Reviews (77)

A classic
I don't want to make a bigger deal out of this movie than it deserves. It's not a world-changer and the ending is a bit predictable, but it is a wonderful and charming coming of age story and an honest look at small-town America. And cycling and Italians play central roles -- a plus for an American cyclist living in Italy, like me.

But having an affinity for things Italian or for bike racing is not necessary in order to enjoy this 25-year-old classic. What is necessary is an appreciation for small things and memories about the mysterious period between adolescence and adulthood. If that describes you, then chances are you'll enjoy this touching film.

Amid the praise I should say that the DVD package is only average: the original trailer and teaser are there, but it would have been nice to have some commentary from director Peter Yates, some of the actors, or from critics who were fans of the film. A "Making of Breaking Away" mini feature would have also been a welcome addition.

One note: Breaking Away is a very American film, and so I'm not so sure how much of it will hit home with foreign viewers.

Inspiring Coming-of-Age Quirky Heartwarming Film
This is the story of four boys who have just finished high school and who live in Bloomington, Indiana. They are trying to figure out who they are and who they could be. They run up against the animosity of the college kids who look down upon the townies or "Cutters" (Bloomington is also a rock quarrying town) as inherently inferior.

The main character is irrepressible Dave Stohler (Dennis Christopher) who decides that he wants to be an Italian international bicycle racing star, even though he has never been out of his home town and doesn't happen to be Italian. He pours himself into the role of becoming Italian and becoming a star-quality cyclist. His loving parents are bewildered and worry if their son will ever be normal. He doesn't want to be normal; he wants to be outstanding.

This movie does a wonderful job of blending comedy, character development, and action. After watching it, you feel like you were there and you knew these people. I was inspired by this film to look for other Dennis Christopher movies (e.g., "California Dreaming") but none even approached this one. "Breaking Away", with the multiple meanings to its title, is one of the most likable movies I've ever seen. A great pick-me-up if you're down in the dumps.

Remember Being 18? You Will...
Watching "Breaking Away" is like visiting an old buddy in a familiar town. The film is about four friends who have graduated high school and aren't quite sure whether to embrace adulthood and the future or to shun it and cling instead to their childhood identities and each other. There is a great deal of warmth and gentle humor throughout the film, and the performances are winning.

Mike (Dennis Quaid), the leader of the group, clings to his friends as reminders of his days as high school quarterback and fears they will prove to be his best. Moocher is eager for adulthood and is planning to marry his girlfriend. The only problem is he cannot keep a job! Cyril (Daniel Stern) is resigned to the fact he may never leave Bloomington, but remains buoyant regardless. Dave Stohler is the main character, he knows exactly what he wants to be, an Italian Cyclist. There is only one problem- he isn't Italian! Dave learns through a young woman he meets and eventually through his father that simply being Dave is more than good enough, and that he must embrace his natural talents and the future. There have been countless "coming of age" pictures, but this one is the most enjoyable!

DVD: The production values of the DVD leave something to be desired and therefore I only give the product 4 stars. The lack of 5.1 surround is a disappointment, as well as the quality of the video. A commentary track featuring the four leads would have been an interesting addition. The only extras are a couple of trailers.

Wide appeal.
This film has wide appeal. At the outset it really seems to be one of those movies that were made specifically to cater to rising trends of the times -- in this case, the bike boom of the early 70's. And yet, even though our protagonist rides a Masi, this film has few things in common with other flicks like Torque, The Fast and the Furious, Top Gun, Wildstyle, Quicksilver and others that feebly attempt to elevate their respective scenes to almost mythical underground status by building stories and jargon completely around the sport or subject itself. Initially I watched Breaking Away because I was into bicycles. But bicycles in this movie surprisingly take somewhat of a backseat in relation to its main thrust; this film could be said to be not just about coming of age in small town America but more about taking pride in your own cultural identity while finding the courage to pursue your own dreams. And however cliche it might sound, the struggle is a real one, especially concerning the 'vicious cycle' that exists in our supposedly classless American society. And this I think, has a far more timeless appeal than a kid going around thinking he's a professional italian cyclist, however charming it may seem.

A classic
A sleeper that made the grade and graduated into the realms of Classic Flicks, Breaking Away is one of those wonderfully uplifting and subtly patriotic movies that champions small-town America. Steve Tesich won the screenplay Oscar for this semi-biographical story about four 19yo kids who can't quite decide what to do with themselves after high school. They live in Bloomington, Indiana, where the guys from the university look down on the townies and make derogatory comments about their rock quarrying forebears. One of them drifts, then runs, into the world of Italian bicycling, much to his used-car-salesman father's dismay and embarrassment.
You'll feel yourself pulled into rising excitement as the marvelous finale hoves into view, and, though sorry to see the film end, you'll hit the rewind button with a big smile on your face. ... Read more

Amazon.com

San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Bullitt Hits The Mark
1968's Bullitt is best known for its classic car chase scene that is still considered by many to the best of all time. The movie is worth watching for that scene alone as Steve McQueen's fastback Mustang chases down a Dodge Charger for a tense ten minutes through the streets of San Francisco. Even without that memorable scene, Bullitt is a classic 60's film. Mr. McQueen's performance as steely police detective Frank Bullitt is one of his best and the forerunner of the anti-heroes that would dominate films of the 70's. The plot revolves around a seemingly routine job for Bullitt and his men to protect a mob informant (Pat Renella) who is set to testify before a Senate subcommittee. When two hitmen break into the safe house and fatally wound the informant and injury another detective, Bullitt begins to have questions and takes up investigating the case on his own with the help of fellow detective Delgetti (Don Gordon). Fighting them at every turn is ruthless and ambitious senator Chalmers played with unctuous smarm by Robert Vaughan. Jacqueline Bissett co-stars in one of her first roles as Bullitt's girlfriend and Robert Duvall has a bit part as a cabbie. Director Peter Yates crafts a gritty look to the film and editor Frank Keller won the Academy Award for his superb work.

Steve McQueen scorches the streets of San Francisco
Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. Based on the gritty novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike, this was the first, and only, time McQueen portrayed a police officer (albeit a maverick one) in his movie career. In 1968 Steve was then riding high on the success of his previous crime film, "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "Bullitt" just propelled his star even higher into the heavens !

The plot is tight, economical and well crafted....taciturn, moody Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is charged with the protection of a key witness vital to an upcoming trial involving Mafia connections. Whilst hidden away in a supposed secure location, the witness and his police guard are brutally gunned down by unknown assailants. The heat is turned up on Bullitt by his tough Captain (Simon Oakland) and the manipulative, opportunistic politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to come up with the right answers fast ! Between the draining investigation, Bullitt struggles to maintain his relationship with his cultured, sensitive girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset)

Primarily coming from a TV series background, Englishman Peter Yates (directing his fourth movie) did a commendable job as director on "Bullitt"...producing a complex, intense crime thriller with a unique style that would ultimately influence many other films. Yates would later to go onto direct Robert Mitchum in the excellent "sleeper" crime film "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" !

And of course "Bullitt" is reknowned for it's now legendary car chase between Frank Bullitt's 390 GT Mustang and the two hitmen in their black, Dodge Charger 440 Magnum barrelling through the city streets and highways of San Francisco....just don't pay too much attention to how many times they pass that slow-moving, green VW Beetle !!

The DVD transfer is excellent in both sound and picture quality, and the Limited Edition Set with the extra goodies (Single sheet poster, shooting draft, lobby cards etc.) is a real bonus for keen film fans !!

One of my favourite cop thrillers....McQueen sizzles on screen !!

Put on a Sweater
This detective drama aimed to be the essence of cool, and succeeded, in fact it's a little too cool, can somebody turn up the thermostat? Barely anybody in the picture is allowed to show any genuine emotion, although one of the hoods looks a little upset before he's shotgunned. Director Peter Yates apparently planned to tell the whole story with action and came up with a near-classic. In fact his spectacular staging of McQueen's car pursuit of two Mob assassins is usually blamed for the countless imitation car chases that have blighted American movies ever since. It's certainly one of McQueen's signature roles, but why give him a hokey name like Bullitt?

McQUEEN COOL!
Ignore the paisley pajamas, Steve McQueen was an icon of cool and BULLITT is the proof. Peter Yates has a smart thinking man's cop drama, bolstered by (yes) the best chase scene on film. Great locations in San Francisco. Superior acting by McQueen, Robert Vaughn as a sinister U.S. Senator and Don Gordon, as McQueen's partner. Why didn't Don Gordon become a bigger star?

The good, the bad, and the pretty
"Bullitt" is highly regarded by many for either "the chase", or the drama.

The good and the bad: True, there is a high-speed car chase in part through the hilly streets of San Francisco. Is it "the best ever" chase? Depends on how you look at it. Plus - It was very high speed. Plus - It had a cool-looking Mustang fastback vs a big GTO. Negative - They pass the same VW 4 times, and another car 2 times (why? if not intentional, then very poor continuity) Negative - double-shifting or not, there are about 97 too many gear changes, and some of those are at top speed on the flat stretch near the end. Neg - the bad guys lose too many hubcaps. Still, it's fairly exciting. However, though not car vs car, I think the chase in "The French Connection" is as good if not better.

As for the drama, some of it seemed a bit drawn out. Lt. Frank Bullitt is supposed to protect the state's witness "Ross" against the Chicago "Organization". Ross and one cop are shot, and Ross is later killed in the hospital, where Bullitt is hanging out. Bullitt does not want the prosecutor who gave him the assignment (Robert Vaughan) to know Ross died, so he will have time to find the killers. Turns out Ross may not be who the cops think he is, and this leads to a good foot-chase across the airport runways and the airport itself.

Some of the police procedure as portrayed in the movie is rather shoddy - such as handling a lot of evidence, then asking for it to be fingerprinted, etc.

The pretty: Bullitt has a girlfriend played by Jaqueline Bisset, who gives him grief for his callous attitude. This sets up the final scene of the movie where Bullitt ambiguously questions his existence. Otherwise, her appearance in the movie is useless.

Good acting by McQueen and Vaughan. Look for Robert Duval, Georg Sanford Brown, Norman fell, Simon Oakland and a few other names.

The jazzy score by Lalo Schifrin sounds like a bad TV movie. Wide-screen movie has decent picture and sound quality. DVD extras include a short behind the scenes documentary, text-based cast/crew/location info, list of awards, and a trailer.

In short - Not the best cop movie, not the best McQueen movie, and not the best chase. Watchable but not a stand out. ... Read more

Amazon.com

San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Chases, as they were... Oh, and good style too.
Many people remember this for the ever-famous chase scene, which still is more impressive, and more realistic than most modern chases.However, there is more to the movie then that, although having no stunt doubles for the chase wasn't a bad start.

First of all though the story: McQueen's character is Lieutenant Bullitt, and he is given what seems like a routine protection job of a high-profile witness; however, the witness is shot, and McQueen decides that maybe this is not such a small issue after all.

The story I felt was pretty good, but really the style is where the most effort was put and achieved.For example, the camera shots are used to quite good effect.At the same time though, the "realness" achieved is also pertinent.My only problem, and I promise not to spoil, is that the ending is all too reminiscent of the end of Chinatown (no specifics on how).

Overall though, with nice style as I said, a decent plot, and McQueen, the movie is rather enjoyable.

Excellent and Enjoyable Original Film
Finnaly the most original film bought to a two-disc special edition! Yes I loved this film I saw when I was 4 years old and was fascinated with it! I hope you enjoy this film.

Bullitt is more taciturn than Calvin Coolidge
There's a story about a man who introduced himself to president Calvin Coolidge by telling Coolidge that he had made a bet with a friend that he could get the famously taciturn Coolidge to say more than three words."You lose," replied Coolidge.Steve McQueen has little more dialogue in this visually told police procedural drama.The fact that there isn't alot of stupid chatter makes the movie seem smarter and tighter than it is.I kept thinking I had missed something because the plot didn't make sense too me.I didn't miss anything; the plot doesn't make sense.Which doesn't matter a bit, because Steve McQueen is one of the coolest actors who ever worked in Hollywood and Jacqueline Bisset is a gorgeous girl, and this is a cool movie.

And what a car chase!This clearly is the best car chase ever filmed.Oh, and what muscle cars we had in the late 1960s!Pure, raw power, undamped by catalytic converters or the need for fuel efficiency.This movie, and specifically this car chase (which is the main reason to buy the movie), set the tone for cop movies and TV shows for decades to come.

As car chases go...
I like Bullitt. I even like the quiet times when he is at a restaurant and picking up his girl at her work. I think these touches add to the 'matter-of-fact' attitude prevelant
in the film. I even like the fact they left in the scene where the emt remarks about the ambulance door not being left open
and the 'keep it rolling' attitude of Steve McQueen, as he opens the door and they keep filming.
And while I think the car chase ranks near the top, why do we have to see the same places over and over, but from different vanatge points?I mean, even the skid marks are already there...and what's with the recurring green VW 'Bug'?
Heck, maybe no one really cares.

I especially like the casting of the hit men. Actors not remembered by many. (And Don Gordon, who played Bullitt's partner...) One thing for sure, when they are on the job,
they rule.

After nearly forty years, still powerfully effective
BULLITT is today an easy film to underrate, partly because so many films in the seventies embraced a similar narrative and visual style.This lends the film a sense of familiarity that it didn't have for most viewers in 1968.Instead of a direct, involved form of narrative, the film employs an indirect, detached one.Unlike most film where the action takes place at firsthand, much of the action in this one takes place at secondhand, such as when Bullitt and a hotel employee knock on the door of a room, to cut away to a long shot of his girlfriend sitting in her car, her attention soon called to a police siren and running police officers, letting her and us know that something is amiss.Or the action will often be squeezed to the side, with the screen dominated by something other than the actors, such as the chase near the end on the airport runways, where an airliner will dominate the frame, while one of the actors will be on the periphery.The whole technique is so cool and detached that one expects the Dave Brubeck Quartet to break out at any point.The film is also enhanced visually by a complete lack of dissolves through out.Instead, each shot cuts directly to another, giving the film an almost undefinable crispness.The whole film is, in fact, a technical delight, with everyone trying to remake as many rules as possible.

The film is most famous, of course, for what is quite probably the greatest car chase in movie history.The only other contender for the slot is not quite a car chase, but the car chasing the subway in THE FRENCH CONNECTION, a film that was profoundly influenced by BULLITT in a host of ways.There have been dozens of chase scenes since then that are more spectacular in their stunts and effects, so what makes this one remain so compelling?First, there is the balance to the whole thing.It builds beautifully, first with two hit men in their Dodge Charger trailing Bullitt in his Mustang, then their losing him, only to rediscover him in their rearview mirror.Although they are at this point at normal speeds, the effect if riveting, and when the driver of the charger takes a moment to put on his seatbelt, you know you are in for something special.1968 was before the 1973 oil embargo, so gas efficiency was of secondary concern.Instead, a string of cars were made with power their main concern, and although these were modified automobiles, they nonetheless seem almost alien with their massive engines.But what really makes this car scene extraordinary is the devotion to realism.Most subsequent car chases feature cars vaulting other vehicles, making impossible leaps over bridges, performing astonishing stunts on two wheels or doing an entire rotation, and in every instance landing back on all four wheels with minimal damage.In this scene, they literally wreck the cars.Yeah, they vault over a hill, but when they land, you can feel the shock to the chassis.Also, the speeds are simply incredible.A lot of scenes feature slower cars that they then enhance in the editing room to make them seem faster.There are reports that the two cars in this one often exceeded 110 mph.I don't doubt it for an instance.In defense of other car chases, one reason they have to resort to pyrotechnics and gimmicks and absurd stunts is that in a sense BULLITT took what it was possible to do with two cars chasing each other as far as it could go.Whenever I rewatch this chase scene, I can't help but thinking that I will never see its like again.

This isn't a film that is going to appeal to everyone.Many are going to feel uncomfortable with its detached style, with its refusal to bring all the salient parts of the action to the foreground.But I find its attempt to do something new and original enormously exhilirating.

This is rightfully regarded as one Steven McQueen's best films, if not his best.It is certainly one of the more laconic performances one will see in the genre.Although Clint Eastwood would later travel much of the same ground (literally, since the films were also set in San Franciso in the Dirty Harry movies, both Frank Bullitt and Harry Callahan were loosely based on the same real life detective), nothing like his grimaces or taglines can be found in McQueen's performance.

My one complaint with the film is what I consider to be a rather large hole in the plot.When Bullitt and his partner go to the airport to pull Ross off his flight, only the two of them go.It has always been police procedure to undertake such operations in force.It is simply inconceivable that only two detectives would attempt such an action.They would go in with substantial backup.For me it is one of the only misfires in an otherwise superb film. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A & E Launches the Colour Episodes
When A&E started their series of The Avengers TV Show, they started with the colour Diana Rigg episodes. Then they worked backwards to the black and white Rigg shows, and then the second seaon of Honor Blackman episodes.

Although the colour Saint episodes are better known, I prefer the original black and white shows that were available in syndication. When NBC got involved with showing The Saint as a midseaon replacement show, the budget was upped to make them in colour.

The Saint is a durable character who has survived many incarnations, including radio. As a dubious reviewer remarked, in films George Sanders did not originate the character, but he certainly defined it in some half dozen films - and real Saint fans all know it.

Although others have their opinions, I feel Roger Moore fits the character of The Saint much better than he ever did James Bond. And if Bond fans are buying this series because of Moore, they will be happy to see a lot of supporting players from the Bond films as guest stars - including Lois Maxwell (Bond's Miss Moneypenny). The episodes included here, and in Set 2, had previously been available from Columbia House's Subscription library, but it will be good to see them on DVD.

And here's hoping the black and white episodes are soon to follow.

Even Moore Saintly Than 007
As much as Roger Moore was a fantastic James Bond, he was an even better Saint. In fact, he was the best. Moore took the pulp hero, created by Leslie Charteris, to new heights in the 1960's and this DVD collection is a perfect collection for both longtime fans and newcomers.

Roger Moore's portrayl of "Simon Templar" was suave, debonair, and comedic at times (much like The Saint was in the books). In fact, his sarcastic humour with Inspector Teal and other policeman is spot on with the novels. He loved to walk a tightrope between law and crime, but always had an alibi. Moore captures his buccaneering attitude deliciously. Upon watching these episodes, you can see how much of The Saint he put into his Bond role. While he may never have been as violent or ruthless as he was in the books, you really get a sense of the Saint's carefree, adventurous nature.

Finally available in America and in series order (based on when the episodes appeared on American television that is). These collections contain the episodes filmed in color, and they look fantastic. As the series continues to see new releases, perhaps they will include the earlier black and white episodes as well.

Edwin Astley's loungey score has never sounded clearer. As part of the bonus material, you get the original U.S. trailers for each episode and a nice photo gallery. "The History of The Saint" section, is just some text, and hardly a bonus. You'd be better off picking up the Saint film collection (Turner Classic Movies) with a nice 30 minute Saint history documentary if you really want to learn about the famous "Simon Templar." Better yet, go to (website) and learn everything there is to know.

This collection is a must have for any Moore fan. Keep buying them up so that they will release more in America.

Templar, Simon Templar
Roger Moore IS the Saint first and foremost his appearances both before and after only bracket this role. There had been others who played the roles before Moore and after but they are only imitators for those of us who grew up watching this series. Each week we watched waiting for the magical moment when the halo and the lilting theme appeared. With that much nostalgia involved I was a little concerned that this set could not possibly live up to my memories. I was wrong, they are just as good as I remembered. Yes the special effects are not up to today's standards, the 'exotic' locations I remembered as a child are now very obviously stock footage tacked onto scenes shot elsewhere but that doesn't even matter. Once Moore takes the stage he is the Saint, we are in those locations and delighting as he makes fools of the police, foils the villians and saves the day, all withough mussing his perfectly coifed hair.

This set includes the first six color episodes of the series. The episodes are: The Queen's Ransom - set in Monte Carlo; Interlude In Venice - set in Venice (featuring Lois Maxwell - Moneypenny in the Bond films); The Russian Prisoner - set in Geneva; The Reluctant Revolution - set in San Paul, Brazil; The Helpful Pirate - set in Hamburg and the Convenient Monster - set in Scotland.

In spite of the shortcomings mentioned above the shows are enjoyable to those who do not have fond memories of the original airings. What was lacking in special effects what made up for in writing and acting. The stories all have an O'Henry like twist, just when you think it's over or you have solved the problem something else pops up and changes everything. In addition many actors who appeared here went on to other larger roles, so there is the bonus of seeing them 'when'.

I think that anyone who remembers enjoying these shows when they ran on broadcast TV will enjoy they again those who are much younger, ie under 25, may not get so much out of it.

One additional note - these hour long episodes are just over 50 minutes long, not today's 42!

Well done!
Roger Moore is a stud, debonair and chivalrous. Knowing that these are over 30 years adds to the fun. Interesting mysterys that take you around the world still work.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Some think the world is made for fun and frolic,
And so do I! And so do I!
Some think it well to be all melancholic,
To pine and sigh; to pine and sigh;
But I, I love to spend my time in singing,
Some joyous song, some joyous song,
To set the air with music bravely ringing
Is far from wrong! Is far from wrong!
Listen, listen, echoes sound afar!
Listen, listen, echoes sound afar!
Funiculi, funicula, funiculi, funicula!
Echoes sound afar, funiculi, funicula!

Ah me! 'tis strange that some should take to sighing,
And like it well! And like it well!
For me, I have not thought it worth the trying,
So cannot tell! So cannot tell!
With laugh, with dance and song the day soon passes
Full soon is gone, full soon is gone,
For mirth was made for joyous lads and lasses
To call their own! To call their own!
Listen, listen, hark the soft guitar!
Listen, listen, hark the soft guitar!
Funiculi, funicula, funiculi, funicula!
Hark the soft guitar, funiculi, funicula! ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's something inescapably appealing about this camp 1983 StarWars-meets-The Lord of the Rings knockoff that encourages the viewerto overlook its many silly shortcomings and simply enjoy the fun. James Horner'srollicking music score certainly helps, as does the epic-scale CinemaScopephotography of the breathtaking Italian landscapes. The costumes and extravagantproduction design are also great to look at, and much of Derek Meddings's visualeffects work still looks striking. Freddie Jones stands head and shoulders abovethe rest of the cast as the wise Ynyr, while the two romantic leads, KenMarshall as Prince Colwyn and Lysette Anthony (with an overdubbed Americanvoice) as Princess Lyssa, are mere formalities on which to hang the plot. Theall-British supporting cast includes Todd Carty, Bernard Bresslaw, RobbieColtrane, Liam Neeson, and the gorgeous Francesca Annis. If you feel the needfor some escapist sword-and-sorcery fantasy, then Krull delivers in fullmeasure. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (85)

Krull: A great masterpiece of science fiction films
Krull is one of the greatest science fiction films, a true masterpiece. The amazing special effects are really impressive! The movie takes us into the planet Krull. Young prince Colwyn is getting married the beautiful princess Liza in an attempt to face better the Beast - a monster looking creature who wants to rule the world of Krull with the help of his army. During their wedding, the Beast's army attacks and takes Liza away into the Black Fortress (Beast's home). Colwyn, with the help of Inir, starts his journey to find and free Liza. The first thing he has to do, is to find the powerful Glaive, a really unique weapon. Soon, he will realize that his mission is more difficult than he thinks. He will get some more friends and all together, they will live a great adventure... The story of this film sounds and it IS exciting. Ken Marshall acts perfectly as Colwyn as well as other actors (including Lysette Anthony in the role of Liza). Some of the actors have probably the best performance than any other moment of their career. Freddie Jones and Liam Neeson (Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace) make the film even more brilliant. Krull is really unique, you have never seen a weapon like Glaive, it is probably the most impressive weapon that appears in a science fiction film. Also the soundtrack is a great synthesis by the great and very known composer James Horner, much better than Titanic's one... Totally, this film is amazing and will keep your interest until the end... I suggest it to everyone! I hope in the near future to be released in a hi-fi sound, widescreen version, in DVD format if that's possible and -why not?- to have a special version just like Star Wars trilogy! Krull exprerience is unforgetable!

Watch it for the music; laugh at the dialog.
Krull grows on you, but it's pretty juvenile stuff.

Even in 1983 the effects were not too special. and the dialog sounds as though it was written by a pre-teen who is as pretentious as he is precocious. How did the director let his cast get by delivering lines with the lingering gravity of Shakespeare? The film takes off a little bit after the opening 10 minutes and the actors loosen up slightly, but they take everything so Seriously! This film could have been much better if it had been played as was The Princess Bride. Both films are sword-wielding fairytales, but Krull makes the mistake of conciously trying to achieve "epic" status.

On the positive side is the musical score by James (Titanic) Horner. A year after he wrote the score for Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan he was back with similar sounds, but an even more heroic theme. I was familiar with the music well before I ever saw the movie and had visions of stirring action behind the opening credits. It was a surprise to see that virtually Nothing is happening during the rousing strains at the beginning of the film! Perhaps the score is TOO good for the movie. It belongs in a true epic, not a wannabe.

There's plenty to look at and listen to, but don't expect depth of plot. Boy meets girl, boy looses girl, boy gets girl back with the help of friends with mystic powers, bandits with swords, and a magical sword/frisbee called the "Glave".

There is plenty to wonder about...the real motives of the evil "Monster", the fate of slain "Slayers", how one captures a "fire mare" so easily, and why the heroine is allowed to wander through the stronghold of the villian without supervision.

However, if you can forget logic and enjoy the swords and sorcery genre, you could do worse to than watch KRULL. Worse examples are......well, I'll get back to you.

Retro Fantasy Classic
This movie is one I grew up on in the 80's. I was pleased to find it on DVD, It is worth owning just for memories of retro special effects and just basic escapism.

Fantasy and Sci-fi meshed together
When I was young, this was one of the first films I remember seeing at the drive-in, and it was fantastic. It had your fantasy (heroic warrior to save his betrothed, a lovely princess, battling and recruiting a band of brigands, a wizard, mythical creatures AND a legendary weapon, the Glaive.)mixed in with sci-fi (powerful aliens bent on world domination.) Compared to today's special effects, this movie is quite dated, but is still enjoyable in my book.

Pisses all over LOTR
Great rollicking adventure/fantasy in the tradition of dragonslayer, ladyhawke and star wars. Beautiful cinematography, great effects, cool weapons and amazing set design. Some genuinley creepy parts. Still holds up today. ... Read more

Description

Based on the novel by John Knowles, A SEPARATE PEACE tells the coming-of-age story of the students attending an all-boys prep school.With the possibility of being drafted for World War II, the boys try their best to graduate before the draft and encounter many obstacles along the way. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The 1972 film version was a preppy classic: 2004 was not!
John Knowles modern masterpiece, A Separate Peace, are one of many subtle, and subtly is the watch word, themes of love, hate, jealously, denial and regret. The 1972 version does attempt to address this style and what the book is - A love story.

The 2004 version does not use subtly at all but overtness in the portrayal of the story. What is staring you in the face when you read the novel is, as I have previously stated, a love story and yes maybe it is arguable, a gay love story. In the novel and 1972 film version there are sexual understones everywhere in the writings and dialog. In the 2004 Showtime film version these tentions were omitted and the actors were in there late twenties playing teenagers which caused for mature acting taking away from any tenderness or hesitation of innocence in youth.

I did not like this remake for more reasons! The hair that broke the camels' back was that Phineas was given a surname on the letters he received from the draft boards! Finny is a character that does not have nor needs a last name. John Knowles did that intentionally.

Though I accept the 1972 version the acting was at times a little amateurish, so what, it attempted to be sincere to the novel by shooting on location at Phillips Exeter Academy that The Devon School was based on; which also the writer attended as a student.

The directors and producers took all teenage Exeter students, with excepton of Parker Steveson whom attended The Brooks School, to play in a Paramount Film! Class act by preppies compared to this Canadian College shot, played with adult actors, politically correct, platonic version. No - Veto on this sham try again. The 1972 film version with John Heyl and Parker Stevenson was the real deal for A Separate Peace on the screen. The Showtime 2004 film made for cable version was not.

Moving and well-made
First let me say that a movie can never acheive the level of depth as a well-written novel.Even if this film had a script taken verbatim from the book, it would not be able to convey the same depth of meaning, the same development of characters.

That being said, I think this movie is excellent.Of course, I am in a unique position.I watched the movie first, and then was so intrigued, I went on to read the book.Had I fallen in love with the book first, I may very well have found the movie disappointing like many of the other reviewers. But since I saw the movie on its own without comparing it to the book, I was able to see how this movie is an artistic work with its own merits, irrespective of the challenges of bringing a classic novel to the screen.

The strongest actor in this film is Toby Moore, who steals almost every scene he's in as Finny.He radiates charisma, which is perfect for a character who Knowles wrote as being able to "shine with everyone, he attracted everyone he met."He's a character incapable of hating anyone or holding a grudge, and a character who no one can help but like.I could not have imagined him portrayed any better.

Some scenes are added to the movie that are not in the book, but I feel these scenes are useful in developing characters and relationships that are developed through straight description in the book.We see how the war plays a role in these boys' lives--a distant joke at first, and then one of the boys goes off to the Army and comes back different--disheveled, mentally broken.We see Gene's changing relationship with Finny, his admiration combined with thinly veiled resentment and jealousy, and finally his realization that Finny meant well all along, that there was never any rivalry, that Finny wanted to see only the good in Gene and was deeply hurt by any other suggestion.

The movie's main weakness is that much is missing in the development of Gene's character.His motivations are vague and his true feelings veiled without the internal narration of the novel.He's still well-portrayed in the film, but I can better understand Gene after reading the book.

If you're looking for an exact representation of John Knowles' novel, then you will be waiting forever.But this movie is a gem in its own right, a moving and engaging coming-of-age story.

Not Bad, But Something's Missing
Sometimes whenever the words "the book is so much better than the movie" are uttered, it can sound somewhat boorish. However, when it comes to a book like John Knowles' A SEPARATE PEACE stating that the book is better than the film is an understatement. The novel which has undertones of love/hate and admiration/jealousy, set at a boys' prep school during World War II has to be read to be experienced. This is not to say the film is not without merit. This film, originally made for SHOWTIME has many strengths: perfect attention to detail as far as set is concerned, believable actors who seem to belong in a prep school setting, and reasonably good acting. All of these qualities should make a great film. Something fell short for me, however. I think it's because the characters in the book become so real and engrained in a reader's mind, any film version will pale in comparison. I say this as someone who read the book first by choice, then as a requirement in college, and years later taught the book.

That being said, of you are thinking about purchasing this film and have never read the book, you may very well enjoy it. As I said, there are many good attributes to this film and people not familiar with the book could find it riveting. If you love the book, you may be somewhat disappointed that the film seems to lack some intensity and may also find it somewhat slow paced. Of course, if you are a student purchasing the film to avoid reading the book, I would not recommend. The film does follow the basic plot line of the novel, but that something that makes A SEPARATE PEACE such a great work is missing in this film version.

Worse than awful
First I must confess that A Separate Peace is my favorite book. So of course, I have some bias against any attempt at adapting it for a feature film or television movie. But as I began to watch this film, I was more than willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. The original version from the early 1970s, though shot at Phillips Exeter Academy where the book's author attended school, and though it stayed as faithful as it could to the book, lacked any real depth of feeling and failed to capture the essence of the characters. The original seemed to simply go through the motions. Reading the trivia about the movie, you discover that it was cast mostly with non-actors. Thus, the original has an amateurish feel to it and it ultimately fails.

This new version, though I will grant that it captures the look of the period better than the original, seems to have thrown the book out all together. Scenes are rearranged, characters imposed where they don't belong, characters created that were not in the book, and no attempt was made to delve into the deeper conflicts that make the book so compelling. And the cardinal sin of all: the tree is not treated as the vital, almost central character it is in the book. This is an inexcusable oversight on the part of the film makers. How could they downplay the role of the tree? Why was it not introduced immediately? Why the Dead Poet-esque beginning? And what in God's name was up with Gene's accent? This film is, to be blunt, garbage. A Separate Peace should not be a difficult book to adapt for the stage or screen. John Knowles wrote it in a perfectly fine, linear style. The film makers should have trusted the story as it was already written; make changes, sure; embellish here and there, sure; take some mild dramatic license, sure. But destroy one of the pearls of American literature in the process? What were they thinking? In their corruption of the story line, they cut any possibility of suspense or drama. The whole movie falls flat and fails miserably.

If you are a high school or college student assigned to read this book and you are thinking of skimping and just watching the movie...don't even think about it. This film will be of no help to you.

Alas, we shall have to wait even longer before a version of this story comes to the screen that truly does it justice.

The End of Innocence: On Becoming an Adult
A SEPARATE PEACE, based on John Knowles' novel that became a standard in the college student library, is a finely wrought, ultimately transformative story that is well adapted to the screen by Wendy Kesselman.Given the broad spectrum of the novel's story, the script opts for focusing on the special interplay of four youths attending Dover Boys School in 1943.Director Peter Yates ('The Dresser', 'Year of the Comet', 'Breaking Away', 'Bullit', etc) understands the special atmosphere of the boys' boarding school and the impact on young American youth living under the threat of World War II and translates that tension and impact well.

Gene (J Barton) enters Dover (a school populated by boys from families of wealth and position) from his meager home in the South, determined to achieve on the basis of his abilities in this 'foreign atmosphere'.He is assigned to roommate Finny (Toby Moore) who is a natural athlete and a lad who lives entirely in the moment, achieving goals in private without the need for applause.He grows to deeply admire Gene, taking a while to see that Gene's academic accomplishments come through very hard work and not as a 'natural gift' as is the case with the rest of the classmates.They bond with fellow students Brinker (Jacob Pitts) who is the school's top scholar, and Leper (Danny Schroeder) who manages to interject bizarre humor about Hitler and the current war situation on the European front whenever possible.

Finny constantly challenges Gene out of good graces to perform acts of liberation, including jumping from a tree into a pond, a feat reserved for those higher classmates in the school who are preparing ROTC style to volunteer for the war upon graduation.Finny and Gene become very close while at different ends of the spectrum of self-perception and evaluation.On a routine revisit to the tree from which they jump, Gene shakes the limb and Finny falls to the ground breaking his leg.Apparently with a memory loss that prevents him from the truth about his accident, Finney simply recovers, knowing his career as an athlete is over, but not placing blame on anything but accident, a fact that shakes Gene's perception of himself and his guilt.

When the war increases tension, Leper volunteers and 'goes off to be a skiing GI', Brinker decides to enlist at the end of term, Finny bemoans the fact that his accident prevents him from staying with his friends, and Gene is ultimately brought to a student trial about the 'accident'.How each of these young men enter adulthood with the war on their heels and the effects of their loss of innocence forms the ending to the story - an ending that clearly paints the way each of us interacts with those around us and finds our separate peace.

The acting by a group of young men whose previous roles have been in forgettable films is uniformly superb.There is an honesty and clarity drawn by each character (with the able direction of Yates) that makes us identify with these innocent youths.The musical score is appropriate, the photography captures the beauty of New England, and the feeling at the end of the film is one that creates the desire to return to the Knowles novel to relive the lives of these boys becoming men. Highly Recommended.Grady Harp, 2005

... Read more

Reviews (16)

More like 3.5 stars; a fine, funky 70's curio
Alternately ahead of its time and an unmistakable product of its era, the 1976 paramedic comedy-drama "Mother, Jugs and Speed" has finally made its way to DVD.

This uneven but underappreciated little B-movie drew obvious influence from the blood-and-pranks mixture of Robert Altman's "MASH," but you can also see its darkly comic influence on contemporary fare such as "Six Feet Under" and "Bringing out the Dead," and it poked fun at zip-ups gone wrong 20 years before "There's Something About Mary."

Bill Cosby and Harvey Keitel play Southern California ambulance drivers forced to contend with all manner of accidents and injuries, both amusing and tragic. The all-over-the-map cast also includes Raquel Welch, Allen Garfield, Dick Butkus, Bruce Davison, L.Q. Jones, Larry Hagman (as a creepy lech whose antics haven't aged well) and even Allan Warnick, the kid from the records room in "Chinatown."

With its gritty, widescreen look and those awesome blue lens flares so common to the period, "Mother" is a fine, funky 70's curio. Welch and Keitel (who had just been replaced by Martin Sheen in "Apocalypse Now") are stiff but the rest of the pre-Carter administration cast seems to be having fun, particularly Cosby, as the glib, laconic Mother. It's a bit strange to see the sitcom star playing an anti-hero, but his cool, sneaky performance breezily anchors the movie.

Good drive-in fare
Pretty much what you would expect, given the plot--two competing ambulance services chase around the city for patients and profits; the wacky stuff, like occupied gurneys rolling free down city streets and scaring nuns at crosswalks alternates with the mercifully brief meditative stuff--shortly after giving his "There's more to life than this" speech to fellow EMT Bill Cosby, Bruce Davison gets blown away by a junkie who wants drugs from their rig. Raquel Welch moves her way up from harassed office secretary (everyone at the station calls her "Jugs", nice, huh?) to EMT, but loses her first patient--bummer! Harvey Keitel is Raquel's love interest (rare that the man gets subordinated in that way), and Cosby underplays nicely as the most professional of the group. Allen Garfield does his usual sleazebag routine as the put-upon head of the operation. Funny in spots--evocative of the time period. Really stretches the "PG" rating--the board must've been in a giving mood--lots of rough language, drug and alcohol use, and yes, Larry Hagman's character at least TRIES to have sex with an OD patient in the back of his vehicle. Raquel, though, "comes through" under a sheet (a lot happens in the back of those vans!) Can't give an "expert" review--I'm a librarian!

A 70's Classic finally on DVD!!!!!
After all these years the Peter Yates classic staring Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch, Harvey Keitel finally arrives on DVD. Take Cosby's humor, Raquel's sex appeal, Keitel's smouldering late 70's cool and one sweet ride of an ambulance, and you've got Mother, Jugs and Speed. Peter Yates' classic take on the ambulance industry in metropolitan Los Angeles gives us a little bit of everything in a quick, well paced film. Cosby's charm shines in one of his best roles i think as the cynical, no nonsense ambulance driver Mother Tucker. Just by looking at Mother's custom Rig, and patch covered jacket you get the impression that Cosby's character was not always an ambulance driver, but perhaps was once something quite differnt. Follow the F+B ambulance company and their staff of irregulars (Including Larry Hagman of Dallas Fame, and football player Dick Butkus) as they do their best to save the lives of their patients and hammer away at one another with a barrage of jokes, and one liners. They don't make comedys like this anymore where the car was just as big of a star as the trio named in the title. While normally found in the comedy section, the film does have an equal number of "dark" moments that let the viewer know that Yates wasn't just doing this for laffs and help to balance out the humor. The DVD transfer is crystal clear, and the slamming 70's soundtrack will be nostalgic for some, and new, and inventive to others. Another reviewer mentioned hearing Peter Frampton's "Show me The Way" playing in an early scene, and I always think of this film when i hear that song. Treat yourself to a 70's classic, and enjoy the ride, and pray that if you ever need the guys in white that he shows up wearing yellow sneakers with red socks, and goes by the name of Mother Tucker.

How do I love Jugs, let me count the ways
I could spend countless words proclaiming the greatness of this film as one of the great urban street comedies of the 70's but just watch the film and it will speak for itself.
I do want to mention that the director of this cinematic gem also directed a little number called "Krull" which is to high fantasy what "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" is to the world of high-brow comedy.
Plus it gave us Lysette Anthony.

A very enjoyable movie about EMT work!
I think this movie is one of Bill Cosby's funniest and best. He plays an fun loving Emergency Medical Tech (EMT) worker who works by his own rules. He drinks his beer, jams his Brother Johnsons tape loudly and scares nuns. The movie does have some very funny moments (like the runaway gurney with the lady strapped to it). Rachael Welch, Harvey Keitel, and Larry Hagman all play fine supporting roles in this movie. Hagman is espically hilirious as an hot to trot driver. I agree with another reviewer who said that this movie shows EMT work in its earliest beginnings. Basically, they were running from call to call dealing with all kinds of different patients and situations. I also like this movie because it was filmed on location in Venice, Culver City, and Los Angeles California. This movie is one gems from the early 1970's. I recommend it highly to anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Roger Moore is just great, as "The Saint"...
As I was introduced to "The Saint" via the 60's TV program, I will always associate Roger Moore with the character. He was absolutely perfect for the role, being the right age, and possessing the requisite class, charm, and athleticism. But beyond that, Moore had an air of irreverence that is so essential to the character. "The Saint" was never comfortable with accepting authority. Rules were for others. His life was about living on the edge, taking on all the excitement life had to offer.

The character, the literary creation of Leslie Charteris, has a somewhat nebulous origin. It is said that Simon Templar, motivated by his own sense of justice, took whatever action he deemed necessary, to correct what he perceived were injustices in the world. This usually involved one of the "ungodly" being robbed, or somehow taught a lesson. Somewhere the victim would usually find a note, containing a short message warning them to learn their lesson. Instead of a signature, there would be a drawing of a stick man figure with a halo, the familiar finger pointing "Saint" logo. While Templar was suspected of committing these acts, his guilt was apparently never proved. In eluding his victims and all manner of law enforcement, he achieved a notorious reputation, and the nickname of "The Saint".

"The Saint's" image was cleaned up for television, where he appeared as basically a virtuous character. While his questionable past is often alluded to, specific reference to any criminal activity was avoided. He is presented as a noble figure, to whom committing a criminal act for mere personal financial gain would be simply unthinkable. Crime must not be seen to pay.

"The Saint" does not fit nicely into any particular category, blending the qualities of an adventurer, a detective, and a secret agent. Without a fixed setting, or any regular supporting cast, it falls squarely on Roger Moore to capture and hold the viewers' interest. And he comes through with flying colors, almost single handedly carrying each episode, and maintaining the continuity of the character, no matter what the location, or the situation he finds himself in. This is actually quite an achievement, and one that is easy to overlook, because Moore does it so smoothly.

DVD Sets 1 and 2 contain the program's first color episodes, supposedly presented in the order they were originally broadcast. These collections are a good representation of typical "Saintly" adventures. We find Simon Templar cavorting throughout Europe, and also appearing in Latin America. Being such an adaptable fellow, he becomes involved in adventure in a variety of ways. Part of the fun, is trying to figure out exactly what kind of trouble old Simon has gotten himself into this time.

Favorite episodes from Set 1, are "The Russian Prisoner", with Simon involved in intrigue with the KGB, and "The Convenient Monster", where "Nessie" figures in the conclusion of a story of involving murder and deception. The best from Set 2, would be "Paper Chase" featuring "The Saint" on a rescue mission in East Germany, and "Locate and Destroy", probably the most violent episode in the collection, with Simon on the trail of a ruthless ex-Nazi.

If you are not familiar with this series, you may not find it to be your cup of tea, for "The Saint", like "The Avengers", is something of an acquired taste. If you are a fan, then these sets should be part of your collection, with Set 2 grading out a bit ahead of Set 1. While they may not the best "Saint" episodes, they are the first available on DVD. Picture quality is excellent, colors are true to the original quality, and the images are sharp. A TV series set in a different location each week presents special challenges, and production values are pretty good considering this. The difference between location and studio shots are obvious, but typical for the times. The audio level however, could stand to be cranked up a bit, to match the music level.

One negative is the lack of substantial bonus materials. No printed matter, not even a booklet with a detailed series retrospective. All you get are episode previews, and a few stills. Not much, considering the premium price. This is basically the same minimalist treatment given to "The Avengers". Lacking extensive bonus material, I wish A&E would maximize the medium and package at least four episodes per disc, instead of just three. The studios should remember that the predominant audience for these collections, are the dedicated fans of the program. This is often a niche market, and the faithful really do deserve their best effort.

Finally, one oddity is that actor Ivor Dean, who was wonderful as "Inspector Teal", is listed as being part of the "regular cast" on both sets, but does not appear in any of the 12 episodes. Hopefully we will actually see "Claude Eustace" in future releases.

Give Me Moore Please!!!!
As much as Roger Moore was a fantastic James Bond, he was an even better Saint. In fact, he was the best. Moore took the pulp hero, created by Leslie Charteris, to new heights in the 1960's and this DVD collection is a perfect collection for both longtime fans and newcomers.

Roger Moore's portrayl of "Simon Templar" was suave, debonair, and comedic at times (much like The Saint was in the books). In fact, his sarcastic humour with Inspector Teal and other policeman is spot on with the novels. He loved to walk a tightrope between law and crime, but always had an alibi. Moore captures his buccaneering attitude deliciously. Upon watching these episodes, you can see how much of The Saint he put into his Bond role. While he may never have been as violent or ruthless as he was in the books, you really get a sense of the Saint's carefree, adventurous nature.

Finally available in America, this is the second collection released thusfar, in series order (based on when the episodes appeared on American television that is). Both collections contain the first episodes filmed in color, and they look fantastic.

Edwin Astley's loungey score has never sounded clearer. As part of the bonus material, you get the original U.S. trailers for each episode and a nice photo gallery. "The History of The Saint" section, is just some text, and hardly a bonus. You'd be better off picking up the Saint film collection (Turner Classic Movies) with a nice 30 minute Saint history documentary if you really want to learn about the famous "Simon Templar." Better yet, go to www.saint.org and learn everything there is to know.

This collection is a must have for any Moore fan. Keep buying them up so that they will release more in America.

The one and only
Roger Moore is The Saint to me, and these beautiful A&E DVD's are a great addition to my collection. Watching Roger race around in his gleaming white Volvo 1800 is a joy to behold!

The Saint - Set 2
The Saint is great! We need more quality shows like this to be offered to the public. I watched it all the time when it was offered on the Encore Mystery Channel. When they took it off the air, I haven't watch the Mystery Channel since. I guess that was their choice of programming. Shows like that are worth watching and I hope A&E plans on offering the whole Saint series available on DVD and VHS video tape. I'll buy them all. Maybe A&E can offer the the Saint on their channel and promote to sell the DVD and VHS video tape at the end of each Saint show? What do you think A&E. I wished that you would put back the Rockford Files and Columbo on the air.

Roger is TOO COOL!
Roger Moore is simply fabulous, and his role in The Saint was the perfect warm-up to James Bond! Set 2 is just as good as the first, though some extras would have been nice. Great picture and sound, though, and that's what really matters. Let's hope that A&E release Patrick McGoohan's pre-Prisoner series Danger Man (Secret Agent here in the States) sometime soon! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

An obvious attempt to cash in on the success of Jaws, this 1977 thriller was also based on a bestseller by Peter Benchley, and it features a memorable performance by Robert Shaw (the doomed shark hunter in Jaws) in one of the last roles of his career. Looking very tanned and healthy, Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset play a young couple enjoying a tropical vacation who discover a glass ampoule while scuba diving off the coast of Bermuda. It takes a seasoned treasure hunter (Shaw) to identify the ampoule as part of a valuable shipment of World War II morphine lost at sea, coincidentally, atop the even greater treasure of a sunken Spanish galleon. Thus begins a race for drugs and treasure pitting Nolte, Bisset, and Shaw against a ruthless drug lord (Louis Gossett Jr.) who'll do anything--even resort to Haitian voodoo--to get what he wants. It's all rather contrived and exploitative (after all, the movie's best known for Bisset's wet T-shirt scuba-dive), but as escapist entertainment goes it's got some exciting highlights including a moray eel that attacks on cue and... well, uh, Jacqueline Bisset in a wet T-shirt. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (12)

One of the most suspenseful adventures ever
"The Deep" was made a few years before I was born, but I had always heard it was a good movie. I finally watched it and I liked it....a lot. From what I heard, I was just expecting it to be full of great underwater photography, but it has an amazing plot tagged alongside it. Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bissett are a couple that are on vacation in Bermuda. They go deep sea diving one day and find a small bottle of morphine from a ship that sank in the 1800's. They go to a man who's a known treasure hunter (Robert Shaw) and he tells them what they found. But they are also pestered by Louis Gossett, who is a serious collector that will do anything to get his hands on one of those tiny bottles of morphine. Robert Shaw teams up with Nolte and Bisset after they decide there might be more bottles of the treasured substance and possibly some treasure deep in the sunken ship. All the while, they must stay away from Gosset and his fearsome gang.

There are also more exciting sequences such as an encounter with a deadly eel and of course, the wet t-shirt swim at the beginning.

"The Deep" is one of the most exciting and suspenseful adventure movies ever made. Yes, it does have great underwater scenery (mostly at the beginning) and the background music goes perfect with the movie. Although the wet t-shirt by Jacqueline Bisset might be what's best known about the movie, this is actually a great movie. It's one of my favorites.

As for the DVD, it's not big at all on extras. You do get to select from subtitles in several different languages, there's a scene selection, and best of all, both the widescreen and full screen versions are included in this DVD's one disc. Unfortunately, the sound quality isn't very good. While your current volume setting might be too loud or just right on one of your DVDs, it will probably be too low for "The Deep". The picture quality is good enough though. If you're a fan of the movie, "The Deep", I do recommend adding the DVD to your growing collection.

Beautiful photography, and that's about it
The Deep grabs your attention in the first ten minutes, which shows Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte scuba diving, and Bisset's wearing a.....well, you probably already know. The underwater photography throughout this movie is gorgeous, but the action that happens on land, I felt, was kind of fake and somewhat improbable. The story is interesting, though, but it could've been told in the film better. The book by Peter Benchley is good, though. The film's worth watching for the underwater photography.....and the first 10 minutes.

Very Good Movie
A pair of young vacationers (Romer Treece as Robert Shaw & Gail Berke As Jacqueline Bisset) are involved in a dangerous conflict with treasure hunters when they discover a way into a deadly Caribbean wreck ...

Very good underwater scenes if you think 70's ...

A must for Horror , Mystery , Adventure , Thriller lovers ...

They don't make 'em this good anymore!
A brilliant and engrossing movie which closely follows Peter Benchley's novel on treasure hunt in the carribean. Spectacular views and under-water footage, all accented by one of John Barry's finest musical scores which lends mystery and expectation to various scenes and sustains an atmosphere of suspense throughout the movie. Top performances by Robert Shaw and Louis Gosset. Even Nick Nolte and Jaqueline Bisset were at their best, the latter sporting a semi-transparent underwater mask so that you're positive no stuntwoman was employed for the under water scenes. Elli Walsh is at his usual sleezy best. Great movie and great music. See it!

The true sequal to JAWS.
Forget Jaws II, III, or IV. This film by Peter Bates was about as close to a good sequal to Jaws as they could get. Also based on a book by Peter Benchley, with Robert Shaw pretty much carrying the whole movie with his performance, great underwater photography, and enough of a story to keep a person watching to the end. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good Set. Fun for the whole Family.
There are eight episodes on this DVD, of seeming various length. They're certainly entertaining, in black & white, which is part of the charm. McGoohan himself is very appealing and fun to watch. The sets are a bit cheesy, and recycled. The hotel in one episode, is, with minor alterations, the hospital in the next and the German apartment complex in the next. The plots don't really make much sense if you think about them for more than five seconds. The third world episodes all seem to be set in Banana Republic #43. But the visuals are fun, from footage, some stock, some not, of London and Paris, and make-up and fashion styles of the sixties, complete with the occasional semi-fashionable thug. And of course, there's the obligatory set of fisticuffs almost every episode. But the atmosphere is nicely paranoid, and, somehow, John Drake, the hero, emerges as slightly less adolescent than his main screen rival. There are some "upsetting" or "ambiguous" endings, though Drake seems more invigorated than drained by the paranoia. And there's funny dialogue like when an adorable Latin American Minister of Culture, a babe in uniform, says "I have read all of your great writers, your Shakespeare, your Dickens, your Upton Sinclair." I wouldn't exactly call this show intelligent, but it is very entertaining, and, by today's standards, remarkably wholesome. And, yes, the episode 'Colony Three' is certainly a precursor to the Prisoner. But Danger Man stands on its own merits.

Danger Man Set 2: The plots need some work...
Patrick McGoohan is back as British secret agent John Drake in further episodes of Danger Man. Here are summaries and/or comments for the episodes in this set. Episode ratings are on a scale from one to five (best).

Volume 3: (Disc 1)

The Professionals (3): An agent in Prague has suddenly vanished. John Drake arrives in Prague, posing as a member of the embassy staff, his mission is to locate the missing man. Very quickly he is taken in, and compromised by a crafty operative, and his lovely accomplice. Drawn into their trap, Drake learns the fate of the missing man, and then takes steps to save him before it is too late.

A Date With Doris (2): Drake is in an unspecified Latin American location to extract an agent in jeopardy, and then rendezvous with the submarine "Doris". His cover is as a reporter sent to interview a prominent General. Things just do not go smoothly for Drake, and he always seems off balance. He barely concludes this messy affair, and is only successful because of luck, and some very fortuitous assistance. He is also guilty of a major error, when he foolishly allows himself to be followed to his "safe house". Count yourself lucky this time, John.

The Mirror's New (3): This one keeps you guessing. Edmund Bearce, a member of the British Embassy staff, chooses murder as a way to cancel a personal debt. Preparing to dispose of the body, he has an accident, and is knocked unconscious. Upon waking, he has a dead body on his hands, and a lost day to account for. Bearce reappears, but can't explain what happened. A suspicious Drake investigates and uncovers a secret life, and much more.

Colony Three (5): Easily the most thought provoking episode on the disc. The plot is similar to an episode of "The Prisoner" or "The Avengers", skirting the edges of credibility. Drake takes the place of a communist sympathizer, just prior to his defection to the Soviets. After arriving in Soviet territory, Drake and two other defectors take a long train ride to a secret location. They arrive at a place named "Hamden", also known as the "village" (sound familiar?). The phony English town is actually a training ground where Soviet agents learn to assimilate into British culture. Drake penetrates security, gathers as much information as he can, and then it is time to leave. This one has a bit of everything, torture, gadgets, death and a tragic end.

Volume 4: (Disc 2)

It's Up To the Lady (2): Sometimes Drake is just not on his game, and this is one of those times. A British diplomat intending to defect vanishes. A rendezvous with his wife (Sylvia Syms), will take place in Greece, near the Albanian border. Drake is on the scene, to try and get the wayward diplomat to return to Britain. Underestimating the local opposition, he is nearly drowned, loses his charges, and carelessly gets himself shot. Topping it all off, he learns once again what it is like to be a pawn in the game.

What Ever Happened to George Foster? (3): Bernard Lee ("M" from the Bond films) guest stars, as Lord Ammandford, a wealthy industrialist who seeks to destabilize the government of a fictitious South American country. In addition, the Lord is a man interested in keeping a mysterious past a secret from a probing John Drake. This is more of a straight detective story.

The Galloping Major (2): Sent to Africa, at the request of the President (Henry Marshall) of an unnamed country, Drake finds himself the pawn in a political power struggle. Makes interesting viewing in light of historical events, but not a great story.

The Colonel's Daughter (4): In India, classified information is being leaked to the enemy. Drake is looking into the activities of a butterfly collecting Colonel, and his daughter, living in a house in the country. Soon, Drake is up a tree, in the middle of the jungle, maintaining surveillance. Later, he uncharacteristically emerges victorious in a three on one brawl, on his way to uncovering those involved in the secret pipeline. Drake finds that the Colonel's daughter is definitely Daddy's girl.

Writing is critical to a good story, and some of the plots of these international exploits just do not quite pass muster. Drake is simply not at his best, making some near fatal mistakes. Perhaps being an operative largely on his own in a foreign land, puts Drake at too much of a disadvantage. He doesn't quite have the fire we have seen before. A few good episodes, but not enough for a ringing endorsement of this set. Give A&E positive marks for addressing a previous complaint, by upgrading to four episodes per disc. Fans of Danger Man, may find my other reviews of interest.

Depressing reminder of when television was intelligent
Watching these 35-year-old shows is a disturbing revelation at how television today has gotten even MORE dumbed-down than when it was referred to as the "vast wasteland". ALL of these shows have interesting characters, exotic locales (from Africa to Greece, South America to behind the Iron Curtain), and PLOT. Compared to "Man From U.N.C.L.E", this is Nobel Prize material! Each 50-minute show has more PLOT than most 2-hour movies foisted on us these days.

As noted above, probably of greatest interest to McGoohan fans will be the episode "The Colony", as the origins of "The Village" are plain for all to see. However, my favorite has to be "What Happened to George Foster", where McGoohan's Drake takes on a millionaire Lord (played by Bernard Lee, no less!) and risks his career, not to mention his life, in a private vendetta that foreshadows #6's battles with the assorted #2's of "The Prisoner".

This is certainly not light-hearted "Avengers"-style material. McGoohan gets roughed up in just about every episode, and there aren't any charming eccentrics or snappy gadgets. But it is nearly incredible that such high quality LeCarre-like material was shown on a weekly basis. Truely, it was a Golden Age.

Excellent spy show!
I have to agree with the last reveiw not as good as the Prisoner, but this is the best spy show I think I've seen. Each episode keeps you guessing on what will happen next. There is enough action in each episode to keep one satisfied. Each story is believable unlike many spy shows. John Drake does not carry a gun and flirt with women. The best episodes in set two are The Mirror's New, Colony Three, and It's up to the Lady.

Gritty British Spy Drama
Not as cerebral as "The Prisoner", nor nearly as simplistic as James Bond, Man from U.N.C.L.E., or any of the dozens of spy shows that were popular in the late sixties, "Danger Man" (Secret Agent in the U.S.) is a fine example of how British drama is often more subtle and ambiguous than anything you're likely to see on American TV.

Modern viewers may scratch their heads, wondering why this show was so wildly popular. At its worst, the pacing is glacial, the narrative larded with long chunks of exposition. At its best, this is chilling, thought provoking drama with plenty of gray areas, reminiscent of the Le Carre adaptions (Tinker, Tailor, etc.) that were produced in the 70s and 80s. These shows are surprisingly cerebral for a TV series; while some episodes are too deliberately paced to work as thrillers, McGoohan is always worth watching, the black and white DVD transfers are gorgeous, and the endings are often startling.

If you're not a McGoohan fan, you'll probably find "The Prisoner" more accessible. If you've already discovered "The Prisoner", and enjoy John Le Carre-style gritty, realistic espionage stories, give this box a try. (The episodes in Volume 2 are generally more absorbing and darker than those included in the first DVD set.) ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Best of Cult TV
A child during the era of british cult tv, I was a serious addict. As an adult, most of those shows now seem simply corny. Danger Man/Secret Agent is an exception...it's as good as I remember with nicely choreographed action and fight scenes, lots of attention to detail, intelligent acting, editing and directing, artful background music, and of course McGoohan's unique charisma and wit. No one else ever brought a secret agent character to life as well as McGoohan does in this series. I'm keeping fingers crossed that A&E and Carlton will release the remaining episodes!

The best Series of the Sixties!!
While most DVD televiewers were first exposed to Patrick McGoohan's magnetic personality with the excellent TV series "The Prisoner", most fail to realize that before it, McGoohan played in this enjoyably realistic espionage series in which McGoohan excels as the dry, cynical agent John drake. The true Bond precursor, the series brought you in a totally different "spying" environment each week, with various fascinating situations in thoroughly more credible fashion than the unavoidable Ian Flemming's cinematographic derivatives. I found that "Secret Agent/Danger Man" has stood the test of time extremely well among cult TV series. Intelligent scripts and superbly cool British actors. There are many more episodes in this long-lived series, all of which I am eagerly waiting to acquire as soon as they come out! - I secretly relish the vision of this whole series on DVD on my shelf! - An absolute must for all Sixties'TV fans!

A must for Prisoner fans
Several folks below have complained about the uneven quality of the episodes--and they're right. McGoohan himself has admitted that some are better than others. But when it's good, boy does it put other shows of the same ilk to shame. And even when it's not terribly good, it's always stylish, with a charmingly retro, nostalgic feel.

And if you really, truly want to know why Number Six resigned, watch "Yesterday's Enemies," contained in Set 1.

A wish fulfilled
... I'm the proud owner of set1 of this video which keeps
me glued to the telly whenever the video is played.The theme
music is thrilling and sets the pace for a fast paced episode.
Patrick Mcgoohan aptly fits into the title role.I could only wish
that the full 48 episodes are published and the danger man fans
have a larger collection to play over and over rather than risking damage to their cherished single set.

As good as I remember
When I first heard the theme it immediately brought back memories of watching this the first time as a relatively young child. I refer to the original theme of Danger Man - I saw these in the UK - not the truly terrible "Secret Agent Man" song that is given as a "bonus".

I was concerned that they would not stand the test of time but was pleasantly surpised. A little dated in places, they still show what good plots and great acting can produce with an obviously limited budget. They do require a certain amount of attention and mental effort by the viewer but I think that's a plus not a negative. The fact that my college age kids watch them and think they are pretty good is a tribute to their quality.

These truly represent a time when British commercial televsion was producing top quality programs. Highly recommended. ... Read more