Home Movie Reviews

Gene Tierney gives a performance so smooth that you can't believe it. She makes Rex Harrison's performance work, she is balance, determined in a very quiet way she dominates. The commentaries on the score, and the performances are excellent, except for Kenneth Geist, who is thankfully been edited short. Geist who thinks this is a man's picture is critical of Tierney who carries this picture. What a bore this would have been without her. He even suggest that the lovely Claudette Colbert was wanted and needed for the role. Just as we are so lucky that she was unable to do Mankiewicz's ALL ABOUT EVE, we are so lucky to have the subtle Tierney here. She is excellent--I was lucky to see Colbert with Harrison in a romantic comedy in the last year of his life at the National Theater in DC, they were wonderful together, she had to feed him lines to keep it going, but turning this into what the fabulous Claudette did well, suggestive comedy, would not have made this wonderful picture the gem it is. This film is moody and different, and thank God Mankiewicz, a true wonder, and Geist, a man who praises the great George Sanders in one of his most forgettable performances, and knocks Gene who carries this film didn't get their way. No one notes that Tierney was a lover of Jack Kennedy, even though they note that her husband, Oleg Cassini, designed the famous Jackie hats and clothing for Jack's funeral. If you look at Gene you see a resemblance to Jackie in carriage, manner and speech. This is a great film, buy it. By the way there are three other commentary's that are on the money--in fact the best I've heard. The package is impressive.

Mrs. Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) wants to live on her own now, one year after her husband's death. She has a little girl too, played by Natalie Wood. She's been living with her husband's family and they object to her leaving and with the girl. But she had the girl before she lived with them. She decides to go live by the seaside, with the income from her husband's gold shares, and buy Gull Cottage. She finds the house charming, but the agent says it is the wrong house to live in. They discover together the house is indeed haunted. The original owner was Captain Gregg who died four years earlier. She buys the cottage anyway. All moved in, strange things happen. The ghost watches her while she slepts. Eventually, she requests the "cowardly ghost" to speak up. And so he does. he makes his presence known as Captain Gregg (Rex Harrison). That's just the beginning of the film. A tv series "The Ghost And Mrs. Muir" (1968-1970) appeared starring Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare with Charles Nelson Reilly. DVD contains, audio commentaries, theatrical trailer, still gallery and 44-minute biography Rex Harrison: The Man Who Would Be King.

This is quite possibly my very favorite movie. Wonderfully written, acted and set, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir will be a favorite for the whole family.

I had an interesting experience with this film. I was cajoled into holding a movie night at my home for a church youth group. I agreed on the condition that I would get to choose the movie. The moans and groans were audible when I announced that the evening fare would be The Ghost and Mrs. Muir starring Rex Harrison and Gene Tierny.

After just ten minutes into the film the snide remarks ceased and you could have heard a pin drop so intent were the young guests upon the movie. And, no, they were not asleep. After the film ended I asked them how they liked it. One sixteen-year-old young man, an avid movie buff in his own right, said that he loved the film. I asked whether he liked it as well as Titanic, then very popular at the theaters. To my absolute surprise he said that he thought that the Ghost and Mrs. Muir was as good as Titanic.

You will never think of Rex Harrison in the same way again. Harrison's Captain Daniel Gregg is, as his character says in the film, "a man's man." His chemistry with Gene Tierny, as Mrs. Lucy Muir, is absolutely charming. A young Natalie Woods and George Sanders (you'll will remember him as the voice of the tiger in Disney's original Jungle Book) round out the cast.

If you haven't seen this film, in the words of Captain Gregg "Oh, what you've missed."

Just a note about cinematography. This is the most amazingly natural look in a film that I have ever seen, and to have assisted at a talk given by Conrad Hall it sounsd like he was more pleased with his photography work in this movie than that in "American Beauty" for which he received an oscar for Best Photography. The beauty of this film is that you son't realize how beautiful it is untill you watch it a second time, the first time you're too occupied with the story and the sheer "naturality" of it, but look at it again, look at the scenes in the boy's bedroom, the first time you saw it you were probably induced into thinking that they got the this kid's room in an actual house and just pointed the camera and shot, the second you realize the excruciating care put into lighting this scene. But also, and more importantly, the scenes in the Chess halls, when Ben Kingsley instructs the child the contrasts between background and foreground, dark areas and bright area is absolutely perfect. Just beautiful!

This is one of the best movies our family has!

And why is it that such a ridiculously good movie has been so clearly overlooked? This is not merely a family film. This film is quietly sitting around some shelves somewhere, being a genius. The very opening, what with the soft strings carrying some undercurrent of whateverness, along with the opening dialogue (spoken so sweetly by a child no other child can dare out perform) is hair-raisingly impressive.

It's futile. Every second of this movie can be discussed in great detail: the technical musings, the psychological gamblings, the musical magnum opuses (becoming so excited by the thought of this movie that I'm no longer making any sense whatsoever), the acting...

It's quiet and it's absolutely genius. The symbolism is beautiful. I'm thinking mostly of the "Don't move until you see it."/"I can't see it." moment, focusing on the pawn, the King.

So it's good.

Just a note about cinematography. This is the most amazingly natural look in a film that I have ever seen, and to have assisted at a talk given by Conrad Hall it sounsd like he was more pleased with his photography work in this movie than that in "American Beauty" for which he received an oscar for Best Photography. The beauty of this film is that you son't realize how beautiful it is untill you watch it a second time, the first time you're too occupied with the story and the sheer "naturality" of it, but look at it again, look at the scenes in the boy's bedroom, the first time you saw it you were probably induced into thinking that they got the this kid's room in an actual house and just pointed the camera and shot, the second you realize the excruciating care put into lighting this scene. But also, and more importantly, the scenes in the Chess halls, when Ben Kingsley instructs the child the contrasts between background and foreground, dark areas and bright area is absolutely perfect. Just beautiful!

This is one of the best movies our family has!

And why is it that such a ridiculously good movie has been so clearly overlooked? This is not merely a family film. This film is quietly sitting around some shelves somewhere, being a genius. The very opening, what with the soft strings carrying some undercurrent of whateverness, along with the opening dialogue (spoken so sweetly by a child no other child can dare out perform) is hair-raisingly impressive.

It's futile. Every second of this movie can be discussed in great detail: the technical musings, the psychological gamblings, the musical magnum opuses (becoming so excited by the thought of this movie that I'm no longer making any sense whatsoever), the acting...

It's quiet and it's absolutely genius. The symbolism is beautiful. I'm thinking mostly of the "Don't move until you see it."/"I can't see it." moment, focusing on the pawn, the King.

So it's good.

What more can I add to all the previous glowing reviews here. I just reread all 53 reviews and laughed so hard remembering all the gags in the movie my sides hurt.

I have just one correction to make to some of the reviews: The pre-flight safety briefing given to Shel on Wong Airlines was conducted in Cantonese, not Mandarin. Since I happen to understand Cantonese (and also Mandarin), that scene is even more hilarious because Bill (?) Hong is giving a real safety briefing in all seriousness, with the exception of the line about Mae West.

If you've not seen the original In-Laws, do so of you'll regret it.

A recent Hollywood effort starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks attempted to remake the classic 1979 Alan Arkin/Peter Falk film "The In-Laws." I questioned why we even needed a remake of this hilarious film. It's an insult, I think, to even attempt to improve on the first version; I didn't even need to see the remake to know it was nowhere near as funny as the original. How could it be? Arkin and Falk possessed the type of chemistry that is rarely reproducible. My awareness of the new version planted in my mind the necessity of once again viewing the original film, and again Arkin and Falk made me laugh repeatedly at the pointless shenanigans perpetrated onscreen. If you have never seen "The In-Laws," go to the video store or buy a copy of the DVD right away. This film is a clean, family oriented comedy (rated PG, but it does include a flag with some nudity which is so hilarious you can let it pass) that so rarely appears today. It proves that you don't need profanity or adolescent toilet humor to bring up the belly laughs.

"The In-Laws" opens with an intricate armored car robbery, as a group of thieves steal currency engravings from the United States Treasury Department. The leader of the gang then takes the engravings to Vince (Peter Falk) as part of the plan. Vince cannot finish his dealings with the thieves because his son will soon marry the daughter of Sheldon Kornpett, a dentist living in a beautiful house near New York City. In fact, Vince must go over to Sheldon's house that very evening for dinner in order to meet the bride's parents for the first time. Everyone Vince knows, including his family, thinks he works aboard as a businessman, but he is really a CIA operative. When Vince encounters some difficulties in his latest operation, he enlists the unwilling and unknowing Sheldon as his co-conspirator. The two men bumble through a series of madcap adventures in New York and Central America before finally arriving just in time for their children's wedding bearing the most unusual of gifts.

Nearly every scene in "The In-Laws" contains hearty laughs. Alan Arkin does a great job as the nervous Sheldon Kornpett, a man whose life is finally where he wants it and who isn't about to tolerate any disruption to his well ordered schedule. Peter Falk riffs off his Columbo character in his role as Vince, a guy who always seems to fly by the seat of his pants but who is actually an intelligence operative of the highest competence. Watching the two verbally spar with each other is pure joy, especially since Sheldon spends most of the movie trying to figure out what new nightmare awaits around the corner while Vince constantly strokes and soothes his unwilling partner's personality. Ed Begley, Jr plays a CIA section chief and Richard Libertini turns in a short but truly brilliant performance as General Garcia, an off his rocker leader of the small Central American country where Vince and Sheldon must go in order to stop an evil that threatens the United States. There are so many uniquely funny moments in "The In-Laws" that it is difficult to discuss them because they depend so heavily on the context for their humor:

Bird-like Tsetse flies and the Guacamole Act of 1917.

"My car has flames!"

Any scene with Senor Pepe ("Aw, look Shel; he wants a drink of water").

Benny and Billy, the beloved pilots flying the plane to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Recognizing a trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania shouldn't involve traveling over the ocean.

"General, can we get a sedative for Shel?"

And of course, the most memorable scene in "The In-Laws," the one scene everyone remembers long after watching this film: "Serpentine, Shel, serpentine!" The first time I watched this comedy classic was with a friend in the 1980s. For weeks, even months afterwards one of us would randomly shout out "serpentine," which caused the other person to engage in a rapid series of erratic running maneuvers. We would laugh at the quizzical expressions on the faces of others who watched us without knowing where we got the shtick. When I saw that the DVD release came with a commentary track from director Arthur Hiller, writer Andrew Bergman, Alan Arkin, and Peter Falk; I listened to the remarks on only two scenes: those involving General Garcia's alter ego Senor Pepe and the serpentine bit. It is nice to know these guys still found this stuff funny all these years later, and the commentary also cleared up a question I had for years about this movie: were Arkin and Falk really close to laughing out loud at Libertini's antics? The answer is a resounding yes, that Richard Libertini did play his role with a view to cracking up his co-stars.

"The In-Laws" really is a great way to spend a couple of hours. Creating a remake of this movie was an exercise in futility since the original is readily available for viewing. The picture transfer looks great, the sound is good, and the addition of the commentary and a trailer for the movie make this version a no-brainer. Get out there and watch the 1979 version of "The In-Laws." You will be glad you did, and you will learn the importance of proper serpentine techniques, too.

This is, as you have read in other reviews, a great movie. My reason for writing this review is not to review the movie, you can read that in other reviews, but to let you know that the DVD is so much better than the VHS (I bought the VHS copy a couple of months before the DVD was available for pre-order, because I didn't think it would be coming out on DVD). That said, the banter between the Peter Falk and Alan Arkin is really great, and at some point, you will find yourself quoting parts of the movie. My wife, who does not like "these kinds of movies" laughed throughout the entire film. Anyway, get the DVD and give the VHS away, that's what I did.

Of all the Jesus movies that are broadcast around Easter time, this one has topped them all. The portrayal of Jesus is wonderfully human, in notable contrast to the stilted performances I've seen before that were all "Son of God" but no "Son of Man."

This movie is simple enough for young children, but will definitely keep the attention of adults. People familiar with the Bible will especially appreciate the attention to detail (for example, the 12 stones on the breastplate worn by the high priest; see Exodus 28:15-20). Also, the makers of this film did not allow the tedious requirements of this type of animation to limit the physical expression of the characters. At one point, Jesus looks positively exasperated when someone calls to him to test him with a question.

I think this film appeals to any Christian denomination, and maybe also to non-Christians who are looking for some life in the story of Jesus. This is a fantastic, no-frills, "just Jesus" interpretation.

I have seen a LOT of movies based on the gospels, and was not expecting to be so touched by one that was done with puppets. There's something about the animations, vocal performances, music, and selections that makes the characters, including our Lord, seem more like real people than in other versions. I don't understand it; but it's remarkable. My kids loved it, too. This is the movie version of the gospel that I sent to all my nieces and nephews.

I bought this film after seeing the end of it on ABC one Easter Sunday. I must say it is one of my favorite films and brings me to tears on many occasion. The animation is superb, blending claymation and drawn animation to tell a wonderful story. I also liked the portrayal of the characters with tanned skin, although the British accents were funny and off putting at times, especially their casting of Peter as an Irishman always about to blow his top. Yet, I loved the complexity of the characters, especially Judas and the way they set the story in the historical and political situation of the times. It tries to portray some of the possible motivations for people following Jesus or rejecting him, reasons that are political, spiritual and sometimes class based. This brings the Bible to life for young people as well as old. I'd recommend it to anyone.

The theme from "Laura" is one of the most haunting ever written, by David Raksin, relatively unknown, but forever memorialized through this melody. Gene Tierney is at her peak of beauty, and she really is breathtaking in the most literal sense of the word. When I grew up this was always one of my favorite movies, and then when I re-discovered this movie as an adult, I was always mesmerized by her and by the entire cast, the score and the story, all prime examples of how great film noir can be when it's done with this amount of style and class.

SIDENOTE:
***I was not aware until recently of her tragic encounter with a female Marine at a Hollywood Canteen, during WW2. Apparently this Marine was hospitalized for German Measles, and she sneaked out of the hospital to meet her favorite movie star. She had her picture taken with GT, who was pregnant at the time, and also KISSED her, which resulted in her baby daughter being born with severe mental retardation. When Daria (the daughter) was four years old she was insititutionalized. GT met the woman one year later and found out how she had contracted German Measles, but did not mention the tragic consequences of the woman's actions for reasons unknown.***

What sets this particular movie apart from the rest of the genre, is it's cast and it's tasteful telling of the story, which includes the creme de la creme of New York society, played to the hilt by the cast. One of my chief joys in watching this movie, is the scene of Clifton Webb (as the acerbic critic, Waldo Lydecker) sitting in his enormous black bathtub(!) typing furiously, and relishing the power he has by virtue of his position as a critic. He takes savage pleasure in denigrating anyone who displeases him, either by their lack of talent or because of his own personal dislike.
There is not one moment of slack; all is interesting, relevant and suspenseful; you will NOT be able to figure it out until the end. On DVD, especially, this movie guarantees suspense and a fascinating glimpse into what the "Golden Age of Hollywood" was capable of...Excellent performances also by Vincent Price as the ne'er do well playboy, man about town, and Judith Anderson, a far cry from her portrayal of the redoubtable Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca." If you have never seen this, get it; you will not be sorry, and if you have seen it, you should get it for the quality of the DVD...

I am thrilled to see that this outstanding film is due for DVD release. It is befuddling why it has taken this long--and why other truly great classic films (viz., Gaslight, Out of the Past, The Letter, Asphalt Jungle, High Sierra, Force of Evil, Dark Passage,The Sea Wolf, Magnificent Ambersons, Ace in the Hole) are still awaiting DVD issue. So much merdre gets released each week--it is truly astonishing that a film such as Laura has to take a number and wait. Well, that gripe aside--this is a taut thriller that is psychologically deep, witty, romantic,sexy, and suspenseful. How much more could one ask of a movie--that it solve the budget crisis? For an earlier reviewer who thought it ... that the Clifton Webb character leads the detective along, this device is part of the personality of Lydecker ("Lie", get it?), who is so narcissistic that he has to confess his perfection in both love and murder in order to appease his vanity, to be admired, to be known for the genius he believes himself to be--even be it for crime and a date with Ol' Sparky. He is constantly proving his superiority by insulting McPherson and Shelby and showing them up in Laura's eyes--so he thinks. He is a master manipulator, perfectionist, and control freak--even if it means implicating himself! So this bit of character development is completely in keeping with Lydecker's temperament and is what drives the story. Gene Tierney is incredibly gorgeous in this part, and Dana Andres is both muscular and tender--when he needs to be. Clifton Webb astonishes, with some of the best, most crackling dialogue ever composed---and just tons of snobbery!!! I'll score and watch this DVD the day it comes out!

It is my opinion that classic B/W movies win anyday over anything that is around today. Give me a Friday night, a bag of popcorn or ice cream, and an old movie...and you've got one happy camper!!

The first time I saw Laura was on AMC. I taped it. This movie had me hooked!! I never expected what happened midway to have happened!! This was a great "who dun it?" movie. No one is left unsuspected!!

I loved this movie so much, I even made myself an audio cassette tape to listen to!!! And you know what, even w/o the visual, it still holds the same suspense!!!

Calamity Jane is one of my all-time favorite musicals. It's starring Doris Day who plays a tomboy with a crush on a civil war general...she is transformed into a bell by a starry-eyed maid from "Chicagey". i really dont feel like getting into the plot, but its a really great film, if u love musicals...and if u love old classics...hmm...even if u didnt, ud probably like this one...

A fine feel-good rip-roaring musical that is too god to resist. Doris Day is perfect as Calamity Jane as she thinks that even a cowgirl can get her ways, too. Even though she tries, she can't get her "secret love" Bill Hickcock (Howard Keel) out of her mind. Rowdy, rambunctious, funny and full of wonderful musical and highly entertaining song and dance numbers, "Calamity Jane" is a winner! They sure don't make them like that anymore.

This pleasant, energetic musical was tailor made for the star, Doris Day. Playing the rough, rowdy frontier girl with spunk enough to make the entire Old West shake, the only "medicine" to tame "Calamity" Jane is a good old fashioned does of love. Enter Howard Keel, who co-stars as Wild Bill Hickock, and eventually all ends well.

Along the line of "Annie Get Your Gun" this film includes the enchanting love theme "Secret Love", which won that year's Academy Award for Best Song. "Hollywood Candy" for any fan of the stars or the Western genre.*****

A very impressive movie with great characterizations and wonderful performances. Highly recommended.

The DVD:
Picture and sound are perfect. The menu is nicely done, with animated stills from the movie. The comments by Mike Massey and the display of shots from the film are somewhat interesting but you can't really call it an explanation of the shots. Various camera perspectives or slow motion would have been more helpful. The trailers are interesting, the picture gallery is very very short. The featurette gives some insights, but doesn't go very deep.

Now the main criticism, the (as it says on the box) "Various audio commentaries": You can't do audio commentaries worse. An interviewer asks one of the commentators a question, eg What was your impression of Robert Rossen? or How was it working with ...? After the question has been answered by that person, the next one is asked the same question. This becomes boring pretty fast, especially because some of the answers are not worth to listen to. Stefan Gierasch, Richard Schickel and Jeff Young give only short statements, making you wonder why they're there anyway. Carol Rossen tells some interesting stories, but you get the impression she has a very subjective point of view that doesn't tell everything. Ulu Grosbard delivers a lot of informations. Paul Newman is the biggest disappointment, because he is rarely asked and all in all says about 10 sentences. This is beaten by Dede Allen, the editor, who most of the time ignores the questions and starts to tell all kinds of stories about herself and her experiences in the movie and editing business. This is definitely the best and most interesting part of the commentary, if you're interested in insider stories about movie making and editing. The bad thing about the commentary is that it never relates to the movie which is running in the background. The commentators don't commentate because they don't see the film. They're simply answering questions, which definitely is not the purpose of such a commentary. You have to ask yourself if complete interviews with the persons would not have been better (since they're obviously done as interviews and are also part of comments in the featurette).

In the end you get to know some facts about the movie, basically nothing about Robert Rossen and a lot about Dede Allen. This could have been really better.

By the time Paul Newman played Fast Eddie Felson in THE HUSTLER, he had already established himself as Hollywood's most enduring icon of the anti-establishment rebel. It was almost a given that director Robert Rossen would tap him for the lead role based on the novel by Walter Tevis. For any male who has spent much of a misspent life in a pool hall, the look and feel of the felt table ambiance rings true. In addition to a crackling good story of a young man wishing to unseat the local champ, there is a running subtext of how some people recognize their limitations and can pay a heavy price to overcome them.

Newman invests his Felson persona with alternating crescendos of charm, punk-alley rage, and grittiness. Felson and his partner Charley (Myron McCormick) hustle pool players for chump change. A few hundred here, a few bucks there, and Charley is satisfied. But not Eddie. Although no one on screen has told him, "You're good, real good, but not so good as The Fat Man," Felson makes it clear that his ego requires that he himself must be the best. It is this drive for a supremacy that Steve McQueen would later follow in THE CINCINATTI KID that introduces the theme that to be the best requires more than raw talent at pool. Fast Eddie has the talent, but in his drive to be the top, he sends out mixed signals that he has the discipline too. Minnesota Fats, the long-reigning champion, has plenty of both. Jackie Gleason as Fats is exactly right as the champion who knows that even for such a winner as himself, he still understands the power politics of who pushes the buttons to stage manage each bout for felt table supremacy. The power behind Fats' throne is Bert Gordon, a gambling entrepeneur who rigs each contest so that for him it is not gambling at all. George Scott as Gordon knows every player who can help or hurt him. Regardless of the outcome of any match, he will always take his cut. Many of the finest scenes of THE HUSTLER have nothing to do with pool, although nearly all of them occur in the dimly lit grunge of seedy pool halls. These scenes examine an inverted father-son clash of egos with Gordon as the vicious sadist father who seeks to browbeat his wayward son and Fats as the sympathetic yet lethal opponent who both understands the demons that drives Felson and exudes emotional support at crucial moments. And then there is Sarah Packard, an alcoholic student/writer who sees in Felson the deeply buried winner that she is sure is there. Piper Laurie as Sarah is perhaps the most complex of the trio who impact on Felson. She nurtures him through his and her own crises, all the while knowing that for him to be the winner he can be, she must pay the price that will validate in his own ideas the belief that he is not the loser that Bert Gordon often accuses him of being.

THE HUSTLER is probably one of the best two or three films of the sixties in that it explores what it is like to reach for that which may be beyond one's grasp. The interplay between those who seek to erode Felson's confidence and those who seek to enhance it suggest that the ability to adapt to changing psychological environments is the key for success. The price as he learns, is that others may have to pay that price for him. THE HUSTLER emphasizes this point better than any other film of that decade--or any for that matter.

This was an absolutely great movie. Newman was definitely at his best as "Fast Eddie" Felson. This is the role that would eventually win him the Oscar in 1986 for the Color of Money. The performances by Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats, George C. Scott as Bert Gordon and Piper Laurie as Sarah were all Oscar worthy. Definitely worth buying.

This movie features a colliery (coal mine) band that mustn't be missed. It is unbelievably good. In the days of active mining, many mines had their own brass bands and this real band is probably the best ever assembled from among uneducated men who spend their working lives in the dank, dark passages of a coal mine and practice their music at night.

The story centers about the band and the miners who have been laid off because Margaret Thatcher has close hundreds of collieries who could not compete with foreign coal any longer. The government officials pretend that they want the mine left open, but they have already been ordered to close it. The story line is not only correct in what actually happened to mines, but it also contains a budding love affair between Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan McGregor.

Like all movies of this type, this one turns out well, but the road to the ending is tense and very entertaining.

Well worth while video to have.

The cover makes it look like a light-weight romantic comedy... That it is NOT... When I first came across it in my Public Library, though I love Ewan McGregor I dismissed it as a disposable predictable romantic comedy(I read the back, but I didn't really pay much attention to it due to the cover... Stupid I know.). But when I saw it was going to be on IFC(Independent Film Channel) I HAD to catch it. And I did... TWICE.! :D

I loved it. It is just as good the second viewing, and the music is mezmerizing. Its amazing. Emotional and beautifull. And the movie is NOT in the least bit a cheesey romantic comedy, its not a romantic comedy at all. Yes it one of the story-lines running through it is romance, but that's only one of them. But it has to do with how these people deal with the closing of a coal mine(which IS the town basiclly.) how it effects their everyday lives. And how they keep playing with their brass band(though they keep wanting to or do give up.). It is the one thing that seems to keep them somewhat sane...

The ones most effected that are in the Brass band, is the bands leader Danny and his son Phil. Both do absolutely fabolous. Bringing humour to this tragedy.

Really the less you know the better.

Mgnificent movie, RENT, BUY, or WHATEVER JUST SEE IT.!

God Bless ~Amy

The heritage of the English coal mines (collieries as they are called) has been a mixed one of industrial production, labor strife and music. Music? Indeed, the existence and competition of employee brass bands formed as a diversionary activity for the miners is overlooked by most people born outside of the English coal mining commmunities. What began as a mild diversion has since provided a rich legacy of music that should not be ignored. But musical legacy notwithstanding, there are other factors at play in this wonderful little movie like the Tory policies of Margaret Thatcher's U.K. and the forced closure of many mines over recent years.

The idyllic (although certainly not prosperous) existence of one such group of miners is attacked on two fronts; first by threats to close down the colliery, but the addition of a woman (Tara Fitzgerald) to the all male ensemble is even more unsettling. Her talent as a flugelhornist is as bothersome to the members of the band, as her beauty is to one bandmate in particular (Ewen MacGregor). Ms. Fitzgerald has to be the best kept secret in the British cinema as she combines fantastic ability with an almost sublime beauty. I'd rent a "How to Fix a Flat Tire" movie if it featured Tara's face and lyrical voice.

Besides the lovely Ms. Fitzgerald, two other actors stand out. Ewen MacGregor shows more range in this role than both of his Star Wars appearances thus far (he also has a much better script to work with). And Pete Postlethwaite would have received an Academy Award nomination had more people simply seen this movie. Postlethwaite is something of a British William H. Macy; he's always rock solid in his character and talented enough to give uniqueness to each character he plays.

Faced with the extinction of their jobs and way of life, the members of the Grimley Colliery Band rally around their leader (Postlethwaite) as they battle economics, black lung and an evolving world. Their quest is to win the nationwide band competition at Prince Albert Hall. Despite a misstep or two along the way, usually aided by an extra pint at the pub, they work their way into the finals. Beyond that, you'll have to watch the movie.

But no discussion about Brassed Off would be complete without mentioning the music. You could find sufficient enjoyment from the music alone. The soundtrack, performed by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band will appeal to almost everyone. It's become one of my family's favorite CD's as well.

Now don't get me wrong I love Law & Order but Homicide is the one for me. These are working class people who claw for every inch of ground they get.

I know everyone laments on the lack of Closed Captioning but still since this series is not on the air anywhere this is the best we will get (except for third generation VCR tapes that are on their last legs).

The technical complaints about the "Homicide: Seasons 1 & 2" DVD box set are 100% accurate. The typos on the package, and the lack of English captioning (for one of the most dialogue-intensive shows on TV), betray a lack of planning behind this long-awaited (and relatively expensive) release.

However, watching the first 13 episodes of the series removes all other qualms about the set. It's important just to get these shows on DVD and put them back into the public eye. Here's a cop show with no gunfights and no car chases. Although "Law & Order" mostly followed the same rules, here the cops themselves are the attraction, played by a terrific ensemble cast of character actors. Obviously there's Richard Belzer, whose Detective Munch has been used everywhere else from two "Law & Order" series, "The X-Files", and the film epic "A Very Brady Sequel" (!). And Munch is just a minor character in this box set. More prominent cast members (who sadly didn't make it to the show's later, full-season runs) include Ned Beatty as the worn-out Stan Bolander, Daniel Baldwin as good-old-boy Beau Felton, and Jon Polito's Lincoln assassination conspiracy theorist Frank Crosetti. You may remember Polito from his current role as California lieutenant governor Cruz Bustamante.

A good way to judge the quality of a TV show is to scan the cast and production credits and see what became of the team a decade later. Apart from big-name directors Barry Levinson and Bruce Paltrow, two Season 1 episodes were directed by Martin Campbell, who revived the James Bond franchise with "GoldenEye" a few years later. Familiar names in the guest cast include Edie Falco (recurring as the wife of an injured patrolman), Julianna Margulies (as Bolander's second-season love interest), the always welcome Luis Guzman as a doomed coffin maker, and Jake Gyllenhaal, playing Robin Williams' kid in the second-season opener.

The glue that holds the show together is the Season 1 story arc revolving around the murder of schoolgirl Adena Watson. We trace the investigation through the eyes of nervous rookie detective Tim Bayliss (the underrated Kyle Secor) and his partner Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher, given to mesmerizing fits of Shakespearean fury). Yaphet Kotto ("Koto", as per the box) takes the cliched role of the minority squad leader and turns in a joyful, fiery performance that equals Braugher's at every turn. Also standing out is the episode with Williams, which deftly turns from an examination of victim's rage to a (somewhat sympathetic) look at the killer's mind. By definition, most other cop shows don't go within a thousand miles of that approach.

The commentary by Levinson and Tom Fontana on the pilot episode is above average; however, that's all we get. There's a useless episode from some A&E true crime series; however, the song list, episode trailers, and casting featurette are decent additions. Season 3 is on its way, and none too soon. In the meantime, watch these episodes again.

Great show and interesting characters. Three things that A&E DVD need to fix: 1)the sound was very poor. I had to crank up the volume on my tv, it was too low. 2)A&E DVD tend to be on the high side as far as price so you better be a big fan of any tv show they put out on DVD. 3)no close captions...! My hearing is fine but once in a while I will look at a caption because of something that was unintelligible and believe me it happens a lot on Homicide and to make it worse, turning up the volume didn't help at all. The extras are ok even though the 10 minute interview was flawed(at least on my dvd)..the sound and picture did not match while they were talking. The packaging was a nice touch. Each dvd had their own slimline plastic case, something ER should have done with their "flip disc" and cardboard package. Looking forward to getting future seasons of Homicide...AFTER the price comes down(wake up A&E, dvds are getting cheaper)