Description

EXPLORERS are the inventive story about three idealistic and thrill-seeking boys who combine their wits and astuteness to build their own spaceship. Accordingly, the boys blast-off into the galaxy and embark on journeys both whimsical and weird. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Imagination
I've read a couple of reviews on this movie that talk about the acting, or the costumes, or the directors, or the cast, and even comparing it with other movies for older audiences. I saw this movie when I was a kid when it first came out, and another 50 times throughout the years, and that's exactly who this movie is for, kids. This movie gets the imagination going and leaves the younger audience with a good feeling after watching it that will last though the ages. I remember wanting to be one of those kids and a few times I may have even dreamt that I was working late at night on the "Thunder Road". That's more than enough for me. I can safely say that the movie ranks right up there with "Goonies", "Solar Babies", the recent "Hook", and other adventure/fiction films that never grow old. Those with the imagination of youth will enjoy this movie and it's a shame the DVD conversion has not happened yet.

A great 80's piece of sci-fi wonderment
"Explorers" continues to be a perpetual favorite film of mine ever since I first saw it the theatre in July 1985! This story enthralls it audience, albeit mostly with kids, with imagination, adventure, and, as all Joe Dante affecionados know, campy humor and sci-fi homage. Nowadays, "Explorers" has come to be quite the nostalgia film, especially when seeing Ethan Hawke and the late River Phoenix in their starting roles, each at age 15. However, it has stood up quite well in terms of its Industrial Light & Magic-produced visuals and Rob ("The Thing", "Total Recall") Bottin's intricate creature/make-up effects. Acclaimed composer Jerry Goldsmith's score is one of his best works ever, written to accentuate a whimsical & ethereal dimension that lies among the vastness of outer space, as well as in a kid's dream. While on the latter subject, the flying dream sequences really treat the audience to some eye-candy graphics and camerawork, which really jabbed me awake when I first saw them on the big screen...such scenes do cry out for a widescreen DVD version! The only real vexation I've known in this film are the aliens "Wak" and "Neek's" 50's-TV personalities.

Highly recommended for family viewing, "Explorers", along with "Gremlins", "Innerspace", & "The Howling", is one of Dante's best and most memorable works to date! It's great that Paramount has re-released it for video after being nearly out-of-print for most of the last decade. Do rent or purchase it for yourselves...

One of my favorite childhood films.
As a kid, I loved this film. I can't wait for the DVD so I can give it to my kids.

Background - If an alien race wanted to make contact with humans, and do so in a way as to assure that we wouldn't shoot at them, what would they do? Contact our children.

Story - This kids in the story are contacted in their subconscious with dreams of computer components and circuit boards. They begin building the parts and find that they are building equipment that could allow them to travel into outer space. They allow the 'auto-pilot' to take them to a predesignated location where they make contact with the alien race.

The film goes through the usual childhood angst. It has the childhood crush, the school bully, etc. It stars some of Hollywood's brightest child actors including River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke, and it's easy to see why they became excellent adult actors (if only temporarily in the case of River Phoenix).

Some people have given this film poor reviews, but to me it's obvious that they are watching it from the perspective of an adult. Since I never grew up, this isn't a problem for me! Get this for your kids, or just for yourself.

Explorers Finds No Audience
A film notable for having a young River Pheonix and Ethan Hawk in the leads. EXPLORERS starts out interestingly enough with a great premise, decent special effects, scientific jargon, and a likeable cast of young stars, but then it falls flat. Three pre-teen guys (two geeks and a freak) build a spaceship (a very inventive and high concept idea by the screenwriters). Then, they go off to find aliens. Once the young "explorers" meet up with an alien race who speak "American television",because the aliens have been receiving the televison signals to their planet, the story becomes vague, muddled and somewhat of a letdown. Also, the alien(s) repeating quotes from film and television programs becomes irritating and old right away. Overall, there are high production values to the film, interesting script ideas, and a likeable youg cast, but ultimately falls short. For a story that dares to explore, it goes nowhere.

I was 13 when this came out! I loved it Classic Sci Fi!
I liked this movie and still do! I just wish Hollywood or whoever is in charge to release all the hard to find 80's classic's on Dvd I'm talkin about Explorers, Flight Of The Navigator,Escape From And To Whitch Mountain Freaky Friday late 70's but it was a classic from Disney! I got Tron Cool movie as well I have quite a few Dvds from the 80's accept not all of them I'm looking also for the Cartoon's from the 80's KIDD VIDEO,THE SMURFS,GALAXY HIGH,SPACE COWBOYS,Master Of The Universe! My Sister (Whos older then me) would like to Find My Little Pony And StrawBerry ShortCake And Star Bright the Care Bears As Well! Well Gi Joe Season (1) Is out now at Best Buy And WalMart! but I think its time they release all the 80's Cartoons before I grow Old! And the hard to find **Awsome 80's Movies! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) would like nothing better than to spend a quiet week's vacation in his suburban home, drinking beer and watching TV. But, spurred on by his two friends' spinning of boyish paranoid fantasies about their reclusive neighbors, the Klopeks, the usually down-to-earth Ray begins to suspect his idyllic neighborhood has been invaded by an evil force, to the point where he and his friends become psychotically nosey. You see where this is going, and you see it from a mile off.Only the general surface-thin plot is somewhat offset by director Joe Dante's fine sense of the absurd, and a host of engagingly played neighbor-types, namely Rick Ducommun as Ray's best friend who's always proposing bad ideas, and Bruce Dern as a sometimes wild-eyed ex-vet who'd love some action.Dante and crew seem to have a knack for keeping these broad characterizations light enough that you don't mind their superficiality. But the best jokes in this unprepossessing film come from composer Jerry Goldsmith's score; Bruce Dern's presence, for instance, is announced by the theme from Patton, and the boys' first approach to the Klopeks' for a meet-and-greet is buttressed by classic strains from Sergio Leone spaghetti Westerns.Kudos to the Klopeks, for their evil ways are ably embodied by Henry Gibson, Courtney Gains, and Brother Theodore.In particular, any suburb that finds it's inhabited by the likes of Brother Theodore is in dire need of new zoning laws.But Carrie Fisher's role as Ray's amiably long-suffering wife is thankless, and she deserves better. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (109)

"People In Cul - De Sac's Are Strange...."
This 1989 black comedy starring Tom Hanks, and directed by Joe Dante(Gremlins, Matinee, Gremlins 2, Small Soldiers), might not be to everyone's taste. I think it's a silly, fun, entertaining little movie. Hanks stars as an everyday, all American type of guy, who is on vacation from work. He, and the rest of his friends in the cul- de sac they live in, are suspicious of their weird new neighbors. They hear and see weird things going on there. Since he's off work, and has a lot of time on his hands, Hanks gets roped into finding out the mystery of these interesting new additions to the street. Comedian Rick Duccommun plays Hanks' best friend Art. Bruce Dern is their marine-like neighbor across the street. Carrie Fisher plays Hanks' wife. The weirdo family is headed by Henry Gibson. The movie has a number of goofy and funny scenes. One wishes the movie was even darker and went a bit further with some of the stuff, but oh well. The climax is a big, all out there surprise. Okay, maybe not really big, but fun. Corey Feldman co-stars. This isn't great art people, but it's fun escapism.

Repeat value
The 'Burbs isn't one of those movies you'd see being drooled over by film critics or even audiences, but it is one of those movies that if you saw it on TV every couple of months, you'd watch it.

Joe Dante's weird sense of humor shines on this movie even more than the Gremlins movies. It also offers a cast of characters that are as much relatable as they are crazy. Everyone has weird neighbors, right?

Tom Hanks is in top comedic form in this one offering classic lines like "I've never seen anyone drive their garbage to the street and bang the hell out of it with a stick." Then you have the hilarious neighbor Rick Ducommunn who I feel should have had a better career after this film. Corey Feldman (always a treat) plays the irresponsible teen and Bruce Dern is brilliant as the crazy military reject.

All these characters mixed up in a bizzare murder mystery is pure magic. But what makes this movie have replay value is the little things that you don't necessarily catch while watching for the first time. For example, when Rick Ducommunn comes over to visit Tom Hanks and eats nearly everything in his refrigerator while the audience is engrossed with his tales of terror. Or just the body movement of Hanks when he observes the weirdness of his neighborhood throughout the film. Hilarious.

I may be looked upon as weird for giving this movie 5 stars, but it is one I can always rely on for a good laugh and good quotes.

"NO!" "About a 9 on the tension scale, Rube."
"I want to kill everyone. Satan is good. Satan is our pal."
"Red rover red rover let Ray go over."
"I've been blown up! Take me to the hospital, I'm sick."

Watch this movie and you too will quote these lines forever.

Sub-'Burbs
While I found the humor of 'The 'Burbs' kinda cute and occasionally giggle-inducing, it wasn't really all that funny to me. Ya got Tom Hanks in the usual 'reluctant-hero-caught-in-the-middle-of-it-all' role he usually played back in the mid-to-late 80s, with his trademark expression of outraged incredulity poppin' up when he's been pushed just a bit too far by his odd neighbors. Throw in the quasi-psychotic weirdness of Bruce Dern's character, and the cool-dudeness of then-teen-heartthrob Corey Feldman, and you've got a little something that's fun to watch, but ends up well short of being a bona fide laugh riot. Which was pretty much par for the course for most of Hanks' 80s comedies following 'Bachelor Party'.

Ah well, there's always 'Forrest Gump' if I ever feel the need to watch a truly funny Tom Hanks flick...

'Late

Watch Out In Your Neighborhood For The Reclusive Families!
As Art Weingartner says "I'm telling you these people are Satanists. As I sit here, they are Satanists. Look... look, the world is full of these kind of things; black masses, mutilations. Mutilations! The incubus, the succubus - I'm tellin' you, Walter was a human sacrifice."

Such is the hysterical dialog between Art (Rick Ducommun) and Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) when they discover, along with some other people in their suburban subdivision, their elderly neighbor, Walter Seznick (Gale Gordon) is missing in action.

Other neighbor buddy, Vietnam Vet, Mark Rumsfeld (Bruce Dern) decides to help Ray and Art to find out what happened to Walter. They all three are SURE that the weirdo reclusive new neighbors, The Klopek family, comprised of Dr. Werner Klopek (Henry Gibson), Uncle Reuben Klopek (Brother Theodore) and shy Hans Klopek (Courtney Gains)have something to do with the old man's disappearance.

So...complete with night vision goggles, credit cards to slide in the Klopek's doorlocks to break in and various other spy equipment furnished by Mr. Rumsfeld, they start their little spying games.

Men and their wives even plan a little friendly "welcome wagon" visit to the Klopeks (one of the funniest scenes in the movie!)

Corey Feldman as young neighbor teen Ricky Butler, Carrie Fisher as Carol Peterson, & Wendy Schaal as Bonnie Rumsfeld ALL turn in great performances.

Even Nicky Katt from Boston Public plays Ricky's young friend Steve Kuntz!

What happened to Walter? Did the Klopek's have anything to do with the disappearance? WATCH THIS VERY ENTERTAINING MOVIE and find out for yourself!

Happy Watching!

RAY YOU'RE NEIGHBORS ARE MURDERING PEOPLE!!!
This is the greatest comedy of all time,second is Clue. It has a whole bunch of great lines and an outstanding score by Jerry Goldsmith (Patton). Even though Tom Hanks is really, really funny, the best character in this is Art, played outstandingly by Rick Duccomon. You have to add this to your comedy collection. The movie itself is about three men (Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, and Rick Duccomon) who get obssesed with what is going on in Tom Hanks' neighbors house. Art thinks that the neighbors are killing the other people who used to live there. But he can't be right. Can He? This is a must have for people who love comedy and mysteries. The lesson: Don't judge a person by his cover....... but don't be too careful. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

The Ramones kick!!
I own Rock and Roll Highschool. This movie is awesome!!! The Ramones totally can't act, and they give all the lines to Joey, but hey, the movie is a classic. Its got some great scenes (i love when they blow up the school) and AWESOME music. I was surprised they put music from Paul McCartney and Wings in their since Paul isn't even close to punk, but thats cool wit me cuz im a big wings fan anywayz. They put great Ramones songs in it too. ( i wish they put beat on the brat in it,i love that song but it has nuttin to do with the movie)

The Kids Are All Hopped Up And Ready To Go
It's hard to admit, but the recent death of Joey Ramone took a lot of the wind out of my sails, bringing with it a feeling of vulnerability, mortality and, yes, approaching middle age. Having said that, it's a treat that this part of his legacy is finally available again for all to treasure. Sort of a twisted mix of low-budget 1950's juvenile delinquent movies and 1960's beach comedies, "Rock 'N' Roll High School" has aged surprising well, thanks in most part I guess to the timeless appeal of the "brothers" Ramone. Highlights, besides the hopped up concert footage (filmed in front of an enthusiastic audience), include the Ramones pulling up to a concert venue in an old Cadillac singing "I Just Want To Have Something To Do," a fantasy sequence in which self-proclaimed #1 Ramones fan Riff Randall (P.J. Soles) imagines the band serenading her in her bedroom, complete with Dee Dee and his bass under a running shower, and the final scene in which The Ramones play the title track while the high school explodes behind them in a piece of perfectly staged incendiary directing by Allan Arkush. Timeless, mindless, exuberantly staged entertainment...

Whose the Ramon-e-s
This is the best movie ever, it's funny, has great music, and has the Ramones in it. ME and my friends watch this movies over and over, and there aren't that many movies that we do that to. So if you love a great laugh and great music then this is the movie for you!!!! Rock on

Cult Classic + Ramones = Fun Fun
This is a masterpiece of low budget cinema. Everything about this movie rocks. The Ramones are undoubtedly one of the best punk rock bands of all time and this film showcases them to great effect. Really fantastic live footage. PJ Soles is mighty sweet and Dey Young is even sweeter. Great stuff from Mary Woronov, Paul Bartel and the mighty Dick Miller as well. Some of the cornball dialogue is unforgettable. And did I mention that Dey Young is sweet? She used to make my heart go pitter patter watching this in high school.

"1,2,3,4!!!"
Hey Ho! Let's Go! Listen up, kids. Rock 'n' Roll High School may have been released way back in 1979 but it still kicks the butt of any of those square MTV movies. Forget about Britney Spears and Mandy Moore's brand of bubblegum pop music -- they don't hold a candle to the unbridled power of those punk rockers from New York City, the Ramones!

The movie does a great job of playfully championing the Ramones as rock gods and yet shows them being accessible to their fans. The band first appears in a car driving down the street on the way to their venue as they play "I Just Wanna Have Something To Do." Once outside the club, they get out of the car and interact with the crowd of ticket buyers. The editing, coupled with the insanely catchy song gives the scene an infectious energy.

From B-movie veterans like Paul (Eating Raoul) Bartel and Mary (Death Race 2000) Woronov to newcomers (at the time), P.J. (Halloween) Soles and Dey (Strange Invaders) Young, the entire cast has a lot of fun spouting the film's wonderfully inspired cornball dialogue ("If you don't like it, you can put it where the monkey puts the nuts."). The Ramones are good sports and mumble their way through the film and truly coming alive during the music sequences. The movie rightfully cements their reputation as legends.

Rock 'n' Roll High School embodies the essence of the punk rock music that made the Ramones famous. The film is bursting with youthful energy, a dose of good ol' fashion anarchy and is loads of fun to watch. These are also the ingredients that made Rock 'n' Roll High School a cult film. It was a commercial and critical failure upon its initial release but repeated midnight screenings, coupled with steady appearances on TV, have helped the film endure over the years.

Producer Michael Finnell, screenwriter Richard Whitley and director Alan Arkush deliver an engaging and rather chatty audio commentary. The three men laugh and joke about working on Rock 'n' Roll High School. They clearly have fond memories of their experiences on the movie.

Also included is a dynamic theatrical trailer that gives away the ending! Definitely watch this last if you haven't seen the movie.

Leonard Maltin interviews Roger Corman about the movie. To his credit, the veteran filmmaker admits that he was wrong about the Disco High idea and was glad that Arkush convinced him to go with Rock 'n' Roll High School.

A real treat for fans of the Ramones are several audio outtakes during the filming of the concert sequence. These are the original audio tracks of the band in action.

While Rock 'n' Roll High School will appeal predominantly to fans of the Ramones (duh!), it is also one of those fun, goofy movies to invite friends over and watch with copious amounts of junk food on hand. Despite a lackluster transfer, the audio commentary and audio outtakes are worth the price of purchase for this fantastic cinematic oddity. ... Read more

Description

A devil-may-care test pilot volunteers to be shrunk and injected in to a rabbit as part of a top secret experiment. When industrial spies steal one of the two microchips needed to reverse the process, the pilot is accidentally injected into the body of a timid supermarket clerk. the two, along with the pilot's girlfriend, have 24 hours to find the stolen microchip before the pilot uses up his oxygen supply. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Number one on my top ten movies list!
One of the best movies I have every seen! Dennis
Quaid plays Tuck Pendelton, a shrunken test pilot who
was suppose to be injected into a rabbit,but after an
attack by a group of people who are trying to reach the
same achievement of shrinking is instead injected into Jack Putter (Martin Short) a meek, hypochondriac who works at
safeway. Now Tuck and Jack along with Tuck's old girlfriend
Lidia (Meg Ryan) must fight to get Tuck back to normal. There's
a big surprise too.
This movie contains awesome visual effcts (which it
won an academy award for), terffic action, and witty
comical jokes and phases. This movie's a real winner.

An original and entertaining sci-fi movie
"Innerspace" is one of the most original movies ever. A training pilot named Tuck (Dennis Quaid) is supposed to do an experiment in which he shrinks and will then be injected inside a rabbit. But he ends up being injected inside a supermarket clerk (Martin Short). Tuck has to find a way to communicate with Jack (Martin Short) if he ever wants to find a way out. Things get a little hectic when he finds out that he will run out of air supply if he doesn't get out shortly.

"Innerspace" is one of the best overall movies from the late 80's. It's a good sci-fi adventure, it's funny, and it has great special effects. Without a doubt, it's one of the most entertaining movies ever made. I recommend everybody to get "Innerspace."

Start & end are confusing, but rest is good
I find this movie confusing just as soon as it got going. I don't think I followed the whole miniaturising process properly, as I got completely lost, as soon as the guy getting chased - I didn't realise Dennis Quaid was actually miniaturised and INSIDE that syringe.

When Dennis Quaid (Tuck) was injected into Martin Short's (Jack) body, the whole sections of film dedicated to this reminded me totally of Osmosis Jones (if you haven't seen it, it will give you a hysterical look at the human body).

Before the miniaturising, Tuck comes across as arrogant, and not caring about his girlfriend (played by a very 80s Meg Ryan). But this all changes, and his influence on Jack, also changes him, from an OTT hypochondriac to someone different. One of the funniest scenes is when they both get drunk in Tuck's apartment.

There are also some heartbreaking scenes, particularly when Tuck ends up in Lydia's (Meg Ryan) body, and sees something that effectively makes him changes his life as soon (or if) he gets re-enlarged.

Most of the middle part of the movie is terrific viewing, and although some parts seem to be overly long, it's great. The ending confused me yet again - but you'll have to watch it for yourself to see what I mean won't you?

A Very Cute Movie!
Innerspace is a very cute movie that stars Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Martin Short and they are all good! Dennis Quaid plays a man who is part of a miniaturization experiment but when he is miniaturized he is accidently injected into the body of a neurotic, hypochondriac grocery store clerk played by Martin Short and when he is pursued by spies he inlists the help of Dennis Quaid's character's girlfriend played by Meg Ryan. Innerspace is just a very cute movie that is entertaining and funny and I have to recommend it!

Bowjam
Really 3.5 stars. Funny, entertaining but a little ridiculous.
Hard to miss with the super star cast. Good family entertainment. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Roger Corman produced this shameless Jaws rip-off at theheight of the "nature gone wild" boom of American cinema and struck B-movie gold. Scripted by John Sayles and directed by Joe Dante, thistongue-in-cheek thriller stars Bradford Dillman (doing his best Rip Tornimpression) as an antisocial mountain man and Heather Menzies as a rookiedetective who race a school of mutant piranha downriver. Dante and Saylesprovide the requisite blood and gore for this drive-in meat market: a kids' summer camp and a waterfront amusement park await the little beasties.Along the way, riverside retiree Keenan Wynn gets his ankles stripped clean, camp counselor Paul Bartel is chomped on the cheek by a hungry littlebugger who takes to the air, and hordes of unlucky bathers are caught inthe center of a feeding frenzy. What differentiates this little gem fromthe legion of similar knockoffs are the satirical swipes at militaryarrogance and crass commercialism, Dante's energetic enthusiasm, and thebursts of black humor: "Lost River Lake: Terror, horror, death. Film at11." The culty cast also includes Invasion of the Body Snatchers'sKevin McCarthy as the hysterical scientist guarding the creatures, horrordiva Barbara Steele as a devious government researcher, and longtime Corman regular Dick Miller as an unscrupulous entrepreneur ("Sir, the piranha areeating the guests").

The DVD features good-humored commentary by director Joe Dante and producer Jon Davison, who also narrate the 10 minutes of good-quality home-moviefootage shot by Davison. There are also six minutes of outtakes. --SeanAxmaker ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Camp Classic Deserves a Look
Joe Dante's Piranha is a very humorous spoof and a fine homage to Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws. Though plagued with poor acting from Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, and Keenan Wynn, this is definitely not the type of film that you would ever take seriously. The inside film jokes and cinema references add a lot of intelligent spice to the film's proceedings, but it is the cheesy yet effective special effects by Phil Tippett (Robocop) that make Piranha a must see for mosnter movie buffs. Watch out for the obviously fake piranha as they make a spectacular bloddy debacle of a children's summer camp. The DVD edition of Piranha has many elaborate features including a Joe Dante commenty, a making-of-documentary, film bloppers, and other theatrical trailers of Corman films. P.S. Joe Dante would later go on to direct such horror classics as The Howling and Gremlins.

"The piranhas....they're eating the guests, sir..."
We all know that producer Roger Corman made "Piranha" to exploit the success of "Jaws"--just look at the poster art for Spielberg's sake. But what was intended to be a low-budget knock-off became a classic B-movie because John Sayles produced a clever script and Corman assigned Joe Dante to direct. Dante would later go on to direct "The Howling" and "Gremlins," as well as "Rock and Roll High School" and "Amazon Women on the Moon" (the man does not forget his roots). Ultimately, "Piranha" is every bit as much of a spoof as it is a ripoff, which raises it to the highest level of B-Movie grandeur. The story, such as it is in such things, has flesh-eating piranhas being released into the river of the Lost River Lake resort. Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, and Keenan Wynn are the most recognizable faces trying to avoid being eaten by the wee beasties, although you horror film buffs will also recognize not only Kevin "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" McCarthy but Barbara Steele, Queen of the Italian Horror Films. The DVD extras clearly reflect a grand affection for this film with commentary from Dante and producer Jon Davison, deleted footage, theatrical trailer, a "making-of" featurette for this 1978 film, material from the film's press kit, and more. When you have a classic B-Movie with A+ extras on the DVD, you have to give it five stars. Ironically, "Piranha II: The Spawning," the 1981 sequel, was the first film directed by James Cameron, who also went on to some notable successes in his later films.

"Terror, horror, death. Film at eleven."
Jaws (1975) frightened a whole generation of people out of the water. Why? Because of the very real elements within the film, being that there are sharks in the oceans, and occasionally they do attack people. Do they ever get as large as the one in the film? Possibly...regardless, the fear was real enough...fast forward to 1978...prolific B movie director/producer Roger Corman, in an effort to capitalize on the immense popularity of the film Jaws, released Piranha, directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace, The 'burbs) and written by John Sayles (The Howling, Wild Thing), which, while didn't elicit the response anywhere near that of the film it borrows from, still provides us with a great deal of entertainment (genetically altered super fish just didn't come across with the same level of realism as a giant man-eating shark).

The film stars Branford Dillman, who, along with his extensive television credits, appeared in scores of films like Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and The Swarm (1978), to name a couple. Also starring is Heather Menzies, who appeared in films like The Sound of Music (1965), SSSSSSS (1973), along with various television shows throughout the 70's. Rounding out the cast are Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Paul Bartel, Barbara Steele (Caged Heat and Shivers), Melody Thomas Scott, and character actors Dick Miller and Keenan Wynn.

The film opens at night with two victims, er...I mean backpackers in a hilly area (somewhere in Texas, as we find out later), who happen to come across a seemingly deserted facility surrounded by a large fence, and signage stating 'Military Testing Facility' and 'Keep Out' (it seemed pretty clear to me, as I could read it, but these two knuckleheads completely missed it, bringing to mind the old adage, 'if it was a snake, it would have bit you'). Anyway, lunkhead number one and lunkhead number two, looking for a place to camp for the night, decide this looks promising, and make their way past the fence to find a large, in-ground cement pool. Do you think it contains piranha? And do you also think said piranha are hungry? I do, on both counts, especially given that it's the title of the film. Anyway, they decide to go swimming and quickly discover the pool contains more than water. We also learn the facility isn't entirely deserted...

Apparently someone cares about these two now missing backpackers, enough so to hire private investigator Maggie McKeown (Menzies) to look for them. While initiating her search in the general area, she find a shack occupied by Paul Grogan (Dillman), a divorced, reclusive, mass alcohol consuming (every five minutes he's swilling from a canteen, but never actually seems to get drunk) outdoorsman type, who she basically enlists to aid her, despite his protests, in her search. They find the deserted military facility, which was once some sort of breeding farm for fish, and decide to drain the large pool in hopes of finding clues. As they throw the switch, they get attacked by a wily old man (his name is Dr. Robert Hoak, played by McCarthy) as he freaks out learning that the fish have been released into the river system. The manage to subdue him, and he speaks of his experiments, specifically his genetic experiments for the military in creating a super breed of piranha, meant for use during the Vietnam conflict, but since the war ended, the program was terminated, but apparently no one told Dr. Hoak. So now the highly aggressive and carnivorous super fish are in the local river system. And they're hungry...and breeding...

For a B movie, this tends to one of the better ones I've seen. Even here you can see that Dante has talent in directing, despite what I am sure was probably an extremely tight shooting schedule (Corman always kept this aspect tight). Sayles provides a better than average script for this type of outing, and the actors present enjoyable performances. I do tire of the whole 'government and/or big business conspiracy' cliché that is so often used in films of any type to move the plot along, as it tends to indicate a lack of imagination (just look at some Steven Segal movies, specifically On Deadly Ground (1994) and The Patriot (1998), for a couple of examples). I especially liked the scenes with Keenan Wynn speaking of how much the river gives him, and also the scenes with Dick Miller, who plays the sleazy real estate agent and proprietor of Aquarena, an entertainment water park that recently opened along the river. He's got one of the more memorable scenes in the film when his assistant approaches him about piranha in the waters, and he asks, "What about the godd@mn piranha?!", to which the assistant replies, "The piranha...they're EATING the guests, sir". Paul Bartel also makes a great appearance as an uptight director of a summer camp located on the river (do you think a big part of their program involves swimming?). The special effects are quite good (no CGI work here) and there is a good helping of blood and underwater scenes with the fish tearing flesh off hapless victims.

Presented here is an excellent looking full screen print (Dante claims this is the original aspect ratio of the film, but the titles appear to be in wide screen format). Special features here are copious, including a commentary track by director Dante and producer Jon Davidson, original theatrical trailer, a blooper reel, a short 'Making of' documentary, cast biographies, a reproduction of the original Theatrical Marketing Guide, an eight page booklet titled 'The History of Roger Corman, and trailers for some of Corman's other films including Grand Theft Auto (1977) and Humanoids from the Deep (1980), among others. If I learned anything from Piranha, it's that if you are warn authorities about mutant piranha loose in a populated waterway, you're better off crying toxic waste, as they not apt to believe the piranha thing.

Cookieman108

Low-budget trash 'B' movie mayhem!
I love these kinds of movies, especially whenever they turn out to be low-budget 'B' movies from the 70s-80s genre. Though they may lack excellent acting and special effects like many others, they are sometimes still the BEST! I first saw this movie a long time ago in the sixth grade and though the acting was quite atrocious and the special effects were very cheesy, it STILL horrified and shocked me to watch innocent civilians become lunch meat to a pack of flesh eating piranhas! "Piranha" is an effective rip-off of the more higher-budget Steven Speilberg classic, "Jaws" only with very little suspense and more gore to go around and be served again for seconds! The storyline sometimes drags a little and the pacing is rather slow, but it all starts to pick up near the end where everything gets totally out-of-control CRAZY! (But kind of laughable to watch at times!) If you're looking for a horror movie that's BOTH scary and hilarious to watch at the same time, jump into the water and brace yourself for "Piranha", the PERFECT example of a FUN filled nail biting black comedy! TRUST ME! This makes a good Saturday night movie rental! DON'T miss out on this so-bad-it's good turkey! This would probably be considered as Ed Wood's favorite movie EVER!

silly but enjoyable movie that brings back memories for me
I used to love this movie when I was little. One of the things that fascinated me most about it was that it was filmed in San Marcos, Texas, at a riverside resort called Aquarena Springs. My grandmother and I used to vacation there every spring and summer for years. It was a lot of fun. If you went on the glass-bottom boatride, the guide would tell the story of how and where the piranha attacks were filmed. He would also point out how in the same exact river, the underwater scenes for THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON were filmed, and also how Johnny Weismuller, the screen's first Tarzan, swam to the bottom of the deepest spring (years before the resort itself was built). Ralph the Swimming Pig, who makes an appearance in this movie, was still around when I would go (although I doubt it was the original pig as seen in the movie). We would even see the submarine show, which is also featured in the movie. I had a lot of great times at Aquarena Springs, and since the place has now been closed down and its hotel converted into an office building, this movie is my only means of revisiting that place that gave me so many good memories over the years. It's upsetting that the place can no longer be enjoyed by real people, and that it's now just a place where the suits do more of their money-mongering. A real shame. Oh well. Silly but enjoyable movie, great memories for me. R.I.P. Aquarena Springs. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Memorable Melodies Mayhem
Looney Tunes: Back In Action is an enjoyable, harmless romp, that will please both young and old viewers alike.

The story starts to unfold on the Warner Brothers Studio backlot and careens all over the map in classic Looney Tunes style. Bugs, Daffy, and many other childhood favorites embark on an adventure that takes them from Hollywood to Las Vegas, Paris and the jungles of Africa to help search for their human friend DJ Drake's (Brendan Fraser) missing father. He along with Kate (Jenna Elfman) are also on the trail of the mythical and powerful Blue Monkey Diamond. The only problem is that the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation also wants the gem as well.

Thanks to films like Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, combining animation and live action, is not as difficult to imagine, as it was deades ago. It's hard not to enjoy this film. Having Joe (Gremlins) Dante, as the film's director is a good thing. He has solid insticts for a film like this. Anyone uptight about the movie should relax and enjoy. It's great to see these characters again. The film brought back some fond memories for me. The human actors are a perfect fit to this wacky film.

The DVD has some solid extras. Viewers get to see a new Looney Tunes short called "Whizzard of Ow". The featurette "Looney Tunes Out of Action: Best Scenes You've Never Seen" offer deleted and alternate footage. Next up, is the fun-filled "Behind the Tunes", as Daffy and Bugs as give a tour of the set. Also hosted by the duck and the rabbit is "Bang Crash Boom", a featurette on the film's special effects. The theatrical trailer, hidden easter eggs features Yosemite Sam and others, and more deleted scenes are available via DVD-ROM, top off the extras.

Fun all the way around-recommended

Too Hokey for Adults or Older Children.
In the world of "Looney Tunes: Back in Action", cartoon characters and humans co-exist and interact. As the story goes, Warner Brothers studios has grown tired of Daffy Duck's demands, and since the studio has a low estimate of his market value anyway, they have fired the Duck. But Bugs Bunny just can't work without Daffy to pick on, so Warner Brothers has insisted that the vice president of their comedy department, Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), get the Duck back pronto. In the meanwhile, a dejected Daffy (voice of Joe Alaskey) has taken up with D.J. Drake (Brendan Fraser), the security guard who escorted him off the studio lot. D.J. has been shocked to learn that his movie star father is actually a secret agent, and both he and Daffy have gone to Las Vegas to rescue the elder Drake and recapture the "Blue Monkey", a diamond that has supernatural powers. When they learn of D.J. and Daffy's whereabouts, Kate and Bugs Bunny (voice of Joe Alaskey) set out after them. They all end up trying to foil the plans of the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation who wants to use the Blue Monkey to achieve global domination.

So the plot is hokey. It's a spoof of James Bond films, featuring former Bond himself, Timothy Dalton, as secret agent Damian Drake and Steve Martin as the head of a very Spectre-like Acme Corporation, alongside a host of Warner Brothers cartoon characters. "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" may appeal to young children, but there's nothing to entertain adults who enjoy the looney gang from Warner Bros. It has some clever moments, and the writing for Daffy Duck is good, but between the bright spots it's a real snooze. There are cameos by a host of television and film stars, including Heather Locklear and Joan Cusack. The story is far too silly, even for a cartoon, to keep the attention of any but the youngest viewers. The film exploits the humor of its Warner Brother characters but needs a much better story to tie them together. Looney Tunes have traditionally been sophisticated enough to entertain fans of all ages, so I see no reason why this movie shouldn't be. I'm giving it three stars for some occasionally clever writing, but as a whole "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" isn't very watchable. It may entertain children under 6 if they have the patience for it.

The DVD: Bonus features include "Behind the Tunes", a comical making-of documentary narrated by Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, "Bang, Crash, Boom", a special effects documentary also narrated by the cartoon duo, "Whizzard of Ow", a short animated film featuring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner in which the Coyote makes use of a book of wizardry in pursuing the bird, deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer, and a DVD-ROM which contains additional scenes. "Behind the Tunes" is only mildly informative, but it's fun. "Whizzard of Ow" is a must for Road Runner fans; it's the same format as all Road Runner cartoons. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French. Dubbing is available in French and Spanish.

Looney fun
I have given this film 4 stars because my six-year-old son loves it, and I assume that's the age group it's aimed at. Brendon Fraser plays a security guard at Warner Brothers Studios who gets sacked, at the same time as a bossy female executive sacks Daffy Duck. Fraser and Daffy join forces to find Fraser's dad (Timothy Dalton) a film star who plays a spy who is actually a spy in real life. He has been kidnapped by a mad scientist (Steve Martin) who wants to find the Blue Daimond, which has magical powers. Fraser and Daffy have to get to the Blue Diamond before Martin does. also Bugs Bunny is trying to get Daffy back to the studios. The mixture of live action and cartoon characters will amuse children, and if you are a big Looney Tunes fan you should love it (I'm more partial to Tom and Jerry myself). On the other hand, if your main interest int he film was in the presence of Timothy Dalton, you may notice that there's not a lot of him in it really. Never mind, the kids will love it.

This is it folks!
"Dynamite?" yells Jenna Elfman halfway through this film "Who has dynamite?". "Welcome to my world" comes Daffy Duck's reply. Yes indeed, welcome to the world of the Looney Tunes.
This film has been unfairly compared with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and, although not in that league at all, it has enough comedy and inventiveness to stand as a semi-classic in it's own right. At least it's not Space Jam.
I'm a firm believer that Bugs and co. can quite easily carry their own movie without the help of non-toons, but until then this'll do. For a Looney Tune fan such as myself there are plenty of character cameos and in-jokes to warrent several repeat viewings just to catch them all. The same goes for general movie fans (Roger Corman directs Warner's new Batman movie!?). Most, if not quite all, of the Looney Tune family get screen time with Daffy coming away with the lion's share. Other characters that are well served by the script are Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote and Marvin the Martian leaving the likes of Tweety, Sylvester, Taz and Elmer somewhat under-used - still, it's only a 90 minute movie. We also have a wonderful cameo from a suitably flat-looking Scooby and Shaggy - a joke against classic-versus-TV-animation for the keen-eyed!
A real high-light is the treatment that 'political correctness' gets in the script. We see Porky Pig and Speedy Gonzalez bemoaning P.C. attitudes (stutterers and racial stereotypes being somewhat taboo now) and, at one point, one of Sam's henchmen worrying that if he does indeed throw TNT out of the window "someone might get hurt". Sam's guns have been taken from him (although he's still allowed a cannon!) but at least Elmer Fudd has been allowed to keep his trusty rifle. Bugs Bunny's love of cross-dressing also gets questioned!
As with all of the other reviews for this film, I must mention the Louvre scene - Bugs, Daffy and Elmer running through a series of classic paintings. The DVD release allows a little more appreciation of this whole sequence with the use of freeze-frame. Other set-pieces that hit the spot are the Area-52 scenes (with lots of sci-fi fan pleasing cameos from classic aliens) and space-set climax.
The human actors are passable. Frazer and Elfman are not so bland as to be completely up-staged by the toons and Timothy Dalton proves he has a sense of humour by parodying his 007 character. I seem to be one of the few people who enjoyed Steve Martin's performance. Playing it ridiculously OTT, he is as close to a human-toon as possible - I think it works.
Overall, the script is funny enough although the 'plot' is incidental, the animation is excellent and interacts well, if not quite enough, with the real-world and, most importantly, all of the characters stay in character. But, as I said at the beginning, this ain't no Space Jam. Thankfully.

Fun for all ages!
This movie is hilarious! I enjoyed every moment of it! If you were a Looney Tunes fan as a kid then you'll love this movie! It will bring back a lot of memories from watching it on tv. I would recomend this movie to anyone! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Funny movie, lousy DVD transfer
While the movie is likely to be enjoyed by anybody who likes screwball comedies and biting satire, the quality of the DVD transfer leaves much to be desired.

After a slow start, the sketches that comprise "Amazon Women On The Moon", a.k.a. "Kentucky Fried Movie II", pick up speed and reach increasing levels of absurdity, up to a widow's wake which turns into a roast. Steve Guttenberg's experiences with the opposite sex and a seventeen-year old teenager's horrible condom buying experience are painful and extremely funny to watch. By the time Russ Meyer (yes, *that* Russ Meyer) appears as a video store clerk, you have learned to stop worrying about whether this is sub-standard entertainment or not, because the sketches get too funy to care. The whole movie culminates in Carrie Fisher's appearance in an "educational movie", playing a woman with a "social disease".

The experience is marred, however, by the poor quality of the DVD transfer. The picture is blurry (this disc has obviously been transferred from video) and the sound is mono. Often enough, horrible compression artifacts appear in the picture, distorting the image beyond recognition. A shame really, since this movie really deserved a better transfer.

Laugh out loud funny!
This movie is a riot! You will have fun not only laughing at the comedic gags and skits, but you will have fun identifying all of the stars who are in this before they made it big! Michelle Pfeiffer, David Allen Greer, Andrew Dice Clay, just to name a few. Really a great funny movie. Adults only, there is some pretty raicy content! Not a family movie, but funny for those over 18!

Quite enjoyable, and quirky!!!
A very clever collection of shorts put together in a way that they seem to flow together, even though most have nothing in common, Amazon Women on the Moon is a very fun movie to watch. It has a long list of talent in its cast including Arsenio Hall, Michelle Pfeifer, Joe Pantoliano, Steve Guttenberg, Roseanna Arquette, Carrie Fisher, and Andrew Dice Clay.

The scene "Blind Date" which stars Steve Guttenberg and Roseanna Arquette is worth the price of the DVD itself. It is absolutely hilarious. I would consider it my worst nightmare (at least in dating terms).

Parts of the movie are ridiculous, but for the most part it is very enjoyable. The best way to watch this is to go into it with an open mind and don't expect it to be realistic.

Ha ha ha! I'm invisible!
What words can describe greatness such as this? Genious. Ageless. Priceless. This movie has everything and anything you could possibly imagine, from Andrew Dice Clay in a video nightmare rental or Arsenio Hall being killed by a VCR. This is not viewing for the average individual. No no. This film is made for the extraoridinary people of the world who would watch anything at 4:35 AM. If only channel surfing really was this fun.

Missing Some Stuff!!!
Okay, first time reviewer here, but I had to share this bit. First, I give the movie itself 5 stars - it is one of my favorites. About this DVD, however... Just bought it and briefly went through a couple of skits (I have them all memorized already) and I noticed a glarring error on the 'Hair Looming' skit - it has been edited/shortened!!! They totally cut out the part where they demonstrate how the hair stays on after the guy jumps of the cliffs of Acculpoco and the police drag his body to the shore and smile because the hair stayed on. (sp?). Why??? That was one of the funniest parts! I think there are a couple of other small omisions in there too - need to go all through it again, but the point is while a fantastic movie, they cut stuff out! I don't get it. If this is the only way to see the movie however (as my VHS copy broke recently), I guess it will have to do. ... Read more

Reviews (90)

The Incredible Special Effects Must Be Seen To Be Believed!
"The Howling", released in 1980 is, in my opinion, one of the best werewolf movies ever made. I first saw the movie in the theater and it literally made my skin crawl. The werewolf transformation is the best I've ever seen (An American Werewolf In London was good but not like this) in any werewolf movie. Basically, the movie is about a young television anchor woman named Karen White (played by Dee Wallace Stone) who receives phone calls from a killer named Eddie (played by Robert Picardo). She agrees to meet him in a porno shop where he begins his transformation to werewolf while White watches a porno film. Eddie is shot by police in the porno movie room and White escapes unharmed. Having gone thru quite a tramatic experience she and her husband (played by Christopher Stone) go to The Colony, which is a retreat recommended by a psychiatrist (played by Patrick MacNee) for patient's of his to recuperate. It's at the retreat that White begins to notice the people are a bit strange and begins hearing strange howling sounds at night. White's husband becomes the victim of a werewolf bite and goes thru a transformation himself during a hot and steamy scene in the woods with a female patient (played by Elizabeth Brooks) who herself is a werewolf. The movie's most horrifying scene is Eddie's (whom somehow makes it to the retreat after being shot in the head and escapes the police morgue) transformation to werewolf with a number of jaw dropping special effects that is enough to scare just about anyone. Since I've already told a good portion of the story I'll stop here. This "Special Edition" of "The Howling" is worth every cent because of all the extras you get. You have "Unleashing The Beast: Making Of The Howling" a multi-part documentary, Deleted Scenes, Outakes, "Making A Monster Movie: Inside The Howling Documentary", "Audio Commentary With Director Joe Dante, Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone and Robert Picardo", Photo Gallery, and the Original Theatrical Trailers. Not only is the picture quality superb but this "Special Edition" of "The Howling" is newly digitally enhanced in 5.1 surround audio. If you enjoy watching horror movies than this is one that you don't want to miss. Highly Recommended!

Classic werewolf movie now in an expanded DVD package!
When "The Howling" appeared in theaters in 1981, it heralded a mini-revival of the werewolf movie that took advantage of advances in special effects; two films followed later that year: "Wolfen" and John Landis's beloved "An American Werewolf in London." Although "The Howling" doesn't quite match the artistry and continual popularity of Landis's film, it nonetheless has aged wonderfully and is still one of the most enjoyable horror films of its decade. It's scary without getting too gory for the average viewer, has superb special effects that don't overwhelm the story, features a fun cast of familiar faces, and has a quirky sense of humor and loads of movie in-jokes for horror movie fans.

MGM first released "The Howling" in a no-frills DVD that let the movie down: no extras, a cheap and scratchy transfer, and a very dull mono soundtrack. Thankfully, they realized the popularity of the film and are now giving us a nice edition with revamped sound (5.1 Surround), a sharp picture, and a big bowl full o' extras.

John Sayles's script (co-written with Terence H. Winkless) unapologetically drops the classic werewolf legend into the modern-day -- in this case, the world of television news and the fad of self-help psychology. News anchor Karen White (Dee Wallace-Stone), while on a special assignment to lure out a serial killer (Robert Picardo from "Star Trek: Voyager") in the city, is attacked by something bestial. On the advice of psychiatrist Dr. Waggner (Patrick Macnee), Karen and her husband (Christopher Stone) head to Waggner's clinical retreat in the woods. However, there's something very disturbing about the other patients in the colony, and those weird wolf howls at night won't stop...

The werewolf transformations supervised by Rob Bottin still have an amazing effect on viewers. Using air bladders, make-up, rubber, and pneumatics, Bottin was able to create a real-time transformation of a human into a nine-foot two-legged wolf. We see limbs snap, snouts grow, claws sprout, the whole deal, and it's damned incredible. (Amazingly, only six months later Rick Baker would do this movie one better with the transformation in "An American Werewolf in London.")

The cast goes a long way to making the film work away from the effects. Dee Wallace provides the serious angle to the film, and is convincingly fragile. The rest of the actors add a wonderful loose humor: Slim Pickens, John Carradine, Belinda Balaski, and director Joe Dante's favorite actor, Dick Miller. The beautiful Elisabeth Brooks steals every scene she's in as a femme fatale who burns with sensuality, mystery, and one weird leather fetishist outfit. Director Joe Dante, who would go on to direct such wacky films as "Gremlins" and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," puts his nutty sense of humor all over the film and packs it with in-jokes. The names of many of the characters are directors of werewolf movies, werewolf films and cartoons pop up on the televisions, and "wolf" items are scattered all over the place (Wolf Chili, a book by Thomas Wolfe, a reference to Wolfman Jack, a copy of the book "Howl"...and so on).

The extras, most of which are on the flip side of the disc, are excellent. There's a feature-length commentary by Joe Dante, Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone, and Robert Picardo. Dante has plenty to say and is a very lively commentator, and this is a generally enjoyable audio track. "Unleashing the Beast," a fifty-minute documentary (divided into separate parts, but you can play them all together) goes into great depth on the making of the film. It includes new interviews with Joe Dante, producer Mike Finnel, cinematographer John Hora, writer John Sayles, and actors Dee Wallace-Stone, Robert Picardo, Dick Miller, and Belinda Balaski. Conspicuously missing is effects wizard Rob Bottin, but you can see him on "Making a Monster Movie," an eight-minute featurette that was made in 1981. It also contains vintage interviews with Joe Dante and Patrick Macnee. The extras also include two trailers, production photos, and deleted scenes and outtakes (some of which are very funny). But the really major extras for most people will be the new picture quality and the remixed 5.1 sound. If you're a purist, you can still listen to the original mono mix -- it's here too.

"The Howling" makes most early 80s horror films, with brute slashers cutting down dumb teenagers at summer camps and slumber parties, look pretty awful. This is fun, funny, scary, smart -- and the effects will still make your jaw drop or maybe your fangs grow.

Looking for a good Werewolf movie? Look somewhere else
I am a big fan of eighties horror, I can't say the same of Werewolf movies though, since I have only seen a handful. I picked up "The Howling" after all the hype it got as a cult classic, the same kind of hype the terrific "Evil Dead" got. After watching the movie, I have to say, "Evil Dead" was much better. In fact, "Evil Dead" is on a whole different level. The plot of "The Howling" is hilariously bad (though some movies with bad plots are good i.e. "Evil Dead" and "Night of the Living Dead") and the plot is really the major weak point, along with a terribly under-developed script. The special effects, while good (from effects master Rob Bottin) are few and far between. The few seconds of cartoon animation only added to the hilarity of the sex/transformation scene. The only reason I would ever recomend anyone to see this movie is so they could see the awsome transformation scene in the hospital.

I would recomend you see teh 1981 movie "An American Werewolf in London" or the 1940 movie "Wolfman" (starring Lon Chaney Jr.) They are much better than this, which has only become a cult classic because the director, Joe Dante, and the star, B-movie heroine Dee Wallace-Stone.

THE HOWLING
Rated R: Strong Sexual Content/Nudity, Violence, Language

This is a Cult Classic Werewolf Movie.
TV Newscaster Karen White (Dee Wallace) is nearly murder by a Serial Killer (Robert Picardo) and she becomes traumatized by her near-fatal encounter. When a Psychiatrist (Patrick Macnee) advised to be One of his Patients at a Secluded Retreat called "The Colony". Karen decides to go to "the colony" with her husband (Christopher Stone) but once, they arrived at the place. Things don't go well for the Couple as Planned for the themselves. Karen makes a terrifying discovery, the people that Karen meets at "the colony" are not as they seem to be.

Directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins 1 & 2, Piranha, Small Soldiers) made a genuine, scary horror film with a sense of humour. This low budget film was shot in 28 days with a budget of $1.1 Million! This was One of the Critically Successful Horror Films of 1981. Although "The Howling" is One of the Three Werewolves Movies of 1981. The Others are:Oscar Winning-An American Werewolf in London and Underrated-Wolfen. The film has amazing Transformation Make-Up Effects Scenes by Oscar-Winner:Rob Rottin (Fight Club, Legend, Total Recall). Six-Time Oscar Winner:Rick Baker (Men in Black, The Nutty Professor, Harry and the Hendersons) was the Make-Up Effects Consultant, while Baker was Working on An American Werewolf in London.

DVD has an good anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer (Also in Pan & Scan) and an strong-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (Also in the Original Mono Sound). DVD has an fun and entertaining commentary track by the Director & Actors:Wallace, Stone & Picardo. Which the Commentary was Recorded for the 1996 Special Edition Laserdisc. DVD Features are Good:A Five Part Featurettes, Over 9 Minutes worth of Deleted Scenes, Outtakes and more. Actor turned Comedy Hollywood Director:Dennis Dugan (Big Daddy, Happy Gilmore, Saving Silverman) has a Supporting Role here. Now with this new DVD Transfer, we could enjoy the Amazing Special Effects for the Werewolves Transformations Scenes. Which Previous Video were always Dark and Gray. Dante's Regulars:Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, Kenneth Tobey and Especially-Dick Miller are also in this film. Watch for a Uncredited Cameo for B-Movie King Producer/Director:Roger Corman. Also the Creator of Monsters Magazines:Forrest J. Ackerman also appears in a Cameo and Co-Screenwriter:John Sayles appears in a funny cameo as a Morgue Attendent. A Cult Favorite for Years to Come. Good Scary Music Score by Pino Donaggio (Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Trauma). Screenplay by Sayles (Alligator, Limbo, Lone Star) and Terence H. Winkless (The Nest). Grade:A-.

ah, the howling movies...
this is a review for all of the howlings, which i believe are all *excellent* films. bad acting, goofy effects or lack thereof? how could they be so great?
i don't think many people can appreciate a bad horror film and fail to see the joy in viewing one. if you take any of the howlings as serious horror films, of course they're not going to be the best movies you've seen. (so the first one was a pretty decent werewolf movie but don't tell me that was superb acting and a little ridiculous- i was subjected to violent pornography so we can't make love. what?!) so if you're not already a fan of bad horror movies, i first suggest that you prepare yourself to view at best, a horror-comedy. anticipate the one-liners and nonsensical scenarios and the werewolf effects that amount to lots and lots of rubber and a guy in what looks like a bigfoot costume. embrace these elements and laugh. laugh heartily. the good thing about these movies is that the plot is never too asinine or to boring to lose interest, in fact they can be quite creative: a group of people stuck in a huge house thing to only find out there's a werewolf amongst them, marsupial werewolves! what more could you possible want? and let's not forget about unecessary sex (howling2) the main ingredient in the formula for a bad -i mean good- movie. in times when presented with movies of this ilk, i say turn a bad situation into a light one. buy all of the howlings and poke fun at them, then move on to the amityville sequels (especially no.4). ^_~ ... Read more

Description

Billy Peltzer and Kate Beringer move to New York City and meet up with their Mogwai friend, Gizmo, when a series of accidents creates a new generation of diverse gremlins. Billy, Kate, and Gizmo must once again use all their experience to prevent another catastrophe. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Gremlins 2--The New Batch
Director Joe Dante ("Pirahna") is back at the helm after a six-year hibernation, continuing the story of those mischevious mutant monsters. This time, they invade a futuristic New York office complex run by a billionare, and only Galligan and Cates can save the day. Just as exciting, scary, and humorous as the original, "Gremlins 2" is unique in it's slapstick and laid back approach that actually works in various ways. If you're looking for a fun 2-hour romp with little green goblins, a cute furry pet, many crude sexual jokes, and a pulse-pounding musical score, this film is certainly for you. Director: Joe Dante. Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lee, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph. Rated PG-13 for slapstick violence and profanity. 114 minutes.

Better Than The First!!!
Gremlins 2 brings us to New York City. Billy and Kate now work for building magnate Daniel Clamp. After Mr. Ving's death, Gizmo comes back into their lives after a daring rescue by Billy from a genetic research lab. Of course, Gizmo gets wet and havoc reigns superme in New York-gremlins-style. Everyone's favorite new gremlin is the talking Brain Gremlin, played to perfection by Odd Couple legend Tony Randall. My favorite gremlin, however, is one I call the Sex Gremlin, an all-green female who literally falls for Mr. Forrester, the company's gremlin-disbelieving floor manager, which makes the chessy but funny men's room wedding scene at the end of the film my absolute favorite. Billy's father at the end of the first movie said it best: "Look out all the windows, check in all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds, cause you never can tell, there just might be a gremlin in your house!" Well, New York, you better start doing the same. Because the Gremlins and Gizmo are back with a vengance. Give this movie a rent and just see what I mean.

Gremlins in Gotham
I'm not saying this just because I am a New Yorker, but GREMLINS 2--THE NEW BATCH is slightly better than the original. First, it's a much less mean-spirited film than the first (which I also gave five stars, but for different reasons). Just the fact that a character who was crushed to death in the first film, shows up in the sequel (wearing a small cast) because he really was likeable, shows that Joe Dante and the scriptwriters were going into this film for the fun of it. Second, the casting was flawless. Whoever chose Tony Randall to do the voice of the strangely-William F. Buckley-sounding, intellectual gremlin was responding to nothing short of divine inspiration. Everyone involved in this production had their hearts in the right places and the effect shows. GREMLINS 2--THE NEW BATCH is an astounding piece of comic fantasy and horror that should endure.

Gremlins 2/a very cool film.
Gremlins 2 is a nice film that is even better than the original. I like how it spoofs everything,and I love the new gremlins.The first batch looked sort of rough and raggedy[but still interesting],while the new batch is bright and vivid.Plus,Gizmo was a blast.I am REALLY looking forward to a third sequal,with CGI/Animatronic gremlins[a sort of Jurassic Park thing].Gremlins 2 is a wild and rowdy romp.

A shocking sequel
This is the amazing squel to the First Gremlins. It begins shortly after the Chiness man recruit Gizmo. A few years have gone buy the old Chinese man that had taken care of Gizmo before an after he meet Billy . This movie has some fun scenes. The weeding in the mens rest room at the end is hillarious. So is the sense with Gizmo working out one when he is lift a bar bell and falls through the floor. Anothew one when he punches a punch bag and get hit back in the face.

The only bad thing about the second gremlins is you see Gizmo being tortured in it a lot more than you did in the first one. It has zany funny monments. The part when Gizmo dress up like Rambo and makes a boy an arrow out of the close hanger. The part when Bill is talking and suddenly the screen goes funny the gremlin appear on the screen a do the shadow puppets is hysterically.

However unlike in the first one not all the gremlins is killed the one Female on survives. Did i mention some of gremlins are genetically alltered by drink chemicals. One of the Gremlins turns in eletricity and shocks and eletricuts ever living creature he touches.

My favorite gremlin is the one that drinks some short of chemical that makes him smarter allows him to talk in english. There is some gore and lot s of violence in it. The scariest is the spidger gremlin who ends up being huge. He dies he burns to death at the end.

He was really mean to Gizmo and is shown tocture gismo like Half a dozen times during the movie. The other Gremlins do not like gizmo because he is a misfit. Unlike them he is kind and good and does not like hurt and playing pranks on other creatures.

The nastiest parts in the movie is when one Gremlin acts Dangle Clamp and he forces it down a paper shreder were it is slice to pieces. She is gus us out of the shreder the lock like liquidfied spinch. If you like this I recomend seeing Gremlins as weell as the Critters series which was enspired by the Gremlins series. ... Read more

Description

A man buys a Mogwai as a Christmas present for his son. The young boy is told to keep the pet away from water, out of the light and never to feed it after midnight. Inadvertently, the creature is dampened and almost instantly, produces half a dozen furry replicas of itself --which continue to multiply and turn the small town upside-down. ... Read more

Reviews (101)

Comedy? Horror? Who cares!
"Gremlins" is one of those movies that you'll either think is pure genius or pure stupidity. I happen to believe it's the former, for they really don't make movies like this anymore. What other film can make statements on everything from the commercialization of Christmas and the stereotypes of sitcoms to the of the innocence of Walt Disney and the fad that was Phoebe Cates? "Gremlins" is the story of a cute little creature named Gizmo (anyone who doesn't adore this guy has got to be cold-hearted). When his new teenage owner fails to follow certain rules to take care of him (you know how irresponsible kids are these days), all chaos breaks loose and the nasty fun begins. Now that it's controversial and marketing overkill days are long gone, you can enjoy this film for the remarkable madness it is. What makes the movie work is the combination of a Mel Brooks-style comedy, a "Poltergeist" clone, a live-action Looney Tune, and a Speilberg-spoofing hit. It may sound confusing, but that's the idea. One minute you're pointing out hilarious parodies from "E.T." to "Flashdance", and the next minute you're jumping out of your seat in terror. "Gremlins" takes everything fun about the movies and squeezes it into a thrill-a-minute adventure that remains exciting every time you watch it. Don't miss out on the superior sequel "Gremlins 2: The New Batch".

A Classic now on a new DVD.
This 1984 Horror Fantasy comedy is the story of a guy who recieves a cute and cuddly furry creature before Christmas named " Gizmo" ( voiced by Howie Mandel) but there are three important rules if he wants to keep him. Rule 1# never expose him to the light especially sunlight, Rule#2 Don't get him wet and the most important rule of them all, Never feed them after midnight. But two of those rules have been broken, Gizmo has got wet and spawned more of his kind then when the other Mogawais eat after midnight they change into hideous Green Scaled monsters that is causing havoc on Christmas eve, can the man and his pet stop these creatures or will the town be wiped out?

A highly entertaining and original movie that has original ideas, interesting Social commentary, laughs, gore, and all around good fun that the entire family will love. When this premired in 1984 in the summer, it became one of the highest grossing movies of that year and also caused the new PG-13 rating cause of the violence. The Special Ed DVD here is excellent, has trailers including Commentaries, documentary, and Never-before-seen Deleted scenes, this is a must own if your a lover of horror and comedy.

also recommended: E.T., Lucio Fulci's The Beyond, Ghostbusters, House ( 1986), Return of the Living Dead, Critters 1 & 2, Hobgoblins, American Beauty, Pulp Fiction, Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, C.H.U.D., Lilo and Stitch, and Child's Play.

There are just three rules...
1) Buy GREMLINS. 2) Watch GREMLINS 3) Repeat #2 several times

Every time I surf the t.v. and I come across GREMLINS, I will put down the remote and watch it til the end. GREMLINS, for its time, was truly groundbreaking. It was E.T., except with really rotten friends and relatives. Well-paced and directed Joe Dante, with unique performances by Zach Galligan and the gorgeous Phoebe Cates, GREMLINS deftly treads in and out of suspense/horror and comedy. (Phoebe Cates' explication of how her father died is still outrageous.) And there are plenty of pitched battles between the good guys and the unruly gremlins to keep the plot moving. Just don't show this movie to young kids around Christmastime.

This special edition has a lot of goodies that true GREMLINS fans will enjoy, and the quality is top-notch. Just don't get it wet.

Mischief and Mayhem in a Cuddly, Furry Package
An inventor with a penchant for oddities that don't work (Hoyt Axton), while selling his wares in a sketchy section of Chinatown, comes across a young boy who promises to show him some wonderful things within his grandfather's shop. Once inside he does indeed find himself amongst the odd and wonderful. He becomes drawn to the singing of a cute furry little creature known as a Mogwai, and informs the shopkeeper that he simply must have the Mogwai, as he's in dire need of a Christmas present for his son. The shopkeeper hesitates, and finally says no to the inventor, Randall Peltzer, as with the Mogwai "comes great responsibility." Distraught, Mr. Peltzer turns to leave. However, knowing that his family needs the money, the young boy offers to help him out by selling him the Mogwai behind his grandfather's back. The adorable fuzzy little creature comes with three rules. He doesn't like bright lights, he can't get wet, and he can't be fed after midnight.

Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is elated upon opening his present. He immediately becomes friends with the Mogwai, Gizmo, and makes sure he abides by all the aforementioned rules. When a neighborhood boy comes by to deliver a Christmas tree, he doesn't exercise quite as much caution and accidentally spills water on the Mogwai. This unveils a whole new trait for Gizmo, and a whole new world for Billy. The Peltzer family soon discovers just how much responsibility is necessary for a creature of this caliber, as does the rest of the town they live in. Bad things may come in cute, cuddly, furry little packages.

I rate the movie as five stars, and the DVD as three, hence the average of four stars. The acting is superb, and the effects are brilliant, even if they are a little gory (the whole kitchen scene comes to mind) for the rating given (PG). The gremlins themselves are superbly done, especially when you consider that these are puppets and are not computer-generated! Each of them has their own unique personality that comes out in little snippets throughout the duration of the film, proving that every minute detail was taken into consideration with the making of this movie. The soundtrack is classic eighties cheesiness in all its glory and splendor. Howie Mandel did a good job as the voice of Gizmo, even if it didn't consist of much. Chris Columbus, Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg prove themselves an excellent team, combining a humorous and witty script with some extremely good moviemaking. This movie has become, and will live on as, a cult classic adored by fans of monster and horror films and should not be missed.

However, the DVD package leaves something to be desired. Apparently "Special Edition" need not be very special at all, consisting of only a couple of commentary tracks and the trailer for the film. Both of which are appreciated, yet many DVD's offer much more than that these days. I would have hoped that this very special movie would be released with a little bit more bite, and perhaps someday it will. Until then, this DVD will have to suffice.

Gremlins (1984)
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McClain, Polly Holliday, Glynn Turman, Dick Miller, Keye Luke, Scott Brady.
Running Time: 106 minutes.
Rated PG for non-PG worthy-violence and some language; keep in mind that the MPAA Rating System created the PG-13 rating in 1985 largely due to this film and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".

"Gremlins" gets its title from the nickname given during World-War II to mysterious malfunctions that took place on American fighter planes. No one could explain some of the break downs, so they determined that evil little monsters created by Japan were the culprits. The 1984 film which is directed by Joe Dante ("Piranha"), written by Chris Columbus ("Home Alone") and executively created by the one-and-only Steven Spielberg ("E.T.", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"), inducing much media acclaim and criticism alike. It is an extremely violent film for the rating and especially dark, but overall is a touching, terrifying story that works on all levels and became one of the most popular formula-producing horror films of the entire decade.

A quirky inventor (Hoyt Axton) brings home a mysterious furry creature as a Christmas present for his son (played very well by newcomer Zach Galligan), not knowing the horrors that the purchase would later produce. The furball is named Gizmo, which looks like a cross between a Kuala bear and a Cabbage-patch kid, is not only unique in appearance-it multiplies when exposed to water, hates the sight of light, and creates horrific, flesh-eating creatures when it is given food after the clock strikes midnight. When Galligan accidentally feeds some of his pet's furry buddies, the little creatures morph into green, scaly little monsters that proceed to wreck havoc on the city and ruin Christmas.

Excellent special effects, a wonderfully hilarious script-writer Columbus, an exceptional musical score from composing genius Jerry Goldsmith, and top-notch direction from the veteran Dante-making "Gremlins" a ghoulishly scary comedic romp that is like no other. Phoebe Cates is very good as the love interest of Galligan and Dick Miller is humorous as a paranoid, cranky war veteran. A petrifying, splendid finish. Special Note: The film gives some special insight to the true spirit of Christmas-SHOULD NOT be viewed by children anyways, but especially those who still believe in Jolly Old Saint Nick. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best Movie and Sequel Ever!! (Ever ever ever ever !!)
I LOVE THE GREMLINS!! How can anybody not love them. The original Gremlins was greatly awesome, a work of art, I could go on and on. I rented the first one and loved it, but I was afraid the sequel wopuld be crappy because the first one was so awesome and also because most sequels just can't live up to the original. Well, let me tell you the sequel was just as great as the original. Some of my lame dorky babyish friends actually get nightmares from the Gremlins, but they are also scared of the dark. The Gremlins 1 and 2 are just both so different and practically conceptless that they fascinate my kind of people. Every time I have a sleepover we watch the Gremlins. It's just so....... different. YOU MUST BUY THIS MOVIE!! YOU MUST!!

Spielbergs Gremlins
The director that brought us many great movies such as Jaws to Saving Private Ryan. Gremlins isn't a movie with these potentials but when seeing it you can laugh and love the story of this small town being corrupted. In the sequel to the first Gremlins you get an amazing story as you got with the first taking place in the city that never sleeps. If you love movies The Gremlins dvd are movies to see and seeng how a director can give you action and comedy in a story such as this. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Memorable Melodies Mayhem
Looney Tunes: Back In Action is an enjoyable, harmless romp, that will please both young and old viewers alike.

The story starts to unfold on the Warner Brothers Studio backlot and careens all over the map in classic Looney Tunes style. Bugs, Daffy, and many other childhood favorites embark on an adventure that takes them from Hollywood to Las Vegas, Paris and the jungles of Africa to help search for their human friend DJ Drake's (Brendan Fraser) missing father. He along with Kate (Jenna Elfman) are also on the trail of the mythical and powerful Blue Monkey Diamond. The only problem is that the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation also wants the gem as well.

Thanks to films like Roger