Wholesale and Distribution Movie Reviews

I enjoyed this movie. I was it could have continued a little longer. Another good BET Movie. Way to go BET.

This is a DVD to have. And I think
the Boston Globe article says it all:

DVD / VIDEO
Playing the part

Rockers and actors switch roles, with mixed results

By Tom Russo, Globe Correspondent, 3/2/2003

''The Proclaimers: Best of 1987-2002''(2003).
Time now to get up on our soapbox and proclaim that
this quirky folk-rock duo has been unjustly dismissed
(by those who've bothered to take notice) as something
of a novelty act. Yes, Craig and Charlie Reid are twins.
Yes, they cultivated an early image (make that mirror
image) as '60s IBM-style wonks, with their clean-cut
looks and thick-rimmed glasses. Yes, they're Scottish
and don't bother to hide it in their lyrics or their
burr-ly singing. And yes, their most widely known singles
have come courtesy of the movies: ''I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)''
was heard in the Johnny Depp trifle ''Benny & Joon,''
while ''I'm on My Way'' got ''Shrek'' moving. But as
those who caught the Proclaimers at the Paradise last

summer already know, and as anyone picking up this disc
will likely agree, their music is too consistently
infectious to be put down as novelty material.

Despite the old-school specs they once sported, the Reids
are not, ultimately, about image. This does work against
the DVD to a degree; most of the 15 videos here have a
decidedly homespun feel. Still, the bouncy ''There's a
Touch,'' from their last album, has a comedic hard-luck
narrative worthy of a ''Saturday Night Live'' skit, and
the bare-bones ''I Met You'' video gives a feel for one
of their live shows. And if the visuals are just too devoid
of MTV flash for some tastes, leaving the disc to play
in the background makes for an awfully catchy CD equivalent.
''King of the Road,'' covered with a Scottish accent?

As our friends across the pond say, brilliant.

This is exactly the same as the VHS version. Nothing new has been added. I would have given it 5 stars but I would have prefered to have the "Queen of the Ryche" video included instead of one of the 2 "Silent Lucidity" versions but it is still very good. "Scarsborough Fair" from the MTV Unplugged live session would have been nice but the 2 tracks they did include from that are great. This also contains commentary by members of the group. Amazon.com has not included the track list so I'll put one here. I wish Queensryche would re-issue the OOP "Live in Tokyo" from "the Warning" tour concert on DVD, "The Prochecy" from that is on here.

Building Empires:
1) Nightrider (video), 2) The Prophecy ("Live in Tokyo" video), 3) Gonna Get Close to You (video), 4) Eyes of a Stranger (unreleased video version), 5) Empire (video), 6) Best I Can (video), 7) Silent Lucidity (video), 8) Jet City Woman (video), 9) Another Rainy Night (unreleased video version), 10) Another Rainy Night (video), 11) Anybody Listening (video), 12) Resistance (Live), 13) Walk in the Shadows (Live), 14) The Thin Line (Live), 15) Take Hold of the Flame (Live), 16) The Lady Wore Black (Live), 17) Silent Lucidity (Live), 18) I Will Remember (MTV Unplugged Live), 19) Della Brown (MTV Unplugged Live)

I hope the other one is episode 1-6

This movie is about RFK's life without JFK. Mostly throughout his political career RFK did what was in the best interest of his brother and not himself. He played the cruel, conniving younger brother. However, after November 22, 1963, all that changed. He no longer had anyone to protect and now he had a chance to be himself. This film magnificently shows the "real" Bobby. Not ruthless and devious, but brave and honest. A man who "could get things done." It also shows a sad and tormented Bobby. A man so devestated by his brother's death that he sees visions of him, all the way up to his own assassination. Linus Roache and James Cromwell do a great job portraying RFK and LBJ respectively. Minor characters like Ethel and Ted Kennedy don't seem to be the Kennedys America's come to know, but overall the casting is good and so is the movie.

It's a shame that we don't get to see much of Bob Hope's earlier movies on free TV or cable, because they're 99% of the reason the man is so venerated today! For some reason, after 1963, Hope couldn't make a genuinely funny movie to save his life. I guess he just wasn't hungry anymore. The first REAL dog was "I'll Take Sweden", a travesty he did with Frankie Avalon and Tuesday Weld. The wisecracking machine had wound down, and the jokes were lame, but here, in one of his legendary "Road" movies with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, he was in full fetter, tossing them off like M-80s along with Crosby, who still manages to surprise me with how adept HE is with one-liners in these movies.

The plot involves H & C playing two vaudevillians in Melbourne, Australia who have both proposed to the same girl, hence starting a chase that has them hoping a train to nowhere, where they find jobs as deep sea divers that take them to the south seas where they meet Lamour through her cousin that hires them. The usual rivalry for her affections ensues and then a whole farce involving treasure, forced marriage and animals develops. There are guest appearances by Humphrey Bogart and Martin and Lewis in this little gem, along with Jane Russell and it's all done to a comic turn. Hope is in great form here and the production itself pretty much follows his lead.

During this period, (the late forties and early fifties,) Paramount and Columbia were THE houses for comedies and farces, and this is among Paramount's best!

You can't go wrong getting this gem along with the other "Road" and pre-"Call Me Bwana" Bob Hope movies...

Now to find "Casanova's Big Night"! (g)

"Rules for Men" is a funny movie that doesn't only appeal to men (There's no man alive that will not find this movie sexy and appealing!). I thought the filmakers made light of social situations and their take on each rule was unique and hilarious. Being a modern woman I thought I was going to be insulted by a movie of this genre. However, after seeing it I realized that the filmakers were not out to downplay the role of women but were providing insight and a take on what men really think at times. I felt the movie came full circle after introducing Rule #10 which I won't reveal because that would give it all away. It just goes to show that even the shallowest guy can have redeeming qualities. A highlight of the movie was the main actor Robert Capelli Jr. Besides being a very good actor, he is incredibly good-looking and would appeal to the mass population of women (and some men for that matter!). He kept my attention from start to finish! In conclusion, Rules for Men proves that you don't need a [multi] million dollar budget to make an entertaining movie. I would definitely recommend purchasing this DVD (or VHS).

This is a lovely horror flick - the emphasis on the word "lovely". Never even occasionally scary, it feels like reading an old Mickey Mouse in a Haunted Castle comic. At moments the film gets really hypnotic for some weird reason, and even though it's rather laughable, it's quite memorable. Mind you, this is one of the very few old horror movies in color (the others being "Mystery of the wax museum", "Doctor X" and "Dr.Cyclops" - I hope I got the names right). Moody and stylish late night play. My DVD (not sure if it is the same as advertised here since the cover art doesn't show) has quite good picture quality.

Lon Chaney's performance in "Shadows" is really the only thing that makes this 1922 silent film worth preserving. Chaney plays Yen Sin, known as "The Heathen." Set in in the sea side fishing town of Urkey, the story focuses on Sympathy Gibbs (Marguerite De La Motte), who marries Daniel Gibbs (Walter Long), a violent seaman who supposedly dies at sea. She then marries the new parson, the Reverend John Malden (Harrison Ford). However, Sympathy has also caught the eye of the rich man in town, Nate Snow (John St. Polis). After the Maldens celebrate the birth of a daughter, the Reverend is told that his wife's first husband is still alive, and is blackmailed with the information, which leads him to reject his wife's bed.

Directed by Tom Forman (who would commit suicide in 1926 when suffering from an illness), "Shadows" was scripted by Hope Loring and Eve Unsell from the Wilbur Daniel Steele story, "Ching, Ching, Chinaman." Yen Sin is a Chinese laundryman, who came to town after he was washed ashore in the wake of the same shipwreck that killed Daniel Gibbs. Having put up with the prejudice of this community that prides itself on its Christian piety, he learns of the blackmail plot. The idea of the title is that he can no longer hide in the shadows, which puts him on a collision course with the ironically named Mr. Snow. The irony, of course, is that Yen Sin is the most Christian soul in Urkey. There is even a deathbed conversion just to set everything to rights in the end.

Chaney plays a relatively minor but pivotal role in the proceedings, which is rather odd given he is the star of "Shadows." His make up is pretty good, which is what you would expect from the legendary "Man of a Thousand Faces." This is not a classic Chaney film, being an overblown melodrama once you get away from Chaney's understated performance. If you are interested in getting beyond the obvious classic Chaney performances in "Phantom of the Opera" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame," then you should check out "Unholy 3," "The Unknown" or "He Who Gets Slapped" before you get around to second level Chaney films like "Shadows."

Christopher Lee must have been a very busy guy back in the '60s. He was taking every movie role in sight. Perhaps that explains why one of Hammer's major stars surfaced in this low budget thriller. Let's set the record straight, despite an attempt to package this flick as a horror film, it's really a crime melodrama that begins well but quickly gets improbable. Does anyone outside of Edgar Wallace really think that a diabolic super criminal would take refuge with a British circus after masterminding an armored car robbery? It gets better. Lee plays the hooded lion-tamer/knife thrower that leads the suspect list. If we follow the logic, the filmmaker wanted a popular actor such as Lee just so he could hide his face behind a hood for much of the film. Go figure. The diminutive Skip Martin is great as Mr. Big, the horizontally challenged chap with an attitude. Distinguished actor Leo Genn must have been amused by his role as a police detective. He keeps looking bemused and fatuous even after being chewed out by his boss. The cadaverous Klaus Kinski is around just long enough to suffer a stabbing pain. There is also the usual bevy of circus girls in their revealing costumes. As all circus pictures, the film uses screen time of real circus performers doing their acts. For American viewers, the European backgrounds may add a certain charm. The flick takes itself too seriously to be enjoyed as camp. As a straightforward thriller, it's harmless fun. Depending on which edition you consider, remember that a budget priced DVD is better than a cheap VHS tape, but just barely. Beware chopped up edited editions! ;-)

I was hugely disappointed that this wasn't at all what I hoped it was...that being a Euro-shocker along the lines of "Circus of Horrors". What I found instead is an OK mystery based on a novel by Edgar Wallace that's fairly engrossing with some neat surprises. After an admittedly good opening about an armored car heist, the story shifts to Barbarini's Circus which has an atmosphere rife with tension: assumed identities, jealous romance, a dangerous lioness named Sheba, her hooded tamer Gregor (Christopher Lee), a shifty knife thrower and a blackmailing dwarf named Mr.Big (Skip Martin). The stolen money lands in the circus and an escaped member of the heist is murdered by...a knife thrower. Scotland Yard is soon on the circus grounds and there are red herrings galore. The heist member's body is found and Mario the knife thrower's beautiful assistant Gina (luscious Margaret Lee), who knows something, is also killed by...a knife thrower. The killer is never revealed until the end. To be honest, despite my initial disappointment, this is a colorful, beautifully photographed, well acted (if a tad overplotted) diversion that should please hardcore mystery fans. The music score is moody Euro-jazz flavored and blares at key moments which I found kind've fun. It's not a horror film at all. Instead, it's laced with bizarre atmosphere and genuine intrigue that kept me guessing right up to the end. I did not guess the killer's identity. Good supporting cast with Suzy Kendall as Gregor's "niece", Anthony Newlands as Barbarini, Klaus Kinski as a mystery drifter connected to the heist, Leo Genn as the ringmaster-cum-hero and especially Skip Martin as the nasty Mr.Big. The DVD from Blue Underground is superb in quality. I don't know why this was cut so severely when making the rounds as "Psycho-Circus". There's no gore or nudity. Just solid, well made storytelling. The action shifts between Scotland Yard and the circus and is rather tame...yet it sustains your interest. I have to recommend it as a pretty good mystery for fans of the genre and for fans of good British thrillers. But, keep in mind that "Circus of Fear" is NOT a horror film. I hope it doesn't disappoint too many people because it IS rather good and deserves to be seen and appreciated for what it really is...a really decent mystery-thriller.