The Quick and the Dead

Amazon.com essential video

Director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) tries gamely to recapture the exotic mysteries of spaghetti Westerns in this stylish but empty film, which stars Sharon Stone as a stranger who comes to the town of Redemption in time for an annual shooting contest. Her real motivations for being there are the stuff that might have found their way into a film by Sergio Leone--in fact, much of this film is a pastiche of Leone's greatest hits, including A Fistful of Dollars and Once upon a Time in America--but one can't quite believe Stone in the role. Gene Hackman gives a predictably solid performance as the town tyrant, and Leonardo DiCaprio is good as a lucky young gunslinger who gets to kiss the heroine. But not even the cast can help this failed project. Raimi brings a lot of razzle-dazzle to his camera work, but it doesn't make the film any more substantial. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining..........2007-09-16

An entertaining movie with plenty of star power but no subtlety or depth. Good guys and bad guys and of course one really bad guy. But gene hackman in this film is like a caricature of his little bill character from unforgiven.

Look at the guy(ace) who walks into the bar right after sharon stone early on. It's comedic, the guy isn't scary or intimidating just stupid looking. Later we see a guy with a babe on each arm proclaiming his desire to be in the tournament for the state of texas. Right away instead of gun fights and life and death it is more like real life cartoons.

The story is decent, the acting is decent and i think dicaprio outshines them all including hackman! Sharon stone looks hotter in this film than ever if that means anything.

It's not that this is a bad film just that there are 100 westerns that are better you can own and this film has been all over television for free. Charles bronson alone made 7-8 better westerns.

Great cast wasted on over-stylized drivel.......2007-09-15

This could be one of the worst directed movies I've ever seen by an accomplished director. You like super fast cuts and close ups for no reason, yes Sam, I get it! Tilt the camera and zoom in on someone's face twenty times in one minute and see how quickly you can piss off the viewer. This film at times is totally unwatchable because the lack of motivation to direct a simplistic western instead of an over stylized piece of garbage. I will give the director a nod, he does a wonderful job of distracting me from the equally dreadful script. Sam most have read the script and knew he needed something to jazz it up. Come on man, you were handed about the best cast you could ever get. Leo, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackmen, Russle Crow, Gary Senies...what else do you want. Wow, this movie is awful in so many ways and I love westerns. The plot is so stupid and the drama is so over the top. the gun fights made me think I was suffering from vertigo. Oh, did I mention how awful the directing is. Yes, it's another stupid remake that makes you wonder what this director was thinking when he said, yes i have a vision for this film. it's no surprise to me when i scrolled down to see what people also bought when they bought this film, Young guns 1 and 2, need I say more. This movie got four to five stars from most every reviewer on amazon, this is also a statement on the sensualities and utter ignorance of how a motion picture should be made by the average reviewer on this site. There is nothing original here, Stones character is a Hack impersonation of an old western archetype that has been played a hundred times better than see ever could. Every other character is cliche and even the towns name, "Redemption" is awful. I love Sam Raimi's directing style in the Evil Dead movies, sorry Sam it doesn't work here. Later when he makes the film "the Gift" he has learned the subtitles of film making and when to hold back the style and give in to substance. Maybe this film was a learning experience for him. You got your chops down in time for Spider-man but you really S#!T the bed on this one. I gave this review an extra star because i love the emotion Crowe puts into his expressions when he looks up at the clock. Magnifico!

If your a recent recipient of a lobotomy go ahead and buy this movie, I'm sure you'll find it compelling in every way.

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!.......2007-06-30

Take one of the many martial arts contests to the death movies, transplant it to the Wild West, and you have the general idea what The Quick and the Dead is about. The head bad guy, Herod (played by Gene Hackman) sponsors a gunfight. First prize is enough money to choke a herd of horses. From all corners of the country they come, some nasty and some nice. There is Russell Crowe's character, a former outlaw who has renounced violence. There is Leonardo DiCaprio's character, only know as "the kid", who's fate is irrevocably intertwined with Herod's. Finally, there is the mysterious gun woman, played by Sharon Stone, who has her own agenda.

In theory, this movie should be a disaster. Not that many critics liked it, in some circles the nicest thing said about it was "ridiculous". This is regretful, because it is an excellent, exciting movie with precise, supercrisp camera work. The duels, while bloodless enough to avoid an "R" rating, nevertheless come across as rough, tough and nasty.

This is a must-see movie.

a good movie. fun to watch.......2007-06-05

not accurate, but it is fun. It is very easy to get into the story. Gene Hackman is awesome.

You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!.......2007-05-17

In THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995), Sharon Stone plays a cheroot-smoking, Clint Eastwood-mimicking 1800s gunslinger, and Gene Hackman plays Gene Hackman - think of a wood plank; you know, something just a little less rigid and a little more emotional than Clint Eastwood. For the intelligent reader, this is all the review that should be necessary. Sure, I could proceed point-by-point in illustrating what makes this movie such a putrid corpse (a real "Boot Hill" special), but frankly, it is not even worthy of a serious critique. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - along with Jack Nicholson's THE SHOOTING (1967) and Jane Russell's THE OUTLAW (1943) - represents "The Dreck Of The West" on celluloid, and it is a good example of why I completely stopped going to the movies two decades ago. I was tired of paying money to have my intelligence insulted (as well as having Hollywood's immorality paraded before my eyes).

Although this movie is an empty-headed, overly-produced, ultra-dippy "cartoon" (the Biblical allusion was especially stupid and any Yosemite Sam cartoon would be funnier and equally believable), it did amply show me what I borrowed it from the library to see - namely, MESCAL.

MESCAL is a frontier town movie set where numerous Westerns have been filmed. It is located near Benson, Arizona, just three miles North of Interstate 10 (exit #297) and on "the other side of the tracks." (I've always wanted to say that!) My brother, Napoleon, my friend, Pooh, and I sneaked into MESCAL a number of years back (a REAL Outlaw Trio), but I have since longed to take the "official" $8.00, 45-minute guided tour, and on May 3rd that dream was finally realized. The tour begins in the large saloon built specifically for THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, and there are no phones, johns, or refreshments available. (No saltwater taffy here folks! This is the REAL West . . . uhm, built for moviemaking.) Some other FAR BETTER Westerns that have largely or partially utilized the MESCAL set include:

The great Monte Walsh (1970) featuring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance (will this film EVER be released on DVD?!) MESCAL represented both Harmony and Charleyville. It was Roy Bean's Langtry, Texas, in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), and Paul Newman's courthouse/saloon is still standing! It stood in for (if memory serves me) Hays, Kansas in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), where that old cigar-store Indian of an actor, Clint Eastwood, asked the Confederate soldiers, "Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?" And it played the part of Tombstone, Arizona in Val Kilmer's Tombstone (1993). On the MESCAL tour, you will walk into The Oriental saloon (now an empty shell of its former self) where Kurt Russell slapped around Billy Bob Thornton and where later, Ol' Doc Holliday matched Ol' Johnny Ringo's gun tricks with a fancy exhibition of silver cup-handling. (The MESCAL tour operates on a very limited schedule, so call ahead -- (520) 883-0100; press menu option #7.)

I watched THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - filmed entirely at MESCAL - solely to see the movie set. And if you haven't got any gardening to do; a house to clean; children to watch; a good book to read; quality music to hear; a dinner to cook; letters to write; bills to pay; windows to wash; a dentist to see; a room to paint; a leaky faucet to fix; a friend to visit; a car to repair; a play to attend; a wife (or husband) to love; a drawing to sketch; a good movie to view; an enemy to fight; a dog to walk; a cat to kick; a geriatric to help; a mouse to catch; a fly to swat; a walk to take; dishes to scrub; laundry to fold; prayers to pray; shopping to do; a bank to rob; a supermodel to stalk; a nap to sleep; a game of solitaire to play, or a Louisville Slugger-wielding friend to batter you into unconsciousness, then by all means, I recommend that you borrow THE QUICK AND THE DEAD from your local library.

But be forewarned, if you do borrow it and your trigger finger doesn't hit that "eject" button QUICK enough when the movie turns stupid (which it does very QUICKLY), then this movie might render you brain-DEAD. Of course, if you actually PURCHASE this movie, then you probably already are!

Average customer rating:

Davis a legend
Classic Bette Davis 1960's Drama/Thriller!!
It will keep you hooked!
Two Bette's For The Price Of One In Great Little 1960's Thriller
"But I am Margaret De Lorca!"

Dead Ringer
Starring: Bette Davis , Karl Malden , Peter Lawford , Philip Carey , and Jean Hagen
Director: Paul Henreid
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00027JYLM
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Amazon.com

Hot on the heels of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Bette Davis slipped neatly into another juicy thriller. This time, instead of co-starring with Joan Crawford, she got to play opposite... herself. Dead Ringer casts Davis as a wealthy (and nasty) widow, and also as her slatternly (but good) twin sister, long estranged. When the poor sister discovers the depths of her sib's evil, she takes a dramatic step that will test her skills as a thespian. Davis's old leading man, Paul Henreid, directs this material at a leaden pace, but Davis gives such a brazen performance, she pulls it through. Plus, the moments of high trash (a red-hot poker rammed into a hand, a lethal dog attack) are easily savored. Peter Lawford's seedy playboy and Karl Malden's stolid cop fill out the key supporting roles--not that anybody else matters. This is Bette Davis's world; everybody else is just visiting. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Davis a legend.......2007-01-10

After seeing Whatever happened to Baby Jane I looked forward to this movie. Must admit I was quite disappointed in the film as such but Davis remains a legend. I will recommend this movie for its excellent performance but it is not on the same level as Baby Jane.

Classic Bette Davis 1960's Drama/Thriller!!.......2006-08-08

This is a wonderful Bette Davis drama/thriller with just a touch of camp. I love movies of this time period and genre. I am so glad to be able to add this to my DVD library.

The commentary track pushes this DVD rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, yet the film on it's own is worth the price. The two gentlemen giving the commentary give you loads of info about Bette Davis' life and career. You also will learn quite a bit about the other members of this talented cast and the making of this film. There are other extras that focus on the beautiful mansion where it was filmed. You will even see some behind the scene footage of the film being shot.

There was no other actress quite like Bette Davis and most likely never will be again. Get this DVD while you can!

It will keep you hooked!.......2006-05-23

Dead Ringer is a sensational thriller starring Bette Davis in a dual role as twin sisters Edith and Margaret. Edith is poor, while Margaret is loaded, having married into wealth. Trouble is that Margaret's wealthy husband was once Edith's first love, and when the sisters meet at his funeral after a decade of silence, sparks beging to fly again, and Edie plots a fiendish scheme to escape from her unhappy and debt-ridden life.

If you don't know the film, and have not heard much about the plot, you are in for a treat. This is a first class, highly entertaining thriller. For a black and white Hollywood star vehicle from 1964, the movie still stands up strong today with a plot that keeps you gripped from the moment the wheels of crime start turning, until the bitter end - and it's bitter, believe me! Bette Davis makes a real feast of her dual role, and the effects that keep her on screen as both sisters at the same time are flawless. I was scrutinizing the screen to spot the joins on some occasions, but completely failed. Davis also skilfully makes herself into two different personalities, showing why she is considered to be one of the greats of the Hollywood golden age. True, at this point in her career some of her subtlety had gone, and the familiar Baby Jane screech is in full effect, but she still does a great job, constantly smoking like a chimney as Edie (amusingly lectured by the other sister at one point, that smoking is unhealthy!), and throwing juicy insults around. Although the direction and cinematography are fairly mundane, Davis' performance makes the film shine. You can practically see the machinations of Edie's mind as she starts to flounder among the constant stream of obstacles that threaten to sabotage her plan, and its great fun to watch her. There are good performances all round from the rest of the cast as well, plus some fantastic surprise twists in the plot, so do yourself a big favour and avoid reading any plot summaries before you watch it.

It may only be Saturday matinee entertainment now, or a filler DVD for a rainy afternoon, but Dead Ringer will keep you hooked right through to the end if you give it your time, and there's no shortage of films around even today today that can't beat that.

Two Bette's For The Price Of One In Great Little 1960's Thriller.......2005-08-11

The juicy thriller "Dead Ringer", is a personal favourite of mine and is a classic example of that curious genre that involved veteran performers appearing in macabre stories which sprung up in the early 1960's as a result of the sensational box office success of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?". The films made in the wake of Baby Jane's success were to provide many veteran actresses and actors such as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Ray Milland, with meaty leading roles in lower budgeted thrillers and horror stories for the rest of that decade. Whatever failings these films may possess critically they are still immensely entertaining and certainly gave the veteran actors involved a new lease of life career wise at the time. I believe that "Dead Ringer", starring the legendary Bette Davis in the dual roles of two long estranged identical sisters caught up in a web of envy, intrigue, deception and finally murder is one of the best of the cycle. Produced by Warner Bros., the studio where Davis was once the undisputed Queen in the 1930's and 40's, "Dead Ringer", has an irresistably expensive look to it and is the ultimate star vehicle for the ageing Davis where she gets the unique opportunity to act opposite herself. "Dead Ringer", and "Baby Jane", began a flurry of work for Davis for the next ten years in films of varying quality such as the Grand Guignol gems "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", in 1964 and "The Nanny" in 1965 through to the truly bizarre "The Anniversary", in 1968. "Dead Ringer", however is one of the more intriguing efforts in this genre and Bette Davis as always gives her all in her dual roles.

Based on a story by Rian James, "Dead Ringer", stars legend Bette Davis in the dual role of Margaret DeLorca/Edith Phillips, two long estranged sisters who are suddenly brought together at the funeral of Margaret's husband Frank. It is far from a happy reunion as the sisters have a long smouldering emnity for each other ever since Margaret stole Frank away from Edith on the excuse that Frank had got her pregnant. Not helping the situation is the fact that while Margaret went on to lead a glittering life enjoying the DeLorca millions , Edith remained unmarried and struggled to earn a living running a heavily in debt cocktail lounge in a seedy part of San Francisco. Margaret makes some very patronising amends by offering Edith cast off clothes back at the house after the funeral however the bitter Edith begins to form a deadly plan of her own when she discovers from the family chaffeur on the drive home that there was no child and that Margaret had deceived her to get Frank fo rherself. Enraged over having her whole life ruined by her sister Edith calls Margaret to her home that evening and then murders her sister and cutting he rhair and taking her clothes assumes her sister's identity back at the DeLorca mansion. However things dont go as smoothly as Edith first thought as she has to get used to strange surroundings, new people, and worst of all a very unexpected and eventually troublesome "boyfriend" in Margaret's secret lover Tony Collins (Peter Lawford). Edith finds herself drawn further into a frightening world of black mail when she discovers that Margaret and Tony actually murdered Frank and that Tony has discovered her masquerade and wants to be paid off. Edith's beau, well meaning Sergeant Jim Hobbson (Karl Malden), also begins to become suspicious and when Frank's body is exhumed and he is discovered to have died from poisoning the net closes in around Edith. Edith is successful in getting Tony out of the way when he is savaged by the family dog but her problems escalate when Edith then finds herself up on a murder charge for the crime her sister had commited. Not wanting to ruin Jim's loving impression of her Edith keeps up the charade of actually being Margaret who is condemmed to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin and she kindly allows Jim to believe it was Edith who died back at the house and not Margaret as she goes off with the police to be executed.

"Twice the terror as murderous twins!", cried the trade papers about Bette Davis at the time of the release of "Dead Ringer", however never could this film be termed a true horror effort as it is more a psychological thriller with Gothic overtones to it. Despite the time period it was made in "Dead Ringer" closely resembles one of those old star vehicles from the 1930's which had the lead actress centre stage throughout the proceedings. Despite it's short comings in the story department this is a Bette Davis show all the way and Davis handles the work where she is seemingly acting with her double very well. This was the second time she had played identical twins involved in murder, the first time being back in 1946 in "A Stolen Life". She manages extremely well in giving both Margaret and Edith very distinct personalities and mannerisms and her scenes where she is playing Edith after she murders her sister and is trying to adjust to Margaret's lifestyle at the mansion are especially good. Considering the Davis powerhhouse at centre stage it is amazing that there are some other interesting performances in this film especially Peter Lawford as the boozy, black mailing boyfriend of Margaret's who cottons on to Edith's deception and wants his share of the goodies. His work with Davis as he begins to blackmail her character is especially noteworthy and creates alot of the dramatic tension in the second half of the story as Edith's plan begins to unravel. Karl Malden as Edith's ever loyal fiancee who by his investigation unknowingly signs his beloved Edith's death warrant thinking she is Margaret is also effective in his playing and both Jean Hagen as flighty socialite Dede Marshall and especially veteran actress Estelle Winwood as the religious zealot Dona Anna make great impressions with their limited screen time. "Dead Ringer", boasts very high production values which gives this "B" grade story a style which is quite unexpected. The use of the luxurious Doheny Estate for the exterior shots is a superb choice and gives those scenes shot there an expensive look and feel so important in creating the vast difference in the fortunes of Edith and Margaret. The musical score by Andre Previn is also a great favourite of mine and is excellently chosen and incorporated into the action creating alternately eerie and oppressive feelings through the course of the film. Interestingly "Dead Ringer", is directed by Bette Davis' old "Now Voyager" co star Paul Henreid. While he might seem a strange choice for the directing duties his direction here is spot on as he lets the action move along at a leisurely pace building in tension and complexity as the story develops. He wisely allows the characters of the two sisters to be fully mapped out which allows much of the drama of when Edith pretends to be Margaret to have its own built in tension.

Glossy star vehicles for ageing actresses really are an extinct species in present day Hollywood where no one ever seems to be over 35 years of age. Thankfully the fluke success of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", allowed many actresses from the 1930's and 40's to keep working in similiar roles. Regardless of how the material in these films was viewed critically Bette Davis was never less than compelling on screen and she certainly displays all of her star quality here in "Dead Ringer" turning a fairly ordinary little thriller into something you can enjoy time and again. Passed off by many as camp fluff never to be taken seriously I instead enjoy the film and Bette Davis' performance in particular more from the point of it being from that last period of the fast disappearing studio system in he early 1960's that still saw studios tailoring vehicles for particular actors and actresses and managing to give even relatively low budget efforts such as this a gloss and sheen unheard of in the "New Hollywood", of the 1970's onwards. Enjoy Bette Davis playing twin sisters on a collison course of hatred, deception and murder in the stylish Grand Guignol thriller "Dead Ringer".

"But I am Margaret De Lorca!".......2005-08-06

By the time 1964 came around Bette Davis was having career resurgence. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was a huge hit for her and Joan Crawford; therefore, it was only logical that both actresses would be offered a variety of quasi horror and gothic-like roles. While Dead Ringer isn't really a horror film, it certainly has enough spooky and unnerving elements to involve the viewer and create an atmosphere of foreboding.

Is Dead Ringer a piece of B grade junk designed as a vehicle for a fading star's last gasp at glory? Or is it a cleverly wrought psychological thriller, made redeemable by the presence of a true star and great actress? Well, the answer is probably a bit both - theres no doubt that movie has elements of a second rate melodromatic thriller, but the film is also surprisingly tense and in the end provides a perfect showcase for the glamorous Ms. Davis to do what she does best.

Dead ringer is ultimately a campy gothic thriller about estranged twin sisters Margaret and Edith (Davis, playing both roles). The film begins with a funeral for Margaret's husband who has just died of heart failure. When the wealthy Margaret invites Edith back to her mansion in Westwood it is soon revealed that the insensitive, social-climbing Margaret actually stole Edith's insanely rich beau away from her and has since been living the high-life while Edith struggles to keep her run-down nightclub afloat.

With her rent three months in arrears and frantic for money, Edith hatches a desperate plan to murder her own sister by making it look like suicide. Thinking that she can just walk in and take over her life, Edith scrambles to carry off the masquerade, pretending she knows Margaret's safe combination by heart, or that she can differentiate between the mansion's hundred rooms, all the time trying to figure out what sort of person Margaret really was.

There are lots of surprises as Edith gradually discovers that Margaret possessed a lot of dark secrets that she was desperate to hide. Murder, betrayal, and infidelity all follow with Edith ultimately learning a hard lesson: when you adopt someone's assets, you must also accept their liabilities, for better or for worse. Viewers are in for such side attractions as Davis slapping checkbooks across rooms, contemplating burning her own hand with a red-hot fire poker, and even shoving herself backwards into a chair.

The supporting cast is strong with Carl Malden competently playing an affable, nice-guy cop who is in love with Edith, and just can't believe that she'd ever commit suicide. Jean Hagen absolutely chews up the scenery as a blithely indecent social butterfly and Estelle Winwood is terrific as a dour, doily-wearing Bible-thumper.

But in the end, Dead Ringer totally belongs to the commanding Bette Davis. This is one of her campiest and most ham-fisted roles ever, and where she's at her chain-smoking, eye popping, and out of control best. Mike Leonard August 05.

Average customer rating:

Interesting, but false advertising
Get Your Good Clean Fresh Nasty Shallow Fun Here
TERRIFIC THRILLER ABOUT PARANOIA
A SUPERIOR THRILLER!!
Hollywood studio would have never produced `Shallow Grave'

Shallow Grave
Starring: Kerry Fox , Christopher Eccleston , Ewan McGregor , Ken Stott , and Keith Allen
Director: Danny Boyle
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: 079284405X
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Amazon.com

The first feature from director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew MacDonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (who went on to make the enormously popular Trainspotting, the not-so-well-received A Life Less Ordinary, and The Beach), Shallow Grave begins with three obnoxious roommates mockingly interrogating applicants who want to share their spacious flat. The guy they finally choose doesn't last long--they find him dead from a drug overdose along with a suitcase full of money that he no longer needs. They decide to keep the money; this of course requires that they discreetly dispose of the body, which proves to be a gruesome, traumatic business. They begin to suspect each other of betrayal and become increasingly deranged. The movie wants to be a satirical comment on the greed of British yuppies but is more an exercise in stylish paranoia, where the color of the walls matters more than why the characters behave the way they do. The clever cinematography and macabre humor make Shallow Grave worth watching, just don't expect to like anyone in it. Starring the very hip trio of Kerry Fox (An Angel at My Table, The Last Days of Chez Nous), Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Velvet Goldmine, Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace), and Christopher Eccleston (Jude, Elizabeth). --Bret Fetzer

Description

Three friends push the boundaries of trust in this hermetically sealed shocker (Los Angeles Times) from the creators of Trainspotting. Starring Kerry Fox (The Hanging Garden), Christopher Eccleston (Elizabeth) and Ewan McGregor (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), Shallow Grave is a masterpiece of terror (Movieline), riddled with hairpin turns (Boxoffice) that takes you on a fantastic ride to the lowest depths of human nature. Juliet (Fox), David (Eccleston) and Alex (McGregor) find that their new reclusive roommate has not left the bedroom for days. After kicking in the door they discover his drug over-dosed corpse and a suitcase full of money! Fatefully choosing to keep the money, they know they have to get rid of the remains. But the body won't stay buried and a careless trail from the shallow grave leads the policeand two money-hungry thugsback to the trio. And as the stakes get higher, so does the body count, not to mention their paranoia which is quickly putting their friendships in jeopardy forever!

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but false advertising.......2007-08-16

I found this film to be good but not great. I admire Danny Boyle, but this piece wasn't his finest.

What I found surprising as I perused the newly expanded archive of Siskel and Ebert reviews is that they gave this film two thumbs down, while the case it's sold in clearly shows "Two Thumbs Up" and then attributes that quote to Siskel and Ebert. I felt compelled to remark on this in some way. Not that anyone should be wholly swayed by the opinions of any such reviewer, I just think that the potential viewer should be well-informed and that the film's marketing shouldn't be allowed such a blatant lie.

David G.

Get Your Good Clean Fresh Nasty Shallow Fun Here.......2006-10-19

"Shallow Grave," a 1994 black comedy-farce, was the film debut of young British director Danny Boyle, who had previously worked in British television. You can catch his work in the "Inspector Morse," and "Hamish MacBeth" series, and it's well-worth catching, if you can.

The movie starred several then-unknown actors. Kerry Fox as "Juliet Miller," Christopher Eccleston as "David Stephens," and Ewan McGregor as "Alex Law." In smaller parts it featured; as "Detective Inspector McCall," Ken Stott, who's since made a career playing tv cops, most recently "Inspector Rebus;" and Colin McCredie, whom some may remember from the last series of "Taggart." Robert Carlyle, an actor with whom Boyle had previously worked on "Hamish," was offered the starring part of "David," but turned it down.

Boyle was born on October 20,1956(same date as Viggo Mortenson), in Manchester, England, son of first generation Irish Catholic immigrants. He began working in theater: he was Artistic Director of the Royal Court from 1982-85, and then Deputy Director from 1985-87. He's since gone on to make the hits "Trainspotting," a fairly outrageous druggie film, with Ewan McGregor again, in 1996; and "28 Days Later," a zombie movie like no other, in 2002. His work tends to have a light--some might say shallow-- touch, and a taste for the fantastic.

"Shallow" is a fresh take on a hoary idea: that pots of money, no matter how acquired, will break any friendship/companionship/marriage. It's set in Edinburgh, and opens on a sweeping panorama of that city's elegant, historic New Town district. (Only exteriors were filmed in Edinburgh, however, the rest was filmed in Glasgow to take advantage of a 150,000 pound grant from that city's film board.) Three roommates, needing a fourth for financial reasons, are interviewing candidates; they're kind of snarky, but funny if you don't happen to be the interviewee. Their flat is drop dead gorgeous, big and light, full of unexpected color: you'd sure like to be the lucky one chosen. Mysterious Hugo, the man chosen, dies immediately after moving in. They never exactly know why, neither do we; all parties just assume drug overdose, especially after Hugo's found to have a suitcase full of nice crisp 100 pound notes. This sets the plot, in all its gruesome, unpredictable glory, in motion; six people will be dead by movie's end.

Boyle's first movie is pure "tartan noir," tough, funny, macabre, and couldn't be further removed from what Hollywood has recently conditioned us to. We never learn the back stories of the three main characters, nor any of the others, nor why they are acting as they do. And none of the characters are shown to be nice people, worth rooting for. In fact, in my off-the cuff memory, we haven't been presented with three such easy to dislike characters since the late John Huston's masterpiece "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," starring Humphrey Bogart as Fred C. Dobbs, John's father Walter as another of the miners, and ending with a body count about the same as "Shallow Grave's."

In sum, "Shallow Grave" is a tight, entertaining, shallow little thriller, with Boyle's trademark touch of the fantastic. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. Your feelings about it will be influenced by your fondness for the unexpected, and your willingness to sit there and let a movie take you where it will.

TERRIFIC THRILLER ABOUT PARANOIA.......2006-10-02

This is a terrific thriller about three roommates sharing the same flat in England who are looking for a fourth person to rent to. The film starts off a little comical with the three roommates, Juliet (Kerry Fox), David (Christopher Eccleston) and Alex (Ewan McGregor) sizing up the various denizens looking for a place to stay. They go through silly dialogues, and ask outrageous questions of those who wish to rent. Finally, one person shows up whom they all agree to rent to. There is a problem however: This man is more than they bargained for.

After only one night in the flat, the trio find the man dead of a drug overdose. Moreover, he has a briefcase filled with money. Instead of reporting this to the police they decide to keep the money and get rid of the body. Thinking no one will be the wiser, they dump the car and dismember the body in the woods. However, the police discover the body, and the short-lived roommate's fellow thugs discover the car. And these are not the type of men you want to cross. They deal very harshly with everyone in their quest to find their missing friend, and more importantly, the missing money.

David (Christopher Eccleston) is one hell of a case of paranoia. Although he has reason to be. However, it becomes a morbid case of paranoia when the thugs arrive on the scene. Not content with dealing with the thugs, he becomes dementedly paranoid of his fellow roommates. What I liked about the film is how it shows greed, even amongst friends, changes these three people. With Alex (Ewan McGregor) seeming to be the only normal one among them. This is an excellent thriller, and highly enjoyable. The ending is superb and highly unexpected. Highly recommended. [Stars: 4.5]

A SUPERIOR THRILLER!!.......2006-07-19

From the director that brought us the trashy movie called "The Beach," comes this fantastic thriller that has to be seen to be believed!!
If you like movies like Fargo, Blood Simple and A Simple Plan, you'll love this!! It's that type of thriller!!

Hollywood studio would have never produced `Shallow Grave'.......2006-01-17

Why is it that I watch and enjoy so many films in which Ewan McGregor appears? After finishing the substantive part of my day one evening last week, I flipped over to IFC and found `Shallow Grave' (1994) just starting. I stuck with it, and was not disappointed.

A movie fan has to love the risks that the independent filmmakers take. Danny Boyle, the same director of `Trainspotting,' did a very nice job with three rather unknown actors at the time - at least in the U.S., Kerry Fox (Juliet), Christopher Eccleston (David), and McGregor (Alex), a quirky and unusual script, a little contemporary film noir, and created an enjoyable little story. Nice work, Danny Boyle.

In synopsis, Juliet, David, and Alex live in a nice four bedroom flat and are conducting a roommate search to pay a fourth of the rent. During a dinner/interview with a prospective tenant, Hugo, played by Keith Allen, the three are impressed, perhaps excessively so, when the potential flat mate brandishes nice wad of pound notes. Very shortly after Hugo moves in, he is not to be seen. Inquisitive Alex (he's a newspaper reporter) leads the charge to break into his room only to find Hugo naked and dead. Then, Alex continues to snoop and finds a substantial cache of money in a suitcase under the bed.

In short, after some very shallow soul-searching, the trio decided to keep the money rather than to report Hugo's death to the authorities. As such, Juliet, David, and Alex David must dispose of the body, Hugo's car, and anything else that could possibly associate the deceased flat mate with the three friends. The disposal proves to be quite a grisly affair, but that is not the least of the trio's problems. Paralleling their own struggles in disposing of Hugo, Boyle introduces us to two very bad men who are also looking for the money. The audience does not know and does not necessarily need to know who these very bad men are, just that they are very bad men and are getting closer and closer to Juliet, David, and Alex.

Ironies abound in `Shallow Grave,' but one of the most fun of those ironies occurs at the point when bodies, - yes, bodies - are found in a shallow grave, and Alex is assigned by his editor at the newspaper to cover the story. Alex's front-page headline is then succeeded by an intense climax as the three "friends," each apparently on the verge or over the precipice of insanity caused by greed, face each other early one morning and then a surprise ending that includes Alex gruesomely fastened to the floor of the flat.

In a moderate budget, independent film, actors, directors, and producers tend to take more creative risks. As such, I do not believe a Hollywood studio would have ever produced `Shallow Grave'. And, if it had, Hollywood would have turned it into a watered down version of its original intention, comparable to the difference between the independent `Requiem for a Dream' and the Hollywood `Traffic.' Good for lovers of good film.

Average customer rating:

A great film not to be missed
shockingly honest
Useful tool for teachers
Deals with todays hot issue of school violence
a great movie with an amazing actor

Bang Bang You're Dead
Starring: Thomas Cavanagh , Ben Foster , Randy Harrison (II) , Janel Moloney , and Jane McGregor
Director: Guy Ferland
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B0000A2ZNK
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Customer Reviews:

A great film not to be missed.......2007-09-06

Completely compelling movie... one of the few movies that actually depicts high school realistically. The bullying/teasing made me cringe but kids can be THAT cruel.

Schools tend to believe the "normal" kids more than the outsiders... maybe they don't want to face the truth, who knows... which is probly why some kids don't even bother reporting anything.

I could relate to Ben's character Trevor in the way he felt isolated (aside from wanting to blow up the football team).

'Bang Bang' sheds some light on how someone could feel helpless/angry/frustrated enough to want to something drastic and how being bullied plays a role in it. *I'm not condoning violence in any way though*

The play in the movie no-one in the town wants done but its a sort of therapy for Trevor, working out some of his inner demons and giving him a sense of pride and purpose I guess you could say.

He's walking a fine line in the movie, close to the tipping point... the only people who really seem to believe in him are his drama teacher and Jenny.

Everyone in the cast gives compelling performances... you really believe them in their roles and lose yourself in the story. Thats the mark of a good movie, which more often than not, hollywood can lose sight of that.

I was really impressed by Ben Foster... Trevor's a complicated guy and in the wrong hands it would've been a disaster but Ben really gets into the character, you find yourself rotting for Trevor not to go down the dark road.

I can't wait to see what else Ben does... he's sure to have a long career :)

'Bang Bang' should be shown in every school.... maybe it would help prevent some school violence and/or tragedy

This movie is a hidden gem that should be more well known... I highly recommend it :) 5 stars in my opinion

shockingly honest.......2007-07-21

My high school was small, and was never this bad. So, I don't know if the movie takes any liberty for shock value... but given what has happened at schools, this rings truth... everyone should sees it. Everyone who have children, everyone who may want to have children, everyone who have a friend who have children... should understand what could happen. You never want it to happen, but if you are not aware of it, if you're too afraid to confront it, you could never prevent it...

Useful tool for teachers.......2007-03-14

This CD is a perfect tool to view violence from another perspective and how the zero tolerance policy can be a controversial issue.

Deals with todays hot issue of school violence.......2006-11-28

This is a very good movie. It really hits on the way schools are today. I believe everyone should see this. Watch with your children or parents and converse on what is going on. There has never been a movie like this. It gets to the point of the matter which is school bullying and what the outcome can be.

a great movie with an amazing actor.......2006-11-06

i saw this movie on showtime and i was surprised to see that this movie
was made after what happened at those schools but then i thought this is
good, a movie like this should be made because people need to know about
this kind of thing. i was one of those kids who got teased in school and
at times i felt like going and shotting the people who tormented me but i
didn't, but i think every kid who's been teased should see this movie be-
cause it can show them that you don't have to go out there and kill the
people who hurt you, you can get revenge in different ways.
i also thought randy harrison was great in this movie, i've been a fan of
his sense queer as folk and i thought he was amazing in this movie and i
think he's going to go far. i can't wait to see his next movie and any thing else he does in the future.

Average customer rating:

Wes Craven's Second Best Horror Movie
Finally !!
The number one reason Wes Craven shouldn't be allowed to make movies.
SUSPENSEFUL HORROR
kristy

Deadly Friend
Starring: Matthew Laborteaux , Kristy Swanson , Michael Sharrett , Anne Twomey , and Anne Ramsey
Director: Wes Craven
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000TUDBFM
Release Date: 2007-09-25

Description

A terrifying tale about a lonely teenage genius whose overwhelming love for a young girl compels him to use all of his scientific knowledge to keep her with him.

Customer Reviews:

Wes Craven's Second Best Horror Movie.......2007-09-12

I First Saw Deadly Friend Back In 1987 Or 88 at My Parents Friends House!
I Recently Saw I About 5 Months Ago First Time In A Good 18 Years.
What An Amazing Movie And Creative!And Its Got An Awesome Head Exploding Seen In The Movie!Its Worth Buying This Dvd For That Alone!
Besides A Nightmare On Elm Street This Is Wes Cravens Best Movie To Date!
The Only Down Fall For This Dvd Is The Artwork They Should Have The Orginal Cover!

Finally !!.......2007-09-10

I have this movie on vhs and saw in it the theaters, I am glad that this little sleeper of a film is finally getting release on dvd :) great acting by the full cast, good placement of horror, slapstick comedy, love story , being an actor and writer myself I like the way this was assembled. Thank you again for finally releasing this classic.

The number one reason Wes Craven shouldn't be allowed to make movies........2007-09-06

This movie is a laughable piece of tripe. The story is ridiculous and to the best of my memory, the acting, effects and style of the movie over all are pretty horrendous.

When this popped up on my recommendations and I saw that they were actually releasing this film, I felt like I'd been slapped. So many better movies are languishing with no official DVD releases, but Deadly Friend gets one?

Surely, there is no justice in the universe.

On the plus side, it does feature the always fabulous Anne Ramsey.

SUSPENSEFUL HORROR.......2007-08-28

I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR IT TO COME OUT FOR A LONG TIME. KRISTY SWANSON IS GREAT AND SO IS MATTHEW LABORTEAUX. IT SHOWS HOW MUCH YOU LOVE SOMEONE AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO HAVE HER BACK EVEN THOUGH IT HAS VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

kristy .......2007-08-13

I am so happy that deadly driend
is commeing out on
dvd krist swanson
is so gorgeous
thanks

Average customer rating:

Not As Bad As I Thought It Would Be
Loved It
part 1 and 2 way better !!
Among the Best of the Best!!
The army shouldn't play with dead things...but plucky teens should!

Return of the Living Dead 3
Starring: Kent McCord , James T. Callahan , Sarah Douglas , Melinda Clarke , and Abigail Lenz
Director: Brian Yuzna
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005LQ0Z
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Customer Reviews:

Not As Bad As I Thought It Would Be.......2007-03-27

I expected a movie of abominable quality when sitting down to watch it, but was a bit surprised at some of it's good points. I won't go into too many specifics here, but some thought was put into character interaction in this film and plot resolution. Some of the acting wasn't that good and there were some holes in the story, but this certainly wasn't as bad as a ROTLD sequel could have been -- it makes for a good Sci-Fi channel movie.

Loved It.......2007-01-29

It was hard for me to find this film, so when I ordered it on Amazon I wasn't disappointed. The product came exactly as described, the film was excellent for being a third chapter in the series. I recommend this film to every horror fan out there.

part 1 and 2 way better !!.......2007-01-17

1st, acting is not that good and affex arent that good either.Buy part
one and two but dont bother bying part 3.

Among the Best of the Best!!.......2007-01-17

Return of the Liveing Dead 3 I must say is among the best of zombie movies. It takes a total different direction then the first 2 Return movies but pretty much same story line. It not az ombie movie with comedy. It actually take a serious approach to it. The just of the movie is, at this point the military is useing the zombies to make some sort of super soldier for warfare. There trying to make it were the can some how control the zombies as much as they can. The director of the products son steals his keycard to get into the military base. The son and his hot girlfriend goes onto the base and catches a glimpse of the experiment. They leave though before they can see the experiment go terribly wrong. Okay then the son and his girlfriend get in a wreck were this red headed beauty is killed by a broken neck when she is thrown from the bike into a pole. The son brings her back to the miltary base were he brings her back to life. This starts the whole mess, and probably the birth of the best zombie I have ever seen. She is hott, dead and she pierce's her self and cuts her self to take the pain of the hunger away. Anyway my skills of telling ya the just of this movie sucks. All I can say is I came out knowing I watched a good horror flick, and I was sporting a giant rod. I give this move two rods up for its good direction that kept me watching and the hott dead chick. Go head give a try you won't be dissapointed.

The army shouldn't play with dead things...but plucky teens should!.......2007-01-02

If gore and comedy are your preferred combo, this seemed a passable treat. I caught it on cable, so I'm sure I missed plenty of the former. The first attack in the army base was actually pretty nasty and tense, well-filmed with the contrast between the stark white and the hideous blue/grey of the zombie. But once they're running around and the kid tries to keep his undead girlfriend under control, it was pretty laugh out loud funny.

Average customer rating:

Revenge Film
Same old same old...
Good film but I thought there were a few flaws
"God will forgive them, He'll forgive them and allow them into Heaven, I can't live with that."
A masterpiece

Dead Man's Shoes
Starring: Paddy Considine , Gary Stretch , Toby Kebbell , Jo Hartley , and Seamus O'Neill
Director: Shane Meadows
Manufacturer: Magnolia
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ASIN: B000GPPPTU
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com

Harrowing thriller about a hotwired ex-soldier (co-scripter Paddy Considine from Cinderella Man) who returns to his sleepy Irish village to dole out merciless revenge upon the booze- and drug-sodden hoodlums who abused his mentally handicapped younger brother (the astonishing Toby Kebbel). Director Shane Meadows (Once Upon a Time in the Midlands) doesn't shy away from delivering scenes of gripping suspense and violence, but the end result hews closer to an ambiguous meditation on the nature and effect of vengeance a la Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs than a Death Wish-style grindhouse effort. Taut and thought-provoking, Dead Man's Shoes is a must-see for indie film aficionados with a taste for the grittiest of fare. The DVD includes some rollicking commentary by Meadows, Considine, and producer Mark Herbert; an intriguing and heartfelt featurette on Meadows and his own violent past as a teenage skinhead in 1980s England, from which he drew inspiration for this film; and an alternate (and somewhat less satisfying) final scene. -- Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

Revenge Film.......2007-07-30

Revenge is one of the most basic human emotions. People instantly relate to it and understand it, for the most part -- as long as it's motivated by feelings and situations they can sympathize with.

Revenge is also one of the key elements in storytelling. Books, comics, and movies all routinely use revenge as motivation for characters, both good and evil. Lex Luthor is motivated by the need for revenge against Superman and does evil things as a result. Batman is motivated by a need for revenge against criminals because his parents were killed at the hands of one. He does good things as a result.

Good and evil both spring forth from this highly emotional state. It's up to the writer/creator to decide how it's applied in the story. Many memorable characters, such as Captain Ahab of Moby Dick by Herman Melville, seen to be wholly made of that emotion.

Dead Man's Shoes, directed by Shane Meadows, uses revenge as a motive to propel the characters through harsh events. The script was written by Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine, and Paul Fraser. Paddy Considine also stars as the main character, Richard, a young man who has returned from war to avenge his brother, Anthony, played by Tony Kebbell.

The film is shot on location in England's Midlands. The scenes are beautiful, filled with trees and rolling hills around small towns of old, small buildings and houses. The music is lyrical and haunting.

As it turns out, the viewer is given most of the story at the beginning. Richard and Anthony were close as brothers even though Anthony had mental deficiencies. While Richard was away at war in the military, Anthony fell in with a group of drug users and sellers who took advantage of him.

Upon his return, Richard sets out on a trail of vengeance against the group. He terrorizes them at first, breaking into their homes and marking them while they sleep, letting them know he could have just as easily killed them.

I think the movie was well done but I have some reservations. While I liked the characters well enough, and I think the twist about Anthony was a good one that I didn't expect, the actual physical action of the characters was definitely lacking. I didn't get to watch Richard take action for the first hour of the film. I saw the results of it, but I didn't see him doing those things.

In action films, most of the stars use martial arts or something flashy to really show off their destructive talents. Even though Richard is more of a blunt instrument, his violence was kept off-screen for too much of the movie, in my opinion. I wanted to see him taking on the gang, and making them pay for what they have done to his brother.

Also, I had a real problem with the audio portion of the disc. The accent is so thick, and the sound quality of the transfer somewhat lacking, that I couldn't hear everything that was being said. Many times it sounded like the actors were mumbling their lines. I'm sure that wasn't the case. I'm sure that you just need an ear trained for that dialect. I had to back up several times to replay a scene to get all of it. The movie will probably play really well in the Midlands because I feel certain Meadows is dead-on in his rendition of the local environment.

This movie is definitely worth watching and is one a lot of people are talking about. The two concerns above notwithstanding, Meadows' vision of the story is genuine and heartfelt. Considine's pain is palpable. I'm going to be interested in seeing what this team comes up with next.

Same old same old... .......2007-07-09

Same old same old... revenge of the wronged, killing of the evil doers...with a twist though: very effective, raw and brutal. Good acting.

Good film but I thought there were a few flaws.......2007-05-01

I love nothing better than a decent revenge film. Kill Bill Vol 1 is the finest one that I have seen. This one is set in the Derbyshire countryside and starts with Paddy Considine arriving at a disused farmhouse. It because apparent as the story unfolds that the Considine character has a retarded brother and he is hell bent on revenge for something that was done to his brother by a gang of drug dealers led by Gary Stretch. The film soon develops into a dark and disturbing bloody mission of revenge and we eventually learn the full details of the retarded brother and why his brother is so mad.

The most glaring problem that I have with this film is the lack of law enforcement. How can you butcher so many people and get away with in with no intervention by the police ? I could say the same for another recent film by the same director Shane Meadows "This Is England". The film also has a very dark heart. It doesn't seem to believe in forgiveness.

Overall I enjoyed the performances of the main characters but I thought the story was a bit too Tarantino-esque to justify any more than 3 stars.

"God will forgive them, He'll forgive them and allow them into Heaven, I can't live with that.".......2007-05-01

In mixing Hitchcock with Cassavettes, "Dead Man's Shoes" is a spare, ever-contemporary revenge yarn, yet told with an old-school, resoundingly pious sensibility. "Shoes" eventually implodes from bare-bones realism to an in-your-face epic, a harshly realistic, atmospheric story of senseless violence, its irrevocable effects and its brutal confrontation.

Directed by British art-house mainstay Shane Meadows (24:7, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands), the story takes place at a grim, anonymous small England village, where everybody seems too afraid to walk the uninviting streets, and yet nothing seems promising in the dilapidated business's and residential neighbourhoods that are hanging by a thread.

We're first introduced to Richard (Paddy Considine, who is also the film's screenwriter), and the only information we first know about him is that he's travelling with his brother Anthony, a mentally spastic younger sibling who clearly has been brutally tampered with in the not-too-distant past. Enigmatic and rather quiet (the first time hear him speak is in opening voice-over "God will forgive them for what they did. I can't allow that.", an ominously forthright prayer if there ever was one), he walks into town, stays low-key and slowly insinuates himself into local taverns and conversations with some subdued, unknowing locals.

After some initial wrangling, we find out that there is a specific agenda for his "visit": to confront a group of shady, drug-dealing, rather petty criminals, unsuspecting of the grimacing, quiet Richard, but yet their involvement with Anthony becomes clearer as flashbacks, bit by bit, tell a cold, terrifying story that has enraged the former soldier to his absolute apex, and believably so.

As Richard initially confronts them with few words other than intoning cryptic warnings, it escalates to creatively nefarious uses of spray paint, from writing threats on the oblivious thieves walls to adorning their faces with a clownish decor. As they grow from frightened to restlessly vigilant to all-too-knowing of this man's priorities, they can't go unfazed from Richard's wrath as one-by-one they meet a brutal demise.

Now all this has the metaphorical structure of an age-old western, though this cowboy is without horses, honour or heroism, and the incendiary revenge that is taken can often be worse than the crime that was committed.

"Shoes" often deftly blends this classic narrative thread with a very present-day indie sensibility (repete with the almost-vertiginous shaky camera and lots of thespian-tingled earnestness), telling a story that is both minimalist and operatic. From an oxygen-masked Considine to an ever-grungy set design, it's a film that wants it both ways, and it satisfies on both front.

Told with as much as heartfelt sincerity (Considine clearly nurtured it as a must-project and the film is undoubtedly grounded in a real-life experience, as "Shoes" often comes across as a potent personal lament) as cathartic brutality, it's a film that's impossible not to respect, and it's often quite gripping, the dingy small-town milieu is authentic and engrossingly foreboding; the religious plot overtones and it's deadly ramifications are as appropriate as they are purposely exaggerated. Considine delivers another ferociously eloquent sense of spiritual self-awakening and it's affected violence, just as he did in his vastly under-appreciated tour-de-force in My Summer of Love, inspiring as much pathos as intentionally ambiguous chills.

Ultimately, "Shoes" meets the ambitions that lye in this consistently absorbing revenge parable. Not a film to disregard, with all it's promise and veracious detail, it is not for the faint hearted.

A masterpiece.......2007-03-18

Low budget, indie spirit. But in the best meaning. The movie itself it is brilliant, but it sounds perfect (the soundtrack is another masterpiece) and the image is an achievement for a movie with low budget.
Take care, it's very darky, very strong. But a whole cinema experience.

Average customer rating:

I'll Sleep About an Hour Into It
Listless Nonsense
Interesting, but flawed
Clive Owen Is Good, But Not Good Enough To Breathe Life Into This Sleeper
I'll Sleep When I'm Done This Review

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Starring: Clive Owen , Charlotte Rampling , Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Malcolm McDowell , and Jamie Foreman
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002WZTJS
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Amazon.com

Mike Hodges and Clive Owen, director and star of the stylish 1998 crime drama Croupier, team again in this moody, almost contemplative thriller about a former gangster, Will Graham (Owen), who returns to London after a lengthy self-exile. In a tragic coincidence, Will's brother, Davey (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), has just committed suicide following a rape by a wealthy car dealer (Malcolm McDowell). Convinced there is more to Davey's death than meets the eye, Will--arguing he is nothing like his old, violent, urban self--slowly evolves again into a formidable criminal. Hodges and screenwriter Trevor Preston emphasize tone and spiritual inference over precise character motivation. Not everything that can be known about Will (especially his rocky psychological state and history with a former lover, played by Charlotte Rampling) is expressly stated. But one can feel his stifled nature rising, paradoxically, toward revenge, and his final actions have an existential power and mystery. --Tom Keogh

Description

In I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD, Willie (Owen), a former mobster, comes back to town after he learns his younger brother Davey (Rhys Myers) has committed suicide. Upon learning that Davey was brutally raped by mobsters, Willie is determined to seek justice by finding the men who victimized him. While on the search for the mobsters, Willie comes face-to-face with Frank Scott, the local "bad boy" and conflict arises when Frank starts to believe that Willie is back in town to reclaim his status as the town's bad boy.

Customer Reviews:

I'll Sleep About an Hour Into It.......2007-09-13

I assume that the title of this movie is taken from the Warren Zevon tune--a song, I might point out, that is about five thousand times more exciting than this dull, pedantic, pathetic, shiftless, soulless, sleep inducing film (I had to watch it over two nights as it lulled me to sleep after thirty minutes on the first viewing). How in the world do you make a Clive Owen, Malcom McDowell, Charlotte Rampling flick SO flat and pointless that it induces drowsiness? The acting is so deadpan and emotionless that it HAS to be good, right? Wow, and count those crime noir cliches in the script--is that a deep, meaningful commentary on the whole genre I smell? And what about all of those plot points (about half of the screen time in the film) that not only DON'T add to the main story but actually distract and detract the viewer's attention to confuse him or her as to what is actually going on--surely this is the sign of a truly meaningful movie experience, right? And let's not forget the lack of resolution for every single one of these meaningless sub-plots, including the old flame with a gun to her head. Oh, wait, I guess that was done so intelligent movie watchers, like myself, can inject a little thought and speculation into this, obviously, interactive experience. Maybe it is all meant to help solidify my strong homophobic worries and fears (just watch the movie and think about that comment). Is this a student art-for-arts-sake film disguised as crime noir? Or is this really just a flat, dull, dumb crime noir film? You be the judge--if you can stay awake.
Hey, in quick response to one of the other "glowing" reviewers--if the movie they DON'T show you is more interesting than the movie they DO show you--that's a pretty good indication it's a bad movie.

Listless Nonsense .......2007-06-11

This is a terrible movie. I equate it to trying to start your car after the battery has died. It "ain't" gonna start, no how no way. This movie has no "heart" whatsoever and can be best described as pointless nonsense. The "killer" in this movie gives the most mundane, stupid reasons for his crime imageable. Laughably predictable. The movie is a BORE. Please keep this one "across the pond". In America, we don't want it.

Interesting, but flawed.......2007-02-25

I like this movie for a lot of reasons. It is visually very stylish and interesting. There are some very good performances, and the contrast between Clive Owen's character, Will Graham, and everyone else from the old neighborhood is fascinating. Will Graham is a character who has left his old life, not to start a new one, but to cut himself off completely from any life. He returns to find out why his younger brother killed himself. The ending, before he seeks his revenge, has a strange ritualistic quality that heightens the tension. In the final analysis, however, I didn't think that the story of Will's search for the reason for his brother's death was nearly as interesting as the story that takes place before the film begins - what happened to Will that led him to abandon everything and begin aimless travels in a beatup camper, spending most of his time by himself. His ex-lover, played by Charlotte Rampling, says he "had a breakdown," but that doesn't provide any insight into what caused this stark, dramatic, and ultimately solitary disappearance from life. Without any understanding of this change, "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is interesting , but emotionally unsatisfying.

Clive Owen Is Good, But Not Good Enough To Breathe Life Into This Sleeper.......2007-02-08

Clive Owen has come into his own as an actor. His roles in GOSFORD PARK, INSIDE MAN, and CHILDREN OF MEN have proven him to be an excellent casting choice. And here in I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD, director Mike Hodges made the very wise decision to feature Mr. Owen in the prime role as Will Graham, a "retired" gangster returned to the madness after the apparent suicide of his only brother.

Building on the fairly weak relationship of Will Graham with his brother Davey (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, MATCH POINT), the story begins just as it ends, with the arrival and ultimate departure of Will. Interesting in a sort of nonlinear scripting way, the story's ambling nature and unaffecting characters are impossible to empathize with. When Davey (Meyers) is brutally sodomized by a ruthless man, we care very little because we simply don't know anything about them. Nor do we know (or are ever told) why Davey was raped in the first place. There is a simple speech given by the rapist (played by Malcolm McDowell) in an attempt at an explanation, but this is neither believable nor seemingly coherent with the script itself.

Which leads us to bigger and better problems. Since this is the crux of the story -- and what brings Will (Owen) out of retirement -- this leaves the entire film feeling very hollow. The connections between thugs, coroners/cops, and family are thinly developed (if at all) and given so little screen-time as to leave most watchers scratching their heads.

The ending, as stated earlier, mirrors the film's beginnings in that Will appears standing on the same beach monologuing the same lines. The assumption that the viewer is supposed to make is that this has happened before (i.e., Will has come out of "retirement" in the past for important things), but it comes off feeling stilted and out of place.

Clive Owen does an admirable acting job, but the script given him here is too weak to make this a positive movie-going experience.

I'll Sleep When I'm Done This Review.......2007-01-14

Hard to understand why people are not getting this terrific movie. In Croupier, also starring Owens, Mike Hodges evoked a brooding, existential London sub-culture where motives were always unclear and character was never divided between good and evil. Croupier was slow, wonderful to watch, and oozed irrational malice. It drew viewers in just as the unholy lure of gambling draws in prospective addicts.

In I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Hodges weaves the same gossamer spell. There is little story, plenty of characters, but very little character development. These people don't follow a traditional formula; they bump into each other like boats in a harbor - just like real life. The cinematography, music, and overall vibe create a classic modern noir sensibility, and like the best noir, there is no underpinning of justice or rationality to make us feel good about how things turn out. Admittedly, these characters are sketched, not painted, but it is amazing how much we can surmise from just a few carefully selected details.

Most wonderful of all, this is a cynical gangster picture with almost no violence. (Lesser practitioners of moviemaking please take note!) The sense of dread, of impending doom, is where it should be, inside the viewer's imagination. Unlike other reviewers who were dissatisfied with McDowell's motivation, I thought it was inspired - so frequently the most hideous injustices are dished out for reasons no nobler than personal insecurities and jealousy.

Owen is always worth watching, regardless. Here he is surrounded by major talent, Malcolm McDowell and Charlotte Rampling. Both are under-utilized, shall we say, but it's always nice to see them. Rampling, nearly 60, looks amazing, still a real beauty with a fragile yet compelling persona. If you'd like to see her tear the scenery apart, check out The Night Porter.

When Will gets his shave and suits up for the hit, was anybody else reminded of that wonderful scene in Cat Ballou when Lee Marvin puts on his best gunslinger outfit (with scarf!) to take on the man with a tin nose?

Average customer rating:

I couldn't tell who were supposed to be the zombies
Good, Mindless Fun...
good but not so good
Only rent if you really must see it.
dead next door

The Dead Next Door
Starring: Lester Clark , Floyd Ewing Jr. , Pete Ferry , Barbara Gay , and Roger Graham (II)
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009RQRQU
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Description

The government sets up a Zombie squad after an epidemic has made the world run rampant with living corpses. Raimi, Mercer, Kuller, and others head off to Ohio to try and find a cure to the epidemic but soon run into a crazy cult of zombie lovers who are set on preserving the zombies and letting a new world be born because they believe that it's God's will. When Mercer gets infected with the zombie virus, Raimi and the others must work quickly to find a cure and avoid the cult.

Customer Reviews:

I couldn't tell who were supposed to be the zombies.......2007-09-05

The acting in this was so awful, it was... *really* entertaining.

The effects are surprisingly not as bad as I expected from the reviews, and the plot wasn't without some... meat. But... the acting... egads.

Somebody needs to make a MST3K treatment of this. Just... wow. So much to work with here. This will definitely be shown at a drunken zombie marathon someday for my zombiephile friends.

Good, Mindless Fun..........2007-07-18

When you consider all the mega-budgetted turds that roll out of hollywood, it's refreshing to see a micro-budget movie like THE DEAD NEXT DOOR. No, there aren't any computer graphics, super-stars, or grammy-ready show-tunes to be found. However, this movie is an obvious labor of love and a tribute to all things dead and shambling. Made in Akron, Ohio in 1985 on super 8 film (!!) by a bunch of teenagers, this project could have been infinitely worse (check out the Milpitus Monster sometime). Instead, it's quite watchable, w/ a few actual flashes of brilliance! Backed financially by Sam Raimi himself, TDND is enjoyable throughout, never trying to be anything more than 78 minutes of gruesome, blood-squirting entertainment. The whole Jim Jones-like / living dead worshipping cult idea was original in '85. Sure, the acting is stiff and the dialogue hilarious, yet TDND is a good effort by the wide-eyed kids who created it! I'd choose this movie over most of hollywood's sequels, prequels, and remakes any day...

good but not so good.......2007-06-03

if you want a basic overveiw of this movie then here it is, in the dead next door we see the highest budgeted 8mm movie which there arent very many of. the bad things about this movie seem to be dissapointing to any fan of george romeros films like dawn of the dead and night of the living dead. simply because the dead dont die, because in the begining we see a man shoot a zombie in the head then cut the zombies head clean off his body, but the zombies body was still trying to eat him then the guy bent over to get his gun then the freakin zombies head bit his arm! whats up with that? and another thing is that the zombies just show up in the beginning and some of the zombies can talk. but other than that this movie has a good plot but incredibly stupid ending and is very short but it is still a movie worth watching. i wouldnt say its a must see but its worth sitting down and watching once or twice.**warning** this movie can be a dissapoint to some people but a majority of people like this movie

Only rent if you really must see it........2007-04-22

The plot had some potential, but unfortunately we ended up with this instead. It's not cheesy, it's lame. This is one of those films where characters make really dumb decisions that make no sense, or do really stupid things in the name of trying to create some tension. So much so that the movie is more tedious and boring then anything. However, because the plot wasn't bad and the effects were pretty decent I gave it 2 stars. That said, I would have to say your not missing anything by passing this one over.

dead next door.......2007-03-29

one of the best zombie filmes ever made. i think its a cult classic

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