Honor Blackman

Average customer rating:

loved it
Good But Not Great Version
the BEST Bond movie IMHO
Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer
One Of The Best of Connery As Bond

Goldfinger
Starring: Sean Connery , Honor Blackman , Gert Fröbe , Shirley Eaton , and Tania Mallet
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Thunderball
Dr. No (Special Edition)
From Russia With Love
The Spy Who Loved Me
Never Say Never Again

ASIN: B000M53GMC
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com essential video

Dry as ice, dripping with deadpan witticisms, only Sean Connery's Bond would dare disparage the Beatles, that other 1964 phenomenon. No one but Connery can believably seduce women so effortlessly, kill with almost as much ease, and then pull another bottle of Dom Perignon '53 out of the fridge. Goldfinger contains many of the most memorable scenes in the Bond series: gorgeous Shirley Eaton (as Jill Masterson) coated in gold paint by evil Auric Goldfinger and deposited in Bond's bed; silent Oddjob, flipping a razor-sharp derby like a Frisbee to sever heads; our hero spread-eagle on a table while a laser beam moves threateningly toward his crotch. Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore is the prototype for the series' rash of man-hating supermodels. And Desmond Llewelyn reprises his role as Q, giving Bond what is still his most impressive car, a snazzy little number that fires off smoke screens, punctures the tires of vehicles on the chase, and boasts a handy ejector seat. Goldfinger's two climaxes, inside Fort Knox and aboard a private plane, have to be seen to be believed. --Raphael Shargel

Amazon.com

To own Goldfinger (1964) on digital video disc is to have at your fingertips the proof that Sean Connery is the definitive James Bond. Dry as ice, dripping with deadpan witticisms, only Connery's Bond would dare disparage the Beatles, that other 1964 phenomenon. No one but Connery can believably seduce women so effortlessly, kill with almost as much ease, and then pull another bottle of Dom Perignon '53 out of the fridge. Goldfinger contains many of the most memorable scenes in the Bond series: gorgeous Shirley Eaton (as Jill Masterson) coated in gold paint by evil Auric Goldfinger and deposited in Bond's bed; silent Oddjob, flipping a razor-sharp derby like a Frisbee to sever heads; our hero spread-eagle on a table while a laser beam moves threateningly toward his crotch. Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore is the prototype for the series' rash of man-hating supermodels. And Desmond Llewelyn makes his first appearance as Q, giving Bond what is still his most impressive car, a snazzy little number that fires off smoke screens, punctures the tires of vehicles on the chase, and boasts a handy ejector seat. Goldfinger's two climaxes, inside Fort Knox and aboard a private plane, have to be seen to be believed. --Raphael Shargel

Description

From the opening bomb blast outside a steamy nightclub to a last-minute escape from the president's personal jet, James Bond's third screen adventure is an exhilarating, pulse-pounding thrill-ride! Sean Connery takes command as Agent 007 and faces off wit

Customer Reviews:

loved it.......2007-06-14

One of my favorite Bond films, a classic.

Good But Not Great Version.......2007-06-04

This is an all-time great movie achievement. The film, made against considerable constraints of budget, accomplishes a sustained mood which is hard to match.

My concern is this DVD production. The film itself has not been fully restored; you see scratches and "blips" which are no longer acceptable in our era of restoration techniques.

And also the commentaries are not as good as we've come to expect. While they are fairly informative, they suffer from a degree of hyperbole which detracts from their credibility. Yes, it is a great movie, all right, but some comments assert that "in all cinema history..." which sounds more like hype.

Which this movie does not need. To say it's the "best of all the Bonds" would not be hype in my view - just something like the truth. You gotta have it...

the BEST Bond movie IMHO.......2007-04-14

I'll make this short and sweet - this is by far the BEST Bond movie of them all, IMHO. Excellent work by Connery and the rest of the cast.

Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer.......2007-04-11

This is the version to get -- it doesn't contain the extras that the multi-movie box set includes, but I found those extras rather cheesy for Goldfinger, so don't fret about it.

The video starts off rather grainy in the first night scene, but seconds after that, the 1.66:1 picture is a revelation in restored video, with crisp, vibrant colors and high-quality resolution (for standard DVD).

One Of The Best of Connery As Bond.......2007-04-07

This is a must have for Bond enthusiasts. This movie put Bond over the top.

Average customer rating:

One of the old classics
ANOTHER HARRYHAUSEN CLASSIC
Jason, Hercules. . . and his argonauts
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST TOLD VERSION OF THIS STORY !
"Jason"

Jason and the Argonauts
Starring: Todd Armstrong , Nancy Kovack , Gary Raymond , Laurence Naismith , and Niall MacGinnis
Director: Don Chaffey
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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Clash of the Titans
The Sinbad Collection (7th Voyage / Golden Voyage / Eye of the Tiger)
Mysterious Island (1961) (Ws) [Region 99]
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Jason and the Argonauts

ASIN: 0767810864
Release Date: 1998-07-14

Amazon.com essential video

Arguably the most intelligently written film to feature the masterful stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen, Jason and the Argonauts is a colorful adventure that takes full advantage of Harryhausen's "Dynarama" process. Inspired by the Greek myth, the story begins when the fearless explorer Jason (Todd Armstrong) returns to the kingdom of Thessaly to make his rightful claim to the throne, but the gods proclaim that he must first find the magical Golden Fleece. Consulting Hera, the queen of gods, Jason recruits the brave Argonauts to crew his ship, and they embark on their eventful journey. Along the way they encounter a variety of mythic creatures, including the 100-foot bronze god Talos, the batlike Harpies, the seven-headed reptilian Hydra, and an army of skeletons wielding sword and shield. This last sequence remains one of the finest that Harryhausen ever created, and it's still as thrilling as anything from the age of digital special effects. Harryhausen was the true auteur of his fantasy films, and his brilliant animation evokes a timeless sense of wonder. Jason and the Argonauts is a prime showcase for Harryhausen's talent--a wondrous product of pure imagination and filmmaking ingenuity. The DVD contains an informative interview with Harryhausen by filmmaker John Landis. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

One of the old classics.......2007-03-11

There is no way you can go wrong with this movie.....highly entertaining.

ANOTHER HARRYHAUSEN CLASSIC.......2007-03-08

This is another fine example of the incredible body of work the Master Ray Harryhausen has to offer. The dreaded 7 headed hydra and the famous 7 skeleton sword fight are two of the many highlights in this film. The DVD transfer could have been better, but there are some nice extras.

Jason, Hercules. . . and his argonauts.......2007-02-17

Not only does this one have rollicking special effects by the master Harryhausen, but it is quite intelligent in delivery. The negotiations between the gods of Mt. Olympus, Jason and his people leave you wondering if real life actually works that way. Are the gods that watch over us, playing us like pawns? Who knows, but Jason, who arrives personally to Mt. Olympus and discusses his longing to find the "golden fleece", then finds the paths that the gods bestow to the ends of the earth.
Wonderful movie, fine cast, believable effects, and astounding score by Bernard Herrmann, the John Williams of his day.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST TOLD VERSION OF THIS STORY !.......2007-01-25

IF YOU LIKE THIS KIND OF STORY THIS IS THE BEST TOLD VERSION WITH THESE'S ACTOR'S IF THEY HAVE A BETTER ONE OTHER THERE I NEVER SAW IT AND I SEEN LOT'S OF MOVIE'S ! ... P.S. SOME OF THE BEST SCI/FI F/X OF IT'S TIME !

"Jason".......2007-01-10

I am pleased with my DVD. It's so nice to be able to watch this whenever
I want, and not try to catch it on television, if they decide to show it.
You don't realize how convenient it is, until you have it.

The Fantastic Films of Ray Harryhausen - Legendary Monster Series (Jason and the Argonauts / The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad / The Golden Voyage of Sinbad / Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger / The 3 Worlds of Gulliver) [Region 99]

Average customer rating:

A must for the avid fan's
Harryhausen Rules !!
Harryhausen is king.
A must for Sci-Fi enthusiasts
"All of Sinbad"

The Fantastic Films of Ray Harryhausen - Legendary Monster Series (Jason and the Argonauts / The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad / The Golden Voyage of Sinbad / Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger / The 3 Worlds of Gulliver) [Region 99]
Starring: Todd Armstrong , Nancy Kovack , Gary Raymond , Laurence Naismith , and Niall MacGinnis
Director: Don Chaffey , Nathan Juran , and Gordon Hessler
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Fantastic Films of Ray Harryhausen - Legendary Science Fiction Series (It Came from Beneath the Sea / Earth vs. the Flying Saucers / 20 Million Miles to Earth / Mysterious Island / H.G. Wells' First Men in the Moon) [Region 99]
Clash of the Titans
Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection
Journey to Center of the Earth
Forbidden Planet (Ultimate Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B00069L0X6
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Customer Reviews:

A must for the avid fan's.......2007-05-19

Great movie selections, old fashioned camera tricks, if you missed the good old days or just waana relive the memories of your childhood, watching these movies really do remind me of my simple and fun days as a kid.

They're not bad at all, they are classics and worth to be in your DVD collections.

Harryhausen Rules !!.......2007-05-16

It's always fun to watch Ray Harryhausen's films. Stop animation is all but a lost art because of computer graphics. CG is cool too, but there's a nostalgia with stop animation. Save for Tim Burton and the Wallace and Gromit folks, no one is doing it anymore and I think it's so much fun to watch. All of the movies in this Harryhausen set are worth watching. The best one is Jason and the Argonauts. It's also fun seeing that at the end of all the Sinbad movies, two creatures always duke it out while Sinbad and his crew are trying to get away. So grab your popcorn and have a nostalgic movie night with this set!

Harryhausen is king........2007-05-15

The man gets a plug in Monsters Inc. What more can I add.

A must for Sci-Fi enthusiasts.......2007-01-15

My family grew up watching these movies.I purchased this series right before the holidays and it was really fun watching the younger kids faces light up as they watched for the first time at our family Christmas party. I'm sure we will get hours of enjoyment out of this "fantastic" collection.

"All of Sinbad".......2007-01-10

I was very pleased with my purchase. I am a fan of "Sinbad" and was so
happy to get this. It's so nice to be able to watch any time I want.
Any "Sinbad" fans would do well to order this product.

Average customer rating:

Jack goes back!
Jack in the Beanstock the Real Story
Better than the fictional version
A cool twist on an old tale
The Real Review

Jack and the Beanstalk - The Real Story
Starring: Richard Attenborough , Bill Barretta , Nicholas Beveney , Honor Blackman , and Roger Blake
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
The 10th Kingdom
The Snow Queen
Snow White - The Fairest of Them All
Arabian Nights

ASIN: B00005UW87
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Amazon.com

This ambitious miniseries begins with Jack's descendant (Matthew Modine) and works its way backward to the story of the original young man and the beanstalk. Because the first Jack used that towering vine to steal a giant's magic goose and harp, an entire world was reduced to poverty and a bloodline was cursed--all Robinson men die in their 40s, and the modern-day Jack is around that age. Fortunately, Ondine (Mia Sara), a visitor from the giant's alternative reality, has a plan. If she and Jack can recover the stolen items in time, they may be able to solve both problems. The made-for-TV movie boasts top stars (including Vanessa Redgrave and Jon Voight) and Jim Henson's Creature Shop's nifty special effects. Although children younger than 10 may find the complex narrative confusing and the implied violence scary, Jack and the Beanstalk is an inventive retelling that adds new life to an old story. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Jack goes back!.......2007-06-08

This was a fun movie that Hallmark Entertainment put out for family TV. The graphics in the modern day "giant land" were excellent and the story takes a surprising twist as the movie goes on (although Jack's friend and advisor turned out to be somewhat predictable). Probably not a good choice for small kids, although my five year old enjoyed it. She has older brothers who watch Star Wars movies and others of that ilk, so this was probably pretty tame for her. The giant and a small amount of insinuated violence might be a little scary for some little ones, but others might do just fine. I give it a B+.

Jack in the Beanstock the Real Story.......2007-05-13

A must see. Story is really intreging and fun.

Better than the fictional version.......2007-05-05

Really.... a must have for the characters, scenery and up to date plot.

A cool twist on an old tale.......2007-03-21

This movie has been a favorite of my family since it first aired. I love how they tie in financial responsibility and an old fairy tale. The twist making the giant the good guy was and showing Jack for the theif he always was is great. I love Vanessa Redgrave's part; her ability to show dignity on screen was clear. Jon Voight's comedic side was also apparent in his role.

That said, the plot is very slow, particularly in the beginning. I also think the ending was a bit abrupt. Personally, I would have liked to see more of the giants world. Overall, though, I would definitly recommend this to families with kids over 8 (younger children may not have the attention span needed for the slow plot).

The Real Review.......2007-03-10

Plain and simple, this is a new take on an old story. It is clever and inventive, though perhaps a little slow moving. There's not a lot of action, and the emotional content is a little lacking, not to mention a ridiculous accent from Jon Voight. And yet I really liked this story. The flash backs shown through different people's perspectives keeps you guessing, and the special effects are well done. This is just a fun tale, though I think it might bore younger children.

Average customer rating:

Rarity released on DVD
Strict sequential order, finally!
Honor Blackman? No, the EXQUISITE Honor Blackman!
The Avengers '62 DVD Set
All good things come to an end....

The Avengers '62 - Complete Set
Starring: Honor Blackman
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Avengers - Vol. 17 of The Complete Emma Peel Megaset Collector's Edition
The Avengers '63, Set 1
The Avengers - '63 Set 3
The Avengers '63, Set 2
The Avengers - '63 Set 4

ASIN: B00007J6DM
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Product Description

Before Mrs. Emma Peel joined the team and before THE AVENGERS came to America, Mr. Steed (Patrick Macnee) was a familiar figure on the British telly, pursuing his crime-fighting career alongside a shifting cast of sidekicks.

During THE AVENGERS' second season, Steed was busy at work with Dr. Martin King, a beguiling jazz singer named Venus Smith, and the beautiful anthropologist Mrs. Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman). With Cathy onboard, that elusive chemistry was just right, and THE AVENGERS was well on its way to achieving cult phenomenon status.

Go back to the beginning of THE AVENGERS with these 14 seminal episodes from the show's second season:
Mr. Teddy Bear giPropellant 23 giThe Decapod giBullseye giMission to Montreal giThe Removal Men giThe Mauritius Penny giDeath of a Great Dane giThe Sell-Out giDeath on the Rocks giTraitor in Zebra giThe Big Thinker giDeath Dispatch giDead On Course

System Requirements:
<Li>Running Time 728 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Rarity released on DVD.......2007-01-10

Pls note that the 5 stars has been mostly given for the rarity of the issue of the material on these DVDs. Back in these early days of television, shows were videotaped and the tapes were then wiped to tape further shows. Obviously, there was no belief that the original recording of these tapes should be kept for prosperity as no household had a tape or recording machine. Hence why I rate this release so highly. These truly are a find!

Thru the release of this DVD box set, we are able to view the seed of what blossomed into a cult series. Honor Blackman was unique amongst the Avengers girls. Her relationship with Steed is different from the femme fatales he was later to engage with in fighting crime. Unlike later female partners, Honor often berated Steed for endangering her in certain situations. Steed himself was a bit more roguish and not as smooth as his later incarnations thru the 60's and 70's. However, pls note that Honor does not appear in all the episodes.

However, first timers to the Avengers canon should realise that this is very much a diamond in the rough. Production values and sets are basic, rehearsals kept to a minimum therefore mistakes/line fluffs etc occur often and the fighting choreography is fairly poor. However, it's through this rawness that you can see the quality of material which would later be polished into the cult series it became and still is.

This is one of those moments when you can apply the adage - "Nostalgia at it's best".

Strict sequential order, finally!.......2007-01-04

Unlike the other Cathy Gale DVD sets, this one presents all the year's episodes in strict order(which is a bit of a no-brainer, seeing as only 2 and 1/3 of the 1st season's eps exist). Also unlike the other sets, the 1962 episodes were NOT digitally remastered, meaning that you will see some visual imperfections, aside from the technical ones that existed in these eps from the beginning. The stories themselves are very good(But require quite a bit of viewer patience);"Mr. Teddy Bear" in particular stands right alongside the best of the Mrs. Peel stories. Grit your teeth during Venus Smith's interminable singing and Martin King's sleep-inducing character and you'll be OK.

Honor Blackman? No, the EXQUISITE Honor Blackman!.......2006-05-23

Watching Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale makes one thing clear: I was born a half-century too late. Why can't I find a girl like that?

Anyway, this set of early Avengers episodes is really most valuable (to me) because it's the genesis of the Cathy Gale years, which is where the Avengers begin for me. The episodes are certainly crude compared to later episodes during the Emma Peel years, but they nonetheless possess their own raw power that the more polished shows somehow lacked. The lack of retakes gives the acting a rough, natural edge that serves the more serious (by Avengers standards) scripts quite well.

For fans of the later, more famous Avengers episodes, these early shows can serve as both an embellishment of the Avengers' quirky sense of adventure and a counterpoint to the more whimsical nature of latter years.

Recommended!

The Avengers '62 DVD Set.......2006-05-06

I have been waiting on this release,of Honor Blackman's first season as Cathy Gale or Doctor Catherine Gale,to gave her proper title in "The Avengers" for a while now,so thanks A&E for releasing the first fourteen episodes of this second season of this classic show.
Sadly,of the first season pairing,of Patrick Macnee and Ian Hendry as John Steed and Dr.David Keel only two complete episodes survive(one of which is the recently rediscovered "Girl On The Trapeze" which doesn't feature Steed)and the first reel of the first episode "Hot Snow" out of the 26 episodes made.
Honor Blackman replaced Ian Hendry after he decided to move on to movies and Honor is excellent as the cool,highly intelligent Cathy Gale who really liberated women on television by showing herself to be as equally intelligent and capable as Steed and the fact,Cathy could protect herself by throwing a man over her shoulder and fight back,sent the ratings threw the roof and without Honor's great success,there would have been no Emma Peel,Tara King,Purdey and several other strong woman characters in the Bond films,Honor of course going on to be Pussygalore in "Goldfinger".
Honor Blackman's first filmed episode was "Death Dispatch"
and she was told after it,not to smile as much and be cooler and indeed,in "Death Dispatch",Steed and Cathy are more like Emma Peel and Steed would later be,Cathy doesn't do any fighting in that story but it comes in right after that.
What I like about Cathy Gale is,that unlike the "Avengers"ladies that follow,she really can give Steed a telling off when he deserves it and Steed is a lot more darker and manipulates people a lot more(especially poor Venus Smith,) than he would do with Emma Peel etc.
Cathy really cares about people,in her first screened story "Mr.Teddy Bear" when a young man is killed,she gets very angry at Steed as she feels the young man was used as bait to get at the villian of the piece,at the cost of his life.
I remember being very annoyed at a TV channel in the 90s,it did a feature on "The Avengers"and although it showed a clip of Cathy Gale in the trailer,all the other clips were of Emma Peel and Tara King,Cathy Gale is terrific and athough the pairing of Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee is the best remembered of "The Avengers",the pairing of Honor Blackman and Patrick Macnee was heaven sent too!
Steed has two other co-Avengers in the 2nd season,Dr.Martin King,Jon Rollason who features in just three episodes,made before Honor Blackman started work and it was just a stop gap between Ian Hendry and Honor Blackman.
The Rollason stories are actually very good although Rollason is very quietly spoken and several rewinds on the DVD are required to pick up his dialogue,the best one of his stories is "Mission To Montreal"where he develops a crush on an actress Carla Berotti,a great performance by Patricia English,who is near to hysterics the whole episode.
There's not a great rapport between King and Steed but in fairness to Jon Rollason,the writers were using scripts leftover from the first season and the fact Jon Rollason isn't in the opening credits of his stories,shows his time was meant to be brief on the show.
Venus Smith played by Julie Stevens is the third co-Avenger in this second season and her character was created before Ian Hendry was leaving the show and had he stayed on,he would have alternated with Venus Smith.
I really like Julie Stevens potrayal,Venus is very likeable but so naive,and not as sophisticated as Cathy and is in the mould of the helpless female but she does hit one of the villians' in a painful spot in "The Removal Men".
Venus'singing is really good and brings a touch of glamour to the show,in a defferent way to Cathy Gale,she only features in two episodes of this disc and did another four in this season and then that was it,as Julie Stevens left the show to have a baby,it would have been nice to see Venus appear in a later story but it didn't happen.
Partick Macnee really made "The Avengers" as we all know,he brings great style,he can be menacing when required in these early stories and yet,always has a twinkle in his eye at the right time too!
Bring on the other 12 episodes of season 2 very soon,please!

All good things come to an end...........2006-04-27

This is the final release from A&E of the classic British TV series The Avengers, bringing to a close the episodes from season 2, dating all the way back to 1962. For all the fans of The Avengers familiar with the Emma Peel and Tara King eras of the show, these early episodes featuring Cathy Gale and Venus Smith may come as something of a disappointment. In fact, fans of the later shows may find it hard to believe that they are even part of the same TV series!

After the initial run of 26 episodes featuring Doctor David Keel and his cohort John Steed had aired in the UK in 1961/62, the producers of the program opted to bring Steed to the forefront of the action and give him a number of different "assistants," the intention being that Dr. Keel would be one of these. However, Ian Hendry decided not to continue in the role. Thus, for season two, 26 further episodes were made and broadcast in 1962/63 featuring Steed abetted by Martin King, Venus Smith or Cathy Gale. Dr. King was in fact a temporary character to get the show back in production after a strike had shut down the studios and he's simply a renamed and re-cast version of Dr. Keel. Watching his episodes, it's something of a relief that he was such a temporary character! Mrs. Gale turned out to be the most popular and successful foil for the suave agent, and the other characters did not return after this season. Unlike the later Peel/King stories which were all made on film, these studio based TV shows are much more reliant on dialogue and plot than visual elements, and can be somewhat heavy going as a result.

In fairly typical TV production style of the day, the sets are extremely small and sparse; the direction a little slap-hazard; Camera work wobbly; Sound is extremely poor; and the acting is variable to say the least. Patrick Macnee can barely get through an episode without some kind of blunder, but with no budget for editing or re-shooting, all the actor's fluffs and goofs stayed in. Steed's character is far less suave and sophisticated then he became later during his familiar role alongside Mrs. Peel. His bowler hat is only occasionally used and the smart three-piece suit `look' is only intermittent. He appears rather callous and calculating in many stories and the dashing debonair Steed of later years is only sometimes visible. His relationship with Mrs. Gale (who he often calls "Cathy") in particular is at first downright hostile with very little warmth between the two. He seems to get along much better with Miss Venus Smith, a night club singer who he engages at various gigs to act as his eyes and ears. Venus is a very odd character, and played strangely, but enthusiastically by Julie Stevens. On her two outings on these discs, she seems much older and more sophisticated than her later four appearances in the 1963 set. There she looks about 12, sings like she's 40, and dresses like anything in between. She also seems extremely na?ve and it's hard to imagine why Steed engages her to help him at all. The far more intelligent and elegant Mrs. Gale does eventually warm up to Steed, and in the later seasons where she is the exclusive companion to him, their relationship develops nicely and they become much warmer and closer to each other.

The quality of the DVD's is not too disappointing, even accounting for the age of the material and the production values mentioned above. It certainly appears that A&E have made more of an effort to re-master the original tapes then they did with the later Gale stories, but the flaws, jumps, scratches and sound blips on the master tapes are too numerous to mention. Possibly the biggest problem is sound, which at times can be inaudible. One error worthy of note is in the packaging itself. The sleeves state that "Traitor in Zebra" appears on disc 4, when it actually is included on disc 3. Perhaps making this set more of a collectors item as future re-issues may correct the problem. The on screen menus and titles are done very well indeed.

As a big fan of the series, I wouldn't even consider not having these episodes in my collection, and they're certainly very special and sign post the way to later glory. But if you're looking for the wacky camp humor and the tele-fantasy of the Emma Peel

Average customer rating:

An anti-climactic swansong for Hammer horror
Another Minor Classic from Hammer's Final Days
The Film Itself -- Ehh. The "Making-Of" Documentary -- Outstanding
Hammer's Final Throw Of The Dice
Yeah, it is just Okay

To The Devil A Daughter
Starring: Anna Bentinck , Honor Blackman , Denholm Elliott , Derek Francis , and Michael Goodliffe
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Lust for a Vampire
Scars of Dracula
Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter
The Horror of Frankenstein
Dracula A.D. 1972

ASIN: B00005UW7N
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Customer Reviews:

An anti-climactic swansong for Hammer horror.......2007-06-19

To the Devil a Daughter was Hammer's last horror film, but it makes for a less than grand slice of guignol and pales in comparison to their earlier Dennis Wheatley adaptation, The Devil Rides Out. Richard Widmark is the imported American star battling Christopher Lee's Satanist while trying to protect Nastassja Kinski from becoming host to a demon, but despite a few good scenes the film never really makes much of its premise and the ending is one of the biggest anticlimaxes in the history of horror.

The best part of it is the excellent documentary on the Anchor Bay DVD, which is surprisingly frank about the film's shortcomings - including that non-ending - and Richard Widmark's tantrums on the set. Anchor Bay's transfer is also surprisingly good: unlike the cold and slightly shoddy looking TV prints, this really does David Watkins' cinematography a great service.

Another Minor Classic from Hammer's Final Days.......2007-05-25

"To the Devil..." is marred by a clumsy, rushed ending, but prior to the final four minutes, it's fairly stunning stuff. Hammer films were going out of fashion in the 1970's, but not necessarily for lack of quality. Some of the most experimental, daring stabs at literary, gothic horror came from this era of the studio. This film boasts a nice cast and is one of few films to explore black magic in a detailed and accurate manner. Based on the Dennis Wheatley novel.

Recommended for companion viewing to:
The Devil Rides Out
The Wicker Man (original only)
Demons of the Mind
Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter

The Film Itself -- Ehh. The "Making-Of" Documentary -- Outstanding .......2007-05-09

Occasionally I'm in the mood for an occult mystery/horror film like "Bay Cove," "The Devil Rides Out" (AKA "The Devil's Bride"), "Race with the Devil and (to a lesser extent) "Rosemary's Baby," which explains why I recently picked up this 1976 Hammer film "To The Devil A Daughter" (which was Hammer's answer to American horror hits like "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby"). Hey, with Nastassja Kinski, Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee and Honor Blackman in the cast, how can you go wrong?

THE STORY: In London, Richard Widmark plays an occult novelist who is asked to protect a man's daughter, a young nun (Kinski), from a cult of satanists led by a malevolent Christopher Lee, who possesses supernatural powers. They need her for some diabolical ritual.

The story is loosely based on the Dennis Wheatley novel. Wheatley was furious with the numerous changes and called the film "obscene."

WHAT WORKS: The picture pretty much maintains your interest as the mystery slowly progresses.

The London (and Germany) locations are excellent. They seemed to have more money to work with in this regard than most Hammer films. Speaking of Hammer, "To the Devil a Daughter" doesn't FEEL at all like a Hammer picture. Don't get me wrong, I love the unique, colorful ambiance of Hammer films, but this is a nice (and unsuspected) change.

For those who care, Kinski is shown completely naked from the front. Unfortunately Lee is also show in the nude, albeit from behind. One thing I never cared to see in my life was Christopher Lee's butt.

There's a fairly shocking, obscene "devil baby" sequence. I'm not sure yet if this scene fits or even makes sense (I'll have to see the film again to decide) but they did a good job with the infant F/X, at least for 1976.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Like I said, the mystery has a fairly good build-up but the ending somehow doesn't quite work. Yes, they throw in some bizarre things -- the aformentioned "devil baby" scene and a wild satanist orgy (which is more silly than shocking) -- but, I don't know, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. It should have ended with a bang (at least I expect it to), but it doesn't.

COMMENTARY: This was Hammer's penultimate film and their final horror picture. Surprisingly, "To the Devil a Daughter" was a hit and made lots of money (at least in Europe), but Hammer Studios had debts to pay and the film's success couldn't save them.

BOTTOM LINE: The film itself is just okay, so I can only barely recommend it to those interested in occult/mystery stories, Hammer and the actors involved. What makes this DVD worth picking up, believe it or not, is the excellent 24-minute "making-of" documentary that discusses the film and the demise of Hammer Studios; it's called "To the Devil... The Death of Hammer." The documenary includes interviews with Lee, Blackman, the director, the producer and many more. It's very informative and entertaining. By all accounts Widmark was arrogant and a real bastage to work with. The Hollywood star frequently insulted the English filmmakers (calling the picture a "Micky Mouse production"), walking off the set, arguing, brawling and kicking over expensive equipment (!!). Every aspect of the film is addressed, including changes from the novel, Wheatley's objections, the ending's failure, etc.

Hammer's Final Throw Of The Dice.......2006-12-27

It would be fair to say that Hammer were a little late catching the modern horror train in the 1970's. There response to such progressive films as "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was a series of curiously flat gothic retreads and a bungled attempt to place gothic iconography and characters in a modern setting. Horror continued to thrive in the UK in the first part of the 1970's despite the financial shortcomings of the British Film Industry and Hammer's total failure to tap into the modern zeitgeist beggars belief considering how well they did it in the late 1950's. Mismanagement aside their final horror entry returned them to the stuffy bourgeious world of Dennis Wheatley and like their previous adaptation "The Devil Rides Out", "To the Devil: A Daughter" just about succeeds. It succeeds because it is trading in a crisis in Christianity which had been highlighted in two huge commercial hits "The Exorcist" and "The Omen". The subject matter was popular amongst audiences, the treatment by Christopher Wicking is typically convoluted (as anyone who has seen "Scream and Scream Again" will testify). Director Peter Sykes however shoots some impressive London landmarks and proudly pushes Hammer into the modern world. Rather than being anachronistic, Christopher Lee produces one of his most consistently chilling performances which is important because Richard Widemark is terribly miscast as occult novelist John Verney. The film generally suffers from visual flatness which makes the occasional burst of violence and special effects more impressive. The films conclusion however is something of a let down.

Yeah, it is just Okay.......2006-08-19

Richard Widmark and Nastassja Kinski do a very good job in their respective roles and the pacing creates some decent tension throughout most of it, but it does fall a little short of succeeding as Hammer's rival to "The Exorcist" or "Rosemary's Baby." There are a couple scenes that more or less ruined this for me: 1) The Satanists' orgy scene in the graveyard has not held up well and is more amusing than terrifying; and, 2) The climactic scene at the finale features some not-so-special effects, which really detracts from much of what had been established in the movie. Recognizing their limitations, the filmmakers should have been more judicious in planning this scene. I have nothing against a film attempting to cash in on the success of another as long as the result at least as good as the source. What might have looked good on paper did not translate very well to film in a couple places. Overall I actually like the movie; I just wish those couple instances had been executed better.

A Night to Remember - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

One of the Best Titanic Movies
Cold hard facts,thrilling movie
What? No closed captioning? No subtitles?
Historical Accuracy
Great Movie

A Night to Remember - Criterion Collection
Starring: Kenneth More , Ronald Allen , Robert Ayres , Honor Blackman , and Anthony Bushell
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Titanic
National Geographic - Secrets of the Titanic
A Night to Remember
Titanic - The Complete Story
882 1/2 Amazing Answers To Your Questions About The Titanic

ASIN: 1559408685
Release Date: 1998-05-13

Amazon.com

Two years after Twentieth Century Fox released its melodramatic disaster film Titanic in 1953, Walter Lord's meticulously researched book A Night to Remember surprised its publishers by becoming a phenomenal bestseller. Lord had an intuition that readers craved the reality of the Titanic disaster, and not the romantically mythologized translations that relied on fictional characters to enhance the world's worst maritime disaster. Lord's book proved that truth is far more compelling than fiction. Three years after it appeared, the book was brought to the screen with the kind of riveting authenticity he had insisted upon in his own research. The 1958 British production of A Night to Remember remains a definitive dramatization of the disaster, adhering to the known facts of the time and achieving a documentary-like immediacy that matches (and in some ways surpasses) the James Cameron epic released 39 years later. The film erroneously perpetuates the once-common belief that Titanic sunk in one piece (instead of breaking in half as its bow began to plunge), but many other misconceptions are accurately corrected, and the intelligent screenplay by thrill-master Eric Ambler is a model of factual suspense. By making Titanic the star of the film, director Roy Baker emphasizes the excessive confidence of the booming industrial age and creates an intense realism that pays tribute to Walter Lord's tenacious quest for truth. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best Titanic Movies.......2007-06-08

If you are interested in the Titanic, this movie is highly recommended and a must own. While not a documentary, this drama is about as close as you can get to one (there is some dramatic license.) The script is right out of Walter Lord's brilliant book "A Night to Remember." The sets are very close to the the actual ship. The dialogue is pretty much what was said that night. Watching this dvd, you will see many instances where James Cameron pays homage to it in his "Titanic". The audio commentary on this film is really good and the bonus documentary "Making of" is a good watch too. It's filmed in B&W, which gives it a historical feel. A bit pricey, but splurge on it!

Cold hard facts,thrilling movie.......2007-03-13

There isn't any "heart will go on" , no lovers from different class levels , and other than the mistake(before the wreck was found)of having the ship go down in one piece, this movie hits all the right notes. With just the known facts, and a cast of British actors that are not that well known this super black & white movie pulls you into the story and never treats you like you are stupid. the fact that Walter Lords book is used as the guide helps get the history right and still gives you a thrilling and heart breaking movie of "if only " and "could have been's". this a first rate movie that belongs beside "titanic" in your collection.

What? No closed captioning? No subtitles? .......2007-02-13

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but is this another Criterion Collection DVD--WITHOUT closed captioning or subtitles (SDH - subtitled for the deaf and hard-of-hearing)? One would think that all Criterion Collection DVDs would be released with CC/subtitles/SDH. The 1953 TITANIC film has both. So does the 1997 version. Is it just a matter of cost, or is Criterion simply unconcerned about the deaf and hard-of-hearing watching their films? I'll buy this DVD only if I can confirm that it has subtitles/CC/SDH...

Historical Accuracy.......2007-02-06

Thank GOD this is not a stupid love story!

For the most part, this is the best TITANIC epic on film. Although accuracy is questionable, the first half is kind of a bore. This deals more with the ship and its' sinking rather than a dumb love story between a rich girl and an orphan kid. But this version was filmed before the knowledge of the ship splitting in half down the middle before finally sinking.

Oh, and one last thing: During the actual sinking, I didn't sense much urgancy or chaos like the 1997 Titanic. I beleive the chaos was more accuarate in Cameron's Titanic.

Great Movie.......2007-01-10

If you enjoy watching anything about the Titanic then you'll enjoy this movie.

Average customer rating:

this isn't about Kubrick!!
Ugh.
Johnny Boy...
Equilivant to Gacy
Colour Me Obvious

Color Me Kubrick
Starring: John Malkovich , Jack Ryan , Gabriel Diggs , Sam Redford , and Leslie Phillips
Director: Brian W. Cook
Manufacturer: Magnolia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Little Children
The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)
Babel
Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000MNOX9O
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Amazon.com

Color Me Kubrick tells the slyly amusing and "true-ish" story about a brazen impostor who pretended to be one of the world's greatest filmmakers. As British comedies go it's a bit of a trifle, but constantly enjoyable for cinephiles devoted to Stanley Kubrick and his films. In a foppishly flamboyant performance, John Malkovich dons a fab-ulously colorful wardrobe and uses a comical variety of voices as Alan Conway, an eccentrically gay outcast who spent most of the 1990s convincing his gullible targets that he was Stanley Kubrick, despite bearing no resemblance to the real Kubrick and knowing next to nothing about the director's celebrated films. Preying (with startling success) upon their ignorance and their fawning desire to seek favors from this "legendary filmmaker," Conway conned his mostly gay victims into giving him money, sex, and other kinds of ill-earned appreciation, and Color Me Kubrick (completed two years before its simultaneous release to theaters and DVD) does a terrific job of showing how Conway managed to maintain this charade for nearly a decade before he was "outed" by New York Times columnist Frank Rich, whose own encounter with Conway would eventually lead to the faux-Kubrick's undoing.

It's pretty slight stuff, as comedies go, but it boasts plenty of authority behind the camera: Both director Brian Cook and screenwriter Anthony Frewin were close associates of Kubrick's for decades, and they have terrific fun by peppering their film with a variety of Kubrickian in-jokes, from the frequent use of music featured in Kubrick's own films to a variety of visual in-jokes that Kubrick worshippers will instantly recognize. Add to this Malkovich's crazily unhindered performance, and you've got a nice little cult comedy that will keep you laughing if you're in the right mood. Keep your eyes wide open for cameo appearances by Marisa Berenson (who appeared in Kubrick's Barry Lyndon), Peter Sallis (the voice of Wallace in the Wallace and Gromit films), and director Ken Russell, among others. --Jeff Shannon

Description

John Malkovich gives a hilarious tour-de-force as Alan Conway, a conman who successfully passed himself off as the famed and notoriously reclusive director, Stanley Kubrick, for the last decade of the filmmaker's life, despite knowing very little about Kubrick. It'd be a farce of the highest order if it weren't based on a true story.

Customer Reviews:

this isn't about Kubrick!!.......2007-06-21

I'm a huge fan of Kubrick. This film is not about him or his style--with the exception of the music--which is virtually a free-standing element. The music is from various Kubrick films.

Conway wasn't even well-versed in Kubrick lore--he was conning people more ignorant than he was.

Overall, it's rather depressing and disturbing--if, like me, you are easily influenced. Conway is miserable in every sense, and a poor excuse for a human being. His marks are somewhat pathetic.

But it's an excellent film, both in how it's put together, and because of Malkovich. He brings his sly glee to what would have been a joyless exercise in perversity.

I agree with R.Z. that this has a somewhat 1-note quality, but disagree that there are any poignant moments. This film avoids any sort of poignancy entirely. Not a feel-good movie. But a short con is not a Gacy. To compare them is insane. Conway may be a hollow man, but he's no serial killer.

Oh, and Malkovich's *accents* are worth the price of admission.

Ugh. .......2007-06-17

I rented as JM is a great actor, but oy was this painful to sit through.

Johnny Boy..........2007-05-26

John Malkovich was perfect for this movie. I found myself chuckling a lot throught the film. Interesting story.

Equilivant to Gacy.......2007-05-17

I found this movie as disturbing as Gacy. John Malkovich really pulls it off well. A great movie isn't always about feeling good when it is over. I was uncomfortable at various points but had to see it and definately did not fall asleep.

Colour Me Obvious.......2007-04-05

A must see for any Kubrick lover solely for Malkovich's telling of Conway's infamous con. The film has an extraordinarily weird and almost cringing feeling throughout partially due to Conway's character and partially due to the affectless acting of several characters.

Based on the teasers I was expecting the movie to be chocked full of Kubrick references but after seeing the film I am sadly disappointed. The Kubrick references are few and far between and most are so obvious you almost feel like you've been slapped in the face. Kubrick tended to see his audience as extremely observant and would leave his films chalked full of details. It's sad that the director of this film couldn't follow suit.

Overall the storyline is hilarious and offers an impressively accurate look into one of the most unique aspects of Kubrick's history.

Average customer rating:

loved it
Good But Not Great Version
the BEST Bond movie IMHO
Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer
One Of The Best of Connery As Bond

Goldfinger (Special Edition)
Starring: Sean Connery , Honor Blackman , Gert Fröbe , Shirley Eaton , and Tania Mallet
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Thunderball
Dr. No (Special Edition)
From Russia With Love
The Spy Who Loved Me
Never Say Never Again

ASIN: B00000K0E6
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Amazon.com essential video

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

loved it.......2007-06-14

One of my favorite Bond films, a classic.

Good But Not Great Version.......2007-06-04

the BEST Bond movie IMHO.......2007-04-14

I'll make this short and sweet - this is by far the BEST Bond movie of them all, IMHO. Excellent work by Connery and the rest of the cast.

Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer.......2007-04-11

One Of The Best of Connery As Bond.......2007-04-07

This is a must have for Bond enthusiasts. This movie put Bond over the top.

Average customer rating:

Dmytryck becomes a negligible director in the '60s!
Shalako
Good Flick.
Widescreen but NOT Anamorphic
There's A New Guy At MGM And He's So Out Of Touch!

Shalako
Starring: Sean Connery , Brigitte Bardot , Stephen Boyd , Jack Hawkins , and Peter van Eyck
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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Westerns | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts
Hondo (Special Collector's Edition)
Conagher
Crossfire Trail
Heller in Pink Tights

ASIN: B0001GF2KQ
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Description

Saddle up for a raucous and "robust western adventure" (Variety) that packs "strong action" (Film & TV Daily) and the crackling chemistry of screen icons Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot! Based on the novel by Louis L'Amour, Shalako is a "handsome" (Variety), "rousing western" (Motion Picture Herald) that delivers nonstop thrills with both barrels blazing! Gutsy, gunslinging Shalako (Connery) is a loner who looks out for number one, until he finds himself rescuingand falling fora beautiful countess (Bardot) under attack by Apache Indians. But when Shalako discovers that the countess is part of a European hunting party that refuses to be led to safety, he must summon all his courage to fight the Apache and save the woman he loves or die trying!

Customer Reviews:

Dmytryck becomes a negligible director in the '60s!.......2006-11-08

Brigitte Bardot went on to Hollywood but did not fare any better... 'Shalako,' a British-produced Western directed by Edward Dmytryk, teamed her with Sean Connery and Stephen Boyd (her partner in 'The Night Heaven Fell') in a smoldering relationship charged with tension and passion...

The idea is cute and unbelievable: A party of European aristocrats are on a hunting safari in New Mexico in the 1880's... They are traveling with full equipage including butlers, maids, fine linens and vintage wines...

When their safari is led upon an Apache reservation, the Indians become annoyed, and Countess Irina Lazaar (Brigitte Bardot) is attacked by a savage Apache... Shalako (Sean Connery), a scout for the U.S. Army, bravely attempts to save her and leads the aristocrats away from imminent annihilation... With the Indians determined to attack, each member of the hunting party faces the greatest peril of their lives...

Edward Dmytryk seems to have attempted to recapture the freshness and essence of the 'B.B.' that Roger Vadim had helped to shape... But the re-creation escapes him, despite the careful choice of Louis L'Amour's novel and the casting of international stars as Jack Hawkins ('Lawrence of Arabia'), Peter Van Eyck ('The Longest Day'), Honor Blackman ('Goldfinger'), Woody Strode ('Spartacus'), and Valerie French ('Jubal').

The film never becomes exciting despite incidental brutalities...

Shalako.......2005-09-09

Edward Dmytryk is one of my favorite directors. Thanks to the miracle of dvd technology I've been allowed to watch good prints of such classic dark crime dramas as `Crossfire' and `Murder, My Sweet' (a movie that some claim invented what is now known as `film noir.') I've seen maybe his most famous movie, `The Caine Mutiny,' as well as a handful of western gems, including `Broken Lance' and that great, underrated and too-often overlooked masterpiece `Warlock.'

Saturated as I was in such cinematic excellence I wasn't quite prepared for SHALAKO, a stagnant horse opera adapted from what must have been a better book by Louis L'Amour. I'm inclined to blame it on the sixties. Or Brigette Bardot, who is little more expressive than a pouting china doll and possessed of an accent thick enough to cut a week old baguette. Maybe Jupiter wasn't yet aligned with Mars.... To be fair, though, I think my hero Eddie D. has to held accountable for this yawner. SHALAKO is not the best work, or anywhere near the best, of any of the participants.

Sean Connery plays Shalako (the name rhymes with `calico') and Bardot plays Countess Irina Lazaar, a wealthy European who travels with other European royalty to hunt wild game in the great, unsettled southwest. Stephen Boyd plays a grungy galoot who leads the Euro royals - replete with white-gloved butlers, comely maids and formal attire - through the wilderness. That Boyd has led them deep into the heart of an Apache reservation we learn early on. The Apaches' less-than-enthusiastic reaction to this intrusion is established soon after. Although made in 1968, a year by which most movies knew better, the natives in SHALAKO are the whooping, hollering, blood thirsty savage kind, although a couple of Apaches wade out of the gore for speaking parts. African American actor Woody Strode plays Chato, a young chief with a gun in his mitts and a chip on his shoulder. Strode was a good actor who was in a ton of westerns, and casting him in the part diffuses, or at least confuses, accusations of casting non- Natives as American Indians. Still, Strode's chief is of the if-I-kill-Shalako-my-soul-will-walk-free ilk. In other words, after a quick, obligatory mumble about broken treaties the film hustles back to the reliable same old, same old.

Shalako spends most of the movie leading the Europeans away from Chief Woody and his blood thirsties, and, I think, falling in love with Countess Bardot. I think. Beyond the pout Bardot isn't terribly expressive, and her thick accent didn't help. She was either falling in love or asking for a limburger sandwich. I think they were falling in love. With his rugged charm and ironic wit Connery has always been more than capable of throwing a movie on his shoulders and carrying it to the winner's circle on his own. Unfortunately, here he plays it grim and laconic, more or less depriving this movie of any chance it might have had. SHALAKO isn't a terrible movie, but it's an uninspired and uninspiring one.

Good Flick........2005-01-04

This is a good western. Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot in a western directed by Edward Dmytryk. How could it be bad. In fact, Sean Connery is so good in this that I figure they must have banned him from doing more westerns. Now really, is this a great film? No. Not many westerns stand up to the quality of today's films. But I liked it and I plan to watch it again.

Widescreen but NOT Anamorphic.......2004-06-16

MGM has suddenly stopped making these older films Anamorphic (Enhanced for Widescreen T.V.'s)which doesn't make sense. Other recent titles include "Follow That Dream", "A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die" and "The Magnificent Seven Ride!". If this bothers you as much as it does me, send an email to MGM.

There's A New Guy At MGM And He's So Out Of Touch!.......2004-06-15

Another DVD from MGM that is widescreen (That's Great) but it's not ANIMORPHIC ( Enhanced For Widescreen T.V.'s ). This seems to be the trend for MGM now and it doesn't make any sense. Previous releases were animorphic. I can only assume there's a new guy in charge and he's an idiot! ( The other recent titles are "Follow That Dream" and "The Magnificent Seven Ride!".If this bothers you as much as it does me then send an email to MGM. These movies deserve better treatment.

Actress:

Actress

Actress