Reviews (15)

Bulls-eye!
The best noir ever made for the small silver screen, this classy series exudes as much pizzazz today as in its heyday! The dark streets glisten with rain and neon, the nightclubs steam with sultry jazz and smokey-voiced women, and stalwart men stalk the unlit alleyways, shadowy docks, and hitman hideouts of the urban jungle. The storyline of each half-hour-slotted epidode is tight and to the point, but time is still taken to explore the relationahip between Gunn and his glib, glamourous girlfriend Edie, his matron-with-moxie chum Mother, and the dogged, job-bound Lt. Jacoby. The series has a timeless ambience. It oozes with hot, on-the-surface sexuality without being brazenly explicit, and the violence is palpably throbbing without being gratuitous or gorey. As terrific television, it's right on target!

16 slices of late '50s "cool"
Unfortunately in the 23-24 minute length of each episode there isn't all that much time for plot or character development, so for better or worse, we get right down to the nitty gritty. But for a taste of 1950s "Cool", being the TRUE "cool", it doesn't get much tastier than this. Bet you can't watch just ONE! Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens) is a sharp P.I. in a sharp suit who hangs out in a jazz club called "Mothers". His singer/girlfriend, Edie (Lola Albright) has got to be one of the most gorgeous 50s babes outshining even "Hawaiian Eye" cutie Connie Stevens and "77 Sunset Strip" bombshell Jacqueline Beer. And not a word of sass, just cool... so refreshing! Gunn's way-out beatnik buddy, Wilbur, is a welcome addition in selected episodes. The rain-soaked streets at night, the menacing docks area, the 1950s cars, great character actors like Whit Bissell, Jack Weston, Gavin McLeod, Frankie Darro, etc. show up, also guest musicians Shelley Mann, Shorty Rogers and others in on-camera appearances PLUS that Mancini score!! Today's teens, with their laughably misguided concept of "cool," should look in, take note, and shut up! They couldn't be this smooth if they tried. Some episodes are better than others, but all of the shows have great moments. The picture quality varies a little as well, but overall, considering the vintage of this stuff, it's pretty good. I have no complaints and highly recommend both Vol.1 and Vol.2

peter gunn sucks
Peter Gunn sucks,and "mother" is a rotten singer.However,Lola Albright is lovely and the music score by Henry Mancini is wonderful.

The bar was set low, and I don't mean in Mother's
I recalled some details of this show, but no particulars. Bought it because I thought it might be a gem, like "Have Gun, Will Travel," which holds up spectacularly well.

But Gunn? The scripts are by folks with attention deficit disorder. The characters are above average in large part, but there's virtually no attempt to consider a vague plot.

There's a ridiculous trivia quiz in which you view scenes from the episodes a second time -- geez, they were ridiculous enough the first time -- and then you're given a memory quiz, such as, "Who offered Peter Gunn a chair?" in this scene. Who cares? Trivia should be questions such as, "Were producers looking for a TV version of Cary Grant when they cast Stevens and told him to talk with clipped, Grant diction?" At least we might have learned something.

And rights could be an issue, but if not, why not include some of this fine music on a few tracks?

Oh. Gunn gets beat up more than Mannix. In real life, he would have had Parkinson's Syndrome at 45 from all the brain battering. Maybe if he'd look behind himself once in a while.

The epitome of cool
If the world wants to know what cool is watch Peter Gunn.
I was very lucky to watch it on TV as a tot.
The music soundtrack is maximum cool,too.
Craig Stevens plays it smooth.
He is the hero you know in your gut will be there for you when no one else will.
TV shows are not made like this anymore. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not the most classic of classic TV
Novel plots, zany characters and Blake Edwards' superb jazz sound track distinguish this series. But all told they do not compensate for its lack of other outstanding features nor make it the best of its genre. Those who love classic TV and/or private investigator/police drama have many other better choices available.

Even better than the first set, if that's possible!
This show is very addictive and it serves to remind us what REAL "cool" is all about. No kiddies, it's not a face full of rings and studs and a tattoo on your butt. It's not some numb-nutted, no-talent, rap-squawking pimp-daddy grabbing his croth on the Leno show. It's not the concept of bacterial life in Martian rocks. It's not your baseball cap on backwards and a pair of stupid-looking three-quarter-length baggy pants. Here is the truth: Peter Gunn is COOL personified! A smooth, immaculately dressed private eye who hangs out in a jazz club (where his girlfriend is the Julie London-esque chanteuse) and mixes with, truly, some of life's beatnik eccentrics.... all to the sounds of a perfect Henry Mancini score and produced by Blake Edwards. How cool is that? Also what is really good about this series (especially for you older guys out there) is the number of familiar faces and character actors that we used to see in 50s/60s TV shows and Elvis movies. I swear that while I was watching this dvd I asked myself "When is Floyd the Mayberry barber from the 'Andy Griffith Show' gonna turn up?", and lo and behold, in the very next episode, there he was as an eccentic antiques dealer. I also like the bongo-playing skindiver with the apartment full of hula girls.... this is Atomic Age bachelor pad excess, I love it!! Yeah, I agree that the transfers are not up to the usual A&E excellence and in some shows the tape hiss is very noticable but hey, given the vintage of this stuff, I'll live with it. Can't wait for further volumes of this ultra cool TV noir and hope and pray A&E release BOURBON STREET BEAT, 77 SUNSET STRIP, SURFSIDE 6 and HAWAIIAN EYE in box sets. I highly recommend this dvd. Buy it, check it out, let the "cool" flow over you like molasses and put it up there on your shelf next to "Jazz On A Summer's Day" and "The Saint" mega-set.

Gunn-derful!
Nothing is overdone here. The acting, the sets, the music (oh, yes, enjoy the MUSIC) and most of the stories are cool. Craig Stevens is sublimely in control in the title role, Lola Albright's unspectacular singing voice but unmitigated charm fit into the unspectacular but charming setting of Mother's, the nightclub where Gunn hangs out with her, and Herschel Bernardi is the harried and weary police detective sometimes at odds with Gunn, the private detective. But how often have you seen that cop/dick relationship overplayed on TV series and in movies. Here it is understated. That is not to say the show is so low-keyed as to be boring. There are mysteries, there's humor (including an episode in which the immaculately tailored Gunn is scurrying about town with a trained seal in tow), and a good rock 'em sock 'em fight every episode. And all this is surrounded and united by the brilliant Mancini music. You will have fun and won't get tired even if you watch a bunch of episodes at one sitting.

Would you buy a film for its music? I did.
A great experience in life: all that mystery involved in a "film noir" crime scene. The splendor of the "Peter Gunn" series, one of the most wonderful and famous TV series. And the music of Mancini setting the scene! It's a treasure! It's a perfect demo of how to prepare our hearts and minds with music for a movie scene. Mancini is a master forever. This package is very worth of the impact of watching to the complete series at a time or at least half of it. There are volumes 1 and 2. Buy both for the complete series.

Better than we remembered.
Forty years old and still high quality entertainment. The quality
of the images and sound are better than we ever saw or heard on those primitive TV sets of the 60's. The acting is clearly for fun and the dialog is laced with good comedy moments. The talent of Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini, the actors and musicians, is clearly on display. You will watch it again and again. Whenever there is nothing worth watching on the networks or dish we enjoy Peter Gunn all over again. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I love this movie
Yes, that's right: five stars. It's a five star B movie, and one of my favorites. My dream is that some day they will figure out a way to release these old 3-D movies on DVD for home viewing. But whether or not they get it in 3-D, I hope someday to see this on DVD. "Spacehunter" is a total cheesefest, but brilliant in it's own way. It's my favorite of all of the "forbidden zone" mutant type movies. There are all sorts of strange deformed creatures running around that were created by a mad scientist. The best part is Michael Ironside, who is awesome as the Overdog, who is the head mutant of this particular forbidden zone. He runs a death maze the he feeds beautiful women into to see if they can survive. Best line: "I like her. I like her for the maze!" Check it out.

I love this movie
Yes, that's right: five stars. It's a five star B movie, and one of my favorites. My dream is that some day they will figure out a way to release these old 3-D movies on DVD for home viewing. But whether or not they get it in 3-D, I hope someday to see this on DVD. "Spacehunter" is a total cheesefest, but brilliant in it's own way. It's my favorite of all of the "forbidden zone" mutant type movies. There are all sorts of strange deformed creatures running around that were created by a mad scientist. The best part is Michael Ironside, who is awesome as the Overdog, who is the head mutant of this particular forbidden zone. He runs a death maze the he feeds beautiful women into to see if they can survive. Best line: "I like her. I like her for the maze!" Check it out.

A superior film of the 80's
Ah, a classic movie that deserves nothing but praise. From the special effects, to the drama of a middle aged man and his relationship with a prepubescent girl.

Our hero (Peter Strauss) goes to a forbidden planet to rescue three space vixens from the clutches of an evil being that can only be described as monstrous. He is bald and attached by the head to something that looks like the mecahnical arms the paint cars at the GM plant. His hands are huge tri-claws. His only real purpose is to laugh a lot and look grimacing. In the end he dies while trying to 'steal the youth' of the young Molly.

In the beginning of the flick we have a real nice, low-budget 'Mad Max' type battle, but it picks up and moves on to greater things; a black dude joins up with them, but really has no purpose in the story, babies throw explosives down on them from the clifftops, the 'Death Maze' is the ultimate game show from hell, and our villian is a pervert who prefers his women to be undressed 'sl-o-o-o-o-wly' in front of him.

If this movie could possibly be any better, Mr. T and Nell Carter would have to do a cameo as guardians of the Neptune Moon Tressure.

One of the worst space movies ever made
I don't even understand why this movie was made. Don't buy this DVD. It only fans the flame for bad hollywood writing.

If you are looking for a movie that could be compared to the worse episode of the A-Team, then pick up this piece of junk.

Writing: poor
Special Effects: dismal
Acting: awful

Spazz-hunter...
Three years after "Facts of Life," but a year away from her triumphant role in "Sixteen Candles," Molly Ringwald finds herself the prisoner of some tricked-out bum named Overdog on a junk planet that looks like Fred Sanford's backyard. Peter Strauss, the poor man's Richard Chamberlain, plays the poor man's Han Solo (or Lone Starr, if you prefer) and tries to rescue her.

Yes, "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" is low-budget fun directed by Lamont Johnson. According to the IMDb, Johnson once played Tarzan on radio. With this movie, he shows a keen radio performer's eye for cinema. Ripping off "Star Wars" and "Road Warrior" and featuring more rickety metal garbage than any four episodes of TLC's "Junkyard Wars," this flick has a spunky little heart but little else to offer.

Ringwald would go on to become John Hughes' teen muse and the undisputed 80s teen comedy queen, usually playing upper middle class girls dating sexless, nonthreatening gimps like Andrew McCarthy. Here, she's a punky little spitfire who needs a bath and a shave. Come to think of it, she IS the spunky little heart of this movie. The rest of it can go to hell! But I kid "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone." It's a silly movie with a clumsy title, yet worth watching with friends some drunken evening. But please- try not to confuse "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" with "Metalstorm: the Destruction of Jared Synn." They both have colons in their titles, and promise things like "adventures," "destruction" and "Jared Synn."

But only "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" has Molly Ringwald being tortured by Michael Ironside. Ask for it by name! ... Read more

Description

In LIPSTICK, Chris McCormick (Margaux Hemingway), a high fashion and cosmetics model is brutally raped by her younger sister’s music teacher, Gordon Stuart (Sarandon).After pleading not guilty to the crime and being found innocent by a jury, Stuart finds a new victim in Chris’s younger sister and his own student, Kathy (Mariel Hemingway).Now even more enraged by the recent turn of events, Chris takes matters into her own hands as she seeks revenge for the crimes committed against both herself and her sister. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

I'm torn! Not a GOOD movie and a bare bones DVD ...
This was a 1976 drama that probably killed Margaux Hemingway's career as an actress and model, but oddly enough launched her younger sister Muriel into the spotlight! It's a rape drama about a victim (Margaux) who's rapist goes free (Chris Sarandon), and then attacks her younger sister (Muriel) and then all hell breaks loose!

The movie itself is a guilty pleasure - a potboiler melodrama done quite stlyishly, but somehow offensive and not well acted. Would fit in well with a double bill with EYES OF LAURA MARS! The fashion sequences are unique, and also the modern dance is neat to watch. And Margaux running in heels and a red sequin dress with a hunting rifle is a sight to see! I put it on my list of bad movies that I love. It has a SHOWGIRLS sensibility! Tried hard to be artsy and meaningful, but in the end was just too over the top to be anything but camp.

The DVD has a great transfer, but NO special features at all. Not even a trailer! Pity because Margaux died mysteriously, and this is her biggest movie. Memories of her would be welcome as well as why the movie was made. Credits show that a former DA of LA was an advisor, so somebody was trying to say something!

There's something about this movie ...
It's far from being the best film ever made, but LIPSTICK has some special quality about it. Let's first look at the exceptional performances from the cast:

Chris Sarandon - plays the school teacher of the younger sister (Mariel Hemingway) who rapes the older sister first and then the younger sister after being acquitted of the first crime. He really comes across as the creep he is intended to. You grow to hate him, which is the point.

Mariel Hemingway - her acting debut in which she shines. A great performance.

Ann Bancroft - plays the lawyer convincingly. An all round great actress.

Margaux Hemingway - the lead actress, and real-life sister of Mariel (unfortunately died tragically in mid 90's). Not a great actress by any means but she had her moments in the film. Pity about her voice. She was actually a model in real life then, rather than an actress.

The film bombed upon release in 1976 possibly because audiences couldn't accept Margaux trying to switch to acting. These days, such a movie would go straight to TV.

It is worth seeing at least once - The younger sister's performance is that good.

DVD SUMMARY - a bare bones release saved by an impressive transfer (and widescreen anamorphic too!). No trailer included.

strong stuff
This is one of my favourites from the 70's and it's great to see it finally appear on dvd. This is a hypnotic combination of cheesy exploitation and hard hitting drama that keeps you hooked right up to the explosive finale.
Margaux Hemingway is fantastic as the model who receives the unwelcome attentions of psychotic music teacher Chris Sarandon. Sarandon's character has to be one of the most loathsome ever put on film.
Mariel hemingway delivers a curiously affecting performance as the glamour model's younger sister.
After having only seen this before on UK tv in a cut version this nicely presented disc is a welcome addition to my collection.

Worst Movie Ever
...and boy am I glad it's finally on DVD. Can't wait to get my copy!

Delicious Trash
Oh how I love this film! Margaux is divine as a high fashion model who is raped by her teen sister's school music teacher! Well she is not just raped, she is completely brutalised! I swear some of those scenes looked a bit too realistic. Chris Sarandon is absolutely devilish in the role of the sadistic rapist. He doesn't just physically overpower Margaux, he also attacks her mentally. After the deed is done he slyly begs of her to "not do this with anyone else." During the trial he also torments her with late night calls playing selections of his Phillip Glass inspired music. While the subject matter is serious the film is also high camp & truely hilarious! In an emotional (or as emotional as Margaux can get) courtroom scene she shouts out "he tried to kill me with his c**k!" Let us also not forget lil sis Mariel who gets attacked at the end of the film...after a high speed chase through the Pasadena Design Center! This pushes Margaux over the edge so she grabs a shotgun and goes after Sarandon with a vengeance! After pumping him full of bullets she just keeps pulling the trigger...it is AMAZING! Francesco Scavullo must be so proud. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Shining Lincoln Shows Tarnish, Too
Though made drearily for television, this film has a number of elements that is ahead of its time. Sam Waterston's savvy, almost hippie-like Lincoln is not at all the "great ape" that many of Lincoln's detractors claimed. He is like the true Abraham Lincoln. With the high-pitched Kentucky squeak in his voice (like Lincoln), Waterston is simply riveting- as Lincoln himself must have been. His terrible screech of pain during the height of the Civil War is something I had always imagined he did several times. Waterston hypnotizes with this Emmy-worthy portrayal. The facts in the film are blurry at times, the direction is plodding, the lighting is too dark- and Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Todd Lincoln must be the casting blunder of the 20th century. Yet all involved give terrific performances. Too bad there wasn't more LINCOLN to this "Lincoln". But all in all, it is the must-see for any interested viewer.

Bland Mini-Series, Very Low Quality DVD
I was surprised to find this DVD so cheap, then found out why as soon as I put it in my player. Like other DVDs from the "Platinum Disc Corporation," it looks like someone took a VHS copy of this film and just recorded it to DVD. The picture is not sharp, and the colors are washed out. Some scenes are so grainy and low-quality they look like they were recorded straight from the 1988 TV broadcast. This DVD also does something I've never seen before - it initially shows a running time of just 1:33, which made me think I only had the first episode of this mini-series. When Chapter 8 concludes, the disc resets itself back to 1:33 for the second episode. Total time is a little over 3 hours. The disc contains no special features.

The film itself is, unfortunately, nothing special. Having been made after the heyday of the TV mini-series, its cinematography and less-than-stellar cast are almost as bland as the film's colors. Sam Waterston makes a good effort as Lincoln. Mary Tyler Moore is just adequate as Mary Todd Lincoln, although she does go over the top on a few occasions. Most of the other actors are stilted and unbelieveable, not to mention the atrocious accents some of them try to pass off. The battle scenes are short, bare-bones and poorly arranged; it looks as if they filmed all of the battles in one location and just used the same footage over and over, hoping no one would notice.

If you're looking for a really good Civil War mini-series, don't waste your time here. Wait for Warner to release all 3 North & South mini-series on DVD later this year (2004), and watch those instead.

Waterston is the Definitive Modern Lincoln
Sam Waterston is a very different Lincoln than the stately, orthodox one of Raymond Massey or even Henry Fonda. This Lincoln is clever, scheming, cynically funny and nakedly ambitious--one who might have a thing or two in common with some well known politicians of the 20th century. You could even call Waterston the first urban Lincoln, under the rail-splitting pretentions. But Waterston never loses sight of Lincoln's tortured, proud but guilt-ridden greatness, and that is the secret of his fine portrayal.

Strong portrait of a different Lincoln
The TV movie, perhaps predictably, doesn't have all the sardonic bite of Vidal's original novel. But it goes a long way toward breaking out of the Raymond Massey talking-waxwork mold and giving us a Lincoln believable as politician and man, as well as a strong portrait of the intensely political milieu in which he operated. Waterston is excellent-- completely unbound by past portrayals of Lincoln, and even fairly good at making us believe that he's anywhere near Lincoln's height-- and though I think there's a little too much of Mary Todd's personal life and not enough of the Civil War in this miniseries, there's no quibbling with Moore's splendid performance, which beautifully captures the pathos of this sad, unliked woman.

Good enough to watch again and again!
This is the best fictional movie about Lincoln that I have ever seen. It is intelligent and accurate, and beautifully directed. Sam Waterston is brilliant in the title role and Mary Tyler Moore is a fantastic Mrs. Lincoln. Believe me, I have watched this movie at least 25 times. It's terrific. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A solid war movie with an unusual twist!
This is one of my favorite war movies, although it certainly never got the acclaim that many bigger-budget films have received. "The McKenzie Break" is the story of a remote British-run POW camp for German Kriegsmariners and Luftwaffe officers in Scotland. The Germans are of course planning an escape, led by the ruthless Captain Schlutter, (a U-Boat Captain determined to get his trained men "back into the war") competently played by Helmut Griem. Brian Keith plays the British intelligence officer given a special assignment to deal with the situation at Camp McKenzie.

Of course, the notion of German POWs plotting to escape an Allied POW camp puts a unique twist on the usual POW theme, and in my opinion it works well in this film. The storyline moves along briskly and holds the viewer's interest. Bravo performances by Brian Keith and Helmut Griem carry the movie, and I felt that the cinematography and the on-location filming gave the film an excellent aura of authenticity. All in all there is a great deal about this film to like.

Don't compare this one to "The Great Escape" or any other POW film, because it isn't like any of them. "The McKenzie Break" stands on its own, and in my opinion does so very well.

Not The Great Escape
This movie tips its hat to The Great Escape but falls quite short of it in terms of watchability and being memorable.

The idea of a prison camp with rebelling German POWs was intriguing but didn't really carry itself through the movie.

The mutual respect of the two main adversaries could have been a strong dynamic to play upon but it sort of fell apart quickly 3/4 of the way through.

The tunnel and costume prep by the Germans was clearly inspired by the Great Escape but didn't carry the same level of excitement.

The ending, though ironic, was disappointing.

Complete reworking of POW genre by simply playing its rules.
Although made in 1970, the era of 'The Wild Bunch' and 'Bonnie and Clyde', this is a startlingly traditional POW film as might have been made in Britain in the 1950s. Except for a couple of minor changes. The policier plot, like 'Night of the Generals', in which a crime-reporter turned officer tries to inflitrate the (literally) underworld activities of the enemy; the heroes the audience are generically accustomed to root for, as they try to escape prison and provoke the film out of its impasse into action, are really unpleasant, model Nazis. The film as a whole, which takes a British genre and marginalises the British, seems like an allegory for that Empire's decline, with its two main demolishers - the Germans and the Irish - superimposed. Rarely has downbeat been so exciting.

Makes "The Great Escape" Look Daft
Set in a remote Scottish internment camp for captured German officers, The McKenzie Break is an interesting spin on the WW2 prisoner of war genre. Personally, I've always felt this to be one of the most under-rated WW2 films of its era, with stirling performances by Brian Keith as the shrewd, ballsy Irish Captain sent up to investigate a series of riots in the camp, and the suitably Aryan-looking Helmut Griem as the fanatical Nazi U-Boat captain fomenting the unrest as a cover for an impending escape attempt. Good solid entertainment which contrasts the arrogance and fanaticism of the German soldiers with the bewildered ineffectuality of the British camp guards (who mostly look like they should be drawing their old age pension).

Thank god we don't have to endure Steve McQueen showing off his prowess on a motorbike in this movie!

Excellent, Realistic POW Film
A film in the tradition of The Great Escape, although this one is much better in my opinion. It's the flip side of the coin. The German's are the POW's. A must see. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Last American Hero
This is 5 stars if you are a true race fan. Otherwise, it's still an interesting story. This film is loosely based on Tom Wolfe's essay about the younger days of Junior Johnson, although for some reason they changed his name for the film. (Notice, though, that Junior himself was a paid racing consultant on the film.) The race footage is very well done and there is some good footage from the old Southern 500. Bridges and Busey are a lot of fun to watch together as well.If you like stock car racing and wonder what the old days were like when the sport was still developing, you'll love this film. Only pity is it's not on DVD.

(Also another great film (although a little cheesy) about the old days is 43 The Petty Story starring Darren McGavin as Lee Petty and Richard Petty as himself AND Dale Inman AND Buddy Baker!!! It is a classic look at the old values that are still carried forward in the sport to some degree. It also has some insight to what NASCAR was and what it has become..Some really good vinatge racing footage is also included.) Also a pity it's not on DVD...We need to prolong the life of these smaller "special interest" films. Anyway have fun, great summmer stuff.

the last american hero
This is a classic movie about moonshing And small town life. It was the best when he went on to racing,It was great . I bought 3 copies and it's worth it. If you like muscle cars you love his black mustang. Great T.I.G.R

Best behind the scenes look at early NASCAR
I absolutely loved this movie!If you have an interest in real life drama, getting over obstacles and above all RACING, then this movie is for you!It shows the everyday struggle one goes through in their personallife, as well as one's pursuit towards a dream.This inspirational storyshows you the everyday obstacles someone in this sport may go through andincreases your interest and excitement with the sport as it is in today'sworld.I recommend this to everyone who lives and breathe NASCAR and otherforms of racing.

Wonderful Film
This film show what a stock-car goes through to get from track to track and what he does when he joins another team ... Read more