Gina Phillips

Average customer rating:

Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary
Solid British Thriller
The roll of dice
Clive Owen at this best!
A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair

Croupier
Starring: Clive Owen , Nick Reding , Nicholas Ball , Alexander Morton , and Barnaby Kay
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Crime & Criminals | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2
Greenfingers [Region 99]
Close My Eyes
Bent

ASIN: B0001BKACG
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Amazon.com

Suffering from a bad case of writer's block, author Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) sits in his London flat, staring at an empty computer screen and trying to find the words to narrate his meandering life. Reluctantly Jack accepts a job from his absentee father (Nicholas Ball) at a second-rate casino as a dealer, or croupier, a job he once held in South Africa. His immersion back into this world is intoxicating, thanks primarily to the power he holds over his nightly clientele. Jack is a straight arrow on the floor (unlike his coworkers) but the whisper of an inside-job robbery makes his life suddenly more intriguing, as do the women who begin to drift into his life: a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie) and an alluring gambler (Alex Kingston). Suddenly, Jack finds his own life is his best book material. There's something visceral about watching the world of gambling, and director Mike Hodges (who directed the original Get Carter) taps into this allure; Jack's simple croupier tryout--handling cards and chips with skill and grace--is as captivating as most action scenes in big popcorn films. In the end, this little film, which went on to become an art-house hit, is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. --Doug Thomas

Description

All bets are off in London's gambling world when struggling writer Jack Manfred (Gosford Park's Clive Owen) accepts his father's offer of a job as a croupier, out the cards of fate and fortune each night to casino patrons. As his relationship with his girlfriend, Marion (Notting Hill's Gina McKee), suffers from the strain of his new job, Jack finds his eye roving to a seductive gambler, Jani (ER's Alex Kingston), who lures him into a dangerous robbery scheme with Jack positioned as the inside man. A critical and commercial smash, this delicious British thriller from director Mike Hodges (Get Carter) and writer Paul Mayersberg (The Last Samurai) is a solid winner from start to finish!

Customer Reviews:

Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary.......2007-04-21

Nine years after its production, 'Croupier' is now remembered as the vehicle which shot Clive Owen into movie stardom...and rightfully so. He's mesmerizing here in Mike Hodges' taut adaptation of Paul Mayersberg's beguiling script. Mayersberg received an Edgar Allan Poe nomination for Best Screenplay. [NOTE: Amazon's sister site IMDB - in a delightfully goofy phonetic slip-up - notes that the Poe Awards "honor the achievements of writers in the field of mystery at all."]

Mayersberg's tale features layers of intricacies, secret deals, snitches, stories within stories, all presented to you by a narrator (Owen's Jack Manfred) who may or may not be leveling with you. Like countless others, I scrambled online to see if the IMDB chatboards would lead to a bit of resolution. The prevailing opinion there is that Mayersberg and Hodges have deliberately left some things subject to interpretation. Apparently, this conclusion is reinforced by the Director's commentary. One reviewer noted that re-watching Croupier with Hodges' commentary was "like watching an entirely different film." Unfortunately, we had a DVD without that track. My recommendation is to make sure you rent/buy the version of the product that comes with that DVD extra.

Solid British Thriller.......2007-01-26

Croupier's protagonist (Clive Owen, in a very interesting performance in his pre-fame days) is a taciturn, unsuccessful writer living in London, who at the instigation of his father accepts a job as a croupier in a casino. He takes the job in order to write a novel about it, in which he can watch this particular milieu from above, in a detached and superior position. In the casino he meets a number of people, including the troubled Bella (Kate Hardie, in my view, the movie's most compelling character). Other character, the gambler Jani (Alex Kingston) will eventually involve him in a plot to rob the place. This movie let us know more details about the gambling business that we may be interested to know, and the final twist doesn't really hold water, making the movie end in a somewhat disappointing note, but all in all this is a solid, unusual thriller.

The roll of dice.......2007-01-06

Incredible film. It's about a man who knows how seductive the spin of the roulette wheel can be, and tries his best not to be seduced by the throw of dice. And then comes the ending, and you realise that either way he loses out. Brilliant stuff.

Clive Owen at this best!.......2007-01-05

This was one of Clive Owen's first starring roles (to be more precise, his second official top bill). It also stands up as one of his best yet. Although somewhat obscure and fairly unknown, this is one movie that Owen fans should get ahold of an add to their collection!

Clive Owen plays Jack Manfred, an aspiring writer who is hounded by his father to find a decent job. With the writing gig not quite working out for him (writer's block surely doesn't help), he finally takes one of those leads and becomes a croupier (dealer) at a local casino. What he uncovers and encounters fascinates him, though certainly it could have appalled anyone. This might be the start of a new book, finally stimulating his creative talents once again, while at the same time earning a good reputation at the blackjack tables as one heck of a croupier. Toss in a mysterious woman (Alex Kingston of "ER" fame [she played Dr. Corday]), and his concerned girlfriend, and you have a strange mix of intrigue and drama, with much depth and flavor.

It does have an R-rating, mainly for language, nudity, drug use and violence. There is nothing quite gory about the film, the language is not a constant string of 4-letter words, the nudity is brief and the drug use fairly minor. Still, be wary if you are offended by any of these items or if you were debating showing the film to anyone impressionable. Overall, though, this is a fantastic movie that delivers drama, some minor action, and a great deal of intrigue. It isn't preachy enough to be over anyone's head and it never gets too side-tracked by trying to fit into any one genre. Fans of Clive Owen, Alex Kingston, drama, intrigue, gambling, or suspense movies should definitely add this one to their collection.

A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair.......2006-12-07

When Clive Owen's name was bandied about to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, the only word I could think of to describe Owen was "meathead." Having now seen "Croupier," I understand a bit more why he was considered, as it's fairly clear that the 007 from the opening casino scenes in "Dr. No" was a model for Owen's look and performance here, right down to the way he dangles his cigarette. Still, he lacks that final ingredient of panache, looking a bit more like a slightly less dopey but more hairy Nicholas Cage than a young Connery. His sociopathic performance here, too, lacks significant depth, though it is appropriate for the muted goings on that is "Croupier's" plot. As a frustrated writer searching for his muse, Owen's Jack is pulled into myriad scenes depicting the sad state of the controlled and controlling that comprises the gambling world, itself a thinly veiled metaphor for society in general. The first half of the film may remind viewers of "Fight Club" in both tone and execution; by the time the story takes some twists -- at least one unexpected -- it seems a different animal. The performances here are good, especially from Alex Kingston, whose South African accent and desire to get naked are both plusses. But by the middle of the film, it's not clear whether what we are seeing is real or some fantasy conjured up by "Jake," Jack's steely alter ego. In the end, it doesn't seem to matter, as "Croupier" reaches for and basically attains the sort of muddled climax that intellectuals find thought provoking. If you've seen enough of these things, you won't be surprised.

Average customer rating:

Andromina Unrated
Well, everybody makes mistakes.
Several versions
Koch strikes again. This DVD is the R rated version.
Andromina Needs Women

Andromina: The Pleasure Planet
Starring: Shyra Deland , Christian Boeving , Mike Roman , Flower , and Eric Stratton
Director: Darren Moloney
Manufacturer: SHADOW ENTERTAINMENT
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Virgins of Sherwood Forest
Femalien
Pleasurecraft
Virtual Encounters, Vol. 2
The Exotic House of Wax

ASIN: B000228SIM
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Description

Three fighter pilots have gotten a pass to land on Andromina, is search of the pleasure planet's special kind of entertainment.

Customer Reviews:

Andromina Unrated.......2007-02-04

If you are watching a Surrender Cinema film for the plot and production values you have problems I am not going to go into but if you want goofy fun sexuality this company an this movie can be a real winner. I will warn you the unrated version they are selling is the edited version. I have seen 3 cuts of this movie NC-17 very hot, R for cable etc. and the one being sold here, if they just edited out an additional 36 seconds it would be rated PG-13

Well, everybody makes mistakes. .......2006-10-02

There once was a film called Andromina,
A low-budget, no-talent drama the
Critics called "stinking"--
What WAS Boeving thinking?--
A truly depressing phenomena.

Several versions.......2006-02-17

There appear to be several versions of this movie floating around. There is an "unrated" version and a "directors cut". I know there is a "directors cut" on VHS but I don't think a DVD version has been released yet. The DVD "unrated" is a bit cleaner then the directors cut in that scenes are shortened and things have been trimmed down. If you saw this movie on t.v. as I did then you saw the directors cut and will probably be very disapointed in the other version(s) as quite a bit is taken out. Its noticeable how much is taken out after seeing two different versions of this movie. One version looks PG 14ish with so much having been taken out and seeing a censored version of a movie with simulated action is kinda pointless.

To be clear and to try and help someone avoid being disapointed, as I was, if you really liked this movie on t.v. or saw it on video you probably saw the directors cut and may want to check carefully which version you are getting when you order it. I am not sure the directors cut has come out on DVD yet I only know the copy of the DVD I got when I ordered is way different (a lot toned down) from the vhs directors cut version I got a couple years ago.

I gave this product one star. If it had been the directors cut version brought out on DVD like I thought it was then it would have got a lot higher.

Koch strikes again. This DVD is the R rated version........2005-05-02

Once again, Koch, for reasons that I cannot possibly fathom, assumed that people would enjoy this movie more if the brilliant story and dialog weren't being constantly interrupted by those annoying sex scenes. I know I'm feeling large amounts of gratitude. It's gratitude when you want to disembowel someone, right?

At least the copy I bought was used, so Koch didn't make a dime off of me. Anyway, this is another Koch release that you should definitely avoid.

Andromina Needs Women.......2005-02-19

This is a strange movie even for this type. Andromina is a pleasure planet although all we ever see is a small strip bar with peeling cinder block walls. The aging proprietress is now all alone as virtual reality has killed the business. Some space truckers (or whatever) decide to help the place out. They will go find new girls to work as "hostesses". Now it gets really weird. Apparently the best place to find women to serve men and play "hostess" is a planet where men are forbidden and hated. Sure.

So the group gets to the forbidden planet and encounter various tribes of women. Apparently, except for a severe-looking blonde with a cattle prod (no lines), all of the women on the planet secretly want men. Sex, captivity, and seduction fill out the bulk of the movie until Andromeda is ultimately saved.

Ok, we know what this film is supposed to do and it does it fairly well. An attractive cast and some interesting twists in the plot make this one of the better offerings of this type but they really should have done something about the opening premise.

Average customer rating:

A little bit too long
EVEN WITHOUT MR. SHAW'S INSIGHTFUL AND EXPLICIT PREFACE, TELLS THE TALE TO BE TOLD OF HYPOCRISY, CORRUPTION AND GENDER INJUSTICE

Mrs Warren's Profession (1972)
Starring: James Grout , Coral Browne , Robert Powell , Derek Godfrey , and Richard Pearson (II)
Director: Herbert Wise , and James Cellan Jones
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Millionairess
Arms and the Man
Heartbreak House
The Buccaneers
Under the Greenwood Tree

ASIN: B000E8JNR4
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Amazon.com

Suffice to say, Mrs. Warren's profession is not Amway, but its illicit gains have allowed her estranged and unwitting daughter, Vivie, to live a life of affluence and higher education. Bernard Shaw's witty attack on "the hypocrisy of the world" and "fashionable morality" is given a compelling staging in this impeccably acted 1972 BBC production starring the venerable Coral Browne (Auntie Mame ) as the "wicked" Mrs. Warren and Penelope Wilton (The Norman Conquests, Match Point) as the thoroughly modern Vivie, who herself confounds family friends and suitors (by turns incorrigible or lecherous) with her own unconventional mercenary attitudes. Shaw's play, written in 1893, but banned until 1925, is undoubtedly tame by today's standards, but its ideas, passionately debated by mother and daughter, are still provocative. The ironic use of period parlor songs ("That old fashioned mother of mine" is a sample lyric) add to the scandalous fun. --Donald Liebenson

Description

What is the profession that has enabled Mrs. Warren to give her daughter all the benefits of "good society?" Vivie Warren discovers her mother's secrets and embraces her own power as a "modern" woman.

Customer Reviews:

A little bit too long.......2007-03-18

A little bit too long. The younget dauther was getting on my nerves all the time but it is a great BBC movie.

EVEN WITHOUT MR. SHAW'S INSIGHTFUL AND EXPLICIT PREFACE, TELLS THE TALE TO BE TOLD OF HYPOCRISY, CORRUPTION AND GENDER INJUSTICE.......2007-02-19

Often the most interesting and engaging part of a GEorge Bernard Shaw drama is his preface. One feels the play was written only to give opportunity for writing the preface. With Saint Joan, Pygmalion, Major Barbara, and Mrs. Warren, Mr. Shaw reports most explicitly and at length in the preface the subtle points of the play. In this case, we do not read the preface, but see the play in its entirety, well played, and denuded of its excellent preface. Nevertheless, we get the message, that the British aristocracy and anglican ecclesial authorities found too much profit in the Mrs. Warren's profession and its ancillary support systems and accidental legal proceedings to do away with it by providing a good professional education or a living wage to women factory workers, etc.

Unlike some others of this series, the BBC got it right with this Shavian production. The acting is excellent; the direction sublime. Despite the tendency towards preachiness and unreal dialogue or situations in Mr. Shaw's work, this production is very convincing to the modern "realist" viewer. The most direct comments on societal systemic injustice are pronounced with great emotion and conviction which makes them compelling and real. Perhaps we in our time and place do not speak in this manner anymore, but the actors here with great talent and skill can sell us their lines and we believe them as true. And what they have to say is in fact true, and a scathing commentary on the capitalist system which found great profit in starving women with slave wages in dangerous conditions, denying them education and suffrage, etc. and forcing them for survival's sake into the most degrading and demoralizing of work, including Mrs. Warren's Profession, which we see here for what it is, not a a labor of love but of toil and horror, and profit to its distant investors, including the renters of the same anglican church which then preaches against it. The play asks us wherein lies the fault of this grotesque immorality: in the individual women or in the society which forces them into it and supports it and coldly receives the profit sharing?

For once you can trust the BBC production is very well done, and supports this drama by Irish playwright Mr. Shaw, whose total work deserves now more than ever complete and careful study. The other drama attached to this disk is of lesser interest, as it is more of a drawing room family drama, with some slight economic and social comment, but less well presented, despite Patrick the great Irish actor growling and glowering throughout. See his expurgated Lear instead.

Average customer rating:

Worthless.
Not Completely Awful
Paranoid
Disappointing "thriller"
Okay movie

Paranoid
Starring: Jessica Alba , Iain Glen , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Ewen Bremner , and Kevin Whately
Director: John Duigan
Manufacturer: Ventura Distribution
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Sleeping Dictionary
Idle Hands
P.U.N.K.S.
Into the Blue (Widescreen Edition) [Region 99]
Honey (Full Screen Edition)

ASIN: B00005PJ78
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Customer Reviews:

Worthless........2006-06-07

Paranoid (John Duigan, 2000)

There are some movies that make me wonder, after I have suffered through them, what on Earth anyone involved in making them was thinking. Paranoid may be the best example of this I have ever come across. Jessica Alba was fresh off the success of Idle Hands. Iain Glen was in something of a slump, but did have The Wyvern Mystery coming out that year. Jeanne Tripplehorn had just done the wonderful Very Bad Things, and was actually at the high point of her career (despite the dire predictions made by everyone, myself included, that Waterworld would sink the careers of everyone involved). Ewen Bremner had just become the darling of critics everywhere as the title character in Julien Donkey-Boy and was about to achieve major commercial success with Snatch. And all one needs to say about Mischa Barton is The Sixth Sense. Now, how on earth did John Duigan manage to get all these people to appear in this utter dog of a film?

I grant you, when Duigan's on his game, as with Wide Sargasso Sea or Lawn Dogs, he's capable of turning out a relatively good film, sometimes bordering on greatness. But when he misses, he shoots so wide of the mark that one often wonders if it's the same director-- and Paranoid is the biggest miss of Duigan's career. Aside from a couple of what one can assume (based on interviews Alba has given about later films) are body-double glimpses of a half-naked Alba (and a number of other model-type girls) at the beginning of the flick, and a bunch of model-shots of Alba in some pretty nifty lingerie ads, only the most hardcore Jessica Alba fan is going to get anything at all out of this tired, predictable, not-even-a-smidge-as-kinky-as-it-thinks-it-is "thriller." It's the only movie I can think of that I could possibly describe as being as erotic as Eyes Wide Shut, as mysterious as Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?, and as dangerous as Path of Destruction (or fill in any other Sci-Fi Channel Original Movie here). "Bad" does not even begin to sum it up. I cannot recommend highly enough that you avoid this movie at all costs. *

Not Completely Awful.......2005-10-05

My used VHS copy of "Paranoid" made an immediate bad impression. It is a bad sign when you pick up a used VHS and find that it has "not" been rewound from a point midway into the movie. There is a very good chance that the last viewer got so disgusted by that point that they just bailed out and traded the thing in without even bothering to fast forward to the ending. Bad impression #2 came when I discovered the poor audio quality and tried to activate the subtitles-the tape does not have this feature (nor does the DVD version). Subtitles are added between the final cut and distribution. They represent a modest additional expense so when they are missing from post-1996 movies it is because the producers were so unimpressed with the final product that they were already trying to cut their losses.

That said "Paranoid" is not as bad as most commentary would lead you to believe. This is a psychological thriller that borrows heavily from "Rear Window" and "The Collector". Unfortunately, the generally decent cast is hampered by the limited talents of Jessica Alba, who not only looks the part of a fashion model, but exhibits the expected thespian skills of most fashion models.

Although the distributors promote the movie as if the title refers to Chloe's (Alba) mindset, it actually is a reference to main captor Stan's (Iain Glen) delusions. These pass for irony as his damage control measures transform a minor and easily concealed crime into a high stakes situation. Although we are told at one point that Stan's last name is Kowalski and wait patiently for him to scream "Stella", director John Duigan somehow resists the temptation to go there.

The just-under-the-surface depravity of the household is masked by the presence of a deaf child, nicely played by Mischa Barton. Barton gives a subtle non-verbal performance as the movie's only totally sympathetic character. Unfortunately, Duigan's script does not explore her motivations or how she has remained uncorrupted despite growing up in this environment. Instead the character is just an ethereal presence, helping to advance the story line but too distanced to really connect with the audience. Interestingly, when her parents "sign" to her they also say the words. Given the poor audio quality and inaudible dialogue it would have been useful for all the characters to "sign" their lines (after a few minutes of "Paranoid's" audio everyone can relate better to a deaf child).

Also helping to advance the story line is Kevin Whately who plays the Jimmy Stewart "Rear Window" character. He perfectly plays a voyeur who is the only one who genuinely cares for Chloe's wellbeing. He cares enough to risk exposure in order to save her. But in attempting to illustrate his binocular observations of Chloe's apartment the folks in post-production not only added the silly black circles around the binocular image but desaturated all the color from these views-duh!

Duigan is such a poor storyteller and his direction so laid back that he does generate any tension or suspense. But "Paranoid" is more tiring than boring, as you have to stay focused and work hard just to decipher what is happening in each scene (not because it is complicated but because it is so poorly illustrated). There are simply too many characters here and they are too unconventional, Duigan does not come close to giving us even one fully developed character. A good director would have used behaviors to complement dialogue but Duigan is too focused on style to provide any substance.

The movie has good production design style and a fair number of nice visual moments. Like the unexpected and very sudden change in Chloe's situation when Stan slips the handcuffs on her wrist. And later when Gordon (Ewen Bremer) seemingly brings a tray of toast to the handcuffed Chloe and then casually eats it himself without even offering it to her.

Even if you can follow what is supposed to be the final twist (Chloe's photographer boyfriend is the obsessive phone caller but Duigan's slips this revelation in so poorly that few will comprehend what he is showing), you just don't care because there so little character development or foreshadowing that it has no emotional impact.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Paranoid.......2004-05-25

This was one of the worst movies I've ever seen Jessica Alba in. Even her acting was poor. But then, I can't blame the girl. They didn't give her any good stuff to work with. She's a good actress, but sometimes, even that can't change the fact it was a crappy movie.

It's very predictible and boring too. I don't need much to be entertained, but really, this is really bad. The story itself wasn't all that bad. Actually, it could've turned out to be a good movie, but it didn't. That's a shame.

If you're an Alba fan, you could go and watch this movie, (she can't help it; she's always beautiful) but I don't recommend it. Buy Dark Angel season one and season 2 instead.

Disappointing "thriller".......2004-04-23

The DVD box promised me a disturbing psychosexual thriller. Instead, the actual film (which was released direct-to-video in the US) consists of marginally creepy British characters boring Jessica Alba to tears in a secluded English mansion. Alba turns in an indifferent, awkward perfomance and I can't blame her. In fact I felt sorry for the poor girl. If I had trouble staying interested in a film like this for less than 2 hours, I can imagine how tedious it must have been to work on this wreck. It's a dull, pointless yawner.

Okay movie.......2004-01-21

The movie itself is okay. It's perhaps too predictable. Not particularly memorable, although Jessica Alba fans will probably like it.
Mastering of the DVD was very poor. It's fullscreen only, black levels, color, and contrast are terrible. It is closer to VHS quality than DVD quality.

Average customer rating:

Faye Dunaway, that's about it....
Oddly effective horror drama
NICE HORROR MOVIE !!!!
Good Creepy Horror Mystery With Nice Bizarre Undercurrents
I've seen better -- I've seen worse

Chronicle of the Raven
Starring: Gina Phillips , and Faye Dunaway
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Ring Around the Rosie [Region 99]
The Garden
When a Stranger Calls [Region 99]
Witch's Sabbath
The Eye

ASIN: B0007XBM1Q
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Product Description

Jennifer travels to Buenos Aires to claim inheritance of her recently deceased twin sister's house. Upon arrival, she is met by her grandmother who has cursed the family with a strange deadly illness that has taken the life of her parents, her sister and is now eating away at herself.

At night, Jennifer is haunted by sounds coming from a locked attic and dreams of a raven pecking at her flesh and removing her organs. Convince it is her grandmother's doing, she must fight to stay alive, destroy the evil, and free her family's souls from the curse.

DVD FEATURES

Full Screen

2.0 Dolby Surround

Writer/Director Commentary with Gina Philips and Faye Dunaway

Spanish Subtitles

System Requirements:

Running Time 90 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Faye Dunaway, that's about it...........2007-03-19

I won't bore you with the plot writing, it's mainstream, and it's so convoluted it makes little to no sense. I will say that the photography was grand. The cinematography and camera angles were thoughtful and overtly artistic and pleasing. The film used puts one in mind of "Dolores Claiborne" in the way Taylor Hackford utilized the darker film in the more "depressive" scenes. Dunaway is superb, as usual. She's convincing and isn't given enough screen time. I'm surprised she took this film, to be honest, it doesn't give her much highlight. She's wonderful, the rest of the cast is so-so. This film shows that without a great foundation, the script, ANY film will flop. Run, don't walk, from this mix of words and sentences. There is no beginning and no end to this horribly written film.

Oddly effective horror drama.......2007-01-26

A no-name cast surrounds aging Faye Dunaway in "Chronicle of the Raven", a horror film that appears psychological in the beginning but shows as it unfolds that is it pretty mainstream stuff.

Dunaway is the aging matriarch residing in a South American mansion that granddaughter Jennifer (Gina Phillips) is determined to sell. After Jenny's twin sister (the owner) dies mysteriously, she moseys on down to Buenos Aires to inherit the place and sell it. Another aging relative, an aunt, and Granny Dunaway reside there. Granny doesn't want to give the place up.

Weird stuff begins happening during Jennifer's first night in the place. She begins having nightmares about a bird pecking away at her innards. Then she awakens to realistic dreams of being tied in bed while a raven chews on her guts.

The whole thing is an obvious paramour to the Prometheus legend -- Prometheus defied the gods by doing the people's duty and, for that, he was chained to the side of a mountain where an eagle would come every day and eat out his guts.

I thought the treatment kind of hokey when the flick opened. However, the atmospheric film noiry treatment inside the old house mated to the otherworldly characters, creaky floors and stairs, and oddball goings on, kept me involved from the beginning. It ganis a new more interesting dimension when an old man, a caretaker at the cemetary where Jenny's sister lies in state, comes calling and successfully tells Jennifer what's going on in her head at night.

"Chronicle of the Raven" won't go down as one of the great horror films of history but it has enough going on -- including a very sinister characterization by Dunaway -- that you'll stay with it to the end. The movie fits in the midrange of horror films and is good fare for a Thursday night at home with the TV.

NICE HORROR MOVIE !!!!.......2007-01-22

Shot entirely in Buenos Aires-Agentina (my natal city, though there's no actual clue to the fact unless you've been born there)with a mixed cast of american and argie actors, this is a very entertained horror flick in the vein of Poe's/Lovecraft's. In spite of being a typical b-movie with a central character played by a declining famous actress (Faye Dunaway) to up the ante a little, the plot is very good and will keep you on edge till the very (and utterly surprising) ending.The guy below who criticizes Duillio Marzio's accent and praises Niclas Pauls's has evidently never bothered to study a second language. I was amazed at this veteran argie actor's perfomance and apalled at Nicholas Pauls's. The picture is bright and sharp, the movie is superbly edited in a local studio by a young talent called Pablo Ratto, whose labor enhances the final result to no little amount. Picture is a refreshing 4:3, which us owners of conventional TVs are grateful for. Sound is clean and strong with a 5.1 option, unusual on this kind of budget films. There are some minor flaws to the sound and picture, though; dialogue goes noticeably louder during the last 2 chapters and picture shifts from color-saturated to somewhat washed down on some parts when the scenes change but I guess it'll be only me who'll notice that.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDABLE !!!

Good Creepy Horror Mystery With Nice Bizarre Undercurrents.......2006-02-12

Although in the first couple of minutes the obviously low budget of "Chronicle Of The Raven" (aka "Jennifer's Shadow") and the pitfalls it threatens to create threaten to derail the movie, it very quickly becomes so absorbing that any technical shortcomings are forgotten. A young woman played by Gina Phillips arrives in Argentina to claim the house willed to her by her recently deceased twin sister, dead of the same wasting/vitality-draining disease that seems to haunt much of the family like a curse and that previously claimed the twins's parents. Currently residing in the house are Phillips's estranged grandmother (played by Faye Dunaway), a housekeeper, and Phillips's aunt Emma, who's currently succumbing to the same malady. Phillips begins to exhibit what may be early signs of this ailment, but that may be the least of her worries, as coming with this 'family curse' seem to be all the trappings of hauntings and supernatural manifestations. The thrust of the movie is delving deeper and deeper into the strange and increasingly frightening nature of this bizarre bane. A great horror mystery similar in atmosphere to the original "Amityville Horror", "Trauma", "Seven Days To Live" and "The Omen", helped along by strong performances - especially Phillips and Hilda Bernard in a small but important role as her aunt Emma. Once again, the poor ol' raven - in the tradition of Poe, King, et al. - gets cast in a sinister role; it works well but just to be different couldn't somebody make a horror movie one of these days where a raven or bat or something gets to play a good guy, er, good critter? At least the little feathered fellow gets to star in some great tales, both written and filmed.

I've seen better -- I've seen worse.......2005-12-18

I don't particularly care for movies where I have to guess what the heck is going on. I like to follow along and at least have some idea of what the lead character is up against. I thought the acting was good, the characters (Gina Phillips and Faye Dunaway) were both good in their roles, but there just wasn't enough meat in their rolls for their talents to shine.

Average customer rating:

Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary
Solid British Thriller
The roll of dice
Clive Owen at this best!
A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair

Croupier
Starring: Clive Owen , Nick Reding , Nicholas Ball , Alexander Morton , and Barnaby Kay
Director: Mike Hodges
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2
Greenfingers [Region 99]
Close My Eyes
Bent

ASIN: B000065KCD

Amazon.com

Album Description

Import only NTSC/Region 1 DVD. 1998 film directed by Mikewriter who gets more than he bargained for when he takes a job at a casino in order to gather material for a novel. As he falls deeper into his life as a dealer, he finds himself becoming the wretch

Customer Reviews:

Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary.......2007-04-21

Solid British Thriller.......2007-01-26

The roll of dice.......2007-01-06

Clive Owen at this best!.......2007-01-05

A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair.......2006-12-07

Average customer rating:

Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary
Solid British Thriller
The roll of dice
Clive Owen at this best!
A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair

Croupier [Region 2]
Starring: Clive Owen , Nick Reding , Nicholas Ball , Alexander Morton , and Barnaby Kay
Director: Mike Hodges
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2
Greenfingers [Region 99]
Close My Eyes
Bent

ASIN: B00005AFNT

Amazon.com

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary.......2007-04-21

Solid British Thriller.......2007-01-26

The roll of dice.......2007-01-06

Clive Owen at this best!.......2007-01-05

A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair.......2006-12-07

Average customer rating:

NEVER name a movie with a verb
CREATIVE CAMERAWORK IS LARGELY FOR NAUGHT.

Flinch
Starring: Judd Nelson , Gina Gershon , Nick Mancuso , Frank Cassini , and Marilyn Norry
Director: George Erschbamer
Manufacturer: Abc Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Airlie, Andrew | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gershon, Gina | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Nelson, Judd | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Turner, Frank C | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Erschbamer, George | ( E ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video
ASIN: 6303255019
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Customer Reviews:

NEVER name a movie with a verb.......2006-07-26

This is a movie that DOES make you flinch.It's THAT bad.Gina Gershon,who had dubious fame for being in "Showgirls"&had a brief role in "The Insider",stars a "living mannequin." When she&Harry (Judd Nelson,FINALLY playing a good guy for once)witness a murder,a whodunit is afoot.

This movie is engrossing because it's soooo bad.It also introduces a new type of villain:THE EVIL SCULPTOR!

CREATIVE CAMERAWORK IS LARGELY FOR NAUGHT........2005-01-27

Intended as light entertainment, this film is indeed successful as such during its first half, but then succumbs to a rapidly foundering script that drops it down. Harry (Judd Nelson), a "reformed" burglar, and Daphne (Gina Gershon), an aspiring actress, are employed as live window mannequins at a department store where one evening they are late in leaving and are locked within, whereupon they witness, from their less than protective glass observation point, an apparent homicide occurring on the street. The ostensible murderer, Miles Raymond (Nick Mancuso), a local sculptor, returns the following day to observe the mannequins since he realizes that they are the only possible witnesses to the prior night's violent event and, when one of the posing pair "flinches", the fun begins. Daphne and Harry report their observations at a local police station, but when the detective taking a crime report remembers Harry's criminal background, he becomes cynical. There are a great many ways in which a film can become hackneyed, and this one manages to utilize most of them, including an obligatory slow motion bedroom scene of passion. A low budget affair shot in Vancouver, even police procedural aspects are displayed by rote. The always capable Gershon tries to make something of her role, but Mancuso is incredibly histrionic, bizzarely so, as he attacks his lines with an obvious loose rein. Although the film sags into nonsense, cinematographer Glen MacPherson prefers to not follow suit, as he sets up with camera and lighting some splendidly realised compositions that a viewer may focus upon while ignoring plot holes and witless dialogue. A well-crafted score, appropriately based upon the action, is contributed by Hal Beckett. The mentioned dialogue is initially somewhat fresh and delivered well in a bantering manner by Nelson and Gershon, but in a subsequent context of flawed continuity and logic, predictability takes over. The direction reflects a lack of original ideas or point of view, and post-production flaws set the work back farther than should be expected for a basic thriller.

Average customer rating:

Breaking Free
Starring: Jeremy London , Gina Phillips , Megan Gallagher , Adam Wylie , and Christine Taylor
Director: David Mackay
Manufacturer: Feature Films For Families
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Summer in Crocus Jake and the Kid - Feature Films for Families

ASIN: B00020O25W

Product Description

Instead of tearing peole down said Annie, director of a camp for blind kids, "try to build them up....what happens when Annie talks officer Mac Lawton into letting her hire Rick, a juvenile delinquent....

Average customer rating:

Chronicle Of the Raven
Starring: Gina Phillips , and Faye Dunaway
Manufacturer: Lions Gate/Artisan
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Dunaway, Faye | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

General | Horror | Genres | VHS | Video

Description

American actress Jennifer Cassi (Gina Philips) travels to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to claim inheritance of her recently deceased twin sister's house, only to find herself in conflict against her grandmother Mary Ellen (Faye Dunaway). Jennifer soon realizes she has an illness that has taken the lives of her family, painfully caused by ravens coming into her dreams and stealing her organs. Convinced it is her grandmother's doing, she must try to stay alive and destroy the evil consuming her.

Actress:

Actress

Actress