American Psycho (Uncut Killer Collector's Edition)

Product Description

Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) a Wall Street yuppie obsessed with success, status and style is also a serial killer who murders, rapes and mutilates both strangers and acquaintances without reason. A Police detective is on his trail as Bateman s mask of studied, distant cool begins to fall apart.

System Requirements:

Running Time 102 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the "me" culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, "We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation." Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

It's hip to be square and insane.......2007-09-17

I've watched it a few times here and there on tv and finally decided to get the DVD. Based on the book by the same name,....this is one of those tongue in cheek / dark comedy films that meets a Norman Bates from Psycho. Well....Norman Bates as a well-to-do New York business exectutive with a high-income salary and a three-piece designer suit...but you get the idea. Christian Bale is perfect in this film....taking the audience on a never-ending downward spiral into the darkest recesses of his soul only to murder those he envies and an occasional hooker or two only to realize that in the end where he questions himself if he actually committed these murders or not.

It's a great thril-ride.....filled with the typical 80's excesses and references, the overall dark fantasy that lurks in some of us to do away with those who just push our buttons, the comedic moments of his narrations and actions as he Bale's character plunges further into madness.

Naked Bloody Psycho.......2007-09-03

Christian Bale is a typical American Rich Snob in the 80s whose only focus is himself. He is the predecessor of the metro sexual, with 4 kinds of body cleanser, perfectly pressed business clothing and a male physique to die-for. He has everthing and begins to lose his mind.

The pinnacle of the movie is Christian Bale, absolutley naked as a jay-bird, muscles throbbing, covered in his victim's blood, wielding a chain-saw, screaming in some psycho-sexual rage as his victim gets away down a stair-well. He screams and throws the running chainsaw over the balcony to finish his victim off.

You don't know whether you are turned on or terrifed.

Everything begins to fall apart as his mind betrays him. By the end, he doesnt know if he really did these things or if it was his sick fantasy.

Another highlight is watching the intolerable character played by Jared Leto being butchered with an ax.

Probably a great movie for its time but definitely has some sick themes, but just seeing Bale naked is worth it. Batman buns....Yummy.

Christian Bale scared me..........2007-08-31

But I guess that was the point. Man, he really gives his all to a character! Love him! Always will!

BALE IS PSYCHO!!.......2007-08-31

this movie gave me the creeps. goes to show you can't judge a book by it's cover. bale is brilliant in this movie. he knows how to get into character, and he can only stay under control for so long. killing is his high. and it just shows you never really know someone.

Great film.......2007-08-27

Christian Bale is perfect for this role. He is genius in this. It couldn't have been better. I cant quite put a genre to this, its one of those 'multi-genre' type of movies, but it can appeal to so many tastes. Its kinda twisted and naughty but great at the same time. A must-see.

Average customer rating:

Imaginative story that keeps our child's interest
Neverending Enjoyment
Love this movie, but where's the special treatment
Great movie
They don't make movies like this anymore....

The NeverEnding Story
Starring: Barret Oliver , Gerald McRaney , Drum Garrett , Darryl Cooksey , and Nicholas Gilbert
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005LKHZ
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Amazon.com essential video

Wolfgang Petersen (In the Line of Fire) made his first English-language film with this 1984 fantasy about a boy (Barret Oliver) visualizing the stories of a book he's reading. The imagined tale involves another boy, a warrior (Noah Hathaway), and his efforts to save the empire of Fantasia from a nemesis called the Nothing. Whether or not the scenario sticks in the memory, what does linger are the unique effects, which are not quite like anything else. Plenty of good fairy-tale characters and memorable scenes, and the film even encourages kids to read. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Imaginative story that keeps our child's interest.......2007-08-25

This movie is great for kids who have no problem with imagination and who like to READ. Our four-year old can get bored with some movies since they are not as good as a book (his words!) but this movie keeps his attention just fine. It does have some rather scary parts in it but nothing graphic or poor language and as long as you are watching TOGETHER and explain what is happening, there should be no problem with fright or nightmares. We bought the three-part movie series to our delight.

Neverending Enjoyment.......2007-08-24

The Neverending Story has been a perfect childhood movie since it's induction into the greatest kids' movies of all time. I've watched this movie growing up and continue to share it with the younger friends and family.

Love this movie, but where's the special treatment.......2007-08-17

This was a seminal movie for me in my childhood (along with The Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Goonies and others) and I love it to this day. The only thing I'm disgrunteled about is it's poor treatment on DVD. I want a special edition: with a making of documentary highlighting the whole process from the actual book to the script, character sketches and concepts, set design, creature design and building, and all the goodies real film enthusiasts love to watch. And interviews! I mean, even if there is no older footage of the process of making the film can't the people responsible put something together to honor this film. Atleast a director's commentary or something. I love this film and I will continue to watch it from time to time...I just wish that the DVD editions had just a lil' bit extra for all the fans and enthusiasts of this wonderful fantasy.

Great movie.......2007-07-28

Great movie, one that you can watch over and over for many years. But if you want the full experience, you should read the book by Micheal Ende.

They don't make movies like this anymore...........2007-07-06

Remember that moment at the end of Wizard of Oz when the Good Witch tells Dorothy she's had the power to go home all along? Remember the collective "What the (BLEEP)..." from everyone watching, regardless of their age?

I had a very similar reaction when I reached the end of this movie.

That's not to say I was disappointed. Quite the contrary. It was like a slap in the face of "why didn't I think of that?" Often times the best endings are so obvious you overlook them and this movie is a testament to that fact.

That having been said it's also one of the best fantasy rides you'll ever take in 2 hours. A turtle whose shell is an island. A talking wolf. A luck dragon. Two sets of sphinx like characters, both offering riddles. A horse whose own sadness nearly is is undoing... oh and a rock biter.

These are just a few of the fanciful elements that make this very under-celebrated movie worth high praise!

If you saw it as a child and you now have children, show it to your children. Make it something you share for generations. You'll be glad you did.

They don't make movies like this any more. The more we can teach our children to have imaginations, the more likely they are to dream big dreams... and the more likely they are to turn those dreams into reality.

Average customer rating:

NORMAN VS LEATHERFACE!
NOT Anamorphic Widescreen
A True Classic
an unusual masterpiece
Psycho

Psycho (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Frank Albertson , John Anderson , Martin Balsam , George Eldredge , and Sam Flint
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0783225849
Release Date: 1998-05-27

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At last--a great American movie available on video for the first time in its original aspect ratio. For all the slasher pictures that have ripped off Psycho (and particularly its classic set piece, the "shower scene"), nothing has ever matched the impact of the real thing. More than just a first-rate shocker full of thrills and suspense, Psycho is also an engrossing character study in which director Alfred Hitchcock skillfully seduces you into identifying with the main characters--then pulls the rug (or the bathmat) out from under you. Anthony Perkins is unforgettable as Norman Bates, the mama's boy proprietor of the Bates Motel; and so is Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, who makes an impulsive decision and becomes a fugitive from the law, hiding out at Norman's roadside inn for one fateful night. Psycho gets the masterpiece treatment it deserves on DVD, with extras including newsreel footage surrounding the making and release of the movie; an archive of production stills; the special trailer in which Hitchcock (acting as one of the original Universal Studio tour guides) himself leads viewers around the Bates place; credit designer Saul Bass's original "shower scene" story boards; posters and advertising materials for the movie's William Castle-like publicity campaign (No One Will Be Seated After the Feature Begins!); and a 90-minute documentary on the making of the film! What more could any movie fan possibly want? --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

NORMAN VS LEATHERFACE!.......2007-08-21

My caption comes from the fact that both "Psycho" and "The Texas Chainsaw Masacre" were loosely based on the same killer Ed Gein. These are completely different films of course, but I find it interesting none the less. I have seen "Pyscho" so many times that it's not something I watch often now. The movie is still brilliant and what made me want to see it recently was the fact that I finally built my home theater. I wasn't born when "Pshcho" was released in theaters and after 20 years of dreaming of having a home theater(long before they seemed possible)my vision has come true! The screen I have been viewing the movies I've reviewed is 150 inches which is a little over 10 feet long by little over 7 feet high. It was almost like watching it for the first time! I saw little things I never noticed thoughout the film and the score never sounded so good. If you have never seen this movie, you have missed one of the most copied films ever! The version I'm reviewing is in the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece collection box set. Four reasons to buy this movie...It's Hitchcock, Perkins gives the performance of his career, it's one of the best horror/thrillers ever made and the DVD transfer is excellent!

NOT Anamorphic Widescreen.......2007-07-19

Need I say more? This 5-star movie on the Universal DVD is shown in "widescreen" format, but framed within a 4:3 viewing ratio. Which means you get black bars on the top and bottom, AND left and right. Which doesn't look like what you expect to see with any other movie on your widescreen TV. Do you get it? So, my conclusion is that Universal Home Video has really screwed up on the Hitchcock films they control. From the botched "restoration" on Rear Window (it's too fuzzy), to the goofy foley effects re-recorded for Vertigo, and now this insult to movie buffs (similar to BBC video's that keep their widescreen content firmly fixed in the 4:3 frame).

Paramount, on the other hand, got it right with their latest issue of "To Catch A Thief" with a clean sharp print, preserving the original VistaVision aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (as anamorphic widescreen).

I don't know why so many of the classic Hitchcock films are getting such bad treatment, with films such as "Notorious" and "Spellbound" remaining currently unavailable (check out the used prices to see how valuable these films really are). What I have seen from Criterion are only partially restored, and not digitized and cleaned up as current restoration efforts can accomplish.

I'm passing on any more Hitchcock DVD's from Universal, unless I have some confidence that the re-issues are done with some real attention to the quality of the release, as Paramount has done with their later releases.

A True Classic.......2007-07-07

It's well worth it NOT to learn anything at all about the plot of this movie before you watch it. Part of the fantastic thrill of watching the tale unwind is learning the ins and outs of what is going on. You probably already know the keynote situation - a knife in a shower scene - but luckily that comes early on, so you don't spend half the movie wondering what it is all about.

Many aspects make this movie spectacular and worthy of the #18 AFI top movie rating. The black and white filming makes every shadow and corner suspect. It's not a movie about gore and blood - in fact many scenes deliberately scare you without showing you what actually is going on. Your imagination supplies the activity. It's more a movie about nerves - about wondering what is going to happen, worrying about consequences.

You can tell how amazing a movie is when, many decades later, a new director works to make a scene-by-scene reproduction of the movie with modern actors, just to help bring the story to a new generation. Viggo Mortensen fans are familiar with this one.

Highly recommended.

an unusual masterpiece.......2007-07-06

By far Hitchcock's most twisted film, psycho twists plot, twists characters, and twists gender as no film ever had done.. Hitchcock was probably the best director at making technical breakthroughs and also in making those breakthroughs enjoyable for the audiece without any threads showing.. This is especially evident in psycho.. but also in other films like Vertigo with its famous vertigo camera effect that would later be copyed by several directors..
Psycho was a great success for Hitchcock and perhaps his last absolute masterpiece (though i would argue that the birds and Marnie were truly great masterpieces - and two of my favorites..) Anthony Perkins was truly made to play Norman bates.. although his career suffered afterwards as he would always be remembered as norman bates and he couldn't get the casting he deserved..
interestingly Hitchcock was extremely popular with the french new wave directors.. and psycho was kind of their bible in film - how to break the rules in effective ways..

Psycho.......2007-06-28

Made at the peak of his career in 1960, "Psycho" was suspense master Hitchcock's last and most famous black-and-white picture--and a film that inaugurated the sub-genre of slasher movie. By the standards of today's gore-fests, it's a fairly restrained murder mystery, but disturbing nonetheless, achieving its chills more by what is withheld than shown. Hitchcock knows just how to heighten our dread of who or what might be at the top of the stairs, or beyond that shower curtain. The terrifying "Psycho" stands above most any psychological thriller made since.

Average customer rating:

A worthy depiction
Great
The classic story returns for the next generation
Shakespear at it's best
Good enjoyable interpretation.

Hamlet
Starring: Mel Gibson , Glenn Close , Alan Bates , Paul Scofield , and Ian Holm
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00019072G
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Amazon.com essential video

Franco Zeffirelli's stripped-down, two-hour version of Shakespeare's play stars Mel Gibson as a rather robust version of the ambivalent Danish prince. Gibson is much better in the part than many critics have admitted, his powers of clarity doing much to make this particular Hamlet more accessible than several other filmed versions. The supporting cast is outstanding, including Glenn Close as Gertrude, Alan Bates as Claudius, Ian Holm as Polonius, and Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia. Zeffirelli's vigorous direction employs a lively camera style that nicely alters the viewer's preconceptions about the way Hamlet should look. --Tom Keogh

Description

Treachery. Madness. Murder. The story of Hamlet has been told for 400 years...but it's never been told like this! Mel Gibson (the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon films) takes on his richest part to date, the title role in a dynamic new version of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet, Jesus of Nazareth), the location-shot production has a sumptuous look that won Academy Award nominations for Art Direction and Costume Design. Gibson plays the prince of medieval-era Denmark, who senses treachery behind his royal father's death. Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons) plays Hamlet's mother Gertrude, all too dangerously entangled in that treachery. A brilliant supporting cast, including Alan Bates as Claudius, Paul Scofield as the ghost of Hamlet's father, Ian Holm as Polonius and Helena Bonham-Carter as Ophelia, adds its powerful presence to this immortal tale of high adventure and evil deeds. Big, bold and heroic, this is a vivid and virile Hamlet for the modern age and all time.

Customer Reviews:

A worthy depiction.......2007-07-26

Throughout cinematic history many gifted people have made many splendid versions of what is one of Shakespear's most spirited and acclaimed stories of all time. They have come and gone, but this is one that should remain for all times never to be forgotten. Definitely my favorite, it seems so much more alive than other versions and lets face it, with an actor so live as Mel Gibson at the helm, its bound to be.

Gibson slips immaculately, if not effortlessly into the shoes of this hard-to-fill character previously portrayed by so many other fine actors. But in doing so, he brings something new to the theatrical table set forth here by Franco Zeffirelli (The Taming of the Shrew). It is practicalism. Gibson does not selfishly attempt to play Hamlet in his own way as some have, but instead prefers to keep things deeply theatrical and classic as well as practical for all those watching. In the 'actor's journey' included in the special features leaf, we witness Gibson's painstaking and dedicated efforts to keep the character accurately real through constant research and repetition of the lines. We get to see a master at work. Mel Gibson sacrifices nothing and yet adds everything to the renowned character, and does it with a truly wonderful supporting cast.

Glenn Close is Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, while Alan Bates portrayes Hamlet's Uncle Claudius. Both are superb in their skills and fill their respective roles wonderfully, but the two roles that really captured my attention were Ian Holm as the meddlesome Polonius, and Helena Bonham-Carter as our frail and lovely Ophelia. As a viewer I have always been partial to Holm in any role. To me he seems to be one of the lesser known geniuses of his craft, and that evaluation is in no way lessened by his work here (for those of you unfamiliar with his name you might remember him from his most recent role as 'Bilbo' in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy). He's been around for ages and seems to be at the peak of his acting abilities in this work, moving effortlessly over the unceasing and complicated structure of Shakespear's lines and phrases. As for Helena Bonham-Carter, no one could have been better to portray the ill-fated Ophelia in saneness or madness. She also posesses one of those unique, other-worldly kind of faces that just seems to gel for this role. Paul Scofield returns to familiar work in William Shakespear's plays as the dead ghost of Hamlet's father. Top all of this off with music scored by the legendary Ennio Morricone (who was recently honored with lifetime achievement at the Academy Awards) and you've got yourself a depiction of a story that can't go wrong!

The movie runs 135 minutes long and is accompanied by a making-of documentary by Mel Gibson, "To Be or Not to Be". It also comes with the original theatrical trailer and the movie itself is viewable through English, French or Spanish subtitles. And be sure to buy the widescreen version for better viewing.

This movie is produced with the upmost dilligence, and most superb effort from actors, writers, designers, musicians and director alike. The most wonderful and practical version of "Hamlet" on the market. You'll see what I mean.

Great.......2007-07-25

high school students will love this movie for its vivid scenes. Very true to the text. Brings Shakespeare to the teen's grasp.

The classic story returns for the next generation.......2007-07-22

Though Shakespeare has been studied by scholars for centuries and it theater audience have been limited to the highly educated, only in this last decade have I recently enjoyed the works of Shakespeare through the movie screen. Its language and historical value have eluded me for decades. Only since the release of Taming of the Shrewd on VHS have I ventured to view and thoroughly enjoy not only the Shakespearean words, but a lively tale which showcases how life has not changed since the 16th century. Hamlet, with Mel Gibson, is another such movie that has brought Shakespeare alive and understandable. It is entertaining & easy to follow & not too lengthy that one would lose interest. Glen Close also adds her genius acting to the mix and you can escape into a world that may or may not have existed. It was a pleasant two hours of entertainment which is a rarity in Hollywierd today.

Shakespear at it's best.......2007-06-08

Stunning acting by Mel Gibson, Shakespearian art hasn't been lost from this DvD a must buy if you have read the story before or just getting into Shakespeare. Truly a intellectual movie you will watch for years to come.

-SBJ

Good enjoyable interpretation........2007-06-04

I liked this version of the tragic prince's tale. As someone who's spent a lot of time studying Hamlet, the portrayal of the closet scene irritated me, but is entirely forgivable. The acting is very good, though the editing and arrangement of the script might throw you for a loop. If you're not a student who's read the play umpteen times, you should be fine though. Regardless, it's very enjoyable, and definitely worth the price.

Average customer rating:

HELL'S HOTEL
A timeless thriller
Legend of the man-faced dog
scary
Classic

The Shining
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Shelley Duvall , Danny Lloyd , Scatman Crothers , and Barry Nelson
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00005ATQJ
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com essential video

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is less an adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel than a complete reimagining of it from the inside out. In King's book, the Overlook Hotel is a haunted place that takes possession of its off-season caretaker and provokes him to murderous rage against his wife and young son. Kubrick's movie is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel's labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer, who's settled in for a long winter's hibernation. As many have pointed out, King's protagonist goes mad, but Kubrick's Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is Looney Tunes from the moment we meet him--all arching eyebrows and mischievous grin. (Both Nicholson and Shelley Duvall reach new levels of hysteria in their performances, driven to extremes by the director's fanatical demands for take after take after take.) The Shining is terrifying--but not in the way fans of the novel might expect. When it was redone as a TV miniseries (reportedly because of King's dissatisfaction with the Kubrick film), the famous topiary-animal attack (which was deemed impossible to film in 1980) was there--but the deeper horror was lost. Kubrick's The Shining gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there's no place to hide... --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

HELL'S HOTEL.......2007-09-01

the shining is by far one of the best bone chilling movies. so good, so sinister, and jack nicholson is superb. stephen king does it again, what can i say the man is a genius. it doesn't hurt that jack is a great actor either. just goes to show what a little cabin fever, and an evil hotel, in an isolated mountain can do to a person, and a family. what is real what isn't. who can you trust, where do you go when you're all alone? it's everything about this movie that will make your skin crawl.

A timeless thriller.......2007-09-01

The Shining is by far one of the freakiest films I have ever seen. It has such a creepy undertone throughout the entire film. There are so many parts that make you wonder what was going on in Stanley Kubric's head. In my opinion he made hotels one of the creepiest places on earth by making you wonder if the twins will appear at the end of a long dimly lit hallway.

Just a terrific classic horror flick. If you are a true horror fan this one is a must see.

Legend of the man-faced dog.......2007-07-30

Ok. Anybody that's seen this movie knows about that scene at the end where there is this man in a dog/bear costume. It's the scariest scene in this movie or any other movie for that matter. Some reviewers, such as Howard Tuttleman assume that there was a lot of cut footage that explained the whole dog/man legend. I doubt it though. But the truth may be a lot more terrifying. There is a Scientology book by L. Ron Hubbard called the Creation of human ability. It is a book for high-ranking scientologists but you can find it on ebay sometimes. The cover of this book has...a man in a bear/dog costume. Just one problem this book was written long before the Shining was made. 1954. Just what the hell is going on here?! So I read the book but there is nothing about the man/bear/dog thing on the cover. Is this false advertisement, or is Hubbard trying to tell us something? Or perhaps the director of the shining is trying to tell us something. Maybe the guy just walked on the set that day in the cosutume and he is trying to tell us something. I don't know the answer but there is more to this man/bear/dog thing than people are letting on.

scary.......2007-07-17

this movie to me is one of jack's finest pieces of work. i love it and have seen it many times but did not own it. now it will be a classic in my video library. thanks a million

Classic.......2007-07-09

Another Kubrick masterpiece. Every element of the film is superb: the cinematography, the acting, the pacing, the music. A perfect example of flim at its finest.

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This is a Thriller?
Hitchcock's Masterpiece
THIS is a masterpiece? (Beware spoilers)
Twists and Turns Galore!
Vertigo

Vertigo (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Isabel Analla , Raymond Bailey , Barbara Bel Geddes , Paul Bryar , and Ellen Corby
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0783226055
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Amazon.com essential video

Although it wasn't a box-office success when originally released in 1958, Vertigo has since taken its deserved place as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest, most spellbinding, most deeply personal achievement. In fact, it consistently ranks among the top 10 movies ever made in the once-a-decade Sight & Sound international critics poll, placing at number 4 in the most recent survey. (Universal Pictures' spectacularly gorgeous 1996 restoration and rerelease of this 1958 Paramount production was a tremendous success with the public, too.) James Stewart plays a retired police detective who is hired by an old friend to follow his wife (a superb Kim Novak, in what becomes a double role), whom he suspects of being possessed by the spirit of a dead madwoman. The detective and the disturbed woman fall ("fall" is indeed the operative word) in love and...well, to give away any more of the story would be criminal. Shot around San Francisco (the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of the Legion of Honor are significant locations) and elsewhere in Northern California (the redwoods, Mission San Juan Batista) in rapturous Technicolor, Vertigo is as lovely as it is haunting. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

This is a Thriller?.......2007-09-06

Scottie (James Stewart) is a police officer forced to retire due to injuries and his dizzying fear of heights. His old friend Gavin (Tom Helmore) needs his services, however. Gavin's wife Madeleine (Kim Novak) appears to be going crazy. She wanders around town but has no recollection of the events. What really worries Gavin is that Madeleine is at the same age her great-grandmother committed suicide by jumping to her death.

Scottie eventually agrees to the job, but doesn't put much stalk in the theory that Madeleine is possessed. At least at first he doesn't. Is she really possessed? Can Scottie save her life?

And does the audience care? I've only seen a couple Hitchcock flicks, and I was less then impressed with them. I decided it was time to change that, and started here. It did nothing to change my mind.

The story starts out okay, just moves very slowly. I was drawn into the early story wondering what was really happening to Madeleine. That is, when the plot moved forward. I mean, we get shot after shot of Scottie following Madeleine around San Francisco. We get it already!

But then the second half comes and things go down hill. It's obvious to us early on what is happening, so we get bored waiting for the characters to catch up. Meanwhile, the acting gets so bad that it's actually laughable. And the climax? There isn't one. The story ends with a whimper.

I'm beginning to see why I haven't seen that many Hitchcock films before. If this is an example of what I have to look forward to, I won't be watching many more.

Hitchcock's Masterpiece.......2007-08-26

Alfred Hitchcock created one of the greatest films in 1958. Vertigo is a film that not many people will get upon first viewing. In actuality, it took me a second look just to understand what I just saw.

The film is filled to the brim with story. One of the most complex and yet simple stories of all time. This is a film that you need your undivided attention to realize just how powerful it is, without any outside interference.

It's a movie that even the smallest hint of plot would give it away. The only thing and best thing to describe it is, a former police officer suffering from Vertigo is paid to watch a rich man's wife.

Another thing about Vertigo that makes me love this movie is its absolutely gorgeous look. One of the most beautifully shot movies of all time.

It's one of my all time favorite movies, and one of the best EVER, in the history of cinema.

Highly recommended.

The DVD features, as already discussed her on Amazon, feature a commentary track with the producers and restoration team, and a documentary on the making of Vertigo.

THIS is a masterpiece? (Beware spoilers).......2007-08-17

Vertigo is considered one of the greatest films ever made and celebrated as Hitchcock's masterpiece. Perhaps it is. But I found myself bored as I watched it even though I had to admire the artistic intent. There are so many holes in the film it could qualify as cheesy. However, try telling that to those who love it. I think they love it as much for its flaws as for its perfections.

Perfections: the feel of the San Francisco Bay area, the sense of historical California, the great beauty of the ocean framed by Monterey cypresses, the redwoods, the Golden Gate Bridge as seen from below and off to the side, the Bautista Mission, the fifties interior decor, Madeleine's costumes, the angle of Scottie's fedora, the acting by the three stars, James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The musical score by Bernard Herrmann is also celebrated, but I found it a bit overbearing at times, and of course Hitchcock loved using music to direct our sensitivities, and one can tire of that.

Flaws:

Scottie hanging from the drainpipe railing, watching the cop trying to save him fly over to land several stories down, dead. What is not explained is how the cop was expected to pull him up with nothing to hold onto or how Scottie managed to survive. Apparently he fell but only broke his back because in the next scene he is in surgical corset unable to scratch certain itches.

The ersatz psychology. It was the fifties and psychoanalytic psychology was all the rage. One of the bestsellers of the day was The Fifty-Minute Hour: A Collection of True Psychoanalytic Tales by Robert Lindner in which a shrink relates tales told by his patients. Hitchcock loved this sort of thing (cf., Spellbound (1945) with Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman). Audiences also loved it. But the psychology is strictly bananas.

Driving on the wrong side of the road (about which Hitchcock is reported to have said when it was pointed out to him, "You drive your way. I'll drive mine.")

The plot. Oh, the plot. Never but never has there been a more elaborate and unlikely murder-your-rich-wife scheme. Judy Barton is hired, persuaded or, gee, maybe hypnotized into playing Gavin Elster's wife who is to commit suicide by jumping off the bell tower at the mission. First Gavin (Tom Helmore) has to establish that she's crazy and suicidal. This is done by having her drive dreamily around the Frisco Bay area looking for the haunts of her great grandmother who committed suicide. The key is to get Scottie to believe it so he can testify that she was suicidal. For this to work, (1) Madeleine has to fool a police detective--one might say mesmerize him, which she does, (2) Get him to the bell tower at the right time where he is afraid to go to the top--that works, but you have to buy the psychology, (3) Time it so that Madeleine appears to jump off, but in reality you throw the dead body of your wife off after having broken her neck (body kept warm perhaps in your car with the heater on?), (4) Hide with Madeleine at the top of the tower until the coast is clear (whenever that might be).

Although Kim Novak's performance is interesting it is unlikely that she could fool ex-detective Scottie into believing she was somebody else. When she reappears as Judy Barton in the brown hair and the different makeup, it really makes the audience do a double take before realizing that she and Madeleine are the same. But Scottie's take seems to be that she (and some other women at first glance) look like Madeleine--after all, he just got out of the nut house. It is only when he sees the necklace that he comes to his senses.

Another thing afficionados love about this movie is the way Hitchcock was able to subtly strip his stars of their glamour and make them look more or less human. James Stewart never played a part anything like this before. All the funny faces he has to make, perplexed while driving, terrified on the way up the bell tower, insane and terrified in the dream sequence, etc. It is said that Hitchcock blamed the lack of popular success of this movie (when it was belatedly released, not now) on Stewart looking too old, and therefore Hitchcock never worked with him again. But I think Stewart, after seeing the way he looked in this movie--so unheroic, so lost as a real human being--decided he was never going to let Hitchcock do THAT to him again, and that's probably why they never worked together again.

Kim Novak's curvy body and flopping you-know-whats are revealed in outfits that Grace Kelly would never wear. And poor Barbara Bel Geddes with those most unattractive glasses! How she pines for Scottie. One of the best scenes occurs when she shows Scottie her self portrait as the mysterious Carlotta with the glasses on (!) followed by her "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" self-flagellation after Scottie, who was offended at the grotesque sight, walks out.

But why is Scottie always hanging out at her place? And how they talk the plot in the beginning so that we might know that they were once a couple! But Hitchcock never worried about anything but the effect his movie might have on the audience. Improbilities, clumsy plot devices, etc., were secondary. And you know what, he was right, as P.T. Barnum was right. Hitchcock never overestimated the sophistication of his audience and that was one of his strengths. The audience just wants to be entertained, to be diverted, to live the fantasy for a while.

Somebody said that the real entertainment in watching this movie is in watching it again after you know the story. I think they're right. It's definitely a film buff's movie.

Twists and Turns Galore!.......2007-08-16

A great suspense movie--the story, screenplay, acting, musical score, and directing. Clever craftsmanship throughout. Believable characters--Stewart and Novak are superb--and a socko climax and resolution that will arrest your attention as never before. The opening scene is a slam-dunk nail biter--a hook that yanks you right into the story! The less said here about the plot, the better will be your surprises. See it, enjoy it, and see it again and again.

Vertigo.......2007-06-27

Hitchcock's psychological tingler was not a huge success on release, but understandably has achieved cult status over time. Ambitious, dense and more than slightly twisted, "Vertigo" is both an elaborate puzzler and a meditation on man's basest fears and desires. Though perhaps a trifle old for the part, Stewart brings a barely suppressed desperation to Scotty that resonates, while Novak is ideal in a dual identity role, playing Madonna-like Madeleine, and the garish, earthy Judy, whom Scottie meets later in the saga. Glorious San Francisco locales, and a peerless Bernard Herrmann score complete this winning package from the master of suspense.

Average customer rating:

They rarely make 'em like this
It really is. As good as it gets, I mean.
Nicholson at his best
FORMULA ROMANTIC COMEDY WITHOUT BEING FORMULA!
One of my Faves

As Good As It Gets
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Helen Hunt , Greg Kinnear , Cuba Gooding Jr. , and Skeet Ulrich
Director: James L. Brooks
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: 0767811100
Release Date: 1998-05-20

Amazon.com

For all of its conventional plotting about an obsessive-compulsive curmudgeon (Jack Nicholson) who improves his personality at the urging of his gay neighbor (Greg Kinnear) and a waitress (Helen Hunt) who inspires his best behavior, this is one of the sharpest Hollywood comedies of the 1990s. Nicholson could play his role in his sleep (the Oscar he won should have gone to Robert Duvall for The Apostle), but his mischievous persona is precisely necessary to give heart to his seemingly heartless character, who is of all things a successful romance novelist. As a single mom with a chronically asthmatic young son, Hunt gives the film its conscience and integrity (along with plenty of wry humor), and she also won an Oscar for her wonderful performance. Greg Kinnear had to settle for an Oscar nomination (while cowriter-director James L. Brooks was inexplicably snubbed by Oscar that year), but his work was also singled out in the film's near-unanimous chorus of critical praise. It's questionable whether a romance between Hunt and the much older Nicholson is entirely believable, but this movie's smart enough--and charmingly funny enough--to make it seem endearingly possible. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

They rarely make 'em like this.......2007-09-17

This movie has got just about everything. Borderline classic. Jack is an obsessive compulsive guy who tries to overcome so many of his "hang-up" for the sake of a relationship with Helen Hunt. She realizes this is "As good as it gets", and has to make a choice. So very many subplots, and contemporary statements made in this movie. Not only does it make you laugh, but think and feel about your own foibles, and your own views on various topics. Its very good!

It really is. As good as it gets, I mean........2007-08-15

As Good As It Gets is one of those movies that almost defies categorization. It is sometimes called a romantic comedy and it certainly has its share of both laughs and romance. It is also a disturbing drama focusing on an obsessive compulsive (Jack Nicholson) and his attempt to improve his lot in life. But whatever you choose to call it, this is one excellent film. The script features dialog that is so well done it should be mandatory to study it in film schools across the country. The cast is outstanding from top to bottom. All the actors involve give performances that are at least equal to and probably better than anything else they've ever done. I would suspect that they all recognized how exceptional the script was and wanted to do it justice.

The story is fairly involved but focuses primarily on Jack Nicholson and his neighbor (Greg Kinnear). While Nicholson starts off highly antagonistic toward Kinnear, this begins to change after the latter is viciously beaten and injured. Nicholson also pursues a romance with Helen Hunt's character. All of this may seem straightforward but Nicholson portrays one of the rudest, most unlikable men ever to play leading man... yet somehow infuses him with enough humanity that we can't help but root for him. He may be mean and selfish but he's trying to be less mean and selfish and that counts for a lot as the story moves forward. I won't give any more of the plot away but suffice to say that it is fascinating to watch all of this unfold on screen.

As Good As It Gets is much more demanding of its audience than a typical film. But it rewards those who watch with laughter and a great deal of food for thought. It's highly entertaining and I recommend it to one and all. It is, dare I say... as good as it gets.

Nicholson at his best.......2007-08-07

Plenty o' pathos, a wonderful exploration of the human condition, Jack. Three reasons to buy this great film.

FORMULA ROMANTIC COMEDY WITHOUT BEING FORMULA!.......2007-08-01

One of the finest romantic comedies ever made! The entire cast is excellent in this well written tale of love that is not so perfect. The movie deals with much more than an impossible romance and is sharp,blunt, and clever in it's execution of many social issues. This movie should be seen by all movie lovers even if you don't like "romantic comedies". The DVD transfer is good and you can find this is the bargain bins for $5.00!.....A bargain indeed!

One of my Faves.......2007-07-29

Overall, just great script, performances, characters. Perfect movie, really, no flaws. I love this movie.

Pink Floyd - The Wall 25th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition)

Average customer rating:

Cult Classic but would've been better with a different director
Birth of a fan
Awesome! This movie rock!
Imagine this film done by Ridley Scott.
A one hour thirty minute music video

Pink Floyd - The Wall 25th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition)
Starring: Bob Geldof , Christine Hargreaves , James Laurenson , Eleanor David , and Kevin McKeon
Director: Alan Parker
Manufacturer: Sony
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ASIN: B0006ZE7G2
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Amazon.com

By any rational measure, Alan Parker's cinematic interpretation of Pink Floyd: The Wall is a glorious failure. Glorious because its imagery is hypnotically striking, frequently resonant, and superbly photographed by the gifted cinematographer Peter Biziou. And a failure because the entire exercise is hopelessly dour, loyal to the bleak themes and psychological torment of Roger Waters's great musical opus, and yet utterly devoid of the humor that Waters certainly found in his own material. Any attempt to visualize The Wall would be fraught with artistic danger, and Parker succumbs to his own self-importance, creating a film that's as fascinating as it is flawed.

The film is, for better and worse, the fruit of three artists in conflict--Parker indulging himself, and Waters in league with designer Gerald Scarfe, whose brilliant animated sequences suggest that he should have directed and animated this film in its entirety. Fortunately, this clash of talent and ego does not prevent The Wall from being a mesmerizing film. Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof (in his screen debut) is a fine choice to play Waters's alter ego--an alienated, "comfortably numb" rock star whose psychosis manifests itself as an emotional (and symbolically physical) wall between himself and the cold, cruel world. Weaving Waters's autobiographical details into his own jumbled vision, Parker ultimately fails to combine a narrative thread with experimental structure. It's a rich, bizarre, and often astonishing film that will continue to draw a following, but the real source of genius remains the music of Roger Waters. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Track List:
1.Original film presented in high-definition widescreen and mixed in 5.1 surround sound
2."The Other Side Of The Wall" - a 25 minute documentary about the making of the film
3."Retrospective" - an exclusive 45 minute retrospective documentary of interviews with Roger Waters, Alan Parker, Gerald Scarfe, Peter Biziou, Alan Marshall and James Guthrie 4.Original film trailer and production stills

In celebration of the quarter-century anniversary, Columbia Records is releasing a special limited edition DVD of this landmark film. Packaged in a deluxe DVD digi-pak designed to look like The Wall with debossed brick work and a clear O-card, this stunning release features a photo montage of film shots and a fold-out reproduction of the original film promotional poster. All the artwork and design for this lavish packaging has been coordinated by original Pink Floyd designers Peter Curzon and Storm Thorgerson.

Customer Reviews:

Cult Classic but would've been better with a different director.......2007-09-09

Looking back at Alan Parker's work, he was great for capturing the dark side of postwar England. You watch "Angelas Ashes" and "The Committments" and you can see the thread that leads back to "The Wall".

Supposedly there's a screentest that had Roger Waters audition for the role of Pink, but Boomtown Rat and Live Aid/Live 8 mastermind Sir Bob Geldof got the part. And he wasn't a Pink Floyd fan until years later.

But I think Parker made it a little too downbeat. There are things on the album that I think Roger comes across a little more over the top through it, and hopeful towards the end.

There is a story, but it's very nonlinear. You see the rock star's spiral into his own madness (similar to Syd Barrett) and what drove him there, but the theme of "The Wall" is a breakdown in communication and the walls we build around us, or built by others. You assume there's redemption at the end but it's really hard to tell.

Does the wife take up with the lover because Pink was sleeping with groupies to begin with? "Young Lust" should've captured Pink putting the band together a little more, out on the hunt for nubile maidens as the song suggests, instead of turning it into being about the groupies. By the time the groupie gets to Pink, his wall is already in place...bored and uninterested. The mother in the movie isn't all that menacing, neither is the wife until "The Trial". I thought this should've been ratcheted up a lot. The teacher however, is dead on. "Another Brick in the Wall" is definitely one of the best parts.

The highlight of the film is "Comfortably Numb"... it's wonderfully filmed and is as creepy as anything Cronenberg's done.

Scarfe's animation had been used for the band's live shows and is used here, also a great highlight of the movie.

Big reason to have this is because it's in surround. The documentary's ok, and seeing the original "Another Brick in the Wall II" promo's cool.

Birth of a fan.......2007-07-09

Back in the day, when I was in high school, I absolutely could not stand Pink Floyd with the exception of one song (Wish You Were Here). When tracks came across the radio I just tried not to listen and couldn't understand they hype.
Then for reasons I can't recall, my girlfriend (later my wife) and I went to see The Wall when it released at the theater. I sat, mesmerized and staring at the screen. To see the movie is to hear the entire album set from start to finish and the movie put it all in context. The thing I was missing before, I understood now. The music of Pink Floyd is put together in albums and if you don't listen to them that way they are disconnected and just don't make sense.
Now I was hooked and started to listen to PF albums instead of individual cuts. I bought the cassette tape (hi-tech back then), wore it out, wore out a backup copy, wore out another tape and years later bought the CD set. Today I'm buying the DVD and can't wait to experience it all again.
Bottom line, the movie is dark, it is disturbing, and it is terribly awesome. Pink Floyd played the music of the insane. Maybe it is the insane who still play the music of Pink Floyd. In any case, I can't wait to introduce my 15 year-old son to it. Wonder if his jaw will drop like mine did?

Awesome! This movie rock!.......2007-05-16

Awesome! This movie rock!

Audio is much better than the original version. It's really worth it.

Imagine this film done by Ridley Scott........2007-05-11

I remember first time I watched this film in movie theatre when it was released to the first theatrical events, I left the room really disappointed. I felt that Floyd had lost one great opportunity of creating a masterpiece of images and music. By that time we all were still under the impact of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album a real masterpiece and there was a great expectation about the film, but I have to confess, I had an insight that it wasn't to happen and why I affirm this, because one of the worst experiences I have ever had in my life was my decision of watching the worst film of all times, a film called "Fame" or "Infamous if you like", and guess who was the director of this ridiculous film, yes Alan Parker, so I couldn't expect nothing better from this guy really. Can you all remember good films this guy has been done? Well, no, so do I! It was really a disaster this choice, but how we cannot change what happened, I only can give three stars for the few really good moments this film has, like that of "Goodbye blue sky" and I'm sure this great moments is much more because of the music than the image itself, no, one thing we have to say and recognize "the work of Gerald Scarfe is a real work of genius" he was with Pink Floyd since the creation of the fantastic "The Wall" artwork. Can you all imagine if this film had been done by Ridley Scott with the help of Gerald Scarfe, wow, simply no comments... It would have been a truly masterpiece!

A one hour thirty minute music video.......2007-04-03

And not a great one, by any measure. While I'm sure the Pink Floyd fan boys will slobber all over this and proclaim its genius, the truth is that it's really pretty boring. Random trivial war images, check. Random trivial teen angst and rebellion images, check. Random trivial drug lifestyle images, check. Random trivial imagery of fascist oppression. Hooray! It's paint by numbers anti-establishment. FIGHT THE INSTITUTION! I guess this explains why Pink Floyd zealots have a long standing reputation of excessive drug use, you'd have to be toasted in order to find brilliance here. No dialogue and a non-linear story line makes it so the film is really nothing but a long music video, which like most videos depends on symbolic imagery, and we learn that film isn't Roger Water's medium. Instead of four or five music videos (which is how it would probably be done today) from a solid album, they made one huge video from a concept album. Actually a great idea and quite progressive for the time. But it's still boring. I guess if I'm pressed to say something truly positive about the film, it set a strong precedent that music videos have the potential, as a medium, to do something very special, above and beyond what the song itself could do. That music videos can be something more than just performance/concert videos. Of course, it just showed the potential, it didn't actualize that potential.

Usually, with any criticism of Pink Floyd, you can expect the usual diatribes from the fan base about how you just don't get it, it's over your head, beyond your grasp, blah blah blah, but the sad truth is, there's just nothing here. It's just plain boring.

There's nothing. Well, except maybe we learn that someone in Pink Floyd has serious mommy issues. And even as the film bores you to tears, the music really is fantastic. In fact the music is so great it really does illustrates how they tried so hard, and fell so far short with the film. Buy the album, forget the film! The music alone salvages three stars for this, the album itself rates much higher.

And really, the flower scene? Just lame.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely Great Film, absolutely worthless commentary.
Essential film genius: Antonioni's 'Blowup.'
Antonioni gem
Blow-Up
Red Sun

Blow Up
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave , Sarah Miles , David Hemmings , John Castle (II) , and Jane Birkin
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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