Point of No Return / Domino / The Long Kiss Goodnight (Triple Feature) (2006)

I'm not going to review or rate the movies, that's what IMDB is for.

As far as the product itself: The quality is good. I like it that they take up less space in this format though it does make it harder to organize your DVDs. Even if you don't happen to love all 3 movies it's still a really good price.

The 5 stars is for the product, not the movies. (They would all rate differently, of course.)

Save 24% Off

Notting Hill

Let me just say that I'm not particularly a Julia Roberts fan. So when my wife asked to go see Notting Hill in the theater, I politely declined... but I figured that I'd give her a suprise and buy the DVD for her. Well, I sat and watched it with her, and was pleasantly suprised, myself!

Set in the real-life Notting Hill section of London, this VERY fairy-tale story is filled with moments of true belly-aching laughter, painful heartbreak, and one delightful "car chase."

Julia Roberts portrays Anna Scott, a fifteen-million-dollar per picture movie actress who gets tangled in the trappings of love with William Thacker, a bumbling, but likeable book-shop owner convincingly played by Hugh Grant. Notting Hill wastes no time in setting up this premise and rockets off from there. The film moves along at a good pace and only has one noticible slow spot. The music chosen to accompany the film is beyond perfect. Watch the screen closely when you hear "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers.

I would be remiss if I did not mention "Spike". Rhys Ifans plays Spike, William's very odd, very Welsh flat mate. You can't help but laugh every time he's on the screen. Luckily, the director and editor didn't over-do Spike's antics, so we can truly enjoy the moments when he's on.

The Collector's Edition goodies make the DVD a true gem and a great bargain. The musical highlights let you quickly jump into the middle of the movie to enjoy a song while watching the movie roll. (After you've watched the movie, go find "Ain't No Sunshine"!) The deleted scenes give a glimpse of what could have happened in the film. After watching, I'd say that I agree with the director's choice of endings.

This movie proves that romantic comedies can still be done well... and you don't have to have Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to do it.

Hugh Grant's role as Travel Book Shop employee William Thacker reprises the same shy, humble, lovable, but lonely character with a small group of friends that made him a star in Four Weddings And A Funeral. That may be because Notting Hill, like FW&AF, was written by Richard Curtis. "And so it was another hopeless Wednesday when I walked a thousand yards to work, not suspecting that this was going to be the day my life would be changed forever." In two words, that catalyst is Anna Scott, currently one of Hollywood's biggest stars, who is promoting her latest film Helix, a sci-fi film whose costume design and one interior setting owes a nod to Kubrick's 2001. She happens in his bookshop, but that first meeting sets off a series of meetings where they spend time with each other.

Eccentric barely describes Spike, his Welsh roommate with a shock of wild blond hair. Never have I seen a more comical opposites since Felix and Oscar of the Odd Couple. Spike is clearly the Oscar of the pair, but then again, I doubt if Oscar would have worn a T-shirt saying, "Get It Here", with an arrow pointing downwards, or unwittingly mistake mayonnaise for yogurt.

In the course of meeting Anna, he in turn introduces her to his small group, including a married couple, Max and Belle, the latter in a wheelchair, a stockbroker named Bernie, and William's wild-looking sister Honey, whose bulging eyes and feathery hair makes her nevertheless lovable in a different sort of way.

However, they live in two different worlds. As William puts it, "I live in Notting Hill, you live in Beverly Hills." Both have different schedules, lifestyles, and perspectives on things. Yet his inner smile lights up whenever she pops in and spends some time with him. And applying a metaphor used, Anna is a goddess. "You know what happens to mortals who get involved with the gods?" That's terrible for William, who confides in Spike that it's like "taking love heroin and I couldn't have it again. I've opened Pandora's Box and there's trouble inside."

Anna is a typical box-office draw who has to put up with the tail side of the fame coin. The many boyfriends, the laying out of her private life in the tabloids, but also how she's unable to live an ordinary life and how she has to put up with unkind words, as when she overhears a group of businessmen saying how actresses are equal to prostitutes and that she is the definitive actress. Ouch! But despite the fame, in the end, she's "just a girl asking a boy to love her."

The one pullback aerial shot that has the couple approaching the bench dedicated to a loved one, while Ronan Keating sings Keith Whitley's "When You Say Nothing At All" was a perfect combination of great camera work enhanced by a haunting love song.

Hugh Grant has another winning role and seems to have the knack of starring opposite great female leads and being compatible. Be it Andie McDowell (Four Weddings) or Emma Thompson (Sense And Sensibility), he does himself and Julia Roberts great credit. After seeing this at the theatre when it first came out, I sighed with relief that I finally found the most charming movie with Julia Roberts since Pretty Woman. All the actors portraying Williams' small circle also lend great support, but Rhys Ifan steals the show as the outlandish Spike. Those who liked Four Weddings will definitely go for Notting Hill, which has a tad more sweetness, like apricot and honey.

Buy Notting Hill Now

I was hesitant to see this film at the theater.I enjoy Hugh Grant but never cared much for Julia Roberts.Well,being a DVD and home theater nut,I decided to check this out..PLEASENTLY SURPRISED! ..First Hugh Grant is just fantastic.In a way,his character can be discribed as the thinking mans Mathew Perry.Actually,their humor derives from similar delivery of lines..This is a delightful tale of the ever so polite,but aloof, British male,winning over the, seen to many shallow male actor movie star..Julia pretty much plays herself,with both touching honesty and charm..Tired of the world that incorporates her hollywood life,on a trip to England she finds herself drawn to Grants simple yet honest and gentle sincerity...Along the way,the typical trials and tribulations that would surely plague such a relationship appear..Yet,this movie demonstrates that regardless of our superficial world around us,something as age-old as love can lead to true inner happiness...A great British supporting cast make up this movie,and the scence stealing Spike is hilarious...Guys,this is not just a chick flick! Give it a shot with that special someone and you both will be the better off for it..!

Read Best Reviews of Notting Hill Here

This is the best romanic comedy in 1999, in my opinion. It's a story about an actress (Anna Scott played by Julia Roberts) at the height of her career finding the ordinary man (William Thacker played by Hugh Grant) in Notting Hill (an actual place in the UK) and falling in love with him. The unlikely story of travel bookstore owner getting involved with a mega-star actress is a fantasy but then it's a movie... and their story is fun to watch. Their quirky romance struggles a bit while they try to find a common ground for the couple from opposite ends of the spectrumand the movie tries to convey that even famous actresses have normal needs, too. Like love and the need to belong in the world. The secondary characters like Spike, Will's flatmate, Will's friends and sister just about steal the scenes. This movie is sweet, fun, poignant and a great happy ending. In the press conference scene at the end, when William and Anna stare at each other across the room, you can feel the love and hapiness. And the bench scene in the park is just about the sweetest ending. I've seen this movie several times and will see it many times more. ( Hey, even my guy friends liked it. )

Want Notting Hill Discount?

This is truly a lovely movie, and it has been a long time since a romantic comedy has been this enjoyable. This movie may remind you of "When Harry Met Sally" or "Sleepless in Seattle", where the couples are clearly meant for each other, yet have obstacles they must overcome. The acting and dialogue are superb! Hugh Grant, a world-famous actor, is completely convincing as an average bloke, while Julia Roberts goes by Anna Scott and plays herself, a "heavenly" movie star.

One review of this movie called it "pure fairy tale." As long as you can believe that it is possible for an actress to truly be a "good person," that she may actually want to live a relatively "normal" life outside of her acting career and may want to start a family of her own, then this statement is false. One specific scene mentioned as difficult to believe was the initial kiss that takes place quite soon after they meet. However, there are two reasons why this scene is believable. First, it is quite obvious that she is impressed from the start with his wit, sensitivity, and honesty, especially compared to the other men who are falling over themselves when they meet her. Secondly, this kiss may be a sort of test. In a city filled with reporters trying to get a story and her pictures plastered everywhere, her life has to be secretive as much as possible. Perhaps she wanted to see if she would be reading about the incident in the next day's paper before she allowed herself to get too close. She gave him quite the opportunity to brag to his friends or family, but he does not.

This movie is quite entertaining to watch the first, second and even fifth time.

Save 57% Off

Life is Beautiful (1998)

Put the children to bed, unplug the phone, get out the tissues and refuse to watch this movie with anybody who likes to talk during a movie. You will be blown away.

Holocaust and comedy. Two words never spoken in the same breath before "Life is Beautiful." To smiply label this movie as such, would do it injustice. Every emotion comes into play during the viewing. You soon begin to empathize with Roberto Benigni as he portrays a father trying to keep the harsh realities of a German concentration camp from his young son. Benigni protects his son with two weapons that the German's could not seize: Humor and Imagination.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and yes I cried. But I also laughed and smiled.

I recommend the Sub-title version of the movie. After five minutes the reading becomes natural and the depth to which you become involved with the movie is well worth it.

I so enjoyed the music in this movie, that I purchased "Tales of Hoffman" by Offenbach. The second playing of this piece in the movie will not allow you to maintain dry eyes.

Okay, a few folks have said they did not like this film. Fair enough, I didn't like Good Will Hunting.

But let's take a look here. If you know what this film is all about, then the first half of it will astound you. I mean, egg on faces? It comes startingly close to Benny Hill for 'want of a laugh track'.

Ahh, but the warmth grows on you, and then...

The second half.

Few scenes are as emotional as when Guido has to reassure his son that the Jews 'aren't going to be made into soap.' The film takes a turn for the harshness and doesn't let up.

Schindler's List was a phenomenal film, showing the utter horror of the holocaust, but it missed one thing: the notion of hope. No one in Spielberg's masterpiece continually believes that 'life is beautiful'. All we see is the horror, the downfall, the pain. And while that makes for a fantastic dramatic punch, it negates any humor or spirit the prisoners may have had to blanket themselves from the harshness, and this humor surely existed.

Guido knows very soon that he is going to die. But, the love for his son outweighs the need to DISPLAY hopelessness. If nothing else, he must protect his son. So he convinces him it's all a game. Simple, buffoonish...

and damn identifiable. Who here can honestly say they wouldn't do anything they could to protect their sons/daughters from knowing the biggest evil on Earth? Guido manages to keep his son involved in 'the game' while he himself knows it will most likely end according to an evil thought.

The end scene, where Guido realizes he is going to be killed, and yet does a goofy march to make his son laugh, is one of the most powerful sights to ever be associated with the trauma the Nazi's inflicted on the world.

If you didn't like this film, fine. But don't say it mocked the Holocaust. If anything, it's a tribute to the flame of life that wouldn't be blown out.

Laughter seeps into any tradegy, if the love for life is there. Anne Frank said something to the effect that 'in spite of all this, I still feel people are good in heart'. She had hope.

She knew life was beautiful.

-CS

Buy Life is Beautiful (1998) Now

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)When Roberto Benigni burst onto the Hollywood scene with this acclaimed film and his over-the-top enthusiasm, I couldn't bring myself to watch this film. Instead, I waited for the DVD. However, what I perceived as hype was truly deserved. "Life is Beautiful" is a wonderfully inventive tale that seems fresh even today, years after its first release. Part slapstick, part drama, part romantic comedy, part tragedy this story of an Italian family during the Holocaust defies categorization.

The films opens with Guido (Benigni) and his friend arriving in town on a car with no brakes and being mistaken for facist officials expected for a parade. This slapstick scene ends with Guido catching the future love of his life, Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), as she jumps from a barn window. The clownish Guido sets out to win her heart despite the odds against him. These early scenes set the stage for the rest of the movie: Guido will rely on invention, humor, and persistence to protect his loved ones despite the obstacles he faces. What begins as slapstick becomes heartbreaking later. Like all stories of the Holocaust, this film has its grim side, but Benigni relies heavily on exaggerated humor, running gags, and an early circus-like atmosphere to set up the emotional power of the time's reality. Most of the atrocities are implied, not witnessed, and the viewer's own knowledge of the time period creates an additional layer of tension.

Roberto Benigni is superb as Guido; his antics are hilarious, but during more dire moments, emotions flash across his face, revealing both the depth of his character and the reality of his position. Nicoletta Braschi is also good, and little Giorgio Cantinini as Guido?s son Joshua is adorably spunky, especially as he questions his father's stories.

I always advocate watching foreign films in the original language, with subtitles, but I understand that some viewers may not like "reading" a movie. In this case, however, the dubbed version was distracting, as Benigni provides the English track for his own character while American voices dub the rest of the cast. His Italian accent amid the American accents completely broke the illusion for me. Still, if a dubbed version is the only way you'll watch this movie, please do it.

I highly recommend "Life is Beautiful." Its offbeat approach remains unparalleled in the canon of Holocaust movies. Because of the absence of explicit violence and sex, viewers as young as thirteen should admire this extraordinary film.

Read Best Reviews of Life is Beautiful (1998) Here

First, my impression of the film-I don't think I laughed and cried so much in a long time. Buy it, own it and share it with others!

Now my input on the DVD experience. The disc contains a dubbed version of the film in English. We tried watching this version first, but found the dialogue and story were actually harder to follow than the subtitles! When we started the film over again with the English subtitles "on" we discoved we were missing Roberto's energy and punctuation. Even if you don't understand a word of Italian you need to hear the impact in the actor's voices to appreciate what is being said. Still, if you can't deal with the subtitles you have a choice. Incidently, the sections of the film which feature German dialogue are not dubbed so we still have the same experience as our characters do.

The bonus materials area on the disc features several TV spots (commercials) for the film. No real bonanza here, but there is a brief documentary, "Making Life Beautiful". It features footage from various programs where the film has won awards, etc. It also contains a mini-filmography of other Benigni films and interviews with his various costars. The documentary tone is very promotion oriented spending most of its time patting Benigni and company on the back-deservedly so.

Picture clarity is excellent (what you would expect from a new film) and sound very good as well.

Want Life is Beautiful (1998) Discount?

("THE")This movie is absolutely all it's cracked up to be. Hysterically funny and simultaneously a tear jerker -it's ultimately very uplifting. The cinematography is also fantastic -amazing use of color.

The DVD has dubbed english as an option, but I strongly recommend going with the subtitles instead so you can hear Benigni's amazing acting and passion.

Too bad the DVD doesn't include any deleted scenes. With Benigni, I think it would be particularly fun to see out-takes.



Absolutely a great movie!

Save 19% Off

Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933)

**EDIT 12-6-11** Overall, I'll say that Criterion did a great job on the restoration and transfer of this 1933 classic. I would describe the picture quality as very good, not perfect, but very good. Signs of aging are still evident throughout the film (mainly vertically running scratches), but not to the extent of distracting or taking away from the viewing experience. Quality-wise, this is the clearest, most crisp version of this film that I have viewed.

Based on the Broadway hit by legendary playwright Noël Coward, Design for Living is an excellent Pre-Code comedy from the always daring Paramount Pictures. Directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch, the film provides us with a refreshing look at the way American films were made before being heavily censored by the enforcement of the Hays Code in 1934. With the help of a risqué script from Hollywood veteran Ben Hecht, the director adds his famous "Lubitsch touch" to give us a very witty and fluid movie starring three of the biggest stars of the period. Gary Cooper, Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins have great chemistry together and really help to convey the message of the filmmakers you only live once so do what makes you happy, regardless of how others view you.

In its day, Design for Living was very controversial for two reasons. The first and most obvious reason being the very risqué plot involving a ménage-à-trois relationship between three young Americans living in Paris. This film really took a jab at the morals and virtues that certain groups, namely the Legion of Decency, were trying to infuse back into American cinema. The second reason is that many people, including Noël Coward, were upset that screenwriter Ben Hecht retained only one line from the original play. Whether true or false, it's believed he did this in part to remove the homosexual context present in Coward's play, fearing that this even more controversial subject of the day would inevitably lead to the film being heavily censored, if it was ever played at all.

As always, I will provide only a brief description of the plot itself, as I don't want to ruin the movie for someone who hasn't seen it. The film opens as two friends, playwright Tom (March) and artist George (Cooper), are traveling by train to Paris. While sleeping, they are joined in their compartment by a beautiful young stranger, Gilda (Hopkins). Gilda, who is an artist herself, commences to draw a humorously accurate caricature of the sleeping pair, both of whom are snoring with their mouths wide open and feet propped up. The drawing ends up being the icebreaker for the trio, and after some initial criticisms, they quickly become friends. From here two major problems arise. First, Gilda has a wealthy suitor named Max (played by the wonderful Edward Everett Horton) who has been courting her for five years. Secondly, both Tom and George fall in love with Gilda while being totally unaware of each other's feelings for her. One fateful day, immediately after the friends find out they're in love with the same woman, Gilda phones to say she's coming over. After her arrival, Gilda confesses that she loves both men equally, therefore she can't decide between them. Being the crafty woman she is, Gilda proposes an arrangement to the two unsuspecting men a "gentleman's" agreement allowing her to be with both of them. After a discussion, the newly formed group decides on one major clause in the agreement, no sex. Obviously this arrangement has the potential for causing some major problems, and well... it does. Everything I just revealed to you happens very early in the movie so there are many things left unspoiled. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

As I stated earlier, Design for Living did not sit very well with many people upon its initial release. On this note, I feel like I should clarify something. Just because something was controversial 80 years ago does not mean it will shock audiences today. This movie is fairly tame by today's standards, but in 1933 Hollywood its subject matter was eye-opening, very much so to film censorship advocates. Design for Living, along with Barbara Stanwyck's Baby Face, were two of the final straws that led to the Hays Code being actively enforced in 1934, severely limiting the content of American films until the late 1960's. After the code was enforced, Design for Living was banned by the Legion of Decency and denied a Production Code Administration certification, leading to the film being shelved and almost forgotten for several decades.

**Special Features and Technical Aspects As Listed by Criterion**

-New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

-"The Clerk," starring Charles Laughton, director Ernst Lubitsch's segment of the 1932 omnibus film If I Had a Million

-Selected-scene commentary by film scholar William Paul

-British television production of the play Design for Living from 1964, introduced on camera by playwright Noël Coward

-New interview with film scholar and screenwriter Joseph McBride on Lubitsch and screenwriter Ben Hecht's adaptation of the Coward play

-PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kim Morgan

United States

1933

91 minutes

Black and White

1.33:1

English

A disgruntled screenwriter stormed into director Ernst Lubitsch's office, threw 120 blank pieces of paper down onto his desk and said "Here! Give this the Lubitsch touch!"

Obviously, that's a writer's story...but the truth is that when Lubitsch did have a good script...or even a fair one, he was, indeed, able to bring that extra special "touch" to the material, thereby creating a series of risque' sophisticated comedies in the 1930s and 40s that have yet to be equaled. He was never vulgar in his "touches," but employed often hilarious visual suggestions, thus making it quite clear as to what was really going on behind those closed bedroom doors.

DESIGN FOR LIVING (1933) was adapted to the screen by Ben Hecht from Noel Coward's play. Miriam Hopkins stars as a commercial artist, who becomes smitten with both Gary Cooper, a struggling painter, and starving playwright Fredric March. The trio decides to live together...platonically...but you can imagine how long that aspect of the relationship lasts...and the problems that it causes. Edward Everett Horton co-stars in this witty, well-played comedy.

The Criterion Collection has released a marvelous 2-disc edition of DESIGN FOR LIVING that, aside from a new high-definition digital restoration with uncompressed monaural sound, also includes selected scene commentary by film professor William Paul, an interview with Joseph McBride on Lubitsch, plus a 1964 British television version of the play introduced by Coward and, best of all, the short sequence that Lubitsch directed for IF I HAD A MILLION (1932) featuring Charles Laughton. It was the funniest bit in that picture.

Finally, there is a booklet containing an essay by film critic Kim Morgan.

© Michael B. Druxman

Buy Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933) Now

Amazing Pre-Code film that I'm ecstatic to see has been selected by Criterion for this DVD release. I've been a fan of this particular genre for over a decade and when asked by friends to pick a movie that would help introduce them to the best of the Pre-Code releases in existence and release, I almost always pick "Design for Living".

Everything is just spot on excellent performances, witty banter and a most unusual (yet completely plausible) exploration of the very nature of love and commitment. While missing some of the more naughty innuendo of the original Coward production, it still contained enough sex, sophistication and above all and at the heart of the film, a loving trio, to become one of the pinnacle films to sound the death knell on the pre-Hays freedom days and put into action the Production Code.

The bare bones of the story goes like this girl (Gilda) meets boys (Tom & George) on a train. The three start off as friends and I'll leave it at that. Any more would completely ruin the plot and though you can probably guess what happens next, this is a movie that should be seen, savored and enjoyed piece by piece and scene by scene. I must say though, if put in Gilda's situation and forced to choose between Frederic March and Gary Cooper at the height of their talents, handsomeness and charm, why not establish 'a gentleman's agreement', particularly when one of the trio is most notably not a gentleman?

Directed masterfully by Ernst Lubitsch from Ben Hecht's adaptation of Noel Coward's play, this is definitely more than a light, screwball comedy. It's one of the best, most sophisticated and unconventional romances you'll ever see on screen. Even for a modern audience, the theme is not outdated, which just goes to show how ahead of the curve many Pre-Code films were even when seen through our 21st century eyes. One has to wonder just how many more gems such as this we might have gotten, had the Code not crashed the party.

Read Best Reviews of Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933) Here

Noel Coward, at least in the New York theater scene, is having something of another revival which prompted me to take a second, or maybe third look, at his work. No question he had a serious sense of plot and language when it came to writing "manner" plays addressing "high society (or what passed for high society in his day)," a look at that society from one who came to appreciate its frills and follies from a personal past of barely rubbing two nickels together. That is the case here with the film adaptation of the somewhat autobiographical sketch play, Design for Living (along some material help from his coming up from obscurity friends, the actors Lunt and Fontaine).

As with many adaptations from books or plays the relationship to the original source can be, well, attenuated as it is here, at least according to Mr. Coward, on the use of dialogue. But the general plot outline is similartwo guys, two artsy guys (one Gary Cooper who passes for the Midwestern All-American boy complete with ah shuck) and a world-weary gal get all balled up in a threesome, a love triangle, comedic or not, and for a while nobody could win. It all gets sorted out by the end but not before what passed for 1930s humor, including deadpan and slapstick humor, got a workout. This one is probably too tame for today's audiences having seen every kind of social possibility on the screen by now but in the 1930s this was, and rightly so I think, regarded as sophisticated comedy, and certainly the subject matter raised eyebrows. Not the best Coward (or Cooper and March) but interesting.

Want Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933) Discount?

There's no doubt about what's going on in Design for Living, a delightful high comedy about a ménage a trois, written by Noel Coward as rewritten by Ben Hecht and directed by Ernst Lubitsch...and it's not hanky panky. No, it's just joyous, straightforward sex.

Please note, before any fastidious persons who fancy themselves "reviewers" nail me to a tree. I have watched this movie more than once when it was released as part of The Gary Cooper Collection. It looked good then, and I plead guilty to not having watched it yet in the newly released Criterion edition I expect Criterion has done it proud. I plan to buy it. I have no idea what the extras may be like, but then I seldom watch the extras or listen to any film's commentary.

When two artists, the painter George Curtis (Gary Cooper) and the playwright Tom Chambers (Fredric March), encounter Gilda Farrell (Miriam Hopkins) on the train to Paris, their 11-year friendship is going to be intriguingly tested. Gilda (with a soft "g") captures them both, and she reciprocates but can't choose. And why should she? She moves in with them. There's only one solution, however, to the inevitable problem. "Boys," she tells them "it's the only thing we can do. Let's forget sex." And with that, of course, neither they nor we can. Says Gilda to George and Tom later, "It's true we had a gentleman's agreement, but unfortunately, I am no gentleman." And says Tom to Gilda later, "George betrayed me for you. Without wishing to flatter you, I understood that. I can still understand it. But you betrayed me for George. An incredible choice!"

Ben Hecht often bragged that only one line of Coward's survived in his screenplay. All I know is that Hecht's words are some of the finest and funniest, as well as the most amusingly realistic, you're likely to find in a high-gloss Hollywood comedy. The movie just barely got in under the wire before the Production Code began to enforce the prude's code of morality on America. Lubitsch and Hecht create a sophisticated world in which going to bed with someone you like is as natural as...well, going to bed with someone you like. There's no leering or innuendo in the movie, just a reliance on the sophistication of the audience. For instance, Gilda explains to Tom and George the differences between how men and women sort things out. "You see," she tells them, "a man can meet two, three or four women and fall in love with all of them, and then, by a process of interesting elimination, he is able to decide which he prefers. But a woman must decide purely on instinct, guesswork, if she wants to be considered nice." The point we're aware of with a smile is that Gilda not only is nice, but smart, and that she's already tested the waters with each of them.

We start the movie with an ménage a trois, but one that turns into a duet with George and then a duet with Tom. After some encounters with business versus art, we all come to our senses and enjoy the sight of Gilda, George and Tom reunited in New York with a plan in mind. "Now we'll have some fun," Gilda says happily. "Back to Paris!" I have a feeling that forgetting sex won't be part of the plan for long.

The frisson of a bi-sexual ménage a trois is substantially toned down by Lubitsch and Hecht. While it wasn't explicit in Coward's stage play, one would have to be deaf and blind not to get the subtext, especially with Coward and Alfred Lunt as the two male leads when the play opened. In the movie, however, this just becomes inconsequential speculation, especially with Gary Cooper and Fredric March in the roles. Cooper manages not to embarrass himself in this highly polished comedy of sex and style, but it's clear that what works in Cooper's favor are his looks, not his line delivery or body language. March and Hopkins, however, are completely at ease and are a joy to watch.

Hollywood wouldn't make movies this adult and amusing until the Fifties, and even then the level of sophistication and respect for the audience, in my opinion, never fully recovered. Every now and then it's possible to come across in pre-Code Hollywood films of such mature pleasure you hope others will like them, too. Says one character in Design for Living, "Immorality may be fun, but it isn't fun enough to take the place of 100 per cent virtue and three square meals a day." How wrong he was...and is.

Save 50% Off

Massage Parlor Murders (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1972)

I suppose the best way to describe this movie, would be as some sort of Grindhouse version of `The French Connection'. Not only is there a strong emphasis on the whole cop business and do we get treated to an extended car chase, both movies share the same kind of loose script structure. In typical seventies fashion, instead of a tightly written scenario based on cause and effect, `Massage Parlor Murders' offers almost random vignettes creating a wonderfully sprawling epic that clocks in at just under 80 minutes. In doing so, it has created a wonderful time capsule, which captures that seventies sensibility so well, with those instantly recognizable colors, the great music (which seems a cross between early Funkadelic and the Miles Davis of the period) and of course that truly awful and ubiquitous wallpaper. With a title like `Massage Parlor Murders!' you'd probably expect a straight horror movie, but probably the exclamation mark (which is there on the title card) should give you a clue this is going to be something entirely else. So besides the wonderful sleaziness of it all, the movie is played more for comedy than horror, with some truly hilarious moments though there are some gore sequences as well. In the end, what's most beautiful about this picture is its total refusal to be categorized and its willingness to go anywhere it pleases; what it may lack in coherence, it more than makes up for with poetic logic.

For only their second blu-ray release, Vinegar Syndrome couldn't have picked a better title than `Massage Parlor Murders'. They not only rescued this gem from obscurity, somehow they've managed to make it look like a million bucks too. When I saw the trailer for this release, I was very much surprised at how good it looked, and fortunately this doesn't limit itself to just the trailer. Sure, there is the occasional odd frame and the soundtrack isn't always pitch-perfect, but this is one scrumptious looking blu-ray. Vinegar Syndrome is a new player in town (their Expectations/Confessions double bill is already one of my favorite releases of the year) and everyone who considers himself a exploitation genre nut owes it to himself to check out their releases and this one is a good a place to start as any.

In today's high-tech world, many casual viewers of films and videos have little appreciation for what came before. Clearly, some of this is due to the fact that practically every television set has a billion channels of programming available at any given hour of the day (or night), so there's very little need much less desire to seek out some of the lesser titles of yesteryear, of which I've no doubt something like MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS (aka MASSAGE PARLOR HOOKERS) is part and parcel of. Instead, folks will pop in some cheaply-produced direct to DVD release starring any number of forgettable performers and featuring any variation of plot they've seen hundreds of times before.

I'm certainly not making the case that MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS is necessarily a better choice. It is, nonetheless, an apt portrait for storytelling plucked from a different time a different culture with different storytelling expectations and, for that reason alone, I'd argue it's worth at least a single view.

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I'd encourage you to skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you're accepting of a few modest hints at `things to come,' then read on ...)

A serial killer who targets massage parlor prostitutes is on the loose. Unfortunately, the cops can't catch a break much less a legitimate suspect and the trail runs cold before the audience can say `entrapment.' (There's a brief, goofy sidetrack involved with their only possible lead, played by screen veteran George Dzundza who also happens to be the assistant director in what has to be one of his earliest appearances ever.) But when one cop falls for the roommate of a victim, it becomes a race against time to catch the murderer before he might catch her!

MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS boasts the kind of plot that ignited so much of the early 1970's exploitation scene. It's got hot women. It's got sex. It's got nudity. It's got violence. It's got blood. It's got wicked subcultures. It's got crooked cops. It's got meaty undertones (i.e. religion). It's got car chases. It's got beer and cigarettes. And, unfortunately, it's got a lot of bad acting, but that's all meant in good, gory fun. Quite literally, every possible influence you could ever want in a respectable, B movie (or is that C-movie?) in there and more, so much so that I was a bit surprised it didn't wallow in its excess.

And how is it?

Well, it's about as entertaining as any sub-standard release could've been for its time, and that's why I'd endorse it worth a single view.

As I said in the opening, folks today certainly can't appreciate the blood and bluster that was the underground exploitation scene that populated double-bills at lesser theatres or drive-ins through-out the 1970's and early 80's. None of these were meant to be `great pictures'; rather, they were made on the cheap for no other reason than the love of making it AND the love of watching it. I've no doubt that all of this gusto maybe meant something more to the folks who threw it together because there are solid hints at some admirable ideas so often explored in big budget films (the cop-buddy film, the serial killer, etc.). Films like this don't get made all that often these days, and that's why I found much of MASSAGE to be a terrific portrait of what subversive filmmaking was like. If anything, the film screens like an hour-long police procedural with probably 20 minutes of mild gratuitousness added for the crowd appeal. Watch closely, and you'll see perhaps every lovely victim still breathing after they've been pronounced dead. Watch even closer, and you might see them blink their eyes.

MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS is produced by Craig Nolan and Bert Cohen. DVD distribution is being handled through Vinegar Syndrome. As for the technical specifications, you might be surprised how well this looks and sounds given its age and history; yes, there's some modest grain and 2.0 channel sound isn't all that grand, but I found this better than most. As for the bonuses? There are theatrical trailers and a host of outtakes (about eight minutes) that may not add up to much more than alternate takes and `filler' cinematography, but there's a terrific essay available in liner notes by Temple of Schlock writer Chris Poggiali that's tops.

RECOMMENDED. Will a film like MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS shatter expectations? With a title like that, need I give you an honest answer? Will it define the way movies are made in the present day and age? Of course not. Spielberg and Scorsese have nothing to worry about. Will it alter the fabric of time and space? Not very likely. But what it may do is serve as eighty minutes of film history. It's a throwback to a time when special effects were practical considerations needing to be captured in-process and not to be fixed in post. This is a B-movie with A-movie ideas, ones not all that dissimilar to David Fincher's SE7EN thematically. I've seen (obviously) far worse exploitation flicks than this one. Despite some weird pacing problems that plague the latter half, this one ends up being pretty benign by comparison.

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome provided me with an advance DVD copy of MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.

Buy Massage Parlor Murders (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1972) Now

MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS has been all but buried since the 1970s, languishing in a vault somewhere. Fortunately, Vinegar Syndrome is the Tomb Raider of video labels. They have painstakingly tweaked and tweezed every molecule of the original camera negative to its original vibrancy. In fact, you may opt to watch the DVD in this combo-pack; the Blu-ray is almost TOO crystal clear.

MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS has no CGI, explosions, or ex-Disney bimbos. So what do you get? A pursuit featuring half a dozen or more $300 cars crashing into each other. Luscious, REAL 70s honies in their finest eyeshadow. Countless minutes of Sandra (LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT) Peabody wandering around NYC with her cop boyfriend. Lots of dead massage parlor girls who have trouble not blinking while the camera is rolling. Brother Theodore in freak-out mode. A music editor with ADHD. And above all, an ending that redefines the word "overkill." I had very high expectations for this film. While it did not deliver exactly what I had imagined, it surprised and pleased me well beyond what I dared hope.

Read Best Reviews of Massage Parlor Murders (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1972) Here

I applaud Vinegar Syndrome for releasing films that no one else would touch and I also appreciate that most of them are 70's explotation and sexploitation films. It's like I'm reliving my teenage years all over again. They take the utmost care in the films' restorations and always show the films in their actual theatrical ratio. They may be the new kid on the block, but they are a welcome addition to old fogies like me!

Want Massage Parlor Murders (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1972) Discount?

Vinegar Syndrome's release of Massage Parlor Murders will remain one of the more respected exploitation releases for years to come. What you have here is a high quality Blu-ray/DVD release of bargain basement 42nd St. fun. Massage Parlor Murders is a movie that lives up to its title; pretty girls, lots of nudity, a killer with creepy motives (think Se7en), bad dialogue, awesome location shots (check out those movie marquees), even more bad dialogue, genuine 60s/70s fashions, a sub-par car chase and of course gruesomely murdered hookers...oh I'm sorry, massage engineers. The gore effects are fairly tame and cheap but the brutality behind them is oddly effective. Many reviewers have been rough on the opening scene presented in the slightly longer "original cut" (found on both discs) but I think it's hilarious. The dialogue and acting is completely absurd. The whole film should be made in to a play.

Great image quality. Very colorful for such a feature. Those of you cranking this feature through a high end system may get irritated with the lackluster and somewhat noisy soundtrack. Its not a problem of the disc just issues inherent in the original tracks. Bonus features include outtakes, trailers, a radio spot and some welcome liner notes by Chris Poggiali (he knows his stuff). The outtakes are worth it just for the the location shots. There appears to be a problem with the radio spot on the Blu-ray disc (I checked two discs and neither had sound) but it plays fine on the DVD. Completing the package and adding an unusual touch of class is Jay Shaw's fantastic poster art, which is exclusive to this release. For a limited time you can get a high quality print of the poster on the Vinegar Syndrome website. Expect to pay a lot more for it when they sell out.

Save 25% Off

Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (2011)

This is an extraordinary offering. Some understanding of the background is helpful for those not familiar with the complex history of Taiwan: The original inhabitants of this island were not Chinese at all but a race akin to many of the tribes in the Philippines and DNA work suggests that most Polynesians can trace their origins back to movements south out of Taiwan. Some 500 years ago Chinese immigration from Fu Jian and later other provinces increased rapidly and these original clans were pushed into the hills where they can still be found in small numbers today. The story begins in 1895 when the aggressive Japanese Empire was ceded Taiwan by the decaying Qing Dynasty and the Japanese sent in their powerful military and civil forces to develop the resources for an expanding economy.

The coastal Han (Chinese) were pretty quickly brought to heel and indeed the Chinese in Taiwan have enjoyed a good relationship with Japan ever since. Most elderly Taiwanese speak Japanese, having learned it at school and the island has many customs and practices that are Japanese rather than those of the mainland Chinese. This did not prove to be the case with the clans in the mountains where considerable resistence and resentment built up as their natural resources were taken from them by the Japanese. This led to a great uprising in the south in the 30s that was eventually crushed with overwhelming force. This long film is the story of this tragic event.

Conceiving and bringing such a story to the screen was no easy task. Language and racial type are huge issues. The mountain clan languages are not at all related to Chinese and are no longer widely spoken. Many have intermarried and Taiwanese today are an interesting mixture of many racial types. Although the country folk in Taiwan are a hardy lot, finding enough cast to run at great speed through Taiwan's beautiful high mountain lands BAREFOOT must have been a challenging task indeed. The story is fast moving and not easy to follow even with some background. The clans were not united and fought amongst themselves over hunting rights as much as they squabbled with the Han and then the Japanese. In the beginning things go badly for them and many learn Japanese and take up roles as local policemen etc but their status rankles and the Japanese were never up to bringing non-Japanese into the fold even today! The subtitles in English are good but you need to read pretty fast. Chinese visually scan their text and assume we do the same so English subtitles on a Chinese film don't hang about on the screen. This a film to see at least twice.

The sound is outstanding and the camera work remarkable when one considers the astonishing speed of the action. Bodies are all over the place but none of it very explicit. No sex and no real roles for women although the kids do rather well. This is a great set and strongly recommended. The extras are very interesting but in Mandarin and not subtitled.

There are two versions of "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale" coming to DVD and Blu-ray; the four and a half hour original version and the cut two and a half hour US version. This is a review of the two and a half hour version, which certainly seems as though it received the wrong end of the stick. It feels like much of the story was dumped for the massive amount of action sequences.

The historical drama is absolutely gorgeous on Blu-ray. The never ending supply of lush forests and trees just always adds a splash of color to whatever is transpiring. The nonstop bloodshed never ceases to add a little red to the fray, as well. Nature, sunsets, waterfalls, and wildlife; the Taiwan scenery is just stunning. Unfortunately, it's usually sacrificed for cluttered CGI and awkward camera movements.

The CGI is used for a rock slide, some of the more difficult to film wildlife shots, animals, mist, steam, and even explosions. If there was a middle class for special effects, these would fall under that category. The shadowing of the CGI seems to clash with the lighting of the surrounding forests as well and makes the effects stand out even more than they probably should. Then there are times when the camera probably should have just stayed still instead of roaming the countryside to capture what would have been a great shot.

The Taiwanese epic has been compared to the likes of "Braveheart" and "The Last of the Mohicans," but there are some similarities to "300" in there as well. The film is edited really awkwardly at times. Some battle sequences are noticeably sped up while other somewhat random scenes seem to be done in slow motion. The argument could be made that the slow-motion was added to give that specific scene more significance, but it just doesn't seem necessary when it's seemingly done just to see Mona Rudao's hair blow in the wind or to watch water splash around in slow motion just because it looks cool as somebody runs through it.

Mona Rudao (Lin Ching-Tai) also assembles 300 men from the 12 Seediq Bale tribes to battle the 3000 Japanese police. You've got unnecessary slow motion, you've got 300 warriors, and you have those warriors going up against impossible odds. The comparisons to "300" are kind of a no-brainer.

Calmer moments to appreciate in this version of "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale" are slim to none, but the one or two that stay with you after it's over are pretty incredible. Mona Rudao's conversation with Ichiro Hanaoka aka Dakis Nomin (Yi-Fan Hsu) by the waterfall may be the scene that has the biggest impact in the entire film. It just feels like the most fleshed out sequence in the film and Mona Rudao singing with his deceased father afterward only adds a bit more weight to it. Most of General Kamada's (Sabu Kawahara) scenes are pretty intriguing, as well. Mostly because he's so enraged with how Mona Rudao keeps getting the best of so many men with so little of his own.

Just reading the Wikipedia entry on the story of the uncut film gives you a completely different impression than what the two and a half hour version leaves you with. One minute, Mona Rudao is giving his word that he won't start a war and the next he's leading an uprising. The battle sequences are spectacular, especially the final one. There are so many beheadings, hangings, and deaths of children that you lose count. "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale" doesn't shy away from anything even though the message is pretty hopeless. But all of the film's depth seems to have been stripped away. The film throws you into two battles right at the start and you don't really know or care why they're going on.

If you're interested in seeing "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale," tackle the four and a half hour version. While it may seem extremely tiresome, at least you'll be getting the entire story. The two and a half hour version only gives you a glimpse of that rainbow bridge the Seediq Bale always talk about meeting their ancestors on, but it's so brief that you don't actually get to see it. Hopefully the original version lets you see that bridge in a better light.

Extras include a Making of, Behind the Scenes, and Make-up and Visual Effects featurettes that total nearly thirty minutes in special features. Also included are the theatrical and international trailers.

"Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale" is now available on DVD and Blu-ray and available as two different versions: US and international. The Blu-ray of the US version is presented with a 16:9 widescreen presentation with 5.1 HD Surround Sound (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital Stereo), is Multilingual, and available with English and Chinese subtitles. The film is not rated by the MPAA and is 150 minutes in length (international version is 276 minutes).

Buy Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (2011) Now

Wow just Wow is all I can say about the film. I was surprised to see the movie even had reviews below 4 stars I'm not quite sure what that's about. I watched this movie on 2 occasions. The first time I wasn't sure I was in the mood for it and I didn't like the first portion of it so much but on a better day I watched the movie from the beginning again and it's fantastic. There's so much emotion and pride hidden behind the movie. Warriors of the Rainbow is about a tribe of people known as the Seediq Bale that live in harmony with the forests they call home. One day they find themselves being invaded by Japanese soldiers. They try to fight back but are conquered and become ruled under the Japanese that end up forcing them to become a servant class amongst their social group. Using them to do heavy manual labor for cheap, introducing wine to keep them drink, raping their women and basically destroying their culture. One of the tribes men said something interesting in the film about being ruled by the Japanese just so they can feel impoverished by their schools and stores. It was an interesting statement and I'm not sure if other people took as much from it as I did watching the film. Both European and certain Asian cultures viewed people that were tribal as savages for not living the "civilized" lives that they did. Mostly once these tribes were conquered they tried to adopt them into the "civilized" life that they were accustomed too but, yet at the same time treating them inhumanely and as uncivilized as possible.

In this case the Seediq bale were already rich. They're wealth was the forests and it's hunting grounds. Teaching their children about their ancestors so they could pass their ways on to future generations was what they valued the most. That was what they considered wealth and also why they Seediq Bales were never happy with their new life after the Japanese invaded despite being forced to do cheap labor for them. They criticized their culture and that was their pride and wealth. The first half of the movie is mostly about this as you watch the Tribal Chief over looking his people as they slowly deteriorate. He realizes that their culture is being slowly destroyed just as their hunting grounds are being chopped down for resources by the Japanese. The new generation of Seediq Bales do not even bare the tattoo's of men and Warriors. There was no reason for them too in the "civilized" world of the Japanese. Eventually the Chief can't stand to see his people or his ancestry,pride,and home be trampled over by and insulted by invaders. He decides to unite with warring tribes and put a stand to the Japanese to uphold their pride as Seediq Bale warriors.

Watching Warriors of The Rainbow really shows a lot of just how societies end and begin. It's an action packed movie but it has deep messages hidden within it. whether you watch and just view it as another action movie or get a deeper message from it is up to you. All I can say is that this movie was fantastic.

Read Best Reviews of Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (2011) Here

This is one of the best Asian epics ever. It depicts the bravery and pride of a small group of primitive people uniting to engage the powerful,brutal Japanese army in order to preserve their simple, yet fullfilling, way of life. A don't miss gem !

Want Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (2011) Discount?

This 4 and half hour version is missing it's last 30 minutes. Everyone who has bought this version has said the same thing. Nothing worse than sitting through 4 hours of epic to be cut off at the end. They need to recall these and reimburse us. Amazon should stop selling immediately.

Save 51% Off

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

After reading many of the other Amazon.com reviews of the "Plan 9 From Outer Space" DVD, the consumer MUST be aware there are two different companies that are distributing this movie on DVD. The first is PASSPORT which, from all the other reviews seem to say, should be avoided. Apparently the company has their logo visible on screen the ENTIRE movie and featurette which follows. And they also don't even include a chapter index. The other company which distributes this movie is IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT. This is the version I have and THIS is the DVD to get of "Plan 9". (The cover of my version is the one Amazon.com has displayed in the picture above.) The picture quality is near perfect and the Dolby Digital Mono sound is excellent. And. . . .no annoying logo in the bottom corner of your screen. While the (seemingly) inferior PASSPORT version supposedly has a few interviews cobbled together from Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" press junket, the IMAGE version includes a 111 minute documentary which includes some of the stars of Plan 9 (including Vampira) as well as cult horror directors Sam Raimi and Joe Dante! It's two movies for the price of one! So unless you're a die-hard Johnny Depp fan and NEED to have a couple of clips of him speaking, the IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT DVD is the absolute one to purchase. I believe Amazon.com offers both so just beware. And if you're thinking of buying one from an on-line auction make sure you ask the person selling which version they have. I hope this helps.

Plan 9 is just as bad as everyone says it is (buy it buy it buy it!), so this review is just a reminder for you to purchase the better of the two DVDs that Amazon offers of this title.

Do NOT buy the Passport Video edition...it has horrible sound and the picture lighting throbs between dark and bright through the entire film. Passport Video also included a watermark of their logo in the bottom right hand corner of the screen that lasts throughout the film. In addition to all of this, what is advertised on the package as "Show 2: THE ED WOOD STORY" is in fact 40 mins. of cobbled together interviews with Vampira, Johnny Depp, Ed Wood's wife, and one of Tor Johnson's neighbors. Sounds okay, but they are actually mind-bogglingly uninsightful and focus mostly upon Tim Burton's Ed Wood film.

The edition of this DVD that you will want to buy is the Image Entertainment version that includes the 111 min. documentary "Flying Saucers Over Hollywood" (which is a wonderful addition). This DVD has great sound and picture quality, vastly superior to Passport Video's piddly excuse for a quality DVD.

I know that it may seem counter productive to buy a more expensive release of the worst movie of all time, but you will appreciate the horrible experience of grave robbers from outerspace much more (and Image Entertaiment's documentary is great too).

Buy Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) Now

Plan 9 From Outer Space is often called the worst movie ever made, but its entertainment value elevates it above many other films, even some of better quality. The plot moves along nicely and has little to no padding in it and the dialog and special effects are hilarious even if that was not the intent of the director, Ed Wood. Everyone who loves cinema should see this movie! The wobbly flying saucers on single strings, Swedish wrestler turned actor Tor Johnson, Bela Lugosi in his last role, Vampira and more make this an unforgettable film. It's so bad it's great. Sadly, the great Bela Lugosi died during filming, so look for Bela Lugosi's replacement in some scenes. He's not hard to spot as he is taller and looks nothing like Mr. Lugosi, hence he holds a cape in front of his face in every scene in which he appears!

The original black and white (b&w) version of the film is nicely restored on this DVD and the colorized version is of good quality and interesting as well. The colorization looks better on this disc than most and appears both rich and fairly natural. Mike Nelson, former head writer and host of the HILARIOUS Mystery Science Theater 3000 (aka MST3K, also available on DVD) provides a humorous commentary track that can be heard on either the original b&w or the color version of the film. Other extras include Mike Nelson's amusing "lost alien plans 1 through 8," some brief home movies of the famous cross-dressing director, Ed Wood, commercials produced by Ed Wood, faux comedic deleted scenes, and a color version of the movie trailer.

Fans of Plan 9 will appreciate the nicely restored picture and sound and the Mike Nelson commentary is highly amusing as expected. This DVD is a movie buff's dream. Don't miss it.

Read Best Reviews of Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) Here

As another reviewer mentioned, Passport Video has their logo "PIP" in the lower right hand corner throughout this DVD.

Hold up your hand if this sounds like a good idea.

Also, if you go to the menu and click on PLAY MOVIE (as you're likely to do) you'll not get to the movie, you'll get the INTERVIEWS. That's right Passport Video is a bunch if screwups!

To watch Plan 9 you have to go to CHAPTERS.

Avoid this disc.

Want Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) Discount?

I'm constantly mystified that people call this the worst movie ever made. True, the dialogue, special effects, acting, etc, clearly aren't on par with the big budget sci-fi movies Hollywood was cranking out at the time. However, if a movie is as entertaining as this one -even if it's not in the way its creators intendedit can't be that bad. I've watched this movie countless times and I never fail to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Nowadays, no one could intentionally create a comedy to be as entertaining in the way "Plan 9" is. It's a great party film if you have quick witted friends. If you really want a BAD film, watch "Wild Wild West." "Plan 9" may have UFO's made out of pie pans; but at least it doesn't have a stupid 80ft spider. There's a difference between entertainingly bad and just plain bad. "Plan 9" is the former. I think Ed Wood -the original "Bowfinger" would be surprised to know that his "masterpiece" turned out to be exactly that. A masterpiece. Well, maybe not in the vein he intended! Buy this movie!

Save 30% Off

Au revoir les enfants (The Criterion Collection) (1987)

Louis Malle, one of the best directors to ever create film, gained his reputation through a series of semi-autobiographical films, films so heart-felt, so deeply emotional, so full of detail, they can't be anything but outstanding. "Au Revoir Les Enfants", recently released on DVD by the Criterion Collection, is my favorite of these films.

Julien (Gaspard Manesse) has a deep-felt affection for his mother (see Malle's "Murmur of the Heart" for more on this) but he understands he will be much safer at the French boarding school in the countryside. The school, run by priests, provides a safe haven for the children of well-off families during World War II. Returning from Christmas break, the new year is uneventful for a while. Julien is a bright student and the ring leader for a bunch of boys. Julien trades items with Joseph, a poor boy who works in the kitchen, more out of amusement than anything else, but also to supplement the meager diet served by the priests. One day, a new student arrives; Jean Bonnet (Raphael Fejto), a quiet boy the other kids make fun of: "Look at Easter Bonnet." Julien also begins to notice things about the new kid; he doesn't participate in the Catholic prayers the father's lead, he doesn't eat certain things, and one night, Julien wakes up to find Jean praying over some candles. Then, Julien's attitude changes and he forms an uneasy friendship with Jean.

Made in 1987, more than forty years after the events depicted, Julien is a thinly disguised autobiographical version of the director, as he lives a real life event from Malle's childhood. You might expect such a film to be filled with saccharin and sugar, full of fond reminiscences from his childhood. But the film is very astute at depicting the childhood as an observer might see it. We watch Julien observe things, react to things, but he is very adult for his age, giving us an adult view of the events. Because we are watching his reactions, we see his feelings, which are emotional but reserved. It is similar to a television show with a laugh track, the fake laughter cueing us to laugh. When the television show doesn't have a laugh track, they have to work harder to make us laugh. When we are watching the events unfold through Julien's eyes, Malle has to work harder to make adults feel for the characters. Because this works, every emotion is more resonant and the film is much more powerful.

Life in the school is depicted in such a vivid fashion, it instantly becomes clear someone really lived through this period, this tale is autobiographical. The boys live in an old monastery, with very little heat. Yet, they don't seem to notice the problem much. They have endured it for so long and have become used to it, playing outside in the frigid weather, wearing shorts and coats. The classes are also very different from what we are used to today; the teachers are strict and the children tend to learn despite the circumstances of their life. Even though these children are from rich families, living in this boarding school, and they are well-cared for, they still have worries. The war is ever present. Some of the students have lost brothers, father, uncles and more. They are better off than many of their countrymen, but that doesn't mean they are comfortable.

As the relationship between Julien and Jean grows and changes, their friendship becomes deeper. Julien is like most boys his age, anytime someone new enters the picture, they have to prove they can fit in. Jean doesn't really fit in, or for that matter, really try to. Yet, every time Julien is surrounded by a group of friends, Jean seems to long for the same camaraderie. He is better in most subjects than Jean and he seems to get the preferential treatment Julien once received. But as Julien realizes Jean is different, and begins to piece together why, he realizes Jean will never completely fit in and has to help him through this ordeal. They become friends. Thankfully, Malle also shows a lot of restraint in this area. The friendship is a gradual thing. It doesn't happen immediately, or completely, taking time to develop.

Because the film is set in the winter of 1944, the threat of German soldiers is constant. These soldiers have occupied the small town, changing everything about the people's lives. Yet, Malle doesn't paint them as the completely evil men we have come to associate with Hitler's persona. Yes, there is always a threat, but some of their human qualities are displayed. When Julien and Jean get lost in the forest, German soldiers find them and return them to the school. One of the teachers makes a remark about the "filthy" German soldiers. The soldier responds he would like the blanket the "filthy" Germans used to keep the children warm during the ride back. During a parent visit, Julien's mother visits and takes them to a restaurant. At the restaurant a French Collaborator gives a Jewish customer a hard time. A table of German soldiers notices this and chastises the French Collaborator, humiliating him, leaving the Jewish customer to reflect in silence. The German Soldiers acted out of irritation at having their dinner interrupted, but it is interesting to watch them take the frustration out on the right person. It would have been extremely easy to paint the German soldiers as the villains we know they were. This story is told through Julien's eyes. And at the time, he wouldn't have known the full extent of the atrocities inflicted by the German army. Therefore, Malle makes some of these men seem human, giving the entire film another layer of depth. Also, during the final moments, when the Gestapo arrives at the school to investigate claims of Jewish students, their leader seems to be fairly kind and nurturing, even towards the Jewish students he uncovers. Of course, this makes him all the more monstrous. We don't expect him to take one of the children and start reading him a bedtime story. We know the fate of these children. And it is chilling. We don't really need to know what happened to them, but when Malle provides voice over narrating what happened to Jean and the other Jewish students hiding in the boarding school, we learn their fate and it causes great sadness.

All of these different layers help to make the story seem more realistic. The boarding school is run by Pere Jean (Philippe Morier-Genoud), a strict missionary who puts up with little foolishness. But after Jean's arrival, Julien witnesses a different side of the headmaster. The fact that this Catholic priest would help Jewish children hide in his boarding school, putting him and the school at risk, is a truly courageous thing. This is yet another layer, another detail, giving the film great depth. Because no one is completely innocent, or completely bad, everyone is involved in the tale of wartime survival.

"Au Revoir, Les Enfants" is a heartfelt, masterful film everyone should witness for themselves. Description doesn't do it justice.

Malle also worked in American film, creating some interesting stories, the best of which is "Atlantic City" starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon in an early role.

If you haven't experienced the work of Louis Malle, now is the time. "Elevator to the Gallows", an early Malle film, was also just released by Criterion. Check it out.

This is a masterpiece of cinema, a work of genius by the late great Louis Malle. Would that we had another like him! As in Le souffle au coeur (1971) Malle (apparently) reprises part of his childhood for us, recalling everything with the barest touch, just the slightest emphasis, without rancor or any loading of the deck. He understates and plays fair always. He has complete control of his story as he gently guides the audience. He knows what they believe and what they expect. He respects that, but he doesn't cater, and he is very gentle about leading us to the conclusion. He makes it beautiful although it is horrible.

Gaspard Manesse as Julien and Raphael Fejto as Jean are unforgettable and a reminder that in film it's important to have a good cast. Yet, I suspect Malle could have made geniuses of any number of talented boys in their roles. This is your Catholic boys school coming of age film without lecherous priests or the brutality of children; that is, no more than is necessary, just what is real and seen in perspective, the context being the Nazi occupation of France in 1944. It is amazing how Malle manages to show the bestiality and brain dead stupidity of the Nazis by presenting them at their most gentle. If one can damn by faint praise, one can destroy by contrast. Compared to what is human and natural we see the Nazis, as their pretentious Reich is falling apart, chasing after children, obsessed with psychotic racist delusions. Through the objective eyes of the children we see the evil. Malle need only let the events speak for themselves.

I think artists working in any medium would benefit from a study of this film. (An excellent American film by Malle also worth study is the fascinating Atlantic City (1980) starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon.) What Malle's technique teaches us is to be honest, to be fair, and to keep it simple, but not too simple. Use not a brush stroke more than necessary, and pay attention to every detail, especially the small ones. But while we can learn from and appreciate, it takes genius to pull it off. It can't be done by connecting the dots.

I am struck by a little irony on the jacket of the video. It has an early Siskel and Ebert quote: "One of the year's best films." That's a little embarrassing unless the year is a hundred years long.

Incidentally, the sublime and beautiful Irène Jacob, who later became a protege of Krzysztof Kieslowski in La Double vie de Véronique (1991) and Trois Couleurs: Rouge (1994), made her debut here in a small part as a piano teacher.

--Dennis Littrell, author of "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!"

Buy Au revoir les enfants (The Criterion Collection) (1987) Now

Au Revoir les Enfants (Goodbye, Children) is a French film of profound sadness. The story is about Julien Quentin, a young French boy who must attend school in the countryside because Paris is not safe due to WWII. The opening scene with Julien saying goodbye to his mother says a lot about Julien's character. He can be mean yet at the same time, he shows incredible love and friendship to those dearest to him. While at the school, he meets Jean Bonnet, a mysterious boy who Julien cannot help but be curious about.

The title of the film says much about the themes present. As the film progresses, 12-year-old Julien learns about the tragic things in life. Unlike most other boys his age, the events surrounding the film cause him to grow up earlier than he is comfortable with. Childhood is an incredibly fleeting thing and to many of the characters in the film, it is even more so.

The strongest part of the film was the acting by Gaspard Manesse (Julien) and Raphael Fejtö (Bonnet). Julien initially takes a dislike to Bonnet, but they begin spending more time with one another, learning that despite differences in each other, they are able to get along and form a friendship that touches both of their hearts. A tragic yet innocent mistake late in the film leads to a heart wrenching and unforgettable ending.

Au Revoir les Enfants is one of the best films I've seen. It is intelligent and deep in its message. For me, the message is that war affects children unnecessarily and cruelly. Like the title implies, children are forced to grow up too quickly because of war. I do not know about other viewers but for me, childhood was a happy yet brief time. For children affected by war and violence, it is even shorter, and this film perfectly embodies the tragic consequences that follow. I cannot recommend a film more intensely than this film. See it and judge it for yourself.

Read Best Reviews of Au revoir les enfants (The Criterion Collection) (1987) Here

I couldn't review SCHINDLER'S LIST, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and THE GREAT DICTATOR (films related to some of the darkest saddest times in humanity, during Nazi rule) and pass up AU REVOIR, LES ENFANTS (GOODBYE, CHILDREN). This is, in my opinion, one of the finest films made by the late, great Louis Malle. It is a semi-autobiographical account of a young boy living a sheltered life in a Catholic school and the chance encounter he has with his classmate, who is first a rival and then becomes a beloved friend. This friend is concealing a secret during a time when the Nazis were cracking down on and removing Jews from schools, among other places. I don't need to say too much for you to know the gist of the plot, the pressures that the young protagonists face and the brutal reality of life that hits them smack between the eyes. This film sensitively and honestly depicts their plight, during a very dark point in history. AU REVOIR, LES ENFANTS is truly poetry for the eyes, and you will never be the same after viewing it.

Want Au revoir les enfants (The Criterion Collection) (1987) Discount?

Louis Malle has packaged a sensitive but ultimately brief and tragic friendship between a young parisienne at a Catholic boarding school and a jewish boy who is being hidden there by priests during the Nazi occupation. Malle, sensitively and realistically uncovers their triumphs, their foibles and shortcomings in a manner that will both move you and entertain you. The inevitible outcome weaves its way through the entire fabric of this production. Use the subtitles, have a hanky handy and be prepared for something very special.

Save 50% Off

Benji Triple Feature BLU-RAY (Benji, Office the Leash and For the Love of..)

Our 2 1/2 yo son would watch the 1st movie all day everyday if we would let him. The other two are not my favorite at all but for the price its well worth it.

I highly recommend this product for anyone who has young children. The movies are filled with wonderful lessons of positive interaction with people and animals. My grandchildren enjoy watching these over and over.

Buy Benji Triple Feature BLU-RAY (Benji, Office the Leash and For the Love of..) Now

Cute light hearted films. The price was right ($10 for 3 films) but the picture aspect ratio is almost a perfect square. I guess that is 4:3. This leaves black bars on both sides of the screen.

Read Best Reviews of Benji Triple Feature BLU-RAY (Benji, Office the Leash and For the Love of..) Here

The Quiet Man (60th Anniversary Special Edition) (1952)

*****5 stars for the film

Haunted by an incident that happened in the ring, American boxer Sean Thornton (John Wayne) returns to his Irish birthplace, seeking only his roots and a quiet, peaceful life.

He soon falls in love with the beautiful, tempestuous Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara). She is equally taken with him, but won't marry without the consent of her stubborn, blustering brother, Will (Victor McLaglen), who disapproves the match.

With the help of a well-intentioned scheme arranged by their friends, Mary Kate gets her brother's permission and Sean and she wed. Relationships spoil soon after, however, when Will refuses to pay the rightful dowry. Sean doesn't care, but Mary Kate is outraged and wants Sean to have it out with Will.

Time and again Sean backs down determined not to use his fists his inner tension building the whole while. But eventually he will have to decide between losing his wife's love and respect and facing his greatest fear.

This was an important and personal project for John Ford (whose real name was Sean O'Feeney). That his heart and those of his cast members were in what they were doing shows through. The fact that much of the film was shot on location in Ireland (on location shoots were somewhat unusual at the time) also adds an authentic flavor.

Barry Fitzgerald was at his comedic best here, and Ward Bond's performance as a priest has several simply unforgettable moments.

The Quiet Man is a charming classic and among Ford's best (in fact, it won him an Oscar for Best Director). It's funny, romantic, and always entertaining. It also features an exuberant score (courtesy of Victor Young) and one of the longest and most memorable knock-down, drag-out fights ever committed to film.

-DVD-

Two different editions of this DVD have been released with almost

identical packaging. Be careful which one you buy! (I wish I'd known this).

"John Wayne Collection" edition (*1 star)

This is the one I bought (ISBN 0-7820-1057-1, ASIN: B00000I1KV). It has "John Wayne Collection" printed on a green band at the top. Its special features include "The Making of the Quiet Man" documentary & the theatrical trailer. DON'T BUY THIS VERSION, PLEASE. The sound is decent, but the picture is absolutely terrible: blurry and full of splotches, almost unwatchable.

"Collector's Edition"

Apparently, the sound and picture quality are okay on the "Collector's Edition" DVD (ASIN: B00006JMRD), whose special features include Commentary by Maureen O'Hara, the theatrical trailer, "The Joy of Ireland" documentary with Maureen O'Hara, "Remembering The Quiet Man" Montage, and "The Making of The Quiet Man."

I will not, as some feel necessary, go over the story/characters/performances of this film. Suffice to say, this is one the most enjoyable films ever made, blarney or not.

Rather, what I would like to briefly comment on is the utterly pathetic transfer of this classic film to DVD. It states quite clearly on the back of the cover that this film has been digitally remastered. I took that to mean both video and audio. WRONG. The picture quality of this DVD is shocking, one of the worst I have ever seen. Believe me when I say this -the VHS version I purchased in 1991 has a better video clarity than this. At times it's actually difficult to make out the actors features. The company behind this, ARTISAN I believe they are called, should be ashamed. I have a copy of the recently released and remastered CASABLANCA DVD. That film was made in 1942, yet it looks as if it was just made, such is the sharpness of the video. The Quiet Man deserved the same treatment, but didn't get it. Shame on ARTISAN.

Buy The Quiet Man (60th Anniversary Special Edition) (1952) Now

i hate giving a classic a 1 star rating. the movie is nothing less than 5. but the dvd transfer is pathetic. i've seen better 2nd generation VHS to DVD transfers than this. what was the distributor thinking when they allowed this to be distributed to the public?? did they even bother to review the final product before its release? there's no excuse for this with todays movie restoration technology. hopefully we will see this movie re-released by a company who cares about art.

Read Best Reviews of The Quiet Man (60th Anniversary Special Edition) (1952) Here

I also remember seeing this movie as a kid. Actually, it was featured in my high school English class for something or other. As I recall it, this was a must see film for everyone I knew.

I am now spoiled. I use a high-definition projector and a 10 foot screen. Most recent, and some old DVD's look wonderful on it. For the most part, the experience is like going to a movie theater, no lines, great sharpness. Even old black and whites look wonderful on this system.

I obtained the first transfer by Artisan and was shocked by the grotesque and constantly changing colors, and also the gross color fringing. Most dark areas had a strong purple hew to them. Color intensity was gross, greens bloomed out of the picture. Sharpness was very poor.

The added featurettes were little better. My over all impression was that this was some sort of amateur video company run by incompetants with anciend junk equipment. However, it appears that Artisan actually has money enough to get the rights to a great deal of John Wayne material.

I then obtained the "Collector's Edition." Some contributers have claimed it was much better than the first release. It is identical! This is the worst transfer of a Technicolor movie that I have ever seen. Also, the newly made featurettes are horrible looking. STAY AWAY FROM THIS MESS!

Want The Quiet Man (60th Anniversary Special Edition) (1952) Discount?

What a travesty of a DVD transfer!?!?

Here I am expecting to watch a lush restoration of one of the great films from one of the greatest American Filmmakers (had I read the reviews I would have thought twice of buying it for sure!) and I get a shoddy transfer probably done straight from video. These imbeciles at Artisan oughtta be fired, tarred and feathered!

Collector's edition my eye! "Pappy" & "Duke" must be doin' backflips in their graves! Even with this major imperfection, it is still a great story and a pleasure to see a great filmmaker at the height of his powers. Still I hope one day that someone gives us a DVD worth the material.

Damn shame.

Save 30% Off

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

I love that this remake didn't sell out very much, and put in too much modern stuff. It is very successful in keeping a "traditional" feel, with only a few exceptions. Mara Wilson is absolutely delightful and classic in her performance, and I really like Elizabeth Perkins' reproduction of the original role. And Dylan McDermott, whom I typically find very flat and dull, is sweet and charming as the sincere bachelor attorney with an eye for Perkins.

Richard Attenborough is amazing as Santa, at least as good as the formidable original. The scene in the original featuring Santa visiting with the Dutch war refugee girl is replaced in this remake with Santa visiting with a little deaf girl. The scene in the original is about as sweet as any scene in any movie ever, and the remake is even sweeter! The deaf girl's face, when Santa talks to her in sign language, is absolutely worth the price of this DVD.

The only real weakness for me was the John DeLancie and Jane Leeves part of the movie, as two "evil" agents for the "enemy" department store (where all the upper management wears all black). They reminded me of Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern from "Home Alone" -sort of bumbling bad guys in a bad cartoon sort of way.

So all in all, I really think that this version is as good or better than the original, which is simply too dated in a few respects for me to be able to enjoy unconditionally. I think both of them are definitely worth owning.

Few remakes do justice to the original classic and even fewer improve on it. This one does both. Mara Wilson is wonderful and gives a once in a lifetime performance. In an effort to put a twist on the original they changed the scene where Santa speaks a foreign language to a child come to sit on his lap and instead he uses sign language to speak to a hearing impaired child. The result is a very touching scene. John Hughes has done it again!

Buy Miracle on 34th Street (1994) Now

Let me say two things.

1. I love old movies.

2. I mistrust remakes.

However, I loved this remake. It has become a regular part of our Christmas for the past 10 years. My wife loves it and I do as well. Get it now!!

Read Best Reviews of Miracle on 34th Street (1994) Here

Hands down, the best holiday movie ever. This version is even better than the original. I watch it all year. I promise you'll love it!

Want Miracle on 34th Street (1994) Discount?

As a fan of the original Miracle on 34th Street, I worried a bit about how much I would like this version. It does not disappoint. The story is different, yet familliar to the original.The writers made it fresh, yet maintained much of the sweetness and sentiment of the 1947 version. Mara Wilson is adorable, yet precocious as Susan. Richard Attenborough is perfect as St. Nick. The rest of the cast from Dylan McDermott as Santa's lawyer, to Elizabeth Perkins as Dorrie (Susan's mom) were also well cast. The only part I think is a bit over the top is the former "Cole's" (not Macy's) Santa. He gets a bit crude at times. The other "bad guys" are pretty harmless, just grouchy and conniving. Honestly, this is one of the Christmas movies I look forward to watching each year. Great for the whole family.

Save 50% Off

Angel Heart (1987)

This is an intriguing, unusual, beautifully directed, highly atmospheric film that successfully crosses any number of genre: film noir, thriller, mystery, and horror. The plot is simple. In the mid nineteen fifties, a mysterious and slightly sinister business man, Louis Cypher (Robert De Niro), hires Brooklyn gumshoe, Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke), for a missing person case. Angel's investigation, for which he is being paid a princely sum for the time, takes him from Harlem to New Orleans, as he looks for a former crooner named Johnny Favorite, who sometime during the early nineteen forties apparently welched on a business deal with Louis Cypher and hasn't been heard from since.

What happens when Angel gets to New Orleans will be infused with voodoo rites, ritual murders and taboo sex. The Big Easy is hardly that for our erstwhile detective, as he becomes susceptible to a series of initially puzzling flashbacks. Moreover, it seems that everyone with whom he meets, who had a connection to our missing crooner, ends up being savagely murdered. When he meets with a tarot card reader (Charlotte Rampling), it is just the beginning of the end for our increasingly disheveled gumshoe. His introduction to the gorgeous Epiphany (Lisa Bonet), a seventeen year old voodoo queen, later leads to a coupling that is played with singularly wild abandon. Both of these women have a connection to our mysterious missing person, Johnny Favorite, who, it turns out, may have given the Devil a run for his money in the evil department.

Robert De Niro is sensational in the highly stylized, role of Louis Cypher. He imbues the role with just the right amount of sardonic humor and restrained menace so as to make the character memorable. De Niro leaves an indelible imprint on every scene in which he is in. Mickey Rourke, who is in nearly every scene in this film, shows that he has the ability to carry a movie, as he is simply terrific as the private detective who is slowly unraveling. As the film progresses, the toll that the investigation is taking on the tormented Angel is evident on his face. Angst ridden, bleary eyed, and disheveled, Angel is definitely involved in the biggest case of his life. As he gets closer to the truth of what happened to Johnny Favorite, the more his life seems to be spinning out of control. Rourke manages to convey all this, no easy task. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent and adds to the flavor of this delicious gumbo of a film, which is reminiscent of Goethe's Faust. Undoubtedly, this film is one of Alan Parker's best directorial efforts. Bravo!

One of the greatest aspects about this film (to me) is that it is not quite a horror film, not quite a straight supernatural thriller and not totally a gritty detective movie either. It has elements of all three but does not stay consistently with the theme of any. The critics who called it "provocative and original" were correct because if nothing else, _Angel Heart_ is indeed those two things.

On the surface, the plot seems simple. A private investigator named Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to find a big band singer from the 1940s, Johnny Favorite. Angel is hesitant at first but he accepts the job because it pays well. From the beginning of the investigation, Angel learns that Favorite must have had plenty of secrets to hide. I don't want to give too much of the plot away so if you want to watch the film without knowing much about its twists and turns, don't read on. Anyhow, it seems that Favorite had powerful friends who took him out of the hospital he was staying at after the war and he disappeared. Because he had been badly injured, his face was still in bandages when he left so it was possible that Johnny didn't even look like Johnny anymore. As Angel probes deeper and deeper, dead bodies begin to pile up and Angel gets involved with Epiphany (Lisa Bonet), a voodoo priestess who could well be underhandedly included in a diabolical scheme with Favorite. In the film, Angel leaves New York for New Orleans to learn more about the occult practices Favorite was part of. This differs from the novel in which the setting stays in New York throughout. By the last twenty minutes of the film, the audience will discover the dark truth about Johnny Favorite at the same time (or maybe before if you've been paying attention) Angel does.

Mickey Rourke does an excellent job of portraying Harry Angel and Robert De Niro, though not an obvious choice for bringing to life the book's version of Louis Cyphre, is fantastic. De Niro plays Cyphre with such skill that even if you find the supernatural premise to be hokey or contrived, you will feel intimidated by his commanding prowess. As one reviewer already mentioned, the cinematography is excellent. The setting, lighting, and lack of bright, vibrant colors give the film a dark, noir feeling that it retains all the way through. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys trying to crack how movies will end, anyone who likes detective stories and anyone with an interest in the supernatural.

Buy Angel Heart (1987) Now

Film: 5.0/5.0; Video: 4.0/5.0; Audio: 3.5/5.0

Obviously due to Mickey Rourke's well-earned success and critical acclaim with last year's "The Wrestler", we now receive a fairly expedient release of Alan Parker's "Angel Heart" on the Blu-Ray format, released on the long-defunct Carolco pictures from 1987.

First off I must mention that I am a big fan of this title. It is not a movie which will appeal to everyone, but I really enjoy the overall visual style and the feel (of impending doom) together with the scenery and the truly awesome music and sound cues which makes this a very original piece, and not in any way reminiscent of a typical 80s film. Coupled with a compelling story based on William Hjortsberg's novel "Falling Angel" and top-notch performances throughout makes this one well worth watching over again.

Ironically, this movie was released just before Mickey Rourke intensified his self-destructive process (which coincidentally is what makes "The Wrestler" so good as well, since it parallels Mickey's own strides in life over almost the same period of time covered in that film), a time which--according to his interviews--he was in the process of losing his house (the interviewer actually repeats himself over and over asking Rourke about "why he chose to make the film"). :)

I don't know if it was this pressure which brought out his performance, but nevertheless it is something to behold--especially near the end where he goes all out and almost loses his voice.

The rest of the cast is excellent as well. Lisa Bonet and Charlotte Rampling offer memorable performances, not mentioning the scene in which Bonet almost got kicked off "The Cosby Show" for doing. ;)

As for the technical quality of this release, it is quite decent. The film does show its age in certain scenes and background detail, but it is overall quite acceptable. Not much tinkering has been done to make it artificially sharper or "smoother" using DNR, edge enchancement, et al.

The sound (which is afforded a DTS HD Master Audio track) is quite good as well. Obviously the music really benefits (Courtney Pine's saxophones sound glorious). One small negative point is that it has a little muddy bass (which the original DVD also had), and some scenes did not deliver as much punch as I would have wanted to. Other than that, it was given a quite respectable treatment overall.

Dialogue was also intelligible throughout the feature--better so than many newer 90s releases which have made it onto Blu-Ray.

All in all, I can highly recommend this title if you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary. It has quite a few memorable scenes and the performances and music alone makes this a strong buy.

One of Alan Parker's best.

(On an a related note, I see to my horror that this is scheduled for a remake to be released in 2011. Why do these so-called "moviemakers" always feel the need to subject the most unique & iconic masterpieces to this abhorrent practice? Create something thoughtful & original instead. Oh wait, you're unable to as that would require some ounce of talent. My bad.)

Read Best Reviews of Angel Heart (1987) Here

Most of Parker's films are visually interesting. This one is viscerally mesmerizing, as well, partly because he captures the essential undulent, oily sleaziness of the Big Easy so adroitly. I lived in New Orleans for five years and can spot a fraudulent, comercially bent take when I see one (Clint Eastwood comes to mind). Mickey Rourke was one of those hit or miss actors of the 90s (I was one of those who actually liked him in "Barfly"). In this instance he is more than adequate, and he rolls along with the punchy, quirky script like the prize fighter he longed to be. Lisa Bonet, as the Nubian Lolita, is perfectly cast. No need to provide spoilers here, but the ending is one of the all time greatest, where any ambiguity that the filmmaker might have set up for us is exquisitely resolved. Certainly not one of the deepest cinema excursions ever attempted, but one of the most enjoyable, particularly for those who like a little spice and suspense in their gumbo.

Want Angel Heart (1987) Discount?

Director Alan Parker said once he wanted to work in every genre of film before he died. He might as well have retired after making "Angel Heart" because the movie exists simultaneously as film noir, a 50s pulp detective story, a horror movie, and a supernatural thriller. Mickey Rourke is outstanding as Harry Angel, a down-on-his-luck (is there any other kind?) private eye in post-WWII New York who gets hired by a sinister and enigmatic "businessman" named Louis Cyphere (Robert DeNiro, looking almost exactly like his favorite director, Martin Scorsese). Cyphere wants Angel to track down a crooner named Johnny Favorite who owes Cyphere....something. Angel goes from New York to New Orleans on his quest for the missing Johnny Favorite, and on the way becomes progressively more unwashed, unshaven, bleary-eyed, sweaty, beaten up, and desperate as his seemingly routine mission uncovers a hidden world or voodoo, murder, and identity theft. Rourke never had a better performance in his Hollywood career than his turn as the fallen Angel, though he was largely stereotyped after this film to play only scumbags or sex freaks, so maybe it wasn't worth it....we all lost a fine actor....anyway the cast is excellent all around, particularly Lisa Bonet, who should have stayed in feature films but like Rourke took more flack for her intensely explicit sweat-and-blood love scene with Rourke than she got praise for her performance as Epiphany, Angel's sex-interest. "Angel Heart" is an absolute must for fans of detective fiction, horror and most especially, film noir -Parker does a superb job of creating not only the time period, but a brooding, stylish atmospehre. The flick took a major beating from some critics for being too ugly, too dark, too shocking, too sexual and too disturbing, but I think they miss the point. It's suppposed to be, and it is. Highly recommended.

Save 27% Off