Director: Vladimir Motyl Writer: Valentin Ezhov, Rustam Ibragimbekov Genre: Action / Adventure / Comedy / Drama / Romance / War Country: Soviet Union Language: Russian Running Time: 85 min Rating: 8.1/10 IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066565/
Cast: Anatoli Kuznetsov as Fyodor Sukhov Spartak Mishulin as Sayid Kakhi Kavsadze as Abdulla Pavel Luspekayev as Vereschagin
A Russian twist on the American Western, this "Eastern" opens up with a beautiful woman dressed in red walking across an open green field, carrying two pails of water on her shoulders. This woman ends up being almost the heart of the film, even though she has no real part in the movie. Then reality sets in, and the desert by the Caspain sea is seen. The leading man, Red Army soldier Fyodor Sukhov, is about to return home to his lovely wife (our lady in red) after being away at war when he gets in the middle of a fight, and finds himself in charge of the 9 wives of Abdullah. Throughout the rest of the movie he has to help protect the wives, while they believe themselves to be his. However, his wife seems to be the thing that keeps him going through life as he writes to her every day. He has to help keep the wives safe through the rest of the movie, and keep himself safe to return to his wife, to finally get out of the desert.
User Comment: I's, oh, so wonderful film. I saw it for the first time in my 19, in 1971 in small bioscope in Poland. Soviet film were not very wanted by the teenagers but it was long, dull summer and I haven't nothing better to do. And, what a surprise - film full of humor, action and irony. Song sung by me beloved Bulat Okudzava. After a long, long time I've seen it again in 2000 (You know , Soviet films were almost banned in Polish democracy. A moment of anxiety how it will be work and - ohhh, same feelings, same thrills, same chills. No, not the same, even deeper.
20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) Walt Disney's Mighty, Magnificent, Memorable 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!
Director: Richard Fleischer Writer: Earl Felton Genre: Adventure / Drama / Family / Sci-Fi Country: USA Language: English Running Time: 127 min Rating: 7.1/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0046672/
Cast: Kirk Douglas as Ned Land James Mason as Captain Nemo Paul Lukas as Prof. Pierre Arronax Peter Lorre as Conseil Robert J. Wilke as First Mate of the Nautilus Ted de Corsia as Capt. Farragut Carleton Young as John Howard J.M. Kerrigan as Billy Percy Helton as Coach Driver Ted Cooper as Mate on 'Lincoln'
The oceans during the late 1860-92s are no longer safe; many ships have been lost. Sailors have returned to port with stories of a vicious narwhal (a giant whale with a long horn) which sinks their ships. A naturalist, Professor (Pierre) Aronnax, his assistant, Conseil, and a professional whaler, Ned Land, join an US expedition which attempts to unravel the mystery
User Comment: Disney`s version of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is rightly remembered for the classic scene featuring the giant squid , but it should be remembered for more than that . Captain Nemo is a wonderfully written anti-hero who`s what would be described nowadays as an environmentalist , but don`t dare confuse him with being some sort of yogurt knitting tree hugger because this is a man waging a violent crusade against warmongers and anyone else he sees fit to exterminate . It`s a really intriguing character study and Nemo is played superbly by James Mason . Compare Mason`s performance as Nemo to that of Steven Seagal`s role as ecowarrior Forrest Taft in ON DEADLY GROUND . Done so ? A laughable contrast isn`t it . Kirk Douglas may disappoint as Ned Land but his real function is to act as a physical square jawed hero alongside the academic and somewhat ambigious Professor Arronnax
I also appreciated the fact that Disney resisted the temptation to invent a child character in order to make the film appeal to children more by way of audience identification , nor is there any sort of mawkish sentiment or frivolity that`s spoiled many a Disney film . In fact this is such an exciting thoughtful adventure if it wasn`t for the presence of a seal I wouldn`t have believed it was a Disney film
Did I mention there`s a great battle with a giant squid ?
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Barton Fink (1991) Between Heaven and Hell There's Always Hollywood!
Director: Joel Coen Writer: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Genre: Comedy / Drama Country: USA / UK Language: English Running Time: 116 min Rating: 7.6/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0101410/
Cast: John Turturro as Barton Fink John Goodman as Charlie Meadows Judy Davis as Audrey Taylor Michael Lerner as Jack Lipnick John Mahoney as W.P. Mayhew Tony Shalhoub as Ben Geisler Jon Polito as Lou Breeze Steve Buscemi as Chet David Warrilow as Garland Stanford Richard Portnow as Detective Mastrionotti Christopher Murney as Detective Deutsch I.M. Hobson as Derek Meagen Fay as Poppy Carnahan (as Megan Faye) Lance Davis as Richard St. Claire Harry Bugin as Pete
In 1941, New York intellectual playwright Barton Fink comes to Hollywood to write a Wallace Beery wrestling picture
User Comment: The Coen-movie I liked best was "Raising Arizona". But being realisic, I know that "Miller's Crossing" and "Barton Fink" were better. There is so much inside and behind this movie, it's impossible to refer to every single detail. John Turturro has never given a better performance than here, as arrogant, too ambitious author Barton Fink. John Goodman also plays his role for a lifetime. And of course, Michael Lerner was nominated for an Academy Award. The reason why he still is no star is that he didn't act in any other Coen-brothers-movie. It's a fact that with their direction actors reach their climax
Some of my friends who saw this film disliked it because they didn't understand the plot. Well, this is not a movie for people who need instructions how to handle a film. You have to think, to guess what all the symbols mean, what the ending means. Whatever you'll guess it can't be completely wrong because a real masterpiece like this offers many possibilities for interpretation
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Eye of the Needle (1981) Codename: "The Needle". Only one person can stop him: The woman who loves him ! Director: Richard Marquand Writer: Ken Follett, Stanley Mann Genre: Thriller / War Country: UK Language: German / English Running Time: 112 min Rating: 7.1/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0082351/
Cast: Donald Sutherland as Heinrich "Henry"Faber Stephen MacKenna as Lieutenant Philip Martin Brown as Billy Parkin Kate Nelligan as Lucy Christopher Cazenove as David George Belbin as Lucy's Father Faith Brook as Lucy's Mother Barbara Graley as David's Mother George Lee as Constable Arthur Lovegrove as Peterson Colin Rix as Oliphant Barbara Ewing as Mrs. Garden Chris Jenkinson as German SS Officer William Merrow as German Radio Operator Patrick Connor as Inspector Harris
A ruthless German spy, trying to get out of Britain with vital information about D-Day, must spend time with a young woman and her crippled husband
User Comment: So, at first I had trouble deciding if this film was great or just another war film that would be forgotten about as the years progressed. It was a tough decision that required a day of thought. There were definitely scenes in this film that would embarrass even the most novice movie goer, yet there is something about the story and the humanistic approach to a non-human element that seeps from this film's pores. The scene that stands out the most in my mind is when Sutherland is running to the rain to catch Lucy. You can obviously tell that he is on a sound stage and water is being thrown in his face. His acting and the way that that particular scene was set up was appalling. It made me laugh instead of feel any sort of suspense or fear. It forced credibility for Sutherland's character right out the door. There were several other scenes that just didn't seem to fit in this film that made you question the theatrical release of this film or if it was a straight-to-television production. If you can get through these few lapses in the director's train of thought, then you will be able to see the powerful story that lies within
When I first saw the box to this film I didn't know what to expect. To my utter enjoyment, Eye of the Needle is one of those gems hiding in a mud puddle. After you wipe it off (look away from the DVD cover), you will begin to see the beauty of this film. As we begin our story, we see Sutherland as a normal person, but as the film advances, our idea and interpretation of his character blows our mind. When most war films simply believe in keeping you in your theater seats by showing graphic images of battle and chaos, this film goes in the completely other direction. This is a story between two people and the small battle that they fight for their beliefs. I mentioned earlier that I felt this was a very humanistic film. The reason for that statement is because we witness the human element to war. Billy is the perfect example of a man who has lost a portion of his life, yet is too depressed to see the happiness in front of him. Normally in war films this comes late story, but in Eye of the Needle it is shown right up front. Next, we hardly ever are given a very human side to the villain in these stories. Normally, they kill without remorse, but again, not in this film. What we witness are two humans caught between a hard place with nobody else to turn to
While war is being raged overseas with thousands of troopers, it is impressive to see stories like this that revolve around just two people. These two people can have the same effect on the war as a brigade of soldiers. I never saw their reaction to each other coming. I wasn't expecting a message in this film. I brief history lesson about the day to day activities surrounding this dark cloud of our world's history. Also, I wasn't expecting to see such powerful acting from Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan. Together they created more sparks on screen than most duos today
What they create is better and more realistic than most Hollywood jargon
It is impressive to see this in a war film. I cannot stress that enough. This film surprised me and I am normally not a huge war fan. I think the reason that it stood out was because director Richard Marquand develops two amazing characters and places them in a war torn country, only to uproot them again into a place of beauty and nature. We go from one spectrum to the next with Marquand and it works. Ken Follett, who wrote the novel that this film is based, has done a great job of taking a world that is huge and bringing it down to just these two characters. It is not often that you see that in a war film, especially one made in 1981
Overall, I flip-flopped my decision all around until I finally made a choice. This film was amazing. I can look past the low-budgeted scenes that make this film dated in the 80s, and see the amazing truth behind the characters and story. This is one of the most impressive stories that I have seen come from Hollywood. I could literally watch this film again and probably catch more that I missed the first time. This isn't your average spy film; this is instead a film about humans and the comfort we need in our lives. Also, I must end with this note, if any villain (without saying who) can use his trademark kill six times in forty minutes, you should realize that this film is going to be a great ride
Grade: **** out of *****
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Father Goose (1964)
Director: Ralph Nelson Writer: S.H. Barnett, Peter Stone Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Romance / War Country: USA Language: English / French / Japanese Running Time: 118 min Rating: 7.3/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0058092/
Cast: Cary Grant as Walter Christopher Eckland Leslie Caron as Catherine Freneau Trevor Howard as Commander Frank Houghton Jack Good as Lieutenant Stebbings Sharyl Locke as Jenny Pip Sparke as Anne Verina Greenlaw as Christine Stephanie Berrington as Elizabeth Anderson Jennifer Berrington as Harriet MacGregor Laurelle Felsette as Angelique Nicole Felsette as Dominique
User Comment: If you are looking for comparisons and don't mind a bit of a stretch, then you can consider "Father Goose" (1964) as another version of "Bringing Up Baby". In both Cary Grant gets to play a character experiencing a host of aggravations. Leslie Caron's Catherine Frenau is not as zany as Hepburn's Susan, but still manages to irritate Grant for most of the film until he finally realizes that he is in love with her. And instead of a leopard and a dog running amuck in rural Connecticut, "Father Goose" features seven schoolgirls of various nationalities running amuck on a Pacific island during WWII
Everything works pretty well in this film although Grant is not quite up to an American accent so there are several awkward moments with the script. And the age difference makes the Grant-Caron romance unconvincing. Fortunately the producers skate over the romantic elements. In fact, the romance is treated so superficially that you wonder why they bothered to insert it into the story. A similar romance got much the same treatment that year in "My Fair Lady"
The film's real strength is the interaction between Grant and the seven schoolgirls as it manages a fair amount of believable characterization for each of them. The initially silent Jenny (Sharyl Locke), tomboy Harry (Jennifer Berrington), chronic complainer Anne (Pip Sparke), Elizabeth (Stephanie Berrington) and her imaginary friend Gretchen, coming of age Christine (Venina Greenlaw), and the French twins (Laurelle and Nichole Felsette). All have distinct personalities and it is obvious that Grant had a lot of fun working with each of them; so much so that he stayed in touch with them even after they grew up, married, and started their own families
Grant's Walter Eckland is an American drifter hoping the war will just pass him by; illustrated during the opening credits by Digby Wolfe singing "Pass Me By" as Eckland (with an unwanted hitchhiking Pelican) steers his boat into the harbor. The war catches up with him there when the Harbor Master (Trevor Howard) tricks him into taking a coast-watching job until a replacement can be found
His job is reporting by radio any movements by Japanese planes and ships near his island station. The reluctant recruit is rewarded with a bottle of whiskey (previously hidden somewhere on the island by the Royal Navy) each time one of his reports is confirmed
Walter seems to thrive on this assignment until he has to share his island with a French teacher Catherine Frenau (Leslie Caron) and seven young charges. Miss Frenau hides the remaining whiskey bottles and the females take over Walter's hut
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child
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Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962) Climb Aboard... For The Fun-Venture Of The Year!
Director: Irwin Allen Writer: Irwin Allen, Charles Bennett Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Romance Country: USA Language: English Running Time: 101 min Rating: 5.4/10 IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055988/
Cast: Red Buttons as Donald O'Shay Fabian as Jacques Barbara Eden as Susan Gale Cedric Hardwicke as Fergusson Peter Lorre as Ahmed Richard Haydn as Sir Henry Vining Barbara Luna as Makia Billy Gilbert as Sultan / Auctioneer Herbert Marshall as The Prime Minister Reginald Owen as Consul Henry Daniell as Sheik Ageiba Mike Mazurki as Slave Captain Alan Caillou as Inspector Ben Astar as Myanga Raymond Bailey as Randolph
Professor Fergusson plans to make aviation history by making his way across Africa by balloon. He plans to claim uncharted territories in West Africa as proof of his inventions worth
User Comment: Easily the most enjoyable film version of a Jules Verne story "Five Weeks in a Balloon" never slows down it's pace. Awash with color, humor, adventure, exotic sets, and a balloon that looks like it came from the designer of the "Swiss Family Robinson" treehouse, the film keeps up a brisk pace, tells a simple story, and wraps things up in a timely manner. Other reviews mention the rich cast and still manage to miss major performances by Red Buttons and Peter Lorre (that tells you something about the cast). Irwin Allen at his best
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F/X (1986) Murder by Illusion
Director: Robert Mandel Writer: Robert T. Megginson, Gregory Fleeman Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller Country: USA Language: English Running Time: 109 min Rating: 6.5/10 IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089118/
Cast: Bryan Brown as Roland 'Rollie' Tyler Brian Dennehy as Lt. Leo McCarthy Diane Venora as Ellen Keith Cliff De Young as Lipton Mason Adams as Col. Mason Jerry Orbach as Nicholas DeFranco Joe Grifasi as Mickey Martha Gehman as Andy Roscoe Orman as Capt. Wallenger Trey Wilson as Lt. Murdoch Tom Noonan as Varrick Paul D'Amato as Gallagher Jossie DeGuzman as Marisa Velez Jean De Baer as Whitemore M'el Dowd as Joyce Lehman (Miss Lehman)
Rollie is an expert in the art of Special Effects (F/X) and has a reputation build on many low budged hack and slash films (Including such titles as "I dismember momma") and is quite surprised to find that the FBI has a job for him. He is to stage the murder of a gangster about to enter the Witness Protection Program. He agrees, but then things get complicated. All the while a New York City police detective, Leo McCarthy is investigating the faked murder and can't understand why the FBI is even less helpful than usual
User Comment: "F/X" beats most Hollywood action films. It stands out with a slick basic idea developed to a proper script that offers twists and surprises all the way to the end, but luckily not as much as "Mission: Impossible" did Bryan Brown is just the right man for the part of Rollie. He and Brian Dennehy make a great pair, although they don't appear together until the end of the film Refreshingly original and highly recommendable
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F/X2 (1991) Outgunned by the mob, outmanned by the cops..... their effects had _better_ be special!
Director: Richard Franklin Writer: Robert T. Megginson, Gregory Fleeman Genre: Action / Comedy / Crime / Thriller Country: USA Language: English Running Time: 108 min Rating: 5.3/10 IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101846/
Cast: Bryan Brown as Roland 'Rollie' Tyler Brian Dennehy as Leo McCarthy Rachel Ticotin as Kim Brandon Joanna Gleason as Liz Kennedy, Assistant DA Philip Bosco as Lt. Ray Silak, NYPD Kevin J. O'Connor as Matt Neely Tom Mason as Mike Brandon, NYPD Dominic Zamprogna as Chris Brandon, Mike's Son Jossie DeGuzman as Marisa Velez, Police Computer Expert John Walsh as Rado Peter Boretski as Carl Becker, Medallion Thief Lisa Fallon as Kylie, Model for Decoy Lee Broker as DeMarco Philip Akin as Det. McQuay Tony De Santis as Det. Santoni
F/X man Rollie Tyler is now a toymaker. Mike, the ex-husband of his girlfriend, Kim is a cop. He asks Rollie to help him catch a killer. And the operation was going well when some unknown man kills both the killer and Mike. Mike's boss, Silak says it was the killer who killed Mike but Rollie knows it wasn't. Obviously Silak is involved with Mike's death, so he calls on Leo McCarthy, the cop from the last movie, who is now a P.I. for help. And they discover it's not just Silak whom they have to worry about
User Comment: Decent if somewhat belated(5 years??) followup to the '86 suprise hit, has Dennehy and Brown in fine form, some involved monkey business with Vatican medallions, bad cops and computer records. You gotta like the MacGyver-ish stuff they throw in, the indestructible hit-man and of course, That Clown. The Fighting, Animitronic Klown. Quite funny in it's way This thing is def. tongue in cheek, at little on the confusing side if you try to think about the flips and flops in the plotting; but hey-it's all in fun. Dated but good **1/2 outta ****
Horror Express (1973) Can it be stopped?
Director: Eugenio Mart n Writer: Arnaud d'Usseau, Julian Zimet Genre: Horror / Mystery / Sci-Fi / Thriller Country: UK / Spain Language: English Running Time: USA:90 min / USA:88 min / Spain:84 min Rating: 6.3/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0068713/
Cast: Christopher Lee as Professor Alexander Saxton Peter Cushing as Dr. Wells Alberto de Mendoza as Father Pujardov Silvia Tortosa as Countess Irina Petrovska Julio Pe a as Inspector Mirov ngel del Pozo as Yevtushenko (as Angel del Pozo) Helga Lin as Natasha Alice Reinheart as Miss Jones Jos Jaspe as Conductor Koniev George Rigaud as Count Maryan Petrovski (as Jorge Rigaud) V ctor Israel as Luggage Worker Faith Clift as American Passenger Juan Olaguivel as Creature (as Juan Olaguibel) Barta Barri as First Telegraphist Peter Beckman
An English anthropologist (Christopher Lee) has discovered a frozen monster in the frozen wastes of
User Comment: Judged on its own terms--as a 70s ghoul movie--this film should be rated a 10 out of 10! The plot is well-structured and tightly directed, and contains lots of great elements: 1906 setting, fancy trans-Siberian train ride, a ghoul, a mad monk, alien theorizing a-la-X-files, zombie soldiers stalking, Peter Cushing sawing the top of somebody's head off, a beautiful spy, eyeballs in a dish, a beautiful Polish Countess, and, believe it or not, it's all very cohesive! That's an admirable achievement
And the acting is great. The Monk is a scene-stealer. Christopher Lee gets to play a testy, priggish Edwardian scientist, and he does it very well. Cushing's character plays off Lee's stodginess as a laid-back deal-maker(yes, he actually smiles and cracks jokes)These two performances prove that Lee and Cushing were both gifted and versatile actors. Telly Savalas arrives for the final act, and proceeds to strut around and chew up the scenery on a level that would make Rod Steiger or Al Pacino jealous. This movie is one of the best of its type. Yes, in the first two minutes you can see signs of a limited budget, and yes, the microscope scene is ludicrous, but in a way, on the level of imagination and poetic license, it's pure genius
Corrections: a certain "Dik" offered this information while commenting: 1. "An Italian film".(It's a Spanish/UK production) 2. "Lee plays an American Scientist"(the first thing you hear in the movie is Lee saying he is part of the ROYAL Archeological Society, and there's also a lengthy exchange about his character's Englishness: "Queen Victoria, crumpets, Shakespeare"...etc.(The commentator actually goes on about how Lee's portrayal of an American reflects how foreigners view Americans. Well...there's a little problem with that idea, isn't there?)
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In Search of the Castaways (1962) A Thousand Thrills, And Hayley Mills!
Director: Robert Stevenson Writer: Lowell S. Hawley, See more Genre: Family / Adventure Country: USA Language: English Running Time: 98 min | Germany:89 min Rating: 6.3/10 IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056095/
Cast: Maurice Chevalier as Jacques Paganel Hayley Mills as Mary Grant George Sanders as Thomas Ayerton Wilfrid Hyde-White as Lord Glenarvan (as Wilfrid Hyde White) Michael Anderson Jr. as John Glenarvan (as Michael Anderson Jnr.) Antonio Cifariello as Indian Chief Keith Hamshere as Robert Grant Wilfrid Brambell as Bill Gaye Jack Gwillim as Captain Grant Ronald Fraser as Guard at Dockyard Gate Norman Bird as Senior Yacht Guard George Murcell as Ayerton's Assistant Inia Te Wiata as Maori Chief (as Inia Wiata) Mark Dignam as Rich man at Yacht party Michael Wynne as Crooked sailor
The Grant children _know_ their shipwrecked father must still be alive. Didn't he send them a message in a bottle? They search, through earthquake, fire, flood, and cannibal tribe
User Comment: I recently watched this movie for the first time and found very enjoyable and it is a good old adventure movie. The only thing I didn't like about it were the songs, which seemed pointless and did not fit in with the storyline An excellent cast, which includes Hayley Mills (Tiger Bay), Wilfred Hyde White (North West Frontier), George Sanders (Village of the Damned) and Wilfred Brambell (Steptoe and Son). All play excellent parts and they seem to be enjoying themselves. The special effects are excellent too While searching for Hayley Mills's dad, the expedition encounters dangers such as an earthquake, volcano, tidal wave and flood, cannibals, a leopard and a rather unfriendly giant eagle. They do find him at the end, alive and well I found this movie excellent but the songs do let it down slightly Rating: 4 stars out of 5
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Innocent Blood (1992) The movie that goes straight for the jugular
Director: John Landis Writer: Michael Wolk Genre: Comedy / Horror / Romance Country: USA Language: English Running Time: 112 min Rating: 6.0/10 IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104511/
Cast: Anne Parillaud as Marie David Proval as Lenny Rocco Sisto as Gilly Chazz Palminteri as Tony Anthony LaPaglia as Joe Gennaro Robert Loggia as Sallie (The Shark) Macelli Tony Sirico as Jacko Tony Lip as Frank Kim Coates as Ray Marshall Bell as Marsh Leo Burmester as Dave Flinton Rohn Thomas as Coroner Angela Bassett as U.S. Attorney Sinclair Luis Guzm n as Morales Don Rickles as Emmanuel 'Manny' Bergman
Marie has two appetites, sex and blood. Her career as a vampire is going along fine until two problems come up, she is interrupted while feeding on Sal (the shark) Macelli and she begins to develope a relationship with the policeman who has been trying to put Sal away. Sal wakes up in the morgue very confused and very thirsty. He goes back to his old haunts and begins to create an organized crime family of vampires while Marie and her policeman lover hunt him
User Comment: I've always found this a "guilty pleasure," an extremely entertaining profane-gross-funny film about a female vampire who likes "Italian food," meaning she likes to kill members of the Mafia!! I am a bit partial in favor of this movie, anyway, because I am fan of Anne Parillaud. She starred in two of my favorite films: Map Of The Human Heart and Frankie Starlight. To me, she's always great to look at listen to, especially with a comedy here. This is about as good as she's ever looked. I also enjoyed her narration. Also, with director John Landis, you almost always get a very entertaining movie The special effects in here are fun to watch and the general off-the-wall humor is great. If you appreciate dark humor, you'll like this movie. The filmmakers also did not go overlong on the action scenes. The film is almost a put-on about vampire movies The negatives are too much profanity, too much for a comedy. It sometimes gets ridiculous. Robert Loggia plays most of the profane characters I've ever heard on film, yet is very funny at times. The gore is overdone in parts, too, but nowadays - even watching television (i.e. CSI) - we're used to that now. My other complaint is why this DVD is not on widescreen. Why is it only offered in pan-and-scan? If you don't mind blood, guts and foul language, this is a hilarious film
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) A fabulous world below the world
Director: Henry Levin Writer: Charles Brackett, Robert Burns Genre: Adventure / Sci-Fi / Fantasy Country: USA Language: French / English / Icelandic / Italian Running Time: 132 min Rating: 6.9/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0052948/
Cast: Pat Boone as Alec McEwen James Mason as Professor Oliver Lindenbrook Arlene Dahl as Mrs. Carla Goetaborg Diane Baker as Jenny Thayer David as Count Saknussem Peter Ronson as Hans Belker Robert Adler as Groom Alan Napier as Dean Gertrude the Duck as Duck
Prof. Lindenbrook leads his intrepid party on an expedition to the centre of the earth, via a volcano in Iceland, encountering all manner of prehistoric monsters and life-threatening hazards on the way
User Comment: The great James Mason is superb as a geology professor who heads a party of five (four people and one duck) on a perilous journey into the depths of the earth. While the film's screenplay may have been a true cinematic rendering of the source novel by Jules Verne, I could have wished for a film with more subterranean adventure and less prefatory fluff
The film's first 45 minute segment sets up the film's premise, but it takes place totally above ground, and could have been condensed to 10 or 15 minutes. There's lots of professorial bantering; a youthful Pat Boone croons his sweetheart; and he and the professor duel against adversaries in an unnecessary subplot
But once the explorers finally get underground, the viewer is in for an absorbing cinematic experience, despite a bloated script that has the cast chattering incessantly. Cinematography and special effects effectively convey the physical surroundings as a forbidding, downward trending labyrinth characteristic of a giant cave
The sets are elaborate and imaginative, though the "mushroom forest" is a tad too "magical"; I kept waiting for Dorothy, Toto, and the cowardly lion to drop by and say hello from the set of the Emerald City
From start to finish the film has good acting, and there's plenty of humor. And the sound effects and grim music are terrific. The organ music, in particular, lends a strikingly Gothic touch to the nether world look of the sunken city
Despite a too talky script, this 1959 film deserves to be watched multiple times by kids of all ages for its timeless adventure and sense of discovery
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Labyrinth (1986) Where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems
Director: Jim Henson Writer: Dennis Lee, Jim Henson Genre: Family / Fantasy / Adventure / Musical Country: UK / USA Language: English Running Time: 101 min Rating: 7.3/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0091369/
Cast: David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Toby Froud as Toby Shelley Thompson as Stepmother Christopher Malcolm as Father Natalie Finland as Fairy Shari Weiser as Hoggle Brian Henson as Hoggle / Goblin (voice) Ron Mueck as Ludo / Firey 2 / Goblin (voice) Rob Mills as Ludo / Firey 3 Dave Goelz as Didymus / The Hat / The Four Guards / Left Door Knocker / Firey 3 (voice) (as David Goelz) David Alan Barclay as Didymus / Firey 1 David Shaughnessy as Didymus / The Hat / The Four Guards / Goblin (voice) (as David Shaughnessy) Karen Prell as The Worm / The Junk Lady / Firey 2 Timothy Bateson as The Worm / The Four Guards / Goblin (voice)
15-year-old Sarah accidentally wishes her baby half-brother, Toby, away to the Goblin King Jareth who will keep Toby if Sarah does not complete his Labyrinth in 13 hours
User Comment: I recently had the pleasure of watching this movie with three kids who had (to my shock and dismay) never seen it before. It turned out to be as good, if not better, as I remembered. The story is reminescent of the original, printed page (very dark) Grimm fairy tales. The special effects are still special, and the characters are unforgettable. Seriously, don't miss it
This is one of the very few childrens' movies that is smarter and better than what has unfortunately become "normal" for the genera. The reverse evolution in childrens' films is heartbreaking, as kids don't deserve to be talked down to so often in movies. I grew up on films like "Labyrinth", "the Neverending Story", and "the Secret of NIMH", and I still count them among my favorites. In the 80's they gave us cinematic filet mignon, and today's kids are getting Spam
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Legend (1985) This is such stuff as dreams are made of. This is Legend
Director: Ridley Scott Writer: William Hjortsberg Genre: Fantasy / Adventure / Romance Country: USA / UK Language: English Running Time: 94 min / USA:114 min (director's cut) / USA:89 min Rating: 6.1/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089469/
Cast: Tom Cruise as Jack Mia Sara as Princess Lily Tim Curry as The Lord of Darkness David Bennent as Honeythorn Gump Alice Playten as Blix Billy Barty as Screwball Cork Hubbert as Brown Tom Peter O'Farrell as Pox Kiran Shah as Blunder Annabelle Lanyon as Oona Robert Picardo as Meg Mucklebones Tina Martin as Nell Ian Longmur as Demon Cook Mike Crane as Demon Cook Liz Gilbert as Dancing Black Dress
A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from both destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves
User Comment: Never did the phrase "a beautiful film" have more relevance than in this wonderful piece of adult fantasy. Make no mistake, this masterpiece, Ridley Scott's fourth film (it followed BLADE RUNNER) was never intended for children. Those who have written it off as a kids' movie totally betray their limitations and inability to see what is being offered here
A youthful Tom Cruise was such a good choice as Jack, the forest dweller destined to plunge the world into darkness and then have but one opportunity to restore the light. Mia Sara is the beautiful princess, part Cinderella, part angel, all virgin! and Tim Curry? well, what a simply staggering contribution as the Lord of Darkness. Totally unrecognizable both visually and audibly but what a performance
All the Ridley Scott trademarks are here, the back-projected blue light, the filtered scenes of wonderment, central characters in a crisis, the enigma of life itself. If anything, LEGEND is better now than when it was released. In '85 it received critical praise - just no-one went to see it! Well that's not strictly true. I attended the Sydney premiere and sat thru it entranced as others fidgeted, whispered, and generally brought attention to their limited attention spans and lowered perceptions!
Certainly it is a film that on one level children could relate to and even enjoy but it is a far deeper film with a host of reflective ideas and quite magical concepts. What really IS the Lord of Darkness? What is the significance of the Unicorns? What becomes of the innocence we leave behind in childhood? If none of this interests you, make sure you avoid this film!
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Mysterious Island (1961) adventure! mystery! excitement!
Director: Cy Endfield Writer: John Prebble, Daniel B. Ullman Genre: Adventure / Family / Sci-Fi / Fantasy Country: UK / USA Language: English Running Time: 101 min Rating: 6.8/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0055207/
Cast: Michael Craig as Capt. Cyrus Harding Joan Greenwood as Lady Mary Fairchild Michael Callan as Herbert Brown Gary Merrill as Gideon Spilitt Herbert Lom as Captain Nemo Beth Rogan as Elena Fairchild Percy Herbert as Sgt. Pencroft Dan Jackson as Cpl. Neb Nugent
User Comment: This film starts off with adventure and rarely ever lets up. Starting off with a daring hot air balloon escape by Union prisoners from a Confederate prison camp through a treacherous storm which blows them off course until eventually they land on a mysterious island full of strange giant creatures such as a giant crab, a giant bird and giant bees. These creatures are magnificently brought to life by stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen. This one will appeal mostly to those young in heart and spirit. Herbert Lom is quite good in his role as Captain Nemo, a man trying to find a means of destroying the causes of war. Also has a wonderful score by Bernard Herrmann. Great fun
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Operation Crossbow (1965)
Director: Michael Anderson Writer: Duilio Coletti, Vittoriano Petrilli Genre: Action / Drama / War MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some war violence Country: UK Language: English / German Running Time: 115 min Rating: 6.6/10 IMDB URL: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0059549/
Cast: Sophia Loren as Nora George Peppard as Lt. John Curtis Trevor Howard as Professor Lindemann John Mills as General Boyd Richard Johnson as Duncan Sandys Tom Courtenay as Robert Henshaw Jeremy Kemp as Phil Bradley Anthony Quayle as Bamford Lilli Palmer as Frieda Paul Henreid as General Ziemann Helmut Dantine as General Linz Barbara R tting as Hannah Reitsch (as Barbara Rueting) Richard Todd as Wing Cmdr. Kendall Sylvia Syms as Constance Babington Smith John Fraser as Flight Lt. Kenny
User Comment: This World War II movie starts off strong with an interesting story about the Nazis experimenting with rockets and showing some of the problems they had in getting them to work. (This was before anyone had done this.)
Meanwhile, the British suspect something is up regarding this experimentation and send some spies to find out. Unfortunately, from that point the film begins to lag and is way too talky until the action-packed finale. There is simply too much time wasted in the middle of this film, which has an outstanding cast, by the way. However, I agree with reviewer "SgtSlaughter" that is just an "average war thriller." Personally, I'd like to see a re-make of this movie
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