Reviews (67)

Global Thermonuclear War
What happens when a computer hacker breaks into the defense department's computer system and starts playing what he thinks is a computer game? Would you believe World War III?

That is the premise of this movie in a nutshell. But don't let the simple plot line summary fool you. This is a great movie.

Half the fun of this movie is in watching David Lightman (played by Matthew Broderick) get himself in deep water when he accidentally gets the United States to believe that the Soviet Union is attacking. The other half of the fun is in watching David and his new girlfriend (played by Ally Sheedy) desperately try to find the only person on the face of the earth who can stop the computer (called Joshua) from starting World War III.

This is a fun, escapist movie that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Don't worry about the plot holes, or the lack of believability in some areas. Just watch the movie for the fun that it is meant to be.

The best hacker movie ever made!
"WarGames" is easily one of the best hacker movies ever made. Matthew Broderick did a very good job playing in this movie. Broderick is David Lightman, a young man, who breaks into the computer's defense system and almost starts World War III. Ally Sheedy is awesome, in her supporting role, as Jennifer Mack, David's girlfriend. Dabney Coleman is excellent as John McKittrick, a cocky computer expert, and John Wood is wonderful as Stephen Falken, a wizardly computer genius. I have this movie on DVD and I am glad to own it.

Dated but still worth watching.
When this movie was released it was very up to date with the technology it featured. In this day of laptop computers and Internet access to mobile phones it certainly looks dated but put that aside and you are still left with a really good movie with a plot idea that still works today.
The story revolves around an underachieving, bored teenager (played by a very young Matthew Broderick) whose main interest in life is his computer. From his bedroom he can alter his school grades, reserve flights, and download software, all by hacking into other computers. While searching for new games from a software company he comes across a set of titles he assumes are games and decides, with his girlfriend, to play Global Thermonuclear War. Unfortunately it isn't a software company he has hacked into but a military system and he is playing against NORAD's computer. When the realisation hits that the NORAD computer, when it's turn comes round, will launch atomic missiles for real, the race is on the stop the game.
This is still a gripping film that can well pump up the tension even after several viewings. Recommended

well be back in two and two
this movie is best seen in sequence after slingblade, american psycho, kids in the hall, wag the dog, and lawnmower man. Not to be rude or anything, but I find this movie slightly erotic when the computer asks mathew if he wants to play a game. after you watch this, you need to really get the totally erotic euphoria of Bob Roberts and you got a really good movie marathon. Seriously though, if you have a blind date, rent this one and shell do anything you ask, even if she doesnt like you, I swear by this DVD as a date movie, it sets the mood just right. The performances and Brodericks beedy eyes make it a two thumbs up thriller that few other movies will come close to.
enjoy

The original W.O.P.P.E.R.
This animal is a whopper in more ways than one. All you have to do is suspend any type of belief in reality and it is a lot of fun trying to outguess the next move. Even after you have seen it a million times you will find your self kibitzing "look look look it is still running." And what is Joshua doing at the back door?

A teenager, David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) that is too tech savvy for his own good is searching for the new game on the net. He stumbles into the NORAD mainframe evidently it was DARPA/net. For those with a short lifespan DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was the precursor to the internet. We all know what happens when you do this. Yep, now David with the help if his teenage sweetie, Jennifer (Ally Sheedy) must worm his way into NORAD and stop the game or we are toast. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Saturday Night Fever is one of those movies that comes along and seems to change the cultural temperature in a flash. After the movie's release in 1977, disco ruled the dance floors, and a blow-dried member of a TV-sitcom ensemble became the hottest star in the U.S. For all that, the story is conventional: a 19-year-old Italian American from Brooklyn, Tony Manero (John Travolta), works in a humble paint store and lives with his family. After dark, he becomes the polyester-clad stallion of the local nightclub; Tony's brother, a priest, observes that when Tony hits the dance floor, the crowd parts like the Red Sea before Moses. Director John Badham captures the electric connection between music and dance, and also the desperation that lies beneath Tony's ambitions to break out of his limited world. The soundtrack, which spawned a massively successful album, is dominated by the disco classics of the Bee Gees, including "Staying Alive" (Travolta's theme during the strutting opening) and "Night Fever." The Oscar^®-nominated Travolta, plucked from the cast of Welcome Back, Kotter, for his first starring role, is incandescent and unbelievably confident, and his dancing is terrific. Oh, and the white suit rules. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (93)

The Disco Era Classic Film
In 1977 not everybody knew what the innovative disco music was, and to what extent night clubing was going on. This film depicts John Travolta as Brookyn's Tony Manero, hero to the dance floor. His dead end job at a paint store makes him live for The Saturday Night disco scene. Travolta meets Karen Gorney and enters a dance contest with her but she refuses his sexuall advances. Gorney sees herself going to Manhattan to move on with her life. Travolta sees her as a snob. One local girl played by Donna Pescow likes Travolta but is pushed away by him for Gorneys character since she's a better dancer and Pescow is considered boring. What underlies is Trvoltas often at odds relationship with his family. Racial gang wars and a friend you can't help but wonder about his sexuality. Not only did this movie imitate the era, it influenced the next seven years with it's record selling soundtrack and the great timing in which some of the best nightclubs in America remained open. The movies message is vague but lets you fill in the blanks as Travoltas (Manero) becomes fed up with his existing lifestyle. Moviegoers became so enthralled with it, it would continue into the mid 80's. A PG version was recut to feature the dancing and less social conciousness with virtually no explicit language. This movie had one of the biggest impacts of late 70's films!

More relevant after all these years
After reading all the reviews, the one by Gareth from Disco Mountain hits it right on the head. I loved it when it came out almost 25 years ago, I think it's a masterpiece now. There's no dead space in that movie. When you consider all the issues raised, it's astounding that more people don't see the authenticity and humanity within all the flaws of the characters. What Badham did was create a seamless integration of many contemporary themes, and they still hold today in some other neighborhood anywhere in the world. First, it has some of the most natural dialogue ever written. Gritty and powerful and sexy. When I first saw it, I reacted to it with passion. Today, I see the brilliant writing and directing, and those issues! feminism, racism, class consciousness, family dysfunction, religious uncertainty, teenage angst, the inevitable changes encroaching the neighborhood. And all these social commentaries to the beat of nonstop, exhilirating music. The apathy and despair in the family scenes alone go right to the gut. I know these people! Finally, blend that in with those great Brooklyn accents, the dancing, Travolta and company, and you've got one of the most authentic movies made in the last 25 years.

Admit it
You liked this movie when it came out. And John Travolta's dancing was possibly the coolest thing you'd ever seen. Then came the disco backlash and it suddenly was uncool. Which is unfair because this movie is a classic of time and place, despite it's technical flaws (the occasional visible boom mike, obvious reuse of 2nd unit dance footage, and conversations where lips aren't moving.) Not for nothing was this the late, great Gene Siskel's favorite movie instead of say, Roller Boogie or Can't Stop the Music.

I was going to write about some of the best scenes from this movie but who HASN'T seen it? Instead, let's just focus on this DVD. It does have some extras which are always nice but they are on the skimpy side. There are 3 deleted scenes that are largely throw-aways. I'm curious why they didn't include the extra footage they used for the PG version which includes more dance scenes. There is a decent VH1 Behind the Music episode about it. If you saw it when it was on, then there's no reason to see it again; although it does have some fabulous rehearsal footage of John that's definitely worth viewing. The best of the bunch is director John Badham's commentary which is very good and exactly what a director commentary should be-peppered with amusing trivia (e.g. the lady who played Travolta's grandmother kept presenting him with scenes she had written to beef up her part), technical details, and wry humor. And plus you have a true screen classic on DVD. Re-watch it after all these years and still discover something new to enjoy.

Any night fever
John Travolta makes his starring film debut in this film as Tony Manero,a paint store sales associate who during the day is at the store and is at the real non-existent 2001 Odyssey discotheque and nightclub at night. Karen Lynn Gorney is Stephanie Mangano,a girl Tony meets at a dance studio. They'd later go to 2001 Odyssey together. Tony still lives with his mom,dad and his little sister in Brooklyn and in the last scene,announces to Stephanie his plan to move to Manhattan where she lives. Tony's buddies went with him to the nightclub also. Tony loses his job at the paint store after he takes a day off against his boss's authority. Tony is later reinstated. John Travolta was the star of TV's "Welcome Back Kotter" when he made this film. It wouldn't be long after wrapping up this film that he'd do his next starring film "Grease" with singer Olivia Newton-John. The soundtrack album is the biggest-selling in pop music history thanks in part to 5 songs on the album by the Bee Gees. Their composition IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU,was recorded by Yvonne Elliman. The Bee Gees would later record the song themselves. However,there are 2 versions of MORE THAN A WOMAN on the album,recorded by the Bee Gees and Tavares. Get a load of,in one of the first scenes,Travolta strutting while simultaneously eating two slices of pizza! The Matrix in Bay Ridge,Brooklyn now stands where 2001 Odyssey did. In addition to the Bee Gees,we hear great songs by K.C. and the Sunshine Band,Kool & The Gang and even the Trampps' DISCO INFERNO(10 minutes and 52 seconds in length on the album). Director John Badham later directed Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn in BIRD ON A WIRE. There's also in the film,Donna Pescow as Annette,who was Tony's girlfriend before Stephanie and Martin Shakar as Tony's minister brother,who quit the priesthood and returned home. After its theatrical release 26 years ago,SNF remains one of the most popular all-time films.

YOU SHOULD BE DANCIN' YEAH!!!!!
I LOVE JOHN TRAVOLTA WHAT A WONDERFUL MOVIE AND THE BEE GEES, TAVARES, AND OTHERS HAD REALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SOUNDTRACK I LOVE THIS MOVIE IT SHOWS EVERYTHING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE, FAMILY LIFE, MEN, WOMEN, SEX, SUICIDE, SELF-ESTEEM , BUT MOST OF ALL DANCING AND HOW GOOD MUSIC IS AND HOW WELL WE ALL CAN DANCE THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE AND I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO LIKES THE BEE GEES, TAVARES, JOHN TRAVOLTA, DANCING, SINGING, AND DISCO, TO BUY THIS ALBUM AS WELL RIGHT ALONG WITH THE SOUNDTRACK I LOVE THIS MOVIE THIS MOVIE IS GREAT I LOVE ALL THE DANCING. I LIKE JOHN'S [appealing] STYLE AND HIS WALK AND THE WAY HE DANCES AND EVERYTHING IT IS A GOOD MOVIE. I SUGGEST ANY JOHN TRAVOLTA FAN TO BUY THIS MOVIE. ... Read more

Description

Something wonderful has happened--Number Five is alive! SteveGuttenberg and Ally Sheedy co-star in this high tech comedy adventure about NumberFive, a robot who escapes into the real world after he short circuits in an electrical stormand decides that he's human. Because he's carrying destructive weapons, the DefenseDepartment and his designer (Guttenberg) are desperate to find him. But Number Five isbeing protected by a young woman (Sheedy) who is teaching him a gentler way of life. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

No. 5 is the coolest robot ever
A company called Nova has just made five military robots who can do some serious damage to bad people or anything that they need to get out of their way. However, something happens to No. 5 and he literally becomes intelligent and believe it or not, alive. No. 5 accidentally ends up at the home of a charismatic animal lover, Stephanie (Ally Sheedy). Luckily for No. 5, Stephanie grows attached to the unbelievably smart robot, and her friendship will come in handy after No. 5 finds out that a group of people want to 'disassemble' him.

"Short Circuit" is without a doubt one of the best movies of its type from the 80's, if not of all time. It's a great comedy movie and even a better family movie. "Short Circuit" is a GREAT movie for kids to watch, but anybody of any age can enjoy it.

"Short Circuit" is VERY original, parts of it such as when No. 5 (remember that he's a robot) watches "Saturday Night Fever" on TV and tries to dance, and several other parts, are funny. But best of all, No. 5 makes the movie more than interesting enough to watch over and over again.

If you like comedy movies and especially if you need a great family movie that the whole family can sit down, watch, and enjoy, I recommend getting "Short Circuit." If you like this movie, I also recommend getting the sequel that is humbly named "Short Circuit 2."

A childhood favorite now in widescreen
Beautiful widescreen, better see! As a child I loved Short Circuit, and it's not so successful sequel. The expolits of the robot # 5 who thought that he was a living breathing thinking individual with feelings was a rather entertaining movie with a lot of the stuff that kids find cool in it. A crazy funny robot with some classic tag lines, lazers, and explosions, and a movie that's in general silly.
Until this DVD was released I never got to see this movie in widescreen, and now that I have I am shocked as to how much of the picture was actually missing. The more widescreen movies that I watch the less I can stand Pan & Scam. Short Circuit was a movie that really suffered when it was transfered to pan & Scam. The movie has a decent transfer, not the best, but this is certainly the best presentation of the movie I have ever seen, and it also features decent sound. It's a little lacking in the special features, but would be a good buy for those wanting to relive a childhood memory from the 80s. Unlike Bill & Ted, this movie actually holds up against the test of time, not as well as other 80s classics, but from a decade of [bad] movies, this one's still pretty funny.

Number 5 Should Be Dead
I almost did not finish the film because Fisher Stevens' East Indian character Ben Jabituya was very annoying (It brings to mind such annoyances as Chris Tucker in THE FIFTH ELEMENT...and Jar Jar Binks doesn't seem so bad after all!). SHORT CIRCUIT is another attempt of filmakers in the 80's trying to do Disney type family films due to the success of E.T. An experimental robot is struck by lightning at an electronics lab dealing in artificial intelligence/robotics. It then takes on a life and personality of its own taking on the name "Number 5" (it's actual numerical name from a bunch of experimental robots of its class). Then (surprise!) the military gets wind of it and wants to destroy it (how many movies have we seen this plot device!). Then the race is on to save it..him. If Steven's/Jabituya character is annoying, the Robot is even more annoying once it starts talking and sprouting pop culture quips fed to it by humans thinking he's an alien. Overall, a film that has a couple of laughs with a fish-out-of-water theme along with some pathos to make the audience take out their hankerchiefs. However, in the end we really don't care about anyone in this film.

Cute
While demonstrating the latest in automated warriors, one of them (number 5), gets arbitrarily struck by lightning, hence "Short Circuit." It (he) escapes the compound and is befriended by a ditzy mobile caterer (Ally Sheedy.)
Here is how it goes:
She mistakes the robot for an alien.
He learns what it is to be alive.
Security wants it dismantled before it takes their place.
However we know "it just runs programs" (yah right)

Will Ally discover her mistake?
Will the robot escape.
Can they recover it before it blows something up?

Careful you may find yourself rooting for Johnny Five.

Image should be ashamed of this edition
Not including extras is one thing but releasing this edition without the close captioning just shows contempt for the hard of hearing. ... Read more

Description

The clock is ticking for Johnny Depp in Nick of Time, a twist-filled, race-against-time thriller directed by John Badham (Drop Zone, Saturday Night Fever). And indeed it is a race, filmed in "real time" so that onscreen events unfold minute by nail-biting minute as they would in real life. No sooner does accountant Gene Watson (Depp) arrive at L.A.'s Union station with his six-year-old daughter than he's plunged into a nightmare. Two shadowy strangers (Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia) separate Watson from his little girl, slap a gun into his hand and present a devil's bargain: kill a top government official before she leaves a nearby political rally... or never again see his beloved child. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Johnny & Christopher
After seeing the way Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken worked together in Tim Burton's horror movie 'Sleepy Hollow,' I knew I had to see 'Nick of Time.' The two actors work together splendidly in both movies.

In this movie, Johnny takes on a more serious role after doing more offbeat films such as 'Ed Wood,' 'Edward Scissorhands,' and 'Benny & Joon.' He plays a desperate father who is being forced to assassinate the mayor of his city before another man (Christopher Walken) kills his daughter.

'Nick of Time' is a wonderfully written movie, and the acting is just as excellent. You can't claim to be a Johnny Depp fan without seeing this movie! One of the best yet!

CLOCK WATCHING
NICK OF TIME is a very absorbing and well made movie. Director John Badham orchestrates a tight, nerve-racking thriller, using "real time" to accentuate the hero's plight. Johnny Depp is very good in the lead role, embodying the torment and anguish of a man put into a terrifying position. Christopher Walken is as evil as he can be, his ruthless "quest" always a constant threat; Charles S. Dutton as a shoe shiner is remarkably good; Marsha Mason does a fine job as the governor, Peter Strauss well playing her ambitious husband. Rona Maffia as Walken's accomplice also brings a cold-hearted chill to her role.
A tight, well done thriller.

Hitchcock would have loved filming it
... yes this is in HIS tradition(working against the clock - bizarre mix-ups... - yup - working within a strict disciplin)...
Johnny Depp is in his first REAL mainstream role; but fortunately - it is a good 1... And an interesting 1. If u r one of those who must have fires, explosions, Vin Disel; stay away... As for the rest of us... Let`s sit down and enjoy a good suspenser:-))))

I'm Sorry Johnny...
Johnny Depp is clearly one of the most eclectic personalities the film industry has seen. He choses unusual roles and brings a unique presence to each character. Having said that, i am sad to say i don't recommend this specific film. I think most of us like to believe we are smarter than the 'bad guys'... and even though Depp always takes a contrarian approach to society and characters, i nevertheless felt my need to identify with the victim and overcome the villain was not being sufficiently fed. Who knows, maybe that's what Depp was striving for, the uncertainty and uncomfortableness of being in such quagmire of absurdities as to leave us (me) feeling angry at the good character, for being so dense. Christopher Walken turned in an average performance as one of the villains (If he really wants to expand his range he should try playing a vulnerable good guy). Perhaps that's what's really missing in this film- proper casting. Walken should have been cast as the hero and Depp as the villain. This 'Real Time' (Pre-'24') Drama really didn't work for me, but it appears to have set the standard for other 'real time' shows. What makes this film better than '24' is that it's shorter, and you actually DO root for the characters daughter to get rescued.

Unconvincing!!
This movie does not work for me. It has no merits. As for the "In real time bit," I missed the tension of it -- maybe I should have synchronized my watch! I rented it because Johnny starred in it; love his work, and Chris Walken was an added bonus. The plot is lame, contrived, and does not work. Johnny is not convincing playing a father forced to chose between losing his child, or killing some governor. This movie left a bad "made-for-TV" taste in my mouth. Normally, I would think Johnny could pull it off. Ouch! Thank goodness for his countless, fantastic performances (Scissorhands, Brasco, and just about everything else). Don't waste your "real time" on this mared! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Jack Bull was produced for and premiered on HBO, but it'seasily the most respectable job that feature director John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, WarGames) has done in the past two decades.The title refers not to a piece of livestock but a metaphorical Jack Russell terrier that, once it's annoyed enough to close its jaws on something, will hang on to the point of death.

That would be Myrl Redding (John Cusack), a horse-breeder of limited means but a deeply entrenched sense of justice.His independence galls Henry Ballard (L.Q. Jones), the crusty land baron out to set his brand on most of the countryside.Ballard insults and cheats Redding several times over, and his men beat Redding's horse trainer and friend, an Indian (Rodney A. Grant).When Redding seeks redress from the law, its agents can't be bothered (the local magistrate is in Ballard's pocket).So Redding musters a vigilante army to enforce his own law.

Scratch this handsome but rigorously unromanticized Western--fully an hour passes without a shot being fired--and you find the classic Heinrich von Kleist book Michael Kohlhaas transposed to Wyoming Territory on the eve of statehood.The script--by the star-producer's dad, Dick Cusack--is sturdy and uncompromising, willing to engage the knotty ambiguities of embracing vigilantism even in a just cause.Badham's decision to treat the authorities (Scott Wilson, Jay O. Sanders, John Goodman) as period caricatures is regrettable.But John Cusack is solid as a figure of utterly matter-of-fact integrity. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (34)

This Jack's great, that's no Bull
Wow. I've not seen very many westerns, truth be told. I can count the one's I've enjoyed on one hand. Tombstone, Unforgiven, and to a lesser extent, Silverado. But the Jack Bull tops them all (sorry, Clint). John Cusack plays a horse trader who is forced to leave two prized steeds with a spiteful land Baron because he can't afford the Baron's toll. When he returns to pick his horses back up, he finds them badly beaten and swaybacked, and the Indian worker he left with them was beaten and driven off. He wants amends and gives the Baron two weeks to have his horses returned to their former glory and his Indian cohort payed for his damages. The Baron refuses, and with no help from the local or federal law agencies, he takes matters into his own hands. In my opinion, this is how the Wild, Wild West really was, as every bit of this movie rings authentic. Cusack is amazingly good in one of his best rolls ever (among Say Anything and Grosse Point Blank), and John Goodman is equally as good as a no-nonsense judge. This is a good example of the price of taking the law into your own hands, and I think this one will become a staple in any film fan's, western or no, permanent video collection. I give this one five stars, and that's saying something seein' as how I ain't none too keen on westerns and all. Watch this movie. Buy it. You won't regret it.

Cusack for President? I completely agree...
"The Jack Bull" is another movie that displays the amazing acting talent of John Cusack. There are times that I am disappointed that Cusack doesn't seem to parallel in accolades with actors such as Cruise, Crowe, and Hanks. But then I think about that and I have decided that Cusack is far above and a much better talent than the aforementioned. "The Jack Bull" is a perfect example of why. A movie written by his father, "The Jack Bull" is an excellent display of good vs. evil. Beautifully written, the story becomes three-dimensional with some of the best performances I have seen from Cusack and John Goodman. A definite emotional film, the displays of ethos, pathos, and logos are just right...not too Hollywood and not at all dull. As a person who is not a fan of the traditional Western genre, "The Jack Bull" proves that one should not decide from films in the vacuum of a particular genre. I will admit, I have been quite smitten with Lloyd Dobbler for many years. Yet I have seen that Cusack's acting talents are so malleable, that he, too, does not act within the vacuum of a genre. Forget the fact that I have adored Cusack's movies for many years, this movie is definitely worth owning...not just watching once.

Good but Lacking
If your looking for a realistic western than this is the best you can do. No epic bloodshed(as with spaghetti westerns)and no overly macho heroes(typical american westerns). This film is about and is based on a true story and its one of the only movies I know of that doesnt take its "artistic license" too far. This movie keeps its realistic edge while still managing to entertain. That being said, its also a sad movie that leaves you with an empty used feeling at the end. Watching a movie and feeling worse than you did when starting it is in my opinion the mark of a film that has too much of a downward slope. Anyways do not highly reccomend to anybody unless they want a realistic movie that will make you feel sad and used.

Honor, Pride, Power & the Law
In pre-Statehood Wyoming one local cattle and land baron is pretty free to do as he pleases, the closest local authority is a judge who is in his pocket. John Cusack plays a fairly successful horse raiser/trader who stumbles into the Statehood debate on the pro side, fairly irking LQ Jones, the landowning bigwig who knows Statehood will bring authorities who will reign in his ambitions. Jones gets his revenge by installing a toll gate charging exorbinent tolls to those he dislikes. Cusack finds himself on the list. Without the cash he leaves two prize horses while en route to a critical horse auction. On the return he finds his collateral purposely mistreated by Jones' thugs and his Native American hired man beat half to death. Without legal recourse thanks to local judicial corruption Cusack raises an army of revenge, paid for by the sale of his horse farm. They ride with the fury of a Mongol army and the ferocity of Sherman's March to the Sea to get payment back from Jones. As Statehood consideration nears, the Territorial Gov't wants this real life wild west show shut down. Through compromise and threat the case is finally hearded into a higher court where John Goodman, born for the role, sits as the Judge. The film could fall into numerous traps - good guy, bad guy, court and government vs. little guy, but it never stoops to cookie cutter devices and everything is a little more complicated then it first appears with personal morality and motivation falling into grey area. Entertaining and interesting throughout, the final scene, with appropriate soundtrack, is simply great American film-making. You hardly need to be a "Westerns" fan to enjoy this movie. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the history (it based on a true story we're told) but I can vouch for the greatness of the film.

Excellent film, but Cusack's character is no hero.
I take issue with many of the reviewers of this movie who claim that John Cusack's character was heroic in this movie. What he did was foolish, not heroic (and Cusack's character even admits this). Instead of pursuing legal recourse to its full extent, he gets tired of pursuing it, gives it up, and instead seeks his own recourse, which amounts to revenge for his wife's death. As a result many people are killed (I counted at least 10), and it seems all this happens simply to feed his ego. Sure, he stuck to his principles stubbornly, but a better result would have come from a stubborn reliance on the law.

However, that's not to say that I disliked this movie. People do indeed do stupid things, and that's where most movie plots arise from. It is a great movie, well acted, and with a good quality script that's lacking in most movies these days. But the moral of the tale is surely not that principles matter more than anything (as some here seem to believe). The moral is that pride goeth before a fall, and that corrupt justice (and vigilante justice) is far worse than no justice.

What the main character should have done was take back the horses, recondition them, and take the lawsuit as far as it would go, and keep lobbying for justice until justice was done. To give up on the law so quickly was idiocy. To then take the law into his own hands was the actions of a nutcase. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This action-comedy from 1990 makes the critical mistake of trying to mix a potentially suspenseful plot with the kind of humor that Mel Gibson can only get away with in his Lethal Weapon movies. It doesn't work here because the movie's supposed to be a Hitchcockian thriller and Mel's wisecracking--not to mention some implausible plot twists and ridiculous chase scenes--makes it impossible to take any of this movie seriously. It works best as a lightweight vehicle for Gibson and Goldie Hawn, who bring their own established appeal to their roles as old lovers who are reunited under unexpectedly dangerous circumstances. After testifying against some drug-running killers, Mel's been safe under the protection of the FBI's witness relocation program, and Goldie coincidentally enters his life again just as the bad guys are hot on Mel's trail. They join up and go on the run from the villains and ... well, let's just say director John Badham doesn't have any big surprises up his sleeve. Goldie and Mel are enjoyable, as always, but you'd have to be their biggest fan to watch this movie more than once. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Bird On A Wire Review
I think that Bird on A Wire was a brilliant movie because the Writers and Producers brought 2 wonderful actors together to make the stunning movie it is. With the comedy of Goldie Honking the BMW Horn and driving crazy to the suspense of the story of her old boyfriend Rick(Mel Gibson) who was supposed to have gotten killed years and years before.
This movie is one of my family's favorites and they have rented it and watched it more than 8 times! I think that Bird on A Wire is very good Classic and even though it was made in 1990 it is still a huge hit for the young and old.
In fact if you can I would say first before buying it you should rent it at your local movie renting store and watching it before buying it so you can see just how funny, suspenseful and Story-packed this movie is.
I rate this movie FIVE STARS because of this great combination to make this movie the most undescribable and fun movie in years that I have seen as a 'Classic'.

A GREAT COMIC PAIRING!
Superstars Mel Gibson and the loveable Goldie Hawn star in this enjoyable, action-comedy. The plot is somewhat convoluted but the general story is that Rick (Gibson) is hiding under the FBI witness re-location program but he gets nervous when an old flame, Marianne (Hawn) recognises him. Before he can assume a new identity, the man he put in jail (David Carradine) is released and comes to pay his respects. Rick and Marianne find themselves reunited when they are thrown into a cross country, action packed adventure, avoiding gangsters, police and an amorous veterinarian, played by Joan Severance. There is nothing short of great chemistry between the two leading players, even if there roles are quite typical of roles they have both played in other films. Never the less this film holds many laughs and good points and the unforgetable climax in an elaborate zoo exhibit is where the film really scores best.

Mel and Goldie are sexy, but they are wasted in this film
At some point my wife and I had the conversation where you talk about who is sexiest person in movies. She named Mel Gibson and I named Goldie Hawn. After she did the expected double take, I pointed out that Mel and Goldie had done a movie together, "Bird on a Wire," that neither one of us liked. This 1990 film clearly wanted to be a Hitchcock film, but with a broader sense of humor that the master of suspense ever evidenced in any of his masterpieces. Director John Badham clearly settled on a particular voice in this film, and it was just the wrong one.

Gibson is Rick Jarmin, who is in the Federal Witness Protection program because he testified against some government narcs 15 years earlier and they are still looking for him. Now he is working in a gas station in Detroit. Hawn is Marianne Graves, a New York lawyer, who drives into the gas station and recognizes him. He does it, but she knows better, and when she returns to confront him she arrives just in time to save him from being killed by a couple of thugs. It turns out that 15 years ago they were dating each other and then he suddenly disappeared. In "North By Northwest" Cary Grant's life is detoured because he calls out to a boy with a message; in "Bird on a Wire" the we get hammered with two giant coincidences, one on top of another. So much for the subtlety of the master.

Besides, "Bird on a Wire" now turns into something of a slapstick comedy, full of stunts not to try at home. I know the obvious comparison at this point is to Mel Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" films, but there are more similarities to Hawn's "Foul Play." David Carradine is the bad guy who is gunning for Mel and Goldie, since she insists on tagging along. I am not sure why Hawn's character is a lawyer because you keep waiting for it to really matter in this film and it never happens. I would not mind Goldie slipping into her patented bimbo in distress role if they had not made a point of her being a lawyer in the first place. But then the opening sequences of "Bird on a Wire" are completely at odds with the rest of the film. Goldie Hawn is still at the top of my list, but despite this movie, not because of it.

It is a watchable movie
When this was out critics bashed this movie had very few nice things to say about Bird on a wire. The truth is the critics are wrong Bird on a wire is full of action and funny too. I like it how they paired up Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn for this movie Mel Gibson acts exactly like he does in Lethal Weapon. I never get what the critics are talking about the movie is funny and never is there a dull moment and the stunts are funny. It is sure worth buying or at least renting.

Mel going after Jack Burtons Wife.
I enjoyed this movie a lot more than the critics. Maybe because I love goldie and mel, both of whom have been known to sign autographs for fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jason Patric stars as ace art forger Harry Donovan, eager to get out ofthe counterfeiting business and become a legitimate painter, but willing to take on one last, monumental job: creating a fake Rembrandt that will fool absolutely everyone. The promised money is good but the clients are creeps: gun-toting art dealers who ultimately set up Harry for a murder, forcing him to go on the run across Europe with an art expert (Irene Jacob) in tow. The film has a major obstacle in Donovan himself, an arrogant and unlikable jerk played with unappealing self-absorption by Patric. Worrying about this guy's fate is not an inviting prospect, but there are compensations in Jacob's smart performance and Rod Steiger's emotionally raw presence as Harry's mentor father. Director John Badham takes particular delight in penetrating the arcane world of forgery and in detailing Harry's working methods, from intense research to color selections to choices of tools and aging processes. Badham keeps us constantly curious and fascinated by this unholy marriage of expertise and deceit, and at least nominally interested in Harry's efforts to free himself of the criminal squandering of his talents. The crisp DVD image does justice to Badham's careful palette of colors, light, and European exotica, and special features include interviews with Jacob, Steiger, and Badham, plus trailers and a panel discussion involving Badham, writer Jordan Katz, and composer John Ottman. The DVD also includes English and Spanish audiotracks, andEnglish, French, and Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Description

"Bridget Fonda is pure dynamite" (WWOR-TV) as a murderous misfit reprogrammed as a high-tech assassin. Gabriel Byrne and Anne Bancroft co-star in "one of the top thrillers of the year" (ABC Radio Network). Year: 1993 Director: John Badham Starring: Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Dermot Mulroney ... Read more

Description

Acclaimed director John Badham delivers a winning combination of action, suspense, comedy, and romance! Convinced that a dangerous escaped convict (Aidan Quinn) is headed for his ex-girlfriend's (Madeleine Stowe), a pair of Seattle detectives (Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez) stakeout her apartment. The watch remains routine until one of the detectives begins a high-risk romance with the woman under surveillance -- jeopardizing not only the partners' careers ... But also their lives! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Movie but the DVD offers nothing!
I awaited this DVD release along with the sequel and Down and Out in Beverly Hills. All three (3) of these movies offer nothing, not even the trailers were on these DVD's. Very dissapointing. Instead they put 2 trailers of other releases they have coming out.

Anyhow, even though the DVD's have no special features what so ever, they do however have pretty good picture and sound. Stakeout has always been one of my favorite movies for it's campy-ness and I'm glad Touchstone finally dedicated to release it.

5 Stars for the Movie
4 Stars for the Picture & Sound
1 Star for the Special Features

If you haven't seen this movie, pick it up.

An funny action-packed film.
When a dangerous Psychopath (Aidan Quinn) has escape from Prison. Two Inept Seattle Cops (Oscar-Winner:Richard Dryfuss & Emilio Estevez) are sign to protect an attractive woman (Madeleine Stowe) from the Psychopath. But one of the cops has fall in love with the woman.

Directed by John Badham (Wargames, Short Circuit, Nick of Time) brings an Engentic Action Comedy. Terrific Performances by Dryfuss and Estevez. Written by Jim Kouf (The Hidden, Another Skakeout). A winning film. Grade:A-.

When It Puts You In Hysterical Pain...Its a Good Comedy
There have been lots of movies that Ive seen that have made me laugh from time to time while watching, but 1987's "Stakeout" with Richard Dreyfuss was one of the best comedies of the 80s. Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez play two joking and bumbling police detectives, who are assigned to a seemingly boring stakeout of the house of an escaped criminal's girlfriend. After Dreyfuss though, broken up after his wife leaves, falls in love with the focus of their investigation...he digs a hole for himself so deep he finds it hard to be a lover AND a cop at the same time. Its a perfect scenerio, when Dreyfuss does his best to keep his relationship across the street from the eyes of his collegues, and himself out of trouble. The only one who knows of this escapade is Estevez, who watches the hilarious antics of his partner through a camera across the street. Until I saw this movie I never took notice of Richard Dreyfuss, and I saw the Emilio Estevez of the 80s in many troublemaking roles of hard-core youth kinda movies like "That Was Then, This Is Now". Needless to say this hysterical movie is was a different and perfectly played out comedy...that worked so well they HAD to make a sequal: "Another Stakeout". The 1998 movie "This Is My Father"'s Aidan Quinn was the perfect bad guy in "Stakeout", this time without the heavy brogue. What can I say, it's a great movie, give it a try if you like the actors.

Entertaining and watchable
Forget about the lack of ethics of Dreyfuss' character, the immaturity of all of the cops involved, and the predictability of the story ... the film is just a real pleasure to watch.

Richard Dreyfuss is really funny. The scene where he starts doin' his stupid little dance to The Rhythm is gonna Getcha just had me crackin' up.

Aidan Quinn is surprisingly effective as an escaped convict and do I need any words to describe how good Madeline Stowe looks... I didn't think so.

You'll laugh a whole lot.

Stakeout is about two hilarious cops on a stakeout.
Stakeout was an excellent movie about two police officers who are assigned on a stakeout. Neither wished to sit around and do nothing so they decided to break a few rules. Of course this resulted in many problems and their solution had me and my friends in stitches. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a hilarious cop movie. Recommended age: 13-125. ... Read more

Description

As Nessip, Wesley Snipes free-falls into the daredevil world of sky-diving to track down a cadre of techno terrorists in Drop Zone, a chute-to-thrill adventure co-starring Gary Busey, Yancy Butler, Michael Jeter and more. Ready for excitement? You're in the zone with "the action movie of the year!" (Ron Brewington, American Urban Radio Network). Jailbreak... at 38,000 feet! U.S. Marshal Pete Nessip's prisoner parachutes out of a 747 and floats safely into the night with his daring, deadly cohorts. Nessip does his best to stop the bold escape. What does he get in return? Suspended. But being off the force doesn't mean Nessip is out of action. When it comes to stopping killers, he's taking the plunge. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Skydiving
If you're a skydiver, you'll love this movie. For everybody else, it's boring. It's not a typical action-packed Wesley Snipes movie. This one focuses on skydiving, and that's about it. Lots of skydiving, and then some more skydiving. They just threw in some token fight scenes at random to help tone it down, but it doesn't work. I gave it ** because Snipes is in it. Without him, it would get *.

Great Movie!
I loved this movie. The skydiving stunts are great, and it actually has a plot! Seems most action movies don't even bother with a plot anymore. Wesley Snipes and Yancy Butler did a great job. Their characters are believable, you feel like you're right there. I can't wait to try skydiving myself.

Not Very Real, But Good Fun
Let's face it, this was a fun movie and I liked it. I enjoy most flicks with Wesley Snipes in 'em. And, although a novice, I love skydiving. That was the fun part. From Yancy dumping Snipes from the Porter sans parachute to their makeshift tandem nighttime landing on a rooftop, it was ridiculously fun in a silly way. Imagine becoming skilled enough to jump in a major big-way in what, two weeks' time? Great. And the absurdity of the skydivers being anything but friendly and open to a "whuffo" (a ground-grabbing outsider) made for a top-order, unimagineable fight scene. Great stuff. I just hope that when my main canopy snivels and I can't break away, I make out as well as their jumping buddy... i.e., live through the experience. Blue Skies and Fair Winds! Watch the movie, then jump from a perfectly good airplane from 2 & 1/2 miles up.

People actually LIKE this movie?
Well for a weak plot, and inferior effects, I guess it's ok. Who am I kidding!? This movie was not good at all! Snipes has done much, MUCH better than this, although it wasn't all his fault. I believe the most entertaining part was with the photocopier, and if I had to pick one outstanding pathetic part, it would be the chick saving Snipes' rear end, without safety gear. (By the way, physics determines that little flying upwards stunt utterly impossible) Why one star? Because I had to put something! Anyway, if you liked this movie, all the power to you, but I did not find it that great.

A skydiving movie that really flies high
I haven't ever skydived before, but I do like watching movies about skydiving. I also liked "Terminal Velocity," but "Drop Zone" is a lot better. Wesley Snipes stars as a U.S. Marshal who tries to catch some terrorists that hijacked a plane that he was on and their actions resulted in the death of his brother. Snipes believes that it was a set up, but he's the only one that thinks that, so it's up to him to figure it out by himself. To do this, Wesley Snipes learns a new hobby and starts skydiving himself while trying to figure out and catch the terrorists in action.

"Drop Zone" is a good movie. Its plot might be choppy in parts, but that's about the only thing wrong with the movie. The skydiving sequences are the best and most exciting I've ever seen in any movie, and Wesley Snipes is hilarious in some parts such as when he skydives for the first time and screams the whole way down. The movie's soundtrack is another good thing about the movie.

Whether you like skydiving or not, if you like good action movies I recommend getting "Drop Zone." ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Rip-roaring Gothic melodrama
The first thing you'll notice about the DVD version of John Badham's "Dracula" is the almost total absence of color. In fact, to all intents and purposes, this Technicolor film is now a black and white production! Apparently, the director felt his movie would play better this way on TV. Go figure. Anyway, the film itself is a rip-roaring Gothic melodrama, designed and photographed with a visual flourish that may seem old-fashioned and melodramatic, but it compels attention in a way that almost completely eluded Francis Ford Coppola's take on the legend thirteen years later. The script retains the basic structure of Stoker's novel whilst adding enough fresh ideas of its own to keep boredom (bred of familiarity) firmly at bay. For instance, Dracula's comeuppance during the climax is a million miles from his fate in the book, but it works here on purely cinematic terms. Frank Langella's rather unfortunate pompadour hairdo detracts from the power of his performance as the Count, but his deceptively romantic interpretation is fully in keeping with the film's approach. Lovely score by John Williams, too.

Though the DVD packaging promises the film has been "Formatted for 16x9 TVs", don't be fooled - the disc is simply letterboxed at 2.15:1. It looks OK (except for that irritating lack of color, of course) and Gilbert Taylor's rich Gothic compositions are preserved with crystal clarity. Sound is Dolby Digital Surround. Be advised that Universal/Image STILL haven't sorted out legal wrangles over some of the incidental music in the original film. As a consequence, this is the same "home video version" as all the others, with some music rescored.

I Beg To Differ....
Ignore all the folks vetching and GET the DVD if you can find it...

I've seen every version of this thing from it's incarnation as a Bway play, it's airing as a film in the theatre, on cable, the VHS, and DVD, and there is NO difference in color or quality from the way it was done on screen. Yes, there was some BRIGHT color on screen but it was NOT throughout the whole film.

The b&w thing was done INTENTIONALLY and it was that way in the original cut. The revamped Hamilton-Deane stage play upon which the film is based had Edward Gorey type sets in B&W with touches of brilliant red. The film follows this in a smaller way with a more downplayed coloring scheme. The reason you see the brighter colors only part of the time is because it was the director's way of getting the same effect as the stage sets. Misty B&W period look for most part, then a sudden change to bright color...

IMHO, it WORKS. It's eerie, and it's effective...

As for Langella, I think perhaps of all his fine performances this is the one for which he will be most remembered and justifiably so. His was a unique Dracula, a passionate Dracula, and yes, IMHO,one of the BEST Dracula's I've ever seen, and I've seen them ALL. I like a lot of them, Lugosi, Lee, Jourdan, and Oldman in particular.

For Pre-CGI the effects are excellent and for once they do harken back to the folklore which inspires the vampire legend besides. The horse in the graveyard for instance is straight out of Rumanian myth...

(Mina's being a moldering corpse is intentional I think too. The director is making a distinction between "prey" and "love interest" here. Mina is basically FOOD, whereas Lucy, Dracula wants to make his bride. The inference here is that there is a difference and the blood exchanged between Lucy and Dracula makes her more like him. Mina, poor thing is simply destined to rot until someone stakes her....She's the "tradtional" vampire of folklore, and I was truly creeped out by her makeup job actually...It was unusually horrific for the time period in which this film was made...)

There are some nice touches in this film, and I honestly feel it holds up well some 25 years later. It's still a favorite, and justifiably so...In terms of acting it far surpasses the FFC 92" Dracula, and though it's not as showy it's still every bit as enjoyable to watch now as it was when I first saw it in the theatre.

It's a bit grainy in DVD, and I'd surely like to see a better transfer and maybe a cleaned up and completely restored soundtrack, but otherwise? I wouldn't change a thing, and I certainly would NOT want it colorized to make it all perfectly even.

It just wouldn't be the same "Dracula" at all...

Morrighan

Sensual, quintessential version of the lover Dracula
Yes, the umpteenth Dracula remake/vampire film, and I stumbled upon it one morning on a movie channel, and was taken by the title character...Frank Langella's Dracula is sexy and charming and it's easy to see how the undead keeps winning so many wives.

Pre-computer special effects don't really bother me: the bats are stock. The fog creeping under the door of Mina's room looks like film rewound. I DO think the mirror uses were clever, in scenes without the vampire reflections. The scene where Mina becomes herself a vampire is an ounce campy with some seventies stock film. I'm not sure if it's a volcano erruption, a lava lamp, or what, but the scene feels like the credits of James Bond movies past...aside from this there are so many romantic moments. The lava-love sequence and the vampire's seventies hair date the film a little but so what...it's a pleasure to watch and get taken in.

This movie is amour fou, as Lucy and the people in her life become aware of the danger that is the Count. Lucy is captivated by the vampire until the end, where she grieves for her dying lover (or-does-he-die), and she moans for him like a substance abuse addict in withdrawl. As for her father, fiancee, and friends are wounded and dying to get rid of the vampire Lucy is aware but has already accepted a new life (new lifetime, i suppose, as an undead life) and she doesn't care anymore. Lucy greives as the sun shines down, but her rescuers do not notice what she does, the figure of Dracula as a speck flying off into the horizon. The credits end in the sunny sea air-a new beginning for Mina and Jonathan, although we imagine it woun't be long until the vampire comes back to retrieve his new bride.

I think Frank Langella made his the quintessential Dracula, tall dark handsome stranger. His character is never frail, but tender as the lover. He's handsome still as he sneers and spews bile at Van Helsing and his crucifix. It reminds me of Marlon Brando's Stanley Kowalski: who knows why you find him, a gorilla of a man, sexy? The scenes of an angry monster shine but the love scenes radiate.

This film was made about the time I was born; the films from my vampire phase featured Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise (no wonder I fell into a vampire phase) but this vampire has me. I stumbled onto it and too bad the films's not in print and too bad I wasn't around for the seventies stage version. Maybe Frank Langella would think about reprising the role of Dracula with another stage company...

A fresh interpretation of the classic story of the Nosferatu
I have always believed that at least part of the reason this movie isn't better known is because it is confused just as much now as it was in 1979 with the comedy "Love at First Bite" featuring supertan George Hamilton as Dracula released at the same time. It is a dreadful misconception as "...First Bite" was a cross between horror spoof and Disco exploitation flick...which was and is absolute torture to watch.

This addition to the "Dracula" franchise is my personal favorite of all that have been attempted. I don't rate it as being the most faithful interpretation of Bram Stoker's classic novel (Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" holds that distinction, obviously enough...though Coppola also added more of the real history of "Vlad the Impaler" to his movie for additional background; nice touch), but for the sheer gothic style that the novel used to shock and horrify Victorian England upon its first publication, this movie comes as close to Stoker's original intent without necessarily following his novel on a word-for-word basis.

Frank Langella's performance onstage had to be one for the ages if it at all approached the level of his portrayal as the Count in this movie. Ultimately he has never delivered a performance quite like it...and of course with opposing roles filled by Sir Laurence Olivier and veteran character actor (and overperformer of Shatneresque proportions) Donald Pleasance were definitely sufficent to insure that Langella brought his "A" game to the set for every shoot. All performances are superb.

Additionally, the originality surrounding the climax of the movie alone makes it worth a viewing; the old Hammer films had interesting ways for the Count to meet his ultimate demise, and the manner in which this movie ends is very reminiscent of those latter day classics. You almost wish Christopher Lee could have had a guest appearance in this movie a la Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck in the 1991 remake of "Cape Fear".

Regarding the widescreen DVD's color transfer (or lack thereof), I do think that the washed out tones (which are nearly black and white, as noted in a previous review) actually adds to the movie's atmosphere. This is, basically, the second great gothic love story of all time (with E. Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" being the first); the blacks and the whites SHOULD be more pronounced, the funereal elements of Carfax Abbey should be brought out (the dinner scene with the Count and Mina is one of the most beautifully shot scenes from any movie...romance just isn't done that way anymore), and washing the colors from a movie as easily as blood from a vein leaves the correct pallor for both a vampire's victim and a terrific retelling of the "Dracula" story. You can hold out hope that a remastered DVD will be released (as this version seems to be out-of-print presently) that will feature a better color transfer, but as this movie approaches its 25th year, hope for any such treatment fades.

The King of his kind
Ok, this version doesn't go along with the book, but it is worth while.
First of all Langella, Langella, Langella. He is 6'4" and has a voice to match. He is the only man I have seen that can place his hands on his hips and still make it look sexy! Langella had to tone his version of Dracula down (i.e. the R rating)...I had a teacher tell me how powerfull, sexy, and forcefull he was during the stage version...all I have to say is...WOW!!!

Second, he took Dracula to a new level. Before Dracula was this crude creature, who was loveless, mean, and wanted some blood. When Langella hit the scene, it all changed. Notice how each Dracula or vampire film has a sexy male lead? He broke the mold (thank you Mr. Langella)

Third, Langella didn't need red eyes, blood, fangs, and all the other stuff to make you think he was Dracula...you know by looking at him. One sceen which shows in hunger of blood is when they are at the Steward's house and the butler cuts himself with the knife. Dracula is telling a story, then he looks up and notices the butler sucking his cut finger. He was this look of hunger. His eyes widen with hunger.

The last is the famous sex scene. Just how he enters the room, the colors, and the music brings you closer to realizing he is not just a regular vampire, he is truly the king of his kind. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Suspense in a void" is how critic Pauline Kael described this action-packed hit from 1983. In other words, this is one of those flashy, superbly crafted high-tech thrillers in which the star is a machine, while intelligent plotting and human characters are a lesser priority. The machine in question is Blue Thunder--a heavily armored prototype helicopter that is secretly being tested for use in a devious government conspiracy. Roy Scheider plays the police pilot who catches on to the nefarious plot and takes to the skies against an evil army colonel (Malcolm McDowell) who will defend his coconspirators at any cost. Director John Badham was a hot property in the early '80s (he directed WarGames the same year), and Blue Thunder served as the popular model for many formulaic action thrillers to follow. That doesn't make it a great movie, but with a fine cast (including Daniel Stern in a memorable supporting role) and a dazzling aerial chase among big-city skyscrapers, Blue Thunder qualifies as slick entertainment. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Description

A comic battle of wills and an outrageous test of endurance ensues when this trio is grudgingly assigned to keep vigil -- as unobtrusively as possible -- in a small, upscale resort community. Pretending to be an average American family on vacation, it's an unlikely domestic arrangement at best. But, like a typical family, they're stuck with one another. Trying to convincingly play house while keeping an eye on the home of their unsuspecting neighbors, this dysfunctional clan of incompatible companions is at one another's throats as they await the appearance of a missing witness for the state's case against a Las Vegas mob boss. And if they'd call a truce for a minute, and get off one another's case, they just might solve this one. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Another Tired Retread
"That's it, nobody calls me Ed McMahon!"

- Emilio Estevez saying the funniest line from a rather dry sequel

"Another Stakeout" was six years in the waiting. After the first film, "Stakeout," made a huge splash at the box office in 1987 (the same year another cop-buddy film came out--can you guess which one?), everyone anticipated an unnecessary--but perhaps funny--sequel that would inevitably result after box office earnings were tallied up by film executives in an office somewhere.

Alas, the six years passed, and we got...this mess?

Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez reprise their roles as stakeout cops who get paired with a new partner in this watered-down sequel. The new partner is played by Rosie O'Donnell, who is so startlingly unfunny in this it almost makes you involuntarily switch off the television as soon as you see her chubby face smiling at you.

The story starts with a bang--literally--as a trial witness being protected by the CIA is unsuccessfully assassinated--and by that I mean: They die, she lives. What a surprise. (This is the type of scene where the villain is able to blow up a house but the witness just happens to be taking a stroll outside as it happens--or something like that--preventing her from dying along with the other agents who were previously protecting her. This type of thing was spoofed greatly in the truly underrated "Last Action Hero." It's not a joke in "Another Stakeout.")

Unfortunately for the United States, the trial witness never returns--she runs away and doesn't let anyone know where she is. Afraid she may be in danger, afraid to lose a star witness, and believing that she might try to contact old friends, the gruff chief of police assigns the unlucky trio of Dreyfuss, Estevez and Donnell to watch the her old pals to see if she turns up.

She eventually does, of course, but first we get some painfully unfunny buddy-buddy moments between Dreyfuss and Estevez and O'Donnell. She brings a bunch of clothing and a dog with her. They don't like it. Har-har. This was used a bit better in "Spaceballs," in which Princess Vespa brought along that entire luggage through the desert (remember?). This is just a copy of that scene, minus the punch line.

Estevez also shaves his mustache, which is supposed to be a type of sacred moment and is referenced at least ten times throughout the film (he goes to stroke his mustache, he complains about chopping it off, Dreyfuss complains about it, etc.). But for heaven's sake, he's only been in one film so far--we've only seen the mustache once--so a better thing to do would have been this: make a few more sequels and, when the last entry comes, have him shave it off. By then the audience realizes that his mustache is part of him, and that losing it is like losing part of his soul.

But I'm glad they didn't make any more than one sequel.

One of the things that kept the "Lethal Weapon" franchise going was the fresh ideas, fresh buddies, and fresh scripts. (Great actors never hurt an action comedy, either.) The "Stakeout" franchise--which didn't even last long enough to spawn more than one sequel--tries to copy this formula but isn't sure how. The introduction of Joe Pesci in "Lethal Weapon 2" was great because he thereby became the Third Stooge, whereas O'Donnell's entry into the series is nothing but a humiliating reminder that talk show hosts can't always act in front of a camera and maintain the same type of humor they may (or may not) exhibit on their (awful) TV "talk show." (Which is, by the way, consumed of entirely staged so-called "interviews.")

And whereas Pesci, as Leo Getz, added a type of silly vibe to the "LW" series, O'Donnell just seems like a carbon copy clone of Estevez from the first "Stakeout." Dreyfuss didn't like him at first, and--guess what--they suddenly became best buds. The same thing happens in the sequel, much to the audience's chagrin.

Of course, "Lethal Weapon" and its sequels were never more than a few years apart (the first coming out in 1989, two years after the original). But "Stakeout" had six years to make a respectable sequel, and it fails. It fails the same way that many prolonged sequels do. But, for once, it's not because the audience has forgotten the original film--it's because the audience is fed up with the same routine.

The film was directed by John Badham, which is surprising, since he's a talented director ("Saturday Night Fever," "The Hard Way," "Stakeout"). Here he jumps through all the hoops, turning his own series into a pale retread of the original--only watered down: minus the violence, language, nudity, and humor. I'm not saying a movie has to be R to be funny. But if you've got a sequel to an R-rated movie like "Stakeout" and you decide to turn its sequel into a cutesy-tutesy children's entertainment program, you'd better advise the audience before they sit down expecting something funny and fresh.

What a disappointment.

Bothell ROCKS!
I can't believe someone feels just like me about Richard, and the ambiance and relaxation value of "Another Stakeout". It all works from Las Vegas to the end, even the Stickley furniture. The comedic relationship between the three actors and the script is perfection!

Great Laughs
One of my all time favorite comedies. I agree that it is much more enjoyable than the first STAKEOUT and I recommend this movie to anyone who needs a good laugh.

Richard Dreyfuss...THE BEST!
The first reviewer obviously has a problem relaxing with a good humored, fun, well-acted movie with lines well written. It's a kick to just kick back and relax as the movie unfolds. It's the chemistry baby, of the three actors, scenery, set design, writer's workmanship and a plot thick enough to tie it all together. There's too little to relax and chuckle with these days...enjoy and relax. Cheryl, I agree, it totally beats "Stakeout".

Funnier than the first stakeout
I had to write this because I couldn't believe how the first reviewer tanked this movie. OK, so it's not going to win any big awards, but it's FUNNY and has some suspense and excitement. I laughed my head off. That's all you really want when you're looking for a movie to share with friends occasionally. The first stakeout was rather dark and not really that funny, but it's good too. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great baseball movie, substandard DVD
This is a great baseball movie. Great performances from Billy Dean Williams and James Earl Jones. I was a little disappointed in the transfer and the sound on this dvd, and the extras are lacking. However, this is not a commonly sought-after movie (although it should be). A great story and a great movie based on the novel by William Brashler.

Fitting homage to the spirit of Negro League Baseball
I've always enjoyed this film ever since I was a pre teen. But as i've viewed the film in subsequent years i've come to regard it as more than just a very entertaining film.

The first point that i'd like to make is that it would be very easy to look at this film as a glossed over historical account of Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. The film is not that although three of the main characters are certainly based upon those great men. For a more historical recount, albeit with some dramatic license, I would recommend HBO's fine Soul of the Game.

I think it's difficult for many in my generation (under 40) to really appreciate the struggles and agony that most black americans endured just a short time ago in our history. This film however does a fabulous job of weaving the reality of barnstorming with the joy, athleticism and sorrow that was Negro League Baseball in addition to the pervasive racism that flourished throughout america at that time. For that alone it shouldn't be missed.

All that notwithstanding it's a fabulous entertainment. Richard Pryor is as always hiliarious. The script is very well written. At times emphasizing comedy, drama, triumph, tragedy and most importantly sufficiently representing the atmosphere and culture of much of black america at that time. But it's the performances of Billy Dee and James Earl that really raise the film from just fine storytelling to the level of social commentary and criticsm.

You'll laugh, strut, rage, and ultimately cry at this beautiful film.

very fun&uplifting film
a great tribute too the negro league players.overcoming racism&hustling owners.they defend themselves really well from both worlds and achieve there goals.James Earl jones,Billy Dee Williams,each give great performances.but Richard Pryor with his ricky ricardo take steals the show.a great look into the negro leagues.and very uplifting. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this raucous, high-energy action thriller from 1991, Michael J. Fox plays a spoiled Hollywood movie star who wants to bring vivid authenticity to his latest role as a big-city cop, so he recruits the real thing (James Woods) as his experienced mentor. This unlikely partnership doesn't sit too well with Woods, a hot-headed New York street cop who's a magnet for action-packed trouble. But that makes him just the right guy for Fox's research, which goes so far as to include Woods's girlfriend (Annabella Sciorra) and participation in some death-defying crime work. Fast, vulgar, and cranked at high volume, this is the kind of movie that contributed to the destruction of quality storytelling in mainstream Hollywood movies, but the screenplay scores bonus points for its lively characters and even livelier dialogue. Director John Badham is no slouch when it comes to action scenes, either, so if you buckle up and hold on tight, doing things The Hard Way can be surprisingly entertaining. To display the action in full widescreen glory, the DVD presents the film in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Fast, action-packed, tongue-in-cheek, comedy-thriller
Try to forget about plot and characterisation, and simply sit back and enjoy a good old-fashioned mis-matched buddy movie with the emphasis on laughs. The ever watchable Woods steals the show as usual, but is given a close run for his money by Michael J Fox, who gleefully sends-up his goody-goody image. Woods himself described his character as 'The most easily annoyed man in the world', who gets stuck with 'The world's most annoying man'. And so the scene is set for a series of confrontations between the mis-matched pair, while on the trail of a serial killer- The Party Crasher. Annabella Sciorra provides the token female character, losing out on the charisma stakes to a young Christina Ricca, as Woods' girlfriend, but to be honest her scenes seem out of place in what is otherwise a vehicle for the comedic talents of the two male leads. And when needed, Woods can be relied on to provide his customary grit to the proceedings. True it may be a bit of a 'no-brainer', but the two leading men spark off each other so well, you will enjoy it anyway. 'A Room With a View' it certainly isn't, and once in a while thank the lord for that!

The Hard Way is the bestest comedy action adventure movie!
The Hard Way is the amaze me with action and adventure also with comedy Michael J. Fox plays as the Hollywood actor, Nick Lang and James Woods as John Moss, the toughest cop in New York City to track down the serial killer, The Party Crasher(Stephen Lang)
and Nick Lang named as the new partner name is Ray Cassanov, also co-starring includes LL Cool J, Christina Ricci, Penny Marshall, and Delroy Lindo.

what a fun@crazy ride
One of my all time favorites.Its just a fun high.one of those movies that,no matter what mood Im in, makes me snap out of it.This dvd has some cool extras not listed above,so it was a nice suprise when I threw it in my player.A making of,an awsome ll cool j music video,theatrical trailer,videodrome trailer,casino trailer,frighteners trailer,secret of my success trailer.Why there not advertized i dont know,but I do know this movie rocks the boat baby.

They were fun to watch!
I am a james woods fan and a big MJF fan so i just made to enjoy this one. Rent it first to make sure you agree, cause I am the only one in the family that cares f