Reviews (4)

Good, old, HBO horror series
They really should bring this series back. To those of you who have been living under a rock for the last 16 years, this is basically a very good, revamped-gory version of the twilight zone. Some great short horror stories!
Side note: I still have the old Crypt keeper dolls (still in their boxes) in my closet. I bought them at Spencer's gifts ages ago, maybe someday they will be worth something.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the FEAREST of them all?"
Welcome to my review, horror freaks! So glad you could join me and read about the 6 eerie episodes of HBO's "Tales from the Crypt," the very ones that helped the series rise from its tomb back in 1989. It's been 9 long years since the show went off the air, and until now, I've been waiting for the Crypt Keeper's putrid puns and awful alliterations to be forever preserved on DVD format. And why not? The show lasted a full 7 seasons and featured many of the biggest actors and directors in Hollywood. Each tale carefully incorporates the grisly black humor William M. Gaines EC comic books, which were almost banned in the 1950's. Did I say 'almost?' Anyway, as other HBO programs like "Dream On," "Deadwood," and "Carnivale" were packaged and displayed on Best Buy shelves, I wondered if "Tales" would ever be among them. Well, the time has finally arrived, creeps! As stated by John Kassir himself, Warner Brothers wisely chose to create these discs so we ourselves can scare the next generation of kiddies to come. Even better is the fact that the second disc of this Season 1 set will contain a sickening array of never-before-seen extras. I don't want to give the surprises away, but I will briefly tell you the stories you are about to see. Enter, if you dare!
"Dig that Cat...He's Real Gone" stars Joe Pantoliano as Ulric, a homeless alcoholic who becomes a rich and famous sideshow performer after a mad doctor (Gustav Vintas) surgically implants a cat's gland into Ulric's brain. This procedure allows him to die and return to life nine times. Morbid hilarity ensues as a carnival barker (Robert Wuhl) presents Ulric the Undying to astounded audiences who watch him get electrocuted, hanged, drowned in a tank, and shot with an arrow (among other things).
In "The Man Who was Death," Bill Sadler (who eventually starred in the 1995 Tales from the Crypt film "Demon Knight") plays Niles Talbot, a state executioner who loses his job after spending 12 years pulling the switch. This resulted because the government unexpectantly repealed the death penalty. However, not wanting to abandon his favorite occupation, Niles drifts to the other side of the law by killing criminals who were acquitted by the courts.
The frightening and festive "And All Through the House" stars Mary Ellen Trainor as a devious housewife named Elizabeth, who brutally bludgeons her husband with a poker to collect on an insurance policy. Just when she is ready to eliminate the corpse, a homicidal maniac donning a Santa Claus costume (Larry Drake) terrorizes her with an axe. Even worse, Elizabeth can't call the police for fear of being convicted of first degree murder and losing custody of her daughter.
Vanity and greed play a central role in "Only Sin Deep," a tale about a street prostitute named Sylvia Vane (Lea Thompson). After killing a pimp and stealing his gold jewellry, she willingly sells her beauty to a strange pawnbroker (Britt Leach) in exchange for $10,000 cash. At first, Sylvia wins over the affections of a suave playboy millionaire. But immediately afterward, as a result of some black magic performed by the pawnbroker, she gets increasingly distraught as her face quickly ages. Desperate to buy back her looks, she shoots her rich lover dead, but is then forced to avoid prison by staying ugly for life.
Prepare for a honeymoon hell in "Lover Come Hack To Me." Here, a cunning bachelor named Charles (Stephen Shellen) marries a naive Peggy (Amanda Plummer) for her inheritance money. On a rainy night, after accidentally getting stuck in an abandoned mansion, the two go up to the bedroom and make perfect love for the very first time. Originally, Charles was going to kill Peggy and stage the crime to look like a burglary. But he soon discovers that her family history is cursed, and that much darker skeletons lie in the bride's closet.
Last but not least is one of my favorite episodes, "Collection Completed." M. Emmet Walsh plays Jonas, a grouchy tool salesman who finally gets to retire after 47 years on the job. His slightly odd wife Anita (Audra Lindley) has developed a fondness for pets...alot of pets. In fact, she keeps a zoo-full of cats, dogs, and birds in the house. On top of that, she talks to squirrels and runs an aquarium in the bathtub. Obviously, such an attachment to animals is enough to drive Jonas up the wall! Inevitably, he gets sick and tired of not having enough attention, and he gleefully takes up taxidermy as a hobby. But those poor animals weren't the only living creatures that ended up getting stuffed.

Tales from the Crypt
I have written HBO countless e-mails over the years begging for this dvd set. I never received one e-mail response from HBO. Oh, well. I really did not expect one.
This is one of the best horror shows, period. Some of the top horror/adventure writers and directors wrote and directed these episodes. I believe this series ran for seven seasons. This can be intense stuff, not for children because of the nudity, sex, graphic violence, superb gore effects, language, and more. Some of these stories are truly the stuff of nightmares. They will haunt you.
If you have never seen Tales from the Crypt you are in for a treat, if you are a fan of horror. Go to your local book store and pick-up a trade paperback of the old EC comics these stories are based upon to get a feel for the translation from comic book to television show. Wait until you meet the Cryptkeeper, who introduces each episode, for a meeting of the surreal and insane and just plain weird. And, you will see some big name stars come to fantastic demises. Just wait, you'll see.
Now, where are Tales from the Darkside and Friday the 13th the series. These are two more violent horror series from the pre-politically correct present day.

Great Series Finds It's Footing In A TV/DVD Obsessed World
Yes, It has finally happened: Warner Bros./HBO Productions has announced that a 2-Disc, First Season set of "Tales from the Crypt" will be released on July 12th. The first season consisted of six episodes that fit quite nicely on this set's first disc. They are: "The Man Who Was Death", Dig That cat...He's Real Gone", "All Through The House", "Only Sin Deep", "Lover Come Hack To Me", and "Collection Completed". The second disc will hold bonus features that are rumored to include 2 Featurettes: One on "Tales From Comic Books To Television" and the other on "The First Season's History." Plus a new introduction by "The CryptKeeper"(John Kassir). Now this has not been confirmed, so it's pretty much a rumor but these are the possibilities. So far, there is no cover art or any other materials but stay tuned to tvshowsondvd.com for more news info which should be coming soon! Tales From The Crypt: Season One, July 12th! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Coming after The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, this thriller about a collaboration between two serial killers feels like a pale attempt to cash in on the success of those earlier, better films. That's a pity, because this film certainly has its strengths--particularly in the central performances of Morgan Freeman as a forensic detective and Ashley Judd as a would-be victim who escaped from one of the killers. Director Gary Fleder demonstrates visual flair and maintains an involving undercurrent of tension, but as this adaptation of James Patterson's novel approaches its climax, familiar elements combine to form a chronic case of thriller déjà vu. It's altogether competent filmmaking in the service of a moribund story of competing psychopaths, and by the time the serial killers reach the home stretch of their twisted contest, the movie's dangerously close to Freddy Kruger territory, with a finale that could've been borrowed from any dozen similar thrillers. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (54)

A Taut Thriller with Great Characters, Thrills and Twists.
What "Kiss the Girls" Lacks in Originality, It makes up for in Action, Thrills, Pacing, Performances; it makes up for it in Every way Possible. Morgan Freeman takes his performance in "Seven" and makes it Younger, Tougher and Less Cynical.

Morgan plays Alex Cross, a Forensic Psychiatrist who's Niece has been Abducted. Alex joins the Investigation into the Serial Killer believed responsible, He is known as "Casanova". He Abducts Strong Willed Women and keeps them in an Underground Cave. Ashley Judd co-stars as Kate Mctiernan, the next girl to be Abducted. This time, Casanova has Bitten off more than he can Chew, as Kate is a little Too strong willed. She escapes and teams up with Alex to catch Casanova.

Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven and Brian Cox give Great Performances in Underwritten, Underused supporting roles. Freeman and Judd are the only Actors in the film who are given the Screen time to Shine, and Shine they do.

The Camerawork in the film is a real Standout..., Director Gary Fleder knows where the camera should be at all times, when to cut away, when to stay with the shot. He is the perfect mix between a Seasoned, Patient director and a Fast-Paced Music Video Director.

"Kiss the Girls" is a More than worthy entry into the Serial Killer Genre. Alex Cross is a Character that I hope to see more and more of, and I hope to see how "Along Came a Spider" turns out. (in which Morgan again plays Alex Cross)

I would give this a 12 on a scale of 1-10
Morgan Freeman plays a Crime Scene Physcologist who leaves his jurisdiction to head to the college town in North Carolina, where his neice has been abducted by a serial killer/abductor. The intense criminal mind of the abductor feels he must capture smart, beautiful women and hold them captive until they fall inlove with him. If they disobey he ties them to trees for the wild animals. Ashley Judd plays an extremely smart doctor who gets abducted and then ultimately escapes. She then helps Morgan Freeman head up the investigation into the world of one sick mind. It's a very intensive thriller that will have you hanging on the edge of your seat and you won't know the true identity of the killer until the end. Ashely Judd gives her usual outstanding performance, as does Morgan Freeman. I'm not usually a thriller movie buff, but this one might just make me change my mind.

Isn't Gonna Win A OSCAR, but It's Quality Entertainment!
Washington, DC police detective Alex Cross (Freeman) receives a call that his niece Naomi has been abducted from the Durham area, and he decides that he needs to go there to help find her. Once he gets there, he is informed that one of the women abducted has been found dead tied to a tree. He, along with Nick Ruskin (Elwes) and Davey Skes (McArthur), the two Durham detectives heading up the task force, head out to the location. Alex is fearful that it's his niece, but is relieved that it's not her.

Meanwhile, we meet Kate McTiernan (Judd), a doctor at the local hospital. Not only is she a doctor, but she's also a kick-boxer. But that does her little good when she discovers a stranger in her house, who knocks her unconscious. When she comes to, she finds herself in a small room. And shortly after regaining conscious, the person who has abducted her appears at her bedside. She manages to get out of the room and escapes by jumping into a river. After she recovers, she decides to help Alex out with his investigation, against his protests. But he realizes that she's his best opportunity to find his niece, so reluctantly agrees.

The abducter starts taunting the police, sending them notes about the women. He signs his notes as Cassanova. Cassanova was a great lover, and Alex deduces that he isn't a killer, he's a collector. He only kills when the women disappoint or cross him. After some more investigating, he finds a connection between Cassanova and a plastic surgeon on the West Coast. It seems that there are also a string of abductions there, but these women all turn up dead, with one of their feet missing.

I can't say any more without giving away too much of the plot. KISS THE GIRLS has a good story, with very good acting by all involved. When Judd's character of McTiernan is in her cell communicating with the other girls, she's so convincing that it's like she was actually there. Morgan Freeman is very good in the role of Alex Cross. The supporting cast is pretty good, as well.

**SPOILER** The only real problem I have with KISS THE GIRLS is that the story, which is good as I said above, is just too similar to a lot of other movies in the thriller genre. It's really frustating to see movie after movie with the "killer is someone we met earlier" plot-line. It might have been clever at one time, but now it is just so common-place, that the viewer almost automatically look for clues as to who the killer is. I had this one pegged not too long after we first meet him.

Based solely on the story of this movie, I would give it a three. It's basically the same movie the viewer has seen before, but with a different twist on the plot. But I have to give it a four because of the acting, especially Freeman and Judd. If Freeman has made a bad movie, I haven't seen it yet. I recommend this movie, but if you pay attention, you can figure out who Cassanova is without too much difficulty. Story rates a three, but the acting pulls it up to a four. Go check it out.

a smart thriller
I liked "Kiss the Girls" quiet a bit. Brilliant psycologist and homicide detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) goes to North Carolina to help search for his missing niece. It turns out that she is actually one of many missing girls, the killer is a collector. As it seems the police have exhausted all leads, one of the killer's victoms (Ashley Judd) escapes. She helps Cross with a lot of information that leads him to realize there is a copy cat killer in L.A. Eventually they figure out it isn't copy cat, but the two know each other, andf they are competing with each other. "Kiss the Girls" was unfairly compared with "Silence of the Lambs" and "Se7en", itr shouldn't have been; it firmly stands on it's own. What would have been nice, however, would have been a little more motive from the killers, other than them being drivin by ego. Morgan Freeman as always dose a brilliant job in what could have been a traditonally 'Dirty Harry' cop and made him more human and caring. Ashley Judd dose pretty good too. She is far from helpless. She is strong, resourceful, and smart. She isn't all that just because she has to be, she really feels tough. Brian Cox as the lead police man is appropriotly authoritive and wise (sometimes). Tony Goldwyn is ok as smug plastic surgen and serial killer. All in all, it's an excellent way to kill a few hours.

Really good
I really liked this movie I read the book and then I saw the movie and I was amazed at how closely it followed the plot of the book it wasn't exactly on since the books goes into more detail and keeps you more in suspense but all in all it was really good especially with Ashley Judd and morgan freeman involved in the movie. I would recommend buying this movie ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Slick and original
A friend of mine told me about "Things to do in Denver..." a few years ago. For my birthday this year I recieved the DVD. While I love all of Quentin Tarantino's films, I don't believe any of his work can live up to a film such as this (with the exception of maybe "Pulp Fiction"). Andy Garcia plays Jimmy the Saint, an ex-mafioso that gets pulled back into the business by The Man With The Plan (Christopher Walken, that's the only name we get). To unfamiliar ears, the story might sound familar and worn out. It is not, in fact screenwriter Scott Rosenberg puts an entirely different spin on the plot, keeping this audience in suspense until the very last closing credit.

This movie works on several different levels. First, the casting was phenonminal. Andy Garcia, Treat Williams, Christopher Lloyd, Bill Nunn, Gabrielle Anwar, William Forsythe and Christopher Walken comprise the ensemble cast. Second, Scott Rosenberg's irresistable knack for clever dialogue and twisted plots will always be a crowd pleaser.

With "Things to do in Denver...", you simply cannot go wrong. Purchase the DVD and let us know what you think. If there were only a few more extras on the disc, I think I might add it as one of my faves.

With more extras, this one would be a slammer!!
You've probably never heard of this movie, and gotten here by mistake. But do yourself a favour, and read on. Please.
This movie is my third favourite movie of all time (1. the crow, 2. Fearless.)
The movie is a classic about a more hidden mafia organisation gone in hiding, and Jimmy 'The Saint' Tosnia (Andy Garcia) trying to live a normal life again. His new found job doesn't really pay as much, and his temptation for one last job with the boss himself "Man with the Plan" (Christopher Walken.)gets the better of him.

What happens next is up to you to find out, but I promise you: Loads of action, drama, humour, and GREAT acting is what you'll experience in this great flick! Christopher Walken gets a role he really shines in, Andy Garcia is nothing else but spectacular, there is even a little extra sparcle when Steve Buscemi enters the scene as assassin Mr. Shhh, and actually EVERYBODY in this movie does a marvelous job in their specific roles giving this movie the "real feel".

The extras are just clips from interviews with the actors. Some of the interviews seem to jump in the middle of a conversation, and it is hard to get to grips with what is actually being said. A more throughout interview with Walken himself, and more of Garcia, would have been preferred. But nonetheless, this is a DVD you can not afford to miss if you call yourself a fan of movies.

GREAT FILM NAMES, GREAT PACE.
They must have liked the script and great characters as Jimmy The Saint, Franchise, E-Z Winn and Mr. Shush. Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi and others decided to forego their usual paydays to act in this now indie classic. THINGS TO DO IN DENVER is a great paced, extremely likeable film. The most fervent work is turned in by Treat Williams, as psychotic Critical Bill, and the major cool, Walken as the wheelchair bound, Man With The Plan (Jenny McCarthy as his nurse). Jack Warden old-pros his way by semi-narrating the tale of a group of misbegotten criminals and their impending doom. I'd buy at the Thick 'N' Rich anyday. Boat drinks all around!

This movie is like a commercial...
all stylish and aimed-to-please, until you realize that you are being had. So much style and so little substance. The only thing going for this flick is the fact that somehow the director/writer has each of these 10 characters legitimately vying for the honor of biggest d-bag to ever grace the screen. That takes some kind of talent at least. If any of these jerks hung out with a mutual friend, you would avoid your friend like the plague. And what's up with these catch phrases? They're obviously meant to be cool, but it would be cooler listening to a group of nerds talk amongst themselves at a pocket protector seminar. "Give it a name?" I can think of quite a few names to give it. And let's talk about the plot. Why's a well-off entrepreneur ex-mobster tough guy need to assemble a 'crew' to threaten a stoner? Can't a mob boss find someone a little more competent? My god, it's so asinine it's cracking me up right now.
If you have any taste, do not believe the close-to-5-star rating. This movie is comparable to thinking you lucked out getting a date with the coolest, hottest person in school only to find out later that evening that they don't wipe properly. It's not what it seems.

Post-Tarantino knock-off, tries too hard, has its moments...
No, you've probably not heard of this movie before. Yes, there is probably a good reason for that (any number of movies like this came out in the year following "Pulp Fiction"). No, this movie is not a waste of your time. Yes, within a few minutes you will have a PERFECTLY clear understanding of the term "wanna-be". And NO, I do not plan on spending the rest of this review writing like this.

An impressive gathering of character actors like this can mean only one thing: "Indie Cred" (or the desperate attempt to obtain it). And making a "stylish gangster movie" is probably the most obvious way to get there. Create some unusual (even disturbing) characters, write some slick dialogue, and add an air of inevitable doom to the atmosphere and you've pretty much captured the elements that made Quentin Tarantino a fortune and has enabled him to squander the talent that he has for the last 10 years.

In this narrative tale (not entirely convincingly told by Jack Warden) we find the typical "trying-to-go-straight" but struggling career criminal (Andy Garcia) being enticed back to work for his former mob boss (Christopher Walken in the first of two memorable roles spent confined to a chair -see "Suicide Kings"). It's a simple job; "encourage" the boyfriend of the boss's son's ex-girlfriend to leave her, hoping that she'll give the boss's son (who is borderline psychotic, by the way) another chance. Garcia hooks up again with the assortment of characters who make up his former gang and everything goes wrong bigtime. Mob boss Walken is not amused, orders everyone killed, and the movie progresses from there.

It's a lot like "2 Days in the Valley", actually...except it's in Denver. And Denver, I have to say, never having been there in person, looks like a charming city.

The real reason to see this movie is to watch The Greatest Pick-Up Line Ever. Andy Garcia delivers it when he meets the hopelessy sexy Gabrielle Anwar, and even though you KNOW it's an obvious line, he pulls it off amazingly well. Definitely worth seeing. Worth owning if you dig the genre. And definitely worth owning if you're a Christopher Walken fan. ... Read more

Reviews (284)

Weak adaptation made good by Weisz, Hackman, and Hoffman.
Very weak adaptation of the John Grisham novel lacks the big bang of the book, and settles for a messy look at Gun Control that does not fit the structure of what the book was intended. The film itself looks unprofessional, and the screenplay is not good ether. The plot has no soul, and the intentions of the characters are not really giving a real motive to work with. The whole high tech side of gathering information about the jury is really ridiculous and should be put in a spy film other than a court movie. The acting is good with Gene Hackman, Rachel Weisz, and Dustin Hoffman doing their best with what is giving but their efforts are wasted in keeping the movie afloat while the script problems begins to eat itself alive while you are watching the screen. Never the less, Hackman, Weisz, and Hoffman do keep you compelled with what is going on, even when the movie does not.

Judging by how they made this film, John Grisham should never let Hollywood make another movie out of his books, because they always turn out pretty bad.

Improbable but Intriguing Thriller.
New Orleans is set to be the site of a monumental courtroom battle between gun manufacturers and anti-gun activists. A woman whose husband was killed when a disgruntled client went on a shooting rampage at his brokerage firm has enlisted the help of prominent New Orleans attorney Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) in suing the gun manufacturer whose "Saturday night special" killed her husband for damages. The Vicksburg Firearms Company has gotten themselves the best attorney that money can buy, and they have hired a crack jury consultant by the name of Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) to ensure their victory before the trial has begun. But both Fitch and Rohr discover, much to their consternation, that the jury may not be theirs to influence. Juror Nick Easter (John Cusack) and his girlfriend Marlee (Rachel Weisz) have the jury in their pocket and intend to sell it to the highest bidder.

"Runaway Jury" is based on John Grisham's best-selling novel of the same name. I haven't read the novel, but I understand that Wendell Rohr's character has been altered substantially for the film in order to more clearly differentiate between the two rival parties, and a gun manufacturer has been substituted for a tobacco company. The explosive confrontation between Rohr and Fitch -the only scene that these two great actors share- did not occur in the book. "Runaway Jury" is an effective, although almost entirely implausible, thriller that sucks the audience in by giving us a taste of what goes on behind the scenes in high profile court cases. Specifically, we get to see the bizarre sub-culture of jury consultation and manipulation. The length and expense to which parties will go to stack a jury is endlessly fascinating and overcomes the story's more fantastic elements. The "war room" where Fitch and his team plot and plan is particularly interesting. The film's cast is spot-on. John Cusack is one of those actors that inspire sympathy in any role, which is helpful here since we know nothing about Nick except that he is trying to sell a jury. Dustin Hoffman is convincingly idealistic and naive as Rohr. And Gene Hackman is deliciously ruthless as Fitch. "Runaway Jury" has enough twists, turns, and thrills to keep us interested for the duration of its 2-hour-plus running time. It's a fun, unpredictable thriller with the added bonus of some insight into the art and science of jury selection.

The DVD: This is a terrific disc that will more than satisfy fans and film buffs alike. These are the bonus features: 2 deleted scenes with director's commentary. 2 scenes from the film with actor commentary: Gene Hackman comments of the film's last scene, and Dustin Hoffman comments on the Washroom scene in which he appears with Hackman. "Exploring the Scene" featurette about the genesis and filming of the Washroom scene, the only scene in the film which Hoffman and Hackman share, including interviews with the two actors and director Gary Fleder. "Off the Cuff", an interview in which Hoffman and Hackman talk about their long friendship since 1956 when they were both students at The Pasadena Playhouse, sharing an apartment in New York, and some more recent anecdotes. "The Ensemble", a short featurette about the cast, including interviews with Rachel Weisz and John Cusack. A "making-of" documentary, which isn't very informative but includes, among other things, a short interview with Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, who was the jury consultant for the defense in O.J. Simpson's trial. "Shadow and Light", an interview with the film's cinematographer, Robert Elswit. "A Vision of New Orleans", in which production designer Nelson Coates shows us around the courtroom set that was created for the film. "Rhythm", an interview with the film's editor, William Steinkamp, in which we see an example of his important contribution to the film. The disc also has a full-length audio commentary by director Gary Fleder, which I didn't listen to, because I was worn out from the other extras. Much thanks to 20th Century Fox for putting together a feature-packed disc and especially to Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman for contributing so much of their time. Dubbing is available in French and Spanish. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

The strong performance of Rachel Weisz is the only plus here
Derivative thriller that not only does not stay close to the book but also lacks the insight to give a better show. The script has too many problems and the pacing starts and stalls at will in the most starling of moments. The acting is fine with Rachel Weisz stealing the show and doing better than she should have consitering the script is flat and Gene Hackman doing his best work in years. The whole espionage aspect to the film just does not work, and in reality, the case would have been throng out of a real court. The acting is the only plus in this film and that is a miracle because the rest of the film just does not work.

Thanks to Rachel Weisz and Gene Hackman, the movie is just ok but if it had a decent script, it could have been better.

Anti-gun propoganda
This movie is utter nonsense done by leftist actors who hate the 2nd ammendment more than the people who actually kill people. Don't waste your time by watching this or any other left wing nonsense.

Weisz, Hackman and Hoffman are great but the film is not.
Lackluster adaptation to the John Grisham novel has only the acting to save it for total disaster with great performances by Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman but they are working from a half baked script that in essence does not know what it wants to be and direction that is marginal at best. The tobacco story is gutted for a pure and simple look at gun violence, and the setting of New Orleans is not the original setting of the book.

If you want to see this movie, the acting more than makes up for the problems it has, but not by much. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

It's P.K.Dick: Fugitive in the Future to Unsettle Your Heart
Facts first. "Impostor" is based on P.K. Dick's short story and its cast include familiar faces in this sci-fi genre; Gary Sinise appeared in "Mission to Mars": Vincent D'Onofrio in "Men in Black": Madeleine Stowe in "12 Monkeys" and Tony Shalhoub in "Galaxy Quest" and "Men in Black" again. Typecast? You may think. Forget it, and watch the names of director and writers.

Gary Fleder is famous for the gripping thriller "Kiss the Girls" but more impressive names are Ehren Kruger and David Twohy. Kruger is responsible for "Scream 3" "Reindeer Games" and that shocker "Arlington Road," and of course Twohy is a guy behind the camera of "Pitch Black." Now you know what I am going to say. "Impostor" is very an unsettling movie, to say the least.

And the original short story was written by P.K. Dick, master of creating an authentic view on the future world. The film version respects that merit, and in the first three minutes throws you into the world at a devastating war with aliens in the shortest way. After that, the film follows the protagonist, a scientist Spencer (Sinise), who, without his knowing, got involved in a plot whose nature should remain secret here. As a result, Spencer runs away in a "Fugitive" fashion to prove the truth, hiding from the government agent (D'Onofrio) who is obsessed with hunting down every suspect in an uncompromising way. Here the director Fleder keeps a good, fast pace from the surprising opening to the end, grabbing your attention throughout the movie. The producion designs that realize the bleak future world (including a hospital where Stowe's character works, or ID system that recongize you anywhere you go) are, if familiar, very impressive visually. Though the idea itself is not particularly new, the director guides you skillfully through the maze of the future world.

This film has already been released theatrically in Japan with the title "Clone" in the autumn of 2001, and is originally based on a short film Fleder is said to have made. Dimention Films first commissioned omnibus short sci-fi films from three directors, and one of them was Fleder's. The company was so happy about his segment that they made it a feature film, which turned out to be "Impostor." As this production history suggests, "Impostor" suffers a little from the prolonged middle-section. The episodes about stealing medicines, or unlikely friendship between a bounty hunter (Mekhi Phifer) and Spencer seems a bit contrived though still engaging in their ways. And you may think that underrated Shalhoub is wasted again in a relatively minor role.

However, as a whole I am satisfied with this adaptation of the sci-fi master P.K. Dick, and if you are interested in his name (or anyone involved in the film), have a look. It is worth that. But beware: this is not a film for everybody's taste.

B- Movie Packs a wallop
I loved Impostor. I knew it was a B movie from the get go, so it's important that you know that. It has a Total Recall feel to it, and it should since it was written by the same author.

The movie takes right off, but towards the middle begins to drag. The action doesnt stop but there are too many scenes with Gary Sinise just breathing heavily, staring at the camera. Impostor is based on a short story, and you can tell by all the time that is wasted.

Vincent D'Onofrio (Men in Black, Law and Order CI), is great. I only wish his character had more to do. He's the villian because he's chasing the main character, however he would be very much likable if he were on our team. He's a brillant actor, hopefully we'll see more of him on the big screen.

Some of the scenes are a little hard to believe. A lot of futuristic movies deal with a humanoid fight with Aliens. I really hope our future doesnt pin us living in fear on earth. This movie has us living without the sky, meaning the cities that are left, are coverd in Domes protecting them from Alien attacks.

Gary Sinise is great in this movie, his best work since The Stand...has he been in anything else?

In the Future, not everyone is who they seem to be.
Inspired by a short story written by Phillip K. Dick, the author who inspired one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time in Blade Runner (1982), Impostor (2002), directed by Gary Felder (Kiss the Girls, Don't Say a Word), stars a pretty impressive cast in Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, and Vincent D'Onofrio. It's odd that I hadn't even really heard of this film other than on here, but it could be it wasn't promoted enough to garner a larger audience or it may have gotten lost among the other releases that year...either way, I enjoyed it despite a number of perceived flaws.

The film takes place sometime in the not so distance future, as the Earth is involved in a galactic battle with a mysterious alien force (All your base bewrong to us!) for the last ten years. Seems these aliens want our planet in a bad way, even if it means destroying most of it in order to wipe the humans from the surface. Dr. Spencer Olham (Sinise), a patriot and a scientist working for the global government, is in charge of research developing a super sophisticated new weapon to battle the hostile inter-planetary creeps, but soon finds himself as public enemy number one as he is accused of being a cybernetic construct, a living/mechanical thing created by aliens, replacing the real Dr. Olham, with the intent of carrying out a terrorist attack on an unknown target. You see the method of the attack involves a highly explosive, yet virtually undetectable device implanted within Dr. Olham, one that activates when the carrier comes in proximity of its' target...at least this is what Major D.H. Hathaway (D'Onofrio), officer of the ESA (Earth Security Agency) claims, based on sketchy evidence collected through intercepted alien transmissions. Oh yeah, the only way to distinguish a human from an impostor is by vivisection, something which Dr. Olham isn't too keen on for obvious reasons, so he manages to escape custody for the purpose of not only clearing his name, but staying alive.

While I did enjoy the film, which is touted as a futuristic Fugitive, it does have a number of negatives working against it...but I will talk about those later. As far as the positive aspects, the production values are really good throughout, even though I noticed things used in other films like scenes and props from other films like Starship Troopers (1997), Gattaca (1997), and Armageddon (1998). I really did feel like I transported to a future environment, as the level of quality and detail was maintained throughout the film. I thought the special effects were quite good and fairly realistic, even though some of the more grand scenes like ships flying through the air were painfully obvious as CGI work. Gary Sinise, who always seems to put forth an exception effort even despite the film (okay, Reindeer Games was a pretty lame flick, but he was still pretty fun to watch), and I could feel the elements of Phillip K. Dick's story come through, although it was pretty obvious, since the film was based on a short story, that the plot had been stretched out rather than fleshed out. The level of tension within the story was kept pretty tight, as the pacing rarely slowed down. Madeleine Stowe, who plays the character of Dr. Maya Olham, Spencer's wife, is very good, but she seemed under used as her character suffered form lack of screen time and character development. I did enjoy the twist at the end, as it really screws with your mind, and you may not pick up on it until moments before it is revealed, as I did, providing a memorable finish.

The negatives...the camera work suffered at many points. The use of angular shots was over used, and gave me flashbacks of the John Travolta travesty/vanity project Battlefield Earth (2003). It wasn't as bad here as it was there, and it's a technique used to heighten tension within a film, but too much can cause a form of motion sickness in viewers, and this film just barely crossed the line in that aspect with one too many of those shots. The worst thing for me was the very regular use of slow motion. Used properly, it can be effective, but here, it seemed like every third scene involved some sort of slow motion shot, and it felt like the director was padding out the running time rather than using it to effectively present a particular shot. And throughout the film locations and military time appeared at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. I can see why the location was given in some instances (it was wholly unnecessary at some points...hey, I can tell we're in a hospital, as all the doctors, nurses and medical equipment conveys that fact), to relay specific locations to the audience, but why was the time displayed regularly? There really wasn't any time-based factor within the story, no countdown of any kind, as in Escape from New York (1981), so it was utterly pointless and annoying. Tony Shaloub makes an appearance, but his role is basically pointless, and adds little to the story, effectively wasting his talents. As far as Mekhi Phifer's character, well, it was just so very shallow it's hardly worth mentioning. And Vincent D'Onofrio's character...I normally enjoy his work, especially on Law and Order: Criminal Intent, but here I felt the character was a bit overdone, like when John Travolta plays villains on the screen (if you've seen Swordfish (2001), you'll know what I mean).

The wide screen anamorphic picture looks good here, and special features include a lame 12-minute featurette titled The Impostor Files, the original Impostor short film, and theatrical trailers for this film along with a number of others. My recommendation is to rent this film first, as once the twist ending is revealed, there isn't much replay value.

Cookieman108

HE ROBOT?
There are times in this generally well-made film that you wish director Gary Fleder hadn't let the action sag in the middle. Although it didn't destroy the film, it keeps it from being a true scifi classic.
Gary Sinise stars as a scientist who is determined to be a cyborg created to blow up a visiting chancellor. Vincent D'Onofrio is the diehard military man out to destroy him. Madeleine Stowe is Sinise's physician wife who wants to stand by her man regardless. Tony Shalhoub has a very brief role as Sinise's best friend, and Mekhi Pifer is an underground rebel who helps Sinise out.
The visual effects are stunning and beautifully filmed. The performances on the whole are adequate; D'Onofrio is brilliant, as always. The ending has a twist that I didn't see coming, but one that makes good sense.
IMPOSTOR is not a classic, but it is a well directed and acted adventure yarn.

Too boring,
I love Blade Runner, it's really awesome, this was similar but so different. Screenplay let it down, got really bored and the ending was trite.

Short and sweet this time, I wasted enough time on this clunker already.

Thanks for reading. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the bestseller by John Grisham, Runaway Jury is a slick thriller that's exciting enough to overcome the gaps in its plot. The ultimate target has been changed: Grisham's legal assault on the tobacco industry was switched to the hot-button issue of gun control (no doubt to avoid comparison to The Insider) in a riveting exposé of jury-tampering. Gene Hackman plays the ultra-cynical, utterly unscrupulous pawn of the gun-makers, using an expert staff and advanced electronics to hand-pick a New Orleans jury that will return a favorable verdict; Dustin Hoffman (making his first screen appearance with real-life former roommate Hackman) defends the grieving widow of a gun-shooting victim with idealistic zeal, while maverick juror John Cusack and accomplice Rachel Weisz play both ends against the middle in a personal quest to hold gun-makers accountable. It's riveting stuff, even when it's obvious that Grisham and director Gary Fleder have glossed over any details that would unravel the plot's intricate design. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (284)

Weak adaptation made good by Weisz, Hackman, and Hoffman.
Very weak adaptation of the John Grisham novel lacks the big bang of the book, and settles for a messy look at Gun Control that does not fit the structure of what the book was intended. The film itself looks unprofessional, and the screenplay is not good ether. The plot has no soul, and the intentions of the characters are not really giving a real motive to work with. The whole high tech side of gathering information about the jury is really ridiculous and should be put in a spy film other than a court movie. The acting is good with Gene Hackman, Rachel Weisz, and Dustin Hoffman doing their best with what is giving but their efforts are wasted in keeping the movie afloat while the script problems begins to eat itself alive while you are watching the screen. Never the less, Hackman, Weisz, and Hoffman do keep you compelled with what is going on, even when the movie does not.

Judging by how they made this film, John Grisham should never let Hollywood make another movie out of his books, because they always turn out pretty bad.

Improbable but Intriguing Thriller.
New Orleans is set to be the site of a monumental courtroom battle between gun manufacturers and anti-gun activists. A woman whose husband was killed when a disgruntled client went on a shooting rampage at his brokerage firm has enlisted the help of prominent New Orleans attorney Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) in suing the gun manufacturer whose "Saturday night special" killed her husband for damages. The Vicksburg Firearms Company has gotten themselves the best attorney that money can buy, and they have hired a crack jury consultant by the name of Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) to ensure their victory before the trial has begun. But both Fitch and Rohr discover, much to their consternation, that the jury may not be theirs to influence. Juror Nick Easter (John Cusack) and his girlfriend Marlee (Rachel Weisz) have the jury in their pocket and intend to sell it to the highest bidder.

"Runaway Jury" is based on John Grisham's best-selling novel of the same name. I haven't read the novel, but I understand that Wendell Rohr's character has been altered substantially for the film in order to more clearly differentiate between the two rival parties, and a gun manufacturer has been substituted for a tobacco company. The explosive confrontation between Rohr and Fitch -the only scene that these two great actors share- did not occur in the book. "Runaway Jury" is an effective, although almost entirely implausible, thriller that sucks the audience in by giving us a taste of what goes on behind the scenes in high profile court cases. Specifically, we get to see the bizarre sub-culture of jury consultation and manipulation. The length and expense to which parties will go to stack a jury is endlessly fascinating and overcomes the story's more fantastic elements. The "war room" where Fitch and his team plot and plan is particularly interesting. The film's cast is spot-on. John Cusack is one of those actors that inspire sympathy in any role, which is helpful here since we know nothing about Nick except that he is trying to sell a jury. Dustin Hoffman is convincingly idealistic and naive as Rohr. And Gene Hackman is deliciously ruthless as Fitch. "Runaway Jury" has enough twists, turns, and thrills to keep us interested for the duration of its 2-hour-plus running time. It's a fun, unpredictable thriller with the added bonus of some insight into the art and science of jury selection.

The DVD: This is a terrific disc that will more than satisfy fans and film buffs alike. These are the bonus features: 2 deleted scenes with director's commentary. 2 scenes from the film with actor commentary: Gene Hackman comments of the film's last scene, and Dustin Hoffman comments on the Washroom scene in which he appears with Hackman. "Exploring the Scene" featurette about the genesis and filming of the Washroom scene, the only scene in the film which Hoffman and Hackman share, including interviews with the two actors and director Gary Fleder. "Off the Cuff", an interview in which Hoffman and Hackman talk about their long friendship since 1956 when they were both students at The Pasadena Playhouse, sharing an apartment in New York, and some more recent anecdotes. "The Ensemble", a short featurette about the cast, including interviews with Rachel Weisz and John Cusack. A "making-of" documentary, which isn't very informative but includes, among other things, a short interview with Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, who was the jury consultant for the defense in O.J. Simpson's trial. "Shadow and Light", an interview with the film's cinematographer, Robert Elswit. "A Vision of New Orleans", in which production designer Nelson Coates shows us around the courtroom set that was created for the film. "Rhythm", an interview with the film's editor, William Steinkamp, in which we see an example of his important contribution to the film. The disc also has a full-length audio commentary by director Gary Fleder, which I didn't listen to, because I was worn out from the other extras. Much thanks to 20th Century Fox for putting together a feature-packed disc and especially to Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman for contributing so much of their time. Dubbing is available in French and Spanish. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

The strong performance of Rachel Weisz is the only plus here
Derivative thriller that not only does not stay close to the book but also lacks the insight to give a better show. The script has too many problems and the pacing starts and stalls at will in the most starling of moments. The acting is fine with Rachel Weisz stealing the show and doing better than she should have consitering the script is flat and Gene Hackman doing his best work in years. The whole espionage aspect to the film just does not work, and in reality, the case would have been throng out of a real court. The acting is the only plus in this film and that is a miracle because the rest of the film just does not work.

Thanks to Rachel Weisz and Gene Hackman, the movie is just ok but if it had a decent script, it could have been better.

Anti-gun propoganda
This movie is utter nonsense done by leftist actors who hate the 2nd ammendment more than the people who actually kill people. Don't waste your time by watching this or any other left wing nonsense.

Weisz, Hackman and Hoffman are great but the film is not.
Lackluster adaptation to the John Grisham novel has only the acting to save it for total disaster with great performances by Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman but they are working from a half baked script that in essence does not know what it wants to be and direction that is marginal at best. The tobacco story is gutted for a pure and simple look at gun violence, and the setting of New Orleans is not the original setting of the book.

If you want to see this movie, the acting more than makes up for the problems it has, but not by much. ... Read more

Reviews (120)

DON'T SAY IT'S GOOD!!!
I was recently 'lucky' enough to see Don't Say A Word at a preview screening at my local movie theatre (in the UK). It's always exciting to be able to see a movie weeks ahead of the general public, plus it has a promising cast. In particular, Michael Douglas is a very fine actor that seldom makes poor movies and I've been very impressed (so far) with Famke Janssen's transition from model to actress but unfortunately that was about all there was to get excited about.

The opening bank robbery double cross scene of the movie is promising enough but unfortunately it's all downhill from there really. To say that the basic premise of the movie is pretty ridiculous and implausible is to understate. Dr Nathan Conrad an eminent psychiatrist is called in to help a clearly psychotic and uncommunicative patient, Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy), only to wake the next day to find that his daughter has been kidnapped by, the recently released from a ten year stretch in pokey, Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his bad boys. Apparently locked inside Burrows clearly loony head is a six digit code that will reveal the location of a $10 million diamond and in order to get his daughter back Dr Conrad has until 5 pm to retrieve the code. Yeah, like in reality that would be possible!

Don't Say A Word is by no means the worst film you will see this year but unfortunately when push comes to shove it's a thriller that quite frankly fails to thrill. There are so many plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them and all of the characters are so totally underdeveloped that you neither get a feel for them nor do you particularly care about them. Director Gary Fleder seems to be aiming at a David Fincher (Seven, The Game) type dark menace feel for the movie but instead you are just left feeling that you have seen this all somewhere before and done better (i.e., Ransom, Seven etc.). Michael Douglas is an Oscar winning actor, who has given us many excellent performances over the years (in movies such as Traffic, The Game, The Wonder Boys etc.) but even he can't cope with a lousy script. Famke Janssen meanwhile is left with even less to play with in her role as a bedridden housewife with a broken leg, who is still somehow able to deliver a sound beating to a hardened criminal, whilst Sean Bean is suitably menacing and makes a good fist of his bad guy role for most of the movie but inevitably in the end, even he is let down by some awful lines and an implausible plot. Brittany Murphy meanwhile in the showy mentally disturbed young girl role is okay too but ultimately this slick film is an overwhelming disappointment. Take my advice and wait 'til its on cable!

disjointed mess.......
I thought it might be interesting given that I like both Douglas, although he has a tendency to get involved in many roles that are really retentive. I also like Bean's work and so I thought why not see what is happening in this one.
With the opening sequence I thought I might have made a good choice. Then the screen says that it is now 10 years later and we see Dr. Nathan Conrad on his way home from work. After he chats with his wife about their turkey the next day, which is Thanksgiving, he receives another call from the lockup from a fellow shrink.
This is where things start to go wrong. First of all, when he sits down with Elizabeth, who has been in psyche lockup for the past 10 years, he immediately is taken by how she is not presenting with diagnosis from past or present. That is our first clue that things are not exactly as the other shrink indicates. Then it really gets messed up. The following morning his daughter has been abducted and the race starts. First of all, I am going to assume that 'you have till 5" is only for control purpose by Patrick or is it because the red diamond, which I assume also is a diamond because a red ruby that size would not be worth $10 million in any gem shop.....is going to self destruct because it is has been 10 years of searching for it? Who knows. We are also lead to believe that the entire apartment is bugged in less than one day? with his wife flat on her back with a cast on her leg all the time it is being bugged? Did she not think it odd that someone was bugging it? And many other things that do not add up. Meanwhile, they have dragged a body from the river and we now have a detective trying to sort out the missing woman. In the end the doctor determines that he must get Elizabeth out of lockup so they can now go to where it all happened. When they show in slow flashbacks what happened 10 years before in the subway, we see her father pushed down in the tracks and then ultimately stumbles directly into the path of the oncoming train. And most importantly the three who did this, and who are still after her now, were apparently arrested by the platform police at the time. There were apparently many onlookers when it happened. So why are they free? Are we lead to believe the police just released them and told them not push anybody else in the path of a train?
Finally when he figures it out where the doll is, that contains the ruby, he receives yet another call from Patrick who tells him he has three minutes? And the doctor tells him he has the item and no more clock running. That is what I would have told him to begin with. When Patrick asks where he says "You know". Well if he knew all along why didn't he just go get it?
Bottomline is that it lays an egg all the way thru.
I give Douglas and Bean credit for sticking it out. If they felt as frustrated with the plot line, they at least did not show it on the screen.

Predictable and trite, but not without merit
I don't like watching Michael Douglas act, because I can't recall the last time I ever saw him demonstrate credible range. Even when his character is entirely different than a character from another of his movies, I still feel like I'm watching the same character.

I didn't see this movie in the theatres because I thought the marketing for the movie was ludicrous. I remember thinking, when I saw the ads on buses and television, "You've got to be kidding me."

But my roommate convinced me that it was actually a decent film, so we rented it. I don't know if this was a faithful rendering of the book, but the movie itself was formulaic and predictable, from Platt's role, to the final ending. It also left a number of questions unanswered. How did Murphy's 8 yr old character know which coffin her father was in? Unless I missed something huge, that would have to be one incredibly talented child. Also, how exactly did Bean's character know that there was a six digit number stored in this girl's brain? We can surmise that he read the newspaper article that said that the girl was found wandering around on Hart island, and from that he assumed that she knew - but that's still an assumption, and a broad one at that.

There are some action devices employed in film that I have grown vomitous over, and a few are used here. (They shouldn't be, given that this was supposed to be a taut thriller.) Douglas steals a cell phone from an innocent citizen, when all he had to do was refuse to answer his own phone when the bad guys called him, and then he steals a boat, when perhaps some of his $200 an hour salary would have greased the boat owner's palms. Besides, how did he start the boat? I might have had my head turned, but dang, these guys that steal boats in movies have some amazing skills that you wouldn't think they possess.

The detective in the film seemed to exist only to fire a few shots at the end and give Douglas's character a chance at survival. Her acting was abysmal, and the scene with Platt's character was disastrous. Not to mention why the aforementioned bad guys broke their word to him regarding his girlfriend. That made NO sense whatsoever - and what made even less sense is that the broken word plot point was dropped right there. It didn't go any further. We never found out why.

This would get a 2 but for one thing: Brittany Murphy. With a few minor and forgiveable exceptions, her acting gave the movie its only real verisimilitude.

Enjoyable Character-Driven Thriller
Dr. Nathan Conrad (Michael Douglas) is a highly trained and highly paid psychiatrist. His patients usually consist of those wealthy enough to afford his fees, but he cannot turn down his friend's request for help. Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt) is desperate for someone to break through with a female patient who recently killed someone and could end up jailed in a mental institution for the rest of her life. What Nathan doesn't know when he agrees to help is that locked inside Elisabeth's mind is a series of numbers that Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) is more than willing to kill for...

Don't Say a Word wasn't particularly original, but I thought that all of the actors in the film did a superb job, which pushed the movie up from a three star rating. Michael Douglas has long since perfected the role of innocent bystander who is sucked into a nefarious plot and manages to turn it all around, but I also truly believed that he created a bond with his patient and, while he cared for her, he cared for his daughter a great deal more. Brittany Murphy was riveting as the disturbed Elisabeth and I love her vocal inflection when she says "I'll never tell." Sean Bean was also wonderful in his role as the kidnapper/killer/thief and is constantly underrated, if I do say so myself. The weakness in this movie is the plot seems pretty contrived and easy to figure out. You know exactly how the movie will end before you even start watching it, but you want to see how they manage to get there. There were also some jarring inconsistencies that bothered me while I was watching the movie such as why Patrick killed Elisabeth's father before he told him where the diamond was (and in front of so many witnesses, too!) and why Detective Sandra Cassidy (Jennifer Esposito) was always at the right place, at the right time - every time the movie cut to her and her role it was jarringly out of place and felt like it wasn't a part of the story. Anyway, aside from small complaints like that, this is a fine movie to watch late at night from home. Enjoy it as a rental.

Another movie about the upper class fighting crime
This is just another boring movie about a rich guy who takes a bite out of crime. He and his wife use their superior intellect to beat the bad guys.

Off course, 99 percent of the police play only a minor part, showing up at the end to carry the dead bodies away.

This plot has been done before a million times. This is not an interesting movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tales from the Crypt is no Sopranos, but in its day it was HBO's most popular original series. Based on the EC Horror comics of the 1940s and 1950s, these short shock-and-suspense stories with twist (and often twisted) endings weren't exclusively horror tales, but they consistently mined, in a comic sort of way, the dark side of human nature. The three episodes directed by series coproducer Robert Zemeckis are among the most memorable. In "All Through the Night," perhaps the single most famous story from the original comic book series, a psychotic killer dressed as Santa escapes Christmas Eve and terrorizes a middle-class home where murder has already made a holiday appearance: a homicidal wife plunges a fireplace poker into her husband's skull. (It was also adapted in the 1972 British anthology movie Tales from the Crypt). Kirk Douglas stars as a blood-and-thunder World War I general who discovers his son is a coward in the grim "Yellow," the most dramatically acute of the trio. Digital magic morphs Humphrey Bogart into "You, Murderer," a high-concept, rather gimmicky tale of murder, double crosses, and poetic justice as seen through a dead man's eyes. Isabella Rossellini (daughter of Bogie's Casablanca costar Ingrid Bergman) and John Lithgow costar as plotting lovers. Zemeckis has a great deal of fun with the first and last films, giving them a flamboyant comic book exaggeration, but the underplayed irony of "Yellow" makes it one of the darkest, most affecting stories in the series' run. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Lights! Camera! Hack-tion! Zemeckis Directs CRYPT!
Based on stories from the deliciously depraved E.C. horror comics (TALES FROM THE CRYPT, VAULT OF HORROR, HAUNT OF FEAR) of the 1950s, TALES FROM THE CRYPT was a TV horror anthology that, like most TV anthologies, had a lot of both hits and misses. Some of the stories really stank, but when a story was a hit, it was usually dead on (excuse the pun). This DVD represents three episodes that HBO execs apparently consider hits, probably because they were all directed by the renowned and Oscar-winning (1994's FORREST GUMP) Robert Zemeckis. And though CRYPT fans would like to see more episodes made available on DVD, the execs made pretty good selections with this lot.

The first story, "And All Through the House," is definitely the scariest of the three. It's about a disgruntled wife who murders her husband on Christmas Eve, only to have a madman dressed in Santa garb show up to deliver her just deserts. It is a particulary frightening morality play not only because it warns that "what goes around, comes around"; it also makes a multi-faceted statement about innocence and youth, as it is the murderous woman's little daughter who ultimately lets "Santa" into the house. Larry Drake delivers a delectably deranged performance as the insane Saint Nick. (This has proven to be one of the most enduring stories from the original E.C. Comics series, as it was also previously dramatized in 1972 as one portion of an excellent five-part British flick entitled TALES FROM THE CRYPT. In that version, Joan Collins--DYNASTY's Alexis Carrington Colby--played the part of the homicidal wife.)

In the second story, "Yellow," Kirk Douglas is a stone-hearted, by-the-book WWI General and, his son, Eric Douglas, is a craven Lieutenant under the General's command. Embarrassed by his "yellow" progeny, the General engages his son in an insidious course of action that will save the young man's reputation as well as allow the General himself to save face. Although the ending is easily predictable, the acting is top-notch and the depiction of WWI is fairly gruesome (for TV, anyway), and it all adds up to an engaging and suspenseful drama. This is definitely the strongest episode of the trio, though not as scary as the first.

The last of the three offerings, "You, Murderer," is also the weakest. It covers the last day in the life of a business exec who, altered via plastic surgery to hide from a dark past, is blackmailed and then offed by his cuckolding wife and her lover. Though the plot is a bit cliche and its ending predictable, the episode does, nonetheless, have a few interesting aspects: one, the story is told via flashbacks from the point of view of the already-dead exec; two, á la plastic surgery, the exec is the spitting image of Humphrey Bogart; and three, great performances are delivered by Isabella Rossellini (daughter of the real-life Bogart's CASABLANCA costar Ingrid Bergman) and character actor John Lithgow. The episode's biggest flaw is the special effects, which are primarily computerized insertions of Bogart film-clips á la FORREST GUMP. Unlike in GUMP, the effects come across as embarrasingly cheesy, and the manner in which they are utilized is very awkward to the flow of the narrative. Still, it's an entertaining entry for CRYPT, just one that is not up to par with the other two on this disc.

One minorly disappointing aspect to the DVD overall is the fact that there are no extras on the disc. Some HBO or syndication promotional spots or an interview with Zemeckis would've been nice, or maybe even a behind-the-scenes short featuring our gregarious host, The Crypt Keeper. Still, this DVD is well worth the expense, especially for fans of TALES FROM THE CRYPT or fans of the horror genre in general. At Amazon.com's asking price, the cost is less than $5 per episode, and that's cheaper than the cost-per-episode charged for many TV shows in either VHS or DVD format!

Yellow Shines, More Tales Please!
Of all the television series I want on DVD, Tales From The Crypt is it!

I hope this is just the first in a long running set for this series, but it doesn't look like it.

This DVD contains the three episodes done by Robert Zemeckis.

And All Through the House" (1989), remided me of the 'Tales From The Crypt - Have A Scary Little Christmas' CD I've had for quite a while. Basically the same backdrop of the story told on the CD is here, except for the 'Mother' killing her husband. Anyhow, that's how it starts, but what the poor mother does not know is that an escaped lunatic is on the prowl.

"Yellow" (1991), A dang good yarn if I do say so eh kiddies? Martin Sheen's excellent in this story of a san who cannot live up to his father's aspects of courageousness.

"You, Murderer" (1995), is really wierd. Stars Humphrey Bogart, Sherilyn Fenn, and some other famous personalities and basically the tale is in Bogart's voice. He is dead (murdered actually) but can still see what is happing around him, hear everything, and worse feel everything!

Pretty good set. Some great stars in these episodes and I really loved the episode 'Yellow'.

Hopefully more will be produced as I love the whole series.

great. but only 3 of the episodes.
this is worth buying if you are even a remote fan of tales from the crypt, however; it's only has 3 of many episodes on it. "yellow" is my personal favorite. they need to release more of the episodes on DVD so i, and everyone else who wants it, could have the complete collection. ... Read more

Reviews (120)

DON'T SAY IT'S GOOD!!!
I was recently 'lucky' enough to see Don't Say A Word at a preview screening at my local movie theatre (in the UK). It's always exciting to be able to see a movie weeks ahead of the general public, plus it has a promising cast. In particular, Michael Douglas is a very fine actor that seldom makes poor movies and I've been very impressed (so far) with Famke Janssen's transition from model to actress but unfortunately that was about all there was to get excited about.

The opening bank robbery double cross scene of the movie is promising enough but unfortunately it's all downhill from there really. To say that the basic premise of the movie is pretty ridiculous and implausible is to understate. Dr Nathan Conrad an eminent psychiatrist is called in to help a clearly psychotic and uncommunicative patient, Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy), only to wake the next day to find that his daughter has been kidnapped by, the recently released from a ten year stretch in pokey, Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his bad boys. Apparently locked inside Burrows clearly loony head is a six digit code that will reveal the location of a $10 million diamond and in order to get his daughter back Dr Conrad has until 5 pm to retrieve the code. Yeah, like in reality that would be possible!

Don't Say A Word is by no means the worst film you will see this year but unfortunately when push comes to shove it's a thriller that quite frankly fails to thrill. There are so many plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them and all of the characters are so totally underdeveloped that you neither get a feel for them nor do you particularly care about them. Director Gary Fleder seems to be aiming at a David Fincher (Seven, The Game) type dark menace feel for the movie but instead you are just left feeling that you have seen this all somewhere before and done better (i.e., Ransom, Seven etc.). Michael Douglas is an Oscar winning actor, who has given us many excellent performances over the years (in movies such as Traffic, The Game, The Wonder Boys etc.) but even he can't cope with a lousy script. Famke Janssen meanwhile is left with even less to play with in her role as a bedridden housewife with a broken leg, who is still somehow able to deliver a sound beating to a hardened criminal, whilst Sean Bean is suitably menacing and makes a good fist of his bad guy role for most of the movie but inevitably in the end, even he is let down by some awful lines and an implausible plot. Brittany Murphy meanwhile in the showy mentally disturbed young girl role is okay too but ultimately this slick film is an overwhelming disappointment. Take my advice and wait 'til its on cable!

disjointed mess.......
I thought it might be interesting given that I like both Douglas, although he has a tendency to get involved in many roles that are really retentive. I also like Bean's work and so I thought why not see what is happening in this one.
With the opening sequence I thought I might have made a good choice. Then the screen says that it is now 10 years later and we see Dr. Nathan Conrad on his way home from work. After he chats with his wife about their turkey the next day, which is Thanksgiving, he receives another call from the lockup from a fellow shrink.
This is where things start to go wrong. First of all, when he sits down with Elizabeth, who has been in psyche lockup for the past 10 years, he immediately is taken by how she is not presenting with diagnosis from past or present. That is our first clue that things are not exactly as the other shrink indicates. Then it really gets messed up. The following morning his daughter has been abducted and the race starts. First of all, I am going to assume that 'you have till 5" is only for control purpose by Patrick or is it because the red diamond, which I assume also is a diamond because a red ruby that size would not be worth $10 million in any gem shop.....is going to self destruct because it is has been 10 years of searching for it? Who knows. We are also lead to believe that the entire apartment is bugged in less than one day? with his wife flat on her back with a cast on her leg all the time it is being bugged? Did she not think it odd that someone was bugging it? And many other things that do not add up. Meanwhile, they have dragged a body from the river and we now have a detective trying to sort out the missing woman. In the end the doctor determines that he must get Elizabeth out of lockup so they can now go to where it all happened. When they show in slow flashbacks what happened 10 years before in the subway, we see her father pushed down in the tracks and then ultimately stumbles directly into the path of the oncoming train. And most importantly the three who did this, and who are still after her now, were apparently arrested by the platform police at the time. There were apparently many onlookers when it happened. So why are they free? Are we lead to believe the police just released them and told them not push anybody else in the path of a train?
Finally when he figures it out where the doll is, that contains the ruby, he receives yet another call from Patrick who tells him he has three minutes? And the doctor tells him he has the item and no more clock running. That is what I would have told him to begin with. When Patrick asks where he says "You know". Well if he knew all along why didn't he just go get it?
Bottomline is that it lays an egg all the way thru.
I give Douglas and Bean credit for sticking it out. If they felt as frustrated with the plot line, they at least did not show it on the screen.

Predictable and trite, but not without merit
I don't like watching Michael Douglas act, because I can't recall the last time I ever saw him demonstrate credible range. Even when his character is entirely different than a character from another of his movies, I still feel like I'm watching the same character.

I didn't see this movie in the theatres because I thought the marketing for the movie was ludicrous. I remember thinking, when I saw the ads on buses and television, "You've got to be kidding me."

But my roommate convinced me that it was actually a decent film, so we rented it. I don't know if this was a faithful rendering of the book, but the movie itself was formulaic and predictable, from Platt's role, to the final ending. It also left a number of questions unanswered. How did Murphy's 8 yr old character know which coffin her father was in? Unless I missed something huge, that would have to be one incredibly talented child. Also, how exactly did Bean's character know that there was a six digit number stored in this girl's brain? We can surmise that he read the newspaper article that said that the girl was found wandering around on Hart island, and from that he assumed that she knew - but that's still an assumption, and a broad one at that.

There are some action devices employed in film that I have grown vomitous over, and a few are used here. (They shouldn't be, given that this was supposed to be a taut thriller.) Douglas steals a cell phone from an innocent citizen, when all he had to do was refuse to answer his own phone when the bad guys called him, and then he steals a boat, when perhaps some of his $200 an hour salary would have greased the boat owner's palms. Besides, how did he start the boat? I might have had my head turned, but dang, these guys that steal boats in movies have some amazing skills that you wouldn't think they possess.

The detective in the film seemed to exist only to fire a few shots at the end and give Douglas's character a chance at survival. Her acting was abysmal, and the scene with Platt's character was disastrous. Not to mention why the aforementioned bad guys broke their word to him regarding his girlfriend. That made NO sense whatsoever - and what made even less sense is that the broken word plot point was dropped right there. It didn't go any further. We never found out why.

This would get a 2 but for one thing: Brittany Murphy. With a few minor and forgiveable exceptions, her acting gave the movie its only real verisimilitude.

Enjoyable Character-Driven Thriller
Dr. Nathan Conrad (Michael Douglas) is a highly trained and highly paid psychiatrist. His patients usually consist of those wealthy enough to afford his fees, but he cannot turn down his friend's request for help. Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt) is desperate for someone to break through with a female patient who recently killed someone and could end up jailed in a mental institution for the rest of her life. What Nathan doesn't know when he agrees to help is that locked inside Elisabeth's mind is a series of numbers that Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) is more than willing to kill for...

Don't Say a Word wasn't particularly original, but I thought that all of the actors in the film did a superb job, which pushed the movie up from a three star rating. Michael Douglas has long since perfected the role of innocent bystander who is sucked into a nefarious plot and manages to turn it all around, but I also truly believed that he created a bond with his patient and, while he cared for her, he cared for his daughter a great deal more. Brittany Murphy was riveting as the disturbed Elisabeth and I love her vocal inflection when she says "I'll never tell." Sean Bean was also wonderful in his role as the kidnapper/killer/thief and is constantly underrated, if I do say so myself. The weakness in this movie is the plot seems pretty contrived and easy to figure out. You know exactly how the movie will end before you even start watching it, but you want to see how they manage to get there. There were also some jarring inconsistencies that bothered me while I was watching the movie such as why Patrick killed Elisabeth's father before he told him where the diamond was (and in front of so many witnesses, too!) and why Detective Sandra Cassidy (Jennifer Esposito) was always at the right place, at the right time - every time the movie cut to her and her role it was jarringly out of place and felt like it wasn't a part of the story. Anyway, aside from small complaints like that, this is a fine movie to watch late at night from home. Enjoy it as a rental.

Another movie about the upper class fighting crime
This is just another boring movie about a rich guy who takes a bite out of crime. He and his wife use their superior intellect to beat the bad guys.

Off course, 99 percent of the police play only a minor part, showing up at the end to carry the dead bodies away.

This plot has been done before a million times. This is not an interesting movie. ... Read more