Jennifer Jason Leigh

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)

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One of the seminal teen films of the 80's
Remember the Time...
CLASSIC TEEN COMEDY! THE BEST OF IT'S KIND
The Ultimate High School Movie For ANY Generation
Party On Dude!

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)
Starring: Sean Penn , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Judge Reinhold , Robert Romanus , and Brian Backer
Director: Amy Heckerling
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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National Lampoon's Animal House (Widescreen Double Secret Probation Edition)
Dazed & Confused - Criterion Collection
Sixteen Candles (High School Reunion Collection)
Caddyshack
The Breakfast Club (High School Reunion Collection)

ASIN: B00029RTCG
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Amazon.com essential video

Before he became an overrated filmmaker, Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) was a reporter for Rolling Stone who was so youthful looking that he could go undercover for a year at a California high school and write a book about it. He wrote the script for this film, based on that book, and it launched the careers of several young actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, and, above all, Sean Penn. The story line is episodic, dealing with the lives of iconic teen types: one of the school's cool kids, a nerd, a teen queen, and, most enjoyably, the class stoner (Penn), who finds himself at odds with a strict history teacher (a wonderfully spiky Ray Walston). This is not a great movie but very entertaining and, for a certain age group, a seminal movie experience. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

One of the seminal teen films of the 80's.......2007-04-13

With teen romps like American Pie and so on and so forth, there are a handful of films to which they owe themselves to. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of them, and is notable for the fact alone that it helped launch the careers of many future stars and even Oscar winners. The story follows a group of various teen types; most notably being Jennifer Jason Leigh as a shy, would-be vixen and Sean Penn as the class stoner. Watching the film nowadays sees that it really hasn't aged all that well, but it's still enjoyable thanks mainly to Cameron Crowe's scathing screenplay and Clueless director Amy Heckerling's (in her directorial debut) energetic direction. Also featuring Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, and Brian Backer in larger roles, but be on the lookout for small roles and brief appearances from Nicolas Cage, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, and Anthony Edwards as well.

Remember the Time..........2007-04-07

Finally the high school classic falls under my judgmental eyes. This film, like "The Outsiders," is known mainly for its incredible casting, creating a collection of actors who would go on to win Oscars (Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker) and box office glory (Nicolas Cage and Jennifer Jason Leigh). More a mosaic of high school as opposed to a plot driven production the heart of the story is Stacy (Leigh) who is on a quest for sexual enlightenment and a little bit of romance. Of course it doesn't go well at all and that is the fun of this film. We also get to hang with her sexual guru/clueless know-it-all Linda (a very good Phoebe Cates), party animal Jeff (Penn), her brother and case study in what goes around comes around Brad (Judge Reinhold), and crazed football dude who has a nice car Charles (Whitaker). Stacy bounces from one lover to the next, getting lucky and extremely unlucky at the same time. First she gets decherrified by a significantly older guy in a dugout (like you haven't). Then she moves on to the nice guy who is too sweet to seal the deal. And then to the town shyster who finishes in three seconds flat and leaves her with a bun in the oven. The script by Cameron Crowe is knowing and jaded. Since I am out of high school I see all this as one big joke, a snapshot of a lot of people caring about crap that doesn't even matter. All you're doing with those years is working in fast food, pretending to learn something, and having play relationships with people you couldn't care less about. It is all a joke and it is being played on anybody stupid enough to take it seriously. That is not to say that I think these characters are stupid, they aren't, but they are young and naive and a product of their environment. Jeff does seem to be the only one who sees through the ruse. Not that he is taking a stand against the charade; he just wants to eat his pizza in class and doesn't see the harm in doing so.

This film, like most of Heckerling's work, is breezy and a ball. You don't learn anything but you also don't lose any brain cells in the process either. Also, despite the fact that the main themes are sex, drugs and abortion it maintains that 80's cheesy, wholesome charm. It is about people taking things seriously that should not be taken seriously. It was refreshing to see Sean Penn play a role that wasn't so gosh darn heavy, he plays Jeff and his stoner ways up to the hills and I appreciated it. These kids may represent wasted youth, but youth is only idealized because it is wasted. No respectable adult would get busy in a dugout, and that is the beauty of being young. In a few years these kids will have real problems, but for now their foibles can be laughed at by those of us, at the advanced age of 25, can laugh with an understanding smile. No, this wasn't my high school experience but I can still grasp what they are going through. This film is no masterpiece but is deserves the staying power it has generated. I had fun being nostalgic and thinking back to the good ole days when flipping burgers equated into being a success in life. ***1/2

CLASSIC TEEN COMEDY! THE BEST OF IT'S KIND.......2007-04-06

A classic teen comedy! A very well written film with a great cast. If you haven't seen this one yet, it's long over due!

The Ultimate High School Movie For ANY Generation.......2007-04-02

Before American Pie, before Mean Girls, heck--even before Heathers (or any other teen high school romp movie (except maybe Porky's). This is the penultimate movie that after 25 years (!) is still as fresh as what's in Spicoli's bong! If you've never seen this movie...get on the bus (or get in the van).

Party On Dude!.......2007-03-13

May I say Fast Times at Ridgemont High is an important film? Here we observe American 1980's teenagers in their habitat as they actually are in a Hollywood way I mean. If you don't believe me: check out Shirley Temple in some of her 1940's bobby soxer teenage roles. America had changed in the post-modern world. Party on Sean Penn, dude!

Amy Heckerling has a way with teen actors as we discovered again, later with Clueless. They are innocent and way too mature at the same time. Judge Reinhold is making payments on his boss Buick, working the fast food, and dreaming about greener pastures as his girl is getting same same. Sean Penn battles the strictest teacher at Ridgemont, Our Favorite Martian, Ray Walston. You're a dick dude!

But special mention goes out to an 18 year-old playing a 15 year-old, Jennifer Jason Leigh. She's in a hurry to taste forbidden fruit, first with a slick 26 year-old and then with Robert Romanus, the loud mouth school weasel. In between all the action she falls for a complete nerd, Brian Backer. Full frontal: no problem, but in a teen film in the R rated 1982, that was shocking. You won't see that on the TV version. Oh, Jennifer, you were so like every young thing I ever unzipped. There should be an award just for teen vixen.

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Pick Up This Hitcher
Action Packed
Rutger Hauer can do it all
Gripping...yet really, really long
Jennifer Jason Leigh Taffy-Pull...

The Hitcher
Starring: C. Thomas Howell , Rutger Hauer , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Jeffrey DeMunn , and John M. Jackson
Director: Robert Harmon
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Hitcher 2 - I've Been Waiting
Wanted Dead or Alive
The Hitcher (Widescreen Edition)
Duel (Collector's Edition)
Poltergeist

ASIN: 0783114893
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Amazon.com

Steven Spielberg's first feature film, 1971's Duel, is set on a desert highway. It stars Dennis Weaver as a driver being pursued by a menacing truck, which is following him with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. In this spiritual update from 1984, C. Thomas Howell plays a guy taking a drive-away car from Chicago to San Diego. On a whim, in the rain, and against his better judgment, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer). The hitcher quickly admits to being a murdering psychopath, and once Howell finally gets him out of his car, he is pursued with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. We're never sure if the hitcher is a figment of his imagination, making Howell a schizophrenic killer, or if he's real and Howell is the random victim of a wandering madman, which is how his potential new girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) thinks of him. Either way, The Hitcher is great fun, kinda scary, and teetering on the brink of "must see." --Andy Spletzer

Customer Reviews:

Pick Up This Hitcher.......2007-06-18

If you're going to pick up a Hitcher, be sure that it's this original from 1986.

In 1981, Rutger Hauer made his American film debut as diabolical terrorist "Wulfgar" in Nighthawks Nighthawks . 5 years later he appeared in the original The Hitcher in the role of John Ryder, one of the most ruthless serial psycho killers ever to be born on the big screen.

The 1986 version had a very 80s feel to it then, and re-watching it this past weekend, I can say that it is indeed very 80s. But it's very well done. There are some over-the-top stunts that would have killed any ordinary serial killer. But that was part of the mystique of John Ryder. Was he human? Was he a monster? Was he the Devil?

The Hitcher's director in 1986 was Robert Harmon, who pretty much tuned to TV after The Hitcher, which is probably a good thing because the "TV camp" definitely came through in a lot of his original version of The Hitcher, but overall it was exciting and unforgettable.

Fast Forward 21 years and music video Director Dave Meyers re-does 1986's The Hitcher with an all new cast and a few minor story changes The Hitcher (Widescreen Edition) . Yes...I said "re-does" as opposed to "re-makes". A re-make is when a director takes an old film, sometimes even a classic, and makes it better. A re-do is when a director takes a film and adds nothing to the original (and in most cases makes it worse). The 2007 version of The Hitcher is a re-do.

While the 2007 version definitely does take the 80s feel out of the original, it also takes a lot out of the fiendish, classic villain that was created by Rutger Hauer. Sean Bean is in the role of John Ryder in the 2007 version. Yes, Bean has played his share of villains, so he had no problem as a bad guy in The Hitcher 2007, but it was like taking Robert Englund out of Freddy Krueger...it just wasn't the same.

Look, I'm not a big preservationist that thinks remaking good original movies should be taboo. I just think that a re-make should indeed be that...a re-make...not a re-do.

So regardless of what your Mom has told you....You can indeed pick up a Hitcher; just make sure that it's the original.

Action Packed.......2007-06-08

this is a very good movie, i wonder what the remake's like. i thought this was an intenes movie, you never know what would happen next. this is a must see.

Rutger Hauer can do it all.......2007-06-02

This movie is a tell-tale sign of Rutger Hauer's acting abilities. At this time he was making a killing in the movie, he was giving us a mysterious character which we know nothing about. Even so, the viewer is scared of him. This movie made people quit picking up Hitchhikers, because this could really happen. It even spawned a TV series named after it and a ton of other Hitcher style movies. If you haven't seen it, watch it before you see the remake, this one blows the new one out of the water.

Gripping...yet really, really long.......2007-06-01

Hitcher takes a great story and turns it into an unbelievable, frustrating mess. Murphy's Law is definitely the premise of this movie. It becomes so frustrating watching everything go wrong. The problem with the movie is one that is just so unbelievable. I have this problem with a lot of movies but this one just takes it so far that it totally ruins it for me. The killer manages to be everywhere with little explanation of how he got there. Not only that, but he seems to be able to move and kill silently without anyone noticing until an opportune moment when he suddenly appears. The only good thing about this movie is Rutger Hauer who plays his part perfectly. And it is occasionally suspenseful when you're not too busy laughing at it.

Jennifer Jason Leigh Taffy-Pull..........2007-05-21

Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is a normal guy, just trying to stay awake behind the wheel of his car (well, it's not really his, but he's delivering it from Chicago to San Diego). After a near-death experience w/ an oncoming semi, he decides to pick up a hitch-hiker named John Ryder (the incredible Rutger Hauer). Ryder soon reveals himself to be a psychopathic serial-killer, intent on adding Jim to his long list of victims. Jim manages to escape Ryder's clutches, only to trigger an insane game of cat and mouse, psycho-style! Halsey must try and survive Ryder's vengeance, while eluding the police. With the help of a girl named Nash (SWF's Jennifer Jason Leigh), Halsey stumbles into one horror after another! The movie's multiple climaxes had me chewing my nails 'til my fingers bled! Hauer's John Ryder is pure evil, even scarier than his sociopathic replicant character in BLADERUNNER! A classic villain! Highly recommended...

Average customer rating:

Have to admit, I didnt' like it at first...
A film with some serious atmosphere
The best movie ever!!!!!!!
NERVOUSLY BRILLIANT
What's Eating Trevor Reznik?

The Machinist
Starring: Christian Bale , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Aitana Sánchez-Gijón , John Sharian , and Michael Ironside
Director: Brad Anderson (II)
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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American Psycho (Uncut Killer Collector's Edition)
Equilibrium
The Jacket
Empire of the Sun
A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)

ASIN: B0007Y08QA
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Amazon.com

As a bleak and chilling mood piece, The Machinist gets under your skin and stays there. Christian Bale threw himself into the title role with such devotion that he shed an alarming 63 pounds to play Trevor Reznik (talk about "starving artist"!), a factory worker who hasn't slept in a year. He's haunted by some mysterious occurrence that turned him into a paranoid husk, sleepwalking a fine line between harsh reality and nightmare fantasy--a state of mind that leaves him looking disturbingly gaunt and skeletal in appearance. (It's no exaggeration to say that Bale resembles a Holocaust survivor from vintage Nazi-camp liberation newsreels.) In a cinematic territory far removed from his 1998 romantic comedy Next Stop Wonderland, director Brad Anderson orchestrates a grimy, nocturnal world of washed-out blues and grays, as Trevor struggles to assemble the clues of his psychological conundrum. With a friendly hooker (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and airport waitress (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) as his only stable links to sanity, Trevor reaches critical mass and seems ready to implode just as The Machinist reveals its secrets. For those who don't mind a trip to hell with a theremin-laced soundtrack, The Machinist seems primed for long-term status as a cult thriller on the edge. --Jeff Shannon

Description

THE MACHINIST is the story of Trevor Reznik, a machinist who hasn't slept in over a year. Working in a machine shop, Trevor faces the usual occupational hazards, yet his extreme fatigue only makes them worse, causing him to accidentally cut off a co-worker's hand. What Trevor suffers from clearly isn't a typical case of insomnia…

Customer Reviews:

Have to admit, I didnt' like it at first..........2007-06-14

After watching it a few times, I can appreciate what they were trying to do with this film. If you can, watch it when you're really, really, really tired.

A film with some serious atmosphere.......2007-06-14

Christian Bale's Trevor Reznik hasn't slept in a year. He's so thin you can see his ribs and spine. His main social interactions are with his regular call girl and the waitress at the local airport late-night diner. He's obsessed with cleaning his body and house with bleach.

As the movie opens, we see a husk of a man inhabiting the grimy, industrial streets of a coastal city. Reznik is a machinist, and lately he's been seeing a new guy at work that no one else can see. Reznik is obviously hiding from some traumatic even in his past, and the movie consists of the unfolding of the jigaw puzzle of his life. The Machinist is an atmospheric movie, one that will transport you to a waking-nightmare state of dark colors, somber music, and a general haziness between reality and horror.

The best movie ever!!!!!!!.......2007-05-20

I love this movie to death!!!!! My favorite type of movies are suspense movies and this one reigns supreme. I consider myself pretty smart,but this movie had me confused in the beginning. I had no clue, which is what makes this movie great!!! And Christian Bale....EXCELLENT!!! Now, everytime I watch it, I pick up more clues. It's a masterpiece and I highly recommended to anyone who like to challenge their brain!

NERVOUSLY BRILLIANT.......2007-05-03

It had been a while since a movie shocked me. "The Machinist" is about a man who can't sleep. He is the thinnest man you might ever see for two odd hours. You might wonder if that is reason enough for you to watch this film and that is precisely why I took me a while to finally watch it. I like films that are based solely around one character but The Machinist is something else. I thought it would be easy to write a review for this film. Well, it's about time I start mine.

I liked "Fight Club" but didn't like "Memento" too much and I thought "Seven" was good while I thought "Lucky Number Slevin" insulted movies. Some of these films werent as good as the others. The more popular ones had one or two characters to keep you interested. I liked Machinist because it had everything a character should be and more. In Trevor Reznik's heart resides a man of much mystery, intrigue and forgetfulness.

I mean, 11 minutes into the film I knew I was going to love it. It is a masterpiece because it has to be watched again to be appreciated and understood. Some might argue and find faults - too bad for them. Overall, much like my fellow readers who've written very good reviews for the Machinist, I felt the background score was truly magnificent while the semi-lucid conscience of characters had it's own charm.

The Machinist will grab your nerve and noodle it. Easily among my top 15 films of all time and I just saw it a week back. I will now go and watch every film by Christian Bale (loved Prestige) and meanwhile you should go watch The Machinist. Not to forget, fans of "Secret Window" might like this film,too.

My Rating -> 9.5/10

What's Eating Trevor Reznik?.......2007-04-16

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"The Machinist" is a very interesting film with a simply stunning performance from Christian Bale as Trevor - what he did was amazing and I mean not only his physical transformation that by itself was a real sacrifice an actor can commit for his Art. Besides Bale's performance, the film is masterfully directed and what is very important, clever written. It is one of few films that get under your skin and stay there. The ending was very satisfying and put all pieces of the puzzle together.

I read and heard that the film is a combination of "Memento", "Fight Club", "Angel Heart", Insomnia", "Thinner", and "Identity". "The Machinist" may bring all these pictures to memory but it is a masterfully crafted and compelling study of one man's journey from his crime to the punishment where he himself was a criminal, a victim, a prosecutor, and the executioner. (Trevor read the wrong Dostoevsky's novel - he should have read "Crime and Punishment") The one film I was reminded of while watching "The Machinist" - David Cronenberg's "Spider". Both films take place in the atmosphere of confusion, paranoia, guilt, and unbearable terror and both have the unforgettable performances by Christian Bale and Ralph Fiennes as two very disturbed individuals.

Average customer rating:

Absolute Perfection.
"You know,...for kids!" Comic Genius! Top 5 All Time!
Please enter a title for your review
20 minutes and not a single laugh.
Wonderful Coens Film

The Hudsucker Proxy
Starring: Tim Robbins , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Paul Newman , Charles Durning , and John Mahoney
Director: Ethan Coen , and Joel Coen
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Raising Arizona
Intolerable Cruelty (Widescreen Edition)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Tucker - The Man and His Dream
The Conversation

ASIN: B00000ING2
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com essential video

The Coen brothers (Raising Arizona, Fargo) have become the most consistently original filmmakers in the land. In a salute/reworking of the fast-talking comedies of the '40s, we follow Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) and his amazing rise to the top. But he's only a puppet for the evil Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman), who wants the company for himself. The Coens' design is the real star, and their first big-budget film will stimulate movie fans. The story weakens in the middle, but you will find very few films that move with this much imagination. As a Kate Hepburn hybrid, Jennifer Jason Leigh is wonderful in an almost unplayable role. The less you know about the film, the better it plays, so just think of it as How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying mixed with Brazil and every journalistic drama made before 1960. Cowritten by Sam Raimi. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Absolute Perfection........2007-06-09

I cannot say enough about this movie, and, after seeing it for the third time, I remain amazed by the skill and power of the Coen brothers. That they were able to put together a master plot while making every subfacet and tertiary character of this film incredibly interesting is nothing short of astounding. The Hudsucker Proxy is a flawless work of art that cannot be confused with real life. Many of its elements are wonderfully overstated and some of its sequences need to be replayed several times in order to grasp their grandeur--in particular, the scene in which Robbins is promoted from the mailroom in which everyone's laughs continuously and uncontrollably. That was an incredible clip and I think I'll view it again after writing this. Furthermore, Jennifer Jason Leigh's accent is priceless as is the send up of the old school newsroom. As for Newman, well he's Newman so nothing more needs to be said. Seeing this again reminded me that the Coens have more than one film I'd give 100 stars out of 100 to (Miller's Crossing). The Hudsucker Proxy is nothing short of spectacular.

"You know,...for kids!" Comic Genius! Top 5 All Time!.......2007-05-29

It is always odd to love a movie, a cd, whatever because you know others are going to hate it for the same reasons that you love it. The Coen's always get a knee-jerk reaction from some, but this is one I really don't understand because the movie is so smart. The dialogue is amazing.

I read a review where some guy panned this because it rips on capitalism. Good grief, man. Loosen up and enjoy an intelligent, dark comedy.

Some nobody schlub from Muncie, Indiana, namely one Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins), arrives in the big town and has big plans. "You know, for kids". So begins one of the greatest movies ever written, acted, directed, edited, whatever. This is fantastic, great, superb, excellent... you get the point.

So, Norville is out to take on the world, fresh out of Muncie Business College. He carries his plan for the next big thing in his shoe, it is drawn out in great detail on a neatly folded piece of plain white paper; it is a perfect circle. "You know, for kids." Robbins committed so fully to this role that I cannot imagine anyone else being able to pull it off. His stupid but smart, funny but not, noble but humble, etc... portrayal is amazing.

Paul Newman, Sid Musburger, the # 2 guy, is looking for "a proxy, a pawn", someone that can fill the recently emptied head seat of the board of Hudsucker Industries; because Mr. Hudsucker leapt 43 stories "not counting the mezzanine". They need an idiot to make the stock drop and a Muncie man is perfect for that job. Heck, he even gets to pitch his idea to the board and they love it, for all the wrong reasons.

Buzz, the elevator boy is friggin' hilarious.

Jennifer Jason Leigh, does the fast talking, big city reporter schtick to perfection. She plays the hard-hearted softy very well and somehow makes it work between her and Robbins.

Every word in this film is perfectly planned and you will miss half of what is funny because you are laughing. Watch this at least twice but probably better 3 or 4 times to get all of the dialogue. I don't know what this screenplay looked like on paper, but by the time it was on film, a masterpiece of comic genius was created.

Surprisingly, not as many people as I would think have seen this movie, but I believe it should be required for everyone that has any appreciation for writing, comedy, dark humor, or film making.

This is the Coen Brother's Opus; sheer genius.

Please enter a title for your review.......2007-05-05

Every time they set a context, it's just to defy it. It's never predictable. They'll start going in some kind of serious direction and then just make the silliest thing possible happen.
The dude who has the idea for the hula hoop, he draws a circle and expects people to understand what it is, and they never ask what it is they just ignore it like they think he's retarded or something. And the reporter gal's voice is so funny because it exists completely out of context. (People who dislike this movie seem to take the accent seriously.)
And the old guy who gets up like he's going to the bathroom or changing a lightbulb or something, really slowly while the other twenty guys around the table watch in silence, and then runs the length of the boardroom table like a diving board and dives through the glass of the 44th floor.
I think the funniest part though was when the other old dude tells Tim Robbins he's fired, but he still insists on trying to put out the fire he started in the trashcan, and he walks over to the window for some reason and the old dude thinks he's trying to leave like he told him to, and he's like "not that way, through the door". omg that was so funny.
And the sequence where the hula hoop finally reaches it's popularity, some kid finds one and starts using it and a crowd of kids stare for a while then run away screaming, seemingly in horror.
They don't direct your attention to a certain place and then put the joke there, they hit you with it while you're waiting for something else to happen. A lot like Sarah Silverman and her Program. It's unfortunate that comedy in film and tv has become so regimented that people often can't see a joke unless there's an indicator beforehand telling them where to look for it.

20 minutes and not a single laugh........2007-03-30

Big stars, famous directors and not a laugh to be found in the first 20 minutes of this overblown phony-looking movie. Oh, and loud. I forgot loud. This is like a big George W. Bush speech: lots of racket, big budget, and ultimately, a huge waste of time.
Har har har, buddy.

Not. Please stop the DVD player. Please.

Wonderful Coens Film.......2007-03-07

This is a wonderful film filled with great characters in this 1950's piece about the business world and how unpredictable it is. the coens fill this dark comedy with flair and fun, so it amazes me that it flop. i guess people were'nt ready for it in late 90's when it was released, it could be the title as a reviewer mentioned or the world was'nt ready the pre 21 century and now to present state we really need creativity and talented shows like these to lift are spirits and realize they're hope and we can laugh at things once in awhile.

Thank you to the coens brothers for writing this and may other oddball classics.

Average customer rating:

predictable plot line, bad script
tom hanks descends into hell -- not to mention bad movies
A classic
EXCELLENT MOVIE HANKS SURE CAN PICK 'EM!
Average Crime Comic Book Flick

Road to Perdition (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Dylan Baker , Michael Brockman , Jobe Cerny , Daniel Craig , and Diane Dorsey
Director: Sam Mendes
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Features)
The Green Mile
Mystic River (Widescreen Edition)
The Terminal (Full Screen Edition)
Minority Report (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00005JLBQ
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Amazon.com

In Road to Perdition, Tom Hanks plays a hit man who finds his heart. Michael Sullivan (Hanks) is the right-hand man of crime boss John Rooney (Paul Newman), but when Sullivan's son accidentally witnesses one of his hits, he must choose between his crime family and his real one. The movie has a slow pace, largely because director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) seems to be in love with the gorgeous period locations. Hanks gives a deceptively battened-down performance at first, only opening up toward the very end of the film, making his character's personal transformation all the more convincing. Newman turns in a masterful piece of work, revealing Rooney's advancing age but at the same time, his terrifying power. Jude Law is also a standout, playing a hit man-photographer with chilling creepiness. This movie requires a little patience, but the beautiful cinematography and moving ending make it well worth the wait. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

predictable plot line, bad script.......2007-05-26

That this script came from a graphic novel is extremely obvious. It was a bad graphic novel and a mediocre movie. I like watching Tom Hanks and I had a hard time making it through watching all of this movie. If I hadn't been avoiding chores I would have canned it about half way through.

First major complaint, the plot runs to basically the same thing as in Sin City's "killing my way to the truth". As if it isn't obvious to any moron paying any attention who is cheating who.

Second major complaint for a hit man, he is a rotten killer when it really, really counts. Like when they come after him. He finishes everyone else off with an extra burst from his Thompson submachine gun, why not this guy?

Third major complaint, for a hit man, he's way too trusting. He must know that once made, the only way out is to disappear. And so he doesn't.

I liked the cimatronics, the camera angles, although the pauses in the dialog look just like panels in a graphic novel. Blech.

Tom Hanks is capable of way better stuff than this. My only laugh was that I was imagining a slight time warp and that Mike Sullivan was the war hero from "Saving Private Ryan".

Well this will soon fade into the cinematic dust bin. And none too soon.

tom hanks descends into hell -- not to mention bad movies.......2007-05-12

the hype when this was released had this as one of the big movies of the year, but for once the public caught on and this silly thing has disappeared from consciousness. tom hanks continues the downward arc of his career, and paul newman is utterly unconvincing as the patriarch of a crime organization. what pretends to be a metaphor for the american family is little more than a 2 hour yawnfest; watch "the godfather" for the 27th time instead.

A classic.......2007-04-14

Truly a great movie. Perfectly cast but the best one of all may be Tyler Hoechlin. He gave the best performance by a child actor that I ever saw. Right up there with Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon. My favorite Tom Hanks movie will always be Forrest Gump but this is a close second.

EXCELLENT MOVIE HANKS SURE CAN PICK 'EM!.......2007-04-10

One of the many Tom Hanks films that is just excellent! Hanks plays a hit man (which I would not have believed he could pull off!) out for vengence and trying to keep his kid on the right track. A truely great engrossing film!

Average Crime Comic Book Flick.......2007-03-20

Road to Perdition is a pretty stiff flick. It aspires to be an art house picture complete with pretentious cinematography. It features a criminal father who tries to teach his son all the usual important life lessons that so many movies also teach.

Road to Perdition is based on a "graphic novel" that is synonymous for a comic book that is expensive, long, pretentious and done in black and white. This particular work purports to be based on real people, but in reality, the only things real about it is the names of the characters and the names of the places that it is set in. Otherwise, both the original graphic novel and the movie that is based on it have zero connection to real history.

Road to Perdition has the kind of illogical plotting, numerous murders, lack of real women, goofy psychology and a general lack of insight that so many other Hollywood crime flicks have. Basically, this movie is an exercise in absurdity.

For instance, in order to get a shot at the man who murdered most of his family, the killer hero (Tom Hanks) decides to try to force the Chicago mob of Al Capone to release the man by stealing from Capone. In real life, Al Capone always struck back at those who stole from him. He never negotiated with those who sought to torment him. The real Capone would have made short work of Hanks's character.

There are other unrealistic elements to Road to Perdition. Real life gang killers are a hard drinking, hard living lot who beat their women and pay cold shrift to their children. Tom Hanks's killer is a quiet, solemn man who is a devoted family man. A real life serial killer would never, ever apologize to his nine year old son for missing his school concert. Also, Jude Law's killer reporter character who kills people and then takes their photographs and sells them to newspapers is a villain who much better would fit in a Batman type movie than in the oh so realistic Road to Perdition.

All in all, Road to Perdition is just another Hollywood crime flick.

Average customer rating:

This was a really great movie, especially if you like Cronenberg
freaky movie
Brilliant and challenging
wait a minute is this a game? or is this reality?
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent

eXistenZ
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh , Jude Law , Ian Holm , Willem Dafoe , and Don McKellar
Director: David Cronenberg
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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

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

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

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( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Dark City (New Line Platinum Series)
The Thirteenth Floor
Videodrome - Criterion Collection
Naked Lunch - Criterion Collection
Dead Ringers

ASIN: B00000K31V
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Amazon.com

Director David Cronenberg's eXistenZ is a stew of corporate espionage, virtual reality gaming, and thriller elements, marinated in Cronenberg's favorite Crock-Pot juices of technology, physiology, and sexual metaphor. Jennifer Jason Leigh is game designer Allegra Geller, responsible for the new state-of-the-art eXistenZ game system; along with PR newbie Ted Pikul (Jude Law), they take the beta version of the game for a test drive and are immersed in a dangerous alternate reality. The game isn't quite like PlayStation, though; it's a latexy pod made from the guts of mutant amphibians and plugs via an umbilical cord directly into the user's spinal column (through a BioPort). It powers up through the player's own nervous system and taps into the subconscious; with several players it networks their brains together. Geller and Pikul's adventures in the game reality uncover more espionage and an antigaming, proreality insurrection. The game world makes it increasingly difficult to discern between reality and the game, either through the game's perspective or the human's. More accessible than Crash, eXistenZ is a complicated sci-fi opus, often confusing, and with an ending that leaves itself wide open for a sequel. Fans of Cronenberg's work will recognize his recurring themes and will eat this up. Others will find its shallow characterizations and near-incomprehensible plot twists a little tedious. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

Exciting stars Jennifer Jason Leigh (DOLORES CLAIBORNE), Jude Law (GATTACA), and Willem Dafoe (SPEED 2, AFFLICTION) challenge the boundaries of reality in this futuristic, critically acclaimed adventure thriller! During the first closed-door demonstration of an amazing new virtual reality game called eXistenZ, the system's brilliant designer, Allegra Geller (Leigh), is violently attacked by a crazed assassin intent on killing her and destroying her creation! Forced to flee into hiding, Allegra enlists a young assistant (Law) to help her in testing the damaged system ... by convincing him to join her inside eXistenZ! The action then explodes as their world's real-life dangers begin to merge with the fantasy of the game! If you're ready to play, it's now your turn to plug into this powerfully entertaining hit!

Customer Reviews:

This was a really great movie, especially if you like Cronenberg.......2007-06-05

eXistenZ is a great mind-bender, based loosely on video games vs. reality. The acting is campy but for a purpose. Most of the people who hated this movie don't quite get this. I won't say this is a classic, only because Chronenberg's fingerprints are way too visible, and I really like him.

This isn't a mainstream movie so if you don't like left-field movies you probably won't like this one, but just to be clear you don't have to be a fuzzy faced philosopher to enjoy this one.

freaky movie.......2007-04-13

I rented this a while back and wanted a copy for my library. If you like plot twists and heavy sci-fi you will like this movie. It is kind of grusome in several scenes and probably not for little kids.

Brilliant and challenging.......2007-02-11

Cronenberg probably conjures the best depiction of "virtual reality" and its potential psychological effect on people in this often incredible film. This is a tough and frequently unpleasant movie (what Cronenberg film isn't), relentless even (much like a video game!), but as social/technological criticism it has legs galore. I find myself studying the art direction, acting, and script to see how he tweaks and disorients so subtly all through the entire film. It is meticulously crafted. The "bad acting" noted by the other reviewers is a depiction of social disorientation, detachment, sociopathology, and near-autism in a nightmarish future society where people can no longer distinguish between illusion and reality (and, as you learn from the film, neither can the audience). The final moment of the film boldly makes that point.

My personal feeling is that this is Cronenberg's greatest achievement. However, it is high art and those that go into it with conventional film expectations will be (clearly ARE) disappointed. One for future film historians to write about, unable to comprehend how it sat on the fringes of acceptance for years. The negative reviews of this film deeply disturb me.

wait a minute is this a game? or is this reality?.......2007-01-31

Your perception may be altered by this science fiction harbinger of things to come by David Cronenberg.. Continuing in the same vein of films like 'Videodrome' and 'Scanners' Cronenberg examines the effects of scientific progress and the fate of mankind.. It is so often the goal of game technicians, movie makers, and perhaps even the distributors of mind altering substances to create an alternate universe.. the nightmare of such endeavors is that it will lead to absolute confusion.. seperation from self.. it is something appealing yet terrifying.. to lose touch with reality.. this is what makes eXistenZ such an engaging thriller - one of the most thought provoking movies you will ever see.

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent.......2006-12-28

This movie was very spell binding to me and to everyone that watched it with me. I just loved this movie and it was this movie that turned me on to David Cronenberg films. I love the way he directs his films in a way that you don't know what is going to come next. They all have you on your edge of your seat right up until the end. Unique plot, great acting and wonderful story with this one. I hightly recommend it to everyone that loves supense and thrill rides in a film.

Average customer rating:

Great when alight but far too watered-down between infernos
Backdraft with Kirt Russell
Over exaggerated action for a dangerous profession
a flawed but admirable effort
Backdraft - HD DVD

Backdraft (2 Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Kurt Russell , William Baldwin , Robert De Niro , Donald Sutherland , and Jennifer Jason Leigh
Director: Ron Howard
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
V for Vendetta (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Batman Begins [HD DVD]
Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition)
Black Rain (Special Collector's Edition) [HD DVD]

ASIN: B000FQISVC
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Amazon.com

A somewhat contrived screenplay doesn't stop this thriller from serving up some of the most spectacular fire sequences ever committed to film. Like any Ron Howard production Backdraft is impressively slick and boasts a stellar cast, including Kurt Russell and William Baldwin. The actors play sibling rivals who have been at odds since the death of their firefighter father years earlier. Robert De Niro is the veteran fire inspector who is tracking a series of mysterious and deadly arsons, and Donald Sutherland is effectively creepy as the former arsonist who understands the criminal psychology of pyromaniacs. Rebecca De Mornay, Scott Glenn, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are featured in supporting roles. Backdraft is a triumph of stunt work and flaming special effects. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Great when alight but far too watered-down between infernos.......2007-06-18

Backdraft has some of the most impressive fire scenes ever shot and some daring stunt work (three of the leads, Kurt Russell, Scott Glenn and William Baldwin, are actually billed as stuntmen), but unfortunately it's wrapped up in a trite two-brothers-at-each-other's-throats plot that keeps it from being anything more than a high-priced soap opera with burning buildings. And, it has to be said, it looks a lot less impressive on the small screen than it did on the big one. Despite the ostensibly impressive ensemble cast, some of the supporting performances are weak, with Jennifer Jason Leigh proving big time that she really can't play `normal' while Donald Sutherland's Hannibal Firelighter is too Looney Tunes to convince even in his brief screen time, while Baldwin is a considerably less compelling leading man than Russell but gets the lion's share of the screen time anyway. The result is a modestly entertaining but entirely predictable studio picture that plays everything but the conflagrations safe.

While many of the plethora of deleted scenes on the two-disc special edition DVD are trims or purely redundant, it seems that a lot of the murder mystery plot and much of Robert De Niro's lazy turn as an arson investigator also hit the cutting room floor, alongside a couple of good fraternal confrontations, but there's little to imply that a better film was left on the cutting room floor. There's a good selection of featurettes as well to make up for the original bare-bones release, though it's disappointing that the two good theatrical trailers aren't included in the set.

Backdraft with Kirt Russell.......2007-04-01

This movie of Backdraft was given to my firefighter granddaughter. She had seen it before but was happy to have a copy to own. J. Hall

Over exaggerated action for a dangerous profession.......2007-01-03

I'm going to try to make this short and sweet,and although for the most part I am a fan of many of Ron Howard's films,this one is a bit of a dud.True,the special effects and fire scenes give this film some pizzaz,but not enough to warrent it a 3,4 or 5 star rating.I am in the fire profession myself and I can tell all of you that the action scenes are almost 100% unrealistic and phoney.If any of the things were attempted in real life as seen on screen,Kurt Russel and his crew would have died early on in the begining of the film.The acting was mediocre at best(mostly due to the poorly written script)and really...the best and most interesting characters and parts in the film were portrayed by Robert Deniro as the Fire Inspector and Donald Sutherland as the convicted pyromaniac.Not nearly enough time was spent on them or in the film for that matter.It in fact was probably the most realistic part of the movie at all.All in all,if you want some medioce entertainment and a "macho" portral of Firefighters this one does deliver.Personally,of all the Ron Howard films made,this is my least favorite and is at the bottom of my list.I pretty much hated this film.Not only for its inaccurate portral of the firefighter profession,but because when it came out,every macheesemo guy out there who had something to proove wanted to be a firefighter and the job market was flooded with recruits that had the wrong idea about what being a firefighter is really all about.Its not about rushing into a burning building to be the hero.Most firefighter who are heros are "dead" heros.Firefighting is ranked amongst the most dangerous professions and is for a very good reason.Backdraft is full of hot air and allot of blow hard B.S.To date,there has been no good or accurate depiction of a Firefighter put to film.Maybe one day?

a flawed but admirable effort.......2006-10-12

At the time of its release, Backdraft was regarded by some critics as an admirable if not flawed homage to the profession of firefighting. Of course, compared to the recent Ladder 49 it seems downright gritty and hard-hitting but still doesn't hold a candle in terms of realism to television's Rescue Me. Still, Ron Howard's film has its heart in the right place and does boast an impressive cast. Looking back at it now, Backdraft was one of Howard's early attempts to be taken seriously as a dramatic filmmaker and an initial bid at Oscar glory - something that would elude him until A Beautiful Mind.

Howard's film dutifully trots out the stereotypical characters: the long-suffering ex-wife (DeMornay), the gorgeous but otherwise unimportant love interest (Jason Leigh), the crazy killer (Sutherland), the gung-ho recruit (Gedrick) who is punished for his inexperience, the feuding brothers and so on. What Backdraft does have going for it is how it shows the camaraderie of the men in the firehouse: the good-natured hazing of the new guys, the communal meals and how they watch each other's backs in and out of fires. It is very much a brotherhood and this film brings this out very well.

Speaking of which, the firefighting scenes are well-staged and executed, done before the proliferation of CGI and this gives these scenes a real, visceral quality. It is like the fire is another character, a living, breathing organism with a life of its own and the ability to take one as well. Howard's camera is able to get into the thick of these fires so that there is no safe distance in which to remove oneself from the action. You're right in there with the firefighters.

The best scene in the movie isn't the impressively staged fires but the one between Donald Sutherland's twitchy, crazed arsonist and De Niro's investigator. It lasts only a few minutes but every moment between these two brilliant actors is mesmerizing and truly brings the film to life proving yet again that good acting trumps SFX and stunts every damn time. In fact, Backdraft should have focused on De Niro's intriguing character and his intuitive knowledge of how fires work and what causes them. The screenplay hints at an interesting backstory for him and his relationship with Sutherland's firebug. Instead, it amounts to nothing more than a subplot and a red herring of sorts.

The first disc features an introduction by Ron Howard as he briefly talks about how proud he is of the movie and what else is available on this 2-disc set.

There is 43 minutes worth of deleted scenes that sheds light on Brian's backstory -- his nomadic existence, how he dropped out of the academy years ago and how he talks his way back in. There is also more footage of the mysterious arsonist plying his trade that reveals a little too much a little too early in the movie. We also get more of De Niro and Sutherland which is always a treat.

The second disc starts off with "Igniting the Story," a featurette that traces the origins of the project as Howard and his producer Brian Grazer talk about what drew them to it. The screenwriters talk about the genesis of the screenplay while the term "backdraft" is also explained.

"Bringing Them Together: The Team" examines the casting process. Howard knew Kurt Russell from back when they were child actors and had always wanted to cast him in one of his movies. Baldwin, Glenn, Gedrick and, surprisingly, Jason Leigh (who never seemed too enthused about this project) talk about how they got involved in new interviews for this DVD.

"The Explosive Stunts" takes a look at how they pulled off the realistically rendered firefighting scenes. The highlight of this extra is Scott Glenn recounting a particularly dangerous stunt where he came very close to getting seriously burned.

"Creating the Villain: The Fire." After computer effects tests failed, the special effects guys ran all kinds of practical tests to see the various ways they could manipulate fire. Everything was planned out beforehand.

Finally, there is "Real-Life Firemen, Real-Life Stories" with actual firefighters from Station 73 in Santa Clarita, California recounting some of their own personal anecdotes and what they think of the movie. These guys really love what they do and speak passionately about it.

Backdraft - HD DVD.......2006-10-04

The HD DVD version of Backdraft looks & sounds excellent. This looks great in HD and is a big improvement over the DVD version of the movie.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie. Expected from Kathy Bates
Dolores Clairborne Reviewed
Dolores Claiborne
Excellent Casting and a Compelling Story
"Sometimes Dolores, an accident can be an unhappy woman's best friend"

Dolores Claiborne
Starring: Kathy Bates , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Judy Parfitt , Christopher Plummer , and David Strathairn
Director: Taylor Hackford
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Murder & Mayhem | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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Misery
Apt Pupil
The Night Flier
Hearts in Atlantis
Fried Green Tomatoes (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

ASIN: 630523650X
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Dark secrets, family torments, and two murders swirl around the stoic, hardened figure of Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates), a housekeeper accused of murdering her employer of 22 years. Then there was that timely accident that took Dolores's husband (David Strathairn) during the solar eclipse of 1975. Yet with all the somber suffering that follows Dolores like a miasma of pain, none of it compares with the heartache of a relationship she has with her grown daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Although this flick is rife with horror, it is not of the supernatural kind, but rather of the torment only real people can impose on one another. The script is full of colorful language, and director Taylor Hackford successfully weaves several plot threads and psychological dilemmas throughout this engrossing tale without diminishing any of them. He not only culls intense performances from his cast, but he also brings to life the landscape around them. When the film's best-kept secret is finally given up, it occurs under the surreal backdrop of a solar eclipse that is a truly sensational bit of cinematography. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie. Expected from Kathy Bates.......2007-06-10

What can be said. One of the better movies or our times.

Dolores Clairborne Reviewed.......2007-05-14

Kathy Bates proves once again her status as an outstanding actress with her role as Dolores Clairborne.

Dolores Claiborne.......2007-04-13

If you haven't seen this movie you're missing out. One of Kathy Bates best performances, even better than "Misery".

Excellent Casting and a Compelling Story.......2007-02-27

What I find especially creepy about this movie is that this reminded me of people who I know that are not unlike the undesirable characters in this movie, especially the worthless husband of Dolores, played absolutely perfectly by David Strathairn. What an outstanding performance! Everyone in this movie is outstanding and the casting was perfect. When you can see people you have known in the characters, that means this was a convincing movie and seemed very real. Cathy Bates deserved an Oscar for her performance in this; she has never been better. Was surprised this was based on a Stephen King novel, as I don't care much for most of his work in the horror genre. Of course this not a horror movie. There are a couple of "uncomfortable" scenes that you might not want your younger ones seeing, since part of the plot involves sexual child abuse (father and daughter). The weakest person in the movie was Jennifer Jason Leigh, but it seems to me that she did a more than passable job in her role. Could there have been someone better than her? Maybe, but they could have easily picked someone who couldn't handle that role as well as Leigh did. Judy Parfitt as the aging, sick Vera also did an outstanding job. Not much to find fault with in this movie.

"Sometimes Dolores, an accident can be an unhappy woman's best friend".......2007-02-01

This film is an adaptation of a Stephen Kings novel of the same title and among with "Stand By Me" and "Dead Zone" is one of my favorite films based on the master of horrors' writings. Ironically, all three books (and the movies) don't belong to horror genre. They are the combination of many genres, including crime, drama, and thriller. "Dolores Claiborne" which is the story told by its main character explores many difficult subjects - failed marriages that result in dysfunctional families, relationship between a mother and a daughter and how far would a mother go to protect her child.

Dolores Claiborne works for many years as a maid for wealthy and demanding Vera Donovan and after Vera's suspicious death is accused of murdering her employer. Det. John Mackey (Christopher Plumber), the shrewd investigator is absolutely sure that Dolores not only murdered Vera who left her a fortune but is also guilty of murdering her husband many years ago but never was charged for that crime. Dolores's daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a successful reporter who had not talked to her mother for years comes from New York City to cover the story. Who is Dolores - a greedy monster and a murderer or an unhappy woman for whom an accident is sometimes a best friend? Kathy Bates received the Oscar for her portrayal of a psychotic nurse in another King's adaptation, "Misery" but I believe that Dolores Claiborne is her best role. She carries the film and I don't think that any other actress could fit the part as well as Bates did which brings the question - maybe King wrote the book with her in mind, who knows? Judy Parfitt is extremely well cast as Vera Donovan, an arrogant ice queen, who was capable of understanding and care for Dolores and her daughter and who knew too well about loneliness and despair. David Strathairn deserves high praise for his Joe St. George, Dolores's abusive husband and Selena's father from hell.

Average customer rating:

Dark drama
Prime Altman
Altman at his complex best
Caustic vision!
A Masterpiece from Robert Altman

Short Cuts - Criterion Collection
Starring: Andie MacDowell , Bruce Davison , Jack Lemmon , Zane Cassidy , and Julianne Moore
Director: Robert Altman , Mike E. Kaplan , and John Dorr
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Player (Special Edition) (New Line Platinum Series)
Nashville
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
The Complete Mr. Arkadin (aka Confidential Report) - Criterion Collection
My Own Private Idaho - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B000305ZXO
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Amazon.com essential video

If aliens came down to earth to see if humanity was worth saving, showing them Short Cuts, Robert Altman's bluesy riff on life in L.A. in the '90s, would not be a good idea. Based on the stories of Raymond Carver (adapted by Altman and Frank Barhydt), this ambitious film is a devilish valentine to living in L.A., where happiness comes at a premium. There are at least eight separate stories that crisscross, most about people who choose not to relate to the lives they are living. Seemingly by design, none of the stories (nor the performances for that matter) have more impact than the others--this is a true mosaic film. The most representative plot deals with a group of friends (Buck Henry, Fred Ward, and Huey Lewis) who decide to keep fishing even after discovering a body in the river. The story works as a morose comedy and a flag holder for the movie: the inability to take the correct action. Others would rather talk about seeing Alex Trebek than discuss their faltering relationships. A huge and talented cast twists in the wind, bumping into moments of truth, sex, and passion. Some even come out all right in the end. The accidental nature of life--a common theme in many Altman films--has never been so maddeningly persistent, or absorbing. The score by Mark Isham with songs sung by Annie Ross (also a cast member) fuels the moodiness, as does the opening number in which Medfly helicopters spray the town to the tune "Prisoner of Life." Delivering the film a year after his biggest hit in two decades, The Player, Altman proved his artistic tenacity as an aged artist with the heart of a new filmmaker: he's not afraid of risking it all. --Doug Thomas

Description

The work of two great American artists merge in Short Cuts, maverick director Robert Altman's kaleidoscopic adaptation of the stories of renowned author Raymond Carver. Epic in scale yet meticulously observed, the film interweaves the stories of twenty-two characters struggling to find solace and meaning in contemporary Los Angeles. The extraordinary ensemble cast includes Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Lemmon, and Jennifer Jason Leigh—all giving fearless performances in one of Altman's most compassionate creations.

Customer Reviews:

Dark drama .......2007-05-03

Im not really into this type of realistic slice of life drama. WHile it resonates on an emotional level. I find the emotions mundane and all too common in the ambience or real life. However I have a greeat deal of respect for this film. Its kind of like a multi threaded soap opera with strong perfomances.

Both Magnolia and Crash are obviously inspired by this film (they could be called Short Cuts2 and Short Cuts3)

Just because a film is mildy quirky does not mean its a comedy. DO critics need to come up with a new word to define this story style? its been around at least since the 19th century and that Russian/French stuff.

Prime Altman.......2007-02-24

"Short Cuts" occupies its own niche in the late, much lamented Robert Altman's work. It has tragedy, without the comedy of "M*A*S*H" for leavening. It's predictably quirky, but, unlike "The Long Goodbye," not uniformly so. Though not as stylized as "Nashville," it has one of Altman's finest ensemble casts, enacting one of his most tightly knotted screenplays. The script interweaves a number of Raymond Carver's short stories, and this edition includes a paperback of those tales, introduced by Altman. As with everything else in the Criterion Collection, the features and commentary are splendid. This is a sad film, but a very human one.

Altman at his complex best.......2007-01-09

Altman weaves together the disparate, but achingly similar, lives of disfunctional couples in today's Los Angeles. The film shows us not only that we are frequently disconnected from the important things in life, but also that somehow, someway, we sometimes connect, too. The film is an Altman masterpiece.

Caustic vision!.......2006-11-23

Mordant mosaic of unhappy, interweaved and frustrating lives who spend or waste their existence in Southern California. Acidic gaze with visible inspiration of Luis Bunuel makes of that story, a crude vision around a supposed paradise.

The main reason I make movies is to prove "We are not living in the best of the possible worlds" (Luis Bunuel)

A Masterpiece from Robert Altman.......2006-10-19

"Short Cuts" is a film by Robert Altman, but it's not a film that you hear mentioned a lot when his work is brought up. Even though it's in The Criterion Collection, you don't hear a lot of people talking about it. Sad, since it's a really good movie. I didn't know anything about the film before seeing it, except I knew that it was an ensemble film that was more than 3 hours long (the credits start a 184 minutes). To me, that sounded overly long...So when I began watching the film I was a little skeptical. Having finished it, I want to tell you that I've seen movies that were 90 minutes long that went by slowe