Elizabethtown (Widescreen Edition)

Amazon.com

Elizabethtown has all of the elements of a great Cameron Crowe movie, but none of the Cameron Crowe vision that made Almost Famous work. It's mostly a series of sweet moments, each capped with the right song at the right time; in fact, the soundtrack is the real star of the movie, and the right song is all there is to piece together a film that is much less than the sum of its parts.

From the start of Elizabethtown, big contrasts are evoked: death and life, success and failure are side by side, so we're told. When the movie starts, Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) is experiencing failure and death in spades: the shoe he spent eight years designing for Mercury (a thinly-veiled copy of Nike) has been recalled, costing his company $972 million dollars. On the verge of a suicide attempt, he learns his father has died, and Drew flies to Kentucky to retrieve the body to Oregon for cremation. On the red-eye to Louisville he meets Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst), a perky flight att'ndant with a charming flair for cute lines ("I'm impossible to forget, but I'm hard to remember," she chirps). Once in Elizabethtown, Drew tries to plan a memorial while dealing with relatives who have their own agenda in addition to his manic family back in Oregon, all while facing the reality that in a few days he'll be known nationally as one of his industry's most legendary failures. Yet still he manages to connect with Claire on an all-night cell phone conversation--complete with the requisite watching of the sunrise--and to strike up a furtive romance.

So we now have death and life side by side. But despite these dramatic shifts, what sets up to be a roller coaster ride of a film flattens out to a milquetoast middle ground with no real life of its own. Drew Baylor has suffered two tragic personal losses in the course of one day, but you wouldn't know it from Bloom's lethargic performance. There's not much to Claire either. Her whole character is made up mostly of cutesy quotable lines and mysterious little smirks. In the end, Elizabethtown is a film that doesn't know what it wants to be, and unfortunately there's no payoff, other than a few memorable lines and a great soundtrack. --Dan Vancini

Product Description

From Oscar winner Cameron Crowe comes "a potent blend of rock 'n' roll and classic romantic comedy." Orlando Bloom stars as Drew Baylor, a hot-shot designer whose life becomes completely unraveled when he loses his father and his job on one fateful day. En route to Elizabethtown to visit his family, Drew meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst). She's beautiful, unstoppably positive, and just the gal to guide Drew on his journey back home and to teach him what it means to live and love along the way. Set against the backdrop of an incredible soundtrack, ELIZABETHTOWN is "an amazing trip of love, loss and laughter."

Customer Reviews:

ELIZABETHTOWN: A film that does not know what it is or where it is going!.......2007-09-02

Fifteen minutes into ELIZABETHTOWN I knew this film was in big trouble! It was going nowhere faster that the trip down Route 60B in Kentucky.I can,in recent memory, recall only one other film that presented so many themes, ideas and characters and failed to develop a single one of them.Well, ELIZABETHTOWN from Cameron Crowe is this latest detour and dead end.To recap this ridiculous film would be pure mayhem.What is it truly about? Who knows! Where is the film going? Everywhere and nowhere! This film simply fails to connect point A to point B at any level.It is insufferably overlong and could have ended so many times that after a while I just wanted to get to the end so that I could say I completed the trip!!! I did and the vacation simply was not worth it.The film's flaws seemed to be covered effectively by an excellent and diverse melange of rock and country tunes that run practically the entire length of the film.Folks will be apt to purchase the soundtrack far quicker that this botched mess of a movie!

Orlando Bloom is soooooo wasted in this film that it makes me angry that talent and looks should be squandered in such a misguided screenplay.Kirsten Dunst is the only character that has some kind of substance and Dunst does all that she can to make her role real.Susan Sarandon appeared ridiculous. These three actors more than likely hung their heads when they viewed the finished product.Whether the chief problem with this film is the screenplay or the direction, rest assured that Cameron Crowe did them both.After ALMOST FAMOUS how did Crowe allow this debacle to hit the screen?

In conclusion, this film is about family connection,dealing with failure,connecting with the right person,living life to it's fullest,dealing with grief and loss,learning to soar,how to ineffectively commit suicide and how to drive 42 hours with a cd/scrapbook-road guide so skillfully assembled in a four day period by Kirsten Dunst that would take AAA years to put together.Ultimately though, this film is about none of these things.Each theme is roadblocked;each character is under construction;and the entire film needed an alternate route to travel to get itself and the cast out of critical harms way!

A Very Fine and Moving Film.......2007-08-10

I suspect this is Crowe's best. Yes, it is a bit of a quirky love story perhaps too sweet for some, but really the film is more of a salute to family, love, life and America. Elizabethtown itself seemed the quintessential mid-American small town that one hopes will never disappear. The road travel our hero takes through mid-America (with great music and a "great map") toward the end would be a very enjoyable experience for most anyone who loves this country. The acting was excellent, and whatever minor shortcomings there might be in the story, I found the film in all to be a very moving & enjoyable experience. Incidently, I think the script for Claire, well played by the Kristen Dunst with her sunshine face representing life - in contrast to the suicidal Drew (Bloom) - contained much wisdom.

Where have you gone, Cameron Crowe?.......2007-08-01

This movie is a mess. It feels like Crowe taped a bunch of bumper sticker and greeting card cliches to a pile of rocks and threw them up in the air and made a movie from the chaos in which the rocks fell. The movie has no idea what it wants to be. A thousand themes with little characterization. This film is undoubtedly Crowe at his most narcissistic. He seems to think these characters are quaint, clever, and interesting. They aren't. Instead, they ramble around spewing cereal box philosophies unaware that no one should care about a thing they have to say. Not to mention the fact that Orlando Bloom is awful in the film. When your lead (and male leads in Crowe films carry nearly ALL the weight) is this bad, the movie doesn't stand a chance. He's actually worse than Kirsten Dunce, which says a lot. This is all tough to say, as I'm a Crowe fan. Say Anything, Jerry Macguire, and Almost Famous are great movies. I hope Crowe stays away from his computer for a while and regains some perspective. I'd hate for him to get all icky (later years) John Hughes on us. He's a helluva writer when he's on his game.

not bad.......2007-07-20

Dunst is hot and Orlando Bloom is a good actor in this movie!

The movie can be funny at times but it can also, as they say "tug at your heartstrings" and yeah like that. Susan Sarandon is in this also but you know why I like watching her...mmmmm! She is so hottie! This movie has a soundtrack you might like as well! At least there was no NIN on it!

A misfire from the writer/director of "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous".......2007-07-13

"Elizabethtown" is a misfire from Cameron Crowe the writer/director of "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous".

The life of Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) is falling apart when he suddenly gets a phone call from his sister saying that their father has died. He journeys back to his home town in Kentucky and meets perky flight attendant Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst) along the way.

Orlando is no leading man and Kirsten - although cute - is miscast as a screwball. There is no chemistry between them whatsever. There are echoes of Crowe's brilliant "Jerry Maguire" in the plot starting with Baylor's downfall at the beginning of the film - but the ideas are tired and unfocussed and "Elizabethtown" is flat and uninteresting - not too mention neverending.

Being a Crowe film it does have good music but that's about it. Coming after the disaster of "Vanilla Sky", Crowe appears to have lost his touch.

Average customer rating:

Quality we have come to expect from A&E
for those with a strong stomach
Serial Killers
Very Informative
A look into the Criminal Mind

Serial Killers 2-pack
Starring: Charles Manson , John Wayne Gacy , and Jeffrey Dahmer
Director: A&E Biography
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000050HEP
Release Date: 2000-12-19

Product Description

Former FBI agent John Douglas, the inventor of criminal profiling, leads a journey into the minds of the 20th Century's most notorious killers, including Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer.

Customer Reviews:

Quality we have come to expect from A&E.......2007-07-12

This compilation is an absolutely wonderful (and chilling) Pack of documentaries on three of history's most prolific serial killers, or in Gacy's case; mass murderers. The interviews could not be more informative, and they cover childhood until death (except manson, in which case he is interviewed). Manson's interview is a delve into the mind of a true monster, as you can equivocate from watching. I reccommend this set to anyone who would like more information reguarding Dahmer, Gacy, and Manson

for those with a strong stomach.......2007-07-05

Worth seeing.

There was nothing funny about this clown.
Might explain why some folks don't care for them.

Serial Killers.......2006-03-05

If you enjoy this type of DVD, you've got to read "Mind Hunter" by John Douglas (1995). He describes many actual crimes in graphic detail and explains how his unit profiles the offenders from clues. It's amazing. Beware however! After I read "Mind Hunter" I would freak & fear the worst when a loved one was 2 minutes late meeting me!

Very Informative.......2006-02-24

This item is a good purchase for anyone who is interested in they way serial killers think and act. With segments on Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and Charles Manson, this set provides a insight into the minds of these serial killers. The criminal profiler segment is very interesting. However, I feel Charles Manson does not fit into the serial killer catagory. I would have rather seen a segment on Ted Bundy or Ed Gein. But it is still an item worth buying.

A look into the Criminal Mind.......2005-03-22

Anyone familiar with criminal profiling or forensic behavorial science will find this A&E documentary insightful. This documentary gives a brief historical perspective on how the FBI's BSU became such an intricate tool for law enforcement in solving serial homicide cases. It also documents the cases of some of the world's most notorious serial killers like: Gacy, Dahmer and the psychopath, Charles Manson. This is a great starting point for the criminalogist- but for deeper insights, explore the pioneering research works of Douglass and Ressler.

Average customer rating:

ELIZABETHTOWN: A film that does not know what it is or where it is going!
A Very Fine and Moving Film
Where have you gone, Cameron Crowe?
not bad
A misfire from the writer/director of "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous"

Elizabethtown (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Orlando Bloom , Kirsten Dunst , Susan Sarandon , Alec Baldwin , and Bruce McGill
Director: Cameron Crowe
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000CNESJY
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Amazon.com

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

ELIZABETHTOWN: A film that does not know what it is or where it is going!.......2007-09-02

A Very Fine and Moving Film.......2007-08-10

Where have you gone, Cameron Crowe?.......2007-08-01

not bad.......2007-07-20

A misfire from the writer/director of "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous".......2007-07-13

Average customer rating:

intelligently written and directed
Not better then the 1976 version but it ain't THAT bad either!
The other side of the mountain
It doesn`t surpass the 1976 outing, but...
Surprisingly good version of this crime

Helter Skelter (Director's Cut)
Starring: Jeremy Davies , Clea DuVall , Allison Smith , Eric Dane , and Mary Lynn Rajskub
Director: John Gray
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002WZRVS
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Amazon.com

Solid performances are the high point of this 2004 adaptation of L.A. prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi's book about Charles Manson's Family, the Tate-La Bianca murders, and the subsequent trial that caught the world's attention in 1969. While the 1976 TV movie focused mainly on Bugliosi (here played by Bruno Kirby), writer-director John Gray turns his film's attention to cult member Linda Kasabian (a typically fine Clea DuVall), who eventually testified against Manson (a mannered Jeremy Davies) and his followers after they were arrested for several brutal murders, including actress Sharon Tate. Gray gets chilling turns from Allison Smith, Marguerite Moreau, and Mary Lynn Rajskub as "Manson Girls" Patricia Krenwinkle, Susan Atkins, and Squeaky Fromme, respectively, and the production is atmospherically photographed, but the dialogue is often ham-fisted, and rushes to an all-too-early conclusion (midway through the trial). The DVD offers the 180-minute film in a 1:78:1 anamorphic transfer, and includes a brace of deleted scenes (including some violent moments cut for TV broadcast), commentary by Gray and executive producer Mark L. Wolper, and footage of Davies in rehearsal. --Paul Gaita

Description

Jeremy Davies stars as convicted killer Charles Manson in this new television movie based on the true story of the August 1969 Tate/LaBianca murders, as chronicled in the bestselling book Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. Almost 35 years ago Manson's followers, at his instruction, brutally massacred seven people over two consecutive nights in Los Angeles and scrawled bloody messages on the walls of the crime scenes. The first night, director Roman Polanski's wife, eight-month-pregnant actress Sharon Tate, was murdered along with coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Voytek Frykowski and Steven Parent. The second night, supermarket chain president Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, were found stabbed to death in their home.

Customer Reviews:

intelligently written and directed.......2007-06-02

Way better than the 1976 tv version, in fact, superior in every way--with the exception of Railsback's take
on Manson. Pretty damn gruesome, by the way. The actress who portrays Linda Kasabian is very good here.

Writer/director John Gray does fine work. Am glad they showed what they showed of the courtroom scenes--because not only were they dull and went on too long in the '76 flick, but we already know what the verdict was and what happened.

Not better then the 1976 version but it ain't THAT bad either!.......2006-11-22

What is missing in the 2006 version of this film is the creepiness that the 1976 version had.

First off the guy who played Manson did a good job. I give him that.

The girl who played Sadie I wanted to smack the smirk off her face.

Where was the court scene? There was no court scene. In the 1976 version those court scenes were magic.

Also the scene where Sharon, Voytek, Steven, Abigail, Leno and Rosemary (The victims) were a bit too graphic for me. I almost threw up seeing Abigail getting stabbed to death. I couldn't bare seeing the Sharon character getting killed.

It's an OK movie but not beter then the 76' version.

The other side of the mountain.......2006-11-03

If you saw the original, this DVD shows you the other side. It completes it all.

It doesn`t surpass the 1976 outing, but..........2006-09-23

still this product shows us the brutality of Manson first hand. In 1976, the tv-film gave us a chilling insight into intelligent madness - yup who can deny that the brain of Manson in not unlike Hitler; mad, but with vision and control of the environment.....

In this version we get to know the victims... they`re no longer just names and figures... The last scene in which Sharon whispers "Cut the baby" to Susan Atkins never happened, but she d i d try to negotiate with her killers; "take me with you, let me have my baby and then kill me" and "can you remove the baby from the womb" when she realised there was no hope...

This is a trashy account of the story and it SUCCEEDS in showing us that the kilings were not some sort of great ritualistic thing as been presented over the years.... But this was a total senseless massacre and THAT`s why this film succeeds; it speaks volumes why not the killers should ever be released.

Surprisingly good version of this crime.......2006-07-14

The 2004 made-for-TV version of "Helter Skelter" certainly received harsh treatment from both professional and amateur critics alike. This is not particularly surprising, considering the ghoulish subject manner and the intense sensibilities in relation to this legendary crime. Going into this film my expectations were low. While watching the DVD version, which included a variety of violent scenes not shown during its original TV broadcast, I was surprised to discover this was a quality production.

This new perspective of "Helter Skelter" is probably the best film ever made about this lurid tale, and Jeremy Davies' thoughtful performance as Charles Manson comes about as close to the truth as we are ever going to get. For the most part, the filmmakers had their facts straight. I rolled my eyes throughout several miscalculations, most notably the elimination of the murder of Spahn Ranch employee Shorty Shea. Granted, there's only a certain amount of information this film could pack into its busy two-plus hours running time, but Shorty was a known victim of this hippie-creepy cult - a human being murdered in the dead of night. If you're going to tell this story yet again (and the question as to whether it was necessary would require an entirely new post), don't eliminate victims simply to create a prime time package for mass consumption.

In addition, the meeting of Charles Manson and Sharon Tate is disputed to this day. While Manson most definitely visited the Tate property prior to the murders, the filmmakers' choice to have them meet eye-to-eye was tacky. That being said, there was an honest attempt by the filmmakers to portray the conditions that led this family of psychotic youths to commit such horrible murders in 1969.

"Helter Skelter" was not gritty enough for my taste, as the Spahn Ranch commune was far more picturesque than the horse fly-covered, greasy-haired reality. Manson and his clan are portrayed as humans rather than demons, and I suppose if we are going to understand this subject matter, this difficult truth should be emphasized.

Casting Clea DuVall as the controversial Linda Kasabian was an excellent move. Not only is DuVall one of the finest actresses of her generation (and her performance rivals Davies'), but Kasabian was just about the only member of Manson's Family to show remorse following the murders. If you are going to find a single glimmer of hope in this tawdry epic, Kasabian is about as close as you are going to get to sunshine.

"Helter Skelter" essentially follows her journey as a member of Manson's Family, from introduction to drug-induced indoctrination, eventually leading to the nights of murder. Historically, Kasabian left the Manson clan soon after the crimes, was arrested and became one of the few members to give testimony during the grueling trials.

The original "Helter Skelter" (1976) has always been a bit overrated, with Steve Railsback giving an over-the-top, circus-like performance as Manson. The film emphasized the investigation and devoted a couple of hours to the trial itself. This new version is a companion film, if you will, detailing the year leading up to the arrests and trial, abruptly ending about the time Kasabian decides she will testify, thus insuring the killers will be convicted.

The Tate and LaBianca murders are portrayed more-or-less realistically. There's really nothing shown TV viewers do not witness on the "CSI" and "Criminal Minds" programs. But these atrocities actually took place, and perhaps that haunting fact makes for uncomfortable viewing. I certainly wanted to turn my eyes away, and was disturbed by the amount of blood shown. This is absolutely R-rated subject matter, but prime time crime produces high ratings. So who am I to question modern-day TV sensibilities?

When reading about the Manson crimes - books which are equal parts fascinating and repulsive - one almost always asks "Why?" This new film version of "Helter Skelter," factually close to the truth, with better performances and production values than this subject deserves, attempts to answer nagging questions. It succeeds far better than one would expect.

Average customer rating:

the most dissapointing movie I have seen
live freaky die freaky makes me go a big rubbery one
The plot's been lifted...
Actually saw it in theatres
Cruel

Live Freaky Die Freaky (DVD/CD combo)
Starring: Nick 13 , Asia Argento , Tim Armstrong (II) , Billie Joe Armstrong , and Rob Aston
Manufacturer: Wellspring
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ASIN: B000BQ5J22
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Product Description

From director John Roecker (Disease is Punishment) comes the outrageous stop-motion animation musical comedy Live Freaky! Die Freaky! Voiced by a legion of alternative rock icons, including Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) and Tim Armstrong (Rancid/Operation Ivy), the film is about a futuristic nomad who accidentally discovers a copy of Helter Skelter and interprets it as a biblical tome with Charles Manson as the Messiah. Flashing back to 1969, Hadie (Theo Kogan) meets Charlie (Billie Joe Armstrong) after a bad LSD trip and is immediately drawn into his family where they hatch plans to change the world through "music, murder and mayhem." Gleefully pushing the boundaries of good taste, Live Freaky! Die Freaky! also features: actress Asia Argento, Lunachick's Theo Kogan, AFI's Davey Havoc, X's John Doe, The Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin, Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, and other members of Green Day, Rancid and Blink 182. The soundtrack includes original songs performed by Billie Joe Armstrong and Jane Wiedlin. Tim Armstrong arranged the score and the songs were written by Roddy Bottum (Faith No More/Imperial Teen). DVD extras include: audio commentary with John Roecker and Billie Joe Armstrong, deleted scenes. Behind the scenes: " Making Puppets Speak", "Sountrack rehearsals and recording", "Desert Footage", storyboards, mini bios and trailer.

DVD Features:

Audio Commentary with John Roecker, Billie Joe Armstrong and Jane Wiedlin
Bonus Soundtrack CD with performances by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and the Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin. Music by Tim Armstrong and Roddy Bottom
"Mechanical Man" video with vocals by Billie Joe Armstrong
Deleted Scene
Behind-the-Scenes: Desert Footage
Behind-the-Scenes Soundtrack Rehearsals and Recordings
Behind-the-Scenes: Making Puppets Speak
Storyboards
Mini Bios
Trailer

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

the most dissapointing movie I have seen.......2007-08-10

to start off, I love the musicians involved with this movie. they are all really creative and I love the material. Sadly enough none of them can act, and who ever wrote this wrote a better 60 synopsis for the trailer, than the whole movie.

then there are the the messed up sex scenes with clay. i have never beeen skiddish about that sort of stuff, but sitting there watchiong a piece of cley shoved into a clay vagina for 5 minutes made me feel dirty or something.

not what I thoughtt, great idea though

live freaky die freaky makes me go a big rubbery one.......2007-07-29

this movie is the best claymation movie i've ever seen if you like the show robot chicken you'll love this

The plot's been lifted..........2007-05-02

This plot is the same as Aldous Huxley's Ape and Essence, in which from a post nuclear dystopian world emerges new ideals, when a man discovers a movie script entitled "Ape and Essence." Live Freaky: Man finds Helter Skelter in a post nuclear dystopian world and new ideals emerge. Tim Armstrong's awesome though, so I don't hold him accountable for borrowing the plot. At any rate, I don't feel like writing a real review, so tell Amazon it wasn't helpful.

Actually saw it in theatres.......2007-04-27

Honestly, I love cult classics almost as much as I love punk rock and all that. But, this film is horrible. Even Davey Havok couldn't salvage this film. I waited almost 2 years for this to come out in theaters in San Francisco. I ended up seeing it at the same screening as Davey Havok. This is an awful film...and it really dissapointed me. It's nothing but potty jokes and cheap animation. Tim really failed with this one. If you're dying to see it, go rent it.

Cruel.......2007-04-10

Well, it was a big job to make this cartoon! But in some moments it's disgusting to watch - too cruel and blasphemous.
Despite this I'm having fun everytime I watch it especially "Behind The Scenes" videos... It's interesting to watch famous people trying to reveal the characters... :)

Average customer rating:

Gordy
Gordy Da Pig!
Lovable pig inspires compassion for animals
He's no 'Babe'
Corny

Gordy
Starring: Doug Stone , Kristy Young , James Donadio , Deborah Hobart , and Tom Lester
Director: Mark Lewis
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000064730
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Amazon.com

Gordy, the kooky adventures of a modest little piglet that could, had the bad luck to go snout-to-snout with powerhouse porker Babe and became the "other" talking-pig movie of 1995. Pure-of-heart Gordy is a modest little guy who never loses sight of his mission--to find his lost family--as he confounds the pig-napping conspiracies of a sneering villain and his bumbling henchmen and becomes a corporate spokes-pig, media darling, country music maven, and national hero! Directed by eccentric documentarian Mark Lewis (Cane Toads: An Unnatural History), this oddball family comedy lacks the storybook images and polished grace of Babe, but it has its own goofy, cartoonishly exaggerated charm. While the shadowy threat of the dungeonlike slaughterhouse may be too intense for the very young, no pigs are harmed and happy endings are guaranteed for all. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Bring home the lovable talking pig who waddled off the farm and into our hearts -- and the movie everyone's gone hog-wild over! It's Gordy! The world's cutest piglet whose kindness and bravery lead him and the children he loves on one big adventure after another! The fun begins the moment you enter Meadowbrook Farm, a magical world where real live animals can talk! When Gordy's family is trucked "up north," a mysterious place from which no pig has ever returned, Gordy runs off to find them. He soon befriends two equally adorable children -- the only humans who can hear him because they are "pure of heart. "Together, they teach the adult world the true meaning of friendship and the value of family. Now you can own this heartwarming piggy tale full of charm, laughter, and toe-tapping music from the biggest names in country music -- and "overflowing with good will and genuine affection." (Seattle Weekly)

Customer Reviews:

Gordy.......2006-07-08

A talking pig named Gordy becomes involved in a
fun-filled adventure to save his family members
from being turned into pre-packaged bacon and pork
roast at the local slaughterhouse.

It is a really cute and simple movie that would
be more enjoyed by younger children.

Gordy Da Pig!.......2006-06-17

In 1995 two pig movies arrived on the scene at the same time. There was a funny movie called "Babe," and then there was this movie.

In this pig of a movie, a pig called, wait for it...GORDY, has a lovely happy life on the farm, until one day he runs off on a search. When he returns from his search, his family is GONE! Pretty dramatic, ain't it? Anyway, Gordy's family was sent "up north," which is a euphemism for the packing plant, where the Gordy family will be turned into...okay, maybe I'll skip that part.

Gordy is off with the single-minded purpose of saving his family. I will say that Gordy did focus on finding and saving his family. Throughout this whole movie Gordy kept coming back to that, no matter where he was.

Gordy hardly sets off on his journey when he encounters Luke MacAllister (singer Doug Stone, who actually can sing), Jinny Sue MacAllister (Kristy Young, who actually can't sing), and Cousin Jake (Tom Lester, who some may remember as Eb Dawson on "Petticoat Junction," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and "Green Acres"). The trio is traveling country singers headed off to another singing engagement. In fact, just after Jinny Sue meets Gordy hiding in the back of a truck, we get to see Jinny sue singing and leading a bunch of line dancers at a local dance hall. I have no clue as to why we are focused on Jinny Sue other than to establish she's a red-blooded sweet American girl who does not sing very well.

After the distraction, we get back on the road, only Jinny Sue has now acquired Gordy as a pet. At a singing gig at the governor's mansion we meet a whole cast of stereotypical characters, particular the wormy Gilbert Sipes (James Donadio, who had a very short acting career; after seeing this movie, I can see why), Jessica Royce (Deborah Hobart, who has appeared in a couple dozen movies and television shows), her son Hanky Royce (Michael Roescher, in his only role ever), and wealthy Henry Royce (Ted Manson, who has been in more than two dozen minor roles). It turns out that Henry Royce is wealthy, and Gilbert Sipes has his eye on gaining the family fortune.

During the singing action, Hanky manages to fall into the mansion pool and is rescued by Gordy. Hurrah for Gordy, the vaguely lovable pig!

Gordy is now on the fast track to stardom, becoming the mascot for Royce industries, and beating out Jessica Royce for popularity. Gilbert Sipes tries to do away with the pig, and of course routinely fails thanks to Hanky and Gordy.

Eventually we get to Branson, Missouri, where Jinny Sue, Luke and Cousin Jake are performing with a number of really famous country singers: Mo Bandy, Roy Clark, Christy Lane, Boxcar Willie, Jim Stafford, Buck Trent, and Mickey Gillie. Henchmen of Gilbert Sipes try to do away with Gordy again, unsuccessfully, of course, and Gordy finally learns where his family is. Of course, the family is on its way to, gasp, a grisly end, and Gordy has to get there in the nick of time. Will he make it? You will have to watch to find out.

There is no comparison between pig movies. "Babe" took in an estimated $67 million dollars in US box office, and "Gordy" took in an estimated $4 million. "Babe" won an Oscar, 17 other awards, and had another 16 nominations for other awards. "Gordy" won one minor award. "Babe" was nicely plotted and appealed to adults as well as children. "Gordy" was unbelievable and hard to watch as an adult.

Children do seem to like this movie. My children liked it, but I found it hard to keep watching to the end. For adults, and probably for nearly anyone above the age of ten, this movie is just painful. Disney had a miss with this movie.

I gave this movie three stars, which is very generous, because my children liked this movie. If it has not been for their enjoyment of the movie, it would have gotten two stars. Good luck!

Lovable pig inspires compassion for animals.......2005-09-16

My son who is 6 and my Godson who is 3 absolutely loved this movie. They have watched it over and over. I thought the pig was adorable, especially when he talked and snorted at the same time. What I liked most about this movie was that it inspires people of all walks to examine their eating habits and find compassion for animals that we consider "food".

He's no 'Babe'.......2005-01-29

Gordy (voiced by Justin Garms) is a live-action movie about talking animals - with its emphasis on porkers - who must endure the cruel whims of man. When Gordy is stolen by an aspiring country singer named Jinnie Sue MaCallister (KristyYoung), his life changes for the better; that is, if you'd rather go to beer-swilling hoedown yodeling concerts than be turned into a BLT. Tough call.

Staci Layne Wilson

Corny.......2004-03-30

This was a predictable and corny kids movie, and for that it just eeeked out the third star, but maybe two and a half would be a better ranking.
In any case, it's not in my "to own" list, but if you have young kids, they'll probably be entertained at least once watching it.

The Manson Family (Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Body condom required
very unsettling
Evil and alive.
Not watchable don't waste your money
Campy, Occasionally Disturbing...Usually Stupid.

The Manson Family (Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Maureen Allisse , Michelle Briggs , Tom Burns (III) , Marita Clarke , and Carl Day
Director: Van Bebber, Jim
Manufacturer: Dark Sky Films
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000784WS6
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Product Description

If you think you know the story of the Manson Family, you are dead wrong. Director Jim VanBebber (Deadbeat at Dawn) delivers an uncompromising snapshot of this cult of personality, hell- bent on executing the brutal vision of its leader, Charles Manson. On a ranch outside of L.A., the dream of the Love Generation is perverting into something evil. Has what was once an oasis of free love and acid trips becomes ground zero for a madman s paranoid visions? An average group of kids, the Family, become engulfed in a delusional world where torment and slaughter is considered the path to righteousness. The Manson Family is a dizzying, rapid-fire vision of the sex and violence that unifies the misguided group, and at the direction of their leader, ends in a brutal spree leaving seven people dead in 48 hours. You ve seen the story through the eyes of the law. Now witness it through the eyes of The Manson Family.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES The VanBebber Family 77 minute documentary featuring all-new interviews with cast and crew, In the Belly of the Beast 74 minute documentary from the Fant-Asia festival in Montreal featuring Jim VanBebber and other Independent filmmakers, Two Theatrical Trailers, Photo Gallery Including Production and Behind-the-Scenes Stills.

System Requirements:

Running Time 260 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Body condom required.......2007-06-09

This is one of the worst movies I've ever had the displeasure to see. The acting, effects, sound, and everything else was awful. I took a ten minute shower, and immediately put this DVD in the Salvation Army donation bin after watching it.

very unsettling.......2007-05-22

the manson family.. one of the great puzzles of our century.. It is in a way what this century is about.. techniques in how to control, mislead, and even hypnotize a flock or populous.. It is like a miniature example of what aldous huxley feared in 'brave new world' - methods of keeping people in place - drugs, illusion, persuasion..
While this movie is not the perfect portrait of the manson's it kept my attention the whole way through - and aroused my interest in the case and its implications.. Filmed in a very original style.. it sometimes feels slightly amateurish.. but nevertheless succeeds where it is most important to succeed.. worth watching.

Evil and alive........2007-04-21

I have always hated this madman for being associated with the hippies.The movie is frightening.

Not watchable don't waste your money.......2006-12-12

This movie was terrible. I expected a documentary, instead it was poorly acted reinactments from bad actors. I watched for maybe 40 minutes and had to shut it off. It was just terrible. I am a huge documentary film watcher. This movie could have been good, but it's just flat out terrible. I rented it from the library, what a waste of my time. It's not the typical documentary you expect. The cover of the DVD makes you think it may be a serious look at that whole incident, its a joke and should never have been burned on a DVD.

Campy, Occasionally Disturbing...Usually Stupid........2006-11-16

I'd say I know about the Manson family/murders about as much as the average person. I know about their victims, their trial, their sentences, and Charlie Manson's CD. But, to tell you the truth, my knowledge about the whole debacle is, in reality, quite small. I've never seen "Helter Skelter" or any other movie about Manson...This one intrigued me because it had good reviews on the front (from Roger Ebert & Entertainment Weekly's Owen Glieberman). I want to begin by saying that the film is not 256 minutes, like the back cover said. It doesn't even pass 100 minutes. Anyway, the Helter Skelter movie was told from the lawyer's point-of-view. The Manson Family is meant to be told from the eyes of The Manson Family. Instead of just presenting it, it is set up as a producer splicing together interviews to create a Manson documentary. While these interviews play, we get glimpses into the life of Manson. Nothing really new. Charlie Manson, an aspiring musician and convict, got some followers to hang out with him at his ranch. They'd take drugs and have sex as often as possible, while all looking up to Manson as a heavenly figure. Eventually, he convinces them to commit murder (although they actually kill a black man first) which leads to the Tate-LaBianca killings. There are a lot of problems with the movie. One of them is that almost the entire movie is too damn campy. None of the scenes that take place at The Ranch creeped me out or disturbed me at all. I didn't laugh at any point during the movie, but I found a lot of scenes laughable. There's also a ridiculous sub-plot about a bunch of Manson worshipping kids, who are plotting to kill the producer that's viewing the interview footage. The most effective scenes come from the Tate-LaBianca killing scenes. They are truly horrifying to watch, especially when the woman supposed to be Sharon Tate begs for the life of her baby. The movie is told like a documentary and has cinematography that gives it a look of a 1970s movie. I mean, it doesn't even look purposefully done that way. It looks very 70s-ish. This makes those scenes more effective. Another thing that led to the downfall was the producer and the Manson worshippers. If this movie had been solely about The Manson Family, cutting all that other stuff out, even with the camp left in...This would've been a better film. I was tempted to give it 4 stars, but I'm going to give it 3 (well 3 1/2)...I did find those murder scenes disturbing and haunting. The acting is good, but the actors (since they are playing drug users) do way too much overacting. I even thought the guy playing Manson was overacting, until I watched the Charlie Manson interview on the 2nd disc where I realize that the actor is sedated compared to the real Manson. The interview is interesting though. There's one last problem with this film I wanted to point out. I usually don't even care about something like this, but in this film it bothered me. Most films that deal with this subject matter try to present a reason why these people would do something like this. This film seems to just want to exploit the fact that it happened. It tries to pin the reason on LSD, marijuana, and brainwashing...But that seems like an easy way out. I don't think anyone can truly pin down what occurred at that ranch to make these people do what they did, but the writer/director could have at least attempted a character study to get into the psyche of these characters. It doesn't even seem like this goal was in his mind. This is not a film I would watch again. I, personally, don't know why anyone would want to submit themselves to this again. If you really want to see it that bad, rent it first.

GRADE: C+

Average customer rating:

The Cemetery Club
Movie Review
ELLEN BE MY WIFE!
Plenty of life left

The Cemetery Club
Starring: Ellen Burstyn , Olympia Dukakis , Diane Ladd , Danny Aiello , and Lainie Kazan
Director: Bill Duke
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008L3TD
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Amazon.com

Three Jewish widows meet on a regular basis at the cemetery where each has buried her husband. But talk about faux Jewry: The widows are played by Olympia Dukakis, Ellen Burstyn, and Diane Ladd. One is uptight, one is fun loving, and one is confused--and each is coping with the notion of starting a life with a new man. But only Burstyn is actually out there trying to begin anew, with the formulaically lovable Danny Aiello. Her romance drives a wedge between the friendship, but you won't care too much because the comedy (based on a Broadway play by Ivan Menchell) is so wan that it's almost nonexistent. And there's nothing these three veterans (or director Bill Duke) can do about it. --Marshall Fine

Description

In the heart-warming tradition of FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, an all-star cast lights up the screen with irresistible laughter and captivating charm! Once a week, a circle of lifelong friends meet to pay tribute to the past. But when life throws them a few unexpected curves, they happily discover the best times are still ahead! Academy Award(R)-winners Olympia Dukakis (MOONSTRUCK) and Ellen Burstyn (ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE), plus nominees Diane Ladd (RAMBLING ROSE) and Danny Aiello (DO THE RIGHT THING), team up to deliver genuinely delightful performances in this enchanting comedy treat! Join them for a fun-filled celebration you're sure to enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

The Cemetery Club.......2007-05-23

It really is changed too much from the original play. Changing characters names is just too much of a change.

Movie Review.......2007-01-30

The Cemetery Club has been one of my favorite movies for years. Before purchasing the movie through Amazon, I had been searching all video stores for the movie. I wished I had thought of Amazon before searching for the movie elsewhere because it was so easy to find on Amazon and just as easy to puchase, as well.

The Cemetery Club is a movie for all ages. It is especially fun to watch with family members. The cast is fantastic; Danny Aiello, Olympia Dukakis, Ellyn Bursten and Diane Ladd and Christina Ricci has a small part in the film as a young girl.

I highly recommend this movie.

ELLEN BE MY WIFE!.......2006-02-12

The rest were good but she is my love ----always. Will you see her best film? Same Time Next Year?

Plenty of life left.......2002-09-22

The acting and the basic theme of the film -- how people handle further attachments after losing a spouse -- are good. There are a number of funny lines and poignant moments. The main romance is handled well and realistically on an emotional level. The final scene in the music store was unfortunately marred by Ben's phoney stuttering when he tries to get out the word marriage. The idea is fine, but the execution seemed really hokey. All in all, an enjoyable film that had a lot of nice touches, particularly the bedroom/hotel night scene.

Le Corbeau (The Raven) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Early thriller by the Alfred Hitchcock of France
Le Corbeau
The deadliest weapon:
A masterpiece of misanthropy!
unknown classic, fresh and on-point

Le Corbeau (The Raven) - Criterion Collection
Starring: Pierre Fresnay , Ginette Leclerc , Micheline Francey , Héléna Manson , and Jeanne Fusier-Gir
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00014K5Y6
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Description

A mysterious writer of poison pen letters known only as Le Corbeau (The Raven) plagues a French provincial town, and unwittingly exposes the collective suspicion and rancor that was seething beneath the community's calm surface. Made during the Nazi Occupation of France, Henri-Georges Clouzot's Le Corbeau was attacked by the right-wing Vichy regime, the left-wing Resistance press, the Catholic Church, and was banned after the liberation. Le Corbeau brilliantly captures the spirit of paranoid pettiness and self-loathing that turns an occupied French town into a twentieth-century Salem. The disc includes a video interview with Bernard Tavernier (director of Coup de Torchon), and excerpts from a 1975 documentary on French cinema during World War II.

Customer Reviews:

Early thriller by the Alfred Hitchcock of France.......2007-09-02

Lots of bitter, black bile and mechanical plot thrills from the Alfred Hitchcock of France. I guess if that's what you're looking for, this movie is for you. Some of the exterior shots are nice and sinister, and the funeral in the middle of the film is so creepy, it might qualify this film as a Halloween rental, but the rest of the movie feels like one of those Agatha Christie novels where we're continually made to think that one person or another is the killer, until in the end we're told it's someone we were deliberately made to believe it couldn't possibly be. Gee, thanks, Agatha.

The acting is nothing inspired, although Pierre Fresnay is always a welcome presence in any film, even if there's not much required of him here except to run around a lot. He only got to smoke one cigarette in the whole movie!

And the guy who thinks he's Michel Simon really got on my nerves.

I know that people think this film was making some kind of statement about the paranoia among informants and informed-upon in occupied France, but I have my doubts. In any case, for a less sensational, more mature protrayal of life in occupied France, check out Melville's "Leon Morin, Pretre" and "Army of Shadows."

Le Corbeau.......2007-06-25

Filmed during the Nazi occupation of France, Clouzot's brilliant, edgy psychological thriller captures the petty enmities and virulent paranoia that, letter by letter, rips a tight-knit community apart. Framed by the moral dilemma of Fresnay's Germain, a serious, stone-faced man haunted by "two ghosts" from the past, "Corbeau" adds one Hitchcockian twist after another, while immersing us in an ominous atmosphere of suspicion. Adding to the intrigue are radiant social worker Laura (Francey), elderly psychoanalyst Dr. Avorzet (the wonderful Pierre Larquey), and needy cripple Denise (Ginette Leclerc). Dark, cynical, and utterly captivating, "Corbeau" illuminates the inner world where good and evil mix in equal measure.

The deadliest weapon:.......2007-04-23

The story of a small French provincial town infected by the mass hysteria of suspicion, spying, and hatred caused by the damning letters revealing the guilty secrets of all citizens and always signed "Le Corbeau" (The Raven) is an absolutely brilliant film. It is incredibly clever, involving, and extremely dark and leaves very little hope regarding the human nature and its motivations. The word is the most dangerous and the deadliest of weapons, and a gun, a knife, or a poison only finish the evil deed that always starts with the words. The humans are very creative in choosing the right words that will hurt and infuriate the fellow human being and start the unstoppable nuclear reaction of hatred, intolerance, and violence. H.G. Cluozot had difficulties working in France after he had made "Le Corbeau" in 1943 which was produced by the German company and later judged by French as a piece of anti-French propaganda. It took writers such as Jean Cocteau and actors such as Louis Jouvet, an admirer of Clouzot's work, to recognize the powerful subtext to Cluozot's controversial masterpiece.

A masterpiece of misanthropy!.......2006-12-24

Clouzot's second film, "The Raven" was a masterpiece of misanthropy... Dissecting the moral collapse of a small French town plagued by a wave of poison pen-letters, Clouzot revealed a sour, embittered vision of human motivation...

Greed, envy, hypocrisy and hatred are his characters' primary instincts; cruelty and mutual suspicion inform every act of communication... Such was the power - and, perhaps, truth - of Clouzot's vision of provincial life that it was interpreted as an act of collaboration with the occupying Nazis; rumors suggested it was shown in Germany as anti-French propaganda... Clouzot found himself unemployable for several years...

The idiocy and falsity of the accusations were proved by his subsequent films...

unknown classic, fresh and on-point.......2006-07-17

I concur with the other reviewers' superlatives about this remarkable film. The acting, the direction, the cinematography is all superb. Criterion has, as usual, given us a beautifully-restored print of the feature film. (Compare to the blurry quality of the original theatrical trailer, just to see how far Criterion refreshed the original). The film, even without knowing the time and place it was made, stands on its own as a look at mutual suspicion, malicious gossip and a prurient interest in personal lives -- something we can relate to, 60 years later.

Criterion has added two featurettes -- a video interview and an excerpt from a a 1975 documentary that included director M. Clouzot -- that puts Le Corbeau in its context, produced in occupied France. The material does bring out that Continental-Film, for whom Clouzot worked, was created by Joseph Goebbels with the aim of making banal, light, frothy entertainments to divert French audiences -- and instead M. Clouzot produced this, a noirish anti-informer film. All the more remarkable that this film seems fresh, and eerily current, today.

M. Clouzot would go on, post-war, to create some classic suspense films: Quai des Orfevres, Diabolique, Wages of Fear. Le Corbeau is an early example of his excellence as a director.

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