Description

Catch him if you can. The Fugitive is on the run! Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones race through the breathless manhunt movie based on the classic TV series. Ford is prison escapee Dr. Richard Kimble, a Chicago surgeon falsely convicted of killing his wife and determined to prove his innocence by leading his pursuers to the one-armed man who actually committed the crime. Jones (1993 Academy Award and Golden Globe winner as Best Supporting Actor) is Sam Gerard, an unrelenting bloodhound of a U.S. Marshal. They are hunted and hunter. And as directed by Andrew Davis (Under Siege), their nonstop chase has one exhilarating speed: all-out. So catch him if you can. And catch an 11-on-a-scale-of-10 train wreck (yes, the train is real), a plunge down a waterfall, a cat-and-mouse jaunt through a Chicago St. Patrick's Day parade and much more. Better hurry. Kimble doesn't stay in one place very long! ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Fugitive is Dr. Richard Kimball: Go get this movie.
If I were stranded on a desert island and all I could have was my abysmally sparse movie collection, I would make sure "The Fugitive" was in it. Thankfully, it is. This is one of the most entertaining and engaging movies ever, far superior to a lot of movies playing these days. For the few of you who don't know the plot, I'll run it past you without spoiling much...

The story revolves around a Chicago surgeon named Dr. Richard Kimball (Harrison Ford) who is convicted of murdering his wife (Sela Ward). He pleads innocent, claiming that a one-armed man committed the heinous crime (the opening sequence, showing the murder in flashback style, is chillingly realistic). Well, no one believes the good doctor's alibi, and he is sentenced to death. However, after his prison bus crashes into a train, he escapes back to Chicago to find the murderer, while keeping away from US Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his team of deputies.

Having never seen the old TV series, this movie was nevertheless fantastic. The thrills just keep coming, as well as the tongue-in-cheek humor, courtesy of Tommy Lee Jones and Joe Pantoliano (as Cosmo, Sam's deputy), who really steal the show in a lot of scenes. The screenplay is obviously very sharp. The train-and-bus wreck will take your breath away, as will the waterfall sequence. Aside from these action scenes, it's great that this movie is shot in Chicago, one of the greatest cities in North America. Sorry, personal bias, I loved Chicago when I visited a couple years back. The acting is very well done, and the characters are very three-dimensional. Sometimes it feels like you're watching a modern "Les Miserables". Nice transition from action thriller to action-mystery as the film enters its second half. If you follow the plot, which is fairly easy to keep up with, the ending will shock you. All in all, "The Fugitive" is definitely worth the bang for your hard-earned buck. If you haven't seen this wonderful piece of movie-making, do so ASAP.

Quality-wise, the DVD is pretty good. Director Andrew Davis does a cool little documentary on how the train wreck was filmed.

MOVIE-10/10
DVD EXTRAS-8/10

Ford hits another home run
Ditto what that other reviewer said: this is another great Harrison Ford vehicle. They really DON'T make movies like this any more. It needs not typical DVD additions, not cut scenes, not trailers, or interviews.

Back in the day, Wednesday morning school was dominated by the discussion of the latest episode of "The Fuge" from the night before. This is the only film I can think of which actually did justice to the classic television show from which it sprang.

Tommy Lee Jones is a fantastic U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. He appears not to be obsessed with the capture of Dr. Kimble (as was his television predecessor, portrayed by Barry Morse). Nonetheless, we get the feeling that he brings the same determination to every case he has. Ford once again is the "everyman" (if a doctor who gets sent to prison for killing his wife and then escapes can be thought of in those terms) who prevails through all manner of adversities. [As an aside, I wonder how well Ford could stretch himself - could he ever be convincing as a real bad guy, like a John Malkovich or Anthony Hopkins?]

This movie has a lot of pluses. It is a great story, updated from one of the sixties' best shows. Sure, there were great stunts. The bus crash/train wreck was stunning (made even more so by seeing Ford almost comically hobbling along, trying to outrun the carnage while wearing leg shackles).

However, it is the competition between the two dogged adversaries Jones and Ford that makes this work. They are one real pair of incredibly strong personalities- (and screen presences) Nothing better than the sequence in the dam early on with Ford protesting his innocence and Jones equally sincere reply "I don't care". Both smart, even though Jones hides his behind a gruff and self-deprecating exterior. The good and decent Doc must be determined (after all, it is his can on the line), but seeing him persevere - hiding his own persona in a hospital, evading the police while tracking down the one armed man is intense, even though we know the outcome.

Great editing; especially when we think the Marshals are getting close to the big bust, and we find out that they are actually making a collar across town.

This one is a winner.

A classic action thriller
What makes "The Fugitive" such a successful and superior film is that it knows what it is: an action/mystery film. It makes no attempt to make itself bigger or more intellectual than it is (as did the American version of "The Vanishing"). Harrison Ford, surprisingly underplaying the role of Dr. Kimball--others might have overworked his grief and angst--turns in a brilliant performance. And the always reliable Tommy Lee Jones does an icy, sparkling job as Kimball's persuer, US Marshal Sam Gerard. So good a performance that he earned a well-deserved Oscar for it.

The other key to the movie's success is Andrew Davis' dazzling direction. He keeps the pace frenetic for a good deal of the film, and the pot is always kept boiling. Close calls and intense chases keep the tension and suspense at fever pitch. "The Fugitive" will endure for a long time as a classic action thriller.

I did not kill my wife
That is well known sentence from this action hit which put an Oscar in hands of Tommy Lee Jones. Somebody killed dr. Richard Kimble's (Ford) wife, but all clues are against him. After all, who can be stupid enough to say that - One arm man did it?! His escape after bus accident will be his second chance to proove his innocents. But, that will be damn hard. Especially because after him is federal marshal who "doesn't care" about anything, except to bring the fugitive back (by any costs). Kimble will discover that he was in strong net made of lies and conspiracy, and that his only way out is to find proofes to clear his name and bring killer in front of justice. Jones supposed to be a good guy, but you'll hate him all the movie (well, it's not his falt, he's just good actor). Harrison is great, older, but still in good shape. Since Indiana Jones, he never has better role than this. You'll be right next to him, trying to solve the puzzle, hoping that he will succeed to find who ruined his life. Excellent story, good locations and ideas. Definetly collection material.

Train Wreck of Action
This is one of the best-crafted action/suspense films I've ever seen. I've viewed this many many times and have been rewarded each time by picking up on different subtle nuances.
Every element of this film works in unison and are what make this a great film and give it the punch that it has. There's the story which is as finely crafted as they get, a cast that couldn't have been any better (and boy do the actors deliver in their performances), tight pacing, great photography, and some unbelievable effects.

This is a modern masterpiece! ... Read more

Amazon.com

With its high-intensity plot about an attempt to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle, the bestselling novel by Frederick Forsyth was a prime candidate for screen adaptation. Director Fred Zinnemann brought his veteran skills to bear on what has become a timeless classic of screen suspense. Not to be confused with the later remake The Jackal starring Bruce Willis (which shamelessly embraced all the bombast that Zinnemann so wisely avoided), this 1973 thriller opts for lethal elegance and low-key tenacity in the form of the Jackal, the suave assassin played with consummate British coolness by Edward Fox. He's a killer of the highest order, a master of disguise and international elusiveness, and this riveting film follows his path to de Gaulle with an intense, straightforward documentary style. Perhaps one of the last great films from a bygone age of pure, down-to-basics suspense (and a kind of debonair European alternative to the American grittiness of The French Connection), The Day of the Jackal is a cat-and-mouse thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until its brilliantly executed final scene (pardon the pun), by which time Fox has achieved cinematic immortality as one of the screen's most memorable killers. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (72)

Why can't they make movies like this any more?
Rarely does a movie do justice to a book, but Fred Zinneman's production of "The Day of the Jackal" is wonderful adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's novel which, I continue to believe, is one of the greatest thrillers ever written.

It's hard to put a finger on what exactly makes this film great: excellent performances by relatively unknown actors, a wonderful plot, fantastic location shooting or a complete desire to avoid the bells and whistles, special effects laden movies that are all that makes up the "suspense" genre of films these days. Like other reviewers have said, be this the first or the fiftieth time that you watch this film, you will be left on the edge of your seat with its "cat and mouse" plot of the search for a lone assassin hired to murder President De Gaulle. The young Edward Fox is brilliant in the title role and the supporting cast excellent.

If anything, this film proves that you do not need big named stars, explosions around every corner or computer generated effects to make a fantastic film. The only downside to watching this film is that you realise that the movie industry just does not make films like this any more.

Highly, highly recommended.

ONE SHOT IS NEVER ENOUGH !
Fred Zinnemann's THE DAY OF THE JACKAL is not the kind of thriller you are familiar with nowadays. For once, french actors don't look silly and have the terrible task to trace Edward "The Jackal" Fox who gives an award-deserving performance.

DAY OF THE JACKAL made me think of these cold war spy movies of the seventies. Do you remember ? We had the impression they were filmed only in green and blue, the characters didn't speak much leaving to the audience the task to understand the plot by itself. You will feel this kind of atmosphere in this film with the difference that Zinnemann worked with a solid gold screenplay.

The final scene, the day of the jackal, is about 30 minutes long and is already part of Motion picture History.

A few problems with the images ; white spots, images standing still during 1 or 2 seconds. The sound is, in my opinion, the best we can expect from a 1973 movie.

A DVD worthy of multiple viewings.

Excellent adaptation from Forsyth's novel. A winner!
Why not the jackal?
This is the answer given by the hard and cold assasin who signs the agreement to kill De Gaulle.
The story runs through a set of historical issues who are part of the story. A group of officers decides by themselves to revenge the lost honor of France due the fact about the independence of Algiers.
Edward Fox - one of the best actors of his generation - played with sublime perfection the demanding role of the Jackal.
So from the first images of the film you'll be engaged with this chess film. All the movements of this exceptional mind are guided by an amazing sense of hunter behavior. He acts like a western samurai , without blinking , he kills when the circunstances don't let him other choice. The feelings don't exist in this professional.
You are invited to presence an authentical tour de force. And since the moment an important link is arrested , your histamina and cold sweat will invade you.
The efforts of Le Surete for following any possible clue leads to an unforgettable mind game to spark the human chase since the moment the Jackal decides to go ahead with the plan and drive to France from Niza.
The rest of the story runs for you when you acquire this legendary and hair raising punch thriller. And once more you'll admire how the famous film maker Fred Zinemann could win with this story.
The locations and the sense of the drama are extraordinary made. And the words are not enough to describe the countless sequences of hard beating you'll experience.
A perfect film and believe me ; you won't feel the 140 min of the picture.
This is the first and best version!

A First Rate Spy Thriller

Not so much "spy" as "assassin," though, for Edward Fox is cast as an assassin, doing a job that will earn him his retirement. He is to kill President Charles de Gaulle, "le Grand Charles" himself, in Liberation Day, as we eventually find out--but not until much later in the film.

The killer goes through many personalities, disguises, and changes, and manages to kill a few innocents on the way to his final conquest. He is unknown to the gendarme, who are on his trail early, with the help of an informer on the inside, but eventually his appearance becomes known to them--and even then, in spite of an alert commissioner of police in Paris who is every bit his match, Inspector Lebel (Michel Lonsdale)--he almost makes his kill. Had he done so, of course history would have had to be re-written because of a movie, an unlikely event--so we knew that he would fail, but still the plot was so well played that the suspense was never lost.

Written by Frederick Forsyth and directed by Fred Zinneman, perhaps this film was predestined for greatness, but in any case it is one of the great ones.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

If only it had had a happy ending
_Day of the Jackal_ is one of the best film adaptations of a book ever done, the directors managed to keep the vital elements of the plot and the pacing of the book and successfully transfer them from one medium to another. When I read the book after seeing the movie I was amazed at how much they had managed to keep. Edward Fox was perfect as the Jackal, it's a pity that he's ended up starring in so many bad films in his career as he is truly a fantastic actor. There are some wonderful moments of irony such as when the leader of the French terrorists says that no soldier of France will ever raise a weapon against him and then is shown being shot by firing squad the next day. The only thing that would have improved this movie is if the Jackal had succeeded in blowing Charles DeGaulle's head all over the pavement in Paris, I mean really, the guy goes to all of this work and fails in the end, and come on, he's trying to shoot DeGaulle, it's not as if he was attempting to shoot a decent human being or something, heck, even Eisenhower and Churchill wanted to shoot DeGaulle because he was such a useless, vainglorious prick. ... Read more

Reviews (339)

One of the greatest films ever.
I think this film is a masterpiece. Luc Besson has beautifully directed this achievement and it is probably his best film (Fifth Element aside). The best thing about this film is the different emotions you feel. You feel hatred, happiness, worry, and sadness all for one character. Leon is a professional (hence the title) cleaner, or hitman. He is a very alone person who has no friends. He does have a soft spot for the 12 year old girl Mathilda(wonderfully portrayed by Natalie Portman). When Mathilda's family is killed, she stays with Leon, but she wants revenge. Leon begins teaching her the tricks of the trade which provides some very funny moments. They begin to get very close, and he feels love for the girl. I will not ruin the whoile story for you but it really is a must see.Jean Reno was born for this part and Gary Oldman plays the eccentric bad guy very well. This movie does have some explosive action scenes, but it is really more of a drama. Yes there is a directors cut which in my opinion isn't much better than the regular and the regular is 10 bucks cheaper. Buy this film either way and you will be wonderfully happy with your purchase.

Best Film Ever Made. Natalie Portman is Perfect.
This movie has, what I beleive, the best performance from a child actor ever, from a 12-year-old Natalie Portman. Her character Mathilda shows the innocence of a kid, and the depth of a person out for revenge. Why she didn't get an Oscar is beyond me. And this was her first movie.

The story is really good. A hitman named Leon (Jean Reno) helps a girl named Mathilda after her family is shot down by corrupt DEA officers led by Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman). When she finds out about Leon's job as a "cleaner" she asks to be trained as a hitman to avenge her little brother's death. Despite Leon's concerns he teaches her anyway, but over the course of his teachings, Mathilda develops feelings for him. This is something the uncut version explores a little deeper.

I suppose some of the scenes were taken from the American release for their subject matter. A scene where Mathilda wants to take her love for Leon to the next level really gives a good insight into Leon's past. It dosen't lead to anything between the two, so I don't see why they cut it. Other scenes included are Leon giving Mathilda some on the job training when he goes on his hits. I can see where some groups in America could have protested that, but it makes their relationship more deeper and complex.

An outstanding film, you really should see this version to get the whole story. I highly recommend it, it is my favorite of all time. Luc Besson's masterpiece can be fully appreciated on this release. I've been hearing rumors about a sequel in the works. I can only pray it's true, but this film is a tough act to follow.

Natalie Portman in her best role!
I don't usually like to watch movies about hit men or cops and robbers. I remember I got interested in this movie because of two things: Luc Besson's movie the Fifth Element, which was so wildly different and fascinating that I wanted to see what else this French director had done; and secondly, seeing Natalie Portman for the first time in the Star Wars: Phantom Menace movie.

Behind all of the dense make up and bad script and horribly non-existent directing from George Lucas in Phantom Menace, I sensed in Natalie Portman one heck of a terrific young actress struggling to come up with a meaningful performance. In "Leon - The Professional", working with a superb director, her acting talent is on full display.

When one thinks of modern day child actors, Anna Paquin comes to mind, in "The Piano", because she aced out some terrific adult actresses in 1993 to win the Oscar. Well, Natalie Portman, at age 12, had Anna Paquin beat by a mile in this movie, since her character takes up about half of the movie. If not for the truly unusual and off-beat story line of this movie, Portman would have gotten a lot more attention for her role in this movie, I think.

If you just focus on Portman's facial expressions and the way she carries herself in this movie, she goes through an amazing acting range in this movie, from hurt, terrified, bored, stuck up, cool and calculating, manipulative, sweet, child-like, and pubescent sexual allure.

As mentioned by other reviewers, the uncut version restores scenes that basically give a harder edge to Natalie Portman's character. The additional scenes of her assassin training with Leon and her efforts to attract and get closer to Leon definitely put her character in a harsher light. I remember from my first viewing of the cut U.S. version that Mathilda came across as a much more sweet and innocent child. The uncut version shows her more to be a hardened child of the mean streets of New York. Given the usual Hollywood propensities, it's not that surprising that these scenes got cut for the U.S. release. The uncut version does show the fullest acting range of Natalie Portman, even if they make her character less sympathetic.

Basically, the movie skates close to, but avoids the pedophilia controversies of the "Lolita" movies by having the character of Leon adhere to a strict code of ethics that firmly blocks all of Mathilda's advances. Even at the end, when he kisses her good-by and says that he loves her, it is clearly in the vein of being her protector and a big brother/father surrogate figure.

All in all, this was a great movie. Jean Reno was just so hauntingly sad as the loner-assassin Leon. Gary Oldman was definitely over the top in his portrayal of the crazed DEA agent - you almost expected his Dracula fangs to come out and his eyes to glow red when he popped those pills into his mouth.

So all of you Natalie Portman fans, this movie is a definite must-see. All of you Phantom Menace/Attack of the Clones haters who think that Natalie Portman can't act, you've got to see this movie to understand that no, Natalie Portman is a terrific actress. It's just really, really tough to play opposite total stiffs like Hayden Christiansen and Jake Lloyd, working with an idiot director like George Lucas.

Got Milk?
There's hardly anything I can say that will do justice to the splendor of 'Leon - The Professional'. The insanity of both the action sequences and Gary Oldman's performance... the touching love story of 2 lonely outcasts... the fantastic cinematography... the heart-breaking tragedy... the pulsing score... the violent life of a shy, milk-drinking, plant-loving hitman... the soul of an innocent little girl... the blistering, chaotic, blood-drenched fury that lives in all 3 of these characters...

...Wow...

...It's just a vortex of beautiful destruction. All these things crammed into one amazing film. A remarkable cast giving remarkable performances, and a very visual director shoving this seething powerhouse of a film right in our faces...

Like I said, there's nothing I can say. So, just believe me when I tell you that this is a very great film.

Great cinematic masterpiece
REALLY GREAT! IT WAS DONE LIKE A FOREIGN FILM, BUT I REALLY LOVED THE WAY IT WAS DONE. AND THE ACTING WAS GREAT! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

One of the key films of the 1970s, John Boorman's Deliverance is a nightmarish adaptation of poet-novelist James Dickey's book about various kinds of survival in modern America. The story concerns four Atlanta businessmen of various male stripe: Jon Voight's character is a reflective, civilized fellow, Burt Reynolds plays a strapping hunter-gatherer in urban clothes, Ned Beatty is a sweaty, weak-willed boy-man, and Ronny Cox essays a spirited, neighborly type. Together they decide to answer the ancient call of men testing themselves against the elements and set out on a treacherous ride on the rapids of an Appalachian river. What they don't understand until it is too late is that they have ventured into Dickey's variation on the American underbelly, a wild, lawless, dangerous (and dangerously inbred) place isolated from the gloss of the late 20th century. In short order, the four men dig deep into their own suppressed primitiveness, defending themselves against armed cretins, facing the shock of real death on their carefully planned, death-defying adventure, and then squarely facing the suspicions of authority over their concealed actions. Boorman, a master teller of stories about individuals on peculiarly mythical journeys, does a terrifying and beautiful job of revealing the complexity of private and collective character--the way one can never be the same after glimpsing the sharp-clawed survivor in one's soul. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (104)

What REALLY happened on the Cahulawassee River?
When it comes to fictional survival stories, few can approach the sheer grueling brutality of DELIVERANCE. Brilliantly adapted by James Dickey from his best-selling book and superbly directed by John Boorman (POINT BLANK, HOPE AND GLORY), this is a tremendous endeavor. So much so that horror writer Stephen King and Boorman's fellow director Stanley Kubrick both expressed a tremendous admiration of it.

As pretty much everyone knows, DELIVERANCE focuses on four Atlanta businessmen (Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox) who decide to take a canoe trip down the Cahulawassee River in the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia before it is dammed up into a lake. It is apparent, however, that the local folk don't take kindly to these "city boys" messing around in their woods. And when Voight and Beatty are sexually assaulted at gunpoint by a pair of sadistic rednecks (Bill McKinney, Herbert "Cowboy" Coward), in the infamous "SQUEAL!!" segment, what began as a canoe trip explodes into a nightmare.

Much is made, and justifiably so, not only of the "SQUEAL" scene but also of the "Dueling Banjos" part, between Cox and a retarted mountain kid. But DELIVERANCE has much more to offer besides these moments. Like A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and STRAW DOGS, it offers a hard-hitting and unflinching look at Man's penchant for violent and (arguably) abhorrent behavior. The four leads are extremely good in their roles, and McKinney and Coward make for two of the more frightening and vicious villains in screen history. Dickey appears in the film's final reel as a local sheriff who, as he puts it would "kinda like to see this town die peaceful."

Shot totally on location, and featuring ominous cinematography from the legendary Vilmos Zsigmond, DELIVERANCE is a great and frightening piece--arguably a modern gothic horror film, certainly a great action film with an undercurrent as sinister as the Cahulawassee River itself. It is not to be missed,

Terrific, violent and distressing thriller!
In 1972, the English filmmaker John Boorman ("Excalibur", "Hope and Glory") accomplished one of the most contusing and acclaimed dramas of Hollywood history.Based on James Dickey's original best-selling novel, Deliverance is a vigorous picture about the human cruelty directed with mastery by Boorman, who substituted the original profesional chosen to make the film, Sam Peckinpah. Dickey also worked on the movie (and he even has a small part as a sheriff), helping to give the correct contours and maintaining the fidelity to his shocking book: four friends, common and hard-working citizens, decide to spend the weekend challenging the dangerous and fast rapidses of the "last unpolluted river in Georgia".Worst is what waits for them in the margins. Starting from the moment in which they arrive in the mountains, the confusion with the eccentric hillbillies gets announced and explodes later into mutilation, murder and rape. After Voight and Beatty are assaulted by two hillbillies, comes one of the most distressing cinematography's sequences ,Ned Beatty under the power and strength of a sick local's inhabitant .Then, Reynolds kills one of the homosexuals, and the other scapes, this is the point in which Boorman sets inside that hostile and natural enviroment a type of "primitive" tribunal. This is the most frightening moment: what should they do?hide the body, kill the other mountain man who fled, and pretend that nothing happened, deceiving the authorities, or go to the police, admit the crime and take the risk that resides in a possible trial? the dignity and the heart of each character will be tested!Burt Reynolds gives an outstanding performance and, perhaps, the best of his career, as a man obsessed by adventure who will do to everything to survive,but the most astonishing and brave acting belongs to Ned Beatty,terrific as a poor overweight salesman who receives the most impressive punishment by the hillbillies. Agile, violent, and extremely dramatic, this thriller is powerful and courageous.

Thrilling, Exciting and Still Disturbing...
DELIVERANCE (1972) was adapted from the great and controversial best-selling novel, written in 1970 by James Dickey. Made by British director John Boorman, who was relatively new to Hollywood at the time, this film was a faithful adaptation of the book, with the exception of some humor being interlaced into some of the earlier scenes. In some ways, it is even more disturbing; by juxtaposing some light comedy in the first half, Boorman makes what happens in the second half that much more nightmarish by comparison. And it is a nightmare...happening in the middle of the woods on a sunny day in the deep South.

The book told the story of four middle-aged surburbanites---Ed Gentry, Lewis Medlock (guess he did have a last name, after all), Drew Ballinger and Bobby Trippe---encouraged by nature-loving, alpha-male Lewis to brave the rapids of a river before it gets dammed for good. Told in first-person by Ed, who harbors latent homosexual desires for Lewis (though never acts upon them), the men paddle downstream in two canoes---Lewis & Drew in one, Ed & Bobby in the other---when they are separated at a river fork. As Ed & Bobby manage to get their boat ashore, and try to figure out a way to rejoin their friends, they are confronted by two mountain men with shotguns. Both are ugly. One of them is toothless. The non-toothless one forces the chubby, soft-bodied Bobby to strip half-naked and then rapes him at gunpoint, as Ed is restrained by being chained to a tree. When he has finished with Bobby, the toothless man prepares to force Ed to go down on him when Lewis finally catches up with his lost friends and shoots the first attacker with his bow & arrow, killing him almost instantly. As the toothless man runs off, Lewis attempts to lead his friends to safety down the river. However, banjo-playing Drew is shot to death by an unseen sniper (presumably the Toothless Man) and Lewis is incapacitated in an accident soon after. It is up to citified friends Ed and the now-broken-spirited Bobby to somehow gather their muster, and for Ed to learn to use his long-buried primordial instincts to help them get out of this horrible situation *and* to not arouse suspicion by the law.

The book was a compulsive page-turner and nail biter, and the well-made film is no different in that respect. Deciding to work with a 30-something cast instead of 40-somethings, Boorman cast then-rising-stars Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight as Lewis and Ed, supporting player Ronny Cox (who would achieve stardom over a decade later in BEVERLY HILLS COP, 1984) as Drew, and then-unknown Ned Beatty (in his film debut) as the unfortunate Bobby. It was casting genius. Reynolds fills Lewis Medlock perfectly, with his macho swagger hiding a surprising sensitivity which emerges once he is rendered practically useless. This performance made him a superstar (and should have earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination), and began a decade of Burt dominating at the box office, though usually in Southern-fried comedies. Voight, who had already been Oscar-nominated as urban cowboy gigolo Joe Buck in MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969), correctly tones down his usual overplaying tendencies to convey Ed Gentry's low-key complacent nature. Ronny Cox brings Drew Ballinger to life, and nearly steals the show with the film's early "Duelling Banjos" scene, and shows a lot of dramatic ability in the film's darker half. But it's Ned Beatty, in his brilliant performance as the at-first clownish and wimpy insurance salesman Bobby Trippe whose horrific trial-by-fire at first breaks him, then rebuilds him into a man who can stand up for himself and prevail, that is the film's emotional centerpiece. He definitely should have earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this very difficult role. Kudos must also be given to Bill McKinney, as the Mountain Man who rapes him; his portrayal is among the most chilling and creepy in cinematic history.

Speaking of that, this was the very first time male-on-male rape had ever been depicted on the big screen. John Boorman directed this scene with utmost care for his actors, while creating a scene that was in some ways even more horrific than had been described in James Dickey's book (there is no "squeal like a piggy" order given by the Mountain man in the book). According to Burt Reynolds' account in his autobiography, Ned Beatty was only going to do one take of this scene and Bill McKinney took his Method Acting a little too far and actually seemes like he was really going to "bang" Ned Beatty (it is maintained that he even had an erection at the beginning of this scene!); Burt and director Boorman had to intervene at one point! No matter what actually happened, this scene was handled bravely, and considering the fact that it was filmed in 1972, was especialy not easy to do. Lastly, the author himself appears at the end as Sheriff Bullard, and is amazingly well-cast in a subtely threatening (as scary as heck) cameo.

DELIVERANCE is still no less impacting as it was over 30 years ago. It is a must-see for anyone who calls themselves a movie fan.

MOST RECOMMENDED; AGES 15 & UP

Banjo, anyone?
City folk Burt Reynolds (Louis), Jon Voight (Ed), Ronnie Cox (Drew) and Ned Beatty (Bobbie) take a canoe trip down a backwoods Georgia river which will soon be flooded out when a new dam is constructed.

The foursome hire some possibly-inbred hillbillies to drive their cars down to Aintry to be picked up later. Off they go downriver. They encounter small rapids, bugs, and then Ed and Bobby are assaulted by two unpleasant hillbillies. They make Bobbie drop his drawers and squeal like a pig, and tell Ed he has a "real purty mouth". Louis and Drew sneak up on them and kill one of the men as the other runs off.

This leads to a moral dilemma among the four canoers. Do they tell the cops? Do they bury the body and act innocent? They make a decision, and continue downstream. At one point going through some rapids, Drew falls overboard, apparently shot by the second hillbilly, and Louis breaks his leg. Bobby camps out with Louis as Ed climbs up a cliff to reconnoitre and ferret out the second man. Finally, they continue down to Aintry, where they recuperate, and are questioned about their experience.

The screenplay was written by James Dickey based on his book, and he has a small part as the sheriff who wonders what the men had been up to.

Good ensemble acting (probably Burt's best role), beautiful photography and locations, and a great story make this an impressive movie. Oscar nominations for director (John Boorman), picture and editing, and Golden Globe nominations for director, picture, actor (Voight), song ("Dueling Banjos") and screenplay. The reasonably-priced DVD has the R-rated full-screen and wide-screen format movie, a good documentary, English or French language and subtitles, Dolby sound, chapters, cast/crew/production notes, and a trailer.

Duelling banjos and a lot lot more
I have always known the movie 'Deliverance' because of the dueling banjos tune and that is why I finally wanted to see this movie. Turns out that this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long long time.

It is the story of four Atlanta businessmen on a rafting trip. While on the river they encounter some 'crackers'. One of the four gets raped and the other almost before one of the businessmen (someone who does not believe in law) kills the attacker with an arrow. Because the whole valley will be flooded soon they decide to leave the body there and tell no one. The one with a heavy heart falls overboard however.

What is right? What is wrong? are questions asked in this movie and no one is sure. The movie is very disturbing, a strange look into the human mind and human society and also that part of the world where civilization as we know it does not exist.

The duelling banjos are fun, but the movie is really good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

These brief features--barely an hour apiece--continue the adventures of the Bogard Brothers, Terry and Andy, from the popular video game. In "Legend of the Hungry Wolf," the adolescent brothers witness the murder of their father by Geese Howard. After 10 years of intensive martial arts training, they're ready to seek revenge, but Master Tung will teach only one of them the secret Hurricane Punch. He chooses Terry, who draws strength from the chi of the Earth. Along the way, the brothers meet kickboxer Joe Higashi and Lily, the mysterious barroom queen. An injured Terry is traumatized when he loses a fight to evil German aristocrat Wolfgang Krauser in "New Battle." He binges on self-pity and scotch until his confidence is restored by a feisty kid and the ghosts of Master Tung and Lily. Ninja girl Mai Shiranui provides comic relief and jiggle interest. In both films, Andy and Joe rush precipitously into battle and get the cookies beaten out of them, leaving Terry to destroy the enemy. Although Terry kills Geese in "Hungry Wolf," he's alive at the end of "New Battle," leaving open the possibility of further sequels. Anime villains have more lives than cats. Not rated: suitable for ages 13 and up for considerable violence, alcohol use, and sexual humor. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (7)

First >_<, Second @_@
The first Fatal Fury was very cheesy and the animation was off. It did not hold true to the characters in terms of looks and character (except Terry, of course).

Now, the second Fatal Fury was downright awesome. Terry, Tony, Andy, and Joe all are developed so beautifully and in such a great plot. I don't know who they got to do Krauser's character, but by gone, they did an excellent job. I love it that he was not so easily beat; it demonstrated how powerful he really was ('cause he was such a cheater in the game!)

If you can find the second one on DVD by itself, go ahead and get it; it is my personal opinion that the first one is not worth the money because of how poorly it its developed.

The first one is mediocre, the second is excellent
These two OVAs are an hour a piece and revolving around the same video game franchise. So how do we decide on which?

The first OVA is your typical game-to-movie. It squishes as many characters as it can into one piece, and mainly tries to put in as much fighting as possible. There isn't much in the way of plot, just characters duking out moves one by one. As usual, there's a fighting competition the main characters enter and, as usual, things get heated and moved to the bad guy's terrain. If you've seen this sort of formula before, you've seen them all.

The second OVA is different. Even if it still shows all the characters from the game, it has two thing the first OVA didn't: plot and character development. It does it much better than any other game-to-movies I've seen. Its as if they took every thing they heard was wrong with the first OVA and improved on it. They do a very good job, and the one hour OVA has all the qualities of a real film, with the exception of perhaps theatrical quality, but the animation is good enough for you to forget that.

Basically, they are all around good OVAs, but one is mediocre and saved by the second. Who knew a sequel could improve the original so well?

Great but not a PS2 compatible
The only problem I have with this is I have to go to some other room besides mine to see this DVD.

2 GREAT ANIMES
FATAL FURY

The Fatal Fury franchise is full of promises and this first animated feature takes the characters beyond the video game boundaries. It's cool how the fighters (Terry Bogard especially) are written as being normal and sensitive rather than always butch, evil and trying to start a fight. The characters in the Street Fighter series were too much like this but Terry Bogard always appears innocent and his adult form still looks like the child he was at the beginning.

But my fave character in Fatal Fury was always Geese Howard. He is such a cool bad guy and live action bad guys should be more like him. Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi are amusing supporting characters and make great sidekicks for Terry.

The ending is a little too quick but when you consider that there is a follow up and a great animated movie it ain't so bad. If you like this one then the others should give you a good fix.

FATAL FURY 2

Not a revolutionary animated movie by any means but this sequel to Fatal Fury has a reasonably good story and interesting characters. The color scheme is bright and easy on the eye and the animation style is better than most Japanese anime in which everyone looks like Asian/American to appeal to both audiences.

I thought that Krauser was a cool bad guy and, for once, one that I doubted the hero (Terry Bogard) couldn't defeat so easily. His costume was a bit excessive and it is hard to believe that he could be so agile under such a suit but one can overlook such a flaw easily.

Terry's brother Andy returns and so does Joe Higashi but it's the 2 new characters that are the best thing about this movie. Kim is a teenage boy who idolizes Terry and considers him to be a real role model. But he is gutted when he discovers that Terry is just a burnt out drunk and will do anything for him until he gets back on his feet. The other new character is Mai and she is a very "bouncy" character if you know what I mean.

The fight scenes are very well thought out and vivid. Every punch and kick looks painful and the other heavies look pretty mean too. But we all know that in the end Terry is gonna beat the crap out of them. Just like the video game says...Terry Bogard is the King of Fighters.

But at 68 minutes you feel a little cheated. But with such a short running time there is no room for fat.

The DVD is in 1.33:1 with a nice picture transfer with brilliant colors and the Dolby Stereo soundtracks are adequate but not impressive. Many trailers are available and there are some cool motion menus.

It Rocks!
Fatal Fury I love the series Including the Movie!I just wish they continued it more! Japan had 20 Eposides!We American's always get to miss the good part's! But it was good that we at lest saw some of the cool stuff! : ) My way I would buy it! ... ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Low Budget But Worth Every Penny
Van Damme portrays a streetfighter who gets caught up in the middle of a raw fighting hard hitting circuit.He keeps fighting to raise money for his brothers family who needs the money or they'll become homeless.The storyline is cheap and the flick itself is low budget but the fight scenes are supurb and the acting on Van Dammes part is excellent.In my opinion of course this movie is the greatest low budget action film available on the market today,if you like martial-arts films instead of explosions and basic killing spree action films than lionheart is your ticket to everything you want to see...Enjoy!

Another amazing van damme movie...WHAT A SHOCKER!!!
Let me just say....this is one of VAN DAMME's cheeziest but amazing movies other than kickboxer, bloodsport, and double impact.. But cheezy is good in this case... Van DAmme escapes from a military base in North Africa...and arrives in L.A. To visit his dead brothers wife. Since he is broke when arrived to L.A. he has to fight in order to make a living....!!! WHat a great Plot...so far.... Later on in the movie he becomes close with his brothers wife...and stays in L.A. The Action is pretty cool with good fight scenes....IF ur a true Van damme Fan you would buy this even if u never saw it....I mean just look at the cover for goodness sake!!!

Great fight scenes
This is one of Van Damms best. After hearing of his brothers death in America, Van Damm escapes the legeon in Africa to head for Los Angeles were he becomes a fighter in a no-holds-barred underground fighting circuit to raise money for his sister in law an his neese. There are many fights in different settings, wearhouses, parking garrages, fitness studios etc. I love the fight were Van Damm and another in shape guy have to fight at a pool party with lots of beutifull women standing around wearing nothing but G-string bikinis. The two must fight in an empty inground swimming pool with just a couple of feet of water in the deep end. they fight in speedos and bare feet. After a good fight Van Damm finally knocks the poor guy out cold in the water and draggs his lifeless body out of the water so he wont drown as the crowd of onlooker surounding the pool cheer for him. Personally, I would have rather he left me in the water to drown than to have to wake up and face all of those beutifull bikini clad women that I just got my you know what kicked in front of. In the end Van Damm fights the champion for enough prize money to make his family financially secure for life. Great movie.

One of Van Damme's VERY BEST-The Legionnaire Avenger
Do not be misguided by the fact that this movie was shot back in 1989, and thus be led to assume that this is another one of the low budget, b-movies that Van Damme used to make in the 1980's.

AWOL/Lionheart, is arguably his best film ever.

The story begins in what is a typical modern Legion Etrangere camp somewhere in North Africa. Van Damme plays a ranker soldier, Leon, who is serving in one of the Legion's crack North African detachments. Here, we get the very rare glimpse of what is like to be a modern Legionnaire: Both the scenery and camp are very realistic, rigid discipline prevalent, with emphasis being put on the soldiers' perfect fitness through physical training and manual labour.

Suddenly, Leon receives a letter from his only brother's wife who lives in the USA, informing him that his brother was beaten to death by some villains, and that she needs someone both to avenge his death and take care of her and her little daughter.

Rigid almost inhuman discipline in the Legion is once again underlined, when Private Leon asks to see his Commanding Officer, an impressive blond Frenchman, every inch a soldier. After hearing the reasons why Pvt. Leon asks for a leave, his CO coolly denies on the grounds that he firstly needs him "down here", and secondly that Pvt. Leon's contract with the Legion excludes furloughs.

From here onwards, the movie ceases to be static, and becomes a fast paced action adventure, as we follow Van Damme's risky escape from the camp to some North African muslim seaport, where he seeks to obtain passage on one of the Merchant Ships there, to the USA. In the meantime, his French CO has reported him as AWOL, and he has ordered two of his best NCO's to locate and return the deserter back to his unit.

Van Damme evades his pursuers, and signs on a 1950's Steam Turbine General Freighter as a Wiper, in order to pay for his passage.

When he finally arrives in the USA, we see him wandering the streets of New York, dressed in Navy fatigues looking for a job. He finally makes his way under a bridge, where the odd black bookmaker is staging a no-holds barred street-fighting tournament of sorts. The bookmaker, seeing Van Damme's incredible physique, suggests that he should fight in the next match in return for a fee. Asking his name, Van Damme replies slowly in French, "LE-ON", whereupon, the bookmaker hears "Lion" and proclaims him the "Lion". Thus, a new street-fighter star is born.

Van Damme, keeps fighting for profit, and his successes attract the attention of a gorgeous Nordic-American female manager, who is organizing fights for the entertainment of the Jet-Set NYC citizens. She falls in love with him, and acting as his manager, arranges his participation in high-class private fighting matches for the rich. Van Damme wins fame and glory, but his mind is always with his dead brother, and his widow and daughter.

After doing a lot of digging, he finally manages to locate his brother widow and daugter, whereupon one of the most touching scenes of the movie take place, when Van Damme meets his brother's daughter and widow, amid hugs and celebration.

But, his pursuers from the Legion, follow close behind, looking for a chance to seize him. Finally, they manage to track him down, in some makeshift arena where Van Damme is about to meet the late World Wrestling Federation Champion Andre the Giant, in a match to the death, which would be the culmination of his career as U.S. fighter. As the match progresses, we see the two Legionnaire NCO's, formerly his bitter enemies, having changed into stalwart supporters of his, witnessing first-hand his bravery and fighting skill.

After the match is over, the French NCO's make themselves known, and take Van Damme into their custody, despite his brother's widow protests. Then follows the most touching scene in the film, with Van Damme hugging his brother's daughter, tears flowing in his eyes. The scene is so compelling, that even the tough French Legionnaires, after looking each other, cannot avoid to shed the odd tear.

After putting Van Damme in the car, the French NCO's drive only about half a mile down the road, when the car stops suddenly, and Van Damme is set free, in order to return to his dead brother's family.

A truly great movie, one of Van Damme's few movies, which I enjoyed seeing over and over again. The movie will be loved by, not only from those who admire the French Foreign Legion, but from martial arts fans as well, not to say anything of Van Damme's fans, who will absolutely love it. It is one of these rarest of the rare low budget movies that, having started with meager resources, by luck and hard work are turned into pearls.

The hero's devotion and love to his only brother, deeply touched me, and I think also struck a chord deep within the souls of all who saw it. I do not think that there is a single man, who would let his dead brother's wife and daughter suffer, no matter if one was half the planet away from the other. Sometimes, duty to the dead brother's family comes first from duty to country.

A truly outstanding movie:buy it.

Van Damme doing his thing
His earlier work is what has always appealed most to me and I was not disappointed with this one. It's kinda cheesy, but it's a Van Damme flick, so what were you expecting?
It's a lot like Bloodsport and Kickboxer in regards to the story line. ... Read more

Description

In the wake of the Bomb, ex-soldier Shozo Hirono [Bunta Sugawara] joins a Hiroshima yakuza gang, the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia–and then the shootings, slashings, betrayals, and scheming begin.Premiering a year after The Godfather, The Yakuza Papers also broke box office records and spawned sequels, but, in contrast, took a ruthlessly de-romanticized view of the underworld. Based on an actual gang boss's memoirs, The Yakuza Papers plunges the audience into a gritty, brutal, violent newsreel of a three-decade struggle for power of Shakespearean complexity, a nihilistic epic unlike any other. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Good movie. Could have been great.
This movie could have been a lot better if it had a more competant director. Today it looks dated in places, and some of the dialogue delivery approaches camp at times (again, blame Mr Winner). Plot: after his wife and daughter are attacked by muggers (one being Jeff Goldblum)and Bronsons wife is stomped to death and his daughter raped and obscenely "tagged" with a can of spray paint, architect & Korean war conscientious objector Bronson acquires a gun on a business trip to Arizona and returns home to New York to embark on a one man vigilante rampage blasting street scum into oblivion. Bronson and Vincent Gardenia both give good perfomances, and the rape scene still has the power to jolt you out of your seat, but every time I see DEATH WISH I keep thinking of how it could be updated and remade... better. Still the fun of the series is to cheer Bronson on whenever he wastes some scumbag. This was the precursor to such revenge flicks as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and MS .45.

The Dark Knight.
It's hard to remember now, but there was a time when Michael Winner was just another director, one who produced some decent b-movies before having a freak hit that caught the mood of America at the time. 'Death Wish' was the hit - it elevated Charles Bronson to iconhood, and even today Winner's increasingly-laughable films have 'From the Director of 'Death Wish'' on the posters. This is the closet he ever got to creating a classic piece of cinema. This is based on a book, although the emphasis has been changed. Whereas the 'hero' of the novel was presented as a dangerous man who had eventually lost all reason, here, Bronson is basically Batman - Dirty Harry without restraint. As such, it's ambivalent. On the one hand, there's a primal kick in watching Bronson blow away thugs, but on the other hand it's hard to believe that real-life would be so clear-cut, and subsequent witch-hunts of paedophiles, satanists and rock fans show that it's hard to put rage back into the bottle from whence it came. The sequels became increasingly-harder to take seriously, and the bazooka-toting 'Death Wish 3' is a modern classic of silliness. As with all Winner's films, it looks like a television movie, and as with all Bronson's films, Bronson is Bronson - an older, grizzled tamplate for Schwarzenegger et al, he acts not as Paul Kersy but as Charles Bronson, movie star. It is, at the very least, interesting.

Your Typical Evening On A Saturday!
GREAT ACTING BY CHARLES BROSNAN! ENJOYABLE TO WATCH. REALLY GREAT CINEMATIC PIECE!

carbolic acid
This is the original in the Death Wish series,and its still the best.Paul Kersey(Bronson)is devastated after his wife and daughter are raped and killed,he goes on a killing rampage of revenge.As he dispatches each thug with his own brand of justice,we cheer their deaths from Kersey`s trusty 32 caliber revolver.This film is a favorite of vigilante justice supporters.

CONTROVERSY IS GOOD.
I don't remember too many films from the 1970's the earned an entire OP/ED page in the N.Y. Times, but this urban classic did. Controversy proved to be good box office and Bronson became a superstar as Paul Kersey. DEATH WISH is a taunt thriller that sparked more than one water cooler discussion in 1974. Michael Winner worked this one into a poster child for street justice and inspired more than a few real life imitators (the ad campaign boasted: "Paul Kersey is going to kill 3 muggers tonight: One for his murdered wife, one for his raped daughter and one for you!"). What was more unfortunate is that DEATH WISH became a parody of itself with 4 awful sequels. Forgot the rest, cheer for Bronson here everytime he caps a bad guy. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Good film, less suspenseful than dramatic
There is great tension in this film, but the suspense is less frightening than we see in some of Hitchcock's other films.

What's really great about this film is the directorial art, in visuals and timing and setups -- and the acting is fabulous. How often did we get to see Stewart really flex his dramatic muscles in so complex and potentially somewhat dark and hard character? Song or no song, Doris Day does a fine job of acting through Que Sera-Sera, and it is artfully placed and used within the film for dramatic effect. Personally, I feel and understand her predicament, even though I don't find myself as involved with the characters as I do in Rear Window. That, however, may just be me, since Rear Window is my favorite Hitchcock film -- and I find it easier to identify with Grace Kelly's character than I do with this one.

Overall, a fabulous film, worth watching. If you get past the clothes and cars, you'd never know when it was made -- personally, I don't care!

Hitchcock Sleeper Classic now on WIDESCREEN DVD!!!!
The 1956 Widescreen Color "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a remake of Hitch's 1934 Standard Screen Black & White British version. (Hitch didn't come to the United States until 1939). As he stated, "the 1934 version was directed by an amateur and the 1956 version by a professional."

This was to be the second of 5 brilliant films made from 1954 - 1960. (the others are; Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959) & Psycho (1960)). This was Hitchcock at his best, in fact these last 4 were voted to AFI's (American Film Institute's) top 100 films in the last 100 years (1998). So you can see why "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was overlooked. A definite sleeper classic!!!

Summary: James Stewart, wife Doris Day and son are on a vacation in Morocco. They are accidently swept up in an assassination plot to occur in London. The assassin group kidnaps their son as insurance of their silence and hold him hostage. Doris Days rare dramatic role is outstanding and her singing the Oscar winning song, ("Que Sera, Sera") high light this brilliant spy thriller. Jimmy Stewarts natural acting ability (Hitchcocks favorite male actor) pulls off being Doris Days husband.

The Anamorphic Widescreen Color presentation is excellent. The "Making of - with Patricia Hitchocks (Hitch's daughter) comments is very interesting & informative.

Que Sera Sera

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Format: Color
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: August 3, 1999

Cast:

James Stewart ... Dr. Ben McKenna
Doris Day ... Jo McKenna
Brenda De Banzie ... Lucy Drayton
Bernard Miles ... Edward Drayton
Ralph Truman ... Buchanan
Daniel Gélin ... Louis Bernard
Mogens Wieth ... Ambassador
Alan Mowbray ... Val Parnell
Hillary Brooke ... Jan Peterson
Christopher Olsen ... Hank McKenna
Reggie Nalder ... The assassin
Richard Wattis ... Assistant manager
Noel Willman ... Woburn
Alix Talton ... Helen Parnell
Yves Brainville ... Police inspector
Carolyn Jones ... Cindy Fontaine
Harry Fine ... Edington
Alex Frazer ... Man
Wolf Frees ... Aide to the foreign Prime Minister
Milton Frome ... Guard
Leo Gordon ... Chauffer
Walter Gotell ... Guard
Frank Atkinson ... Taxidermist
Bernard Herrmann ... Himself (conductor)
Alfred Hitchcock ... Man in Morocco marketplace
George Howe ... Ambrose Chappell Sr

Harold Kasket ... Butler
Barry Keegan ... Patterson
Lou Krugman ... Arab
Lloyd Lamble ... General manager of Albert Hall
Donald Lawton ... Desk clerk
Mayne Lynton ... Taxidermist
John Barrard ... Taxidermist
Edward Manouk ... French waiter
Richard Marner ... Aide to the foreign Prime Minister
John Marshall ... Butler
Lewis Martin ... Detective
Louis Mercier ... French policeman
Ralph Neff ... Henchman
Leslie Newport ... Inspector at Albert Hall
John O'Malley ... Uniformed attendant
Liddell Peddieson ... Taxidermist
Arthur Ridley ... Ticket collector
Patrick Aherne ... Handyman
Eric Snowden ... Special Branch officer
Alexi Bobrinskoy ... Foreign Prime Minister
Guy Verney ... Footman
Anthony Warde ... French policewoman
Patrick Whyte ... Special Branch officer
Peter Williams ... Police sergeant
Richard Wordsworth ... Ambrose Chappell Jr
Allen Zeidman ... Assistant manager
Clifford Buckton ... Sir Kenneth Clarke
Peter Camlin ... Headwaiter
Abdelhaq Chraibi ... Arab
Gladys Holland ... Bernard's girlfriend
Barbara Howitt ... Soloist in Albert Hall sequence
Enid Lindsey ... Lady Clarke
Janet Macfarlane ... Lady in audience
Betty Bascomb ... Edna
Elsa Palmer ... Cook
Mahin S. Shahrivar ... Arab woman
Alma Taylor ... Box office woman
Janet Bruce ... Box office woman
Naida Buckingham ... Lady in audience
Barbara Burke ... Assassin's girlfriend
Pauline Farr ... Ambassador's wife
Bess Flowers ... Woman in Hotel Lobby

On vacation in Marrakech, Morocco, Dr. Ben McKenna (James Stewart), his wife Jo (Doris Day) and their son Hank (Chrisopher Olson), meet a secret agent, Louis Bernard (Daniel Gélin) who is killed because he is in possession of a secret: a statesman is about to be assassinated in London. Before he dies, he confides in McKenna some of the details. To keep the doctor quiet, the
bad guys grab his son, Hank, and threaten his life.

This is the story as it unfolds. Hitchcock does his usual fine job of keeping up the tension, and of course Stewart and Day do their usual excellent job of acting. This is a superb thriller, and endlessly entertaining.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Shows that Doris Day can act
When this film was made, people were confused at the choice of Doris Day as the mother whose son is kidnapped. However, Doris Day is outstanding in this, and very convincing. She is more than just 'funny girl' actor who appeared in so many comedies.

The film does however suffer from being very dated. It starts off well, but goes pair-shaped halfway through. I'm not a fan of James Stewart, and wonder why Hitchcock used him so often. Didn't he realise that there were other actors around? He acted the same in all his films. Yawn!

The DVD is features packed. There's a "Making Of," Trailors and nice anamorphic transfer. Some reviews have criticised the transfer, but i actually think it is much cleaner than the supposedly restored "Vertigo" withDVD.

Doris Day Shines!
Alfred Hitchcock did a wonderful job on this 1935 remake of The Man Who Know Too Much. Dr. Ben McKenna, played by James Stewart, his wife, Jo (Doris Day), and their son are vacationing in French Morocco. They meet up with many suspicious charaters, but they befriend one man, played by Daniel Gelin. Their friend was a detective and was shot in front of many people while in the midst of trying to solve a case. Then the McKenna's son is kidnapped by some other "friends". The police aren't helping with the case so Ben decides to figure out who the kidnappers are by himself. This is the only Alfred Hitchcock film in which a song is sung. The song "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" won an Acadamey Award. Doris Day's acting is brilliant. She really got me to feel like I was her. That my son had just been kidnapped and I could not go on living. The movie was so good that I cried because I was deeply affected by the charaters feelings and emotions. This is one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock thirllers and one of my favorite Doris Day films. ... Read more

Description

The clock is ticking for Johnny Depp in Nick of Time, a twist-filled, race-against-time thriller directed by John Badham (Drop Zone, Saturday Night Fever). And indeed it is a race, filmed in "real time" so that onscreen events unfold minute by nail-biting minute as they would in real life. No sooner does accountant Gene Watson (Depp) arrive at L.A.'s Union station with his six-year-old daughter than he's plunged into a nightmare. Two shadowy strangers (Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia) separate Watson from his little girl, slap a gun into his hand and present a devil's bargain: kill a top government official before she leaves a nearby political rally... or never again see his beloved child. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Johnny & Christopher
After seeing the way Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken worked together in Tim Burton's horror movie 'Sleepy Hollow,' I knew I had to see 'Nick of Time.' The two actors work together splendidly in both movies.

In this movie, Johnny takes on a more serious role after doing more offbeat films such as 'Ed Wood,' 'Edward Scissorhands,' and 'Benny & Joon.' He plays a desperate father who is being forced to assassinate the mayor of his city before another man (Christopher Walken) kills his daughter.

'Nick of Time' is a wonderfully written movie, and the acting is just as excellent. You can't claim to be a Johnny Depp fan without seeing this movie! One of the best yet!

CLOCK WATCHING
NICK OF TIME is a very absorbing and well made movie. Director John Badham orchestrates a tight, nerve-racking thriller, using "real time" to accentuate the hero's plight. Johnny Depp is very good in the lead role, embodying the torment and anguish of a man put into a terrifying position. Christopher Walken is as evil as he can be, his ruthless "quest" always a constant threat; Charles S. Dutton as a shoe shiner is remarkably good; Marsha Mason does a fine job as the governor, Peter Strauss well playing her ambitious husband. Rona Maffia as Walken's accomplice also brings a cold-hearted chill to her role.
A tight, well done thriller.

Hitchcock would have loved filming it
... yes this is in HIS tradition(working against the clock - bizarre mix-ups... - yup - working within a strict disciplin)...
Johnny Depp is in his first REAL mainstream role; but fortunately - it is a good 1... And an interesting 1. If u r one of those who must have fires, explosions, Vin Disel; stay away... As for the rest of us... Let`s sit down and enjoy a good suspenser:-))))

I'm Sorry Johnny...
Johnny Depp is clearly one of the most eclectic personalities the film industry has seen. He choses unusual roles and brings a unique presence to each character. Having said that, i am sad to say i don't recommend this specific film. I think most of us like to believe we are smarter than the 'bad guys'... and even though Depp always takes a contrarian approach to society and characters, i nevertheless felt my need to identify with the victim and overcome the villain was not being sufficiently fed. Who knows, maybe that's what Depp was striving for, the uncertainty and uncomfortableness of being in such quagmire of absurdities as to leave us (me) feeling angry at the good character, for being so dense. Christopher Walken turned in an average performance as one of the villains (If he really wants to expand his range he should try playing a vulnerable good guy). Perhaps that's what's really missing in this film- proper casting. Walken should have been cast as the hero and Depp as the villain. This 'Real Time' (Pre-'24') Drama really didn't work for me, but it appears to have set the standard for other 'real time' shows. What makes this film better than '24' is that it's shorter, and you actually DO root for the characters daughter to get rescued.

Unconvincing!!
This movie does not work for me. It has no merits. As for the "In real time bit," I missed the tension of it -- maybe I should have synchronized my watch! I rented it because Johnny starred in it; love his work, and Chris Walken was an added bonus. The plot is lame, contrived, and does not work. Johnny is not convincing playing a father forced to chose between losing his child, or killing some governor. This movie left a bad "made-for-TV" taste in my mouth. Normally, I would think Johnny could pull it off. Ouch! Thank goodness for his countless, fantastic performances (Scissorhands, Brasco, and just about everything else). Don't waste your "real time" on this mared! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In giving 1991's The Last Boy Scout a three-star review, critic Roger Ebert was properly performing his duty as an objective reporter, praising the filmmakers' professional skill while observing that "the only consistent theme of the film is its hatred of women." For the purposes of this capsule review, there's no such obligation to level-headed fairness; the simple truth is, this ultraviolent, action-packed vehicle for Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans is disgustingly rotten to the core. Not only is it fueled by a bitter and spiteful attitude toward women, it's also the kind of profanely vulgar movie that doesn't hesitate to put foul-mouthed children in the path of vicious thugs and potentially deadly situations. Willis plays an ex-secret service agent turned private detective who is hired to protect a stripper (Halle Berry) and then teams up with the stripper's boyfriend (Wayans), a disgraced NFL star who was kicked out of football for gambling. They catch on to a criminal plot leading all the way up to a corrupt football team owner who wants to legalize gambling on pro football. Willis and Wayans get in and out of all sorts of trouble along the way, and naturally there are plenty of explosions to go along with the brutal beatings, gunfire, and constant cussing. Shane Black (of Lethal Weapon infamy) set a Hollywood record (since broken, several times) for the sale price of his slick but vile screenplay, and Top Gun director Tony Scott handles the action with his trademark gloss and high-impact style. But, seriously, is this a movie that anyone could bear to watch twice? --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Much fun indeed.
Back in 1991 there was still only one way that studios could sell Bruce Willis and that was as various incarnations of his Die Hard hero. Even Eddie (Hudson) Hawkins had similarities to John McClane. Joe Hallenback is a sort of mix between McClane and Snake Plissken. Watching him mumble and grunt thru various near-deaths and close shaves makes for much fun.

Hallenback is a P.I. and scrounges for work wherever he can find it. So he takes up a job protecting a stripper named Cory and soon finds himself in a lot of trouble. Bad guys are trying to get him left right and centre and his bratty 13-year-old daughter tagging along doesn't help much. The bad guys are truly evil and Hallenback seems more like an anti-hero. This adds to the rough nature of the movie and heightens the sense of adventure.

Tony Scott's style of direction is best suited to this type of action flick. The flashy, exotic editing and cinematographic techniques lend a lot to the witty script and compliment the seedy or pretty locations. Shane Black has also written dozens of one-liners and riddled the script with funny dialogue and exciting situations. It's no surprise that this was once the most expensive script ever sold in Hollywood.

Some people say that this film is too violent and misogynist but I honestly cannot understand what they are talking about. I guess it was just a little out of the norm back in 1991. But still the tone of the film is so light and enjoyable you begin to wonder how this never made up for it. Check it out for yourself and I am sure that you will enjoy.

The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and is remastered in Dolby 5.1. Love that opening song, man

Great Trash Movie
This movie is one of those love it or hate it movies. I loved it. "The Last Boy Scout" is where Bruce Willis is a low down private detective who is hired to watch a stripper. When she is murdered, Willis and the stripper's boyfriend, a fallen NFL hero (Damon Waynes), track down the killers. The conspiracy is all about corruption and pro football gambling. The banter between Willis and Waynes is very funny, although very sexist and racist sometimes. They both are world weary, and have been burned and are disillusioned and cynical, which is where much of the humor comes from. But the action is fast, brutal, and angry. This fast paced thriller is in the vain of "Die Hard" (once again produced by Joel Silver, I love this guy!). Director Tony Scott's hyper speed dircecting keeps the pace in high gear at all times. But there are a lot of things people might not like, like the 12-year-old girl with a mouth like Andrew Dice Clay's. I really dug this movie, it's everything that a "guys movie" should be; violent, vulger, with really seedy humor. Enjoy.

Very trashy but still entertaining action flick
Tony Scott's THE LAST BOY SCOUT may be trash, but for an action flick it is very well-made, highly entertaining trash.

Of course, you could make a very good case against this film. Though I did not find it quite as woman-hating as some of the critics said it was upon the film's release, I would recognize that there is a subtle layer of misogyny throughout the movie---particularly with the two women characters in Joe Hallenbeck's life, his uncaring, cheating wife and his bratty, verbally abusive daughter---that might make some viewers more queasy than I was. And, objectively speaking, THE LAST BOY SCOUT is basically a retread of writer Shane Black's superior LETHAL WEAPON---a more foul-mouthed, ultra-violent retread with a lot of corny humor. This is an all-out testosterone-fest if I've ever seen one. If you've got a problem with people, just punch 'em in the "head or gut"---if anything else, that's the message of this movie. Really, Shane Black, where did your taste go since LETHAL WEAPON and LETHAL WEAPON 2?

Despite all that, though, this movie still delivers what matters most in this genre: thrills and exciting action scenes. Having seen this movie only recently, I must say that it is probably one of the most exciting action pictures I've seen in a long while, perhaps enjoyable because of its excesses. Tony Scott definitely knows how to film action scenes well (the climactic action scenes in the football stadium is a good example of his skill here), and of course he brings his customary slick style to the material. And its plot, involving a ruthless attempt to legalize gambling in pro football, takes some kinda intriguing twists and turns along the way. (It's like a hardcore action-film version of one of those hardboiled detective films of the '40s.)

In short, THE LAST BOY SCOUT is very trashy but still entertaining action movie that can be quite fun to watch, depending on whether you can overlook lapses of character logic (why on Earth is Shelly Marcone giving away his plan of framing Hallenbeck for Senator Baynad's murder just so Hallenbeck can outsmart 'em all?) as well as the more objectionable misogynistic aspects of the film. Personally, I felt a little guilty about enjoying it so much...but not guilty enough not to admit it. Marginally recommended.

The Last Boy scout says it best.
The best action movie of the 90's hands down! All this crap about the film being misogynistic is ridiculous. Willis' character is a burned out, embittered, down and out, has-been PI and former secret service agent ("a long time ago he saved the president's life" )who has seen too much and who has no faith left in anything. He is in a bad marriage, never home, drinks too much, a victim of marital infidelity. But he is still in love with his wife. ("I wish the sky wasn't blue, I wish water wasn't wet. I wish I didn't still love my wife.") He is a man's man of the old school; strong and ever silent with a black and white morality. He is loyal to a fault, taking on the case of the stripper and her boyfriend to avenge the car-bombing death of his best friend (who was sleeping with his wife.) His foul mouthed daughter is screaming for discipline which she finds (and drinks in ) at the end of the film. The one liners are great. The action scenes are awesome. The justice meted out in the end is fitting.

Not for the Faint of Heart
One of the most brutal, foul mouthed, and unrepentent action movies to come out of the early 90's. Adding the child to the action scenes and profanity laced screaming matches is gutsy, to say the least. Last Boy Scout is also smart, funny, fast paced & intense. Willis is a drunken P.I. & Wayan is a banned football QB. They're both losers. Most of the movie involves them running around L.A. shooting and punching people. The plot is some nonsense about legalizing sports gambling. Worth repeated viewings. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If Sylvester Stallone plays the world's number one assassin in this thriller, that must make Antonio Banderas, well, number two. The two are competing to hit the same target for a $20-million payoff, and their challenge takes them from explosion to explosion on a cat-and-mouse chase from Seattle to Mexico. Julianne Moore plays the cagey cat fancier and computer hacker who possesses a stolen computer disc that makes her a prime target for bad guys, and Robert Rath (Stallone) is only too happy to come to her defense. Director Richard Donner handles action sequences with adequate flair and has a good time blowing things up. Banderas has fun with the nonsensical plot, and Moore is enjoyable in one of her big-budget mainstream roles. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Amazon.com

Made for a fraction of the cost of Oliver Stone's similarly themed Natural Born Killers, Gregg Araki's The Doom Generation is more persuasively outragous in its cultural satire, scarier in its violence, and more profound in its vision of a hate-fueled, media-drunk America seemingly determined to eat its young and dwell stupidly on their vengeance. Rose McGowan (Scre