The Bourne Identity (Widescreen Extended Edition)

Amazon.com

Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller, The Bourne Identity starts fast and never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activities, recruits a penniless German traveler (Run Lola Run's Franka Potente) to assist in solving the puzzle of his missing identity. While his CIA superior (Chris Cooper) dispatches assassins to kill Bourne and thus cover up his failed mission, Bourne exercises his lethal training to leave a trail of bodies from Switzerland to Paris. Director Doug Liman (Go) infuses Ludlum's intricate plotting with a maverick's eye for character detail, matching breathtaking action with the humorous, thrill-seeking chemistry of Damon and Potente. Previously made as a 1988 TV movie starring Richard Chamberlain, The Bourne Identity benefits from the sharp talent of rising stars, offering intelligent, crowd-pleasing excitement from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Bourne again?.......2007-09-11

He comes to on a fishing boat with bullets in his back and no idea how he got there, who shot him, or why. Oh, and he's got a bank account number on his body.

When he goes to the bank, the safe deposit box is full of money and at least half a dozen passports with different identities. So, which one is his? In some ways, he has a chance to start a new life--but the old one really isn't leaving him behind.

People are chasing him--with guns. More important than that, how does he know just how to evade them?

"Bourne" is a riveting story about a man who's in a terrible position and unable to really know who is friend or foe. This film has one of the best car chase scenes I have ever encountered--with a Mini Cooper, no less! The book was good, the film almost better.

The Good & Bad Of ''The Bourne Identity'.......2007-09-09

This is a solid suspense-spy film with an agent-on-the-run scenario. People who like a paranoid theme, where everyone is after you (I plead guilty) will love this.

The amount of violence in here was just about right, not too much and not too little. I also enjoyed the Paris scenery, both the street-level shots and the aerial photography. Ovrall, the cinematography is very good in this film. It's an involving story that once you're hooked, you stay that way. The two hours go by pretty quickly.

On the negative side, I get tired of American filmmakers trashing their own government all the time, in here its them trying to kill one of their own agents. I hear the third movie is really bad in that regard. I'm sorry to hear that as I liked the sequel ("The Bourne Supremacy") even better, although part of the reason was that I was now familiar with the main characters after watching this film. Anyway, I highly recommend the first two Bourne movies for fans of suspense, crime, intrigue, good locales, etc.

The Bourne Identity.......2007-09-08

Although I am not that much in action movies, I really enjoyed this one, maybe because of Matt Damon who is such a good actor. Also this was the first one so the story hadn't been worn out yet. I just saw #2 and #3 and it really repeats. It reminds me of the TV program "The Fugitive". But all in all, I give it thumbs up.

Bourne is better than Bond.......2007-09-08

The All American spy -- Jason Bourne stands toe to toe with the best of Britain! this is a great series!

great movie!.......2007-09-03

It is a very good dvd set! Love the quality of the picture and the sound! And of course Matt Damon is always so nice to look at. haha...

Average customer rating:

Great movie
Great movie even greater on HD-DVD
Great PQ, and great movie....recommended
Be Ready for Phenominal Sound!
"Who am I?"

The Bourne Identity [HD DVD]
Starring: Matt Damon , Franka Potente , Chris Cooper , Clive Owen , and Brian Cox
Director: Doug Liman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000QEIOTO
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2007-09-02

This movie was already great but in HD DVD it looks 10 times better i recommend people to buy it

Great movie even greater on HD-DVD.......2007-08-26

I am a big fan of the Bourne movies. Seeing them in HD makes them even more enjoyable to watch. If you are Bourne fan you really need to check these movies out on HD-DVD. Can't wait for Ultimatum to come on HD-DVD.

Great PQ, and great movie....recommended.......2007-08-01

If you love the Bourne series you definitely need to pick this up in HD. PQ is great, and if you dont have Bourne Supremacy either you might as well get that too since they are both great movies.
With Bourne Ultimatum coming out in a few days it helped refresh my mind....

Be Ready for Phenominal Sound!.......2007-07-23

SPATIAL DYNAMICS - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality TM, DTS ES 5.1 and 6.1 Extended Surround Music Disc

SIXTH SENSE - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality TM, DTS ES 5.1 and 6.1 Extended Surround Music Disc

SOLARIS - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality TM, DTS ES 5.1 and 6.1 Extended Surround Music Disc

Experience ecstatic multichannel home theater mix of "The Bourne Identity" in HD.

For information of how to set-up your home theater system see my comment below.

"Who am I?".......2007-07-22

This is a terrifc movie for a weekend and while much fuss was made over particular omissions from Ludlum's great spy novel, the overall feel of the world he created remains. If every element from Ludlum's novel were left in this would be a five hour movie. The book was that complex and jam-packed.

Director Doug Liman has retained the basic feel of the book and left the heart of the story in tact. He didn't try to glamourize the grittier aspects simply because he had a big budget with which to work. There is almost a low-key atmosphere which somehow makes all the action seem more real to the viewer. We see Paris and all the other countries only as background to the dark storyline we hope can have some kind of happy resolution as the film goes along.

Franke Potente is perfect as a girl who has no real roots herself, and what begins as a business proposition escalates into love, even if it must be a life on the run with Jason Bourne (Matt Damon). Damon proves he can really act in this film and does a great job as Bourne, a guy who has no idea who he is but has all the instincts of someone not quite part of everyday society.

A Swiss bank account and a dozen passports, along with a large sum of cash and a weapon, tells him something about what kind of life he has led, if not who he is exactly. He ponders the mystery in a Paris cafe with Marie (Potente) while instinctively making note of all the liscence plates of the vehicles parked outside. Why he does so, he doesn't know.

The romance that blossoms between Bourne and Marie becomes one more reason Bourne must find the answers to his identity as international assasins come after them at every turn. There is a moment in the film when he tries to make her leave him for safety because he loves her, and it is for that same reason she stays.

This is a gritty movie with a heart. The action sequences as Bourne's instincts kick in are terrific and the human elements are not lost along the way, which is a credit to Director Liman and the two stars, especially Damon, who separtated himself from a big pack and proved he had talent here.

We are left with a good feeling at the end of this film as both the action and romance are given their moments. I read this many years ago so perhaps the fact it was not fresh in my mind helped me enjoy it more. Taken simply as a really enjoyable film for a weekend, it's A+ entertainment.

Boondock Saints (Unrated Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Awesome Film Deserving its Cult Status
Mindless, unrealistic violence, unconvincing characters, and an amateurish script
One of the greatest cult films ever.
Solid action flick, William Defoe perfectly cast, and interesting original story line
Amazing

Boondock Saints (Unrated Special Edition)
Starring: Willem Dafoe , David Ferry , Brian Mahoney , Billy Connolly , and Ron Jeremy
Director: Troy Duffy
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000IY04Q8
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Description

Explore the harrowing world of The Boondock Saints as never before in this Unrated Special Edition! Digitally remastered for extraordinary picture quality and exploding in 5.1 EX Dolby Surround Sound, this definitive two-disc edition of the cult phenomenon features deleted scenes, outtakes, two audio commentaries, a printable script and more!

Hot on the trail of the assailants behind the brutal murder of Russian thugs, FBI agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe) is surprised to discover the killers are Irish twin brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) who believe they've been chosen to rid the world of evil. But as they unleash more brutality on the criminals of Boston's underworld, Smecker finds himself torn between busting the vigilantes...and joining them!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Film Deserving its Cult Status.......2007-09-12

This is one of those truly fun movies that you can watch over and over again.
Those that compare it to pulp fiction don't realize that there are not that many similarities between the two films. The greatness of this film is in
1. The chemistry between the fraternal twin brothers Murphy and Connor. The interaction between the two make up, in my humble opinion, the best, funniest, wittiest and emotionally wrought scenes in the film.
2. The out of stereotype characters that make up the other key players. *there are some stereotypical characters in this film, however, all movies have them, but they are funny and needed * Detective Smecker and Rocco are two original, well acted and interesting guys that add greatly to the film.
3. The fact that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously. You are supposed to laugh, suspend belief and have fun while watching this. You are also going to cringe at the shootouts and get excited during the action scenes which are pretty damn cool.

Most reviewers for this film are guys, but I'm not, and I was tipped off to see this by a girl friend of mine. I immediately went out and got my own copy. I've watched it about 5 times, and keep finding more I like about it every time I watch it again.

Ignore the reviews that say it's a ripoff of Pulp Fiction and just try it for yourself. Personally, I can't wait for the sequel.

Bring on All Saints Day

Mindless, unrealistic violence, unconvincing characters, and an amateurish script.......2007-09-09

Where to begin...

1. The characters are unconvincing, uninteresting, and overused movie stereotypes.
2. The plot barely makes any sense. There is virtually no character development which convincingly explains why two people would go on a killing spree.
3. The story seems to have come from the mind of a pre-pubescent video gamer.
4. A pretentious overtone.

I cant even continue writing this, the entire movie sucked so bad that its too hard to even describe. Watching this was like having 5 other mediocre shoot em ups chewed up and spat out onto a DVD. There is a reason this movie got 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.

One of the greatest cult films ever........2007-08-13

I love this movie, each time I watch it, it feels like it's better, kind of like Pulp Fiction. I can't wait for the sequel to come out.

Solid action flick, William Defoe perfectly cast, and interesting original story line.......2007-08-05

I caught the very begining of this on TV one afternoon, unfortunatly had to leave in the first 10 minutes. But, seeing William Defoe in it sparked me to rent it, and now own it. Facinating story about two highly intelligent underachieving men in Boston who decide to take justice into their own hands. William Defoe plays the FBI detective following their trail. All I can say is you have to see this one, the casting is great, and the story is original. Great action and fight scenes.

Amazing.......2007-07-15

With how many things are just wrong in this world, this movie makes it all better. The cast is amazing and the script is beautifully written! If you like action, drama, and justice- this is the movie for you.

Average customer rating:

Masterpiece
Colorized classic
North byNorthwest
the best classic film ever!
No hotter love scene anywhere...

North By Northwest
Starring: Ed Binns , Leo G. Carroll , Bill Catching , Philip Coolidge , and Lawrence Dobkin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002IQEHI
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com essential video

A strong candidate for the most sheerly entertaining and enjoyable movie ever made by a Hollywood studio (with Citizen Kane, Only Angels Have Wings and Trouble in Paradise running neck and neck). Positioned between the much heavier and more profoundly disturbing Vertigo (1958) and the stark horror of Psycho (1960), North by Northwest (1959) is Alfred Hitchcock at his most effervescent in a romantic comedy-thriller that also features one of the definitive Cary Grant performances. Which is not to say that this is just "Hitchcock Lite"; seminal Hitchcock critic Robin Wood (in his book Hitchcock's Films Revisited) makes an airtight case for this glossy MGM production as one of The Master's "unbroken series of masterpieces from Vertigo to Marnie." It's a classic Hitchcock Wrong Man scenario: Grant is Roger O. Thornhill (initials ROT), an advertising executive who is mistaken by enemy spies for a U.S. undercover agent named George Kaplan. Convinced these sinister fellows (James Mason as the boss, and Martin Landau as his henchman) are trying to kill him, Roger flees and meets a sexy Stranger on a Train (Eva Marie Saint), with whom he engages in one of the longest, most convolutedly choreographed kisses in screen history. And, of course, there are the famous set pieces: the stabbing at the United Nations, the crop-duster plane attack in the cornfield (where a pedestrian has no place to hide), and the cliffhanger finale atop the stone faces of Mount Rushmore. Plus a sparkling Ernest Lehman script and that pulse-quickening Bernard Herrmann score. What more could a moviegoer possibly desire? --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Masterpiece .......2007-07-24

One of the great movies of all time. One of Hitchcock's best. rather than go for the boxed set - which includes a few of his lesser lights - decided to cherry pick a gem. North By Northwest is a classic. AFI Top 100. Anyone who's a fan of Hitchcock - or just suspense in general - or great movies specifically - you cannot miss with this one.

Colorized classic.......2007-07-04

An unfortunate aspect of growing up in America is that the turnover in culture is so fast that many older classics are almost unknown to the modern generation. This is especially so with old movies, which, outside of holiday fare like the Ten Commandments or The Sound of Music, do not make comebacks once a decade or so, unlike clothing fashions. This is why so many young people have never seen an Alfred Hitchcock movie. For the longest time, I was one of the ignorant masses, until my mother told me about this great movie-maker. I picked this up at the local library and watched it, and was amazed. This is probably one of the best movies I have ever seen. Part thriller, part romance, part suspense and part action, this movie presaged modern Hollywood fare such as The Fugitive, National Security, and Enemy of the State for example. There is gunfights, chase scenes, set-ups, cliffhangers (literally), and of course the famous cover shot of Cary Grant getting chased by an airplane in an open field. And like many modern action movies, this one has the climax right at the very end, followed immediately by a cut to the closing kiss of hero and heroine.

This DVD restoration is great. The film and audio quality is flawless. The special effects are also top-notch and comparable to anything seen on network TV today. And most importantly, a great storyline. I highly recommend this movie.

North byNorthwest.......2007-07-01

The video quality of this DVD is excellent. Though the package doesn't say that it has been remastered, it is better than my previous DVD version. To me, it was worth the cost to upgrade.

It was by reading the amazon reviews that I chose the latest versions of "North by Northwest" and "To Catch a Thief." I want to thank those of you who submitted the previous reviews, and commented on the quality of the video images.

the best classic film ever!.......2007-06-16

What can I say? This movie is great. It has everything, from intense action and mystery that is built up by the amazing score, to the perfect actors and actresses portraying well written and witty, and sometimes sexy, dialogue. As well as the exoticly filmed locations and that 50-60's style. Recommended for everyone.

No hotter love scene anywhere..........2007-06-01

A good film and a great film...

No spoilers here. Simply mentioning things not mentioned (much) in other reviews, here:

The frenetic music as Manhattan traffic is reflected in one of the anonymous AKA boring glass International Style skyscrapers. Hitch's hymn to the worst of modern life. Doreen Lang as Maggie, Grant's cute and long-suffering secretary and their dialogue from the lobby throughout the taxi ride. No hotter love scene anywhere, in any film, ever made, than when Cary Grant ends up at Eva Marie Saint's table in the dining car. Scorching! Grant's line "I've never been in Pittsburgh!" Hitch loves cars and the juxtapositions of them are fun throughout--some of the best and worst models ever made are clustered in this film. Old Westbury looks nice on film. Jessie Royce Landis' lines in traffic court ("Roger, pay the two dollars!") and in the elevator ("You boys aren't really trying to kill my son?"). The auction scene scene. The sunglasses scene. The shaving scene. The female patient's "Stop!...STOP!" classic double take when Cary Grant appears in her hospital room. The pseudo Frank Lloyd Wright hideout. Every detail is dead on. In Summary...

This is without any argument or exception one of the top ten films of all time and Hitchcock's best, bar none.

Average customer rating:

Honor Above War, Love Above Loyalty
'Between the Wind and the Lion is the woman. For her, half the world may go to war.'
The Wind and the Lion
luis g caliz
SEAN CONNERY? AN ARAB TRIBAL EADER??

The Wind and the Lion
Starring: Chris Aller , Luis Barboo , Deborah Baxter , Candice Bergen , and Sean Connery
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0000EYUCK
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Amazon.com

The up-and-down career of director John Milius had no finer moment than The Wind and the Lion, a dandy adventure tale. It's based on fact: An American (played by Candice Bergen) and her two children were kidnapped in 1904 Morocco by a Berber tribe, an international incident settled by President Theodore Roosevelt's "big stick" military muscle. The film's sweep and swagger are unabashedly old-fashioned, even as Milius occasionally pokes fun at the grand characters. Some of the peripheral material is sloppy, but as long as Milius keeps his sights locked on the two powerful protagonists, he's dead-on: Brian Keith makes a gutsy Roosevelt, and Sean Connery is in splendid form (with Scots accent in place--got a problem with that?) as the dashing Berber chieftain. Perhaps overshadowed by John Huston's The Man Who Would be King the same year (Huston plays advisor John Hay in this one), Wind makes a marvelous companion piece. --Robert Horton

Description

An American is kidnapped by a rebellious Arab chieftain, principally as a means to embarrass the Sultan of Morocco. This abduction sparks the threat of armed intervention by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Customer Reviews:

Honor Above War, Love Above Loyalty.......2007-08-25

I sometimes tire of non-fiction (reality) and escape into DVDs, but many of them are either reality or a sembalnce of reality that merits respect. This is such a film.

I would also add a note of caution to those who would demean this film as "corny." NOT right. This film was ahead of its time. In this film, the moderate Islamists (represented by Sean Connery) are upset with foreign presence (Western Europe), and the USA with its bully Theodore and its aggressive Marines, are in the wrong until the Marines are led back on track by the female American protagonist (Candice Bergen) and free the Lion of Islam to fight again.

TAKEAWAY: Americans can be, are, morally wrong (as are all immoral predatory nations), and moderate Islamists are, in their own place that we have invaded, morally correct. Our God is NOT, as LtGen Jerry Boykin, one of my top five greatest generals ever (out of 75 or so I have known, most never more than a Colonel with a facelift) greater than theirs. Our God is CO-Equal to theirs, and the sooner we put Dick Cheney and Henry Kissinger behind bars, the sooner we eliminate our 750 bases overseas, the sooner the world can restore balance. Legitimacy and morality are the two strategic pillars that America has abondoned its in prostitution to Saudi oil and 42 of 44 dictators, and we can never be America the Beautiful, America the Good, unless we right ourselves.

As a patriotic estranges Republican I will say this clearly: America and Israel are the scourges of the world, followed by Saudi Aribia. We have sown the dragon's teeth, and I weep for what we have become: virtual colonialists, unilateralist military confusing might with right, and a cheating culture that ignores the class war led by our predatory immoral Wall Street band of merry thieves laundering drug money and covering up the complicity of Dick Cheney and Rudy Gulliani in the murder of most who died on 9-11 from controlled demolitions (NYC) or a missile (the Pentagon).

Where, or where, is the American Eagle that we need so desperately? See the image I have posted above to understand where we need to go if our children, if all children, are to have a future.

Other DVDs (see also my lists):
Tibet - Cry of the Snow Lion
Why We Fight
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Last Samurai (Full Screen Edition)

'Between the Wind and the Lion is the woman. For her, half the world may go to war.'.......2007-08-23

For me, The Wind and the Lion is one of the great adventure films of all time (rather than an action movie per se) and certainly has the best script of the 70s, managing to combine adventure, myth, romance, wit and political cynicism while creating memorable characters and driving the story forward. Its influences are clearly noticeable, and all acknowledged by writer-director John Milius: the children's behavior is straight out of A High Wind in Jamaica, the superb beach sequence inspired by another horseback swordfight in The Hidden Fortress (Kurosawa is a big Milius influence elsewhere in the film as well) while the finale throws in a tip of the hat, both musically and visually, to The Wild Bunch. But unlike a Tarantino grab-bag of favorite movie moments, Milius manages to make something unique of his own out of them all in this highly romanticised tale of an American woman (Candice Bergen) and her children kidnapped by an Arab leader (Sean Connery) in Morocco in 1904 that became an international incident that briefly threatened to turn into a war as Teddy Roosevelt (Brian Keith) used it as a rallying cry during his election campaign. But as the Americans and European powers that control the region rattle sabres, hostage and captive form a real friendship they'll risk anything for.

As for Connery's casting... Well, it makes a change to cast a Scot as a north of the border Berber - up until then Hollywood usually cast Welsh actors like Hugh Griffiths as Arabs. Yes, you do laugh when you first hear him speak, but after his line "I am the Raisuli - you will not laugh at me again!", you won't. Accent or not, this is one of his most likeable and charismatic performances, proving himself one of the few actors with enough presence for the epic genre. He's well-matched by Brian Keith's blustering but self-aware Roosevelt, the film building up a growing relationship of mutual respect between the two leaders from different sides of the world who never meet that threatens to make more of an impact than Connery's sparring with Bergen. Connery's The Man Who Would Be King director John Huston offers a good supporting turn as Roosevelt's Secretary of State John Hay, while Jerry Goldsmith's exciting and richly romantic scores is indeed one of the all-time greats. Splendid entertainment in every way.

Warners' DVD is the best presentation of the film to date, offering a fine 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, a vintage making of featurette, theatrical trailer and typically engaging commentary from John Milius.

The Wind and the Lion.......2007-08-09

One of the greatest ever---action, history, romance. Sean Connery and
Candice Bergin are superb together. My highest recommendation.

luis g caliz.......2007-07-20

A good movie and if you think about it, very similar to events taking place in this days....

SEAN CONNERY? AN ARAB TRIBAL EADER??.......2007-05-21

Only Sean Connery, with his thick, albeit familiar accent could pull off a role such as this, with Candace Bergen no less as the believeable heroine. Sprawling vistas, great cinematography, great soundtrack make this a must collector item for lovers of adventure films and historical epics. In spite of the beheadings (tastefully depicted) my entire family enjoyed the picture.

shullcat2003

The Bourne Identity (Full Screen Extended Edition)

Average customer rating:

Bourne again?
The Good & Bad Of ''The Bourne Identity'
The Bourne Identity
Bourne is better than Bond
great movie!

The Bourne Identity (Full Screen Extended Edition)
Starring: Matt Damon , Franka Potente , Chris Cooper , Clive Owen , and Brian Cox
Director: Doug Liman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00023B1LM
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Bourne again?.......2007-09-11

The Good & Bad Of ''The Bourne Identity'.......2007-09-09

The Bourne Identity.......2007-09-08

Bourne is better than Bond.......2007-09-08

The All American spy -- Jason Bourne stands toe to toe with the best of Britain! this is a great series!

great movie!.......2007-09-03

It is a very good dvd set! Love the quality of the picture and the sound! And of course Matt Damon is always so nice to look at. haha...

Average customer rating:

A little trivia
Early Brando reveals full-blown genius
Redemption and rage.
Life on the Docks
Pretty dated now, but still fine performances...

On the Waterfront (Special Edition)
Starring: Martin Balsam , Don Blackman , Rudy Bond , Marlon Brando , and Lee J. Cobb
Director: Elia Kazan
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B00003CXBU
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com essential video

Marlon Brando's famous "I coulda been a contenda" speech is such a warhorse by now that a lot of people probably feel they've seen this picture already, even if they haven't. And many of those who have seen it may have forgotten how flat-out thrilling it is. For all its great dramatic and cinematic qualities, and its fiery social criticism, Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront is also one of the most gripping melodramas of political corruption and individual heroism ever made in the United States, a five-star gut-grabber. Shot on location around the docks of Hoboken, New Jersey, in the mid-1950s, it tells the fact-based story of a longshoreman (Brando's Terry Malloy) who is blackballed and savagely beaten for informing against the mobsters who have taken over his union and sold it out to the bosses. (Karl Malden has a more conventional stalwart-hero role, as an idealistic priest who nurtures Terry's pangs of conscience.) Lee J. Cobb, who created the role of Willy Loman in Death of Salesman under Kazan's direction on Broadway, makes a formidable foe as a greedy union leader. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

A little trivia.......2007-08-07

I hate to be trivial about such a great film, but has anyone else noticed a weird flying insect land on karl malden when he's talking to a beat up dugan?

Early Brando reveals full-blown genius.......2007-06-27

Superb performances by Marlon Brando and Karl Malden and Eva Marie Saint in this raw, gritty classic of union corruption on the NYC waterfront, offers a study of Brando's profound ability to become the tormented "Terry" with every subtle change of expression a reflection of the inner man. The film is as fresh and gripping today as it was 50 years ago and bears watching again and again for anyone who claims to be a student of acting, cinemantography or just plain great films that don't need to rely on special effects for their impact. - A. Madsen, Baltimore

Redemption and rage........2007-05-27

On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954)

"I coulda been a contender!" That's the line everyone knows from On the Waterfront. It's funny, because to me, Marlon Brando's truly great scene in this movie comes about five minutes later, amid the fallout of the contender conversation. He's desperately trying to keep from breaking down, barking orders to his girlfriend while getting ready to start a one-man war against the city's crime bosses. It's great stuff. And here I was, having seen the contender excerpt at least a thousand times, thinking it was a movie about a washed-up boxer. Well, it is, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Terry Malloy (Brando) is a longshoreman, an ex-boxer who's been taken under the wing of union leader Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). As the movie opens, Terry is seen having a brief conversation with his acquaintance Jimmy, who is soon pushed to his death from the roof of a tenement building. Terry, disturbed by this, goes back to the bar out of which the union operates, protesting that he just thought "they were gonna lean on him a little." This begins Terry's long and painful journey from a longshoreman who follows the "deaf and dumb" code of the union to a man proud enough to stand up for himself and his fellow workers against the corruption at the higher levels of the union.

Man, this must have been a tough film to get through McCarthy's goons...

Amusing political peccadilloes aside, On the Waterfront really is a great movie. Kazan was at the height of his directorial power, and Brando was never better as an actor. Karl Malden, as a meddling priest willing to stand up for the little guy, does a fantastic job as well, and most of the rest of the cast range from good to great. (There are a few minor characters who seem to be there just for amusement's sake, but they don't get enough face time to really do much damage to the quality of the overall film.) If you haven't seen it, well, it's not just a movie about a washed-up boxer, that I can tell you. ****

Life on the Docks.......2007-05-13

This was the first AFI movie we saw en masse as a family and we loved it! Many generations of eyeballs were glued to the black and white images on the screen, following Brando as he went from a lowly mob thug to someone who stood up for what was right. The acting is phenomenal, and the environment is very down-to-earth and gritty. You really do feel that these people struggle to survive on the docks, to do what is right in a world full of greed and backstabbing.

While famous for Marlon Brando's famous line of "I coulda been a contender!" there are actually many lines of dialogue in here that stand out. The cinematography, the scenery, the faces of the men and women as they go about their lives, it really draws you in to the tough life they led. This definitely deserves to be in the top 10 of all films and is a great film to watch with friends and discuss afterwards.

As an aside, we were all intrigued by the metal tokens that the dock workers held in their hands as they waited on the docks, and it was amazing that in a room of 10 people of all ages, we didn't have any "real" knowledge of what was going on. We could of course make some educated guesses! But here is what I found.

As far back as the 1800s, dock workers were given metal tokens saying they were "signed up properly" to be able to work on the dock. This was to keep riff-raff and untrustworthy thieves off the docks, as well as making some money for the local guild or union. The workers would sign up beforehand and be given these metal circles, that were stamped with the local sign and in essence said "this man is a valid worker to choose".

Then each day as the ships came in, a certain number of gangs would be needed to haul the boxes. This could be only 10 men on a quiet day, or 200 men on a busy day. So each morning, all of the men who wanted to work would show up on the docks. The bosses would call out or list on a board what the day's requirements were. Then they would look out over the group and choose whoever seemed best suited. Each man would have to show his metal token as he went in to work, to prove he was in fact currently paid up and eligible.

In On the Waterfront, certain men were also giving coded winks and nods. These would be those men closest with the mob - the ones who had friends and who should be chosen first.

Pretty dated now, but still fine performances..........2007-03-31

Brando and Steiger and Malden and Cobb and Eva Marie Saint. Directed by Elia Kazan, who was on the right-wing side of the blacklist. A tale of corrupt unions and mobsters when American goods were imported and exported by ships which made New York a regular port of call. The story just wouldn't work the same if set in Houston or New Orleans or Los Angeles. You can tell this is 50 years old, but there are still acting lessons by the cargo-hold-ful visible on the screen. Everyone who claims to like movies needs to see it at least once.

Average customer rating:

Good Cowboy Comedy
LOL
Amusing
Wow !!!
A tremendous movie

My Name Is Nobody
Starring: Terence Hill , Henry Fonda , Jean Martin , Piero Lulli , and Mario Brega
Director: Tonino Valerii , and Sergio Leone
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007M21Z8
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Amazon.com

My Name is Nobody is a spoof of spaghetti Westerns, but it's also a legitimate, highly regarded entry in the genre. Its pedigree is purebred, as it was executive produced by the maestro of spaghetti Westerns, Sergio Leone, as a personal farewell to the genre that he helped to create. It's a transitional film, cheekily acknowledging the impact of The Wild Bunch and Sam Peckinpah (whose name is seen on a gravestone in one scene) and the popularity of Terence Hill, whose comedic "Trinity" films represented the last gasp of the once-glorious spaghetti Western. All of these elements are beautifully combined in the amusing tale of Nobody (Hill), an ambitious young gunman in 1899 who idolizes a legendary gunslinger Jack Beauregard, played by Henry Fonda in his final Western (and his second for Leone, after the classic Once Upon a Time in the West). Before Beauregard can retire in peace, Nobody sets up a final showdown of epic proportions, and the great Ennio Morricone enhances the abundance of memorable scenes with one of his most playfully inventive scores (including a comical use of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries"). Tonino Valerii fully deserved his director's credit, but Leone also made significant contributions (including the opening scene), and the result is a delightful and surprisingly resonant film that Steven Spielberg later called his favorite Leone production. It's easy to see why: Like many of Spielberg's films, My Name is Nobody qualifies as both art and entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Young, ambitious gunman Nobody (Terence Hill) sets his eye on his idol, gunslinger Jack Beauregard (Henry Fonda), who's intent on sailing off into retirement.

Customer Reviews:

Good Cowboy Comedy.......2007-09-12

This is one of Terrence Hill's Best Movies,
Good comedy.
Henry Fonda did pretty good too.

LOL.......2007-08-03

I've seen this movie at least 100 times and still hurt myself laughing at many of the scenes. I also catch myself whisting the opening musical score for days after hearing it again.
If you're looking for deep plots and/or drama, pass on this one. If you're looking for funny, whimsical entertainment, spend the $12!

Amusing.......2007-07-03

I found this movie to be kind of amusing. If you're not a fan of cowboy movies you'll probably think the movie is kind of stupid. The parts where they show how quick Trinity is supposed to be is obvious. If you are a fan, you will get a kick out of the movie and the many jabs at other westerns. Good (not great) movie that I'm glad I added to my collection.

Wow !!!.......2007-06-27

All I can say is WOW!!!
Terence Hill surely has to be labelled as the fastest draw from the West. If you're crazy about western movies, then you really have to get your hands on this one. In particular, I liked the opening scene when Henry Fonda was at the saloon having a shave and all of a sudden all hell breaks loose and Henry delivers a fast draw and leaves and the Barber's son tell his father "wow, did you see that? Can anyone be faster than him"? and his father replies "NOBODY"......Nobody happens to be Terence Hill.

A tremendous movie.......2007-06-09

Easily one of the best of the Trinity series. Barring the lack of Bud Spencer, it can hold it's own against even the great Blazing Saddles as far as I am concerned.

Average customer rating:

Vintage racing, Cutting edge format!!!
The BEST Race Film Ever
Best Racing Movie Ever
Perfect race movie
Almost historical

Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: James Garner , Eva Marie Saint , Yves Montand , Toshirô Mifune , and Brian Bedford
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FFJYCU
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Amazon.com essential video

Light on story, this 1966 spectacle directed by John Frankenheimer was shot in 70 millimeter, with a cinematically enthralling emphasis on unique, visceral new ways of capturing the sensations of a car race. James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, and Toshiro Mifune are part of the stellar, international cast whose characters plod through assorted relationship and business conflicts. But the film's real hook is the thrilling and inventive means by which Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) brings an urgency to the drama happening on the racetrack. A true master of the plastic techniques of obtaining and cutting kinetic footage, Frankenheimer offers more than a joyride to viewers: he makes action part of the compelling language of stories. Cameras are strapped to vehicles as they round the track, shots are taken from a helicopter, the screen is split between angles for maximum impact--even if Grand Prix doesn't rank among the director's best character-driven stories, it is certainly driven on its own terms. --Tom Keogh

On the DVD
The much-anticipated release on DVD does not disappoint, with a pristine restored print and upgraded 5.1 Dolby sound. Of course, the Cinerama film can only be fully appreciated if you sit very close to your screen. The absence of a commentary track is forgivable, since director John Frankenheimer died in 2002. "Pushing the Limit" is your standard 30-minute retrospective with many new interviews with the stars and drivers. The universal opinion is that the film caught Formula One at the exact right time when the beauty of the sport was about to be changed in favor of safety and commercialism. There are some fascinating stories on how they were able to use real race footage so seamlessly. "Flat Out" continues the vibe of what racing was like in the '60s with more interviews from the real racers. "The Style and Sound of Speed" talks about designer Saul Bass and how he created the film's different approaches to each race and the cutting-edge use of montages and multiple screens. The vintage doc is kitschy but allows us to see the filming in action (the footage is used extensively in the new featurettes). --Doug Thomas

Description

Nine races. One champion. James Garner, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford and Antonio Sabato portray Formula I drivers competing to be the best in this slam-you-into-the-driver's seat tale of speed, spectacle and intertwined personal lives. Eva Marie Saint and Toshiro Mifune also star. John Frankenheimer (who 32 years later would again stomp the pedal to the metal for the car chases of Ronin) directs this winner of 3 Academy Awards?,* crafting split-screen images to capture the overlapping drama and orchestrating you-are-there POV camerawork to intensify the hard-driving thrills. Nearly 30 top drivers take part in the excitement, so buckle up, movie fans. Race with the best to the head of the pack.

DVD Features:
Theatrical Trailer
Documentaries
Featurette

Customer Reviews:

Vintage racing, Cutting edge format!!!.......2007-09-11

WoW! Great old movie in a new format. HD-DVD really shines in this release. The transfer to HD-DVD of this classic film is better than many new HD-DVD's. This was well filmed back in the day. The plot is a little thin and so is James Garner but the racing is first rate. Projected on to a large screen makes you feel like you are in the cars with the drivers. This movie is just COOL!

The BEST Race Film Ever.......2007-09-11

The title of my review says it all. This IS the greatest race movie ever. I watch it every year on my birthday to remember Jim Clark, the world's greatest driver, who died on my birthday in April 1968.

Best Racing Movie Ever.......2007-09-10

This movie was so far advanced for it's time-it is still 30+ years later,the best racing movie ever produced.The racing scenes in this movie could not be duplicated today, without computer imaging faking, most of the scenes.The photography work was so innovative,it truly gave you the perception,the essence, of speed, that is so hard to capture.Having raced formula cars myself for a couple of years,I can say without hesitation or reservation,that this movie is the closet thing to actually siiting in the seat of a formula car you'll ever experience.The 2nd disc was very enlightening and equally entertaining.I'd recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys racing, in any way shape or form.Simply-the best.James Garner was great in the movie,but in the trailers, it's mentioned Steve McQueen, was first offered the role.I'd love to have seen McQueen in this role.

Perfect race movie.......2007-08-23

This is old and it is amazing they got the shots they got using real shots, not CG. The dialog is corny in today's world, but it still is the perfect racing movie. Turn up the volume and listen to the engines if nothing else. Most amazing was that Jim Garner did his own driving!!!

Almost historical.......2007-08-11

I saw this film at the theater in 1966. I am also aware of how this movie was shot; the production crew followed the Grand Prix Formula One circuit. The plot and dialogue are weak, but the race scenes are top of the line for their time. This could almost be considered an historical piece as this type of racing is gone; the movie itself was "state of the art" for 1966. I still found it enjoyable.

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

Average customer rating:

Favorite All Time Movie!
Timeless
ONE OF MY FAVORITES!
Remembering the time
The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming
Starring: Carl Reiner , Eva Marie Saint , Alan Arkin , Brian Keith , and Jonathan Winters
Director: Norman Jewison
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006FDAX
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Amazon.com essential video

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming looks overly cute now, but really, it was pretty hip for 1966. The cold war was in full deep-freeze when this well-meaning comedy tried to thaw things out a little: a Soviet submarine beaches on the New England coast, sending the locals into a paranoid frenzy. The chief pleasure of the film is Alan Arkin as the sub captain; this was Arkin's first major film role, and he had already mastered his exasperated, slow-burning frown (to say nothing of mastering his Russian dialogue). Arkin snagged an Oscar® nomination, with the movie receiving nominations for best picture, adapted screenplay, and editing--nods that reflect the film's smashing success at the box office. Somewhat dated now, the movie still has its place in the roster of raucous, American small-town comedies; seen in childhood, it will linger nicely as a depiction of foolish grown-ups. --Robert Horton

Description

When a sightseeing Soviet commander runs his submarine aground off the New England coast, the crew's attempts to find a boat to dislodge them almost start WWIII! Alan Arkin leads an all-star castincluding Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Keith and Jonathan Wintersin this riotous, uproarious [and] side-splitting (Cue) comedy! Russian Lt. Rozanov (Arkin) and his crew hit the beaches of Massachusetts unaware of the panic they're about to start. Despite the Russians harmless intentions, the folks in town think a full-scale Soviet invasion has been launched! What's worse, theirpolice chief (Keith) has left his hysterical assistant (Winters) in charge and the one man who knows the truth (Reiner) is only stirring up more chaos!

Customer Reviews:

Favorite All Time Movie!.......2007-08-23

My parents took my siblings and I to see this when it was a first run movie in the theater. It is my favorite all time movie, not because it is the best picture made, there are many more that would qualify, but because it was a great family movie for my family back in the 1960's.
And because it has a great memory for me, remembering how my Dad laughed out loud at the antics of Carl Reiner. I miss my Dad.

Timeless .......2007-07-25

A dated movie? No way. This movie is about the human condition and human responses. I laugh throughout the movie every time I see it (dozens of times). Until the end of the Cold War, Russians were as convinced that they would be attacked by America as Americans were certain that Russia would attack us.

The movie does a terrific job of showing how the fear on BOTH sides led to the panic events and ripping great farce that unfold.

However, it's the characters that make this movie work so successfully. All of them - from the Russian sub crew to the town drunk are memorable, sympathetic, absurd, and believable!

That Reiner and Lewison are involved is evident, that the ghost of Checkhov is also here is what makes this movie special.

Recommended for the entire family - I first saw it when I was 7 years old. And it's been etched in my psyche ever since!

ONE OF MY FAVORITES!.......2007-07-24

I have loved this movie ever since the first time I saw it..and have seen it many times since then. No matter how many times, I always have to laugh
at the brilliant comedy aspects, and the heartwarming message it gifts us with. It's definately a feel good movie, and in this day and age, it is a welcome respit from some of the other movies available. My hats off to all the actors, director and crew..and most of all the writer of this delightful story!

Remembering the time.......2007-07-04

This is a fun movie about US paranoia with the Russians during the Cold War.

The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming.......2007-07-02

One of the nuttiest Cold War comedies of the 1960s, Norman Jewison's box-office hit "The Russians Are Coming" has a broad, frantic quality that will resonate with kids, past and present. Oscar nominee Alan Arkin stands out as the desperate Russian commander trying to avoid an international incident, and Jonathan Winters is a howl as an unhinged deputy sheriff mobilizing the nearby village. Note: a short advance briefing on the dynamics of the Cold War will likely increase your kids' enjoyment of this movie.

DVD:

DVD

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