Casablanca

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A truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-09-13

This movie is one of the great classics that everyone should see at least once.

quite simply the best film ever!.......2007-09-10

In my humble opinion this is the best film ever. Stellar acting and incomparable chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Paul Henreid exudes class and bravery. The incomparable Claude Rains. A witty screenplay, taut direction and an emotinal core that builds throughout the film right up to the most memorable ending of all-time. Play it again, and again and again.

Only the best!.......2007-09-09

A great movie must have certain components: (1) great acting, (2) action, (3) humor, (4) a compelling plot, and (5) a memorable song. This movie has all five and ranks, in my opinion, as the Best American Movie of the 20th Century.

Good but definitely not the best.......2007-09-06

I was very excited when i first watched this movie because it is almost on top of lists of all-time greatest movies and the reviews are like wow.. this must be really one of the best! After watching it, I was kinda disappointed because I think the story is so-so, there is no chemistry between the two lead cast (but Bergman is very lovely though). I don't know what's so special about this movie. Did I miss it or what?

Excellent movie, excellent presentation and special features.......2007-08-15

At 55 years of age, you'd think a movie lover such as myself would have seen Casablanca... but I hadn't until I bought this disc in July of 2007. If you understand what makes a finely crafted film that you can watch repeatedly and still continue to find things out about it that you love, this is one you'll enjoy immensely.

Start with the script - it is filled with tasty classic lines you'll really enjoy hearing in the context of the film. "Here's looking at you, Kid..." for example. Part of what makes all of it work is the vocal treatment by the actors in their delivery. The cast seems very comfortable with the characters they each play and so maybe that relaxed feel carries over to the degree of realism you sense when you watch it. Their dialogue does NOT seem scripted and that's hard to achieve on a consistent basis in a film. I suppose that's a big part of what's made Casablanca such a classic to all who have reviewed the work over the years.

The acting is superb across the board regardless of how small the part. Ingrid Bergman is luminescent to put it mildly. Bogie is really a powerhouse in this one, and Paul Henreid as well as Claude Rains deliver the kind of intimately detailed performances that just make you smile while you watch. Peter Lorre has a smaller part but exquisitely crafted in its execution. He makes it easy for you to hate him, let's put it that way. Sydney Greenstreet gives a solid presentation as well to round out the core ensemble performances given here.

The special features on this disc include a very nice introduction by Lauren Bacall, Bogart's widow. I watched it AFTER viewing the film as I wanted to get the same feel as audiences who originally viewed it in the theater, but I wish I had watched it first. Enlightening to say the least.

Another little gem is a series of trailers for Bogie's other movies. Great slices of the period as far as movie promotion goes! They serve as great reminders of a simpler time in America.

This particular film is a MUST HAVE for anyone's movie collection. I feel that repeated viewings year on year will only make you love it more than you did the first time. Not many films are able to do that.

I can safely say that if you, too, love truly great movies and you decide to purchase this one, it will be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Average customer rating:

"The Quiet Man"
The Quiet Man
Great flick, poor video -- but still worth a try
The Quiet Man
The best

The Quiet Man (Collector's Edition)
Starring: John Wayne , Maureen O'Hara , Barry Fitzgerald , Ward Bond , and Victor McLaglen
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006JMRD
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Amazon.com essential video

Blarney and bliss, mixed in equal proportions. John Wayne plays an American boxer who returns to the Emerald Isle, his native land. What he finds there is a fiery prospective spouse (Maureen O'Hara) and a country greener than any Ireland seen before or since--it's no surprise The Quiet Man won an Oscar for cinematography. It also won an Oscar for John Ford's direction, his fourth such award. The film was a deeply personal project for Ford (whose birth name was Sean Aloysius O'Fearna), and he lavished all of his affection for the Irish landscape and Irish people on this film. He also stages perhaps the greatest donnybrook in the history of movies, an epic fistfight between Wayne and the truculent Victor McLaglen--that's Ford's brother, Francis, as the elderly man on his deathbed who miraculously revives when he hears word of the dustup. Barry Fitzgerald, the original Irish elf, gets the movie's biggest laugh when he walks into the newlyweds' bedroom the morning after their wedding, and spots a broken bed. The look on his face says everything. The Quiet Man isn't the real Ireland, but as a delicious never-never land of Ford's imagination, it will do very nicely. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

"The Quiet Man".......2007-09-11

I think this is my favorite John Wayne movie--he & Maureen O'Hara are magic together & this movie has it all. It's a love story w/ action scenes as well, plenty of 'characters' played by very capable actors & the scenery is breath-taking (it IS Ireland, after all). I highly recommend it.

The Quiet Man.......2007-09-08

Another great movie by John Wayne and John Ford, what a pair and the cast was great and unforgetable

Great flick, poor video -- but still worth a try.......2007-08-30

This raucously tongue-in-cheek, grand old movie has survived for what seems an eternity. The performances are so wonderful that every moment outshines a great many other classic films. So it seems a shame that I can't give TQM the 5 stars it deserves. But Artisan's Classic Edition DVD has far too many visual transgressions. The gorgeous bursts of color that won an Oscar for the 1952 release are almost totally absent in this third-rate digital print. The jacket blurb claims this is a "remastered" version; in fact it looks as if it were played on a cheap VCR; blurry, too dark (almost grimy and gritty at times), with no shadow detail whatever, color registration problems, badly oversaturated reds and blues, obvious flicker (odd for a "remastered" print), and with noise and digital artifacts galore. The blur and noise extend even into many segments of the added features. Looks out of focus on a good CRT monitor, and extremely annoying on highend LCD sets. On cheaper gear, it's nearly unviewable. I've seen comments in Amazon reviews saying that this edition looks better than earlier ones. Not true -- visually, they're all the same. On top of that, I have always had a problem with some oddities of John Ford's sense of humor: two big guys blasting each other with bare fists for the better part of an Irish afternoon isn't very funny, IMHO. In real life, these two would have spent a year in an IC ward recovering from wounds. It's likely that TQM will be one of many memorable films, like "The African Queen", that may never be seen in its original Technicolor glory. But it's to the movie's credit that despite the poor print, it remains an exceptional cinematic experience. The acting is superb in every way; Barry Fitzgerald and Ward Bond steal every scene they're in. Victor Young's music is beautiful, and the audio has the sweep and sweetness that I rememeber from 1952. Now, if only someone could give us a true and more conscientiouse visual restoration . . .

The Quiet Man.......2007-08-23

Come On ---All John Wayne movies are great --you just watch them over and over

The best.......2007-08-23

This is an absolutely great movie. Funny, moving and very entertaining. A must see for John Wayne and/or John Ford fans.

Gone with the Wind (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

The type of film that old Hollywood did so well....
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE BUT, FRANKLY.....................!
Awesome considering when it was made
Forever a Favorite
Nice movie

Gone with the Wind (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Everett Brown , Fred Crane , Clark Gable , Howard C. Hickman , and Leslie Howard
Director: Cukor, George , and Fleming, Victor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BYA4LA
Release Date: 2006-01-31

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David O. Selznick wanted Gone with the Wind to be somehow more than a movie, a film that would broaden the very idea of what a film could be and do and look like. In many respects he got what he worked so hard to achieve in this 1939 epic (and all-time box-office champ in terms of tickets sold), and in some respects he fell far short of the goal. While the first half of this Civil War drama is taut and suspenseful and nostalgic, the second is ramshackle and arbitrary. But there's no question that the film is an enormous achievement in terms of its every resource--art direction, color, sound, cinematography--being pushed to new limits for the greater glory of telling an American story as fully as possible. Vivien Leigh is still magnificently narcissistic, Olivia de Havilland angelic and lovely, Leslie Howard reckless and aristocratic. As for Clark Gable: we're talking one of the most vital, masculine performances ever committed to film. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The type of film that old Hollywood did so well...........2007-09-17

This is one of the greatest films ever made, one of the greatest epics ever made, and it's the signature film of David O. Selznick, one of the great, old Hollywood producers (similar to Irving Thalberg and Darryl F. Zanuck) who are as much auteurs as directors are. The film is 4 hours, yet it never feels long, it's so well made. There are no dull stretches at all in the film, which is amazing, considering the production was rather turbulent at times. The credits say "written by Sidney Howard, produced by David O. Selznick, and directed by Victor Fleming", and that is rather deceptive. Selznick was really the creative force behind this film, as there were nearly 8 writers on the film, and Victor Fleming was one of three directors. Fleming had 2 nervous breakdowns during filming, and he was replaced by Sam Wood and George Cukor. Selznick himself directed some scenes as well. The Technicolor photography is wonderful, and the performances are some of the greatest in cinema. Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable show why they are considered 2 of the greatest actors to ever grace the Hollywood screen. The film is a bit romanticised at times, and it doesn't really go into the major causes of the Civil War, but it's still very entertaining and so well done you don't mind. This is the type of film that old Hollywood could do in their sleep.

I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE BUT, FRANKLY.....................!.......2007-09-16

I have seen this film only two times prior to this viewing. My mother saw this film at the movies in 1939 and it is her favorite movie! My parents are up for a visit and I decided to break out my 4 disc edition of this American classic and watch it with my parents! This film is made for a larger screen and my home theater was just what the doctor ordered. First off the print and transfer on this 4 disc edition is exceptional! I was amazed at the tight crisp picture and clear audio. The extras are also above and beyond. The movie itself holds up extremely well and moves along much faster than the you would think for a film that is almost four hours long! My mother still thinks this is the best picture ever made and I must admit it is excellent. I may agree that it could be the greatest film from that time period, but not of all time. A masterpiece in story telling that is almost like reading a book. A must see film!

Awesome considering when it was made.......2007-09-06

There are a few silly mistakes in the film, and I was suprised to see they were using blue screen already. However this is a classic drama with great strong performances. Hope someone remakes it someday.

Forever a Favorite.......2007-08-24

Have loved this movie for at least 20 years! Finally took-on the book this summer... if you haven't read it and you feel like conquering something then definitely get your hands on the book! It's a shame so many things were left out of the movie, but once you read the book, so many things are answered and it all comes together. Still, a great classic.

Nice movie.......2007-08-04

First off, I had to write a review of this because currently there are 666 reviews, and that is bad. Mine maked it 667, hurray!

Well, I liked this product. The box smells kind of nice (like anchovies a little). It came in the mail by a nice man who rang my doorbell. It was in a bigger box them and came with lots of styrofoam that came as a free gift. There are 2 discs in the box. They have different pictures on them. They can make good frisbees. Buy this product it will give you a happy day. (And the styrofoam can make a good substitute for popcorn)

Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Yep, I peed in my pants.
Hilarious no matter how many times you see it
awful movie
Stay classy San Diego
Funniest moved EVER!

Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Christina Applegate , Fred Armisen , Steve Carell , Darcy Donavan , and Will Ferrell
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JMYI
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Amazon.com

Will Farrell followed up his star-making vehicle Elf, which matched his fine-tuned comic obliviousness to a sweet sincerity, with a more arrogant variation on the same character: Ron Burgundy, a macho, narcissistic news anchor from the 1970s. Along with his news posse--roving reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd, Clueless), sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner), and dim-bulb weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell, Bruce Almighty)--Burgundy rules the roost in San Diego, fawned upon by groupies and supported by a weary producer (Fred Willard, Best In Show) who tolerates Burgundy's ego because of good ratings. But when Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate, View from the Top) arrives with ambitions to become an anchor herself, she threatens the male-dominated newsroom. Anchorman has plenty of funny material, but it's as if Farrell couldn't decide what he really wanted to mock, and so took smart-ass cracks at everything in sight. Still, there are moments of inspired delirium. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Yep, I peed in my pants........2007-08-28

I was strongly objecting while this movie was being popped in the DVD player, but I completely changed my tune about 15 minutes in. The last few Will Ferrell movies I saw were fairly stinky; this one was a definite improvement.

If you've heard people spouting out random quotes that make no sense, they probably came from this movie. "I love lamp", "I'm kind of a big deal", "Loud Noises!", "Pants Party", and "Welcome to the Gun Show" are just a few that sent us into hysterics.

If you've EVER thought Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, or the majority of SNL skits were funny then you'll probably enjoy this film.

Hilarious no matter how many times you see it.......2007-07-20

This is a movie I could watch once a week and always laugh out loud (as well as always replay the dog over the bridge scene for extra laughs). There are more outrageously bizarre and side-splittingly funny moments in this movie than any I can think of, and after four plus decades on planet earth (you stay classy...), I've seen a lot. The entire cast is brilliant, the satire gleefully over-the-top, and the plot, well, are you really curious about a plot? Who cares? Check your prudishness at the door and get ready to choke on your popcorn and spit-take your beverage as this movie will make you laugh your breathtaking hiney off. This is one of those Caddyshack-type movies that will have you dropping lines from it and getting the knowing winks and follow-up lines from those who have seen it as well. It is the gift of laughter to get for yourself or those who have a sense of humor that does not involve gentle mews of joy but loud guffaws of bombastic pleasure. If you don't find at least a half dozen solid belly laughs in this movie, then I don't think I want to know what you find funny.
By the way, the special features are funny, too, and numerous. Good stuff all the way around. Get it, laugh, and make your world a funnier place.

awful movie.......2007-07-16

I thought this movie was awful. I've heard lots of people say it was great. The reviews on here are mixed. One quarter of the way through the movie and I started watching it at 1.4x speed. Half way through I turned it off. I joked around that on my next diving trip I would leave this movie at the bottom of the ocean and take pictures of it as I swam away. But, I don't litter in the sea so I sent it to my brother. He probably hates me for it. I still love Will Farrell and will watch his other movies.

Stay classy San Diego.......2007-07-14

It doesn't get much better then Will Ferrell when it comes to comedy. Anchorman is about legendary news anchor Ron Burgendy and his large ego as he proves why his is #1 when it comes to delivering the news, and sweeping the ladies off their feet with his pushbroom mustache and lines smooth as fine cognac. You can expcet the usual Will Ferrell humor with some guest appearences from Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller.
If you like Will Ferrell then this ones for you.

Funniest moved EVER!.......2007-07-03

My husband and I both LOVE this movie! It is laugh out loud funny from beginning to end. Everyone I have recommended it to says the same. You can't beat Will Farrell!

Average customer rating:

The best
My Favorite Movie!
Thoughts on You've Got Mail
classic Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan flick
MY VERY MOST FAVORITIST ROMANCE MOVIE

When Harry Met Sally...
Starring: John Arceri , Robert Alan Beuth , David Burdick , Frances Chaney , and Donna Hardy
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Accessories:

ASIN: B00003CXDC
Release Date: 2001-01-09

Amazon.com essential video

Nora Ephron wrote the brisk screenplay for this 1989 romantic comedy, director Rob Reiner made a nicely glossy New York story (very much in a Woody Allen vein) out of it, and Billy Crystal's unstoppable charm made it something really special. Crystal and Meg Ryan play longtime platonic friends who keep dancing around their deeper feelings for one another, and Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher are their respective pals who fall in love and get married. Ryan doesn't get a lot of funny material, but her performance is typically alive and intuitive, and she more than holds her own with Crystal's comic motor mouth and sweet sentimentality. Reiner is on comfortable ground, liberated from the burden of making serious statements in the lead-footed manner of subsequent features. --Tom Keogh

Description

"Brimming over with style, intelligence and flashing wit" (Rolling Stone), this "splendid and irresistible" (Los Angeles Times) film from director Rob Reiner(American President is one of the best-loved romantic comedies of all time. Featuring dazzling performances from Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby, exceptional music from Harry Connick Jr., and an OscarÂ(r)-nominated* screenplay by Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally is an "explosively funny" commentary on friendship, courtships - and other hardships - of the modern age (Newsweek)! Will sex ruin a perfect relationship between a man and a woman? that's what Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) debate during their travels from Chicago to New York. And eleven years and later, they're still no closer to finding the answer. Will these two best friends ever accept that they're meant for each other...or will they continue to deny the attraction that's existed since the first moment When Harry Met Sally? *1989

Customer Reviews:

The best.......2007-08-08

Eighteen years after its release, When Harry Met Sally remains the standard--the romantic comedy against which all others are measured (and often fail). Like so many other people, I loved it instantly when I saw it in a theater, and after so many romances, stories, break-ups, and life, it still feels to me as true as it did then. The chemistry between Ryan and Crystal is great. She is gorgeous and charming; he makes pessimism and neurosis funny. Witty, delightful, romantic -- thank you, Ms. Ephron and Mr. Reiner for giving us this wonderful movie.

My Favorite Movie!.......2007-05-22

I've seen this movie a dozen times and love it everytime. It's a perfect romantic movie. I also love "You've Got Mail" . Both have great endings!

Thoughts on You've Got Mail.......2007-05-18

I totally enjoyed this movie, Billy Crystal Is as always a great watch, plus Meg Ryan is unbeatable. When I see a movie like this I get to believing the actors are really like this in real life. I watch movies to be entertained, this movie entertained me. I liked this more than Sleepless in Seattle, mostly because Meg Ryan was in it more.

classic Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan flick.......2007-04-04

Lots of comical, dry and witty humor.
Especially classic scene of Sally's fake orgasm in the cafe.
Ends up a fantastic romantic comedy that anyone could enjoy.

MY VERY MOST FAVORITIST ROMANCE MOVIE.......2007-04-03

Great movie...well acted, well cast....a real sociological commentary on romance and dating in the 1980s. Who doesn't love Meg Ryan before she screwed up her life and lips? And life is never funnier than when seen through the eyes of Billy Crystal! If you haven't seen "When Harry Met Sally", you better!

Average customer rating:

Thank you Diane Keaton!
Probably one of the worst movies that I've ever seen...
"Is it my imagination, or are you just going through the motions?"
A Classic on par with Casablanca
OK

Annie Hall
Starring: Hy Anzell , Colleen Dewhurst , Shelley Duvall , Russell Horton , and Carol Kane
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6304907729
Release Date: 2000-05-30

Amazon.com essential video

Annie Hall is one of the truest, most bittersweet romances on film. In it, Allen plays a thinly disguised version of himself: Alvy Singer, a successful--if neurotic--television comedian living in Manhattan. Annie (the wholesomely luminous Dianne Keaton) is a Midwestern transplant who dabbles in photography and sings in small clubs. When the two meet, the sparks are immediate--if repressed. Alone in her apartment for the first time, Alvy and Annie navigate a minefield of self-conscious "is-this-person-someone-I'd-want-to-get-involved-with?" conversation. As they speak, subtitles flash their unspoken thoughts: the likes of "I'm not smart enough for him" and "I sound like a jerk." Despite all their caution, they connect, and we're swept up in the flush of their new romance. Allen's antic sensibility shines here in a series of flashbacks to Alvy's childhood, growing up, quite literally, under a rumbling roller coaster. His boisterous Jewish family's dinner table shares a split screen with the WASP-y Hall's tight-lipped holiday table, one Alvy has joined for the first time. His position as outsider is uncontestable he looks down the table and sizes up Annie's "Grammy Hall" as "a classic Jew-hater."

The relationship arcs, as does Annie's growing desire for independence. It quickly becomes clear that the two are on separate tracks, as what was once endearing becomes annoying. Annie Hall embraces Allen's central themes--his love affair with New York (and hatred of Los Angeles), how impossible relationships are, and his fear of death. But their balance is just right, the chemistry between Allen's worry-wart Alvy and Keaton's gangly, loopy Annie is one of the screen's best pairings. It couldn't be more engaging. --Susan Benson

Description

Considered to be "Woody Allen's breakthrough movie" (Time), Annie Hall won* four OscarsÂ(r), including Best Picture, and established Allen as the premier auteur filmmaker. Thought by many critics to be Allen's magnum opus, Annie Hall confirmed that he had, "completed the journey from comic to humorist, from comedy writer to wit [and] from inventive moviemaker to creative artist" (Saturday Review). Alvy Singer (Allen) is one of Manhattan's most brilliant comedians, but when it comes to romance, his delivery needs a little work. Introduced byhis best friend, Rob (Tony Roberts), Alvy falls in love with the ditzy but delightful nightclub singer, Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). When his own insecurities sabotage the affair, Annie is forced to leave Alvy for a new lifeand lover (Paul Simon)in Los Angeles. Knowing he may have lost Annie forever, Alvy's willing to go to any lengthseven driving L.A.'s freewaysto recapture the only thing that ever mattered'true love. *1977: Picture; Actress (Keaton); Director; Original Screenplay

Customer Reviews:

Thank you Diane Keaton!.......2007-09-15

Annie Hall directed and starring Woody Allen is his best and most funniest film of all-time. But the person I admire the most is Diane Keaton who won an Oscar for Best Actress and she much deserved it. She is hilarious, self-depreating, and goofy as the title character. Allen is actually not too annoying as Alvy, he falls in love with Annie and their relationship goes through various ups and downs. They are a complete mismatch, Alvy tries to change her and Annie gets fed up and decides to fly solo. I highly recommend this entertaining and somewhat serious look at relationships at any age. Enjoy!

Probably one of the worst movies that I've ever seen..........2007-09-04

Personally I don't like any of the films that Woody Allen has starred in. The only good film by Woody, would have to have been "Match Point". I have read and critics have felt that this film is by far Woody's best, it isn't. Winning the best picture award is beyond me! The performances were shallow.

After seeing the movie I caught a glimpse of what Woody Allen's personality is really like. His character, Alvy Singer is expressed as an OCD freak, on top of that he's extremely creepy. Diane Keaton won an undeserved oscar for this role. Why? I dont know. It isn't that great, I have seen mostly postitive reviews, however there has got to be someone who agrees with me. It isn't that good, and it isn't worth watching. IT is absolutely boring, and on top of that it has no sense to it. Basically the movie is about a self-concious man named Alvy, he falls for a woman who is just like him, and the movie just focuses on their on/off romance. It is indeed very bizarre. By the end of the film, I was relieved because it was finally over. There was no humor, and whatever humor there was, it was mostly dry.

So please if you are looking for a romantic comedy, try "Sleepless In Seattle" or "Hitch", this isn't worth watching.

"Is it my imagination, or are you just going through the motions?" .......2007-08-19

Not many filmmakers have chronicled the ups and downs of relationships as well as Woody Allen. Watching "Annie Hall" is to see the director-screenwriter in top-form.

New Yorker Alvy Singer's (Allen) break-up with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) leads him to reminisce about their time together. He wonders if his efforts to expand Annie's horizons really was a worthwhile endeavor. Did those books, foreign films, adult education classes, and therapy sessions really lead to anything or did they just hasten the end of his time with her?

"Annie Hall" is the one film Allen has made that audiences can most relate to. Anyone who has even been in a relationship can see the universal truths he relates through his characters. Watching Alvy fruitlessly try to intellectualize his feelings for Annie not only proves to be a fertile source of laughs but also puts forth the notion that happy endings in life are dishearteningly elusive. Rarely has romance and misery been portrayed on screen in such an entertaining and sobering manner as in "Annie Hall."

A Classic on par with Casablanca.......2007-08-13

I've only seen this movie 17 times, and I am still "peeling the onion one layer at a time" of this deceptively simple adult romance. Incredible blend of joy and pain and "laugh-out-loud" silliness. Will never forget the scene of Woody trying to recreate the shared intimacy of boiling lobsters with Annie with a new, clueless girlfriend.

OK.......2007-08-05

This movie is rated # 31 on Newsweek Magazine's "Best 100 movies of the last century". I am collecting these. I would place this Woody Allen classic at # 75

Average customer rating:

Classic Carey Grant movie
A movie the whole family can enjoy....
CLASSIC MOVIE
Classic Cary Grant
Great Movie!!!

Father Goose
Starring: Cary Grant , Leslie Caron , Trevor Howard , Jack Good (II) , and Sharyl Locke
Director: Ralph Nelson
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005N910
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

Cary Grant's penultimate feature before retirement was this cheerful 1964 effort to overturn his career-long image of urbane sophistication. As the unshaven, messy misanthrope Walter Eckland, a World War II-era beach bum who monitors Japanese air activity for the Australian navy in exchange for booze, Grant makes a convincingly hard-bitten, hard-drinking antihero. Until, that is, a pretty French schoolmistress (Leslie Caron) and her seven little charges (all girls) survive a nearby plane crash and invade Eckland's raunchy isolation. Directed by 1960s hit-maker Ralph Nelson (The Lilies of the Field, Charly), Father Goose is a glossy comedy that also does justice to its more suspenseful scenes (a deadly snakebite suffered by Caron's character is especially memorable) and leaves plenty of room for Grant to indulge in some entertaining if atypical screen behavior. All in all, this is a minor treat in the actor's magnificent filmography. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Classic Carey Grant movie.......2007-08-23

I loved this movie! I saw it as a kid when I was 12 or so and it was the first Carey Grant movie I saw. Only later as an adult did I get the humor of that scene with him teaching her how "to fish." That was a riot!
Love this movie, it's a comedy classic.

A movie the whole family can enjoy...........2007-07-13

This was the first film my parents took me to see as a kid. It was funny to me then and it still makes me laugh today. Cary Grant plays this boozed up guy just kicking back on a South Pacific Island during WWII. He reluctantly signs on as a lookout for the allies watching for the enemy. He answers a distress call which turns out to be Leslie Caron and her 7 girl students. What happens next is fun and entertainment for all to enjoy--a great romantic comedy and probably one of Grant's funniest. I believe the scene where Grant teaches Leslie Caron how to fish with her bear hands was the first "wet t-shirt" scene, tastefully done. A classic romantic comedy. This 1964 film won an Academy Award for Best Story and Best Screenplay.

CLASSIC MOVIE.......2007-06-24

A FINE MOVIE IN THE STYLE OF THE GREAT ARTISTS, NOW SADLY GONE TO BE REPLACED BY UNWHOLESOME FILTH.

Classic Cary Grant.......2007-05-30

This is one of Cary Grant's finest movies. Hilarious fun for the entire family.

Great Movie!!!.......2007-05-16

I was practically raised on this movie. I have so many memories of watching it with my grandpa, and the movie never loses it's sense of excitement for me. While not sure if I am truly a Cary Grant fan, I still absolutely adore this film. It's one of those things that I can't get out of my system. I could watch this movie repetitively until I die, and still never get enough!!!1

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"Every family has its ups and downs"
Envy all who get to watch it for the first time...
The Royal Dysfunctional Family and the Height of Entertainment
Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole sizzle in this fiery production.....
Greatest Acting Ensemble

The Lion in Winter
Starring: Peter O'Toole , Katharine Hepburn , Anthony Hopkins , John Castle (II) , and Nigel Terry
Director: Anthony Harvey (II)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000056HEA
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Amazon.com

In this 12th-century version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Henry II of England (Peter O'Toole) and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), meet on Christmas Eve to discuss the future of the throne. These two are having slight marital problems, as she is kept in captivity most of the year for raising a rebellion against him, and he flaunts his young mistress. Then there are the problems raised by their three treacherous and traitorous sons.

James Goldman won an Oscar® for the brilliant screenplay, based on his Broadway play. It is a tad wordy, as the action is kept to a minimum, but those words are sharp as daggers. The humor is wicked and black and delivered with very dry, dead-on precision. Sparks fly and the screen sizzles whenever Hepburn and O'Toole tango, which is often. Both were nominated for Academy Awards® for their vigorous performances. (She won; he didn't.) There's also an infamous homo-erotic exchange between Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) and Richard the Lionhearted (Anthony Hopkins). Both actors were making their feature-film debuts. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

Katharine Hepburn delivers an amazing (Variety), OscarÂ(r)-winning* performance 'that must be seen to be believed (Boxoffice) in this dazzling (Los Angeles Times) all-star film that is not to be missed. Behind the great stone walls of an English castle, the world's most powerful empire is in crisis. Three sons struggle to win their father's favoras well as his crown. King Henry II (Peter O'toole) and his queen, Eleanor (Katharine Hepburn), engage ina battle of royal wits that pits elder son Richard (Anthony Hopkins) against his brothers, while the cunning King Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) takes advantage of the internal fracturing in his bid to destroy their kingdom. *1968: Actress

Customer Reviews:

"Every family has its ups and downs".......2007-09-09

This is one of the witty lines Katherine Hepburn delivers, as she's lying on the ground after one of the many long, dragged out battles with someone...can't remember who. They all hated each other so after a while I lost track.

I thoroughly applaud the brilliant acting, the smart script, great photography and even some lovely music. However, watching and listening to three hours of family members scheming and screaming just made me tired. Maybe it was only two hours but it seemed like much much longer. Tacking a "happy ending" on after all the psychic bloodshed was really ridiculous.

If this is your cup o' tea, then enjoy! Frankly,I can think of much better uses for this great cast.

Envy all who get to watch it for the first time..........2007-08-30

The Lion in Winter is one of those movies where points of plot and dialogue make you swing your head wildly to the person next to you in compulsive `did you see/hear that', `wasn't that great?' glee. Out of consideration, may want to watch it alone.

And it deserves ceremony. I tell friends to play it on a stormy night, get under the blanket, have some hearty soup with some suitably chunky, unrefined bread... and enjoy.

At one point O'Toole, torn between loyalty and selfishness throws his arms out in surrender to the night and says "the sky is pocked with stars". Rewind, play again, swing head wildly.

The Royal Dysfunctional Family and the Height of Entertainment.......2007-08-22

This is an unbelievably well acted movie with Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, whose characters are Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, King of England. Included in this cast is Anthony Hopkins as an uncrowned Richard the Lion-Heart, and Timothy Dalton as King Philip II of France, and Nigel Terry as the ambitious but foolish Prince John. With the addition of the Geoffrey Duke of Brittany played by John Castle the group set themselves against one another seeking to manipulate and use whatever political means available to secure the throne of England when Henry II, finally falls. Each character is antagonistic towards the other and will stop at nothing at receiving the coveted prize.

Their hatred for one another is expressed in their endless plotting and continuous insulting of one another through witty sarcasm, and venomous spewing. The dialogue is truly what makes this drama entertaining, coupled with the each character's attempt to dominate the other through secrecy and political intrigue. In their desire for blood, the pain of each character emerges through their acknowledgement of such, which has fueled the hatred which has embittered their lives. The cast truly engages with one another which truly engages us. It is both a riveting story and an interesting piece of historical fiction.

Note: The Lion in Winter has inspired many to discover more about Eleanor of Aquitaine (myself included). She was a woman who was a legend in her own time so much so that history has always referenced her to being of homeland, Aquitaine, rather than the Queen of England or France, both of which were titles she possessed in her lifetime.

Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole sizzle in this fiery production............2007-08-22

THE LION IN WINTER succeeds on so many levels as a wonderful example of historically-inspired filmmaking, at its best. For starters, the casting is impeccable, with Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitane and Peter O'Toole as Henry the II. The estranged couple only reunites during one fateful Christmas season, where the two must decide how to divide the inheritance amongst their sons. Their scheming eldest child, Richard the Lionhearted (Anthony Hopkins), is devious, duplicitous and deceitful and butts heads with Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) whose goal is to ultimately destroy the kingdom and take everything for himself. Secondly, this gives you a taste of English history and insight into how turbulent the monarchy has ALWAYS been. Eons before Prince Charles and Princess Diana, there was Queen Eleanor and King Henry. The lively scenes are brilliantly directed and Katharine Hepburn won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actress in this wonderful film. Don't miss out on this one.

Greatest Acting Ensemble.......2007-08-07

This is the greatest collective display of acting since Lumet's "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and it's no accident that Hepburn leads it again. With crackling dialogue and moody photography, this film sets a standard in play adaptation that has never been surpassed. O'Toole proves that he is a legend, and, in his film debut, Hopkins proves himself ready to be his equal. But, it is Hepburn who sets new standards: her 'mirror' scene is one of the greatest examples of internal life ever caught on film. Everyone who loves quality drama should have this disc.

The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

Great Team: Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr
WOW! WONDERFUL DVD PRESENTRATION!
East vs West.....
"The King and I" holds up well.
Shall We THINK...?

The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Deborah Kerr , Yul Brynner , Rita Moreno , Martin Benson , and Terry Saunders
Director: Walter Lang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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ASIN: B000HT3PGA
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Amazon.com essential video

The third Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway hit to go before the cameras, The King and I boasts a career-making performance from Yul Brynner, repeating his stage triumph as the titular monarch and proving to moviegoers that bald can be beautiful. It's Brynner's proud king that provides the fulcrum to the plot, and it's Brynner himself, with his piercing gaze and graceful physicality, that demands our attention.

The story line, adapted from an earlier, nonmusical stage hit, follows widowed English teacher Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) to her new posting as tutor to the Siamese king's formidable mob of children. The collision of East and West affords its winning mixture of drama and humor, and the warm friendship that grows between the king and the patrician teacher provides a poignant, unfulfilled romance between the two wary protagonists. Into this framework, the composers insert a superb score, echoing Asian motifs, as well as a bouquet of lovely songs including "Hello, Young Lovers," "Shall We Dance," and two ensemble pieces for Anna and the royal children ("Getting to Know You" and "I Whistle a Happy Tune") that suggest prototypes for Rodgers & Hammerstein's later hit, The Sound of Music.

Amazon.com

For this 1956 production, 20th Century Fox lavished stereophonic sound, widescreen cinematography, intricate production design, and stunning sets. Technically, this newly mastered THX version is the best-looking and -sounding King yet to hit video, but in its full-frame, pan-and- scan version the formatting downsizes far too much of the splendor, losing some sharpness to the imagery. For viewing on all but the smallest screens, the widescreen edition is vastly superior. But, in either version, the glorious music is reason enough to hit "play." --Sam Sutherland

Description

This visual and musical masterpiece features Yul Brynner's Academy Award(r) winning performance, an inforgettable Rodgers and Hammerstein(r) score, and brilliant choreography by Jerome Robbins. It tells the true story of an Englishwoman, Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr), who comes o Siam as schoolteacher to the royal court in the 1860's. Though she soon finds herself at odds with the stubborn monarch (Brynner), over time, Anna and the King stop trying to change each other and begin to understand one another.

Customer Reviews:

Great Team: Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.......2007-08-27

The King and I has been praised deservedly so for many years, both the Broadway run and this wonderful fim. There is too, the non-musical vbersion, Anna and the King of Siam with Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison as the King..very good, and interesting in watching the British Empire stuff recede into the background, as Mrs. Anna begins to need the Siamese more than they need he, and here, the king especially. It's on DVD and well worth the purchase.

This 1956 musical version has the great Rogers and Hammerstein score and the fabulous Yul Brynner and radiant Deborah Kerr to put it all together. She is outstanding anyway in any thing, and Yul Brynner and Ms Kerr are dynamite as a couple in this, as they are later on in the very inetersting film, The Journey.

I think here it is their collective belief in the material and their respective exhuberance to show us they love this musical, plus their talents, that make the film such a must see.

Also, this film was shot in Cinemascope 55(I believe) that greatly enhances all of it, if you habe Big Screen TV. I remember it when it came out, the curved screen and the stereophonicsound, so unbelievable and rich!

See this and Carousel, also great.

WOW! WONDERFUL DVD PRESENTRATION!.......2007-08-19

First off, I must point out that I never liked musicals when I was growing up. I have been fortunate in my life to have many jobs in the entertainment business and one of those jobs was in theater. I found a new appreciation for musicals at this point. I bought the Rodgers and Hammerstein collection a while back and decided I would start with "The King And I". All the musicals featured in this set are anniversay 2 disc editions. Now back to the "King"....The film looks beautiful and I was very entertained by the story. I think this film could have been trimmed slightly, but it wasn't too drawn out. Yul is hilarious as the King(no wonder he is remembered so much for this role)and Kerr is great as the english school teacher. The children are adorable and the songs are mostly good, but not that many stand out. For my first in the series, I'm impressed! I hope the others are as good........if not better! 4 stars for the film, but an extra star for the fantastic DVD treatment.

East vs West............2007-07-22

Can a progressive, but barbaric, King learn the ways of a teacher from a proper upbringing in England? The King has hired her to teach his many wives and children at his palace in Siam. Tempers flare when ideals are questioned and freedom doesn't mean the same thing for the two. Songs abound in this lively musical. You'll leave this movie humming and singing the songs that have become so familiar today. This is one you mustn't miss.

"The King and I" holds up well........2007-07-13

I hadn't seen this movie in years and thoroughly enjoyed it. The style is a little dated but not enough to hurt. That's one big palace the king lives in and the floors are VERY shiney. Lot of Mop N'Glo in the kingdom.
The story is very similar to "The Sound of Music" when you think about it.
Single woman comes to the home of a very highly placed man to take care of his kids. The forbidden romance: in S of M it's the daughter and the little Nazi protege. In K&I it's the new young wife and her lover. There are even some song parallels. "DoReMe" is "Getting To Know You".
"Something Wonderful" is similar to "Climb Every Mountain". The wife who sings "Something..." is similar to the Reverand Mother. The whole thing is "Romeo and Juliet" becomes "West Side Story".

My only (and great) disappointment was that they cut "I Have Dreamed" from the movie. For my money, that's one of R&H's finest songs. Too bad, too bad.

Shall We THINK...?.......2007-06-20

It's been decades since I was in high school, but I still remember being taken aback by the fact that the script for THE KING AND I was included in my junior year English Lit Anthology. As it happens, it was never actually assigned, but I remember being utterly baffled by its inclusion (could a Broadway musical merit inclusion among more serious works of literature?) and at least skimmed through it at the time. Somehow the notion of members of the Siamese court staging a stylized production of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN just seemed too weird--or maybe just not weird enough-- for my adolescent brain. Looking back, I'm not sure why I didn't find that kind of cross-cultural meld more interesting. But it WAS 1968, and ANY Broadway musical (with the possible exception of the then-current HAIR) would have been way too ESTABLISHMENT for my emerging, uh, countercultural tastes.

But giving it the once over, I had to admit that the text embraced at least it one or two serious IDEAS. So maybe it was worthy of inclusion in the anthology. (And, hey, the rest of the book's selections weren't all literary masterpieces either.) Of course, a few years later--or maybe several years later--I would prove to be much more receptive to a work like THE KING AND I. In fact, oddly enough, a few years BEFORE I probably would have embraced it more eagerly too. In my late childhood, early adolescent stage I was just precocious enough that almost ANYTHING that seemed to smack of grown up sophistication would have appealed to me.

So maybe age 16 was just the wrong age to encounter THE KING AND I--especially in 1968. It probably would come as no surprise to anyone reading this that I have seen the film several times as an adult and appreciate it more each time that I do. It does succeed as sheer entertainment and spectacle of course. The "Shall We Dance?" sequence alone is worth the price of admission (or the price of rental or purchase for home view). Visually, that scene--like so much else in the movie--is just gorgeous.

And it's really only been in the past few years that I have come to appreciate the "Little House of Uncle Thomas" production for the masterpiece of interpretive dance that it is.

It may also come as something of a surprise to viewers my age (and younger) just how many of the Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes from the show were musical staples on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW or were radio hits of the day. Aside from the above mentioned "Shall We Dance?" the show also gave rise to such classics as "Whistle A Happy Tune" and "Hello Young Lovers" and the perhaps somewhat lesser known "Something Wonderful." And musically, they really are something wonderful at that. (And yes, I know that that would have been the last thing I would have owned up to at 16.)

Of course, with all that nourishment for the eye and the ear, did it really need much intellectual heft--or even enough of a message to warrant being included in a high school anthology. Well, there are those who would argue that even the most escapist genres in the popular arts still have a social or cultural subtext. And Broadway musicals are certainly no exception to the rule, even in the B.S. era (that is to say, "Before Sondheim"). While no one would look to even the most sophisticated musical for genuine insight into the human condition, they can address important themes as well as or better than other popular arts.

THE KING AND I at least touches upon such important themes as: justice; classism; imperialism; feudalism; cross-cultural influence; the relation of the sexes; the nature of true nobility; intellectual striving...the list goes on and on. Had I been open to it as a teenager, it certainly could have provided me with ideas enough to chew over--certainly as many as most of the other selections in that literary anthology. And had the soundtrack been available to me as well, it would have certainly provided me with a more than a few moments of musical (guilty?) pleasure even then.

Certainly, I appreciate it now!

Average customer rating:

CLASSIC MOVIES
Hilarious movie.
A Movie for All.
Operation Petticoat
Judy

Operation Petticoat
Starring: Cary Grant , Tony Curtis , Joan O'Brien , Dina Merrill , and Gene Evans
Director: Blake Edwards
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005N90X
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

Blake Edwards's delightful 1959 comedy stars Cary Grant as a World War II submarine captain whose preference for a by-the-book command reluctantly yields to certain realities. Chief among those is that Grant's first officer (Tony Curtis, who impersonated Grant that same year in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot), a shameless hustler, is better than the navy at delivering whatever supplies the ship and crew need to keep going. But when Curtis sneaks a handful of Philippine refugees and several gorgeous nurses onto the all-male sub, the skipper not only has to cool down his crew but deal with an unexpected feminine influence on ship protocol. The film is a great deal of fun, sprinkled with the director's trademark sight gags (including one of Edwards's best, involving a torpedo and jeep), and graced with his unmistakable lilt. Grant is in great form, his comic brilliance almost impossibly effortless. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

CLASSIC MOVIES.......2007-06-24

A FINE MOVIE IN THE STYLE OF THE GREAT ARTISTS, NOW SADLY GONE TO BE
REPLACED BY UNWHOLESOME FILTH.

Hilarious movie........2007-05-30

Ranks right up there with "Father Goose" as one of Cary Grant's funniest movies. Great family fun.

A Movie for All........2007-05-14

This is one of my favorite oldie's. I had pretty much worn my VHS out and needed another one, so the DVD had to be the new choice. Always loved Gary Grant. It's a good clean movie and very enjoyable. The type of movie I can let the grandchildren watch with no worries. I don't like most of the movies that are made today, so I still stick the good older ones. There are sooooo many laughs in this movie and yes, most of the time I watch it by myself. If you are havin or had a bad day, this movie will lift you spirit. Buy it, you wont be sorry.

Operation Petticoat.......2007-05-14

I love this movie. I like most of Cary Grant's movies. This movie is very funny and entertaining. Why can't the film industry make good movies like this anymore?

Judy.......2007-04-10

Tony Randall and Cary Grant are excellent in this flick !! This is one of my favorite movies, even if it is an "oldie". I have seen it 20 times and still laugh.

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