Editorial Review

Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer teambehind art-house hits such as Read more

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Reviews (573)

MEN OF CONSTANT SORROW
Another bizarre entry in the Coen Brothers arsenal, O BROTHER is a thoroughly entertaining if somewhat unusual film.The story focuses on three prison escapees who are going to Mississippi to collect the 1.2 million dollars supposedly hidden there.Based on Homer's ODYSSEY, the film involves our three heroes/stooges in some unusual adventures, all leading to a lot of twists in its looney conclusion.What makes it work is the spirited performances of George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as the escapees; the charming bluegrass music including the surprise smash hit I AM A MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW and some nice bits from supporting players John Goodman and Holly Hunter.It has some Three Stooges touches, and is filmed quite beautifully.All in all, a weird but enjoyable comedy.

Holy Cow !
About two years ago I was in a thrift store checking out the good stuff, as I was heading out I walked past a TV set that was playing "O Brother, Where Art Thou".I was stopped in my tracks and stood there for half an hour just mesmerized while watching the video. Talk about totally different and totally enjoyable, I couldn't belive it, it reminded me of a time in the 1940s while living in South Carolina. I returned the next day and bought the video. Now I have the concert "Down From the Mountain"
Odyssey
Ulysses Everette McGill is on a chain gang in Mississippi in 1937. He wants to go home so he tells the two guys that he is chained up with that he has a whole bunch of burried treasure in his house that he wants to get.
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Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

John Waters's goofy, 1990 comedy about a Baltimore girl (Amy Locane) who can't decide if she should remain "good" in her 1954 world or hang out with the motorcycle boys is funny in a scene-by-scene way, but doesn't quite gel into the grand piece the director was hoping for. The cast is exceptionally likable, however, including Johnny Depp as an Elvis type and Iggy Pop as a chattering loony. The best material is set in a fringe world of bikers and losers on the outskirts of town, and Waters writes some hilarious sardonic dialogue for the characters. Read more

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Reviews (175)

The Best Movie Set In the 50s Since Grease!
"Cry Baby" is the coolest movie since Grease that deals with this time period. The songs are good and the actors in the film are really excellent. I'm a fan of Johnny Depp, and he came through in this movie and him in a lead role set in the 50s worked! This movie is not only a movie that takes place in the 50s, but it feels like a movie that was made in that decade as well. Everything that was big in the movies during that time are seen and used in here. I really enjoyed how this film also dealt with issues people had then and the way people acted and thought.
Campy...cute
Sort of like Grease/Outsiders gone crazy.Good movie and performances.I had no idea Johnny Depp could sing.I enjoyed the "jail house rock" spoof, and the music is great. Not a GREAT movie though, couldn't touch Grease or American Graffiti. But it IS worth watching.

Waters Gets Wet With Cry Baby
John Waters who likes to be called the "Pope of Trash" has done a lot of films that are outrageous in style such as "Cecil B. Demented," "Pecker," & "Hairspray." "Cry Baby" is a 1990 musical that is utterly silly and frothy, but works nevertheless. Johnny Depp, now a big box office draw and critical success with Oscar nominations for "Finding Neverland" & "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," can be proud of the rockabilly Elvis-type singer he plays named Wade "Cry Baby" Walker. Depp performs his "Jailhouse Rock" type number with great energy and rebellion. Having him run through sewage pipes in his underwear is enough to set many a teenage girl's hearts aflutter. The female lead is Allison played by Amy Locane who worked in other films like "Airhead," "The Mummy" & "Bongwater." She does a good Olivia Newton John-like "Grease" character of the square girl who has a crush on Depp's bad boy. Stephen E. Miller who was recently seen in "RV" with Robin Williams and previously in "The Accused" with Jody Foster does a good job as the square boyfriend Baldwin who loses his girl to Cry Baby.
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Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Comedy    3. Comedy Video    4. Feature Film-comedy    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

For a couple of hours in 1990, David Lynch took over the network airwaves and subtly, subversively transformed American television forever. Amazingly, the TV series that followed this rich and strange feature-length pilot became an international phenomenon as people all over the world became obsessed by one question: Who killed Laura Palmer? Read more

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Reviews (20)

This is the Best Show That has EVER been on Television.
Mindblowing...mezmerizing...incredible. This is the best show that has ever been on television.

Laura Palmer is dead . . . wrapped in plastic . . .
I am taking a trip to the Seattle area this week and decided that I wanted to have lunch at the Great Northern Hotel, owned by Benjamin Horne (est. 1927).The hotel, which offers its guests a spectacular view of Whitetail Falls, is located slightly north of Twin Peaks, just below the base of Black Lake.The Great Northern is actually the Salish Lodge, perched on a hillside just above Snoqualmie Falls.To prepare myself for the experience, and to indoctrinate my oldest daughter into yet another cult television show, we watched the first season of "Twin Peaks" together starting with the two hour pilot episode that originally aired Sunday, April 8, 1990 on ABC.Fifteen years later, this pilot episode written by Mark Frost ("Hill Street Blues") and David Lynch ("Blue Velvet") still stands up.
Start here.
This is pretty much what any fan of the show or David Lynch needs to start with. It's the original movie/pilot, and is a great piece of work. The story, the characters, and the whole northwest environment really make for an interesting and sometimes creepy watch. Many cool actors showed up in "Twin Peaks", among them Kyle McLachlan, Lara Flynn-Boyle, Sheryl Lee, Jack Nance, and the sexy Sherilyn Fenn. If you enjoy this, seek out the VHS collectors series, episodes 1-7. Or the DVD first season, which is also episodes 1-7, minus this pilot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

A much-loved cult favorite often overlooked by the mainstream, Read more

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Reviews (28)

Trust

Black Humor, White Trash
If you like John Waters films (particularly "Female Trouble" and "Pink Flamingos") but were disappointed that they didn't quite clear the hurdle to being funny, then "Trust" is for you.
Trust will be released on DVD in September 2005
see http://www.aztecinternational.com.au/cat_trust.htm
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Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film-comedy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

For a couple of hours in 1990, David Lynch took over the network airwaves and subtly, subversively transformed American television forever. Amazingly, the TV series that followed this rich and strange feature-length pilot became an international phenomenon as people all over the world became obsessed by one question: Who killed Laura Palmer? Read more

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Reviews (20)

This is the Best Show That has EVER been on Television.
Mindblowing...mezmerizing...incredible. This is the best show that has ever been on television.

Laura Palmer is dead . . . wrapped in plastic . . .
I am taking a trip to the Seattle area this week and decided that I wanted to have lunch at the Great Northern Hotel, owned by Benjamin Horne (est. 1927).The hotel, which offers its guests a spectacular view of Whitetail Falls, is located slightly north of Twin Peaks, just below the base of Black Lake.The Great Northern is actually the Salish Lodge, perched on a hillside just above Snoqualmie Falls.To prepare myself for the experience, and to indoctrinate my oldest daughter into yet another cult television show, we watched the first season of "Twin Peaks" together starting with the two hour pilot episode that originally aired Sunday, April 8, 1990 on ABC.Fifteen years later, this pilot episode written by Mark Frost ("Hill Street Blues") and David Lynch ("Blue Velvet") still stands up.
Start here.
This is pretty much what any fan of the show or David Lynch needs to start with. It's the original movie/pilot, and is a great piece of work. The story, the characters, and the whole northwest environment really make for an interesting and sometimes creepy watch. Many cool actors showed up in "Twin Peaks", among them Kyle McLachlan, Lara Flynn-Boyle, Sheryl Lee, Jack Nance, and the sexy Sherilyn Fenn. If you enjoy this, seek out the VHS collectors series, episodes 1-7. Or the DVD first season, which is also episodes 1-7, minus this pilot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting, and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. Read more

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Reviews (468)

Open's Your Eyes
This movie is a real eye opener. Set to a high octane techno soundtrack, Lola (Franka Potente) must help her boyfriend Manni get 100,000 or his life will be in grave danger. There are three scenarios of what can/could happen, and it's an eye opener because it shows how easily your life can change in a matter of minutes. I definitely recommend it!

No, there's no cause and effect here
For me, this movie got off on the wrong foot when it posed a question and left us hanging for the answer.It basically asked us what the one question in life is, and what that answer is, then suggested that both the question and answer were obvious, and left it there without providing its answers.I could have done without that bit of annoying stupidity.
High octane adrenaline rush for the eyes...
`Run Lola Run' is like `Groundhog Day' on speed, with maybe a hit of `Kill Bill, Vol. 1' in there for good measure.It follows Lola (Potente) as she races to get 100,000 deutschemarks for her boyfriend Manni (Bleibtreu) who is in debt to a seedy gangster with no patience or mercy.She has twenty minutes to do so and what makes this film unique is that it is very time conscious.Tom Tykwer accurately takes twenty minutes (or VERY close to) with each of Lola's attempts to save her boyfriend.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - German    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

John Cassavetes's long, free-form drama is best appreciated as a good showcase for Gena Rowlands, playing a woman whose sanity literally appears to be shattering as different aspects of her personality eclipse others at various times. Peter Falk plays her struggling, blue-collar husband, trying to understand the phenomenon and sometimes losing his patience. As with most of Cassavetes's works as a director, one can't help but find one's attention drifting in and out (especially at two and a half hours), but Rowland's performance is a key reason the film has been declared a "national treasure" by the Library of Congress. Read more

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Reviews (32)

An American Masterpiece
There's not much else to say about Cassvetes' film other than it's a masterpiece of the dramatic arts. Unrelenting and fascinating, it depicts a young wife's descent into madness. It's a bitter slice of life, but it's also exactly that: life captured in all its pain and glory through artistry of the highest order. Gena Rowland's performance is probably one of the finest ever captured on film. If you enjoy this film, I also recommend tracking down "The Pumpkin Eater" starring Anne Bancroft - a similar film of a woman driven to breakdown by the cruel informalities of what we call love. Handled with sleek overtones of British filmmaking during the 60s, it may stand as a counterpoint to the gritty reality of America's great "Woman Under the Influence."

Has Cassavetes ever watched a Cassavetes film?
Mabel is suffering a mental breakdown. This movie follows her disturbance, her family dealing with it, and her subsequent return in order to show an unconventional and more true-to-life account of mental image. A lot of it is claustrophobic and irritating, but it's one of those movies of which one can't deny its powers.
Behind-the-scenes info for Cass buffs
For a fascinating behind-the-scenes info about A Woman Under the Influence and a list of books about Cassavetes' work, go to Ray Carney's website dedicated to John Cassavetes (found through any search engine).
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Reviews (29)

Funny, Erotic, & Endlessly Enjoyable
I've learned to accept Almodovar as he has (ahem) matured & gotten serious. He is my favorite director so I support all his progressions. However! I'm deeply & irrevocably in love with the movie Kika, its colors, its actors, its characters, its music, its dialogue, its spell. Having watched it as much as I have, I've analyzed scenes & themes that otherwise would have escaped a one time viewing only.For example, notice how Ramon kneels in front of three women, for different purposes. First the model in the opening credits as he photographs her in bed. Next, he kneels in front of his dead mother as he opens her blouse to reveal her wound. Finally, in front of Kika as he makes love to her. The posters throughout the film hint at the action to take place in the future scenes. The dialogue is hilarious beyond belief & is not all translated or not translated acurately in the subtitles. If you are an Almodovar fan, you owe it to yourself to study Spanish & brush up on Castillian regionalisms to get the fully, mordant sinuousness of the dialogue. Kika is a black comedy & must be enjoyed as such, otherwise one would not laugh at the bizarre costumes, the multiple deaths, the rape as much-needed outlet for the retarded ex-porn star, the fickleness of love, the unfaitfulness throughout. Finally, I suspect that public taste or America's increasing discomfort with black comedy when its applied to rape, is delaying or preventing the rerelease of Kika on dvd. Its available in Brazil, but, of course not with English subtitles.

"In my own dirty and silent way, I loved you."
"Kika" (Veronique Forque) is a bubbly beautician who has a poor history with men ("I always get the weirdos"). She lives with photographer Ramon who has a few kinky habits. Ramon has never forgotten his mother's suicide, and he has mixed feelings about his sinister step-father (Peter Coyote). Ramon's ex-girlfriend, Andrea Scarface (Victoria Abril) is the bizarre former psychologist-turned-tabloid-crime-TV-host who continues to show a morbid interest in Ramon's life. Very funny movie [5]
This is a very funny movie.The characters are very rich.The actors and actresses does a great job.This is one fascinating movie appropriate for all ages.The interaction between all the characters are fantastic and very interesting.I highly recommended it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

As one of the most respected American independent filmmakers, John Sayles has created a body of work as distinguished in its diversity as for its consistent quality and inspiring originality. He's never been one to march to the commercial beat, but chooses instead to follow his creative impulse wherever it leads him. Read more

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Reviews (94)

A magical classic of a film - vintage Sayles
Like a breath of fresh country air, this film clears out your lungs and enchants your soul. Unlike anything you've seen, it's bound to become a beloved classic.
The Secret of Roan Inish
To any and all ages, this may very well be my all time favorite movie.So beautiful, so touching, what a great myth to put to film. I always have believed in mermaids, and the Irish music is so haunting. I recommend this film to all humans who love the sea and love music.

The Secret of Roan Inish
This is one of the sweetest movies I have seen in a long time.There is no violence or foul language.It is a great movie for the whole family. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film Family    3. Movie   

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Reviews (12)

Good Wine
I have been a fan of Zhang Yimou's films since 1999 when I first watched his 1991 film Raise The Red Lantern for my East Asian Novel class, and since then I have watched several other of his films such as Not One Less, To Live, The Road Home, Happy Times, and Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. Each one of his films brings something new to the table and delves into such issues as urban/rural conflicts, political corruption, and Japan-China relations. Red Sorghum is Zhang Yimou's first film as a director and while it may be a bit simpler than many of his later films it contains elements that almost every fan of his films will be familiar with: beautiful settings, very fleshed out characters, and moments of conflict where those who possess little power are overwhelmed by larger forces. Also, Red Sorghum is Gong Li first film, and it is nice to see that even at such a young age, 21, that she already possessed on screen charisma that can really grip the viewer's heart. While not as masterful as her performances in To Live or Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine, her tears and iron core are still quite moving.
A pastoral epic!
The bold portrait of the humble village wine makers against the interloping Japanese forces. An enigmatic and brave film that marks the ascending and meteoric career of Yimou Zang. Winner of the Silver Bear 1988, and one of my Fifty top choices of that Decade.
A very good movie!
Watching this movie makes you feel the blood in your whole body are burning! It's very hard to produce a movie with such a strong force of passion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Chinese    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Pedro Almodovar broke into the art-house mainstream with this wild,manic comedy about a gaggle of women and their various problems with men, be they married lovers, cheating husbands, fiancés, or terrorists. Almodovar's long-time leading lady, Carmen Maura, stars as an actress (famed for her laundry detergent commercial as the mother of a sloppy serial killer) who's just been dumped by her married lover. In the midst of trying to track him down for a face-to-face confrontation, she crosses paths with her lover's son (Antonio Banderas), his unbalanced wife (Julieta Serrano), and his new girlfriend (Kiti Manver). Adding more fuel to the fire is the hapless friend(Maria Barranco) who got involved with a Shiite terrorist and is now being hunted by the police. Almodovar, a master of farcical screwball comedy, manages to keep all these balls in the air in dizzy, hilarious style without once losing his momentum. Chock full of the director's over-the-top stylization, in terms of both story and sets, the film is a hilarious yet heartfelt marriage of kitsch and drama, verging on parody but never going entirely over the top. Maura is absolutely breathtaking as the unhinged lover, dispensing wise advice to others while trying to keep a semblance of sanity, and the supporting cast is quintessential Almodovar, including a brief but memorable turn by Banderas in what could have been a bland, go-nowhere role. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1989. Read more

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Reviews (35)

Thanks to Angelika for showing this Almodovar Movie!
I liked it and I miss this type of comedy.
What's up with Almodovar's DVD releases???
This is a great movie....Why isn't it available on DVD in the US? There's a festival of Pedro's movies in the theaters around the country right now....but can you buy his DVDs...for most of them, NO! So, what's the story? Is there a re-release in the works? A boxed set for Chirstmas? Deluxe versions with commentary? Let us fans in on the secret! Thanks!~Tom Burkert

Enjoyable Comedy. Not quite up to Hepburn and Grant!
`Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'written and directed by Spaniard Pedro Almodovar has been described by some other reviewers as a `screwball comedy'. I generally agree with this assessment, except that compared to the greatest of this genre, for example, `Bringing Up Baby' with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant, this effort is just a bit weak, primarily in the weaknesses of the male protagonists, who generally make short appearances, largely as a means to introduce the various stressed out women of the story, of which there are four or five, depending on how you count them.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa   

Editorial Review

Throughout Read more

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Reviews (193)

The worst part of being old is rememberin' when you was young.
With The Straight Story, Lynch demonstrated none of the recognizable trademarks that transformed him into the director that I love.This film felt like a "blind date" gone bad.The Straight Story showed up, David Lynch arrived, but the rest of the date felt muddled, confusing, and utterly disastrous.Everything in this film seemed wrong.Lynch's choice for lead actor, the bland Sissy Spacek, the filler of repeat cornfield montages, all the way to the incoherent time spent on the read, I just felt that nobody had control over this picture, yet the randomness (and the possible tear ending) gave critics something to smile about.This is not a David Lynch film, and for those walking into this with images of Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, or even Eraserhead in their mind will be utterly discombobulated.The Straight Story attempted to show us a slice of Americana via the cornfields of Iowa, but for this boy based in the Flatlands of Illinois, it just seemed repetitive and boring.
A Real Gem
This movie came recommended to be by someone who in my opinion wouldn't have had the brains to appreciate it! I'm grateful to him for turning me on to one of the most perfect little gems of a movie to come along in years. I rank it right up there with THE STATION AGENT, another quiet, small picture with very little plot and oh, so much heart and soul! If you like a film that takes its own sweet time to unfold, letting you come along for the ride, then get this one. If you're looking for car chases and gunfire and special effects and all those other big-box-office necessities, then stay away and leave this for those of us who value beauty.

Straight To The Heart
The Straight Story is film paradise; repeated viewings will only make you like it more.It is an extraordinary work of art that is as surprising as it is richly rewarding.If ever there was a case of "less is more," this is it.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Alternately fascinating and frustrating--and no doubt deliberately so on both counts--this controversial Read more

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Reviews (180)

Murder Case Turned Eerily Kafkaesque
If the words above could be used to describe another Lynch movie - the much applauded "Lost Highway" (1997) whose plot is inspired in part by Kafka's "Die Verwandlung" and the well-known O.J. Simpson-case - they are as much descriptive of his earlier and less critically acclaimed film "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (1992).
Your Diary: I Always Thought You Knew It Was Me
I saw the movie during Labor Day opening weekend. Even as a loyal fan of the show it somewhat confused me in parts. But throughout the years of watching it on video and DVD it makes a little more sense.
absolutely nightmarish
When her dad tells her, I was sure you knew all along, ...oh my goodness, I tell you it will scare you to death.Sheryl Lee's performance will absolutely break your heart.This film will not let you go. ... Read more

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Reviews (12)

one of Almodovar's absolute BEST!
This was the first Almodovar film I'd ever seen, and it's made me a lifelong fan of his.Lately he's become a bit too serious, overreaching and melodramatic---"Bad Education" was especially disappointing---in contrast to the fascinating, gorgeous and hilarious black comedy and absurdism of masterpieces like "Matador," "Tie Me Up Tie Me Down" and "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown."It's the difference between reading Charles Bukowski at his best versus reading some pompous "The New Yorker" column.