Bye Bye Birdie

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When Elvis-like rock & roll star Conrad Birdie is drafted into the military, the teen nation is united by a contest in which the winner bestows a farewell kiss upon their idol while on the Ed Sullivan Show. Ann-Margret (in her film debut) is the lucky little lady from Sweet Apple, Ohio, who wins the contest, much to the chagrin of her steady beau (Bobby Rydell) and miserable parents (Paul Lynde and Mary LaRoche). Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh are an older couple kept from marrying by his meddlesome mother, played to the hilt by Maureen Stapleton. Lightweight but fun, this features an exuberant soundtrack with such memorable ditties as "Put on a Happy Face" and "Kids" and the title track. This is a much better choice than the lackluster, 1995 made-for-TV version. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Musical that holds up well.......2007-09-05

Ann-Margret runs away with this hit 60's musical. Perfect casting at its best; it's easy to believe her as Kim, a teenager in love with Hugo (Bobby Rydell) who also swoons over Conrad Birdie (Jesse Pearson), a thinly veiled version of Elvis. Although it's hard to imagine the hysteria that Elvis generated when he was drafted, it is not important to be aware of that to enjoy the take-off this musical provides. Paul Lynde and Dick Van Dyke turn in solid performances; Maureen Stapleton provides the hilarious comic relief as the mother from hell. Janet Leigh does a great job as Van Dyke's love interest, however, her singing is somewhat of a weak link (but her dancing more than makes up for it!). Many reviews bash the movie for being too different from the stage production; although it is different in some ways, it more than stands on its own. The camera work, staging, choreography, and performances are all top-notch. A nice piece of nostalgia that still provides great entertainment today.

Hello Again, Birdie.......2007-05-08

More than 40 years after first viewing in theatres,this is still a delightful escape with a trip down memory lane. Music and lyrics are classics. Ann-Margret and Janet Leigh display dancing and singing talent that is often forgotten, with excellent support work from Dick Van Dyke, Paul Lynde, Bobby Rydell and Maureen Stapleton. The times certainly changed after this period of adolescence, but Bye Bye Birdie took us back to an age of naivety where nothing bad was ever going to happen to us. Good social comment of the time.

Great family movie.......2007-01-11

My 11 year old son is trying out for a part in a local production of "Bye Bye Birdie" so I purchased this DVD so we could both get an idea of what the movie/play is all about and get a flavor for the musical productions. Even though this movie was made in the 1960's, it was very entertaining for both of us. The movie is good clean family entertainment and is well worth purchasing to have as a part of our family movie library.

BYE BYE BIRDIE.......2006-11-10

EVEN IN THE BEGINNING ANN MARGARET WAS WONDERFUL.. BOBBY WAS JUST SO GREAT LOOKING (STILL IS. THIS MOVIE WAS REALLY FUNNY AND WILL BE AROUND FOR A LONG TIME TO COME!!

Just a good old fashioned goofy musical.......2006-09-01

I watched this recently and realized I had forgotten about a lot of it. I still really think Ann Margret was dazzling. and absolutely perfect for the role of Kim. I didn't care much for Janet Leigh in this one, it must have been the black hair -- and I don't think when I saw this as a teen that I even realized she was supposed to be LATINO. O-kay . . . .

I think the biggest surprise in this film was Bobby Rydell, the early 60s teen idol (who could actually sing) -- he was amazing as Hugo. Wow! He just flowed thru that thing like he'd been doing it all his life .. . but then, I don't remember him ever doing it again . ..? I know he still tours, with Frankie Avalon and Fabian I think, and he looks really DIFFERENT -- I mean, he looks an awful lot like George W. Bush nowadays. Weird. Anyhow, I thought he was perfect for his part as well, as for the rest, some of it got to be a bit much -- esp. Paul Lynde and his whiny sarcasm (how much of that can you take?) and that Ed Sullivan skit was just silly. But, I love the Kim/Hugo/Birdie dance in the soda shoppe, that makes the film, I think. Watch it with your teenagers, if you can corral them for a while.

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Two-Disc Special Edition)

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I didn't Laugh Once.
Peter Sellers at his best!!
funny story but bad timing
Sellers at his best!
Better Each Time I See It

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Peter Sellers , George C. Scott , Sterling Hayden , Keenan Wynn , and Slim Pickens
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0002XNSY0
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Amazon.com essential video

Arguably the greatest black comedy ever made, Stanley Kubrick's cold-war classic is the ultimate satire of the nuclear age. Dr. Strangelove is a perfect spoof of political and military insanity, beginning when General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), a maniacal warrior obsessed with "the purity of precious bodily fluids," mounts his singular campaign against Communism by ordering a squadron of B-52 bombers to attack the Soviet Union. The Soviets counter the threat with a so- called "Doomsday Device," and the world hangs in the balance while the U.S. president (Peter Sellers) engages in hilarious hot-line negotiations with his Soviet counterpart. Sellers also plays a British military attaché and the mad bomb-maker Dr. Strangelove; George C. Scott is outrageously frantic as General Buck Turgidson, whose presidential advice consists mainly of panic and statistics about "acceptable losses." With dialogue ("You can't fight here! This is the war room!") and images (Slim Pickens's character riding the bomb to oblivion) that have become a part of our cultural vocabulary, Kubrick's film regularly appears on critics' lists of the all-time best. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

I didn't Laugh Once........2007-09-09

I asked for a bunch of comedies from the 60s & somehow this war satire landed in the pile. At least it was't one of those lame 50's propoganda films & had a somewhat interesting twist; this time an introverted American biggot nutcase is the bad guy, with his own president against him at every step, & Russua is the innocent victim. I couldn't get through more than 1/2 of it.

Peter Sellers at his best!!.......2007-09-01

I have been used to Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies but this 1964 movie is WONDERFUL! One movie..three different roles. Dr. Strangelove has stood the test of time since its release. If memory serves me correct this movie was originally to be released in late 1963 but was delayed due to the assassination of President Kennedy. George C.Scott did a superb job in his role. The scene in which the President (Peter Sellers) calling his Russian counterpart was hilarious. Worth watching again!!

funny story but bad timing.......2007-08-28

The first time that I saw this film, I thought it was the funniest.
but now, in this current time frame, it was sad, knowing that a war was
going on and our men were being killed for no good reason.

Sellers at his best!.......2007-08-23

For years I have heard about this movie, and I finally bought it at a time when I had the opportunity to watch it. Wonderful!! Sellers is a comic genius, and the subtly of the laughs is the great thing in Dr. Strangelove.

Better Each Time I See It.......2007-08-22

I have to admit that when I first saw this, it didn't actually make me stop worrying and love the bomb. However, almost everything about it is just perfect- from the gun battle in front of the Air Force's "Peace is our profession" sign to the Russian ambassador taking secret photos in the warroom after the end of the world to Dr. Strangelove's miraculous cure (when my 15 year old daughter recovered from her stroke, I had her rise from her wheelchair and say, "Mein Fuhrer, I can valk!"). Highly recommended as one of the greatest, if grimmest, comedies ever.

Average customer rating:

Worthy Of All Its Praise
This movie is great fun!
"I'm 'Singin' In The Rain. I'm Singin' In The Rain. What A Glorious Feelin'. I'm Happy Again..." I Can't Stop Singing The Song.
Singin` in the Rain 1951 (Two-Disc Special Edition)
A monument to Gene Kelly and the great Arthur Freed unit at MGM

Singin' in the Rain
Starring: Cyd Charisse , Mae Clarke , Harry Cody , Douglas Fowley , and Lance Fuller
Director: Donen, Stanley
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00004RF98
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

No one even bothers to argue about it any more--by any standard and international consensus, this is the best movie musical of them all. Its arcane, unlikely milieu is Hollywood during the transition in the late 1920s from silent to sound motion pictures. Its reason for being was producer Arthur Freed's desire to use the catalog of songs he had written with Nacio Herb Brown in the '20s and '30s for various shows and movies. But, ironically, it's now the soundtrack that seems cobbled together from disparate sources, while the movie itself remains seamless. That's thanks to a literate screenplay by Adolph Green and Betty Comden and ebulliant acting and dancing by the young Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. Jean Hagen is especially brilliant as the silent-screen star whose speaking voice is so screechy she has to be dubbed for talkies. Kelly codirected with Stanley Donen, and both can take credit for a masterpiece. Musical standouts are "You Were Meant for Me," "Good Morning" and "All I Do Is Dream of You." Visually, the indelible image will always be Kelly sloshing around in puddles while singin' in the rain. That said, this coupling of video with a definitive version of the soundtrack benefits from Rhino's meticulous reconstruction of the material and extensive annotations, which only enhance our grasp of this film and musical legend's gestation. ---Robert Windeler

Customer Reviews:

Worthy Of All Its Praise.......2007-09-07

Singin' in the Rain is considered one of the greatest films of all time and I can definitely see why. No, it's not an intellectual deep thinking man's movie. No it isn't one known for the breathtaking camera angles and visuals, and no it doesn't have a plot that's so rich that you're bound to lose focuse halfway through. It has heart, and that makes up for it.

It's one of the most perfectly executed, and brilliantly scripted movies of all time. It's fun, exciting, and the perfect family movie. It doesn't try to be something it's not. I could go on and on about what makes this movie great but I'm going to stop and actually spend some time reviewing the movie.

As silent films are fading and being replaced by talkies (films with sound) two silent actors struggle to find their way in the ever chaging world of Hollywood. Without going too deep into the plot I do have to say that this movie is one that people may see as overrated simply because every magazine or poll ranks it in the Top 10 greatest list. Coupled with the fact that 70% of fans love it I don't see how it's overrated.

The DVD is a definite must have. A commentary featuring every person who was alive at that time that worked on the movie. PLenty of featurettes and even an outtake from the film. This is a definite must have.

Definitely Must Have.

This movie is great fun!.......2007-08-10

This movie is truly a classic. It is one you can watch over and over again. The singing and dancing scenes are very entertaining, I catch myself singing them from time to time. I also love the playful sparring between 'Don Lockwood' and 'Kathy Seldon' in the first part of the movie, very cute...

"I'm 'Singin' In The Rain. I'm Singin' In The Rain. What A Glorious Feelin'. I'm Happy Again..." I Can't Stop Singing The Song. .......2007-08-09

I just viewed this classic motion picture about the transition from silent films to talking pictures after seeing it, albeit severely edited, in my History Of Film class. I wanted to see it uncut and enjoy it for myself. I'm so glad my mom rented the film for me. Gene Kelly co-directed this fantastic production with Stanley Donen, in addition to starring the the film. Joining him are Debbie Reynolds (my gosh, she was absolutely gorgeous and still is), Donold O'Connor, Jean Hagen ("Adam's Rib"), Cyd Charisse and Rita Moreno (who would play the tragic princess, love-struck Tuptim in "Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King & I" and win an Academy Award in 1960 for Best Supporting Actress in "West Side Story.")

The most popular sequence is when Gene Kelly is performing the title number in a street full of puddles; he had a 102 degree fever while filming the scen, but ever the professional, he didn't tell the producers or Stanley Donen until after he had finished filming the scene. He also choreographed the amazing dance sequences himself. My personal favorite musical numbers are "You Are My Lucky Star," "You Were Meant For Me" and, of course, "Singin' In The Rain." I can't stop singing it now and I love it.

This is the way movies were made back then and, with the exception of Walt Disney Pictures and a few period films ("Ever After: A Cinderella Story," "Sense And Sensibility," "William Shakespeare's Hamlet" (1996), etc) the major studios in Hollywood don't make films like this anymore, which sucks. I recently wrote a paper on violence in the movies and how the graphic violence in films is causing kids to kill others (the Columbine massacre; in 1972, there was a nasty rape case in Britain that had odd similarities to a scene in "A Clockwork Orange" (a film that I never plan to see). The following is a sample of my conclusion to my paper (I got an A on it by the way, thank God).

"Unless movies are based on classic literature ("Bram Stoker's Dracula,"
"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," etc) or a historical event (the horrible persecution of Christians in ancient Rome, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the sack of Rome in 1453 A.D., etc), movies with graphic violence should not be made; movies that use these things for source material only inspire interest in the literary work or historical event."

The film is rated G, though it was made before the Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) was established in 1968. I highly recommend this excellent picture for film buffs & dance lovers everywhere.

Singin` in the Rain 1951 (Two-Disc Special Edition) .......2007-08-03

Silent Movie are giving in to talking pictures - and a hoofer.turned-matinee idol (Gene Kelly 1912-1996) is caugh in that bumpy transition , as well his buddy (Donald O'Connor 1925-2003), Prospective ladylover (Debbie Reynold 1932 - ) and shrewish co-star (Jean Hagen 1923-1977) . The Musical masterwork Singin'in the Rain marks it's 50th anniversary in this Deluxe Edition providing a downpour of celebratory Special Feature that salute not just this all-time favorite but also the musical legacy of its producer , songwriter Arthur Freed 1894-1973 . High Quality Transfer. Recommended .

A monument to Gene Kelly and the great Arthur Freed unit at MGM.......2007-08-03

"Singin' in the Rain" is one of the all time great films.

It stands as a monument to the talents of producer Arthur Freed, the MGM musical unit he ran, and above all the great Gene Kelly.

Period songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown are brilliantly interwoven into a story of the coming of sound to Hollywood.

The Studio system had its faults but it also allowed films such as this to be made - and we should all be grateful for that.

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Clint Eastwood Classic!!!
Play Misty For Me
The Originals Are Always the Best.
An oldie - but a GOODIE!
Wears well

Play Misty for Me
Starring: Duke Everts , George Fargo , Mervin W. Frates , Tim Frawley , and Jack Ging
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B00005LC4R
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood (making his very assured directorial debut) is a poetry-spouting stud-muffin DJ stalked by a maniacally amorous fan after a misguided one-night stand in this enjoyably schlocky, undeniably effective film about good intentions gone murderously wacky. Although many of the very '70s trappings presented here may ultimately be too dated to be taken seriously (including a very self-indulgent jazz number and a hilariously gooey seduction number between Eastwood and Donna Mills), the core premise of infatuation taken out of bounds remains uncomfortably plausible--and was influential enough to be appropriated by one of the biggest hits of the '80s. (Here's a hint--it starred Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and a very unfortunate bunny rabbit). A well-staged and occasionally very frightening thriller worth watching for Jessica Walter's peerlessly unhinged performance alone. Frequent Eastwood collaborator Don Siegel (director of Dirty Harry, Coogan's Bluff, and The Beguiled, to name but a few) has a nice cameo as Murphy, the mustachioed, chess-playing bartender. --Andrew Wright

Customer Reviews:

Clint Eastwood Classic!!!.......2007-09-11

This is a classic Clint Eastwood film. It is scary and suspenseful without all of the complex technical additions of today's suspense films. If you like suspense...and Clint Eastwood...get this movie!!!

Play Misty For Me.......2007-05-07

Play Misty for Me A Good movie for an early 1970's suspense/thriller. By today's vstandards it would be considered "sappy and predictable". Clint Eastwood does a grat job playing a DJ in the early 1970's and Jessica Walter does a great job of playing an obseesed stalker.

Good movie if you want to see Clint Eastwood play something other than a cop or cowboy.

The Originals Are Always the Best........2007-04-02

In an age when Hollywood can seem to do nothing original, and the Silver Screen is awash with remakes, it's nice to go back and revisit the artistry of which the film industry has made hash.

A tense psychological thriller, Play Misty for Me is the template from which the likes of Fatal Attraction sprang.

Clint Eastwood plays a terminally cool yet sensitive late night jazz DJ who, while estranged from girlfriend Donna Mills, has a one night stand with Jessica Walter.

As her obsession grows, her violent emotions manifest themselves first against herself in a manipulative suicide attempt, and then against the others in Eastwood's life.

Edgy, hard, and oh, so seventies, the tension ramps smoothly with Walter's character's escalating psychosis until the final scene where bloodied and exhausted, a single punch to the face sends Walter through a french door, and over the edge of a terrace to fall to the cold Pacific below.

Clint Eastwood as actor and director does a good job of making the characters believable and sympathetic. Bravo.

Jim Bob says - Spend the money; it's worth a night in a darkened living room with a bowl of popcorn, wondering whether or not your ex-girlfriend really meant what she said when you dumped her.

An oldie - but a GOODIE!.......2007-02-06

Good "stalker" flick. Forerunner of Basic Instinct. This movie is really
"dated" in terms of dress & hair & music, but it is worth viewing for the performances of the young Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter and Donna Mills.
This is one of my all-time favorite "rainy afternoon" movies!

Wears well.......2007-01-10

I first saw this movie on release as a teenager, and thought it was a great scary movie. The main reason I bought it now was to get a hold of the great Jerry Mulligan soundtrack. The whole family have enjoyed the film now, and leaving out the 70's gear and hairstyles, its a great thriller.

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De Palma's horror classic is a great Special Edition DVD
Kids Can Be Cruel
Carrie
CLASSIC MUST HAVE MOVIE
And I liked it! I liked it...All that dirty touching...........

Carrie (Special Edition)
Starring: Sissy Spacek , Piper Laurie , Amy Irving , William Katt , and Betty Buckley
Director: Brian De Palma
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00005K3NR
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Amazon.com essential video

This terrifying adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel was directed by shock maestro Brian De Palma for maximum, no-holds-barred effect. Sissy Spacek stars as Carrie White, the beleaguered daughter of a religious kook (Piper Laurie) and a social outcast tormented by her cruel, insensitive classmates. When her rage turns into telekinetic powers, however, school's out in every sense of the word. De Palma's horrific climax in a school gym lingers forever in the memory, though the film is also built upon Spacek's remarkable performance and Piper Laurie's outlandishly creepy one. John Travolta has a small part as a thug, De Palma's future wife, Nancy Allen, is his girlfriend, and Amy Irving makes her screen debut as one of the girls giving Carrie a hard time. --Tom Keogh

Description

Based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, Carrie "catches the mind, shakes it and refuses to let it go" (Time)! Starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie (in OscarÂ(r)-nominated* performances), John Travolta and Amy Irving, this ultimate revenge fantasy is "absolutely spellbinding" (Roger Ebert), "outrageously witty" (Los Angeles Times) and one of the all-time great horror classics! At the center of the terror is Carrie (Spacek), a tortured high-school misfit with no confidence, no friends...and no idea about the extent of her secret powers of telekinesis. But when her psychotic mother and sadistic classmates finally go too far, the once-shy teen becomes an unrestrained, vengeance-seeking powerhouse who, with the help of her 'special gift,' causes all hell to break loose in a famed cinematic frenzy of blood, fire and brimstone! *1976: Spacek, Actress; Laurie, Supporting Actress

Customer Reviews:

De Palma's horror classic is a great Special Edition DVD.......2007-09-10

"They're all going to laugh at you." Those are the warnings given to Carrie (Sissy Spacek) by her religious fanatic of a mother (Piper Laurie). Indeed Carrie is the outcast in her high school. She is shy, awkward and an easy mark for the kids to pick on. Unbeknownst to them she has telekinetic powers that are activated when she gets really pissed. During the film's opening in the showers Carrie has her first period in front of her classmates. She is terrified by this and her classmates (led by the super sexy Nancy Allen) gang up on her and become violent with her. The gym teacher intervenes on Carrie's behalf and disciplines the girls by threatening to revoke their prom privileges. This does not sit well with Allen who plans her revenge with her boyfriend played by John Travolta. The film's trailer claims that this was his first film appearance and him and Allen would re-team in De Palma's Blow Out which would really make him a star. The two plan to humiliate Carrie at the prom. They set her up with the most popular boy in school and everyone is suspicious of his sudden interest in her. The two go to the prom against the objections of Carrie's mother and at the prom all hell breaks loose when Carrie is covered in pig's blood and unleashes her telekinetic powers against all the kids who teased her. Carrie does not stop with her school though and heads home to deal with her mother as well. This leads to the film's notorious last minute shocker which is quite good. I had never seen the film before until I bought the special edition DVD and was pleasantly surprised by not only the film but all the great trivia about the making of. There are two documentaries that taken together add up to about an hour and a half. There are terrific interviews with all the principles involved save for Travolta and many great secrets are revealed. The film is regarded as both a horror classic and one of the best high school movies of all time as well as one of director Brian De Palma's best. I couldn't agree more on all counts.

Kids Can Be Cruel.......2007-07-24

Now you want to talk about kids being cruel? This would be the type of movie that would make a parent want to homeschool their daughter. I got quite a kick out of Stephen King's creation with this one. I shook my head through the "plug it up" scene and the pig's blood screaming scene. This horror movie about an outcast girl who just could not manage to be accepted by the popular kids held my attention through the whole thing. Do I think it was scary? Not even remotely. Entertaining? Definitely.

Carrie.......2007-07-03

Based on Stephen King's book, this horror outing finds director de Palma at his twisted best. Spacek is perfect as the diminutive blonde bombshell set to detonate, Laurie causes involuntary shudders playing Carrie's deranged Mom, and you can't wait to see all those nasty adolescents at school get what's coming to them.( This group includes future stars John Travolta, Nancy Allen and Amy Irving). The concluding prom scene is one of the great sequences in all horror films. An inspired choice for Halloween.

CLASSIC MUST HAVE MOVIE.......2007-07-01

I accidentally bought the re-make version of this movie shopping one evening at Circuit City. I was livid! I immediately ordered the original and forgot just how good it was. Carrie is one of those movies you cna watch over and over again. The acting is superb and even though you know what will happen - it's good each and every time. Sissy Spacek never ages and John Travolta truly shows his acting ability. This is one of my top 5 movies of all times.

And I liked it! I liked it...All that dirty touching..................2007-06-21

My caption is from this film and said with such power
from the one of a kind Piper Laurie(HI PIPEY)I LOVE
HORROR films and unfortunatly us AMAZON/HORROR fanatics
really don't have much to choose from,but when we do
have a JEWEL like this film it is so refreshing!
CARRIE(76)Is without a doubt ONE of thee greatest
HORROR films of ALL time.The directing is flawless
(what else would you expect from the man DePalma)
The cast is top notch and the story(KING'S FIRST)
Is amazing and scary at the same time.DePalma tells
the story of Carrie who is a pretty girl(though she
does not think so)and has no self esteem do in part
to her CRAZY religious mother.She has no friends and
with the exception of GOD and her mother has no one to
talk to.She does however have a power,the power to
move objects(telakineses,I spell wrong)This is such a
FANTASTIC movie.DePalma gives us DRAMA-ACTION-ROMANCE
COMEDY,and of course HORROR.You feel for Carrie when
she is at the prom and is Cinderella and you feel for her
at the FALL of BLOOD! I am not one to cry at movies but
DAMN! DePalma and Spacek for the scene"HOLD ME MAMMA,PLEASE
HOLD ME..For I was NIAGRA FALLS(maybe it was smokey in my
house..though I don't smoke) The ending is still a punch
and will not tell(for those of you who have not seen it and
if you have not"WAKE UP")This movie is GOLD!Also the music
is FLAWLESS Please see,BUY CARRIE it is A MASTERPIECE!!!!!
Also recommend for you lovers of movies to check out other
DePalma films for he is ONE of our greatest directors.
Check out my friend R.A.Bean's column on the GREAT DePalma
for he not only breaks down his work in a professional
manner but gives insight to those who are blind to film
making.LONG LIVE CARRIE! "SAY IT WOMAN!EVE WAS WEAK!
"RED....I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD BE RED........
NOTE:I hate remakes(OH! I DO)but also recommend
the remake CARRIE for Angela Bettis alone(moochie-moochie)!

Jonestown - The Life & Death of Peoples Temple

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Jonestown
BEST DOCUMENTARY!!
Nothing new to the table
A Glimpse into the Tragedy of Religion Gone Wrong
Tremendously instructive. MUST SEE - but not by young children.

Jonestown - The Life & Death of Peoples Temple
Starring: Willie Brown , and Dan Hurst
Director: Stanley Nelson
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000MTFFUO
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Amazon.com

Jonestown. Decades after the fact, the very mention of the word evokes grim memories of Rev. Jim Jones, his Peoples Temple, and the horrific suicide of more than 900 followers who accompanied him to Guyana, Jones' self-styled South American Shangri-La. While November 18, 1978--when, following the shooting of California Rep. Leo Ryan (who had come to Jonestown to investigate various allegations about mistreatment of cult members), all those people drank cyanide-laced Kool-Aid--is the obvious focal point, producer-director Stanley Nelson's 90-minute documentary also devotes a good deal of time to Jones' personal history up to and including the founding of the Peoples Temple. Born in Lynn, Indiana, he was inspired by the power and authority of the preachers he witnessed, and was at it himself by his early twenties. His own church was fully integrated (he and his wife adopted two Asian Americans and one African American; the latter, named Jim Jones Jr., is among those interviewed for the film). Services were joyous occasions, more like Baptist revivals than the typical white Christian affair, and Jones' followers seemed genuinely devoted, buying into his snake-oil bit (including fake healings) and willingly forking over 20 percent or more of their incomes to him. But after Jones moved the Temple from sleepy Ukiah, California, to San Francisco, the madness began to set in, and just as an exposé of his more unsavory practices (sexual and otherwise) was about to be published, he hurriedly relocated the whole scene to Guyana. Although Jonestown was virtually a prison camp (the mere thought of leaving was blasphemous), they managed to convince Ryan that it was paradise--until the congressman started getting notes surreptitiously passed to him by members desperate to get out. Chaos quickly ensued, and the film's final moments, in which Jones can be heard exhorting his crazed flock to drink the Kool-Aid, are genuinely harrowing. There is ample footage of Jones himself, along with the recollections of Peoples Temple members (including those very few who survived Jonestown) and others. Deleted scenes and an interview with Nelson highlight the bonus material. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Jonestown.......2007-08-24

There have been several films, documentaries as well as docudramas, about Jonestown, and the first hour of this documentary doesn't offer much new information. The thing that makes it stand out from the rest is the last half hour, which includes footage from the last day in Jonestown and interviews with several members - at least two of which were there on November 18th, who escaped into the jungle - and members of Leo Ryan's group of visitors.

The movie never really tries to explain why it happened and it doesn't answer all the questions the vierer may have, but it is still definately worth watching, especially for the last half hour and for the interviews.

BEST DOCUMENTARY!!.......2007-06-19

This is the best and most extraordinary documnentary on what happen on Nov.18,1978.showing actual news reel footage of the events and interviews of the real participants not actors recounting their experiences as temple members and life under Jim Jones is truly chilling and shocking!!i like the special feature section where Stanley Clayton describes his escape plan from all the carnage that was surrounding him!!this is not some movie with actors but the real people who were thier!!

Nothing new to the table.......2007-05-21

The movie is basically following the locations of the church and some developments at each location. Then of course all of them commit suicide - the movie offers no new explanations or new material. A much more detailed focus on "why and how" was expected. Waco - the rules of engagement gets 5/5 - see that one instead.

A Glimpse into the Tragedy of Religion Gone Wrong.......2007-05-06

This is a fascinating and chilling (if too brief) look into the history of Jim Jones and his People's Temple. What it offers beyond mere history, though, is a glimpse into the seductive nature of good turned into evil, through the eyes and words of people who at one time followed and believed in Jones. Most of them acknowledge some sense of strangeness, even psychosis, in the behavior of Jim Jones, but they chose to focus on the good he was doing and the utopian hope he was preaching publicly. And clearly in its early days, the People's Temple WAS doing good, and offering hope and a real sense of community - integrated community - to those who came through the doors. But somewhere, somehow, it all began to go wrong. And yet people averted their eyes, as Jones drifted deeper and deeper into madness and drug his followers with him. This film esposes these issues without rendering any judgment upon them - it reveals the dreams and the hopes that were shattered that November day in 1978 along with all those lives. It is a morality tale for anyone who knows the power and goodness, but also the dark side, of religious faith. I am a Presbyterian pastor, and I would highly, highly recommend this film - as hard as it is to watch at times - for anyone who is interested not just in history, but in the power of faith - a power that can do such good, and yet be used in the wrong hands, for such evil.

Tremendously instructive. MUST SEE - but not by young children........2007-04-25

"Jonestown" was originally a PBS "American Experience" program. It is presented only in the form of archival footage of the People's Temple and survivor interviews. There are no interviews of sociologists and there is no narration. This format is very powerful.

The DVD has good extras, including a touching interview with the director and some informative deleted scenes. The program has more information about the survivors interviewed during the final credits, so don't turn it off until the very end to see everything.

This program is horrifying and depressing, but IMHO, something that is important to watch because it illustrates very well how religion-based psychological and intellectual submission can, in the space of a few years, turn good people into slaves and good intentions into tragedy. I recommend watching "Jonestown" early in the evening, then watch something fun like "Wallace and Gromit" before you go to bed!

One note of caution. While it might be appropriate - even important - to watch this film with a strong-minded and mature teenager, young children should not be present while it's viewed.

I woke up with the following thoughts the morning after I watched the film (Unfortunately, I did not follow "Jonestown" with "W&G," so I went to sleep very agitated) :

Jim Jones and his People's Temple had a lot in common with many of today's (and history's) religious leaders and religious groups. Do any of these things sound familiar?

A CHARISMATIC AND PATERNALISTIC LEADER offers distressed and idealistic people hope - "new life" - and a profound sense of community. He tells the downtrodden that they are no longer "lost," that they are special indeed. He provides his followers a sense of superiority to the "worldly heathen" - which also instills fear of outsiders. He interprets scriptures, and chooses passages, in a manner conforming to the psychological needs and existing beliefs of his audience. He makes tithing a moral duty and a necessity for full membership. He presents himself literally as a wise and knowing "father," but eventually uses that status as a tool for abuse and self-gratification, sexually and otherwise. He develops an "inner circle" of people willing to do his bidding in an increasingly unquestioning manner. Once a solid group of followers is formed, he begins to teach that to leave the group is to "blaspheme" and that misery will befall those who leave, when in fact the greater misery is found by those who remain.

THE MEETINGS / SERVICES skillfully employ music and rousing speeches to excite the audience. The assembled people are asked to greet and embrace the people around them, which serves to increase solidarity, and whether by design or happenstance, to expose and create discomfort among the hesitant and the skeptical. Phony healings are part of the proceedings.

THE FOLLOWERS are a mix of individuals, but in general are characterized by either very difficult personal/social/economic backgrounds or by a deep sense of idealism. The leader's message promises hope and equality to the former - a feast for their starving psyches. For the merely idealistic, passions for love, community, and justice are inflamed.
Almost all of the followers are essentially decent and good people, but tend to be psychologically needy in one way or another. The tremendous sense of hope, of caring community, and the promise of utopia (in this life or the next) offered by the leader and his belief system causes the followers to suppress whatever critical faculties they might possess.

All of the above describes Jim Jones and his People's Temple. At least some of the above describes a zillion other religious groups, though of course very few come to such an horrific end.
However, if you watch this film, consider the point at which the People's Temple situation began to produce more harm than good. I think that point came long - very long - before the Kool-Aid was prepared. In fact, it came at a point where thousands - maybe hundreds of thousands - of churches, mosques, and synagogues operate every day - where doctrine, community, and leadership become more important than reason and reality. This is the point where, to be precise, the people become "as children" or "humble sheep."

Also, this program serves, in my opinion, to bolster the contention, recently made most vigorously by author Sam Harris, that religion is, and has always been, the most effective vehicle of mindsets that lead to senseless violence. Terrible ideologies and "leader worship" sometimes come in secular form, but history and any daily newspaper both show that nothing creates dangerous zealots like the idea that one is doing "the Will of God" on your way to heaven.

In the case of the People's Temple, Jim Jones skillfully combined his charisma with a Christian/socialist ideology - a devastating mixture long before the final Kool-Aid was prepared. But without his Pentecostal training, his ability to claim the authority of God (indeed, to be God), and without the concepts of heaven and hell, his reign would very likely have ended far sooner and with far fewer than 909 deaths.
The physicist Stephen Weinberg said, "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." I would add only the words "almost always" before the words "takes religion."

Average customer rating:

Finally
Morgan gets nude, Stevens acts weird and not much else
Boring, B- -
Thank You Anchor Bay
Thanks Anchor Bay!

The Seduction
Starring: Morgan Fairchild , Michael Sarrazin , Vince Edwards , Andrew Stevens , and Colleen Camp
Director: David Schmoeller
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000HDRB52
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Amazon.com

Morgan Fairchild made her screen debut in this ridiculous and insulting film as a television newswoman under constant sexual threat from a "fan" (Andrew Stevens). The lame script finds Fairchild's character scared as long as she feels powerless to this predator's threats, but capable of defending herself by--take a deep breath here--turning the tables and coming on to him. The climactic scene, in which Fairchild stops a rape by undoing the guy's pants while he turns into a quivering little boy, is not only absurd in its staging but irresponsible on every level. --Tom Keogh

Description

Synopsis L.A. anchorwoman Jamie Douglas (Morgan Fairchild in her delectable big screen debut) has it all: a glamorous career on a top-rated news show, a luxurious house in the hills, and a devoted young admirer named Derek (Andrew Stevens). But when Jamie rebuffs his romantic advances, Derek becomes an obsessed stalker who plays out an increasingly psychotic courtship with the frightened newswoman. Soon he is threatening every part of her life, secretly watching even her most intimate moments. Her tough-talking lover (Michael Sarrazin) can't console her. A by-the-book cop (Vince Edwards) can't protect her. Now Jamie is alone, trapped like an animal and fighting back with the only weapon she has left. Will she finally be forced to use her luscious body to fulfill THE SEDUCTION?

DVD Features: Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs,Theatrical Trailer,Audio Commentary with Producer Irwin Yablans and Writer/Director David Schmoeller,Remembering The Locations And Production,Remembering THE SEDUCTION,THE SEDUCTION And The Law

Customer Reviews:

Finally.......2007-05-11

Finally this movie is on DVD... dont listen to what others say--this movie is a terriffic B Movie.... a cult classic if you will..and when you consider the VHS tape used to sell for 40 bucks...12.99 is a Steal....come on now Anchor Bay---RELEASE CALIFORNIA DREAMING NEXT !!!!!

Morgan gets nude, Stevens acts weird and not much else.......2007-03-27

This "thriller" is a waste of time unless(and yes i did enjoy them) you want to see Morgan Fairchild nude! the only other "good" thing in this mess is a fine job by Andrew Stevens as the "stalker" who looks nice and has women chasing him. You feel for this man who has lost his grip on reality and hope that the young assistant who loves him can reach him and pull him back from his madness. I don't think that making the victim seem so snotty and crass and the sicko so likeable is what these movies are suppose to do.

Boring, B- - .......2007-03-09

Hi
just a short scene with some t&a from Morgan Fairchild nothing else worth mentioning
Regards

Thank You Anchor Bay.......2007-02-16

I LOVE this movie, I was in high school when this came out and the theater was packed opening night due to the fact that Morgan 'bares all' and she did! But I loved the movie even though it was campy at the time it came out, and its even more camp now. Speaking of camp, I love Colleen Camp in this film, the wisecraking best friend was a perfect role for her I only wish that her character would have been expanded to the end of the film. I would like to have seen her come in and battle Derek at the end instead of his mousy assisant. My other compliant has always been Michael Sarrizan, who has to be the worst actor ever to grace the screen, in fact the roles should have been reversed, Michael should have played Derek and Andrew should have been Brandon, Those are my only two complaints about the story, but the campy long held camara shots of Morgan in various stages of fear and looking great are just to funny, this is early 80's camp at its best.... Now Finally a quality DVD of the film. Thanks Anchor Bay

Thanks Anchor Bay!.......2007-01-24

I was happy and surprised to see "The Seduction" finally released on DVD! I have the 1985 Media Video release of this movie, and this Anchor Bay DVD version blows it away! I didn't realize or remember this movie being filmed in cinemascope. Anchor Bay has cleaned up the picture quality, remastered the soundtrack, and brought it back to it's original glory, in it's original aspect ratio. VHS releases never did the film any justice. There was even an "EP cheapie" version of this movie released back in the '90s. One thing that I've noticed about this film is that the telephone is one of the leading stars of the plot. There is a lot of ringing and screen time devoted to focusing on the phone. The actors seem to be really slow on picking up the phone after it rings a few times too. This is one of the charms of this movie, along with it starring Morgan Fairchild. I think the director was using the phone to build suspence. Nothing like those old AT&T/Western Electric phones to do the trick! There are a variety of them too, from the classic 2500 Traditional, to the Princess phone! Another movie that used this technique was "When A Stranger Calls" from 1980. There are some added features, like a few interviews with the director/producer, and the original movie trailer. There is even a mini reproduction of the movie poster within the keepcase, for a nice added touch. This DVD will not disappoint for fans of Morgan Fairchild, and early '80s b-movie fare. It's been a long-standing fave of mine since 1981!

Average customer rating:

Inspire Lunacy From an Original Python Member
LOVER OF FAB4MANIA
Spot-On Satire of the Beatles' Phenomenon
Only a few laughs
Python meets Spinal Tap

The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash
Starring: Dan Aykroyd , Terence Bayler , John Belushi , Jeannette Charles , and Ricky Fataar
Director: Eric Idle , and Gary Weis
Manufacturer: Rhino Theatrical
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004ZEU2
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Amazon.com

Originally hatched in 1978 as a short film parody for Saturday Night Live, this expanded, 70-minute mockumentary on a trend-setting quartet of British mop-tops bloomed into one of Eric Idle's better projects outside Monty Python. Taking the career (and hagiography) of the Beatles and inverting them quite nicely, Idle conjures up four doppelgangers who offer the familiar mannerisms but practically none of the intelligence of their models. If that sounds like the same gag that powered This Is Spinal Tap (which emerged six years later), it is, with the crucial difference that Idle's lampoon is precise where Tap was consciously generic.

In telling the saga of the Rutles, Idle (who doubles as earnest narrator and McCartney-esque Rutle Dirk McQuigley) works from a rich and immediately familiar trove of pop lore, and he has a ball revisiting and reinventing milestones from the Fab Four's fabled history. The attention to period detail helps elevate the gags further, but Idle's real secret weapon is Neil Innes, standing in as Ron Nasty, the Rutles' answer to John Lennon: it's Innes who serves as the musical architect for the wonderful Beatles parodies that give All You Need Is Cash a delicious kick, and Innes, a one-time principal in the legendary Bonzo Dog Band, is gifted enough to capture the band's lyricism and energy as well as their shifting sense of style.

With the blessing and on-camera participation of George Harrison, and wry cameos from Mick Jagger and Paul Simon, All You Need Is Cash is a perfect companion to the Beatles' own glorious screen comedies and a great antidote to sanctimonious pop documentaries. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Inspire Lunacy From an Original Python Member.......2007-09-07

In 1978, years before Rob Reiner's "This is Spinal Tap" brought rock mockumentaries to the big screen, former Monty Python member Eric Idle and sometime Python contributor Neil Innes created "All You Need is Cash" - a TV special about the imaginary Beatles-like rock group, the Rutles. The parodies of Beatles songs are so spot-on that a casual listener might think he was hearing unreleased material from the Fab Four themselves. You'll laugh at the exploits of Stig, Dirk, Barry, and Nasty, as they take England and America by storm before their inevitable break-up and well-deserved plunge into obscurity. A forgotten classic, "All You Need is Cash" is not to be missed.

LOVER OF FAB4MANIA.......2007-07-07

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE REVERE AND WILL HAVE BEATLEMANIA TILL DEATH. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE TRIP IN HAVING A LAUGH! COMPLETE FAB 4 HISTORY IS ESSENTIAL IN APPRECIATING THIS GENIUS MASTERPIECE OF LAUGHTER AND WORK!

Spot-On Satire of the Beatles' Phenomenon.......2007-07-07

Though the humor is perhaps not for everybody, most will love the wacky take-off on the Beatles legend. Eric Idle, of Monty Python, a self-confessed Beatle fan, put this film together in the late 1970's as a mocu-mentary, and it may be one of the first ever made. As such, it is the forefather of movies such as 'This is Spinal Tap' and 'Borat'.

What makes this movie so much fun is that it lambastes the Beatles from beginning to end without trashing them. The movie takes a layer of patina off the Beatles' near-godlike status without tarnishing their legacy. George Harrison liked the movie so much he has a part in it. Ringo liked most of it, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono, always enthusiastic about avante-guarde projects even at their own expense, were said to love it, even though Ono's character is supposedly the daughter of Adolf Hitler. Of course, McCartney wasn't big on it, but he probably had a problem with his portrayal as overly-precious and doe-eyed.

Particularly hilarious are cameo appearances in mock interviews by Mick Jagger and Ron Wood of the Stones and Paul Simon. Bill Murray is over-the-top funny as Murray the K. The out-takes of Mick Jaggar are hilarious, as he forgets where the fictional Rutles are from (Rutland) and makes some other unusable comments about the Rutles' sex lives.

The Rutles themselves look nothing like the Beatles, which is in itself funny. In fact, one of them looks like he's of East Indian extraction (though maybe this was intentional as he plays the George-like character). But the actor who plays the John Lennon character was also a top musician/composer, and he wrote songs that are so Beatle-esque that it's uncanny. The songs are all take-offs on actual Beatles songs, but with slightly altered melodies and satirically-altered lyrics.

Filmed on location in England and the United States, the scenes take us through the career of the Rutles, from the jerky black and white images of the Ratskeller to the appearance on Ed Sullivan and on into their wierd psych stage. Even the rooftop concert is parodied. The locations, outfits, hairstyles, even the sounds are right-on.

The new DVD has the extra bonus of voice-over commentary by Eric Idle, out-takes, stills, Idle's take on the making of the film, and the viewer is even able to listen to each individual Rutles song singly.

Hugely enjoyable for any Beatles fan. You do not want to leave this piece of Beatles satirical history out of your collection.

Five stars all the way.

Only a few laughs.......2007-06-16

I enjoy Monty Python and I am a big Beatles fan, so I was surprised I didn't like this movie. Basically, there are only a few laughs, and they weren't specific to the Beatles so it could've been put in any mockumentary. What also disappointed me was there was not much interaction of the Rutles - you don't get to see them talk to each other much, which could've provided many funny moments. The song parodies weren't that funny, either.

What I did like was the visual aspects of the movie - they really did get the look of the Beatles throughout the years pretty accurately. It was also good to see many of the original Saturday Night Live cast and they provided much of the few funny moments in the movie.

If you want to see a funny mockumentary, check out "Spinal Tap" and "Fear of a Black Hat". Both movies have two necessary ingredients that this movie lacked: hilarious banter between the band members and funny lyrics in the songs.

Python meets Spinal Tap.......2007-04-26

This is a wonderful spoof of the Beatles, which deserves a higher reputation than its fairly obscure standing.

Neil Innes is outstanding as 'Nasty' (i.e. Lennon), and of course was also responsible for the wonderful spoof songs ("Let it Rot" "Ouch" "A Hard Days Rut" etc"). Eric Idles presenter is a classic Python type character. The scene at the beginning where the presenter is being filmed from a moving vehicle which gets faster and faster is pure Python.

There are cameo roles for George Harrison, Mick Jagger and Paul Simon. George Harrison isn't playing himself, so you have to look a little harder to spot him.

Along with Spinal Tap (which was made 6 years later) this is the best spoof 'rockumentary'. Its very funny and I recommend it strongly.

Average customer rating:

worth it for the dialoge between Turner and Hopkins
Strange Movie....
A minor classic
Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome!
This is simply a Great (disturbing) Movie

Crimes of Passion
Starring: Kathleen Turner , Bruce Davison , Gordon Hunt , Anthony Perkins , and Dan Gerrity
Director: Ken Russell
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005R240
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Amazon.com

The crazy man of British film, Ken Russell (Women in Love, Whore), hit the apex of guilty-pleasure absurdity with Crimes of Passion, a dark if pointed (and ultimately poignant) walk on the wild side. Although this schizophrenic, neon-blurred traipse through the red-light district of Los Angeles, courtesy of hooker and guide China Blue (Kathleen Turner), never made much money at the box office, it still managed to eke out a cult following. Barry Sandler's script felt a lot like a play with its rather stilted (but furiously funny) dialogue between Turner and Anthony Perkins, who plays an obsessed and crazed stalker/reverend who believes he is China Blue's savior. Their story is contrasted against that of Bobby Grady (John Laughlin), who is married to the materialistic Amy (Annie Potts). After taking a second job as a private investigator for a dress manufacturer who thinks his lead designer, Joanna Crane (Turner again), is selling patterns to a rival, Bobby becomes mired in a netherworld he never imagined. But it's Bobby who becomes Joanna/China Blue's true savior; it seems Joanna's husband cheated on her and she created the alter ego, China Blue, in order to control her world by making men dependent on her sexuality. The facade cracks after Bobby hits the scene. Russell's film is bawdy and even daring, and the unrated version on DVD features a couple of scenes (one with China Blue, a cop, and his nightstick, as well as some flashes of pornography) that were not included in the film's original release. Also for die-hard fans, Sandler originally ended the script at a more ambiguous place in the climactic scene in Joanna's apartment. An "epitaph" with Bobby at an encounter group was added to appease the distributor, who wanted a more upbeat, "Hollywood" conclusion. Sandler's original idea gave the film a real wallop, but despite the change, Crimes of Passion remains an original camp classic. --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews:

worth it for the dialoge between Turner and Hopkins.......2007-01-10

Offbeat as this movie is, there is a priceless exchange of dialogs between Turner's China Blue and Perkin's Shane, the street preacher. It is this dialog alone I feel is worth watching it for. It is irreverent, offbeat, and on occasion down right goofy. One can not help but feel that the preacher is only a figment of China Blue's imagination, a battle of her conscience, and the struggle between good and evil. It is a shame that the talents of Anthony Perkins was not fully realized. This part is tailor made for him in many ways.

Strange Movie...........2007-01-04

Very bizzare movie! Not for kids or anyone who is prudish!
Can be an erotic movie if you choose to see through the bizzare nature of it.

A minor classic.......2006-12-05

1984's Crimes of Passion at first seems like some trashy, 80s 'hip' tale about a woman's double life as a stylish hooker, but what we really get is a disturbing, stylish 100 minute analysis of the nature of sex, desire and relationships featuring some utterly fascinating characters, who despite their over-the-top behavior are weirdly compelling and believable. Anthony Perkins is intense as the off-the-handle, violent street-corner 'reverend' who becomes infatuated with China Blue and his idea of 'purifying' her. When he sings 'Hallelujah, Come on Get Happy' to a tied up, horrified Kathleen Turner, and then proceeds to don Turner's China Blue outfit, we are in pure, demented Psycho territory. You can't take your eyes off of Kathleen Turner as Joanna Crane/China Blue, she is at her most beautiful here, despite a silly blonde fright wig that she wears when in her China Blue role. Director Ken Russell is at his flamboyant best here, intercutting wild erotic art ranging from Japanese prints to Aubrey Beardsley lithographs to undercut the intense scenes. A great synth-based Rick Wakeman score, of Strawbs fame, fills the movie with a weird tension.

Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome!.......2005-11-13

Fashion designer by day, tantalizing night butterfly by night; the always alluring and mesmerizing beauty of Kathleen Turner, shines in this morbid and arresting story, that deserves to be judged under a wide perspective.

This picture is a gothic gaze around the low depths of the extreme ludicrousness, respect to the repressed fantasies of many people, masked behind conventional behavior patterns. First at all, the obsessive employment of the Adagio of the new World Symphony, the double moral of the preacher who pretends to save the soul of this unhappy and unsatisfied woman, when really he is deeply engaged about her, this hidden attraction must be faced, but the fetichistic arsenal of laughable devices constitutes a dark smile in the middle of the most frightful loneliness, finally the gothic atmosphere in which the film unfolds, invites us to think around the ancient concepts of the comics. This picture is far from pretending to make a meticulous study of the sociological path of certain miscarried souls. Simply it' s a sharp apology, a slap in the face to the exhibited double moral so in vogue at those ages and even now.

Perkins is simply brilliant in this role, it seems to be a far cousin of the disturbed mind of Norman Bates, but having grown up in major crimes of the soul and the good manners.

Once more, let' s remind the ineffable statement of Nicholas Machiaveli: "The half of the sin is the scandal."

This is simply a Great (disturbing) Movie.......2005-10-26

I first saw Crimes of Passion in a theater years (and years) ago - and when I watched the DVD edition I realized - nothing is outdated. Nothing is lost in the translation. This is one of the most powerful, disturbing, yet poignant films I've ever seen - right up there with "Requiem For a Dream", and "Blue Velvet." First of all, how can you beat the performances of Kathleen Turner and Anthony Perkins? Better yet - is Perkins' character real? Or is he China Blue's conscience, used as a pawn to elicit the doubts and insecurities within her, as she questions the motives and morals behind her supposedly safe choices. The rest of the cast is - ok - including a pre-Designing Women Annie Potts - but its Turner and Perkins who steal this show. Quite simply, anyone who has ever struggled with relationships, struggled with life in general - should be able to relate to this movie. If you scrape off the outer layers, that wonderful, happy, perfect life of yours probably isn't quite so perfect. It might be easy for some to dismiss this as way too over the top - but that would be like saying Chris Rock is too funny. Bottom line - See This Movie.

Average customer rating:

much better than the American Red Sox version
Good- not great
Horrible cover art for a great film
Fever Pitch Supreme
Fever Pitch

Fever Pitch
Starring: Luke Aikman , Bea Guard , Neil Pearson , Ruth Gemmell , and Colin Firth
Director: David Evans (II)
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00004YS58
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Amazon.com

Rumpled, amiable Colin Firth plays a ru