Ocean's 11 (1960) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)OCEAN'S 11 is a real time-capsule classic. The ultimate "heist" movie, starring The Chairman of The Board, Dino, Sammy, Joey, Peter, and the rest of The Rat Pack, this one is worth seeing just to watch "the boys" hanging out together and getting into trouble.
The late Fifties All-Adult ambience of Vegas is priceless, as is the hep cat cool which just oozes off the screen. Let's face it: How many men could get away with calling the President of the United States "Chickee Baby"? Well, Frank called JFK precisely that. Even Bill Clinton was never that swingin'!
The storyline is a standard potboiler involving a group of old Army buddies setting up the biggest theft in American history, five Vegas casinos. Frankie ain't doin' no singin', and the film's a bit slow moving in spots. They're playing it a little too straight and serious,and there are less laughs than chuckles, and no sex, but the film was a product of it's times (1960) and still had to get past the censors in those days. Peter Lawford is over the line as a forty year old Mama's Boy trying for the Big Score.
No matter how good the Clooney remake is, he won't touch this one at all...There's only one Rat Pack!
Call this an addendum:
After seeing the Clooney release of OCEAN'S 11, I decided to add a few more thoughts. Well, the new movie is ALMOST better---more action and more pacing, better scriptwriting. In short, a technically superior film in most ways, which is marred by the one thing you can't put a price tag on---the chemistry.
Although Clooney is grand (he swanks across the screen like a Bond villain on vacation), Brad Pitt is appropriately and irreverently serious, and Carl Reiner is outrageously funny, the "new crew" can't replicate the charisma of the Rat Pack.
Although the Eleven in both films are con artists and thieves, they are the antiheroes we all dream of. At the end of the original, you feel for the "bad guys," who, after all, ain't really that bad ("Coo-coo, baby!"). The remake hardly introduces most of the Eleven, and you don't really give a Rat's Pack whether most of them get away with it or not. They're only props.
Julia Roberts is curiously flat, colorless, and dried up as Danny Ocean's wife (where in the original, Angie Dickinson was undeniably THERE in what was a really very minor role). Andy Garcia is an evil presence as the "good guy" casino owner.
Both films are worth your time. The one has what the other lacks. In short, if computer imnaging could ever morph the original actors into the remake, this might just be the best film ever made.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ocean's 11 (1960)

Frank sinatra and his rat pack prove how to win in las vegas: rob the casinos. Special features: two trailers sinatra family archive photos subtitles in english french spanish portuguese japanese chinese thai and korean. Feature-length audo commentary by frank sinatra jr. And angie dickinson.Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 09/26/2006Starring: Dean Martin Peter LawfordRun time: 127 minutesRating: Nr

Get 41% OFF

Click here for more information about Ocean's 11 (1960)

The Pink Panther and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 5: The Ant and the Aardvark Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I remember this cartoon airing back when I was a kid in the early 1980s. It was during a 1/2 hour cartoon show with an episode of either The Inspector or The Ant and the Aardvark sandwiched between two episodes of The Pink Panther. As soon as I heard the jazzy theme song to Ant and the Aardvark, it bought me back. I'm glad I can add this DVD to my Pink Panther collection and, like other reviewers, am hoping for the release of The Inspector which may be my favorite of that trio of cartoons.
The Ant and the Aardvark is entertaining on many levels (animation, voices, one-liners, music). That big, goofy-looking blue aardvark (so ugly, he's cute) and that fun, jazzy music. What really makes the show are the accents given to the characters by John Byner. Charlie, the ant, is a hip daddy-o who sounds like Dean Martin. Even better is the Aardvark who has a stereotypical north-eastern Jewish accent (his voice was patterned after New York comedian Jackie Mason). Almost anything he says is funny. There are many hilarious one-liners, especially in the early episodes. The show was released to theatres between March 1969 to May 1971, but I think even today's kids will enjoy this cartoon.
Here are the 17 episodes in order of their release:
1. "The Ant and the Aardvark"-- The ant tries to take home an entire picnic, but the aardvark would like to make a picnic of him. Aardvark after a pie to the face--"Coconut cream pie. You know how I know it's coconut? Because it's got a coconut in it, and it huyts!"
2. "Hasty But Tasty"--The hip daddy-o ant gets himself some wheels in the form of a motorcycle. The aardvark after swallowing a giant sandwich--"You know, peanut butter really sticks to the roof of your back."
3. "The Ant From Uncle"--Clever title--a take-off of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." The aardvark introduces himself to the audience. He then tries to get the ant to visit "The Ant's Club" in his stomach and visits the ant's pad: "What is this place? Nothing but hallways." We find out the ant's name is Charlie and we meet "Charlie's Aunt" (a reference to the classic play and later film "Charley's Aunt").
4. "I've Got Ants in My Plans"--The aarvark and his rival, the green aardvark, compete over Charlie.
5. "Technology, Phooey"--The aardvark purchases a computer that sounds a little like Paul Lynde (it's not his voice, though) to help him catch Charlie. Aardvark: "I could say something right now, but it would only get censored."
6. "Never Bug an Ant"--The aardvark tries many creative ways to catch the ant--none work but they are creative. Aardvark: "I'd rather be a banker and have a businessman's lunch." Ant: "Lucky for me, an ant can lift 100,000 times his own weight" (that comes in handy).
7. "Dune Bug"--Charlie is vacationing at the beach and the aardvark keeps getting kicked off for not wearing a leash.
8. "Isle of Caprice"--The aardvark somehow ends up on a deserted island and tries to swim to an adjacent island inhabited by ants--but a shark keeps putting the chomp on his plans. No Charlie in this one (sorry, Charlie).
9. "Scratch a Tiger"--For pulling a thorn out of his foot, a tiger protects Charlie and his ant buddies from the aardvark. The tables are turned, however, when the aardvark also relieves the tiger of a painful thorn.
10. "Odd Ant Out"--The aardvark competes with his rival green anteater over a can of chocolate-covered ants. Charlie is only seen at the end.
11. "Ants in the Pantry"--The aardvark gets tips on where to find meals by intercepting calls to a pest control company. When he shows up at Charlie's address, however, he is no longer in control of the pests.
12. "Science Friction"--A scientist wants Charlie for research, the aardvark wants him for lunch.
13. "Mumbo Jumbo"--An elephant, and fellow member of the Brothers of the Forest Lodge 202, comes to Charlie's aid when he's confronted by the aardvark--"With a mouth as small as mine, I've got to pick on somebody his size or I'd starve."
14. "The Froze Nose Knows"--It's winter time, but there's no hibernation for the aardvark--he probably should consider it, though.
15. "Don't Hustle an Ant With Muscle"--Charlie takes strength vitamins and becomes a muscle-bound powerhouse who can even get the aardvark to be his waiter: "I never thought it would happen to me, an aardvark bringing lunch to an ant."
16. "Rough Brunch"--Charlie finds support from a family of termites who makes life miserable for the aardvark.
17. "From Bed to Worse"--The Ant and the Aardvark are hit by a car and are put in an animal clinic with an angry dog. The little old lady nurse reminds me of Tweety Bird's owner. Aardvark: "The hospitality around here can make a person sick."

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Pink Panther and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 5: The Ant and the Aardvark

The Pink Panther: The Ant & The Aardvark Classic Cartoon Collection features all 17 episodes of the original cartoon series.For the first time on DVD, parents can relive the hilarity as these two characters go head to head.

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about The Pink Panther and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 5: The Ant and the Aardvark

Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume Two (Partners / Hollywood or Bust / Living It Up / You're Never Too Young / Artists and Models) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Hi Folks
these films look fabulous!! Many of them are VISTAVISION which was the absolute highest grade quality/size negative format from the 50's era.
I'm not going to deduct stars for what Isn't in this set...that's lame...this is 5 very well presented movies with many many laughs..some great songs and loads of fun...for a bit over $20? Geeez , how can you resist?
I can't explain Martin & Lewis to you ...if you don't know their work..start with volume 1 then this one..and don't avoid the Legendary Jerry set as its wonderful as well. Kids out there? Think Adam Sandler invented that character of his? watch Jerry...
and Dean is still the big brother we all wished we had..cool as heck and very protective of his idiot friend.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume Two (Partners / Hollywood or Bust / Living It Up / You're Never Too Young / Artists and Models)

LIVING IT UP: The 1954 Martin-and-Lewis romp Living It Up is an amusing remake of the 1937 comedy classic Nothing Sacred. More specifically, it is the film version of the Broadway musical Hazel Flagg, which was based on Nothing Sacred. The heroine of the original undergoes a sex change to become feckless Homer Flagg (Jerry Lewis), who is led to believe that he's dying of radiation poisoning. Manhattan newspaperwoman Wally Cook (Janet Leigh), hoping to improve circulation of her paper, convinces her boss, Oliver Stone (Fred Clark), to fete Homer as a hero with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Big Apple. Meanwhile, Homer learns from local doctor Steve (Dean Martin) that he isn't dying at all. But Steve talks Homer into taking advantage of the celebrity treatment bestowed on him by Wally, and a good time is had by all — until medical specialist Dr. Egelhofer (Sig Rumann) insists upon examining Homer. Highlights include a hilarious bit at Yankee Stadium, and an energetic jitterbug number featuring Jerry Lewis and Sheree North. The handful of songs retained from Hazel Flagg include "Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York." YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNG: You're Never Too Young is a slapstick-with-songs remake of the 1944 Ray Milland/Ginger Rogers vehicle The Major and the Minor. Dean Martin plays the Milland part, while Ginger's shoes are filled by...Jerry Lewis? Lewis plays an apprentice barber who inadvertently crosses a homicidal jewel thief (Raymond Burr), and equally inadvertently hightails it out of town with the crook's jewels in his possession. Desperate to escape the crook's clutches, and lacking the necessary funds for a train ticket, Lewis disguises himself as a 12-year-old boy so he can travel half fare. He latches onto Dean, a music teacher heading for an all-girls school. After innumerable routines sparked by Lewis's adolescent disguise, the jewel thief catches up with him, leading to a rollicking climactic speedboat chase. Dean Martin has plenty of opportunities to serenade leading lady Diana Lynn (who'd played a supporting role in The Major and the Minor), while Jerry Lewis is in peak form doing his usual "waah-waah-waah" schtick. The original Billy Wilder/Charles Brackett script for The Major and the Minor was reshaped into You're Never Too Young by future bestselling novelist Sidney Sheldon. ARTISTS AND MODELS: Bearing very little relation to the 1937 Paramount musical of the same name, Artists and Models is a lavish, girl-filled vehicle for the popular team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Martin plays Rick Todd, a comic-book artist who is under fire from his publisher (Eddie Mayehoff), who complains that Rick's work isn't gory enough. Lewis plays Eugene Fullstack, Rick's roommate, who while asleep dreams up elaborate comic-book plots and garishly costumed superheroes. Eugene's nightmares help Rick become a success; meanwhile, our two heroes romance their luscious neighbors, artist Dorothy Malone and rambunctious model Shirley MacLaine (who during one song wrestles Eugene to the floor and sits on his chest!) Eugene's overworked imagination somehow attracts the attention of a group of Russian spies, who attempt to abduct Eugene during the annual Artists and Models Ball. Director Frank Tashlin uses Artists and Models as an excuse for some of the wildest sight-gags seen in a mid-1950s film. At one point, the director contrives to stuff a gag in Shirley MacLaine's mouth. Tashlin also exhibits his ongoing fascination with female breasts and legs by giving ample screen time to the natural attributes of co-stars Anita Ekberg and Zsa Zsa Gabor. One of the best of the Martin/Lewis efforts, Artists and Models suffers only from being about 20 minutes too long. PARDNERS: This Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis romp is liberally based on the 1936 Bing Crosby film Rhythm on the Range. Set around 1910, the film stars Lewis as the pampered son of female tycoon Agnes Moorehead. Yearning to return to the Wild West where his father was a famed peacekeeper, Lewis purchases a prize bull, destined for the ranch inherited by rodeo star Dean Martin. It so happens that Martin and Lewis' late fathers were "pardners", so Martin takes it upon himself to protect Lewis from the various and sundry tough hombres in the region. Through a series of bizarre plot convolutions, Lewis gains a reputation as a rootin' tootin' gunslinger, and in his hubris he decides to round up a gang of outlaws headed by Jeff Morrow. As a result, he nearly gets himself blown to smitherines, but Martin shows up in the nick of time to rescue Lewis and help him capture the bad guys. Lori Nelson and Jackie Loughery supply the film's peripheral romantic angle. Pardners ends with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis turning to the camera and promising that they'll keep on making pictures for their faithful fans; ironically, the team was breaking up even while the cameras were turning.HOLLYWOOD OR BUST: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made their last joint film appearance in the girl-filled musical Hollywood or Bust. The thinnish plot finds inveterate film fan Jerry making a cross-country journey to Tinseltown for the purpose of meeting his favorite screen star, the buxom Anita Ekberg (the film's title, need it be added, has a double meaning). Dean goes along for the ride, hoping to expand his bankroll during a Las Vegas stopover. The boys are joined by a third traveller, an enormous Great Dane named Mr. Bascomb; along the way, the trio becomes a quartet when pretty Pat Crowley hitches a ride. The finale takes place in Hollywood, naturally, as Jerry wreaks havoc at a film studio which looks suspiciously like Paramount. All reports indicate that Hollywood and Bust was an unhappy shoot, with Jerry Lewis behaving so obstreperously that director Frank Tashlin ordered him off the set and told him to go home until he learned to behave himself; to this day, Lewis cannot bring himself to watch the film. Happily, the animosity between the two stars never comes across on screen, and as a result Hollywood or Bust is a most enjoyable diversion.

Click here for more information about Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume Two (Partners / Hollywood or Bust / Living It Up / You're Never Too Young / Artists and Models)

Jerry Lewis - The Legendary Jerry Collection (The Bellboy / Cinderfella / The Delicate Delinquent / The Disorderly Orderly / The Errand Boy / The Family Jewels / The Ladies Man / The Nutty Professor / The Patsy / The Stooge) (1964) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The author of a recent book in appreciation of Lewis' film work, Enfant Terrible! notes that he's been honored primarily not in the US but in France, by "those incomprehensible hedonistic strangers across the sea." This set affords an opportunity to reappraise his standing in the cinema, and I find myself falling in with the hedonistic strangers in appreciation of his considerable talents.
I can remember as a kid laughing my head off in the theater watching Who's Minding the Store? (not included in this set), but it wasn't until I saw Martin and Lewis on the Colgate Comedy Hour shows on DVD that I had any idea of his range and versatility. Then I saw the first Dean and Jerry movie, My Friend Irma, a film based on a radio show, and thoroughly forgettable but for one thing: the Martin/ Lewis interplay. Paramount long ago saw what I'm just finding out, and the duo made sixteen movies together.
Only their last film in that series is included in this set, The Stooge, from 1953, in which, as Leonard Maltin has noted, Lewis shows hidden depths as an actor. His first solo outing, The Delicate Delinquent (1957) is surprisingly poignant, with only intermittent comic bits. This unimaginably rich set of ten films from 1953 to 1965 may not convert staid critics on this side of the Atlantic, but it certainly will prove the Lewis lover's cup of tea. The films are on ten single sided DVDs in five slimline cases which fit in a box set. The slim cases are too thin to comfortably hold two discs, however, and plastic pieces had broken off in all the cases I opened. The DVDs were still OK though (single sided discs are tougher than double sided ones), and except for that problem this is an attractively packaged set.
The ten films are in widescreen, four in black and white and six in color. In chronological order they are: The Stooge (1953, black and white), The Delicate Delinquent (1957, black and white), The Bell Boy (1960, black and white), Cinderfella (1960, color, with Ed Wynn as the fairy godfather), The Errand Boy (1961, black and white), The Ladies Man (1961, color), The Nutty Professor (1963, color, special edition), The Patsy (1964, color), The Disorderly Orderly (1964, color, with an opening song by Sammy Davis Jr.), and The Family Jewels (1965, color, in which Lewis plays six roles). There's not much information on the box, but many films include trailers and extra features, listed inside the DVD cases. The piece de resistance is a personal note from Jerry slipped into the box, expressing his hope that the Martin/ Lewis films will also soon make it to DVD. A sentiment we fans, mon ami, fervently echo.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Jerry Lewis - The Legendary Jerry Collection (The Bellboy / Cinderfella / The Delicate Delinquent / The Disorderly Orderly / The Errand Boy / The Family Jewels / The Ladies Man / The Nutty Professor / The Patsy / The Stooge) (1964)

Contains: The Nutty Professor, The Ladies' Man, The Delicate Delinquent, Cinderfella, The Bell Boy, The Errand Boy, The Patsy, The Disorderly Orderly, The Family Jewels, and The Stooge.

Click here for more information about Jerry Lewis - The Legendary Jerry Collection (The Bellboy / Cinderfella / The Delicate Delinquent / The Disorderly Orderly / The Errand Boy / The Family Jewels / The Ladies Man / The Nutty Professor / The Patsy / The Stooge) (1964)