Home Movie Reviews

What a great story, and the best casting to make it perfect. Randall McMurphy (Niholson, perfect for the cocky con role)opts to go to an asylum instead of prison...BIG mistake! He shakes things up, and makes a lot of friends with the inmates, but a terrible enemy in the form of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Nurse Ratched haunted me for years after I first saw this movie...she is one of the most terrifying characters ever to come down the pike. McMurphy challenges her authority (and in the process, greatly underestimates her capacity for pure evil)and her little kingdom, of which she is total ruler...he would have been better off to challenge a serial killer in jail! Her malignant manipulation of poor Billy...one of the most satisfying scenes was when Nicholson was strangling her. Too bad he didn't get to finish! Jack Nicholson turned in on of his best performances (this and Chinatown, my personal favorites). The Indian, called Chief, Martini and all the supporting cast were fabulous. LOVED the fishing trip! When McMurphy comes back the first time, and pretended to be lobotomized, he was great, as was the Chief's reaction...the next time...it was the real deal, and horrifying. My sole criticism is this: At the end, when the Chief is holding McMurphy, prior to putting him out of his misery, he should have remained silent. No words were necessary, the scene was powerful enough on it's own. What a great movie, though...the audience was absolutely soundless at the end...everyone was so moved they could not walk or speak for a few minutes...THAT is a sign of a great story.

I was 10 years old when this movie was in the theaters but I didn't see it during it's theatrical release but I remember watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on HBO and even though I was quite young at the time and didn't understand every thing that Happened in the movie I still very much liked it and out of all of the Jack Nicholson movies I have watched his performance in this movie stands out the strongest in my memory he was absolutely brilliant and I highly recommend this movie. It's been a while since I've seen this movie and I think I will go to Blockbuster and rent the DVD and if I like it just as much as when I first saw it years ago on HBO I just might buy it on DVD.

I'm a fan of Milos Forman. Make that a big fan. My mom's like oh you have to see this movie. She rented it for me one night and I did watch this movie. Well I experienced it. It is a important movie when you feel that you are one of the charectors. This movie made me feel just that.

In one of THE original cult movies (4 years before ROCKY HORROR & 7 years before BLOODSUCKING FREAKS) Bud Cort plays 20 year old Harold, a young man who has a morbid fascination with death. For leisure he drives his long-suffering mother mad by enacting fake suicides to get attention such as "hanging" himself and "slashing" his throat and wrists, much to the chagrin of Harold's pompous mother who sends him to see a shrink. A true believer in the old "mother knows best" adage, she answers and fills out the questionaire for her son. So its not that surprising when we learn that Harold drives a hearse and for leisure he attends strangers' funerals.
However, one such funeral changes Harold's life forever. Its at one of these gatherings that he first meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), a 79 year old who is not your average crocheting, cookie baking Grandma. For leisure Maude likes to steal cars. And from here their friendship grows, with the eternally optimistic Maude encouraging Harold to embrace life instead of dwelling upon death. Their relationship soon blossoms into an unconventional, but true love; which again meets with mother's disapproval.
Written & Co-Produced by Colin Higgins, HAROLD AND MAUDE was unfairly overlooked on its initial release but over the years gained a strong following; and todays ranks as one of the very best black comedies/love stories ever made. Special highlights for me included Harold's efforts to escape being drafted into the army, and also Harold's hari-kiri "suicide" demonstration for one of the young women his mother has set him up with.
Both leads are excellent, especially Bud Cort; who was/is so convincing in his role that he found himself typecast for life- and some people really believed he was as "out there" as Harold in real life!! So poor old Bud was given the silver lining before the cloud! Hopefully one day some director will use his talents in the way he deserves. Ruth Gordon is hard to resist as Maude- she's probably the kind of Grandma every kid wishes they had.
Of course, the movie is also famous for the soundtrack by Cat Stevens which complements the film beautifully. If you haven't seen HAROLD AND MAUDE before then I strongly urge you to rent a copy. It's not for all tastes with its inconventional love story and its (often very) black humor; but this is one of those rare films that leaves you feeling alive and exhilarated after watching it and commands repeat viewings. Unless you're a P.C old prat who believes the "suicides" in the movie to be "injurious to the public good"(!!) and the idea of a 20 year old and an 80 year old being in love to be "immoral". (No prizes for guessing who I'm talking about). Maybe a little icky.
The DVD features aren't great, just a couple of different trailers for the film; but I can't recommend this movie highly enough. Put it on your must-see list. HAROLD AND MAUDE gets my seal of approval (Woop de doo, I hear you say) and despite being more than 30 years old it doesn't appear to have dated at all, and remains relevant today. Watch it and judge for yourself.

Loved this movie, for (in chronological order) it's:
humor
romance
anti-war
identity
spirituality
romance
resiliency of human spirit

The more Maude we all are, the better we'll all be!

Everything I ever needed to know about life I learned from Harold and Maude. Mostly Maude, but why quibble.

1. As alike as people are, we have discernable differences.

These should be celebrated, expounded upon, enjoyed - not forced into ill-fitting boxes, for they make us what we are. Ignoring them is tantamount to erasing a person.

2. You're alive for as long as you feel alive; you're dead as soon as you stop feeling.

Maude knew this. She also knew that going out at the top of your game is far better than being ushered off the field, limping. Harold never realized he wasn't really alive until he had in his view someone whose life was in stark contrast to his own.

3. Loving one person means embracing love in general.

Go out and love some more! That's what Maude told Harold, though he refused to listen, initially. We cannot be decimated by love, only hurt temporarily. The real damage comes from not loving at all.

4. Some movies should be bought, viewed, viewed again and cherished.

Harold and Maude is one such movie.

In this film Jess,a young Indian girl living in England wants to be a soccer star just like her idol Beckam. She plays games in the park with boys and catches the eye of a young English girl who plays on an all-girl team. She invites the Indian girl to try out for her team and Jess agrees. The problem comes with her family, a very traditional Indian family who think that a girl's efforts should be directed toward a future marriage and family rather than towards sports. The girl dodges her family and manages to play in secret until finally her parents discover what she's been doing. They forbid her to play in a final tournament where she has a chance to be seen by a scout from America who is recruiting girls for a college team.
This is a movie about determination and about the delicate balance between honoring old traditions and yet being true to one's self. It is a heart-warming story, marred only by unfamiliar accents and phrases which will not all be understood by American audiences. Still, it's well worth the viewing.

This movie is unpretentious, pure, heartfelt fun. The story is laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish. The opening scene, in which Jess dreams of being a soccer star broadcast on TV, immediately sets the tone of the film and draws you in. The soccer scenes are great, but not so dominating that those of us unversed in matters of sports can't follow. Watch out for Keira Knightley's spirited acting and her hilarious relationship with her homophobic mother. Oh, and don't press the "stop" button before the closing credits end.

We need more films like this. No stars, just solid acting and a great story. No big egos to muck up the script, or hog the scenes.

Wonderful feel good story about a young girl not following in the well worn path and facade of her family's expectations. She follows her dreams undeterred by the disappointment she causes in everyone on her side of the ball.

In OT she scores because of her strength and honesty, and her realistic look at a crazy world.

In this film Jess,a young Indian girl living in England wants to be a soccer star just like her idol Beckam. She plays games in the park with boys and catches the eye of a young English girl who plays on an all-girl team. She invites the Indian girl to try out for her team and Jess agrees. The problem comes with her family, a very traditional Indian family who think that a girl's efforts should be directed toward a future marriage and family rather than towards sports. The girl dodges her family and manages to play in secret until finally her parents discover what she's been doing. They forbid her to play in a final tournament where she has a chance to be seen by a scout from America who is recruiting girls for a college team.
This is a movie about determination and about the delicate balance between honoring old traditions and yet being true to one's self. It is a heart-warming story, marred only by unfamiliar accents and phrases which will not all be understood by American audiences. Still, it's well worth the viewing.

This movie is unpretentious, pure, heartfelt fun. The story is laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish. The opening scene, in which Jess dreams of being a soccer star broadcast on TV, immediately sets the tone of the film and draws you in. The soccer scenes are great, but not so dominating that those of us unversed in matters of sports can't follow. Watch out for Keira Knightley's spirited acting and her hilarious relationship with her homophobic mother. Oh, and don't press the "stop" button before the closing credits end.

We need more films like this. No stars, just solid acting and a great story. No big egos to muck up the script, or hog the scenes.

Wonderful feel good story about a young girl not following in the well worn path and facade of her family's expectations. She follows her dreams undeterred by the disappointment she causes in everyone on her side of the ball.

In OT she scores because of her strength and honesty, and her realistic look at a crazy world.

(Instead of reviewing a film you probably already know, I stick the DVD special features)

Those Extras:

Commentary: A lot of fun. You get Carpenter and Russell together and it's giggle city. Kurt's infectious laugh is almost all that's needed to recommend this. Though they stray from the film too much, they always catch themselves.

Deleted Scenes: Plenty to chew on. Mostly extensions of scenes we already know.

Behind the Scenes: A quickie featurette from the set in '86. Most of it was done during the alley sequence early in the film, so not a lot to get into.

Misc: Tons of little things are real eye openers: interview with FX guy Edlund; so dopey it's hilarious music video featuring Carpenter(!) not only rocking out, but singing to the film's theme!; I usually don't mention trailers but there are six(!!) to choose from, even the pay-per-view one!

Overall: Not many others will rival what this one has to offer. Some bloopers and new interviews would've made it flawles, but as it is, no complaints.

John Carpenter once again teams up with Kurt Russell to direct this awesome action/kung-fu/comedy. This is not your typical John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, etc.) flick, but I can't get enough, I've literally seen this over 100 times. Don't take this movie seriously, just sit back and enjoy the fun. Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton a trucker who stops in Chinatown for a little wholesome gambling. After winning everything but the kitchen sink from his buddy Wang Chi, Jack Burton goes for a ride with Wang expecting to collect his winnings. They stop at the airport to pick up Wang's girlfriend with green eyes, Miao Yin. Miao Yin gets kidnapped by a group of kung-fu thugs, and Jack Burton is forced to go along with Wang Chi to try and save her. They end up in the middle of a gang war in Chinatown, meet the main villain "undead" Lo Pang and his three spirit warriors: Rain, Thunder, and Lightning. (they inspired Rayden, the Mortal Kombat video game character) After running over Lo Pan, leaving Jack's truck and escaping Lo Pan and his cronies, Jack teams up with Wang, green eyed reporter Gracie Law, (Kim Cattrell) and friends Eddy and Egg to save Miao Yin and Jack's truck. (the Porkchop express) Many wacky and supernatural things happen along the way, and the plot just gets crazier and funnier. Kurt Russell is the standout in this movie, he has some incredibly funny lines, but the other characters especially Lo Pan are funny as well. Highly recommended to any Kurt Russell, 80's comedy, or kung-fu fan with a sense of humor. Just remember have fun!

I wasn't really sure what to make of this at first. Being a John Carpenter admirer, I was expecting an all-actioner but was kinda surprised to see it getting a bit goofy in parts. So maybe it was supposed to be a comedy? Actually, it is an excellent combination of the two and the kind of thing cult movies are made of. The majority of reviewers here rave about this film so I wont repeat their sentiments. I'd just like to mention the audio commentary by director Carpenter and star Kurt Russell. These guys clearly have a good time together and this will rub off on you, the viewer. Guaranteed!! It's very funny and informative and Kurt's laugh is infectious. This extra feature is worth the price of admission alone. Get the 2-disc set if you can find one. It's silly, fast-moving entertainment that only the most cynical of you wont have a good time with. Highly recommended.

In 1971, Mel Stuart directed a hilarious musical fantasy entitled "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", based upon the 1964 children's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" written by Roald Dahl (1916-1990), who also wrote "James and the Giant Peach" in 1961. The story is about a little boy named Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) who works as a paperboy to help his impoverished & widowed mother (Diana Sowle) pay their expenses by working as a paperboy. Living with Charlie and his mother are all four of his grandparents: Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson, 1907-1981), Grandma Georgina (Dora Altmann, 1881-1971), Grandpa George (Ernst Ziegler, 1895-1980) and Grandma Josephine (Franziska Liebing, 1900-2000); none of which have gotten out of bed for twenty years. In the same town where Charlie lives is the famous chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder). One day while Charlie is in school with his strange schoolteacher, Mr. Turkentine (David Battley, 1935-2003), a momentous announcement is made: Willy Wonka has started a contest to win a lifetime supply of chocolate. The entire world becomes crazed with finding the five hidden golden tickets that are hidden in five Wonka chocolate bars. Only the bearer of a golden ticket will have the opportunity to enter the mysterious chocolate factory and obtain the lifetime supply of chocolate. Various children from around the globe find the golden tickets, including Charlie to the amazement of his family. The winning children, and their accompanying adults, enter the most fantastic place that any of them have ever seen; but none of them could have imagined what their actions could merit. The other four children and their accompanying adults include the selfishly whiney Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), Mr. Henry Salt (Roy Kinnear), the conceited Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), Mr. Sam Beauregarde (Leonard Stone), the television-addicted Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen), Mrs. Teevee (Nora 'Dodo' Denney), the gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner) and Mrs. Gloop (Ursula Reit).

Memorable scenes in the film include children enjoying the delights of Bill the Candyman's (Aubrey Woods) candy store, Henry Salt's employees searching for a golden ticket, Willy Wonka's first appearance, the edible fantasy room, the invention room, the soda pop room, the golden geese room, the events in Willy Wonka's office and the amazing Wonka-vator. Other memorable characters include Arthur Slugworth (Günter Meisner, 1926-1994), The Tinker (Peter Capell, 1912-1986, newspaper-stand owner Mr. Jopeck (Werner Heyking) and the many Oompa Loompas played by several actors including George Claydon and Marcus Powell, who respectively played "Strutter" and "Horseflesh" in the 1981 film "Time Bandits". The film's very memorable songs were nominated for Best Original Music by the Academy Awards. Each of the songs, along with with my ranking for each, are listed below:

* "The Candyman" (5, performed by Aubrey Woods).
* "Cheer-up, Charlie (5, performed by Diane Sowle).
* "(I've Got a) Golden Ticket" (5+, performed by Peter Ostrum & Jack Albertson).
* "Pure Imagination" (5++, performed by Gene Wilder).
* "Oompa Loompa" (5, performed by the Oompa Loompas).
* "Wonderous Boat Ride" (5+, performed by Gene Wilder)
* "Everlasting Gobstoppers/Oompa Loompa", (5, performed by the Oompa Loompas).
* "I Want It Now/Oompa Loompa", (5, performed by Julie Dawn Cole and the Oompa Loompas).
* "Wonkamobile, Wonkavision/Oompa Loompa", (4.5, performed by Gene Wilder and the Oompa Loompas).

Overall, I rate the classic "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. It's a wonderful film that both children and adults alike can watch many times without becoming tiresome, and the film itself is by no means dated. Both the dialog and plot were brilliantly executed and each of the many actors in the film did superb jobs in their roles, especially Gene Wilder. If any producer attempted to film a remake of this film, I couldn't imagine anyone other than Gene Wilder in the role of Willy Wonka.

This DVD is the only one I have seen where the "bonus" stuff is actually worthwhile, and not just a rip off ploy to get more of your money. The documentary is great, the running commentary is fascinating--both are even better than the actual movie!

Ive noticed that the boat ride scene in Willy Wonka is catching alot of negative flak from reviewers, many calling for it to be removed. Im tired of folks always wanting to censor and remove anything that can be remotely construed as offensive or damaging to children. Although its a scary scene, I saw this as a child and was not traumatized by it, maybe your kids are just wussies! I believe the scene was shot to add a dimension of danger to Wonka's world and truth be told, a dose of fear in children is healthy, not the kind of violent axe murderer stuff but the old fashioned fear of death or the unknown. Fear keeps kids in line and lets them know there are boundaries and repercussions, not everything in life is peachy keen and chocolate covered. I dont think the boat ride scene was made to scare the crap out of kids but just as a psychedilic freak out, it gets their minds working. Its a magical, mysterious, bizarre scene that is true Hollywood magic and Im glad to find that its still included despite the controlling, revisionist, sissyphied parents of today who want to shelter their kids from everyting and end up creating their own monsters who fear nothing, worry about nothing, and care about nothing. On another note, Gene Wilder is just fantastic in this movie, one of the all time best characters ever!

In 1971, Mel Stuart directed a hilarious musical fantasy entitled "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", based upon the 1964 children's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" written by Roald Dahl (1916-1990), who also wrote "James and the Giant Peach" in 1961. The story is about a little boy named Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) who works as a paperboy to help his impoverished & widowed mother (Diana Sowle) pay their expenses by working as a paperboy. Living with Charlie and his mother are all four of his grandparents: Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson, 1907-1981), Grandma Georgina (Dora Altmann, 1881-1971), Grandpa George (Ernst Ziegler, 1895-1980) and Grandma Josephine (Franziska Liebing, 1900-2000); none of which have gotten out of bed for twenty years. In the same town where Charlie lives is the famous chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder). One day while Charlie is in school with his strange schoolteacher, Mr. Turkentine (David Battley, 1935-2003), a momentous announcement is made: Willy Wonka has started a contest to win a lifetime supply of chocolate. The entire world becomes crazed with finding the five hidden golden tickets that are hidden in five Wonka chocolate bars. Only the bearer of a golden ticket will have the opportunity to enter the mysterious chocolate factory and obtain the lifetime supply of chocolate. Various children from around the globe find the golden tickets, including Charlie to the amazement of his family. The winning children, and their accompanying adults, enter the most fantastic place that any of them have ever seen; but none of them could have imagined what their actions could merit. The other four children and their accompanying adults include the selfishly whiney Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), Mr. Henry Salt (Roy Kinnear), the conceited Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), Mr. Sam Beauregarde (Leonard Stone), the television-addicted Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen), Mrs. Teevee (Nora 'Dodo' Denney), the gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner) and Mrs. Gloop (Ursula Reit).

Memorable scenes in the film include children enjoying the delights of Bill the Candyman's (Aubrey Woods) candy store, Henry Salt's employees searching for a golden ticket, Willy Wonka's first appearance, the edible fantasy room, the invention room, the soda pop room, the golden geese room, the events in Willy Wonka's office and the amazing Wonka-vator. Other memorable characters include Arthur Slugworth (Günter Meisner, 1926-1994), The Tinker (Peter Capell, 1912-1986, newspaper-stand owner Mr. Jopeck (Werner Heyking) and the many Oompa Loompas played by several actors including George Claydon and Marcus Powell, who respectively played "Strutter" and "Horseflesh" in the 1981 film "Time Bandits". The film's very memorable songs were nominated for Best Original Music by the Academy Awards. Each of the songs, along with with my ranking for each, are listed below:

* "The Candyman" (5, performed by Aubrey Woods).
* "Cheer-up, Charlie (5, performed by Diane Sowle).
* "(I've Got a) Golden Ticket" (5+, performed by Peter Ostrum & Jack Albertson).
* "Pure Imagination" (5++, performed by Gene Wilder).
* "Oompa Loompa" (5, performed by the Oompa Loompas).
* "Wonderous Boat Ride" (5+, performed by Gene Wilder)
* "Everlasting Gobstoppers/Oompa Loompa", (5, performed by the Oompa Loompas).
* "I Want It Now/Oompa Loompa", (5, performed by Julie Dawn Cole and the Oompa Loompas).
* "Wonkamobile, Wonkavision/Oompa Loompa", (4.5, performed by Gene Wilder and the Oompa Loompas).

Overall, I rate the classic "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. It's a wonderful film that both children and adults alike can watch many times without becoming tiresome, and the film itself is by no means dated. Both the dialog and plot were brilliantly executed and each of the many actors in the film did superb jobs in their roles, especially Gene Wilder. If any producer attempted to film a remake of this film, I couldn't imagine anyone other than Gene Wilder in the role of Willy Wonka.

This DVD is the only one I have seen where the "bonus" stuff is actually worthwhile, and not just a rip off ploy to get more of your money. The documentary is great, the running commentary is fascinating--both are even better than the actual movie!

Ive noticed that the boat ride scene in Willy Wonka is catching alot of negative flak from reviewers, many calling for it to be removed. Im tired of folks always wanting to censor and remove anything that can be remotely construed as offensive or damaging to children. Although its a scary scene, I saw this as a child and was not traumatized by it, maybe your kids are just wussies! I believe the scene was shot to add a dimension of danger to Wonka's world and truth be told, a dose of fear in children is healthy, not the kind of violent axe murderer stuff but the old fashioned fear of death or the unknown. Fear keeps kids in line and lets them know there are boundaries and repercussions, not everything in life is peachy keen and chocolate covered. I dont think the boat ride scene was made to scare the crap out of kids but just as a psychedilic freak out, it gets their minds working. Its a magical, mysterious, bizarre scene that is true Hollywood magic and Im glad to find that its still included despite the controlling, revisionist, sissyphied parents of today who want to shelter their kids from everyting and end up creating their own monsters who fear nothing, worry about nothing, and care about nothing. On another note, Gene Wilder is just fantastic in this movie, one of the all time best characters ever!

OK, I admit I was forced to watch it, but found myself enjoying it anyway. Chevy Chase is back once more, and from the previous ones I've seen, it's the most disappointing. There are a few funny moments, but they were predictable. How many times can you watch someone stapling Christmas lights (talk about going overboard with THOSE!) without knowing they're going to attach themselves to the roof, and then fall off the ladder? Having the dreaded family over makes me wish I'm not going anywhere this Christmas! You've got all the worst family members you can possibly imagine ... and then add some! The mum is at her best in this film, and the children are Juliette Lewis is an early role, but still looking & sounding the same, and the guy who later got a fish hook through the neck in I Know What You Did Last Summer. This isn't my fave National Lampoon Movie/Vacation movie. But it's a great movie to watch at this time of year - even though I keep complaining that I'm watching Christmas movies in the middle of November, and I want it to be Christmas NOW!!!

Chevy Chase is back again, to keep us laughing through the holidays! I have never seen this movie, wasnt always a fan of Chevy Chase, but during the holidays i ended up seeing it with my family. I absolutly loved it! Everything in this movie you can laugh about! Chevy Chase is a typical man in the movie, needs to have everything perfect, but with his luck, everything goes bad...and its hysterical! This is the best movie to watch around the holidays with your family. I HIGHLY reccomend this movie!!!! Now, its tradition to watch this movie every year!

Chevy Chase did it again. Although this is the worst in the seris it's still phenomonale. In this one Clark invites all of the faimily, except Eddie who shows up anyway. He invites Ellen's aunt who's insane, i.e. wrapping up her cat and Jello mold as presents. Plus, her husband who's like a souped up Aunt Edna. All in all, very funny.

By far one of the technically best movies ever made. I may be over stating here,but consider these points.

I beg you to find a single section of the movie that didn't relate to other parts of the movie. In this respect it is phenominal. The only other Sci Fi movies I have encountered that come close are the original Alien and T2. An almost Shakespearian use of foreshadowing, plot device, and humanity.

2. Continuity: Robocop shows down with Dick Jones, Drops his gun. Later in the movie, does he magically have his gun? NO! Lewis has sneak into the police dept. to give him one. Freakin perfect. Many other instances of this.

3. Realism: Have you seen other action movies from the 80s, (including Robocop 2 and 3). Bad guys are lame characitures (wrap around shades, headbands, mohawks, etc.) This movies' bad guys look act and feel like genuine people and bullies. "You a good cop? Yeah, I bet you're some kind of a super cop, Comin in here all by your self". Clarence, Emelio, Dick Jones. Dag, these guys come across as real today as they did back then.

4. Socio-commentary: The adverts are brilliance. The hatred of yuppie indulgence (before yuppies were a "thing"), the deprecation of society. Compare the gas mileage of the 6000SUX to the modern SUV (SUX, SUV... 1 letter off) hmmm...

5: That gun!!!!

6: Premonition: Yuppies, Vehicle Extravigance at the price of Gas (6000SUX), DVD, (think about the time it was made), The TV show everyone watched in the film seems a little to like Howard Stern for my likes (I'd buy that for a Dollar!)

7. The scene where he walks through his own home and remembers his past (or pieces) is one of the most touching pieces of filmmaking ever.

8: realism #2: Computers work like computers. No flashy pop up displays, truncated words to fit a screen. Realism over flash. Brilliance!

Well, anyhoo, this is an amazing movie, and I've watched a lot. this is the one to watch and own. Go get this. I mean it. go get this movie. I know where you live.

Before "Robocop" displays its extreme violence in a parade of bullets and blood, it opens with a newsbreak that details a world on the verge of disaster and a city out of control, Detroit. While the world deals with Star Wars, impending Nucleur doom and war, Detroit deals with drugs, rampant violent crime and corporate scum who control the police, hospital system and prisons. The one bit of actual integrity is the police, who still go out on the streets to try to find some order in the choas.

Now, "Robocop" is never as serious as I put on. That newsbreak and corporate scum is scathing satire that prevails throughout the film on 1980s' America, hitting close to home. Everything is privitized, the world on the edge of disaster and America riddled in crime and decadence. Man in the future isn't pretty.

The police however, are trying to do some good in this world. One of their men, Murphy (Peter Weller) ends up being shot to pieces by crime boss Clarence Bodiger (Kurtwood Smith) and his cohorts in one of films' most graphic sequences. But Murphy returns, sort of, as Robcop, one of the company OCPs' projects to try to clean up crime (but only for a company project called Delta City). Murphy, however, is still holding some of his shattered humanity, and when he learns of who exactly killed him, he goes on a revenge mission to find them. He encouters Bodiger and his cohorts in a cocaine plant and an old abadoned steel mill, each attempts to kill each other.

Besides that satire, director Paul Verhoeven is the films' insatiable and bloody energy, showing his fetish proudly for lots and lots of bloodshed. But editor Frank Urioste and cinematographer Jost Vocano are the bulk of the reason why "Robocop" is a fluid, fast-paced action flick. And writers Ed Neumier (who also signed on as executive producer) and Michael Miner make "Roocop" an intelligent and pessimistic view of the future.

In the near future, Detroit is jam-packed with gangs and narcotic dealers. After being shot to pieces by a vicious gang, a cop (Peter Weller) is redesigned into a cyborg cop (Robocop) that is capable of stopping any crime. Though he works very well, he seeks retaliation over the punks who killed him.

Although the sequel does a superior job utilizing the bleak, cartoonish future, Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Showgirls) does a commendable job displaying the action scenes and scenarios with an accompanying, cohesive plot. The most notable scenes are the ones that mock modern news by displaying them in the ugly future, where considerable disaster is spoken of as a normalcy.

If you like this film, I'd also recommend Terminator 2.

Overall rating 4.7 stars (rounded to 5)

Rated R for strong graphic violence, gore, language, drug-use, brief nudity.

This film is not perfect. It gets a little soft and mushy in some areas. But for those who can look beyond, it has two great things going for it ... namely Kevin Kline and Hayden Christensen. For those of you who are just now beginning to notice Mr. Christensen - for his work in SHATTERED GLASS - take a look here. While SHATTERED GLASS is a great performance, in this earlier pre-STAR WARS performance, Mr. Christensen is called upon to go toe-to-toe with the great Kevin Kline. Not many young actors could do this as well as he does here. Mr. Kline gives it his all (as is his usual modus operandi) and thereby forces Mr. Christensen to do the same. The result is two great performances in a film that ultimately lets them down by taking the obvious pull-at-your-heartstrings way out. Unfortunate.

Everyone should at least see this film if not own it. Once you see it, it will become one of the most cherished items in any movie lovers collection.

Kevin Kline and Hayden Christiansen are outstanding. For young hayden Christiansen this is perhaps the best performance he has given to date. And it doesn't need to be said, but Kline is at the top of his game.

The relationships evolving between, father and son, husband and wife/ ex-wife as the case may be, boy and girl, the list goes on and on, are all brilliantly woven together in a story you will watch over and over again. I have owned my copy for over a year and I still watch it at least once or twice a month.

George Monroe (Kevin Kline) has hated his job for the past twenty years and he has hated his life for at least the past ten. When he loses his job and discovers that he has terminal cancer, he decides to use the time he has left to confront the things in his life that have brought him the most pain and disappointment. Kline keeps what is inevitably a tearjerker from being a dark and depressing movie and instead makes it a positive and uplifting experience with a type of somber comedy.

Telling no one of his condition, he sets out to tear down the ramshackle house left to him by his alcoholic father and build a new house fit for the prime location of a cliff overlooking the ocean. He enlists for the summer the aid - or at least the presence - of his rebellious sixteen-year-old son Sam (Hayden Christensen) who, with blue hair and multiple facial piercings, has become an aerosol sniffing punk wishing death on his estranged parents.

Backed by superb supporting actors and actresses like Kristin Scott Thomas, Mary Steenburgen, Scott Bakula and Richard Cummings, Jr, this movie is the daydream of every parent with a rebellious teenager and of estranged ex-husbands still in love with their ex-wives. As the old and diseased life is pulled down symbolically with the house, new bonds are forged and new happiness is found by all those that come together in the project.