5 comments about Robocop.

1. this was a great movie and a great blu-ray recording almost no graininess at all threw the movie definitely recommend this movie if your a robocop fan



2. Unfortunately I have to say that the benefits from High Definition are not to be found in this BluRay edition, video quality is grainy and essentially not worth as an upgrade for the already great Criterion Collection edition.



3. I was really looking forward to getting this DVD and it didn't disappoint. The video quality was crisp and clean and the audio was excellent. The extra features were a little thin and very recycled, but otherwise this was a great addition to my library.



4. This Blu-ray release of Robocop DOES NOT contain any special features, contrary to what the back cover says. It is only the movie(Uncut Version), a trailer, and subtitles. I had expected at the very least the same special features and documentary that are on my friends DVD release.
   
   I do not own the DVD release of Robocop, so I cannot compare the picture and transfer quality of the Blu-ray and DVD. However after reading about the many different DVD releases of Robocop, the special features alone make the Blu-ray release seem to worth about $5.



5. So, does this release come in a steelbook. I heard from some people saying that they got a regular package. Can anyone clarify?

5 comments about The Last September.

1. Atmospheric and beautifully photographed, The Last September, based on the 1929 novel by Elizabeth Bowen, takes place in Cork in 1920, at the beginning of the Irish Rebellion. Lord Richard Naylor (Michael Gambon) and his wife Myra (Maggie Smith), are the Anglo-Irish owners of a large estate which Richard's family has owned for generations. Richard's niece, Lois Farquar, age nineteen, lives with them, a bored young woman without goals, impatient to fall in love. With a stream of visitors coming to the estate, a British army unit is garrisoned nearby for protection, and the soldiers welcome the opportunity to participate in the aristocrats' garden parties and tennis matches.
   
   Closing their eyes to the eventualities, the Naylors adhere to the idea that "It would be a great pity to have a war. There's been enough unpleasantness already." Gradually the "unpleasantness" draws closer, involving Lois, some of her childhood friends from the Irish community, and a British soldier who is courting her.
   
   Slawomir Idziak's cinematography in this 1999 film creates a lush picture of the countryside and a mood of palpable tension. His close-ups of characters whose emotions are reflected in their faces, rather than by their words, emphasize the lack of communication between Irish and landlord, while whirling dancers and tennis players emphasize their deliberate naivete and frantic activity. Filming between cracks in a wall and through a spyglass and peekholes in the floor, Idziak's scenes are both revelatory and visually intriguing.
   
   The film, directed by Deborah Warner, lacks warmth and a central focus, however. Though Lois (Keeley Hawes) is the main character, she is lost in the peripheral action and subplots involving aristocratic houseguests, a pallid lover, and a group of rebels whose activities are not always clear. The screenplay, written by novelist John Banville, never famous for natural dialogue, features remote characters who exclude the viewer from their thoughts.
   
   Michael Gambon, as Sir Richard conveys some awareness of what is happening, but he seems incompatible with Myra (Maggie Smith), who plays her usual aristocratic role with panache. David Tennant, as Gerald Colthurst, Lois's suitor, so much resembles a deer in the headlights that is it difficult to imagine him either as an army captain or as Lois's suitor, while Gary Lydon, as the Irish rebel to whom Lois is supposedly attracted, is portrayed as a violent criminal with few redeeming qualities.
   
   Those familiar with Bowen's novel will enjoy seeing rural Cork through Idziak's stunning photography. Those unfamiliar with the period, however, may have difficulty figuring out what is going on and why. (3.5 stars) Mary Whipple



2. "The Last September" is beautiful period piece, set in Ireland after the Revolution when the "Anglo-Irish"--or Brits--were hanging on for dear life to the nostalgia of which they were such a part. As "Lois," Keeley Hawes is lovely in the lead; and she is as refreshing and tantalizing as an Irish spring.
   
   Of course, Maggie Smith is her Academy Award-winning self, as terrific in this film as she is in every other movie that she chooses to be a part of. She is a gift, a worldwide treasure. Michael Gambon is brilliant as always too, and he shines brightly in this film.
   
   Exquisitely photographed by Slawomir Idziak, with splendid acting that puts American acting to shame, it is a film to remember. A cinemagraphic work of art, unlike the tripe that Hollywood puts out. In the final analysis, Keeley Hawes controls this film and makes it. What a very lovely woman and seemingly special human being.
   
   Fiona Shaw is splendid as "Marda." And last but not least, Deborah Warner is superb in her directorial debut in films; however, regrettably, it appears that she has not made another film since this one. Its domestic gross was $478,053, which may have been a factor, although it certainly deserved better than this.



3. The fine stage director Deborah Warner chose for her first (and so far only) major film to adapt Elizabeth Bowen's brilliant 1929 novel THE LAST SEPTEMBER, an account of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy frittering away their time with tennis parties and flirtations just after the First World War while the Irish Revolutionary War flared around them. Warner assembled a magnificent cast, with Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith as the assured and controlling Sir Richard and Lady Myra Naylor, the charming Keely Hawes as their lovely ward Lois, David Tennant as her awkward smitten middle-class suitor Gerald (an officer in the Britsh police army during the Irish Revolution) and Jane Birkin doing splendid work as the silly insecure Francie. And the film looks gorgeous, with its beautiful-shabby country house interiors in pinks and browns contrasting with the rich leafy greens of the countryside. But the screenwriter, the novelist John Banville, seems to have thought that Bowen's ironic portrait of emotional violence stifled inside the country manners of the landed gentry (mirroring the political violence outside, only occasionally mentioned in the novel) would not be enough to sustain audiences' interests, and he adds a new wrinkle to Bowen's original scenario of Lois's relationship with Gerald: now Lois is, unbelievably, the carnal partner of the local revolutionary outlaw Gerald hunts. The melodramatic result jars tremendously with Bowen's infinitely subtler vision. Before the revolutionary (Gary Lydon) appears, the film is terrific, like a much more finely nuanced version of THE SHOOTING PARTY; afterwards everything goes astray. With two fine actors vividly miscast: the gifted Fiona Shaw, Warner's frequent artistic collaborator, radiant and warm but much too old to play Marda Nolan; and the magnetic Richard Roxburgh using a very distracting accent in a Byronic turn as Captain Daventry.



4. This is a bit of a gem really if you are familiar with the British class system and have a modicum of knowledge of the struggles engulfing Britain around the turn of the twentieth century. In the film, the concern is primarily for the struggle for Irish independence but there are unspoken undertones of the struggles of women.
   
   At first blush this is Doctor Who meets Harry Potter as the main players come on the scene. Seriously though, it is hard towatch this for a while given the proximity of the stars of the movie similar to that of the Potter movies. A bit of a distraction.
   
   Maggie Smith has made this sort of role her own and in this I am strongly reminded of her portrayal in Private Function, a film which has many parallels here.
   
   It is easy to mistake the setting for rural England, which to me is a deliberate perspective of the Director. There is a powerful impetus to assume that the central charcters are, in fact, English, but as the plot unfolds, the underlying sypathies are exposed as an identity, and a greater connection to the historical roots.
   
   Of course, the romance involving an English officer (and thus gentleman) in direct contrast to the Fenian freedom fighter (Irish gentry) is very symbolic. The traditional roles are inverted and twisted but eventually, the officer is killed by his republican rival metaphorically representing the separation of the two lands and the division of the heart of the object of their affection.
   
   The problem is, appreciation of the full scope of the film is limited to those who have read the book and who have a different perception of the story and those who have some rudimentary knowledge of history, politics and class. That is not to say that the regular viewer is left completely in the dark, but merely, that the richness of colour and tone is lost to that person.
   
   For that reason I can only countenance four stars.



5. Although the British have famously enjoyed an eight-hundred year presence in Ireland, in the early twentieth century the feudal British-Irish lost land, home and position as the wave proclaiming the Republic of Ireland swept over and under them. Elizabeth Bowen's 1928 novel profiling the demise of Ireland's Ascendancy, caught the attention of producer Neil Jordan, director Deborah Warner and Fiona Shaw, who plays Marda Norton in the film The Last September. First released in Ireland in early 1999, the movie is rarely found on rental shelves, nine years later. Along with Ms. Shaw, the stellar cast includes England's Maggie Smith (Lady Naylor), Keeley Hawes (Lois Farquar), Michael Gambon (Sir Richard Naylor), Jane Birkin (Francie Montmorency), and Lambert Wilson (Hugo Montmorency).
   
   Guesting at the Naylor's Cork home of Danielstown is a proper stiff-upper lip crowd who act British, but claim to be Irish. They seem oblivious to the mercurial republican violence swirling in the background. An IRA man kills a Black and Tan with barely a raised eyebrow from the Naylors and houseguests, one of whom is niece Lois, marvelously played by Hawes. The explosive violence smoldering in the IRA killer, played by Gary Lydon, arouses her and she initiates a tryst with him. "Oh, it was you that killed the Black and Tan, wasn't it?" she coyly inquires. A tragic British soldier (David Tennant) fawns over Lois and she encourages his entreaties by not discouraging them. When told by Lady Myra (Maggie Smith) that Lois will never be his, the soldier inquires why not. She replies, "You don't have any money, do you?"
   
   Marda Norton (Fiona Shaw) dishes up considerable empathy for Lois's burgeoning sexuality and independence. "You so remind me of myself when I was young," she muses. Marda is camped at the Naylors Big House to find out if the dormant flame between her and the married Hugo Montmorency might be rekindled before she accepts a second-best marriage proposal. A "vamp" she calls herself.
   
   The Last September remains fairly true to Bowen's work, but the novel's sense of impending doom gets somewhat lost in the film. Give cinematographer Slawomir Idziak high marks for fine framing of the Irish countryside.

5 comments about The Val Lewton Horror Collection with Martin Scorsese Presents Val Lewton Documentary (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie ... / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark).

1. This new set from Warner Home Video will contain the exact same titles as the currently sold Val Lewton Collection except there will be a documentary - "Martin Scorsese Presents Val Lewton Man in the Shadows". The documentary will be available separately for just under twenty dollars for people who already own the other five discs as part of original Val Lewton Collection.
   
   Val Lewton is not a well known name in the horror genre for most people. Everyone knows about Universal's reputation in horror during the 1930's and 1940's even though, today, most of those early monster films have dated rather badly, though they still retain an atmosphere that makes them worth watching. Lewton came to RKO in the 1940's and had a very brief output of high quality films. He was pretty much given ready-made titles and his job was to turn a profit for the studio, not make art. Strangely enough, though, he managed to do both and came up with a series of films that retain an interesting psychological aspect even today. Thus he is often remembered as the producer of "the thinking person's horror films".
   
   If you haven't already bought the Val Lewton Horror Collection, wait and get this expanded one. If you have, you can either pick up the documenary separately, or you can just watch the documentary when it premieres on Turner Classic Movies on January 14th at 8PM (EST). From the Warner Press Release: "Scorsese and writer/director Kent Jones take the viewer on a journey into the life and psyche of the man who left his mark in film history through the creation of such timeless thrillers as I Walked with a Zombie, Cat People and The Body Snatcher, to name but a few. The new documentary features insightful analysis, on-screen interviews with Lewton collaborators, and, best of all, an abundance of classic Lewton film clips."



2. All of the films in this set are excellent, for reasons described in numerous other reviews on Amazon. The new documentary hosted by Martin Scorsese also provides a nice, atmospheric recap of Lewton's life and career.
   
   But be forewarned -- the documentary contains a LOT of very serious spoilers for almost all of the best films in this set! So, enjoy the documentary by all means, but do so *after* you watch all the films. Happy viewing!



3. The set above contains a 87 minute Lewton documentary with Martin Scorsese's name all over the cover, "Martin Scorsese presents Val Lewton", but actually written and directed by Kent Jones. I have written a full review of the documentary, offered as a separate DVD for those who purchased this set when it came out last year. (Without the bonus Scorsese documentary now included.) You can find the review, along with another great review by a huge Lewton fan, under the title above.
   
   The documentary probably is best seen AFTER the films. It is very poetic for a documentary, but then we're talking Val Lewton films.
   
   If you already own the original set WITHOUT the Scorsese Documentary you should pick it up in addition to the complete original set! You'll find it extremely complementary.
   
   As for the films themselves: It should by now be clear that these films are powerful landmarks in the evolution of modern American film and should be seen by anyone who loves film. "Cat Woman", "I Walked With a Zombie", and "The Curse of Cat Woman" are tremendous films, and there is much to appreciate in all the others. True aficonadoes of Lewton might consider the recently published book, "Icons of Grief: Val Lewton's Home Front Pictures" by Alexander Nemerov, discussing the films in the context of World War II escapist entertainment.
   
   The quality of the DVDs I will discuss in a later post after I can compare them with the Laser Discs from my Box set. (Which had it's share of sound problems, especially during "I Walked With a Zombie".) Possibly I can address some of the issues brought up in the comments. The prints used in making the Scorsese documentary, which I just watched on DVD last night, were certainly very good to excellent.



4. The poor quality of the prints mares what could have been a stellar collection. (Some parts of Island of the Dead and I Walk with a Zombie look as if they were from Alpha Video - a company that produces cheaply priced public domain dvds.) Shame on TCM for not digitally restoring these gems to the same flawless quality of the 20th Century Fox Charlie Chan box sets.



5. Comparing the original collection with this one there are various inaccuracies; this one only lists four films and the original documentary "Shadows In The Dark" along with the new documentary by Scorsese, yet one reviewer here says this has all the films of the original collection. No where else on Amazon (as in by someone from Amazon) could I find confirmation of that, though the two sets are priced the same. The original collection says it contains 5 discs with a run time of 646 minutes, while Amazon clearly is mistaken listing this set as 1 disc running 733 minutes. I give it four stars based on Lewton's artistry (and because you have to rate to comment) but with the above inconsistencies and concerns over the quality of the prints it's hard to give 5 until I see for myself. Then it also seems you'll have some die hard laser disc fans who will never give dvd format it due, and people who (as one reviewer did) compare the print quality to entirely different films which is worhtless, what with them being different films and all. . .soooo, other than sharing a love for Lewton's work, I found very little information regarding these sets all that helpful.

5 comments about Black Mask.

1. First off, the action in this film is great. Jet Li can kick some major butt, and the scenes with him and Françoise Yip are very good.
   
   The detective friend is funny, the dub is amusing, they went with a kind of Bogart vibe on the voice.
   
   The dub for the girl Tracy is annoying... high pitched and whiney, but she's a plucky enough character to not be completely irredeemable.
   
   All in all, good action movie, and Jet Li is pretty studly as the Black Mask. (although corrugated cardboard is not what I'd have pictured as good mask material)



2. Now obviously the new rap music and great american voices they put on make it as bad as possible. But then again, the movie certainly is no gem in it's original language version, that is for sure.
   
   The whole movie had above average action sequences, but the story was unbearable. Not the story itself, but the execution of it is the worst possible. It goes from sickening moments to almost little kid parts between Jet and teh girl. Just freaking horrible.
   
   So the dvd is full screened, music is stupid, voice dubbing is almost as bad as the "jet li collection" movies, but you will get a few good points one or two good laughs, and a decent finale.



3. I enjoyed Jet Li in this movie...never mind the dubbing, I can look past that and enjoy the move for what it is...fantasy/action. Four stars...



4. I owned this movie in VHS and wanted it on DVD. Great action flic by Jet Li



5. i am a huge jet li fan and of course HAD to have this movie. and i did really like it. i think i would have liked it more had it not beed overdubbed in english and had no chinese language option. something for the studio to think about when they undoubtedly end up rereleasing it.

5 comments about Running Free.

1. Overall, this movie was very enjoyable BUT it has some pretty disturbing scenes, that my young children found pretty upsetting. Be prepared to debrief little ones....



2. My six year old son is a horse lover, so we knew he would like the movie, but we didn't realize that he'd beg to see it over and over, for days. Afterwards, he and his younger brother would pretend they were the horses in the movie, and prance around the house with joy. My wife an I watched it a few times with them and thought it was great too; beautifully filmed.



3. An inspiring tale of a young colt named Lucky who endures much tragedy -- separation from his mother, war and isolation-- before gathering the courage to roam free in the grueling African desert. Anyone who has ever pondered an animal's point of view will greatly appreciate Lukas Haas' narration as the inquisitive voice of Lucky. The pure and, ultimately, triumphant views of this sensitive equine are truly thought-provoking in a world where animals are often discarded. The sweeping cinematography of the African desert is stunning and, at times, reminiscent of "Lawrence of Arabia". The supporting cast is outstanding, especially Chase Moore as the young boy who strikes up an everlasting friendship with Lucky. Overall, "Running Free" is a beautiful film which touts the triumph of good over evil, and the persistence of will which allows the underdog to prevail. A word of caution to parents: a frightening war scene and a pair of violent horse fights may be too intense for young children. Otherwise, a highly recommended movie.



4. This movie was filmed right near where I live and I'm really impressed with how it turned out. But I'm puzzled by why it says it takes place in North Africa... when actually it's South West Africa... but anyway, the photography is brilliant. The story is perhaps aimed more towards younger viewers, but it can still be enjoyed by the whole family.



5. This is one of the best movie dvd's I've seen. If you love horses you simply must see this one. Very well done indeed. Thank you Amazon!

5 comments about Get on the Bus.

1. Get on the Bus is one of Lee's best works. Poignant, funny and introspective, it tells the tale of various black men from various walks of life; a father and his estranged, angst-ridden son, a gay couple, an arrogant actor, an ex-Crip turned Muslim, a half white cop and Ossie Davis as the "spiritual grandfather/moderator" type. They travel from California to DC for the Million Man March, and along the way come to terms with prejudice and hatred they have felt without as well as within.

   Some may criticize the "stereotypical" treatment of the white characters, but this may be a bit much. The Jewish Bus driver is an honorable character, and in a scene with him and Charles Dutton, director Lee let's him speak his side of the story "OK, I may have some problems with blacks....but no more worse than the problems you have with whites. I don't have anything to prove to these guys". Randy Quade's redneck cop may have been over the top, but suffice to say, there are people in parts of America who still treat people that way.

   Overall, I think this film is definitely Lee's most underrated work.




2. This is according to me a very good film, it's actually one of my fav's.
   What makes it so good is the feeling u get from watching the movie, U feel that u are a passenger on the bus observing the others.
   There are some great performances in this movie unlike Spike Lee's HE GOT GAME that had a player in the NBA in the lead and pretty much everybody except for DENZEL & Hill Harper didn't know how to act.

   Great performances from GABRIEL CASSEUS, HILL HARPER, OSSIE DAVIS and the rest of the cast.




3. His best: social journalism. Nobody brings perennially pressing issues to the screen as consistently and vitally as Spike Lee---love or hate his films as you may, there's no argument that he does a superb job of provoking debate and reflection. Here it's Lee's two favorite topics, racial history/injustice/relations and (less prominently but still significant) gender/sexual issues...treated with a vast amount of humor and often insight.

   His worst: at times some of his films implode when Lee gets on his soapbox and goes too heavy-handed---the Message blots out the Movie. This happens towards the last one-third, with the last 10 minutes especially preachy and contrived. The film craft breaks down, characters and dialogue that before had been pretty much spot-on suddenly verge into labored allegory and caricature.

   It's like Lee drew up a laundry list of Pressing Societal Problems (brings to mind Larwence Kasdan's "Grand Canyon") and tried to allot 5-10 minutes for each one. Sometimes he does so with grace and wit, but sometimes he stumbles into glibness and stereotyping.

   I was a little disappointed that Lee didn't show more of the actual Million Man march, maybe explore the controversial Louis Farrakhan a little bit more deeply. I was however pleasantly surprisd that Lee does take a fairly mature, gutsy stand on homosexuality and homophobia absent in some of his earlier films.

   Had Lee made this film more as a straight (or pointed) documentary rather than trying to turn it into a heavy-handed inspirational treatise, I'd gladly give it 5 plus stars. Even in its current form it's well worth watching.




4. 
   THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD MOVIE. I THINK THAT THIS MOVIE IS WAS PRETTY GOOD. I ENJOYED IT. CHARLES S. DUTTON AND AN ALL- STAR CAST GET ON THE BUS TO GO ON TO THE MILLION MAN MARCH IT IS A GREAT ADVENTURE AND A THRILLNG BUS RIDE. THIS IS A BUS RIDE WHERE PEOPLE DISPLAY THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING AND LET EVERYTHING AMD EVERYONE HAS TRIBLUATIONS ALONG THE WAY BUT IN THE END ARE VERY HAPPY TO MAKE IT TO THE MARCH!!!!



5. The first time I saw this movie , I wasn't impressed with it. It seemed boring and pointless. Then I watched again with friends and got the message behind it. Spike Lee has made a great male bonding film that everyone should see no matter what color you are.

5 comments about Wake of the Red Witch.

1. I am a big John Wayne fan. I love watching his movies. I enjoyed this one as well even though it is not a particularly good effort of his. It was entertaining but did not really catch the imagination.
   
   If I remember correctly, this film is a semi-remake of one he did jsut a few years earlier. Compared to that horror, this one is excellent but don't try to compare it to some of his greater works like "The Quiet Man", the cavalry trilogy or even "Donovan's Reef". Those are great and memorable; this one is merely an afternoon's mindless entertainment, soon forgetten in the detail if not the minutiae.
   
   THe story revolves around two men with a feud over a woman. In this case, both men are involved in shipping in the South Pacific in the days of sail. Wayne commits an act of barratry (piracy conducted by a ship's own crew) against the ship of his rival. The rival wants revenge but so does the Duke. In the end, the sea sorts it all out.
   
   Purchase this movie if you are a diehard John Wayne fan who must have all his work. Otherwise, rent it.



2. WAKE OF THE RED WITCH has it all: An island full of half-naked Polynesian islanders, carved stone heads that stand twenty-feet high, a scuttled schooner laden with gold, the pearl god Tara-Tatu, breathless Euro chicks steaming it up beneath the vines and palm fronds on the RKO backlot, a succession of improbable flashbacks and John Wayne going mano-a-mano with a giant squid.
   This movie is a high seas, wooden-ships-and-iron-men costumer that spends most of its time tracking the tempest tossed romance `tween the Duke and Gail Russell, and the bitter rivalry between Wayne and the skullduggerous Luther Adler.
   WAKE OF THE RED WITCH is decently unmemorable in all respects, non-essential viewing for even the hardiest of John Wayne loyalists. It's filled with useless posturings and is based on a popular forgotten novel of the day. Others may find it riveting, but I spent most of my time trying to figure out how Wayne kept his toupee in place during the underwater scenes.



3. A very interesting and exciting sea picture that involves intrigue, danger, adventure, and romance. What more do you want? In addition to all of the previously mentioned offerings you have a sea monster, ie; a giant squid which is only one of many obstacles that John Wayne has to battle to retrieve valubles located in a sunken freighter.
   
   This John Wayne film is different and unusual in that John Wayne is not the all encompassing heroe that he usually portrays in films. He starts out as a somewhat greedy, deceptive person out to get what he feels he deserves from a former employer and rival, but in the end he finds redemption from his love interest, the very beautiful, Gail Russell, who starred with Wayne in "The Angel and the Badman", another fine Wayne western. Also, in the film is Gig Young, a great, "in my opinion", underrated actor who does a fine job as the character with redeaming qualities, and a friend of John Wayne in the film.
   
   They don't make'm like this anymore! I'm sure you'll enjoy this film, pure adventure, and a film you don't have to analyze, just enjoy!
   
   I recommend purchasing this film. You won't be disappointed!
   
   John E. Matty, Springfield, VA.



4. I first saw this movie in a theater in the early 1950's [movies stayed on the circuit for years then - big cities, first runs, small towns, then part of double features, etc.]. I was under 10 and it was an amazing movie then. I have seen it many times since and I like it even better now. Sure, the special effects now seem clumsy and dated. But the story is a good one and the battle of wills between Wayne's character and Luther Adler's character is still one of the better done of this type plot device. Wayne was consistently underestimated for years by his peers and critics but the public knew better. Yes, among the hundreds of movies he's in, a good percentage of them are B specials. But, starting with Angel and the Badman [w/ the same lovely Gail Russell as in "Wake..."], he didn't have to bow to anyone. "Wake..." is one of his best along with [imho]: The Cowboys, The Shootist, The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and maybe True Grit. Even the more venerated and more decorated actors of Wayne's era made clunk movies. And, not all the blame could be cast at the writers/directors... I'll be adding a DVD version of "Wake.." to my Wayne collection. It's a good one! {I'll enjoy watching this one with my grandson in a couple of years.}



5. John Wayne plays a drunken, embittered sea captain who intentionally wrecks his ship laden with gold. The owner of the ship is a wealthy magnate who used his money and influence to steal a beautiful woman from Wayne, and Wayne is now going to get even. He intends to return to the site of the wreck to collect the gold for himself. After a court of inquiry clears Wayne of responsibility for the wreck, the film takes a long flashback so the audience can learn why Wayne intentionally wrecked his ship and why he hates the owner. The pair battled over the love of a beautiful woman (Gail Russell - what a tragic life, she was so beautiful) who ultimately marries the wealthy magnate. Along the way Wayne tangles with a giant octopus and becomes a god to local natives before the tragic finale.
   
   This is an unconventional role for Wayne; he plays a drunken, embittered captain filled with anger and deep bouts of melancholy. In one of the opening scenes, he beats the daylights out of one of his crewmen in a drunken rage. Unlike many of Wayne's westerns, he does not play the straight and narrow good guy in this film, his role could definitely be characterized as an anti-hero. I'm generally a big fan of Wayne's films, some of the other reviews rate this as their favorite. I personally think there are several better JW films (Rio Bravo being my personal choice), but this is still a good story. There is not much in the way of extras on this DVD, but the price is pretty easy on the wallet. A typical good John Wayne film, if not uniquely outstanding.

5 comments about Foxes.

1. 
   If there were ever a band that should have made a campy rock and roll movie, it would have been The Runaways. Five hot teen girls in a Hard Days Night-esque sort of movie, but with way more controversial, under age sexuality. Never happened. Awww.
   BUT- Cherie Currie, who was arguably the hottest of the group, did make one movie in 1980, with a cast of girls that weren't quite as hot as the Runaways... (Jodie Foster etc.) called Foxes.
   It's your typical late seventies melodrama involoving some scattered home life stuff, and the connection between that and lots of booze bashes during those tender teenage years. Cheri Currie is the bad girl in this one, and we get what we want from her in this flick. "I'll be damned if I have to sleep with some squares!" she exclaims, as she's whisked away from her friends by a car full of much older dudes.
   Scott Baio plays Jodi Fosters friend, and this was way before he was 46 and ridiculous. He was probably about 18 and lame. But whatever. The movie exudes a rock and roll feel. Even though the only real perfomance in the movie was by the band Angel, who may have been the suckiest, lamest glam band ever. (Punky Meadows...your not a chick!) But the movie is still enjoyable, in that seventies party animal type way that we all enjoy... a little bit of goofy dialougue thats fun to laugh at.... and Cherie Currie rocks my face around....
   Blllrrrrbbblllllrllrlbbbrlrl!!!!... (I'm not gonna tell you what I mean by that, but I can assure you that it's filthy.)
   
   Anyway, I will recommend this one, for your rainy, lets get something different tonight night movie. It'll hold your interest.



2. Ever wonder what your teens are up to? This movie was like a tatoo on my soul when I first saw it as a pre-teen. And now that I'm older - much older- and have teens of my own I knew they had to see it too.



3. This film is something of a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug use, but underneath it, it also presents a very cynical view of humanity in general. Following the lives of four teenage girls in Los Angeles, circa 1979, it consists of episodes tied together by the thinnest of plot lines. Everything appears trashy, ugly and venal. The city is run down and dilapidated. The teenagers lead barren lives that alternate between mindless drunken brawls and bouts of despair. The adults are scarcely better, empty, dysfunctional, older but little wiser. All the characters are intellectually shallow. Still, there are some powerful moments. The dream-like soft-focus introduction contrasts the softness of the girl's bodies with the harshness of the environment they live in. Cherrie Currie, herself a rock singer in real life, is completely believable as a drugged-out delinquent who is sexually attracted to drug-pushing thugs. The one uplifting element is Jodie Foster's performance as the only person who remains caring and compassionate in a chaotic world.



4. I can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie in the last 25 years or so. Granted, some of the little plot twists are a bit hokey, but as a whole I think the movie stands up well. I do wish there was something in the way of "bonus features" though. It'd be nice to have had audio commentary from Cherie Currie, or Jodie Foster. And it certainly would be nice to have had some more additional concert footage of Angel! I know there is more, as I attended that concert taping at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.



5. Foxes was a movie that surprised me with how gritty and accurate it was, then and now. I was 22 when this flick came out in 1980, and it quite realistically sums up the end of the 1970s. I recall the 70s as being far from the Happy Face, Brady Bunch era they're often remembered as in pop media these days. My high school experiences from '72 to '76 were much more like the grubby, druggy, post-Watergate-and-60s-hangover jaded teen pessimism portrayed in this movie. Jodie Foster is outstanding as the capable, common-sense teen lead, and Cherie Currie does a great job as the train-wreck tight-jeans doomed sexpot chick who's headed for the trailer park, pimp's stable, or morgue slab--take your best guess which. U-hadda-be-there, I guess. Great girl-point-of-view coda to the 1970s, and very recognizable to those of us who grew up in that era. Gritty and real. Superior movie, redolent of it's time.

5 comments about Roger Dodger.

1. This movie just doesn't do anything for me. I am suspicious the marketing people and staffs working on this movie write most good reviews here.
   
   The movie is just creepy. The uncle totally abuses his nephew. That's so not showing a kid how to play the game. That's child abuse. The main character (the uncle) is obnoxious. He just keeps yapping and yapping nonsense. It gives you a headache.
   
   The dialogues are poorly written. It's not smart or funny. Everything coming from the main character's mouth makes me want to hang myself. He is so annoying and 99% of the movie is him talking.



2. This movie is interesting for the confrontation between a seducer man, who seems blasé and a teenager, romantic, pure... and when this young boy meets Jennifer Beals...She understands his sensibility...Watch it ! It's a nice story.



3. I'm a huge fan of Cambell Scott so of course I like this movie. I think its clever dialog and Roger's misogynistic advice make this one very interesting coming of age story. While it did drag on at times, it's a staple in every man's movie collection. There are a lot of intricate details that only come into light after multiple viewings, and any movie like that is worth buying.



4. Excellent Dialogue, acting, and plot, Rodger Dodger takes us into the developing mind of a sixteen year old boy who's trying to learn how to approach and interact with women. His alcoholic and jaded uncle shows him the ropes in New York City and takes him out for a night of incredible skirt-chasing he'll never forget.
   
   The primary focus of the movie is on dialogue, and I'd definitely label it a comedy so be sure to turn up the volume and listen to every exchange offered, it'll keep you laughing from start to finish.



5. A teenager goes to his uncle for help in learning how to seduce women. It's just a shame that the makers of this film forgot about a plot and made the uncle's character a bit of an idiot. I was glad when this film ended. A tedious way to spend 100 minutes. You have been warned.

5 comments about The Best of Benny Hill.

1. This should be a slam dunk 5 star rating. This is a nice compilation of Benny Hill skits and parodies. It is really a nice cross section of his work. If you remember Benny from cable and PBS, this is a nice inexpensive collection to keep on your shelf. For serious dvd collectors, the problem with the dvd has to do with the picture quality. This is a really bad transfer. Some parts look very grainy as if it was copied from an old VHS tape. That is the only thing that keeps me from giving this a perfect rating and a full recommendation.



2. I can't say it is the best of Benny Hill in my opinion, but that's only my opinion.... the biggest problem is the quality of the picture... not so good.



3. I knew that not all of his sketches were gems, but Benny Hill has done a great number of hilarious chase scenes, pie gags, and cheeky humor. Why didn't we get THOSE sketches?
   Instead, this dvd is filled with mostly low energy bits that fail to inspire a chortle. The sound and picture quality are bad too, but the sketches themselves are the greatest insult. The worst of them is saved for last, when Benny comes out dressed as an Asian man with a supreme intolerance for all races. The issue of racial intolerance itself is an unpopular one now, but if the bit was funny, one might forgive it as a classic joke from an earlier era. It's not funny, just offensive.



4. I love Benny Hill. This dvd features alot of the older skits I never saw. They were very fun. Like I said Benny's the man.



5. When I was putting this tape in the VCR, my wife, unfamiliar with the comedy of Benny Hill, asked me if it was slapstick. My response was that it is "dumbstick." To me, that one word sums up the zany antics of Benny Hill. Hill is English, so some of his routines are more targeted to a British audience, yet Americans will also find it funny.
   The scenes are a combination of wry looks at the camera and blatantly stupid actions combined with a lot of head-patting. One of the characters is an elderly man with a bald head and it gets "tender-patted" a lot. There is also a great deal of silly and mild sexual innuendo, Hill was the master of the stupid sexual situation.
   Hill was also "original" enough to sometimes have his comic bits filmed without sound and sometimes even in black and white. His usage of what most would consider an archaic tactic forces his players to perform to a higher level. The exaggerated body motions in the skit involving doctors and a hospital was the primary factor that made it hilarious.
   If you are not familiar with the comedy of Benny Hill, you should examine this tape. While his humor is not for everyone, if you like a combination of dumb jokes and slapstick, then he will make you laugh.