Twelve O'Clock High (Special Edition)

Amazon.com

The wartime memories of surviving World War II bomber squadrons were still crystal clear when this acclaimed drama was released in 1949--one of the first postwar films out of Hollywood to treat the war on emotionally complex terms. Framed by a postwar prologue and epilogue and told as a flashback appreciation of wartime valor and teamwork, the film stars Gregory Peck in one of his finest performances as a callous general who assumes command of a bomber squadron based in England. At first, the new commander has little rapport with the 918th Bomber Group, whose loyalties still belong with their previous commander. As they continue to fly dangerous missions over Germany, however, the group and their new leader develop mutual respect and admiration, until the once-alienated commander feels that his men are part of a family--men whose bravery transcends the rigors of rigid discipline and by-the-book leadership. The film's now-classic climax, in which the general waits patiently for his squad to return to base--painfully aware that they may not return at all--is one of the most subtle yet emotionally intense scenes of any World War II drama. With Peck in the lead and Dean Jagger doing Oscar-winning work in a crucial supporting role, this was one of veteran director Henry King's proudest achievements, and it still packs a strong dramatic punch. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This gritty World War II action drama staring Gregory Peck, Oscar winner Dean Jagger, Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill and Millard Mitchell is seen as one of the most realistic portrayals of the heroics and perils of war. Convinced an air force commander (Gary Merrill) is at the breaking point, Brigadier General Savage (Peck) takes over his struggling bomber group. Kind and understanding, he adopts a crushing discipline to revitalize the demoralized troop. At first resentful and rebellious, the flyers gradually change as Savage guides them to amazing feats. But the stress of command soon takes it's toll and the weary general reaches his own breaking point.

Customer Reviews:

12 O'clock High.......2007-09-04

Superb movie. I met B/G Frank Armstrong, the real man the movie was about. I flew several trips in B-17 and only one minor flaw in the cockpit procedure.
I do question all the pilots requesting transfer at the same time - I think that was Hollywood stuff, as such would constitute mutiny, which requires harsh punishment. The movie also does not show how severe the losses were in
the B-17 crews. Highly recommend to people who have no idea about the great sacrifices of those crews. Lt.Col. Ed Robertson (ret)

Life in a Bomber squadron.......2007-08-31

Give a good idea of the life in a Bomber Squadron in the begining of Day Light Bombing over Germany. Gregory Peck plays the role of a Hard General who takes over command over a "Bad Luck" Squadron and softens whens things change.

War as a Deadly Business.......2007-08-28

The film begins when a man buys a mug, then bicycles to a cow pasture. A few years earlier this had been a busy US Air Force B-17 bomber airfield. Then we return to the early days of WW II. A damaged B-17 lands roughly with its combat wounded. Spare planes will arrive, and their next mission will be to fly at 9,000 feet to bomb St. Nazaire and its submarine pens. This lower height results in more accuracy and then fewer missions. [Bombers are long-distance artillery.] Some in the group think they have a jinx for bad luck. [Or at the low end of the learning curve?] No plan is perfect, there is always the unexpected. The film shows how good management can handle problems. Daylight precision bombing is the key to winning the war. It is about production, destroying enemy factories results in a loss of supplies and a less effective armed force. The final target was the ball-bearing factories, the critical part for any mechanical armed force.

A new general starts by enforcing the rules. Visitors will be checked, men will be in uniform and on post; no more slacking off. It's a war, maximum effort is required. General Frank Savage challenges his men to perform better. They should stop worrying about dying and accept the fact some men will die; life will be easier. They will perform better when they have pride in themselves. The best defense against enemy fighters is to fly in close formation so each airplane can defend the others. Any bomber that drops out of formation is likely doomed. These new rules result in better morale and good luck. [The result of more training and experience.] Now men want to sneak aboard to take part in these missions.

The last part of the film shows actual battle scenes from both sides, and the casualties. Gunners are told to use short bursts to save ammunition. Their bombs are dropped when they reach their target. One bomber takes a direct hit and explodes in the air. Others are damaged and fall behind. Enemy fighters are shot down. At the end General Savage suffers from burn out, the result of "maximum effort". Everyone has a breaking point, man or machine. The ending shows 19 of 21 bombers returning, a heavy 9% loss. [The later use of long-distance fighters like the P-51 reduced losses.]

This film is unusual in being primarily about the control and management of a military force (a specialized form of business management). Few films made during WW II are now shown on TV since the 1970s. You can compare this to "A Walk in the Sun" for its point of view. While "Frank Savage" is fictional, there was a reference to "Kirk May"; that could be the real Curtis LeMay. The Strategic Air Command (STRAC?) of the 1950s was a monument to the Air Force, but also massive inefficiency in preparing for a war that never happened. One fault in this film is its worship of authoritarianism, a Great Leader who can do no wrong. Wasn't this what we were fighting? The peace-time draft did two things: it soaked up men to keep unemployment down, and worked to support American hegemony after the defeat of the Axis powers and the declining colonial powers. It provided brain-washing of a generation to a military point of view. [Lately the anti-gun nuts are claiming a .50 caliber rifle could shoot down a jet airplane. This film shows .50 caliber machine guns firing at slower propeller-driven airplanes and mostly missing. They usually needed the combined fire from many machine guns to damage enemy fighters.]

Still Powerful .......2007-08-27

One of the classics that really holds up well. Riveting, powerful, and thoroughly researched. Loosely based on true characters and events. The details add rich texture to this evocative telling of an exhausted bomber group that gets a tough new leader. A compassionate telling of the price of war on the human pshyche without ever leaving out the warmth of humanity in dire conditions.

the Best.......2007-08-11

One of the best movies of all catagories I have seen, and I have seen a zillion of them. I watch it on TV almost every time I notice it is on.

Average customer rating:

12 O'clock High
Life in a Bomber squadron
War as a Deadly Business
Still Powerful
the Best

Twelve O'Clock High
Starring: Gregory Peck , Hugh Marlowe , Gary Merrill , Millard Mitchell , and Dean Jagger
Director: Henry King
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005PJ8V
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

12 O'clock High.......2007-09-04

Life in a Bomber squadron.......2007-08-31

War as a Deadly Business.......2007-08-28

Still Powerful .......2007-08-27

the Best.......2007-08-11

One of the best movies of all catagories I have seen, and I have seen a zillion of them. I watch it on TV almost every time I notice it is on.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - A Film About Wilco

Average customer rating:

I Was Afraid I Was Going To Hate It
Wilco yes
I Am Trying to Forget This Movie
Good Movie for Wilco Fans
A Rock Film for the ages

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - A Film About Wilco
Starring: Jeff Tweedy , John Stirratt , Leroy Bach , Glenn Kotche , and Jay Bennett (III)
Director: Sam Jones (IV)
Manufacturer: Plexifilm
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

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

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00008IAMJ
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Amazon.com

This splendid documentary captures the band Wilco's struggles (both with their record company and within the band itself) while recording their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is completely engrossing, whether or not you are familiar with the band. As they work on the album, there's some tension between singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy and bandmate Jay Bennett, but overall the band members are happy and enjoying exploring their music. But when they turn in the finished songs, their record label drops them, leaving them adrift with the album that promises to be a huge artistic leap. For fans of Wilco, this gorgeously photographed movie will be a thrilling look at the life of the band and Tweedy's creative process; but even novices will be drawn into the contrasts between art and commerce brought out by the conflict. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

I Was Afraid I Was Going To Hate It.......2007-04-14

I am big fan of Wilco and I have followed their career from Tweedy's days with Uncle Tupelo. After reading some bad reviews about this movie from some that called it "boring" and from another who stated they disliked the band after watching this, I was afraid I was going to hate the movie and I didn't want to dislike Wilco after seeing the film. I decided I should never let anybody else decide for me (especially in advance) or tell me what I am and am not going to like. Luckily for me, I made the right choice.

This film is not perfect. It's not supposed to be. It is, however, supposed to tell the story of a band trying to make an album and trying to get along together as people, friends, and business partners. The film maker does an excellent job of telling this story and the music speaks for itself...it's top-notch. There are a few scenes I would have shortened and I have to admit the candid scene of Tweedy talking to his wife (I assume) on his cell phone is boring, but it also allows the viewer/fan a glimpse of Jeff Tweedy being Jeff Tweedy rather than Mr. Wilco. I highly reccomend this DVD to any Wilco fan or anybody who is interested in becoming one. What a great ending!

Wilco yes.......2007-01-19

I love this Documentary. ifu love of like or whatever Wilco, you will love this film. beautifully shot and created. yes.

I Am Trying to Forget This Movie.......2006-04-28

Who cares?

A completely mediocre band is given appropriately mediocre docu-coverage. What's truly amazing -- and the only interest the film holds -- is the towering self-importance of everyone involved with Wilco. Guys, just who do you think you are? You're not the Beatles, Coltrane's Quartet, or the Brandenburg Orchestra. A rather more interesting movie, perhaps called "I Am Trying to Break Your Eardrums", might be about Wilco's fans and why they're so tone-deaf.

Almost as bad as "Darkon".

Good Movie for Wilco Fans.......2006-04-03

If you are a big Wilco fan, like me, you will enjoy this movie. If you want to know Jeff Tweedy better--or better yet, you already feel you know Tweedy and want just to see more of him--you will enjoy this film.

However, it is not a great concert film--there are many better, despite the grandiose comparisons--and it spends a lot of time on matters that will prove inconsequential in the long run. Years from now, who will really care that Wilco lost its record company after recording Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and sold the record to a different company? Who will care about the resentful difficult guy they kicked out of the band and replaced, whose name I don't even remember now? If you will, of course this film's for you.

What you have here is a well-filmed version of a reality show with really likeable characters, a little music biz drama, and great great music. That was enough for me to enjoy this film a lot.

A Rock Film for the ages.......2006-03-24

Wilco is one of the definitive bands of the times, not some flash-in-the-pan group - if Wilco were to disappear or break up tomowrrow, they would be remember single handidly for arguably having one of the best albums of the last six years, that being Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I feel we are very lucky the infamous story over that album was filmed, whether for some "looming" future purpose, or it just randomaly happened - I believe it just happened - and for that reason alone is why this film is of value.

Wilco fans, and just rock music fans, should really enjoy this documentary over the development of Wilco's classic album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and the behind-the-music like story that takes place. The bonus disc is worth the money alone, seeing solo performances by Jeff Tweedy, and extra footage of the Wilco live. Like Dylan's Don't Look Back, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is of a classic rock film level and not to be taken lightly. Excellent film. Definitely worth purchasing!

Average customer rating:

West Point Sings!
a great doris day movie
Doris day sings, "10,432 Sheep".
Ra Ra Ra Ra West Point Story Is Good
Fun musical with lots of singing and dancing

The West Point Story
Starring: James Cagney , Virginia Mayo , Doris Day , Gordon MacRae , and Gene Nelson
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000MTEFUU
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

Eight years after Yankee Doodle Dandy, the gracefully aging James Cagney found some extra spring in his step for his role in The West Point Story, a snappy musical that finds Jimmy singin' and dancin' at the prestigious military academy. Elwin "Bix" Bixby (Cagney) is a big-city nightclub owner with a long history on Broadway, but he's down on his luck, and accepts an assignment to stage the annual cadets' musical at West Point, thinking he might be able to turn the show into a Broadway hit. To his hot-tempered chagrin he discovers a rag-tag cast of rank amateurs (among them Alan Hale Jr., long before he became "The Skipper" on Gilligan's Island), and it's his job to whip the cadets into shape in time for their big premiere. In an attempt to lure his talented lead performer (Gordon MacRae) to Broadway, Bix recruits a sweet-natured Hollywood star (Doris Day) and plots a backstage matchmaking scheme, but eventually he realizes the kid's true devotion to military service, and devotes himself to staging the best musical West Point has ever presented. This all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza seems a bit corny and dated now, but veteran director Roy Del Ruth keeps West Point Story on an even keel, letting Cagney strut his stuff like an old pro, with Virginia Mayo keeping pace as Cagney's on-and-off love interest. Catchy tunes by the legendary songwriting team of Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn make this a must-see for musical fans, and the score (by Ray Heindorf) was nominated for an Academy Award.

Available separately or as part of the James Cagney Signature Collection, The West Side Story comes with a variety of Warner Bros.' "Night at the Movies 1950" short subjects, including a vintage newsreel of President Truman vowing to eradicate the Communist threat; the Oscar-winning "Sports Parade" short Granddad of Races (about Italy's most popular horse race); the classic cartoon "His Bitter Half" and a pair of 1950 movie trailers, for The West Point Story and the Doris Day/Gordon MacRae musical comedy Tea for Two. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Academy Award winner James Cagney puts on his dancing shoes again for The West Point Story, a spirited comedy packed with star-power and tunes by vetran songwriters Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn.

Customer Reviews:

West Point Sings!.......2007-07-08

For those for whom the title suggests a "cadets learn to become good soldiers" drama or who are only familiar with James Cagney in his gangster roles, this will be a surprise. This is a great 50's musical packed with the cream of the crop at Warner's at the time. Gordon Macrae (Oklahoma!, Carousel) Gene Nelson (Oklahoma!) Virginia Mayo (all those Danny Kaye movies), Cagney, and a perky early in her career Doris Day all provide a great time. Macrae and Day sing beautifully, Gene Nelson's dancing is on par with Gene Kelly, and Cagney is at his Yankee Doodle Dandy best. My favorite moment? Cagney and Mayo showing the cadets how to "sell" a number in "By the Kissing Rock." I highly recommend it.

a great doris day movie .......2007-06-14

these movie is one of doris days best
its a great movie to watch when you relax
Linda

Doris day sings, "10,432 Sheep"........2004-05-09

James Cagney is an angry, crazy choreagrapher and he also likes to bet on horses. On a deal, he must go to West Point to help this man's nephew Gordon MacRae become a musical star in the Army Theatre instead of becoming an Army Lieutenant. There is also some old history with Doris Day who comes in later in the film. When he gets to West Point, he finds Gordon MacRae in an all-male musical. No woman cast. Alan Hale Jr. (Gilligan's Island) is playing a princess. Virginia Mayo is trying to hold the fort together. Cagney will go to Las vegas if he succeeds with the deal. They talk cagney into becoming a cadet. cagney then must go to new York to bring Doris Day to West Point to play the Princess in the Army play.
Doris sings the cute song, "Ten Thousand Four Hundred Thirty-Two Sheep".
If you would like to see James Cagney get his just desserts, watch ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938), colorized version is the best.
Jerome Cowan, who plays Doris' agent, was a regular in the "Blondie" film series (1938-50) in 1946-49.

Ra Ra Ra Ra West Point Story Is Good.......2004-04-29

Elwin Bixby (James Cagney) is the owner of a Night Club and is a down on his luck man who has been engaged to his sweet Girl Eve (Virginia Mayo) for 2 years well Eve tries to get him help so she gets him a job helping out with the West Point Academy Annual Musical their they meet Harry Eberhart (Gordon MacRae) who is the brains of the play and the one who wrote it up but one problem they have no girls to play the girls role but Bix promises the boys if they will help him out he will get Jan Wilson (Doris Day) to play the part. Well when they hear that they are all happy about the show so he gets her. And Harry and Jan fall in love the play is a hit to! Great Movie!

Fun musical with lots of singing and dancing.......2003-12-13

Set at West Point, this musical centers on Elwin Bixby's (James Cagney) misadventures as he tries to stage a show at the academy while trying to lure the young talented soldier Tom Fletcher (Gordon MacRae) away from army life and into showbusiness. Convinced that Tom's voice has star potential, Bixby uses pretty movie star Jan Wilson (Doris Day) as bait to try and charm Tom out of army life. But plans backfire when Jan falls under the spell of the handsome soldier.
Tons of singing and dancing by Gordon MacRae, Doris Day, Gene Nelson, James Cagney, and Virginia Mayo.

James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story)

Average customer rating:

Excellent, but...................
A Collector's Find
Cagney at his best
What about the other Cagney films by Warner that aren't even on VHS?
James Cagney - The Signature Collection

James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story)
Starring: James Cagney , and Jimmy Cagney
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Signature Collections | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000MTEFV4
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

Spanning a lively decade in the career of one of Hollywood's greatest stars, The James Cagney Signature Collection highlights Cagney's versatility beyond the gangster roles he was best known for. You won't find any of Jimmy's hard-boiled classics in this five-disc set, but you'll find plenty to enjoy, with each film given the care and respect we've come to expect from Warner Bros.' archival DVD releases. From the World War I heroism of The Fighting 69th to the musical extravaganza The West Point Story, these five films represent fully one-third of Cagney's movie output from 1940 to 1950, and they're all above-average showcases for Cagney's enduring appeal. For sheer entertainment value, the best of the bunch is 1940's Torrid Zone, a still-delightful comedy teaming Jimmy with his best pal Pat O'Brien and Hollywood's "Oomph Girl," Ann Sheridan, in a savvy send-up of tropical adventure. Cagney loved working with O'Brien (who also costars in The Fighting 69th), and this collection also highlights Cagney's generous penchant for surrounding himself with some of Hollywood's best-loved character actors, like George Tobias, Alan Hale (Sr. and Jr.), George Brent, and others. And while 1941's The Bride Came C.O.D. teamed Cagney and Bette Davis for the second and final time (resulting in a breezy comedy that shows both stars at their most endearing), 1942's Captains of the Clouds is a standard-yet-sturdy example of Hollywood's wartime patriotism, with Cagney (in his first Technicolor feature) as a seasoned pilot recruited into the Royal Canadian Air Force. The latest film in this batch, 1950's The West Point Story, was conspicuously promoted to capitalize on Cagney's Oscar-winning role in 1942's Yankee Doodle Dandy, and while it's the most dated movie in this set, it's still got plenty to offer in terms of Cagney's unique style of showmanship.

As with previous Signature Collections, Warner Bros. has done a spectacular job of bringing these films to DVD. Picture and sound quality are uniformly superb throughout, and each film is accompanied by a variety of "Night at the Movies" short subjects, specifically organized to approximate the experience of seeing these films in their original theatrical context. Vintage newsreels, Warner Bros. cartoons (both "Looney Tunes" and/or "Merrie Melodies"), documentary shorts, and movie trailers are all included here, some seen for the first time in decades and chronologically corresponding to the feature presentation. No other studio cares for its library as passionately as Warner Bros., and The James Cagney Signature Collection is further proof that there's a wide and appreciative audience for DVD sets that showcase great stars while honoring Hollywood's history and the nostalgic pleasure of "a night at the movies." --Jeff Shannon

Description

Warner Home Video will honor one of America's greatest motion picture stars with the release of James Cagney: The Signature Collection. The OscarÂ® winning screen icon comes to life in this collection that includes five new-to-DVD films - The Bride Came C.O.D., Captain of the Clouds, The Fighting 69th, Torrid Zone and The West Point Story. Cagney's versatile talent is on display opposite a star-studded array of screen favorites including Bette Davis, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. Special features on each title in the Collection include the entertaining "Warner Night at the Movies" short subject galleries with vintage newsreels, vault treasures and classic cartoons.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, but..........................2007-08-24

I agree with most of the comments by cody jarret and calvinnme. I would have preferred "Strawberry Blonde" and "Oklahoma Kid" over "Fighting 69th" and "Bride Came COD". Let's hope for a second volume PLUS a couple of sets of early 30s Cagney films. There are plenty to choose from.

And I love the slim cases.

A Collector's Find.......2007-06-30

I'm a serious collector of movies. Not only does this collection contain movies not available before on DVD, it also contains many cartoons and short subjects which were not previously available on DVD. I highly recommend this collection.

Cagney at his best.......2007-05-23

Cagney from a bygone Hollywood era appears asgeless and timeless in this series. J.C. was one of the movies all time greats and this Cagney series is what Hollywood should be producing today. Cagney,Stewart. Wayne, Fonda (Henry that is ) and Bogart knew how to make movies that pleased their audiences. This Cagney series is a collectors treasure that every move buff will want to have in their collecton. This is a buy, AND HOW !!!!!!!

What about the other Cagney films by Warner that aren't even on VHS?.......2007-05-21

I'm happy enough with this collection, but this is not the top tier of Cagney films. The best of the bunch is "The Fighting 69th" and "Torrid Zone", which just happens to feature the on-screen rapport of Cagney and Pat O'Brien. "Captains of the Clouds" is a good enough if uneven film with a very good performance by Cagney taking his tough-guy persona into war. "The Bride Came C.O.D." and "West Point Story" would be pretty forgettable story-wise if it were not for Cagney's performances. "West Point Story" is actually a musical. With the exception of "West Point Story", these films were all made around 1940, which doesn't give you as good a view of Cagney's evolution as an actor as this set could have if the selection had come from the full twenty year plus period that Cagney was making films now under the control of Warner Home Video.

The problem is, as others have mentioned, that many of Cagney's best known films controlled by Warner Brothers are already boxed up in The Warner Gangsters, Warner Legends, Tough Guys, and even the Busby Berkeley (Footlight Parade) and Henry Fonda Signature (Mr. Roberts) collections. However, there are many great Cagney titles that I'm pretty sure Warner Bros. still has the DVD rights to that we havent seen yet. Among the ones I'm looking for are Cagney's pre-codes including "Blonde Crazy", "Picture Snatcher", and "Taxi!". "Picture Snatcher" and "Taxi!" aren't even on VHS. From the 1950's Warner Bros. controls the rights to "Come Fill the Cup" and "These Wilder Years", neither of which are on VHS, but are great showcases of Cagney's talent in more mature roles. Warner Bros. also controls the already mentioned and essential "Oklahoma Kid" and "Strawberry Blonde". The only thing I can figure is that (a) The pre-codes are perhaps going to be part of the next planned "Forbidden Hollywood" collection and/or (b) there is a volume two of Cagney's films planned. I just hope that in the case of Cagney films put on DVD by Warner Home Video in the future that commentary is included. The lack of it in this set is really my chief complaint.

In summary, if you are a Cagney completist, then by all means get this set. If you are looking for more definitive Cagney films and a better introduction to the actor's work, then start with the Warner Gangsters and then the Tough Guy collections.

James Cagney - The Signature Collection.......2007-05-14

A nice collection of James Cagney movies that promotes support for our troops during the early wars. Not his typical gangster movie. A nice change.

Average customer rating:

Point of Order!
MASTERFULLY EDITED TO MAGNIFY McCARTHY'S MALEVOLENCE
Additional information for those who already have some knowledge about McCarthy.
McCARTTHY 'SDOWNFALL-BUT NOT OF McCARTHYISM!
McCarthy's Come-Uppance

Point of Order!
Starring: Roy M. Cohn , Joseph McCarthy (II) , and Joseph N. Welch
Director: Emile de Antonio
Manufacturer: New Yorker Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Politics | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000A59PO2
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Customer Reviews:

Point of Order!.......2007-06-28

First released in 1964, this invaluable piece of visual history places the fall of McCarthy-ism in lucid, dramatic context. While most of us have seen Boston lawyer (and Army counsel) Joseph Welch's pivotal repudiation of McCarthy ("At long last, Senator...") few remember what led up to it, which only heightens its history-making impact. It's fascinating to see smarmy McCarthy counsel Roy Cohn go up against Welch and Senator Stuart Symington on charges of currying blatant favoritism for Army enlistee G. David Schine (Cohn's lover). Watching McCarthy himself is spooky, as we have to wonder how a man like this could amass such destructive power. A must-see.

MASTERFULLY EDITED TO MAGNIFY McCARTHY'S MALEVOLENCE.......2007-05-22

The Army-McCarthy hearings in which the demagogic Senator, Joseph McCarthy, and his chief counsel, Roy Cohn, were charged with having attempted to blackmail special treatment from the Army for their partner-in-crime, Private David G. Schine, took a total of 36 days. That's an awful lot of testimony, and it captured the attention of the American public like nothing before. It would be nearly four decades before the O.J. Simpson trial would equal its theatrics and stir up equal or greater interest among the people.

POINT OF ORDER is a distillation of those 36 days that rocked America, it is a great ninety-seven minute movie, an exceptionally well-constructed documentary in which producer and editor, Emile de Antonio, painstakingly pored over all of the testimony given in the Army-McCarthy Hearings and from that massive collection of old TV kinescopes, he assembled a picture that shall forever stand as an indictment and proof of Senator Joseph McCarthy's shameful acts, his wicked calumny. Emile de Antonio has selected particular segments of the hearings in order to show McCarthy in his worst light and to expose him as the liar and slanderer that he was; a man who recklessly smeared the reputations of countless innocent Americans, dogging them with false accusations of Communistic involvement, who in the process, created a "Red Scare" in this country that had decent Americans in government and the entertainment industry in fear. No one could be sure who McCarthy would falsely accuse next, and as a result, the American people became fearful of their friends and family members, fearful of all of their associations.

The era of "McCarthyism" was one of the worst in American history, and when it became clear that the malicious McCarthy had to be stopped, the Army Hearings brought attention to the man's irrational behavior, and shortly afterwards, censure charges were brought against him in the Senate, and his own colleagues found him guilty of acts "contrary to senatorial tradition." The evil had finally been confronted and conquered!

Emile de Antonio's masterful editing in POINT OF ORDER gets right to the heart of the matter; utilizing clips of McCarthy's worst behavior during the Army-McCarthy Hearings, it puts on full display the malevolence that was Senator McCarthy. The big highlight of the proceedings is when the lawyer, Joe Welch, indignantly asks McCarthy, "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?" The lawyer's question for the senator finally shows who the real enemy is. All Americans should see this documentary and learn the truth about Senator McCarthy, so that an informed vigilance will prevent any future "McCarthys" from terrorizing the country we love.

Additional information for those who already have some knowledge about McCarthy........2007-01-10

If you are unfamiliar with McCarthyism this is not the DVD to buy. However, if you have some knowledge about the political agenda of those years it is very interesting. Even if only pieces of the hearings that lasted for many days are shown, you will be able to see the debate's argumenting-tactics and the basic view of those participating. It is always a benefit be able to see and hear persons that were a part of our history. Because it is documentary, de Antonio has limited possibility to give us his point of view only.
This DVD should be of interest worldwide. May I recommend it in combination with some Stalin biography. Try to find some early 50-ies looking-glasses. It's understandable...isn't it?

McCARTTHY 'SDOWNFALL-BUT NOT OF McCARTHYISM!.......2006-06-30

This DVD is a documentary taken from kinescopes (pre-video-tape tapes) of the key moments of the Army-MCCarthy hearings which took place in 1954.Senator Joseph McCarthy(R-Wis.),had made quite a name for himself by accussing almost(it seems) every liberal,and some not so liberal politician,pundit,high-brow,and intellectual of being "Red",in some way,of being an ally of"Uncle Jo" Stalin and the Kremlin.When he accussed the U,S.Army of deliberately hiding subversives,that was the act that sealed his fate.The highlight,of the documentary,is the confrontation between McCarthy and chief counsel for the Army Joseph Welch(later to gain even more fame as the Judge in the Jimmy Stewart courtroom drama,"Anatomy of a Murder)McCarthy after much goating by Welch loses this cool and brings up the membership in The National Lawyers Guild(cited as "subversive"by the Attorney General and "under control" of the American Communist Party) by Welch's young associate Fred Fisher.Indeed,Welch admitted Young Republican Fisher while in Law School was for a time a member of the Guild,but that when he found out the the NLG was on the AG list,he resigned his membership from the organization.For the outrage of exposing Fisher,Welch ripped into Senator Joe and that confrontation eventually led to McCarthy's censure by the U.S.Senate,and early death aided by excessive drinking by the Senator.
My only question is ;Why did the political "outing" of Fisher cause such a fuss?Because of this former Guild membership was Welch going to fire him? No! And if Fisher went to any other Law Firm,he would bcome that firm's prize catch-He "helped bring down McCarthy".The reasons these hearings caused the "downfall" of McCarthy was because "The Establishment",wanted McCarthy to be cut down to size,they wanted him brought down because he was getting to big for his britches,and he had SEVERED his purpose in getting the American public in tune with the "Red Menace" and getting a certain segment of the population to equate "liberalism(any leftism -which really doesn't have to be that far left or left at all)) with Communism".Senator Joseph McCarthy died in 1957,but McCarthyism did not die,to this day Conservatives in particular like to question American citizens loyality whenever that citizen/or citizens question the motives,methods, or deeds of the U.S. Government or of business,especially so-called "Big Business".An excellent documentary 5 Stars

McCarthy's Come-Uppance.......2006-06-20

Twenty years before the nationally-televised Watergate hearings, there were the nationally-televised Army-McCarthy Hearings. For 36 days in the early summer of 1954 much of the nation was glued to their old black-and-white TV sets, watching the unraveling of a demogogue whose reach had finally exceeded his grasp. De Antonio's film is something of a rare-bird within the documentary genre, in that he lets the protagonists tell the story without a narrator informing the viewer what they are witnessing. The optional feature of director's commentary lends an entirely new dimension to the film. A true masterpiece in documentary film-making.

Average customer rating:

Loved It
Great for Any David Caruso Fan!
An existential Noir!
Recycled Crime Drama
How Come I Never Heard of this Movie????

Black Point
Starring: David Caruso , Susan Haskell , Thomas Ian Griffith , Miguel Sandoval , and Eileen Pedde
Director: David Mackay
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00009WVSQ
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com

In this would-be noir thriller, Black Point is the name of the fishing village where ex-navy guy John Hawkins (David Caruso) meets up with Natalie (Susan Haskell), an angelic blonde with a dangerous, domineering husband (Thomas Ian Griffith) with criminal connections. Caruso tries to rescue her, only to be sucked into a series of double-crosses that leave a lot of dead bodies in their wake. If that description sounds generic, it's because Black Point is generic--it's cobbled together from made-for-cable thrillers and dim memories of much better movies. Fans of Caruso will enjoy his dependably earnest machismo. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Loved It.......2007-01-13

Perfect! This is a good movie, full of different twists and angles, and just visually good.

Great for Any David Caruso Fan!.......2006-11-12

If you're a fan of David Caruso, then I highly recommend this movie. I think it is one of his best films. The story line is also great for anyone who likes suspense.

An existential Noir!.......2006-04-01

A man who has lost he had. His wife abandoned him because his daughter missed. These awful memories have made of him a living wreck, without illusions and hopes.

On the other hand we have a woman who lives inside a gold ` s cage. She is absolutely unable to make a decision by her own.

Eventually they will meet and a very intense and well elaborated puzzled script will make of this thriller one of the most intense and original ones made in years, where the greed, double and triple crossed, unexpected allies, ambition are some of the main ingredients of this well made drama.

Recycled Crime Drama.......2003-01-25

"Black Point" was an enjoyable watching experience. Thomas Ian Griffith from "Hollow Point" and "Excessive Force" plays the heavy Gus & also gets a screenwriting credit. The plot is intricate enough to keep our attention, but not unique enough to be memorable. David Caruso as the ex-Vet John Hawkins displays his usual intensity. Currently riding high as Horatio on "CSI Miami," Caruso never really seems to play a different character, but is certainly good at the gritty realism which he brings to the role. "One Life to Live"'s Susan Haskell is beautiful and comes across as innocent and crafty, which is an interesting mix. It was never clear to me why she winds up in jail since all of her actions were done in self defense. Thus, the ending was not satisfying for me. The issue of brutality against women where the husband beats her and rapes her is used more as a plot mechanism than a real issue in the film; for me that is a major flaw. The smaller roles are well done, the sheriff, the deputy, and Bear, the best friend. For those who like the crime genre, David Caruso is the reason to watch. While the film is not the most original one you're likely to view, it's a good evening's entertainment. Enjoy!

How Come I Never Heard of this Movie????.......2002-10-26

I picked this movie up as a rental because nothing else in the store caught my eye at the time. I have always liked David Caruso for his on-screen believability and I was not disappointed here. This guy is a terrific actor who gets the viewer on his side, in spite of his sometimes outrageous behavior. I also remembered knowing that Susan Haskell had been (maybe still is) a soap star and thinking that she was attractive. I was right about that too...she is WAY attractive and also a very compelling actress.
This movie takes place in Alaska and Washington state and the Washington scenery is beautiful and the image quality of the DVD is superb. There are other great characters and several significant and totally unexpected plot twists that are pulled off without a hitch. The actors all work well together. Unlike many of today's movies, the plot, while somewhat far-fetched, is plausible and provides for some great opening action on which one side of the story hinges (3.5 million in stolen money.) The other story line involves an abused girlfriend (Haskell) and a broken ex tactical munitions expert (Caruso) who's 6 year old daughter was kidnapped 2 years previous. These two clearly need each other and how the money story becomes integrated with the beaten Haskell and Caruso make for the movies high tension level. Enough said of the story. If you want to see a very good movie with a taught plot, great acting, believable characters, several awesome twists without a fairy-tale ending, then this one's for you. With all the overblown, over-hyped, overly violent fare out there, I was happy to find this unexpected pleasure which far exceeded my expectations.

Boiling Point (1932) / Frontier Justice (1936)

Average customer rating:

Boiling Point (1932) / Frontier Justice (1936)
Starring: Boiling Point (1932)/Fronier Justice (1938)
Manufacturer: Alpha Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000LXHFS6
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Product Description

Jovial cowboy hero Hoot Gibson stars in two vintage Western sagas.

Average customer rating:

Jesus Is the Balm
Starring: Eugene Cole & Persuaded
Manufacturer: Point of Grace Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00025ETQY
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Average customer rating:

Good but not Leslie Jordan's best work...
"I want to be accepted for who I am"
Jordan's autobiographical fantasia

Lost In the Pershing Point Hotel
Starring: Carlos Gomez , Marilu Henner , Leslie Jordan , Kris Kamm , and Kathy Kinney
Director: Julia Jay Pierrepont III
Manufacturer: Ariztical
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Gay & Lesbian | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Black Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0006J28BY
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Product Description

Experience a quirkier, sexy side of the south! Leslie Jordan, ("Sordid Lives"), is stuck in gay mans Purgatory, where he must plead his case before God. Storyteller (Jordan) arrives after an overdose from the Pershing Point Hotel. His monologue winds the wicked tales of Tripper (Mark Pelligrino), the handsome hustler, and Miss Make Do (Erin Chandler), the destitute debutant. "Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel" is a dark comedy that traces the incredible escape from an oppressive Southern Baptist upbringing to a pilgrimage of salvation: the drugs and clubs of 1970s gay Atlanta. Join Marilu Henner, John Ritter, Arthur Hiller, Kathy Kinney, Michelle Phillips and Sheryl Lee Ralph to follow the adventures of three mismatched runaways. Their razors edge ride through life has them searching for personal identity in society that would throw them out with the trash.

Customer Reviews:

Good but not Leslie Jordan's best work..........2007-07-12

I think this was supposed to be autobiographical but it was very hard to follow. It had it's funny moments and it's poignant moments and if you are a fan of his, it is probably worth watching. It is mostly a slice of life thing, though, so do not expect any redemption or resolution.

"I want to be accepted for who I am".......2005-04-29

Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel is a low budget independent movie that raises some serious and rather interesting issues about faith, belief, and the value of life. And while the execution is sometimes shoddy, the narrative overly didactic, and the message sometimes too preachy, the film has an honesty, and integrity that makes for a quite involving 100 minutes or so. The story, originally from a stage play, tells of one gay man's upbringing and hardships growing up in the South. The film concentrates on his life during the heady days of the 1970's where he gets involved in the Atlanta party scene and the underground gay drug culture.

After a drug overdose, the main protagonist, (Leslie Jordan) known as the storyteller narratives this rather sad, reflective story just as he's preparing to meet God. He tells us that he grew up in an oppressive Southern Baptist Household where homosexuality was considered a moral evil, and where one must sublimate one's desires to the greater glory of God. In order to cope, he spends years renouncing sex, until at the ripe old age of forty, where, styling himself as type of a Lilliputian dandy à la Truman Capote, he leaves his sheltered home for the bright lights of Atlanta.

Upon arriving in the big city he meets debutante refugee and drug connoisseur Miss Make-Do (Erin Chandler) who introduces him to the wonderful world of chemicals and the film's ostensible hotel Pershing Point, a low-rent Chelsea-like dive full of addicts, drag queens, and gangsters. After his benefactress kicks him out for taking up with a thuggish coke dealer, the wretched foppish protagonist finds another protector in Tripper, a roughneck junkie, ex-con, and pimp. The two form a weird platonic and dependent relationship that eventually spirals into an opiate oblivion.

Much of the film looks as though it was filmed on a sound stage, with the action bathed in hues of gold, blue and red; from the outset the film has a theatrical and overly dramatic quality that actually works well with the contentious subject matter. Anyone who is familiar with the gay, inner city party scene will immediately be familiar with many of the scenarios. The storyteller and Miss Make-Do swallow pills like candy and snort endless lines of coke, until of course, their addled lifestyle catches up with them.

Written by Jordan and purportedly based on his own life experiences, the film's themes will probably strike at the heart of any gay man who has ever had a crisis of faith, or has left a small hick town for life in the big city. Jordan is surprisingly good in the lead role, and he manages to combine a mixture of dandified foppishness with middle-aged cragginess to great effect.

The supporting cast is also terrific, with Chandler doing a great job of playing a coke addled, spoilt little rich girl. Watch out for the scene when they both overdose on MDA while shopping in a second clothes shop - it's horrific in its implications, but it's also a riot. Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel could have been about 20 minutes shorter - the pace becomes a little labored towards the end, and Jordan places a little too much emphasis on his crisis of faith, but I think the movie will appeal to those who like their movies somewhat edgy, alternative, and underground. Mike Leonard April 05.

Jordan's autobiographical fantasia.......2005-04-11

Leslie Jordan, the talented pint-sized actor who makes frequent hilarious guest spots on "Will & Grace," wrote this autographical tale which was formally produced as an off-Broadway play. How much of it is true-to-life would be interesting to know but suffice to say, he was come a long way since the depressing drug-hazed disco 70s in which most of the action takes place.

The film starts out with The Storyteller (Jordan) being loaded into an ambulance and then telling his story to the Almighty in an all-white purgatory. Beginning with some quite hilarious scenes of his childhood, in which he shocks his religious fanatical parents with his confessions of being gay, he lives with them until his late 30s and then flees to Atlanta, the "gay mecca" that he has read about in magazines. Arriving at the seedy Pershing Point Hotel, he immediately makes friends with an ostracized debutante whom he christens "Miss Make-Do." Miss Make-Do (Erin Chandler in a terrific natural performance) is a drug addict who works as a go-go dancer and sometimes hooker to finance her drug habit.

Miss Make-Do and our hero eventually have a falling out and he then hooks up with a straight bad boy named Tripper (excellently played by Mark Pellegrino). Their platonic and depressing relationship, living in the dire straits of a basement, showcases some of the film's best writing and most earnest scenes. Back in purgatory, Jordan cuts loose with some penetrating comments on the nature of God and being gay.

Shot on a small budget, the film nevertheless sports a professional look and the cinematographer has diffused many of the 70s scenes with green and red hues that illustrate the seediness of the situation. The supporting players are as fine as the leading actors. John Ritter appears as a minister in one of the film's early scenes. Kathy Kinney has a brief but funny sequence in a doctor's waiting room and Sheryl Lee Ralph is hilarious as a holy-roller nurse.

An interesting film but not all that entertaining, fans of Leslie Jordan might want to take a look at it. Unfortuately there are no extras and a commentary by Jordan is really needed.

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