Dadd, Richard Movie Reviews

I thought this documentary was of value until I read up on it and found out that the scene with Leary's head being cut off is a fake. In reality, Leary was planning to freeze his head, but never went ahead with this plan. That a documentary should include bogus footage is entirely outrageous, not even mentioning how disrespectful to Leary, his family, and his followers such a gruesome fake must feel. ...

its a pretty good documentary, but i wasn't able to sleep for a week after watching it because the final shot of tim's severed head keeps haunting me. eeech!

Reviewers such as THE NEW YORK TIMES' Janet Maslin got it right when she called this doc "The right final vision of Leary and his times" - and so did the Toronto Sun which said "Somewhere over the rainbow Timothy Leary is laughing his head off, if he still has a head, that is." Anyone who takes all the scenes in this movie literally (like some of the reviwers below) ought to have his head examined, since the movie makes obvious leaps into psychedelic madness everywhere, including a scene filmed like a silent movie in which a frantic mother cautions her son not to eat Timothy Leary's brain, and another scene in which Leary's opinions about alien abduction are dramatized by an alien hopping into bed with a little ol' lady from Iowa. To those who think Leary's family was shocked by the film, they obviously are unaware that Leary's ex-wife Rosemary invited friends to a private screening in San Fran and gave the film her blessing by saying Tim would have loved it (he passed before its completion). For those who scream it's unauthorized, they should note that Leary not only signed a contract giving the producers permission to do exactly what they have done in the movie, but he cooperated every step of the way, leaving a big hint in the end credits about how to separate reality from the surreal in the film. For more clues, check out the Director's Commentary on the DVD, which deals with the controversy this film created. The bottom line: Any movie about Timothy Leary that doesn't blow your mind doesn't even begin to convey the real Leary, and this one delivers Big Time. Besides, the film wouldn't be doing its job if it didn't make some opinionated fans angry (as well as offend some of the stodgy webmasters of the official Leary website who have been in misery for years because their own effort at a Leary biopic was never released). However, by all means, avoid this film if your mind has fossilized, and you do not want your views about reality (or about who Leary was) to be challenged. Also avoid it if you think you need to believe everything you see in a documentary.

Welcome to Sunrise, Illinois, a town that plays host to a significant contingent of lower class, trailer dwelling, criminally prone hillbilly types loving referred to as "Poor White Trash." Starring such recognizable names as William Devane, Sean Young, and Jaime Pressly, the film focuses on the antics of the Bronco and Lake families, with several other individuals floating around on the periphery. Linda Bronco, played quite well by Sean Young, only has one wish in her miserable existence of one night stands and fly by night jobs: she wants her son Michael to go to college at the University of Southern Illinois to major in psychology. After yet another fight with her washed out professional wrestler husband, Linda must step in and take control of Michael's life if her dream is to be realized. Regrettably for Linda, Michael and his friend Lenny Lake find themselves in a heap of trouble after swiping a six-pack of near beer at the local convenience store. This thoughtless action throws Michael's plans for school into turmoil, thereby requiring Linda to lead her son and his friend on a robbing spree for tuition money and enough scratch to hire a decent lawyer to fight the robbery charge. Along for the ride is Brian, the son of the local sheriff who Linda picked up in a bar and who now wishes to take part in the antics.

To disentangle her son from the robbery charge, Linda and her son turn to Lenny Lake's grandfather, Ron Lake. The elder Lake is a strange character, a one-time felon who now works as a big shot lawyer. Ron just married the gorgeous but dangerous Sandy, and the two live in Ron's trailer adorned with a garden of sculptures made out of beer cans. Ron is as crooked as they come, though, and to get his help Linda and her trio of would be criminals must agree to split their take with Ron and his wife. Everything goes down the drain from this point, as the four rob a retirement home and a local eating establishment. They get the money, but they get double crossed too, an incident which leads to hilarious trailer trash retribution involving trailer stealing, fireworks, automatic weapons, and duct tape.

There are more problems with "Poor White Trash" than there are pluses. The organization of the film is a disaster, with scenes that run too long, sloppy camera work, and a script often bogged down with too much detritus. What this movie desperately needed was an excellent editor, someone to go through the scenes and cut out all the awkward dead weight. About half way into the movie, I started to suspect that somebody, maybe a studio, mucked around with the finished product and left us with a movie that is more often a hodgepodge of scenes than a seamless film. Another big minus here, at least for me, was the relegation of Danielle Harris to a minor role as Suzi (the one with an "i"), an employee at the local restaurant robbed by Bronco and company. Harris, who in my opinion could never appear in enough films, gets marginal screen time. At least we get one good shot of her smiling face, and I guess that is better than nothing.

Despite these problems, "Poor White Trash" works on many levels, and works spectacularly. I would be completely insane if I did not mention the stellar performance of William Devane as Ron Lake. I have never liked Devane as an actor, probably due to his appearance in too many of those unctuous "movie of the week" productions. But here he shines like the sun. Devane has all of the best lines of the film, none of which are reproducible here because they usually deal with romantic entanglements in prison. His outfits are hilarious, his law office, located in a mall, bears the name "Land o' Law," and his philosophy about beautiful women is a scream. Devane chews the scenery in this film and it is a better movie because of it. Devane's role along with numerous effective sight gags, helps propel "Poor White Trash" to easily watchable levels.

The DVD throws in a commentary by Sean Young and director Michael Addis, as well as some production stills, three trailers for three obscure films I never heard of, and cast and crew profiles. Add in these extras with the actual film, and you have yourself an effective way to burn a few hours. "Poor White Trash" will never win any awards, but it ultimately delivers with good performances and some good gags.

I saw this movie at 3am so perhaps my review is a little bias but I thought this was a "clever" film. It was interesting to see Sean Young acting again and her performance was pretty good. This film at times was just plain wierd in the same vein as Pecker but this film's plot wasn't so convoluted as Pecker's. This film is more a novelty piece in your DVD collection.

College bound Michael Bronco (Tony Denman) and his nefarious chum Lenny Lake (Jacob Tierney) are caught stealing a six-pack of Near Beer from the local mini-mart, and as a result, Michael's college plans seem destined for the toilet. An inept Public Defender bungles the case, and the lads realize they need a lawyer to get them out of the mess they've created. Lenny's brilliant plan is to get his Uncle Ron--who owns the Land O'Law to represent them 'pro-bono'(Lenny says this is French for 'half-off'). Uncle Ron, "the best lawyer in town since he got out of jail" isn't cheap, and so Michael and Lenny burglarize a neighbour's trailer as a quick way to get cash. Soon the lads embarked on a crime spree, and Michael's mum, Linda (Sean Young) forms an inept gang with Michael, Lenny, and Brian Ross--the son of the local sheriff (and Linda's one-night stand).

Linda Bronco just wants to be a "normal mother," but that's not in the cards for this latter-day Ma Barker. In fact, there's nothing normal in the entire film. Everyone lives in a trailer--even Uncle Ron--the legal eagle--who has made a formidable beer can sculpture garden to enhance his trailer's attractiveness. And Uncle Ron even has a pool--not quite the traditional idea of a pool--but a pool, nonetheless.

It's the perfectly drawn characters in this film that make it so hilarious. Michael's desire to be a psychologist runs as a standing joke, and Lenny treats his friend's ideals with respect while noting that "psychology causes people to have mental problems." Michael's dad is a pro-wrestler hoping for the cash to get a false eye--this is the one roadblock in scheduling a grudge match with an opponent. Ron Lake (William Devane) as the sleazy lawyer plays the role to perfection--the clothes, the swagger, the jewelry--and don't forget his t-shirt slogans--all add up to the lawyer who practices law with the intent of getting away with what he can. Ron Lake's nymphette wife--the manipulative and grasping (Jaime Pressly) is the perfect complement to Ron.

But my favourite character of all the great characters in this film has to be Lenny Lake. His one-liners, antics, and faulty logic--along with the looks he casts--simply make this film. "Poor White Trash" has no socially redeeming values, and no moral message, but it doesn't compromise on laughs. The film is deceptively clever and moves along rapidly from the first hilarious scene at the mini-mart right up to the finale. Due to language and sexuality, this is not one for the kiddies--displacedhuman.

The grandson of Dr. Frankenstein, posing as Dr. Oliver Frank, surfaces in America and carries on the family tradition. The late '50s and early '60s was such a great time for schlock horror flicks. This one is vintage 1958. I find it hard to complete this review because the merits of this film make me misty-eyed with emotion. Frank gives Pearl Pureheart, er, Trudy Morton a drink laced with secret ingredients that temporarily transforms her into a monstrous creature. Frank also needs viable body parts for his secret experiments. Trudy's hot friend, Suzie, catches Frank's eye. The eye of the camera is also captivated and lingers longingly on Suzie's hips as she walks. Frank, however, is more interested in her head. (No pun intended). Due to plot developments beyond our control, Frank grafts Suzie's deformed head to the grotesque body pieced together in his lab. Now, she looks like Rondo Hatton with big scars, wearing a Taliban-style head bandage and a rubber jump suit, complete with slinky curlicue wires. And dig that crazy herky-jerky walk. Hubba, hubba. There are now two "she" monsters on the loose. Sometime teenage heartthrob, John Ashley, tries to look cool and courageous amidst the mayhem. To ease the stress, Page Cavanaugh and the Flattops jive up Judy's backyard barbecue with nifty '50s rock-'n-roll. What's that? You have never heard of Page Cavanuagh? Incredible. The rest of the cast is obscure and undistinguished. Filmed in glorious B&W, this flick meets our low expectations. It deserves a place in the Schlock Horror Hall of Fame. Rank it right along "Teenagers From Outer Space," "The Brain That Wouldn't Die," and "The Attack of the Giant Leeches." Sensible viewers beware! ;-)

Back in the days when drive-ins still brought in the crowds, you could still make movies for about a buck and a half and have them distributed. Out of that came performers like Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper.

Suffice it to say, there ain't nothing like them in here.

Frankenstein's Daughter is a very guilty pleasure. Clearly made for the price of dinner for four at Sizzler, this demented flick throws everything it can think of at you- not one, but two monsters, bathing-suit clad teens bopping to the song "stylings" of Page Cavanaugh and his trio, and Harold Lloyd, Jr (who is noted as the liner notes as being a masochist. I heard the boy sing. I am here to tell you, that boy is a sadist.) The idea is that Mr. Frank (enstein, get it?), the infamous doctor's grandson, has weasled his way, lock, stock, and Igor into a plum gig as the assistant for Dr. Morton, who keeps a convenient lab in his west LA home, complete with stadium sized wine cellar and loads of arcing electrical equipment. (The good doc, may not notice all of the bodies being wheeled around behind his back, but won't he notice the Edison bill?) Mr. Frank, you see, is determined to keep up with Grandad's work- he's going to make his own monster, if he can just find a head for it. While he has his version of Igor scuttling about accident sites looking for one, Mr. Frank whiles away the hours by alternately trying to seduce and turing into a monster his employers comely neice. Though the doctor comes across as fey as Liberace, he tries jumping both the niece AND the nieces busty blonde friend. Mr. Frank isn't a guy to take no for an answer- when the niece slaps him, he gives her drugged "fruit punch" turning her into a blue faced unibrowed monster, and when busty rejects him, he mows her down with his car! Making the best of things, he decides to use busty's head to complete his monster, who promptly runs amuk causing much (cheaply done) havok. The Mr. Frank decides the monster can be used to destroy those who oppose him, leading to another one of those "Johnnie, my uncle's been killed by the mad scientist who tried to kill me and killed my best friend who's now a murderous monster and the policemen guarding the house are all missing and the door to the lab is ajar so let's go investigate" Which lets Mr. Frank (now happily calling himself Frankenstein) get to actally say the line "you meddling kids" Which means that he is immediately dispached with a face full of acid- thrown accidentally, of course, so that the monster can mourn his passing (talk about co-dependant!) by catching herself on fire. Which paves the way for another pool party where they can cook more scarily huge kebabs and have a reprise of "Daddy Bird" (aieee!)

These down-at-heel shockers are incredibly fun- innocent, schlocky and hammy, they beat hands-down most of the calculated sceamfests foisted on the screen today. Buy this one right now.

"Frankenstein's Daughter" is a guilty pleasure of mine. It was shown frequently on the Zacherley-hosted "Chiller Theater" TV show in the early 1960s, and yours truly was actually frightened by it! (I was only about 7 years old at the time) The film is ludricous and cheaply produced, and helmed by Richard Cunha, who also directed "Missile to the Moon" (a remake of "Cat Women of the Moon"), "Giant From the Unknown", and another personal favorite of mine, "She Demons", starring the late Irish "Sheena" McCalla. "Frankenstein's Daughter" has "Oliver Frank", a descendant of Dr. You-know-who, living in southern California! He is assistant to Dr. Carter Morton. Together, they are experimenting with a dangerous drug called DiGenerol. Slimy Oliver uses Morton's niece Trudy as an unwitting guinea pig for the DiGenerol, by way of his homemade "fruit punch". Trudy turns into a crackle-faced demon, prowling around the neighborhood clad in a bathing suit, frightening the neighbors. And that's only the first part of the film! Oliver has also been carrying on in the family tradition, creating his own monster, unknownst to Dr. Morton. All he needs is a brain, and he gets one from Trudy's girlfriend Susie Lawlor, a bleached blonde in a tight black cocktail dress (he runs her over with his car-some date!) The result is the strangest-looking female monster in cinema history. The monster is played by Harry Wilson, who used to bill himself as "The ugliest man in Hollywood". Mr. Wilson's most notable screem appearance (other than this opus) is as one of George Raft's henchmen in "Some Like it Hot" ("Hey! Join us!"). "Frankenstein's Daughter" is typical, 1950s drive-in fare, replete with misunderstood "teenagers", laughable dialogue, tinsel sets, and outrageous monster makeups. The cast is a hoot. Donald Murphy is appropriately smarmy as Oliver (You'd expect to meet him in a "Swingin' Singles" bar), Dr. Morton is floridly overplayed by Felix Locher, father of Jon Hall, Susie is played by Mamie Van Doren clone Sally Todd, Trudy is played by pretty Sandra Knight (the future Mrs. Jack Nicholson), and her boyfriend Johnny is played by the late John Ashley (he was Troy Apollo on "The Beverly Hillbillies", and appeared in numerous beach party flicks). The supporting players include Harold Lloyd Jr., Wolfe Barzell, and Voltaire Perkins (he was the judge on TV's "Divorce Court" in the 1960s). There is also the obligatory "barbecue" sequence, featuring the songs "Daddy Bird" and "Special Date", performed by Page Cavanaugh and his trio. Move over, Bill Haley! The picture quality on the DVD is remarkable, with razor-sharp detail and rich greys (I don't think the restored "Citizen Kane" looks this good!), so you can see the seams in the sets, and the sound is very good. There is also a picture gallery on the disc as an added bonus. "Frankenstein's Daughter" is sweetly dumb, and holds very pleasant memories for me, of a far less complicated, innocent time. A long time ago in a galaxt far, far away...

Just when you thought it was safe to watch television, this thing comes farting onto the screen. Basically, two cops in rubber suits try to take out a bunch of bad guys, and end up in supposed to be funny situations. Kids may, as the editorial said, enjoy the dino. Other than that, pray that this thing is not still on the air when smellavision is invented.

If you saw the Dionosaur show that Henson did on TV, then you will enjoy this movie, and what's not to like about Whoopi, she makes anything bad good. So don't listen to the last reviewer, if you like Whoopi, buy this vhs, and I will look out for the DVD, as well. Whoopi you ROCK.

Though I agree that this DVD is not as good as "Farewell, My Lovely", it still is superior to the Humphrey Bogart version. Bogart was very good at playing many roles, but 'The Big Sleep' comletely missed the mark. The ending of the Bogart version is almost criminal and completely corrupts the rest of the movie. Compare the 'Hollywood' ending of the Bogart version with the novel's famous last paragraph being read by Mitchum in this one. It's unfortunate that the rest of the movie was not up to Mitchum's level but it is worth owning another Marlowe movie with Robert Mitchum. Watch the original because you like Bogart/Bacall, but if you want to experience The Big Sleep, watch this one and buy the book (you'll hear Mitchum's voice as you read).

Not being particularly fond either of Raymond Chandler or of the "classic" 1946 adaption of THE BIG SLEEP, I am perhaps more disposed than most to like Michael Winner's 1978 re-make. Shorn of Bogart and Bacall, the earlier film isn't much more than a routine detective saga. (The screenplay was co-written by William Faulkner, but if I absolutely have to deal with Faulkner, I'd prefer to do it with one of his lugubrious novels.) Still, if you choose to re-make an icon, even one made of brass, you're practically begging for trouble.

If you can get past the gall of trying to re-make a "classic," you can see that Winner's film, while no masterpiece, is decently entertaining. It ably uses the English locations, takes advantage of the greater freedoms of the 1970s and boasts a first-rate cast. Mitchum, in his way, is every bit as good as Bogart. Sarah Miles isn't in Bacall's class as a larger than life image, but she's a superior actress and does a creditable job. Many of the supporting performances are at least as good as their counterparts in the 1946 film, including Jimmy Stewart, Harry Andrews, Edward Fox, Colin Blakely, Oliver Reed, and Joan Collins. Even Richard Boone, usually a bit of chore, uses his over-sized presence to good effect.

If you've seen any of Winner's other films, like DEATH WISH or SCORPIO, you know pretty much what to expect. His direction is, as usual, obnoxiously showy and rushed. There are sudden, incomprehensible close-ups on unimportant actions, unmovitated, low-camera angles, flashy zooms, and awkward compositions designed presumably to remind us that someone is behind the camera. His is almost the epitome of "70s filmmaking," for better or worse. Still, at least he has a style, which, despite the laborious efforts of auteurist critics to reveal it, I have never been able to see in Hawks's dry as dust filmmaking.

I don't exactly recommend THE BIG SLEEP. I know that a lot of people, particularly anyone worshipping at the altar of "classic" Hollywood, will find it offensive. If I say I prefer it to the earlier film, it is not in an attempt to turn it into a transcendant work of art. BOTH versions are hack work. They are perhaps best understood as what mainstream filmmakers of middling talent were able to accomplish in 1946 and 1978, and dealt with accordingly.

Okay, Mitchum isn't Humphrey Bogart but the 1979 "Big Sleep" is a great way to kill 90-minutes. This version of "Sleep" begins with Marlowe (Mitchum) visiting Gen. Sternwood (a pallid Jimmy Stewart) at his palatial estate in England. Sternwood wants Marlowe to help him resolve a blackmail sceme involving one of his daughters. This is easily the most sleazy film Stewart ever appeared in; however Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Joan Collins and Oliver Reed seem right at home here. Richard Boone clearly has a hell of a time playing Mitchum's toughest adversary since Robert Ryan in "The Racket." For Michael Winner's best directorial effort take a look at "Lawman," with Burt Lancaster, Ryan and Lee J. Cobb.

I watched the Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe & I was able to overlook the bad special effects (lion) because the actors were good and the story was good. However, the Prince Caspian video was truely horrible. The story was boring and the special effects were really bad. I couldn't finish watching it & stopped before it was half-way done.

I loved reading all the books in the series. I am hoping that someone will make a wonderful movie series out of the Chronicles of Narnia. I am hoping someone that has as much passion as the man who is now putting out the Lord of the Rings movie series, will take an interest in CS Lewis. That will be truely marvelous.

Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy return to the magical land of Narnia to help Prince Caspian to defeat the wicked King Miraz (who is also Caspian's uncle). The BBC did a good job of making this second adventure in Narina. Although, you may frown at the low-grade special effects.

Edmund, Lucy and Eustace are sent to Narnia to help Caspian (now king of Narnia) to find the seven missing Lords of Narnia in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Eustace is Lucy and Edmund's horrible cousin who doesn't like being in Narnia until he sees Aslan.

Granted, the special effects in the BBC's adaptation of the C.S. Lewis Narnia series are minimalist. The animatronics of Aslan, the original lion king, are less than what Abraham Lincoln was doing in the Hall of Presidents at Disneyland forty years ago. But somehow in the final analysis that does not really matter for enjoying either "Prince Caspian" or "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." All of the kids who end up in the magical land of Narnia treat Aslan as if he was real and the production has great costumes and above average sets. Beyond all that, the stories are enthralling enough that the limitations of the special effects end up being rather inconsequential.

"Prince Caspian" finds Lucy (Sophie Wilcox), Edmund (Jonathan R. Scott), Susan (Sophie Cook), and Peter (Richard Dempsey) return to Narnia, not through the wardrobe but in response to the call of Prince Caspian (Jean Marc Perret), the nephew of the King Miraz, the despot who is now ruling the land. The evil king wants to kill Caspian, the rightful heir to the thrown, and it is up to the four siblings to take up arms and magic potions to help those who follow Aslan's banner to set thing to right.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" begins with Lucy, Edmund, and their annoyingly obnoxious cousin Eustace Scrubb (David Thwaites) being drawn into painting of the Dawn Treader. Aboard they find Caspian (Samuel West), now King of Narnia, who is on a voyage to find the seven lords of Narnia that were banished by the evil Miraz. Consequently we have a series of visits to various islands offering a whole variety of adventures, which makes this the much more ambitious story of the pair on this video (and twice as long). The major subplot is getting Eustace to grow up, stop acting like a spoiled brat, and accept the fact that this is Narnia and there is no British Consul to be found.

Some people will not be happy with the limitations of this television production, but it is a television production and certainly in keeping with the grand tradition of other BBC productions we have seen in the past. Aside from the special effects the look of the production is totally appropriate. The children tend to act like children for the most part, even when they are dressed up in armor and whacking at people with swords (think about it; that is rather hard to carry off). Yes, this production is not as good as the books they are based on, but we knew that going in boys and girls. For those who need special effects to be first and foremost, a new production is coming out soon that may rectify that supposed deficiency. But hopefully it will have the heart and soul of this one.

After the beautiful "Far From Heaven" and the dazzling "Velvet Goldmine", I was curious to see Todd Haynes' first film. Despite being made on a shoe-string budget and featuring unknown actors, "Poison" still manages to be a visually innovative, provocative and intelligent film. The film is made up of three seperate stories interwoven together. In "Hero", which takes place in the early 80's and is filmed in documentary style, a young boy kills his father, and the community tries to figure out why. In "Horror", which looks like a campy old black and white horror film, a scientist manages to turn the human sex drive into a serem, and then becomes a sexually predatory leper when he accidently drinks it. In "Homo", a man in prison in the early 20th century becomes obsessed with a fellow inmate who he watched being abused years before in a reformatory. Initially, the stories seem to have nothing in common, but the more the film goes on you start to see the connection ... they all focus on the darker side of human sexuality, and its consequences. Overall, this is an interesting first film by a terrific director who is just starting to hit his stride.

After loving "Velvet Goldmine" and finding "Far From Heaven" visually stunning, I was curious to see Todd Haynes' first film (which won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, and probably launched his career). Even working with an apparently very low budget and unknown actors, Haynes still manages to create an original and thought-provoking film. He weaves together three stories, which are all different in terms of time period and tone, but that all deal with the darker side of sexuality, and the devastating consequences it can have. In "Hero" (shot like a documentary, and taking place in the early 80's), a young boy kills his father, and the more the story is explored, the more it is revealed that both of his parents' sexual behavior probably brought about the tragedy. "Horror" takes place in the 1950's, is shot in black and white, and has the feel of a campy horror movie. In that story an ambitious scientist is somehow able to turn the human sexual drive into a serem, but when he accidently ingests it it turns him into a sexually predatory leper. In "Homo", which takes place in an early 20th century prison, an inmate becomes sexually obsessed with another inmate who he watched being abused years earlier in reform school. The stories are all brilliantly weaved together, and the longer the film goes on, the more the viewer is able to see the common threads. Overall, it is interesting to see the first film of a director who is just beginning to hit his stride.

Todd Haynes's penchant for postmodern parody (recently displayed in the deliberately garish melodrama _Far From Heaven_) can be seen in _Poison_, his first feature film. Haynes invokes obscure Poverty-Row horror films and television documentaries, among other cinematic forms. Some of the images are lovely, some are ugly, and some are extremely difficult to watch. All represent, in one form or another, French writer Jean Genet's view of sexuality -- pessimistic and frequently angry, but never entirely bleak.

This film was one of the infamous "NEA 4" projects that led then-Senator Jesse Helms to impose standards of decency on the National Endowment for the Arts. _Poison_ may be best known for the scandal it generated inside Washington's corridors of power, but it's still a brilliant film.

Now, the bad news: Video and audio transfers on this DVD are poor, with numerous print flaws, artifacts and distortion. But the full-frame transfer accurately represents the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The only extras are a slightly decrepit trailer and a solid, informative audio commentary from the director, the producer and the editor.

Loved the VHS version of this film. Tried 3 different DVD versions none of which would play on my 2 DVD players or my computer. Stick with the VHS version.

I can't say anything about the content, 'cause I wasn't able to play this DVD in my DVD-Player or computer, although this is an all-region-disk. Players couldn't read it.

Shadowbuilder was really a great movie; when I first rented it I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be an excellent movie. Bram Stroker who is best known for Dracula wrote this originally and it shows. The acting was very good for the most part as well, particularly by young actor Kevin Zegers (who played Christopher) the stigmata whom the Shadowbuilder seeks out in the hopes of undoing creation.
If you liked the movie Warlock, End of Days, or both you will definitely like this movie. I suspect that the movie End of Days borrowed somewhat from The Shadowbuilder.

Not even Richard Pryor can save this dismal flop sequel to the Superman series. Didn't anyone tell the writers that slapstick is dead? Superman must stop an oil tychoon from stealing the oil of the world and defeat his super-computer.

Christopher Reeve is back the third time as Clark Kent/Superman. Richard Pryor is in the unemployment line only to find out he is no longer eligible for benefits after 36 weeks. However, what a great opening for a Superman film when Pamela Stepphenson (later joined the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live in 1984-85) starts a domino effect of human errors on the street of Metropolis that lasts for five minutes. From reading an advertisement on a match book cover, Pryor decides to become a computer programmer. With his first paycheck he can't believe how much less with all the taxes. Even though a co-worker explained to him that the social security tax was so he would get some money back when he is 65, Pryor decides to hack the computer to give him another extra paycheck and later learns how to make kryptonite. Clark Kent goes to his high-school reunion and meets again Annette O'Toole (who later played Superboy's mother in the WB tv series "Smallville") who has a son named "Ricky" (Paul Kaethler). Later, Superman has a showdown with his evil self. Mostly all of the cast from Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) is here, including Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure and Margot Kidder. Also in the cast this time around is Robert Vaughn and Annie Ross. This version is NOT the extended version (2 hrs. 23 min.) with nearly 19 minutes of extra footage that originally shown on Network television only, not in the theatres. This DVD is just the theatrical version in wide-screen. It only runs 2 hours, 4 minutes.

The movie is nothing more than a late night tbs movie you'd watch after Braves baseball with your grandfather. In other words its, not that good. If only they would have further explored the relationship between Clark and Lana, and the Superman vs. Clark Kent story (the superman vs. kent sideshow is actually my most favorite part of all the superman movies, which is prob. why i give it 3 stars. i'd give it 2 1/2 if I could.)

Many have tried to compare Steven Seagal with Jean-Claude Van Damme, so I think I'll join them. I've only seen maybe four Seagal films, but they all were the same to me. They all had the same dialogue, pretty much the same villains, and all of them involved Seagal confronting someone in a bar. Van Damme's films usually don't feel the same. They are all somewhat different and stand out among themselves. Granted, they aren't artful pieces of cinema, but at least you can tell which is which. "On Deadly Ground" is Steven Seagal's directorial debut and, as a first attempt at directing action, I can't really complain that much. The choreography isn't as bad as usual and some of the explosions are pretty cool. But the story is mind-numbingly awful along with the acting. And when I say the acting is bad, I mean it's worse than the usual dumb action movie. Sadly, the things that make "On Deadly Ground" a bad movie are the same reasons that make Seagal's other movies such bores. The story and pace are so painfully predictable and the lesson to be learned from this film is weak and pretty lame. Does Seagal have fans anymore? I know Van Damme has a cult following, but does Seagal? I'd be interested to know. So far everone I've talked to hates the man. So why are his movies in theaters and Jean-Claude's direct-to-video?

Without a doubt, On Deadly Ground is Steven Seagal's funniest movie to date. Of course, with his directorial debut, Seagal decided to make a movie completely about his political views. As a result, we find ourselves facing not only a bad action flick, but also a lecture about saving the environment at the end of the movie. Other memorable moments include the famous barfight scene where Seagal beats an oil worker beyond recognition, then poses the philosophical question, "What does it take to change the essence of a man?" After recieving the correct response of "time" from his adversary, Steven pats his new friend on the shoulder and moves on to the next scene. What did I learn from watching this movie? Explosions will extinguish fires, oil rigs would constantly be on fire if it weren't for a special device called a "preventer," and that Steven Seagal can actually make a movie that is funnier than Marked for Death using his own directing talent.

This is what a seagal movie should be like!
much martial arts and little story. To bad it was so boring between the fight scenes. But that doesnt matter!