Eva Marie Saint

Average customer rating:

the best classic film ever!
No hotter love scene anywhere...
How do I love NORTH BY NORTHWEST? Let me count the ways....
Excellent film and transfer.
So enjoyable

North By Northwest
Starring: Ed Binns , Leo G. Carroll , Bill Catching , Philip Coolidge , and Lawrence Dobkin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
Rear Window (Collector's Edition)
Vertigo (Collector's Edition)
Charade
Dial M for Murder

ASIN: B0002IQEHI
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com essential video

A strong candidate for the most sheerly entertaining and enjoyable movie ever made by a Hollywood studio (with Citizen Kane, Only Angels Have Wings and Trouble in Paradise running neck and neck). Positioned between the much heavier and more profoundly disturbing Vertigo (1958) and the stark horror of Psycho (1960), North by Northwest (1959) is Alfred Hitchcock at his most effervescent in a romantic comedy-thriller that also features one of the definitive Cary Grant performances. Which is not to say that this is just "Hitchcock Lite"; seminal Hitchcock critic Robin Wood (in his book Hitchcock's Films Revisited) makes an airtight case for this glossy MGM production as one of The Master's "unbroken series of masterpieces from Vertigo to Marnie." It's a classic Hitchcock Wrong Man scenario: Grant is Roger O. Thornhill (initials ROT), an advertising executive who is mistaken by enemy spies for a U.S. undercover agent named George Kaplan. Convinced these sinister fellows (James Mason as the boss, and Martin Landau as his henchman) are trying to kill him, Roger flees and meets a sexy Stranger on a Train (Eva Marie Saint), with whom he engages in one of the longest, most convolutedly choreographed kisses in screen history. And, of course, there are the famous set pieces: the stabbing at the United Nations, the crop-duster plane attack in the cornfield (where a pedestrian has no place to hide), and the cliffhanger finale atop the stone faces of Mount Rushmore. Plus a sparkling Ernest Lehman script and that pulse-quickening Bernard Herrmann score. What more could a moviegoer possibly desire? --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

the best classic film ever!.......2007-06-16

What can I say? This movie is great. It has everything, from intense action and mystery that is built up by the amazing score, to the perfect actors and actresses portraying well written and witty, and sometimes sexy, dialogue. As well as the exoticly filmed locations and that 50-60's style. Recommended for everyone.

No hotter love scene anywhere..........2007-06-01

A good film and a great film...

No spoilers here. Simply mentioning things not mentioned (much) in other reviews, here:

The frenetic music as Manhattan traffic is reflected in one of the anonymous AKA boring glass International Style skyscrapers. Hitch's hymn to the worst of modern life. Doreen Lang as Maggie, Grant's cute and long-suffering secretary and their dialogue from the lobby throughout the taxi ride. No hotter love scene anywhere, in any film, ever made, than when Cary Grant ends up at Eva Marie Saint's table in the dining car. Scorching! Grant's line "I've never been in Pittsburgh!" Hitch loves cars and the juxtapositions of them are fun throughout--some of the best and worst models ever made are clustered in this film. Old Westbury looks nice on film. Jessie Royce Landis' lines in traffic court ("Roger, pay the two dollars!") and in the elevator ("You boys aren't really trying to kill my son?"). The auction scene scene. The sunglasses scene. The shaving scene. The female patient's "Stop!...STOP!" classic double take when Cary Grant appears in her hospital room. The pseudo Frank Lloyd Wright hideout. Every detail is dead on. In Summary...

This is without any argument or exception one of the top ten films of all time and Hitchcock's best, bar none.

How do I love NORTH BY NORTHWEST? Let me count the ways...........2007-05-19

1. Excellent shots "on location" (or not?)
[Mount Rushmore, an "abandoned" cornfield in the infamous crop dusting scene, with a low flying plane, coming right at Cary Grant's unsuspecting character.]
2. Wickedly sinister bad guys. [James Mason and Martin Landau]
3. Wonderful music. [A score by the masterful Benard Herrmann.]
4. Wonderful director [It's hard to go wrong with Alfred Hitchcock--though, there have been a couple of his films that have made us question this!]
5. It's available on DVD! [It's about time!]
What else can I say, but go see it today!

Excellent film and transfer........2007-05-12

It is marvellous that one of Hitchcock's greatest films has been so beautifully remastered. The colour is magnificent and the sound very good. Great extras as well. Highly recommended.

So enjoyable.......2007-04-27

You know from the moment you see Saul Bass's marvellous opening credit sequence that this is going to be a great movie. Add Bernard Herman's classic music score and you are immediately on a great rollercoaster of a film.

Hitchcock gets his cameo role out of the way early then Cary Grant enters. At the time he was 55, but no-one ever look better at this age than Grant. Of course he is mistaken for somebody else and the film lifts off. James Mason, Eva Marie Saint and many others play great supporting roles. There are many famous sequences, the crop spraying, the fight on Mount Rushmore its all very well done, cleverly written and directed with Hitchcocks usual style and wit.

This was the first film I ever saw on DVD and I was amazed by the quality of the film. The film dates from 1959 but doesn't show it.

The extras are very good on this disc. There is full commentary by the screenwriter Ernest Lehman and a 39min documentary. In truth you could watch the film without the commentary, then with the commentary and then watch the documentary and start all over again.

World War II Collection, Vol. 2 - Heroes Fight for Freedom (36 Hours / Air Force / Command Decision / Hell to Eternity / The Hill / Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo)

Average customer rating:

Good Collection
dvd availability
great collection
Sub-standard WWII Collection

World War II Collection, Vol. 2 - Heroes Fight for Freedom (36 Hours / Air Force / Command Decision / Hell to Eternity / The Hill / Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo)
Starring: James Garner , Eva Marie Saint , Rod Taylor , Werner Peters , and John Banner
Director: George Seaton , Howard Hawks , and Sam Wood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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

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Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)
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)
Unconquered (Universal Cinema Classics)
James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story)
Hell and High Water

ASIN: B000NTPG70
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Studio description

Includes: 36 Hours (1965), Air Force (1943), Command Decision (1948), Hell to Eternity (1960), The Hill (1965), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944).

Customer Reviews:

Good Collection.......2007-06-15

Some of these may have been available before now, but none in a WWII set that includes shorts and cartoons from the period. Two of these movies like "Command Decision" with Clark Gable and "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" with Spencer Tracy are worth this price alone. Therefore the others are just bonus as far as I'm concerned and a pretty good one at that. "The Hill" is pretty good POW movie with Sean Connery. "36 Hours" with James Garner is good espionage movie. Air Force is resonably decent with John Ridgely. "Hell to Eternity" with Jeffrey Hunter and David Janssen is about Hispanic boy raised by Japanese-Americans and fought for United States. Fans of WWII movies should enjoy the set. I recommend it. Especially for a Fathers Day gift.

dvd availability.......2007-03-24

I'm not sure about THE HILL, but the other 5 titles in this collection have NOT been on DVD--at least legitimiate disk. AIR FORCE, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO, and COMMAND DECISION are all wonderful war or combat films (there's a difference between the two--see the books on the genre by Mike Mayo, Thomas Doherty and Jeanine Basinger). It's great that other classics such as THE PURPLE HEART and even the less stellar SO PROUDLY WE HAIL are finally being released this spring on DVD. Collectors and film historians should appreciate all of these titles that really reflected the country's mood between l94l and l945. Propaganda was such a vital component on the home front and these movies show us the nationalistic side of the American people at the time.

great collection.......2007-03-13

I disagree totally with the above reviewer. These films are excellent. The only one I am not thrilled with is The Hill, all the others are very good WWII films. I have been waiting for Command Decision for a long time. This collection will not disappoint.

Sub-standard WWII Collection.......2007-03-12

Of the 6 films, 3 are old films made in the '40 (Air Force; Command Decision; 30 Seconds Over Tokyo) and widely available in dvds for sometime.

Hell to Eternity is an obscure war film. 36 Hours is more fitting for espionage catagory. The Hill, which is probably the most powerful film among the 6, is a prison film.

A carefully selected Sidney Lumet Collection is highly anticipated.

Average customer rating:

Spectacular footage
It will never be surpassed. The best race movie ever.
The best auto racing movie ever.
Simply the best racing movie I have ever seen
The Best Racing Movie Ever. Period.

Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: James Garner , Eva Marie Saint , Yves Montand , Toshirô Mifune , and Brian Bedford
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Le Mans
Winning
The Making of "Grand Prix"
Bullitt
The World's Fastest Indian

ASIN: B000FFJYCU
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Amazon.com essential video

Light on story, this 1966 spectacle directed by John Frankenheimer was shot in 70 millimeter, with a cinematically enthralling emphasis on unique, visceral new ways of capturing the sensations of a car race. James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, and Toshiro Mifune are part of the stellar, international cast whose characters plod through assorted relationship and business conflicts. But the film's real hook is the thrilling and inventive means by which Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) brings an urgency to the drama happening on the racetrack. A true master of the plastic techniques of obtaining and cutting kinetic footage, Frankenheimer offers more than a joyride to viewers: he makes action part of the compelling language of stories. Cameras are strapped to vehicles as they round the track, shots are taken from a helicopter, the screen is split between angles for maximum impact--even if Grand Prix doesn't rank among the director's best character-driven stories, it is certainly driven on its own terms. --Tom Keogh

On the DVD
The much-anticipated release on DVD does not disappoint, with a pristine restored print and upgraded 5.1 Dolby sound. Of course, the Cinerama film can only be fully appreciated if you sit very close to your screen. The absence of a commentary track is forgivable, since director John Frankenheimer died in 2002. "Pushing the Limit" is your standard 30-minute retrospective with many new interviews with the stars and drivers. The universal opinion is that the film caught Formula One at the exact right time when the beauty of the sport was about to be changed in favor of safety and commercialism. There are some fascinating stories on how they were able to use real race footage so seamlessly. "Flat Out" continues the vibe of what racing was like in the '60s with more interviews from the real racers. "The Style and Sound of Speed" talks about designer Saul Bass and how he created the film's different approaches to each race and the cutting-edge use of montages and multiple screens. The vintage doc is kitschy but allows us to see the filming in action (the footage is used extensively in the new featurettes). --Doug Thomas

Description

Nine races. One champion. James Garner, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford and Antonio Sabato portray Formula I drivers competing to be the best in this slam-you-into-the-driver's seat tale of speed, spectacle and intertwined personal lives. Eva Marie Saint and Toshiro Mifune also star. John Frankenheimer (who 32 years later would again stomp the pedal to the metal for the car chases of Ronin) directs this winner of 3 Academy Awards?,* crafting split-screen images to capture the overlapping drama and orchestrating you-are-there POV camerawork to intensify the hard-driving thrills. Nearly 30 top drivers take part in the excitement, so buckle up, movie fans. Race with the best to the head of the pack. DVD Features:
Theatrical Trailer
Documentaries
Featurette

Customer Reviews:

Spectacular footage.......2007-05-17

In hollywood today, this movie would have been made with big-budget visual effects, computer generated racing cars, fake scenery, etc. Watching this movie, I couldn't help but be in total awe of the racing footage captured. It's all real...no computer graphics. This is one amazing picture. I wish more movies were made this way rather than entirely in the computer.

It will never be surpassed. The best race movie ever........2007-05-16

This is one of those mysteries in the history of filmaking... However talented John Frankenheimer and the actors involved were / are, how could someone have imagined that a racing car movie made in 1966, I REPEAT, 1966, would still be, in 2007, head and shoulders bette than all the race movies ever made, before or after!!

Because "Grand Prix" is a master-piece. I will not talk about the amzaing camera angles, the perfect edition, the fact that the actor themselves drive the cars (F3 cars, it's true...), makin a montage with the actual race, the fact that the plot, altough simple, is engaging and makes you cheer for each one of the drivers.

No. I'll talk about the "feel" of the movie. It flows effortlessly, with class, energy, everything.

The best auto racing movie ever........2007-05-12

I first saw this movie in original release on the BIG screen. Since the invention of the DVD I have been waiting for Grand Prix.
The wait is finally over, and it was worth it.
Beautiful cinematography, a great score, and the cars, oh the cars.

Simply the best racing movie I have ever seen.......2007-04-30

A great balance between story line and racing footage, and the extra material is compelling

The Best Racing Movie Ever. Period........2007-04-26

The greatest racing film ever IMHO is John Frankenheimer's classic "Grand Prix". Nothing else comes close, not even "Le Mans". This is a must own for any race fan. But the movie is so well filmed and scored, with an interesting enough plot, that a non-race fan should enjoy the movie.
That is the sign of a well-made film. 40 years later, it's still fresh and vibrant.

On the Waterfront (Special Edition) [Region 99]

Average customer rating:

Redemption and rage.
Life on the Docks
Pretty dated now, but still fine performances...
A Great Film...
When movies were an art form!

On the Waterfront (Special Edition) [Region 99]
Starring: Martin Balsam , Don Blackman , Rudy Bond , Marlon Brando , and Lee J. Cobb
Director: Elia Kazan
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Citizen Kane
Chinatown
Sunset Boulevard (Special Collector's Edition)
Casablanca

ASIN: B00003CXBU
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com essential video

Marlon Brando's famous "I coulda been a contenda" speech is such a warhorse by now that a lot of people probably feel they've seen this picture already, even if they haven't. And many of those who have seen it may have forgotten how flat-out thrilling it is. For all its great dramatic and cinematic qualities, and its fiery social criticism, Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront is also one of the most gripping melodramas of political corruption and individual heroism ever made in the United States, a five-star gut-grabber. Shot on location around the docks of Hoboken, New Jersey, in the mid-1950s, it tells the fact-based story of a longshoreman (Brando's Terry Malloy) who is blackballed and savagely beaten for informing against the mobsters who have taken over his union and sold it out to the bosses. (Karl Malden has a more conventional stalwart-hero role, as an idealistic priest who nurtures Terry's pangs of conscience.) Lee J. Cobb, who created the role of Willy Loman in Death of Salesman under Kazan's direction on Broadway, makes a formidable foe as a greedy union leader. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

Redemption and rage........2007-05-27

On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954)

"I coulda been a contender!" That's the line everyone knows from On the Waterfront. It's funny, because to me, Marlon Brando's truly great scene in this movie comes about five minutes later, amid the fallout of the contender conversation. He's desperately trying to keep from breaking down, barking orders to his girlfriend while getting ready to start a one-man war against the city's crime bosses. It's great stuff. And here I was, having seen the contender excerpt at least a thousand times, thinking it was a movie about a washed-up boxer. Well, it is, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Terry Malloy (Brando) is a longshoreman, an ex-boxer who's been taken under the wing of union leader Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). As the movie opens, Terry is seen having a brief conversation with his acquaintance Jimmy, who is soon pushed to his death from the roof of a tenement building. Terry, disturbed by this, goes back to the bar out of which the union operates, protesting that he just thought "they were gonna lean on him a little." This begins Terry's long and painful journey from a longshoreman who follows the "deaf and dumb" code of the union to a man proud enough to stand up for himself and his fellow workers against the corruption at the higher levels of the union.

Man, this must have been a tough film to get through McCarthy's goons...

Amusing political peccadilloes aside, On the Waterfront really is a great movie. Kazan was at the height of his directorial power, and Brando was never better as an actor. Karl Malden, as a meddling priest willing to stand up for the little guy, does a fantastic job as well, and most of the rest of the cast range from good to great. (There are a few minor characters who seem to be there just for amusement's sake, but they don't get enough face time to really do much damage to the quality of the overall film.) If you haven't seen it, well, it's not just a movie about a washed-up boxer, that I can tell you. ****

Life on the Docks.......2007-05-13

This was the first AFI movie we saw en masse as a family and we loved it! Many generations of eyeballs were glued to the black and white images on the screen, following Brando as he went from a lowly mob thug to someone who stood up for what was right. The acting is phenomenal, and the environment is very down-to-earth and gritty. You really do feel that these people struggle to survive on the docks, to do what is right in a world full of greed and backstabbing.

While famous for Marlon Brando's famous line of "I coulda been a contender!" there are actually many lines of dialogue in here that stand out. The cinematography, the scenery, the faces of the men and women as they go about their lives, it really draws you in to the tough life they led. This definitely deserves to be in the top 10 of all films and is a great film to watch with friends and discuss afterwards.

As an aside, we were all intrigued by the metal tokens that the dock workers held in their hands as they waited on the docks, and it was amazing that in a room of 10 people of all ages, we didn't have any "real" knowledge of what was going on. We could of course make some educated guesses! But here is what I found.

As far back as the 1800s, dock workers were given metal tokens saying they were "signed up properly" to be able to work on the dock. This was to keep riff-raff and untrustworthy thieves off the docks, as well as making some money for the local guild or union. The workers would sign up beforehand and be given these metal circles, that were stamped with the local sign and in essence said "this man is a valid worker to choose".

Then each day as the ships came in, a certain number of gangs would be needed to haul the boxes. This could be only 10 men on a quiet day, or 200 men on a busy day. So each morning, all of the men who wanted to work would show up on the docks. The bosses would call out or list on a board what the day's requirements were. Then they would look out over the group and choose whoever seemed best suited. Each man would have to show his metal token as he went in to work, to prove he was in fact currently paid up and eligible.

In On the Waterfront, certain men were also giving coded winks and nods. These would be those men closest with the mob - the ones who had friends and who should be chosen first.

Pretty dated now, but still fine performances..........2007-03-31

Brando and Steiger and Malden and Cobb and Eva Marie Saint. Directed by Elia Kazan, who was on the right-wing side of the blacklist. A tale of corrupt unions and mobsters when American goods were imported and exported by ships which made New York a regular port of call. The story just wouldn't work the same if set in Houston or New Orleans or Los Angeles. You can tell this is 50 years old, but there are still acting lessons by the cargo-hold-ful visible on the screen. Everyone who claims to like movies needs to see it at least once.

A Great Film..........2007-03-15

Everyone knows about "On the Waterfront" and many people who have never seen a frame of the film can quote some of its dialogue. It's on many people's top 10 list of the best movies of all time, it's in the top 10 of the American Film Institute's Top 100 (#8). It's a legendary film, featuring one of the best screen performances of all time by Marlon Brando. The film is directed by Elia Kazan (reunited with his "A Streetcar Named Desire" stars Brando and Karl Malden) and is, apparently, as much his story as it is a work of fiction. Brando plays Terry Malloy, an ex-prizefighter that works on the mob run waterfront. After playing a small role in the death of a local kid whom ratted on Terry's boss Johnny Friendly, Terry begins dating the dead boy's sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint). When another man dies for ratting, Terry's conscience kicks in and he begins to consider ratting himself. Problem is, Terry's brother Charley (Rod Steiger) is one of Johnny's right-hand men. When Charley is killed, Terry decides to step up and avenge his brother's death...But he may get himself killed in the process. This all leads to a brilliant climax, where else, on the waterfront. Ask anyone about "On the Waterfront" and they'll associate it with "I coulda been a contender." For years, I was under the impression this was a boxing movie because of that line. Since I don't like boxing movies, I just never bothered to watch this film. Seeing it now, I realize what I've missed out on for so long. This is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, no matter what the motives for making it were. Oddly enough, the 'contender' line isn't even in the best line in the movie (my nomination would be "Conscience. That stuff can drive you nuts."). While watching the film I began to wonder...Would this film have been as good without Brando? For a man who gave so many incredible performances over the years, it's hard to say which one is the best. But you really got to take a look at "On the Waterfront" and the way Brando recites many of the lines. Would the line "I coulda been a contender" have as much poignancy and be as familiar to Americans had it not been Brando who recited it? What if Frank Sinatra had been cast in the role, as he was originally planned to be? "On the Waterfront" has a great script and great direction, it would've made a damn fine movie without Brando but I highly doubt anyone besides the biggest cinephiles would remember it today. "On the Waterfront" is a rare "great" film, in the sense that it's more likely to be enjoyed by the masses than another great film like "Pandora's Box." This is a movie you can show to the average teenage kid and they'll enjoy it. "On the Waterfront" is, in two words, a masterpiece.

GRADE: A

When movies were an art form!.......2007-02-17

This movie captured the essence of Marlon Brando and the passion of Karl Malden. I doubt there are too many times any film student could watch this film and not come away with learning something artistically different each time. The photography is incredible and the characters are unforgetable. This is a movie about human struggle and how the human spirit can overcome anything!

Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???
f---ing toilet paper!
The best Superman movie I've ever seen!
Super Disappointing.
Superman Returns - badly

Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Brandon Routh , Kate Bosworth , Kevin Spacey , James Marsden , and Parker Posey
Director: Bryan Singer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Ice Age - The Meltdown (Widescreen Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000J10ERO
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Amazon.com

If Richard Donner's 1978 feature film Superman: The Movie made us believe a man could fly, Bryan Singer's 2006 follow-up, Superman Returns, lets us remember that a superhero movie can make our spirits soar. Superman (played by newcomer Brandon Routh) comes back to Earth after a futile five-year search for his destroyed home planet of Krypton. As alter ego Clark Kent, he's eager to return to his job at the Daily Planet and to see Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth). Lois, however, has moved on: she now has a fiancé (James Marsden), a son (Tristan Leabu), and a Pulitzer Prize for her article entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." On top of this emotional curveball, his old archrival Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is plotting the biggest land grab in history.

Singer, who made a strong impression among comic-book fans for his work on the X-Men franchise and directed Spacey in The Usual Suspects, brings both a fresh eye and a sense of respect to the world's oldest superhero. He borrows John Williams's great theme music and Marlon Brando's voice as Jor-El, and the story (penned by Singer's X-Men collaborators Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris) is a sort-of-sequel to the first two films in the franchise (choosing to ignore that the third and fourth movies ever happened). The humorous and romantic elements give the movie a heart, Singer's art-deco Metropolis is often breathtaking, and the special effects are elegant and spectacular, particularly an early airplane-disaster set-piece. Of the cast, Routh is excellent as the dual Superman/Clark, Spacey is both droll and vicious as Luthor, and Parker Posey gets the best lines as Luthor's moll Kitty. But at 23, Bosworth seems too young for the five-years-past-grizzled Lois. It's nice to see Noel Neill, Jack Larson (both from the classic Adventures of Superman TV series), and Eva Marie-Saint on the screen as well. Superman Returns is one of those projects that was in development for seemingly forever, but it was worth the wait -- it's the most enjoyable superhero movie since Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles. --David Horiuchi

On the DVD
The two-disc edition offers about three hours of documentaries and other features. "Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns" is an eight-part documentary about the movie, going back to Bryan Singer conceiving the movie back in 2004. There's a lot of on-set footage and analyses of special effects and stunts such as Brandon Routh's flying (helped by his swimming regimen), focusing more on the filming process than the design. For example, we see how the Metropolis scenes were shot but not how the often-striking sets were designed. Marlon Brando appears briefly in the bloopers section, and "Resurrecting Jor-El" spotlights the techniques used to create his footage. The eleven deleted scenes (about 15 minutes total) contain nothing earth-shaking, but it's nice to see more Eva Marie-Saint, one scene of Clark back in Smallville that could have altered the dynamic of his return to The Daily Planet, and a scene between Kevin Spacey and Parker Posey that is good for a laugh. --David Horiuchi

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See all Superman DVDs</td> </tr> </table>

Description

He's back. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years (much longer in movie-fan years!) Superman sought his home planet, things changed on his adopted planet. Nations moved on without him. Lois Lane now has a son, a fiance and a Pulitzer for "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." And Lex Luthor has a plan that will destroy millions - no, billions - of lives. Filmmaker Bryan Singer (X-Men) gives the world the Superman it needs, honoring the legend everyone loves while taking it in a powerful new direction. Brandon Routh proves a perfect choice to wear the hero's cape, leading a top cast that includes Kate Bosworth as Lois and Kevin Spacey as Lex. And the thrills - from a sky-grapple with a tumbling jumbo jet to a continent-convulsing showdown - redefine Wow. "I'm always around," Superman tells Lois. You'll be glad he is.

Customer Reviews:

Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???.......2007-06-21

The only problem I have with the plot is Superman's roundtrip flight to Krypton in 5 years. Jorel states that he's "been dead for many thousands of your years" and it doesn't make much sense that it only take 2.5 years to reach Earth. I always thought the spaceship had some sort of age suppression technology and it took the infant Kalel a long time to reach Earth.

It would have been much better if the movie started off with a spectacular action sequence in which Superman does something that causes the death of someone while trying to protect them. Then he decides to go into exile and returns 5 years later. Other than that, I thought the movie was great with outstanding visual effects and a stellar cast.

f---ing toilet paper!.......2007-06-21

this movie is right up there with the hulk movie ! i mean seriously tho, what a piece of s@-%! the storyline made absolutely no sense and was so boring. i thought superman 3 was my last disappointment after they came back with superman 4. superman 2 was and still is the best of the saga!

The best Superman movie I've ever seen!.......2007-06-19

Like everyone else at the local theater, I sat spellbound through the whole thing. I'd been reluctant to see it because despite how old they are, I'm a big fan of the original Chrstopher Reeve movies not to mention I'd heard they pared Lois off with somebody else and hated the very idea. Still, the rest of my family was going. So, reluctantly, I went, thinking that they probably had changed everything. Surprise! Wrong. First a link to the old movies, then..."Hey! Isn't that music kind of familiar?" I was grinning before the first actor came on screen. And I'd seen Kevin Spacey on other movies; he never suggested to me the Lex Luthor type. Guess what? He did even better than Gene Hackman (if THAT is possible)! Luthor has a feel of realism that makes you see how dangerous he really is. Kate Bosworth, probably not the Mommy type, plays the transformed Lois Lane with understated skill. And last but oh so definitely not least, when I got my first good look at Superman, I was stunned enough to wonder whether Christopher Reeve had a son, younger brother, or even a cousin who was in acting! Then I wondered if maybe they made Brandon Routh up to look like Reeve so we'd like it, but not so. The mood of the movie at first is 'this is life as usual' with Clark Kent as the nearly invisible intruder and Superman the wild card come to shake things up. This movie was so good that not even the horrible new suit that looks like plastic/rubber or their feeble attemp to compare Superman to Jesus Christ as Savior can tarnish it's shine!

Super Disappointing........2007-06-19

What else can you say about a franchise "restart" that feels, plays, and ends like a drawn out coda instead of a jubilant new beginning. Helmer Brian Singer is handed the keys to the character that can do anything, along with 60+ years of stories to draw from, but what does he do with it? An Oxygen network movie of the week, with almost perfunctory nods to what the character is really about. Singer attempts to pull drama and tension from the romance of the 80's movies, but since the actual parting between the leads is never adequately explained, there is no real tension in it, nor any real drama to be had in its resolution, only the ill-defined squirming sensation that relationship sitcoms get in season 2.

This genre and this character each have clichés of their own. Those clichés are fundamental to making the character who he needs to be, and the stories true to that character. The question has to be: Why do a Superman movie if you don't really want to tell a Superman story? I am at a total loss for some the new direction taken by this movie. A new character is introduced that has nothing to do with the established mythos, a character that will gobble plot space in any subsequent in-continuity stories. Without giving anything away, imagine if you went into a Bond movie, and they had replaced "M" with a pair of CGI wisecracking dogs voiced by Robin Williams and Larry the cable guy. It might be funny, and it might make a few bucks, but it wouldn't be a Bond movie anymore. That's what we have here: a story line that drifts cheaply and unnecessarily so far away from the source that it's no longer Superman.

Routh and Spacey do serviceable jobs, respecting and building on the previous actors' styles while adding the touches needed for the new project, but Kate Bosworth is a total disaster. Staggering from scene to scene with a freshly tasered junior high vibe that conveys nothing of what her character is supposed to be. Lane, the reporter, is 30-ish, sharp, refined, sexy, accomplished, and world weary but still energetic and positive. Bosworth comes across as 19, slow, dull, suburban, mousey, coddled, and resigned. (Better casting would have been to put the underutilized Parker Posey in this role, but she's wasted providing paint-by-numbers comic relief.)

Even the iconic outfit, a 100% no-brainer, is just wrong. The color scheme was so bad that I had originally thought it was deliberate disinformation to throw off merchandise counterfeiters. No such luck. Baby blue and dark brick red: The man of steel rendered as your grandma's basement laundry room.

Off the reservation on the major plot points, tone deaf on the female lead, wrong on some obvious details, and silent on the continuity problems. Just two or three action pieces, and a final climax that never climbs above "OK, I pushed hard once, but now I'm REALLY pushing hard".

Worth a watch just to say you've seen it, but it's a let-down to anyone expecting a Superman movie to tell a Superman story.

Superman Returns - badly.......2007-06-16

I found it impossible to ignore the ongoing script problems which veered waaaaay off center from the Man Of Steel mythos we have from the comics and the previous movies. I cannot fault the writers for ignoring Superman 3, 4 and 5. . . .

There is simply too much disbelief to suspend here.

In this film, Lois Lane is practically invulnerable, surviving being flung about in a falling plane without a scratch and being whammed over the head by a heavy metal door later in the film to minimal effect. She also must be infected with a Merlin virus, which is the only thing that can explain her being significantly younger than any of the character's previous appearances. We can always justify an unaged Clark/Superman by saying Kryptonians age differently than humans - I am giving the writers a break here. Lois also must have been having an affair around the time she and "Clark" slept together in Superman II - having had her memory of such erased by a Super Kiss at the end of that film yet ending up pregnant. There's no other time line to explain the child we meet in this film. Let's not even go into her level of unawareness about her son. . .

Kevin Spacey rises above the mediocrity of the script, as does Brandon Routh. He does a fine job recreating the characterization originated by Christopher Reeve, though it is a bit of a shame he did not get a chance to bring anything significantly new to the role. Not his fault as it's obvious his hands were tied by the director, writers, or both.

If not for the effects work in this film, I would have given it one star - or perhaps none.

Knowing the pantheon of DC and Marvel characters from my comic collecting days through the media success of so many Superheroes, I wish I could say this is going to be added to my extensive film collection, but I can't. I think I will go find my copy of Larry Niven's short story "Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex." A Much more satisfying "what if" about a Superman love life.

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

Average customer rating:

one of the best
FUNNY
Great cast
Cold War Fun
The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming
Starring: Carl Reiner , Eva Marie Saint , Alan Arkin , Brian Keith , and Jonathan Winters
Director: Norman Jewison
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Great Race (Sub)
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
The In-Laws
The Mouse That Roared [Region 99]

ASIN: B00006FDAX
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Amazon.com essential video

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming looks overly cute now, but really, it was pretty hip for 1966. The cold war was in full deep-freeze when this well-meaning comedy tried to thaw things out a little: a Soviet submarine beaches on the New England coast, sending the locals into a paranoid frenzy. The chief pleasure of the film is Alan Arkin as the sub captain; this was Arkin's first major film role, and he had already mastered his exasperated, slow-burning frown (to say nothing of mastering his Russian dialogue). Arkin snagged an Oscar® nomination, with the movie receiving nominations for best picture, adapted screenplay, and editing--nods that reflect the film's smashing success at the box office. Somewhat dated now, the movie still has its place in the roster of raucous, American small-town comedies; seen in childhood, it will linger nicely as a depiction of foolish grown-ups. --Robert Horton

Description

When a sightseeing Soviet commander runs his submarine aground off the New England coast, the crew's attempts to find a boat to dislodge them almost start WWIII! Alan Arkin leads an all-star castincluding Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Keith and Jonathan Wintersin this riotous, uproarious [and] side-splitting (Cue) comedy! Russian Lt. Rozanov (Arkin) and his crew hit the beaches of Massachusetts unaware of the panic they're about to start. Despite the Russians harmless intentions, the folks in town think a full-scale Soviet invasion has been launched! What's worse, theirpolice chief (Keith) has left his hysterical assistant (Winters) in charge and the one man who knows the truth (Reiner) is only stirring up more chaos!

Customer Reviews:

one of the best.......2007-05-19

For those that experienced the cold war this is an exceptional movie. For those who only read about it the movie is merely great. It's nearly impossible to fault anything in here. It has a terrific collection of actors, the story is compelling, the whole family can watch and enjoy it. It's message is right on target and eternal. Winter's comment (not sure I can quote it) is so appropriate: "Why can't we all just get along?" There are just a few movies that I can watch over and over again and still enjoy; this is one of them.

FUNNY.......2007-05-08

I thought this was a great movie without the main characters taking off all their clothes and the stupid sex scenes or rap and hip-hop music we seem to have to make something a hit. Yeah, it's a dated movie but great entertainment.

Great cast .......2007-03-30

A very funny movie that is still funny years later.

Cold War Fun.......2007-03-28

I hadn't seen this movie since I was a kid and when my Dad recommended getting this I was glad you did because it is so funny. The humour is still fresh despite the cold war being over. A movie like this could never work today but its still good clean fun.

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.......2007-03-08

A very entertaining film made during the cold war. There are numerous humorous scenes that typifies a New Englander, from the town drunk who envisioned himself as reinacting Paul Revere's famous ride to the old Veteran who thought he should organize a militia to protect the city from what was viewed as an impending attack by Russians who only wanted to find a way to get themselves back to sea. I think it is well done. Alan Arkin does a great job portraying a Russian officer who is frustrated with his Captain.

Average customer rating:

Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???
f---ing toilet paper!
The best Superman movie I've ever seen!
Super Disappointing.
Superman Returns - badly

Superman Returns (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Brandon Routh , Kate Bosworth , Kevin Spacey , James Marsden , and Parker Posey
Director: Bryan Singer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Ice Age - The Meltdown (Widescreen Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000J10EQU
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???.......2007-06-21

f---ing toilet paper!.......2007-06-21

The best Superman movie I've ever seen!.......2007-06-19

Super Disappointing........2007-06-19

Superman Returns - badly.......2007-06-16

Average customer rating:

Excellent Film For The Whole Family
Because of Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie a Winner
Graeat film for children
my 7-yr old loves this movie!

Because of Winn-Dixie
Starring: AnnaSophia Robb , Jeff Daniels , Cicely Tyson , Dave Matthews , and Eva Marie Saint
Director: Wayne Wang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Animals | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Because of Winn-Dixie
Dreamer - Inspired By a True Story (Widescreen Edition)
Madagascar (Widescreen Edition)
The Polar Express (Full Screen Edition)
Ice Princess (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0009NZ2KG
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Amazon.com

Some people think "family entertainment" is an oxymoron, but even they might enjoy Because of Winn-Dixie. This straightforward story of a girl and her dog is simple without being simplistic, heartfelt without being sappy, and thoughtful without being ponderous. Opal (Annasophia Robb, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, who manages the near-impossible feat of being cute without being cutesy) can't make any friends in the small town of Naomi until she hooks up with a dog that's running loose in a supermarket. She spontaneously names him after the store and soon the dog is leading her into unexpected places--a pet store, where she meets an awkward musician (Dave Matthews); a library, where she meets a librarian with as many stories as books (Eva Marie Saint); and into a house shrouded with underbrush, where she meets a blind old woman who sees with her heart (Cicely Tyson). This could have been sentimental glop, but director Wayne Wang (Smoke, The Joy Luck Club) and a restrained script draw honest emotions from the actors and an eerie beauty from the Florida landscape; this one of the few family movies that captures the childhood sense that everyday life can be mystical. Also starring Jeff Daniels (The Purple Rose of Cairo, Something Wild) as Opal's minister father. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Based on the best-selling book, BECAUSE OF WINN-Dixie is the heartwarming "tail" of a young girl (Annasophia Robb) whose life is changed by a scruffy, fun-loving pooch she names Winn-Dixie. The special bond between them works magic on her reserved dad (Jeff Daniels) and the eccentric townspeople they meet during one unforgettable summer.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Film For The Whole Family.......2007-05-21

My wife and I watched this movie. It is nice to see a family movie, that tells a great story with great acting that children can understand and enjoy and adults would be hooked along with their kids. Dogs help accomplish this, and the dog here is wonderful.

The story focuses on the character played by AnnaSophia Robb, a daughter of a preacher (Jeff Daniels). If, like me, you are a Christian who is used to negative portrayals of Christians, don't worry. Yes, Daniel's character is human, but no less so than any other character. In this case, the portrayal is neutral, with him not being a hypocrite but more being disconnected, partially due to the pain in his life.

There are lessons for community in this film. The only thing I'd do differently . . . mild spoiler, here . . . was show transformation in the police officer. But that is a minor complaint.

Jeff

Because of Winn-Dixie.......2007-05-14

Very cute movie! I purchased it for my 7 year old grand daughter, but I watched it with her. This is a movie that the entire family can watch and enjoy. I liked it so much that I could watch it again....that's saying something for me. Winn-Dixie brought father and daughter closer together and it helped them both to be able to talk about her mother that was no longer a part of her life.

Winn-Dixie a Winner.......2007-05-12

Beacause of Winn Dixie is a great movie for kids of all ages. Highly Recommended!

Graeat film for children.......2007-03-27

My daughter can't get enough of "Winn Dixie". There is no inapproriate adult humor. The story is sweet and inspiring, a must have for animal lovers and pet owners with children!

my 7-yr old loves this movie!.......2007-03-17

We rented this movie from netflix a while back and ever since my daughter has been asking us to rent it again or to buy it. We finally bought it for her and as soon as it got here, she watched it.

It's the story of a girl who is new in town, her dad is a pastor which makes it hard for her to make friends. She meets Winn-Dixie, a dog, and begs her dad to let her keep him. The rest of the story shows how Winn-Dixie is definitely more than your average dog.

Average customer rating:

exodus was a gift purchase
exodus
A decent film.
A 210-Minute Run-Time Does Not Alone A Great Film Make
Birth of Israel

Exodus
Starring: Paul Newman , Eva Marie Saint , Ralph Richardson , Peter Lawford , and Lee J. Cobb
Director: Otto Preminger
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Cast a Giant Shadow
The Chosen
Judgment at Nuremberg
Exodus
QB VII [Region 99]

ASIN: B00006FDAU
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Amazon.com essential video

Otto Preminger's 1960 adaptation of Leon Uris's novel is a sprawling 220-minute tale of the founding of modern Israel, starring Paul Newman as a Resistance leader. The film works best as an example of Preminger's estimable skill with all levels of drama and action, but as a reflection upon history it is compromised by stereotypes, unpersuasive relationships, and a certain moral ambivalence about issues related to the subject. There are good and exciting sequences, however, particularly one involving an effort to break through a British blockade and get to the homeland. --Tom Keogh

Description

Inspired by Leon Uris' international bestseller, this "extraordinarily moving" (The New Republic) chronicle of the rebirth of a people and the establishment of a nation is the ultimate experience in human drama. Nominated* for three Academy Awards® and winner* for Best Score, Exodus is an "exciting, dramatic, scenic, panoramic and deeply moving" (New York Daily News) masterpiece. Ari Ben Canaan (Paul Newman), a commander of the Israeli underground, manages to lead 600 Jews from the detention camps of Cyprus onto a large freighter bound for Palestine. But British forces soon learn of his plan and insist that he turn back. Undaunted, Ari and his passengers refuse to give up, risking their lives for the greater cause of Israeli independence.

Customer Reviews:

exodus was a gift purchase.......2007-05-29

you send me a email wanting to review this movie, didn't watch it, got it for a gift. sorry

exodus.......2007-04-19

I have always enjoyed this movie ever since I saw it in the city of Melbourne, at the Esquire theatre about thirty eight years ago.There is only one fault I can find and that is the print,so I ask that it might be remastered its original 70mm negative and 5.1 digital sound and of course 16.9 enhanced screen.The current print is in 4.3 and letterbox and it does not suit my new widescreen t.v So how about it M.G.M
Ken Barrett Melbourne Australia

A decent film........2007-03-23

Overall this is a decent film. Compared to the book, the film is definitely intended to evoke more sympathy for the Jewish plight in Europe after WWII, considering it focuses almost entirely on the DP camps in Cyprus, whereas the book devotes equal attention to the DP camps and the actual political and military maneuvering involved in building the state of Israel. One note definitely in favor of the film is that it's depection of the Exodus incident follows the historical facts a little bit more accurately. All in all, still a pretty good film, glad I bought it.

A 210-Minute Run-Time Does Not Alone A Great Film Make.......2007-03-22

Not in the same class as the David Leans films of the era, Exodus still tells a weighty tale. Set in the Mediterranean and Mid-East right after World War Two, this story of Jewish refugees and the struggle to establish Israel seems in the twenty-first century both fascinatingly historic and also sorrowfully naive. I kept wondering what the central characters from the 1940's would have thought had they been able to see the future and glimpse what their idealistic experiment in colonization would set in motion over the next sixty years. Paul Newman has great presence in this movie, and is particularly pleasing when he privately mocks the bigoted British officer who claims he can "always spot the face of a Jew." However it is Saul Mineo, playing a displaced Jewish teen, whose on-screen anger at the world steals the show from its stars. Exodus moves slowly but still manages to exclude an excess of depth from its plot. I also knew almost from the start that the innocent blonde Danish girl was surely marked for sacrifice, and this almost seemed tedious. As I watched Exodus I often contemplated what the film might have been in the hands of David Lean, or even a young Stanley Kubric, because there was something choppy about the final product, especially in the ways scenes were so obviously spliced together in an attempt to give the illusion that a conversation was going on when in actuality actors were speaking lines not to one another but to an empty set. It was little things like that more than even its unnecessarily long run-time that brought Exodus from classic to near-classic. Even its soundtrack lacked the force of a masterpiece.

Birth of Israel.......2007-03-08

A very well made movie depicting the early days of Israel. Leon Uris did a great job putting it in print. Robert Newman did the main character justice

Average customer rating:

Unfortunate transfer or print problems spoil parts of this film!
WW2 Psychological Thriller!
Ingenious pre-invasion Nazi scheme
Deserving of DVD Release
An Interesting But Not Great James Garner Vehicle

36 Hours
Starring: James Garner , Eva Marie Saint , Rod Taylor , Werner Peters , and John Banner
Director: George Seaton
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Command Decision
Hell and High Water
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
The Hill
Man in the Middle

ASIN: B000NTPG5C
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Customer Reviews:

Unfortunate transfer or print problems spoil parts of this film!.......2007-05-31

Please note: The two stars above do not indicate my verdict on the film itself, but rather the odd transfer to DVD provided by the folks at Warner Home Video. For most of the running time this DVD looks just fine, with a good grey scale, fine contrast and a sharp image. Thankfully, white speckles are also quite absent, which is certainly not always the case when it comes to transfers of classic product from Warner.
But in almost all of the darker scenes throughout the film, the focus goes way off, especially damaging in the right half of the screen. And when it comes to the final escape sequence with Garner and Saint, this irritating double contour softness continues for half a reel or so, effectively ruining much of the suspense.
If this problem is a defect that exists on all surviving materials in the film vaults, then Warner should have had the decency to warn potential consumers with at least a sticker on the cover. But my guess is that this blurry jinx could have been corrected with some proper quality attention before the discs were made and distributed. If Warner have the guts and will, they ought to recall this DVD pronto before its domestic street date on June 5, and make a hopefully new transfer available as soon as possible.

WW2 Psychological Thriller!.......2007-03-03

This movies stars James Garner as a WW2 military officer with a knowlwdge of top secret plans. The story unfolds as he awakes in a hospital and is being treated for physical injuries and amnesia. Or is he..??? Just what type of hospital is he in and who is in charge.......the Allies or the Germans...???? Tensions rise as Garner slowly suspects the truth and plays a game of wits with the enemy. Good acting all around. Not an Academy Award winner but not a bomb either. A good addition to a WW2 film library.

Ingenious pre-invasion Nazi scheme.......2006-10-21

James Garner stars as Major Jeff Pike, a U.S. Army intelligence officer in possession of critical information concerning the Allied invasion of Europe. In a well conceived plot, courtesy of a story from the imagination of Roald Dahl, Garner is abducted from a meeting in neutral Lisbon.

Garner is transported, heavily sedated, to Germany to partake in an elaborate hoax propagated by loyal and intellectual Nazi psychiatrist, Major Gerber played by Rod Taylor. To glean sensitive details of the attack, Garner is made to believe that six years have elapsed, the war is over and that he's been suffering from amnesia. In a bogus U.S. hospital setting in alleged occupied Germany, Taylor is given 36 hours to extract the information before diabolical SS Colonel Schack played by Werner Peters will us