Amazon.com

After years of dominating the midnight circuit with the likes ofNight of the Living Dead, Martin, and Dawn of the Dead,George A. Romero took a departure from bona fide horror films to make this naturalistic tale of a traveling troupe of motorcycle-riding jousters. (Think Hell's Angels on Wheels goes to the Renaissance Faire.) While this may sound ludicrous on the surface, the film emerges as a powerful character study. When the success of their jousting tournaments--in which armor-clad bikers go at each other with real lances for the entertainment of county fair crowds--attracts the attention of bigtime promoters, creeping commercialism threatens to spoil their delicately constructed Camelot. The troupe is a mirror of King Arthur's court, complete with its King (Ed Harris), Merlin (Brother Blue), and Morgan le Fay (Tom Savini). Only they ride motorcycles, and try to knock each other off with maces. Ed Harris turns in a topnotch performance as Billy, the focus of the film, who goes progressively nuts as it becomes apparent he's losing his grip on the troupe (unconsciously playing out the final days of Camelot). Knightriders is thoroughly engrossing during the jousting tournaments and whenever Ed Harris is onscreen, but is less successful in-between, when toeing the line of the Arthurian Legend makes the film too mannered. And at 145 minutes, the film could have been trimmed a bit. But why cavil when presented with the spectacle of Ed Harris spinning slowly out of control? Watch for a cameo by Stephen King himself, playing a spectator debunking the jousting tournaments as "all fake," through ample mouthfuls of his hoagie. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Description

Femme Fatale is a contemporary film noir about an alluring seductress (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) suddenly exposed to the world -- and her enemies -- by a voyeuristic photographer (Antonio Banderas) who becomes ensnared in her surreal quest for revenge. ... Read more

Reviews (107)

Femme Fatale
Brian DePalma has a delightfully wicked sense of irony, and a twisted sense of humor which is sadly lacking and sorely missed in today's overly self-serious pop culture. This makes watching Femme Fatale feel fresh and exciting, even though such irony was a prime staple of movies in the '70's -- a decade largely regarded as DePalma's prime. That is when he directed Carrie, Phantom of the Paradise & Dressed to Kill, among others.

The Femme Fatale in this movie is a diamond thief/con-artist named Laure who assumes the identity of another woman to escape some partners she double crossed. She is wonderfully evil, and great fun to watch as she manipulates the men around her using her body and her tears in order to get what she wants.

But there is a great deal more of this movie to love. Brian DePalma delights in playing tricks with cinematic conventions both narrative and visual. His love for unusual camera angles is still present in this film, which delivers a plot that twists and turns as seductively as Laure's strip tease. I picked up clues as to one major plot twist early on, hoping I would be wrong. I was partly right, DePalma took something that would have left me groaning in lesser hands and twisted it so that I was laughing with delight as the climax approached.

DePalma has also mellowed out a bit with this movie. Much of his prior films would feature gallons of bright red blood and gruesome, creative, deaths of beautiful women. This film keeps much of the fake blood away from the women, cutting away from any of their more potentially gruesome death scenes.

This movie is highly rescommended to those who enjoy being surprised. Watch it. You may think you have it figured out, but there is no way anyone could guess the ending. As the credits start to roll, you will realise that you were in the hands of a cinematic master with an impish sense of humor.

Femme Fatale excellent transfer to DVD
This movie was the "love it!" or "hate it!" experience of 2002. It's a Brian De Palma affair, and if you liked DRESSED TO KILL and BODY DOUBLE you will love it! I thought it was a fun erotic ride with a lot of style. Beautifully photographed, and teasingly esoteric - it became sort of a "what if De Palma made MULHOLLAND DRIVE". Sit back and have a lot of fun! At it's heart this is just a big beautiful popcorn movie!

The performances of the actors are surprisingly fun. Rebecca Romijin Stamos plays the lead role, and she's sexy and fun. She's been a victim of weak scripts for some time, and here she emerges as a very capable and strong actress. Antonio Banderas plays a European paparazzi who falls into the web. He's playful and quick!

The DVD has a great transfer of the film! Included are many featurettes with interviews of almost everyone involved. Brian De Palma never records commentaries for his DVDs, but he does do interviews which plunge the depths of anything you might want to know. There are two trailers - one foreign and one domestic. The French trailer is a real treat! It shows the entire film in high speed from opening credits to final, and then teases you with "You just saw the new Brian De Palma film ... didn't get it? ... try again!" The perfect sentiment to this film! Either you get it or you don't.

Roger Ebert named it one of the best films of the year, other critics either praised it or panned it. There was no middle ground! But the passion for film-making is here - the joy and the style make it infectious. A movie you can watch again and again!

sparkel22 watch it again and learn!
No offense intended towards the reviewer name "Sparkel" but he/she needs to WATCH the movie, in its entirety to KNOW why the woman in the bathroom stall 'allowed' her diamonds to be stolen. ...went right over your head i guess.

loved the film, and was suprised that i waited over a year to see it and was refreshingly suprised with what i saw. EVEN if you disagree with depalma's style or the overall quality of the film, you'll (provided you're breathing) will love the visuals and how stunningly beautiful rebecca and her french 'freind' are.

sit back and enjoy this one!

j

A mesmorizing classic!
this movie is amazing from beginning to the end. It's even better when you watch it for the 2nd or even the 3rd time because you see clues you didn't see before and appreciate the stylish and the artistic film and also understand the film better. the story is great and clever and never slows down to the end. I was totally mesmorized. many people didn't like this movie. It'll be one of those films that people either didn't like or missed that will be a total classic in the future. It's one of the best movies I've seen in the past 5 years. It's totally non-hollywood so if you like that kind of movie, you won't like this, which is very intelligent.

little hit&alot of miss
this film was interesting for a minute then it lost me.the story writing was a bit under developed on a whole&after a while the pacing of the film got fragged down.it had a few moments but not enough to maintain my interest. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From its cleverly choreographed opening sequence to its heart-stopping climax on a rampant carousel, this 1951 Hitchcock classic readily earns its reputation as one of the director's finest examples of timeless cinematic suspense. It's not just a ripping-good thriller but a film student's delight and a perversely enjoyable battle of wits between tennis pro Guy (Farley Granger) and his mysterious, sycophantic admirer, Bruno (Robert Walker), who proposes a "criss-cross" scheme of traded murders. Bruno agrees to kill Guy's unfaithful wife, in return for which Guy will (or so it seems) kill Bruno's spiteful father. With an emphasis on narrative and visual strategy, Hitchcock controls the escalating tension with a master's flair for cinematic design, and the plot (coscripted by Raymond Chandler) is so tightly constructed that you'll be white-knuckled even after multiple viewings. Better still, the two-sided DVD edition of this enduring classic includes both the original version of the film and also the longer prerelease British print, which offers a more overt depiction of Bruno's flamboyant and dangerous personality, and his homoerotic attraction to Guy by way of his deviously indecent proposal. In accordance with the cautious censorship guidelines of the period, Hitchcock would later tame these elements of Walker's memorable performance by trimming and altering certain scenes, so the differences between the original and prerelease versions provide an illuminating illustration of censorship's effect on the story's thematic intensity. Beyond all the historical footnotes and film-buff fascination, Strangers on a Train remains one of Hitchcock's crowning achievements and a suspenseful classic that never loses its capacity to thrill and delight. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (82)

EXCELLENT!!
Excellent suspense movie about innocent-looking tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger), involved in a murder against his own will, by an eccentric, over-the-top character played masterfully by great american actor (by then, Jennifer Jones' ex-husband) Robert Walker.

Hitchcock builds the film into a great final climax, holding your complete attention from the very start of the story, at the train station.

Good acting by the leading couple, Farley Granger and Ruth Roman (playing his sweetheart and bride-to-be, after the divorce from his obnoxious wife). Excellent performances by the aforementioned Walker as Bruno Antony, Patricia Hitchcok (as Roman's sister, who has a liking for criminal stories), Kasey Rogers (as Granger's wife) and Marion Lorne (as Bruno Antony's mother).

The fact that the DVD contains the original US and UK versions, the latter two minutes longer, is a must. Especially noticing the trimming that underwent the initial scenes between Walker and Granger in the american version, and the final "happy ending" scene added for the same version.

Fans of '60s TV series "Bewitched", will have a field day watching "Aunt Clara" (Marion Lorne) as the over-indulging mother of spoiled and egotistical Bruno Antony and "Louise Tate" (Kasey Rogers, billed as Laura Elliott) who plays over-sexed and amoral Miriam, Guy Haines' wife.

Don't talk to strangers!
Farley Granger appeared in only two Hitchcock films. He was the nerve racked killer in Rope who ended up not being able to handle the reality of his crime and gave up in the end, and he is the ill-fated tennis star who happens upon a total stranger during a train ride in this film, Strangers on a Train. Too bad. Granger is talented in this role, evoking sympathy from the audience even when he was guilty as sin in Rope. In this movie, it's hard to really blame him for the events that transpire.

Two men meet and strike up a conversation based on Bruno's (Robert Walker in a chilling performance) ability to recognize Guy Haines (Granger) from the tennis court. During the conversation, it is discovered that Bruno hates his father and wants him dead, and that Guy has a wife who is causing trouble for him. Guy wants to marry the daughter of a senator, but needs his current wife out of the picture.

Bruno has the answer. We swap murders, and then there is no motive. Guy laughs it off, but he stops laughing quick when Bruno actually kills Guy's wife and expects him to murder his father in return. By the way, the murder of the wife is some of Hitch's best camera work ever, as he shows the choking in the reflection of the woman's eyeglasses.

Guy has no credible alibi, so he is suspect number one. Bruno keeps on him the whole time, threatening to frame him (Bruno has Guy's lighter that he can plant at the scene), so it becomes a race for Guy to prove his innocence. The scene on the merry go round is a classic, even if a bit unrealistic.

The characters are great, the story strong and the direction superb. You simply can't go wrong with this one. The great suspense films of today owe a debt of gratitude to Strangers on a Train.

Misinformed
I recently purchased, yet , another copy of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN because the description of this edition read WIDESCREEN. Lured by that promise, I again spent the money, because the copy I already owned was not widescreen. To my great disappointment, I have learned (by watching my newly purchased DVD) that my new copy is, in fact, the exact same edition I already owned: STANDARD format and NOT WIDESCREEN. Beware the description for this issue: it misinforms. If it is WIDESCREEN you want, this is not it!

Crisscross
After the spectacular successes of "Notorious" and "Spellbound" Alfred Hitchcock went into a five year box-office slump that had him seriously rattled. He broke out again in 1951 with "Strangers," a fable about a tennis player (Farley Granger) whose murderous private thoughts are brought horrifically to life through his chance encounter with a maniac (Robert Walker). Be careful what your wish for, you may get it, is Hitchcock's theme, and he never did a better job of exploring the border between our civilized and barbaric impulses than in this project. This is usually the performance for which Walker is best remembered, completed shortly before he drank himself to death. The murder of Granger's wife is still shocking even today and there are numerous other scenes just as riveting which Hitchcock tossed off with such ease when his visual imagination was stimulated. Novelist Raymond Chandler got a script credit, but according to Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto none of Chandler's material was used.

I will be strong.....maybe (fingers crossed)
First I will say this is a classic film that doesn't contain one wasted minute. It's always been one of my favorites and have always shown it to friends as an introduction to these films due to their lack of Hitchcock experience. But what I will say here and now is I WILL NOT BUY THIS SPECIAL EDITION!!! I have the original release and it has served me well these past years. I could have lived my whole life without the knowledge of a special edition with all sorts of those goodies and I would have been fine... It will probably have commentary, interviews, ohh that sounds enchanting...I DON"T CARE. I MUST be strong and resist the temptation of re-buying it. I know I've made this pledge on several hundred occasions with... oh you know, Planet of the apes, Casablanca, Blazing Saddles etc,etc. Yes I caved on those countless occasions but NOT THIS TIME!! But for anyone who doesn't own this dvd at all, I would recommend you do. But don't talk to me about it because I'm perfectly happy with my one disc copy OK!! Warner brothers among others have been pulling these scams for years with these re-issues, and you know who the victoms are. Yes... Yes.. that would be me. But not this time because my family have received enough free bare bones dvd's from me and it ends today. Forget it Amazon! No preorders from this sucker... HA HA!! ... Read more

Reviews (344)

...Let's go carve ourselves a witch.
Evil Dead 2, while technically a sequel, holds very little in common with "Evil Dead." Evil Dead was one of the scariest, creepiest, and grossest films I've ever seen. Evil Dead 2 is one of the funniest!

The gore in Evil Dead II is WAY over the top. (If you've seen Arthur's battle with the Black Knight in "Monty Python's Holy Grail"... THAT'S the sort of gore I'm talking about.) Campy lines are thrown around in here the like you've not heard since the Batman TV series.

The Premise: Ash (Ashley Williams for those who saw the first one) and his girlfriend drive up to a secluded cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun. They come across a tape recording of ancient incantations...that, when played, release an unseen evil that stalks them. When the cabin owner's daughter and team show up, the evil comes for them all!

If you don't try to take this movie seriously, you won't be dissapointed. One of the film's scenes was once rated in the top ten fight scenes of all time: Ash versus... his hand.

Now, for the DVD goodies!
First, the DVD and "booklet" come in a tin! I was impressed by the tin and the arwork on it, but the booklet is a bit of a let-down. The pictures in it are simply screen grabs (and not very good ones) from the movie.
THX and Widescreen add back what's been missing all these years. It's nice to see (clearer!) all of the bits we've been missing and the 5.1 audio tracks make those chase scenes sound like you're right there!
The featurette 'The Gore the Merrier' is fantastic and left me wanting more! It would be great to see more of the behind the scenes antics of this crew, as it's plain to see (hear in the commentary) that they had fun making the film.
And, the teaser for the video game "Evil Dead: Hail to the King" has me chomping at the bit! I can't wait to play a game as Ash! "You want a little??"

If you're an Evil Dead fan, this Limited Edition MUST be in your collection. If you just like slapstick/comedy/horror, you can't lose with this one.

When it comes down to it, if legions of undead started roaming the Earth, I'd want Ash nearby! Not just for protection, but also for comic relief!

Demon Madness
Evil runs wild in the exciting comedy-horror favorite "Evil Dead: Dead by Dawn". In the deep woods, an unspeakable evil force has been unleashed and torments a traveler (Bruce Campbell) and those around him. Director Sam Raimi's horror spectacle is an amazing combination of creepy stylish horror and hilarious slapstick comedy. The movie contains some terrific camerawork, effective visuals effects and memorable gross-out scenes. Bruce Campbell's vivid performance as unlikely hero Ash is another good highlight of the film. The cult favorite is presented in both standard full screen and 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen formats. Its picture quality is reasonably sharp with good contrast. The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is enjoyable with lively surround effects. This DVD contains audio commentaries with filmmaker Sam Raimi and cast member Bruce Campbell, an amusing behind-the-scenes featurette and original theatrical trailer. The animated menus are excellent. Overall, "Evil Dead II" scores a "B+".

Back To The Cabin...
Bruce Campbell returns as Ash, the sole survivor of the first EVIL DEAD demon fest. This time out, he must battle the evil spirit in himself! Sam Raimi pulls out all the bloody stops to unleash a tale of possession gone mad! Campbell's solo performance during the first part of the film is a total trip! He is chased, flattened, thrown, carried through the air, and indwelt by that accursed horror from the blood-inked pages of the Book Of The Dead! This movie is either hilariously scary, or Terrifyingly hysterical. A perfect follow up to it's more serious predecessor. Would make an excellent triple feature with DEAD ALIVE and RE-ANIMATOR. Highly recommended...

fun x2
The thrills have increased, and so have the chills. This is by far the scariest movie out of the triology. In a way, i dont fully understand it, because why would Bruce Campbell venture with his new girl friend all the way back up to the cabin where the original massacre happened? I mean its not like you would forget something like that so easily, i mean come on! But besides some incredibly stupid moves, this movie is still pretty good.

Much Better Than The First
Gorier, better, and over all a much better movie than the First. Bloody stabbings, chainsaw action, rotting corpses, removal of body parts, decapitations and lots of blood and green goo. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

This movie is better then most people say it is.
Hitchcock traded horror and suspence for more humor and wild adventure in this movie made in 1966 where Paul Newman and Julie Andrews play a couple of scientists who semmingly defect to the Russians, but are in actually trying to uncover a new screat Formula that will revolutionize the nuclear arms race. The movie mainly deals with how they can get out of the Iron Curtain once they get their hands on the numerical formula. The film then goes to rather intense lengths to show them on the run from the police, trying to find the needed contacts, and then make it across the border without getting shot. Except for one long fight scene, this is a rather exciteing film and is in keeping with many of Hitchcock's style of film making.

For completists only... (and spoilers, spoilers, spoilers)
I've read a lot of reviews trying to rehabilitate this mid-60's Hitchcock film from the dustbin into which history has thrown it. The film has all the elements that go into a Hitchcock classic: that high-toned gloss that he perfected in such 50s films as "Vertigo" and "Rear Window"; a servicable plot that allows for potential suspense set pieces; and the sure use of location which made "Psycho", "North by Northwest" and "Vertigo" so intriguing.

But the film is like soda pop left open too long: all the ingredients, no fizz. Hitch's staging is way off here - the film is slow at the start and it never shakes this lethargy. Paul Newman plays an American scientist defecting, supposedly, to East Berlin and Julie Andrews, his financee, follows him there. There's no banter or rapport between these two, unlike say Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll in "The 39 Steps" or Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in "North by Northwest." Newman looks miserable here; he's drawn-in and remote; naturally, his character has to remain guarded but Newman closes the audience off too. It was rumored that he and Hitchcock frequently fought on the set and Newman, who can be sly and witty, is defensive throughout. He seemed a lot happier working on a prison farm in his subsequent film, "Cool Hand Luke."

As for Julie Andrews, she has nothing to do. Hitch sets us up to believe that her pursuing Newman into East Germany will trigger the action but its really an event totally unrelated to her - the murder of Gromek - that sets the story off. While Janet Leigh was cleverly set up as a MacGuffin in "Psycho"; here this strange enervation of Julie Andrews' role seems like poor plotting (and the interview scene at Leipzig Univ. a paltry attempt to correct this).

Hitchcock piles up the bad calls throughout. In his best films, you may have seen how Hitchcock was manipulating the story (and your emotions) but his style made it a perverse pleasure - witness Grace Kelly's breaking into Raymond Burr's apartment in "Rear Window." Here the wit and style are missing so the suspense mechanisms are laid bare. When Newman is racing against the clock to obtain a secret formula from an East German scientist, you know your heart should be pounding. But all I was thinking was... you mean that's it? Two actors writing mathematical formulas on a blackboard? And in the big escape from Leipzig, Hitchcock shows that it would take another 28 years, with "Speed", for a bus to be used as a dramatic intensifer.

Despite what its defenders claim, "Torn Curtain" is a failure; only the incomprehensible "Topaz" is worse. Its not just that this Cold War story seems especially moldly today; but what really kills it is the lack of any apparent conviction by anyone involved. A couple mildly suspensful scenes - and I'm sorry, the murder of Gromek is *not* the masterly set-piece that its often claimed to be - do not compensate for this thin gruel. Buy it if you're a Hitchcock completist but you're money would be better spent buying a second copy of "North by Northwest" (or "The Rules of the Game.")

The Master's Worst
Every genius is entitled to one fall from grace...& this is definitely Hitchcock's. Paul Newman(looking absolutely beautiful here)& Julie Andrews are shockingly miscast, the suspense is minimal & Hitch himself was obviously bored. For true auteurs, you all know what that means. We'll be bored too...

An Exciting Cold War Drama!
Amazon's own reviewer says this is one of Hitchcock's "lesser efforts"... I disagree. There are some amazing scenes in this film, gorgeous cinematography, stunning action scenes, a great chase and tension everywhere. This is not "North by Northwest" or "Vertigo".... but it is just as exciting, if not more so than "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "39 Steps" and "Rear Window". Julie Andrews is stunning and superb as the wife who does not know who her husband seems to be working for. Paul Newman is perfectly cast as the mysterious and secretive husband... and the supporting cast is incredible.... especially Wolfgang Kieling was "Gromek", the relentless and sadistic kidnapper. Real life ballerina Tamara Toumanova who dances beautifully, but who comes complete with an "evil eye" on things. Lila Kedrova whos words "Will you be my sponsor?" will haunt you long after the movie ends.... and Carolyn Conwell, who is amazing along with Paul Newman's character in the farm scene! Wow!! The DVD transfer is superb and this film is a sure winner all the way.

Suspensefull
I thought this was a great movie.I enjoyed the chemistry between Paul Newman and Julie Andrews.I think it added to the frustration that she felt,not knowing what her Fiance'was up to.I felt the murder scene of Gromeck was very shocking or at the very least grisly and graphic.I enjoyed the bus scene and the scenes where the older woman was trying to help the two lovers escape from their captors .
This is one of my favorite Hitchcock films. ... Read more

Reviews (477)

"Hail to the King Baby" (Boomstick Edition)
Just when you thought it was safe, good old Anchor Bay DVD has released yet again, another edition of ARMY OF DARKNESS. Many would say "what are you people thinking?!" while I would say "bring it on!" ARMY OF DARKNESS has got to be one of my favorite films of all time and I cant wait to get this new edition! For all you newcomers to the series, this a perfect edition to buy because it has practically every special feature possible! It includes both the theatrical and director's cut versions which I have been waiting for since forever! I'm not going to get into the plot because I dont want to spoil anything for all you newcomers out there! To sum it up, this is an awesome movie full of laughs, scares, ultra cheap special effects and best of all Bruce "Dont call me Ash" Campbell! Catch ya later!

Just wait
Ok, here you have the best version of this movie currently available. It's way better than the previous version, but I only give it 4 stars as the truly definitive version is supposed to be out soon titled either 'Boomstick' or 'I've Got Your Boomstick' or something else like that, which is also the name of the forthcoming video game.

I love this movie, and this version pulls the whole thing more toward the horror side of things, putting it more in line with the previous two Evil Dead movies.

If you're a fan, you already own this.

Decent Flick Ruined By Poor Transfer
I have been a fan of the Evil Dead Trilogy for a few years now and when I heard the director's cut was coming out for Army of Darkness I made sure to pick it up. Most of the time the transfer of the video is great, but whenever it shifts to the new bits added, the video quality becomes nothing short of horrible. That really pulls me out of the movie and that knocks 2 stars off the score

It really is a shame they didn't take the extra effort to remaster the new scenes added in. Hopefully the new "boomstick" edition due out in March will feature a vastly improved transfer, that would be reason enough for me to buy it.

Anchor bay milks AOD again?!!
How many times can they release the same Evil Dead movies over and over? Only God knows. At least this one has both the original and director's cut. ALSO IMPORTANT NOTE: ...is selling only one of these that comes with a free dinner with (GOD) Bruce Campbell!!!! Let's see if this version has anything unique that the previous versions didn't have. Doesn't matter to me, I'm in line to purchase this NOW!!!

Shop smart! Shop S Mart!
Bruce Campbell is back. Right where Evil Dead II left off, he is now back in Medieval times. He must get the Book of the Dead to return to his time, but the residents of the castle need it to defeat the Deadites.

Seems they had a bigger budget for this film, (the first two you remember take place in a cabin and some woods). The special effects are still cheesy, but that's all part of the Evil Dead charm. Bruce also plays a double role, both as 'bad Ash' and later on as the Deadite leader.

This film version boasts the original ending not seen before. I hate to give it away so I won't. But Ash screws up again as is typical Ash fashion. I personally liked the ending seen in theaters and on the original VHS/DVD better, but now I have both. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Like many other films by Canadian director David Cronenberg (especially Crash), Dead Ringers presents the cinematic and psychological equivalent of an automobile accident--you dare not look, but you can't turn away. The film marked a directorial breakthrough for Cronenberg, who was able to continue some of the themes explored in his earlier horror films while graduating to a higher, more critically "respectable" level of artistic sophistication. The film is loosely based, amazingly enough, on a true story about twin gynecologists who routinely traded each others' identities, lives and even lovers. Utilizing innovative split-screen technology (years before computer manipulation made such trickery much easier), the film stars Jeremy Irons in flawless dual roles as the identical brothers Beverly and Elliot Mantle. Their ability to instantly switch identities leads them to a shared relationship with a well-known actress (Genevieve Bujold) and, ultimately, a physical and psychological tailspin that sends them both to the brink of madness and death. The scenario suggests that both men are halves of a whole, and that one cannot exist without the other. But when Beverly pursues a kinky, drug-addicted affair with the actress, his more self-controlled brother is helpless to prevent their mutual decline. In this way Dead Ringers becomes a fascinating and stylistically clinical study of duality, and Cronenberg doesn't shy away from the dark and unpleasant aspects of the story. (One look at the movie's display of bizarre gynecological instruments and you'll know why women find this film particularly--and unforgettably--disturbing.)--Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (57)

The saddest,most though provoking film ever made
This film moved me. The acting, the intesnity of the story...it was just breath-taking. I am not easily affected by movies being I'm a gorehound/horror buff, but Jeremy Iron's performance was so awesome! He conveyed the emotions perfectly with his dual-role. I am not going to go into too much detail but if you like disturbing films that will make you think and stay with you long after you watch it then this is the film. One of the best made films ever. Nuff said

Dead Ringers
The film was described to me as "horror." No. That individual failed to understand the complexities of twins-ship. Yes, the surgical instruments for mutant women, downward spiralling drug addiction, co-dependency of twins were superior in the technical (split-screens) and acting categories. But the fact that this was a true story about the Marcus twins is utterly fanastic. Cronenberg, Irons, & Bujold perform exceptionally well in this deeply sad portrayal of brilliant surgical reproductive gynecologists, making Barber's Adagio for Strings apropos for closure. Kafka once said that one should read books that melt the iceburg within us; the same adage applies to film.

Jeremy Irons does more than just clone himself in this role!
The Mantle brothers, Beverly and Elliot, are more than just identical twins. They're like two aspects of one person's internal character turned into two separate external realities. They're both brilliant gynecologists specializing in infertility problems with women and have spent their whole lives living as if they were one individual. They live in the same flat, work at the same clinic and share the same unsuspecting women until Beverly falls in love and no longer wants to share. This emotional break initiates an evaluation of the self, ultimately calling into question the very nature of the brothers symbiotic relations. Can they survive without each other? Jeremy Irons does more than just clone himself in this role, but engenders the brothers Mantle with two distinctive characterizations that are convincing and compelling. Based on an actual case.

Cronenberg is the greatest Canadian director by far.
I'm kinda new to Cronenberg only previously seeing "Videodrome" and loving the hell out of it. Same goes for Dead Ringers. From the great performance by Jeromy Irons to the incredibly creative writing and directing of David Cronenberg this film could not be any better. From only seeing two of his film's I'm really having trouble thinking of a Canadian director that can even be compared to Cronenberg. Actually I'm having trouble thinking of any director in the past 30 years I can place above Cronenberg. I don't say this to often about a director but I think it's definetly safe to say that Cronenberg is a genius. He's made a new fan. Being Canadian myself I wish I looked into him alot earlier. If feel as if I was missing so much.

Jeremy Irons is magnificent!
I remember the trailers for this film.The film company promoted this movie like it was a horror film.Yes, David Cronenberg made successful horror films like "The Brood", "Scanners" and of course, "The Fly".But they clearly missed the boat on this movie.This is an effective drama on the lives of identical twins and how their reactions (alcohol, drugs, relationships, etc.) coinside with each other.I thought Jeremy Irons was outstanding in this film.He captures the essence of both of the doomed twins.He would later recieve an Academy Award.Genevive Bujold gives an effective performance as Claudia.Overall, this is a moving and powerful film study.

(Note - Be on the lookout for Jill Hennessy and her twin sister, Jacqueline in their first roles.) ... Read more

Amazon.com

With the long-take experiment of Rope still fresh in his mind, Alfred Hitchcock turned his attention to romantic melodrama:Under Capricorn, a novel of 1830s Australia. Having little of the usual suspense to rely on, Hitchcock used the elegant long-take method to draw out Ingrid Bergman's harrowing performance. As a fallen aristocrat who married a former stable boy (Joseph Cotten) and moved Down Under, Bergman gives a fine portrayal of a woman hemmed in by a sour marriage and a guilty secret. The actress also felt hemmed in by Hitch's elaborate camera movements; she hated them. This expensive picture flopped on its first release, but it has a hypnotic flow despite a tendency toward talkiness. Hitchcock fans will recognize, beyond the details of plot, a couple of the director's key motifs:the jaundiced view of marriage, and the anxieties underlying social status. And, of course, the worship of an actress. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (302)

Scream And Scream Again!
After the incredible, phenomenal success of the first "Scream" movie, a sequel was inevitable. Actually, it was inevitable from the start since a part 2 and 3 were already planned and part of Kevin Williamson's deal when selling the first movie. While many people thought this was only made since the first one was such a monster hit, it was not. I'm sure the box office didn't hurt tho!. Kevin Williamson is back with another sharp, fresh, and clever screenplay. Wes Craven is back in the director's chair and makes that screenplay into a stylish thriller that exceeds all expectations and puts the "sequels ..." curse to rest...for now anyways. It's been two years since the grisly murders and stalking of Sidney Prescott in Woodsboro, and now Sidney is enrolled in college and trying to put her life back in order. It's much easier said than done since she is now caught up in the frenzy of a new movie called "Stab", which is a film about what happened in Woodsboro based on the book "The Woodsboro Murders", by tabloid journalist Gale Weathers(Courtney Cox). Two young students(Jada Pinkett, Omar Epps)are killed during the premiere of the film in the movie's dazzling and well executed opener, and the hunt is on once again. A copycat killer dressed in ghost figure attire is jumping on the "Stab" hysteria and stalking Sidney and her friends. Returning is Gale, who is still the money loving, attention getter we loved to hate in the original, but we love more now here. Deputy Dewey(David Arquette)is back as well, having survived the stabbed in the back incident from the original. Unfortunatley, it has left him with a bad leg and limp. Film geek Randy(Jamie Kennedy)is back as well, and sets the tone for the film when he explains the rules of a horror sequel. Cotton Weary(Liev Schreiber)also appears in this one. He has a far more interesting and pivotal role than he did in the brief moments he had in the original film. We are introduced to a new pack of characters as well. Sidney's boyfriend Derek, who is played by Jerry 'O' Connell, film lover
Mickey, Sid's roomate Hallie, and Gale's new camerman Joel, among others. "Buffy" star Sarah Michelle Gellar also appears in one of the films's best moments. Former "Roseanne" star Laurie Metcalfe, and David's father Lewis Arquette, round out the great cast. The movie definitley knows that it is a sequel and is fully aware of how sequels usually go. There's even a great scene about students talking about film sequels. But what the first film did horror films, this one does with horror film sequels and gives it a fresh and clever spin. The scares are great and the suspense scenes are carefully executed and fully effecting. The movie still manages to be surprising and scary and catch us off guard, unlike so many sequels. Neve Campbell is a fabulous scream queen heroine. She does another solid turn as Sidney. Cox looks fantastic in this one. Gale is such an entertaining character to watch. Arquette has the Dewey schtick down pat, although it feels as if he wasn't given much to do this time around and was out of the action quite early than he should have been. While many horror films seem to only care about violence and a high body count, these films are about the characters. Not the killer or what he does and how he goes about doing it. It's about why it's happening and how these characters that we have come to love and cheer on will respond to it. Wes and company did something that many people didn't think they would. They made a sequel that is as convincing, smart, scary, and entertaining as the original. "Scream 2" is a follow up that not only does the brilliant original justice, but it also gives sequels a good name.

One of my favorite sequels
At the time of it's release a lot people I know didn't like it at all. I have no idea why either. The lines are funny, the cast good and it even has it's scary moments. I have no idea why they did part 3 without Kevin Williamson doing the screen-play. His scripts made the movies clever, funny and down to earth. Plus the cast in part 3 is laughable compared to the telented cast in 1 and 2. I mean in this one you got David Arquette "in no doubt his best role", Neve Campbell "in possibly her best role as well", Courtney Coxx, Liev Shrieber, Jamie Kennedy, Jada Pinkett Smith, Timothy Olyphant "Go!", Jerry O'Connell, Omar Epps and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Oh and Roseanne's sister from...Roseanne is in it too. Also look for Joshua Jacksan "Dawson's Creak" in a small role as a film class student.

Anyway this movie is a lot of fun and entertaining. Some things don't work of course though. Like how they use Han Zimmer's score from Broken Arrow whenever they show Dewey. Jerry Connell "singing I think I love you" to Sydney. Things that make it clever though for example, is when it pokes fun at other movies and even at itself. I like how Timothy Olyphant trys to come up with sequels that out-due the originals to Jamie Kennedy's character. It discusses sequels when it itself is one...trying to out-due the original and in some ways it does.

WHAT A DIFFRENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scream 2 is a million times better than the first Scream, which was teribble. The killer is no longer a wimpy teen like in the last film. This film is aimd to an older audiance( the first was aimed to the teens) which I think was good and it really worked for this one. This plot is about someone who saw a movie called Stab, a film based on what happened in the first Scream, and the film drives him mad and makes him turn into a killer. Okay, I know that sounds like a bad plot on papr, but it's much better on screen. They don't make fun of the old movies as much as they did in the first one( the( the orignal was trying to be serios, not like Scary Movie). If you enjoyed movies like Halloween, then you should like this. Much better than the first movie.

Sequel-itis
Unfortunately, Scream 2 falls victim to the oh-so-common sequel-itis that plagues many horror sequels. After the original redefined the term "sleeper hit" by grossing $103 million (domestically), Dimension Films rushed to release the sequel. Less than a year after the release of the original, Scream 2 opened to less than enthusiastic reviews, yet still managed to make a killing at the box office (101 million).
Was Scream 2 a bad film? Not really. In fact it is much better than most of the disposable horror trash on the market today, however it does not hold a candle to the original. The script and acting seem very rushed, and the film falls victim to many of the horror cliches that the original so effectively denounced. The film's biggest downfall is the identity of the killers. Part of what made the first film so great was that all the clues to killer's identity were there. The sequel however, offers no logical clues to the identity of the killers, who turn out to be somewhat minor characters who have played a very small partt in the narrative until this point. When they are finally revealed, it's like "Where did they come from?"
Scream 2 lacks the originality, script (though still helmed by Williamson), acting, and sheer terror that made the original such a classic. That said, it's still worth a rent, but think twice about buying it unless you are a die hard fan of the series.

good movie
Scream 2 is far from as scary as it's predeccesor, but it is still a good movie. Sydney Prescott is at college and having a good time, until a sorority girl[Sarah Michelle Gellar] is murdered. The survivors of the original movie are back, but Randy is eventually murdered, and Dewey hospitalized for being stabbed multiple times. Sydney once again suspects her boyfriend to be the killer, and upon this realization, Sydney and her friend is picked up by the dean to be moved, but the murderer is on their tail, and murders the dean, and Sydney's friend. Sydney then discovers the real murderer, and has the murderer arrested. Not very scary, but less gory than the original, and still fun to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

International Top-Cast
After a Russian officer defects to the United States, the gouvernment learns of a special French intelligence agent in Cuba, called Topaz. It seems Topaz has access to NATO secrets and in turn, deals that information to the Russians, which means a double agent must be involved somewhere. The Russian agent reveals all this to Michael Nordstrom (John Forsythe), who decides the best course of action to call on his friend and trusted associate,Andre Devereaux (Frederick Stafford, who spend some days with his wife Nicole (Dany Robin), his young-married daughter Michèle (Claude Jade) and his son-in-law Francois Picard (Michel Subor) in New York. So Devereaux heads off to Havana, where he hopes to learn more about Topaz and also scout the potential missiles that have been rumored to exist in the area. There his love Juanita (Karin Dor) is killed by diplomate Parra (John Vernon). Andre follows his family to Paris to find out, who leads "Topaz". Michèle ask her mother for help to Andre, but Nicole says "There's nothing I can do" - Nicole haves an affair with the leader von "Topaz"... This movie turns out to be decent enough, but it seems like a real let down, since it came from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Betrayal between all the persons, played by an international cast: young Claude Jade, made famous by Francois Truffaut's "Stolen Kisses" and "Bed & Board", as Andre's worried daughter, Dany Robin also from France as her mother, Michel Subor from Godard's "Little Soldier" as son-in-law, Michel Piccoli and Philippe Noiret as "topaz"-spies, the german actress Karin Dor as the cuban lady in Hitchcock's most underrated thriller.

Good, But You Can Certainly Do Better
After 1966's "Torn Curtain" flopped, Hitchcock decided to make another spy thriller. "Topaz", based on Leon Uris's best - selling novel of the same name, is meant to be an exciting, suspenseful espionage thriller involving nuclear missiles in Cuba. Despite a few engaging sequences, that show Hitch still had it, the film comes off as a second - rate James Bond flick rather than a Hitchcock masterpiece.

John Forsythe (the only recognizable actor in the entire cast) plays a CIA agent who recruits a French Operative named Devereaux (Frederick Stafford, who gives a great performance despite the film's flaws)to help him find out if rumors of Russian missiles in Cuba are true. His investigation leaves behind a string of casualities who either kill themselves or get murdered. The plot seems cool, but it's slow - moving and hard to follow at some points.

The main thing that keeps "Topaz" afloat is the top - notch acting. Hitchcock clearly thought that great acting would triumph over starpower, which is why he filled the cast with highly talented unknowns. In the past, legends like Sean Connery, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, and a host of others starred in Hitchcock masterpieces and gave great performances in their roles, but at same points were unconvincing. The acting in "Topaz" is flawless; I recommend it.

Decent Hitchcock espionage drama
Frederick Stafford playing a French intelligence officer collaborates with John Forsythe, an American counterpart to garner information concerning Russia's involvement in Cuba in 1962. A high ranking KGB official defects from Russia and his debriefing prompts Stafford to enter Cuba, at the urging of the U.S., to conduct surveillance on the import of missiles.

Stafford gathers intel provided by his Cuban mistress, a widow of a top revolutionary played by an attractive Karin Dor of James Bond fame. He manages to smuggle out the information under the suspicious eye of bearded Castro crony John Vernon.

Learning from Forsythe of the existence of an espionage ring, code named Topaz, a group of French politicos spying for the Russians, Stafford sets out to smash it.

Topaz lacked the gripping intrigue so often present in Hitchcock's work. My appreciation for his body of work led me to be generous with my rating.

Excellent spy movie.
This is an excellent film. First rate. It has an intelligent plot cleverly scripted by Samuel Taylor (Sabrina, Vertigo), based on Leon Uris's novel. Uris had probably access to inside information about the "Saffire" affair (whence "Topaz") and mingled fact and fiction as masters of his craft can do.

Hitchcock delivers suspense, humor, great cinematography, a story that unfolds with ease and relative verossimilitude. Karin Dor is very beatiful, and Frederick Sttafford cuts a fine figure of a man.

The bonus material includes an interview with Leonard Maltin, who shows great appreciation of the movie. However, he doesn't mention a factor which, in my view, stood in the way of its recognition when it was released and still stands now: Communist Cuba is presented as a place where torture is practiced, and its leaders are uncouth and ridiculous. The CIA men are the gooddies. Unforgivable in 1969, and even now, in Europe and it seems in the US where we must sing praises for "Comandante" and things like that. This is surely at least 70% of its lack of appreciation, and not the "transparencies" or the uncertanties about its ending.

One scene has been particularly praised, and it is only one among a score: when Cuban head Rico Parra (John Vernon) kills Juanita de Cordoba (Karin Dor). Not only the image is visually astounding, but the words: "You can't judge... not you" Rico says to Juanita before sparing her torture... bu shooting her. Also stunning the image where the two members of the Cuban resistance lie after martyrdom like Jesus and His Mother in Michelangelo's "Pietà". Wonderful movie, exiting, epic... without the excesses of the caritaturesque Bond series.

John Forsythe makes the film. Three different endings.
This is perhaps the only Alfred Hitchcock color film I have not seen, until now. It is a rarity for television. And it would be edited for television broadcast anyway. Now on DVD, you can see TOPAZ in its entirty. If you have seen TOPAZ before, well here is the surprise. There are three very different endings of the film you may have not seen yet. This DVD version will show them all to you. If the ending chosen leaves you flat, in the Bonus Material section, you can see all three alternate endings and decide the one you like best. John Forsythe (Bachelor Father [1957-62],Charlie's Angels [1976-1981] as voice of "Charlie", Dynasty [1981-89]) sure does make the beginning act of the film much more interesting to watch. I can not say this is the best of Hitchcock, but I would recommend: REAR WINDOW (1954) and ROPE (1948). ... Read more

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The Masque of the Red Death (1964) is Roger Corman's, and most people's, choice as the best of the Edgar Allan Poe pictures. Masque offers the expected creepy atmosphere and violence against peasants, plus metaphysical ponderings and pointed satanic cruelty. (Corman was operating as much under the influence of Ingmar Bergman as of Edgar Allan Poe.) Nicolas Roeg's color cinematography and Daniel Haller's elaborate production design would be stellar in any Hollywood A-movie; the mono-colored rooms of the prince's castle are a startling effect. Vincent Price is in fine fettle as Prince Prospero, the devil-worshipping sadist who throws lavish parties while the countryside is ravaged by the plague.

The Premature Burial (1962) substitutes Ray Milland in the usual Price role. He's a snarky landowner (with a sideline in art--dig those mod paintings) haunted by the fear of being buried alive. This single-minded focus limits the film, but it also adds to the smothering sense of anxiety that prevails throughout its unhealthy scenario. Luscious Hazel Court is Milland's new missus, and old-school cameraman Floyd Crosby proves his facility for photographing women in a classical style. Lots of cobwebs-on-candelabra in the customary Corman-Poe manner, with special emphasis on Milland's crypt, with its supposedly foolproof exit schemes. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (27)

great transfer, bad movies
First off, Masque of the Red Death isn't as good as The Premature Burial like some reviewers here would lead you to believe. Secondly, Masque just doesn't make any sense. Sure, it is one of Roger Corman's most elaborate productions, but the story outright stinks. Vincent Price, as he does in all of the Corman adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe stories he stars in, shines, this time as the evil Prince Prospero. However, the plot line is convoluted and really doesn't make sense. Prospero, a devil worshipper and murderer, hides from the Red Death in his castle with other members of the dark ages' privileged upper crust while the poor villagers succumb to the disease. Cosmetically, the picture is superb, but like I said, the storyline is contrived.The Premature Burial with Ray Milland in the lead at least has an interesting plot that makes sense. Although this movie isn't as aesthitically pleasing to the eye as Masque, it is certainly more respectable.The DVD rendiions of these two films are great and MGM deserves credit for that. However, if you want to see a good Roger Corman movie, get a copy of The Pit and the Pendulum. It's a masterpiece of the macabre.

Corman/ Poe double feature is a mixed bag.
MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (4 stars)

This Poe adaptation, inspired by "Hop Frog" is one of Roger Corman's most creative & artistically satisfying films. Shot in only five weeks, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH sees Vincent Price giving one of his all time greatest performances as the evil Prince Prospero, a man who blames God for all that is evil in the world & has sought refuge in satanism. Prospero is such a likable fellow that he has the father of his mistress Francesca (June Asher)- ironically a redhead- & her lover quartered. But unknown to Prospero his legal wife Julianna (Hazel Court) has branded an inverted crucifix into her chest & has made a pledge to become the bride of Satan! A smart move considering it is almost the sabbath...
To celebrate the upcoming witches sabbath, Prospero decides to throw an elaborate masquerade ball - though guests are forbidden to wear red because of the plague of red death sweeping the countryside & ravaging the peasants in the village below. But on this night Prospero is to pay dearly for his villainy....
Featuring excellent production design by Daniel Heller & photography by Nicholas Roeg, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH ranks alongside HOUSE OF WAX & THEATER OF BLOOD as one of Price's very best genre films.

PREMATURE BURIAL (2 1/2 STARS)

In this rather below par entry in Corman's Poe cycle scripted by Charles Beaumont and Ray Russell, Ray Milland plays Guy, a medical student with a fear of being buried alive. Each member of his family has died unpleasant deaths, beginning with his father having a coronary when Guy was 13. Guy regularly hears his father screaming out from beyond the grave, but his wife Emily (Hazel Court again) tries to convince him his fears are all in the mind, and that he's slowly going mad.
Sadly, the viewer may feel similarly.
The movies most memorable scene involves maggots writhing out of a silver chalice; but for the most part THE PREMATURE BURIAL is a stodgily paced, long-winded bore- until the fun finale and twist ending. Corman fans will want to check it out, but this is far from being his best work. It will come as no surprise that Vincent Price was originally intended to play Guy, but he was under contract to another studio at the time. It would have been interesting to see how much better the movie could have been with his magic touch. But generally, this Double Feature is well worth a look. Extras include trailers for both movies and couple of (very) brief interviews with Corman.

RAY PRICE?
One of the most interesting benefits of this double bill is the commentary by legendary producer/director Roger Corman who helmed all the Poe films made by American International. He adds some great insight into the behind the scenes mechanics, including the ironic necessity to put Ray Milland in the lead in "Premature Burial" due to contractual requirements. It's ironic in that American International bought Pathe Studios and released the "Burial" anyway!
Both movies are sumptuously filmed, the budget an obvious factor in the supremely photographed "Masque". Note the script's dependence on the belief of a God who would let terrible things happen. Also enjoy Price's masterful portrayal of Prospero; Hazel Court's brief stay as the inimitable Juliana (Hazel was a beautiful woman--wonder why we didn't see more of her in later films?); also enjoy the subtly intriguing performance of Patrick Magee as the lecherous "gorilla." "Don't Look Now's" director Nicolas Roeg was the cinematographer and he does a magnificent job in utilizing the various moods of the film.
I always wondered why Ray Milland got the role in "Burial" and after the commentary by Corman, I finally understood. Not that Ray isn't a good actor; he is. I felt,however, that he was not a good choice for the role of Guy Carnall. He didn't hurt the movie, but I felt he didn't display the wide array of emotions the character was screaming for. Hazel Court is back in a much bigger role and she gets fine help from Heather Angel and Richard Ney as well. It's slower paced than "Masque" but it maintains a spooky, claustrophobic feel and does well overall.
Thanks to Midnight Movies for bringing us these classic in DVD. The transfer on both is excellent. They don't look old at all.

DOUBLE DOSE OF POE....
Vincent Price is in great form as the evil Prince Prospero holding sway in his castle while the Red Death ravages the countryside in this 1964 classic. He has his pick of who joins him there and who perishes in the plague. Joining him in his depraved revelries and satanic practices is his Lady---Juliana (the luscious Hazel Court) who may be wearing out her tenure. Prospero has forced an innocent village girl (Jane Asher) to join him in hopes of converting her to satanism and instructs a resentful Juliana to groom her. He has also imprisoned the girl's lover and father in his torture dungeon. Prospero is planning a huge masked ball to celebrate his "triumph" over the Red Death and has assembled his most faithful gluttonous followers in the castle. But Death is not so easily tricked. Probably the most famous of AIP's Price/Corman/Poe adaptations is notable for the great Nicolas Roeg photography and the brilliant use of color throughout as well as a couple of nods to Ingmar Bergman. Outstanding script by Charles Beaumont and R.Wright Campbell make this one of the most literate horror films from the Poe cycle as well. A MUST see for any horror buff. Also included is 1962's "The Premature Burial" which is sorely lacking Price (in the role played by Ray Milland) as a man obsessed with being buried alive. He has built a specially equipped crypt designed to prevent this from happening. Lavishly mounted, with Hazel Court as his duplicitous fiancee, "Burial" looks good and benefits from foggy sets and the haunting tune "Waltzing Matilda" sung by gravediggers but I found myself wishing Price had the lead instead of Milland. But whatever, I enjoyed it anyway. Great looking DVD package of two AIP/Arkoff/Nicholson treats and a must for fans of the great 60's Poe cycle.

Outstanding entry in MGM's Midnite Movies collection!
Two great films for the price of one!

Masque of the Red Death, another in the Corman-Poe-Price series from American International, is considered by many to be among the best of the series. Great sets, vivid color, creepy story - in short, all the elements are in play here. The DVD features a very clean print and a bonus documentary with the fascinating Roger Corman. Well worth the price MGM is charging, you should also pick up "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Pit and the Pendulum," just some of the other AIP films available through this series.

Premature Burial, a Ray Milland vehicle directed by Corman, is about a man who is terrified to be buried alive. It isn't great, but solid nontheless, and eminently viewable, with the same gothic atmosphere that won't disappoint fans of the Poe series. There is a Corman documentary for this one, too. If you like Milland, look for "X - The Man with the X-ray Eyes", "The Thing with Two Heads", "Frogs", and "The Attic". ... Read more

Reviews (1047)

GREAT SOUNDTRACK GREAT MOVIE
I HAVE THE SOUNDTRACK PLUS I HAVE THE MOVIE I THINK TOBEY MCGUIRE AND KIRSTEN DUNST BOTH DID A GREAT PROFOMENCE IN THE MOVIE I HAVE THE MOVIE ON DVD

A cool, cool, COOL movie!!
Spiderman is my favorite movie and it's really *as you can tell from the title* cool! Okay, here goes the plot:
Peter Parker, (Tobey MacGuire) was an ordinary high school boy who got bullied by everyone all the time. He lived with his uncle and aunt because his parents were dead. However, everything changed for him when his school go to a museum about spiders for a field trip, he gets bitten by a spider that got loose. When he came back home, he feels dizzy and tired and anyway, he faint/sleeps. When he wakes up the next morning, he realizes that his eyesight is perfect, and he could see even without his glasses. He also finds out that he can climb walls because there's something on his fingers that makes him able to stick to the walls.
But meanwhile, Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) who is a scientist tries out a machine that makes a human extremely powerful. When he comes out of the machine, he becomes insane and kills his assistant.
Okay, back to Spiderman. He starts saving people and uses his ability, but he had lots of responsibility after his uncle was shot by a man. Finally at the end, he saves Mary Jane, a girl who lives next door to him (Kirsten Dunst) from the Green Goblin, who is actually Norman Osborn.
Well, it's up to you to see the movie whether Spiderman kills the Green Goblin or not! But anyway, this movie was really cool, and I loved it!

Icing, but no cake.
This was a very visually engossing film, and on the whole, enjoyable. I would have preferred to have seen some more plot and character developement though as this would have really made this movie come 'alive'!

There'll be a hero to save us... BUT NOT HERE!!!!
Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever a spider can..... no doubt you've heard that (in)famous little ditty somewhere, which belongs from Peter Parker's infamous little campy 60's cartoon series. So at least some of you know who Spider-man is. Now, the show was based on a character who had his own comic series, and he first appeared in a final issue of a short-lived fantasy series called, "Amazing Fantasy." 40 years after that issue saw print, that same character has finally made his first ever appearance on the big screen(excluding cameos in other movies). And what can I say? It SUCKS. The acting is bad, the plot is messed up(okay, so Uncle Ben dies around June, since it's shortly before Peter's graduation, and then only an hour later, it's THANKSGIVING?! WHEN DID ALL THIS TIME PASS?!), there is no chemistry between any of the actors, the SFX are lame, and the score by Danny Elfman is forgettable(when did he fall from grace?) All in all, Spider-man is one of the worst movies ever made. Avoid it and this horrid DVD like the plague.

i liked it
I liked the movie and I think if not the best, one of the best comic adaptions ever made. The only thing I disliked about the movie was that the green goblin was an evil power ranger character. ... Read more

Reviews (170)

What a clunker
I've read some of the reviews already posted here, and a lot of folks either flat-out loved this film or thought it stunk. Unfortunately, I find myself more aligned with the latter group, although "stunk" may be too strong a word. I'm actually more disappointed than anything else.

I'm a big fan of John Carpenter and B-movie schlock in general. My favorite Carpenter film is "The Thing." To this day, I think it's a barf-bag/gross-out masterpiece. I've watched it an embarrassing number of times and I have yet to grow tired of it.

I've just seen "Ghosts of Mars" after having rented the DVD. I really, really wanted to like this film, but I just couldn't do it -- even after having watched it a second time to see if maybe I'd missed something.

If only there had been decent plot development, meaningful dialog, competent acting (the best of the lot is Ice Cube, as "Desolation" Williams) or good special effects, it might have stood a chance at the box office. No such luck. For me, its most noteworthy feature is the fact that Natasha Henstridge actually manages to keep her clothes on during the entire movie.

The train visuals and music that accompany the opening credits aren't too bad, but things go rapidly downhill from there. I won't rehash the plot, as it's already been discussed at length in other reviews. Suffice it to say that when the movie ended, I was still waiting for something halfway believable to happen.

I do want to address one aspect of the film's premise that I haven't seen mentioned in any of the reviews I've read here. "Desolation" Williams is supposed to be this big, bad, ultra-nasty murderer, right? So who is sent to transport him from one location to another? Competent people, maybe? Nope. We get a known pill-popper (Henstridge, as Ballard), two rookies (Clea Duvall and Liam Waite), and a "new guy" (Jason Statham) no one seems to know too much about, but whose main activity is trying to put the make on Ballard.

A fifth member of the transport team (Commander Helena Braddock, played by Pam Grier) is the only one who seems even remotely qualified for the assignment, although she apparently has the hots for Ballard as well (oh, the problems of being drop-dead gorgeous). Braddock isn't around very long, though. After her depature, we're left with Drug-Taking Cop, Sex Fiend Cop, and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum Cops to successfully transport Nasty Murderer to Intended Destination. Does this make sense? Nope, not to me.

Throughout the film, the main characters act so illogically that I just couldn't bring myself to care about them. The plot is riddled with holes and continuity problems. Most of the dialog is so ridiculous that I don't know how the actors kept straight faces while delivering their lines. ("Maybe I'd sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth, but we're not on Earth." Groan.)

Even the scenes without dialog are silly. The worst offender is the interminable sequence during which Henstridge demonstrates how adept she's become at rolling her eyes up so only the whites are visible. This is something she didn't do nearly as well in "Species." I guess the intervening six years gave her plenty of time to practice.

After seeing "Ghosts of Mars," I'm left with one question: What could John Carpenter possibly have been thinking? Whatever it was, I hope it moves on -- much as the ghosts in the film vacate bodies they occupy once those bodies are killed -- and lets John Carpenter be himself once again.

Meanwhile, I intend to keep the faith and remain a fan. That having been said, I think I'll go watch "The Thing" for the 1,734th time.

Just When You Thought Hollywood Ran Out Of Ideas...
Well, just when you thought Hollywood had run out of ideas, John Carpenter goes and pulls one - right out of his a*#. This is not only of the worst movies that I've seen, it probably has the stupidest title I've heard. You have to admit that it's original...being about ghosts of Mars. I'm not sure exactly how the characters didn't have to where helmets or have oxygen tanks...but I guess that would have looked stupid on Ice Cube's big fat head. Carpenter tries to immitate the success of his 1980 horror flick, "The Thing" by getting a small cast of people and having them chased by aliens. Of course the "street smart" Ice Cube is there to help in fighting off these alien ghosts. But I don't think all the street cred in L.A. could save Ice Cube. The difference between Carpenter's "The Thing" and "Ghosts of Mars" is that "The Thing" was primarily psychological, whereas with "Ghosts of Mars" everybody's getting chased by tall, pale, vampire-like aliens that don't look anything like aliens. This movie is horrorifying, not in terms of trying to scare you, but the acting, directing, and concept is so frightening it makes you wonder if Hollywood producers have any common sense at all.

B-movie fun
It's John Carpenter, so what does everyone expect? I know what I expected, and "Ghosts of Mars" pretty much delivered. Thudding sound track, B-movie dialogue, heads on stakes, "Road Warrior" like zanies with metal sticking out of their faces stalking the "good" guys. Bring on the popcorn. Then there's a humorous twist. The "guys" in this future world live in a Matriarchy. Guys make the coffee, defer to the women, but also are told to deal with mechanical problems when they arise. (Well, at least the "breeder" - Jason Statham as Jericho - does.) Carpenter works all kinds of little jokes into the script on this wrinkle alone. Natasha Henstridge as the tough cop hero, and Ice Cube, as the con hero, are serviceable - and they know when to shoot, kick, and punch. And that's all that's needed here. I don't know who the main Martian is (he looks like Marilyn Manson in Kabuki), but he's perfect! Four stars for operating well within genre.

No wonder they all died.
This has one of the best premises for a horror movie i have ever heard: forget about the aliens, they are all dead, but their ghosts still haunt the planet. get ready to be maimed.

Such a shame then, that "Master of Soiling His Own Name" John Carpenter should ruin it by trying to make Ghosts of Mars "Assault on Precint 13 in Space", and turning out a straight to video clunker instead of the classic this might have been.

Case in point: Ice Cube's Desolation Williams, though watchable, is far too nice for a murderer. and he doesn't even kill anyone, he robs someone, and that's how they catch him. Excuse me? NO!!!

The movie delivers the kind of action you'd expect from Carpenter, but it is too seen it all before. And it does not make use of Jason Statham, who, if you watch the transporter is far from the pussy he is shown to be here. and let's not talk about Pam Grier's pork rib acting. she should probably be given an award for "Most Unconvincing Lesbian Ever", among others.

Admittedly, the thing looks good, and plenty of stuff blows up and gets chopped off, but you would have a better time to just watch a pig being chopped up: it provides both the gore and the ham of this film, and takes less time to endure.

if time travel is ever perfected, they should use it to bring back John Carpenter circa 1979.

Time Warp
Yeah, everyone's whining about Ghosts Of Mars. Everyone's pretty much given up on John Carpenter. I admire Carpenter for making the films he wants to and not succumbing to whatever trendiness is expected of horror directors. Wes may be hip wit da teens, but John does what he wants to, even if you think it's lame. Ghosts Of Mars isn't his finest hour, it's not even all that great, but it's Carpenter. This is the kind of film Carpenter has always made. He's never admitted to being more than a B film director and he chooses to be such. After Starman, he coulda been in the big time, but chose his own independent Prince Of Darkness over the Hollywood machine. Ghosts Of Mars would have had more critical and fan praise if it were released in the mid eighties. It wouldn't have seemed so cliched. Personally I admire him for making such a film, passe as it may seem. If I were you I'd check it out. Just don't be expecting some sci-fi extravaganza(which I think everyone was expecting), expect cheesy B movie thrills. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An endless white landscape of rolling hills and snow-blanketed forests. A lonely acoustic score(by Danny Elfman) playing in the background. A vision of rural simplicity portrayed in hushed tones. The stillness is about to shatter. Brothers Hank (Bill Paxton), an accountant at a small-town feed store, and Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), an unemployed, hygienically challenged dim bulb, accompanied by Jacob's oafish pal Lou (Brent Briscoe), stumble across a downed plane in the brush containing a corpse and a sack containing millions of dollars--surely the aftermath of a drug deal, they conclude. Greed overcomes good sense, and the three agree to hide the money for a year and keep the secret to themselves. A simple plan indeed, and it doesn't take long for it to go all to hell as the lure of wealth tears at kinship and friendship, and the ruthless machinations of impetuous partners leave a body count in its wake. Bridget Fonda costars as Hank's wife, whose initial hesitation gives way to cold-blooded plotting. Sam Raimi, best known for wowing audiences with stylistic gymnastics and manic mayhem, directs this quietly desperate thriller with chilly restraint, finding its cold, tragic heart in the estranged relationship between Hank and Jacob: the college