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The Story As Real Depth
A brilliant film, wonderfully directed by Jim McBride, it breaks all the cheesy corny conventions of the TV movie, the story moves and lives just as vibrantly as the characters do.The acting is amazing, the story has real depth.If look close, you'll notice that also the characters of the Mexican policemen have been drawn nicely. A movie for those who like to watch better movies only.
grand escapism
This movie is great viewing.Just the ticket for people trapped in a mundane existence.It starts out in seedy Vera Cruz sailors bars and takes you on a wild ride with desperate characters in a romp through beautifully shot southern Mexico.One of those great adventures in a foreign land movies.A boozy,brawling,sexy,and somewhat vulgar movie,and very entertaining!

the wrong man
made purchase, watched movie, found movie very very used, lines appear on and off movie so used seems out of focus ... Read more

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Reviews (25)

La Bella Mafioso
This was a very good movie, I must have watched it over 20 times,
mafia ladies
i really liked the movie,saw part 1&2,thought it was great to see women mafia take control for a change,i would like to see the movie continue though,because in the secound film,sofia takes out a picture and shows her cross out one of the members that they killed,and it also shows that that there are at least three more members left to be killed,could there be another film in the making ? i think that you should see this movie,you will not be disappointed,hope that this review helped you decide

BEST FEMALE MAFIA MOVIE
THIS IS MY FAVORITE MOVIE WHEN WILL IT BE ON DVD I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE IT TWICE ALREADY! ... Read more

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Reviews (5)

Not too bad!!
I understand the perspectives of the other online-reviewers; however, being an English teacher, I have found this video to be quite beneficial and complimentary in assisting me and helping my students to understand the characterization and themes in Native Son.It is not an outstanding performance; however,it does offer a color cinematic version, while having actors that are recongnizable to a younger generation.
Outstanding Movie AndExcellentBook
For starters this movie depicts everything that is detailed/explained in the original title "Native Son". I do notknow precisely which movie one of the previousreviewersfrom Decatur, Georgia was watching, but I can most definitelyassure that it was not Native Son. NATIVE FLOP
The cinematic presentation of Richard Wright's classic isonce again another flop. Although it is far better than the original adaptation of the book into a movie (filmed in 1949), it fails to capture the essence of Bigger Thomas. How can such a film with a star studded cast fail so miserably? After all, now you have actors who can really act!Read more

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Reviews (8)

Charlie Chan in Paris
I have always liked old mysteries.They allow you to use your Gray Cells(smile).

Charlie Chan in Paris
As usualk the Charlie Chan series is great and I will be ordering more in the future.
VERY GOOD CHAN OUTING
I Really resent the fact that Turner Classic stopped showing the Charlie Chan films due to protests by Asian Americans. Were the films racist and stereotyping Orientals? Yeah...Sure they were. But how many movies of the 30's and 40's were not stereotypical in some way? Whether it was of any race or creed. Hiding them away doesn't mean they never happened. And although the actors who portrayed Charlie Chan may not have been Asian, they always portrayed him in a favorable light as being much smarter than the crooks he helped to capture. And of course many co-starred Keye Luke as #1 son who was an Asian-American.
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Reviews (21)

a stolen life
Bueno..realmente....cuando vi esta pelicula..me impresiono la versatilidad de bette davis..a quien considero la mejor actriz de todos los tiempos...si bien no es uno de sus mejores trabajos...es un deleite verla interpretar doble papel---- geln ford..esta a la altura del personaje.... buen melodrama..que sin duda .. les gustara
good movie
I love Bette Davis so of course I loved this movie. She plays twins which she has done more that once.
Good Bette And Bad Bette, Both In The One Movie
"A Stolen Life", is a real curiosity piece in the work of Bette Davis and was the last of her highly successful films in her incredible run from 1937 - 1946 as Queen of Warner Brothers. This period saw her play everything from Queens, to murderesses, heroines dying of brain tumours and flighty heiresses. This incredible body of work produced an almost unbroken string of Box Office Hits culminating in this rather (for the time) original story. "A Stolen Life", offers fans of this legendary actress like myself, the unique opportunity of seeing her play identical twins, and secondly for witnessing the at times superb special effects of having Davis supposedly performing with herself in many scenes. Even by todays standards the effect of having two Bette's apparently performing in the one scene is stunningly achieved and this excellence to a certain extent makes up for the rather incredible story with its unlikely twists and turns. After this film Bette Davis experienced a real career slump which was only rectified four years later after she had left Warner Brothers, in her stunning comeback film "All about Eve".Read more

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Good but not great...
...kind of a let-down since it's directed by Sam Mendes, responsible for the masterful "American Beauty."
Father and Son
If you are a parent, especially if you have at least one son, this movie will really hit home. It's brutal; it's emotional; it's violent; and it's heart warming.
Can Michael Sullivan find redemption for his sins through his son?
The bonding that awkwardly begins after a traumatic incident between the far different father Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) and Michael Sullivan Jr.(Tyler Hoechlin) makes the story achingly beautiful.
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Editorial Review

Chazz Palminteri wrote the script for this excellent story of an Italian American boy (Lillo Brancato) who grows up in the 1960s caught between the strong influences of his blue-collar, straight- arrow father (Robert De Niro) and a Mafia chieftain (Palminteri) who is his all-purpose mentor. De Niro makes his directorial debut with this production and, except for a little stiffness, does very well by the characters and their world. The story does not go precisely where one might expect it to go: Palminteri knows better than to force the central figure to choose between the two most important men in his life, and he doesn't fill time with stock drama about crime or family conflict. Joe Pesci makes an extremely effective and uncredited appearance at the end as a man who doesn't have to do more than speak softly to communicate how dangerous he is.Read more

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Reviews (111)

superb film
'A Bronx Tale' is about a boy named Calegero Anello living in the Bronx who is torn between two worlds, the world of his father (played by Robert De Niro) and the world of a local gang leader named Sonny (played by Chazz Palminteri). The viewer gets to follow Calegero or "C" from the time that he is 9 years old to the time that he is 17 years old. In the process, Calegero/C as well as the viewer learn some valuable lessons about life.

Great Touching Film
Robert De Niro's directorial debut is a great movie and very under rated. The man has proved himself a genius in the acting field and in this film shows his talent in film making.
I love this movie soooooo much
Great movie well done acting i can never get enough of this movie turly wonderfully amazing... romace, action, drama it has it all...
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A great Warner Olan film
An excellent chan film. lots of mystery. a little soft ed on quinine which was indeed used for various ailments back in the olden days. I agree with another reader about Warner Olan on DVD.I have purchased budget dvd's with 2,3 or 4 programs on one DVD and I would suspect the right medium could do the same with some of the chan films.

NICE ATMOSPHERIC CHAN MYSTERY
AS much as the Chan movies are filled with ridiculous stereotypes it's sad that Turner Classic Movies stopped showing these films due to protests from Asian Americans.Stereotypes aside these films always showed Chan in a positive light and above all provided great entertainment.I used to love staying up with my dad as a kid and watching these on the late show.Those were the days!
Minor But Amusing Entry In The Charlie Chan Series
Charlie Chan films are frequently accused of pandering to racial stereotypes. There is a certain truth to this, but Charlie Chan and company were neither more nor less stereotypical than such other popular series as the "Blondie" or "Dr. Kildare" series, and--while we may occasionally roll our eyes at a few 1930s sensibilities--its stereotypes are never mean-spirited and Charlie (along with his various sons) is always presented in a positive light.
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The postwar vogue for documentary-style realism, prompted by Read more

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Reviews (29)

Noir-esque cold-case thriller.
Jimmy Stewart and Lee J. Cobb star in this noir-esque cold-case thriller.Stewart plays the hard-nosed big-city reporter in 1942 who is assigned to investigate a cop-killer case from 1932.Stewart becomes involved in the case when he reports on the sad story of the old lady who scrubs floors for a living and saves every dime to get her convict son out of prison.The story is very popular with the news-paper reading public, so Stewart is assigned to investigate the case.Stewart cynically follows the leads, believing that the convict is guilty but following the human interest angle.Ultimately he becomes convinced of his subject's innocence and Stewart is involved in race against the clock to get the falsely accused man out of prison.
Answering the call at Northside 777
A really good film noir from Jimmy Stewart.It has a documentary style that may come off a little stilted today but is still a fine character piece.The film remains suspenseful until the end and has a "good" ending but not necessarily the "happy" ending.The climactic scene has a plot hole you can drive a truck through, but who cares?Jimmy Stewart is in great form as a cynical reporter.There is fine support coming from Lee J. Cobb and Richard Conte.Its a tale of guilt and innocence in gangland Chicago.

When Reporters Were the Good Guys
Jimmy Stewart plays a Chicago newspaper reporter. His editor is intrigued by a simple add in the paper. A reward of $5000 is offered for information on the murder of a policeman. The murder is over a decade old. A man has already been convicted of the murder and is serving a life sentence. What interest, the editor wants to know, would anybody have in an old murder? He assigns Jimmy Stewart to find out.
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Reviews (8)

Master OF The Rare LASERDISCs Movies.
I have WISDOM1987[ Emilio Estevez & Demi Moore ] on LASERDISC
Wisdon is as Wisdom was...
I got to thinking about this movie the other day while cracking open my new "High School Reunion Collection' DVDs. The last time I saw it was on ridiculously late night television about ten years ago. Even on awfully edited television it still had a certain rawness to it. It wasn't bad raw but, good raw. Very intense. Not to mention close to home with the Farm issues. (Nebraska ex-pat here.) Sadly, Wisdom is as Wisdom was...only available on VHS. Emilio! Bring this back to us on DVD!

Underrated - Great movie with an important message
I was working in a video store in 1987 when this movie was released on VHS - otherwise I might have never even heard of it.I was intrigued to learn that Emilio had written and directed it himself.Read more

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Reviews (8)

fantastic
The whole series has some great movies and some awful movies...this one is just fantastic.Boris Karloff is great and the movie is a must have.I cant wair for the DVD!

You cant be serious?
Ok so Ive never seen a whole charlie chan movie and probably never will so I cant judge the quality of an entire film.Its not surprising that all the reviews here trying to justify racism are written by caucasians.So since all movies in the 30's were racist, it makes them ok....what a crock!So people shouldnt complain about this movie because they were generous enough to allow an Asian to star in a film instead of using makeup to make non-Asians into a what a stereotypical Asian is supposed to look like.Oh brother, do you guys know what the definition of racism is?Yes people have a right to watch this film if they are so inclined.But people also have the right to say films like this belong in the garbage.Would caucasians complain if Native Americans made a film that depicted the genocidal acts of caucasians which include racial overtones?Come on its 2006, get real people, and get out of the trailer park please.

ONE OF THE BEST IN THE SERIES
I Really resent the fact that Turner Classic stopped showing the Charlie Chan films due to protests by Asian Americans.Were the films racist and stereotyping Orientals? Yeah...Sure they were.But how many movies of the 30's and 40's were not stereotypical in some way?Whether it was of any race or creed.Hiding them away doesn't mean they never happened.And although the actors who portrayed Charlie Chan may not have been Asian, they always portrayed him in a favorable light as being much smarter than the crooks he helped to capture.And of course many co-starred Keye Luke as #1 son who was an Asian-American.
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Reviews (207)

Pushes All the buttons
If you watch John Q, be prepared to have all your buttons pushed. This is easily one of the most manipulative movies I've seen in a long time. Bam! HMO's are bad. BAM! Doctors are only out for money! BAM! Hospitals are cruel, uncaring places. Bam! Insurance companies are scum! Bam! Police Chiefs are idiots!
Great Product
I received this product earlier than I expected, and it was in great condition!

Awesome movie
The first time I was this movie was in my health class. It is such a good movie. The story that is told in the movie is realistic and the actors played well. I even cried a couple of times during the movie. It's very touching.
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Editorial Review

Susan Hayward won an Academy Award® for her performance in the compelling 1958 classic Read more

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Reviews (33)

"Get your paws off! I soil easy!"
So says fifties "Goodtime Girl" Barbara Graham to one of her sleazy male companions in this true story of Graham's ultimate frame-up and execution for a murder she didn't commit. Susan Hayward won an Oscar for her brilliant portrayal of of party girl Graham. Here we see film noir, the marginalized fifties' film genre, enter into the Hollywood mainstream. Director Robert Wise uses harrowing black and white cinematography and a jagged, jazz-oriented musical score to emphasizeGraham's isolation from the larger society. Graham was a petty criminal and an assertive, tough woman who had to fend for herself. When one of her accomplices asks her, "whaddayado?" she answers truthfully--"I do what I have to." This 1958 film, which calls into question the "justice" in the criminal justice system, looks ahead to the social upheaval of the sixties when the both the antiwar and the civil rights movement would put America on the carpet. The film also, in the figure of reporter Ed Montgomery, shows how her case became a media juggernaut that became impossible to stop, even when her innocence became evident. Graham's absolute powerlessness in the film reminds reminds us how little power women had in the male-dominated postwar era. Hayward was an amazingly talented, instinctual actress--and perfect for this role. Graham wasn't an introspective woman and Hayward wasn't an introspective actress. Hayward was on Graham's wavelength, so to speak, and her performance here is uncanny. This film is definitely an American classic.

The Fifties: what a bold decade
The accusing finger of the ethic once more pulled the trigger with this superb based on a real drama, about a woman unfairly accused and who sustains her innocence against all the odds.Remarkable acting of Susan Hayward that deserved her not only the Academy Award but the coveted Cannes Festival Award as Best Actress in her lifetime role.
i want more susan to live, on dvd!
with so little of susan hayward's work on dvd, this film ranks high in my dvd library. it is no surprise that susan is at her best here in her only academy award winning performance. But after viewing it again, one can not help but wonder why there are not more of her great performances on dvd, ie, i'll cry tomorrow, back street, etc. This is a huge departure from the soap opera drama often associated with miss hayward.
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Editorial Review

Boaz Yakin's astounding debut feature looks at the violent world of the projects through the eyes of a 12-year-old drug runner. Sean Nelson delivers a quiet but intense performance as Michael--street name Fresh--a cynical but introspective kid grown up fast and hard on the killing streets of the projects. Samuel L. Jackson costars as Fresh's estranged father, a speed chess hustler in the city park whose dispassionate philosophy--the chess board as life--becomes the film's central metaphor, as Fresh plots a brilliant, coldly brutal plan to save himself and his junkie sister from his world of drug dealers and street violence. Yakin's assured direction delivers a vividly realized world in bold, crisp images and an austere but poetic style that captures the dispassionate point of view of a heart-hardened adolescent street survivor. The excellent score by former Police-manStewart Copeland, his most haunting since Read more

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Reviews (49)

Forget about Jackson. Watch it this is a very well done movie.
I picked it from the library catalog because Samuel L. Jackson is in it. I made a mistake picking it for that reason because he is a minor character. The main character is Fresh his son. Jackson is only in it for a few good but brief scenes.
Like a kick in the stomach
There are no fancy cinematic magic tricks going on in this film, aside from an instance of superimposed images that is so simple it almost seems like a throwback to old silent dramas. There are no choreographed gun fights, no switching film stocks to produce psychedelic effects, nothing like that. Not to say that these things cannot be used appropriately and judiciously to enhance the effect of a particular film, but "Fresh" is stripped bare, and must depend on its performances, direction, and writing alone.
a depressing life
This is an amazing movie.It was a real eye-opener about how rough and dirty the streets can be, and how important it is for a child to grow up correctly.If only every child found someone to turn to when things go bad for them.I remember when I first watched Fresh and how it was 2 in the morning and I *really* kept my eyes focused on the screen (most of the time my eyes like to wander).A must-see film. ... Read more

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"Nobody ever quit me. I got rid of a few guys, but nobody ever quit."
At a party for gangster Rico Angelo (Lee J. Cobb), Vicki Gaye (Cyd Charisse), a showgirl, meets Thomas Farrell (Robert Taylor), Rico's lawyer. Although they get a rocky beginning, over time they fall in love. Farrell doesn't enjoy being a lawyer for a ruthless mobster, but when he tries to quit in order to live a happy, peaceful life with Vicki, Rico threatens to cripple him permanently and ruin Vicki's face with acid. Needless to say, Farrell decides to remain Rico's lawyer, even after Rico starts a bloody war with mobster Cookie La Motte (Corey Allen).
"When you sell your pride, it's tough to put a price on it."
In 1930s Chicago, Vicki Gaye (Cyd Charisse) is a showgirl at the Golden Rooster nightclub when gangster Louis Canetto (John Ireland) offers her $100 to attend a party thrown by head mobster Rico Angelo (Lee J. Cobb). Angelo has just heard the disappointing news that his screen heartthrob, Jean Harlow got married, and the party is to help him 'cope' with the news. At the party, Vicki meets mob lawyer Thomas Farrell (Robert Taylor). An unhealed leg fracture has left him with a permanent limp, and a huge chip on his shoulder. Farrell is an excellent lawyer and is much prized by the oafish Angelo. After questioning each other's ethics, Vicki and Farrell begin an on-and-off again relationship.
Party Girl

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Reviews (65)

Just Watched What Is Now One Of My Favorite Movies
My Brother and I just watched what is now one of our favorite movies of all time. The movie was playing on HBO, and something told me it would be a great. My Brother was busy so I paused the DVD recorder, and waited until we could watch it together. What a wonderful movie made in the days when Actors/Actresses didn't need to rely on Special Effects and Nudity to make a movie which held you like a Hitchcock Thriller. Not to imply it was Hitchockian, only that it comes up to the standards Hitchcock always held, with his choice of cast, direction (not by him here), cinematography and, filming locations. I can't understand how anyone reviewing this movie could give it anything less than 5 stars. Everyone else here, with a positive review, has done such a fine job with their descriptions, there is no need for me to write another. I will definately purchase the DVD. Anyone wishing to watch and enjoy a wonderful movie made when Hollywood was at it's best should also purchase it. You can't go wrong, even if the price was several times higher.

Great Commentary
This is a visually stunning but horribly acted movie.I was, at first, wondering if this was a colorized version of a black and white film.The colors are so vibrant, and the use of lighting andshadows is incredible.The cinematographer justifiably won the oscar for this film.Otherwise it is really quite awful.The actors are wooden and lifeless, especially Cornel Wilde.There is no reason to believe that Tierney's character would be so insanely jealous of him.And when the film tries for passionate drama, it seems to do so with the over-the-top score.Overall the story is precictable and unconvincing.
Chilling, Clinging Jealousy
In this dark film, Gene Tierney plays a young woman with a terrible obsession. In the words of her mother, she loves too much. She falls in love with and marries Cornel Wilde. They marry and appear to be happy until terrible things start to happen. People start to die.
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Charlie solves an old murder
Yep Charlie (Sidney Toler) is on the trail of a cold case murder. His nosing around invokes more murder and mayhem. There is even a closed-room murder. We know how it was done. But the question is why.
A Chauffeur For Charlie
THE CHINESE CAT is a surprisingly good war-time film by Monogram. Sidney Toler is back as Charlie and Benson Fong has the role of Tommy Chan. Tommy is Charlie's number three son. Manton Moreland as Birmingham Brown begins the movie as a cab driver and ends up as Charlie's chauffeur. Some of the best scenes take place in a fun house.

Good entry from the Monogram series
Monogram Pictures, one of the smaller Hollywood studios, really tried to make its Charlie Chan mysteries competitive with major-studio product, and this time it worked. "The Chinese Cat" (1944) has everything audiences had come to expect from the series: a capable cast of familiar character actors (Cy kendall, Ian Keith, Joan Woodbury, and at least four favorite serial performers), good direction (by the normally uninspired Phil Rosen), and striking photography (by veteran cameraman Ira Morgan). The story concerns an unsolved murder, and a muck-raking novelist whose latest book hits too close to home. Sidney Toler and Mantan Moreland are always enjoyable, and number-three son Benson Fong has more to do than usual (he defies the criminal mastermind in a memorable scene). Charlie Chan fans will enjoy this; followers of the Monogram corpus will applaud this fine companion piece to "The Shanghai Cobra" and "The Scarlet Clue." This is one "B" that gets a solid "A" for effort. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Made in 1960 and set in medieval Sweden, Ingmar Bergman's Read more

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CRITERION COLLECTION OF BERGMAN'S 'THE VIRGIN SPRING'
Swedish director Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring, is a cold-hearted, dramatic document mirroring unfortunate sordid headlines of today's news, in it's tragic story of a young medieval Swedish girl assaulted by a group of ruffians on her way to church. Too many real-life young girl abductions come to mind as the camera painfully reveals the aftermath of the tragedy, which starts off as innocently as a tea party with Alice in Wonderland, and ends with a disturbing, realistic visual, that remains one of the most unsettling, lurid sights ever captured on dramatic film. The two young actresses, Brigitta Pettersson, as the young victim, and Gunnel Lindblom, as her pagan worshipping stepsister, offer exemplary acting performances, and while the revenge aspect of the drama seems common, Bergman's examination of an active, involved, and strangely sympathetic Pagan religion, contrasts well with the merciless, empty sky-full of Christian belief that ends the film.

The Younger Generation Needs Ingmar Bergman's Films
This is a Criterion Collection DVD which tells you two things: 1. it's expensive; 2. the transfer from film to DVD is excellent. It truly is a shame that young folks aren't very interested in foreign films nor the black and white photography of 1950s and 60s films. When I make this broad statement, I base it, admittedly, off a small sample group of 24 years old nieces and nephews who frequently inhabit my abode.