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Like the TV incarnation of The Odd Couple, the M*A*S*H series has supplanted the original film in the public's consciousness. Legendary comedy writer Larry Gelbart (Your Show of Shows) deserves a medal for developing Robert Altman's bloody, funny 1970 classic for television with much of its anti-establishment spirit intact. These 24 first-season episodes--bracingly less politically correct than the shows in the final seasons--chart the program's sometimes bumpy evolution as it tried to remain true to the film's anarchic spirit while finding its own voice. The most memorable episodes include "The Pilot," which establishes the characters in broad strokes; "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet," in which a friend of Hawkeye's (Alan Alda) dies on the operating table (look for "Ronny" Howard as an underage soldier); "Cowboy," in which someone is trying to kill clueless commander Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson); and the pivotal "Dear Dad," the first of what would be a series of multistory episodes in which Hawkeye writes to his father about life at the 4077th. It is interesting to note film characters who made early exits from the series, including Timothy Brown's Spearchucker and Karen Philipp's Lt. Dish (George Morgan, who plays Father Mulcahy in the pilot, we hardly knew ye). Klinger (Jamie Farr), bucking for his Section 8 discharge, doesn't appear until the fifth episode, "Chief Surgeon Who?" And Gary Burghoff's Radar is a much more wily and savvy partner in crime to "Yankee Doodle Doctors" Hawkeye and Trapper John (Wayne Rogers) than in later seasons. In its 11-year run, M*A*S*H earned 14 Emmy Awards, and it remains one of TV's most beloved series. Though it is a staple of syndication, the episodes are presented here uncut, probably for the first time since their original broadcast. For M*A*S*H devotees, this three-disc set is just what the doctor ordered. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (159)

The First Season of a Great and Timeless Series
M*A*S*H the series: Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda), Trapper John (Wayne Rogers), Radar (Gary Burghoff), Klinger (Jamie Farr), Colonel Blake (McLean Stevenson), Hot Lips Houlihan (Loretta Swit), Father Mulcahy (William Christopher), and Frank Burns (Larry Linville) are the core of a great cast telling the story of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, just a few miles from the front in the Korean War, trying to stay sane in an insane situation. Great irreverent comedy, with the early cast.

This VHS set: This is a three-tape set giving you the 24 episodes of the entire first season. I've been watching the reruns on late-night TV for years, and did not realize how much had been edited out of those (to squeeze in more commercials). Now, these tapes bring us the episodes uncut. It's fun watching them and going, "Hey, I don't remember that!" A good buy; a good set of tapes to have on the shelf for rainy (or snowy) days.

It's About Time
It's about time that Fox put out M*A*S*H for the public (and without those stupid subscription/shyster video clubs). Thank heaven for DVD!

M*A*S*H is a brilliant show. Funny, yet touching. I have seen every episode at least 50 times but only in reruns, since I was only four when the series debuted. It was fantastic seeing these episodes uncut. Syndication takes it toll on the series and they cut many of the really funny parts for commericals. Epsiodes like "Chief Surgeon Who?" and "Pilot" show how much talent was in the writing, directing and acting of this excellent show. My favorite is "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" with a very young Ron Howard.

I plan on collecting every season, just to have a complete library. M*A*S*H is one show I never get tired of. Now, if they would just do the same thing with "I Love Lucy"!

Truly a classic TV show
"M*A*S*H" is definitely one of the greatest shows to ever grace the small screen-I recently purchased the first season episodes on home video-These episodes introduced us to a memorable cast of characters:Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce aka "Hawkeye",Captain John Mc Intyre aka "Trapper",clueless Colonel Henry Blake,pompous Major Frank Burns,no nonsense head nurse Margaret Houlihan,alias "Hot Lips",myopic company clerk Cpl Walter "Radar" O'Reilly,& the cross dressing Cpl Max Klinger-Ironically,"M*A*S*H" didn't become a top 10 Neilsen favorite until the following season-I didn't realize that the reruns seen in syndication had been trimmed to allow for the airing of more commercials-That was clearly evident when I watched the first batch of episodes-Someone asked if the show was still on somewhere-It's presently seen on cable's Hallmark Channel-Unfortunately,I don't happen to receive that particular station-Thank God I can watch these classic episodes in this format.

The best of M.A.S.H.
The first series is my favourite, so I'm delighted to have it on DVD at last. It contains my two favourite episodes. 'To Market, To Market' is the one where Hawkeye and Trapper steal Henry's new oak desk to swop for medical supplies with a Korean black marketeer ("You know how it is, Colonel, we all look alike"). Even better, my all-time favourite episode " Tuttle" where Hawkeye and Trapper convince everyone that the imaginary Captain Tuttle is a real person. Every episode has a cracking script, and the cast are all wonderful, especially Alan Alda as Hawkeye and gorgeous Wayne Rogers as Trapper (how I adored him, it broke my heart when he left the series). And Maclean Stevenson is wonderful as daffy Colonel Blake, and Loretta Swit is brilliant as belligerent Margaret Houlihan, before they made the terrible mistake of softening her character and turning her into a nice, cuddly person (yuk). I've lost track of how many times I've watched this wonderful series over the years, and now I have it on DVD I can watch it even more.

Where this classic series got started
What can be said about M.A.S.H. that hasn't been said already? Among the longest running and best sitcoms ever made, it stands the test of time despite its very specific setting. The gags still work, the characters are still wonderful, and the show still enjoyable.

The first season is less serious than later seasons, which were not shy about dropping the gags in order to throw serious topics into the mix. The actors, too, were still finding their tone and pacing during this first season. But still, few shows can match these "baby steps." Hilarious from start to finish.

This DVD set is bare bones, though not poorly produced. We get the episodes spread out over three discs (all in a sturdy triple-case) and a small booklet with info on each episode. And that's it. No extras, no commentaries. Just the episodes.

Which is just fine, because the episodes are great. Good, crisp picture far better than reruns, and good sound.

And the bare bones format pays off. With TV-on-DVD sets routinely breaking the $50 to $70 range, $35 sounds pretty darn good. A no-brainer buy for M.A.S.H. fans. ... Read more

Reviews (264)

Absolutely Brilliant, Yet Creepy Satire
Splendidly acted and brilliantly directed, Dr. Strangelove is Kubrick's satiric masterpiece about the insanity of the Cold War Era and the silliness of the infamous military-industrial complex--i.e., militaristic war machine-- that seems hell-bent on destroying the world with its overblown paranoia and jingoism. After rumors of a supposed Doomsday Machine that the "Commie Rats" are developing, a general, Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), tricks 34 U.S. Air Force bombers into nuking the U.S.S.R. without asking the President's permission (played by Peter Sellers in one of three roles). Not surprisingly, he's a little touched in the head, as he decides to bomb Russia not only because of this device, but because he's obsessed with the idea of preserving America's "precious bodily fluids." (It's a long story, folks.) Adding to the mess is Joint Chief of Staff, Turgidson (George C.Scott, in a brilliant performance), who's as paranoid as they come and wouldn't mind helping Ripper take out half of civilization to save America from the evil Russians. (One hilarious scene has Turgidson confronted with the possiblity of killing millions of people because of Ripper's stunt. "So what if we get our hair a little mussed?" he says.) Also mired in the madness is another military man, the veddy British Mandrake (Sellers) who works under Ripper and tries desperately to get the insane man to give him the code needed to turn the planes back, but alas to no avail. The star of the movie, however, is the weapons scientist, Dr. Strangelove (Sellers again), a very bizarre wheelchair-bound ex-Nazi with a "trick arm" that can't stop doing the Seig Heil salute. (For trivia buffs out there, this character may have been an allusion to the very real Wernher von Braun, the rocket scientist for Nazi Germany who was recruited by the U.S. after the war.) Also doing a wonderful turn is Slim Pickens, the tough-talking cowboy and man in charge of the only bomber that fails to get the recall from Washington; the scene in which he rides a falling nuke to its destination is a cinematic classic.

What makes Dr. Strangelove so brilliant is that is able to straddle that line between reality and absurdity without having each side cancel the other out. On one hand, the performances are so over the top that you not only laugh, you sigh with the relief that this is, after all, *just* a movie. (A weird cat like Dr. Strangelove could never exist in real life.) On the other hand, there's something about the way the film is directed where there's an eery and creepy feeling that something like this *could* happen-- not with these zany characters, of course, but with saner people in similar circumstances. In the end, no matter how crazy people like Turgidson and Ripper may act, the bottom line is that their underlying beliefs are shockingly similar to what a lot of U.S. military personnel in a position of power to push the button feel like. But then again, that was the point of the film-- on one hand to make people laugh, but on the other hand, to wake them up to the dangers of the Cold War and an entity like the military-industrial complex, that-- if not kept in check-- could one day feel itself powerful enough to perform certain reckless acts without consulting Congress or even the President himself. All in all, a terrific film, and a complete thumbs up from me.

A Kubrick Classic.
U.S. Air Force General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Heyden) goes entire and Utterly Crazy and Sends his Bomber Wing to Destory the U.S.S.R. He distrust that the Communists are Noted to Contaminate the Expensive Carnal Liquids of the American People. The U.S. President (Peter Sellers) meets with his Advisors, where the Soviet Ambassador tells him if the U.S.S.R. is hit by Nuclear Weapons, it will trigger a Doomsday Decive. Which will Annihilate all Plant and Animal Life on Earth. British Captain Lionel Mandrake (Also Sellers), the only person with access to the Demented General Ripper. U.S. President Merkin Muffley, whose Best Effort to Avert Disaster depend on Placating a High Soviet Permier and the former Nazi genious Dr. Strangelove (Also Sellers), who concludes that such a decive would not be a Cognizant Deterrent for Reasons which at this moment must be all too obvious. Will the Bombers be Stopped in Time or will General Jack D. Ripper succeed in destroying the world?

Directed by Stanley Kubrick (Lolita, 2001:A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange) filmed a well made Black Comedy, feature an Impressive Cast including-George C. Scott, Slim Pickens and James Earl Jones. This film is Unique and It's gets better, every year. Oscar Nominated for Best Actor:Peter Sellers, Best Picture and Best Director:Stanley Kubrick and Best Adapted Screenplay by Peter George, Stanley Kubrick and Terry Southern. DVD has an clear Pan & Scan format and an Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Sound. A well made that become a Classic. The Newest Edition from Columbia Home Video DVD has Many Extras. Grade:B+.

Oh for the days of the Cold War!
Every ideology that seems terribly important to one generation usually ends up seeming idiotic and even disturbingly naive to the following generation.

Think about it. The ideologies of the 18th century - dying for one's prince, duke or loot - seemed insane during the Napoleonic Wars, when nationalism became THE primary motivating factor.

"Pure" nationalism - like the extreme gung-ho attitudes at the beginning of World War I - seemed rather distasteful to the Allied forces in World War II, who fought to liberate peoples from Fascism.

The idea that Fascism would always endure, and was seriously in danger of taking over the world, seemed laughable during the Cold War.

How does the Cold War look to us today? The McCarthy era; Americans truly believing the USSR and the Communists were veritable Antichrists; truly believing that DESTROYING ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET was a feasible prediction about life in the near future; that the world was, always had been, and always would be, characterised by a fight between Communists and Capitalists.

*Sigh*

Dr Strangelove (or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb) is actually MORE funny - and disturbing - in some ways now than it was before. Admittedly I can sort of understand the immense impact of this film - could ANY politial satire have been more timely - but the fact that the "better red than dead" ideology nowadays seems as ridiculous as fighting for your Duke, means that this film can be seen in a new light.

People actually believed that is was better to be dead than Red? (Yes they did). People actually believed fluoridation of water was a communist conspiracy??? (Yes, they did). The Russians actually contemplated building a Doomsday device? (Yes they did!!! Josef Stalin actually started research on such a device, which would have EXTERMINATED ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET for the sake of a politial dispute between Communist and capitalist that today seems absolutely laughable!)

The passing of the Cold War era means that this movie is seriously disturbing. To a new generation, the all-annihilating power of the superpowers of the 1960s appears to have been based on disputes that appear petty in the extreme. Truly this movie makes us wonder what future generations will think of our fixation on modern ideologies; in an era that began three years ago with the late unpleasantness - and which is already making Francis Fukuyama's ideas, from the happy days of the 1990s, seem obsolete. He claimed that history was over; that free market ideology was the ULTIMATE ideology that would finally bring about an end to all future historical events by making us all live in peace.
That is SO 1995...

History is not over. Each generation seriously believes its own era is the ultimate era - that their own era is THE era whose disputes TRULY matter.

Well, history changes, as Strangelove shows us. I seriously hope that this movie makes us moderns think a little further before considering annihilating the world again! At least over something like fluoridation of water...

Satire at its best!
There are excellent reviews here about this movie, most of them rate it highly, and rightly so. It is no accident that this DVD is on average (at the time of writing) around 4.5 stars.
I must confess I did not know about Peter Sellers before watching this movie. I was recommended the movie by an 'artsy' friend - you know, the type of guy that thinks Citizen Kane is the greatest movie ever made - so I wasn't expecting too much, knowing how these types prefer style over substance.

I was pleasantly surprised. This is the type of film anybody can enjoy, it's seriously funny. It will probably have more meaning if you are familiar with the Cold War and the arms race, but if you don't know too much about that, the extras are a great help. There is one extra that deals with the making of the film, and how at the time of its production there was some subtle opposition to its release. Subtle in that the Air force was unwilling to lend it's expertise in the design of the B-52 bomber used in the film, and there was fear that its release at the time of J.F.K's death might have been seen as unpatriotic.

Well that's all behind us now, and we don't have to worry about the bomb so we can enjoy it more as a comedy than as a political message presented as satire. I must say that Peter Sellers is a genius; I couldn't tell when I first watched it that he was playing three roles! There are so many funny parts in the film and I don't want to spoil it for you by mentioning any. George C. Scott is also excellent and has some very memorable lines.

A bonus for me was that there was a language soundtrack in five languages; German, Italian, French, Spanish and English (off course) plus there were subtitles in more languages which is great for anyone trying to learn a new language.

I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves satire and who appreciates jokes that aren't always below the belt.

"I think you're some kind of deviated pre-vert."
Some films have a timeless quality intrinsically inherent with the story, allowing for them to maintain a certain amount of relevance, despite the subject matter, or when they were made. This aspect holds true for many of Stanley Kubrick's films, in my opinion, and is true with this film, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Directed by Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Terry Southern (Easy Rider), based on the serious novel Red Alert aka Two Hours to Doom by Peter George, and starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and Sterling Hayden, Dr. Strangelove deals in a highly farcical and satirical manner the subject of nuclear proliferation, and proposed responses devised by men of power to perceived threats, whether they be based on reality, or founded from paranoia.

The film starts off with Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Hayden), commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, initiating Attack Plan R to his group, a plan created to allow someone other than the president to launch a nuclear counterattack in the event the enemy has managed to disrupt the normal chain of command, thereby preserving our response abilities despite significant loss of leadership. Only problem is, there has been no offensive put forth by enemies of America, and it turns out this issuance was completely unprovoked and the result of one who has basically lost his mind. Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Seller, in one of three roles), a British officer participating in a officer exchange program, and, subsequently Rippers 2nd in command, realizes this, and must act before the B-52 bombers reach their destinations within the Soviet Union and deliver their atomic payloads, in turn setting off a new doomsday device conceived by the Soviets due to the fact that they were unable to keep up the United States in terms of arms proliferation, which, if activated, would cover the planet in a radioactive cloud for 100 years, destroying all life on Earth. Pretty heavy stuff, huh? One wouldn't think there'd be much humor to be found in a situation like this, but then one would be wrong...

The humor comes in the form of the absolute ludicrosity (it's not a word, as I just made it up) of the situation grown from the intense level of paranoia developed between democratic and communist powers after WWII and how, once things are set into motion, how safeguards meant to protect us basically work against that goal. It's really pretty funny to see what a mutated beast has been born of these fears, both perceived and real. Hayden Sterling is wonderful as the psychotic general with visions of communists infiltrating the very core of our democratic being, with his thoughts on 'precious bodily fluids', and conspiracies by the red menace to undermine and sap our strength. Peter Sellers is perhaps the standout in the film, playing three separate parts with such ability that I often unable to distinguish the actor from the characters within the film, seeing not an actor playing three separate parts, but only seeing three distinct characters in the British officer Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room", and finally ex-German scientist Dr. Strangelove "Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost if you keep it a secret! Why didn't you tell the world?", advisor to the President. One thing each of the characters does have in common is the Seller's comedic genius. His most memorable roles were those involving the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies, but his skills shine through in his portrayal of three completely separate personalities, one straight-laced (Mandrake), another sort of bewildered but trying to maintain a sense of control (President Muffley), and a third hilariously over the top (Dr. Strangelove). Finally, there's George C. Scott's performance as the scheming, opportunistic, plotting and conniving, but all in the name of patriotism, General 'Buck' Turdigson "Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks". He completely reminds me of his lead role from the film Patton (1970), but in a very perverted, devolved manner. Great support roles include Slim Pickens Major T.J. 'King' Kong as the pilot of one of the B-52's, James Earl Jones as one of his crewmembers, and Colonel 'Bat' Guano as the leader of the force assigned to take control of Burpelson Air Force Base, and recover the recall codes from base commander General Ripper.

All in all, Kubrick has just an amazing style for relating a story to the audience. From his use of different formats of film to evoke a particular mood or convey a sense of feeling, i.e. the documentary style use for the actual fighting footage at the air force base, to the choice of music to enhance the tone set in the various scenes. It all works perfectly to create mock realism in spite of the comedic nature, presenting the essence of a black comedy.

The picture looks wonderful in this full screen format, and you will see that change from time to time as Kubrick used various aspect ratios in the film. As far as special features, there are quite a few of them, including a theatrical trailer, a featurette titled 'The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove', a documentary titled 'The Making of Dr. Strangelove', original split screen interviews with actors Scott and Sellers (this was done by having the actors answer pre-determined questions, and then local interviewers could be added in later asking said questions, making it look like they were interviewing the actors), promotional advertising gallery, and talent files. Some have called this 'The Greatest Black Comedy of All Time', and I would have little difficulty in arguing that...

(...) ... Read more

Reviews (193)

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
From birth to death, this is a hilarious view at the time we spend inbetween. The established cast of actors, in and out of drag, poke fun at everything from religion to vital organ transplants.

My favorite scene is where "the fattest man in the world" pigs out at a fancy restaurant and eventually explodes to the disgust of the other guests. Another good one is where 3 couples at a house party get a visit from the grim reaper and give him several clever arguments before finally following him to heaven.

This is The Monty Python Gang at their very best. The little ditty at the end of the movie is priceless! You will also enjoy the "introduction" by a groups of gold fish and the "opener" saluting the great profession of accountancy. This film is an absolute must for fans (but then again, if you're a fan, you've already seen it anyway). Five stars for this one!

The Pythons in top form!
Here we have THE best Monty Python movie ever! I know I said that about Life Of Brian...but I mean it this time (no, really). Meaning of Life is a stroll through the world according to Monty Python. Many aspects of the human condition are twisted by our favorite Brit-comedians into a series of hilarous sketches. Although there are a few standouts-Birth the Third World, intercourse instruction, live organ transplants and *my favorite* the entire Death section-everything is funny. Additionally, all of Eric Idle's songs are so good you'll never forget them-and find yourself singing them in the shower. Show this to your uninitiated friends and see what happens! Beware: there are those who may find some of this offensive. I personally find MEANING an exhilarating ride! One thing does trouble me. Monty Python says it'll be Christmas in Heaven every single day! Don't you think this'll get annoying after the first 4 or 5 months?

This is on my favorite all-time movies list; which explains why I own both the DVD and the VHS version. Don't expect a Life Of Brian DVD type Criterion treatment-you get the movie, scene selection and that's it. But that's all you need. The VHS isn't bad either if you don't want the widescreen or higher price of the DVD. I was worried about wearing out the VHS...not a problem now!

More hilarious twenty years later...
...a Python fan since about twelve, I vividly remember this film coming out when I was thirteen or so. I loved it. It's great that it has not only held up but, like fine wine, it has gotten better with age. Maybe Terry Gilliam's right when he says, in one of the commentaries, that, today, comedy's standard is so low that "our crap seems good no." But it reveals their genius in so many ways. It reveals a confidence they clearly didn't feel--as tho' they'd gotten their sea legs--in the first two efforts. Though "Brian" is their supreme achievement, I have to say that this film must be placed ahead of "Holy Grail"--which given its budget looks distincly like badly shot TV. Hysterically funny, but the budget limits are are even more glaring in a high res medium like DVD.

In "Meaning of Life" the entire cast are masters of the medium (something Cleese proved independently in "A Fish Called Wanda") and they use their skills, rising even to lyrical heights (Eric Idle's paen to the universe in "Live Organ Transplants"). And the effects are more hysterical twenty years later.

This movie is also remarkable for the rather bitter satire of American pop culture. Heretofore, the Python's had stayed within the classic tradition of British comedy--filled with whimsy and just plain silliness and the class structure. American humor is generally either observational or political--and these days it almost entirely the latter. Even the masters of observation, Goldberg and Carlin, have abandoned it for bitter political diatribes attacking former fans like myself in the basest terms because out political beliefs differ.

And it follows, as it should, that the movie's best skits are the ones true to their tradition. George Harrison once called Python the continuation of the Beatles (to the point of chipping in $8M for distribution and advertising for "Brian"!). And, especially in the all too brief Gilliam animations, this is completely accurate. Without being at all derivative, they capture the whimisical sensibility the Beatles had updated and transformed and ran with it.

One draw back is the rather low-rent 5.1 remix. I've other films--e.g. the Godfather films--which are older than have far better jobs. So don't expect much. In fact, you might even consider using the 2CH option as the remixing engineer makes little use of the rear speakers.

That gentle bitch aside, the deleted scenes are mixed (why on Earth Jones thought anyone would want to see more of Mr. Creosote is beyond me?) and clearly wisely hit the cutting room floor (especially the horrendously unfunny Martin Luther skit), but some the commentary by Jones and Gilliam--clearly done at different times and mixed--is interesting most especially for the bitterness of Gilliam's attitude. It has been so on the two preceding films, but it's much more intense on this one.

The brief interview segments shows the group rivalry is still a hot issue in the guys' psyches, nearly twenty years after Graham Chapman's tragic death ended the group; they are still bickering. Gilliam's comments about Cleese are particularly acid; Cleese does he usual job of insulting nearly everyone. He is returned the favor by the rest of the group, tho' Jones slyly does it with the most class and thus does it the best. Cleese, after all, easily slips into insufferable. Hence his brilliance as Basil Fawlty.

A reluctant four star due only to the ****-poor 5.1 remix. The studio, surprise, surprise, didn't want to spend any extra money getting a good one.

The movie itself: 5 stars.

This disc should have been recalled
If you purchased this disc, and it does not have "V2" on disc one, contact Universal for a replacmeent, even if it plays fine on your current DVD player.

Here is why - the problem is with progressive scan DVD players and progressive scan monitors. Very few people have both, so the problem will not rear its ugly head until you upgrade.

The movie is completely unwatchable in this configuration.

Do yourself a favor, and get disc one replaced now, before it is too late.

Not up to par
I have seen both The Holy Grail, and The Life of Brian and this one did not meet my expectations after seeing those. I laughed thrice, maybe. I almost skipped the entire second section, as younger persons were present and we were utterly disgusted with it. If you have a taste for sexual humor, you'll most definitely enjoy this film more than I. The second disk is not even worth slipping into your player, and if, like me, you have a compatibilty issue with Disk 1 and you live in another country, it's going to be a hassle to get a replacement.
The fish were comical, and the entire segment on fighting was brilliant, but that was all of the humor I seemed to find up until a few minutes near the end. If you've never watched Monty Python, I suggest you start with one of the other movies, as this one could turn you off of a truly great source of hilarity. ... Read more

Reviews (540)

Simply Astounding
This movie has a very simple message and you read it in the title Life is Beautiful taking place during the holocaust in Italy no one could ever guess that this movie could be so touching and honest...Roberto Benigni who I believe won the Academy Award for his performance does the wonderful job in the role as a happy go lucky man who's whole life changes during the holocaust and it is up to Benigni to keep his family together...Another refreshing thing to see was the fact that this movie takes place in Italy during the holocaust and what is was really like for jewish families in Italy during the holocaust and very few history students know today that Italy was allies with Germany for a time...I love Benigni and enjoy watching his struggles and watching his love for his son and his wife. Why can't there be more guys like Benigi out there? The DVD features an English language track and of course English subtitles...I prefer the subtitles myself so I can get a real feel for the movie.I have been moved by this movie and you should rent or buy this movie for...by the end of this DVD you'll either be in tears or screaming life is beautiful!

Life is Beautiful, Movies can be Weird
After skimming the reviews here, Roberto Benigni has obviously struck a chord with a lot of people.
I would not argue with them but I found myself with the reviewer who called this film MR. BEAN GOES TO AUSCHWITZ. Actual history proved just too distracting for me to get caught up in this "fable."

Actually, the film I kept thinking of has never been seen: Jerry Lewis' THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED. I've read the script and I can only imagine the reviews of that film if it was ever released! (Now there's a film in itself: a daffy but deranged filmmaker, popping pills and performing pratfalls, producing his movie about a German clown entertaining Jewish kids on their way to the ovens. Yikes.)

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL doesn't go that far, but I found myself constantly distracted by Benigni's rubbery slapstick taking place in a concentration camp. Yeah, it's sweet that he wants to spare his son the horrors of the camp...but they're in a camp, a concentration camp.
The first half of the film actually plays like a whimsical, slightly-more-witty Jerry Lewis movie. Then the Nazis arrive. Individual scenes manage to touch and charm, but overall it just feels very odd.

Jerry Lewis must have gone nuts when Benigni won the Best Actor Academy Award (William Goldman, the sage of screenwriters, certainly did in print by saying this was the greatest Oscar abomination since THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH won Best Picture in the 1950s). I admit I was put off at Benigni's antics at the Oscars--"I LUFF YOU, I LUFF YOU ALL, I MAKE LUFF TO YOU ALL!" I can't even picture Jerry Lewis carrying on that much if he'd won Best Actor for THE BELLBOY. Now that I think about it, maybe he would....

Yes, movies are a great escape from reality--but there are some realities that shouldn't be part of that escape.
We have new generations of kids coming up who are quite removed from the terrifying reality of the Holocaust and the near-slapstick version of it portrayed in LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL could diminish the true horror of it.
That heaviness, that memory, made buying into the humor nearly impossible.

"I want to make love to all of hollywood"
The pride of Italy Roberto Benini in his WWII masterpiece, tastefully combining comedy with drama in an oscar winning foreign film. A must have. Make sure you watch it in Italian with the subtitles.

ETMR - Life is Beautiful
1. Humanity: How does Guido express the human quality of endurance?

2. Implications: Life is Beautiful expresses the need for family strength. What does this mean for today?

3. Evolution: Life is Beautiful employs a style that is at first jarring to watch, and then succeeds on its own as a force of comedy. How has this affected cinema since its release in 1998?

4. Realism: Is the game Guido plays with his son feasible realistically?

5. Stageplay: The basic story is one of a man trying to remain optimistic during a time of intense suffering. How does the light-heartedness of the plot change the realistic consequences of the Holocaust?

A Beautiful film
Never before has such a brilliant hybrid of comedy and the tradegy of war been so skillfully woven togen. The film, although disjointed slightly in its early stages, presents a delicate balance between the otrocities of the second world war and the genuine warmth and kindness of its protagonist. There are times when you will you laugh, others that you will feel deeply saddened by the plight of the characters, with the comfortable compromise reached at the film's conclusion leaving a pleasant after taste in spite of the circumstances. Brilliantly acted and filmed, Life is Beautiful presents a different take of what life was like in that dark period of history whilst leaving intact the integrity of the central themes and the brutality of war. This is a movie that can be enjoyed on multiple levels and is a worthy Oscar winner. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bill Murray was heading toward a career peak on the back of comedies such as this one from 1981, the second film in his ongoing collaboration with director Ivan Reitman (the two went on to make Ghostbusters). Murray plays a chronic loser who joins the army and fails to find a fan for his ironic sensibilities in his by-the-book sergeant (Warren Oates). When push comes to shove, however, the smirking hero takes charge of his ragtag unit and turns them into fighting machines, albeit to the rhythm of hit songs by Manfred Mann and Sly Stone. The film is occasionally funny, but it mostly plays like any one of a dozen underachieving comedies featuring players from Saturday Night Live and SCTV. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Classic Bill Murray
If you like Bill- this movie in my opinion is a must own. This is Bill at his best!! I have the older version of this dvd- and this version has more "goods" do I would easily reccomend!!!!!
4 1/2 stars

Not exactly the special edition we were hoping for, but...
If you grew up during the 1980s, chances are you saw or heard of "Stripes." It's one of the pioneers of the bad taste genre -- a bunch of social misfits with bad attitudes take back the power. It started with post-Vietnam films such as "M*A*S*H" and extended into "Animal House" and, by 1981, "Stripes."

Now the film will be coming out on a Special Extended Edition next month (June 7th according to Amazon). The special features are:

-- Available subtitles: English, French
-- Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
-- Features 18 extra minutes, including 6 never-before-seen deleted scenes

-- Hour-long documentary

-- Interviews with Bill Murray and the cast

-- Mastered in high definition

It's worth noting that the interviews with Bill Murray and the cast are part of the documentary, which means the only special features for this disc are:

1. A new transfer
2. An hour-long documentary

For those of us who enjoy this film and have been waiting on the Special Edition for quite some time (it's been rumored for as far back as two years! I actually held off buying the previous disc because I was waiting for an SE), the features here might be rather disappointing.

I expected something like this:

DISC ONE

1. Commentary by Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman
2. Commentary by Bill Murray (he hasn't spoken to Ramis since the filming of "Groundhog Day," so a commentary together is highly unlikely)
3. New anamorphic widescreen transfer
4. New DD5.1 Surround and DTS 5.1 Surround audio tracks.
5. Teaser trailer
6. Theatrical trailer
7. Talent files
8. Photo gallery

DISC TWO

1. An hour-long documentary
2. Separate reel of new interviews
3. Goofs/outtakes
4. Screen tests
5. John Candy retrospective documentary
6. Original "Making-of" featurette

That was more of what I was expecting from something two years in the making (and perhaps even longer!).

My main worries about this new DVD are:

1. The special features are dire
2. It looks like a typical double-dip rip-off
3. The new artwork is atrocious

I liked the old artwork better.

That said, I am happy at least that the film is coming out on a new DVD and I will purchase it. I'm not obsessed with this film by any means, and in fact I think it loses a lot of steam in the final act once they leave boot camp, and after that it turns into a pretty tiresome action-adventure movie with no laughs until the very end.

But the first 3/4 of "Stripes" is very funny stuff in the typical underdog-film-style. I was at least hoping for a commentary by Ramis or Reitman on the new DVD, but oh well.

what a hoot
i watched this on comcast in demand last night and man was it hilarious!!john candy rules and cover your little children's eyes 'cause there are naked ladies sometimes.

Stripes 5 Stars For DVD (1 Star for Regular TV Broadcasts!)
Just buy the DVD or tape or what have you or try to catch it on the premium cable stations. DO NOT watch STRIPES on COMEDY CENTRAL or TBS or TNT or other network broadcasts because it is always butchered beyond recognition.When shown on COMEDY CENTRAL, there's a commercial every ten minutes and the whole rhythm of the film suffers. Otherwise this is a classic Bill Murray vehicle that's funny from the beginning to the very end.The film features the late John Candy and the late Warren Oats (who is excellent as Sgt Hulka), Sean Young (before she went psycho), and Harold Ramis (Murray's co-star on GHOSTBUSTERS, director of GROUNDHOG DAY). NOTE: Classic Scene(s)- The "Graduation Drill Excercise" with Murray leading the platoon to synchronized perfection; Bill Murray and Harold Ramis leading the platoon to march to the lyrics of Manfred Mann's "DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY"; the "Urban Assault Vehicle"; and Harold Ramis (as Russel) teaching foreignors to speak English.

Classic that remembers funnier than it is while watching it
Stripes is one of those movies that I remember more affectionately than I feel towards it while watching it.I chuckle as I remember Sgt. Hulka, Ox, the fool Stillman, and so forth.There are so many little scenes, such as the beginning cab scene with the old woman wanting to get to the airport and giving the depressed Winger (Murray) a hard time.His defiant parking of the cab in the middle of a bridge, blocking two lanes, and throwing the keys into the river, retain some of the leftover anti-establishment feeling of the 60s & 70s that has become the seeming birthright of all teenagers since.

I love the scene where Winger is shooting baskets in his apartment and puts it through a window out into the street and asks people below for a "little help".They throw the ball back to him through the unbroken window.The scene where the young guys are all telling Hulka about what led them to the army is funny as is Winger's and Hulka's exchange about Hulka being the big toe leading their foot.

And the classic mud wrestling scene with John Candy as Ox.The Murray speech rallying the men the night before graduation and their entrance onto the graduation grounds.

There are so many funny scenes.I am SURE you can think of many more.

Yet, it still never really gels as a movie and it really was never meant to.It seems to me that it remembers funnier that it is in watching it now.The culture has moved on.Remember, this was just after Vietnam and Carter and at the beginning of Regan.Pre-AIDS, pre-fall of the Berlin Wall and the USSR.Clearly, it is a Baby Boomer comedy.

Since so much of this movie, like Animal House and Caddy Shack, have become cultural touchstones, seeing the movie is almost a requirement.However, there are scenes where you will find yourself wondering why the heck THAT was necessary.That effect is a measure of how far we have moved on from 1981. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

THAT WAS GREAT..BUT WHEN ARE THE REST COMMING TO DVD?
I ENJOYED DAD'S ARMY COLLECTION BUT I HAVE SEEN OTHER EPISODES ON PBS AND WAS WONDERING WHEN ARE THE REST OF THE COLLECTION GOING TO BE RELEASED ON DVD??

Don't Panic!
Dad's Army is one of the most delightful television comedies of the 20th Century. The cast are supurb and a joy to watch. Created at a time when old school vaudeville acting brought with it the professionalism of English Reparatory theatre and the delights of '70s British TV comedy, Dad's Army will amuse for many years to come.

And please don't panic about the lack of DA on DVD for whilst I haven't viewed this edition (the 5 Stars are for the show) I have the new BBC 'Best of' release containing five episodes purloined from the Australian Broadcastin Corporation's shopping site (search for 'ABC Shop Online'). I believe a second volume is on the way.

You stupid boy...

The TV show ever!!
Watching and rewatching these episodes is therapy. After a day at work Dad's Army always gets me laughing. Arthur Lowe, Clive Dunn and the rest paint a portrait of a place I would like to live in. You get so close to the characters, that when I found out about James Beck's untimely death I felt that I had lost a friend.

Possibly the greatest TV of all time
Delightful, engaging, funny, serene ... - words fail to express the sincere JOY this show gives me. I could probably use all the complimentary words in a thesaurus - and then some. Along with The Prisoner I have my desert island TV sorted. Every character is real. Even if the show was not funny (which it is - hugely), I could still watch this end-to-end and then again just for the characters alone. The BBC made some sublime TV in late 1960's and through the 1970's. Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served etc are all magnificent ... but if push comes to shove this is it. The best TV of all time? Well, that's my opinion and I am entitled to it - but yes, I would augue that this is it.

One criticism though - why oh why can't the BBC/A&E release the whole series IN FULL and in sequence (they've found 2 of the 5 missing episodes from Series 2 so they have enough material to fill that DVD with the "Finding Of.." TV special (from 2000), Message To The Empire, various BBC variety TV appearances, the 1-hour specials etc etc). Now when that's released I would be truly happy.

Defending Walmington-On-Sea for King and country
It's 1941, and England is braced for a Nazi invasion along its southeast coast. Every man must do his duty; the old and those otherwise exempt from service with the regular forces have the opportunity to join the ranks of His Majesty's Home Guard. In the coastal town of Walmington-On-Sea, the local HG contingent is commanded by Captain Mainwaring (pronounced "mannering", Arthur Lowe), the local bank manager. His stout hearted men at arms include Sergeant Wilson (John Le Mesurier), the bank's chief clerk, Lance Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn), the butcher, Private Fraser (John Laurie), the undertaker, Private Walker (James Beck), a goods transporter, and assorted others.

The humor in DAD'S ARMY is perhaps more subtle and character driven than that seen in U.S. sitcoms. As befits the senior NCO of any military outfit, Wilson is amusedly tolerant of his Captain's pompous efforts to instill martial spirit and promote military bearing among the ranks. Jones drives Mainwaring to distraction with war stories about the old days with Kitchener's army in the Sudan. Fraser, a dour Scot and the platoon's chief grouser, comes to life when the subject of women's strong thighs arises. Fraser's abets his career as the local Lothario by delivering elastic for the ladies' knickers along with the war supplies.

The level of amusement to be derived from the 18 episodes in this 3-DVD set ranges from negligible to high. Fortunately, the former is represented solely by "The Test", wherein Mainwaring and his men are challenged to a cricket match by their rivals in the air raid watch. Cricket? Please, I'm a Yank. Otherwise, the chuckles are satisfyingly frequent. As when Jones takes a detail to set up a lookout in a deserted lighthouse and hits the wrong switch as Luftwaffe bombers approach the blacked-out town. Or, when the platoon is assigned to guard a captured U-boat commander and several of his crew, the action the German captain takes when Mainwaring threatens him with soggy chips to accompany his fish. And Mainwaring's difficulty with a tent flap after becoming thoroughly drunk in an officers' mess. Or, to Mainwaring's jealousy and disgust, when Wilson inherits a title and is invited to join the local golf club.

The video quality of this boxed set is inconsistent. The DVD technology makes an excellent reproduction of the source material, and some of the original film was notably dodgy.

DAD'S ARMY doesn't even come close to reruns of M.A.S.H., but, compared to the desolate landscape of contemporary American sitcoms, it provides occasions of pure delight. ... Read more

Reviews (89)

"To a New Yorker like you...a hero is some kind of sandwich"
Exciting, humourous and well paced WWII action film sees Clint Eastwood and Co. looking to liberate $16 million worth of gold bullion from the retreating Nazi forces in Europe !

Director Brian G. Hutton (who directed Clint in the WWII thriller "Where Eagles Dare") is at the helm of this movie and again demonstrates his passion for fiery, loud battle scenes !!

Eastwood plays Kelly...just another war weary soldier slogging through the muddy battlefields of France until he comes across a German colonel and top secret information about a bank full of plundered Nazi bullion...now all he needs is a skilled team to carry out this most audacious of bank heists in the middle of a war ! Kelly enlists the assistance of tank commanding flower child "Oddball", (Donald Sutherland in an unforgettable performance ) fast talking hustler "Crap Game" ( I don't think Don Rickles was acting ! ), battle hardened sergeant "Big Joe" ( Telly Savalas )....along with a motley crew of troops including Harry Dean Stanton as "Willard" and Jeff Morris as "Cowboy".

I know some reviewers tend to be a bit critical of some of the humourous aspects of this movie....but what the heck...it's not trying to be "All Quiet on the Western Front" or "Paths of Glory"...the movie is a fictional tale about an elaborate bank heist thrown in amongst a very noisy war, and peopled with some larger than life colorful characters. "Kelly's Heroes" is an enjoyable little cult film and is a fun way to spend a lazy evening watching a "Boys Own" action adventure.

Great to finally have "Kellys Heroes" out on DVD (although a few extra goodies would have been nice)....picture and sound quality is very good...and I always enjoy "The Mike Curb Congregation" singing "Burning Bridges" (the film's theme track)......

Classic Army Comedy
Very enjoyable comedy about a platoon of Army soldiers who set out to steal gold bars in a bank behind German lines during WW II. The movie takes place after D-Day when a Private, portrayed by Clint Eastwood, finds out that there is a huge stash of gold in a bank deep in enemy territory. The humor is centered around the lackluster group of soldiers he rounds up to penetrate German lines in a mission to retrieve the prize. What really makes the movie work are the actors: Donald Sutherland (a hippy tanker if you can believe that), Telly Savalas (the strong, reluctant platoon sergeant), Don Rickles (the scheming supply sergeant), and Carrol O'Connor (the division commander who has been trying to get the infantry division on the move). Although funny, it still has it's somber moments when the soldiers and tankers run into the enemy as they advance towards their objective, but it's not too violent nor bloody as recent movies with WW II themes. Previous reviewers have remarked how well done the production sets are with uniforms and equipment, and they are pretty impressive considering this is only a comedy. Interesting remarks about the Tiger Tanks, they probably are modified T-34s considering that they do not have front drive sprockets that original Tigers had, nor do they have the over-lapping road wheel suspension. Plus the turrets of these tanks sit forward on the chassis just like T-34s, regardless of these picky comments, they do almost like the real thing. An enjoyable movie and it has a lively soundtrack that compliments the plot very well.

Great entertainment,, with WWII backgound

Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: November 6, 2001

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Pvt. Kelly
Telly Savalas ... Master Sgt. Big Joe
Don Rickles ... Staff Sgt. Crapgame
Carroll O'Connor ... Major General Colt
Donald Sutherland ... Sgt. Oddball, Tank Commander
Gavin MacLeod ... Moriarty, Tank crewman
Hal Buckley ... Captain Maitland
Stuart Margolin ... Pvt. Little Joe
Jeff Morris ... Pvt. Cowboy
Richard Davalos ... Pvt. Gutowski
Perry Lopez ... Pvt. Petuko
Tom Troupe ... Cpl. Job
Harry Dean Stanton ... Pvt. Willard
Dick Balduzzi ... Pvt. Fisher
Gene Collins ... Pvt. Babra
Len Lesser ... Platoon Sgt. Bellamy 42nd Engineers
David Hurst ... Colonel Dumpkoppf
Fred Pearlman ... Pvt. Mitchell
Michael Clark ... Pvt. Grace
George Fargo ... Pvt. Penn
Dee Pollock ... Pvt. Jonesey
George Savalas ... 1st Sgt. Mulligan, Artillery Unit
John G. Heller ... German Lieutenant
Shepherd Sanders ... Turk, Tank crewman
Karl-Otto Alberty ... German Tank Commander
Ross Elliott ... Major Booker, Gen. Colt's Staff Communications Officer
Phil Adams ... Pvt. Whiskey
Hugo De Vernier ... French mayor
Frank J. Garlotta ... Tanker
Harry Goines ... Supply sergeant
David Gross ... German Captain
Sandy Kevin ... Mo
James McHale ... Guest
Robert MacNamara ... Major Roach, Gen. Colt's Staff
Reed Morgan ... U.S. lieutenant
Tom Signorelli ... Sgt. Bonsor, Gen. Colt's Staff
Donald Waugh ... Roamer, Gen. Colt's Staff

Vincent Maracecchi ... Old man in town
Tony Wheeler ... Cpl., General Colt's Driver

This film is rich with humor, as well as suspense. Kelly (Eastwood) learns about a bank full of gold bars, in Germany behind enemy lines. He gets together a mixed bag of what can only be called losers and misfits, appropriates a tank, and heads for the gold. The ensuing struggle to get rich provides the motivation which keeps the motley band together.

Donald Sutherland ("oddball"), the hippy tanker, is the source of much humor, as well as Don Rickles ("Crapgame"), and (believe it or not) Carroll O.Connor as the general.

This is a funny movie, with more than a little action. Nothing offensive.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

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

Off-beat WW2 classic with all-star cast!
This is definitely one of the funniest war movies of all time! Donald Sutherland, who plays a hippie(!) tank commander, seems out of place in a WW2 setting. However, he had me laughing the whole way through! I can't imagine what this film would be like without his hysterical performance. One of my favorite scenes is when Sutherland's three Sherman tanks attack a Nazi railroad station while playing Hank Williams' music on a loud speaker! I realize that this "WW2 movie" has a definite 70's feel to it (especially with one of the hit songs of the decade, Burning Bridges), & some don't like this movie for that reason. I can't help but have fun everytime I see this! The tanks, even the German ones, look much more authentic than those in Patton or The Battle of the Bulge. This is a real treat for WW2 tank buffs like me who appreciate authenticity. I know the plot is hokey, but who cares? If you want to see a war movie that isn't depressing (like most) or boring then this is for you!

Action packed and funny
Another "tough-guy" film that is sure to entertain you over and over again. Starring Clint Eastwood as the demoted Sgt. Kelly, Telly Savalas as "Big Joe", also starring Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, Carol O'Connor and Dean Stanton. Truely great action packed film with lots of dry humour. Donald Sutherland looks like he's spent the last 5 years in San Fransisco than an actual Tank commander. I recommend this film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Blake Edwards's delightful 1959 comedy stars Cary Grant as a World War II submarine captain whose preference for a by-the-book command reluctantly yields to certain realities. Chief among those is that Grant's first officer (Tony Curtis, who impersonated Grant that same year in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot), a shameless hustler, is better than the navy at delivering whatever supplies the ship and crew need to keep going. But when Curtis sneaks a handful of Philippine refugees and several gorgeous nurses onto the all-male sub, the skipper not only has to cool down his crew but deal with an unexpected feminine influence on ship protocol. The film is a great deal of fun, sprinkled with the director's trademark sight gags (including one of Edwards's best, involving a torpedo and jeep), and graced with his unmistakable lilt. Grant is in great form, his comic brilliance almost impossibly effortless. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (33)

One of the best
Operation Petticoat is one of those movies that makes you laugh no matter how many times you see it. The cast is led by none other than Cary Grant as the commander of a decrepit submarine, caught behind the Japanese advance in the Pacific, trying hard to sail her back to safety and repair at a US base. Grant makes a fine picture as a tough yet sentimental commanding officer. In counterpoint is Tony Curtis as a totally amoral rascal with a talent for getting things done, usually by breaking all rules. Despite their mutual dislike, the two have to work together to get the sub home and the result is a truly bizarre voyage. Curtis' expertise in scrounging supplies for the damaged sub extends to a group of stranded army nurses, who predictably create havoc on the submarine. And as the sub approaches safety, it improbably ends up as a maternity ward to the consternation of Grant and the delight of the crew. I would hate to spoil the surprises but let me say the manner of the sub reaching safety is simply hilarious. Of course, all ends well - this is a movie after all - and the right lessons are learned by all. A great movie to laugh over with some superb dialog lines for Grant in particular and a string of great one-liners all around. Highly recommended.

All Hands will Emergency Surface with Laughter
My favorite part of this hilarious Cary Grant and Tony Curtis romp was when Tony Curtis reports for duty to a WW II submarine in his dress whites. The rest of the crew -- greasy and grimy from trying to get their critically damaged boat into good enough condition to limp to another friendly base laugh their heads off when looking through the periscope they spot Curtis looking a little out of place on the busy pier. However, much to their surprise, Curtis proves himself invaluable as the boats "Supply" officer who does an unequalled job in "procuring" the badly needed parts for the boat in early supply shortened portion of the war in pacific. Come to find out this smoozing, angle hunting "idea man" who had been on the Admiral's staff and "Champion Rumba Dancer" (with the Admiral's wife) really was a street-wise guy from wrong side of the tracks in NY City.

And to top it off the Boat ends up with stranded Army Nurses all this makes for a great movie -- how the submarine ends up pink and how they torpedo an enemy truck I will leave to you find out. Do yourself a favor and get this movie. What a hoot!-- K.K. Dunn (Submarine Veteran), Kansas City

A must in Cary Grant Fans
This is a great comedy and a must for Grant Fans. Cary Grant as the commander of a very peculiar submarine sailing thru the Pacific with an even more peculiar crew. Great Movie

The Cast
Tony Curtis and Cary Grant are at their handsomest. You should see Cary in his admiral outfit. But, in my opinion, you may disagree, a very obvious flaw is the weak cast of women. I was casting it in my mind as I watched. Marilyn Monroe would have been hilarious-- and Thelma Ritter as the mechanic. Of course, with a stellar cast, the parts would have had to be better for them. The pink sub is hilarious and the men seem very relaxed, glad to get non-challenging roles. This is a must for the 50's comedies collector and has that great super-bright photography.

lightweight WWII comedy still worth catching
Like submarines, this flick really doesn't have that much keeping itself above the waterline. The USS Sea Tiger is almost completely destroyed when attacked by the Japanese in port in 1941. Through the pluck of its commanding officer, Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) and the scheming of his very un-military XO (Tony Curtis), the stricken sub is pulled together enough to make it out to sea, where it suffers a series of embarrassing misadventures - the crowning indignity being the coat of pink paint it must wear when their isn't enough gray. In between, the sub faces off against a squad of army nurses, a family of Filipino refugees, a goat, and a torpedoed jeep - all without killing a fly. It's not great comedy, but the flick gets by with Curtis as Holden who can always get what he wants, and never wants active-duty (when he tells Grant that he had seen action on a destroyer, Grant is dumbstruck that Curtis ever found time for it between golfing with admirals and dancing at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel). The flick actually belongs to Grant as the prim and perfect Sherman who tries to mold Curtis into a proper officer and finds himself being molded in his likeness instead. (When sailors find their port facilities stripped to provide replacement parts for Sea Tiger, a forlorn admiral concludes that they've witnessed "Sherman's march to the sea".) The leads aside, "Petticoat" is actually a great time capsule of a time in Hollywood when the military was still respected - in more modern flicks, the street smarts of Curtis's character would make him the hero and the wisest of all. But the script makes him a pathetic weasel to be whipped into shape by the proper Sherman, who of course sees right through Holden. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

wonderful.
This is a movie everyone should see. I know that everyone always writes that, but I really mean it. I've never seen another movie like it in my whole life. there's something hauntingly, charmingly true about it. The story is set in 1918, in a small french town that has been evacuated because there's a bomb hidden. A scottish soldier is sent in to disable it, but he doesn't know where it's hidden or when it's going to go off. Accidentally freeing all the inmates of the insane asylum who've been left (by the fleeing townspeople) in the town, the soldier finds himself stuck among them, trying to convince them to leave, but having no luck. the inmates are irresistibly lovable, carefree, full of wisdom and completely free of all societal restraints. it's impossible not to fall in love with the world they create in the evacuated town. I think the movie is only made better by being in another language: reading the subtitles, you can imagine the characters saying the lines in any way that you want. French is such a beautiful language: that, combined with the unobtrusive music, makes for a film strangely silent and beautiful. It makes me cry. Please go watch it. It's definitely one of my favorites.

Enchanting fantasy; topical allegory; classic movie
A fairy tale set in a French town caught between the opposing armies of the First World War, "King of Hearts" has lost none of its beguiling charm in the 35 years since its original release, nor has its message grown stale. Alan Bates shines as Charles Plumpick, a simple private in a Scottish regiment and perhaps the only sane man in the abandoned town. But is his world of war and brutality really any saner than the make-believe world conjured up by the escaped inmates of the town lunatic asylum, the only residents Private Plumpick encounters during his reconaissance? It is a point of view that depends entirely on one's perspective. This whimsical, gentle tale challenges the watcher to reexamine what constitutes true madness, just as the asylum characters force Pvt. Plumpick, having been to his initial discomfort acclaimed as the King of Hearts, to choose which role he prefers: king of the fools or fool for King George V? Broca directs his own screenplay with a deft touch and using a stellar cast of mostly French actors. A very young Genevieve Bujold makes one of her earliest appearances in a major picture. The English subtitles aren't the best I've seen (and unlike the VHS version, are distractingly present even during English dialogue), but far better than the awful English-dubbed version of "King of Hearts" that is sometimes broadcast or sold. (The best subtitles I have ever seen were on a print that circulated around theatres during the 1970s and 1980s, but I've never seen this version used for home video.) The score by Georges Delerue is one of his best.

Quelle Surprise! This DVD version has, without fanfare, at least two entirely new scenes in the film that I have never seen before (and I first saw this in 1977). The first is a lengthier "homily" by Monseigneur Marguerite (aka Bishop Daisy) in the church before Charles' coronation. But the real grabber is an added scene at the very end of the movie that offers a parting glance at the primary players and a final bittersweet twist. Where on earth did this footage come from, and why has it been missing from this film for so long? Does this DVD version offer a "better" ending than the familiar one? It's debateable. But it's certainly intriguing.

Best Ending Ever!
This movie has the very best ending ever. I'd like to see someone try and find a more surprising, happier, funnier ending than this one. The loonies are in town and they've found their king and my heart. This movie takes the bag. It's my father's very favorite movie and one of mine. I definitely recommend this movie.

A buck-naked skip with birdcage!
This gem should hit many different emotions for the avid viewer. A true parade of carnival characters set in an antiwar theme -- this bit of royalty of the heart brings up aTHE enigma: Is the difference between psychosis and psychic just a paper-thin line of cultural subjectivism? Is the lunacy of blowing up yet another vacant city on the path to glory any different that skipping naked down a path with a birdcage in one's hand?

This film started the boomers reading subtitles and (hopefully) brought them out of their fears of foreign film. (Don't get the dubbed version, it lacks so much charm.) Its popularity had a great deal to do with the country's mass-consciousness about the Viet Nam war; but I hope it would have found the same audience without such a catalyst.

One feels like dancing in a fountain and blowing bubbles on the back of a bus after seeing this great flick. Keep a kazoo handy; you'll want to have something to toot after the film is over and you are left to your organized sanity!

Better yet, follow it up with the 1972 release of "The Ruling Class" and have yourself a truly insane evening of jocularity.

Is there something extra on this DVD?
King of Hearts was, in my younger and more vulnerable years, one of my favorite movies, but I had not seen it in many years. In fact, I'd rather forgotten about it. Then I came across the DVD and bought it and watched it again. Still a great movie, but I was puzzled. My recollection was the final scene of the movie is Plumpick (Alan Bates) appearing at the gate of the asylum naked. Then the credits began (rather abruptly as I recollect). In the DVD, however, there is a short scene after this where Bates has joined the inmates and there is a brief exchange of dialog. I don't recall ever seeing this before, but maybe my memory is foggy. No one else seems to have mentioned this either in ... of IMDB, nor does the DVD tout a restored scene. Can anyone tell me if they recall this scene? ... Read more

Reviews (39)

So Many Favourites In One Film!!
Henry Fonda stars in one of his most famous roles as Mr. Roberts, an officer on board a cargo ship, a man who underestimates his importance and the respect he is shown by an appreciative crew. The reason they admire him so much is because he stands up to their dictatorial captain, played ferociously by James Cagney. Fonda brings a lot of dignity and quiet strength to his character. The great William Powell is Fonda's confidant and ship's doctor, and Powell plays him with wisdom and class. Jack Lemmon, as Ensign Pulver, gets many of the film's best laughs, as he broadly plays the officer who is a lot of talk, but not much action. Mister Roberts combines humour, honesty, and drama very well, giving the viewer a real sense of the camaraderie onboard the ship. We also see how the human spirit can triumph under difficult conditions. And it's also a great chance to see four of Hollywood's greatest actors in one film, each one showing what they did so well. This is one to watch.

Thank you, Mr. Roberts
When Henry Fonda received the Kennedy Center honors in the late 70's, as part of his tribute, the Naval Academy glee club sang. Red River Valley saluted Grapes of Wrath, but the highlight was Anchors Away, when the Midshipman director of the glee club turned about face, saluted and said "Thank you, Mr. Roberts." As each Middie left the stage, he saluted and former Lt (jg) Fonda returned each one. Mr. Fonda was reported to have said that that was the greatest honor he received in a truly distinguished career.

This movie has that impact--it is a salute to "all those brave men who sailed from Apathy to Tedium, with an occasional side trip to Monotony" (I hope I have this right). When he died, the network news tribute was a dark screen and the sound track as Dolan and the others, having learned just what Mr. Roberts had done for them, each repeated those magic words "Good night, Mr. Roberts."

This is my favorite movie, one which I have watched at least 100 times. With marvelous performances by William Powell (Doc), James Cagney (the Captain), and Jack Lemmon (Ensign Pulver), as well as a fine supporting cast, this is a "must have" selection.

Review is of DVD - Not the movie
Given the "classic" status of this movie, it seems meaningless to discuss the content for this review. Thus, I will stick to reviewing Warner Brothers DVD release of the film.

First, I commend them for the inclusion of the excerpt of an Ed Sullivan "Toast of the Town" (1948) tribute episode featuring the movie's stars. This was really interesting viewing.

However, for the movie itself....this is the worst Warner release I have seen since "National Velvet". The picture frequently becomes out of focus, and the picture is often very undefined throughout the whole movie. There are a couple of places in the movie where the picture jumps, as if the film from which the transfer was taken "skipped a sprocket".

Overall, this is an embarassing release of a classic movie....despite the great extras which are included. Warner needs to go back to the drawing board on this one.

I love this movie!
The film "Mister Roberts" has everything.

Great Story, great cast, great meaning. If I had my choice of only a dozen movies to recommend to anyone, this would be one of them.

After fifty years, it's still an inspiring story of how sometimes small, seemingly insignificant details and the consideration of the human factor contribute to effective leadership.

In fact, this film is still in use as a motivational tool in the U.S. Naval Services.

I highly recommend this movie.

One of my favorite movies
I loved this movie when I saw it many years ago, it's timeless and still funny after all these years. I'm so glad it's available on DVD and now part of my movie collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Let's face facts here: You don't watch a movie like Major Paynefor its artistic merit any more than you'd watch Schindler's List for its comedy. If you go in thinking otherwise, you're bucking for a disappointment. So it's a pleasant surprise to discover that Major Payne is more entertaining than a barrel full of bad reviews would lead you to believe. It's a totally formulaic comedy about a bunch of misfit kids who turn into a crack squad of skillfully disciplined ROTC cadets, but Damon Wayans is spot-on hilarious in the title role as the hardened military bulldog who whips the little slackers into shape. Wayans plays the role as if killing and warfare were the only joys in life, and when he finds himself cast adrift without a military commission, a scene that directly parodies Apocalypse Now lets you know that Wayans (who cowrote the script) is going to bring something new to this routine scenario. Major Payne's idea of a good bedtime story is to recall his worst battlefield horrors, and Wayans gives it just the right twist of comedy to put Payne's bullet-pierced heart in the right place--he's really just a good guy with an iron-clad exterior. The young recruits strut their stuff in the final round of their cadet competition (their marching rap is good for a solid laugh), and director Nick Castle keeps it all from becoming too stupid or over the top. It's arguably only for Wayans's most ardent fans, but as a send-up of all the great movie drill instructors, Major Payne is painlessly enjoyable. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Funniest movie I have seen
This movie is simply excellent. Damon Wayans achieves to transform a serious subject into a comedy which never offends the USMC. He plays so well that he deserves them.

The soundtrack is so good. Sounds are quite exagerated and thus become funny. For instance, during the Universal opening title when the (r) registred mark symbol appears, you hear a DING ! When Major Payne meets the Madison school headmaster, you can hear all these insects and butterflies (the headmaster loves entomology) flying and buzzing around and over the shaved head of Major Payne. This scene is purely hilarious, one of my favorite moment. I was laughing so much I thought I shall died. Maybe another victim of Major Payne (fortunately not the final one).

The music by Craig Safan is particularly successful and sustains any funny actions, the Aretha Franklin's musics too. It seems obvious Craig Safan enjoyed to create a real musical background that depicts a "cartoon" atmosphere. Sometimes very serious, and few seconds later so funny.

The story is not only comedy but extraordinary rich thanks to the work of Damon Wayans and the cast. One best moment is when Major Payne offers a bullet from his heart to his new "girlfriend" or when Major Payne understands that Cadet Alex Stone wants to push him outside Madison school (Do you want to see me gone?). Only Damon Wayans can play like that (heartily).

The texts are outstanding (even for a french viewer). The american vocabulary is so rich and the art of using it (and expanding it) is so irresistible. I laugh from the first to the last second of Major Payne.

The french translation is also a success even if the task was enormous because there is so much american idioms. Nevertheless, the french dub is really funny. I do prefer the original voice of Damon Wayans because he talks so perfectly as a USMC drill instructor. This man is not an actor, he is a human VTR! He can spend two weeks with Marines and then speaks like them. The french voice is very good but the dub actor was unfortunately unable to complete such performance.

The scene with the hidden man into the closet and how Major Payne definitely "kills" the Tiger's nightmare is a masterpiece.

Nick Castle did one of my favourite movie, forever and I just wanted to thank him and all the cast for giving us such good time.

Vive the USMC, Vive Major Payne, Vive Damon Wayans.

Hilarious and a good movie
I'm not that big of a Damon Wayans fan, but he does a great job in this movie. He starts a program at a local school for kids who want to be in JROTC. His ultimate goal is to prepare them to win the competition for best cadets in the county JROTC competition that will be held later on. He is real strict on all the kids, so they all want to get rid of him. He has to find a way to get along with the kids while also giving them some discipline.

"Major Payne" is a hilarious movie. While you watch the movie, you'll be laughing a lot, but you'll also see that it's a good movie. I recommend anybody to get "Major Payne."

"...and biz - ness - is - goooood!!!"
If there is any movie as funny as this one, I would like to know what it is. This is the funniest movie I know. Damon Wayans is so talented; he is hilarious in this movie. There is not one moment in this movie that is poorly done. It just gets better with repeated viewings. I really didn't Damon Wayans other than by name until I saw this movie.
The kids in this movie are terrific. Their acting is great! They are all grown up now. If you want to see a funny movie, you have got to get this one. A previous writer was right on the money when he said that Major Payne's character is like a cross between Gomer Pyle and Lou Gossett, Jr.'s character as a drill sergeant. This movie is full of fantastic instant-classic lines that I won't give away here. See it!!!

Major Payne is Major Funny
I loved this movie and I love Damon Waynes character and I love when he insults peaple expacially when he cracks peaples fingers when they say something is hurting them and he said want me to take your mind off of that.LOL pure funny, worth watching and buying

Major Funny
I liked it! I am surprised that no one seems to realize this movie is basically a remake of a Charlton Heston film, The Private War of Major Benson (which you really need to see also). This is an excellent updated version with a happy ending for soldiers as well as the Major! Laugh hard, laugh loud and watch for the cameo by the professional wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow in the "Billy Jack" fight sequence. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

For a movie: BEST MOVIE Compared to book: NO CONTEST
I read 'Catch-22' first, and it instantly became my favorite book (as soon as I finally got through it). When I heard of the movied version, I was estatic, but in wonderment. How can such a complex book with no linear structure ever be adapted to movie form? My expectations were high, but weary...

First of all, casting was excellent. Alan Arkin played a perfect Yossarian, as well as Jon Voigt as Milo, and so on. The settings were great, really convincing from what I read from the book.

As far as the comparison to the book. If it stands true for one instance, the book is worlds better than the movie. As a reader, you get so much more out of Joe Heller's sardonic universe. The complex plot, the meticulous descriptions (in which he used words I never knew existed...either have a dictionary with you when you read 'Catch-22', or have a vast vocabulary!), and all the rest...

The movie does attempt to follow Heller's complex plot structure, hopping back and forth to unravel plot points with each pass. The movie does this well with Yossarian's epidemic with Snowden. Most of the ingeniously clever dialogue is brought to the screen, but that's what makes the book/movie so great.

At any rate, I highly recommend this movie, as well as anything from Joe Heller...the best writer of the 20th century.

an excellent dvd
"Catch-22" is a beautifully designed, shot and executed movie that, in the end, doesn't really work. However, it's too elaborately staged and too ambitious to be considered a "bad" movie. And the ex