Xanadu (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)All the people that say the plot makes no sense, and they didn't know what was going on, need to read this review. To truly enjoy this movie, you have to be educated on black and white musicals, poetry, and greek mythology.
First of all I will explain the origins of the word "Xanadu".
In 1797 there was a poet named Samuel Coleridge who lived by himself. He was asleep, after taking a dose of Opium and washing it down with alcohol. In his dreams appeared a beautiful woman, (he later called her a muse) reciting a beautiful poem. Alas, a knock at the door from a friend broke him out of his dream, and he rushed to his table to write down what he could remember. The result was a poem titled "Kubla Khan"
In the poem, there is a heavenly place called XANADU, where there is eternal love and happiness. The word has sense been adopted to mean "heaven".
The movie is based on this poem. When Kira appears to a bewildered Gene Kelly, and tells him to call his new club XANADU, and together they recite the first lines of the poem KUBLA KHAN.
Now the reason Gene Kelly is in this film is because Kira has appeared in his life in the 1940's. She returns to help him out again, to inspire his dying ambitions, by inspiring him to open another music club. However he will need someone young and hip to help him out. So Kira also inspires Sonny Malone to quit his bland painting job and use his talents towards his dream. Therefore Kira brings the 2 men together.
Xanadu is a remake of a film titled "Down To Earth" starring Rita Hayworth. Rita also appears as a muse to inspire people to follow their dreams.
Gene kelly's character "Danny McGuire" was actually the name of Gene's character in the 1944 film "Covergirl".
If you are well read on Greek Mythology, you will know there are muses who represent the arts. They are called for in times of need to help inspire an artist's dying ambitions. Therefore the opening scene where the muses are coming out of the wall serves as a window between their world and ours.
Another good tidbit to know about the film, Andy Gibb was suppose to be the male star, not Michael Beck. Andy apparently was in ill health at the time and couldn't be insured by the company.
Xanadu was a film I saw as a 9 year old child. I had been severely injured and could not walk. I was hopeless and depressed. Then one night, Xanadu made its cable debut. I was carried into the living room to watch it (I couldn't walk). I had never seen Olivia Newton-John before, and I was mesmerized by the most incredible woman I had ever seen, dancing and singing through this magical fairy tale. My life had been hum drum up to that point, and the magic, glitz, animation, and music from this film made me want to get up. I was so anxious to walk and rollerskate (LOL) that I was up in no time walking around. I will forever love this movie and how a "muse" called Olivia inspired me to live again.

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Flowers in the Attic (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)In my point of view, if you want to know the real story, read the book! I read the book before I saw the movie and I was VERY disappointed. The movie leaves out all of the feelings and losses of the characters, which is what makes the book amazing.
The story is about four beautiful children (Chris, Cathy, Carrie, and Cory), who are locked away in a room by thier selfish mother, with a filthy attic as their playground. Their cruel heartless Grandmother brainwashes the small children, Cory and Carrie, into thinking that they are "devil's spawn", and they are painfully malnourished. They live each day as if it were a year, sadly awaiting the truths that are to come from their greedy mother.
This book will capture the tears from your eyes, as you feel the trials and triumphs of four helpless children, locked away without care.
I recommend the rest of the dollanganger series from V.C. Andrews, from the escape from the attic; to the return; and thier lives still haunted by the house; and a Pre-quel.
-Petals on the Wind,
-If there be Thorns,
-Seeds of Yesterday,
-and finally, Garden of Shadows.

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Dreams of an inheritance turn into a nightmare for four innocent children who are locked in the deserted north wing of the family mansion, beaten by a vicious grandmother and tormented by a menacing caretaker.Item Type: DVD MovieItem Rating: NRStreet Date: 04/24/01Wide Screen: yesDirector Cut: noSpecial Edition: noLanguage: ENGLISHForeign Film: noSubtitles: noDubbed: noFull Frame: noRe-Release: noPackaging: Sleeve

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The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, so sometimes I call this movie "The Long Kiss Goodbye" instead of "The Long Kiss Goodnight," but that does not detract from the fact this is one of my favorite action films from the post-"Die Hard" era (yes, more than "Speed"). The hook is fairly simple: Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) has had amnesia for eight years when suddenly Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson), the fourth-rate private investigator she hired to work on her case, actually stumbles over a clue. However, that becomes rather academic when some guy comes bursting through Samantha's front door trying to kill her and she dispatches him on pure reflexes.
What we have in this film are the requistie elements for a great action film: interesting characters, memorable dialogue, and great set pieces for the action. Geena Davis comes on like a next generation Sigourney Weaver, going through a fairly intense gamut of emotions as her new life collides violently with her old one (I think this might have been the film were Davis learned her hand/eye coordination was good enough for her to take up archery on a level just below Olympic caliber). Then there is Samuel L. Jackson: is there another action in America today who curses as well as this guy? Every time he swears it comes across as character development rather than profanity (okay, really kewl profanity, the type our parents would never want to hear coming out of our mouths). Think of this as a buddy film where the buddies have neither gender nor race in common.
The supporting cast features Craig Bierko as Timothy, a terrorist who prides himself on knowing when somebody is lying to him, Brian Cox as Dr. Nathan Waldman, the person who knows the truth about Sam, and David Morse as Luke, another important person from her past. The government as boogey man comes into play yet again in this film, but that old chestnut is not central to the fun and games. Despite Jackson's profanity laced tirades (although Davis holds her own at times), most of the really great lines in this film are not obscene. To make lines like "Chefs do that," "I took lessons," and "Am I lying?" great lines, you have to set them up in term of the characters.
The bottom line is nicely expressed by Henessey's character early in this film. When it comes to judging the quality of "The Long Kiss Goodnight," never make an assumption, because when you do, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "mption." You will not fall asleep during this film.

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A violent tale of a young mother who awakens after years of amnesia to discover she's an assassin, with her former bosses in hot pursuit.

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What's New Pussycat (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)After a long wait for the release of this classic 60s comedy, MGM has tossed the film on its forgettable pile. For what was an extremely successful adult comedy at the time; a return for Peter Sellers after his near fatal heartattacks; the debut of Woody Allen, MGM has treated this film like the second half of a Chuck Norris double-bill. The DVD release is abysmal. It is compressed, it is not in the format of its theatrical release, the colors are washed out in MGM's usual, generic, neo-colorization process. The print is cut. Sequences have been trimmed because they are no longer politically correct. This is especially noticeable in the over-the-top Keystone Kops finale of the film. As an older viewer who saw this film in the theatre in 1965 (and many times thereafter), scenes from the original release are missing on this DVD. Although not outstanding and in questionable taste, the fact that they are missing is a disappointment. It is not a complete print of the original release. The sound mix is poor and that's being polite. How one would wish someone who is still alive and cares would give this film the kind of treatment that "Jaws" will get. I hate MGM. They used to be a studio of quality and now they are worse than Ted Turner in his colorization days.

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It's tough being the cat's meow! A "zany blend of slapstick gags and madcap comedy" (Cue), this "hilarious" (Motion Picture Herald) romp, starring Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole and WoodyAllen in his acting and screenwriting debut, is the "wildest, wackiest" (Boxoffice) film to emerge from the swingin' '60s. Burt Bacharach's Oscar(r)-nominated* title song only adds tothe infectious appeal!Michael (O'toole) has a problem: he's a mademoiselle magnet! His demented psychiatrist (Sellers) and sex-starved friend (Allen) would kill for this problem, but his would-be fiancée (Romy Schneider) might just kill him. Undergoing therapy that would put Freud in a straitjacket, Michael tries to reform, but it won't be easy with sex kittens like Capucine, Paula Prentiss and Ursula Andress on his tail!*1965: Song (with Hal David)

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