Description

This masterpiece by Preston Sturges is perhaps the finest movie-about-a-movie ever made. Hollywood director Joel McCrea, tired of churning out lightweight comedies, decides to make O Brother, Where Art Thou-a serious, socially responsible film about human suffering. After his producers point out that he knows nothing of hardship, he hits the road as a hobo. He finds the lovely Veronica Lake-and more trouble than he ever dreamed of. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

The Original Oh Brother Where Art Thou
This is a wonderful movie about a successful comedy director setting out to find trouble in order to film his next project a serious movie about the Depression called Oh Brother Where Art Thou. Early in the film the studio owners try to disuade Sullivan from the movie and suggest making it into a musical; a suggestion which the Coen brothers took over 50 years later.

Initially Sullivan cannot escape his entourage which comes to include the beautiful and witty Veronica Lake. Later however life becomes more vivid for the restless director and his lesson is learned.

The film is divided into two distinct parts as many people have commented on. While some have said this makes the movie uneven I think that it moves the movie well beyond a simple romantic comedy giving it a complexity and color you don't expect.

The movie is brilliantly written by Preston Sturges. Watch it once for the sheer joy of it but watch it again to experience a brilliance of dialogue that few have been able to accomplish since.

Being a Criterion production the presentation is excellent and it has many extras that we have come to expect and appreciate from this company.

A MOVIE THAT COMBINES COMEDY AND DRAMA.
"Sullivan's Travels" tells the story of director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea), who is very famous thanks to his mainstream comedy movies. But now he is tired of making shallow comedies, and decides to start a career of more serious movies. However, Sullivan thinks that because during all his life he has enjoyed special privileges, he doesn't actually know what is the suffering, and he is unable of make a serious social statement in his upcoming film.

So he now decides to hit the road, disguised as a tramp, and live in those conditions for a few months, and to experiment in his own flesh the lack of luxuries. In the road he meets "The Girl" (Veronica Lake), an unemployed actress who knows what is to live in those conditions, so now she decides to help him with his experiment. However, not everything is going to be that easy, because in their adventure they are going to find several obstacles that could make difficult to complete Sullivan's movie.

"Sullivan's Travels" is a very amusing movie, the director Preston Sturges did a good job, he created scenes where the comedy and the drama are mixed together with satisfying results. The movie has interesting situations, because it has an intelligent story and good performances. Also, "Sullivan's Travels" benefits with the presence of the elegant Veronica Lake

A Review for Sullivan's Travels
Directed by Preston Sturges in 1941, this classic screwball comedy with a message is definitely one worth watching. The film opens with famous Hollywood director, John Sullivan, trying to persuade his bosses to let him make a picture about poverty, O Brother, Where Are Thou? His producers proceed to ridicule him about being privileged and that he knows nothing about troubles. They tell him how they had to grow up selling newspapers to get through college and having to support a widowed mother and three sisters and two brothers. Sullivan realizes they have a point and decides to set out to find some trouble. Of course, as soon as Sullivan leaves the office, the bosses confess they were lying about their troubles, adding a bit of comic relief.

Since the bosses feel it would be a liability to them if Sullivan were to travel all alone, they arrange for him to have an entourage following him, writing stories about his travels, and photographing his escapades. Sullivan starts out like a hobo walking alone on the side of the road. A young boy of 13 pulls up and offers him a ride. What next ensues is perhaps the funniest scene in the entire movie. The 13 year old wants to be a tank driver so he sets off like mad, driving insanely fast and wildly out of control. The entourage that has been following Sullivan in a massive bus tries desperately to keep up, hurdling its occupants all over the place. Most funny is the cook who ends up with his head sticking out of the roof of the bus and then falls back down to the floor and gets smacked on the head by the door of the oven. Then a bowl of what appears to be pancake batter falls on his head and he is a royal mess.

After the bus plows into a pile of hay, Sullivan orders the 13 year old hooligan to stop and goes back to his entourage and persuades them that their following him is not a good idea. He advises they just go to Las Vegas and wait for him there. Not crazy enough to turn down a work-free vacation, they agree and each party sets off on their own.

Sullivan next ventures into a small café where he meets a nameless girl, played by Veronica Lake. She has been trying to make a go at it as an actress, but has given up and has plans to head back home. Seeing Sullivan's misfortunes, she offers to buy him some ham and eggs. Sullivan immediately takes a liking to her and offers to give her a lift back home. Still in Hollywood, he goes and gets his own car to drive her there. The police, seeing a hobo driving a nice car, believe he has stolen it and so both Sullivan and his female companion get arrested. Well, they eventually get released when the police realize their error. Sullivan then fesses up to the lovely Veronica, and tells her his plan of finding trouble.

She decides to join him on his journey. They plan to travel east and eventually take her back home. However, Sullivan must first have his butler call the railroad to find out how hobos board trains, another moment of comedic levity. After an awkward boarding of the train, Sullivan and the girl fall asleep in a pig stall. Sullivan gets some sort of allergic reaction to the hay and so when they wake up, they decide to get off the train. They wander into another café where they realize they are now in Las Vegas and Sullivan's entourage is just across the road. Hungry and wear worn, Sullivan goes back to the entourage where his doctor mandates that he stay in bed for three day to get better.

Back on the road again, scenes fly by as Sullivan and his girl mingle with the down and out. He eventually returns to his entourage and is prepared to start production on O Brother, Where Art Thou? but he decides to give one last thank you to his street companions in the form of five dollar bills. As he is handing out bills late one night, he is knocked out, robbed, and thrown onto a train car. As the robber is running off with the money, he accidentally stumbles and drops the money on the train tracks. As he is picking up the money, he gets run over by a train and dies. The people who find his body see some of Sullivan's belongings on him and mistake him for Sullivan. Word circles around the film community that Sullivan met his death mysteriously one night on the train tracks.

Meanwhile, Sullivan's train stops and he gets out where he is confronted by a railroad worker who hits him for hitching a ride on the train. Sullivan retaliates by bashing a rock against the workers face a couple times. For this misdeed, Sullivan is sentenced to six years of hard labor. He is not allowed to make any phone calls or write any letters to let anyone know he is still alive, as he has already seen newspaper pronouncements about his fate. He comes up with a scheme to get his pictures in the papers by confessing to the murder of himself. Of course, the mistake is quickly realized and he is back in Hollywood set to make the picture which has caused him so much trouble.

However, in a twist, Sullivan decides not to make O Brother, Where Art Thou? and instead he wants to continue making comedies. For, when he was in the labor camp, the one moment of happiness he and his fellow prisoners experienced was one night when they got to go to a picture show and watch a Mickey Mouse cartoon. He decides comedy is important because, for some people, it's all they've got.

"Sullivan's Travels" - A Life Changing Experience
Oh, this film is grand! First viewed it at about age 16, formative years & all. Made a great impact. Convinced me to pack off & live life as a hobo. Ah, the rootless life! Between "Sullivan's Travels", "Lust For Life" and Hermann Hesse novels, my character was set. Ah, youth! Oh, brother, where art thou?

One of my all time favorite films
One of the great screen comedies, and one in a string of absolutely brilliant comedies that Preston Sturges made in the space of only a few years, unquestionably the hottest streak any comedy director has ever gone on in a short period of time. This film contains a great deal more slapstick than his other films, and a great deal more social satire. Sturges doesn't quite mean it as a "message" picture, but in the end it does have overtones of an apologia pro vita sua as a comedy director. Sturges wants to say that he is a comedy director, and he isn't going to apologize for it, because making people laugh in hard times is one of the highest functions of art.

SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS is one of two superb comedies that Joel McCrea made with Sturges, the other being the equally outstanding THE PALM BEACH STORY. As most are aware, McCrea plays director John L. Sullivan, who has made his mark in Hollywood directing lightweight comedies, such as the "Ants in Your Pants" series. But now he wants to make a serious, "meaningful" film: O Brother! Where Art Thou? The studio head points out that Sullivan knows nothing about real life, and conceding his point without giving up his intentions, Sullivan decides to hit the road and live as a hobo in order to discover real life.

Like nearly all Sturges films (at least before his rapid and dramatic decline in late 1944), this film features an absolutely outstanding cast. His best films seem to feature a cast with literally dozens of great character actors, and this is no exception. Most of the Sturges regulars are here, like William Demarest and Robert Warwick, along with a host of others whose faces will be familiar to any Sturges fan, even if the names are not. The film also features the first major role for Veronica Lake, who enjoyed only a short career at the top, but who endures in memory as one of most stunningly beautiful women in Hollywood history, so much an icon that in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, Kim Basinger's character was a prostitute who would be with men impersonating Veronica Lake.

Most Sturges films are characterized by their rapid-fire dialog, manic pace, and enormous wit. He always wrote his own scripts, and as good as he could be as a director, he was much better as a writer. For several years before becoming a director, he distinguished himself along with Billy Wilder as perhaps the premier comic writer in Hollywood. This film contains moments that are classic Sturges. For instance, while arguing with the head of the studio about his next film, his boss makes the point that his last escapist film did well in Pittsburgh. Sullivan retorts: "What do they know in Pittsburgh." Studio Head: "They know what they like." Sullivan: "Then what are they doing in Pittsburgh." But in this film, unlike his others, Sturges dramatically slows down the pace at several points, and allows the film to take a much more serious turn, so as to make his central points about the value of making people laugh. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

My favorite romantic comedy
I usually don't like romantic movies. I mean let's face it they are usually predictable and the two stars have no chemistry. However, when done right a romantic comedy can work. In The Sure Thing it works. John Cusack stars as Walter Gibson a freshman at a small northeastern college. He has been down on his luck in the woman department. He meets a girl, Alison in his English class. They have a Pseudo-date and it ends badly. Walter decides to take a cross-country road trip to meet with his friend Lance (played by ER's Anthony Edwards when he still had hair.) Lance assures of a sure thing upon his arrival. He of course through some unfortunate luck and show tunes is stuck with Alison on the road trip. What I liked was the honesty of this movie. Cusak's character learns about women, relationships and the actual meaning of the word love by being stuck with Alison. She learns to loosen up, and accept people for what they are. In every successful relationship that I have had, that is what happens. I learn from her and she learns from me. Yes, the end is a little predictable and it is a little dated, but the story is funny and pretty dead on.

A Sure Winner
The Sure Thing is director Rob Reiner's second film and his first conventional movie after the mockumentary format of This Is Spinal Tap. The film has the classic teenage plot of boy meets girl, girl at first hates boy and then in the end they end up together. But instead of being just another cliché, The Sure Thing features such likable and winning performances by the two leads, John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga, that it becomes a memorable and lovable film. Mr. Cusack stars as Walter "Gib" Gibson who is in a slump when it comes to getting girls. Everyone around him at his New England campus seems to be scoring, except him. He meets a pretty girl, Alison (Ms. Zuniga) in his English class and tries to hook up with her. Alison is a straitlaced girl, who schedules everything she does to the second, while Gib is a spontaneous guy who lives life minute to minute. Alison agrees to tutor Gib in English and he tries to seduce her, but he fails miserably and she ends up hating him. His best friend from high school, Lance (Anthony Edwards) is out at college in California where he has set up a date for Gib who is a "sure thing". All Gib has to do is get to California by 12/22 and he's in. The problem is he has no money to fly, so he finds a ride with a couple who are driving out to Los Angeles. As fate would have it, Alison is also in the car as she is heading out to see her boyfriend in LA. The couple Gary Cooper and Mary Ann Webster are upbeat squares who sing showtunes on the trip. Gary is played by a young Tim Robbins in one of his first roles. Gib and Alison are constantly bickering at one another and eventually they are thrown out of the car and forced to hitch. Along the way, Alison starts to see the real charm in Gib and starts to fall for him. Eventually they reach LA and go their separate ways. They both end up at the party where Gib meets his sure thing (Nicolette Sheridan). Jealousy ensues between the two and Gib eventually takes his sure thing up to Lance's bedroom. The movie flashes forward where Gib and Alison are back in English class and we learn that Gib didn't cash in on his sure thing and Alison and Gib end up sharing a kiss under the stars. Mr. Cusack got his first leading role after a series of bit parts and he shines in his opportunity. He shows that offbeat charm that would become his signature trait. Mr. Reiner perfectly captures life on the road in America and the film is a low-key success.

What's Important
This 1980's teen genre comedy is not as good as the earlier "Ridgeway High." It's not as good as "Pretty In Pink" or the other John Hughes movies. But it has its moments and certainly is far better than the awful "Valley Girls" which appeared in 83. Rob Reiner has an easygoing hand on the direction. He's not going to be remembered as Hitchcock or Ozu, but again, sweet comedy is Reiner's best stuff. I always found John Cusak movies vaguely unsatisfying. His roles are the smart aleck kid that revolts against middle-class etc... But in this movie of boy-girl opposites, he's good, even handsome in a Tom Cruse way. Alison Bradbury is fine as the anal co-ed, and thank you movie god, she's a brunette, not a blonde. This is a "Road" flick and the usual rain drenched hitchhiking scenes unfold. America is big and beautiful. Hard to miss with this material. The moral, getting laid is less important than finding someone you adore. Not a bad idea.

Who invented liquid soap and why?
The Sure Thing has to be the most quotable movie of all time. When I saw it for the first time in the 80s I didn't appreciate it for what it was. When I rediscovered it in the early 90s I couldn't believe what a gem this movie is.

"excuse me I see a sweet young thing whose sarong needs adjusting"

Funny!
While this isn't as good as SAY ANYTHING..., John Cusack's later movie, it is still very good and very funny. John Cusack is better in his earlier romantic comedies like this one, SAY ANYTHING...(a classic and my favorite movie) or the hilariously offbeat BETTER OFF DEAD than he is today (with the exception of HIGH FIDELITY, I didn't like AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS at all). He is very funny throughout the whole movie, but my favorite scene of his is in the pool scene when he's imagining his future ("When I get out of jail, I'm 36 years old.") if his love interest doesn't help him pass English. The love interest, Daphne Zuniga, is also very funny (especially when she tries to prove to J.C. in the car that she's not stuck-up-if you've seen the movie, you know which scene I mean). Overall, very funny. Like all romantic comedies, it is predictable, but the comedy, good acting and chemistry make this movie not MONEY FOR NOTHING. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A sweet and clever combination of anecdotes and autobiography, Radio Days draws heavily on Woody Allen's childhood. Fittingly, the unfolding episodes are woven together by music--lovely hits of the 1940s like "In the Mood" and "That Old Feeling." Some episodes are built around radio itself (like the burglars who answer the phone in a house they're burgling and win a radio contest), and others center on the life of a young Jewish boy (Seth Green, clearly playing a version of Allen himself as a child). Though light in tone, Radio Days is an ambitious re-creation not simply of an era, but of radio itself. Nowadays radio is little more than a way to sell pop tunes, but it used to transmit dreams; watching this movie, you get a taste of how inspiring this simpler medium could be. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The Best Woody Allen film of them all.
I love Woody Allen and his crazy sense of humor. I know that some people find him (at times) a little far out, but this movie should be loved by everyone with a family and a radio. The music is the background of the WW2 generation and their children. It reminds me very much of my parents and all my relatives. It is little episodes in the life of a 8 year old boy but told in a way that all of us can relate to. I live in Florida, and a few years ago on my birthday, we were under a Hurricane watch.........a whole crew of my family of all ages gathered at my house to wait. Trying to find something to entertain everyone was a real challenge. After a bunch of false starts on other movies everyone was getting edgy until we put on Radio Days. It calmed everyone down and cheered them up, made them laugh--the movie was a hit ( and the hurricanne missed us). The casting was great. All of Woody's regulars and some other talents too. I love it.

A standout gem!
I've been hurt in the past by a lot of "classic" Woody Allen films. But this one does not disppoint. I think this is one of his best films. A nostalgic look back on his childhood in the good ole radio days. Although for once, Woody was not the highlight of a Woody movie for me. And I never thought I'd utter thses words in my entire life. But...Mia Farrow was the funniest thing about this movie (and it was a really funny movie by itself). I just loved her eating as people are discussing where to dump her body and my favorite line of her's is upon hearing of the bombing of Pearl Harbor at an inconvenient moment, she asks kind of agitated, "Who is Pearl Harbor?" The second stories would switch, and she'd pop up, I'd already be laughing. And I am by no means a Mia Farrow fan. She was just so broadly funny; maybe that's what she should have done more of. Because usually she plays such dry characters...but this was a welcome change. Woody must have loved her role too. He basically recycled her in Bullets Over Broadway with Jennifer Tilly's ditzy character (also funny). This film was just so real and honest and clearly personal to Woody, that his passion showed in the writing and the acting and made this movie one of my favorites of his (and a young Seth Green did Woody justice too).

Very good music, but missing some great songs.
I purchased this soundtrack because it contained some really great music. However, my favorite song, September Song, was missing. If you saw the movie, it was the song that reoccurred numerous times, starting with the wind-swept rainy scene of his home, Rockaway Beach, near the ocean.

Not only that, but that song is near impossible to find now, as I've spent hours searching on the Internet with no luck. Still, there are many other titles I like on the CD. I just wish that were one of them, considering its sort of the theme song that reappeared so many times. Really disappointing.

Seth Green shines
Seth Green plays a Jewish boy..and its basically a story about Woddy Allen's childhood which this movie is greatly doned on...good acting fro Mia Farrow and others..a nicely done..feel good movie..you dont want to miss it

Nostalgia...ah, yes...
I'm a huge fan of Woody Allen (even his "clunkers"), but this is my absolute favorite Woody film. All of his films are personal, but none as personal and revealing as this...and ABSOLUTELY entertaining. Seth Green, Woody's young character, is perfect, justifying his current success. Wonderful performances from Woody's usual stock troupe (Kavner, Wiest, etc) are all in tune with the goings-on. Mia Farrow, in particular, is a hoot, especially her scenes with Danny Aiello. Woody even managed to squeeze a cameo from Diane Keaton at the end ("You Be So Nice to Come Home To"). Lovely and sweet. It's too bad the Academy eliminated the category for "Best Adapted Score", cuz this woud've won, no question. The greatest songs of the period (1940-1945) were lovingly presented, and anyone who sees this film can't help but be left with a wistful, soft and nostalgic feeling. Yes, this is my favorite Woody film. ... Read more

Reviews (100)

ENTERTAINING SUDS
Barbara Hershey and Bette Midler form an unlikely alliance in this contemporary/traditional "woman's picture". Well-produced musical numbers, charting CeCe's (Bette) singing/performing career, add zest and emotion, though the central relationship is exceptionally well-played by both the young and older versions of the characters. I particularly loved the way this movie grows with the characters; the story evolves over much time, and, unfortunately, spends too much time, and the film's most overrated song (Wind Beneath My Wings, which has a bizarrely self-involved lyric) in its final half hour wallowing in suds. However, the actresses retain a power throughout, and the tears this movie works to summon forth do not feel shameless -- an age-old friendship will likely always suffer its highs and lows, though perhaps not with this many strings playing in the background.

Friendship that never dies.....
I fell in love with the movie the first time that I saw it and still love it. One of the most brilliant performances by both Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey I have ever seen.I enjoyed very much seeing Bette showcase her voice in the movie because she has such a strong and beautiful voice, not to mention she is so hilarious. The scenes in this movie are emotional, uplifting, comedic and poignant. This film reminds of a special friendship that I have, and just watching the movie reminds me a lot of my relationship with my friend. It depicts that all friendships aren't perfect, everyone has their differences but that in the end that one special friend will always be there for you. In this world today, it is hard to find a friend like that. There were also some stellar performances by John Heard as the love interest of Bette Midler, Laine Kazane as Bette's mother Leona. What a wonderful movie, a real tearjearker and call it a chick flick if you want but this is a movie that was made for both men and women.

I love this movie
Bette Midler is wonderful in this movie. Barbara Hershey gives an outstanding performance. I love their friendship and how it goes through the different phases, and yet at the end they are there for one another, to support one another. This movie is definitely a tear-jerker, yet a classic.

Made me feel dirty
Watching this movie was a very unpleasant experience for me and left me feeling like an emotional voyeur. It was just too harrowingly weepy. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with a movie that appeals primarily to the emotions, but I felt that Beaches went way past the saturation point. By the end I was simply tired of feeling!
I have, however, given Beaches three stars because the fact that it is so well loved by so many suggests that it must successfully fulfill some sort of need for many viewers. Just be warned that, depending on your tastes, you may want to fulfill that need elsewhere.

Sad but Good!
I never read the book this movie is based on but we rented Beaches and I thought it was a good movie. It is a tearjerker that is really sad and I don't always like sad movies because sometimes they can be too melodramatic and real downers but I liked this movie and I think Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey gave good acting perfomances and I was also impressed with Mayim Bialik (Blossom) who played Bette Midler's character C.C. when the character was 11 years old. I recommend this movie! ... Read more

Description

DEAD OF NIGHT A group of strangers is mysteriously gatheredat a country estate where each reveals a chilling tale of thesupernatural. First, a racer survives a brush with death only to receiveterrifying premonitions from beyond the grave. Then a teen's innocentgame of hide-and-seek leads to an encounter with the macabre. Next, ayoung couple purchases an antique mirror that unleashes a horrific powerfrom its past. In a lighter vein, two competitive golfers play forstakes that may haunt the winner forever. Finally, a renownedventriloquist descends into an abyss of madness and murder when hisdummy develops a mind of its own. But even after these frightening talesare told, does one final nightmare await them all? Britain's venerableEaling Studios brought together four brilliant directors -CharlesCrichton (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB), Basil Dearden (THE MIND BENDERS),Alberto Cavalcanti (NICHOLAS NICKLEBY) and Robert Hamer (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS) to create this classic chiller that remains one of the mostinfluential horror films ever made. This is the uncut and complete UKversion of DEAD OF NIGHT, now newly restored from original archivalmaterials for the first time in decades.

THE QUEEN OF SPADES "Unusual And Macabre!" ~ Leonard Maltin's Movie &Video Guide A gambling craze is sweeping 19th century St. Petersburg,yet a dashing Russian army captain (Anton Walbrook of THE RED SHOES) istoo impoverished to participate. But when he learns that an agingcountess (an award-winning performance by Dame Edith Evans of TOM JONES)may hold the ultimate key to gaming riches, the desperate young officerwill stop at nothing to steal the sinister secret for himself. Whenfortunes are won and lost with the turn of a card, will one man wagerhis very soul on a final twist of fate? Yvonne Mitchell (DEMONS OF THEMIND) co-stars in this brilliant British chiller directed by ThoroldDickinson (GASLIGHT), featuring extraordinary cinematography by OttoHeller (PEEPING TOM, THE IPCRESS FILE) and based on the celebrated shortstory by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Includes AN 8-page Collector's Booklet. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

ACTUALLY TRULY SCARY
One of the all-time great scare anthologies, DEAD OF NIGHT (Anchor Bay) is a classic collection of freaky supernatural stories told by strangers at a remote estate. The topper is Sir Michael Redgrave as a renowned ventriloquist who tells his tale of madness and murder when his dummy exhibits a mind of his own. The uncut, restored UK version is coupled with the wonderfully macabre QUEEN OF SPADES.

THANK YOU, ANCHOR BAY, FOR THESE MASTERPIECES!
About ten years ago, I screened THE QUEEN OF SPADES at New York's Museum of Modern Art film library. I had heard that they had, in their collection, an old 16 mm print of this almost-lost treasure. I sat with a Russian stage/film director friend, as well as actress Rosemary Harris (late of Aunt May in SPIDERMAN); the three of us were transfixed as we discovered, and Rosie re-discovered (she had seen the premiere in England), this astonishing piece of film alchemy.

Anton Walbrook's talent, like Vivien Leigh's, was ineffable. His choices, as an actor, are so outlandish sometimes that you think he will never pull off the moment - then he stops right at the edge and leaves you gasping at the utter uniqueness and danger of his choice. Dame Edith Evans, in her film debut, playing a woman forty years her senior, is all remarkable, twisted, bitter, frightened restraint. (Rosie mentioned that Edith Evan's key moment of reaction, in the film, had so frightened the audience at the time that everyone screamed out loud. Not difficult to understand, even today...)

The lighting and camera direction are at once solid and ethereal; dreamy like Cocteau's LA BELLE ET LA BETE, and brutally unforgiving like Welles' CITIZEN KANE.

Much has been said about DEAD OF NIGHT and deservedly so. This genuinely is the grandfather of all psychological horror films. What seems so innocuous, almost gentle at first, develops into a disturbingly laden freight train barrelling straight towards you. There will be no way to escape. You will be knocked squarely off your tracks. Completely and utterly disorienting. Warning: do not watch this film alone at night. Don't even watch this film alone on a sunny day.

The picture and sound on each are very good and rich. The liner notes and artwork accompanying the DVD are of great interest, and are a wonderful starting-off point for the viewer.

Would that more DVD-producing companies were like Anchor Bay. Could they be poised to take over the position that Criterion, up until recently (with misleading claims of restoration and a chronicity of poor quality releases), enjoyed? One can only hope.

Must have
I won't say much about DEAD OF NIGHT, as any one who will be buying this set knows how extraordinary & ahead of it's time that film is. Needless to say, the Michael Redgrave segment is the best of a good bunch, with even the 'lighter' stories offering excellent viewing.
It's the QUEEN OF SPADES that proved the surprise to me - I had never seen this film, relagating it to 'second fiddle' after DEAD OF NIGHT, when it does in fact hold it's own remarkably well.
Slow moving, but to it's benefit, the story see's Anton Walbrook, a German engineer in the Russian army, envious of the wealth & title that are automatically bestowed upon his comrades. After learning that a Russian noblewoman posesses the secret of winning at cards, he manipulates her lady-in-waiting to gain access to this secret. things go slightly awray and although he gains the secret, the aged noblewoman dies of fright.
This part of the story takes up most of the film, with the 'haunting' of the engineer forming the final act.
Although lacking any actual 'horror', this film has a definate atmosphere of unease and of meddling with things that should be left alone. Superb performances again, with the key being the utter conviction of the cast.
A film like this could not be made today, which makes it all the more important that productions like this and DEAD OF NIGHT should be cherished by fans of what the term 'horror film' really means as opposed to what it was eventually twisted into in the '80's & '90's.

SUPERB DOUBLE BILL....
Fantastic pairing of two vintage British chillers and an immediate collector's item. Bravo Anchor Bay. 1.) 1946's "Dead Of Night" is an early anthology of supernatural tales told by a group of strangers at a country house to another stranger who has seen them all before----in a nightmare. Excellent cast, good exposition of stories that have been mimicked many times since but never this well. Best: the "Haunted Mirror" sequence and the final horror tale of Hugo the dummy with a brilliant performance by (Sir) Michael Redgrave as the tormented ventriloquist. This sequence features Elisabeth Welch, the singer later to be seen in the bizarre finale of Derek Jarman's equally bizarre "The Tempest". Good print, sometimes tinny sound but not that bad---it's really OK. Weakest sequence is the golfer's story that had been excised from previous prints. Still, it's interesting to see the adult aspects in this sequence not seen in American films of the time. And, in some of the other sequences, to hear "hell" used as a swear word so many times--- also taboo in 40's American films. 2.) 1949's "Queen of Spades"---a film I had never seen before. Based on Alexander Pushkin's famous story, it tells of a Russian military officer in the 1800's who becomes obsessed with learning the "secret" of winning at Faro, a popular card game sweeping Europe at the time. He obtains a mysterious book on the occult that tells of a famous Countess who learned the secret but sold her soul to the devil in the process. The story is true so he tracks her down to learn her "secret" and finds her an aged, embittered but wealthy recluse with a pretty ward she's devoutly protective of. He surreptitiously woos the girl to get to the Countess with tragic results. He accidently scares the old lady to death when she won't talk. But her ghost comes back...with an offer he can't refuse. The details of this film---both in story content and visuals---are mesmerizing. It's darkly Gothic and creepy. The period setting is beautifully realized on film. Anton Walbrook and (Dame) Edith Evans are wonderful as the soldier and the Countess as are the rest of the cast. Brilliantly directed by Thorold Dickinson, this is a must see. A rare and unusual film for purists. Don't miss out on this worthy double bill DVD. Both films are classics to be sure but "Queen of Spades" is really something special.

Beware THE QUEEN OF SPADES!
I first saw this film on a PBS series CINEMATIC EYE over 20 years ago and have never forgotten it nor had the chance to see it again. Until now. This marvelously macabre film is based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin which is the same one used by Tchaikovsky for his opera of the same name. It stars Anton Walbrook (THE RED SHOES) and Dame Edith Evans in what marked her film debut at the age of 61. The story of a man who is obssessed with the secret of winning at cards and the woman who posseses that secret is turned into a tour de force by producer Anatole De Grunwald and director Thorold Dickinson. The movie is full of baroque chiaroscuro lighting and bizarre camera angles and looks like a cross between the films of Val Lewton and Orson Welles with a little Fritz Lang thrown in for good measure. The acting by Walbrook, Evans, and a cast of British stalwarts ranges from flamboyant to quietly repressed and suits the material perfectly. If you appreciate the old style of moviemaking where what you don't see will thrill you and all the filmmaking elements are combined to produce a delirious whole then this is the movie for you. It's a cliche' but they just don't make movies like this anymore. Couple it with DEAD OF NIGHT which is one of the truly legendary films of psychological horror (and has plenty of reviews elsewhere) at one low price and you simply can't go wrong. Thanks to Anchor Bay for making this incredible package available. Both films have superb video transfers. The audio on DEAD OF NIGHT has never been ideal but this is the best it has ever sounded. And remember the next time you play cards, "BEWARE THE QUEEN OF SPADES"! ... Read more

Description

Kevin Costner plays the most famous lawman ever to stride the Wild West.In a gritty, complex portrayal hailed as a "classic American performance" (Bob Campbell, Newhouse Newspapers), Academy Award winner Costner (Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard) plays the man who became a myth in acclaimed director Lawrence Kasdan's (The Big Chill, Silverado) epic, action-filled saga.Gene Hackman, an Oscar winner for Unforgiven, as Wyatt's iron-willed father, and Dennis Quaid (The Big Easy, The Right Stuff) as Earp's deadly best friend Doc Holliday add power to this mammoth, hard-hitting Western.From Wichita to Dodge City to the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, Wyatt Earp is a thrilling journey of romance, adventure and desperate, heroic action. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

Wyatt Earp was a Man
A lot of people forget that Wyatt Earp was a real man who had more courage and integrity then most people you will ever know. This movie is a pretty accurate portrayl of that man. Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid (Doc Holliday) do a superb job, although the supporting cast has a lot to be desired. This movie differs from the movie "Tombstone", in that it portrays a lot of Wyatt's life from being a teenager during the Civil War to his and Josie's adventure to the Alaskan gold fields near the turn of the century. "Tombstone" deals primarily with the happenings in Wyatt's life in that one town, which ironically dealt with less than 2 years of his long adventurous life. I liked this film because it dealt with an approximate 35 year time span of Wyatt's life, and the movie is long enough to dipict this. There are a lot of historical accuracies in the movie which include proper representations of places and dialogue such as what is said on the way to and during the gunfight. The inaccuracies are easily overlooked such as Virgil being shot in the wrong arm and the reference to "Johnny behind the duece" as "Tommy." All in all though, a good film about the life of a great man, Wyatt Earp.

BUY THIS DVD!
At last Warner Bros. has seen fit to release Kasdan's masterpiece on DVD. Sadly and inexplicably this movie was overlooked at the time of it's release. This superbly written,beautifully played piece is the definitive account of the life of a western archetype achieving everything that previous Earp accounts have failed to with the possible exception of Hour Of The Gun. Avoiding the ludicrous romanticism of My Darling Clementine, or the appaulingly laughable Lancaster/Douglas fiasco, Gunfight At OK Corral, Kasdan's portrayal presents these characters as the contradictory individuals they undoubtedly were and the actors and actresses do a tremendous job of bringing them to life. Costner is utterly believable as a complex man who, influenced by his father's belief in the family unit, almost destroys the very family he is trying to protect. We see him go from an idealistic young man to becoming a resolute, serious individual as a result of circumstances often beyond his control which serve to form his hardened personality and tunnel vision. Dennis Quaid is superb as Doc Holliday and presents a real person rather than Val Kilmer's amusing charicature in the over rated t.v movie-quality Tombstone. JoBeth Williams, Catherine O'Hara and Isabella Rosselini are great in their portrayals of the role of women in the west. Each of the actresses in this movie portrays a distinctly different character never resorting to cookie-cutter characterisations but the one thing they all have in common is, true to the period, women were expected to be supportive but not to have minds of their own; No revisionist western this.
Technically the movie looks and sounds great. Kasdan creates a visual style without being heavy handed and we are presented with a west in various stages of development from shanty towns to the developing, lawless Dodge City and Tombstone where law and order are trying to take hold even when the "law" is being enforced in a very subjective manner, again there is a lot of gray in this movie.
Finally I have to praise James Newton Howard for his wonderful score which, if it were isolated on the DVD would make this a 6 star release.
Apparently deleted scenes are being included on a second disc. An expanded lazer disc was released some years ago which restored this footage to the film, adding even more depth to the characters and as a result an even better movie.
Please buy this movie and, in doing so, encourage Warner's to release the expanded version in the near future. You will not be disappointed.

Western Classic
No doubt this movie is a western classic. I saw it years ago and loved it. I don't have anything negative to say about the movie itself. I almost picked up this 2 disc set until I learned it's a cut down or edited version. Why is the complete 212 min version only available on VHS ? That's just stupid. This is a great movie worthy of a director's cut edition maybe 3 disc set? I'd spend the extra cash on a deeper edition, until then I'll save my money. Please, please release the FULL version on DVD!

I'm very disappointed-why not the Director's Cut on DVD??
I was actually planning to but Wyatt Earp on DVD, but as I already have the Director's Cut on VHS video, I'll wait until the release of it on DVD. I believed this would be the "definitive" video release of Wyatt Earp. I'm quite disappointed!! I would rather have had the complete film on DVD than all of the extras!! Five-stars for the film, one-star for the short-sightedness of this DVD's content!! This is just as puzzling as why the restored version of John Wayne's The Alamo is not on DVD yet, either.

Typical Costner - long drawn out epic!
While the story was great and gave some interesting, perhaps unknown insight to the character of Wyatt Earp (did you know he was married and lost his wife to Typhoid? I didn't!) the movie was a very long, slow, drawn out epic like most of Costner's films. While Dennis Quaid portrayed a believable Doc Holliday, his performance was paled by the superior, more entertaining version by Val Kilmer in "Tombstone". In either movie it was almost unbelievable that the character was played by Dennis Quaid and Val Kilmer respectively (although Val Kilmer was more recognizable), I think both versions of Doc Holliday outshined the portrayal of Wyatt Earp in either movie. While still a good Western for this century, I would not rate this one higher than 3 stars because it was too long and drawn out. 3+ hours is just too long to sit through for something that could have been accomplished successfully in maybe 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
The rating age only goes up to 12, I'm actually 40 years old - LOL ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the high points of Woody Allen's career. Cecilia (Mia Farrow), a depression-era waitress married to a brutish husband (Danny Aiello), finds her only escape at the movies, her current favorite being a light comedy about an explorer among socialites, called The Purple Rose of Cairo. She sees it so many times that the main character, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), falls in love with her and steps off the screen to woo her. When news of this gets back to the movie studio, the producers send the actor who played Baxter (also Daniels) to convince Baxter to get back on the screen. The script is one of Allen's funniest, but underlying the whole story is a current of sadness that gives the movie's ending a surprising impact. Allen himself considers The Purple Rose of Cairo to be his personal favorite of his own films. A gem. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Extra! Character walks off screen for love struck waitress!
During the Great Depression Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is trapped in a dreary life with a soulless husband (Danny Aiello), so she escapes to the movies. There she becomes hook on "The Purple Rose of Cairo," which she watches so many times that Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), the dashing archaeologist of the film becomes so distracted he decides to leave the film and walks off the screen into Cecilia's life. Suddenly Cecilia is happy, even if Tom is just a fictional character. Meanwhile, Hollywood is in an uproar as other Tom Baxters are threatening to walk out of the picture as well, leaving it to actor Gil Shepherd to try and reign in the character he created.

Some critics dismissed this Woody Allen film as a flip on Buster Keaton's silent classic "Sherlock Jr.," a surreal fantasy about a film projectionist and amateur detective who climbs into a movie. But so what if the idea is not new? The chief charm here is what Allen does with the idea. The romantic triangle between Cecilia, Tom and Gil is pleasant enough, but for me what is hysterical is what is going on back at the theater with the characters in the movie who are waiting to find out what happens. Henry (Edward Herrmann) is worried they will turn off the projector and make everything dark, while Jason (John Wood) insists the movie is really about him so they do not need Tom to come back. Rita (Deborah Rush) points out she is rich and does not have to put up with this nonsense while the maid, Delilah (Annie Joe Edwards) objects to people being in the wrong reel. Of course the time comes for Cecilia to go through the looking glass to join Larry (Van Johnson) and the Countess (Zoe Caldwell) at the swank nightclub, where Kitty Haynes (Karen Akers) is quite upset to find Tom with another woman. The idea that movies are truly "screen plays" that the actors play out several times a day is carried off marvelously. Meanwhile, the audiences are staying at the theater to see what happens next. The non-movie is as interesting as the real thing.

Mia Farrow actually has the Woody Allen part in this Woody Allen movie in which Woody Allen does not appear. The accent is a bit much (not as grating as her comic turn in "Radio Days"), but Cecilia is clearly a sweet soul and there is something about the way the light of the movies plays with her eyes that captures her happiness at finding the escape. Of course, reality, not to mention the Hollywood studio system, are out for money and not happiness, so that there cannot be a storybook ending. "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is more than a one-joke film, although certainly it is more streamlined that your average Allen film. Besides, despite the enticing impulse to do so, I do not see this as an indictment of Hollywood or the para-social interaction of real audiences with fictional characters. This is a charming little fantasy with enough of an element of reality to keep the dream from staying alive.

Extra! Movie character actually leaves screen for waitress!
During the Great Depression Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is trapped in a dreary life with a soulless husband (Danny Aiello), so she escapes to the movies. There she becomes hook on "The Purple Rose of Cairo," which she watches so many times that Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), the dashing archaeologist of the film becomes so distracted he decides to leave the film and walks off the screen into Cecilia's life. Suddenly Cecilia is happy, even if Tom is just a fictional character. Meanwhile, Hollywood is in an uproar as other Tom Baxters are threatening to walk out of the picture as well, leaving it to actor Gil Shepherd to try and reign in the character he created.

Some critics dismissed this Woody Allen film as a flip on Buster Keaton's silent classic "Sherlock Jr.," a surreal fantasy about a film projectionist and amateur detective who climbs into a movie. But so what if the idea is not new? The chief charm here is what Allen does with the idea. The romantic triangle between Cecilia, Tom and Gil is pleasant enough, but for me what is hysterical is what is going on back at the theater with the characters in the movie who are waiting to find out what happens. Henry (Edward Herrmann) is worried they will turn off the projector and make everything dark, while Jason (John Wood) insists the movie is really about him so they do not need Tom to come back. Rita (Deborah Rush) points out she is rich and does not have to put up with this nonsense while the maid, Delilah (Annie Joe Edwards) objects to people being in the wrong reel. Of course the time comes for Cecilia to go through the looking glass to join Larry (Van Johnson) and the Countess (Zoe Caldwell) at the swank nightclub, where Kitty Haynes (Karen Akers) is quite upset to find Tom with another woman. The idea that movies are truly "screen plays" that the actors play out several times a day is carried off marvelously. Meanwhile, the audiences are staying at the theater to see what happens next. The non-movie is as interesting as the real thing.

Mia Farrow actually has the Woody Allen part in this Woody Allen movie in which Woody Allen does not appear. The accent is a bit much (not as grating as her comic turn in "Radio Days"), but Cecilia is clearly a sweet soul and there is something about the way the light of the movies plays with her eyes that captures her happiness at finding the escape. Of course, reality, not to mention the Hollywood studio system, are out for money and not happiness, so that there cannot be a storybook ending. "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is more than a one-joke film, although certainly it is more streamlined that your average Allen film. Besides, despite the enticing impulse to do so, I do not see this as an indictment of Hollywood or the para-social interaction of real audiences with fictional characters. This is a charming little fantasy with enough of an element of reality to keep the dream from staying alive.

A Miniature Masterpiece
If Woody Allen thinks this is his finest film, I'm not surprised. It's flawless. Brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, superbly plotted. Faultless. Daniels and Farrow are perfectly stunning in their parts. Whatever happended to Jeff Daniels? Why is this the only film I've seen him in? He plays this part with the lightest of touches: it's like whipped cream. Farrow is incredible, retaining always the slight reserve of suspicion that things can't be quite what they seem, which just about makes the ending bearable. The real mastery of the writing and direction is that what threatens to be a one-joke plot never topples over and falls flat. The juggling keeps the balls in the air with such delicate skill that the only possible reaction is one of pure admiration.

A Most Enduring Myth
Not only is this an essential add to any Woody Allen collection, it's probably one of the stories written by Mr. Yi that will far outlast any of his others, with the exception of Zelig. Please buy a copy and watch it every Valentine's Day, as it's the best flick to commemorate found love, lost love and the bitter denial of love ever filmed.

It Was Pretty Good!
I'm not a Woody Allen fan but I did like this movie, I liked the premise and I liked the acting of Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels and Danny Aiello and I thought the fantasy of a movie character stepping out of the screen and interacting with the real world was pretty charming and I have to say that as amusing as this movie is there are also scenes that are actually pretty sad. Like I said I'm not a Woody Allen fan but I do have to reccomend this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Sweet, touching, and very- well acted! Excellent!!!
The Other Sister is a romantic comedy/ drama about the special relationship between two mentally impaired young people- Carla (Juliette Lewis), who just came back from 8 years in a special school, and wantd to proof she can now handle on her own and be independent, and Daniel (Giovanni Ribisi), a sweet young man who falls in love with Carla after she helps him with the vicious students in theyr Politechnic school. Of course things aren't perfect for the special couple- in their way stand Carla's overprotective mother (Diane Keaton), and Daniel's financial problems. The movie doesn't have actual plot, it mainly talks about Carla's journey on her way for normal, happy, independent life, life that she never had, and focuses on the main event on Carla's life- her relationship with Danni.

Juliette Lewis is great as Carla, real and strong, and Giovanni Ribisi's Danni is very well- acted. Ribisi managed to talentedly create a charming, sweet and sensitive Danni, and He, Lewis, and both of them together will make you laugh, cry,be touched and make The Other Sister a movie that you will not forget for a long time.

Sweet.
Juliette Lewis stars in this movie about a very wealthy (don't forget that, it's important to the story) mentally handicapped young woman, named Carla Tate, who returns home after spending eight years in a special school. Carla is very strong minded and wants to take classes at a local vocational school, move into her own apartment, and live a life of her own away from her family. She gets along with most of her family really well but is often in conflict with her controlling and demanding mother (Diane Keaton). While taking classes Carla meets a mentally challenged young man, Daniel (Giovani Ribisi) and the two quickly become good friends and eventually become romantic, a relationship which Carla's mother does not approve.

I was pleasantly surprised by THE OTHER SISTER. I knew before hand that it was a "chick flick" and was directed by Garry Marshall. However, for the most part the movie worked. The acting was wonderful. The family struggles were lifelike. The simple adventures of Carla and Danny were rather believable, but Danny's more so because not many mentally handicapped people come from wealthy families like Carla's. Some of the scenes were quite humorous and some were rather touching, evoking real emotion.

There are only two major complaints about the film. One, it was incredibly long (about 135 minutes). At points the movie was dragged out much too long and in those places the film lost some of it's poignancy. My only other complaint is that the film used THE GRADUATE throughout as a prop. I realize that often movies are influenced by other films and sometimes those films are even referenced and parts of them copied in another movie. However, the overemphasis of that movie in the film detracted from much of the movies' action. Other than that, not too bad.

Very Cute!
My husband and I both enjoyied this movie a lot! It is cute and funny and sweet. We both thought the acting was great and the story touching!

Touching movie
THE OTHER SISTER is a fine movie you should add to your library. A drama starring Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, Tom Skeritt and Giovanni Ribisi. Carla (Juliette Lewis) is a wealthy mentally handicapped person who comes home after attending a special school for many years. Just as she arrives at home her mother (played by Diane Keaton) wants her to play tennis and do certain things, which Carla automatically objects to. She goes to school, and meets a mentally handicapped young man named Daniel (Giovanni Ribisi). Carla learns a lot from Daniel and a friendship grows between the two. She learns that he lives on his own, so she decides she wants to get her own apartment, to the chagrin of her mother. Carla and Daniel decide to deepen their friendship into a loving relationship. The movie was well done, they played every beat in the story, how it affected the family. Watching the movie you will most likely find yourself sympathizing with Carla and Daniel, and feel their struggles dealing with their handicap. There were some really sweet moments, some funny ones, overall it was just a really great movie.

More sensitive the more often viewed
THE OTHER SISTER is one of those films that becomes a staple in the home library. With every viewing the tenderness and good qualities just improve. Though the film industry is dealing more often with the mentally challenged these days (I AM SAM, RADIO, etc) few can equal the tender love story that is created by Juliet Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi. The family setup is well paced with the skills of Diane Keaton and Tom Skerritt et al and other issues confronting the modern traditional family are certainly touched upon - obsession with public appearances, coping with a challenged child, teaching sex education, the presence of a gay sibling, to mention only a few. But it is the overwhelmingly fine performances by Lewis and Ribisi that are of the quality of commitment that seeing them on repeated viewings just fortifies the brilliance of their acting. These two people are people we readily love and grow to feel their fears, pain, frustration, and dreams. If ever there was a film that was able to read from the inside of the minds of the mentally challenged and find the mysteries and honest simplicities there, then this is the film. An outstanding cast and a very fine director in Garry Marshall make this movie a keeper. ... Read more

Description

An evil mastermind with an addiction to egg salad! Sadistic, torture- hungry double crossers! Gorgeous girls hungry for lovin'! A weird marriage between acobra and a chicken! Only one man is daring, clever and sexy enough to take on this kindof mission: superspy Phil Moscowitz! Woody Allen spoofs the spy thriller in one of hisfunniest films, a nonstop frenzy of skewed wit, hilarious parody and sidesplittingwackiness. With dialogue rewritten and redubbed for a Japanese James Bond-stylemovie, What's Up, Tiger Lily? turns the sex-and-danger world of filmdom's spy gameupside down! ... Read more

Reviews (36)

excellent concept, average execution
A Film by Woody Allen

I've seen several Woody Allen films, but I can't say that I'm a big fan. What interested me most was the concept of this movie: Woody Allen takes a Japanese "B" spy film, removes the language track, dubs his own and changes the entire movie into a comedy. It was a daring idea then, and it remains a daring idea today. It is similar to Mystery Science Theater, only instead of having a group of people outside the film mocking it; the characters do the job themselves.

Whatever the original source material was about, What's Up, Tiger Lily? is a comedic quest to retrieve a stole recipe for Egg Salad. That's right...egg salad. There are several funny moments throughout the movie (the best is when Woody introduces the film and claims that "Gone With the Wind" was actually a redubbed Japanese film), but as a whole I felt let down. The concept was fantastic, and I know that the action and the dialogue were intentionally absurd, but the movie didn't work for me. I appreciate how well the dubbed dialogue fits into the movie, so well that I considered the fact that Woody might actually have shot the movie using Japanese actors in order to better fit the dialogue and action. The dub fits the movie that well. While it is occasionally funny and interesting, it wasn't interesting enough for me to give the movie a positive review. I just didn't care for the movie.

The world can always use a great recipe for egg salad
Once upon a time there was a 1964 Japanese spy movie called "Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi" ("International Secret Police: Key of Keys." Then Woody Allen decided that if the Japanese could dub their monster movies into English, he could dub "Kagi no kagi" into English. The key difference, of course, is that Woody is trying to be funny on purpose. Whatever Interpol Agent Tatsuya Mihashi was up to in the original, he is now trying to track down a secret egg salad recipe. As somebody who actually remembers seeing this film in a movie theater, I still recall my roommate and I insulting each other and total strangers for several weeks with comments about "Roman dogs" and "Spartan pigs." I cannot really imagine committing this entire film to memory, but whether you are a fan of Woody Allen, badly dubbed Japanese movies, or James Bond spy movies, then you owe it to yourself to see this film once in your life. The most amazing thing is that this has not been done more often; after all, what bad movie could you not improve by totally redoing the dialogue and how much fun could you have doing something like this to a classic film like "Casablanca"? The Japanese original was actually followed by a 1967 sequel "Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Zettai zetsumi" ("International Secret Police: Driven to the Wall") starring Nick Adams a year before his death from a drug overdose. That film had something to do with killer foam (no, I am not making that up).

A profound and inquisitive documentary
Along with the fictional "Interiors" this has to be Allen's most introspective, auto biographical work: a realistic portrait of the man behind the comedian, everything's here: starting from a difficult upbringing in Tijuana, México (where he met absurdist mexican painter Mateo Valdés Gutiérrez), the amazingly strange story of how Woody wears glasses just for the fun of it and up to his anonymous contributions to the Lingüistic Circle of Prague (where he started his stand up routine, not very succesfully).
Maybe the most powerful image from this production is the moment when Allen breaks into tears listening to an old Ramones 8 track, driving his Porsche back to California or maybe when he transforms himself into a black jazz musician while listening to Coltrane in a bath tub, full of desire.

a wilted, faded flower...
Grafting new dialog onto an existing movie wasn't new when Woody Allen did it to an inept Japanese spy thriller. Jay Ward had already done it with "Fractured Flickers." Firesign Theater trashed Saturday-matinee serials in "Hot Shorts." And Spike network's "MXC" twists and tweaks a goofy Japanese game show.

"Tiger Lily" is showing her age -- what was novel 30 years ago no longer is. We've seen better movie send-ups ("Airplane!", MST3K). And Woody chose a film that doesn't have enough dialog to smother with jokes, so we're too-often stuck with watching a boring, derivative film.

Not in any way bad (there are a few great lines), but not funny enough to watch more than once or twice.

More Reasons Why You'll Never Get Away In A Moment...
Whether or not you're a Woody Allen fan - and in my moviegoing experience it's a pretty divisive issue, you either love him or hate him - 'What's Up, Tiger Lily?' is a comic curveball of zingers, one-liners, puns, gags, and all-out innuendo all cleverly sneaking through the side door and turning an otherwise run-of-the-mill spy movie (back then, they were everywhere...EVERYBODY wanted to make the next James Bond) into a giddy treat.
The opening shot - featuring a scene from the film with its original audio track, followed by an introduction/confession by Woody Allen himself - doesn't really have a whole lot to do with the madness that ensues, except perhaps to provide a hilarious contrast. The story goes as thus: Fresh from wrapping up one caper, self-proclaimed lovable rogue Phil Moskowitz is enlisted by the leader of a fictional country to retrieve its most priceless treasure - the recipe for the world's greatest egg salad - before it comes their turn to be put on the map. With his two lovely lady-friends, Moskowitz becomes caught in a power struggle between Shepherd Wong, who has a thing for women's football and a passion for mayonnaise, and Wing-Fat, who carries a rather unique camera and whose henchmen officiate the wedding of a snake and a chicken. Yep, that's pretty much the plot of the movie.
Any question of where the Spike Network came up with the idea for 'Most Extreme Elimination Challenge' seems answered to a tee with this flick, and again, you don't have to be a Woody Allen fan to enjoy this mindlessly-funny romp, particularly if you get a kick out of all those old dubbed Japanese monster movies. As a bonus, we get the Lovin' Spoonful making an appearance here and there in the flick, and even a few more comical cameos by Woody in the middle and at the end.
If you're an afficionado of the classic movie spoof - a genre that includes early Mel Brooks and Zucker/Abrahams works like 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Airplane!' - you'd get a kick out of 'What's Up, Tiger Lily?'. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Terrific acting and issues which remain relevant today
Sally Field is an earnest but ambitious newspaper reporter who skirts the boundaries of journalism ethics - a term not yet regarded as an oxymoron when this movie came out in the early 80s - and Paul Newman is the unfairly indicted son of a south Florida mobster. Field chases her story with unintended tragic consequences and sparks fly between her and Newman, in more ways than one.

The real strength of the movie is in the fine acting. Newman and Field are in top form but it is the supporting roles which catch your attention. The then little known character actor Wilford Brimley shows up in the third reel as a down-home U.S. prosecutor and walks off with the movie. "At the end of today two things are gonna be true that ain't true now. One is we're going to know what in the good Christ has been going on down here, and two is I'm going to have somebody's ass in my briefcase." "Wonderful thing, subpeenees." Bob Balaban is also vivid as an overzealous prosecutor whose ruse sets the plot in motion.

If you like this one, you may also like "Independence Day." Not the recent studio blockbuster starring Will Smith but a "small" movie from the early 80s featuring tight writing and a terrific ensemble cast, with Kathleen Quinlan and David Keith in the leading parts and Dianne Wiest in an unforgettable supporting role.

Good performances...ethics be damned
The issue of leaking information to the press has been around for years, and this film does its best to illustrate how badly it can backfire when the sources aren't properly checked and re-checked.

Having said that, and being a journalist myself, I just want to shoot Sally Field for her gross violations of journalist ethics. Getting involved with the subject? No how, no way. It just isn't done. If you can accept this HUGE leap of journalistic and editorial faith, then the rest of the movie is a breeze.

Aside from Newman, I think the best performance in the movie is one of the briefest...Wilford Brimley as the U.S. Attorney who gets to the bottom of the mess. It's just a pleasure to watch him go through the paces of tearing Bob Balaban's little vendetta all to pieces, and to experience his grudging approval to let Newman walk.

"You got your selves."
Elliott Rosen is an obsessive prosecutor who is desperate to get some inside info on the "mob." He steps in to a moral grey area in his pursuit. Knowing that Michael Colin Gallagher (Paul Newman) is innocent of any crime he plans to push him into finding out who did it. The plan is simple he will leak the false fact out, through reporter Megan Carter (Sally Field), that Gallagher is being investigated. This information has a negative impact on Gallagher's business. Further pursuit leads to a death of the innocent. Naturally the paper that prints this has no intention of retracting. Gallagher finds a unique solution. See if you can spot it.

This movie does not make an immediate impact on you with the exception of Brimley's final confrontation speech. However repeated viewing brings out the subtleties that will make this one of your favorite movies for years to come.

The dangers of the public spotlight
Not quite a star-studded flick, but chock full of subtly forceful personalities. Paul Newman plays Gallagher, a crusty but otherwise legit Florida-based liquor wholesaler whose life is turned upside-down when the Miami Standard fingers him as a possible material witness. Under current laws regarding libel, Newman can always sue the paper for libel. However, the law sets a higher standard of wrongdoing to be proven when the victim is a public-figure. (The distinction was meant to prevent public officials from using libel laws to block any criticism of their actions - most notably in the case of southern police officials during the early civil-rights years; unfortunately for Gallagher, the laws have been expanded to cover any figure in the public eye, whether he's there by choice or despite it.) Because the Standard acts without malice, and only reports what's been leaked to it by a shifty DoJ official (Bob Balaban), the fact that the story itself is actually incorrect is irrelevant. While DoJ hopes to pressure Gallagher to turn state's evidence, or somehow lead them to somebody who can, the newspaper hopes Gallagher will come forward and give his own spin. (Exaggeration is an often-used media tactic - one hoped to pressure a story's subject to reflexively come forward and give a story that, while less spectacular, is nonetheless worse off now that it's been confirmed.) While Gallagher comes forward, and hooks up with Sally Field as the Standard's ace reporter, he soon finds another way to wreak havoc - by turning his enemies against each other.

There's something satisfying about the deceptive ease with which Gallagher turns the media against itself, but the resolution is unsatisfying. Wilford Brimley plays the Assistant Attorney General who gets everybody honest by threatening to make people talk under oath. (We get the point, people have no problem saying anything as long as they don't have to stand by it.) The last scene is essentially Brimley's one-man show, one that upstages Sally Fields's character's turn-about: rather than disclose Gallagher as the source of her latest story, she's willing to take the fall for him. Her logic is impeccable - somebody is going to take the blame and the fall no matter what. Why not her? If anything, the film disappoints in underplaying the attraction between the two, which only makes you wonder whether her denouement is one of journalistic integrity or love. Instead, we cheer that Brimley will get to tell the media what he thinks (and nobody in this room is going to like what I have to say, he warns) and the way he exacts retribution (you're no White House appointee, he tells Balaban's character. "The one who hired you, is me." Start packing).

REVENGE WITHOUT BULLETS
When you watch the theatrical trailer of ABSENCE OF MALICE, you are lead to think that this movie describes Paul Newman's revenge and will contain a lot of violent scenes. This is not true. In fact, has a trailer ever described accurately a movie ?

ABSENCE OF MALICE is, in the first place, an "actor" movie, with two stars of 1981 : Paul Newman and Sally Field. The secondary roles are also well written and interesting. The movie belongs to the category of moral movies and tries to defend these two ideas :

- Things and people are not always what or who they seem to be.

- The newspapers should have the duty to verify their sources before printing anything.

The treatment of the subject is well done, the screenplay being sometimes too weak. But Sydney Pollack, with this material, was able to present a conventional but still watchable movie.

A DVD zone moral education ... Read more

Description

Billy Wilder creates a searing portrait of an alcoholic. Don Birnam is a writer whose lust for booze consumes his career, his life, and his loved ones. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A powerful movie about alcoholism
Don Birnam, an want-to-be writer with writer's block, is ecstatic when his brother Wick finally leaves their apartment for a long weekend in the country. Free of the constant watching, he is incredibly happy and feels even better after the second drink. Throughout the five days, Don drinks, makes and forgets promises, discovers a brilliant idea for writing and forgets it just as quickly, loses track of time. His mind takes him on a guilt-ridden trip through past experiences and hallucinations. He even awakens after a spill down the stairs to find himself in the alcoholic wing of a sanitarium.

Billy Wilder's film adaptation of the novel by Charles Jackson does a fine job of detailing what happens to someone in the grips of alcoholism: the desparate need, the hallucinations, the blackouts, etc. Ray Milland delivers one of the finest screen performances as Don, giving the impression that you are living every moment with Don, suffering his hallucinations and withdrawal, and thirsting for alcohol. This performance also earned him the Best Actor Academy Award. Jane Wyman is wonderful as Don's girlfriend Helen, who wants to see him through this terrible ordeal. Phillip Terry also gives a strong performance as Don's brother Wick, who wants to help Don by being the strong one, but always caves in, feeding Don's dependency.

For anyone who has read the book, certain aspects from the story have been removed and altered, but this in no way detracts from this portrait of a man in the throes of alcoholism. It's still a very potent and powerful film dealing with an almost taboo subject at the time. Highly recommended.

Compelling vintage classic
"The lost weekend" was a great adaption of Charles Jackson same name novel.Billy Wilder's terrific directing always a bonus. It's about a struggling writer's weekend. Everything happened over a weekend.

The film began with Don pretend to pack his luggage with a bottle tied to a string hanging outside his window.Don's life and fate changed. Don Birnam has writer's block, he is also a alcoholic. He is aware but unable to kick it.He even trade his typewriter for drinks. He been through a lot in a few days and forced to face up to his problem. Luckily he has love and support from his brother and girlfriend.

Ray Milland gave a splendid performance which totally deserved his oscar.He showed Don's fear, depression and all his emotions so vividly. His role is pathetic and psychologically realistic.

This film has a superb script with detailed description of nightmares images and visions. Breakthrough during that era. One of the memorable scene is when Don went to a musical play with actors drinking and he see 'Bottles dancing' instead.

Although this film is black and white I find it amazingly well made and many contemporary movies couldn't hold a candle.

I'm always fascinated by old classic film from 1940 to 1970. Although I belong to new generation I love the feeling and sincerity of old movies.

I find this film psychoanalytic,truthful,compelling and a vintage classic! One of the best film ever made.

Still effective after all these years.
Superb mellow drama about a drunk, Don Birman, played by Ray Milland, & his battle with the bottle over one week-end in New York City. Nobody is a drunk anymore. They are said to have a "substance abuse " problem.
There is little stigma attached to the problem today as compared to the self-loathing Milland felt & the repugnance the neighborhood & even his favorite bartender felt towards him. In fact, the long, fairly one-sided conversations with Nat the bartender, played by Howard de Silva, are some of the best scenes in the movie.
Brakett & Wilder took some chances in this ground-breaking movie. They fought the Hollywood studios who probably wanted it watered down & rendered more palatable. They didn't give in &, as a result, this was the best movie of the the year 1945. It was well deserved. Ray Milland also got an Oscar & he was never better. Jane Wyman does a fine job as his long suffering girl friend, Helen.
It is unbelievable that that kind of woman, a real lady, would put up with a loser like that for so long. But after all, this is a movie. A pat ending that doesn't matter at all. The combination of gritty, street level scenes of New York City, the noir atmosphere & black & white filming all combine to make this one of the best aging movies, still relavent, I've seen in a long time.

Demon Alchohol
This movie which won 4 academy awards including best picture stars Ray Milland as a debonair drunk who hides alcohol in his apartment and cares more about booze than girls. Playin an aspiring writer, he meets the Jane Wyman character when his ticket stub gets inadvertently switched at the coat rack of a theater: he is perturbed because there is a bottle in its pocket. Even though it's Hollywood, and its dated, it's not easy to watch the Milland character miss his dates, go through delerium tremens, and sink socially because of his obsession with this sometimes-very-addictive legal drug. (The coat caper is rectified by the film's end.)

Compelling Film About Alcoholism
I rarely watch older films. By "older" films, I mean movies made before 1960. It's not due to some prejudice on my part about black and white cinematography: my inability to view many early films arises from the fact that far too many of these movies are so melodramatic. You know what I mean: lots of swooning, hands swept across foreheads, and exaggerated body movements all set to crashing waves of syrupy orchestral music. Those swelling violins alone are enough to set my teeth on edge anytime I watch an old film, but occasionally a picture overcomes all of these pet peeves of mine and truly delivers on multiple levels. "The Lost Weekend" is one of those films. Sure, the emoting is there, as is the music and the swooning, but this compelling story about an alcoholic at the end of his rope always pulls at my heartstrings. I am going to start seeking out some classic older films that will tickle my fancy, but I don't expect to find too many of them with the power of "The Lost Weekend."

Ray Milland (an actor who starred in several schlockfests at the end of his career, such as "Frogs") plays Don Birnam, a painfully insecure writer who just can't make his life work. Birnam quickly learned that the soothing balm of alcohol took the edge off his various phobias, but he just as quickly learned that drinking took the edge off his talent, too. For years, Birnam never wandered far from the neighborhood bar or the liquor store, secure in the knowledge that a bottle of rye was always within reach. His brother Wick not only financially supports his boozy sibling; he also covers for him when the drinking causes problems. Of course, Don doesn't care much about his brother one way or the other as long as he gets his shot of whisky when he needs it. Another problem for Don appears in the form of Helen St. James (played by an enormously cute Jane Wyman), a successful writer at Time magazine who accidentally met Don at the opera one night and has since latched on to him despite his chronic alcoholism. When Birnam isn't trying to outwit Wick or Helen, he's down at the local bar spouting alcoholic witticisms to Nat the bartender (played wonderfully by Howard Da Silva) and flirting with a beautiful barfly named Gloria. We learn most of the story through a flashback sequence told by Birnam as he ties on yet another massive drunk.

The film starts with a nervous Don packing for a weekend trip with brother Wick, where the two siblings hope to get out of New York City for a nice change of pace. Of course, Don doesn't want to go because he's not sure he can survive without ready access to booze. In fact, during this opening sequence we see Don hiding a bottle of whisky from his brother by hanging it