Reviews (50)

Funny, Intentionally-Horrid Camp / Cult Sci-Fi Flick
Jane Fonda may regret opting Barbarella as one of her earlier films, but fans of bad camp and cult sci-fi are happy to see the actress in this horridly funny sixties film.

Fonda plays the title role of a spaice vixen / astronaut in the exceptionally distant yet sixties-fied future. When genius but mad scientist Dr. Duran Duran (presumably from whom the band took their name) disappears, Barbarella is sent to track him down and given weapons she has no clue how to use (war has been outlawed for ages) and little warning of the planet she'll be landing on.

Pursued by evil children with cannibalistic dolls and rescued by a tough man in furs, Barbarella finds out about real sex (thankfully not pictured) when she offers to use a mood-linking pill, the 41st century method of copulation. From there she's off to a city of evil, avarice, and sin, to be caught by the demented Dr. Duran and put through such tortures as a cage of pecking budgies to the doctor's notorious and sensual machine for execution by sheer pleasure to a lake of liquid evil whose effects look to have been done by lava lamp. Along the way she meets various helpers (most of whom she ends up sleeping with), including a blind angel named Pygar.

Barbarella's costumes vary with each scene, all skin-tight and definitely satirizing the garb of women of golden-age science fiction. On the whole, the movie pokes fun at the field of early science fiction rather well with a heaping helping of sixties hippie culture thrown in for good measure. The DVD doesn't include any exceptional special features.

Barbarella is by no means a good movie, but it is excellent fare for fans of campy sci-fi that would be right at home on MST:3K and quite humorous when taken with a grain of salt.

The hottest hottie ever?
Okay, so these days Jane Fonda is weird, which is entirely understandable given that she is married to Ted Turner, who can often be found snoozing during Braves games, wearing a cap 3 sizes too big for his head. But in "Barbarella," Jane Fonda is unbelievably hot, to the point where I questioned whether this movie was real or a mere figment of my fantastical imaginations. Well, it's real, people, and you need to see it. Not only is Jane utterly flawless (which can be easily seen by comparing her to today's "hot" stars like Britney Speers, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Denise Richards), she also invites every male character in the film to basically have his way with her. Um, waiter, check please? But seriously, we cannot be supporting this type of wanton behavior (primarily for the reason that the women who act this way in the real world look more like George Forman than Jane Fonda), so this type of vision is best left to the campy comedy known as "Barbarella." I am 21, mind you, so I am not biased towards the 60's, but I am telling you not to miss out on the world's perfect female--watch it.

A trip
This movie is a trip. In spite of what agenda-driven, right-wingers have to say about it, based on their personal dislike for Jane Fonda and her oppinions of the Vietnam war, this movie is a true classic. It's campy to a point that it makes you think how serious, pragmatic and booring people have become over the past decades. It's a total groovie trip. It doesn't take itself seriously at any moment. And best of all, it actually has lines to read between.

Hanoi Jane in her best role
The only movie she ever made that I can sit through.

Ban Jane Fonda
Read up about her role in the Vietnam War before giving her your patronage. ... Read more

Description

The astounding success of Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman revolutionized the foreign film market and turned Brigitte Bardot into an international star. Bardot stars as Juliette, an 18-year-old orphan whose unbridled appetite for pleasure shakes up all of St. Tropez; her sweet but naïve husband Michel (Jean-Louis Trintignant) endures beatings, insults, and mambo in his attempts to tame her wild ways. Criterion presents this milestone of cinematic naughtiness in a stunning new 16x9 Eastmancolor transfer, supervised by the late director. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

And God Created Brigitte
From a time when movies were more about character development and less about explosions and effects. I purchased this DVD out of curiosity and now I adore this movie_ especially Brigitte Bardot's character_ wow, what a babe! This is way cool retro cinema_it's funny, it's witty, it's shocking, it's roguish and it's definitely unpredictable. Reminds me of the movies by Radley Metzger, set in Europe. The restoration of the negatives are flawless, and the colors of the film have been revitalized, but nevermind that, if you've never seen this film before, or even Brigitte Bardot, prepare to fall inlove.

never a boring moment
I have seen this film many, many times and I never tire of it. While some people say Brigitte Bardot was not a talented actress, she had a very believable, charismatic presence and her character Juliette was at times innocent, vulnerable and brazen. She is an orphan living by her own rules in a stuffy small town (St Tropez) and is searching for the place she "belongs". This search leads her to stray from her husband, only to find that where she belongs all along is by his side. I think the movie was done very well both visually and though the script was simple, the actors made up for it.

a groundbreaking film
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This release was supervised by director Roger Vadim who died while the DVD was being produced.

This film highly controversal at the time of the release in the US (it was considered racy) but is tame by today's standards.
It got a PG rating for it's 1978 rerelease in the US

The film was also remade in 1988 by the same director and title and the remake got an R rating.

The original French title is "Et Dieu créa la femme"

The film is about a young woman whose hedonistic tendencies cause problems in the town she is living in. Her husband attempts to calm her but that also causes problems.

The Criterion DVD has a theatrical trailer in English and there is also a restoration demonstration.

sparks flying off your screen
In all her 48 movies, Brigitte Bardot never catches public imagination with more effect than she does here. Paradise on earth is just around the corner, she tells us, making the sparks fly off your screen. This edition is the new one, by the way, cleaned up in 2000. You will appreciate its fine use of colors.

That really is all there is to say about this movie. But it's enough. More than enough. It is exactly the reason why 'Et Dieu créa la femme' (= And God created woman) is immortal.

not so secret indulgence
ah Brigitte you were once my idol. Seeing you again after 40 some years, just as fresh, just as fabulous ( in both senses) as you ever were is a real high. They may have shot JFK and lifted Linda Tripp's face, if not her moral compass, but you are the magic. Je t'adore! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A sexy film
Man,is this a sexy film. Rebecca DeMornay is Robin,a paroled convict who forms a band with some people who answer an ad she placed(she's the lead singer and rhythm guitarist). Upon her release from jail she marries the handsome man who bails her out. So Robin begins her new life with her new husband Billy(Vincent Spano) and his young son,Timmy,from an earlier marriage. Handyman Billy has a younger brother who's a musician also. He also works as a sales clerk at a fast food restaurant(he was fired from the restaurant after failing to show up too many times). Billy and Robin had affairs with others during their marriage which never ended. Robin had sexual affairs with governor hopeful James Tiernan(Frank Langella). They shot pool together and Billy went bowling with another woman. After Billy an Robin engage in a sexual activity on a bed inside a museum,they're photographed by a patron. The photograph is brought to the attention of Robin's parole officer. Now Robin's about to go back to jail. Billy gets a lawyer and fights to the finish for Robin's revoked parole. James even admitted,"Miss Shay(Robin) is getting too dangerous for me.". So Robin and her band perform in a nightclub and she catches the eye of a male sex fiend. Jealous Billy beats the crap out of the sex fiend. So to keep the marriage alive,Billy plans to go to Robin's jail(Billy confessed to her that he murdered another woman). Awesome film!

Somewhere between a guilty pleasure and an underrated gem
If you can forget the whole remake thing, this is a somewhat involving movie, with interesting plot twists, a great performance by De Mornay, nice supporting performances, interesting if corny character development, a nice sound track, Vadim's strange but unique visual style and it's very sexy. What more do you want? I think as time goes on and a new generation stumbles on this flick free from the hype about it being a remake of a "classic" it will be appreciated more and more as a nice offbeat B movie melodrama with lots of sex, some nice humor and beautiful photography.

And God Created Rebecca De Mornay
AND GOD CREATED WOMAN is a remake of the classic Bridgett Bardot film but in title only. The movie is pretty predictable, so it is only saved by just having Rebecca De Mornay heating up the screen. There is a hilarious chain of events near the beginning of the film. She escapes from a women's prison, hitchhikes a ride (from a man played by Frank Langella in the car), and the vehicle ends up at the prison she's escaped from. So, she has to sneak back into prison without being noticed. A contractor (Vincent Spano) helps her out while he's working on some construction in the prison gymnasium...The rest of the plot is not very memorable as she tries to start her own rock band when she's paroled and must sacrifice integrity and her marriage to get to the top etc. Overall, a movie that was made to showcase the "talents" of Ms. DeMornay and nothing else.

A different kind of view
I liked this movie because I could relate to some of the relationship problems in my past i.e. 2 of 5 women who first told me they loved me then told me I'd be a lonely old guy, I told them both,better than than being a miserable young man with them.Women I've known,they all think they're smarter than me always trying to tell me stuff I already know.Anyway I liked the movie and all the arguments and humor,a typical politician got have something on the side [...],but has to becareful of his image.Rebecca DeMornay was excellent as a free spirit,not a gold digger or typical hollywood bimbo, like those other hollywood bimbos. I thought she was great in this movie,the other actors were good too. I think because of jealousy by other people in Hollywood, Ms. DeMornays efforts are not recognized. This movie was very entertaing but see it for yourself [....]

For Rebecca DeMornay Fans Only
If you were hooked by Rebecca De Mornay's sexiness in Risky Business (like I was), this movie is for you. She is so beautiful and voraciously sexual throughout. The story has a few flaws (she nearly has her parole revoked for being photographed having sex with her husband??) but it is a worthwhile vehicle for doing what she does so well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

5 Stars for the Hitchhiker and 1 Star for Amazon
This is false advertising, this is not the complete seasons. This simply volume 1 and 2 shrink wrapped together. No box set whatsoever.

The series are awesome though. ... Read more

Description

For her last feature, Brigitte Bardot teamed up once again with the man who made her famous, Roger Vadim (And God Created Woman).Bardot plays Jeanne, a proud destroyer of men who lives on board an ultra-mod submarine.As Jeanne confesses her sexual conquests to a priest, one can't help but see Bardot as the sex symbol whose public persona was so often synonymous with the characters she portrayed.Home Vision Entertainment is proud to present this cult classic in a luminous new transfer enhanced for 16X9 televisions. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The 2 Je t'aime women together in BB's last film. Erotic!
Brigitte Bardot stars here in her last film along with Jane Birkin, the other singer who recorded the Serge Gainesbourg hit, "Je t'aime". This film is worth seeing, as we see BB's and Vadim's evolution from "And God Created Woman" to this post-sixties over-the-top comedy-drama.

We get some great nude scenes with Brigitte and Jane, and BB's character Jeanne is someone fed up with men, so she resorts to seduce and destroy tactics. As in "And God Created Woman" she's pretty much playing herself, but with an exaggerated storyline of driving men to ruin, murder, and suicide. The campy ironic humor is there in such scenarios as seducing a priest as well as setting up a fake menage-a-trois to madden a bete homme. Also a scene with Robert Walker Jr. (Charlie X in Star Trek TOS) where the price she asks for making love is no less than his life, which he takes seriously. The ending is a multiple meaning one as BB saves a man who makes her "pay for her sins" (though he's unappreciative). I think the end hits home for Brigitte in real life saying in effect, "look you male-dominated world, you've made my life hell". And it's the last scene she ever did on film. Worth seeing for it's erotic quality (but what BB film isn't), the submarine home, the early '70s fashions, and the camp.

Brigitte Looks Fabulous!
While the story is a bit odd, it is interesting. The film is very stylish and Brigitte looks absolutely fabulous! Besides, it is better than most of what Hollywood dishes out even today. But, I suppose having the gorgeous Brigitte grace our TV screens for a couple hours just isn't enough for some critics. It certainly works for me!

Classic Bardot!!!
This is the Bardot I love! Captured within Classic early seventie's stylings, But they never Eclipse her great aura. Cool story of sexual domination, and it's inevitable destuction. Directed with a surprisingly steady hand of Roger Vadim. Stylish clothes, sexy french locales, even a prophetic mention of how computers will enhance our lives. Pick it up before it disappears like all great Foreign films/DVDs!

Beautiful transfer of a miserable film
I know it's not cool to speak ill of the dead, but Vadim was a terrible director. Of the Vadim movies I've seen, only The Night Heaven Fell was remotely worth watching, and then only as a stock melodrama.

Don Juan, on the other hand, is yet another example of Vadim's prediliction for directing his wife while she wears little or no clothing. With little or no script. What makes Don Juan different from the other Vadim/Bardot "films"? This time, she lives in a submarine. No, really.

Bardot seduces her cousin (a priest) by telling him about her erotic exploits, in which she humiliates men. Not in a kinky, female-empowerment role-reversal kind of way, but in a boring, time-wasting kind of way.

For some reason, HVE has seen fit to restore this film - it looks gorgeous. Unfortunately, a great transfer and a luscious leading lady do not a great film make.

The one thing I will say for this film is that it taught me to be very careful with fire around concrete. That stuff burns like crazy.

If you're looking for a good Bardot film, try Plucking the Daisy.

Bewildering, fascinating film
This is a bewildering but fascinating film. Bardot plays the part of a wealthy woman who seeks to conquer and destroy men especially weak and despicable ones. Bardot gives a very strong and convincing performance. At age 38, her beauty remains in tact. She looks virtually the same as she did 11 years earlier in the film A Very Private Affair. Her face and figure are fuller than they were in the late 60's when she seemed to have lost too much weight. Gone is Bardot's golden hair. She begins and ends her film career as a brunette. Gone are Bardot's tight sweaters and skirts. She dresses in mostly hippie fashion. Near the end of the movie she Wows you in a steamy love scene when she disrobes and seduces her cousin, a priest. She is more shapely than ever.

For whatever reason Bardot retired not long after this film's release. You'll never see Bardot grow old on the screen. And she didn't have to die young to fix her place in film history. Today she is a living legend and icon.

One final thought. I have never seen a leading actress get slapped around like Bardot. From her first film Crazy For Love to her last film, Don Juan, and countless films in between she gets slapped in her pretty little face. Sure it's all make believe but it sends a terrible message and should be an affront to all women. If you can abuse Bardot, then any woman is fair game and that just isn't right. ... Read more

Description

Jane Fonda plays the bored wife of an ambitious and cynical industrialist who ends up falling in love with her stepson in Roger Vadim's tragic and passionate story. DVD features:filmographies, weblinks, subtitle control. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An adult French farce from Jane Fonda and Roger Vadim
Although it is set in modern Paris, "The Game Is Over" is actually based on Emile Zola's novel "La Curee." This 1966 film was directed and produced by Roger Vadim for his wife, Jane Fonda. The film is the old story about a woman, Renee (Fonda), who marries an older man, Alexandre Sacaard (Michael Piccoli), but falls for his sexy young son Maxime (Peter McEnergy). By setting Zola's story in modern Paris, Vadim is obviously out to explore the morality of the rich in France. The film was a smash in Europe but a failure in the United States, although critics on both sides of the Atlantic tended to like it as an example of adult farce (although Judith Christ put it at the top of her list of "Perfectly Marvelous Awful Movies to Eat Chocolates and Play Russ Columbo Records By"). However, while this film certainly starts off as something of a farce, Vadim turns it into more of a gothic horror movie at the end. Any visions you have of Fonda swimming nude in a goldfish pond are going to be replaced by nightmares involving German police dogs. On balance, this might be the best of the Vadim-Fonda efforts... ... Read more

Description

Three giants of world cinema conspire to bring the dark prose of Edgar Allan Poe to the screen in Spirits of the Dead.Roger Vadim, Luis Malle, and Federico Fellini direct Jane and Peter Fonda, Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, and Terence Stamp in three separate stories of souls tormented by their own phantasmal visions of guilt, lust, and greed.In a stunning new transfer enhanced for 16X9 televisions, Home Vision Entertainment is pleased to present this marvelous volume of the macabre.

... Read more

Reviews (13)

The best is last
Spirits of the dead is a mixed bag of cinematic delight. Of the 3 episodes, only the last one "Toby Dammit" sustains interest. Fellini is at his best in this segment & Terence Stamp puts in a self destructive performance that has to be seen to be believed! His character, a self destructing actor who has reached the end of all worldly hope & desire wants only to leap into the chasm of death & destruction & he does so in spectactular fashion. This segment alone is worth the price of admission & Fellini caries the weight of the entire film on his capable talents. Images to delight & dialogue to astound, Terence Stamp should have won some kind of award for this brilliant performance as he portrays a burnt out actor with a death wish. You can't help but sympathize with him as he jolts his way from one bizarre interlude to another. You know you're at deaths door when you can turn down that blonde in the awards segment! Yikes!!! Never bet the devil your head!! See it!

Five Stars for "Toby Dammit".
There really is only one reason to watch this film and that is Fellini's "Toby Dammit". Terence Stamp takes the title role of an actor arriving in Italy to appear is some kind of weird religious western. He is at the end of his tether and all seems alien and disorentated to him. The Edgar Allen Poe story from which this segment is adapted from is called "Never wager your head to the Devil" and thats exactly what he does! All with the usual Fellini touch of class. Excellent.

Fellini Makes Films Like My Dreams--Exquisite Bliss
These three short films, loosely adapted from stories by Poe, are all packed with stunning landscape and exquisite set design. However, only Fellini's film manages to create a story worth retelling in its own right.

The first film is Roger Vadim's "Metzengerstein". The best thing I can say about it is that the gorgeous horse was the most effective actor in it. He knew his lines, and nodded when appropriate. Jane Fonda plays Contessa Frederica, an occasionally sadistic libertine who develops a passionate romantic attachment to the aformentioned horse. She is wondefully cruel and gorgeous, making the most out of some truly inspired little outfits. The segment is filmed by Claude Renoir, who captures some stunning images breathtaking beauty. Again, the scenes with the horse galloping and cavorting with Frederica are rather intoxicating. The story itself, however, is sacrificed on the alters of atmosphere and aesthetics. The end result is a very empty film.

Louis Malle's "William Wilson" basically has two really excellent scenes that make this worth watching. The first is a simple send-up of an autopsy. Wilson is demonstrating for his fellow Medical School classmates, the proper introductory procedure for performing an autopsy. Except, where his instructor had used the corpse of an old man--Wilson had bound a lovely, living lass and is preparing to dissect her. The other great scene involves Brigitte Bardot. Throughout this film, Bardot is unflatteringly coiffed in a black wig that is pulled back in a rather schoomarmish fashion. Her eyes are seductive, but she doesn't demand the kind of camera worship she has so often received in other films. However, the hair comes down and Bardot is soon being subjected to Wilson's birch rod. Her face, hair, and the slashes on her back are aesthetically quite sublime. Alain Delon is fair in the title role, but he lacks any real charisma. Between him and his doppelganger, I think they both possessed nearly as much charisma as the horse in Vadim's film. Overall, this film also sacrifices its story to the look of the film. The end is rather intense and powerful in its own right, but it lacks significance because the story itself isn't carried forth with any conviction or authority.

Terence Stamp is Toby Dammitt in the final film, directed by Federico Fellini. He really does an outstanding job looking washed out, confused, sick, drunk, and completely at the end of his tether. The film itself is phenomenal. It is by far the most absurdist and melancholy of the three films. In this adaptation of Poe's story, "Never Bet the Devil Your Head", Toby is jaundiced with everything possibly gained by fame in this life. He seems to represent the insidious truth of fame. He is also haunted by a sweet little girl in white, bouncing a big white ball. The scenes relating to her are the best, in my opinion. She is a sylph with terrible symbolic power. What does the ball mean? Why is she so demonstrably joyful? She can be read as pure and active--a regenerative force that is the impetus for new life. She certainly is spooky and charged with energy. She is clearly something that Toby's psyche cannot accept. Ultimately, the viewer is made privy to a series of associations in Toby's mind that help us understand his relationship with the little girl. But we are not made aware of her exact role in his downward spiral. It is impossible to fully convey the magic that Fellini captures with this film. From start to finish, there is a typically "Felliniesque" hyper-surrealism that transports the viewer into another dimension. This is the only film of the three that manages the rather daunting feats of transcendence and cinematic art. Nino Rota's score is haunting and hypnotic throughout. An absolute masterpiece overall.

The last on "Toby Dammit" is a short in itself
The first two in the detached trilogy are forgettable but the last one directed by Fellini is a classic, at first I thought it was Terrance Stamp and then I found out it was and I like him even more now. His performance is classic and the short is actually quite creepy rendition of Poe's "Don't lose you head" If I was a film student I would pay attention to this one. Hey Jane Fonda was pretty cute in her time, nevertheless the short with her was pretty bad and kind of dull, the second one was better though. Overall: good late night fright film with Fellini saving this film.

Toby Dammit is great, despite overdubs
The best story here is Toby Dammit. At first I was very annoyed that they overdubbed Terence Stamp's voice with some french actor's voice. But I think that's only because I'm so used to hearing Stamp's distinctive voice when I see his face. That soon melted away and I couldn't have enjoyed the story more (although I still think they should have left Stamp's voice alone). This is actual art on screen. It's both surreal and intensely real at the same time.

The devil as a little blonde girl freaked me out... This is another great piece of work from Fellini. Worth my money. ... Read more

Description

Three pig brothers leave home to build their own houses, only to be confronted by a wolf who is hungry for pork. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Faerie Tale Theatre: The Three Little Pigs
Hilarious episode from the Faerie Tale Theatre series with an all-star cast. Billy Crystal as well as his on-screen brother actors are excellent as the three pigs, and Jeff Goldblum is show-stealing as the Big Bad Wolf. Valerie Perrine is a knock-out and makes a surprisingly sexy pig in this faerie tale. A great comedic hit for the entire family to enjoy!

I love this series!
My brother, sisters and I grew up watching the Faerie Tale Theatre collection, and loving them all. By the way, they're not just for kids! My mother loved them so much she went out of her way to find them for my little niece to enjoy. I highly recommend them to anyone with (or even without) children to view them!

cute and appealing
Billy Crystal, Valerie Perrine, Doris Roberts and Jeff Goldblum star in the new telling of the tale from FAERIE TALE THEATRE.

One of the more light-hearted entries in the series, its a delightfully comic piece, played out by master comedians Crystal and Roberts, with the beautiful Perrine cutting a mean figure as a porker indeed.

The series was a huge success, boasting a huge multi award-winning cast (Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc), and creator/producer Shelly Duvall has earned laurels for one of the finest family series in years.

Best of the Fairie Tale Theatres
I must have rented this video 40-50 times for my then pre-school age son and daughter. We all had the lines memorized. Billy Crystal is terrific as one of the pigs (Peter, Paul and Larry) and Jeff Goldblum is a howl as the wolf. The whole cast is great. This is truly a film that everyone in the family will love. The best.

As Unforgettable as Nat
This was a household staple rented over and over from our local video store, played over and over for all ages whenever our guests seemed willing. There was never ever anything but laughter and appreciation; I'm still trying to find the Samuel Barber music played just so. Please let me know if you know where I can get a copy... there are future grandchildren and grandnieces/nephews in my life whose lives will be incomplete without it. ... Read more

Description

A prince who was turned into a frog by a witch's spell is ultimately saved by the kiss of a self-centered princess. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

my personal fairy tale theatre movie
If your looking for a fairy tale for kids that can make even you laugh this is the one. Robin Williams will lighten the mood every time.

Bad for Children
This film contains language and sexual content. Robin Williams uses profanity and parental discretion is advised. It is a funny telling of the story for adults but not younger viewers... Parents should watch the movie first to decide if it is appropiate for their children, and trust me, it isn't!!!!

Undoubtably one of the best Faerie Tale Theatre videos.
This episode of The Tale of the Frog Prince, starring the hilarious Robin Williams and wonderful Teri Garr, is not only a very well told classic children's tale, but a comedy. It has plenty of bits an adult would find entertaining, none being underhand or crude, while still amusing to a younger audience. I grew up watching this series; I loved it then, and I still love it now ... A very good movie to see, and a deal if you can buy it anywhere!

Hilarious, but for adults
This is a hilariously funny version of a children`s fairy tale. Both Robin Williams and Teri Garr do a superb job in their portrayals of the frog-prince and the princess, but you will, most likely, be surprised at how well Rene Aberjonois (Clayton, fron the t.v. series Benson) does comedy. The only caveat is that because of the language and some the situations I would not recommend this video for pre-teens, but anyone else will definitely be amused! ... Read more

Description

Page Fletcher is "The Hitchhiker," walking a lonely road where terror awaits around every curve. Walk with him, and you'll find yourself in some very dark places...places you wouldn't want to visit alone. That's why he's there. That's why he's always there. He won't hold your hand - but he'll make sure the only ones who get hurt are those who deserve to. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Where's Episode 4 : Love Sounds????
While it's nice that this series is out on dvd, I'm disapointed to learn that "Love Sounds, episode 4"" was not included here as it's the best episode from THE HITCHHIKER series.

Is there going to be a SECOND dvd release with MORE episodes on it?. Please, anyone, email my agent if you have any info on this.
Thanks. Tovrich

AGENT : perillij@yahoo.com

Welcome back Hitchhiker
Wow, there's a great collection of talent there! With episodes featuring award-winning actors such as Helen Hunt and Joe Pantoliano, and participation from fan-favorite director Paul Verhoeven, this surely is a must-have for any DVD collector
Koch Canada will release The Complete First Season on DVD April 20th. This 3 disc set will contain 26 episodes The show must have aired differently in Canada because what Koch considers the first season is actually the first 3 seasons according to the episode guide at EPGuides.com. It's not all good news though; the people at Koch Canada said that they don't own the Canadian rights to the second Canadian season so they're unable to release those episodes.

The Hitchhiker series is stil the Best
The Hitchhiker was the best show on tv(then again, my parents never wanted HBO in their home so they could keep their kids from having access to TV T&A, thus, I didn't catch it in the early years.) Page Fletcher, however, was like a cooler Alfred Hitchcock, the Fonz of suspense. And that intro (bump-dump-bump-chhhhhhh-bump-dump-bump-chhhhhhh-ooorrrwouoonnnnhhhhh) with the rattlesnake chiming in as we see him walking through dust on the shoulder of the highway

The Hitchhiker Rules!!
The Hitchhiker was an awesome show! I remember watching it on HBO when I was a kid. I also enjoyed the later episodes on USA network. The stories were great. I just wish some network would show the Hitchhiker again

Going my way?
I watched this show all the time back int he old HBO days. It had that eerie them music and good stories. The sex scenes weren't bad either. ... Read more

Description

Page Fletcher is "The Hitchhiker," walking a lonely road where darkness is always by his side and terror lurks around every turn. Pick him up if you dare. He will guide you to your destination, where the good are spared and the wicked are damned. Episodes: OD Feeling, True Believer, Perfect Order, Cabin Fever, A Whole New You, Dead Heat, The Curse, Out of the Night, Secret Ingredients, Man of Her Dreams. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Drivel
Bleah. I never caught this back when it was on HBO, and I'm glad. It's terrible. I couldn't get through two whole episodes. They call these tales of terror. What's terrible is that this ever got put on DVD. Don't bother picking this title up. It's cheesy and not terrifying at all. Maybe really late at night back in the 80's. But probably not even then. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The imperious Jeanne Moreau stars in this modernized adaptation of theclassic French novel of seduction and deceit, Les Liaisons Dangereuses.Moreau and Gérard Philipe play the amoral Juliette and Valmont, a wife andhusband in 1960s Paris who tell each other everything about their endlessaffairs; they respect nothing but each other's manipulative skill. But whenValmont genuinely falls in love with a virtuous woman (Annette Vadim, thedirector's wife at the time), Juliette tastes the bitterness of jealousy for thefirst time. Her revenge destroys not only their lives, but the lives of severalinnocents as well. Director Roger Vadim is unsubtle, but not without style. Likehis other films (And God Created Woman, Barbarella),Liaisons features discreet nudity and aloof displays of passion, but thebrilliantly orchestrated plot gives Liaisons real momentum, helped by afantastic score from jazz giant Thelonious Monk. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting but disappointing....
"Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Choderlos de Laclos is one of my favorite books. I've seen all the other adaptations, and with a cast like Jeanne Moreau and Gerard Philippe I was really looking forward to seeking this one. Well... the performances are great, but the film leaves a lot to be desired. In contrast to the more recent TV film with Rupert Everett and Catherine Deneuve, it does not fare quite so well in adapting the story to a 20th century (1950s/early 1960s) setting. Making Valmont and Merteuil (Juliette in this version, perhaps a reference to the Marquis de Sade's anti-heroine) husband and wife rather than ex-lovers was a really bad idea, since it totally alters their dynamic and removes one of the key elements in the characters' motivation: Valmont's pact with Merteuil that she will spend the night with him if he can seduce the pious Madame de Tourvel. Also, the film feels very "rushed," especially toward the end -- 106 minutes just isn't enough to do justice to this story and these characters.

There are some very good touches: Valmont's break-up letter to Tourvel -- which, in the novel, he copies verbatim from a letter Merteuil writes to him -- becomes a telegram dictated by Juliette. This is also the only film adaptation of the novel which preserves the theme of Merteuil's disfigurement and "her soul turning out on her face"; the novel's smallpox becomes a fire in the film. The final image is very arresting. But it's not enough to make up for the scant characterization and the other flaws of this film.

A Masterpiece from Roger Vadim?! Was it possible?! Yes!
This one is up there with Stephen Frears' version starring Glen Close and John Malkovich and is in some ways even better. Most of Vadim's films are laughed at today and people tend to throw this one in with the rest, which is a mistake. Chaderlos de Laclos' sensibility is very close to what Vadim imagined himself to be at the time, or at least was striving for, before he sold-out and became a completely insignificant director. This film was his last try at something approaching integrity and he seems to have given it his all, because the results are more than a little magnificent.

First of all, the fabulous Jeanne Moreau is at the peak of her career in this film, and she just absolutely OWNS her role, even more so than Glen Close did in the Frears version, radiating a mixture of evil and sensuality and whimsical decadence that's hard to describe but easy to be completely fascinated by on the screen. Also, Gerard Phillipe, the 'James Dean of France' who was known as one of the most wooden actors of his generation (for proof of this woodenness in a GREAT film that transcends Phillipe's acting limitations, check out Jacques Becker's MODIGLIANI, MONTPARNASSE 19), finally comes into his own on this film (his last before he died), and gives a magnificent nuanced performance, full of decadent amorality. The influence of the New-Wave is all over the film, as it was enjoying the only commercial successes it was to have at the time in films like "The 400 Blows," and "Breathless." Phillipe would've adjusted himself to these types of films had he lived just fine, if his performance here is any indication, and Moreau is a complete natural in the freer more neo-realist inspired mise-en-scenes of all the younger directors. Her huge scandalous success in Louis Malle's "The Lovers" had shown that she was the most daring actress of her time and since the New-Wavers weren't opposed to exploiting a little sex to get themselves more of an audience, she was the more refined and elegant natural anti-dote to Brigitte Bardot (After putting Moreau in maybe her greatest role in "Jules et Jim," Truffaut could've made his film "Mississippi Mermaid," 3 years sooner had he agreed to go with Bardot, yet he insisted that it was "Catherine Deneuve or nothing" and waited until 1968 because of Bardot's reputation for being a difficult and capricious star).

Vadim transposes the story to a contemporary setting of 1960s France & ski resorts for the upper classes, and best of all, puts a Thelonious Monk jazz soundtrack on throughout, with Kenny Dorham and other black jazz players in the film's party scenes throughout. He introduces the film himself hilariously in a heavily French-accented English (striking that intellectual-super-pimp-of-the-rich-and-famous pose he was already known for), contrasting the type of woman he made famous in Briggite Bardot (the overripe girl), with the type he's trying to represent through the Moreau chacater (a woman who refuses to adjust herself to a man's world, etc), in this film, which indicates that he was trying to fuse Chaderlos de Laclos with trends he saw in contemporary France! Now that's ambition! Certainly much more than it would take to make "Barbarella"!

Rent it from a well-stocked store today & see what Vadim was up to once! Let's hope someone brings out the DVD and they bless us with a good friggin transfer. This film deserves it. ... Read more

Description

A cowardly king offers a young man who isn't afraid of anything all the riches in the land if he rid the castle of a ghost. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

TheBoy Who Left Home to Find out Aboutr the Shivers
The Shivers is the greatest Faerie tale in the whole theatre.I grew up on these videos. I have been searching for a few years now to purchase these videos.I can't wait for them to become available. I would love to own the whole collection.These classic tales should be available for all children to see and enjoy.I must say The Faerie Tale theatre collection is the greatest among faerie tale production.

Utterly Enjoyable!
The Fairy Tale Theatre Series is wonderful. I watched them as a child, and still enjoy watching them. This one especially. It makes you laugh and at the same time has enough scare to it to make a child feel that they just watched their first horror movie. In actuality there there is nothing horrible about it. A perfect family entertainment movie.

Truly a classic!
Faery Tale Theatre movies are masterpieces! They follow the tales they tell fairly faithfully as they were originally written. I only hope they will soon be re-released as my children are now asking for copies, and I don't want to give mine up!

My favorite out of the Faerie Tale Theatre collection.
I am a collector of these series by Shelly Duvall. I have the complete 26 set of movies. It is a great set of movies for families, young and old alike. My sister's favorite is "Cinderella," starring Jennifer Beals and Matthew Broderick. My Mom's favorite is "Rumpelstiltskin," starring Ned Beatty. This is a great collection of movies and a must for every family. ... Read more

Description

A motley crew of animals help a young girl who is no bigger than a thumb make her way home after she is kidnapped by a toad and taken to live on a lily pad in a swamp. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Definite kid-pleaser
My three-year-old daughter fell in love with this the first time we borrowed it from the library. I enjoyed it myself; my only gripe is Conchata Ferrell's performance. This usually very talented actress seems bored to tears and injects absolutely no feeling into her role as Thumbelina's mother. It's as if she was directed to perform as stoically as possible. I don't get it at all. I am also not impressed with Carrie Fisher's singing here. I know she is capable of singing quite beautifully, I just don't think the folkish songs in this tale are well suited to her instrument. It's hard to pull off such dirges unless the singer has that ethereal, almost mediaeval quality to her voice (think Loreena McKennitt, Mediaveal Baebes). But those minor complaints are of no consequence whatsoever to the intended audience. Children will certainly be enchanted! It's witty script and a fun production.

The Little Thumb with a Big Heart
"Thumbelina" is a fantastic retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "Little Thumb".

Produced in 1983 (and released the following year), as part of Shelley Duvall's charming live-action "Faerie Tale Theatre", the narrative is told with good humour, imagination, and a great sense of fun. The magnificent cast adds much colour and warmth to the proceedings. In particular, Carrie Fisher, in the title role, delivers a captivating performance. She makes an extremely attractive heroine, not to mention one who's "more than just another pretty face". She's an absolute delight, adding her unique qualities to the role. Not only is she pint-sized in real life (although not quite as tiny as a thumb!), she has a lovely, deep voice that is quite at odds with her diminutive stature. When she sings, it is a beautiful and rewarding experience. Indeed, she sings with "an angel's voice". (This is also a highlight for any Carrie Fisher fan, as she began her career as a singer, and yet she only sings briefly in "Hannah and Her Sisters", 1986, and in the Walt Disney live-action comedy, "Sunday Drive", also released in 1986.)

Carrie Fisher is supported by equally delightful character actors. The late Burgess Meredith is in top form as Mr Mole, the second would-be husband of Thumbelina. Likewise, William Katt makes a very positive impression as the Prince of the Flower Angels.

This wonderful fairy tale is further enhanced by excellent production values, including great music, atmospheric sets, and good costumes and creatures like Mother Toad, her hapless son, Herman, the Fieldmouse, and the Swallow.

The script faithfully follows the original story, although the gender of the Fieldmouse has been changed, making for a more convincing friendship with Mr Mole to exist, as well as creating a heartfelt guardianship of Thumbelina along strictly platonic lines.

This well-written and perceptive tale ("I'm always the bride, but never the bridesmaid") makes for enchanting family entertainment. "Thumbelina" delivers a great message, too, but above all, it's storytelling at it's most memorable.

I applaud executive producer Shelley Duvall, and all involved, for giving such a wonderful gift. It's up there with Jim Henson's equally engaging "Storyteller" anthology series, produced in the late 1980s, and the "The Doll", an Emmy Award winning episode of "Amazing Stories" (of the same era).

For me, it's an extra special treat because Carrie Fisher became much more than just Princess Leia with this performance. Besides, she continues to melt me every time she smiles as the Ultimate Flower Angel! Let's hope that this "Faerie Tale Theatre" production, along with my other favourites like "Beauty and the Beast", are re-released soon. Preservation on DVD for future generations is highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of Bardot's best
"La bride sur le cou" ("Please Not Now!") is a pure joy to watch. Brigitte is sexy beyond compare, the plot is amusing (and sometimes very funny), and the story has some unexpected comical moments (e.g., the "kitchen" at the hotel).

I loved the opening sequence in which Sofie (Brigitte) is driving her Deux Chevaux through the streets of Paris, creating traffic mayhem in her wake. A creative mix of real time and sped-up photography, it's a comic gem that can't be missed. The Paris driving sequence foreshadows a "cool" moment later in the film where Sofie and two courting men race each other around bales of hay in karts, with the POV at ground level just a few feet in front of the karts.

Because it's a fantasy sequence, Brigitte's nude dance is seen through a glass haze. Enough clarity is seen to make it exciting without sacrificing taste. But what makes this sequence extraordinary is (1) the visual "back and forth" interplay of the la Bamba drummer, who dances while he plays, and Brigitte's strip tease, and (2) the accelerating rhythm of the music itself. I also enjoyed the fact that the director (Roger Vadim) chose to employ (literally) a visual metaphor--smoke and mirrors.

The film quality is excellent. The black and white photography is first rate, and Anchor Bay is to be commended for its transfer.

The subtitles are good, though, of course, it doesn't capture ever single word said in French. What does translate is Brigitte Bardot's sensual innocence and inimitable charm.

The most satisfying Bardot available.
(Though it's only a matter of time before CONTEMPT is issued.) I don't know why it's so hard to get a sex goddess into a great movie. Billy Wilder managed it with Marilyn. Poor Brigitte spent her early years on film saddled with empty froth and scripts aimed more at third-rate philosophy than genuine drama. If not great, at least there's nothing in the way here of getting the full measure of this charming actress. It's amazing how far a few seconds of nudity and a surpisingly joyfull riverdance through La Bamba goes to make the whole deal worthwhile.

Quaint !
Definitely quaint, and sexy, though abominably old-fashionned, in the laboriously goofy plot, and loose character interactions. But all right, it's the sixties, and it's Bardot! My god, she's got something, this Bardot, to lift this little nothing movie out of the nothingness where it actually belongs. Who can forgive director Vadim for giving such small and dead-end parts to actors like Jean Tissier and Claude brasseur, for instance? But sure, he had Bardot, and the Bamba scene as well as the nude scenes remain (cute) classics....The DVD is decent in its viewing and extra features, too...I got my money worth...

Naïf et drôle...
Film à voir pour les fans de la belle blonde pulpeuse. C'est rafraîchissant et léger à souhait, mais quelque peu décevant pour le cinéphile exigeant. Bon cinéma quand même! Les blondes n'y sont pas à l'honneur encore une fois. ... Read more

Description

When her sadness becomes so overwhelming that a princess refuses to leave her room, a king searches the land for someone to make his daughter laugh. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My favorite childhood movie!
My sister and I were recently discussing our favorite movies when we were little. And this one was it. We had the disney movies and stuff, but this movie is funny and a great story. We use to watch this movie a lot! A great, perfect movie for children.

Fond Memories
I rented every volume of the Faerie Tale Theatre that the video store had at least 100 times when I was a kid. All these years later, this is the one I remember the most. That must say something for the quality of this story. Kids and parents will love it.

The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
I really enjoyed this movie. It was very comical. It's the funniest Faerie Tale Theatre film I've seen yet. And it teaches a very good moral too! A great family film! ... Read more

Description

Two years after she revolutionized the foreign film market by starring in husband Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman, Bardot and Vadim reunited to unleash that seductive persona of the virginal temptress upon rural Spain in The Night Heaven Fell.Fresh from the convent, Ursula (Bardot) becomes embroiled in the bizarre Oedipal rituals being carried out by her Aunt, Uncle and local stud Lamberto (Stephen Boyd).After he kills her lecherous Uncle and sleeps with her sexually deprived Aunt (Alida Valli), Ursula and Lamberto flee to the hills.And that's when things really heat up.Home Vision Entertainment is proud to present this Cinemascope extravaganza in a luminous new transfer enhanced for 16X9 televisions. ... Read more

Description

A clever cat comes up with a way to transform his master into a nobleman, but first he demands a new wardrobe. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Puss in Boots
This is a great movie. It's real light hearted and comical. The characters are all very love-able, except for the ogre of course! I also thought it was neat that all the main characters are African American. I highly recommend this film if you're looking for a good, clean, fun movie to enjoy. ... Read more

Description

When a selfish mayor refuses to pay a Pied Piper for ridding the rats from the town, the Piper gets rid of all the children in the town as well. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Faerie Tale Theatre Ever!
I would have to agree with the previous review that this is the best episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. In adapting faerie tales for film or television, the biggest difficulty seems to be in capturing that sense of awe and wonder that the original stories invoke. Without picture illustrations and a child's imagination to fill in the blanks, the original stories often appear static and lifeless on the screen. At worst, the sublime becomes downright ridiculous. Faerie Tale Theatre is a great and entertaining show, but rarely has it captured that sense of magic. This episode is one time that is has, and the results are truly something to behold. Eric Idle is the only "name" here, but the rest of the cast is equally perfect in their roles. Nicholas Meyer creates an entire other world, utilizing medieval tones in setting and costumes, as well as an eerie score of pipes from composer James Horner. The effect is mesmerizing, and if the use of rhyme as dialogue takes some getting used to, it only adds to the haunting impact in the end. This episode may be too disturbing for the youngest children, but all lovers of faerie tales owe it to themselves to see this. It doesn't have the budget of big-screen fantasies, but I rank this right up there with the NeverEnding Story and the Dark Crystal. If you love those films, then you understand what I mean about the sublime.

Wonderful and surreal...as fairy tales should be.
In the early to mid eighties, Shelly Duvall produced a cable show for the then flagship HBO network called Faerie Tale Theatre. The intent was to bring classic childhood stories to an audience of young and old alike through big name stars, directors, and hip, irreverent writing. Without this series, there would not have been a "Princess Bride". Although many of these were excellent examples of the best television could offer, the finest hour (for me) was director Nicholas Meyer's interpretation of Robert Browning's "Pied Piper of Hamelin". Both faithful to the original poem and liberal in its creative embellishments, Meyer perfectly captured the eerieness of the story. The show starred Eric Idle and he makes a perfect Piper. Tall, pale, with piercing eyes and a hawklike nose, Idle looke every bit the character: part mystic, part mercenary. And his final march out of Hamelin with the children is truly the stuff of innocent nightmares. Without sentimentality, without any concession to cuteness, this episode proved that within all great children's stories lurked something magical and sinister...Just like adulthood. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An irresistible and guilty pleasure, this anthology based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe is a rare opportunity to see three of the biggest names in 1960s European film direction working in the short form. The results are uneven, but so what? They're also plain outrageous. Roger Vadim's Metzengerstein stars real-life siblings Jane and Peter Fonda perversely cast as lovers. When the latter dies, Jane's character turns to a mysterious black stallion for companionship, the suggestion being that the dead man's spirit is within the horse. Both corny and vaguely lurid, this ghost tale is Vadim all the way. Louis Malle's William Wilson is an in-your-face take on Poe's classic doppelgänger fable, starring Alain Delon as a blackguard who gets his comeuppance from a nicer variation of himself. More craftsman-like than cinematically bold, the film displays the kind of crisp wit Malle didn't display often enough. Finally, Federico Fellini's Toby Dammit proves to be the most interesting piece in the trio, featuring Terence Stamp in a terrific performance as an actor at the end of his rope (the equivalent of Mastroianni's burned-out director in Fellini's 8½), who has come to Rome to star as Christ in a New Testament Western. Dense with Fellini's dreamy textures and iconic clutter, Toby Dammit is a fun experience. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The best is last
Spirits of the dead is a mixed bag of cinematic delight. Of the 3 episodes, only the last one "Toby Dammit" sustains interest. Fellini is at his best in this segment & Terence Stamp puts in a self destructive performance that has to be seen to be believed! His character, a self destructing actor who has reached the end of all worldly hope & desire wants only to leap into the chasm of death & destruction & he does so in spectactular fashion. This segment alone is worth the price of admission & Fellini caries the weight of the entire film on his capable talents. Images to delight & dialogue to astound, Terence Stamp should have won some kind of award for this brilliant performance as he portrays a burnt out actor with a death wish. You can't help but sympathize with him as he jolts his way from one bizarre interlude to another. You know you're at deaths door when you can turn down that blonde in the awards segment! Yikes!!! Never bet the devil your head!! See it!

Five Stars for "Toby Dammit".
There really is only one reason to watch this film and that is Fellini's "Toby Dammit". Terence Stamp takes the title role of an actor arriving in Italy to appear is some kind of weird religious western. He is at the end of his tether and all seems alien and disorentated to him. The Edgar Allen Poe story from which this segment is adapted from is called "Never wager your head to the Devil" and thats exactly what he does! All with the usual Fellini touch of class. Excellent.

Fellini Makes Films Like My Dreams--Exquisite Bliss
These three short films, loosely adapted from stories by Poe, are all packed with stunning landscape and exquisite set design. However, only Fellini's film manages to create a story worth retelling in its own right.

The first film is Roger Vadim's "Metzengerstein". The best thing I can say about it is that the gorgeous horse was the most effective actor in it. He knew his lines, and nodded when appropriate. Jane Fonda plays Contessa Frederica, an occasionally sadistic libertine who develops a passionate romantic attachment to the aformentioned horse. She is wondefully cruel and gorgeous, making the most out of some truly inspired little outfits. The segment is filmed by Claude Renoir, who captures some stunning images breathtaking beauty. Again, the scenes with the horse galloping and cavorting with Frederica are rather intoxicating. The story itself, however, is sacrificed on the alters of atmosphere and aesthetics. The end result is a very empty film.

Louis Malle's "William Wilson" basically has two really excellent scenes that make this worth watching. The first is a simple send-up of an autopsy. Wilson is demonstrating for his fellow Medical School classmates, the proper introductory procedure for performing an autopsy. Except, where his instructor had used the corpse of an old man--Wilson had bound a lovely, living lass and is preparing to dissect her. The other great scene involves Brigitte Bardot. Throughout this film, Bardot is unflatteringly coiffed in a black wig that is pulled back in a rather schoomarmish fashion. Her eyes are seductive, but she doesn't demand the kind of camera worship she has so often received in other films. However, the hair comes down and Bardot is soon being subjected to Wilson's birch rod. Her f