The Cutting Edge - Gold Medal Edition

Amazon.com

As far as ice-skating movies go (or those that prominently feature the cold-bladed sport), this romantic movie is one of the best, thanks to utterly charming performances by underrated actors D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. The couple play, respectively, a washed-up hockey player and a prima-donna skater who end up in doubles figure skating together at the Winter Olympics. Of course, the mismatched pair fall in love. In between, there's a lot of verbal sparring, talk of toe picks, and surprisingly skillful directing by Paul Michael Glaser (Kazaam, The Air Up There). Direction here is critical--unlike in Flashdance, where the dancing was done in the shadows, face and feet obviously shot separately--and The Cutting Edge credibly highlights the actors and their professional stand-ins. This is such a fun, sweet story that the facts the film takes liberties with--including the alacrity with which a hockey player takes to Olympic-level figure skating--are easily forgivable. --N.F. Mendoza

Description

She's a rich and refined pairs figure skater whose prima donna attitude has her skating solo. He's a brash, blue-collar hockey champion with a new injury and no future. With nothing in common but their dream of reaching the Olympics, Kate and Doug are each other's last resort. Reluctantly, they join forces, but its not long before the barbs - and sparks - start flying as the unlikely pair skate towards the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance at a medal...and a chance at love.

Customer Reviews:

The infection of passion binds the heart and frees a soul........2007-08-14

I must confess this is one of my all time favorite films. My heart is drawn to romantic comedies, lives drawn to transformation and beauty. I experience all three connections every time I watch this story again and again. The story revolves around the sport of couples olympic skating as approached from to very unlikely directions. The story seemed quite plausible including us in the drive shared by our main characters and their step by step progress through ups and downs to the very exciting conclusion. The workouts were rigorous and the skating footage very powerful and thrilling.The romantic energy was electric and compelling as well as the ache of hearts moving foward and apart in the dance of fear and indecision. This movie feels like what we wish life was and, by the way, can be. Include this in your favorite story collection, today.

the best .......2007-07-11

I think this is the best of many ice skateing movies the romance and misunderstanding makes for a better story line.

B-Grade Everything.......2007-06-17

This is one of those films you find yourself laughing at--not because it's got good humor in it, but because of all the things it does wrong. The script is corny, the acting poor, and the story line trite and uninvolving.They don't even show any extended figure skating scenes, which would have at least added a nice note as that is always fun to watch.

The dialogue between the two leads is supposed to be snappy, but with the wooden way they deliver it, it's just dopey (I'm surprised these two actors ever worked again after this film came out...) The two skaters bicker non-stop through the whole movie and then are supposed to fall in love at the end, though I didn't buy it for a minute. They are both unlikeable, as characters and as actors, so I didn't care what happened to them in the end...unless they would have fallen through the ice, which would have ended this dull ice skating movie on the proper note.

Magnifico!.......2007-05-17

English has words for most emotions, but sometimes Italian is more effective. I saw this movie for the first time seventeen years after it came out, and I found it exactly "Magnifico".
Ice-skating has always represented in my immaginary one of the forms of "gracefullness" that can be acheived in competitive sports. Another is surely gymnastics.
This very well written movie deals with a beautiful and fascinating sport, but also adds to this advantage a story of failures, dreams, efforts and "Great Expectations" (Kate gives Doug this book for Christmas). The plot somewhat resembles "The Taming of the Shrew", with a femine character that is whitty, sassy and tempremental and a male character that steadily somehow tames her. However, we don't live in Skakespeare's times anymore, so the parity of sexes must be respected, with also the man giving in at last to love.
Nothing is more romantic than the meeting of disparities, and this is exactly what happens here.
A pretty, talented, rich, spoiled and introverse young figure skater, Kate Mosely, finds herself without a partner. Thanks to the long eye of her Russian trainer, she has the occasion of trying out the retired hockey player Doug Dorsey, that slightly intimidated by the girl and the situation, but at the same time desiring to skate again and compete decides to pair up with her in the attempt to qualify for the Olympic games.
One of the points of force of this movie is the dialogue between the couple which is fast, humoristic and a pleasure to follow. Another is the evident attraction between the actors which goes right to the heart.
The scenography is also very good, with the winter scenes that add magic to the atmosphere and the training scenes with the skaters alone on the rink.
Obviously some of the sport scenes are impossible, as skaters have rightly pointed out, and the plot resolves as expected, but I believe this movie can be classified as a romantic classic and will stand the test of time.

The best romantic comedy drama of the 90's!.......2007-04-12

People may say that My Best Friends Wedding was the best romantic comedy of the 90's, but I have to say that this one is my all-time favorite! Julia Roberts is great and banked a lot of bucks for the movie studios, however The Cutting Edge proves you don't need big-name stars for a film to excel on all levels. You can read what this film is about already, I just wanted to say that if you have overlooked this or if it is not in your collection already, you are missing out! 5 stars!

Average customer rating:

An OK spy flick, but dreary and depressing
Eye of The Needle
Canny World War II Spy Story
Eye of the Needle
My highest rating!

Eye of the Needle
Starring: Donald Sutherland , Stephen MacKenna , Philip Martin Brown , Kate Nelligan , and Christopher Cazenove
Director: Richard Marquand
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000035P5E
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Amazon.com essential video

Eye of the Needle is a superbly effective World War II spy thriller from the Ken Follett bestseller of the same name. Donald Sutherland is "the Needle," a German spy in England bearing critical information on Allied invasion plans that he must deliver personally to the Führer. He's so named because of his preferred method of assassination, the stiletto. As played by Sutherland, he's a coldly calculating psychopath, emotionlessly focused on the task at hand, whether the task is to signal a U-boat or to gut a witness to avoid exposure. On his way back to Germany, a fierce storm strands him on an island, occupied only by a woman (Kate Nelligan), her disabled husband, and the lighthouse keeper. A romance of sorts develops between the woman and the spy, due to an estrangement of affections between the woman and her husband, whose accident has rendered him emotionally crippled as well. Much of the suspense of the latter half of the movie has to do with this romance, and the way it begins to reveal the Needle's motivations and whether there's a sympathetic personality buried somewhere inside him, though he remains by-and-large tantalizingly enigmatic. Early on, we discover that he may not enjoy the hand life has dealt him. When a courier asks him about the way he lives, and "What else can one do?" the Needle answers, "One can just stop." But as the film makes amply clear in its final third, one doesn't stop, does one? The direction by Richard Marquand (known primarily for thrillers such as this one and Jagged Edge, although he also did Return of the Jedi) is crisply done, boasting numerous suspenseful episodes, including a deadly encounter between Sutherland and the disabled husband, which is jaw-droppingly surprising. --Jim Gay

Description

Donald Sutherland (Outbreak) and Kate Nelligan (Up Close & Personal) ignite the screen as ill-fated lovers in this "exciting, emotionally involving thriller" (New York Magazine).Based on the best-selling novel by Ken Follett, this searing mystery is a roller coaster ride of suspense, centering on the relationship between a master spy and a brave womanwith the fate of the world hanging in the balance.Englishmen know him as Faber, but to the Fatherland, he's the lethal spy known as "The Needle." On his way back to Germany, Faber is shipwrecked on an island outpost where he befriends Lucy, a beautiful Englishwoman who lives there with her family. Lonely and scorned by her bitter, crippled husband, Lucy falls for the enigmatic stranger, not knowing that he's atraitor determined to prevent the D-Day invasion. But as their passion erupts, Lucy discovers the brutal truthas love and war melt into an electrifying climax of eroticism, adrenaline and terror!

Customer Reviews:

An OK spy flick, but dreary and depressing.......2007-07-17

This is a faithful reproduction of the La Follette novel by the same name. The novel was not one of the author's best, nor is this film any better. I had two criticisms of this film. The most important is the simple fact that this is a dreary and depressing film. The tragedy at the beginning [*very minor spoiler*] when David loses his legs casts a pall over the entire story. The subsequent events are not uplifting, and the ending was fairly predictable. Overall, not the kind of film I would watch twice.

The other thing I did not like about this film was Donald Sutherland. His accent simply did not cut the mustard. It was cloying and inauthentic. I cringed almost every time he spoke. Oddly, when he spoke German the few times in the film, he sounded quite authentic.

Overall a watchable film, but not an uplifting or memorable one.

Eye of The Needle.......2007-05-07

One of the best WWII Spy novels, made into a great with outstanding performances by Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan. Worth the price of purchasing, especially if you like this type of movie. Donald Sutherland does an excellent job of portraying a German Agent living in England during World war II, although his nemsis, a former student turned soldier does a rather poor imitation of a self righteous person bent on identifying his former teacher for Scotland Yard. It is predictable what is going to happen to him.Eye of the Needle

Canny World War II Spy Story.......2007-05-05

1981's "Eye of the Needle," a canny World War II spy drama, is another of the good romantic thrillers made in the 80's. It's based on a novel by Ken Follett, with screenplay by Stanley Mann. It stars the Canadians Kate Nelligan and Donald Sutherland, at the head of an excellent British cast; and it boasts a stunning musical score by Miklos Rosza, his last, that undoubtedly contributes to the film's moods. It was made on location in London and Scotland, features quite beautiful cinematography by Alan Hulme, and was ably directed by Richard Marquand.

The film opens at a critical point in the ongoing war. It deals with the so-called "Henry Faber," important German spy dubbed "The Needle" at home for his favorite way of despatching people, by stiletto (Sutherland). We find him in place in a railway yard, a useful place for him to be, until Hitler personally assigns him to double check the impending Allied plans to invade mainland Europe. This assignment will bring him eventually to isolated Storm Island, off Scotland's coast, where he will meet David, legless former air pilot (Christopher Cazenove), and his unhappy wife Lucy (Nelligan). It quickly becomes a romantic triangle. The affair between Sutherland and Nelligan is a mature, passionate, sexy one: the film has placed Sutherland's age at 40, and Nelligan has been given a son.

Sutherland gives a creepily forceful performance as The Needle, although his accent sometimes wavers. Nelligan gives one of her trademark big, intense performances: it seems to me she was once tipped as Hollywood's next big female star, and it never happened, for reasons unknown to me. But she really carries this picture. Cazenove is surprisingly good as the embittered former flyboy. Ian Banner turns in his usual fine performance as chief spy sweeper. Rupert Fraser makes the most of his one scene as Muller. And, in a very small part at the end, we see Bill Nighy, who has suddenly, recently, become a star at an age when a lot of burnt-out stars are selling real estate.

When you think of it though, The Needle and Lucy must inevitably clash; just the two of them on the tiny island. Mind you, patriotism's all very well, but I consider this film more a good illustration of the age-old fact that women are more fixed in place than are men. The Needle, as a spy, is, by definition, a long way from home. But Lucy owns a farm, and has a son who will someday expect to inherit. She doesn't have the option of, say, running off to Germany with Faber. In fact, this exact same situation underlies the Harrison Ford-Kelly McGillis relationship in the powerful romantic thriller "Witness," also from the 80's.

So, as the knockout ending unspools, The Needle tells Lucy, "The War has come down to the two of us... I did what I had to do, it cannot be undone. I'm sorry." But if you enjoy a rich romantic suspense movie, you won't be.

Eye of the Needle.......2007-01-11

A movie, well done, from a era in filmmaking in the past

My highest rating!.......2007-01-06

This is a fine film, tastefully produced, a superior story (WW II suspense/spy thriller), and brilliant performances by the entire cast. My favorite genre is the mystery, epics are next, but I re-watch this DVD with frequency. I'm a huge fan of superior cinematography and this film has it all the way, beautiful color saturation. The filmscore is appropriate to the movie and, really, I can offer not a single negative comment about this work. This DVD is certainly one for your collection, especially if you're into war films or spy thrillers.

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye

Average customer rating:

Interesting but not great

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye
Starring: Henri Cartier-Bresson , Elliott Erwitt , Arthur Miller , Ferdinando Scianna , and Isabelle Huppert
Director: Heinz Bütler
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures / Umvd
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CGX7G6
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Description

A wonderful, evocative biography of the man considered the greatest photographer of the last century. Cartier-Bresson's life reads like a history of the century - World War II, China, Egypt, Mexico, India, Sartre, Matisse, Ghandi (minutes before he was killed), and Cuba all became subjects of his famous "decisive moment" style. Interviews with Cartier-Bresson, Isabelle Huppert, Arthur Miller and other luminaries are woven into this indelible portrait of an icon of both photography and the world.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but not great.......2006-03-23

This is an interesting DVD for any Cartier-Bresson fan, but given the material, I would have made the film differently. You do get to see a lot of his photos and there is some good conversation with the man but the music is annoying and it would have been nice to have a choice of either reading subtitles (Cartier-Bresson speaks French) or hearing a translator. Instead, hearing the translator is the only choice.

There is surpringly little meat to this documentary given the fact that they interviewed several other people in addition to Henri Cartier-Bresson himself. I came away not knowing that much more about the man than I did before I watched this DVD.

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Rathbone is the Best Sherlock
Classic Rathbone and Bruce magic.
Holmes as usual!

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Nigel Bruce , Ida Lupino , George Zucco , and Alan Marshal
Director: Alfred L. Werker
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001DCYB4
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

One of the most engaging features from 20th Century Fox's Holmes series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is also of historical interest as it based on a hugely popular, early 20th century stage play written by and starring William Gillette. Basil Rathbone cuts a fine figure as the lean, hawkish Great Detective, drawn into a complicated conspiracy by fiendish Dr. Moriarty (George Zucco) to distract Holmes while quietly preparing to steal the Crown Jewels. Nigel Bruce is on board as a buffoonish Dr. Watson, and British-born Ida Lupino is very good, and quite gorgeous, as a young woman who may be the target of a family curse. True-blue Sherlockians know that very little of Gillette's tale, and next to nothing about Zucco's or Bruce's performances, have anything to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sacred canon. Still, this is a handsome production to enjoy on its own terms. --Tom Keogh

Description

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes

Set in the Victorian Age and regarded by many as the finest of the fourteen films in the Sherlock Holmes/Basil Rathbone series, `The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' was originally released in 1939 by Twentieth Century-Fox.

Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) has at long last been brought to trial for murder, but the `Napoleon of Crime' is acquitted after the court finds a lack of sufficient evidence. Moriarty wastes no time in plotting his next crime, but in order to be successful he must divert the attention of the Great Detective.

Intimidating, anonymous letters sent to young socialite Ann Brandon (Ida Lupino) ; the murder of Miss Brandon's brother; and threats to the security of a priceless gem consume the attention of Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his companion Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce).

Are these mysterious occurrences simply erroneous distractions? Are they clues to a case irrelevant to the exploits of the evil Professor Moriarty? Or, are these portents of disaster inexorably linked to the master criminal's plan to commit a crime that will shake the very foundation of the British Empire? It is for Holmes and Watson to sort out these mysteries and, hopefully, eliminate the menace of Professor Moriarty.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable.......2007-07-26

It certainly was fun to watch. I do enjoy the black/white old movies. Rathbone was good, but I have to say, Jeremy Brett is the best "Sherlock Holmes". The DVD was flawless.

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.......2007-06-21

Based on a stage play and straying far from the Arthur Conan Doyle canon, Werker's "Holmes" nevertheless makes for thrilling entertainment, in no small part because it reunites Rathbone and co-star Nigel Bruce, playing the oafish Dr. Watson, from their first outing in "Hound of the Baskervilles." The young Lupino (who'd go on to direct movies) is radiant as a young beauty plagued by an ancient family curse--a ruse concocted, of course, by Zucco's deliciously malevolent Moriarty. It doesn't take a master logician to deduce that "Holmes" is a first-rate whodunit.

Rathbone is the Best Sherlock.......2007-06-12

The quintessential movie Sherlock Holmes can be none other than Basil Rathbone. Forget that the movies (with the exception of the first two produced by Paramount, of which this is one) update Holmes to the twentieth century. The fun lingers. And of course, Nigel Bruce is a delight, even though he is NOT the Watson of Doyle's original work. But that Watson was insipid, only a faint ghost telling a fascinating story. Since Bruce's interpretation Dr. Watson has become, at least in later films and television adaptations, almost as important as Holmes himself, something that would probably have Sir Arthur turning over in his grave.

Classic Rathbone and Bruce magic........2006-03-22

Thoroughly enjoyed this great movie. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce make it a wonderful experience, even for those who are not fanatical fans of Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes as usual!.......2006-03-22

This DVD arrived within a few days in good condition. My husband has watched it twice already (he's a REAL Basil-Rathbone-as-Holmes fan) and is very pleased at being able to get this title. We now have all the Rathbone titles except "The Scarlet Claw" (on order), and these movies will be watched over and over.

The movie is as good as all the other Rathbone "Holmeses," and still relevant to human behavior, even though the world has moved on from the time period they cover. Thank you, Amazon, for making this movie available.

Average customer rating:

Not as Good as I Remember
great copies of great old movies
Still SCARY After All These Years
Blast From the Past
Great combo for kids

Invaders from Mars / The Crawling Eye
Starring: Helena Carter , Arthur Franz , Jimmy Hunt , Leif Erickson , and Hillary Brooke
Director: William Cameron Menzies , and Quentin Lawrence
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000D1FFN
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Customer Reviews:

Not as Good as I Remember.......2007-07-03

I had not seen these on TV for decades. I remember them as being the scariest movies while growing up. I was disappointed in the movies. They were not scary and were slow moving. I did like seeing the "head" Martian in the glass globe again in "Invaders" and the Crawling Eyes being burned.

I have seen "Them" over the years and that still holds up. I also like "Forbidden Planet," even with the low tech technology.

I guess I should have rented "The Crawling Eye" and "Invaders from Mars" before/instead of buying.

great copies of great old movies.......2007-06-14

I liked both of these movies. This DVD set has excellent quality copies. This is well worth purchasing for old movie buffs

Still SCARY After All These Years.......2006-08-27

I have fond memories of being terrified watching THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE on TV in NY. The Crawling Eye is great fun to see again....THEM was even better. Really a Classic. I thought Invader from Mars would be really eerie, but the print is very old and the night scenes are almost too dark to see. Still the alternate British ending was interesting. For anyone who grew up in the 50's and 60's this is a fun trip into the past.

Blast From the Past.......2006-03-13

True, the special effects are minimal but the movies are better than I remembered. I watched The Crawling Eye for 4 days in a row years ago on the Million Dollar Movie and loved every minute of it (at 9 years old) and I was suprised to find it hadn't become too laughable like so many other Scifi movies from the 50's I've seen. True, the crawling eye itself is not Jurassic Park scarey but My 19 year old daughter even enjoyed it! Invaders from Mars was pretty good too, although the aliens are kinda corney it's still a fun movie to watch. And, the bonus British version was a great addition, in fact I liked the British ending much better!! All in all they're both good to watch on a Saturday night with some popcorn and remember how scared you were the first time you saw them, way back when.

Great combo for kids.......2004-01-08

Invaders
Where is Col. Fielding when you need him?
Be sure to notice all the standard Sci-fi actors and even the Beaver's mother "Kelston's Secretary" (Barbara Billingsley). This movie was well done with just the right amount of spookiness and has a kid's perspective on what is happening. This is not a kid is smarter than his/her parents movie. There are lots of strange happenings and lots of tension. I will not go into the details as if you have not seen the movie it is more fun to be surprised.
Right from the beginning Little David MacLean sees a flying saucer land in the sandpit behind the house. He tells his parents. They being good parents check it out for him and naturally find nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe he had a nightmare or maybe the nightmare is just beginning as everyone starts acting strange and only David can sound the alarm. What would you do?

Amazon.com

Description

Moira Kelly (Dangerous Beauty, "The West Wing") and D. B. Sweeney (Roommates, Memphis Belle) star as polar opposites who unite on the ice for a shot at Olympic gold in this inspirational romantic comedy from acclaimed director Paul M. Glaser (The Running Man). Brimming with wit, charm and plenty of breathtaking sports action, The Cutting Edge is a real winner! She's a rich and refined pairs figure skater whose prima donna attitude has her skating solo. He's a brash, blue-collar hockey champion with a new injury and no future. With nothing in common but their dream of reaching the Olympics, Kate and Doug are each other's last resort. Reluctantly, they join forces, but its not long before the barbsand sparksstart flying as the unlikely pair skate towards the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance at a medal...and a chance at love.

Customer Reviews:

The infection of passion binds the heart and frees a soul........2007-08-14

the best .......2007-07-11

I think this is the best of many ice skateing movies the romance and misunderstanding makes for a better story line.

B-Grade Everything.......2007-06-17

Magnifico!.......2007-05-17

The best romantic comedy drama of the 90's!.......2007-04-12

Average customer rating:

Among the Best of the "Monogram" Chans--But That Isn't Saying Much
Classic Charlie Chan
One of Toler's Best Performances as Charlie Chan
Cobra Venom Is The Weapon
By Far The Best Monogram Chan movie

Charlie Chan in The Shanghai Cobra
Starring: Sidney Toler , Mantan Moreland , Benson Fong , James Cardwell , and Joan Barclay
Director: Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00020X870
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Description

From the director of Kansas City Confidential and The Silencers comes this universal Chan mystery. Containing a number of film noir elements unique to the series (such as a weary young detective, stark urban sets and a grown-up romance), The Shanghai Cobra is one of the most striking Chans of all! Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is called to investigate a strange and complicated series of mysterious murders by cobra venom. Soon Charlie, Number Three Son Tommy (Benson Fong) and ever-present assistant Birmhingham Brown are on the trail of an escaped con from Shanghai who's out to rob a government vault of its valuable contents: highly toxic radium!

Customer Reviews:

Among the Best of the "Monogram" Chans--But That Isn't Saying Much.......2007-06-21

Loosely based on novels by Earl Derr Biggers, 20th Century Fox's Charlie Chan series proved an audience favorite--but when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor the studio feared audiences would turn against its Asian hero. This was a miscalculation: actor Sidney Toler took the role to "poverty row" Monogram Studios, where he continued to portray the character in eleven more films made between 1944 and his death in 1947.

20th Century Fox had regarded the Chan films as inexpensive "B" movies, but even so the studio took considerable care with them: the plots were often silly, but the pace was sharp, the dialogue witty, and the casts (which featured the likes of Bela Lugosi and Ray Milland) always expert. The result was a kindly charm which has stood the test of time. Monogram was a different matter: Chan films were "B" movies plain and simple. Little care was taken with scripts or cast and resulting films were flat, mediocre at best, virtually unwatchable at worst.

Thanks to an adequate cast and a few interesting plot devices, THE SHANGHAI COBRA is among the best of the Monogram-made Chan films--but even so it barely manages to acheive a consistent mediocrity. In this particularly entry, Chan (Sidney Toler) is called upon to investigate a murderer who kills with what appears to be a cobra-like bite; at the same time, he decides to make certain that a government supply of radium tucked away in a bank vault, of all places, remains secure. Do these two seemingly unrelated plot lines come together? Well... could be!

Sidney Toler is always enjoyable as Chan, but most of his Monogram performances seemed "phoned in"--and that is as true of COBRA as it is of any Monogram Chan film. As usual, the really enjoyable performer is Mantan Mooreland. Changing times have led us to look upon Moreland's brand of comedy as demeaning to African-Americans, but he was an expert actor and comic, and taken within the context of what was possible for a black actor in the 1940s his work has tremendous charm and innocence.

Fans of the 20th Century Fox series are likely to find Monogram's Chan a significant disappointment and newcomers who like the Monogram films will probably consider them third-rate after encountering the Fox films. Like other Monogram Chan films, THE SHANGHAI COBRA is best left to determined collectors. Three stars, and that's being generous.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Classic Charlie Chan.......2007-01-04

Wonderfully written and acted by Sidney Toler. A great movie for all Charlie Chan fans.

One of Toler's Best Performances as Charlie Chan.......2005-03-18

Obviously the Chan movies made at Monogram could never compare to those made at Fox with Warner Oland, but of these, The Shanghai Cobra is one of the best. Several employees of a bank have been murdered by a killer dubbed "The Cobra Killer" for his use of cobra venom in dispatching his enemies. Chan is called in to solve the murders.

Director Phil Karlson really gets the most out of the limited budget he had to work with and this film looks much better than most Monogram films with better production values and superior acting. The mystery is also very well done and keeps your interest in trying to figure out who the murderer is. Benson Fong and the always enjoyable Mantan Moreland provide the comic relief as #3 son Tommy Chan and Birmingham Brown respectively. Moreland brings life to every role he is in.

As a kid I would love staying up late and watching these with my dad who was a huge fan. We watched several together when Turner Classic was running them a couple of years ago or so and I was so disappointed when they decided to pull them off the air. These were always very entertaining.

Cobra Venom Is The Weapon.......2002-08-26

The killer uses venom from a cobra to eliminate his victims in this film. Sidney Toler plays Chan and the cast includes Benson Fong as Tommie Chan and Manton Moreland in the role of Birmingham Brown. Fong and Moreland are really quite good as a comic team. George Callahan and George Wallace Sayre handle the screen play. THE SHANGHAI COBRA is one of the better entries in the Chan series.

By Far The Best Monogram Chan movie.......2002-02-11

"The Shanghai Cobra" is my favorite of the Monogram Charlie Chans. It is beautifully atmospheric in the opening scenes, and I think Phil Karlson, the director (his first of two Chan outings, the other being "Dark Alibi" [1946]which is also worth watching)adds alot of these great effects, making it an enjoyable mystery that will keep you guessing. The comedy in this entry is superb with a wordplay gag about "u-turns" running all through the film. The sets and the noticable shadows and darkness make it almost like a "film noir" movie. Some action takes place in the sewers below the bank that they are doing investigations in(more darkness.)I also enjoyed the "flashback" when they showed Charlie Chan in his visit to Shanghai in '36 and '37. A fun film, a good mystery, and atmospheric at the same time, I would recommend this film highly to any Charlie Chan fan. Excuse, Please...

John Cleese - The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It

Average customer rating:

John Cleese takes a turn at Conan-Doyle
John Cleese - The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
Silly, But Funny!
not Monty Python
4 stars for a good movie, minus 1 for film quality

John Cleese - The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
Starring: John Cleese , Arthur Lowe , Ron Moody , Holly Palance , and Joss Ackland
Director: Joseph McGrath
Manufacturer: White Star
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000A5L2D
Release Date: 2003-07-15

Description

John Cleese is hilarious as the descendant of Sherlock Holmes in this modern detective drama of international power politics and intrigue. Unlike his illustrious grandfather however, this Sherlock Holmes only succeeds in bungling every job he organizes. Also stars Arthur Lowe as the "bionic" grandson of Dr. Watson, Stratford Johns as the Commissioner of Police, and Connie Booth as Mrs. Hudson.

Customer Reviews:

John Cleese takes a turn at Conan-Doyle.......2007-08-06

Anything involving a Python rates three stars just off the bat. And John Cleese is a master at the stuffy, but slightly disoriented type he played so well in A Fish Called Wanda, and as the schoolteacher in Life Of Brian. But this movie lacks stronger writing, mainly because of the other "sleuths" played by imitators, which is not funny. The well-known TV and movie detectives, from Charlie Chan to Steve McGarrett, were badly portrayed. A similar un-funny scenario was brought out in Jackie Chan's Fantasy Mission Farce. However, the plot was okay, and the character of Dr. Watson's grandson was well-drawn and played (funnier even than Dudley Moore's version of Watson). It's a must for the Python completist, but not essential for the rest of the world. If I were to release this on DVD, I'd interrupt the scene with the pseudo-sleuths making their cameos (including a Bogie impersonator!) by inserting Graham Chapman's Army Major: "Stop all this! This is silly!", and then speed forward to the final scene involving Moriarty's descendent. That would make this a four-star film.

John Cleese - The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It.......2007-02-12

EXCELLENT ITEM!!

Silly, But Funny!.......2006-09-05

"The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It" is an outrageous comedy which was first shown on the 18th of September in 1977. It is a spoof staring John Cleese, and it spoofs the American Government, Sherlock Holmes, other famous detectives from literature and television with just a bit of James Bond and the Six Million Dollar Man thrown in, just in case that wasn't enough. Also appearing in the film is Connie Booth, who was Cleese's wife and also appeared with him in "Fawlty Towers" (one of the funniest British comedies of all time). This movie was made between the first season (1975) and the second season (1979), and has a much wilder premise than that series.

In this movie, the grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Professor Moriarty are once again at odds, as Moriarty is threatening to end civilization as we know it. Cleese is Arthur Sherlock-Holmes, the much less effective detective grandson. Arthur Lowe plays Dr. William Watson, the most dimwitted one ever, and someone that Homes keeps around just for his bionic bits (nose and leg).

The plot of the movie is outrageous and really doesn't matter when all is said and done. It plays out like "The Bicycle Tour" episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, in that it seems to be a series of skits all linked together by a rather odd story line. There are very funny spoofs of Kissinger and Ford, and ridiculous stereotypes played to the max in a couple of world delegate scenes. Other funny scenes include Holmes and Watson doing a crossword, Watson pulling the knife out of the chief inspector's back and then realizing that it would have been better had he left it in, and the where Holmes finds there are two Watsons.

I admit I have had a soft spot in my heart for this movie ever since I first saw it when I was young. I was worried that it would not be as good now that I am older, but while it is certainly very silly it still has a lot of laughs. I would have gone with four stars on this, but I was disappointed with the video quality and to a lesser extent the sound. It is a short film, running roughly 55 minutes long. There are no extra features on the DVD.

not Monty Python.......2006-07-06

To enjoy this film you have to not have Monty Python expectations. It is much more of the style of Fawlty Towers. In some ways it is like the Carry On films. The actor playing the bus conductor was also one in the Carry On series.

It is a send up of Sherlock Holmes with Watson being even more of a buffoon than Nigel Bruce.

4 stars for a good movie, minus 1 for film quality.......2006-02-13

Actually I'd have given this little gem '4 stars' but for the quality of the cd. It has very obviously been copied from a sub-standard VHS tape. It was an unpleasant surprise in an otherwise funny movie.

As for the movie itself, very good. I liked the caricatures, the sight gags, the silliness. John Cleese, Arthur Lowe, Denholm Elliot, Connie Booth -- all good British actors and it was fun seeing them (and others) here. An untypical Sherlock Holmes film, with semi-mystery, semi-suspense, a wonderful Watson, and Cleese being Cleese. (A must watch for Cleese-ers is A FISH CALLED WANDA, where he proved once again in a classic scene that he can do more with facial expressions than many actors can do with a page full of lines.)

I really enjoyed this film despite the shoddy quality. If you're a Cleese or even a Holmes fan, get it and have some fun.

Average customer rating:

it gave me a headache
One of the best Films-Ever!
Kitchen Sink, Glistening and Brilliant
Wonderful artifact from the mid-Sixties

Girl With Green Eyes
Starring: Peter Finch , Rita Tushingham , Lynn Redgrave , Maire Kean , and Arthur O'Sullivan
Director: Desmond Davis
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005S8KW
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Description

OscarÂ(r) winner* "Peter Finch is excellent" (Judith Crist) and Golden GlobeÂ(r) winner** Rita Tushingham is "entirely captivating" (The Hollywood Reporter) in this bittersweetstory of an extraordinary romance. Beautifully scripted, brilliantly directed and superbly acted, this "charming and rueful movie" (The New Yorker) "goes straight to the heart" (The Herald Examiner)! He barely noticed her the first time they met but with one glance, this naÃ¯ve Irish farm girl drew him to her side. She's not beautiful, not sophisticated, and far too young for a man of his years, but she has torn him from his solitude and set his soul on fire. Yet now, even as she moves into his Dublin home and he commits to her, he knows he can never fulfill her girlishnotions of love nor satisfy the yearning in those haunting, hungry eyes. *1976: Actor, Network **1962: New Star of the Year, A Taste of Honey

Customer Reviews:

it gave me a headache.......2004-11-10

I did not like this movie because it was very dull. All it was was kissing, books and dramatic music. I like some black and white movies but not this one. Peter finch is better in kidnapped! by walt disney.

One of the best Films-Ever!.......2003-12-05

I saw this first in 1975 and still remember the haunting scenes with Rita Tushingham. She plays sensitively yet without maudlin excess as the young single woman pregnant with her Jamaican boyfriend's baby, supported by her local friends including a Gay neighbor. An honest view of life in 60's Manchester,as well as the film debut of an excellent actress.

Kitchen Sink, Glistening and Brilliant.......2002-11-27

GIRL WITH GREEN EYES is a Woodfall film, one of those slice-of-life-in-the-UK pictures produced by Tony Richardson in the 60's, Britain's answer to the French New Wave. All are generally worthwhile views; this one is marvelous, with wonderful dialogue by Edna O'Brien from her novel, THE LONELY GIRL. Frequently laugh-out-loud funny and also quietly touching, not the easiest combination to pull off, but managed beautifully here. Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave are simple and simply perfect as the country girls trying to make a go of life in Dublin, while Peter Finch strikes the proper note of bruised, reluctant romanticism as the object of Rita's pursuit. Almost forty years old, GIRL's as fresh as paint, could have been made yesterday. Tonic, rich and rewarding.

Wonderful artifact from the mid-Sixties.......2002-02-16

This is a very stylish story of a young Irish girl's affair with an older man. Part sad, part whimsical, and all around very refreshing, the film winds up being more light and fun than dark and tragic, as one might expect.

The film is wonderfully photographed in glorious black and white, both in a documentary format and a dash of a somewhat "New Wave" style. It's an interesting mixture, anyway. In fact, the entire film appears to have been shot on location in Dublin and the surrounding countryside, lending even further creditbility to the documentray styling.

The well-written dialogue is full of engaging double-meanings, and may remind one of "The Prisoner", as the lines can be both cryptic, yet very deep and telling. The actors all deliver, too.

The film is very much a product of its time, and captures the feeling of what it must have been like to be a youth in 1963 Dublin. It very much conveys the atmosphere of a "slice of life" during the era, as the young girl comes of age.

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