Donna Douglas

Average customer rating:

Unfair portrait of evangelical Christendom
WHAT A JERK!
Great caricature of all that's wrong with Christianity, fortunately not all Christians are like this.
Put your hand on the TV screen and be saved!
Delightful but limited

Saved!
Starring: Jena Malone , Mandy Moore (II) , Macaulay Culkin , Patrick Fugit , and Heather Matarazzo
Director: Brian Dannelly
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

School Days | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Mean Girls (Special Collector's Edition)
How to Deal (New Line Platinum Series)
Chasing Liberty (Widescreen Edition)
Party Monster
Garden State

ASIN: B0002OXRSG
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Product Description

Good girl Mary (Jena Malone) and her best friend Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) are at the top of the food chain at American Eagle Christian High School. But all that is about to change in this "subversively funny" (USA Today) teen comedy about hype, hypocrisy and high school. Also starring Macaulay Culkin and Patrick Fugit, Saved! is "a boldly hilarious satire" (Rolling Stone)!

Amazon.com

Classic teen comedy mixes with cunning satire in Saved!. Fervent Christian Mary (Jena Malone, Donnie Darko) believes God wants her to save her gay boyfriend by sleeping with him. But he gets sent to an anti-gay indoctrination camp while she ends up pregnant--which starts to drive a wedge between Mary and her snotty best friend Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore, How to Deal). Meanwhile, they're both interested in the son (Patrick Fugit, Almost Famous) of their Christian school principal (Martin Donovan, Trust). Saved! respects faith but gleefully mocks the excesses and absurdities of contemporary organized religion, particularly its suburban, let's-speak-the-language-of-the-kids manifestations. The actors, including Macaulay Culkin (yes, from Home Alone) and Mary Louise Parker (Fried Green Tomatoes), play their parts with sincerity, which makes the fusion of humor and heart succeed. A delightful movie. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Unfair portrait of evangelical Christendom.......2007-06-15

Like other reviewers, I also attended a Baptist, evangelical Christian academy from kindergarten through 12th grade. My experience was nothing like that portrayed in this movie, which pushes its polemic with exaggerated characters who exhibit every stereotype of evangelicals that one can imagine. Of course, there are certainly hypocrites in such schools and churches, as every Christian can attest, but exceptions do not make the rule nor justify the message this movie intends to make.

The story involves a girl who gets pregnant because she had sex with her boyfriend (with same-sex attraction) to make him straight. Her reason: Jesus told her to do it in order to help him. The boy is cast aside by his parents, and the girl, for fear of the same, hides her pregnancy from her classmates and mom (who, by the way, is having an affair with the pastor). The girl's close friend, Mandy Moore's character, is the quintessential evangelical stereotype -- self-righteous, condemnatory, fanatical, etc. The "bad girl" at the school and a handicap boy are the only ones who reach out to the pregnant girl (as does, eventually, the pastor's son, but only after essentially losing his faith). By the end of the movie, all the characters have lost their evangelical faith and embraced a warm, fuzzy sort of universalism/unitarianism where God affirms all of our diversity. Of course, there is some good in that (aside from the issue of homosexuality, which is more than a simple matter of either being born that way or choosing it) insofar as we are all broken and have no right to condemn others as if we are righteous before God on our own merit. Evangelicals do immense work in reaching out to pregnant teenagers (e.g., Jerry Falwell's crisis pregnancy center and maternity house), in addition to numerous other ministries (whether it be to the third world poor or the prisons of America). As well, "conservatives" have been found to give more and do more charitable work than "liberals" (see the book, 'Who Really Cares,' by Arthur Brooks). Of course, that would not be the impression gained from this movie. I appreciate the movie's intent to criticize blatant hypocrisy, but the full-scale attack on traditional Christianity is unfounded and only serves to foster stereotypes.

WHAT A JERK!.......2007-06-10

I saw the film and was not impressed. I attended a Christian School and have spoken at a few. If the writers, actors etc; took the time to "attend" Church, atleast to do research, they would realize that the language and actions by the main characters are completely exaggerated, unreal and over-the-top. It's hard to believe that a writer for this drivel attended a Christian School for any period of time - maybe he just peeked his head in one afternoon...impressive!

Anyone who says this is NOT a rip on Christianity must be on Crack. The scene where the Pastor is reading the Christmas Story and the main character is thinking to herself that perhaps Mary was not a Virgin meaning she lied about it. C'mon folks. The Virgin Birth is a basic, central belief of Christianity...this is a duh. > Biblical/historical retardation knows no bounds, the proof is the over 250 people that have reviewed this film and liked it.

Perhaps the saddest epilogue to this travesty is the promotion of the Mandy Moore film "A Walk to Remember" by Salem Christian Radio stations around the U.S. during the 2001/2002 film season. Then the slimeball (Moore) turns around and does this. What a Jerk!

Great caricature of all that's wrong with Christianity, fortunately not all Christians are like this........2007-06-09

I laughed a lot at this movie and its biting critique of Christianity, although it was a chuckle mixed with bitterness. The film really exaggerates a lot of the faith's -usually- more subtle cultural idiosyncrasies, especially Christians' attempt at mimicking popular culture but with a spiritual angle... and failing miserably. Of particular amusement was when some of the main character's friends try to exorcise her because she is asking legitimate, but serious questions about God. The movie's Christian community perceives and labels these honest questions as the work of the devil etc. Yet the "leaders" of the community themselves embody almost everything wrong with Christianity: hypocrisy, superficial relationships, refusal to ask real questions, insensitive, judgmental and just plain ignorant.
If you are a Christian and find the movie too offensive, then maybe it should serve as a wake-up call. Like it or not, this movie reflects how much of our culture views Christians. Fortunately, most people have a high degree of respect for Jesus; it's his followers that mess it up more often than not. We should take note of that. But kudos to the Christian viewers of this movie who find themselves thinking, "that's NOT what being a Christian is about." And even more kudos to those believers motivated to change the underlying causes for this caricature of their faith.
Christians could (and should) be known for their authenticity, love and forgiveness, and not for all of the hate, judgmental attitudes and hypocrisy they are usually identified with. This film capitalizes on the distance between the ideal and the all too often reality of the modern faithful. Whatever you believe (or don't believe) this movie is very entertaining and worth taking the time for at least once. Just don't judge God by the behavior of his people (whether in the movie or in real life).

Put your hand on the TV screen and be saved!.......2007-05-15

Praise Jesus! Mandy Moore is just too naughty as a ridiculously religious bigot in this smart look at high school life in the holy lane. It's right up there with "Dogma," only this movie is much less graphic and cynical than Ben and Matt are in their visit with Silent Bob and Jay. Macualay Culkin should stay in a wheel chair--his performance is right on target as he deals with his holier-than-thou sister. You'll need an open mind...if you are a born again Christian, you'll probably be insulted, so move on and find a Joel Olsten tape instead.

Delightful but limited.......2007-04-10

Saved! is a delightful liberal morality tale of good guys who win gleaming vindication and a bad girl who ends in obliteration more satisfying than death. Saved! satirizes the usual litany of religious right hypocrisies: aping popular culture, villifying sexual sins while flirting with them, permissive materialism, ignorance imposed upon the young, leaders' unaccountability, etc. But it does so unusually well, with brilliant moments, "Please let it be cancer!" being a favorite. The texture of suburban insular religiosity is closely observed, delivering a precise and bitingly funny portrait.

With so much to savor, it gives me some pain to award only three stars. But the characters are generally one-dimensional, the conclusions foregone, and the philosophy mired in false dichotomies. The archetypal cast includes the all-knowing "bad" girl with a good heart, the all-forgiving Jesus figure (Patrick), the purring-hissing villainess (Hillary Faye) , the innocent victim (Dean), etc. The main character (Mary) escapes this lot, generally receiving multi-dimensionality, if not always the ring of truth. The principal (Pastor Skip), while weak, unintelligent, and obtuse, is really interesting, and the only character to audibly struggle over the issues (if ineffectively).

Saved! demonstrates the divisive impact of moral convictions, and presents a glowing portrait of an "it's all ambiguous"-based morality: the only "sin" which bears consequences is that of hypocrisy. We never the see the adulterous principal's wife. Main character gets pregnant and dream boyfriend says, "It doesn't matter to me" (hard to swallow). Even parking in the handicapped space doesn't hurt anyone. In a vaccum of consequences, it's easy to see how "it's all ambiguous" folks get on just fine.

According to Saved!, either you agree that it's all ambiguous, or you're a pharisee out stoning people. Referring to the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, W. Meredith Long writes in his recent book "The AIDS Crisis": "Jesus confounded the Pharisees by choosing both grace and holiness. He rejected their unstated but deeply held conviction that the two choices are mutually exclusive." Jesus chooses both moral convictions and inclusion by refusing to condemn but also asking for repentence. This is the synthesis that we need to bring harmony to our Western battles between right and left.

Yeah, well, maybe someday, but for now, if you enjoy watching culture-war pit-fights as much as I do, Saved! is a delicious flick.

Average customer rating:

Must See for Li'l Abner Fans
excellent seller and product
Billie Hayes steals the show as Abner's Mom.
Andy Capp again
Great Family Movie

Li'l Abner
Starring: Peter Palmer (III) , Leslie Parrish , Stubby Kaye , Howard St. John , and Julie Newmar
Director: Melvin Frank
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Damn Yankees
Li'l Abner (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
Anything Goes
Finian's Rainbow
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

ASIN: B0007TKGXK
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Amazon.com

This is one movie musical that doesn't bother adapting its stage presentation for the big screen: Li'l Abner cheerfully uses brightly colored, patently fake backdrops and stage sets for its mythical setting. And why not? A movie musical based on a cartoon strip is about as far from reality as you can get. Al Capp's legendary comic about the hillbilly denizens of Dogpatch was brought to Broadway by the estimable comedy team Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, who also produced the movie. Along with sampling Capp's world (the pursuit of noncommittal Abner by Daisy Mae on Sadie Hawkins Day is a major plot device), the movie is a goofy record of 1950s attitudes and concerns--in fact, Dogpatch is threatened with destruction when the government wants to use it as an atomic test site. The actors' Broadway delivery has a deadening effect after a while, and some of the makeup is downright weird (think the Whos in the live-action Grinch). Gene de Paul's music is unmemorable, but Johnny Mercer's lyrics provide considerable fun, and the athletic dances are based on Michael Kidd's stage choreography. Plus, the movie honors Capp's eye for impossibly bodacious women by casting Julie Newmar as Stupefyin' Jones and Stella Stevens (her first movie role) as Appassionata Von Climax. --Robert Horton

Description

LI'L ABNER, the beloved cartoon strip from Al Capp, takes place in the hillbilly town of Dogpatch, which is deemed the most useless community in America. When the city is chosen as a test site for A-bombs, its colorful citizens take up the good fight, with lots of fun and merriment.

Customer Reviews:

Must See for Li'l Abner Fans.......2007-05-03

This is great because it is so unpretentious-- a crowd pleasing musical farce based on Al Capp's popular comic strip. The gorgeous 50's pin-up style women are especially true to their source (and Julie Newmar really earns the name "Stupefyin' Jones"). Leslie Parish makes a luminous Daisy May, and Peter Palmer is the biggest, brawniest baritone Abner you could imagine. Mammy and Pappy are also great, but the weirdest impersonation has got to be Eagle-Eye Fleagle-- that guy moves like a cartoon! The plot is as kooky as one of Capp's Sunday half-page strips. Kind of corny but lively, with very athletic dancing by various hillbilly-clad young Broadway performers. The only flaw is its stagey-ness and flat lighting with multiple shadows on the studio floor. Still, with Gen. Bullmoose, Marryin' Sam (Stubby Kaye), Mooshine McSine, the Scraggs and a lot of plot convolutions, it is a very satisfying fable.

excellent seller and product.......2007-02-13

Item as described and received in a timely manner... an excellent buying experience!

Billie Hayes steals the show as Abner's Mom........2007-02-12

I'd heard of this show over the years and have been very curious to see what it was like. Fortunately, a friend gave me a copy as a gift, and I finally saw what Lil Abner is about. A very strange story about a secret formula that turns ordinary men into asexual musclemen is one of the stranger plot threads. I guess the word for it is camp. The scenery is very cartoony (which works well with the feel of this film), and the cast is full of terrific performers (Stubby Kaye is a brilliant performer as always), but the one that really blew me away is the very young Billie Hayes recreating her stage performance as Abner's elderly mother. According to my estimate, Hayes had not yet hit 30 when she played this character, and she is nothing short of wonderful. I couldn't help be think that Paul Henning based his Beverly Hillbillies television series on this film and stage musical, so many of the characters are echoed in that series. The character of Granny is so much like Billie Hayes' portrayal in this film, that I am surprised that Henning didn't just hire Hayes when he was casting his "Granny." The film is a bit slow in places, and the musical numbers are just not as good as in some other Broadway scores, but the movies is enjoyable and obviously not meant to be taken seriously.

Andy Capp again.......2007-02-12

A musical version of the original. Very well done and funny! Some great stars and the sets are visual of the original cartoons!

Great Family Movie .......2007-01-11

This movie is a favorite of our family. We love musical theatre and the songs are alot of fun. My children who were 8 and 11 yrs. old once watched this over and over on a 8 hour car trip.

Average customer rating:

Disappointed
Really Season 2, but so what!
Disappointed.
Missing Episodes????
Baywatch Season 1

Baywatch - Season 1
Starring: David Hasselhoff , Peter Phelps , Brandon Call , Holly Gagnier , and Jeremy Jackson
Director: Parker Stevenson , Paul Cajero , and Douglas Schwartz
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Baywatch - Season 2
Baywatch - Season 3
Acapulco H.E.A.T - The Complete Second Season
Melrose Place - The Complete First Season
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding

ASIN: B000GDH8J2
Release Date: 2006-10-30

Amazon.com

Baywatch, television's most-famous "jiggle series" and by some counts the most-watched show around the world, did more for slow-motion beach joggers than anything since Chariots of Fire--just replace the British Olympic athletes with young women in high-cut red swimsuits who look like Playboy models. The premise of Baywatch is straightforward: a Los Angeles-based team of lifeguards saves swimmers and occasionally fights crime, led by beefcake Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff). And those Playboy models? Erika Eleniak turned a 1989 magazine spread into a role as lifeguard Shauni McClain for two-plus seasons alongside Billy Warlock's Eddie Kramer character (the actors themselves had a brief engagement), and most of the season's action revolved around the lives and loves of Mitch, Shauni, and Eddie. (The most famous Baywatch babe, Pamela Anderson, would arrive the following season.) When they weren't saving people on the beach, they were involved in movie shoots ("Money, Honey"), gang wars ("Point of Attack"), homeless girls ("Sandcastles") and stray pets ("Thin or Die"), a serious charge against Eddie ("The Trophy"), a Gilligan's Island hallucination ("Now, Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale"), and chemical dumping ("The Big Spill"). Hasselhoff's real-life wife, Pamela Bach, appears in a recurring role as reporter Kaye Morgan, Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me, Dream On) has a small role as Mitch's ex-wife, Gayle, and Tom McTigue plays lifeguard Harvey Miller.

Calling this set "season 1" is a misnomer. It's really the final 20 episodes of the second season (1991-92), which was the first season the series was in syndication after being dropped by NBC. (The first two episodes, the two parts of "Nightmare Bay," were previously released on DVD by another studio and are not included here.) In this season, Jeremy Jackson had replaced Brandon Call as Mitch's son, Hobie, and regular cast members Parker Stevenson (as Mitch's friend, Craig Pomeroy) and Shawn Weatherly (as lifeguard Jill Riley) were gone as well. However, the series pilot of the real season 1, called "Panic at Malibu Pier," is included as a bonus. Also, co-creators and executive producers Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, and Michael Berk discuss their favorite episodes from the second season in a 16-minute segment. Another drawback, however, is that much of the original music has been replaced, including "I'm Always Here," Jimi Jamison's theme song. --David Horiuchi

Description

After 11 successful seasons as one of the most watched programs in television history, Baywatch is now on DVD. Experience the syndicated series that launched the careers of Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra and Tracy Bingham. David Hasselhoff stars as Lt. Mitch Buchannon, supervisor of the world's most beautiful lifeguard unit.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-04-10

I watched all 3 seasons and sometimes a little confused. I was really disappointed with them. At the beginning of the season it was almost as if I missed a whole season. There was nothing on Shawnie and Eddie wedding. The begining of the second season I remember Summer and Matt first meeting and that was not on that set. I did enjoy watching the episodes that I haven't seen in awhile because I am a big baywatch fan.

Really Season 2, but so what!.......2007-03-11

Having loved this show, & having read Greg J. Bohannon's (one of the creators of the show) book about his memories of the show, it is easy to see why the NBC episodes are being tossed around, In 1989, NBC ran this show for one season, but then cancelled it, creators Bohannon, Micheal Berk & Douglas Swartz bought back the rights to air & produce it elsewhere, & along with Hasselhoff were able to make it their own, & get it picked up by an independent network, according to Bohannon, NBC just didn't get it, this season 1 is, as many have pointed out, season 2, but to Bohannon, Berk, & Swartz, it is their season 1, & it is so nice to see this show again, back when these aired, I missed quite a bit of episodes, it is so cool to now see them in order, yes the theme song is changed, like many have pointed out, the original theme song was better, & Hasselhoff tried to buy the rights to it, but was unsuccessful, you have all the illegal song downloaders to thank for that, I am amazed Universal got all the original songs for "Miami Vice", because record labels are playing hardball when it comes to DVD, that is why it took so long for this show as well as shows like "Beverly Hills 90210", "Melrose Place" as well as "Vice" to make their way to DVD, only Universal has been successful at securing the rights to the songs on "Vice", mainly because Universal is part of Universal Music Group, sadly "Baywatch" was not produced by a studio like Universal, despite this, this is a good show, the songs may be missing, but the show's magic is still intact, & with a total of ten seasons, the NBC episodes will likely be completed with each season, I like many reviewers here, I am not happy about it, but you have to look at it from the show's creator's point of view, NBC killed their show & told them more or less that it sucked & I am sure there is some bitterness there, if put in their shoes, any of us would most likely do it this way as well, but like one reviewer pointed out, that is one less season to buy!!

Disappointed........2007-02-05

Buyers, take heed. The series has been altered.
The series is indeed Baywatch, but they have taken out the opening song, "I'm Always Here." and closing song "Current of Love" both which were sung by David Hasselhoff.
I was looking forward to seeing this series again. But am disappointed that the music was tampered with. It's like taking the opening music out of the series CHiPs, or any other series that has it's signature opening.
And, as stated by other people, the seasons are being released out of order. And there are episodes missing.
If you want the series Baywatch, just to have it. Then get these. However, if you want the series in it's entirety, music included, then I would wait until they release the series correctly.
They need to go back to the drawing board on this one. :(

Missing Episodes????.......2007-01-14

Okay - did anybody actually buy this thing & keep it? Because I got it & Season 2 & by the looks of it Eddie & Shauni's wedding is on NEITHER of them!!!! Same with that storm drain episode where Hobie (Jeremy Jackson) pulls that prank & Mitch yells at him for it later on. They showed clips of all this in the episode where Mitch almost dies because he free-style dived too deep - but I haven't seen them & Eddie & Shauni aren't in Season '2' so how the Heck am I to see their wedding!?!?!?!?! Or is their wedding in the REAL Season 1??? And has anybody else's DVDs skipped like a VHS tape would when the tracking is off??? Please Help!!!!!

Baywatch Season 1.......2007-01-10

If this was the correct seasons one this would of got a 5 star review. This is actually season two and season two is actually season three as "Summer" never joined Baywatch till season three. Also season one has "Jill" character as well as "Craig" Parker Stevenson and the famous shark episode where one lifeguard gets attack.
I enjoyed the dvd however as the first three seasons were my favourite, would of liked season one to be the original though. Good to see Australia companies got it right. I've already pre-booked my order for the complete "original" season one.

Average customer rating:

The little things matter a lot
Disappointing picture quality
Awesome TV Show, DVD releases could be better!
A disappointment if the little things matter
its not the same but it is

Baywatch - Season 2
Starring: David Hasselhoff , Peter Phelps , Brandon Call , Holly Gagnier , and Jeremy Jackson
Director: Parker Stevenson , Paul Cajero , and Douglas Schwartz
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Baywatch - Season 1
Baywatch - Season 3
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding
Stacked - The Complete Series
Acapulco H.E.A.T - The Complete Second Season

ASIN: B000GDH8JC
Release Date: 2006-10-30

Amazon.com

Baywatch, television's most-famous "jiggle series" and by some counts the most-watched show around the world, did more for slow-motion beach joggers than anything since Chariots of Fire--just replace the British Olympic athletes with young women in high-cut red swimsuits who look like Playboy models. The premise of Baywatch is straightforward: a Los Angeles-based team of lifeguards saves swimmers and occasionally fights crime, led by beefcake Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff). And those Playboy models? This season marked the debut of the quintessential Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson as C.J. Parker. Also debuting were Nicole Eggert as Roberta "Summer" Quinn, and Alexandra Paul as Mitch's old flame, Lt. Stephanie Holden. Future Showgirls star Elizabeth Berkley and surf champion Kelly Slater appear in a short-lived love triangle with Summer, Gregory Alan Williams continues to make appearances as Sergeant Garner Ellerbee, and David Charvet plays newcomer lifeguard Matt Brody. Throughout the season, Mitch and Stephanie dance around rekindling their relationship (but the attempt to use Mitch to evoke Bogie in Casablanca is just silly). Other events and encounters of the season include pirates ("Masquerade"), a basketball slaying ("Lifeguards Can't Jump"), a diamond smuggler ("Strangers Among Us"), a cruise hijacking ("Vacation"), an escaped convict ("The Tower"), a devastating injury to a key crew member ("Shattered"), and an Australian crew member (Trevor Goddard) in the season finale ("Fatal Exchange").

Just as with the previous set, calling this set "season 2" is a misnomer. It's really the final 20 episodes of the third season (1992-93), which was the second season the series had been in syndication. Noticeably absent are the first two episodes, the two parts of "River of No Return," which were previously released on DVD by another studio and are not included here. That's significant because those episodes marked the departure of former regulars Erika Eleniak and Billy Warlock, as well as the series debuts of Pamela Anderson and Nicole Eggert. However, the second and third episodes of the real season 1, "In Deep" and "Heat Wave," are included as bonuses. Also, co-creators and executive producers Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, and Michael Berk discuss the creation of the show and its move from NBC to syndication in a 13-minute segment. Another drawback, however, is that much of the original music has been replaced, including "I'm Always Here," Jimi Jamison's theme song. --David Horiuchi

Description

Customer Reviews:

The little things matter a lot.......2007-06-19

When I first popped disc one of season two into my dvd player, (I skipped season 1 because I never started watching the show reruns untill the mid 90's.)
I was confused by the theme song and credits music. I remember lazy summer afternoons when I was a teen lazing around the house in little denim shorts and bare feet and Baywatch would come on and I'd turn off my brain and enjoy it while sucking on one of those ice pops. For some reason,.. the theme music and music playing in the credits was really fitting for the show and had a good "summer on the beach" feel to it. It was almost comforting,.. and it stuck with me. (even though I hate music by Hasselhoff)

So it totally sucks that we will never have Baywatch exactly the way we saw it back in the 90's. Otherwise, the show is just as I remember it and I love the nostalgia. But that new theme music, man that sucks. Makes it so much harder to travel back in time to my happy teens when things aren't the same.

But,.. the theme song isn't the main part of the show,.. so I'm not going to rate it bad just for that.

Disappointing picture quality.......2007-04-21

The picture quality is worse than that of the reruns on TV [Analog Cable, "Low" definition]. The fact that the show is from the 90's isn't an excuse - I've bought DVDs of show from the 60's [some of them "colorized" B&W], and they look much better. I agree with all the criticisms about the theme - even if they couldn't get the rights to the original theme, they still could have found something much better.
Hopefully when they release the other seasons they'll do a much better job.

Awesome TV Show, DVD releases could be better!.......2007-04-16

I think Baywatch is one of these shows that got so popular in the 90s that almost every person has already seen at least one episode of it. The good thing is the first seasons of the show are really gr8 and it's really nice to have the opportunity to see them again. I was so pleased to have them released on DVD but... yep, there's a Big But! The bad thing is how the DVD sets have been released. First of all, season #s have been changed. Season 1 on DVD is actually season 2 and season 2, 3 and so on. That doesn't make any sense but let's say I can still deal w/ that now I know. However, when I realized that the opening song was not the same, I got really disappointed. I mean, come on, how's that possible? That song was one very big part of the show! It was part of its success all the way. Another thing that ticks me off is that it seems only us, US people, got s*****d! German releases are just like aired! Yes they are! Opening theme, nothing's missing... So, here's my final say: if you don't really care about those little things, you can buy the US releases, but if you are a big fan, I do suggest you get the German releases (they have English, so no worries). You might also need a Region 2 DVD player. DVD sets are a little more expensive but better to my opinion and 7 seasons have been released so far! Isn't it amazing?

A disappointment if the little things matter.......2006-11-21

I bought this season (which really should be season 3) of Baywatch episodes because I am a die hard fan of the show. However, this set of DVD's was very misleading and poorly made. If the show started in 1989, then this set is Season 3 not Season 2. The very first 2 episodes of this season which weren't on the DVDs should have been included. It was the episode where Mitch and Hobie got up to the river to go white water rafting gold country and Shauni gets kidnapped by some gold theives. Plus Eddie and Shauni get married at the very end of the 2nd episode. Very disappointing! The theme song, "I'm Always here" performed by Jim Jamison is not the title theme getting replaced by something very cheesy that doesn't even fit the show. None of the music video songs are the same because I remember every episode from that season like it was yesterday. I will buy the other boxed sets, but the only reason why is because Baywatch was my favorite television show. If First look entertainment is going to make more boxed sets, please bring the old theme song back and place some of the missing episodes on future discs or you will have more disappointed customers. I only gave this set 2 stars because it was my favorite show at the time.

its not the same but it is.......2006-11-07

the seasons are out by 1 the 1st 2 episodes are missing and the original music has been replaced. and is total off the action of the credits.
But the video and audio is good, pitty you have to wait and buy all of the 10 syndicated seasons to get the full network one, and how long until the 1st 2 episodes from pack 1 and 2 and by the looks 3,4,5 are released, or are they just going to be released as movies

Average customer rating:

Best of the Seasons
Baywatch season 3
PLEASE HELP!!
Love it
I LOVED IT

Baywatch - Season 3
Starring: David Hasselhoff , Peter Phelps , Brandon Call , Holly Gagnier , and Jeremy Jackson
Director: Parker Stevenson , Paul Cajero , and Douglas Schwartz
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Baywatch - Season 2
Baywatch - Season 1
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding
Acapulco H.E.A.T - The Complete Second Season
Stacked - The Complete Series

ASIN: B000J10KKA
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com

The fourth season of Baywatch marks the first appearance of another of the series' iconic, er, figures: Yasmine Bleeth, whose Caroline Holden character (the sister of Alexandra Paul's Stephanie Holden character) became one of Baywatch's most famous babes. The cast also included Pamela Anderson (C.J. Parker), Nicole Eggert (Summer Quinn), Susan Anton (Summer's mother, Jackie), and Wendie Malick (Gayle Buchannon, the ex-wife of team leader Mitch, played by star David Hasselhoff). Combining the usual water rescues and crime-fighting, plus a fair amount of personal melodrama, the fourth season included a romantic triangle among Summer, Matt (David Charvet), and surfer Jimmy Slade (Kelly Slater), a haunted hotel, the Special Olympics (guest-starring Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton), and a proposal to turn the team's adventures into a network series called Rescue Bay.

Yep, we said "fourth season." The set is entitled "season 3," but its count begins with the series' first season in syndication--season 2--so this "season 3" is actually the fourth season, broadcast in 1993-94. Included as a bonus, however, are two more episodes from the first season on NBC, "Second Wave" and "Message in a Bottle." The idea is that by the time seasons 2-11 of Baywatch are on DVD, the bonus episodes will form a completed season 1. In a 13-minute featurette, "Picking Up the Pieces," co-creators and executive producers Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, and Michael Berk discuss the challenges of shooting the show on a syndicated show's budget and early auditionees such as Leonardo DiCaprio. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Best of the Seasons.......2007-05-18

By the third season, the series had better scripts and improved from the first season. Only flaw is that some of the best cast comes in later during the series. Erin Gray, for example, doesn't appear until season 8. Remember Erin Gray? Buck Rogers and the 25th Century? (Though I cannot see her until season 8 is released, I do get to see her at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Maryland this September.) Still, the scripts improved as the series continued and season 3 is a great starting point if you don't want to watch them in chronological order. Amazon's price is cheaper than Best Buy.

Baywatch season 3.......2007-05-12

I have always liked season three of baywatch for the reason that I always liked Matt and Summer together and this is the season that it happens. The stories are not bad at all. This is an enjoyable season to watch of baywatch.

PLEASE HELP!!.......2007-02-27

So I didn't purchase this set off Amazon (although I HIGHLY recommend them) but anyone else notice that this Season is actually Season 4 of the series (not season 3)??? I'm really hoping to get the season where Stephanie comes back to Baywatch but was that released as Season 2 then??? Anyone...please help! :) Thanks

Love it.......2007-02-15

Okay, some people are complaining because they think the picture quality is really poor. I don't know what everybody is complaining about. Today, with the new HD technology everything looks clear and really great, but you have to think about it. Baywatch was made in the early 90s before HD technology. So when you are used to watching things with clear and concise pictures, of course it is going too look not all that great.

I love Baywatch and have been since I was a kid. I am so happy that it is out on DVD and I can't wait for all seasons to come out. I already have seasons 1 and 2. As soon as I can afford it I am going to get season 3.

As far as having to buy all the seasons in order to get the true first season, it doesn't really bother me. If you are going to buy all the seasons anyway, then you really are saving money because that's one less season you have to buy.

As far as the music goes, I did love the original TV version opening and ending songs, but the show is what I really love, so I am just glad to be getting a chance to own them so I can watch them whenever I want.

As far as missing episodes go, I have all missing episodes on VHS. Sure it would be nice to have them on DVD, but we don't always get what we want.

Anyway, love the show, love the DVDs and can't wait to own them all.

I LOVED IT.......2007-02-11

i bought season 1,2 and 3 and loved them all.. all you people bitching about the music being all bad.. well what do you expect its from the late 80's and early 90's? season 3 is my favorite out of the 3 seasons out so far, but if your buying them it would help if you buy and watch them in order. I cant wait until all 11 seasons are on dvd. This was definaly worth the money!

Average customer rating:

Great movie and better than the remake by the same title!
Great!
Angels in the Outfield
Champion Movie
Take Me Out to the Movies

Angels in the Outfield
Starring: Paul Douglas , Janet Leigh , Keenan Wynn , Donna Corcoran , and Lewis Stone
Director: Clarence Brown
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Best Foot Forward
Here Comes Mr. Jordan [Region 99]
Baseball Double Feature - Kill the Umpire / Safe at Home [Region 99]
The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Charge of the Light Brigade / Gentleman Jim / The Adventures of Don Juan / The Dawn Patrol / Dive Bomber)
Madame Curie

ASIN: B00005JP45
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Amazon.com

Pure heaven for baseball-movie fans, this charming 1951 fantasy will even make believers out of jaded younger viewers only familiar with the 1994 special effects-laden remake. A pitch-perfect Paul Douglas stars as "Guffy" McGovern, the brawling manager of the last-place, laughing stock Pittsburgh Pirates. The hated, profanity-spewing McGovern is touched by an angel in answer to an orphan girl's prayers for the hapless team. If he cleans up his act, a roster of celestial all-stars will "help" the Pirates. Angels in the Outfield scores with a winning script, clever touches (McGovern's blue language is suggested by a manipulated soundtrack that makes its sound like he's speaking in tongues), and a roster of most valuable players that includes: Janet Leigh as a household hints reporter who begins to take a personal interest in the lovably unlovable McGovern; the adorable Donna Corcoran as the little girl who can see the angels (who, like Harvey the rabbit, are otherwise left to the imagination); Keenan Wynn as a nasty sportscaster with a grudge against McGovern, a pre-Leave It to Beaver Barbara Billingsley as a hatcheck girl; and in amusing cameos, Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, songwriter Harry Ruby, and then Pirates co-owner Bing Crosby. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Paul Douglas, stars with Janet Leigh, as the hot-tempered Pittsburgh Pirates manager whose hard-luck team goes on a wining streak thanks to some heavenly intervention.

Customer Reviews:

Great movie and better than the remake by the same title!.......2007-05-14

See this original version that is all! DONT MISS IT! You will be sorry! Five stars? NO! Give this one TEN Stars! Paul Douglas is great and funny at its best and the co stars are all great too! What a tremendous find this was for us! And so good for the soul! Get it see it and be happy again!

Great!.......2007-05-14

Angels In The Outfield is one of the more under-rated baseball films, and most people think of the later remake rather than this gem from 1950. Gruff character actor Paul Douglas plays the manager of the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates(not far off the mark), with a young Janet Leigh as a journalist covering the team. Cameos from Bing Crosby, Joe DiMaggio & others make this a worthwhile addition to your baseball film library.

Angels in the Outfield.......2007-05-10

Fun movie with a heart. Brings back the days of old time baseball.

Champion Movie.......2007-04-11

To someone not in the least bit sports minded and with no idea at all of the rules of baseball, this was a super lighthearted and entertaining film with plenty of the "feel good" factor. Sentimental yes, but never dissolving into "mush". The faultless portrayal by the wonderful Paul Douglas of Guffie McGovern, the foul mouthed and permanently frustrated coach of the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates, who suddenly hears angel voices, apparently despatched to him on the prayers of a small orphan girl, is a joy. Janet Leigh is excellently cast as the household hints columnist on the local newspaper, who finds herself catapulted into reporting on the luckless games of the Pirates and gradually becoming more and more involved in the team and, of course, McGovern. The story moves forward apace, and as the fortunes of the Pirates, with angelic help are turned around, the three characters of Douglas, Leigh and the little orphan girl also begin to be brought together, . Excellent support from Keenan Wynn and Spring Byington, with a personal appearance by the great Joe Di Maggio.

Good all round entertainment!

Take Me Out to the Movies.......2007-04-10

If you like the attitude and pace of classic movies and you like baseball, you're likely to enjoy this family friendly film. It's a lot less hokey than you might expect, mostly due to Paul Douglas' performance as the crusty manager, who'd just as soon stay crusty -- until he gets hit upside the head by an angel with an attitude. Janet Leigh does her usual excellent job -- she's a cute and feisty "Hints from Heloise" type reporter who wanders into the all-male world of 1950s baseball reporting. The little girl who sees the angels is somehow really endearing without being over the top (maybe because Disney didn't make this version - the old MGM did). It's an enjoyable little story with more than a few laughs -- and probably a must see for true lovers of baseball.

Average customer rating:

BOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGGG !
great 80's slasher
Savini at his best, Easily one of the top 10 Slashers of all time
Forgotten 80's gem with Tom Savini effects
"Ummm, attention...ummm....there seems to be a prowler outside....

The Prowler
Starring: Vicky Dawson , Christopher Goutman , Lawrence Tierney , Farley Granger , and Cindy Weintraub
Director: Joseph Zito
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Slasher Flicks | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Blue Underground | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

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

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Maniac
My Bloody Valentine (Ws Sub)
Happy Birthday to Me [Region 99]
Black Christmas (Special Edition)
Just Before Dawn

ASIN: B000096I9V
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Customer Reviews:

BOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGGG !.......2007-01-05

What the heck! This movie just about stinks. I fell asleep twice. Almost any fri the 13 is better than this. The movie goes from some kind of small town charm crap to extremely graphic drawn out murder scenes. Where was the director when this movie was shot? All through the commentary every time someone is murdered the director groans "oh,real nice Tom {Savini}" Its like he wasnt aware of what was going on when these scenes where shot. My bloody valentine was alot better than this. Theres just to much boring goody two shoes crap in between the suspencefull stalking scenes. This movie takes too much work for me to watch in that I kept falling asleep! RENT OR BORROW BEFORE YOU BUY !!!!!!!

great 80's slasher.......2007-01-05

Most people(like myself)did'nt here much about this film when it was originally released.It's a great piece of 80's horror that should definitely be checked out.

Savini at his best, Easily one of the top 10 Slashers of all time.......2006-12-13

"The Prowler" is another of my favorite slasher films.
I didn't see it at the theatre because I didn't like the name,"I had he pleasure of seeing most 80's slashers during their first run in theatres, I wish I would have seen it on the big screen. The story is the usual slasher fare, years earlier something traumatic happened and left someone either bitter, scarred, disfigured or just mad as hell.
In my opinion the love of the genre comes from knowing the formula of the film just different characters,kills,herione/hero and killer, and this movie delivers what you expect from a slasher plus good acting and good kills plus excellent effects by the great Tom Savini. "The Prowler" is easily in my top 5 Slashers of all time.Get the DVD while you can. It could become as hard to find or as expensive as "The Burning"

Forgotten 80's gem with Tom Savini effects.......2006-09-17

Joseph Zito (who directed Friday the 13th 4, which was the best in the long running series) directed this forgotten 80's slasher gem, which is made all the more memorable thanks to the unbelievably gruesome gore effects from FX legend Tom Savini. The Prowler follows the basic 80's slasher formula (revenge) to a tee, but Zito weaves some better than average set pieces, and Savini's grisly effects are the true star of the show. The pitchfork scene is definitely worth noting here, an you'll never look at one the same way again. There's some pretty good extras on the DVD to boot, including archive footage of Savini in action. The Prowler isn't a classic of the genre at all (saying that most of the acting is wooden is saying it lightly) but it's the inventive effects work by one of the true masters of the genre that make the Prowler worth seeing.

"Ummm, attention...ummm....there seems to be a prowler outside...........2006-08-30

Unfortunately for horror fans, we now live in the times of movies like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cry Wolf, When a Stranger Calls (the remake), and other horrible, bloodless, over-porduced fodder/garbage that Hollywood tries desperately to shove down our throats; passing these off as horror films.

Fortunately, we can always go back in time to the early 80's and pop in and old classic such as this fine film. I must say, when I went over to my friend's house to check out this flick, I was thuroughly impressed! I wasn't expecting much but I what I witnessed was a true, no-holds-barred slasher flick that fails to sugar coat. Unfortunately, films such of these now-a-days seem to be about as extinct as the dinosaurs. However, when this film came out, the makers made the wise decision to give the audience everything they want and more-nudity, a cool and sinister killer, a little bit of comedy, a bumbling cop that might as well work in Mayberry, and a bunch of very cool and creative as hell kill scenes! So come one Hollywood, check out the Prowler and learn a few things. Hopefully with the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, Hollywood will finally figure it out and get back to the classic days of true horror films.

Average customer rating:

"He's the last guy I would have figured..."
A lovely Day film
Treasure From The 60's Vault....
Enjoyable
Shocking

Lover Come Back
Starring: Rock Hudson , Doris Day , Tony Randall , Edie Adams , and Jack Oakie
Director: Delbert Mann
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Send Me No Flowers
The Thrill of It All!
Pillow Talk
Move Over Darling
That Touch of Mink

ASIN: B0001CNRB6
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Amazon.com essential video

Rock Hudson and Doris Day had one of the sweetest chemistries in the movies--as demonstrated in several light comedies, including this film's predecessor, 1959's Pillow Talk. The two similar films feature a handsome, duplicitous Hudson duping--then falling for--an earnest Day. In Lover Come Back, the two play Jerry Webster and Carol Templeton, rival advertising agents, vying for the same clients--until Jerry makes up a product, Vip, to get out of a scrape. As Madison Avenue catches Vip fever, Jerry falls deeper into the façade-and into love with Carol, who schemes to steal the nonexistent account away from him. Tony Randall plays Peter Ramsay, Webster's hapless boss. While Day and Hudson are as adorable as ever (and would continue to be in 1964's Send Me No Flowers), a standout is fellow Pillow Talk and Send Me No Flowers costar Randall. He's an effective foil--both comically and physically (as he stands next to the much taller Hudson). Their brands of humor blend charmingly: Hudson's sardonic coyness, Day's innocent sweetness, and Randall's nervous edginess. Look for a pre-Brady Bunch Ann B. Davis as Mille, Carol's loyal assistant, and a pre-Beverly Hillbillies Donna Douglas as Ramsay's secretary. --N.F. Mendoza

Description

Rock Hudson and Doris Day are together again! Jerry Webster (Hudson) and Carol Templeton (Day) are rival Madison Avenue advertising executives who each dislike each other's methods. After he steals a client out from under her cute little nose, revenge prompts her to infiltrate his secret "VIP" campaign in order to persuade the mystery product's scientist to switch to her firm. Trouble is, the product is phony and the "scientist" is Jerry, who uses all his intelligence and charm to steal her heart in this outrageous comedy of mistaken identity, co-starring the ever-delightful Tony Randall.

Customer Reviews:

"He's the last guy I would have figured...".......2007-05-20

Doris Day-Rock Hudson romcom Lover Come Back reworks aspects of Pillow Talk in a plot that sees them as rival advertising execs fighting over the account for a non-existent product in a surprisingly and engagingly smutty satire that goes out of its way to mock the void between the two stars screen images and reality. Rock Hudson seems heroically determined to invite rumors by pretending to be unsure of his sexuality ("Just because you can light a stove doesn't mean you can cook") and even creeping back into his apartment wearing nothing more than a woman's fur coat ("He's the last guy I would have figured..." notes one onlooker) while a somewhat sidelined Doris Day gets married as she's rushed into the delivery room. Along the way Tony Randall practically invents both of the Crane brothers and sets up about three seasons worth of plots for Frasier as his neurotic boss. Great fun.

A lovely Day film.......2007-01-22

At times this movie can be a little racie for people over the age of 70 or people who like movies less rated than G. But for the rest of us it's more tamed then most movies now. It's a good Doris Day film. It's funny, and has a happy ending. The story line is pretty much the same as pillow talk. Mistaken identity, Hudson's character taken advantage of the sistuation, boy meets girl, girl hates boy, girl loves boy, then hates him again, then loves each other in the end. A wonderful game, this is worth the cash.

Treasure From The 60's Vault...........2006-10-20

Is there anything more American then apple pie, baseball or a good Rock Hudson/Doris Day Film? It's always been such a treat to curl up with them and the third essential player, Tony Randall. Rock is always doing something to infuriate Doris. He's her worst nightmare. And what's more, he pretends to be someone else that Doris falls for head over heals until the gig is up. Then she's out for revenge, but love always wins out. Ahhhh such feel good, laugh out loud stuff.

So in this one from 1961 "Lover Come Back", Madison Ave is the setting. Advertising is the game of Carol Templeton and rival Jerry Webster. But Jerry is such a cad and a playboy. He steals big clients right from under her by wining and dining them, throwing raucous parties and getting the girl for them. Carol on the other hand, does things a little different. She's virtuous and business like. When he trumps her cards once too often, she plans to get a little underhanded herself. Trying to win over the scientist that is going to invent a new product for our guy Rock, Doris, who has never met Webster(as is always the case), mistakes him for...you guessed it..the shy, retiring, needy nerdy scientist. Jerry, in true form goes along with it, and tries to woo Carol into his bed. And the fun continues...

Doris is marvelous. Watch her face. So many different emotions she goes through. From being Exasperated, to being in love, she does it all. She's simply a joy. Rock matches her perfectly with his pretenses, and has a way with the dialogue that just says Rock! As mentioned Tony Randall is always the third part to the equation that makes these films such classic fun. Here he is the President of the ad firm and Jerry's boss, but hasn't a clue as to what's going on. He does this quite well.Meanwhile, the fun doesn't end with Doris and Rock. The race to make a new product, VIP! is causing quite a few explosions and when the product is finally ready for testing...well you just have to see for yourself!

The rest of the cast is quite a roll call. Ann B Davis, Delbert Mann, Donna Douglas(the beautiful Ellie Mae Clampett), Edie Adams, Jack Albertson, Jack Oakie, Joe Flynn, Richard Deacon,wow... the list goes on.
The transfer to DVD looks great. Picture clear, colors good.The film is presented in Anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 The sound is in Dol Dig 2.0(MONO), but this isn't an action flick, so it's fine.There are caption in English(a nod to Universal there), subtitles in Spanish and French. There are no features of any kind other than scene selections.

This film is a treasure from the 60's vault. Doris' outfits alone are smashing, and NYC in the 60's too. This film has no rating on the case, but I would say PG. There are some adult situations, but all done in tasteful fun(can you imagine Doris Day, doing anything else, even if she tried?).The other two films that this trio delight us with is "Pillow Talk" and "Send Me No Flowers"

Well, I'm off to watch another Day/Hudson/Randall film. I've got my bowl of VIP and ready for a fun evening.....Laurie

Enjoyable.......2006-08-19

This film is good, but not as good as Pillow Talk. It has its moments, though, and is worth watching more than once.

Shocking.......2006-04-14

I was shocked at how explicitly vulgar this movie was, considering the era it was made. I didn't see that there was anything romantic about it; there would have been if someone had rewritten the script and left out the fifty-something crude jokes along with the shot of Doris Day jumping out of Rock Hudson's bed with bare legs. It wasn't tasteful at all, much more like a modern movie, and if I want to see unromantic vulgarity, I'll go to the theater and watch "Love Actually". The very reason why I watch old movies is to escape the crudeness this movie promotes!
I enjoyed "Send Me No Flowers" and "Pillow Talk" very much, but this one was off the edge. I wouldn't waste my money on it.

Average customer rating:

House of Strangers
UNIQUE PLOT, often used.
Obscure dramatic gem
Gripping Family Drama
The Immigrant Experience as Greek Tragedy.

House of Strangers (Fox Film Noir)
Starring: Edward G. Robinson , Susan Hayward , Richard Conte , Luther Adler , and Paul Valentine
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

I Wake Up Screaming (Fox Film Noir)
House on Telegraph Hill (Fox Film Noir)
Fallen Angel (Fox Film Noir)
Fourteen Hours
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)

ASIN: B000EXDSBG
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Description

Edward G. Robinson's ill-gotten gains embroil his entire family in scandal and murder. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Customer Reviews:

House of Strangers.......2007-06-22

Joseph L. Mankiewicz's scorching tale of a destructive family vendetta is a stylish, well-conceived outing. Though screenplay credit went to Philip Yordan, Mankiewicz's inspired touch is evident in the film's tight pacing and sharp, flavorful script. Robinson is masterful as an Italian-American patriarch, and the under-appreciated Conte is also aces as a slick operator who's not quite as tough as he seems. For a gritty noir you won't forget, enter this House of Strangers.

UNIQUE PLOT, often used........2007-04-24

Joseph L. Mankewicz's great family drama is a one of a kind story starring Susan Hayard, E.G. Robinson and Richard Conte. Conte plays the favorite son of ruthless banker who does not run his business by the book (Robinson) that gets him in trouble. Conte takes the rap and goes to prison for 7 years while his greedy, dullard brothers just stand by and watch and take the bank over from their father. Hayward plays Conte's socialite girlfriend and nobody can deliver a one liner like a snap of a bullwhip quite like Hayward. And thanks to the bristling dialogue, the exchanges between Conte and Hayward are classic cinema.

Actually Hayward who was a big star at the time had just been signed by Fox and the studio did not know what to do with their expensive propety, so they cast her in a 3rd role despite her star billing. But thanks to the tight direction and witty and unusual script filled with film noir touches, makes this film a classic. The plot line has been used time and again but has never equalled the original.

All the lead stars are brilliant in this vibrating classic flick.

Obscure dramatic gem.......2007-04-17

Despite its inclusion in the Fox Film Noir series, "House of Strangers" has more in common with "King Lear" than it does with "Panic in the Streets" and "The Street With No Name." Still, it flirts with noir through casting. Stars Edward G. Robinson and Richard Conte have frequently walked the dark, rain-swept streets of that anxiety plagued genre which generally focused on society's underclass.

"House of Strangers" tells the story of an Italian immigrant barber who finds his fortune in banking. But success comes with a heavy price as his tyrannical ways alienate his sons, three of whom let their father twist in the wind as his kingdom crumbles due to mismanagement and unethical practices.

Although Philip Yorden receives sole credit for the screenplay, film historian Foster Hirsch, who provides an insightful and entertaining commentary, insists the script was primarily the work of the director, Joseph L. Manckiewicz. The acidic tone of much of the dialogue does suggest it written by the man who brought us "All About Eve" the next year.

The cast is superb with Robinson brilliant as always, but it is Luther Adler as Joe, the eldest son and the most conniving, who offers the standout performance. His scene with Conte in the restaurant is a textbook example of fine acting. Susan Hayward is good, too, but her part is rather superfluous, added for box-office purposes rather than dramatic necessity.

"House of Strangers" is fairly obscure these days, and is probably best-known for having inspired the 1954 western "Broken Lance" with Spencer Tracy and Richard Widmark, but it stands tall on its own merits and is well worth seeking out.

Brian W. Fairbanks

Gripping Family Drama.......2006-09-19

Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson) is the toast of his enclave in Depression era New York. He runs a loan company that doles out cash to customers with no collateral. Who cares that he charges usurious rates. His sons abet him in his thriving business and fall neatly under his iron thumb. Then the feds come calling. All the resentment and deceit that had been percolating for years rises to the top and favorite son Max(Richard Conte) has to take the fall. Director Joseph Mankiewicz has crafted a terrific film about how the sins of the fathers visits wrath upon their sons. Edward G. Robinson does a terrific turn as the ever smiling patriarch with arsenic for blood. The underutilized Richard Conte is his equal or better as the son who has to the suffer the slings and arrows of the charade that the Monetti house of cards was. I remember seeing this film years ago on Cinemax and anxiously awaited it's DVD release. Just because a film is relatively obscure does not detract from it's greatness.

The Immigrant Experience as Greek Tragedy. .......2006-08-25

"House of Strangers" is based on the novel "I'll Never Go There Again" by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright and novelist Jerome Weidman, who wrote about the immigrant experience in New York City in the early 20th century, particularly the Jewish immigrant experience. This screenplay is credited solely to Philip Yordan, but director Joseph Mankiewicz actually wrote the final version of the script. Jerome Weidman's book is about a Jewish banking family who were changed to Italians for the film. If that was in order to avoid controversy, it didn't quite work. The Giannini family, who founded Bank of America, complained to 20th Century Fox that the family in the film resembled theirs. But they were outdone by the studio chairman himself, Spyrus Skouras, who thought the fictional Monetti family was his. So he limited the film's release. That's unfortunate, because "House of Strangers" has some wonderful performances, including one that earned Edward G. Robinson a Best Actor award at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.

Seven years after he went to prison for attempting to bribe a juror, Max Monetti (Richard Conte) returns to New York with vengeance on his mind, directed at his brother Joe (Luther Adler), whom Max believes gave the police the tip that put him away. His old flame Irene Bennett (Susan Hayward), a sharp-tongued uptown girl, wants Max to abandon thoughts of vengeance and start a new life with her. As Max listens to his deceased father's opera records, we travel back in time to when family patriarch Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson), a poor barber-turned-rich-banker, held his immigrant clients and his 4 sons under his sway. -Except for Max, whose forceful personality made him his father's favorite, immune to the petty abuses and selfish whims suffered by Joe, Antonio (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), and Pietro (Paul Valentine) . When the State investigated the bank's lending practices, the bitterness that Gino's ill treatment had sowed became apparent.

"House of Strangers" is sometimes called film noir, probably because of Max's subjective, introverted perspective of the corrosive Monetti family dynamics. But this isn't even a crime film. Its strongest elements by far are Greek Tragedy, but "House of Strangers" is also part immigrant experience and part romance. The sins of the father are visited upon the sons, and the 3 main players in that drama -Gino, Max, and Joe- are memorable. Edward G. Robinson's performance is a bit theatrical, but Gino's character is so poisonous and his emotions so vivid that it doesn't matter if he is over-the-top. His lecture about the differences between the Old World and the New is a hoot too. Luther Adler impresses in the small but delicate part of Joe, the scorned son. The interaction between Max and Irene seems superfluous, as if it were transposed from another story. A lot of dialogue that was unmistakably written by Mankiewicz comes out of Irene's mouth. There is some good stuff, but Irene talks too much. "House of Strangers" is a fine Greek Tragedy and a harsh take on an immigrant family that made good.

The DVD (20th Century Fox 2006): Bonus features are a theatrical trailer (2 ½ min), a Poster Gallery of 4 b&w posters, a (mislabeled) Production Stills Gallery of 10 behind-the-scenes photos, a (mislabeled) Unit Photography Gallery of 23 production stills, and an audio commentary by film historian Foster Hirsch. The commentary isn't non-stop, but Hirsch analyzes the composition, framing, blocking, and any technique used to illustrate the film's themes for many scenes. He also comments on characters and provides background information on the film and actors. Subtitles are available for the film in English and Spanish.

Average customer rating:

Frankie and Johnny
Not only mindless,
He Was Her Man
Change of pace in time for Elvis!
Frankie and Johnny

Frankie and Johnny
Starring: Elvis Presley , Donna Douglas , Harry Morgan , Sue Ane Langdon , and Nancy Kovack
Director: Frederick De Cordova
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Follow That Dream
Clambake
Wild in the Country
Roustabout
Kid Galahad

ASIN: B000059TG9
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Description

The Mississippi River's never seen as many wild twists as in this spirited and extravagant riverboat ride, which stars the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley and the lovely Donna Douglas of "The Beverly Hillbillies!" Featuring hilarious support from Harry Morgan ("M.A.S.H.") and eleven original Presley tunes as well as his motion-picture dancing debut, Frankie and Johnny is a "sure-fire romppretty girls, a toe-tapping score and Elvis all the way" (Variety)! Presley is Johnny, a riverboat singer whose life, according to girlfriend and singing partner Frankie (Douglas),has become "one great big roulette wheel." And he's so obsessed with that wheel of misfortune that when a gypsy woman prescribes a redhead to be his good luck charm, Johnny sets out to find one. Trouble is, Frankie is most definitely a blonde...and a jealous blonde at that. When she sees Johnny with curvaceous carrot-top Nellie Bly (Nancy Kovack of The Silencers), Frankie decides that she'll break off her romance with Johnnyand end their big numberwith a bang!

Customer Reviews:

Frankie and Johnny.......2007-01-12

I remember this movie when I was younger. If you like Elvis I guess you will ove this movie. Some of the songs I really enjoy.

Not only mindless,.......2005-03-15

but stupid and mindless. Presley was never an actor, and proves it once again here. But the songs are even worse than his acting. There are no good ones. None. Not even the title song, whioch was never a major hit for him. The rest of the cast is the usual melange of unknowns or semi-knowns who either totally non-act, or overact with the extremely limited talent they have. Only Harry Morgan, who was likely the only really talented one in the bunch (OK, Strauss to a degree, too) seemed to be having a good time; it's almost as if he went into the movie with a "Hell, it's a paycheck" attitude. The ending goes beyond trite into fantasy. And what can you say about Donna Douglas? Well, she was slightly better here than as Ellie May Clampett. But that's like saying one shade of battleship gray is a bit less dull than the other. The humor in the Beverly Hillbillies rarely, if ever, developed from her. Catch this on TV if you have a few minutes to kill.

He Was Her Man.......2003-02-01

A simple movie that can be enjoyed by all ages. (Which is rare today) The songs and great looks of Elvis make this one enjoyable.

Change of pace in time for Elvis!.......2002-11-12

"Frankie and Johnny" is based on the old song about two lovers where Johnny is on a losing streak and decides he can change his luck with Nellie Bly. A jealous Frankie shoots her man because "he was doin' her wrong". This movie is sort of based on the song. Everything is true except the shooting part in the end, but it comes very close to actually happening. "Frankie and Johnny" is quite enjoyable no matter how "obscure" you people might find it. It's a real top-notch and every Elvis fan must see it. By the way, we need more reviews on Elvis' movies and music please.

Frankie and Johnny.......2002-08-04

Elvis appeared in this lighthearted musical based on the folk song, "Frankie and Johnny". In the original song, the title characters are lovers whose romance goes awry when red-headed Nellie Bly steals Johnny away from Frankie. Frankie gets revenge by shooting Johnny dead. The movie lightens the tone of the tale by adding a few details and changing the downbeat ending. In the film, the song has been especially written for riverboat performers Frankie and Johnny, played by Donna Douglas (The Beverly Hillbillies) and Elvis Presley. Johnny is a gambler whose bad