Man of La Mancha

Amazon.com

It's hard to imagine a finer Don Quixote than Peter O'Toole, who's spent most of his career with a slightly mad, dreaming look in his marvelous eyes. O'Toole's suitability for the role is tested by the Broadway treatment of Man of La Mancha, the film version of the hit stage musical. Everybody knows "The Impossible Dream," that indomitable hymn to, well, quixotic questing, and it is indeed the best of the Spanish-inflected songs. Despite the location shooting in Italy, Love Story director Arthur Hiller can't elude the stagey concept (in which Cervantes, imprisoned by the Inquisition, acts out the tale of Don Quixote for his fellow prisoners). James Coco, as Sancho Panza, is overshadowed by the film's irresistible Dulcinea: Sophia Loren, at her mature peak. (Her singing, alas, is not as ripe as her beautiful self.) If you love Cervantes for his earthy ironies, this movie will seem a curious slice of inspirational shtick. --Robert Horton

Description

Academy AwardÂ(r) winners* Peter O'toole and Sophia Loren are magnificent in this lavishlyproduced (LA Herald-Examiner) and beautifully acted (The New York Times) epic masterpiece. Featuring an OscarÂ(r)-nominated** score with the classic 'the Impossible Dream, this original and daring (Films & Filming) musical is an experience not to be missed! Jailed during the Spanish Inquisition for offending the church, author Miguel de Cervantes (O'toole) is forced to act out one of his manuscripts for the entertainment of fellow inmates. Cervantes delivers a rapturous performance as the legendary Don Quixote, the chivalrous knight whose choice to see lifeas it should be, not as it is, takes him into battles with an imaginary foe and into romance with the beautiful Dulcinea (Loren). *O'toole: Honorary Award (2002); Loren: Actress, Two Women (1961), Honorary Award (1990) **1972

Customer Reviews:

Man of la Mancha Movie.......2007-07-08

The DVD contents are of excellent quality and the movie is a true copy of the original movie with excellent video and audio quality. The Special Features as well as the 4 language possibilities are a pleasant extra.

Triumph over unbeatable odds........2007-06-28

Peter O'Toole does an exceptional job playing Miguel de Cervantes who in turn plays the crazy Don Quixote de Lan Mancha in the version of a Broadway play brought to the screen. The DVD still has the feel of a Broadway musical in terms of sets and the movement of the actors across the stage.

Sophia Loren is exceptionally beautiful in this film though like O'Toole, her singing abilities are limited. James Coco does a respectable job as the realist Squire, Sancho Panza.

The continued assualts upon Sophia Loren by the gangs of criminals and thieves eventually got on my nerves. Whereas it created situations for highly choreographed musical numbers where Loren fights off attempted assailants, the assault of a woman by gang rapists is a difficult theme to choreography. I wish the assults were less emphasized since the viewer realizes this peasant woman survives as an waitress at a broken down Inn and services the male guests at night to survive.

The bleak Spanish countryside is realistically portrayed in the few non-set vistas in the film. Much of the film takes place in a set that is derived from the approach used in the stage production. The scrappy costumes also were well done.

The theme and story line however are the most compelling aspect of the film as we see a parable of triumph against unbeatable odds.

The acting is what counts here..........2007-06-19

As a "Don Quixote" enthusiast, I have many recordings of the musical and, of course, had to own a DVD of the movie. I would say that the acting is what counts here. The outstanding Peter O'Toole is a very convincing and memorable Don Quixote, although it is a distraction when he lip-sincs thorough his songs (it's quite noticable). I still have to say, however, that the movie is outstanding in that the beautiful and sexy Sophie Loren is an appropriate Aldonza/Dulcinea. James Coco also brings the right essence to the role of Sancho.

I really enjoyed this movie and would like to see a remake for the new millinium that reflects the musical styles popular since the original movie (disco, rap, hip-hop). A Latin/Spanish version would also be quite appropriate as that kind of music and culture is becoming more a part of our American melting pot.

This wonderful score and it's profound message could surely withstand such variety of interpretation.

good.......2007-06-14

It is truely replay the original script. The songs were sung not as good
as the New York Broadway one. I enjoy watching it. All the actors had done their excellent job to show each character.

"I Really Like Him".......2007-05-27

To use the title of one of Sancho Panza's songs as the title to this should be indicative how I feel about this transaction! Excellent work and I apologize not sending this ion sooner, however I am a professional actor and am "out of town" playing Sancho Panza!!

The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft

Average customer rating:

A stroke of genius
Lights, Camera, Eldritch Horror!
For all the world to see...
A Cyclopean chunk of sheer horror!
Have You Answered The call?

The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
Starring: Matt Foyer , David Mersault , and Noah Wagner
Director: Andrew H. Leman
Manufacturer: Microcinema DVD
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000BQTC98
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Product Description

The Call of Cthulhu an all new silent film is HP Lovecraft's most famous story. It is the only story to feature the celebrated monster Cthulhu and in many ways it encapsulates the ideas that went on to permeated Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. The fFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR UPC: 837101095662 Manufacturer No: MC-664

Customer Reviews:

A stroke of genius.......2007-09-11

Like the very smart people who made "The Blair Witch Project," the even smarter people at the HPLHS turned their handicap (no budget,) into a virtue. In this case, making a silent film in the classic style of 1920s cinema. It works brilliantly, due to the creativity and skill of everyone involved. This film is clearly a labor of love, as is evident by the care taken in the production. Amateur filmmakers everywhere, especially those interested in the horror genre, should take huge inspiration from this terrific work. Who needs color and sound?

Lights, Camera, Eldritch Horror!.......2007-08-17

If you don't know who H.P. Lovecraft is, you are a trodlodyte. If you know, but don't like him, you are a cretin. If you know and love him, owning this film is a spiritual imperative. Not since "Nosferatu" has there been a such a perfectly silent tribute to undying evil. The challenge of translating a work of pure words to a work of no words, and yet communicating the message perfectly is superhumanly met by the good folk who produced "Call". It is the equivalent of a poem about the Mona Lisa that forms her smile in your mind's eye, or a drawing of "Stairway to Heaven" that makes you rock out.

Get this film.

For all the world to see..........2007-08-14

I've given my review this title, for one single reason: this DVD is not Region 1, as stated with the product information, but has region code 0.
This means that there's no restriction as to where you can play the movie: I guess you could see it anywhere in the world... I live in Europe (Belgium, to be exact) and it works on my crude DVD-player and TV-set as if they made it to measure (which I'm sure they didn't).

So don't hesitate to buy the disc because of the region coding.

That being said, the film is BRILLIANT and does a great job, and justice to the story.
The other fine points of this picture have already been statde by the other reviewers, so I'll leave it at that.

A Cyclopean chunk of sheer horror!.......2007-07-21

I was very pleasantly surprised with this movie. I knew it was independant and I knew it was LOW budget. There are plenty of other reviews that tell you the highlights of the movie, so I just want to say that if you're on this page and thinking about buying Call of Cthulhu... go ahead and do it!

Have You Answered The call?.......2007-07-14

I'm glad this film was made, and made the way it was. The Lovecraft Preservation Society really put forth an effort to make a faithful Lovecraft film, which as we all know, never really happens. The decision to do this in the old silent film style is a nice choice and fitting to the story. You can tell that the film was made recently because of the quality(and clarity) of the film used, regardless of attempts to show aging. There's just no substitiute for aged film like real aged film, but who wants to have this film sit around and corrode for 70 years before releasing it? That's not a complaint by any means. Everything else-the lighting, the camerawork, the acting-is dead on, just fabulous. You know that Hollywood would never get within five hundred miles of a project like this(unless it was a two and a half hour cgi packed action extravaganza directed by Michael Bay and starring Vin Diesel), but the recent Grindhouse has taught us that when someone tries to do a film in the style or genre of a bygone era, no one understands it, thinks it's dumb, and it flops. Fortunately Cthulhu is a much more hush hush production made on a shoestring and won't have to worry about box office bombing. It was made for fans by fans(I mean, who the hell's really gonna watch this other than Lovecraft fans?), and it's nice to know that things like this still happen in the film world. If you like the Lovecraft story or are a Lovecraft fan, this film should be a no brainer for you. We all know that Lovecraft translates differently from reader to reader, so folks may not consider this a perfect adaptation. But it is very accurate and very well done. A labor of love to be sure.

Average customer rating:

See how hard you make me angel?
Leaving Las Vegas
A one-sided love story
Arriving in Trite Town
One of the Greatest Movies in The World!

Leaving Las Vegas
Starring: Kim Adams , Graham Beckel , Shashi Bhatia , Nicolas Cage , and Valeria Golino
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: 0792838068
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Amazon.com

One of the most critically acclaimed films of 1995, this wrenchingly sad but extraordinarily moving drama provides an authentic, superbly acted portrait of two people whose lives intersect just as they've reached their lowest depths of despair. Ben (Nicolas Cage, in an Oscar-winning performance) is a former movie executive who's lost his wife and family in a sea of alcoholic self-destruction. He's come to Las Vegas literally to drink himself to death, and that's when he meets Sera (Elisabeth Shue), a prostitute who falls in love with him--and he with her--despite their mutual dead-end existence. They accept each other as they are, with no attempts by one to change the other, and this unconditional love turns Leaving Las Vegas into a somber yet quietly beautiful love story. Earning Oscar nominations for Best Director (Mike Figgis), Best Adapted Screenplay (Figgis, from John O'Brien's novel) and Best Actress (Shue), the film may strike some as relentlessly bleak and glacially paced, but attentive viewers will readily discover the richness of these tragic characters and the exceptional performances that bring them to life. (In a sad echo of his own fiction, novelist John O'Brien committed suicide while this film was in production.) The DVD features uncut, unrated footage that was not included in the film's theatrical release. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Best Actor OscarÂ(r) winner* Nicolas Cage and Best Actress nominee* Elisabeth Shue set the screen ablaze in this profoundly moving love story. Nominated* for two additional Academy AwardsÂ(r)Director and Adapted Screenplaythis emotionally charged powerhouse of a film graced over 100 10 Best Lists including Roger Ebert's #1 Movie of the Year. Ben Sanderson (Cage) is a career alcoholic who has hit rock bottom. Trashing all personal and professional ties to his L.A. existence, he sets off for the lights of Vegas on a mission: to drink himself to death. There he meets Sera (Shue), a beautiful, seen-it-all hooker. From the moment Ben and Sera connect, they form a unique bond based upon unconditional acceptance and mutual respect that will change each of themforever. In the words of David Thompson of Los Angeles Magazine, Leaving Las Vegas is a masterpiece. *1995

Customer Reviews:

See how hard you make me angel?.......2007-09-08

-So the movie's about a man played by Nick Cage who decided to drink himself to death. He sells all his possessions and moves into a motel. One night he meets a prostitute played by Elizabeth Shue and he asks her to stay with him for one night of just talking without sex and that leads to her falling in love with him and vica versa.

-I think ultimately what appeals the most to me about this movie is just the idea of how no matter who you are you still have a chance of finding true love. Whether you're a drunk destined to kill himself, or a prostitute you still have a chance of meeting someone that will love you no matter what problems you have. This is not a wholesome romantic movie that everyone ends up happy in the end, this is a painful, heartbreaking and sad tale of a drunk who is destined to die and a prostitute who falls in love with him. Their relationship isn't sexual despite her profession, it's pure 100% not fooled with love. The kind that can make a guy do anything for the girl and the type that makes the girl do anything for the guy.

-Throughout this wonderfully crafted tale of doom we get to see each of the two as they lead their lives. We see the effects that the drinking is having on Nick Cage and how he loses his temper uncontrollably due to the drinking and how it causes him to make the wrong decisions at times. We also get to see Elizabeth Shue leading her life as she continues on to be a prostitute whose the only one that still loves this doomed man. It's really sad to watch the two of them because we know that their love story will soon end.

-The whole story is told as if it were an interview with Shue's character. She lets us know from time to time what's happening but the interview segments seldom occur so it never really gets in the way of the story. There's a horrible scene in the movie where Nick Cage's drinking leads to them splitting but then after they both go through their own personal hell they get back together even if it is a brief moment they have to be together again.

-Elizabeth Shue really broke my heart with her performance here. She does a great job of playing a woman whose life is so sad that Nick Cage asking her to simply hang out and talk to him instead of sex is to her an act of kindness. In her whole life the happiest she's ever been is with a drunk whose intent on dying and that just brings tears to my eyes every time. The last time we get to see her with Nick Cage is perhaps one of the most beautiful moments in movies ever. Too bad Cage's character didn't use her love for him as an inspiration to sober up, they would have made a lovely couple. Usually when you're suicidal, finding someone that loves you is meant to keep you going but it doesn't happen in this movie which makes it all the more heartbreaking.

-Watching this movie really makes you loose some respect for the recent roles that Nick Cage has taken on recently. He was so brilliant in this movie that you buy the character completly. From the mood swings to the shakes that occur when he needs to drink, Cage captures it all magnificantly and without blemish. Hope he does something like this again soon and abandons the forgettable action movies that has been pollutiing his career lately

-Freaks and the dysfunctional really do make the best couples

Leaving Las Vegas.......2007-07-13

Filmed on a shoestring by Figgis, who also contributed the haunting jazz score, "Vegas" is a fearlessly downbeat love story about desperation and despair that was rapturously received at the box office in 1995. Cage won an Oscar for his gritty, go-for-broke portrayal of the suicidal Ben, and Shue made the leap from TV's "Melrose Place" to the big screen with her convincingly raw, Oscar-nominated performance--especially in one horrific motel scene. Adapted from John O'Brien's novel, "Vegas" is one cinematic bender that leaves a strangely blissful hangover.

A one-sided love story.......2007-06-28

I watched this movie for the first time last night. While digesting my own impressions, I decided to see what others have thought and so hopped onto Amazon. Reading other reviews today out of curiosity, I am struck by the repeated assertions that this is a mutual love story of Shakespearian proportions.

To me, this love story is entirely one-sided.

When we first meet Sera, she seems very much like a high-priced 'call-girl' who commands hundreds for her services. She describes being routinely abased and abused on the 'job,' but asserts that she's in control. Then we meet her boyfriend/pimp, from whose abuse she has already fled once only to be tracked down. Despite Sera's self-delusion that she's in charge and living a good life, we see evidence of despair and hopelessness as she not only submits to her pimps degradation, but even tries to defend it.

When she encounters Ben, who is introduced as an incredibly self-aware and self-destructive alocholic, it is his treatment of her as a person that finally reveals her own despair to herself. He doesn't want sex--in a touching and rare moment of lucidity, Ben recognizes his own lonliness and will pay a 'hooker' to talk to him for an hour. Sera ends up staying the whole night. With the pimp conveniently killed a few scenes later (my only quibble with the plot in general), Sera decides to 'rescue' Ben. The only problem is, he refuses to be rescued and bluntly demands that she can not ask him to stop, or he will leave.

We know from the outset that Ben won't stop drinking, he doesn't want to stop. Indeed, it seems his body is so enthralled that he can't stop. We see fewer and fewer moments where he is in command of his senses and actions, his compulsive need to drink just to stay conscious--and yet the incredible volumes of alcohol frequently rendering him incoherent--providing a tragic paradox. He drinks to live and lives to drink.

Sera watches his downward spiral, at first enabling in the guise of acceptance, but then with increasing distress. No matter how she tries, she can't break through. At one point she has to douse herself with alcohol to break through his drunken self-absorption, and even that ends in failure as he staggers, falls, and injures himself. Towards the end she begs him to see a doctor, the only time that comes close to her actually breaking her promise about not asking him to stop. And he refuses.

Sera admits that she's 'using him,' and I think that could be true. In saving Ben from himself, Sera finds a purpose in her own meaningless life. But as her failure to reach him becomes more obvious and his selfish course continues unabated, we see Sera's self-confidence waver. We see criticism from others that at the start wouldn't even have registered, now pummeling her. A new despair sets in as Sera realizes Ben can't be saved despite her love, because he doesn't love himself.

And while he says he loves her, he can't pull himself out of the bottle enough to really feel anything at all. Their last moments together are tragic and quiet.

To say that I 'enjoyed' this film is not the right word. I am haunted by it. I see redemption, somewhat, but only in Sera's character and not really enough to save her. The two lead actors are outstanding. Nicholas Cage is utterly convincing and revolting as a drunk. Elisabeth Shue brings out a curious combination of dignity and helplessness in her protrayal of Sera, the more sympathetic of the two characters. A haunting film, to be sure, but not an enjoyable one.

Arriving in Trite Town.......2007-04-16

Mannered acting and an agglomeration of late 20th century cinematic cliches -- the tart with a heart; the pimp with half a heart; the interminable cutesy-gawky therapy sessions -- grab an Oscar jury by the throat...and choke it.

One of the Greatest Movies in The World!.......2007-03-07

That's saying a lot by me, since that would be the second movie I've ever said that about. This brilliant picture, which when you first watch it, you'll think you'll never watch it again. It will ebb at you, demand of you to watch it again, reexamine it, watch the words spoken, look at the facial expressions. WHy this film did not win Best Picture, is only evidence of a stupid decision by the Academy Awards. This film was brilliant, this film was wonderful, this film was great. Buy it and buy it now!

Average customer rating:

Offensive language
a keeper
Two thumbs up!
A Son's Promise

Son's Promise
Starring: David Andrews , Dan Biggers , Veronica Cartwright , Stephen Dorff , and Grayson Fricke
Director: John Korty
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006A9INY
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Customer Reviews:

Offensive language.......2007-09-11

My granddaughters and I were enjoying the DVD together until one of the younger boys told his older brother to go to hell. I do not think that this is appropriate for young or old alike to listen to. I was very disappointed because I had thought that the movie would be a good example for kids to see and teach them that life has disappointments, but that they can overcome them. It's sad that the producer had to insert that into a movie that otherwise seemed to be good. What happened after that episode, I have no clue because we immediately took the DVD out.

a keeper.......2007-06-17

This type of story is a difficult one to pull off, but this movie does it. Not a dull moment. Things keep changing all the time. The emotional tension remains tight all the way through, yet the movie never becomes oppressive. There are a number of relieving moments of achievement, of aid from other people, of being befriended by strangers. The characters, especially the father, are all realistic. No stereotypes here. The father is a real horror. Unfortunately, such people are not only real but not uncommon.

Rick Shroeder does an excellent job with the acting and with the Georgia accent. Not a trace of his natural southern California accent comes through in any of the scenes.

Good movie for the whole family. Worth watching again.

Two thumbs up!.......2007-05-07

WONDERFUL movie starring Ricky Shroeder about an older brother trying desperately to hold his siblings together as a family, despite an alcoholic father who tries to defeat him at every turn, and greedy people who try to take advantage of his good fortune when things start to turn around. Ricky portrays an older teen with just the right mix of confidence, confusion, exhaustion and frustration. He definitely makes you believe in the character.

A Son's Promise .......2004-12-17

This is story is such a touching and very loving story. I would recommend this story to all my friends.

Average customer rating:

I know the secret ... but ... What does this have to do with the story?
The Crying Game
INTRIGUING, SHOCKING, GREAT
It's Just a Piece of Meat
Who Can Sneer at Love?

The Crying Game (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Forest Whitaker , Miranda Richardson , Stephen Rea , Adrian Dunbar , and Breffni McKenna
Director: Neil Jordan , and Susan Ricketts
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B0006FO9BK
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Product Description

The Crying Game is the unpredictable, unconventional, multi-Oscar nominated masterpiece that has become the sleeper hit of the year. Starring Stephen Rea and Miranda Richardson as Irish terrorists, Forest Whitaker and their hostage, and Jaye Davidson as Whitaker's exotic girlfriend, the film is a haunting, humorous and shocking romantic thriller. Never has a motion picture undermined viewer expectations so thoroughly and enjoyably.

System Requirements:

Running Time 112 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

The Crying Game offers a rare and precious movie experience. The film is an unclassifiable original that surprises, intrigues, confounds, and delights you with its freshness, humor, and honesty from beginning to end. It starts as a psychological thriller, as IRA foot soldier Fergus (the incomparable Stephen Rea) kidnaps a British soldier (Forest Whitaker) and waits for the news that will determine whether he executes his victim or sets him free. As the night wears on, a peculiar bond begins to form between the two men. Later, the movie shifts tone and morphs into something of a romantic comedy as Fergus unexpectedly becomes involved with the soldier's girlfriend Dil (Jaye Davidson) and discovers more about himself, and human nature in general, than he ever dreamed possible. Like Spielberg's E.T., The Crying Game was supposed to be director Neil Jordan's "little, personal movie," the one he just had to make, even though no studio was willing to give him money because the story was so unusual. Instead, it became a surprise popular sensation, thanks in part to Miramax's cleverly provocative campaign playing up the hush-hush nature of the movie's big secret. The performances (including Miranda Richardson as one of Fergus's IRA colleagues) are subtly shaded, and the writing and direction are tantalizingly rich and suggestive; you're always trying to figure out the characters' true motives and feelings--even when they themselves are fully aware of their own motives and feelings. The Crying Game is a wise, witty, wondrous treasure of a movie. Director Jordan's credits include Mona Lisa, Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins, and The Butcher Boy. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

I know the secret ... but ... What does this have to do with the story?.......2007-08-24

This movie was hyped up quite a bit. What is "the secret"? Once I found out the secret, looking back I wondered what the secret had to do with the flow of the story.

Stephen Rea, who is one of the best of the best actors to portray a world weary soul, is an IRA soldier whose group has kidnapped an Englishman (Forest Whitaker). While holding him captive, Forest tells him about his girlfriend, Dil, in London. Fascinated by his story, Stephen Rea decides to travel to London to meet this woman. They end up falling for each other. However, much to his chagrin, Dil shows that she has a little something extra in the basement. Stephen didn't know, and Dil just assumed that he did already. Oops ...

The story kind of dissolved from there. Stephen finds out, but the point of the tale went away from the IRA plot and that he didn't really care if Dil was a man or a woman. He did care about him, if not in a strange way. I wondered exactly what that had to do with the IRA. It was a twist, to be sure, but it didn't have much relievance.

I give this 3 stars for the original story, Stephen Rea, and the fact that Boy George sang the theme song. Now THAT was original.

The Crying Game.......2007-07-17

Irish director Jordan made a big splash with this "Game," a kinky psychological thriller with a twist ending noone could stop talking about. Beyond the surface titillation, Jordan portrays the struggle between emotional and physical desire and more rational issues of loyalty, both political and personal. Rea mesmerizes as the IRA grunt haunted by his previous life, and Davidson is a marvel as the aloof, unapologetically sensual Dil.

INTRIGUING, SHOCKING, GREAT.......2007-06-26

This is one of my movie favorites. I remember when I first saw this movie with my husband we had a lively argument about the character, Dil. Then wham!

This movie first introduced me to Forrest Whitaker. I hoped when I saw him in this movie that great things would happen to him because his acting was so convincing. It's good to see my hopes were realized. All the actors in this movie are incredible.

The movie plot starts out in one direction then with a thin thread connecting leads you off into an entirely different direction and back to the beginning plot, seamlessly.

The Crying Game is a very clever movie that revolves around Jimmy and Dil, and the IRA. And, well, something else.

If you have never seen this movie, I recommend you see it. It is highly enjoyable.

It's Just a Piece of Meat.......2007-05-15

"The Crying Game"

It's Just a Piece of Meat

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

It is hard to believe that it has been 15 years since "The Crying Game" came out. By now everyone knows the story and the "surprise" but it is still amazing to note that the movie is considered as controversial today as it was when it came out in 2002. That appears to be the sign of good cinema. The director, Neil Jordan opened many doors with this film of the unlikely friendship between Fergus, an Irish revolutionary and Jody, a kidnapped soldier from Britain. When things so terribly wrong, Fergus manages to escape and heads for London and Jody's lover, a hairdresser named Dil. Fergus changes his name to Jimmy and starts seeing Dl who has no idea that he is aligned with the revolutionary group. But there are some things about Dil that he doesn't know either.
Stephen Rea as Fergus is amazing. Told from his point of view, he keeps the audience in suspense and involved. This is a special movie. It is hard and perverse and comes close to an "X" rating. There is a lot of sexual content which is stunning in its originality. In many cases the dialog is peppered with four letter words and the violence is both graphic and aggressive. It is quite a ride so if you plan to see it, be prepared. It is the kind of film that you see and talk about for days afterwards. An unknown actor, Forest Whitaker, appeared in the movie and went on to win the best actor Oscar this year. And the movie itself garnered many nominations itself.
Philosophically, the movie is an illustration of unconditional love, something we do not have a lot of in today's world. It helps us to understand humanity and the trails and tribulations of society are dealt with in the film. It s a work of fiction with a definite agenda and is beautiful to watch. Well written and beautifully acted, it draws you in with its profound performances and a very literate script. In fact, everything about this film nears perfection.

Who Can Sneer at Love?.......2007-04-25

Neil Jordan's "The Crying Game" was the talk of the town when it opened in 1992, largely due to its surprise ending, of course. But it won an Oscar for best original screenplay, and another 17 awards, and had 16 more award nominations. It was a good movie. Well, by now, the surprise ending isn't such a big surprise, the title song's still famous, and it's still a good movie. It was written and directed by the Irish Neil Jordan; Nik Powell gets an executive producer credit. It was well-cast, with the Oscar-winning Jim Broadbent, Adrian Dunbar, Stephen Rea, and Miranda Richardson in lead roles. The American Forest Whitaker, despite his wavering London accent, turned in one of his best pre-Oscar performances. And it introduced Jay Davidson in a stunning debut.

The movie opens unforgettably, during the height of the Irish troubles, at a carnival somewhere near Belfast, Ireland. Jude (Miranda Richardson) who plays a great bitch, seems intent on seducing Jody (Whitaker), a British soldier. But we quickly learn that she's actually intent on having him taken hostage by her insurgent Irish Republican Army co-conspirators, and he is. During Jody's captivity, he forms a relationship with one of his IRA keepers, Fergus (Rea), who's not the brightest in his unit; they tell each other the story of the frog and the scorpion, that will become famous folklore. Jody believes he won't survive his captivity, and asks Fergus to look up his London girlfriend, Dil (Davidson.) Fergus will be assigned to kill Jody; we'll never know if he could, as the author Jordan finds another, shocking way to set his story in motion. So Fergus flees to London, where he can live the anonymous life of an Irish laborer. and does, indeed, look up Dil.

This powerful opening sets the movie on its memorable, dreamlike course. It's an IRA drama, a star-crossed lovers' romance, and a hostage drama. The acting's first rate, particularly that of Stephen Rea, who holds the film together (he lost the Oscar to Al Pacino that year.) Rea give us a Fergus who's a not too bright schnook, just trying to get through life while causing as little damage as possible. Furthermore, he's another of Jordan's unfortunate heroes who can't help falling in love with the wrong female. We know Dil will never be the woman Fergus thought she was. But hey, who can sneer at love in a loveless world?

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Windwalker, right on course with the book
If only....
JOYOUS MOVIE!!
Years ahead of it's time
You want to like it, but...

Windwalker (Special Edition)
Starring: Trevor Howard , Nick Ramus , James Remar , Serene Hedin , and Dusty McCrea
Director: Kieth Merrill
Manufacturer: Sterling Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00013F34Y
Release Date: 2003-01-01

Amazon.com

A splendid adventure for family viewing, Windwalker has the distinction of being named the #1 anthropological film of all time in an early 1990s poll of the American Anthropological Association. It's not particularly distinguished in terms of its filmmaking, but this authentic Native American tale is told with exciting vitality and careful attention to details of culture, language, costuming, and age-old traditions. The title character (convincingly played by British actor Trevor Howard) is an aged and dying Cheyenne warrior who, as a young husband and father (played by James Remar in flashbacks), watched helplessly as his wife was killed and one twin son kidnapped by Crow invaders. On his deathbed, he is spiritually revived to solve the mystery of his missing son, and in doing so sets his "windwalker" path to a peaceful afterlife. Featuring an abundance of natural beauty in the mountains of Utah and utilizing sparse, subtitled dialogue spoken in authentic Cheyenne and Crow languages, the film may be too intense for very young viewers (with scenes of PG-rated violence involving enemy warriors, wolves and a bear), but it's essential viewing for anyone interested in Native American cultural history. Independently distributed in 1980 by the Christian family-film company Pacific International Enterprises (whose wholesome founder, Arthur R. Dubs, is profiled in a vintage promo reel included on this DVD), Windwalker was a decade ahead of Dances with Wolves in bringing real, vibrant Indian folklore to a mainstream audience, earning a respectable $18 million at the box office. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Windwalker, right on course with the book.......2006-10-20

If you are lucky enough to have read the book, which came out before the movie, you will find that the movie follows the book exactly. The book is an incredible read, that took me one night to go through the entire book. Read the book also, you won't be disappointed.

The Windwalker by Blaine M. Yorgason (I was lucky enough to inherit a copy that's the 5th printing, 1980)

This was one of the first movies that stirred the echoes of my native ancestors in my soul. Though it does not have native actors, it accurately portrays the Cheyenne and Crow and the beliefs.

Excellent movie and book!!!! Highly recommended.

If only...........2006-10-10

the producers of this film would have had at least a little more respect for native american culture and NOT cast caucasian men with piercing blue eyes in the lead role and other parts, asian kids to portray Cheyenne children, and a woman of obvious hispanic decent to play the lead female role......

If only they would have had consideration for native people of this country and used native actors for ALL parts....especially since there is not one single part of a caucasian character in this film....

If only the makers of this film had not been so typically Hollywood in their approach and casting....this could have been a truly great anthropological film.

As it stands this film is yet another sad and disappointing example of just how little respect the dominant society had (the film was made in 1981) for native americans.

The only good thing they did in this film is to have the actors speak in native Cheyenne / Crow language....although the actors are so horrible at speaking these languages that it almost sounds like a made up dialogue. Again....had the producers of this film used REAL Cheyenne and Crow Indians then this too would not have been an issue.

The musical score also is not at all in keeping with the plot and nature of the film....sounds like they took a soundtrack to some 70's nature documentary and threw it behind the scenes in the film.

Hollywood should re-make this film, with real native actors, speaking in their native language, with a score that truly reflects the drama and message of this story.

JOYOUS MOVIE!!.......2006-08-02

I HAVE ORDERED A FEW TIMES FROM AMAZON AND ALL THE MOVIES ARE WONDERFUL. THIS MOVIE IS BREATH TAKING ,IT IS SO EXCITING TO WATCH. THANK YOU AGAIN
RONALD FRYE

Years ahead of it's time.......2006-07-21

I too am Native American, born on the Cheyenne River Reservation. While it would have been nice if there had been native American actors, this film broke the stereotype and was the first to present the Native Americans in an authentic way in spite of the christian influence of the ending. My first reaction on seeing Trevor Howard in the lead when i saw this film in the theatres was one of disappointment. However, after seeing the picture and the way he portrayed the grandfather, I realized that the director knew what he was doing. The way of life, environment and regalia are 100% accurate, as is the Crow and Northern Cheyenne dialog. While some Native Americans dish the movie because of the lack of Native American actors, they miss the point. For the first time, our culture and lifestyle are accurately reported, in a respectful, dignified way. This is my favorite Native American movie, far superior to Dances With Wolves which I also liked.

You want to like it, but..........2006-06-03

I wanted to like this movie and, in fact, there is a lot to like, so go ahead and buy it. Unfortunately, a lot of the movie has the look and feel of a film school project: really long looks into the camera, really long panoramic vistas, and actors who obviously have not spent a lot of time in the out-of-doors (soft, pale bodies).

Oh, and about those long looks into the camera, I do not know what they could have done about Trevor Howard's blue eyes, but could he not have taken off his contact lenses for that really tight close up?

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Corazón Salvaje es todo un clásico
The best story every told, but the DVDs do not show enough
Magnificent
A MUST HAVE
Bad surprise !

Corazon Salvaje
Starring: Edith González , Eduardo Palomo , Ana Colchero , Ariel López Padilla , and Enrique Lizalde
Director: Alberto Cortés (II) , and José Rendón
Manufacturer: Xenon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BT99D4
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Description

The two sons of a wealthy landowner—only one of whom is legitimate—become rivals for the love of a beautiful but ambitious woman. Juan del Diablo, the illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner, grew up untamed on the beaches of San Pedro. His father's dying wish for Juan to bear the family name is ignored, and Juan remains in poverty while his half brother Andres moves to Mexico City. They meet fifteen years later when Andres marries Aimee, Juan's lover. Juan's jealous rage is tamed only by the love of Monica, Aimee's sister and Andres' former fiancée. Though Juan is an uneducated, sometimes violent man, Monica discovers in him a heart of gold.

Customer Reviews:

Corazón Salvaje es todo un clásico .......2007-08-24

Vi la novela completa hace muchos años. Este año me enteré que había salido en DVD una versión resumida y no he parado hasta tenerla. Esta versión está centrada en los protagonistas, Juan del Diablo y Mónica (increible química entre los dos actores protagonistas), dejando a un lado la mayoría de las historias de los personajes secundarios. Aún así la historia sigue teniendo mucha fuerza y pasión que te tienen enganchada hasta el final. Cuidada puesta en escena, decorados, trajes de época e incluso música, con la preciosa canción de Mijares. La interpretación del malogrado actor (murió por un problema de corazón) Eduardo Palomo raya la perfección, con un Juan del Diablo que llega a enamorarte. Es imposible imaginarse a otro actor intentando interpretar este personaje. Recomiendo este DVD a quienes les guste las historias románticas y quieran enamorarse de todo un "Corazón Salvaje"

The best story every told, but the DVDs do not show enough.......2007-08-15

I have seen this soap many many times. I cry everytime I see the ending, and I'm filled with a melancholy, because it takes me back to my childhood, when Juan was a hero, an idol, a dream. This soap was truly a masterpiece and no other has come close. This story was about more than love, it was about forgiveness, justice, and how in the end they always prevail. It's rare we see this on tv or even in real life. Nowadays soaps and shows are filled with superficial drama, and no substance to fill our minds. This soap was always different in that it gave us more, there was always more. There was romance but there was also an innocence and fraility that prevented it from being just another raunchy tv show. There was emotion in the scenes, the characters, the stories, and in the end they all intertwined beautifully. Will I watch it again? Yes, maybe in a few months when I feel like escaping for a few hours from a world that has clearly lost all its sense of classic love and beauty.

Magnificent .......2007-08-14

The above DVD will take you to a romantic world with a lot of barriers that should be faced by the star.

A MUST HAVE.......2007-06-25

This telenovela was absolutely great!!! My only complaint is that they should have made it a 3 CD telenovela. How the makers could allow a novela with the late Eduardo Palomo and Edith Gonzalez be a 1 CD novela is beyond me. All the actors did a superb job and the novela left me wanting more. It is so good that if they every came out with a revised edition with more CDs' I would DEFINATELY purchase it again!!

Bad surprise !.......2007-04-06

There are so many good scenes that are cut in this version. If you have seen the original version you are going to be disappointed, and the editing is too abrupt.
There should have made a complete DVD version of the Telenovela, since it has been one of the best ever done...

Average customer rating:

Tender and Compassionate
An Excellent and Riveting Drama - Not to be Missed
Extremely touching movie!
A Rare Movie without a Male Ego at its Center
Sentimental, just like me

My Life Without Me
Starring: Sarah Polley , Amanda Plummer , Scott Speedman , Leonor Watling , and Deborah Harry
Director: Isabel Coixet
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00013WWSY
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Amazon.com

It sounds like Love Story, but with an intriguing twist. 23-year-old wife and mom Sarah Polley has spent her entire life sacrificing for others and living on the economic fringe; when she discovers she has only a few months to live, she resolves to keep the news secret. In her remaining time, she plots a course for various unfinished plans and deferred dreams: write a journal, leave future messages for her kids, make a stranger (Mark Ruffalo) fall in love with her. Obviously, the danger of sentimentality lurks in director Isabel Coixet's concept, and the film does have a few soggy moments. Some critics lost patience with the main character's seeming selfishness (a good post-movie conversation starter). Yet there is something powerful in her insistence on claiming a small piece of existence exclusively for herself. Polley (Guinevere) gives a typically honest performance, with fine support by Scott Speedman and Deborah Harry. --Robert Horton

Description

Sarah Polley stars as Ann, a young wife and mother who's recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness. After vowing to keep her terrible news a secret, Ann begins living with an intensity she never thought possible. With senses heightened and passions rekindled, she quickly begins putting her life in order. Gripping, joyful and sensitive, My Life Without Me is a touching tale for today that challenges us to live as if there were no tomorrow. Sarah Polley (eXistenZ, Sweet Hereafter, Go, Mark Ruffalo (You Can Count on Me, In the Cut),Scott Speedman (Underworld, TV's Felicity),Deborah Harry (Spun, Blonde).

Customer Reviews:

Tender and Compassionate.......2007-08-08

This subtle and sensitive film begins with a poetic monologue. Ann (Sarah Polly) is standing in the pouring rain, her eyes closed, drenched to the bone, describing exactly what she feels...hearing the raindrops patter against the leaves, feeling the grass beneath her bare feet beginning to dampen...she then tells us that she has never been that type of person to sit and watch a sunset or lay on the beach observing the waves of the ocean for hours nor stand in the pouring rain. But life for Ann has changed and with it a new appreciation for life.

Married at 17 to a loving father and husband, Don (Scott Speedman) with two pretty daughters, at 23, Ann's life is her cleaning job at the local university, her family, living in a trailer in the back of her mother's (Deborah Harry) house and the simple banalities of surviving from day to day. One morning she collapses in her kitchen and later tests are done that determine she has tumours in her ovaries growing and accelerating towards her liver. The condition is untreatable thus she is told she has two to three months to live.

The utmost courage this young woman shows us once receiving her death sentence is laudable in the truest sense. Rather than run home and tell her family and friend's about her imminent death, she chooses to keep it to herself to spare them of the sorrow. After receiving the news, she sits in a coffee shop and makes a list of twenty things she would like to do before she departs. Under these dire circumstances, one would assume the list to include going to Europe, climbing Mount Everest or a road trip around the United States, however her items are simple actions like saying what she feels, seeing her father who she hasn't seen in ten years because he's in jail; getting a new hair style and her nails done. The most radical item on the list is to make love to another man because aside from her husband she has never had an encounter of this type thus she wants to know how it feels. Enter a handsome man (Mark Ruffalo) who has been watching Ann in the coffee shop making her list. There is no pre-meditated "seduction" from either of them which has been stated in all the blurbs for the story. There is chemistry and attraction which is followed up and consummated though this is not a "one-night-stand" situation because, unexpectedly, true love enters the picture.

Ann now proceeds to make a series of recorded tapes for her children to be listened to on their birthdays till their 18. She makes a tape for her mother, her loving husband and of course her lover.

This film is indeed modest lacking in any self consciousness, kind and compassionate.

How we behave when facing our death can reveal our true character, and in Ann's case, she has integrity and courage coupled with humility that was inspiring to watch.

My Life without Me is a wonderful film.

An Excellent and Riveting Drama - Not to be Missed.......2007-01-10

What would you do if you knew your time was almost up? Sarah Polley carries this film beautifully with a phenomenal performance as a young mother knocking on death's door. But she does not rollover gently into that good night. Instead, she takes action to make sure she lives life to the fullest while secretly preparing her family for the future without her. Do not miss this excellent and riveting drama.

Extremely touching movie!.......2006-09-14

I bought this movie just because I really loved Isabel Coixet's
"Things I never told you" film. But "My life without me" blew me away cos it was so moving. I saw lots of movies about some people who are going to die cos of some illness, but i never experienced one who was THAT touching. Though i still can't understand why the lead character refused to tell anyone of her loved ones of her tumor, i couldn't help but cry during many scenes. And just like in "Things i never told you",there's a laundromat scene where two people get together ( but here it plays differently than in the Lili Taylor film ). And like always, is Isabel Coixet a master of great production design which is the i - point to this great movie. One of the best Dramas ever made!!! If you enjoyed this movie, please check out these other great (touching) films:

Things I never told you (by Isabel Coixet)

Paris,Texas (by Wim Wenders)

In a year with 13 moons (by R.W.Fassbinder)

Arizona dream (by Emir Kusturica)

A Rare Movie without a Male Ego at its Center.......2006-08-31

Never mind the supposed hackneyed plot of imminent death, and what other reviewers have to say about it; I think "My Life Without Me" is essentially director Isabel Coixet's fantasy of picking up a handsome yet vulnerable stud in 24 hour laundramat. View it as such and nothing more; that is, if you're in too distracted a mood to do something more edifying like, say, reading a book. But don't expect this film to be the least bit enlightening or profound. It's full of gaffes that you'll be forced to ignore if you want to enjoy it. But the music is pleasant and, let's face it, seldom do we get to see FEMALE fantasies indulged. So accept that part of it for what it's worth, but don't dwell on it.

Sentimental, just like me.......2006-07-31

This is the second time I have seen this film and I enjoyed it just as much this time as the last. It is sad and sentimental with a touch of love and sex and very real. I can't imagine what I might do in her situation but I don't think I could do better than she did. Lovely, a real weepy.

Average customer rating:

A Young Sharon Stone
Tears in the Rain....I love this movie
Sharon Stone at her best.
one of the best love stories on film

Tears in the Rain
Starring: Harry Burton , Christopher Cazenove , Paul Daneman , Maurice Denham , and Rachel Dowling
Director: Don Sharp
Manufacturer: Trinity Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD