to shock visually so it better be funny too. Desperate Living is my favorite early John Waters film, although many find it to be his most grim and depressing.

Female Trouble is one of the early Waters movies that most fans tend to like, and I just did not like it at all. Of course no John Waters film can ever be made without having hilarious moments, but they are far and few in between and I was mostly bored. Mink Stole as usual steals every scene that she is in and she does a variation on her "I hate nature" soliloquy from "Desperate Living," this time involving humans. Although I could not get enough of Edith Massey as the egg lady Pink Flamingos or as Queen Carlotta in desperate living, her role in Female Trouble made me feel for her as I was not laughing with her or could not bring myself to laugh at her. While she has her moments and awesome potty mouth, Waters (possibly without meaning to) takes her costumes to a point where you want to hug her instead of laughing. Divine has the opposite effect as the cruder and ruder that she is, the more that I loved her in this movie.

Pink Flamingos, which is Waters' breakout movie, without a doubt uses shock value more than any of his subsequent films. It is supposedly centered around defining who is the filthiest person alive in Waters' beloved Phoenix, Maryland. Since this was Waters' first fully realized early picture, he went for the jugular in trying to get away with as much gross out material as possible. The story, as is the case with Female Trouble, is not worth following and starts to get old quickly, but there are MANY scenes that will shock the numbest person alive. In many instances, the shock is not a bad thing as my motto is if it's funny, bring it on. Edith Massey as the egg lady is so funny that I can't help seeing her scenes over and over again. There are little touches as the manner in which Divine steals some ham, or apparently throwaway scenes involving dealing drugs and a baby selling ring, that are too funny to describe.

In a nutshell, I think that John Waters in hilarious and is responsible for some of the funniest movies of our time (as is the case with Serial Mom, just to name one), but these early exercises in guerilla filmmaking work better as boundary pushers than fully realized self contained movies. Those who enjoyed Jackass - The Movie, said movie would probably never have seen the light of day if it were not for John Waters, and although some may wish that such were the case, I for one think that Jackass - The Movie is one of the funniest movies ever. Part of that success is due to Johnny Knoxville not attempting to create a linear narrative or a storyline but intertwining bigger and smaller ideas just for the sake of making us laugh. Maybe it was not a choice at the time, but all of Waters' early movies would have worked much better with extensive editing and bypassing the narrative to focus on being funny.

I give Desperate Living 3.5 stars, Pink Flamingos 2.5 stars, and Female Trouble 1.5 stars. New Line home videos has released several two-packs of John Waters' films, but none that I know of that have Desperate Living and Pink Flamingos on the same package.

Five Stars For Its Shocking Value
I have watched the movie several times over, and it still leaves me feeling ill afterwards. I first heard of the movie in 1979, but was not allowed into the theater at the time because of its "X" rating, and I was only 17. In brief, after I finally saw the movie, it made me a John Waters fan. I can only compare him alongside with Andy Warhol. Both of these directors movies have a shocking, chilling value. Mainstream movie lovers would not like this film. I also recommend "Desparate Living" by John Waters. These movies are for seekers of something other than the mainstream, boring crap that is in the theaters nowadays. Don't eat anything before watching Pink Flamingos, or you'll be yawning in technicolor. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Situated somewhere between supernatural horror and lush Victorian melodrama, director Peter Weir's lyrical, enigmatic masterpiece is an imaginative tease. The setting is a proper turn-of-the century Australian boarding school for girls, a suffocating institution built on strict moral codes, repressed sexuality, and a subtle but enforced class structure. As the film opens, girls draped in immaculate white dress prepare for a picnic at the nearby volcanic formation, Hanging Rock, and Weir hangs an air of dark foreboding over the proceeding. "You'll have to love someone else, because I won't be here very long," says one virginal girl, Miranda, to her friend. Her words are prophetic: during the picnic, Miranda, along with two other girls and an uptight schoolmistress, vanish into the rocks. While a search party repeatedly returns to the rock to look for either the girls or the reasons for their disappearance, Weir leaves the mystery unsolved. Like Antonioni's L'Avventura, the vanishing is open to numerous interpretations--both rational and illusory--but Weir drops enough allegorical clues that it feels like a parable. He transforms the landscape and weather into menacing and eerie images; outlines of faces can be seen in the rocks, while the oppressive heat beating down on the picnic doubles as an atmospheric metaphor for the girls' unbearable social and sexual confinement. These images and other plot twists toward the end hint that this mysterious vanishing, on some level, was actually a form of spiritual escape--the only out, other than death, from the film's bleak, tightly structured community. Regardless of how you see it, though, this hypnotic puzzle remains the highlight of the '70s Australian New Wave. The DVD version presents the film in letterbox form. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (95)

EERIE BUT INTRIGUING.
First, this enigmatic film is NOT based on a true story. A group of school girls go on a school excursion to "Hanging Rock" in Victoria, Australia. The period is around early 1900s. Four girls decide to climb the rock along with a teacher. At the end of the day, only one hysterical girl can be found, and can shed no light on what happened to the others.

Sound intriguing enough? This film asks more questions that it answers, inviting the viewer to dream up their own explanation for what happened to the girls. According to the Joan Lindsay novel's "missing chapter", the girls were sucked down a wormhole (or something), but I think both Lindsay and Weir were wise to leave this out. Which perhaps adds to the mystique.

In all its nebulous beauty, the film actually does a remarkable job of capturing a resplendent mood. The Australian vistas are even more evocative than that of "The Piano" -- ethereal and brooding. This curious rock that hangs over the film with its menacing presence is given almost mythical status, and even to the viewer on the other side of the screen seems oddly alluring.

Personally I'd have liked the ending to be a bit different, but hey, the movie is hauntingly memorable, and if it's any consolation, it's not until after the movie you may wish for a more clear-cut resolution.

A chillingly beautiful mystery
On St.Valentine's day, 1900, a party of girls from a private school set out for a picnic at Hanging Rock in the Macedon Ranges in Australia. While they are on the rock, something mysterious and disturbing happens and, when the party returns to the school, they have left three girls and one teacher behind. All missing on the rock.

Rather than follow the normal mystery rules of working towards an answer, the film concentrates on the effect of the disappearances on those connected either directly or by circumstance. What will happen to the school after such an event? How will the other girls react? What of the young Englishman who was the last person to see them alive. He is both under suspicion and obsessed with the fate of the missing girls.

This sense that the events just cannot be explained is bolstered by one of the most memorable and haunting soundtracks of any film ever made. The director really has an eye and an ear for setting a mood of something beautiful and precious which has been lost and will never be regained. The images of the outback are stunning. They convey the feel of a landscape that is both threatening and spiritual.

The film has aquired a reputation for being based on a true story. We are used to unresolved mysteries in real life but not in fiction. Despite the rumours of a real event which was mysteriously unreported, this is a work of fiction. The film was based on a novel of the same name by Joan Lindsay.

This film really is one that you should see and its beauty means that you will want to watch it many times over.

Tedium ad infinitum, avec mademoiselles
"Picnic at Hanging Rock" is a beautifully shot movie about the mysterious disappearance of 4 women on a geologically intriguing exposed volcanic plug. This occurs in the first 35 minutes. It is a slow and steady decline from there on out to the unusual ending an hour later, and requires determination to stick it out.

Nice score which includes the pan flute. Nice photography. Mostly pretty women dressed head to toe who use formal proper speech.

I don't know what to recommend it for, though. There is no message or answers, here.

Overrated, pretentious, but interesting
I came to this film fully expecting to like it because of the many glowing reviews I'd read over the years. While it has its positives (evocative photography; haunting atmosphere; rich, overblown sets; some strong performances) it's essentially a tedious exploration of Victorian psycho-sexual dynamics, seen from a very 1970s perspective. The plot is so thin it's constantly in danger of floating away. I had to force myself at regular intervals not to turn it off because of shear boredom.

The film leads you to believe it's based on a true story, which, frankly, was one of the reasons I stuck with it. But it's not. The story's a total fabrication, which makes the film even more ridiculous in retrospect.

Unless you're a devotee of Peter Weir, Australian cinema, or 1970s costume and hair design trying to look "Victorian," I suggest you watch The Beguiled instead.

Really bad and cliche...
and not even worth further words. Save your time and money. ... Read more