Sin City

Amazon.com

Brutal and breathtaking, Sin City is Robert Rodriguez's stunningly realized vision of Frank Miller's pulpy comic books. In the first of three separate but loosely related stories, Marv (Mickey Rourke in heavy makeup) tries to track down the killers of a woman who ended up dead in his bed. In the second story, Dwight's (Clive Owen) attempt to defend a woman from a brutal abuser goes horribly wrong, and threatens to destroy the uneasy truce among the police, the mob, and the women of Old Town. Finally, an aging cop on his last day on the job (Bruce Willis) rescues a young girl from a kidnapper, but is himself thrown in jail. Years later, he has a chance to save her again.

Read our interview with Frank Miller.

Based on three of Miller's immensely popular and immensely gritty books (The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard), Sin City is unquestionably the most faithful comic-book-based movie ever made. Each shot looks like a panel from its source material, and director Rodriguez (who refers to it as a "translation" rather than an adaptation) resigned from the Directors Guild so that Miller could share a directing credit. Like the books, it's almost entirely in stark black and white with some occasional bursts of color (a woman's red lips, a villain's yellow face). The backgrounds are entirely digitally generated, yet not self-consciously so, and perfectly capture Miller's gritty cityscape. And though most of Miller's copious nudity is absent, the violence is unrelentingly present. That may be the biggest obstacle to viewers who aren't already fans of the books and who may have been turned off by Kill Bill (whose director, Quentin Tarantino, helmed one scene of Sin City). In addition, it's a bleak, desperate world in which the heroes are killers, corruption rules, and the women are almost all prostitutes or strippers. But Miller's stories are riveting, and the huge cast--which also includes Jessica Alba, Jaime King, Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Clarke Duncan, Devin Aoki, Carla Gugino, and Josh Hartnett--is just about perfect. (Only Bruce Willis and Michael Madsen, while very well-suited to their roles, seem hard to separate from their established screen personas.) In what Rodriguez hopes is the first of a series, Sin City is a spectacular achievement. --David Horiuchi

More Sin City at Amazon.com

The Graphic Novels and Books
Films by Robert Rodriguez
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen

The Soundtrack
Films by guest director Quentin Tarantino
Crime on DVD

Description

An amazing cast of big-screen favorites is directed by Robert Rodriguez (DESPERADO, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN), Frank Miller -- and special guest director Quentin Tarantino (KILL BILL 1 and 2, PULP FICTION) -- in an acclaimed and visually stunning hit that's the coolest movie of the year! Straight from the pages of Miller's hip series of "Sin City" graphic novels, Bruce Willis stars as a cop with a bum ticker and a vow to protect a sexy stripper (Jessica Alba -- FANTASTIC FOUR); Mickey Rourke (MAN ON FIRE) as an outcast misanthrope on a mission to avenge the death of his one true love (Jaime King -- PEARL HARBOR); and Clive Owen (KING ARTHUR) as Dwight, the clandestine love of Shellie (Brittany Murphy -- LITTLE BLACK BOOK), who spends his night defending Gail (Rosario Dawson -- THE DEVIL'S REJECTS) and her Old Town girls (Devon Aoki and Alexis Bledel) from a tough guy (Benicio Del Toro -- 21 GRAMS) with a penchant for violence. Also starring Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Madsen, Carla Gugino, and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Customer Reviews:

Disturbingly violent ... .......2007-08-17

The innovative approach to the look of this film is the primary seduction. Studying the visual effects in isolation is reasonable and informative. Regarding the story itself, I found the form and portrayal of violence in the film to be disturbing. While characters are rendered by living actors (certainly some of my favorite), the violence inflicted by characters on each other in many cases is lethal with the film representing it as survivable. The effect is to create a struggle between a sense of realism and its creative suspension that leaves us with a film that is extremely uncomfortable to watch. Unless you are a fan of the graphic novel series from which the story was adapted, I cannot recommend this film.

For Frank Miller die-hard fans only.......2007-08-13

...the rest of us skip this movie. I'll admit the best thing about the movie is the way it looks. Rodriguez did an excellenct job in bring a comic book to life. However, some things need to stick to their original medium. I'm counting these illogical wrecks of mini-stories as those that fit in this catagory. After Micky Rourke's short (the best one, IMHO) I was ready for this movie to end. Clive Owens seemed miscasted, but Benico sort of saved the day on that story, but it was still riding on the so-so part. After that, I'm thinking surely that's the end...BUT NO. It keeps going and going, until I'm practically begging the DVD player, please no more. Then there's just one more bit, that I was so close to pulling my hair out, that I was relieved that it only lasted less than a minute. Oh, Thank God. If over the top violence is what gets you off, then this is the movie for you. If not, please, please avoid this movie.

Incredible!.......2007-08-06

This is what it looks like when you make a movie from a comic book/graphic novel. Period. Everything else is just crap compared to this, when it comes to making movies from comic books/graphic novels. Period.

A true "Collector's Edition" DVD!!.......2007-07-29

This is one extended edition dvd worth purchasing. Unlike other "double dips" that are marketed as special/collector's/limited/extended edition, this is a release that truly delivers. Not only does this dvd contain the extended edition of each story presented in the film, it also contains the original theatrical edition. The Marv and Hartigan storylines have the most material added to them, you can hardly notice the additions to the Dwight storyline. One of the bonus features explains the chronology of the events in the film, for those who were/are confused. If you don't own the movie, buy this edition. If your a fan buy this edition and sell your single disk release.

Relaxing........2007-07-22

I could write a lengthy review.
I will not because this film needs none.
It was dark, erotic, violent, deep, and basic.
It touched the primal parts of my humanity.
So much today is concerned with socialization, cooperation, networking, brownnosing, surrendering, grudging responsibility.
This film shows the true nature of mankind as it was supposed to be.
Strong, honorable, wise, and lustful.

Average customer rating:

Essential French Cinema: Godard's 'A Bout de Souffle.'
Criterion 2-disc specs

Breathless - Criterion Collection
Starring: Jean Domarchi , Van Doude , Roger Hanin , Henri-Jacques Huet , and Claude Mansard
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

All | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000TXNDUW
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Description

There was before Breathless, and there was after Breathless. With its lack of polish, surplus of attitude, crackling personalities of rising stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, and anything-goes crime narrative, Jean-Luc Godard's debut fashioned a simultaneous homage to and critique of the American film genres that influenced and rocked him as a film writer for Cahiers du cinema. Jazzy, free-form, and sexy, Breathless (A bout de souffle) helped launch the French new wave and ensured cinema would never be the same.

Customer Reviews:

Essential French Cinema: Godard's 'A Bout de Souffle.'.......2007-09-14

As a French New Wave director, Jean-Luc Godard (1930) was at the head of his class. Drawing from politics, film history, French intellectualism, existential and Marxist philosophy, Godard's radical films challenged the conventions of Hollywood cinema. Breathless (1964) is among his most accessible films. With all the energy of a 1940s' American gangster B-movie, it tells the simple story of Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a young French petty street thief, who steals a car and kills a policeman, while meanwhile pursuing an American girl Patricia (Jean Seberg). Although she is wary of Michel's intentions and questions his lack of ambition, and proving that nice girls have a thing for bad boys, Patricia nevertheless spends time with him in Paris before deciding to turn him in. Throughout the film, using jarring editing techniques, handheld cameras, and a musical soundtrack that seems out of sync with the action, Godard succeeds at making his audience constantly aware that his film is a constructed reality having little to do with actual reality. Although the film's plot is thin, Breathless revolutionized French cinema. Of his films, Bande à part (also called Band of Outsiders) (1966) remains my Godard favorite and should not be missed.

The new dual-disc Criterion edition of Breathless includes a restored high-definition digital transfer (approved by director of photography Raoul Coutard), interviews with Godard, and actors Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, video essays: filmmaker and critic Mark Rappaport's "Jean Seberg" and critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Breathless as Film Criticism," an eighty-minute French documentary about the making of Breathless, with members of the cast and crew, the French theatrical trailer, and a booklet featuring writings from Godard, film historian Dudley Andrew, Francois Truffaut's original film treatment, and Godard's scenario.

G. Merritt

Criterion 2-disc specs.......2007-09-07

* - SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES
* - New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director of photography Raoul Coutard
* - Archival interviews with director Jean-Luc Godard, and actors Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, and Jean-Pierre Melville
* - New video interviews with Coutard, assistant director Pierre Rissient, and filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker
* - New video essays: filmmaker and critic Mark Rappaport's "Jean Seberg" and critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Breathless as Film Criticism"
* - Chambre 12, Hotel de suede, an eighty-minute French documentary about the making of Breathless, with members of the cast and crew
* - Charlotte et son Jules, a 1959 short film by Godard, starring Belmondo
* - French theatrical trailer
* - New and improved English subtitle translation
* - PLUS: A booklet featuring writings from Godard, film historian Dudley Andrew, Francois Truffaut's original film treatment, and Godard's scenario

1959
90 minutes
Black & White
1.33:1
Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Not Anamorphic
French

Sin City - Unrated (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Disturbingly violent ...
For Frank Miller die-hard fans only
Incredible!
A true "Collector's Edition" DVD!!
Relaxing.

Sin City - Unrated (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Jessica Alba , Devon Aoki , Alexis Bledel , Powers Boothe , and Jude Ciccolella
Director: Frank Miller (II) , and Rodriguez, Robert
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Neo-Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

ASIN: B000BCKFWK
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Amazon.com

The two-disc edition of Sin City easily makes the earlier single-disc theatrical-cut release obsolete by including the regular theatrical cut on the first disc, recutting the movie into four extended segments on the second disc (separated by story line), then piling on an impressive load of bonus features. But there's a catch. Billed as "Recut, Extended, Unrated," with "over 20 minutes" of new footage, the new set's four separate stories are extended by only about 6.5 total minutes of movie action (see details below in "What's New"); the rest of the added running time is the splashy new title shots (named by the title of the story or book) and the four minutes of credits that run at the end of each segment. Each addition makes the movie even closer to the comic books, and these extended segments are generally preferable to the theatrical equivalents (unfortunately, there's no Play All option), but don't expect the same impact as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings extended editions. And although this version is unrated, the only risqué addition is a bit of violence from Miho that's no worse than the rest of the crazy violence in the film.

How Are the Bonus Features?
Robert Rodriguez has always loved DVDs, so the bonus features are extensive. On the first disc, there is somehow room for the theatrical cut of the film with its DTS track (the extended versions have only Dolby 5.1), two commentary tracks, an alternate audio track with a live audience in Austin, Texas, an interactive map of characters and locations, and 47 minutes of featurettes covering Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, cars, costumes, props, and special effects. The first commentary is Rodriguez and Miller discussing the concepts and the cast. The second commentary is mostly by Rodriguez, but Tarantino drops in briefly for the scene he directed (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro in the car), as does an enthusiastic Bruce Willis for his segment.

The Tarantino scene gets a lot of attention on the second disc as well, in a 14-minute take in which he can be heard coaching the actors. Also on the disc are Rodriguez's usual "flic school" (among the topics is how scenes were created by merging footage of actors who never actually met), footage of Bruce Willis's band performing in Austin at the time of the shooting, and another Rodriguez cooking school (this time it's breakfast tacos). But the most interesting feature is the "green screen version" of the film: the entire film as it was shot in front of the green screen, sped up to play in only 12 minutes. You can see the actors (in color!) interacting only with the props and each other. Last, there's a DVD-sized complete comic book of The Hard Goodbye.

What's New in the Extended Version?
"The Customer Is Always Right" (the opening sequence with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton) has no new footage, but now goes straight into the one-minute epilogue with Hartnett and Alexis Bledel that closed the theatrical cut. "The Hard Goodbye" (with Mickey Rourke as "Marv" ) has two new sequences totaling about two minutes: Marv encounters his mother and finds his gun, and talks to Weevil in the club. In "The Big Fat Kill" (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro), some short dialogue is restored, along with another wicked slice by Miho (Devon Aoki)--about a minute total. "That Yellow Bastard" (with Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba) has about 3.5 new minutes: there are more visitors to Hartigan's hospital bed, including his wife and a nurse; Carla Gugino's Lucille character comes to assist Hartigan when he wants to get out of jail (probably the best addition); and Mr. Shlubb and Mr. Klump have some more lines. --David Horiuchi

More Sin City at Amazon.com

The Graphic Novels and Books
Films by Robert Rodriguez
Our interview with Frank Miller

The Soundtrack
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen
Films by guest director Quentin Tarantino

Description

This Recut & Extended Edition is the ultimate SIN CITY DVD Collection and features a new, never-before-seen extended version of the original motion picture, the original theatrical release with three new commentaries, and extensive brand-new bonus material! Also included, a complete SIN CITY graphic novel: "The Hard Goodbye." The acclaimed hit from director Robert Rodriguez delivers explosive stories straight from the pages of Frank Miller's hip series of "Sin City" graphic novels ... and stars Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Jaime King, Clive Owen, Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Madsen, Carla Gugino, and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Customer Reviews:

Disturbingly violent ... .......2007-08-17

For Frank Miller die-hard fans only.......2007-08-13

Incredible!.......2007-08-06

A true "Collector's Edition" DVD!!.......2007-07-29

Relaxing........2007-07-22

Average customer rating:

Busey!!
Hunting Season Begins, Again...
Calling all morons!
I LOOOOVED THIS SEQUEL!!!
Awful Acting

Predator 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Kevin Peter Hall , Danny Glover , Gary Busey , Rubén Blades , and Maria Conchita Alonso
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0006BGWR8
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Amazon.com

Predator wreaked havoc in the jungle and struck box-office gold, so Hollywood logic dictated that Predator 2 should raise hell in the big, bad city. Los Angeles, to be specific, and this near-future L.A. (circa 1997) is an ultra-violent playground for the invisibility-cloaked alien that hunted Arnold Schwarzenegger in the previous film. Scant explanation is given for the creature's return, and because Ah-nuld was busy making Total Recall, Danny Glover was awkwardly installed as the maverick cop (is there any other kind?) who defies a government goon (Gary Busey) to curtail the alien's inner-city killing spree. But why bother, when the victims are scummy Colombian drug lords? Don't look for intelligent answers; director Stephen Hopkins favors wall-to-wall action over sensible plotting, allowing Stan Winston's more prominently featured Predator to join the ranks of iconic movie monsters. And anticipating Alien vs. Predator in comic books and in theaters, there's a familiar-looking skull in the Predator's trophy case! --Jeff Shannon

Description

This electrifying action sequel unleashes the deadly invisible Predator in another jungle -- the urban jungle of Los Angeles. Danny Glover stars as a lieutenant who mistakenly concludes that mangled bodies found by the police are the work of feuding gangs. Instead, he finds himself confronting a savage alien who has come from a distant world to hunt humans for sport. Gary Busey and Ruben Blades co-star in this suspense-packed, high-tech thriller.

Customer Reviews:

Busey!!.......2007-08-31

Gary Busey steals the show as Peter Keys in this masterpiece. I love those guns at the end!! They are even better than the hypnotic guns used by Albert Finney in the movie "Looker." What a great movie!! It is full of vulgar language and Morton Downey Jr. hahahaha!! I can see why they didn't bring back Arnold. Why should they when they have the great acting talents of Busey and Downey Jr. lol.

Hunting Season Begins, Again..........2007-06-16

3 years after "Predator" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger wowed audiences worldwide, 20th Century Fox had high hopes for even more box office success when they released "Predator 2". But this sequel wasn't without a major problem at first, when the film was to begin shooting, Arnold was busy filming "Total Recall" and unable to return for the sequel, leaving the creative team with a starring role that needed filling; instead of choosing yet another hulking muscle man to fill Arnold's shoes, Fox went with veteran actor Danny Glover who was having great success alongside Mel Gibson in the `Lethal Weapon' series. With a new actor in the lead role, a different director behind the camera, and a different type of story and location, would "Predator 2" find great success with audiences or would this be one hunt that was doomed to failure from the beginning?

"Predator 2" takes place in the year 1997, in Los Angeles during the middle of an intense heat and crime wave that is sweeping the city. While the people cope with the heat, the cops of the city are fighting a very deadly war on crime, but the fighting is getting a little easier. Because something is killing the drug dealers that are running L.A.; however, no one knows what the killer looks like. The cops are opting to simply let the drug dealers get wiped out by this unseen assassin, but Lt. Harrigan (Danny Glover) feels that there is something far worse than your average killer behind these murders, and when he comes face to face with this killer, he'll soon find out what it's like to be the predator's prey.

When Arnold had to pass on filming the sequel to "Predator", generally a sign of bad things to come for the movie, it was a surprise that Fox went away from the action hero type of actor to play the lead. Going against what logic would dictate, at least what would stand for logic in Hollywood (basically the `keep using what worked before' mentality), 20th Century Fox brought in Danny Glover (not exactly an action guy) to go one-on-one with the galaxy's fiercest hunter. To my surprise, and probably to most people as well, Glover functioned surprisingly well in this type of role, and delivered a very believable performance, especially in the action scenes with the predator. The main supporting cast consisting of Gary Busey and Bill Paxton were equally memorable in their roles; Busey as the government agent whose intention is to capture the predator no matter the cost, and Paxton as a newly transferred cop who loves nothing more than seeing action on the streets. All of the actors really delivered strong performances, which was nice to see in this type of movie. Having the actors actually take the material seriously even though it is science-fiction raised the quality of this movie up beyond your typical monster movie fare.

The story for the movie was well paced with plenty of plot developments keeping things moving, not just seeming like just a bunch of talk simply to fill in the time between action scenes. I enjoyed the change of location from your average jungle to the urban jungle of Los Angeles, giving the predator a different environment to adapt to and new prey to hunt. The story also explored some of the code of conduct for the predators, which was interesting; such as, they won't harm unarmed people, they won't kill pregnant women, and if they are beaten they will take their own life. It was nice to see that the creators of this franchise wanted the fans to gain more of an understanding of what these predators are and why they do what they do, so I'm glad they brought those elements into the story, to give them more character rather than being just bloodthirsty killers.

As was the case with the first film, and that of the `Alien' franchise, great kudos must be given to the costumes department, in particular Stan Winston's work on the predator suit. 20th Century Fox must have really wanted to make the predators into iconic monsters of modern cinema, because the creatures were given much more screen time in this film than they were in the first one. Clearly the choice to give more screen time to the predator paid off, since they have successfully joined the ranks of being one of Hollywood's greatest movie monsters/villains of all time, serving as a testament to the great work that Stan Winston and his team put into this creature's development.

Two interesting side notes regarding "Predator 2": one, at the end of the film when the defeated predator kills himself and Lt. Harrigan is left on the ship by himself, when he looks in the trophy case you see a skull of a xenomorph or `alien' from the `Alien' franchise planting the seeds for the inevitable showdown seen in "AVP: Alien Vs Predator". Two, actor Bill Paxton has been killed on screen by 3 of the biggest villains/monsters in movie history, and they are as follows: the Terminator ("The Terminator"), an alien ("Aliens"), and a predator ("Predator 2"). Just thought I'd share that useless bit of information with you all, so now you've learned something.

"Predator 2" managed to deliver to audiences an exciting thrill ride that fully equals the original film on every level, and to some may even be better than the original simply because you get to see more of the predator this time around, and the action is kicked up very early on. A definite must see for fans of the first film, the `Alien' franchise, or just action/monster movie fans in general.

"Predator 2" is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity/sexuality.

Calling all morons!.......2006-11-29

This sequel is so bad it's almost funny. Everything about this movie sucks--the acting, the direction, the plot. The original Predator was an o.k. movie and you can usually count on sequels to be weak, but it's shocking how lame this follow-up is. A studio actually funded this? Or, was this move a summer project for high school students in their A.V. club?

I LOOOOVED THIS SEQUEL!!!.......2006-10-19

I'm not a huge fan of sequels, but, for my money, PREDATOR 2 is one of the few that works. Writers Jim and John Thomas took their creation which worked so well in the Ahhhnold original and brought the hunter to 1997 Los Angeles, a "different kind of jungle". They amped up the excitement, the weaponry, the carnage, the pacing so much that this is the most over-the-top film I can think of. As a matter of fact, the over-the-top'ness is what makes this so much fun! It bears no resemblance to reality whatsoever. It keeps its tongue firmly in its cheek through the Bill Paxton and Morton Downey Jr. characters, so that the almost constant action never gets too heavy. Danny Glover, the great Ruben Blades and Maria Conchita Alonso all get to crack wise, Kevin Peter Hall as the Predator mimes a very distinct personality into the creature, and Alan Silvestri's percussive music is astoundingly great! PREDATOR 2 is one of my favorite mindless popcorn action films.

The new two-disc Special Edition set contains a buncha extras: TWO commentary tracks, the first from Director Stephen Hopkins, the second from Writers Jim and John Thomas. There is a brand-new documentary on the making of the film, a slew of vintage featurettes, a heapin' helpin' of trailers and TV spots "He's in town, with a few days. . .TO KILL", full-length versions of the "Hard Core" TV segments (sans voiceover), and a behind-the-scenes still photo gallery.

Don't look for heavy-handed drama in PREDATOR 2. It's supposed to be fun!
Enjoy!

Awful Acting.......2006-10-01

I found this DVD real cheap and bought it. I really tried hard to like the movie, but I just couldn't because the acting was incredibly bad, especially that of the bad guys causing havoc in the city. Even the guys who don't have lines display bad performances.

An hour into this movie you ask yourself why you torture yourself just to watch a bad sequal to a good movie. I broke this DVD and threw it out, something I've only done to 4-5 DVDs I felt needed to disappear off the face of the earth.

Average customer rating:

Breathless
Breathless
Breaking of the new wave
Breathless
"It's silly, but I love you. I wanted to see you, to see if I'd want to see you.",

Breathless
Starring: Richard Balducci , Jean-Paul Belmondo , Daniel Boulanger , Philippe de Broca , and Van Doude
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Crime & Criminals | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: B00005NC66
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Amazon.com essential video

The movie that heralded the French New Wave movement, this lean and exciting 1959 film directed by Jean-Luc Godard (A Woman Is a Woman, Weekend) broke new ground not only in its unorthodox use of editing and hand-held photography, but in its unflinching and nonjudgmental portrayal of amoral youth. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg play two young lovers on the run from the law after Belmondo kills a cop and steals a car. Soon they are on an odyssey through the streets of Paris searching for some money he is owed so that he and his American girlfriend can escape to Italy. As a chase picture it features some startling photography on the streets of Paris, but as a romance it defies expectations, existing as part tragedy and part Bonnie and Clyde crime movie. The result is a wholly original film experience. Inspiring not only a remake starring Richard Gere but numerous films and television series, Breathless is an essential part of motion picture history. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Breathless.......2007-08-26

This film is the best of the French New Wave of films. It is continually entertaining and keeps the viewer involved. I love the candid shots films on Paris streets. While Truffaut is the most human of the New Wave directors, Godard is easily the most challenging and inventive.

Breathless.......2007-06-27

One of the more fascinating and important works in cinema, and a great, loving tribute to American film noir, Godard's "Breathless" epitomized the French New Wave with a minimal yet innovative tale of doomed love. The tremendous appeal of this movie comes from its innovative use of sound (Mozart meets French pop), handheld cameras, and jarring cuts--not to mention an ultra-hip swagger beautifully performed by Belmondo. The lovely, perky Seberg reinvigorates a female cliché--the gangster's moll--giving her a bit of bubbly pizzazz. Shot on location in the City of Lights, "Breathless" is an energetic fusion of high art and pop culture that's not to be missed.

Breaking of the new wave.......2007-05-29

Breathless - in it's lean, pared down, gritty realism - is a seminal movie. Michel Poiccard (Jean Paul Belmondo) is a disaffected youth, a sort of French James Dean, who steals a car, shoots a policeman, then goes on the run. Whilst trying to track down money he is owed so he can escape to Italy, he pursues his affair with the beautiful, bird like Patricia by breaking into her hotel room. In a memorable, drawn out scene, the two lovers flirt and fight amongst the pillows, discussing the deeply philosophical and the trite and trivial. The dialogue sequence in this scene is a superb piece of cinematic realism. The detail of Breathless - Michel's white shirt and Bogart style cigarette and hat combo, Patricia's striped dresses, he city of Paris, a sharp jazz score, the doomed forebodings of noir - raise this film up to its position as Flicks magazine puts it: the yardstick of celluloid cool.

Breathless.......2007-04-16

"Breathless" is an incredibly innovative, entertaining, and romantic film that marked the directorial debut of Jean-Luc Godard one of the greatest of all filmmakers.

The movie stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel, a car thief who is being hunted by the police for the murder of an officer. He shacks up with his pregnant American girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg) and the two begin to save money for a trip to Italy, to get away from it all.

Michel is one of the most charming criminals I've ever seen onscreen. The character idolizes Humphrey Bogart and wears a Fedora throughout the film; He also has a cigarette in his mouth in every single scene. Seberg is both beautiful and talented, the acting is just fantastic. This is the film that innovated "jump cuts." But that's not the only reason the movie is still remembered today. It's also because the film feels incredibly modern, it hasn't seemed to age a bit. It's not Godard's best film, but it belongs in his top 5 best. It's a fantastic movie that belongs on the "must-see" list of any cinephile.
GRADE: A

"It's silly, but I love you. I wanted to see you, to see if I'd want to see you.",.......2007-04-09

I finally did it. I finished watching "À bout de souffle" aka "Breathless". I kept putting it off because I usually have problem when everybody tells me that such and such film is the epitome of its era or it breaks all the rules, starts the revolution, and reinvents the cinema. Well, "À bout de souffle" does not put you under the pressure, it takes you for a ride, and you follow for 90 minutes its incredibly young characters, common crook (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and his American free-spirited girlfriend (Jean Seberg) on their journey on the streets of 1960-th Paris along with Raoul Coutard's legendary camera. I am not going to tell here how great the camera work was, how fantastic the music score and the views of Paris were - the fans of the film know that already. They also know about the beginning of French New Wave, and how it influenced the future cinema. I just want to say that the movie was made over forty years ago - the smoking was cool back then, and Belmondo made smoking look very sexy. Belmondo fascinates me in this film. I've seen him in a lot of later movies - he's always been good (I recommend Le Magnifique, 1973 and Le Professionnel,1981 ) - but in À bout de souffle he is not just good - he is embodiment of cool, his face changes its expression every moment, you can not take your eyes off him. Is it me or he does remind the very young Mick Jagger - not commonly handsome but irresistible and sexy? He and young (she was 21 at the time) Jean Seaborg made one of the best screen couples ever. My favorite scenes:

Michel drives the stolen car in the beginning of the film, and he starts to talk to us, the audience. The day is nice, the sun is shining, and the life is beautiful...

Michel and Patricia drive in the convertible. The wind plays with her short hair. We only see the back of her head and her neck. Michel tells her that he loves the girl with a beautiful neck, wrists, knees, but she is a chicken...

Patricia comes to the hotel to find Michel in her bed. They start talking about nothing and about very serious things. They smoke, she tries to find a good place for her new poster, and he wants to sleep with her. In the end of the scene, his face, he looks at her - there is love in that look...

There is more - I am sure everyone who saw it has his/her favorite scenes.

Average customer rating:

I liked it like that!!
Wepa que viva Puerto Rico!
Attempt
sweet
perfect love story

I Like It Like That
Starring: Lauren Vélez , Jon Seda , Tomas Melly , Desiree Casado , and Isaiah Garcia
Director: Darnell Martin
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

ASIN: B00023GG94
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Amazon.com

A Latina woman from the Bronx shakes up her life--which consists of a difficult marriage and three kids--by taking a job at a Manhattan recording company. Playing the central character, Lauren Vélez has a captivating rough beauty that suggests her suspension between misery and grace. Director Darnell Martin also has a kind of unpolished approach that keeps the film looking a bit amateurish. But Martin's observations of and insights into the heroine's world--a slice of American Latino life that hasn't been particularly well represented on film--are original and potent. Griffin Dunne is very good in a supporting role as the heroine's exploitative boss. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

I liked it like that!!.......2007-06-20

This movie has been out for years but I just stumbled upon it recently on late night cable TV.

I loved it! It was wonderful. I loved the emphasis put on the Puerto Rican community, I loved the up close, gritty look at average New York life. I loved the interactions between Chino, Lisette and the kids, they weren't perfect parents, but they loved their kids. I just loved how realistic it all was.

I'm a black woman, born and raised in California, I have no idea how life in the Bronx is but I definitely related to a lot in this movie.

My favorite character was Alexis, she was a trip!

5 stars!

Wepa que viva Puerto Rico!.......2007-01-17

This is one of my all time fave movies. Jon Seda did an excellent job as he always does. I especially loved seeing my idol from childhood Rita Morena ( and fellow Humacao resident) act in this movie. This movie is a must see! So much good Boricua acting going on!

Attempt.......2006-11-12

I think this movie made a decent attempt to capture the struggle of living in poverty as Nuyoricans. It has a good amount of poignant moments from beginning to the very end and also its equivalent share of wacky hilarious moments, which I wont spill and spoil for you that should buy this movie if even you are latino or not, it doesnt matter. I think anyone can relate or try to the struggles we personally face or others do. I think the fact that I expected too much realism, being Puerto Rican myself, was a reason why I could not digest the exaggeration it portrayed. If you want more realism about what it truly means to be hispanic or want to know more and you are not , please, please check out Manito I promise you will not regret it and will feel so much more moved than this movie.

sweet.......2006-11-06

As a Lauren Valez fan I would have loved this film even if she just came on screen and recited the alphabet. This is a sweet film about the trials of relationships when you have friends and family involved. Jon Seda is great as a tough working father whose wife and family is his Achilles heel. Lauren Valez is the young mother who has to think fast when her husband ends up in jail. Fans of either actor would like this film, it's from the early 1990's, and you can see that their acting skills were still being honed at this stage. I really did like the film though, especially the ambiguous ending. Not bad for a Friday evening treat after a hard week at work.

perfect love story.......2006-07-09

I have always loved this movie. It made me cry and it also made me laugh.If your a young woman or man you will love everything about this movie.

Average customer rating:

Native mystery
Good movie and price
Coyote Waits
horrible movie
Typical Hollywood mangling

Mystery! Coyote Waits
Starring: Adam Beach , Candice Castello , Jimmy Herman , Gary Kanin , and Wes Studi
Director: Jan Egleson
Manufacturer: Pbs (Direct)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All | PBS | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00015YVPO
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Amazon.com

The compelling Coyote Waits is based on one of the Leaphorn and Chee mystery novels by Tony Hillerman (all three have been adapted for television), concerning a partnership, of sorts, between an experienced Navajo detective, Joe Leaphorn (Wes Studi), and a young reservation cop, Jim Chee (Adam Beach). When the latter's colleague and friend ends up shot to death and left to burn in a fiery car, Chee takes time off to evaluate whether he should become a healer instead of a lawman. Either way, he can't proceed without getting to the bottom of the killing and proving or disproving his own original assumption that the murderer is a shaman he found drunk and in possession of a gun near the crime. Working the case from a different angle is Leaphorn, who finds a link between the shaman and a missing university professor on the trail of a major historical find. Beach and Studi are terrific, though the story doesn't bring them together, in the same space, very often. (The two characters do most of their communicating by phone.) Familiar faces in the supporting cast include Gary Farmer (Dead Man), Keith Carradine (Deadwood), and Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves). Sheila Tousey is outstanding in her recurring role as Emma Leaphorn, Joe's wise, no-nonsense wife. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Native mystery.......2007-08-02

A must see for anyone interested in the native america culture and enjoys a good mystery.

Good movie and price.......2007-06-22

This is a good movie with Studi and Beach turning in solid performances again in this sequel to "Skinwalkers". If you enjoy detective stories, you should find this one entertaining. Fans of the first movie or those that enjoy movies like "Thunderheart" should like it. This Amazon price is a good since these Hillerman DVD movies are not easy to find unless you go to [...]. However; there they are overpriced since by the time you pay for shipping and tax you end up spending about $[...]. So get your Hillerman DVDs here or at Deepdiscount.com.

Coyote Waits.......2007-04-01

An excellent film and a must for any Tony Hillerman fan. I loved the production, the wonderful New Mexican scenery, and seeing a bit more of the modern Navajo way.

horrible movie.......2007-01-01

fell asleep twice trying to get through this movie. I kept hoping it would finally get interesting but it never did.

As reviewer: B. Chandler "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas)said,"Jim Chee sits drinking coffee while partner Tribal Policeman Delbert Nez meets his demise. Chee catches the obvious perpetrator. A Navaho shaman, with a bottle in one hand and THE gun in his belt. Case closed."

The Tony Hillerman books are good stories - read them and skip these god awful movies.

I should have rented first instead of wasting money buying. There were so many good actors in this movie I thought it would be okay but even they couldn't get past the stinky script writing.

I also thought Adam Beach was terrible in this movie. Unemotional, sounded like he was unsure of his lines, fresh from his first acting class?

Wes Studi and Graham Greene were great, as usual. Wes wore some pretty spiffy threads in a lot of his scenes so that helped make up for suffering through such an awful film. Although there was a scene where Wes wore sunglasses when no one else was wearing them so it looked awkward. See how boring the movie was? I made it through the movie by napping, checking out their outfits, watching body language, and looking over the sets and scenes.

The blond TA character was also awful. Jeeze, what a friggin sterotype - yet another dumb blond TA doing her professor. EEEch. Then trying to come on to Adam Beach's character. Eyes rolling....

Get a lot of foam bricks if you are determined to watch this awful movie.

Typical Hollywood mangling.......2006-01-31

Typical Hollywood mangling of a good book. Read the book instead. But the book is tougher on the reader than some earlier Hillerman books.

Average customer rating:

great movie, awful DVD
His Girl Friday
He looks like that film actor
A classic screwball comedy
Breathless take on old-style Chicago news hounds with Grant, Russell and Bellamy

His Girl Friday
Starring: Cary Grant , Rosalind Russell , Ralph Bellamy , Gene Lockhart , and Porter Hall
Director: Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Screwball Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

ASIN: 6305416192
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Amazon.com essential video

The Front Page, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's classic 1928 newspaper play, has had three official film versions and contributed structural DNA to half the movies ever made about professional camaraderie and fierce love-hate friendships. Lewis Milestone's 1931 movie is well respected (Billy Wilder's 1974 version isn't), but this is one case where the remake towers brilliantined head and blocked shoulders above the original.

Howard Hawks had the inspired notion of making Hildy Johnson--the ace newsman whom demonic editor Walter Burns is trying to keep from quitting and getting married--a she instead of a he. What's more, she's not only Walter's star reporter but also his ex-wife. When Hildy (Rosalind Russell) comes to tell Walter (Cary Grant) she's leaving the newspaper business, he bamboozles her into carrying out one last assignment--a death-row interview with a little nebbish (John Qualen) convicted of killing a policeman. It sounds like a snap, but before you can say screwball comedy, the press room of the Criminal Courts Building has become ground zero for all the lunacy a jailbreak, a shooting, an impromptu suicide, a corrupt city administration, and the most Machiavellian "hero" in the American cinema can supply.

His Girl Friday is one of the, oh, five greatest dialogue comedies ever made; Hawks had his cast play it at breakneck speed, and audiences hyperventilate trying to finish with one laugh so they can do justice to the four that have accumulated in the meantime. Russell, not Hawks's first choice to play Hildy, is triumphant in the part, holding her own as "one of the guys" and creating an enduring feminist icon. Grant is a force of nature, giving a performance of such concentrated frenzy and diamond brilliance that you owe it to yourself to devote at least one viewing of the movie to watching him alone. But then you have to go back (lucky you) and watch it again for the sake of the press-room gang--Roscoe Karns, Porter Hall, Cliff Edwards, Regis Toomey, Frank Jenks, and others--the kind of ensemble work that gets character actors onto Parnassus. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

great movie, awful DVD.......2007-07-20

This is a truly horrible rendition of a wonderful movie. It's like watching it with cateracts and hearing aids.

His Girl Friday.......2007-06-22

The legendary Howard Hawks directs what may be the fastest film comedy ever. A re-make of "The Front Page", this version's inspired plot twist is that Hildy is a female reporter, formerly wed to loveable scoundrel Burns. The conceit works, as underneath Walter and Hildy's scathing, rapid-fire repartee we sense a strong (though somewhat twisted) animal attraction. Both Grant and Russell are in top form, and all we have to do is keep up with them. A rip-roaring good time, start to finish

He looks like that film actor.......2007-06-14

Right in the middle of one of the most successful three years anybody has ever had, Howard Hawks gave us his new and improved reworking of Ben Hecht's comedic play, The Front Page. He changed the title to His Girl Friday. It was sandwiched in between Only Angels Have Wings in 1939 and Sergeant York in 1941. This amazing string of five classics began with Bringing Up Baby in 1938 and wound up with my personal favorite, Ball of Fire in 1941. WOW, what a run!

Bringing Up Baby and Only Angels Have Wings both starred the irresistible Cary Grant. He was probably the inspiration for Hawks' reworking. Grant owned the role of Walter Burns. It was a role that allowed him to ham to his heart's content. Burns is the freewheeling owner/editor of a big city newspaper that's at odds with its local government.

Originally, the plot revolved around Burns trying to keep his star reporter, Hildebrand "Hildy" Johnson, from quitting his job to get married. Hawks made a brilliant revision turning Hildebrand into Hildegaard and made her Burns' ex. When she shows up at the paper Walter conceitedly thinks she's there to get her job back but she's actually there to tell him that she's going to live in Albany with her soon to be husband, the nebbish insurance agent Bruce Baldwin beautifully self-parodied by Ralph Bellamy. Walter, unwilling to see his ex and star reporter walk out on him, works the kind of magic only he can work. This results in one of the top ten American comedies of all time and one that can truly be called madcap.

Hildy is realized in a frenetic performance by not the first nor second or even third choice, Rosalind Russell. Russell was borrowed from MGM after Jean Arthur turned the role down and for whatever reasons Irene Dunne and Claudette Colbert also didn't work out. One could only guess their ultimate choice would have been Kate Hepburn but RKO would probably never lend her out to play the part. The stars must have been aligned. Because she was their last choice, Russell played the part with a huge chip on her shoulder, which was just what the role needed. She was so miffed she even felt the script gave Grant the lion's share of good lines and injected her own prewritten adlibs to offset. This did not endear her to Grant and the two never worked together again but once again it worked toward the betterment of the film as this two giant talents rivaled to "one up each other" in scene after scene.

Here is where Hawks developed his trademark style of layering dialog, making actors start their line before the other actors had finished their line. This wasn't the first time it was done but in His Girl Friday it was brought to the level of fine art. It was not only practiced by the stars but also perfectly played by the innumerable character actors. The core of pressroom actors did this so well they will always be thought of not as actors but reporters. The pacing is blindingly fast and rarely ever achieved again. The celebrated scene in Broadcast News pales by comparison.

If you've haven't seen this American treasure, I envy you. I wish I could see for the first time again but I can attest to its ability to make you laugh even after twenty viewings.

A classic screwball comedy.......2007-04-19

This movie reminds us what movies used to be: fun.

Carey Grant is handsome and debonair (and all that stuff that drove women crazy) and downright evil sometimes in this movie. He is not above twisting arms (men or women's) to get what he wants and needs, but he does it with such charm that most people just follow him. This is a lesson in alpha-male behavior 101. I won't reveal the storyline or any spoilers (I am sure someone has already done that), but instead I ill say that the movie reeks of another era, which wasn't that long ago chronologically. The witty banter and seemingly endless conflict between the main characters drives the movie forward like a roller coaster that threatens to come off of the tracks at any moment.

This is Howard Hawks' brilliance. The director, the actors, even the lighting all work together seamlessly to create this film. The truest beauty of this film I believe was not the way that Hawks was able to entertain men and women equally in this truly romantic comedy (as compared to the trash that passes for "romantic crap (oops! I mean 'comedy')" today. It was the way this and other films laid down archetypes to aspire to. Cary Grant wasn't just a good looking guy with money - he was a good looking guy with money and a demonic bent and a razor-sharp tongue that he coated with just enough charm to make the poison work all the better. He had an iron will and was Hell bent on getting his way, and not looking like the bad guy in the process. His counterpart, "Hildy Johnson" was his intellectual equal and very sexy, and independent as well. Not the type of woman you would ever get tired of - or bored with.

With characters like this on screen, it became all to easy to imagine that people like that existed somewhere, and that you might get lucky enough to snag one. The characters in this film were not as flat and 2-dimensional as many of the films today, and that is why it stands up so well even though it is shot in black and white, and the actors are long deceased. This is truly a night's worth of great entertainment and a movie *worth* owning, not just viewing.

Breathless take on old-style Chicago news hounds with Grant, Russell and Bellamy.......2007-02-16

This is the 95th review to appear here at Amazon on this movie. As always, it has proved enlightening to read the preceding writers had to say. Most of them loved the film, as was wholly predictable. A goodly number issued dire warnings about the appalling quality of one issue or another, so there is very much a buyer beware factor involved here. A handful didn't care for the film at all, almost always because thedialogueissofasttheycan'tkeepupwithit. That ... is ... a ... real ... shame, especially in this era of the fidgety edit, the sound bite and the five-second commercial.

Many, altogether too many, praised director Howard Hawks to the skies for his brilliant story, his brilliant dialogue, his brilliant re-visioning, his brilliant this, his brilliant that. Now that requires a comment or two.

In the Roaring Twenties, Chicago was the most raffish newspaper town in the world. Reporters who had seen it all--many, many times--covered Prohibition-era beer wars, gangsters several times bigger than life, crooked politicians, lurid scandals of every conceivable stripe, Red scares, repeated labor strife, mesmerizing mouthpieces who reduced juries to tears in order to save thrill killers from their justly deserved dates with public executioners, and any other mad things that turned up by land, sea or air. The pop culture of the day was fascinated by it all and two contemporary plays survive into our time to remind us of those hard-charging times: "Chicago" and "The Front Page." "Chicago," of course, was a hit play, that became a hit movie (and advanced the career of Ginger Rogers), that became a hit Broadway musical, that became a hit retro-movie musical.

"The Front Page" was an even bigger hit on stage in its first go-around. It was written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur who had served time in the news bullpen at the Chicago City Hall and had finally escaped to write for other venues that were no more respectable but paid a whole lot more money. Their subject was Hildy Johnson, a reporter on his last day in the bullpen before escaping into the real world and his boss Walter Burns, an amalgamation of every editor who'd ever run a beady eye over Hecht and MacArthur's deathless prose. I should point out that Hildy Johnson in the play is a man. The reason for that is ... well, because there actually was a Hildy (short for Hilding) Johnson who happened to be a bullpen reporter at the Chicago City Hall. Whatever inclination (if such a thing ever entered their minds at all) that Hecht and MacArthur had to make Hildy Johnson a woman would have promptly fallen by the wayside because the two authors were aware that the real Hildy Johnson would be in the theater on opening night to observe the antics of the fictional Hildy on stage. By all accounts, the real Hildy was a large and formidable Swede, not at all someone H&Mac wished to annoy.

In very short order, the play was faithfully transferred to the movie screen with Pat O'Brien as Hildy and dapper Adolph Menjou as Walter Burns. That film is largely forgotten today, but is well worth watching. It was the first major film of the talkie era in which the old fluid movement of the silent film camera was re-attained. Menjou and O'Brien are both terrific.

More than a decade later, a geologic era of Hollywood time, Howard Hawks set himself to the task of making a remake. He hired Charles Lederer, yet another raffish writer, to make a 1940-ish screenplay out of the 1928 play. He, or Lederer, or both simultaneously succumbed to the psycho-magnetic pull of that name, Hildy. They subjected Johnson to a gender transformation ... which changed the relationship between Burns and Johnson from Mephistopheles and Faust to lovers-separated ... which allowed for the importation of a new character as the temporary impediment to the course of true love ... which yielded a magnificent screenplay that maintained all the cynical energy of the original, but in the context of a romantic comedy.

In the apportioning of credit, so far, I would put writer Lederer far ahead of director Hawks. Hawks racks up points for casting Cary Grant in the unaccustomed role of an authority figure, for casting Roz Russell who was perfectly capable of going toe-to-toe with Grant and always giving as good as she got, and for tossing in the wonderful, but still under-appreciated Ralph Bellamy as hilarious ballast to keep everything on course.

Hawks did one more thing. He rehearsed each scene in long takes, again and again, until the rapid, overlapping rhythm of the words was ingrained in the performers. Then, and only then, did he shoot it.

This film is a masterpiece for its screenplay, for its performers down to the smallest parts (a perfect, Big Studio-era repertory company of players), for Hawks' masterful direction. Sheesh, what more could you want? Of course it's worth five stars!

Average customer rating:

Sorry Sly, the new Italian Stallion is Gino Felino
Det. Gino Felino's best friend and partner Bobby Lupo gets shot down on a Brooklyn street.
Classic STEVEN
Seagal's Best Action Flick
Out for Justice.

Out for Justice
Starring: Steven Seagal , William Forsythe , Jerry Orbach , Jo Champa , and Shareen Mitchell
Director: John Flynn
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

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

ASIN: 0790740834
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com

Steven Seagal has always been an awkward action hero. Initially, he had a certain amount of credibility thanks to his nebulous association with secret government agencies and mastery of aikido, which helped to excuse his bad acting. But as a self-righteous action hero in the vein of Schwarzenegger and Stallone (which helps to explain his bad acting), Seagal fell into unintentional self-parody faster and more dramatically than either of his two predecessors. In Out for Justice, Seagal plays Gino Felino, a Brooklyn-born cop known and respected by everyone--both good and bad--in his neighborhood. The worst of the neighborhood baddies is Richie Madano (William Forsythe), a crack-smoking killer who murders his partner and terrorizes the neighborhood. Technically, Felino is a terrible cop--touching evidence at murder scenes, stealing evidence, intimidating witnesses--but only by breaking those rules can he bring in this horrible criminal. As his soon-to-be-ex-wife discovers, he does everything because he cares too much. Julianna Margulies (ER) has a small but thankless role as Richie's hooker girlfriend, and Gina Gershon (Face/Off, Bound) has an equally thankless role as Richie's foul-mouthed, bar-owning sister. The movie plays like a vanity piece for Seagal, and in that vein, it is fascinating to watch. --Andy Spletzer

Customer Reviews:

Sorry Sly, the new Italian Stallion is Gino Felino.......2007-09-13

Just to keep all our fans up to date, we, Sid the Elf, have decided that to degrade these movies with a label such as "B movies" is wrong. Therefore, henceforth the movies formerly lumped into the B genre will be known as "Unintentional Comedy." Anyway, Sid the Elf can hardly believe what a terrific masterpiece he has just seen. Out For Justice stars the immortal pony-tailed warrior, Steven Segal playing a total guido Gino Felino. Yes, the main character's name rhymes. Also making apperances are Gina Gershon, Juliana Margulis, Uncle Junior, and the one and only First Base. The First Base sighting made Sid fall in love with this movie. And as youse all know, Sid always does his research, so we found out that John Flynn directed this flick (yes, the John Flynn, as in the same John Flynn who directed Lockup) which quelled our suspicion that Rog moonlighted as an Unintentional Comedy director in his younger days. It was a logical guess though, with Segal spouting a "Maddon'" every few seconds.

So, this was a Segal movie. Which of course means that he plays a rouge cop who doesn't follow one law the entire movie, and actually wants to murder the bad guy. Whith that said, Segal does such a great job in this movie, those small oversights are so easy to forgive. Sid has a theory on this one: Segal studied every bad mob movie ever made and imitated the stupidest goomba in every one. We can't get across how entertaining it was to watch Segal try to be his usual tough self, speak with a Brooklyn accent, and try to sprinkle a few Italian words in every few minutes.

Out For Justice was a supperior Unintentional Comedy flick. The second First Base appeared on the screen it was sealed. WOO-PAH! So it definitely gets the Sid the Elf Seal of Approval. Ya hear?

Det. Gino Felino's best friend and partner Bobby Lupo gets shot down on a Brooklyn street........2007-09-09

I'll join the choru

The Graphic Novels and Books	Films by Robert Rodriguez	From Graphic Novel to Big Screen
The Soundtrack	Films by guest director Quentin Tarantino	Crime on DVD

The Graphic Novels and Books	Films by Robert Rodriguez	Our interview with Frank Miller
The Soundtrack	From Graphic Novel to Big Screen	Films by guest director Quentin Tarantino