Barbara Bouchet

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In politics and in war, nothing ever changes
Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war.
In Harm's Way with John Wayn
Harm
One of "The Duke's" Greatest War Movies

In Harm's Way
Starring: John Wayne , Kirk Douglas , Patricia Neal , Tom Tryon , and Paula Prentiss
Director: Otto Preminger
Manufacturer: Paramount
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Midway (Collector's Edition)
Donovan's Reef
Operation Pacific
They Were Expendable
The High and the Mighty (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B00005ASGD
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Amazon.com essential video

Otto Preminger's sprawling World War II drama packs a lot into its 165 minutes, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor (which Preminger re-creates in amazing detail) and ending a couple of years later with America's return to the South Pacific in force. John Wayne and Kirk Douglas star as a career naval captain and his self-pitying commander in the peacetime navy who are thrust into battle when Pearl Harbor is bombed while they are on maneuvers. Minutes into WWII, they are already scapegoated and demoted by the embarrassed military brass. Wayne romances a WAVE nurse (Patricia Neal) and attempts a reconciliation with his estranged, spoiled son (Brandon de Wilde) while Douglas sinks into the bottle after the death of his cheating wife until the American fleet rebuilds and calls upon Wayne to lead one of the initial invasion forces. Henry Fonda makes a brief but commanding appearance as the fleet admiral. Burgess Meredith is a former writer turned witty commander, Dana Andrews a showy but indecisive admiral, and Stanley Holloway a genial Australian scout working with the American invasion forces. Tom Tryon and Paula Prentiss play newlyweds torn apart by the war, and also appearing are Franchot Tone, Carroll O'Conner, Slim Pickens, George Kennedy, Bruce Cabot, and Larry Hagman, among many, many more. Loyal Griggs's handsome black-and-white photography is topped only by Saul Bass's impressive closing credits sequence, a rising cascade of crashing waves and rough surf reportedly paced to mirror the dramatic rhythm of the film. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

In politics and in war, nothing ever changes.......2007-05-30

This grand movie is a sound depiction of the early war in the Pacific. This movie was recently run on local TV. In spite of having bought the DVD earlier this year, and watching it several times, I still watched this TV version. It was released in 1965. Based on a very interesting story (that began on December 6, 1941), and many sub-stories, plus a superb cast, this film is worth seeing.

There were many useful reviews written on this movie. I particularly liked the customer review (#11) by a Ralph Couey. "The movie demonstrates the difference between capable managers in peacetime and battle-worthy leaders in war. The U.S. was caught in that trap in the first year of World War II. Unfortunately, a lot of ships were lost and a lot of sailors died while the bureaucrats were weeded out and replaced with warriors." This situation was essentially the basis for the "battle" between Rear Admiral Rockwell Torrey (John Wayne, surely one of his best roles) and Admiral `Blackjack' Broderick (Dana Andrews). Other reviewers described Broderick as weak and incompetent.

As I watched the TV show I couldn't help think there was a worthwhile analogy between the political events/strategic implications during this war and the political events/strategic implications today and in our recent past.

What follows are some inputs from the movie.

1. The first scene reviewed here is between Torrey and Jere (Brandon De Wilde), his estranged son for the past 18 years. Torrey had just learned his son was on PT duty and he visited him. This first meeting was very strained. Some approximations of their conversation follow.
* Torrey - how do you like PT duty?
* Jere - I don't.
* Torrey - why did you chose it, it is a voluntary assignment?
* Jere - I knew this unit was assigned to Adm. Broderick, and once in this unit, I could be transferred to assist ex congressman Commander Neal Owen (Patrick O'Neal), Broderick's PR man. (Other reviewers described Owen as Broderick's stooge and a publicity seeking ex congressman, with political ambitions after the war). I will be his assistant.
* Torrey - that is just like your mother's family - they could always pull political strings.
* Jere - Adm Broderick has been assigned to handle a very important (and supposedly very secretive) assignment - Skyhook. (Couey commented: "Operation Skyhook represents Operation Watchtower, the drive to recover the Solomon Islands. The Battle of Pala Passage is in excellent representation of the second day of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, when Admirals Scott and Calahagn blocked a far superior Japanese force on its way to deliver the death knell to U.S. forces on the island").
* Torrey - I wouldn't know about that. (About Skyhook)
* Jere - I wouldn't expect that you would. Commander Neal Owen gave me this information. (He should not have done that).
* Torrey - Somewhere in here Torrey commented he would like to throw his son to the fishes.
* Jere - why did you come?
* Torrey - let us just say that I did.
Later in the movie Jere discovers that Owen is a huge phony and his father is the real man. He "quits" Owen and is transferred back to PT duty, and ultimately a reconciliation with his father.

2. This is a luncheon scene between Owen and Jere, early in the movie.
* Owen - my job, Jere, is to see that the information given out to the press corp is good for the general war effort and good for the Navy.
* Jere - and good for Adm Broderick.
* Owen - well what is good for Adm Broderick is good for the war effort and good for the Navy.
* Jere - with a little left over for Neal Owen.

3. This scene is a dinner meeting to honor Torrey in his surprise promotion from Captain to Rear Admiral. The head of Pacific operations (Henry Fonda, who is perfectly cast in this role. He is undoubtedly playing Admiral Nimitz, but this is never defined.) makes this announcement, essentially bringing Torrey out of "purgatory" where he had been sent, unjustly, after Pearl Harbor. "Nimitz" noted that Lincoln had his George B. McClellan who was "a great little organizer, but couldn't make up his mind when to fight", and I have my Broderick. He went on: "Indecision is a virus that can run through an army and destroy its will to win and even to survive." (It seems to me that this is the kind of risk our country is being put in today in Iraq). Faced with this situation Lincoln called in Grant. And "Nimitz" noted: "Torrey, you're going to be my Grant." Broderick wasn't replaced, but Torrey was put in tactical command.
* Torrey - how far can I go?
* "Nimitz" - well you can't kill him, "just get the job done."

4. The next scene showed Broderick and Owens killing time waiting for Torrey's arrival.
* Broderick - I'm not going to take it.
* Owen - I don't think you should do anything hasty. If Torrey flops you can clearly point a finger at Cinc-Pac. If he wins, you're still the overall commander and will get most of the credit.
* Broderick - but I wont know what he is doing.
* Owen - you need a rep in Torrey's camp.
* Broderick - and you're it. You'll be my liaison officer.
* Owen - but I have no front line duty or experience.
* Broderick - now don't crawfish . It was you're idea. Besides a "little forward area duty might be just the thing for you. Think what a combat ribbon or even a Purple Heart in your button-hole would mean to you after the war. It ought to be worth a half a million votes when you run for office." (When I first heard these lines I couldn't help think of John Kerry and his medals from the Vietnam war).

I noted above the superb cast. I would be remiss if I did not add inputs on one more character, Lieutenant Maggie Haynes (Patricia Neal)and a chief nurse. Both Torrey and Maggie are casualties of earlier, failed marriages. Their relationship blossoms while Torrey is still stuck behind a desk. Haynes is mature, supportive, and "mission driven" as she likes Torrey very much and wants him to know it. One reviewer felt Wayne was at his all time best in these scenes. I would say the same for Neal.

All in all a grand story, one that I can highly recommend.

Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war. .......2007-03-15

Otto Preminger puts together a great World War II drama, combining action, romance and character development in a sweeping story of the Pacific theatre. John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal lead the cast, which includes both current and rising stars of the day. Supporting actors include Burgess Meredith, Carroll O'Conner, Slim Pickens, George Kennedy, Patrick O'Neal, Dana Andrews, Tom Tyron and Paula Prentiss, just to name a few.

The characters are generally well fleshed out and portrayed convincingly. John Wayne plays a leader at once charismatic and larger than life while remaining soft-spoken and thoughtful, particularly in romantic settings. One of the great scenes is the interplay between Wayne's character, Rockwell Torrey, and Patricia Neal as they discuss their lives over a home-cooked meal. The sincerity of the developing relationship between the mature pair is in marked contrast to the manipulative dinner coordinated by Torry's son (ably played by Brandon De Wilde) for nurse Annalee (Jill Haworth).

The action scenes are generally well-done although the final sea battle intersperses vintage WWII footage with "cans-in-a-tub" special effects - not bad for 1965, but rather "quaint" compared with today's effects.

The film stands up nicely to repeat viewing and is one of those great "pictures for a Sunday afternoon." The musical score is also well done, particularly the end-credit sequence. All in all, it is a great film!

In Harm's Way with John Wayn.......2007-03-15

This was a very good production and a pleasure to have purchased. As always John Wayne is the best of the best.

Harm.......2007-02-16

This is a very dramatic and stirring movie, with a great cast. It is pretty cutting edge for it's time.

One of "The Duke's" Greatest War Movies.......2007-02-16

John Wayne leads an all-star cast in this riveting drama about the American Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Wayne stars as Capt. (later Admiral) Rock Torrey. He is put in command of a rag-tag fleet of ships to search for the Japanese fleet after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Kirk Douglas stars as Commander (later Captain) Eddington, Torrey's exec. officer. Torrey's fleet finds the Japanese and a huge battle ensues. A Japanese sub ends up putting two torpedoes into Torrey's ship, but the ship stays afloat. Nevertheless, Torrey is relieved of his command for failing to sail in a zig-zag pattern. (This sounds a lot like the saga of the USS Indianapolis).

Torrey is sent to work behind a desk after losing his command. While ashore, he develops a relationship with Maggie Haynes (Patricia Neal), a navy WAVE. He also tries to mend his strained relationship with his estranged son Jere (Brandon De Wilde). Jere has developed a relationship of his own with a nurse named Annalee (Jill Hayworth).

Finally, after spending a considerable amount of time languishing behind a desk, Admiral Nimitz (Henry Fonda) gives Rock another chance. He promotes Rock to Rear Admiral and sends him back into the South Pacific as commander of one of the first amphibious operations of the war. Thanks to Rock's ingenuity and some help from his fellow officers, the operation is a success, but not without cost.

I found this to be a very good film. The all-star cast is the strong point of the movie, with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Brandon De Wilde, Burgess Meredith, Carroll O'Connor, Henry Fonda, Jill Hayworth, and Paula Prentiss all giving fine performances. The battle scenes are exciting to watch, and the black and white backdrop of the film adds to the realism. However, there are several sub-plots, such as Eddington's involvement with Annalee, which sometimes draw the viewer's attention from the main storyline. But, these are minor, and in no way detract from the quality of the film.

I recommend this movie very highly. John Wayne is at his best in this movie. Although remembered mostly for his roles in Westerns, He made a large number of successful war movies as well, and this is one of his best. Watch this great film and see the American Navy strike back at the Japanese.

Average customer rating:

Great movie
A fine film about even more astonishing history.
The gestapo is outsmarted!
The scarlet and the black
The Scarlet and the Black

The Scarlet and the Black
Starring: Gregory Peck , Christopher Plummer , John Gielgud , Raf Vallone , and Kenneth Colley
Director: Jerry London
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Keys of the Kingdom
The Shoes of the Fisherman
Francis of Assisi
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Films of Faith Collection (The Nun's Story / The Shoes of the Fisherman / The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima)

ASIN: B00008J2PG
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2007-05-03

I love to read books and watch movies about War. That sounds weird to some. But here is why I like them. Sure it shows man at his worst but it also show some at their best. This is one that depicts both. It's a wonderful story with great actors. I thought allot for Gregory Peck. I don't know if they were true to the actual events but in any case I highly recommend this DVD. If your Catholic it's a must see.

A fine film about even more astonishing history........2007-04-02

Fr. O'Flaherty's activities in World War II Rome, helping Italian Jews and escaped Allied POW's was very much real, motivated by a sense of human decency. But the movie goes beyond the stereotype of heroes resisting and evading evil Nazis--when the tide of war turns and the Nazis are on the run, the SS intelligence chief, Col. Kappler turns to Father O'Flaherty for help! (This did in fact happen in reality--Fr. O'Flaherty routinely visited Col. Kappler when he was imprisoned and the SS colonel eventually became a devout Catholic, thanks in part to Fr. O'Flaherty's influence.) The message of the movie, about forgiveness and redemption, as well as altruism and courage, is highly relevant in this day and age that demands absolute heroes and absolute villains.

The gestapo is outsmarted!.......2007-03-03

This is an excellent film about a priest who out-witted the gestapo and its army in Italy by smuggling and taking in the allies who looked for refuge at the Vatican. Both Peck and Plummer give good performances and the movie keeps you on edge. I enjoy the fact that this is a true story. A movie the whole family can enjoy.

The scarlet and the black.......2007-03-02

I really enjoyed this movie and find myself telling everyone to go see it, I would have to rank this as one of my favorite movies, and the best work Greg Peck ever did. It is about a priest in Rome during ww2 who hides allied soldiers, very good acting, and very exciting movie.

The Scarlet and the Black.......2007-02-24

I'm really glad that this film was available for me to buy. The same day that I received it I sat and watched it that night. The acting was very good. Seeing a part of history being played brings it more to life than reading about it in a book.

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costumes &daance at it's BEST
Sweet Charity DVD
MISSING FOOTAGE
"Sweet Charity" DVD
Shirley MacLaine's Best Movie?

Sweet Charity
Starring: Shirley MacLaine , John McMartin , Chita Rivera , Paula Kelly , and Stubby Kaye
Director: Bob Fosse
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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Cabaret
Fosse
Damn Yankees
Sweet Charity (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)
The Pajama Game

ASIN: B00007J5VN
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Amazon.com essential video

After several years as the hottest musical director on Broadway, Bob Fosse made his film directorial debut with this movie version of his Broadway hit, which was based on Fellini's Nights of Cabiria. Shirley MacLaine is terrific as the proverbial hooker with the heart of gold, one who is convinced that she will find the right man if she just turns enough tricks. The Cy Coleman score is a solid one; the film is at its best when Fosse lets his cast of singer-dancers (which includes Chita Rivera, Paula Kelly, and Sammy Davis Jr.) unleash his leggy brand of choreography. While the film suffers from stylistic excesses of the period, you can see the seeds being planted for Fosse's future musical film forays in Cabaret and All That Jazz. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

costumes &daance at it's BEST.......2007-04-05

Some of my favorite BOB FOSSE CHOREOGRAPHY combined with absolutlely perfect costomes by the phenomenal Edith Head. Shirly MacLaine is, as always lovable, funny, and awesome. And Sammy Davis Jr.'s number is one of my favorite songs in a movie. I own this beause it's filled with gems.

Sweet Charity DVD.......2007-01-31

The DVD was as clear as the original motion picture. The colors were vibrant and the sound quality superb.

MISSING FOOTAGE.......2006-10-21

I love the widescreen transfer, several bonus features, and the Dolby Digital 4.0 encoding, BUT the film is missing over a minute of a key scene! I wrote to Universal and they said this DVD is the "complete, original, theatrical version" and that the Laserdisc, VHS, and TCM broadcasts are of a "later Road Show version" of the film, which is incorrect.[...]

"Sweet Charity" DVD.......2006-03-03

Excellent, prompt service. Needed something in a hurry
and you came through!! This was a gift for a friend and
a hard to find item. Also, no problem for you. Thank you!!

Shirley MacLaine's Best Movie?.......2005-09-07

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The characters are unlikeable except for Charity's two friends. The songs are far too long and I had to fast forward through most of them because they were so dull. I was especially disappointed with Big Spender because I love the song and expected a spectacular dance number from Bob Fosse and all they did was stand there draped over the bar. The only redeeming factor was that Sammy Davis Jr. was in it. He's awesome even though the song was fairly stupid. This was my first Shirley MacLaine film and on the back it said that Sweet Charity was her best movie. I have no desire to see her other movies then.

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Fulci's Masterpiece
Great giallo...
So you think Fulci is just a gore director?
Argento he's NOT!
Watch "The Bird with the Crystal Plummage" GIALLO instead.

Don't Torture a Duckling
Starring: Florinda Bolkan , Barbara Bouchet , Tomas Milian , Irene Papas , and Marc Porel
Director: Lucio Fulci
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
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Shock
Inferno
Autopsy (1975)
A Lizard in a Woman's Skin
The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Black Sunday / Black Sabbath / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / Kill Baby Kill / Knives of the Avenger)

ASIN: B000KRNG54
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Amazon.com

The oddly titled Don't Torture a Duckling (taken from a minor plot point) is one of director Lucio Fulci's most linear and conventional narratives, relying more on story and mystery than on gore and atmospherics. In a rural Italian village, young boys turn up dead, and the authorities are stumped as to who the murderer is. A reporter lends his efforts to the hunt for the killer, many red herrings turn up, and more kids are murdered while the police search for the culprit. A sexually liberated young woman from Milan, a local witch, and the village idiot all fall under suspicion until the killer is uncovered. Gone is much of the director's trademark visual style, replaced with the blinding sunlight of an Italian summer for a hyperrealistic feel (though Fulci's affinity for the zoom shot and deep focus comes through). More tellingly, though, Fulci points toward the superstition and ignorance of the villagers as being as dangerous and destructive as the murderer himself. Also, the film's vehemently anti-Catholic sentiment had to have been controversial at the time of its release. Fans of the giallo and Italian horror in general would do well to seek out this film for an example of Lucio Fulci at his most grim and serious. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

A Classic Of The Perverse From Director Lucio FulciSeveral young boys are murdered in a remote village rife with sex and superstition, and the townspeople go mad with rage and violence. But when a hard-nosed reporter and promiscuous young woman search for the true killer, they discover a fiend - and motive - even more shocking than the crimes themselves.DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING is a landmark giallo so savage, it could only come from the mind of director Lucio Fulci (THE BEYOND, ZOMBIE, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD). Featuring an international all-star cast that includes Tomas Milian (RUN MAN RUN), Barbara Bouchet (BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA), Irene Papas (Z) and Florinda Bolkan (LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN), this re-discovered classic has been restored from the original vault materials and is now presented completely uncut and uncensored.

Customer Reviews:

Fulci's Masterpiece.......2007-06-14

Italian director Lucio Fulci is rarely given the credit he deserves. Fulci was a director of great utility, who traversed generic boundaries regularly before he became firmly associated with the horror genre. His final gory step into the horror genre with "Zombi 2" was as much the result of economic imperatives and producer influence as it was a conscious decision on Fulci's part. These films were marked by an ambivalence towards conventional narrative patterns, which makes his 1972 effort "Don't Torture a Duckling" all the more exceptional. This film is as tightly plotted and efficiently constructed as any giallo film, but with its undertones of peasant superstition, the supernatural and witchcraft, places it firmly within the thematic universe of the director. This is giallo Fulci style and the concessions he makes to the conventions of this form are purely within the remit of iconography. This is a giallo marked by a particularly unsettling atmosphere of hypocrisy and perversion (one only need look toward a truly shocking scene in which a young boy of 12 is prick teased by a naked Barbara Bouchet). This is further augmented into the white washed walls of this rural northern Italian city, and its superstitious villagers, who aren't above a bit of chain whipping vigilante action. Fulci invests a great deal more in the procedures of the police, but ultimately the resolution is arrived at by amateur detectives, who represent both modernity and bourgeois society. The murders of innocent children, intriguingly, are not due to perverse motives, but instead an idealistic religious conviction which sees the modern world as a haven of vices which can only corrupt the innocence of youth. Fulci shows the negative side of both modern Italy and its rural counterpart. By showing that both are marked by ignorance and arrogance, Fulci seems to offer a particularly nihilistic vision of mankind.

This DVD re-issue by Blue Underground is excellent value for money. The picture quality is very good for a film that has been mishandled and distributed badly for decades. This is a must buy for anyone interested in European horror, not only is it an exemplary giallo, but also Fulci's most rounded cohesive and enjoyable pictures.

Great giallo..........2007-04-18

...this is unlike any other film by Fulci, other than Lizard in a Woman's Skin. It is about a serial killer who murders little kids. The townspeople become paranoid and police seek out the killer. Interesting story, and twist in the end. You think you know who the killer is, but you don't! Great movie. Excellent setting and pace. A must for your Giallo or Italian horror collection.

So you think Fulci is just a gore director?.......2007-04-02

Starting in 1979 with the release of Zombie, Lucio Fulci became known for gore movies. That continued through the 80s with a string of gore flicks, which include The Beyond and City of the Living Dead among others.

Don't Torture a Duckling isn't your typical Lucio Fulci film at all. There are pretty much no gore scenes, though there are two scenes where Fulci delivers some gore, but I'll touch upon that later on.

Don't Torture a Duckling as I stated before is very different then what Fulci did in the late 70s and 80s. If you're looking for gore you will not find much at all. Actually about half the murders take place off camera.

The plot is rather dark; pre-teens being killed is quite disturbing. Gore and violence is not needed when dealing with that subject matter. We also have a woman in her 20s that seems to have a weird sexual attraction to young boys.

It's really a strange movie and like I said unlike most of Fulci's other movies. While yes, Don't Torture a Duckling can be slow in some spots, and my biggest complaint is the sense of dread isn't quite there.

Here, Fulci at times creates some great tension and atmosphere and other times it just doesn't work. Oddly enough I found Fulci's gore movies to have more tension at times.

But with that said this is still an excellent movie and Lucio Fulci proves he is more then just a gore director. While some scenes I felt lacked tension others had overall Fulci nailed it.

While watching the movie I did enjoy it, but it was afterwards when I thought back I realized how good the movie actually was. There are several things while not directly brought up are hinted at, from sexual repression to pedophilia.

With all that hinted at and all going on in the movie it really does add to the movie and it shows what a talented filmmaker Lucio Fulci was.

While I won't spoil who the killer is their motive was really creepy and they didn't do simply because they are psychotic, which yeah sure the killer is, but the motive was downright creepy.

As for the gore; one woman is whipped with chains and while not overly gory like in Fulci's later movies the gore was decent and the scene was really disturbing and with the music playing in the back-round it was even more disturbing.

The last death in the movie is also a bit gory, but it's quite clear a dummy was used, but hey it still works well.

If you are a fan of Giallos I would very much recommend Don't Torture a Duckling. And for those who think Fulci is just a gore director should really check this out.

In closing, Don't Torture a Duckling isn't a perfect movie; it can at times be a bit slow and some scenes lack the tension they should have had, but overall Lucio Fulci delivers an excellent film and one of my favorite Giallos.

Co-star Barbara Bouchet has to rate as one of the most beautiful women to ever grace cinema.

Argento he's NOT!.......2005-08-26

Don't get me wrong I love Fulci movies, but I love them for the same reason most other people love them (the gore quotient). Fulci can always be depended upon to splatter tons of blood, guts and gore all over the screen and perhaps this is his way of covering up the fact that he's not the best director. I'd never go into a Fulci movie expecting a deep plot or oscar worthy acting.

With that said I did go into this movie expecting more. Maybe I expected too much and therefore I was very disappointed. Fulci's effort here falls short of suspense, character and atmosphere. Argento's "Bird With The Crystal Plumage" blows this film out of the water. Argento's "Bird" is intelligent, suspenseful and moves at a good pace. "Don't Torture a Duckling" fails to deliver any of the above. The reveiwer above states the movie is up there with Argento's "Deep Red" and that statement is as laughable as the way he spelled Fulci(Fulce).

I'm not taking anything away from Fulci. Like I said I love the movies he'd make 7 to 12 years later like "Zombie" "New York Ripper" "The Beyond" and "City of The Living Dead". All movies made between 1979 and 1983 as opposed to this one made in 1972. Fulci is known as The Godfather of Gore not the Godfather of Giallo. For good Giallo films check out any Argento film from the 1970's or Mario Bava's "Bay of Blood" (1972).

Watch "The Bird with the Crystal Plummage" GIALLO instead........2005-03-29

I waited ages to get this Fulci classic and now I wished I did not. It is probably Fulci's most confusing work to date and lacks all known production standards considering this is film #33 from him. I can buy GIALLO being a bit spaced out and highly far-fetched, but this one is just plain bad from start to finish, it is only really remembered for the infamous woman chain whipping sequence (chain whipping also appeared in "The Beyond"; Fulci loved cashing in on all this stuff), "Don't Torture a Duckling" is completely void of substance, mystery or crime and instead is replaced by everything that is camp about film making, from the obvious papermashy heads to the "shall I stand here and act now" type blemish on everyone's face, considering this is Fulci's 33rd film or thereabouts, it really looks like his first and it would be another 8 years before he made horror, I was expecting a somewhat smart GIALLO and got drawn out rubbish instead. Like I said - Watch "The Bird with the Crystal Plummage" GIALLO instead. It was made by Argento two years before this and is where you should be at instead. I would recommend that Argento 'primative slasher' over Fulci's cash crop schlock "Don't Torture a Duckling" any day of the week.

Average customer rating:

In politics and in war, nothing ever changes
Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war.
In Harm's Way with John Wayn
Harm
One of "The Duke's" Greatest War Movies

In Harm's Way
Starring: John Wayne , Kirk Douglas , Patricia Neal , Tom Tryon , and Paula Prentiss
Director: Otto Preminger
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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Andrews, Dana | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bouchet, Barbara | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cabot, Bruce | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Douglas, Kirk | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hagman, Larry | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Haworth, Jill | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Holloway, Stanley | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Kennedy, George | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Neal, Patricia | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Connor, Carroll | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Neal, Patrick | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Pickens, Slim | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Prentiss, Paula | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Tone, Franchot | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Tryon, Tom | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wayne, John | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wilde, Brandon De | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Preminger, Otto | ( P ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Midway (Collector's Edition)
Donovan's Reef
Operation Pacific
They Were Expendable
The High and the Mighty (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

ASIN: 0792102320
Release Date: 1996-10-22

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

In politics and in war, nothing ever changes.......2007-05-30

Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war. .......2007-03-15

In Harm's Way with John Wayn.......2007-03-15

This was a very good production and a pleasure to have purchased. As always John Wayne is the best of the best.

Harm.......2007-02-16

This is a very dramatic and stirring movie, with a great cast. It is pretty cutting edge for it's time.

One of "The Duke's" Greatest War Movies.......2007-02-16

American Heroes Collection (The Bridges at Toko-Ri / Hell Is For Heroes / In Harm's Way)

Average customer rating:

The Sacrifices Made In War
The Sacrifices Made In War

American Heroes Collection (The Bridges at Toko-Ri / Hell Is For Heroes / In Harm's Way)
Starring: John Wayne , Kirk Douglas , Patricia Neal , Tom Tryon , and Paula Prentiss
Director: Otto Preminger , Don Siegel , and Mark Robson
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Heroes of War Collection - Navy Battles (The Enemy Below, The Frogmen, Morituri, Sink the Bismarck!)
Operation Pacific
Sands of Iwo Jima
John Wayne DVD Gift Set (The Shootist/ The Sons of Katie Elder/ True Grit/ El Dorado/ The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance)
Tora! Tora! Tora!

ASIN: B000EQ5SRA
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Product Description

Hell is for Heroes
Steve McQueen delivers a powerful, gripping performance as a defiant loner whose skills as a soldier make him invaluable to his struggling platoon. In the heat of battle during World War II, McQueen and his fellow soldiers find themselves severely outnumbered as they hold off a Nazi advance along the Siegfried Line in France. Using only their ingenuity and bravery, they must bluff the Germans in order to buy some time…and save their lives. Don Siegel directs the explosive action led by an all-star cast, including Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, Harry Guardino, James Coburn, Nick Adams and Bob Newhart. If they can fool the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive, victory is theirs.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

In Harm's Way

Customer Reviews:

The Sacrifices Made In War.......2006-06-20

IN HARM'S WAY is a very interesting WWII film directed and produced by Otto Preminger and is worth repeated viewing for its shear entertainment. John Wayne's subtle yet forceful performance just demonstrates the wide range of his acting abilities. We see John Wayne the actor and consummate professional at work here. He gave an exceptional performance in this film that others can learn from. The whole cast seems in awe of him. Even the usual flamboyant Kirk Douglas seems to have turned it down a notch giving an impressive performance as well. The construction of the characters and their dialogue was well thought out. It seems more powerful today than when it was first released. Its excellent cast includes: Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Burgess Meredith, Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Hugh O'Brian, Paula Prentiss, Brandon de Wilde, Patrick O'Neal, Franchot Tone, Carroll O'Connor, George Kennedy, Slim Pickens, Bruce Cabot, Larry Hagman, Barbara Bouchet, Stanley Holloway, Jill Haworth and James Mitchum. Jerry Goldsmith composed one of his most introverted scores, which goes against convention for a war film yet it works. This score is an early sign of the great innovative abilities of Jerry Goldsmith. Preminger being the craftsman that he was even helped construct the models of the destroyers and cruisers. Cinematographer, Loyal Griggs received an academy award nomination for his stark black & white images. This is a well-constructed film on all levels.

HELL IS FOR HEROES so we are told. Was there ever a man more misunderstood? Steve McQueen plays a soldier who lives only for the thrill of combat. His character is cold and frightening and borders on the psychotic. He's a sociopath who carves up German soldiers with a butcher knife. After the war there is no going back for him. I saw this when I was a kid. I saw a lot of war movies in the theatre back then but this was the first one that really scared me. It gave me a sick feeling inside of how real war must be like. The scene with the bayonets and landmines left an impact on me for a long time after. Everyone in this film gave realistic performances but I remember how Steve McQueen's character seemed really demented. Yet despite the obvious psychological makeup of McQueen is there still a human being hidden deep within him. What is a hero? Don Siegel directed this tough and mean film and asks this profound question. Cinematographer Harold Lipstein's photography brings stark realism to this film. Composer Leonard Rosenman's score is very reminiscent of his brilliant work for the very popular W.W.II television series "Combat!" which ran for 5 years. This film also boasted a brilliant cast. Bobby Darin, James Coburn, Fess Parker, L.Q. Jones, Nick Adams, Harry Guardino, Mike Kellin and Bob Newhart are all featured. This is an underrated classic.

Perhaps the best of these films is THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI. The principal characters are William Holden as Lt. Harry Brubaker USNR, Grace Kelly as his wife Nancy, Fredric March as Rear Admiral George Tarrant, Mickey Rooney as Mike Forney a helicopter rescue pilot and Charles McGraw as Commander Wayne Lee leader of the jet fighter group. THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI is a very moving film. The sacrifices that some are called upon to make are often gone untold. This film reminds us of those sacrifices in brilliant almost unsettling color images. When you see William Holden's final scene and then think back to a prior scene of Holden with his family, the message hits home. We see Fredric March on the bridge of the aircraft carrier reflect on the news of Holden. March unknown to Holden kept a watchful eye on him as if he were his own son. When the ultimate sacrifice is made, men in command must stand strong, yet inwardly mourn the loss only to themselves. The sacrifice has not gone unrecognized. It is a simple but powerful message.

The Sacrifices Made In War.......2006-06-20

Average customer rating:

Great movie
A fine film about even more astonishing history.
The gestapo is outsmarted!
The scarlet and the black
The Scarlet and the Black

Scarlet & Black
Starring: Gregory Peck , Christopher Plummer , John Gielgud , Raf Vallone , and Kenneth Colley
Director: Jerry London
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Bouchet, Barbara | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Byrne, Michael | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Colley, Kenneth | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Dobtcheff, Vernon | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gielgud, John | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gotell, Walter | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Infanti, Angelo | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Karlatos, Olga | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Peck, Gregory | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Plummer, Christopher | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Terry, John | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Udenio, Fabiana | ( U ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Vallone, Raf | ( V ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

International | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

Television | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

London, Jerry | ( L ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

The Keys of the Kingdom
The Shoes of the Fisherman
Francis of Assisi
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Films of Faith Collection (The Nun's Story / The Shoes of the Fisherman / The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima)

ASIN: 630264366X
Release Date: 1995-02-22

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2007-05-03

A fine film about even more astonishing history........2007-04-02

The gestapo is outsmarted!.......2007-03-03

The scarlet and the black.......2007-03-02

The Scarlet and the Black.......2007-02-24

Average customer rating:

My first adult comedy.
AWESOME
Where is the DVD!?!?!?!?!
A great 60's screwball comedy!
Funny old Lemmon Classic

Good Neighbor Sam
Starring: Edward Andrews , Tom Anthony , Barbara Bouchet , Tristram Coffin , and Mike Connors
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Andrews, Edward | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bouchet, Barbara | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Connors, Mike | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hamilton, Neil | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jameson, Joyce | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lane, Charles | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lemmon, Jack | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Nye, Louis | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Provine, Dorothy | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Schneider, Romy | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Seymour, Anne | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Farce | Comedy | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | VHS | Video

Comedy | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Deals Under $10 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Under the Yum Yum Tree
How to Murder Your Wife
The Thrill of It All!
The Fortune Cookie
A Guide for the Married Man

ASIN: 6303257313
Release Date: 1996-08-06

Customer Reviews:

My first adult comedy........2006-12-18

I watched this movie when I was in high school and fell on the floor laughing together with my friends. We came back to see it a second time. I buy nothing is VHS so I really would like to see this movie for the first time in nearly 40 years! It needs to be out in a DVD.

AWESOME.......2006-11-08

THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER! Definitely my favorite Jack Lemmon. I wish it was out on DVD...and I keep checking back every month hoping its been released!

Where is the DVD!?!?!?!?!.......2006-03-10

This movie is a classic and one of my favorites! It is absolutely hysterical! I wonder if anyone has the brains to put this onto a DVD, it is too good to only be available on VHS!

A great 60's screwball comedy!.......2006-01-13

This Jack Lemon comedy is sheer delight from beginning to end. There are no movies being made like this today! However, it seems to me that every sit-com in history copied some aspect of Good Neighbor Sam. So, why is there no DVD?

Funny old Lemmon Classic.......2006-01-11

This movie should be on DVD. Anyone that enjoys Jack Lemmon in comedy will thoroughly love this one. Fans of Doris Day and Rock Hudson comedies should enjoy it too. For that matter anyone that enjoys any of the comedies from the 1940s to 1970s will probably like it. This is one of Lemmon's best comedies. Be sure and catch this on TV since you can't find it at rental stores any longer and they unfortunately have not shown the wisdom to put it on DVD yet.

The plot is that Lemmon, who is married, has a married neighbor that needs him to pretend to be her husband to get an estate settlement. When her real husband comes home things get screwy as jealousy and trying to cover each others stories leads to some wacky chase scenes and painting billboards all over town. A good cast, decent writing, funny action, and good look at 1960s style comedy, make this fun to watch.

Average customer rating:

Pretty Girls in peril. Can't get enough.
Gorgeous transfer of Pop-Art vision of '70s Rome
Creepity Crawlity
Hardly the Best Giallo
Classic Giallo

The Black Belly of the Tarantula
Starring: Giancarlo Giannini , Claudine Auger , Barbara Bouchet , Rossella Falk , and Silvano Tranquilli
Director: Paolo Cavara
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Blue Underground | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

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( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Fifth Cord
The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion
Luciano Ercoli's The Death Box Set (Death Walks on High Heels/ Death Walks at Midnight)
The Pyjama Girl Case
The Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Box Set

ASIN: B000E41MTU
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Amazon.com

Black Belly of the Tarantula, following the release of Dario Argento's first feature, Bird With the Crystal Plumage, is one of the films that defined the Giallo genre's attractive blend of horror and high fashion. With a score by Ennio Morricone, direction by Paolo Cavara, and starring the handsome Giancarlo Giannini, Black Belly makes the story of a perverted serial killer who first paralyzes his victims with the poison wasps used to stun tarantulas seem cool and intriguing. This could be due to the fact that three of the killer's sexy victims went on to become Bond Girls (Claudine Auger, Barbara Bouchet, and Barbara Bach). Murders set in a massage parlor, an upscale fur shop, and in various white-sheeted beds showcase the aesthetic beauty of bloodshed. Giannini, who plays the suave police inspector, sleuths his way to the killer and finally fights him with the same vampiric ferocity that a wasp attacks a tarantula. In fact, stock footage of the carnivorous insects are interspersed throughout the film for added effect. Plots in Giallo films are basic; rather, the way murders are shot make the films memorable. The finest scenes in Black Belly occur during the stalker's pursuit of his "prey." Women's faces smear across the screen, their makeup palettes carefully matched to the rooms in which they are sliced open. With less actual gore than some other classic Giallo films such as Perfume of the Lady In Black and All The Colors of The Dark, Black Belly of the Tarantula relies more on style than on brutal violence. For this reason, it would be a good introduction to Italian horror for those who want to avoid witnessing serious carnage. --Trinie Dalton

Description

A deranged killer is injecting beautiful women with the poison of a rare wasp, paralyzing them and forcing them to witness their own brutal murders. Academy Award(r) nominee Giancarlo Giannini (SEVEN BEAUTIES, HANNIBAL) stars as the dogged detective who takes the case only to find himself trapped in a web of immorality and murder. From the tantalizingly erotic opening to its vicious stunner of an ending, experience what is considered to be one of the most riveting and acclaimed films in the entire giallo genre.Claudine Auger (THUNDERBALL, TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE), Barbara Bouchet (CASINO ROYALE, DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING) and Barbara Bach (THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS) co-star in this rarely-seen classic directed by Paolo Cavara (MONDO CANE) and featuring one of Ennio Morricone's best scores ever, now transferred in High Definition from the original camera negative and available for the first time ever in America.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Girls in peril. Can't get enough........2007-01-10

I like this kind of movie. Just a step above MST3K fodder. "A very small step." Don't buy it if your looking for a movie like The Birds, but if you like movies a little on the campy side. You might like this one.

Gorgeous transfer of Pop-Art vision of '70s Rome .......2006-06-18

La Tarantola dal Ventre Nero, to give it it's Italian name, is much more than just another piece of trashy European cinema. It is an exquisite example of how wonderful cinema was in the late '60s / early '70s and an excellent reminder as to why I seldom bother going to movies these days.

Essentially, it's a whodunnit and we could debate the strength and weaknesses of the plot (and there are plenty of weaknesses) but the key to this film is it's cinematic style, a kind of garish Pop-Art vision of '70s Rome that mesmerises with each frame. It's loaded with '60s accoutrements - retro-futuristic furniture, glamorous women's fashions, old-school Alfa Romeo's (was there ever a cooler vehicle?). And the acting is stellar together with yet another legendary Morricone soundtrack.

As for the DVD itself, this is the first Blue Underground disk that I have bought and I can say without equivocation that it's the best looking picture that I've ever seen in this format. Really vibrant colors that are a joy to watch even at moments when the plot begins to sag. And full marks to BU for including the original Italian mono soundtrack with English subtitles. In all, it's a great product that really captures how good DVD can be when someone takes care with these things. I will certainly be buying many more Blue Underground films in the future.

So, you get '70s Rome, funky decor, brash colors, a reasonable plot and if that ain't enough, there are not one, not two but THREE Bond girls in this film (and one of them gets nude and all).

No excuses for not owning this one.

Creepity Crawlity.......2006-05-17

Someone's knocking off horny older chicks, and the fuzz are on the case. Who the hell's doing it, and why?? The quote on the box claims this to be the best giallo ever made, but that's a pretty heavy statement. Apparently the person who wrote that hasn't seen too many giallos. Black Belly is a pretty cool film, but aside from the modus operandi of the killer, it's fairly average. Plus, the identity of the killer was too easy to figure out considering they push a little too hard in making the killer look like the least likely to be the killer. Once again Blue Underground has worked wonders on restoring this one, it looks pretty damn good. It may not be the best the genre has to offer, but it's definitely required viewing for those into the genre. Dig?

Hardly the Best Giallo.......2006-04-12

This 1971 offering stars Giancarlo Giannini in a fine performance as a police inspector on the hunt for a psycho who stuns his attractive victime with a poison-dipped needle before eviscerating them.

The production is above average slick and the performances are fine, especially from Giannini, but I just didn't find it involving, suspenseful or stylish enough to keep my finger off fast forward. It's not bad, just average. The climax and the killer's unmasking is particularly weak and anti-climactic.

Fans of the genre seem to really like this one, but I suggest a rental before a purchase.

Classic Giallo.......2006-03-31

I can't go quite as far as Horrorview: this is not quite the "best giallo ever made." It is, however, one of the best I've ever seen. It would be a solid contender, for example, for "best giallo ever made - that was not directed by Dario Argento." The Black Belly of the Tarantula certainly has a lot going for it. The acting is superb, and the lead, played by Oscar nominee Giancarlo Giannini (Hannibal, Seven Beauties), is excellent. Further, the suspense level is occasionally quite high, the climax is good, the score by Ennio Morricone is classic, and oh, yeah, there are three Bond girls. The lead, a haggard and down of his luck detective, investigates a series of murders that seem to be linked to a blackmailing case. The killer's modus operandi is to insert a large acupuncture needle into the spine of his victims, rendering them paralyzed, and then to kill them while they are conscious but unable to fight back. The back of the DVD claims that the killer uses the poison of a rare wasp to achieve the effect of paralysis; however, watching the film it is unclear whether this is really true. The tarantula/wasp conflict, in which a rare wasp paralyzes a spider and lays its eggs inside - the larvae growing and feeding while the spider is still alive, seems to be a mere analogy in the film and not an identification of how the killer achieves his/her effect. The story contains some nice touches, typical of the giallo genre - such as identifying an ambiguous object in the background of a photograph and using it to identify the possible location of the killer's house. The film also includes a truly harrowing rooftop chase, wonderfully filmed, and, as mentioned above, and a very well done climax. Also of note is that the clinical explanation of why the killer killed, offered at the end of the film, is actually very psychologically sound. Perhaps the film's most notable trait, however, is the quality of