The Chaplin Collection, Vol. 1 (Modern Times / The Great Dictator / The Gold Rush / Limelight)

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Charles Spencer Chaplin, the London ragamuffin who became the most popular man of his era, gets his proper due with this deluxe package of four classics. Each two-disc set begins with an excellent new digital transfer of the picture and remastered sound. The Gold Rush, Chaplin's 1925 masterpiece, puts the Little Tramp into the snowy Yukon; it includes such celebrated sequences as the "Dance of the Rolls" and Chaplin's uncanny metamorphosis into a large chicken. Both the original silent version and Chaplin's re-edited 1942 release (for which he added his own musical score and narration) are included. A documentary on "Chaplin Today" looks at the film through the eyes of Burkina Faso director Idrissa Ouedraogo. Modern Times (1936) is Chaplin's peerless take on the machine age; his ballet on the assembly line remains one of the great images of modern man driven mad by mechanization. The DVD extras include a couple of (somewhat extraneous) vintage promotional films about the wonderful world of mass production, the famous Chaplin composition "Smile" performed by Liberace (huh?), and penetrating comments on the film by the Belgian filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne.

The Great Dictator is Chaplin's comic undressing of Hitler, boldly released in 1940. An absorbing documentary, "The Tramp and the Dictator," details production of the film, and color footage shot on the set provides fascinating behind-the-scenes material. Limelight (1952), in which he plays a fading vaudevillian, is Chaplin's magnificent elegy on his own career. Extras include a deleted scene, the entire Oscar-winning score, and Bernardo Bertolucci on the film's emotional impact: "I don't cry often, but here my tears flow." Each film has a loving introduction by Chaplin biographer David Robinson--but newcomers to Chaplin should watch the movies first, as the extras give away endings and the best jokes. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

A GREAT ARTIST BEFORE HIS TIME!.......2007-08-18

Charlie Chaplin was a true Genius of His time. He was superb in all his silent films. They each carried volumes of subliminal meassages of wit and reality. He was excellent in the Great Dictator and Modern Times. Charlie Chaplin was a Leader and he set the stage for all that came after him. He is an Iconic figure of Hollywood. These collections are very well preserved for all time. This is a must for all collectors of pantomine and great classic comedy.

The works of a genius who had life-long creative control.......2007-07-21

Although working conditions and terms don't create genius, it sure can inhibit and even destroy its expression. Buster Keaton and his experience at MGM are Exhibit A of that scenario. Chaplin, however, was in complete creative control of almost his entire career. After his early Keystone shorts, Chaplin never again starred in someone else's film production. In short, nobody could ever say "no" to his creative ideas and make it stick. Thus we can look at the films in this collection and lay any blame or applause entirely at the feet of Charles Chaplin, and that circumstance is as unique as Chaplin the artist himself.

It's very hard to describe this excellent set in the context of Chaplin's genius and his evolution as a film maker, because the films are separated from one another by quite large time intervals and interim films that are in volume two, with the exception of Modern Times and The Great Dictator which were sequential projects. "The Gold Rush" shows Chaplin's talent at comedy and pathos set in the heart of the silent era (1925) after he had already had some success making silent feature films. "Modern Times" is perhaps the best film he ever made, again a silent picture, long after silent films had gone out of vogue in Hollywood (1936). If anything, as time passes, Modern Times just becomes more and more relevant. "The Great Dictator" (1940) is Chaplin's first talking picture, and today, given the benefit of the knowledge of what was really going on in Germany during this time, the film almost seems in bad taste. However, even Chaplin admitted that if he had really known the extent of what was happening in Europe at the time he probably would not have made the film. Still, Chaplin turns in a fine performance in a great film where the best parts still involve Chaplin's gift of pantomime. Finally, there is Limelight (1952), which is a very sentimental film that has Chaplin perhaps looking back on his own career and showing what he was truly afraid of having happen - that he would someday be seen as a relic of the past and that only when people were told "who he used to be" would he be appreciated or for that matter even welcome. Thus it is really necessary to watch the films in volume 2 to fill in the blanks between the four movies in this collection and get a true picture of Chaplin the artist. Highly recommended.

great films and a great collection.......2006-12-30

What can i say, If you are a fan of Chaplin, then you cannot go without this collection. for every film you get a whole second DVD with extras. Every film is remastered, and although some are in black and white, still look amazing.

The chaplin masterpiece collection.......2006-12-15

In my view every chaplin movie is good, and if your a chaplin fan like I am then you will love this lovely collection.

You can't do the impossible..........2006-08-05

Although this set tries to do the impossible, it cannot. But it is a very good collection of Chaplin films.

So, to start with, let me cover what is great in this set.

First, the films are as clearly presented as possible, with great sound, pretty good mastering, and good clarity of image. The speed of projection, a subjective topic at best, is quite carefully handled, and seems to be quite good for the most part. (This only affects the silent Gold Rush, btw.)

The restoration of the original silent Gold Rush is excellent, and a welcome addition to the canon. I don't bother arguing over which version is better, silent or sound, because they both exist in our world and such arguments end up amounting to mere preferences.

Which brings me to the first impossibility. It is IMPOSSIBLE to present a "definitive" version of most any Chaplin film, due to the cuts and changes he made in them over the years, and the variation in the editions originally issued. In addition, there are some bits from the original release which simply don't exist in a quality comparable to the quality of the current versions, and which could not be edited in without comprimising the quality.

The Chaplin family made a decision, and stuck to it. They decided to issue the films in the final approved versions, with cuts intact. They also decided to include all cuts as additional material, so that we don't lose what was taken out. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but sometimes a decision must simply be made and stuck with, and the Chaplin family went with this. Not everybody will be satisfied, but the choice has been made.

The additional materials are often good, but equally often pointless. The good stuff includes the Great Dictator documentary, lots of home movies and still, and various sequences from older films that are relevent to the title. The bad stuff includes the truly boring "Chaplin Today" documentaries, which are a great example of material trying to prove a point but instead shooting itself in the foot. I regard these documentaries as another example of doing the impossible - by trying to argue that Chaplin is relevent today (and I think he is), the directors end up proving otherwise. Some things can't be won through argument, but only through experience.

One troubling aspect of this set is that, instead of tranferring the movies fresh from film to NTSC video, the films were transferred from film to PAL video, and then converted. This changes film speed a bit, and introduces unavoidable artifacts and degrades the video quality. While not as bad as the HORRENDOUS "Phantom of the Opera" fiasco, it's a shame that we cannot see these films in their top quality without getting imported dvds from overseas in the original PAL format.

That all said, we have here four (or five) Chaplin films in possibly the best quality possible in a neat package with lots of goodies. There are plenty of quibbles with this set and it's companion, but the fact is that this is as good as it might ever get, until an even better format comes along. The films are wonderful, and it's nice to have a good edition of them again.

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Amazing.
Funny.
Timeless
"Modern Times" Attacked American Capitalism
Charlie the rebel, Charlie the poet, Charlie the invincibly human...

Modern Times (2 Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Richard Alexander , Henry Bergman , Stanley Blystone , Chester Conklin , and Gloria DeHaven
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000096IBI
Release Date: 2003-07-01

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Charlie Chaplin is in glorious form in this legendary satire of the mechanized world. As a factory worker driven bonkers by the soulless momentum of work, Chaplin executes a series of slapstick routines around machines, including a memorable encounter with an automatic feeding apparatus. The pantomime is triumphant, but Chaplin also draws a lively relationship between the Tramp and a street gamine. She's played by Paulette Goddard, then Chaplin's wife and probably his best leading lady (here and in The Great Dictator). The film's theme gave the increasingly ambitious writer-director a chance to speak out about social issues, as well as indulging in the bittersweet quality of pathos that critics were already calling "Chaplinesque." In 1936, Chaplin was still holding out against spoken dialogue in films, but he did use a synchronized soundtrack of sound effects and his own music, a score that includes one of his most famous melodies, "Smile." And late in the film, Chaplin actually does speak--albeit in a garbled gibberish song, a rebuke to modern times in talking pictures. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Amazing........2007-06-26

Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin, 1936)

I've spent the past few decades assiduously overlooking old film comedies, mostly because of my dislike for the contemporary comedy shorts (the Three Stooges, the Little Rascals, et al.). I decided earlier this year that I was going to stop doing that; after all, they can't all be that bad. One of the earliest stops on this new journey of mine was Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin's 1936 extravaganza that makes it into critics' 100-best lists with almost alarming regularity.

The basic idea is that Chaplin, a factory worker, and Paulette Goddard, a homeless waif, team up after Chaplin gets laid off when the factory closes (it's the Depression, remember) and try to make their way in the world. This leads both through a succession of jobs (and a rickety homestead), as well as more than one brush with the law.

I know there's a great deal of social commentary to be found here; I've read more than enough articles on the film to have missed that. But my mind is a sieve, and I can't remember terribly much about those articles. What I found important, and enjoyable, about the film is that it's a wonderfully-choreographed piece, a remnant of the silent era in the age of talkies (there is very little actual speech in the film), and an excellent showcase for Chaplin's talent for physical comedy. Add to this the eye-popping beauty of Paulette Goddard, a pitch-perfect sense of pace, and an array of sets that rivals most of what gets turned out seventy years later, and you have the recipe for a truly classic film. And Modern Times surely is that. **** ½

Funny........2007-04-10

Good laughs. My favorite scene is that with the feeding machine. Even my boyfriend who hates old black and white movies was laughing out loud. Genius.

Timeless.......2007-02-19

Modern Times is among the Best 100 American movies of all time (#81), and it is among the Best 1000 Movies on DVD by Peter Travers. I rate this movie 5 stars or 9 over 10. This movie is timeless, a masterpiece, a pleasure to watch and watch over and over again. It was the last silent movie Chaplin did and the last to feature the Little Tramp (beautiful ending with the two lovers walking arm and arm into a sunset.) The theme of the movie is how technology alienates the human being. Accidentally converted into a working class hero, Chaplin spends some time in jail, where he'd like to stay forever. There we watch one of the funniest scenes of the movie, the lunch with some "white powder". I couldn't stop laughing! In the times of the Great Depression, Chaplin portraits the unemployed and the hunger. Trying to find a steady job, he ends up in a Caffe where he waits on tables and sings. Yes! He does. The nonsense song (with Chaplin original voice in there) stands as one of the best moments in movie history. I can't quit this song off of my mind ... Paulette Goddard, Chaplin's wife at the time, appears here in what's considered her best and liveliest leading lady. This DVD is beautifully repackaged for the Chaplin Collection (a wonderful collection, thanks Warner!) It includes an all-new digital transfer and a soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 as well as original mono. The second DVD comes full loaded with many speacial features, like a documentary about "Chaplin today", deleted scenes, an introduction by Chaplin biographer David Robinson, a Karaoke of the nonsense song, the wonderful song Smile, sung by Liberace, a Behind the Scenes in the Machine Age 42 minutes documentary, and lots of more extras!
I recommend this DVD to everybody, you will not be disapointed, and I would say it's a MUST for movie collectors. A classic, a masterpiece, a timeless movie!
P.S. If you like my review vote YES. You can read all my other reviews if you wish to. I modestly write them to help people form an opinion about movies, music and books, but if nobody reads them (if you don't vote I do not know if you did) there is no point in writing them

"Modern Times" Attacked American Capitalism.......2007-01-14

Charlie Chaplin was minimally a Communist fellow traveler. A staunch supporter of the Soviet Union, he once told an interviewer with the "Daily Worker" that we should "Thank God for Communism." At the very best, Chaplin could be described as a naive utopian. "Modern Times" was a not so subtle attack against American capitalism. Chaplin's Little Tramp is presented as a victim of a social system which victimizes the working class. The modern world is alienating human beings from their authentic selves. A class war exists between the haves and the have-nots. Employers exploit their workers and deserve to be sabotaged and ripped off. Factories allegedly turn the individual into a robotic creature to be pitied. Chaplin focussed exclusively on the negative aspects of the "Modern Times" of the early twentieth Century---and never paid the slightest attention to its overwhelming benefits. Aesthetically speaking, I also fail to appreciate Chaplin's slapstick brand of humor. It seems too over the top. Paulette Goddard, for instance, portrays Chaplin's impoverished romantic interest. Still, her hair and lipstick always look perfect. The unsophisticated audiences of over seventy years ago were much easier to please. Charlie Chaplin would be a nonentity in 2007.

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness

Charlie the rebel, Charlie the poet, Charlie the invincibly human..........2007-01-08

"Modern Times" begins with a shot of sheep going down a runway followed by a shot of workers entering a factory... Charlie is set down in the midst of industrial civilization, which is dominated by machinery and in which men are organized into mechanical units, Capital and Labor... Charlie's real enemies are no longer the Cop or the Boss, with whom he can always enter into some human relation, but a vast impersonality, invisible and invulnerable...

"Modern Times" offered a variety of minor attractions: it featured Chaplin's wife, Paulette Goddard; it had wonderful gags; it indulged in tricks of sound which came to the very edge of being dialog... But what did the picture mean, what was it trying to say? Because Chaplin charged his usual enormous percentage for it, and because of foreign receipts, "Modern Times" made money, but exhibitors were not happy at the limited audience turnout... For the majority, the new Charlie was too serious; for the minority, not serious enough...

Since the picture seemed to be about the dehumanizing effect of machinery, intellectuals called upon Chaplin to join them in reorganizing machine culture to some more human scale of things...

Off the screen, Chaplin said nothing... On the screen, his anarchic hostility for any kind of machine culture expressed itself in scenes like that in which Charlie is fed by a machine and that in which, crazed by the assembly line, he runs into the street, his arms moving convulsively like two pistons... Charlie the rebel, Charlie the poet, Charlie the invincibly human, had been turned into a machine...

Anyone Can Dance: Single Time Swing Jitterbug

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Anyone Can Dance: Single Time Swing Jitterbug
Starring: Single Time Swing Jitterbug
Manufacturer: Delta
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ASIN: B000CNGCGQ
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Description

SINGLE TIME SWING
JITTERBUG
Born in the era of Big Band, this particular type of dance is usually quite difficult to master on account of the sheer speed of the music. But with the step-by-step instruction of Dance Vision's Donald Johnson and Kasia Kozak, you will learn an easier way to dance to faster music. After this DVD, you will have no trouble keeping up to the music as you tuck and spin, lindy rock, and kick step your way across the dance floor.

Master the moves of the Big Band Era with this exciting dance instructional!

Amazon.com essential video

The Gambler is one of the edgier and more interesting, if forgotten, films of the mid-1970s, the kind of studio film that rarely gets made anymore. Based on a screenplay by James Toback (Two Girls and a Guy) and directed by Karel Reisz, the film stars James Caan as a brilliant college literature professor with the same weakness as one of Dostoevsky's characters: He can't resist a wager. Indeed, he's in so deep that even his seemingly good-hearted bookie (Paul Sorvino) is trying to kill him. So he lams out of New York and heads for Las Vegas--where he wins back everything he's lost so he can pay off his massive debts. But is he smart enough to take his winnings and walk away? Caan captures the aggressive compulsiveness of the gambling addict, the strange split between a seemingly intelligent man and an uncontrollably stupid impulse. The film includes early film performances by James Woods and Lauren Hutton. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

A proper film.......2007-04-22

This is a very good film.
After watching it you have to pause and think about what you have seen, and let the impact sink in.
Well acted, well casted, well scripted, well shot, pacy and with a good story that is hard to predict.
It highlights the degeneracy that can affect those born into money, the grandchildren of the penniless hardworking immigrants who passed through Ellis Island and made good in the Golden Land.

james caan itself.......2007-04-11

james caan has play the character very well and is in the centre of the movie.The ups and downs are the gamblers live,but the lesson is dont play with the mafia and dont play with what you love at most.

Authentic Portrayal of addictive gambling.......2006-08-27

This film shows the mentality and thought process of someone who is a gambling addict. The lengths that James Caan goes to keep playing even though his ability to pick winners has eroded and the affect it has on those in his life is right on the mark. The movie accurately shows how the glamour of winning becomes secondary to the need just to have the risk and unflinchingly shows what can happen if you get caught in this complusive trap. It is a scenario I know about from first hand experience

The Thrill of it All.......2006-07-30

James Caan was in some of the hardest hitting films by some of the hardest hitting directors of the seventies and early eighties including Coppola's Godfather I(72), Sam Peckinpah's The Killer Elite (75)and Michael Mann's Thief (81). He also played a number of athlete roles, including Rollerball(75). Whether he's playing an athlete or not Caan moves like an athlete, and he gets jumpy if he has to sit still for too long, and so he's interesting to watch even when he's just crossing the street because its like he's always on the scent of something, always on the prowl.

In the opening scenes of Gambler (74) Caan is playing the tables in an all-night casino and losing one hand after another. By morning, as he's driving home, he realizes he has lost 44,000 dollars. But the jumpy Caan still hasn't been satisfied and when he sees some teens playing basketball he stops his car and hustles up a game. They only have ten bucks but thats enough. It's the thrill of the game and the thrill of the bet that turns him on and he really comes to life on the courts.

His real job we soon find out is pretty high class. He's a college English professor who lectures on Dostoyevsky and the failed/corrupted/compromised American dream (good solid early 70's staple topic that last one). And he does it really well. He's certainly not your usual professor because its obvious just by looking at him and listening to him that he's more physycal than mental and he's actually interested in the thrill of living life and not the agony of writing books about it. Caan's "Axel Freed" is a guy who has seen a lot and done a lot and his students appreciate that he's not a guy who spends his afternoons in the library. But where he does spend his afternoons and evenings is getting him in deep trouble.

The gambling problem seems to stem from the fact that he's never really escaped from the safe confines and purse strings of his social class and this embarrases him and makes him feel inauthentic and unmanly. Its like he was born to a reality or class that never fit, and he's been trying to return to his rightful home (the streets, the basketball courts, the tennis courts, the boxing ring) ever since. Money has always stood between Axel Freed and the life he imagines tobe his own. Even when at home with his lady he can't stand still; he's perpetually shadow boxing in the mirror and perusing the sports page and ringin' up his bookie. Day to day, moment to moment, he lives for the thrill of those last seconds of a game when his whole life depends on whether the basketball will or will not go in. Watching him take incredible risks is painful because we fear where it will all lead, but its also exhilerating.

Caan is tough in The Gambler, no doubt, but the role of Axel Freed allows him to stretch and show that he can play not only a physical guy but a physical guy with a lot going on in his head. Its a pleasure to see James Caan sitting in front of an English class lecturing to a group of attentive students about why man does not always follow the dictates of reason. "Reason," Axel reads from his copy of Dostoyevsky, "satisfies our rational requirements, but desire encompasses everything." What makes this especially interesting is that we know Axel Freed isn't just some egghead with a set of theories but that he's taking his lessons from real life.

Axel seems to have a great job and a great sexy girlfriend (Lauren Hutton) but its just not enough to keep his attention; he needs that extra adrenalin rush that only extreme situations that sports and gambling and pushin' the bounds of reason can provide.

The film reminds me of Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces but its much grittier and the ending is so unexpected and raw that many may be turned off by it but it has the advantage of giving you a final glimpse of this character that you are not likely to forget.

Unexpected ending but hits right where it should.

If you wanted to you could probably analyze this film from a number of angles. One being that modern man just isn't satisfied living in his settled society doing mundane tasks but then that might sound too academic and too trite and thats just what Axel's trying to escape from.

O yes the film is like a yearbook of seventies actors as there are about fifteen recognizable faces in supporting roles: including Lauren Hutton as girlfriend, Paul Sorvino as bookie, Huggie Bear as a pimp, and James Woods as a snotty bank clerk who Caan has to rough up.

Karel Reisz was himself a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia. He fled to the UK to escape the Holocaust so the story of Axel Freed's uncle is especially interesting in that light. Reisz also directed another tremendous seventies film called Who'll Stop the Rain (1978) based on Robert Stone's Dog Soldiers and starring Nick Nolte and Tuesday Weld.

Excellent Drama.......2005-08-18

An excellent movie, given an average treatment on DVD- that is to say, good picture quality, murky sound, and zero extras. Its still worth a purchase though, for the movie itself.

Average customer rating:

Excellent performance by Johnny Crawford.

The Gambler: The Adventure Continues
Starring: Bruce Boxleitner , Linda Evans , Clu Gulager , Harold Gould , and David Hedison
Director: Dick Lowry
Manufacturer: Time Life Records
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ASIN: B000GDI2KQ
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Description

Brady Hawkes (Kenny Rogers), his son Jeremiah (Charles Fields) and Billy Montana (Bruce Boxleitner) are on a train bound for a high-stakes game in San Francisco when a gang of vicious outlaws stops the train. Charlie McCourt (Mitch Ryan) and his murderous gang are after gold being transported by railroad baron Arthur Stobridge (Harold Gould). When Stobridge informs McCourt that the gold is on its way by stagecoach to the town bank in Jubilee, McCourt takes young Jeremiah as a hostage and demands a $1 million ransom. Brady and Billy embark on a quest to rescue Jeremiah before McCourt's gang reaches Jubilee and they enlist the help of the beautiful bounty hunter Kate Muldoon (Linda Evans).

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performance by Johnny Crawford........2007-03-08

This is a good show with good action and fun. As a young cowboy, Johnny Crawford really does a great job handling the action scenes and portraying the young cowboy!

Average customer rating:

Great Actors & Director but Bad Script
Great cast with dialogue that doesn't quite match up
Say What....?
A Mixed Bag
The Spaceman's Directorial Debut

Albino Alligator
Starring: Matt Dillon , Faye Dunaway , Gary Sinise , William Fichtner , and Viggo Mortensen
Director: Kevin Spacey
Manufacturer: Miramax
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ASIN: 630542800X
Release Date: 1999-09-07

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Actor Kevin Spacey made his directorial debut in this uneven crime thriller that has the claustrophobic feel of a play. Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, and William Fichtner play a trio of robbers who have just pulled a job gone wrong. On the run from the cops, they hide out in a basement bar, where they try to figure out their next move. There's a certain amount of urgency, however, because Sinise, the brains of the outfit, is badly wounded--which means that Fichtner, the group psycho, is allowed to run wild, terrorizing the barflies unlucky enough to be their hostages. As the cops swarm outside the bar--thinking these three are major criminals rather than small potatoes--tensions mount, mostly through misunderstanding. But it's all a lot of talk, not nearly enough of it interesting, that pushes the movie slowly to its inevitable conclusion. --Marshall Fine

Description

An intense, all-star action-thriller, ALBINO ALLIGATOR is directed by Academy Award(R)-winner Kevin Spacey (1999 Best Actor -- AMERICAN BEAUTY). Matt Dillon (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY), and Emmy-winner Gary Sinise (1998 Best Actor In A Miniseries Or Movie, GEORGE WALLACE) play brothers Dova and Milo ... a couple of small-time crooks suddenly in way over their heads! When a holdup goes terribly wrong, the robbers flee to a local bar, desperately taking everyone inside hostage! With nowhere to run and time running out, it's a deadly situation where every second counts! Also starring Golden Globe-winner Faye Dunaway (1999 Best Supporting Actress, GIA) -- expect unexpected twists and turns, all leading to an incredibly explosive climax!

Customer Reviews:

Great Actors & Director but Bad Script.......2006-05-24

There's a superb cast assembled here. You have Faye Dunaway, Gary Sinise, Viggo Mortensen, Joe Mantegna and several others. It's like a play - primarily set in one small, claustrophobic basement bar with only one exit. There's a trio of brothers who are petty thieves who take the few bar people hostage while they try to think their way out of their mess. In the meantime the cops and news reporters do their usual dances outside.

This is of course a theme that's been done many, many times in many situations. How the hostage-takers each have different views on what to do and fight amongst themselves. How the hostages first rebel against the situation and then try to work with the captors in order to work things out. How the newscasters "screw things up" for the cops by broadcasting information they shouldn't.

I really appreciated that, while the movie is inherently about violence and threatened violence, that they didn't make the movie about gore. They explicitly set scenes up so that you see what's coming - but you don't see the actual damage. You see the results reflected in the eyes of the actors. It's about the emotion and the impact.

The problem isn't the directing - Kevin Spacey does a nice job of framing the shots and setting the pace. You feel the tension build as the characters stay locked in this small space for hour after hour. The problem isn't the actors either - each of the actors gives their character a sense of honest realism that reflects their skills.

The problem isn't the "setup" either - most plays are set up exactly like this one and many of those do fantastically well on the movie screen. I could name a ton of movies that are set primarily in one room, where that helps the characters to shine.

The issue here is the writing. You can see the actors really struggle to deliver the lines with feeling - but it can be really difficult. First, the 3 brothers. Matt Dillon's character is a not-smart flip-flopper who starts to agree with whoever talked with him last. William Fichtner is the psychotic one who wants to kill everyone - he even slugs his own brother for the hell of it. Gary Sinese is the smart brother, but he doesn't have much influence over his brothers. The dynamics between these three could really have been incredible - but instead the dialogue makes it frustrating and at times inane. When characters start dropping, you really are rooting for some of the brothers to go.

The bar patrons really aren't fleshed out enough for you to care much about them. In fact, Faye's character comes off rather rough at the beginning - especially with her son being there, it's hard to believe she'd really antagonize the gun-toting criminals as much as she does. Viggo's character, as the super-quiet Canadian, has almost zero personality. His great talent with languages could really have been shown off, given that the character seems to be French speaking, but it isn't.

In all, there was huge potential - but the script's flaws were just too large to overcome. I found the experience quite unsatisfying.

Great cast with dialogue that doesn't quite match up.......2005-08-16

I was drawn to buy this movie because of it's cast. The movie revolves around three desparate second rate crooks that get themselves in a mess and end up taking a tavern's patrons hostage. Watching this moving in 2005, it seems dated, even though I didn't think it needed to. I remember another movie involving hostage taking; a much older film, called Straw Dogs, yet it did not seem awkward watching it years later. There are a few tense moments and a few surprises along the way, but this film could have been much, much better.

Say What....?.......2004-06-09

....the ultimo movie about a bungled heist job and the crooks are holed out somewheres is....Reservior Dogs. This has great actors in it...I enjoyed seeing, f'instance, Dame Dunaway...but, she, Sinise, Dillon, Mantegna, and perpetual co-lister Faison had a poor dialog to work with. Imagine if QT had written it. Or, my favorite tough guy screenwriter, David Mamet. Fortunately though, Spacey will have something to build on develop a director's repertoire...

A Mixed Bag.......2002-08-12

Director Kevin Spacey leads a superb cast who do reasonably well considering the material. Don't get me wrong, the film's idea is a good one. But this script seems more suitable as a play, than a film. Being that most of the film takes place in a one room bar. Faye Dunaway is great, as well as Gary Sinise in a subdued role. But Matt Dillion's tough guy routine seems a little forced, and by the end of the film it's a little tired. However, this is suitable start as Spacey's debut. It's enjoyable too watch, especially if you let yourself sink into it, and try not too deconstruct it's flaws.

The Spaceman's Directorial Debut.......2002-07-14

I bought this DVD purely to hear the feature-length director's commentary by THE MAN himself, Kevin Spacey. I wasn't disappointed. It's like hearing a course on acting, cinematography, and almost every aspect of film-making, plus some amusing stories along the way.

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Amazing........2007-06-26

Funny........2007-04-10

Good laughs. My favorite scene is that with the feeding machine. Even my boyfriend who hates old black and white movies was laughing out loud. Genius.

Timeless.......2007-02-19

"Modern Times" Attacked American Capitalism.......2007-01-14

Charlie the rebel, Charlie the poet, Charlie the invincibly human..........2007-01-08

Free Time: Techniques for Modern Freeheel Skiing

Average customer rating:

Good instruction movie
Excellent for DOWNHILL TELEMARK SKIING
NOT for Nordic or Skate Skiers!!
More Nordic instruction needed

Free Time: Techniques for Modern Freeheel Skiing
Starring: Frode Gronvold , Charlie Cannon , Jeff Kaloustian , Steve Leeder , and Rich Myer
Director: Josh Murphy
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000087HCE
Release Date: 2002-12-20

Customer Reviews:

Good instruction movie.......2007-01-18

It is an great "how to" movie on freeheel technique. Not intended for Piste skiers or Nordic skiers. It covers the basics to experts freeriding.

Excellent for DOWNHILL TELEMARK SKIING.......2007-01-10

The earlier reviewer does not use the same definition of "free heel" skiing. I found this to be an excellent, the best I found, instructional video of modern telemark skiing in all kinds of different conditions. Filmed in some great locations, with detailed and helpful tips on body position, balance, and stance. You will definitely improve your telemark skiing!

NOT for Nordic or Skate Skiers!!.......2005-12-06

As described by the review above this video is NOT for nordic or skate skiers!!! Modern freeheel technique and nordic/crosscountry/skate skiing acually have very little in common. Once you understand what this video is for then you can appreciate its value.
It is the only instructional video on modern freeheel technique that I know of, and although it can't teach you how to ski, it has valuable tips for all telemark skiers of all levels and all abilities. It covers everything from the very basics to full on big mountain freeriding. If you are looking to improve you telemark technique and style then this video is for you.

More Nordic instruction needed.......2005-05-18

My husband and I did not like this video. In our opinion there is no instructional value or race footage. I can't see how this type of product is useful to learning to nordic ski since there is no uphill or flat track technique.

Average customer rating:

I WAS ABSOLUTLY DEVESTATED!
terrible
Still Alive and Well
confusing
OH NO!

Johnny Winter - Live in Times Square
Starring: Johnny Winter
Manufacturer: Mvd Visual
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0002IQK18
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Description

This performance from August 28th, 2003 features Johnny Winter playing an extraordinary show at the legendary B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square, New York. Johnny still shows a twinkle in his eye and displays the brilliance of the blues; he clearly loves what he is doing and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. Backed by a smoking band, Johnny Winter still delivers the goods. And when he breaks out the bottleneck slide, the adoring crowd erupts - the room is electrified, and to the very last man it is very clear why Johnny Winter is a Living Legend. Band - Johnny Winter: Guitar, Vocals; Scott Spray: Bass, Vocals; James Montgomery: Harp, Vocals; Wayne June: Drums, Vocals.

Customer Reviews:

I WAS ABSOLUTLY DEVESTATED!.......2007-05-24

I'm a HUGE Johnny Winter fan! Iv got a stack of his cd's 6 feet tall! thats why I spent 60 something bucks plus tax and expedited shipping on this disc, I thought for SURE this was going to be a concert from the 70's featuring Johnny at his best, I put the thing on and thats when the NIGHTMARE began..... I swear to God Johnny looked, sounded, and moved, like he was a hundred and fifteen years old, he could NOT play the guitar, and he could NOT sing, I have no idea why he accepted to do that show in the condition he was in, here's what you cant really make out by looking at the cover... he's sitting on a chair... Iv NEVER seen him sit at his shows!!! I CURSE THE PEOPLE WHO FIGURED.... "well we can take some great 70's footage and put it on this dvd, or....... we can put THIS show on.......they must of smoked more crack than u can shake a d--k at!!! after I watched this dvd I KNEW being the Johnny fan I am, that I can NEVER watch this again! It is now where it belongs, in the L A city dump! that being said...... If you guys wanna here Johnny at his best, BUY A CD CALLED JOHNNY WINTER, GUITAR SLINGER. The BEST guitar power blues album EVER made! BUY A CD CALLED JOHNNY WINTER, SAINTS AND SINNERS, a GREAT country ROCK album for people of ALL ages!!! BUY THOSE CD'S RIGHT NOW DAMMIT!!!!!! AMAZON MAKES IT SO EASY!!!! MOOOOOOVVVE!!!!!!!! LoL. Hope you liked my first review.

terrible.......2006-12-22

I saw Johnny recently in concert. Although his health is not all that great and he walked stooped over and very slow there is nothing wrong with his fingers or his voice. This recording was obviously made when he wasnot feeling well and possibly heavily medicated. Other musicians had to carry the load for him. When I saw him he was with a bass player and drummer and Johnny carried himslf just fine. Don't buy this DVD. Go to his show instead. And "yes" he is still touring!!

Still Alive and Well.......2006-09-11

I am shocked by a few of the other reviews blasting one of the greatest blues guitarest ever, becasue he is old now and has had many health problams. I seen Johnny 9-10-06 at a blues fest, and it was sad to see that he was as crippled up as he is, broken hip, going blind,and quite frail, but he still played the hell out of that ol guitar, and his slide work is better than anyones out there. He is a Blues man so if you are looking for footage of his rock days, don't get this, Johnny was a rocker by default, his real core is that of a bluesman. to state that you should dispose of anyone because of age is crappy at best. Johnny still commands the stage and respect of a veteran bluesman. His newest alblum has been nomanated for a grammy. So those neg. reviews are way off the mark. I have been a fan of his for over 30 years now. He is one of the greatest blues guitarist ever, and can still play circles around most of the guys out there today. If you are looking for rock stuff of his don't by this dvd, but if you are a blues fan, you will really enjoy it. It is sad that he is as crippled up as he is, albino's do not usally fair well in the health area, but as a guitarist and a blues man, he is still a power to be recconded with

confusing.......2006-02-28

i can't understand how anyone who has johnny winters best interest at heart would release a concert that does not show johnny in a good light. his longtime health problems become more of a focus on this dvd than the music which is a shame.

OH NO!.......2006-02-13

I've just visited a friend of mine who told me he'd got this Johnny Winter DVD as a birthday present. Although having been a fan since 1969, when listening to Johnny B. Goode on German radio had blown me away, I had been reluctant to watch this one, due to the fact that in 2003 he hadn't appeared on a scheduled show in Ulm in Southern Germany, and the newspapers revealed he had "taken the money and run". But watching this DVD was one of the saddest experiences in my life. My anger had given way to indescribable pity. His catastrophic health situation made me feel awfully sad, nothing left anymore, his voice gone, his guitar playing on an amateur level, with a shaking right hand and knee. Who are those contemptible vultures making money out of this? If you're a Johnny Winter fan, don't watch this DVD, and certainly don't buy it! It will make you feel sick. Instead, watch his 1980 appearance on German Rockpalast and remember him as one of the greatest blues virtuosos ever. THIS DVD is completely superfluous!

Average customer rating:

La Strada (Import, all region DVD)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0009X4ADG

Product Description

It is a cliche that 'La Strada' is Fellini's most Chaplinesque film, not just in the excess of sentimentality or the heroine's mugging, but in the film's very structure, which, like 'Modern Times' and so many others, is rooted in the circle: people circling around Gelsomina as she leaves; the circus; the narrative as a series of sketches, beginning, ending, beginning again; the return, over and over, to the beach. But this is in many ways an anti-Chaplin film, the circle and the road leading not to renewal, continuity or hope, but inertia and death. This is a film that should not work - the central figure, part-Little Tramp, part-Holy Fool, is mawkishly unconvincing; the film's misogynistic morality is slightly dubious - and yet it is frequently magnificent, full of the grotesquerie and hysteria that is not supposed to be in the pre-'La Dolce Vita' films; the rough style is heartstoppingly reminiscent of the nouvelle vague; the harrowing neo-realism is laced with surrealism and epiphany. Best sequence? Either the wedding, or Richard Baseheart on a tightrope. ++++ This officially licensed South Korean NTSC all-region release provides 4:3 (fullscreen) display, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio - ITALIAN, with optional Korean subtitles - PLEASE NOTE: There are NO ENGLISH Subtitles on this release.

DVD:

DVD

DVD