Dancer in the Dark (New Line Platinum Series)

Amazon.com

Masterpiece or masquerade? Lars von Trier's digicam musical split the critics in two when it debuted at Cannes in 2000. There were those who saw it as a cynical shock-opera from a manipulative charlatan, others wept openly at its scenes of raw emotion and heart-rending intensity. There is, however, no in-between. Dancer in the Dark is that rarest of creatures, a film that dares to push viewers to the limits of their feelings.

In her first and most probably last screen performance (she has foresworn acting after her bruising on-set rows with von Trier), brittle Icelandic chanteuse Björk plays Selma, a Czech immigrant living in a folksy American small town with her young son, Gene. Selma is going blind and so will Gene if she does not arrange an important operation for him. To cover the expense, Selma works every hour she can, cheating on her eye tests so she can keep working at the local factory long after her vision has become too unreliable to work safely. She sublets a house from a local cop, Bill (David Morse), and his wife, Linda (Cara Seymour). When nearly bankrupt Bill asks Selma for a loan, she refuses, but he later returns and steals the money, which she demands back in a furious confrontation. In the ensuing melee, Bill is fatally shot and Selma is arrested and put on trial. Will justice prevail?

Von Trier's passionate, provocative film runs all our emotional resources dry with suspense, giving us occasional flashes into Selma's gold heart and mind with superb song-and-dance numbers she conjures to banish the nightmare (Björk also wrote the score). At some two-and-a-half hours, it's not for lightweights, but anyone bored with today's smug, "ironic" cinema will relish this as an astonishing assault on the senses and a stark reminder of von Trier's uncompromising talent. --Damon Wise

Customer Reviews:

lars von trier and bjork????-.......2007-07-13

of course its 5 stars and you will watch it more than once - the whole cast is just amazing and bjork is even more fascinating than usual!

Pushing the envelope of your emotions..........2007-05-14

A roller coaster ride into the human soul. If you are not moved after the ride, nothing will.

Very upsetting but incredible.......2007-04-15

[...]. This is probably the most upsetting movie I have ever seen, but also the most well-written and well-directed. Bjork gives an incredible performance and soundtrack. It's a beautiful film to watch and appreciate, just be prepared for very emotional scenes that may be very difficult to watch.

Good, but...........2007-02-17

I agree with most viewers that this is a powerful and disturbing film. It can tear a viewer's emotions apart, and perhaps justly so. But good as it is, "Dancer in the Dark" is also a deeply flawed film. First, the musical numbers; they seemed to me purposeless and obtrusive; telling the story straight would have given it more power and polish. Secondly, a classic tragedy also is capable of offering a catharsis, usually obtained by delicatedly handled irony (the villain--David Morse character--could have been divulged to a third party, for instance). Thirdly, filmed in Sweden and supposedly representing rural America, this movie is openly and vitriolically anti-American. Selma's trial is the stupidest trial ever put on film, bigotry admitted, and the system of justice represented here is nothing but a sadistic machine torturing a guitless and noble victim. Yes, injustices like that do exist and should be put on film. Raskolnikov has a dream of a horse being stoned to death. Kafka has Gregor Samsa die in utter loneliness as cockroach. And Fellini gives us Gelsomina dying of unrelieved grief after a brute has killed a friend. Perhaps, Lars von Trier should have tried to imitate those masters. Or did he?

Purely Putrid.......2007-01-29

If I could have given this movie negative stars, I would have. The music is horendous. The howling of my dog is a more soothing sound that listening to Bjork's squaking. Bjork reminds me of a bug-eyed stark raving mad drunken fairy on crack. I liken this movie to watching paint dry. Actually, I think paint drying has more of punch than this movie does.

Average customer rating:

Good noir, but could have been much better
A Great Little Noir
The Dark Corner - Fox Film Noir
Unusual Lucy
So-so story.

The Dark Corner (Fox Film Noir)
Starring: Lucille Ball , Clifton Webb , William Bendix , Mark Stevens , and Kurt Kreuger
Director: Henry Hathaway
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000B8380A
Release Date: 2005-12-06

Amazon.com

The Dark Corner can't seriously be proposed as a great film noir, but it's one that people cherish. For one thing, it's unique in having Lucille Ball--who has absolutely no "splainin'" to do--as the smart, resourceful, devoted secretary of beleaguered private eye Mark Stevens. Lucy actually rates top billing, with Clifton up-to-his-old-Laura-tricks Webb and William vicious-brute-in-a-white-suit Bendix also getting their names above that of the hero in the credits. In this, there's a certain justice; they all deliver the goods, whereas Stevens seems a tad lightweight as the hardnose, Phil Marlowe type cracking wise and punching his way through the mean streets. His character comes burdened with more backstory than usual for movie detectives; this time, the case the private eye has to solve is his own. The intriguingly convoluted screenplay (by Jay Dratler, who co-wrote Laura, and Bernard Schoenfeld, from a story by Leo Rosten) takes hold like a vise and sustains the tension even though, by rights, its credibility should be shrinking with each passing reel. Henry Hathaway's direction is crisp, and the cinematography by Joe MacDonald (who would next shoot John Ford's My Darling Clementine) is both pungent and gorgeous. With Cathy Downs, Kurt Kreuger, and Reed Hadley, who plays a police detective here but more often supplied the voiceover on Fox's semidocumentary thrillers and Anthony Mann's T-Men. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Lucille Ball has a change of pace role as the loyal secretary of a private eye in this brooding film noir about a man being set up for a murder rap. Framed by his partner years ago, hard-boiled detective Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens) served a two year stretch for manslaughter. Now trying to start over, he spends his time serving his clients and romancing his new secretary, Kathleen (Lucille Ball). But everything changes with the appearance of a sinister man in a whit suit (William Bendix) who's apparently working for Galt's ex-partner, Tony Jardine. When Jardine is killed, the police blame Galt. It's another frame, but if Galt can't prove he's innocent, this time he's headed for death row.

Customer Reviews:

Good noir, but could have been much better.......2007-07-19

"Dark Corner" is a perfect example of a B noir: strong in parts (gorgeous cinematography, some good acting, effective writing) but weak in others (sloppy editing at times, Clifton Webb's pallid re-creation of "Laura"'s Waldo Leidecker, and an ending that seems tacked on). But even with the inconsistent quality, there are unexpected pleasures to be found, as in most noir films. Among my favorites: the snappy, natural way Mark Stevens and Lucille Ball flirt on their first date; the grace-note humor in several scenes (e.g. an eavesdropping movie cashier, the weird little girl with the slide whistle); a brief but satisfying encounter with jazzman Eddie Heywood.

I like "Dark Corner", but it cries out for the extra care that a bigger budget would have provided. Oh well, they can't all be "Laura"!

A Great Little Noir.......2007-07-04

A private dick in deep trouble, a beautiful secretary, Clifton Webb is
playing his role to the hilt and there seems to be no way out for our de-
tective hero. Plenty of dark atmospheric background.
This movie has everthing you need for a thrilling nights entertainment
in the "Dark City". It's a well acted and perfectly paced story seasoned with action and some surprisingly stark violence.
The DVD is crisp and clear, excellent video and sound quality. I liked
the commentary that comes on the dvd and find this to be a movie every noir fan should own.

The Dark Corner - Fox Film Noir.......2007-07-03

Though we tend to associate Film Noir with Warner Brothers pictures, many of the excellent examples of the genre were made by Twentieth Century Fox. "The Dark Corner" is one of these. The titles give top billing to Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, and William Bendix - but the star of the film is Mark Stevens, an underrated actor who could play hard-bitten parts as well as anyone. The camera follows him around as the plot of the movie unfolds. Clifton Webb does his usual excellent job in a part reminiscent of his role in "Laura."
William Bendix, known for both his comedic roles as well as his tough guy parts, throws his weight around and gets thrown around in this one, and Lucille Ball, who gets the undeserved star billing, is quite good in a straight part. She shows none of the "Lucy" zany qualities that she became famous for in later years.
In my opinion, Mark Stevens should have had a bigger career. I wonder what happened!

Unusual Lucy.......2007-05-28

This is Lucy in a dramatic role. It showcases her talent very well. Male lead would have been better played by Dana Andrews but otherwise good Film Noir.

So-so story........2007-05-09

Don't get me wrong, I love noir whether it's books or film. I think Lucille Ball was terrific in this film. In fact, she's so much better than the story and the awful acting of Mark Stevens, that I'd say she was wasted. The story is weak, there are no real surprises except one: Director Hathaway somehow managed not to create any tension at all. No tension, no sexual chemistry between the leads, and Kreuger was a vanilla villain -- I couldn't work up any feelings about him one way or the other. Not only that but the pacing is truly sluggish. Clifton Webb could have phoned in his performance, it's pretty much the same one he did in 'Laura,' except for that nifty bit of murder he performed on William Bendix, which was done in Webb's inimitably urbane style. It's a watchable movie, but if you have to take a phone call in the middle of it you're not going to miss any great moments.

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A Cry in the Dark
how much is that doggie in the outback? the one with the waggly tail?
The "Death" Of An Innocent Family
PIERCING CRY
Sometimes, the truth and the reason are not in the same table!

A Cry in the Dark
Starring: Meryl Streep , Sam Neill , Dale Reeves (II) , David Hoflin , and Jason Reason
Director: Fred Schepisi
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00002E22E
Release Date: 1999-12-21

Amazon.com essential video

Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Elaine on Seinfeld once offered a non sequitur at a party just to relieve her own boredom: "The dingo ate your baby," she blurted in a bad Australian accent. It was a reference to this harrowing film by director Fred Schepisi, based on a true story. Meryl Streep and Sam Neill play a married couple on a camping trip whose baby disappears. Streep maintains that the baby was carried off by a dingo--a wild dog--but she winds up as the victim of a hard-hearted prosecutor and the target of a nationwide hate campaign, in part because she was a religious fundamentalist who seemed unsympathetic and, thus, became an easy target for the tabloid press. Streep and Neill are both outstanding in this fierce, realistic drama about the ways faith can bolster even in the face of outrageous persecution. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

A Cry in the Dark.......2007-07-06

Based on the shocking true story of a Seventh Day Adventist and his wife's personal and legal ordeal, Schepisi's poignant, gut-wrenching drama builds on the astonishing performance of Streep, barely recognizable as the timid, aggrieved victim of near-daily assaults in the press. Schepisi builds suspense in the tense courtroom scenes, which are intercut with flashbacks to the camping trip, and never recoils from the lurid aspects of the Lindy witch hunt. With its sympathy for a minority faith and contempt for tabloid excess, "Dark" feels more relevant than ever.

how much is that doggie in the outback? the one with the waggly tail?.......2007-05-12

this is probably the funniest movie i have ever seen. meryl streep is a laff riot as a kooky aussie gal who rises to fame as a star of her own sitcom with the catchphrase: "a dingo took my baby!" i havent laughed this hard since the first time i saw a marx brothers movie, and ... oh wait. im sorry. someone looking over my shoulder read this and just advised me that this is NOT a comedy. sorry, dont pay attention to anything ive just said. mine bad!

The "Death" Of An Innocent Family.......2006-10-18

Goes to show how far a little prejudice will go. After warnings that Dingos were becoming a dangerous problem at Ayer's Rock, baby Azaria's tragic death was bound to happen to someone's child sooner or later. Unfortunately, many didn't realize just how powerful an animal the Dingo is. Like many here in the U.S. don't realize the dangers of our even smaller Coyote. And unfortunately for the Chamberlain family, smaller minority churches like their membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, made them subjects of suspicion and rumors. Their marriage was eventually destroyed over this crisis.

This film portrayed so well, how a little gossip and stereotyping can explode into hatred. Little known to most even today, is that there was a large cover-up from law enforcement, down to members of the local community, who were aware that a well known local Dingo was responsible for Azaria's death. Yet, many still refuse to accept Lindy Chamberlain's total innocence of her baby's death. The average viewer of this film would be totally sickened by the full revelation of this tragic event.

Meryl Streep's performance, is possibly the best movie portrayal of someone not actually born a native to the country of her character's origin. Her Australian accent is delivered to perfection. Very much worthy of the 8th Academy Award nomination she received. A strong argument for religious tolerance, and keeping cool heads till all the facts are in. And a great edition to any DVD collection, though some strong language for what essentially is a faith-based film may discourage some from viewing.

The film's now well known line, "the Dingo took my baby" would not have the least hint of humor if heard in its true context. Watch the movie and you'll see what I mean.

PIERCING CRY.......2006-01-13

No body, motive or weapon. The facts in the Australian murder trial of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain didn't add up, but other things did. Bigotry against the couple's religion. Scattershot forensics evidence taken as fact. And a hysteria that was the 1980s equivalent of a Salem witch hunt...thus says the box on this riveting true story.
Director Fred Schepisi captures the media outrage that condemned a couple for a murder that didn't exist, as the couple's infant was carried off by a wild dingo. Receiving her 8th Oscar nomination, Meryl Streep is pitch perfect as Lindy. One can see however why the media didn't warm up to her story: she seems steely, almost unaffected, until her final statements in the courtroom. Sam Neill is equally superb minister husband, a man whose entire life is unraveling around him. It's a dark disturbing film and one can only wonder how "justice" could have been served in a "kangaroo court." A timeless, evocative movie.

Sometimes, the truth and the reason are not in the same table!.......2005-10-28

Many people tend to forget this memorable performance of Streep, who made, to my mind, her fourth best artistic achievement after Sophie 's decision, Ironweed and Silkwood in that order.

Powerful drama based on a true story around a woman judged unfairly as the murder of her own child when in reality was a wild dog the true guilty of this awful personal tragedy. Magnificent directorial effort of Schepisi backstage.

Average customer rating:

Watch What You Say ...
This is not a historical drama!
entertaining movie about Vlad Tepes
The Voevod returns...
Bravo

Dracula - The Dark Prince
Starring: Rudolf Martin , Jane March , Christopher Brand , Peter Weller , and Roger Daltrey
Director: Joe Chappelle
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
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ASIN: B0000633QU
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Customer Reviews:

Watch What You Say ..........2007-08-30

I'm writting this after reading the other reviews. You have to remember when watching this that it is a Movie not a Documentary. It's a great Dracula story based loosely on facts. If anyone is trying to convince you otherwise they're out of their mind. (And if anyone actually portrayed the true figure of Dracula it would not only be an ugly character, but also an ugly actor ...)

This is a great, slightly dramatic movie; with a great looking actor; and a lose ending. It's fun and a great movie if you like vampire movies, or historical fiction.

This is not a historical drama!.......2007-07-23

It's a drama, and it does follow, VERY roughly, the events of Vlad's life. I realize you can't put a whole life into the time frame of a movie. But this is full of major inconsistencies. I would recommend this movie, WITH RESERVATIONS, to somebody who already knows the truth about Vlad's life from an imartial source and who also enjoys beautiful settings and passable to good acting. Most of it was pleasant to watch.

And WHY did they depict this man without a moustache? It's his most distinguishing feature. They should have had the moustache even if it meant giving up the high cheekbones.

I think the Immortal Life ending was a mistake, and the cover is misleading in the extreme. And it's not even a spoiler for me to say this, because the cover would otherwise lead one to believe it was a vampire flick. There is no hint of vampirism in the final scene.

entertaining movie about Vlad Tepes.......2007-01-29

While not as "real" as the film would have you believe, "Dark Prince" is an entertaining movie about Vlad the Impaler. While his connection to Stoker's Dracula has been exagerrated over the years, Vlad Tepes is a controversial and fascinating figure, and it is about time somone made a film about him.
Don't expect vampires. The cover art and trailer are very misleading. However, this is still a solid little film. If you like medieval action films, or just want to get a vague idea as to what the historic Vlad was like, this film comes recommended.

The Voevod returns..........2007-01-25

This film attempts to portray Vlad Dracul in a more realistic manner, as far as specific events are concerned, such as:

1. Rounding up traitors with the pretext of a drunken celebration, and then when all are pretty well enebriated, lighting the entire edifice aflame, thus ridding himself of possible antagonists to his reign.

2. Dining at The Field of The Impaled, while dipping his bread in a goblet filled with blood and wine. Enemies turning back to their countries fearing the man who is capable of such a fearsome spectacle.

3. The oft-times neglected fact that he also impaled women and children at times, depending upon their offense, in this case, for being "adulterous". In this sense, he was influenced by Judeo-christian moralism.

4. Another truism related that one could veritable leave gold on the streets, and it would not be stolen, for fear of the punishment. Criminals were often seen impaled and immolated on the streets, which acted as a perfect deterrent. He actually displayed elements of Lex Talionis - as a result, crime was just about nil.

5. Driving spikes into the skulls of Muslims who refused to remove their turbans. They should "keep their traditions in their own country".

As far as the characterization is concerned, the mane-haired Vlad Tepesh {Rudolf Martin} is presented herein in a more or less romantic manner, sans moustache, and often wearing leather. 'Mina' as "Lidia" {Jane March} remains sheltered, and goes insane upon her realization of the actual events occurring in the kingdom, who then begins to superstitiously adorn herself with a rosary and calls Vlad a "monster" {"Voevod"}. Upon her suicide, he has all the mirrors in the castle covered, thus the mythological connection with the vampire "unable" to view his own reflection. She is survived by Vlad Jr., who displays great potential for leadership through his own ruthlessness.

He encounters his traitorous younger brother on the battle field, and graciously spares his life instead of dispatching him, which he should have done, as well as his step-father, both of whom eventually prove to be major obstacles, from framing him, which lands him in prison for awhile, to attempts at assassination. Upon regaining the throne, he strikes a deal with Catholic King Janos {Roger Daltrey}, proclaiming that it does not matter to him under what banner he fights, so long as his rule continues, and thus, his own interests prevail.

He seemingly resurrects on a couple of occasions, which lends to the legend of physical Vampiric immortality, whose "soul" is unable to enter heaven or Hell, and is "condemned" to roam the earth in a state of the 'undead'; to which he remains thankful to the murderous priest, who himself meets his end via a heart attack - veritably scared to death. Quite a pleasing concluding scene, instead of the typical stake in the heart.

Because of his indestructability and military genius, he is accused of being an antichrist by the Orthodox clergy, which seems to amuse him, when all he wanted to accomplish was the glorification of his country and the preservation of his kingdom, both at which he succeeds.

I rather enjoyed this presentaion, where Vlad The Impaler relishes in his role as tyrant to his enemies, and savior to his people, who still hail him as a national hero, and expect his symbolic return in some form.

Overall, Dracula: The Dark Prince is an aesthetically-impressive film, as Dracula / Vampiric presentations tend to be quite elegant from environment to accoutrement to deportment, and is probably the closest adaptation to actual events in the life of this remarkable historical figure, certainly an unforgettably mighty warrior. who remains an inspiration.

Bravo.......2005-11-16

In high school I did a report on the life of Vlad. The documentary book ended up being more of a comparing between Brahm's book and the true man behind the legends. Tidbits barely mentioned in the biographies I've read were openly shown in this movie about a man who lived and died while trapped between his beliefs, the dominate churches, warring lands, his own people and his prenotioned fate. A warrior in every way, it shows Tephesh at his best and his worst. I have rented it five times and intend to sit it in my collection soon beside Interview, To End All Wars and Contantine.
Like historical cinema? Gorge yourself with this time after time after time...

Average customer rating:

Extra cheese has rarely tasted better!!
RoboCop, RoboCop, RoboCop and More RoboCop
Good for a miniseries
I'd buy this for a dollar... NOT!
Robocop 4

Robocop - Dark Justice
Starring: Page Fletcher , Maurice Dean Wint , Maria del Mar , Geraint Wyn Davies , and Leslie Hope
Director: Julian Grant (II)
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B00007L4KO
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Customer Reviews:

Extra cheese has rarely tasted better!!.......2006-11-23

Robocop: Dark Justice

Ever since I picked up the trilogy for a whopping $15 I have since became a major fan. Not so much for the decent action, not so much for the surreal satire which is often humorous, but for the man beneath the iron.

Page Fletcher (of Hitchhiker fame) takes over this role and makes it as outstanding as Peter Weller. Though he doesn't have the walk down perfectly, he does talk the talk. Most of the other actors are quite good, the story is actually interesting, and the while the effects are no where near the consistant quality of the feature films I was surprised at how good they are! Despite the sometimes sagging effects of this Canadian mini-series (Robo's suit and walking effect are a bit lame) I must say this does for the small screen practically what the first movie did for the large screen, and that for me says a lot.

This first disc has a LOT of heart and strikes a chord with me when dealing with humanity. I have since ordered the other three and am looking forward to completing the story which obviously picks up on the next installment. A definite buy for any RoboCop fan that loves the humanity more than the explosions.

RoboCop, RoboCop, RoboCop and More RoboCop.......2006-08-28

Supposedly RoboCop Prime Directives was originally a TV miniseries released in 2001. I'm not sure where it aired, but each episode is feature film length and the violence/language varies from PG to R rated material.

The series includes Dark Justice, Meltdown, Resurrection, and Crash and Burn...and the movies should be watched in that order for them to make sense.

Page Fletcher (from HBO's The Hitchhiker) stars as RoboCop. He does about as good a job as Robert John Burke did in RoboCop 3. In fact, the whole Prime Directives series is on par with RoboCop 3...and that's not a compliment. It's not really a knock either. It's a declaration that Prime Directives is an average sequel-set to what were two great initial RoboCop films (RoboCop and RoboCop 2).

Prime Directives takes place ten years after the first RoboCop. Alex Murphy/RoboCop is no longer needed in Delta City and is now considered a nuisance by OCP. John Cable, Alex Murphy's former partner, is killed and brought back as a new RoboCop and is instructed to destroy Murphy/RoboCop.

OCP is now in the hands of corrupt executives (one is a malevolent new CEO, one is Cable/RoboCop's ex-wife and one is Murphy/RoboCop's own son) and they have a new technology called SAINT that they will use to run the city and market to consumers "to make all of your decisions for you". But there is a terrorist that wants to infect SAINT with a computer virus that could take down all computers on the net and release a deadly nanotechlogy into humans.

All 4 episodes run apx 90 minutes each, so we're talking about 6 hours of 3-star RoboCop. So if you've got a rainy day and a craving for RoboCop, this series is for you.

As of this writing, the series is available as a set only from Amazon resellers, and the set is about 1/2 the price of buying all 4 separately. But Prime Directives is far from collector caliber, so I'd recommend just finding these to rent, and keep the viewing order that I mentioned earlier in mind.

Good for a miniseries.......2005-12-10

These four movies are like a TV miniseries, so they aren't as good as a movie with a big production budget might be. Still, they're pretty good, and if you're a sci-fi or Robocop fan it's certainly worth the time and money to watch them. It doesn't say on the box what order to watch them in, so here it is: Dark Justice, Meldown, Resurrection, Crash & Burn.

I'd buy this for a dollar... NOT!.......2005-10-04

Ya know, just about every celluloid RoboCop project they've put out since the second theatrical release has been one big steamin' load of-- well, you know-- after another. You had yer corny "kid-friendly" sequel that effectively finished off the theatrical franchise, a cheesy yet mercifully short-lived TV series, and a couple cartoon shows that had slightly less plausible story lines than the average classic episode of "G.I. Joe". So needless to say, I wasn't holding out any hope of this relatively low-budget Canadian-filmed four-part direct-to-video mini-series being any better than its post-"Robo 2" ancestors. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed! Well, actually I WAS disappointed. And it wasn't really all that fortunate I was disappointed, either, now that I think about it...

Anyhoo, let's start off with the special effects and sets and stuff. While I didn't expect the visual FX and sets to be all that advanced-looking, I was at least hoping they'd look better than what I'd seen in the TV series. Sadly, they were WORSE! It also didn't help that the new RoboCop getup looked like it was cast from an inferior mold of the original, and didn't sport a decent finish. The outfit was also two sizes too big for the actor playing the title role. Another painful thing to witness was the opening up of the hip-joint seams every time the guy took a step forward whenever he was walking away from the camera... which didn't occur too often, thank goodness.

Also kinda bizarre was the cult of suicide bombers. Whenever a member decided to detonate himself, blew up into a light-beige shower of what looked like partially liquefied styrofoam. I guess the FX department for this turkey didn't have the budget for stage blood and chopped beef to shower the "blast areas" with proper gore, hmmm?

But if you want REALLY cheesy effects & costumes-- and a really cheesy character for that matter-- ya gotta check out Bone Machine ("Bone Machine"??? Sheesh...), this feature's big "anti-hero/villain/tool-of-the-big-conspiracy". Now I know that the creators of RoboCop were inspired by super-hero comics and such, but the downright cartoonish look this guy sports is too ludicrous for words to describe. It didn't help that the guy even sounded like your average hackneyed supervillain, complete with maniacal laughter and really bad "witty" banter. And if you can't figure out the guy's secret identity the first time they introduce him in one of this show's many flashback scenes, you're probably still wowed over "The Sixth Sense's" twist ending...

Then there are the usual plot gimmicks you've come to expect, like OCP being in the red and almost bankrupt... which segues into the main plot where several OCP execs getting together in a conspiracy to "save the company from itself". Fortunately, they recruit Robo's adult son to be part of the secret society to help "thicken the plot" as it were. Then there's our hero interacting with his former partner from the pre-Robo days... a partner who shares a dark and terrible secret with his former friend. Fortunately(?), the recurring flashback scenes help keep ya "in the loop" on past events leading up to and following this terrible secret. Oh, and this former partner used to be wed to the leader of the OCP conspiracy. Coincidence? I don't know, myself... heh.

Another little tried-and-true gimmick that pops up here for the umpteenth time is the reprogramming of RoboCop's directives so that he cannot help but do the bidding of whoever reprogrammed him. `Course, he does his darndest to resist... in a way that's delightfully hammy and over-the-top, yet is also quite painful to watch. More painful than what our hero's going through in the scene, I dare say.

Oops, I mustn't forget the whole biting-over-the-top-social-satire-dark-humor that is a staple of the RoboCop franchise... a staple that, sadly, has never been quite as dark or as biting as what was shown in the original RoboCop flick. Well, except for one aspect of cable TV news as we know it today: the bottom-of-the-screen-secondary-news-crawl. They actually did a decent job of poking fun at in this presentation. TOO well, in fact; I hadda watch the news break segments twice `cuz I spent the first go-round reading what was on the crawl rather than listening to the newscasters!

Needless to say, I'm not too keen on the latest entry into the rather sad RoboCop mythos. In fact, I'm downright disgusted by it! But the hell of it is, I found the loose ends they left untied at the end of this show just compelling enough for me to want to see part two! What's the conspiracy's next big move to save the company? Will Robo's kid make the right choice? And what about the fate of Robo's old partner? I just gotz ta know!

Am I pathetic or what!

Um, don't answer that...

`Late

Robocop 4.......2005-02-14

I did not even know these new Robocop movies had been made. I take it they where T.V movies or something? However the big reason that they do not have part 4, 5, 6, or 7 on them is because it would have to be called Robocop 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4. These are a 4 part series all spanning over into the continuity of each other. I saw these DVD's for sale individualy on the shelf at very cheap prices, but I thought they where the TV series that was made a few years ago. They are not. These are 2001 made movies, each running for about an hour and twenty minutes and all continue the story into each other. But I never watched these untill I rented all 4 in one. Amazon dont show anything like it, but here in Australia it is titled as ACTION PACK 2, and is 2 DVD's with 2 double sided discs in each. The last one is the four Robocop series movies. On 2 flip sided discs.

The lowdown on the adventure is that it's ten years since robocop was made. He has been serving the public trust, protecting the innocent, and in some ways upholding the law. There are all new crime bosses in Delta City. And OCP as as in charge and as corrupted as ever.

Robo has a new cheif John Cableat the station who was Robo's partner when he was alive as Alex Murphy. Throguhout the first episode Robo is having memory flash backs of John, and eventualy John discovers who it is underneath the titanium armour known as Robocop. Eventualy John Cable is shot dead in the line of duty but reserected as the new and improved version as Robocop, but corrupted by an OCP executive, his first mission, while being unknown to anybody yet, is to frame Robocop by attacking the head of OCP and various other things. Robocop is then disgraced as a fugitive and hunted down to be taken off the streets. OCP send out Cable and introduce the public to the new and improved Robocop unit. Robocop tries to make Cable remember who he is. Will Robo make him remember or not? Eventualy another of OCP's executives gets his plan to make every hom ein Delta City run by the one mega computer operating in the OCP biulding will let nothing get in the way of his dream, even if it means murder. Eventualy when the machine is about to go online and take over everything in the city, a bad guy attempts to upload a virus on the computer that will spread to all computers, and then to humans!! Will Robocop be able to defeat the new and improved Robocop unit with his friend John Cable inside? Will Robo be able to do something about the new computer virus while being hunted down as a fugitive by OCP and Cable? Find out by watching, it might suprise you what happens in the end.

Overall I thought the whole thing was very interesting. Lots of comedy and fun and action, I thought some parts where pretty lame and boring. Some things I did not like, I hated the way Robocop sounded when he walked, being so used to the sound he is supposed to have, the new one did not work for me. There is no sign of an ED-209 anywhere in sight. During a grave sight scene, it shows Alex Murphy as having died in 1992, obviously they never bothered to work out what year Robocop (original) was supposed to be set in.

Apart from that the whole thing is pretty enjoyable. You'll have to own all 4 DVD's to enjoy the whole story line. Other wise it is just movies that dont make sense. Robocop's ultimiate challenge is another Robocop, new and improved and the man is also one of Alex Murphys best friends. So join Robo on an adventure through Delta City and see what happens if your interested.

No Bonus Features.

Average customer rating:

its hard for me to not like even the bad martial art movies
LET ME BORROW YOUR PEN
Worse than death itself!!!
UGH!
It's okay.

Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite
Starring: Daniel Bernhardt , Nikolai Binev , Ventzislav Dimitrov , Velichka Gaideva , and Ivan Ivanov
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 6305388539
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Customer Reviews:

its hard for me to not like even the bad martial art movies.......2006-09-06

Why???? Why must sequals always be so bad, especially when you get to something like a #4 in a series. There is nothing good about Bloodsport 4 except the couple of fights. The acting is so bad that its hard to enjoy this. High school students could act this one out much better. What's with Daniel Bernhardt? He's not playing Alex Cardo anymore but a cop named John Keller. Apparently, Keller's character calls for bad acting because Bernhardt sure provides it. He did so much better as Alex in Bloodsport's 2 & 3. But in Bloodsport 4, everyone else still can't act 1/2 as good as Bernhardt in the movie. Yep, its that bad.

Ok, so the acting stinks. The story does too. There is no in depth to this movie at all, no surprise, no twists, nothing. The only thing that gets 2 stars for this movie is the fights. There are several, actually pretty decent. Compared to the first 3 Bloodsports, the kumite is dissapointing. After 30 minutes of fights in the first Bloodsports, filled with lots of fighters with tons of techniques and styles, Bloodsport 4's kumite is a let down. To be honest, its not even a real kumite. Compared to some movies, they are good fights, don't get me wrong, but again compared to the first 3 Bloodsport movies, its a let down. The villain is one of the only cool character in the movie, played by Stefanos Miltsakakis (who also appeared as a fighter in Best of The Best 2 and in a few Van Damme movies). The other decent guy is a semi-villain fighter, played by David Rowe (an extremely cut fighter). Keller and Schrek (Miltsakakis) get the final fight in the kumite,which lasts for only a few moments.

The fights is all this is honestly good for. I'll still watch Bloodsport 4...when I get tired of watching the 100 other martial arts movies I own.

LET ME BORROW YOUR PEN.......2005-09-10

The frivolous use of writing instruments is the only original idea in this tired kung fooey saga. Although physically imposing, Daniel Bernhardt's acting range is that of a rutabaga, and even though the fight scenes are reasonably well choreographed, they are not enough to overcome the basic lucidcrous plot. The other actors in the film are lifeless and dull; the movie's thin plot has been done in hundreds of karate classics, so there's little to recommend this film; I give two stars for its sheer existence.

Worse than death itself!!!.......2005-03-01

Wow. This movie sucked the big one. But before we get into the gritty details, a quick plot summary. Daniel Berndhart, a washed out bum of an actor, stars as a mildly retarded former fighting champion scouring the strees of America (which look mysteriously Russian) for an escaped prisoner, Shrek. Danny ends up in jail himself as an undercover agent, who then is launched into a plotless chase after a crime syndicate. I couldn't tell you any more if I wanted to, there is no story!
This hunk of sweaty turd ruined two hours of my life. This is honestly the worst movie I have ever seen crawl out of a toilet and onto my TV screen. It is simply horrible.
To begin with, the plot seems to develop naturally for the first ten minutes, until Daniel Berndhart decides to shoot two of his fellow policemen for no apparent reason. Quickly followed by a demented scene involving a riduculous closeup on the face of a chubby courtmaster, I suddenly knew how terribly low budget this Russian horror flick was going to progress.
The director's idea of a special effect was zooming in way to close for comfort on the actors and making nasty noises. For example, after the prison warden speaks with a crime boss, his nervousness is expressed through fogging up the camera lens with his panting gasps. Besides just special effects, the horrendously low budget showed itself through the fact that every scene occured in one building that looked strikingly familiar to the Kremlin. The police station, prision office, and gangster's hideout, all have short clips showing the aforementioned before cutting to the action.
Now to the actors themselves. The only redeeming quality of this cast is the coincendence that one of them looked exactly like Benjamin Franklin (the gangster). However, he had some distinctly un-colonial personality traits, such as his fetish for positioning 20 scantily clad women around his throne, all of whom seemed to serve no purpouse beyond decoration.
Lets move on to the unique wardrobe feautured in the film. Costumes ranged from victorian era dress suits to 1920s striped jail uniforms to industrial era clothing reminiscent of Oliver Twist. As a bonus, the prison guards dressed like members of the Gestappo and travelled in packs to boot. Most suprising of all is the fight uniform of one of the "kumite" (which never really happens) participants, a speedo swim suit.
Before closing, I would like to point out how random and worthless the majority of the scenes were. There are to many to include, but my personal favorite was when two gypsies performed before Ben Franklin for 5 minutes, adding nothing to the plot but more senslessness. This makes "Jaws III" look like a classic. Simply stated, I cant evin express the pain watching this movie put me through, I would rather gouge out my eyes with a rusty grapefruit spoon than watch it again. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! UGH....

UGH!.......2004-01-21

THIS TIME AROUND, A COP [DANIEL BERNHARDT] INFILTRATES A PRISON TO INVESTIGATE THE ONGOING EXECUTIONS OF THE INMATES AT THE PRISON. SUDDENLY, HIS COVER IS BLOWN AND HE FINDS HIMSELF FIGHTING TO SURVIVE IN THE KUMITE. THIS MOVIE IS SO BORING. THE ACTING IS BAD, THE FIGHTS ARE CORNY, AND THE SCRIPT REALLY SUCKS. VAN DAMME LOOKALIKE DANIEL BERNHARDT IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A MARTIAL ARTIST THAT KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT, BUT SERIOUSLY HAS PROBLEMS ENTERTAINING AN AUDIENCE. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, WHY COULDN'T THERE JUST BE ONLY ONE BLOODSPORT MOVIE? WHAT'S THE POINT OF THE SEQUELS? FROM WATCHING THIS MOVIE, I ALMOST DON'T WANNA SEE PART 2 OR 3. EVEN IF YOU ARE A MARTIAL ARTS FAN LIKE MYSELF, YOUR BEST BET IS TO AVOID THIS ONE ENTIRELY.

It's okay........2003-08-23

...I am going to admit, this movie is not the best martial arts movie around, but I am still going to give credits for the great series that is Bloodsport. This movie aint no Bloodsport 1, or 2, but it does give a small dose of suspense. When I first watched this movie, I could of never predicted what was going to happen to Seheck (if thats how his name is pronounced). I don't know much about the directors of this film, but I don't agree on most of the things that has happened. This movie is basically about a convict who was "Executed" for murder some time ago (Seheck), and was mysteriously released from prison without the approval of authorities. Undercover agent, a martial arts expert, Keller, goes undercover as a convict to try and solve the mysteries occurance of this fiasco, and a mysterious deaths of other convicts. The warden is suspicious about Keller being undercover, and begins to toy with him around a bit, even up to sending an undercover chick to try to get the words out of his mouth, but still no luck.... until the fight....
Keller (shortly after his religious rival) is due to execution by orders of the law, and send to injection. But then Keller wakes up to a surprise, finding out he has one chance of freedom..., to win the savage martial arts battle, the kumite.
Now, this is my favorite part of the whole movie, even though there isn't much to say about it because the fights don't last as much, but like I said, the ending has a hard turnpoint. I have to give some credit to the way they made the bad guy (seheck), because he isn't one of those bad guys who you would hear whinning, or complaining, but is serious as it can be. I am also flattered that he is a Judoka (master of judos) which makes it alot more interesting, and isn't as typical as other martial arts movies (which don't use judos). Overall, I say this movie is okay, but could of been longer, and more approval. So I say if you like Martial Arts movies, buy Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite - it's worth watching two to three times.

Average customer rating:

Successful Formula As Before, Sharply Scripted.

Big Town After Dark
Starring: Phillip Reed , Hillary Brooke , Richard Travis , Ann Gillis , and Vince Barnett
Director: William C. Thomas
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0007OP0U4
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Customer Reviews:

Successful Formula As Before, Sharply Scripted........2005-11-30

"Big Town", a shallowly disguised New York City, is of importance in a number of modes for popular United States culture, initially being a radio programme from 1937 until 1962, then on to television episodes, 1952/1956, and eventually as a comic book series. 1956/1958, with the protagonist in each manifestation being Steve Wilson, originally a reporter working for the Big Town Illustrated Press, later becoming its editor-in-chief, and played in this, the third of four films based upon the radio show, by Philip Reed who is featured in all of the four. In the production here, Wilson's almost girl friend and ace crime reporter Lorelei Kilbourne (Hillary Brooke), after her first novel has been accepted for publication, gives him two weeks notice of her resignation from her newspaper position but, to her chagrin, she is almost immediately replaced by the Illustrated Press owner's niece Susan (Anne Gillis), who by appearances also wedges herself into Steve's affections, although in reality he is using her to discover information of crooked Big Town activity involving an illegal gambling ring that preys upon college students. Susan is possibly not what she appears to be, and while Steve explores the girl's connection with local gambling kingpin Chuck LaRue (Richard Travis), owner of the Winners' Club, a night spot for gambling that is near to the campus where Susan attends, Lorelei also investigates her new rival's activities, with her efforts yielding more than she has expected, as all three of them may be in serious peril from the Forces of Evil. This is better than a routine "B" programmer, as it provides some incisive and hardbitten dialogue, a clever subtext based upon poker playing, and a generally edgy quality pervading the characterizations that lifts the work above the norm and, in spite of budget restrictions that rule out retakes, and a necessity for filling demands of its melodrama genre, there is plenty of "business" for a viewer to enjoy. Reed and Brooke make an elegant and worldly pair, veteran charcter players William Haade and Joe Sawyer perform as LaRue henchmen, and Vince Barnett has a substantial part in this Pine/Thomas production with producer William Thomas also directing and capably utilizing a crisply composed Whitman Chambers script in an always interesting, skillfully edited, briskly paced and well-cast film that additionally includes an effective original score by Darrell Calker, Gotham flavoured, of course, although the extensive location shooting is along Normandie Avenue on the east side of Hollywood.

Average customer rating:

The dark side of the moon!
Made for TV and should have stayed there.

Dancing in the Dark
Starring: Victoria Principal , Nicholas Campbell , Dawn Greenhalgh , Geraint Wyn Davies , and Kenneth Welsh
Director: Bill Corcoran
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0001WTVCA
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Customer Reviews:

The dark side of the moon!.......2005-02-09

Minimalist film in which the beloved Bjorg makes a poignant portrait of an introspective girl with serious affective , emotional and visual problems which visibly affect her relationship with the outer world.

Eventually she will be unfairly accused ; the things will get worst to her and eventually she will be executed for death.

A great homage of the cinema for itself.

Impressive film of Lars von Triers.

Made for TV and should have stayed there........2003-01-13

Trite made-for-TV movie with Victoria Principal as a woman trying to be a perfect housewife. After her father-in-law tires to rape her, her husband begins to question the mental state of his wife. With the help of his father he finds a doctor willing to medicate her into submission and into a mental hospital. Only after some horrific experiences does he being to realize the truth of what he has done to the woman he loves.

As TV movies go this was below average. The plot was choppy and slow moving. And their contempt for the mental health system is so obvious you have to think the screenwriter was trying to get back as his shrink does. If this really based on a true story then there should have been some epilogue to cover what happened to the snake pit the lead was condemned to.

Average customer rating:

The dark side of the moon!

Made for TV and should have stayed there.

Dancing in the Dark
Starring: Victoria Principal , Nicholas Campbell , Dawn Greenhalgh , Geraint Wyn Davies , and Kenneth Welsh
Director: Bill Corcoran
Manufacturer: Simitar Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD