Night Of The Big Heat (Island of the Burning Damned) Review

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(More customer reviews)Die-hard fans of vintage British science-fiction and horror will enjoy this low-budget yarn. There's a great cast including Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing (not seen enough, though) and Patrick Allen, the king of voiceovers who sadly died recently. It's all pretty silly, but entertaining. The director is the great Terence Fisher.

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She (1935) Review

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(More customer reviews)If the 1935 SHE reminds you vaguely of the 1933 KING KONG do not be too surprised: both films were produced by Meriam C. Cooper, who endowed them with similar visual styles--and who tweaked the 1887 novel by H. Rider Haggard to create a similar story line as well. Starring Broadway actress (and later two term Democratic congresswoman from California) Helen Gahagan in her only film role as The Eternal One, SHE did not, however, meet with the same financial success. It lost a tremendous amount of money for RKO, was withdrawn, and for many years was thought to be completely lost.
Although the film alters the Haggard novel in a great many ways, it retains the basic elements. Lured by a family legend, Leo Vincey (Randolph Scott) braves the frozen European north with family friend Horace Holly (Nigel Bruce, best known for his appearances in the Sherlock Holmes series) and innocent Tanya Dugmore (Helen Mack, popular 1930s ingenue.) When an avalanche exposes a cavern, the three find that the Vincey family legend is not quite so fanciful after all.
Most particularly, they find themselves at the mercy of She Who Must Be Obeyed, a woman who recalls talk of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem market place, a woman two thousand years old who preserves her life by bathing in a radioactive flame that vents from the volcanic floor of her hidden kingdom. She (known here as Queen Hash-A-Mo-Tep) has been waiting for the reincarnation of her long-dead love, and Leo is his spitting image.
The acting styles are stiff even by 1935 standards and although Miss Gahagan is attractive in a 1930s way she lacks the stunning beauty attributed to She by the Haggard novel--but the great draw of the film was never intended to be great acting: like KING KONG, it is an action-adventure film with knockout sets (a few of them actually lifted from KING KONG), memorable special effects, and remarkable cinematographic set pieces. Even as it borrowed from earlier films such as the 1932 Boris Karloff THE MUMMY, it would also influence later films in turn; it is hard, for example, to imagine the 1937 Ronald Coleman LOST HORIZON without it, and even the look of the evil queen in Disney's 1938 SNOW WHITE is said to have been inspired by Gahagan's look and performance.
The film has been released in several editions to the home market, and fans may be tempted by less expensive editions. A word to the wise: Don't. The film shows its age and there is no significant bonus material, but the Kino Video release (be it on VHS or DVD) offers what is probably the best print short of a digital restoration. Recommended for fans of 1930s fantasy cinema.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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From the creative team that brought you the original "King Kong" comes a thrilling tale of adventure, immortality and lost love. -In color for the first time and includes fully restored black & white versions -Great Ray Harryhausen bonus features, Additional Scenes, Classic Sci-fi Toy Commercials, Original She Trailer

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Gigi (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)For those wondering why they should purchase another edition of "Gigi" on DVD, here are all the extras; however, if you own a Blu-ray, you might want to wait and pre-order Gigi [Blu-ray]. Other than the technical specs, the extras are the same on both versions.
Winner of 9 Oscars, "Gigi" was produced after the demise of the original 3-Strip Technicolor system, and photographed in the industry-standardized Eastmancolor process, which had a tendency to fade to reds and purples. For this new DVD release, Gigi has been photo-chemically restored from its original camera negative and safety separations to produce a much sharper and colorful image than has been seen in decades. It also contains a 5.1 audio mix created from the original multi-track source elements.
Disc 1 (Gigi '58): 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen * English DD5.1 Surround * French Mono * English, French and Japanese subtitles * Bluray specs: 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 1.0 (Both Castilian and Latin), German 1.0, Italian 1.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles (Main Feature): English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Subtitles (on Select Bonus Material): English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese
*New Commentary with Leslie Caron & Film Historian Jeanine Basinger
*The Million Dollar Nickel [1952 MGM short]
*The Vanishing Duck [1958 MGM cartoon]
*Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2: "Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi" The story of how 1958's Best Picture winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its daring sexual content and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli
Original 1949 Nonmusical version of Gigi starring Daniele Delorme in the title role and directed by Jacqueline Audry (in French Mono with English subtitles)
For those not familiar with the plot, Gaston (Louis Jordan) is the descendant of a wealthy Parisian family who rebels from the superficial lifestyle of upper class Parisian 1900s society by socializing with the former mistress (Hermoine Gingold) of his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) and her outgoing, tomboy granddaughter, Gigi (Leslie Caron). When Gaston becomes aware that Gigi has matured into a woman, her grandmother and aunt (Isabel Jeans), who have educated Gigi to be a wealthy man's mistress, enjoin on him to become her provider and on her to accept such a golden opportunity. However, true love adds a surprise twist to this Cinderella story that was actually filmed in Paris.

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Tiger Bay (1959) Review

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(More customer reviews)I first saw this movie at Goose Bay AFB in Labrador on a cold winter's night at the base theatre. I had no idea what was being shown, nor had any of the other GI's who attended that evening. Near the end of the film there is a particularly exciting moment and the entire audience - well over a thousand guys! - gasped with astonishment! At the end there was applause and shouts of "Great movie!" Several of us followed the movie as it wound its way to the many theatres on the air base, and we took others who hadn't seen it who were also deeply moved by the story. Over the years, now on video tape and DVD (Hurrah!) this "little" movie never fails to deliver its huge emotional impact. Hayley Mills (pre-Disney) and Horst Buchholz (pre-Magnificent Seven) will break your heart and then restore it. A truly great motion picture, one once discovered is never forgotten! If you haven't seen it you are missing one of the all-time classic films!

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Deadfall (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)From 20th Century Fox's new Cinema Classics Collection, whose prerequisites seem to be that a film be old and somewhat ostentatious, comes the feature Deadfall (1968), based on a novel by Desmond Cory and adapted and directed for the screen by Bryan Forbes (The Stepford Wives, International Velvet), starring Michael Caine (Dressed to Kill, Deathtrap), Giovanna Ralli (The Invisible Woman), and Eric Portman (The Spider and the Fly, "The Prisoner"). Also appearing is David Buck (The Mummy's Shroud) and legendary composer John Barry (Dr. No, Midnight Cowboy), who also provided the music for the film.
As the film opens we meet Henry Clarke (Caine), a professional jewel thief and apparent alcoholic, who's currently residing in a sanatorium of sorts attempting a recovery (we eventually learn he really doesn't have a problem with the booze, as he's only their to get close to a potential mark). Anyway, as Henry is finishing up his `convalescence' he's approached by a smartly dressed young woman by the name of Fe' Moreau (Ralli) as she's got a business proposition. Seems she and her husband, a much older man named Richard (Portman), who, by the way, seems to enjoy the company of men more than he does women (i.e. he's a little on the fruity side but manages to keep the mincing to a minimum) are in the same business as Henry, and seem to know an awful lot about not only what he does, but what he has done, particularly in some of his past heists. Turns out Richard is more of a planner than a thief, and he needs Henry to basically do all the breaking and entering so that he can come in at the end and gain access to where the valuables are stored. Once the details are squared away, the trio begins working on a preliminary job, one that involves stealing some jewels from large and well-protected estate while the owners are away at a concert. Things go fairly smoothly in the beginning, but the pair do encounter some difficulties on the back end. Eventually they make the score and decide to head off to Richard's villa somewhere on the coast of Spain, if only to rest up and plan their next job. And this is when things start to get really weird...you see, Henry and Fe' head out early and end up developing a romantic affair, while Richard shows up a few days later with a...friend...a young male friend named Antonio. Henry, taken with Fe', wants her all to himself, but she's unable to commit due to the fact she's married and all, and while she doesn't really love Richard, she does have a certain attachment to the man, one she can't just give up easily. This back and forth goes on for awhile and eventually Henry learns some disturbing truths about both Fe' and Richard, truths that could jeopardize their plans for their next heist...
I enjoyed a number of aspects about this film, my favorite being the sequence involving the initial robbery performed by Henry and Richard. This was a lengthy piece of footage as the shots of them breaking into the large mansion were cut with scenes of the orchestra concert, the same concert the people who owned the house being burglarized were attending. As a result the music performed during the concert is also played during the heist, all of which was edited in such a way to make everything quite exciting and engaging. The first hour or so of the film (the movie runs about two hours) things move along fairly well, but then the next forty five minutes the story gets bogged down with a whole lot of relationship type material, as Henry tries to figure out why Fe' is as attached as she is to Richard, and why Richard is unwilling to let her go. There are some interesting and ultimately creepy revelations made around this time as we learn a number of things about Richard's past, but it kind of felt dragged out and slightly pretentious by the end. Things do pick up during the last fifteen minutes, but I do believe the film could have been shortened by at least ten minutes, perhaps in an effort to provide better pacing. The crux of the story isn't really the heists themselves, but the interactions that develop between the characters in terms of their relationships, so perhaps this aspect of the film was intentionally drawn out to provide the necessary development as perceived by those making the feature. Anyway, some other aspects that worked really well for me were the European settings and the smart dialog. There's a lot of philosophy thrown around, as Richard seems to pontificate endlessly while playing his odd, little head games, but Henry does counteract this well with his streetwise wit and natural charm. I'm generally intrigued by characters on film or in novels that always manage to pull an appropriate retort or reply out of their ash. I thought all the performances were very professional and Caine was entertaining as usual. The one element that tends to stand out the most, as I think most who've seen the film will agree, is John Barry's beautiful musical score (he also appears in the film as an orchestral director), which complements the activity on the screen remarkably well. If you're a fan of exceptional musical scores, it might be worth seeing this film on that aspect alone. Overall I thought this a curious feature with some definite entertainment value, but certainly not for everyone's tastes. If you prefer a quick pace, lots of action, and minimal character development, this feature probably wouldn't be of interest, but if you enjoy a textured and layered storyline with a focused eye towards the characters and a moderately bizarre twist or two, then perhaps this will fit the bill.
The anamorphic widescreen (1.66:1) picture on this DVD release comes across really well as the picture is exceptionally clean and clear, and the audio, available in Dolby Digital mono (English and Spanish) and stereo (English only) is excellent, in my opinion. There are some extras including a featurette titled The John Barry Touch - The Music of a Master, an original theatrical trailer, an isolated musical score and sound effects track, subtitles in English and Spanish (the back of the case states there are also subtitles available in French, but this isn't true), and a couple of trailers for some other Michael Caine films, Peeper (1975) and The Magus (1968), both of which were recently released onto DVD.
Cookieman108


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The Warner Gangsters Collection (The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties) (1938) Review

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(More customer reviews)Who can argue that this isn't the greatest collection of classic gangster films ever made?
If you need more proof about how good these are, I have 3 sources that rated these films BEFORE they were released to DVD.
Leonard Maltin (represented by LM, his highest rating is 4 stars),Nick Martin & Marsha Porter (authers of DVD & Video guide - represented by DVDG), and All Movie Guide (Represented by AMG).
Let's go Chronologically:
Little Caesar: LM- 3 1/2; DVDG - 3; AMG - 5
The Public Enemy: LM - 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 5
The Petrified Forest: LM 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 4
Angels With Dirty Faces: LM - 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 4 1/2
The Roaring Twenties: LM - 3; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 4 1/2
White Heat: LM - 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 5
If you really look at the ratings (and consider that Maltin uses a 4 star rating system (as opposed to a 5 star)),you will see that the profesional critics rate these as quite high. Let's face it. These are the cream of the Warner gangster library. Another neat thing that was done for the DVD is the Warner Night at the Movies (Similarly done with Yankee Doodle Dandy, Treasures of the Sierra Madre, and the Adventures of Robin Hood - also introduced by Leonard Maltin) which gives you the option of viewing the film the way it was in theaters during that year (complete with trailer, news item, short, cartoon, & movie). They all have commentaries by notable historians, and have "Making of" special features (a few which include Martin Scorsese).
The prints are the cleanest I've seen in years (Turner does a top notch job of getting the best available source material).
The sound is above average to good. There are subtitles for the films, and closed captioning. Subtitles in english, french, and spanish.
The bottom line is if you are into this genre, you are going to want to get all 6 of these films (watch them in chronological order, the way the "making of"s are presented is much more rewarding if you do). These are simply the best of the gangster films. Second to none, and (to quote Cagney) "Top of the World".

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The Public Enemy showcases James Cagney's powerful 1931 breakthrough performance as streetwise tough guy Tom Powers. When shooting began, Cagney had a secondary role but Zanuck soon spotted Cagney's screen dominance and gave him the star part. From that moment, an indelible genre classic and an enduring star career were both born.As a psychotic thug devoted to his hard-boiled ma, James Cagney - older, scarier and just as elctrifying - gives a performance to match his work in The Public Enemy as White Heat's cold-blooded Cody Jarrett. Bracingly directed by Raoul Walsh, this fast-paced thriller tracing Jarrett's violent life in and out of jail is also a harrowing character study.Jarrett is a psychological time bomb ruled by impulse. It is among themost vivid screen performances of Cagney's career, and the excitement itgenerates will put you on top of the world! In Angels with Dirty Faces, Cagney's Rocky Sullivan is a charismatic ghetto tough whose underworld rise makes him a hero to a gang of slum punks. The 1938 New York Film Critics Best Actor Award came Cagney's way, as well as one of the film's three Oscar nominations. Watch the chilling death-row finale and you'll know why. "R-I-C-O, Little Caesar, that's who!" Edward G. Robinson bellowed into the phone. And Hollywood got the message: 37-year-old Robinson, not gifted with matinee-idol looks, was nonetheless a first-class star and moviegoers hailed the hard-hitting social consciousness dramas that became the Depression-era mainstay of Warner Bros. Little Caesar is the tale of pugnacious Caesar Enrico Bandello, a hoodlum with a Chicago-sized chip on his shoulder, few attachments, fewer friends and no sense of underworld diplomacy. And Robinson - a genteel art collector who disdained guns (in the movie, his eyelids weretaped to keep them from blinking when he fired a pistol) - was forever associated with the screen's archetypal gangster. A rundown diner bakes in the Arizona heat. Inside, fugitive killer Duke Mantee sweats out a manhunt, holding disillusioned writer Alan Squier, young Gabby Maple and a handful of others hostage. The Petrified Forest, Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway success about survival of the fittest, hit the screen a year later with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart magnificently recreating their stage roles and BetteDavis ably reteaming with her Of Human Bondage co-star Howard. Sherwood first wanted Bogart for a smaller role. "I thought Sherwood was right," Bogart said. "I couldn't picture myself playing a gangster. So what happened? I made a hit as the gangster." So right was he that Howard refused to make the film without him...and helped launch Bogie's brilliant movie career. In The Roaring Twenties, the speakeasy era never roared louder than in this gangland chronicle that packs a wallop under action master Raoul Walsh's direction. Against a backdrop of newsreel-like montages and narration, it follows the life of jobless war veteran Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney) who turns bootlegger, dealing in "bottles instead of battles." Battles await Eddie within and without his growing empire. Outside are territorial feuds and gangland bloodlettings. Inside is the treachery of his double-dealing associate (Humphrey Bogart). It would be 10 years before Cagney played another gangster (in White Heat), a time in which gangster movies themselves became rare. "He used to be a big shot," Panama Smith (Gladys George) says at the finale, marking Bartlett's demise...and signaling the end of Hollywood's focus on the gangster era.

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Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have more to say about it at DVDtoons.com, but here's the short of it: It does run a little long, and could have certainly used some editing, but this movie is fun and rates well against the R-B TV specials. Anyone who thinks this movie is too confusing could not have been paying much attention, and I also would not say it's scary--- my 3-year old loved it (of course, it will depend on your own child's "scare threshhold"). Personally, I enjoyed the "origin" of Rudolph, found the new mythology of the characters charming, and thought Winterbolt to be a great villain. The movie gets a 7/10 from me, although the video quality could have been a little better on the disc. The lack of extras was disappointing too.

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Movie Bad Girls (Sins of Jezebel / Queen of the Amazons) (1953) Review

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(More customer reviews)VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker Films presents "MOVIE BAD GIRLS DOUBLE FEATURE" (Sins of Jezebel (1954) & Queen of the Amazons (1947) --- (Dolby digitally remastered)...featuring top performances from the '40s and '50s with outstanding drama and screenplays, along with a wonderful cast and supporting actors to bring it all together ... another winner from the vaults of almost forgotten Hollywood gems.
First up we have Lippert Pictures feature "SINS OF JEZEBEL" (1954) (74 min/Color) --- Under Reginald Le Borg (Director), Sigmund Neufeld (Producer), Richard Landau (Screenwriter), Gilbert Warrenton (Cinematographer), Bert Shefter (Composer (Music Score), Carl Pierson (Editor), F. Paul Sylos (Art Director), Paul F. Sylos (Art Director) ----- the cast includes Paulette Goddard (Jezebel), George Nader (Jehuz), John Hoyt (Elijah), Eduard Franz (King Ahab), John Shelton (Loram), Margia Dean (Deborah), Joe Besser (Yonkel, Chariot man), Ludwig Donath (Naboth), Carmen D'Antonio (Dancer) . . . . . our film and story has a scheming wicked princess of Phoenicia named Jezebel whose pagan ways brings destruction to all she comes in contact with ... Paulette Goddard is believeable as Jezebel, with George Nader who is under her magical spell ... will she introduce her pagan idols in place of the God of Israel, what danger lies before the King of Israel Eduard Franz as Ahab ... Sins of Jezebel takes place in 9th Century, B.C., in the city of Jezreel, the prophet Elijah warns Ahab, the King of Israel, against marrying Jezebel the beautiful but evil Phoenician ... on a very small budget this film comes across and delivers the goods and more
BIOS:
1. Paulette Goddard (aka:Marion Goddard Levy)
Date of birth: 3 June 1910 - Whitestone Landing, Long Island, New York
Date of death: 23 April 1990 - Ronco, Switzerland
2. George Nader
Date of birth: 19 October 1921 - Pasadena, California
Date of death: 4 February 2002 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
3. Reginald Le Borg (Director)
Date of birth: 11 December 1902 - Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Austria)
Date of death: 25 March 1989 - Los Angeles, California
4. Robert L. Lippert (Producer)
Date of birth: 31 March 1909 - Alameda, California, USA
Date of death: 16 November 1976 - Unknown City & State
BONUS FEATURES:
1. Movie Trivia
2. Photo Gallery
3. Three Nuts In Search of A Bolt (trailer)
4. Promises Promises (trailer)
Second on the double bill is a Robert L. Lippert Picture release "QUEEN OF THE AMAZONS" (1947) (61 min/B/W) --- Under Edward F. Finney -(Director / Producer), Roger Merton (Screenwriter), Robert Pittack (Cinematographer), Lee Zahler (Musical Direction/Supervision), John Link (Editor), James Reimer (Art Director) ----- the cast includes Robert Lowery (Gary Lambert), Patricia Morison (Jean Preston), J. Edward Bromberg (Gabby), John Miljan (Narrator/Colonel Jones), Amira Moustafa (Zita, the Amazon Queen), Keith Richards (Wayne Monroe), Bruce Edwards (Greg Jones), Wilson Benge (Professor), Jack George (Commissioner), Cay Forrester (Sugi), Vida Aldana (Tondra), Hassan Khayyam (Moya) . . . . . our story line as woman searches the Amazon jungle for her missing fiancé ... The problem is not that she finds her husband alive and well, but that he has fallen in love with the Amazon Queen ... is the jungle controlled by a tribe of she-devils ... are outsiders safe, or will they be enslaved and tortured by a gang of smugglers ... what's with all the lions roaming the Lippert Picture set, does one of them have a collar ... don't leave the theater you're about to find out in the last reel . . . . . all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and film noir features like this one.
BIOS:
1. Robert Lowery
Date of birth: 17 October 1913 - Kansas City, Missouri
Date of death: 26 December 1971 - Hollywood, California,
2. Patricia Morrison
Date of birth: 19 March 1915 - New York, New York
Date of death: Still Living
3. Edward F Finney (Director)
Date of birth: 18 April 1903 - New York, New York
Date of death: 10 January 1983 - Los Angeles, California
BONUS FEATURES:
1. Movie Trivia
2. Photo Gallery
3. Bad Blonde (trailer)
4. Man Bait (trailer)
5. Unwed Mother (trailer)
Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the "MOVIE BAD GIRLS DOUBLE FEATURE" (Sins of Jezebel (1954) & Queen of the Amazons (1947), digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '40s and '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for epics and jungle adventures that only VCI Entertainment (King of the Serials) can deliver.
Total Time: 128 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video KPF-559 ~ (9/26/2006)

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Madame X (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Madame X" was already an old story before Lana Turner and producer Ross Hunter decided to adapt it to the big screen. It was written in 1909 by Alexandre Bisson and had already had several movie adaptations, including one in 1929 which had made its star, Ruth Chatterton, the first major new dramatic actress of the talkies. In the early 1960's, Lana Turner was looking for a great vehicle which would reactivate her independent production company. After screening the 1937 version of "Madame X" (starring Gladys George), Lana eagerly discussed the idea of another remake with Ross Hunter. Hunter was the last of the producers who specialized in "women's pictures," and he easily sold the idea to the executives at Universal.
In 1962, Turner and Hunter bought the story rights from MGM and entered into a co-production deal involving Hunter's "crew" and Turner's own Eltee Productions. However, filming was delayed until April 1965, mainly due to disagreements over the script. Lana Turner hadn't had a really great role since 1959`s "Imitation of Life" (which was also produced by Ross Hunter), but her extraordinary performance in "Madame X" turned out to be the greatest of her entire career. It's simply a crime that she wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. Nearly all her fans both then and now agree that if ever Lana deserved an Oscar it was for "Madame X".
Lana Turner plays Holly Anderson, the wife of a wealthy diplomat. Neglected by her husband Clay (John Forsythe), she is slowly led astray and seduced by Phil Benton (Ricardo Montalban), a wolf with the ladies. When Holly tries to end their affair, Phil loses control of his temper, and during their struggle, he falls down a flight of stairs and is killed. Holly leaves Phil's house and goes to her mother-in-law, Estelle (Constance Bennett), desperate for help. But her mother-in-law has always resented Holly and already knows of her affair with Phil (she hired a private detective). Knowing that this is her chance to be rid of Holly, Estelle gives her an ultimatum: give up her family and leave the country, or else be tried for the "murder" of Phil. Estelle also convinces her that the scandal would wreck the lives of her husband and young son.
Holly reluctantly agrees, and she heads for Europe while her husband and son are told she died in a tragic accident. As time passes, she sinks into a life of alcoholism and prostitution, and she becomes addicted to absinthe. While staying in a Mexican hotel, she meets Dan Sullivan (Burgess Meredith), an experienced conman who gets Holly to be his partner in a blackmail scheme. But when she finds out that Dan's intended target is her husband, she shoots Dan and then faces a murder trial, known only as Madame X. Ironically, the young lawyer assigned to defend her is her own son (played by Keir Dullea), now grown up and eager to win his first case. Although neither know of the secret which ties them together, they grow very close to each other as the trial progresses. As the trial nears the end, Holly's strength and will to live diminish, while her son becomes more determined than ever to win the case for her sake.
Although "Madame X" was not the financial blockbuster that Turner and Hunter had hoped for, over the years it has gained the reputation it deserves, as a classic tear-jerker. Lana Turner stated that the role of Madame X was one of her personal favorites, along with Sheila Regan ("Ziegfeld Girl"), Cora Smith ("The Postman Always Rings Twice"), and Georgia Lorrison ("The Bad and the Beautiful"). While touring the country promoting the film in the Spring of 1966, she said this to one reporter about her performance: "I'm not a method actress, but the only way I can reach that kind of emotion is to call on situations and experiences in my own life. It's not easy to do because you lock them away. But it's the only way to get to that same level of intensity." Lana Turner had indeed suffered through much tragedy in her life before filming "Madame X" and I doubt if she could've given such an amazing performance early in her career. Like previous reviewers, I am puzzled why such a wonderful classic like this hasn't gotten a DVD release yet. If you love classic tear-jerkers then get this movie in ANY available format!

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Marilyn Monroe: A Life in Pictures Review

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(More customer reviews)I havn't been able to find much info on this dvd but decided to give it a try anyway, it contains many news reels and most of Marilyn's movie trailers, very standard footage here. Although it is enjoyable, I don't like that the trailers are mixed in with the news reels. I was also disappointed that the songs are not video clips from her movies they are only in audio. I liked the "Marilyn at the movies dvd much better" but if you don't already have MM's songs on cd you may also like this..

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The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone is a film about need and seduction and the fear of being all-alone in the world. Legendary New York stage actress Karen Stone (the legendary Vivian Leigh) is unhappy with her latest performance, and is even more distraught when the play turns out to be a flop. She decides to retire from acting, telling everyone she needs a holiday to take care of her ailing husband.
However, when he dies on board a jetliner on the way to Rome, she decides to stay in the City and book herself into a lavish rooftop apartment. She wonders the streets, drifting in a haze of expensive loneliness, wondering what to do with her life now that acting is over for her. She soon falls in with the Contessa (Lotte Lenya), a female pimp, and a sharp procuress of handsome young men for forlorn wealthy old widows.
The Contessa hooks her up with the young Paolo di Leo (Warren Beatty). The sexy Paolo thinks nothing of acquiring money out of rich, older women, and with the Contessa's encouragement, he wines and dines Karen. Karen, however, isn't your typical widow. At around fifty, she's is still very beautiful, although she worries about getting older, she's obviously enamored of Paolo and she's desperate for affection, but she's determined that Paolo's need for money will not triumph her need for love.
They eventually become lovers. Karen showers gifts upon Paolo and they take a trip to Tangier. The Contessa becomes furious that Paolo isn't "cutting her fifty-fifty on the deal." Karen also doesn't heed the warnings of her friend, journalist Meg (Coral Browne) that she has "a disease" that can't be fulfilled. When Paolo begins to make the movies on younger starlet Barbara Bingham (Jill St. John), Karen begins to see Paolo for what he really is.
Based in Tennessee Williams novella, Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone is full of his trademark themes of desperation and isolation of fearful people aching to connect. There's no doubt that Paolo is an attractive man, but he's also selfish, spoilt and petulant and he thinks nothing of two-timing Karen. Karen is an intelligent and intuitive woman, and she's well aware of Paolo's agenda, but it's as though she's observing life through a looking glass, and is ultimately seduced by the gigolo lifestyle.
Director Jos? Quintero bathes the movie soft hews of gold and orange and he makes the most of Rome's stunning surrounds. Vivien Leigh remains a rather downcast presence - she's plays Karen with a fascinating mixture of neurosis and foreboding, she knows the relationship with Paolo will probably lead nowhere but she just can't help herself.
When their romance starts to sour, she and her young and deceitful companion trade sharp words but there no extravagant theatrical exchanges. Likewise Beatty plays down the truculent Paolo - much has been made of his Italian accent, but I found it perfectly suitable, and he's totally convincing as a manipulative pretty-boy Italian gigolo.
The Romance of Mrs. Stone was probably pretty sensational when it was released in 1961; and it's moral ambiguities - paying for sex and high-class prostitution, quite shocking to some. The film as aged well, although it dances around the more intimate aspects of the relationship - there's only one short love scene, which fades to black - the film certainly does a good job of highlighting the trials and tribulations of poor lonely women with bags of money who find themselves at a loss, living in exotic places and desiring to connect with someone. Mike Leonard May 06.


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An ageing starlet is off to vacation in Rome with her husband when he suffers a fatal heart attack on the plane. Mrs. Stone stays in Rome where she leases a magnificent apartment with a view of the seven hills from the terrace. Soon, a contessa comes calling and introduces Mrs. Stone and a young man named Paola. A wary Mrs. Stone ultimately succumbs to Paolo's charms.DVD Features:DocumentariesFeaturette:? New Featurette Mrs. Stone: Looking for Love in All the Dark Corners

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A Man and a Woman (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)And this ain't it. But it's all we got for now, so heh.
"Un Homme et une Femme" holds up quite well some 32 years hence. Younger viewers may not realize that a lot of the montage devices and tricks that may seem 'dated' were actually popularized and/or invented herein by Claude Lelouch. I actually found myself rewinding to watch the color sections a couple of times, especially the mid-film sequence scored to Francis Lai's achingly sentimental and lovely "Stronger than Us" as Anouk Aimee (the world's most beautiful woman) and Jean-Louis Triginant stroll the Deauville shore and muse on art and life. The tinting and grain of those sections - the boat ride, Anouk remembering her dead husband (Pierre Barouh) as he sings "Samba Saravah" to her - set a trend I pine for again.
The story? Well, thin, even by today's lughead standards (widower and widow fall in love against some lovely French scenery shot in winter), but it's obvious Lelouch was going for something that was quite new, then: a marriage of film and music that was not a "musical" per se, but rather, the forerunner of MTV (well, MTV with a soul, let's say). Cut loosely but thankfully not on-the-beat to Lai's jazzy/lush mid-60s score, Lelouch suceeds darn well. The freeze-frame ending cued to the final electric piano note, and that moment when Anouk Aimee pauses for the longest time and says to Jean-Louis, "You never told me about your wife", are two of my favorite filmgoing moments.
"Un Homme et une Femme" is emblematic of a world-view which I, for one, wish would take hold of folks again and topple the psychotic-trash-nihilistic consciousness now dominating pop culture. It was thoughtful, romantic, inward and outward at once, loving of sentiment but not wallowing in sentimentality, sophisticated, in love with love and with being alive in the world... not afraid of seeming tender. If any of this strikes you as square or passe or naive, then, this ain't your movie.
Let's hope the DVD gets released in French. Daria could use some alternative programming to 'Sick,Sad World', as could some of the rest of us.

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From director CLAUDE LELOUCH (And Now...Ladies and Gentlemen) comes this 1966 classic, a tender, visually exciting film of revitalizing love: a race-car driver (JEAN-LOUIS TRINIGNANT) and a movie script girl (ANOUK AIMEE) share a romance filled with humor and truth, intertwined with the demands of career and parenthood. Winner of OscarsO for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay.

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Christmas Television Favorites (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas / The Year Without a Santa Claus / Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July / Rudolph's Shiny New Year / and More) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This serviceable DVD set contains the exceptional (Chuck Jones, Boris Karloff) "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" along with seven Rankin/Bass Christmas shows -- the '70s sequels to Rudolph and Frosty.
The true joy of this disk is the Grinch, which my kids watch over and over - much more than the (pretty good) Jim Carey movie.
The very same Grinch disc in this set is available separately --
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition). However, this 4-disc DVD set is only a few dollars more, with the assorted Rudolph & Frosty sequels. It's a very handsome bookshelf edition of four Christmas disks already separately published from the Warner Brothers library, three of them the Rankin/Bass sequels.
(If you want the original Rankin/Bass cartoons of Rudolph and Frosty, not the sequels, they're available on this terrific DVD: The Original Television Christmas Classics (Rudolph, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Frosty and Frosty Returns, Little Drummer Boy, and Cricket on the Hearth).)
DVD Contents:
Disc 1: Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (50th Birthday Deluxe Edition, 26 mins., 1966, animated)
Also includes
- Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (26 mins., 1970, animated)
- Special Features - From Whoville to Hollywood, Grinch Songs, Who's Who in Whoville, Grinch Pencil Test, TNT's Special Edition: Phil Hartman on making the Grinch (19 min), and Trailers
Disc 2: The Year Without a Santa Claus (Deluxe Edition, 125 mins., 2007)
Also includes
- Rudolph's Shiny New Year (50 mins., Stop motion, 1975)
- Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (24 mins., Stop motion, 1977)
- Special Features: We Are Santa's Elves, School of Stop Motion, & Trailers
Disc 3: Frosty's Winter Wonderland (24 mins., 1976, animated, with Andy Griffith) (Frosty takes a wife!)
Also includes
- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (24 mins., 1974, animated, with Joel Grey)
Disc 4: Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (97 mins., 1979, Stop motion, with Red Buttons, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, & Shelley Winters)

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No Description Available.Genre: Children's VideoRating: NRRelease Date: 2-OCT-2007Media Type: DVD

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Can-Can (1960) Review

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(More customer reviews)Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra kick up their heels in CAN-CAN, the sparkling film adaptation of the Cole Porter musical comedy.
The setting is the Montmatre district of Paris, circa 1896. The can-can dance has been ruled as immoral and scandalous by the polite society, but that doesn't stop Simone Pistache (Shirley MacLaine) from performing the routine at her cafe. She is helped by her boyfriend--crooked lawyer Francois Durnais (Frank Sinatra). Simone's happy existence comes crashing down when she's arrested on the orders of the new district judge, Philipe Forrestier (Louis Jourdan).
Francois decides that the best way for Simone to continue her activities is to seduce Philipe. Pretty soon, Simone has well and truly fallen for his charms, but the hilarious love triangle has only just begun!...
This version of Cole Porter's 1953 Broadway musical is a very enjoyable, breezy viewing experience. The costumes from Irene Sharaff are lavish, and the art direction is flawless. MacLaine and Sinatra (continuing the screen partnership they had established with "Some Came Running") have a very fun rapport. Maurice Chevalier and Louis Jourdan switch on their Gallic charm to maximum effect here.
The original Cole Porter tunestack was augmented with "You Do Something to Me", "Let's Fall in Love", and "Just One of Those Things"; whilst several extra character numbers were deleted ("If You Loved Me Truly", "Allez-Vous-En", "Never Give Anything Away"). The score was lushly arranged and conducted by Sinatra's frequent collaborator Nelson Riddle.
Choreography from Hermes Pan is full of colour and excitement. MacLaine (with the help of a life-sized dummy) is thrown and throttled in a precision-drilled "Apache Dance", and leads the troupe in the "Garden of Eden" Ballet. Juliet Prowse, as Claudine, offers a top performance, too.
TRIVIA: During her early Broadway days, Shirley MacLaine briefly considered applying for Gwen Verdon's understudy in "Can-Can".
The brand-new 2-disc DVD from Fox's "Marquee Musicals" series presents a beautifully-restored print, in complete Roadshow length with overture, intermission and exit music sequences. Extra features on the second disc include "A Leg Up: The Making of Can Can" which delves into the history of the Broadway musical (and features some superb rare footage of Gwen Verdon from the original production). "The Classic Cole Porter" offers a brief glimpse into the life of the celebrated composer. "Book by Burrows" is a salute to CAN-CAN's original author Abe Burrows with reminisces from his children.
The "Restoration Comparison" allows to you see the new DVD master with the earlier 1993 video/laserdisc release-print, and it's quite evident that the good people at Fox have gone above and beyond to restore CAN-CAN to it's original brilliance. There are also some still galleries plus the trailer. In addition, Fox has packaged a set of four postcard-sized lobbycards in the DVD case!
The new edition of CAN-CAN is a must for all fans of the classic musicals.

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A 1890's Montmartre Dance Hall Owner Constantly Raided For Performing The Illegal Can-Can Has To Use Her Own Resources When An Elderly Judge Is Replaced By A Younger More Serious One. Based On Abe Burrow'S Play. Music By Cole Porter.

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Duel at Diablo (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the most unusual westerns ever filmed, Duel at Diablo deals with a number of clicheish situations in a refreshing, fascinating manner. More engrossing than entertaining, the intense emotion and delicately intertwined subplots are almost hypnotically effective in holding the viewer's attention. James Garner, Sidney Poitier and Dennis Weaver headline an excellent cast. Beautiful locations and an eerie soundtrack add to the overall power of the production. This film is probably too violent for many young viewers, but will prove a most satisfying experience for western buffs who prefer gritty realism to the more common shlocky horse operas. Duel at Diablo will never be found in a listing of top westerns, but it belongs there. In fact, it holds its own in any movie library, regardless of genre.

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Man Hunt (1941) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Man Hunt" is an excellent thriller that doesn't look like it is almost seventy years old, and is one of my favorite Fritz Lang films. Ahead of its time in the complexity of its characters, it is about a British hunter (Walter Pidgeon) who contemplates assassinating Hitler when he gets him in his gun sight and gets caught doing so. Left for dead at the bottom of a cliff by the authorities, he lives and makes his way to a boat on its way to London. However, on the ship there is someone all too interested in his story. Soon he realizes he is being followed. Back in London he turns to Joan Bennett for help. If I'm getting the details wrong, it's because it's been about ten years since I've seen this one anywhere. Lang manages to do a very good job of portraying the Nazis in a more complex and articulate manner than other films of this time period (it was made in 1941). The following is the list of extras:
Commentary by Author Patrick McGilligan
Rogue Male: The Making of Man Hunt
Restoration Comparison
Trailer
Interactive Pressbook
Still Gallery
I have heard this is being released to coincide with the DVD release of Tom Cruise's Valkyries. Even though that movie is not as good as this one, I'll take it any way I can get it. This is somewhat like the release of the Dracula - The Legacy Collection (Dracula / Dracula (1931 Spanish Version) / Dracula's Daughter / Son of Dracula / House of Dracula) as a publicity stunt for the laughable CGI-fest Van Helsing (Widescreen Edition). Sometimes great films from the past emerge on DVD as a result of publicizing the films of the present.


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Genre: DramaRating: NRRelease Date: 19-MAY-2009Media Type: DVD

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Morituri Review

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(More customer reviews)It's thought by many that Marlon Brando was probably one of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen, if not one of the weirdest (at least later in his life). Based on that alone (his acting, not his weirdness), I purchased Morituri (1965), having heard little to nothing about the film. The fact it also stars Yul Brynner didn't hurt either. Regardless, I am glad I picked this one up, as it's really quite good.
The title, as far as I can tell, is Latin meaning `for those about to die', which seems apt after watching the film. Directed by Bernhard Wicki, someone I've never heard of, probably because he was an Austrian who mainly directed German films, the film stars Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner. Also appearing are Janet Margolin (Nevada Smith), Trevor Howard (The Third Man), and a German actor I've never heard of named Martin Benrath who I thought was quite good.
The film, set during WWII, begins with German Captain Rolf Mueller being given charge of a cargo ship, leaving Japan and destined for occupied France, one that contains critical raw materials, mainly rubber, important for Germany's war effort. He's none too happy with his assignment, as some of the crew is made up of undesirables and political prisoners destined to be tried upon arrival (I would guess they wouldn't be to eager to reach their destination). The Allied forces, on learning of the contents of the ship, approach Robert Crain, a German demolitions expert and ex-patriot hiding in English ruled India, for the purpose of getting him on the ship, not to blow up the ship, but to disarm the scuttle charges (apparently German ships contained explosives so that if they were to get captured, the captain was to detonate the explosives and `scuttle', or sink, the vessel to keep it out of enemy hands). The Allies want the contents of the ship, not only to hinder Germany's war efforts, but also to assist their own. With assistance, Crain does get aboard the ship, under the guise of an SS security officer named Hans Kyle. Members of the SS, it seems, were not entirely popular by any one's account, especially not by other Germans (think the police and their dislike for their own internal affairs division). This creates complications for Crain/Kyle, as he must secretly search the ship for an unknown number of explosive charges, disarm them, within a certain amount of time, all while keeping the captain and the crew `in the dark'. Not only that, but the ship is forced to take on a group of American prisoners for transport. Things are getting hairier by the minute...
Most of the film takes place on a cargo ship, providing for a very claustrophobic, tense atmosphere throughout. Brando plays his role in a very subdued manner, but it works well. I thought his German accent a bit odd, not entirely bad, just odd, but I got used to it, especially since the movie runs about two hours. Not only did Brando have the acting chops to pull off his character, but he also had the physique, as he had to run, climb, swing and crawl to get around the ship to disable the explosive charges. He seemed very within character, especially the parts when his character discussed his feelings against against war in general. Brynner was also very good as a non-party German, who, while maybe not believing in his leaders political motives, wasn't a traitor either. I really liked the diverse complexity, including compassion and kindness, of his character, the sailor committed to his duties, forced to captain this particular ship with a questionable crew.There was a great deal of character development throughout, which served well to really display the differences among the German people in general with regards to their feelings and loyalties towards their leadership and/or their country. I thought the direction of the film to be really good, as the camera always seemed position in such a way to capture the best possible point of view for that particular scene. The story moved along well, although some will say it was too slow, but I didn't think so...I found myself pretty much glued to the screen, enjoying all aspects of the movie. One of my favorite scenes was when Crain/Kyle is confronted in closed quarters by two German officers from the submarine, which delivered the American prisoners. His ability to play on their own sense of paranoia as they questioned him about his reason for being on the ship was very intelligent and interesting to watch. The plot is complicated, but if you can watch with no distractions, you should be able to follow it along well.
The anamorphic wide screen picture on this DVD looks pretty good, but I did feel it could have been cleaned up a little. There were some very minor flaws visible every once in awhile, but the main thing I noticed was the `softness' in the black parts when scenes were heavily shadowed. It's kind of hard to explain, but a bit more noticeable than the other flaws. As far as special features go, there's a teaser trailer for the film (I'm unsure who made this, but after watching the movie, I felt the person who did make it had no idea or even a sense of what the film was about, as it presented something other than what the movie was, at least I felt), and original theatrical trailer, and trailers for some other, older Fox war films like Crash Dive (1943), The Hunters (1958), and What Price Glory (1952). All in all, I thought Morituri was very decent, well made film rich with characters and a complex plot that rewards those with the patience to enjoy the more sophisticated side of films (I'm not trying to be snobby here, but I do feel this film hasn't gotten the attention it deserves, unduly so).
Cookieman108


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Suspenseful action highlights this film in which Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner team up to defuse a Nazi freighter, poised to explode upon capture.

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