Alexis Smith

Average customer rating:

One of my favorites!
Great story line but only good execution
Kurt Russell Fan -- and fan of SG-1
Hard To Explain
Fantastic Sci Fi

Stargate (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Kurt Russell , James Spader , Viveca Lindfors , Alexis Cruz , and Mili Avital
Director: Roland Emmerich
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Stargate SG-1 Season 2 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 7 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 3 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 4 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 5 (Thinpak)

ASIN: B0000844I8
Release Date: 2003-02-17

Amazon.com

Before they unleashed the idiotic mayhem of Independence Day and Godzilla, the idea-stealing team of director Roland Emmerich and producer-screenwriter Dean Devlin concocted this hokey hit about the discovery of an ancient portal capable of zipping travelers to "the other side of the known universe." James Spader plays the Egyptologist who successfully translates the Stargate's hieroglyphic code, and then joins a hawkish military unit (led by Kurt Russell) on a reconnaissance mission to see what's on the other side. They arrive on a desert world with cultural (and apparently supernatural) ties to Earth's ancient Egypt, where the sun god Ra (played by Jaye Davidson from The Crying Game) rules a population of slaves with armored minions and startlingly advanced technology. After being warmly welcomed into the slave camp, the earthlings encourage and support a rebellion, and while Russell threatens to blow up the Stargate to prevent its use by enemy forces, the movie collapses into a senseless series of action scenes and grandiose explosions. It's all pretty ridiculous, but Stargate found a large and appreciative audience, spawned a cable-TV series, and continues to attract science fiction fans who are more than willing to forgive its considerable faults. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorites!.......2007-06-05

I love this movie and the hit series that developed from it. If you haven't seen it then you must buy it. This edition is better than the first as there are scenes that explain so much more!!

Great story line but only good execution.......2007-05-27

The 1990s saw four big science fiction movies. The two biggest came near the end; Matrix and Phantom Menace. But the two best came out in the mid 90's; Contact and Stargate. And of all four, only Stargate spawned its own popular TV show. The storyline is very innovative; the US military obtains an object that can be used to travel across the universe, a Stargate. They hire a scientist, Daniel Jackson, to make it work. Daniel succeeds, and is transported to a desert world (Arizona actually) along with a band of soldiers led by Kurt Russel's character, to search for extraterrestrial life. They find life, in the form of enslaved humans serving a powerful alien who travels through space in the form of a gigantic pyramid. Being good Americans, Daniel and the soldiers lead the humans in a rebellion, and the alien is killed by an atomic bomb.

This DVD features a slightly longer version of the movie than the original theatrical release. The extra scenes come mainly in the beginning, as we see how the alien first came to Earth. The entire plot is very good and original, with almost nothing copied from any other sci-fi movie. The link between the pyramids, ancient Egypt, and an alien race made in the movie was quite believable and original. The casting itself was great as all the characters fit their roles perfectly.

The only drawbacks to the movie was some of the scenes were executed poorly. The first of these occurs early in the movie when we see Professor Daniel Jackson giving a presentation and everyone walking out on him. I have been to many scientific conferences and scientists never walk out en masse from a peer's presentation if they disagree with the presentation. Instead, they embarass him in public with pointed questions. The second really dumb scene occurs right after Daniel figures out the last symbol needed to operate the Stargate. Immediately, the military sends in a probe, and the next day they send in a team of soldiers with Daniel as their guide. Astronauts go through years of training before even having a chance to sit in the space shuttle, yet this guy gets to go to another planet after one night! This was really fake and hokey. Third, the soldiers sent on this mission are wholly umprepared. They enter the stargate wearing fatigues and carrying AK-47's! You would think they would be better prepared for traveling to another world. How about some survival gear such as bulletproof vests, helmets equipped with oxygen masks, climbing gear, swimming gear, etc... A fourth hokey scene comes when the soldiers encounter the enslaved humans on the other planet. One soldier puts a handheld device by some minerals, and states that this mineral is of the same composition as the Stargate, quartz! This is interesting considering earlier in the movie one character states that the Stargate is made of some unknown mineral. Big contradiction! The list goes on and on.

Overall, a good movie, very entertaining with a great storyline. The only drawback is the numerous editing miscues and flaws.

Kurt Russell Fan -- and fan of SG-1.......2007-05-07

This movie is wonderful. The intrigue, the mystery, the wonder of traveling through the gate, discovering a ancient civilization, finding the way back home (in more ways than one) - all are covered in this movie. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go until the end. I love Kurt Russell and he is great in this movie, even though he's not the only main character. And to see that such a movie brought to TV, has lasted 10+ years is amazing!

It's such a great adventure - a must see for those who have not seen it and for those who have - they'll see it over and over again!!!!

Hard To Explain.......2007-05-06

I like this movie. I've liked it ever since I first saw it in theatrical release and I liked it enough to buy this DVD "Ultimate Edition" a few years ago. Despite this, however, I'm finding it hard to explain exactly why.

There's nothing profound or particularly clever in STARGATE. It's not outstanding in any way. In fact, as the professional reviews above point out, it's pretty hokey. But, if you like this type of hokey scifi adventure, you'll probably like STARGATE, too. As with INDEPENDENCE DAY, the Indiana Jones movies, or the STAR WARS movies, it's just fun to sit back and watch (not to compare it to those flicks, but it's in the same genre). The good guys win and the bad guys get what they deserve when the dust clears. The plot's pretty predictable, but there's lots of action and a few tense moments. Going through the star gate for the first time, not knowing what's on the other side, gives you a little tingle if you haven't seen the movie before.

STARGATE is another fun ride for fans of the scifi/adventure movie genre. If you like this kind of movie, don't miss this one.

Fantastic Sci Fi.......2007-05-02

I can't count how many times I've watched this movie. I remember how seamlessly realistic the graphics were when it first came out in theaters. Though the graphics are still good, technology has since outdone them. The movie opens with a mysterious ancient egyptian discovery in the 1920's. Then jets to the present, introducing a controversial, outcast, egyptologist. A brilliant historian, who is completely dismissed by his colleagues because of his interpretation of archaeological evidence. Just as he is about to wind up penniless on the streets, he is approached to interpret an artifact. Knowing nothing about the nature of the item, other than it's origins. He finds himself swept into an amazing journey across galaxies. Where he and a team of soldiers encounter an ancient alien ruler, an oppressed planet of human slaves, and the missing pieces to egyptian history. Stargate is a colorful tapestry of fantasy and science fiction that has been wonderfully woven together.

Average customer rating:

There aren't enough stars for the most powerful film I've ever seen
Gorgeous flawed film
nicely history teller
Potentially interesting story...but why can't anyone act??
a gilded age covered up an empty era; a gilded film covers up an empty movie

The Age of Innocence [Region 99]
Starring: Domenica Cameron-Scorsese , Geraldine Chaplin , Daniel Day-Lewis , Tracey Ellis , and Carolyn Farina
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Howards End - The Merchant Ivory Collection
The House of Mirth [Region 99]
The Remains of the Day (Special Edition) [Region 99]
The Buccaneers
A Room with a View (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00003CX8S
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Amazon.com essential video

Martin Scorsese does not sound like the logical choice to direct an adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel about manners and morals in New York society in the 1870s. But these are mean streets, too, and the psychological violence inflicted between characters is at least as damaging as the physical violence perpetrated by Scorsese's usual gangsters. At the center of the tale is Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis), a somewhat diffident young man engaged to marry the very respectable May Welland (Winona Ryder). But Archer is distracted by May's cousin, the Countess Olenska (a radiant Michelle Pfeiffer), recently returned from Europe. As a married woman seeking a divorce, the countess is an embarrassment to all of New York society. But Archer is fascinated by her quick intelligence and worldly ways. Scorsese closely observes the tiny details of this world and this impossible situation; this is a movie in which the shift of someone's eyes can be as significant as the firing of a gun. The director's sense of color has never been keener, and his work with the actors is subtle. That's Joanne Woodward narrating, telling us only as much as we need to know--which is one reason why the climax comes as such a surprise.--Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

There aren't enough stars for the most powerful film I've ever seen.......2007-05-15

I firmly believe that this is the greatest film ever made; it is surely the greatest I have ever seen, and over several decades I've seen many. It's one of the most powerful works of art I've experienced in any form.

I can still recall vividly the first time that I saw it. It was at a matinee viewing at a theater in downtown Philadelphia. The audience was me, my then-wife, and about a gazillion sweet little old ladies, median age of about 73. The audience observed stone silence throughout the showing; not a whisper, not a popcorn-rustle. I (and I suspect several other people) left the theater with new appreciation of the emotional power of film.

What makes this film so uniquely powerful is that it so perfectly depicts that most powerful of emotions: love. I tend to be an impatient critic of most romantic films, which I find manipulative and unbelievable. I can't believe in a film romance simply because violins well up when two attractive people look at each other. But this film, unlike any other I know of, vividly documents the experience of falling in love: the way that the mind seizes upon the words and the gestures of one woman alone, finding something unique, intriguing, soul-piercing in them, and filtering out everyone else.

The basic story is that of Newland Archer (Daniel Day Lewis), a young pillar of upper-crust 1870s New York society. He has a non-conformist's mind, but is outwardly respectful of the culture in which he lives. About the time that he becomes engaged to May (Wynona Ryder), there arrives in his world the Countess Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer.) The Countess is fleeing a marriage and maltreatment from Count Olenski, from whom she wants that then-scandalous thing: divorce. The Countess herself is the subject of rumors of improprieties with her husband's secretary.

Thus, as Newland and the Countess find something unique in one another and fall in love, it presents Newland with an agonizing dilemma: is there any honorable way to be with the potential love of his life, given his engagement to May, and Olenska's marriage to the Count? But it would be a crime against art to spoil that mystery for you, so enough said.

One remarkable aspect of this film is that the characters' society not only constrains the conduct of everyone involved, but also the expressions of their feelings. Daniel Day Lewis in particular carries a burden of conveying the most powerful emotions without being able to voice them. He does this in one of the most magnificent performances ever on film, often acting wordlessly through means as subtle as trembling fingers or a clenched jaw.

You are shown quite clearly how he falls in love with the Countess. She gives voice to the irreverent thoughts that never occur to May, and which Newland feels but would never speak. The looks of shocked amusement on Daniel Day Lewis's face in many of these early conversations are a vital part of the gradual, but irresistible, warming of their early relationship.

What unfolds is a story of love, and heartbreak, of choices made, of responsibilities met, and of opportunities missed and gone forever. It's a tale that will affect anyone who ever wonders about the path not taken in their own life. And it's also a tale of the clash between societal norms and individual desires, especially limiting the options of an unlucky woman.

Upon first viewing, the visual genius of the film is very striking. Stills of the film rival the great paintings of art history (and in at least one instance, nearly parodying a famous Seurat.) There's tremendous visual splendor and opulence.

I found that on repeat viewings, however, I was equally amazed by the film's dynamic qualities - the way that one scene draws you into the next, often with the beautiful orchestral score as an ineluctable link between scenes. The sequence in which the yellow roses are ordered and delivered is a gorgeous montage of a few seconds, driven by the backing music.

Oh, and that music - Elmer Bernstein composed one of the most emotive scores ever for a film, and several of the scenes draw their power from it. Though the score is very reminiscent of the third movement of the Brahms third symphony, it may actually exceed the Brahms in several places for emotional power.

It's a film that one watches and repeatedly has the feeling, "This is one of the great scenes in all of film." But those fantastic scenes just keep coming, one after the other. I have particular favorites: the scene where the Countess whispers to Newland in the opera box, the scene where he approaches her as she looks out at the lighthouse, and of course, the incredibly moving final scene.

I don't know what else to say about the final scene other than that watching it for the first time was a more powerful experience than I'd had at the cinema at any time prior.

Strangely, this is one of the lesser-known Scorsese films. I'm a great fan of Scorsese's other works, but he certainly never made a gangster film as great as this. I suspect that this one just didn't find its natural audience. Perhaps people expected it to be a lighter romantic costume drama. Instead it is an intense story of romantic agony, told from the viewpoint of a conflicted male. Perhaps it reflects that male perspective too much to be a chick flick, whereas not enough men were interested in watching this story. Perhaps it was just too subtle. Whatever the cause, the lack of appreciation is unfortunate, because it's a story that should have great power for everyone who has ever been deeply and truly in love, especially if that love might slip away forever.

I saw this film repeatedly after it was first released, but several years had passed before I saw it again this past weekend with my wife. It's like Daniel Day Lewis says to Michelle Pfeiffer late in the film: "Every time I see you, you happen to me all over again." And so it is with this masterpiece.

Gorgeous flawed film.......2007-05-13

With stunning period costumes, lavish interiors and lush outdoor scenes Scorsese's THE AGE OF INNOCENCE has to be one of the most beautiful movies ever filmed. The movie stays remarkably faithful to Edith Wharton's 1920 novel in part because Joanne Woodward provides convincing voice over narration often using Wharton's exact words. The narration also clues the viewers in to the customs and hypocrisies of old New York which play such an important part in the plot. The major flaw in the film is the grand love between "The Countess" Ellen (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) seemed unconvincing to this viewer. Although Pfeiffer is very beautiful in the film she does not seem particularly intelligent, free thinking or independent which are the qualities that supposedly attract Day-Lewis's character. Day-Lewis is adequate in his part though I really could not see him as the great love of Pfeiffer's Ellen's life either. It is Winona Ryder as the sweet seeming but astute and determined May who really takes the acting prize. The rest of the film is very well cast and this is an excellent film for those who love historical dramas and faithful film adaptations of great books.

nicely history teller.......2007-05-08

I love this film, i saw it right after dangerous liasions, and even though everybody used to talk about DL, i think this one is much better.

Potentially interesting story...but why can't anyone act??.......2007-04-06

The set design and costumes were lovely, but the actors were just horrible. Daniel Day-Lewis is usually outstanding but even he can't bring life to this role. Of course, you can't blame him for not loving the always annoying Wynonna Ryder...but how could he choose the histrionic and insipid Michelle Pfeiffer, who doesn't begin to do justice to Countess Olenska? Her red eyes and her heaving bosom have gotten tiresome (here as in Dangerous Liasons)...Not to mention the narration...thanks Joanne...you're the best...but why not just do the audio instead of this annoying voice over.

a gilded age covered up an empty era; a gilded film covers up an empty movie.......2007-03-25

god bless martin scorsese for giving it a shot, but short of the exquisite look of the movie, nothing else works. one is prepared for an immature performance from winona ryder (could she give any other type?) but when the likes of michelle pfeiffer and even daniel day lewis [!] appear stilted, something is just plain wrong. i get the impression that scorsese made this movie anticipating it would gain him respect; instead its just one of those occasional blips in his grand career.

Average customer rating:

Not a Comedy
Not very interesting
WOW
Terrible dissappointment
Moore of the same...

The Last Kiss (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Zach Braff , Jacinda Barrett , Casey Affleck , Rachel Bilson , and Michael Weston
Director: Tony Goldwyn
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Little Miss Sunshine
The Black Dahlia (Widescreen Edition)
The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Devil Wears Prada (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000JLTRK4
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Amazon.com

A remake of the Italian film L'Ultimo Bacio, The Last Kiss was largely ignored in theaters despite its Gen-X themes and appeal of star Zach Braff (Scrubs), who last made a splash in theaters with his similar twentysomething angst film Garden State. A drama about midlife crises (mostly for people approaching 30, that is), director Tony Goldwyn (A Walk on the Moon) has assembled a top-notch cast, but there's not enough likeability in the characters to care. Architect Michael (Zach Braff) is a commitmentphobe who wanders into a flirtation with coed Kim (Rachel Bilson) because he's gun-shy about settling down with his perfect girlfriend Jenna (Jacinda Barrett), who's expecting his child. His fellow pals face their own romantic crossroads; one (Michael Weston) desires to settle down with a woman who doesn't love him back; another (Eric Christian Olsen) can't find someone who just wants a meaningless fling like him; and the third (Casey Affleck), ponders leaving his weary wife who's constantly berating his shortcomings as a father. Most depressing is Jenna's mother (Blythe Danner), who's tired of feeling neglected by her stoic husband (Tom Wilkinson). Danner and Wilkinson are compelling as longtime marrieds who've lost their spark, but Braff's character is wholly unlikeable, even aside from his indiscretions. The bright spot is Bilson, in her first movie role, utterly adorable as the sexy college student who's got more parts vulnerability and sass than any stuck in the Other Woman role. There's some fine acting in The Last Kiss, but not enough character development to care about anything they're going through.

The DVD includes a commentary featuring cast members Braff, Barrett, Olsen, Bilson, and director Goldwyn, who all mainly hoot during Olsen's sex scenes and ogle Bilson's seductive dancing. Braff and Goldwyn also imitate Bilson's high-pitched speedchatter throughout, while Barrett educates the cast on the similarities between "the dingo ate my baby" and the O.J. Simpson case (don't ask). It's all the more entertaining compared to a separate commentary track with just Goldwyn and Braff, who mostly drones about the music he picked for the film (Remy Zero, Snow Patrol, Aimee Mann) and raves about the minimalist score, done by singer Michael Penn. And oh, they ogle Bilson's dancing in this one too. -- Ellen A. Kim

Description

"The Last Kiss" is a hip romantic comedy about life, love, infidelity, forgiveness, marriage, friendship… and coming to grips with turning 30.

Customer Reviews:

Not a Comedy.......2007-06-16

Sadly, I think perhaps this movie would have been better received had it not been billed as a romantic comedy. It's not funny at all! It is a rather sad story about fears and dysfunctional relationships - and actually does a fairly decent job at that - but humor or comedy? No way.

Not very interesting.......2007-06-07

The movie is a bit disappointing, especially for those who have seen "L'ultimo bacio", the original italian version. Unfortunately, Zach Braff is not Stefano Accorsi. Labored screenplay + actors without any charisma = boring movie. No interest.

WOW.......2007-05-28

Ok, Zach Braff is one of the most talented actors there is. He is one of the most versatile people there are.

The Last Kiss is a story of a couple getting married because of a pregnancy. But, they are deeply in love, and cute together, the all-american couple. All of the decisions made, and their lives before them Braff's character gets nervous and starts a flirtation with a girl. After spending a night with her and kissing her he confesses and breaks the heart of his fiancee. After the fight he goes back and sleeps with her, the girlfriend played by Rachel Bilson.

There are other moving parts, as all the characters are multi-dimensional. The movie includes stories within the stories of the things going on with his friends, their story, and love lost and found.

Eventually Braff and Barrett fight it out, and by waiting and not giving up Braff is able to get Barrett to break down her barriers. Normally this would just piss me off- infedelity, yet her is forgiven- but it's what I like about the movie. It's different- and the forgiveness is the paramount of the love story. Is love stronger than what our morals and values tell us are right? Many people make the decision everyday to stay together. Interestingly enough- Braff get's amazing advice from Barrets father that helps him keep her. He's been the victim of his own wife's infedelity. It's amazing that the movie is very real. Some couples can get over infedelity- while others having never strayed just come to find they don't love each other, and a child is not enough to keep them together. You can't overcome the people you've grown to be sometimes. A lot of my friends were very disappointed- but I guess I like the movie because it's different. Never having been in the situation I hold firm that infidelity is where I cross the line, to me it is unforgivable. But, here you feel for Braff and want him and Barrett to be together forever, and see that his straying was only a lapse....Still, I am glad for the ending. It shows a new love story in a new light, and breaks all the typical cliche's.

Terrible dissappointment.......2007-05-20

I was looking for a movie to get me thinking like Garden State did. This movie is terrible. I barely could make it through the entire 100 some odd minutes. It had shallow writing focused on people giving up on relationships and fighting endlessly. This gives all relationships a bad name. It is definitely worth skipping.

Moore of the same..........2007-05-16

I came here today to write a review of this movie after watching it last night - but, after reading Robert Moore's review, I feel like I'd just sound repetative. I felt the exact same way.

I knew as soon as the movie opened up (conveniently with the Scrubs style narrating from the lovable Dr. Dorian) that we were in for a depressing 90 minutes. "That's not Rachel Bilson" I thought immediately of the girl at the table with him "and this girl is pregnant, this is going to be a bummer".

My girlfriend and I bought this movie at Blockbuster during a "4 for $20" sale because of the cast. It seemed like it'd be a great movie for us to watch together. Instead, I ended up feeling uncomfortable because I knew that it was putting upsetting thoughts into her head; "what if he does this kind of stuff to me?" "what if we get married and it fails?" etc...and I was right.

We're big Scrubs fans and I was very much in to the O.C. (what a loser, I'm 26 ha!) so I was definitely excited to see this, but just like many others, I was fooled by the marketing and very disappointed.

Average customer rating:

a very sad story to end the great western saga
OK but Does not seem to Flow
james garner brings capt. call to life one more time
Streets of Laredo DVD
An Excellent Movie Adaptation Of A Great Story!!!

Larry McMurtry's Streets of Laredo
Starring: James Garner , Sissy Spacek , Sam Shepard , Ned Beatty , and Randy Quaid
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: Hallmark
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Dead Man's Walk
Return to Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Johnson County War
Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years

ASIN: B00005A002
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Amazon.com

The critical and popular success of the Lonesome Dove miniseries just about ensured a sequel or three. The first spinoff, Return to Lonesome Dove, was rushed out without author Larry McMurtry's input, but Streets of Laredo, which McMurtry scripted from his own novel, returns us firmly to his brutal West. Legendary Texas Ranger Captain Woodrow Call (James Garner, who steps into the boots left by Tommy Lee Jones with comfortable assurance and understated courage) has turned bounty hunter, and he heads off on the bloody trail of vicious Mexican gunman Joey Garza (Alexis Cruz), a sadistic, angry south-of-the-border rebel without a cause. Lonesome Dove echoes through the story: Call's former trail hand Pea Eye Parker (Sam Shepard) is enlisted in his posse and Parker's wife, Lorena (Sissy Spacek in the role Diane Lane created in the original and the desert-worn soul of this story), follows in their wake with news that the psychopathic renegade Mox Mox (Kevin Conway), who once held her captive, is alive and back on the warpath.

McMurtry's Old West is not a pleasant place, and Streets of Laredo is not for the faint of heart. It's a lawless, racist, brutal world where might may not make right, but it certainly holds sway in isolated desert towns and lonely trails. Yet for all the tragedy and violence, McMurtry finds hope in the love and respect that breaks down racial barriers, holds families together, and creates new ones. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

A vicious new breed of killer is stalking the west Texas plains. And only an old-fashioned kind of lawman can stop him. That man is legendary Texas Ranger Woodrow Call (James Garner). Renowned as the greatest manhunter on the Southwest frontier, Call's mission will pit him against his deadliest adversary ever and lead him to the spectacular conclusion of the epic that began with Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize winning Lonesome Dove.

Also starring Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepard, the adventure begins with Call hard on the trail of murderous young train robber Joey Garza. Joined by his sidekick Pea Eye (Shepard), Call will wage the fight of his life as he battles to bring his quarry to justice and bring himself and those riding with him out of the wilderness alive.

A sprawling, star-powered finale to one of the most beloved sagas ever to evoke the heroism, villainy and glory of the wild American West!

Features: 
<lI>Full Screen Version
<lI>2.0 Dolby Surround Audio
<lI>Scene Access
<lI>Interactive Menus

System Requirements:
<lI>Run Time: 224 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

a very sad story to end the great western saga.......2007-04-11

a story could be more concise and concentrated, but since it's the typical writing style of larry mcmurty, page after page blah, blah, blah were never tried very hard to omit wisely since the screenplay was co-written by the author again. james garner did a great performance in this final chapter of the lonesome dove. his height and weight looked more dominant and intimidating than what tommy lee jones could present on the screen.
what a sad and malicious story to end the legendary call, a larger-than-life western hero. can't believe lorena would have so many children. anyway, the ending was quite anti climax and also very sad and helpless.

OK but Does not seem to Flow.......2006-10-31

Now actually, I thought that this movie was ok. I mean the replacement actors like James Garner as Capt. Call, Sam Shepard as Pea Eye, and Sissy Spacet as Lorena were good replacements; however, the plot is pretty dumb. I mean the whole point is hunting down a teenage killer Joey Garza, now why would Mcmurtry make this kid be the problem in this story? James Garner, as good as an actor he is did not really seem to measure up to TLJ. TLJ was born to play the part as Capt. Call, Garner's interpretation of Call was very friendly and more social than TLJ, this bothered me a little. I did however appreciate Sam Shepard. He seemed to be an imrovement over Tim Scott, Tim Scott just seemed to make the former deputy Pea Eye look like an idiot. All in all, the movie ends in a tragedy thus putting an end to Lonesome Dove. The odd parts of the movie as that Lorena and Pea Eye are married and that Newt Call is dead, as well as the Hat Creek Ranch. Personally, I liked Return to Lonesome Dove better because it had great parrallels to the original and the actors Jon Voight and Barbara Hershey did a good job playing their parts as Capt Call and Clara Allen. Also, Rick Schroeder and many of the original cast from the original are in it. Plus, it is made by Hollywood, so you know its good. I even thought that Return to Lonesome Dove was more exciting, there were more gun fights in the movie, and it flowed just like the original. Plus, the opening credits like the original were the same style as the ones in Return to Lonesome Dove, and basically the same music score and locations were once again showed. Well Streets of Laredo is worth seeing if you love to see Lonesome Dove, but I prefer Return to Lonesome Dove over Streets Laredo because it gave me the same feeling as I felt when I saw the original.

james garner brings capt. call to life one more time.......2006-05-25

this is the real sequel to lonesome dove and man is it good. years after the first one ended,call(now retired and working as a bounty hunter) is called to bring in joey garza,a very young man who kills anytime he wants and to take on mox mox a man who likes to burn men,women,and children alive.
this is a very good production,and garner is just great as an older but still deadly woodrow call, check it out!

Streets of Laredo DVD.......2006-03-04

I have been searching for this DVD for a long time only to be told it was out of print or I could get it if I purchased the entire Lonesome Dove Series, which I already had all but the last one. This is a real good movie.

Dee Moffat
Port Angeles, WA

An Excellent Movie Adaptation Of A Great Story!!!.......2005-10-08

This movie is based on the book by Larry McMurty of the same name. James Garner plays Captain Woodrow Call who was once a Texas Ranger but is now a Bounty Hunter on the hunt for train robber Joey Garza.Every character in this movie is well played by a fine cast which also includes Sissy Spacek , Ned Beatty ( as Judge Roy Bean) and Wes Studi who plays the Native American Tracker Famous Shoes. There are a few unexpectd twists in this film and thankfully it does not have the usual "happily ever after" Hollywood ending. I LOVED the book and I loved this movie.

Average customer rating:

Playing House
Creepy, gets under your skin.
Jodie Foster Shines in this role
Thats what little girls are made of (spoiler warning)
Mario

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
Starring: Jodie Foster , Martin Sheen , Alexis Smith , Mort Shuman , and Scott Jacoby
Director: Nicolas Gessner
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Girl Most Likely To... (1972)
The Innocents
Let's Scare Jessica to Death
Trilogy of Terror
The Lady in White

ASIN: B000ALM4MQ
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Description

Some little girls can be murder! Thirteen-year-old Rynn (Foster) is a gifted prodigy who lives in a big old house with her reclusive father...all alone. Or does she? When Rynn's nosy landlady and a lecherous neighbor (Sheen) begin to susupect that this little girl is hiding a dark and dangerous secret, Rynn is determined to preserve her isolated existence at any cost - and stop those vicious rumors dead in their tracks!

Customer Reviews:

Playing House.......2007-06-02

This 1976 Jodie Foster thriller was advertised as a horror film when it came out, but there's hardly any horror at all in it: it's more like a mystery, with the viewer waiting to find out why Foster's 13 year-old character (bizarrely named "Rynn") seems to live all alone in a large Cape Cod rented house, what she doesn't want anyone to see in her cellar, and why her father never seems to be in when neighbors come to visit. And come they do, again and again; even though Rynn is supposed to be a child genius (she studies Hebrew privately, read Emily Dickinson, and becomes the master of all sorts of outlandish skills central to the mystery), she never seems to get it into her head to lock her front door. Among her unwelcome guests include Alexis Smith as the bossy and anti-Semitic grande dame of the nearby town and Martin Sheen (!) as her loathsome son, a child moesltor who takes a fancy to Rynn and who devises a most repugnant (and absurd) way of killing Foster's pet hamster. More welcome is the very likeable Scott Jacoby as a handicapped teenage magician who comes to help Rynn with her quest to be left alone.

Some people remember this movie very fondly, and it's hard to figure out why. Even setting aside such strange period touches -- Rynn's horrible hairdo, the Moroccan caftan she likes to lounge about the house in, and the odd use of Quinn/Martin-styled electronic background scoring,-- the film is impossibly and fatally stagey, with 90% of the film's action taking place in Rynn's living room. Laird Koenig, who adapted the screenplay from his own novel, is not very graceful with dialogue, and the cast, despite their considerable talents, seem to be tripping all over their awkward repetitive accusatory lines. Foster is very appealing, despite this, and the role does make good use of her intelligent oddball qualities.

Creepy, gets under your skin. .......2007-05-12

I never forgot this movie the first time I saw it as a preteen. It was CREEPY in a psychological way. How smart she was for such a young girl. Her calm demeanor, the way she could outwit adults by words, alone.

And to this day, whenever I see almond cookies or almond tea..I think of this movie, lol.

Unforgettable, chilling, a classic. Jody Foster was incredibly mature at that age to pull the character off, like that. THAT'S TALENT!

Jodie Foster Shines in this role.......2006-12-20

I just watched this movie on TCM a few minutes ago, in the early a.m. hours. Like a lot of the other reviewers, I saw this movie many years ago, and never forgot it. When I watched it this morning, I was still astonished with Jodie Foster's acting ability at such a young age.

It may be a long stretch, a thirteen year old living in a huge house in the country, with her poet father who may, or may not be, living with her. But as the story enfolds, we understand why she is not in school. Thirty years after the movie was made, I got rather frustrated about Alexis Smith's role. I mean, the rent was paid for three years, what's the beef? Too much overacting on her part. And Martin Sheen -- well, he was creepiness personified. A known pedophile in a small town! C'mon. Oh well, it is only a movie!

Great performances from everyone. The town is beautiful, filmed in Canada. About the ending -- what is she going to do now?

Thats what little girls are made of (spoiler warning).......2006-12-07

This was an excellent movie. Jodie Foster gives an impressive performance for someone her age (her character was equal parts annoy and clever). Martin Sheen was equally as good as a vile and sadistic pedophile. Basically an all around good cast. The story was so good that it kept me interested despite the plot holes. I agree with other reviewers that the story tried to deliver the right message about independence and not letting others change you into what they want you to be. But lets face it, in real life a 13 year old living on her own is not a wise idea. At the end her character even admits that they thought of everything except for loneliness and the need for human companionship. I also felt that the 13 year old carrying on a sexual relationship, let alone with someone who was obviously older than her was disturbing. It seems as if the movie was presenting some kind of double standard: Martin Sheen is disgusting for going after young Jodie but "Mario" isn't because he's her hero and within 10 years of her age.

Mario.......2006-11-22

This little girl lives by herself, Its wild how she lives, and what out for that white powder! Mario is her only friend.
And trap door is a goner.

Average customer rating:

Dive Bomber
Yellow Wings
a great film for aviation buffs
Food for thought on a war to come
A little balance?

Dive Bomber
Starring: Errol Flynn , Fred MacMurray , Ralph Bellamy , Alexis Smith , and Robert Armstrong
Director: Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Dawn Patrol
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
The Charge of the Light Brigade
Captain Horatio Hornblower
Captains of the Clouds

ASIN: B000M2E30Y
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Amazon.com

It's not the most he-manly endorsement imaginable, but Dive Bomber must be the prettiest aviation movie ever made. Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, and Ralph Bellamy top the cast, but the real star is Technicolor--in particular, a special Monopack developed to take the color process airborne without the cumbrous three-strip cameras used in the studios. Bert Glennon and Winton C. Hoch (once and future cameramen to John Ford) were Oscar-nominated for best color cinematography of 1941, but the flying footage was shot by Howard Hawks's aerial go-to guy Elmer Dyer (The Dawn Patrol, Only Angels Have Wings, Air Force) and Charles Marshall. For his part, director Michael Curtiz set up as many dialogue scenes as possible to include low-level flyovers by U.S. Navy Air Force squadrons. The onscreen results are often breathtaking (and beautifully served by the DVD mastering).

The drama is something else again. Dive Bomber is a bridge between the carefree service comedy-dramas of the '30s and the combat-themed movies that would kick in following December 7, 1941. Warner Bros. knew war was coming (their 1940 Flynn swashbuckler The Sea Hawk had allegorically engaged Hitler!); the heroes here are the flight surgeons and test pilots racing to lick high-altitude sickness so that U.S. flyers would be able to get the drop on their Axis foes once "the main event" started. The best scenes are the lab tests, including an oxygen-deprivation experiment that makes striking use of Technicolor. But the script by aviation-ace-turned-screenwriter Frank "Spig" Wead alternates between two tiresome strategies: nonstop dissing of medicos Flynn and Bellamy by macho flyboys MacMurray and pal Regis Toomey, and low-comedy interludes deploring how exasperating women can be (Alexis Smith is a sacrificial victim in her stellar debut). In this last connection, John Ford's Wead biopic The Wings of Eagles would make an illuminating companion piece for Dive Bomber. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Visually exciting WWII drama about two naval officers who are trying to understand and prevent altitude sickness. The two men must get past their personal differences in order to conduct the experiments necessary to save lives.

Customer Reviews:

Dive Bomber.......2007-05-13

A true aviation buff's film! Not a war film, but a pre-war film about the approaching conflict the US would soon find itself in and the problems aviation medicine faced in it's attempts to keep the American pilot number 1 in the skies. The flying sequences are beautifully handled with only minor model work (during the two crash scenes) and the film appeared well researched (though the Navy did not use the high pressure suit during the war). Like the mini-documentary hosted by Robert Osborne says on the DVD, "What's not to like?" It's got Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy, the rousing score by Max Steiner and the aircraft of US Naval Aviation in all those colorful pre-war paint jobs in vivid Technicolor! Bravo!

Yellow Wings .......2007-05-08

Got your attention? This isn't about cowardly action, not with Flynn and MacMurray and Bellamy, but it does have those fantastic shots of pre-war naval planes with those yellow wings. For those who model the era this is a great movie. Video transfer is good and so is the sound. If you're into avaiation films you need to add this one to your collection.

a great film for aviation buffs.......2007-04-12

I love this film. OK, the plot is pretty simple and doesn't rise above the level of a soap and its technical and historical accuracy is more than a little shaky at points. Errol Flynn seems to be slightly miscast though Fred MacMurray fits the bill perfectly as a stalwart Navy pilot.

That said it is a creation of its time and one has to remember the circumstances in which the film was made - the era immediately prior to war when aviation was at its most glamourous, when right and wrong involved clear cut alternatives and the American people wanted to be reassured of the nobility of those who served.

But when it comes to colour film of pre-war US Navy aircraft and aircraft carriers it can't be beat. The real stars are the aeroplanes - yellow wing Devastators, Vindicators and Helldivers - and I can't think of any other motion picture that captures these sort of images. The shots of aircraft being launched off the USS Enterprise (I think) are particularly memorable.

So for those of us who love aviation this film is very definitely one for Saturday night with a good glass of wine and a decent cigar. As an added bonus there is the occasional interlude with Alexis Smith looking rather fetching.

Food for thought on a war to come.......2007-03-17

I bought Dive Bomber for two reasons:
(1) Technicolor: brings history to life. Dive Bomber is well worth a look if only for the shots that chronicle a ship, the 1941 "Enterprise" (and her aeroplanes, of course) destined for the fiercest battles in the Pacific War. She was to become the most decorated U.S. navy ship of WWII.
(2)Michael Curtiz, that great if excentric journeyman director. Just as in the "Adventures of Robin Hood," or "Casablanca" Curtiz, shows his versatility in handling disparate subject material, by giving you a real sense of narrative mood.

Curtiz's spectacular color flying shots of planes; taking off from and landing on "Enterprise," flying in echelon, or peeling out in diving formations are all the more impressive when remembering the burdensome nature of three strip technicolor cameras. He even uses formations of planes as cinematic "depth cues" in his ground action shots by having them fly towards the camera from the horizon.

Since Dive Bomber was made at a time when Americans sensed that they would soon be drawn into the world war. Historical timing allows Dive Bomber to concentrate on the patriotic positives and avoid the rallying anti-Japanese and German propaganda/melodrama requisite to the war films it preceeded.The action took a kind of anticipatory documentary form, stressing the dedication and courage of Navy fighting men ready to meet an expected if not 'real and present danger'.

The Documentrary form was most conspicuous in scences of laboratory research tests on high altitude sickness and G-forces associated with planes becoming sophisticated enough to make these conditions problematic.

Dive Bomber a "man's" film, with emphasis on Camaraderie and getting the job done, with the love interest between Flynn and Alexis Smith relegated to subplot.

This unromantic Flynn is a departure from his romantic lead persona, but I found an avenue of connection through his use of a couple of oldtime "Australian-isms; the word play on MacMurray's character name, Joe Blake;
"... before I punch that 'Joe Blake' (snake) on the nose." and
"...we've been 'busier than a couple of one-armed paperhangers!'"

Fred MacMurray and Herbert Anderson (Lt. (j.g.) 'Chubby' Markham, MD) in Dive Bomber, still had their good looks 13 years later in the Caine Mutiny - how sad the years were so kind to Flynn.

A little balance?.......2006-08-27

If this were a documentary it would deserve a 5. Not only are the (barely) pre-War airplanes the stars of the show, but the gorgeous color photography of the San Diego area in '40-'41 is well worth the price of the DVD. But... it's supposed to be a movie, with characters, plot and all that good stuff, and this one doesn't rise much above the soap opera level on that score. Even at the documentary level there were some rather heavy duty security restrictions in place - one is free to doubt that, contrary to what the characters say, dive attacks were being made from 50,000 feet! Still, watching all those Vindicator dive bombers and pilots, knowing the sad fate which lay in store for these very people at Midway a little over a year later, makes it a very special memorial.

Average customer rating:

Gentelman Jim
Knockout entertainment!
Another Strong Effort from Warner
gentleman jim
The finest film on boxing

Gentleman Jim
Starring: Errol Flynn , Alexis Smith , Jack Carson , Alan Hale , and John Loder
Director: Raoul Walsh , Del Frazier , and Friz Freleng
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Charge of the Light Brigade
Adventures of Don Juan
The Dawn Patrol
The Return of Frank James
Here Comes Mr. Jordan [Region 99]

ASIN: B000M2E318
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Amazon.com

Gentleman Jim is such a bountifully superlative movie that its neglect among Warner Bros. classics has been downright mystifying. It's a boisterously exhilarating and likable picture from a director who made a habit of such things, Raoul Walsh. The performances of Errol Flynn, as pugilist dandy James J. Corbett, and Ward Bond, as heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan, just might be personal bests. And the 1890s period atmosphere, the interpersonal dynamics when the working-class Corbett clan intersects with the swells of San Francisco society, and the sheer, exuberant drive of the storytelling exemplify the richness of studio filmmaking in Hollywood's golden age. As glorious entertainment and vibrant cinema, this is a masterpiece.

It's pure Raoul Walsh from the outset--a wordless sequence as, through the knowing eyes of a street cop, we watch the strata of Gay-'90s society coalesce one summer evening, everyone out to take in an illegal boxing match in the park. (Characteristic Walsh touch: Unmistakable among the traffic is an open carriage bearing a madam and her ladies-of-the-evening.) Upwardly aspiring bank teller Corbett gets a career boost by fast-talking a prominent judge out of the slammer after the cops have swept them up in a raid. From then on, seemingly nothing can stop the brash "Gentleman Jim" as he muscles his way into the exclusive Olympic Club and, after a casual display of fisticuffs, breaks into the boxing game himself. Along the way he attracts the irreverent attention of a well-born young lady (Alexis Smith in a characterization of uncommon spirit and wit) who finds him preposterously egotistical... but not without a certain animal magnetism.

This is a joyously earthy movie--in critic Peter Hogue's phrase, "a vision, imaginary or otherwise, of a time when personal wholeness and physical joy were much more accessible and more fully communal." Flynn cheerfully accepts being the butt of much of the humor; Jack Carson and frequent Flynn sidekick Alan Hale are splendid as Corbett's best pal and father, respectively; and the montages depicting his rise as a contender--by Don Siegel and James Leicester--are every bit as dynamic as their contributions to their next assignment, Casablanca. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Errol Flynn is at his career best as boxer James J. corbett ("Gentleman Jim") the bank-clerk-turned World Champion who elevated boxing from bare-knuckled brawling to the sport of skill it is today. Year: 1942 Director: Raoul Walsh Starring: Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Alan Hale,

Customer Reviews:

Gentelman Jim.......2007-06-22

Walsh's splendidly robust biopic of Corbett, the first fighter to win the world heavyweight title under the more refined Marquis of Queenberry rules he helped draft (i.e. no biting, kicking, or clawing), is one of Hollywood's greatest sports dramas. Flynn's deft handling of Corbett's outsize personality--a mix of classy manners and boorish bluster--and Bond's own turn as Sullivan, a champion boxer who can "lick any man in creation," are the film's main attraction. In dramatizing Corbett's colorful career, Walsh handles the action exceedingly well, especially the final ring showdown, a bout as jarring and thrilling as anything in Scorsese's "Raging Bull."

Knockout entertainment!.......2007-05-29

Gentleman Jim is another case of print the legend, with Errol Flynn playing the legendary boxer as a brash but charismatic social climber in a rollicking entertainment that barely stops for breath. It's as pointless looking for historical accuracy here as it is in Flynn's The Charge of the Light Brigade - this is sheer hokum with all the stops pulled out, filmed on a surprisingly lavish scale and given a real sense of energy by Raoul Walsh's vivid direction. Flynn is still at the height of his powers (you'd never guess he suffered a mild heart attack during the production), with Alexis Smith a beautiful romantic sparring partner and perpetual sidekick Alan Hale along for good measure, this time as Flynn's father (Jack Carson takes sidekick duties this time). Indeed, even the pirate galleon from Flynn's earlier movies makes a somewhat out-of-place cameo in a dockside bout! The 103 minutes just breeze by.

Warners' DVD boasts a fine black and white transfer with a good selection of extras - a radio adaptation, original trailer, cartoon Foney Fables and two sports shorts (one featuring Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman!).

Another Strong Effort from Warner.......2007-05-26

Warner had done a very nice job with this DVD release. Very nice picture quality. The film looks very good and refreshed. From the opening scene you can tell right away that the quality is there. Nice Job.

gentleman jim.......2007-05-13

this was always an excellent film and I am delighted it is now a dvd

The finest film on boxing.......2007-04-29

Errol Flynn takes Ward Bond for the heavyweight championship. The amazing thing is how the character of Errol Flynn wins our sympathy little by little, despite his huge ego and conceit. The same way he finally wins the rich girl. Great characterizations, wonderful direction by Raoul Walsh (one of his best films), fantastic sets. There's not a dull moment in its 2 hours of film. Ward Bond does a great performance too as the final rival for the title. It has all the ingredients of a truly great classic. But best of all is the role of Corbett (Flynn), it just suits him perfect. One more masterpiece for the collection.

Average customer rating:

superficial sizzle
I love Gregory Nava....this film left a lot to be desired......
Why did I waste my time watching this movie?
Very funny, yet sad at the same time.
Great! But no documentary film here!

Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Starring: Halle Berry , Vivica A. Fox , Lela Rochon , Larenz Tate , and Paul Mazursky
Director: Gregory Nava
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
The Five Heartbeats - 15th Anniversary Special Edition (Widescreen)
The Temptations
Eve's Bayou
What's Love Got To Do With It?

ASIN: 0790739313
Release Date: 1999-01-19

Description

Music-based romantic drama about the late singer/songwriter Frankie Lymon, who was responsible for many hit records but whose self-destructive life ended early, with many relationships left unresolved. three women, each claiming to be his wife, each with

Customer Reviews:

superficial sizzle.......2007-06-18

Musical bio-pics about this period seldom interest me. However, components of this movie are very appealing. Little Richard is fun, Alexis Cruz does very well, and the four leads are good.

Of particular personal interest is some of the film direction. One shot in particular kept me watcing the rest of the picture: an apparently single shot that starts outside a theater, follows excited teens inside, and swirls around the stage for TWO musical numbers. With all the CGI tricks available these days, this is probably not just one take. (At the very least, a sudden interest in the ceiling of the theater may serve as the backs of actors did in Hitchcock's ROPE as a way to hide the splicing of at least two extended shots.) But the effect on the viewer is breathtaking, as a feat of high energy the mounts uninterrupted by the sort of tiresome strobe editing that defuses participation in most 21st century movie musicals.

The film's problem lies in the script. Lots of bio detail is crammed into the story, but as often as not the scenes are tabloid shallow and fraught with scenery chewing that even actors of this quality cannot salvage. These melodrama-scorched patches reduce potentially genuine moments in Frankie's life to ... well ... simplistic song lyrics.

I love Gregory Nava....this film left a lot to be desired.............2007-06-15

One of my favorite contemporary directors, today, is the great filmmaker, Gregory Nava. Nava is known best for the powerful EL NORTE, MI FAMILIA (MY FAMILY) and SELENA. He has great ability to combine warm humor with high drama, and [oftentimes] succeeds in shaping very compelling characters in the great stories he tells. Unfortunately, I don't feel that this really took place in WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE.

Frankie Lymon (Larenz Tate) was a legend, during his heyday. At thirteen years old, he was the lead singer of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. He also co-wrote the hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love." This catapulted him into stardom, during the height of the do-wop era, in the United States. Not only was a trailblazer, due to his young age, but The Teenagers were a multiracial group, at a time where that was pretty progressive (the mid-1950s). Two of his band members were Puerto Rican, and Lymon and the other Teenagers were African-American. Success seemed synonymous with the name Frankie Lymon, but, as they say, "everyone will get their fifteen minutes of fame." Frankie's success took a u-turn, once his voice changed, and he began his descent into heroin addiction. In between his highs (and catastrophic lows--including the turbulent break-up between Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers), that left time and room for him in his schedule to get married to three women--at the same time! Of course, it wasn't nearly as straightforward as that. Botched court papers, troubles with addiction and unfinalized divorces led to this predicament. In the 1980s, the three women met face to face, and went on to take each other on in court, to determine who was to inherit Lymon's $4 million fortune. This co-stars Halle Berry, Lela Rochon and Vivica A. Fox, as the wives in question.

I found myself shaking my head in disappointment, thinking, "Ay, Gregory Nava, what were you thinking?" Okay, for starters, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" is a great song. I won't argue with that. However, the song is almost constantly playing as the background soundtrack for this dramedy. I'm not exaggerating. It's great the first few times, but once you've heard it about ten times, you begin to wonder who was editing the film (or if editing even occurred). The other songs from the era are really great, classic tunes. They are undeniably catchy, but there are times where they feel more than a little manipulative. It's almost as though the director was relying on the music as a crutch for the film, so we'd forget the [slightly] melodramatic camera angles, uproarious emotional outbursts and shots of Lymon coming down or riding the high of his heroin use. Larenz Tate lipsynchs as well he can, and I do feel that he did a believeable job, playing Lymon here. However, Halle Berry (as Zola Taylor, female singer for The Platters), Vivica A. Fox (as Elizabeth Waters, a perpetual shoplifter) and Lela Rochon (as Elmira Eagle) felt more like caricatures to me than anything else. We have our diva, bad girl and church-going good girl. Three very different women for the three very different faces of the manipulative lothario, Frankie Lymon. And, he managed to fool all of them, equally. I realize that it's hard to portray the events of this story without it coming off as much more than an exploitative tabloid, due to the subject matter. Lymon tragically died of a heroid overdose at age twenty-five, just when he was contemplating getting his singing career together, after a long draught. It was very sad and unfortunate, and he was undeniably talented. What's more, the effect of his narcissism and addiction problems left tracks marks on many of his relationships. This wasn't a tribute, but more of an excuse to air the dirty laundry of someone too sick (and dead too many years), and it shows.

Why did I waste my time watching this movie?.......2007-05-29

I couldn't bring myself to like Why Do Fools Fall in love. But I could bring myself to loathe it with tremendous contempt. A shallow biopic with no style or substance, it barely skims the surface of the Frankie Lymon's life story or gives us any idea of what a rocky road the musician had in his short lifetime. Only a fool could love this mess of a movie.

Why Do Fools Fall in love supposedly details the civil trial three of Mr. Lymons wives have over the royalties for his fortune. That's right wives. It seems the late Frankie Lymon married three different women in between touring and drugging and years later everyone has to go to court to sort it out. As the court case goes on we are dragged through three shallow stories told from the perspectives of the wives: A petty thief and round the way girl, Zola, A singer from the group the platters, and a Georgia schoolteacher.

Each tries to convince us they are the real Mrs. Lymon and why they should get the$4 million in back royalties. Each gives a woe-is-me tale of how they were conned by Frankie Lymon who is what-a musician! In between marriages he earns their trust, hustles them for drug money, rips them off and leaves them with nothing. (Poor ladies, no one ever told them Musicians are ALWAYS womanizing drug abusing cads!) Now they're looking for payback from the record company. I won't give away who is the real Mrs. Lymon is this movie is JUST TOO AWFUL TO SPOIL.

Why Do Fools Fall in Love? The real question I had to ask after watching this movie is: Why did I waste my time watching this ridiculous movie? Bird this isn't. Ray this will NEVER be. Heck this isn't near the quality of the Temptations Mini-series or even The Five Heartbeats. This movie is an insult to Frankie Lymon and his fans. This movie is an insult to anyone's intelligence. The only message of this movie is: Sistas should never trust a junkie. Especially if he's a one-hit wonder who isn't smart enough to manage his own finances.

Why Do Fools Fall in Love falls apart due to its poor production values, inept direction and terrible script. The director has no idea how to shoot this film. He uses many of the wrong shots to shoot his story. For the concert scenes The Camera is on stage with the performers and that takes away from the emotional impact of the story. This is to cover Larenz Tates body doubles dance moves, but the camera needs to be in the audience watching along with the crowd so we can experience what they experience. He takes no time to create tension in his shots, and uses wide shots during scenes when close ups would have built up the story.

The poorly written screenplay doesn't dig deep enough into Lymon's story or the characters personalities. I barely got to know Frankie Lymon or his impact on the music scene in the 50's and 60s. I never learned why he got close to these women or if he ever cared for any of them. I didn't even learn why he became a drug addict or why he got involved with all these women. Was it the fame? Was it the drugs? Was it because he was just a creep? Hard to tell because this movie it tries to cram all these stories into a 90 minute time frame and hope for the best.

Production values are ridiculous. Why do Fools Fall in love doesn't feel like a feature film, it feels like a made for-TV movie or a made-for-video piece. We don't get a sense of the time of the 50's 60's or the 80's when the court case is takes place. Everyone wears clothing of the time, but we never get a sense of these eras in history from the sets. It's clear the producers took no time to research the history of the time period or the story of this man's life.

Larenz Tate struggles in the role of Frankie Lymon. His performance borders on Hairspray campy. Viveca A.Fox is great as Lymon's first wife. She channels the chicken head within. Halle Berry Struggles in the role of Zola. I couldn't believe she was a singer. In some scenes she's on and others she's off. I can't blame her this time; the erratic script here doesn't give her much to work with. Lela Rochon also struggles as Lymon's third wife; but that's due to the script, which gives her oh about two minutes to tell her character's story. Miguel A. Nunez Jr. Is NOT little Richard. All I have to say. Little Richard is Little Richard though.

Don't be a fool. Avoid this movie. If you want a great biopic about Motown musicians get Ray, The Temptations Mini-Series, or Clint Eastwood's Bird. Or if you want a fictional story about Motown music get The Five Heartbeats.

Very funny, yet sad at the same time........2006-08-31

It was fun to see him happy when he was on his rise, but so sad to see him fall. A great acting job by Larenze Tate. Vivica is beautiful.

Great! But no documentary film here!.......2006-07-18

I loved this movie BUT...know that Frankie got famous at 13! 13 Folks! And died at 26! Soooo...as far as being factual...I don't know. Was he being molested (spell check) by today's standards? Poor guy! I love this music though and basically, who's the victim here, the Gold-diggers or minor, drug-addicted, where are his parents, "Frankie"? Hmmm....enjoy it for what it is...fact plus Hollywood.

Average customer rating:

Super Movie
Excellent DVD!
A movie from my childhood, now for my daughter......
A real overlooked gem
Finally a movie for Quarter Horse people

Casey's Shadow [Region 99]
Starring: Walter Matthau , Alexis Smith , Robert Webber , Murray Hamilton , and Andrew Rubin
Director: Martin Ritt
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000AGQ6U
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Customer Reviews:

Super Movie.......2007-05-06

Casey's Shadow is one of my favorite movies. It is really a classic, especially for horse racing fans.

Excellent DVD!.......2007-03-13

I thoroughly enjoy this movie. The acting is seemless--as if you are watching a real family interact. Walter Matthau is a horse trainer and father. His son, Casey, is a young boy whose best friend is a foal called "Casey's Shadow." Against all odds, the two-year old horse becomes a million-dollar champion. However, the story does not end there, which is one of many reasons that this film has such depth.

A movie from my childhood, now for my daughter.............2005-07-08

This was one on a list of movies that I made several years ago that I considered a "must have." As an adolescent, I remember watching this movie every chance that I could on a fledgling cable movie channel, and loved it each and every time that I saw it. Never saw it again, until I opened the Amazon package a couple of weeks ago, and sat down and watched it with my 11 year old daughter.

Not into horses myself, per se, but my in-laws, wife, and daughter are well into quarterhorses, and this movie made a huge impact on my daughter. Had to shake her pack down and recover the movie prior to her going to horsecamp last week!

A definite "must have" family movie with a slight exception to language....but nothing vulgar or in bad taste.

A real overlooked gem.......2004-12-29

Lloyd Bourdelle (Walter Matthau) is a penniless Cajun horse trainer who raises Quarterhorses on his bayou ranch. He's aided by his three sons: Business-minded Buddy (Andrew A. Rubin); talented jockey Randy (Steve Burns); and 7-year-old Casey (Michael Hershewe). When one of the Bourdelle's mares gives birth to a special colt called Casey's Shadow after the bond the foal and the boy immediately share, the family's fortunes turn. When the chestnut, blaze-faced colt grows up, he's taken to Ruidoso, New Mexico to race in the prestigious All-American Futurity. High drama is in the air when Casey's Shadow gets hurt before the big race: With Lloyd's eyes on the prize, will the colt be forced to race in spite of his injuries? And what about the rich man who wants to buy Shadow - will Casey be able to part with his dream horse? And what about those unscrupulous types who want to stop the speedy stallion from running in the Futurity? You'll just have to see it find out! Packs an emotional punch, is well-acted, funny, and entertaining.

Staci Layne Wilson

Finally a movie for Quarter Horse people.......2003-09-15

This is my favorite horse movie. It shows that Quarter Horses are the common man's horse. Even though the movie is fiction, it shows that Quarter Horses can take you from the backyard to greatness. I feel a lot of pride as a Quarter Horse owner when I watch this movie.

Average customer rating:

Movie review
Night & Day
I get no kick from this movie
Hoaky and inaccurate
Better than expected

Night and Day
Starring: Cary Grant , Alexis Smith , Monty Woolley , Ginny Simms , and Jane Wyman
Director: Michael Curtiz , Robert Clampett , and Jack Scholl
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Grant, Cary | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | D