5 comments about Barbarella.

1. "Barbarella" turns forty years old, the year this is written. If anything, its silliness has just gotten sillier over time.
   
   Fonda herself embodies the biggest of the changes since this movie was made. This stars the old, giggly, pre-feminist, pre-political Fonda, the one willing to strip-tease all the way down to her sweet self during the opening credits. Another set of social changes happened when the Sexual Revolution turned into the AIDS Era. Back then, sex was good fun between grownups. So, in keeping with the times, casual (but not challenging) kinds of nudity appear throughout. This flick stands as close to Buck Rogers as to the current day, so borrows from Buck in the subtlety of acting, complexity of plot, and depth of characters - i.e., not a lot of any of them. The effects show it a pure product of its own time, though: blobby opticals with mattwork that looks naive to today's viewers. Then there's the costuming - imagine Mardi Gras, I mean the part that attentive parents steer their kiddies away from, blocks away, then add a Hollytwood budget. Barbarella's Lucite bra (that must have been uncomfortable) and Duran Duran's ocean-liner outfit stand out, but hardly represent the limit of what appears here.
   
   The movie starts with a cute blonde (the 1968 version of Fonda) luxuriously undressing in a fur-lined spaceship - pink spaceship, if you must know. Let that image set your expectations. Back then, it was daring but campy. Now it looks cheesy and campy, but I mean that in the nicest way.
   
   -- wiredweird



2. The Good Things
   *The film has good video quality. A few color shifts and particles on the print perhaps, but is mostly clear, sharp, and colorful.
   *Some parts are actually pretty cool. The angelic alien and the Black Queen are great, and there are one or two neat fight scenes.
   *Some symbolism (particuarly some phalyc symbols).
   *Acting is not bad. A few good lines.
   *The costumes are excellent (although some people may find them too outlandish).
   *Some sets are great, with imaginative designs and props. As noted below, however, other sets are awful.
   *It is presented in Widescreen. Includes English and French audio.
   
   The Bad Things
   *Some sets are great. Other sets are just plain terrible. Barbarella's ship is made of ugly brown shag carpet and moves in pretty lame ways to unconvincingly simulate movement. Another set was made entirely out of bags of air. On the other hand, this may just be something else great to laugh at.
   *Jane Fonda seems to act pretty well in this film, but her character is terrible. She acts stupidly and shows hardly any backbone. She's attacked by little dolls and birds, and she's so helpless! Maybe it's just the times, but I would have liked it much better if Barbarella was actually a strong and intelligent person instead of a ditz.
   *The plot is unremarkable. Barbarella has a task to find a mad scientists. She winds up falling from one peril to another, almost always as a result of dumb luck more than anything.
   *Not for kids. Contains some nudity, a bit of violence, and other parts of implied sexuality.
   *No subtitles.
   *No special features.
   
   The Questionable Things
   *Some parts are completely laughable, usually unintentionally.
   *This whole film must have been made by hippies. Aside from the outdated styles, there's also a lot of talk of peace ("Now why would anybody want to create a weapon?!" she asks...), love ("love" becoming a universal salutation apparently), and free love (which runs rampant throughout). The whole film is loaded with ideas like this; some people may enjoy them, others may hate them. I found it very laughable.
   *Special effects may be slick for its time, but are notably outdated. It's similar to "Fantastic Voyage," only worse.
   *Goofy sound effects.
   *The music is very groovy and upbeat, adding to the psychadelic feel of the film. Some people seem to like it. I hate it.
   
   This film is so bad, you'll either love it or hate it. The whole thing plays out like a sci-fi/fantasy version of "Austin Powers." There is a whole world of better sci-fi and fantasy, but if you want extreme cheesiness, this is the best in that regard.
   
   I've seen a few scant bits of information, indicating that Robert Rodriguez is trying to remake the film. He can't do any worse than this, so I'll be looking forward to it...



3. a wonderful story with a hint of adultism not bad for the time it was made



4. An Early Jane Fonda movie - surprisingly well done. I love seeing her spinning around naked.



5. After hearing about this film for years, I finally decided to give the dvd a watch. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but I really didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did. I was familiar enough with the plot, which is "Barbarella gets into trouble, loses her outfit, then ends up getting it on". I just didn't think it would come together this well.
   
   The charming Jane Fonda stars as a space navigatrix who must go to a far off and "barbaric" planet in order to discover what has come of the scientist Duran Duran (the 80s band that came along later named themselves after this scientist). Her quest is to discover what he's done with his deadly weapon, a weapon that could put to end the peaceful existence of Earth. Along the way she has several erotic encounters with various men along the way (and one near encounter with a woman).
   
   The film may have been made to be thrilling at points (not in a sexual sense), but the film mostly comes off as a comedy. The sex scenes are equally amusing with some of the after effects being hilarious. (Barbarella's hair curls after one particular orgasm.) The sex scenes are pretty tame by today's standards, but there is a bit of nudity throughout the movie. (The film actually begins with a striptease to the movie's themesong.) Even with the numerous flaws, the film shines as only a cult classic can. This film is definately not for everyone & I'd honestly recommend that most people rent it before they but it. Some will watch it & buy it without hesitation, but some will find it's not to their liking.
   
   5/5

5 comments about Beastmaster 3.

1. Okay, so it isn't O'Neill. The script could even be called a bit silly but...how can you not love it? Fans of the original Beastmaster will like this installment. I'll admit it isn't as good as the original but the story is fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. And Marc Singer still looks FANTASTIC! Who could ask for more?



2. DAR RETURNS TO FIGHT YET ANOTHER SORCERER. MAN, GIVE IT UP. MARC SINGER MIGHT STILL LOOK LIKE HE'S IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT THIS MADE FOR TV SEQUEL IS JUST HOPELESS. GIVE IT UP, MARC. JUST GIVE IT UP. SAD TO SAY, BUT THE MAGIC OF THE BEASTMASTER IS COMPLETELY GONE.



3. This one looks like a cheap tv movie, but Singer rocks on as the Beastmaster and Tony Todd and David Warner are cool so give it a look if you are a Dar fan. How can ya not love further adventures of the Beastmaster?



4. this is one film i love to watch over and over again i have beening looking for it for a long time i would love it to be on dvd.i have just bought it on vhs and cant wait to get. i think marc singer fantastic actor and dishy looking to any one else think the same.
   please put this out on dvd please



5. Beastmaster 3 sheds light on Dar as he travels to meet an evil wizard who is holding his brother (the King) prisoner in an effort to extract information that would lead to acquiring the powers of an evil demon named Braxus. In a very predictable manner with `cliché' written all over it, Dar struggles to get past the hurdles laid before him.
   In short, the acting is horrid, the setting is noteworthy, the action sequences are sad, the humor is just not there (at all), the music is poor, while the plot and the dialogues are average and pathetic respectively.
   Braxus looks like a teenage mutant ninja turtle while the actors (especially the extras) and the writers should be sent to Guantanamo `on holidays' indefinitely.
   On the upside Sandra Hess would be a fine asset for the adult film industry. She is something else!
   Overall, it seems as though the actors/writers/directors/producers met up with each other at a hotel lounge over drinks, and then decided, on the spot, to make a quick and easy film to keep themselves busy while waiting for a good break (and which apparently has not yet materialized).
   In a nutshell, it's a mediocre movie and that's about it; no masterpiece here... 1.5 Stars

5 comments about Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace.

1. I got this item in great condition for a great price. I love the star wars movies and you can get them here for a great price.



2. This entire movie, except the end, was mediocre. I wish he didn't go back and do 1, 2, and 3 but he did and we have to live with it.



3. The cast is very bad, but the visuals are amazing and the story's good. Own it cause it's Star Wars.



4. Loved Darth Maul. Awesome character. Wished he would have been used more. Awesome intro and fight scene although it did seem un-Jedi-like to double team a single foe. Jedi's at times seem to be master fighters and other times buffons. Their fighting skills go up or down depending on who they are fighting.



5. Its time people realize somthing important. When George Lucas sat down to write star wars in the early 1970's he wrote episodes 1-6. Not 4-6, 1-3 but ALL six!!! He couldn't make a movie that long. So he came up with the story from ep 4 because he felt it was the best part for the time. It was the greatest film of all time. He did not expect it to do that well. He was exhausted from working on it, and vowed never to direct again, which is why he did not direct ep 5 and ep 6. However, years went by, and so did the technology (which his company developed!! ILM) which became CG. Now that it existed, he could tell the story he wanted to tell- ep 1-3. BY KNOCKING THIS MOVIE YOU ARE KNOCKING LUCAS HIMSELF!! Its his baby. NOW PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, get over Jar-Jar!! I was frankly blown away by the lightsaber scenes in this movie. And the other characters-awesome. For those that think Jar-Jar was stupid what about C3PO and R2-D2 they were comic relief as well.

5 comments about The 10th Kingdom (Extended Play Version).

1. This has it all, I do not now how we missed it originally , but this is far above most mini series in it's superb quality.
   this movie is well written and directed as well as well cast and acted !!
   It is a fantasy/ adventure w/ a comedic touch.
   
   I don't want to give away the plot but I must say it will keep you intrigued
   throughout.
   
   It is also very visual and I know we here liked it better than The Lion , The Witch and the Wardrobe(Chronicles of Narnia) and Prince Caspian as well.
   
   For the past few years TV has produced better fare than Hollywood...this is a perfect example of that.
   
   You won't regret buying at this great price !!



2. ...but it certainly kept me riveted to my seat for 7 hours straight. The 10th Kingdom is something I remember seeing in the video store over and over again when it first came out, but it was never enough to tempt me to watch it. Honestly, I believed it would be a little sub-par on every level, and was biased because it was made-for-TV. Even now, after finally deciding to watch it, I was looking at the case and having second thoughts. Finally, last night, I decided to watch one episode, and if it was no good, I could just turn it off and never look at it again. And you know what? I never turned it off. Not until it was done, and then I wished it had gone on forever. I was hooked almost immediately.
   
   I've adore mythology, fairy and folk tales, so it was nice to see so many winks at those stories of old. Especially some of the more original, non-Disney tellings of the better known ones. Like the wicked queen poisoning Snow White three times, with the corset and comb. Not to mention how they weaved in so many others, such as Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood. Plus, I'm every bit the sentimental romantic, and the story of Virginia and Wolf was pitch perfect the whole time. the
   
   A small word of caution on how this will "enchant audiences of all ages": I ended up watching this with my 11-year-old sister, and even though it's from Hallmark and was classified as family entertainment, there were more than a few moments that were clearly meant for adult audiences. The evil villains are truly evil, and there is a good deal of violence and a smattering of language, and the story took the opportunity to explore the wolf's legendary identity in fairy tales as a lecherous predator (see Neil Jordan's film, The Company of Wolves). I adore gritty, violent, lusty fairy tales, and these not-so-family-friendly aspects surprised and delighted me, but I still think it's worth noting before you sit down for a family viewing with the little ones.
   
   So, in the end, if you are ever in a situation similar to mine, and don't know whether or not to pick this up...do yourself a favor, and just watch the darn thing!



3. Just finished watching this epic over three days with my 16, 14 and 9 year old, all loved it, including my husband. Really wonderful and creative story with lots of subplots, humor and romance. Some scary parts for the 9 yr old, but it made the whole show that much more fun to watch. Highly recommend for multi night viewing of maybe an all day Saturday marathon or snow day marathon. The wolf is so much fun and the "Peeps" are quite fun as well.



4. I really enjoyed this mini-series. It had a good amount of humor, a lot of imagination and creativity. My kids really loved this movie because the story line also correlates with Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and most fairy tales that we as children generally grew up hearing. I only gave it four stars because I did feel that it was a little hoaky at the beginning. But once you start to watch it, you really do get sucked in. My family and I found this show to be a great source of entertainment, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy.



5. This is an awesome series for anyone who loves fairtales. I watched this for the first time when it origninally premiered on ABC, and couldn't forget about it.

5 comments about Atlantis - The Lost Empire (Walt Disney Pictures Presents).

1. Great film; the animation has its own style, some enjoy it, and others, seemingly a hefty sum, don't seem to grasp the loving care this film was given, in all aspects.
   
   Oh well, we can cry another day. It would be truthful in saying that the movie at least ranks with Disney's better animation films, and is nowhere near as bad as some of the libel on this site. It is quite possibly no more disconnected than ALL of the so called Classics, and though it may not top something such as Aladdin or Lady and the Tramp, its better than so many of the other films script wise, and the cubist style animation in particular reminds me of a comic book.
   
   OF COURSE, the creators brought aboard famed comic illustrator Mike Mignola as visual designer and consultant. The script and the comic book style fit together SO WELL in this film... I truly adore the jaggy edges and slightly disconnected elements as they are presented in the full painstaking package Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise (responsible for Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and from a story conceived by Tab Murphy of Hunchback fame. The entire experience is totally backed up by professionals, and should be acknowledged as four stars for that reason alone, in that they succeed in what they set out to do, and quite well compared to what Pixar and Ghibli present.
   
   Atlantis is a journey where nothing gets in the way that cannot be solved, logically or not, but it leaves the viewer optimistic with wonder and not unjustly imbibed with gimmicks or nonsense. Atlantis is a sensational experience, in my opinion, of a movie like Howl's Moving Castle, and though it is not quite THAT good, it's close. Watching the movie in darkness and headphones provides ample testimony to my claim. Scary but true, and, although many things are not realistic nor completely immersive, WHAT ******* DISNEY FILM is also not in the same vein? They all have a flaw or two. It is just nitpicking of the naysayers that would have it the other way....
   
   I also must note that the enemies and other antagonists are quite fearsome even sinister, much more so than the majority of Disney's catalogue. I was very convinced of imminent danger in the first few chapters, going into the sea with the crustacean machine violently raging after the crew. The stereo effects and symphonic overlay are quite gorgeous during this sequence and many more throughout; the ending, the firefly sequence, and the descent all being memorable.
   
   With nice headphones and an amp, you really appreciate what went into the sound design, and it is obvious that is was a process carefully looked over and appraised, because it stands among Disney's best.
   
   I for one, appreciate quirky misunderstood characters like the Hunchback, and to make a point, that is the film I most compare this one too. Each is very much a masterpiece in its own right. And this is proven in the finale that is one of the most memorable in recent memory, if a little cliche, it has its parting shot up there in beauty with Pride Rock. Exhilarating, to say the least, if you have the imagination.
   
   Also, the sardonic and sometimes sexual humor is quite natural and amusing... you might find yourself saying, 'wow, didn't quite expect that out of this', and that is what it comes down to in the end: this movie is full of good surprises, and as one of the last few traditional movies we should applaud that aspect.
   
   As for the video, this particular DVD does not look its best, but I hear that is because of my gear. On my system there are compression artifacts and macroblocking, though overall it is a clean print, workable and fairly good throughout on my setup that consists of a 1920x1200 DELL with calibrated displays from MAC mini.
   
   It would be nice if the BLURAY disc is even better, and released sooner rather than in five years or whatever they have planned.



2. Good product brand new sealed, and no broblems.
   Got it quick and for a great price.



3. I will keep this review short and simple. I am a huge animated movie fan even when they're overtly cutesy. As long as it has a plausible story with a beginning middle and end and has great animation I will watch it. This film however is a shame to the Disney canon.
   
   First of all, the animation is probably the cheapest I have seen since they started recycling animation cells at Disney back in the 70's (like Robin Hood for example). The company has always prided themselves in having state of the art animation but after movies like "The Lion King" and "Tarzan", this is a huge step backwards.
   
   And the story is just plain slow and uneventful. They spend the entire movie establishing the lead character as a fumbler, then with absolutely no explanation segue into the underground world and attempt to explain everything at once. It's slow for children as there are no cute characters and even slower for adults who look for a story.
   
   Such a shame. Perhaps Disney commisioned this movie to justify the dissolution of their traditional animation department and focus on C.G.?



4. I love this movie. and when i got it on dvd i was soooo excited. it came quick and the packaging was safe. thank you!



5. This is one of the best movies for surround sound set up that I have come across. The plethora of sounds is amazing. From the very beginning when they show Atlantis being attacked with flying scooters moving through the sound field, from the low rumble of the beast protecting the entrance of Atlantis, or the toot of an old time car horn, or the echo's of the large University halls just to name a few. I've spent hours listing to and adjusting my home theater with great results! I say bravo to the sound engineers who worked on this movie. I hope that they put this one on Blu-ray.

5 comments about Outlaw of Gor.

1. Tarl Cabot is once again spirited away to Gor to rescue Ko-Ro-Ba from evil. Unfortunately, even he cannot rescue this film from stilted dialogue (said of a dead man: "There is nothing we can do."), miserable acting (*falling* down a *sand dune* for no reason), and a complete lack of plot and characterization. The fight scenes will either make you laugh or turn your stomach. And Gor without nudity? Without tarns? Without authentic He Men? Without even a real slave girl? (But with a cardboard castle?!) Don't buy this film. It does not even resemble the books and it isn't worth a cent.



2. All I can say is, this movie deserved everything it got when it was blasted by the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 crew.



3. The first movie in this series was so bad; I had to see this one just out of morbid curiosity: Could the trend continue? Yes, it could and did. IIRC there is a lot of mismatch between the sound track and the 'action' on the screen -- the most glaring has to be the dramatic orchestral build up for a simple walk across the desert... no bad guys or action in sight. Just a simple walk across the ... uh-huh ... yup. You get the point.



4. "Outlaw of Gor" was delightfully skewered by the MST3K crew,led by the indubitable Mike Nelson,but one can assume that on its own it's a pretty awful movie. It's an Italian pseudo-Conan the Barbarian,a spaghetti fantasy.
   
   Tarl Cabot,a professor,is transported to an alternate dimension,Gor,thanks to the "Home Stone." He has a glowing mood ring...and he happens to bring an irritating schlub&fellow professor,Watkins,who thankfully spends most of the movie locked up (but not after enjoying the pleasure of the evil queen) Cabot is considered a hero;he's greeted with the constant cries of "Cabot!Cabot!" ("Cabot" is the word dominating most of the first half of the movie) He has a girlfriend,Talena,whose existence consists of being scantily clad&making love to him. Jack Palance plays an evil priest-king who wears embarassing hats,and,at one point,a skullcap.He gets to be menacing as well as out-of-place.
   
   Cabot is falsely accused of killing the good king,joins up with an albino midget (a real twofer) and shows his high ideals on his quest. He frees slaves,he follows his vegetarian diet...and finally ends up with his ladylove.The movie ends abruptly with Watkins,still in the dress of the planet Gor,being hauled off by cops.When it comes to pointless fantasy,"Outlaw of Gor" definitely is pointless.Thankfully,it's brief.



5. People mentioned it in their reviews, so I'll go ahead and say it.
   
   MST3K should really put their version of Outlaw of Gor out on DVD. Since they don't, here's a suggestion...
   
   When I was in college, my roommates and I sometimes threw "beer (optional), pizza and bad movie" parties on Friday nights or at the end of exam week. I wish at least one of us knew about this movie back then.

5 comments about Wizards.

1. i saw this when it originally came out and was very happyto purchase the memory. thanks so much



2. Simple-minded plot consisting of mismatched over-the-top cliches incoherently scotch-taped together; what seems to be a systematic effort to include enough sexist, racist, and religious stereotypes to offend everyone on Earth and most of their house pets; incredibly cheap, jerky, worse-than-the-worst-of-Saturday-morning animation; and enough graphic violence to give the children who are supposedly the target audience nightmares. This is worse than the Super-8 "movie" my friends and I made in 9th grade, and I didn't think it could get worse than that. Just to make it even worse, there is just enough actually striking rotoscope imagery to give the viewer a hint of the potential that was blown in this project. If I were Ralph Bakshi or anyone else associated with this, I would change my name and pretend I'd never heard of it.



3. I enjoyed Wizards the first time I saw it and I enjoyed it the last time. Generally it was well done but Mr. Bakshi's intension that it be for children I find a little off. The amount of violence would seem to be more suited for adult fantasy enthusiasts or, maybe, adolescents.
   
   The priests segment is rather calculated to offend a wide variety of religious adherents. I couldn't really think of a single major religion that it didn't take a shot at.
   
   The film becomes rather rushed at times. Those segments showcase some rather advanced techniques for the time but it gives the feeling that the crew was rather tired of working on the movie and just wanted to get it done. But that's pretty much explained in the extra material.
   
   This is one of those, for the most part appealing, combinations of cuteness and chaos.



4. I first saw Wizards in the theater when it first came out; this was back in the Stone Age before theaters became multiplexes. It was an innovation in animation at the time. Oh sure, Jerry danced with Gene Kelly, but that was live action and animation together. Wizards incorporated animation and live action animated over, giving the story a bit more "realism".
   Since then, I have watched and gotten such movies as Rock and Rule, American Pop and Fire and Ice.
   If you enjoy Japaneses anime, you will enjoy these as well.



5. i read alot good review. and i bought it .... after i see it . i don't like it. it's very bored, and urgly ... if you like fantasy movie i hight recomment "Ice and fire, sleeping beauty" . it is fantastic beautiful draw for the movie. i keep watch it all the time not only the movie. because, it 's realy beutiful arts

5 comments about War of the Worlds (1949).

1. This Movie is a must for any science fiction Lovers ...The Transfer, Restoration and Color Saturation is Pristine The Clarity is Perfect.



2. Worth watching again and again, The War of the Worlds was a big budget SF thriller based on H.G Wells' work of the same name that had more than a few people fainting during its first run. The story though is pretty much linear and quite short (85 min). Comets hit earth, scientists examine them, aliens emerge and start attacking cities and people everywhere vaporizing them, scientist meets gal and they fall in love, they eventually see an alien in a house while the military is counting its losses against the invader before eventually a natural turn of events save the day. It is shot quite interestingly and the old Kodak color look makes you think that you wouldn't want to see it any other way.



3. I have seen The Earth Stood Still since I was a child. I have always loved it. This copy is a great deal. I would recommend it to anyone who loves old movies.



4. War Of The Worlds has always been one of my favorite motion pictures. This verson is exceptional! The visual images are beautiful. There are no streaks or scratches, no missing frames, and the colors are deep and rich thanks to the amazing Technicolor process. The sound is also exceptional, considering how old this movie is. There is no hiss, no pops or cracklings sounds and if you have a set-up with stereo sound you will notice that we seems to have a soundtrack with two channels! Don't know if it always was that way or someone did a little magic in the studio. Don't really care either, the results are wonderful. This version is in "full-screen" so folks like me (who don't have a new style television) can enjoy it without those annoying black bars at the top & bottom of the screen. Every Science Fiction fan should have a copy of this movie for their collection. I can recommend this DVD to all fans with no reservations. It is well worth the price!



5. This movie is one hour and twenty-five minutes long and war released on August 26, 1953. The story begins Linda Rosa, California where a comet like ball crash lands on Earth. A physicist comes to investigate the comet, but can do nothing til morning. Meanwhile he is attend a sqaure dance with the local villagers when the power goes out. He goes back to investigate the comet and lo and behold flying saucers emerge from it and Earth is now under attack. It ends with the aliens not being immune to Earth's viruses and bacteria. The special effects are great. Though the soul alien in the movie did not get much air time, it did look a pretty scary for an alien of the 1950s era. The movie won an Academy Awards for Best Special Effects (1954). The would make a great addition for anybody sci-fi collection.

5 comments about Island, The (1980).

1. Now, here's a film that should definitely be available on DVD by now. By the time I got around to watching this, I had completely forgotten what it was even supposed to be about - but I put away any misgiving once I saw that it starred Michael Caine and was based on Peter Benchley's post-Jaws novel of the same name. Admittedly, the movie is a little out there and has a couple of weaknesses in the plot, but the whole thing is realistic enough to be plausible and features some pretty shocking violence for a 1980 non-horror movie - the opening scene is a particularly effective attention-getter.
   
   Michael Caine plays Blair Maynard, a New York journalist determined to get to the bottom of a rather shocking number of boats lost near the Bahamas in the last three years. As fate would have it, his son Justin (Jeffrey Frank) turns up in his office unexpectedly (the ex-wife having forgotten to even let Maynard know he was coming), so the two of them jet off to Florida for the weekend. In case you have any doubts as to the age of this movie, just watch a gun shop sell Blair a handgun for his twelve-year-old son upon their arrival. Anyway, the two take a most memorable air jaunt to a remote island, head out to do some fishing, and discover that being a Good Samaritan is rather highly overrated. Before you can say Yar, matie! the two of them find themselves captives of a rag-tag bunch of filthy pirates - actually, they prefer to be called buccaneers. Their archaic culture, which is a really weird mix of religion, ritual, and savagery, has survived for three hundred years out there in the middle of the Caribbean, hidden from the eyes of modern man (except for those they kill, of course). They keep Maynard alive because they need some new blood in the tribe - if you know what I mean - but the tribal leader has other plans for young Justin. Those plans greatly complicate Maynard's efforts to somehow escape from a seemingly inescapable predicament.
   
   Buccaneers will be buccaneers, which means there is plenty of violence every step of the way toward a real bloodbath of a conclusion. I have some issues with the way young Justin's story played out, but all in all I found this to be an intensely interesting movie. The storyline could easily have degenerated into something rather silly, but the director never let that happen. As amusing as some of the buccaneers' antics might be, this is a serious film (except, of course, for the second strangest kung fu sequence I've ever seen) that steadily increases in intensity throughout. It doesn't have the in-your-face life-and-death drama of Jaws, but for my money it's a mighty interesting - and undeniably unusual - movie experience.



2. STILL TRYING TO DOWNLOAD THIS THING!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE NOT WATCHED YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT PAID SEVERAL TIMES!!!!!!!! DOWNLOADED 5 UNBOX PLAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE ALL HARDWARE AND DSL CONNECTION!!!!!!!!!! NO HELP FROM AMAZON YET!!!!!! BEZOS!!!YOU LISTENING??????????????



3. I liked this movie...but I like Michael Caine. Parts of this bloody movie I had to close my eyes on but rewatch Island every so often for the adventure. One of the few scary creepy features that isn't done on a shoestring and Italian.
   
   Escapism but a good one. Too bad it isn't out on DVD



4. Back in 1980, long before Johnny Depp & Co. brought us the never-ending 'Pirates of the Caribbean' fare, novelist Peter Benchley and producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown sought to capitalize on the success of 'Jaws' and 'The Deep' as well as reenergize the pirate-movie genre with this follow-up film adaptation of Benchley's book, but the results were mixed and not always entirely successful. The novel and film offer up a whole new explanation for the lore of the 'Bermuda Triangle' and all its unexplained vanishings over in the years in that, in fact, they are the work of pirates. Yes, pirates.
   
   The ever-stalwart Michael Caine stars investigative journalist Blair Maynard on assignment in the Caribbean islands near the Bahamas with his gun-aficionado, sharp-shooting twelve year old son, Justin, in tow. He's there tracking down a hot lead on a story involving the mysterious disappearances of several commercial and pleasure-craft boaters in the area.
   
   Through a series of events, Maynard and his son get closer to the story than either of them bargained for when they are both captured and taken prisoner by the culprits behind the disappearances --------- the real, authentic descendants of late 17th-century buccaneers (led by David Warner) living sequestered from civilization on one of the nearby uncharted islands for nearly 300 years. This roving band of modern-day buccaneers ------ still living in the 1700's ------ continue their marauding pratices into the 20th century by raiding ships and boats passing through their territory, killing the occupants and living off the stolen goods pillaged from the vessels. (Think of it as 'The Hills Have Eyes', but on the water.) Life is good for these buccaneers except for one minor problem: their gene pool is deteriorating from decades of inbreeding so they enlist the involuntary services of the now captured Maynard to help improve their breeding by impregnating one of the women of the clan (Angela Punch McGregor).
   
   Maynard must now try to stay alive while somehow finding a means of escape from the island and warn the local authorities (which seems to consist of one, lone, bicycle-riding policeman) but also faces a dilemna, too, as he must also find a way to rescue Justin, who has now fallen in among the buccaneers and joined their ranks, where his sharp-shooting gun skills are of use .....
   
   This movie is not without its flaws, but it is still enjoyable and entertaining in many ways. Director Michael Ritchie (Prime Cut, Fletch) does manage to create a few suspensful sequences and some of the attacks on the hapless, unsuspecting victims were surprisingly gory. (I'll admit it ; I did jump once or twice) Caine even has few memorable lines as well. (When asked by one of the film's baddies if he feels privilged to be witnessing what he's seeing, Caine replies, "What's that, a bunch of assh*les playing Long John-f*cking-Silver?!") You get to see all the prerequisite colorful characters one might expect in a pirate movie, a plane crash, a brief sex scene, a jellyfish attack (now what the hell other movie has one of those?!?...), and even a decent action sequence where the bucs actually overwhelm and overtake a Coast Guard cutter. No, really.
   
   Overall, it's a decent little 80's action thriller, even if it does have its sagging moments from time to time. Still worth seeing, although bring the sunscreen and dramamine. It's not great, but not bad, either.



5. With all the cheesey B Horror Movies out there, I'm surprised this has
   never been released on DVD. I bet Attack of the Mushroom People is probably on DVD! Would some studio please release this to the people who remember this at the theater or saw it on VHS.
   
   This was a Peter Benchley novel adapted to the screen after his huge
   hits JAWS and The Deep played out well at the box office. I saw this at
   a big screen theater, when it was released, before the days of the cineplex. What stands out are the character roles of the pirates led by
   David Warner. You don't forget these fellows, an unbelievable collection
   of lost souls. This was done decades before the Disney franchise starring
   Johnny Depp was ever conceived. Modern day pirates wrapped around the
   Bermuda Triangle Mystery. Tourists plundered, ships burned, booty hauled
   away, to remote shores. Everything gets hidden away due to the weather, currents, foggy shorelines, partly explained by the Bermuda Triangle
   mystery. Only the Mad Max sagas show a zoo of strange characters like the
   pirates in this movie. They are desendents of ancient buccaneers, who allow Michael Caine and his son to live since their family tree goes back
   to a famous pirate. A working vacation turns into hell for our modern
   guys who stumble into the pirate's den.
   
   Michael Caine must figure out a way to escape this madness and protect
   his son from David Warners' influence. A civilised reporter must turn half pirate to find a route back to the modern world. He turns "Rambo"
   in the finale, a great shootout scene on a Coast Guard cutter. Many a pirate meets a modern machine gun round to the body. Swords are no match for a 50 cal weapon. All in all, a decent action tale that should be on DVD.

5 comments about The Amazing Colossal Man.

1. I have always loved this old cheesy film! The special effects may be a little shakey, and most of the acting a little stiff, but Glenn Langan, in the title role as the colossal man, gives a great, emotional performance, and sympathy for his character is what really makes the movie work. An absolute classic, and should always be viewed as a double feature with the superior sequel, WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST.



2. I first saw this movie when I was a kid, and it's cheesiness still holds true today. The acting is more hammy than a deli sandwich, and the "special" effects are great (I love the giant syringe!) The part when our hero walks through Vegas is great, and I still laugh at the look on his face when he sees the giant high heel (very kinky). If you are looking for something scary to watch, this isn't it. It's sequel, "War of the Colossal Beast" reminded me a little of the movie "Cyclops" (that one was scary...when I was 7) and isn't as much fun as this one.



3. Bert. L Gordon's "The Amazing Colossal Man" is a cheap, american sci-fi movie centering on the repercussion a military man faces after being exposed to radiation, namely he cant stop
   growing!!! He grows up to be over 60 ft tall until as one
   scientits puts it he will die.
   
   Glen Malley (Glenn Langan) who also appeared on other bad b movies, plays the Colossal Man with irrevent humor though.
   
   Joel Hodgson and the Robots from Satellite have their way with the movie which features average acting, (but not bad), and some special effects. To be fair, the effects were pretty believable in some areas,
   in others it looked really fake, basically you had one image being slided across the screen to make this look big.
   
   To hear Joel mocked the Colossal Man is one of the highlights "I dont want to grow up" Colossal Man
   
   "I want to be a ToysRus kid" Joel says.
   
   Pretty funny Mystery Science theater stuff, definitely a keeper as far as the jokes go. All in not a bad



4. OK, OK This movie is pretty bad, but it is so damn funny, I can't get enough of this or many other 50's Sci-Fi/horror movies! The 50 foot man in a diaper is just too mucking fuch! A classic sci-fi film that I wish was available on DVD! The sequel "War of the Colossal Beast" has been released as a double feature with Earth vs the Spider.?? It would have been great if the two "Colossal" films were released on that double bill!



5. This old horror classic from the 50's brings back childhood memories, when I got to stay up late with my Dad and watch all the great Old horror flicks...