The Great Gatsby (A&E)

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Boy loses girl, boy wins her back, boy loses her again and is killed in his pool. F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic Jazz Age tragedy once again makes a somewhat rocky transition from page to screen in this A&E production starring Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino as the feckless Daisy. This version has Paul Rudd (the stepbrother who got the girl in Clueless) doing the honors as narrator Nick, who reintroduces his married cousin to his lavish-party-throwing neighbor Gatsby. Toby Stephens captures the heartbreaking single-mindedness of Gatsby, although not once does the phrase "old sport" seem to fall naturally from his lips. Director Robert Markowitz uses flashbacks of Daisy and Gatsby's prewar courtship in an attempt to explain their reckless relationship, but they do little more than slow the pace of an already leisurely 93 minutes. The costumes and sets are opulent, however, and Montreal substitutes nicely for Long Island. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Customer Reviews:

The "Roaring Twenties" Revisited.......2007-06-30

This movie provides an intriguing insight into the unrequited love of Robert Redford's character (Gatsby) for a married woman (played by Mia Farrow) during the Jazz Age of the 1920s in America. It is well acted and directed and includes some great "Charleston" dancing. The movie also includes actors Bruce Dern and Sam Waterson (now of TV's Law and Order).
The actor who plays the puppy vendor in this movie was Arthur Hughes who was a former Broadway actor in the 1920s and who played "Bill Davidson" in the long-running radio show titled Just Plain Bill. He was a close friend of another Broadway, radio, and movie actor, Edward J. Pawley.
This movie is highly recommended!

Dull.......2007-06-28

Almost none of the glamor of the Jazz Age is captured in this lukewarm adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece. Miro Sorvino is a fine actress, but she's terribly miscast as Daisy Fay Buchanan in this mediocre offering from A&E. The Redford/Farrow version is superior by far.

Gatsby: Good not great.......2007-05-14

This film was beautiful to watch but I must say I was not impressed with the story; Toby Stephens and Mira Sorvino are excellent actors but I was not satisfied with how this was pieced together. I would rent this -- not buy it.

Toby Stephens was mis-directed.......2007-04-28

Although this film looks beautiful and has some great moments (and Paul Rudd is very good as Nick Carroway), the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version, despite a few cringe-worthy moments, is superior to this one and a better choice for students who want an insight into F. Scott Fitzgerald's amazing novel. I don't think the wonderful British actor Toby Stephens was miscast as Gatsby, as many other reviewers here have stated, so much as mis-directed. Stephens' gruff American accent and informal diction (although that's the writer's fault) directly contradicts Fitzgerald's insistence that Gatsby spoke with a "gentlemanly" formality just short of absurd. Given Fitzgerald's instructions, and the fact that the events took place in 1922, Stephens' accent should have been pitched much more mid-Atlantic. He plays Gatsby as a more shallow, thuggish man than Fitzgerald presents him, almost completely without the American-dream romantic longing that makes him fascinating and sympathetic. Stephens is more than capable of acting several contradictory aspects of this character at once, but the director chose to focus on the shallow bootlegger at the expense of the pining lover. Redford's performance gives a more tragic insight into Gatsby's Alger-esque illusions and the pain they cause him -- although he could have used some of Toby Stephens' menace. BTW, Francis Ford Coppola, who wrote the Redford/Farrow version, had good cause to sue the producers of this one, who lifted a great deal of his script and staging almost word-for-word.

Remake Falls Very Short.......2007-03-10

I suppose it isn't fair to compare this version of The Great Gatsby to the 1974 version, which is one of my all-time favorite films, especially since the original soundtrack is once again intact. But this later version, even on it's own merit is absolutely awful and I found it almost painful to watch. It has a low budget look and though I am a fan of both Toby Stephens and Mira Sovino, I feel they are miscast. It has none of the outstanding production values (script, casting, set and costume design, cinemetography and soundtrack to name but a few) of it's predecessor. The entire cast of the '74 version is superb, but I must single out Sam Waterston, who is such a fine actor. After seeing him in the role of Nick Carraway, I can't imagine anyone else playing that role, as is the case with the rest of the cast and their respective roles, even the minor ones.

One scene I did want to specifically mention in the later version, mostly because it really sums up the contrast of the two films, was the scene where Myrtle is hit by Gatsby's car. I found it to be completely tastless and graphic. We then see her laid out in all her misshapen grotesqueness. Whereas the other film was able to recreate the scene perfectly in my mind's eye through hearing witnesses and Gatsby later relating the incident to Nick. We only see her covered with a blanket, as in the book.

I would only recommend watching this if you want to see the difference between great and mediocre film making. Seeing this made me long for the other version, which I promptly ordered. I would have given this new version "no stars" if they had that rating as I didn't find it entertaining, but a dreadful bore. If you're looking to purchase this, I would strongly recommend buying the 1974 version instead. And at $5.97 it is well worth the money.

The Ultimate Bob Hope Collection (The Great Lover / How to Commit Marriage / The Lemon Drop Kid / My Favorite Brunette / Paris Holiday / The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell / Road to Bali / Road to Rio / The Seven Little Foys / Son of Paleface)

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Wonderful Set
Bob Hope Movie Collection
Great Set---Bad Packaging

The Ultimate Bob Hope Collection (The Great Lover / How to Commit Marriage / The Lemon Drop Kid / My Favorite Brunette / Paris Holiday / The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell / Road to Bali / Road to Rio / The Seven Little Foys / Son of Paleface)
Starring: Bob Hope
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
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ASIN: B000IU37VG
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Set.......2007-03-21

Despite the packaging - (disks pilled on top of each other so to get at the bottom disk you have to first remove the ones on top.) Very inconvientient to manage. Because of the packiaging I had to rate the set as a 4, but if I was just rating the transfers themselves I would have given it a 5. This is the best transfer of the movies included that I have ever seen. My Favorite Brunette and Road to Bali were especially good - video sharp and clear - sound acceptible for movies of this age. The color on Bali was especially good - others I've seen had very poor, washed out colors. I have been completely happy with this set and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Bob Hope Movie Collection.......2007-01-18

I enjoyed the movies but the case it came in was really terrible so many disc's in a very badly designed holder. I am afraid they will become scratched!

Great Set---Bad Packaging.......2007-01-17

If you're a fan of Bob Hope-then this is a great buy. Some Classics here including The Lemon Drop Kid, Seven Little Foys, 2 Road Movies ( Rio & Bali ) plus some of Hope's later-and lesser efforts, i.e. How to Commit Marriage etc.
Though not a fan of these later movies they're still interesting to watch, but it's the earlier stuff that makes this set well worth owning-and the price cannot be beaten.
The only drawback is that because of the budget price-tag the set is presented with five double-sided discs virtually stacked on top of each other making them easily damaged if not careful.
However, having said that, I'm very happy with this package at such a bargain price. Highly recommended.

Great Expectations (1946) - Criterion Collection

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Another Famous Dickens Book Comes To Life
My expectations were great. 4.5 Stars
David Lean's Great Expectations
Great Expectations - Criterion Collection
An English Teacher's Review

Great Expectations (1946) - Criterion Collection
Starring: John Mills , Anthony Wager , Valerie Hobson , Jean Simmons , and Bernard Miles
Director: David Lean
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: B00000F17E
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Amazon.com essential video

David Lean's handsome adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel captures the warm humor and richness of character that so many filmmakers miss in their reverent recreations of Victorian England. From the nightmarish opening sequence on the windswept graveyard where young orphan Pip (Anthony Wager) meets the desperate escaped criminal Magwitch (Finlay Currie) to the shadowy, musty mansion of the widow Miss Haversham (Martita Hunt) where he first meets the impertinent young beauty Estella (Jean Simmons), Lean captures a childlike exaggeration of reality with his elegant expressionism. When Pip's sudden change in fortune sends him to London as a burgeoning gentleman in high society, Lean sketches a beautiful, bustling city. John Mills's performance as the adult Pip charts his change from the wide-eyed wonder and generous spirit of the child he was to the class snob transformed by money and social standing, an ugly flaw that Pip confronts when his mysterious benefactor is finally revealed. The outstanding cast also features Valerie Hobson as the grown-up Estella, now a beguiling enchantress, a bright young Alec Guinness in his film debut as Pip's jovial London roommate Herbert Pocket, and the imposing Francis L. Sullivan as the decidedly humorless lawyer Jaggers. Exquisitely photographed by Guy Green (who won an Oscar for his work). Lean and his collaborators effectively maintain the heart of Dickens's epic drama while cutting it to its essentials in this vivid, compelling film. --Sean Axmaker

Description

One of the great translations of literature into film, David Lean's Great Expectations brings Charles Dickens' masterpiece to robust onscreen life. Pip, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, and Estella populate Lean's magnificent miniature, beautifully photographed by Guy Green and designed by John Bryan.

Customer Reviews:

Another Famous Dickens Book Comes To Life.......2007-09-05

As I watched the beginning of this film, I couldn't help but compare the story to the only other Charles Dickens story I was familiar with: Oliver Twist. It looked like it was going to be another story of a nice, respectful boy being abused by nasty adults. However, as soon as the young boy turned into a man, the similarities ended. Poor Oliver had a lot of ups and downs but life was basically pretty good for the boy, "Pip" in "Great Expectations." Because of that, I didn't think this Dickens tale had the emotional impact of Oliver Twist, but still was great storytelling. The last 20-30 minutes of this film tied so many things together it really made it a satisfying film. From what I just researched, it sounds like the book was a lot harsher story.

John Mills looked way too old to be playing a 20-year-old "Pip Pirrip." In truth, he was too old. Mills was 38 when doing this role. At any rate, I enjoyed a number of actors in here, mainly three older ones: Martita Hunt, Findlay Currie and Francis L. Sullivan. Hunt was just great as "Miss Haversham." I found her fascinating in every sentence she delivered, all of which she did while just sitting in a chair. Currie was genuinely frightening in the beginning as the escaped convict "Magwitch." However, what a transformation that man made in this story! Francis L. Sullivan emotes convincingly enough to play the

To me, the acting took a back seat to Dickens' story and to the film's cinematography. Knowing David Lean directed this film, that Criterion usually produces nice-looking DVD transfers and that "Oliver Twist" looked fantastic on disc, I was paying as close attention to the cinematography, and I enjoyed it. The story wasn't that intense until the finale, which was very well done. Even though the screenplay is softer than the novel, most people say it still captures Dickens' flavor, and few critics had anything but praise for this classic film. Lean and cinematographer Guy Green won Oscars for their work here, so you know it's not too shabby.

The combination of Dickens, Lean, Green and a fine cast all make this a classic movie that is certainly recommended. Don't make the mistake of choosing the insipid 1998 version with Ethan Hawke and Gywneth Paltrow. This is the only version you want to see.

My expectations were great. 4.5 Stars.......2007-08-21

Considering this is a Charles Dickens adaptation and directed/written by David Lean who would go on to win two Oscars later for Lawrence of Arabia (Superbit Collection) and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Lean was also nominated for 9 other Oscars for writing and film editing as well as directing. Two of those nominations came for this film in directing and writing, so my expectations for the director were "great".

The Film itself was nominated for 5 Oscars itself, one of those for best picture, and it won 2 Oscars for cinematography and art direction.
I've heard the film is considered one of the greatest of all Dickens films. It is also on Roger Ebert's "great movies" series with outstanding company. In his review he quotes the British critic Adrian Turner who has written books on both David Lean and the great director Billy Wilder and says how the atmosphere of the mansion in Great Expectations and its deranged occupant were inspiration for Wilder's classic Sunset Boulevard made four years later. Turner also "wonders if the early graveyard scene of Magwitch jumping at Pip from outside the screen didn't inspire countless imitations in horror films ever since." So my expectations of the film itself were "great".

The story is simple enough a young boy named Pip lives with his mean sister and her caring husband Joe who is a Blacksmith. One day Pip's presence is requested by a wealthy eccentric woman by the name of Miss. Havisham who wants him to visit and play, but for what reason. Miss Havisham lives in an old wedding dress, her mansion is filled with cobwebs and she hasn't seen the light of day in many many years. A young girl by the name of Estella who is very mean and nasty lives with Miss. Havisham, she is very insulting of Pip and doesn't want to play with him, yet Miss. Havisham tells her in her ear you can break his heart. Six years go by and now Pip is 20, although the actor playing the grown up Pip John Mills was actually 38 at the time. He is delivered a letter by a lawyer by the name of Mr. Jaggers (who also happens to be Miss. Havishams lawyer), played by Francis L. Sullivan, who delivers a memorable performance and my personal favorite of the movie. This letter informs Pip he has a benefactor and is to be taken raised as a gentleman. The benefactor is to remain anonymous until they are ready to reveal themselves, although we and Pip have a good idea of who that is, or do we? Pip moves in with a roomate by the name of Herbert Pocket played by Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars) and this is where the movie starts to reveal many of it's secrets. Sounds like a great plot so again my expectations are high.

In Roger Ebert's review he says "One of the great things about Charles Dickens is the way his people colonize your memory. I wonder if there's any writer except Shakespeare who has created more characters whose names we remember, and whose types seem so true to human nature." This is very true, I read Great Expectations in school and I am now 29 and remembered some of the story but I still remembered the characters names of Pip, Miss Havisham and Estella.

My expectations were great for this film as were Pip's in the film and both Pip and the film live up to and surpass there expectations. This is a great story as far as film watching goes and is filled with all kinds of lessons on loyalty, true friendship, who we really are, revenge, how our choices effect our lives, that's just naming a few.

This is a classic and when I give a star rating I am rating it against other classics.

Highly recommend this to anyone, especially for children and families.

Criterion Dvd Special Features:
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.

David Lean's Great Expectations.......2007-06-22

Perhaps the finest Dickens adaptation ever, this rich, fascinating film about chance encounters and changing fortunes begins with a nerve-rattling sequence in a graveyard that's one of the finest moments in British film. Both Mills and Guinness are a trifle old for their roles, but their virtuosity fully compensates. Guinness, in his first significant screen appearance, is particularly striking as pocket, giving us a tantalizing taste of things to come. A bona-fide classic.

Great Expectations - Criterion Collection.......2007-01-31

I usually love Criterion editions and am willing to pay the increased price to receive all the usual Criterion extras - commentary, interviews, etc.

Unfortunately, aside from the normal remastered print of the film (very well done indeed), the trailer and the inside notes, this edition had none of the features I have come to expect (and pay dear for). Therefore, I would not recommend this item (at its current high price) to anyone who already owns a good print of the movie.

JBF

An English Teacher's Review.......2006-12-19

I should mention first that this is the only film version of "Great Expectations" that I have ever seen. There may be better ones, but I'm only qualified to talk about this one.

My 10th graders were spellbound by this film. They saw it on a big screen from an Epson 720p projector with big stereo sound, which probably helped. However, their reaction to it really surprised me. From the first frame they were rapt, and it turned into one of their favorite experiences of the year.

David Lean's brilliant cinematography is partly responsible for this - the lighting and composition are absolutely stupendous. Many people talk about the "possibilities" of black and white, but David Lean delivers them. The film is visually stunning.

The film also does a decent, if not perfect, job of following the book; obviously some scenes needed to be shortened or left out entirely or this would have been a five hour film. It is not so accurate that you can read a chapter and then watch it, but it is accurate enough that it is certainly worth showing as a reward for finishing the book.

I withhold the fifth star only because the actresses who play young Estella and "grown woman" Estella are so jarringly different as to be almost impossible to accept as the same character. For instance, young Estella seems to have a nose from Sweden, while grown Estella's nose seems to hail from somewhere near Rome. The actresses just aren't similar enough to sustain even the most willing suspension of disbelief.

The actress who plays Miss Havisham, however, is utterly perfect, and her whole broken-hearted domain is reproduced exactly as I imagined it from the book, right down to the mouse-gnawed, spider-infested wedding cake. Her 25 year-long tantrum is shown as half-hilarious, half-horrifying, which is exactly as Dickens intended it in my opinion, and the actress captures the perfect blend of nuances in portraying this unique character as perfectly as she could be portrayed.

The rest of the characters are quite well done also, including the attorney, Pip's sister, Joe and the "pale young gentleman." Even the clerk with "The Aged" father is well played, although the tour of his castle-house from the book is absent. Pip himself is portrayed very appropriately by both the young and older actors, and never disappoints.

Along with the characters, the film provides an incredible amount of tantalizing 19th century detail, enough to keep even the sleepiest, most sullen student awake at 8:02 am on a cold winter morning. All in all, well worth the $35 asking price, especially because, like all Criterion titles in my experience, the DVD transfer looks and sounds absolutely beautiful.

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Winter People
The Winter People
Winter People is Choice
Wonderful adaptation of novel
I cried and cried and cried...

The Winter People
Starring: Kurt Russell , Kelly McGillis , Lloyd Bridges , Mitch Ryan , and Jeffrey Meek
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B000059TGF
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Description

Starring Kurt Russell (Breakdown) and Kelly McGillis (Top Gun) as forbidden lovers willing to risk everything to be together, Winter People is an entrancing (The Hollywood Reporter) film that shows how beautiful and powerful love can be in the face of devastating odds. When a lonely widower, Wayland Jackson (Russell), becomes stranded in a remote mountain village, he's taken in by a local single mother, Collie Wright (McGillis). Before long, Wayland and Collie fall deeply in love. But their idyllic situation is brutally and violently disrupted when Cole Campbellthe drunkard father of Collie's sonshows up to reclaim his place in his son's life. To make matters worse, Cole is murdered, igniting an age-old family rivalry between the Wrights and the Campbells. The Campbell clan demands a life for a life. And the Wrights are ready to honor the request with Wayland's! And Collie is forced to make an impossible decision that will change both families forever!

Customer Reviews:

Winter People.......2007-09-07

Enjoyed this movie the first time I saw it. Was glad to be able to get it on DVD.

The Winter People.......2007-07-11

I bought this film because it was filmed very near me, just over the state line in North Carolina plus I was always a Kurt Russell fan. This is pretty much a "chick flick" but it was an enjoyable film none the less. A good watch..

Winter People is Choice.......2007-01-24

I have loved this movie for years, but could not find it either. I've watched it twice since it arrived.... Thank you

Wonderful adaptation of novel.......2006-03-28

Based on a novel written by one of many talented, North Carolina writers, this is a wonderful adaptation. Part of the movie was filmed in Avery County, not all that far from where I live...beautiful country. It is the heartbreaking story of a young love that can't be embraced because of an old family fued. When Kurt Russel enters the area, he finds himself falling in love with a woman who must keep the father of her illegitimate child a secret, and this secret turns out to be dangerous after an accidental death. You'll want to watch it more than once to fully take in the beautiful scenery.
Chrissy K. McVay - Author

I cried and cried and cried..........2006-01-16

I saw this movie on an airplane many years ago on a four hour flight... I cried and cried, and it seemed like everybody that watched the movie on the airplane was also crying... I loved this movie... It seems to me I have never seen Kelly McGillis in a better movie than this one... but I never saw it being shown in any movie house, and never found it for rent or sale... Today, maybe 15 years after I saw the movie, I remembered the title of the film and decided to look it up on Amazon to see if I can buy it... and I found it, at last! (of course I am going to buy it.) This is truly a beautiful movie. I can't understand how it was never shown in movie houses near me. If you like movies that truly move you to the bones, this is the one.

Rudolph Valentino: The Great Lover - A Documentary

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Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and More
An in depth look at Valentino
A Good All Around Documentary + Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Great Documentary at a wonderful price!
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride again

Rudolph Valentino: The Great Lover - A Documentary
Director: Lynn Stevenson
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EGDCGO
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Customer Reviews:

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and More.......2006-08-31

It's amazing to be able to watch Valentino in one of his greatest roles in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I consider this DVD the biggest deal of the century - a great documentary and a great movie at this incredibly low proce! The movie is not restored but the image is very watchable. We should not complain. I only wish that the name of the movie would be included in the title of this DVD or in the amazon's description. I was searching for this movie for quite some time and could not find it. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is considered a bonus material on this DVD and I found out about it purely by chance. What a discovery!

An in depth look at Valentino.......2006-08-22

This was an interesting documentary on Valentino. I was not aware of his background prior to becoming a film star. There is also quite a bit of info. re: his life while in Hollywood. The other features of this DVD, (the only known recording of his voice and the film that made him star) only enhance this documentary.

A Good All Around Documentary + Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.......2006-06-10

This is a good all around documentary if you want to learn something about Rudolph Valentino. They cover a lot of ground and while to the seasoned Valentino fan they present nothing new, it's a nice solid piece of work. While I consider myself seasoned, I still found this to be very entertaining.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is much more problematic. A great film like this really needs to be seen in the best possible print. This one, unfortunately is not it. Dark and murky it looks to be from a 16mm print that had no clean up. But, beggars cannot be choosers until Turner Classic Movies and Warner Brothers deems it fit to release their exemplary print restored by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill under the auspices of Photoplay Productions.

The one real glaring and unexcusable error on the part of the producers is the Valentino recording of the Kashmiri Song. You hear the correct recording on the menu screen. Unfortunately, when you select the option to hear Valentino sing, the Kashmiri Song plays, but that recording is NOT Valentino's.

In any case, I'd recommend this to anyone with a passing interest in Valentino, it's a very nice diversion and 100% better than the documentary Delta produced on Douglas Fairbanks. Doug deserved much better!

Great Documentary at a wonderful price!.......2006-06-07

What a pleasant surprise to have a great documentary and a feature film all on one DVD...and at such a great price! Valentino lovers will love this DVD!

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride again.......2006-04-06

My compliments to Delta Entertainment for producing another fine quality DVD at budget cost in their documentary/biography collection series. After enjoying their production on Douglas Fairbanks Sr, I was looking forward to this documentary and silent film featuring the legendary Rudolph Valentino, and was definitely not disappointed. Like his contemporary Douglas Fairbanks, who left us his swashbuckling adventure legacy, Rudolph Valentino also had more talents and attributes than most people realize. This 80-minute documentary with plenty of great footage from Valentino's films and good commentary from various experts gives much more insight into the man behind the image of `sex symbol' and `dark lover'. Far from being a mere `gigolo', as he was also called, I was surprised and impressed to learn than he mastered four languages, had a degree in agriculture and was a professional dancer when he made his break in the movies. Like Fairbanks, Valentino also had quite a different (and perhaps much more intriguing!) image before his famous films of the 1920s, namely often playing a villain in various disguises. The documentary covers all the highlights of Valentino's short life and career, and is a very good introduction to those not so familiar with this icon of the silent era. The bonus material on this disc has more treats: besides a filmography and list of 3 books written by Valentino, there is a 1923 audio recording of Valentino singing "The Kashmiri Song". This is a special treat because there is no recording of his speaking voice, and only two known song recordings, this being one of them. My first impression was simply `WOW!' And my second thought: what a great shame he died so young because he could have offered the world so much more in the sound era as well, perhaps becoming a singer and all-round performer as well.

Alas, we will have to make due with what Valentino left us in the silent era, and a sample of the style that made him so appealing and legendary is seen on side 2 of this DVD, namely in "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse". This 1921 silent film is quite a lengthy (over 2 hours) and involved drama about the sad fate of a family torn apart in World War I. The `Four Horsemen' refer to the Biblical account in Revelation/The Apocalypse, symbolizing the omens of our time: war, famine and pestilence, then death. These themes were close to the hearts and souls of audiences in the years after the `Great War' as it was called then, and no doubt many people could relate to the tragedy and broken family depicted in this film. Valentino's role stands out and is, in fact, the pivotal character: first a rich and spoilt philanderer who has an affair with a married woman, but when war and tragedies strike, his life takes another course. Valentino's intense and passionate expressions are evident in many scenes, and we can really see - over 80 years later - why he captivated audiences with his style and acting talent. The film itself is in good condition and only a little blurry at times, and the fine orchestral musical score seems to be an earlier recording made for this film. While not the same standard as the KINO label, for instance, I'm still giving this DVD the full 5 stars for the quality material and quantity (over 3 hours of viewing) for such a low budget price. Well done, Delta!

Loving Sex: 101 Advanced Sexual Positions for Lovers Volume 2

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Loving Sex: 101 Advanced Sexual Positions for Lovers Volume 2
Starring: Loving Sex
Manufacturer: Alexander Institute
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

New bedroom gear for advanced positions
Suspended sex on the Bonker Extreme
Sex toys and advanced positions
Advanced oral sex positions
Bondage for advanced positions

ASIN: B000S5R3S4
Release Date: 2007-04-15

Product Description

101 Advanced Positions for Lovers Volumes 2 In Part 2 of this explicit guide explore over 100 MORE sexual positions that will bring renewed excitement to your sex life. Learn how a variety of sexual positions can be used during oral sex, bondage, sex toy play, and intercourse. Attractive, real-life couples demonstrate how they reach incredible orgasms by experimenting with a variety of sexual positions. Using the Sex Lounger, the incredible Bonkim and Bonker Extreme systems, the Sportsheet, the Liberator shapes, the Love Swing, and the Tantra Chair, this fantastic assortment of positions and ideas will take your sexuality to even higher levels! Whether a seasoned Casanova or a beginning lover in training, this program will supercharge your bedroom adventures! Approx. 120 minutes in length

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Pulp Nonfiction
Barbara Hershey!!!!
Cormin, Scorsese Style
Beware this DVD

Boxcar Bertha
Starring: Victor Argo , David Carradine , John Carradine , Bernie Casey , and Marianne Dole
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005UM2Y
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Amazon.com

Martin Scorsese was just another college film school grad with a student feature under his belt when producer Roger Corman tapped him to direct AIP's entry in the Bonnie and Clyde craze. Barbara Hershey stars as the real-life depression era orphan of the title, a charming, cheeky young woman who tramped the Deep South with a union organizer (David Carradine), a dandified New York con man (Barry Primus), and a blues-playing mechanic (Bernie Casey), turning her motley band into train-robbing outlaws. Scorsese was anxious to show his chops on a real Hollywood feature and does so admirably (if impersonally) with rough-and-ready style. If the rebellious spirit and social message behind the sex and violence is more Corman than Scorsese, the film references ("Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain," Bertha tells a customer while working at a cathouse) and often inventive direction are pure Scorsese. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Pulp Nonfiction.......2005-03-08

Like many talented young U.S. directors of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Martin Scorsese got a big break from American International Pictures studios. This was in the days of drive-in movies and so-called "B" pictures, meaning that something like Boxcar Bertha would be secondary to whatever feature attraction was playing. AIP directors worked on a strict schedule, small budget, and were required to goose things along with softcore sex and bright red violence. No surprise, Scorsese delivered, and found ways to punch it up with his trademark kinetic editing style. He also knew how to get solid performances, even back then. Barry Primus, Bernie Casey, and John Carradine shine here; Barbara Hershey and David Carradine aren't so great or convincing. The movie, like Bonnie And Clyde six years earlier, is about contemporary rather than past times, even though it's set in the 30s. Hershey and Carradine are early 70s free lovers and free spirits, not really nice folks but much more moral than their foes in banking and legal institutions. The film is uneven, but just when you find your attention drifting, Scorsese makes his presence felt with imaginative, original, playful images and sequences. For example, pay close attention to the scene in which Carradine goes to his union office with stolen money, and see how much effort Scorsese puts into images that other directors would blow off. The DVD looks great, a huge improvement over cruddy, pan and scan VHS. No extras except for the original trailer, which is a treat: lots of it is shot through bright colored tinted lenses, taking you back to 70s schlock at its finest. Based on a true story, this is pulp NON fiction; takes its place alongside After Hours, King of Comedy, Kundun, Age of Innocence, and Bringing out the Dead as an uneven, underappreciated Scorsese gem--not as consistently great as his big movies, but plenty of interesting moments and a chance to see the master in training before he moved up to self-consciously artful films.

Barbara Hershey!!!!.......2004-05-25

Produced by Roger Corman and directed by Martin Scorsese, BOXCAR BERTHA is a romp through the deep south of the great depression. Bertha (Barbara Hershey) is young, beautiful, and not at all afraid of taking her clothes off! This is good, since she's naked a lot in this movie! Plot?? Well, Bertha's dad is killed in an airplane accident, sending Bertha on an adventure of boxcar jumping, bankrobbing, murder, prison escapes, trainrobbing, prostitution, and lots of laughs. Bertha is accompanied by Big Bill Shelly (David Carradine) and two other cohorts played by Barry Primus and Bernie Casey. Did I mention Bertha's lack of clothing? It just keeps flying off for some reason! Anyway, Bertha and her gang decide to take down an evil railroad baron (played nastily by John Carradine), not realizing just how evil he really is. This leads to the gang's downfall. The finale is pure savage mayhem and revenge! Worth a peek. Oh, and Bertha spends a great deal of time in her birthday suit too...

Cormin, Scorsese Style.......2003-01-26

Boxcar Bertha is a Roger Cormin picture. Boxcar Bertha is a Martin Scorsese picture. What this means is that while it gave Scorsese the opportunity to show flashes of the genius we now know he possessed, he had to do it at the expense (or lack there of) of delivering a Roger Cormin movie. Now I am not knocking Cormin. Cormin was great because he gave young talent a low budget, some film, and a chance. His low risk approach gave stars such as Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola, their big breaks. Cormin films usually aren't that good, but their is no substitute for experience, especially to young filmmakers, so we should thank him.

On that note, Boxcar Bertha is sort of a take off on Bonnie and Clyde. A young Barbara Hershey plays the title character who essentially falls in with a group of disgruntled railroad union guys (David Carradine included) and starts knocking off banks and such in an effort to hurt the railroad's evil owner. The film suffers from terrible cliches and silly special effects (the blood looks like red paint). However, Scorsese makes the best out of it with his constantly moving camera, hard violence, and unorthodox editing techniques. Ultimately though, this is a film for die hard Scorsese fans interested in how he got started.

Beware this DVD.......2002-06-22

This is the cut and censoured version of that movie. Wait for the unrated version.

Average customer rating:

"Observed in Embrace With Female-Not His Mother!"
pass this one up
Bob Hope at his best!
Funny movie,awful print
A young viewer

The Great Lover
Starring: Bob Hope , Rhonda Fleming , Roland Young , Roland Culver , and Richard Lyon
Director: Alexander Hall
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004YS6Y
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Customer Reviews:

"Observed in Embrace With Female-Not His Mother!".......2005-10-10

This very funny film is great entertainment for the entire family, as Bob Hope tries to romance Rhonda Fleming on board a cruise while not getting caught by the very clean and upright boy scout type troop of young men he's leading called the Foresters. Having a suave killer on board who thinks Bob is the perfect patsy for a con doesn't help his chances much and before this one is over Bob will be, quite literally, in the doghouse!

Alexander Hall directed the shenanigans from a screenplay by Edmund Beloin, Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose. Beloin doubled as producer for this fun romp that has a nice score from Joseph J. Lilley and a couple of good songs by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Roland Yong plays the con man and killer with a real flair and Rhonda Fleming is a nice partner for Hope this time out.

Freddy Hunter (Hope) is leading a troop of Foresters on the boat back from Paris. He works for a newspaper in North Zainesville, Ohio, where the Foresters, one of whom's dad owns the paper, have won a contest with the prize being a trip to Paris. Freddy thought it would be a blast in Paris because he has a little black book he won in a raffle, but the constant eagle eye of the Forester's young leader, Stanley (Richard Lyon), has prevented him from enjoying a number of vices on the trip. By the time they're ready to board the ship for home, Freddy is ready to ditch them.

That is, until the Dutchess Alexandria (Rhonda Fleming) comes on board, prompting Freddy to throw his little black book overboard at the sight of her. She is traveling with her father, Grand Duke Maximillian (Roland Culver), and the two plan to parlay a valuable necklace into a more substantial fortune they can take back to their country, as theirs is gone. C. J. Dabney (Roland Young) spots them as a rich mark, ripe for the picking, and pegs Freddy as his new partner. Dabney never lets any of his partners in on what's going on, however, and they seem to all get strangled shortly after he's done with them!

Jim Backus is Higgins, the cop who's been on Dabney's trail for some time, but knows the only way to get the goods on the slippery and dangerous con is to catch him in the act. Freddy, who has been pretending to be rich at his new pal Dabney's suggestion, ends up fleecing the Grand Duke while he's romancing his daughter Alex. Once he realizes what's going on, and comes into contact with Higgins, he know's he's safe, at least as long as there is one person who knows he's innocent. But what will Freddy do when Higgins turns up strangled too?!

This is just a lot of fun for the entire family. Watching Hope attempt to thread a needle while a very amorous Fleming is all over him is a lot of laughs. Fleming had a nice voice and gets to sing a gypsy song to Hope that has him sweating bullets. He does, after all, have in his charge those Foresters, who would not approve of his tardiness for taps. Only little Tommy (Gary Gray) has any sympathy for Freddy and his vices. He is the only Forester who believes it wasn't Freddy who killed Higgins and brings him some food while he's hiding in a doghouse!

One of the funniest moments in the film comes when Stanley reads a list of charges directed at Freddy, whose behavior has not conformed to the code of the Foresters. Another sparkling moment stems from an encounter on board between Bob and the greatest comedian radio ever had, Jack Benny. Bob needs change for a 100 dollar bill, and if you know anything about Benny, you can guess the rest! It is a brief cameo but squeezes in a hilarious toupee joke and a funny swipe at Benny's thrifty ways.

There is a very funny ending that works out great for everyone, making this one of Bob's most enjoyable films. The same writers responsible for "Road to Rio," "My Favorite Brunette," and "The Prince and the Pirate" gave Hope another good story he made the most of. Don't miss Bob and his fun excursion with the Whippoorwill Patrol!

pass this one up.......2004-10-17

The Brentwood version is of very poor quality. I love Bob Hope movies, but I'm sorry I spent the money on this one!

Bob Hope at his best!.......2003-10-07

Mr. Hope stars as Freddie Hunter, a reporter who is chaperoning a troop of scouts aboard a ocean liner. The scouts see it as their duty to save Freddie from himself by making sure he doesn't smoke, drink or enjoy the hug of a woman "other than his Mom". The fact that the head boy of the troop is the son of Freddie's boss doesn't help Freddie when he decides to flirt with the Duchess Alexandria. But women are the least of Freddie's troubles. There is a killer on board. This killer decides to frame Freddie for his murderous deeds. Fortunately, there is a detective on board, hot on the trail of the true murderer, but wait, Freddie discovers the body of the murdered detective. How will Freddie prove his innocence? This is an entertaining film for the whole family. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves, Jim Backus and Roland Young. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy this wonderful movie!.

Funny movie,awful print.......2002-01-21

The dvd of this is a real let-down.The picture quality is really washed out.If you can put up with this,Hope is on good form,the story is above average and Jack Benny's brief appearance is a hoot.Shame about the transfer,though...

A young viewer.......2001-01-19

Bob Hope is wonderful in this delightful movie. I recomend it to everyone!

Lot of 4 Bob Hope Film Collection DVD: My Favorite Brunette, The Great Lover, The Lemon Drop Kid, Son of Paleface

Average customer rating:

Lot of 4 Bob Hope Film Collection DVD: My Favorite Brunette, The Great Lover, The Lemon Drop Kid, Son of Paleface

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Product Features:

Dolby Digital DVD Video
Distributed by BCI

ASIN: B000R7MCKM

Product Description

Comedy Classics for the Bob Hope Fan Son of Paleface with Jane Russell, Roy Rogers,1952 The Lemon Drop Kid with Marily Maxwell, William Frawley, 1951 The Great Lover with Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves , 1949 My Favorite Brunette, with Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Each film runs about 80 - 90 minutes.

Average customer rating:

Cancion del Alma
Starring: Antonio Frausto , Rafael Falcon , and Vilma Vidal
Director: Chano Urueta
Manufacturer: Vanguard Cinema
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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