Reviews (88)

Has it's moments
I was skeptical before watching this movie, I wasn't expecting good acting and drama in a movie about gangs in prison. The story of 3 young Mexican/ American growing up in the streets of LA. Each one representing the different choices that many of us take in life.

So we see ourselves utilize our god given gifts to make an honest living. And at the same time to resist and battle the temptations of drugs in Cruz, the artist. To channel our rebellion and energy to push us past what it seems like a dead end street, in Paco the Cop. Or "go with the flow' and be part of a self-destructive life by associating ourselves with the wrong crowd in Miklo.

While Benjamin Bratt and Jesse Borrego offer a very strong and believable performance, I found some of the slang way over done to the point that it becomes laughable and corny.

The story has it's moments. One in particular between Paco and Cruz that is so intense, dramatic and real that it made a knot in my throat.

If you get past the corny gang slang, you will find this movie intense and dramatic.

"When you expect nothing,but get everything, that¿s destiny"
Ok, for one thing, it's more then just 5 stars. Jesse Borrego (Cruzito) does an amazing job at his character. Watching him perform pushes me to WANT to become an actor. He transforms himself well, he changes from innocent to drug addicted, to clean and sober.

Benjamin Bratt (Paco Aguilar) does an amazing job, watching his character go from Bad-boy "el gallo Negro", to "la oda." its just, Amazing to watch him for the years of his life, diss the cops, then just years after become one. Making a choice, deciding against FAMILY and LAW.... so yeah, question, if ya seen it, what would you do?

Damian Chapa does an excellent job, watching his character go from Wero to CHICANO RULER.Besides, the fact each main character in this movie is just HOT! Even for being their age.;)
Enrique Castillo is just awesome all around, this is an excellent movie! I can't stress that enough.
This movie was thought out well, each and every character was played RIGHT and VERY very well, and I am still amazed. I've seen this movie more then once, and every time I watch it, I walk away completely amazed!

This movie, was like I said, written well, directed well, I'm a very critical person when it comes to movies, I pay more attention to the outer side of the scenes, to see the mistakes. I've watched this movie, enough to know, that there aren't any, or if there is, I haven't caught them yet. Well in other words, this movie is SMART. Flat out, in order to fully understand it, you've got to fully watch it. Its like a perfect soup, with each actors extra attitude to their character, their sound, their look, adds that extra spice to the recipe. So if you haven't seen it, see it. If you've got the movie, pull it out, and watch it. It's awesome. That's all I can say.

Hasta Luego!

nice
this was such a nice movie. since this movie is very actioned packed.

It's just i'ight
Interesting cast, nice whips, and some of the gadgets were hilarious, BUT Duane Martin as anything but a lady's man, or screw up I wasn't ready for all that! And JadaKiss acting OOH HELL NO! Sometimes you just have to say no. It's obviously a low budget film filled with African Americans so I say support your people! I mean it was what it was a movie!

hot
this movie was very hot. and this movie even has a great cast. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Approved by Agatha Christie
Having read the book many times I've come to know its complexities well enough. Albert Finney embodied Poirot from top to bottem so much so that all other portrails pale by comparison. Even the remarkable work of David Suchet cannot touch Finney. Poirot is an eccentric ego-ist who is also one of the most intelligent characters ever created and Finney captures his qualities perfectly. The rest of the cast is equally superb! With an interational cast of Vanessa Redgrave, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Wendy Hiller, Sean Connery, Richard Widmark, Jean-Pierre Cassel etc. one wonders why all of them were not nominated for Oscars. The entire film is a work of art from the production design to the costumes, make-up and music. All these elements under the direction of Sidney Lumet are kept flowing swifty so that you have to rewind over and over till you catch all the nuances. The book can be a bit confusing and plodding despite the wonderful prose but the film clears away any clutter and solidifies the story. Yes the film changes some names and some early locations but it also clarifies some plot points particularly the Armstrong case. Agatha Christie saw this version of her story brought to life on screen and approved of it. This film will delight the viewer with each repeated playing to the point that after a while you're going to have to get another tape the old one will become so worn!

Still one of the most stylish who-dun-its
Nearly 30 years after its release, the star-studded "Murder on the Orient Express" remains one the the best of the big screen's adaptations of Agatha Christie's works. Confined to the fabled train with the richest of the ultra-privileged class and trapped by a mammoth snow drift, everyone comes under suspicion when a self-described businessman (Richard Widmark) who turns out to be the mastermind of a child kidnapping that ends in murder of the child, is himself murdered (who can ignore the obvious similarity to the Lindbergh baby kidnapping?). Everyone in the all-star cast comes under suspicion, from Lauren Bacall as a character intended to scrape the nerves raw, to Ingrid Bergman in an Oscar-winning supporting role, to the breathtakingly beautiful Jacqueline Bissett, to Anthony Perkins, the late Sir John Geilgud and a magestic Wendy Hiller. But Albert Finney, as celebrated investigator Hercule Peroit, is amazing. True to Christie form, we come to a totally unexpected solution and resolution that doesn't deter us from watching this film time and again. Lavishly produced and rich in scenery, we actually get a sense of being trapped on the motionless train wondering who of our fellow passengers did the dirty deed, which is what makes this film so enjoyable with every viewing. More satisfying is that the viewer won't feel cheated by an ending that one critic at the time dismissed as "too easy." That aside, it's little wonder the film was an Academy favorite in multiple nominations.

Can't wait...
"Murder on the Orient Express" probably had the most intense production values as any film in 1974. The period detail was exquisite and the ensemble cast was stellar, all put into perspective by the brilliant Sidney Lumet. 1974 saw "Godfather II" and "Chinatown", wonderful in their own right. Can't argue too much about comparisons, but the editing in "Orient" is a true work of art, shifting its time-frame constantly. The viewer always knows everything, but really knows nothing. Albert Finney is a terrific Hercule, and the whole ensemble cast was great! Ingrid Bergman won the Oscar for this, but I thought Rachel Roberts was the best of all. So VERY classy, and so very grisly... all done with aplomb by a brilliant cast and America's own, very underrated great director, Mr. Lumet. Don't forget, Lumet did the original "12 Angry Men" in the 50's, as well as "Long Day's Journey Into Night". The man has control. Experience it!

"...there are too many clues in this room..."
Thirty years ago in 1974, Sidney Lumet (who is known for directing "Network" in 1976, "Serpico" in 1973 and "Death Trap" in 1982) directed a murder-mystery film based upon the 1934 novel "Murder on the Orient Express" (a.k.a. "Murder in the Calais Coach"). The novel was written by the famous murder-mystery author Agatha Christie (1890-1976) and was the ninth book in the series that featured her famous fictional detective named Hercule Poirot. The Orient Express began service in 1883 as a passenger rail service between Paris and Venice. An additional southern route (known as the Simplon Orient Express) was started in 1919 that ran from Paris to Istanbul that also passed through Venice. It is upon the Simplon Orient Express that Agatha Christie placed the location for her novel.

The 1974 film adaptation included an all-star cast, including the famous actor Albert Finney who played Hercule Poirot, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. (Albert Finney has been nominated 4 times by the Academy for Best Actor and once for Best Supporing Actor, which was for his role as Ed Masry in the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich".) Poirot boards the Orient Express on his journey home after solving a murder case. On the train, in the sleeper cabin next to his is the millionaire businessman Mr. Ratchett (Richard Widmark), who is accompanied on the train by his secretary, Hector MacQueen (Anthony Perkins, 1932-1992), and his butler, Mr. Beddoes (Sir John Gielgud, 1904-2000). Other passengers on the train include the Countess Andrenyi (Jacqueline Bisset), Greta Ohlsson (Ingrid Bergman, 1915-1982), Mrs. Harriet Belinda Hubbard (Lauren Bacall), Colonel Arbuthnot (Sean Connery), Princess Dragomiroff (Wendy Hiller, 1912-2003), Mary Debenham (Vanessa Redgrave), Hildegarde (Rachel Roberts, 1927-1980), Count Andrenyi (Michael York), Mr. Hardman (Colin Blakely, 1930-1987) and Signor Bianchi (Martin Balsam, 1914-1996). The conductor was Pierre Paul Michel (Jean-Pierre Cassel). One night with the train en route, Mr. Ratchett was murdered. When Poirot learns this, he begins an immediate investigation in the hopes of finding the murderer before the train reaches its next scheduled stop. As Poirot questions the passengers, he is amazed that many of them may share something in common from many years earlier. Tension on board mounts when the train becomes trapped following an avalanche covering the tracks ahead of it. Before the tracks can be cleared, can Poirot solve this very mysterious murder on board the Orient Express? You'll have to watch this very well made film to understand the mystery.

In addition to Albert Finney's Oscar nomination for Best Actor, "Murder on the Orient Express" received four other nominations including Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay. Ingrid Bergman won her nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Overall, I rate this outstanding film with 5 out of 5 stars. It is a tribute to the great mystery and literary skills that Agatha Christie shared with the world in her many novels. I highly recommend the purchase of this film that is being released on DVD, which, thankfully, is in widescreen format.

Overall good, but as for Finney's Poirot...mon dieu!
One of Agatha Christie's most famous mysteries was adapted to the big screen in 1974, two years before the author died. Murder On The Orient Express was the first in a brief series of cinematic and TV movie Christie adaptations continuing with Death on The Nile, Evil Under The Sun, Easy To Kill, A Caribbean Mystery, The Mirror Crack'd, and Appointment With Death.

Mr. Ratchett, an American businessman, tries to employ Poirot after he has been getting threatening letters. Poirot turns him down, and the following morning, he is found dead in bed from multiple stab wounds. Clearly, it was someone on the coach, but who? And before the murder, there was a lot of weird activity going on. Someone wearing a fancy nightgown knocks on Poirot's door. Ms. Hubbard calls the wagon-lit conductor and reports a man in her room.

There then follows the usual Poirot method of questioning the suspects one by one, sifting out lies and clues, of which he notices there are too many, after speaking to them. Poirot discovers that Ratchett was the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Daisy Armstrong, a young girl who was ransomed and murdered despite the money being paid. But Daisy was not the only casualty. A maid was falsely blamed in collusion and committed suicide. Ms. Armstrong gave birth to a stillborn child and died later, and Colonel Armstrong ended up shooting himself.

One of the key motifs of Christie mysteries and others was the use of flashbacks to accompany testimony of the people being interrogated, as well as the denouement, where in tried and true Christie fashion, Poirot gathers everyone in the room and tells them who did it, with scenes of what actually happened, something used in the later movie adaptations.

Murder On The Orient Express boasts an all-star cast of the top draws at the time, Sean Connery (Colonel Arbuthnot), Vanessa Redgrave (Miss Debenheim), Jacqueline Bisset (Countess Andrenyi), and Anthony Perkins (Hector McQueen), as well as some old veterans such as Dame Wendy Hiller (Countess Dragomiroff), Martin Balsam (Mr. Bianchi), Richard Widmark (Ratchett), and George Coulouris (Doctor Constantine). Despite being more svelte than the character to the novel, Lauren Bacall is the strongest actress as Harriet Hubbard, and one who exasperates Poirot and the other passengers with her aggressive bossiness, although her character's name was Caroline Martha Hubbard in the novel. Ingrid Bergman won her third Oscar, albeit for Best Supporting Actress as the simple-minded Greta Ohlson.

Some changes made in the movie is John Gielgud as the elderly and masterfully unflappable valet Biddoes. In the novel, it was Edward Masterman, who was 39 years old! And originally, Mr. Bianchi was a Monsieur Bouc, a fellow Belgian friend of Poirot. And the second set of interviews with the suspects is deleted from the movie. Other than that, I was surprised that the movie more of less followed the book.

There is a splashy elegance to the whole thing. The music veers from the sumptuous glamorous orchestra to the eerie horror sounds given in the prologue and in the reenactment of the murder. However, the biggest debit is Albert Finney (Poirot), who doesn't fit Agatha Christie's famed dignified Belgian sleuth. He's tall, has a rough voice, laughs like he's on drugs, and looks more like a grotesque gargoyle than a calm and refined gentleman. A pity David Suchet wasn't born sooner, as Peter Ustinov's Poirot is only slightly better. ... Read more

Description

* Commentary by director Martin Scorsese with cast and crew
* Commentary by ex-gangster Henry Hill and ex-FBI agent Edward McDonald
* New digital sound and picture
* "Getting Made" making-of featurette
* "Made Men": other filmmakers on the influence of GoodFellas
* "The Workaday Gangster": mod life featurette
* "Paper Is Cheaper Than Film" storyboard comparison ... Read more

Reviews (408)

FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOODFELLA...
This is simply a great mob movie. Based upon the best selling book, "Wiseguy", by Nicholas Pileggi, it traces the rise and fall of "gansta" wannabe turned government informant, Henry Hill. Skillfully directed by Martin Scorsese, this film with its all star cast, megawatt performances, and period music soundtrack packs quite a wallop to the senses. Named 1990's best film by the Los Angeles, New York, and National Society of Film Critics, it garnered six Academy Award nominations and earned Joe Pesci an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In the 1950s, a preteen Henry Hill (Christopher Serrone) began his career as a "gansta" wannabe on the mean streets of East New York, where a small Italian American community thrived. Working with Paul Cicero's (Paul Sorvino's) crew, he worked his way up, doing the penny ante, gofer stuff, until he began more heavy duty involvement. As a young man, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) took to his life in the underworld like a fish takes to water. He married a nice, jewish girl whom he turned into a shrewish girl, as he lived the life he wanted. His wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco), also became entranced by the perks available to a mobster

Henry teamed up with Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Together they stole, lied, cheated, and killed their way through life, until they got wacked or got caught. When Henry, against the express advice of Paul Cicero, got involved with Jimmy in the 1970s cocaine drug trade, it was the beginning of the end for him and Jimmy. The film skillfully chronicles the rise and fall of Henry Hill from wiseguy to goverment informant in the witness protection program..

It is amazing that the actor playing young Henry Hill, Christopher Serrone, resembles Ray Liotta so much, right down to the piercing hazel eyes. He gives a terrific performance as young Henry, expressing all the joie de vivre that young Henry had over being associated with mobsters. Ray Liotta, as the adult Henry Hill, gives an outstanding performance. The viewer senses his absolute love for the life that he lives. He clearly enjoys all the perks of a mobster, his only regret being that he could never be a "made" guy, because he was not fully Italian, as his mother was Sicilian but his father was Irish.

Robert DeNiro is wonderful as Jimmy Conway, low key yet powerful. Joe Pesci gives an over the top performance as the wild, volatile, and totally crazy Tommy DeVito, an out of control wiseguy who has no redeeming value as a human being. He is a guy who does not think twice about killing someone over something trivial. Paul Sorvino is excellent as the mob boss who is all about the family and plays it the old fashioned way. Lorraine Bracco gives the performance of her life as Karen Hill, a woman besotted by the life of a mobster's wife, until she realizes that girlfriends are an expected part of that life. She is sensational.

This is simply a great mob movie. It is a film that the viewer will watch again and again. I, myself , have seen it at least three or four times, and each time is as if it were the first. Vastly entertaining, this film is a worthy addition to one's collection.

Goodfellas - A Scorsese classic!
Of all of the "mob" movies that have graced the silver screen over the years, "Goodfellas" most certainly stands a head taller than the majority of them and it can be said that this film is one of the "definitive" mobster movies. Few movies, if any, can compare to the compelling "based on a true story" nature of this film and the graphic realism that is so brilliantly portrayed by Scorsese's direction and the exceptional cast members.

"Goodfellas" is a powerful film based on the true life best seller "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi. More specifically, it's based on the true story of Henry Hill (Ray Liota), who along with his pals Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) who received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film. Needless to say, the performances by these actors, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino are nothing short of superb.

The premise:

Narrated by Henry Hill and his wife Karen Hill, "Goodfellas" tells the tale of how he grew up admiring the local mobsters, gained their friendship and then came to be employed by them. After all, how could anybody resist a life in which if you're part of the "organization," there is nothing that you cannot have and you have the fearful respect of everybody around you, as long as you're continuing to make money and not stepping on any of the important people's toes.

As the movies progresses along, Director Martin Scorsese does a beautiful job in displaying many of the aspects of the mobster's lifestyle and the many things that can happen in that lifestyle.

From the opening frame to the final credits, "Goodfellas" is a gripping, suspenseful and enlightening gangster movie that bears multiple viewings quite easily. I highly recommend this film to any and all fans of gangster movies. Fair warning though, this movie "is not" for the faint of heart or the squeamish, for it is fairly graphic at times, which serves to enhance the nature of this film but is not too good on the eyes. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

This DVD was released in 1997 as one of the early transfers, therefore it's not loaded down with an exceptional amount of special features, which is fine because it's all about the film. I do find it surprising that this one hasn't been re-released as a "Special Edition" with all the special features, featurettes and documentaries.

What is does have:

- A remastered soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1
- Production notes
- Two theatrical trailers

Best Mob Movie Ever
This is by far the best mob movie ever. Based on real life, it's just the best

I hope that it's not a "flipper" AHHHHHHH!
This movie is a true classic, but I'm not going to talk about it. There are 413 other reviews that drool about how great Goodfellas is. If you don't know, you are either totally inexperienced with cinema or are living under a rock.

Instead, let's talk about 'features.' The last Goodfellas DVD was a 'flipper,' or a DVD that was so cheap, you had to get up and turn it over half-way through the film. I can accept that I need to turn Lawrence of Arabia over during the intermission, but Goodfellas is comparatively short. It is 2.5 hours long, to be more precise. A 2.5 hour film fits easily onto a single-side DVD with only a mildly-noticable transfer skip. That is the only special feature I want from this new version of the DVD. I'll buy it, just don't make me flip it, God in heaven!

Furthermore, Martin Scorsese has gotten the absolute worst treatment of any director this side of Roger Corman on DVD. Even his last film, Gangs of NY, was subjected to a ridiculous film-ruining stop right in the middle of a love scene that is so abrupt, you have to laugh. Didn't the jack-a$$es who ruined the Goodfellas DVD years before learn their lesson? OK, so Gangs was done by Miramax (the worst company on Earth for DVD quality and price,) but why does this trend have to blight poor Scorsese so terribly. He is one of the greatest living directors, for God's sake! His movies aren't exactly low-profile. The only Scorsese film that has been given a proper treatment is The Last Temptation of Christ, but that was a Criterion, and not a Warner DVD.

That brings me to my final thought. Considering the fact that Warner actually does a great job at releasing quality DVDs with a decent amount of interesting features most of the time, it seems doubly stupid releasing some of their greatest back-catalog titles like a lobotomized afterthought.

(...)

great
best mafia movie i've ever seen, though i haven't seen the godfather. can't wait for the commentary with the criminal and fbi agent. ... Read more

Reviews (306)

Simply wonderful
I just do not understand all of this bitching and moaning that's been going on and on about this marvelous piece of cinematic magic. So what if they touched-up this movie? E.T. is wonderful anyway, changes or not, and I think the changes make it be that much better. I had never before seen it in the theatre until this year and I was totally blown away. It was like I was watching it for the first time. I heard and noticed things I hadn't before. Plus since this is the computer age with loads of wonderful technology at our fingertips, I say why not touch it up and make it better? Sure a sense of nostalgia comes in when you see the original version, but I think all old movies should get this sort of treatment. It just enhances them better than ever. E.T. is and always will be a classic forevermore, no matter what!

Did not need to be touched up!!...
As a "Star Wars" fan, I have to admit, George Lucas' 1977 grand epic movie DID NEED to be fixed, Lucas totally buffed up its Special effects, which it needed, SW Special Edition is phenominal compared to its original version, however I don't feel the same way about E.T., I mean what really needed to be fixed????, SW was Sci-Fi, so naturally it needed it, E.T. had very little effects in the way of visuals, I don't know what Speilberg is thinking, I mean, is he trying to compete with Lucas in a friendly way??, You can bet I will be watching the 1982 version, this film really is a timeless classic about an alien left behind on earth who soon befriends Elliott, a 10 year old who lives in what appears to be the valley of Los Angeles, Elliot & E.T. share a special bond, it is every lonely kid's dream, I was 11 when I first saw it, it hit home, because at the time I was new in my neighborhood, & my mom had just gone through a divorce too, I was an only child too, so you can imagine, E.T. always heightened my spirits, this film is great in that it shows what a fun character E.T. could be, the original puppet used was by all accounts well done, why they felt the need to digitally enhance E.T. is beyond me, we have never seen Jar Jar Binks as a puppet, so we don't think much about it, but E.T. you do, had digital technology been possible in 1982, then maybe it wouldn't matter, but now it does, another flaw is the removed guns from the government agents, (another mistake), why be politically correct??, I mean lets face it, agents hell bent on capturing an alien would not be so kid-friendly, in all reality they would be pursuing with guns, not walkie-talikes!..., Speilberg should have left this treasure alone, I can understand Lucas' argument on SW, but this one had little in the way of visual effects, I say stick with the original version & skip the 2002 version, the original may cost more, but it is worth it.

E.T.'s Adventures On DVD...
There is little doubt that Steven Spielberg's, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, remains one of the best films of his career. For the 2 folks out there who have never seen the movie, an alien is accidentally left behind on Earth, by a survey team. Soon, the visitor is discoved by a young boy, named Elliott (Henry Thomas), who finds the creature hiding in a shed, in his back yard. The two quickly form a special friendship. With the help of his older brother Mike, (Robert MacNaughton) and his little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore), the trio try to keep ET a secret from their mom (Dee Wallace), long enough to help him get back home.

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I found out that Spielberg would be making digital changes to the film for its 20th anniversary reissue. However, when I saw the movie again in March 2002, I was happy to discover that the one additional scene and minor effects shots that were added, in no way detracted from the film. The effects remain just a small element of the overall experience. At its core, the story, is what makes this work. The performances by all three of the kids still hold up and they never seem too "cute" or annoying for their own good. You can really see them as brothers and sister in the movie. I did have a little trouble, with the changes that were made to the picture, for the sake of pollitical correctness, though. fortunately the 2 disc DVD set addresses those concerns.

After looking at the three different DVD sets that are available for ET, I settled on the widescreen 2 disc set, which breaks down this way:

Disc One features the 2002 20th Anniversary version of the film. There is one added scene incorporated into the picture. Numerous effects shots have been given a digital face lift as well. Spielberg provides an introduction to the film. There's also a featurette that takes viewers inside composer John Williams preparing to conduct a live performance of the entire score as the film played at the 2002 premiere. As an extension of that feature, you can choose to watch ET, complete with that live performance of the score. Rounding out disc one is a rather silly interactve tour of our solar system given by ET and the 2002 theatrical trailer

Disc Two features the 1982 theatrical version of ET. Bravo. As much as liked the new version, I also think that its nice to be able to have the original vision of the film preserved. I was a bit disappointed with the features, "The Making Of ET", and "The Reunion". Both use a lot of the same recollections and footage. Heck, even portions of Speiberg's "special" introduction from disc one are used again--what's that all about? A huge photo gallery, production notes, DVD-ROM (Total Axess) material. and cast/crew information make up the "much more" promised by the packaging

I missed not seeing the theatrical trailer from "82, as well as the often talked about scene, featuring Harrison Ford as Elliott's Principal, and any other deleted footage from the film. Despite these omissions and the serious padding of the featurettes, I still recommend ET on DVD, with a **** star rating

E.T. The Cult Classic 20 yrs later
It took 3 models of E.T. and whole number of great special effects and money to make this film but what it really took was the human element to make this one of the most memorable films in the last 20 years of film-making. Nothing or no one can capture the magic of this film.

Released in 1982 under a great deal of hype and marketing power, E.T. became one of the highest grossing films of all time,giving Steven Spielberg the award of being one of the greatest directors not only in the American cinema but in the whole world, even probably to where E.T. came from.

The movie is similar to other sci-fi alien flicks like THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL,but E.T. has more heart , humor and magic that any other previous sci-fi film.

This movie was shown on TNT this Saturday and probably will show again during the holidays, so you can catch E.T. if you want to relive the magic of being a kid and see this great film.

I had the pleasure of seeing E.T. when it came out (I was about 6 or 8 years old)and watching it again , it still has that same magic it had 18 or 20 years ago.

The movie starts off with the E.T. spaceship landing on a remote forest for some much needed repairs, then suddenly a couple of greedy government agents notice something moving in the forest (E.T.) and go after it.

E.T.'s friends seeing the threat coming,leave behind E.T.,

and so E.T. is entirely helpless and very afraid until he meets a young boy,Elliot (Henry Thomas) who cares for E.T. until his friends come back for him.

This movie resembles the story of a boy and a dog, they share alot of things together and when one hurts , the other one hurts as well.

So while E.T. is secretly hidden in Elliot's room alot of weird things start happening to Elliot he becomes sick and doesn't know.

The reason Elliot is sick is because E.T. is sick as well and they share a bond between each other thats make them feel the same thing.

Elliot's mother , Mary (Dee Wallace Stone who appeared in the cult classics the Howling, and the Stepford Wives) finds out what is going on ,but by the time she figures that out, the government agents come in and steal E.T. along with Elliot.

In what is the most saddest moment in the movie, we assume E.T. has died and I bet everyone in the movie theater was crying too,but E.T. comes back to life with his universal saying "E.T. phone home?". :-)

In the end, E.T. does phone home and tells Elliot that he will be with him "Ill be right here" as he points to his heart.

That is classic movie making folks.

See this movie to relive the magic and if you can get it on DVD with extra footage and behind the scenes specials, get it!! By all means but if you cant , get the VHS version.!!!!!

Steven Spieldberg's Masterpiece
E.T. is one of the greatest films of all time. It takes you by surprise. You feel everything E.T. is feeling. After the movie, it shocks you that you found heart and compassion from something that looks like a mud sculpture. E.T. also has some of the greatest performances from child actors than in any other movie. In this film, we see little Drew Barrymore making a stellar breakout performance as the little sister of Elliot in the film. The new 20th Anniversary of E.T. special edition definately is better than the original cut. The effects sparkle like never before. The DVD is a wonderful thing to add to anyone's DVD collection. ... Read more

Reviews (190)

The Outsiders
When I was in high school, I had the pleasure of reading a fantastic novel named, "The Outsiders." The author, Susan Eloise Hinton, only 15 years old, wrote her rendition of the conflicts between high society and the lower class citizen. Her novel was so well written that you couldn't stop reading it. Recently, I discovered the movie version of the novel and just had to view it. Francis Ford Coppola, who's known for directing the films, "Apocalypse Now" and the first two "Godfather's" directed the film version of, "The Outsiders." Although no awards were won for the movie, the cast was full of the top stars that we see today, which includes, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estves, Tom Cruise and Diane Lane. With a cast this good how could you go wrong?
The story takes place in the early 1960's in Tulsa, Oklahoma where we see the classic rivalry between the rich, whom are call, "socs" (short for socials) and lower class citizen who were called "greasers" building tension toward each other until the final climax of the big rumble. The main themes of the story, are the struggles between two conflicting groups trying to bridge the gap between rich and poorer, honor among the lawless and treacherousness of male-female interaction through the narration of the main character "Ponyboy".
Although I felt the movie was incredible I believe the music soundtrack needed a little help. This action pact drama is rated PG for violence but, I believe that any age group, accompanied by an adult, would love to see and understand how society sometime manipulates individual outcomes. When you get right down to it, the movie, with its great story line and cast, causes you to laugh, cry and get wrapped up in all the conflicting moments. Any movie that can take you from the couch and place you and the middle of the drama deserves a high rating. That's why I recommend this movie to anyone and give it *****5 stars.

The Outsiders
The Outsiders is about some rival gangs, the greasers, and the Socs(short for social). Ponyboy wants to fit in, in his brothers gang. Ponyboy lives with his brothers after his parents are killed in a car wreck. The greasers never had much trouble fighting the Socs, until one night a Soc takes thing to far. Ponyboys friend is forced to killed him in self-defense. Their friend Dallas helps them hide out in the country in an old abandonded church. They are hiding from the town that doesn't want them around, until they are caught by the police. The actors who are in the movie are GREAT! most of them got their start in The Outsiders, like Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, and Tom Cruise. The movie teaches young people to not judge others before getting to know them. If you enjoy the movie, you will love the book by S.E. Hinton.

The Outsiders is the #1 Movie
Hey I watched the movie and read the book this year in gr.8 and I have seen the movie like 5 times and read the book like 4 times it's the best movie ever!! all the cast are so0o0 great and talented and I will watch this movie over and over again
From The BIGGEST Outsider Fan
GEL

Just as GREAT as the Book!!!
One of the best adaptations of a book I have ever seen. This movie brings everyone to life from the book. For me, this movie is a classic!!! This movie takes place in Tulsa,OK in 1966. All of the characters fit the description in the book for me. They all look like the typical greasers. I bought this movie without even seeing it and I was tremendously blown away. This is a great movie for the whole family to enjoy.

Outstanding
I had to read the book for a project in school this year as an 8th grader. It was outstanding. It was the last week of school and my class had finished our finals and we wanted to watch the movie, so my teacher went to our school library and got it for us. The movie follows the book pretty well but some parts were left out.

This book shows how lucky some people are compaired to others and makes a great point. It is like a less dramatic version of the movie "Elephant" which shows what people are going through. I am going to head down to my towns public library to borrow it and watch it again becuase it is one of the movies that you can just watch over and over again and still love it becuase it makes a great point and was directed really well.

I would recomend this movie to anyone who has not read it. I would read the book first becuase there are some parts that are left out in the movie that were pretty good.

~Doug Mellon
Kennebunk, Maine USA ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Mixed bag or results, but interesting and good!!
My feelings are mixed about this movie. From what I have read in the professional reviews of this movie, the opinions are just as mixed. In sum, it is a movie that will hopefully give one something to think about at its surprising conclusion.

Simply put, THE HUMAN STAIN is pretty much a revampted telling of an old tale that has facinated white audience since forever and opened wounds and insulted some black audiences. But, it stands apart from all its other predecesors out of the Hollywood movie machine in a good way that makes it worth seeing in that it's lead character played by Anthony Hopkins isn't stereotypically sympathetic and has depth. Still, his manipulative, cannibalistic and criminal Hannibal Lector has more integrity than his Coleman Silk.

The great and admirable Anthony Hopkins plays an aging professor with a dark secret who is accused of a racial slur by a student. Through a series of flashbacks, his secret is gradually revealed to the audience--his being a black man passing as white-- as he tells his story to a reporter and begins an affair with a young illiterate janitor on campus, Nicole Kidman. This young woman has a few secrets of her own like a possessive and obsessive husband.

Plotwise, I think the only minor flaw in the story will be that involving Kidman's charater's problems. Only a little, they interrupt the real focus of interest of Hopkins's Silk.

Though another trite tale of the mulatto, at lease the characters are 3 diminional thanks to writing,Hopkin's, Kidman's and the supporting actors performances(e.g. Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Wentworh Miller--the young black man who plays Hopkins in his youth, and Anna Deavere Smith whose scenes and words to her son the young Silk are not fogettable, even Oscar worthy). Coleman Silk turns his back on his family and people to enjoy all the privileges and power of having white skin. Instead of challeging prejudices, he enforces and caters to the very prejudices that deny him to be treated fairly as a black man.

At the movies conclusion one is forced to asked if anything has really changed for the better in real life. From what I have noticed in popular culture, the media and all the answer is.....

Though the majority of black Americans like the characters played by Wentworth Miller and Anna Deavere Smith are a racially and culturally mixed people regardless of the complexion of skin ,or, whether both parents are black American or one parent is white or whatever, there are still those who will run as far away from being labeled black as they can get and declare themselves as separate but equal instead of challeging old inherited ideas of bigotry. Political correctness has warped into a new mask to hide self-hatred and racism. There are versions of Coleman Silks that still exist today, both dark and fair skinned, in the black community--even other non-black communities. Society still hasn't shed all its prejudices for those it looks upon as having the wrong skin color ,or, set of parents.

MORE WEAKNESSES THAN STRENGTHS -- TOO BAD
The movie tries to tell the story of Coleman Silk, originally a poor kid from1930s East Orange who has remade himself into something else -- College Dean Silk [played by Anthony Hopkins], a brilliant classics professor. But then, a chance comment in class -- actually referring to two of his class cutting students as "spooks" (not knowing that they are African-Amrecans) opens Silk up to charges of racism, and his sudden attraction to a cleaning lady [Nicole Kidman] adds an element of class consciousness as well.

It's a complicated story, presented with lots of flash backs and flash forwards, made more complicated by a secret the film reveals fairly early on. Because what the people accusing Silk of racism don't know is that he himself is black -- and has been successfully "passing" for white, for more than half-a- century.

The movie's scripty wrestles with enormously complicated issues.
THE HUMAN STAIN succeeds, but only partially. Hopkins seems an odd casting choice at first, but he turns out to be ultimately the
right one -- is the stubborn Silk; Nicole Kidman is Faunia, the raw-boned cleaning woman he falls in love with. Robert Benton, of "Kramer vs. Kramer" directs, and novelist and sometime director Nicholas Meyer did the screenplay. One big problem is that how does a very lights sknned black kid born and rasied in New Jersey wind up with an aristocratic British accent? Hmmm?

Audiences fascinated with the issues THE HUMAN STAIN touches upon -- class and sex, race and identity -- are better off searching for material that delves into them deeply. This story is not the Great American Novel but it does boldly confront the great American issues.

The casting, is partly to blame for this fiasco. The unmixable Hopkins and Kidman probably was supposed to produce a big box-office draw. As the priapic Silk, the usually excellent Hopkins is too stiff, lacking the animal charisma to gulp down Viagra to frolic in bed with Faunia. Talk about lack of chemistry. You can more readily imagine her with Harris' certifiable loony character. And the usually excellent characters delivered by Kidman, in this film simply looks too glamerous to be cleaning toilets and milking cows, especially with her porcelain skin and tousled ringlets.

And so, the film overreaches at times, and may not be as powerful as the material deserves. However, THE HUMAN STAIN is not exactly a failure.

Flawed but Interesting
During WWII, millions of Jews whose only crime in the eyes of some where their being
Jewish. Thousands to over millions were sent into concentration camps where few
survived and many were murdered, even the innocent of innocent, the children. Those
Jews who managed to escape did so by fleeing to hopeful safe harbors in other countries,
or, they passed. Far from passing to gain material wealth, power, and a share in the
decadence of the predominant group, these Jews simply sought to survive and see
another day. One cannot help but admire those who spent the rest of their lives,
whenever possible, challenging racism and bigotry and injustice.

The titled character in the HUMAN STAIN is far from being admirable and sympathetic.
Coleman Silk is a black man who chooses to pass as white to enjoy the privileges of
being white. He doesn't care to fight the injustices that deny his people their humanity,
but instead chooses to cater and bow down in honor and the keeping of such injustice
against his own people. Ironically, at the time he passes, those Jews who where unable to
pass were being killed, entire families. Even more ironical, Silk chooses to pass as
Jewish. He turns his back on his family, even after his mother in the movie pleads with
him in what has to be the best emotionally intense moment in the movie. Seemingly
without much conscious to morals, Silk starts his life new as a white man without anyone
ever suspecting him as being anything other than this. He marries a white woman, begins
a career as a college professor, lives the American dream of freedom without roadblocks.
Life is pretty good until his wife dies and two black students accuse him of using a racial
slur against them which is accidental and unintentional, but Silk so long denying his
heritage does not realize the power and mistake of the word he has used. At this point,
his mask begins to fall off and his past comes back to haunt him and it is not forgiving.

The main problem with this film is the way the story is told. The makers would have
done better to tell the story from the perspective of the young Silk instead of the old Silk
who is played by Anthony Hopkins. Moreover, the character played by Nicole Kidman,
who Silk begins a May/December relationship with in the midst of the Clinton sex
scandel with a young intern, seems to pollute the storyline and burden it down. Kidman
plays her part well, as the entire cast is excellent, but her character should have been
exercised from the story on the big screen all together. It is the young Coleman Silk and
his family who are the really interesting characters deserved more time on screen instead
of only being seen in flashback scenes.

The press for this movie was a lesson in the racial divide that is growing in the U.S. The
press took more of an interest in seeing how quick the guy who played young Silk,
Wentworth Miller, would distance himself from being black than they did in the moral
questions raised in the movie or book of the same name by a white man. Sadly, they may
have gotten what they wanted. I hope that I am wrong. I would take great pride in being
wrong!!!!! and offer an apology for the misunderstanding of Miller. Rather than
understanding the diversity of the black American community, that is, that black
Americans are a multi-cultural people whose blood roots extend not just in Africa but
also Europe and even Asia and all those places in between, regardless of the complexion
of skin or of the skin or race of one or both parents--the cause of the huge color spectra
among black Americans and blacks from North America to South America--, and, that
black Americans are a people proud of their ancestry in all its diversity regardless of what
only a handful of extremely bigoted afro-centralist don't want admitted and many white
Americans refuse to take time to learn and understand, the press has played to its own
blind and ignorant liberal bias that divides blacks Americans into dangerous social stratas
of ethnicities. For his part, Miller, who doesn't deny his heritage like he has done in
playing earlier roles in his career until the HUMAN STAIN, has shown a proclivity not
to correct his interviewers and has legitimized their prejudices that the one drop rule of
blood applies to all but a few of black Americans who have one non black American
parent, political correctness at its most perverse and dangerous. Miller doesn't
understand or doesn't want to understand that he is legitimizing racist fallacies.

To those who choose to watch the movie, or even, read the book, keep in mind that the
story is written from the view point of those or one person not in the know to all the
nuances, diversity, complexity, pride, heartache and tragedy, joy, sometimes
embarrassment, anger, struggle, bloodlines, and stories to the black American community
no matter how sympathetic and understanding they claim to be.

It's Stained Alright
What in god's name was Robert Benton thinking? Or Sir Anthony? Or Gary Sinise? Was Ed Harris after the Oscar he was denied last year? This film is a perfect example of a wonderful combination of artists put together & creating a monumental cinematic disaster.. Gary Sinise(narrating here)sounds like he was awakened from a deep sleep, had a microphone shoved in front of him & handed the script to read from. Anthony Hopkins looks like he can't wait for it to be over. I wonder if when he studied acting, he ever thought he'd have to do a scene where he half-heartedly discusses the joys of Viagra. I'm not sure what Nicole Kidman's character was supposed to be...watch her closely..sultry? sexy? femme fatale? I don't think she did either.. This DVD should be free with ANY purchase...Disastrous.....

A man's stormy, unhappy life's journey
This film is certainly enjoyable and worthwhile if you can accept the premise that Anthony Hopkins' character has buried his secret for his entire adult life and now confesses all to his spunky, unlettered lover Faunia [Nicole Kidman]. The movie is told in many flashbacks and will be hard to follow for those who don't pay close attention. Professor Silk's problems at his college that lead to his tribunal before the faculty and subsequent resignation are filled with irony but it doesn't seem that it is Hopkins who bears the insecurity, shame and humiliation of being in denial all his life as much as Wentworth Miller does who plays the younger Coleman Silk. The vignettes tell tragic and unhappy stories but reveal the Silk family as proud and dignified and they are represented by a wonderful cast of talented actors. Hopkins and Kidman, as expected, are great as partners in a May-December affair. ... Read more

Reviews (362)

One of the best thrillers!
Absolutely as scary a movie as Hollywood could ever produce. The acting, writing, cinematography, and dramatic lighting effects are awesome. The story, based on my favorite book by Thomas Harris of the same title, is incredibly chilling. FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is assigned to an interview with "Hannibal The Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), who is, without a doubt, the completely immoral personification of evil. Hopefully, Lecter will aid in the capture of another grizzly murderer who skins his victims. The plot twists and turns as will your stomach. However the explict and grizzly visuals are sumptous rather than repulsive. However, this film still can not be recommended to the squeamish. Anthony Hopkins makes the most of his part and leaves you with an impression that will haunt you forever. If you like the movie, read the book alone in the dark, which will also send chills up your spine. Nightmares Gaurenteed!

The movie also won five accolodes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Including Anthony Hopkins only Oscar which he won for Best Actor, and Jodie Foster's for Best Actress. It even won Best Picture of the Year.

A classic, master-mind of a thriller
The Silence of the Lambs

Score: 96/100

When it won the 5 most important Oscar's (Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, Screenplay) in 1991, The Silence of the Lambs proved not only is it tear-jerking drama's that get so much attention, but the full-of-plot, intriguing thriller's are also an important part of film history.

Young FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is assigned to help find a missing woman to save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), who used to be a respected psychiatrist. FBI agent Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) believes that Lecter who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator have the answers to their questions to help locate the killer. Clarice must first try and gain Lecter's confidence before he is to give away any information.

The Silence of the Lambs is a clever, chilling and brain-numbing movie which just keeps getting better and better. The performances are quite simply superb, the two leads, Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins both pull off uniquely amazing performances, and they have a great screen chemistry, while Scott Glenn and Ted Levine back them up nicely. Director Jonathan Demme pieces everything together awesomely with Ted Tally's extraordinary script, adapted from Thomas Harris' novel. On the subject of books and novels, this is one of the few films that has surpassed the high standards of its book, and The Silence of the Lambs deserved to be praised for that alone!

The Silence of the Lambs is a brilliant, immediate classic that everyone should've seen after 10 years of stunning the world.

Hannibal Lecter the best bad guy in a movie
The first one of the trilogy of Hannibal Lecter. Anthony Hopkins at his very best. A fantastic movie, don't miss any of the three.

The very best
Roger Ebert said, "I t has been a good long while since I have felt the presence of Evil so manifestly demonstrated as in the first appearance of Anthony Hopkins in "The Silence of the Lambs", and it is exactly that manifestation of evil caused The Silence of Lambs to leave such an indelible mark on moviegoers. Hopkins performance surely rates as one of the best performances, male or female, in Hollywood history.

Credit also goes, in enormous quantities, to Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster. To Demme because he realized that the horror of this film was psychological, and to Foster because her perfectly played naiveté to Lecter's arrogant worldliness created the canvas on which the film resonates.

Too many thrillers and wanna-be thrillers fall into the least common denominator - trite scare tactics. Here, there was nothing trite. The images were clear, original, and gripping.

I've seen this film half a dozen times (there are very few films that I've watched more than twice), and every time my mind brings up the scene that Ebert is referring to - in Chilton's psychiatric ward - my mind's eye sees Lecter wearing orange. This is Demme's brilliance. He has done such a terrific job of creating Lecter as a devil, that when I think of him, I clothe him in colors of fire. In reality, he wears blue in that scene.

In a later scene, the scene that names the book and film, Lecter is imprisoned in a tall cage in the center of a wide open room, and Foster sneaks in to visit him, hoping to garner more clues to the murder she's investigating (it's easy to forget while watching this film that there is something going on other than the relationship between Lecter and Starling, like the other serial murderer in the film, the one that is actively killing people). This is where Demme (and Hopkins and Foster, for that matter) shines. Lecter, seated, asks Starling, "What does he do, this man you seek?" Starling answers, "He kills women." "No, that is incidental," Lecter replies. When Lecter speaks - and his diction is flawless, perfect, and amazing, capturing his contemptful personality - the camera is completely focused on his face, and the lighting and shadows that Demme employs evokes images of every devil or demon our imagination, or literature, has ever conjured.

This scene, and everything that follows (the second meal of raw meat, the killing of the guards), is a breathtaking piece of artistry.

This is, quite simply, the very best thriller Hollywood has ever produced.

Pretty good - I liked it
With excellent directing, writing, and acting...Jodie Foster plays a great role and should have won the academy award. ... Read more

Reviews (239)

A First-Rate Thriller... With a Heart
The premise for this first-rate thriller involves a New York fireman and New York policeman father and son duo who work together to save lives in both the future and the past. FREQUENCY is based on the idea of shifts in reality occurring in the present as a direct result of communications over short wave radio between a police detective here in this present time (Jim Caviezel) and his father in the past (Dennis Quaid) during times of heightened solar flare activity. 

This movie works because it is internally consistent, even as it stretches one's concept of what can be possible. I enjoyed watching this movie on several levels, as the father and son get to know each other by talking on a ham radio during a spectacular display of northern lights... and race to stop a killer before he strikes again.

I especially enjoyed the way the police detective in the film describes how it feels to have several different memories after reality shifts.  In one scene, John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) talks with his dad, Frank Sullivan (Dennis Quaid), on a ham radio. John describes how he recalls both the memories of how his father died in a burning warehouse and also the memories of how his dad rescued a woman and emerged unscathed from that same fire. John says in amazement, "I remember both... at the same time. It's like waking up from a dream and you're not sure what's real. I remember you being here, but I also remember when you weren't."

This film is especially meaningful for anyone seeking insight into that phenomenon when your keys, purse, or sock aren't where you know you left them. The bonus features on this DVD are also highly enjoyable and include excellent scientific commentaries on the subject of solar flares, the aurora borealis, and string theory.

Very well-done 80's style time travel movie
In many ways, this movie is a variation of the concept the movie "Back to the Future" explored, with a slightly more deeper focus on the character-relationships between the father and the son character. Perhaps it is the presence of Dennis Quaid that makes it feel like an 80's film. Or maybe it is the changing-past-altering-future time travel concept. Nevertheless, it's a fun concept to explore, the idea of being able to communicate with somebody from the past through a radio, and thus warning that person in the past, thus altering the events of the present. This is basically what happens when John, a police detective, finds himself communicating with his presently dead father in the past through a HAM radio and manages to prevent his death. As a result, it somehow results in a set of serial murders, of which John must try to solve (with a help of his dad). The relationship between the father and son are quite endearing and the mystery thriller and sci-fi elements are an interesting bonus.

New Line dropped the ball!!!
All the other reviews will explain the plot etc, what I will say is that It is one of my favorite movies along with my wife's.

It leaves you smiling at the end , One other thing in an Interview Dennis Quaid said New Line dropped the ball because they did not promote it well enough...........I could not agree more.

Frequency (2000)
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Andre Braugher, Elizabeth Mitchell, Noah Emmerich.
Running Time: 118 minutes.
Rated PG-13 for language and violence.

Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel both give fine performances in this quirky science-fiction drama that combines "Back to the Future" and "The Field of Dreams". The film opens in the year 1969, with fire-fighter Dennis Quaid first introducing the game of baseball (specifically the Amazin' Mets of that season) to his son, John. Fast-forward to thirty years later, in which John (Caviezel) is a lonesome, washed-ed ex-college baseball great turned cop who stumbles upon his deceased father's old ham radio.

One night, John uses the radio to connect with a man in the area, later discovering that he is talking to his father in the past. When the father avoids death in a fire that was supposed to take his life, John realizes that he can use this uncanny communication to help him with a serial killer murder case. The two join forces to change the course of history in order to save the lives of the killer's next victims.

Clever premise certainly works for the most part, although there are some twists that do not seem to fit. Hoblit uses the theme of baseball as the connecting link between the father and son, which is an overdone aspect in modern film; however, the script is smart and swift, making "Frequency" a film worth the while.

Don't Miss This One Almost Everyone Including Me Missed
With a little extra spending money I picked up a few DVD's 'to take a chance on', hoping for one gold nugget. Well, this one is just that. I have watched it several times in a few months, and have made a point of lending it out to my friends simply saying 'trust me, you'll enjoy it'. It has come back each time with positive to glowing reviews, and a smile showing each person did enjoy it.
The script is well thought out! Tell me how many times you've watched a movie that seemed to have been roughed out on a napkin the night before they started filming? The story moves forward with... a couple surprises/twists that fit perfectly into the storyline, but doesn't overshadow the identification with and the developement of the characters. Great casting. I have been a Dennis Quaid fans for over a decade, and Jim Cavieziel was a pleasant discovery for me.
I missed this in the theatre. Not too many people went to see it. Man, I might have missed it altogther had I not had a few dollars to spend... and in this case, that would have been a bad thing. You'll enjoy it, trust me. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

An outstanding courtroom drama
I agree with the other reviewers that Paul Newman gives the best performance of his career in this intense, well-designed film. There are numerous scenes which are shown without a cut, providing the viewers with an uninterrupted examination of the actors' interactions. Some include (without giving away too much): Newman's character (Frank Galvin) in conflict with the judge's actions toward the court proceedings, Newman and Warden preparing for the trial and the circumstances weighing heavily against them.
All the supporting actors are excellent. Among the noteables: James Mason as the powerhouse defense attorney with a malicious underhand, Milo O'Shea as the unsympathetic judge, Jack Warden as Newman's friend, mentor, and seemingly sole supporter, Charlotte Rampling as Newman's girlfriend with a shady side to herself.
There are a few plotholes and moments of overly dramatic "courtroom hysterics" within the film. Overlook them and enjoy an otherwise very strong movie.

The Very Best of Its Genre
Simply put there is no American film of this genre that comes close. Director Lumet darkly captures the naked power and corruption of the American civil trial system. Actors O'Shea (the judge), Mason (the 'prince of darkness' defense counsel) and Charlotte Rampling (whose shock is best left unrevealed) are the epitome of the seedy wheels of what passes for justice and 'love'. Newman, an alcoholic with one last prospect, struggles for redemption against mountainous odds, giving the most honest performance of his career. Warden is Newman's essential wiser alter ego. This film is no less than that rare cimematic device -- the allegory. Each character represents a larger truth -- in addition to Mason, O'Shea, and Rampling, Joe Seneca as a black, ancient (degraded) doctor for the vegetative plaintiff; Catholic archidiocese bishop Ed Binns up to his collar in fraud; a nationally-renowned physician with secret blood on his hands; and a simple honest woman who wanted nothing more than to be a nurse - Lindsay Crouse in a career performance. And there is the superb Mamet writing throughout. This is a courtroom thriller that will nail you to your seat to the very end. And absolutely true to life -- my view, at least, after 20 years as a lawyer. I also teach law and never miss a chance to show this film to my students. An amazing cinematic achievement, disturbing in its implications.

A grand film of triumph over failure
This film is one of the best in Paul Newman's stellar career, and he carries it convincingly with a spare, taut, no-frills performance. His Frank Galvin, an alcoholic has-been attorney with a bleak future is a defeated and pathetic figure, reduced to appearing at funeral homes during visitation hours to hustle business from bereaved family members. Even when long-time friend Mickey Morrissey [Jack Warden] hands Galvin a lucrative case on a silver platter, his star witness disappears to an unknown Caribbean island after having promised to testify against the hospital and Catholic Church for malpractice. Galvin's determination to see the case through is the first step to his recovery from the bottle and self-pity. The comatose woman's sister and brother-in-law who he represents in court have lost confidence in Galvin, he seems overmatched by the glib and polished Ed Concannon [James Mason] who represents the interests of the Church, and he has incurred the wrath of a biased, mean-spirited judge [Milo O'Shea]. To make matters worse, his girlfriend Laura [Charlotte Rampling] is little more than a Trojan horse in the Galvan camp and her true intentions come to light only after Mickey stumbles on the truth quite by chance. The movie was filmed under Boston's gray, overcast skies and has a gloomy forecast for Galvin in his quest for redemption and reward for a man who has been defeated by life but makes one last attempt to get off the deck and regain his self-respect and stature in his profession.

the film lets down the star
THE VERDICT is one of Paul Newman's most celebrated performances. He plays a down-at-the-heels lawyer named Frank Galvin who lucks his way into a big case involving two doctors who have been horribly negligent, sending a young woman into a coma.
Newman wonderfully gets at Galvin's desperation, and how he fights through an alcoholic haze. It's a thoughtfully worked out performance centered around Newman's wonderfully expressive eyes. Sadly, the rest of THE VERDICT could be taught in a Courtroom Movie Cliche 101 class. The lone lawyer vs the big firm (led by James Mason), altered documents, surprise witnesses, shenanigans by the hospital, it's all here. Even though I enjoyed the acting and the Boston atmosphere, I saw a lot of the plot coming.
The cast includes Jack Warden as Newman's only friend, Joe Seneca, Lindsay Crouse, Wesley Addy, and a chilly Charlotte Rampling as a mysterious woman who crosses Newman's path. The commentary by director Sidney Lumet is of the "everybody was great/this is where we shot" variety.

A Monumental Cinematic Treasure
THE VERDICT may date back to 1982, but few courtroom films since then can come close to matching the powerful production in this near perfect film written by David Mamet and directed with tension, grit, and tenderness by Sidney Lumet. Paul Newman's performance as the alcoholic has-been lawyer called upon to try a case of medical malpractice is one of the finest acting performances in history. He is more than ably abetted by his sidekick Jack Warden. The lawyer for the defense is the haughty and evil James Mason and the real surprise in the cast is Milo O'Shea in a terrifyingly real role of a smarmy Judge. Charlotte Rampling, still one of today's finest actresses, plays the understated love interest. Minor roles become major when they are in the hands of such gifted actors as Lindsay Crouse and Julia Bravasso. But one unsung hero of this fine film is the cinematographer who manages to make every shot appear like a Renaissance painting, so sensitive is he to light and shadow and frame composition.

THE VERDICT is a powerful story of the underdog's struggle for truth in the judicial system and as such is a reminder of how the Law, when stripped to its essentials, is there to protect us. There is no pat ending, only a feeling of breathlessness as all of the details of the story are left to our imagination - well, almost. A strikingly powerful, meaningful, brilliantly executed film. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Klute should have been on the AFI list
Klute is one of my favorite films of all time.It ranks right up there with "The Parallax View" as Allan Pakula's best film.Donald Sutherland gives a superb performance as the low-key sensitive cop, Klute, and Jane Fonda is wonderful (as always).The film is brilliant in so many ways. It is very visually striking, perfectly acted, great musical score, I cannot say enough about this movie. It is a quintessential American film that along with so many others from the 70's: Deliverance, The Parallax View, The Conversation, Night Moves, and from the late 60's, Point Blank, was unjustly left of AFI's top 100 movies list.

klute begat blade runner
"Klute" is far above average for the era... evocative music is used with excellent editing to produce what is still a rarity today: a suspenseful, realistic move with characters an audience cares about. Alan Pakula's spare technique is juxtaposed with rich sets and costumes to set a creepy mood, combining beautifully to give the viewer a gradually increasing chill which culminates in a harrowing climax. Certainly one can see the influence "Klute" in such diverse films as "Blade Runner" (particularly in one scene where Bree rides an elevator to the top floor of a dress factory) and "The Blair Witch Project" which relied on similarly subtle hints to freak out the viewer). Add to the mix superb performances by Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland and you have yourself one hell of a film. And something to think about in the bargain.

A Second Rate Thriller
Klute is a movie that aspires to the cult status of Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation but where The Conversation is compelling, Klute is vapid. It simply lacks inventiveness and originality.

Klute is a second-rate thriller. The plot eventually takes on predictability and is short on logic and terror. Klute is one of those movies that looks great but has no real substance. You don't care about the characters.

Klute does not offer any surprises whatsoever and the ending became quite predictable before it was half over. What good is a mystery if everything is pretty obvious and you can guess everything that's about to take place? This attempt at a psychological thriller is mindless. The plot is thin. Guy kills for no apparent reason.

In sum, Klute is a movie to avoid.

Excellent movie - amazing acting. But...
Jane Fonda was pretty unpopular when she did this movie. So she had alot against her to win and Oscar. But her amazing acting shon through and she won. Donald Sutherland was good and contributes to the atmosphere of the movie.

But..
Here's the problem. Warner Brothers have released this film on DVD which means it comes in an annoying card case instead of the usual plastic durable DVD boxes you'd get else where. They dont last as long, and it's harder to put in to a dvd collection when it has totally different dimensions to the rest.
It's quite a job to cut and place in a normal box. For the sake of 25 cence in cost saving, they've doing themselves a diservice. The security tags are hard to get off due to the sticky tag being stuck to [you guessed it] card.

You won't believe it's 30 years old.
This could be a film -about- the late sixties, done today. It's just superb. It holds up so well ... it makes you struggle with the problem of why most other older films become so dated ... Great DVD image, by the way. Very different than watching it on TV. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

All films take a certain suspension of disbelief. Fight Club takes perhaps more than others, but if you're willing to let yourself get caught up in the anarchy, this film, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, isa modern-day morality play warning ofthe decay of society. Edward Norton is the unnamed protagonist, a man going through life on cruise control, feeling nothing. To fill his hours, he begins attending support groups and 12-step meetings. True, he isn't actually afflicted with the problems, but he finds solace in the groups. This is destroyed, however, when he meets Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), also faking her way through groups. Spiraling back into insomnia, Norton finds his life is changed once again, by a chance encounter with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), whose forthright style and no-nonsense way of taking what he wants appeal to our narrator. Tyler and the protagonist find a new way to feel release: they fight. They fight each other, and then as others are attracted to their ways, they fight the men who come to join their newly formed Fight Club. Marla begins a destructive affair with Tyler, and things fly out of control, as Fight Club grows into a nationwide fascist group that escapes the protagonist's control.

Fight Club, directed by David Fincher (Seven), is notfor the faint of heart; the violence is no holds barred. But the film is captivating and beautifully shot, with some thought-provoking ideas. Pitt and Norton are an unbeatable duo, and the film has some surprisingly humorous moments. The film leaves you with a sense of profound discomfort and a desire to see it again, if for no other reason than to just to take it all in. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (1184)

This Movie is Why "Professional" Critics Must Go
I didn't see this movie in the theaters because it had gotten very mixed reviews from the so-called professional movie reviewers. But, when it hit the local vidoe store, I thought I would give it a try. WOW, what a kick in the teeth, interesting, and fast moving journey into one man's mind. The path this movie takes is fantastic.

Norton and Pitt are perfectly cast, and supported by a crew of fight club members that make for a well-acted show. Meatloaf, Ed Gil, Jared Leto, et. al. are great in support as the members/followers of the leads. Helena Bonham Carter has the only real female role in this film and is perfectly cast. But as much as the acting, this movie is made by the story. Unconventional, with a great twist at the end, the whole movie kept me on the edge of my seat. As with many great movies, it is hard to classify the genre (action, comedy, drama), as there is a sampling of all in this film. In the end, I would just classify this as a great film.

Much was made of the violence of this movie when it first hit the theaters. Those critics overstated the case. There is blood and violence in the movie, but it is not excessive and it serves the plot well.

If you missed this in the theater, see it now. If you saw it once, see it again. I will.

Fight Club-another reason to own a DVD player.
If any DVD was produced on the same level as the Terminator 2 Ultimate Edition and the Toy Story 3-Disc box set, it is this DVD. Fight Club is not only a VERY well produced DVD, but the supplemental material will keep you busy for LITERALLY hours. You will finally have a reason to 'break in' that angle button on your remote. As a story, Fight Club takes a more cerebral approach to ones thought processes. Containing many cool effects, Fight Club may make the average movie viewer pop a few Excedrins while trying to figure out the point of the film. While many may finish the movie in total confusion, mostly everyone will agree that Fight Club is a unique movie experience. When I received the DVD package, I was instantly impressed with the graphic design of the outer package, the discs themselves and the booklet that is included. Initially, this DVD comes off as a "special edition" rather then a simple "movie release on DVD". Whoever created the graphics on the cover and throughout the booklet has a very active imagination. Disc one has the film, disc two has the supplemental material. ** Pause the third FBI WARNING at the beginning of the disc....it is quite funny** Disc one offers you your usual "chapters" choices with 'moving' scenes (like The Matrix), audio setup for Dolby surround for both a 2 speaker setups and 5.1 setups in English and Spanish. This is also a THX certified DVD, so it includes a THX setup screen. Disc one also gives you the choice of several audio commentaries to listen to throughout the film, including David Fincher, Bradd Pitt, Ed Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, the novelist and the screenwriter, the Director of Photography, Visual Effects Supervisor and a couple of others. In a nutshell, you have a choice to listen to A LOT of people, a great addition to this DVD. Picture quality of Fight Club was incredible. Overall, the picture is moody and dark with beautiful blacks and wonderful color detail. It is beautifully photographed with incredible shadow detail and crystal clear highlights. Sound quality was equally impressive. Being THX certified, you can expect nothing less then awesome. Edward Nortons voice-over sounds very live, as though he's sitting right in front of you. The sound has beautiful detail, with stereo separation being impressively realistic and the music and dialogue recorded incredibly well. Surround detail is amazing with some scenes having deep bass that will make the neighbors call the cops. Disc two will stay in your DVD player for a long time. The supplemental material includes crew and cast information. behind the scenes of the production, the visual effects and on-location footage with commentaires and multiple angles.......WOW! Disc two also contains seven deleted scenes as well as trailers, TV spots, music videos, an interview with Edward Norton and a bunch of storyboards, visual effects stills, paintings and many other additions to keep your fingers happy on that remote. The Producers of this DVD should be applauded....not only is the picture and sound quality top-notch, but the graphical elements and the supplemental materials included are fantastic and incredibly entertaining. I highly recommend this DVD for those who enjoyed this movie in the theatre, who are curious about the film, or those simply interested in seeing what a superb DVD release is all about. Enjoy!

Not bad, but...
OK, blend Matrix, Guy Richi, and Osama Bin Laden and you get a masterpiece? A funny comedy, not more. Fight Club is brilliant in the beginning with all that satire, but when it gets philosophical, I felt like I have seen this before.

Famous Fight Club quote.
"F*** Martha Stewart. Martha's polishing the brass on the Titanic; it's all going down, man."

-- She just 5 months in prison and 5 months of home confinement. Isn't it wierd how much of this film has been almost prophetic?

Outstanding commentaries
All the commentaries you could want, and they're all great. The actor's commentary is at least as entertaining as the film. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

A sensuous, erotic and touching love story
"The Lover" is a gorgeously sensuous and erotic film about a young girl's awakening to love and her own sexuality. Whover categorized this movie as soft porn needs to wash his or her mind out with Lysol. It is, quite simply, a love story. Jane March plays "the young girl", a French adolescent in colonial Vietnam living with her widowed mother and two brothers. Her mother barely makes ends meet by teaching, her younger brother, with whom she has a relationship both protective and erotic, is weak and passive, and her older brother is brutally antisocial, stealing the family's few funds to support his opium habit and bullying his younger siblings through violence. The girl attends a lycee in Saigon wh