Reviews (191)

Docked two stars for shoddy DVD treatment
First of all, let me go on the record as saying that Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my all-time favorite films. The acting is nothing short of astounding. Each actor (particularly Jack Lemmon) is at the top of their form. This is an actor's movie. There's no special effects, chase scenes, superfluous love story subplot, or pat ending. It should be obvious to anyone watching this film that it is based on a play -- specifically, David Mamet's Pulitzer-prize winning play of the same name. Mamet also wrote the screenplay, which is full of the fiery brilliance he always brings to the table. This is not a film for the timid. The language is raw and crude. The film takes no prisoners and I love it.

The film takes place in a real estate office, where cutthroat salesman do "cold calling," basically selling land by telemarketing. It's a brutal business (we've all been on the other end of that phone call and usually end up hanging up on the salesman), and the people these guys work for are brutal as well.

Case in point: during an early, crucial scene, Blake (played brilliantly by Alec Baldwin) tells the gathered crew that the top prize for highest sales is a Cadillac. The second prize is a set of steak knives and the third prize -- "you're fired." The speech is a sadistic, humiliating version of a pep talk, all macho brags and venomous insults. He dangles the new contacts, or "leads," in the faces of the salesmen. "They're for closers," he tells them. These guys would kill for the good leads, and Blake knows it. The scene was written especially fo the film and Baldwin eats it up. It's easily the best thing I've seen him do.

Jack Lemmon plays Sheldon Levene, the office's oldest employee. He used to be the best one around (they call him "The Machine"), but he's been on a bad streak lately and desperately needs his luck to change. His daughter's in the hospital and is unable to pay her medical bills. Al Pacino plays Ricky Roma, the current hotshot. His way of befriending a potential client in a bar and gaining his trust is odd, but effective (his opening monologue is totally insane, but thoroughly entertaining). Kevin Spacey is the office manager who will not bend the rules for anyone, much to the rage of the office. Ed Harris and Alan Arkin round out the rest of the salesmen. Harris plays Dave Moss, who has the world's biggest chip on his shoulder. Arkin is George Aaronow, who desperately needs to land a good sale. Most of his role consists of reacting to Harris and Pacino, but he's very good.

The day after Baldwin's talk, the salesman come to work to find the office robbed. The new leads are missing. Probably an inside job. It could have been anyone. Everyone is questioned by the police and everyone is insulted that they are considered suspects. Ricky is mad because the robbery may have screwed up his latest sale, putting his ownership of the Cadillac in jeopardy. Also, last night's client comes looking for him -- he has second thoughts. The way Ricky tries desperately to blow off his client while still playing the salesman is creepy and brilliant. Lemmon is amazing as Levene -- I've never seen desperation played so well.

Having said all that, I, along with the rest of the GGR fans, have been waiting years for this film to arrive on DVD. Especially since it's been promised as a "two-disc special edition." What a disappointing package it turned out to be.

Well, let's be fair. First of all, the film. It looks great. It sounds great. They did a great job with the film itself. But don't promise a loaded special edition and then give us something as lame as this. The only commentary track on the widescreen version is director James Foley. He only speaks during three scenes. The other commentary tracks are only available on the full-frame version (on disc two) and are not scene-specific.

The extras include "Magic Time," a tribute to the late Jack Lemmon, which is well-meaning but could have been a lot better. It does, however, end with a clip from Lemmon's appearance on "Inside the Actor's Studio," which is sweet. There is also "Always be Closing," another slapdash mini-documentary that features directors, playwrights, actors (including GGR's Alan Arkin and Alec Baldwin) discussing the role of the salesman in plays and films, as well as actual salespeople themselves. Sound interesting? It's not. It lacks any kind of cohesive thread. It appears to have been produced by a first-year film student. There's no structure to it. It looks unfinished.

There's also a clip from Kevin Spacey's appearance on "Inside the Actor's Studio" where an audience member acts out a scene from GGR with Spacey. I'll admit, I enjoyed that bit.

Why in the world didn't Criterion release this? They would have done a much better job and besides, they released the laserdisc version (with commentary tracks from Jack Lemmon, among others, I'm told). What we end up with here is an amazing film with an amazing transfer...and a bunch of lame extras thrown in.

If you're a fan of this film, by all means, buy the DVD...but don't expect much in the area of extras.

Best Sales Movie Ever
Exaggeration & Repetition: Performance keys to live by

There are two keys to being a good performer, whether you are writing or telling a story, whether you are selling something or selling yourself: Always exaggerate things by one thousand percent, and use repetition at least 500 percent.

Those who understate a story or product that may not be very strong in the first place, will fall victims to making that story or product look weak. The way to avoid making yourself or whoever/whatever you are representing look weak is to follow the aforementioned keys. The way to do that when the product or story is weak is to learn how to "B.S." That is where being a good performer comes in...

You are an actor, and being outgoing and to the extreme will always give the impression that whatever you are talking about is "the best." A good actor can do this perfectly and not come off as overly co.cky or obnoxious. Always say what the other person wants to hear. The customer is always right. Do whatever you can to "nail the gig."

There is something else to keep in mind when doing this particular form of "B.S.-ing," and that is the "K.I.S.S." method of "keep-it-simple-stupid." That may sound like a contradiction to the keys, but it is not. Keeping it simple, is not disclosing the real specifics, but still making your case sound like it's above and beyond every other possible option. This comes in handy particularly when someone asks you a question that you may not know the full answer to. That is where "filling" comes in---something that students do when writing an English essay on a test. If you have a general idea of what you want to say but don't have a specific reply to a portion of the question, you "fill" that essay with long winded run-on sentences. However, the whole thing must be coherent, and if your essay is well-written and has a good amount of clever puns and humor, you cannot lose. If you are a slick actor or writer, you can fool even the best of English teachers into at least giving you an "E" for effort.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you will never lose if you can "meet in the middle." What that means is this: Suppose a shirt looks like it is worth $15 to a customer but you build it up so much and make it sound like it's worth $50... By the end of the conversation, if you are doing your job, you are going to get them to meet you in the middle and the final conclusion will be that the price of the shirt is around $25. The real worth may be no more than $15 (and maybe even less), and certainly nowhere near $50, but you still get the "E" for effort and earn $25. You aren't really getting into details on why the shirt is worth so much more than the customer thinks, but you are pounding it into their head that it's worth $50. You are exaggerating and repeating. You are using adjectives that may or may not apply to that shirt but you are making it sound great and far above what it's worth. So finally, they will concede a price of $25. You were stretching the truth about the shirt being worth $50 and they may have been undervaluing it at $15. Essentially, you are both lying and both playing a game with one another, but finally, a minimum of $25 is agreed upon. No one may ever find out the true value, but it's irrelevant anyway. This works in any situation.

Exaggeration and repetition. But remember to K.I.S.S.

These keys could have been discussed in one paragraph, but it took an entire page, yet you as the reader were compelled to hang onto each word from start to finish. So I succeeded as a writer in that this essay was read from start to finish and my point was proven.

The "Whale"

A whale is a customer that you pull in, hook, line and sinker and mount on the wall. He is a golden nugget, a superstar, a monster. This type of customer that you get lucky enough to snag will be your customer for life. That means, you will either be set up for life from one deal you strike up or you will have him as a repeat customer that you can call back as a strong possible prospect forever.

Sometimes it is tough to spot a whale, he may not always be overly outgoing or obvious about being a "buyer." So anyone can be a whale. The way to learn if someone is a whale or not is to simply get into their home and learn about their life and about them. So anything you can do to get your foot in the door will work.

Start off small and discuss something that may appeal to their interest and work your way into their world. Don't pre-judge them until you learn about them. This will take time and patience, but all you need is a small "in" and then you can build on that and if you win the whale's trust, all it takes is one big deal to set you up for life.

So practice the "A.B.C." method of "always be closing" with everyone, because anyone can be a prospect. While the impression may be given that you genuinely care about them, the main objective is getting them to sign on the dotted line.

Of course the obvious "Gordon Gecko" type whales who go around showboating their spending habits and their skills are the true whales that if you are lucky enough to somehow snag, you are set.

A play trapped inside a movie.
'Glengarry Glen Ross' has good dialogue and good acting by the fine actors, but this is actually a play trapped inside a movie. They should not have made it into a movie.

Put that coffee down!
If you're looking for car crashes, gun fights and naked people you won't find them here. But if great dialogue and raw emotion hold your interest, it doesn't get any better than this. Every one of these guys should have won an award for their roles in this movie. Not sure if this particular DVD contains the interview with Jack Lemmon that was included after one of the cable TV broadcasts of the film. If not, it should!

Always Be Closing!
Most people think of explosions, car chases and action/adventure films as guy movies. Well, maybe, but those are for boys. There's no car chase in this movie, no deaths and no guns. But it manages to hold your attention while telling its story of real estate salesmen. This is the quintessential guy movie. This screen adaptation of David Mamet's Pulitzer-winning play is incredibly stagebound, which was a stroke of genius: thus, the fast-paced dialogue and the desperate, macho facades of the characters become, and stay, the focus. This allows the amazing talents of the cast to flourish. Pacino and Lemmon are untouchable. Ed Harris is outstanding. Having just the four main characters makes the whole thing seem oddly forced at times. Baldwin's slick delivery of his ball-busting speech to the three underachieving salesmen, is a scene to remember. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A dark and troubling dream that David Lynch must envy, made all the more unsettling because it's true, Tarnation can only be called at auto-documentary. It's a self-portrait of the family life of Jonathan Caouette, whose mother Renee (a former child model) was forced to undergo electric shock treatment repeatedly in her youth, leading to erratic behavior throughout her life. But though the events of Caouette's life are sad, horrific, or a testament to human resilience, what makes the movie striking is how it was made: Caouette cobbled the movie together from photographs, tape recordings, and home movies that he's shot throughout his life, ranging from footage of himself at 11 years old imitating a battered wife to trashy horror movies he made as an adolescent to the first time he met his father. The unique and fluid result is mesmerizing and eerily intimate, like stepping into someone else's stream of consciousness--though few of our dreams have such a killer indie rock soundtrack. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Brave Artistic Depiction of Personal and Family Crisis...
Tarnation circles around the director of the film and his mother, as he tries to exorcise his cerebral demons that root deep within his past, a past that reaches as far back as the 1950s when his mother was borne to Adolph and Rosemary.They named their daughter, Renee, who later had Jonathan, the director, and before he was borne his father had disappeared out of his life.However, long before Jonathan was born, when Renee only was a young teen, an accident caused her to have temporary paralysis in her legs.The parents believed that all of it was in Renee's head, which compelled them to apply shock treatment to their daughter due to a suggestion of a neighbor.All wickedness in this sad and true story seems to originate from the day when Renee began her shock treatment as a young teen.

Jonathan intermingles photos, old family recordings, fading screens with information of the family's fate together with recent shots that were intended for the making of this film.All of this footage brings together a personal and disturbing tale and the formation of Jonathan's identity who bravely shares of his tragic misfortunes and unsettling past.The editing, made by Jonathan, offers an artistically talented experience, as it induce a psychedelic experience.This strange approach to tell the story provides an expressive channel for the audience to feel what Jonathan might have lived through.It also bombards the viewer with an over stimulation that feels authentic, as Jonathan tells his story that begins in New York.

The first scene displays Renee singing I'm Gonna Let It Shine while twinkling her index finger in a peculiar manner.This suggests the cerebral disadvantage that she endures, as additional footage offers more information about her difficulty to adapt to the norms of society.What is most striking in these initial shots is Renee's eyes that radiate a bizarre strangeness.Consequently, it is revealed that Renee has recently overdosed on Lithium while Jonathan is trying to recover from a high fever.In fear of her death, Jonathan returns to his childhood town in order to find a way to help her and ease the anguish that he feels inside.

Despite all the hardships Jonathan openly exhibits his warm affection for his mother.He also reveals literally everything, as he showcases himself nude through old recordings he has made in the past.Yet, it is not his nudeness that will alarm the audience, but his frankness about himself in the shadow of his delusional mother.Scene after scene brings to mind the structure of a mental disorder, as the audience is brought through Jonathan's childhood and adolescence.The film illustrates Jonathan's love for film and acting, as an old recording of himself displays a disturbing performance as Sharell.In addition, Jonathan freely shares about his exploration of his sexuality and other struggles that he faced through his teens.Ultimately, the audience is brought back to present time and his venture back to his childhood town in Texas.

Tarnation offers a brilliantly daring, artistically psychedelic, and poignantly affectionate tale of the filmmakers own upbringing and his attempt to purge himself of his painful past.In the process, Jonathan Caouette, brings himself closer to be at peace with himself, but it also opens up many old wounds.Some parts of this documentary resemble Gray Gardens (1975), which tells the story about a mother and daughter living in their decaying mansion in East Hampton.Yet, Jonathan succeeds in making this story more sensational in a psychedelic manner that induces an atmosphere where the audience can actually experience what Jonathan might have felt during certain parts of his life.

Brilliant
Once upon a time long ago, I saw a film by Conrad Rooks, "Chappaqua" that blew my mind.In all the years of "brilliant films"I haven't seen anything that compares to "Chappaqua" until now with "Tarnation".Caouette's imagination is brilliant;taking your mind with him with his usage of video, snapshots, answering machine messages, and whatever else came into his mind....just as with Rooks (no computers in Rooks' filmmaking). "Tarnation" is painfully personal which allows the viewer to capture Caouette's humor, pride and above all his love and caring not only for his own mother but this film made him aware of human dignity and what beinga real human being is about with love and care for others....and with cool music. Amen!!!

Film MakerReconstructs Family History
Jonathan Caouette has been filming himself, his friends, and family for over twenty years.Gradually the notion formed that his own personal universe would be the best subject for a feature film.After his mother recovered from a lithium overdose, he used iMac technology to edit together a film on the issues that interested him.

There is no lack of drama.Jonathan's mother was frequently hospitalized for mental health problems.As a child Jonathan watched his mother being raped, was put into an abusive foster home, and was eventually adopted by his mother's parents, Adolph and Rosemary Davis.

When Adolph gave Jonathan a movie camera and a Big Brother kept taking him to the movies, Jonathan's life took off.He would film himself and those around him.His grandparents put up with his direction for years.He acted out some campy scenes very well for an eleven-year old.

He realized early on that he was gay and got to know the culture of the times.He had his first boyfriend, Michael Cox, when he was fifteen in high school; they co-directed a musical of "Blue Velvet."

Jonathan still missed his mother and started destructive behavior, including many suicide attempts.He was hospitalized for a number of drug- or behavior-related events.

After an important gap of several years (during which he fathered a son!), his grandmother died and he chose to move to New York City to be an actor.He had met his father and received a visit from his mother.More important, he met the love of his life, David Sanin Paz, who healed Jonathan, allowing Jonathan to try to heal his mother.

When his mother overdoses her lithium, a crisis erupts, sending Jonathan back to Houston to deal with his mother and his aging grandfather.He makes some decisions and the movie comes to its conclusion.

I found it all fascinating and worked through the relationships and chronologies to see how matters fit together.I would have been more than willing to see the three-hour or two-hour versions that were prepared initially or for the film festival in New York.There were some loose ends, gaps, and questions left.In the commentary track, he suggested a film on his son and half-brother might interest him, but other topics would be good too.

While the creator is primarily interested in reconstructing his past and in looking after his mother, the subjects emphasized in the advertising for the film, I think it would also be worthy to mention the support he got along the way.His family and Big Brother encouraged his film skills.His first boyfriend, Michael Cox, was there for Jonathan when he came back from New York to be at his aging grandfather's neglected home after the mother's lithium overdose.Jonathan's high school friend Michael "Spooky" Mouton taught him punk rock, acted in his teen films, went with him to New York, and was his first roommate in New York.Both Michaels must have been aware of Jonathan's problems but stuck with him.David Sanin Paz fixed Michael up to take the next steps.Jonathan's gay and other friends were the key to his success when his biological family was falling apart.

The director's commentary is excellent, so much so that the movie isn't really seen until both the film sound and commentary have been heard. The other extras are also good, although some might have benefited from a commentary track.

There are frequent skin scenes of Jonathan and occasional shots of boyfriends.

When does Jonathan Caouette's next film come out?

The wave of the future?
Jonathan Caouette has produced a remarkable film that may one day be remembered as a turning point in cinema.Using widely available software, he has produced a compelling documentary about his difficult childhood and his relationship with his mother, Renee, whose mind has been destroyed by shock treatments.He uses the home movies, photographs, and tape recordings with which he has documented his own experiences over the course of his life.Caouette's use of complex montages, color saturation, and many other film techniques is very assured and confident; this film delivers constant visual surprises and effectively communicates the pain and loneliness of the lives it chronicles.

Its only drawback is that Caouette sometimes comes across as self-indulgent and even self-aggrandizing in his victim status.While the majority of the material comes across as brutally honest, the sequences in which an older Jonathan addresses the camera directly were rather jarring and somehow seemed to strike a false note.I don't doubt for a moment any of the emotion he shows in those sequences, but I couldn't help wondering whether it was "heightened" for dramatic purposes.I suppose such questions are bound to arise when one is confronted with such an intense, personal work.At any rate, this is a very worthwhile film./

Brilliant!
Jonathan Caouette is the new Andy Warhol, if Warhol was 30 years old and a beginning filmmaker in 2003. If you love City of God, Blue Velvet, Rosemary's Baby, Patty Hearst, John Waters, Gus Van Zandt, JT Leroy, Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Drake, and speed, this is the movie for you. Thank you, Jonathan Caouette, and good luck. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Driven by intelligent, constantly surprising and moving performances from the film's leads, Dear Frankie stars Emily Mortimer (Lovely and Amazing) as Lizzie, Scottish mother of Frankie (Jack McElhone), a deaf and highly intelligent 9-year-old. Constantly uprooting themselves and relocating from town to town, Lizzie and Frankie are on the run from the latter's abusive father, a fact unknown to the boy, who believes his dad is a busy seaman sending letters full of adventure and love. In fact, Lizzie is writing those missives, but she is faced with a challenge when Frankie discovers his father's ship will dock nearby. Lizzie hires a kind, handsome stranger (Gerard Butler) to play Frankie's dad, creating an odd situation in which ever-growing lies become a conduit for love, and Lizzie's repressed desires come to the fore with a man posing as her husband. The moral tangles are of interest in director Shona Auerbach's charmingly paced, quietly insightful drama-comedy, but so is the glorious feeling of watching these characters come fully alive. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Astounding
Many people have figured out that some low-budget films are as good as any expensively advertised films--even better. Well, Dear Frankie is one of them.
Starring a hugely talented Emily Mortimer as Frankie's mom, Lizzie, the film follows a family around that constanly has to move, because of the fear that Frankie's estranged father will show up and take him away. As Lizzie puts it in the movie, "Frankie wasn't born deaf. It was a gift from his daddy." However, Lizzie wants to protect her son from his disturbing past, and tells him his dad is on a boat. She has him write letters to his "dad", and then reads and answers them herself. This is not, however, a sob story for a unfortunate deaf boy. Frankie is perfectly fine being the way he is, and others are at ease around him, because he is happy.
Anyway, one day, Frankie reads that the boat that his father is supposedly on is coming to a dock very near to his house. His friend bets him his father will not visit, and Lizzie decides to do something about it. She meets a Stranger (Gerard Butler) and he agrees to be Frankie's father. The story unfolds from there beautifully, but I won't spoil it; you have to see the movie!!
I admit, the reason I wanted to see this movie was because the spectacular Gerry Butler was in it! And fans of his, you will be very pleased if you see him in this movie. But everyone and everything about this movie is what really kept it in my memory. It is easy to tell that it truly came from all the actor's hearts, and this really pays off. So, instead of seeing a high budget movie, please, do a favor for yourself and find Dear Frankie. You won't be disappointed.

A must see.
Though not cheery because of the dramatic nature of the plot, the film is wholly entertaining and not in anyway dissappointing, even though I strained at times to understand what little Frankie was saying. (HIs accent is quite thick)

Performances were top shelf and everything, including the music, worked well with the scenery, the climax and the ending of this film.

Suitable for children who would enjoy and understand the yound child's compelling drive to know his father.

Emily Mortimer is so expressive, and you yearn for her and Gerard Butler to end up together, even though that'snot real life, and Dear Frankie is a slice of real life.

Take a bite.

90 mile drive and completely worth it!
My mom and I drove 90 miles to get to see this movie. We had been looking forward to it for months, and were afraid that it wasn't going to play anywhere near us. When we saw it, we loved it so much that we went to lunch and came back for the next show. It was an amazing cast and a beautiful story. I can't wait to add it to my movie collection

One of my favorite all time movies
Dear Frankie is one of the best movies I've seen.Its gritty and raw, while at the same time being so warm and sweet.It brings every emotion to the surface, you can't help but feel everything Frankie and his mom are feeling.I can't wait till its out on dvd, I know I will watch this one again and again.It's a movie that will stay with you for a long time.

worth the search
Because Miramax saw fit to bury this movie and spend zero dollars on advertising, anyone who wanted to see it had to track it down.I didn't think I would get a chance to see it in a theater, but it finally came to a small theater 75 miles from me.My family and I made the trip and it was certainly worth it.From the wonderful, haunting piano music at the beginning to the final credits, it was a thoroughly enjoyable movie.The story has been described elsewhere.I will just say that all the actors gave phenomenal performances.I had never seen Emily Mortimer before, but she was great.Gerard Butler has to be one of the most underrated actors today.He can express more with facial expressions and his eyes than most actors can with their whole bodies and loads of dialogue.The young actors were all good.I especially like Frankie's little girl friend.The Scottish locations werepicturesque and evocative.Like I said, there are lots more accessible movies out there, but there are few that are worth the film they are printed on.Dear Frankie is heads and tails above most rubbish in the theaters today.Do yourself a favor and track it down.It is worth the trouble. ... Read more

Description

Epic Action Drama.Set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare.As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him. ... Read more

Reviews (441)

This film was amazing!!!
The story focuses on a Civil War veteran named Capt. Nathan Algren ( Tom Cruise). He reluctantly agrees to train and lead an army of Japanese soldiers to defeat rebellion of the country's remaining Samurai. Unfortunately, Algren is captured in battle by the Samurai, and is held prisoner by them. The leader of the Samurai, Katsumoto ( Ken Watanabe), is interested in the American culture and wants to keep Algren alive to learn from him. As time passes, Algren comes to develop a friendship with Katsumoto. He also comes to embrace the Samurai way of life as well, and trains to become one of them, so that he can fight along side of the Samurai against the Japanese forces that oppose them.

With the acception of "Mystic River", "The Last Samurai" was my favorite film of 2003. For 2 1/2 hours, I was literally glued to the screen, and loving every minute of it. It has been quite some time since I have been that captivated by a film. The only downfall this film may have, is the fact that the story is almost a complete rip off of "Dances with Wolves". However, that does not make the film any less enjoyable. In fact, "The Last Samurai" is almost better. The story comes across as being much more dramatic and action packed when dealing with the Samurai. They have a deeper sense of honor, and their fighting style is much more deadly. Director Edward Zick did an amazing job of capturing every aspect of the Samurai culture, from the costume designs and simple way of life, to the weaponry and fighting style. The final battle between the Samurai and the Japanese soldiers is the best I have seen since "Braveheart". The Samurai are completely outnumbered, and still manage to put up one heck of a fight. Tom Cruise gave one of the best, if not the best performance of his career. However, the best performance of the film goes to Ken Watanabe. He was flat out amazing as Katsumoto and nailed every aspect of the Samurai warrior. The film's soundtrack and scenery are extremely beautiful as well.

Overall, "The Last Samurai" is an amazing film. Every aspect of the Samurai way of life is captured accurately, the performances given by the actors involved were amazing, and the final battle was incredible. Also, please check out the extras listed by Amazon for this 2 Disc DVD set. From the look of things, the extras are reason enough to purchase this film. There are deleted scenes, featurettes on the making of the film, a featurette comparing real life Samurai, and more. This is definately a bonus for myself and anyone else who appreciates the film, and the Samurai in general.

A solid 5 stars...

Good movie, but nothing special
The Last Samauri is a good movie, beautifully filmed and well acted, yet it really does nothing to make it stand apart.

Tom Cruise is a captain in the US army haunted by his own actions in the wars against the US. native Americans. He sells his services to Japan to train Japanese soldiers to battle the savage samurais.

Cruise is captured after one battle and his life is spared after Ken Watanabe's character sees Cruise fight bravely and kill his brother-in-law. The best part of the film is the hour or so that Cruise spends living with the Samurais. He lives with the family of the man he killed and the kids grow to like him and the beautiful wife learns to accept him. The Samurais learn from Cruise and Cruise begins to train with the samurais and becomes friends with Watanabe.

Cruise is released and the end of the movie results in Cruise fighting with Watanabe against the Japanese army.

The Last Samurai seems like a Japanese version of Braveheart, with epic battles and valiant characters. This movie did show a lot about the Japanese culture, including the practice of killing yourself if you are shamed (Which is incredibly stupid thing to do in my opinion).

I enjoyed this movie. It doesn't break any new ground in the epic battle genre, but it is still fun to watch.

Don't expect too much
What's the reason for watching The Last Samurai? The sword-fighting scenes. There are a lot of sword-fighting scenes, they're well-done, and if you enjoy watching them you'll find entertainment value in the movie. Also, the Japanese countryside is filmed beautifully here, so if you have an appreciation for nature, it's another incentive to watch.

Otherwise, The Last Samurai is nothing special. The storyline is simplistic; the samurai are all two-dimensional and unquestionably the fine and good people in the film. They can do no evil, truly. For Cruise it's one of those self-righteous roles where he gets to look angsty for the camera. There's one scene at the end for example, where he's kneeling and holding up a sword, and he's trying to look like someone who is under great emotional strain and there are these ludicrous close-ups of his sweaty face - really gratuitous. The movie defintely would have benefited from some editing and character development.

Long, slow, boring, pretentious - I want my money back
Typical Hollywood claptrap. All white guys are evil and corrupt. All Japanese are noble, kind, considerate - even though they kill each other with abandon. Apparently in Hollywoodthink it is ok for Cruise to desert, be a traitor and go over to the enemy. Hard to figure out exactly why this Samurai is the enemy, he serves the emperor too, except his honor demands that several thousand die. Glorifies the Bushido code which is the mindless emperor worship that resulted in so many Japanese atrocities in WWII - some of which rivaled anything the Germans did. Swords and arrows flying everywhere, special effects direct from Lord of the Rings. Dialog that telegraphs itself, you just know they are going to say something really relevant and dramatic...in croaking whispers. I was glad when Cruise got shot, meant the movie was finally ending. Save your money, watch it when it shows up on TV. For those reviewers who think this movie has any historical significance - read a book on Japanese history. None of these things would have happened.

I liked this movie!
I guess everything that needs to be said about the actors, the set and the story has been said here, many times over. .

My hat is off to the Japanese actors and the costume & set designers. The atmospheric element in this movie is stunning; for example, the first charge of the samurai in that misty forest, is unforgetable. I loved the ninja attack. This is one of the few recent productions in which the masculine is portrayed in a wholesome manner: the warrior spirit, the camaraderie, the honor, and the respect for the inner peace that is brought by zen meditation practice, are brought out very well.

While the script was IMO kinda clichey & mediocre, Cruise's acting was not bad and rather subtle for a scientologist :) Zimmer's music was predictably good (if less conspicuous as in, say, Black Hawk Down) and if you're into kendo or swordsmanship, well, you will want to see this film several times. ... Read more

Reviews (142)

A sumptuous Renaissance feast!
Franco Zefirrelli's 1967 film was revolutionary in using teenaged actors to play the two most famous lovers of all literature. Olivia Hussey is heartbreakingly beautiful, a vulnerable and courageous Juliet, while Leonard Whiting's poetic good looks make him a sensitive and appealing Romeo. Zefirrelli's career as an opera director is put to spectacular use here--each scene is meticulously crafted to be an exact replica of the Renaissance. Stunningly beautiful clothing, jewels, furniture, food, glass, sculpture--it is an overwhelming feast for the eyes. The preserved medieval towns of Tuscany, and the lovely Borghese palace where the balcony scene is set, give the film the look of an animated Renaissance painting. Zefirrelli took some liberties with Shakespeare's original script for the sake of brevity, but unless you are a die-hard purist, this is a minor flaw. I saw this film a dozen times in the theater, and never without the sound of girls weeping by the end--I was often one of them. Leslie Howard was a better actor, and Leonardo DiCaprio/Clare Danes more modern, but if you love beauty, this is THE quintessential Romeo and Juliet on film. END

Zeffirelli's Quintessential Version! Every Aspect Excellent!
This is THE must see version of Romeo and Juliet. Zeffirelli's 1968 masterpiece stars 17-year-old Leonard Whiting and 15-year-old Olivia Hussey with great music by Nino Rota. Filmed "on location" in Italy this version also has the fingerprints of the 1960s all over it, from moddish long hair, the debut of Michael York as Tybalt, John McEnery as Mercutio, the lush balcony scenes, the nude scene, and an emotional intensity throughout. McEnery brings just the right comic touch to the comi-tragedy and screenwriters Franco Brusati, Maestro D'Amico, and Zeffirelli keep true to Shakespeare with a take on the story that's easily accessible to a wide audience, thereby making this one of the most popular films of the '60s.

Especially effective is the ambiguity of intent of the Tybalt-Mercutio duel, and the overall editing of dialogue just enough to keep it succinct and believable yet retain the poetic and philosophical virtuosity of the playwright's playwright. The music is used effectively and as it rises during the love scenes it's a manipulation that's an enhancement to rather than distraction from the emotion--a rare successful pull-off of this. And that balcony scene is extraordinary, the lush dark atmosphere, Romeo's giddiness, Juliet's beauty...I believed it.

Milo O'Shea (who later played the Judge in "The Verdict") does a believable Friar Laurence and Robert Stephens (I)(with a long list of Shakespearian roles to his name) an intensely serious Prince of Verona. It's hard not to fall in love with Olivia (watch for her new film role as Mother Theresa).

Some bits of trivia: Before 1968 Romeo and Juliet was not generally taught in US high schools and this film's popularity changed all that as most of you reading this had it in high school. Michael York turned down the role of Oliver in Love Story--one may read into this he felt it was a poor man's Romeo and Juliet...just a thought. Also Olivia Hussey briefly dated Prince Charles. And here's the clincher: Paul McCartney got the original offer to play Romeo. I'm glad he turned it down, as Whiting is perfect here. And for those who wonder, the story did not originate in historical fact, though one may wish it so. The story came from mythical legend starting in 5th century Greece, later evolving into "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet" translated into English in 1562 by Arthur Brooke and originally written about 1530 by Luigi da Porto., 'til Shakespeare got a hold of it (circa 1594) and breathed into it the life that will last as long as humanity does most probably.

This towers over the 1st film version with a 34-year-old Norma Shearer and a 43-year-old Leslie Howard, and as for the 1996 mess sorry guys; American accents, present day gang violence, over-the-top overacting, LA locales, and Leonard DiCaprio do not great Shakespearean tragedy make. This 1968 one is the one to see over and over.

Excellent movie...Great actors
Watching this as part of a highschool assignment, the teacher only allowed us to watch about 15 minutes of it. When I saw it playing on cable, I sat down to finish it. This, I must say, is the best version of Romeo and Juliet. In the '68 version The actors are young and even though it was made in '68, you can relate to them in this day. The acting is superb, no one better could have been picked for the parts. It was a real tearjerker. Not to mention the soundtrack...the songs were just amazing to hear. Just watch the movie once, you'll fall in love with it.

The Defintive R & J
I could watch this version of Romeo and Juliet over, and over, and over. The performances are dead on, especially John McEnry's turn as Mercutio (you understand the reason why he's killed off: people would have cared more about him than about the tragic heroes if he'd been around too much longer!). I would advise teachers, however, that this is not the first version they show students of the show. While most ninth graders read this play, the giggling that can abound in a classroom watching Romeo in tights often distracts from the meaning of the film.
So, for with the exception of ninth graders, this is the Romeo and Juliet to see.

Zeffirelli and Shakespeare: A Perfect Match
There is nothing worse than bad Shakespeare but not to worry here-- Franco Zeffirelli and Shakespeare come together here in a lavish, opulent production of ROMEO AND JULIET, just when we thought there was nothing fresh to say about them. Zeffirelli has broken new ground by casting Leonard Whiting, who is 17, and Olivia Hussey, who is all of 15 but looks even younger, in this timeless classic story about "star-crossed" lovers. With the possible exception of some parts of the musical score-- although much of it soars-- this film is as good today as it was when first released in 1968. (The musical theme was beautiful the first 50 times I heard it on the radio. Then it became trite.)

There are no bad actors here. In addition to the two lovers, Michael York as Tybalt and Pat Heywood as the nurse give outstanding performances, just to name two. My only negative comment about the acting is that Romeo always seems to run to and from an event or meeting; he never walks. Perhaps that is what a seventeen-year-old, testosterone-laden lad does, however. On the other hand, Romeo and Juliet's tragic story is completely believable and will put chills on your spine. Additionally, the dance scenes and duel scenes are quite wonderful. The wardrobe department got everything right as well.

A word about the language-- it goes without saying that Mr. Shakespeare is and ever shall be the greatest writer in English. Hearing his words again is a transcendent experience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Jewel in the Crown, adapted from Paul Scott's Raj Quartet novels, tells the story of the final years before India gained independence in 1947. It is rare for a filmed adaptation to successfully preserve the richness and complexity of a great novel, but this epic miniseries succeeds both as personal drama and historical panorama.

In 1942 Daphne Manners, a naive young woman newly arrived in the town of Mayapore, befriends Hari Kumar, an Indian-born journalist who has spent most of his life in England. With his dark skin and educated English accent, Hari feels like an outsider wherever he goes, but Daphne understands his plight and they become romantically involved. Their developing relationship is jealously observed by local police chief Ronald Merrick, a man haunted by his own demons. When the lovers are attacked in the gardens of the ruined Bibighar palace and Daphne is raped, Merrick seizes his opportunity, pins the crime on Hari, and has the young man jailed. Distraught, Daphne flees to her aunt's home in Kashmir, where she dies giving birth to a half-caste child. The focus then shifts to Sarah Layton, a young Englishwoman who becomes fascinated by the story of Daphne and Hari, and who will have her own encounter with Ronald Merrick.

The events in the Bibighar gardens become a symbol of the violent struggle for Indian independence, and other symbols--Daphne's bicycle, a length of butterfly lace, a picture of Queen Victoria on an Indian throne--appear and reappear, linking people and events. This helps to give coherence to the plot even as it spans five years and expands to include many characters whose lives intersect in complex and unexpected ways.

With a huge cast and breathtaking location photography, The Jewel in the Crown was an enormous undertaking when it was made in the early 1980s. Twenty years later it has lost none of its power, and it remains one of the best films ever made for television. --Simon Leake ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A stirring glimpse into the last days of the Raj
For me, watching an entire series by myself, The Jewel in the Crown, based on The Raj Quartet by Paul Scott, was a guilty pleasure. Pleasure because it was excellent in the tradition of the best of British, and guilty because it filled the greater part of eight videocassettes, for a total of 750 minutes. I felt slightly less decadent than I might have because I watched it on library copies.

The story invokes the tumultuous last days of the British raj in India. Although it is perceived from a British point of view, it is sympathetic for the most part to the aspirations of the various sects making up the hodgepodge of peoples populating the Indian nation, and the plot emphasizes the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.

The white British citizens during the dying days of the British empire hold a love-hate relationship with India. The English pine for England while being alternately enchanted by the culture or repelled by the teeming squalor of this turbulent emerging nation.

The fact that India on its own was a closed society may explain her historical acquiescence to British rule. There was a rigid caste system in India, and since the highest ranking maharajahs looked up to the paler-skinned colonists, therefore the rest of India must too. Some of the characters on both sides could be considered a bit archetypal were it not for their fleshing out and convincing portrayal by an exceptional cast of actors. We can only feel sympathy for a handsome, intelligent man like Hari Kumar who is at home neither among the English he was brought up with nor his fellow Indians. At the beginning, he does not even speak Hindi. His is the heart of a dilemma common to "colonial" countries.

And the struggle which pits groups against each other, such as Hindu against Moslem, is a distillation of the diversity of the peoples in India. Today, the only common language of India is English, and it is therefore its official one, an ironic postscript to the rule of the Raj.

Throughout the series, compelling footage of old British newsreels is shown. It threads the episodes together while highlighting the pomposity (pretensions that are surprisingly poignant) on both sides of the former regime.

DECLINE OF THE BRITISH RAJ AND THE RISE OF INDEPENDENT INDIA
This powerful and moving eight part miniseries has lost none of its impact since it was first aired nearly twenty years ago. Highly acclaimed, it won numerous awards. Beautifully filmed on location in India, England, and Wales, it is a highly atmospheric and complex drama, redolent of the flavor of the turbulent years just before India gained its independence from British rule.

The story begins in 1942, and through its memorable characters, both British and Indian, it masterfully weaves a tapestry of events that explains the state of flux that India was in at the time and the collision between East and West that often occurred, as the old guard made way for the new. Pivotal events become symbolic of India's struggle for independence, and it is those events that impact on those living in India and struggling to survive through those turbulent years. This tumultuous and sumptuous saga ends with India's independence in 1947.

Masterfully acted, lushly filmed, and awash with period detail, it is so atmospheric as to make its viewers feel that they themselves are there during the decline and fall of the British Raj. It captures the essence of India and its ramparts of colonialism. Interspersed throughout the episodes are snippets of old newsreels that recount India's involvement in World War II and the threat of Japanese invasion through adjacent Burma. These serve to further move the story along and imbue it with an air of authenticity that stays with the viewer.

This multi-faceted series, based upon Paul Scott's literary gem, "The Raj Quartet", is a fine adaptation that should not be missed. The award caliber performances by the entire cast are stellar and will keep the viewer riveted to the screen. Those interested in period pieces, historical dramas, and epics on Indian colonialism will love this series, as will anyone interested in a superlative drama. Bravo!

Long Sad Story With An Unhappy Ending
Very involving drama circulating around a number of characters in the last years of British rule in India. The plot never telegraphs its destinations, which keeps the story somewhat disorienting, and nothing quite resolves, if it resolves at all, the way I expected. A good reminder of how Hollywood films tend to predictability. JITC is not Hollywood and gives more the feel of life and its genuine uncertainties. It's challenging because of the number of characters and the complexities of the relationships, both personal and political. But very worthwhile.

The DVD is not a bright, crystalline picture. Colors are somewhat washed out, and the image is not particularly sharp, especially in dark scenes. However, the picture is generally free of annoying blemishes. After quickly adjusting to the picture quality, I enjoyed the series very much.

I must be missing something!
I have to agree with reviewers who complained about the visual quality of the dvd version. In any event, I attempt to focus on the story. Unfortunately, I found myself unable to enjoy this series. The subject matter is fascinating---India at the dawn of independence from Great Britain. The newsreels, which were presented at intervals in the series, enhanced the story and provided historical perspective (from the British viewpoint, of course).

However, I found myself annoyed by most of the main characters. Certain story elements were absolutely unfathomable---why would Susan marry Ronald Merrick, for example? He was from a lower social class, and she and her family would have considered him an inappropriate (at best) love interest. Yes, we are aware Susan experienced mental illness, but her family would surely have intervened to prevent the match. Her family was inexplicably accepting of this marriage. Also, why did Sarah allow herself to be seduced by the British officer who treated her so abominably? What on earth would motivate her to accept such abusive treatment?

Although I wanted to feel sympathetic for Barbie Batchelor's character, I simply found her annoying. I don't like it when I can't sympathize with a downtrodden character!

Too little was included about Hari Kumar's experiences, and Daphne's aunt and child flitted through the series so quickly one never knew why they were even included. I really wanted more information about them.

One of the most moving events in the series occurs in the last episode, which concerns Hindu violence against Moslems. I found that particular episode very moving.

For the overall experience, however, I ended feeling rather dissatisfied. I wanted to like this series a lot more!

Masterpiece Desecrated by DVD
I replaced my VHS version of "The Jewel in the Crown" with the new A&E DVD version and now wish I'd left well enough alone. Unlike most DVD transfers, this one was a gigantic step down in technical quality. The sound mixing was off in most of the episodes, obscuring dialogue and necessitating constant fiddling with the sound level. This series is a sterling example of television at its best, but for now watch the VHS version. For those wanting a refresher on the political events and people alluded to by characters in "Jewel in the Crown," I'd recommend first watching "Ghandi," which portrays the politcal situation played out during that time. ... Read more

Reviews (177)

The Depths Of Depp
Johnny Depp plays George Jung, your every day man turned multi-millionaire drug dealer. The amazing journey starts with just a bit of weed going to people on the beach, soon he and his friends are working their way to Mexico in major exports. After a brief stop in jail Depp changes from marijuana to cocaine. Soon Depp has so much money he can't fit anymore in his house. It is in this time he meets his wife-to-be decently played by Penelope Cruz. A mishap with his wife later and he is in jail again. The part about this film that sets it apart from most drug movies is that it shows the highlights of the illegal exchange business but it also shows the bottoming out. The other thing it has is a connection with the characters. You actually begin to feel for Depp as he is separated from the one thing that he loves in his life, his daughter. Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) and Paul Rubin (Pee Wee Herman) also have roles in this film that has heart and substance(s).

Strong Powder
BLOW is based on the true story of George Jung (Johnny Depp). In the 70s and 80s, Jung was the single largest importer of Columbian cocaine, to the United States. Therefore, he alone, changed America, and helped to create the "drug culture" in this nation. At the film's center is the partnership between Jung and Pablo Escobar, (Cliff Curtis) and how they operated, with and against each other. It really is true what others have said about Depp's performance in the film. He doesn't let this highly complex role intimidate him. He pulls it off brilliantly. He scenes with Penelope Cruz are pure magic. Directed by the late Ted Demme, BLOW offers viewers an inside look into how some people got very rich off of other people's addiction to drugs. Even though some have blasted the film because, in their opinion, it glorifies drug use, I see it more as an anti drug film. Having said that, dont expect an overt anti-drug message in the movie either. My take on it is that the "message" hides as a subtext as an implied theme. If the film does have any connection to any indictment against drugs, that comes from the fact that Demme died last year from apparently using the stuff himself.

The DVD is part of New Line Cinema's Infinifilm series. Like all other discs in the series, it is packed with extras, allowing viewers to have more of an interactive experience, while watching the film. Hearing Demme talk about drugs on the commentary track with Jung, may unsettle some, given what happened to him, but there really isn't much of that on the track. The deleted scenes don't really add much to the film and were properly edited out of the picture. The Ted Demme Production Diary is cool because it takes us through how movies are made (I always enjoy that stuff). Rounding out the standard features are trailers, filmographies, and a Nikka Costa Music Video. The disc also has a few DVD-ROM extras. The Infinifilm extras include interviews with Jung conducted by Demme, a trivia track, among others. Use of the Infinifilm mode gives you access to these features for a unique look at BLOW.

Thanks to powerful performances and solid, well produced extras, BLOW is a Highly Recommended film/DVD **** and a half stars.

Blow is about the life of Mr. George Jung from childhood to
his final drug bust for which he is still serving time. Johnny Depp carries this movie very well, like all movies about gangs or drugs or anything crime related, this movie starts off with everything going well and then everything starting to go downhill again, it is a true story, obviously with quite a bit of Hollywood fabrication but none the less, it inspires sympathy for the characters, I for one am someone who isn't really a very emotional person when it comes to movies, at least I don't think so, but this movie brought a tear or two to my eye, especially the ending, where Depp recited a poem written by Jung and it is the saddest thing, the special features are quite amazing, I would recommend this movie to people over 14 because it does have an R rating which is due to a lot of language, drug content, extremely brief nudity and some violence here and there. Enjoy.

extras no good
I rated this movie 5 stars, until I got a load of the DVD extras. These extras actually serve to drag down the enjoyment of the movie. First, there are the "character outtakes" whatever that term is supposed to mean. These consist of various characters being interviewed about George Jung - the character, not the real person. They say poorly thought out and inarticulate things like, "This guy... he's like... this guy don't care what anybody thinks, you know?" My impression was that the actors just got in front of a camera "in character" and extemporized. The results are pretty ghastly. Also, there is the jailhouse interview that director Ted Demme makes of George Jung, the real person. This is also pretty disedifying, consisting at the end of Demme sitting next to Jung on a bench and saying similarly inarticulate and poorly thought out things, like, "Yeah, its like schoolteachers make minimum wage and there's truckdrivers making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year..." Now, I am an ex-schoolteacher and though I did not make a mint at my job I certainly did not make "minimum wage" and I worked for one of the most underfunded school districts in the country. One has the impression of being a witness to a guy blowing his mouth off on the balcony of somebody's post-college get-together. Not pretty. How Demme ever got people to trust him with millions of dollars remains a mystery: the man is simply not preposessing intellectually. Also, his world is morally vague and equivocal. He tells Jung he takes a non-judgemental stance to his crimes and then says that he himself has skeletons in the closet, its just that his are not so well known. Now, I kind of doubt that Ted Demme is himself a serious criminal who has simply evaded discovery. But that is what he is in effect implying, in bad faith to George Jung - a hardcore criminal. The real implication is that any degree of malfeasance is equivalent to any other. If one man has smuggled enormous quantities of drugs, and another man has left the cap off his toothpaste well, they're pretty much the same: we all do bad things. Interestingly, the stance that Demme takes is NOT that what Jung did was not morally wrong. His stance is that, though it was wrong, so what? I can respect and perhaps agree with someone who says that smuggling drugs, though illegal, is not immoral. I can understand the argument that by and large it is an utter liberal myth that anybody is forced to use drugs by anybody else. Peer pressure? One gravitates to "peers" with similar interests. If you get into drugs and your friends don't, you find new friends: druggie friends. This happened in my circle of friends and I have seen it happen first-hand. I had many druggie and non druggie friends and I never saw anybody use drugs who did not want to. And there is simply no substance so addictive that it turns a straight arrow into a degenerate against the straight arrow's will and inclination. Drugs simply help you along in the direction you are inclined.
All this being said, I can agree with someone who does not morally judge George Jung. Personally I am morally indifferent to his actions. But this is not the same thing as saying that what he did was wrong but so what we all do bad things. If I once ignored a parking ticket, is this the same thing as being a murderer? I suspect that Demme's thus cozying up to Jung actually lowered him in Jung's regard.

Luff ist der drug
Let me be clear, this is a great film. It actually reassures me that all movies are not garbage. But for me the best part of the movie is Franka Potente's performance as Barbara, a comely stew who, so far as I can tell, is not supposed to be German. It is a special pleasure for me to watch Franka Potente, with her thick Cherrrmann accent, ya? trying to speak in a vey zat iss recognizeable as chust typical yanqui American dialect. I also thrilled to her performance in The Bourne Identity, hearing her deliver such lines as, "But he vas chust shining us all on" like the Munchen-frau she is. Yeah, I'll get all liquored up on Spaten Premium, or maybe even brave the forbidding slopes of the Optimator, then I'll hunker down for a triple-bill of Run Lola Run, Bourne Identity, and Blow. Its like my own private Oktoberfest that I chust by myself heff got going on, ya?
unt ich bein auss. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Inspired by creator Michael Crichton's experiences as a medical student in a hospital emergency room, ER quickly became one of the most compelling shows of the 1990s, each episode a whirlwind of intense and involving drama, gritty realism, and offbeat humor. Heading the staff at the inner-city Chicago hospital is Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), a doctor so good at providing care to the downtrodden, helpless, or just plain quirky patients that his career blossoms even as his personal life crumbles. Greene is the soul of the cast, but the heart is Julianna Margulies's nurse Carol Hathaway. Her character was intended only for the pilot episode, but she ended up capturing viewers with her palpable empathy for patients and her troublesome romance with womanizing pediatrician Doug Ross (George Clooney). The rest of the central cast consisted of compassionate Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), Peter Benton (Eriq Lasalle), whose prodigious talent nearly matches his ambition, and his fresh-faced student, John Carter (Noah Wyle). Other key characters included ER heads Morgenstern and Swift (William H. Macy and Michael Ironside, respectively), overachieving student Deb (Ming Na), who returned later in the show's run, attending physician Angela Hicks (CCH Pounder), and physical therapist Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Rueben).

The remarkably strong first season showed off its sharp ensemble cast through a variety of compelling story lines both personal (Carter's conflicts with Benton, Lewis's struggles with her no-account sister, Chloe, played by Kathleen Wilhoite) and professional (a holiday blizzard and especially the harrowing tale of a pregnancy gone bad, "Love's Labor Lost," which won five Emmy Awards). When Carter is pondering whether his future includes the ER, Green jokes, "It's not bad: Stress, late nights, hard work, no pay--it's hard to beat." It's hard to imagine people choosing to work under those conditions, but they do, and in the process these very human people perform superhuman feats as they face life and death as part of their daily jobs.

ER kicked off its second season by introducing a character who would turn out to be a long-term member of--and a major irritation for--the inner-city Chicago hospital staff. After Greene is promoted to attending physician, the door is open for a new chief resident, and in walks Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), who wastes no time ruffling everyone's feathers with her strict managerial style and subtle putdowns. One of her prime targets, Susan Lewis, struggles to balance her personal and professional life when she has to take care of her abandoned infant niece. The Lewis character grows the most during the season, along with second-year student Carter, whose natural compassion gives way to professional ambition following the model of his teacher, ambitious and self-absorbed Benton. Benton angles for a position with a renowned cardiovascular surgeon (Ron Rifkin) and has to deal with the fallout from a relationship with physician's assistant Jeannie Boulet, yet he also starts to show some glimmers of humanity.

Greene has his own problems trying to manage a long-distance marriage, while nurse Hathaway bounces back from her aborted first-season marriage attempt to start a new relationship with paramedic Shep (Ron Eldard, who also became Margulies's real-life partner). She buys her first house and enjoys an entire season out of the companionship of Ross, who as always runs into problems with his cowboy style and philandering ways. But just when he's finally driven himself out of the ER, he has to go play hero when he finds a boy pinned in a storm drain in an episode that was nominated for six Emmys and remains one of the, excuse the pun, high-water marks of the series. That and such episodes as "The Healers," which deals with the aftermath of Shep's daring fire rescue, prove that when ER was at its best, it was as good as anything on television. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Amazon.com

Inspired by creator Michael Crichton's experiences as a medical student in a hospital emergency room, ER quickly became one of the most compelling shows of the 1990s, each episode a whirlwind of intense and involving drama, gritty realism, and offbeat humor. Heading the staff at the inner-city Chicago hospital is Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), a doctor so good at providing care to the downtrodden, helpless, or just plain quirky patients that his career blossoms even as his personal life crumbles. Greene is the soul of the cast, but the heart is Julianna Margulies's nurse Carol Hathaway. Her character was intended only for the pilot episode, but she ended up capturing viewers with her palpable empathy for patients and her troublesome romance with womanizing pediatrician Doug Ross (George Clooney). The rest of the central cast consisted of compassionate Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), Peter Benton (Eriq Lasalle), whose prodigious talent nearly matches his ambition, and his fresh-faced student, John Carter (Noah Wyle). Other key characters included ER heads Morgenstern and Swift (William H. Macy and Michael Ironside, respectively), overachieving student Deb (Ming Na), who returned later in the show's run, attending physician Angela Hicks (CCH Pounder), and physical therapist Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Rueben).

The remarkably strong first season showed off its sharp ensemble cast through a variety of compelling story lines both personal (Carter's conflicts with Benton, Lewis's struggles with her no-account sister, Chloe, played by Kathleen Wilhoite) and professional (a holiday blizzard and especially the harrowing tale of a pregnancy gone bad, "Love's Labor Lost," which won five Emmy Awards). When Carter is pondering whether his future includes the ER, Green jokes, "It's not bad: Stress, late nights, hard work, no pay--it's hard to beat." It's hard to imagine people choosing to work under those conditions, but they do, and in the process these very human people perform superhuman feats as they face life and death as part of their daily jobs.

ER kicked off its second season by introducing a character who would turn out to be a long-term member of--and a major irritation for--the inner-city Chicago hospital staff. After Greene is promoted to attending physician, the door is open for a new chief resident, and in walks Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), who wastes no time ruffling everyone's feathers with her strict managerial style and subtle putdowns. One of her prime targets, Susan Lewis, struggles to balance her personal and professional life when she has to take care of her abandoned infant niece. The Lewis character grows the most during the season, along with second-year student Carter, whose natural compassion gives way to professional ambition following the model of his teacher, ambitious and self-absorbed Benton. Benton angles for a position with a renowned cardiovascular surgeon (Ron Rifkin) and has to deal with the fallout from a relationship with physician's assistant Jeannie Boulet, yet he also starts to show some glimmers of humanity.

Greene has his own problems trying to manage a long-distance marriage, while nurse Hathaway bounces back from her aborted first-season marriage attempt to start a new relationship with paramedic Shep (Ron Eldard, who also became Margulies's real-life partner). She buys her first house and enjoys an entire season out of the companionship of Ross, who as always runs into problems with his cowboy style and philandering ways. But just when he's finally driven himself out of the ER, he has to go play hero when he finds a boy pinned in a storm drain in an episode that was nominated for six Emmys and remains one of the, excuse the pun, high-water marks of the series. That and such episodes as "The Healers," which deals with the aftermath of Shep's daring fire rescue, prove that when ER was at its best, it was as good as anything on television.

The third season had some of the series' most compelling and wrenching story lines. John Carter is now an intern, but his surgical dreams continue to be thwarted by Dr. Benton, a frustration shared by fellow student Dennis Gant (Omar Epps). Benton also torments former lover Jeanie Boulet, who has tested positive for HIV. Because he has tested negative, he's free to badger her about the risks involved in her treating patients while moving on to his next potential conquest, a sexy waitress named Carla (Lisa Nicole Carson). Mark Greene continues to be one of the series' focal points, struggling to survive the bureaucracy of management and still feel like a doctor. And now single, he goes on bad dates as does Dr. Lewis, both ignoring the obvious until a seemingly casual vacation invitation sets a number of uncomfortable wheels turning.The other focal point is nurse Carol Hathaway, for whom things go from bad to worse. She has serious money problems, her career choice doesn't look so good anymore, and when a patient dies, she finds herself suspended. That sets the stage for one of the series' most memorable episodes, which takes place almost completely outside the hospital. Hathaway goes to the corner drug store, where she meets guest star Ewan McGregor, and things take off from there. She also wisely keeps her distance from former lover Dr. Ross, who may have really done it when he brings into the ER a one-night stand suffering from a seizure and has to admit he doesn't even know her name. County General survives a closure scare, but instead has to absorb some new additions, including chief of staff Donald Anspaugh (John Aylward), intern Maggie Doyle (Jorjan Fox), and the best pediatric surgeon in Chicago, Abby Keaton (Glenne Headley), who attracts the attention of Benton and Carter for professional and/or personal reasons. But those additions are countered by two emotional goodbyes, and other gritty story lines, including a troubled teen (Kirsten Dunst) and an assault on a doctor, helped make ER's third season often tough to take, but unforgettable.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Description

This is the film that Quentin Tarantino (Director, KILL BILL VOL. 1 & 2, PULP FICTION, RESERVOIR DOGS) called "the roughest revenge movie ever made!"… THRILLER – A CRUEL PICTURE is finally making its U.S. DVD debut in this Uncensored Limited Edition. With only 25,000 units in the total DVD production run, this cult gem will soon be gone forever! Order now so you don’t miss out on THE exploitation DVD release of the year!

Growing up mute after a childhood sexual assault, a young girl (played by beautiful cult starlet Christina Lindberg) spends years working on a remote farm. After missing the bus one day, she is picked up by a suave young man who takes her out to dinner, drugs her and forces her into a life of drug addiction and prostitution.

Torn away from home, she rebels against her captor only to have one of her eyes gouged out as punishment (in a scene rumored to have been filmed with an actual corpse). After learning of the death of her parents and fed up with the cards life has dealt, she trains herself in the fine arts of fighting, killing and revenge. Transformed into a one-woman killing machine (and armed with a sawed-off shotgun), she uses her new skills to enact bloody revenge on those who have done her wrong.

Synapse Films has painstakingly restored THRILLER – A CRUEL PICTURE from original vault materials to bring you the totally uncensored version of the ultimate revenge-exploitation movie! Originally released in the U.S. in a heavily truncated form as THEY CALL HER ONE EYE, THRILLER is presented here with all the graphic sex, violence and action intact. Over 20 minutes of additional footage has been restored! ... Read more

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The world can be divided into two camps: those who will watch Joshua reverently and gratefully, and those who will not touch it with a 10-foot pole. The reverent probably own Joseph F. Girzone's bestselling novel about a mysterious but friendly loner who shows up in a small American town and blesses every life he touches. Whites and blacks, Catholics, Protestants, and Jews will work side by side as newly recognized brethren; an estranged couple will resolve to save their marriage; the lonely and disconnected will embrace and be embraced by community; etc. The message--the healing power of Christ's love--is beyond reproach, the intentions of the filmmakers entirely benign, but there is not one whit of dramatic tension or narrative complication to any of it. The cast is stronger than usual in such religious projects (Tony Goldwyn, Oscar^® winner F. Murray Abraham, Giancarlo Giannini as the Pope), but no one has a prayer with a script that posits the hero's Christhood on the fact that 12 people show up for his going-away dinner. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Uplifting and inspirational... a movie to treasure
All too often the lack of quality acting, writing or a budget tends to ruin filmaker's attempts to bring a quality Christian work to the screen. Left Behind is an example and if you are a fan of the series and saw the movie, then you understand what I mean. So it should come as no surprise that anyone like myself who has so enjoyed the Joshua series written by Joseph Girzone would be skeptical about the movie. But very quickly I realized that not only was this movie going to be fairly faithful to the original book, it was also going to maintain the consistant message of love and salvation that sometimes gets lost in Christian filmmaking. Tony Goldwyn whose probably been typecast since Ghost, quickly made me forget that role and pulls off an extraordinary portrayal of Joshua. Add that to a quality supporting cast and some surprises that stray a bit from the book but are nonetheless enjoyable, I would recommend this movie to anyone, whether you are a fan of the series or not.

Touches the Soul
This movie adaptation of Father Girzone's book wonderfully compells the viewer to sit back and be fascinated by a modern day Christ story.

Joshua, an artist and woodcarver, drifts into a small town and within days turns a disjointed group of citizens into a community of good neighbors. Joshua's manner is straightforward, kind, yet fun and amusing---just the kind of guy you'd want at your next get-together. He doesn't preach---he simply is---his love and selflessness runs out from him like cool fresh water to the thirsty. His actions are transforming---but alas, they also cause trouble. The pastor of the local church is frightened by Joshua's charisma and he does his worst to disassemble the band of neighbors by attempting to blacken Joshua's name.

The movie is not as complicated as the novel, the scenes where Joshua is asked to speak at the nearby Jewish Synagogue are completely eliminated as is Girzone's hopeful message of all roads--all houses of worship--leading to the same goal rather than insisting that their way is the only way. The dialogue at times can be a little too persuasive in attempting to disclose the true nature of Joshua--which the audience identifies correctly from the start anyway.

I was disappointed that more attention was not paid to Joshua's exquisite carvings----only one of the statues of Peter is manifested here.
Of note is F. Murray Abraham's portrayal of the threatened pastor and lovely sad-eyed Giancarlo Giannini as the Pope.

Recommended to all who enjoy or need a spiritual kick in the head.

What if Jesus showed up as a carpenter in a small town?
"Joshua," based on Joseph F. Girzone's novel, is not about the Second Coming of Christ. In fact I would think that it is not about a second coming either, because I get the feeling from this film that Jesus has shown up in similar ways countless times before. This time a stranger named Joshua (Tony Goldwyn) shows up in the quiet town of Auburn. He moves into a dilapidated old barn on the outside of town and when he finds a Baptist church that was destroyed in a storm, he starts working on fixing it up. This seems odd to the members of the congregation of that church, but some of them start to pitch in and help Joshua.

There are no real surprises in "Joshua," especially since the opening credits tell us that Giancarlo Giannini plays the Pope in the movie we are about to see. But the point of the story here is not to tell you anything you do not already know. The message, when Joshua actually articulates one, is the one that has been around for almost two thousand years. So the attraction here is the enticing "what if?" as to what it would be like if Jesus suddenly showed up in your neck of the woods and started doing things and talking to people. Joshua does not preach series nor does he tell parables. The important thing here is that when you talk, he listens to you.

This is not the first time that a movie has tried to portray a more "realistic" type of Jesus. There was Jeffrey Hunter in the 1961 film "King of Kings," where Jesus walked among the masses while he gave the Sermon on the Mount. In "The Passion of the Christ" the focus on the story is on the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus, but in the film's few flashbacks James Caviezel reveals a remarkably accessible figure. Tony Goldwyn has an advantage in that he does not have to wear the beard, long hair, and flowing robes of the conventional images of the Biblical Jesus. He plays Joshua as what you can only describe as being a good guy, which is more difficult to play that you would think.

Auburn is not a modern Sodom or Gomorrah. The worst you can say about the place is that the different denominations are not paying attention to each other. But then one of the points about Joshua is that he not only fixes churches and carves statues of Peter, he also fixes small things. "Joshua" is about the ministry of Jesus and the miracles have the same affect they did the first time around.

The supporting cast is solid, with F. Murray Abraham as Father Tardone, the local priest who is suspicious of the stranger in town, Kurt Fuller as Father Pat Hayes, who is captivated by that same stranger, and Stacy Edwards as Maggie, who has a different idea as to what void in her life Joshua can fill. Granted, anyone who has never been to church on Sunday is not going to be interested in this film, but "Joshua" should appeal to most Christian audiences, who will find it a pleasant reaffirmation of their beliefs.

A Gift from the lord
I have watched this movie well over 50 times, though i dont beleive in the church i do beleive in god, this movie i have recommended to others in need weather it be for emotional support or physical pain, it is uplifting, and beautiful. I truely beleive that the actors in this movie at the making were guided by the hand of God, This is a MUST SEE MOVIE....if not a must own movie, one of the nicest aspects of it was all ages can watch it, and get something out of it

A true call to everyone
The first time seeing this movie was completely by chance. My family and I rented it one evening without knowing what it was about at all. For whatever reason it stood out on that shelf, I may never know, however, the impact it has left upon me will last my lifetime. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The 10th anniversary concert video of the international musicalsensation Les Misérables might be the best thing to appease fans until afull-fledged movie comes along.Or it might be even better, as feature filmsare often subject to extramusical casting considerations and this 1995 dreamcast is superb. Reprising their roles from the original London company are ColmWilkinson (Valjean), Michael Ball (Marius), and Alun Armstrong (Thenardier). From Broadway come Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Lea Salonga (Eponine), and MichaelMaguire (Enjolras); from a later London production