Reviews (12)

good idea but bad come out
Fred Williamson(Black Ceasar, From Dusk Till Dawn) is John Bookman and he returns home after his father is shot up by a gang called the rebels, a gang he formed back in his day, led by Spyro and Damien..two ruthless thugs who changed the gang from what it used to be, the rebels think they own the streets. well Bookman and co. join forces to try to stop them. an allstar cast including Jim Brown(Mars Attacks,Salughter) Ron O'Neal(Superfly), Pam Grier(Ghost Of Mars, Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown), Paul Winfield(Mars Attacks, The Terminator), Richard Roundtree(Antitrust, Shaft, Corky Romando) and many more. takes its toll on the 70's black films but is too much uninspired with wooden performances and a lack of, anything...was expecting much more

A violent reunion from back in the day
The reason to watch this movie is the reunion for those of us who remember the protagonists from the era of blaxploitation films in which we were introduced to them/ Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier, reconvene to take back their home town of Gary, Indiana from several well organized and terribly violent street gangs.

Also appearing in almost cameo roles are Ron O'Neal ("Superfly") and Richard Roundtree (the original John Shaft). Seeing them all together is a treat, but left me wondering why this quintet did not get more screen time all together. It is particularly pleasing to see Brown and Grier, who, as one of the expert reviewers noted, have aged very very well. However, the re-ignition of their former relationship is tepid and seemingly forced. By contrast, it has nowhere near the intensity seen when barely restrained Brown confronts a gang leader about the murder of his son.

I agree that the simplistic plot and the consistent (and predictable) violence keep this from being one of the great films of our time. Those who remember the first time seeing these individuals in character now some thirty years ago will enjoy seeing them all together again, and that makes this disc worthwhile.

great re-union of 70's actionmovie st ars
if your a film buff, and wanted to see just outta curiosity
what happened to the black star's of the early 70's...see this movie, sorry to say that most of the aging star's except for pam grier now could be cast in a new version of sanford and son...as fred's old buddies from the hood drinking
grape ripple. it was a good social commentary of life in gary,
indiana and how dependent that city was on the steel mills and the off shoot business's that gradually closed down, see this movie on a saturday afternoon,,,but if you have to mow the lawn or paint the house...you'd be better off doing that.

An solid comeback for an action movie vet--
Original Gangstas: Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier. Williamson is John Bookman, former football pro turned coach, who comes back to his old hometown to find it overrun by gangs. The last straw is when Bookman's dad is assaulted and his grocery store vandalized. Grier is the mom of a basketball prodigy slain by the Rebels, one of three major gangs in the city. Brown is Bookman's best friend who comes back to bury his son. In a touch of irony, the gangs are the modern day incarnation of the crews started by Bookman & his friends decades ago. But whereas the original intent was to be a teen militia of sorts, the modern crews-mostly people well over 21-- are about nothing but victimizing their neighborhood.

Filmed entirely on location in Gary, Indiana, the film uses many city landmarks to illustrate the decay that has taken place. The film rightly postulates that the abrupt downsizing of the US Steel mill in the late 60's started an economic domino effect that the city has yet to recover from. Abandoned storefronts still abound, while neighborhoods are peppered with derelict houses and other rag-tag buildings.
Supporting roles are offered by Robert Forster as a police detective, and Ron O'Neal & Richard Roundtree as longtime residents who join the effort to take the city back.

Williamson and his contemporaries first came to prominence in the black action movie trend of the 70's. Some of his real life was slipped into the script: Williamson was a Northwestern football star before turning pro; also, according to the star the film was inspired from an encounter he had while visiting his mother, who still lives in Gary.

Fred and the actors of his generation deserve better from the Hollywood industry-- folks like Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have used them in a handful of contemporary films, but they should have the status of a Clint Eastwood or Burt Reynolds..

ORIGINAL GANGSTAS Review
In a reunion of the big-name 70's blaxplotation stars, you can expect a whole lot of fun. They're all here. Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam "Foxxy Brown" Grier, Richard "Shaft" Roudntree, and Superfly himself, Ron O'Neal. A host of other infamous character actors and some of today's big name underground rappers also show up for this bullet-riddled nostalgia pic.

It's "old school" versus "new school" as the Rebels, a gang once known simply for protecting their neighborhood has transformed into a gang of thugs who specialize in drive-by shootings and drug dealing. This doesn't sit well with the gang's founding members who reunite with the support of the community to clean up the streets once and for all.

While not nearly as energetic and entertaining as many of the 70's pics that it is paying homage to, "Original Gangstas" does have fun while delivering a solid anti-violence message. Seeing all your old favorites strap up again makes for some real good times. There are also some good performances from relative unknowns like Christopher Duncan as the leader of the new Rebels and rapper Dru Down as the group's loud-mouthed "trigger man". Also look for rappers, Scarface and Bushwick Bill in cameos. A genuine good time. ... Read more

Description

In the tradition of Takeshi Kitano, Sergio Leone, and George Romero, Japanese action director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale I and II, The Yakuza Papers) brings to life Street Mobster, the story of a violent killer who will stop at nothing to satisfy his lust for blood.Released from prison, gangster Isamu Okita plans to start his own gang and begins a reign of terror using beatings, prostitution, stabbings, and murders to fight his way to the top of the gangland world. Street Mobster is a look into the dark realm of Japan's criminal underworld, where anything can be had for a price. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Of all the Sherlock Holmes tales written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles (one of the four novels) remains the best-known. Adding a dash of the supernatural to the Great Detective's adventures, it is certainly one of the most dramatic--and an obvious target for screen interpretation. Prior to Jeremy Brett's indelibly making the role his own to modern TV audiences, Ian Richardson made for a suitably incisive and enthusiastic Holmes in this enjoyable 1983 adaptation. The much-filmed tale finds Holmes and Watson drawn in to the mysterious curse afflicting the well-heeled Baskerville dynasty. Is a monster stalking the heir to the Baskerville fortune, or is the culprit a far from demonic force? As Holmes, Richardson is blessed with the avian features that, like Basil Rathbone's or Peter Cushing's, effectively capture Sidney Paget's original likeness. Though Holmes's more antisocial facets are dispensed with, Richardson is engaging in such a well-explored role, recalling the razor-sharp wit and intelligence of Rathbone. Attracting a distinguished British cast (Brian Blessed, Denholm Elliot, Martin Shaw) and decent production values (though with a few Hammer Horror moments), this will not disappoint fans of Victorian literature's finest detective, nor those in search of a classic, chilling thriller. --Danny Graydon ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Unforgettable triumph of storytelling.
Without doubt, this is by far the finest screen version of Conan Doyle's famous story I have (so far) seen. Ian Richardson (who will no doubt be familiar to fans of House of Cards and To Play the King) is perfect as Holmes. The film boasts just the right cast (whether central characters or bit parts, they all give strong performances), the moor's thin line between beauty and deadly is just right, the soundtrack is unforgettable, there is myriad memorable dialogue and the whole thing flows very well. There is not a dull moment. Recommended to fans of Sherlock Holmes, Doyle or just horror in general.

Solid, but not totally spectacular version
This version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic story featuring Sherlock Holmes offers a fun and solid take on the tale of the Great Detective and his investigation of a deadly family curse. Wonderfully photographed, the film makes great use of the dark settings of the moor. Ian Richardson leads the pack with a sly, puckish take on Sherlock Holmes. It is a wonderful performance that makes one wish that he had filmed more Holmes stories then he did. Denholm Elliott has his amusing moments as the local doctor with a case of absent-mindedness. Unfortunately, the actor playing the faithful Dr. Watson, seems to be too much the Cockney with his gravelly voice. It's frustrating since his character spends much of the time onscreen, while Holmes is offscreen thoughout the middle part of the film. Brian Blessed and Connie Booth (formerly married to John Cleese, and a sometime performer with Monty Python), do well in smaller roles. A decent film, but not the definitive version.

warning
I made the mistake of watching this with my kids and family after church one Sunday. I had no idea there would be a rape scene! For kids stick with the Halmark version with Matt Frewer.

Probably the best
With the exception of the cheesy merry-go-round dog attack at the beginning of this TV movie, this version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is superb. Ian Richardson plays Holmes with a flair that matches the great Jeremy Brett. It's a shame that Richardson's Holmes is only captured in one other occasion on film. ("The Sign of Four")

In contrast, it's also a shame that "Hound" is probably the most screen adapted literary work ever (there are at least 10 films) but there is no perfect definitive version. This is probably as close as we're going to get. This film, made in 1983, far outshines the 2000 BBC version with its horrid CGI dog and a Watson who is likely computer generated as well. Fans of the Jeremy Brett film may be surprised at the stellar cast of this one, featuring Denholm Elliott ("Raiders of the Lost Ark"), Eleanor Bron ("The House of Mirth"), Connie Booth ("Monty Python"), and noted actor Brian Blessed (you'll know him when you see him if you don't already). The film also features Ronald Lacey as probably the best Inspector Lestrade ever. (Lacey was also in "Raiders" and the Jeremy Brett version of "The Sign of Four".) Martin Shaw's spin as the Texan Sir Henry Baskerville surprisingly turns out to be more pleasant than not.

At times the film is on the gritty side. The scene with Sir Hugo chasing his servant's daughter for that evening's recreational rape is darker than one would expect, but precisely where it needs to be cinematically. When you consider realism, this "Hound" is unequalled.

Fans of Ian Richardson should also check him out in "Murder Rooms", a BBC series where he plays Dr. Joseph Bell - a real Victorian doctor universally recognized as Arthur Conan Doyle's inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes character.

Excellent and Memorable
This 1983 version of the Hound, with Ian Richardson as Sherlock Holmes, has rarely received the accolades it so richly deserves. While not the most faithful adaptation of the Conan Doyle classic, it is nevertheless sumptuously atmospheric. It features a truly menacing hound that more closely approximates the horror elicited by the novel's original than the veritable slew of disappointing hounds from several other film versions, the obvious exception being the equally terrifying Basil Rathbone hound. This TV movie's strengths stem from a variety of sources. First of all, Michael Lewis's engaging, memorable film score is exquisitely dynamic and resonates with excitement. Secondly, the production's choice of authentic Devonshire locales for outdoor filming, and effective use of sound stages to evoke the melancholy and dreary mystique of the moors at nighttime,imbues this stylish version with an appropriately gothic flavor. It stunningly depicts the eerie essence of the Grimpen Mire, replete with its miasma of swirling, amorphous ground mist, and compellingly involves the viewer in the visual ambience of its surroundings. The film's denouement, as Holmes pursues his villainous quarry through the mire's impenetrable sea of fog, is masterfully photographed and provides a highly dramatic and satisfying catharsis to an enjoyable film.
This is not to discount the film's few shortcomings. Certainly Richardson's Holmes, invariably prone to overtly amiable behavior, deviates from the disconcerting arrogance and brooding demeanor so brilliantly and faithfully rendered by Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett. This is not to negate Richardson's charismatic and magnetic presence, however, and he is a pleasure to watch. (Recently, he compellingly played Dr. Joseph Bell, the real-life inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, in an equally atmospheric mystery series broadcast on Public Television). However, his Holmes portrayal remains somewhat revisionist. Furthermore, Donald Churchill's slightly bumbling rendition of Dr. Watson is too much of a frustrating throwback to Nigel Bruce's comedic and dim-witted depiction of the much maligned-doctor in the classic Basil Rathbone films of the 1940s. As Watson's character, for once, takes center stage in the Hound, casting for this role is more imperatively crucial than for Holmes. Among the most convincing and enjoyable Watsons from productions past included the more cerebral Andre Morell from the 1959 Hammer film and the equally astute and somber Edward Hardwicke from the 1987 Jeremy Brett version. However, that said, this stylish production deserves unstinting praise for the masterful way in which it skillfully reproduces the macabre spirit of the classic novel. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Moby Dick
Obsessed Captain Ahab scoures the sea in search of Moby Dick, the white whale that took his leg. Through the duration of his personal hunt, Ahab acknowledges nary a thought of responsibility or regard to his ship and crew. Directed by Franc Roddam (who also adapted Melville's novel for this screen version) rearranges many of the sequences of events from the book, and even mixes up the dialougue between the characters in some spots. Nevertheless, despite these odd changes, Roddam's effort is an entertaining piece of work. Patrick Stewart is simply remarkable in his portrayal of Ahab. Ted Levine, Henry Thomas, and Hugh Keays-Byrne also turn in fine performances. Originally aired on USA Network as a three-hour miniseries. The DVD version of this movie comes in at 145 minutes. The first VHS edition had a running length of 120 minutes and was later re-released at 145 minutes. Gregory Peck, who played Captain Ahab in John Huston's 1956 film version of the novel won a Golden Globe Award here for his cameo role as Father Mapple.

Moby Dick
The obsessed Captain Ahab travels the sea in relentless search of Moby Dick, the white whale that took his leg. Through the duration of his personal hunt, Ahab acknowledges nary a thought of responsibility or regard to his ship and crew. Directed by Franc Roddam (who also adapted the script from Melville's novel), this newest screen treatment of Moby Dick rearranges many of the sequences of events from the book, and even mixes up the dialougue between characters in some spots. Nevertheless, despite these odd changes, Roddam's effort is an entertaining piece of work. Patrick Stewart is simply remarkable in his portrayal of Ahab. Ted Levine, Henry Thomas, and Hugh Keays-Byrne also turn in fine performances. Originally aired on USA Network as a three-hour miniseries. The DVD version of this movie comes in at 145 minutes. The first VHS edition had a running length of 120 minutes and was later re-released at 145 minutes. Gregory Peck, who played Captain Ahab in John Huston's 1956 film version of the novel, won a Golden Globe Award here for his cameo role as Father Mapple

TERRIBLE MOVIE
What a waste of 2 hours. Nothing gets accomplished at all! You watch some terrible graphics, watch everyone die, and they didn't even kill the freaking WHALE!

That made me mad.
This film accomplishes nothing.
There is no point at all to this movie.
Don't waste your time, money, and energy.
Leave, quickly!

Awful, Melville rotates more rapidly.
The tragedy of this film is that, as Patrick Stewart intones in the supplementary material, the vast majority of those seeing it will never read the book. Stewart implies that that is a good thing, and if the film were an artistically and factually valid adaptation of the novel, that would be true. However, it isn't. Why anyone would be motivated to read the novel by seeing this film is beyond me.

There isn't space to go into all the deliberate errors and distortions, but a few will suffice to demonstrate the damage done to Melville's masterpiece.

Ishmael had been a teacher, true, but he had also had three previous voyages as a seaman on merchant vessels, which Capt. Peleg treats with scorn as being completely unlike service on a whaling vessel. The point is, Ishmael is definitely not the green neophyte protrayed in the film.

Peleg was a Quaker, as were most of the Nantucket whaling captains, although it is not clear in the novel if Ahab is also a Quaker. However, Peleg, who is clearly identified as a Quaker, uses "thee" and "thou" as second person singular in his conversation with Ishmael, not "ye", as in the film. This may seem a minor point, but it was a major issue for Quakers, many of whom had been martyred for their faith in earlier times. One of the many ironies noted by Melville in his novel is that men who would not raise a hand against another man even in self-defense were engaged in the horrible, brutal, bloody, terribly dangerous business of killing sperm whales for their oil, a point the movie misses entirely.

Melville describes a mutiny on the ship Town-Ho, but while Starbuck contemplates shooting Ahab with a musket, after wrestling with his conscience he backs away from murder, and never openly threatens Ahab. Although Melville does not say so, there is evidence in the novel to suggest that Starbuck is a Quaker, which of course would heighten Starbuck's dilemma.

There were no fights among the crew of the Pequod.

No one deserted the Pequod.

Why put Fedallah in the film, if you're going to leave out his prophecy and death? Also, he was a Parsee and Ahab's boat crew were Filipino ("Manilla-men"), not Chinese.

These distortions wouldn't be so bad if they didn't serve to turn the film into a sort of young person's adventure story. The novel deserves better, something made for adults, on the order of Master and Commander.

Melville is no doubt now rotating even more rapidly in his grave than he was in 1956, when the first film version was made.

Philosophical, wonderful movie!
This movie is superb. I would compare it with "Farewell my Concubine", "Dracula" , and "Titus" in its level of artistic cohesiveness. Highly recommended if you enjoy movies that combine story telling with philosophy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi, Mexicans in North American action films were typically maids, drug dealers, or prison inmates. Even if the Cisco Kid was a friend of yours, you handled a dust cloth or a Mac-10 if you lasted in Hollywood longer than a New York minuto. But when El Mariachi crossed the border in 1992, things changed. Granted, it still involved a drug lord in a shoot-em-up, bang-bang, but this time the good guy was a Mexican. Austin-based Rodriguez made El Mariachi for a fistful of pesos and a little help from his friends. He wrote, directed, coproduced, edited, and operated the camera. Plus, he assembled a cast that had never acted before to work por nada. All for a paltry $7,000, a milagro without a beanfield war.

Desperado continues the outrageous action adventure. Working with a much bigger budget, Rodriguez returns the nameless mariachi to nonstop action. Again thrust into a world he never made, the hero takes his guitar-case arsenal deep into the criminal labyrinth of Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), el gran chingon of the Mexican drug lords. With an amigo (Steve Buscemi) and a beautiful bookstore owner (Salma Hayek), el mariachi confronts an outrageous cast along the way, including a bartender (Cheech Marin), a drug deal pick-up guy (Quentin Tarantino), and the original mariachi (coproducer Carlos Gallardo) as a new-found compa'. Antonio Banderas has the lead this time, and if he's not quite up to the challenge, it's probably because he's Spanish, not Mexican, a distinction not lost by anyone raised on what the popular media now calls "ethnic food." That said, Desperado is not to be missed. Using intelligence, romance, and humor--as well as plenty of explosive, surreal violence--Rodriguez again showcases the timeless struggle between the forces of darkness and light. And, in the process, he's recasting the mold for the contemporary action hero--kids now argue about who gets to play the Mexican. --Stephan Magcosta ... Read more

Reviews (40)

DVD does not get any better
Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi" is one of the great independent movies. It follows a very original plot about a man with no name (called El Mariachi)(Carlos Gallardo) who comes into a crime run Mexican town looking for work. Instead he is being mistaken for a man carrying a guitar case full of guns seeking revenge on the town boss. Plenty of great action sequences light up this amazing film.

El mariachi returns in the big budget/big cast sequel, "Desperado" starring Antonio Banderas. This time he is the one seeking revenge with the guitar case full of guns. The character has become more of a legend. The cast is great featuring Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, and even Quentin Tarentino. Carlos Gallardo also makes a brief appearance in a different role. The script is gret and the action sequences are even better.

The DVD has commentary from Rodriguez and features additional short programs about how he went about filming the two movies. It is really interesting to hear how these films were made, making it an essential DVD for any movie buff. There are the original trailers as well as scene selection. Both movies are really good and this DVD certainly deserves a look.

El Mariachi/Desperado - A Twin Bonanza!
These are 2 great action flicks I've watched in recent times. I do not really want to compare both, but couldn't help not doing it.

El Mariachi is definitely a masterpiece from a very young, versatile director Robert Rodriguez, who I think has a tremendous potential. Good, solid performances from little known Carlos Gallardo and Conseula Gomez. Do not forget the fact that the movie was made for a measly budget of $7,000 with help from the Director's friends and acquaintances. Very gripping, amazing picturization and very good use of even trivial, simple looking things. A must-see movie for any Action Director Wannabe. On the flip side, it's meant for those who could follow Spanish or comfortable "reading" movies.

Then there is Desperado, flashy and star studded. Rodriguez spices it up with some stylized action, steamy romance and an impressive music score and in the process losing some of his artistic touch. Banderas and Hayek have good chemistry between them and all other actors blend into their roles perfectly. It's not clear if Desperado is a remake or a sequel of El Mariachi. The storylines are similar except for the beginning and end. El Mariachi is not really a 'bad guy', just a victim of circumstances and slave to passion, does things he doesn't intend to, at the spur of the moment, falls in love with a girl in the town and pitched against the local Drug Baron in both. This would make one feel Desperado is a high-budget remake of El Mariachi. But, the Mariachi's motives are very different in both. In the former, an ambitious young Mariachi comes into the town to make a living for himself and is mistaken for a Guitarist gunslinger. However in the latter, he comes in to avenge his lover's brutal killing and also there's an interesting twist towards the end.

If Moco who killed Mariachi's lover, met his death in Mariachi's hands in the first movie, why did he show up again in the second? If it was Moco who killed Mariachi's lover, why did he seek revenge on Bucho in the second? These could be flaws or things I didn't understand. Anyway, don't break your head on these, just sit back, relax and enjoy the movies.. I'm sure you'll love them!

A note on DVD: Desperado DVD can't get any better, it's very good; However, Mariachi DVD leaves much to be desired. I believe there's a better 2-disc DVD available in the market that has a remastered version of Mariachi from the Director's original negatives. Go for that version if you're very particular about the DVD quality..

Mindless but Entertaining
As I watched this film for the first time, my two reactions were (a) I'll bet they all had fun making it and (b) is this a parody of the so-called "Spaghetti Westerns"? Essentially, there is no plot. El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) seeks revenge from Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida) in a town which the drug dealer controls. EM enlists the support and assistance of Carolina (Selma Hayek) who owns and manages the local book store. (I'm not making this up.) No one eats or sleeps in this film. All of the action occurs during the day. There are a few crowd scenes but no one in the crowd seems to have any interest whatsoever in the fact that the street scenes are being filmed. There is one bar of special note. Cheech Marin is its host and bartender. (If you think the bar in Star Wars is unfriendly, this one makes it seem like the Palm Court at The Plaza in New York.) At one point, Quentin Tarantino briefly appears. Apparently he is involved in a drug deal which goes bad. Steve Buscemi also makes a brief appearance. Prudently, he decides not to become involved in the plot. (Where is Harvey Keitel?) EM is a one-man-army. Credit Rodriguez with brilliantly choreographing his creative and relentless carnage which leads up to the inevitable showdown with Bucho. Although most of this film makes no sense whatsoever, I found it thoroughly entertaining. It is on my Top Ten list of films to watch while consuming buttered popcorn, a box of Dots, and a cold beverage...or two.

====ripped off some of john woo's movies====
====most of the scenes are reminicense or like john woo's films but this movie was a good copy=====

Mexican Heat!!! READ ME
Wow, must see, Antonio has done it again, and with his new movie Once upon a Time in Mexico, SWEET!!! He faces of a challeng where Bucho has killed his family and he wants revenge. Making blood banks all over. But really what makes you want to go crazy for, the guitar, or guitar case. He is a mexican mariachi looking for Bucho with a guitar case full of wepons. Now i don't want to spoil it, and you can also find once Upon a Time in Mexico with Antonio. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Underrated sleeper but a Great Movie
This movie doesn't rely on spectacular special effects, outrageous creatures, computer generated universes or even a huge cast of super star talent. What makes it a great flick is the superb job done on the script and the great acting done by both leads. An unbelievable premise (time travel) is made secondary to the plot and dialogue so that it doesn't become a hindrance to the story line.

Belushi's character is very believable as an evil villain and this is probably his best performance. Travis plays a hostage negotiator that is taking time off from her stressful job because she has just botched an incident and is trying to recuperate from the trial.

Along comes Belushi playing a loud mouth abusive bore and the action starts. They tangle and Travis stumbles into a test lab where time travel experiments are being conducted. Instead of being killed by the bad guy she is sent back to where they first meet and is given a second chance at resolving the conflict. She is now the ultimate negotiator as she has some degree of knowledge of the future and can use that knowledge to affect the outcome. Of course she screws up and makes it worse and there lies the beauty of the movie.

I am torn between giving this movie a four or a five, it is a really well written and acted and can be watched more than once, but it does lack enough to not be called a blockbuster type movie. If I could give it four and a half I would. Highly recommend if you like sci fi, time travel or just plain well written scripts.

Full of surprises
I'll be honest. I didn't watch "Retroactive" for James Belushi or Kylie Travis (the Australian actress in Aaron Spelling's "Models Inc." TV series). In fact, I did a search for Shannon Whirry and stumbled on this one. Turned out I really enjoyed it -- although Shannon was 100% different from her roles in "Private Obsession" or "Mirror Images". Apart from being surprised by a fully dressed Shannon Whirry who gave a pretty cool performance, I found this movie amazingly good for a sci-fi that didn't have to rely on computerized visual effects. (By the way, now that a remake of "The Time Machine" just came out, the "old" version with Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux still remains one of my favorites in the genre).... Well, "Retroactive" also got part of its plot based on the "time travel" concept, and some twists and turns probably borrowed from "Back To The Future". But let's not overlook this film's own charm: the Texas "heat" that could be felt throughout its 90 minutes (and got Kylie Travis to sweat quite a lot). That atmosphere alone would deserve another star.

An action-packed joyride.
A word of warning before the review: I highly recommend Retroactive and suggest you go out of your way to see it in widescreen because the numerous action scenes and breathtaking desert cinematography are cramped and a pain to watch in pan-and-scan.

Relegated to a straight-to-video release, Retroactive is a smart and entertaining thriller that deserves a wider audience. The film features a relatively simple but clever premise: Superhottie Kylie Travis stars as Karen Warren, a police negotiator who's on vacation in Texas. She gets into a car accident and has to hitchhike with a somewhat odd, but seemingly friendly couple, Frank and Rayanne (James Belushi and Shannon Whirry).

But everything goes horribly wrong when Frank discovers Rayanne has been cheating on him and he murders her right in front of Karen's eyes, who proceeds to run to the nearest building, a government-owned complex run by a single occupant, a scientist named Brian (Frank Whaley). There, he accidentally activates the time travel device he was working on, sending Karen back twenty minutes, just as she's been picked up by Frank. She then becomes determined to stop the horrible crime for occurring, but unfortunately, the body count grows even larger and she must go back again to prevent an even larger massacre.

Retroactive's appeal holds mainly to sci-fi action fans. The plot has a lot of twists and turns, which keeps the film unpredictable and suspenseful. But the real treat is for action fans, who should strap in for an adrenaline-pumping thrill ride. From the moment Travis is sent back in time, the film deliver non-stop excitement. There are tense shootouts and fast-paced car chases, the latter of which boasts some of the most exhilarating stunts since The Road Warrior. From a visceral point-of-view, Retroactive surpasses most of Hollywood's recent summer blockbusters.

The film still has its flaws, none of them surprisingly having to do with a sense of repetition, considering each action setpiece has the same basic setting and situation (car chase on a lonely desert highway, shootout at a gas station). Credit director Louis Morneau for keeping each sequence fresh and taut with suspense. The set-up may be the same, but the results and resolutions considerably differ. Rather, what I do have a problem with is some technical error during the shootouts. Belushi is shown firing a six-bullet revolver at one point, but clearly fires more than ten rounds. Another similar blatant miscalculation occurs again near the end. Plot holes and leaps of logic are expected in this kind of film, but the number of shots fired from a gun shouldn't be that hard to keep track of.

As the film's tough heroine, the absolutely gorgeous Kylie Travis is refreshingly intelligent and strong-willed. She occasionally has trouble holding back that British accent of hers, but still comes across quite well (looks great in that black tank-top, too). The only thing really holding her back is the fact that she's so gorgeous, it's a little tough to believe someone with her looks works as a cop (but I see her looks more as a plus, given what eye candy she is). James Belushi is a lot of fun as the psychotic villain, clearly relishing the over-the-top role, even though his character does lose menace through some ridiculous one-liners. Frank Whaley is quite good as the young scientist, hampered only by a single scene that requires him to forget the logic of his own device which Travis corrects him on.

With blistering, fast-paced action and a fun story, Retroactive proves to be a highly enjoyable way to spend ninety minutes. Most of the running time features a tight tank-top and pants wearing Kylie Travis kicking ass, so that alone is enough to recomend the film.
*** 1/2 out of *****

Belushi makes the movie
Stock fare about going back in time via a hi-tech device ( in this case, repeatedly ) until you get things right. Belushi is the psycho on the loose killer, making the movie run along quite nicely. Nothing new here folks, move right along!

NOT BAD AT ALL...
At first this movie seemed to be B class at best. While it an A- at best it diffenately was worth the time. The acting could have been a little better at times, but the story is where this movie shows its glory. What I'm saying is the 'RETROACTIVE' parts of the movie...you'll see. It gets more and more interesting as the movie goes on. A must for any Sci-Fi fan. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Kung Fu movie? Comedy?
I saw this movie because I'm a big fan of Yuen Woo Ping, but came away wondering what it was all about. There were some martial arts in it, but it seemed to be mainly some sort of stream-of-consciousness comedy that I didn't get. There's a whole lot of plot that doesn't really go anywhere, and some wire fu that seems to be there because he can do it, not because it has anything to do with the movie. I guess when you do as many movies as he does (sometimes 3 in a year) you're bound to end up with a few like this one.

wacky, ingenious and highly entertaining
This movie is one of the best fantasy/comedies from hong kong that I have seen. Yuen Woo Ping (Drunken Master, Magnificent Butcher, The Matrix) directs and choreographs this gem with great humour, inventiveness and flair. The sets and cinematography are also top notch. Some of the wacky set pieces include "a pedal-powered massage chair, a feather barometer, a homonculus-like baby, masks, flying drills, and a fighting stick-man". The film culminates with a tournament of sorcerers which is great fun. Many people that aren't die hard fans can find hong kong Cinema a bit of a chore but this is one of the films that will be enjoyed by anyone with a sense of humour and a taste for the bizarre and wacky. Also the Martial Arts scenes are fantastic - fast and furious with some stunning choreography - check it out! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Woo,s class is Evident!
John Woo the master of action directs this TV pilot and although its no where near the same league as some of his other films like Hard Boiled and the killer it is still a good action movie. Dolph Lundgren is good in the lead and gives one of his better performances, Woo is always able to get the best out of his stars except for Van Damme in Hard Target. The plot in this is pretty un-original and the inclusion of the phobia of white is far fetched but once an action scene pops up Woo's slick style comes to the fore front and is very impressive, his direction throughout the film is stylish and dispite the TV movie style look this does look quite expensive for a Dolph flick although for a Woo film it does look cheap, but we still have Woo's trademark mass destruction with slo-mo debree flying through the air and every bullet seemingly having its own bullet hole. This needed another two main action scenes and a bit more depth in plot but the budget and time spent would not allow for that being a TV movie. Worth watching if you like action films or if your are an avid Lundgren or Woo fan but if you are new to Woo then i suggest one of his Hong Kong films or big budget Hollywood flicks.

John Woo Keeps The Magic
Two blondes, a wimpy bad guy pitted up against a colossal Dolph Lundgren, and unexplainable motorcyclists...I do detect a John Woo hit here!

Black Jack gives a new name to B-movies with this incredibly ridiculous story of an unstoppable bodyguard who's only enemy is (dun dun DUN!!!) the color white. While battling his fear of milk, playing cards and his girlfriend's silk blouse, he is able to overcome New York city's toughest sniper...who cries at the sight of supermodels and hasn't really shot many people at all.

Dolph also shows his versatility in this film, as he adopts lovable 10-year-old neice, Casey, who displays about as much emotion when her parents are killed as the sole of my shoe does when it squishes a bug. But Lundgren plays well off a sexy, drugged up supermodel who wins his heart as he helps salsa dance her out of a Percodan coma. And we can't forget Dolph's cigar smoking D-cup wearing psychologist who gives housecalls in evening dresses and quotes Confucious, saying "you must face your biggest fears." Yeah, Confucious said that. In Chinese. 2500 years ago.

So really, suspend your disbelief that the police wouldn't be able to stop this incredibly wimpy killer - and that a supermodel with an obsessed fan and a drug habit is anything worthy of special attention - and that the skyline of Toronto REALLY resembles New York City - and that "where the hell do those renegade motorcyclists come from??" And we're talkin' best movie of ALL TIME!!!

BLACKJACK review
What do you get when you mix legendary Hong Kong action director, John Woo with straight-to-video action superhero, Dolph Lundgren? You get a bullet-filled but slightly soft made-for-TV melodrama.

Lundgren is Jack Devlin, a security guard with a "phobia" of the color, white. Stick with me now. After his best friend gets killed, he takes in his young daughter and works the "father figure" angle. Meanwhile, a psychotic assassin is stalking his latest client, a drug-addicted supermodel. Naturally, it wouldn't be a Woo film if all this didn't lead to a whole lot of gun fights, motorcycle chases, and a shoot-out in a milk factory (?).

This isn't exactly John Woo's finest hour but it's not all bad either. Lundgren is pretty wooden in the lead but an appearance by Fred "The Hammer" Williamson makes for a nice touch. Though the video carries an R-rating (for reasons, known only by the MPAA), most of the action is watered down a bit from Woo's usual style. There's no close-ups of bloody bullet wounds to be found here. For die-hard John Woo fans only.

The only good made for TV film.
John Woo is the best action film director, but this disappointing direct to video nonsense does not show you fun that Woo can do. I like it more then Woo's dumb movie, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2. An ex-CIA operative named Black Jack (Dolph Lundgren) who is asked by an old friend to act as a bodyguard for his young daughter. Then he is asked by other old friend to guard a model from a killer. The "sub-story" has Jack fearing the color white dun to a childhood trauma. All in all this is ok for a film that was going to be a TV movie, but why the hell does the video have an R rating, but who cares these days. A other John Woo made for TV film is ONCE A THIEF (note: Woo also did a real film in Hong Kong with the same name).

1998. MIRIMAX. 123 MINS.

Rated R For Violence.

Woo and Lundgren an Intresting combo.
The Movie isn't as actionpacked as Hard Boiled but Blackjack ain't shabby when it comes to delivering the goods. Woo and Lundgren deliver enough thrills and spills to keep action fans happy,just don't expect Hard Boiled. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Stinging Good Fun
When looking for a fun action film, a good choice would be a film called Black Scorpion that stars Joan Severance. This movie was followed by a sequel and a television series.

Black Scorpion is the story of a young girl raised by a policeman father whose tactics cause him to ruin his career. Later in life as a cop herself she finds herself in a position where she needs to find justice and the Black Scorpion is born. Using some clothes from an undercover gig as a prostitute, and a few other additions, a costumed vigilante is created. Just as she starts to make her mark a super-villain called The Breathtaker threatens the lives of everyone in the city. It is up to Black Scorpion to save the day.

This movie is a well-balanced mix of action, adventure and humor. The police chief and a con called Argyle (played by Garrett Morris) really help to make this a very enjoyable movie. At the movie's end the viewer is left wanting to see more Black Scorpion adventures. Unfortunately, this is the best that the series gets. This is an R-Rated film for good reason so despite its comic-book feel, this is not one for children.

Black Scorpion Can Sting Me Any Time!
If you love B-movies, comic books, or women dressed in bondage gear who fight crime this is your lucky day!You'll love this one! This is the perfect flick when you're looking for escapist fun as super heroine Black Scorpion battles the evil Breathtaker and his army of asthmatics the wheezing warriors! It's a blast! Joan Severance is fantastic, seductive and beautiful and her commentary and interview segment on this DVD are a delight. She is so cute and seems like she really had a blast making this movie. If you enjoy this one check out the sequel and the tv show. This is fun stuff!

great escapist fare
Black Scorpion always makes me smile. It's a fun movie with a great leading lady and a good sense of fun. I've watched this on more than one rainy Sunday afternoon. A black leather clad superheroine battles the Darth Vader like Breathetaker who wants to make the entire city asthmatic. Silly and sexy cult entertainment.

a blast
Sexy Joan Severance puts on black hooker clothes to battle crime as the super-heroine Black Scorpion complete with her own super-powered car. This is great stuff if you love comics and B movies.

There are TWO editions of this movie!
Please be warned that there are two different editions of this movie on DVD and I've yet to find a retailer who can confirm which they're shipping. The one with "Roger Corman Presents" accros the top of the cover DOES NOT include the interview or commentary. ... Read more

Reviews (320)

Manhunter is a treat....
especially for fans of Michael Mann, and his stylish, intense film presentation. If you absolutely must have your movies true to the book, or if you are watching Manhunter to try to get an early view of Hannibal Lecter (pre-Silence of the Lambs), you may be disappointed.

Mann gives us William Petersen, a little younger and thinner, but much the same as his current role in the television feature "CSI". He has nearly destroyed himself and his family life with his ability to profile serial killers, and his inability to stay out of harm's way. The villain of this setting (and the book, "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris) is called the "Tooth Fairy" and his slaughter of two families is particularly grisly; how and why he chose his victims will surprise you. Mann's use of rock classics for the score, and his choice of actors for the parts of both villians are brilliant. Although I prefer Anthony Hopkins, the Lecter role is played with brilliant understatement by Cox, an actor who can "ooze" madness and evil, and does so in this film. Like many of the reviewers, I found only the original widescreen DVD, and not the 2 part Director's cut to demonstrate the excellence in this film. BRAVO, Michael Mann!

A little slow at times, but done with great style!
True to the book, with a great sense of the somewhat cheesy 80's style Mann himself invented. Love the Inna Gadda Da Vida scene. It is, to me, one of the greatest marriages of music and video ever put on film, and it saved the movie for me. Also enjoyed the eerie lack of music in the 'burning wheelchair' scene. Mann has the unique ability to create an unforgettable 'moment' in a film which etches itself forever into the viewer's mind (For another prime example of this ability, see the seemingly endless 'shooting to escape capture' scene in the beginning of Mann's HEAT. Excellent!). Performances were good, if not exactly captivating, especially if judged in comparison to those in Silence Of The Lambs. But comparing any movie to a 5-time Academy Award winner is probably unfair. The biggest problem with Manhunter, I found, was Mann's (Or, perhaps, William Peterson's) inability to convincingly portray the overwhelming mental anguish that the Will Graham character goes through in this story. All in all, a good, entertaining film with some truly memorable moments.

Dream Much, Will?
Don't miss this original, the first of the Hannibal Lechtor series. The score, the filmography, (Lighting), is still so vividly used in the best of today's suspence/thrill sequences.
Will Graham, (William Peterson), is the "Manhunter" hunting down "Frances Dolarhyde", and also the man responsible for imprisoning Dr Lechtor, at great phsycial, and emotional harm to himself.
Don't be fooled by Dino's latest grab at a buck, the rediculous "Red Dragon". (Which is odd, since Dino owns "Manhunter" as well..)
So, Red Dragon is only a remake of this great film.
It's ultimately embaressing to watch Lechtor and Chilton's charachter's re-acted, only "made up" to look 20 some years younger! (Red Dragon).
This is the Real McCoy, and Brian Cox, IMHO, should have stayed Hannibal Lechtor.
If you want another good performance by Anthony Hopkins, see "Meet Joe Black".
BTW, as far as I can tell, Barney's character, (Frankie Faison), is the only actor to play in all "Four movies of the Trilogy"..
If you want the original psychological thriller in this series, you found it..

Pete

Michael Mann's controversial crime-thriller ...
MANHUNTER is the 1986 crime-thriller that began Michael Mann's career as a respected filmmaker. Adapted from the novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this film will be remembered as "the film with the OTHER Hannibal Lecter" and will dismissed by many as a good first try, but nothing special. CSI's William Petersen stars as Will Graham, a gifted FBI agent who is working to track down a mysterious killer nicknamed the "Tooth Fairy" before the next full moon. Aiding him in his hunt is the (curiously mispelled) criminal genius Hannibal Lecktor, played by Brian Cox. Being a huge fan of the Hannibal Lecter film series and Harris' novels, I have more to work with than some other people. MANHUNTER was adapted and directed by Michael Mann, who also produced "Miami Vice" - and it shows on the glittering design and stunning soundtrack. The acting is okay, but is great only in the cases of Petersen and Dennis Farina (who also featured on "Miami Vice", as well as certain other people who appear in the film). Mann's direction is the greatest part of the film. Brian Cox's performance as "Lecktor" works fine, but is completely incomparable to that of Anthony Hopkins, who played him in the later films. MANHUNTER has been unfairly dismissed as a piece of crap. It's no masterpiece, I'll grant you that, but the fact that the film is so dated, and the work that people like Mann and Petersen have done, make it a wonderful, "Miami Vice"-esque thriller.

Read the novel AND see this film!
I first rented this movie in the late '80s, and I really only did so to see Chris Elliot's cameo -- give me a break, I was really bored that weekend! Years later, when I saw Silence of the Lambs in the theater, I recognized the name of the doctor and realized that these two works were somehow related, and eventually ended up reading all four of Thomas Harris' novels and seeing all five film adaptations, of which Manhunter is my personal favorite.

Upon reflection, I initially found the film's ending a bit stereotypically Hollywood, and not quite up to the same high level of quality found in the rest of the film. As I later read the novel, I at first found myself liking the book's ending better, but understood how it might have been much harder to film -- that is, until I got past the red herring to the novel's REAL ending, which made Manhunter's ending seem positively inspired by comparison. (Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit too hard on Harris, and giving Michael Mann a bit too much of a pass on this point....)

If you don't like Michael Mann's directorial style, or if you're one of those pseudo-intellectuals who can't look at a film made in another decade without calling it "dated" -- or if you think Anthony Hopkins is the only actor who should ever be legally allowed to play the character of Hannibal Lector --then you might not like this film. Though it often strays from the novel a little bit, and leaves almost all of the exposition regarding the Tooth Fairy's origins out, it all still works. Noonan gives an excellent and economic performance, as does Nancy Allen (and their love scene is one of the more tasteful and romantic in recent memory).

Brian Cox also has a different take on the Lector character than Hopkins, but it is ultimately A) closer to the novel's depiction and B) more realistic and believable. Sorry, Tony, but you have to admit, as great as your performance was in Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal comes off much better when the actor playing him resists the urge to chew scenery -- no pun intended....

But it is William Petersen's portrayal of Investigator Graham that really carries the film, and rightly so. As I said before, the novel gives us much, much more background on the Tooth Fairy than the movie does, but the main focus of the story is on Graham and his own internal struggles. I was especially impressed with one scene in particular that Petersen and Mann really pulled off well, as far as taking a great moment from the novel and translating it into a great movie moment. It's the scene in the middle of the film when Graham is seated at a diner, staring out into the rainy night, playing the answering machine message of one of the victims in his head: "Hi, this is Valerie Leads; I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now..." because she's been murdered, of course. Absentmindedly, Graham says aloud, "Me too." The waitress passing by asks if he was asking for more coffee, and he tells her no. Turning back to the window, having now made up his mind to throw himself completely into the investigation and see it through to the end, Graham says out loud, as if the Tooth Fairy could hear him, "It's just you and me now, sport." This was a great emotional moment in the novel, and Mann and Petersen (and the music score) also manage to make it a great emotional moment in the movie as well, losing nothing in the translation.

I give the same number of stars to Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs, but let's face it -- Mann's asylum for the criminally insane is much more realistic and believable than Demme's, for instance. Two different directorial styles, two different approaches to Lector, etc., but each quite good in its own right. The "re-imagining" of 2002 on the other hand is another story, and a sad one at that....

If you're in the mood for the original modern police procedural on investigating serial killers, or for a good psycholgical character study about the effects of such work on the investigators themselves, then give this film a try!

PS: Why is it that when most people review books and films on Amazon, A) they seem not to notice that most of what they say has already been said in the hundreds of other reviews previously posted, and B) they seem to feel obligated to recount the entire plot, point by point, spoiler by spoiler, in excruciating detail, instead of just giving the rest of us a simple idea of why we might like or dislike the book or film in question?! ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Jim Emerson's review is misguided at best.
Jim Emerson's review states that Harry disregards the law in pursuit of justice. Not True! Harry is motivated by justice and respect for the law, and is hampered by political posturing of local officials. "Magnum Force" demonstrates that Harry will not bend the law or resort to vigilantism. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Striking Distance Hits the Bullseye!
Bruce Willis plays Thomas Hardy son of demised Pittsburgh Cop who's death is in question. Hardy who is also a cop get's put on River patrol around the Three Rivers where bodies keep popping up. Sarah Jessica Parker plays partner and eventual love interest and becomes endagered when the serial killer starts aiming for Hardy. This is arguably the most underated action thriller of it's kind due to it's unique story and it's unpredictable ending. Take bets early on who the killer is. This movie is well shot and well edited. Willis' best action movie is still Diehard but this isn't far off. Native Pittsburghers will love recognizing the on location action sequences. Hardy keeps it together through police dept. dissention but is eventually looked at to save the day & night. See this one, it's better than it's revues!

typical cop flick with atypical setting
This movie follows one of the typical cop movie plots -- discgraced cop being tormented, The setting is not the typical Chicago or Los Angeles, rather it follows Bruce Willis as a river cop in Pittsburgh. The plot is not very deep and if you think about things too hard you may be unhappy. The movie does provide plenty of good exciting entertainment with plenty of cool Bruce Willis "looks". Sarah Jessica Parker does a great job playing his unwanted partner (another standard cop movie cliche) too.

I thought the ending dragged on a bit long, but overall it was very enjoyable.

Based On Real-Life
It is no wonder that this movie takes place in Pittsburgh,Pa.where corrupt cops abound.Bruce Willis is excellent in this one.

HUH?
I was really surprised by the number of negative reviews of this movie. Granted, STRIKING DISTANCE, is not one of Bruce's best films, but I found it to be solidly entertaining, cliches and all. And I think it had some very good twists that I didn't see coming. I found the whole cast, (even (...)Sarah Jessica Parker) to be commendable in their roles. Special kudos to Robert Pastorelli, Dennis Farina and Tom Sizemore. I wanted to be entertained and STRIKING DISTANCE certainly filled the bill for me!!

Strike Out
Striking Distance may boast the likes of mega star Bruce Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker, pre her Sex In The City fame, in its cast. Not to mention some fine character actors, lending some solid support to the proceedings. Still, thanks to a screenplay, riddled with cliches, the film fails to add anything new to the thriller genre

Tom Hardy (Bruce Willis) is a maverick cop who's not afraid to rock the boat in pursuit of a sadistic serial killer. Demoted to river patrol after suggesting the killer may be a fellow police officer, he initiates an unauthorized investigation. His new partner, Jo (Sarah Jessica Parker) climbs aboard with a surprise of her own, as the conspiracy closes in around them.

Director Rowdy Herrington, who is also credited as co-writer of the film's script with Martin Kaplan, puts together a film that feels all too familiar. The "twists" of the movie are fairly easy to spot, and if it wasn't for the work of Willis, who does a solid job--the movie would be almost forgettable. What should play out like a "page turning pulp mystery", instead, the story connects most of the dots for the viewer. What a shame.

Given my thoughts on the film, I was not at all suprised by the lack of extras, on the DVD. All that's there is the movie's theatrical trailer Those that end up watching Striking Distance can choose to do so, in either the full-screen, or widescreen formats.

What a disappointment. The DVD only garners a two star rating, not my usual feeling about a Bruce Willis flick... ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Long Live Jim Kelly
This title, as bad in production value as it is, definitely ranks up there with the most entertaining movies I've ever seen. I laughed so hard at times, I nearly cried. Either they were doing this tongue in cheek, which then makes it brilliant, or it was complete schlock. Either way, it's a keeper for the library.

NOTE: I bought the VHS version thinking it would contain the edited footage, but it does not. Seems there is no fully uncut version available, because someone wrote the DVD version is edited. Ripoff.

Jim Kelly is a classic, and when he delivers the line "your credibility has reached an all time low", he is unforgettable.

LOVE THE MOVIE, BUT THEY'VE CUT IT
I have the older video copy of this and it's BAD, but fun. Looks like the newer VHS and DVD copies have been badly cut. Too bad! We need an uncut version of this on DVD! Try to find older versions and enjoy the great fights and silly crap served up with the original [***], Kelly's colorful use of language and some good old fashion sex and violence. The "G rated" version they have out on DVD is absurd.

Maybe the worst movie ever - but a must see!
This is singlehandedly the worst movie I've ever seen. Some movies have bad acting. Some have bad direction, bad writing, or just a bad feel. Black Samurai has all of that in spades, and just as icing, bad sound editing, and bad action scenes. Don't waste your time on this movie if you're expecting a martial arts movie on par with.. well, real martial arts movies.

What this movie is, however, is absolutely, although unintentionally hilarious. I laughed so hard my eyes watered up several times. But let's be clear: there are no jokes in Black Samurai. Black Samurai IS the joke, and I think Jim Kelly was in on it.

First of all, the title is horribly misleading. Jim Kelly, while indeed black, is no samurai. There is one scene where Kelly practices with a katana and some nunchucks, but that was apparently just to keep him sharp for later movies; they never appear again.

Secondly, for a government agent, Black Samurai is one evil dude. Even though Kelly is apparently some manner of law-enforcement official, he doesn't arrest anyone. He deals out his own brand of justice: knocking most people out, while selecting a few at random for life-altering injury. In one instance, Kelly chooses a seemingly random opponent and yells THE single most classic line in '70s film: "You never gonna walk again, sucka!", whilst snapping his spine. You cold as ice, BS.

But you don't just have bad titling or random acts of evil to glean cheap laughs from! You still have the veritable treasure trove of laughter that is the sound editing and effects!

First, the punches and kicks for some reason sound just like gunshots. Actual gunshots sound like gunshots too, which sounds confusing, but when you're watching the movie trust me, it'll be the least of your concerns.

Here's the best part: there are entire scenes complete with dialog where nobodys mouths move. Yes, really. No, I'm not making this up. There's a five minute scene where Kelly and an opponent move around sizing each other up. They're talking the whole time, but no mouths move. Maybe they're doing it telepathically. Also, apparently Kelly saw the movie after it was filmed and refused to do the dubbing for his character, hoping the movie would die, because there are several occasions where Kelly is supposed to be talking, but someone else's voice comes out.

This isn't a B Movie. This is more like an H movie. It's WAY down on the chain. I'm buying it anyway! I want to show it to my kids someday when they tell me classics like Ferris Beuller and Spaceballs suck. "...no little Timmy, THIS sucks."

What a terrible film !!!!!!!!!!
First of all let me say I love Jim Kelly but this movie is just plain awful, the acting is the worst i have ever seen and even the fights not the best Jim has ever done.
I actually turned the film off half way through because I was so bored with the story line.
Thank god Jim did "Black Belt Jones" !!

Black Samurai ¿ Not to be Taken Seriously
When watching this DVD all conventional expectations of standard film making (decent acting, editing, direction etc.), should be put aside. Instead this DVD should be enjoyed for what it is a schlock B - grade cult/martial arts send up that is performed with tongue firmly in cheek. "Black Samurai" is directed by Al Adamson who knows his way around low budget action fare. This film stars Jim Kelly as a wealthy agent for the government organization D.R.A.G.O.N. Kelly is lured back into action when his girlfriend is kidnapped by a group of Haitian voodoo slavers. Things do go from the sublime to the ridiculous as Kelly is pitted against a vulture, a slew of diminutive bad guys and the evil warlock Janicott (Bill Roy) all while never messing up one hair of his immaculate afro. Also, there is a scene of Kelly donning a jet-pack to sneak up on the evil doers that has to be seen to be believed. Adamson keeps things from spiraling into an incoherent mess while keeping a brisk pace. The supporting cast is odd but will be familiar to cult movie buffs including D' Urville Martin ("Black Caesar"), Felix Silla (Cousin It from "The Addams Family"), Marilyn Joi ("Kentucky Fried Movie") and tough guy Aldo Ray ("We're No Angeles"). The primary reason to watch this DVD is for the choreographed fight scenes that are done well enough and really do showcase Kelly's martial arts ability. All in all this film is not going to be remembered as great cinema but the charm of its silliness makes it enjoyable. ... Read more

Description

Lawrence Sanders' nerve-fraying bestseller stars Frank Sinatra as a New York detective coping with his wife's mysterious and incurable illness -- and hunting an ice hammer-wielding killer. Year: 1980 ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A subtle an' creepy adult thriller; one'a Sinatra's best...
This is one'a my favorites. A quiet, subtle an' deceptively simple story about an aging New York City detective on the trail of a mysterious an' unattainable serial killer, all while disputing with his superiors who don't seem to think much of the case, and stressing over his wife, the love of his life, who is hospitalized an' on her death bed. It's character-driven more than anything, as you watch Detective Delaney slowly lose his cool as the weight of his troubles bear down on him. He struggles to put on a facade when he speaks to his wife in the hospital, even as she slowly but surely goes in an' out, an' rambles aimlessly; the medicine an' antibiotics doin' her no good an' operation after operation coming to no avail. It's heartbreaking when he speaks to her about the house that they've long been interested in buying bein' in their mits, all while knowing that she is fading fast. With the inevitable loss looming over him, his anger an' frustration turns to determination as, against the warnings of his superiors an' his arrogant new captain, he trails a killer who has been striking burrough after burrough of the city.

The real highlight of the movie an' the story to me is Delaney's relationship with his wife though, as it is the motivation behind all his actions, for better or worse. To me, as a devoted fan of Sinatra the actor, this is one'a his best performances. He brings such a range of emotion to this role, and even though he is mostly restrained an' bottled up, he is so obviously ready to snap (this to me comes out most in his confrontation with his wife's doctor; I've never seen Frank display such rage an' spite in a movie). Martin Gabel an' James Whitmore have good side roles as a museum curator an' a cynical coroner, respectively, both of whom are two of the few people who actually believe an' support Delaney's claims about this obvious psychopath; Faye Dunaway, though she isn't in the film as much, gives a good performance as Delaney's dying wife who is rapidly slipping away; an' David Dukes makes for a disturbing psyhopath, though the full extent of his character's madness isn't revealed until the final quarter.

But, really, this is by far Frank's movie. As Delaney, he is a person who is losing all that is dear to him an' cannot seem to cope with it an' function normal because of it. Even at his mos' seemingly calm an' collected, you can see the despair beneath the surface. The final scene of him breaking down by his wife's bedside is one'a the FINEST pioeces of acting I've ever seen, not jus' by Sinatra, but by ANY actor. This turned out to be his final role, but, even if he hadn't already had an Academy Award-winning acting career behind him, he woulda proved his worth in cinema with this role alone.

Frank's best
I loved this movie. I read the book first and it was wonderful. A friend of mine gave it to me and after that I read all of the books it this series.

I think this it the best movie Frank Sinatra ever made. It is an excellent movie. It is a good crime story and well done. If you like a good who done it movie you will like this one.

Greatly underrated film
Those who choose to review don't seem to "get" this film. Sinatra is able to portray the character of a realistically strong, dedicated, and loving man. He is one of the few actors who could pull it off. Sinatra is both believable and fascinating in his role as an exceptional police investigator with a palpable off-beat manliness who maintains his allegiance to his chosen duty while suffering the great tradgedy of his own personal life.

Tepid
Disappointing adaptation of Lawrence Sanders' breakthrough bestseller squashes the story down to an under-two-hour format, leaching out the characterizations and offering only a few bare facts. The result is a flat, tepid thriller without much suspense.

In his final dramatic film role, Sinatra shows why he was so highly regarded as a screen performer. Despite a poor script and limp direction, his charisma is sufficient to make this watchable. He conveys genuine emotion and makes it possible for us to empathize with an underwritten character.

Faye Dunaway, unfortunately, is limited to a few scenes, all of which take place in a hospital bed, as she plays Sinatra's dying wife. In the novel, Mrs. Delaney's scenes served as a poignant counterpoint to his search for the killer. He discusses the case with her, sharing all the details, and Sanders paints a powerful portrait of a cop who defeats the killer, but it powerless against the disease that is killing his wife. In the movie this does not come off at all, and viewers not familiar with the book may wonder why these scenes were included.

The DVD is a bare bones, full-screen transfer, with no extras.

Sinatra fans may enjoy this film, but I'd recommend reading Sanders' novel instead if you're looking for a gripping hunt-for-the-killer mystery.

Formula stuff ... but it is Sinatra
On a par with a good TV movie but nothing special, which is unfortunate for Sinatra's last significant film role. Sinatra, though, is as compelling as always on screen and the film is worth viewing, if not one you'll want to revisit often. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Much more than your average cop movie!
Eddie Murphy is just superb(he's never made a bad movie) as a San Francisco PD hostage negotiator who's the best in the business. When his partner is murdered while visiting a suspect in a jewellery robbery, he tries all he can to get his revenge and track him down. As well as all this, he's trying hard to sort out his personal life! There's a good twist to which member of his family he's wanting to visit all the time(just when you think OH MY GOD IT'S NOT ANOTHER DIVORCED COP WHO WANTS CUSTODY OF HIS KID, you'll be pleasantly surprised!), and there's also one hell of a spectacular car chase down San Francisco's steep streets! The DVD quality on this recording is just fine in sound and picture quality, the action never stops and Murphy, in a partially serious role, manages to throw in a few funny lines to please his comedy aficionados. This movie is well worth seeing. Ten stars!

Boring and predictable action flick
This is the kind of boring, by-the-numbers kind of movie that you find yourself forgetting even as you are watching it. Eddie Murphy hasn't made any good movies in years (unless you count his voiceover in Shrek) and is still living off his reputation from Saturday Night Live and 48 Hours and those were a LONG time ago.

Basically, a "This Time It's Personal!" thriller about a hostage negotiator who turns homicide detective -- breaking all the ...uh...rules, pissing off his boss, etc. -- when his partner is killed by a master jewel thief (Michael Wincott)