The Contender

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Depending on your perspective, The Contender can be praised and damned for the same reasons. A political thriller with an insider's view, it's deadly earnest in its defense of truth, justice, and the American way, but writer-director (and former film critic) Rod Lurie resorts to the same manipulation that his film purports to condemn. But with political savvy, a timely idea (a female vice president), and a cast of first-rate actors, this high-office chess game is unabashedly entertaining. You can argue with Lurie's tactics, but you can't fault his patriotic passion.

In a role written especially for her, Joan Allen is outstanding (if a bit too saintly) as the Republican-turned-Democrat senator who is chosen by the president (Jeff Bridges) to fill a vice presidential vacancy. Bridges is a cagey chief executive, seemingly aloof as he gleefully challenges the White House's 24-hour kitchen staff but more than a match for the embittered and unscrupulous congressman (Gary Oldman) who plots to destroy Allen's character with seemingly dark secrets from her past.

As a gender-switching response to the Lewinsky scandal, The Contender asks potent questions with its impassioned plea for integrity in public service. That makes this a film well worth defending, and the stellar cast (which includes Christian Slater and William Petersen) triumphs over most of the plot's hokey machinations. The ideas are more compelling than their execution, however, and although Lurie's climactic revelation is a vast improvement over the reckless cheat of his previous film Deterrence, it still threatens to tarnish the gloss of an otherwise fascinating film. --Jeff Shannon

Description

When the truth becomes a weapon, power comes at a stunning price. Gary Oldman, Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges and Christian Slater deliver electrifying performances in this controversial, suspenseful and critically-acclaimed thriller that Ebert & Roeper and the Movies call "exciting and unusually intelligent, two very enthusiastic thumbs up!" Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot.

Customer Reviews:

What a joke.......2007-08-04

I approximately halfway thru this movie and unless it makes a big U-turn, this is one of the absolute worst films I have ever seen.
A vice president possible president pulled a train. Even if it was years ago, it is in the same class as Britney Spears and her no panty pics. YUK for this one.

A Must see.......2007-07-28

Keep an open mind and focus on the message. I am a die hard Rep and Loved this film. It is about the courage to stay true to your convictions, whatever the price. Don't read beyond this review and watch the Best Movie I have seen.

The Contender.......2007-07-25

A gripping political drama that appeared in the aftermath of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Lurie's "The Contender" sheds serious light on the presidency and our political process. A star-making vehicle for the prodigiously talented Allen and a strong platform for Bridges (who delivers a knockout Presidential speech), the film portrays the intense personal scrutiny imposed on those in line for national office--particularly if the candidate is a woman. "Contender" is a resonant morality play about honor and political ambition.

Flashy amateurism.......2007-07-25

This film comes across as heavily partisan, championing political orientations and tossing interesting facts here and there via random condescending lines drawled by a super-dude president and a rash of flashy screenwriting. More like a platform from which to present an ideological creed rather than explore the repercussions of the explosive issues it so readily tackles, this movie fails to deliver. Its story falls flat as a pancake on a pan of hot issues and doesn't even make a sizzle. Consider this: A woman is caught on camera participating in an orgy, but her husband takes it as if it's the most natural thing to crop up from his spouse's past... The president shifts from being cool to being a downright jerk without the slightest effort (look at the way he smokes, for crying out loud), all the while being established as a man with morals, something like a Big Lebowski Gecco... Laine Hanson is shown to be unjustly scolded for something she should feel more responsible for (being sensitive to responsibility as her character is)... the characters don't engage themselves together but merely bounce off each other like electrons with smart mouths... I mean, mercy on the intellect, please! The only good things about this movie are Sam Elliot (always a thrill), Gary Oldman (ingenious), the insidious and throttling attack on Hanson in the committee hearing (masterfully done and quite revealing as to how to denigrate someone by not saying anything directly against them, which seems to be somewhat of a norm lately), and, of course, the President's speech, which in itself is an inspiring piece of debate. But beyond that this movie is nothing more than a feeble attempt to tackle a range of profound issues, and ends up looking like a partisan outtake marinated in amateur film making and garnished in the reprehensible studio decision to ever go ahead with this movie in the first place.

A great collection of one-liners doesn't make a good movie, no matter how catchy some of those lines are. If you wanna see how issues can be interlaced instead of jabbed at you, then watch Syriana and see how it's done.

There was also that story about Led Zepplin and that shark ..........2007-07-17

So we're looking at a woman vice president. Not that this isn't uneasy enough for people to accept. Gary Oldman, the bitter, jealous congressman who is feeling irked by her appointment, has just uncovered a dirty little secret from her past. She engaged in a sex party in one of the fraternities when she was at Harvard.

Joan Allen, a dignified, regal lady if there ever was one in all the roles she chooses, is the shamed candidate brought before the committees to defend her moral character. It was just a coincidence that this movie came out when Monica Lewinsky was fresh on our minds, and not a coincidence that it was a gender role reversal. Monica, like Joan, was the immoral tart who lead on the boys at the frat house into doing something so outrageous.

This was, however, made several years before the celebrity sex tape. Oddly enough, when a celebrity makes a sex tape that is leaked out, it shoots them into the stratosphere in terms of their publicity. And equally as strange, it can shine positively on them (Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, etc.). How many average people do this? How many people in your town star in homemade porn? A lot more than you think, just Google it sometime. Had this movie been made now, maybe we would have voted for Joan.

But this movie was hoaky, stuffy and ridiculous. That she was cleared of her "charges" and got her vice president position was ridiculous. Even if that wasn't really her (which, according to her, was not) in that videotape, she could have never taken that position. There would be people coming out of the woodwork forever saying that it was her, they were there and they saw the whole thing, etc. It's like that story about Led Zepplin and the shark. Will we ever know the truth? Plenty of people say they were there, others said it never happened. So who knows if it's true or not?

I gave this two stars because Joan Allen is a fine actress, and Gary Oldman is a wonderful actor. Period. Otherwise this movie is complete bogus.

Average customer rating:

Bad Girls - Series 2 [Region 2]
Starring: Lindsey Fawcett , Nathan Constance , Kim Oliver , Kerry Norton , and Pauline Campbell (II)
Director: David Crean , David Holroyd , and Jim O'Hanlon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005KCA3

Average customer rating:

An Amazing Journey
Great Series
FIRST SEASON OF A GREAT NEW BBC SERIES

Life on Mars: Series 1 [Region 2]
Starring: John Simm , Philip Glenister , and Ashley Pharoah
Manufacturer: Contender Enetrtainemnt Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Customer Reviews:

An Amazing Journey .......2007-08-19

The premise of Life On Mars sounds strange - a modern day cop has an accident and wakes up in 1973 - and it could have misfired very badly. It doesn't, though! John Simm is perfect as DI Sam Tyler, the modern cop who's suddenly policing a very different Manchester. He brings the right mix of vulnerability, confusion and depth to the character. Is he mad, in a coma, or has he gone back in time? he doesn't know, and neither do we.

Philip Glenister plays DCI Gene Hunt, Sam's new boss in 1973. He's crass, foul-mouthed, sexist, bigotted, and has an insult for everyone. He's also corrupt, but he's not the bad guy...everything is shades of grey.

Life On Mars is a fascinating show. On one level it's a cop drama, but there are a lot more levels underneath it. Add to that a fantastic soundtrack, and it's a show you will watch over and over again.

Great Series.......2007-07-24

I have been watching this series for the past month and find it one of the best I have come across. The premise is You have a modern day cop, Sam Tyler, who after having an accident ends up in 1973. As he states in the opener, he is not sure if he is mad, in a coma, or back in time. The series would make you believe all three are the answer.

The gem here is Sam's interaction with DCI Gene Hunt as they come head to head over policing. Sam brings the modern analytical methods where as Gene bashes heads mainly and relies on his instincts. With a solid set of supporting characters the show has kept me well enteretained.

This DVD is the first of two seasons. The show is now continueing into a sequel called Ashes to Ashes, minus John Simm. And they are also in the works with an American version.

I would recommend this show anyone.

FIRST SEASON OF A GREAT NEW BBC SERIES.......2007-06-17

THIS IS THE STORY OF A MODERN DAY BRITISH POLICE OFFICER WHO AFTER
NEARLY DYING IN A CAR ACCIDENT FINDS HIMSELF BACK IN 1973 ENGLAND, HE TRIES TO COPE WITH 1970S LIFE AT THE SAME TIME WHILE TRYING TO BRING MORE MODERN POLICE PROCEDURES TO HIS COLLEAGUES, GREAT STUFF.

Average customer rating:

Series 7: The Contenders
Starring: Glenn Fitzgerald , Marylouise Burke , Richard Venture , Michael Kaycheck , and Merritt Wever
Director: Daniel Minahan
Manufacturer: USA Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
Product Features:

Commentary by Director Daniel Minahan
The SUNDANCE Filmmaker's Lab Scenes
Deleted Scenes
International Promo
Theatrical and TV Trailers

ASIN: B000N664OC

Average customer rating:

Contender

Manufacturer: Dreamworks Skg TV
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

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General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

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ASIN: B0009PB924
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Average customer rating:

Entertaining , Educational, Explosive!

Gunpowder, Treason & Plot [Region 2]
Starring: Carmen Ungureanu , Clémence Poésy , Tadeusz Pasternak , Maria Popistasu , and Catherine McCormack
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0001XLVH2

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining , Educational, Explosive!.......2006-06-13

Although it oversimplifies the complex social and religious turmoil of 16th and 17th Century England and Scotland, the film is very good in its presentation of the more-French-than-Scottish, Mary Stuart and in the first-of-its-kind portrayal of King James as a gay man. Presented in two parts, the film is riddled with historical inaccuracies, (e.g. James visiting his mother Mary Queen of Scots on the eve of her execution, no mention of the overt Catholic sympathies of James's Queen, Anne of Denmark, to name two,) but it does provide some good historical background on clan rivalry in Scotland, the impact of the Reformation in Scottish and English politics and how this led to the desperation of some Catholic peers to attempt the improbable Gunpowder Plot. For this reason, part two, which presents the conspirators as reacting to their perceived betrayal by King James, is the "better" of the two episodes.
For lovers of this period of British history, the Stuarts (Mary and James) and the other "usual suspects" are all present and accounted here for in a very entertaining, well-acted, if not historically accurate, series that includes portrayals of Lord Bothwell, Lord Darnley, Lord James Stuart, John Knox, Elizabeth I, Robert Cecil, Robert Catesby and the ever popular Guy Fawkes
.

Average customer rating:

Bad Girls - Series 4
Starring: Lindsey Fawcett , Nathan Constance , Kim Oliver , Kerry Norton , and Pauline Campbell (II)
Director: David Crean , David Holroyd , and Jim O'Hanlon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Charlie Rose with Gary Oldman; George McGovern (February 1, 2001)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Gary Oldman; George McGovern (February 1, 2001)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

ASIN: B000HBL7EA
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Description

A dialogue with actor Gary Oldman on his performances in Hannibal, in which he plays a millionaire at the hands of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and in The Contender, in which he plays a zealous Republican congressman. Also, former senator George McGovern speaks about hunger in America and his book, The Third Freedom.

Average customer rating:

Contender/The Oil Raider:Double
Starring: Buster Crabbe , Arline Judge , Julie Gibson , Donald Mayo , and Glenn Strange
Director: Sam Newfield , and Spencer Gordon Bennet
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0009HLCHY
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Average customer rating:

The blackest of comedies
A Stingingly Satiric "Series 7"--A Great Comedy and Reality TV Spoof Has Fallen Off The Face Of The Earth
I want the last 85 mins of my life back!
succeeds in every milieu it invades
I couldn't stop watching

Series 7 : The Contenders

Manufacturer: USA Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B000BUG9VS

Product Description

Marathon Edition US Edition DVD: Widescreen Presentation, Audio Commentary by Director Daniel Minahan, Sundance Filmaker's Lab Scenes, International Promo, Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots, Deleted Scenes, Stills Gallery, Filmographies.

Customer Reviews:

The blackest of comedies.......2006-11-20

This is "Truman Show" had it been directed by a dog-off-his-leash Charlton Heston foaming at the bit and handing out ammo like caramel chews from a firetruck at a parade. Basically the same idea as "Battle Royale" with a healthy two scoops of the reality TV heart-to-heart confessional booth slop: Five residents of a town and the previous week's winner of The Contender, the top-rated show in the nation, are given guns and told to kill the other players. The prize? Face off next week against five more contestants. The parting gift? Death. A complete fantasy world in which America has embraced its perverse thrill for violence by the scruff of its neck, winners of The Contender are referred to as "heroes." Anyone not thoroughly revolted (yet also mesmerized the way eyes are drawn to flashing lights and warm blood racing away from a car crash) by the extreme disregard for life in this world will likely cringe when a love triangle unfolds between the previous week's "hero" -- who also happens to be an expecting mother -- a suicidal artist/testicular cancer sufferer (a nod to "Fight Club?") who used to be her goth lover/partner in crime in high school, and the artist's wife. "Series 7" is a thorough commentary on our cripled society and perhaps its ultimate conclusion: Consumer = disposable product = ultimate entertainment. Too bad it's out of print. I found a used copy for about $18 from Amoeba in SF.

A Stingingly Satiric "Series 7"--A Great Comedy and Reality TV Spoof Has Fallen Off The Face Of The Earth.......2006-11-06

Having seen "Series 7" during it's theatrical run in 2000, I considered it one of the funniest films of the year. A stinging satire on the reality TV genre, "Series 7" is set in the near future where anybody, as decided by random lottery, can be called to be a contestant on "The Contenders." Every week, the six chosen contestants must kill or be killed all for the pleasure of the viewing audience. The program, as you might expect, is the highest rated show on American TV. There can be only one winner--and the prize is to live to compete on next week's show.

"Series 7," in spite of clearly being an entertaining spoof, is also relevant to the state of TV today. As we have proven time and again, the barriers of acceptable TV have been breaking down and anyone will do anything for a moment of possible fame. Despite the science fiction plotting, it's really not such a leap of faith--not quite as unthinkable or far-fetched as I would like.

As the reigning champion, Dawn Logarto (played convincingly by Brooke Smith) is very pregnant and one week away from being released from the competition undefeated. She gives a great performance--desperate, bitter, sarcastic, protective and surprisingly real. Everyone in the cast is solid, if relatively unknown--but that lends the piece a certain credibility. It is as if we are watching real people.

The violence and danger are real. The "kills" are real--sometimes brutal and ruthless. But it is always fascinating, creative and hilarious. Shot in mockumentary style, and played as a TV broadcast, this is a bold and original work. The writing and direction is brisk, funny and true to the genre it mocks.

I absolutely recommend this film for those who enjoy more cutting edge entertainment. And if you love or hate reality TV, there's enough here to entertain either side. There's only one problem. You can't buy it anymore. It plays on some of the movie stations occasionally, so please seek it out. It's well worth it. I'm glad I have the DVD, for it's a movie I reference and share often. I'll leave with a descriptive quote of the film from Rolling Stone--"Think 'Dr. Strangelove' meets 'Network'". If that, alone, doesn't intrigue you--maybe this movie isn't for you. KGHarris, 11/06.

I want the last 85 mins of my life back!.......2006-06-09

I can describe this movie in just one word: TERRIBLE.

Everything about it was terrible - the production, the budget, the acting, the storyline (yes they have to kill each other for the show but why? what happens if they don't? did they enlist for the show? um why???? do they just keep killing until they are killed?), the character development (what was with the crazy old guy??) and finally the music (if you could call it that).

I haven't written a review before but felt it was my civic duty to warn others not to watch this. If only I could rewind time and have those 85mins back. You have been warned.

succeeds in every milieu it invades.......2006-06-02

Employing an accomplished television parlance, Daniel Minahan's SERIES 7: THE CONTENDERS mixes the gritty vérité of "COPS" with a hyperbolized competition that dwarfs the contests of television shows like "Survivor," "The Mole," or "The Runner" (the latter ultimately deemed "too sensitive" for production). Shot on digital video, SERIES 7 stars Brooke Smith as Dawn Logarto, an expectant mother and reigning champion of this horrific competition wherein six randomly chosen civilians struggle to kill off their opponents. Their prize? Nothing more than staying alive and fighting in SERIES 8. Keeping the details of the contest sketchy keeps SERIES 7 from becoming a science fiction story and, in turn, gives it more punch.

Director Minahan presents SERIES 7 as a full season of a program boiled down to a tight 87-minute running time. As with actual television programs of its ilk, SERIES 7 creates drama in its presentation. The contestants come from vastly different backgrounds--from the "Angel of Death" nurse, Connie (Marylouise Burke), to the blowhard loser, Tony (Michael Kaycheck). Minahan drives further into television faux-reality by placing SERIES 7 in Dawn's home town and making one of the contestants an old high school flame--Jeffrey Norman (Glenn Fitzgerald), a terminally ill artist with a long-suffering, manipulative wife (Angelina Phillips).

SERIES 7 presents characters in rapid-fire shorthand but, remarkably, none of them come off as stereotypes. Rather, they're infectiously enjoyable and become so familiar so fast that the audience can invest in them (save for the underplayed Frank (Richard Venture), a conspiracy theorist).

By consciously employing the clichés of "reality shows," Minahan brings to fore commentary about the desires of today's audiences while not overpowering the film's narrative. Indeed, audiences have found SERIES 7 disturbing in the film's ability to minister to and underscore the undeniable bloodlust that prevails in today's "enlightened" society.

SERIES 7: THE CONTENDERS succeeds in every milieu it invades. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about its distributor, USA Films. Except for "key markets," SERIES 7 played in few U.S. venues. It seems that USA hoped to shirk any potential controversy that this insightfully violent film could incur. After avoiding several major film festivals, USA dumped the film onto video and DVD in late 2001--not bothering to make the film available to several major retailers or to update the film's well-crafted website with this information.

I couldn't stop watching.......2006-04-25

Wow! This movie blew me away. One of the best mock-umentories EVER!! (Trailer Park Boys is great too) If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be in a position where you have to kill or be killed, you must see Series 7: The Contenders! Welcome to the future of entertaintment!

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