The Apartment

Amazon.com essential video

Romance at its most anti-romantic--that is the Billy Wilder stamp of genius, and this Best Picture Academy Award winner from 1960 is no exception. Set in a decidedly unsavory world of corporate climbing and philandering, the great filmmaker's trenchant, witty satire-melodrama takes the office politics of a corporation and plays them out in the apartment of lonely clerk C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon). By lending out his digs to the higher-ups for nightly extramarital flings with their secretaries, Baxter has managed to ascend the business ladder faster than even he imagined. The story turns even uglier, though, when Baxter's crush on the building's melancholy elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine) runs up against her long-standing affair with the big boss (a superbly smarmy Fred MacMurray). The situation comes to a head when she tries to commit suicide in Baxter's apartment. Not the happiest or cleanest of scenarios, and one that earned the famously caustic and cynically humored Wilder his share of outraged responses, but looking at it now, it is a funny, startlingly clear-eyed vision of urban emptiness and is unfailingly understanding of the crazy decisions our hearts sometimes make. Lemmon and MacLaine are ideally matched, and while everyone cites Wilder's Some Like It Hot closing line "Nobody's perfect" as his best, MacLaine's no-nonsense final words--"Shut up and deal"--are every bit as memorable. Wilder won three Oscars for The Apartment, for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (cowritten with longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond). --Robert Abele

Description

Winner* of five 1960 Academy AwardsÂ(r), including Best Picture, The Apartment is legendary writer/director Billy Wilder at his scathing, satirical best, and one of "the finest comedies Hollywood has turned out" (Newsweek). C.C. "Bud" Baxter (Jack Lemmon) knows the way to success in business...it's through the door of his apartment! By providing a perfect hideaway for philandering bosses, the ambitious young employee reaps a series of undeserved promotions. But when Bud lends the key to big boss J.D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), he not only advances his career, but his own love life as well. For Sheldrake's mistress is the lovely Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), elevator girl and angel of Bud's dreams. Convinced that he is the only man for Fran, Bud must makethe most important executive decision of his career: lose the girl...or his job. *1960: Director, Story and Screenplay, Editing, Art Direction (B&W)

Customer Reviews:

Shirley MacLaine is lovely actress.......2007-09-11

I loved Shirley MacLaine in those days, and it is because she was lovely at all, and this movie shows her charm well.
Costarring with her and Jack Lemmon gives a good result.

Hopelessly dated.......2007-09-04

Like many of the golden age "classics," this movie simply does not hold up over time and betrays all the moral and societal restrictions of the time in which it was made. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine might as well be Rob and Laura Petrie in their separate beds -- tiptoeing around attraction and physical desires to the point of absurdity.

Other actors in the film give performances that are so stereotypical and "clever" that they belong more in a sitcom than a motion picture. True, Jack Lemmon is a great actor, but even he can't save this extremely dialog-heavy and ultimately boring movie.

The famous last scene where Jack and Shirley end up playing cards -- GIVE ME A BREAK! That's not what two people in love who ultimately find each other would end up doing. But of course, in a 1960 movie, that's what they had to settle for.

The movie works as an interesting period piece, but is hopelessly dated and an example of when movies were limited by moral and societal shackles that make them look -- today -- ridiculous.

The Apartment.......2007-08-05

This movie is rated # 93 by Newsweek magazine in the "best 100 movies of the last century". I am collecting these movies, and I think this one should be at least # 50

Wilder's "Falling Apart" Apartment.......2007-07-21

As a lover of old Hollywood films, I consider Billy Wilder one of the most gifted filmmakers. Interestingly, "The Apartment" is at least the eleventh film I've seen from him, while some of them are still hard to come by for me (still waiting to come across "The Lost Weekend" and "Double Indemnity"). In the past few months, a local MGM channel showed "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes", "Love In the Afternoon", "The Fortune Cookie" and the dud "Irma La Douce". That said, I was waiting with high anticipation for "The Apartment" and...

...well, as a movie full of cleverly put-together plot, with all Wilderian ingredients added and excellent performances throughout, "The Apartment" still left something to be desired with so high a profile (recently it ranked #80 in the latest AFI 100 American Films). One word occurs to me... this film is DATED, and more than a bit.

The truth is that the mercilessly honest look at shallow life of American corporate officials could ring unpleasantly true in the 1960, when the film got its important three Oscars. Since then, however, the times have changed and I think the passing time hurt the film considerably more than, for instance, the lighter "Some Like It Hot". Still, hats off to Wilder for one of his most poignant social commentaries even put on the screen. Nowadays, filmmakers would not get away with depicting women as so naive creatures as this film somehow indicates they are.

Anyway, as you will see, I still rank "The Apartment" quite high in my personal chart of Wilder's films and I certainly won't throw "The Apartment" out of my collection. Just for the lovely Shirley MacLaine and spot-on Jack Lemmon and Fred MacMurray. And did I mention the laughs, too?

1. Sunset Boulevard, 2. Some Like It Hot, 3. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, 4. The Apartment, 5. A Foreign Affair, 6. Seven Year Itch, 7. Love In the Afternoon, 8. Stalag 17, 9. The Fortune Cookie, 10. Irma La Douce, 11. Ace In the Hole (AKA Big Carnival)

Outstanding.......2007-03-22

This was really a wonderful movie, the acting, the actors
and the storyline. This movie, I think, would even make it
with "todays audience".
A very believable drama with great humor.

Average customer rating:

How to get "Hawaii" released on DVD at 181minutes
Beautiful
Hawaii DVD
5 star movie - 1 star dvd
Thanks for the warning...

Hawaii
Starring: Julie Andrews , Max von Sydow , Richard Harris , Gene Hackman , and Carroll O'Connor
Director: George Roy Hill
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00079ZA1S
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Amazon.com

George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) directed this adaptation of James Michener's novel about the history of the 50th state. Max von Sydow plays a zealous missionary with a Calvinist bent, intent on enlightening the natives even as his wife (Julie Andrews) is romanced by the dashing Richard Harris. The film is both a glossy vision of Hawaii in the early 19th century and a sometimes-brutal drama full of death, a rough childbirth, stormy weather, etc. Hill's blunt editing, meant to emphasize the more terrifying aspects of the natural order of life, makes the film look particularly dated and mannered today. This is best appreciated for its cast, all of whom were making inroads in Hollywood at the time. --Tom Keogh

Description

Two cultures collide in this vast, lavish and truly spectacular film starring Julie Andrews, Max Von Sydow, Richard Harris, Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor. Adapted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and nominated* for seven OscarsÂ(r), this "majestic, gorgeously framedepic is adventuresome picture-making, a credit to the industry" (The Film Daily) and riveting entertainment! They came to bring God, but instead brought disease and destruction. The Rev. Abner Hale (Von Sydow) and his gentle wife Jerusha (Andrews) attempt to convert early 19th-century Hawaiian natives to Christianity but find themselves ill-equipped to endure the unexpected tribulations of paradise. Surging with the excitement of windstorms, firestorms, shark attacks and magnificent island scenery, Hawaii shines as passionately as the island paradise itself!*1966: Supporting Actress (Jocelyne LaGarde), CinematographyColor, Costume DesignColor, Special Visual Effects, Score, Song, Sound

Customer Reviews:

How to get "Hawaii" released on DVD at 181minutes.......2007-05-18

I did some research and called Eric Doctorow's office at 310-369-4047 and let his associate know that a lot of consumers are looking for this movie to be rereleased without all the editing. Eric Doctorow is in charge of marketing of home video at Fox. His associate told me that he would pass my request on to marketing. The more people that call and air their request to them, the better the chances of getting what we want. I also mentioned that the 50th aniversary of Hawaii's statehood is coming up and that it might be an idea to re-issue this movie.

Beautiful.......2007-04-11

Incredible scenery, wonderful depiction of Michner's historic epic. Must for your classic CD collection~

Hawaii DVD.......2007-03-19

This product was delivered in pristine condition and within just a few days. I would continue to have the most confidence in this seller.

Terri

5 star movie - 1 star dvd.......2006-08-19

I don't have a lot to add to what so many others have already said. There is truly no excuse for releasing such a severely edited version of this film on dvd. Now that MGM is being distributed by 20th Century Fox (one of the best dvd labels) instead of Sony (the worst of the major labels) perhaps they will consider issuing a new edition of this film.

It is always a little difficult deciding what to do when a movie you have waited years for is issued in an edition this inadequate. If you decide not to buy it does that send a message to MGM that they need to do a better job or do the low sales tell them that their lack of attention was justified? I decided not to buy this one. I am lucky enough to own the excellent, letter boxed vhs version of the uncut film and since it is not copy guarded I am able to transfer it to dvd. Obviously this is not the same as having a studio issued, anamorphic edition of the film, but it's better than having a version with the heart cut out of it. When MGM does the job right and issues a new, complete dvd of this film I will buy it on the day it is released.

Thanks for the warning..........2006-08-12

I was just about to add this to my shopping cart when I read, to my horror, that 30 minutes were cut in a spectacular display of bad judgement on the part of MGM. The "pre-Hawaii" scenes were, to me, the most compelling scenes in the film: Jerusha saying goodbye to her little sister (movingly recalled years later when Abner says goodbye to thier daughter); Jerusha standing up to her husband during the voyage to Hawaii; the tragic death of one of the wives during childbirth and Abner's subsequent "You WILL LIVE, Jerusha" speech (which happens to be my favorite moment). I guess for now I'll stick with my double-VHS copy until MGM comes to thier senses.

Average customer rating:

Hannah and Her Sisters
Thousands of reviews of this film, millions who've seen it....
One of Woody Allen's Best
A Flawless Film
Allen's Best

Hannah and Her Sisters
Starring: Lewis Black , Michael Caine , Christian Clemenson , Allen DeCheser , and Mia Farrow
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005O06J
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Amazon.com essential video

Considered by many to be Woody Allen's best film, even over Annie Hall. Hannah and Her Sisters follows a multitude of characters: Hannah (Mia Farrow), who plays den mother to her extended family; her sister Lee (Barbara Hershey), emotional and a bit of a flake, who's involved with a much older artist (Max Von Sydow), who treats her like a child; and Hannah's other sister, Holly (Dianne Wiest), a neurotic who feels incapable of managing her life. Hannah's husband Elliot (Michael Caine) falls in love with Lee, which sets off a series of upheavals. Allen gives one of his best performances as Hannah's ex-husband Mickey, who--much like Allen himself--is obsessed with death and unhappiness. But a simple summary doesn't begin to capture the warmth and intimacy of this movie; though the story follows a capsizing family, the outcome is surprising, joyous, and richly human. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Brimming with laughter, tears and subtle beauty, Hannah and Her Sisters is a magnificent "summation of [Woody Allen's] career to date" (The New York Times). Winner* of three OscarsÂ(r) and featuring a brilliant all-star cast, Hannah and Her Sisters spins a tale of three unforgettable women and showcases Allen "at his most emotionally expansive, working on his broadest canvas with masterly ease" (Newsweek)! The eldest daughter of show-biz parents, Hannah (Mia Farrow) is a devoted wife, loving mother and successful actress. A loyal supporter of her two aimless sisters Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest), she's also the emotional backbone of a family that seems to resent her stability almost as much as they depend on it. But when Hannahs perfect world is quietly sabotaged by sibling rivalry, she finally begins to see that she's as lo st as everyone else, and in order to find herself, she'll have to choose Â- between the independence her family can't live withÂ...and the family she can't live without. *1986: Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress (Wiest), Supporting Actor (Caine)

Customer Reviews:

Hannah and Her Sisters.......2007-07-06

One of Woody's most intricately plotted films, "Hannah" is also one of his most tenderly observed, right up there with "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan." Plumbing the romantic entanglements and unspoken desires of its three titular characters, Allen draws out the inner worlds of his all-too-human subjects in rich detail. With an impeccable cast--Wiest and Caine both won Oscars for their supporting roles--and a wise, arch script by the Woodman himself, "Hannah" examines the chronic dissatisfaction that permeates our complex and conflicted lives.

Thousands of reviews of this film, millions who've seen it...........2007-04-17

And I suspect they will keep on coming. Woody always wanted to create a synthesis between his famous "wisecracking" style and the serious drama of Scandinavian directors such as Ingmar Bergman, he also wanted to created a portrait of a "fully rounded personality". Well he didnt succeed. He created five. Hannah ( Mia Farrow) , her sisters ( Barbara Hershey and Diane Wiest). Hannah's mixed up husband ( Michael Caine) and of course himself. I've seen this film so many times these characters have become part of my family.And there are many others - Hannah's parents - I haven't even mentioned. I don't think it's possible to make a cinematic film that could be better than "Hannah and her Sisters". It has no axe to grind, it doesn't take sides, it's beautifully acted, it's funny, it's touching, it's serious but then again not...If you haven't yet seen it, where have you been living the past couple of decades....?

One of Woody Allen's Best.......2007-02-18

Considered by many to be Woody Allen's best film, "Hannah and Her Sisters" is not my favorite Woody Allen movie but it is my 2nd. The film won 3 Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine), and Best Supporting Actress (Dianne Weist)...And, yes, these awards were well deserved. "Hannah and Her Sisters" have all the elements that combine to make a great Woody Allen film. It's funny, dramatic, filled with great dialogue and great performances...It's truly one of his finest artistic achievements that people who despise Allen might like if they opened up their minds a bit. Mia Farrow plays Hannah, who is seemingly the backbone of her family, especially her two sisters Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Weist). rom an outsider's perspective it looks like Hannah is leading a perfect life. She's got four children, a husband Elliot (Caine), and is always helping out her sister's in time of need. hat she doesn't know is that her marriage to Elliot is slowly crumbling, as he has fallen in love with Lee. Meanwhile, there's Mickey (Allen) Hannah's ex-husband, a hypochondriac TV producer who fears that there might actually be something wrong with him. As Lee accepts that Elliot is in love with her and tries to move away from her much-older boyfriend (Max Von Sydow), Holly, an ex-drug addict, attempts to get her love life on track. She briefly falls for an architect, only to have him stolen away by a "friend" (Carrie Fisher). This movie features one of my favorite Woody Allen-lines..."I don't know if you remember me. We shared the worst night of my life together." His dialogue is truly in top form here and for a director known for getting great performances by marquee names, "Hannah and Her Sisters" has some of the best. Weist and Caine deserved their Oscars without a doubt, but also worthy of acting nominations would be Farrow, Allen, and even Daniel Stern who makes a brief, but memorable, performance. "Hannah and Her Sisters" is a great film, but it's not a perfect one. I thought that it started off a little slow and didn't really get going until about 20 minutes in, but after that I was hooked. This film has what ranks in my mind as one of the best endings of a Woody Allen movie ever...This is a rare moment in movies that can actually improve upon everything you've just seen. I urge you, whether you're a fan of Woody Allen or hate him, to see this. This is a great film; you will laugh, you will cry...A terrific film on all levels.

GRADE: A

A Flawless Film.......2007-01-09

Hannah & Her Sisters is, in my opinion, a flawless film. Balancing subtle humor with the trials of a disfunctional family, it places Hannah as the fulcrum surrounded by people who depend on her to manage their messy lives. The film flows on a bed of beautiful music through three years of Thanksgiving dinners, leaving the viewer with a feeling of warmth and satisfaction.

Allen's Best.......2006-11-29

I have owned the video for several years and just purchased the DVD. Hannah and Her Sisters far exceeds Anne Hall as my favorite Allen picture. Such a joy. And the DVD is wonderful!

Average customer rating:

superb movie
Love the music and the storyline.
Better than the novel
Riveting Hollywood Sleaze
A Nauseatingly Addictive Train Wreck.

The Carpetbaggers
Starring: George Peppard , Alan Ladd , Robert Cummings , Martha Hyer , and Elizabeth Ashley
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008CMQZ
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Amazon.com

The Carpetbaggers is the kind of trash classic most people are too embarrassed to admit they actually enjoy. But this Harold Robbins adaptation is so cheerfully vulgar, it's hard not to have a good time--especially given the thinly veiled portrait of Howard Hughes at its center. George Peppard plays the heel-hero, who founds an airline company in the 1920s and buys a movie studio in the 1930s, crushing friends and mistresses along the way. The high cheese factor is aided by the good-time cast: Carroll Baker as Peppard's hot stepmom, Bob Cummings (quite funny) as a cynical agent, and Elizabeth Ashley, who married Peppard, in her debut--uncharacteristically, as a good girl. The sad note is Alan Ladd, looking and sounding very end-of-the-line in his final role, as a man's man cowboy star. Elmer Bernstein's swaggering score helps goose the action along, but the rest is thick melodrama indeed. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

superb movie.......2006-01-29

A great film with an engrossing story- I literally could not take my eyes off it.George Peppard's signature role (better than Tiffany's). If you long for a movie with a great story buy it! Congrats to Paramount for the excellent transfer- sharp with great colours and very little evidence of print damage.

Love the music and the storyline........2005-09-06

I've been a fan of this version of the movie for years. I love the theme music, and the storyline. George Pappard is wonderful also. Definitely dated, a lot of sexist stuff, pre women's lib.

Better than the novel.......2005-08-30

I'm a huge fan of the harold robbins novel but i've got to say that the film is every bit as good and probably better. The only thing lacking id the back story about nevada smith but he has his own film as well so i recommend getting that one also. overall its a terrific story and in a day and age when its all about special effects this film stands alone as a story, and a bloody good one at that!

Riveting Hollywood Sleaze.......2005-07-12

"The Carpetbaggers" is a fantastic adaptation of Harold Robbins' bestseller, very racy for its era, with dialogue that is often rare and juicy, a superb cast, and great direction by Edward Dmyrtryk. The character of Jonas Cord is loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, and it is interesting to compare this film with Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator." Both George Peppard as Cord and Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes give brilliant performances, but overall, I find this film far more satisfying, and certainly a lot more entertaining.

Peppard was at the height of his career in this film, and it is perhaps his best. It gives him a wide range of emotions, as well as the physicality and toughness he was so good at. Others that shine in the large cast are Alan Ladd in what was to be his last film as Nevada Smith, Carroll Baker as the sultry Rina, Robert Cummings as Nevada's slick and slimey manager. Elizabeth Ashely as Mrs. Jonas Cord (and who soon after this film was to become the real life Mrs. Peppard), Martin Balsam as the owner of a film studio, and Lew Ayres, as second in command in Jonas Cord's empire, has some of the best lines in the film.

The pacing of the film never lags, and there is a brutal fight between Jonas and Nevada, one of those screen fights that is always fascinating to watch. The Nevada Smith character is quite complex, and was to spawn a "prequel" 2 years later, starring Steve McQueen. The cinematography by Joseph MacDonald is marvelous, the Edith Head gowns lavishly glamorous, and very important to the success of this film is the fabulous jazzy score, which is one of Elmer Bernstein's finest. In my youth I devoured all of Robbins' books, loved the well-written sleaze of them, and loved this film in its theatrical release. I've since watched it repeatedly, and find more to enjoy in it with each viewing. Total running time is 150 minutes.

A Nauseatingly Addictive Train Wreck........2005-07-12

I just got through watching this Dmytryk film on TCM tonight, and all I can say is that if you are looking for the George Peppard who played Paul Varjak in Breakfast at Tiffany's, forget it. In fact, he is so cold and so stiff (I realize he's trying to play a nasty Howard Hughes knockoff), that a cardboard figurine would have been just as convincing in his stead.

Outside of great costumes and sets, this movie is long and boring. Where it's not boring it's a snicker inducing raunchfest. Poor Alan Ladd in his final role, barely having to act as he plays a drunken hasbeen, and Elizabeth Ashley who is the only redeeming character in the entire plot and also resembles Audrey Hepburn to a scary degree in the last half of this debacle. Carroll Baker may be sexy in her lingerie, but she's so over-the-top with her heavy breathing and her lingerie that you actually want to cheer when her car goes off the road.

I can think of better ways to pass my time for 2 and 1/2 hours than this...like watching the mating rituals of moth-eaten underwear. Still, you just can't stop watching it through to its unrealistic ending. If I'd have thought beating up one of my old flames after years of his acting like a total jag would have changed him overnight, I'd have done it long ago! If you must see this lousy piece of 60's smut, make sure you rent it or come across it on TV before you go buying it. I've seen corpses that are more convincing than Peppard was in this flick!

Average customer rating:

Awesome music
A Near-Classic
Superior in all ways.
The real star of this film!
ONE OF THE VERY BEST MUSICALS EVER

There's No Business Like Show Business
Starring: Ethel Merman , Donald O'Connor , Marilyn Monroe , Dan Dailey , and Johnnie Ray
Director: Walter Lang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000059GEI
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com

This 1954 dinosaur brings together two giants of Broadway, Ethel Merman and Irving Berlin, just as their moment was passing forever, to create one last hurrah: a celebration of the glories that were vaudeville. Still, it's hard to imagine that Broadway--or nightclub entertaining, for that matter--was ever quite this lavish and satisfying. The story centers on a married couple, the Donahues (Dan Dailey and Merman), who live on the road as vaudeville entertainers, and since they have children, begin incorporating the kids into the act. Eventually, the kids grow up to be Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor, and Johnny Ray, and they begin having interests of their own. Donald's is an ambitious showgirl (Marilyn Monroe), whose standoffish response to his romantic overtures drives him to drink. Best for its lavish, splashy production numbers built around some of the best of the Berlin songbook, including the title tune and "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody." --Marshall Fine

Description

An all-star cast that includes Ethel Merman, Dan Dailey, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O'Connor, Johnnie Ray and Mitzi Gaynor sparks this tuneful Irving Berlin musical that depicts the trials and triumphs of a veteran vaudeville family. Molly (Merman) and Terry (Dailey) Donahue start out as a duo and keep adding kids to the act until they finally become The 5 Donahues. Their busy, sometimes tumultuous lives aren't always easy, but the Donahues have plenty of love to get them through the hard times and more than enough talent to keep them on top. Highlighted by one classic Irving Berlin song after another and an array of dazzling production numbers, this upbeat, utterly delightful tale of life on the stage proves, beyond and doubt, that There's No Business Like Show Business!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome music.......2007-09-03

You cannot beat this album even with a stick. Music at its best. Performances at their very best. This is what movie and/or Broadway music is susposed to be. We don't have wonderful talent like this anymore and we are all the poorer for it. So buy this album and share these songs with every generation around you and they will thank you for it.

A Near-Classic.......2007-06-13

While "There's No Business Like Show Business" is not one of Hollywood's top musicals it's still worth watching. The story is simple and entertaining. Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Dan Dailey and Mitzi Gaynor are, as usual, entertaining and fun. Though Johnnie Ray tries very hard he shows that he is a singer rather than an actor. Marilyn Monroe is, at best, adequate. While she has never been one of my favorite performers she usually does a better job than she does in his movie.

Superior in all ways........2007-04-11

They certainly don't make 'em like them used to, and this film is a fine example. Excellent songs, actors, story line, costumes, etc. Superb all the way.

The real star of this film!.......2006-09-05

This is a great movie with Marilyn Monroe and Ethel Merman.
However the real star of this movie is the vivacious Mitzi Gaynor! She steals every scene she is in. She is beautiful, talented, and hard to take your eyes off of!
I recommend this movie ! I also recommend " Anything Goes"
with Mitzi Gaynor. It has just been restored and the look of it is probably the best color of any DVD I own.

ONE OF THE VERY BEST MUSICALS EVER.......2006-05-29

it surpasses many an MGM extravagansa..... I`ve been thinking.... "What and WHO does this film miss? Judy? NO! I`m mad for Judy and will always be a fighter for her and Liza.... but THIS one may be the very best musical I`ve ever seen... If I ever produced or directed a film - this would be it.....

The musical score is out of this world as are the performances, set designs, choreography, costumes and art direction...

It`s a very CinemScoped film aaaaaaaaaaaaaand for the better of it:-)))))))

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Love Story, Get out he Tissues
Romance, Romance, Romance
A Secret Affair-A Must Watch
Wonderful Movie
Losing Mr. Wrong

A Secret Affair
Starring: Janine Turner , Fionnula Flanagan , Paudge Behan , Robert Mailhouse , and Gia Carides
Director: Bobby Roth
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
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ASIN: B0000C5076
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Love Story, Get out he Tissues.......2007-06-18

This is a True Love Story. I watched it on the Life Time channel yesterday and this movis is one I just had to have and share.
The is a explaination of HEAVEN in this movie that will have you weeping, as it did me. I finally found out where Heaven really is.
I cannot possibly imagine anyone not loving this movie. I am sure I will watch it many times.

Romance, Romance, Romance.......2007-05-23

This is a great romantic movie. Reminds me of my husband and me. This movie will make you remember how it was to be in love!!!

A Secret Affair-A Must Watch.......2007-03-08

A Secret Affair is a must see. It is a wonderful sit back and relax romance/drama with Janine Turner and Irish actor Paudge Behan. Set in Venice and Dublin the scenery is spectacular to say the least, the story line is quick and I think should have been a little longer but is really is a good movie. One of those for one you are having a bad or rough day or an evening when you just want to sit back and relax and enjoy a nice romance. Paudge Behan is not that known here in the US but he is a wonderful actor and I wish we would see more of him Janine Turner is always good and this is no exception. The move was made in 1999 and what would be wonderful is if the cast could get together for a sequel with yet another wonderful ending. Let us hope that is possibly in the future. I have watched several times and the friends who have borrowed the movie now want their own copies! So take some time watch, relax and enjoy!

Wonderful Movie.......2006-12-08

This is a great movie Paudge Behan and Janine Turner do such a great job - as does the rest of the cast. The best part of the movie is the scenery - in Venice and Ireland. I own it and have watched it at least 15 times. I have bought this movie as gifts for friends and they all loved it.

Losing Mr. Wrong.......2006-07-06

Just when you think your life is safe and planned, you meet unexpected yet needed life-changing situations. I'm glad that the storyline has explosive turn of events to make a not-so-exciting, predictable story intriguing.

Average customer rating:

Ford
Starring: Lynne Adams , Jon Baggaley , Michael Ironside , Hope Lange , and Heather Thomas
Director: Allan Eastman
Manufacturer: Allumination
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ASIN: B00097E6V8
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Average customer rating:

Fascinating info on the birth of Las Vegas
wouldnt we all have rather seen a movie about moe green?
Bugsy (Unrated Extended Cut)
Must-Have for 'Bugsy' Fans
And The Extended Version?

Bugsy (Unrated Extended Cut)
Starring: Warren Beatty , Annette Bening , Harvey Keitel , Ben Kingsley , and Elliott Gould
Director: Barry Levinson
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000H5TH20
Release Date: 2006-12-12

Amazon.com

Bugsy represents an almost miraculous combination of director, writer, and star on a project that represents a career highlight for everyone involved. It's one of the best American gangster movies ever made--as good in its own way as any of the Godfather films--and it's impossible to imagine anyone better than Beatty in the movie's flashy title role. As notorious mobster and Las Vegas visionary "Bugsy" Siegel, Beatty is perfectly cast as a man whose dreams are greater than his ability to realize them--or at least, greater than his ability to stay alive while making those dreams come true. With a glamorous Hollywood mistress (Annette Bening) who shares Bugsy's dream while pursuing her own upwardly mobile agenda, Bugsy seems oblivious to threats when he begins to spend too much of the mob's money on the creation of the Flamingo casino. Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley) and Mickey Cohen (Harvey Keitel) will support Bugsy's wild ambition to a point, after which all bets are off, and Bugsy's life hangs in the balance. From the obvious chemistry of Beatty and Bening (who met and later married off-screen) to the sumptuous reproduction of 1940s Hollywood, every detail in this movie feels impeccably right. Beatty is simply mesmerizing as the man who invented Las Vegas but never saw it thrive, moving from infectious idealism to brutal violence in the blink of an eye. Director Barry Levinson is also in peak form here, guiding the stylish story with a subtle balance of admiration and horror; we can catch Bugsy's Vegas fever and root for the gangster's success, but we know he'll get what he deserves. We might wish that Bugsy had lived to see his dream turn into a booming oasis, but the movie doesn't suggest that we should shed any tears. --Jeff Shannon

Bugsy: Extended Cut special features

Anyone who's heard how intense (or perhaps the word is "torturous") it can be to make a film with Warren Beatty will be captivated by the behind-the-scenes extras on the Bugsy: Extended Cut DVD. The highlight is the chat among screenwriter James Toback, director Barry Levinson, and star and co-producer Beatty on how the project and the final film came to be. Tellingly, Beatty is sitting quite apart from the other two, though they're in a semi-circular banquette at Perino's in Los Angeles.

The conversation starts out slowly, with Toback, a genial blowhard, talking about losing the original script, but it picks up steam when the topic turns to the casting of the excellent actors in the film, including Sir Ben Kingsley and Elliott Gould, who also participate. And of course the most interesting off-screen component of the project--Beatty meeting his future wife, costar Annette Bening--is given a fun spotlight in the film. Levinson remembers that after meeting Bening for the first time, Beatty called him enthusiastically saying, "She's great, I love her, I'm going to marry her" ("you know, just a throwaway line," Levinson says, laughing), and Toback and Levinson and Bening herself talk about the signs the two were slowly falling in love. It's as dishy as anything you're likely to see about the notoriously private Beatty, and well worth the investment.

Other extras include several deleted scenes that are now included in the film (and unlike many other "extended cut" releases, actually enhance the depth of the story). One is a harrowing scene in which Bugsy contemplates, and nearly commits, suicide, via Russian roulette. Another is an amusing screen test that Siegal takes, thinking his roguish charm will translate to the big screen. Though it takes Beatty's considerable talents to make that happen, the earnestness of Siegal's outsider character is touching in glimpses like this. --A.T. Hurley

Beyond Bugsy

Other Gangsters films on Amazon.com
More Films staring Warren Beatty
See the true story

Stills from Bugsy (click for larger image)

Sony

Warren Beatty and Annette Bening star in the incredible true story of Benjamin Bugsy Siegel, the playboy gangster who betrayed the Mob for love. A cold-blooded killer who dreamed of Hollywood stardom, a crazed patriot who plotted against Mussolini, and the brilliant visionary who carved Las Vegas out of the dry Nevada desert, Bugsy had it all. Until he fell for the one woman who wanted more. A critical masterpiece, BUGSY is a remarkable collaboration of Hollywood's best: director Barry Levinson, screenwriter James Toback, and an all-star supporting cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Oscar®-winner Ben Kingsley (Best Actor, Gandhi,1982), Joe Mantegna, and Elliott Gould. But at the center of itall is the white-hot romance between Bugsy and the insatiable starlet, Virginia Hill.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating info on the birth of Las Vegas.......2007-07-14

I never really thought or cared about how Las Vegas was started. Well...I now know!

BUGSY is a slick, lavish and eye-catching film that oozes director
Barry Levinson. This is a real treat for the senses.The attention to the most minute detail is a hallmark of Levinson's work.

Beatty and Bening are not favorites of mine.I personally hated the characters they portrayed in Ben Siegel and Virginia Hill.I hated what these characters did to others and to themselves. I am not a fan of MOB movies and in fact usually dislike them....but I liked this film.Why? Barry Levinson, that's why.He made this film work for me. This film is elegantly made...set design, cinematography, soundtrack etc.Sometimes you can detest the characters and feel nothing for them (hence the 4 stars!), but in the right hands anything can be made enjoyable!

wouldnt we all have rather seen a movie about moe green?.......2007-03-25

warren beatty indulged himself yet again (tho not as severely as in "dick tracy") in this overblown biopic of gangster bugsy siegel, whose fascination with celebrity led to his virtual one-man founding of las vegas as a gambling and entertainment mecca, and eventually to his murder by the mob once he grew too big for his britches. yet, in a movie paying homage to a man of excess, it is the excess which draws us in. the garishness works here; its a pity that theres no depth -- but then again, in a tribute to las vegas, maybe thats what director barry levinson was aiming for.

Bugsy (Unrated Extended Cut).......2007-03-08

It was a good movie, it fits well among these types of crime films mixing fact with fiction. The extended version adds to the interest.

Must-Have for 'Bugsy' Fans.......2006-12-28

'Bugsy' was one of my favorite films in 1991, mainly because of the sharp as a tack writing of James Toback and the smooth direction of Barry Levinson.

This new two-disc DVD set is a must-have for any fan of this film. The picture quality is vastly improved and more vibrant than the previous single-disc edition. It's a beautiful transfer. In my opinion, the movie is even stronger with the restored footage. There is one particularly chilling and powerful interaction between Beatty and Bening (**spoiler alert** - look for the suicide attempt) that probably should never have hit the cutting room floor. Such great acting.

There is also a very uniquely styled documentary on Disc Two. Screenwriter James Toback, Director Barry Levinson and star Beatty sit at a restaurant and discuss their memories of the process. Film critic Richard Schickel (of TIME magazine), Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley and Elliott Gould also share their thoughts. It is all extremely compelling.

This is the version of 'Bugsy' to own if you're going to.

And The Extended Version?.......2006-12-15

I'm reading all these reviews of a film I really loved
but haven't seen in years, "Bugsy." But I WANT TO KNOW
AND HEAR FROM OTHERS WHO HAVE seen the "EXTENDED
VERSION." All of these reviews are for the original theatrical version which doesn't help one who is deciding
if the "NEW" version really makes a difference.

So please, if you seen the "extended version" give us YOUR review!

Average customer rating:

Good Stuff!
Gift for Grandma
Striff
From the Terrace
Despite your best efforts, you often become your parents

From the Terrace
Starring: Paul Newman , Joanne Woodward , Myrna Loy , Ina Balin , and Leon Ames
Director: Mark Robson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008MTW0
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Amazon.com

From the Terrace is one of Paul Newman's lesser-known films, but it's a worthy showcase for the actor's developing screen persona. Like Butterfield 8, this is a slick, prestigious adaptation of a John O'Hara novel, about loose morals and forbidden love among the wealthy elite. Director Mark Robson lacks the mastery of melodrama that Douglas Sirk would've brought to this material, but he's still on target with O'Hara's tale of a prodigal son (Newman) who rejects his late father's steel mill in favor of big-business conquest, only to find his trophy wife (superbly played by Newman's off-screen wife, Joanne Woodward) straying into the arms of her former fiancé, while he falls in love with a socialite (Ina Balin) with whom he's much more compatible. A well-tuned drama of marital discord and unchecked ambition, From the Terrace was sharply adapted by Ernest Lehman between the triumphs of North by Northwest and West Side Story, and Newman's brooding performance gave him a solid boost to his iconic role in the 1961 classic The Hustler. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Paul Newman portrays a young man whose struggle for success threatens his personal happiness, in this well-scripted screen version of John O'Hara's best-selling novel. Having never known his father's love or respect, Alfred Eaton (Newman) sets out to prove himself in the business world. Marrying the "right" woman (Joanne Woodward), he works unceasingly, but is ultimately confronted with crises and choices that force him to rethink his priorities. Co-starring Myrna Loy as Alfred's alcoholic mother, Leon Ames as his embittered father, and Ina Balin as the woman who might bring him genuine happiness, From The Terrace is an absorbing tale of ambition, power and love fueled by sharp dialogue, complex characterizations and keen insight into the human heart.

Customer Reviews:

Good Stuff!.......2007-05-07

Though I'm sure this was Quite racy in its day, the ideas and ideals expressed are just as relative to today's world and people. What priorties do we set in our own lives? Who suffers from our failures? And are we prepared to accept the consequences of our actions and desicions?

Good stuff!

Gift for Grandma.......2007-03-30

My grandmother mentioned that she loves this film. Of course, I had to find it for her. She called me as soon as she received it and said she was watching it that very moment and she couldn't thank me enough.

Striff.......2007-01-19

From The Terrace is excellant. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are always great together, but Ina Balin is sexy and very much in love with Paul. Joanne really plays the spoiled wife at her very best, and Paul drops everything for Ina. A good story, will keep you interested from the first glance. (I am a romantic!) This movie was a gift to a friend, she thanked me highly!!

From the Terrace.......2007-01-12

My favorite movie, Paul Newman at his best, Joanne Woodward a steely ice maiden.

Despite your best efforts, you often become your parents.......2007-01-12

I didn't see what other reviewers apparently saw in this film. I did not see the moral of the film so much concerning the price of success as it being that despite your best efforts, you are often doomed to become your parents. At the beginning of the film, Alfred returns home after the second World War to renounce his father because he has, in Alfred's opinion, ignored his mother while strictly attending to business to the point where his mother has become an adulterous lush. Ten or fifteen years later, Alfred has ignored his own wife while climbing the corporate ladder until his own lonely wife has become an adulterous lush. The only crime of his father's he does not commit is to produce offspring that can be dragged into the mess his life has become. One person with a more warped moral code than either Alfred or Mary seems to be Alfred's boss. While eating lunch he casually informs Alfred of Mary's affair with an old flame. When Alfred reacts by saying that he intends to divorce Mary, his boss warns him against such an action. To Alfred's boss, Mary's behavior isn't a moral failing or a cry for attention - it is an unforgivable breach of etiquette. Overall, the main characters in this film lack redeeming characteristics to the point where the movie almost becomes a film noir soap opera. There are still solid performances by both Newman and Woodward, and it is still worth seeing 47 years after it was made. After all, the idle rich and the mistakes they keep making over and over have not changed that much after nearly half a century.

Average customer rating:

wonderful chick flick
Cute Story
One man's search to fulfill his dreams
For Love Or Money
The Secret of My Success - in a Hotel

For Love Or Money
Starring: Fyvush Finkel , Mike Moyer , Saverio Guerra , Daniel Hagen , and La Chanze
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009AOBH
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Amazon.com

With only a few exceptions (the Back to the Future series and a couple of others), Michael J. Fox has been unable to translate his TV success into movie stardom. It may just be a poor choice of material, such as with this limp Barry Sonnenfeld comedy about a New York hotel concierge trying to save up for his own hotel. What's he saving? The massive tips he gets from hotel guests for whom he does all manner of favors. But his conscience is tested when he falls for the mistress of one of his wealthiest clients and finds he must choose between his integrity and his dream. Fox is appealing, and so is Gabrielle Anwar, as the woman who changes him. But neither can rescue this slow-witted gloss on The Apartment. And what is Sonnenfeld, the stylish director of Men in Black and Get Shorty, doing with this dog? --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

wonderful chick flick.......2007-08-22

For some reason I have an obsession with romance but this movie was great. The chemistry between both leading actor(s) was great. when I am down I tend to watch it.

Cute Story.......2007-01-04

Great chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Gabriel Anwar. They found a girl short and cute enough to be his leading lady. Doug is a hotel concierge who hustles his tips and saves them up to create his own hotel. He finds a rich sponsor who turns out to be a jerk two-timing his wife and young mistress, a lovely young working girl that Doug is also in love with. Do you go for love or for the money?

Cute story. Dated wardrobe but worth the watch.

One man's search to fulfill his dreams.......2006-10-30

This is one of the films that I most remember Fyvush Finkel for. One would think that name would not be hard to forget, but this is one of his best in my opinion. Michael J. Fox has long been one of my favorite actors ever since the Back to the Future trilogy, and "For Love or Money" is one of the reasons why. He gives a stellar performance in this film, just as he did in Doc hollywood and The Secrets To My Success. I enjoyed watching this film over and over again since I first bought it some years ago now. It is packed with lighthearted drama and comedy that is sure to satisfy most anyone just looking for a good entertaining film. It is a very well writting screenplay, the casting is terrific as is the acting, and it will hold your attention right up to the end.It might not have won an academy award, but it is certainly worth a watch. I highly recommend it.

For Love Or Money.......2006-03-19

I have always enjoyed all Michael J Fox movies. For Love Or Money has a good story line and intrigue throughout the movie. His playful character combines seriousness with some lighthearted humour similar to the movie The Secret Of My Sucess.

It is a good movie to watch after a hard day's work at the office.

The Secret of My Success - in a Hotel.......2005-08-29

If you liked "The Secret of my Success" then you will like this movie. Working in hotels I find I have an added fondness for this movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone, especially if you are a Michael J Fox fan.

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