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Exuding the charm and grace for which he seems to hold the patent, Peter O'Toole plays Doctor Harry Wolper, a renowned research biologist whose pet project is to clone his sorely missed wife, dead now for 30 years. Assisting him in fine fashion are Meli (Mariel Hemingway), a self-proclaimed 19-year-old nymphomaniac bent on capturing the affections of Dr. Wolper, and a research assistant (Vincent Spano), whose love interest is fellow student Virgina Madsen. This sweet and enjoyable romantic comedy is brought to a head when the Madsen character drops suddenly into a coma. Then Wolper's nemesis, played almost lovably by David Ogden Stiers, thwarts his cloning attempts by reclaiming the stolen equipment he's using to do so. While Dr. Wolper preaches the beauty of The Big Picture as a way of apprehending life, this one is decidedly a small picture, but in the sense of being attuned to small details, probably owing to the foreign sensibilities of Czech director Ivan Passer (Cutter's Way). The many disparate plot threads are eventually brought into harmony, though the sheer number of them may seem a jumble to many viewers. Better to let the big picture take care of itself, and content oneself with the many smaller pleasures this delightful film affords. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Get the "Big Picture" and Enjoy
A very captivating movie. Peter O'Toole is as charming as ever and the love story, in the end, will leave you crying for joy that all is right with the world. Though probably not suitable for kids, it is still a good, clean, funny movie. When the movies over, you feel like you finally get "the big picture". This movie is definitely for the hopeless romantic!

An all-time classic! Must watch!
A beautifully written and produced movie with something for everyone with a tender-heart. The music score gently swept me off my feet and into the movie. It carefully propelled me into the life of the characters. You will laugh with them, and you will cry with them. You will be forced to re-define the meaning of love. You will wonder: how far am I willing to go to bring back a loved one? You will be challenged to ask yourself: would I stand by someone I loved even if he/she was on the verge of death? This movie is worth watching. No kidding. On the side of the characters, I admire Boris (played beautifully and delicately by Vincent Spano) the most. His innocent boy-like nature will charm you. His desire to find true love and his passion to understand "the big picture" will challenge you to think in the same vein.

Eric, you are a genius!
I'm a world-class cynic, but this movie reminds me to keep my mind and heart open.

epalfreyman
This will be short. The movie is one of my favorites, ever. The romance is moving and both realistic and idealistic at the same time. Hemingway and O'Toole take a relationship that should be a joke and make it touching and believable. O'Toole is excellent as the eccentric professor. The theme of love is what holds the movie elements together and it deals with love in many manifestations. I'm not Catholic, but it was one of the few films that didn't turn Catholics into jerks, and I really enjoyed that here was a young couple trying to find love without having to disparage their faith to do it. The movie is charming, witty and touching. If you're a cynic, it won't be for you; but if you believe in love, believe in the big picture, and believe in redemption; this is a film for you.

Creative genius
I must first start out saying that this is one of the few movies that has actually brought me to tears.
Boris and Barbara's relationship struck me as the most sincere and heart wrenching love affair that I have ever witnessed. Peter O'Toole is captivating as the eccentric scientist and David Ogden-Stiers has perpetuated his typecasting with his role as the arrogant intellectual.
This is the first major movie role for Ms Hemmingway and she shows flashes of the talent that made her so famous on TV a few years later.
This is a love story with a cast of suporting characters that make it shine. It also asks some very serious questions about the medical establishment and how terminally ill patients are treated. Your hopes will be raised and your heart be broken by this movie. It is well worth the cost. ... Read more

Description

Three pig brothers leave home to build their own houses, only to be confronted by a wolf who is hungry for pork. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Faerie Tale Theatre: The Three Little Pigs
Hilarious episode from the Faerie Tale Theatre series with an all-star cast. Billy Crystal as well as his on-screen brother actors are excellent as the three pigs, and Jeff Goldblum is show-stealing as the Big Bad Wolf. Valerie Perrine is a knock-out and makes a surprisingly sexy pig in this faerie tale. A great comedic hit for the entire family to enjoy!

I love this series!
My brother, sisters and I grew up watching the Faerie Tale Theatre collection, and loving them all. By the way, they're not just for kids! My mother loved them so much she went out of her way to find them for my little niece to enjoy. I highly recommend them to anyone with (or even without) children to view them!

cute and appealing
Billy Crystal, Valerie Perrine, Doris Roberts and Jeff Goldblum star in the new telling of the tale from FAERIE TALE THEATRE.

One of the more light-hearted entries in the series, its a delightfully comic piece, played out by master comedians Crystal and Roberts, with the beautiful Perrine cutting a mean figure as a porker indeed.

The series was a huge success, boasting a huge multi award-winning cast (Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc), and creator/producer Shelly Duvall has earned laurels for one of the finest family series in years.

Best of the Fairie Tale Theatres
I must have rented this video 40-50 times for my then pre-school age son and daughter. We all had the lines memorized. Billy Crystal is terrific as one of the pigs (Peter, Paul and Larry) and Jeff Goldblum is a howl as the wolf. The whole cast is great. This is truly a film that everyone in the family will love. The best.

As Unforgettable as Nat
This was a household staple rented over and over from our local video store, played over and over for all ages whenever our guests seemed willing. There was never ever anything but laughter and appreciation; I'm still trying to find the Samuel Barber music played just so. Please let me know if you know where I can get a copy... there are future grandchildren and grandnieces/nephews in my life whose lives will be incomplete without it. ... Read more

Description

A prince who was turned into a frog by a witch's spell is ultimately saved by the kiss of a self-centered princess. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

my personal fairy tale theatre movie
If your looking for a fairy tale for kids that can make even you laugh this is the one. Robin Williams will lighten the mood every time.

Bad for Children
This film contains language and sexual content. Robin Williams uses profanity and parental discretion is advised. It is a funny telling of the story for adults but not younger viewers... Parents should watch the movie first to decide if it is appropiate for their children, and trust me, it isn't!!!!

Undoubtably one of the best Faerie Tale Theatre videos.
This episode of The Tale of the Frog Prince, starring the hilarious Robin Williams and wonderful Teri Garr, is not only a very well told classic children's tale, but a comedy. It has plenty of bits an adult would find entertaining, none being underhand or crude, while still amusing to a younger audience. I grew up watching this series; I loved it then, and I still love it now ... A very good movie to see, and a deal if you can buy it anywhere!

Hilarious, but for adults
This is a hilariously funny version of a children`s fairy tale. Both Robin Williams and Teri Garr do a superb job in their portrayals of the frog-prince and the princess, but you will, most likely, be surprised at how well Rene Aberjonois (Clayton, fron the t.v. series Benson) does comedy. The only caveat is that because of the language and some the situations I would not recommend this video for pre-teens, but anyone else will definitely be amused! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Cluttered and Weighty
Initially released as "Cutter and Bone", this movie was pulled from theatres and retitled after several critics panned it. Inexplicably, it became a film festival favorite and developed a minor cult following upon its re-release. My verdict? Those early critical drubbings were well-deserved. For despite a potentially dynamic plot setup and one successful performance, the movie is ultimately done in by a lackluster screenplay, some uneven acting, and substandard direction.

It all begins promisingly enough, with a fascinating title sequence followed by the introduction of Jeff Bridges as a two-bit gigolo who becomes a suspect in a murder investigation. So far, so good. Then John Heard enters as an obnoxious, bigoted, profane Vietnam vet-cum-amateur detective who uses his physical disabilities to excuse his ethical and moral shortcomings, and S-s-s-s! The plot quickly deflates into a slow, muddled study of his unpleasant character, losing its promising elements of suspense and mystery, and leaving the actors with the impossible burden of maintaining audience interest. Tellingly, Bridges, who can convey character nuances with a subtle flicker of his eyes or shift of his lips, is great in his role; but Heard, who relies mainly on a gruff laugh and a gravelly voice that wavers unsteadily between slurring and over-enunciation, is merely grating in his. As Heard's wife, the usually fascinating Lisa Eichhorn is thwarted in her underwritten and choppily edited role, and Ann Dusenberry -- whose odd character simply disappears without explanation near the end -- recites some of her lines as if they embarrass her (as well they should). None of the actors is assisted by Ivan Passer's lackadaisical direction, which lacks both energy and cohesion, and only the final abrupt cut that ends this mess shows any prowess on the part of the editor. Recommended for devotees of the consistently marvelous but underrated Jeff Bridges; other viewers beware!

Truly excellent Cinema
One of my all-time favourite films this is an example of first class cinema. Jeff Bridges and John Heard are unlikely friends, more friends of convienience though at the heart there is something solid. A lot of reviews of this film state that its too simple - a murder mystery in essence and a partial study of relationships. Though its more than that for me, its a study of the best and worse of people AND the weary way one can live ones life if we let life get on top of us. Bone (Jeff Bridges) is totally tired of life - seeking thrills if he can be bothered - only deciding on a life changing course of action in the final frame of this film. Cutter (John Heard) is a drunk Veteran - immoral to everyone but those truly close to him.

Im trying to not give too much away but I consider this to be a truly classic film. And what a score!

My apologies for a rambling review - watch this.

an engrossing murder mystery
When Cutter's Way was first released in theatres in 1981, it tanked at the box office thanks to bad press from The New York Times and a nervous studio still smarting from the bath it took on Heaven's Gate. A good film almost disappeared from sight. Fortunately, the advent of video, and now its debut on DVD, has given this unusual film a second chance that it so richly deserves.

Jeff Bridges proves once again that he is one of the best American actors working in film today. He portrays Bone as a man afraid of commitment, content to do little, but fall back on his pretty boy looks to bed any woman who crosses his path. As one character tells him, "Sooner or later you're going to have to make a decision about something." This could be the underlying thesis of the whole film: making decisions, taking a stand about something.

John Heard's Alex Cutter is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He desperately wants to get involved in something, anything to stop living life in a bottle of alcohol. And so, he latches on to the murder mystery with the ferocious tenacity of a pitbull. Heard plays Cutter like a character straight out of a Tom Waits song. His performance, complete with raspy voice and cynical outlook on life, recalls many of Waits' down-on-their-luck losers that populate his songs.

The actors vividly breathe life into their respective characters creating the impression that they exist beyond what we see on the screen, that in some way we already know them and that they'll continue to exist after the film ends.

Director Ivan Passer also deserves credit for creating this world. From the haunting opening shot of a parade, caught in dreamy slow motion (thanks to Jordan Cronenweth's superb cinematography), filmed at first in black and white and then as the credits fade in and out it gradually becomes colour, Passer draws the audience into his absorbing drama. Cutter's Way contains strong visuals to contrast the ambiguous story. Nothing is spelled out for the audience, even right up to its conclusion. Do we support Cutter's obsessive conspiracy theories or Bone's refusal to get involved?

Following in the grand tradition of short changing this movie, MGM has decided to include only the theatrical trailer on the DVD. What about a retrospective featurette? All the principals are still alive and I'm sure would love to talk about this movie. Or an audio commentary? Jeff Bridges contributed an excellent one on the Against All Odds DVD so he's hip to the format. A lot of missed opportunities here.

Sometimes funny, rather poignant psychological thriller
I was interested in this film because may years ago I had read the book, "Cutter and Bone" on which it was based. I remembered it took place in the post-Vietnam era and one of the characters was a hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, crippled Vietnam vet. I had forgotten that the book had depressed me then. But viewing this video brought it all back to me. And I was depressed all over again.

The film is set in Santa Barbara and stars Jeff Bridges, as a drifter with an eye for women. John Heard plays his best friend, the Vietnam vet, and Lisa Eichhorn plays the vet's alcoholic wife. John Heard's makeup is great as it really looks like he has only one leg, one arm and one eye. He's a sorrowful sight but he's quite unlikable as he's an angry, scheming character with a sense of high drama. Some of his dialog is brilliant and opens a lot of cans of worms about what happened in Vietnam.

When Jeff Bridges stumbles upon a murder by an "upright citizen", John Heard convinces his friend to blackmail the murderer with the help of the victim's sister, played by Ann Dusenberry. What follows is a sometimes funny and rather poignant psychological thriller, with an underlying sense of tragedy. It's fast paced, well acted and deals with an interesting theme. I should have loved it. Right?

Wrong! I just didn't like it. It wasn't because the film wasn't good. I just didn't like the sense of anger and hopelessness throughout. And I didn't like any of the characters. The film ran a mere 105 minutes but I couldn't wait for it to end. I won't give it a poor recommendation though, because the film it did have its good points. I just couldn't get it to it.

The System Wins out Every Time
This film is a throwback to the dark noir of the 40's and 50's.One character seems to be living in a paranoid fantasy that eventually turns out to be the truth.Not many films examine the dark side of big business or the fear that it spreads from person to person.John Heard plays Cutter,a man who no longer adheres to a social code.Society gave him a war to die in so a select bueracratic group could grow fat and he no longer feels a need to justify their power over his soul.What this film shows is that when a civilization's foundation is corrupt at the very core,you will either spend your entire life living a lie or you will fall victim to other people's entrapment.Catch-22 either way,the lucky ones regain their dignity by dying young. ... Read more

Description

A cowardly king offers a young man who isn't afraid of anything all the riches in the land if he rid the castle of a ghost. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

TheBoy Who Left Home to Find out Aboutr the Shivers
The Shivers is the greatest Faerie tale in the whole theatre.I grew up on these videos. I have been searching for a few years now to purchase these videos.I can't wait for them to become available. I would love to own the whole collection.These classic tales should be available for all children to see and enjoy.I must say The Faerie Tale theatre collection is the greatest among faerie tale production.

Utterly Enjoyable!
The Fairy Tale Theatre Series is wonderful. I watched them as a child, and still enjoy watching them. This one especially. It makes you laugh and at the same time has enough scare to it to make a child feel that they just watched their first horror movie. In actuality there there is nothing horrible about it. A perfect family entertainment movie.

Truly a classic!
Faery Tale Theatre movies are masterpieces! They follow the tales they tell fairly faithfully as they were originally written. I only hope they will soon be re-released as my children are now asking for copies, and I don't want to give mine up!

My favorite out of the Faerie Tale Theatre collection.
I am a collector of these series by Shelly Duvall. I have the complete 26 set of movies. It is a great set of movies for families, young and old alike. My sister's favorite is "Cinderella," starring Jennifer Beals and Matthew Broderick. My Mom's favorite is "Rumpelstiltskin," starring Ned Beatty. This is a great collection of movies and a must for every family. ... Read more

Description

A motley crew of animals help a young girl who is no bigger than a thumb make her way home after she is kidnapped by a toad and taken to live on a lily pad in a swamp. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Definite kid-pleaser
My three-year-old daughter fell in love with this the first time we borrowed it from the library. I enjoyed it myself; my only gripe is Conchata Ferrell's performance. This usually very talented actress seems bored to tears and injects absolutely no feeling into her role as Thumbelina's mother. It's as if she was directed to perform as stoically as possible. I don't get it at all. I am also not impressed with Carrie Fisher's singing here. I know she is capable of singing quite beautifully, I just don't think the folkish songs in this tale are well suited to her instrument. It's hard to pull off such dirges unless the singer has that ethereal, almost mediaeval quality to her voice (think Loreena McKennitt, Mediaveal Baebes). But those minor complaints are of no consequence whatsoever to the intended audience. Children will certainly be enchanted! It's witty script and a fun production.

The Little Thumb with a Big Heart
"Thumbelina" is a fantastic retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "Little Thumb".

Produced in 1983 (and released the following year), as part of Shelley Duvall's charming live-action "Faerie Tale Theatre", the narrative is told with good humour, imagination, and a great sense of fun. The magnificent cast adds much colour and warmth to the proceedings. In particular, Carrie Fisher, in the title role, delivers a captivating performance. She makes an extremely attractive heroine, not to mention one who's "more than just another pretty face". She's an absolute delight, adding her unique qualities to the role. Not only is she pint-sized in real life (although not quite as tiny as a thumb!), she has a lovely, deep voice that is quite at odds with her diminutive stature. When she sings, it is a beautiful and rewarding experience. Indeed, she sings with "an angel's voice". (This is also a highlight for any Carrie Fisher fan, as she began her career as a singer, and yet she only sings briefly in "Hannah and Her Sisters", 1986, and in the Walt Disney live-action comedy, "Sunday Drive", also released in 1986.)

Carrie Fisher is supported by equally delightful character actors. The late Burgess Meredith is in top form as Mr Mole, the second would-be husband of Thumbelina. Likewise, William Katt makes a very positive impression as the Prince of the Flower Angels.

This wonderful fairy tale is further enhanced by excellent production values, including great music, atmospheric sets, and good costumes and creatures like Mother Toad, her hapless son, Herman, the Fieldmouse, and the Swallow.

The script faithfully follows the original story, although the gender of the Fieldmouse has been changed, making for a more convincing friendship with Mr Mole to exist, as well as creating a heartfelt guardianship of Thumbelina along strictly platonic lines.

This well-written and perceptive tale ("I'm always the bride, but never the bridesmaid") makes for enchanting family entertainment. "Thumbelina" delivers a great message, too, but above all, it's storytelling at it's most memorable.

I applaud executive producer Shelley Duvall, and all involved, for giving such a wonderful gift. It's up there with Jim Henson's equally engaging "Storyteller" anthology series, produced in the late 1980s, and the "The Doll", an Emmy Award winning episode of "Amazing Stories" (of the same era).

For me, it's an extra special treat because Carrie Fisher became much more than just Princess Leia with this performance. Besides, she continues to melt me every time she smiles as the Ultimate Flower Angel! Let's hope that this "Faerie Tale Theatre" production, along with my other favourites like "Beauty and the Beast", are re-released soon. Preservation on DVD for future generations is highly recommended. ... Read more

Description

When her sadness becomes so overwhelming that a princess refuses to leave her room, a king searches the land for someone to make his daughter laugh. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My favorite childhood movie!
My sister and I were recently discussing our favorite movies when we were little. And this one was it. We had the disney movies and stuff, but this movie is funny and a great story. We use to watch this movie a lot! A great, perfect movie for children.

Fond Memories
I rented every volume of the Faerie Tale Theatre that the video store had at least 100 times when I was a kid. All these years later, this is the one I remember the most. That must say something for the quality of this story. Kids and parents will love it.

The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
I really enjoyed this movie. It was very comical. It's the funniest Faerie Tale Theatre film I've seen yet. And it teaches a very good moral too! A great family film! ... Read more

Description

A clever cat comes up with a way to transform his master into a nobleman, but first he demands a new wardrobe. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Puss in Boots
This is a great movie. It's real light hearted and comical. The characters are all very love-able, except for the ogre of course! I also thought it was neat that all the main characters are African American. I highly recommend this film if you're looking for a good, clean, fun movie to enjoy. ... Read more

Description

When a selfish mayor refuses to pay a Pied Piper for ridding the rats from the town, the Piper gets rid of all the children in the town as well. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Faerie Tale Theatre Ever!
I would have to agree with the previous review that this is the best episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. In adapting faerie tales for film or television, the biggest difficulty seems to be in capturing that sense of awe and wonder that the original stories invoke. Without picture illustrations and a child's imagination to fill in the blanks, the original stories often appear static and lifeless on the screen. At worst, the sublime becomes downright ridiculous. Faerie Tale Theatre is a great and entertaining show, but rarely has it captured that sense of magic. This episode is one time that is has, and the results are truly something to behold. Eric Idle is the only "name" here, but the rest of the cast is equally perfect in their roles. Nicholas Meyer creates an entire other world, utilizing medieval tones in setting and costumes, as well as an eerie score of pipes from composer James Horner. The effect is mesmerizing, and if the use of rhyme as dialogue takes some getting used to, it only adds to the haunting impact in the end. This episode may be too disturbing for the youngest children, but all lovers of faerie tales owe it to themselves to see this. It doesn't have the budget of big-screen fantasies, but I rank this right up there with the NeverEnding Story and the Dark Crystal. If you love those films, then you understand what I mean about the sublime.

Wonderful and surreal...as fairy tales should be.
In the early to mid eighties, Shelly Duvall produced a cable show for the then flagship HBO network called Faerie Tale Theatre. The intent was to bring classic childhood stories to an audience of young and old alike through big name stars, directors, and hip, irreverent writing. Without this series, there would not have been a "Princess Bride". Although many of these were excellent examples of the best television could offer, the finest hour (for me) was director Nicholas Meyer's interpretation of Robert Browning's "Pied Piper of Hamelin". Both faithful to the original poem and liberal in its creative embellishments, Meyer perfectly captured the eerieness of the story. The show starred Eric Idle and he makes a perfect Piper. Tall, pale, with piercing eyes and a hawklike nose, Idle looke every bit the character: part mystic, part mercenary. And his final march out of Hamelin with the children is truly the stuff of innocent nightmares. Without sentimentality, without any concession to cuteness, this episode proved that within all great children's stories lurked something magical and sinister...Just like adulthood. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A unique time capsule...
I saw this film in the bargain bin, and couldn't resist. Two of my favorites, Carroll O'Connor and Ernest Borgnine, both in a film from 1974. The clothes, hairstyles and attitudes of the day shine through beautifully, and do not disappoint.

However, all is not quite as it seems.

The film starts out very strongly as a mild comedy, but somewhere along the way it transforms into something else, taking unexpected side-trips into dark, gritty, even ocassionally violent scenes. The effect is interesting and memorable, but not altogether effective in my opinion. The film could have easily been either a comedy, or a serious drama, but Czech born director Ivan Passer tried to do both, and with mixed results.

In short, the film is not what you will expect it to be based on the first half. While somewhat disturbing when venturing into serious, gritty drama, this should not dissuade the viewer from watching the film. These moments are handled with great skill, and even a kind of flair that forces you to keep watching. And by the time some of the darker elements begin popping up, you care so much about these characters that you wouldn't turn away even if you could.

You can tell that the studio really didn't know what to make of this one. As the included trailer and TV spots attest, the studio promoted the film as a pure comedy, something that the film really isn't. At least, not entirely.

Great moments abound, both comedicly and dramaticly. One serious bit I especially liked was O'Connor, when his character discovers his daughter in a darkened kitchen. Lit only by a candle flame, we see the character's dawning realization that his daughter is high. Putting this in context with the death of the late actor's son, and O'Connor's subsequent efforts to inform youngsters about the danger and tragedy that drugs can cause, the moment is all the more poignant.

The ending is tough (and I felt, somewhat unnecessary), but excellently handled by all involved. The epilogue that follows is perfection, and of a kind never seen in Hollywood anymore.

It really is too bad that the film is somewhat deceptive; starting as a comedy, winding up as more of a drama. Perhaps this is why the film is not as well-known as it could have been, or should be today.

This film is definitely a must-see for fans of Carroll O'Connor, or fans of early-70's movies. The DVD transfer is pretty good, too.

Try this one out.

Well worth the wait!
After being out of print for many years, Law & Disorder is back and better than ever! Set in the lower east side of Manhattan, this film perfectly captures the mid 70's. Willie (Carroll O'Connor) and Cy (Ernest Borgnine) are regular working guys who join an auxiliary police force in order to curtail crime in their neighborhood. Although a spoof in many aspects, there are many dramatic vignettes -- including a tear-jerker ending! The film was shot on-location -- Grand Street, Canal Street, the FDR Drive -- it's lower Manhattan at it's finest. If you want to see what it was like to be involved in a volunteer police group before PC's and cellular phones modernized the force, here it is! I've been waiting for years to see this movie again and I am thankful to have it in anamorphic DVD quality. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice, Quiet Cable Movie
Any movie with Alfre Woodard is worth watching. This Showtime
movie starts out rather slow perhaps because it wants to show
the laidback South. Woodard stars as a lawyer who returns home
to attend her mother's funeral. This event changes her life
forever. Blair Underwood is very good as "The Magic Man".
Good family entertainment and it is nice to see that people in
the South can be decent to one another. ... Read more