Crank (Full Screen Edition)

Amazon.com

Action anti-hero Jason Statham is competing with himself to make the most relentless, non-stop action flick imaginable. In Crank, Statham stars as a hit man named Chev Chelios who's been poisoned by some Chinese toxin; the only way to stave it off is to keep his adrenalin flowing, which requires him to drive at top speeds through crowded traffic, start fights in bars, and run pell-mell down hospital corridors while wearing one of those humiliating smocks that tie in the back. In other words, Crank is high-end pop-trash, filled with many preposterous/ingenious stunts and over-the-top performances (Dwight Yoakam, Sling Blade, is downright droll as a doctor offering Chev assistance), marred by an unpleasant attitude towards women (Amy Smart, Outside Providence, will not look back on this as one of her signature roles). This is a movie for the audience who enjoyed Transporter and Transporter 2 but wanted Statham's perpetual scowl to become a kind of theatrical mask, a perpetual signifier of intensity that begs--nay, demands--that everything around it rise to a mutual level of absurdity. Fans of Luc Besson (Leon/The Professional, District 13) will find Crank to be simpatico. --Bret Fetzer

Description

A professional hit man (Jason Statham) is poisoned and has only hours to live. He has some big tasks to accomplish before the grim reaper arrives.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent action packed movie.......2007-09-02

This movie is action packed from start to finish. It is very fast moving and the stunts are unbelievable. Jason Statham is an outstanding actor and fits very well in action movies. He is very sexy and does deliver a couple of "backside and bare chest" shots in this one. This is one movie that will have both Jason's and your adrenaline raised from start to finish. I highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves "high action and fast moving" movies alike.

Hyperactive, Hypnotic, Hip........2007-09-02

Wonderfully hyper-kinetic, "Crank" opens with style and piles on the action all the way to the end credits. Rapid cuts, flashing images, split screens and wild camera angles are interspersed by momentary psychedelic slow-downs that might be a child passing in the other direction, or a bird's heart beating in its chest, the juxtaposition of the pell-mell against the sublime imbuing these moments with beauty and meaning. Jason Statham is tough and highly competent--he does his own stunts--and the dry Brit wit makes him the total action package. "Crank" is ninety minutes of well-crafted adrenaline.

Over the top killer for hire gets a taste of his own medicine flick.......2007-08-30

Jason is a ok action/actor, the dopey girl friend had no idea he was a killer? So goes the plot of this action movie, however, and keep in mind I'm no prude, I did find the sex act on top of a mailbox in full view of a school bus with children on it extremely offensive. The pace makes you dizzy and almost sick. Enough with the gimmicks, how about a movie with a little bit of a plot for a change?

Stylistic fun makes up for what the film lacks.......2007-08-29

Crank features Jason Statham as a man on the brink of death after being poisoned. The only way he can stay alive is if he keeps himself full of adreneline. This is done by drinking energy drinks, receiving epinephrine, and just living life very fast. His character's hope before death is to find the people who did this to him. Let's get this out of the way: the plot isn't really important to the filmmakers. It's merrily a vehicle for them to shoot this rather stylistic film. They even admit to that in the DVD commentary.

Crank is short on plot, and with the exception of Statham, who is just all too cool an action star now, the acting isn't really that great either. What makes this film fun to watch is its pure style. Without sounding like an ad for the film, it is a pure adreneline ride. Beyond that, however, the film makers have some very inspired sequences including an odd scene involving subtitles. The action sequences are fun, even if their outlandish.

But don't expect a masterpiece. This is eye candy. What makes the movie special though isn't a series of "gee whiz" special effects. It's pure fun on the part of the filmmakers. While the story and bit players are imperfect, they stretch the visual aspects of the film. And while it may not be a work of art, every frame on the film is fun to watch.

Pure Action.......2007-08-27

Sure we dont get good character development, but who cares? This is a high intensity non-stop action thriller that isn't meant for the light of heart. 5 stars!

Average customer rating:

It's a Love Story....
Auspicious Western Debut for Chow Yun Fat
Oh Yeah! Chow Yun Fat!
Cliched But Well-Made
assassins

The Replacement Killers
Starring: Yun-Fat Chow , Mira Sorvino , Michael Rooker , Kenneth Tsang , and Jürgen Prochnow
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Manufacturer: Columbia Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: 6304970471
Release Date: 1998-07-01

Amazon.com

The director of Chow Yun-fat's first Hollywood outing, music-video veteran Antoine Fuqua, seems to be trying to squeeze the charismatic Asian superstar into a conventional American action-hero mold, and the results are dispiriting. Fuqua never lets this high-spirited actor smile, fetishizing him as a gunslinging clotheshorse in a series of garish, scenery-smashing battle scenes. As a paid assassin whose former employers turn against him, Chow enlists the help of an illegal documents specialist played, with surprising grit, by Mira Sorvino, and then spends most of the time fending off squads of killers in mirror shades. The movie is art-directed and photographed fit to kill (even the most routine incidents are eye-gougingly colorful) and edited to a hip-hop beat. It's garishly superficial. The frequent gunplay duels may keep action fans riveted, but they'll hate themselves in the morning. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

It's a Love Story...........2007-05-05

"The Replacement Killers" pairs up Hong Kong action star Chow Yun-Fat and actress Mira Sorvino in a violent movie with a surprising amount of heart. This special edition features, among other things, some deleted scenes that flesh out the characters from the remarkably lean 88-minute original theater release. Antoine Fuqua, who would go on to make "Training Day", debuts as a big screen director. His previous experience as a director of music videos is on display in the movie's tightly shot, well-scored, and stylishly violent action sequences.

Chow Yun-Fat plays John Lee, a contract killer working for Terence Wei, a ruthless Chinese mafia boss. John baulks at an assignment requiring him to kill the seven-year son of a cop; Wei sends other killers after the cop and his son, and after John to punish him for his disobedience. John seeks a false passport from forger and petty criminal Meg Coburn (played with grit and street-smarts by Sorvino) to return to China to protect his mother and sister from Wei's revenge. John ends up kidnapping Meg while trying to stay one step ahead of Wei's thugs and the police.

It is here that the movie takes a surprising turn that saves it from being just another formula action movie. Prompted by Meg, Lee comes to realize that he must stop Wei's replacement killers from carrying out his original assignment as well as save his family in China. In turn, Meg sees past Lee's occupation to the ultimately honorable man that he is. As John and Meg move toward a final, violent, and dramatic showdown with Wei and his killers, the two develop genuine feelings for each other. Fuqua has the excellent cinematic sense to keep their romance chaste and limited by John's need to return to China to save his family; the result is suprisingly touching as a plot device.

In addition to Chow and Sorvino, the cast includes Jurgen Prochnow as Wei's assistant and Michael Rooker as the cop pursuing John and Meg.

This movie is highly recommended as a well-done action thriller featuring some surprising subtle and effective acting by two talented stars and a nice supporting cast.

Auspicious Western Debut for Chow Yun Fat.......2005-11-17

Chow Yun Fat does not miss a beat in his American film debut. He has the same cool magnetism here that was on display in his Hong Kong films. "The Replacement Killers" plays like a homage to the Hong Kong action films with the benefit of having it's shining light in the leading role. The film that this most reminded me of was "The Killer" except here the character is nobler and is less ambiguous. It would appear that the makers of this film did not think Western audiences would accept a protagonist with gray areas. That quibble aside the film is slick hard-nosed entertainment. Mira Sorvino aquits herself well as Fat's unwitting sidekick. If this film serves a purpose it may attract interest in Fat's Hong Kong output.

Oh Yeah! Chow Yun Fat!.......2005-08-09

I loved this movie...I know, I know, chinese cliche martial art exploitation film BUT...
John Lee is deliberate in every word and movement. He doesn't say much and it works. It makes him all the more serious and sinister. Next, if you notice carefully, he dresses entirely in grays, blacks and dark neutral tones. It makes him stand out against the world of color in the background, especially in the Chinatown scenes which are explosive with color. Best of all, I was sucked in by the killer with a heart, not just an unstoppable murder machine.
Mira Sorvino is great as the tall, beautiful and ALL tough girl, Meg Coburn. She means business and doesn't take any bull*#@% even when there's a gun pointed at her. ..loved her comment about "we'll have this conversation again".
Finally, what greater villain's lair than the exquisite Hollyhock House by Frank Lloyd Wright. I love the few scenes that show it and strain to get a better look.
I'm know I'm glossing over some other great parts of the movie, but these are the things that truly stand out to me.
All said, I LOVE this movie. Something about it is exciting to me. If it's not your thing, so be it, but it is worth seeing.

Cliched But Well-Made.......2005-06-28

"The Replacement Killers" was apparently Chow Yun Fat's debut in western movies, adding to his already formidable career in the Asian movie industry. Chow Yun Fat, Mira Sorvino, Jurgen Prochnow, Michael Rooker and others working with John Woo have created a reasonably slick actioner that is full of some pretty obvious cliches.

John Lee (Fat) is a hitman forced to work for crime boss Terence Wei, (Kenneth Tsang). After Detective Zedkov, (Rooker), kills Wei's son, Lee gets assigned the job of revenge. It is a job Lee can't do. Lee goes on the run to save his family, who are back in China, with Wei's men and the cops after him. Meg Coburn (Sorvino) gets dragged into it, and they both team up for the adventurous ride of violence.

The action, which consists of some very intense gun fights, is done in the typically choreographed John Woo style. Of course, the scenes are totally unrealistic, and they are dramatised to the hilt. However, they have a certain artistic style, and the overall feel is quite fluid. With these scenes, John Woo is really in his element.

Some of the characters are very much the cliched stereotype almost straight from B-grade flicks of the 1970's and early 1980's. Two professional asssassins, (played by Til Schweiger and Danny Trejo), are certainly in this category. Dressed in all black, with loads of leather, and not a facial twitch between them, their roles are over-the-top, stereotypical bad guys. Even the photography and music in their scenes can emphasise this.

Mira Sorvino provides the eye-candy and the female tension as counterpart to John Lee. While not essential to the film's plot, she does add something more to the overall cliched feel of the movie. Not to mention, she is very beautiful, as well. While not Sorvino's greatest moment of acting, she was certainly one of the better actors in this movie.

This movie is quite good as far as it goes. Don't expect too much from it, and you will certainly enjoy it. Just sit back and enjoy the action, and even have a giggle at the bad guys in their cliched toughness.

By the way, you will probably notice that "cliche" gets used a lot in this review. That one word really sums this movie up well.

assassins .......2005-06-19

This movie made Chow Yun Fat a star in America. Was supose to kill a cop cause cop kill a chinese man's son but only in defense. Two deadly assassins were sent to kill Chow Yun Fat's character (John) one of them were shooting bullets out of his suit case how cool is that. John wants to go back to his family in china before they get killed. The action is fast in this movie.

Average customer rating:

It's not the best movie, but I like the style
Fulltime Killer...
So Close To Being Great
Good movie, not great
To stumbles

Full Time Killer
Starring: Andy Lau , Takashi Sorimachi , Simon Yam , Kelly Lin , and Cherrie Ying
Director: Ka-Fai Wai , and Johnny To
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures / Umvd
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B0004Z302Q
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Customer Reviews:

It's not the best movie, but I like the style.......2007-05-13

Full Time Killer is the best kind of derivative, unrealistic, and violent action movie--a [..] derivative, unrealistic and violent movie. Charting the course of a personal and professional rivalry between two very different but equally deadly Asian hitmen--the reserved, accomplished O and the flashy, reckless up-and-comer Tok--it clearly owes a heavy debt to John Woo's now-legendary Hong Kong canon, with its heavily stylized shootouts and its focus on crime as an occupation and a way of life. At the same time, the film's stereotypically Hong Kong emphasis on style over substance is filtered through Quentin Tarantino's hipper-than-thou, pop-culture-referencing postmodernism to create a sort of best-of-both-worlds hybrid. Not only do you get all the imaginatively over-the-top bloodletting you'd expect from an HK action film (complete with an eye-gouging, an assassination by nicotine, and of course a few dozen shootings), you get clever dialogue and cinema references aplenty, none more enjoyably gratuitous than Tok's penchant for paying tribute to Patrick Swayze's character in Point Break by picking up women and doing hits in a Bill Clinton mask. The movie isn't all breakneck speed, as it does occasionally slow down and give those involved some opportunities for reflection, but when it gets going it hits with the momentum of a 250-pound, steroid-enhanced linebacker about to blindside an unsuspecting quarterback. The plot doesn't make a great deal of sense, but it is plenty busy, with a pair of relentless cops, a super-cute video-store clerk who moonlights working for O, and Tok's epileptic older brother all being dragged into the escalating shooting war between the two principals. Besides, as is usually the case with such films, the plot is largely incidental, mostly providing an excuse for a succession of lovingly staged action set pieces. The inevitable final shootout is actually a bit of a letdown (especially given that it's set in a fireworks warehouse, which provided limitless possibilities that were only partly delivered on), but given much of what preceded it that's not necessarily a bad thing. And at any rate, this movie is definitely worth a watch or two for all fans of hyper-violent cinema.

Fulltime Killer..........2007-02-03

Interesting Movie. It's definitely "out there," but I liked it! Four stars...

So Close To Being Great.......2007-01-09

I really liked this film but I also see the flaws in it more and more every time I see it. The film revolves around two assassins and both have a little bit more in common than they think they do. They both are actually quite sloppy assassins when you think about it, they kill in broad daylight with there face exposed to the world. The main character named O is the best assassin in Asia but he now has a new rival named Tok that not only wants the amount of money O gets for his jobs but also his rank as top assassin.

Tok sends O challenges by showing up at his Job's but of course O keeps trying to figure out how Tok knows his every move. After a while when everything comes together you pretty much figure out that Tok is a little smarter than O just for the fact that for most of the film he had the upper hand. Tok is literally a psycho, he has no problem telling people what he really does and is always comparing the moments of his life to assassin films he's seen.

The film has a great ability to keep the viewers attention because it has great gunplay scenes and the two leading actors are ok but I feel Andy Lau outshines everyone. There are a few problems with this film one being that the subtitles are awful at times, they're white and the films picture is bright enough so the words run in with the picture and you miss what is being said. If that wasn't bad enough everyone in the film switches languages every few scenes, first they're speaking bad English then it's something else. Full time Killer is not based on one culture and takes place everywhere in Asia, some of the characters are said to be Chinese, some Japanese and some are others.

I don't know if Takashi Sorimachi (O) plays his character with little feeling or if he just played the part that way because he is supposed to be on top but only shows that when it comes to executing a job. He seems to have a hard time keeping his life together as you will see as the film goes on. It could be the fact that every time I get a chance to see Full Time Killer it's in the wee hours of the morning or because I just love films about assassins like Tok. I explained many flaws in the film in this review but still this film is entertaining and you can't stop watching it until you know the truth about everything. I truly believe that Andy Lau, his character, and the cool action scenes hold this film together. His mind frame reminds you of Gary Oldman in the professional but a little happier and he compares the films total situation to the 1995 film Assassins. In the end this movie is worth watching at least the first time it will impress you and give a dull night an exciting mood.

Good movie, not great.......2006-09-27

Now this flick gets started off with a serious bang but never really capitalizes on it.

The story is about 2 assassins and 1 girl who we learn more about the whole movie. Just like going about their assassinations in totally diffrerent ways, they also go after the girl in very diffrerent ways. Andy Lau plays the reckless one while Sorimachi gets the job done cleany every time. When I say they go about getting the girls in diffrerent ways, this part could not be more extreme. Lau's presentation of himself was totally unbelievable but it did actually fit his character quite nicely.

The constant English dialogue from Simon Yam and many others was very distracting. Yam's English is horrible and they also spoke a lot of Japanese which didn't hurt the film.

The end I thought was very poorly done though it does have one of Johnny To's exressions of art in the final shoot-out. To doesn't completely fail, but I still found even a movie like A Hero Never Dies more enjoyable. Any Lau has a great line that sums it up the best-"even a crappy movie can have a great trailer".

The extras on the DVD include a 25 minute making of that was made before the movie was released and a 23 minute behind the scenes showing you how they shot the scene.

To stumbles.......2006-05-22

Well, it had to happen sooner or later: a disappointing Johnnie To film, albeit one co-directed by Ka-Fei Wai. It's not so much that the film is exactly bad, more that it's so average when it could and should have been much better. A riff on Assassins, with reckless hitman Andy Lau trying to eliminate Takashi Sorimachi and take his crown, there are plenty of good ideas and clever plot twists and, while utterly unbelievable, Lau's character never becomes as much of a clown as Antonio Banderas in Richard Donner's film. But there's a clumsiness, not just to the film's construction but also its execution, as if it were made by less experienced hands. One major problem is the multilingual treatment: the Cantonese and Japanese dialog is fine, but huge chunks of the film are played in English, and neither Lau nor Simon Yam are particularly fluent in it, rendering much of their dialog painfully awkward (to be fair, Yam comes off far worse). The end, where everybody gets what they want, feels right, but there's a curious sense of underachieving throughout the film: the constant question isn't "What'll happen next?" but "Why isn't this as good as it should be?" One for the money, I suspect.

Average customer rating:

Terror in the Mall
hilarious!!!!!!
WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY
Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

Terror in the Mall
Starring: Rob Estes , Shannon Sturges , Kai Wiesinger , Angeline Ball , and George Anton
Director: Norberto Barba
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Disaster Films | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: B00009V7S6
Release Date: 2003-07-08

Customer Reviews:

Terror in the Mall.......2007-07-19

This film was excellent and was very exciting with the people being trapped in the Mall. Cherri was the main character in this film and she is the sherif's wife. It was exciting when they were trapped under water and the killer Glen was making a pest of himself saying " Nice day for a swim aint it" I saw this film on the TV before when I was little and wanted this film on DVD.

I give this film 5 Stars.

hilarious!!!!!!.......2007-07-04

my brother and i watched it on lifetime one afternoon and cracked up!!! it is so far fetched that you can't help but laugh!!!!! i recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor, its a classic!!!! the fact that they all survive after being exposed to methane gas, a huge flood and torpedo guns is amazing to me!!!! buy it, you won't be sorry!!!

WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.......2005-12-26

After seeing this movie on the LifeTime (AKA: Women's Channel) I wish I never saw this movie. This movie is soo unbelievible and very cheesy. Its one of those, "it can't it get any worse, then it does. . ."
The movie follows a group of people as they try to escape from flood water during a dam clopase. One of this people is an espaced killer. Of course, during their climb the killer shots the designer of the mall (who just happens to be there.) as they find a way to roof. Then they must shut off all elctrical equipement otherwise the methane gas despoists under the mall will explosed. This movie is soo horrible.

Be afraid. Be VERY afraid........2003-12-12

Having lived through my own disaster at the mall (well, the parking lot, at least), I was quite curious to see how similar this film was to my experience.

IMDB summarizes the movie as:

"A disparate group of people is trapped in a shopping plaza during a flood. To make matters worse, one of the folks is an escaped killer, and deadly methane gas is seeping up through the flood waters."

There are a number of chilling parallels: a flood, seeping methane gas, and an "escaped killer" (so to speak).

Now, the title is inconsistent (the movie is listed either as "Disaster at the Mall" or "Terror in the Mall")--but either one certainly works.

Description

Addison Terrill (C. THOMAS HOWELL), a former district attorney now in a lucrative private practice, has what seems to be the perfect life. Sharing a successful law firm with his best friend, Sam Moss (BEN BROWDER), Addison's career is on the rise and he has a luxurious home, a beautiful, sexy wife, Becky (SEAN YOUNG), and a bright young son. But life as he knows it is turned upside down when he arrives home from work late one night to find his wife brutally murdered and his son unconscious in critical condition at the hospital. Now, fingered as a suspect by the police, Addison must race to find the real killer and prove his innocence before it's too late. Out of desperation with no where else to turn, Addison must put his trust in the only other person tied to the case, ex-cop Jesus Vargas (GIANCARLO ESPOSITO). Bitter and humiliated by his removal from the police force, Vargas holds Addison personally responsible for ending his career in law enforcement, and his motivation for finding the killer may not be to Addison's advantage. In order to solve the case and find the true killer, both men must put their differences aside and their lives on the line. Their search leads them through the city's underworld and into a wicked web of deceit. As hard truths become revealed and dark secrets begin to unfold, the ring of suspects close in around Addison and he finds himself questioning the very people he trusted.

Customer Reviews:

Transparent Plot - Horrible Script - Browder saves the Day.......2007-09-07

Unfortunately this movie did not have much to work with, considering the horrible script by Chris and William Peirson, who are real life attorneys. They should probably stick to their day jobs.
I knew who the killer was and the murder weapon to be used long before Sean Young's character was actually killed. It was that transparent. The whole cast gave a somewhat lackluster performance, but C. Thomas Howell as the bumbling attorney who is trying to solve his wife's murder was simply ludicrous. Again though - he didn't have much to work with. For someone who was supposed to once have been one of the top prosecutors in a city like Dallas, he behaves like a naive newbie from some backwoods town, who has absolutely no street smarts, or common sense for that matter. It was actually painful to watch. Sean Young gives a solid performance, albeit appearing a bit bored with her part. Who can blame her. The only performance that somewhat saves the movie is Ben Browder's. Too bad he is seriously underused. However, he is allowed to shine and give us a glimpse of what he is capable of during his final scene and the flashbacks thereafter. The man can express more with one look than other actors can with two pages of dialogue. He is definitely one of Hollywood's best kept secrets. Will someone cast him in an A-movie lead already! We need to see more of him.

Suprising End For Me.......2007-05-29

I had No idea who the killer was until the very end. I thought this was an excellent movie.

Was this actually released theatrically?.......2005-11-28

Putting this on DVD seems like a big enough waste of money. You can tell the film is going to be chintzy on the budget when the lead actress's wig looks like a Halloween prop at your local Party City; however, the beautiful house used for the main characters was the real star here. But this film's redeeming quality is how laughably bad it is. You will find yourself rewinding scenes to laugh again as you won't believe how cheesey it looked the first time - like when the hooker gets shot - a classic death scene! The cinematography never rises above a primetime episodic on a low budget giving it a shot on video feel. The dark night scenes were overlit, and the supporting cast were the real jewels here insuring they never work again. The mention of "Dr. Pepper" numerous times was so ridiculous - did the Texas-based Dr Pepper demand to be featured throughout this Texas production or were they offered some free publicity? Either way, Dr Pepper sure tastes good with Turkey.

Entertaining.......2005-05-14

An entertaining 94 minutes of "who done it" intrigue.
Was good to see Sean Young again.
C. Thomas Howell looked a bit ragged.... is his health OK ?

Admittedly we guessed the plot and the killer at around 30 minutes into the movie and at times the plot twists made us think we might be wrong.... but we were right.

Despite figuring it out so early, it was still entertaining

A Killer Within .......2005-04-16

A Killer Within does a good job of coupling some original surprises with a character-driven plot. No easy feat for sure, and trust me, the script could have easily been turned into a lousy Lifetime Channel movie of the week without the right direction and cast.

Becky Terrill, played by Sean Young, leads the caricatured life of a stereotypical Dallas socialite. Her posh North Dallas house is ridiculous, her Mercedes is pristine and her dependency on alcohol is ravenous. The only thing that seems to bother Becky's Prada-clad existence is her 4 year-old son.

Becky's husband, Addison, played by C. Thomas Howell, is a high-powered corporate attorney with some codependency issues and a raging Dr. Pepper jones. Addison comes home from work to find Becky brutally murdered, apparently at the hands of someone targeting Addison. The lead detective fingers Addison as suspect number one and his investigation basically ends there.

But Addison, who has made some dangerous enemies during his climb to the top of the food chain, has a suspect of his own. In order to find the killer and protect his innocence, Addison reaches into his past and enlists the help of Jesus Vargas, a former cop played with enthusiasm by Giancarlo Esposito. Esposito's performance as the renegade ex-cop is the most authentic in the film. The lawman and the lawyer strike an uneasy alliance as they navigate the seedy side of Dallas in search of Becky's killer.

Director Brad Keller does a masterful job of introducing just about everyone as a suspect and the guessing continues to the very end.

Average customer rating:

not sufficient
An interesting failure
One star is one star too many
A winning combination
The "North" of the horror genre

Skinner
Starring: Ted Raimi , Ricki Lake , David Warshofsky , Richard Schiff , and Traci Lords
Director: Ivan Nagy
Manufacturer: Simitar Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: 6304724802
Release Date: 1998-01-30

Customer Reviews:

not sufficient.......2005-01-02

'Skinner' is kept up by Ricki Lake, whose acting is quite convincing. Unfortunately she's the only one doing so, and that is insufficient to save this movie as a whole. Male lead Ted Raimi acts woodenly, and Traci Lords' cripple, drugged character is far from what she performs best: an active, sharp-witted lady.

One longs to see this movie's end before it is finished.

An interesting failure.......2001-05-18

Worth watching once to see the movie it might have been. An amazing performance from Raimi, who slides deftly among the layers of the psychopathic title character without once overplaying his hand in a truly chilling performance. Ricki Lake is also subtle and effective as the unhappy landlady with a slowly growing attraction for her strange boarder. Unfortuately, the high-caliber performances are wasted on a meandering script and unfocused direction -- and a fatally slow pace which destroys any interest we might have in what's going on. As for the gore, it isn't that it's too much, it's that it's not enough. Too little and too late, it's almost half-an-hour before we know anything more about the movie than what we read on the box, and by then we're no longer interested. A shame, and most of the people involved deserved better.

One star is one star too many.......2000-12-29

This movie is really a dog. If any of you Ted Raimi fans out there ever watch this one and then later meet Ted, don't let him know you watched it. He'll make fun of you! Now that's the sign of a really bad movie! No redeeming factors here that I can see at all. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I think I'll go watch some paint dry.

A winning combination.......2000-11-12

If you're into classic "show me the gore" horror flicks, check these two out. They may not be too popular, but many of the greats aren't. You can't beat Amazon's price for two DVD's either! Enjoy.

The "North" of the horror genre.......2000-11-03

This film is vile, badly written, badly acted, with bad sound and a weak male lead. Awful, awful, awful! I thought this film would have some campy qualities since Ted Raimi was the "Buffalo Bill" knock-off of a serial killer. Ricki Lake is predictably terrible ("Hairspray" was her only good film to date). And to top it all off, ex-porn queen Traci Lords isn't even naked! The least the director could have done was give a dollop or two of gratuitous nudity to appease the audience in this horribly written mid-air collision of a film. While the story was unbelievably weak, there was a motif of water which made no sense. I think the director was trying to be pretentious or stretching the film to feature length. Like Oedipus, I felt like blinding myself after I saw this film because it was so monumentally bad. When I say it is a bad film, I don't even mean it in a "so bad it's good" sense either. This film is BAD! I'm sure "Plan 9 From Outer Space" has more redeeming qualities (and had better actors). Too bad Mystery Science Theater 3000 is over, because this cinematic abortion would be a lot funnier with two robots talking back to the screen. This film makes "Army of Darkness" look like "Citizen Kane." If you want to rent a good bad film, rent "Soldier" or "Escape From LA." Keep browsing folks. I wasn't deepy offended that I wasted my money on this, I was offended that I wasted my time on this. As a famous film critic said: "Unclean, unclean, unclean!"

Average customer rating:

Wang Yu Vs. Jackie Chan
This Flick Is An Absolute Tragedy!!
ORIGINAL IS BETTER
I like it
killer meteors a time killer

The Killer Meteors
Starring: Yu Wang , and Jackie Chan
Director: Wei Lo
Manufacturer: Simitar Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: 6304622821
Release Date: 1997-11-26

Amazon.com

A 1976 novelty item for Jackie Chan completists only; he plays one of his rare costume roles, and his only bad guy. The star is Jimmy Wang Yu (One Armed Swordsman) as Hero Mei, a freelance warrior whose top-secret weapons are explosive projectiles known as killer meteors. Mei is hired by the so-called "Immortal Meteor," Hua Wa-bin (Chan), to eliminate his pesky wife, who (Hua claims) is plotting to kill him. There are some clever, gimmicky fight sequences and some amusingly far-fetched weaponry. A couple of glamorous sword-fighting women are also involved, as is a potion called the Pulverizing Drug, which melts people into puddles, like vampires exposed to sunlight. But there's so much plot to get through (adapted from a lengthy serial novel by Gu Long), and so many long-winded explanations to plow through that none of the characters have much free time for fighting. The movie plays both as hard-boiled (with everybody betraying everybody else) and as a medieval Chinese conspiracy yarn: kung fu Robert Ludlum. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

Wang Yu Vs. Jackie Chan.......2007-03-10

Sometimes if an actor has not had a successful run as a lead then it behooves him or her to take a supporting role. After the box office failings of New Fist of Fury and Shaolin Wooden Men, Lo Wei decided to cast Jackie Chan as a villain in a secondary position to the lead of Jimmy Wang Yu (who starred in many popular pictures as a one-arm martial artist and many not-so-popular films as a two-arm martial artist.) Wang Yu's stardom was slowly fading at the time of this picture, but he had a much more recognizable name than Jackie's. Useless tidbit: according to Jackie, he made 12,000 HK dollars to Wang Yu's 50,000. The Killer Meteors was based on a Gu Long novel and it was the first of two films to be shot in Korea (To Kill with Intrigue was the second.)

Jimmy stars as Mi Wei the Killer Meteor, a sarcastic master of Kung Fu who know no equal. He is so feared and admired that criminals will cut off there fingers in repentance rather than to face his possible wrath and master martial artists serve underneath him. I like Wang Yu's performance with his cocky panache (he even keeps track of his enemies all 491 of them) and glib humor though his character is a bit too "strong" for there to be any real conflict in this film. Also, his weakness at martial arts is very noticeable because of the direction and his slowness (Master of the Flying Guillotine is a good example of where he is choreographed well.) But who needs adroitness of movement when you carry a cool weapon like the Killer Meteor. Only three people have seen this weapon and two of them are dead. Most of the time he uses it as a club on the criminals who are undeserving to die by it's true form.

Wei is approached by Qing, the famous Blue-Robed Swordsman who must bring him to the Celestial House of Hua the Hearty (Wa Wu Bin in some translations/dubbings) before July 15 (according to subtitles) or he will die. Mi is intrigued by this, for he is always looking for a challenge worthy of him, and goes with Qing. When he meets Hua (Jackie Chan) he finds a sick man who needs the Killer Meteor's help. Hua was poisoned by his wife in his Ginseng soup (otherwise a normally healthy soup) and she gives him a yearly dose of antidote. Hua does not like this arrangement and wants his wife dead and the antidote all for himself. Wei accepts this challenge though he learns of the four feared bodyguards of his wife: Blazing Star whose weapons are the Plum Blossom Needles (always a favorite of mine, though for weapons so small they always seem to be caught), Killer Hands with fierce suction grip (like GI Joe's Kung Fu grip with vacuum power), Black Lama whose good at black magic and Taoist Ghost (Lee Man Tai) who is good at tricks. Now these characters sound good, but there use in the film is less than desirable.

Unfortunately the plot is weak. There are too many twists and turns that negate previous plot points and characters who are not whom they seem to be. Or are they? My notes on this film is huge but explaining even half of them would be tedious. Generally if plots become overburdened then you can fall back on the martial arts in the film. With Jimmy being the lead character and unless he was being doubled for flips the martial arts are too slow and the action too pedantic. Also there is not a lot of fighting. There are two main fight scenes between Jackie and Jimmy. The first fight scene is the best while the finale is a bit disappointing. It takes place on wooden poles with stakes on the ground - resembling an action scene from Jimmy's earlier film Master of the Flying Guillotine and a bit like Yuen Woo Ping's Iron Monkey, though both are much more interesting. Luckily for the viewers Mi Wei shows off his killer weapon.

The Killer Meteors was a failure at the box office and did not help either Jimmy's or Jackie's career. Along with the confusing story and mediocre action scenes there are too many problems with this film ranging from the overuse of the "lifted" King Kong score to really cheap costumes. Yet, I cannot say I wholly disliked the film. I liked Jimmy's performance, Jackie's "bad guy" performance, some of the story, the beautiful scenery and the titular weapon. Since there is a plethora of better Jimmy Wang Yu and Jackie movies there is no reason to recommend this film unless you are into watching all of Jackie's or Wang Yu's films - like me.

DVD Notes: the two editions of this film I own are the Columbia version and the Simitar Platinum Series version. There is very little difference between the two. Both versions are full-screen (with the credits running letterboxed), both have Mandarin dialogue (though for some reason the Simitar version says Cantonese which is wrong), both have the same dubbed version and both have the same running time (104m). The Columbia version does have English subtitles though.

This Flick Is An Absolute Tragedy!!.......2006-08-10

I never would have believed it,,,but his flick turned out to be my worst kung fu experience,,,,it was painful and embarrassing to watch. A real waste of talents. The fights were average,,,but the story was nothing less than garbage. I feel really bad for Jackie Chan and Wang Yu. I would not recommend this rubish to my worst enemy!!

ORIGINAL IS BETTER.......2006-02-05

If you want UNCUT ORIGINAL version, ALWAYS look for ORIGINAL LICENSED Production. NOT US Release. Its a foreign film, it should not be US version to begin with~! HELLO!!!?? Why settle for LESS with US Version where they edit and cut so many excellent scenes especially with Jackie's Fighting Scenes. And US Release ruins the speed and sound as well. I have been collecting Jackie Chan's movies both HK and US Release Version for quite some time now. I found HK Version to be MUCH MORE in enjoyable, and HIGHER in Quality. American Market always like to "Americanize" and "Control". Regional Code Regulation thing is one of the example to CONTROL the Market. Why not let everyone enjoy the same HK Original Release move the same way ENTIRE WORLD enjoys it ?? No one makes Hollywood American movies to "French version" or "Chinese Version" ~! This what Americans are doing~! Well, enjoy the cheap "American version" then~! LOL

I like it.......2005-08-05

This is a good Kung Fu flick. I enjoyed it. Great fights and the Killer Meteors are awesome. Jackie Chan plays the bad guy which I like because I'm use to seeing him as the good guy. I don't regret buying this movie at all.

killer meteors a time killer.......2003-07-04

Okay hear is the deal, this movie was not a Jackie Chan movie, he was barely in it and when he was he sucked, the action overall was really poor unless Jackie was fighting and even then it was not that spectacular. even bareing in mind that this was never intended to be a jakie chan type movie and is more of a supernatural powers, Chinese folklore movie I still thought it was kind of a waste of time and money, and i got it for under ten dollars, if you want to see it once, well it's your time.

DVD:

DVD

DVD