Rugs Movie Reviews

This movie still amazes with each viewing, revealing its complexity and truthfulness about human nature and affairs of the heart. Olivia de Haviland deservedly won her second Best Actress Oscar for her subtle, layered and deeply moving performance. "The Heiress" was very typical of the movies being churned out by Hollywood at the time, this time by the expert hands of one of the "Masters", William Wyler.

Anyone who has seen this film can well relate to the central character, Katherine. I am sure anyone who has ever been "dumped" by somebody in a romantic relationship or has experienced unreciprocated affections can well relate to Katherine and her devoted love to Morris, who represents the "cads" or "golddiggers" out there. Obviously when we first see Morris coming on to Katherine, we naturally want this relationship to work. Unfortunately it only affirms to the "jaded cynical bunch" that love has a price tag attached to it.

The final scene is very heartbreaking to watch and hear as we listen to the loud bangs symbolizing pounding on the heart of Katherine, who has decided from her heartbreak to lock her door once and for all. The film also touches on the mental cruelty sometimes in parent/child relationships, and the power of pain a parent can inflict upon their child. Sometimes words can hurt more than physical pain, in this case, Katherine represents those out there who have experienced the inflicted mental pain their parents have caused.

Such a great film to cherish and view over and over again. It's unfortunate that Hollywood is definitely a very different town compared to over 40 years ago when the story and acting mattered most instead of guns, explosions or weekend box office grosses.

"The Heiress" is a keeper for film buffs everywhere and for those who crave filmmaking at its very best.

Bravo to Wyler and his talented cast for pulling this one off with flying colors !

The Heiress is the poignant 1949 film which won Olivia de Havilland a well deserved Oscar for Best Actress. Based on the book "Washington Square" the story is set in the 1840s, focusing on Catherine (de Havilland), a timid naive woman who happens to have an inheritance of $10,000 a year from her mother, and $20,000 a year after her father's death. Ralph Richardson also gives an outstanding performance here as the father who holds her up to the standard of her late mother. His view of her not measuring up is one thing that keeps her down.

Montgomery Clift plays Morris, the man who courts her. She falls in love with him, while he's more in love with her money, though she doesn't suspect his alterior motive until it's too late. Throughout we get sharp witted dialogue, sometimes leaving us subtle between-the-lines clues. For instance when Morris echoes Catherine's thought that when alone with her Aunt Lavinia he is more eloquent (this implies Lavinia told him of her similar thoughts). And when in Paris she tells her father that her Aunt's letter gives a first hand account of Paris (implying her Aunt has been talking to Morris).

Her father finally tells her how worthless he feels she is, but for her inheritance, so she then puts all her faith in Morris. They set the time for him to come and take her away to elope, fueling her romantic fantasies of the relationship and she tells him of her falling out with (and apparent disinheritance from) her father, then goes to pack. The scenes that follow are some of the most moving and disturbing ever set to film. As she waits for Morris with elated anticipation, her Aunt tells her of her belief in Morris' money motive. Catherine denies this: "Morris will love me, where others did not."

After the set time for his arrival comes and goes it dawns on her what has happened and she breaks down. In the morning she is completely transformed, older, bitter, and drained as she slowly drags her suitcases back up the long dark stairway. For the rest of the film she "finds her voice" as her father says, a lower toned, darker, disillusioned, and bitter voice. And her father and Morris both find that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Another Oscar went to Aaron Copland for the excellent film score. If you know the song "I Can't Help Falling in Love", you'll notice it's a rip off of this score. Overall one of the top 5 films of the 1940s.

Miss Olivia de Havilland is wonderful in this films. "The Heiress," is wonderful and a ery romantic and entertaining film. Mongomery Cliff is ownderufl in it to It's well worth seeing and a real classic.

I was introduced to this movie by my good friend and I can't keep it out of my DVD player!!! It's a great movie that will make you laugh ... especially the bad translated English sub titles ... but you get that sometimes!!

okay, lets start with this: the movie is a comedy.
Have you seen Iron monkey? Think something along those lines. cheezy dialogue, improbable martial arts stunts, and a completely ridiculous plot. Including a musical segment. If you aren't into b-movies, this isn't for you. But I promise, it is absolutely hysterical. Watch it with friends, and you won't stop laughing.

What a wonderful movie--one that's very conscious of its own environment and genre. Despite genre limitations, "God of Cookery" is refreshing and quite unpredictable. Even the grammatical lapses and convoluted English subtitles all contribute to an enjoyment of a subtitled film. This is better than being dubbed.

Watching it, there's never a dull moment. Most of all, the meticulous attention to details was quite impressive, and so was the cinematography.

Crime Story is a a lean, mean cop show drama that features politically incorrect police officers battling it out with nasty criminals.

It's a testimony to Michael Mann's reputation at the time that Crime Story was even greenlighted. NBC would have never gone for the casting of Dennis Farina, with his pockmarked face and lack of acting experience, had Mann been a neophyte producer with no proven track record. The choice of cult film director Abel Ferrara (pre-Bad Lieutenant) must have also freaked out network execs. His previous films included a deranged psycho gruesomely killing people with a power tool and a rape survivor viciously killing the men who attacked her with a .45 pistol.

And yet, the final product proves that Mann's instincts were right on the money. Farina delivers the hard-boiled dialogue with the perfect amount of intensity (at one point Farina says menacingly to one goon, "you hurt anybody else, when this is all over I'm gonna find what you love the most and I'm gonna kill it. Your mother, your father, your dog. Don't matter what it is -- it's dead."). You can see it in his eyes and the way he barks out orders that this a no-nonsense guy who isn't going to let anything get in the way of his job.

Ferrara directs with the same proficient skill of crime auteur, Don Siegel. Crime Story depicts a harsh world where life is cheap and characters will do anything -- even if it means bending or breaking the law -- to achieve their goals.

One of the most striking aspects about Crime Story is that it feels like it was ripped right from the pages of a James Ellroy novel. It is even more surprising that this show was done before Ellroy had written his famous L.A. Quartet of books that features L.A. Confidential, which Crime Story most closely resembles. The author claims that he hadn't seen the show until after he wrote these novels but he does admit to being a fan since then. This, of course, begs the question, when is someone going to reunite Farina and Ferrara to do a proper Ellroy adaptation?

The DVD disappoints in the extras department. No audio commentaries from Ferrara or Mann (both of whom have done them before), or even the show's creator, Chuck Adamson. A retrospective featurette would have been nice but instead we are left with nothing.

If you are willing to overlook the appalling lack of extras and are a fan of Michael Mann or James Ellroy's fiction then this is definitely worth checking out. Hopefully, the folks at Anchor Bay will redeem themselves with the first season of Crime Story that their website says is due out in July of this year with the second season coming out in December.

I love Crime Story. I grew up watching it as a kid and I'am glad I finally found it at Amazon. This pilot movie rock and rolls. Really gets you in the mood to watch the series coming out November 4, 2003.

Crime Story. It was Miami Vice but for Italians. If you don't know what I'm saying then forgedboudit!!! The only reason the Soprano's is good is because Crime Story paved the way. Every Italian household should have a poster of Crime Story next to their framed pictures of the Pope and Elvis Presley.

For some reason, I always thought this movie took place in New York, but seeing it recently, and seeing the scene where the boys ride around Daley Plaza, I realized it takes place in Chicago. Pretty sad considering I grew up just north of Chicago and a few famous landmarks are visibly present within a number of scenes.

Anyway, Clifford Peache (Chris Makepeace) has a problem besides his really bad mushroomed shaped harido. Having just transferred from a private to public school, Clifford has run afoul of a gang of toughs, led by Moody (Matt Dillon) whose main source of income is extorting money from kids under the premise of protection from another kid, Ricky Linderman (Alec Baldwin). See, legend has it that Ricky, a boy larger than most, has done all kinds of things from killing a kid, raping a teacher, to shooting a cop. Moody and his gang claim to provide protection from Ricky, but, really, they are only providing protection against themselves, because not paying Moody would result in a beating from Moody or any of his cronies. Clifford angers Moody and his goons by refusing to pay, which results in all kinds of harassment.

Clifford, seeing that even the bullies are afraid of Ricky, approaches Ricky to try and make a deal to get him to be his bodyguard. Ricky agrees initially, but backs out as Clifford tries to learn more about Ricky, about his past and why he's so feared. I've noticed some reviewers have tried to infer some sort of burgeoning homoerotic relationship between these two characters, but I really didn't see it. It's sad that two male characters in a movie can't develop a close friendship without some people labeling it as something other than what it is...I actually found that notion a little offensive and silly as this is a charming little movie that portrays one boy, who shut nearly shut everything out after a tragic event opening up to a friend. In the end, the boys develop a friendship, but also get more in that Clifford learns how to stand up for himself and Ricky seems to come to terms with a past event that isolated him and made him feared throughout the school.

Look for appearances by Martin Mull, Ruth Gordon, Joan Cusack, John Houseman, George Wendt, Tim Kazurinsky, and Jennifer Beals. The movie is presented in full screen and wide screen formats, and looks really good. The audio is solid, but there are English subtitles if needed. One of the many things I appreciated about this movie was the use of real teenagers to portray teens on the screen. It really annoys me seeing some twenty something being passed off as a high school student as seems fairly common nowadays. Also, it seemed the entire movie was shot on location in Chicago, rather than on a soundstage, providing a bit of a gritty, realistic feel. This was a nice, subtle touch that served to make a great movie that much better. Overall, an excellent movie I would recommend to most anyone.

... When I saw the My Bodyguard DVD ...I thought what the hell. I got home and was genually moved by it, and could remember all of it. This simple story of teen friendship
without gun play, thumping soundtrack, or computer imagery.
The acting is good (great in the case of Matt Dillon), and yes there are some descrete hints that it may be more than friendship...

A pity that its a bare bones release,...

The story is basically about a boy named Clifford, who has just moved to a new school. Everything seems to be going well until he meets up with Moody and his gang, the school bullies. They arent just your typical gang of bullies the're a gang of extortionists, promising protection to those who pay them. When Clifford refuses, Moody gets angry and starts to bully Clifford. Then one day Clifford finds out about a boy his age named Ricky Linderman( about six feet three inches tall), who supposedly murdered his brother in cold blood. So naturally the entire school, including Moody and the gang fear him. One day Clifford offers to pay Ricky money to protect him from Moody, Ricky turns him down because he doesn't want to get involved. However this does not stop Clifford who proceeds to follow him home one day, the two form a close friendship and Ricky protects Clifford and the other kids from Moody and his extortion. And for awhile all seems to be going well until..... watch and see!

I bought this DVD based on the Customer Reviews in Amazon.com. I guess I just don't have the same sense of humor these people have. In all fairness, it has it's moments...although very few and very far between. The price in dollars I can live with. But, this DVD is a total waste of time. By the time it was over, it felt as though it was 3-hours long. If you have nothing better to do, watch it. That's what I did. To me, it wasn't worth it!

You'll either love it or hate it! I saw it in theaters with a friend years ago and giggled and giggled. The laughs build throughout the movie and I still quote one-liners from it. My poor friend, however, hated it.

This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen! There are so many funny scenes that I can't pick my favorite. I wish more comedies were this good.

I shouldn't like "Dead of Winter" as much as I do. It has some faults, a few of them glaring. But, however many faults the movie has, it still grips me, and evokes the fear and suspense necessary for it to qualify as a taut thriller. You have a claustrophobic setting, disturbing older men, a woman in distress, and murder. These ingredients come together to make for a very interesting hour and a half. At the very least, I found myself entertained.

The film starts out with the murder of a woman in an abandoned parking lot on a snowy winter's night. Next we are in New York City, where we are exposed to the struggling actor's life of Katie McGovern (Mary Steenburgen). She is just looking for that one good role (with good pay, of course). After she does well at an audition, the man hosting it, Mr. Murray (Roddy McDowall), invites her upstate to an isolated country house, in order to do some test screening. Katie agrees. She tells her boyfriend she will call him once there, and is off. Once Katie arrives at the house, she is introduced to the man in charge, Dr. Joseph Lewis (sinisterly portrayed by Jan Rubes). Uneasy things begin to occur (the phones lines go dead, and the car won't start), and soon Katie's world turns upside down as the two older men begin to unveil their frightening plan upon the unsuspecting actress.

There are things to knock about "Dead of Winter". Many of them involve aspects of what film critic Roger Ebert has termed "The Idiot Plot". This is where characters are in certain situations that go on for far too long because, instead of doing the sensible thing, they act with fairly bad judgement, thus enabling the movie to exist and continue on. A few examples: Why go hours upstate to an isolated house for a screen test? Why believe that an old *doctor* is in charge of casting a movie? Why, when you see that the two men whose house you are in have thrown your driver's license in the fireplace, do you act casually, as though nothing is wrong? I won't go on, as I don't want to give away too much of the film. Suffice it to say, you will need to suspend some disbelief, and just go with the flow.

There are many good elements about "Dead of Winter". The direction by Arthur Penn is steady, and moves along at a good pace. The casting is great. Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, and Jan Rubes are all perfect in their roles. The setting is superb - an old, wood interior, victorian style house in the middle of the countryside. A fierce blizzard snowing-in the hapless actress. All of the elements come together very well.

Some night, when the wind is howling outside, the snow drifts are accumulating around your house, and you're feeling just a wee bit isolated, decide on a good night of suspense, and watch this movie. Watch it, in the "Dead of Winter".

"Dead Of Winter" is a great movie to view on a dark, lonely night. Steenburgen is marvelous as a would-be actress trying out for the part of her life in an old house in upstate New York. She soon finds herself a pawn in a blackmail plot, and later, she realizes that her captives have no desire to let her live to tell of her experience. During the entire movie, a blizzard swirls and the wind moans outside the old house where she is being held, and this erie atmosphere together with the plot will definitely make your skin crawl.

I fell in love with Steenburgen when I first saw her in TIME AFTER TIME during its initial theatrical release, owned it in VHS and Laser form, and was so glad when it arrived on DVD beautifully done, both picture and sound. DEAD OF WINTER is an eerie, suspenseful film earning its R rating from the opening scene to the truly horrifying ending. Our leading lady plays three roles, and does so with great skill. Regardless of the editorial reviews, Roddy McDowell actually plays the loyal, psychopathic servant (terrifyingly) to the millionaire who masterminds the plot(s). The climactic scenes (and some others) are not for the faint-hearted, and the tension mounts when Steenburgen tries to pass herself off as one of the characters she is playing. If that sounds complicated, it is! Just received my DVD copy of this film. Not bad. A little adjustment takes the heavy grain out, and the 2-channel stereo is adequate, since the movie derives its impact from the script, the actors, and the good direction. A real treat for lovers of thriller films!

They just don't make them like this any more! This is a great movie--shocking for its time (1957) but tame by today's standards. Everything blends together so well here--the writing, the direction, the visuals (a picturesque New England town that also hides some dirty secrets). I also find the musical score to be excellent--"haunting" is the word that comes to mind, perfectly matched to the emotional mood of the movie. Outstanding performances from first-rate actors. Yes, it is the quintessential "soap opera." But it is absolutely the BEST of its genre! A "must-see."

This is my all time favorite movie. I scene it for the first time, when it came out in 1957 while stationed in the Air Force in Japan, and have scene it many times since. It has everything that and excellent movie should have, I thought Gone With The Wind was the greatest show until I scene Peyton Place, and you might know that it is put out by Fox Studios who seem to be the slowest studio for putting any movie on DVD Enough for the complaints on Fox, If you want to see a super movie, set down grab your popcorn and coke and enjoy 2hrs and 37mins of great entertainment.

One of the most engaging soapers ever made, with Lana Turner as Constance MacKenzie, a woman with some skeletons in her closet, surrounded by an oppressive town society, so puritane as hypocrite and, at times, sordid.
With superb performances and such intriguing stories about uptown scandals, this remains as a kitschy classic, if it would be supreme under the directorial ouevre of Douglas Sirk.
Based upon Grace Metalious' then-scandalous best-seller, it's now more a film for melodrama fans (and specially for Lana's devotees) than the notorious one that shocked audiences at its time; in fact, it was the most money-account title of its year and spanned the well-known TV series.

A Maxim Productions Inc. Presentation. Robert Kraft (Richard Boone) is now Chairman of Immortal Hills Cemetary. He doesn't really care to be, but his uncle says it is tradition and mostly for business. Mr. McKee (Theodore Bikel) who oversees everything shows Kraft the old office and a most unusual grounds map. Every plot is there. The black pins are for those already buried there. The white pins are for those who have made arrangements for the plot in the future. Two newlyweds, just married, drive into the cemetary to say hello. As a wedding present to his new wife, he gives her a cemetary plot. A few hours later, the young couple is dead. Kraft later realizes the pins on the board map need to be changed to black. But Mr. McKee says there is already two black pins there. Kraft could have sworn there were two white pins there. Herbert Anderson (Dennis the Meance tv series 1959-1963) walks in. He has to write the "obit" for the newspaper. The reporter explains the pins are like being "marked for death". Alone, Kraft decides to have fun by taking a black pin and without looking, puts a black pin anywhere on the odd board. It sticks to W. Isham. nearly two minutes later, W. Isham is dead. Later, the reporter tells Kraft "coincidence is part of everyday life..." But Kraft says he has been though this before. "Regularly". More deaths and eerieness abounds. Did you see your name on the board?

Bob Kraft (Richard Boone) believes there is a sinister relationship between a string of recent deaths and black pins in a map of cemetery plots. This movie is an intriguing blend of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock. Kraft, the innocent man caught in what appears to be a supernatural conundrum, suffers the torments of the damned. Each black pin he sticks in the map causes another person to die, or so he thinks. Boone is effective as a bewildered victim, caught in a web of mystery, a contrast to his tough guy roles. Take special notice of the large map on the wall of the caretaker's cottage. It is the mute monster of our story. White pins mean that the plot is sold, but not yet occupied. Black pins mean that the dear departed has, well, departed. Switching the pins before death appears to hasten the process. Hence, the mystery. The roads of the map twist, turn, and curve until they resemble a disjointed human face that sneers at the puny man. Kraft alerts the police that he is responsible for the recent deaths, but the cops are skeptical. The deceased people expired from natural causes. Classic TV fans will recognize Herbert Anderson (Henry Mitchell of "Dennis the Menace") as an owlish reporter. This little thriller is a classic horror gem. The presentation is low budget, but the result is superior. Ownership is a definite must. ;-)

Notwithstanding the title and cover art, this is anything but a zombie send-up. Richard Boone stars in this quiet, intelligent mystery-thriller about a picturesque cemetery and one very curious map. You see, this map tracks the status of its plots - whether occupied or unoccupied - by the use of black and white pins. When Boone mistakenly puts black pins in a newly purchased set of plots, the couple who recently acquired them dies. Is the mortality of men controlled by a map and pins? An obsessed Boone wants to find out. You will, too.

Loved the film; brought back memories of my childhood when my parents brought me to see it back in the late 50's. The film though presented principally for children, has a lot of sentimentality and morals to its' credit. Really nice movie.

I found this late 1950's version of Tom Thumb" to be the best Rus Tamblyn was superb in it. It's so very well worth seeing. i think it deserves all the stars it can get. It really impressed be as such a magical film. The dance numbers were great. It was funny amusing, romantic, colorful, nice songs and dance. I also found Alan Young wonderful in it as well. It's a must see for the entire family.

This film is one of the best films of all time for children and adults too, unfortunately the film is not available on video or DVD in the United Kingdom so anyone who lives in the U.K. will have to have a Video Recorder which is NTSC compatible. This film used to double bill at the cinema with Wizard of Oz but more enjoyable of the two and you don't tire of watching it.

Produced, Edited, Written and Directed by the great Russ Meyer, FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! is less overtly sexual than his later work; (To my knowledge this is the only Meyer movie in NZ to have an unrestricted rating) but is still a highly enjoyable & wonderfully politically incorrect cult fave.
The story revolves around three sexy female car club members Varla (Tura Satana), Rosie (Haji) & Billie (Lori Williams) who accept the task of safely delivering home the daughter of a high profile public figure in order to avoid all the media hoopla, for a sizable amount of cash.
Their simple road trip soon takes an unexpected turn when they run out of gas & they are forced to shack up with a paraplegic old man (Stuart Lancaster)& his dimwitted weightlifting son Kirk (Paul Trinka). Naturally in true Meyer fashion the girls use their sex appeal to get what they want- & their feet & fists- this IS Meyer's "homage to the violence in women" after all!
FASTER PUSSYCAT KILL KILL is also noteworthy because this movie is actually very feminist minded at its core- so basically Meyer seems to be good-naturedly slapping his critics in the face with this movie. Good on him.
If you've never seen a Russ Meyer film before, here is probably a good starting point; after that I'd recommend you track down copies of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS; CHERRY, HARRY & RAQUEL and VIXEN. So check this one out & celebrate an era before Political Correctness started to contaminate everything- especially Kiwis; before Labour & the Greens pass a law stating that all DVD players must run on methane gas in order to conserve energy!

Easily Russ Meyer's best film to date. This movie has it all: fast cars, voluptuous, beautiful women (they don't make 'em like that anymore!) and the dumb guys they have to beat into submission in order to get their way!

The opening voiceover narration grabs your attention from the get-go with it's hard-boiled style right out of a Sam Fuller movie. A lot of critics have slammed the film for its amateurish dialogue but it has just the right B-movie vibe.

Surprisingly tame by today's standards, FASTER, PUSSYCAT nevertheless is refreshingly un-PC in its attitude. The women in this film don't take any crap -- especially Varla (played to perfection by Tura Santana) who talks tough and backs it up with action (including the climatic scene where she breaks a guy's back with her bare hands!). Forget the CGI'ed CHARLIE'S ANGELS, this movie is the real deal.

Atypical Russ Meyer movie that features none of his exploitive trademarks but actually concentrates on characterizations of his three stars---the incomparable Tura Satana, sultry Haji, and way-out California girl Lori Williams. Great b&w photography as the girls(go-go dancers in a sleazy club) head out in wild sports cars into the desert in search of thrills. Well, they get 'em when Satana kills a guy and they abduct his screaming idiot girlfriend. They hide out at a desert ranch headed by a VERY weird father/son clan. Satana believes there's a lot of moola on the property somewhere and she aims to find it one way or another. Acting is above-average for a Meyer piece and the film is consistently watchable throughout. No nudity(except for some tasteful bare-back shots as they bathe after the desert incident) and the women are not stupid but tired of being used. This is a first-rate bona-fide cult classic right here and deserves a pristine transfer to DVD. A MUST SEE.