The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition)

Amazon.com essential video

There have been few better movies in the history of the planet than The Third Man, and fewer still as brilliantly directed from second to second. Orson Welles played the title role, and his legend has tended to engulf the film. But it was directed by Carol Reed and written--except for a Wellesian riff on the Borgias--by Graham Greene, and the credit for this masterpiece is properly theirs. Theirs and Joseph Cotten's; for awesome as Welles is, his Citizen Kane second banana is onscreen about six times as much, and Cotten uses every minute to create one of the most distinctive--if also forlorn--of modern heroes.

You know the story. Holly Martins (Cotten), a writer of pulp Westerns and one of life's congenital third-raters, arrives in post-WWII Vienna only to learn that his old pal Harry Lime, the guy who sent him his plane ticket, is being buried. Everybody, from a cynical British cop named Calloway (Trevor Howard) to Harry's Continental knockout of a girlfriend (Alida Valli) and his sundry absurd/Euro-sinister business associates, feels that Holly should get on another plane and go home. He doesn't. Things come to light. Other deaths follow. The world lies in utter ruin.

The Third Man completed a sublime hat trick--an international critical and popular smash following upon the success of Reed's Odd Man Out ('47) and The Fallen Idol ('48). Although other filmmakers had begun to use war-ravaged Europe as a great movie set, The Third Man is so vivid in its canny mix of gray semidocumentary and insanely angular, Expressionist/Surrealist chiaroscuro that it seems to have imagined not only the postwar thriller but also postwar Europe itself singlehandedly.

What great movie moments: The throwaway details like a mourner who forgets to drop his wreath on a newly dug grave. The sly editing whereby thick-headed Sergeant Paine (Bernard Lee, once and future "M" to 007) goes on leafing through a magazine, knowing just the moment he must rise and subdue the nervy Yank who would take a punch at his boss. The way Anton Karas's legendary zither score seems to jangle in the very guy-lines of a bridge where, far below Robert Krasker's Oscar-winning camera, the Third Man calls a war council. The shadow of a dead man towering, big as Europe, over the nighttime streets of Vienna. --Richard T. Jameson

Studio description

Cynical pulp novelist Holly Martins arrives in shadowy Vienna to investigate the mysterious death of his old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime, and thus begins an ever-thickening web of love, deception, and murder that adds up to one of cinema's most immortal treats, as well as one of its trickiest. Thanks to brilliant performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles; Anton Karas's timeless, evocative zither score; Graham Greene's razor-sharp dialogue; and Robert Krasker's haunting deep focus shots, off-kilter angles, and dramatic use of light and shadow, The Third Man, directed by the inimitable Carol Reed, only grows in stature as the years pass.

Customer Reviews:

Three Cheers for Orson Welles!.......2007-09-09

Welles was not on screen that long, but the sheer force of his presence would mesmerize you! All through his scenes, your eyes would fix on him because you don't want to miss anything. So alive, so charming the guy that you would like him even though his onscreen character is rotten to the core! The great film plot, acting, theme music, and stunning black and white photography make this movie unforgettable--a must-see classic mystery, suspense, and thriller.

Criterion Release Is Great .......2007-09-06

Seeing the Third Man for the first time ever on this brand new edition of The Third Man from the folks at Criterion Collection is a real treat. Great Picture quality and loaded with extras. the cover art and the Paper style DVD case is great.

A masterpiece of movie making and story telling from Carol Reed and Graham Greene.......2007-08-26

Everything about this movie works. If anyone wants to see how a movie should be directed and edited, or a screenplay written, or complex characters acted, or a film photographed, this is the one to flip in the DVD machine.

Holly Martins, a down-on-his-luck writer, shows up in post-war Vienna looking for his old friend, Harry Lime. But he's told Lime died in an accident, the military tell him to go home, and he's attracted to a mysterious woman he sees at Lime's grave. He sticks around, gets different stories about Lime, but finally understands Lime was an unscrupulous black marketeer, dealing in adulterated drugs among other things. And he realizes that Lime is alive.

Carol Reed was at the top of his form with this movie. His partnership with Graham Greene (they had collaborated the year before on The Fallen Idol and would again in 1959 with Our Man in Havana) is unusual in that both were heavyweights in their fields.

Joseph Cotten as Martins strikes just the right note of charm, inquisitiveness and weakness. He's the kind of a guy who would most likely follow the strongest person around, and that has been his old friend, Lime. And what a great voice Cotten had. Orson Welles, who could be so hammy, reins it in here. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, but his character dominates the movie. And the two work perfectly together. Welles' cuckoo speech has been mentioned so many times in so many places that it has lost much of its charm for me. It sounds to me now more like an alienated high school kid's idea of philosophy. But Lime's discussion of all those little dots goes to the heart of his character. The interplay on Cotten's and Welles' faces as they discuss how easy (or how difficult) it might be to get rid of Martins on the ferris wheel is masterful, and so is Welles as he teases out of Martins what Martins may have told the military police. Alida Valli as Anna is terrific as a woman who loves Lime but has no illusions left. I suspect Trevor Howard took the role of Major Calloway because he wanted to work with Reed and Greene. In 1949 he was a major star in England, with Brief Encounter under his belt. I've always liked him, even in most of the later lousey movies he signed up for.

And the look and sound of the film...glistening, damp cobblestones at night, bombed out buildings, off-angle camera shots, harsh nightime lighting and deep shadows. The chase through the sewers with only the sounds of rushing water and footsteps. The first glimpse of Lime, nothing but deep shadows in a doorway and then a pair of shoes of someone unseen standing there. The sound of the zither playing the main theme over and over.

The ending is one of the most understated and powerful I've ever seen. Lime has been shot in the sewer by Martins. Martins and Calloway leave the funeral in a jeep to catch his plane home. Anna ignores them and leaves the cemetery on foot. The jeep passes Anna but then Martins asks Calloway to let him out. He obviously has feelings for her. Martins leans against a cart on the side of the road as Calloway drives off. The camera doesn't move. Anna, in the distance, walks toward him. Without looking at him she walks straight past, and past the camera. Martins lights a cigarette, looks after her, then tosses the match away. And that's it.

This Criterion edition is just as superb as the movie, and the extras are worth watching. I couldn't tell any appreciable difference in the film transfer quality between the two Criterion releases, but this two-disc version has some excellent additionl extras.

The Third Man: one of my favorite movies.......2007-07-07

Very well done, and as good as when I watched it the first time, so many years ago. The second disc with all the extra stuff is so interesting, and just seeing how Caroll Reed made the movie, right after the war, is fascinating.

The second coming of The Third Man.......2007-06-30

The folks at Criterion never give up short of perfection. They've been reissuing some of their own material lately in newer, better versions, and while I *won't* get another Brazil just because they neglected anamorphic the first time (and I have an up-converting player/TV combo that helps somewhat anyway) I will gladly shell out more cash for improved prints of Seven Samurai, M and now this, The Third Man.

But this is more than just a new transfer. Here you get a second disc of wonderful features. Well, one of the features could have been wonderful: it's a 90-minute documentary made a couple years ago that played at Cannes in 2006. While the information is fascinating, and will shed much light on this noir, the filmmaker's style is pretentious, and distracts from the content.

Other extras are the original U.S. trailer (grossly inappropriate for this movie, but probably closer to the type of film Selznick wanted to make), vintage footage of Vienna and Zitherist Anton Karas, and a photo album of the production--all also included in the prior Criterion release. There's also a mini-doc on the film--much more straightforward and to me more interesting--with all still photos. Even though it's all stills I found this short 10 minute presentation very riveting. Then there's a featurette that shows many of the scenes of German-speaking players with their lines translated (they were deliberately left untranslated in the film so that the audience would feel as confused as Holly), a UK vs. US comparison of the openings, several of the radio shows that used the Harry Lime character, and a profile of writer Graham Greene from a 1968 British television program. Oh, and did I mention there are two commentaries, one from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy and one from film distorian Dana Polan. Oh, and there's a very stylish 26-page booklet insert. And you know what? There's probably other stuff I've forgotten. These discs are cram-packed.

In short, this is a whole college-level course on The Third Man in a little box. It'll keep you watching for weeks.

In case Amazon ever deletes the first Criterion edition of this DVD from their site, here's a cut-and-paste of my original review of the film itself:

###
Reportedly Orson Welles replied to people who asked if he'd "really" directed The Third Man that Carol Reed didn't need his suggestions. Yet this feels very much like Welles in many ways. First of all there's the subject matter--like Citizen Kane, this film deals with money and power, shattered idealism, and an elusive figure everyone knows *of* yet few people know. Like Kane, the cinematography is striking (though in a different way) and an integral part of the plot. Like Kane, the music is memorable and tells much of the story, yet again in a different way. Like Kane, the film was greeted coldly by many critics on its initial release and had to be shelved for many years before people realized it was a masterpiece. And last but not least, like Kane, it stars the great Joseph Cotten.

The Third Man benefits enormously from being shot in post-war Vienna (in record time by using three crews simultaneously). You can taste the atmosphere. The locations are a "star" as much as any of the human players. Selznick wanted Reed to film on Hollywood back lots, and he wanted Jimmy Stewart to star. He objected to the zither music. He objected to the canted shots. (William Wyler reportedly gave Reed a level to put on his camera after seeing The Third Man!) Most of all, Selznick wanted a happy ending, where Holly gets the girl. But without Reed's vision, the film would have been a typical glossy Hollywood film now seen at 2 am on local UHF channels if at all.

Reed gave Welles one of the great entrances in screen history. Welles gave Reed a hard time by refusing to work in a sewer and returning to England, forcing Reed to build a sewer set there just for Welles' part. Welles says he only wrote the "Cuckcoo clock speech," but leave it to Orson to give us the most memorable dialogue in a movie filled with memorable dialogue.

Then there is the issue of The Woman. Often she will make or break a film like this, and here Alida Valli (or "Valli" as she preferred to be billed in the film...maybe it's an Italian thing that started long before Madonna) is the perfect choice, brooding and un-glamorous and yet all the more alluring because she's un-glamorous. It's easy to see how impressionable Holly would fall for her. It's harder to see why she would still defend Harry, but love is not always logical. Or is this just selfishness? There doesn't seem to be room for love in Reed and Greene's postwar Vienna...

Criterion has done a loving restoration of The Third Man. While not up to the standard of the Citizen Kane DVD (which is not done by Criterion, incidentally) it is superb considering how poorly prints of this film have been handled over the years. Criterion performed many computer-repairs of tears and splices that make once-damaged scenes play perfectly. The gray scale is finally restored! (So many prints of this film are stark and grainy black and white and nearly unwatchable.) There are some extras, such as footage of Anton Karas performing on his unique instrument, documentary footage of the real Vienna sewers, the original trailer, the re-release trailer*, the alternate American opening, and fascinating production photos and commentary. Once again Criterion hits a home run.
###

Make that a grand slam.

*Not included in this version.

Average customer rating:

Dangerous Liasons
Smart. Very smart.
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I much preferred Cruel Intentions
The Eleventh-Hour Valmont

Dangerous Liaisons
Starring: Glenn Close , John Malkovich , Michelle Pfeiffer , Swoosie Kurtz , and Keanu Reeves
Director: Stephen Frears
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: 6304696515
Release Date: 1997-10-29

Amazon.com

A sumptuously mounted and photographed celebration of artful wickedness, betrayal, and sexual intrigue among depraved 18th-century French aristocrats, Dangerous Liaisons (based on Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses) is seductively decadent fun. The villainous heroes are the Marquise De Merteuil (Glenn Close) and the Vicomte De Valmont (John Malkovich), who have cultivated their mutual cynicism into a highly developed and exquisitely mannered form of (in-)human expression. Former lovers, they now fancy themselves rather like demigods whose mutual desires have evolved beyond the crudeness of sex or emotion. They ritualistically act out their twisted affections by engaging in elaborate conspiracies to destroy the lives of their less calculating acquaintances, daring each other to ever-more-dastardly acts of manipulation and betrayal. Why? Just because they can; it's their perverted way of getting get their kicks in a dead-end, pre-Revolutionary culture. Among their voluptuous and virtuous prey are fair-haired angels played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman, who have never looked more ripe for ravishing. When the Vicomte finds himself beset by bewilderingly genuine emotions for one of his victims, the Marquise considers it the ultimate betrayal and plots her heartless revenge. Dangerous Liaisons is a high-mannered revel for the actors, who also include Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick, and Keanu Reeves. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Dangerous Liasons.......2007-07-06

"Liaisons" had been filmed before (Roger Vadim did a modern-day version in 1960) and would be again (1989's "Valmont" and 1999's "Cruel Intentions"), but this is the best of the lot, boasting a lush production, and a deliciously wicked performance from Close. Malkovich, though not handsome enough for the Valmont role, injects a sly, predatory sexuality that compensates nicely. Pfeiffer has never been better (or prettier), and watch for the vision of budding womanhood that is Uma Thurman. A clever, eye-filling treat.

Smart. Very smart........2007-06-08

All-star cast, great piece of writing... one of my all-time favorites.

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-01-04

This was a great read. Easy to understand and much more indepth and indetail than the movie, which is also excellent. I'm a huge fan of period books and movies and this is one of the best. John Malkovich surely would make any girl's heart flutter. He is charming as Valmont and plays the character exactly as I expected after reading the book. He's what makes the movie.

I much preferred Cruel Intentions.......2006-11-15

Of course, I saw Cruel Intentions first, and it appealed to me more because of Ryan & Reese. (No longer Hollywood's Golden Couple, if they can't last, what hope is there for us mere mortals?) You always prefer the one you see first, and for me, it is definitely Cruel Intentions. Plus, I have a tendancy to detest 'costume' films, and can never sit through them (Emma, Sense & Sensibility etc).

Although there is a lot similar between Dangerous Liasions & Cruel Intentions (many of the lines stay practically the same), and Swoosie Kurtz, who plays Madame de Volange, went on to play Dr. Greenbaum in Cruel Intentions (in both films, Valmont seduces her daughter), there's just something magical missing. I couldn't tell who was who in Dangerous Liasions, and Keanu Reeves, is infamously stiff in this. (Loosen up, man!) I just couldn't sit through it, and I always know when I start films or even books, I know I cannot sit through it.

Unfortunately Dangerous Liasions is not for me, although I'm the only reviewer who seems to think this. Everyone else is raving about it. But you have to be really into the film, and be able to keep your eyes above chest height on the actresses.

The Eleventh-Hour Valmont.......2006-07-27

The period costumes for this movie were sumptuous--I wish I could wear some of the pretty dresses sported by Michelle Pfieffer and Glenn Close!

Anyhoo, the acting is top-notch, from the soon-to-be-corrupted Uma Thurman's Cecile, the moral Michelle Pfieffer's Madame de Tourvel, the sans conscience Glenn Close's Marquise de Merteuil, to the role that would typecast John Malkovich for more than a few movies, his notorious Vicomte de Valmont. (You can see that Malkovich's Osmond in "A Portrait of a Lady" channels the pre-repentant Valmont.) The only slight off-casting was Keanu Reeve's role of music teacher/lover of Cecile and the Marquise. Keanu is great in The Matrix movies and in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," but I don't think this role was his best work.

I have read almost half of the novel by Choderlos de Laclos and will one day complete it (I have a very bad habit of reading several books at the same time and of neglecting a book I had started to read for many months b/f I pick it up again). There's one scene in the book that was also depicted in the movie that I particularly like. In order to build "brownie points" with Madame de Tourvel, Valmont, knowing full well he was being followed by a servant of Madame de Tourvel, paid the debts of a peasant family who were about to be evicted. In the book (this book is written in epistolary style, that is, the whole book consists of letters characters have written to each other), Valmont admitted to the Marquise that he felt genuine pleasure and was even moved to tears when he helped save this family from ruin. He recognized that "do-gooders" receive a sense of pleasure from their charity, and that this pleasure has its own value---not of the same vein of the pleasure of self-gratification that Valmont usually sought. This scene's brief glimpse of Valmont's "higher self" would later take root in his sincere love for Madame de Tourvel. That a blackguard who's capable of abysmal cruelty can come to love the angelic Madame de Tourvel is sight for sore eyes.
Unfortunately, Valmont wasn't exactly clear about his own feelings until the Marquise spelled them out for him. He had indeed loved the good Madame de Tourvel, and he was attracted to her goodness, a quality not often intact among his other lovers and acquaintances.

Michelle Pfieffer really engaged the audience's sympathies when she broke down after Valmont told her he must end the relationship and that this break was "beyond his control." All of her worst fears about Valmont and the warnings she had received against him seemed to be confirmed. However, Madame de Tourvel was informed before she died that Valmont had indeed loved her and that the time he spent with her was the happiest of his whole life. This aspect of the movie/book is about as far as you can get from cynicism and transcends the other "nasty, decadent" relationships in "Dangerous Liasisons." Valmont's eleventh-hour repentance was beautiful, skillfully enacted by Malkovich b/f his death.

The Marquise was devastated when she learned of Valmont's death. She was booed at a concert after letters of her treachery were circulated (one of Valmont's dying wishes).

On the special features, the actors gave some feedback about their characters. Glenn Close attributed the Marquise's cruelty in part due to the lack of options women had back then. The Marquise was preoccupied with challenging and violating conventions while keeping up the appearance of them. John Malkovich was less sympathetic towards his character and just called Valmont's life a waste. However, his character's change of heart was better late than never.

Average customer rating:

You'll like it the day AFTER you see it.
Most powerful film in Larry Clarks Career! A+++++
~Bully~
When you give up and murder your tormentor, how should you be punished?
Frightening and Real

Bully
Starring: Ed Amatrudo , Judy Clayton , Irene B. Colletti , Elizabeth Dimon , and Leo Fitzpatrick
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B00005U14H
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Description

Acclaimed director Larry Clark delivers his most powerful film since KIDS. Marty (Brad Renfro) is a tormented surfer who relies on his longtime pal Bobby (Nick Stahl) for rides to the beach and South Florida bars despite vicious abuse. But when Bobby turns his unwanted attention to Marty's new girlfriend Lisa (Rachel Miner) and her best friend Ally (Bijou Phillips), Lisa decides Bobby's reign of terror must end. Assembling a crew of alienated suburban teens, she forms a deadly plan to get Bobby out of the way once and for all, turning friends into enemies and casual acquaintances into co-defendants in a murder that rocked America to its core.

Customer Reviews:

You'll like it the day AFTER you see it........2007-08-29

That's what happened to me.

Long story short, I haven't seen a movie that built suspense and tension like this one did in a VERY long time.

In action movies, usually 20 people die and it means squat, in this one, it's exactly the opposite.

Is it just me or did Michael Pitt look like he was definitely actually on acid?

Most powerful film in Larry Clarks Career! A+++++.......2007-07-06

this is larry clarks brilliant and scary film about a brutal tormentor and the brutal revenge that was taken on him. the performances of renfro, stahal, phillips, miners, and michael pitt give brilliant and poweful performances....michael pitts steals the show. he was so funny in that movie. larry clark needs to do another crime movie like this there are plenty of true crime novels out there i think that larry clark would do a brilliant job on a child called it. that is a movie that i would love to see. larry clarks best films:kids, another day in paradise, ken park and this film! check it out it is worth your movie it has crime, sex, violences, brilliant direction and writing and the young cast acting and doing the things in this film were amazing.

~Bully~.......2007-05-10

The first time i saw this was on HBO. I knew i had to show it some friends of mine. Its a true story about what some kids do to a Bully. This Dvd is very good.

When you give up and murder your tormentor, how should you be punished?.......2007-04-24

Bully is based on a true high school crime which took place in Cooper City, Florida. Boyhood friends Marty Puccio (Brad Renfro) and Bobby Kent (Nick Stahl) traveled in the same circles of casual drug use and loose women with a group of friends who rarely attended high school classes. Bobby bullied Marty their entire lives, raped both Marty and their girl friends, and pulled aggressive stunts such as capturing a local drifter and forcing him to perform homosexual acts on camera. Director Larry Clark presents a gripping portrait of bullying and submission, and of how hard it is to stand up to the bully when he's been in power for a good sixteen or more years.

With the high school sexual acts and drug use, this film will inevitably be compared to Clark's earlier work, Kids. Bully, however, is based on a true crime with copious court records, confessions, witness statements, and a non-fiction book about the subjects. Any reviewer who attacks the plausibility of the film needs to look no further than Martin Puccio, vs. State of Florida, Appellee. No. 86,242; November 20, 1997. Clark takes the facts of the case and presents a movie which illustrates the fear and loathing of someone who submits to a bully, and makes the viewer understand how hard it is to stand up and change the status quo.

Bully is told from the point of view of the teens involved in the group murder of Marty's tormentor. The question of ultimate responsibility for the crime is answered only in the court sentences, not by the filmmaker. This is a great discussion piece--does bullying invite crimes of self-defense? Was Lisa Connelly the ringleader or did Marty grow a backbone? Was Marty manipulated by yet another bully, Lisa, when he went along with her plan? Did an atmosphere of money, drugs, and plenty of free time create the perfect storm for a mob-mentality murder? How much do absent parents play into a tragedy of this proportion?

Larry Clark has no simple Hollywood answer to any of these questions. Therein lies the beauty of this film.

Frightening and Real.......2007-04-23

"Bully"

Frightening and Real

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

While not a horror film, "Bully" is one of the scariest movies I have seen and the reason that it evokes such fear is that it is a true story. Larry Clark directed this movie that is about teenagers that have absolutely nothing going for them. They have sex all of the time, they drink to excess, they smoke pot and drop acid and their lives are reckless and meaningless.
I am sure that many who see this movie are outraged and that seems to me to be warranted. To see kids behave like this is certainly not the norm. Marty (Brad Renfro) is the central character and he is involved in a sado-masochistic relationship with his "best friend", Bobby (Nick Stahl). Then there is Lisa (Rachel Miner), Marty's pregnant girlfriend. Marty is an average surfer bum and high school drop-out and Bobby constantly picks on him and rides him all the time. Lisa soon tires of Bobby's abuse to Marty and she tells Marty that he should kill Bobby. They go and see a hit man (Leo Fitzpatrick) and ask him to help put an end to Bobby and from that point on the kids start out upon a new path--one of lies, deceit, boasts, and guilt-ridden feelings about the deed they are about to perform. In the end, the teenagers get their just rewards but the cinematic buildup is highly intense.
The movie is accurate and true to life. Based on an incident that took place in Florida in 1993, it is an authentic retelling of what went on. The cast is sheer perfection. When the kids agree that Bobby has to die, the movie reaches its heights. Bobby was a bully and a rapist and an all around loathsome character. He seems to be somewhat of a closet homosexual as reflected by his obsession with gay porn. He drags Marty to a gay bar and forces him to dance onstage. His violent way of dealing with his own gayness is probably how he chose to deal with his repressed desires. He is a psychotic sociopath who has extended the limits of being tough. But his homosexuality is not the reason he is to be killed. There is no clear reason to why he must die. The actions against him are not motivated by revenge but by jealousy. He is due to go to college and to take over his father's business.
The movie utilizes a great deal of potent imagery as the film explores the youth of today during dark and troubling times. It hurts to watch kids behaving the way they do here and we hope they get what they deserve.
The movie will weigh on your mind mainly because it really happened. It is bleak and dark and extremely depressing. It is meant to shock and shock it does.

Average customer rating:

Scandalous fun
Wild thriller
Sexy classic thriller!!!
Wild Things
Neve Campbell should act more she's terrific

Wild Things (Unrated Edition)
Starring: Matt Dillon , Kevin Bacon , Neve Campbell , Theresa Russell , and Denise Richards
Director: John McNaughton
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0001GF2D8
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Amazon.com

Wild Things is the kind of lurid, trashy thriller that you'll either dive into with unabashed pleasure or turn away from in prudish disgust; it's entirely your choice, but we suggest the former option since it's obviously much more fun. The plot's so convoluted it's hardly worth describing, except to say that it's set in humid Florida and involves a respected high school teacher (Matt Dillon--yes, Matt Dillon as a teacher!) who is faced with accusations of rape by a student (Denise Richards, from Starship Troopers) who had been giving him the kind of attention most people would consider improper for such a "nice" young lady. Another student (Neve Campbell) raises a similar charge against the teacher, and that's when a police officer (Kevin Bacon) begins to investigate the allegations. Just when you think the movie's gone overboard with its shameless sex and absurdly twisted plot, in drops Bill Murray as an unscrupulous lawyer (of course) to spice things up with insurance scams and welcomed comic relief. As directed by John McNaughton (who has a way of making just the right moves with this kind of film noir melodrama), Wild Things is a bona fide guilty pleasure--the kind of movie you may be ashamed to enjoy, but what the heck, you'll enjoy it anyway. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Scandalous fun.......2007-07-27

Beauty is the word but let us tease you anyways. Teacher in big trouble even though in todays world it is usually a young female teacher but anyways you have a movie with Kevin Bacon and Neve Campbell in it so what more could you ask for? Oh well the plot is so so it is just a scamming script set under a simmering sun that is sinful and lovely. Best watched when eating pumpkin pie topped off with whipped cream, but hold the pickles.

Wild thriller.......2007-03-15

This is a sleek, erotic and full of unexpected twists thriller. The cast is young, cool and made for these roles. But apert from the obvious sex appeal which help sell this film there is a very clever and fast plot that keeps the viewer interested and guessing. It is a sort of neo-film-noir directed to the young generation and the not so young generation. It all comes together at the end credits in a manner that Agatha Christie used in her own books.
Enjoy it.

Sexy classic thriller!!!.......2007-01-27

Cool, classy, stylish...need i say more? Well, why not...

Rarely is a film worthy of 5 stars - this probably isn't but it certainly is quality.

Love this film. It's just great.

Great cast, great plot, great twist...good script

A film that has both Neve Campbell and Denise Richards in it can't be bad, especially when they have a very 'close' relationship in it. The ladies are ably assisted by Kevin Bacon and Matt Dillon who are both quality geezers.

Certainly unpredictable and well worth watching...but enough about the plot, the ladies are more important

Wild Things.......2006-11-11

The credits include significant actors, so you know the movie has to be good, right? Well, most of the movie elements are fine, except the script which is very light-weight in dialogue. Perhaps this is due to the difficult plot - more time writing to make that work than giving the actors something to say.

Worth watching just to see Bill Murray play a sleeze lawyer and Denise Richards playing herself!

Neve Campbell should act more she's terrific.......2006-08-28

Actually, the whole cast worked well together. Humid Florida wealthy trampy mom ignores daughter she in turn is manipulated by sleazy teacher, girl from the wrong side of the tracks is in on the con. This movie reminded me of "Palmetto" a little seen movie with Woody Harrilson and Elizabeth Shue. It wasen't a big hit but it was the same type of con game being played on some slippery characters. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Riveting drama about ultimate survival
back to reality
"The Edge"- The Brilliant Billionairre
"The Edge" - Review
The Edge

The Edge
Starring: Anthony Hopkins , Alec Baldwin , Elle Macpherson , Harold Perrineau , and Bart the Bear
Director: Lee Tamahori
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000006IUQ
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Amazon.com

Writer David Mamet created two engrossing and memorable characters, played by Alec Baldwin as the urbane fashion photographer and Anthony Hopkins as a reserved and intellectual billionaire. They find themselves teamed up against a giant Kodiak bear, and their own inner demons, when lost together in the Alaskan wilderness. There is a lot going on in this picture, as the subject matter includes male rivalry, the isolationism of extreme wealth, and, most conspicuously, the survival of the fittest. Mamet's script, which sounds a little too arch in spots, is well served by New Zealand director Lee Tamahori, who knows how to capture beauty and brutality in one frame. Although the themes are enormous in scope, they are well balanced. One rarely overpowers the other, nor does the achingly beautiful scenery overshadow the acting. Even if you do not like the intellectualism of the dialogue, there are some great scenes with the bear. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

A plane crash in the freezing Alaskan wilderness pits intellectual billionaire Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins) against self-satisfied fashion photographer Robert Green (Alec Baldwin) in a brutal struggle for survival. Each soon discovers that the greatest danger resides not in nature, but from human fear, treachery, and quite possibly murder.

Customer Reviews:

Riveting drama about ultimate survival.......2007-09-04

Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins light up the screen with "The Edge", a powerful drama that pits two men with some clashing similarities to the test.

The gritty, raw elements of nature's fury are brought out in full force as Hopkins and Baldwin bring out the ultimate in human triumph and failure in the film. The beautiful scenery is but a glimpse of what true dangers lie inside Natures realm. A Bear that knows no limits when fending off intruders tops off the dangers of remote mountain ranges and their icy waters. Hopkins and Baldwin are able to bring out much more within a deeper story as it is soon realized that this is not a film that relies simply on man vs. nature tactics and failed rescue attempts. Excellent scenes of the wild that are made all to believable by the limitations of man when he tries to survive not only the wilderness, but fellow man himself.

back to reality.......2007-08-12

Some powerful members of human society get a dose of cold, hard reality and their true colors come out. The acting is great. The language is rough. The bear is SCARY.

"The Edge"- The Brilliant Billionairre.......2007-06-08

The edge of your seat is where you'll be once the movie gets rolling. It's a nail-biting ride based on survival of the "smartest". Don't misunderstand...there's not a slow start. This movie merely takes a brief time to set an interesting background which is crucial to the plot. Anthony Hopkins is brilliant, as usual. Hopkins plays an extremely well-read Billionairre who "knows everything" according to his wife, Elle MacPherson, who of course plays a super-model. There are plenty of twists and surprises to keep you guessing to the very end. I found the last scene to be a little less than ideal. It's somewhat confusing and unnecessary. It is also a little unrealistic. Also, I still don't see the point of the title, "The Edge". Probably just my lack of imagination. Other than that, this movie is well worth the money! Both thumbs up!

"The Edge" - Review.......2007-06-08

"The Edge" is a classic suspense movie that maintains high suspense for the viewer until the very end. I think Anthony Hopkins was as impressive in this movie as in the "Silence of the Lamb".

The Edge .......2007-05-20

If you like adventure, the great outdoors and, or course, Anthony Hopkins, then you will love this movie. There are very few movies that I will watch more then once and this is one of those movies. It is a very good movie that I recommend highly.

Average customer rating:

Next-gen smut
Overrated
BASIC INSTINCT A MUST HAVE ON BLU-RAY DISC

Basic Instinct [Blu-ray]
Starring: Peter Appel , Denis Arndt , Julie Bond , William Duff-Griffin , and George Dzundza
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000O5B4C4
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Description

Michael Douglas stars as Nick Curran, a tough but vulnerable detective. Sharon Stone costars as Catherine Tramell, a cold, calculating and beautiful novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite. Catherine becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered - a crime she described in her latest novel. Obsessed with cracking the case, Nick descends into San Francisco's forbidden underground where suspicions mount, bodies fall and he finds within himself an instinct more basic than survival.

Customer Reviews:

Next-gen smut.......2007-06-28

I had this classic on DVD, but I had to update of course. Michael Douglas's higher resolution middle-aged assets and Sharon Stone's younger assets are all on display in fine 1080p, complete with wrinkles and imperfections. Very fun movie still after 15 years. Can we say that about the stars' assets in 2007, though? The movie could look sharper, but there's only so much you can do with a movie from 1992.

The DTS HD audio track is excellent. All the moans, gasps, and curses are in a better bitrate (I guess?). The extras are in standard definition, I believe, but it's no big deal. Never watched them anyway.

Now bring on Showgirls, MGM!

Overrated.......2007-06-12

Basic Instinct is a beautifully created film with a compelling story with enough twists and psychological bends to captivate you. Yet the sotry is bogged down with gratuitous sexual encounters that do not propel anywhere. The acting of Michael Douglas in this film was distractingly bad. He was pissed off throughout the film for no apparent reason, even in the love scenes. Sharon Stone player her character very well, a cold, manipulating and very attractive woman. Of course there isn't very many scenes without her exposing herself. The movie seems to rest on her nudity, not her acting. Overall, the movie seems to elevate the gratuitous sex over the actual plot. So while I was being drawn into the story, the movie also pulled me away from it leaving me desiring more form the story.

BASIC INSTINCT A MUST HAVE ON BLU-RAY DISC.......2007-06-01

Basic Instinct has been released several times on DVD, but this is the first incarnation on High Definition disc. This BLU-RAY disc will probably be the best presentation of this film on video. Director Paul Verhoeven's raw, sexy, gory thriller is his best American film. The beautiful Sharon Stone gives her finest performance, and Michael Douglas, Jean Tripplehorn, George Dzundza are excellent. Composer Jerry Goldsmith contributes a magnificent score.

Only available on BLU-RAY HD with great picture and sound this disc is a knockout!

Average customer rating:

Under-rated movie
Great Pacino
Great movie!
Not great, Pacino deserves more, Farrell less
I liked but, it is predictable

The Recruit
Starring: Conrad Bergschneider , Tony Craig , Colin Farrell , Ron Lea , and Chris Owens
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JLX2
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Amazon.com

"Nothing is as it seems" in The Recruit, a guessing-game thriller that employs plot twists and conflicting loyalties as its primary raison d'être. Surrounded by potential deception, a newly recruited CIA officer (Colin Farrell) must determine if his manipulative instructor (Al Pacino) is being honest when he identifies Farrell's fellow recruit and love interest (Bridget Moynihan) as an enemy "mole" assigned to steal a dangerous computer virus from CIA headquarters. While claiming to offer an insider's look at CIA training methods, this engrossing yet ultimately predictable plot is pure Hollywood fantasy; any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental, leaving the perpetually unshaven and scruffily coiffed Farrell to fend for himself in Pacino's cynical arena while tracing his familial roots in the spy game. Wearing its cleverness on its sleeve, The Recruit is an adequately elaborate puzzle of perceptions. "Everything is a test," as Farrell soon realizes, and attentive viewers will enjoy piecing it all together. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Academy Award(R)-Winner Al Pacino (Best Actor, SCENT OF A WOMAN, 1991) and Colin Farrell (MINORITY REPORT) take you deeper into the CIA than you've ever been before in this action-packed psychological thriller. James Clayton (Farrell), one of the smartest graduates in the country, is just the person Walter Burke (Pacino) wants in the Agency. James quickly rises through the ranks and falls for Layla (Bridget Moynahan, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS), one of his fellow recruits. But just when James starts to question his role and his cat-and-mouse relationship with his mentor, Burke taps him to root out a mole. As the suspense builds in a maze of gripping twists and turns, there are only two things James can count on -- he can't trust anyone and nothing is as it seems. It's the ultimate CIA thriller with so many surprise plot twists, you'll want to watch it again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Under-rated movie.......2007-09-07

This movie was hard to find, it isn't very popular, and not very many people have seen it or even heard of it. I dont think it made much money either, but I think it was a polished, well made thriller with plot twists that kept me second guessing till the very end.

Great Pacino.......2007-08-24

Pacino plays a dark character which is why I liked this movie. The ending was great. Story was drawn out however.

Corey Cotta, Author of All of Yesterdays Tomorrows.

Great movie!.......2007-08-05

This movie was great! It was full of action, suspense, and had one of those stories that made you want to watch the movie all over again.

I love it.

Not great, Pacino deserves more, Farrell less.......2007-08-04

Pacino took a step down in acting in this film. It really is not that realistic and I found several of the scenes to be bogged down in dramatic blah that in real life would not have happened. Sure, I realize it is just a movie but I have to challenge the director in asking what exactly he was trying to accomplish here. It has some fun action scenes but I suppose the plot is what suffers the most here, and when the plot falls, it all falls down.

Al Pacino is a star, but why they had a bozo of an actor like Farrell in there alongside him is beyond me. Farrell can never add any emotion to anything he is in and I felt actually hurt this films chances of being better. Bridget Moynahan is also in it and I like her and wish she was in more films like this. If you want drama films that center on good storytelling, skip this movie.

I liked but, it is predictable.......2007-06-23

Well acted, well filmed, full of twists and turns. "Nothing is as it seems" as Walter Burke (Pacino) says. If, at least once, they would have made something exactly as it seemed ... the moviegoer may have been surprised. What made it predictable was you always knew to expect the unexpected.

Basic Instinct - Director's Cut (Ultimate Edition)

Average customer rating:

A truly entertaing and thrilling ride!
Follow your instinct...
outrageous
Sharon Stone is so confident in her character as Catherine Trammel in this film...
"Ice pick" me, please!

Basic Instinct - Director's Cut (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Michael Douglas , Sharon Stone , George Dzundza , Jeanne Tripplehorn , and Denis Arndt
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E5N684
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Customer Reviews:

A truly entertaing and thrilling ride!.......2007-08-12

Now, let me start by saying that this movie will keep you guessing about the correct meaning of the ending after the movie. What I mean by this is that the identity of the killer in this movie will still be a mystery to some.
The story is about a police officer named Nick Curran (Michael Douglas)who is investigating a murder that involved a bloody ice-pick. The suspect is a beautiful blonde woman named Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone). She has a very dark and mysterious life and is very seductive. After a series of accusations and run-ins, the climatic end is near.
As Nick becomes more and more unstable and bent on finding the killer, he starts to wonder about all the possibilities, and more twists and turns occur.
This unrated dvd is worth at least one viewing and provides plenty of extra entertainment. A-

Follow your instinct..........2007-07-03

After years and years of hearing about this movie, I recently purchased it at a local Wal*Mart. Let me say this, do not underestimate this movie!

Although it may not be as shocking or cutting-edge as it was back in the day; this movie still provides a lot of substance from the original intention. The acting is superb. There is honest chemistry between Douglas and Stone; each play off of each other's strengths making it come off as genuine and not forced at all. The supporting characters also add essential realism and help develop the story even further. Within the characters, each has their own distinct personality and the viewer gets to know them pretty well by the end of the story. The characters are dramactic when called for, but also provide subtle comic relief when needed as well.

The directing however, is what makes this movie so well good. Everything from the script (kept relatively in its original form) all the way to the lighting and the way that affects how the viewer reacts to certain scenes. As for the nude/sex scenes; I believe they were done in a way that enhances the story and/or develops the characters further; not done just for the sake of doing them.

As I mentioned don't let this movie fool you. It is very well crafted and provides some good suspense and entertainment. After years of avoiding it, I'm glad I finally own it!

outrageous.......2007-04-05

It is a outrageous film. Sharon Stone is simply exotic. The argument is good. The photography excellent.

Sharon Stone is so confident in her character as Catherine Trammel in this film..........2007-03-20

Sharon Stone is so confident in her character as Catherine Trammel in this film, and portrays some of the best sex and orgasm I've seen in a blockbuster movie before. It is fun to see all the explicit scenes of sex, nudity and violence all rolled into one movie. The story unravels with perfect rhythm, keeping your senses titillated all along the way. It is timeless in its' plot, the murder mystery that even at the end never seems to be solved completely. The viewer is left seduced, allured, and looking back on the different scenes and characters trying to figure out exactly what just happened.

Michael Douglas does a terrific job in his role as detective Nick Curran. He's on top of his game one moment, and the next completely clueless, giving in to the pleasures of drinking and smoking after months of sobriety.

"Ice pick" me, please!.......2007-03-07

Sharon Stone in one of her better roles! Her underlying coldness as Catherine Trammel surfaces between scenes where she makes you empathetic, particularly when she wants you to think she's vulnerable.

But underneath that calm and calculating mind is a suspected pathological killer and writer, plus bisexual to boot!

I enjoyed the scenes of what was suggestive of San Francisco, but have a hard time figuring how Michael Douglas' character as Nick always seems to find a convenient parking spot in front of his building! If you've ever been to the foggy city, you know that's a rare. Adding to the confusion is the scene at the dance club, which is a replica of New York's Limelight Club set in a church...what the heck is that doing is SF?

I did find the sets of Trammel's homes to be quite accurate. The Divisadero mansion is something you'd expect to find in that area. The seaside home though was actually filmed on location in Carmel, even though it was suppose to suggest Marin. Aside from that, if you didn't realize that fact, you would have never thought otherwise (except some areas of Marin are not close to water).

The ending fades that happened several times was annoying, but it did keep you guessing...was she really the murderess or not?

The Ultimate Edition that is unrated shows a tad more nudity, particularly in Michael Douglas' case, but overall adds nothing too significant to the storyline.

Wouldn't it be better to see more of Stone and the infamous interview process? That in itself is the gem of the movie.

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?

Average customer rating:

Wild Things (Unrated Edition) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Kevin Bacon , Matt Dillon , Marc Macaulay , Jeff Perry , and Theresa Russell
Director: John McNaughton
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000PAAJVU
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Product Description

The scheme is far from tame. But whose scheme is it? Assume nothing as you venture beyond Blue Bay's elite beach communities and into the murky waters of the Everglades for a mystery of deceit, sex and greed as unpredictable as a hungry gator. And please, keep your hands inside the boat at all times. Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards and Bill Murray star in a swamp-steamy thriller about two high school students, the guidance counselor they accuse of rape and the detectivewho knows there's more to the story.

DVD:

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