Reviews (26)

NEGLECTED MASTERPIECE....
William Wyler's film of Lillian Hellman's play is a fine old example of masterful filmmaking. Scripted by Hellman, it tells of the ultimate greedy Southern clan circa 1900. Thankfully most of the leading players came from the play with the exception of Bette Davis who assumed the role of Regina---originally played by Tallulah Bankhead---and she is magnificent. Regina is embroiled with her brothers in a greedy and corrupt get-rich-quick scheme to open a cotten mill and needs the final third of the money to come from her ailing husband (a grand Herbert Marshall) who is opposed to the plan with good reason: he's honest and sensible. The brothers are cold, evil and despicable. But Regina is all that and more---she's smarter and greedier. Since Marshall won't give her the money, she withholds his heart medicine and allows him to die knowing she'll get the money now that he's dead. This is an unforgettable scene and there are many in this outstanding film. In contrast to the evil characters, there's Teresa Wright in her film debut as Alexandra---Regina's daughter---who represents innocence and hope and the marvelous Patricia Collinge (from the play) as the sweet, alcoholic and abused sister-in-law Birdie who represents the painful trampling of gentility by corruption and greed. Her performance is heartbreakingly good. Beautiful b&w photography and the recreation of small town Southern life are right on target here. And Davis is at her best as the wicked Regina. She performs feats of acting magic that no other actress could have accomplished in this role. "The Little Foxes" is a must see and a vintage classic that garnered 9 Oscar nominations for 1941. It deserved every one of them. Excellent DVD treatment from MGM as well. A collector's item.

DAVIS TERRIFIC AS REGAL REGINA GIDDONS
Bette Davis gave one of her better performances as the greedy Regina Giddons. A chilling story of greed and deception in the South circa 1900, THE LITTLE FOXES is a cold, cynical look at the dark side of human nature, but the acting makes this movie fascinating and well worth watching. Teresa Wright is spendid as Alexandra, and the great Irish stage actress Patricia Collinge is heartbreaking as the alcoholic Birdie (she admits doesn't like her own son, Leo). Herbert Marshall is gives a sympathetic portrayal of Horace (he's married to the witchy Regina) and Carl Benton Reid is top drawer as the brother who's in cahoots with Davis. The rest of the cast give uniformly excellent performances. Davis was loaned to Goldwyn by Warner Brothers to make this her third and final film directed by the legendary William Wyler. Highly Recommended.

How to Be Greedy and Mean by Bette Davis
Nobody played coldhearted, caustic and ruthless better than Bette Davis. She sweated acid. One can only imagine what her childhood must've been like. Fascinating on the screen but I wouldn't want to have known her in real life. The movie is just about perfect. Power and money corrupt absolutely. She gains the whole world but loses her soul in the process. A brilliant character study.

Power Hungry Southern Family
This is in the deep south, right after the turn of the century. There are a brother and sister Hubbard, who want money and lots of it. They don't care about their wives,husbands or children, all they want is money and power. Regina is the most calculating, this is Bette Davis's character. They want to get a cotton mill and Regina will sacrafice her husbands health and her daughter's happiness to get her hands on money so she can gain control of the main share of the mill. Blood is not thicker than greed. This film is chilling in that it shows how corruption and greed survived then as it survives now.

Lisa Nary

A Gloriously Atmospheric Moral Fable
Ben and Oscar Hubbard (Charles Dingle and Carl Benton Reid), their sister Regina Giddens (Bette Davis) and Oscar's son Leo (Dan Duryea) are not nice people. They are a family of profiteering entrepreneurs who have grown to prominence in a small southern town, grabbing the assets of its oldest aristocratic family through Oscar's cynical marriage to Birdie (Patricia Collinge) who has since been driven to alcoholism by his abusive lovelessness. Ben and Oscar's latest plot is to do a big deal with a business bigshot from Chicago who is keen to set up a new cotton mill with them on the understanding that the wages will be extremely low. Ben and Oscar are keen. Regina is keen. But Regina can't come into the deal in her own right: she must persuade her husband to do so. And her husband Horace (Herbert Marshall) is a very different kind of man from her brothers. To complicate matters further he is dying. Meanwhile her daughter Alexandra (Teresa Wright) is getting close to idealistic young journalist David Hewitt (Richard Carlson) and, not, as her scheming relatives intend, to the useless and corrupt young Leo.

This 1941 movie is adapted from a Lillian Hellman's classic 1939 play of the same year. The dates make it closer enough where we are - an era when the overwhelming political issue in the USA was whether to join a European war against Hitler. It's not hard to see from this where Hellman's sympathies lie. The movie's theme is the division of humanity three ways: the bad people, the good people who fight the bad people and the good people who just sit by and watch the bad people as they destroy the world; and the clearly articulated thought is that, for good people, sitting by and watching, is not, ultimately, an option.

The movie is a classic and richly deserves to be. The performances are remarkable: notably Davis at her most magnificently malign, Dingle splendidly hateful as her cynical and brutal brother, Duryea as the good-for-nothing Leo, Marshall as the profoundly decent but physically desperately weak Horace and Collinge as the pathetically wrecked Birdie who adumbrates horrifically what, if they are not resisted, her unspeakable relatives might eventually contrive to turn the charming young Alexandra into. Wyler directs brilliantly and the camerawork by Gregg Toland is astonishing in its use of shadowy, long, deep-focus shots. The oppressive atmosphere of hostile emotions running far too high in the southern heat is captured to perfection.

There is certainly a degree of simple-mindedness in the moral landscape of the film. The characters divide rather neatly into two sorts: very good, gentle, decent people and irredeemably evil people. There are no shades of grey, just jet black and lustrous white. And of course the world isn't that black and white. But perhaps insofar as the play is about the issues that World War II was fought over, that is an excusable fault; for those issues, if any ever have been, really were that black and white. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nearly every biblical film is ambitious, creating pictures to go withsome of the most famous and sacred stories in the Western world. DreamWorks' first animated film was the vision of executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg after his ugly split from Disney, where he had been acknowledged as a key architect in that studio's rebirth (The Little Mermaid, etc.). His first film for the company he helped create was a huge, challenging project without a single toy or merchandising tie-in, the backbone du jour of family entertainment in the 1990s.

Three directors and 16 writers succeed in carrying out much of Katzenberg'svision. The linear story of Moses is crisply told, and the look of the film is stunning; indeed, no animated film has looked so ready to be placed in the Louvre since Fantasia. Here is an Egypt alive with energetic bustle and pristine buildings. Born a slave and set adrift in the river, Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer) is raised as the son of Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart) and is a fitting rival for his stepbrother Rameses (Ralph Fiennes). When he learns of his roots--in a knockout sequence in which hieroglyphics come alive--he flees to the desert, where he finds his roots and heeds God's calling to free the slaves from Egypt.

Katzenberg and his artists are careful to tread lightly on religious boundaries. The film stops at the parting of the Red Sea, only showing the Ten Commandments--without commentary--as the film's coda. Music is a big part (there were three CDs released) and Hans Zimmer's score and Stephen Schwartz's songs work well--in fact the pop-ready, Oscar-winning "When You Believe" is one of the weakest songs.Kids ages 5 and up should be able to handle the referenced violence; the film doesn't shy away from what Egyptians did to their slaves. Perhaps Katzenberg could have aimed lower and made a more successful animated film, but then again, what's a heaven for? --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (272)

Another Flop From Notorious Dreamworks!
Honestly, the way I see it is that "The Haunting" was the only commendable production from Dreamworks Pictures. This feature animation, on the other hand, puts Steven Spielberg to a great deal of shame, I'm afraid; and it all the more proves how Jeffery Katzenberg can hardly survive without the expertise of the Walt Disney Company. First of all, it is terribly non-accurate in terms of restoring a "tale" of how Moses delivered his people. And secondly, eew...imagine how the people looked! Many praised this movie for its stunning background design; I personally feel horrible-looking CGI-animated people pale in accompaniment to how "stunning" the audience opines the animation to be - either in a positive or negative way. Why, I think even Don Bluth's "Anastasia" could do many times better!

The soundtrack itself isn't all the more that fantastic, despite the several rather meaningful songs like "River Lullaby", "Through Heaven's Eyes" and "When You Believe", due to that familiar sensation from listening to scores of similar tones. I suppose this is the only portion of "The Prince of Egypt" which persuades me to only hang on to it with an unimpressive 3-star rating. Better luck next time, Dreamworks - looking forward to your much anticipated "The Iron Giant"!

Dreamworks Creates an Animated Classic
This is a beautiful movie and a great DVD. The animation is some of the best ever done. Notice, in particular, the life-like Nile River and Red Sea at the beginning and end of the picture. The chariot race that opens the movie is thrilling and the parting of the Red Sea is breath taking. Frankly, I hesitated to see this because I believed that it would just be "The Ten Commandments" re-visited. However, the creators decided to focus on how the God's edict to "Let my people go" would effect the relationship of the two brothers--Rameses and Moses. This point of view permits the audience to have a strong attachment to both characters and the things that happen to them. Another surprise is that the creators did not tone down or "Hollywoodize" the religious aspects of the story. They realized that the great power of this story is its spiritual element. The DVD "extras" make it well worth the price. In particular, I found the comparison drawings showing the creation of the chariot race to be particularly compelling. The music and songs perfectly compliment the action and are never distracting. Clearly, Disney is not the only studio that can create a great animated film.

Excellent Animation and Story
The Prince of Egypt is an excellently animated movie from Dreamworks, with
great storytelling and characters and usually very good music. One doesn't
have to be religious to appreciate this movie (I'm not at all) -- the
emotions expressed by the characters are touching and the conflicts still
relevant.

As far as the animation in the movie goes, it is never less than excellent.
Besides the special effects sections (the parting of the Red Sea being the
most ambitious and breathtaking of all), the character animation is superb.
Each character is different and distinct, with this quality most noticable
when Moses is leading his people. Every person walking behind him, most of
whom have only seconds of screen time, is unique. As an animation
enthusiast, I appreciate this unwillingness to cut corners. Also standout
in this production is the appropriate and effective combination of computer
graphics and traditional hand-drawn animation. The dream/history sequence

that plays out in heiroglyphics on the palace wall is an effective use of
computer graphics in a 3-D setting that wouldn't work as well with
traditional animation, but the movie isn't overburdened by CG shortcuts
that just look fake.

The storytelling is also very well done. I have read reviews that say it
changed the Bible story too much, but the movie flows well and has a good
sense of pacing. Although I've never read the Bible story, the key points
I've heard of are included, and it seems the spirit of the story is intact.

The music, for the most part, is very good as well. "River Lullabye" and
"Through Heaven's Eyes" are beautiful in that they have a more
middle-eastern feel to them, with a broader range of instruments than the
hit "When you believe", which in the ending credits is sung by divas Mariah
Carey and Whitney Houston.

One complaint: The Steve Martin/Martin Short scene is bad, bad, bad. The
characters seem borrowed from too many Disney movies: as snide, snooty
henchmen with no character development, they are also way too modernized to
fit the theme of the story. And their "Playing With the Big Boys" song is
terrible -- I just want to fast-forward through it. That scene
notwithstanding, I think the movie is worth watching, for both children and
adults.

not very good
I know many rated it very high, but this movie was very disapointing. The graphics are not great, the songs are below average at best, the story "more or less" follows the biblical accounts, but worse, the characters are not attractive. I found Moses a reluctant participant, The Pharaoh a good guy and God a little sadistic (perhaps the authors should have emphasised what really went on with slavery, but then this is a film for kids). I shook my head a few times, wondering how such a wonderful and powerful historical account like Exodus could be rendered as lifeless and sadly my kids were just turned off by the story (as was I). My son's comment was "it is so much better when you read it from the Bible" and I have to agree.

I am still waiting for a good account of the Exodus to show up on film. Perhaps (instead of using their imagination to fill in the gaps) the writers should just follow the biblical text when making their movie... It has lasted and will last longer than their films will anyway.

Was the movie a good biblical account? Not bad, but not good either. The author took alot of his own inspiration when making the film. Is the movie good for kids? Perhaps some will like it... But most of the ones I know left the room before the end of the movie.

A Wonderful Movie!!
When I first saw it when I was like 8 or so, I liked it... and now, many years later, I still do! The songs are breathtaking and original, and match the scences. The characters, storyline, colour... oh, the list goes on! It's a fabulous movie! ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Good, But Flawed
Although I have seen this picture well over a dozen times and although I think it's basically a good movie, I must be objective and admit that "The Green Berets" is basically a propaganda piece that at the time of its filming was an attempt to change public sentiment about our country's involvement in Vietnam. For this reason, as well as the healing period our country went through after Vietnam, the movie seems rather archaic and naive today. Those on the far left ridicule it. Those on the far right treat it with the reverence of a Biblical tale. The truth about "The Green Berets" is that it lies somewhere between these two extremes.

The Fort Benning, Georgia filmed training sequences appear to be as real as anything I ever saw while I was in uniform. The combat sequences, however, contained a fair share of errors, most notably the well-known "sun setting in the east" flub. The acting was rather wooden, especially from Wayne as well as Jack Soo, portraying the ARVN officer, and the plot meandered from being quite good in some parts to being downright silly in others.

The most important thing to remember about this movie is that it should be taken for what it is...a good war movie. To casually dismiss it as irrelevant or hopelessly out of step with the truth simply doesn't do it justice. In similar fashion, it's rather stupid to portray it as an homage to the American way of life and characterize those who point out this picture's many flaws as "un-American", as one previous review did. This picture is best enjoyed with the viewer's bias, be it liberal or conservative, turned off.

from a patriot who was not afraid.
if John Wayne had made something like this today he would be ostracized from all of Hollywood and from about 2% of this nation. he was a man, a patriot and he wanted to show the good of our struggle. vietnam was a war that was not unlike every other war, the only difference was our citizens. the baby boomers grew up spoiled (founding fathers of the modern left). they didnt understand hard work and what a country need's to do for freedom. the left will today say freedom is a slogan, that we will always be free, they will say bush's war is for oil or some uneducated and clichéd response, but freedom is not just about a war or occupation, it's the freedom to not be afraid to get on a airplane, the freedom to not fear going into tall buildings, the freedom not to fear gathering large groups in public. and for the arab world it means to not be afraid to have your wife drive your car, or wear a dress in public, or to question a religious authority. the whole idea of vietnam was to prevent the spread of communism, it was a war that transcended vietnam itself, it was a war to measure our country and our people's resolve. vietnam taught our enemies (and todays modern terrorists) that if they can scare us, horrify us or kill enough of us that we will cower and not fight. Stalin, Khrushchev, khadafi, Usama, and hussein thought this, and we taught them all a lesson through might.

just because liberal's think war is not the answer it does not mean that our enemies do also. we are not europe, if we do not spend money on our military, flex our muscles, set deadlines and take action no one ele will. we do not have anyone to protect us like europe and the world have us. terrorist do not seek peace, they do not hate us because we are us they hate us because of hollywood, because of our freedom from starvation, our comfort in life and from our belief that we can live life any way we want without regard.

John wayne in his portrayal of vietnam was not "propaganda" it was to boost moral for the country, to support our efforts in defeating communism. i read before someone said john wayne was no patriot, what is a patriot if not to support the united states and to keep it's moral up? john wayne did that, ask any soldier from WWII to the present day. i feel bad for the liberal's they hate everyone, stand for everything while believing in nothing and really do not know anything of history or of humanity.

THE DUKE HAS THE LEFT TIED IN KNOTS
In 1969, John Wayne infuriated the Left with "The Green Berets", a film that made no apologies in its all-out support of America's effort in Vietnam. It was lambasted by critics, but in a very interesting sign, sold out at the box office. It plays today and while it is heavy-handed, there is little about it that rings untrue. The soldiers do not swear, complain or bastardize their uniforms like the actual guys did, but their patriotism and military professionalism was the real deal. The Communists they fight in the film are shifty little pissants. This does not deviate from the essential truth.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

bad propoganda but a couple of gem performances
the performances of david jansaan and jim hutton stand out in this really blatant propoganda piece.
wayne the director and producer is not someone i empathize with but i do believe wayne the actor was vastly underrated.
too many people, myslef included, often let waynes politcs get in the way of acknowledging his acting powers.
this film is that in a nutshull.
his politics are unavoidable but the scen in which he wells up, on the verge of tears, trying to tell the young boy of huttons death is powerhouse acting pure and simple.
try to appreciate it.

A solid, well-made film
John Wayne like any other American had the right to promote his opinion. Period. ...

Now, the film is as accurate as any other Vietnam film made in that last 30 years because films are created to promote an opinion. (I've known Vietnam Vets who were not dope smoking, gun-totting genocidists.)

As far as action and commitment, the Green Berets succeeds as a solid "war film." No one who cares about good film making can argue that, unless they believe in censorship. The film is panoramic and energetic in cinematic quality. The characters are strong male types (like Vets I've known.) The film chose its side and promoted it. There is one strong element that the film brings home. The US military was better at killing, and it had to be. Most US detachments were generally outnumbered, fighting an opposition armed by numerous totalitarian countries from Europe to Asia. That is a historical fact, which interestingly enough, was introduced into a film over 35 years old.

The Green Berets, again, is a solid war-film and interestingly enough, is less fancifully than Platoon. The Green Berets is worth the time to see. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Our Gang returns!
I loved "The Little Rascals" when I was growing up. I'm glad to see they have a nice mix of episodes with my favorite characters. Spanky, Alfalfa, Jackie, Buckwheat, Marianne, and Pete (the dog!) are all here!

If you are unfamiliar with the Little Rascals, it was a series of short comedies filmed in the 1920's and 1930's called "Our Gang". The films were about poor kids and their very funny escapades. (Note: there is racial stereotyping that was common at the time of filming, not that that is any excuse!) These were intended to be stand-alone films. In some films, the gang had parents. In others, they live in an orphanage. There were plenty of other inconsistencies like this from episode to episode. Hal Roach sold the original series to MGM, bought it back, and renamed it, "Hal Roach's Little Rascals". More episodes were filmed into the early 1940's. No episodes were ever produced for TV, but it started playing on TV in 1955 under the name, "The Little Rascals". Jackie Cooper played "Jackie". (Robert Blake played "Mickey", but not in any of these episodes.)

Here is an episode guide, with a tiny description:

Teacher's Pet: Jackie brags to a nice woman about the tricks they plan to play on the new teacher. Guess who their new teacher is?

School's Out: Jackie is worried that the new teacher, Miss Crabtree will get married and leave. So when the gang thinks she has a boyfriend, they try to discourage his interest.

Readin' And Writin': Brisbane tries to get kicked out of school after his mother reminds him that he can be president if he does well.

Spooky Hooky: Spanky and Alfalfa want to skip school and go to the circus, so they send Buckwheat and Porky to put a fake doctor's note on the teacher's desk. When they find out the teacher is taking the class to the circus, they do everything they can to get the note back.

Sprucin' Up: Spanky and Alfalfa show off to the new truant officer's daughter.

For Pete's Sake!: After Marianne's doll is destroyed by the local bully, the gang tries to get her a new one. They end up trading Pete, the dog, for a doll!

The Kid From Borneo: The gang decides that a wild man from Borneo wants to eat them up.

Dogs Is Dogs: Pete, the dog, ends up at the pound after he is accused of eating Mr. Brown's chickens.

The Pooch: Stymie steals a pie, but is forgiven when he gets the other kids' dogs from the dogcatcher.

Dog Heaven: Pete, the dog, is upset because Joe spent money on a girl rather than a promised dog collar. Pete saves the girl from drowning, but gets in trouble when Joe thinks Pete pushed her into the water.

CLASSIC LITTLE RASCALS
I am now 27 Years old From United Kingdom and these Kids where apart of my Youth, when i was about 7 Years old i remembered watching these kids and love how they had there Own Fire Engine..How much i wanted to be there with them, Remembering how they hated Girls at that youthful age, That Always made me grin Because at that age of 7, they where Public Ememy to me aswell..Since then years have gone By, and it look like i never see then again, But I check your Site and was made up to see that i was able to Own these classic Episodes again and even better on DVD.. Now i will be able to share these classic Little Rascals moment with my 3 Neices and let them see the Great Fire Engine....***CLASSIC** :o) ... Read more

Description

DISC 1 Episode 1-Answers Given to Questions Never Asked:Dylan and the crew face an enemy of great and terrible power as they battle to rescue a kidnapped member of the Commonwealth Triumvirate.Episode 2-Pieces of Eight-The power to see the future is in the hands of a madman called Citizen Eight. He claims to be a friend to the Commonwealth… but his real goal is to get rid of Dylan.Episode 3-Waking the Tyrant's Device:Dylan and the Andromeda crew must stop Kroton, the half-android, half-human creator of the Magog Worldship, who seeks to destroy all things organic. His weapon? An android army.DISC 2 Episode 1-Double or Nothingness:Dylan is caught in a virtual reality game of death controlled by two cruel gamblers who wager on the outcome. When Dylan can’t tell the difference between illusion and reality, he has no choice… but to play the game.Episode 2-Harper/Delete:File/D is the most powerful weapon in the universe, capable of deleting the mind, while leaving the body – on a planetary scale. When Harper finds the device, he works hard to deactivate it. But there are evil forces who want the weapon… and want it working. ... Read more

Description

A child's lie has life-shattering consequences in this daring adaptation of Lillian Hellman's celebrated play from legendary director William Wyler. Starring Academy Award* winners* Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine and co-starring James Garner, Miriam Hopkins and Fay Bainter, this landmark film is "one of the most finely wrought dramas in the history of the screen" (Motion Picture Herald). Karen (Hepburn) and Martha (MacLaine) are the headmistresses of an exclusive school for girls. When they discipline a malicious little girl, the vindictive child twists an overheard comment into slander and accuses her teachers of questionable behavior. Soon the scandalous gossip engulfs the school's community, with repercussions that are swift, crushing...and tragic. ... Read more

Description

For two years the Civil War has been elsewhere.Now Confederate forces are nearby, looting and burning.It is time to fight back, Jess Birdwell's neighbors insist.Yet Birdwell, a Quaker, knows there must be a better way to settle things.

Year: 1956

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Beautiful story about pacifist Quaker family in Civil War
Gary Cooper shines as a Quaker alongside a resolute and opinionated Dorothy McGuire as his "congregation elder" wife. They live in the rural "North" at the outbreak of the Civil War, raising 2 eligible teenagers (a boy and a girl), as well as a 10 year old boy. The emminent Civil War has the Quaker community divided on the issue of pacivism. Several "older men" in the congregation quickly turn coats, urging Cooper to join them in fighting the Rebels who plunder and burn Northern villages and kill women and children. When put to the true test, it is Cooper who proves to be the "true Christian". -- A love story between the teenage girl and her soldier suiter is a beautiful bonus. The entire cast is excellent, and the timeless theme song by Pat Boone puts the icing on the cake. This is a 5-star classic. You'll want to watch "Friendly Persuasion" again and again.

Cooper is magnificent
This is a lovely movie, beautifully photographed on location (no phony Hollywood sets here). The performances are stellar throughout, but Gary Cooper is outstanding as the family patriarch. Watch him acting, the subtle shifts in gait, his facial expressions and nuances make him the great star that he was. They don't make 'em like Cooper anymore. Anthony Perkins is also excellent as the vacillating Josh Birdwell, the Quaker boy gone off to fight in the Civil War and Dorothy McGwire is quietly effective. There is much humor throughout the movie, you'll laugh our loud many times.

This is a great movie for everyone in the family, adults and children alike. "Wholesome" is an old-fashioned concept, this this movie lives up to that billing.

An all but perfect movie
This gentle, sensitively crafted story of a loving Quaker family is the closest thing to a perfect movie I have come across.

Usually touted as an anti-war film, Friendly Persuasion deals with young Josh Birdwell's (Anthony Perkins) crisis of conscience over whether to fight the Confederate forces that have invaded his home area. But, the film has a broader sweep as well, fitting Josh's struggle into the broader life of the Family. Sister Mattie is in love with a Methodist, son of Papa's friend Sam Jordan, with whom he races to Meeting and/or Church on Sundays. Little Jess, the youngest, has a mortal fude with Mama's pet goose Samantha.

And, Mama and Papa? Different as their outlooks on life seem, they love each other very much. Without sinking to the maudlin this film, like The Sundowners, portrays two people who have been married for about twenty years and are totally, charmigly in love.

The story takes place over just a few weeks, but the brief time-span allows for a depth of realization which, by the end, leaves the viewer feeling that she/he kknows and is very fond of this family.

Perfect for snuggling with that special someone, or watchig as a family project.

revisiting a classic
I'd seen this film once as a child since it is one of my mother's favorites and recently we obtained a copy. I'd only remembered the goose! Upon seeing it again, I can safely say this is a classic to be viewed numerous times. It never slides into mockery and presents the Quakers as a family struggling with temptations forbidden by their religion from dancing to violence. The trip to the fair is a wonderful example of this: Little Jess's adventure with gambling, Josh's friend Caleb wrestling and their fight with other spectators, the father, Jess, played wonderfully by Gary Cooper, squirrel shooting and singing with friend and racing competitor, Sam Jordan, and the daughter Mattie dancing with epitomy of non-Quakerness, a Methodist Union Officer.

The trip Josh takes with his father to Ohio and meets a widow and her three very single daughters is delightful. Anthony Perkins is fabulous as he tries to keep away from the girls who hardley ever seen men!

THings turn serious as the Civil War which was always somewhat distant (even with Gard, Mattie's suitor and Sam Jordan's son, coming home on furlough wounded in battle) finally comes to fore. Enoch, the hired hand and runaway slave, must leave to save himself from the Confederates and Josh must choose between his country and his religion. The war literally comes to their front porch as Eliza, the mother and minister, Mattie and Little Jess are left defenseless at home.

One of the best parts is the culmination of the courtship between Gard and Mattie where he asks her to marry him. What will they go through during and after the war as Mattie will have to reconcile the conflict between her religion and Gard's occupation and what will her family's reaction be? There's a sense that her father doesn't mind Gard and would welcome a marriage between Gard and his only daughter. She could honestly not do better. The man is the son of her father's friend and is highly trusted by the family.

The characters and stories are delightful and I've rewatched this film several times over and still find great things in it every time. Well worth owning.

About Quakers By A Quaker
This is my favourite movie and I refer people to it often to explain the Quaker Distinctive of Non-Resistance (pacifism is something different). Based on the book by Jessamine West (who was also the consultant on the set), there are many 'inside' jokes only a Quaker (Friend) would get. Many non-Plain Faith people think we plod peacefully and quietly along through life (refering to noise level and degree of emotions), and that our children are born that way, too. This movie does an excellent job of showing we are all human, laugh, cry, etc., and especially why Quakers (Friends) do not bleieve in 'returning violence for violence done' (one of Dorothy McGuire's lines), why we do not believe in the 'glory' of war (there isn't any), and why we stress the sacredness of all human life. I also like how, when the teenage son (Anthony Perkins) feels compelled to choose differently, his dad reminds the mother (who is not just an Elder, but the Recorded Minsister of the Meeting) that one of the principal beliefs of Friends is each individual being directly responsible for their own actions/decisions to God through their individual consciences. An outstanding movie, with lots to keep you intertained and interested all the way through. Look for the humorous scene with Marjory Main (Ma from the Ma and Pa Kettle movies). ... Read more

Description

Andromeda chronicles the adventures of Captain Dylan Hunt (Kevin Sorbo) and his crew on the starship Andromeda Ascendant as they search the galaxies in an effort to rebuild the Systems Commonwealth, a community of worlds strewn across the universe working ... Read more

Reviews (75)

DESERVES A TEN!!!
My appreciation for this movie has sky-rocketed this last week. I recently watched the new Sabrina with Harrison Ford... it didn't even compare! This version is much much better! I've read the review for this movie... some think Bogart was too old for this movie or that the interplay between Hepburn and Bogart wasn't good. I definitely disagree! The chemistry between Audrey and Bogart is fantastic... the screen just sparks with it! I'm not sure of the behind the screens of this movie... some say that Bogart and Hepburn didn't work well together... all I know is that is produces something between them that is incomparable! Only couples like Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall & Bogart can produce this much chemistry on the screen!

I love the story of Sabrina...
Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) is the plain looking daughter of a chauffer. She falls in love with the playboy son, David (William Holden), of the wealthy people her father serves. David doesn't notice her... Her father sends her off to a cooking school in Paris and there she becomes transformed into a dazzlingly gorgeous young lady. She comes home stunningly beautiful and catches the eye of the playboy son, David. Linus (Bogart) has worked out a merger with this company and rich family who owns sugarcane plantations. Part of the deal is that David is marrying their daughter. So Linus has to draw Sabrina away from David, because he's already engaged... and Sabrina falls in love with Linus... I won't give the end away... I'll just say it's worth the watch... It leaves you satisfied. Sometimes you watch a movie and at the end you are like... "So?" ... It didn't end well... Well this is not one of those movies! I love this movie to death! The best Actors, music, and chemistry! A definite watch!

Isn't It Romantic?
Audrey Hepburn simply sparkles as Sabrina Fairchild, the chauffeur's daughter in this enchanting romance classic. Bogart plays the eldest of two brothers (the other played by William Holden), a bookish industrialist who starts off competing for Sabrina's affections but winds up falling in love with her instead. Hepburn is magical as the lead, glittering like an angel atop a Christmas tree. Holden cuts a romantic, charismatic swath and figure as the devil-may-care playboy working himself up to marriage number three. Based on the play, Sabrina Fair, Billy Wilder directs with sardonic wit, charm and the ease of a true master of the cinema. This is a love story that remains timeless. Paramount hasn't restored the film, though there is nothing terribly wrong with the transfer as is. Fine details occasionally shimmer and once in a long while a scratch or chip in the camera negative can be detected by the naked eye. Over all though, this is a great looking DVD. Also included, a featurette that glosses over the making of the movie. Bottom line: Hepburn, Holden and Bogart prove themselves as not only stars, but American pop icons. Isn't it romantic? - Definitely!

Audrey's second film is my favourite
It almost begins like a fairy tale, how once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some 30 miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. So goes the opening narration by Audrey Hepburn, which sets the story in motion and introduces the Larrabee estate and family, also goes on to describe an English chauffeur named Fairchild and his daughter, Sabrina, played of course by Hepburn, in this romantic comedy based on Samuel Taylor's play Sabrina Fair.

Sabrina's sent to a cooking school in Paris, which not only prepares her for a vocation, but to help her get over her crush over David Larrabee (William Holden), the dashing playboy who spent short periods at many colleges and even shorter periods with his three wives (consecutive, of course). Ironic, considering that Holden had a crush on Hepburn, which led to a brief affair, and for him, a torch he carried through the rest of his life. The advice she gets is "don't reach for the moon." The thing is, she's the last of the romantics, "l'amour toujours" as described by Linus Larrabee, the business brains behind the multimillion Larrabee holdings, which include land and water, copper, construction, and now, a new kind of plastic that's resilient and tastes sweet(!!)

After two years in Paris, she is a vision of beauty, chic, with a new haircut, and transformed, yet still the romantic, as she vows to be in the world and of the world, and "never ever run away from life, or from love either."

Linus plans to marry David off to Elizabeth Tyson, whose father owns the second largest sugar cane in Puerto Rico, the ceremonial part of a $20 million merger with Tyson. This is put in jeopardy with Sabrina's return, and David, who previously ignored her, is bedazzled. Yet Sabrina, who's reluctantly wooed by Linus to salvage the deal, finds out there's more to him than just the "cold businessman...with ice in his veins, ticker tape coming from his heart." She finds out he's nice and quite human.

"Remember, it's the 20th century" is a reminder that the Victorian days of knowing one's place is gone. Fairchild sees life as a limousine: "there's a front seat, there's a back seat, and a window inbetween." He later says "Nobody poor was called democratic for marrying someone rich." Mother and Father Larrabee believe that, as they are scandalized at David's affections towards Sabrina, and see her in terms of class status.

Other great scenes include the cooking school, but the party scene when Sabrina appears in her bare-shouldered white dress and becomes the belle of the ball dancing with David, shows her at her most radiant and resplendent.

Humphrey Bogart is great as Linus, scheduled, sensible, loyal, observant, honest, and yet with a softer side. John Williams is perfect as Tom Fairchild. And Jenny the maid is played by Nancy Kulp, best known as Ms. Hathaway in the Beverly Hillbillies TV series. But Francis X. Bushman as old Mr. Larrabee has some funny moments with a penchant for martinis and cigars (whenever his wife's not around). Hepburn would be reunited with director Billy Wilder in Love In The Afternoon.

However, Sabrina also sees birth of a long-time association between Audrey and a certain Hubert de Givenchy, who did her costumes for many of her films. No Oscar for Hepburn, though she was nominated, but this film got me on my Hepburn kick back in the 90's, and is especially wonderful for those living "la vie en rose" as Sabrina does. To conclude, forget the 1995 remake--watch the original instead.

Sabrina
Personally, I found this movie to be very boring and trite. In fact, I fell asleep through it twice. I am a big Audrey Hepburn fan, so I was very disapointed when I watched this and found it so incredibly dull. I did though very much enjoy the remake and have seen that several times.

A Wonderful Movie but I also like The Remake!
I saw Sabrina on TCM and I liked it and I think it's a wonderful movie and I think Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden were terrific and I recommend this movie and I'm planning on buying the DVD! I will probably get slammed for saying this but I also liked the remake that starred Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear and I plan on buying that movie on DVD too! They are both charming, delightful movies that can be enjoyed on their ownrights and though I have seen remakes that were horrible the remake of this movie was fine but I suspose that since I saw the remake first that I was able to enjoy it because I wasn't comparing it to the original! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Often hailed as the greatest fantasy film ever made, The Thief of Bagdad (1940) was producer Alexander Korda's crowning achievement. Deservedly winning Academy Awards^® for art direction, color cinematography, and special effects, this Arabian Nights adventure appeals to all ages with its fantastical tale of Abu (Sabu), the little thief who befriends the prince of Bagdad (John Justin) and foils the nefarious plans of the evil grand vizier (Conrad Veidt), who seizes control of Bagdad and covets the princess of Basra (Joan Duprez). From its gorgeous, epic-scale sets to flying horses, magic carpets, and, best of all, Rex Ingram's towering jinni of the bottle, this Thief has all the magic of the tales that inspired it, and vibrant Technicolor brings it all to life in dazzling style. Six esteemed directors worked on this infamously troubled production, but the final result exceeded all expectations, becoming an instant classic that endures to this day. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Greatest golden age fantasy still well worth owning
This masterpiece, often referred to as the greatest fantasy movie ever, still holds up well over 60 years later. The Thief of Bagad has a terrific story with enchanting magic, enticing romance and terrific suspense. The acting is absolutely superb with fine performances turned in by Sabu the little thief, Rex Ingram as the powerful and scary genie, and Conrad Veidt who as the evil Vizier Jaffar is one of the best villians ever. John Justin, the blinded Caliph and his beloved princess (June Deprez) provide an engaging and often tragic romance that lends terrific depth to this story.

Best yet is the awesome imagination brought to life in this masterpiece epic. While some of the effects show their age (The spider, for instance), others, such as the flying mechanical horse and the magical carpet are still captivating. The immense attention to detail is evident in the palaces, the ships and the sultan's toy collection. Miklos Rosza's musical score along with this movie's wonderful cinematography recreates the legendary time of the Arabian Nights.

For my one complaint, while this movie clearly rates 5 stars, I'm knocking my review down to 4 stars due to the lack of DVD extras. When compared to spectacular golden age DVDs like Robin Hood, one begins wish all were made this way. Children from 8-13 (as well as adults) will still find joy in this delightful picture.

Brilliant Fantasy Adventure!!!
A blinded beggar, Ahmad, with his wise dog, is begging for food and coins in the harbor of a distant city. The Grand Vizier Jaffar requests that the beggar should be brought to the palace to help his beloved Princess wake up from a deep trance like sleep, since legends tell him that only a blind man can awaken the princess. During the blind man's visit, he tells the story of his life and how he once was the King of Bagdad and his dog was a thief named Abu. The story also reveals that he was blinded by the evil Vizier Jaffar and how he fell in love with the Princess. Thief of Bagdad is a captivating fantasy tale with magical items, dubious creatures, and enchanting adventures of a long lost king. The wide variety of creatures, items, and adventures is delicately balanced with a well written story, precise cinematography, and special effects that do not ruin the story despite the age of the film. The experience that is provided through this cinematic event is a magical story that offers both entertainment as well as contemplation, which is useful for young and old.

A masterpiece to been seen by all generations
"The Thief of Baghdad" is a masterpiece and should be seen by the present and future generations. It is a movie complete and all its aspects. I was 10 when I first saw "The Thief of Baghdad" and since then I could never forget the moments of enchantment it brought to me everytime (more than 10 times)I went to the movies to see it on the big screen. It was and still is my fantasy favorite movie. In the Middle 60's I finally found a copy in 16mm at a distributor and had to rent a projector to show the film at home. Although the copy was in very bad conditions I could even so, be able to go back to the days of my childhood while enjoying this wondereful film.
Recently I púrchased a VHS copy at Amazon[.com] and virtually "obliged" my 18 year-old daughter to watch it. It was a prize to have the film with me at all times. The new edition in DVD is perfect and reveals all the splendor the film brings.

A Fairy Tale concealing the Prennial Wisdom
I first saw this movie as a child in the 1940's. The effects were the best ever for the time, and even look really good today. This is another hero tale complete with a lowly but likable thief who undergoes the classic perils all heros face, but the placement is beaufifully fantasic with the mystery of sultans, evil vizer, genii, minerets, blue rosess of forgetfulness, and magical toys that come to life in Baghdad and Basra. It became my family's all time favorite, along with another Sabu movie, Jungle Book. If this is the type of fantasy and truth you like, go for it.

A Dream
Superb remake of Douglas Fairbanks silent classic; with Sabu as the charming little thief, helping a blinded caliph (John Justin), victim of evil Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), to recover her position and her sweetheart (June Duprez), setting for just amazing adventures.

Filled with wild ideas (the menacing shadow of Jaffar, the blue rose, the horse-toy, the sculpture of many hands, the giant spider, the laughing Genius), and a very, very beautiful color photography (June Duprez is beautiful and John Justin's eyes sparkle with intensity), this film is a certainly unspeakable dazzle for me. ... Read more

Description

This witty, musical version of The Philadelphia Story stars Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and the jazz master himself, Louis Armstrong, playing the hottest trumpet in the land. Year: 1956 Director: Charles Waters Starring: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong ... Read more

Reviews (19)

All that jazz and more!
Just released on DVD, this fabulous musical remake of George Cukor's The Philadelphia Story (1940) sees Grace Kelly in her last ever film role before crossing the pond to marry into the Monaco monarchy (she even wore her actual engagement ring in the movie).

Kelly plays the spoilt heiress Tracy Samantha Lord, a rather icy perfectionist (this generation would say 'control freak'), who is due to marry the stuffy George Kitteridge (John Lund) when her ex-husband C K Dexter-Haven (Bing Crosby), unexpectedly turns up... Still in love with her, he puts in place a subtle plan to win back her heart. Throw in an incorrigible little sister, a playboy dad, a couple of snoops from Spy magazine, Louis Armstrong (as himself) and buckets of champagne... and now you has jazz!

With a witty script and quite the line-up (it was the first time Crosby and Frank Sinatra, playing Spy magazine reporter, appeared on screen together), the romantic comedy is carried by one of Cole Porter's best - and one of his last - musical scores which includes Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Well, Did You Evah?, Now You Has Jazz, and Kelly and Crosby's moving duet True Love.

Like most rereleases of older movies onto DVD, what actually makes you update your video copy are the bonus features. Along with the nostalgic newsreel of the film's 1956 première, this version includes a short documentary on 'the making of...', narrated by Celeste Holm (born 1919, who played Spy magazine photographer). Although it makes for entertaining viewing (throwing up little snippets such as how Kelly's father warned Prince Rainier of Monaco before they got married she was a [bad] driver), one can't help thinking that someone cruelly substituted Holm's oxygen tank with helium...

Overall verdict? Thoroughly entertaining and an absolute must for fans of classic musicals and all that jazz...

Great stars! Great songs! Great film! ...GREAT DVD!
This is a musical remake of George Cukor's classic "The Philadelphia Story". The new setting: the Newport Jazz Festival and the chic mansions on its surroundings. The story is exactly the same: Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly in her last film) is engaged to David (John Lund). But her ex-husband (Bing Crosby) won't let her go that easily. In the between, there are a couple of journalists (Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm) with problems on their own.

This is one of those films where everything is great. The whole cast is excelent. This is classical Hollywood in full gear!!

The music by Cole Porter will leave you singing for days after you see this movie: "Well, Did You Evah?", "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", "Little One", "You're Sensational" and the multi-million Dollar seller "True Love" are great tunes. The film has also a five-minute overture with music that is usually cut by television (great music!!!).

This DVD comes with a great pack of extras. But first... the image: gorgeous Technicolor (it was shot in VistaVision). The beautiful soundtrack was remastered in Dolby 5.1 (it seems it was recorded only 10 years ago). There is also a documentary on Cole Porter hosted by Celeste Holm herself! (still beautiful after all these years). There is a newsreel about the film's premiere, Radio adds with Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby, Trailers (from both "High Society" and "The Philadelphia Story"), Notes ..........and a great Cinemascope Cartoon "Millionaire Droopie".

The only bad thing about this DVD is that the subtitles dissapear during the songs (and there are 3 languages).

Anyway... this a great film with all the elements at their peak!

ONE OF MGM`S BEST
I saw this film years before THE PHILADELPHIA STORY on which it is based. Mind you: THIS MUSICAL is far better than The Philadelphia Story. Grace Kelly is wonderful as Tracy, whereas Hepburn is hard and difficult 2 like. Stewart is an irritating, uncharismatic C.K. Dexter Haven. Sinatra`s Dexter is at his best. Indeed when u have a cast like Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Louis Calhern and Louis Armstrong - 1 should just shut up and let them do their stuff. Indeed Charles Walters did; and what a lovely film it turned out 2 be.

I fell in love with Bing Crosby...
...after watching this movie. This is such a great musical - the songs are catchy, the actors are talented, what more could you want? As a little kid watching this movie I thought Bing Crosby could do no wrong and Grace Kelly was just mean - watching it as an adult I understand a little more about how their relationship must've worked (or not, as it were). Some extremely funny moments mixed with a few poignant ones make for a very good movie. Highly recommended!

Cute, Great Cast, But...
This is a fantastic story and a fantastic cast, very talented musically. But, the score does not make up for the plot it forces aside. This is not the best movie for any of these actors. Interesting to compare to The Philadelphia Story, but if you only have time for one--watch the original. ... Read more

Description

The series D.A.R.Y.L. explores the life of a young boy named Daryl who demonstrates profound talent in all areas of his life. From solving advanced mathematics to dominating difficult video games on his first try, Daryl continues to awe everyone in his town including his foster parents. Consequently, the government has a hidden interest in Daryl that threatens his very existence. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

EXCITING MOVIE FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS
This is an exciting and intelligent film for everyone. Do not let
the box cover art make you think this is a kiddie film only. It
is a neat little film that teaches many lessons. D.A.R.Y.L. is
actually a child robot that is too perfect a child and a scient
ist working with him wants him to have a life outside the gov
ernment lab. D.A.R.Y.L. winds up with a foster family, makes a
life long friend has an exciting finale. This is a uniformly
well-made and acted film with excellent special effects on what
was a shoe-string budget. This film is as enjoyable as most of
Disney's big budget offerings. Also it shows that a wonderful
film without gratuitous trash and language can be made.
The film works so well because of the performance of Barrett
Oliver as D.A.R.Y.L. He gives the presence of the perfect, loving child. He also was in The Neverending Story and Cocoon
parts one and two. Strangely he seems to have disappeared from
film in his teens. I would like to see him in more films

d.a.r.y.l.
from the first time i saw this film,i knew this was a great family movie.has a very good story line and excitement for all ages.paramount is brining this film out on dvd sometime in 2004.hope it will be in widescreen.check it out,you'll love it!

A Good Movie!!!
I remember watching D.A.R.Y.L in the 80's and thinking it was a cute movie that has humor mixed with drama and a great cast, Barrett Oliver (The Never Ending Story), Michael McKean (Laverne and Shirley) and Mary Beth Hurt (Chilly Scenes of Winter) and is about a robot made to look like a little boy who is set free by a scientist and sent to live with foster parents who at first have no clue that he isn't a real little boy. I don't want to give too much away but I think this is a cute movie and I recommend it but I wish they'd put it on DVD (Widescreen)!

One of the best movies of the 80s
Long before Steven Spielberg's A.I. came out in the summer of 2001,there was a film that came out in 1985 called D.A.R.Y.L.which is way better then A.I.I grew up on this film since the age of 4 years old and it's still wonderful to me even at the age of 22.While A.I. is a good film,it lacks the warmth,awe and the wonder that Daryl had.His name stands of Data Analyzing Robot Youth Lifeform and noone,not even Daryl himself knows he's a robot,they just think of him as a normal boy with extraordinary talents.Daryl is a warm and touching film not only for childern but for adults too.

miraculous
Barret Oliver, who plays DARYL, is one of the greatest child actors in my opinion. This movie is not only heartwarming, but intreaging. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Not as good as "Wings of Desire", but still has charm
"Faraway, So Close" is a sequel to a perfect movie so perfect that perhaps should have been left untainted by a sequel, however, it still captures the magical feel of "Wings of Desire", but this time with a pop-thriller feel.

It cruises along the border of body and mind, and follows the two intellectual angels that have been tackled with the dillema of reality versus eternity.

The film is lengthy and at times moves slow, but offers many interesting and thoughtfull moments, and it generally provokes many thoughts long after the movie's end. A must for Wenders fans. Since a sequel has already been made to WoD, perhaps master director Wenders can cook yet another chapter in the story, but one that captures the essence of Wings of Desire.

An excellent sequel
This is much lighter and easier to follow than its progenitor, "Wings of Desire".

This movie follows Cassiel's desire to be human. While Tariel may have hade a more ideal life (family, child, job, simple pleasures), Cassiel's story is one more of what happens when humans screw up, make bad choices, or live in denial.

Can't forget Peter Falk. He reprises the best role I have ever seen him in. Also, William Defoe the Fallen Angel is something to be remembered.

A truly wonderful companion movie and also wonderful on its own. I wholly recomment buying it today.

Void of meaning; boring enough to put you to sleep
Starts out great, then descends into a horrifying hell of boredom and ambiguity and mixed up wastelands of celluloid. There was no point to this movie and it literally put me out; yep, it put me to sleep. I thought the beginning looked promising but then it turned into one of the most enigmatic wastes of time I have ever watched.

faraway
airheaded new age schtick. feel-good gobbledygook mixing philosophy, social consciousness, art cinema fetishes, international stars, history, noir, and whatnot. it tries to teach, illume, entertain, humor, and inspire. it also tries to be very hip. it just made me wanna puke.

The Berlin Ground.
The success of 'Wings Of Desire' must have prompted Wenders to come up with a sequel. It certainly makes a greater effort at garnishing a wider audience, with the addition of Natassja Kinski, Willem Dafoe & Horst Buchholz to the previous cast. The script also has the novelty of being in 4 different languages.

In 'Wings Of Desire' Bruno Ganz's transformation from angel to human could be seen as a desire by Berliners each side of the wall to overcome their imprisonment from each other. In 'Faraway, So Close', the moral confusion that Otto Sander witnesses when he crashes down from above, mirrors the uneasy turmoil of the new united Berlin. Like an East Berliner untutored in the ways of the West, he stumbles about in an unsophisticated way until his new freedoms begin to overwhelm him and he finds his only refuge in a bottle. Despite all this, he tries to find meaning and do good, but finds that in the new Germany, the only options open to an ex-angel (or an ex-communist) is the criminal underworld.

Although the film starts to lose its way in the final farcical half hour, there are some impressive performances here, especially Horst Buchholz (last seen in 'The Magnificent Seven').

Wenders last great film, his talent has since floundered in making movies with the likes of Mel Gibson. ... Read more

Description

Johnny Depp ruled as TV’s hottest young actor in this third season of the hit series that shot him to stardom. Depp stars as undercover cop Tom Hanson, who along with fellow officers Harry Ioki (Dustin Nguyen), Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson Peete) and Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise), tackles tough cases of teen pregnancy, drug dealers, child molestation, army desertion, racism, homelessness, murder and more, including the introduction of Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco). Steven Williams co-stars as Captain Fuller in the Fox-TV sensation co-created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell (HUNTER, PROFIT) that Entertainment Weekly still hails as "too cool for school!" 21 JUMP STREET – THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON contains all 20 explosive episodes – including the unforgettable two-part cliffhanger finale in which Hanson wages a one-man war against the street gang that shot Ioki – featuring such guest stars as Bridget Fonda, Peri Gilpin, Dom DeLuise, Larenz Tate, Christopher Titus, Mario Van Peebles and Kelly Hu. ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Travolta is Vic Deakins, a bomber pilot who launches a devilish plan to hijack two nuclear missiles for big-time extortion. Vic never sweats, spews out great one-liners, knocks off money men with glee, toys with killing half a million people... he even smokes!

If you giggled at his "Ain't it cool" line from the trailer, you're in the right frame of mind for this comedic action film. Never as gritty or semi-realistic--or for that matter as heart-thumping--as the original Die Hard, Broken Arrow still delivers. If Travolta is cast against type, everyone else is by the numbers; Christian Slater as Hale, the earnest copilot looking to foil the plot, Samantha Mathis as the brave park ranger caught in the middle, Frank Whaley as an eager diplomat, Delroy Lindo as a right-minded colonel. As with his previous script (the superior Speed), writer Graham Yost moves everything quickly along as Hale and the ranger try to cut off Deakins's plan over a variety of terrains. We have plane crashes, car chases, a pursuit through an abandoned mine, a helicopter-train shootout, and lots of fighting between boys. Each time Hale finds himself perfectly in place to foil Deakins. You're suppose to laugh at the unbelievable situations. That's where Arrow is deceptive: its tone is right for the laughter compared to the mean-spirited Schwarzenegger and Stallone action films with labored jokes. Hong Kong master director John Woo (The Killer, Hard Target) pulls out all the stops--slow motion of Hale and Deakins's gymnastic gun play, nifty stunts, countdowns to doomsday. Woo may know action, but he needs more guidance in creating unique and stunning special effects. This is action entertainment at its cheesiest. Travolta and Woo later reteamed for Face/Off. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Great action flick!
John Travolta is "Deak", a rogue USAF nuclear warrior who steals two weapons as part of a massive extortion plot in "Broken Arrow". Though a riff on the Bond flick "Thunderball", "Arrow" is so distinctively a John Woo flick, you never think of it as anything but original. Christian Slater is Riley Hale, Deak's unknowing co-pilot, and the one man who consistently hampers Deak's attempts to make off with the stolen nukes. When the movie starts, we see Deak clobbering Hale across a boxing ring over a $20 wager that Hale has no chance of winning, mostly because, as Deak notes, Hale has no will to win. That's why Deak never invites Hale to join his little nuke-blackmail scheme - he fears the little loser might actually say "yes". But Hale has a bit of a dark side himself - one hinted to Deak when Hale tries to pay off the wager. Deak refuses his winnings because Hale didn't fight hard enough for it to matter, but Hale is insistent - mostly because he stole the $20 from Deak's locker. Once in the air, Deak commandeers control over the plane and, when he fails to kill Hale, ejects him instead, then drops off the nukes for retrieval in the Utah desert before pointing the plane at a mountain and ejecting. On the ground, Deak meets up with his crew, culled from various special forces and well trained to cover every conceivable step the government may take to retrieve or destroy the nukes. Unfortunately for Deak, Hale survives ejection and links up in the desert with a feisty ranger (Samantha Mathis) and works to secure the nukes.

Most of the movie is a chain of action scenes - guns and kickboxing, but the plot stays confined and never loses sight of its focus. What makes this film really work is that everybody is a bad guy, and you almost find yourself cheering for Travolta and his gang when Deak dishes such potables as "I'm the man!, I'm the Man", "I've never killed anybody in person before...I don't see what the big deal is" and, when Hale tells Deak that he's out of his mind, and Deak replies "Yeah, ain't it cool?" Everything about this movie is meant to give you an impression, then dash it with a few shots to your head (like when Samantha Mathis's character confronts a seemingly nerdish nuclear-weapons engineer working for Deak). Even Hale offers some surprises - you half expect him to walk away with the ransom money. In the end, it's a lot fun, though you may come out at the end feeling a tad punch drunk.

Great Action Flick
First let me get this out of the way: I'm not what you'd call a John Woo fan or affictionado. The only other movies I have seen by him are MI:2 and Face/Off, and all I can say is I'm not impressed. Of course, I'm very aware that MI:2 is often labled as one of his worst movies, but I digress.

Having said that, I really like this movie. Of course, it's not Shakespeare, but if you rented this movie to see character development or a deep, unflinching gaze into the dark side of the human soul, you rented the wrong movie. Heck, you were probably in the wrong aisle to begin with.

All the actors play their parts very well. Travolta is the oh-so-cocky Major Deakins and Slater plays the straight-laced Captain Hale. Samantha Mathis is Terry Carmichael, the somewhat inexperienced park ranger caught in a crazy situation, and does a god job. The movie has a bunch of great one-liners and some really neat action sequences involving fights on top of a train, helicopter shoot-downs, a hummer chase across the desert, a shoot-out in a mine shaft, and a nuclear detonation. What more could one ask for?

Sure, its got some noticeable plot holes (the really roomy B-3 cockpit, Mathis hiding under a blanket on the motor boat, the still incomprehensible bomb-arming sequences, etc), but they're not so big as to ruin the experience (which is more than I can say for either Face/Off or MI:2). Over all this is a fun little ride in the desert and definately what I expect an action film to be. A rip-roaring gunbattle with energetic characters, a couple of good jokes, wonderful special effects and beautiful scenery thrown in.

Travolta makes a great villain
Up until Broken Arrow I hadn't seen a single Travolta film that I had enjoyed but this break from his usual fare was fantastic. He was perfect as the villian. The pacing and special effects are great too. Over all it's a great, fun and fast paced film.

Broken Arrow
If ever there was a must see this is it.Broken Arrow is a fantastic film i kid you not.Two military airforce pilots vic deakins(travolta)and riley hale(slater)are assigned a stealth training mission carrying two nuclear warheads.it's supposed to be a routine mission until deakins tries to kill hale and steals the two nukes.What ensues is fantastic action scenes with deakins always being two steps ahead of hale.Deakins is not your ordinary bad guy hes beliavable!!.He's cocky,arroggant and extremely smart whereas hale is naive, decent and honest.From the very first scene we can see deakins is a dark character from the look in his eyes and here he shows his supperiority to hale by kickin his ass in the ring.Deakins also doesn't have pathetic lines such as "im going to rule the world" no we get great lines such as "goddamn what a rush" "would you mind not shooting the thermonuclear weapons?" and "ain't it cool".Its not just the acting or the scenes which are great but the music is great and is the soundtrack.The music encompasses so many elements its sad the full of energy.It has the guitar theme which we first hear when deakins puts on his uniform and looks at himself in the mirror and you just have to laugh because he is the man.John travolta definately delivers the goods as deakins in the film
as a bad guy.Overall this is a must buy as is the soundtrack

XCELLENT!!!!!
This is the best John Woo movie ever.It is far much better than face-off believe me!Those who found this movie dissapointing well I don't know what they were looking for.Face off had too much action that's were they ruined it for me.John's portrayal of the villain is impressive.Though he's shady he's a likeable rogue and keeps the film above par.Personally one of the best action movies I saw of the last decade.Goes right up there on the top of my list together wiyh the likes of Speed,Die Hard III,True Lies etc etc ... Read more