Never on Sunday

Amazon.com

Thirty-two years before My Big Fat Greek Wedding brought Greek-American culture to a mainstream audience, Never on Sunday took mainstream culture to Greece, with similarly popular results. Expatriate director Jules Dassin wrote, directed, and costars in this vibrant and (in retrospect) rather simple-minded celebration of good living, as embodied by the vivacious Melina Mercouri in the Cannes award-winning role of her career. She's Ilya, a fiercely independent prostitute who hand-picks her clientele, and Dassin plays Homer, an American intellectual enamored of all things Greek, and determined to steer Ilya onto the straight and moral path. He's out of his depth, of course; it's not long before his efforts are exposed as naively self-serving, and half the fun of Never on Sunday comes from watching Mercouri amiably deflect any attempt to dampen her indomitable spirit. Innocently good-natured by latter-day standards, Dassin's delightful film still retains its popular charm, and its familiar bouzouki theme is an irresistible invitation to join in the fun. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Nominated* for five Academy AwardsÂ(r), including Best Actress, Director and Original Screenplay, and featuring the OscarÂ(r)-winning* song "Never on Sunday," this "racy, arty comedy"(The Hollywood Reporter) is as intoxicating as fine Greek wine...and a "rambunctious" (Time) delight! Glasses are smashing, fingers are snapping and everyone's dancing to the sultry music of the bouzoukies! It's just another glorious moment in the carefree world of Illia (Melina Mercouri), Greece's most radiant lady of the night. Sensuous Illia adores her life, and every man in her seaport paradise adores her. But when Homer (Jules Dassin), a stuffy American intellectual, sails into town and tries to reform her, Illia shows him that she's one free spirit who's happy with her wild life and not about to be tamed. *1960: Original Song (won), Costume Design

Customer Reviews:

Never on Sunday.......2007-06-28

Ousted from Hollywood during the blacklist years, noir director Jules Dassin ("Rififi") fashioned this buoyant, flavorful romantic comedy with real-life wife Mercouri and scored a direct hit. As Homer, Dassin is an awkwardly earnest presence, desperately longing to cultivate the confident, effervescent Ilia, who is beloved by the town's sailors and unable to see the ugliness in Greek tragedies like "Medea." Mercouri, in her star-making role, really turns on the charm, making "Never on Sunday" a vivacious, bonafide Grecian delight.

Ayyyy....OPA!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-22

Purchased this and Zorba the Greek to help remind me of my time living in Crete. They both represent the joy and exuberence with which the Greeks and Cretans live. In Never On Sunday, the pragmatic Homer tries to "better" Illia by having her conform to post-Greco-Roman empire Western ideals. What he fails to realize, is that the pure beauty and essence of truth is what makes Illia tick to begin with. She represents a desire and quest for things "epicurian and sensual", but without the baggage of our modern societal morals. It is this living in the moment, without pretense and without malice that captures the spirit of Greece. Homer finally gets it, and is better for it. Eferesto poli ti Illia!

Melina shines in this one.......2007-05-13

Jules Dassin's (wrote, directed and starred)charming b&w portrayal of Melina's tough but kind hearted prostitute, done interestingly, half in Greek and half in English. Her scene with Dimitri Papamichael, as a British sailor "first timer" was priceless. You are better off if you know Greek or someone can translate, the subtitles lose something in the translation. Racy in 1960, relatively tame now, Dassin manages to capture the Greece of a simpler time using extensive on location shooting, ala his "Naked City", the movie, not the later TV series. It is a shame Dassin was blacklisted in the 50's and had to go to Europe to work.

"The Last Greek Goddess", .......2007-03-28

Melina Mercouri, "The Last Greek Goddess", stars in the comedy "Never on Sunday"(1960) directed/written by Jules Dassin. She plays Illia, the most sensuous and radiant "lady of the night" in the seaport Pyres where every man adores her and she is the one who chooses her partners. Mercouri was 40 years old when she played Illia but she did not hide a single day of her age and she was gorgeous, full of the inner fire and absolutely irresistible. When the new Pygmalion, the intellectual American named Homer (of course) sails into the town and meets Illia, he decides that his search for meaning of life would end in Pyres if he would reform Illia and make her change her way of life. With all his intellect and education he couldn't understand a very simple truth about Illia - only true love might change her. Homer played by director/writer Jules Dassin is the weakest part of this mostly charming comedy. I agree with one of the IMDb commenters who said that "Jules Dassin has directed a great movie but he should have hired an actor to play Homer, and not played it himself... A better actor might have found a way around the rough spots but Dassin magnifies them." I guess that in real life Dassin was much more charming that in the film because he and Mercouri were married in 1966 and stayed married until her death in 1994.

Never on sunday.......2007-03-09

Recomand to every one who is inlove.one of the best love story.

The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Black Sunday / Black Sabbath / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / Kill Baby Kill / Knives of the Avenger)

Average customer rating:

Almost perfect but for one fatal flaw
Finally...
great collection
Bittersweet Box Set
Bate and Swich

The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Black Sunday / Black Sabbath / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / Kill Baby Kill / Knives of the Avenger)
Starring: Cameron Mitchell , Fausto Tozzi , Giacomo Rossi-Stuart , Luciano Pollentin , and Amedeo Trilli
Director: Mario Bava , and Salvatore Billitteri
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MV8ABI
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Amazon.com

Five of Mario Bava's best films are included in this box set, minus his forays into eroticism, like Blood and Black Lace. Still, the lines between sexual pathos and violence blur in these selections that influenced not only other famed directors of Giallo, such as Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, but also spawned the American golden age in horror, led by directors such as John Carpenter. Three black and white films here exemplify Bava's trademark use of chiaroscuro mixed with suspense-building cinematography first developed in early horror classics like Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. In the Hitchcock-inspired Evil Eye (1963), tourist Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) witnesses a murder but can't convince police of the crime. Kill Baby Kill! (1966) is the prototype for all little girl-ghost films. Dr. Paul Eswai (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart) is recruited to solve the mystery of Villa Graps, where Baroness Graps (Giana Vivaldi) reanimates her dead daughter, Melissa, by killing innocent villagers. In Black Sunday (1960), the witch Princess Asa Vajda comes back from the dead to inhabit her look-alike, Katia, both played by Barbara Steele, the original femme fatale to which all brunette vamps, like Soledad Miranda (Vampyros Lesbos) and Elvira, are indebted.

In Technicolor, Bava's fantastically rainbow-lit films underpin the director's fascination with connections between our world and those imagined. Black Sabbath (1963) is a trilogy hosted by Boris Karloff, who also stars as a Russian vampire in its segment, "The Wurdalak." "The Telephone," and "The Drop of Water," in which a nurse, Helen Correy (Jacqueline Pierreux), steals a ring then fears that her dead medium patient seeks revenge, are acute studies of guilt and paranoia. The Viking saga, Knives of the Avenger (1966), like Bava's Hercules in the Haunted World, spawned several sword and sorcery films, while protagonist Rurik's (Cameron Mitchell's) knife-throwing is indeed entertaining. Screened back to back, these films provide evidence of Bava's influence in the horror genre. Moreover, they reveal Bava's deep understanding of horror's many facets, whether sexually, psychologically, or physically based. —Trinie Dalton

Description

More than a quarter of a century after his death, director Mario Bava remains one of international cinema's most controversial icons. Today his influence — marked by stunning visuals, daring sexuality and shocking violence — can still be seen in the works of Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Tim Burton, Dario Argento and countless others in a legacy that extends far beyond the horror genre. This collection brings together 5 landmark movies from the first half of Bava's career — encompassing the original giallo, a bold Viking epic, and his three gothic horror masterpieces — featuring new transfers, original European versions, and exclusive featurettes to create the definitive celebration of one of the most important filmmakers of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Almost perfect but for one fatal flaw.......2007-08-11

I would have bought this set, being a fan of Bava and particularly of these films, but without Karloff's voice in Black Sabbath I personally consider it not worth having. I already have the version with the Italian actor's voice and it DOESN'T WORK. Sorry, Bava and Euro/Iti film fans, but the edited American Version is superior to the original for this reason alone (the other drawbacks are relatively negligable). Why else use Karloff if you don't get the full actor? The Italians never shot synch sound, anyway, so even the original Italian version is dubbed! Dubbing is NOT the issue - in fact, it's a non issue. In fact, due to the Italians use of non-synch, I think most Iti films shot this way often work better dubbed into the native language of the viewer, except where a fairly recognizable actor/voice is concerned, so learn that damn lesson and do things my way now!

Finally..........2007-06-23

Kill Baby Kill is a flic choc full of foreboding atmosphere that can only be appreciated in the original wide-screen aspect. Contrary to Amazon's misleading information, this version IS widescreen with the option to view in Italian w/subtitles. The dubbed version is there for those who dislike subtitles. I paid 19.99 for an earlier crappy edition so needless to say I find this collection offered at 19.99 to be a gift from Amazon. Clear colors and sound make this DVD a joy to watch; great nostalgic fun. I can't wait to view the other titles, also in original theatric aspect, a bonus for me. Am I in Horror Heaven? (I bought an extra set as a present for a relative; no borrowing, please.)

great collection.......2007-04-10

Sorry, but giving this set a bad rating just because the AIP-versions aren't included is stupid in my opinion.
This box includes 5 fantastic movies by Bava (yes, even "Knives Of The Avenger" is a great one) in overall amazing quality with very good bonus features. I believe there is a good reason that AB didn't include the different cuts of "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" and "3 Faces Of Fear": legal issues. If these are solved, hopefully we see these versions someday on DVD (though the only one that really interests me is "The Evil Eye". "Black Sabbath" would just be nice because of Karloff's own dubbing,
but everything else is clearly inferior to the italian version.)
Until then - enjoy what's IN this box, it is an amazing value for the cheap price. Of course many people who want to buy this, already may have different DVDs of some of the movies in there - so everyone must decide for themselves if it is worth getting.

Bittersweet Box Set.......2007-04-09

It's great to have all of these Mario Bava titles in one set. The transfers are really beautiful, and a revelation to those of us with memories of grainy 16mm TV prints. "Black Sunday's" monochrome atmosphere looks particularly lush in this set. "Kill Baby Kill" is a major upgrade to the crummy, desaturated DVD I have from Image.
But they really SHOULD have included BOTH US and Italian versions of the star attraction, "Black Sabbbath". Or at least cut in Karloff's actual voice to the Italian version! Why not re-edit the way it should be? I still rushed out to buy this set, but cannot give it five stars due to the pre-release publicity which stated BOTH Black Sabbath versions would be in the box set. Anchor Bay owes all of us an apology or a free DVD of the English version.

Bate and Swich.......2007-04-06

(NO STARS)
This is not what I was promised in the add.
I will never buy anything "Anchor Bay" again!!!

A Killing in a Small Town (True Stories Collection TV Movie)

Average customer rating:

HERSHEY DOMINATES
DVD Killing in a Small Town
Great Movie
DVD: A Killing in a Small Town (The True Stories Collection)
Sharp & Cutting

A Killing in a Small Town (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Starring: Barbara Hershey , Brian Dennehy , John Terry , Richard Gilliland , and Lee Garlington
Director: Stephen Gyllenhaal
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
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ASIN: B000784WYU
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Description

Candy Morrison (Barbara Hershey, The Killer Beside Me, Chicago Hope), is bored with her life as a wife and mother in a small town. She yearns for excitement and finds it in the arms of her husband's close friend, Stan Blankenship. But, the passionate affair ends almost as soon as it began. A few weeks later, Stan's wife is found brutally murdered - axed to death. Never before in the town's history has someone been killed in such a violent manner. Unbelievably, Candy becomes the prime suspect. Is Candy merely a scapegoat? Or, does she harbor a secret that could push her past the brink of insanity? DVD extras include:About the Film, About the Stars, Interactive Menus, Scene Selections; Approx. 91 minutes; Color

Customer Reviews:

HERSHEY DOMINATES.......2007-02-16

Based on a true story and a book called EVIDENCE OF LOVE, this tv movie is made remarkable by the Emmy-winning performance of Barbara Hershey. She is utterly magnificent in the role of a middle class housewife who brutally murders her ex-lover's wife in a self defensive rage. Hershey superbly captures the many nuances of this seemingly normal woman who commits a heinous deed. Her hypnosis sequence is brutally painful and she pulls out no stops in showing us the hidden rage.
Brian Dennehy is equally good as the lawyer who tries to get her out of her terrifying predicament.
The movie is impressively done and once again worthy most of all for Ms. Hershey's dynamic presence.

DVD Killing in a Small Town.......2007-01-22

I received this DVD in excellent condition and it was packaged with care and arrival time was very fast. I would recommend this seller to everyone and would definitely buy from them again.

Great Movie.......2007-01-10

Barbra Hershy was great she is very good actress i loved the part in the court room and when she killed her best friend with a ax.

DVD: A Killing in a Small Town (The True Stories Collection).......2006-11-22

The movie grabbed my attention within first ten minutes and continued to be interesting throughout. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys watching true crime type flicks or murder mysteries. It is also interesting from the standpoint of someone who studies personality disorders.

Sharp & Cutting.......2005-08-14

Good film portrayal of the story of axe murderess Candy Morrison and her neighbor. Rivalry, cruelty and jealousy flare up between these small town women that ends with the brutal strokes of an axe.

Average customer rating:

Rebellion = self-discovery/individuality
When your father is a priest!
Maria Theisen is a Norwegian princess
A great film with Maria Theisen looking beautiful.
A great film with Maria Theisen looking beautiful.

The Other Side of Sunday
Starring: Marie Theisen , Bjørn Sundquist , Hildegun Riise , Martin Dahl Garfalk , and Hallvard Holmen
Director: Berit Nesheim
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
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ASIN: B00004STGW
Release Date: 2000-07-05

Amazon.com

The actual translation of this Oscar-nominated Norwegian film's original title, Sonntagsengel, is "Sunday Angels," which comes close to reflecting the state of innocence and grace from which the young heroine, Maria, attempts to penetrate adult mysteries in defiance of her father, a priest. The story is set in 1959, and Maria is unhappily lagging behind the rock & roll rebellion of her peers. Her father is severe and arbitrary in his judgments of what's best for her, her mother is in and out of a hospital, and her Sundays are spent in church, allegedly hanging on the old man's every word despite her ever-clarifying atheism. One way out: Find an ally as well as a cautionary figure in a lovely but miserable church servant who wishes she were as free as her true spirit. Directed by Berit Nesheim, the film is most vital during Maria's moments of unspoken yearning and accelerated confidence, giving us a palpable sense of a girl's inner life metamorphosing into womanhood. The rest--family scenes concocted to underscore Dad's own emotional conflicts and tyranny--are much more wooden. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Rebellion = self-discovery/individuality.......2006-08-29

Maria is a teenager whose father is a priest in a parish in a small town in Norway in the late 1950s. She is awakening to her individuality but finds the rules of her religion and home stifling ... Her friends are discovering the opposite sex while she is not even allowed to wear lipstick or mascara. Maria is wrestling with the teachings of her church and the natural inclinations of her own mind and nature ... Her father is the priest who has strict rules and a strict interpretation of the Bible - yet Maria has discovered the Song of Solomon where the verses speak exactly about the feelings she is experienceing. When sitting in church, her mind wanders to what she is missing and when listening to the sermon, her mind compares what she is truly feeling which differs from the narrow view presented of what G-d wants from his subjects. She ponders why G-d created imperfect human beings and then forces them to follow strict rules ... Maria's mother is a thin, gaunt lady whose life was squeezed out of her. She seems to have little say in the marriage, her role is that of an obedient servant.

Maria shares her personal questions and feelings with Mrs. Tunheim in whom she suspects a kindred spirit, a lady in the church who is the organist and the church secretary. Maria and she secretly put lipstick on each other and discuss forbidden subjects. Mrs. Tunheim speaks aabout freedom and its expression not being against G-d's will. She encourages Maria to pursue her own interests regardless of the teachings of the church. After Maria's mother is hospitalized with an ulcer, Maria over hears a discussion between Mrs. Tunheim and her father whom she suspects has feelings for the secretary ...

Maria wrestles whether to become confirmed (which means accepting the teachings of the church) and becoming a full-fledged adult member as she explores her secret secular experiences ... She attends confirmation class which is taught by a handsome young priest who awakens sexual desires in her girlfriend. The young priest spoke with Maria in private and kissed her. Maria skips class and dares to visit the cafe - called a "den of sin" by her father. There she sips a coke. Her 'sin' is reported to her father by some 'well meaning' parishioners. Maria makes veiled comments to her father about everything not being what it seems, referring to his feelings for Mrs. Tuneheim ... Maria continues to explore aspects of the secular life by questioning what she is taught versus what she sees as reality and what she experiences as an honest life before G-d. An unexpected event involving Mrs. Tunheim's disappearance brings her father and herself to an understanding about what is really important in life ... Despite the serious subject matter, the film contains many humourous and comedic moments as it presents the awakening of the innocence of the main character, Maria, into the complexity of adulthood. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

When your father is a priest! .......2006-02-13

Set in a Norwegian town in 1959, Maria is a young teen girl soon to become a woman, but is highly confused about her life. She is the daughter of a priest who loves and treasures his parishioners over family. Her mother is spineless while father is a stern dictator in the home. The family sits quietly to eat at the dinner table after the prayer/songs her father commands. He cannot tell her he loves her and she believes that the family only exists so the priest can have a home - a place to sleep and eat.

Maria seems bored and confused and doesn't want to be confirmed and hates how pathetic the church hags are and how the congregation lacks any love within themselves.

She is drawn to the teens from the congregation, who immediately after church hit the booze, smoke, listen to rock & roll and have sex. She explores her sexuality, wears makeup, earrings and lipstick. Her father calls the cafe where the youngsters hang out as the Devil's lair, the den of sin.

Maria befriends the church secretary, Mrs. Tunheim, who is having an affair with her father. Without divulging that she knows of the affair, Maria seeks advice and understanding from Mrs. Tunheim, someone willing to live freely and who tells Maria, "live your life."

The 1996 movie is on VHS with very poor visual and dark scenes. It is a coming-of-age, religious style. ...MzRizz

Maria Theisen is a Norwegian princess.......2005-01-07

The story was nice, not spectacular, but because of the pretty Norske girl, I give this movie a 5 star rating. Scandinavian films with Scandinavian heroines are the best!

A great film with Maria Theisen looking beautiful........2002-10-14

The movie is fantastic and all about church. Marie Theisen plays
a tremendous role and looks really beautiful as well. Those eyes
of hers are so innocent looking. I would like to see her in more
films today. The other children in the movie do a great job also. Especially the cheeky little girl.

Marie Theisen deserves to have more websites about her. More
pictures and information. I would like to download a picture of
Maria Theisen for my desktop. A very pretty actress of Norway.

A great film with Maria Theisen looking beautiful........2002-10-14

Amazon.com essential video

Palestinian terrorists attempt to wipe out a Super Bowl crowd in this 1976 thriller directed by John Frankenheimer (Seconds). Frankenheimer's unique facility with action--the unusual breadth of his view of violence, which stresses sustained drama over escalating thrills--makes this taut movie engrossing from start to finish. The lengthy cat-and-mouse stuff during the big game--much of which was shot at a real Super Bowl--is quite exciting. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Frankenheimer thriller.......2007-08-28

The John Frankenheimer 1977 thriller BLACK SUNDAY, based on the Thomas Harris (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) novel, is no period piece: it could have been made yesterday. Thirty years down the line, the same factions are still fighting, lending an even stronger poignancy to Robert Shaw's hospital bed ruminations. This is a film about terrorism, and gives us a small insight into what lies behind such hate, within its thriller format. Fine performances from Marthe Keller, Bruce Dern, Fritz Weaver, Michael V. Gazzo, Steven Keats and Klyde Kusatsu and a strong script by NORTH BY NORTHWEST scribe Ernest Lehman give BLACK SUNDAY a solid base upon which to build. The effects are fine for the period, and Frankenheimer uses his patented distorted camera shots and very, very fast cutting to make the most of what he had to work with. Paramount was able to shoot at the Super Bowl, so we are able to get real-time shots of Robert Shaw and cast interacting with the crowd. There is one fantastic tracking shot of Marthe Keller driving with her deadly payload toward its rendezvous. The camera continues to move as she leaves the field of view, drifts across the stadium and its 80,000 fans, and picks up Shaw on the football field anxiously watching for the coming threat. This is all done in one continuous shot, with no cutting. Amazing.

The film to DVD transfer is crisp and bright, sharp and clear, and the remixed 5.1 sound is excellent. John Williams' tension-building score is in full stereo in the 5.1 mix, or, if you wish, you can switch to the original mono theatre mix.

There are no special features, no trailer, no commentary, just the film.

Terriorism.......2007-06-24

I only wanted to purchase this because of the GoodYear Blimp,and the fact that this has to do with lighter than air aircraft.I'm a private pilot and appreciate all forms of aircraft.If you are interested in aircraft,then this is another one of those action movies with flying.I really do not like the terroist plot,but in this movie the bad guys loose,so just be awhare that their is violence.

eerily prescient.......2007-04-26

a generation later the concept of middle east terrorists using an air attack on an iconic american building doesnt seem as far fetched as it did in 1977, does it? robert shaw is at the peak of his popularity (this was just 2 years post "jaws"), and bruce dern is his usual crazy villain, but sadly the copy of the dvd i had crimped marthe kellers frontal nudity scene. ka-BOOM!!!

A scary movie, even by today's standards..........2007-04-20

When will there be another actor like Robert Shaw?

Probably never. But in "Black Sunday" he comes back to life with a vengeance.

The transfer on DVD is acceptable, although not to be compared with the recent transfer of another movie in which Shaw appeared. I am talking of "A Man For All Seasons".

The sound too is not too bad, although I cannot help wondering whether or not they used the same copy they used for the LaserDisc release of some years back.

In this day and age of terrorism pervading all the news channels, this film is an eery reminder, that sometimes terrorists do not need to be foreigners to accomplish their terrible acts.

So many times, although they claim to be religiously motivated, they don't even believe it themselves. They are just well oiled killing machines, with brainwashed minds whi tend to aggregate to feel a kind of belonging, a certain togetherness.

Alone, they are just pathetic and little insecure things, not even being sure whether they are still alive or not. Yet, if triggered the right way, these tiny beings can cause more damage than a battle tank.

"Black Sunday" was filmed still during the Vietnam War, hence the many references to that war. But there is an omnipresent component, and that component is the Palestinian/Israeli war.

The three main characters are:

Robert Shaw playing an Israeli Mossad agent, out to prevent a terrorist act performed in the United States during the Super Bowl;

Marthe Keller, a Swiss German actress, also known for her role together with George C. Scott in "The Formula", plays a Palestinian born terrorist, tasked to convince an American, former fighter pilot, turned to blimp pilot, to help her out in the plan to "carry" a special "cluster bomb" on board of the Goodyear blimp;

Bruce Dern is the disgruntled pilot who, after a traumatic experience with Vietnamese prisons, and not feeling appropriately considered or rewarded by the U.S. Government, decides, partly out for love for Marthe Keller's character, and partly as a kind of revenge, to carry out this folly.

Besides the three mentioned we get also Fritz Weaver (Demon Seed) and Walter Gotell (of James Bond memory, as General Gogol and as the SPECTRE agent in "From Russia with Love") to support this complicated and highly suspenseful picture.

Perhaps certain themes may be a bit outdated, but if one turns the names and places a bit around, you could find yourself confronted with a very modern and still actual picture.

This is a picture that has survived the years almost intact.

What is rather shocking is the awareness, that certain realities, dealt in this work of fiction, are still among us nowadays.
Moreover, this is one of those movies that foresaw, in one way or another, the happenings that would later become reality on 9/11.

Some movies simply are eerily closer to reality than one might think or wish them to be.

The acting by all is impeccable and very believable. The story grips you and never allows you to truly relax.

But be warned. This is a very uncomfortable movie to watch, especially for the reasons I have exposed above, but it also has the advantage to explain some facts behind those, otherwise so obscure worlds of terrorism and secret agencies.

I can only recommend it to a mature audience. This is no "kiddies" movie. To minors, this can still be a too shocking and pitiless depiction of fanatism and its consequences.

Review of Black Sunday.......2007-02-22

A good detailed and well done thriller that could have been a warning of the destruction of the World Trade Center. Will Americans never learn that truth is stranger than fiction?

Average customer rating:

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Braggodocio...and the thumbing of the nose
Finney Explodes On the Screen With a Vengeance
Working Class Zero
Matching the mood of the times, this film transformed British cinema and was much imitated...,

Saturday Night And Sunday Morning
Starring: Albert Finney , Shirley Anne Field , Rachel Roberts , Hylda Baker , and Norman Rossington
Director: Karel Reisz
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00005S8KV
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Description

In his first starring role, Albert Finney gained international acclaim for his impressive (TheNew Yorker) portrayal of Arthur Seaton, a rebellious factory worker who lives only for his wild, carefree nights at the pub. A remarkable and influential drama that captures the despair of working class life, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is 'superbly enacted [and] one of the best ofBritain's 'angry young men dramas of the 60s. (Leonard Maltin). The sights and sounds of industrial Nottingham resonate with a grimy thud as Arthur Seaton works his tedious factory job. Through ale, women and practical jokes, he vents his frustrations against the establishments of work and marriage until his reckless ways lead him to a night that changes his life. Forced to reevaluate his convictions, Arthur must decide exactly what he stands for

Customer Reviews:

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.......2007-06-28

Another top quality, British "kitchen-sink" drama from the 1960s, Reisz's film launched Finney to prominence after a promising debut in Tony Richardson's "The Entertainer." Drowning five days of stagnation in one night's revelry--or is it oblivion?--Arthur is the quintessential "angry young man," as he is going nowhere and won't let himself care, either about short-term inconveniences or long-term consequences. Finney is magnetic in the lead, and both Roberts and Shirley Ann Field make compelling love interests. Finney would go on to cement his stardom in the incomparable "Tom Jones".

Braggodocio...and the thumbing of the nose.......2007-06-16

This is the film that put Finney on the map, as the saying goes, and for good reason. He's a great actor, but his performance is more than individual; it's also symbolic of some anger afoot in the UK at the time--i.e., the "angry young men". More specifically, the combination of Finney's sex appeal and braggodocio thumbs its nose at the stereotypical image of Great Britain as the stuffy, staid upholder of propriety and good manners and lords and ladies, et cetera.

His character, Arthur, is working class through and through, and it shows in every scene. He drinks and womanizes and plays tricks--mostly on older women he considers representative of stuffiness and stupidity. But he's callous himself--not stupid, but callous. This is really a slice of life movie that, more than anything else, portrays the British working class in the 1960s pretty much as they were. It's a great companion piece to another excellent British film, "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner", also from the 1960s, and also featuring a young British actor making his debut, Tom Courtenay.

Finney is electric in his role. What's especially good about this film is that it doesn't so much copy or emulate American movies--in departing from the image of British culture as proper, etc.--as it presents an entirely new type of film, that reveals the day-to-day lives of British workers and societal hangers-on, those who can never take anything for granted.

Thumbing one's nose symbolically and cinematically here is producer Tony Richardson, who went on to direct Finney in "Tom Jones" (a masterpiece, I would say) and director Karel Reisz, a Polish-born Brit who went on to direct a number of other interesting films.

But the biggest nose-thumber of all here is Albert Finney. The ending is deeply ironic because we can see that in short order he'll give up his nose-thumbing ways and settle down with a cute girl who has no higher ambitions, basically, than he does. Will that last? Given Arther's character, it doesn't seem likely.

It's nice to see that Finney is still active in cinema. This debut is stunning and for sure well worth seeing.

Finney Explodes On the Screen With a Vengeance.......2007-06-11

"Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" is one of the finest examples of cinema that emerged in Britain from the late Fifties and early Sixties. For sure there is a lot of despair on display here but there is also a glimmer of hope for happiness. Arthur Seaton (Albert Finney), stuck in a meaningless job with little hope for advancement beyond his class, doesn't so much lash out but engages in wreckless and self-destructive behavior. He drinks to excess, he carries on affair with a meek co-worker's wife (Rachel Roberts), he torments a busy-body neighbor with an air gun, he teases the ladies at his plant with a dead rat. Arthur isn't so much angry just stifled. The best chance for redemption is the love of a working-class girl, Doreen (Shirley-Anne Field). Arthur just basically has to do some growing up and brush off the inequities of class-conscious Britain. Finney absolutely mesmerizes in his starring debut. For sure, Arthur engages in some outrageous behavior, but Finney never overplays it. Director Karel Reisz perfectly captures the grimy working class milieu. Essential viewing. On a final note, when are they going to properly re-issue Lindsay Anderson's "This Sporting Life" with Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts, another fine example of British film from the early Sixties.

Working Class Zero.......2007-03-29

I have seen a few of the "angry young Brit" movies of the late 50's and early 60's lately. "This Sporting Life", "Look Back in Anger", and "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" leave a picture of a society that offers little except a tedious life with limited rewards. The Richard Harris character in "This Sporting Life" at least had an opportunity to reach beyond but he was ultimately reminded where he belonged. These movies left me wondering why British life in that era seemed so incredibly boring while in America things were really hopping. The Beatles changed all that but then watching "The Fully Monty" gave me the impression that the deadend life had returned.

It's hard to get excited about all this dreariness but I'm certain that the directors had a point to make. Maybe it was a Dickensian version of the "youth will be served" motto. The anger, the fighting, the drinking, the love/hate relationships with women all portrayed a life without joy. Personally, I thought that "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" was the best of the lot. Although Albert Finney might be a slight notch below Richards Burton and Harris, I felt his was the more compelling character; lost, aimless, but not willing to take it sitting down. He seemed to care for no one but himself (a common trait of the leading men in these movies) and was ready to sacrifice just about anybody to keep his life at least somewhat enjoyable. Burton was just plain angry and Harris was obsessed with his game but Finney used the people around him as pawns for his own entertainment. One of those individuals was played by Rachel Roberts who played the same sort of role in "This Sporting Life".

Some movies make you happy and some make you think. This limited genre of film seems to make you think you'd be happy to watch something else instead. Yet there is the life that must be lived in a society that has predetermined where you belong. These movies may impress many a viewer and I have to admit that the acting and directing is superb in all three of the movies I cited from that era. However, I came away from each one gladder than before that I spent those years in Middle America rather than Great Britain.

Matching the mood of the times, this film transformed British cinema and was much imitated..., .......2007-01-13

English history has been full of rebel heroes but the screen tradition really came to fruition during the late Fifties and early Sixties when England's postwar generation was in revolt...

In the theater, this revolt took the form of the "kitchen sink drama" and the era of the Angry Young Men... In the movie industry, it was the era of "Free Cinema," an attempt by young filmmakers to break away from established subjects and standard treatments...

This raw melodrama deals with Arthur Seaton (Finney), a working class young man who rejects the misery and grind of his home and factory, but whose only possible rebellion takes the form of a cynicism towards authority and a cheerful indulgence in sexual encounters with various ladies of the town... His rebellion, though limited, is nevertheless genuine and the film's situation in a working class milieu is, for the habitually middle and upper class conscious British cinema, a much needed step forward...

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Please, let' s help us to applause to make our dreams materialize by themselves

One Wonderful Sunday (Sub B&W)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Manufacturer: Mei Ah
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002JC5ZM
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Album Description

Asian NTSC/All Code DVD. 1947 film directed by AkiraKurosawa. Black & White. 107 minutes. English subtitles.

Customer Reviews:

Please, let' s help us to applause to make our dreams materialize by themselves .......2007-06-18

1947: the world was just recovering from the horrors and the ashes of the bloody WW2. In Italy, De Sica won the Cannes festival with Shoeshine, Marcel Carne (The children of paradise) and Jean Cocteau (Orpheus) found through the myth and the poetry, solid answers to a deep end question, and at the same time Frank Capra filmed his masterpiece: "It's a wonderful life". In this sense, I want to catch your attention in which concerns the world was hovered by a very thick cloud of hopeless and pain.

In Japan after the devastation and the painful wounds, Akira Kurosawa, a very young director by then, was filming that admirable fable, around two outlaw people, an impoverished couple who simply is unable to make their dreams come true on a Sunday. She dreams with a new home and a renovated life although the odds, and then the magic will arouse among them when the illusion be so strong that be able to materialize a live concert playing the "Unfinished Symphony."

One might say - without hesitation - this was the first Japanese film inscribed into the mainstream best knwon as Neo Realism.

One of these forgotten little gems of this kaleidoscopic filmmaker.

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Twisted, yet beautiful
Hello Elizabeth!
Twisted Oedipus Complex
A thriller that's smart, funny...and charming!
A Twisted and Innovative Inversion of the word "love"

Six Ways to Sunday
Starring: Norman Reedus , Deborah Harry , Adrien Brody , Paul D'Amato , and Holter Graham
Director: Adam Bernstein
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00000JNBX
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Description

Eighteen-year old Harry Odum (Norman Reedus) has an unnaturally close relationship with his mother (Debbie Harry). But her possessive hold is tested when Harry shows promise as a henchman for the local mob. What starts with Harry's brutal pummeling of a stripclub owner ends up with his grooming for the higher ranks of the mob "family" that appreciates his lethal talents. When love finally triumphs over all, there's bound to be a few bodybags in this outrageous black comedy with a disturbing subtext and fine, quirky performances.

Customer Reviews:

Twisted, yet beautiful.......2006-11-17

I admit, I only originally watched this movie for the actors in it, but as I was watching it, I felt myself intrigued by the strange, yet sick, bond between a mother and her son. The movie itself can, at times, lack slightly in story line, but the overall effect it has will leave any person thinking. Debbie Harry and Norman Reedus both have memorable, and at times haunting, performances that make the movie what it is. I would say this is a must see movie.

Hello Elizabeth!.......2006-07-25

I agree with Elizabeth's review...any movie she likes, I'm sure that I'd like too. I've always loved the movies we've seen together. How long has it been now? Much too long... now that it's July of 2006, we should go see another one together soon...ktndto

Twisted Oedipus Complex.......2005-02-15

I never saw the movie before I bought it, all I knew that Norman Reedus was in it and that I loved him in Boondock Saints and Blade II.

The people are wonderfully cast ~ not only Norman Reedus, but Deborah Harry as Harry's mother is a quirky Jewish mother and Adrien Brody is a wanna-be gangster to the point of ridiculousness. I loved Elina Lowensohn in the part as Iris.

It's a decidedly twisted combination of Jewish mob, Ohio, and a mama's boy...Very strange, but in this case it works ~ in an unusual way.

A thriller that's smart, funny...and charming!.......2004-01-19

Charming may be an odd word to use to describe a thriller, but it fits in this case. This is a completely unique entry in the thriller category, effortlessly fusing the Jewish mob, Youngstown Ohio, and a mama's boy. Yes, a decidedly odd combination, but it works exceptionally well, thanks to intelligent writing and fine acting.

Harry Odum lives with his mother who dotes on him beyond the point of normalcy. Hence, Harry is seriously conflicted about the opposite sex and, as well, easily provoked into bouts of raging violence. This last quality proves to be an asset as a Jewish mob underling, Abie Pinkwise, hears of Harry's gifts which have been applied, quite diligently, to a strip club owner.

Harry's quickly recruited as muscle for Louis Varga who, in spite of his last name, is Jewish to the point of reveling in a typical meal--gefilte fish ("Jewish hamburger" he calls it), horseradish, matzoh, and the works--which he invites Harry, a goy (non-Jew), to participate in along with Louis' crew, all members of the tribe. Harry's good at his job--waxing (perhaps the Youngstown Ohio Jewish mob version of "whacking")--and so is soon rolling in dough, enough to buy a new house for him and his Mom.

As Mrs. Odum, Debbie Harry is spot on. She's an excellent actress given the right parts, and this is definitely one of the best parts she's done in a film. The Oedipal attachment she forces on Harry is so strong that near the end of the film, the inevitable happens (you can guess what that is), resulting in tragedy that nevertheless produces a malicious grin. This strong black comedy component of the film, then, is like fusing Bruce Jay Friedman's "A Mother's Kisses" or Dan Greenburg's "How to Be a Jewish Mother" with the Godfather. Except Harry himself is not Jewish, even though his mother is a Jewish mother to the max.

Harry meets Iris, a Hungarian emigre girl who eventually captures his confused heart. Elina Lowinsohn is perfect in this role, as is Isaac Hayes as a corrupt cop (a lotta self-respecting crime films have one of these, right?), Adrien Brody as a wanna-be gangster who emulates urban culture to the point of near-ridiculousness, and Norman Reedus as our hero Harry. The nicely juxtaposed opposites of deep down innocence (in Harry) and vicious brutality work well when combined with Iris' radiant simplicity, generating the charming element of the film.

A constantly broken chair and Mrs. Odum's other homey quirks supplies much of the humor here, but there is some grim stuff too. This is a quirky film that never really got its due and should be seen by many more people.

Recommended.

A Twisted and Innovative Inversion of the word "love".......2003-11-02

Norman Reedus has to be perhaps one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. From starring roles in the Boondock Saints and minor roles in films like 8mm, he came into his own with this film. Adrien Brody as a wannabe gangster, obviously before playing Vladyslaw and Isaac Hayes in a great cameo...you are shown a twisted tale of mother/son bonding and a blossoming relationship between two young adults with a commonality in their desire for one another. Plenty of violence to consume that crowd...a dark comedy at its finest.

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Classic horror plot - amazing expressionistic cinematogrphy
A Good Intro To Bava
BLACK SUNDAY
Seek the Les Baxter version.
Mood Piece

Black Sunday (aka The Mask of Satan)
Starring: Barbara Steele , John Richardson , Andrea Checchi , Ivo Garrani , and Arturo Dominici
Director: Mario Bava
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00002NDM3
Release Date: 1999-12-14

Amazon.com

The reigning masterpiece of Italian horror cinema, Mario Bava's Black Sunday remains one of the most stylishly photographed of all horror films, ranking with any other black-and-white film of lasting repute. This was the master cameraman's official directorial debut, and his striking compositions are the work of a genuine artist in peak form. Loosely adapted from a story by Nikolai Gogol, this chilling vampire tale begins in 17th-century Moldavia, where the evil Princess Asa (Barbara Steele) is executed for witchcraft and vampirism, along with her brother Javutich (Arturo Dominici). Two centuries later, a pair of traveling doctors discover Asa's crypt and inadvertently revive the evil princess, whose scheme of vampiric revenge is aimed at her own identical descendant Princess Katia, an innocent beauty (also played by Steele) whose lifeblood will ensure Asa's immortality.

Influenced by Universal's classic horror films of the '30s and British Hammer films of the late '50s, Black Sunday (released in Italy as The Mask of Satan) is a dark fairy tale, with horror queen Steele as the definitive embodiment of erotic horror. With shocking violence (tame by today's standards) and visual emphasis on tombs, secret passages, ominous castles, and unseen forces, the film offers a wealth of memorable imagery and inventive technique. Redubbed, rescored, and harshly edited for its American release in 1961, Black Sunday is presented on DVD in the original English-language director's cut of The Mask of Satan, never before available in the U.S. The perfect movie to watch on a dark and stormy night, this timeless classic is the Citizen Kane of horror films, entirely worthy of its lofty reputation. --Jeff Shannon

Description

From the Mario Bava Collection comes his most frightening masterpiece, a tribute to the classic horror of Universal Pictures. In 17th Century Moldavia, the evil Princess Asa is condemned to death for witchcraft and vampirism, along with her brother, Prince Igor Javutich. Two hundred years later, two doctors en route to a medical convention discover her crypt and accidentally set her resurrection in motion! With the help of Javutich and others whom she enthralls with her cold, dead kiss, Asa sets her sights on her ultimate victim--Princess Katia, her own twin descendant. Filmed in gorgeous black & white by the director himself, "Black Sunday" is a stylish and relentlessly visual film of undiluted violence starring cult film star Barbara Steele (Shivers, 8 1/2). The uncut European version--first time on video in the United States!

Customer Reviews:

Classic horror plot - amazing expressionistic cinematogrphy.......2007-04-18

First off this film is not in color. Its not a torture slasher film. DOnt be fooled by the lame cheesey packaging.

Its a B&W 30s/40s dracula/frankenstien's castle type of film but executed with AMAZING skill. It goes the extra mile and then some. THe sound the look the plot are all within that classic hokey range - but done with brilliance and a true gift for horror.

I dont know if I saw the Les Baxter version (whoever did the sound it was awesome!). But I love Les Baxter so now I have to go back and make sure I see his version.

Im not familiar with Barbara Steele (sorry) but her performance was phenomenal.

A Good Intro To Bava.......2007-02-10

The word "atmospheric" comes up alot with Mario Bava and probably most of all with this film. It is true. Bava makes the most out of a low budget(as usual) and turns Black Sunday into a great film to look at. Lots of gothic imagery, castles, graves, trees, fog...you know, good stuff. It's like an Italian Hammer film in alot of ways. A tad more blood than you're used to seeing in this kind of a film from this time period. Not a gorefest by any means, but a bit icky at times. Plotwise it concerns a witch who places a curse on the family of her enemies before she's branded and burned. Two hundred years later she's awakened and is still a bit pissed about the branding and such and decides to make good on that curse with the help of her resurrected lover. A heroic doctor comes to the aid of the cursed family and the battle begins. The plot's not fantastic, but good, and Bava's visuals suit it to a T. It's a bit different from Bava's later work, but it makes a good introduction if you're curious about checking out his stuff. It's good if you like gothic horror. It's just good any way you wanna slice it.

BLACK SUNDAY.......2007-01-11

The movie was ok, and probably as good as most horror films of it's genre'. It still had that "low budget" look, however, despite good props and some decent acting. The film just wasn't up to par with a Vincent Price or Christopher Lee film from that era, no matter how you slice it. Probably the BEST thing was the storyline itself. If more had been spent on the production and it had been filmed in color with some REAL actors and actresses, it could have been a truly GREAT film instead of the cult film it is. Ms. Barbara Steele was compelling in her appearance, but didn't have the acting depth or talent to take her role above the cheap production she was cast in.

Seek the Les Baxter version........2006-05-31

By all means seek out the version of this film as scored by Les Baxter for release stateside by American International Pictures.

Mr. Baxter, then heavily involved in scoring the Poe series for Roger Corman, understood perfectly the musical needs of a Gothic supernatural melodrama par excellence--such as this beautifully photographed film assuredly is.

Baxter not only provides all the aural excitement to accompany the film's many thrilling sequences but provides lovely alternative counterpoints for the films broodingly romantic and triste subtext.

His accompaniment to Princess Asa's unholy resurrection seethes with orchestral malevolence in perfect accord with Miss Steele's writhing frame. His wildly pitching and rolling tempo seems to actually hurdle the baroque carriage forward through the fog laden forest as the doctor is driven to the castle, and the introspective piano version of "Katia's Theme" hauntingly captures the melancholy of John Richardson's attraction to Katia after having just met her in the ruined chapel.

And to top all there is the sumptuous, full orchestral reprise of "Katia's Theme" as played under the closing credits.

This film is the ultimate "blood and thunder" epic which owes as much to Gottfried Burger's "Lenore", Ludwig Tieck's "Bride of the Grave," and the Brothers Grimm as it does to Gogol.

And it is to his everlasting credit that Mr. Baxter understood this genre well. As such his music not only serves Mr. Bava's vision but frequently augments it.

The Roberto Nicolosi score might best have worked for some other film, say Visconti's "Conversation Piece."

Mood Piece.......2006-05-02

I was very encouraged during the opening sequence of this movie. The opening scene involves the unique and horrifying execution of an apparent witch. But then we are quickly off to the land of 18th century carriages and castles. There are some amazingly chilling visuals and the cinematography and production design are first rate. But the story and the godawful dubbing are what ultimately sinks this movie. Call it heresy, but this movie is over-rated.

Evidence of Love(True Stories Collection TV Movie)

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HERSHEY DOMINATES
DVD Killing in a Small Town
Great Movie
DVD: A Killing in a Small Town (The True Stories Collection)
Sharp & Cutting

Evidence of Love(True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Starring: Barbara Hershey , Brian Dennehy , John Terry , Richard Gilliland , and Lee Garlington
Director: Stephen Gyllenhaal
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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