Gina Gershon

Pretty in Pink (Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Maybe they could've stuck with the original ending?
flashback
Overrated and mostly empty teen drama (2.5)
Pretty in Pink
The Weakest Of The John Hughes Teen Comedies, But Still Very Good.

Pretty in Pink (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Molly Ringwald , Harry Dean Stanton , Jon Cryer , Annie Potts , and James Spader
Director: Howard Deutch
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Sixteen Candles (High School Reunion Collection)
The Breakfast Club (High School Reunion Collection)
Some Kind of Wonderful (Special Collector's Edition)
Brat Pack Collection (The Breakfast Club/ Sixteen Candles/ Weird Science)
St. Elmo's Fire [Region 99]

ASIN: B000FZETIO
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Amazon.com

The era of Molly Ringwald's profitable collaboration with writer-producer-director John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club) was at its peak with this 1986 film (directed by Howard Deutch but in every sense part of the developing Hughes empire). Ringwald plays a high school girl on the budget side of the tracks, living with her warm and loving father (Harry Dean Stanton) and usually accompanied by her insecure best friend (Jon Cryer). When a wealthy but well-meaning boy (Andrew McCarthy) asks her out, her perspective is overturned and Cryer's character is threatened. As was the case in the mid-'80s, Hughes (who wrote the script and produced the film) brought his special feel for the cross-currents of adolescent life to this story. In its very commercial way, it is an honest, entertaining piece about growing pains. The attractive supporting cast (many of whom are much better known now) does a terrific job, and Ringwald and Cryer have excellent chemistry. --Tom Keogh

Description

Young Andie (Molly Ringwald) is one of the not-so-popular girls in high school. She usually hangs out with her friends Iona (Annie Potts) or Duckie (Jon Cryer). Duckie has always had a crush on her, but now she has met a new guy from school, Blane (Andrew McCarthy). He's one of the rich and popular guys but can the two worlds meet?

Customer Reviews:

Maybe they could've stuck with the original ending?.......2007-05-06

I don't know, maybe I'm in the minority here, but after seeing this film--after having not seeing it in like FOREVER, I'm still at the conclusion that the Molly Ringwald character--'Andie' should've wound up with the Jon Cryer 'Duckie' character--and not that the two of them would've turned all madly in love with each other--because it was clear throughout the film that the Andie character just didn't have those kind of feelings for her friend 'Duckie'.

I just think it would've been cool if the Andie character could've showed some kind of solidarity and YES loyalty to Duckie--the ONE (if not) ONLY friend that she had at her school and stayed with HIM at the prom--I mean, let's face it, she was Blane's for the taking and then suddenly he didn't want her anymore, but then to sorta wrap things up, he develops some kind of conscience or thick skin or whatever and decides he wants her back and like clockwork, the Andie character is all eager to take him back? I mean, what about Duckie? What about his feelings? Don't worry Duckie, I'm with you all the way--the Andie character missed out on the only good thing she had! (Jon Cryer, where ever you are, YOU ROCK!!!)

Also, there's great acting from James Spader being his Spader best!

flashback.......2007-04-11

originally this movie was actually not in my wish list but i decided to order it because with $5.00 i would get free shipping & handling, so why not?
i actually started watching this movie on a bored night with my mom and i had forgotten how funny it was. i always thought sixteen candles was better than pretty in pink, but after watching it countless times i really appreciated the humor, duckie, and the horribly pink dress that molly ringwald wears to her prom.

Overrated and mostly empty teen drama (2.5).......2007-03-20

Pretty in Pink, an 80's teen dramedy may have a FEW worthy moments but it's mostly full of hot air. While I'm a HUGE fan of 80's teen movies (and 80's movies in general) this one definitely did next to nothing for me.
The premise is simple: Molly Ringwald plays Andie, a high school senior who'll be graduating in a month. What sets her apart is the fact that she's poor and comes from a family of a lazy father and a mother who left them. Though she is poor, her home is typical middle class and her stylish clothing make her look a lot richer than she actually is, perhaps to hide the fact that she IS poor. Whatever. Her best friend Duckie is in love with her but doesn't want to ruin their friendship. Andie falls for a cute, but rich, guy at school (played by Andrew McCarthy). This new rich boy is envied and disliked by Duckie and is too much of a coward to stand up to his hoyty toyty rich best friend who doesn't wants to date Andie but is too much of a rich snob to snag her. He's mad so he tells his best friend to avoid her.

Anyways, the typical senior prom happens at the end where Duckie realizes he only wants for Andie's happiness and she ends up chasing her crush out and kissing him and the movie ends.

What's most annoying about this movie is the lameness of the characters. They just aren't very interesting. And when you think things are getting good, they do for a few minutes before the film drags along once again. This movie would've definitely been great if not for the complete lack of chemistry everyone involved had. Sure, there are tears and confusion, but you don't really care because these characters simply ACT OUT the script, you don't get the feeling at all that they're real people with real backgrounds. 99% of the time the ONLY interest they show in their lives is in their given situation. The ONLY time any character shows any type of human character is when Andie remakes her prom outfit because she's really into sewing and fashionable clothing. This doesn't add anything to the story except come in where it's handy. And even then it isn't handy cause the only reason she resewed her prom dress was cause her dad went out and bought one and said "i know you may not like it, but i know you can do something with it." she might as well have just gotten one herself she liked and that would've been the end of it.

bottom line: a cookie cutter teen drama/comedy that starts nowhere, adds filler, and ends nowhere you care about.

Pretty in Pink.......2007-03-11

First off I would like to say that I am a big John Hughes fan.I enjoy all of his movies because they are not only funny, they bring out tough subjects with humor it seems. Pretty in Pink is about Andie, a normal girl that isn't popular or rich whatsoever. Her best friend, "Ducky" has been her friend since like elementary school and has had the biggest crush on her forever and is her rock. She finds out that Blane, a cutie and rich guy at school likes her for all the right reasons. They click and like each other, but there's just one problem- everyone disapproves. Every guy like Blane is the kind of guy who likes to get laid and do drugs but Blane is not that. Andie loses herself in confusion and Ducky leaves her to fend for herself. All three of them learn the tough part about love and in the end it is basically a happily ever after. I would recommend this movie to people like Andie who need help in situations like hers. I learned alot in this movie for some weird reason. As for the star cast, Molly Ringwald really is "Pretty in Pink".

The Weakest Of The John Hughes Teen Comedies, But Still Very Good........2007-03-05

Though not as good as "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club", "Weird Scienece" or "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Pretty In Pink", like all the John Hughes produced 1980s' teen classics, is a highly enjoyable teen romp.

Molly Ringwald, Hughes' muse for these movies, plays Andie Walsh, a smart hiugh schooler who lives with her deadbeat dad (the always wonderful Harry Dean Stanton) and is generally in the company of her friends, namely the carefree Duckie (Jon Cryer in a classic performance). Pining for Andy's affection is Blane McDonnagh, a rich and very popular student who wants to take Andie to the prom. This does not sit well with Duckie, who's harboured a secret crush on Andie since he's known her. Backstabbing, lies, and heartache ensues, but it leads up to a great conclusion.

"Pretty In Pink" is not as good as its predecessor, but it's still a very solid and entertaining teen comedy.

Average customer rating:

Bound
The heat from this movie is sizzling!!!!
Bound ( A movie you bound to have ).
Mob Movie with a Twist
Female Mob Movie

Bound
Starring: Jennifer Tilly , Gina Gershon , Joe Pantoliano , John P. Ryan , and Christopher Meloni
Director: Larry Wachowski , and Andy Wachowski
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Better Than Chocolate
If These Walls Could Talk 2
Gia (Unrated Edition)
Desert Hearts (Two-Disc Vintage Collection)
The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love

ASIN: B00005NTN5
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Amazon.com essential video

Destined for cult status, this provocative thriller offers a grab bag of genres (gangster movie, comedy, sexy romance, crime caper) and tops it all off with steamy passion between lesbian ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) and a not-so-ditzy gun moll named Violet (Jennifer Tilly), who meets Corky and immediately tires of her mobster boyfriend (Joe Pantoliano). Desperate to break away from the Mob's influence and live happily ever after, the daring dames hatch a plot to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Their scheme runs into a series of escalating complications, until their very survival depends on split-second timing and criminal ingenuity. Simultaneously violent, funny, and suspenseful, Bound is sure to test your tolerance for bloodshed, but the film is crafted with such undeniable skill that several critics (including Roger Ebert) placed it on their top-ten lists for 1996. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Bound.......2007-05-25

A great suspense movie with a lesbian main characters. This is not often seen in the many of the lesbian films. The roles are well portrayed by the actors and a great lesbian sex scene.

The heat from this movie is sizzling!!!!.......2007-03-24

Before the Wachowski Brothers did The Matrix, there was the erotic thriller, Bound, starring Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, John P. Ryan, and Christopher Meloni. This was a low budget movie (four-and-a-half million dollars) that was to be the calling card for Andy and Larry Wachowski so that they could eventually do The Matrix series. They both wrote and directed Bound, demonstrating their unbelievable talent in making a film that would quickly become a cult classic in just a few short years. The script was sharp and fresh with more twists in it than a pretzel. They were able to get the two sexiest women in Hollywood at the time (Tilly and Gershon) to play the leads with Joe Pantoliano agreeing to take a cut in salary for his role as Caesar. They got a great Production Designer, Editor and Director of Photography to make Bound's appearance to be more film noir in essence with its dark tones and shadows and sparse cutting. The rest as they say is history.

Bound deals with Corky (played by Gershon), who just got out of prison after having served five years for what she calls a distribution of funds, or stealing. She was betrayed by her female partner and therefore has a severe lack of trust in those around her. She takes a job as a maintenance repair guy in a Chicago condo building and soon meets the vibrant and sexy Violet (played to the hilt by Tilly), who's the girlfriend of Caesar, a money launderer for the Mob. The couple live in the condo right next to the one that Corky is doing repairs in. The attraction between Corky and Violet is immediate, and it isn't long before Violet sexually seduces her. Corky knows trouble when she sees it, but that doesn't stop her from giving in to Violet's manipulations. It isn't long, however, before Violet makes the suggestion to her new lover that they steal two million dollars of the Mob's money, allowing Caesar to take the fall for its lost. What a deal--two million dollars, plus Violet. How could any man, or woman, say no to that. Of course, nothing goes according to the plan as all hell breaks lose with Caesar doing just the opposite of what the two ladies had hoped for. Then, there's the question of whether or not Corky will once again find herself being betrayed by the woman she cares about. Any and everything can happen before the ending is reached as betrayal, torture and murder become the norm for this outstanding film.

This movie is everything a viewer could hope for. It's scary, funny and sexy to the ninth degree. Tilly and Gershon heat up the screen with their lovemaking and dubious intentions. They capture theirs roles with perfect aplomb, delighting in the subtle nuances that each brings to their particular character and playing off of it. Joe Pantoliano does a great job as the man who's caught in the middle of these two black widows, refusing to go down without a fight. One big surprise is how great John Ryan is as Mickey, a boss for the Mob. The guy is downright scary in his performance. He never raises his voice or over reacts--just a steady force to be reckoned with. Christopher Meloni as crazy Johnnie Marzzone brings in the laughs with his wicked sense of humor in the most dour of situations like when an accountant for the Mob is being tortured about the money he's stolen. When a finger is cut off and falls to the bathroom floor, Johnnie says, "Oops. You dropped something." Bound is a slick, classy film with top performances by its actors that totally deserves all of the recognition it's received over the years. It's a movie that you can certainly watch over and over. I will say that there isn't much in the way of extras on the DVD, but the film commentary is great. Jennifer Tilly shows up during the last third of the commentary and basically steals the show away from the Wachowski Brothers and Joe Pantoliano. She won't let anyone get in a word edgewise and acknowledges that she sometimes talks too much. Gershon shows up a few minutes later, and they both have fun razing Joe about his semi-nude scenes in the movie and his overall acting. Needless to say, the commentary is loads of fun. Bound is the type of movie that gives me hope for Hollywood. This is what filmmaking is all about, and it goes to show that fantastic movies can be made on a shoestring budget. You don't need two-hundred million dollars to make a classic.

Bound ( A movie you bound to have )........2007-03-17

If Drama, suspence, a little humour and an impressive story line is your thing, then you are BOUND to like this movie. Two ladies ( sort of ) swindles the mob over two million dollars...drama unfolds from the begining throughout the movie keeping you at the edge of your seat.
P.S warning there is a little lesbian scene that deterred my mom from watching the whole movie ( however this was early in the film ).

Mob Movie with a Twist.......2007-02-12

This is an incredibly unusual twist on a story of mob betrayal and robbery. Two women meet on an elevator and begin a love afair. One of them is living with a mobster. They conspire to steal $2 million of the mafia's money and all hell breaks loose.

The plot is tightly weaved , the acting is good and the movie has enough surprises that it never becomes boring. All in all a highly entertaining film with some strong sexuality and violence mixed in.

Female Mob Movie.......2007-01-14

Bound was the first movie made by the Wachowski brothers, of Matrix fame. Bound stars Gina Gershon as Corky, a lesbian ex con hired to work in an apartment as a plumber. She meets neighbor Caesar, who launders money for the mob, and his girlfriend Violet. The two women have a love affair and decide to steal $2,000,000 that Caesar is holding for the mob. Caesar is set up by the two scheming women as a scapegoat and then things get very violent. The movie could be less violent, but overall it was great to see two female leads in a mafia movie.

Average customer rating:

A Story of Two Honorable Men in a World Gone Awry
Awesome!
Troubling times when a man takes on the machine
Truth to power
The Future Revealed

The Insider
Starring: Michael Paul Chan , Lindsay Crouse , Russell Crowe , Colm Feore , and Michael Gambon
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

L.A. Confidential
Proof of Life
Heat
Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)
Munich (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00003CWRX
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Amazon.com essential video

As revisionist history, Michael Mann's intelligent docudrama The Insider is a simmering brew of altered facts and dramatic license. In a broader perspective, however, the film (cowritten with Forrest Gump Oscar-winner Eric Roth) is effectively accurate as an engrossing study of ethics in the corruptible industries of tobacco and broadcast journalism. On one side, there is Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), the former tobacco scientist who violated contractual agreements to expose Brown & Williamson's inclusion of addictive ingredients in cigarettes, casting himself into a vortex of moral dilemma. On the other side is 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), whose struggle to report Wigand's story puts him at odds with veteran correspondent Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) and senior executives at CBS News.

As the urgency of the story increases, so does the film's palpable sense of paranoia, inviting favorable comparison to All the President's Men. While Pacino downplays the theatrical excess that plagued him in previous roles, Crow is superb as a man who retains his tortured integrity at great personal cost. The Insider is two movies--a cover-up thriller and a drama about journalistic ethics--that combine to embrace the noble values personified by Wigand and Bergman. Even if the details aren't always precise (as Mike Wallace and others protested prior to the film's release), the film adheres to a higher truth that was so blatantly violated by tobacco executives seen in an oft-repeated video clip, lying under oath in the service of greed. --Jeff Shannon

Description

THE INSIDER recounts the chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against the tobacco industry and dragged two people into the fight of their lives. Academy Award(R)-winner Al Pacino (1990 Best Actor, SCENT OF A WOMAN; THE RECRUIT) gives a powerful performance as veteran 60 MINUTES producer Lowell Bergman and Academy Award(R) Winner Russell Crowe (2000 Best Actor, GLADIATOR; A BEAUTIFUL MIND) co-stars as the ultimate insider, former tobacco executive Dr. Jeffrey Wigand. When Wigand is fired by his employer -- one of the largest tobacco companies in America -- he agrees to become a paid consultant for a story Bergman is working on regarding alleged unethical practices within the tobacco industry. But what begins as a temporary alliance leads to a lengthy battle for both men to save their reputations, and much, much more. As they soon find out, Corporate America will use all legal means at its disposal to save a billion-dollar-a-year habit. And as the corporate giants soon find out, Bergman and Wigand are honorable men, driven to smoke out the evidence. Also starring Christopher Plummer (MALCOLM X) as anchor Mike Wallace and Gina Gershon (FACE/OFF), THE INSIDER will chill you with its cold, hard edge -- and thrill you with its unbelievable twists and turns.

Customer Reviews:

A Story of Two Honorable Men in a World Gone Awry.......2007-03-15

THE INSIDER is so many things at once that it becomes hard to catalog them. It is, at the same time, a movie about two men who fight against the system and large corporations, a semi-historical account of the real life whistle blower who brought down the tobacco industry with the help of an intrepid news reporter and news agency, an examination of ordinary characters made into heroes by extraordinary pressures, and an exploration of journalistic ethics. At a little over two and one half hours, director Michael Mann manages to squeeze everything into a tightly woven film that delivers everything it promises.

The film opens up on a disconcerting image of cloth, only to realize that it is a head covering over the face of a man being escorted by armed soldiers through the dangerous streets of Lebanon. Who is the masked man? Where are they taking him? Finally, they reach their destination and the masked man is seated in a chair before Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Fadlallah. The meeting is about a possible interview between the Sheikh and 60 Minutes anchor, Mike Wallace. Despite his dangerous circumstances, the masked man is surprisingly bold in the negotiations and manages to secure the interview. The masked man is soon revealed to be none other than 60 Minutes produces, Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino).

Meanwhile, a tired executive makes his way home in an unexplained daze. We later find out that he is Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), a former head of research and development at tobacco giant Brown & Williamson, who has been recently fired for nonsense reasons. Wigand has an expensive life, two daughters (one with asthma), and the prospect of losing his job is tremendously hard to bear. The severance package they have offered him is limited, but does include medical. But everyone knows that no one hires ex-tobacco scientists in the health profession. Where will he find employment? How will he support his family?

With our two main protagonists situated and developed, the plot begins to thicken in order to bring our two heroes together. A package is mysteriously sent to Bergman containing insider tobacco documents. The only problem is that they are written in technical language. Bergman is given Wigand's name as a possible "translator," thus entwining our two protagonists for the rest of the film. After much cat & mouse, Wigand eventually agrees to meet with Bergman to discuss the job. Bergman's excellent instincts sense that there is a lot Wigand isn't sharing and he discovers the reason. Wigand has signed a confidentiality agreement with his former employer, agreeing not to talk about company business on pain of losing his severance and medical benefits. Slowly, Bergman begins the process of convincing Wigand to blow the whistle on his former employers.

What evolves is a classic tale rooted in real world events. The first half of the film is dedicated to getting Wigand to testify and give an interview for 60 Minutes, risking his family's life, financial well-being, and sanity along the way. Most films would have ended at this point, but with about an hour left to go, the film makes a dramatic turn, almost completely dropping Wigand out of the plot. Under threat of litigation, CBS News decides not to run Wigand's interview. Suddenly, Wigand is at risk of doing everything for nothing. Bergman is outraged by CBS's decision and the film follows his character's attempts to fight against CBS to get it released.

Hence, THE INSIDER is about two men who each fight their own respective corporations. But while one can't ignore the "man versus the machine" aspect of the film, ultimately it doesn't seem to be Mann's primary interest. What THE INSIDER truly focuses on is the character of our two protagonists. Wigand decides to testify and blow the whistle on his former employer because he has betrayed his values working for the company. He was a man of science and a man who worked for healthcare companies, he tells us early on, but who sold out for the money they offered him. Wigand is, at times, an uncomfortably honorable character and the film seeks to restore himself in his own eyes. Bergman is equally engrossing and, thanks to Pacino's superb performance, is, perhaps, even more inspiring to watch. CBS's threat not to release the material is not an attack on the freedom of the press or on Bergman's hard work. It is an attack on Bergman's personal integrity and honesty. "I have never burned a source," he tells us emphatically. Whatever Bergman promises, he delivers. And he shows us that he is willing to pay dearly in order to maintain that integrity.

The performances are brilliant all the way around in this film. Crowe's performance of a man pushed to the edge by extraordinary forces is brilliant. I was nervous in every scene he was in and wondered if he would snap at any minute. Pacino, as mentioned, is wonderful in his part, in a rather understated performance. Christopher Plummer seems to capture Mike Wallace completely. Though not many of us have had the chance to see Mike Wallace "off camera," there is a certain believability to the performance that is undeniable. No one gets to be the anchor of 60 Minutes unless he or she is prepared to play serious hardball. It was refreshing to see. Reminiscent of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, this film also manages to give you a very candid look into the making of broadcast news and all of the work that goes on behind the scenes (some of it quite dangerous) to produce a story. Michael Mann's directing is quite capable; the music and sound compliments the beautiful imagery; and the script is well crafted.

All in all, THE INSIDER is a great film that should have taken home some Oscars. I highly recommend it.

Awesome!.......2007-03-06

This is truly a GREAT movie--its story, acting (Pacino and Crowe are superb), directing, and set design. It has all the ingredients of a great true-to-life thriller. To some it will be quite an eye opener about the lengths the giant cigarette companies will go to protect and enhance their investment at the expense or harm of their loyal customers. Also, what happens when one of its scientist blows the whistle and the dire consequences that follow in his business and personal life. DON'T MISS THIS ONE! It's message and delivery are PERFECT.

Troubling times when a man takes on the machine.......2007-02-28

The machine in this case, is big tobacco. It is a giant business that is maybe too much for one man to take on. That is until a guy named Jeffrey Wigand did just that. Russell Crowe has played a lot of main parts before and after this movie, but his portrayal of this man was great. Crowe shows us a solemn, somber man who works for a large tobacco company as a scientist doing research. He has a falling out you could say, and is soon watched, harassed and blackballed. He decides to expose some major truths about what is really going on with the cigarettes and the research going into making them...well you know. Al Pacino is also in this film and does a fine job as a 60 minutes producer who tries to bring Wigand's dilemma to the people so they can see for themselves. A lot of Red tape and some big business aspects stand in the way though, and Wigand's life spirals into further decline. This is a great film and the special features show interviews with the real Mr. Wigand. I did not like Christopher Plummer portraying the part of legendary 60 minutes journalist Mike Wallace though. The two look nothing alike, and Plummer is much larger in size than Wallace. That is the only thing I found wrong with this film. It is very moving and I recommend it.

Truth to power.......2007-01-19

This film is a gutsy portrayal of the lengths the cigarette manufacturing industry would go to, to profit from their deathserving product. Russell Crowe brilliantly portrays the "insider", the "whistle blower", who publicly has the courage to state how the industry is serving up death
surreptitiously to a naive American public,despite threats against his and his family's life by the cigarette company he had worked for. Al Pacino brilliantly portrays the representative of CBS's 60 Minutes, who
offers the vehicle through which the "insider" can speak to the American public.

The Future Revealed.......2007-01-16

This is a dark movie about a tobacco scientist who wants to come clean, a TV producer that wants his story and all the obstacles they face: tobacco companies who seem undeterred by ethics and by a network that is intimidated by the power of big tobacco. In the end, the story comes out but not until the resolves of the producer and scientist are tested.

After watching this movie I was startled by my thoughts about the future of the press. If they had this much trouble exposing the lies the tobacco industry told how will they resist the armada of industry arrayed against global warming?

If this review helped, please add your vote. Thanks.

Average customer rating:

Face/Off
One of the best action movies made
who are these people that give films like this five stars?
WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST TV DVD-MOVE FOR SHORE EVER DONE
Face Off

Face/Off
Starring: John Travolta , Nicolas Cage , Joan Allen , Alessandro Nivola , and Gina Gershon
Director: John Woo
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Rock
Con Air (Unrated Extended Edition)
Broken Arrow
Swordfish
Gone in 60 Seconds

ASIN: 630512762X
Release Date: 1998-10-07

Product Description

At his best, director John Woo turns action movies into ballets of blood and bullets grounded in character drama. Face/Off marks Woo's first American film to reach the pitched level of his best Hong Kong work (Hard-Boiled). He takes a patently absurd premise--hero and villain exchange identities by literally swapping faces in science-fiction plastic surgery--and creates a double-barreled revenge film driven by the split psyches of its newly redefined characters. FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) must play the villain to move through the underworld while psychotic terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) becomes a perversely paternal family man while using every tool at his disposal to destroy his nemesis. Travolta vamps Cage's tics and flamboyant excess with the grace of a dancer after his transformation from cop to criminal, while Cage plays the sullen, bottled-up agent excruciatingly trapped behind the face of the man who killed his son. His attempts to live up to the terrorist's reputation become cathartic explosions of violence that both thrill and terrify him. This is merely icing on the cake for action fans, the dramatic backbone for some of the most visceral action thrills ever. Woo fills the screen with one show-stopping set piece after another, bringing a poetic grace to the action freakout with sweeping camerawork and sophisticated editing. This marriage of melodrama and mayhem ups the ante from cops-and-robbers clichés to a conflict of near-mythic levels.

Amazon.com essential video

At his best, director John Woo turns action movies into ballets of blood and bullets grounded in character drama. Face/Off marks Woo's first American film to reach the pitched level of his best Hong Kong work (Hard-Boiled). He takes a patently absurd premise--hero and villain exchange identities by literally swapping faces in science-fiction plastic surgery--and creates a double-barreled revenge film driven by the split psyches of its newly redefined characters. FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) must play the villain to move through the underworld while psychotic terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) becomes a perversely paternal family man while using every tool at his disposal to destroy his nemesis. Travolta vamps Cage's tics and flamboyant excess with the grace of a dancer after his transformation from cop to criminal, while Cage plays the sullen, bottled-up agent excruciatingly trapped behind the face of the man who killed his son. His attempts to live up to the terrorist's reputation become cathartic explosions of violence that both thrill and terrify him. This is merely icing on the cake for action fans, the dramatic backbone for some of the most visceral action thrills ever. Woo fills the screen with one show-stopping set piece after another, bringing a poetic grace to the action freakout with sweeping camerawork and sophisticated editing. This marriage of melodrama and mayhem ups the ante from cops-and-robbers clichés to a conflict of near-mythic levels. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Face/Off.......2007-06-08

I am a big fan of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. both are outstanding in this twist of face..... Loved it....

One of the best action movies made.......2007-05-25

Its great but where is a special edition or directors cut?

who are these people that give films like this five stars?.......2007-05-25

I read some of these reviewers and I wonder if they are making my food at restuarants, if they are saving lives in the ER or are the ones who run right out to buy some fools CD from American Idol, or talk in superlatives about the new Snoop Dog video that was on MTV. Do they sell tires in Spokane or crawdaddies in Batan Rouge?

Face off is truly an atrocious film, from start to finish. Cage and Travolta have no on screen chemistry and it is so shallow, so utterly beneath me to even want to describe the assanine plot and utter paltry dialouge.

For years I have thought this, and will continue to until I leave this medium, but Face Off is unequivically one of the worst films ever made. Pure trash.

WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST TV DVD-MOVE FOR SHORE EVER DONE.......2007-05-08

NOW I COULD EASYLY SAY THIS WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GRATEST MOVE EVER MADE IN THE WORLD THAT IS SO FOR SHORE & THAT IS PUTTING IT LIGHTLY

Face Off.......2007-01-10

An excellent non-stop action movie. One can definitely tell old Johnny Wu did this one. If you like guns, shooting, and macho mindless bloodshed, I have to say this movie is a must see. Cage and Travolta, after seeing this movie, are the ONLY ones that gave this film what it has.

Average customer rating:

A dissapointment after Category 6 .....
Category 7 End of The World
Good movie
Have 2 of 3 in series
Really Cool,I Liked It!

Category 7: The End of the World
Starring: Gina Gershon , Cameron Daddo , Shannen Doherty , Randy Quaid , and Robert Wagner
Director: Dick Lowry
Manufacturer: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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10.5: Apocalypse
Category 6 - Day of Destruction
10.5
Aftershock: Earthquake in New York
Lightning: Bolts of Destruction

ASIN: B000E97HXA
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Amazon.com

Who doesn't enjoy watching big things fall to pieces? Category 7: The End of the World wreaks havoc on the Eiffel Tower, Mt. Rushmore, the Pyramids, and a midwestern trailer park, among other things. More or less a sequel to Category 6: Day of Destruction (presumably the latest in a series that began with Category 1: Don't Forget Your Umbrella), Category 7 offers the reassuring sight of Gina Gershon, skilled with disasters like Showgirls, taking control of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Confronted with city-destroying weather, she calls in rebel meteorologist Ross Duffy (Cameron Daddo, star of such classics as Pterodactyl and Anthrax), who runs the Extreme Weather Lab and harbors theories that threaten the political status quo. Ross brings in Tommy Tornado (Randy Quaid, the sole returning actor from Category 6), Faith Clavell (Shannen Doherty, Charmed), and Col. Mike Davis (Tom Skerritt, Alien) to gather data...which isn't the most dramatic of activities (even when it involves souped-up cars and superjets), so the movie adds a subplot about a religious zealot (Nicholas Lea, The X-Files) who wants to unleash the plagues of Egypt so that everyone will realize it's the End of Days. What does it all add up to? A lot of over-the-top hooey (and that's not including the assorted family turmoils), but pretty entertaining nonetheless. It's like a lesser Michael Crichton novel: Take an inflammatory vaguely scientific premise, add two-dimensional characters, cheesy but spectacular effects, and a full-throttle if nonsensical plot, and presto! Over three hours of silly yet utterly watchable television. For added fun, drink a shot every time one character tells another "You're the most important person on the planet right now." --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

A dissapointment after Category 6 ............2007-06-13

Some movie sequels out-do those that precede them, but this ain't one of them.

The saving graces of Category 7 are superb performances by Tom Skerritt and Sebastian Spence, bigger and better city-eating storms, and being given the answer to the question left dangling at the end of Category 6 (the storms do continue world-wide and the reason why is discovered and applied successfully, albeit after much silly political wrangling).

Beyond these three things, this sequel disappointed me in every other aspect. The many (*too* many) ridiculous mini-dramas were annoyingly distracting rather than adding any amount of depth to the storyline. The performances of the majority of actors cast left much to be desired. And I think that Tornado Tommy (Randy Quaid) held together much better in Category 6 ... that fantastic twister ride he took last time apparently dropped him in Oz and scrambled his brains but good. He'd have been much better off remaining happily ensconced in Munchkinland, in my opinion.

Okay, Category 7 continues the story begun in Category 6. That would be the main reason to see it and why I watched it (though I ended up impatiently sighing my way through a whole lot of stupid sub-plots waiting for the grounding appearances of Tom Skerritt and Sebastian Spence <g>).

Not the worst movie sequel I've ever seen, but most definitely quite far from the best.

Category 7 End of The World.......2007-05-25

This movie is good I liked it but there is one thing wrong with it the ending is cut short the last thing that you see is the Torch of
The Statue of Liberty coming down on two people and that is it. It states to be continued where? there is nothing else that's it this is where it ends it is supposed to be part of a Mini-Series or so it states and it is supposed to be complete don't be fooled it's not complete where is the rest of it you don't just leave people hanging on waiting for the rest of it. This is a good one to have along with Category 6 I have both
but Cate 7 is not finished or is there another one to this one? Who knows?

Good movie.......2007-02-15

Category 7 was interesting and had many good points. It holds you at the end of your seat. My only disappointment is that most of the characters from Category 6 was not in Category 7 - especially the reporter and the secretary of energy that were in Category 6.

Have 2 of 3 in series.......2007-02-12

We own Day of Destruction, and Category 6. oth movies should make people realize accually what we are doing to earth. These storms can happen. Randy Quaid is awesome and as usuall, a great performance. Wake up world, any of these situations can happen. Watch and learn before it's to late.

Really Cool,I Liked It!.......2007-02-03

I haven't seen any of the others in this series,butI really enjoyed this one. The special effects are awesome,and I really liked all the storylines,and the characters are well developed.The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars,is because it isn't a movie that I would want to watch again,but that is because of my preferrences and so much going on,just seemed too "over the top" for me. No offensive elements here either. Definately worth a view.

Average customer rating:

Cruise-in' the Wet Bar
80s Movies Collector
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES FROM TOM!!!!!!!!!!
Awful
With Friends like this...

Cocktail
Starring: Tom Cruise , Bryan Brown , Elisabeth Shue , Lisa Banes , and Laurence Luckinbill
Director: Roger Donaldson
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Risky Business
Top Gun (Widescreen Special Collector's Edition)
Days of Thunder
The Color of Money
The Firm

ASIN: B000065V3G
Release Date: 2002-08-13

Amazon.com

This 1988 effort at creating a milestone coming-of-age story with the impact of The Graduate is commendable, but the results are mostly shaky and garish. Tom Cruise plays an ambitious young man who arrives in New York City and becomes known as a flashy bartender in a hot club. After falling for Elisabeth Shue's girl-next-door character, however, his desire for success causes him to travel down a more selfish path with an older woman. The film, directed by Roger Donaldson (Bounty), is built on entirely on appearances (Cruise's star charisma) and flash (the way Cruise and his character's bartending mentor, played by Bryan Brown, toss bottles of booze around). The more interesting and underlying themes, however, particularly the hero's obvious Oedipal dilemmas, are lost beneath this window dressing, as if everyone involved was afraid to commit to the story's intrinsic value. Cruise fans might want to take a look at this, but otherwise there isn't much to recommend it. --Tom Keogh

Description

Tom Cruise is electrifying as Brian Flanagan, a young, confident, and ambitious bartender who, with the help of a seasoned pro (Bryan Brown -- GORILLAS IN THE MIST, F/X 2), becomes the toast of Manhattan's Upper East Side. But when he moves to Jamaica and meets an independent artist (Elisabeth Shue -- ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING, HOLLOW MAN), their vivid romance brings a new perspective to the self-centered bartender's life. Sizzling with high-powered performances and a #1 hit soundtrack, the box office blockbuster COCKTAIL has it all!

Customer Reviews:

Cruise-in' the Wet Bar.......2006-12-30

Another Saturday evening with a bad case of gas and a big old bag of nobody next to me on the love seat. A night like any other, until...

...THIS all-you-can-eat eye buffet set up camp in my living room. Roll over Elisabeth Shue, Queen
Bahama Mama's got a huge plate and is back for seconds. Picture Top Gun, marinated in a bottle of Bacardi and wrapped up tightly in a wet shammy. Within 5 minutes flat, the funyuns were on the floor and I was dancing the horizontal Macarena to the Beach Boys's "Kokomo"! Yeeeeeow!

80s Movies Collector.......2006-04-16

COCKTAIL is One of Tom Cruise's greatest 80s movies,,I have this Movie on LASER DISC And On DVD as well,'tis A Must See for Cruise's FANS :)

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES FROM TOM!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-03-03

Cocktail delivers the goods not only do you have the irresistible Tom Cruise,but its a fun movie..... Tom plays a young man from New York trying to start a new life and ends up one of the hottest bartenders in the club scene.... While bartending he ends up falling madly in love with Elisabeth Shue.... The movie has a great story and a awesome cast and of course its from my favorite era the 80's..... Like i said its one of my favorite Tom movies!!!!!!!!

Awful.......2006-01-10

Can't remember seeing a movie this bad in, well... ever. Tom Cruise's Flannagan can't get a job in the biz world, so starts tending bar at what's evidently the world's most swinging TGIF restaurant. There he meets a shallow, woman-hating bartender named Coughlin who teaches him Coughlin's Laws of How to Treat Women Like Dirt and End Up Pathetic and Alone. In the end, happily he (Coughlin) dies. Flanagan, meanwhile, ditches his sweet new girl Elizabeth Shue for some "rich chick" (in his lovable words). Then he gets bored of the rich chick, finds out he got Elizabeth Shue pregnant, gets spooked by aforementioned pregnancy, kicks a stuffy doorman in the buttocks, proposes to nice pregnant girlfriend, finds out it's gonna be twins, almost gets spooked again but doesn't, recites horrible poetry, and finally tops things off by yelling "The bar is open!" in a high-pitched puberty-like squeal. Yay for happy endings.

With Friends like this... .......2006-01-03

Cruise plays Brian Flanagan, I guess because people think he does a decent Irish accent. Nevertheless while under the drink mixing tutelage of "Obi-wan" Coughlin (Brown) he gets involved with Coral (Gina Gershon) later telling Coughlin of their bedroom exploits. To ensure that Flanagan sees the light, Coughlin sleeps with Coral to try to show Flanagan she was no good for him. Why Coral would sleep with Coughlin just because Flanagan said they were making nikki-nikki is a mystery (she's seen sleeping over at the apartment and all cuddily with Tom's character for God's sake). Anyway, what a pal, nice to see Coughlin really cares. Later, actually just a brief dissolve to ocean shores & islands, despite this friendship-ending dastardly deed Flanagan befriend's Coughlin while working in Jamaica. Now that (Brown) has found "true" happiness (Lynch), you'd think he'd want the same for (Tom), right? Wrong. Despite Flanagan's seriously developing affinity for Jordan (Shue), he dares (Tom) to bed the mature, rich and connected Bonnie (Lisa Banes). Of course, this destroys Cruise & Shue's chance for romance, despite his explanation that it's okay because "when a guy lays down a dare, you just got to." What kind of logic is that? Still later trying to make up with her, he claims he got spooked by Jordan, so which one is it? Finally, how nice for Hollywood to wrap everything up with death, attempted seduction, pregnancy, attempted bribery, and Flanagan striking out on his own in one of the riskiest businesses around a "Theme" bar. Although, cute at times, one has to wonder the next time someone dares Tom's character.

Average customer rating:

Guilty Pleasure
Plan 10 From Las Vegas
One Of The Most Erotic Movies Ever Made. (IMHO)
Good sleazy fun!
Guilty Pleasure

Showgirls
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley , Kyle MacLachlan , Gina Gershon , Glenn Plummer , and Robert Davi
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Striptease
Wild Things (Unrated Edition) [Region 99]
Embrace of the Vampire
Poison Ivy - The New Seduction
Gia (Unrated Edition)

ASIN: 0792844882
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Amazon.com

When Goldie Hawn recommended Elizabeth Berkley for a small role in First Wives Club, she publicly stated that Berkley deserved the opportunity to redeem herself after starring in the ridiculous Showgirls. That says it all: this sleazy, stupid movie, which mixes soft pornography with the clichés of backstage dramas, is the kind of project an aspiring actress would have to put well behind her to keep a career going (though costar Gina Gershon certainly benefited from her, uh, exposure in the film). Berkley plays a drifter who hitches a ride to Las Vegas, becomes a lap dancer and then a performer, and discovers--gasp!--there's a whole world of sex and violence involved with these things. Gershon is probably the best element in the film, playing Berkley's bisexual rival for the big spotlight on stage. Joe Eszterhas was well overpaid for writing this howler, and director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct) should have known better than to take it seriously. --Tom Keogh

Description

Seduction, passion and power struggles unfold when the creators of Basic Instinct, director Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers) and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (Original Sin) blow the lid off the seemingly glamorous world of Las Vegas showdancing to create one of the most controversialand shockingfilms of all time. Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) has what it takes to make it as a Las Vegas showgirlwhat she doesn't have is a way in. To survive, she accepts the only job available: lap dancing at a seedy club. And when she meets Cristal (Gina Gershon), Vegas'reigning showgirl, Nomi wants everything she hasincluding her boyfriend (Kyle MacLachlan). And as Nomi dives deeper into the world she so desperately desires, a rivalry between the two women heatsup. The battle for the spotlight becomes so fiercely competitive that it drives Nomi to desperate lengthsand devious heightsfor fame in Sin City.

Customer Reviews:

Guilty Pleasure.......2007-06-14

This film has the worst acting ever. That's probably what makes it so entertaining to watch. The costumes and the dancing are very entertaining and the plot is pretty ridiculous. The VIP set is great with the shot glasses. Definitely a movie you need to see at least once.

Plan 10 From Las Vegas.......2007-04-26

Plan 9 From Outer Space was worse than this steaming pile, but they didn't have the lavish budget to waste that this one did.

Every show biz cliche imaginable is dragged out, but in such a clumsy, trying-but-failing-to-be-manipulative way, that your jaw drops to the floor, and you are entertained, almost against your will. Also, there are really spectacular dance scenes, and lots of female flesh for the eyes to feast on.

But the story and the dialogue and the direction are stupid. The red haired actor who plays the choreographer also played the Wig Master for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on an episode of Seinfeld. Kramer somehow misses seeing the show and as consolation, is allowed to walk down Broadway wearing the Tecnicolor Dreamcoat. He is then mistaken for a pimp and arrested. Perhaps that whole sequence was intended as an homage to Showgirls, and one can only wish that Joe Esterhauz could have been arrested for pimpin' this ridiculous movie.

One Of The Most Erotic Movies Ever Made. (IMHO).......2007-03-04

Showgirls is one those movies that has been paraded with awful reviews "Woofs" and just plain hate. I really don't understand why this is. Showgirls is about a beautiful young woman named Nomi(Elizabeth Berkley), Who decides to try her luck and hitchhike to Las Vegas to become a dancer. She gets a ride to vegas and befriends a young woman named Molly, Molly then helps her get a job a smalltime strip-club she works at doing make-up and such. Nomi then realizes that she wants more than this. She then auditions for a popular show called "Goddess", Nomi then becomes a surprising success. And many other entertainings happen during the film. The movie is filled with non-stop nudity witch helps the film to become very erotic. You will get an eyefull of the naked body of Elizabeth Berkley, Who you probably used to watch on "Saved By The Bell". The storyline is surprisingly good,The acting is also excellent.

If you have a problem with nudity and the subject of "Rape" I wouldn't recommend this. But if you appreciate the female form and don't mind a little violence I would MOST defenitly recommend this.

All in all this movie deserves a 10/10.

Good sleazy fun!.......2007-03-03

Nomi (Elizabeth Berkley) is a beautiful traveling girl who is desperate for a job in Las Vegas. She gets a new home thanks to a new friend named Molly (Gina Riveria) for she gets a job as a dancer at the Cheetah club, one night a talent agent finds her for he decides to have her as a part of an erotic stage show at the Stardust called "Goddess" where she meets the big star known as Cristal (Gina Gerhshon). James (Glen Plummer) is a free-style man helps Nomi as he teaches her the right dance moves to become a top dancer when the rivalery between her and Cristal has begun.

Very entertaining sleaze epic from Paul Verhoeven ("Total Recall", "Robocop", "Basic Instinct" and "Starship Troopers") has non-stop nudity, clever dialog, sex and over the top acting. There's plenty of good eye candy through the many gorgeous girls prancing nude especially Ms. Berkley who really shows off her stuff for the camera.

The DVD has good picture and sound with a couple of good extras like the trailer and a behind-the-scenes featurette, this is an enjoyable erotic flick if you can suspend your disbelief.

Guilty Pleasure.......2007-01-31

I know this movie gets a lot of crap but you know what? I love it and all its smutty terribleness. I've seen it about a hundred times on tv with all the bad stuff cut out so I finally decided to go ahead and buy the damn thing so I could get the goods! and boy was it worth it. I laughed soooo hard. If people were that spastic at sex everyone would be walking around with bruised groins. Despite the bad acting and script, I can't help but love it.

The Player (Special Edition) (New Line Platinum Series)

Average customer rating:

Who Better to Skewer Hollywood Than Altman?
A Movie for Movie Buffs
All's fair in love and moviemaking
Altman scores again
More fun for trivia buffs than fans of slick satire

The Player (Special Edition) (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Tim Robbins , Greta Scacchi , Fred Ward , Whoopi Goldberg , and Peter Gallagher
Director: Robert Altman
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Nashville
Short Cuts - Criterion Collection
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
The Long Goodbye
Gosford Park

ASIN: 0780618564
Release Date: 1997-07-16

Amazon.com

A wicked satirical fable about corporate backstabbing--and actual murder--in the movie business, The Player benefits from director Robert Altman's long and bitter experience working within, and without, the Hollywood studio system. Rising young executive Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is tormented by threats from an anonymous writer. The pressure and paranoia build until Griffin loses control one night and semi-accidentally kills screenwriter David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), who may or may not be the source of the threats. From that point, Griffin's life and career begin to fall apart. In keeping with the ironic spirit of the film itself, Altman's scathingly funny attack on the moral bankruptcy of Hollywood was embraced by many of the same people it was intended to savage, and restored the director to commercial and critical favor. Michael Tolkin adapted the screenplay from his own novel, and the movie is studded with cameos by famous faces, many of whom appear as themselves. The digital video disc includes a commentary track with Altman and Tolkin, some deleted scenes, a documentary about Altman, and a key to help identify more than 50 of the picture's big-name cameos. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Who Better to Skewer Hollywood Than Altman?.......2007-02-24

"The Player" was a comeback film for Robert Altman, whose fortunes had declined in the 80s. He threw himself into the briar-patch and stirred up a wicked satire on Dream City. Even though I suspect the reality is even worse and more outrageous than what Altman gives us here, so too was the Korean War in comparison with "M*A*S*H." A must-see for Altman fans; for others, a good movie.

A Movie for Movie Buffs.......2007-02-10

In the realm of satire, "The Player" is one of the best. A viscous, funny satire about Hollywood that can easily be called one of Robert Altman's best films. This is a movie buff movie, in the sense that it is jam-packed with film references and celebrity cameos. Not only is it entertaining, well made, well written, and well acted. It's fun to watch. Tim Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a Hollywood hotshot studio executive who is in danger of losing his job. Around the same time, he begins receiving anonymous death threats from a rejected screenwriter (Vincent D'Onofrio). Upon learning who the screenwriter is, he meets him at a movie theatre. Their meeting ends with Griffin killing the man. Making the death look like a botched robbery, Griffin tries to return to normal but finds that he's being followed by a mysterious man (Lyle Lovett) and is questioned frequently by a pair of cops (one of who is Whoopi Goldberg). To top it off, Griffin finds himself falling for the screenwriter's girlfriend. The movie's huge cast includes Fred Ward, Malcolm McDowell, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Nick Nolte, Kim Basinger, Alec Baldwin, Lily Tomlin, Susan Sarandon, Scott Glenn, and many others...Many appearing only in mere cameos. Not a lot of director's could handle this sort of material. Only Robert Altman could have gathered as many actors for one film and not turned into a forced, convoluted film. Altman was a fantastic director who made many great films over the course of his long career ('McCabe & Mrs. Miller' & 'Short Cuts' & 'M*A*S*H' to name a few) and "The Player" ranks right up there with the best. It cuts down deep to the center of Hollywood, exposing the darkside of it and doesn't candy coat anything. The movie accomplishes what Billy Wilder did with 'Sunset Boulevard.' He tells it exactly how it is. Some people won't like the film...As I said it has a lot of movie references. Many of which most people won't understand. This isn't a movie for the casual film viewer. But it is one of the best satires around and certainly one of the best HOLLYWOOD satires around. Definitely worth seeing.

GRADE: A

R.I.P.
Robert Altman

All's fair in love and moviemaking.......2007-01-18

Everybody in Hollywood takes the cheap-and-dirty approach to success -- even to successful murder.

That's the theme to Robert Altman's bitter, tart, and hilarious black comedy "The Player," based on Michael Tolkin's novel. The caustic observations and barbed wit bring Hollywood's nastiness to light, and Altman's minimalist direction only underscores the brilliant script and acting.

Exec Griffin (Tim Robbins) is nervous enough about his increasingly imperilled job. But then postcards with death threats start arriving -- apparently from a writer he lied to months ago. After some research, he thinks he's found the guy -- David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), a POed writer whose script he mercilessly rejected. After a disastrous meeting with David, Griffin kills him in an alley.

But that's not the end -- the threatening messages keep coming, and Griffin becomes more desperate as he becomes a suspect in Kahane's murder. He also becomes fascinated by David's chilly artist girlfriend (Greta Scacchi), and tries to bury his fear in an awkward love affair. But as the investigation heats up, Griffin is threatened with the ultimate cancellation.

If "The Player" has a meaning, it's that everyone who wants power in Hollywood has to sell their souls -- legally, personally, or just by selling out so your movie has a pat happy ending. Like planets being sucked into a black hole, they all get pulled in by the lure of affluence -- they don't even notice their souls vanishing!

It's also wickedly funny to watch. Altman peppers the movie with celebrity cameos (John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Bruce Willis, to name a few). The dialogue is simply brilliant -- at one point, Robbins muses, "I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we've got something here." Talk about a reality TV prediction.

Altman's style is minimalist here, with lots of tense moments, sexy interludes -- right up to the ironic twist finale, which makes you wonder for a moment just how much of "The Player" is really fiction. And during dramatic scenes (the murder, the cobra, the phone calls), Altman stretches the tension as taut as a wire, and leaves it to slowly slacken over the scenes that follow. The only scene that doesn't work is the police interrogation with Whoopi Goldberg. Really, it's cringeworthy.

Tim Robbins is simply brilliant as the cold-blooded Griffin, especially since he looks so boyish and bewildered -- you don't know whether to cheer for or against him. Scacchi is quite good as the even chillier painter who falls for him, and the other characters are pure satire -- the movie creators don't watch movies, and if they did, they'd only want to remake it with a happy ending.

"The Player" is one of those brilliant movies that skewer Hollywood, and make you glad that it exists... just so long as it occasionally gives us a piece of satire like this one, instead of a mindless blockbuster. Hilarious and needling.

Altman scores again.......2007-01-09

The Players is Altman's sardonic, tongue-in-cheek look at Hollywood. The opening shot alone is worth the price of admission. It's a continuous tracking shot that must last over 10 minutes without a cut (I've not timed its length, but I should). If you've ever wondered how Hollywood films get made, see this film. But, remember, too, that it's a lot more than a look at the workings of Hollywood filmdom. It's funny, sarcastic, and, at the same time, deep. I highly recommend it.

More fun for trivia buffs than fans of slick satire.......2007-01-07

Full disclosure: I'm not an Altman fan, as I feel his best attributes were borrowed from superior directors-- a high-brow DePalma, if you will. But I have heard from many, many people that 'The Player' is a must-see for any movie buff, especially for those who bemoan the steady decline of the Hollywood product since its golden era. So Altman notwithstanding (R.I.P.), I viewed the movie as objectively as possible, based on its own merits, and wasn't too impressed.

The story is fairly boilerplate: a whiz-kid studio exec, overvalued and pushed to the brink of paranoia, accidentally kills a screenwriter whom he mistakenly thinks has been sending him threatening postcards. Deception and mayhem ensue. I suppose it plays the dime-novel plotline for ironic laughs, but it's not very conducive to suspense (even fake suspense), and there isn't much real humor involved either, unless you find relentless 'inside' references to classic flicks, celebrities, hackneyed treatments and industry power brokers funny (I'll admit I had fun catching as many of those nods as I could, but I was in the mood for a movie, not a game show). The script is adequate, but not bitingly clever; the direction capable, but certainly not exceptional, particularly taken as homage. The worst aspect by far, though, are the performances, which range from mediocre to awful. Now, to be fair, when you cast scads of entertainers whose skill sets vary drastically (try Lyle Lovett's dramatic chops vs. Richard E. Grant's), you can't expect miracles-- but a filmmaker ought to be prepared to deal with that problem when his subject matter revolves around the sad state of modern filmmaking, no? And some of the worst acting comes from Tim Robbins as the lead character, Griffin Mills. I'll concede he was young and relatively inexperienced at the time, but he is too much a lightweight (literally) to fill the $2000 suits he wears.

Others may feel that hit-and-miss production quality in a movie parodying the movie biz is appropriate, but by those standards 'Burn, Hollywood, Burn' must be a masterpiece. Effective satire and black comedy make up a rare and precious genre that relies on precise execution to work, and I find there are just too many flaws here. For a film that purports to diagnose the ills of contemporary Hollywood, 'The Player' could certainly use a good dose of its own medicine.

Average customer rating:

Classic STEVEN
Seagal's Best Action Flick
Out for Justice.
IT'S ALL IN THE EXECUTION! ------- RUSTY SAID YOU'RE DEAD!
REVENGE FOR HIS BROTHER

Out for Justice
Starring: Steven Seagal , William Forsythe , Jerry Orbach , Jo Champa , and Shareen Mitchell
Director: John Flynn
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Marked for Death
Above the Law
Hard to Kill
On Deadly Ground
The Glimmer Man

ASIN: 0790740834
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com

Steven Seagal has always been an awkward action hero. Initially, he had a certain amount of credibility thanks to his nebulous association with secret government agencies and mastery of aikido, which helped to excuse his bad acting. But as a self-righteous action hero in the vein of Schwarzenegger and Stallone (which helps to explain his bad acting), Seagal fell into unintentional self-parody faster and more dramatically than either of his two predecessors. In Out for Justice, Seagal plays Gino Felino, a Brooklyn-born cop known and respected by everyone--both good and bad--in his neighborhood. The worst of the neighborhood baddies is Richie Madano (William Forsythe), a crack-smoking killer who murders his partner and terrorizes the neighborhood. Technically, Felino is a terrible cop--touching evidence at murder scenes, stealing evidence, intimidating witnesses--but only by breaking those rules can he bring in this horrible criminal. As his soon-to-be-ex-wife discovers, he does everything because he cares too much. Julianna Margulies (ER) has a small but thankless role as Richie's hooker girlfriend, and Gina Gershon (Face/Off, Bound) has an equally thankless role as Richie's foul-mouthed, bar-owning sister. The movie plays like a vanity piece for Seagal, and in that vein, it is fascinating to watch. --Andy Spletzer

Customer Reviews:

Classic STEVEN.......2006-08-18

This is what I'm talking about.
This is the real steven, that you know won't pay attention to the red lights.
Excelent Classic steven, when I watch this movie I always rewind to the pool club fight.
Go steven Go, we got your back (eventhough I bet you can handle it by yourself).

Seagal's Best Action Flick.......2006-06-18

I think this movie is Steven Seagal's best. Let's face it, we watch Seagal for his awesome fighting techniques. "Out For Justice" has action spread evenly throughout. He is a man on a mission to do whatever it takes to take out the bad guys who killed his partner. Often action movies tend to turn to too much storyline and they get away from what makes action movies exciting. This one will not disappoint you! Plenty of great fighting...

Out for Justice........2006-06-15

This movie rocks!Rated R for strong violence and language,and for sensulalty and drug use.Canada:R

IT'S ALL IN THE EXECUTION! ------- RUSTY SAID YOU'RE DEAD!.......2005-11-12

This is a hard movie to describe, but an easy one to either love or hate.

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?:

This is a sort of continuation of the "Death Wish" and "Dirty Harry" movie franchises with a touch of Bruce Lee-esque action/values/motives making Steven Seag