Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition)

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Riding the strange '50s nostalgia wave that swept through America during the late 1970s (caused by TV shows like Happy Days and films like American Graffiti), Grease became not only the word in 1978, but also a box-office smash and a cultural phenomenon. Twenty years later, this entertaining film adaptation of the Broadway musical received another successful theatrical release, which included visual remastering and a shiny new Dolby soundtrack. In this 2002 DVD release, Grease lovers can also now see it in the correct 2:35 to 1 Panavision aspect ratio, and see retrospective interviews with cast members and director Randal Kleiser. All these stylistic touches are essential to the film's success. Without the vibrant colors, unforgettably campy and catchy tunes (like "Greased Lightning," "Summer Nights," and "You're the One That I Want"), and fabulously choreographed, widescreen musical numbers, the film would have to rely on a silly, cliché-filled plot that we've seen hundreds of times. As it is, the episodic story about the romantic dilemmas experienced by a group of graduating high school seniors remains fresh, fun, and incredibly imaginative.

The young, animated cast also deserves a lot of credit, bringing chemistry and energy to otherwise bland material. John Travolta, straight from his success in Saturday Night Fever, knows his sexual star power and struts, swaggers, sings, and dances appropriately, while Olivia Newton-John's portrayal of virgin innocence is the only decent acting she's ever done. And then there's Stockard Channing, spouting sexual double-entendres as Rizzo, the bitchy, raunchy leader of the Pink Ladies, who steals the film from both of its stars. Ignore the sequel at all costs. --Dave McCoy

Description

John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy, Travolta's naive love interest. The impressive supporting cast reads like a "who's who" in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50s. Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade--it's an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock 'n' roll!

Customer Reviews:

Energetic high school musical set in the 1950s.......2007-07-06

Remember those school productions of "Grease" - well this is the film that everyone remembers, based on the long-running Broadway show.

The songs are deliberately cheesy, the acting over the top, the teenagers look about 30, but it's all pretty good fun.

Comparing this to "High School Musical", which has real teenagers one realises that "Grease" is not about teenagers at all but a 1950s that probably never existed. Indeed "Grease" was part of the 1950s nostalgia phenomenon of the 1970s along with "Happy Days" and "American Graffiti" that continued with films such as "Back to the Future" and "Stand By Me" in the 1980s. America was harking back to a kinder, simpler, innocent era post-Vietnam, Civil Rights, and Watergate.

"Grease" still holds up as decent entertainment today.

Grease (Rockin" Rydell Edition.......2007-06-27

Bought it for my 17 year old grand daughter, who loves Grease, she loves it.

Great Movies.......2007-06-08

This moie came out when I was out of HighSchool....I LOVED it then and it's been one of my favorites...The music is terrific and John Travolta and Olivia Newton John did an incredible job as the two main characters in the movie.......

Grease.......2007-06-01

My DVD arrived very quickly, as usual. A welcomed addition to our collection of classics.

A classic, must have for every collection.......2007-05-23

This movie is just a classic and always a good time to watch. It's pretty harmless and just puts you in a good mood. I saw this movie about 25 times when I was growing up and it came out, so I was pleased to see it on a DVD so I can watch it and not wear out the tape!

Elvis Presley MGM Movie Legends Collection (Clambake / Frankie and Johnny / Follow That Dream / Kid Galahad)

Average customer rating:

Only About Clambake
the boxset
The worst of Elvis.....all in one recycled boxed set!
What a missed opportunity
THE KING HAS THE BUILDING. BUT NOT YOUR TV.

Elvis Presley MGM Movie Legends Collection (Clambake / Frankie and Johnny / Follow That Dream / Kid Galahad)
Starring: Elvis Presley , Gig Young , Lola Albright , Joan Blackman , and Charles Bronson
Director: Phil Karlson , Gordon Douglas , and Frederick De Cordova
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000PMFS5K
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Description

Disc 1: Clambake Disc 2: Kid Galahad Disc 3: Follow That Dream Disc 4: Frankie and Johnny

Customer Reviews:

Only About Clambake.......2007-08-22

Although it has the worst title of any Elvis movie, "Clambake" (1967) is actually one of his better films. Which is surprising as it is one of his last and generally speaking each film seemed a bit worse than its predecessor. "Clambake's" salvation is certainly not in the soundtrack which is at best very ordinary, only the title song has any energy. Although there is an actual clambake scene on the beach about midway into the film, it seems thrown in just to justify the title, more impressive is a cameo of "Flipper" who had his own television show at that time.

I'm inclined to credit Shelley Fabares for the good vibe I got from this film. She plays "golddigger with a heart of gold" Dianne Carter, Elvis' ultimate love interest. I never cared for her uptight Mary Stone character on reruns of "The Donna Reed Show", and therefore paid almost no attention to her until recently. But since seeing her in "Ride the Wild Surf" and "Clambake" I've had a major attitude adjustment. "Clambake" was the third time she was tapped for the love interest role in an Elvis film so obviously she and the King had grown comfortable working together.

Their romance is a little different than the Elvis standard. In "Clambake" she does not start out hating or ignoring him. Instead they quickly become friends and she is obviously attracted, but she puts the brakes on any romance because she is hunting for a rich husband and has tycoon J.J. Jamison (Bill Bixby) squarely in her sights. She comes around in the end and their chemistry actually feels real, much like it did with Ann Margret in "Viva Las Vegas".

The comfort factor is also apparent between Elvis and Will Hutchins, his real-life buddy. Oil tycoon Scott (Elvis) pulls a "Prince and the Pauper" and swaps places with drifter Tom Wilson (Hutchins). He wants to find someone who loves him for himself. Hutchins is supposed to provide the film's main comic relief as he enjoys the life of the rich and famous, driving Scott's "Munsters" inspired convertible and surrounding himself with gorgeous women who can't dance very well. Although the director had Hutchins overplay the part it is so poorly written that they can't squeeze many laughs out of the premise. But having most of his scenes with Fabares and Hutchins seems to have relaxed Elvis considerably, which makes both he and his film more likable.

Contrary to most, I enjoyed the corny playground scene with the little girl who was afraid of the slide. The "Confidence" song is not a rip off of "High Hopes", the whole scene is a variation on the "Bounce Right Back" number Danny Kaye did in "Anything Goes". While "Confidence" is not much of a song, this surreal scene is priceless. I wonder what long-time fans thought as they watched Elvis and Hutchins do something so totally "Guffman"? Most entertainers only do embarrassing stuff like this when they are first breaking into the business.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

the boxset.......2007-08-15

All these movies are available in widescreen, so I don't know what the previous reviewer is complaining about. Yes, Clambake is one of the worst, but Follow That Dream and Kid Galahad are quite good. And Frankie and Johnny is an interesting concept and not bad.

The only movie not available on DVD is Elvis on Tour, though it was available on laser. Come on MGM, where is it???

The worst of Elvis.....all in one recycled boxed set!.......2007-08-07

Even the most dedicated Elvis fan will admit that the king made some pretty rotten movies, and 2 of his worst are here CLAMBAKE and FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, along with the (at best) mediocre FOLLOW THAT DREAM and KID GALAHAD.

Elvis may have been an "MGM MOVIE LEGEND" as the box infers, but none of his "MGM" movies are anywhere to be found in this set...they're UNITED ARTISTS movies. Why? Because "MGM" is merely a name affixed to a company that doesn't own the great old MGM library...Warner Brothers owns those films...so if you're looking for the best of Elvis at MGM (like JAILHOUSE ROCK, WORLD'S FAIR, VIVA VEGAS, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS) look elsewhere.

If you are an Elvis completist and don't mind spending your money on this ill-conceived collection, have at it!

What a missed opportunity.......2007-07-30

I was really hoping that MGM would have remastered these DVDs to give us anamorphic widescreen versions of these movies, but alas, it was not to be. I can't compare this new box set to the previous DVDs (since I didn't own them), but it looks like what we have here was just ported over from previous releases. So, while we have "Kid Galahad" looking marvelous in anamorphic widescreen, we also have an absolutely miserable non-anamorphic transfer of "Clambake." The other two movies fall somewhere in between: "Frankie and Johnny" is supposedly in its correct, anamorphic aspect ratio (and looks great), but with a 1:66 ratio there's very little "widescreen" to talk about, so it's hard to say if this is, indeed, the correct ratio. And "Follow That Dream" is a mixed bag, with a full-screen transfer on one side (why??), and a non-anamorphic widescreen on the other (WHY?).

So, MGM absolutely blew it. They had a chance to issue the definitive versions of these films on DVD, but chose instead to recycle lame product just to milk a little more money out of Elvis fans. Track down the "Kid Galahad" and "Frankie and Johnny" DVDs (assuming that F+J is, indeed, in the correct aspect ratio...anyone know for sure?), but there's no reason why, in 2007, we should have to suffer with non-anamorphic transfers, particularly one as bottom-of-the-barrel bad as "Clambake." My old VHS tape looked miles better than this pathetic DVD. Hey MGM, tell me where I can send these DVDs so that I can get REAL remastered versions someday!

THE KING HAS THE BUILDING. BUT NOT YOUR TV........2007-07-28

It's been 30 years since he left the building, but the King's legacy lives on. Elvis has been dead (or may not be) for 30 years, and this collection offers cinematic proof of his influence on pop culture--and we don't mean just the signature sneer and perfectly-coifed pompadour. Despite the silly titles and something sillier plots, Clambake, Kid Galahad, Follow that Dream and Frankie and Johnny showcase the man Who Would Be King in performances that are crisp and clever. Kid Galahad, a remake of the Eddie Robinson flick, is perhaps the best example; this departure from the typical Elvis frothy fare spotlights his true acting ability, not just as song-and-dance man filler. And we still eat up the savory "Clambake"--a hip version of The Prince and the Pauper as Elvis relinquishes his oil-baron father's fortune and trades identities with a penniless water ski instructor to learn about life from the bottom up. It's a rock and roll romp that co-stars our fave Shelley Fabares and the always underrated Bill Bixby. Rock on!

We Go Together 2-Pack (Grease / Grease 2)

Average customer rating:

AWESOME
Grease Movies
Awesome
Grease, Great, Grease 3, not so . . .
We Go Together 2 DVD-Pack (Grease/Grease 2 )

We Go Together 2-Pack (Grease / Grease 2)
Starring: John Travolta , Olivia Newton-John , Stockard Channing , Jeff Conaway , and Barry Pearl
Director: Randal Kleiser , and Patricia Birch
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B000MX7V6Q
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

Grease
Riding the strange '50s nostalgia wave that swept through America during the late 1970s (caused by TV shows like Happy Days and films like American Graffiti), Grease became not only the word in 1978, but also a box-office smash and a cultural phenomenon. Twenty years later, this entertaining film adaptation of the Broadway musical received another successful theatrical release, which included visual remastering and a shiny new Dolby soundtrack. In this 2002 DVD release, Grease lovers can also now see it in the correct 2:35 to 1 Panavision aspect ratio, and see retrospective interviews with cast members and director Randal Kleiser. All these stylistic touches are essential to the film's success. Without the vibrant colors, unforgettably campy and catchy tunes (like "Greased Lightning," "Summer Nights," and "You're the One That I Want"), and fabulously choreographed, widescreen musical numbers, the film would have to rely on a silly, cliché-filled plot that we've seen hundreds of times. As it is, the episodic story about the romantic dilemmas experienced by a group of graduating high school seniors remains fresh, fun, and incredibly imaginative.

Grease 2
Too often, sequels to popular films simply rehash the original film; call it the carbon-copy syndrome. Grease 2 suffers from no such malady, having almost nothing to do with the original film. Sure, it focuses on teens at Rydell High, the imaginary school from the first film, which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. But other than a few of the teachers, all of the characters are new and so are the songs--and more's the pity. By the time Grease hit the big screen, it already had had almost a decade as a theatrical musical, more than enough time to hone its mock-rock & roll score. But this sequel, which stars among others a then-unknown Michelle Pfeiffer, Maxwell Caulfield, and Lorna Luft (Judy Garland's daughter), has music that's neither fish nor fowl, neither rock nor Broadway. Meanwhile, the plot is a reversal of the first film, in which a cool guy fell for a square girl. In this one, the square is newcomer Caulfield, who catches the eye of tough girl Pfeiffer and her Pink Lady gang. The appearance of such pseudo-stars of the '50s, like Tab Hunter, is supposed to lend a nostalgic kick, but let's just say that Grease 2 slides almost instantly into obscurity. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME.......2007-09-16

Bought it as a gift for my neice who asked, no -- begged for it. LOL I guess this movie and it's sequel really does hold up through the test of time...

Grease Movies.......2007-09-11

Awesome!!! The movies were in great condition! My kids cant stop watching them.

Awesome.......2007-08-13

My daughter's favorite movies together, couldn't ask for anything better. She is happy and that makes mom happy...!

Grease, Great, Grease 3, not so . . . .......2007-07-31

Excellent digital sound and remastered videoes. Crisp, sharp, a pleasure to watch and listen. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in "Grease" were at the top of their game, dancing, singing, romancing. Fun!

The other actors in Grease gave steller performances, and in most instances, they still do in movies and TV shows.

However, "Grease 2" didn't capture the magic of "Grease." A mediocre film, with mediocre . . . well, you get the idea.

We Go Together 2 DVD-Pack (Grease/Grease 2 ).......2007-05-26

I already have the United Kingdom DVD's of Grease and Grease 2 but when I saw them as a two-pack I thought I must get them as Grease is a different version than the UK one.

Grease is one of my favourite musical films ever which was released in 1978. I love Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta and the love story storyline and of course the fantastic soundtrack including Summer Nights, You're The One That I Want, Sandy and Greased Lightnin'. It brings back so many fantastic memories of my childhood as I was only [...]at the time.

Grease 2 was released in 1982 and all though it is not up to the standard of the Grease storyline it is a great movie in it's own right and didn't get the recognition it deserved. Maxwell Caulfield, Michelle Pfeiffer and Adrian Zmed star in this very funny love story. It has a great soundtrack with songs such as Reproduction and We'll Be Together.

If you like musical films then Grease and Grease 2 are the ones you should have in your DVD collection. Also the soundtracks to Grease and Grease 2 are a must have for your CD collection to.

Average customer rating:

I love Garry Marshall's films.
as requested
PACINO AND PFEIFFER ARE GREAT TOGETHER!
Feel good movie
super delayed

Frankie & Johnny
Starring: Al Pacino , Michelle Pfeiffer , Hector Elizondo , Nathan Lane , and Kate Nelligan
Director: Garry Marshall
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B00005QTAU
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Amazon.com essential video

Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) directs the screen adaptation of Terence McNally's play Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune, the story of a short-order cook (Al Pacino) who drives a waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) crazy with his adamant courtship and mixed messages. The film is okay and not much more than that, the major stumbling block being Marshall's failure to scrub away enough star veneer on Pacino and Pfeiffer to accept them as minimum-wage drones with nowhere to go but toward each other. Fortunately, Marshall's feel for the texture offered by supporting players--Hector Elizondo as a café owner, Nathan Lane as Pfeiffer's inevitably gay neighbor-buddy, Kate Nelligan as another lonely waitress--keeps things interesting enough. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

I love Garry Marshall's films........2007-08-16

Frankie and Johnny starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino is a sweet, emotional, and honest film about trust, finding and accepting love. Pfeiffer is perfectly cast as a lonely and introverted Frankie, she is a waitress and against her wishes she falls for an ex-jail bird named Johnny, who is now a short-order cook where she works. Frankie is afraid of being in a real relationship due to past events, but slowly and surely, Johnny tries to heal her from previous wounds. Their chemistry is spot-on and Garry Marshall always directs the perfect movie. I love, love, love this bittersweet comedy/drama. I highly recommend checking this under-rated gem out. Happy viewing!

as requested.......2007-07-25

Golly, why all the reviews, if something goes wrong I will let you know. Good Movie

PACINO AND PFEIFFER ARE GREAT TOGETHER!.......2007-07-12

This is an excellent romantic/drama/with a dash of comedy and I don't think Pacino has ever played a role he was more likable in. Pfeiffer plays her part as an emotionally withdrawn waitress perfectly. Nathan Lane is perfectly cast as her "gay friend"(not that there's anything wrong with that)who lives next door in her apartment building. A wonderful film with a great cast!

Feel good movie.......2007-03-08

Al Pacino is an ex-con (minor forgery was his crime) who's learned how to cook in the slammer; when he gets out he comes to NYC and takes a job as a short-order cook in a Greek restaurant. Here he meets and falls in love with waitress Michelle Pfeiffer - only she's got a head full of bad memories with men and resists Pacino like the plague. He keeps plugging away, though, and predictably wins her over. It's a feel-good movie through and through, and some of the techniques used to get the two together - a song heard on the radio, for example - are pretty trite. But the two principals do a very credible acting job, and the movie pushes all the right buttons to achieve its happy conclusion.

super delayed.......2007-01-10

you should consider paying a better shipping, i took the normal shipping, and it took A MONTH to get to arizona from i dont know where.. maybe china on ground shipping.. haha this shipping is so cheap, avoid this one, or buy the extra shipping that maybe would take 3 weeks. :(
too bad this took so long amonth, anyways the movie is in new condition and no problems at all, just the super extra long delivery time... bad bad bad

Average customer rating:

Energetic high school musical set in the 1950s
Grease (Rockin" Rydell Edition
Great Movies
Grease
A classic, must have for every collection

Grease (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Eve Arden , Frankie Avalon , Michael Biehn , Joan Blondell , and Susan Buckner
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CXAE
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Energetic high school musical set in the 1950s.......2007-07-06

Grease (Rockin" Rydell Edition.......2007-06-27

Bought it for my 17 year old grand daughter, who loves Grease, she loves it.

Great Movies.......2007-06-08

Grease.......2007-06-01

My DVD arrived very quickly, as usual. A welcomed addition to our collection of classics.

A classic, must have for every collection.......2007-05-23

Average customer rating:

for the person who loves elvis. and bad acting. and terrible songs. and bustles.
Frankie and Johnny
Not only mindless,
He Was Her Man
Change of pace in time for Elvis!

Frankie and Johnny
Starring: Elvis Presley , Donna Douglas , Harry Morgan , Sue Ane Langdon , and Nancy Kovack
Director: Frederick De Cordova
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000059TG9
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Description

The Mississippi River's never seen as many wild twists as in this spirited and extravagant riverboat ride, which stars the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley and the lovely Donna Douglas of "The Beverly Hillbillies!" Featuring hilarious support from Harry Morgan ("M.A.S.H.") and eleven original Presley tunes as well as his motion-picture dancing debut, Frankie and Johnny is a "sure-fire romppretty girls, a toe-tapping score and Elvis all the way" (Variety)! Presley is Johnny, a riverboat singer whose life, according to girlfriend and singing partner Frankie (Douglas),has become "one great big roulette wheel." And he's so obsessed with that wheel of misfortune that when a gypsy woman prescribes a redhead to be his good luck charm, Johnny sets out to find one. Trouble is, Frankie is most definitely a blonde...and a jealous blonde at that. When she sees Johnny with curvaceous carrot-top Nellie Bly (Nancy Kovack of The Silencers), Frankie decides that she'll break off her romance with Johnnyand end their big numberwith a bang!

Customer Reviews:

for the person who loves elvis. and bad acting. and terrible songs. and bustles........2007-08-15

I like Elvis a lot. I do not judge his movies the same way I judge others. They are fun and getting to hear him sing is what it's all about. But sweet God in heaven this movie is bad. Definitely watchable, but not in any way shape or form a good movie. Elvis isn't known for his acting, so his movies really have to have good music to balance it all out. The songs in Frankie and Johnny are so dang awkward: the lyrics, the strangely unmelodious melodies, the clunky syncopation that is not helped by the "dancing." Plus I can really do without the whole "telling a ridiculous 'drama' through a very very long song" thing with the wack exposition and the guns and the can can girls and the monkeys flailing in punch bowls. (See Singin' in the Rain for an inspired "story within a story" number. And Cyd Charisse.) But I don't want to be a grouch. It really is pretty fun to watch the badness. The best, most fun can be had with Elvis's costar who played Ellie on the Beverly Hillbillies. She is so bad she goes completely around the bend and ends up back at good. From the utterly vacant eyes to the wooden reading of even the simplest monosyllabic lines to her craptastic dancing she is a joy to behold. The one genuinely decent actor is Harry Morgan. He's fun and he actually has comic timing. They dub his voice in for one singing number and it's pretty hilarious. They gave him a very deep baritone that sounds nothing like his speaking voice. Boy I miss Mysterious Science Theater 3000. They would have had a romp with this one.

Frankie and Johnny.......2007-01-12

I remember this movie when I was younger. If you like Elvis I guess you will ove this movie. Some of the songs I really enjoy.

Not only mindless,.......2005-03-15

but stupid and mindless. Presley was never an actor, and proves it once again here. But the songs are even worse than his acting. There are no good ones. None. Not even the title song, whioch was never a major hit for him. The rest of the cast is the usual melange of unknowns or semi-knowns who either totally non-act, or overact with the extremely limited talent they have. Only Harry Morgan, who was likely the only really talented one in the bunch (OK, Strauss to a degree, too) seemed to be having a good time; it's almost as if he went into the movie with a "Hell, it's a paycheck" attitude. The ending goes beyond trite into fantasy. And what can you say about Donna Douglas? Well, she was slightly better here than as Ellie May Clampett. But that's like saying one shade of battleship gray is a bit less dull than the other. The humor in the Beverly Hillbillies rarely, if ever, developed from her. Catch this on TV if you have a few minutes to kill.

He Was Her Man.......2003-02-01

A simple movie that can be enjoyed by all ages. (Which is rare today) The songs and great looks of Elvis make this one enjoyable.

Change of pace in time for Elvis!.......2002-11-12

"Frankie and Johnny" is based on the old song about two lovers where Johnny is on a losing streak and decides he can change his luck with Nellie Bly. A jealous Frankie shoots her man because "he was doin' her wrong". This movie is sort of based on the song. Everything is true except the shooting part in the end, but it comes very close to actually happening. "Frankie and Johnny" is quite enjoyable no matter how "obscure" you people might find it. It's a real top-notch and every Elvis fan must see it. By the way, we need more reviews on Elvis' movies and music please.

Average customer rating:

A Full House where Dueces aren't wild...
Deuces Wild doesnt have that much fight in it
no more west side story comparisons,please!!
A more intense version of West Side Story
save your money

Deuces Wild
Starring: Fairuza Balk , Nancy Ellen Cassaro , Matt Dillon , Stephen Dorff , and Balthazar Getty
Director: Scott Kalvert
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CY1G
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Amazon.com

Take West Side Story, remove the music, add excessive profanity and violence, and you'll get Deuces Wild. It's an overripe melodrama in which rival street gangs--in this case Deuces vs. Vipers in 1958 Brooklyn--inevitably clash in a deadly rumble, preceded by shameless scenery-chewing from nearly everyone involved. Stephen Dorff plays the head Deuce, agonizing over his older brother's drug overdose and leading a cast of rising stars and familiar faces including Brad Renfro as Dorff's hot-tempered kid brother, Norman Reedus as the vicious lead Viper, Fairuza Balk as Renfro's no-nonsense girlfriend, and Matt Dillon (uncredited) as the kingpin who introduces heroin to Dorff's drug-free turf. Balthazar Getty, Frankie Muniz, and James Franco are also in the cast, suggesting that director Scott Kalvert was hoping for an unforgettable ensemble. What he got instead was a stale story crowded with percolating posers, recommended only for those who've never seen the 1979 street-gang classic The Warriors. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A Full House where Dueces aren't wild..........2007-07-17

Are the "Deuces" a true violent gang, or does MTV just portray them that way? As I sit here struggling to connect my words for this pathetic attempt of a "gang turned Shakespeare's tragedy" film involving the ever buff Stephen Dorff and the slowly decaying Brad Renfro. This is a story, not unlike others that we have seen done better, about violence, drug problems, and falling for the girl that you least expect. It is "Romeo & Juliet", fixed up like "West Side Story", with fights that would no doubtably see the award ranking at that year's MTV Movie Awards. I cannot say if that is what made this film at times unbearable to watch, or if it is what pulled me into watching it a second time to see what the director had to say about his actions. Either way, I made it through two viewings of "Deuces Wild" and before I hear usurped "gasps" from the peanut gallery, I must say, this is definitely not a film that get better with age.

Using whatever leftover table scraps "The Sopranos" wanted to throw, coupled with a storyline recycled from every Hollywood recreation of this genre, "Deuces Wild" begins haphazardly and continues along the trend for the next 96 minutes. Is it brother's vengeance? Is it due to rival gangs making sure that their territory is never advanced by the other? Is is because of money? Is it because of love? I mention these questions again because I believe these random unanswered questions, which lead into a convoluted violent ending, are what hurt the overall picture of "Deuces Wild". From the beginning, we do not know the true motives of our characters. Dorff, the obvious leader, seems more like the lover instead of the fighter, but when it is time to do what is just, he apparently turns into a machine with fists that could take down a passenger train. Renfro, the hard-boiled little brother, doesn't seem like the obvious choice to swoon the possible leader of the all-girl group. His second-grade reading and interpretation of the script, makes him seem more like muscle instead of brains. I believe that if Dorff would have taken control of Renfro's character and vice versa, perhaps a better film would have come from this conclusion, but alas, we were stuck with what was the final product. Balk, who plays Renfro's love interest, is annoying and void of emotion. Her true nature is never revealed, and it is up to us to realize that these two lovers happened to be at the right place at the right time, the action surrounding them is just static.

I have to continue with the characters for a bit more because they were the failing glue that could not keep this film stuck together. Norman Reedus, the weaselly-villain-esque character had angry eyes and an obsession with power ... why? I have no idea. He liked drugs and wanted to distribute, or did he just want to make trouble for Dorff and Renfro? This continues my theory that no true character development occurred, which dumbstruck this viewer from beginning to end. I don't want to repeat myself for Balthazar Getty's character of Jimmy Pockets. Again, nothing seemed set or hardened with these guys. They did what they want, whenever they wanted. That works in most gang films, but when empathy needs to be felt for someone, it is probably better not to just let the fists do the talking. Was that Johnny Knoxville in there as well? Nothing like James Franco playing the same character of James Dean for this role? This transformed into nothing more than pathetic over-use of similar moments. It was sad. It was recycled. It was unoriginal at best. It was a gangster film married to "West Side Story" for the fast-paced MTV generation.

For 96 minutes we were stuck with these characters, so I watched, hoping that perhaps the cinematography would take me to a far away land - perhaps the language would reintroduce me to the genre, or maybe the story would sweep me away. Well, I wanted something to distract me from the characters, but alas, it never happened. The story, as mentioned before, was recycled. The visions seemed like they belonged on stage instead of on screen. After listening to the audio commentary, the director seemed to agree as well since most of the budget couldn't take them to an actual location, but instead a sound stage in LA. The angles seemed short and the people seemed tight in every scene. I am surprised that we didn't seem cameras in every shot. I felt claustrophobic in every scene, even when the gang was fighting. I have to pause and laugh now, because the fight sequences were possibly the lightest element in the film. Does lightening have to spring into the scene just to make those known that the air has grown angry? Lightening and fight sequences, is it the match-up that we have been waiting for all of our cinematic life? In this film, the answered question is: yes.

Poor acting, poor cinematography, cheap dialog, why does this film rate so high among film watchers? Some claim that it is the darker side of "West Side Story", which I could argue against. There wasn't a dark undertone to this film at all. The choreography to the fight sequences made me laugh, the themes of which the characters drew themselves upon were simple, never quite the complex characters that we anticipated. There was no logic to this film, just remake followed by recycling, followed up by further cheapened cliche's that can be found in any other film of this genre. This is not "Goodfellas", so let us not try to make the comparison. Did this film accurately depict the era that it attempted to represent? To me, the answer is no. Well, I have officially become to bitter to continue this conversation. I wasn't happy, nor can I suggest this film to anyone with a straight face. Nothing was put together well, the voice of the film seemed amateur at best. Skip it - you will be happier!

Grade: ** out of *****

Deuces Wild doesnt have that much fight in it.......2005-09-26

Stephen Dorff (Blade, Entropy) stars as the leader of the gang called the Deuces and he was stricken years ago when one of his brothers died from an overdose that his enemy on the otherside of the street, the leader of the Vipers, played by Norman Reedus (Blade 2, Gossip) gave him. Now, Reedus springs out of prison and wants to take revenge on the Deuces starting a club on their side. Brad Renfro (The Jacket, Tart) plays the second older brother of Dorff who falls madly in love with a member of the Vipers sisters, played by Fairuza Balk (Almost Famous, The Craft) but his brother Dorff has his suspicions about her and doesnt want Renfro to be going out with her. Then things heat up as both gangs go head on in fights and brawls to see who comes out on top. Sometimes boring, nothing that can bring it up to be a good movie. Some of the acting is laughable and the editing, especially the fast motion/slow motion sprinkled into the fight scenes are really lame. Also starring Matt Dillon (Crash '05, The Outsiders) who is wasted here, Balthazar Getty (Lost Highway, Lord Of The Flies), Max Perlich(Blow, Drugstore Cowboy), James Franco (James Dean, Spider-Man 2) , Johnny Knoxille (Big Trouble, Dukes Of Hazzard), Frankie Muniz (Agent Cody Banks, Big Fat Liar), Deborah Harry (lead singer of Blondie) and Dre de Matteo (Assault On Precinct 13 '05).

no more west side story comparisons,please!!.......2005-02-21

when i heard about DEUCES WILD back in late 1999 early 2000,i was elated at the prospect of there finally being another 50's/early 60's type of street gang melodrama on the horizon.
yet,of course,because of the 9/11 incident in new york,the a-holes in hollywood decided to push back its release for quite a while,so i had to be content with the occasional promo photo in random movie magazines.
finally the movie came out without much fanfare,alas it was also the 'spiderman' weekend,and also the innocuos 'lord of the rings' was in theatres as well that weekend,but luckilly that meant i was in the movie theatre with just myself,my girl and about ten other people.
i thought the movie was excellent,great costumes,great cars,great period music,great locations,good yet hammy acting,gorgeous leading ladies,stylized violent rumble scenes,cheezy yet touching overacted scenes between familys,decent period detail.
yet then the reviews started coming in,and everybody who had ever had freshmen english or drama class compared it annoyingly to west side story,a 1961 singing and dancing musical,when they should have made comparisons to another tho far superior 1961 gang film,john frankenhiemer's black and white opus,'the young savages',or even to photographer bruce davidson's late 50's photo essay,'brooklyn gang' or even the short comic story in the late 70's underground comic,'50's funnies',called,'turf',about a gang in the 50's fighting with another gang who wanted drugs in the neiborhood and who had mob backing and a character was even named marco.....awfully convenient dont you think?
anyways,while this movie was'nt as good as 'the young savages','lords of flatbush' or 'the wanderers',to name but a few,but it was a hundred times better than the wimpy 'west side story' could ever be.
i dont know if this review helps,but the leads in this film were really good,stephen dorf,brad renfro,drea dematteo,faruiza balk,matt dillon,normon reedus and james franco putting in good performances......also i liked the fact that they did,nt over saturate the film with to much music from the past,it was just the right amount,very good choices of songs by 'dion and the belmonts','jerry butler and the impressions','the valentines','dee clark' and a few others.
and of course,faruiza balk and drea dematteo,tho a little long in the tooth to be playing teenagers,looked absolutely scrumptiuos.

A more intense version of West Side Story.......2004-11-27

Scott Kalvert did an outstanding job directing this movie and making the time period as realistic as possible. The similarity between this and Westside Story is the gang rivalry. In Westside Story, you have The Jets vs. The Sharks and in this movie you have The Deuces vs. The Vipers. I didn't see all of Westside Story though but it seems like its less intense than this movie. This movie has some Rebel Without A Cause as well but I didn't see that movie either. I compare this movie to Rebel Without A Cause because of the gang element and Stephen Dorff is The Jimmy Dean of this movie. Stephen Dorff does a great job as 'Leon', the noble yet violent leader of The Deuces. Brad Renfro also does a great job as Leon's younger brother Bobby. He is easily influenced by his brother's hatred towards The Vipers and his life-style is even more chaotic when he meets 'Annie', who is played by Fairuza Balk. Drea DeMateo was so so as 'Betsy', Norman Reedus does a great job as 'Marco', and Matt Dillion does a great job as 'Fritzy'. Overall, its a powerful and intense movie and a must see for movie fans. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

save your money.......2004-04-13

Unless you like cheesey, poorly written, poorly acted, and poorly executed movies save yourself the money. If you just have to have a nostaglia trip, get The Outsiders instead

Average customer rating:

Cheesy but great!
Slow but great music
Stars are for the music........
A Slice of the History of Rock and Roll
A "no lose" situation.

Rock, Rock, Rock!
Starring: Alan Freed , Fran Manfred , Tuesday Weld , Teddy Randazzo , and Jacqueline Kerr
Director: Will Price
Manufacturer: PASSPORT VIDEO
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009MEGG
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Description

"Rock, Rock, Rock!" Made in 1956, this small-scale look at the then new phenomenon of Rock & Roll takes a page from the books of many of the big scale musicals made by Hollywood studios. Like them, the musical performances more than make up for the thin plot and occasional weak dialogue. The biggest bonus is that the last half of the film is all music, when Alan Freed brings his show to the hero's prom. Before the advent of music videos promoting record sales, this film is essentially a 76-minute commercial for the top Rock 'n' Roll and R & B artists of the time. Starring Alan Freed (at the peak of his power and influence as the man who actually coined the term "Rock 'n' Roll") it also marks the screen debut of Tuesday Weld - albeit that her singing was actually the angelic voice of Connie Francis. On Screen performances include those from Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, The Johnny Burnette Trio, LaVern Baker and The Freed Band.

Bonus Material: The Alan Freed Story The dean of rock music historians, Michael Ochs, describes the 'innocence' of the early Alan Freed concerts when 50% of the audience was black and 50% white. He chronicles the rise and fall of Freed as the voice of Rock 'n' Roll and the payola scandal the ended the DJ's career. Veteran musician Red Holloway speaks of America's narrow-mindedness when radio stations across the country decided to destroy records of this Rock and R&B music they considered to be damaging to the morals of American teenagers. Cornelius Grant, Motown's Music Director for Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells and The Temptations, credits Alan Freed with giving legitimacy to R&B by taking it to the mass music market and dubbing it Rock & Roll. Singer Bobby Vinton describes from his own experience how records were turned into hits in these early days of the Rock Era. In 1986 Alan freed was among the original Inductees to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and, in 1991, he received the ultimate accolade of a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

Customer Reviews:

Cheesy but great!.......2007-08-09

If you love classic R&B and Rockabilly, this is the film for you. Although the dialog is cheesy, it showcases some of the best musical artists of that time. It will inspire you hit your nearest muusic store.

Slow but great music.......2007-05-12

It was too boring and drawn out. Not a good story line, but awesome music.

Stars are for the music...............2007-04-27

Those were the days, so much talent out there trying to make it in the
music world, and we get to see some of them at their best. Instead of
a movie with continuous music acts, they made a movie out of this one with
a yound T.W. taking the part of a teenager who cant afford a new dress for
the prom and this promotes classic 50's situations...and in between we get
all the musical gold. Very enjoyable and can be watched several times due
to the music.

A Slice of the History of Rock and Roll.......2007-02-20

Rock, Rock, Rock offers a window into something that will only come along once.
The roots of rock come to life in this film. Frankie Lymon and The Teen-Agers
perform. This 13-year-old could sing. Unfortunately after puberty his career
collapsed; he never saw age 30. We also get a look at a young LaVern Baker and rockin' Chuck Berry.
The Alan Freed Story included on the DVD is quite interesting too. Don't be too critical of the
story, just lay back and enjoy the past.

A "no lose" situation........2006-09-28

If you're a fan of early Rock n' Roll /Rhythm & Blues, you should enjoy this. The performances are mimed to the original recordings but ,hey , how much surviving footage of these performers exist? Enjoy it as a pretty decent document of an era long gone. Enjoy it for the utterly awful story and for certain performances that haven't worn as well with age. Interesting footnote: Look for an impossibly young Valerie Harper as an extra during the dance at the end of the movie.

DVD Dance Pack Collection (Grease Rockin' Rydell Edition / Saturday Night Fever / Footloose / Flashdance / Urban Cowboy)

Average customer rating:

Fun, Fun, Fun

DVD Dance Pack Collection (Grease Rockin' Rydell Edition / Saturday Night Fever / Footloose / Flashdance / Urban Cowboy)
Starring: John Travolta , Olivia Newton-John , Stockard Channing , Jeff Conaway , and Barry Pearl
Director: Randal Kleiser , Adrian Lyne , and Herbert Ross
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000HWZ4KC
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Description

This 5 pack contains Grease Rockin Rydell Edition, Flashdance, Footloose SCE, Saturday Night Fever, and Urban Cowboy.

Customer Reviews:

Fun, Fun, Fun.......2007-05-25

Fun movies for people who grew up in the eighties with these dance movies.

Rock Rock Rock! (Includes Bonus 1955 Rhythm & Blues Review)

Average customer rating:

Rock Rock Rock! (Includes Bonus 1955 Rhythm & Blues Review)
Starring: Bert Conway , Connie Francis , Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers , Alan Freed , and Valerie Harper
Director: Will Price
Manufacturer: Alpha Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000JU8HEW
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Product Description

""Mr. Rock n' Roll,"" Alan Freed, presents great Rock and R&B acts while two starry-eyed teenagers fall in love.

DVD:

DVD

DVD