Marlene Dietrich - The Glamour Collection (Morocco/ Blonde Venus/ The Devil Is a Woman/ Flame of New Orleans/ Golden Earrings)

Amazon.com

Marlene Dietrich was one of the cinema's glorious creatures, an elegant arrangement of bone structure and silver light, blessed with a sly sense of humor. Marlene Dietrich: The Glamour Collection assembles five titles featuring la Dietrich at her best, with a special emphasis on one of the great Hollywood director-star collaborations.

Dietrich and director Josef von Sternberg met in Germany when he plucked her from obscurity for the starring role of The Blue Angel, after which she came to America and instant stardom. A string of films with Sternberg created her image as an exotic source of fascination, both ethereal and sexually knowing. Three of those outings are included in this package. Morocco, their first Hollywood movie together, is a delirious look at a cabaret singer taken with a Foreign Legion soldier (the young Gary Cooper). Dressed in masculine clothes for her act, Dietrich already displays a sexual confidence that fairly burns off the screen. Blonde Venus has a soap opera-ish plot about a woman's fall and rise, but Dietrich's commitment to the part is complete; plus, there's an outrageous faux-African number that begins with Dietrich dressed in a gorilla costume. Cary Grant looks on in astonishment.

The Devil Is a Woman is an unmitigated Sternberg-Dietrich masterpiece, and their final movie together. Here Marlene is a Spanish vixen making life exciting and miserable for Lionel Atwill (a lookalike stand-in for Josef von Sternberg himself). The film is an eye-popping light-painting draped with feathers, mesh, and confetti, all of which are in service to a fundamentally serious inquiry into the knotty business of men and women.

Putting three of the Paramount Dietrich-Sternberg films in this collection and leaving out the other three is either carelessness or marketing strategy. In any case, the other two movies in this package are not at the same level, but certainly good fun. The Flame of New Orleans, director Rene Clair's first Hollywood picture, is a gorgeously photographed comedy with a delightful role for its star. Dietrich is stuck choosing between aristocrat Roland Young and rough sailor Bruce Cabot. The look on her face as she listens to helpful advice about wedding-night conjugal realities from a matron is a riot of erotic mischief. Golden Earrings is a crazy story about Ray Milland getting stuck behind German lines in the early days of WWII, and being taken in by gypsy girl Dietrich. Even here, nearly 20 years after her first stardom, she's still Dietrich. The hair may be dyed black, but the cheekbones are unmistakable. --Robert Horton

Description

Undeniably one of the most beautiful and dazzling actresses to ever grace the silver screen, Marlene Dietrich was renowned for her sultry voice and her alluring "bedroom eyes." This unprecedented 5-movie collection pays homage to the legendary Oscar®-nominated leading lady whose extraordinary talents revolutionized cinema and inspired passion in audiences around the globe. See Marlene in her American movie debut as a glamorous cabaret singer in Morocco; experience the heart-wrenching anguish of a woman torn between two men, her successful career on stage and her child in Blonde Venus; join in the mystery and mayhem of Spain's Carnevale in The Devil Is a Woman; hit the road to jewels and jeopardy in The Flame of New Orleans; and be seduced by a lusty gypsy on a secret mission during World War II in Golden Earrings. It's a stunning tribute to a screen siren who remains one of the most fascinating women of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Good prints, variable films, lousy packaging.......2007-06-21

This is a very cheap DVD set so you get what you pay for - 5 films of the legendary Marlene Dietrich in excellent condition with no extras except a couple of trailers and poor packaging with no labels and 2 disks, one of which has a blank side. I don't mind the lack of extras at the price but the confusion in locating each film is a pain and the DVDs are "sticky" due to the cramming.

As for the films themselves, the selection is fair with 3 from the Von Sternberg era in the early thirties and 2 from the forties. It is arguable whether Dietrich was ever much of an actress, certainly not in the same league as her contemporary Greta Garbo. She came to America with the same aura of mystique but during the war, she came down from the pedestal. She was best in comedy, with a great dry irony, and most often cast as a trollop.

Here is what the DVD provides:

- In 1930, Dietrich was brought to Hollywood from Berlin with her Svengali, Joseph Von Sternberg, and rushed into "Morocco". The film was released at the end of 1930 and watching it today, it probably would have been better as a silent. In fact, I would suggest that it can be viewed more enjoyably with the sound turned off because the ponderous dialogue is irrelevant and the film moves at a snail's pace. Von Sternberg's art was visual and there are numerous shots carefully lit and posed of the languorous Dietrich. Acting does not really come into it but her performance is convincing simply by how she is presented. Gary Cooper, cast as a French Foreign Legionnaire, looks the part but every time he opens his mouth, he is absurd. The best moment is the end of the film - no dialogue, an archway, Dietrich, buffeted by the wind and sand, walking into the desert with the camp followers. Note also the film is pre-code and there are some provocative suggestions concerning Dietrich's sexual preferences in her night club act.

- By 1932, Dietrich was established in Hollywood, having been re-groomed into a much sleeker creature than in "Morocco". Von Sternberg cobbled together an unbelievable yarn in the mother love/self sacrifice genre which was popular at the time. "Blonde Venus" stars Dietrich as a wife who sacrifices herself to playboy Cary Grant to pay for the operation needed to save chemist husband, Herbert Marshall, from death due to radium poisoning. When Marshall returns from recuperation, he rejects Dietrich who plummets the depths to keep her son. The film ends with a completely unconvincing reconciliation. Dietrich underplays well and establishes a very believable relationship with her son, Dickie Moore, a very natural child star. Grant too is excellent and credible as an extremely sophisticated playboy. Herbert Marshall is unable to rise above the clichés and offers a very dreary unconvincing performance. The photography and sets are spectacular and Dietrich sings 3 songs in her usual intriguing manner. "Hot Voodoo" is very famous because she steps out of a gorilla suit. The film was a box office failure at the time, not the least because it was an expensive production but it can be enjoyed today for the superb lighting, sets, costumes and staging.

- the last of the Dietrich/Von Sternberg collaboration is the 1935 "The Devil is a Woman". Dietrich plays a heartless Spanish woman who destroys all the men with whom she comes in contact. The plot and treatment are really like grand opera without the music. Visually, the film is a masterpiece and she looks superb. She is more animated than in the former films and a very young Cesar Romero is very romantic opposite her. This is a film you either love or loathe. It certainly leaves an impression and it does contain my favourite Dietrich number, the funny and cynical "Three Loves have I" which she delivers with a great sense of irony.

- in 1941, Dietrich was guided by the famous French director, Rene Clair, in a throwback role to the Von Sternberg days. She plays an adventuress in New Orleans in 1841 who plots to marry a banker but departs at the altar to marry a sailor. Dietrich is really too old for the part and the light touch Claire tries for fails whether it be due to the censorship of the time or the plodding pace. The costumes are spectacular but there are too many shots of Dietrich, prettily posed, acting coy (very unconvincing) and lit for maximum visual effect but minimum dramatic or even comedic and by 1941, this was dated and tiresome. The sets are often 2 dimensional and some of the process shots are poor. Bruce Cabot is her less than magnetic leading man and Roland Young is miscast as the banker. One unintentionally funny moment - Cabot and Dietrich on the railing of the ship in the early morning and ships sails moving past behind them; you can visualise the film crew pushing the cardboard cutouts!

- The last film in the collection is the bizarre "Golden Earrings", released in 1947. The film is a wartime thriller but plays best as a comedy. Dietrich is very entertaining as an earthy gypsy who helps British agent Ray Milland, hide from Nazis. The film is beautifully made by Mitchell Liesen but Milland looks very uncomfortable and apparently loathed the experience. The scenes with Germans are surprisingly convincing and the film is good fun even if it is absurd and overlong.

All the prints are in great condition and with the Von Sternberg films, this is particularly gratifying since the photography and art direction are so good.

Marlene Dietrich film collection.......2007-05-07

Just love watching the movies of the 1930's with their stories, elegance, and sense of drama. Marlene Dietrich shows many facets of her personality in this collection.

Excellent Marlene Deitrich Movies........2007-02-15

If you like Marlene Dietrich, you will so love this collection!!!

Slap in the face to a movie icon!!!.......2007-01-27

I give it five stars for the movies,but 0 stars for the extras. I loved every movie,but no extras other than trailers. It is also on two sided discs. To watch Dietrich is a great experience. Especially those eyes and face. She along with Garbo have a one in a kind look. Never again will two people steal the screen like those two ladies.They were awesome vamps. You would think such a great icon would deserve a better remembrance. This set is truly a slap in the face. But buy it for the films,which are great. Also buy the Scarlet Empress,which features her own daughter,playing her as a child. If you like Garbo,get her box set,which is a tribute to a legend.

bad luck or bad service?.......2007-01-10

I never received the purchased items. I've sent you an email regarding this "loss". You did not answer my email with complaint.

A Woman is a Woman - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

A Woman is a Woman
terrible musical screenplay
One of Godard's most fun
What a Woman Wants...
Angela est tres mignon!

A Woman is a Woman - Criterion Collection
Starring: Jean-Claude Brialy , Anna Karina , Jean-Paul Belmondo , Nicole Paquin , and Catherine Demongeot
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001ZIYDO
Release Date: 2004-06-22

Amazon.com essential video

One of the landmark early films of the French New Wave, director Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless) weaves a tale of desperation and deceit. Anna Karina (Vivre Sa Vie) plays a stripper determined to have a child in the hopes that it will better her life. She tries in vain to convince her rough, selfish boyfriend (Jean-Paul Belmondo) to father the child, but he refuses. In desperation and sparked by anger she turns to his best friend to father the child, setting off a new round of recrimination and betrayal. Une Femme Est une Femme is one of Godard's first films and essential viewing for fans of the Nouvelle Vague, to chart the beginnings of the detached mood and style that influenced a coming generation of films. --Robert Lane

Description

With A Woman Is a Woman (Une Femme est une femme), compulsively innovative director Jean-Luc Godard presents "a neorealist musical, that is, a contradiction in terms." Featuring French superstars Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy at their peak of adorability, A Woman Is a Woman is a sly, playful tribute to - and interrogation of - the American musical comedy, showcasing Godard#s signature wit and intellectual acumen. The film tells the story of exotic dancer Angéla (Karina) as she attempts to have a child with her unwilling lover Émile (Brialy). In the process, she finds herself torn between him and his best friend Alfred (Belmondo). A dizzying compendium of color, humor, and the music of renowned composer Michel Legrand, A Woman Is a Woman finds the young Godard at his warmest and most accessible, reveling in and scrutinizing the mechanics of his great obsession - the cinema.

Customer Reviews:

A Woman is a Woman.......2007-06-27

Half musical, half madcap New Wave romantic comedy, Godard's highbrow take on a beloved Hollywood tradition remains dazzling not because of the musical sequences, which are jokey and deliberately amateurish, but because of Karina's refreshingly impetuous presence. Brialy and Belmondo play well against her chippy airs, coming off as adorably hip, chain-smoking straight men. With visual and sound gags galore, Godard's playfulness is at its peak in this French valentine to Bob Fosse, Cyd Charisse, and all those fickle, mercurial femmes.

terrible musical screenplay .......2007-04-27

only with watchable pretty actress. this early french movie is a typical clueless french deadbeat. the whole movie is like a randomly patched up work, every scene is independently separated with one another, the sound track and the musical scores are simply terrible, off and on abruptly without any logic connection. you don't need director or editor to make this movie, because it never looks like having both important key persons doing it. you must got high french fever to appreciate such junk and would say anything french is good.

One of Godard's most fun .......2007-03-05

Before the 'umbrellas of choubourg' there was a 'woman is a woman' a film which uses the format of the hollywood musicAL to explore the very nature, at its most abstract, of cinema.. This is some of jean luc godard's best commentary on the art of film-making... It is ablaze in color and glamour, making it one of Godard's most accesible films.. It is unique, however, to the point of questioning its own validity.. This is the first film to fully realize the potential of the new wave to capture the visual imagery of the popular hollywood musical and to turn it against itself.. it is also an introduction to the magic of Anna Karina - an actress with very revealing eyes.. Jean paul belmondo reunites with godard to create a fine companion piece to 'breathless' - they would later come together again in the incompareable 'pierrot le fou'.. One of the top new wave films..

What a Woman Wants..........2007-01-31

"Une femme est une femme" (1961) is the second Goddard's film - his dissection of a traditional Musical and Comedy. It may seem silly and naïve at times but it is a funniest and most enjoyable of his films that I've seen so far. A pretty stripper Angela (Anna Karina) wants a child. She decided to become a respectable bourgeois mother and wife but her dear husband Emil (Jean - Claude Briali) is categorically against her decision. He loves his wife but he loves his freedom even more, and the child means the end of freedom. Angela turns for help to Emil's friend, Alfred (Jean - Paul Belmondo). He is ready to do anything for Angela because he's been deeply and desperately in love with her ...But a woman is a woman and blessed is he who truly knows what she really wants.

3.5/5 or 7/10

Angela est tres mignon!.......2006-06-26

Reading the plot of this film is not going to be helpful to you in gaining a sense of it. It's not about the plot. If film is exclusively about narrative for you, I would suggest that you not buy this film. This film is about the characters, the incredibly adorable Angela in particular, the images, the playfulness and cleverness of the direction, and the music/audio.

Angela is winsome, irresistable. I've been trying to bat my eyelashes to such effect as hers, but with limited success. She pouts, she prances. She tells Emile and Alfred that she will go out with whomever does the most extraordinary thing. At this, Emile and Alfred take turns shadow boxing and generally behaving in a delightfully absurd manner.

We are aware that this is a Godard film from the beginning. The music strangely stops and starts in the opening scene, for apparently no reason. Godard also will focus on a character (Emile) and then do a very slow pan across the room to Angela, and then have some sort of textual explication at the bottom of the screen. In between scenes, he might do a rapid montage of one character's scenes throughout the movie, also for no apparent reason. And of course, his film often refers to film. For example, Alfred, on entering Emile's and Angela's apartment, tells them to make it quick, because "Jules and Jim" is on that night. All of these devices suggest a playfulness that, for me, defines the film. Everytime I see this film (and I have seen it many, many times) I am reminded that great art, and life in general, need not be staid and heavy-handed. We can have a lighter touch, to great effect.

Female Masturbation: Every Woman's Orgasm is Unique. (2007) Volume II

Average customer rating:

It stirred a simmering passion that lay within me
In how to pleasure her.
Potential for stronger more intense orgasm.

Female Masturbation: Every Woman's Orgasm is Unique. (2007) Volume II
Starring: The Welcomed Consensus
Director: The Welcomed Consensus
Manufacturer: Welcomed Consensus Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B000UWU5OE
Release Date: 2007-08-01

Product Description

"The Clitoris has the highest concentration of nerve endings in the body."

As this opening graphic fades, a woman enters the bedroom and soon will take you with her to share her intimate experience of masturbation. She gradually will build and extend her orgasm making it possible for the viewer to feel it too.

This DVD is highly informational for both men and women as it shows a simple, uncut film of a woman from a low state of arousal to a heightened, extended orgasm with many close-up shots of her genitalia. Filmed in one take, it accurately represents continuous female orgasm. The viewer can witness all of the signs of orgasm in her body, as well as the details of her technique that anyone can use to better their sex lives with their partner.

A remarkable film taking female masturbation to a new level of enjoyment.

Warning: These are explicit educational videos, featuring close-up shots of a woman's genitals in orgasm. You must be 18 or older to purchase this DVD. 2007 edition

Customer Reviews:

It stirred a simmering passion that lay within me.......2007-08-31

There is a grace and sensuality with which the woman in this female
masturbation DVD carries herself and demonstrates pleasuring
herself. The technique shown using her hands is engaging to
watch. She takes pleasure in touching herself and becomes more and
more beautiful as it progresses. I liked the approach to a woman's
self pleasure as it had a relaxed and smooth quality to it. There is
a concentration of sexual energy that flows from her as she touches
herself that was arousing for me to watch. It stirred a simmering
passion that lay within me to take pleasure in the delights of my body.

In how to pleasure her........2007-08-31

My girlfriend was the one who turned me onto this video, and to its myriad details, my awareness of which has resulted in way more sexual pleasure for her and (to my surprise) me.

The demonstration shows an orgasm that is like none I have ever witnessed before, and at the same time seems real and believable. There is no "going over the edge" per se, but there is a lot going on here, and more and more details are revealing themselves to me each time I watch this video.

My girlfriend tells me she has started to emulate this style of orgasm for herself and resulted in a significant increase in pleasure.
So, I want to recommend this video to men. I know that it is for women, and women will certainly buy it and get a lot out of it. But I am not qualified to make this recommendation to them. But I can, without reservation, say that my sex life, my appreciation for and relationship with my girlfriend, and my enjoyment of life as a man has improved because this video has opened the doors of many a great conversation in between us about her pleasure. Thank you.

Potential for stronger more intense orgasm........2007-08-27

I love Every Woman's is Unique. I have been on the search for educational information on female sexuality. There is a lot more available now than there was 10 years ago. This is new and great: educational and shows how to have an expanded orgasm.

As a woman, it is so valuable to watch another woman. The woman doing the demonstration part is really enjoying herself and her body. Then when she is touching her clitoris, it was refreshing to see the way she touches herself. I saw visible changes in her during her orgasm. Most models of female orgasm are usually presented with a build up toward a climax which is fun. But in this video, the demonstration is about keeping the sensation going and expanding the orgasm further. It is worth trying along with or after watching to really get the mind blowing results out of it.

Female Masturbation 4 DVD Collection: Every Woman's Orgasm is Unique, Clitoris, Pleasures of a Woman in Orgasm - Elle & Denise

Average customer rating:

Unique orgasm
Good Collection. Expansive view.
Different facets of female orgasm.
This collection of videos is a very good depiction of what women really look like having an orgasm.
Want to learn how to satisfy a woman in bed?

Female Masturbation 4 DVD Collection: Every Woman's Orgasm is Unique, Clitoris, Pleasures of a Woman in Orgasm - Elle & Denise
Director: The Welcomed Consensus
Manufacturer: Welcomed Consensus Productions
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ASIN: B000A26M28
Release Date: 2005-06-26

Description

Just as Every Woman is Unique, so is Every Woman's Orgasm.

This Female Masturbation Collection features four different women using the Deliberate Orgasm technique while masturbating, showing that Every Woman's Orgasm is Unique.

One could view all four to experience the distinct ride each woman takes herself on. And, since the different women are using similar techniques, one could see how the changes of each women's genitalia during orgasm are unique, and the way they each experience orgasm in their body is unique,

A great Collection, exploring the subtleties of female orgasm, expanding views that there is such a thing as a "model" of orgasm for women to follow.

A great Collection, recommended for both women and men, demonstrating beautifully that masturbation can be used for self-pleasure, expanding your orgasm and for sensual exploration leading to a better sex life with your partner.

Save $20 while purchasing The Collection (Volume II through V) versus the 4 individual DVD (Volume I is currently only available on VHS)

EVERY WOMAN'S ORGASM IS UNIQUE
A remarkable film taking female masturbation to a new level of enjoyment. CLITORIS: THE KEY TO A WOMAN'S PLEASURE
"The sole function of the clitoris is to feel pleasure."
Stages of engorgement, and others signs of orgasm show the subtleties of female orgasm.

PLEASURES OF A WOMAN IN ORGASM: ELLE.
Exposing her sensuality, Elle shares her intimate time, she seductively undresses in front of the mirror, indulges in the pleasures of masturbation.

PLEASURES OF A WOMAN IN ORGASM: DENISE
Remarkable views from a woman using masturbation as a way to explore her sensuality."
"The better I know my body and discover what feels good to me, the more I can communicate to my partner how I want to be touched." --Denise

Customer Reviews:

Unique orgasm.......2007-06-26

Four different women showing four different orgasmic models using what is called the "deliberate orgasm technique. A winner.

Good Collection. Expansive view........2007-04-21

Every woman's orgasm is my favorite but it is interesting to be a witness to four different real women having this experience and being able to view it this close. These women are "normal" in the sense that the producers did not shop around for models that fit the beauty standards of fashion magazine and such. It is refreshing to see.
As I have said these products are different from the common depiction of women emulating ecstasy, they show women actually really feeling what it feels like to create it in their body and show what it looks like.
It shows a way of stretching the sensation out that can really tweak the reality of how much pleasure a woman is capable of experiencing, a mind bender so to speak, and it challenges the cultural limitations of what orgasm is for women and how they experience it.

Different facets of female orgasm........2007-04-17

Until I discovered the Female Masturbation Collection I had not seen any instructional videos on how to directly touch the clitoris and that is the primary focus here. These videos highlight different facets of female orgasm. From the visual signs of orgasm that can be seen and recognized, to a live anatomy lesson, changes in color, fullness and engorgement of the genitalia, to demonstrations of pleasurable ways to touch and stroke other parts of the body to heighten sensitivity.

I was impacted by how precise and deliberate the women touch themselves and I think deliberate is the key word here to describe what is happening. My partner and I found these women to be great role models of female sexuality. Men and women should see these videos, because they show a non stereotypical view of female masturbation. This is not a glossy view of the female form but a nicely done realistic portrayal of women pleasuring themselves. Overall, I found them mind expanding and worth seeing.

This collection of videos is a very good depiction of what women really look like having an orgasm........2007-03-24

This collection of videos is a very good depiction of what women really look like having an orgasm. I've always compared myself to what I have seen in movies, but never measured up. I tried out the technique in the videos, and can appreciate this company's message of woman masturbating. It's sometimes quiet, and other times a lot of feeling and intensity. It rarely every looks really loud and a lot of writhing around, although that is always fun too when it happens. Watching four different women was valuable as well. As far as I can tell it is the same technique in each one, but each woman had their own flavor and sexiness that I liked and found very arousing.

Want to learn how to satisfy a woman in bed?.......2007-01-25

If you do, you need first to learn how a woman receives pleasure. That is the goal of the Female Masturbation series from The Welcomed Consensus.

I have seen a great many female masturbation videos. I believe these are some of the very best of that variety. If you are expecting a porn star type screaming "I'm coming, I'm coming, . . ." you will be disappointed. What you will get is a first class look at attractive women giving themselves real pleasure. That is what I liked most about it. It is real!

Each of the videos starts off with a woman lying down in comfortable position and spreading her legs. She shows you her anatomy in a very explicit but tasteful way. The woman then stokes her genitals using the "DO-ing" techniques pioneered by The Welcomed Consensus over the past decade (see Deliberate Orgasm videos). One of the best things about the series is that you get to hear the real sounds of arousal from each woman. Pleasant instrumental music is playing in the background throughout each video. No vibrators buzzing, no phallic dildos, no fake orgasms, just a woman enjoying one of nature's most delightful gifts (her own body).

Overall the production values are good (almost like those found in good "amateur" videos). This seems fitting because that is what they started out as (a group of people who love sex wanting to share their knowledge). There is only one camera which zooms from full body and face to close ups of the genitals. The production values do get better as the series progresses. The sound quality on the first video is fair at best but that also lends to its charm. There is a female voice over for narration which will help if you are not familiar with female anatomy or masturbation. Each woman is not performing a sex show, but is simply letting you watch her masturbate. This gives the videos a very intimate feel, not like a sterile "how to" tape. The series gives you the best of both instruction and eroticism.

Average customer rating:

A 1970s Softcore Extravaganza!

Abigail Leslie Is Back in Town
Starring: Rebecca Brooke , Jamie Gillis , Sonny Landham , Sarah Nicholson , and Jennifer Welles
Director: Joe Sarno
Manufacturer: E.I. Independent
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ASIN: B000BQ7J5M
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Customer Reviews:

A 1970s Softcore Extravaganza!.......2006-05-04

All movies get kitsch after a few decades, but this movie had that quality from the jump. This was made in the 1970s, so it's full of loud clothing and furniture. The actresses have overdone makeup. There are turtlenecks and butterfly collars too.
Still, other flaws are purposeful and specific. Though not related, every actress in this had reddish-brown hair. When the film's title comes on the screen, "Lesley" is spelled differently from the disc cover. Every actor has bad timing and the script is terribly weak.
I wonder if the director Joseph Sarno and hottie Sonny Landham have beef with each other. The disc description calls Sonny a "B [movie] favorite." On Sonny's website, he does not include this work in his filmography. Still, he is on the cover, though he is not the main male actor. Then again, they don't list his name on the front cover of the disc. At one point, he wears an Elvis outfit which must be a reference to his incredibly low voice that sounds like the late singer. Most importantly, you get to see more of Sonny than you do in any other non-adult film, if you know what I mean.
Actually, every man in this film has an adult industry background. I wonder if this is why they were comfortable in exposing themselves as much as the actresses did. Too bad more actors don't take their lead. There is much girl-on-girl action here. This is decades before it become a major trend. Still, it is more about titillating straight men than empowering lesbians.

Average customer rating:

On Edge
Terrible! Terrible! ...
Where's the 0 star rating?
Funny Mocumentary
A Figure Skating "Waiting for Guffman"

On Edge
Starring: Ron Geren , Amy Hill , Gia Buonaguro , Wendie Malick , and Eric Slovin
Director: Karl Slovin
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00018YC1O
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Amazon.com

A mock documentary in the fashion of Christopher Guest's Best in Show, On Edge is a sardonic, occasionally insightful look at the surreal world of figure skating. A fictitious film crew follows behind-the-scenes dramas as three girls work their way through an amateur competition circuit toward fame, glory, and, perhaps, Olympic gold. We meet Veda, a miserable blonde dogged by a severe backstage mom (Wendie Malick) and male groupies; the sluttish, chain-smoking, Tonya Harding-esque J.C. Cain (A.J. Langer); and the hefty Wendy Wodinski (Marissa Jaret Winokur of the Hairspray musical), shrugging off insults about her weight. Jason Alexander, as Zamboni Phil, the man who's seen it all, serves as unofficial host and commentator. Kathy Griffin has some good moments as an aging competitor, and actor John Glover, sporting impressive biceps, is very funny as a Russian trainer. Real-life skaters Scott Hamilton (under heavy disguise), Kristi Yamaguchi, and Randy Gardner add to the overall verisimilitude. --Tom Keogh

Description

Three cold-hearted rivals train, toil and plot their way to figure skating fame in his hilarious mockumentary about skating for gloryand knocking the competition out cold! Starring Jason Alexander, Scott Hamilton, A.J. Langer, Wendie Malick and Kathy Griffinand featuring hilarious cameos by Olympic luminaries Kristi Yamaguchi, Peter Carruthers and Tai BabiloniaOn Edge is a raucous, riotous, razor-sharp romp! When it comes to skating, Zamboni Phil (Alexander) has seen it alluntil he sees Veda, a frosty femme fatale with a heart of ice; Wendy, a plus-size performer with an appetite for gold; and J.C., a determined delinquent with a plan to ice the competition. Skating and scheming to glittering glory, the trio must finally face off in a sequined fight to the finishwhere the only thing sharper than their skates is their cutthroat ambition!

Customer Reviews:

On Edge.......2007-01-09

If you know anything about our amateur and professional skaters, you'll get a kick out of the similarities of the cast of characters in this movie. It was kinda funny except for the some of the language.

Terrible! Terrible! ..........2006-03-13

Reviews are pretty accurate with character descriptions. One girl is a classic skating brat with the matching stage mom in the big coat. Another is white trash-going past Tonya or Nicole into beer binges and other over the top activity. The third girl is new- a fat girl. Every joke about all 3 girls rings true, but only the fat ones seem funny. Maybe because she's an EVIL manipulative fat girl, instead of being sympathetic. The only reason to see this movie disappears early on - guest American Open Champion and show skater Chrisha Gossard plays the pretty girl skater. Her character falls victim to the fat girl's scheming. At least we get to see her skate her Spanish style program. Things continue into a guy/girl Japanese are-better-jumpers conflict -not funny. My advice? FAST FORWARD to Chrisha, WATCH, and EJECT. Burn.

Where's the 0 star rating?.......2005-11-20

I tried watching this DVD with a friend last weekend and, almost an hour into it, we decided to eject the disc and go to bed -- and it was only 6 pm!!! We were neither tired, neither in the mood for romance, we were simply bored to tears by this movie with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Even Kathy Griffin couldn't save this yawnfest.

I wonder if the pawn shop would give me anything for the plastic case, as the DVD itself isn't worth crap!

Do yourself a favor and buy Kathy Griffin's "Allegedly" DVD, instead.

Funny Mocumentary.......2005-08-19

I like mockumentaries and thought this one had potential as the ice skating world is ripe for picking, but it was not to be. "On Edge" must've looked good on paper as there are lots of good set-ups for comedic moments but the execution is not quite as good as movies like "Spinal Tap" or "Best in Show." "On Edge" features so much self conscious mugging for the camera that I'd bet it was fun to be on the set at the time of filming but for those of us in the audience it's very hard to sit through. Its kind of a shame because the movie has a good blueprint. It focuses on a number of young ice skaters prepping for the regional competition. There's the fat girl, the twins, the klutz, the bad girl, and the one for whom ice skating isn't her real dream but her stage mother won't let her stop skating because she's a natural. Jason Alexander is sort of an everyman, playing Zamboni Phil, and commenting sagely on the different girls and their managers. I'd like to see this movie remade by Christopher Guest and company.

A Figure Skating "Waiting for Guffman".......2005-08-02

This "mock documentary" comedic slap at the often times pretentious world of "I'll act sweet for the public, but really I'll drive a knife in your back to get ahead" female U. S. Olympic figure skating is HYSTERICAL! Jason Alexander, Wendi Malick and John Glover may be only out performed by Marissa Winokar.

Average customer rating:

Kate Mulgrew the best
A Pretty Good Movie
Could it have gone on a little longer so I would really get nightmares!
New York's Grand Central Station...millions of people a year pass through it...some of them never get out.
Great Mulgrew & Torn Flick

A Stranger Is Watching
Starring: Kate Mulgrew , Rip Torn , James Naughton , Shawn von Schreiber , and Barbara Baxley
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000A0GOI2
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Description

They don't see him, but he's there. A stranger is watching; plotting; planning; and anticipating every move they make. Then he strikes. He imprisons a little girl and a famous reporter in the dank maze of tunnels beneath New York's Grand Central Station. The kidnapper is a remorseless psychopath who wants to collect a ransom, then murder his captives. His victims' only hope is their own wits - and the aid of the dazed and desperate homeless people who roam this urban netherworld. Kate Mulgrew is heartrendingly believable as the reporter and Rip Torn gives a harrowing performance as the kidnapper in this nightmarish shocker based on the Mary Higgins Clark suspense novel and directed by Sean S. Cunningham (Friday the 13th). A Stranger Is Watching: You won't be able to look away.

Customer Reviews:

Kate Mulgrew the best.......2007-04-07

Sorry for my english. I'm Italian and living in italy.

I'm very like this film.
Suspence and good actors. Kate Mulgrew is fantastic, intense and expressive.
I'm like very much Rip Torn and von Schreiber.
Kate Mulgrew and von Schreiber they have a beautiful feeling.

Loved it.

A Pretty Good Movie.......2007-03-17

I read the novel by Mary Higgins Clark and it was great. The movie wasn't as exciting as the book. The book was so exciting that i found myself holding my breath. But, the movie was similar to the book. Ronald Thompson knows he never killed Nina Peterson... yet in two days the state of Connecticut will take his life, having found him guilty via due process of law. But Thompson's death will not stop the pain and anger of Nina's husband, Steve. Thompson's death will not still the fears of Nina's daughter, witness to her mother's brutal slaying. Not even the love and friendship of Sharon Martin, a journalist who is slowly becoming a part of their world, will ever erase their bitter memories. Only time, perhaps, will heal their wounds. But in the shadows a stranger waits, a cunning psychopath who has killed before, who has unfinished business at the Peterson home and kidnapps Sharon and Steve and Nina's daughter. I enjoyed watching this movie and if your looking for a good mystery movie, "A Stranger is Watching" is a good pick.

Could it have gone on a little longer so I would really get nightmares!.......2006-02-09

This was a terrific film. Faithful to the book and cast with two fabulous actors -- Rip Torn and Kate Mulgrew.

Any story that takes place underground is destined to scare me and this one did. I didn't expect this film to be a gritty and as detailed as it was. The scenes with the dumb-waiter were so realistic that I felt the rope burns on my hands. Rip Torn flings a wicked knife right into the center of things. Kate Mulgrew uses every resource of the story and her talent to bring Sharon to life.

Creepy music too!

Loved it!

New York's Grand Central Station...millions of people a year pass through it...some of them never get out........2005-12-11

For those interested in watching the film A Stranger is Watching (1982), hoping to find a faithful adaptation of Mary Higgins Clark's novel of the same name, you'd probably be better off skipping the film all together...for those interested in a fairly thrilling, suspenseful film with a modicum of the visceral, then this will fit the bill. Adapted for the screen by Earl Mac Rauch (The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension) and Victor Miller (Friday the 13th, "All My Children"), and directed by Sean S. Cunningham, whose previous feature had been the seminal slasher film Friday the 13th (1980), the movie features Kate Mulgrew (Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Throw Momma from the Train), Rip Torn (The Beastmaster, "The Larry Sanders Show"), and Shawn von Schreiber in her one and only film role. Also appearing is James Naughton from the Planet of the Apes television series, Barbara Baxley (Nashville), Stephen Joyce (Billy Bathgate), and character actor James Russo (Beverly Hills Cop, We're No Angels). Also, in a `Hey! I recognize that guy!' moment, keep an eye out for Vincent Spano (Over the Edge, Creator) in a bit part accredited as `Gas Thief'.

The Peterson family suffered a terrible loss a few years earlier when Nina Peterson, wife and mother, was viciously brutalized and murdered in the Peterson home, right before the eyes of her daughter, Julie Peterson (von Schreiber). The killer, Ronald Thompson (Russo), has since been captured and convicted, based almost solely on the eyewitness testimony of Julie, and now is on death row, awaiting his impending execution. Julie and her father Steve Peterson (Naughton), a prestigious news magazine editor, have since tried to pick up the pieces of their life, but the upcoming execution has thrown them back into the spotlight as opponents of the death penalty, including Steve's television reporter girlfriend Sharon Martin (Mulgrew) desperately voice their condemnation of the severity of the punishment. Turns out Thompson, who's proclaimed his innocence since his arrest, may truly not be the killer, as we see another stalking Julie, eventually kidnapping her and Sharon, locking them away in dirty, filthy, stinking hidey hole under New York's Grand Central Station. Their abductor, Artie Taggart (Torn), is a mean, nasty, surly type whose motives are, at first, unclear, but his intent isn't, especially towards Sharon given how he despises them haughty types who think they're better than everyone else. As the police try to piece together the clues, Sharon and Julie try desperately to escape, and Julie begins to realize that Artie Taggart, and not Ronald Thompson, was the one who killed her mother, and now an innocent man may soon die for her mistake. There's little time to worry about this as Artie reveals his plans for both Sharon and Julie, ones that don't include going to Disneyland...

First off, I have not read the Mary Higgins Clark novel this film is based on, but knowing the movie is based off a book I couldn't help feel there was quite a bit missing from the story. I do know in the book the character of Julie was actually a little boy named Neil, and while that's probably the most obvious change, I doubt it's the most important. I suspect the more important changes are within the structuring of the story, and where the emphasis was placed, comparatively speaking. I'm sure in the novel relationships were more clearly developed and defined, ones that were most likely glossed over in the film. The oddest aspect to me was getting the makers of the film Friday the 13th to bring the story to the screen. They did a good job in making a watchable, interesting film, but in terms of staying true to source material, particularly the essence of the story, I couldn't help wonder how far they actually strayed. Well, regardless, what's done is done, and I'll tell you what, I did enjoy the movie. The direction was solid and the story did move along well. The pacing was a little draggy in the beginning, but it picked up a little once the women were abducted. There did seem to be some holes in the plot, but none really majorly gaping. Cunningham took what could have been a predictable story and added a few twists here and there, maintaining my interest well. The one aspect that seemed odd to me was why Torn's character didn't do away with Sharon right away rather than keep her along with the little girl. He seemed to have some base interest in her, but she quickly proved herself more a liability to his plans than any meager pleasures he may have derived from her around for...his main interest was in the little girl, and the character of Sharon just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is why he took her along. As far as the performances, I thought they were all pretty solid, especially Torn's as he seemed to exemplify the sleazy kind of character one would expect to do the things he did...he was mean, surly, reeked of attitude, and always ready with a colorful obscenity (sounds like a typical New Yorker). One thing's for sure, his character sure got the beating a number of times in the film, so one can see from where some of his pent up hostilities stem. As far as the characters of Sharon and Julie, I did appreciate how they weren't portrayed as typical, helpless victims cowering in fear, never attempting to free themselves of their imprisonment. A good deal of the movie seemed to take place underneath the New York subway system, in dank, dirty, steamy, cobwebby, rat infested tunnels which was interesting in and of itself. I think it is important to mention there are a couple of nasty sequences, one near the beginning (it's hammer time!), and another near the end, that do feature some visuals Cunningham apparently ported over from his previous film, Friday the 13th. I guess he had a hard time leaving those slasher tendencies behind. This didn't hurt the film, but it may be difficult for more sensitive viewers not accustomed to seeing such intimate violence depicted on the screen.

The picture on this DVD, presented in widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1), looks relatively clean, and comes through well, and the Dolby Digital mono audio is very decent. The only extra feature included is a theatrical trailer.

Cookieman108

By the way, I don't know if this holds true for the book, but in terms of this film, the title just didn't fit. It's a good title, but just not for this film.

Great Mulgrew & Torn Flick.......2002-09-11

This was a fantastic movie! I saw it years ago on cable and was dying to get a copy. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. For those of you who like suspensful dramas, I highly recommend this one. When is the DVD going to be released?? Hint, Hint.

Average customer rating:

haunting docu-fantasy--masterfully done!
Lacks bunches of ap-PEEL
Interesting, but misses a key point
Great, but very sad.
An Extraordinary Talent!

Carmen Miranda - Bananas Is My Business
Starring: Cynthia Adler , Eric Barreto , Mario Cunha , Alice Faye , and Aurora Miranda
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 1572522720
Release Date: 1998-08-12

Amazon.com

Few people know that movie star and gay icon Carmen Miranda was actually born in Portugal but moved to Rio de Janeiro as a girl in 1909. She was a determined, self-perpetuated creation--a master at promoting her public self, which "she wore like a mask that could not be penetrated." That she ultimately became the richest woman in America at one point in her career was a testament to her sheer will to succeed in show business. Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business is a hit-and-miss, sometimes shabbily done "proto-documentary" about her childhood and stardom, enacted with the sort of faux seriousness that is at times embarrassingly inane. The real people in the film, including her cousin, actors Cesar Romero, Rita Moreno, and Alice Faye (who says simply, "She had magic"), and boyfriends from her youth ("She had eyes like the headlights on a car," rues one) paint a portrait of a woman who, though effervescent on the surface, was haunted by criticism from home after she became "Americanized" and who endured a cold, loveless, physically abusive marriage. Miranda emerges as a Hollywood victim, for although she had everything she wanted, she was never given the studio's blessing to escape from her image to pursue her true musical talent. Sleeping pills, depression, and electroshock therapy followed, further indicating an underlying misery despite Miranda's gleeful public expression that "bananas is my business." Yet she never despised her famous alter ego--a Latin spitfire bombshell who wore a fruit basket on her head. Her death by a heart attack, which followed a collapse while dancing with Jimmy Durante, is unfortunately mismanaged in the film by director Helena Solberg. Miranda, who is still remembered by millions, hardly merits a bad reenactment of her lonely demise. It's a shame this intriguing documentary (that is, when it sticks to the film clips and archival footage) feels compelled to inject such speculative contrivances, because Miranda's life was fascinating of its own accord. --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews:

haunting docu-fantasy--masterfully done!.......2004-10-28

I first saw this film when it was broadcast on the independent film show, P.O.V. (Point of View), on PBS back in 1995. I knew about as much about Carmen Miranda as the average Yanqui. (Even though I like to think I transcend this national limitation with my inherited sense of Latina soul by way of my Venezuelan father's DNA.) I wanted to know more about "The Lady with the Tutti Frutti Hat," this icon who represented so many things to so many people. To her people of Brazil, she was their Carmen, that young, vivacious and drop-dead gorgeous singer of sambas, forros and Brazilian popular music (Musica Popular do Brasil) in the 1940s. To the North American public, she was the Latin bombshell with a flare for flashy, bold and colorful "traditional" costumes, who emerged as part of "tropical" dance numbers in several popular, Hollywood musicals. It didn't matter to many what language she was singing in, nor the content of her songs. It was pure, exotic fluff to entertain and distract us from our troubles. That was what we were lead to believe, anyway.

The story behind Carmen Miranda, the young Brazilian woman, born in Portugal to Portuguese parents, is finally revealed in Helena Solberg's compelling, cautionary film, that is disclosed to us through an innovative and engaging series of archived films, fantasy re-enactments and personal accounts of people who knew the woman behind the bananas. Let me tell you, here and now, bananas weren't the ONLY thing that were her business. Don't let the song fool you! ("Bananas Is My Business") Carmen Miranda was actually born Maria de Carmen, to Portuguese parents who immigrated with their young, two-year old daughter to Brazil. Maria was a gorgeous, outgoing, green-eyed ("like the headlights of a car," according to a Brazilian journalist) hatmaker at a men's boutique, when her enchanted voice was first heard. Maria used to sing to herself, to while away the hours. The numbers of customers surged when Maria was around. They were immediately enchanted and attracted to the beautiful young woman. A few years later, her first test record for the RCA studio, became a hit record in Rio de Janeiro. Once she had built a name for herself, she was performing at a nightclub one night and an American producer from Hollywood happened to see her sing. The rest is history.....

The film unapologetically presents the duality of Carmen's experiences in Hollywood and showbusiness in the United States. Though, she had given herself the name Carmen Miranda, when she began her journey of self discovery before she even became a popular singer, her overall makeover and appearance in the public eye was severely altered by Hollywood's hand. She was presented as a goodwill ambassador, representing the cultures of South America to the United States, not only as a means of social outreach, but as a tool of political and economic advancement. This beautiful woman gradually began to resemble the clownish, over-the-top persona carved out for her. She was never given successful, "serious" roles as a Latina in U.S. showbusiness. Instead, she was presented as the exotic icing, while other Non-Latin actors took the cake.

When she finally succumbed to a heart attack at the young age of fourty-six, the numerous sleeping and caffeine pills she had taken to become addicted to, along with an abusive and disrespectful marriage to American David Sebastian, finally took their toll. Nonetheless, her legacy lives on as a beautiful, talented and vivacious film legend who can never be replaced in our hearts. It is my hope that people see this film to get a glimpse at the woman behind the fruit basket.

Lacks bunches of ap-PEEL.......2004-09-25

This was a very odd documentary. Normally, I enjoy this forum of film. I enjoy learning about a person or events that I normally would never learn about. I love learning about famous people that to the normal eye would have a normal life, but behind the scenes it was nothing but trials and tribulations. The only issue I have is that sometimes it is hard to create a good documentary, or just another episode of E! True Hollywood Stories. That is exactly the line that Carmen Miranda: Bananas is my Business crosses.

This film goes from decent documentary into a slime fest for the "bombshell" beauty. The problem with this film is that the filmmaker takes too many assumptions with Carmen. For example, there are some scenes that were not captured on film when Carmen was alive, so the director chose to go ahead and place an actress (or in this very odd case and ACTOR) in a reenacting role of Carmen. There were several moments of this film where it would skip from filmed Carmen, to this actor Carmen and the director would take certain risks.

These risks should not be taken when creating a documentary. Why? Because again you are crossing a line. You are taking a documentary, one that lives in the world of fiction, and throw in areas of non-fiction. This cannot happen. You cannot jump genres. How is your audience to believe you? After watching some truths from the taped Carmen from her films, I had trouble jumping from one to the other. I couldn't keep track on what the director wanted to show as "real" and what was dramatized. That is definitely no way to create a story. For example, we open this film to Carmen walking around in her bath robe and suddenly falls, we witness the mirror that Carmen is carrying shatter in front of her. Now I know that the director was trying to show that a beauty, concerned most about her appearance, had a mirror (the sheer instrument of vanity) break in front of her. BUT THIS NEVER HAPPENED. I had to remind myself that the director was taking a chance here, causing my stomach to go down south. Can directors of documentaries take these chances?

Can they dabble the line between fiction and non-fiction while trying to tell a "true" story? My answer friends, is NO. But again, all I am is a mere critic, no director of documentaries.

Grade: ** out of *****

Interesting, but misses a key point.......2003-02-26

This documentary is more about the director and her feelings about Carmen Miranda than Carmen. In the end, I find she does no more service to her than Hollywood did. What she fails to note is Miranda was just great and joyous in those old Fox films. How many other foreign actresses could do a full-length number like Cae Cae with her Banda de Lua? It's authentic and fun and clearly Miranda is enjoying herself.
The old clips are fun but I wanted to know more about Carmen Miranda and less about the director. If there were more things available about Carmen, this would be a fine experiment.

Great, but very sad........2002-07-22

This was a great documentary! I just discovered Carmen through the Fox Movie Channel. This film covers her whole life. She was really a great talent and she did not deserve to be treated that way by hollywood. Maybe if she was a star of today she would have been more respected.

An Extraordinary Talent!.......2000-10-12

Helena Solberg takes Carmen Miranda fans where they've never gone before. This video is the most in depth bio I have ever seen on the "Little Girl" from Brazil. Not only does it delve into Miranda's life, but it goes into detail the abuse she took from the movie industry. Hollywood stereotyped Carmen to the point that it was impossible for her to find roles other than the "Rosita" and "Carmelta" characters she portrayed, and her native Brasil deemed her too "Americanized", almost to the point of disowning her. She was definitely a woman without a country."Bananas" also shows some of Miranda's classic numbers from the camp 20th Century Fox musicals. All in all, "Bananas Is My Business" is a detailed account of the life of this extraordinary talent....a "must see" for any Miranda fan.

Average customer rating:

A very rewarding Korean drama...
A complex film, but to what end?

Woman is the Future of Man
Starring: Ji-tae Yu , Tae-woo Kim , Hyeon-a Seong , Ho-jung Kim , and Seung-chae Lee (II)
Director: Sang-soo Hong
Manufacturer: New Yorker Video
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ASIN: B000LC3IPQ
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Description

Like Wong Kar-wai and Tsai Ming-liang, New Korean Cinema luminary Hong Sangsoo marries Asian and European sensibilities. Michael Atkinson in The Village Voice cannily dubbed him "the love child Antonioni and Hou Hsiao-hsien never had," while Woman Is the Future of Man could be described as a postmodern, post-romantic riff on Rashomon and Jules and Jim, refracting an unstable mÃ©nage Ã trois through two misaligned perspectives.

The film's ruefully comic view of modern love centers on the Mutt-and-Jeff dynamic between two mismatched buddies - tall, placid art professor Munho and short, volatile filmmaker Hunjoon - who share an inconsistent passion for the same woman, artist turned-bar-girl Sunhwa. Shuttling between the summery past and the snowy present, the two recently reunited friends drunkenly recall their failed relationships with Sunhwa, littered with broken promises, fumbled opportunities, and sexual gaucheries (no one but Hong captures the indelicacies of the bedroom with such wincingly unsanitized candor). Employing a hyper-observant camera style acutely sensitive to quicksilver shifts in the emotional weather, Woman Is the Future of Man is a wry, wistful discourse on the immaturity of men, the fickleness of memory, and the elusiveness of love.

Customer Reviews:

A very rewarding Korean drama..........2007-06-21

Hong Sangsoo is a film professor turned director. I have seen only 2 of his films, "Virgin stripped bare by her Bachelors" and this one; "WOMAN IS THE FUTURE OF MAN". The director is an artist concerned with alienation and the "battle of the sexes". Sangsoo definitely has a fondness for subtle symbolism and repetition in tales of unsympathetic relations and the mistake of always trying to recapture the past, not being able to let go.

This director is a minimalist and a very strict one at that. He avoids cinematic manipulations like close-ups. Most scenes in his movies are done in 1 take, wide shots and limits camera movement. He gives his performers a wide berth to fill a scene. I think he uses an observational perspective.

The tale begins when 2 old chums meet for a lazy afternoon, which will lead to a drunken weekend. Munho (Jitae Yu) is a married art teacher, while his friend, Hunjoon (Teawoo Kim) had just returned from his film studies from the U.S. the screenplay is about "slow reveal", blossoming occurrances and "woman..starts with Munho making a point not to invite Hunjoon into his home. Munho offers Hunjoon to walk into the backyard to walk on fresh snow.
Two of the potent symbolisms are shown when Hunjoon takes a few steps on the snow and backtracks in them on purpose so that the path will seem like it had suddenly stopped. As for this scene; it is a piece of symbolism: 1)an aborted path means "no future" 2)Hunjoon walking backwards in his steps means a desire to go back to the past.

As for the act that Munho didn't let his friend inside his home, Munho has harbored anger when Hunjoon gave his spouse an " friendly American" hug when they went to visit him in the States before. Munho is a man of resentment and insecurity.

This becomes the premise of the film. The 2 men-kids drink and eventually reminisce about a shared romance back in the college days, Sunhwa (Hyeona Seong, The Intimate, Time). They inadvertently decide to see her and in turn, their past failings resurface. For Hunjoon, he remembers Sunhwa as a fragile girl that he had mistreated. He took advantage of her when he supposedly tried to "cleanse" her after she was raped by an old school chum, then dumping her to attend film school in America. For Munho, he dated her while Hunjoon was in the states attending film school. He remembers her as an awkward sexual conquest. The ultimate irony is that the two men are unable to see their shortcomings when it comes to women, they express their frustrations in their drunken pleas for punishment, at the same time, they are pathetic and ignorant--they are doomed to commit their past mistakes.

VIDEO/AUDIO: ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN. The transfer is kept simple, not very striking. The PQ is not vibrant, somewhat soft and lacking in contrast. But is very clean, free of print damage. Korean Language 5.1 Dolby and 2.0 surround with English subs.
EXTRAS:
Liner notes by Michael Atkinson and Kyung Hyun Kim.
French and Korean Theatrical Trailers.
Introduction by Martin Scorsese (this is very nice).
Interviews with the three leads & Making of Featurette .
OVERALL:
WOMAN IS THE FUTURE OF MAN is a very rewarding drama. The dvd is not technically sound, but this film has a lot to offer fans of Korean "art" films.
RECOMMENDED!! (4 stars)

A complex film, but to what end?.......2007-06-09

Two old friends, getting on middle-aged and separated for unclear reasons, reunite at lunch and a series of further meetings, reminisce about the old days. They are a natty, complacently married, professor, Munto, and a leaner, more intense film maker, Hun-joon. They talk about an old girlfriend of Hun-joon's, Sunhwa (who seemingly Munho also had an affair with). Various tensions rise up in sudden flashes breaking the calm surface of renewed friendship. Eventually the two go to find Sunhwa, who now works as a bar girl (or manager of a bar), and go back to her apartment for a night of drinking and revelry. Afterward, Munho runs into some students, is cajoled into more drinking with them. Without, hopefully, giving away too much that's about it, and we leave Munho standing on a dawning street, waiting for a cab. Incidentally, there is a good deal of obsession with sex, mostly neither interesting nor titillating, including a scene or two approaching soft core status.

Much of the story is told in flashbacks (or fantasies or dream sequences or ...), and given that not a lot of effort seems to have been made (via makeup or whatever) to distinguish the 20-something flashbackees from the current 40'ish (at a guess) protagonists, it is sometimes difficult to tell which is which. Another viewing would certainly clarify some of what is going on, and I certainly enjoy films which challenge one to untangle every nuance through repeated viewings (see my reviews of "Fallen Angels" (Fallen Angels) and "Flower Island" (Flower Island), for instance). But one has to care enough, about the characters or the film itself, one has to sense that there will be something added beyond, say, simply getting the chronology straight, to make the investment of time and effort, and I couldn't get up the enthusiasm on either count, so returned it without a second go. The two men were stereotypical male jerks, the women basic dishrags, with no seeming commentary about it. It's not an awful film, and maybe I'm missing out, but I just couldn't get into it enough to bother getting into it enough

Average customer rating:

Vengeance Is a Golden Blade
Starring: Ping-Ao Wei , Peng-fei Li , Ching Tang , Hua Yueh , and Hsiung Chiao
Director: Meng Hua Ho
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000LPS2PE
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Description

From the fearless director of The Flying Guillotine and Mighty Peking Man, this colorful adventure will thrill all fans of brilliant cinematic swordplay! The stage is set for a fast-moving story of greed, lust, death, and vengeance as a servant's daughter must escape from a murderous married couple who will stop at nothing to have a golden blade called "The Flying Dragon." Only a martial arts master familiar with the rare "Silver Swallow" technique can hope to stand up against these ferocious villains, leading to a fierce showdown that will determine the fate of the world's most deadly weapon!

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