Three Kings

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A confident hybrid of M*A*S*H, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Dr. Strangelove, Three Kings is one of the most seriously funny war movies ever made. Improving the premise of Kelly's Heroes with scathing intelligence, it explores the odd connection between war and consumerism in the age of Humvees and cellular phones. Writer-director David O. Russell's third film (after Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster), it's a no-holds-barred portrait of personal conscience in the volatile arena of politics, played out by one of the most gifted filmmakers to emerge in the 1990s.

George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze (director of Being John Malkovich) play a quartet of U.S. soldiers who, disillusioned by Operation Desert Storm, decide to steal $23 million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's army. Getting the bullion out of an Iraqi stronghold is easy; keeping it is a potentially lethal proposition. By the end of their mercenary mission, the Americans can no longer ignore wartime atrocities (and neither can we--the film is boldly unflinching), and conscience demands their aid to Iraqi rebels abandoned by President George Bush's fickle wartime policy. This is serious stuff indeed, but Russell infuses Three Kings with a keen sense of the absurd, and the entire film is an exercise in breathtaking visual ingenuity. Despite a conventional ending that's mildly disappointing for such a brashly original film, Three Kings conveys the brutal madness of war while making you laugh out loud at the insanity. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly Good.......2007-07-06

I didn't expect much from this movie, but it turned out to be quite entertaining. It had a certain realism to it, and I like that, instead of the absurd storylines that are so frequent these days.

Clever, funny and different.......2007-06-23

David O. Russel's 'Three Kings' is a hard film to lock down into a particular genre. It combines elements of a war movie, a comedy and a drama, and manages to do it very well. People wanting to see lots of big guns and bombs should stay well clear, there are video games to keep you amused. Anyone who appreciates witty, clever and slightly off beat films is well advised to see it.

Telling the untold story of the Gulf War, with Saddam's army more worried about shooting rebel Iraqis then allied soldiers, was a brave move in Hollywood, because many people don't want to know that a democratic uprising in Iraq was being crushed while the Allies sat by in the desert. Rather than being an action movie, the film develops into an exploration of three soldiers and the human development caused by their experience of the war, and the extraordinary circumstances they place themselves in.

Many innovative and experimental cinematic styles are used nicely, and solid performances are recorded by Clooney, Wahlberg, Jonze and Cube. The characters are portrayed as normal human beings, both noble and flawed at the same time, and even the Iraqi soldiers are seen as people rather than typical war movie bad guy cannon fodder. This film genuinely showed me the desperation felt by many Iraqis for the Allies to help them as they starved and fought desperately against Saddam.

One of my favorite films, and probably one of the most underrated films of its time

Don't like Clooney, what are you Looney?.......2007-05-13

Sorry about the title, Three kings was not a movie I chose to see on the big screen. My wife recommended it and I found it was an entertaining flick. Not a desert storm movie like Jar Heads, a different take on an old story line.

Interesting Adventure film set In Iraq after Gulf War 1.......2007-04-09

A group of Gi's in Kuwait following the first Gulf War find a map on a prisoner that leads them back across the border on a gold hunt. The country is in a state of chaos with Sadam's soldiers taking their revenge on anti- Sadam citizens. The GI's get caught up in a more complicated situation with refugees then they planned on.
Well conceived and written with excellent special effects, this is a hard movie to categorize. It's sort of Oceans 11 goes to Iraq, A combination military adventure/heist movie with some interesting social commentary and moralizing thrown in.
All three of the principal actors do a good job but Ice Cube is particularly good in this. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg are fine in their respective roles.
Definitely entertaining and different.

Good movie.......2007-03-30

This is a good movie that starts out as an adventure and slowly changes into a morality movie. I like it and think its setting is contemporary and timely.

Average customer rating:

Good Flick!
The Hallelujah Trail
The Hallelujah Trail
BIG, BIG WESTERN, BIG, BIG COMEDY!
Hallelujah Trail- dvd

The Hallelujah Trail
Starring: Burt Lancaster , Lee Remick , Jim Hutton , Pamela Tiffin , and Donald Pleasence
Director: John Sturges
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000056H2I
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Description

Acclaimed director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, Bad Day at Black Rock, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral) turns the legends of the West upside down in this rip-roaring western comedy about the year Denver was nearly devastated by a droughtof whiskeyand had to have fortywagonloads imported through very harshand very thirstyterritory! Academy AwardÂ(r) winners* Burt Lancaster and Martin Landau team with OscarÂ(r) nominee** Lee Remick inthis beautifully filmed epic adventure that "wins both laughs and thrills" (The Hollywood Reporter)! Also starring Jim Hutton, Brian Keith and Donald Pleasence, this irreverent and literally dry look at frontier life is "possibly the funniest western ever made" (Los Angeles Times)!

Customer Reviews:

Good Flick!.......2007-05-15

This was an entertaining film, epecially the performances of Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, the "Good Republican"....Brian Keith, and Robert Wilke. Though none of these fine actors are generally known for their comedic talents, they pull off this whiskey tale in style!

The Hallelujah Trail.......2007-02-01

We originally owned a VHS copy which no longer works and so we need a replacement and also we enjoy old movies ,

The Hallelujah Trail.......2007-01-10

this is a laugh a minute movie, it gets everyone going.
a Western thatmakes joke at everything from drunks to Temperance

BIG, BIG WESTERN, BIG, BIG COMEDY!.......2006-03-07

I first saw this great comedy in our local Cinerama theatre in Denver, Colorado in its first release. Our whole family roared and have enjoyed catching HALLELUJAH TRAIL whenever it pops up on TV, which hasn't been too often. It pretty much disappeared over the last 40 years, so it's wonderful that it's been released in all its glorious widescreen panorama on DVD. No extras except the trailer, but this is the only way you'll get to enjoy John Sturges' fine film letterboxed, so pick 'er up! The cinematography (by Bruce Surtees) is gorgeous, making full use of the location filming and expansive skies. The cast throw themselves into their parts with broad gusto, and Burt Lancaster even gets the chance to rib his own image with those fabulous teeth. Brian Keith makes sure we all remember that he is a taxpayer and a good Republican, Lee Remick does a pretty fair drunk act when it comes time, Donald Pleasance as Oracle Jones goes wide-eyed whenever the proper amount of strong whiskey prompts a vision (NOW I SEE IT!), Jim Hutton gets to wrestle with Pamela Tiffin, and Martin Landau gets huge laughs with very few lines as Walks-Stooped-Over (his expressive face gets to do most of the talking). Stalwart character actors like Dub Taylor and John Dehner (the narrator) fill in the rest of the cast, making this a joy from start to finish. Now, be advised: this is not your frenetic slam-bang speed-edited comedy. HALLELUJAH TRAIL plays out its story at a deliberate, almost leisurely pace. It knows that the laughs are there; Sturges (GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, MAROONED, ICE STATION ZEBRA, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED) allows the story to unfold naturally. This was, unfortunately, his only comedy, but he does a fine job. Pop some corn, grab a big soft drink (or maybe something stronger--it's going to be a hard winter in Denver) and laugh along with THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL!

Hallelujah Trail- dvd.......2006-01-16

I saw this movie in 1968 and I liked it and found it very entertaining and very funny. I bought it for my daughter and family .

Average customer rating:

Great Story line

Beyond the Law
Starring: Lee Van Cleef , Herbert Fux , Graziella Granata , Antonio Sabato , and Ann Smyrner
Director: Giorgio Stegani
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000CNY5F
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Customer Reviews:

Great Story line.......2004-03-30

This Movie has a good storyline to it and could be better
But the picture of this movie is terrible, it looks like
the old time film side handle rotaters. Only worth buying
if your a Lee Van Cleef fan.

Average customer rating:

A bloody masterpiece from Chang Cheh
Four stars for the film, zero for the DVD itself...
Image Entertainment finally gets it right

Have Sword, Will Travel
Starring: David Chiang , Lung Ti , Hak On Fung , Lei Cheng , and Sing Chen
Director: Cheh Chang
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
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ASIN: B000KGGZU8
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Description

The classic martial arts team of David Chiang (The Wandering Swordsman) and Ti Lung (Deadly Breaking Sword) tears up the screen in this fast-paced, imaginative take on the popular American Western genre, Shaw Brothers style! Enlisted with transporting a shipment of silver, young master fighters (who are engaged to be married), Ti Lung and Li Ching, encounter a suspicious, downtrodden swordsman (Chiang) who asks to accompany them. Believing him to be a member of the feared Flying Tiger Manor gang, they prepare to fight for their cargo but soon realize a very different plot might be in store for them all. Crammed with relentless fights and startling plot twists, this audience favorite is pure enjoyment all the way to its rousing, surprising climax!

Customer Reviews:

A bloody masterpiece from Chang Cheh.......2007-07-17

David Chiang stars as a wandering swordsman who is looking for a job. Ti Lung sees him with a gang called the Flying Tigers and assumes that he must be a bandit too. Ti Lung and his girlfriend have to help escort a large shipment of money and he fears that David Chiang is going to rob them. Ti Lung's girlfriend realizes this is not the case, and looks to become friends with Chiang. You can tell she falls for him, and the love part of the story is very well done. She wants Chiang to help escort the money, and Chiang agrees. This of course causes problems between Ti Lung and Chiang. Ku Feng is the leader of the Flying Tigers and is looking to rob the trio and Chen Sing and Wang Chung star as his 2 top fighters.

The fights are all brief, until the heist takes place. There is blood galore and the action is fantastic, and for 1969, you won't find anything better. The action is great, but there is a lot more thought put into the characters and story than most Chang Cheh movies. This is a very well rounded movie, and one of Chang Cheh's best.

4.5/5

Picture and sound quality are perfect. Subtitles are very well written.

Four stars for the film, zero for the DVD itself..........2007-04-22

I was so glad to hear that select Shaw Brothers kung-fu films were being released on DVD in the United States...until I got my copy of "Have Sword, Will Travel" and the disc started jittering near the end of the movie (specifically, during the scene in which Ku Feng prepares his gang of bandits to attack Ching Miao's caravan as it passes by the old temple). The sound remained intact, but the picture was jerky and unsteady, and--worst of all--it affected the first two or three minutes of the final fight scene. I sent the DVD back and got another copy, only to find that the same error existed in the same exact spot on the new disc.
This has occurred on three different DVD players. Has anyone else gotten a defective copy of "Have Sword, Will Travel"?

Image Entertainment finally gets it right.......2007-03-17

First off, I've been a huge martial arts movie fan in general, and a Shaw Brothers fan in particular since I was a kid when I used to watch Drive-In Movie on Saturday afternoon. All I can say is God bless Image Entertainment. Getting your hands on decent versions of Shaw Brothers' classics in the past were very frustrating. Celestial Pictures (thanks to Vee King Shaw) made the right move totally restoring these classics. Unfortunately, they were only Region 3 and could only be bought through a HK website. I know Red Sun was doing a great job at restoring and releasing SB flicks (just ask the Morgoth dude), but I could never find them. Now we have Image, yes!
The movie itself is the second film the godfather of HK cinema, Chang Cheh, made with his "first team", which mainly consisted of Ti Lung & David Chiang. It's the usual Chang classic involving brotherhood, intrigue, honor, bloodshed (lots of it), chivalry and redemption. I'm not going to go into the plot because it's already given in the editorial review & product description. Let me just say that it's a period piece, and the choreography is old-school. The choreography isn't bad, but it lacks the finesse of Bruce Lee (who came later), and it lacks the quickness and precision of the Venoms, Jackie Chan, Samo Hung or Jet Li. So what, it's a great film.
Now as for the DVD, crystal clear picture - really shows the glossy SB cinematography, perfect widescreen, original Mandarin language track and remastered subtitles. If you like Chang Cheh, Shaw Brothers and old-school fu (like me) get this. This is definitely the way these films should be seen. That goes for "The Wandering Swordsman", "The Water Margin" & "Legendary Weapons of China". I'm sure the Morgoth dude concurs.

Average customer rating:

Lesser Fat is Better Than No Fat
it was egh
Excellent Chow Yun Fat vehicle
BRILLIANT..SUPERB
Gritty!!! Violent!!! Brutal!!! Great!!!

Full Contact
Starring: Yun-Fat Chow , Simon Yam , Ann Bridgewater , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , and Bonnie Fu
Director: Ringo Lam
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008R9LX
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Amazon.com essential video

A rather mean-spirited vehicle for the normally empathetic Chow Yun-fat, with a brass-knuckle plot that recalls the Crook's Revenge story line of Payback and its source movie, Point Blank. Chow is Joe (just plain Joe), a tattooed, crew-cut professional thief who chews Clint Eastwood's old stogies, packs a sawed-off shotgun, and roars around on a chopped Harley. Betrayed and left for dead by turncoat pal Anthony Wong (the head gunrunner in John Woo's Hard Boiled), he returns several months later, in a really bad mood, to retrieve his share of the swag. The rabbit-punch aesthetic of director Ringo Lam is certainly compelling, and there are genuine innovations in the depiction of violence--like a shooting filmed from the bullet's point of view. The Asian-American actress Ann Bridgewater swivels her way through a couple of hot dance numbers as Joe's stripper girlfriend. --David Chute

Description

Make contact with this action-packed thriller! When Chow Yun-Fat tries to get his friend out of a gambling debt, he joins forces in a weapons heist. The job goes bad and he's betrayed by the leader, so he plots the ultimate revenge. But can he follow through with his plan?

Customer Reviews:

Lesser Fat is Better Than No Fat.......2005-10-24

This loose adaptation of "Point Blank" will not let you forget the original Lee Marvin version. The film eschews characterization for gratuitous pyrotechnics and bloodshed. The heavies here are so cartoonish that they're never truly menacing. On the plus side, Chow Yun Fat as Jeff, the bouncer quick with fist, switchblade, or firearm is as magnetic as ever. Director Ringo Lam keeps you engaged with his superb feel for action even if the proceedings are somewhat ridiculous. This film does not rate with Chow Yun Fat's collaborations with John Woo but if you want no think entertainment this film fills the bill.

it was egh.......2005-09-04

I gave it two stars because while I didn't hate it, it was dull and predictable. I see beter plots on TV's Starsky and Hutch. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to use subtitles; I found myself more interested in looking at the text than watching the movie. I know, that's only my opinion, but I watch a lot of DVD's and I think I know what I like and don't like.

Excellent Chow Yun Fat vehicle.......2004-10-24

After Tsui Hark and John Woo, Ringo Lam is probably one of the greatest HK directors. Some innovative POV shots make this a must see. Plot is predictable but it has some great lines.

If you like HK action, this is worth owning.

BRILLIANT..SUPERB.......2004-04-26

This is a Excellent FIlm. If you Like guns and violence Watch This. Violent and Betrayal. Chow Yun Fat is Brilliant. He is the Pacino/De Niro of Hong Kong Cinema.

Gritty!!! Violent!!! Brutal!!! Great!!!.......2003-11-23

Plot Outline: After Sam (Anthony Wong) gets in trouble with some triads over a gambling debt, his best friend Jeff (Chow Yun-Fat) has to bail him out. Sam gets word that his cousin Judge (Simon Yam) wants him and his friends to help them pull a job robbing a truck. Once on the job Jeff finds out it was all a trick set up by the triads to kill him. In a turn of betrayal, Sam is forced by his cousin to shoot Jeff. They leave Jeff to die in a burning building, only Jeff makes it out alive. Now he looks for revenge.

The Review: Full Contact is easily the sleaziest, grittiest and downright most vulgar HK action film I've ever seen. Now that I've said that, it's also just one outright cool film. Taking what could have been just an average tale of revenge, Ringo Lam injected the film with the style of the 80's and a healthy dose of brutal violence. The film represents all that was great of the all but dead Heroic Bloodshed genre. It's still around, but you don't see too many films like Full Contact anymore.

Don't misunderstand me, the violence in Full Contact, while plentiful, doesn't quite top the likes of A Better Tomorrow II, but the film is just a whole lot seedier. The violence in John Woo's films are usually comical to some point, but here the violence takes place somewhat in reality. The gunplay is actually fairly minimal really. There's only a couple of gunfights, and excluding the first person bullet effects, they aren't really all that spectacular. The violence in the film is just accentuated by the feel of the film. In one of the more brutal scenes in the film, Anthony Wong's character shoots a man in the head about seven times, covering the guy in blood. It's just an ugly image, and made uglier by the scenery and characters. It takes place in a dingy warehouse and watching his blood splatter all over his hands can almost make you feel uncomfortable.

When I first sat down to watch Full Contact I didn't know much about it and wasn't expecting much. I had read on a message board somewhere in the past that it was supposed to be a great non-Woo HK action film so I decided to give it a chance. Within the first five minutes of watching the film, it makes it's case strongly, and lets you know exactly what kind of film it's going to be. Simon Yam's gang robs what appears to be a jewelry store, in the process he stabs a innocent woman through the chest then proceeds to have her open the vault. We're introduced to the rest of his gang too. Mona, the promiscuous and Deano the muscular freak (played by Frankie Chin, best known as the guy who tries to strangle Ricky in Ricky-Oh). The introduction is so simple, but it's just so perfect. It's hard to put my hand on it, it's just the perfect way to start the film. A kick to the gut for the audience.

If one thing bothered me most about the film the first time I watched it, it was surprisingly enough Chow himself. Not that he gives a bad performance or anything like that, it's just his clothing style is just terrible. He wears a short sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Add to that a crew cut and a leather vest over the shirt, and you've got one goofy looking chow. The second time I sat through it I just took it in as part of the cheesyness of the film. The roaring electric guitar solos, the clothes... it's all so classic 80's.

The style, the violence, and the characters are what makes the film. Simon Yam is repulsive in his role as a flamboyantly gay sociopath who let's nothing stand in his way. Chow puts in a great effort, but it doesn't really take much from Chow to please. He could be playing a coma patient and would still ooze 'cool' from his pours. When I first watched the film I wasn't familiar with Anthony Wong, so I didn't actually ever notice him, but now that I've seen Beast Cops I was surprised to find out that it was he who played Sam. He's gained a whole lot of weight over the years, but I think he's actually more suited with the weight on. In this film, when his character becomes a tough guy it's kind of hard to take serious, but with some weight on him Wong comes off a bit more intimidating. As far as acting goes, those are the central characters. Everyone else puts in decent enough performances even though the girls just seem to be there for eye candy. Nice eye candy, but eye candy just the same.

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Customer Reviews:

Lesser Fat is Better Than No Fat.......2005-10-24

it was egh.......2005-09-04

Excellent Chow Yun Fat vehicle.......2004-10-24

BRILLIANT..SUPERB.......2004-04-26

This is a Excellent FIlm. If you Like guns and violence Watch This. Violent and Betrayal. Chow Yun Fat is Brilliant. He is the Pacino/De Niro of Hong Kong Cinema.

Gritty!!! Violent!!! Brutal!!! Great!!!.......2003-11-23

Customer Reviews:

A great INDIE comedy.......2006-04-10

Congratulations to all who were in this film a great tribute to Indie film making and adding the touch of The Sopranos and Goodfellas Frank Vincent and Tony Sirico had me laughing out loud!! Marone.

Smokin' Silly Slappy Fun.......2003-10-20

Madonne! Smokin' Stogies isn't GoodFellas or even Analyze This, as far as quality is concerned, it's more like a home movie made by guidos and misunderstood by meddigans. The type of Mafia comedy going on here is more in the style of another movie called Mafia, but Stogies is made by and starring Italians-so already it's worth checking out. The dialogue by everyone is spoken like a cross between Jerky Boy Johnny's "Frank Rizzo" character and The Diceman exaggerated times ten-if you can imagine that. Stogies is a slapstick ride through Miami, basically it's a story about a week in the life of real Goomba-Guido type Wiseguys, the coolest kind if you ask me. Joe Marino is Marscone, Tony "Paulie Walnuts" Sirico is Boss Tony, and Frank Vincent (Casino) even joins in on the search for a million in missing Cuban cigars. The movie revolves around gold chains, women, money, cars, and making sure every hair on the Wiseguy head is in place. In a lot of ways, Stogies is more like another crazy low budget title, The Sopornos (go to Blockbuster and rent this flick with your girlfriend) as opposed to The Sopranos, meaning there's not much seriousness happening and no awards are being handed out. I've seen better, I've seen worse, but if you are looking for some drunken fun, grab a stogie and watch Smokin' Stogies. Capeesh? Best scene: "Beer & Ice."

A great mob comedy........2003-07-20

I laughed my bum off watching this movie. Tony Sirico from the Sopranos and Frank Vincent from Casino and Goodfellas are great.
The story begins in New York, then takes you down to Miami as mob capo Vinnie Marscone (Joe Marino) tries to find the mob's missing million dollars worth of Cuban Cigars. Only to find out that the FBI, cigar smugglers, and the Miami mob are all after the missing cigars. Penthouse Pet, Amy Lynn Baxter has a cameo in this film that's worth seeing, also there is a cigar sniffing ex-Customs dog named Bruno that cracked me up. This movie I would put in the same genre as Get Shorty and Midnight Run. Also if you are a fan of the Sopranos you should really enjoy this film. It's a funny and fast moving adventure comedy with alot of crazy charactors. Too many to mention.
I could see this movie becoming a cult classic.

Average customer rating:

Five Guns West
Five Guns West
Pre-Dirty Dozen

Five Guns West
Starring: John Lund , Dorothy Malone , Mike Connors , R. Wright Campbell , and Jonathan Haze
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008PC1A
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Description

Marking the directorial debut of Roger Corman (The Pit and the Pendulum, A Bucket of Blood), Five Guns West sets the standard for gritty shoot-and-run western adventure! John Lund, Dorothy Malone and Touch Connors star in R. Wright Campbell's rugged tale of five outlaws whose next stop is the gallowsunless they take on a dangerous mission! Given the choice of death or deadly mission, five convicts agree to hijack a stagecoach carrying a traitor and $30,000 in gold. Braving hostile Comanches, deceit and a rivalry brought on by the presence of a beautiful, cunning woman (Malone), the men deftly set up their ambush. But when their uneasy alliance dissolves, theonly thing any of the men can trust is his six-shooter!

Customer Reviews:

Five Guns West.......2007-05-07

Good story of The War Between the States west of the Mississippi River. Casting and plot development could have been better. There was a CSA Ranger outfit that operated from northwestern Texas into eastern New Mexico and southern Colorado which could have carried out the mission a lot better than convicts. But its good to see a story, seldon seen, of the war this far west.

Five Guns West.......2004-08-16

Five thugs are released from jail by the Confederacy during the waning days of the Civil War and promised lucre and freedom if they can recapture a traitor in Union custody and return him "dead or alive."
FIVE GUNS WEST is an early film from independent movie icon Roger Corman. It's a bit like a young DIRTY DOZEN made on the cheap and played in chaps. Cheap is the word for it, too. Reports have it that this tale of an ornery fistful of sociopaths was shot in 8 days and came in on a budget of $60,000.
A good hunk of that budget must have gone to the movie's star John Lund, who gave the film a somewhat familiar name to put over the title and... well, that's about it. The handsome, blonde Lund wasn't known for projecting much personality during his film career.
Their mission, to intercept a Union-army guarded stagecoach carrying the traitor, takes them through Indian country to a deserted town where the stage is scheduled to change horses. The only folk left in the town are a feeble old sot and his beautiful, perfectly coifed niece, played by Dorothy Malone. The appearance of Ms. Malone provides a catalyst for a new round of ground dynamics.
Corman's popularity eludes me. I admire him for his independent success, but his movies seem rushed and cheap, and FIVE GUNS WEST is no exception. For Roger Corman and die-hard Western fans only.

Pre-Dirty Dozen.......2003-12-01

This western, directing debut of Roger Corman, pre-dates the Dirty Dozen by about 22 years and also Roger Cormans own 1964 film, The Secret Invasion. A group of criminals are pardoned and hired by the Confederate Government to intercept a Union Cargo Wagon and during the trip, the criminals try to form alliances with each other and what follows is a betrayel and a neat plot twist at the end. This is film is not very stylish or interesting in terms of its technical aspects. It is told in a straight-forward and unflinching manner. It is surprising also to find very little violence or action in this first Western by Corman. The plot, however, is what makes it interesting and worth watching. The opening scene introduces the five criminals and their crimes are listed as they are standing side by side. The Dirty Dozen starts off in exactly the same way and it may have lifted that scene from Five Guns West. The twist at the end could have pre-dated The Wild Geese and countless other movies. The climax proves that nothing is as it seems. Overall, it is a pretty tame exercise coming from Roger Corman. There is not an ounce of sex or excessive violence or even style but Roger Corman was not known for the quality of his films or even style but efficiency and an ability to mass produce low budget films for less than 2 dollars and no more than maybe 5,000 dollars. He also is known for starting the careers of such famed actors as Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and Francis Ford Coppola. Even though this film is not what you would typically expect from Corman, it is well-worth seeing if anything just for the fact that the plot itself and premise seems to have been lifted by The Dirty Dozen 22 years later.

Average customer rating:

A Fair Western with a Comic Touch
Van Cleef's Impossible Choice
AN OK ITALIAN WESTERN.

Beyond the Law
Starring: Lee Van Cleef , Antonio Sabato , Gordon Mitchell , Lionel Stander , and Bud Spencer
Director: Giorgio Stegani
Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000056NNR
Release Date: 2000-01-10

Customer Reviews:

A Fair Western with a Comic Touch.......2003-11-02

Don't run out and pay top dollar for this movie, but if you can get it on sale somewhere it might entertain you. Van Cleef does a good acting job as the reluctant lawman. There are some decent comic touches. The movie drags a bit in the middle and some of the acting is lousy and the production values (even by 1968 standards) are low. Not too terrible a way to spend a couple of hours on a dull weekend. One big howler of a mistake was a major character, Novak, describes himself as a Czechoslovakian. Czechoslovakia was not founded as a state until 1919, long after the Wild West era ended. He should have described himself as a Bohemian or Moravian. Gee, its usually the Americans that don't know anything about European history, but here the Italians mess up!

Van Cleef's Impossible Choice.......2002-11-04

An entertaining admixture of American idealism and Italian commedia dell'arte, "Al di la della legge" (or "Beyond the Law") is a (sometimes) ambitious attempt to fuse two storylines into one: the conventional (American) tale of the reluctant hero and the conventional (spaghetti) tale of the band of ruthless killers up against a nearly unstoppable (anti-) hero. Lee Van Cleef seems to be particularly amused by the role: as Billy Joe Cudlip, an aging rapscallion and saddle-tramp suddenly become local hero, Cleef relaxes into a role that actually avoids violence whenever possible, who makes comments like, "And no gun play!" Lionel Stander nearly steals the film with his portrayal of "Preacher," an old friend and partner-in-crime of Cleef's: his tongue in cheek performance simultaneously masquerades the "preacher" roles of the classic Westerns and illustrates the tightrope that these minor villains constantly walk--the line between loyalty to each other (and the general desire to do good to most others) and self-interest. Gordon Mitchell is also quite good as the third member of the gang (a sort of low-key "good, bad, and ugly")--an African American whose race is clearly a non-issue to his friends (he avoids playing into the stereotypical roles that Jim Brown in fact is forced to indulge in his own westerns).

The central theme of the film is one of community vs. outcast and the pain (as well as freedom) that goes with the latter category. Van Cleef is constantly reminded of his marginal status; what separates him from his two companions is the fact that they don't want to become part of community, that the idea of group values are anathema to their sense of a passing time of freedom. But Van Cleef slowly invests in community through the film (most notably through his growing friendship with Antonio Sabato, who plays a rather naïve émigré from Czechoslovakia). Thus, the film's external violence (represented by a "Wild Bunch" of ruthless bandits, led by Gunther Stoll, who want to steal all of the silver in Silver Town-Van Cleef and his friends were content with only a few thousand dollars' worth, which, to their chagrin, they never even get to enjoy) is a reflection of Van Cleef's internal struggle: stick with your old friends (and the values they represent) or join a "lawful" community?

Giorgio Stegani's direction is sometimes erratic (the movie is awkwardly paced; but Stegani's "A" budget cast and crew makes this his best spaghetti), but Enzo Serafin's photography is excellent and Riz Ortoliani's score achieves a perfect balance between heroism and melodrama. In the end, however, the real reason to watch "Beyond the Law" is Lee Van Cleef. The film is not as good as "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" or "Day of Anger" or, most importantly, "The Big Gundown" (all of which came out just before this one), but Van Cleef's acting is never better, never more nuanced, and his characterization never more multi-dimensional. It's a tribute to Van Cleef that we too feel the pain of his impossible choice at film's end--even if the overall experience is nowhere near as good as it might have been.

AN OK ITALIAN WESTERN........2000-06-14

I bought this movie becuase I thought Bud Spencer was a main character! He is only in it for 10 minutes! Besides that I was entertained! It was a good story about a Checkezlovakian (did i spell it right?) who is payed to come to the united states to deliver some money to James Cooper (Bud Spencer) but a clever thief (Lee Van Cleef) and his buddy (Lionel Stander) steal the money and they are happy but Bud isnt. Strangley the Checkezlovakian becomes good friends with the men who stole his money and he asks thier help to find it! Its and ok movie Not worth paying more than 5 dollars.

Customer Reviews:

Standard cops vs bad guys movie, but well made.......2007-07-24

Waise Lee stars as a cop who is investigating his friend's murder, and he will do whatever it takes to catch the killer. The killer is a very rich man and wants to kill the cops before they get a chance to arrest him.

Waise Lee is a good actor, but he just doesn't bring anything special to this role. Him and his fellow cops going after the bad guys should be more exciting. Lee just plays his character the same all the way through.

The script is pretty good, but the graphic violence is what stands out the most. Shown in a flashback at the start of the movie, Waise Lee's character was once tortured and had a power drill put through his hand. He plans to retire because he has nerve damage, but he has to solve his friend's murder first. I liked how he has to overcome his immobilized hand at times, but that is where the originality stops in this movie. It is an average entry into the herioc bloodshed genre, except bloodier than most, and the directing is above average. Not a bad movie, just not one I would spend time watching again.

3.5/5

Picture and sound quality on the Megastar DVD are good. Subtitles have a few errors, but overall they are well written.

Great movie, but terrible DVD!.......2001-07-17

The picture quality is sooo bad! Wait for a remaster!

Violent hard-edged police thriller from Hong Kong.......2001-05-15

THE BIG HEAT (1988) is a fast-paced, gritty, down-and-dirty crime thriller shot in the streets and urban spaces of Hong Kong as it follows a group of cops in a life-or-death struggle with a gang of thugs employed by a corrupt businessman doing some high-level smuggling. Every scene is pitched around a confrontation that leads in every case to a shootout, car chase, foot chase, explosion or attempted assassination. Although none of the action scenes boasts the spectacle of a John Woo thriller (HARD-BOILED, THE KILLER), the action is consistently exciting, well-crafted, suspenseful and, up until the final showdown, fairly believable. One superb setpiece involves a face-off between the cops and an assassin in a hospital elevator shaft that serves as a model of how to stage action scenes in tight spaces.

The film was co-directed by Andrew Kam and Johnny To and produced by Tsui Hark. It was part of a wave of top-ranked HK urban thrillers led by Woo's A BETTER TOMORROW (also produced by Hark) and Ringo Lam's CITY ON FIRE. The cast of THE BIG HEAT includes Waise Lee (A BULLET IN THE HEAD), Joey Wong (A CHINESE GHOST STORY), Chu Kong (THE KILLER) and, in an ingenious bit of casting, Philip Kwok, formerly one of Shaw Bros.' FIVE DEADLY VENOMS, who, in the interest of greater realism here, refrains from kung fu, but does his share of shooting, punching, running, leaping, and driving at high speeds. The film features much brutal violence, with some particularly gruesome bits (as in that hospital elevator scene). But if you're a fan of hard-edged crime thrillers, this film is for you.

Good Thriller With Waise Lee at his best!.......2000-09-03

Unfortunately, many remember Waise Lee as simply a villain because of his roles in ABT and BITH. But he plays a hardened cop with a bad hand, pursuing a crime boss(The Killer's Chu Kong) and working with a young idealistic cop, who buys it at the end. Dont expect the best film Hong Kong has ever put out, but expect a good cop thriller. Waise Lee is good, but is still pretty calm. Chu Kong is slimy as hell, and it is a little gory. Good final scene with Tsui Hark will have you rolling on the floor. This film is widely available on DVD on several web sites, so check it out. By the way: excellent music from The Killer's Lowell Lo.

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