The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed

Product Description

The first of its kind, this DVD offers comprehensive but easy-to-follow vocal instruction and information, plus step by step exercises. Convenient menus allow you to navigate easily and effectively through the 30+ segments. The instruction includes invaluable tips on vocal maintenance, actual vocal cord footage, and explicit and helpful animations which illustrate and illuminate the specific vocal exercises. Interspersed is exclusive backstage and performance footage of today's most exciting artists, with candid offstage interviews and opportunities to see these artists actually working in-studio with Melissa. Featured vocalists include Andrew W.K., Lamb of God's D. Randall Blythe, Shadows Fall's Brian Fair, Every Time I Die's Keith Buckley, God Forbid's Byron Davis, Melissa Auf der Maur and more. Also included is an Audio CD & Booklet with a clearly itemized vocal practice program for each range. This DVD is as entertaining as it is informative and a must-have tool for vocalists of today. "...the Bible for any extreme music vocalist." -Tom Beaujour, Editor In Chief, Revolver Magazine

Customer Reviews:

The real deal.......2007-08-26

If you are the least bit sceptical about this DVD look her up on you tube. There are quite a few postings that show her at work. The DVD starts the viewer from the beginning, she never talks down to you. But, she does make sure that the basics are covered. I recommend this to anyone that can't talk after a show.

And then I pitched a scream... ...now I'm a believer!.......2007-08-13

The short review: Buy it and use Cross's advice and exercises!

I've had Melissa Cross's "The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed" for about a month and the breathing exercises and the advice on "Heat and Fire" payed off for me. Today, I was able to put forth lots and lots of tortured death-metal screams and shrieks and am not only not hoarse, but was able to intersperse the screaming and yelling with clean, melodic singing. It was actually less taxing on my vocal folds and larynx than when I try to sing opera as a dramatic baritone (it took death metal screaming to tell me I'm a lighter voice - thanks, death metal and Miss Cross!). And, since I was practicing to "The Wonder Pets" theme and "What's New Pussycat?" while mowing the lawn, I probably freaked out my neighbors.

When you buy this DVD (and you are, aren't you?), please note that the actual screaming/yelling/rasping section is fairly short and it comes after a lot of segments on breathing and some vocal exercises. Do not underestimate either the importance of proper breathing nor the value of the "Heat and Fire" segment. If you've ever torn up your throat singing raspy or beyond raspy and thought screaming was a quick, dead-end stop for your singing career (even if your career would be entirely screaming), you need to learn how to breathe properly and how to use "heat" to add rasping harmonics to your voice and "fire" to make use of the false vocal folds.

Another great thing about this DVD is that Melissa Cross doesn't want to change your voice or change your singing style; she wants you to be able to do your own thing with your own voice over the course of your own lifetime. Very good stuff!

Awesome product!.......2007-07-13

I was reluctant at first to acknowledge this product, since I don't like screamo music, and since my own voice is more operatic and rock-oriented. But by watching a friend's copy of The Zen of Screaming, I quickly realized that Melissa Cross is teaching traditional and sound vocal methods, but in a fun, upbeat and non-traditional way that takes the embarrassment and discomfort out of doing vocal exercises and practice. I quickly ordered my own copy, and I can tell you that, regardless of your musical genre, if you sing (and if your ego can agree that there's still a little room for improvement), this DVD is a fantastic asset.

Worth purchasing.......2007-03-11

If you have ever thought about singing or doing anything vocally, this DVD is for you. This instructional DVD is easily worth ten times the price you will pay for it.

A little Disappointed..........2006-11-07

The information you are looking for is in here. The thing that made me disappointes is that for the most part it is an ad for Melissa Cross. She seems like an awesome teacher. I just wish that it was more information on technique than Melissa Cross plugs.

Average customer rating:

Funny Farm DVD
Full of Fun
One of my....
Funny Farm
Funny Farm DVD

Funny Farm
Starring: Chevy Chase , Madolyn Smith Osborne , Kevin O'Morrison , Joseph Maher , and Jack Gilpin
Director: George Roy Hill
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0790740044
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com

George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) directed this 1988 comedy that gives star Chevy Chase one of his better-quality vehicles. Chase plays a New York sportswriter who turns to the country for a simpler, happier way of living. He discovers, of course, that things don't work out that way. Hill's usual touch with comic timing, tone, and dialogue give Chase a rare career opportunity to be part of something a little classier than most of his other movies; but Funny Farm nevertheless has its share of so-what gags. Still, the film's overall tone is winning and laid-back, and it makes for nice escapist fare. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Funny Farm DVD.......2007-06-01

Product arrived much faster than expected. One of the funniest movies I've ever seen. The whole process was very enjoyable. James G. Everette

Full of Fun.......2007-03-08

This a great movie as well. Never know what you will get into by moving to another town. A must see!!

One of my...........2007-02-11

Favorite all time holiday movies. It will keep you laughing from beginning till end.

Funny Farm.......2007-01-18

Another great film by Chevy Chase. The entire movie provides laughs and lite entertainment. Great for all ages.

Funny Farm DVD.......2007-01-16

I couldn't find this movie in the stores so I looked on Amazon. I received it in excellant condition and in record time. Thanks

Average customer rating:

Western with a difference
Flaming Star
Surprisingly good movie and performance
Only film that they let him 'act' instead of alot of singing
Flaming Star is not just a great Elvis movie

Flaming Star
Starring: Elvis Presley , Steve Forrest , Barbara Eden , Dolores del Rio , and John McIntire
Director: Don Siegel
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000068TQ5
Release Date: 2002-08-13

Amazon.com

Definitely a contender for the underwhelming title of Best Elvis Movie, this handsomely shot Western actually makes Elvis act, rather than coast on his personality. (As though to underscore the point, the two obligatory songs are dispensed with under the opening credits and in the first scene.) Don Siegel was probably the best director the King ever worked with, and he draws a quietly smoldering performance from Elvis, who was still undeniably raw. Even better, Siegel captures an existential starkness to homestead and town, and calmly makes a pro-Native American case without preaching (Elvis plays a half-breed caught between sides in an Indian vs. settlers dustup). Yes, this was 30 years before Dances with Wolves--there were actually quite a few such movies during this era. All in all, a decent picture, and an indication of where Elvis's career might have gone if he hadn't given himself over to fluff. --Robert Horton

Description

West Texas in the years after the Civil War is an uneasy meeting ground of two cultures, one white. The other native American. Elvis portrays Pacer Burton. The son of a white rancher (John McIntire) and his beatiful Kiowa Indian wife (Dolores DelRio). When fighting breaks out between the settlers and natives, Pacer tries to act as a peace maker, but the "flaming star of death" pulls him irrevocably into the deadly violence.

Customer Reviews:

Western with a difference.......2007-03-29

For Elvis fans this shows the King in a serious role as a half caste neither accepted by his white counterparts or the Indian comunnity. For its time it is a good account of how predudice can influence the opions of all. For classic movie lovers it is well worth seeeing as the cast in general is excellent (Steve Forrest, Dolores del Rio) and the story does have merrit. It is a good western and for Elvis fans a tear jerker as "Pacer" rides off in the sunset to die. 97 mins of entertainment.

Flaming Star .......2007-03-08

This is one of Elvis's best movies. A movie the whole family can enjoy on a Saturday night.

Surprisingly good movie and performance.......2007-02-02

I can only concur with all the praise I am reading in these other reviews. I was completely unprepared for how good this movie is. I watched it only because it was an Elvis movie. During the credits, I wondered that there were only 2 songs listed. "How can that be?" But the songs were over 5 minutes into the film, and the rest was a masterful and suspenceful drama that I absolutely didn't expect to see.

The actors are all excellent. There wasn't anyone who seemed to be faking it or just going through the motions. Elvis is very believable in this role, and there are no excuses or apologies made for the feelings of anyone in the movie. This movie shows very much the ugliness that can happen when things go wrong and people band together based on color or background. Pacer, his mother, and their whole family are basically victims caught in the web of prejudice and hatred from *both* the white settlers and the Native-Americans who are protecting their land.

Despite the standard day-for-night shooting, there are some wonderful images in the film, such as the sequence where Pacer's wounded mother struggles across the windy and bare fields near their house. It seems almost allegorical the way the wind and dirt swirl and impede her progress, and she stumbles and struggles to push her way forward, across land that in previous scenes seemed friendly and bucolic. When her husband rushes out to look for her, I felt actual physical pain in my chest from his terror that she would be lost and dying in the bare soil of this land that he had tended for 20 years, and that now seemed like an enemy to him for it hid from him what he loved. Truly an amazing sequence from an excellent director.

Only film that they let him 'act' instead of alot of singing.......2006-10-08

This film showed Elvis's ability as an actor, the only one that ever did. Most of his films were chasing women, and singing. This and Blue Hawaii, to me, are the best. The theme 'Flaming Star', I really felt applied to him at his death...think of his life, and listen to the words....

Flaming Star is not just a great Elvis movie.......2006-08-13

It's a great movie, period! I just saw it in Cinemascope at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood last night and I was stunned by its excellence. I've often heard that this movie proved that Elvis could "act" but I've always been skeptical. I assumed the movie would be full of histrionic treacle and have studiously avoided it.

Big mistake. This movie is first rate, of the highest order. Elvis has gotten knocked over the years for not making more movies like "Flaming Star". But, when you really think about it, NO ONE made movies like "Flaming Star", in any era!

The movie starts tragically and continues it's ever-widening downward spiral until the very end! There's not a light moment in the picture (excluding the very first scene) and it's to be commended for not pulling any punches. Shakespeare didn't write tragedy any better than this.

That is why "Flaming Star" is so satisfying. It stands apart from just about any film you can think of. I LIKE tragedy and would like to see more of it. But, evidently, tragedy doesn't sell and that's why Hollywood stays away from it.

Not only does Elvis play the role of the half-breed Pacer perfectly but he is well-suited to the part. Marlon Brando would not have been a good choice. Elvis looks the part of a half-breed and resembles his Indian "brothers" as much or more than his "real" white brother.

Not enough has been said here at Amazon about the superb perfomances by John McIntire and Steve Forrest in this film. I've seen both of them a million times in films and it's hard to get excited about either one of them. But, in "Flaming Star", their performances are dead-on. They are well-cast and letter perfect in their roles.

Barabara Eden and Delores Del Rio are also superb. Don Siegal knew what he wanted out of all of the actors in this picture and he got what he wanted, in spades.

GREAT film! You don't have to be an Elvis fan to admire it.

Average customer rating:

Please tell me it hasn't been 20 years. . .
Like "Click" for girls!
One of my movies....
"Who are you? Just your average, horny little devil",
Wicked fun

The Witches of Eastwick (Keepcase)
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Cher , Susan Sarandon , Michelle Pfeiffer , and Veronica Cartwright
Director: George Miller (II)
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000FFJYBG
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Amazon.com

Jack Nicholson was born to play the devil, and in George Miller's adaptation of John Updike's novel he plays it for all he's worth. As a wolfish womanizer summoned by three bored women in a picturesque New England town, he's sating all of his appetites with a rakish grin. Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer play the women who discover their untapped magical powers by accident. The smart and sexy singles, out of place in the conservatism of their village, find happiness, however briefly, in the arms and bed of the libidinous devil, but he's got his own ulterior motives. Miller revels in the sensual display of sex, food, and magic, whipping up a storm of effects that finally get out of hand in an overblown ending. It's a handsome film with strong performances all around, but the mix of anarchic comedy and supernatural horror doesn't always gel and Miller seems to lose the plot in his zeal for cinematic excitement. The performances ultimately keep the film aloft: the hedonistic joy that Nicholson celebrates with every leering gaze and boorish vulgarity is almost enough to make bad form and chauvinism cool. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Need someone with demonic dash to portray the Devil? There are only two choices. Old Ned himself. And Jack Nicholson. The Witches of Eastwick to the better actor-and came up with the sleekest, sexiest supernatural comedy/thriller to emerge from this or any other world, earning Nicholson 1987 Best Actor Awards from the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics. The "witches" are in three modern-day women yearning for Mr. Right in a quaint New England town full of Mr. Uptights. Played glowingly by Cher (Moonstruck), Susan Sarandon (Lorenzo's Oil) and Michelle Pfeiffer (The Age of Innocence), they're lovely enough to tempt even the most jaded netherworld denizen. Soon, wealthy Daryl van Horne (Nicholson) arrives. Is his sudden appearance a coincidence? Or the outcome of the women's unconscious sorcery in this smooth adaptation of John Updyke's novel? Conjure up an evening's entertainment with The Witches of Eastwick. And have a devil of a good time.

Customer Reviews:

Please tell me it hasn't been 20 years. . ........2007-06-07

. . .but sadly it has. I cannot believe I first saw this film in the theater way back in 1987. I think I may have liked it better back then, but it's still pretty good. The acting is wonderful: Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon (Cher never seems to change, but the other two look really young in this), Veronica Cartwright (chewing up the scenery), the dad from "Six Feet Under" and, of course, Jack Nicholson, who was born to play a horny little devil. He's terrific. I love the little town it's filmed in, and the special effects aren't bad either. I'm planning to see the musical version of this film next week, which should be interesting. That's why I watched it again tonight, just to refresh my memory. I know I liked the book better, but this film adaptation is good. Not great. It just doesn't have that extra zing to put it over the top--but worth watching.

Like "Click" for girls!.......2007-04-18

This is an entertaining movie, unless you know several girls who are under the impression you are Satan, then you might want to not let them see it. They'll probably see it anyway. Girls are resourceful like that. If they do, do your best not to act like Satan and you should be ok.

One of my movies...........2007-04-17

Love this movie as this type of movie
fits me to a tee. It is a entertaining
movie to watch. Nicholson is always
great to watch but Cher, Susan and Michelle
are absolutely perfect too.
I highly recommend this movie.

"Who are you? Just your average, horny little devil", .......2007-04-09

Jack Nicholson gives his funniest and one of the finest performances as Mr. Darryl van Horn, the mysterious and wicked man who arrives to the quiet and sleepy little town of Eastwick after three women, the Blonde Souki (Pfeifer), the Redhead Jean (Sarandon), and the Brunette Alex (Cher), best friends and witches dreamed him up as a man who can bring some changes and excitement in their lonely lives.

Several great actors have played the Prince of Darkness during their careers but Nicholson was born to play a "friendly" devil that can seduce any woman with no exception by becoming exactly what she wants him to be. The scenes where Nicholson seduces Alex (Daryl Van Horne: Well, if that's how you feel about it, then that's how you feel about it. Is THAT how you feel about it?), Jean, and Souki are among the sexiest I've ever seen.

The movie has too many vomiting scenes for my liking, and the visuals are sometimes too screaming but Nicholson is delightful. I never thought that playing cello could lead to such flaming results - and I used to play it. :)

7/10

Wicked fun.......2007-01-28

I remember watching this movie on cable ages ago as a kid and I enjoyed it.Now as an adult I love it: Great acting, great dp work,story is funny,sexy,dark and sassy. Special effects are not bad at all considering it's a 1987 flick.
A strange man,apparently summoned by three frustrated women, shows up in a perfectly ordinary American town. He soon will change their lives for the better or the worse.Filled with magic, symbolism and detail, the movie catches our attention from the start.
However, like another reviewer pointed out, the only difference between this DVD release and the one from 1997 is the case. The image and sound are not bad but the movie hasn't been restored at all.Some scratches and white speckles are present throughout the film.
My advice is, if you own the 1997 version of this DVD don't waste your money buying this reissue...Unless you like the new cover better.

Average customer rating:

Willie Nelson - Last of the Breed
Starring: Willie Nelson , Merle Haggard , and Ray Price
Manufacturer: A&E HOME VIDEO
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000S0GYMU
Release Date: 2007-09-25

Amazon.com

Traditional Western swing and good ol' fashioned honky-tonk music just doesn't get any better than this. With a short run of 15 performances in 2007, the Last of the Breed tour united Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price to celebrate their elder-statesmen status as Country Music Hall of Famers with over 150 years of shared experience between them. They truly are the last of their breed, and their history speaks for itself: Price gave Willie his first big career break in the late 1950s (he signed Nelson to tour with him--as a bass player!), and Nelson played a pivotal role with Haggard on some of country music's most beloved collaborations. Their continued vitality is on full display throughout this 35-song concert recorded at the Rosemont Theater in Rosemont, Illinois, on March 25, 2007. It's a mid-sized venue, and this was strictly a no-frills performance with a plain stage, a sold-out crowd, and the pure pleasure of masterful musicianship. At 81 years old, Price looks rheumy and tired at times (he was ailing toward the end of the tour), but his soothing voice remains smooth and steady through such time-honored hits as "For the Good Times" and "San Antonio Rose," with the Cherokee Cowboys providing flawless back-up in Grand Ol' Opry tradition.

Led by Ray Benson throughout the two-hour concert, Asleep at the Wheel performs a pair of golden oldies ("Route 66" and "Miles and Miles of Texas") before Merle Haggard comes on for an eight-song set, effortlessly demonstrating his skill with fiddle and Fender. By the time Willie Nelson strolls onstage to trade vocals with Haggard on "Okie from Muskogee," "Pancho and Lefty," and three other favorites, it's clear that Last of the Breed is truly something special. This isn't the best performance ever given by these men or these bands (including Mickey Raphael on harmonica and Theresa Lane Haggard on backup vocals), but it's darn sure good enough, with some blissful moments of perfection at regular intervals. Special guest Freddie Powers appears for a breezy rendition of "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," and then Nelson, Haggard, and Price trade vocals on three songs (including Nelson's timeless classic "Crazy") before Willie takes over for a five-song set of his solo classics, including "On the Road Again," a pair of humorous new songs ("Superman" and "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore") and a show-closing performance of "Whiskey River" with everyone onstage. Despite a few rough edges, Last of the Breed is still a treasure to cherish, not simply for long-time devotees of country music but for anyone who wants to see and hear (in crisp, clean 5.1-channel digital surround sound) what real country music should sound like. DVD bonus features include Benson's delightful half-hour interview with Nelson, Haggard, and Price, and Nelson's personally guided tour of his lavishly appointed tour bus. For anyone who cares about the legacy of country music's greatest performers, Last of the Breed is nothing less than essential. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

They are the Last of the Breed - the elder statesmen of classic country music who have inspired artists for generations. No one else sings country music with the passion and purity of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price, and in March 2007, these living legends and Country Music Hall of Famers united on-stage for a once-in-a-lifetime concert event. Now, the final, epic performance of their Last of the Breed tour has been captured in high definition and 5.1 digital surround sound to give fans the ultimate concert experience. Backed by the Grammy Award winning Ray Benson and Asleep At The Wheel and Ray Price s Cherokee Cowboys, THE LAST OF THE BREED: LIVE IN CONCERT delivers a feature-length master class in honky-tonk and Western swing.

WILLIE NELSON, MERLE HAGGARD, AND RAY PRICE
THE LAST OF THE BREED: LIVE IN CONCERT features live performances of 35 songs including: Always On My Mind, Crazy, For The Good Times, Make The World Go Away, Mama Tried, Night Life, Okie From Muskogee, On The Road Again, Pancho And Lefty, Ramblin Fever, Route 66, San Antonio Rose, Silver Wings, Sing Me Back Home, Take Me Back To Tulsa, That s The Way Love Goes, Whiskey River

DVD Features: Interview of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price on Willie s Buss by Ray Benson; Willie s Personally Guided Tour of His Bus; Photo Gallery

Average customer rating:

Another classic western
Nevada Smith
Solid revenge Western
McQueen is fun to watch
A respectable entry in the annals of the best Westerns!

Nevada Smith
Starring: Steve McQueen , Karl Malden , Brian Keith , Arthur Kennedy , and Suzanne Pleshette
Director: Henry Hathaway
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B00008CMR3
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Amazon.com

The Max Sand backstory in Harold Robbins's trashy The Carpetbaggers (an enjoyable wallow onscreen in 1964) made for a solid Western vehicle for Steve McQueen at his peak. Nevada Smith is a revenge movie, but closer in spirit to The Bravados than a Death Wish-style exercise in nihilism. Young Max, offspring of a white father and Indian mother, sets out to avenge their slaughter by three villains. His odyssey includes spiritual re-parenting at several stages, most notably by canny gun dealer Jonas Cord (a swell character part for Brian Keith). The supporting cast will have you saying, "He's in it, too!" at regular intervals (from costars Karl Malden and Arthur Kennedy down to such incidental interlopers as L.Q. Jones and Strother Martin). Since director Henry Hathaway and cameraman Lucien Ballard couldn't frame a bad shot if their lives depended on it, it's a relief that this movie is finally available in a widescreen format. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

Another classic western.......2007-08-09

Actually based on a character and about a chapter or two in a Harold Robbins novel "The Carpetbaggers" Steve stole the whole character and made an entirely new movie with him. Very well done another timeless classic. Worth seeing if you haven't.

Nevada Smith.......2007-08-09

This is one of my top two western movies that I have ever watched. I first watched it when I was in the Navy in the mid / late 60's. and had seen it several times since then. And was glad to finially fine it again so I could add it to my DVD collection

Solid revenge Western.......2007-05-06

Despite being curiously banned from British TV screens for many years in the wake of the entirely unconnected Hungerford massacre, Nevada Smith is a solid and petty lavishly mounted revenge western culled from the backstory of Alan Ladd's ageing cowboy star in The Carpetbaggers. With Steve McQueen heading an impressive cast (Karl Malden, Arthur Kennedy, Martin Landau, Brian Keith, Suzanne Pleshette, Janet Margolin, etc) you could almost see it as a last-gasp attempt to be the classic American Western as its narrative sends its hero from Texas to California via a chain gang in the Louisiana bayous. It could have been tighter and you have to question how merciful his final act is after putting that many holes in someone, but its an entertaining ride and the eternally under-appreciated Henry Hathaway makes it look particularly great in Scope. No extras, but at least the 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is good.

McQueen is fun to watch.......2006-12-09

McQueen is definately cool. His character is supposed to be a half-breed, white and Kiowa, and in his late teens. McQueen doesn't look the part at all, but I was able to ignore that. Karl Mauldin is just way too much like a New England school marm to make a good outlaw. Too much was made of Max's Indian ancestry contributing to his success. It reminds me of "Billy Jack." The obvious question is: if indians are so invincible,...? But I was entertained with the adventure of a "boy" tracking down 3 men who killed his parents.

A respectable entry in the annals of the best Westerns!.......2006-11-08

Henry Hathaway was a versatile director whose Westerns have been as variable in quality as his other films...

Hathaway's best Westerns have all come in the fifties, beginning with the very credible 'Rawhide,' with Tyrone Power, and continuing with 'Garden of Evil,' the highly enjoyable burlesque 'North to Alaska,' most of 'How the West Was Won,' 'The Sons of Katie Elder,' 'Five Card Stud,' and 'True Grit.'

Hathaway's strong points are atmosphere, character and authentic locations... The little known 'From Hell to Texas' is quoted by those who have seen it as Hathaway's best Western on these three counts, a film directed with profound feeling for the deliberate pace and loneliness of the real West...

'Nevada Smith' is actually a strong and revealing study of the regeneration of one man... The film makes an excellent double bill with Marlon Brando's sole effort as director, 'One-Eyed Jacks.'

'Nevada Smith' is an exciting premise, taught and tight... It is not a motion picture to dismiss or forget... It is one of the first films to apply the contemporary standards of sex and violence to an Old West setting... The film is based on a story by John Michael Hayes, two-time Academy Award nominated screenwriter for 'Rear Window,' and 'Peyton Place.'

The film lingers in the mind because of its visual beauty and the intensity of some of its scenes, particularly between McQueen and Malden, two knowing actors playing together with the skill of champion chess players...

Hathaway sets up his atmosphere of dramatic tension right at the start... With a horse, a rifle, and 8 dollars, McQueen is a half-white teen-aged whose only desire is to hunt down his parents vicious killers... All helpless, he vows to dispatch the three 'bravados' one by one... He even gets himself thrown into prison just to gun one of them down...

With the help of a gun merchant (Brian Keith), McQueen learns how to shoot a gun and sets out the chase where the money is... He rides off alone, blinded by a compulsion that obscures his other motive for living: 'I don't see nothing, except my father laying on a covered-floor all burnt and cut with the top of his head blown to pieces, and my mother split up in the middle and every square inch of her skin ripped off.'

Steve McQueen recreates the type of role he had played in 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.' He is effective in his hesitant, self-conscious way, eager to be a firm gunfighter and almost as inept... He has little more sense of character than Ladd in Edward Dmytryk's 'The Carpetbaggers' but has a tension which made the film interesting to watch...

Brian Keith is excellent as the father figure who adopts McQueen... He is sincere in warning the young avenger that in order to catch and kill these men, he will have to comb out every saloon, gambling hall, hog farm and whorehouse, and become just as despicable as they are... Keith comes out a star with his quiet, sure, graceful underplaying... As he instructs McQueen, it was clear that he knows not only his guns but human nature..

Suzanne Pleshette, standing knee deep in water, is the pretty girl, able to escape from the terrors of her environment into the poetry of her reveries... Both a sinner and a saint, Pilar adds humanity to Max world...

With a knife in his hand, and a scar on his neck, Martin Landau is the psychotic womanizer, a morose, evil character, caught in Abelene dealing cards in a saloon...

Arthur Kennedy - friendly, smiling, charming and smooth-talking on the surface, weak and corrupt underneath - is the frightened villain swamped by a storm of revenge...

Karl Malden is the cynical badman who depreciates his gold before his executioner...

Raf Vallone is the good priest who wants his young avenging hunter to take a deep look into his heart...

Pat Hingle is the prisoner in custody with gun and whip, who takes great pleasure and delight in breaking his companions by beating them up...

Howard da Silva is the ruthless warden who assures his prisoners that the swamp is their wall... Miles and miles of it, filled of dirty water, quicksand, razorbacks, poison snakes, mosquitoes and malaria...

Janet Margolin is the dance hall girl uncertain of the identity of one of the dangerous murderers...

Joanna Cook Moore is the grateful saloon girl who offers herself to Max...

Rick Roman is Cipriano, the bandit who warns seriously his companion not to harm Father Zaccardi...

Ted de Corsia is the bartender who wants the two contenders to calm down in order to find out the truth..

The expertise before the cameras and behind it, plus McQueen's dynamic presence, makes 'Nevada Smith' a respectable entry in the annals of the best Westerns...

Average customer rating:

I loved this movie!!
Bad
A movie worth watching!
Nice romantic comedy.
IT'S NO "ANALYZE THIS", BUT FUN ROMP THRU A DOOZY SITUATION

Mickey Blue Eyes
Starring: Hugh Grant , James Caan , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Burt Young , and James Fox
Director: Kelly Makin
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0780625277
Release Date: 1999-12-28

Amazon.com

Mickey Blue Eyes was crafted as a vehicle for the stammering British charm of Hugh Grant (star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nine Months), so whether or not you like the movie will depend heavily on your affection for Grant. He plays an art auctioneer who falls in love with schoolteacher Jeanne Tripplehorn (Basic Instinct, Very Bad Things), who just happens to be the daughter of mobster James Caan (The Godfather, Misery). To protect Grant, Tripplehorn tries to fend off his proposal of marriage, but some miscommunications lead to Grant being embraced by the "family." After the mob decides to launder money through Grant's auction house, an accidental killing results in Grant pretending to be Mickey Blue Eyes out of Kansas City (the sight and sound of Grant trying to say "fuggedaboudit" was undoubtedly what sold the movie in the first place). The plot isn't as well executed as it could be, but the leads are all well cast and there are some excellent supporting performances, particularly Burt Young (Rocky) as a myopic mob boss and Scott Thompson (from the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall) as a sprightly FBI agent. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

I loved this movie!!.......2007-07-15

This has become one of my favorite romantic comedies ever. It is a very clever idea for a romantic comedy. I really love Hugh Grant in this movie, he does a great job in it, as he does in all of his movies. All in all it is a very good movie. 5 STARS!!

Bad.......2006-12-17

This movie is just plain bad. It never should have been released for public consumption. I honestly cannot think of one good thing to say about this movie. It makes no sense that it would have 3 1/2 stars with 39 reviews. Something fishy is going on here. Enough time wasted on this one.

A movie worth watching! .......2005-04-23

Definitely a great romantic comedy, Mickey Blue Eyes, brings to the screen the story of an Englishman working at an auction house in NYC who proposes to his girlfriend of three months only to find out that her family is part of the mob. Things become a bit more complicated when he believes that he can handle the situation...
Hugh Grant, Jeanne Tripplehorn, James Caan, and the rest of the cast, have outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least. All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs, not to mention a few tears.
The setting, the plot, the dialogues, the humor, and the music are all wonderful!
In short, Mickey Blue Eyes is a movie worth watching and even though it is not quite as good as Nine Months or Notting Hill, it is definitely a keeper! 4½ Stars

Nice romantic comedy........2004-03-11

This film combines romance, comedy and the Mafia quite well. Hugh Grant is romantically involved with a beautiful girl whose father (James Caan) is a NYC mob figure. She tries to hide it from him, but eventually he finds out and becomes innocently involved with her father and the mob. Enjoyable flick.

IT'S NO "ANALYZE THIS", BUT FUN ROMP THRU A DOOZY SITUATION.......2004-03-10

Witty theme, darker than you'd expect and with some dead-serious undertones (Burt Young's character, for example, is *scary* without a trace of humor) but this is totally appropriate in context and gives the movie a punch that many comedies lack. Hugh Grant's comic timing took me by surprise, as did Jeanne T's convincing rendition of a mafia don's daughter. James Caan was actually the reason I picked this DVD up and did not regret it. Very worthy spin for an evening if you like atypical comedies in general or mafia comedies in particular.

Classic Western Round-Up, Vol. 1 (The Texas Rangers / Canyon Passage / Kansas Raiders / The Lawless Breed)

Average customer rating:

"Canyon Passage" makes the package worth the money!
Great scenery, flimsy plot
western roundup
Classic Western Roundup
Non-shoot-out Movie About the West

Classic Western Round-Up, Vol. 1 (The Texas Rangers / Canyon Passage / Kansas Raiders / The Lawless Breed)
Starring: Dana Andrews , Susan Hayward , Brian Donlevy , Audie Murphy , and Rock Hudson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000N3T0G4
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Amazon.com

This DVD set indeed qualifies as a "round-up," gathering a quartet of otherwise unrelated Westerns on two discs. Despite its seeming randomness, this set has a fine pedigree (three excellent directors are represented) and offers good value for fans of the oater.

The Texas Rangers is a 1936 Paramount picture (the other titles are Universal) from director King Vidor, working from a story of his own concoction. Two shady characters, Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie, join the Rangers as subterfuge, but slowly find themselves cottoning to the idea of nobility. Although it's a minor effort in the director's career, Vidor shows his feeling for the American land (he'd just come off the salt-of-the-earth classic Our Daily Bread) and the redemptive plot is hard to resist. Lloyd Nolan, in one of his early roles, makes a very offbeat bad guy--eventually named "The Polkadot Bandit"!

The gem of the collection is Canyon Passage, a relaxed 1946 Northwestern directed by Jacques Tourneur. Dana Andrews plays an Oregon frontier entrepreneur who keeps getting dragged into romantic triangles, Indian reprisals, and bailing out his irresponsible best friend (Brian Donlevy). He's a little like Rick in Casablanca, allegedly out for himself but thawed by the needs of his friends. Tourneur's use of color and forest-y locations is beautiful to behold, and the movie has a wry Greek chorus in the form of Hoagy Carmichael's mandolin-strumming shopkeeper (he sings "Ole Buttermilk Sky," among others). Susan Hayward and Patricia Roc provide the lingering looks toward Andrews, and Ward Bond makes a particularly brutal bad guy.

Kansas Raiders (1950) weds two popular Western subjects: the James gang and Quantrill's Raiders. The film's story tracks the arrival and disillusionment of Jesse and Frank James (and the Younger brothers) into the service of Rebel agitator William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy). The movie pretty thoroughly romanticizes Jesse James and co. (a narrator has to remind us at the end that these future bank robbers were "warped" individuals), but it's an enjoyable enough Western outing. Audie Murphy, the Texas war hero, brings his sullen charisma to the role of Jesse, and the gang includes Tony Curtis and Richard Long.

Even more historical whitewash is applied to the legend of John Wesley Hardin in The Lawless Breed (1953), starring Rock Hudson as the notorious killer. The film bends over backwards to prove that Hardin killed in self-defense, which might be why it feels so flavorless (the usually robust director Raoul Walsh is defeated here by the blah conception of the character and Hudson's stolid performance). Quintessential Universal babe Julia Adams is Hardin's showgirl ladyfriend.

This is a no-frills package, which works out just fine. Most importantly, the films look very good, especially the three color pictures. Canyon Passage has a few moments of wobbly color separation, but is otherwise a particularly vivid transfer. --Robert Horton

Description

Journey back to the Old West for timeless adventures in the Classic Western Round-Up: Volume 1! Relive all the gunfights, barroom brawls and romance with The Texas Rangers, Canyon Passage, Kansas Raiders and The Lawless Breed. Starring Hollywood favorites Rock Hudson, Fred MacMurray, Audie Murphy and Dana Andrews, this action-packed collection features some of the most exciting films ever to hit the silver screen! The Texas Rangers (1936) Two crooks (Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie) reluctantly enlist in the Texas Rangers as a means of staying one-step ahead of the law. Canyon Passage (1946) Adventure awaits when a pack-mule express owner (Dana Andrews) escorts a young woman (Susan Hayward) home to a remote Oregon town. Kansas Raiders (1950) Jesse James (Audie Murphy) and his brothers join William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy) and his vengeful raiders in an effort to save the Confederacy. The Lawless Breed (1953) When famed outlaw John Wesley Hardin (Rock Hudson) is released from prison, he gives an in-depth account of his scandalous life to a local newspaper.

Customer Reviews:

"Canyon Passage" makes the package worth the money!.......2007-09-07

"Canyon Passage" with Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Brian Donlevy, and Hoagy Carmichael is the best movie in this set and is good enough to make this set a worthwhile purchase. "Canyon Passage" was filmed in the Diamond Lake area of Oregon and has wonderful scenery featuring Mt. Thielson as the background in many of the scenes. Mt. Thielson is a sharply pointed peak just north of Crater Lake National Park and Crater Lake is briefly seen in the background as Dana Andrews and Susan Hayward ride past it. The story is interesting and well written and the acting is believable by all the actors which includes Ward Bond and a young Lloyd Bridges. The addition of Hoagy Carmichael singing his songs during the film, especially "Ol' Buttermilk Sky", make this a classic western which should have been released separately but at least it is now available on DVD.

Great scenery, flimsy plot.......2007-08-26

Director Jacques Tourneur is probably most fanous for "Cat People" and "Out of the Past," with most of his other work ranging from mediocre to downright B-movie making. "Canyon Passage" is a fairly sluggish western set on Oregon, whose natural beauty is the real star of this film. The 1946 Technicolor process is astoundingly rich and most of the movie is filmed outside, against mountains, lakes, forests, meadows, and farmland. The story is flimsy, involving hionest-to-a-fault Dana Andrews taking care of wastrel Brian Donleavy because Andrews harbors a distant love for Donleavy's fiancee, Susan Hayworth. There is a very violent fistfight in a bar, precursor to the famous one in "Shane," and the Indians' burning of settlers homes is terrifying. Beyond that no one distinguishes himself, least of all Hogey Carmichael who seems to have composed the ditties he sings on the spot (the exception being the tag at the end, "Old Buttermilk Sky."

western roundup.......2007-07-20

This is one of those movies you want to see over and over.The Texas Rangers is one of those movie that was made over call The Streets of Lorado with William Holden thats no longer available/Kansas Raiders is Audie Murphy at his best.I also was suprise to see Tony Curtis in a western, A must see movie for all western fans.Audie Murphy has another very good movie call Seven Ways from Sundown with Barry Sullivan that is no longer available/The lawless Breed very good story line a must see all classics.

Classic Western Roundup.......2007-07-02

Well going in I had high hopes based on earlier reviews concerning Canyon Passage. That turned out to be a pretty good old style western. If all of the other movies had the same standard then the disk would have been rated 5 stars. The others are good but not as good as CP and that is what brought it down. All of the fils were pretty well played, good plot development and any fan of the old stuff should like this collection.

Non-shoot-out Movie About the West.......2007-05-22

Fine picture of mostly non-violent pioneers in the Pacific Northwest. A loyal rendering of Ernest Haycox's novel. Dana Andrews stalwart as Logan, the shopkeeper, Susan Hayward as sweet and loyal Lucy, Brian Aherne as Lucy's fiancee, with a problem with gambling. Hoagy Carmichael is a townsman, who introduced his theme song "Old Buttermilk Sky," Lloyd Bridges a gold prospector, Ward Bond a sweaty ruffian. One for kids to see it wasn't all saloons and gunmen who settled the West.

Average customer rating:

Peace Through Violence
An enigma wrapped in a tortilla, smothered in bean dip...
Just awful
One tin script rides away(with the boxoffice)
The Begining of the Billy Jack ERA

Billy Jack
Starring: Lynn Baker , Dan Barrows , Susan Foster , Ed Greenberg , and Howard Hesseman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0790740729
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

This time-capsule film from 1971 is a perfect example of having one's cake and eating it, too. Written and directed by filmmaker Tom Laughlin--and starring him in the title role--Billy Jack concerns a half-white, half-Indian karate expert who protects a free school built on principles of pacifism by kicking hell out of pesky rednecks. The story actually embraces that tension between Billy Jack's way of doing things and that of the school's founder (Delores Taylor), but their tension doesn't so much lead to an examination of principles as it leads to an excuse for Laughlin to incorporate fight scenes between hippie politics. Crude and brutal, the film is pretty exploitative of a viewer's torn sympathies, and in that way Billy Jack actually anticipates much of the simple-minded, violent fare that followed in the movies of the '70s and '80s. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Peace Through Violence.......2007-08-12

This is the second of the Billy Jack Series.

It is a few years later (than BORN LOSERS) and Billy Jack is now living on an Indian reservation in Arizona. On the same reservation, there is an experimental school that is short on rules, long on the counter-culture and even longer on hacking off the officials of the local town.

Billy Jack acts as sort of an unofficial protector for the school. He makes a strange compatriot for the head of the school. She is a pacifist who will endure practically anything, including rape, to keep from using violence. Billy Jack, on the other hand, is a former green beret and doesn't hesitate to use violence when necessary.

Tensions build between the school and the town and things come to a head when the runaway daughter of a corrupt deputy sheriff funs off to the school. The deputy wants her back and is willing to do anything to get her, including frame and/or kill innocent people. While Billy tries to protect and, occasionally, avenge, he becomes the target of officialdom and a fugitive.

This story is no more complex than that of the first movie. Neither is it any better acted. Even so, there is something compelling about it.

An enigma wrapped in a tortilla, smothered in bean dip..........2007-07-09

There's something touching about this film until you really begin to dissect it. Finally, the dichotomy becomes evident: peace-loving hippies and Indians against the 'establishment'. This film managed to enjoin revolution-based politics with brain-baked standards and really took the entertainment value out of movie-going. This looks like a direct antithesis to "The Green Berets" and remains a symbolic statement that forged a trend in Hollywood. The only things missing were the SDS, the Weather Underground, and the Black Panthers. At a time when Bonnie and Clyde and Butch Cassidy and the Hole-in-the-Wall gang were being glorified in sweeping cinematic grandeur - just short of a musical - it's no wonder that Billy Jack was standing in the wings. If you really want to get depressed, check out the sequels...

Just awful.......2007-05-17

This self righteous propaganda reel masquerading as an action film would be downright offensive if it weren't so howlingly, hilariously inept. The Amazon reviewer who characterizes Billy Jack as someone who 'beats up people who oppose peace' was spot on. That should give you a pretty good idea of the overall quality of the plot.

Funny aside: At about 40 minutes in, the kids protest the search warrant of the school by joining in a singalong. A cute blonde chick begins loudly singing about an army of rainbows. Then an Indian girl takes the lead vocal - she's tone deaf but the spirit is there, and she sings with conviction. THEN - cut to a group of black kids and the most SOULFUL lead vocals this side of Mahalia Jackson - only thing is, no one is shown singing lead! Only the four kids singing backup. Where is this mystery vocalist? Have the Indians taught her how to make herself invisible?

It's just this kind of oversight makes this stinker of a movie ripe for satire. Offensive, pompous and bland throughout. You've been warned.

One tin script rides away(with the boxoffice).......2007-04-05

If like me you grew up in the 70's you KNEW who Billy Jack was and what he was about. If you didn't you must have been under a rock because Billy was everywhere. This isn't a great movie as much as it is a time-capsule of 60's and 70's ideas placed in what now is a simple action story.
Tom Laughlin stars,writes and directs this pagan to the "hippie" counter-culture of the time. The fact that the "heroes" in this movie are now annoying and not very sympathetic goes to show why the movement died out. Billy protects the "FREEDOM SCHOOL" from fat rednecks who want it gone. He talks about peace but if you disagree with him this Green Beret,half-breed Indian will beat you into the ground. Along for the ride are many bad folk songs and comedy skits that are jammed into this one with a shoe horn. I still enjoy this dinosaur of another era, but to be fair it hasn't aged very well. Still it is a lasting tribute to an era's believes and that makes it worth a look.

The Begining of the Billy Jack ERA.......2007-01-29

There's no other way to describe this movie other then the word classic. Tom Laughlin stars in the role that reeled of four straight movies as Billy Jack. Delores Taylor plays the role of Jean Roberts, and Clark Howat plays the role of Sheriff Cole. Billy Jack is a half-breed Indian that leaves by his own code as well as Indian code. Jean Roberts runs a school on Indian Reservation land for trouble teenagers that come to the school to learn how to express themselves. Every time the students go to town people try to make their lives a leaving hell. That's when Billy Jack gets involved and things get out of hand when Jean is ***** by one of the towns upper class sons who can do no wrong. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat from the start to finish. One thing though if you watch this movie then you'll end up watching the other 3 just to see how this ends.

Snowy River: The McGregor Saga - A Different Breed of Cowboy

Average customer rating:

Snowy River: The McGregor Saga - A Different Breed of Cowboy
Starring: Pearce , and Clarke
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000SAAPE8
Release Date: 2007-08-21

DVD:

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