Down to Earth

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A tepid reworking of Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (itself a remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan), Down to Earth tries to mold comedian Chris Rock into an amiable romantic lead, but it softens the scathingly observant humor that made Rock a standup successor to Richard Pryor. Rock's aggressive style is bracingly expressed in a few good scenes, but through most of this movie--from the directors of American Pie--he struggles with dialogue that would barely pass muster in a low-rated sitcom. Edgy potential loses out to crowd-pleasing with the familiar body-switch formula: by way of premature death and bad timing on the part of heaven's Vegas-styled gatekeepers (played by Eugene Levy and Chazz Palminteri), Rock--as struggling comedian Lance Barton--is reincarnated as a 55-year-old white billionaire with a nasty reputation.

Adjusting (too easily) to his racial transition, Lance charms a hospital administrator (Regina King) who's amazed to see the selfish white billionaire turning into romantic philanthropist. This allows plenty of black/white-contrast jokes (did you ever see a fat, middle-aged white guy who's into hip-hop?), and Rock, who cowrote the screenplay, still manages to work some pointed politics into the movie's good-natured tone. It's guaranteed that some will find Down to Earth quite entertaining, but others will wonder how potent this comedy could have been if Rock had been more willing to confront the harsher truths that lurk beneath the humor. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Yet Another 'Urban' Version of an already excellent movie........2007-05-04

This is a remake of an actually funny, clever, and classy movie called "Heaven Can Wait." Throwing in the urban comedian with the 'updated' script just results in a piece of garbage. You can't turn a class act like Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait into an "urban" version and expect it to be good. What a waste of time, money, and film. Rent the original and see what a true classic this is.

Excellent movie.......2007-01-12

This movie is a must see!! I watched it on television and had to purchase it.

a romantic comedy.......2006-05-23

Comedian Lance Barton (Chris Rock) makes a fool of himself on stage one night and gets booed off. When biking home that night, he accidentally gets hit by a truck and is sent to heaven. In heaven, he gets the opportunity to go back `down to earth', only in someone else's body. To Lance, when he looks in the mirror, he sees himself, but when other people see him, he's Charles Wellington, the most richest man on earth, and the most unliked by everyone. Lance sees this and during his stay on earth, tries to make peace. One thing leads to another, and he gets the girl Sontee Jenkins (Regina King), who at the beginning was mad at Charles (Lance) for not caring about hospitals (or something along those lines). This film also stars Jennifer Coolidge as Charles Wellington's wife, and Wanda Sykes as the maid Wanda. Wanda was so funny in every scene she was in. So was Jennifer. Everything they did was so natural!

Down To Earth.......2005-09-27

Hilariously outrageous! One of Chris Rocks best! This movie sees him dying too early only to be brought back in an old white guys body! But here's the punch line, he's a comedian in the movie as well! I was in stitches, definately a must see if you like Chris Rock's dynamic style of comedy.

Very few new things in this film.......2004-11-02

It's clear this is the n-th version of "Heaven Can Wait". As a remake, not many new things could arise in this film.

There are some new things, of course. Some of them are quite reasonably different: the story in this case is about a black man living in the Bronx; the return to Earth is due to the chase of a girl and so this is sort of a (then again) romantic comedy.

But some other things make me feel really dazzed. Heaven is... Las Vegas? Gatekeepers seem to be... like gangsters? And the highest expectation of the main character is... to be a great comedy club man? (and of course not to be booed every time he is acting).

The romantic moments are given by Chase Rock, but the great comedy moments are for Chazz Palmintieri. At least, his appearance makes this film not to deserve a lower rating.

You can have a good afetrnoon at home with this film, but don't expect so much of it.

Average customer rating:

Rita is really Beautiful in this movie but the movie is so so
Heavenly Goddess Steps Down To Earth
Down to Eart 1947
She puts the ants in the dancer's pants
A Must For All Rita Hayworth Fans

Down to Earth
Starring: Rita Hayworth , Larry Parks , Marc Platt , Roland Culver , and James Gleason
Director: Alexander Hall
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001L3MEO
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

Rita Hayworth really was a screen goddess in the late 1940s--so why not cast her as Terpsichore, the goddess of dance? That's the premise of this splashy Technicolor musical, which borrows some devices (and cast members) from Here Comes Mr. Jordan. Rita descends to earth to inject authenticity into a Broadway show about Terpsichore, posing as an actress and turning the head of impresario Larry Parks (then in the brief moment between his Jolson Story smash and his blacklisting). This leads to an overblown, pretentious out-of-town tryout, an amusing sequence that predicts the highbrow disaster in The Band Wagon. In general, this film is funnier than its reputation, although it doesn't add up to anything and the song score is tepid (with one delightfully weird number where Rita considers bigamy with Parks and dancer Marc Platt). And Rita? Very creamy looking in a series of lavish gowns--and hardly down to earth. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Rita is really Beautiful in this movie but the movie is so so .......2006-06-23

If you are a Rita fan this is a must see for you. The camera loves her, thats the treat here. The movie and songs aren't that good, the story is really empty and not interesting except for Rita. What a real Goddess she will always be to me!!!!

Heavenly Goddess Steps Down To Earth.......2006-04-23

After the success of "Gilda", Columbia put their superstar Rita Hayworth in this musical remake of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan". It did well at the box office, although in later years it has been panned by many as silly, far-fetched fare. I personally don't have a problem with it - it's not on par with Rita's earlier musicals, but it is very entertaining. The color is lush, and Hayworth is breathtakingly beautiful, and certainly suited to play the goddess of music and dance, Terpsichore (her singing voice is again dubbed by Anita Ellis), and Larry Parks is adorable as the young Broadway producer who wants so desperately to succeed. George Macready, who played Hayworth's evil spouse in "Gilda" again appears here in a similar role (with comedic undertones) - his office even seems to be the same as in the earlier film. It's also fun to see William Frawley in a small but memorable role.

Parks, sadly, had a short-lived career, as it was virtually destroyed by the McCarthy witch hunts. And the romance is touching and even a little tear-inducing. The term "Heavenly Goddess" certainly applies to the lovely Rita. Adele Jergens is also great as the original dancer in the show that Kitty/Terpischore replaces. Not the best Columbia musical, but an off-beat film, and worth watching simply because of the dance sequences, color cinematography and Rita at her most enticing.

Down to Eart 1947.......2006-04-15

Its heaven on earth in this delightful musical comedy sequel to enormously successful " Here Comes Mr. Jordan 1941" . Rita Heyworth (1918-1987) plays incredibly angelic muse , inceensed at the notion that a Broadway musical is going to portray her as a modern living sexpot . She sets off for Earth to set the record straight and the results are a "mousing" . in 1946 , Columbia knew it had all the makings of a blockbuster by reworkng the "Here Comes Mr.Jordan" theme along with teaming up some of the original cast members with Hollywood brightest star, Rita Heyworth . The proscts might have been too promising , as they enabled Hayworth?s agent at the William Morris Agency to renegotiate her already lucrative studio contract .in DOWN TO EARTH , Rita Heyworth?s talent are absolutly show-stopping and with the realese of this film , its easy to see why she earned the reputation as Silver screen?s one and only love goddes . Do you need a better recommendation ! . Super ultra-resolution transfer quality pictures . Recommended

She puts the ants in the dancer's pants.......2005-10-18

Danny Miller (Larry Parks) is producing a musical that uses the nine muses as its theme. Even thought the film is in 1947 it has a fifties feel to it.

The real Terpsichore (Rita Hayworth) is upset over being portrayed as a swinging man hungry goddess. She will recruits Mr. Jordan (Roland Culver) and his Messenger 7013 (Edward Everett Horton) to help her go to earth and correct Danny's pretrial of Terpsichore.

Will she succeed? If so at what cost?

The characters are based upon the ones in "Here comes Mister Jordan" (1941). They even tie Rita Hayworth's name in as Kitty Pendleton. The same director is Alexander Hall.

A Must For All Rita Hayworth Fans.......2005-08-10

Although this film often seems a little unreal at the beginning it developes into one of a number of marvelous Rita Hayworth dancing extravaganza's! Its not my favourite Rita film but has many many attributes and is quite individual in storyline and approach. I would definately recommend buying this film and for Rita Hayworth fans like me its a must. Beautifully presented and worth the small price! Go on treat yourself!

Alex Borstein: Drop Dead Gorgeous in a Down-to-Earth Bombshell Sort of Way

Average customer rating:

Drop Dead Hilarious
DROP DEAD F@$&*(G FUNNY!!
Drop Dead if you don't get it
Fresh and Funny Jabs at Hollywood
Hilarious!

Alex Borstein: Drop Dead Gorgeous in a Down-to-Earth Bombshell Sort of Way
Starring: Alex Borstein
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000I5X7TS
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

While Alex Borstein's material in this concert performance is a little thin, her alluring pose on the DVD cover alone catapults her into the ranks of comedy babes. She is not as pointedly political as Janeane Garafalo or as taboo-shattering as Sarah Silverman (two names she invokes early on). She is more a kindred spirit of Margaret Cho and her comedy of empowerment. Borstein, the voice of Lois on Family Guy and former ensemble member on MadTV, demonstrates that truth may not be stranger than fiction, but it can definitely be funnier, as she reads from actual female "character breakdowns" for proposed TV shows and movies. Who says there aren't good strong, positive roles for women? One such breakdown calls for a character who is a mutant as well as "kick-ass" sexy. And, as an afterthought, "red hair would be nice." The freshness date on some of her topics has long since lapsed. She calls out Rosie O'Donnell on her so-called "crush" on Tom Cruise, and blasts those who hailed Renee Zellweger as brave for gaining 25 pounds to portray Bridget Jones. "I walk around like this everyday," the Reubenesque Borstein proclaims, "That's brave." She elevates the material with nimble impressions of Zellweger, Charlize Theron in Monster, and singer Natalie Merchant. After jokingly citing Janet on Three's Company, Velma from Scooby-Doo, Kate Jackson's Sabrina from Charlie's Angels, and the Facts of Life girls as her inspirations, Borstein turns "schmaltzy" at the end to encourage her audience to not "look outside for role models." Borstein generously grants Ted Hardwick precious stage time as cheesy warm-up entertainer Teddy Towne. A menu option allows you to skip right to Alex. Use it. Of greater interest to Borstein's worshipful following is her informal but informative tour of the Family Guy offices. --Donald Liebenson

Description

She's smart, she's irreverent, and she's hilariously raunchy! Alex Borstein created some of Mad TV's most memorable characters, and she's one of the twisted minds behind Fox's hugely success Family Guy. Now you can see her skewer Hollywood in a "screamingly funny" (CBS Radio) stand-up performance on DVD for the first time ever. A must-own for Family Guy fans.

Customer Reviews:

Drop Dead Hilarious.......2007-01-10

Those use to Alex's persona on Mad Tv are in for a shock,while she is just as funny,if not more so...She has one hell of a foul mouth.So if you're easily offended or can't stand swearing,avoid this dvd.Otherwise you're gonna have a great belly laughing time at this.
Alex does do a couple of impersonations,my highlight being her impersonation of Renee Zellweger. This dvd is worth viewing just to see the real Alex at work,not the edited for tv version.Great dvd for any comedy/family guy/mad tv/Alex fan

DROP DEAD F@$&*(G FUNNY!!.......2006-12-06

WOW!!! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD LIKE THIS LET ALONE WRITE A REVIEW!! FROM THE OPENING ACT
A GREAT RETRO LOOK AT A TIME WHEN COMEDY WAS BLUE, REALLY, REALLY, BLUE. I LOVED IT. TEDDY TOWNE WAS THE PERFECT INTRO AND I MUST SAY A SEAMLESS SLIDE RIGHT INTO ALEX BORSTEIN ACT. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!!!! I DONT WANNA SPOIL IT.

Drop Dead if you don't get it.......2006-11-27

Alex is a very funny lady. She keeps you laughing and intrigued from beginning all the way to the extras. Get a couple DVD's for your friends. It's nice to have a funny lady around.

Fresh and Funny Jabs at Hollywood.......2006-11-16

Sharply written and delivered one-woman show that goes right after Hollywood and all of its resident alien creatures and craziness.

Hilarious!.......2006-11-08

I got the chance to preview Alex Borstein's new stand-up act Drop Dead
Gorgeous and it's nothing short of drop dead hilarious. She is a
natural on stage who is as funny as she is original. Her material is
new, fresh, genuinely funny, and while it's plenty raunchy, she doesn't
rely on that for laughs. It's great to get to see Alex in action, in
real life as opposed to her animated work as Lois on Family Guy.

She imitates, she sings, she dances (some would call that dancing
others....well) and everyone is a potential target. A MUST buy for all
Family Guy and Borstein fans. And if you're not yet a Borstein fan,
you're about to be...

The Chris Rock Triple Feature (Down To Earth, Head of State, Pootie Tang)

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The Chris Rock Triple Feature (Down To Earth, Head of State, Pootie Tang)
Starring: Chris Rock
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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D Day - Down to Earth - Return of the 507

Average customer rating:

How valuable to hear it straight from the combatants!
Excellent documentary! Informative and very moving!
Powerful, inspiring, and relevent- a WWII buff must see

D Day - Down to Earth - Return of the 507
Starring: Wilbur Fitzgerald
Director: David Druckenmiller , and Phil Walker (III)
Manufacturer: Pbs Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001L3MIK
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

As the population of World War II veterans continues to dwindle, D-Day: Down to Earth pays overdue tribute to some of the war's greatest unsung heroes. While Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers powerfully dramatized the events surrounding D-Day in a broader context, this moving one-hour documentary focuses specifically on the historic bravery of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which dropped into Normandy in June of 1944 and triumphed through some of the bloodiest small-unit battles in the history of American military combat. The worst of these was the battle of La Fiere in France, where the defense of a crucial bridge resulted in corpses piled so thick that soldiers could walk over them without touching the ground. Equally impressive--especially when you consider that these widely scattered soldiers landed as far as 20 miles from their intended drop zone--is the battle of Graignes, where French villagers valiantly supported the 507th liberators, only to be tragically executed by invading Nazis. Along with historical consultant Martin K.A. Morgan (who chronicled the 507th in his acclaimed book Down to Earth), several 507th survivors recall their dramatic missions, and the film culminates with their return to Normandy in 2002, for the richly satisfying, deeply emotional unveiling of a memorial to their fallen comrades. Given the fact that some of the most prominent 507th veterans died shortly after this film was completed, D-Day: Down to Earth is a well-timed tribute, honoring men who faced seemingly insurmountable odds and lived to tell the tale. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

How valuable to hear it straight from the combatants!.......2005-09-06

I have been very interested in the events that lead up to WWII, and the history of the battles fought. This video was one that I did not know about, but one which should be a part of anyone's WWII library. The individual stories and revisiting the sites of some of these battles put a human spin on the tragedy of war from the view of the soldiers and the townspeople who suffered through these battles. It's good to know that there remains an appreciation on the part of these French citizens for what the cost was in terms of human sacrifice. The personal stories and memories captured in this video are priceless!

Excellent documentary! Informative and very moving!.......2004-09-01

This is an excellent documentary of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment's experiences on and around D-Day. The film contains moving interviews with veterans, whose stories are laced together and elaborated on by historian Martin K.A. Morgan (who also wrote a book on the subject). The documentary deals specifically with the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, but speaks to a much larger audience. I recommend it to anyone with a general interest in World War II and D-Day, as well those who desire a better understanding of the experiences of veterans.

Powerful, inspiring, and relevent- a WWII buff must see.......2004-05-10

Moving account of one of the most important parachute infantry regiments, the 507th- whose fanfare has had to wait 60 years to arrive with the degree of respect and notoriety that it deserves. I have watched this film more than a few times and still cannot get through it without shedding a tear.

The real life band of brothers telling their stories in their own words when brought together for the first time in 60 years to the small town in the South of France into which they all jumped out of perfectly good aircrafts to liberate. WHEW!

I'm 28 and loved this documentary. It is especially important and relevent for people of my generation to look back on the history, which the men in this film helped to create, in order to gather perspective on the current liberation going on in Iraq.

A wise man once told me it is very easy to sit in the back of a coffee shop and preach "war is not the answer"- but when the question centers around a Hilter storming in, hell bent on genocide- how else will he be stopped? With a Mochachino Latte.

This film captures in a vivid, beautiful way the determination, courage and deep belief in freedom and liberty that each of these soldiers carried with them into battle- and for many it was this strong belief which got them through the hardest times and delivered them back home to a grateful nation.

I am proud to say my Grandfather whose name I was given shared those common beliefs with the men in this film- and as a result was alive years later to try and share them with me. For this I am forever blessed.

Product Description

Down to Earth
Acclaimed as "the funniest man in America," Chris Rock delivers a first-rate performance in this romantic comedy about a man who gets a second chance at life and love. Struggling black comic Lance Barton (Rock) knows what it's like to die on stage. But when his life takes an unexpected turn - straight to heaven - Lance is sure there's been a mistake. Miraculously, he's right! An angel tells Lance he was taken prematurely but assures him he can be returned to Earth - in the aged body of a ruthless white billionaire. In this improbable reincarnation, Lance begins a hilarious quest to realize his showbiz dream...and, along the way, discovers the person he never imagined he could be. Co-starring Regina King and based on the hit film Heaven Can Wait, Down To Earth is a "bold and brilliant comedy."

Average customer rating:

Yet Another 'Urban' Version of an already excellent movie.
Excellent movie
a romantic comedy
Down To Earth
Very few new things in this film

Down to Earth [Region 2]
Starring: Chris Rock , Regina King , Chazz Palminteri , Eugene Levy , and Frankie Faison
Director: Paul Weitz , and Chris Weitz
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005NFXB

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Yet Another 'Urban' Version of an already excellent movie........2007-05-04

Excellent movie.......2007-01-12

This movie is a must see!! I watched it on television and had to purchase it.

a romantic comedy.......2006-05-23

Down To Earth.......2005-09-27

Very few new things in this film.......2004-11-02

DOWN TO EARTH (2001) & HEAD OF STATE / (WS DUB) - DOWN TO EARTH (2001) & HEAD OF STATE / (WS DUB)

Average customer rating:

DOWN TO EARTH (2001) & HEAD OF STATE / (WS DUB) - DOWN TO EARTH (2001) & HEAD OF STATE / (WS DUB)

Manufacturer: ANTOnline
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MNOXJY

Average customer rating:

UFOs: Down to Earth
Starring: Ufo's-Down to Earth
Manufacturer: Unapix / a-Pix Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 158727079X
Release Date: 2000-08-08

DVD:

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