Editorial Review

For those who love the Marx Brothers (Read more

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Reviews (98)

Hollywood wishes he could make a film like this today....
Despite the fact that this film is over 70 years old, it is still absolutely hilarious, and one of the greatest comedies ever made.Its pointed satire on war, idiotic government, and idiotic people is still potent, and probably always will be.It is only 70 minutes long, but it has more laughs than 10 modern comedies combined.There are no gross out gags, no idiotic sex jokes, no swearing, no illiterate, oversexed teenagers, just brilliant comedy.Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and even Zeppo rule!
Dialog Highlights This Marx Bros. Gem
Well, here we are with another wild and hilarious Marx Brothers farce, this time with Groucho taking over a small country and winding up in war with a neighboring one.
Undiluted Marxian Madness
If you prefer the Marx Brothers without sappy romantic leads and ponderous musical numbers, look no further than "Duck Soup" (1933). Director Leo McCarey dispenses with the extra baggage and focuses on nonstop anarchy in this classic political satire. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo remain a formidable comic machine as they unleash a barrage of one-liners and sight gags -- highlighted by the immortal mirror scene. Members of Congress should be forced to sit through this cinematic masterpiece at least once a year. "Hail Freedonia!" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film-comedy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

The second half of this 1943 Technicolor musical is an excuse for MGM's contract talent to perform songs and sketches in a big show at an Army base. Unfortunately, more than an hour passes before the show arrives, stranding the viewer with a thin service comedy about an opera singer (Kathryn Grayson) tagging along to a military camp in hopes of reuniting her estranged parents, whose names are Bill and Hillary (no comments, please). Romance comes in the form of private Gene Kelly, a former trapeze artist who misses the glory of his former life. Grayson warbles, and Kelly has one nifty solo dance (with a mop and broom), but the all-star revue is the movie's main attraction. The song selection is generally poor ("I Dug a Ditch in Wichita" is performed twice), with Lena Horne's sultry take on "Honeysuckle Rose" an exception. She's backed by Benny Carter and His Orchestra. Specialty player Virginia O'Brien delights with one of her deadpan numbers, Eleanor Powell tap dances, and Judy Garland delivers with a boogie-woogie lilt on "Jumpin' Down at Carnegie Hall." Comedy sketches with Red Skelton and Frank Morgan are stubbornly unfunny. Then there'sJosé Iturbi, the Spanish-born conductor, making his film debut at thebeginning of his run as MGM's supposedly cute highbrow. Director George Sidneywould team up two years later with Iturbi, Kelly, and Grayson in Read more

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Reviews (5)

This is one of my favorite Kathryn Grayson movies
I love this movie.Most people only watch it because of all the MGM stars in it.i personally think this is the most boring part of the picture.I enjoy the romance between Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson much more than the songs, dances, and comedy scetches of the stars.The only thing I think is wrong with this movie is that Kathyrn Gryason only sings three songs which is hardly displaying her talent (although the songs are pretty good), and Gene Kelly only dances once.I'dlike to say to anybody thinking of seeing this movie: go for it.It's wonderful!

Thousands cheer--when it's finally over!
With a cast like this, I thought how they go wrong? Well, they managed! This movie goes on forever, with a plot that's predictable from the first few minutes, yet keeps dragging on and on. The only relief is Gene Kelly's dance routine with a mop, but otherwise there's little that's even musical about it. Be prepared to fast forward to the real entertainment, which is about an hour and half into the movie. During a "show for the soldiers," the film makers bring on a huge cast of stars who all have brief songs or scenes. Lena Horne is beautiful as always singing "Honeysuckle Rose," Red Skelton does a pretty funny skit, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Lucille Ball, Gloria de Haven, and June Allyson are all right, and Virginia O'Brian is wonderful. Unfortunately, except for these few numbers near the end, it's not worth watching, even for major Gene Kelly fans.

A cavalcade of MGM stars
MGM redefines the big-screen musical extravaganza in this 1943 roll-out of MGM stars... Gene Kelly and Katheryn Grayson, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, Red Skelton and Margaret O'Brien, plus Lucille Ball, Donna Reed, Ann Southern, Lena Horne, Frank (Oz) Morgan, Mary Astor, June Allyson, and John Boles and Ish Kabibble with Kay Kyser's big band. (At the time bigger than Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Or Tommy Dorsey.)Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Musical Features    3. Musicals    4. Musicals (Theatrical)   

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Reviews (20)

Being there.
While I love this movie, I don't think it is as good as the Aussie classic,`Gallipoli'.Having said that, it holds a very special place in my heart.
Uncut Dvd Please!!!
This film has long been a favorite for me, even without the 15 minutes an earlier reviewer described. There is no excuse for a beautifully filmed movie such as this not to be available on dvd in its entirety.

Please release it on DVD!
This film needs to be released on DVD with anamorphic widescreen treatment.I'm so tired of waiting for it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie   

Editorial Review

The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour Read more

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Reviews (153)

excellent introduction, but only as a starting point
This is a superb film, combining the emotion evoked from images and selected narratives (wonderfully read by great actors) as well as some analysis by prominent scholars or writers. So far as it goes, Burns has exploited the attributes of the film medium to what I believe is the maximum extent: you leave this experience with a good idea of what went on and how it changed the country. It is moving, horrible, and beautiful all at once.
Shelby Foote and Ken Burns Resurrect the Dead
I have seen the critical remarks regarding this film.True, not all material could be included...unless filmakers wanted to exceed the 11 hours that this documentary already comprises.This is a stirring masterwork which features master historians with the powers of captivating story -- Shelby Foote, Ed Bearss, and others.Giving renewed life and voice to those who have passed on, the drama of this timescape is carefully unfolded.It is filled with struggle, humanity, and grace.If I could afford the collector's box set, I'd own it...but it's a tad expensive.If you can afford it, buy it -- it will be a set that you often revisit.If you can *really* afford it, buy me a copy.:)

british version i believe is longer
the british version which is a PAL region 2 dvd is 690 minutes long according to uk amazon website with 3 DVDs in a boxset,and according to USA amazon the US version is only 660 minutes long. also i believe at time of writing this review the british version is also cheper if obtained via amazon.co.uk at about i think $64 to $68 though this will change as intrest dollar to pound rates change over time. please rember if buying uk dvd version that your dvd player MUST BE a multi region dvd player to play UK region 2 PAL dvds! hope this helps some one ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. War Documentaries   

Editorial Review

John F. Kennedy lived long enough to see this Hollywood account of his Navy career and his heroism following a ruthless attack by a Japanese ship on his small patrol craft. Cliff Robertson is an amiable choice to play Kennedy, though one won't find a lot of the late president's mannerisms in his performance. The key battle sequence, which finds Kennedy and his crew bloodied and battered while trying to stay alive in shark-infested waters, makes a big impression on young viewers. Read more

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Reviews (9)

Oustanding movie about fine man, and very good future President!
The absolute best performance of actor
Saved his crew and then the world
For those who have seen this film Barney Ross (Robert Culp) was a source of humor to the PT Men. While this is not played up in the film, the PT Boat brotherhood got Barney a part in the picture as a CPO whom the young jg Kennedy pours cleaning fluid on by mistake. Early in the film when the crew is renovating the boat the actual Barney Ross is the chief telling JFK about sea pearls.
My son loved it
My son is doing a report on JFK and we got him the movie as backround.He loved it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

This sumptuous 1949 film adaptation of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel isn't as good as the 1933 Katharine Hepburn version, or even the 1994 remake starring an Oscar-nominated Winona Ryder, but it does offer its own pleasures, especially in seeing an all-star cast put through its paces. Erstwhile tomboy June Allyson stars as Alcott's famed heroine Jo, the budding writer in Civil War New England who pines for adventure, independence, and her own career. With Father off to war, it's up to Jo, practical older sister Meg (Janet Leigh), frail sister Beth (Margaret O'Brien), and vain sister Amy (Elizabeth Taylor) to help Marmee (a saintly Mary Astor) keep the home fires warm while dealing with the rigors of adolescence. It's all poured on with a generous amount of syrup, including lavish sets, hoop skirts, and petticoats, but anyone who's ever read Alcott's book will take comfort in its familiar story line. The dialogue is clunky but earnest, but you'd have to have a heart of stone not to get caught up in Jo's plight. And rarely do you get to see such stars go at it with such gusto: Allyson and Peter Lawford (as neighbor and rich boy Laurie) are a match made in B-movie heaven, Taylor is spunky and hilarious in an early comic performance, and Leigh does the matronly thing with aplomb. And nobody, but Read more

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Reviews (56)

noble try, but those mgm colors are too damn rich
june allyson tries so hard here to establish herself as a serious actress, but taking on a role where you are going to be compared to katharine hepburn is never wise. that being said, i found this mgm color gala to be not as bad as i had been led to believe, much as i found the 1933 cukor version to be not as good as it is supposed to be; i like both movies, but neither is a classic -- maybe its just the inherent thinness of the source.
Wonderfully Cast
Little Women is the story of four daughters and their mother (Mary Astor) during the Civil War. Their father is away at war and the family, although rich before, have fallen on hard times. However, their vitality and kindness bring them all they need. Meg (Janet Leigh) is the oldest and the quietest of all the girls. She finds love in a friend of her father's. Jo (June Allyson) is the second oldest and the star of the film. She's a real tomboy whose ambition in life is to be a writer though she loves the theater as well. Amy (Elizabeth Taylor) is beautiful and spoiled but well-meaning. Beth (Margaret O'Brien) is the youngest, a fragile, shy girl with a strong love for music. Laurie (Peter Lawford) is a rich boy nearby who befriends the girls and integrates himself into the family.
One of the best versions
I own 3 movie versions of "Little Women", 1933, 1949, 1994.I know of at least 2 other versions.There was a British version, and also a "made for TV" mini series version with Susan Day, made in the late 70's or early 80's.I never saw the British version.From what I can remember I liked the Susan Day version.But I have a hard time with the good reviews I've seen on the Ryder version, you can't even tell it's the same story, and I think it is by far the worst.I'm not trashing Ryder, I just think it was poorly directed.But I love the June Allyson version.She, to me really depicts the "Tom Boy" spirit that Jo seems to have had, and O'Brian is great, You can't help but love her, and I also like this mother best of all the versions.Like several have said, I think the first version with Hepburn was the best overall, but I like a lot of the characters(actors) in this second one also.I like the fact that both this, and the first movie give a good idea of what was expected in etiquette of women during that cival war period.IfI have any criticism of this movie version, it is that it labors, or drags a little towards the end.But still I like Allyson's spirit, and the movie has continuity, which there is no such thing in the Ryder version. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie   

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Reviews (14)

God is not an American.
But propaganda can be entertaining. Hey, there was a war going on & it wasn't close to being over when So Proudly We Hail was made. I doubt that many of the army nurses looked like Veronica Lake, even in grubby fatigues. This is a homage to those brave ladies. They were all volunteers. We didn't draft women.
Magnificent Action and Thrills
If they are bringing THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY to DVD finally, then maybe it's time to unravel the complications surrounding this film and feature it on DVD.SO PROUDLY WE HAIL is one of the greatest of all war movies, and because it is told from a woman's point of view (so to speak, it still had a male director in the person of Mark Sandrich) it is sometimes ridiculed and derided, usually by armchair critics who should walk a mile in a nurse's shoes before daring to denigrate her bravery under fire.
A Movie That Makes You "Proud"
"So Proudly We Hail" was made in 1943 and because I'm far too young I can only wonder what was the public's reaction to WW2 at this point in time. If Americans were starting to lose patience with the war then this movie could really lift your spirits and make you feel proud about what the men AND women were doing over seas. If people were patient with the war then it serves as a reminder for the hard work that lies ahead and how we SHOULD NOT become impatient. Either way you could say "So Proudly We Hail" is a piece of American propaganda (And I don't mean that as in insult) in the same vein as a Frank Capra film. But because of this some people may disregard it. I'm hear to write to you and tell you "So Proudly We Hail" is really a very entertaining emotion picture. What makes all the more amazing for me is to consider that Mark Sandrich directed it! I've always thought of Sandrich as a director of musicals. He directed several films with Fred Astair and Giner Rogers: "Carefree" and "Top Hat" and also films without Ginger Rogers like "Holiday Inn". He also directed two Bert Wheeler\Robert Woolsey comedies: "Hips, Hips, Hooray" and "Cockeyed Cavaliers". I never would have guessed he would have been capable of directing a movie with the scope of this one.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Gary Cooper plays Alvin York, the real-life country lad and sharpshooter drafted to fight during World War I but blocked from killing by his pacifist sentiments. Howard Hawks makes a rousing, heroic film out of the tale, and Cooper gives one of his best performances (for which he won an Oscar). The 1941 feature seems as much a valentine to wartime America (and a not-so-subtle piece of propaganda) as anything, with Hawks capturing splendidly shot scenes of life in York's home state of Tennessee, which in turn provide a striking contrast to the battlefield. A key scene in the film, in which York is presented with an argument in favor of killing in war, is still thought provoking. Read more

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Reviews (68)

This movie has a lot of heart
This is one of those movies that never gets old.
WHEN OSCAR MET COOPER....A TIMELESS TRIUMPH!
For those who wonder why it took so long for SERGEANT YORK to make his journey to DVD, all you have to be familiar with is how AWFUL this movie looked when TCM ran it on TV. Like so many older Warner pictures, it needed to be restored, and over and over again, the grand old studio founded by the brothers Warner is restoring is glittering gems for DVD to look and sound terrific.
Took them long enough!!!
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Editorial Review

To call Read more

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Reviews (1895)

Not the worst war film ever made but not the best either
I originally had high hopes for this film. After seeing the vastly superior "Tora,Tora,Tora!" I was looking forward to seeing the attack on Pearl Harbor done with today's special effects.
Not my favorite movie
I'm not sure what would have made this movie better.Maybe less about the relationships and more about the battle, I suppose.There just wasn't enough action for me.It was all at the end.

Great DVD
** This review is for the 60th Anniversary 2 disc commemorative edition**
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Editorial Review

The true story of two English children who claimed they photographed fairies in 1917 produced two different movies in the late 1990s. Not aswell-known as the earnest family drama Read more

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Reviews (32)

I See Queen Mab Has Been With You!
The schism between belief and science, religion and technology, the afterlife and end of life, childhood innocence and adult reality, are all themes which flow through this marvelous film. Photographing Fairies is a deceptive title for a film that is more than a simple tale of two little girls who claimed to photograph little flying sprites in rural Birkinwell, England. During the latter quarter of the 19th century and into the 20th century, beliefs about civilization as the privilege of modern western society was shaken by the reality of modern social ills culminating with the devastation wreaked by WWI.
Opening your mind..
Photographing fairies is one story that everyone should experience. A true reflection of ourselves when belief distorts fact.

A hidden gem
I like films that confound ones expectations and films that are deep enough to sustain multiple, simultaneous interpretations.This film is both, has wonderful 'period' sets and costumes, some dazzling cinematography and a great score.What more could one ask?It would be great if there were a DVD release of the original wide-screen production, but the VHS is well worth a rental or purchase, and there was a Region 2 Full-Frame DVD release for England and the Scandinavian countries.Varese Sarabande has the finished soundtrack album but has never released it - send them an email! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Here's a model for adapting a novel into a movie. The bestseller by James Jones, a frank and hard-hitting look at military life, could not possibly be made into a film in 1953 without considerably altering its length and bold subject matter. Yet screenwriter Daniel Taradash and director Fred Zinnemann (both of whom won Oscars for their work) pared it down and cleaned it up, without losing the essential texture of Jones's tapestry. The setting is an army base in Hawaii in 1941. Montgomery Clift, in a superb performance, plays a bugler who refuses to fight for the company boxing team; he has reasons for giving up the sport. His refusal results in harsh treatment from the company commander, whose bored wife (Deborah Kerr) is having an affair with the tough-but-fair sergeant (Burt Lancaster). You remember--the scene with the two of them embracing on the beach, as the surf crashes in. The supporting players are as good as the leads: Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed won Oscars (and Sinatra revitalized his entire career), and Ernest Borgnine entered the gallery of all-time movie villains, as the stockade sergeant who makes Sinatra miserable. Zinnemann's work is efficient but also evocative, capturing the time and place beautifully, the tropical breezes as well as the lazy prewar indulgence. This one is deservedly a classic. Read more

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Reviews (71)

This film gets it right
This is exactly what I am talking about. This film gets it right. The entire film is about people. It has characters and it has action; what make the film really work is that so much time is spent on the characters that by the time we get to the action we really care about the outcome. We know who these guys are, what they are fighting for and how much the have to loose. This is what Pearl Harbor tried to do but failed to achieve.
One of the Best Movies I've Ever Seen
From Here to Eternity, where to begin?This is probably one of my top 10 movies that I've ever seen.I love it!Frank Sinatra is wonderful in it; Montgomery Clift is gorgeous, vulnerable, and brave in this movie; Burt Lancaster is awesome, as everyone who has ever seen him could tell you.This movie shows a clear depiction of the soldiers at Pearl Harbor before it was bombed.The book is a totally long, obnoxious book, towards the end I only read the quotations. The movie totally changed the book and made it wonderful.This is a classic, and will be for the rest of time.

From Here to the Box Office
Hollywood at its phony best or worst, take your pick. Who would believe scrawny, introverted Monty Clift as a rough, tough, defiant leather-neck, who beats up on men twice his size. Evidently, the producers, who wagered that a star-struck audience would. Then there's the wholesome, well-scrubbed Donna Reed as a wholesome, well-scrubbed Honolulu hooker, who lives in what appears a Manhattan apartment. If you believe Mother Theresa did outcall, then you might fall for this Hollywood hokum. Let's not forget that notorious surf scene, where Lancaster and Kerr mate like over-heated jellyfish. The questionis howdo you parody something that's already a joke. And, oh yes, there's Burt Lancaster, clenching full speed toward becoming Tinsel Town's most celebrated great stone face, and a long, long way from his promising noir roots. And poor Deborah Kerr trapped all those years in virginal repression, when there's really a red-hot mama waiting to break out. Finally, there's Frank Sinatra's Maggio, who at least doesn't beat up hulking men twice his size, but does get an award and an afterlife as Las Vegas's shady ambassador to Hollywood, a not uncalculated consequence. Summing up: this is exactly what happened when the studios of the 50's got a hot property and decided to exploit it. And exploit it they did. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Some people may sneer at this 1965 musical, but the truth is the film has earned its status as a perennially watchable romantic-drama, largely on the strength of a fun story and chemistry between stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Veteran filmmaker Robert Wise (Read more

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Reviews (431)

A all time great!
"You have brought music back into my home".This is a story about a man, who lost his wife, suffered loneliness, realized the value of his family and embraces his family once again in music and drama, and falls in love with a woman of great culture and life.
BEAUTIFUL TRANSFER OF A PERFECT MOVIE
SOUND OF MUSIC 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Fox) is the latest digital version of this beloved, timeless, film.The two-disc set features an exceptionally sharp transfer and a rich audio mix but the real treat is the new commentary with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer (this in addition to the late Robert Wise's commentary).
The Hills are alive
This musical details the life of a novice nun named Maria. There are people in the Nonburg Abbey in Salzburg that do not like her so the Reverend Mother sends her to take care of the seven children of a Widower Captain Georg Von Trapp.
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Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Musicals    3. Musicals & Cast Recordings   

Editorial Review

After the critical success of 1993's Read more

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Reviews (177)

A Real Gem of a movie!
Wow!This was one of the best movies I have ever seen in my life, perhaps, the best, in terms of emotion, enchantment, innocence, and slightly "magical".
Stunningly beautiful and powerful.
We just picked this up at the library as a family friendly movie.We are ordering it ASAP.I don't know how many times I cried during this movie.The little girls in the movie were so genuine - especially the main character.The whole package was just enchanting and magical.No special affects.Just a good old fashioned story of the strength of the imagination and the power of friendship.
Amazing
Watch this movie with your family. Watch this movie by yourself. Watch this movie before you go to bed. Watch this movie with your sister! Quite simply watch this movie!
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Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film Family    3. Movie   

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Reviews (8)

Great look at the war
I enjoyed this film because my grandfather was the commander of a Sherman M4A3. The storyline was pretty common, but the action was done extremely well. It gave me a better picture of what my grandfather went through. I highly recommend it!

Fun to Watch Period Film
A war film fun? In terms of a movie that is hard to take seriously, yet is worthy of veiwing, yes. There is footage galore of period, (1951) Sherman tanks as well as T2 amored recovery vehicles and some M-26 Pershings. M10 tank destroyers masquerade as Panthers, oh well. The cast includes the mucn loved tank commandered who becomes a casualty and is replaced by a hard-bitten sargent with a past. We also get to enjoy a comical sidekick mechanic who knows the inferior Shermans must be replaced with a better tank. Really, good stuff, just don't take it seriously. Make some popcorn and enjoy!

Great Tanks, Lousy Story..
I bought this tape based on the reviews that I found here and, I must say, was disappointed.On the down side, I found the the story line to be incredibly weak and the script stilted.The acting was some of the worst I've seen in a film, regardless of era.Special effects are, how should I say, weak... It reminded be of a B science fiction movie of the time, but with tanks instead of giant grasshoppers.Read more

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Editorial Review

Andy Griffith burst to stardom with this surprisingly funny film adaptation of the Broadway comedy (by, of all people, Ira Levin of Read more

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Reviews (28)

Long Overdue for Release on DVD
Hands down one of the funniest movies ever made.Add my voice to the long and growing list of those calling for this comedy masterpiece to be released on DVD.To the powers that be:We're waiting...!

Where's the DVD?
Add me to the long list of Andy Griffith fans who would love to see this on DVD.Considering all the terribly unfunny comedies that have been released on DVD over the years, why not release one that actually works?
Certainly dated but very good fun just the same
Andy Griffith an underrated actor (as another poster says)? Griffith is a total legend in his own time! This movie has some hilarious moments with Griffith largely responsible for it all though Murray Hamilton, Nick Adams, and Myron Mccormick are all good support. The scene where the latrine is rigged so the toilets salute (!) was too riske for 1958 but they got it pass censors somehow (a mystery). Lastly, a splendid bit of thanks to the now late Don Knotts for his splendid cameo as the high strung enlisted man in this film. RIP Don! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film-comedy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (7)

One Look Says It All!
Boy, it's good to see a film one really likes that is just about unknown.....and read other reviewers who share your high opinion of that movie or a certain character.
kicking ass one-handed
Paul Schrader is usually the man most prominently mentioned in connection with this film due to the fact that he also wrote TAXI DRIVER and as a result the contributions of co-screenwriter Heywood Gould & director John Flynn have been unfairly ignored. The look of the film is much better than the low production values would seem to permit and for that, I think,we can applaud cinematographer Jordan Crownenweth (who later lensed BLADE RUNNER for Ridley Scott.)
DEVANE'S SCREEN PRESENCE
This is a flawed but very interesting movie. What strikes me is that it starred Bill DeVane with Tommie Lee Jones in a supporting role. At the time, DeVane was headed, seemingly, for stardom. He had been brilliant as JFK in "The Missiles of October" and even better as a turncoat spy in "Marathon Man". Yet it was Jones, not DeVane, who went on to screen greatness.Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie