The Straight Story

Amazon.com essential video

Throughout The Straight Story, 73-year-old Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) gazes calmly at the night sky, as if the stars were reflections of his own memories. Alvin's eyesight is bad and his daughter (Sissy Spacek) is slightly retarded and unable to drive, so he's traveling from Laurens, Iowa to Mt. Zion, Wisconsin on a riding John Deere lawn mower. It's slow going, so there's plenty of time to stop for the night and ponder the cosmos. Alvin's journeying to visit his ailing brother; they haven't spoken in years, and it's time to make peace. Along the way, he befriends a variety of nice folks, and you have to ask yourself... Is this really a David Lynch movie?

It's a miracle that this G-rated Disney film was made by a director whose work is often described as twisted and bizarre. But Lynch is too complex an artist to be labeled, and he brings charm, grace, and kindness to his fact-based telling of The Straight Story--not to mention a serenity rarely found in movies anymore. It's a film of moments--funny, odd, quietly spiritual--and this simple tale of a man, a lawnmower, and rural hospitality becomes a genuine Lynchian odyssey, unlike any film you've seen but as welcoming as a cup of lemon tea with honey. Best of all, it's a fitting tribute to the career of veteran stuntman-actor Farnsworth who, at age 79, plays Alvin Straight to sheer perfection, his face a subtle roadmap to a broad spectrum of emotional destinations. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Based on the true story that captured the hearts of America, THE STRAIGHT STORY is one of those rare films offering powerful, uplifting entertainment for audiences of all ages. Directed by acclaimed director David Lynch (WILD AT HEART, MULHOLLAND DRIVE), this gentle, inspiring film celebrates the human spirit. Richard Farnsworth (MISERY, THE NATURAL) stars as Alvin Straight -- a no-nonsense man who has never been one to lean on others. Now at an age when his eyesight denies him the ability to drive and walking is accomplished only with the help of two canes, Alvin lives a quiet life with his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek). But when the call comes that Alvin's estranged brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton, THE GREEN MILE) has suffered a debilitating stroke, Alvin embarks on a dangerous and emotional journey to make amends. With little money, but plenty of patience and tenacity, he climbs aboard his 1966 John Deere lawnmower and plots the 260-mile course from his small Iowa town to Lyle's home in Wisconsin. Filmed along the actual route that the real Alvin Straight traveled in 1994, THE STRAIGHT STORY is a heartwarming and poignant drama chronicling Alvin's six-week odyssey and the many lives he touches along the way.

Customer Reviews:

The Straight Story, is the Road Less Travelled.......2007-09-12

I was surprised I had somehow missed this Disney gem when it came out. I happened across it looking for rentals and it was an excellent one. I now plan to get a copy. It is one of those movies that isn't exciting but takes you on a journey of discovery. The beautiful late Summer and Fall countryside in Iowa and Wisconsin are a nice backdrop to this sojourn for Alvin Straight to see his ailing brother. How many would attempt to pull a trailer with a riding mower across 260 miles of state highways? Not many that is for sure. Alvin Straight's own failing health has made him realize that his ten year dispute with his brother just doesn't matter any more. He recalls them growing up on a farm and caring about each other. Now he must use the only thing he can to get there, a riding mower. Sissy Spacek is excellent as Straight's handicapped daughter. The movie is an emotional ride at a pace equal to Alvin's mower, and that's a good thing. If you enjoy movies like "The World's Fastest Indian" and "Second Hand Lions" you will probably like this one. Disappointedly there are no extras on the DVD. I was hoping to see a documentary about Alvin Straight, or at least about making the movie.

A Gift for a Sibling.......2007-09-06

The Straight Story is an Indy film worthy of giving as a gift to a special adult brother or sister who may not have always gotten along. it is an inspiration and a testimonial to the importance of family.

A terrific human interest story.......2007-08-29

This true story has a way of warming the heart. It starts out rather slow, but after the jist of the story has unfolded, you can't help but become deeply involved. Its in the same league with classics, such as "Inside Moves" and "Its a wonderful Life".

I'm not surprised that Lynch would make such a gentle film...........2007-08-26

Many were surprised that David Lynch would direct such a moving, simple (though not simplistic), and gentle story about a man driving across the country. I am not surprised. Lynch is one of our great filmmakers, and to see him branch out with this film (and succeed magnificently) is phenomenal. In the hands of a lesser director, this film would have been awful. It would have been overly sentimental with a bombastic music score. With Lynch, it becomes incredibly moving and tender. Richard Farnsworth should have won an Oscar for his performance here. Why he didn't is another one of those Oscar mysteries that will never be solved. Sissy Spacek, who Lynch has known since his Eraserhead days, gives a great performance as well. The supporting cast is excellent here, too, and the small town folk are portrayed with dignity and humanity, a far cry from Lynch's Blue Velvet, where they were portrayed as pervertted and ugly. But then, not all small town people can be deranged, now can they? Lynch saw all sides of them, like the true artist that he is. This is a wonderful film. It came out in 1999, a fantastic year for films, and this was one of the best ones. Thank you, David.

A Daring Movie.......2007-08-09

This is perhaps David Lynch's most courageous movie, for it is one of simple dialog, long sentences and a zen storyline of one man's decision to visit his ailing brother by driving a sit-down lawn mower several hundred miles. It is a slow road trip movie, without any special tricks, only the quest of one man with no overwhelming bits of conflicts or violence.

Silences are not easy in movies, and yet they are expertly carried out here by a wonderful ensemble of cast and crew. Though Amazon mistakenly identifies this primarily as a Sissy Spacek movie, there is no doubt that this movie is the mantle for the late Richard Farnsworth.

Farnsworth, whose face shows the emotions of a man making final journey, masterfully carries the movie in a way that is humble, haunting and sincere. His delivery of lines is quiet and gentle, as is his demeanor. A "slow road trip," the pacing of the movie is compelling in part because of its quietude. Beautifully shot, the great blue skies and the miles of corn have an eloquence that only adds to meaning and depth.

This is a movie that resonates, never shoving but gently prods us to think.
Of special note, Farnsworth was terminally ill during the shoot of this movie. In extreme pain, one can see the determination in his eyes. Sadly, in October 2000, Farnsworth died.

The Grey Fox Movie
Making a Hand: Growing Up Cowboy in New Mexico Book
The Cowboy Kind Book
Cowboy Spur Maker: The Story of Ed Blanchard Book

Anastasia (Family Fun Edition w/Bartok the Magnificent)

Average customer rating:

Bartok Rules!
A Personal Favorite
It's Not Disney? Who Would Have Guessed
Love it!
Has the sumptuous look of a Broadway musical...top entertainment...

Anastasia (Family Fun Edition w/Bartok the Magnificent)
Starring: Meg Ryan , John Cusack , Kelsey Grammer , Christopher Lloyd , and Hank Azaria
Director: Don Bluth , and Gary Goldman
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000CNE092
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Description

A spellbinding mix of adventure, comedy, romance and music, this acclaimed animated spectacular tells the thrilling story of the lost Russian princess Anastasia and her quest to find her true identity. When the shadow of revolution falls across Russia, the royal family's youngest daughter barely escape with her life. Years later, Anastasia and a band of heroic companions must battle the evil Rasputin, his sidekick Bartok the bat and a host of ghostly minions in a headlong race to reach Paris, reclaim her rightful destiny and solve the greatest mystery of the 20th century.

Customer Reviews:

Bartok Rules!.......2007-09-16

I saw this movie in the theater and instantly loved it. Great songs, great story, great characters. And, of course John Cusack. But, above all Bartok the bat steals the show. I love bats and this one is albino and Russian. He is the slave pet of Rasputin, what couldn't you love about this movie?

A Personal Favorite.......2007-09-08

I never saw this movie as a kid- since "The Little Mermaid" was being shown in theaters at the same time this was, I opted for that film.

However, finally watching this movie as a teenager I really wish I had seen it on th widescreen.

We have the tale of Anya- a "nobody" as she puts it, without a real name, past or family. Her only clue? A necklace with the words "Together In Paris" enscribed on it.

It's a beautifuly done movie, breathtaking animation- how can you NOT get shivers up and down your spine during the "Once Upon A December" scene? I know I can't. Rasputin in the cartoon looks rather like his historical counterpart, very, very creepy. I rather enjoyed how they made him "Undead" as in real life he was VERY hard to kill. (I don't remember HOW many times they attempted to kill Rasputin.)

Other than Rasputins looks, and several smaller details, the movie is largely historically unaccurate, but wonderful nontheless.

My one complaint? Sometimes Don's animation goes.... funny when he's trying to animate humans from a particular point of view. It could be just me, but I think he has that problem in ALL his animated films. (With the possible exception of "Titan AE")

Either way, add this to your collection. You won't be dissapointed.

It's Not Disney? Who Would Have Guessed.......2007-09-03

When this movie first came out, I was very young. I saw it once and was afraid of Rasputin, making me not want to see it again. (I have never been a fan of anything scary, so most cannot go by me.) When I was going through my video cabinet recently, I dug the movie out, trying to remember why I had only seen it once. I put it into the VCR and the from the beginning of the film to the end, the magic never once ceased. Though it isn't exactly historically accurate, it had a happy ending and a great story line. At first my friends and family thought it was crazy that I watched this animated movie over and over, but once they saw it, they had to admit that it was a great movie for all ages. I wouldn't recommend younger children to see this, it can be frightening at the end, though I won't say why. Anastasia and Dimitri's relationship was so realistic, I found myself relating people I know to them. It was absolutely fabulous!

Love it!.......2007-08-31

This is the best movie-my 2 year old loves it and wants to watch it everyday. She has all the songs from the movie memorized and sings them all the time so I had to buy the CD soundtrack too.

Has the sumptuous look of a Broadway musical...top entertainment..........2007-07-29

Some of the most beautiful animation and backgrounds in recent history are a central ingredient of "Anastasia", a charming full-length feature based on the famous title character and set against the period of the Russian revolution. Expert vocal work by Angela Lansbury (Dowager Empress), Meg Ryan (Anastasia), John Kusack (Dimitri) and many others, make the characters seem more dimensional than in most animated features. Particularly Dimitri and Anastasia, whose love-hate relationship seems startlingly real given the superb animation.

The score is studded with some Oscar-nominated music and the sinister moments have the kind of villain you love to hate (Rasputin). Some of the scenes might be too intense for small children--as well as a realistic railway scene on a runaway car--but all in all, should delight young and old. Angela Lansbury's voice is especially effective as the Empress. The art of animation doesn't get any better than this! This Don Bluth/Gary Goldman production is as good as anything Disney might have attempted.

Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery (New Line Platinum Series)

Average customer rating:

The first film in the Austin Powers trilogy.
Groovy, Baby
the best Austin Powers there'll probably ever be!
One of my favorite comedies
Classic Comedy -- But Don't Waste Your Time with the Sequels

Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Mike Myers , Elizabeth Hurley , Michael York , Mimi Rogers , and Robert Wagner
Director: Jay Roach
Manufacturer: New Line Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

New Line Platinum Series | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Accessories:

Austin Powers: Original Soundtrack

ASIN: 6304696221
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

If you don't think Austin Powers is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s, maybe you should be packed into a cryogenic time-chamber and sent back to the decade whence you came. Perhaps it was the 1960s--the shag-a-delic decade when London hipster Austin Powers scored with gorgeous chicks as a fashion photographer by day, crime-fighting international man of mystery by night. Yeah, baby, yeah! But when Powers's arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, puts himself into a deep-freeze and travels via time-machine to the late 1990s, Powers must follow him and foil Evil's nefarious scheme of global domination. Mike Myers plays dual roles as Powers and Dr. Evil, with Elizabeth Hurley as his present-day sidekick and karate- kicking paramour. A hilarious spoof of '60s spy movies, this colorful comedy actually gets funnier with successive viewings, making it a perfect home video for gloomy days and randy nights. Oh, behave! --Jeff Shannon

Description

It's a smashing shagadelic party as Mike Myers (Wayne's World 1 & 2, So I Married an Axe Murderer) and Elizabeth Hurley (Dangerous Ground) star in a non-stop, hilarious comedy adventure. Frozen in the 60's, secret agent Austin Powers (Myers) is thawed back into action to once again battle his archenemy Dr. Evil. With his sexy sidekick Ms. Kensington (Hurley), Austin must stop Dr. Evil's outrageous plot to control the world. But first, this time-warped swinger must get hip quick and discover that there's no free love in the 90's! An all-star supporting cast including Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mimi Rogers and Carrie Fisher make Austin Powers a wacky, far-out trip you won't forget.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by actor Mike Myers and director M. Jay Roach.
Deleted Scenes
Other:An original animated sequence "Music to Shag to". Spy genre retrospective. Star highlights with scenes (all Letterbox 1.85, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) from Dangerous Ground (1997), Monkey Trouble (1994), Rapture, The (1991) (qv), and Wide Sargasso Sea (1993).
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

The first film in the Austin Powers trilogy........2007-08-27

I've seen all three movies in the Austin Powers series and International Man of Mystery, the first movie in the trilogy, certainly developed a new type of funny. With over the top jokes and quirky characters, what's not to love?

For those who don't know the general storyline of the Austin Powers series, here's a brief synopsis. Austin Powers, played by Mike Myers, is a man stuck in the 60's. He's really not that good looking (in fact, I think I could even say that he's borderline disgusting) but women love him anyway. The reason? His irresistible mojo. In International Man of Mystery, Austin's goal is to stop his nemesis, Dr. Evil, after he stole a nuclear weapon.

Let's talk about the positives first. As I said above, the jokes are over the top but completely funny. The jokes are childish but that's what makes them funny. Second, each character is funny in their own way. Dr. Evil is my absolute favorite. Dr. Evil tries way too hard to be "evil" but comes off as silly. Lastly, the movie runs rather smoothly and the end of each scene leaves me wondering what the next scene is going to be about.

And now for the negatives. Two things. First, you have to have a certain sense of humor to enjoy the Austin Power movies. Most jokes will have the average person rolling their eyes. Further, although there is a general storyline, a lot of scenes are thrown in just for laughs, not to aid the storyline. Lastly, this movie is not Oscar-worthy by any means so don't expect much from it.

Bottom line-If you're looking for an entertaining movie to pass a couple of hours with some friends, be sure to check out this movie.

Groovy, Baby.......2007-07-21

I somehow managed to miss this movie when it first came out, and only recently saw it on DVD. For me, it has three great appeals. First of all, it is a wonderfully goofy spoof on the 007 movies. Second, as a baby boomer, I loved going back to the carefree 60s too! And third, Mike Myers is so irresistably corny/cool as Austin Powers. You just have to love him. Groovy, Baby!

the best Austin Powers there'll probably ever be!.......2007-07-09

there's nothing like the original...out of the other 2 Powers this is the best one by far. very funny! liz hurley is a good actress in it and beautiful. the whole 60's vibe i like. i also liked the fembots!

One of my favorite comedies.......2007-04-07

I Love owning this film because its one of those silly comedies that just gets funnier to me with each watching. just the anticipation of some of the jokes about to happen can make me laugh. Its like an old friend that you share so many private jokes with.you begin to giggle before its even said,even the really stupidest and corny of the lines. Dr. Evil is just so classic and probably my favorite of all of Myers characters.

Anyway, I think its worth letting it grow on you and watching again every few weeks.

whenever I might need a lift I know I can pop this movie in and its got me smiling again .

Classic Comedy -- But Don't Waste Your Time with the Sequels.......2007-04-02

I actually saw "The Spy Who Shagged Me" first, and was mostly bored throughout. There were maybe two funny scenes. I thought to myself, why do people seem to love "Austin Powers" so much? This was pretty lame.

Several months later I caught bits and pieces of the original ("International Man of Mystery") on TV, and found myself laughing at almost every scene! This is why people loved "Austin Powers"! Eventually I'd seen enough to know I needed to own the movie. I bought it on VHS about 5 years ago, and just got the DVD today. It is an absolute classic. I have to rate it among the best comedies of all time. If you haven't seen it yet, you just don't know what you're missing. It is extremely well-written, clever, witty, and with great delivery and timing.

Now, a warning. It is my opinion that the two sequels to this movie amount to a pile of crap. They are cliché, unoriginal, lame movies. If you like the first one, there is absolutely no guarantee you will like the second or third installments. I would recommend you not waste your time with them, period. I personally just try to pretend they don't even exist. That allows me to continue to love "Austin Powers."

Average customer rating:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY IS GOING TO KILL YOU!!!
atmospheric chiller
This really sucked
3.5; Effective if a bit familiar
will give you the willies

The Abandoned
Starring: Karel Roden , Paraskeva Djukelova , Valentin Ganev , Anastasia Hille , and Carlos Reig-Plaza
Director: Nacho Cerdà
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000OY9V9S
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Description

An American woman searching for her birth parents learns she has inherited a house in the middle of a forest in a remote area of Russia. It is the house where she was born. Abandoned and uninhabited for 40 years, it stands in total disrepair and neglect. What she finds is more than an old house. She meets a mysterious man claiming to be her twin brother and together they find the house holds dangerous secrets to a past they don't even remember. They are forced to relive a series of horrifying events and shocking murders that occurred just after they were born, and in the place where they were supposed to die.

Customer Reviews:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY IS GOING TO KILL YOU!!!.......2007-09-02

The special effects in this movie were good. The hogs feasting on human flesh part will probably haunt my mind for the rest of my life. I loved the fact that the twins were being tormented by their dead selves and that any damage done to them would then damage their living equals. All in all, this was a good movie. I just wish the ending could have been better.

atmospheric chiller.......2007-08-21

Filmed in Bulgaria by Spanish filmmaker Nacho Cerda, "The Abandoned" is a relatively entertaining horror outing with decent atmosphere and a few clever plot twists that lift it above the ordinary.

When Marie Jones (Anastasia Hille) was an infant in Russia, her father murdered her mother, but was prevented from simultaneously doing away with Marie and her twin brother, Nicolai, by the quick thinking of the dying woman. After the event, Marie was adopted and taken to America to live. Now, forty-some-odd years later, Marie has returned to her long-abandoned home in the wilderness to uncover the truth about her past. Nicolai, too, has felt compelled to make a return visit to the place, and soon both are confronting their own personal doppelgangers who haunt the homestead and who seem intent on finishing the job their father failed to complete the first time around.

Although "The Abandoned" suffers from a certain amount of redundancy in its action, the imagery is frequently creepy, the storyline moderately intriguing, and the suspense reasonably well mounted and sustained. All those adverbial qualifiers may suggest that "The Abandoned" is no more than a so-so horror movie at best - yet, even though it won't exactly scare the be-Jesus out of you or have you diving under the covers for protection, it may still have you peeking through your fingers or looking over your shoulder a good deal of the time.

This really sucked.......2007-08-19

I rented this. I feel sorry for the people that bought it. This movie really really sucked. Now, I could get into the house on an island with a bridge thats out most of the time because I would go for that sort of hermit lifestyle. But the movie just kind of runs around itself in circles. It does it for so long before anything interesting happens that it gets boring. I mean seriously how are you not going to notice the blond zombie standing in front of you looks and is dressed just like you! The house was wonderfully creepy except for that perfectly painted white trim on the windows. And a house thats been abandoned for 40 years is not going to look like its been empty for 100.

We never got any sort of explanation for that long flooded tunnel the characters kept stumbling down into with the mysterious crying babies and screams coming from what seemed like endless darkness at the end. I was really curious about that part.

The guy that drove her there never came back and we never found a body or anything. The fact that she rowed across the river in a row boat and wandered through the woods to end up at the same house has soooooo been done before and in a much scarier way.

We finally reach a point in the end but only to have the stringy haired blond drive the truck off the bridge that she has been told is out throughout the entire movie.

My husband fell asleep during this and I was tempted just to give up and turn it off myself. I had better things to do. There wasn't a 0 star rating for this or I would have given it that.

3.5; Effective if a bit familiar.......2007-08-13

When it comes down to the horror genre, no genre is probably as common as the "haunted " movie. From apartments to basements to houses, you find these kind of films everywhere and for the most part, some of them work while others get way familiar and don't really offer anything new. Sure they have an effective scare or 2 but they don't really have anything that you haven't seen before or anything to distinguish it. Not trying to hype up the Abandoned as a completely original horror film - it's far from it, actually - but you get the feeling that you've probably watched one of the better ones in awhile.

Marie Jones is an older, yet still attractive woman who grew up never knowing her parents. Flying to Russia, she finds out that her parents are dead and that there's a property that's now yours, namely that of their farmhouse. Taking a trip over there, she finds another man, Nikolai, who he says is her twin brother, and they also find someone else in the house. They try to solve the mystery of what's in the house and what happened to their parents.

It's quite refreshing to watch a film like this since there's a sense of reality that shines through it. Since the actors or by-and-large unrecognizable, a small budget and a restrained approach to CG effects makes the film use tension and pacing to make us uneasy and for the most part it does that. While it does have a bunch of characters calling out each other's names and wandering slowly through stuff, the more scarier scenes at least keep you on edge. One scene involving a flashlight and the images it reveals I thought was quite neat but then one scene involving a certain barn animal near the end I felt went too much into High Tension territory (gore for the sake of it).

Where the film severely loses points is in its plot. Now, horror films aren't known for needing big, detailed stories but with this film, they try to inject a more layered script but in the end it feels overly complicated. It's one of those stories that most people would probably have to look up on the internet and found out what in the world happened. It's also got a sagging midsection that kills the pace it had; it was developing almost a chase movie atmosphere where there was no breaks or pauses to relieve tension and then all of a sudden it just deflates.

It was interesting to see this film being rented out every time I went to the video store. Maybe people just can't find anything so they grab whatever or people got genuinely interested in seeing a horror movie. While it's far from the best horror film lately, it's at least the most refreshing.

will give you the willies.......2007-07-30

Relentlessly creepy, albeit long and slow on tempo, The Abandoned streams in the viewer into unexpected trippy parallel worlds and freighting doppelganger ghosts. If you notice the reviews are mostly positive, with a few negative which seem either to have short attention spans thus bored by the slowness, or they are expecting a different movie. (the advertisement led me to believe, I would be seeing some sort of spooky, decaying doll-- one reviewer states)

So these facts tell you that this movie will put you off guard which is one mark of a great film. I was at times saying WTF (in a good way) trying to figure out the mystery. When the reveal happens its outright acid flash back. The Abandoned is more conceptual than anything so of coarse there are a few whom won't get it and there are some unbelieveable parts but I suggest go with it you will have more fun. If you believe in the concept this movie works on all levels. Few films are perfect and when you rent this realize your RENTING a movie and not bought stock in the company thus having unrealistic expectations. I personally will buy this, a movie I feel is a modern horror masterpiece.

As for as the 8 Movies To Die for series, I have seen Dark Ride (which was Ok), Penny Dreadful (amazingly dreadful but somehow entertaining) and The Abandoned which is so much more superior than those movies its no question.

Overall 5 high stars, with a recommendation to buy. When watching, turn the lights off, turn your speakers up and hunker down and fall into this creepy world

Average customer rating:

Great Product
Luk itself is an art...
A great sequel
The Color Of Money: The coolest Scorsese flick
This DVD needs EXTRAS LIKE THEY DID FOR ROUNDERS

The Color of Money
Starring: Robert Agins , Alvin Anastasia , Randall Arney , Elizabeth Bracco , and Bill Cobbs
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Sports | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Product Features:

Classic DVD
Exclusive interviews, highlights, and behind the scenes coverage
DVD's main menu allow you to jump directly to the action
Presented in full-screen digital video

ASIN: B000035Z5G
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Product Description

Legendary actor Paul Newman (MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE) and Academy Award(R)-nominee Tom Cruise (Best Actor, 1996, JERRY MAGUIRE) ignite the screen in this powerful drama. Brilliantly directed by Martin Scorsese (GANGS OF NEW YORK), Newman re-creates one of his most memorable roles from THE HUSTLER. As Fast Eddie Felson, he still believes that "money won is twice as sweet as money earned." To prove his point, he forms a profitable yet volatile partnership with Vince (Cruise), a young pool hustler with a sexy, tough-talking girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, THE PERFECT STORM). But when Vince's flashy arrogance leads to more than a few lost matches, all bets are off between Eddie and him. THE COLOR OF MONEY will electrify you with its suspenseful story, dazzling cinematography, and dynamic performances.

Amazon.com essential video

Martin Scorsese handles directing duties in this 1986 sequel to the classic 1961 film The Hustler, which marks the return of Paul Newman to the role of pool shark Fast Eddie Felson. Anxious to break into the big time again, Eddie finds a talented protégé (Tom Cruise) to groom; but with the addition of the latter's manipulative girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and the wild streak in Cruise's character, the trio make for a fascinating portrait in group psychology. The cast is brilliant, the script by Richard Price (Clockers) is a paragon of tightly controlled character study and drama (at least in the film's first half), and Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus make an ornate show of the collision and flight of pool balls through space--something of a metaphor for the dynamics among the three principals. The film is generally regarded as weaker in its second half, and rightly so, as everything that was interesting in the first place disappears. Still, Newman won a deserved Oscar for his performance. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great Product.......2006-03-10

The movie I bought was in fantasic shape I would buy from this shipper again.

Luk itself is an art..........2005-09-13

Scorsese's movies are a warranty of quality, and this one ain't an exception. Newman's performance was exceptional, and if you've seen the Hustler, you can also aprecciate how he has developed. Cruise is actually pretty good when compared to his early work.

Very good 80's classic.

A great sequel.......2005-05-15

A sequel of sorts of Newman's 1960 THE HUSTLER, and a great one. Newman, long out of the pool game now, but still unable to forget it, finds Tom Cruise shooting the daylights out of the game one night and talks the brash young kid into going on the road and becoming a hustler, with Newman as his mentor. Then halfway through the picture Newman gets the bug to play again. He and Cruise meet up in Atlantic City in a match and Newman wins, only he learns that Cruise lost on purpose to collect a bigger debt. Although it's just an example of his pupil learning his lessons too well, Newman is crestfallen; but he refuses to share in the money - thus he's purified under fire and comes away clean. It's a bit of a shock to see the movie shift from Cruise to Newman halfway through, but the ending redeems it. Both Cruise and Newman are simply mesmorizing to watch. Everything in the movie seems to work perfectly: the gritty pool-hall settings, the minor characters (especially Forest Whitaker as a hustler) - everything. Definitely worth a watch.

The Color Of Money: The coolest Scorsese flick.......2005-01-04

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Martin Scorsese is one of the best directors living today. Films like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, The King Of Comedy, and his most recent The Aviator are modern day classics.

The Color Of Money is also on the list of Scorsese's movie portfolio, and it's also one of the best movies made in general. The film stars Paul Newman (The Hustler) and Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire, Rain Man) as hustlers out to make big cash in the pool halls. Newman reprises his role as Fast Eddie Felson, from 1961's film The Hustler, an oldtimer who is looking for new talent to sport around, Tom Cruise plays his target Vincent, a talented pool player and potential hustler. Felson teaches Vincent and his girl sidekick Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) everything there is to know about professional hustling and then out they go across country hustling through every state they pass on their way to the big championship in Atlanta. The highlight of the film is in the tense relationship between the desperate Felson, the crazy jealous Vincent and the manipulative Carmen, and how they manage to work as a team.

Recommended

A

This DVD needs EXTRAS LIKE THEY DID FOR ROUNDERS.......2004-12-06

Simply put, I'll watch my old VHS tape of this forever. I will not buy a DVD of any mainstream movie that has no extras. GET ON IT ALREADY. Put Newman and Cruise together again for a commentary track. Assemble a handful of pros to do a featurette on it! I've seen other movies revamped two or three times with DVD extras but this one just keeps getting printed with a plain old brown wrapper. Put the Money where your mouth is!

Average customer rating:

Not up to Izzard standards
Izzard Rocks
izzard is the wizzard!
Eddie Izzard - Circle
Very nice, but not quite up to the standards he set for himself...

Eddie Izzard - Circle
Starring: Eddie Izzard
Director: Anastasia Pappas
Manufacturer: WEA Corp.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0000ALA3P
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Amazon.com

No one but madcap stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard can spin comic gold out of papal history, monkeys with guns, Jesus preaching to the dinosaurs, and cafeteria food on the Death Star. Circle, taken from his stand-up tour in 2000, doesn't have the astonishingly seamless free-associative flow of Glorious or Dress to Kill, his previous specials--which is to say, he's only intermittently brilliant, instead of supernaturally nonstop brilliant. We'll take what we can get, because Izzard can slip in surprisingly stinging commentary about international politics and religion, yet his impish smile suggests that he's only pointing out the obvious. He tosses out an idea and then plays with it like a cat plays with a mouse, flipping it around, teasing it out, pouncing, and then letting it go, only to sneak back up on it just when you'd forgetten it was there. Cheeky, subversive, and very, very funny. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Live comedy with the master of sublime weirdness, Eddie Izzard, recorded in New York, 26 June 2000. Also includes a 30 minute behind the scenes documentary about Eddie's US tour. PROGRAM FEATURES * Circle feature commentary by Eddie Izzard. * Circle trivia track on feature. * Dress To Circle one-hour rough-cut of Eddie Izzard's Dress To Kill show in Paris (spoken in French). Previously released on the Dress To Kill DVD. * Dress To Circle commentary by Eddie Izzard. * 30 minute behind the scenes documentary about Eddie's US tour. * Subtitled in nine languages.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 2 HOURS 20 MINUTES

Customer Reviews:

Not up to Izzard standards.......2007-06-12

We are huge Eddie Izzard fans, have all his cd's and dvd's of concerts, have seen him live twice, love The Riches, but..... This dvd concert is not up to his usual genius. It is funny in parts but he seems disinterested, distracted and almost annoyed with the show. So was I.

Izzard Rocks.......2007-04-21

Eddie Izzard has to be just about the best comic around. My upper division English teacher in college showed us some of "Dress to Kill," and the class was cracking up. I watch everything of his I can get my hands on.

izzard is the wizzard! .......2007-03-27

Eddie Izzard is the best comedian of this age, no doubt.
Is he smart? Yeah! Does he make you laugh for hours? Yeah!

The point is his intellectual capacity and quality makes his show even more interesting. Comedians are observes I belive, they observe things. Think of one and only Jerry Seinfeld. He is funny, he has lots of things to say about anything. So does Eddie. But Eddie loves to talk about politics, history, war, humanity etc. He sure observes moreover he reads, he writes, he questions, he searhes. Well, it's not a piece of cake make jokes about latin empire! This is what I like most about him. He is cultivated. You may get a quick survey to history and politcs; little details about daily life in Eddie style of comments and gestures.

The show "Circle" has cultivated smart funny stories.
You can come across with James Mason, Sean Connery, Jesus, The English and of course Hitler.
He sure gives more than you want....with a fantastic make up! :)

Eddie Izzard - Circle.......2007-01-15

Hilarious. Eddie Izzard is a very clever, intelligent comedian. Not a lot of cursing.

Very nice, but not quite up to the standards he set for himself..........2006-11-03

Eddie Izzard is my favorite comedian by far and just about everything out of the mans mouth gets at least a chuckle from me. Though if you are new to Izzard I reccomend buying any of his other DvD's first, as this dosn't quite live up to his other preformances (Though I have not seen Unrepetable or Sexie yet so I can't say anything about them). That said, if you own all the other Eddie DvD's or simply must hear the Star Wars bit this is still a very fine performance that got quite a few laughs out of me.

Average customer rating:

Jonathan Taylor Thomas is the best actor !!!
Wild America
Great adventure
Pleasant surprise
Wild

Wild America
Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas , Devon Sawa , Scott Bairstow , Frances Fisher , and Jamey Sheridan
Director: William Dear
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0790732920
Release Date: 1997-10-22

Amazon.com

You wouldn't know it by watching the mostly ridiculous escapades on display in Wild America, but this comedy/adventure for young boys is marginally based on the true story of Marshall, Mark, and Marty Stouffer, three young brothers who successfully pursued their dream of becoming wildlife filmmakers. From their home in the South, the Stouffer boys embark on a cross-country trek to the West, where they hope to get rare footage from inside the dreaded Cave of the Sleeping Bears. Along the way they encounter cute British tourist girls, deadly alligators, a rampaging moose, and an Air Force fighter on a bombing range. In other words, Wild America is about as contrived as it could possibly be and still claim to be based on reality, but it is harmless enough for young viewers with its wholesome message about bravery, hard work, and family togetherness. Jonathan Taylor Thomas (from television's Home Improvement) leads the young cast of adventurers. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Based on the true story of the daredevil Stouffer brothers, "Wild America."

DVD Features:
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Jonathan Taylor Thomas is the best actor !!!.......2007-09-12

The movie is sooooo god damn gr8 , it's definitly the best movie I've ever watched in my whole life , u really should watch it !!!Wild America

Wild America.......2007-05-25

Kids love this movie. As an adult I can nit-pick all I want, but the simple truth, is that kids love this movie.

Great adventure.......2007-05-07

I found this movie to be thoroughly entertaining. I loved the spirit of life and nature shared by the experience of the 3 brothers. It was also refreshing to see their hopes and dreams come to life. Well acted and a well told story. Loved the relationship of the parents and children - the support and nurturing by all was very positive. Then you find it is based on a true story and that makes the tale even better. Great movie to watch with your family and friends.

Pleasant surprise.......2007-04-03

My husband and I were trying to keep from dozing off on the couch one Sunday afternoon when we came upon this movie. It wasn't what the local station had promised they would show, but within minutes we were hooked. It quickly became clear that you have to keep your tongue in cheek while watching this. The main character is being fanciful as he tells the story through reminicing. Don't let that bother you. It is a dear, warmly-told story. I plan to get it so I can sit down and see it again.

Wild.......2007-03-21

This is the best movie to watch with a teenager to bring your family together. Laugh, cry & laugh some more! Get it!

Average customer rating:

Slow, stylish, and somewhat entertaining
ho hum
surprisingly dissapointing
A fair movie, but an inept remake
Doesn't Score up to Michael Caine's Original ..........

Alfie (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Jude Law , Renée Taylor , Jane Krakowski , Jeff Harding , and Marisa Tomei
Director: Charles Shyer
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00077BOFG
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Amazon.com

Jude Law's Alfie, much like Michael Caine's Alfie in the 1966 original, is what you'd call an unrepentant womanizer. He beds 'em but never weds 'em, and New York provides ample opportunity to continue the process--until reality slaps him in the face. Because Jude Law is, well, Jude Law, you can see why he gets away with it as long as he does, and the actor also pulls off the usually awkward trick of narrating directly to the camera. Neither his Alfie, however, nor director Charles Shyer's remake emerges completely without scratches. Law has a Chesire Cat carnality, but he emanates too much intellect to buy him as the relatively dim bulb he's supposed to be. The film, meanwhile, is a bit soft around the edges; the whole thing would have more resonance if it wasn't quite so intent on watching the unrepentant repent. Regardless, it's a surprisingly thoughtful diversion, and there's fine work from Marisa Tomei, Nia Long, and Susan Sarandon as the women who understandably make Alfie reconsider his ways.--Steve Wiecking

Description

In this remake of the 1966 classic, Jude Law stars as Alfie, the quintessential Don Juan who is rather caught up in himself. Using his charm and a great smile, Alfie searches for beautiful women who will give him what he wants. Once they become too attached, he breaks their heart. This ideal bachelor lifestyle ends up unraveling and Alfie must learn to admit defeat and change his ways.

Customer Reviews:

Slow, stylish, and somewhat entertaining.......2007-08-16

Alfie Elkins (Jude Law) is a limo driver who likes to hop in the back seat with some of his customers. The commitment phobic Alfie has numerous women that he sees. Marisa Tomei happens to play his " sort of kind of girlfriend." She is a single mother whose son Alfie is crazy about, her not so much. She is involved mentally as compared to Alfie's physical interest and when he is not willing to settle down with her they break up. This sends Alfie into the arms of several other women including Susan Sarandon as an attractive 40 something and Jane Krakowski who is the limo customer that rendezvous with Alfie in the backseat. He really messes up though when he gets his best friend's girlfriend (Nia Long) pregnant. Alfie finds himself all alone and with a possible fatal health crisis. During the time it takes for him to get his test results he plans on becoming a better man and changing his ways. When his results come back negative he is back to picking up women and sleeping with them. His next female companion is played by the beautiful Sienna Miller. This is the film where the two became an item and Law really must have been a Method actor in this role since he left his then wife for Miller and would eventually be dumped by Miller for sleeping with the nanny. Anyway Miller's brief performance as a bipolar party girl who is given to violent mood swings is very good. She wants to get healthy and back on her meds so that her and Alfie have a chance but he dumps her since he has someone else. Or so he thinks. In a nice twist she is sleeping with someone else and puts Alfie in his place by telling him that she is sleeping with this guy because he's younger. Alfie is left all alone and realizes the error of his ways but of course it is too late since all of his former lovers have moved on and are happy. The film looks good but overall it gets slow and there is not much that can be done with the plot. Its hard to feel sympathetic for someone as selfish as Alfie who thinks he is living the life sleeping with all these women and not being truthful to any of them. When he is left all alone to try to figure out how he came to be that way he does not reach any epiphany of sorts. This is not the only annoying problem I had with the film. I understand that as in the Michael Caine original the narration is done directly to camera but this technique grows tiresome after a while as does the film's soundtrack. The music is by Mick Jagger and his ballads appear in nearly every scene when Alfie has either dumped a woman or been left by a woman or comes to some kind of realization in other words too frequently. Still the film is entertaining at times and if you're a fan of Law you will probably be able to overlook these problems.

ho hum.......2007-08-02

This movie is too boring. It is painful to sit through the hold thing.I would never watch this movie again.Unless I was really bored with nothing else to do.
Jud Law isn't very good in it even when he talks into the camera.

surprisingly dissapointing.......2007-07-22

i am a fan of jude law and think he's very handsome. i was also excited to watch this movie (and see sienna miller who was emerging as the "it" girl when this came out). i saw the previews and on-set pics for Alfie and thought it would be good. unfortunately it was boring. it just had no spark. it was lackluster. and for some reason jude law's speech is a bit incomprehensible (guess it's his accent). the people i watched it with kept saying "what did he just say?" that makes the movie difficult to follow b/c Alfie is the one narrating the movie. only when sienna entered it got a bit exciting, but even then it wore off and went back to being dull. i don't know what went wrong with the movie. maybe they need to try it again in a few years.

A fair movie, but an inept remake.......2007-07-09

Jude Law is a fine actor and does his usual excellent job in this remake. If you've never seen the original you'd probably think it was a decent enough movie. But if you've seen the original, with Michael Caine, you'd be wondering why they bothered to make this in the first place- especially the butchered version that resulted.

Like a lot of latter day remakes, this is very much a prettified version of the original. All of Law's conquests have model good looks- as does Law himself, for that matter. He's also a good deal more refined, in accent and in manners, unlike Caine's rather crude Cockney. He moves about in beautiful surroundings. And that loses an essential element of the setting of the novel. Alfie did not live in a beautiful world, and his conquests were not necessarily beautiful women; in large part they were women whom someone else desired- and that was what compelled him to seduce them.

Caine's (and the novel's) Alfie exploited weak women; for whatever reason, the director, or perhaps the producers, decided this Alfie's conquests had to be modern, strong women who use him as much as he uses them. That of course makes Alfie a good deal less of a cad; Jude Law's Alfie is not leaving behind the wrecked lives that Caine's did, and he becomes almost sympathetic at one point- a sentiment completely absent in the book and the original movie.

In the end, this version misses the essential Alfie- his inability to recognize flaws in himself, even as he rationalizes his actions and convinces himself that he's doing the right thing. The result is a shallow character study completely lacking the depth and impact of the original.

Doesn't Score up to Michael Caine's Original .................2007-07-09

This remake might have a few things going for it, though I can't pin point what it would be.

I thought it was unjust and dull compared to the original 60's version and found myself disappointed , bored and deep in thought of how great it would be to star Michael Caine in it again.

Michael Caine as an older bachelor still up to his old tricks. I even got to thinking how he and Shelly Winters could have another go at it.

but as I watched this dull, dreary remake , I realized there's no going back in time.

Average customer rating:

Great film, horrible voice track!
Colorized, Brilliant, Moving, Just Utterly First Class
RESTORATION AND EXTRAS MAKE IT GREAT..ER!!!!
To be or not be?
classic Bergman

Anastasia
Starring: Ingrid Bergman , Yul Brynner , Helen Hayes , Akim Tamiroff , and Martita Hunt
Director: Anatole Litvak
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00008LDO0
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Amazon.com essential video

Ingrid Bergman gives one of her memorable, haunting, and haunted performances as an amnesiac chosen by a White Russian general (Yul Brynner) in 1928 to play the part of Anastasia, the long-rumored but missing survivor of the Bolsheviks' murderous attack on the czar's family. The twist is that Bergman's mystery woman seems to know more about the lost Anastasia than she is told. Based on the play by Marcelle Maurette and Guy Bolton, this film--directed by Anatole Litvak (Out of the Fog)--really does get under one's skin, not least of all because of its intriguing story but even more because of the strong chemistry between Bergman and Brynner. --Tom Keogh

Description

An expatriate White Russian general sets in motion a grand hoax after he meets a destitute woman on the banks of the Seine River in Paris. He is amazed at her resemblance to Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas of Russia, rumored to have somehow survived the Bolsheviks' execution of the Romanoff family in 1918. He trains her to impersonate the missing princess but soon begins to feel she may be the real Anastasia. Ultimately, the truth can only be decided by one person Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress.

Customer Reviews:

Great film, horrible voice track!.......2007-09-04

A film for the ages, and it's so controversial because of A.Laurents' screenplay, a thorough critique of the Romanov Dynasty and monarchy in general in 1956 when everybody was running from McCarthy.

Ingrid Bergman is so superb, as is Yul Brynner and Helen Hayes.Waht can you say about the scenes between Ingrid and Brynner and Ingrid with
Helen Hayes? They are so brilliant! And the p[hotography, the use of CinemaScope!
Akim Tamiroff and Martita Hunt are marvellous too. However, this DVD has major flaws with respect to the transmission of sound. The music overwhelms everyone, and the voices are low and not understandable as aresult of many imbakances. There was the Fox Tape, not LBXd but clear and balanced. What the heck happened?
. Keep the LBX tapes from Fox Movie Channel and be content, or, if you can get the Chinese DVD import, get it, beautiful sound and color. This release is sad, to be sure, but the Fox Dvds are very bad, and need to be re -done some day by competent people, by people who love film.

Look at The Gang's All Here, for example, and other box sets from Fox, the Tyrone Power one..keep the old tapes.

Colorized, Brilliant, Moving, Just Utterly First Class.......2007-08-04

This is such a beautiful film. The colorization is certainly a value-added, but nothing can be better than Yule Brenner and Ingred Birgman with a quiet love that comes to fruition.

I am an unabashed romantic, and this DVD is my top ten list.

Do NOT fall for the Meg Ryan version! That is animated pap. I love Meg Ryan but this (Yule Brenner and Ingred Bergman) is the only real thing).

This movie was a perfect evening in every sense of the word.

RESTORATION AND EXTRAS MAKE IT GREAT..ER!!!!.......2007-05-19

It's already a great movie but the extras make it greater! Either before viewing or after watching the movie you have the chance to see the Biography channels story on the real Anastasia. I believe this gave me so much more satisfaction because I was able to learn and also to compare it to the fictional story that the movie was. I wont even waste space describing the actors performances except to say ..Magnificant!!!!

To be or not be?.......2007-04-10

Absorbing drama of an amnesiac girl who may or may not be the daughter of Czar Nicholas II. The performances are so superb that you or anyone of us are immediately engaged with this tour de force acting. Anatole Livak directed his masterpiece with the talented complicity of Mrs. Ingrid Bergman in her second Academy Award as Best Actress. Kudos for You Brynner who was extraordinary too.

classic Bergman.......2007-03-21

Bergman is excellent as the tragic Russian figure in the "urban legend" of a surviving princess. The recording quality in the beginning of the DVD is out of balance. The musical score overwhelms the voices but eventually that is corrected. Definitely a popular addition to my collection.

Average customer rating:

Great plot, story line...A must have for any parent of a teenager
review of Mom At Sixteen
Good movie for teens.
Mom at Sixteen/Too Young to Be a Dad
Mom at Sixteen

Mom at Sixteen/Too Young to Be a Dad
Starring: Danielle Panabaker , Jane Krakowski , Clare Stone , Tyler Hynes , and Colin Ferguson
Director: Peter Werner (III) , and Éva Gárdos
Manuf