Three Colors Trilogy (Blue / White / Red) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)The late great Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski cleverly "adapted" the three French ideals -- liberty, equality, fraternity -- into three thought-provoking modern-day dramas about people who cope with personal losses and tragedies. In BLUE, the first of the trilogy, a widow tries to set herself free (and gain liberty) from her emotional baggages. The second film, WHITE, is about a jilted man's outrageous plot to get even (thus, equality) with his ex-wife. The last film, RED, which is also Kieslowski's final film before he died in 1996, is about a lonely old man who is embittered by the memories of his youth and finds accidental companionship (fraternity) with a young model. All three films are understated in their tone, economical in their dialogs, elliptical in their editing and plotting (there are some mind-boggling flashbacks and flash forwards in WHITE), and haunting in their atmosphere.
The references to the three French ideals are actually quite tenuous, and in fact more and more so as the trilogy progresses. BLUE is the only one that deals with the ideal of "freedom" (albeit emotional freedom) in a concrete way, inviting us to ponder its meanings and its attainability. WHITE treats the concept of "equality" in a rather subversive and satiric way, and it clearly wants us to rethink its meanings rather than accepting it at face value. And RED has to do with "fraternity" only circumstantially, and has more to do with the issue of destiny, and how our past is linked to our present. The three films are set not just in France, but also in Poland and Switzerland, and WHITE has primarily Polish dialogs. Hence, a sort of universality is intended.
The three films are also linked in various ways. All three films involve an unfaithful lover who dies, in one way or another. All three films involve a chance encounter between the distressed protagonist and a sympathetic observer -- the widow and the mistress in BLUE, Karol and Mikolaj in WHITE, the retired judge and the model in RED. Both BLUE and WHITE are about people who move to new surroundings to escape from his or her troubled pasts. And RED, ironically, is about someone who never leaves his home in order to wallow in his self-pity.
Kieslowski had done this sort of thing before. In 1988, he "adapted" the Ten Commandments into ten one-hour, modern-day dramas, collectively titled DECALOGUE, that make us rethink the meanings of the commandments. In the segment for "Thou Shalt Not Steal," for instance, we witness the kidnapping (the theft) of a child from her adopted parents by her natural mother, who thinks she has a right to her custody. Thus, it turns clear-cut moral ideals into real-world dramas that have no clear-cut solutions or judgments.
Miramax released long-awaited Region-1 DVDs for the Three Colors trilogy, and they all have superb video transfers and rewarding extra material. Kieslowski expert Annette Insdorf provides excellent running commentaries for all three films. She analyzes the visual, aural, and editorial techniques, the thematic significance, as well as how the final films deviate from their original screenplays. She points out that Kieslowski films often deal with abstract concepts, such as fate, death, and grief, in very concrete ways. She makes an observant remark about the apparent twist of fate in the opening of BLUE: if the hitchhiker were picked up by the family, the ensuing tragedy might not occur. She points out that the dream-like wedding scene in WHITE, which many assume is a flashback, could also be a flash forward (a very interesting, and plausible, notion). She offers her interpretations to the many symbolisms in the films, such as the frequent fades to black in BLUE, the recurring shot of a stooped old person at a garbage bin, the significance of the concerto music in BLUE, the tango theme in WHITE, and the bolero score in RED. She also explains the intentionally cryptic endings of WHITE and RED.
Each disc comes with several featurettes that comprise about 100 minutes of interviews and commentaries by the cast and crew, Insdorf, film critic Geoff Andrew, and film director Agnieszka Holland. The BLUE and WHITE discs also contain some early short films by Kieslowski: CONCERT OF WISHES, THE TROLLEY, THE FACE, THE OFFICE. All three discs contain a fascinating segment called "Kieslowski's Cinema Lesson," in which the director explains his intentions in one particular scene. The WHITE and RED discs contain behind-the-scenes footage of Kieslowski giving directions on the set. For Kieslowski fans, perhaps the most poignant clip in these supplements is that of Kieslowski announcing his retirement at the '94 Cannes festival, included on the RED disc.

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Miramax Home Entertainment is proud to present BLUE, WHITE and RED, the acclaimed films by director Krzysztof Kieslowski. Hailed by filmgoers as some of the most absorbing, engaging, well-crafted dramas in recent memory, the box set of BLUE, WHITE and RED Each DVD disc includes lengthy bonus features. BLUE: Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche ("The English Patient," Best Supporting Actress, 1996) stars as a young woman left devastated by the unexpected death of her husband and child. She retreats into the world around her, but is soon reluctantly drawn into an ever-widening web of lies and passion as the dark, secret life of her husband begins to unravel. WHITE: Sexy Julie Delpy ("Before Sunrise") stars in a mysterious tale of a man whose life disintegrates when his beautiful wife of six months deserts him. Forced to begin anew, he rebuilds his life, only to plan a dangerous scheme of vengeance against her. Winner of the Best Director Award at the Berlin Film Festival. RED: Irene Jacob ("The Double Life of Veronique") stars as a young model whose chance meeting with an unusual stranger leads her down a path of intrigue and secrecy. As her knowledge of the man deepens, she discovers an astonishing link between his past and her destiny.

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Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition (Flying Down to Rio / The Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Top Hat / Follow the Fleet / Swing Time / Shall We Dance / Carefree / The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle / The Barkleys of Broadway) (1949) Review

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(More customer reviews)The box set is made up of clear plastic thin cases and measures 3 7/8" wide x 7 7/8" high x 5½" deep, which is a real space saver for 12 discs (10 movie DVDs, 1 bonus DVD, and 1 audio CD). Each DVD comes with the feature film, a comedy/musical/vintage short, and a classic cartoon. Seven have a theatrical trailer; five have a featurette; three have a running commentary; two have a radio promo. The Gay Divorcee DVD comes with two vintage shorts, so you get eleven shorts on ten discs. Below are brief reviews/descriptions of the feature films, featurettes, vintage shorts, radio promos, classic cartoons, bonus material, and run times for each.
FEATURE FILMS
Their first film together, FLYING DOWN TO RIO is the only Fred and Ginger (F&G) movie where they play supporting roles. The studio executives and the public did not yet know this couple's dance potential and powerhouse future. They only dance together once 43 minutes into the film (The Carioca). The movie is filled with several post-card quality shots of Rio de Janeiro and has more choreographed group dance routines and vocalists than you can shake a stick at. My favorite is all those girls dancing on biplanes while in flight, which is very creative. The romantic plot of the main characters, Belhina De Rezende (Dolores del Rio) and Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) and the subplot of the Greek investors are a little light but still held my interest.
F&G's second film and their first as leading characters together, THE GAY DIVORCEE is the initial series of boy-chases-girl movies with comic misunderstandings, misgivings, and mistaken identity. F&G do the dancing, but Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes) with his accent has the best one liners and password mispronunciations. The forgetful Hortense Ditherwell (Alice Brady) is a hoot. The musical number "Let's K-nock K-nees" is very fun and playful, even though it does not have F&G in it. Its tune is repeated in whistling near the beginning by a bellhop and near the end by canaries. In their previous movie "Rio" the dance craze was the Carioca; in "Divorcee" it's the Continental, which has a spectacular song, F&G dance, dance ensemble, and finale.
If you want to see Paris fashions in 1935, F&G's third film, ROBERTA, is the place to see it. Among all F&G movies, the plot is more sophisticated and dramatic and less comedic. Ginger plays an act within her role: not just the sassy American blonde but also the sophisticated Russian Comtess. She even sings "I'll Be Hard to Handle" with a Russian accent. In that same number, F&G communicate with each other not with words but by taps on their feet. Almost every speaking actor/actress has a three-dimensional personality especially Roberta/Aunt Minnie (Helen Westley) and Johnny (Candy) Candido with his voice performances. However, Stephanie (Irene Dunn) has an excellent singing voice but is overrated and should not have been top billed. As a side note, if you pay attention, look for Lucille Ball as one of the fashion models (uncredited).
The fourth Fred & Ginger (F&G) movie, TOP HAT is considered by many the quintessential one and is my personal favorite. In the Top Hat musical number, Fred cleverly uses his gentleman's cane as a "machine gun." And the ever-so-tender cheek to cheek number where he is singing and dancing with Ginger makes me feel like I am dancing in heaven as well. A deleted scene in some prints in which Bates (Eric Blore) insults a policeman, is present in this DVD. A running commentary with Ava Astaire McKenzie (daughter) and Larry Billman includes background information about the supporting actors and trivia, such as the significance of the ring Fred wears in the film. And even though Ginger rides the horse in this movie, we learn that Fred is the real horse lover. Ava admits she does not know everything about her dad and his career, which adds to the authenticity of what she does know and contributes.
The fifth F&G movie, FOLLOW THE FLEET shows two sides of Fred's character, Seaman Bake Baker. In other F&G movies, he is the upper class, suave gentleman. But in this one he plays a blue collar, enlisted seaman in the navy. In one part, you see him in his white tie and tails dancing and in control; in another part, he gets in trouble for trying to punch a commissioned officer. Two love stories in one movie, the additional romance of Connie Martin (Harriet Hilliard) and Bilge Smith (Randolph Scott) keeps the plot moving and enriches the story.
SWING TIME probably has the most intricate and advanced dance routines out of all the F&G movies. Even though the song, "The Way You Look Tonight" is wonderful, I would like to have seen them dance to it instead of watching Ginger with a hair full of whip cream. The running commentary by John Mueller sounds very clinical. Speaking in an almost monotone voice as if reading from his book, he does give interesting tidbits, such as converting any monetary amounts mentioned in the movie into today's dollars to give you a sense of the magnitude of a given situation. Mr. Mueller also points out that F&G are never seen kissing, because the on-screen romance is instead expressed through their dancing.
When you watch a F&G movie you expect to see the two of them to dance together. In their seventh film together, SHALL WE DANCE, you don't see their first dance routine until literally half way through the film (unless you want to count walking the dog as a dance). The way Harriet Hoctor bends backwards in the final dance number is incredible. Her body must be made of rubber. She's probably a better dancer than Ginger, but because she does not speak or act, we don't appreciate her as much.
In this eighth installment of F&G films, CAREFREE, Ginger displays her talents not only as a dancer but also as an actress and a singer. She performs all three simultaneously in The Yam. She causes mischief while under the hypnotic influence of Tony Flagg (Fred Astaire), throwing sticks and dinner rolls, breaking glass, driving erratically, and shooting skeet. The psychiatry is definitely unconventional, but it is a comedy after all. The slow motion dancing in the dream sequence is very smooth and kind of cool. A running joke where Aunt Cora (Luella Gear) keeps telling Judge Joe Travers (Clarence Kolb) to sit down adds a couple of more laughs. Typecasting prevails here; look for Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind) playing a maid here, too.
Their ninth film together and the last for RKO, F&G play real life characters VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE. Since the story is set in the 1910s, which is comparably a more "innocent" era, the dancing is not as sophisticated but just as elegant, because it's F&G. A typical biographical account, it takes you through various trials and conflicts throughout their lives. The movie has more comedy in the beginning but becomes more serious at the end, especially when Vernon joins the Royal Air Corps during World War I. All the characters are lovable, and you wish you could be there. It's also the only F&G movie where the principles are concerned about having enough money to make ends meet.
After a ten-year absence, F&G are dancing as a pair one last time in their only Technicolor movie. THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY is not your typical F&G movie. Their acting has matured so much so that you forget that they dance, too. It has a little more drama and a little less comedy. Instead of boy meeting and chasing girl, their characters are already married, which provides a different relationship on screen. Also, Ezra Miller (Oscar Levant) is superb in his piano playing.
FEATURETTES
Made in 2005, these documentaries are behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the movies and includes interviews with Ava Astaire McKenzie, archivists, film historians, and biographers with a mix of F&G photographs and film clips.
"On Top: Inside the Success of Top Hat" explains many intricacies and attention to detail in the making of this movie. Nothing is left to chance. You will appreciate all the names in the opening credits (Run time 18:20).
"Follow the Fleet: The Origins of Those Dancing Feet" explains how F&G each got into show business, how they got their "big breaks," and where they first met. You'll discover why Fred went to RKO and not to one of the larger, better-known studios (Run time 13:53).
In "The Swing of Things" Broadway choreographers and performers demonstrate and comment on F&G's signature hopping step shown throughout Swing Time. Each dance number is analyzed and appreciated (Run time 14:47).
As the title suggests, "They Can't Take That Away from Me: The Music of Shall We Dance" emphasizes the songs in that movie. There is some good information on the composers, George and Ira Gershwin. Did you know that the origin of the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is based on how F&G pronounced certain words? (Run time 15:41)
"Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again" explains F&G accidental pair up for their final film, their continuous chemistry, and Fred's perfection. Broadway choreographers and performers also appreciate how F&G have inspired them. (Run time 13:53)
VINTAGE SHORTS
Even without F&G, these film shorts are consistent with the genre and were made close to the times of the feature films they accompany.
"Beer and Pretzels" is a very early three stooges short with Ted Healy still with the comedy team. The slapping-of-the-face sound effects have not yet even entered the soundtrack. Just like F&G in Rio, Moe, Larry and Curly are in supporting roles. The four men cause havoc as waiters in a high class restaurant. Most of this short consists of song and dance routines of people I have never heard of. (1933, B&W, Run time 20:33)
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Chungking Express (The Criterion Collection) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)Located in the heart of mainland Hong Kong, the Chungking Mansions loom huge and ramshackle over Nathan Road. Wags and scoundrels haunt its gates, along with a ragged assortment of Indian touts, whores and long-term transient workers from Africa. Restaurants, tailors, psychics and a whole host of other occupations - some undoubtably illegal - infest the bottom floors in tiny, grimy compartments. Chungking is also the backpacker ghetto of Kowloon: guesthouses offer rooms as cheap as $10 a night, and the loose, chaotic atmosphere is appealing to the more adventurous traveler. When I visited Hong Kong for a week in 2002, there was no other realistic option, for finance concerns and the `lust for life' drive, than the infamous Chungking: intrigue seemed to lurk around every corner. While staying there, my guesthouse manager suggested I rent and watch the *Chungking Express*, a 1994 film by Won Kar Wai, loosely connected around the building. I never got around to it...until three years later...and in a way I'm glad I waited to watch this delicious romp about love, obsession and betrayal, for it sparked the nostalgia cylinders and left me in that awed, giddy state that only the best of films can do.
Made on the quick by Won Kar Wai as a means of rejuvenating his creative energy, *Chungking Mansions* originally consisted of three interlocking stories, but one met the axe (to resurface as its own film) to give proper attention (i.e. running time) to those that remained. Of the two stories, only the first has any relation with the Chungking Mansions: a hard-luck dame scours the sleazy corridors for drug-mules, and I must say that the general ambience of the Mansions is faithfully captured. The second story occurs in Kowloon and on the Island, and is connected to the first by one chance encounter (~a brilliant means of transitioning chapters) and the underlying themes of loneliness, disconnection and desire.
In the first tale, undercover cop He Zhiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) broods over the disintegration of his relationship with `May,' pining for his lost love with a rather unrealistic `period of absence' scheme and, after a time, seeking comfort from any chance encounter. "I'll fall in love with the next woman I see," Zhiwu vows in a fit of desperation; and who should come along but Brigette Lin, a mysterious figure whom we've already seen in dire straights in the bowels of Chungking. This story has the visual glamour of noir - red-lit bars, blur-motion fragments of violence, a femme fatale betrayed and subsequently `saved' by the gentleman Zhiwu - yet the dialoge really makes it stand above more typical entries into the genre, especially Zhiwu's internal narration, which ranges from clueless to insightful to downright hilarious. Slight but charming, with enough visceral action and mystery to keep the pace from flagging.
The second story is by far my favorite of the two, and most audiences agree on this, taking into consideration critical acclaim and the reviews on this page; it is easy to see why. A cop (Tony Leung) stops at the same deli every day for his coffee and chef salad, where he meets and slowly develops a relationship with Faye (Faye Wong), a not-quite-sane nymphet who promptly falls in love with him. Acquiring a key to his apartment, Faye begins to sneak in and rearrange her secret love's living quarters while he is gone. Leave it to the Chinese to make stalker-obsession cute and poignant! Yet it works, due in large part to the natural sounding and psychologically keen dialogue of the script, and therein made effective by the acting of the two leads. Faye Wong, perhaps the biggest pop/rock star in China, makes her screen debut here, and what a debut! It is practically impossible to not fall a little in love with her furtive, wild-at-heart character. Wong articulates more with a mere look or throwaway gesture about the titanic struggle of repressed desire than most professional actors seem capable of. Tony Leung, a veteran of Hong Kong's silver screen, shines as usual as the lonesome, half-oblivious cop, and his energy with Wong feels right, so natural. This is very important in the later climax of the film, when the director stretches the tension to a breaking point and even manages to milk some well-earned trauma from these circling, faraway (so close) lonely souls.
Watching *Chungking Express* brought back a lot of memories. In the background and seeping through the surface, Hong Kong glitters and roars, and the film itself eventually feels like an organic growth of the city, in tune to its rhythms and real-life atmosphere. But one not need be acquainted with the City of the Nine Dragons to appreciate the quality of *Chungking Express* - this is movie magic in its finest form, infectious and reflective, a paramount example of Asian cinema at its most illuminating. Five stars.

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The whiplash, double-pronged Chungking Express is one of the defining works of nineties cinema and the film that made Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai an instant icon. Two heartsick Hong Kong cops (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung), both jilted by ex-lovers, cross paths at the Midnight Express take-out restaurant stand, where the ethereal pixie waitress Faye (Faye Wong) works. Anything goes in Wong s gloriously shot and utterly unexpected charmer, which cemented the sex appeal of its gorgeous stars and forever turned canned pineapple and the Mamas and the Papas California Dreamin into tokens of romantic longing.SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES: New, restored high-definition digital transfer DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Audio commentary by noted Asian cinema critic Tony Rayns U.S. theatrical trailer New and improved English subtitle translation PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Amy Taubin and excerpts from a 1996 Sight and Sound interview with Wong by Rayns More!

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Viva Pedro - The Almodovar Collection (Talk to Her/ Bad Education/ All about My Mother/ Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown/ Live Flesh/ Flower of My Secret / Matador / Law of Desire) (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)Certainly one of the most lauded of international filmmakers, Pedro Almodovar's films can be notoriously hard to come by on the US market. Generally after an initial release, they have gone out of print and have disappeared from mainstream buying outlets. It seems strange, Almodovar is easily one of the best known and most acclaimed Spanish filmmakers in history. Having been recognized worldwide, been honored by the Oscars, and having worked with stars that have crossed into the English language film world such as Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz--you would think that his films would be more readily available. So, it is with delight that I welcome "Viva Pedro"--a collection of 8 films that show the colorful and dynamic world that is Pedro Almodovar. And while not a complete showcase of his larger work--I lament the exclusion of "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down"--there is much to rejoice. This set is great for lovers of Almodovar, and priced right for new viewers who wish to get some very significant films at a reasonable cost.
Starting with films from the late 80s, Almodovar uses colorful imagery and melodramatic acting to create some very personal films about love, desire and sex. Often done in an over-the-top, almost soap opera style, these films are instantly recognizable due to Almodovar's distinctive visual flair. All three films from the 80s showcase a young Banderas. "Matador" is a sly black comedy featuring an ex-bullfighter who ties death and killing with sexual excitement. "Law of Desire" is a seriocomic look at sexual desire and obsession that crosses various gender lines. And "Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown" was Almodovar's international breakthrough (and Oscar nominee for Foreign Film) that manages to be a madcap and outrageous comedy and an insightful character study.
The middle films include "The Flower of my Secret"--perhaps my least favorite in the set--about a novelist who wishes to change her life at any cost. "Live Flesh" features Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz in a complex story of how violence and sacrifice can link people together. Both films are interesting, if not altogether successful.
And the last three films of the set showcase a more mature side of Almodovar. The Oscar winning "All About My Mother" starts with a son's tragic death, and takes the wonderful Cecilia Roth on a spiritual journey that redefines life and her place in it. "Talk To Her" tells the story of two men who bond while their girlfriends lie in comas--this won Almodovar an Academy Award for Screenwriting and a Directing nod, as well. And "Bad Education," with Gael Garcia Bernal, is an homage to Hitchcock examining the results of religious upbringing and sexual abuse.
Of course, anyone who knows Almodovar knows that these brief descriptions do nothing to highlight the complexity of these films. All of the films develop interesting characterizations and the way the various characters interact, combat, and collide is a showcase for the genius that is Almodovar's writing. Wildly funny, wickedly tragic, confrontationally sexual--Almodovar is an adult filmmaker working at the top of his game. Please treat yourself. Not every film is perfect, but this set in an excellent primer to the important work of a major writer and director. It's not to be missed. KGHarris, 01/07.

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The English Patient (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)This rare and beautiful film, based on a book that is felt as much as read, transcends the medium to become art. Painted on a vast desert canvas with deep rich oils, its beauty is felt as much as seen. This film will find your heart and remain there forever. If love had a face, it would look like this.
Director Anthony Minghella's screenplay shifts the center of Michael Ondaatje's story slightly in order to capture on film the essence of his beautiful prose. Ondaatje's novel is one of poetic beauty, a potrait of a rose beneath the water's surface. The film brings that beautiful rose out of the water and into the sunlight. The book and the film are so deeply intertwined you can not watch this film without wanting to read the book, nor can you read the book without wanting to see the film. The story itself centers around three people either in love with, or haunted by ghosts they have loved and lost to war.
Juliette Binoche gives an Oscar winning performance as Hana, a kind nurse with a gentle spirit but a damaged heart. She latches onto the burned and charred body of a man known only as the English patient, and ends up caring for him in a shell ravaged Italian villa in Tuscany where she feeds him plums and reads to him. When a man named Caravaggio with scars of his own arrives, the mystery of who the English patient really is begins to unfold via flashbacks. In the present, Hana begins to let her heart heal when she falls in love with a Sikh who disarms bombs left by the Germans.
It is the memories of the English patient, however, which are at the heart of this film. Ralph Fiennes gives a subtle performance as the introspective Almasy, part of an international expedition mapping an unending desert with both the romance, and the danger of the sea. Kristin Scott Thomas is wonderful as Katherine Clifton, the stunningly beautiful and enigmatic wife of a fellow mapper. An instant but unspoken attraction between she and Almasy finally becomes too unbearable to ignore and the affair that holds the key to the mystery surrounding the English patient begins.
This is one of the most romantic films ever made and is filled with the joy and anguish of love and war. It shows that while war may create logistical lines that can not be crossed, the heart has no boundaries. Anyone who has ever experienced a love of such emotional intensity and physical longing that love and need became one will understand the love affair of Katherine and Almasy.
Cinematographer John Seale has given this film a grace and beauty seldom seen on film. A haunting score full of mystery and romance from Gabriel Yard accompany scenes never to be forgotten, and will not be described here in case you have not yet seen them. Director Anthony Minghella explores the mystery of the desert, and the heart, which according to the "The Histories" by Herodotus, a book the English patient clings to, is an organ of fire.
If there is but one ounce of romance in your soul, you will love "The English Patient." It is a well charted and romantic map of the human heart, as wide and treacherous as the unending desert. This will be one of your favorite films once you see it. I promise.

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Day for Night (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)For years i have been not watching this film -- one of my very favourites -- because it was only available on VHS in an abysmally-dubbed version.
Well, now it's on DVD with the original French track and subtitles in English, and it's just as great as i've been remembering it from the last chance i had to see it theatrically.
The video transfer looks excellent, the sound is good, and the film is the film.
And there are goodies galore on the DVD as well; i haven't finished all of them yet.
If you haven't seen this film, now is the time to do so.
((The dubbed track is included for people who simply can't deal with subtitles.))

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The leading lady is recovering from a nervous breakdown, another performer is soused on the set, unions threaten to walk, shooting must finish before the insurance lapses and a cat can't hit its mark. Is this any way to make a film? FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT's sly, humorous OscarO-winning Best Foreign Language Film (1973) that speaks the language of everyone who loves movies. JACQUELINE BISSET, JEAN-PIERRE AUMONT, VALENTINA CORTESE, NATHALIE BAYE and Truffaut star.

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Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a hardcore Apocalypse Now fanatic, and this, the original version of the film, is what made me one, several years ago. Reviewers like to debate endlessly over which version is better, this or the Redux. Personally, I like both, but I find this original version to be more surreal, relentless, and, to quote another reviewer, more "dangerous." The fact is, Coppola used different shots and edits in the Redux, in some cases diluting the surreal impact of the original. Plus the characters Kilgore and Kurtz come off more strongly in the original; sure, we get to see more humanity from Kilgore in the Redux, but his exit in the original is much more memorable, much better than the "tossing megaphone into the air" antics as shown in the Redux. And Kurtz is a more powerful Evil One in the original version, not much more than a shadow.
What gets me is that, in the press releases that came out with Redux, Coppola claimed that he no longer considered the 1979 version of Apocalypse to be "unusual." He felt that, today, it comes off as a rather ordinary film. So he integrated an extra 50 minutes into the movie, to make it more unusual. The thing is, the Redux is, if anything, MORE normal than the original. After all, you get more character development, a romantic subplot, etc; all the things the unusual (and unique), original version lacked. The very lack of these things is what gives the original such a mysterious, dangerous edge. There is no levity in the original, no stealing of surfboards, no Playmates for the PBR crew. Only the dark jungle, and the mission.
If it's true that Coppola wanted to make the original version even more unusual, then I wonder why he chose to add the Plantation sequence and the Playboy Bunnies escapade. Having seen the Work Print, I know that there is a wealth of material Coppola could've used. Bizarre? Unusual? How about a scene in which Martin Sheen's Willard, trapped in a bamboo cage, writhes in pain as the montangnards (and Kurtz's American soldiers) dance and chant around him, as they sacrifice a pig? Or how about Willard, still in the cage, being questioned by Kurtz, who tells Willard that he's as weak as his "colleagues in Washington?" Or how about possibly the most bizarre scene of all: Dennis Hopper's Photojournalist being shotgunned to death by Scott Glenn's character Colby?
Coppola could have used any or all of these scenes to make a truly "unusual" film, one that would successfully create a darker film. If anything, the extra scenes in Redux lighten the film's mood. Coppola could have even improved on the end of the movie. That's one thing that's always bothered me about Apocalypse Now. Willard's hired to murder Kurtz; when he finally does, all he has to do is just walk into Kurtz's temple, take out one guard, and then get to hacking at Kurtz. It comes off as so easy, you wonder why the Army even bothered hiring Willard. This problem is solved in the Work Print, which features Willard taking on a host of guards, including one grisly scene in which he spears an American guard who cowers behind a young, Vietnamese boy. Now, if you ask me, that's more "unusual" than a bunch of French people arguing politics at the dinner table! But unfortunately, Coppola has chosen not to use these scenes, in either official version of the film.
I don't intend to mislead, though. I think the Redux is fine, a five-star movie. It expands on the broader themes of Apocalypse Now, but at the same time lessens the impact of the movie itself. After having watched the Redux a few times, I popped the original in for the first time in a few years. I was amazed at how the film seemed so different than the Redux, so much more psychedelic and surreal. Even the fades and images shown in the beginning and the end are different in the original, more disturbing. And that's the main difference between the two versions: the original is much more disturbing.
I'll finish with another quote, taken from the web. Which director do you think is better, the Francis Coppola of 1976/1979, or the Francis Coppola of 2001? Of these two very different directors, whose vision would you be more willing to trust?
1/27/09 update: Six years ago I also had a review for the "Redux" DVD here on Amazon. Somehow it's been removed from the site -- it seems Amazon has combined the reviews for the original Apocalypse Now DVD release with the reviews for the "Redux DVD" release. And since Amazon has a policy that a reviewer can only post one review per item, it appears that my "Redux" review got the boot. I've rescued it from oblivion via a Google cache search; please see the Comments section, below, for the review.

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Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, this classic and compelling Vietnam War epic stars Martin Sheen as Captain Willard, who is sent on a dangerous and mesmerizing odyssey into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade American Colonel named Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has succumbed to the horrors of war and barricaded himself in a remote outpost.Also stars Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford.

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Le Samourai - Criterion Collection (1967) Review

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(More customer reviews)There are very few movies in the history of the cinema that are as perfect as Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Samourai". "Le Samourai" is without question my favorite movie of all-time, and one of the best ever made. It's a movie that isn't widely seen, and is never shown on TV, however, it has had a tremendous influence and inspiration for many filmmakers ever since. "Le Samourai" itself was inspired by the film noirs of the 40s and 50s, especially "This Gun for Hire"(1942) which includes a performance by Alan Ladd as a similar loner hired killer character as Alain Delon's (Jef Costello). I love this movie for too many reasons to mention. First of all, the direction by Melville, the beautifully dark cinematography by Henri Decae, the writing, the editing, etc. Also, the performances are all great especially Alain Delon, who gives the performance of a lifetime, it's absolutely one of the greatest performances ever captured on film. There are too many beautiful moments in the movie to mention, and I won't mention them as to not ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie. One moment in particular is stunning when Delon, who plays a hired killer (Jef Costello), nurses a gun-shot wound to his arm, there's not a false moment in the entire movie. Another is after he steals a car as he drives he stops for a moment as another car with a woman in it stops next to his car and they both turn briefly to look at each other, it's done with a subtle, flawless, breathtaking beauty rarely captured on film. I own a VHS copy of "Le Samourai" which I have almost completely worn out, so I hope that Criterion or some merciful DVD company out there produces a quality DVD of this important masterpiece as soon as possible. I would like to think that amongst the "Gladiators", "Independence Day" and "American Pie" DVDs, they could include a quality DVD of "Le Samourai" for the sake of humble DVD consumers who love great movies. In all, I have to say that I need to watch this movie repeated times so I can enjoy it and be inspired, as well as to remind myself that movies can be important and meaningful. When I see all of the garbage that is shoved out onto movie screens nowadays, it's downright depressing and sometimes demoralizing, so it's nice to be able to put on "Le Samourai", or another great movie of the past, and remember what movies could be and should be!

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In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays blue-eyed Jef Costello, a fedora- and trench-coat-wearing contract killer with samurai instincts

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Real World Reunion: Inside Out (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)This little reunion is a must see for Real World fanatics especially fans of seasons 1-4. Allison Stewart MTV VJ takes us on a ride through the first four seasons bringing back all the castmembers for a reunion. The usual drama ensues between Puck & Judd when SF season comes out. It goes into a little piece on Pedro and his memorial service. But it has backstage drama as well. First off all the seasons go to dinner to discuss their season but the tables are mixed with different casts. The part I like best is the peek at audition tapes from most of the castmembers including Puck. I always like to see the audition tapes to see how they got on the show what stood out in their tape. Some of the tapes are hilarious. For me the first four seasons are the Real World the concept was still there. These new seasons are so camped up and exaggerated. I was a senior in high school when SF season aired so I lived thru the first four. I own it and recommend viewing take a nostalgic trip back to when The Real World was still experimental.

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The Killers - Criterion Collection (1946) Review

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(More customer reviews)The first thing I would like to say is that "The Killers," is a superb production from the people at Criterion. Long renowned for the excellence of their titles, they really have outdone themselves this time `round. Not only do we have the two feature length versions of Hemmingway's story, from 1946 and 1964 respectively, but we have a wonderfully atmospheric audio reading of the original by Stacy Keach, a 1949 radio adaptation, AND Andriie Tarkovsky's 1956 student film version; "The Killers" x 5!!! Of the rest of the extensive "extras," the jewel in the crown is an interview with Clu Gulager, filmed in 2002, in which he tells some great stories about the 1964 production, and Lee Marvin in particular!
As much as I'm a huge fan of Film Noir, and Burt Lancaster, I have to admit I'd never even heard of the original 1946 version... shame on me! No, I bought this for the masterful Don Siegel version, staring Marvin, Gulager, Angie Dickenson, John Cassavetes, and in his only "bad guy" role, the future President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan! Indeed, it was one of the first films I looked for on DVD when I got my shiny-disc machine, and this is somewhat surprising, as I'd only ever seen the film once, sometime back in the 70's, on British TV!
This film, especially its electrifying final scenes, featuring an incredible performance by Marvin, seared itself into my memory for the better part of 30 years, and watching it again after all this time has NOT been a disappointment! The character of hit man "Charlie Strom" was, for me, the defining image of Lee Marvin. Tough - damn, forget "tough," we're talking hard-as-nails here! - menacing, cold, logical, world weary, and brutal, when the situation warrants it. His presence drives the film, a powerhouse performance; he commands the screen every minute he's up there on it, something Clu Gulager talks about in detail. And Clu's character, "Lee," is as different from Marvin's as it's possible to get. Younger and "hipper," he wears his shades because they make him look cool, and not just to disguise his identity. He's a health nut, always ready to crack a joke, but he has a sadistic streak, he enjoys the fear he instills in people, and whereas "Strom' uses violence as a tool, "Lee" enjoys it for its own sake.
Separated by nearly 20 years in the making, the films are, in reality, light years apart in everything but the name. The 1946 version starts strong when two hit men, Max and Al, played by William Conrad - anyone remember "Cannon?!" - and Charles McGraw respectively, breeze into town, then park themselves in the local dinner. They spit out wonderfully hard-boiled Hemmingway dialogue almost verbatim from the original story, terrorize the staff, and then go off to kill "The Swede." And that is where the original story ends, and it's exactly here that the film runs out of steam, with a dogged insurance investigator, played by Edmond O'Brian, spending the next hour or so trying to piece together what happened to "The Swede." It's effectively done, using flashbacks from various characters, but in comparison to those first 15 minutes or so, it seems pretty lightweight.
Don Siegal's "The Killers," on the other hand, is altogether much stronger meat. He takes the basic premise of Hemmingway's story, a man accepting his own death at the hands of two paid hit men, and runs with it in an entirely different direction. Told entirely from the perspective of the hit men themselves, the story really takes off when Marvin's character starts to think about what just happened, why the mark, ex-racing driver "Johnny North," didn't try to escape, didn't plead for his life. "If they had a chance," he says of all his previous hits, "they ran... but he just stood there and took it." Just as the original film used the device of flashbacks to tell the story, "Strom" and "Lee" set about joining the dots as they track down the various players in this dark morality tale concerning the missing dough from a robbery, a triple-crossing dame, and a love-sick fall-guy. There isn't a wasted line of dialogue or a superfluous frame of celluloid in the whole production, every part is played to perfection, including Claude Akins as "North's" old racing partner, and a wonderfully slimy Ronald Reagan, all pomaded hair, pursed lips, and cocked eyebrow, as crime boss "Jack Browning."
Siegal's "The Killers" was planned as the original TV Movie, but, possibly, in the aftermath of JFK's assassination, the film was deemed to be too violent, the subject matter of two gunmen committing cold-blooded murder just too much for network television. By today's standards, however, the violence is minimal, although the actual hit itself is very effectively staged. But then again, what makes it work are the performances of Marvin, Gulager, and Cassavetes, and the setting, a school for the blind where "North" is a teacher; there's no graphic, blood splattered, "dance of death!"
As a piece of modern Noir, I think Siegal's "The Killers" is exemplary, as is the magnificent production from The Criterion Collection... this really IS Essential Cinema, buy it today, you won't regret it!

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Studio: Image EntertainmentRelease Date: 02/18/2003Run time: 196 minutes

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Awakenings (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)Based on the real life story of Dr. Oliver Sacks, 'Awakenings' ranks as one of the best movies I've seen. If features a terrific screenplay that was adapted from the book and a memorable directing job by Penny Marshall. But the most suprising thing to me was the choice of actors to play the two main roles in the movie. Robin Williams was pretty much known as the slightly insane comic genius from the 1980's, and Robert DeNiro was playing such hard-hitting, aggressive characters in films like 'Raging Bull', 'The Untouchables', 'Taxi Driver', and 'The Deer Hunter'. Both actors turn in career performances, and play parts that totally will smash any preconceived notions you had of them up to that point.
The film is based on Dr. Leo Sayer(Williams) and his work with people who have come down with a mysterious sleeping-sickness in 1918, which has left them in a catatonic state. Dr. Sayer is a shy person who is not comfortable conversing with others, but is also a very dedicated neurologist. He starts to work with these "sleeping" people and thinks that he senses something in them that is alive deep inside. He begins to work with a man called Leonard Lowe(DeNiro), and takes a special interest in him. He reads up on the drug L-Dopa, which had helped people in similiar states as his patients, and tries to convince the hospital and Leonard's mother to try the drug on her son. They allow the test to happen, and Leonard wakes up from his "sleep". The drug is then tried on his other patients with similar results. You would think that it was a happy story from thereafter, but life is not full of Hollywood endings, and the story does not take the easy way out. It won't leave you depressed or exhilarated but somewhere in between, like life is most of the time.
Definitely one of the best films to come out in the past 12 years, and should be in any serious movie buff's collection. There are no extra's on the DVD, but the quality of the picture is pretty good. But in the end, isn't it about the movie, not the extra's(by the way, I love the extra's just as much as everyone else). Marshall, Williams, and DeNiro have made a special film that they should be proud of and will be watched by generations to come.

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BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF A SHY RESEARCH PHYSICIAN WHO USES AN EXPERIMENTAL DRUG TO AWAKEN CATATONIC VICTIMS OF A RARE SLEEPING SICKNESS.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Collection (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition) (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Secret of the Ooze / Turtles in Time / TMNT) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)**WARNING TMNT FANS**
--This set contains absolutely nothing new from the previous 2 releases of the live action films and the cgi movie is simply a port of the standalone disc with regards to special features and the transfer--
I'm not sure what all of the 5 star reviews are all about for this so called 25th anniversary boxset so far, but let me be the first to offer a counter to those "generous" scores with a dose of the reality of the situation.
This set offers nothing new from what is already available on the standalone dvds, safe for a few cheap gimmicks like 4 cloth masks and some temporary tattoos. The only thing new here is the package art and believe me it isn't worth $30, which is actually Amazon's price, the MSRP is actually more. There is no commentary on any of the movies except the most recent one which is simply ported over from the other single disc release. The transfers are the same that was used for the initial 1998 dvd releases of the 3 movies and the age really shows on the films, especially that of the live action ones. No deleted scenes or making of featurettes talking about Jim Henson's creature shop for the live action films. No Elias Koteas (Casey Jones) interview or anything. Nothing but the theatrical trailers.
Here's a fun fact for all of you turtles fans. The director of the 1st turtles movie (the best one) has come out publicly and stated that he has deleted and extended scenes in his possession that he would like to contribute to a special edition of the 1st movie along with contributing directors commentary if WB were interested. Apparently they are not. They would rather whore out this franchise and continue to kick loyal fans in the face. The only shellebration going on here is one of greed and laziness on behalf of WB Studio with there franchise. This franchise deserved much better for it's 25th anniversary than a cheaply slapped together rerelease. One can only hope that for the 30th anniversary and no doubt next "shellebration" that WB will decide to put together a real boxset as opposed to expecting fans to "shell" out more money for nothing new. I hope if anything that the 1st movie gets an eventual 2 disc special edition that it so richly deserves with a new hi def transfer and all the special features that the director has and wants to contribute because it is the only one that really holds up anyway today. Thanks for nothing WB.
1 out of 5 stars for the piss poor effort by WB for this storied franchise that deserves better. For those of you who already have 1 of the 2 prior releases of the live action movies, stick with your previous copies and don't contribute a dime to Warner Bros. Studio. They put no effort into this boxset. For those of you who don't own any of the movies yet, I urge you to go and pick up the standalone movies for dirt cheap. You can find them for $5 a piece on most retail sites and brick and morter stores and you'd be getting the exact same content on them that is on this boxset as well as the same transfer so you're not missing a thing and saving your money. Don't contribute to WB's lazy and cheap triple dip. Show them we expect more for this franchise and maybe they will listen for the next go round.

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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES FILM COL - DVD Movie

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The Outlaw Josey Wales (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although Clint Eastwood gained his greatest critical acclaim as a director for 1992's "Unforgiven" and 2003's "Mystic River" -- both of which are incredible pieces of American cinema -- his best film remains this perennially popular Western from 1976. Here's Eastwood's own take on it: "I do believe that if I'd made that picture in 1992, in place of `Unforgiven,' it might have received the same amount of attention, because I think it's equally as good a film. I think the subject matter of `Josey Wales' is timeless." Orson Welles himself named it one of his favorite movies!
Yet critics at the time completely dismissed it as just another Clint Eastwood Western-Revenge flick. On the surface, the plot might give you that illusion: Missouri farmer Josey Wales loses his family to marauding Union cutthroats during the civil war. In retaliation, he joins Qunatrill's raiders in the guerrilla warfare that flames across Missouri. When the war ends, Wales refuses to surrender. He flies west across the country, chased by his former leader Fletcher (John Vernon in a great, sympathetic performance) and Terrill, the Union captain who murdered his family (Eastwood regular Bill McKinney). It seems Wales has no future except to stay alive long enough to get his revenge.
But...that's not at all what movie ends up being about. Gradually, Wales finds himself at the center of a growing community of outcasts from many different backgrounds: an old Cherokee named Lone Watie (Chief Dan George, in the film's most unforgettable performance), a band of Northern settlers (including Sondra Locke in her first role with Clint), a girl from another Native American tribe, the residents of a dying Texas town, and a red bone hound. Gradually, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turns into a story about forgetting revenge and a fixation on death, and instead about embracing life and rebuilding a community. "Dying is easy for men like you and me," Wales says to a Comanche chief (Will Sampson) in one scene. "It's living that's hard." It's one of the most unexpectedly uplifting and moving films ever made. And, let's make no mistake about it, it's also an action-packed, tough, and exciting film.
Strangely, the film came out of extremely difficult circumstances and rough beginnings. Eastwood purchased the rights to Forrest Carter's novel "Gone to Texas," only to discover that the author was actually Asa (Ace) Carter, who had worked as a speech writer for George Wallace supporting racial segregation and had once created a subgroup of the Ku Klux Klan. Upon meeting Carter, Eastwood and his producer Robert Daley found the man to be a borderline sociopath (he drew a knife on one of Daley's secretaries at a restaurant). Regardless, Eastwood loved the beautiful story too much and pushed on with making the film. He hired Philip Kaufman to both write and direct the movie, now re-named "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Kaufman (along with Sonia Chernus) wrote a stunning script, but after only a few days on the set, it became obvious he wasn't working out as a director; his style clashed with Eastwood's. Eastwood quietly removed him as director and took over the job himself. As Eastwood's biographer notes, "Kaufman was to a degree the victim of Clint's growing confidence in his own abilities."
Despite this confused beginning, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turned into a magical piece of Western cinema and a huge hit with audiences. It gets better and better with each viewing: a thrilling adventure when you first see it, its many layers of beautiful subtlety emerge each time you go back to it. Bruce Surtees's photography is astonishing, Jerry Fielding's music exciting and unusual for a Western, and every performance top-notch. Few films are as all-around well done as this American classic.
The DVD offers the film in a glorious widescreen transfer with a new 5.1 sound mix, but there are no extras. Considering the history behind the making of the film, this disc really ought to sport some fascinating commentaries and documentaries, but alas, nothing. Still, I can recommend few films higher than "The Outlaw Josey Wales."

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Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 09/02/2008Run time: 135 minutesRating: Pg

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There's Something About Mary (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)I really can't understand how this one didn't get five stars from everyone here. I mean I know that tastes differ, but I think people may have been expected something this one couldn't possibly deliver. As a comedy, it is absolutely phenomenal. I really have to say that it's the only movie of the nineties that can match up with Stripes or Animal House. It's utterly amazing.
There's Something about Mary is a mélange of every kind of comedy. There's slapstick, physical situation, and intellectual social satire. This movie made Ben Stiller and rightly so. I recall seeing it in the theatre and not being able to breathe at times due to the convulsions erupting from my abdomen. No time was this more true than when Stiller walks into the gay rest stop and gets busted, but there are a million scenarios that could be cited. All the actors were sensational. Matt Dillon's character is exquisite in his cheesiness and he really excels in his role especially when he's playing football with the "retards" and showing off his sensitive side by pummeling them on the gridiron. Chris Elliot is exceptional in his role and any film that features Jonathan Richman that much is special and rare. I could not recommend this one any more.

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Once Upon a Time in the West (Special Collector's Edition) (1969) Review

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(More customer reviews)My title is a cliche but in this case it's the only phrase to use. The version of this movie available now, with its extra disc full of great bonus material, is an example of how to bring DVD format to its highest potential. First of course there's the movie, and its director Sergio Leone. Every Leone movie I've seen--Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good Bad and Ugly, Once Upon a Time in America--is wonderful, but this tops them all. Imagine the year 1969: what a great time to be a western film lover. You had this, and Sam Peckinpah's Wild Bunch in the same year. Incredible. Anyway, it's impossible to list all the great scenes, so I'll stick with the first. If you love the credit sequence you'll love the movie; it's not for everybody, however. So those credits, mostly silent except for a windmill creaking, which Leone somehow makes sinister, and one of the minimal details he uses to establish authentic mood, are the litmus test. You'll either love the movie or hate it. The scene is built on a genius contradiction: it's so tense that you want it to end, but it's so beautifully done, so built on image and gesture and glance, that you also hope it never ends. The whole movie is that delicious. And the cast--wow. Everyone is at top form, but check out Henry Fonda as the leanest meanest bastard imaginable, but also someone you can't avoid enjoying because it is the GREAT Mr. Fonda, with Leone getting maximum mileage out of close ups of Fonda's ice-blue eyes, as unforgiving as a western sky, generally acting like the amiable stalwart figure he always plays, until he shoots little kids and fat lackeys whom he doesn't trust because they wear both suspenders and belts: and as Fonda says, how can you trust a man who can't even trust his own pants? As the heroine, Claudia Cardinale isn't just gorgeous she's luscious, lust-us. And tough. Watch for the scene where she looks at herself in the mirror when she's all alone in her house. whose previous residents, her family, have been killed by Fonda and his thugs. Charles Bronson--what an underrated actor. Dangerous yet entirely sympathetic here. He finds wit in his role, knows exactly what the unique Leone's up to and gets in sync with the vision. Jason Robards is incapable of giving a performance less than brilliant, and this is another highlight in the film. As Cheyenne he is funny and tough and smart, maybe the most complex performance in the movie. There's so much more, too--the finest Ennio Morricone soundtrack, killer dialogue, extraordinary cinematography. This DVD is put together so well it's even a pleasure to look at the menus--you'll see what I mean. And all this for under FIFTEEN U.S. DOLLARS. What are you waiting for?

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When the husband of Jill McBain is killed by ruthless outlaws in the old West, she hires two guns of her own to get revenge.Genre: WesternsRating: PG13Release Date: 30-JAN-2007Media Type: DVD

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Body Heat (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)The most important thing you need to know is that most of the women I know consider "Body Heat" to be the sexiest movie they have ever seen. Now, I do not feel that way, but I am pretty sure I can explain the difference in judgment. Then again, writer-director Lawrence Kasdan created sexual tension between Princess Leia and Han Solo, so we should not be surprised at what he can accomplish in a galaxy closer to home.
Attorney Ned Racine (William Hurt) is one of those lawyers whose life is in cruise control, the sort that usually find redemption in those John Grisham novels. Instead he meets Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), a sexual siren with a well-to-do husband who leads him willingly down the path of damnation. Kasdan gets credit for taking 1940s film noir in which love goes terribly wrong and bringing it into the sexually provocative 1980s, but it is Turner who breaths the fire and passion into this film: Think Lauren Bacall's throaty voice put into the sculptured body of a sex goddess and covered in the sweat of a hot and humid Southern summer night. The plot takes some delicious twists and turns as well. "Body Heat" paved the way for every every other sick and twisted tale of bad love to come down the road since, from "Fatal Attraction" to "Basic Instinct" and beyond.
Most Romantic Lines: "You're not very bright, are you? I like that in a man." That pretty much sums up this film's idea of "romance."
If you like "Body Heat," then check out these other films on AFI's list: #49 "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and #84 "Double Indemnity." Why? Because they are also movies where a guy meets the sort of gal he would kill to be with--and he does.

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The Elephant Man (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Time hath not altered" the emotional impact this movie has on me when I watch it. The word "poignant" has grown hackneyed from overuse, but it certainly applies to this great film. Few films can equal it in terms of dramatic artistry and pitch perfect performances. There's not one maudlin note in a film that could easily have descended into bathetic melodrama in lesser hands.
Lynch was practically a neophyte at the time he directed this movie, yet to many (and to most, for that matter, save the true believers) THE ELEPHANT MAN is his magnum opus. I believe this is because of the mostly Britsh, classically trained actors that made up the cast. Hopkins and Hurt excell. Anne Bancroft (who I believe is the only American in the cast) delivers a flawless performance. Freddy Jones, as Bytes (this was before the internet, remember) is simply uncanny in his tour-de-force portrayal of arguably the vilest villain in cinema history. Who cares that the character was totally innacurate, historically? He chews up the scenery in true Grand Guignol fashion. Gielgud and Wendy Hiller are also on hand to provide levitas. One can't find a better ensemble. It's criminal that at least one of them weren't awarded an Oscar, but that's just another example of how meaningless those little gold statuettes are, more often than not.
Though this is a lot more linear than most of Lynch's movies, there is enough of the surreal on hand to keep the die hards happy. But the surrealism doesn't get in the way of the plot. Christopher de Vore and Eric Bergren, who collaborated with Lynch on the screenplay, can take some credit for that. Veteran cinematographer, Freddie Francis did perhaps the best work of his career here. The black and white images are as good as it gets. The sets are unforgettable. Victorian London has never looked so convincing on screen, yet with that nightmarish quality that defines most of the movie.
If you've never seen this movie, get your hands on a copy, soon. It couldn't be described as "weepy," by any means. But if you're not reaching for the kleenex at some stage in this marvellous film, I'd ask the Wizard for a heart, if I were you. For those of you who haven't seen it in a while, give it a re-viewing. It absolutely holds up, particularly in comparison to 1980 Best Picture, ORDINARY PEOPLE...and Best Director, Robert Redford? Hopkins didn't get nominated, but Jack Lemmon did for TRIBUTE? Anyone remember that one? Gotta go find some Maalox.
BEK

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