Amazon.com

These 13 episodes from the long-running HBO series have plenty of the bells and whistles that make Arli$$ so much fun to watch: celebrity cameos, topical satire, swatches of deep poignancy, and pure silliness. Comic actor Robert Wuhl, who created and stars, plays Arliss Michaels, a sports super-agent driven by twin motivations of profit and idealism. Arliss is in the race to realize his clients' dreams of stupendous wealth, but he's just as likely to put his reputation (and big bucks) on the line to help a fading player claim his niche in history. As with HBO's The Larry Sanders Show, Arli$$ gets a lot of mileage out of verisimilitude. In these Best of shows, we meet the likes of Dave Winfield, Ernie Banks, Frank Deford, Lloyd Jones, Tommy Lasorda, and even O.J. attorney Bob Shapiro, playing themselves in some very funny stories about the perennial hopes and startling realities that drive professional sports. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of HBO's Two Big Mistakes
I was stunned they put out this critically bashed, unpopular show on DVD. Any disc containing something called "The Best of Arliss" should be blank. There was no "best." This stinker tied with "The Mind of the Married Man" as the worst two shows in HBO's history. How come this junk is available on DVD and either "Police Squad" or "Sledge Hammer" isn't?

Good but interesting choices
I was a huge fan of the show when it aired on HBO Sunday Nights; however I find the "Best of" choices to be quite interesting. There were many other episodes that were much better than the ones presented in this set. Where was the episode where Kirby must outdrink the Volleyball player? or the Battle in the Big ouse boxing match or the one with the Katarina Witt or
some of the other classics. Instead we are treated to episodes that make one yawn. Next time let's see more humorouse episodes.

Its about time!
First of all, I don't know what took them so long to start putting this show on DVD. I have been looking and waiting for months now. Well, it's about time because this is one of those shows that you need to get and keep. It's a good thing they put this show on HBO because it would have never worked on network or cable TV.
Arliss is one of the funniest shows I have seen. Not sitcom family funny, but adult only almost X-rated funny at times. Believe me, this show is not for the kids, it is adult humor all the way. Arliss Michaels is a sports super agent and the show basically deals with his everyday life and the headaches and problems he has to go throw. Everything from making deals between players and teams to finding the next big plan to make more money! Arliss is an original show that is very smart and funny. There are a ton of cameos from actors and sports stars that are fun to watch! If the sports world or sports agents interest you at all then you will like this show. It's a good time, pick it up!

Tones of Jerry MaGuire? Please!
I find it ridiculously dense of people who think Arli$$ is nothing more than a show trying to ride the cotails of the success of Tom Cruise's hit. Further, I think it's pretty idiotic to pigeon-hole anything involving sports agents into Jerry Maguire. The world of athlete representation is a vast one, more entertaining and intriguing than 95% of careers in this world. What Robert Wuhl has done has taken this profession, satirized it, and made it an enjoyable show for people who are sports fans and fans of comedy. Does he have some similarities to Cruise's character? Sure. But most good agents will anyway. MaGuire is a character in a profession, just as Arliss Michaels is. You'll find Arli$$ is a better representation of Drew Rosenhaus than anything, but that would require research and knowledge of the industry....something some editorials have proven otherwise. All in all, it's a great show if taken at face value. Highly reccommend to anyone.

Great Show, Great DVD Set
I'm waiting for more episodes from this smart and witty comedy series which is easily the best show from HBO in a while. Whilst The Sopranos and Sex In the City get all the critical attention and Today show fawning Arliss is the show that deserves all the accolades. It is all due to Robert Wuhl, the goofy reporter from Batman, who would have guessed? But the guy is a comic genius and this show is great. Every episode leaves you with a smile, even when they are serious, which some of them are. The sense of life in this series is very benevolent, which is what makes it so much better than the other two HBO series. The DVD is of great quality, only adding to the enjoyment. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Despite all the pot-smoking in Idle Hands, the message here seems to be that too many bong hits will take you on a one-way trip to the devil's playground. That's what happens to Anton (Devon Sawa), a wasted teen who's so perpetually zonked on weed that he doesn't notice his parents have been slaughtered by an evil force that then possesses Anton's right hand, taking on a wildly homicidal life of its own after Anton chops it off with a butcher knife. The first victims are Anton's pals Mick (teen-movie stalwart Seth Green), who gets a beer bottle embedded in his skull, and Pnub (Elden Henson), whose head is lopped off by a rotary saw blade, and later reattached with a barbecue fork and duct tape. (Did we mention that Mick and Pnub turn into undead jokesters? It's that kind of movie.) This unoriginal idea is little more than an excuse for gross-out effects and easy one-liners, and then Vivica A. Fox appears as the demon-buster who knows how to kill the hand once and for all. It's fun to a point, and certain to be a popular Halloween hit with its intended teenage audience, but you can't help wishing this movie had tried harder to be something more than a collection of crude and gory gags. --JeffShannon ... Read more

Reviews (148)

2.5...It's been done before...an extra 1/2 for the DVD
First of all I will say that if you read this review and have not seen the movie, you may want to skip it all the way to the last sentence or two. Well, anyway, I enjoyed this film, yet I feel I've been down this road before. The only real difference is that the characters are all a bunch of stoners, for the most part. It involves one particular stoner who wakes up one morning and finds his parents are not around, though he seems too stoned to care. Though there is a serial killer on the loose, all he cares about is scoring some more weed...which, to most stoners, is pretty right on the target. He comes to find out later that HE is actually the killer! Big surprise! I won't say anymore about the plot though. If you've seen Evil Dead or Re-Animator, you're really in for nothing new to the genre. The gore scenes are pretty interesting, but nothing to really single it out as a gore classic either. Mediocre at best, Idle Hands only really stands out in the defiant attitude of the time it was released just nearly a week after the Columbine Massacre. The DVD has got some interesting features, including a good deleted scene, but it's a little murky.

Hilarious horror flick.
"Idle Hands" has got to be one of the best horror/comedies ever. I absolutely love this film, it is filled with so much horror and comedy that you can't really put it into just one genre. "Idle Hands" is basically about pot-head Anton (Devon Sawa)whose right hand gets possessed by the devil and takes him on a wild (and hilarious) killing spree. The plot is simple, but the actors are what bring the film to life. Seth Green, Devon Sawa, and Elden Henson make the perfect trio of burn-outs and are absolutely hysterical. Jack Noseworthy is also good as the Motley-Crue-loving-motor-jock. The film is excellent, but what really brings this DVD to life are the features. We get a commentary by Rodman Flender, Seth Green, and Elden Henson, which is very informative and fun to listen to. You learn a lot of facts from the commentary; like how Seth and Elden won the role of Mick and Pnub, how Devon Sawa used a real butcher-knife for the hand-chopping sequence, Rodman poitning out numerous goofs and cameos by The Offspring, Ricky Martin, and a member of Blink-182, and many other little facts. The deleted scene is actually an alternate ending, which is totally different than the theatrical ending, and there is an introduction with Rodman Flender explaining why they cut it. Even though this ending is good, I still prefer the theatrical ending. Then we get some interesting storyboard-comparisons of two scenes, which are fun to watch if you really like the film. The production notes and talent files are okay, nothing special, and the making of featurette is good, you'll also learn some interesting facts and see how they did some of the effects. Then we finish with the trailers for "Idle Hands" and "Can't hardly wait". The trailer is good, it features a few glimpses of some cut scenes, see if you can catch em'.

"Idle Hands" is a superbly crafted film that unfortunately bombed at the box-office (though I don't see why it bombed) and in a few years will probably become a cult-classic. "Idle Hands" is a solid buy, the special features are great and so is the price.

Underrated Black Comedy Horror Film.
Anton Tobias (Devon Sawa) is One of the Laziest Teenagers around, which Anton loves Television, Junk-Food, Couch Potato Burn-Out. Anton finds himself in deep trouble, when he can't control his murderous impulses of his recently possessed hand. Once His Hand murdered His Parents (Fred Willard & Connie Fox) and His Friends (Seth Green & Elden Henson), He tries to get control of his rampaging devil appendage and now, it's ruininf his life. Now with the help of his friends returning back to life, they will to help Anton's Possessed Hand before not ruining his chances with his attractive neighbor (Jessica Alba) before an Hunter (Vivica A. Fox). Which the Hunter knows a thing or two about the Hand Possession to Kill anyone Who is Possessed.

Directed by Rodman Flender (Leprechaun 2) made a hilarious, sick, twisted black comedy that is a shoulda-been Cult Classic nipped in the bud by its unfortunate proximily to the Columbine Tragedy. Now the film is a forgetten genuine film. Amusing Performances in the film, especially the talented lead role of Sewa. DVD has an sharp Pan & Scan (1.33:1) transfer and an clear-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an great audio commentary track by the director and actors:Green & Henson. DVD has also the Original Ending with an Introduction by the Director with an Commentary Track by the Director, which you could watch the Original Ending without the Commentary and more decent extras. If you love Widescreen (Like I Do), try to get the Previous 1999 Transfer (Which also had the Widescreen/Pan & Scan transfers). Idle Hands is a tribute to another horror films like:Oliver Stone's The Hands, An American Werewolf in London, Re-Animator and Evil Dead 2:Dead by Dawn. If you are a Horror Fan, don't overlook this film. Good Music Score by Greame Revell (Bride of Chucky, The Crow, Freddy Vs. Jason). Grade:A-.

best horror slash comedy movie ever
This Movie is the greatest movie ever. The movie has good music funny and great acting jessica alba is really hot and is great the hand is preetty good too a must buy when you see it once you'll want to see it again a dar n good movie

you've gotta be kidding me
Let me be direct: 90% of the movie sucks. The acting and effects are decent. But the story, the direction, and well, pretty much everything else, are bad.

A few minutes into the movie, I thought it was a horror movie. Even then I was disappointed because it's not nearly horrifying enough. Then a third of the movie gone by, the plot became more and more ridiculous, and only then did I realize that the filmmakers wanted to make it a black comedy. But just that the movie has the style of a black comedy doesn't mean that the filmmakers would feel obliged to offer you any laughs, witty dialouges or dark humor. The movie has none of those.

The only reason I didn't give it a 1 star is some really really terrible movies deserve the lowest grade more than this one does. Not by a lot, though, I have to say. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Leprechaun Part 2
The little Irish Leprechaun returns in this horror film. Although it isn't at all scarey, it is still pretty good. It is not as good as the first but it is still okay. This time the little Irish monsteris back looking for love after being robbed a few years before, actually about 1,000 years before by an arch rival. I suggest you buy this first rate movie.

The terror of Ireland
The Leprechaun has return vile and evil as ever. Not as good as the first on but still a good movie. Ending not as good as the first.

The Leprechaun is back he is qafter a bribe which he can old posses once every 1000 years. Leprechaun tries to get his bribe the Bribe father stop him. Leprechaun is forced to wait another thousand years to get another bride.

A good movie with an explosive climax inside the Leprechaun Lair. If you like this one she you four other sequels and the prequel.

Not too good.
This movie had it's ups and downs. I'll give some of each. Here's some of the good. 1. Some laughs 2. Some scares 3. Good effects 4. Good death scenes (particularely the scene where the dude got his face scalded by hot steam. Bad 1. REALLY bad acting! 2. Weird plot 3.Bad diologue. Well you get it. D+

BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE
THIS MOVIE WAS SIMPLY MORE ENTERTAINING THAN THE FIRST. THE LEPRECHAUN RETURNS TO GO AFTER A GIRL THAT'S A DESCENDENT OF A GIRL THAT HE WANTED 1,000 YEARS AGO. HAS BETTER CHARACTERS AND EVEN BETTER MURDER SEQUENCES. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES IN THE SERIES. THIS IS A GOOD HORROR SEQUEL THAT FANS OF THE SERIES SHOULD ENJOY.

Just When You Thought it Was Safe to Wear Green
The initial response to 1993's "Leprechaun" (starring a confused looking, pre-"Friends" Jennifer Aniston) had hardly died down when the geniuses at Trimark unleashed "Leprechaun 2" on an unsuspecting public. How could a sequel follow so closely on the heels of the original? Inquiring minds want to know, but don't push too hard in your quest for an answer to this mystery of the ages. The "Leprechaun" franchise ultimately totaled six movies released within ten years (the latest installment will appear on video store shelves in December 2003), so the powers that be must have given this horror series a high priority from the start. Maybe the producers of this franchise keep making the films because they hope Jennifer Aniston will return to star in another entry, just like Jamie Lee Curtis did with the "Halloween" movies in recent years. If this is the case, the guys behind "Leprechaun" better keep dreaming. Aniston would probably rather sell pencils on a street corner than appear in another one of these pictures. The original "Leprechaun" film possessed a few interesting ideas, but the grim law of diminishing returns knows no pity concerning movie sequels. This means "Leprechaun 2" suffers from major problems either minimized in or completely absent from the original.

Warwick Davis returns as the foul mouthed imp in "Leprechaun 2," a movie that finds the little man concerned about securing himself a bride. According to the film the leprechaun can only marry once every thousand years or so (I know; he said he was 600 years old in the first installment. What do you want from me? I didn't write any of these movies.). Since it is quite difficult to find a woman when your face looks like a burnt pepperoni pizza, Leppie decides to use those old Irish charms of magic and trickery when he spots a fair haired lass hanging laundry out in the middle of a forest (!). Things don't work quite as planned, so the leprechaun keeps track of the offspring of his fetching lass through the ages. In fact, a map at the beginning of the film tracks the descendents down through time, even showing a point when one of the women sails to America. The thousand years are just about up, meaning the diminutive beastie must once again find and marry for love, and this time the potential bride is Bridget, a blonde airhead who looks suspiciously like the leprechaun's original cutie from the beginning of the film. Imagine that!

On this outing the leprechaun has some competition. Bridget likes Cody, a guy who works for one of those "dead celebrity" tours in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for Bridget, Cody's loyalties lie with his job and his deadbeat, drunken boss Morty. When good old Mort ties on another massive drunk, Bridget's boyfriend takes over the tour and drags her along. The inevitable blow up occurs, with Bridget taking off with another guy who is willing to spend some time with her. Bad mistake. Leppie suddenly appears on the scene and dispatches her new found lover with gruesome haste, and then abducts Bridget right out from under Cody's eyes. This leads to several scenes concerning Cody and Morty attempting to battle the leprechaun and find Bridget. During these pitched battles, we watch Leppie get drunk, learn that wrought iron burns leprechauns, and see Morty give birth to a huge pot of gold. If that isn't enough for you, we even get to watch the sprite ride a souped up go cart (shades of the first film, to be sure, but this time Leppie actually runs someone down). The movie ends with a showdown between Cody, Bridget, and the malevolent elf in the leprechaun's lair.

My biggest problem with "Leprechaun 2" concerns an issue that really starts in earnest here and becomes a greater problem in subsequent sequels: the people who make these films keep changing the rules of the game. In the first film, the pot of gold and a four leaf clover played a central role in the plot. In this sequel, it is a bride and the dangers of wrought iron that inform the bulk of the movie. We see even more outlandish changes in the other films. I guess the makers of these movies think that sticking to just pots of gold and clovers could bore an audience, and maybe so, but introducing all of these different leprechaun traits often makes the films difficult to follow.

Even with this significant problem, I still found it impossible to completely dislike "Leprechaun 2." The Morty character, played with over the top hilariousness by the late Sandy Baron, really clicked with me. Every time this guy appeared on screen I laughed at his antics, and it was a little hard seeing him go the way he did. Warwick Davis is good as always, cackling and wisecracking his way through the role of the evil demon. The actress who played Bridget is memorable solely for her terrible performance. This gal couldn't act if her life depended on it, and it shows in every miserable scene. In fact, I think this is the worst performance in the entire series and that is saying A LOT (see "Leprechaun 3"). Look for Clint Howard in a small role as one of the tourists taking Cody's tour.

Once again, the DVD picture transfer looks pretty good for such a cheap film. A trailer for the film appears on the menu, along with several other trailers for some Trimark films. "Leprechaun 2" is a little gorier than its predecessor, and is also a little sleazier considering that the pint sized monster is trying to land a babe. Far from great, but also far from a complete waste of time, this movie will work for you if you've got a bit of time to burn and nothing better to do. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Are you kidding me? This was LAME!!!
I WANT MY 96 MINUTES BACK!!!! REALLY LAME HORROR FLICK!!
I don't know what it is about the quality of horror in the early 90s...but this is a good example of how it can go terribly wrong. If this film had been made in 1981 or 1971..or heck, even 1961 it could have had a good kitch factor...instead it's an overly stylized attempt at what a good 80's Slasher actually is.

The one star rating is for the casting of Lisa Kudrow (I think she's super cute as a brunette!)...and Comedian Kathy Griffin as a Lesbian Co-Mother-To-Be!!
The remainder of the movie gets a BIG ZERO!!!

Having a baby can be a scream
Director Rodman Flender film doesn't have the resonance of great horror. At times it barely rises above an exploitation title, being hindered by gross out effects and the developing ridiculousness of the screenplay by Henry Dominic. The narrative reads as Rosemary's Baby redux with a dash of David Cronenberg and The Boys from Brazil.
After a forboding prologue where a pregnant woman is made to suffer because she drips blood onto her kitchen floor as she eats raw meat, we meet Brooke Adams who has been referred to the in-vitro centre where James Karen is a specialist. Of course, any doctor played by James Karen is automatically suspicious, and soon Adams becomes paranoid about the child she is carrying. Dominic has the sense to make Adams not the only pregnant woman, and also gives her access to a couple who have a child from the prodecure, which allows for her to have alternate opinions, though the points scored off the lesbian couple seem mean, though Adams' husband is conveniently out of town when things start going wrong. Luckily Flender delivers the best scene in the film for the climax, when Adams follows the sound of a baby crying and supplies a shock payoff. However after this highpoint, we plummet.
We get a grossout mage of the fetus moving a digit in the same shape as Adams' drawing, a laugh from the use of a Baby on Board sign, the low gag of a saccharine TV presenter turning shrewish off-camera, and the most disappointing setpiece when Brooks is being interviewed live and has an hysterical turn - for this Flender goes camp with the crew screaming for a re-run. The prologue deprives us of a shock, but later we get a second one even if in a ludicrous context involving a baby POV and the father's reaction. There is also an early gratuitous and long sex scene, a low impact Alien-like set, and the ending is too obviously left open for the sequel.
Adams' cracked beauty and individual voice add something to her role, and when she cries amongst stuffed baby toys she manages to convey a moment of pathos, even if she isn't as skilled, lyrical or vulnerable as a Mia Farrow. Also note this is another early role for Lisa Kudrow in her long black hair period.

scared the plasma out of me
I recently underwent surgery. The hostpital's movie channel showed "The Unborn," and I figured "what the hell, I'm not going anywhere. Might as well watch it" (and the intravenous machines I'm hooked up to won't allow me to reach the TV.) Well this was the scariest thing I've ever seen. My heart raced at such a pitch that my plasma drips exploded. What a movie. Brooke Adams was wonderful; better than Mia in Rosenberg's Baby. If you like your horror "on the rocks," THE UNBORN is for you.

Excellent horror.
Brooke Adams vs. psycho fetus created by wacko doctor James Karen in an attempt to breed superhumans. Good suspense, good acting and good scares. Docked a star only for the absurd fetus-killing-victims-one-by-one plot development. A must see if you like horror.

scared the poop out of me
oh oh ... i made a poop when i saw this movie ... Read more